her sensibility should have an abhorrence of such a monster of cruelty. Being of an open temper, she could not disguise her sentiments, even from him; but his love for her, made him take from her what he would not from any one beside. Yet it happened one day, that being much enraged, he flew into a passion, and was very near striking her. His own relations, taking this opportunity to bring false accusations against her, she was tried for her life. Her judges, who paid more regard to the inclinations of Herod, than to the evidence adduced, pronounced her guilty of the crimes laid to her charge; upon which she was publicly executed.

The death of Mariamne almost threw Herod into a distraction of mind, and quite disabled him from attending to the affairs of his kingdom. At the same time there broke out a pestilence, by which vast numbers were carried off. This increased the king's distress, as the people said it was a judgment from God for Mariamne's death. The distress of his mind brought on disease of body; to alleviate which, he repaired to Samaria, where he consulted his physicians, but could find no relief from the agony he endured.

Alexandra, being at Jerusalem, supposing he could not possibly recover, endeavoured to gain possession of the fortresses, by interceding with the governors to give them up for Herod's children by Mariamne; but her applications were not attended with success. Herod, in the mean time, recovering, and, being informed of her endeavours to corrupt the governors, caused her to be put to death.

Some time after this, Herod married another

person of the name of Mariamne,whose father he raised to the dignity of high-priest. His two sons, Aristobulus and Alexander, whom he had by the first Mariamne, he sent to Rome for education. He now gave himself up to all kinds of licentious gratifications, and introduced games and customs quite contrary to the principles of the Jews, which much irritated them against him. They looked upon him as their king only in name, esteeming him an enemy to the whole Jewish nation. Ten of the Jews bound themselves with an oath to kill the king, if it were possible. For this purpose they repaired to the theatre, with short swords under their garments; but Herod, having obtained information of the plot, went to his palace, and sent for these ten men by name. When they came before the king, they drew out their swords, and declared that their conspiracy was honest and holy, in behalf of the public discipline, which no good man would suffer to be violated, though it cost him his life. They were immediately led to execution.

After this, Herod exercised many cruelties, putting whole families to death, for the faults of some individuals. Finding the people discontented, he began building forts and castles to keep them in awe.

In the thirteenth year of his reign, Judea was afflicted with a famine and pestilence. The great care and attention which the king paid to the people at this time of distress, made them almost forget his former cruelties. He melted down all his plate to procure corn for the people, which he purchased at a vast expense from foreign countries. He

also imported great quantities of wool for their clothing; the failure of the flocks for want of pasturage, having occasioned a scarcity of that valuable article. To ingratiate himself more effectually with the

Year of

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Jews, he shortly after proposed to rebuild the World the temple at Jerusalem, which had now stood more than four hundred years; during which time, through the rage of conflicting parties, it had been materially injured and defaced. To convince the people of his ability to accomplish what he had so generously undertaken, he engaged not to take down any part of the old structure, till he had collected all the materials requisite for building the new one; which he did, with prodigious cost and labour, in the space of two years; employing, for this purpose, ten thousand artificers and labourers, a thousand waggons for carriage, and a thousand priests for direction. All things being thus prepared, the temple, properly so called, containing the sanctuary and the most holy place, was finished in a year and a half; so that the public service suffered very little interruption: the remaining parts of the building were completed in eight years more, when it was solemnly dedicated to God, with a vast number of sacrifices and universal rejoicing. Though the grand design was executed, according to the plan proposed, within the above period, yet it was continually receiving some additions, either to the outworks belonging to it, or the decorations with which it was ornamented, down to the time of our Saviour's public ministry. Hence it is said, John ii. 20, Forty-and-six years was this temple in building. But, though thus reared anew from the

foundation, the whole being done under the idea of repairs, it was still considered as the same, and continued to be called the second temple.

After this, new dissensions broke out in Herod's family. Antipater, his elder son by Doris, a wife which Herod had before Mariamne, grew jealous, and raised continual accusations against Alexander and Aristobulus, who were just returned from Rome, having completed their education. The court now became a scene of intrigue, one plotting against another, that no one could tell who was his friend or foe. In short, nothing was to be heard of but arrests, imprisonments, and tortures; in consequence of which, many innocent persons fell, and friends as well as enemies were put to death upon the slightest suspicion. At length Antipater succeeded in his designs, effectually persuading his father that Alexander and Aristobulus had conspired to take away his life; upon which they were both executed, though the facts were never fully proved.

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We are now, George, in the course of our history, arrived at the period when our blessed Lord made his appearance in the world; the Ro- the World man empire, under Augustus, being in the height of its glory, and that of the Jewish state and true religion almost at the lowest ebb. The birth of this glorious Babe was noticed only by a few pious persons, who waited for the coming of the Messiah.

Herod at this time was fully occupied with a new conspiracy, which was formed and carried on by his nearest relations; as his brother Pheroras, his wife the high-priest's daughter, and his son Antipater. The parties, however, were detected before they had

time to accomplish their purpose. Several persons were tortured, others executed, his wife divorced, her father deposed from the office of high-priest, and his son imprisoned in order to receive sentence from Rome.

These things were scarcely over, when this jealous prince received a fresh alarm from the arrival of the eastern magi, who made public inquiries where He was to be found, who was born King of the Jews, for they had seen his star in the east, and were come to worship him. Herod immediately ordered search to be made in the sacred records, by which it appeared that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem; whither he sent the wise men, charging them, when they had found the young child, to return to him, that he might come and worship him also. This he did in subtlety, intending to slay the infant; but the wise men were warned of God, not to return to Herod, but to go home another way.

When Herod found they did not return, he determined to execute the diabolical plan he had conceived, which was nothing less than to murder all the male infants of the town, that were under two years of age, in order that the child Jesus might perish in the general massacre. But, my dear George, how vain is it for man to think of defeating the purposes of God! Joseph and Mary, under divine direction, took the young child and went into Egypt, by which means they escaped the rage of Herod. Not long after, the Almighty inflicted signal punishment upon this monster of cruelty, smiting him with a distemper, the most loathsome and tormenting that can be imagined. At the same time, his