The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

§. 2. The qualities of Tiberius the present Emperor: his damnable dissimulation.

Augustus as he had got the sole government into his hands, by a great deal of wisdom, and daring, so did he keep it with the same wisdom, and as much moderation: He sat Emperor for the space of four and forty years, honoured and beloved, and died desired and lamented, though he had thus impropriated, as it was conceived, the whole liberty of the Empire into his own hand: Now whether it were the native gentleness and good∣ness of the Emperor, that kept him in such a sweetness and moderation; or whether it were some policy mingled with it, as knowing it not to be safe to be too busie and rigid so near the change, he so demeaned himself for the benefit of the City, and love of the people, that as he was the first of all the Emperors, so in a manner was he the last that shewed such mildness, goodness, and nobleness, either to people or City.

Tyberius succeeded him, his Wives son by nature, and his by adoption; a man as incom∣parably evil, unworthy, and cruel, as Augustus had been glorious, noble, and humane. And if that were true which some supposed and believed, That Augustus had nominated Tiberius for his Successor, that his own worth might be the better set off by the others wickedness; and that he might be the better spoken of, because the other was so odious; this his last action was more to his dishonour than all his former; and howso∣ever Tiberius might do him honour by his miscarriage, yet did he do himself dishonour in Tyberius.

This wretch, whose Story we are now to follow, was, as his own Tutor used to define him, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A lump of clay mingled with blood; and that clay and blood mingled with as much mischievousness, as it was almost possible for humane nature to contain.

A dissembler he was, beyond all parallels and comparisons, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 saith Dion, He had a disposition most single to himself: For he never made shew to what he desired; and he never spake as he thought; what he desired he denied; what he ha∣ted he pretended to: he shewed anger where he loved best; he pretended love where he hated most: he looked sullenly on his friends, chearfully on his enemies: was fair spoken to those he meant to punish, was most severe towards those he thought to par∣don; And it was his Maxim, That a Princes mind must be known to no man; for that by its being known, many evils and inconveniences do follow; but many con∣veniences by its being dissembled: Hence did every man that medled with him, come into danger; and to understand, or not understand his mind, was alike perillous. And

some have been undone for agreeing to his words, because they agreed not to his mind: and some have been undone for agreeing to his mind, because he perceived they had found his mind out. And it was a thing of extreme difficulty, either to consent to his words or to gainsay them: when it was his custom to command one thing and to will another.

This dissimulation he began withal at his very first entrance to the Empire, pretending great unwillingness to take it upon him, and when it was urged on him past denial, then pretending to take two partners with him, as to share in the burden and honour: but when Asinius Gallus took him at his word, and bad him choose his part, he took it so ill, that he dogd him for it to the death. The same dissimulation he took along with him, when he had taken the Empire on him, carrying it with all mildness and moderation, as if he had been a second Augustus, whereas indeed the reason was, because Germanicus was alive, and most dear in the peoples affection, and he feared him lest he should have been preferred before him.

Yet did his best demeanour bewray what he was within, for all his skill in dissembling, and at the very best he gave just suspition that he would prove but evil.

He began his reign with the murder of Agrippa, a man once in as high favour with Au∣gustus as himself. He went on with the murder of a poor man for a piece of wit: For as a corps was carried to its interring, this man came to it and whispered in the dead mans ear: and being asked by the standers by what he meant, he answered, that he de∣sired that dead man when he came into the other world, to tell Augustus that his Lega∣cies to the people were not yet paid. This cost the poor man his life, for Tiberius said he should go on that message himself, and so he slew him, but this got the people their Legacies.

It would be infinite to reckon up the murders, oppressions, and miscreancy committed by him in the first seventeen years of his reign, or before this year that we have in hand: The most remarkable were that he raised Sejanus purposely that he might help to ruine Germanicus and Drusus, though they were his own adopted sons, and when that was done by Sejanus he ruined Sejanus and all his friends with him. We shall have mis∣chief enough from him in those years that we are to follow him in, namely from his eigh∣teenth and forward, and therefore let the story hasten thither.