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.

PART II. The ROMAN Story.

§. 1. The Parthian war not yet composed.

TIridates seated in his Throne, as was related before, but as it proved, neither sure in it, nor in the hearts of all his people, (the first of these being caused by the latter) he taketh in, certain Parthian Towns, and that by the Parthi∣ans own consent and aid. For his Roman education compared with the Scythi∣an carriage of Artabanus made the people to hope accordingly of his demeanour, and to entertain him with present applause and future expectation. The day of his Coronation being appointed, letters from Phraates and Hiero, two of the chiefest commanders in the State, desire that it might be deferred for a certain space, which accordingly was done in regard of the greatness of the men. The King in the mean time goeth up to Ctesiphon the Imperial City, attending the coming of these two Nobles, who when they put it off from day to day, Surena, in the presence and by the approval of very many, Crown∣eth him on their Country manner. These two Nobles and many others that were absent from this solemnity, some for fear of the Kings displeasure, some for hatred of Abdageses, his favorite, and some no doubt upon a plot premeditated, betake themselves to Artaba∣nus their old King again. Him they find in Hyrcania hunting in the woods with his bow for his food, rusty and dirty in habit and attire, and overgrown with filth and neglect of himself. At his first sight of them it is no wonder if he were stricken with amazement, but their errand being related, it converted that passion into equal joy. For they com∣plain of Tridates his youth, and effeminacy, of the Diadems translation out of the blood, of the potency of Abdageses, and the loss of their old King, whom they now are come to desire again. Artabanus believeth them and consenteth, and raising speedily what Scy∣thians he could, marcheth away towards his Kingdom again. But his Royal apparel he wore not with him, but the poor and rugged garb of his misery and exile, thereby to move the more to pity: and used all his wits and policy to make himself a party strong on his side all the way as he went. But he needed not all this cautelousness and prepa∣ration, for Tiridates but hearing of his approaching towards Seleucia, under colour of going to raise up forces, departed into Syria, and parted with his new Kingdom with as much facility as he had obtained it.

§. 2. Artabanus giveth hostages to Rome.

When the power and policy of Tiberius, and his agent Vitellius that had served to get Artabanus out of his Kingdom, would not serve the turn to keep him thence; they send to treat of friendship with him, suspecting what trouble such a spirit might procure, should it bend it self against the Roman Empire. The King wearied with the ••oils of War, and knowing without a prompter, what it was to defie the Romans, condescendeth readily to the motion, and Vitellius and he meeting upon a bridge made over Euphrates for that purpose, each, with a guard about him; conclude upon Articles of agreement, and Herod the Tetrarch entertaineth them both, in a pavillion curiously seated in the midst of the stream. Not long after this Artabanus sendeth Darius his son for an hostage

to Tiberius; and withal he sendeth Eleazar a Jew, of seven cubits high, for a present; and many other gifts.

§. 3. A Commotion in Cappadocia.

Whilst matters went thus unquietly in Parthia, the Calitae a Nation of Cappadocia, grew discontented about paying tribute to the Romans, and so departed into the mountain Taurus, and there fortifie, resolving as they never had used to pay such taxations, so ne∣ver to learn, nor to use to do so. Archelaus was now King, but not now King of them; for the strength of the mountains, and the desperateness of their resolution, do animate them to withstand him and to rebel against the Romans. When tydings of this was brought to Vitellius into Syria, he dispatcheth away M. Trebellius with four thousand le∣gionary Souldiers, and some other Forces raised otherways, to bring the Rebels to obe∣dience or to ruine. Trebellius invironeth with Works and Men, two hills, Cadra and Davara, where they were the most strongly trenched, and those that were so hardy as to come forth, he subdueth with the sword, and the rest with famishing.

§. 4. Bloodshed at Rome.

These diseases of the Roman body were far from the heart, and yet was the heart, the City it self but little the better; for though some veins were opened in these wars which one would have thought should have turned the blood another way, yet did the City through the cruelty of the Emperor bleed inwardly still. For L. Aurelius and some others died by the hand of the Executioner, and C. Galba, two of the Blesii, and the Lady Aemylia Lepida by their own hands. But the example of the greatest terror was Vibule∣nus Agrippa a Knight, who being at the bar, when he had heard what his accusers could say against him, and despairing to escape, he took poyson out of his bosom in the face of the Court (Dion saith he sucked it out of his Ring) and swallowed it and sank down and was ready to die, yet was he haled away to prison and there strangled.

§. 5. Mishaps.

Besides this deluge of blood, which overflowed the City continually, there was also this year a deluge of water. For Tiber rose so high and violently into the Town, that many Streets became navigable, and where men had walked lately on their feet, they might have passed now up and down in ships. And a greater misfortune happened this year likewise by the contrary element: for a terrible fire consumed the buildings of the mount▪ Aventine and that part of the Circus that lay betwixt that and the Palace; For the repair of all which again, Tiberius out of his own Treasure gave a great sum of money: Tacitus saith Millies Sestertium, which according to the value and reckoning of our English coin amounted to eight hundred thousand pounds, within nineteen thousand. A sum not strange in an Emperors coffer at Rome, where the vastness of the Empire brought in vast revenues, but somewhat strange out of the purse of Tiberius for so good a purpose, whose covetousness was larger than those whole revenues. And therefore as I cannot but observe the difference of Dion about this liberality of the Emperor from Tacitus, and the difference of his translator from his Text; so can I not but conceive his computation and account to be the more probable in regard of the niggardise of the Emperor. For whereas the sum of Tacitus is eight hundred thousand within nineteen, he hath so far come short of such a reckoning, that he maketh nineteen thousand pounds to be the whole ac∣count. For Tiberius, saith he, gave 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, two thousand and five hun∣dred thousand, meaning 2500 sestertia, and each sestertium containing a thousand Sestertios, this accreweth to about the sum last named, of 19000 l. and yet hath his translator forsaken his Greek, and followed Tacitus Latine, to so vast a difference.