Sect. 2. Agrippa his journey to Rome.

This Agrippa was the sonne of Aristobulus (who dyed by the cruelty of his father Herod) and hee was a man that had sufficiently tryed the vicissitudes of fortune heretofore, but ne∣ver so much as hee is about to doe now. A good while agoe hee had lived in Rome, and in the familiarity of Drusus the son of Tiberius: That great acquaintance caused great expences; partly in his own port and pompe, and partly in gifts and be∣neficence bestowed upon others. When Drusus dyed, then Agrippaes estate is not onely dead, but his hopes also: so that hee is forced to flee from Rome into Iudea for debt and pover∣ty; and thence into a certaine Tower in Idumea for shame and discontent. His wife Cyprus by sollicitation and suing to Herodias, obtaineth Herods favour so farre, that hee was remo∣ved to Tiberias, made a chiefe Governour or Officer of the Ci∣ty, and allowance given him for his Diet. But this lasted not long ere Herod and hee fell out; whereupon hee removed away, and betooke himself to Flaccus the then Governour of Syria, who had been his old acquaintance at Rome: Long he had not continu'd there neither, but Aristobulus his brother wrought him out of his favour and abode there. From thence hee went to Ptolomais, intending to have set from thence for Italy, but was forced to stay till hee had borrowed some moneys before: Being now furnished and shipped, hee was againe stopped by Herennius Capito, the Governour of Iamnia, for some money that hee ought to the Treasury of Tiberius. And what must he doe now? Hee must not goe till hee have paid the summe, Page  180 and when hee hath paid it, then hee cannot goe for want of more. He taketh on him to obey the arrest while it was day, but at night hee cut cables, and set away for Alexandria: There hee reneweth his borrowing againe of Alexander Alabarcha and obtaineth of him five talents for his viaticum: and now this yeare (namely as Iosephus noteth it, the yeare before Tiberius his death) hee setteth away for Italy againe. This Alabarcha is not the proper name of any man, but the title of men that bare Rule over the Jews in Alexandria. For I observe that as Iosephus in one place, calleth it Alabarcha, and Alabarchus, so in another hee calleth it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, fixing it thereby as a title rather to any man that bare such an Office, then as a proper name to any man at all. And if conjecture may read its denotation & Etymology, it seemeth to bee com∣pounded of the Arabick Article Al, which they fix before all their nownes, and the Egyptian word Abrec•, which in that language importeth dignity and honour (as we have observed elsewhere) as may be collected from the proclamation before Ioseph, Gen. 41.43.

Agrippa being arrived at Puteoli, sendeth to the Emperour to Capre• to certifie him of his comming, and of his desire to wait upon him there. Tiberius giveth him admi•sion and en∣tertainment according to his mind: till Letters from Heren∣nius Capi•o spoiled that cheare: For the Emperour under∣standing by them how he had slipped the collar at Iamnia, from his Officer, and from his owne debt, hee doth flatly for∣bid him any more accesse unto him till the money bee paid. Now is Agrippa in a worse case then ever: for there is no pal∣tering with Tiberius, though there were with Capito; and no shifting from Capreae, though hee had found such an opportu∣nity at Iamnia. Nor is there any such thought to bee enter∣tained. For now his life and fortunes, and all lay in the hand of Tiberius; and when hee findeth him inclinable to use him kindly, there is no loosing that favour, for want of paying such a summe: Of Antonia the mother of Germanicus, and the old friend and favourer of Bernice the mother of Agrippa,Page  181 he borroweth the money, and getting out of the Emperours debt, he getteth into his favour againe. Insomuch that hee commendeth him to the converse, acquaintance, and atten∣dance of Caius his Grandchild that was to succeed him.