Commentary Upon Acts, Part 1 – Part 2
PART I. The Roman Story.
Sect. I. Cruelties at Rome.
THis yeer began at Rome with a fatall Omen. For on the first of Ianuary, Machaon a servant went up to the shrine of Iupiter Capitolinus, and there having presaged and Prophecied many fearfull and terrible things, first hee slew a whelpe that hee had with him, and then hee slew himself.
These beginnings had answerable sequels, for Caius addicted himselfe wholly to bloodinesse, sometimes for his sports, sometimes in cruell earnest: Hee commanded sword plaies to bee made, in which hee set not man to man, but multitudes to multitudes to slaughter each other: Hee slew in the same manner six and twentie Roman Knights, with great contentment taken by him in the effusion of their blood: Hee set also another Knight to the same terrible sports, and when hee came off victorious, hee caused him, and his father to bee slaine, and divers others with them inclosing them in a strong Chest or Presse: When once there were not …now of poore condemned wretches to cast to the wild beasts, hee caused divers that stood upon the Scaffolds for spectators to bee cast unto them, causing their tongues first to bee cut out, that they might not cry or complaine: yet did hee with these cruelties mingle some plausible actions tending to popularitie, as creating of Knights, priviledging the commons, and lavishing in gifts, that strengthning himselfe with these curtesies in the hearts of some men, hee might with the more confidence bee cruell to other.
Sect. I. An end of Macro.
It cannot bee expected that hee should come to a good end himselfe, that had brought so many to a bad. His course is now come to tast of the same sauce that he had provided for so many others, and it would halfe move the spectator to some kind of pity to see him slaughtered for such a cause as hee was slaughtered for. How hee had been a meanes to curry Caius favour with Tiberius, and to skrew him into the Empire and himselfe into his good opinion, even by the prostitution of his own wife, wee have heard before, and this his extraordinary officiousnesse, hee did not forelet or slacken, when hee had brought him where hee desired to have him, to the Empire. But now hee turned his observance a better way, and what hee had done before by basenesse, flattery, and senselesse obsequiousnesse to bring him to the rule, hee changeth into good counsell to keep him well in it. For when hee saw him fall asleepe at Banquets amongst his cups, hee would freely check him for it, as being neither for his credit nor for his safety. The like would hee doe when hee saw him misbehave himselfe by lightnesse, profuse laughter, and ridiculous gestures in the theater, and in beholding of plaies: In briefe, so round and plaine was hee with him when hee saw just cause, that in fine the uncounselable humorist became his enemy, and at last his death. His end is reported to have been the same with young Tiberius, forced to slay himselfe, and Ennia his wife, or the wife of Caius whether you will, to have been constrained to the same extremity and end with him. An end well befitting and well deserved of them both, but from all men living least deserved from Caius. Philo after the death of Macro placeth the death of M. Silanus, which upon the warrant of Dion wee have set before, and in things so indifferent will not spend labour to examine.
Part II. The Iewish Story.
Sect. I. Troubles of the Iews in Alexandria.
FLaccus Avilius was now Governour of Aegypt, and had beene so for some yeers before: A man that ruled well while Tiberius lived, but after his death, could not govern himselfe. For when hee heard of the death of the old Emperour and the succession of the new, sorrow for the one, and feare of the other did so transport him besides himselfe, that forgetting the bravery and glory wherewith hee had governed hitherto, hee let loose the reines of himselfe to these two passions, and the reines of the government to desperate carelesnesse and neglect. Hee did nothing but weepe for the losse of old Tiberius, to whom hee had been very intimate and deare, and hee might well weep the more, because hee could meet hardly with any that would beare any part and share in that sorrow with him. This his griefe was augmented by the feare that hee had of Caius and of his displeasure, and that by the intelligence that his conscience gave him that hee had deserved it: partly for his propensitie to young Tiberius and siding with him, but chiefely because he had had some hand or at least some consent and inclination to the death of Agrippina, Caius his mother. Both these his miserable passions were brought to their height when hee heard of the death of young Tiberius and of his old friend Macro. The thought of these two was the onelyonly comfort hee had against his dejectednesse and discontent, for all his hope was, that these two might make his peace with Caius, whose displeasure hee so much doubted: But what must hee doe now, when they cannot make their owne peace? Hee yeeldeth himselfe therefore wholly to his discontented mood, and neglecteth utterly both himselfe and the State. His old friends hee groweth jealous of and rejecteth: his professed enemies hee receiveth to his favour and to his counsels: These rule him that should have ruled Egypt, and hee had done it worthily, but now is drawne any whither, that ill advise, sullennesse and melancholly doth direct him. These his wicked counsellors invent a course to procure his peace and the Emperours favour, a course indeed bloody, barbarous, and inhumane, but such as suited with their owne malice, and (as it proved) tooke place with the Governors desperatenesse and cowardize, if so bee he may bee called a Governor still. Caius the Emperour, say they, is an enemy to the Iewes, and a friend to the Alexandrians: Let this be the opportunitie whereby to worke thy reconciliation, to suffer the citie to rise against the Iewes and to commit outrage upon them, and thou canst not performe an act more acceptable to the Prince, nor more profitable for thy selfe. The wretched Flaccus that tooke to heart no mans misery but his owne, and cared not who suffered, so hee might scape, gave eare to this damnable and devilish counsell, and put it in practise, fi…st plotting mischiefe against the Jewes in secret, then oppressing them in judgement and in their suites openly, and at the last professing and publishing himselfe their r…solved enemy.
Sect. II. Agrippa at Alexandria an unexpected and unwilling occasion of further troubles.
Those incendiaries that had kindled this fire will be sure to lose no blast that may make it flame and keepe it burning: Agrippa that had not long agoe depaited from Alexandria a poore private man, returneth now thither in prosperitie and a King. Caius that had promoted him to his kingdome, did lovingly direct him by Alexandria, as the safest way to it. Thither hee came with as great privacy as such as personage could doe, and yet was hee espied by the jealous eyes of these rare counsellors, and his comming misconstrued, through their malice to the Jewes. They perswade Flaccus that his comming thither was an affront to him in his owne Province, that his Pompe and Traine was more sumptuous then his, that the eyes of all men were upon the new King Agrippa, and in short that his presence there, was his present disgrace and would prove his future disadvantage. The ill governed Governour was ready enough to hearken to such buzzings as these, and to yeeld them impression in his mind, yet durst hee not put any thing in execution against the King for feare of him that sent him. Hee therefore thought it best to carry a fai…e outside to Agrippa, and to his face hee speaketh faire and pretendeth friendship, but behinde his backe, hee did not onelyonly descry his hate and revile him in secret, but also connived at those that did so openly: so that within a little while, the King that neither thought nor came for any hurt is made the publick scoffe and scorne throughout the Citie, and on their stages, in their playes, ballads, speeches, houses, streets, there is no language so common nor so currant, as the abusive of Agrippa.
Sect. III. A Pageant of one and more madmen.
This connivence of the Governor shall I call it, or his toleration, or his setting on, or his folly, or what you will, you may well presume that it added boldnesse and impudency enough to the outragious multitude, wch commonly in such mischievousnesse need small incouragement: Their madnesse among other things shewed it selfe in this Pageant, whether more senselesse or spleenatick, if not both alike, let the Reader judge. There was a poore mad man or distracted wretch in the Citie whose name was Charabas, that used to walke up and downe starke naked night and day, heat and cold, the common foole as it were of boyes and young men, with whom they used to make sport. The riotous rout (now set on mischiefe) bring this silly wretch to one of their publick meeting places, and there setting him on high in a seate above all the people that hee might bee seene of all, they put a Diademe of Paper about his head, and mat of sedge about his body in stead of his robes, and a peece of …eed for a Scepter in his hand: and thus have they solemnly and suddainly made him a King, and one indeed that had been fit enough for themselves; and one that was indeed but a fit Embleme of their Governor Flaccus, that suffered such a thing. Their mimicall King being thus accoutred with his robes and royaltie, they bring him forth in a solemne state: Before and about him went youths with poles upon their shoulders for his guard, by the way as hee went some come to do him homage, others to petition for justice, others to advise him concerning affaires of State, and at last they all of them All haile him with the title of Mare, foreignwhich in the Syrian tongue, the language of the country of Agrippa, (whom by this very word they shewed that they mocked) betokeneth Lord and Master. And now let the Reader but looke upon this rout of Alexandrians, and let him judge who was the madder, the poore Lunatick that was so used, or they that so used him. For was it not meere madnesse in them thus to taunt and revile so great a King, so greatly respected by the Roman Senate, and so great a favorite of their Lord and Emperour? But Flaccus the maddest of all that beheld all this, and yet did permit it. And on the other hand let him looke upon the Jewes to whom this sportfull mummery is the preface to misery in good earnest, and if this mockage of their first King with a Crowne, Robe…, and Scepter of derision, put not the Reader in mind of their scorning and usage of their true King and Saviour in the very same manner, hee cannot but remember Barabbas upon the naming of Charabas by the very same sound and rime.
Sect. IIII. More outrage.
The Alexandrians thus countenanced by Flaccus in the derision of the new King of the Jewes, grow to a bou…dlesse outrage against their God. For now they begin to assaile their Synagogues, and there they desire to set up Images: a thing as odious to that nation, as beloved among the Alexandrians. For in them is fulfilled that prophesie of Hosea Chap. 3.4. where they neither are as yet to God, nor as yet to any other, but on the one hand detesting false Gods, and yet on the other hand not imbracing the true: hating the Images of any creature for adoration, but withall hating him that is the very Image and Character of the living God, the Creator.
This interprise of profaning and defiling the Synagogues and houses of prayer of the Jewes was not a fearefull and terrible vexation to those of that Citie onelyonly, but what hurt may such an example doe, thinke you, both through Egypt and indeed through all the other Cities of the Empire: What fruits these beginnings brought forth in the same Citie, and elsewhere, wee shall see ere long.
Sect. V. Caius will bee a God.
A speciall incouragement to this insolency at Alexandria was Caius the Emperours demeanor at Rome: A man not fit to bee ranked in the ranke of men, and yet no way with him now but hee will bee a God. The senselesse groundworke of this his impious fancy, hee tooke from this damnable Logick and devilish argumentation. That seeing shepheards and heards-men that are masters of sheepe and cattell, are in a degree farre above their beasts and cattell: So hee that was the Lord of all men, was not to bee ranked in the degree of men, but of the Gods: This his opinion founded upon impietie, backed with flattery, and strengthned by his uncontrouled power, hee followed with such vehemency and vigour, that now no Deity must bee thought on but the God Caius, and all the Gods as he pleased were ingrossed into himselfe. Hee changed his Godship when hee thought good, and that with no more adoe then with change of his ga…be. To day hee would weare a Lions skin and a golden Club, and then hee was Hercules, to morrow a Kids skin, and an Alepole, and then hee was Bacchus; when hee laid that by it may bee hee would put on his curious Bonnet, and then he was Castor or Pollux: Hee would but lay that by and put on a beamy golden crown, and take bow and Arrowes in his hands, and hee was Apollo, a Cuduceus made him Mercury, and sword, …met and gantlet made him Mars: But the terrour that attended him when hee would bee this God last named, walking in his armour, with his drawn sword in his hand, and a band of cut-throats about him, shewed to the people but little of any divine qualities, or celestiall intentions, but terrified them with expectation of devillish cruelty and murders: Sometimes would hee sit betwixt the two statues of Castor and Pollux and indure to bee saluted by the name of the Italian Iupiter; sometimes would he sit betwixt the two statues of Castor & Pollux & indure to be saluted by the name of the Italian Iupiter: Sometimes would hee sit by Iupiter himselfe and whisper with him, and threaten to banish him out of Italy into Greece: And indeed it had been but an equall change had hee done so, for hee got the most curious peeces of the Gods of that country, and struck off their heads, and on the trunke hee set the representation of his owne. Hee had a standing statue of gold erected for him, to represent his walking Deitie, which was clothed with the same garbe that hee wore himselfe every day, and to this were offered daily sacrifices as rare and new found out as was his Deity it selfe, Peacocks, Pheasants, and other birds of the greatest raritie and value. So vaine a thing is man deserted and left unto himselfe, that hee will bee a God when hee is in the next forme unto a Devill. The plaine and rustick Gaule hit him right, and spake but the truth, when seeing him in these his postures of his foolish deity, and laughing, and being asked by Caius what hee thought of him that hee laughed, hee answered boldly and escaped with it, That hee seemed to him to bee a great folly.
Sect. VI. The miseries of the Alexandrian Iewes.
How these manners of the Prince might redound to the calamitie of the Jewes who would worship no God but their own, it is easie to guesse by the common advantages that are always taken in the like cases, by men that are armed with power & weaponed with malice. As this humour of the Emperour was blowne up with flattery and blasphemous clawing at home, so was it soone blazoned and divulged abroad, and they that delighted in many Gods, it was good contentment, to have them all met in the Center of the new God, all-God, their Prince. But what will become of the Jewes, the onelyonly opposers of such impietie, and what especially of the Alexandrian Jewes, whose tragedy was begun already? This opportunitie suited with the spitefull desires of their adversaries, as their adversaries themselves could have desired. For now thinks Flaccus, hee may ingratiate himselfe to Caesar indeed by being ungracious to the Jewes, and now have the Alexandrians a double forwarding beside their owne malice, their Governour and their Prince.
First Flaccus deprived the Jewes of their Synagogues, Oratories and houses of prayer, and therewith as much as in him lay of their religion, then of the benefit of the Citie and Country Lawes, proclaiming them stangers and forreiners, and at last gave free and open libertie to the Alexandrians to use their wills upon them, in what manner and measure their malice thought meet. And now their Tragedy begins.
The Jewes in the Citie were above two parts of five; the Alexandrians driving them out of their owne houses, and ransacking the houses as they went, they force into a strait place of the Citie, where they had not roome to stirre one for another, much lesse to make any orderly ha…talia for defence of themselves, or for resistance. In this strait both of place and fortune, it is no wonder if they speedily suffered famine who had nothing of their sustenance left them, unlesse they would have devoured one another. Here are many mouths and no meat, and great complaining but no reliefe. Plenty enough there was in the Citie, but none for them, and abundance of every thing necessary, but pity. The poore crowded, starved, and distressed people, those that had any hope or courage to shift for themselves, streake abroad and steale forth of their inclosure, for food and fresh aire; some to the shore, some into the Citie, some one way, some another, but the misery of them also was no lesse then theirs that staid impounded, but that it was not so lingring. For wheresoever they were caught, as no where could they goe but descried, they were either stoned, clubbed, or burned to death, yea often man, wife, children and whole families so murdred all of a heape. Some they smoaked and choaked to death in a fire where they wanted fewell to burne them out, some they haled with ropes tied about their ankles, up and downe the streets till they were dead, and then neither spared they the dead bodies, but mangled them in peeces. Their Synagogues they all burnt downe, with the losse also of some of the Alexandrians houses adjoyning, their houses they defaced, and their lives they tooke away, when and wheresoever they could catch them. Flaccus in this bloodinesse, had done enough by connivence and toleration, but hee is not content with this passive tyranny unlesse hee bee an actor himself in the Scene, and bee not behind other in this mischiefe, as hee was before them in authority. Eight and thirty of their Judges and Counsellors (for a Senate of their owne was tolerated by Augustus and allowed them) hee sendeth for by his officers, and binding their hands behind them causeth them thus to bee led along the streets for a derision, and then caused them to bee publickly scourged, some to death, some to the lingring out of a miserable life. Hee caused also a pretended search to bee made throughout all the Jews houses for armour, pretending a suspition of their insurrection, but intending thereby to give the Souldiers the more advantage for their pillaging and oppression. Hee spared neither age nor sex against whom hee could take an occasion or find cavill, nor reverenced hee any festivall for their execution, nor omitted any kind of cruelty for their torture. Here is the first smarting blow to count of that this nation felt, since they called for the blood of the just one upon themselves and upon their children, and some of this City were nimble agents for the compassing of the death of his first martyr Steven, Act. 6.9.
Sect. VII. Agrippa in his owne kingdome.
You may well presume that the stay of Agrippa would not bee long at Alexandria, where his intertainment was so foule, and his invitation to his owne home was so faite and good▪ His welcome thither was not so full of scorne and disgrace, as in the other place, but as full of unkindnesse, because the unkindnesse was from his owne sister. Herodias, the incestuous wife of Herod the Tetrarch, and once some comfort to this her brother whilest hee was in distresse, growes now, the bitter envier of his prosperity. A woman ever active to the mischiefe of others, but now beginning to twine a whip for her owne backe. It grieveth her to see the unlooked for pompe of the new King Agrippa: A man that had so lately been … the hatches of fortune, and in her bilboes, debt and danger, that had but the other day fled from his wife, country, and friends for povertie and shame, unable to pay the monies that hee ought, and which was worse, as unable to borrow more, and now hee is returned againe with a Kingdome, a Crowne, and with pompe and train… agreeable to both: Oh how this grated her haughty and emulative spirit, though hee were her brother! Well, whether it were in spite to his promotion, or in disdaine to her degree that was now below him, which is the more like, the shower and stormes of her discontents do showre upon her husband. Shee laies in his dish the present spectacle of Agrippaes glory, and his owne inferioritie. Taxeth him with dulnesse and sleepinesse, that would not seeke for a higher dignitie, which might bee had for a journey to Rome; twitteth him for being an underling when hee might prevent it, perswadeth him to spare no cost nor travaile for that prevention, and in fine worketh so with him by uncessant clamours, that though hee could well have been contentented to have sitten quiet at home, yet hee is induced or driven to travaile, and shee with him to Rome to Caius. Agrippa was not unacquainted with her discontents and with both their designes, and will not bee far behind in reciprocall requitall of such intentions, but their meeting, pleading and successe at Rome must bee reserved to another yeer.