Berodias.

ANOTHER Jezebel! But we must record her execrable name. She was grand-daughter of Herod the Great, and niece of the two Herods, Philip and Antipas. She was married to her uncle Philip; and Salome, the famous dancer, was their daughter. She afterwards forsook her husband, and married his brother, Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. This disgraceful connection took place, it is probable, about A. D. 33, and brought upon Herod and Herodias the righteous admonitions of John the Baptist. At the faithfulness of the man of God the guilty pair were deeply offended. It appears quite doubtful, however, that Herod would have proceeded to extremities with the Baptist. The latter, it is true, had displeased him; while yet, as Luke informs us, Herod feared John, and knew him to be a just and holy man, and even listened to him with pleasure; regarding, in his conduct, many of the instructions which he had received from him. Acting by himself, there seems but slight evidence that he would have interfered at all with the life, or even the liberty of the man, for whom he obviously felt a very high respect.

Hence, when John was incarcerated at the command of Herod, it was not so much to gratify any vengeance of his own, but it was "for He

rodias' sake." The fearless preacher had pronounced her connection with Antipas, while her husband was living, to be unlawful. "Therefore," as the sacred historian proceeds, "Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him, but she could not." And the difficulty lying in the way of the murder was the above-named reverence of Herod for one whom he knew, and whom Herodias equally knew, to be a righteous man. As yet she had succeeded so far only as to procure from Herod his imprisonment. Such a punishment as this, however, was utterly unsatisfactory to this most hateful woman. Her bloody eyes were still fastened upon the innocent and noble minister of righteousness, and she crouched like a panther, waiting an opportunity to spring upon her imprisoned and helpless victim.

The fatal opportunity arrives hastily. Amid the festivities of Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias dances before him, and before the assembled grandees of Galilee. In his foolish admiration of her performance, the king promises, in the presence of the company, to give her whatever she should desire of him. The maid, consulting her mother touching the present to be asked, was directed to request the head of John the Baptist. Alas! what must have been the murderous and extreme hatred of this detestable woman! A very magnificent promise had been made to her daughter. She was encouraged, by her uncle, to request some gift that would enrich

her for life. But, in the eyes of her mother, there could be nothing pleasant or desirable, so long as the hated Baptist was breathing. The opportunity she had so eagerly sought was presented. She well knew the great reluctance of the king. She had very obviously pressed her murderous measures before this time. Yet now, at last, had Herod committed himself, and he was caught in the snare that had been artfully laid to entrap him. And the great forerunner of the Messiah must bleed and die untimely, and when the brilliancy of his "burning and shining" career had just begun to flash before the eyes of startled multitudes.

Here comes the head! Open wide the palace doors, ye waiters;-and thou, executioner, pass in the charger. The dish is bloody, to be sure; and its contents are dreadful-very dreadful to behold; yet bring in the ghastly burden! Carry it, man of the axe,-carry it directly up to that charming damsel; it is her treasure. Now her fair and lily hands are reaching forth to take the dish. Be careful, butcher, that she holds it firmly. No matter for the blood upon those hands of hers; it is a fit emblem; and perchance they may be difficult to cleanse again. Bid her, as she bears it, to look steadily upon her gift, lest accident occur. She should gaze directly into those faded eyes; they are the gems which she preferred to half of Herod's kingdom. There, Salome! now move firmly. Carry that to your mother.

Mother, the head is come!" Now, damsel, rest the charger upon that table; unclinch your slimy hands, and retire.

ness.

Draw near, vampire! Thy work is done-the blood is drawn-thy victim is prostrate. The silence is profound. From that clotted mouth no voice comes forth again to reprove thy lasciviousThose eyes seem gazing at thee, but it is only the death-stare, and they see not thy filthiness. Thy monitor sleeps his long sleep; and can any other voice disturb thy adulteries? Vengeance is glutted; and thou hast only added murder-keen, cold murder-to thy former foulness. Will there not be happiness as well as revelry now along those palace halls?

Little is known of the sequel of this bad woman. History tells indeed of her ambitious projects to advance her paramour and herself to loftier dignities-of her accompanying him to Rome, to aid his influence with the emperor for this object-the defeat of her hopes, through the agency of her brother Agrippa-her subsequent banishment with Herod to distant Spain, whence they never returned. What they suffered therehow long they lived-how they died, no man cares to inquire. Let their memory perish!

WE

Salame.

E may give a passing notice to this child, who was, as we have seen, the daughter of the unfortunate Herod Philip, and the infamous Herodias. She appears to have accompanied her mother to the house of Antipas, while all that is related of her is in connection with the death of John the Baptist. The aspects of her character which are discernible from that brief and melancholy representation, are such as we might appropriately infer and expect. That she was an accomplished dancer, is plain from the inspired narrative. Of course, she had received an education in this, and, probably, other kindred accomplishments. From what is written of her, as well as from her rank, we may suppose her to have been long and carefully trained in those arts and graces whose end is to attract the admiration of the gay and licentious. Among other teachers engaged to perfect her in such a species of education, Herodias herself would naturally stand prominent. The whole process, indeed, had gone on under the supervision, and by the special directions of her mother. At the same time that mother, whatever may have been her external attractions, or intellectual capacities, ranked, as we know, among the most wicked and detestable of her sex. She was heartless-cruel-revengeful -- shameless-impure