what idea you ought to entertain of your two sons; and to discover which of them it was that made an attempt on the other's life. You now have in your power, the man who is best able to give you a perfect account of that whole affair, and this is Xychus. He is now in your palace, and you may command him to he sent for." Xychus being immediately brought in, he first denied every thing; but he spoke so very faintly, that it was evident he would make a full discovery, upon being ever so little intimidated. Accordingly, the instant that the officer of justice appeared, he made a full confession, revealed the whole intrigue of the ambassadors, and the share he himself had in it. Immediately Philocles, who happened to be in court at that time, was seized; but Apelles, who was absent, hearing that Xychus had made a full discovery, fled to Italy. History does not inform us of the particulars which were extorted from Philocles. Some pretend, that, after having resolutely denied the charge at first, he was utterly confounded upon his being confronted with Xychus. According to other historians, he bore the torture with the utmost fortitude, and asserted his innocence to the last gasp. All these things only revived the sorrow of Philip; a father equally wretched, whether he turned his reflections to his murdered son, or to him who was still living.

Perseus, being informed that his whole plot had been discovered, knew too well his own power and credit, to believe it necessary to secure himself by flight. The only precaution he took, was, a resolution to keep at a distance from court, as long as his father

should live, in order to withdraw himself from his

resentment.

Philip did not believe it in his power to seize Perseus, and bring him to condign punishment. The only thought he then entertained was, to prevent his enjoying, with impunity, the fruits of his inhuman guilt. In this view, he sent for Antigonus, to whose great care he owed the discovery of the conspiracy; and whom he judged very well qualified, both on account of his personal merit, and of his uncle Antigonus's recent fame and glory, to fill the Macedonian throne. "Reduced," says Philip, "to the deplorable necessity of wishing that my fate, which other fathers detest, as the most dreadful calamity that can befal them, the being childless; I now am resolving to bequeath to you a kingdom, which I owe to the guardianship of your uncle; and which, he not only preserved by his fidelity, but enlarged considerably by his valor. I know no man worthy of the crown but yourself. And were there none capable of wearing it with dignity, I had infinitely rather it should be lost for ever, than that Perseus should have it, as the reward of his impious perfidy. Methinks I shall see Demetrius rise from the sepulchre, and restored to his father, if I can be so happy as to substitute you in his place; you, who only bewailed the untimely death of my dear son, and the unhappy credulity which proved his destruction."

After this, he bestowed the highest honours on Antigonus, and took every opportunity of producing him in the most advantageous light to the public. Whilst Perseus resided in Thrace, Philip made a progress VOL. 7.

15

through several cities of Macedon, and recommended Antigonus to all the noblemen of the greatest distinction, with the utmost zeal and affection; and, had fate allowed him a longer life, it was not doubted but he would have put him in possession of the throne. Having left Demetrias, he made a considerable stay in Thessalonica, from whence he went to Amphipolis, where he fell dangerously ill. The physicians declared, that his sickness proceeded more from his mind than his body. Grief kept him continually awake; and, he frequently imagined he saw, in the dead of night, the ghost of the ill fated Demetrius, reproaching him with his death, and calling down curses on his head. He expired, bewailing one of his sons with a shower of tears, and venting the most horrid imprecations against the other. Antigonus might have been raised to the throne, had the king's death been immediately divulged. Calligenes, the physician, who presided in all the consultations, did not stay till the king had breathed his last; but, the very instant he saw that it was impossible for him to recover, . he despatched couriers to Perseus; it having been agreed between them, that he should keep some in readiness for that purpose; and, he concealed the king's death from every body out of the palace, till Perseus appeared, whose sudden arrival surprised all people. He then took possession of the crown, which he had acquired by guilt.

He reigned eleven years, the four last of which were employed in war against the Romans, for which he made preparations from his accession to the throne. At last, Paulus Emilius gained a famous victory over

him, which put an end to the kingdom of Macedon. To prevent my being obliged to divide and interrupt the series of Perseus's history, which has scarce any connection with that of the other kings, I shall refer it to the following book, where it shall be related at large, and without interruption.

SECTION II.

BELEUCUS PHILOPATOR DIES, AND IS SUCCEEDED BY ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES. DISTURBANCES IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE.

SELEUCUS PHILOPATOR did not reign long in Asia, nor did he perform any memorable action. Under him, happened the famous incident concerning Heliodorus, related in the second book of Maccabees.m The holy city of Jerusalem enjoyed, at that time, profound tranquillity. Onias, the high priest, inspired by a spirit of piety, caused the laws of God to be strictly observed there; and prompted even kings and idolatrous princes to have the holy place in the highest veneration. They honoured it with rich gifts; and king Seleucus furnished, from his own private revenues, all that was necessary for the solemnization of the sacrifices. Nevertheless, the perfidy of a Jew, called Simon, governor of the temple, raised, on a sudden, a great disorder in the city. This man, to revenge himself of the opposition which Onias, the high priest, made to his unjust enterprises, informed the king, that there were immense treasures in the temple, which were not designed for the service of

m 2 Maccabees, iii.

the sacrifices, and, that he might seize upon them all. The king, on this information, sent Heliodorus, his first minister, to Jerusalem, with orders to carry off all those treasures.

Heliodorus, after having been received by the high priest with honours of every kind, told him the motive of his journey; and asked him, whether the information that had been given to the king, with regard to the treasure, was true. The high priest told him, that these treasures were only deposited there, as in trust, and were allotted to the maintenance of widows and orphans; that he could not, in any manner, dispose of them in wrong of those to whom they belonged; and who imagined that they could not secure them better, than by depositing them in a temple, the holiness of which was revered throughout the whole universe. This treasure consisted of four hundred talents of silver, about fifty thousand pounds sterling, and in two hundred talents of gold, three hundred thousand pounds sterling. However, the minister sent from the prince, insisting on the orders he had received from court, told him plainly, that this money, whatever might be the consequence, must all be carried to the king.

The day appointed for the carrying it off being come, Heliodorus came to the temple, with the resolution to execute his commission. Immediately, the whole city was seized with the utmost terror. The priests, dressed in their sacerdotal vestments, fell prostrate at the foot of the altar; beseeching the God of heaven, who enacted the law with regard to deposits, to preserve those laid up in his temple. Great