The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-11-16

bed room affair at the Oakvile Hotel ane
the love that grew out Of II.
Il
i A STARTLING DISCOVERY.
i We dare say that only those Of our read
en who are Of an antiquarian turn have
given more than passing thought TO the
startling discovery recently made by Sig
nor Nessuno Of the University Of iBologns
over which all the learned societies Of Eu.
rope are just now chattering rs noisily q,
The crows in our autninnal woods. Perhaps
indeed, our readers may have never &c
much rs heard Of the discovery. And les
this should be the case, we make haste tc
lay before the world full account Of the
matter. for we cannot bear the thought tha
such piece Of intelligence should reacl
the American public through any journa
but our own.
This discovery Is nothing less than the
finding among the papyri Of Pompeii, which
Professor NesslIno lIas for many years been
engaged in investigating. a complete &c
count Of tour taken by Herod the Grea,
Immediately ufer the Massacre of the In
nocents, and, along with the account Of the
Tourney ITSELF whnt we should call full re.
port Of speech which he made at one OF
the small towns in Judea, where he had oc.
casion to stop OH his way, justifying the
massacre, and throwing the whole blame on
the babies themselves. What he took the
journey for is not quite so clear. There ID
something about monument, or, perhaps
the original word Is more correctly truns
lated "trophy," which was to be erected to
some deceased general; but, whatever this
may have been, 1t seems to have played no
important part in the programme of the
tour, for there is no allusion made to il af.
ter narrative once gets the party fairly start
ed. II has been limited that this may have
been monument to that great and good
man, julius Cesar. hut we think there Is
nothing probable in this suggestion. Her
cd does not appear to have cared much for
Cesar although he owed his advancement
directly to him. Cesar having appointed
him military governor over Gallilee, where
he gave proof of energy and talent by sup
pressing a rebellion in that region and re-
ducing the gucrrillas to submission. But
no sooner hal Cesar been assasinated than
lierod Immediately took sides with Brutus
and Cassi,is, although for time no con.
cealed his real sentiments 30 we'll that he
was long counted one Of Antony's party.
II was on this OCCASION that he uttered his
famous maxim, "Treason must he made obi
ous,' and indeed he denounced tuitors SO
violently that his excessive zeal was little
deprecated; il was feared that he might
show himself too bloodthiSty. But, he Of.
terwarls explained that, what lIe had said
was meant in what we should call Pick
wickinn sense, and that when he said "trui-
tors" he did not mean his enemies, but his
friends.
llerod does not appear to have been an
amiable person. if we may judge by the
numerous anecdotes that have come down
TO us. He could not brook the slightest OPP
position, and if anybody said word no
diin { like, he would fly about. as the
Greek proverb says, "liks parclled pea. "
lie was Of cowardly disposition. too, rs
cruel people are apt to be, and was con
stantIy in dread Of being assassinated, 30
that, if he saw one his chief officers finger.
Ing his sword or toying with his dagger. he
would tremble and grow pale but as soon
as he found himself IN q safe place, he
would dance about in rage and call the of.
fender names and behave in such an un-
seenlly way that his wise men, or those who
stood for such, were continually ashamed
Of him.
Our readers do not need to be told in do.
tail of the mad act Of cruelty and coward.
ice which stained the close Of Iierod 3
mean life. The massacre Of the lnnocents
was hardly over when he took the trip nj
luded TO, accompanied by some Of the chief
Inen Of his Kingdom; the old minister be.
fore mentioned. the general who command
ed his army, The captain Of his fleet, the
keeper Of his treasure, and crowd Of in
significant hangers on, Parasites and f1atier-
ers who pretended to think him very wise
and great, while they drank his wine, ate
his dinners and laughed at him in their
sleeves.
The massacre Of the 1nnocens had
reused the people Of Judea to an unimag.
ined fury. In their wild Indignation they
had charged IIerod with personally assist.
ing In the murders, and when Il was prov
ed that he really was miles away, they in.
sisted that he had given orlers to his mil.
ilary commander in Bethlehem not to IN.
terferc with his soldiers. il happened that
the officer in question was not Roman,
hut Judcan, and the people had great con.
fidence in him, aud when Ilerod made
proclamation to the effect that this officer
had justified the massacre. and had said
that the lnnOceiits were entirely to blame,
number of hOt.headed unreasonable Eel.
lows stirred up the people to give the to.
trarcI, the lie direct. Especially, thep wns
one Tribune Of the people that made such
stir day ani night, in season and OUT Of
scason that ut last the bloody iierod was
fairly worried into telling the truth and
owning up that 8. lleri,lanus, which was
the name Of the officer. had said exactly
the contrary Of what had been ascribed to
him. Our rea,lers muy imagine that all
this only made matters worse. and Hcrod
had not got Ear out Of Jerusalem on his
tour when he began to hear The murtering
Of the storm. For full account Of his
progress we refer our readers to Prof. Mes
suno's translation of the original document
when Il shall appear; but we must content
ourselves with a single passage. herod'
before he started on his journey, beside
laying in plentifll stock OF tho bea I'qu'
ors, had also provided himself with speech
which he hal fins written anil then com.
mi,ted to memory for bcing On Ignorant,
uncul,ivatei psrson. he never could trust
himself to speak impromptu, his grammar
beiur none OF the best, his ideas ludicrously
iueo6erent. and the slightest sight Of disrc.
spect in his audience, an ill.eoncealed grin,
mock applause, senping OF feet, eat-eall.
Ing. or any snch ecccntricities on tho pars
Of the audience scsius upon him lte . rod
raE upon bull and making him rush about
on the platform, dash his crown. on hs
bead, and beat the neares hyssandsr win
his sceptrc. Therefore Hsrod nsd NJ
speech prepared beforehand, and u IroI.
Nessuuo has tr.nslaisd b liisnlly, Il mus