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had been mortally injured, as she conceived, by the Baptist, who had attempted to dissolve her present infamous connection with Herod. And she not only felt the highest indignation at this insult, but was afraid that his repeated remonstrances might at length prevail. She therefore did not hesitate one moment what to ask; she gave way to all the fury of her resentment; and without the least regard to the character or the delicate situation of her inexperienced daughter, she immediately ordered her to demand the head of her detested enemy, John the Baptist! The wretched young woman unfortunately obeyed this dreadful command; and, as we are told by the evangelist," came in straightway with haste unto the king*." She came with speed in her steps, and eagerness in her eye, and said, "Give me here John the Baptist's head in a charger." This savage request appalled even the unfeeling heart of Herod himself. He did not expect it, and was not prepared for it; and although he was highly disgusted with John, yet, for the reasons above mentioned, he did not choose to go to extremities with * Mark vi, 25. Matth. xiv. 8...

him. He was therefore exceeding sorry, as the sacred Historian informs us, to be thus forced upon so violent and hazardous a measure; nevertheless, for his oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given to her." Conceiving. himself, most absurdly, bound by his oath to comply even with this inhuman demand, and afraid lest he should be reproached by those that were around him with having broken his promise, he preferred the real guilt of murder to the false imputation of perjury, and “sent and beheaded John in prison; and his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel, and she brought it to her mother." It is well known that it was a custom in the east, and is so still in the Turkish court, to produce the heads of those that are ordered to be put to death, as a proof that they have been really executed. But how this wretched damsel could so far subdue the common feelings of human nature, and still more the natural tenderness and delicacy of her sex, as not only to endure so disgusting and shocking a spectacle, but even to carry the bleeding trophy in triumph to her mother, it is not

easy

easy to imagine, and it would scarce be cre→ dited, did we not know that in times and in countries much nearer to our own, sights of still greater horror than this have been contemplated, even by women and children, with complacency and with delight.

Such was the conclusion of this singular transaction; and every part of it is so pregnant with useful instruction and admonition, that I shall stand excused, I hope, if I take up a little more of your time than is usual in dis courses of this nature, in commenting somewhat at large on the conduct and characters of the several actors in this dreadful tragedy.

And, in the first place, there can be no doubt that the most guilty and the most unpardonable of all the parties concerned in this murder of an innocent and excellent man was the abandoned Herodias. For it was she whose indignation against John was carried to the greatest length, and in the end effected his ruin. It was she who was continually. importuning and urging Herod to put the Baptist to death, from which, for a considerable time, his fears restrained him. It was she who, as St. Mark expresses it, "had a quarrel against

against John, and would have killed him, but she could not*." The words translated, had a quarrel against him, have in the original much greater force and energy, Everyev auTW. She, as it were, fastened and hung upon John, and was determined not to let go her hold till she had destroyed him †.

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We here see a fatal proof of the extreme barbarities to which that most diabolical sentiment of revenge will drive the natural tenderness even of a female mind; what a close connection there is between crimes of rently a very different complexion, and how frequently the uncontrolled indulgence of what are called the softer affections, lead ultimately to the most violent excesses of the malignant passions. The voluptuary generally piques himself on his benevolence, his humanity, and gentleness of disposition. His claim even to these virtues is at the best very pro blematical; because in his pursuit of pleasure, he makes no scruple of sacrificing the peace,

Mark vi. 19.

+ Hesychius explains evexe by Eynestas sticks close to in hatred or spite. Doddrige gives still greater force to the expression; but Parkhurst does not allow it.

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the comfort, the happiness of those for whom he pretends the tenderest affection, to the gra tification of his own selfish desires. But how→ ever he may preserve his good humour, when he meets with no resistance, the moment he is thwarted and opposed in his flagitious purposes, he has no hesitation in going any lengths to gain his point, and will fight his way to the object he has in view through the heart of the very best friend he has in the world. The same thing we see in a still more striking point of view, in the conduct of Herodias. She was at first only a bold unprincipled libertine, and might perhaps be admired and celebrated, as many others of that description have been, for her good temper, her sensibility, her gene rosity to the poor; and with this character she might have gone out of the world, had no such person as John arisen to reprove her and her husband for their profligacy, and to endanger the continuance of her guilty com merce. But no sooner does he rebuke them as they deserved, than Herodias shewed that she had other passions to indulge besides those which had hitherto disgraced her character; and that, when she found it necessary to her

pleasures,

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