Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/234

 226 ANTO]ST. were the least painful in the operation, slie had them tried upon prisoners condemned to die. But, finding that the quick poisons always worked with sharp pains, and that the less painful were slow, she next tried venomous animals, and watched with her own eyes whilst they were applied, one creature to the body of another. This was her daily practice, and she pretty well satisfied herself that nothing was comparable to the bite of the asp, which, without convulsion or gi'oaning, brought on a heavy drowsiness and lethargy, with a gentle sweat on the face, the senses being stupefied by degrees ; the patient, m appearance, being sensible of no pain, but rather troubled to be disturbed or awakened, like those that are in a pro- found natural sleep. At the same time, they sent ambassadors to Ctesar into Asia, Cleopatra asking for the kingdom of Egypt for her children, and Antony, that he might have leave to live as a private man in Egypt, or, if that were thought too much, that he might retire to Athens. In lack of friends, so many having deserted, and others not being trusted, Euphronius, his son's tutor, was sent on this embassy. For Alexas of Laodicea, who, by the recommendation of Timagenes, became acquainted with Antony at Eome, and had been more powerful with him than any Greek, and was, of all the instruments which Cleopatra made use of to persuade Antony, the most violent, and the chief sub- verter of any good thoughts that, from time to time, might rise in his mind in Octavia's favor, had been sent before to dissuade Herod from desertion; but, betraying his master, stayed with him, and, confiding in Herod's interest, had the boldness to come into Csesar's presence. Herod, however, was not able to help him, for he was immedi- ately put in chains, and sent into his own country, where, by Csesar's order, he was put to death. This reward of his treason Alexas received while Antony was yet alive.