the wars of the jews-第108节

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sound　mind　after　my　death。〃　　　　CHAPTER　10。　　　　　　　　　　How　A　Great　Many　Of　The　People　Earnestly　Endeavored　To　Desert　To　The　Romans；　As　Also　What　Intolerable　Things　Those　That　Staid　Behind　Suffered　By　Famine；　And　The　Sad　Consequences　Thereof。　　　　1。　As　Josephus　was　speaking　thus　with　a　loud　voice；　the　seditious　would　neither　yield　to　what　he　said；　nor　did　they　deem　it　safe　for　them　to　alter　their　conduct；　but　as　for　the　people；　they　had　a　great　inclination　to　desert　to　the　Romans；　accordingly；　some　of　them　sold　what　they　had；　and　even　the　most　precious　things　that　had　been　laid　up　as　treasures　by　them；　for　every　small　matter；　and　swallowed　down　pieces　of　gold；　that　they　might　not　be　found　out　by　the　robbers；　and　when　they　had　escaped　to　the　Romans；　　went　to　stool；　and　had　wherewithal　to　provide　plentifully　for　themselves；　for　Titus　let　a　great　number　of　them　go　away　into　the　country；　whither　they　pleased。　And　the　main　reasons　why　they　were　so　ready　to　desert　were　these：　That　now　they　should　be　freed　from　those　miseries　which　they　had　endured　in　that　city；　and　yet　should　not　be　in　slavery　to　the　Romans：　however；　John　and　Simon；　with　their　factions；　did　more　carefully　watch　these　men's　going　out　than　they　did　the　coming　in　of　the　Romans；　and　if　any　one　did　but　afford　the　least　shadow　of　suspicion　of　such　an　intention；　his　throat　was　cut　immediately。　　　　2。　But　as　for　the　richer　sort；　it　proved　all　one　to　them　whether　they　staid　in　the　city；　or　attempted　to　get　out　of　it；　for　they　were　equally　destroyed　in　both　cases；　for　every　such　person　was　put　to　death　under　this　pretense；　that　they　were　going　to　desert；　but　in　reality　that　the　robbers　might　get　what　they　had。　The　madness　of　the　seditious　did　also　increase　together　with　their　famine；　and　both　those　miseries　were　every　day　inflamed　more　and　more；　for　there　was　no　corn　which　any　where　appeared　publicly；　but　the　robbers　came　running　into；　and　searched　men's　private　houses；　and　then；　if　they　found　any；　they　tormented　them；　because　they　had　denied　they　had　any；　and　if　they　found　none；　they　　tormented　them　worse；　because　they　supposed　they　had　more　carefully　concealed　it。　The　indication　they　made　use　of　whether　they　had　any　or　not　was　taken　from　the　bodies　of　these　miserable　wretches；　which；　if　they　were　in　good　case；　they　supposed　they　were　in　no　want　at　all　of　food；　but　if　they　were　wasted　away；　they　walked　off　without　searching　any　further；　nor　did　they　think　it　proper　to　kill　such　as　these；　because　they　saw　they　would　very　soon　die　of　themselves　for　want　of　food。　Many　there　were　indeed　who　sold　what　they　had　for　one　measure；　it　was　of　wheat；　if　they　were　of　the　richer　sort；　but　of　barley；　if　they　were　poorer。　When　these　had　so　done；　they　shut　themselves　up　in　the　inmost　rooms　of　their　houses；　and　ate　the　corn　they　had　gotten；　some　did　it　without　grinding　it；　by　reason　of　the　extremity　of　the　want　they　were　in；　and　others　baked　bread　of　it；　according　as　necessity　and　fear　dictated　to　them：　a　table　was　no　where　laid　for　a　distinct　meal；　but　they　snatched　the　bread　out　of　the　fire；　half…baked；　and　ate　it　very　hastily。　

3。　It　was　now　a　miserable　case；　and　a　sight　that　would　justly　bring　tears　into　our　eyes；　how　men　stood　as　to　their　food；　while　the　more　powerful　had　more　than　enough；　and　the　weaker　were　lamenting　＇for　want　of　it。＇　But　the　famine　was　too　hard　for　all　other　passions；　and　it　is　destructive　to　nothing　so　much　as　to　modesty；　for　what　was　otherwise　worthy　of　reverence　was　in　this　case　despised；　insomuch　that　children　pulled　the　very　morsels　that　their　fathers　were　eating　out　of　their　very　mouths；　and　what　was　still　more　to　be　pitied；　so　did　the　mothers　do　as　to　their　infants；　and　when　those　that　were　most　dear　were　perishing　under　their　hands；　they　were　not　ashamed　to　take　from　them　the　very　last　drops　that　might　preserve　their　lives：　and　while　they　ate　after　this　manner；　yet　were　they　not　concealed　in　so　doing；　but　the　seditious　every　where　came　upon　them　immediately；　and　snatched　away　from　them　what　they　had　gotten　from　others；　for　when　they　saw　any　house　shut　up；　this　was　to　them　a　signal　that　the　people　within　had　gotten　some　food；　whereupon　they　broke　open　the　doors；　and　ran　in；　and　took　pieces　of　what　they　were　eating　almost　up　out　of　their　very　throats；　and　this　by　force：　the　old　men；　who　held　their　food　fast；　were　beaten；　and　if　the　women　hid　what　they　had　within　their　hands；　their　hair　was　torn　for　so　doing；　nor　was　there　any　commiseration　shown　either　to　the　aged　or　to　the　infants；　but　they　lifted　up　children　from　the　ground　as　they　hung　upon　the　morsels　they　had　gotten；　and　shook　them　down　upon　the　floor。　But　still　they　were　more　barbarously　cruel　to　those　that　had　prevented　their　coming　in；　and　had　actually　swallowed　down　what　they　were　going　to　seize　upon；　as　if　they　had　been　unjustly　　defrauded　of　their　right。　They　also　invented　terrible　methods　of　torments　to　discover　where　any　food　was；　and　they　were　these　to　stop　up　the　passages　of　the　privy　parts　of　the　miserable　wretches；　and　to　drive　sharp　stakes　up　their　fundaments；　and　a　man　was　forced　to　bear　what　it　is　terrible　even　to　hear；　in　order　to　make　him　confess　that　he　had　but　one　loaf　of　bread；　or　that　he　might　discover　a　handful　of　barley…meal　that　was　concealed；　and　this　was　done　when　these　tormentors　were　not　themselves　hungry；　for　the　thing　had　been　less　barbarous　had　necessity　forced　them　to　it；　but　this　was　done　to　keep　their　madness　in　exercise；　and　as　making　preparation　of　provisions　for　themselves　for　the　following　days。　These　men　went　also　to　meet　those　that　had　crept　out　of　the　city　by　night；　as　far　as　the　Roman　guards；　to　gather　some　plants　and　herbs　that　grew　wild；　and　when　those　people　thought　they　had　got　clear　of　the　enemy；　they　snatched　from　them　what　they　had　brought　with　them；　even　while　they　had　frequently　entreated　them；　and　that　by　calling　upon　the　tremendous　name　of　God；　to　give　them　back　some　part　of　what　they　had　brought；　though　these　would　not　give　them　the　least　crumb；　and　they　were　to　be　well　contented　that　they　were　only　spoiled；　and　not　slain　at　the　same　time。　　　　　　4。　These　were　the　afflictions　which　the　lower　sort　of　people　suffered　from　these　tyrants'　guards；　but　for　the　men　that　were　in　dignity；　and　withal　were　rich；　they　were　carried　before　the　tyrants　themselves；　some　of　whom　were　falsely　accused　of　laying　treacherous　plots；　and　so　were　destroyed；　others　of　them　were　charged　with　designs　of　betraying　the　city　to　the　Romans；　but　the　readiest　way　of　all　was　this；　to　suborn　somebody　to　affirm　that　they　were　resolved　to　desert　to　the　enemy。　And　he　who　was　utterly　　despoiled　of　what　he　had　by　Simon　was　sent　back　again　to　John；　as　of　those　who　had　been　already　plundered　by　Jotre；　Simon　got　what　remained；　insomuch　that　they　drank　the　blood　of　the　populace　to　one　another；　and　divided　the　dead　bodies　of　the　poor　creatures　between　them；　so　that　although；　on　account　of　their　ambition　after　dominion；　they　contended　with　each　other；　yet　did　they　very　well　agree　in　their　wicked　practices；　for　he　that　did　not　communicate　what　he　got　by　the　miseries　of　others　to　the　other　tyrant　seemed　to　be　too　little　guilty；　and　in　one　respect　only；　and　he　that　did　not　partake　of　what　was　so　communicated　to　him　grieved　at　this；　as　at　the　loss　of　what　was　a　valuable　thing；　that　he　had　no　share　in　such　barbarity。　　　　5。　It　is　therefore　impossible　to　go　distinctly　over　every　instance　of　these　men's　iniquity。　I　shall　therefore　speak　my　mind　here　at　once　briefly：　…　That　neither　did　any　other　city　ever　suffer　such　miseries；　nor　did　any　age　ever　breed　a　generation　more　fruitful　in　wickedness　than　this　was；　from　the　beginning　of　the　world。　Finally；　they　brought　the　Hebrew　nation　into　contempt；　that　they　might　themselves　appear　　comparatively　less　impious　with　regard　to　strangers。　They　confessed　what　was　true；　that　they　were　the　slaves；　the　scum；　and　the　spurious　and　abortive　offspring　of　our　nation；　while　they　overthrew　the　city　themselves；　and　forced　the　Romans；　whether　they　would　or　no；　to　gain　a　melancholy　reputation；　by　acting　gloriously　against　them；　and　did　almost　draw　that　fire　upon　the　temple；　which　they　seemed　to　think　came　too　slowly；　and　indeed　when　they　saw　that　temple　burning　from　the　upper　city；　they　were　neither　troubled　at　it；　nor　did　they　shed　any　tears　on　that　account；　while　yet　these　passions　were　discovered　among　the　Romans　themselves；　which　circumstances　we　shall　speak　of　hereafter　in　their　proper　place；　when　we　come　to　treat　of　such　matters。　　　　　　CHAPTER　11。　　　　　　　　　　How　The　Jews　Were　Crucified　Before　The　Walls　Of　The　City　Concerning　Antiochus　Epiphanes；　And　How　The　Jews　Overthrew　The　Banks　That　Had　Been　Raised　By　The　Romans；　　　　1。　So　now　Titus's　banks　were　advanced　a　great　way；　　notwithstanding　his　soldiers　had　been　very　much　distressed　from　the　wall。　He　then　sent　a　party　of　horsemen；　and　ordered　they　should　lay　ambushes　for　those　that　went　out　into　the　valleys　to　gather　food。　Some　of　these　were　indeed　fighting　men；　who　were　not　contented　with　what　they　got　by　rapine；　but　the　greater　part　of　them　were　poor　people；　who　were　deterred　from　deserting　by　the　concern　they　were　under　for　their　own　relations；　for　they　could　not　hope　to　escape　away；　together　with　their　wives　and　children；　without　the　knowledge