the wars of the jews-第85节

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hat　mischiefs　had　been　done　against　their　metropolis。　He　said　that　they　had　taken　arms；　as　though　the　high　priests　were　betraying　their　metropolis　to　the　Romans；　but　had　　　found　no　indication　of　any　such　treachery；　but　that　they　had　succored　those　that　had　pretended　to　believe　such　a　thing；　while　they　did　themselves　the　works　of　war　and　tyranny；　after　an　insolent　manner。　It　had　been　indeed　their　business　to　have　hindered　them　from　such　their　proceedings　at　the　first；　but　seeing　they　had　once　been　partners　with　them　in　shedding　the　blood　of　their　own　countrymen；　it　was　high　time　to　put　a　stop　to　such　crimes；　and　not　continue　to　afford　any　more　assistance　to　such　as　are　subverting　the　laws　of　their　　　forefathers；　for　that　if　any　had　taken　it　ill　that　the　gates　had　been　shut　against　them；　and　they　had　not　been　permitted　to　come　into　the　city；　yet　that　those　who　had　excluded　them　have　been　punished；　and　Ananus　is　dead；　and　that　almost　all　those　people　had　been　destroyed　in　one　night's　time。　That　one　may　perceive　many　of　themselves　now　repenting　for　what　they　had　done；　and　might　see　the　horrid　barbarity　of　those　that　had　invited　them；　and　that　they　had　no　regard　to　such　as　had　saved　them；　that　they　were　so　impudent　as　to　perpetrate　the　vilest　things；　under　the　eyes　of　those　that　had　supported　them；　and　that　their　wicked　actions　would　be　laid　to　the　charge　of　the　Idumeans；　and　would　be　so　laid　to　their　charge　till　somebody　obstructs　their　proceedings；　or　separates　　　himself　from　the　same　wicked　action；　that　they　therefore　ought　to　retire　home；　since　the　imputation　of　treason　appears　to　be　a　Calumny；　and　that　there　was　no　expectation　of　the　coming　of　the　Romans　at　this　time；　and　that　the　government　of　the　city　was　secured　by　such　walls　as　cannot　easily　be　thrown　down；　and；　by　avoiding　any　further　fellowship　with　these　bad　men；　to　make　some　excuse　for　themselves；　as　to　what　they　had　been　so　far　deluded；　as　to　have　been　partners　with　them　hitherto。　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　6。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　How　The　Zealots　When　They　Were　Freed　From　The　Idumeans；　Slew　A　Great　Many　More　Of　The　Citizens；　And　How　Vespasian　Dissuaded　The　Romans　When　They　Were　Very　Earnest　To　March　Against　The　Jews　　From　Proceeding　In　The　War　At　That　Time。　　　　　　　　　　　　1。　The　Idumeans　complied　with　these　persuasions；　and；　in　the　first　place；　they　set　those　that　were　in　the　prisons　at　liberty；　being　about　two　thousand　of　the　populace；　who　thereupon　　　fled　away　immediately　to　Simon；　one　whom　we　shall　speak　of　presently。　After　which　these　Idumeans　retired　from　　　Jerusalem；　and　went　home；　which　departure　of　theirs　was　a　great　surprise　to　both　parties；　for　the　people；　not　knowing　of　their　repentance；　pulled　up　their　courage　for　a　while；　as　eased　of　so　many　of　their　enemies；　while　the　zealots　grew　more　insolent　not　as　deserted　by　their　confederates；　but　as　freed　from　such　men　as　might　hinder　their　designs；　and　plat　some　stop　to　their　wickedness。　Accordingly；　they　made　no　longer　any　delay；　nor　took　any　deliberation　in　their　enormous　practices；　but　made　use　of　the　shortest　methods　for　all　their　executions　and　what　they　had　once　resolved　upon；　they　put　in　practice　sooner　than　any　one　could　imagine。　But　their　thirst　was　chiefly　after　the　blood　of　valiant　men；　and　men　of　good　families；　the　one　sort　of　which　they　destroyed　out　of　envy；　the　other　out　of　fear；　for　they　thought　their　whole　security　lay　in　leaving　no　potent　men　alive；　on　which　account　they　slew　Gorion；　a　person　eminent　in　dignity；　and　on　account　of　his　family　also；　he　was　also　for　democracy；　and　of　as　great　　　boldness　and　freedom　of　spirit　as　were　any　of　the　Jews　　　whosoever；　the　principal　thing　that　ruined　him；　added　to　his　other　advantages；　was　his　free　speaking。　Nor　did　Niger　of　Peres　escape　their　hands；　he　had　been　a　man　of　great　valor　in　their　war　with　the　Romans；　but　was　now　drawn　through　　　the　middle　of　the　city；　and；　as　he　went；　he　frequently　cried　out；　and　showed　the　scars　of　his　wounds；　and　when　he　was　drawn　out　of　the　gates；　and　despaired　of　his　preservation；　he　besought　them　to　grant　him　a　burial；　but　as　they　had　　　threatened　him　beforehand　not　to　grant　him　any　spot　of　　　earth　for　a　grave；　which　he　chiefly　desired　of　them；　so　did　they　slay　him　＇without　permitting　him　to　be　buried＇。　Now　when　they　were　slaying　him；　he　made　this　imprecation　upon　them；　that　they　might　undergo　both　famine　and　pestilence　in　this　war；　and　besides　all　that；　they　might　come　to　the　mutual　slaughter　of　one　another；　all　which　imprecations　God　　　confirmed　against　these　impious　men；　and　was　what　came　　　most　justly　upon　them；　when　not　long　afterward。　they　tasted　of　their　own　madness　in　their　mutual　seditions　one　against　another。　So　when　this　Niger　was　killed；　their　fears　of　being　overturned　were　diminished；　and　indeed　there　was　no　part　of　the　people　but　they　found　out　some　pretense　to　destroy　　　them；　for　some　were　therefore　slain；　because　they　had　had　differences　with　some　of　them；　and　as　to　those　that　had　not　opposed　them　in　times　of　peace；　they　watched　seasonable　　　opportunities　to　gain　some　accusation　against　them；　and　if　any　one　did　not　come　near　them　at　all；　he　was　under　their　suspicion　as　a　proud　man；　if　any　one　came　with　boldness；　he　was　esteemed　a　contemner　of　them；　and　if　any　one　came　as　aiming　to　oblige　them；　he　was　supposed　to　have　some　　　treacherous　plot　against　them；　while　the　only　punishment　of　crimes；　whether　they　were　of　the　greatest　or　smallest　sort；　was　death。　Nor　could　any　one　escape；　unless　he　were　very　inconsiderable；　either　on　account　of　the　meanness　of　his　birth；　or　on　account　of　his　fortune。　　　　　　2。　And　now　all　the　rest　of　the　commanders　of　the　Romans　　　deemed　this　sedition　among　their　enemies　to　be　of　great　　　advantage　to　them；　and　were　very　earnest　to　march　to　the　city；　and　they　urged　Vespasian；　as　their　lord　and　general　in　all　cases；　to　make　haste；　and　said　to　him；　that　〃the　providence　of　God　is　on　our　side；　by　setting　our　enemies　at　variance　against　one　another；　that　still　the　change　in　such　cases　may　be　sudden；　and　the　Jews　may　quickly　be　at　one　again；　either　because　they　may　be　tired　out　with　their　civil　miseries；　or　repent　them　of　such　doings。〃　But　Vespasian　replied；　that　they　were　greatly　mistaken　in　what　they　thought　fit　to　be　done；　as　those　that；　upon　the　theater；　love　to　make　a　show　of　their　hands；　and　of　their　weapons；　but　do　it　at　their　own　hazard；　without　considering；　what　was　for　their　advantage；　and　for　their　security；　for　that　if　they　now　go　and　attack　the　city　immediately；　they　shall　but　occasion　their　enemies　to　unite　together；　and　shall　convert　their　force；　now　it　is　in　its　height；　against　themselves。　But　if　they　stay　a　while；　they　shall　have　fewer　enemies；　because　they　will　be　consumed　in　this　　　sedition：　that　God　acts　as　a　general　of　the　Romans　better　than　he　can　do；　and　is　giving　the　Jews　up　to　them　without　any　pains　of　their　own；　and　granting　their　army　a　victory　without　any　danger；　that　therefore　it　is　their　best　way；　while　their　enemies　are　destroying　each　other　with　their　own　hands；　and　falling　into　the　greatest　of　misfortunes；　which　is　that　of　sedition；　to　sit　still　as　spectators　of　the　dangers　they　run　into；　rather　than　to　fight　hand　to　hand　with　men　that　love　　　murdering；　and　are　mad　one　against　another。　But　if　any　one　imagines　that　the　glory　of　victory；　when　it　is　gotten　without　fighting；　will　be　more　insipid；　let　him　know　this　much；　that　a　glorious　success；　quietly　obtained；　is　more　profitable　than　the　dangers　of　a　battle；　for　we　ought　to　esteem　these　that　do　what　is　agreeable　to　temperance　and　prudence　no　less　　　glorious　than　those　that　have　gained　great　reputation　by　their　actions　in　war：　that　he　shall　lead　on　his　army　with　greater　force　when　their　enemies　are　diminished；　and　his　own　army　refreshed　after　the　continual　labors　they　had　undergone。　However；　that　this　is　not　a　proper　time　to　propose　to　　　ourselves　the　glory　of　victory；　for　that　the　Jews　are　not　now　employed　in　making　of　armor　or　building　of　walls；　nor　indeed　in　getting　together　auxiliaries；　while　the　advantage　will　be　on　their　side　who　give　them　such　opportunity　of　delay；　but　that　the　Jews　are　vexed　to　pieces　every　day　by　their　civil　wars　and　dissensions；　and　are　under　greater　miseries　than；　if　they　were　once　taken；　could　be　inflicted　on　them　by　us。　Whether　　　therefore　any　one　hath　regard　to　what　is　for　our　safety；　he　ought　to　suffer　these　Jews　to　destroy　one　another；　or　whether　he　hath　regard　to　the　greater　glory　of　the　action；　we　ought　by　no　means　to　meddle　with　those　men；　now　they　are　afflicted　with　a　distemper　at　home；　for　should　we　now　conquer　them；　it　would　be　said　the　conquest　was　not　owing　to　our　bravery；　but　to　their　sedition。〃　（10）　　　　　　3。　And　now　the　commanders　joined　in　their　approbation　of　what　Vespasian　had　said；　and　it　was　soon　discovered　how　　　wise　an　opinion　he　had　given。　And　indeed　many　there　were　of　the　Jews　that　deserted　every　day；　and　fled　away　from　the　zealots；　although　their　flight　was　very　difficult；　since　they　had　guarded　every　passage　out　of　the　city；　and　slew　every　one　that　was　caught　at　them；　as　taking　it　for　granted　they　were　going　over　to　the　Romans；　yet　did　he　who　gave　them　money　get　clear　off；　while　he　only　that　gave　them　none　was　voted　a　traitor。　So　the　upshot　was　this；　that　the　rich　purchased　thei