the wars of the jews-第134章

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preading　of　the　fire　to　be　for　their　own　advantage。　However；　the　armies　were　still　fighting　one　against　another　about　the　temple；　and　the　war　was　managed　by　continual　sallies　of　particular　parties　against　one　another。　　　　10。　Now　there　was　at　this　time　a　man　among　the　Jews；　low　of　stature　he　was；　and　of　a　despicable　appearance；　of　no　character　either　as　to　his　family；　or　in　other　respects：　his　flame　was　Jonathan。　He　went　out　at　the　high　priest　John's　monument；　and　uttered　many　other　insolent　things　to　the　Romans；　a　challenged　the　best　of　them　all　to　a　single　combat。But　many　of　those　that　stood　there　in　the　army　huffed　him；　and　many　of　them　（as　they　might　well　be）　were　afraid　of　him。　Some　of　them　also　reasoned　thus；　and　that　justly　enough：　that　it　was　not　fit　to　fight　with　a　man　that　desired　to　die；　because　those　that　utterly　despaired　of　　deliverance　had；　besides　other　passions；　a　violence　in　attacking　men　that　could　not　be　opposed；　and　had　no　regard　to　God　himself；　and　that　to　hazard　oneself　with　a　person；　whom；　if　you　overcome；　you　do　no　great　matter；　and　by　whom　it　is　hazardous　that　you　may　be　taken　prisoner；　would　be　an　instance；　not　of　manly　courage；　but　of　unmanly　rashness。　So　there　being　nobody　that　came　out　to　accept　the　man's　challenge；　and　the　Jew　cutting　them　with　a　great　number　of　reproaches；　as　cowards；　（for　he　was　a　very　haughty　man　in　himself；　and　a　great　despiser　of　the　Romans；）　one　whose　name　was　Pudens；　of　the　body　of　horsemen；　out　of　his　abomination　of　the　other's　words；　and　of　his　impudence　withal；　and　perhaps　out　of　an　inconsiderate　arrogance；　on　account　of　the　other's　lowness　of　stature；　ran　out　to　him；　and　was　too　hard　for　him　in　other　respects；　but　was　betrayed　by　his　ill　fortune；　for　he　fell　down；　and　as　he　was　down；　Jonathan　came　running　to　him；　　and　cut　his　throat；　and　then；　standing　upon　his　dead　body；　he　brandished　his　sword；　bloody　as　it　was；　and　shook　his　shield　with　his　left　hand；　and　made　many　acclamations　to　the　Roman　army；　and　exulted　over　the　dead　man；　and　jested　upon　the　Romans；　till　at　length　one　Priscus；　a　centurion；　shot　a　dart　at　him　as　he　was　leaping　and　playing　the　fool　with　himself；　and　thereby　pierced　him　through；　upon　which　a　shout　was　set　up　both　by　the　Jews　and　the　Romans；　though　on　different　accounts。　So　Jonathan　grew　giddy　by　the　pain　of　his　wounds；　and　fell　down　upon　the　body　of　his　adversary；　as　a　plain　instance　how　suddenly　vengeance　may　come　upon　men　that　have　success　in　war；　without　any　just　deserving　the　same。　　　　CHAPTER　3。　　　　　　　　　　Concerning　A　Stratagem　That　Was　Devised　By　The　Jews；　By　Which　They　Burnt　Many　Of　The　Romans；　With　Another　Description　Of　The　Terrible　Famine　That　Was　In　The　City。　

1。　But　now　the　seditious　that　were　in　the　temple　did　every　day　openly　endeavor　to　beat　off　the　soldiers　that　were　upon　the　banks；　and　on　the　twenty…seventh　day　of　the　forenamed　month　＇Panemus　or　Tamuz＇　contrived　such　a　stratagem　as　this：　They　filled　that　part　of　the　western　cloister　（14）　which　was　between　the　beams；　and　the　roof　under　them；　with　dry　materials；　as　also　with　bitumen　and　pitch；　and　then　retired　from　that　place；　as　though　they　were　tired　with　the　pains　they　had　taken；　at　which　procedure　of　theirs；　many　of　the　most　inconsiderate　among　the　Romans；　who　were　carried　away　with　violent　passions；　followed　hard　after　them　as　they　were　retiring；　and　applied　ladders　to　the　cloister；　and　got　up　to　it　suddenly；　but　the　prudent　part　of　them；　when　they　understood　this　unaccountable　retreat　of　the　Jews；　stood　still　where　they　were　before。　However；　the　cloister　was　full　of　those　that　were　gone　up　the　ladders；　at　which　time　the　Jews　set　it　all　on　fire；　and　as　the　flame　burst　out　every　where　on　the　sudden；　the　Romans　that　were　out　of　the　danger　were　seized　with　a　very　great　consternation；　as　were　those　that　were　in　the　midst　of　the　danger　in　the　utmost　distress。　So　when　they　perceived　themselves　surrounded　with　the　flames；　some　of　them　threw　themselves　down　backwards　into　the　city；　and　some　among　　their　enemies　＇in　the　temple＇；　as　did　many　leap　down　to　their　own　men；　and　broke　their　limbs　to　pieces；　but　a　great　number　of　those　that　were　going　to　take　these　violent　methods　were　prevented　by　the　fire；　though　some　prevented　the　fire　by　their　own　swords。　However；　the　fire　was　on　the　sudden　carried　so　far　as　to　surround　those　who　would　have　otherwise　perished。　As　for　Caesar　himself；　he　could　not；　however；　but　commiserate　those　that　thus　perished；　although　they　got　up　thither　without　any　order　for　so　doing；　since　there　was　no　way　of　giving　the　many　relief。　Yet　was　this　some　comfort　to　those　that　were　destroyed；　that　every　body　might　see　that　person　grieve；　for　whose　sake　they　came　to　their　end；　for　he　cried　out　openly　to　them；　and　leaped　up；　and　exhorted　those　that　were　about　him　to　do　their　utmost　to　relieve　them；　So　every　one　of　them　died　cheerfully；　as　carrying　along　with　him　these　words　and　this　intention　of　Caesar　as　a　sepulchral　monument。　Some　there　were　indeed　who　retired　into　the　wall　of　the　cloister；　which　was　broad；　and　were　preserved　out　of　the　fire；　but　were　then　surrounded　by　the　Jews；　and　although　they　made　resistance　against　the　Jews　for　a　long　time；　yet　were　they　wounded　by　them；　and　at　length　they　all　fell　down　dead。　　　　2。　At　the　last　a　young　man　among　them；　whose　name　was　Longus；　became　a　decoration　to　this　sad　affair；　and　while　every　one　of　them　that　perished　were　worthy　of　a　memorial；　this　man　appeared　to　deserve　it　beyond　all　the　rest。　Now　the　Jews　admired　this　man　for　his　courage；　and　were　further　desirous　of　having　him　slain；　so　they　persuaded　him　to　come　down　to　them；　upon　security　given　him　for　his　life。　But　Cornelius　his　brother　persuaded　him　on　the　contrary；　not　to　tarnish　his　own　glory；　nor　that　of　the　Roman　army。　He　complied　with　this　last　advice；　and　lifting　up　his　sword　before　both　armies；　he　slew　himself。　Yet　there　was　one　Artorius　among　those　surrounded　by　the　fire　who　escaped　by　his　subtlety；　for　when　he　had　with　a　loud　voice　called　to　him　Lucius；　one　of　his　fellow　soldiers　that　lay　with　him　in　the　same　tent；　and　said　to　him；　〃I　do　leave　thee　heir　of　all　I　have；　if　thou　wilt　come　and　receive　me。〃　Upon　this　he　came　running　to　receive　him　readily；　Artorius　then　threw　himself　down　upon　him；　and　saved　his　own　life；　while　he　that　received　him　was　dashed　so　vehemently　against　the　stone　pavement　by　the　other's　weight；　that　he　died　immediately。　This　melancholy　accident　made　the　Romans　sad　for　a　while；　but　still　it　made　them　more　upon　their　guard　for　the　future；　and　was　of　advantage　to　them　against　the　delusions　of　the　Jews；　by　which　they　were　greatly　damaged　through　their　unacquaintedness　with　the　places；　and　with　the　nature　of　the　inhabitants。　Now　this　cloister　was　burnt　down　as　far　as　John's　tower；　which　he　built　in　the　war　he　made　against　Simon　over　the　gates　that　led　to　the　Xystus。　The　Jews　also　cut　off　the　rest　of　that　cloister　from　the　temple；　after　they　had　destroyed　those　that　got　up　to　it。　But　the　next　day　the　Romans　burnt　down　the　northern　cloister　entirely；　as　far　as　the　east　cloister；　whose　common　angle　joined　to　the　valley　that　was　called　Cedron；　and　was　built　over　it；　on　which　account　the　depth　was　frightful。　And　this　was　the　state　of　the　temple　at　that　time。　　　　3。　Now　of　those　that　perished　by　famine　in　the　city；　the　number　was　prodigious；　and　the　miseries　they　underwent　were　unspeakable；　for　if　so　much　as　the　shadow　of　any　kind　of　food　did　any　where　appear；　a　war　was　commenced　presently；　and　the　dearest　friends　fell　a　fighting　one　with　another　about　it；　snatching　from　each　other　the　most　miserable　supports　of　life。　Nor　would　men　believe　that　those　who　were　dying　had　no　food；　but　the　robbers　would　search　them　when　they　were　expiring；　lest　any　one　should　have　concealed　food　in　their　bosoms；　and　counterfeited　dying；　nay；　these　robbers　gaped　for　want；　and　ran　about　stumbling　and　staggering　along　like　mad　dogs；　and　reeling　against　the　doors　of　the　houses　like　drunken　men；　they　would　also；　in　the　great　distress　they　were　in；　rush　into　the　very　same　houses　two　or　three　times　in　one　and　the　same　day。　Moreover；　their　hunger　was　so　intolerable；　that　it　obliged　them　to　chew　every　thing；　while　they　gathered　such　things　as　the　most　sordid　animals　would　not　touch；　and　end