the wars of the jews-第135章

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hew　every　thing；　while　they　gathered　such　things　as　the　most　sordid　animals　would　not　touch；　and　endured　to　eat　them；　nor　did　they　at　length　abstain　from　girdles　and　shoes；　and　the　very　leather　which　belonged　to　their　shields　they　pulled　off　and　gnawed：　the　very　wisps　of　old　hay　became　food　to　some；　and　some　gathered　up　fibres；　and　sold　a　very　small　weight　of　them　for　four　Attic　＇drachmae＇。　But　why　do　I　describe　the　shameless　impudence　that　the　famine　brought　on　men　in　their　eating　inanimate　things；　while　I　am　going　to　relate　a　matter　of　fact；　the　like　to　which　no　history　relates；　（15）　either　among　the　Greeks　or　Barbarians？　It　is　horrible　to　speak　of　it；　and　incredible　when　heard。　I　had　indeed　willingly　omitted　this　calamity　of　ours；　that　I　might　not　seem　to　deliver　what　is　so　portentous　to　posterity；　but　that　I　have　innumerable　witnesses　to　it　in　my　own　age；　and　besides；　my　country　would　have　had　little　reason　to　thank　me　for　suppressing　the　miseries　that　she　underwent　at　this　time。　　　　4。　There　was　a　certain　woman　that　dwelt　beyond　Jordan；　her　name　was　Mary；　her　father　was　Eleazar；　of　the　village　Bethezob；　which　signifies　the　house　of　Hyssop。　She　was　eminent　for　her　family　and　her　wealth；　and　had　fled　away　to　Jerusalem　with　the　rest　of　the　multitude；　and　was　with　them　besieged　therein　at　this　time。　The　other　effects　of　this　woman　had　been　already　seized　upon；　such　I　mean　as　she　had　brought　with　her　out　of　Perea；　and　removed　to　the　city。　What　she　had　treasured　up　besides；　as　also　what　food　she　had　contrived　to　save；　had　been　also　carried　off　by　the　rapacious　guards；　who　came　every　day　running　into　her　house　for　that　purpose。　This　put　the　poor　woman　into　a　very　great　passion；　and　by　the　frequent　reproaches　and　　imprecations　she　east　at　these　rapacious　villains；　she　had　provoked　them　to　anger　against　her；　but　none　of　them；　either　out　of　the　indignation　she　had　raised　against　herself；　or　out　of　commiseration　of　her　case；　would　take　away　her　life；　and　if　she　found　any　food；　she　perceived　her　labors　were　for　others；　and　not　for　herself；　and　it　was　now　become　impossible　for　her　any　way　to　find　any　more　food；　while　the　famine　pierced　through　her　very　bowels　and　marrow；　when　also　her　passion　was　fired　to　a　degree　beyond　the　famine　itself；　nor　did　she　consult　with　any　thing　but　with　her　passion　and　the　necessity　she　was　in。　She　then　attempted　a　most　unnatural　thing；　and　snatching　up　her　son；　who　was　a　child　sucking　at　her　breast；　she　said；　〃O　thou　miserable　infant！　for　whom　shall　I　preserve　thee　in　this　war；　this　famine；　and　this　sedition？　As　to　the　war　with　the　Romans；　if　they　preserve　our　lives；　we　must　be　slaves。　This　famine　also　will　destroy　us；　even　before　that　slavery　comes　upon　us。　Yet　are　these　seditious　rogues　more　terrible　than　both　the　other。　Come　on；　be　thou　my　food；　and　be　thou　a　fury　to　these　seditious　varlets；　and　a　by…word　to　the　world；　which　is　all　that　is　now　wanting　to　complete　the　calamities　of　us　Jews。〃　As　soon　as　she　had　said　this；　she　slew　her　son；　and　then　roasted　him；　and　eat　the　one　half　of　him；　and　kept　the　other　half　by　her　concealed。　Upon　this　the　seditious　came　in　presently；　and　smelling　the　horrid　scent　of　this　food；　they　threatened　her　that　they　would　cut　her　throat　immediately　if　she　did　not　show　them　what　food　she　had　gotten　ready。　She　replied　that　she　had　saved　a　very　fine　portion　of　it　for　them；　and　withal　uncovered　what　was　left　of　her　son。　Hereupon　they　were　seized　with　a　horror　and　amazement　of　mind；　and　stood　astonished　at　the　sight；　when　she　said　to　them；　〃This　is　mine　own　son；　and　what　hath　been　done　was　mine　own　doing！　Come；　eat　of　this　food；　for　I　have　eaten　of　it　myself！　Do　not　you　pretend　to　be　either　more　tender　than　a　woman；　or　more　compassionate　than　a　　mother；　but　if　you　be　so　scrupulous；　and　do　abominate　this　my　sacrifice；　as　I　have　eaten　the　one　half；　let　the　rest　be　reserved　for　me　also。〃　After　which　those　men　went　out　trembling；　being　never　so　much　aftrighted　at　any　thing　as　they　were　at　this；　and　with　some　difficulty　they　left　the　rest　of　that　meat　to　the　mother。　Upon　which　the　whole　city　was　full　of　this　horrid　action　immediately；　and　while　every　body　laid　this　miserable　case　before　their　own　eyes；　they　trembled；　as　if　this　unheard　of　action　had　been　done　by　themselves。　So　those　that　were　thus　distressed　by　the　famine　were　very　desirous　to　die；　and　those　already　dead　were　esteemed　happy；　because　they　had　not　lived　long　enough　either　to　hear　or　to　see　such　miseries。　　　　5。　This　sad　instance　was　quickly　told　to　the　Romans；　some　of　whom　could　not　believe　it；　and　others　pitied　the　distress　which　the　Jews　were　under；　but　there　were　many　of　them　who　were　hereby　induced　to　a　more　bitter　hatred　than　ordinary　against　our　nation。　But　for　Caesar；　he　excused　himself　before　God　as　to　this　matter；　and　said　that　he　had　proposed　peace　and　liberty　to　the　Jews；　as　well　as　an　oblivion　of　all　their　former　insolent　practices；　but　that　they；　instead　of　concord；　had　chosen　sedition；　instead　of　peace；　war；　and　before　satiety　and　abundance；　a　famine。　That　they　had　begun　with　their　own　hands　to　burn　down　that　temple　which　we　have　preserved　hitherto；　and　that　therefore　they　deserved　to　eat　such　food　as　this　was。　That；　however；　this　horrid　action　of　eating　an　own　child　ought　to　be　covered　with　the　overthrow　of　their　very　country　itself；　and　men　ought　not　to　leave　such　a　city　upon　the　habitable　earth　to　be　seen　by　the　sun；　wherein　mothers　are　thus　fed；　although　such　food　be　fitter　for　the　fathers　than　for　the　mothers　to　eat　of；　since　it　is　they　that　continue　still　in　a　state　of　war　against　us；　after　they　have　undergone　such　miseries　as　these。　And　at　the　same　time　that　he　said　this；　he　reflected　on　the　desperate　condition　these　men　must　be　in；　nor　could　he　expect　that　such　men　could　be　recovered　to　sobriety　of　mind；　after　they　had　endured　those　very　sufferings；　for　the　avoiding　whereof　it　only　was　probable　they　might　have　repented。　　　　CHAPTER　4。　　　　　　　When　The　Banks　Were　Completed　And　The　Battering　Rams　Brought；　And　Could　Do　Nothing；　Titus　Gave　Orders　To　Set　Fire　To　The　Gates　Of　The　Temple；　In　No　Long　Time　After　Which　The　Holy　House　Itself　Was　Burnt　Down；　Even　Against　His　Consent。　　　　1。　And　now　two　of　the　legions　had　completed　their　banks　on　the　eighth　day　of　the　month　Lous　＇Ab＇。　Whereupon　Titus　gave　orders　that　the　battering　rams　should　be　brought；　and　set　over　against　the　western　edifice　of　the　inner　temple；　for　before　these　were　brought；　the　firmest　of　all　the　other　engines　had　battered　the　wall　for　six　days　together　without　ceasing；　without　making　any　impression　upon　it；　but　the　vast　largeness　and　strong　connexion　of　the　stones　were　superior　to　that　engine；　and　to　the　other　battering　rams　also。　Other　Romans　did　indeed　undermine　the　foundations　of　the　northern　gate；　and　after　a　world　of　pains　removed　the　outermost　stones；　yet　was　the　gate　still　upheld　by　the　inner　stones；　and　stood　still　unhurt；　till　the　workmen；　despairing　of　all　such　attempts　by　engines　and　crows；　brought　their　ladders　to　the　cloisters。　Now　the　Jews　did　not　interrupt　them　in　so　doing；　but　when　they　were　gotten　up；　they　fell　upon　them；　and　fought　with　them；　some　of　them　they　thrust　down；　and　threw　them　backwards　headlong；　others　of　them　they　met　and　slew；　they　also　beat　many　of　those　that　went　down　the　ladders　again；　and　slew　them　with　their　swords　before　they　could　bring　their　shields　to　protect　them；　nay；　some　of　the　ladders　they　threw　down　from　above　when　they　were　full　of　armed　men；　a　great　slaughter　was　made　of　the　Jews　also　at　the　same　time；　while　those　that　bare　the　ensigns　fought　hard　for　them；　as　deeming　it　a　terrible　thing；　and　what　would　tend　to　their　great　shame；　if　they　permitted　them　to　be　stolen　away。　Yet　did　the　Jews　at　length　get　possession　of　these　engines；　and　destroyed　those　that　had　gone　up　the　ladders；　while　the　rest　were　so　intimidated　by　what　those　suffered　who　were　slain；　that　they　retired；　although　none　of　the　Romans　died　without　having　done　good　service　before　his　death。　Of　the　seditious；　those　that　had　fought　bravely　in　the　former　battles　did　the　like　now；　as　besides　them　did　Eleazar；　the　brother's　son　of　Simon　the　tyrant。　But　when　Titus　perceived　that　his　endeavors　to　spare　a　foreign　temple　turned　to　the　damage　of　his　s