the wars of the jews-第62章

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3。　Now　at　the　same　time　that　certain　young　men　of　the　village　Dabaritta；　who　kept　guard　in　the　Great　Plain　laid　snares　for　Ptolemy；　who　was　Agrippa's　and　Bernice's　steward；　and　took　from　him　all　that　he　had　with　him；　among　which　things　there　were　a　great　many　costly　garments；　and　no　small　number　of　silver　cups；　and　six　hundred　pieces　of　gold；　yet　were　they　not　able　to　conceal　what　they　had　stolen；　but　brought　it　all　to　Josephus；　to　Tarichee。　Hereupon　he　blamed　them　for　the　violence　they　had　offered　to　the　king　and　queen；　and　deposited　what　they　brought　to　him　with　Eneas；　the　most　potent　man　of　Taricheae；　with　an　intention　of　sending　the　things　back　to　the　owners　at　a　proper　time；　which　act　of　Josephus　brought　him　into　the　greatest　danger；　for　those　that　had　stolen　the　things　had　an　indignation　at　him；　both　because　they　gained　no　share　of　it　for　themselves；　and　because　they　perceived　beforehand　what　was　Josephus's　intention；　and　that　he　would　freely　deliver　up　what　had　cost　them　so　much　pains　to　the　king　and　queen。　These　ran　away　by　night　to　their　several　villages；　and　declared　to　all　men　that　Josephus　was　going　to　betray　them：　they　also　raised　great　disorders　in　all　the　neighboring　cities；　insomuch　that　in　the　morning　a　hundred　thousand　armed　men　came　running　together；　which　multitude　was　crowded　together　in　the　hippodrome　at　Taricheae；　and　made　a　very　peevish　clamor　against　him；　while　some　cried　out；　that　they　should　depose　the　traitor；　and　others；　that　they　should　burn　him。　Now　John　irritated　a　great　many；　as　did　also　one　Jesus；　the　son　of　Sapphias；　who　was　then　governor　of　Tiberias。　Then　it　was　that　Josephus's　friends；　and　the　guards　of　his　body；　were　so　affrighted　at　this　violent　assault　of　the　multitude；　that　they　all　fled　away　but　four；　and　as　he　was　asleep；　they　awaked　him；　as　the　people　were　going　to　set　fire　to　the　house。　And　although　those　four　that　remained　with　him　persuaded　him　to　run　away；　he　was　neither　surprised　at　his　being　himself　deserted；　nor　at　the　great　multitude　that　came　against　him；　but　leaped　out　to　them　with　his　clothes　rent；　and　ashes　sprinkled　on　his　head；　with　his　hands　behind　him；　and　his　sword　hanging　at　his　neck。　At　this　sight　his　friends；　especially　those　of　Tarichae；　commiserated　his　condition；　but　those　that　came　out　of　the　country；　and　those　in　their　neighborhood；　to　whom　his　government　seemed　burdensome；　reproached　him；　and　bid　him　produce　the　money　which　belonged　to　them　all　immediately；　and　to　confess　the　agreement　he　had　made　to　betray　them；　for　they　imagined；　from　the　habit　in　which　he　appeared；　that　he　would　deny　nothing　of　what　they　suspected　concerning　him；　and　that　it　was　in　order　to　obtain　pardon　that　he　had　put　himself　entirely　into　so　pitiable　a　posture。　But　this　humble　appearance　was　only　designed　as　preparatory　to　a　stratagem　of　his；　who　thereby　contrived　to　set　those　that　were　so　angry　at　him　at　variance　one　with　another　about　the　things　they　were　angry　at。　However；　he　promised　he　would　confess　all：　hereupon　he　was　permitted　to　speak；　when　he　said；〃　I　did　neither　intend　to　send　this　money　back　to　Agrippa；　nor　to　gain　it　myself；　for　I　did　never　esteem　one　that　was　your　enemy　to　be　my　friend；　nor　did　I　look　upon　what　would　tend　to　your　disadvantage　to　be　my　advantage。　But；　O　you　people　of　Tariehete；　I　saw　that　your　city　stood　in　more　need　than　others　of　fortifications　for　your　security；　and　that　it　wanted　money　in　order　for　the　building　it　a　wall。　I　was　also　afraid　lest　the　people　of　Tiberias　and　other　cities　should　lay　a　plot　to　seize　upon　these　spoils；　and　therefore　it　was　that　I　intended　to　retain　this　money　privately；　that　I　might　encompass　you　with　a　wall。　But　if　this　does　not　please　you；　I　will　produce　what　was　brought　me；　and　leave　it　to　you　to　plunder　it；　but　if　I　have　conducted　myself　so　well　as　to　please　you；　you　may　if　you　please　punish　your　benefactor。〃　　4。　Hereupon　the　people　of　Taricheae　loudly　commended　him；　but　those　of　Tiberias；　with　the　rest　of　the　company；　gave　him　hard　names；　and　threatened　what　they　would　do　to　him；　so　both　sides　left　off　quarrelling　with　Josephus；　and　fell　on　quarrelling　with　one　another。　So　he　grew　bold　upon　the　dependence　he　had　on　his　friends；　which　were　the　people　of　Taricheae；　and　about　forty　thousand　in　number；　and　spake　more　freely　to　the　whole　multitude；　and　reproached　them　greatly　for　their　rashness；　and　told　them；　that　with　this　money　he　would　build　walls　about　Taricheae；　and　would　put　the　other　cities　in　a　state　of　security　also；　for　that　they　should　not　want　money；　if　they　would　but　agree　for　whose　benefit　it　was　to　be　procured；　and　would　not　suffer　themselves　to　be　irritated　against　him　who　procured　it　for　them。

5。　Hereupon　the　rest　of　the　multitude　that　had　been　deluded　retired；　but　yet　so　that　they　went　away　angry；　and　two　thousand　of　them　made　an　assault　upon　him　in　their　armor；　and　as　he　was　already　gone　to　his　own　house；　they　stood　without　and　threatened　him。　On　which　occasion　Josephus　again　used　a　second　stratagem　to　escape　them；　for　he　got　upon　the　top　of　his　house；　and　with　his　right　hand　desired　them　to　be　silent；　and　said　to　them；　〃I　cannot　tell　what　you　would　have；　nor　can　hear　what　you　say；　for　the　confused　noise　you　make；〃　but　he　said　that　he　would　comply　with　all　their　demands；　in　case　they　would　but　send　some　of　their　number　in　to　him　that　might　talk　with　him　about　it。　And　when　the　principal　of　them；　with　their　leaders；　heard　this；　they　came　into　the　house。　He　then　drew　them　to　the　most　retired　part　of　the　house；　and　shut　the　door　of　that　hall　where　he　put　them；　and　then　had　them　whipped　till　every　one　of　their　inward　parts　appeared　naked。　In　the　mean　time　the　multitude　stood　round　the　house；　and　supposed　that　he　had　a　long　discourse　with　those　that　were　gone　in　about　what　they　claimed　of　him。　He　had　then　the　doors　set　open　immediately；　and　sent　the　men　out　all　bloody；　which　so　terribly　aftrighted　those　that　had　before　threatened　him；　that　they　threw　away　their　arms　and　ran　away。

6。　But　as　for　John；　his　envy　grew　greater　＇upon　this　escape　of　Josephus＇；　and　he　framed　a　new　plot　against　him；　he　pretended　to　be　sick；　and　by　a　letter　desired　that　Josephus　would　give　him　leave　to　use　the　hot　baths　that　were　at　Tiberias；　for　the　recovery　of　his　health。　Hereupon　Josephus；　who　hitherto　suspected　nothing　of　John's　plots　against　him；　wrote　to　the　governors　of　the　city；　that　they　would　provide　a　lodging　and　necessaries　for　John；　which　favors；　when　he　had　made　use　of；　in　two　days'　time　he　did　what　he　came　about；　some　he　corrupted　with　delusive　frauds；　and　others　with　money；　and　so　persuaded　them　to　revolt　from　Josephus。　This　Silas；　who　was　appointed　guardian　of　the　city　by　Josephus；　wrote　to　him　immediately；　and　informed　him　of　the　plot　against　him；　which　epistle　when　Josephus　had　received；　he　marched　with　great　diligence　all　night；　and　came　early　in　the　morning　to　Tiberias；　at　which　time　the　rest　of　the　multitude　met　him。　But　John；　who　suspected　that　his　coming　was　not　for　his　advantage；　sent　however　one　of　his　friends；　and　pretended　that　he　was　sick；　and　that　being　confined　to　his　bed；　he　could　not　come　to　pay　him　his　respects。　But　as　soon　as　Josephus　had　got　the　people　of　Tiberias　together　in　the　stadium；　and　tried　to　discourse　with　them　about　the　letters　that　he　had　received；　John　privately　sent　some　armed　men；　and　gave　them　orders　to　slay　him。　But　when　the　people　saw　that　the　armed　men　were　about　to　draw　their　swords；　they　cried　out；　at　which　cry　Josephus　turned　himself　about；　and　when　he　saw　that　the　swords　were　just　at　his　throat；　he　marched　away　in　great　haste　to　the　sea…shore；　and　left　off　that　speech　which　he　was　going　to　make　to　the　people；　upon　an　elevation　of　six　cubits　high。　He　then　seized　on　a　ship　which　lay　in　the　haven；　and　leaped　into　it；　with　two　of　his　guards；　and　fled　away　into　the　midst　of　the　lake。

7。　But　now　the　soldiers　he　had　with　him　took　up　their　arms　immediately；　and　marched　against　the　plotters；　but　Josephus　was　afraid　lest　a　civil　war　should　be　raised　by　the　envy　of　a　few　men；　and　bring　the　city　to　ruin；　so　he　sent　some　of　his　party　to　tell　them；　that　they　should　do　no　more　than　provide　for　their　own　safety；　that　they　should　not　kill　any　body；　nor　accuse　any　for　the　occasion　they　had　afford