the wars of the jews-第96章

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t　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　their　flight　by　money；　while　none　but　the　poor　were　slain。　Along　all　the　roads　also　vast　numbers　of　dead　bodies　lay　in　heaps；　and　even　many　of　those　that　were　so　zealous　in　deserting　at　length　chose　rather　to　perish　within　the　city；　for　the　hopes　of　burial　made　death　in　their　own　city　appear　of　the　two　less　terrible　to　them。　But　these　zealots　came　at　last　to　that　degree　of　barbarity；　as　not　to　bestow　a　burial　either　on　those　slain　in　the　city；　or　on　those　that　lay　along　the　roads；　but　as　if　they　had　made　an　agreement　to　cancel　both　the　laws　of　their　　　country　and　the　laws　of　nature；　and；　at　the　same　time　that　they　defiled　men　with　their　wicked　actions；　they　would　　　pollute　the　Divinity　itself　also；　they　left　the　dead　bodies　to　putrefy　under　the　sun；　and　the　same　punishment　was　allotted　to　such　as　buried　any　as　to　those　that　deserted；　which　was　no　other　than　death；　while　he　that　granted　the　favor　of　a　grave　to　another　would　presently　stand　in　need　of　a　grave　himself。　To　say　all　in　a　word；　no　other　gentle　passion　was　so　entirely　lost　among　them　as　mercy；　for　what　were　the　greatest　objects　of　pity　did　most　of　all　irritate　these　wretches；　and　they　transferred　their　rage　from　the　living　to　those　that　had　been　slain；　and　from　the　dead　to　the　living。　Nay；　the　terror　was　so　very　great；　that　he　who　survived　called　them　that　were　first　dead　happy；　as　being　at　rest　already；　as　did　those　that　were　under　torture　in　the　prisons；　declare；　that；　upon　this　　　comparison；　those　that　lay　unburied　were　the　happiest。　These　men；　therefore；　trampled　upon　all　the　laws　of　men；　and　　　laughed　at　the　laws　of　God；　and　for　the　oracles　of　the　　　prophets；　they　ridiculed　them　as　the　tricks　of　jugglers；　yet　did　these　prophets　foretell　many　things　concerning　＇the　rewards　of＇　virtue；　and　＇punishments　of＇　vice；　which　when　these　　　zealots　violated；　they　occasioned　the　fulfilling　of　those　very　prophecies　belonging　to　their　own　country；　for　there　was　a　certain　ancient　oracle　of　those　men；　that　the　city　should　then　be　taken　and　the　sanctuary　burnt；　by　right　of　war；　when　a　sedition　should　invade　the　Jews；　and　their　own　hand　should　pollute　the　temple　of　God。　Now　while　these　zealots　did　not　＇quite＇　disbelieve　these　predictions；　they　made　themselves　the　instruments　of　their　accomplishment。　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　7。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　How　John　Tyrannized　Over　The　Rest；　And　What　Mischiefs　The　Zealots　Did　At　Masada。　How　Also　Vespasian　Took　Gadara；　And　What　Actions　　　　　Were　Performed　By　Placidus。　　　　　　　　　　　　1。　By　this　time　John　was　beginning　to　tyrannize；　and　thought　it　beneath　him　to　accept　of　barely　the　same　honors　that　　　others　had；　and　joining　to　himself　by　degrees　a　party　of　the　wickedest　of　them　all；　he　broke　off　from　the　rest　of　the　faction。　This　was　brought　about　by　his　still　disagreeing　with　the　opinions　of　others；　and　giving　out　injunctions　of　his　own；　in　a　very　imperious　manner；　so　that　it　was　evident　he　was　setting　up　a　monarchical　power。　Now　some　submitted　to　him　out　of　their　fear　of　him；　and　others　out　of　their　good…will　to　him；　for　he　was　a　shrewd　m