the wars of the jews-第123部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


voirs　for　water；　out　of　the　rocks；　at　every　one　of　the　places　that　were　inhabited；　both　above　and　round　about　the　palace；　and　before　the　wall；　and　by　this　contrivance　he　endeavored　to　have　water　for　several　uses；　as　if　there　had　been　fountains　there。　Here　was　also　a　road　digged　from　the　palace；　and　leading　to　the　very　top　of　the　mountain；　which　yet　could　not　be　seen　by　such　as　were　without　＇the　walls＇；　nor　indeed　could　enemies　easily　make　use　of　the　plain　roads；　for　the　road　on　the　east　side；　as　we　have　already　taken　notice；　could　not　be　walked　upon；　by　reason　of　its　nature；　and　for　the　western　road；　he　built　a　large　tower　at　its　narrowest　place；　at　no　less　a　distance　from　the　top　of　the　hill　than　a　thousand　cubits；　which　tower　could　not　possibly　be　passed　by；　nor　could　it　be　easily　taken；　nor　indeed　could　those　that　walked　along　it　without　any　fear　（such　was　its　contrivance）　easily　get　to　the　end　of　it；　and　after　such　a　manner　was　this　citadel　fortified；　both　by　nature　and　by　the　hands　of　men；　in　order　to　frustrate　the　attacks　of　enemies。　　　　4。　As　for　the　furniture　that　was　within　this　fortress；　it　was　still　more　wonderful　on　account　of　its　splendor　and　long　continuance；　for　here　was　laid　up　corn　in　large　quantities；　and　such　as　would　subsist　men　for　a　long　time；　here　was　also　wine　and　oil　in　abundance；　with　all　kinds　of　pulse　and　dates　heaped　up　together；　all　which　Eleazar　found　there；　when　he　and　his　Sicarii　got　possession　of　the　fortress　by　treachery。　These　fruits　were　also　fresh　and　full　ripe；　and　no　way　inferior　to　such　fruits　newly　laid　in；　although　they　were　little　short　of　a　hundred　years　（14）　from　the　laying　in　these　provisions　＇by　Herod＇；　till　the　place　was　taken　by　the　Romans；　nay；　indeed；　when　the　Romans　got　possession　ofthose　fruits　that　were　left；　they　found　them　not　corrupted　all　that　while；　nor　should　we　be　mistaken；　if　we　supposed　that　the　air　was　here　the　cause　of　their　enduring　so　long；　this　fortress　being　so　high；　and　so　free　from　the　mixture　of　all　terrain　and　muddy　particles　of　matter。　There　was　also　found　here　a　large　quantity　of　all　sorts　of　weapons　of　war；　which　had　been　treasured　up　by　that　king；　and　were　sufficient　for　ten　thousand　men；　there　was　east　iron；　and　brass；　and　tin；　which　show　that　he　had　taken　much　pains　to　have　all　things　here　ready　for　the　greatest　occasions；　for　the　report　goes　how　Herod　thus　prepared　this　fortress　on　his　own　account；　as　a　refuge　against　two　kinds　of　danger；　the　one　for　fear　of　the　multitude　of　the　Jews；　lest　they　should　depose　him；　and　restore　their　former　kings　to　the　government；　the　other　danger　was　greater　and　more　terrible；　which　arose　from　Cleopatra　queen　of　Egypt；　who　did　not　conceal　her　intentions；　but　spoke　often　to　Antony；　and　desired　him　to　cut　off　Herod；　and　entreated　him　to　bestow　the　kingdom　of　Judea　upon　her。　And　certainly　it　is　a　great　wonder　that　Antony　did　never　comply　with　her　commands　in　this　point；　as　he　was　so　miserably　enslaved　to　his　passion　for　her；　nor　should　any　one　have　been　surprised　if　she　had　been　gratified　in　such　her　request。　So　the　fear　of　these　dangers　made　Herod　rebuild　Masada；　and　thereby　leave　it　for　the　finishing　stroke　of　the　Romans　in　this　Jewish　war。　　　　5。　Since　therefore　the　Roman　commander　Silva　had　now　built　a　wall　on　the　outside；　round　about　this　whole　place；　as　we　have　said　already；　and　had　thereby　made　a　most　accurate　provision　to　prevent　any　one　of　the　besieged　running　away；　he　undertook　the　siege　itself；　though　he　found　but　one　single　place　that　would　admit　of　the　banks　he　was　to　raise；　for　behind　that　tower　which　secured　the　road　that　led　to　the　palace；　and　to　the　top　of　the　hill　from　the　west；　there　was　a　certain　eminency　of　the　rock；　very　broad　and　very　prominent；　but　three　hundred　cubits　beneath　the　highest　part　of　Masada；　it　was　called　the　White　Promontory。　Accordingly；　he　got　upon　that　part　of　the　rock；　and　ordered　the　army　to　bring　earth；　and　when　they　fell　to　that　work　with　alacrity；　and　abundance　of　them　together；　the　bank　was　raised；　and　became　solid　for　two　hundred　cubits　in　height。　Yet　was　not　this　bank　thought　sufficiently　high　for　the　use　of　the　engines　that　were　to　be　set　upon　it；　but　still　another　elevated　work　of　great　stones　compacted　together　was　raised　upon　that　bank；　this　was　fifty　cubits；　both　in　breadth　and　height。　The　other　machines　that　were　now　got　ready　were　like　to　those　that　had　been　first　devised　by　Vespasian；　and　afterwards　by　Titus；　for　sieges。　There　was　also　a　tower　made　of　the　height　of　sixty　cubits；　and　all　over　plated　with　iron；　out　of　which　the　Romans　threw　darts　and　stones　from　the　engines；　and　soon　made　those　that　fought　from　the　walls　of　the　place　to　retire；　and　would　not　let　them　lift　up　their　heads　above　the　works。　At　the　same　time　Silva　ordered　that　great　battering　ram　which　he　had　made　to　be　brought　thither；　and　to　be　set　against　the　wall；　and　to　make　frequent　batteries　against　it；　which　with　some　difficulty　broke　down　a　part　of　the　wall；　and　quite　overthrew　it。　　However；　the　Sicarii　made　haste；　and　presently　built　another　wall　within　that；　which　should　not　be　liable　to　the　same　misfortune　from　the　machines　with　the　other；　it　was　made　soft　and　yielding；　and　so　was　capable　of　avoiding　the　terrible　blows　that　affected　the　other。　It　was　framed　after　the　following　manner：　They　laid　together　great　beams　of　wood　lengthways；　one　close　to　the　end　of　another；　and　the　same　way　in　which　they　were　cut：　there　were　two　of　these　rows　parallel　to　one　another；　and　laid　at　such　a　distance　from　each　other　as　the　breadth　of　the　wall　required；　and　earth　was　put　into　the　space　between　those　rows。　Now；　that　the　earth　might　not　fall　away　upon　the　elevation　of　this　bank　to　a　greater　height；　they　further　laid　other　beams　over　cross　them；　and　thereby　bound　those　beams　together　that　lay　lengthways。　This　work　of　theirs　was　like　a　real　edifice；　and　when　the　machines　were　applied；　the　blows　were　weakened　by　its　yielding；　and　as　the　materials　by　such　concussion　were　shaken　closer　together；　the　pile　by　that　means　became　firmer　than　before。　When　Silva　saw　this；　he　thought　it　best　to　endeavor　the　taking　of　this　wall　by　setting　fire　to　it；　so　he　gave　order　that　the　soldiers　should　throw　a　great　number　of　burning　torches　upon　it：　accordingly；　as　it　was　chiefly　made　of　wood；　it　soon　took　fire；　and　when　it　was　once　set　on　fire；　its　hollowness　made　that　fire　spread　to　a　mighty　flame。　Now；　at　the　very　beginning　of　this　fire；　a　north　wind　that　then　blew　proved　terrible　to　the　Romans；　for　by　bringing　the　flame　downward；　it　drove　it　upon　them；　and　they　were　almost　in　despair　of　success；　as　fearing　their　machines　would　be　burnt：　but　after　this；　on　a　sudden　the　wind　changed　into　the　south；　as　if　it　were　done　by　Divine　Providence；　and　blew　strongly　the　contrary　way；　and　carried　the　flame；　and　drove　it　against　the　wall；　which　was　now　on　fire　through　its　entire　thickness。　So　the　Romans；　having　now　assistance　from　God；　returned　to　their　camp　with　joy；　and　resolved　to　attack　their　enemies　the　very　next　day；　on　which　occasion　they　set　their　watch　more　carefully　that　night；　lest　any　of　the　Jews　should　run　away　from　them　without　being　discovered。　　　　6。　However；　neither　did　Eleazar　once　think　of　flying　away；　nor　would　he　permit　any　one　else　to　do　so；　but　when　he　saw　their　wall　burned　down　by　the　fire；　and　could　devise　no　other　way　of　escaping；　or　room　for　their　further　courage；　and　setting　before　their　eyes　what　the　Romans　would　do　to　them；　their　children；　and　their　wives；　if　they　got　them　into　their　power；　he　consulted　about　having　them　all　slain。　Now　as　he　judged　this　to　be　the　best　thing　they　could　do　in　their　present　circumstances；　he　gathered　the　most　courageous　of　his　companions　together；　and　encouraged　them　to　take　that　course　by　a　speech　（15）　which　he　made　to　them　in　the　manner　following：　〃Since　we；　long　ago；　my　generous　　friends；　resolved　never　to　be　servants　to　the　Romans；　nor　to　any　other　than　to　God　himself；　who　alone　is　the　true　and　just　Lord　of　mankind；　the　time　is　now　come　that　obliges　us　to　make　that　resolution　true　in　practice。　And　let　us　not　at　this　time　bring　a　reproach　upon　ourselves　for　self…contradiction；　while　we　formerly　would　not　undergo　slavery；　though　it　were　then　without　danger；　but　must　now；　together　with　slavery；　choose　such　punishments　also　as　are　intolerable；　I　mean　this；　upon　the　supposition　that　the　Romans　once　reduce　us　under　their　power　while　we　are　alive。　We　were　the　very　first　that　revolted　from　them；　and　we　are　the　last　that　fight　against　them；　and　I　cannot　but　esteem　it　as　a　favor　that　God　hath　granted　us；　that　it　is　still　in　our　power　to　die　bravely；　and　in　a　state　of　freedom；　which　hath　not　been　the　case　of　others；　who　were　conquered　unexpectedly。　It　is　very　plain　that　we　shall　be　taken　within　a　day's　time；　but　it　is　still　an　eligible　thing　to　die　after　a　glorious　manner；　together　with　our　dearest　friends。　This　is　what　our　enemies　themselves　cannot　by　any　means　hinder；　although　they　be　very　desirous　to　take　us　alive。　Nor　can　we　propose　to　ourselves　any　more　to　fight　them；　and　beat　them。　It　had　been　proper　indeed　for　us　to　have　conjectured　at　the　purpose　of　God　much　sooner；　and　at　the　very　first；　when　we　were　so　desirous　of　defending　our　liberty；　and　when　we　received　such　sore　treatment　from　one　another；　and　worse　treatment　from　our　enemies；　and　to　have　been　sensible　that　the　same　God；　who　had　of　old　taken　the　Jewish　nation　into　his　favor；　had　now　condemned　them　to　destruction；　for　had　he　either　continued　favorable；　or　been　but　in　a　lesser　degree　displeased　with　us；　he　had　not　overlooked　the　destruction　of　so　many　men；　or　delivered　his　most　holy　city　to　be　burnt　and　demolished　by　our　enemies。　To　be　sure　we　weakly　hoped　to　have　preserved　ourselves；　and　ourselves　alone；　still　in　a　state　of　freedom；　as　if　we　had　been　guilty　of　no　sins　ourselves　against　God；　nor　been　partners　with　those　of　others；　we　also　taught　other　men　to　preserve　their　liberty。　Wherefore；　consider　how　God　hath　convinced　us　that　our　hopes　were　in　vain；　by　bringing　such　distress　upon　us　in　the　desperate　state　we　are　now　in；　and　which　is　beyond　all　our　expectations；　for　the　nature　of　this　fortress　which　was　in　itself　unconquerable；　hath　not　proved　a　means　of　our　deliverance；　and　even　while　we　have　still　great　abundance　of　food；　and　a　great　q