the wars of the jews-第125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！


o　prepared　as　not　to　be　easily　taken；　and　courage　not　to　be　moved　by　any　dangers　in　the　cause　of　liberty；　which　encouraged　us　all　to　revolt　from　the　Romans。　But　then　these　advantages　sufficed　us　but　for　a　short　time；　and　only　raised　our　hopes；　while　they　really　appeared　to　be　the　origin　of　our　miseries；　for　all　we　had　hath　been　taken　from　us；　and　all　hath　fallen　under　our　enemies；　as　if　these　advantages　were　only　to　render　their　victory　over　us　the　more　glorious；　and　were　not　disposed　for　the　preservation　of　those　by　whom　these　preparations　were　made。　And　as　for　those　that　are　already　dead　in　the　war；　it　is　reasonable　we　should　esteem　them　blessed；　for　they　are　dead　in　defending；　and　not　in　betraying　their　liberty；　but　as　to　the　multitude　of　those　that　are　now　under　the　Romans；　who　would　not　pity　their　condition？　and　who　would　not　make　haste　to　die；　before　he　would　suffer　the　same　miseries　with　them？　Some　of　them　have　been　put　upon　the　rack；　and　tortured　with　fire　and　whippings；　and　so　died。　Some　have　been　half　devoured　by　wild　beasts；　and　yet　have　been　reserved　alive　to　be　devoured　by　them　a　second　time；　in　order　to　afford　laughter　and　sport　to　our　enemies；　and　such　of　those　as　are　alive　still　are　to　be　looked　on　as　the　most　　miserable；　who；　being　so　desirous　of　death；　could　not　come　at　it。　And　where　is　now　that　great　city；　the　metropolis　of　the　Jewish　nation；　which　vas　fortified　by　so　many　walls　round　about；　which　had　so　many　fortresses　and　large　towers　to　defend　it；　which　could　hardly　contain　the　instruments　prepared　for　the　war；　and　which　had　so　many　ten　thousands　of　men　to　fight　for　it？　Where　is　this　city　that　was　believed　to　have　God　himself　inhabiting　therein？　It　is　now　demolished　to　the　very　foundations；　and　hath　nothing　but　that　monument　of　it　preserved；　I　mean　the　camp　of　those　that　hath　destroyed　it；　which　still　dwells　upon　its　ruins；　some　unfortunate　old　men　also　lie　upon　the　ashes　of　the　temple；　and　a　few　women　are　there　preserved　alive　by　the　enemy；　for　our　bitter　shame　and　reproach。　Now　who　is　there　that　revolves　these　things　in　his　mind；　and　yet　is　able　to　bear　the　sight　of　the　sun；　though　he　might　live　out　of　danger？　Who　is　there　so　much　his　country's　enemy；　or　so　unmanly；　and　so　desirous　of　living；　as　not　to　repent　that　he　is　still　alive？　And　I　cannot　but　wish　that　we　had　all　died　before　we　had　seen　that　holy　city　demolished　by　the　hands　of　our　enemies；　or　the　foundations　of　our　holy　temple　dug　up　after　so　profane　a　manner。　But　since　we　had　a　generous　hope　that　deluded　us；　as　if　we　might　perhaps　have　been　able　to　avenge　ourselves　on　our　enemies　on　that　account；　though　it　be　now　become　vanity；　and　hath　left　us　alone　in　this　distress；　let　us　make　haste　to　die　bravely。　Let　us　pity　ourselves；　our　children；　and　our　wives　while　it　is　in　our　own　power　to　show　pity　to　them；　for　we　were　born　to　die；　（17）　as　well　as　those　were　whom　we　have　begotten；　nor　is　it　in　the　power　of　the　most　happy　of　our　race　to　avoid　it。　But　for　abuses；　and　slavery；　and　the　sight　of　our　wives　led　away　after　an　ignominious　manner；　with　their　children；　these　are　not　such　evils　as　are　natural　and　necessary　among　men；　although　such　as　do　not　prefer　death　before　those　miseries；　when　it　is　in　their　power　so　to　do；　must　undergo　even　them；　on　account　of　their　own　cowardice。　We　revolted　from　the　Romans　with　great　pretensions　to　courage；　and　when；　at　the　very　last；　they　invited　us　to　preserve　ourselves；　we　would　not　comply　with　them。　Who　will　not；　therefore；　believe　that　they　will　certainly　be　in　a　rage　at　us；　in　case　they　can　take　us　alive？　Miserable　will　then　be　the　young　men　who　will　be　strong　enough　in　their　bodies　to　sustain　many　torments！　miserable　also　will　be　those　of　elder　years；　who　will　not　be　able　to　bear　those　calamities　which　young　men　might　sustain！　One　man　will　be　obliged　to　hear　the　voice　of　his　son　implore　help　of　his　father；　when　his　hands　are　bound。　But　certainly　our　hands　are　still　at　liberty；　and　have　a　sword　in　them；　let　them　then　be　subservient　to　us　in　our　glorious　design；　let　us　die　before　we　become　slaves　under　our　eneimies；　and　let　us　go　out　of　the　world；　together　with　our　children　and　our　wives；　in　a　state　of　freedom。　This　it　is　that　our　laws　command　us　to　do　this　it　is　that　our　wives　and　children　crave　at　our　hands；　nay；　God　himself　hath　brought　this　necessity　upon　us；　while　the　Romans　desire　the　contrary；　and　are　afraid　lest　any　of　us　should　die　before　we　are　taken。　Let　us　therefore　make　haste；　and　instead　of　affording　them　so　much　pleasure；　as　they　hope　for　in　getting　us　under　their　power；　let　us　leave　them　an　example　which　shall　at　once　cause　their　astonishment　at　our　death；　and　their　admiration　of　our　hardiness　therein。〃　　　　CHAPTER　9。　　　　　　　　　　How　The　People　That　Were　In　The　Fortress　Were　Prevailed　On　By　The　Words　Of　Eleazar；　Two　Women　And　Five　Children　Only　Excepted　And　All　Submitted　To　Be　Killed　By　One　Another。　　　　1。　Now　as　Eleazar　was　proceeding　on　in　this　exhortation；　they　all　cut　him　off　short；　and　made　haste　to　do　the　work；　as　full　of　an　unconquerable　ardor　of　mind；　and　moved　with　a　demoniacal　fury。　So　they　went　their　ways；　as　one　still　endeavoring　to　be　before　another；　and　as　thinking　that　this　eagerness　would　be　a　　demonstration　of　their　courage　and　good　conduct；　if　they　could　avoid　appearing　in　the　last　class；　so　great　was　the　zeal　they　were　in　to　slay　their　wives　and　children；　and　themselves　also！　Nor　indeed；　when　they　came　to　the　work　itself；　did　their　courage　fail　them；　as　one　might　imagine　it　would　have　done；　but　they　then　held　fast　the　same　resolution；　without　wavering；　which　they　had　upon　the　hearing　of　Eleazar's　speech；　while　yet　every　one　of　them　still　retained　the　natural　passion　of　love　to　themselves　and　their　families；　because　the　reasoning　they　went　upon　appeared　to　them　to　be　very　just；　even　with　regard　to　those　that　were　dearest　to　them；　for　the　husbands　tenderly　embraced　their　wives；　and　took　their　children　into　their　arms；　and　gave　the　longest　parting　kisses　to　them；　with　tears　in　their　eyes。　Yet　at　the　same　time　did　they　complete　what　they　had　resolved　on；　as　if　they　had　been　executed　by　the　hands　of　strangers；　and　they　had　nothing　else　for　their　comfort　but　the　necessity　they　were　in　of　doing　this　　execution；　to　avoid　that　prospect　they　had　of　the　miseries　they　were　to　suffer　from　their　enemies。　Nor　was　there　at　length　any　one　of　these　men　found　that　scrupled　to　act　their　part　in　this　terrible　execution；　but　every　one　of　them　despatched　his　dearest　relations。　Miserable　men　indeed　were　they！　whose　distress　forced　them　to　slay　their　own　wives　and　children　with　their　own　hands；　as　the　lightest　of　those　evils　that　were　before　them。　So　they　being　not　able　to　bear　the　grief　they　were　under　for　what　they　had　done　any　longer；　and　esteeming　it　an　injury　to　those　they　had　slain；　to　live　even　the　shortest　space　of　time　after　them；　they　presently　laid　all　they　had　upon　a　heap；　and　set　fire　to　it。　They　then　chose　ten　men　by　lot　out　of　them　to　slay　all　the　rest；　every　one　of　whom　laid　himself　down　by　his　wife　and　children　on　the　ground；　and　threw　his　arms　about　them；　and　they　offered　their　necks　to　the　stroke　of　those　who　by　lot　executed　that　melancholy　office；　and　when　these　ten　had；　without　fear；　slain　them　all；　they　made　the　same　rule　for　casting　lots　for　themselves；　that　he　whose　lot　it　was　should　first　kill　the　other　nine；　and　after　all　should　kill　himself。　Accordingly；　all　these　had　courage　sufficient　to　be　no　way　behind　one　another　in　doing　or　suffering；　so；　for　a　conclusion；　the　nine　offered　their　necks　to　the　executioner；　and　he　who　was　the　last　of　all　took　a　view　of　all　the　other　bodies；　lest　perchance　some　or　other　among　so　many　that　were　slain　should　want　his　assistance　to　be　quite　despatched；　and　when　he　perceived　that　they　were　all　slain；　he　set　fire　to　the　palace；　and　with　the　great　force　of　his　hand　ran　his　sword　entirely　through　himself；　and　fell　down　dead　near　to　his　own　relations。　So　these　people　died　with　this　intention；　that　they　would　not　leave　so　much　as　one　soul　among　them　all　alive　to　be　subject　to　the　Romans。　Yet　was　there　an　ancient　woman；　and　another　who　was　of　kin　to　Eleazar；　and　superior　to　most　women　in　prudence　and　learning；　with　five　children；　who　had　concealed　themselves　in　caverns　under　ground；　and　had　carried　water　thither　for　their　drink；　and　were　hidden　there　when　the　rest　were　intent　upon　the　slaughter　of　one　another。　Those　others　were　nine　hundred　and　sixty　in　number；　the　women　and　children　being　withal　included　in　that　computation。　This　calamitous　slaughter　was　made　on　the　fifteenth　day　of　the　month　Xanthicus　＇Nisan＇。　　　　2。　Now　for　the　Romans；　they　expected　that　they　should　be　fought　in　the　morning；　when；　accordingly；　they　put　on　their　armor；　and　laid　bridges　of　planks　upon　their　ladders　from　their　banks；　to　make　an　assault　upon　the　fortress；　which　they　did；　but　saw　nobody　as　an　enemy；　but　a　terrible　solitude　on　every　side；　with　a　fire　within　the　place；　as　well　as　a　perfect　silence。　So　they　were　at　a　loss　to　guess　at　what　had　happened。　At　length　they　made　a　shout；　as　if　it　had　been　at　a　blow　given　by　the　battering　ram；　to　try　whether　they　could　bring　any　one　out　that　was　within；　the　women　heard　this　noise；　and　came　out　of　their　under…ground　cavern；　and　informed　the　Romans　what　had　been　done；　as　it　was　done；　and　the　second　of　them　clearly　described　all　both　what　was　said　and　what　was　done；　and　this　manner　of　it；　yet　did　they　not　easily　give　their　attention　to　such　a　desperate　undertaking；　and　did　not　believe　it　could　be　as　they　said；　they　also　attempted　to　put　the　fire　out；　and　quickly　cutting　themselves　a　way　through　it；　they　came　within　the　palace；　and　so　met　with　the　multitude　of　the　slain；　but　could　take　no　pleasure　in　the　fact；　though　it　were　done　to　their　enemies。　Nor　could　they　do　other　than　wonder　at　the　courage　of　their　resolution；　and　the　immovable　contempt　of　death　which　so　great　a　number　of　them　had　shown；　when　they　went　through　with　such　an　action　as　that　was。　　　　CHAPTER　10。　　　　　　　　　　That　Many　Of　The　Sicarii　Fled　To　Alexandria　Also　And　What　Dangers　They　Were　In　There；　On　Which　Account　That　Temple　Which　Had　Formerly　Been　Built　By　Onias　The　High　Priest　Was　Destroyed。　　　　1。　When　Masada　was　thus　taken；　the　general　left　a　garrison　in　the　fortress　to　keep　it；　and　he　himself　w