the wars of the jews-第103部分

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　affront　offered　to　the　deceased　to　be　any　ill　omen　to　themselves；　but　as　they　had　their　right　hands　already　polluted　with　the　murders　of　their　own　countrymen；　and　in　that　condition　ran　out　to　fight　with　　foreigners；　they　seem　to　me　to　have　cast　a　reproach　upon　God　himself；　as　if　he　were　too　slow　in　punishing　them；　for　the　war　was　not　now　gone　on　with　as　if　they　had　any　hope　of　victory；　for　they　gloried　after　a　brutish　manner　in　that　despair　of　deliverance　they　were　already　in。　And　now　the　Romans；　although　they　were　greatly　distressed　in　getting　together　their　materials；　raised　their　banks　in　one　and　twenty　days；　after　they　had　cut　down　all　the　trees　that　were　in　the　country　that　adjoined　to　the　city；　and　that　for　ninety　furlongs　round　about；　as　I　have　already　related。　And　truly　the　very　view　itself　of　the　country　was　a　melancholy　thing；　for　those　places　which　were　before　adorned　with　trees　and　pleasant　gardens　were　now　become　a　desolate　country　　every　way；　and　its　trees　were　all　cut　down：　nor　could　any　foreigner　that　had　formerly　seen　Judea　and　the　most　beautiful　suburbs　of　the　city；　and　now　saw　it　as　a　desert；　but　lament　and　mourn　sadly　at　so　great　a　change：　for　the　war　had　laid　all　the　signs　of　beauty　quite　waste：　nor　if　any　one　that　had　known　the　place　before；　had　come　on　a　sudden　to　it　now；　would　he　have　known　it　again；　but　though　he　were　at　the　city　itself；　yet　would　he　have　inquired　for　it　notwithstanding。　　　　2。　And　now　the　banks　were　finished；　they　afforded　a　foundation　for　fear　both　to　the　Romans　and　to　the　Jews；　for　the　Jews　expected　that　the　city　would　be　taken；　unless　they　could　burn　those　banks；　as　did　the　Romans　expect　that；　if　these　were　once　burnt　down；　they　should　never　be　able　to　take　it；　for　there　was　a　mighty　scarcity　of　materials；　and　the　bodies　of　the　soldiers　began　to　fail　with　such　hard　labors；　as　did　their　souls　faint　with　so　many　instances　of　ill　success；　nay；　the　very　calamities　themselves　that　were　in　the　city　proved　a　greater　discouragement　to　the　Romans　than　those　within　the　city；　for　they　found　the　fighting　men　of　the　Jews　to　be　not　at　all　mollified　among　such　their　sore　afflictions；　while　they　had　themselves　perpetually　less　and　less　hopes　of　success；　and　their　banks　were　forced　to　yield　to　the　stratagems　of　the　enemy；　their　engines　to　the　firmness　of　their　wall；　and　their　closest　fights　to　the　boldness　of　their　attack；　and；　what　was　their　greatest　discouragement　of　all；　they　found　the　Jews'　courageous　souls　to　be　superior　to　the　multitude　of　the　miseries　they　were　under；　by　their　sedition；　their　famine；　and　the　war　itself；　insomuch　that　they　were　ready　to　imagine　that　the　violence　of　their　attacks　was　invincible；　and　that　the　alacrity　they　showed　would　not　be　discouraged　by　their　calamities；　for　what　would　not　those　be　able　to　bear　if　they　should　be　fortunate；　who　turned　their　very　misfortunes　to　the　improvement　of　their　valor！　These　considerations　made　the　Romans　to　keep　a　stronger　guard　about　their　banks　than　they　formerly　had　done。　　　　3。　But　now　John　and　his　party　took　care　for　securing　themselves　afterward；　even　in　case　this　wall　should　be　thrown　down；　and　fell　to　their　work　before　the　battering　rams　were　brought　against　them。　Yet　did　they　not　compass　what　they　endeavored　to　do；　but　as　they　were　gone　out　with　their　torches；　they　came　back　under　great　discouragement　before　they　came　near　to　the　banks；　and　the　reasons　were　these：　that；　in　the　first　place；　their　conduct　did　not　seem　to　be　unanimous；　but　they　went　out　in　distinct　parties；　and　at　distinct　intervals；　and　after　a　slow　manner；　and　timorously；　and；　to　say　all　in　a　word；　without　a　Jewish　courage；　for　they　were　now　defective　in　what　is　peculiar　to　our　nation；　that　is；　in　boldness；　in　violence　of　assault；　and　in　running　upon　the　enemy　all　together；　and　in　persevering　in　what　they　go　about；　though　they　do　not　at　first　succeed　in　it；　but　they　now　went　out　in　a　more　languid　manner　than　usual；　and　at　the　same　time　found　the　　Romans　set　in　array；　and　more　courageous　than　ordinary；　and　that　they　guarded　their　banks　both　with　their　bodies　and　their　entire　armor；　and　this　to　such　a　degree　on　all　sides；　that　they　left　no　room　for　the　fire　to　get　among　them；　and　that　every　one　of　their　souls　was　in　such　good　courage；　that　they　would　sooner　die　than　desert　their　ranks；　for　besides　their　notion　that　all　their　hopes　were　cut　off；　in　case　these　their　works　were　once　burnt；　the　soldiers　were　greatly　ashamed　that　subtlety　should　quite　be　too　hard　for　courage；　madness　for　armor；　multitude　for　skill；　and　Jews　for　Romans。　The　Romans　had　now　also　another　advantage；　in　that　their　engines　for　sieges　co…operated　with　them　in　throwing　darts　and　stones　as　far　as　the　Jews；　when　they　were　coming　out　of　the　city；　whereby　the　man　that　fell　became　an　impediment　to　him　that　was　next　to　him；　as　did　the　danger　of　going　farther　make　them　less　zealous　in　their　attempts；　and　for　those　that　had　run　under　the　darts；　some　of　them　were　terrified　by　the　good　order　and　closeness　of　the　enemies'　ranks　before　they　came　to　a　close　fight；　and　others　were　pricked　with　their　spears；　and　turned　back　again；　at　length　they　reproached　one　another　for　their　cowardice；　and　retired　without　doing　any　thing。　This　attack　was　made　upon　the　first　day　of　the　month　Panemus　＇Tamuz。＇　So　when　the　Jews　were　retreated；　the　Romans　brought　their　engines；　although　they　had　all　the　while　　stones　thrown　at　them　from　the　tower　of　Antonia；　and　were　assaulted　by　fire　and　sword；　and　by　all　sorts　of　darts；　which　necessity　afforded　the　Jews　to　make　use　of；　for　although　these　had　great　dependence　on　their　own　wall；　and　a　contempt　of　the　Roman　engines；　yet　did　they　endeavor　to　hinder　the　Romans　from　bringing　them。　Now　these　Romans　struggled　hard；　on　the　contrary；　to　bring　them；　as　deeming　that　this　zeal　of　the　Jews　was　in　order　to　avoid　any　impression　to　be　made　on　the　tower　of　Antonia；　because　its　wall　was　but　weak；　and　its　foundations　rotten。　However；　that　tower　did　not　yield　to　the　blows　given　it　from　the　　engines；　yet　did　the　Romans　bear　the　impressions　made　by　the　enemies'　darts　which　were　perpetually　cast　at　them；　and　did　not　give　way　to　any　of　those　dangers　that　came　upon　them　from　above；　and　so　they　brought　their　engines　to　bear。　But　then；　as　they　were　beneath　the　other；　and　were　sadly　wounded　by　the　stones　thrown　down　upon　them；　some　of　them　threw　their　shields　over　their　bodies；　and　partly　with　their　hands；　and　partly　with　their　bodies；　and　partly　with　crows；　they　undermined　its　foundations；　and　with　great　pains　they　removed　four　of　its　stones。　Then　night　　came　upon　both　sides；　and　put　an　end　to　this　struggle　for　the　present；　however；　that　night　the　wall　was　so　shaken　by　the　battering　rams　in　that　place　where　John　had　used　his　stratagem　before；　and　had　undermined　their　banks；　that　the　ground　then　gave　way；　and　the　wall　fell　down　suddenly。　　　　4。　When　this　accident　had　unexpectedly　happened；　the　minds　of　both　parties　were　variously　affected；　for　though　one　would　expect　that　the　Jews　would　be　discouraged；　because　this　fall　of　their　wall　was　unexpected　by　them；　and　they　had　made　no　provision　in　that　case；　yet　did　they　pull　up　their　courage；　because　the　tower　of　Antonia　itself　was　still　standing；　as　was　the　unexpected　joy　of　the　Romans　at　this　fall　of　the　wall　soon　quenched　by　the　sight　they　had　of　another　wall；　which　John　and　his　party　had　built　within　it。　However；　the　attack　of　this　second　wall　appeared　to　be　　easier　than　that　of　the　former；　because　it　seemed　a　thing　of　greater　facility　to　get　up　to　it　through　the　parts　of　the　former　wall　that　were　now　thrown　down。　This　new　wall　appeared　also　to　be　much　weaker　than　the　tower　of　Antonia；　and　accordingly　the　Romans　imagined　that　it　had　been　erected　so　much　on　the　sudden；　that　they　should　soon　overthrow　it：　yet　did　not　any　body　venture　now　to　go　up　to　this　wall；　for　that　such　as　first　ventured　so　to　do　must　certainly　be　killed。　

5。　And　now　Titus；　upon　consideration　that　the　alacrity　of　soldiers　in　war　is　chiefly　excited　by　hopes　and　by　good　words；　and　that　exhortations　and　promises　do　frequently　make　men　to　forget　the　hazards　they　run；　nay；　sometimes　to　despise　death　itself；　got　together　the　most　courageous　part　of　his　army；　and　tried　what　he　could　do　with　his　men　by　these　methods。　〃O　fellow　soldiers；〃　said　he；　〃to　make　an　exhortation　to　men　to　do　what　hath　no　peril　in　it；　is　on　that　very　account　inglorious　to　such　to　whom　that　exhortation　is　made；　and　indeed　so　it　is　in　him　that　makes　the　exhortation；　an　argument　of　his　own　cowardice　also。　I　　therefore　think　that　such　exhortations　ought　then　only　to　be　made　use　of　when　affairs　are　in　a　dangerous　condition；　and　yet　are　worthy　of　being　attempted　by　every　one　themselves；　accordingly；　I　am　fully　of　the　same　opinion　with　you；　that　it　is　a　difficult　task　to　go　up　this　wall；　but　that　it　is　proper　for　those　that　desire　reputation　for　their　valor　to　struggle　with　difficulties　in　such　cases　will　then　appear；　when　I　have　particularly　shown　that　it　is　a　brave　thing　to　die　with　glory；　and　that　the　courage　here　necessary　shall　not　go　unrewarded　in　those　that　first　begin　the　attempt。　And　let　my　first　argument　to　move　you　to　it　be　taken　from　what　probably　some　would　think　reasonable　to　dissuade　you；　I　mean　the　constancy　and　patience　of　these　Jews；　even　under　their　ill　successes；　for　it　is　unbecoming　you；　who　are　Romans　and　my　soldiers；　who　have　in　peace　been　taught　how　to　make　wars；　and　who　have　also　been　used　to　conquer　in　those　wars；　to　be　inferior　to　Jews；　either　in　action　of　the　hand；　or　in　courage　of　the　soul；　and　this　especially　when　you　are　at　the　conclusion　of　your　victory；　and　are　assisted　by　God　himself；　for　as　to　our　misfortunes；　they　have　been　owing　to　the　madness　of　the　Jews；　while　their　sufferings　have　been　owing　to　your　valor；　and　to　the　assistance　God　hath　afforded　you；　for　as　to　the　seditions　they　have　been　in；　and　the　famine　they　are　under；　and　the　siege　they　now　endure；　and　the　fall　of　their　walls　without　our　engines；　what　can　they　all　be　but　demonstrations　of　　God's　anger　against　them；　and　of　his　assistance　afforded　us？　It　will　not　therefore　be　proper　for　you；　either　to　show　yourselves　inferior　to　those　to　whom　you　are　really　superior；　or　to　betray　that　Divine　assistance　which　is　afforded　you。　And；　indeed；　how　can　it