the wars of the jews-第124部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


oved　a　means　of　our　deliverance；　and　even　while　we　have　still　great　abundance　of　food；　and　a　great　quantity　of　arms；　and　other　necessaries　more　than　we　want；　we　are　openly　deprived　by　God　himself　of　all　hope　of　deliverance；　for　that　fire　which　was　driven　upon　our　enemies　did　not　of　its　own　accord　turn　back　upon　the　wall　which　we　had　built；　this　was　the　effect　of　God's　anger　against　us　for　our　manifold　sins；　which　we　have　been　guilty　of　in　a　most　insolent　and　extravagant　manner　with　regard　to　our　own　countrymen；　the　punishments　of　which　let　us　not　receive　from　the　Romans；　but　from　God　himself；　as　executed　by　our　own　hands；　for　these　will　be　more　moderate　than　the　other。　Let　our　wives　die　before　they　are　abused；　and　our　children　before　they　have　tasted　of　slavery；　and　after　we　have　slain　them；　let　us　bestow　that　glorious　benefit　upon　one　another　mutually；　and　preserve　ourselves　in　freedom；　as　an　excellent　funeral　monument　for　us。　But　first　let　us　destroy　our　money　and　the　fortress　by　fire；　for　I　am　well　assured　that　this　will　be　a　great　grief　to　the　Romans；　that　they　shall　not　be　able　to　seize　upon　our　bodies；　and　shall　fall　of　our　wealth　also；　and　let　us　spare　nothing　but　our　provisions；　for　they　will　be　a　testimonial　when　we　are　dead　that　we　were　not　subdued　for　want　of　necessaries；　but　that；　according　to　our　original　resolution；　we　have　preferred　death　before　slavery。〃　　　　7。　This　was　Eleazar's　speech　to　them。　Yet　did　not　the　opinions　of　all　the　auditors　acquiesce　therein；　but　although　some　of　them　were　very　zealous　to　put　his　advice　in　practice；　and　were　in　a　manner　filled　with　pleasure　at　it；　and　thought　death　to　be　a　good　thing；　yet　had　those　that　were　most　effeminate　a　commiseration　for　their　wives　and　families；　and　when　these　men　were　especially　moved　by　the　prospect　of　their　own　certain　death；　they　looked　wistfully　at　one　another；　and　by　the　tears　that　were　in　their　eyes　declared　their　dissent　from　his　opinion。　When　Eleazar　saw　these　people　in　such　fear；　and　that　their　souls　were　dejected　at　so　prodigious　a　proposal；　he　was　afraid　lest　perhaps　these　effeminate　persons　should；　by　their　lamentations　and　tears；　enfeeble　those　that　heard　what　he　had　said　courageously；　so　he　did　not　leave　off　exhorting　them；　but　stirred　up　himself；　and　recollecting　proper　arguments　for　raising　their　courage；　he　undertook　to　speak　more　briskly　and　fully　to　them；　and　that　concerning　the　immortality　of　the　soul。　So　he　made　a　lamentable　groan；　and　fixing　his　eyes　intently　on　those　that　wept；　he　spake　thus：　〃Truly；　I　was　greatly　mistaken　when　I　thought　to　be　assisting　to　brave　men　who　struggled　hard　for　their　liberty；　and　to　such　as　were　resolved　either　to　live　with　honor；　or　else　to　die；　but　I　find　that　you　are　such　people　as　are　no　better　than　others；　either　in　virtue　or　in　courage；　and　are　afraid　of　dying；　though　you　be　delivered　thereby　from　the　greatest　miseries；　while　you　ought　to　make　no　delay　in　this　matter；　nor　to　await　any　one　to　give　you　good　advice；　for　the　laws　of　our　country；　and　of　God　himself；　have　from　ancient　times；　and　as　soon　as　ever　we　could　use　our　reason；　continually　taught　us；　and　our　forefathers　have　corroborated　the　same　doctrine　by　their　actions；　and　by　their　bravery　of　mind；　that　it　is　life　that　is　a　calamity　to　men；　and　not　death；　for　this　last　affords　our　souls　their　liberty；　and　sends　them　by　a　removal　into　their　own　place　of　purity；　where　they　are　to　be　insensible　of　all　sorts　of　misery；　for　while　souls　are　tied　clown　to　a　mortal　body；　they　are　partakers　of　its　miseries；　and　really；　to　speak　the　truth；　they　are　themselves　dead；　for　the　union　of　what　is　divine　to　what　is　mortal　is　disagreeable。　It　is　true；　the　power　of　the　soul　is　great；　even　when　it　is　imprisoned　in　a　mortal　body；　for　by　moving　it　after　a　way　that　is　invisible；　it　makes　the　body　a　sensible　instrument；　and　causes　it　to　advance　further　in　its　actions　than　mortal　nature　could　otherwise　do。　However；　when　it　is　freed　from　that　weight　which　draws　it　down　to　the　earth　and　is　connected　with　it；　it　obtains　its　own　proper　place；　and　does　then　become　a　partaker　of　that　blessed　power；　and　those　abilities；　which　are　then　every　way　incapable　of　being　hindered　in　their　operations。　It　continues　invisible；　indeed；　to　the　eyes　of　men；　as　does　God　himself；　for　certainly　it　is　not　itself　seen　while　it　is　in　the　body；　for　it　is　there　after　an　invisible　manner；　and　when　it　is　freed　from　it；　it　is　still　not　seen。　It　is　this　soul　which　hath　one　nature；　and　that　an　incorruptible　one　also；　but　yet　it　is　the　cause　of　the　change　that　is　made　in　the　body；　for　whatsoever　it　be　which　the　soul　touches；　that　lives　and　flourishes；　and　from　whatsoever　it　is　removed；　that　withers　away　and　dies；　such　a　degree　is　there　in　it　of　immortality。　Let　me　produce　the　state　of　sleep　as　a　most　evident　demonstration　of　the　truth　of　what　I　say；　wherein　souls；　when　the　body　does　not　distract　them；　have　the　sweetest　rest　depending　on　themselves；　and　conversing　with　God；　by　their　alliance　to　him；　they　then　go　every　where；　and　foretell　many　futurities　beforehand。　And　why　are　we　afraid　of　death；　while　we　are　pleased　with　the　rest　that　we　have　in　sleep？　And　how　absurd　a　thing　is　it　to　pursue　after　liberty　while　we　are　alive；　and　yet　to　envy　it　to　ourselves　where　it　will　be　eternal！　We；　therefore；　who　have　been　brought　up　in　a　discipline　of　our　own；　ought　to　become　an　example　to　others　of　our　readiness　to　die。　Yet；　if　we　do　stand　in　need　of　foreigners　to　support　us　in　this　matter；　let　us　regard　those　Indians　who　profess　the　exercise　of　philosophy；　for　these　good　men　do　but　unwillingly　undergo　the　time　of　life；　and　look　upon　it　as　a　necessary　servitude；　and　make　haste　to　let　their　souls　loose　from　their　bodies；　nay；　when　no　misfortune　presses　them　to　it；　nor　drives　them　upon　it；　these　have　such　a　desire　of　a　life　of　immortality；　that　they　tell　other　men　beforehand　that　they　are　about　to　depart；　and　nobody　hinders　them；　but　every　one　thinks　them　happy　men；　and　gives　them　letters　to　be　carried　to　their　familiar　friends　＇that　are　dead＇；　so　firmly　and　certainly　do　they　believe　that　souls　converse　with　one　another　＇in　the　other　world＇。　So　when　these　men　have　heard　all　such　commands　that　were　to　be　given　them；　they　deliver　their　body　to　the　fire；　and；　in　order　to　their　getting　their　soul　a　separation　from　the　body　in　the　greatest　purity；　they　die　in　the　midst　of　hymns　of　commendations　made　to　them；　for　their　dearest　friends　conduct　them　to　their　death　more　readily　than　do　any　of　the　rest　of　mankind　conduct　their　fellow…citizens　when　they　are　going　a　very　long　journey；　who　at　the　same　time　weep　on　their　own　account；　but　look　upon　the　others　as　happy　persons；　as　so　soon　to　be　made　partakers　of　the　immortal　order　of　beings。　Are　not　we；　therefore；　ashamed　to　have　lower　notions　than　the　Indians？　and　by　our　own　cowardice　to　lay　a　base　reproach　upon　the　laws　of　our　country；　which　are　so　much　desired　and　imitated　by　all　mankind？　But　put　the　case　that　we　had　been　brought　up　under　another　persuasion；　and　taught　that　life　is　the　greatest　good　which　men　are　capable　of；　and　that　death　is　a　calamity；　however；　the　circumstances　we　are　now　in　ought　to　he　an　inducement　to　us　to　bear　such　calamity　courageously；　since　it　is　by　the　will　of　God；　and　by　necessity；　that　we　are　to　die；　for　it　now　appears　that　God　hath　made　such　a　decree　against　the　whole　Jewish　nation；　that　we　are　to　be　deprived　of　this　life　which　＇he　knew＇　we　would　not　make　a　due　use　of。　For　do　not　you　ascribe　the　occasion　of　our　present　condition　to　yourselves；　nor　think　the　Romans　are　the　true　occasion　that　this　war　we　have　had　with　them　is　become　so　destructive　to　us　all：　these　things　have　not　come　to　pass　by　their　power；　but　a　more　powerful　cause　hath　intervened；　　and　made　us　afford　them　an　occasion　of　their　appearing　to　be　conquerors　over　us。　What　Roman　weapons；　I　pray　you；　were　those　by　which　the　Jews　at　Cesarea　were　slain？　On　the　contrary；　when　they　were　no　way　disposed　to　rebel；　but　were　all　the　while　keeping　their　seventh　day　festival；　and　did　not　so　much　as　lift　up　their　hands　against　the　citizens　of　Cesarea；　yet　did　those　citizens　run　upon　them　in　great　crowds；　and　cut　their　throats；　and　the　throats　of　their　wives　and　children；　and　this　without　any　regard　to　the　Romans　themselves；　who　never　took　us　for　their　enemies　till　we　revolted　from　them。　But　some　may　be　ready　to　say；　that　truly　the　people　of　Cesarea　had　always　a　quarrel　against　those　that　lived　among　them；　and　that　when　an　opportunity　offered　itself；　they　only　satisfied　the　old　rancor　they　had　against　them。　What　then　shall　we　say　to　those　of　Scythopolis；　who　ventured　to　wage　war　with　us　on　account　of　the　Greeks？　Nor　did　they　do　it　by　way　of　revenge　upon　the　Romans；　when　they　acted　in　concert　with　our　countrymen。　Wherefore　you　see　how　little　our　good…will　and　　fidelity　to　them　profiled　us；　while　they　were　slain；　they　and　their　whole　families；　after　the　most　inhuman　manner；　which　was　all　the　requital　that　was　made　them　for　the　assistance　they　had　afforded　the　others；　for　that　very　same　destruction　which　they　had　prevented　from　falling　upon　the　others　did　they　suffer　themselves　from　them；　as　if　they　had　been　ready　to　be　the　actors　against　them。　It　would　be　too　long　for　me　to　speak　at　this　time　of　every　destruction　brought　upon　us；　for　you　cannot　but　know　that　there　was　not　any　one　Syrian　city　which　did　not　slay　their　Jewish　inhabitants；　and　were　not　more　bitter　enemies　to　us　than　were　the　Romans　themselves；　nay；　even　those　of　Damascus；　（16）　when　they　were　able　to　allege　no　tolerable　pretense　against　us；　filled　their　city　with　the　most　barbarous　slaughters　of　our　people；　and　cut　the　throats　of　eighteen　thousand　Jews；　with　their　wives　and　children。　And　as　to　the　multitude　of　those　that　were　slain　in　Egypt；　and　that　with　torments　also；　we　have　been　informed　they　were　more　than　sixty　thousand；　those　indeed　being　in　a　foreign　country；　and　so　naturally　meeting　with　nothing　to　oppose　against　their　enemies；　were　killed　in　the　manner　forementioned。　As　for　all　those　of　us　who　have　waged　war　against　the　Romans　in　our　own　country；　had　we　not　sufficient　reason　to　have　sure　hopes　of　victory？　For　we　had　arms；　and　walls；　and　fortresses　so　prepared　as　not　to　be　easily　taken；　and　courage　not　to　be　moved　by　any　dangers　in　the　cause　of　lib