the wars of the jews-第41部分

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those　that　were　the　boldest　for　action。

4。　At　this　time　it　was　that　every　priest；　and　every　servant　of　God；　brought　out　the　holy　vessels；　and　the　ornamental　garments　wherein　they　used　to　minister　in　sacred　things。　The　harpers　also；　and　the　singers　of　hymns；　came　out　with　their　instruments　of　music；　and　fell　down　before　the　multitude；　and　begged　of　them　that　they　would　preserve　those　holy　ornaments　to　them；　and　not　provoke　the　Romans　to　carry　off　those　sacred　treasures。　You　might　also　see　then　the　high　priests　themselves；　with　dust　sprinkled　in　great　plenty　upon　their　heads；　with　bosoms　deprived　of　any　covering　but　what　was　rent；　these　besought　every　one　of　the　eminent　men　by　name；　and　the　multitude　in　common；　that　they　would　not　for　a　small　offense　betray　their　country　to　those　that　were　desirous　to　have　it　laid　waste；　saying；　〃What　benefit　will　it　bring　to　the　soldiers　to　have　a　salutation　from　the　Jews？　or　what　amendment　of　your　affairs　will　it　bring　you；　if　you　do　not　now　go　out　to　meet　them？　and　that　if　they　saluted　them　civilly；　all　handle　would　be　cut　off　from　Florus　to　begin　a　war；　that　they　should　thereby　gain　their　country；　and　freedom　from　all　further　sufferings；　and　that；　besides；　it　would　be　a　sign　of　great　want　of　command　of　themselves；　if　they　should　yield　to　a　few　seditious　persons；　while　it　was　fitter　for　them　who　were　so　great　a　people　to　force　the　others　to　act　soberly。〃

5。　By　these　persuasions；　which　they　used　to　the　multitude　and　to　the　seditious；　they　restrained　some　by　threatenings；　and　others　by　the　reverence　that　was　paid　them。　After　this　they　led　them　out；　and　they　met　the　soldiers　quietly；　and　after　a　composed　manner；　and　when　they　were　come　up　with　them；　they　saluted　them；　but　when　they　made　no　answer；　the　seditious　exclaimed　against　Florus；　which　was　the　signal　given　for　falling　upon　them。　The　soldiers　therefore　encompassed　them　presently；　and　struck　them　with　their　clubs；　and　as　they　fled　away；　the　horsemen　trampled　them　down；　so　that　a　great　many　fell　down　dead　by　the　strokes　of　the　Romans；　and　more　by　their　own　violence　in　crushing　one　another。　Now　there　was　a　terrible　crowding　about　the　gates；　and　while　every　body　was　making　haste　to　get　before　another；　the　flight　of　them　all　was　retarded；　and　a　terrible　destruction　there　was　among　those　that　fell　down；　for　they　were　suffocated；　an　broken　to　pieces　by　the　multitude　of　those　that　were　uppermost；　nor　could　any　of　them　be　distinguished　by　his　relations　in　order　to　the　care　of　his　funeral；　the　soldiers　also　who　beat　them；　fell　upon　those　whom　they　overtook；　without　showing　them　any　mercy；　and　thrust　the　multitude　through　the　place　called　Bezetha；　（23）　as　they　forced　their　way；　in　order　to　get　in　and　seize　upon　the　temple；　and　the　tower　Antonia。　Florus　also　being　desirous　to　get　those　places　into　his　possession；　brought　such　as　were　with　him　out　of　the　king's　palace；　and　would　have　compelled　them　to　get　as　far　as　the　citadel　＇Antonia；＇　but　his　attempt　failed；　for　the　people　immediately　turned　back　upon　him；　and　stopped　the　violence　of　his　attempt；　and　as　they　stood　upon　the　tops　of　their　houses；　they　threw　their　darts　at　the　Romans；　who；　as　they　were　sorely　galled　thereby；　because　those　weapons　came　from　above；　and　they　were　not　able　to　make　a　passage　through　the　multitude；　which　stopped　up　the　narrow　passages；　they　retired　to　the　camp　which　was　at　the　palace。

6。　But　for　the　seditious；　they　were　afraid　lest　Florus　should　come　again；　and　get　possession　of　the　temple；　through　Antonia；　so　they　got　immediately　upon　those　cloisters　of　the　temple　that　joined　to　Antonia；　and　cut　them　down。　This　cooled　the　avarice　of　Florus；　for　whereas　he　was　eager　to　obtain　the　treasures　of　God　＇in　the　temple＇；　and　on　that　account　was　desirous　of　getting　into　Antonia；　as　soon　as　the　cloisters　were　broken　down；　he　left　off　his　attempt；　he　then　sent　for　the　high　priests　and　the　sanhedrim；　and　told　them　that　he　was　indeed　himself　going　out　of　the　city；　but　that　he　would　leave　them　as　large　a　garrison　as　they　should　desire。　Hereupon　they　promised　that　they　would　make　no　innovations；　in　case　he　would　leave　them　one　band；　but　not　that　which　had　fought　with　the　Jews；　because　the　multitude　bore　ill…will　against　that　band　on　account　of　what　they　had　suffered　from　it；　so　he　changed　the　band　as　they　desired；　and；　with　the　rest　of　his　forces；　returned　to　Cesarea。

CHAPTER　16。

Cestius　Sends　Neopolitanus　The　Tribune　To　See　In　What　Condition　The　Affairs　Of　The　Jews　Were。　Agrippa　Makes　A　Speech　To　The　People　Of　The　Jews　That　He　May　Divert　Them　From　Their　Intentions　Of　Making　War　With　The　Romans。

1。　However；　Florus　contrived　another　way　to　oblige　the　Jews　to　begin　the　war；　and　sent　to　Cestius；　and　accused　the　Jews　falsely　of　revolting　＇from　the　Roman　government＇；　and　imputed　the　beginning　of　the　former　fight　to　them；　and　pretended　they　had　been　the　authors　of　that　disturbance；　wherein　they　were　only　the　sufferers。　Yet　were　not　the　governors　of　Jerusalem　silent　upon　this　occasion；　but　did　themselves　write　to　Cestius；　as　did　Bernice　also；　about　the　illegal　practices　of　which　Florus　had　been　guilty　against　the　city；　who；　upon　reading　both　accounts；　consulted　with　his　captains　＇what　he　should　do＇。　Now　some　of　them　thought　it　best　for　Cestius　to　go　up　with　his　army；　either　to　punish　the　revolt；　if　it　was　real；　or　to　settle　the　Roman　affairs　on　a　surer　foundation；　if　the　Jews　continued　quiet　under　them；　but　he　thought　it　best　himself　to　send　one　of　his　intimate　friends　beforehand；　to　see　the　state　of　affairs；　and　to　give　him　a　faithful　account　of　the　intentions　of　the　Jews。　Accordingly；　he　sent　one　of　his　tribunes；　whose　name　was　Neopolitanus；　who　met　with　king　Agrippa　as　he　was　returning　from　Alexandria；　at　Jamnia；　and　told　him　who　it　was　that　sent　him；　and　on　what　errands　he　was　sent。

2。　And　here　it　was　that　the　high　priests；　and　men　of　power　among　the　Jews；　as　well　as　the　sanhedrim；　came　to　congratulate　the　king　＇upon　his　safe　return＇；　and　after　they　had　paid　him　their　respects；　they　lamented　their　own　calamities；　and　related　to　him　what　barbarous　treatment　they　had　met　with　from　Florus。　At　which　barbarity　Agrippa　had　great　indignation；　but　transferred；　after　a　subtle　manner；　his　anger　towards　those　Jews　whom　he　really　pitied；　that　he　might　beat　down　their　high　thoughts　of　themselves；　and　would　have　them　believe　that　they　had　not　been　so　unjustly　treated；　in　order　to　dissuade　them　from　avenging　themselves。　So　these　great　men；　as　of　better　understanding　than　the　rest；　and　desirous　of　peace；　because　of　the　possessions　they　had；　understood　that　this　rebuke　which　the　king　gave　them　was　intended　for　their　good；　but　as　to　the　people；　they　came　sixty　furlongs　out　of　Jerusalem；　and　congratulated　both　Agrippa　and　Neopolitanus；　but　the　wives　of　those　that　had　been　slain　came　running　first　of　all　and　lamenting。　The　people　also；　when　they　heard　their　mourning；　fell　into　lamentations　also；　and　besought　Agrippa　to　assist　them：　they　also　cried　out　to　Neopolitanus；　and　complained　of　the　many　miseries　they　had　endured　under　Florus；　and　they　showed　them；　when　they　were　come　into　the　city；　how　the　market…place　was　made　desolate；　and　the　houses　plundered。　They　then　persuaded　Neopolitanus；　by　the　means　of　Agrippa；　that　he　would　walk　round　the　city；　with　one　only　servant；　as　far　as　Siloam；　that　he　might　inform　himself　that　the　Jews　submitted　to　all　the　rest　of　the　Romans；　and　were　only　displeased　at　Florus；　by　reason　of　his　exceeding　barbarity　to　them。　So　he　walked　round；　and　had　sufficient　experience　of　the　good　temper　the　people　were　in；　and　then　went　up　to　the　temple；　where　he　called　the　multitude　together；　and　highly　commended　them　for　their　fidelity　to　the　Romans；　and　earnestly　exhorted　them　to　keep　the　peace；　and　having　performed　such　parts　of　Divine　worship　at　the　temple　as　he　was　allowed　to　do；　he　returned　to　Cestius。

3。　But　as　for　the　multitude　of　the　Jews；　they　addressed　themselves　to　the　king；　and　to　the　high　priests；　and　desired　they　might　have　leave　to　send　ambassadors　to　Nero　against　Florus；　and　not　by　their　silence　afford　a　suspicion　that　they　had　been　the　occasions　of　such　great　slaughters　as　had　been　made；　and　were　disposed　to　revolt；　alleging　that　they　should　seem　to　have　been　the　first　beginners　of　the　war；　if　they　did　not　prevent　the　report　by　showing　who　it　was　that　began　it；　and　it　appeared　openly　that　they　would　not　be　quiet；　if　any　body　should　hinder　them　from　sending　such　an　embassage。　But　Agrippa；　although　he　thought　it　too　dangerous　a　thing　for　them　to　appoint　men　to　go　as　the　accusers　of　Florus；　yet　did　he　not　think　it　fit　for　him　to　overlook　them；　as　they　were　in　a　disposition　for　war。　He　therefore　called　the　multitude　together　into　a　large　gallery；　and　placed　his　sister　Bernice　in　the　house　of　the　Asamoneans；　that　she　might　be　seen　by　them；　（which　house　was　over　the　gallery；　at　the　passage　to　the　upper　city；　where　the　bridge　joined　the　temple　to　the　gallery；）　and　spake　to　them　as　follows：

4。（24）　〃　Had　I　perceived　that　you　were　all　zealously　disposed　to　go　to　war　with　the　Romans；　and　that　the　purer　and　more　sincere　part　of　the　people　did　not　propose　to　live　in　peace；　I　had　not　come　out　to　you；　nor　been　so　bold　as　to　give　you　counsel；　for　all　discourses　that　tend　to　persuade　men　to　do　what　they　ought　to　do　are　superfluous；　when　the　hearers　are　agreed　to　do　the　contrary。　But　because　some　are　earnest　to　go　to　war　because　they　are　young；　and　without　experience　of　the　miseries　it　brings；　and　because　some　are　for　it　out　of　an　unreasonable　expectation　of　regaining　their　liberty；　and　because　others　hope　to　get　by　it；　and　are　therefore　earnestly　bent　upon　it；　that　in　the　confusion　of　your　affairs　they　may　gain　what　belongs　to　those　that　are　too　weak　to　resist　them；　I　have　thought　proper　to　get　you　all　together；　and　to　say　to　you　what　I　think　to　be　for　your　advantage；　that　so　the　former　may　grow　wiser；　and　change　their　minds；　and　that　the　best　men　may　come　to　no　harm　by　the　ill　conduct　of　some　others。　And　let　not　any　one　be　tumultuous　against　me；　in　case　what　they　hear　me　say　do　not　please　them；　for　as　to　those　that　admit　of　no　cure；　but　are　resolved　upon　a　revolt；　it　will　still　be　in　their　power　to　retain　the　same　sentiments　after　my　exhortation　is　over；　but　still　my　discourse　will　fa