the wars of the jews-第137节

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nk　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　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　corroborat