the wars of the jews-第69节

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r。　They　then　searched　among　the　dead；　and　looked　into　the　most　concealed　recesses　of　the　city；　but　as　the　city　was　first　taken；　he　was　assisted　by　a　certain　supernatural　providence；　for　he　withdrew　himself　from　the　enemy　when　he　was　in　the　midst　of　them；　and　leaped　into　a　certain　deep　pit；　whereto　there　adjoined　a　large　den　at　one　side　of　it；　which　den　could　not　be　seen　by　those　that　were　above　ground；　and　there　he　met　with　forty　persons　of　eminency　that　had　concealed　themselves；　and　with　provisions　enough　to　satisfy　them　for　not　a　few　days。　So　in　the　day　time　he　hid　himself　from　the　enemy；　who　had　seized　upon　all　places；　and　in　the　night　time　he　got　up　out　of　the　den　and　looked　about　for　some　way　of　escaping；　and　took　exact　notice　of　the　watch；　but　as　all　places　were　guarded　every　where　on　his　account；　that　there　was　no　way　of　getting　off　unseen；　he　went　down　again　into　the　den。　Thus　he　concealed　himself　two　days；　but　on　the　third　day；　when　they　had　taken　a　woman　who　had　been　with　them；　he　was　discovered。　Whereupon　Vespasian　sent　immediately　and　zealously　two　tribunes；　Paulinus　and　Gallicanus；　and　ordered　them　to　give　Josephus　their　right　hands　as　a　security　for　his　life；　and　to　exhort　him　to　come　up。　

2。　So　they　came　and　invited　the　man　to　come　up；　and　gave　him　assurances　that　his　life　should　be　preserved：　but　they　did　not　prevail　with　him；　for　he　gathered　suspicions　from　the　probability　there　was　that　one　who　had　done　so　many　things　against　the　Romans　must　suffer　for　it；　though　not　from　the　mild　temper　of　those　that　invited　him。　However；　he　was　afraid　that　he　was　invited　to　come　up　in　order　to　be　punished；　until　Vespasian　sent　besides　these　a　third　tribune；　Nicanor；　to　him；　he　was　one　that　was　well　known　to　Josephus；　and　had　been　his　familiar　acquaintance　in　old　time。　When　he　was　come；　he　enlarged　upon　the　natural　mildness　of　the　Romans　towards　those　they　have　once　conquered；　and　told　him　that　he　had　behaved　himself　so　valiantly；　that　the　commanders　rather　admired　than　hated　him；　that　the　general　was　very　desirous　to　have　him　brought　to　him；　not　in　order　to　punish　him；　for　that　he　could　do　though　he　should　not　come　voluntarily；　but　that　he　was　determined　to　preserve　a　man　of　his　courage。　He　moreover　added　this；　that　Vespasian；　had　he　been　resolved　to　impose　upon　him；　would　not　have　sent　to　him　a　friend　of　his　own；　nor　put　the　fairest　color　upon　the　vilest　action；　by　pretending　friendship　and　meaning　perfidiousness；　nor　would　he　have　himself　acquiesced；　or　come　to　him；　had　it　been　to　deceive　him。

3。　Now　as　Josephus　began　to　hesitate　with　himself　about　Nicanor's　proposal；　the　soldiery　were　so　angry；　that　they　ran　hastily　to　set　fire　to　the　den；　but　the　tribune　would　not　permit　them　so　to　do；　as　being　very　desirous　to　take　the　man　alive。　And　now；　as　Nicanor　lay　hard　at　Josephus　to　comply；　and　he　understood　how　the　multitude　of　the　enemies　threatened　him；　he　called　to　mind　the　dreams　which　he　had　dreamed　in　the　night　time；　whereby　God　had　signified　to　him　beforehand　both　the　future　calamities　of　the　Jews；　and　the　events　that　concerned　the　Roman　emperors。　Now　Josephus　was　able　to　give　shrewd　conjectures　about　the　interpretation　of　such　dreams　as　have　been　ambiguously　delivered　by　God。　Moreover；　he　was　not　unacquainted　with　the　prophecies　contained　in　the　sacred　books；　as　being　a　priest　himself；　and　of　the　posterity　of　priests：　and　just　then　was　he　in　an　ecstasy；　and　setting　before　him　the　tremendous　images　of　the　dreams　he　had　lately　had；　he　put　up　a　secret　prayer　to　God；　and　said；　〃Since　it　pleaseth　thee；　who　hast　created　the　Jewish　nation；　to　depress　the　same；　and　since　all　their　good　fortune　is　gone　over　to　the　Romans；　and　since　thou　hast　made　choice　of　this　soul　of　mine　to　foretell　what　is　to　come　to　pass　hereafter；　I　willingly　give　them　my　hands；　and　am　content　to　live。　And　I　protest　openly　that　I　do　not　go　over　to　the　Romans　as　a　deserter　of　the　Jews；　but　as　a　minister　from　thee。〃

4。　When　he　had　said　this；　he　complied　with　Nicanor's　invitation。　But　when　those　Jews　who　had　fled　with　him　understood　that　he　yielded　to　those　that　invited　him　to　come　up；　they　came　about　him　in　a　body；　and　cried　out；　〃Nay；　indeed；　now　may　the　laws　of　our　forefathers；　which　God　ordained　himself；　well　groan　to　purpose；　that　God　we　mean　who　hath　created　the　souls　of　the　Jews　of　such　a　temper；　that　they　despise　death。　O　Josephus！　art　thou　still　fond　of　life？　and　canst　thou　bear　to　see　the　light　in　a　state　of　slavery？　How　soon　hast　thou　forgotten　thyself！　How　many　hast　thou　persuaded　to　lose　their　lives　for　liberty！　Thou　hast　therefore　had　a　false　reputation　for　manhood；　and　a　like　false　reputation　for　wisdom；　if　thou　canst　hope　for　preservation　from　those　against　whom　thou　hast　fought　so　zealously；　and　art　however　willing　to　be　preserved　by　them；　if　they　be　in　earnest。　But　although　the　good　fortune　of　the　Romans　hath　made　thee　forget　thyself；　we　ought　to　take　care　that　the　glory　of　our　forefathers　may　not　be　tarnished。　We　will　lend　thee　our　right　hand　and　a　sword；　and　if　thou　wilt　die　willingly；　thou　wilt　die　as　general　of　the　Jews；　but　if　unwillingly；　thou　wilt　die　as　a　traitor　to　them。〃　As　soon　as　they　said　this；　they　began　to　thrust　their　swords　at　him；　and　threatened　they　would　kill　him；　if　he　thought　of　yielding　himself　to　the　Romans。

5。　Upon　this　Josephus　was　afraid　of　their　attacking　him；　and　yet　thought　he　should　be　a　betrayer　of　the　commands　of　God；　if　he　died　before　they　were　delivered。　So　he　began　to　talk　like　a　philosopher　to　them　in　the　distress　he　was　then　in；　when　he　said　thus　to　them：　〃O　my　friends；　why　are　we　so　earnest　to　kill　ourselves？　and　why　do　we　set　our　soul　and　body；　which　are　such　dear　companions；　at　such　variance？　Can　any　one　pretend　that　I　am　not　the　man　I　was　formerly？　Nay；　the　Romans　are　sensible　how　that　matter　stands　well　enough。　It　is　a　brave　thin　to　die　in　war；　but　so　that　it　be　according　to　the　law　of　war；　by　the　hand　of　conquerors。　If；　therefore；　I　avoid　death　from　the　sword　of　the　Romans；　I　am　truly　worthy　to　be　killed　by　my　own　sword；　and　my　own　hand；　but　if　they　admit　of　mercy；　and　would　spare　their　enemy；　how　much　more　ought　we　to　have　mercy　upon　ourselves；　and　to　spare　ourselves？　For　it　is　certainly　a　foolish　thing　to　do　that　to　ourselves　which　we　quarrel　with　them　for　doing　to　us。　I　confess　freely　that　it　is　a　brave　thing　to　die　for　liberty；　but　still　so　that　it　be　in　war；　and　done　by　those　who　take　that　liberty　from　us；　but　in　the　present　case　our　enemies　do　neither　meet　us　in　battle；　nor　do　they　kill　us。　Now　he　is　equally　a　coward　who　will　not　die　when　he　is　obliged　to　die；　and　he　who　will　die　when　he　is　not　obliged　so　to　do。　What　are　we　afraid　of；　when　we　will　not　go　up　to　the　Romans？　Is　it　death？　If　so；　what　we　are　afraid　of；　when　we　but　suspect　our　enemies　will　inflict　it　on　us；　shall　we　inflict　it　on　ourselves　for　certain？　But　it　may　be　said　we　must　be　slaves。　And　are　we　then　in　a　clear　state　of　liberty　at　present？　It　may　also　be　said　that　it　is　a　manly　act　for　one　to　kill　himself。　No；　certainly；　but　a　most　unmanly　one；　as　I　should　esteem　that　pilot　to　be　an　arrant　coward；　who；　out　of　fear　of　a　storm；　should　sink　his　ship　of　his　own　accord。　Now　self…murder　is　a　crime　most　remote　from　the　common　nature　of　all　animals；　and　an　instance　of　impiety　against　God　our　Creator；　nor　indeed　is　there　any　animal　that　dies　by　its　own　contrivance；　or　by　its　own　means；　for　the　desire　of　life　is　a　law　engraven　in　them　all；　on　which　account　we　deem　those　that　openly　take　it　away　from　us　to　be　our　enemies；　and　those　that　do　it　by　treachery　are　punished　for　so　doing。　And　do　not　you　think　that　God　is　very　angry　when　a　man　does　injury　to　what　he　hath　bestowed　on　him？　For　from　him　it　is　that　we　have　received　our　being；　and　we　ought　to　leave　it　to　his　disposal　to　take　that　being　away　from　us。　The　bodies　of　all　men　are　indeed　mortal；　and　are　created　out　of　corruptible　matter；　but　the　soul　is　ever　immortal；　and　is　a　portion　of　the　divinity　that　inhabits　our　bodies。　Besides；　if　any　one　destroys　or　abuses　a　depositum　he　hath　received　from　a　mere　man；　he　is　esteemed　a　wicked　and　perfidious　person；　but　then　if　any　one　cast　out　of　his　body　this　Divine　depositum；　can　we　imagine　that　he　who　is　thereby　affronted　does　not　know　of　it？　Moreover；　our　law　justly　ordains　that　slaves　which　run　away　from　their　master　shall　be　punished；　though　the　masters　they　run　away　from　may　have　been　wicked　masters　to　them。　And　shall　we　endeavor　to　run　away　from　God；　who　is　the　best　of　all　masters；　and　not　guilty　of　impeity？　Do　not　you　know　that　those　who　depart　out　of　this　life　according　to　the　law　of　nature；　and　pay　that　debt　which　was　received　from　God；　when　he　that　lent　it　us　is　pleased　to　require　it　back　again；　enjoy　eternal　fame；　that　their　houses　and　their　posterity　are　sure；　that　their　souls　are　pure　and　obedient；　and　obtain　a　most　holy　place　in　heaven；　from　whence；　in　the　revolutions　of　ages；　they　are　again　sent　into　pure　bodies；　while　the　souls　of　those　whose　hands　have　acted　madly　against　themselves　are　received　by　the　darkest　place　in　Hades；　and　while　God；　who　is　their　Father；　punishes　those　that　offend　against　either　of　them　in　their　posterity？　for　which　reason　God　hates　such　doings；　and　the　crime　is　punished　by　our　most　wise　legislator。　Accordi