the antiquities of the jews-1-第224节

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rulers　as　were　there；　to　be　his　assessors；　Nicolaus　stood　up；　and
pleaded　for　the　Jews；　as　follows：　〃It　is　of　necessity　incumbent
on　such　as　are　in　distress　to　have　recourse　to　those　that　have　it
in　their　power　to　free　them　from　those　injuries　they　lie　under；
and　for　those　that　now　are　complainants；　they　approach　you　with
great　assurance；　for　as　they　have　formerly　often　obtained　your
favor；　so　far　as　they　have　even　wished　to　have　it；　they　now　only
entreat　that　you；　who　have　been　the　donors；　will　take　care　that
those　favors　you　have　already　granted　them　may　not　be　taken　away
from　them。　We　have　received　these　favors　from　you；　who　alone　have
power　to　grant　them；　but　have　them　taken　from　us　by　such　as　are
no　greater　than　ourselves；　and　by　such　as　we　know　are　as　much
subjects　as　we　are；　and　certainly；　if　we　have　been　vouchsafed
great　favors；　it　is　to　our　commendation　who　have　obtained　them；
as　having　been　found　deserving　of　such　great　favors；　and　if　those
favors　be　but　small　ones；　it　would　be　barbarous　for　the　donors
not　to　confirm　them　to　us。　And　for　those　that　are　the　hinderance
of　the　Jews；　and　use　them　reproachfully；　it　is　evident　that　they
affront　both　the　receivers；　while　they　will　not　allow　those　to　be
worthy　men　to　whom　their　excellent　rulers　themselves　have　borne
their　testimony；　and　the　donors；　while　they　desire　those　favors
already　granted　may　be　abrogated。　Now　if　any　one　should　ask　these
Gentiles　themselves；　which　of　the　two　things　they　would　choose　to
part　with；　their　lives；　or　the　customs　of　their　forefathers；
their　solemnities；　their　sacrifices；　their　festivals；　which　they
celebrated　in　honor　of　those　they　suppose　to　be　gods？　I　know　very
well　that　they　would　choose　to　suffer　any　thing　whatsoever　rather
than　a　dissolution　of　any　of　the　customs　of　their　forefathers；
for　a　great　many　of　them　have　rather　chosen　to　go　to　war　on　that
account；　as　very　solicitous　not　to　transgress　in　those　matters。
And　indeed　we　take　an　estimate　of　that　happiness　which　all
mankind　do　now　enjoy　by　your　means　from　this　very　thing；　that　we
are　allowed　every　one　to　worship　as　our　own　institutions　require；
and　yet　to　live　＇in　peace＇；　and　although　they　would　not　be　thus
treated　themselves；　yet　do　they　endeavor　to　compel　others　to
comply　with　them；　as　if　it　were　not　as　great　an　instance　of
impiety　profanely　to　dissolve　the　religious　solemnities　of　any
others；　as　to　be　negligent　in　the　observation　of　their　own
towards　their　gods。　And　let　us　now　consider　the　one　of　these
practices。　Is　there　any　people；　or　city；　or　community　of　men；　to
whom　your　government　and　the　Roman　power　does　not　appear　to　be
the　greatest　blessing　'。　Is　there　any　one　that　can　desire　to　make
void　the　favors　they　have　granted？　No　one　is　certainly　so　mad；
for　there　are　no　men　but　such　as　have　been　partakers　of　their
favors；　both　public　and　private；　and　indeed　those　that　take　away
what　you　have　granted；　can　have　no　assurance　but　every　one　of
their　own　grants　made　them　by　you　may　be　taken　from　them　also；
which　grants　of　yours　can　yet　never　be　sufficiently　valued；　for
if　they　consider　the　old　governments　under　kings；　together　with
your　present　government；　besides　the　great　number　of　benefits
which　this　government　hath　bestowed　on　them；　in　order　to　their
happiness；　this　is　instead　of　all　the　rest；　that　they　appear　to
be　no　longer　in　a　state　of　slavery；　but　of　freedom。　Now　the
privileges　we　desire；　even　when　we　are　in　the　best　circumstances；
are　not　such　as　deserve　to　be　envied；　for　we　are　indeed　in　a
prosperous　state　by　your　means；　but　this　is　only　in　common　with
others；　and　it　is　no　more　than　this　which　we　desire；　to　preserve
our　religion　without　any　prohibition；　which　as　it　appears　not　in
itself　a　privilege　to　be　envied　us；　so　it　is　for　the　advantage　of
those　that　grant　it　to　us；　for　if　the　Divinity　delights　in　being
honored；　it　must　delight　in　those　that　permit　them　to　be　honored。
And　there　are　none　of　our　customs　which　are　inhuman；　but　all
tending　to　piety；　and　devoted　to　the　preservation　of　justice；　nor
do　we　conceal　those　injunctions　of　ours　by　which　we　govern　our
lives；　they　being　memorials　of　piety；　and　of　a　friendly
conversation　among　men。　And　the　seventh　day　we　set　apart　from
labor；　it　is　dedicated　to　the　learning　of　our　customs　and　laws；
（1）　we　thinking　it　proper　to　reflect　on　them；　as　well　as　on　any
＇good＇　thing　else；　in　order　to　our　avoiding　of　sin。　If　any　one
therefore　examine　into　our　observances；　he　will　find　they　are
good　in　themselves；　and　that　they　are　ancient　also；　though　some
think　otherwise；　insomuch　that　those　who　have　received　them
cannot　easily　be　brought　to　depart　from　them；　out　of　that　honor
they　pay　to　the　length　of　time　they　have　religiously　enjoyed　them
and　observed　them。　Now　our　adversaries　take　these　our　privileges
away　in　the　way　of　injustice；　they　violently　seize　upon　that
money　of　ours　which　is　owed　to　God；　and　called　sacred　money；　and
this　openly；　after　a　sacrilegious　manner；　and　they　impose
tributes　upon　us；　and　bring　us　before　tribunals　on　holy　days；　and
then　require　other　like　debts　of　us；　not　because　the　contracts
require　it；　and　for　their　own　advantage；　but　because　they　would
put　an　affront　on　our　religion；　of　which　they　are　conscious　as
well　as　we；　and　have　indulged　themselves　in　an　unjust；　and　to
them　involuntary；　hatred；　for　your　government　over　all　is　one；
tending　to　the　establishing　of　benevolence；　and　abolishing　of
ill…will　among　such　as　are　disposed　to　it。　This　is　therefore　what
we　implore　from　thee；　most　excellent　Agrippa；　that　we　may　not　be
ill…treated；　that　we　may　not　be　abused；　that　we　may　not　be
hindered　from　making　use　of　our　own　customs；　nor　be　despoiled　of
our　goods；　nor　be　forced　by　these　men　to　do　what　we　ourselves
force　nobody　to　do；　for　these　privileges　of　ours　are　not　only
according　to　justice；　but　have　formerly　been　granted　us　by　you。
And　we　are　able　to　read　to　you　many　decrees　of　the　senate；　and
the　tables　that　contain　them；　which　are　still　extant　in　the
capitol；　concerning　these　things；　which　it　is　evident　were
granted　after　you　had　experience　of　our　fidelity　towards　you；
which　ought　to　be　valued；　though　no　such　fidelity　had　been；　for
you　have　hitherto　preserved　what　people　were　in　possession　of；
not　to　us　only；　but　almost　to　all　men；　and　have　added　greater
advantages　than　they　could　have　hoped　for；　and　thereby　your
government　is　become　a　great　advantage　to　them。　And　if　any　one
were　able　to　enumerate　the　prosperity　you　have　conferred　on　every
nation；　which　they　possess　by　your　means；　he　could　never　put　an
end　to　his　discourse；　but　that　we　may　demonstrate　that　we　are　not
unworthy　of　all　those　advantages　we　have　obtained；　it　will　be
sufficient　for　us；　to　say　nothing　of　other　things；　but　to　speak
freely　of　this　king　who　now　governs　us；　and　is　now　one　of　thy
assessors；　and　indeed　in　what　instance　of　good…will；　as　to　your
house；　hath　he　been　deficient？　What　mark　of　fidelity　to　it　hath
he　omitted？　What　token　of　honor　hath　he　not　devised？　What
occasion　for　his　assistance　of　you　hath　he　not　regarded　at　the
very　first？　What　hindereth；　therefore；　but　that　your　kindnesses
may　be　as　numerous　as　his　so　great　benefits　to　you　have　been？　It
may　also　perhaps　be　fit　not　here　to　pass　over　in　silence　the
valor　of　his　father　Antipater；　who；　when　Caesar　made　an
expedition　into　Egypt；　assisted　him　with　two　thousand　armed　men；
and　proved　inferior　to　none；　neither　in　the　battles　on　land；　nor
in　the　management　of　the　navy；　and　what　need　I　say　any　thing　of
how　great　weight　those　soldiers　were　at　that　juncture？　or　how
many　and　how　great　presents　they　were　vouchsafed　by　Caesar？　And
truly　I　ought　before　now　to　have　mentioned　the　epistles　which
Caesar　wrote　to　the　senate；　and　how　Antipater　had　honors；　and　the
freedom　of　the　city　of　Rome；　bestowed　upon　him；　for　these　are
demonstrations　both　that　we　have　received　these　favors　by　our　own
deserts；　and　do　on　that　account　petition　thee　for　thy
confirmation　of　them；　from　whom　we　had　reason　to　hope　for　them；
though　they　had　not　been　given　us　before；　both　out　of　regard　to
our　king's　disposition　towards　you；　and　your　disposition　towards
him。　And　further；　we　have　been　informed　by　those　Jews　that　were
there　with　what　kindness　thou　camest　into　our　country；　and　how
thou　offeredst　the　most　perfect　sacrifices　to　God；　and　honoredst
him　with　remarkable　vows；　and　how　thou　gavest　the　people　a　feast；
and　acceptedst　of　their　own　hospitable　presents　to　thee。　We　ought
to　esteem　all　these　kind　entertainments　made　both　by　our　nation
and　to　our　city；　to　a　man　who　is　the　ruler　and　manager　of　so　much
of　the　public　affairs；　as　indications　of　that　friendship　which
thou　hast　returned　to　the　Jewish　nation；　and　which　hath　been
procured　them　by　the　family　of　Herod。　So　we　put　thee　in　mind　of
these　things　in　the　presence　of　the　king；　now　sitting　by　thee；
and　make　our　request　for　no　more　but　this；　that　what　you　have
given　us　yourselves　you　will　not　see　taken　away　by　others　from
us。〃

4。　When　Nicolaus　had　made　this　speech；　there　was　no　opposition
made　to　it　by　the　Greeks；　for　this　was　not　an　inquiry　made；　as　in
a　court　of　justice；　but　an　intercession　to　prevent　violence　to　be
offered　to　the　Jews　any　longer；　nor