the antiquities of the jews-1-第273节

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great　length　of　time；　that　so　unexpected　an　event　hath　happened；
yet　are　we　now　in　possession　of　liberty。　How　long　indeed　this
will　last　is　uncertain；　and　lies　at　the　disposal　of　the　gods；
whose　grant　it　is；　yet　such　it　is　as　is　sufficient　to　make　us
rejoice；　and　be　happy　for　the　present；　although　we　may　soon　be
deprived　of　it；　for　one　hour　is　sufficient　to　those　that　are
exercised　in　virtue；　wherein　we　may　live　with　a　mind　accountable
only　to　ourselves；　in　our　own　country；　now　free；　and　governed　by
such　laws　as　this　country　once　flourished　under。　As　for　myself；　I
cannot　remember　our　former　time　of　liberty；　as　being　born　after
it　was　gone；　but　I　am　beyond　measure　filled　with　joy　at　the
thoughts　of　our　present　freedom。　I　also　esteem　those　that　were
born　and　bred　up　in　that　our　former　liberty　happy　men；　and　that
those　men　are　worthy　of　no　less　esteem　than　the　gods　themselves
who　have　given　us　a　taste　of　it　in　this　age；　and　I　heartily　wish
that　this　quiet　enjoyment　of　it；　which　we　have　at　present；　might
continue　to　all　ages。　However；　this　single　day　may　suffice　for
our　youth；　as　well　as　for　us　that　are　in　years。　It　will　seem　an
age　to　our　old　men；　if　they　might　die　during　its　happy　duration：
it　may　also　be　for　the　instruction　of　the　younger　sort；　what　kind
of　virtue　those　men；　from　whose　loins　we　are　derived；　were
exercised　in。　As　for　ourselves；　our　business　is；　during　the　space
of　time；　to　live　virtuously；　than　which　nothing　can　be　more　to
our　advantage；　which　course　of　virtue　it　is　alone　that　can
preserve　our　liberty；　for　as　to　our　ancient　state；　I　have　heard
of　it　by　the　relations　of　others；　but　as　to　our　later　state；
during　my　lifetime；　I　have　known　it　by　experience；　and　learned
thereby　what　mischiefs　tyrannies　have　brought　upon　this
commonwealth；　discouraging　all　virtue；　and　depriving　persons　of
magnanimity　of　their　liberty；　and　proving　the　teachers　of
flattery　and　slavish　fear；　because　it　leaves　the　public
administration　not　to　be　governed　by　wise　laws；　but　by　the　humor
of　those　that　govern。　For　since　Julius　Caesar　took　it　into　his
head　to　dissolve　our　democracy；　and；　by　overbearing　the　regular
system　of　our　laws；　to　bring　disorders　into　our　administration；
and　to　get　above　right　and　justice；　and　to　be　a　slave　to　his　own
inclinations；　there　is　no　kind　of　misery　but　what　hath　tended　to
the　subversion　of　this　city；　while　all　those　that　have　succeeded
him　have　striven　one　with　another　to　overthrow　the　ancient　laws
of　their　country；　and　have　left　it　destitute　of　such　citizens　as
were　of　generous　principles；　because　they　thought　it　tended　to
their　safety　to　have　vicious　men　to　converse　withal；　and　not　only
to　break　the　spirits　of　those　that　were　best　esteemed　for　their
virtue；　but　to　resolve　upon。　their　utter　destruction。　Of　all
which　emperors；　who　have　been　many　in　number；　and　who　laid　upon
us　insufferable　hardships　during　the　times　of　their　government；
this　Caius；　who　hath　been　slain　today；　hath　brought　more　terrible
calamities　upon　us　than　did　all　the　rest；　not　only　by　exercising
his　ungoverned　rage　upon　his　fellow　citizens；　but　also　upon　his
kindred　and　friends；　and　alike　upon　all　others；　and　by　inflicting
still　greater　miseries　upon　them；　as　punishments；　which　they
never　deserved；　he　being　equally　furious　against　men　and　against
the　gods。　For　tyrants　are　not　content　to　gain　their　sweet
pleasure；　and　this　by　acting　injuriously；　and　in　the　vexation
they　bring　both　upon　men's　estates　and　their　wives；　but　they　look
upon　that　to　be　their　principal　advantage；　when　they　can　utterly
overthrow　the　entire　families　of　their　enemies；　while　all　lovers
of　liberty　are　the　enemies　of　tyranny。　Nor　can　those　that
patiently　endure　what　miseries　they　bring　on　them　gain　their
friendship；　for　as　they　are　conscious　of　the　abundant　mischiefs
they　have　brought　on　these　men；　and　how　magnanimously　they　have
borne　their　hard　fortunes；　they　cannot　but　be　sensible　what　evils
they　have　done；　and　thence　only　depend　on　security　from　what　they
are　suspicious　of；　if　it　may　be　in　their　power　to　take　them　quite
out　of　the　world。　Since；　then；　we　are　now　gotten　clear　of　such
great　misfortunes；　and　are　only　accountable　to　one　another；
（which　form　of　government　affords　us　the　best　assurance　of　our
present　concord；　and　promises　us　the　best　security　from　evil
designs；　and　will　be　most　for　our　own　glory　in　settling　the　city
in　good　order；）　you　ought；　every　one　of　you　in　particular；　to
make　provision　for　his　own；　and　in　general　for　the　public
utility：　or；　on　the　contrary；　they　may　declare　their　dissent　to
such　things　as　have　been　proposed；　and　this　without　any　hazard　of
danger　to　come　upon　them；　because　they　have　now　no　lord　set　over
them；　who；　without　fear　of　punishment；　could　do　mischief　to　the
city；　and　had　an　uncontrollable　power　to　take　off　those　that
freely　declared　their　opinions。　Nor　has　any　thing　so　much
contributed　to　this　increase　of　tyranny　of　late　as　sloth；　and　a
timorous　forbearance　of　contradicting　the　emperor's　will；　while
men　had　an　over…great　inclination　to　the　sweetness　of　peace；　and
had　learned　to　live　like　slaves；　and　as　many　of　us　as　either
heard　of　intolerable　calamities　that　happened　at　a　distance　from
us；　or　saw　the　miseries　that　were　near　us；　out　of　the　dread　of
dying　virtuously；　endured　a　death　joined　with　the　utmost　infamy。
We　ought；　then；　in　the　first　place；　to　decree　the　greatest　honors
we　are　able　to　those　that　have　taken　off　the　tyrant；　especially
to　Cherea　Cassius；　for　this　one　man；　with　the　assistance　of　the
gods；　hath；　by　his　counsel　and　by　his　actions；　been　the　procurer
of　our　liberty。　Nor　ought　we　to　forget　him　now　we　have　recovered
our　liberty；　who；　under　the　foregoing　tyranny；　took　counsel
beforehand；　and　beforehand　hazarded　himself　for　our　liberties；
but　ought　to　decree　him　proper　honors；　and　thereby　freely　declare
that　he　from　the　beginning　acted　with　our　approbation。　And
certainly　it　is　a　very　excellent　thing；　and　what　becomes
free…men；　to　requite　their　benefactors；　as　this　man　hath　been　a
benefactor　to　us　all；　though　not　at　all　like　Cassius　and　Brutus；
who　slew　Caius　Julius　＇Caesar＇；　for　those　men　laid　the
foundations　of　sedition　and　civil　wars　in　our　city；　but　this　man；
together　with　his　slaughter　of　the　tyrant；　hath　set　our　city　free
from　all　those　sad　miseries　which　arose　from　the　tyranny。〃　（8）

3。　And　this　was　the　purport　of　Sentius's　oration；　（9）　which　was
received　with　pleasure　by　the　senators；　and　by　as　many　of　the
equestrian　order　as　were　present。　And　now　one　Trebellius　Maximus
rose　up　hastily；　and　took　off　Sentius's　finger　a　ring；　which　had
a　stone；　with　the　image　of　Caius　engraven　upon　it；　and　which；　in
his　zeal　in　speaking；　and　his　earnestness　in　doing　what　he　was
about；　as　it　was　supposed；　he　had　forgotten　to　take　off　himself。
This　sculpture　was　broken　immediately。　But　as　it　was　now　far　in
the　night；　Cherea　demanded　of　the　consuls　the　watchword；　who　gave
him　this　word；　Liberty。　These　facts　were　the　subjects　of
admiration　to　themselves；　and　almost　incredible；　for　it　was　a
hundred　years　since　the　democracy　had　been　laid　aside；　when　this
giving　the　watchword　returned　to　the　consuls；　for　before　the　city
was　subject　to　tyrants；　they　were　the　commanders　of　the　soldiers。
But　when　Cherea　had　received　that　watchword；　he　delivered　it　to
those　who　were　on　the　senate's　side；　which　were　four　regiments；
who　esteemed　the　government　without　emperors　to　be　preferable　to
tyranny。　So　these　went　away　with　their　tribunes。　The　people　also
now　departed　very　joyful；　full　of　hope　and　of　courage；　as　having
recovered　their　former　democracy；　and　were　no　longer　under　an
emperor；　and　Cherea　was　in　very　great　esteem　with　them。

4。　And　now　Cherea　was　very　uneasy　that　Caius's　daughter　and　wife
were　still　alive；　and　that　all　his　family　did　not　perish　with
him；　since　whosoever　was　left　of　them　must　be　left　for　the　ruin
of　the　city　and　of　the　laws。　Moreover；　in　order　to　finish　this
matter　with　the　utmost　zeal；　and　in　order　to　satisfy　his　hatred
of　Caius；　he　sent　Julius　Lupus；　one　of　the　tribunes；　to　kill
Caius's　wife　and　daughter。　They　proposed　this　office　to　Lupus　as
to　a　kinsman　of　Clement；　that　he　might　be　so　far　a　partaker　of
this　murder　of　the　tyrant；　and　might　rejoice　in　the　virtue　of
having　assisted　his　fellow　citizens；　and　that　he　might　appear　to
have　been　a　partaker　with　those　that　were　first　in　their　designs
against　him。　Yet　did　this　action　appear　to　some　of　the
conspirators　to　be　too　cruel；　as　to　this　using　such　severity　to　a
woman；　because　Caius　did　more　indulge　his　own　ill…nature　than　use
her　advice　in　all　that　he　did；　from　which　ill…nature　it　was　that
the　city　was　in　so　desperate　a　condition　with　the　miseries　that
were　brought　on　it；　and　the　flower　of　the　city　was　destroyed。　But
others　accused　her　of　giving　her　consent　to　these　things；　nay；
they　ascribed　all　that　Caius　had　done　to　her　as　the　cause　of　it；
and　said　she　had　given　a　potion　to　Caius；　which　had　made　him
obnoxious　to　her；　and　had　tied　him　down　to　love　her　by　such　evil
methods；　insomuch　that　she；　having　rendered　him　distracted；　was
become　the　author　of　all　the　mischiefs　that　had　befallen　the
Romans；　and　that　habitable　world　which　was　subject　to