the wars of the jews-第102章

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hen　the　multitude　were　gotten　together　to　an　assembly；　and　every　one　was　in　indignation　at　these　men's　seizing　upon　the　sanctuary；　at　their　rapine　and　murders；　but　had　not　yet　begun　their　attacks　upon　them；　（the　reason　of　which　was　this；　that　they　imagined　it　to　be　a　difficult　thing　to　suppress　these　zealots；　as　indeed　the　case　was；）　Ananus　stood　in　the　midst　of　them；　and　casting　his　eyes　frequently　at　the　temple；　and　having　a　flood　of　tears　in　his　eyes；　he　said；　〃Certainly　it　had　been　good　for　me　to　die　before　I　had　seen　the　house　of　God　full　of　so　many　abominations；　or　these　　　sacred　places；　that　ought　not　to　be　trodden　upon　at　random；　filled　with　the　feet　of　these　blood…shedding　villains；　yet　do　I；　who　am　clothed　with　the　vestments　of　the　high　priesthood；　and　am　called　by　that　most　venerable　name　＇of　high　priest＇；　still　live；　and　am　but　too　fond　of　living；　and　cannot　endure　to　undergo　a　death　which　would　be　the　glory　of　my　old　age；　and　if　I　were　the　only　person　concerned；　and　as　it　were　in　a　desert；　I　would　give　up　my　life；　and　that　alone　for　God's　sake；　for　to　what　purpose　is　it　to　live　among　a　people　　　insensible　of　their　calamities；　and　where　there　is　no　notion　remaining　of　any　remedy　for　the　miseries　that　are　upon　　　them？　for　when　you　are　seized　upon；　you　bear　it！　and　when　you　are　beaten；　you　are　silent！　and　when　the　people　are　　　murdered；　nobody　dare　so　much　as　send　out　a　groan　openly！　O　bitter　tyranny　that　we　are　under！　But　why　do　I　complain　of　the　tyrants？　Was　it　not　you；　and　your　sufferance　of　them；　that　have　nourished　them？　Was　it　not　you　that　overlooked　those　that　first　of　all　got　together；　for　they　were　then　but　a　few；　and　by　your　silence　made　them　grow　to　be　many；　and　by　　　conniving　at　them　when　they　took　arms；　in　effect　armed　them　against　yourselves？　You　ought　to　have　then　prevented　their　first　attempts；　when　they　fell　a　reproaching　your　relations；　but　by　neglecting　that　care　in　time；　you　have　encouraged　these　wretches　to　plunder　men。　When　houses　were　pillaged；　nobody　said　a　word；　which　was　the　occasion　why　they　carried　off　the　owners　of　those　houses；　and　when　they　were　drawn　through　the　midst　of　the　city；　nobody　came　to　their　assistance。　They　then　proceeded　to　put　those　whom　you　have　betrayed　into　　　their　hands　into　bonds。　I　do　not　say　how　many　and　of　what　characters　those　men　were　whom　they　thus　served；　but　　　certainly　they　were　such　as　were　accused　by　none；　and　　　condemned　by　none；　and　since　nobody　succored　them　when　　　they　were　put　into　bonds；　the　consequence　was；　that　you　saw　the　same　persons　slain。　We　have　seen　this　also；　so　that　still　the　best　of　the　herd　of　brute　animals；　as　it　were；　have　been　still　led　to　be　sacrificed；　when　yet　nobody　said　one　word；　or　moved　his　right　hand　for　their　preservation。　Will　you　bear；　therefore；　will　you　bear　to　see　your　sanctuary　trampled　on？　and　will　you　lay　steps　for　these　profane　wretches；　upon　which　they　may　mount　to　higher　degrees　of　insolence？　Will　not　you　pluck　them　down　from　their　exaltation？　for　even　by　this　time　they　had　proceeded　to　higher　enormities；　if　they　had　been　able　to　overthrow　any　thing　greater　than　the　sanctuary。　They　have　seized　upon　the　strongest　place　of　the　whole　city；　you　may　call　it　the　temple；　if　you　please；　though　it　be　like　a　citadel　or　fortress。　Now；　while　you　have　tyranny　in　so　great　a　degree　walled　in；　and　see　your　enemies　over　your　heads；　to　what　purpose　is　it　to　take　counsel？　and　what　have　you　to　support　your　minds　withal？　Perhaps　you　wait　for　the　Romans；　that　they　may　protect　our　holy　places：　are　our　matters　then　brought　to　that　pass？　and　are　we　come　to　that　degree　of　　　misery；　that　our　enemies　themselves　are　expected　to　pity　us？　O　wretched　creatures！　will　not　you　rise　up　and　turn　upon　those　that　strike　you？　which　you　may　observe　in　wild　beasts　themselves；　that　they　will　avenge　themselves　on　those　that　strike　them。　Will　you　not　call　to　mind；　every　one　of　you；　the　calamities　you　yourselves　have　suffered？　nor　lay　before　your　eyes　what　afflictions　you　yourselves　have　undergone？　and　will　not　such　things　sharpen　your　souls　to　revenge？　Is　therefore　that　most　honorable　and　most　natural　of　our　passions　utterly　lost；　I　mean　the　desire　of　liberty？　Truly　we　are　in　love　with　slavery；　and　in　love　with　those　that　lord　it　over　us；　as　if　we　had　received　that　principle　of　subjection　from　our　ancestors；　yet　did　they　undergo　many　and　great　wars　for　the　sake　of　liberty；　nor　were　they　so　far　overcome　by　the　power　of　the　Egyptians；　or　the　Medes；　but　that　still　they　did　what　they　thought　fit；　notwithstanding　their　commands　to　the　contrary。　And　what　occasion　is　there　now　for　a　war　with　the　Romans？　（I　meddle　not　with　determining　whether　it　be　an　　　advantageous　and　profitable　war　or　not。）　What　pretense　is　there　for　it？　Is　it　not　that　we　may　enjoy　our　liberty？　Besides；　shall　we　not　bear　the　lords　of　the　habitable　earth　to　be　lords　over　us；　and　yet　bear　tyrants　of　our　own　country？　Although　I　must　say　that　submission　to　foreigners　may　be　borne；　because　fortune　hath　already　doomed　us　to　it；　while　submission　to　wicked　people　of　our　own　nation　is　too　unmanly；　and　brought　upon　us　by　our　own　consent。　However；　since　I　have　had　　　occasion　to　mention　the　Romans；　I　will　not　conceal　a　thing　that；　as　I　am　speaking；　comes　into　my　mind；　and　affects　me　considerably；　it　is　this；　that　though　we　should　be　taken　by　them；　（God　forbid　the　event　should　be　so！）　yet　can　we　　　undergo　nothing　that　will　be　harder　to　be　borne　than　what　these　men　have　already　brought　upon　us。　How　then　can　we　　　avoid　shedding　of　tears；　when　we　see　the　Roman　donations　in　our　temple；　while　we　withal　see　those　of　our　own　nation　taking　our　spoils；　and　plundering　our　glorious　metropolis；　and　slaughtering　our　men；　from　which　enormities　those　Romans　themselves　would　have　abstained？　to　see　those　Romans　never　going　beyond　the　bounds　allotted　to　profane　persons；　nor　venturing　to　break　in　upon　any　of　our　sacred　customs；　nay；　having　a　horror　on　their　minds　when　they　view　at　a　distance　those　sacred　walls；　while　some　that　have　been　born　in　this　very　country；　and　brought　up　in　our　customs；　and　called　Jews；　do　walk　about　in　the　midst　of　the　holy　places；　at　the　very　time　when　their　hands　are　still　warm　with　the　slaughter　of　their　own　countrymen。　Besides；　can　any　one　be　afraid　of　a　war　abroad；　and　that　with　such　as　will　have　comparatively　much　greater　moderation　than　our　own　people　have？　For　　　truly；　if　we　may　suit　our　words　to　the　things　they　represent；　it　is　probable　one　may　hereafter　find　the　Romans　to　be　the　　　supporters　of　our　laws；　and　those　within　ourselves　the　　　subverters　of　them。　And　now　I　am　persuaded　that　every　one　of　you　here　comes　satisfied　before　I　speak　that　these　　　overthrowers　of　our　liberties　deserve　to　be　destroyed；　and　that　nobody　can　so　much　as　devise　a　punishment　that　they　have　not　deserved　by　what　they　have　done；　and　that　you　are　all　provoked　against　them　by　those　their　wicked　actions；　whence　you　have　suffered　so　greatly。　But　perhaps　many　of　you　are　aftrighted　at　the　multitude　of　those　zealots；　and　at　their　audaciousness；　as　well　as　at　the　advantage　they　have　over　us　in　their　being　higher　in　place　than　we　are；　for　these　circumstances；　as　they　have　been　occasioned　by　your　　　negligence；　so　will　they　become　still