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part of John's lie, they hesitated a great while what they should do, considering the shortness of the time by which they were straitened; because the people were prepared to attacked them very soon, and because the suddenness of the plot laid against them had almost cut off all their hopes of getting any foreign assistance; for they might be under the height of their afflictions before any of their confederates could be informed of it. However, it was resolved to call in the Idumeans; so they wrote a short letter to this effect that "Ananus had imposed on the people, and was betraying "their metropolis to the Romans: that they themselves had "revolted from the rest, and were in custody in the temple, "on account of the preservation of their liberty: that there "was but a small time left, wherein they might hope for "their deliverance; and that unless they would come immediately to their assistance, they should themselves be soon "in the power of Ananus, and the city would be in the power of the Romans.' They also charged the messengers to tell many more circumstances to the rulers of the Idumeans. Now there were two active men proposed for the carrying this message, and such as were well able to speak, and to persuade them that things were in this posture, and, what was a qualification still more necessary than the former, they were very swift of foot; for they knew well enough that these would immediately comply with their desires, as being ever a tumultuous and disorderly nation, always on the watch upon every motion, delighting in mutations; and upon your flattering them ever so little, and petitioning them, they soon take their arms, and put themselves into motion, and make haste to a battle, as if it were a feast. There was indeed occasion for quick dispatch in the carrying of this message, in which point the messengers were no way defective. Both their names were Ananias; and they soon came to the rulers of the Idumeans.

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2. Now these rulers were greatly surprised at the contents of the letter, and at what those that came with it further told them whereupon they ran about the nation like madmen, and made proclamation that the people should come to war; so a multitude was suddenly gotten together, sooner indeed than the time appointed in the proclamation, and every body caught up their arms, in order to maintain the liberty of their metropolis; and twenty thousand of them were put in battle array, and came to Jerusalem under four command.

ers, John, and Jacob the son of Sosas; and besides these was Simon the son of Cathlas, and Phineas the son of Clusothus.

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3. Now this exit of the messengers was not known either to Ananus, or to the guards, but the approach of the Idumeans was known to him; for as he knew of it before they came, he ordered the gates to be shut against them, and that the walls should be guarded. Yet did not he by any means think of fighting against them, but before they came to blows, to try what persuasions would do. Accordingly Jesus, the eldest of the high-priests next to Ananus, stood upon the tower that was over against them, and said thus, "Many trou❝bles indeed, and those of various kinds have fallen upon "this city, yet in none of them have I so much wondered " at her fortune, as now, when you are come to assist wick«ed men, and this after a manner very extraordinary; for "I see that you are come to support the vilest of men against ❝us, and this with so great alacrity, as you could hardly put on the like, in case our metropolis had called you "to her assistance against barbarians. And if I had per"ceived that your army was composed of men like unto "those who invited them, I had not deemed your attempt so "absurd. For nothing does so much cement the minds of "men together as the alliance there is between their man66 ners. But now for these men who have invited you, if "you were to examine them one by one, every one of them "would be found to have deserved ten thousand deaths; for “the very rascality and off-scouring of the whole country, "who have spent in debauchery their own substance, and "by way of trial beforehand, have madly plundered the "neighbouring villages and cities, in the upshot of all, have "privately run together into this holy city. They are rob"bers, who by their prodigious wickedness have profaned "this most sacred floor, and who are to be now seen drinking themselves drunk in the sanctuary, and expending the spoils of those whom they have slaughtered upon their unsatiable bellies. As for the multitude that is with you one may see them so decently adorned in their armour, as it "would become them to be, had their metropolis called them "to her assistance against foreigners. What can a man call "this procedure of yours but the sport of fortune, when he

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sees a whole nation coming to protect a sink of wicked "wretches? I have for a good while been in doubt what it

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"could possibly be that should move you to do this so sud, denly; because certainly you would not take on your ar"mour on the behalf of robbers, and against a people of kin "to you without some very great cause for your so doing, "But we have an item that the Romans are pretended, and "that we are supposed to be going to betray this city to "them; for some of your men have 1-tely made a clamour "about those matters, and have said they are come to set "their metropolis free. Now we cannot but admire at these "wretches in their devising such a lie as this against us; "for they knew there was no other way to irritate against "us men that were naturally desirous of liberty, and on that "account the best disposed to fight against foreign enemies, "but by framing a tale as if we were going to betray that "most desirable thing, liberty. But you ought to consider "what sort of people they are that raise this calumny, and "against what sort of people that calumny is raised, and to gather the truth of things, not by fictitious speeches, but "out of the actions of both parties; for what occasion is "there for us to sell ourselves to the Romans? while it was "in our power not to have revolted from them at the first, "or when we had once revolted, to have returned under "their dominion again and this while the neighbouring "countries were not yet laid waste: whereas it is not an .66 easy thing to be reconciled to the Romans, if we were de"sirous of it, now they have subdued Galilee, and are thereby become proud and insolent; and to endeavour to please "them at the time when they are so near us, would bring "such a reproach upon us as were worse than death. As "for myself indeed, I should have preferred peace with "them before death; but now we have once made war up

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on them, and fought with them, I prefer death with repu"tation, before living in captivity under them. But far"ther, whether do they pretend that we, who are the rulers

of the people, have sent thus privately to the Romans, or "hath it been done by the common suffrages of the people? "If it be ourselves only that have done it, let them name those friends of ours that have been sent, as our servants, to manage this treachery. Hath any one been caught as he went out on bis errand, or seized upon as he came "back? Are they in possession of our letters? How could "we be concealed from such a vast number of our fellow ci"tizens, among whom we are conversant every hour, while VOL VI.

T

"what is done privately in the country is, it seem

by the zealots, who are but few in number, and u "finement also, and are not able to come out of th "into the city. Is this the first time that they are "sensible how they ought to be punished for their "actions? for while these men were free from the f "are cow under, there was no suspicion raised tha "us were traitors. But if they lay this charge ag "people, this must have been done at a public cons "and not one of the people must have dissented "rest of the assembly; in which case the public fam "matter would have come to you sooner than any "lar indication. But how could that be? Must t "then have been ambassadors sent to confirm the "ments? And let them tell us who this ambassad

that was ordained for that purpose. But this is " than a pretence of such men as are loth to die, and "bouring to escape those punishments that hang ove "for if fate had determined that this city was to be b "into its enemies' hands, no other than these men "cuse us falsely could have the impudence to do i

being no wickedness wanting to complete their in "practices but this only, that they become traitors "now you Idumeans are come hither already wit "arms; it is your duty, in the first place, to be assi "your metropolis, and to join with us in cutting of tyrants that have infringed the rules of our regular "nals, that have trampled upon our laws, and mad swords the arbitrators of right and wrong; for they "seized upon men of great eminence, and under no a "tion, as they stood in the midst of the market-plac

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tortured them with putting them into bonds, and w "bearing to hear what they had to say, or what sup ❝tions they made, they destroyed them. You may, please, come into the city, though not in the way o "and take a view of the marks still remaining of what say, and may see the houses that have been depop by their rapacious hands, with those wives and fa "that are in black mourning for their slaughtered rela

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*

as also you may hear their groans and lamentations a "city over; for there is nobody but hath tasted of t "cursions of these profane wretches, who have proce

"to that degree of madness as not only to have transf

ivately in the country is it sensa who are but few in number, and we and are not able to come out of th Is this the first time that they ar y ought to be punished for their i le these men were free from the There was no suspicion raised this But if they lay this charge qu have been done at a public costă people must have dissent y; in which case the public fane e come to you sooner than any ut how could that be? Mus mbassadors sent to confirm te em tell us who this ambassa

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Chap. IV.

THE JEWISH WAR.

"their impudent robberies out of the country, an
"mote cities into this city, the very face and hea
"whole nation, but out of the city into the temple
"that is now made their receptacle and refuge, and
"tain head whence their preparations are made as
"And this place, which is adored by the habitab
" and honoured by such as only know it by repo
"as the ends of the earth, is trampled upon by th
"beasts born among ourselves. They now triump
"desperate condition they are already in, when t
"that one people are going to fight against anothe
"and one city against another city, and that you
"hath gotten an army together against its own bow
"stead of which procedure it were highly fit and re
"as I said before, for you to join with us in cutting
"wretches, and in particular to be revenged on
putting this very cheat upon you; I mean, for h
impudence to invite you to assist them, of wh
ought to have stood in fear, as ready to pun
"But you have some regard to these men's invitatio
yet may you lay aside your arms, and come into
"under the notion of our kindred, and take upon
"middle name between that of auxiliaries and of
However,
and so become judges in this case.
" what these men will gain by being called into
"before you, for such undeniable and such flagra
"who would not vouchsafe to hear such as had
"sations laid against them to speak a word for th
"However, let them gain this advantage by your
"But still, if you will neither take our part in th
nation we have at these men, nor judge betwee
third thing I have to propose is this, that you le
ર alone, and neither insult upon your calamities,
"with these plotters against their metropolis: fo
you should have ever so great a suspicion that s
"have discoursed with the Romans, it is in your
"watch the passages into the city; and in case a
that we have been accused of is brought to ligh
come, and defend your metropolis, and to inflic
ment on those that are found guilty; for the en
"not prevent you, who are now so near the city.

For that purpose. But this is uch men as are loth to die, it hose punishments that hang mined that this city was to be be ds, no other than these met have the impudence to do wanting to complete the ly, that they become trati are come hither already rid in the first place, to be a to join with us in cutting nged the rules of our regula co Jed upon our laws, and mak of right and wrong; at eminence, and under DO A he midst of the market pa ing them into bonds, and ey had to say, stroyed them. You may, y, though not in the way a rks still remaining of what ses that have been depopulate with those wives and f for their slaughtered rel groans and lamentations all ody but hath tasted of the

or

for the

what supp

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"after all

none of their proposals seem acceptable

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