now that great city, the metropolis of the Jewish nation; which was fortified by so many walls round about; which had so many fortresses and large towers to defend it; which could hardly contain the instruments prepared for the war; and which had so many thousands of men to fight for it? Where is this city that was believed to have God himself inhabiting therein? It is now demolished to the very foundations and hath nothing but that monument of it preserved; I mean the camp of those that have destroyed it; which still stands upon its ruins. Some unfortunate old men also lie upon the ashes of the temple; and a few women are there preserved alive by the enemy, for our bitter shame and reproach. Now who is there that revolves these things in his mind, and yet is able to bear the sight of the sun, though he might live out of danger? Who is there so much his country's enemy, or so unmanly, and so desirous of living, as not to repent that he is still alive? And I cannot but wish that we had all died before we had seen that holy city demolished by the hands of our enemies; or the foundations of our holy temple dug up after so profane a manner. But since we had a generous hope that deluded us; as if we might perhaps have been able to avenge ourselves on our enemies on that account; though it be now become vanity, and hath left us alone in this distress, let us make haste to die bravely. Let us pity ourselves, our children, and our wives, while it is in our power to show pity to them. For *we were born to die; as well as those were whom we have begotten. Nor is it in the power of the most happy of our race to avoid it. But for abuses, and slavery, and the sight of our wives led away after an ignominious manner, with their children, these are not such evils as are natural and necessary among men. Although such as do not prefer death before those miseries, when it is in their power so to do, must undergo even them, on account of their own cowardice. We revolted from the Romans with great pretensions to courage: and when, at the very last, they invited us to preserve ourselves, we would not comply with them. Who will not, therefore, believe

* Reland here sets down a parallel aphorism of one of the Jewish Rabbins, “We are born that we may die; and die that we may live."

that they will certainly be enraged at us, in case they can take us alive? Miserable will then be the young men, who will be strong enough in their bodies to sustain many torments. Miserable also will be those of elder years, who will not be able to bear those calamities which young men might sustain. One man will be obliged to hear the voice of his son imploring help of his father, when his hands are bound. But certainly, our hands are still at liberty, and have a sword in them; let them then be subservient to us in our glorious design. Let us die before we become slaves under our enemies and let us go out of the world, together with our children, and our wives, in a state of freedom. This it is that our laws command us to do. This it is that our wives and chil dren crave at our hands. Nay, God himself has brought this necessity upon us. While the Romans desire the contrary: and are afraid lest any of us should die before we are taken. therefore, make haste; and instead of affording them so much pleasure, as they expect, in getting us under their power; let us leave them an example which shall at once cause their astonishment at our death, and their admiration of our fortitude."

CHAP. IX.

Let us,

THE PEOPLE OF MASADA ARE PREVAILED UPON BY THE ORATIONS OF ELEAZAR TO DESTROY EACH OTHER, TWO WOMEN AND FIVE CHILDREN ONLY EXCEPTED.

NOW as Eleazar was proceeding in his exhortation, his auditors cut him off short, and hastened to do the work; as full of an unconquerable ardour of mind, and moved with a demoniacal fury. So they went their ways, as one still endeavouring to be before another; and as thinking that this eagerness would be a demonstration of their courage and good conduct; if they could avoid appearing in the last class. So great was the zeal they were in to slay their wives, and children, and themselves also. Nor, indeed, when they came to the work itself, did their courage fail them, as one might imagine it would have done: but they persisted in the same resolution, without wavering, which they had upon the hearing of Eleazar's speech, while yet every one of them retained the VOD. IV.

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natural passion of love to themselves, and their families: because the reasoning they went upon appeared to them to be very just, even with regard to those that were dearest to them. For the husbands tenderly embraced their wives, and took their children into their arms, and gave the longest parting kisses to them, with tears in their eyes. Yet at the same time did they complete what they had resolved on; as if they had been executed by the hands of strangers. And they had nothing else for their comfort, but the necessity they were in of doing this execution to avoid that prospect they had of the miseries they were to suffer from their enemies. Nor was there at length any one of these men found that scrupled to act their part in this terrible execution: but every one of them despatched his dearest relations.* Miserable men, indeed, were they! whose distress forced them to slay their own wives and children with their own hands, as the lightest of those evils that were before them. So they being not able to bear the grief they were under for what they had done any longer; and esteeming it an injury to those they had slain, to live even the shortest space of time after them, presently laid all they had upon a. heap, and set fire to it. They then chose ten men by lot, out of them, to slay all the rest. Every one of which laid himself down by his wife and children on the ground, and threw his arms about them, and then offered their necks to the stroke of those who by lot executed that melancholy office. And when these ten had, without fear, slain them all, they made the same rule for casting lots for themselves; that he whose lot it was should first kill the other nine and after all should kill himself. Accordingly, all these had courage sufficient to be no way behind one another in doing or suffering,. So, for a conclusion, the nine offered their necks to the executioner; and he who was the last of all took a view of all the other dead bodies; lest perchance some or other among so many that were slain should want his assistance to be quite despatched: and when

* Dreadful, indeed, must their situation have been to have reconciled them to such an action. But desperation produces the most unexpected catastrophes.Their destruction was completed by their own as well as by the sword of the enemy. B.