But if they admit of mercy, and would spare their enemy, how much more ought we to have mercy upon ourselves, and to spare ourselves? For it is certainly a foolish thing to do that to ourselves, which we quarrel with them for doing to us. I confess freely, that it is a brave thing to die for liberty. But still so that it be in war, and done by those who take that liberty from us. But in the present case, our enemies neither meet us in battle, nor do they kill us. Now he is equally a coward who will not die, when he is obliged to die: and he who will die, when he is not obliged so to do. What are we afraid of when we will not go up to the Romans? Is it death? If so, what we are afraid of when we but suspect our enemies will inflict it on us, shall we inflict it on ourselves for certain? But it may be said, we must be slaves. And are we then in a clear state of liberty at present? It may also be said, that it is a manly act for one to kill himself. No, certainly; but a most unmanly one. As I should esteem that pilot to be an arrant coward, who, out of fear of a storm, should sink his ship of his own accord. Now self-murder is a crime most remote from the common nature of all animals; and an instance of impiety against God our creator.. Nor indeed is there any animal that dies by its own contrivance, or by its own means. For the desire of life is a law engaven in them all. On which account we deem those that openly take it away from us to be our enemies: and those that do it by treachery are punished for so doing. And do not you think that God is very angry, when a man does injury to what he hath bestowed on him? For from him it is that we have received our being and we ought to leave it to his disposal to take that being away from us. The bodies of all men are indeed mortal, and are created out of corruptible matter. But the soul is ever immortal, and is a portion of the divinity that inhabits in our bodies. Besides, if any one destroy or abuse a depositum he hath received from a mere man, he is esteemed a wicked and perfidious person. But then if any one cast out of his body this divine depositum, can we imagine that he who is thereby affronted does not know of it? Moreover, our law justly ordains that slaves that run away from their masters shall be punished, though the masters they run away from may have been wicked masters to them. And shall we en

deavour to run away from God, who is the best of all masters, and not think ourselves guilty of impiety? Do not you know that those who depart out of this life according to the law of nature, and pay that debt which was received from God, when he that lent it us is pleased to require it back again, enjoy eternal fame; that their houses and their property are sure? that these souls are pure, and obedient, and obtain a most holy place in heaven? From whence, in the revolutions of ages, they are again sent into pure bodies. While the souls of those whose hands have acted madly against themselves, are received by the darkest place in Hades; and while God, who is our father, punishes those that offend against either of them in their posterity. For which reason God hates such doings: and the crime is punished by our most wise legislator. Accordingly our *laws determine, that the bodies of such as kill themselves should be exposed till the sun be set, without burial: although at the same time it be allowed lawful to bury our enemies sooner. The laws of other nations also enjoin such men's hands to be cut off, when they are dead, which had been made use of in destroying themselves when alive: while they reckoned, that as the body is alien from the soul, so is the hand alien from the body. It is therefore, my friends, a right thing to reason justly, and not add to the calamities which men bring upon us, impiety towards our Creator. If we have a mind to preserve ourselves, let us do it. For to be preserved by those our enemies, to whom we have given so many demonstrations of our courage, is no way inglorious. But if we have a mind to die, it is good to die by the hand of those that have conquered us.For my part I will not run over to our enemies' quarters, in order to be a traitor to myself. For certainly I should then be much more foolish than those that deserted to the enemy; since they did it in order to save themselves and I should do it for my own destruction. However, I heartily wish the Romans may prove treacherous in this matter. For if, after their offer of their right hand

for security, I be slain by them, I shall die cheerfully, and carry away with me the sense of their perfidiousness, as a consolation greater than victory itself."

*Where this law of Moses is to be found I do not know.

78

WRAS OF THE JEWS.

[BOOK 111:

These and many similar motives did Josephus use to these men, to prevent them murdering themselves. But desperation had shut their ears, as having long ago devoted themselves to die; and they were irritated at Josephus. They accordingly ran upon him with their swords in their hands; one from one quarter, and another from another, and called him a coward: and every one of them appeared openly, as if he were ready to smite him. But he calling to one of them by name; and looking like a general to another; and taking a third by the hand; and making a fourth ashamed of himself by praying him to forbear; and being in this condition distracted with various passions, (as he well might, in the great distress he was then in,) he kept off every one of their swords and was forced to do like such wild beasts as are encompassed about on every side, who always turn themselves against those that last touched them. Nay, some of their right hands were debilitated by the reverence they bare to their general, in these his fatal calamities, and their swords dropped out of their hands; and not a few of them there were who, when they aimed to smite him with their swords, they were not thoroughly either willing, or able, to do it.

However, in this extreme distress, he was not destitute of his usual sagacity but trusting himself to the providence of God, he put his life into hazard, in the following manner: "Since," said he, "it is resolved among you that you will die, come on, let us commit our mutual deaths to determination by lot. He whom the lot falls on first, let him be killed by him that hath the second lot and thus fortune shall make its progress through us all.Nor shall any of us perish by his own right hand. For it would be unfair if, when the rest are gone, somebody should repent, and save himself." This proposal appeared to them to be very just: and when he had prevailed with them to determine this matter by lots, he drew one of the lots for himself also. He who had the first lot laid his neck bare to him that had the next; as supposing that the general would die among them immediately. For they thought death, if Josephus might but die with them, was sweeter than life. Yet was he with another left to the last whether we it happened so by chance, or whether by the providence of God. And as he was very desirous neither to be condemned

must say