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2. And now the banks were finished, they afforded a foundation for fear both to the Romans and to the Jews; for the Jews expected that the city would be taken, unless they could burn those banks, as did the Romans expect that, if thefe were once burnt down, they fhould never be able to take it; tor there was a mighty fcarcity of materials, and the bodies of the foldiers began to fail with fuch hard labours, as did their fouls faint with fo many inftances of ill fuccefs; nay, the very calamities themselves that were in the city proved a greater difcouragement to the Romans than to those within the city; for they found the fighting men of the Jews to be not all mollified among fuch their fore afflictions, while they had themfelves perpetually lefs and lefs hopes of fuccefs, and their banks were forced to yield to the ftratagems of the enemy, their engines to the firmnefs of their wall, and their clofelt fights to the boldnefs of their attack; and, what was their greatest difcouragement of all, they found the Jew's courageous fouls to be fuperior to the multitude of the miferies they were under by their fedition, their famine, and the war itfelt; infomuch that they were ready to imagine, that the violence of their attacks was invincible, and that the alacrity they fhewed would not be difcouraged by their calamities; for what would not thofe be able to bear if they thould be fortunate, who turned their very misfortunes to the improvement of their valour? Thefe confiderations made the Romans to keep a ftronger guard about their banks than they formerly had done.

3. But now John and his party took care for fecuring themselves afterward, even in this cafe this wall thould be thrown down, and fell to their work before the battering rams were brought against them. Yet did they not compals what they endeavoured to do, but as they were gone out with their torches, they came back under great difcouragement before they came near to the banks: And the reafons were these; that, in the first place, their conduct did not feem to be unanimous, but they went out in diftinét parties, and at diftinct intervals, and after a flow manner, and timoroully, and, to fay all in a word, without a Jewith courage; for they were now defective in what is peculiar to our nation, that is, in boldness, in violence of aflauit, and in running upon the enemy all together, and in perfevering in what they go about, though they do not at first fucceed in it; but they now went out in a more languid manner than ufual, and at the fame time lound the Romans fet in array, and more courageous than ordinary, and that they guarded their banks both with their bodies and their entire armour, and this to fuch a degree on all fides, that they left no room for the fire to get among them, and that every one of their fouls were in fuch good courage, that they would fooner die than defert their ranks; for befides their notion that all their hopes were cut off, in cafe thele their works were

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once burnt, the foldiers were greatly afhamed that fubtilty fhould quite be too hard for courage, madness for armour. multitude for fkill, and Jews for Romans. The Romans had now also another advantage, in that their engines for fieges cooperated with them in throwing darts and ftones as tar as the Jews, when they were coming out of the city; whereby the man that fell became an impediment to him that was next him, as did the danger of going farther make them lefs zealous in their attempts; and for thofe that had run under the darts, fome of them were terrified by the good order and closenels of the enemies ranks before they came to a close fight, and others were pricked with their fpears, and turned back again : At length they reproached one another for their cowardice, and retired without doing any thing. This attack was made upon the first day of the month Panemus, [Tamuz]. So, when the Jews were retreated, the Romans brought their engines, although they had all the while ftones thrown at them from the tower of Antonia, and were affaulted by fire and fword, and by all forts of darts which neceflity afforded the Jews to make ufe of; for although thefe had great dependence on their own wall, and a contempt of the Roman engines, yet did they endeavour to hinder the Romans from bringing them. Now thefe Romans ftruggled hard, on the contrary, to bring them, as deeming that this zeal of the Jews was in order to avoid any impreffion to be made on the tower of Antonia, because its wall was but weak, and its foundations rotten. However, that tower did not yield to the blows given it from the engines; yet did the Romans bear the impreffions made by the enemies darts which were perpetually caft at them, and did not give way to any of thofe dangers that came upon them from above, and fo they brought their engines to bear. But then, as they were beneath the other, and were fadly wounded by the ftones thrown down upon them, fome of them threw their fhields over their bodies, and partly with their hands, and partly with their bodies, and partly with crows, they undermined its foundations, and with great pains they removed four of its ftones. Then night came upon both fides, and put an end to this ftruggle for the prefent: However, that night the wall was fo fhaken by the battering rams in that place where John had ufed his ftratagem before, and had undermined their banks, that the ground then gave way, and the wall fell down fuddenly.

4. When this accident had unexpectedly happened, the minds of both parties were variously affected: For though one would expect that the Jews would be difcouraged, because this fall of their wall was unexpected by them, and they had made no provifion in that cafe, yet did they pull up their courage, because the tower of Antonia itself was ftill flanding; as was the unexpected joy of the Romans at this fall of the wall foon quenched by the fight they had of another wall, which John and his party had built within it. However, the attack

of this fecond wall appeared to be easier than that of the former, because it feemed a thing of greater facility to get up to it through the parts of the former wall that were now thrown down. This new wall appeared alfo to be much weaker than the tower of Antonia, and accordingly the Romans imagined that it had been erected fo much on the fudden, that they fhould foon overthrow it: Yet did not any body venture now to go up to this wall; for that fuch as firit ventured fo to do mult certainly be killed.

5. And now Titus, upon confideration that the alacrity of foldiers in war is chiefly excited by hopes and by good words, and that exhortations and promifes do frequently make men to forget the hazards they run, nay, fometimes to defpife death itself, got together the most courageous part of his ar my, and tried what he could do with his men by these methods. "O fellow-foldiers," faid he, to make an exhortation to men to do what hath no peril in it, is on that very account inglorious to fuch to whom that exhortation is made; and indeed fo it is, in him that makes the exhortation, an argument of his own cowardice alfo. I therefore think, that fuch exhortations ought then only to be made ufe ol, when affairs are in a dangerous condition, and yet are worthy of be ing attempted by every one themfelves: Accordingly, I am fully of the fame opinion with you, that it is a difficult task to go up this wall; but that it is proper for those that defire reputation for their valour to ftruggie with difficulties in fuch cafes, will then appear, when I have particularly fhewed, that it is a brave thing to die with glory, and that the courage here neceffary fhall not go unrewarded in thofe that first begin the attempt. And let my first argument to move you to it be taken from what probably fome would think reasonable to diffuade you, I mean the conftancy and patience of thefe Jews, even under their ill fucceffes; for it is unbecoming you, who are Romans and my foldiers, who have in peace been taught how to make wars, and who have alfo been used to conquer in thofe wars, to be inferior to Jews either in action of the hand, or in courage of the foul, and this efpecially when you are at the conclufion of your victory, and are affifted by God himfelf; for as to our misfortunes, they have been owing to the madness of the Jews, while their fufferings have been owing to your valour, and to the affiftance God hath afforded you; for as to the feditinos they have been in, and the famine they are under, and the fiege they now endure, and the fall of their walls without our engines, what can they all be but demonftrations of God's anger against them, and of his affiftance afforded us! It will not therefore be proper for you either to thew yourselves inferior to thofe to whom you are really fuperior, or to betray that divine affiflance which is afforded you. And indeed, how can it be efteemed otherwife than a base and unworthy thing, that while the Jews, who need not be much a

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fhamed if they be deferted, because they have long learned to be flaves to others, do yet defpife death, that they may be fo no longer; and do make fallies into the very midst of us frequently, not in hopes of conquering us, but merely for a demonftration of their courage; we, who have gotten poffeffion of almoft all the world that belongs to either land or fea, to whom it will be a great fhame if we do not conquer them, do not once undertake any attempt againft our enemies wherein there is much danger, but fit ftill idle, with fuch brave arms as we have, and only wait till the famine and fortune do our bufinefs themfelves, and this when we have it in our power, with some fmall hazard, to gain all that we defire. For if we go up to this tower of Antonia, we gain the city; for if there fhould be any more occafion for fighting against thofe within the city, which I do not fuppofe there will, fince we fhall then be upon the top of the hill, and be upon our enemies before they can have taken breath, thefe advantages promife us no less than a certain and fudden victory. As for myfelf, I fhall at prefent wave any commendations of thofe who die in wart, and omit to fpeak of the immortality of thofe men who are flain in the midst of their martial bravery: Yet cannot I forbear to imprecate upon those who are of a contrary difpofition, that they may die in time of peace, by fome diítemper or other, fince their fouls are condenined to the grave, together with their bodies. For what man of virtue is there who does not know, that those fouls which are fevered from their fleshly bodies in battles by the fword, are received by the ether, that pureft of elements, and joined to that company which are placed among the stars; that they become good demons, and propitious heroes, and fhew themfelves as fuch, to their pofterity afterwards? While upon thofe fouls that wear away in and with their diftempered bodics comes a fubterranean night, to diffolve them to nothing, and a deep oblivion to take away all the remembrance of them, and this notwithstanding they be clean from all pots and defilements of this world; fo that, in this cafe, the foul at the fame time comes to the utmost bounds of its life, and of its body, and of its memorial alfo. But fince fate hath determined that death is to come of neceflity upon all men, a sword is a better inftrument for that purpofe

* Reland notes here, very pertinently, that the tower of Antonia flood higher than the floor of the temple or court adjoming to it; and that accordingly they defcended thence into the temple, as Jofephus citewhere (peaks allo. See Book VI. chap. ii. fett. 5.

In this fpeech of Titus we may clearly fee the notions which the Romans then had of death, and of the happy ftate of thole who died bravely in war, and the contrary cftate of those who died ignobly in their beds by ficknels. Reland here allo produces two parallel paffages, the one out of Ammianus Marcellinus, concerning the Alani. lib. 31. That they judged that man happy who laid down his lile in battle." The other of Valerius Maximus, lib. xi, c. 6. who fays, That." the Cimbri and Celtiberi exulted for joy in the army, as being to go out of the world gioriqully and happily."

than any disease whatfoever. Why is it not then a very mean thing for us not to yield up that to the public benefit, which we muft yield up to fate? And this difcourfe have I made upon the fuppofition that thofe who at first attempt to go upon this wall muft needs be killed in the attempt, though ftill men of true courage have a chance to efcape, even in the most hazardous undertakings. For, in the first place, that part of the former wall that is thrown down is easily to be afcended, and for the new built wall, it is eafily deftroyed. Do you, therefore, many of you, pull up your courage, and fet about this work, and do you mutually encourage and affift one another; and this your bravery will foon break the hearts of your enemies; and perhaps fuch a glorious undertaking as yours is may be accomplished without bloodfhed. For although it is juftiy to be fuppofed, that the Jews will try to hinder you at your first beginning to go up to them, yet when you have once concealed yourfelves from them, and driver them away by force, they will not be able to fuflain your et forts against them any longer, though but a few of you prevent them, and get over the wall. As for that person who first mounts the wall, I fhould blush for shame if I did not make him to be envied of others, by thofe rewards I would bestow upon him. If fuch an one efcape with his life, he fhall have the command of others that are now but his equals; although it be true alfo, that the greatest rewards will accrue to fuch as die in the attempt."

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6. Upon this fpeech of Titus, the reft of the multitude were affrighted at fo great a danger. But there was one, whose name was Sabinus, a foldier that ferved among the cohorts, and a Syrian by birth, who appeared to be of very great fortitude, both in the actions he had done, and the courage of his foul he had fhewed; although any body would have thought, before he came to his work, that he was of fuch a weak conftitution of body, that he was not fit to be a foldier: For his colour was black, his flesh was lean, and thin, and lay clofe together; but there was a certain heroic foul that dwelt in this Imall body, which body was indeed much too narrow for that peculiar courage which was in him. Accordingly he was the firft that rofe up, when he thus fpake: "I readily furrender up my felf to thee, O Cæfar; I firft afcend the wall, and I heartily with that my fortune may follow my courage, and my refolution. And if fome ill fortune grudge me the fuccels, of my undertaking, take notice that my ill fuccefs will not be unexpected, but that I choofe death voluntarily for thy fake." When he had faid this, and had fpread out his fhield over his head, with his left hand, and had, with his right hand, drawn his fword, he marched up to the wall, jult about the fixth hour of the day. There followed him eleven others, and no more,

* See note, p. 866.

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