when he sees a whole nation coming to protect a sink of wicked wretches? I have for a good while been in doubt what it could possibly be that should move you to do this so suddenly. Because certainly you would not take all your armour on behalf of robbers, and against a people of kin to you, without some very great cause for so doing. But we have had 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 lately 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 falsehood 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 easy thing to be reconciled to the Romans, if we were desirous 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 upon, and fought with them, I prefer death with reputation, before living in captivity under them. But farther, 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 this errand; or seized upon as he came back ? Are they in possession of our letters? How could we be conceal

ed from such a vast number of our fellow-citizens, among whom we are conversant every hour, while what is done privately in the country is, it seems, known by the zealots; who are but few in number, and under confinement also; and are not able to come out of the temple into the city? Is this the first time that they are become sensible how they ought to be punished for their insolent actions? For while these men were free from the fear they are now under, there was no suspicion raised that any of us were traitors. But if they lay this charge against the people, this must have been done at a public consultation, and not one of the people must have dissented from the rest of the assembly. In which case the public faine of this matter, would have come to you sooner than any particular indication. But how could that be? Must there not then have been ambassadors sent to confirm the agreeinents? And let them tell us who this ambassador was, that was ordained for that purpose. But this is no other than a pretence of such men as are loth to die, and are labouring to escape those punishments that hang over them. For if fate had determined that this city was to be betrayed into its enemies' hands, no other than these men that accuse us falsely could have the impudence to do it. There being no wickedness wanting to complete their impudent practices, but this only, that they become traitors. And now you, Idumeans, are come hither already with your arms, it is your duty, in the first place, to be assisting to your metropolis, and to join with us in cutting off those tyrants that have infringed the rules of our regular tribunals; that have trampled upon our laws, and made their swords the arbitrators of right and wrong. For they have seized upon men of great eminence, and under no accusation, as they stood in the midst of the market-place, and tortured them with putting them into bonds; and without bearing to hear what they had to say, or what supplications they made, they destroyed them. You may, if you please, come into the city, though not in the way of war, and take a view of the vestiges still remaining of what I now say; and may see the houses that have been depopulated by their rapacious hands; with those wives and families that are in mourning for their slaughtered relations. As also you may hear their groans and lamentations all the city over: for there is nobody but hath tasted of the

incursions of these profane wretches. Who have proceeded to that degree of madness, as not only to have transferred their impudent robberies out of the country, and the remote cities, into this city, the very face and head of the whole nation; but out of the city into the temple also. For that is now made their receptacle, and refuge, and the fountain head whence their preparations are made against us. And this place, which is adored by the habitable world, and honoured by such as only know it by report, as far as the ends of the earth, is trampled upon by these wild beasts born among ourselves. They now triumph in the desperate condition they are already in, when they hear that one people are going to fight against another people; and one city against another: and that your nation hath gotten an army together against its own bowels. Instead of which procedure, it were highly fit and reasonable, as I said before, for you to join with us in cutting off these wretches; and in particular to be revenged on them for putting this very cheat upon you: I mean for having the impudence to invite you to assist them, whom they ought to have stood in fear of, as ready to punish them. But if you have some regard to these men's invitation of you, yet may you lay aside your arms, and come into the city under the notion of our kindred, and take upon you a middle name between that of auxiliaries, and of enemies; and so become judges in this case. However, consider what these men will gain by being called into judgment before you, for such undeniable and such flagrant crimes: who would not vouchsafe to hear such as had no accusations laid against them to speak a word for themselves. However, let them gain this advantage by your coming. But still, if you will neither take our part in that indignation we have at these men, nor judge between us; the third thing I have to propose is this, that you let us both alone, and neither insult upon our calamities, nor abide with these plotters against their metropolis. For though you should have never so great a suspicion that some of us have discoursed with the Romans, it is in your power to watch the passage into the city and in case any thing that we have been aceused of is brought to light, then to come, and defend your metropolis, and to inflict punishment on those that are found guilty. For the enemy cannot prevent you, who are now so near to the

city. But if, after all, none of these proposals seem acceptable and moderate, do not you wonder that the gates are shut against you, while you continue in arms."

Thus spake Jesus. Yet did not the multitude of the Idumeans give any attention to what he said, but were in a rage, because they did not meet with a ready entrance into the city. The generals also had indignation at the offer of laying down their arms; and looked upon it as equal to a captivity, to throw them away at any man's injunction. But Simon, the son of Cathlas, one of their commanders, with much difficulty quieted the tumult of his own men, and stood so that the high-priests might hear him, and said as follows: "I can no longer wonder that the patrons of liberty are under custody in the temple, since there are those that shut the gates of our *common city to their own nation; and at the same time are prepared to admit the Romans into it; nay, perhaps, are disposed to crown the gates with garlands at their coming; while they speak to the Idumeans from their towers, and enjoin them to throw down those arms which they have taken up for the preservation of its liberty. And while they will not intrust the guard of our metropolis to their kindred, profess to make them judges of the differences that are among them: nay, while they accuse some men of having slain others without a legal trial, they do themselves condemn a whole nation after an ignominious manner. And have now walled up that city from their own nation, which used to be open to even all foreigners that came to worship there. We have, indeed, come in great haste to you, and to a war against our own countrymen. And the reason why. we have made such haste is, that we may preserve that freedom which you are so unhappy as to betray. You have probably been guilty of the like crimes against those whom you keep in custody; and have, I suppose, collected together the like plausible pretences against them also, that you make use of against us. After

* This appellation of Jerusalem, given it here by Simon, the general of the Idumeans, "the common city of the Idumeans," who were proselytes of justice, as well as of the original native Jews, greatly confirms that maxim of the Rabbins, here set down by Reland, that Jerusalem was not assigned or appropriated, to the tribe of Benjamin or Judah, but every tribe had equal right in it; at their coming to worship there, at the several festivals. See a little before, Chap. 3

which you have gotten the mastery of those within the temple, and keep them in custody; while they are only taking care of the public affairs. You have also shut the gates of the city in general against nations that are the most nearly related to you. And while you give such injurious commands to others, you complain that you have been tyrannized over by them: and fix the name of unjust governors upon such as are tyrannized over by yourselves. Who can bear your abuse of words, while they have a regard to the contrariety of your actions? Unless you mean that those Idumeans do now exclude you out of your metropolis, whom you exclude from the sacred offices of your own country. One may, indeed, justly complain of those that are besieged in the temple; that when they had courage enough to punish those traitors, whom you call eminent men, and free from any accusations, because of their being your companions in wickedness; they did not begin with you, and thereby cut off beforehand the most dangerous parts of this treason. But if these men have been more merciful than the public necessity required, we that are Idumeans will preserve this house of God; and will fight for our common country; and will oppose by war as well those that attack them from abroad, as those that betray them from within. Here will we abide before the walls in our armour, until either the Romans grow weary in waiting for you, or you become friends to liberty, and repent of what you have done against it."

Now the Idumeans made an acclamation to what Simon had said. But Jesus went away sorrowful: as seeing that the Idumeans were against all moderate counsels; and that the city was besieged on both sides. Nor, indeed, were the minds of the Idumeans at rest for they were in a rage at the injury that had been offered them, by their exclusion out of the city: and when they thought the zealots had been strong, but saw nothing of theirs to support them, they were in doubt about the matter; and many of them repented that they had come thither. But the shame that would attend them in case they returned without doing any thing at all, so far overcome their repentance, that they lay all night before the wall, though in a very bad encampment. For there broke out a prodigious storm in the night, with the utmost violence, and very strong winds, with the largest showers of rain, with continued