the wars of the jews-第57章

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lded　to　those　that　invited　him　to　come　up；　they　came　about　him　in　a　body；　and　cried　out；　〃Nay；　indeed；　now　may　the　laws　of　our　forefathers；　which　God　ordained　himself；　well　groan　to　purpose；　that　God　we　mean　who　hath　created　the　souls　of　the　Jews　of　such　a　temper；　that　they　despise　death。　O　Josephus！　art　thou　still　fond　of　life？　and　canst　thou　bear　to　see　the　light　in　a　state　of　slavery？　How　soon　hast　thou　forgotten　thyself！　How　many　hast　thou　persuaded　to　lose　their　lives　for　liberty！　Thou　hast　therefore　had　a　false　reputation　for　manhood；　and　a　like　false　reputation　for　wisdom；　if　thou　canst　hope　for　preservation　from　those　against　whom　thou　hast　fought　so　zealously；　and　art　however　willing　to　be　preserved　by　them；　if　they　be　in　earnest。　But　although　the　good　fortune　of　the　Romans　hath　made　thee　forget　thyself；　we　ought　to　take　care　that　the　glory　of　our　forefathers　may　not　be　tarnished。　We　will　lend　thee　our　right　hand　and　a　sword；　and　if　thou　wilt　die　willingly；　thou　wilt　die　as　general　of　the　Jews；　but　if　unwillingly；　thou　wilt　die　as　a　traitor　to　them。〃　As　soon　as　they　said　this；　they　began　to　thrust　their　swords　at　him；　and　threatened　they　would　kill　him；　if　he　thought　of　yielding　himself　to　the　Romans。

5。　Upon　this　Josephus　was　afraid　of　their　attacking　him；　and　yet　thought　he　should　be　a　betrayer　of　the　commands　of　God；　if　he　died　before　they　were　delivered。　So　he　began　to　talk　like　a　philosopher　to　them　in　the　distress　he　was　then　in；　when　he　said　thus　to　them：　〃O　my　friends；　why　are　we　so　earnest　to　kill　ourselves？　and　why　do　we　set　our　soul　and　body；　which　are　such　dear　companions；　at　such　variance？　Can　any　one　pretend　that　I　am　not　the　man　I　was　formerly？　Nay；　the　Romans　are　sensible　how　that　matter　stands　well　enough。　It　is　a　brave　thin　to　die　in　war；　but　so　that　it　be　according　to　the　law　of　war；　by　the　hand　of　conquerors。　If；　therefore；　I　avoid　death　from　the　sword　of　the　Romans；　I　am　truly　worthy　to　be　killed　by　my　own　sword；　and　my　own　hand；　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　do　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　engraven　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　our　bodies。　Besides；　if　any　one　destroys　or　abuses　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　which　run　away　from　their　master　shall　be　punished；　though　the　masters　they　run　away　from　may　have　been　wicked　masters　to　them。　And　shall　we　endeavor　to　run　away　from　God；　who　is　the　best　of　all　masters；　and　not　guilty　of　impeity？　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　posterity　are　sure；　that　their　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　their　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　by　them　to　be　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　nay　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　destruction；　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。〃　　6。　Now　these　and　many　the　like　motives　did　Josephus　use　to　these　men　to　prevent　their　murdering　themselves；　but　desperation　had　shut　their　ears；　as　having　long　ago　devoted　themselves　to　die；　and　they　were　irritated　at　Josephus。　They　then　ran　upon　him　with　their　swords　in　their　hands；　one　from　one　quarter；　and　another　from　another；　and　called　him　a　coward；　and　everyone　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　from　killing　him；　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。

7。　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　manner　following＇：　〃And　now；〃　said　he；　〃since　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　to　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　must　say　it　happened　so　by　chance；　or　whether　by　the　providence　of　God。　And　as　he　was　very　desirous　neither　to　be　condemned　by　the　lot；　nor；　if　he　had　been　left　to　the　last；　to　imbrue　his　right　hand　in　the　blood　of　his　countrymen；　he　persuaded　him　to　trust　his　fidelity　to　him；　and　to　live　as　well　as　himself。

8。　Thus　Josephus　escaped　in　the　war　with　the　Romans；　and　in　this　his　own　war　with　his　friends；　and　was　led　by　Nicanor　to　Vespasian。　But　now　all　the　Romans　ran　together　to　see　him；　and　as　the　multitude　pressed　one　upon　another　about　their　general；　there　was　a　tumult　of　a　various　kind；　while　some　rejoiced　that　Josephus　was　taken；　and　some　threatened　him；　and　some　crowded　to　see　him　very　near；　but　those　that　were　more　remote　cried　out　to　have　this　their　enemy　put　to　death；　while　those　that　were　near　called　to　mind　the　actions　he　had　done；　and　a　deep　concern　appeared　at　the　change　of　his　fortune。　Nor　were　there　any　of　the　Roman　commanders；　how　much　soever　they　had　been　enraged　at　him　before；　but　relented　when　they　came　to　the　sight　of　him。　Above　all　the　rest；　Titus's　own　valor；　and　Josephus's　own　patience　under　his　afflictions；　made　him　pity　him；　as　did　also　the　commiseration　of　his　age；　when　he　recalled　to　mind　that　but　a　little　while　ago　he　was　fighting；　but　lay　now　in　the　hands　of　his　enemies；　which　made　him　consider　the　power　of　fortune；　and　how　quick　is　the　turn　of　affairs　in　war；　and　how　no　state　of　men　is　sure；　for　which　reason　he　then　made　a　great　many　more　to　be　of　the　same　pitiful　temper　with　himself；　and　induced　them　to　commiserate　Josephus。　He　was　also　of　great　weight　in　persuading　his　father　to　preserve　him。　However；　Vespasian　gave　strict　orders　that　he　should　be　kept　with　great　caution；　as　though　he　would　in　a　very　little　time　send　him　to　Nero。　（5）

9。　When　Josephus　heard　him　give　those　orders；　he　said　that　he　had　somewhat　in　his　mind　that　he　would　willingly　say　to　himself　alone。　When　therefore　they　were　all　ordered　to　withdraw；　excepting　Titus　and　two　of　their　friends；　he　said；　〃Thou；　O　Vespasian；　thinkest　no　more　than　that　thou　hast　taken　Josephus　himself　captive；　but　I　come　to　thee　as　a　messenger　of　greater　tidings；　for　had　not　I　been　sent　by　God　to　thee；　I　knew　what　was　the　law　of　the　Jews　in　this　case？　and　how　it　becomes　generals　to　die。　Dost　thou　send　me　to　Nero？　For　why？　Are　Nero's　successors　till　they　come　to　thee　still　alive？　Thou；　O　Vesp