the wars of the jews-第52章

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ters　as　had　been　made；　and　were　disposed　to　revolt；　alleging　that　they　should　seem　to　have　been　the　first　beginners　of　the　war；　if　they　did　not　prevent　the　report　by　showing　who　it　was　that　began　it；　and　it　appeared　openly　that　they　would　not　be　quiet；　if　any　body　should　hinder　them　from　sending　such　an　embassage。　But　Agrippa；　although　he　thought　it　too　dangerous　a　thing　for　them　to　appoint　men　to　go　as　the　accusers　of　Florus；　yet　did　he　not　think　it　fit　for　him　to　overlook　them；　as　they　were　in　a　disposition　for　war。　He　therefore　called　the　multitude　together　into　a　large　gallery；　and　placed　his　sister　Bernice　in　the　house　of　the　Asamoneans；　that　she　might　be　seen　by　them；　（which　house　was　over　the　gallery；　at　the　passage　to　the　upper　city；　where　the　bridge　joined　the　temple　to　the　gallery；）　and　spake　to　them　as　follows：

4。（24）　〃　Had　I　perceived　that　you　were　all　zealously　disposed　to　go　to　war　with　the　Romans；　and　that　the　purer　and　more　sincere　part　of　the　people　did　not　propose　to　live　in　peace；　I　had　not　come　out　to　you；　nor　been　so　bold　as　to　give　you　counsel；　for　all　discourses　that　tend　to　persuade　men　to　do　what　they　ought　to　do　are　superfluous；　when　the　hearers　are　agreed　to　do　the　contrary。　But　because　some　are　earnest　to　go　to　war　because　they　are　young；　and　without　experience　of　the　miseries　it　brings；　and　because　some　are　for　it　out　of　an　unreasonable　expectation　of　regaining　their　liberty；　and　because　others　hope　to　get　by　it；　and　are　therefore　earnestly　bent　upon　it；　that　in　the　confusion　of　your　affairs　they　may　gain　what　belongs　to　those　that　are　too　weak　to　resist　them；　I　have　thought　proper　to　get　you　all　together；　and　to　say　to　you　what　I　think　to　be　for　your　advantage；　that　so　the　former　may　grow　wiser；　and　change　their　minds；　and　that　the　best　men　may　come　to　no　harm　by　the　ill　conduct　of　some　others。　And　let　not　any　one　be　tumultuous　against　me；　in　case　what　they　hear　me　say　do　not　please　them；　for　as　to　those　that　admit　of　no　cure；　but　are　resolved　upon　a　revolt；　it　will　still　be　in　their　power　to　retain　the　same　sentiments　after　my　exhortation　is　over；　but　still　my　discourse　will　fall　to　the　ground；　even　with　a　relation　to　those　that　have　a　mind　to　hear　me；　unless　you　will　all　keep　silence。　I　am　well　aware　that　many　make　a　tragical　exclamation　concerning　the　injuries　that　have　been　offered　you　by　your　procurators；　and　concerning　the　glorious　advantages　of　liberty；　but　before　I　begin　the　inquiry；　who　you　are　that　must　go　to　war；　and　who　they　are　against　whom　you　must　fight；　I　shall　first　separate　those　pretenses　that　are　by　some　connected　together；　for　if　you　aim　at　avenging　yourselves　on　those　that　have　done　you　injury；　why　do　you　pretend　this　to　be　a　war　for　recovering　your　liberty？　but　if　you　think　all　servitude　intolerable；　to　what　purpose　serve　your　complaint　against　your　particular　governors？　for　if　they　treated　you　with　moderation；　it　would　still　be　equally　an　unworthy　thing　to　be　in　servitude。　Consider　now　the　several　cases　that　may　be　supposed；　how　little　occasion　there　is　for　your　going　to　war。　Your　first　occasion　is　the　accusations　you　have　to　make　against　your　procurators；　now　here　you　ought　to　be　submissive　to　those　in　authority；　and　not　give　them　any　provocation；　but　when　you　reproach　men　greatly　for　small　offenses；　you　excite　those　whom　you　reproach　to　be　your　adversaries；　for　this　will　only　make　them　leave　off　hurting　you　privately；　and　with　some　degree　of　modesty；　and　to　lay　what　you　have　waste　openly。　Now　nothing　so　much　damps　the　force　of　strokes　as　bearing　them　with　patience；　and　the　quietness　of　those　who　are　injured　diverts　the　injurious　persons　from　afflicting。　But　let　us　take　it　for　granted　that　the　Roman　ministers　are　injurious　to　you；　and　are　incurably　severe；　yet　are　they　not　all　the　Romans　who　thus　injure　you；　nor　hath　Caesar；　against　whom　you　are　going　to　make　war；　injured　you：　it　is　not　by　their　command　that　any　wicked　governor　is　sent　to　you；　for　they　who　are　in　the　west　cannot　see　those　that　are　in　the　east；　nor　indeed　is　it　easy　for　them　there　even　to　hear　what　is　done　in　these　parts。　Now　it　is　absurd　to　make　war　with　a　great　many　for　the　sake　of　one；　to　do　so　with　such　mighty　people　for　a　small　cause；　and　this　when　these　people　are　not　able　to　know　of　what　you　complain：　nay；　such　crimes　as　we　complain　of　may　soon　be　corrected；　for　the　same　procurator　will　not　continue　for　ever；　and　probable　it　is　that　the　successors　will　come　with　more　moderate　inclinations。　But　as　for　war；　if　it　be　once　begun；　it　is　not　easily　laid　down　again；　nor　borne　without　calamities　coming　therewith。　However；　as　to　the　desire　of　recovering　your　liberty；　it　is　unseasonable　to　indulge　it　so　late；　whereas　you　ought　to　have　labored　earnestly　in　old　time　that　you　might　never　have　lost　it；　for　the　first　experience　of　slavery　was　hard　to　be　endured；　and　the　struggle　that　you　might　never　have　been　subject　to　it　would　have　been　just；　but　that　slave　who　hath　been　once　brought　into　subjection；　and　then　runs　away；　is　rather　a　refractory　slave　than　a　lover　of　liberty；　for　it　was　then　the　proper　time　for　doing　all　that　was　possible；　that　you　might　never　have　admitted　the　Romans　＇into　your　city＇；　when　Pompey　came　first　into　the　country。　But　so　it　was；　that　our　ancestors　and　their　kings；　who　were　in　much　better　circumstances　than　we　are；　both　as　to　money；　and　strong　bodies；　and　＇valiant＇　souls；　did　not　bear　the　onset　of　a　small　body　of　the　Roman　army。　And　yet　you；　who　have　now　accustomed　yourselves　to　obedience　from　one　generation　to　another；　and　who　are　so　much　inferior　to　those　who　first　submitted；　in　your　circumstances　will　venture　to　oppose　the　entire　empire　of　the　Romans。　While　those　Athenians；　who；　in　order　to　preserve　the　liberty　of　Greece；　did　once　set　fire　to　their　own　city；　who　pursued　Xerxes；　that　proud　prince；　when　he　sailed　upon　the　land；　and　walked　upon　the　sea；　and　could　not　be　contained　by　the　seas；　but　conducted　such　an　army　as　was　too　broad　for　Europe；　and　made　him　run　away　like　a　fugitive　in　a　single　ship；　and　brake　so　great　a　part　of　Asia　at　the　Lesser　Salamis；　are　yet　at　this　time　servants　to　the　Romans；　and　those　injunctions　which　are　sent　from　Italy　become　laws　to　the　principal　governing　city　of　Greece。　Those　Lacedemonians　also　who　got　the　great　victories　at　Thermopylae。　and　Platea；　and　had　Agesilaus　＇for　their　king＇；　and　searched　every　corner　of　Asia；　are　contented　to　admit　the　same　lords。　Those　Macedonians　also；　who　still　fancy　what　great　men　their　Philip　and　Alexander　were；　and　see　that　the　latter　had　promised　them　the　empire　over　the　world；　these　bear　so　great　a　change；　and　pay　their　obedience　to　those　whom　fortune　hath　advanced　in　their　stead。　Moreover；　ten　thousand　ether　nations　there　are　who　had　greater　reason　than　we　to　claim　their　entire　liberty；　and　yet　do　submit。　You　are　the　only　people　who　think　it　a　disgrace　to　be　servants　to　those　to　whom　all　the　world　hath　submitted。　What　sort　of　an　army　do　you　rely　on？　What　are　the　arms　you　depend　on？　Where　is　your　fleet；　that　may　seize　upon　the　Roman　seas？　and　where　are　those　treasures　which　may　be　sufficient　for　your　undertakings？　Do　you　suppose；　I　pray　you；　that　you　are　to　make　war　with　the　Egyptians；　and　with　the　Arabians？　Will　you　not　carefully　reflect　upon　the　Roman　empire？　Will　you　not　estimate　your　own　weakness？　Hath　not　your　army　been　often　beaten　even　by　your　neighboring　nations；　while　the　power　of　the　Romans　is　invincible　in　all　parts　of　the　habitable　earth？　nay；　rather　they　seek　for　somewhat　still　beyond　that；　for　all　Euphrates　is　not　a　sufficient　boundary　for　them　on　the　east　side；　nor　the　Danube　on　the　north；　and　for　their　southern　limit；　Libya　hath　been　searched　over　by　them；　as　far　as　countries　uninhabited；　as　is　Cadiz　their　limit　on　the　west；　nay；　indeed；　they　have　sought　for　another　habitable　earth　beyond　the　ocean；　and　have　carried　their　arms　as　far　as　such　British　islands　as　were　never　known　before。　What　therefore　do　you　pretend　to？　Are　you　richer　than　the　Gauls；　stronger　than　the　Germans；　wiser　than　the　Greeks；　more　numerous　than　all　men　upon　the　habitable　earth？　What　confidence　is　it　that　elevates　you　to　oppose　the　Romans？　Perhaps　it　will　be　said；　It　is　hard　to　endure　slavery。　Yes；　but　how　much　harder　is　this　to　the　Greeks