hem go away into the
country, whither they pleased. And the main reasons why they were so
ready to desert were these: That now they should be freed from those
miseries which they had endured in that city, and yet should not be in
slavery to the Romans: however, John and Simon, with their factions, did
more carefully watch these men's going out than they did the coming
in of the Romans; and if any one did but afford the least shadow of
suspicion of such an intention, his throat was cut immediately.

2. But as for the richer sort, it proved all one to them whether they
staid in the city, or attempted to get out of it; for they were equally
destroyed in both cases; for every such person was put to death under
this pretense, that they were going to desert, but in reality that the
robbers might get what they had. The madness of the seditious did also
increase together with their famine, and both those miseries were
every day inflamed more and more; for there was no corn which any where
appeared publicly, but the robbers came running into, and searched
men's private houses; and then, if they found any, they tormented them,
because they had denied they had any; and if they found none, they
tormented them worse, because they supposed they had more carefully
concealed it. The indication they made use of whether they had any or
not was taken from the bodies of these miserable wretches; which, if
they were in good case, they supposed they were in no want at all of
food; but if they were wasted away, they walked off without searching
any further; nor did they think it proper to kill such as these, because
they saw they would very soon die of themselves for want of food. Many
there were indeed who sold what they had for one measure; it was of
wheat, if they were of the richer sort; but of barley, if they were
poorer. When these had so done, they shut themselves up in the inmost
rooms of their houses, and ate the corn they had gotten; some did it
without grinding it, by reason of the extremity of the want they were
in, and others baked bread of it, according as necessity and fear
dictated to them: a table was no where laid for a distinct meal, but
they snatched the bread out of the fire, half-baked, and ate it very
hastily.

3. It was now a miserable case, and a sight that would justly bring
tears into our eyes, how men stood as to their food, while the more
powerful had more than enough, and the weaker were lamenting [for want
of