they had brought with them, even while they had frequently entreated
them, and that by calling upon the tremendous name of God, to give them
back some part of what they had brought; though these would not give
them the least crumb, and they were to be well contented that they were
only spoiled, and not slain at the same time.

4. These were the afflictions which the lower sort of people suffered
from these tyrants' guards; but for the men that were in dignity, and
withal were rich, they were carried before the tyrants themselves; some
of whom were falsely accused of laying treacherous plots, and so were
destroyed; others of them were charged with designs of betraying the
city to the Romans; but the readiest way of all was this, to suborn
somebody to affirm that they were resolved to desert to the enemy. And
he who was utterly despoiled of what he had by Simon was sent back again
to John, as of those who had been already plundered by Jotre, Simon got
what remained; insomuch that they drank the blood of the populace to one
another, and divided the dead bodies of the poor creatures between them;
so that although, on account of their ambition after dominion, they
contended with each other, yet did they very well agree in their wicked
practices; for he that did not communicate what he got by the miseries
of others to the other tyrant seemed to be too little guilty, and in one
respect only; and he that did not partake of what was so communicated to
him grieved at this, as at the loss of what was a valuable thing, that
he had no share in such barbarity.

5. It is therefore impossible to go distinctly over every instance
of these men's iniquity. I shall therefore speak my mind here at once
briefly:--That neither did any other city ever suffer such miseries,
nor did any age ever breed a generation more fruitful in wickedness than
this was, from the beginning of the world. Finally, they brought
the Hebrew nation into contempt, that they might themselves appear
comparatively less impious with regard to strangers. They confessed
what was true, that they were the slaves, the scum, and the spurious
and abortive offspring of our nation, while they overthrew the city
themselves, and forced the Romans, whether they would or no, to gain a
melancholy reputation, by acting gloriously against them, and did almost
draw that fire upon the temple, which they seemed to think came too
slowly; and indeed when they saw that temple burning from t