both
sides, and put an end to this struggle for the present; however, that
night the wall was so shaken by the battering rams in that place where
John had used his stratagem before, and had undermined their banks, that
the ground then gave way, and the wall fell down suddenly.

4. When this accident had unexpectedly happened, the minds of both
parties were variously affected; for though one would expect that
the Jews would be discouraged, because this fall of their wall was
unexpected by them, and they had made no provision in that case, yet
did they pull up their courage, because the tower of Antonia itself was
still standing; as was the unexpected joy of the Romans at this fall of
the wall soon quenched by the sight they had of another wall, which John
and his party had built within it. However, the attack of this second
wall appeared to be easier than that of the former, because it seemed
a thing of greater facility to get up to it through the parts of the
former wall that were now thrown down. This new wall appeared also to
be much weaker than the tower of Antonia, and accordingly the Romans
imagined that it had been erected so much on the sudden, that they
should soon overthrow it: yet did not any body venture now to go up to
this wall; for that such as first ventured so to do must certainly be
killed.

5. And now Titus, upon consideration that the alacrity of soldiers in
war is chiefly excited by hopes and by good words, and that exhortations
and promises do frequently make men to forget the hazards they run, nay,
sometimes to despise death itself, got together the most courageous part
of his army, and tried what he could do with his men by these methods.
"O fellow soldiers," said he, "to make an exhortation to men to do what
hath no peril in it, is on that very account inglorious to such to whom
that exhortation is made; and indeed so it is in him that makes the
exhortation, an argument of his own cowardice also. I therefore think
that such exhortations ought then only to be made use of when affairs
are in a dangerous condition, and yet are worthy of being attempted by
every one themselves; accordingly, I am fully of the same opinion with
you, that it is a difficult task to go up this wall; but that it is
proper for those that desire reputation for their valor to struggle with
difficulties in such cases will then appear, when I have particularly
shown that it is a brave thing to die with glory, and that the cou