rage
here necessary shall not go unrewarded in those that first begin the
attempt. And let my first argument to move you to it be taken from
what probably some would think reasonable to dissuade you, I mean the
constancy and patience of these Jews, even under their ill successes;
for it is unbecoming you, who are Romans and my soldiers, who have
in peace been taught how to make wars, and who have also been used to
conquer in those wars, to be inferior to Jews, either in action of the
hand, or in courage of the soul, and this especially when you are at the
conclusion of your victory, and are assisted by God himself; for as to
our misfortunes, they have been owing to the madness of the Jews, while
their sufferings have been owing to your valor, and to the assistance
God hath afforded you; for as to the seditions they have been in, and
the famine they are under, and the siege they now endure, and the
fall of their walls without our engines, what can they all be but
demonstrations of God's anger against them, and of his assistance
afforded us? It will not therefore be proper for you, either to show
yourselves inferior to those to whom you are really superior, or to
betray that Divine assistance which is afforded you. And, indeed, how
can it be esteemed otherwise than a base and unworthy thing, that while
the Jews, who need not be much ashamed if they be deserted, because they
have long learned to be slaves to others, do yet despise death, that
they may be so no longer; and do make sallies into the very midst of us
frequently, no in hopes of conquering us, but merely for a demonstration
of their courage; we, who have gotten possession of almost all the world
that belongs to either land or sea, to whom it will be a great shame if
we do not conquer them, do not once undertake any attempt against our
enemies wherein there is much danger, but sit still idle, with such
brave arms as we have, and only wait till the famine and fortune do our
business themselves, and this when we have it in our power, with some
small hazard, to gain all that we desire! For if we go up to this tower
of Antonia, we gain the city; for if there should be any more occasion
for fighting against those within the city, which I do not suppose there
will, since we shall then be upon the top of the hill [1] and be upon
our enemies before they can have taken breath, these advantages promise
us no less than a certain and sudden victory. As for myself, I shall at