l destroy us, even before
that slavery comes upon us. Yet are these seditious rogues more terrible
than both the other. Come on; be thou my food, and be thou a fury to
these seditious varlets, and a by-word to the world, which is all that
is now wanting to complete the calamities of us Jews." As soon as she
had said this, she slew her son, and then roasted him, and eat the one
half of him, and kept the other half by her concealed. Upon this the
seditious came in presently, and smelling the horrid scent of this food,
they threatened her that they would cut her throat immediately if she
did not show them what food she had gotten ready. She replied that she
had saved a very fine portion of it for them, and withal uncovered
what was left of her son. Hereupon they were seized with a horror and
amazement of mind, and stood astonished at the sight, when she said to
them, "This is mine own son, and what hath been done was mine own
doing! Come, eat of this food; for I have eaten of it myself! Do not
you pretend to be either more tender than a woman, or more compassionate
than a mother; but if you be so scrupulous, and do abominate this my
sacrifice, as I have eaten the one half, let the rest be reserved for
me also." After which those men went out trembling, being never so much
aftrighted at any thing as they were at this, and with some difficulty
they left the rest of that meat to the mother. Upon which the whole city
was full of this horrid action immediately; and while every body laid
this miserable case before their own eyes, they trembled, as if this
unheard of action had been done by themselves. So those that were thus
distressed by the famine were very desirous to die, and those already
dead were esteemed happy, because they had not lived long enough either
to hear or to see such miseries.

5. This sad instance was quickly told to the Romans, some of whom could
not believe it, and others pitied the distress which the Jews were
under; but there were many of them who were hereby induced to a more
bitter hatred than ordinary against our nation. But for Caesar, he
excused himself before God as to this matter, and said that he had
proposed peace and liberty to the Jews, as well as an oblivion of all
their former insolent practices; but that they, instead of concord,
had chosen sedition; instead of peace, war; and before satiety and
abundance, a famine. That they had begun with their own hands to burn
down that temple which we