ccordingly, as it was chiefly made of wood,
it soon took fire; and when it was once set on fire, its hollowness made
that fire spread to a mighty flame. Now, at the very beginning of this
fire, a north wind that then blew proved terrible to the Romans; for by
bringing the flame downward, it drove it upon them, and they were almost
in despair of success, as fearing their machines would be burnt: but
after this, on a sudden the wind changed into the south, as if it were
done by Divine Providence, and blew strongly the contrary way, and
carried the flame, and drove it against the wall, which was now on fire
through its entire thickness. So the Romans, having now assistance
from God, returned to their camp with joy, and resolved to attack their
enemies the very next day; on which occasion they set their watch more
carefully that night, lest any of the Jews should run away from them
without being discovered.

6. However, neither did Eleazar once think of flying away, nor would he
permit any one else to do so; but when he saw their wall burned down by
the fire, and could devise no other way of escaping, or room for their
further courage, and setting before their eyes what the Romans would do
to them, their children, and their wives, if they got them into their
power, he consulted about having them all slain. Now as he judged this
to be the best thing they could do in their present circumstances, he
gathered the most courageous of his companions together, and encouraged
them to take that course by a speech [15] which he made to them in the
manner following: "Since we, long ago, my generous friends, resolved
never to be servants to the Romans, nor to any other than to God
himself, who alone is the true and just Lord of mankind, the time is now
come that obliges us to make that resolution true in practice. And
let us not at this time bring a reproach upon ourselves for
self-contradiction, while we formerly would not undergo slavery, though
it were then without danger, but must now, together with slavery,
choose such punishments also as are intolerable; I mean this, upon the
supposition that the Romans once reduce us under their power while we
are alive. We were the very first that revolted from them, and we are
the last that fight against them; and I cannot but esteem it as a favor
that God hath granted us, that it is still in our power to die bravely,
and in a state of freedom, which hath not been the case of others, who
were c