beforehand that they are about to depart; and nobody hinders them,
but every one thinks them happy men, and gives them letters to be
carried to their familiar friends [that are dead], so firmly and
certainly do they believe that souls converse with one another [in the
other world]. So when these men have heard all such commands that were
to be given them, they deliver their body to the fire; and, in order
to their getting their soul a separation from the body in the greatest
purity, they die in the midst of hymns of commendations made to them;
for their dearest friends conduct them to their death more readily than
do any of the rest of mankind conduct their fellow-citizens when they
are going a very long journey, who at the same time weep on their own
account, but look upon the others as happy persons, as so soon to be
made partakers of the immortal order of beings. Are not we, therefore,
ashamed to have lower notions than the Indians? and by our own cowardice
to lay a base reproach upon the laws of our country, which are so much
desired and imitated by all mankind? But put the case that we had
been brought up under another persuasion, and taught that life is the
greatest good which men are capable of, and that death is a calamity;
however, the circumstances we are now in ought to be an inducement to us
to bear such calamity courageously, since it is by the will of God, and
by necessity, that we are to die; for it now appears that God hath
made such a decree against the whole Jewish nation, that we are to be
deprived of this life which [he knew] we would not make a due use
of. For do not you ascribe the occasion of our present condition to
yourselves, nor think the Romans are the true occasion that this war we
have had with them is become so destructive to us all: these things
have not come to pass by their power, but a more powerful cause hath
intervened, and made us afford them an occasion of their appearing to be
conquerors over us. What Roman weapons, I pray you, were those by which
the Jews at Cesarea were slain? On the contrary, when they were no way
disposed to rebel, but were all the while keeping their seventh day
festival, and did not so much as lift up their hands against the
citizens of Cesarea, yet did those citizens run upon them in great
crowds, and cut their throats, and the throats of their wives and
children, and this without any regard to the Romans themselves, who
never took us for their enemies till w