en against Jerusalem, that he might
gain his will by the arms of the Romans, and might, by his terror, and
by his threatenings, bring the city into subjection.

7. But the people were desirous of making Florus ashamed of his attempt,
and met his soldiers with acclamations, and put themselves in order
to receive him very submissively. But he sent Capito, a centurion,
beforehand, with fifty soldiers, to bid them go back, and not now make
a show of receiving him in an obliging manner, whom they had so foully
reproached before; and said that it was incumbent on them, in case they
had generous souls, and were free speakers, to jest upon him to his
face, and appear to be lovers of liberty, not only in words, but with
their weapons also. With this message was the multitude amazed; and
upon the coming of Capito's horsemen into the midst of them, they were
dispersed before they could salute Florus, or manifest their submissive
behavior to him. Accordingly, they retired to their own houses, and
spent that night in fear and confusion of face.

8. Now at this time
Florus took up his quarters at the palace; and on the next day he had
his tribunal set before it, and sat upon it, when the high priests, and
the men of power, and those of the greatest eminence in the city, came
all before that tribunal; upon which Florus commanded them to deliver
up to him those that had reproached him, and told them that they should
themselves partake of the vengeance to them belonging, if they did
not produce the criminals; but these demonstrated that the people were
peaceably disposed, and they begged forgiveness for those that had
spoken amiss; for that it was no wonder at all that in so great a
multitude there should be some more daring than they ought to be, and,
by reason of their younger age, foolish also; and that it was impossible
to distinguish those that offended from the rest, while every one was
sorry for what he had done, and denied it out of fear of what would
follow: that he ought, however, to provide for the peace of the nation,
and to take such counsels as might preserve the city for the Romans, and
rather for the sake of a great number of innocent people to forgive a
few that were guilty, than for the sake of a few of the wicked to put so
large and good a body of men into disorder.

9. Florus was more provoked
at this, and called out aloud to the soldiers to plunder that which was
called the Upper Market-place, and to slay such as