tending
friendship and meaning perfidiousness; nor would he have himself
acquiesced, or come to him, had it been to deceive him.

3. Now as Josephus began to hesitate with himself about Nicanor's
proposal, the soldiery were so angry, that they ran hastily to set fire
to the den; but the tribune would not permit them so to do, as being
very desirous to take the man alive. And now, as Nicanor lay hard at
Josephus to comply, and he understood how the multitude of the enemies
threatened him, he called to mind the dreams which he had dreamed in the
night time, whereby God had signified to him beforehand both the
future calamities of the Jews, and the events that concerned the Roman
emperors. Now Josephus was able to give shrewd conjectures about the
interpretation of such dreams as have been ambiguously delivered by God.
Moreover, he was not unacquainted with the prophecies contained in
the sacred books, as being a priest himself, and of the posterity of
priests: and just then was he in an ecstasy; and setting before him the
tremendous images of the dreams he had lately had, he put up a secret
prayer to God, and said, "Since it pleaseth thee, who hast created the
Jewish nation, to depress the same, and since all their good fortune is
gone over to the Romans, and since thou hast made choice of this soul
of mine to foretell what is to come to pass hereafter, I willingly give
them my hands, and am content to live. And I protest openly that I do
not go over to the Romans as a deserter of the Jews, but as a minister
from thee."

4. When he had said this, he complied with Nicanor's invitation. But
when those Jews who had fled with him understood that he yielded to
those that invited him to come up, they came about him in a body, and
cried out, "Nay, indeed, now may the laws of our forefathers, which
God ordained himself, well groan to purpose; that God we mean who hath
created the souls of the Jews of such a temper, that they despise death.
O Josephus! art thou still fond of life? and canst thou bear to see the
light in a state of slavery? How soon hast thou forgotten thyself! How
many hast thou persuaded to lose their lives for liberty! Thou
hast therefore had a false reputation for manhood, and a like false
reputation for wisdom, if thou canst hope for preservation from those
against whom thou hast fought so zealously, and art however willing
to be preserved by them, if they be in earnest. But although the good
fortune of the