ath.

However, when Titus, in going his rounds along those valleys, saw them
full of dead bodies, and the thick putrefaction running about them, he
gave a groan; and, spreading out his hands to heaven, called God to
witness that this was not his doing; and such was the sad case of the
city itself. But the Romans were very joyful, since none of the
seditious could now make sallies out of the city, because they were
themselves disconsolate, and the famine already touched them also. These
Romans besides had great plenty of corn and other necessaries out of
Syria and out of the neighboring provinces; many of whom would stand
near to the wall of the city and show the people what great quantities
of provisions they had and so make the enemy more sensible of their
famine, by the great plenty, even to satiety, which they had themselves.

In the mean time Josephus, as he was going round the city, had his head
wounded by a stone that was thrown at him; upon which he fell down as
giddy. Josephus soon recovered of his wound and came out and cried out
aloud, that it would not be long ere they should be punished for this
wound they had given him. He also made a fresh exhortation to the people
to come out upon the security that would be given them. This sight of
Josephus encouraged the people greatly and brought a great consternation
upon the seditious.

Hereupon some of the deserters, having no other way, leaped down from
the wall immediately, while others of them went out of the city with
stones, as if they would fight them; but thereupon they fled away to the
Romans. But here a worse fate accompanied these than what they had found
within the city; and they met with a quicker despatch from the too great
abundance they had among the Romans than they could have done from the
famine among the Jews, for when they came first to the Romans they were
puffed up by the famine and swelled like men in a dropsy; after which
they all on the sudden overfilled those bodies that were before empty,
and so burst asunder, excepting such only as were skilful enough to
restrain their appetites, and by degrees took in their food into bodies
unaccustomed thereto.

Yet did another plague seize upon those that were thus preserved, for
there was found among the Syrian deserters a certain person who was
caught gathering pieces of gold out of the excrements of the Jews'
bellies, for the deserters used to swallow such pieces of gold, as we
told you before,