f no more account than
themselves, that they love him. None can say he is a tyrant,
because he has no means of tyrannizing. His enemies cannot urge it
against him at Jerusalem--as they would doubtless do, if they
could--that he is seeking to lead Galilee away from the rule of
Jerusalem, and to set himself up as its master for, to do this, he
would require to gather an army; and Josephus has not a single
armed man at his service, save and except that when he appears to
be in danger many, out of love of him, assemble and provide him
escort.

"No, Josephus is wise in that he affects neither pomp nor state;
that he keeps no armed men around him, but trusts to the love of
the people. He would be wiser, however, did he seize one of the
occasions when the people have taken up arms for him to destroy all
those who make sedition; and to free the country, once and for all,
from the trouble.

"Sedition should be always nipped in the bud. Lenity, in such a
case, is the most cruel course; for it encourages men to think that
those in authority fear them, and that they can conspire without
danger; and whereas, at first, the blood of ten men will put an end
to sedition, it needs, at last, the blood of as many thousands to
restore peace and order. It is good for a man to be merciful, but
not for a ruler, for the good of the whole people is placed in his
hands. The sword of justice is given to him, and he is most
merciful who uses it the most promptly against those who work
sedition. The wise ruler will listen to the prayers of his people,
and will grant their petitions, when they show that their case is
hard; but he will grant nothing to him who asketh with his sword in
his hand, for he knows full well that when he yields, once, he must
yield always; until the time comes, as come it surely will, when he
must resist with the sword. Then the land will be filled with blood
whereas, in the beginning, he could have avoided all trouble, by
refusing so much as to listen to those who spoke with threats.

"Josephus is a good man, and the Lord has given him great gifts. He
has done great things for the land; but you will see that many woes
will come, and much blood will be shed, from this lenity of his
towards those who stir up tumults among the people."

A few minutes later the family retired to bed; the hour being a
late one for Simon's household, which generally retired to rest a
short time after the evening meal.

The next day the wor