s, and pretended to say that they had not
fled away from the Romans, but came thither in order to fight them with
less hazard; for that it would be an unreasonable and a fruitless thing
for them to expose themselves to desperate hazards about Gischala, and
such weak cities, whereas they ought to lay up their weapons and their
zeal, and reserve it for their metropolis. But when they related to them
the taking of Gischala, and their decent departure, as they pretended,
from that place, many of the people understood it to be no better than a
flight; and especially when the people were told of those that were made
captives, they were in great confusion, and guessed those things to be
plain indications that they should be taken also. But for John, he was
very little concerned for those whom he had left behind him, but went
about among all the people, and persuaded them to go to war, by the
hopes he gave them. He affirmed that the affairs of the Romans were in
a weak condition, and extolled his own power. He also jested upon the
ignorance of the unskillful, as if those Romans, although they should
take to themselves wings, could never fly over the wall of Jerusalem,
who found such great difficulties in taking the villages of Galilee, and
had broken their engines of war against their walls.

2. These harangues of John's corrupted a great part of the young men,
and puffed them up for the war; but as to the more prudent part, and
those in years, there was not a man of them but foresaw what was coming,
and made lamentation on that account, as if the city was already undone;
and in this confusion were the people. But then it must be observed,
that the multitude that came out of the country were at discord before
the Jerusalem sedition began; for Titus went from Gischala to Cesates,
and Vespasian from Cesarea to Jamnia and Azotus, and took them both; and
when he had put garrisons into them, he came back with a great number
of the people, who were come over to him, upon his giving them his right
hand for their preservation. There were besides disorders and civil wars
in every city; and all those that were at quiet from the Romans turned
their hands one against another. There was also a bitter contest between
those that were fond of war, and those that were desirous for peace. At
the first this quarrelsome temper caught hold of private families, who
could not agree among themselves; after which those people that were the
dearest to on