| The Galileans' good opinion of him as their governor prevented his removal | ||||
47. When I had laid these commands upon them, I gave them orders and bid them take their arms and bring three days' provision with them and be with me the next day. I also parted those that were about me into four parts and ordained those of them that were most faithful to me to be a guard to my body. I also set over them centurions and commanded them to take care that not a soldier whom they did not know should be let mingle among them. Now, on the fifth day following, when I was at Gabaroth, I found the entire plain that was before the village full of armed men, who had come out of Galilee to assist me: many others of the multitude, also, out of the village, ran along with me. But as soon as I had taken my place and began to speak to them, they all made an acclamation and called me the benefactor and saviour of the country. and when I had made them my acknowledgments and thanked them [for their affection to me], I also advised them to fight with nobody, nor to spoil the country; but to pitch their tents in the plain and be content with their sustenance they had brought with them; for I told them that I had a mind to compose these troubles without shedding any blood. Now it came to pass, that on the very same day those who were sent by John with letters, fell among the guards whom I had appointed to watch the roads; so the men were themselves kept upon the place, as my orders were, but I got the letters, which were full of reproaches and lies; and I intended to fall upon these men, without saying a word of these matters to anybody. | ||||
48. Now, as soon as Jonathan and his companions heard of my coming, they took all their own friends and John with them and retired to the house of Jesus, which indeed was a large castle, not unlike a citadel; so they privately laid a band of armed men therein and shut all the other doors but one, which they kept open and they expected that I should come out of the road to them, to salute them. and indeed they had given orders to the armed men, that when I came they should let nobody besides me come in, but should exclude others; as supposing that, by this means, they should easily get me under their power: but they were deceived in their expectation; for I perceived what snares they had laid for me. Now, as soon as I was got off my journey, I took up my lodgings over against them and pretended to be asleep; so Jonathan and his party, thinking that I was really asleep and at rest, made haste to go down into the plain, to persuade the people that I was an ill governor. But the matter proved otherwise; for, upon their appearance, there was a cry made by the Galileans immediately, declaring their good opinion of me as their governor; and they made a clamour against Jonathan and his partners for coming to them when they had suffered no harm and as though they would overturn their happy settlement; and asked them by all means to go back again, for that they would never be persuaded to have any other to rule over them but myself. When I heard of this, I did not fear to go down into the midst of them; I went, therefore, myself down presently to hear what Jonathan and his companions said. As soon as I appeared, there was immediately an acclamation made to me by the whole multitude and a cry in my commendation by them, who confessed their thanks was owing to me for my good government of them. | ||||
49. When Jonathan and his companions heard this, they were in fear of their own lives and in danger lest they should be assaulted by the Galileans on nay account; so they contrived how they might run away. But as they were not able to get off, for I asked them to stay, they looked down with concern at my words to them. I ordered, therefore, the multitude to restrain entirely their acclamations and placed the most faithful of my armed men upon the avenues, to be a guard to us, for fear that John should unexpected fall upon us; and I encouraged the Galileans to take their weapons, for fear that they should be disturbed at their enemies, if any sudden insult should be made upon them. and then, in the first place, I put Jonathan and his partners in mind of their [former] letter and after what manner they had written to me and declared they were sent by the common consent to the people of Jerusalem, to make up the differences I had with John and how they had asked me to come to them; and as I spoke thus, I publicly showed that letter they had written, till they could not at all deny what they had done, the letter itself convicting them. I then said, �O Jonathan! and you that are sent with him as his colleagues, if I were to be judged as to my behaviour, compared with that of John's and had brought no more than two or three witnesses, good men and true, it is plain you had been forced, upon the examination of their characters beforehand, to discharge the accusations: that therefore you may be informed that I have acted well in the affairs of Galilee, I think three witnesses too few to be brought by a man that has done as he ought to do; so I gave you all these for witnesses. Inquire of them how I have lived and whether I have not behaved myself with all decency and after a virtuous manner, among them. and I further conjure you, O Galileans! to hide no part of the truth, but to speak before these men as before judges, whether I have in anything acted otherwise than well. � | ||||
50. While I was thus speaking, the united voices of all the people joined together and called me their benefactor and saviour and attested to my former behaviour and exhorted me to continue so to do hereafter; and they all said, upon their oaths, that their wives had been preserved free from injuries and that no one had ever been aggrieved by me. After this, I read to the Galileans two of those epistles sent by Jonathan and his colleagues and which those whom I had appointed to guard the road had taken and sent to me. These were full of reproaches and lies, as if I had acted more like a tyrant than a governor against them, with many other things besides therein contained, which were no better indeed than impudent falsities. I also informed the multitude how I came by these letters and that those who carried them delivered them up voluntarily; for I was not willing that my enemies should know anything of the guards I had set, for fear that they should be afraid and leave off writing hereafter. | ||||
51. When the multitude heard these things, they were greatly provoked at Jonathan and his colleagues that were with him and were going to attack them and kill them; and this they had certainly done, unless I had restrained the anger of the Galileans and said, that� I forgave Jonathan and his colleagues what was past, if they would repent and go to their own country and tell those who sent them the truth, as to my conduct.� When I had said this, I let them go, although I knew they would do nothing of what they had promised. But the multitude were very much enraged against them and entreated me to give them leave to punish them for their insolence; yet did I try all methods to persuade them to spare the men; for I knew that every instance of sedition was pernicious to the public welfare. But the multitude was too angry with them to be dissuaded and all of them went immediately to the house in which Jonathan and his colleagues abode. However, when I perceived that their rage could not be restrained, I got on horseback and ordered the multitude to follow me to the village Sogane, which was twenty furlongs off Gabara; and by using this stratagem, I so managed myself, as not to appear to begin a civil war ,amongst them. | ||||