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[301]
Now at this time Florus took up his quarters at the palace; and on
the next day he had his tribunal set before it, and sat upon it, when the
high priests, and the men of power, and those of the greatest eminence
in the city, came all before that tribunal; upon which Florus commanded
them to deliver up to him those that had reproached him, and told them
that they should themselves partake of the vengeance to them belonging,
if they did not produce the criminals; but these demonstrated that the
people were peaceably disposed, and they begged forgiveness for those that
had spoken amiss; for that it was no wonder at all that in so great a multitude
there should be some more daring than they ought to be, and, by reason
of their younger age, foolish also; and that it was impossible to distinguish
those that offended from the rest, while every one was sorry for what he
had done, and denied it out of fear of what would follow: that he ought,
however, to provide for the peace of the nation, and to take such counsels
as might preserve the city for the Romans, and rather for the sake of a
great number of innocent people to forgive a few that were guilty, than
for the sake of a few of the wicked to put so large and good a body of
men into disorder.
Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.
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