side with their shields, which were a protection to them, they
became a body of men not to be broken; and as this band thrust
away the Jews, as though they were themselves but one body, they
began already to get upon the wall.

28. Then did Josephus take necessity for his counselor in this
utmost distress, (which necessity is very sagacious in invention
when it is irritated by despair,) and gave orders to pour
scalding oil upon those whose shields protected them. Whereupon
they soon got it ready, being many that brought it, and what they
brought being a great quantity also, and poured it on all sides
upon the Romans, and threw down upon them their vessels as they
were still hissing from the heat of the fire: this so burnt the
Romans, that it dispersed that united band, who now tumbled clown
from the wall with horrid pains, for the oil did easily run down
the whole body from head to foot, under their entire armor, and
fed upon their flesh like flame itself, its fat and unctuous
nature rendering it soon heated and slowly cooled; and as the men
were cooped up in their head-pieces and breastplates, they could
no way get free from this burning oil; they could only leap and
roll about in their pains, as they fell down from the bridges
they had laid. And as they thus were beaten back, and retired to
their own party, who still pressed them forward, they were easily
wounded by those that were behind them.

29. However, in this ill success of the Romans, their courage did
not fail them, nor did the Jews want prudence to oppose them; for
the Romans, although they saw their own men thrown down, and in a
miserable condition, yet were they vehemently bent against those
that poured the oil upon them; while every one reproached the man