my: each exhorted the other, and each hurled his blazing brand into the inner part of the edifice, and then hurried to his work of carnage. The unarmed and defenceless people were slain in thousands; they lay heaped, like sacrifices, round the altar: the steps of the temple ran with streams of blood, which washed down the bodies that lay about.

Titus found it impossible to check the rage of the soldiery; he entered with his officers, and surveyed the interior of the sacred edifice. The splendour filled them with wonder; and as the flames had not yet penetrated to the holy place, he made a last effort to save it, and, springing forth, again exhorted the soldiers to stay the progress of the conflagration. The centurion, Liberalis, endeavoured to force obedience with his staff of office; but even respect for the emperor gave way to the furious animosity against the Jews, to the fierce excitement of battle, and to the insatiable hope of plunder. The soldiers saw every thing around them radiant with gold, which shone dazzlingly in the wild light of the flames; they supposed that incalculable treasures were laid up in the sanctuary. A soldier, unperceived, thrust a lighted torch between the hinges of the door-the whole building was in flames in an instant. The blinding smoke and fire forced the officers to retreat, and the noble edifice was left to its fate.

It was an appalling spectacle to the Roman-what was it to the Jew! The whole summit of the hill which commanded the city blazed like a volcano. One after another the buildings fell in with a tremendous crash, and were swallowed up in the fiery abyss. The roofs of cedar were like sheets of flame: the gilded pinnacles shone like spikes of red light: the gate towers sent up tall columns of flame and smoke: the neighbouring hills were lighted up; and dark groups of people were seen watching in horrible anxiety the progress of the destruction: the walls and heights of the upper city were crowded with faces, some pale with the agony of despair, others scowling unavailing vengeance. The shouts of the Roman soldiery, as they ran to and fro, and the howlings of the insurgents who were perishing in the flames, mingled

with the roaring of the conflagration and the thundering sound of falling timbers. The echoes of the mountains replied, or brought back the shrieks of the people on the heights: all along the walls resounded screams and wailings: men, who were expiring with famine, rallied their remaining strength to utter a cry of anguish and desolation.

The slaughter within was even more dreadful than the spectacle from without. Men and women, old and young, insurgents and priests, those who fought and those who entreated mercy, were hewn down in indiscriminate carnage. The number of the slain exceeded that of the slayers. The legionaries had to clamber over heaps of dead to carry on the work of extermination. John, at the head of some of his troops, cut his way through, first into the outer court of the temple, afterward into the upper city. Some of the priests upon the roof wrenched off the gilded spikes, with their sockets of lead, and used them as missiles against the Romans below. Afterward they fled to a part of the wall about fourteen feet wide; they were summoned to surrender; but two of them, Mair son of Belga, and Joseph son of Dalai, plunged headlong into the flames.

No part escaped the fury of the Romans. The treasuries, with all their wealth of money, jewels, and costly robes-the plunder which the zealots had laid up-were totally destroyed. Nothing remained but a small part of the outer cloister, in which about six thousand unarmed and defenceless people, with women and children, had taken refuge. These poor wretches, like multitudes of others, had been led up to the temple by a false prophet, who had proclaimed that God commanded all the Jews to go up to the temple, where he would display his Almighty power to save his people. fire to the building-every soul perished. 1 this time false prophets, suborned by the the people in a state of feverish excitement, pointed Deliverer would still appear. They 1, but remember the awful, the visible signs led the siege: the fiery sword, the armies

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fighting in the air; the opening of the great gate; the fearful voice within the sanctuary, "Let us depart;" the wild cry of Jesus son of Ananus-Wo, wo to the city, which he had continued from the government of Albinus to the time of the siege, when he suddenly stopped, shrieked out-wo to myself, and was struck dead by a stone. Yet the undying hopes of fierce fanaticism were kept alive by the still renewed prediction of that Great One, who would at this time arise out of Judæa, and assume the dominion of the world. This prophecy the flattering Josephus declared to be accomplished in the Roman Vespasian; but more patriotic interpreters, still, to the last, expected to see it fulfilled in the person of the conquering Messiah, who would reveal himself in the darkest hour, wither the Roman legions with one word, and then transfer the seat of empire from the Capitol to Sion.

The whole Roman army entered the sacred precincts, and pitched their standards among the smoking ruins: they of fered sacrifice for the victory, and, with loud acclamations, saluted Titus as emperor. Their joy was not a little enhanced by the value of the plunder they had obtained, which was so great that gold fell in Syria to half its former value. The few priests were still on the top of the walls to which they had escaped. A boy, emaciated with hunger, came down on a promise that his life should be spared. He immediately ran to drink, filled his vessel, and hurried away to his comrades with such speed that the soldiers could not catch him. Five days afterward the priests were starved into surrender; they entreated for their lives, but Titus answered, that the hour of mercy was passed. They were led to execution.

THE FALL OF JERUSALEM.

NTOLD miseries were heaped on the unfortunate people who fell captives to the Romans. Still the upper city held out; but Simon and John, disheartened by the capture of the temple, demanded a conference. It was granted, and Titus, stationing himself at the western verge of the hill, addressed them

through an interpreter. He offered to spare their lives on condition of instant surrender. John and Simon demanded free egress with their wives and children, promising to evacuate the city, and depart into the wilderness. The terms were rejected, and Titus vowed the unsparing extermination of the whole people; his troops had immediate license to plunder and burn Acra. The archives, the council house, the whole of Acra and Ophla were instantly set on fire. The insurgents took possession of the palace, where, from its strength, the people had laid up much of their wealth: they drove the Romans back, and put to death eight thousand four hundred of the people who had taken refuge there, and plundered all the treasures. They took two Roman soldiers alive: one they put to death and dragged his body through the city. The other, pretending to have something to communicate to Simon, was led before him; but as he had nothing to say, he was made over to one Ardala to be put to death. He was led forth with his hands bound and his eyes bandaged, to be killed in sight of the Romans; but while the Jew was drawing his sword, he contrived to make his escape. Titus, unwilling to punish him with death after he had thus escaped, but wishing to show that it was unworthy of a Roman soldier to be taken alive,

had him stripped of his armour, and dismissed him with dis grace. The next day the Romans entirely cleared the lower city, and set the whole on fire. The insurgents, cooped up in the upper city, lay in ambush near the outlets, and slew every one who attempted to desert: their great trust was in the subterranean passages in which they hoped to lie hid.

On the 20th of August, Cæsar at length raised his mounds against the steep cliffs of the upper city: he had the greatest difficulty in obtaining timber: but at last his works were ready in two places-one opposite the palace, the other near the Xystus. The Idumcan chieftains now endeavoured secretly to make their terms. Titus reluctantly consented; but the vigilant John detected the plot, threw the leaders into prison and intrusted the defence of the wall to more trusty soldiers. Still the guards could not prevent desertion: though many were killed, yet many escaped. The Romans, weary of the work of slaughter, spared the people, but sold all the rest as slaves, though they brought but a low price, the market being glutted, and few purchasers found. Forty thousand were thus spared: the number sold as slaves was incalculable. About the same time, a priest, named Jesus, son of Thebuth, obtained his life on condition of surrendering some of the treasures of the temple which he had secured―two candlesticks, tables, goblets, and vessels of pure gold, as well as the curtains and the robes of the high priests. Another, who had been one of the treasurers, showed a place where the vests and girdles of the priests were concealed, with a great quan.. tity of purple and scarlet thread, and an immense store of cinnamon, cassia, and other spices.

Eighteen days elapsed before the works were completed: on the seventh of September, the engines were advanced to batter down the last bulwark of the besieged. Some did not await the conflict, but crept down into the lower city; others shrunk into the subterranean passages; others more manfully endeavoured to beat down the engineers. The Romans advanced in the pride of victory; the Jews were weary, faminestricken, disheartened. A breach was speedily made; some