no protection, and streams of human blood poured through the outer court. A mixed multitude of nearly 6000 perfons, who had fled at the command of an impoftor to a gallery yet standing without the Temple, perished at once by the relentless barbarity of the foldiery, who fet it on fire, and suffered none to escape.

When Titus faw it impoffible to enforce the obedience of his troops, he proceeded to the inner Temple. Struck with the grandeur of the architecture, and the magnificence of the decorations, which surpassed even its fame; and obferving that the fire had not yet caught the fanctuary, he renewed with redoubled energy his attempts to stop the flames.-But neither menaces nor intreaties could avail. While he was intent upon the means of its preservation, fire was actually applied to the door-posts of the holy place by one of his foldiers, and the conflagration foon became general.— Titus was obliged to retire, and no one remained to check the horrid carnage which enfued.-Neither the old or the youngneither the priests or common people-neither women or children were fpared from

the

the avenging fword; and thofe who furrendered fhared the fame fate with those who refifted. The crackling noise of the devouring flame, which now completely enveloped the Temple, vaft as was its fize, mingled with the fhrieks of defpair, the groans of the dying, and the clash of arms; and from the extent of the buildings, the lofty hill on which it stood appeared to a diftant fpectator, as itself burning from its foundations in one terrific blaze.

Thus according to the "fure word of Prophecy," was this Temple completely deftroyed, though it was equally the wish and the endeavour of the conqueror, and the conquered, to preferve it. The extreme rigour of the Roman difcipline, and the prompt obedience of the legions to the voice of their commander, were in this inftance violated; and an enthufiaftic rage, and an ungovernable fury hurried them to the work of destruction and thus, human agents became the inftruments of Divine vengeance in oppofition to their own determinations.

Titus, ftill anxious to fave the city, not yet involved in the conflagration, again offered the wretched inhabitants their lives, upon

VOL. I.

Q

con

condition they laid down their arms.-The flames were rapidly advancing-the houses were crowded with dead, and dying victims of peftilence, famine, and murder-upwards of 2000 perfons having laid violent hands on themselves, or killed one another by confent, befides the number killed under pretence of fedition, or intended desertion, by the party which governed the city-yet did the desperate madness of their leaders oblige them to reject these terms of mercy.-Incensed by the infolence of a people whom he considered as already conquered, the Roman General gave permiffion to his foldiers to fall upon them with fire and fword, and to make the best of the fpoil. Now was the tremendous cup of wrath poured forth in all its bitterness.Imagination fhrinks from the detail of such unprecedented horrors, as Jofephus afferts to have continued many days-he alone who faw the dreadful realities could paint them with the force of truth; and to his defcription I refer thofe readers who require more evidence of the unexampled miferies attending this memorable catastrophe; adding only his concluding remarks 1. "There never was a city that fuffered fuch miferies, or a

Bell. Jud. lib. v. c. 10.

race of men from the beginning of the world, who fo abounded in wickednefs. I am of opinion, that if the Romans had delayed to destroy these impious wretches, the city would have been swallowed up by an earthquake, overwhelmed by the waters, or confumed by fire from heaven, like another Sodom; for it produced a race of men far worse than those who fuffered fuch punishment."

Thy enemies will lay thee even with the ground, and they will not leave in thee one flone upon another.

When the foldiers had refted from their horrid work of blood and plunder, Titus gave orders to demolish the foundations of the City and the Temple. But, that pofterity might judge of the glory and value of his conqueft, he left three towers ftanding as monuments of the prodigious ftrength and greatness of the city; and alfo a part of the western wall, which he defigned as a rampart for a garrifon, to keep the furrounding country in fubjection. All the other buildings were completely levelled with the ground. When Titus

It is recorded by Maimonides, and likewife in the Jewifh Talmud, that Terentius Rufus, an officer in the army

Titus came again to Jerufalem in his way from Syria to Egypt, and beheld the fad devastation, he bitterly lamented the cruel neceffity which had compelled him to destroy fo magnificent a city. And Eleazar, in his addrefs to his countrymen the Jews, pathetically afks, "What is become of our city, which was believed to be inhabited by God? It is rooted up from the very foundations; and the only monument of it that is left, is the camp of those who deftroyed it still pitched upon its remains."

And they fhall fall by the edge of the fword, and fhall be led captive into all nations.

The number that perished during the fiege amounted to eleven hundred thousand ; and the number of captives to ninety-seven thoufand.-These were not all inhabitants of the city; for the Jews, according to their Law, had affembled from all parts to celebrate the feaft of unleavened bread; and, in confe

of Titus, with a ploughfhare tore up the foundations of the Temple, and thus remarkably fulfilled the words of the Prophet Micah; "Therefore fhall Zion, for your fake, be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the foreft." Mic. iii. 12.

quence