Its tow'rs, howe'er, th' intrepid Romans gain,
Yet with much slaughter quit those tow'rs again;
For never did the fierce invaders know
So unforeseen, and so severe a blow.

It yields again, and its defenders brave
Fall unexcepted in a common grave.
Titus was order'd Giscala to tame,

And make obedient to the Roman name;
When John (who bore his surname from the place,
Whom we shall after mention with disgrace)

Pretending treaty, makes a secret flight

With others to Jerusalem by night,

But those inhabitants who staid behind,

Left by their leaders, and distrest in mind,
Strove by submission to disarm the foe,

45

50

55

65

And found that mercy which they wish'd to know. 60
These awful judgments were pursu'd by worse,
For heav'n chastis'd the land with ev'ry curse.
A band of zealots, they Sicarii nam'd,
Whom mad enthusiasm for the law inflam'd,
Engedi storm'd, when busied in a feast,
Aud laid, where'er they could, Judea waste.
Soon after this, the Romans follow'd those,
Who rather flight than loath'd submission chose,
And unto Jordan fled, with rains which swell'd,
The fugitives to an unwilling fight compell'd,
And here they met from their invet'rate foe,
A num'rous crew, a total overthrow.

70

Their bodies nearly chok'd old Jordan's flood,

To the Dead Sea which ran, distain'd with blood.

Unhappy Jericho was sack'd and fir'd,

75

Ere from the place its citizens retir'd.

It would be tedious, difficult, to tell,
What men, what cities, to the Romans fell;
Their bold decisive eagle flew where'er,
Conquest attended on its dread career.
But hearing now of Nero's death at home,
Vespasian thinks of a return to Rome;
He quits the conquest of Jerusalem,
That he may gain th' imperial diadem;

80

And Titus is appointed to command

That army which had scourg'd the Holy Land.
O pious muse, in awful strains relate

Superb Jerusalem's predicted fate.
Behold! the minister of wrath appears,
And in his train in gloomy pomp he bears

85

War, Famine, and Destruction, leash'd like hounds, That pant, howe'er, for freedom from their bonds. Simon had fifteen thousand men in arms,

The city who molested with alarins.

John rul'd the temple with an iron hand,

Six thousand troops obey'd his stern command,
That John from Giscala besieg'd who fled,
Pretending treaty, as before we said.

90

95

Some thousand zealots join'd this desp'rate crew,

Men who no sense of human pity knew.

100

Between these chiefs the wretched people lay
A common booty, to them both a prey.
They knew not which the better to esteem,
For they were both afflictive in th' extreme.
Thus a ship harass'd on the dang'rous main,
Form'd but the wares of merchants to contain,
Doubts whether to prefer the cannon's roar
Of a strange vessel, or a leeward shore.
Titus, the Jews' excursion to prevent,

105

And from without lest succour should be sent,

110

In his intelligent and active mind,

A wall the city to surround design'd,

Which was built up with an enthusiast heat,
And shortly made in ev'ry point complete.
Near forty furlongs was its utmost length,
With forts, at intervals, of warlike strength.
Thus hunters in a wood inclose their game,
And to scour through it all their dogs inflame;
Station'd at proper distances, while they
Stand ready to destroy their frighten'd prey.

115

120

Line 89, &c. Most of the following particulars, relative to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, are taken from Josephus's History of the Jewish Wars, which is highly deserving of perusal. See the translation of Josephus by L'Estrange, or rather that by William Whiston.

The spoil-devoted city, with surprise,
Sees high encircling trenches round her rise,
When many of her children she contain❜d,
Who at their Paschal festival remain'd;
The sweet remembrance of that glorious day,
When they were led from Pharaoh's chains away,
By daring Moses' wonder-working rod,

Who minister'd the law and pow'r of God.
O'er all the land Rome's rav'ning eagle flies,
And to a desert turns a paradise.

125

130

135

Yet in her bosom fiercest factions rage,
Which not the public danger can assuage.
The stores, which held enormous heaps of grain,
And all but madness would have let remain,
They burnt through spite in all ill-fated hour,
And thus destroy'd th' effective nerves of pow'r;
Their own destruction thus they heedless sought,
And for the Romans thus the Hebrews fought.
Mad Discord, pleas'd with her torn robe, was there,
Whom with grim aspect follow'd blood-stain'd War.
There too prevail'd insidious Pestilence,

Which tortures and disturbs the restless sense;
From which no caution, oft no drug can save,

141

145

Which withers strength, and which appals the brave;
To scourge a guilty world in terror giv❜n,
The quick ferocious messenger of heav'n.

Famine, who mow'd her thousands to the ground,
In ghastly state stalk'd horrible around;
And her detested steps she bent where'er,
She reign'd a solitary tyrant there.

From which as many strive their flight to make,
Their flight the watchful Romans overtake;

150

Line 152, &c. Josephus says of the Jews, when besieged, “ Nay, the severity of the famine made them bold in thus going out. So nothing remained but that, when they were concealed from the robbers, they should be taken by the enemy. And when they were going to be taken, they were forced to defend themselves, for fear of being punished. As after they had fought, they thought it too late to make any supplications for mercy; so they were first whipped, and then tormented with all sorts of tortures before they died, and were then crucified before the wall of the city. This miserable procedure made Titus greatly to pity them, while they caught every day five hundred Jews, nay, some days they caught

And urg'd by a fix'd hatred to the race,
Their ghastly bodies on the cross they place.
At last no wood to make them can be found,
Or where to place them no uncumber'd ground:
So many round the city did they rear,
On which their captives stiffen'd in the air.
Ab, blind to truth! ah, fascinated race!
Not God's immediate hand in this to trace!
Who is a jealous, an avenging God,

155

160

Who crushes th' unrepentant with his rod;
Who, like a bear of all her whelps bereft,
Came fiercely on, and their hearts' caul he cleft.
And wonder-moving sights and signs from heav'n 165
In terrible magnificence are giv'n.

Yet the besieg'd hence new resolve assume,

And on God's former gifts themselves they plume;
From which to wildest follies they are borne,
And all the terms of a surrender scorn.

170

more. Yet it did not appear to be safe for him to let those that were taken by force go their way; and to set a guard over so many, he saw, would be to make such as guarded them useless to him. The main reason why he did not forbid that cruelty was this, that he hoped the Jews might perhaps yield at that sight out of fear, lest they might themselves be liable to the same cruel treatment. So the soldiers, out of the wrath and hatred they bore the Jews, nailed those they caught, one after another, to the crosses by way of jest; when their multitude was so great that room was wanting for the crosses, and crosses wanting for their bodies." See Whiston's Josephus, of the Jewish war, vol. 4. chap. ii. page 157.

Line 170, &c. Our Saviour, speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem, before the event, says, "And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven." Luke, xxi. 11. Tacitus, speaking of it, after the event, says, Evenerant prodigia, que neque hostiis neque votis piare fas habet gens superstitioni obnoxia, religionibus adversa. Visa per cælum concurrere acies, rutilantia arma, et subito nubium igne collucere Templum. Expassa repente delubri fores, et audita major humana vox, excedere deos: simul ingens motus excedentium: quæ pauci in metum trahebant. Pluribus persuasio inerat, antiquis sacerdotum literis contineri eo ipso tempore fore ut valesceret oriens, profectique Judaa rerum potirentur: quæ ambages Vespasianum et Titum prædixerant." Lib. 5, cap. 13. Histor. that time there were prodigies, which a people who were superstitious, and not religious, did not think proper to appease by sacri. fice or by prayer. Armies were seen to rush together in the air, glittering arms appeared, and the temple shone with a sudden light

At

E'en in recital their portentous crimes
Surprise and terrify succeeding times;
'Twas there (ah, horrid deed!) with hunger wild,
The wretched mother fed upon her child.
For there, with her dishevell'd uncouth hair,
And sullen eye, and madding mind to dare
Whate'er extravagant, sat blasphemous Despair.
At last, though long withheld by frantic deeds,
The Roman intrepidity succeeds.

175

180

The city, once by heav'n protected, falls,
And bows her lofty and wide-spreading walls.
Through the wide breach impetuous rush her foes,
Like a vast river that its banks o'erthrows.
Cruel and fierce as ev'ning wolves they rage,
Nor can their gen'ral's voice their heat assuage. 185
It blazes uncontroll'd, and he in vain
Directs them from the temple to abstain;
For in defiance of his known command,
A soldier throws within a flaming brand.
It fires the place, which forces yells of grief
From all the Jews, who run to yield relief;
In such extremity they laugh'd at fear,

190

For what was sweet as health, and light as dear.
Titus, as soon as he perceiv'd th' event,
Vainly its fall attempted to prevent.

The mount, on which the temple stood, entire,

Seem'd like a body of devouring fire;

195

While blood ran down like an impetuous rain.
But less were those who slew, than were the slain;
And they who combated were forc'd to tread
On those who just were dying, or were dead.

200

from heaven. At once the doors of the temple flew open, and a voice more than human was heard to declare, that the gods had left the place at the same time there was a great motion as of their departing; which affrighted many. More, however, were persuaded that it was declared by the ancient prophets, that at that time the East should grow powerful, and the rulers of Judea obtain universal dominion: which ambiguous oracles foretold Vespasian and Titus."

Line 173, &c. The particulars of this feral wickedness, of which while we read we shudder, are fully described by Josephus. It is mentioned here to shew that the prophecy of Moses (for which, see beginning of the preface) was fulfilled.