his mind at so great an undertaking, hurried away by a certain divine fury, snatched a brand out of the flaming materials which lay scattered around him, and, being lifted up by another soldier, set fire to a golden window, through which there was a passage to the apartments that were round about on the north side of the holy house.

Immediately some one came running to Titus and told him of this fire, while he was reposing in his tent after the fatigues of the morning's battle. Cæsar instantly started up, and, unarmed as he was, hastened to the holy house in order to quench the fire. After him followed all his commanders, then the legions, all in the greatest astonishment; so that the clamour and tumult which arose from the disorderly movement of so great an army was truly terrible.

Cæsar, by his voice and gestures, calling to the soldiers, and making signals, endeavoured to get them to quench the flames. But they neither heard his voice nor observed his signals: the noise and confusion were so great, and their sions were so exasperated against the Jews, and their minds so distracted with the fierceness of

P

pas

As

the conflict. As to the legions which came running thither, neither persuasions nor threatenings could restrain their fury; but each man's passion was his own commander, and as they crowded into the holy house, they trampled upon one another, fell among the smoking ruins of the cloisters, and, utterly regardless of Cæsar's orders, encouraged only those that set on the fire. for the seditious, their afflictions were so great they could not aid in quenching it, they were everywhere slain and defeated; and, as for the people, most of them were weak and without arms, and were murdered wherever they were taken; while round about the altar dead bodies lay heaped one above the other, and its sacred steps were deluged with blood.

While this dreadful scene was acting, Cæsar, who could by no means restrain the enthusiastic fury of his soldiers, went with his commanders into the holy place, and saw all that it contained, and found it far superior to all that foreigners had related concerning it, and not inferior to what the Jews themselves had boasted of. Titus supposing it still possible to save some part of this su

perb edifice, came out again with haste, and endeavoured to persuade the soldiers to spare it, giving orders to Liberalius, and one of his spearmen, to beat the refractory soldiers with their staves, and if possible to restrain them. But neither their love nor dread of Cæsar had any power over them. The hope of plunder also induced them to proceed, for seeing that all around was made of gold, they expected that all within would be full of treasure. At last the flames burst from the holy house itself, and it was burned down, notwithstanding all that Cæsar desired, and all that he attempted to do to save it.

Thus, the most admirable of all the works on the earth was destroyed. Its magnificence, its curious workmanship, its magnitude, its wealth, its reputation for holiness, its glory,-all could not save it; the decree, inevitable and unalterable, which had gone forth against it, brought it to the dust and that on the same day of the same month on which it was burned by the Babylonians.

The number of years from its first foundation by Solomon, to this destruction in the second

year of Vespasian, are one thousand, one hundred and thirty years, seven months, and fifteen days; and from the period of its second building by Haggai in the second year of Cyrus the king— to this its second destruction, were six hundred and thirty-nine years, and forty-five days.

CHAP. XI.

"And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences, and fearful sights, and great signs shall there be from heaven."

ALL the calamities hitherto experienced by the miserable Jews, seemed light in comparison of this the acmé of their suffering-the destruction of the holy house.

While the temple was burning, thousands of Jews were taken and put to death. No respect was shewn to age or rank,-no pity to children, -no compassion to women,-no reverence to priests all were slaughtered-all conditions of men were brought to destruction; the same event happened to each, whether they supplicated for mercy, or defended themselves in battle.

As the hill-that "mount Zion, beautiful for