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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 alarms.

John rul'd the temple with an iron hand,

95

Six thousand troops obey'd his stern command.

That John from Giscala besieg'd who fled,
Pretending treaty, as before we said.

Four thousand Zealots join'd this desp'rate crew,

Men who no sense of human pity knew.
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.

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105

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.

Titus, the Jews' excursion to prevent,

And from without that 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 compleat.
Near forty furlongs was it's 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 préy.

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;

115

120

The sweet remembrance of that glorious day, 125 When they were led from Pharaoh's chains away,

By daring Moses's 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.

Yet in her bosom fiercest factions rage,

Which not the public danger can assuage.

130

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;

135

From which no caution oft no drug can save, Which withers strength, and which appals the brave; To scourge a guilty world in terror giv'n,

The quick ferocious messenger of heav'n;

140

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; 146

Line 146 &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 rob

bers,

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:

bers, 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 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.

So many round the city did they rear,

On which their captives stiffen'd in the air.

Ah blind to truth! Ah fascinated race!

Not God's immediate hand in this to trace!
Who is a jealous, an avenging God,

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.

155

And wonder-moving sights and signs from Heav'n, In terrible magnificence are giv'n.

Yet the besieg'd hence new resolve assume,

160

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.

. Line 164, &c. Our Saviour speaking of the de-struction 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, quæ neque Hostiis

neque

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