viour, and sought his blessing and protection through the solemn scenes of the ensuing day. The next morning the boys awoke early, and taking out the parchment roll of the gospel of Matthew which Selumiel had given them, committed to memory the passage which he had pointed out to them the evening before, beginning with the 17th verse of the xxvi. chapter and ending with the 30th. It was the first day of unleavened bread, the same day on which Jesus had instituted the holy supper, and they were affected to tears. Selumiel, when he awoke, found them on their knees, and felt reproved for his own comparative want of feeling.

He immediately arose and joined their devotions. Then arising, he led them out upon the roof to take the morning air and view the city. The streets were already full. The multitudes were pressing up to take a view of the temple, the object of their fond and almost idolatrous admiration. It was an animating sight, and Jonathan and Simon were never tired of beholding it.

They were soon summoned to take an early breakfast, in order to have time to make the

necessary arrangements before the evening. Only the white unleavened bread was seen on the table. It consisted of thin, flat, crumbling cakes, made of water and meal, full of little holes, that it might not become sour. It was the food of haste and sorrow, and they had been commanded to eat it in commemoration of their being thrust out of Egypt, without time for the preparation of their food.

After breakfast, Selumiel took the little boys and led them out to take a view of the city. The first place which they wished to visit was, of course, the temple. The fondest associations of every descendant of Abraham, old and young, are all connected with that sacred building. But Selumiel restrained the eager curiosity of Jonathan and Simon, desirous to have them see the temple for the first time amidst the imposing ceremonies of the evening. In the mean time, he led them round through the city, so that they got a general idea of its situation and form. The shape of Jerusalem, as you see on the map, is that of an irregular oblong. Mount Moriah lies near the middle of its eastern side, on which rose the temple. Around the temple lay the city,

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built on three other hills. About north-west

from the temple lay what was called the lower city, built on Mount Acra. North of the temple lay Mount Bezetha.

At the south

west end of the city rose the city of David, Mount Zion. Jerusalem stood on the summit of the highlands of Palestine. For several miles, in every direction, there is an almost constant ascent as you approach the city. I ought to tell you, however, that mountains in Palestine are not like mountains in America. The mountains of Palestine would be only large hills in America. On three sides of the city there were deep valleys. Only on the north was there level ground. On the eastern side lay the valley of Jehoshaphat, through which ran the Kidron. On the south side lay the valley of Hinnom; and on the western side the valley of Gihon.

Three walls surrounded Jerusalem; one, enclosed Mount Zion, the upper city, as it was called, and with it the southern part of the temple; another began from this, and fortified Mount Acra, the lower city; and the third, commenced by Herod Agrippa, surrounded Bezetha, or the new city.

The first, or old wall, had sixty towers, the second forty, and the third ninety. The boys desired Selumiel to take them to see one of these lofty towers, but he put them off, promising that he would take them at another time, when they would have more leisure and a better opportunity to examine them. In the course of their walk, he led them wholly round the temple. Jonathan and Simon were utterly astonished at the immense height of the temple. Mount Moriah had been gradually extended by stone walls on the north, south, and west, till the top of the hill was the eighth of a mile square. The walls on the north, east, and west were four hundred and fifty feet high, and on the south side it rose to the astonishing height of six hundred feet. Some of the stones employed in building these walls were seventy feet square. On the top of this huge foundation was built the temple. On every side, there ran a strong and lofty wall, to prevent persons from falling down from this dizzy height.

From an elevated position on Mount Zion, which in the course of their walk they ascended, they had a pretty fair view of the

outside of the temple. Within this outer parapet, or wall, there were on the north, east, and west sides double porticoes, or cloisters, fifty-two feet and a half wide, supported by one hundred and sixty-two columns, on the top of which rested a cedar ceiling, very exquisitely finished. These pillars were entire blocks, hewn out of solid marble, perfectly white, and forty-four feet high. On the south side the portico was triple, or had three rows of pillars. The little black spots on the map represent the pillars. There was one gate on the east, one on the north, two on the south, and four on the west. One of these led to the palace of Solomon; one to the city; one at the corner to the castle of Antonio, and one down towards the king's gardens.

The boys would never have been tired of looking, or of asking questions, but the hour for dinner had arrived, and they returned by a short walk from Mount Zion, passing through the middle gate, to the house of Helah. A short meal was now taken in the inner court beside the fountain. The whole house now was arranged with the greatest neatness. All