The zealots now renewed their rapine and slaughter with greater barbarity than ever; and, having no enemy capable of opposing them, they turned their murderous weapons against each other: whilst the poor remains of the people were miserably plundered by them all.

About this time, a new faction arose, headed by one Simon; a man of a bold and daring spirit, who had collected a vast multitude of people together, with the prospect of accumulating wealth by making depredations on the public. Having plundered and burnt many towns and villages, and spread universal consternation, he advanced towards Jerusalem, and encamped with all his forces before that city.

John of Giscala, having exercised his assumed authority in a very tyrannical manner, many of his own party, through envy of his power, or destestation of his cruelties, revolted from him, killed a great number of his men, plundered his palace, and forced him to retire into the temple. The people, in the mean time, fearing the effects of his cruel disposition, should he regain his power, called a council, in which they came to the fatal resolution of letting Simon, with his troops, into the city, to oppose those of John and his zealots. Simon was accordingly admitted, but soon made them repent of their rashness, as the cruelties exercised by him exceeded all that they had suffered from John; so that their calamities were rather increased than diminished, being exposed, alternately, to the rage of both parties.

To augment their misery yet more, a third faction now arose, headed by one Eleazar; who, having

prevailed upon numbers to join him, seized on the inner part of the temple. Thus was John obliged daily to fight against Eleazar within, and Simon without, so that the temple and altar were profaned and polluted with blood; and such quantities of provisions destroyed, as might have served the city for several years, through want of which, it afterwards suffered so severely.

Jerusalem was involved in all these calamities, when Titus, with a powerful army, approached to invest it; being attended by king Agrippa, Sohemus, and Josephus now at liberty. Titus sat down about six or seven furlongs off the city. He arrived at a time the most distressing that could be to the Jews, when they had multitudes of people, who were come from all parts to keep the passover, and were shut up by Titus; so that their provision was soon consumed.

You will recollect, George, that it was at the feast of the passover, not forty years before, that the Jews had inhumanly, by their rage and malice, procured the crucifixion of our Lord, imprecating his blood on themselves and on their children; the effects of which they now began to feel. This memorable event took place in the beginning of April.

The three factions, upon sight of the Romans, agreed to unite their forces to oppose them. They accordingly sallied out with great fury and resolution, put the Romans into disorder, and obliged them to abandon their camp, and fly to the mountains: but the Jews were at length repulsed and driven into the city, by the extraordinary skill and valour of Titus, who highly signalized himself in

this and all other actions in the siege. During any intermissions of attack from the besiegers, the civil discords were renewed in the city.

On the first day of the passover, Eleazar opened the gates of the temple, to let the people come in to attend their devotions; but John, who held the outer part, armed his men with weapons under their garments, in order to get possession of the inner temple: a dreadful slaughter ensued, in which Eleazar was killed. Thus the three factions were reduced to two, which violently raged against each other; so that, be tween the soldiers within, and the enemies without, the people were miserably harrassed and torn to pieces.

Titus found great difficulties in the siege, the city being strongly fortified with three walls, on which towers were erected at proper distances; but having, with much opposition, placed his engines, he battered down the outward wall, broke in, and possessed himself of the north quarter of the city; shewing great clemency and commiseration to the besieged, assuring them of pardon and civil treatment, if they would submit. But the Jews obstinately refused all terms and conditions, imputing Titus's generosity and humanity to cowardice, This might well exasperate the Romans to fierceness and severity. Titus, shortly after, beat down one of the towers, broke through the second wall, and took possession of the new lower city, from whence he was repulsed by the besieged: but, at length, he regained the place entirely, and prepared for attacking the third wall.

Being desirous to save the city, especially the temple, Titus sent Josephus to his countrymen to

speak to them from the wall. Josephus exhorted them in the most pathetic manner imaginable to yield; assuring them that the Romans would forget all that had past. He reminded them of their dreadful wickedness, but that it was not too late to reform; that God's wrath would be appeased, if they acknowledged their sins, and were penitent for their offences. He then turned their attention to the place they had sought to ruin,-their noble city, their magnificent temple, enriched with the gifts of all nations. But if they had no regard for their temple, he entreated them to consider their families, and look with pity on their wives, their children, and their parents, who were all ready to be consumed, either by sword or famine. He concluded with saying, I am sensible that my wife, my children, and family, must perish with you, (there was a time when they would have been considered) and it may be thought that it is to save their lives I give you this advice: but kill them, and sacrifice me for welfare: I am prepared to die, if, by my death, you may be preserved in being.

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This speech was delivered by Josephus with many tears, yet it made no impression on the seditious, who replied, that it was not safe to yield. But many of the people took courage from his speech, and escaped to the Roman camp. Titus permitted them to go wherever they pleased. But John and Simon were as diligent to stop the ways, lest the people should escape, as they were to hinder the Romans from entering the city, where the famine raged with the utmost violence. The different factions having,

in their mutual contentions, destroyed such quantities of provisions as reduced them to the greatest straits, so that they began to prey upon each other with the most unheard-of cruelties; the seditious ransacking every house for food, and torturing the wretched inhabitants in the most shocking manner, to make them confess where they had secreted it. Neither the rich nor the poor were exempt from these horrid inquisitions; by which, Jerusalem was filled with rapine and murder. Josephus declares it to be his opinion, that never any city endured the like, nor were there ever any people, since the memory of man, so cruel and barbarous to each other.

Titus, having intelligence that the rapine and plunder of the seditious in the city was not sufficient to supply their necessities, but that they were forced to seek for food in the valleys, ordered parties to intercept them. The Jews fought courageously,

knowing it was too late to expect mercy, after they had so repeatedly refused the offers that were made them. Titus condemned those that were taken prisoners to be scourged and crucified; of whom there were such numbers, that room was wanting for crosses, and crosses for persons. Titus intended by the horror of this spectacle to terrify the people into submission; but the seditious made a contrary use of it, shewing the citizens this dismal sight from the walls, to deter them from flying to the enemy. Surely, if their hearts had not been as hard as adamant, they must have seen their sin in their punishment! Could they behold this sight, and not remember the time when they shewed no pity to the