Simon was admitted into the city; both equally enraged againft each other; while flaughter and devaftation followed their pretenfions. Thus did a city, formerly cele brated for peace and unity, become a feat of tumult and confufion.

It was in this miferable fituation, when Titus encamped before it with his conquering army, and began his operations about fix furlongs from the place. It was at the feast of the paffover, when Jerufalem was filled with an infinite number of people, who had come from all parts to celebrate that great folemnity, that Titus undertook to befiege it. His prefence produced a temporary reconciliation between the contending factions within; fo that they unanimously refolved to oppose the common enemy firft, and then decide their domeftic quarrels at a more convenient season. Their firft fally, which was made with much fury and refolution, put the Romans into great diforder, and obliged them to abandon their camp and fly to the mountains. However, rallying immediately after, the Jews were forced back into the city; whilft Titus in perfon fhewed furprising inftances of valour and conduct.

Thefe advantages over the Romans, only renewed in the befieged their private yengeance. A tumult enfued in the Temple, in which feveral of both parties were flain. And in this manner, upon every remiffion from without, the factions of John and Simon violently raged against each other within; agreeing only in their refolution to defend the city against the Romans.

Jerufalem was ftrongly fortified by three walls on every fide, except where it was fenced by deep vallies. Titus began by battering down the outward wall, which, after much fatigue and danger, he effected; all the time fhewing the greatest clemency to the Jews, and offering them repeated affurances of pardon. But this infatuated people refufed his proferred kindness with contempt, and imputed his humanity to his fears. Five days after the commencement of the fiege, Titus broke through the fecond wall, and though driven back by the befieged, he recovered his ground, and made preparations for battering the third wall, which was their last defence. But firft he fent Jofephus, their countryman, into the city to exhort them to yield, who ufing all his eloquence to perfuade them, was only reviled with fcoffs and reproaches. The fiege was, therefore carried on with greater vigour than before; and feveral batteries for engines were raifed, which were no fooner built, than they were deftroyed by the enemy. At length it was refolved in council, to furround the whole city with a trench, and thus prevent all relief and fuccours from abroad. This, which was quickly executed, feemed no

way

way to intimidate the Jews. Though famine and peftilence, its neceffary attendant, began now to make the most horrid ravages within the walls, yet this defperate people still refolved to hold out. Though obliged to live upon the most fcanty and unwhole fome food, though a bufhel of corn was fold for fix hundred crowns, and the holes and fewers were ranfacked for carcafes, that had long fince grown putrid, yet they were not to be moved. The famine raged at laft to fuch an excess, that a woman of diftinction in the city, boiled her own child, and ate it. When this horrid account came to the ears of Titus, he declared that he would bury fo abominable a crime in the ruins of their state. In confequence of this refolution, he cut down all the woods within a confiderable diftance of the city, and caufing more batteries to be raised, at length battered down the wall, and in five days entered the citadel by force. Thus reduced to the very verge of ruin, the remaining Jews ftill deceived them-. felves with abfurd and delufive expectations, while many falfe prophets impofed upon the multitude, declaring, they, fhould foon have affiftance from God. The heat of the battle was now, therefore, gathered round the inner wall of the Temple, while the defendants defperately combated from the top. Titus was anxious to fave this beautiful ftructure, but a foldier cafting a brand into fome adjacent buildings, the fire communicated to the Temple; and notwithstanding the utmost endeavours on both fides, the whole edifice was quickly confumed. The fight of the Temple in ruins effectually served to damp the ardour of the Jews. They began to perceive that Heaven had forfaken them, while their cries and lamentations echoed from the adjacent mountains. Even those who were almoft expiring, lifted up their dying eyes to bewail the lofs of their temple, which they valued more than life itself.

Titus having entered the fanctuary, or moft holy place, found fuch rich and fumptuous utenfils and other wealth, as even exceeded all that had been told him of it. Out of the former he faved the golden candleftick, the table of fhewbread, the altar of perfumes, all of pure gold, and the book or volume of the law wrapped up in a rich gold tiffue. After he came out of the facred place, fome other foldiers fet fire to it, and then plundered it, tearing off the gold plating of the gates and timber-work, and carrying off every thing of value they could find. An horrid maffacre followed foon after, in which a great many thoufands perifhed, fome by the flames, others by the fall from the battlements, and a greater number by the enemy's fword, none of any age, fex, or quality, being spared by the enraged foldiers, who did not ceafe

4

burning

burning and butchering till they had deftroyed all except two of the Temple gates, and that part of the court which was deftined for the women. The Jews, in memory of this deftruction, keep a folemn faft on the ninth of the month Ab, anfwering in part to our Auguft, which lafts full twentyfour hours; during which time they neither eat, drink, nor ufe the leaft refreshment.

The most refolute of the Jews ftill endeavoured to defend the upper and ftronger part of the city, named Sion, but Titus with his battering engines, foon made himself entire mafter of the place. John and Simon were taken from the vaults where they had concealed themfelves; the former was condemned to perpetual imprisonment, and the latter reserved to grace the conqueror's triumph. The greateft part of the populace were put to the fword, and the city was entirely razed by the plough; fo that according to our Saviour's prophecy, not one tone remained upon another. Thus, after a fiege of fix months, this noble city was totally deftroyed, having flourished, under the peculiar direction of Heaven, above two thousand years. The numbers who perished in this fiege, amounted to "above a million of fouls, and the "captives to almost an hundred thoufand*." The temporal ftate of the Jews ended with their city; while the wretched furvivors were banished, fold, and difperfed into all parts of the world.

Upon the taking of Jerufalem, the foldiers would have crowned Titus as conqueror, but he modeftly refused the honour, alledging, that he was only an inftrument in the hand of Heaven, which manifeftly declared its wrath against the Jews. At Rome, however, all men's mouths were filled with the praifes of the conqueror, who had not only thewed himself an excellent general, but a courageous combatant; his return, therefore, in triumph, in company with his father, was marked with all the magnificence and joy that was in the power of men to exprefs. All things that were esteemed valuable or beautiful among men, were brought to adorn this great folemnity. Among the rich fpoils were expofed vaft quantities of gold, taken out of the Temple; but the Book of the Holy Law was not the leaft remarkable among the magnificent profufion. This was the first time that ever Rome faw the father and the fon triumph together. A triumphal arch was erected upon this occafion, on which were defcribed all the victories of Titus over the Jews. It remains almost entire to this day. Vefpafian likewife built a Temple to Peace, wherein were depofited

Jofephus.

moft

most of the Jewish spoils; and having now calmed all commotions in every part of the empire, he fhut up the temple of Janus, which had been open about five or fix years.

Vefpafian having thus given fecurity and peace to the empire, refolved to correct numberlefs abufes, which had grown up under the tyranny of his predeceffors. He began with reftraining the licentioufnefs of the army. He ordered a young officer to be broke for being perfumed, declaring he had rather he had ftunk of garlick. When fome military meffengers defired money to buy fhoes, he ordered them, for the future, to perform their journies barefoot, He abridged, the proceffes which had been carried to an unreasonable length, in the courts of juftice.

He settled a constant falary of an hundred thousand sefterces upon the teachers of rhetoric. Quintilian, the orator, and Pliny, the naturalift, flourished in his reign, and were highly efteemed by him.

He was no lefs an encourager of all other excellencies in art; and invited the greatest mafters and artificers from all parts of the world, making them confiderable prefents, as he found occafion.

Vefpafian having reigned ten years, loved hy his A. D. 79. fubjects, and deferving their affection, died a natural death, and was peaceably fuccceded by Titus

his fon. "He was a man, in whom power made no alteration, ex"cept in giving him the opportunity of doing good equal to his will*,

* Pliny.

CHAP.

CHAP. XLIV.

Titus.-Dreadful Eruption of Mount Vefuvius.-Fire and Plague at Rome.-Domitian.-Story of Appollonius Tyaneus.-Nerva.-Trajan.-Plutarch's Letter to Trajan. -Remarkable Expreffion of the fame Emperor.-Strength of the Roman Empire impaired by its extent. Reign of Adrian.-Variety of his Endowments. One of his Maxims-He vifits his whole Empire.-His Remark with Regard to Phyficians.-The Stanzas he addreffed to his departing Soul.

VE

ESPASIAN, perhaps, did not more oblige the world by his own reign than by leaving fo admirable a fucceffor as his fon Titus, who, from his goodnefs was called the Delight of Mankind. One night at fupper, calling to mind, that he had not, during the day, granted a favour to any man, he exclaimed, "Alas! my friends, we have loft a day." He gave fufficient proof of his courage in the fiege of Jerufalem, and might have met with as good fuccefs in other parts, had he not been prevented by death, to the univerfal grief of mankind. On perceiving his approaching diffolution, he declared, that, during his life, he knew but one action of which he repented; and that action he did not think proper to exprefs. He expired fhortly after, but not without fufpicion of treachery from his brother Domitian, who had long wifhed to govern. In his reign an eruption of Mount Vefuvius did confiderable damage, overwhelming many towns, and fending its afhes into countries more than an hundred miles diftant. Upon this memorable occafion, Pliny, the naturalift, loft his life; for being compelled by too eager a curiofity to obferve the eruptions, he was fuffocated in the flames. Among other cities, which were deftroyed by this dreadful eruption, were Pompeii and Herculaneum; the ruins of which laft have been fince difcovered.

There happened alfo about this time a fire at Rome, which continued three days and nights fucceffively, being followed by a plague, in which ten thoufand men were buried in a day.

The love which all ranks of people bore to his brother, facilitated the election of Domitian, A. D. 81. notwithstanding the ill opinion many had already conceived of him. He fo far degenerated from the

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