banks, and filling it with pitch and bitumen, set it on fire, to the dismay of the Romans, who thus saw all their labour, at least at that point, quite destroyed, and that at the very moment when they thought they had attained their object.

Two days after this, Simon attempted to destroy the other banks; for the Romans had brought their engines there, and had begun to make the wall shake. At this crisis, Tephtheus, and Megassarus, and Chagiras, certain champions among the Jews, seized some lighted torches, and ran suddenly upon the engines. And this they did with all that fearlessness for which they were famous during the war, going out upon the Romans not as enemies, but as if they had been friends, and rushing violently through the midst of them, set fire to the machines. The Romans assaulted them with their swords on every side, yet would they not withdraw till they had accomplished their purpose.

Then the Romans endeavoured to get their engines out of the fire; but the Jews rushed forth, and caught hold of the battering rams through the flame itself, and while the iron upon them was red

hot; the fire spreading meantime to the banks themselves, so that the Romans, despairing of saving their works, retired at last to their camp. The Jews, emboldened by their success, and aided by the innumerable multitude who came out to their assistance, proceeded as far as the fortifications of the camp, and fought the guards.

Now there stood in array before the camp a body of soldiers in armour, who succeeded each other in rotation; and these, according to the Roman laws of war, were never to leave their post but on pain of death. Such men, therefore, preferred dying in the fight to being punished; so they stood firm against the violent assaults of the Jews, who now fought hand to hand, and made the Romans give way. But Titus coming upon them, attacked them in flank with some chosen troops; till the Jews, who had hitherto been attacked in front, wheeled round, and fought with Titus; and the armies became so mingled together, and the dust and the noise so great, that at last they could not distinguish friend from foe.

The Jews however did not flinch; not so much on account of their valour and prowess, as from

their despair of deliverance. Neither would the Romans yield, on account of their love of glory, and because Cæsar himself was in the midst of the danger. The wrath of the Romans was so great, that, had not the Jews retired into the city, the whole multitude would doubtless have been taken. But the destruction of the banks disconcerted the Romans so much, that they began to think it would be impossible to take the city, at least not with the usual engines of war; and, before taking any new step, Cæsar called a council

of his commendors.

CHAP. IX.

The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword, and the glittering spear; and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases: and there is none end of their corpses: they stumble upon their corpses."

AFTER the circumstances related in the last chapter, Titus called the commanders of his army together to consider what steps ought now to be taken to discomfit the Jews. While some were for bringing the whole army against the city and storming the wall,-and while others were for acting with more caution, and leaving the enemy to be destroyed by the famine,-Titus himself was of opinion that a wall should be built all round completely to encompass Jerusalem, and thereby cut off all supplies that might be carried in by stealth, as well as completely prevent the

irruption of the Jews; adding, that if any one should think such a labour too mighty an undertaking, they should remember that it was on that very account fit for the Romans,-and, as for the difficulty of the task, none but the gods could without labour accomplish any thing that was great.

These arguments of Titus prevailed in the council of commanders, and the work was immediately commenced, not only by the legions, but also by the inferior divisions of the army, the whole being fired with a certain divine fury,—so that each soldier was ambitious to please his centurion,each centurion his tribune, and the ambition of the tribunes was to please their superior officers, while Cæsar himself observed and rewarded all, going round the works repeatedly every day, and surveying their operations.

This wall commenced at the camp of the Assyrians,-where Caesar's own camp was pitched, -and went down towards Cenopolis; thence along the valley of Cedron to the Mount of Olives. It then bent towards the south, and encompassed the mountain as far as the rock called