"Then to my heart

“Came words which I had heard from thee: I

"wept

"E'en as an infant, and I smote my breast.

"The brave companion of my fortunes died-

"Died yesterday, stern and impenitent

"As he liv'd, pitiless; and left alone,

"I cried for mercy-mercy of that God

"Whom thou didst call 'THY FATHER;' and I

"pray'd

"To Christ, and cried-Me-me-oh! pardon

"me!

"I dare not lift my eyes!' Thou, Father, hear.

"I am a free-born citizen of Rome--

"My name, Pedanius,* the Decurion :

"When Titus led his legions to the East,

"Against the city of Jerusalem,

* See, in Josephus, the account of Pedanius.

"To raze it from the earth; at the last day,

"When the third wall shook to the batt'ring-rams,

"Amid the shrieks of horror and despair,

Flung from the tott'ring battlements, a babe

"Fell at my horse's feet.* Famish'd and black, "With livid lips and ghastly, on the ground

"It lay-when, frantic from the crowd within, "A wretched and bereaved woman rush'd,

"And held my bridle, fearless of the swords "That flash'd above her head. I heard her cries"Protect me he is dead-my child, my child"Brave soldier, for the love of God'-I look'd

"A moment-there was famine in her face, "Wasted, yet beautiful. Pitying, I spoke, "Follow'-and thro' the clouds of smoke, we "pass'd

* This was not an uncommon circumstance during the famine and this most terrible siege. See Josephus.

"To the green olive trees, and then she sank

Upon the ground, and, pale and still as death,

"Lay long-the winds just stirring her dark hair :

"I brought her water from the spring that wells, "Soft murm'ring, from the brook of Siloa :

"She drank, and feebly open'd her dark eyes,

"Which seem'd more large, for all her flesh was

"shrunk

"Then she look'd up, and faintly spoke again

"Are' and she sobb'd aloud. BY HIM,' I cried,

"WHO RULES AMONG THE GODS, I will protect

"Thy life with mine.' Her tears fell fast and warm

Upon the bloody hand which held the sword;

"The other check'd my fierce and foaming horse. "Hark! hark! a turret falls! Hark! hark! again— "They shout-ten thousand voices rend the skies, "THE TEMPLE-THE PROUD TEMPLE-TO THE

"GROUND!

"THE TEMPLE-THE PROUD TEMPLE-TO THE

"DUST!'

"Her infant she had taken from the ground,

"To lay it in her bosom, while the tears

"Fell on its folded hands; but when she saw "Still its wan livid lips, and the same glare "Of its dead eyes, she turn'd away her face, "Half-looking down, half-rais'd to heav'n, and shed "Her tears no more: one hand, as thus she sat, "With fingers spread, held fast her infant's arm, "O'er its right shoulder, while its arid lips "She drew, in vain, towards her open breast, "Still fearing to look down her other hand, "Instinctively, she laid on the cold feet,

"As if to cherish them: the gouts of blood "Fell heavy from its matted hair, and stain'd "Her bosom; but she had compos'd its hands, "Which now, tho' cold and dead, each other

"Beneath her neck, as living-so she sat,

"Nor sigh'd, nor mov'd her face, nor shed a tear.

"I gently took the infant from her arms,

"And buried it close to the sacred brook,

"And then, with mutter'd pray'r, she turn'd and

66 6

wept

Wept, as bereav'd of all she lov'd on earth.

Fly!' and I plac'd her on the horse with me→→

Leaving behind the sounds and sights of death "The shrieks of massacre-the crash of tow'rs "Falling the heavy sound of batt❜ring rams: "We pass'd the victims, black'ning in the sun, "And some, yet breathing, on the crucifix.* "On, thro' the valley of Jehosaphet,

"I spurr'd my horse: we pass'd the sepulchre "Of Lazarus-restor'd from the dark grave, "So those who own the faith of Christ affirm,

* Jews crucified, by order of Titus, without the walls.