Naomi

by Mrs. J. B. Webb

As soon as daylight returned the engagement was renewed, and never was a contest maintained with greater vigour and courage than were displayed on either side. The Jews strove to emulate one another in their contempt of danger, and in the fearless exposure of their lives, for they fought beneath the eye of Simon; and such were the awe and reverence with which he had inspired his followers, that they were willing to brave every peril in the hope of obtaining his approbation. Titus exercised the same influence over his troops, and the pride of their first success, joined to his continual presence, excited them to a stubborn and unconquerable courage.

The central tower of the second wall was the point against which the chief efforts of the Romans were directed, and the dreaded Nico was brought to bear upon it with all its resistless force. This tower had been committed by Simon to the care and defence of Javan; and a strong garrison was placed under his command for the protection of so important a post. The Romans soon drove away almost all these men by the cloud of arrows which they sent among them from their own movable buildings which they had brought to look down upon them, and Javan remained with only ten companions. He scorned to fly, and determined to have recourse to a stratagem by which an advantage might be gained to his party. He therefore desired his men to remain quiet for some time, and conceal themselves as much as possible from the enemy. But when the tower began to totter above their heads, he directed them to start up and stretch forth their hands, as if imploring mercy. At the same time he advanced to the battlements of the tower in a supplicating attitude, and called loudly on the name of Titus. His voice reached the ears of the general, who immediately gave orders for the assault to be suspended, and commanded Javan to speak. The artful Jew replied that it was his sincere desire to surrender, and throw himself upon the generosity of the noble Titus, and that he had endeavoured to bring all those under his command to the same determination. As he made this deceitful speech five of his men appeared to take his part, while the rest declared that they would never be slaves to the Romans, as long as death was in their power. A fierce quarrel seemed to follow these declarations, and the assault was in the meantime entirely suspended. Javan observed this, and instantly sent one of his men secretly to inform Simon of his artifice, and advise him to take advantage of the temporary cessation of the siege, and to concert measures for some vigorous sally, while he endeavoured as long as possible to attract the attention of the enemy.

He then continued his pretended expostulation with the adverse party of his own men, who stood on the breastworks, brandishing their swords with a menacing air, and at length, as if resolved to die rather than yield, struck their own breasts with violence, and fell, seemingly dead. The Romans were completely deceived by this pretended act of devotion to liberty, and even pitied the fate of the self-destroyed victims; but one of them, less generous than the rest, discharged an arrow at Javan, and wounded him in the face. He withdrew the shaft and held it reproachfully towards Titus, who sternly rebuked the man who had shot it, and desired Josephus to advance towards the tower and speak with the Jew. He, however, knew his own countrymen too well to place himself within their reach, and declined the errand, but a deserter named Æneas offered to go in his stead. Javan called to him to come close to the wall, that he might throw down to him some money as a pledge of his good faith; and when Æneas spread out the folds of his cloak to receive it, he cast at him a large stone with the intention of crushing him on the spot. He missed his aim, but wounded a soldier who stood near him, and Titus then saw that the whole affair was a treacherous device to gain time. He was enraged at the deceit which had been practised upon him, and gave instant orders for the assault to be resumed with fresh vigour. Javan perceived that no further advantage was to be obtained, and in desperation he and his men set fire to the tower in several places. It blazed rapidly up around them, and when the flames were high and fierce they leaped boldly into the midst of them, and again deceived the Romans into a belief that they had bravely sacrificed their lives. It was but another artifice, for they had thrown themselves into a secret passage that led underground to the interior of the city, where they soon appeared, and boasted of their success in keeping the enemy so long inactive.

On the fifth day from that on which Titus became master of the first wall, the second also was taken, and the Jews retreated. The Roman general entered that quarter of the lower city with a thousand men-at-arms and a few other chosen troops, and found himself in the midst of those streets occupied by the clothiers, the wool-merchants, and the coppersmiths, with many narrow lanes, leading to the walls in every direction. In the hope of gaining over the people to his side, and convincing them that their wisest course would be to submit without any farther struggle, Titus gave strict orders that no houses should be set on fire or injured, and no massacre committed. He caused it to be proclaimed that he did not wage war against the defenceless population, but against the insurgent garrison; and that to all the peaceable inhabitants he would readily restore their property. The leaders of the Jews and their seditious troops regarded this lenity as a proof of weakness, and threatened instant death to all who should attempt to utter a word of surrendering. They stabbed without mercy every one whom they suspected of wishing for peace, and then fell furiously on the enemy as they passed along the streets. Some poured their darts and arrows upon them from the houses, and others rushed upon them by the intricate and narrow lanes with which they were well acquainted, but which embarrassed the Romans greatly. Others sallied out of the walls that were already lost, by gates which were not yet guarded by the conquering army, and attacked their enemy in the rear. Advance or retreat seemed alike difficult for the Romans, and but for the presence of Titus, who came in person to their relief with a band of archers, a dreadful loss would probably have been sustained. He, however, succeeded in driving back the countless assailants on every side, and brought off the greatest part of his men; but the conquest which had been won with so much labour and bloodshed was again lost, and the Jews regained possession of the second wall.

This success inspired the insurgent troops with the greatest joy and confidence, and they doubted not that if ever the Romans again gained an entrance into the city they should be able to repulse them as they had already done; but they did not consider the progress of that more certain enemy that already was working its silent way through the city, and daily adding to the victims of misery and violence. The cruel and desperate soldiery had hitherto lived in plenty on what they plundered from the people, and they heeded not the distress which they inflicted, and beneath which many were continually sinking and expiring. Indeed they rather rejoiced in thus ridding the city of some part of its disaffected populace, and continued to seize on all the provisions that came in their way and retain them fur their own use. They were unable to repair the breach which the Romans had made in the wall, but with determined resolution they presented themselves to fill it with their own bodies, and for three days they fought without intermission. Vast numbers fell on the spot, but their comrades slept undauntedly upon their bleeding carcasses to supply their place and share their fate. On the fourth day they gave way, and were compelled to abandon the post; when Titus again took possession of the wall, and caused a large part of it to be razed to the ground, while he strongly garrisoned the remaining portion.

Still Antonia and the temple looked proudly down upon the conquering arms of Rome, and all the high places of Sion and David's city remained in their strength; and the garrisons were undismayed at the loss they had sustained. Titus resolved to allow the besieged a little time for reflection, in the hope that the peaceable party might yet prevail before it should be too late, and persuade the rebels to surrender. In order to impress the besieged still more with the strength and discipline of his army, he employed the interval which he allowed them from their exertions in taking a grand review of all his troops within sight of the city. From every window and every tower that commanded a view of the splendid pageant the Jewish people and their tyrant defenders looked down with consternation and dismay, while the whole Roman army, in their best equipments, defiled beyond the wall. It was a brilliant spectacle, for all the arms were uncased, and the polished shields and breastplates exposed uncovered to glitter in the sunbeams; while the cavalry followed, leading their beautiful and richly-caparisoned horses, whose trappings gleamed with gold and silver. All ranks, all classes of persons, were assembled to look on their destined destroyers; and truly it was a sight that might strike terror into the boldest hearts, or induce any beleaguered people to lay down their arms, except the obstinate and insurgent Jews, who felt that they had too deeply offended to hope for any terms from the Romans.

This beautiful but appalling spectacle was presented to the eyes of the besieged for four days; but no offers of capitulation were made—no overtures of peace reached the Roman general; and with reluctance he gave orders for the siege to be recommenced. The first step was to raise lofty mounds against the Antonia, and also against that part of the wall which was defended by Simon. The Jews had by this time learned to use their military engines with great dexterity, and they now plied them with deadly effect against the Romans employed in constructing the works. Titus was willing once more to give them an offer of peace, and far this purpose he sent Josephus again to address them; and having found a spot where he could be heard without being exposed to the arrows and darts of his countrymen, he made to them a long and eloquent speech. He used every argument that religion or humanity could furnish. Many of the people were touched by his earnest expostulations; but the Zealots were only the more irritated and enraged; and their fury knew no bounds when they discovered that numbers of the miserable populace were deserting to the enemy. Many sold all that they possessed in the city, and then fled; others swallowed their money and jewels, and then escaped to the Roman camp, where they were kindly received, and suffered to pass unmolested to whatever place they chose. Their success emboldened others, and all the efforts of John and Simon were ineffectual to restrain the constant desertions that now took place. Their partizans watched every avenue and outlet with the greatest care and diligence, and cruelly slaughtered all whom they suspected of an intention to desert. This charge also served as a convenient pretext on which they could seize and massacre any one whose wealth they coveted, and numbers were put to death who were innocent of any such design as that of which the murderers accused them.

CHAPTER XXIII.

The son of Ananus no longer passed up and down the streets of Jerusalem uttering his warning and prophetic cry. He was neither seen nor heard from the day that the siege began. The woes which he had so long and so perseveringly denounced were come in all their dread reality. Famine, with its attendant miseries, was felt throughout the city, and with the general distress the desperation of the insurgents increased also. There was no longer any corn to be seen in the markets for sale, and if the ruffian soldiers heard of any being concealed in private houses, they furiously broke them open and dragged away the treasure. If they were disappointed in the search, they tortured the wretched inhabitants to make them disclose and deliver up what they frequently did not possess. Humanity shudders at the horrid recital of the barbarity exercised by these monsters, and the sufferings of their miserable victims; which were aggravated by seeing their tyrants revelling in plenty, and even in intemperance while they were expiring for want. Every natural affection, every generous sentiment, was destroyed by the all-absorbing hunger that raged among all classes. The dearest and the closest ties were severed, and those who would in happier times have laid down their lives to preserve those of their husbands, their wives, their children, and other beloved relatives, now were seen to snatch from their dying grasp the last morsel of food, and greedily devour it before their eyes. Oh these were days of sorrow such as never had been, and may God grant they never may be again! The grey hairs of old age, and the helpless innocence of childhood excited no compassion—all were alike sacrificed to the cruel selfishness that reigned triumphant in that abode of crime and horror.