The Empire County argus., 1856-09-20
The Fall of Jerusalem.

One of the most splendid sketches it has been
our fortune to peruse is that by Croy, who, in one
of his works, thus describes the fall of Jerusalem
The fall of our illustrious and happy city was SUI
pernatul'al. The destruction Of the conquered
against the first principles of the Roman policy and,
to the ast hour OF our national existence Rome held
out offers Of peace, and lamented frantic dispos
ton to be undone But the decree was gone forth
from mig hitter throne. During the latter days Of
the siege, ostility, to which that of man
grain of sand to the tempest that drives it
powered strength and senses. Fearful shapes and
voices in the lir visions starting US from short
and troublesom sleep-unacy in its hideous forms
sudden death the midst of vigor-the fury of the
elements let loos upon unsheltered heads-we
had every terror and evil that could beset human ma
ture, but pestienc the most of all, in city crowd
cd with the tenabe the famishing the diseased the
wounded and the de ad Yet though the streets were
covered with unbure d bodies though every well and
trench was teeming ith them-though six hundred
thousand corpses lay A ing the rampant and ma
ked to the sull-peste1ce not, for had it come
the enemy would have been scared away. But the
ambition of desolation, the pagan standard was fixed
where was to remain until the pow had passed over
the ruins of Jerusalem.
On this fatal night no man laid his head upon his
pillow. Heaven and earth were in conflict Meteors
burned above US the ground shook under our feet
the volcano blazed the wind burst in irresistible
winds far in the desert We heard the believing Of
the distant Mediterranean, as if t waters were at
our sde sweled by the deuge. Tie lakes and rivers
roared and inundated the land. The fiery sword shot
out ten fold fire. Thunder peaed from every quarter
of the heavens Lightning, in immense sheets of in
tensty and duration, that turned the darkness into
more than day. whitening eye and soul, burned from
the zenith to the ground and marked its track by
forest of fame and shattered the summit of the hills
Defence was unthought of for the mortal enemy had
passed from the mind Our hearts quaketl Tor fear
but it to see the powers of Heaven sh; ken All
cast away the shield and spear and croucIed before
the descending Judgment We were conscie nee smit-
ten. Our cries Of remorse anguish and hon ror were
heard through the Storm We howled to the caverns
to hide us we plunged into epulchres to csc ape the
wrath that consumed the living; we wouLl have
buried ourselves under the mountains.
knew the cause, the unspeakabe cause; and knew
that the last hour of crime at hand. A few tu-
gitives astonished to see one man among then not
sunk into the lowest feebeness of ear tc
me and besought me to lead them to some plac Of
safety if such were now to be found | told IL ZEN
openly they to die, and counseled them to die in
the hallowed spot of the temple They followed and
led the streets encumbered with every shape of hui
man suffering, to the foot of Mount Morah. But be-
vond that we found advance impossible Piles OF
clouds whose darkness palpabe, even in the rnd-
night in which we stood, covered the holy hill I'M
patent, not 10 De tlldl III
could overcome, cheered my dishearened band, I'd
attempted to lead the way up the assent. But ha
hardly entered the cloud, when was swept down by
gust that tore the rocks in flinty around me-
And now came the last and most wonderful sign that
marked the fate of rejected Israel.
While I lay helpless l heard the whrlwind roar
through the cloudy hill, and the vapors began to re
volve. A pale light, like that of the rising moon,
quvered on the edges, and the clouds rose rapidly,
shaping themselves into forms of battemens and tow
ers. The sound of voices was heard Within low and
distinct yet strangely sweet Still the lustre bright
ened and the airy building rose, tower on tower, and
battlement battlement In awe that held us mute,
we knelt and gazed on this more than mortal archi-
lecture that continued rising and spreading and glow
ing with serene light still soft and svery yet to
which the broadest moonbeam was dim At last it
stood FORTH from earth to Heaven, the colossal image
of the first temple; of the building raised by the
wsest OF men, once consecrated to the visible glory.
All Jerusalem saw the image, and the shout that
in the midst of their despair ascended from its thou
sands, told what proud remembrances there were.
But hymn was heard that might have hushed the
world beside. Never fell on my ears, never on the
human sense, a sound so majestic, yet so subduing
so full of melancholy; yet of grandeur and command
The vast portal opened, and from it marched host
such as man had never seen before, such as shall
never see but once again; the guardian angels of the