Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-07-18
Onion ann 9mtrifan,
pestrnetio1l 81 !IeEusalem


A few weeks ago. ssr E. B0LwER 1TFTOE deliver
ed & lecture IN Lincoln, which city he has for
number Of years represented in Parliament, on the
early history Of Eastern nations BE gave an outs
line Of the history Of the Babylonian, Assyrian,
Persian, Egyptian, Greek and Jewish nations, and
closed with the following powerful aud dramatic
description Of the destruction Of Jerusalem by Titus.
''six years after the birth Of our Lord, Judea and
Bamsria beosme Roman province, under subOv-
dinate governors, the most famous Of whom Ess
Pontius PLATE. These governors became so OPpres-
Eive that the Jews broke out into rebellion; and
seventy years after Christ, Jerusalem was finally
besieged By Titus, afterwards Emperor Of Rome.
No tragedy on the Stage has the some scenes Of ap
pallng terror are 10 be found ~ The history OF
this sege. The city itself was rent by factions at
the deadliest war with each other-su the elements
of civil hatred broke loose-ihe streets were slips
perry with the blood Of cizens-brOher slew brother
the granaries were seton fre-famine wasted those
whom the sword did not say. In the midst Of these
civil massacres, the Roman armies appeared before
the walls OF Jerusalem. Then for short time the
rival factions united against the common foe; they
we're again the gallant cOuntrymen Of David aud
Joshua-they sailed forth and scattered the eagles
of Rop1e Bat this triumph was brief; tue ferOcity
of the Inflated Jews again wasted itself on each
other. And Titus marched on-eDcamped his ar
mics close by the walls-and from the heigbth the
splendor of the city Of Jehovah.
ssLeL us here pause-and take ourselves mourn
full glance at Jerusalem, as il then vas. The city
was fortified by triple wal save on one side, where
1t was protected by deep and impossible ravines
These walls of the most solid masonry, we're guar
ded by strong towers; opposite to the lOftiest Of
these towers Titus had encamped. From the height
Of that tower the sentinel might have seen stretched
below, the whole Of that fair territory Of Judea,
about to pass from the cOunrymen Of David. Within
a. L. H. lie, &c g
cedar its doors Of the rarest marbles, its chambers
filled with the costest tapestries, AID vessels Of
gold and silver. Groves and gard, cleaning with
fountains adorned with statues Of bronze, divided
the courts Of the palace itself But high above all,
upou PERCEPTIONS rock, rose the temple, fortified
and adorned by Solomon This temple was as
strong without as a citadel; within more adorned
than q palace On entering you behold pOrticOs Of
numberless columns of pOTphyry, marble aud ala
baster; gates adorned with gold aud silver, q nong
which was the wonderful gate called the Beautiful.
0fFurther on, through vast arch, was the sacred
portal which admitted into the interior of the temple
itself-al sheeted over with gold, aud overhung by
vine tree of gold, the bran 'hes Of which we're as
man The roof Of the temple, even On The outside,
was set over with golden spikes to prevent the birds
settling there and defling The holy dome At dis
lance the whole TEN pie looked like a mount of snow,
fretted with golden pinnscles. But alas the veil Of
that temple had been already ssunder by mex
pishle crime and the Lord Of Hosts did not fight
with Israel But the enemy is numbering as The
wall AL around the city aTOze immense machines,
from which Titus poured down mighty fragments OF
rock, and showers Of fire. The walls gave way
the city vas entered, the temple itself was stormed
Famine, in the meanwhile, had made such havoc
that the besieged more like spectres than living
men; they dev0ured the bells 10 their swords the
sandals to their feet Even nature itself persisted
away, that a mother devuured her own infant-ful
filling the awful words of the prophet who had FIRST
led the Jews oRard the land Of promise: The ten
der and delicate woman amongst you, who would
not adventure 10 set the sole of her foot upon the
ground for delicaeness and tenderness-her eye
shall be evil towards her young one and The children
she shall bear for she shall them for want of al
things secretly 10 the siege and sratDess Wherewith
thine enemy shall encompass thee in thy gates
''Still as if the foe and famine we're not scourge
enough, citizens smote and murdered each other as
they met in the way--false prophets hoWlng
through the streets-every image Of despair CONS
pletes the CHASTITY picture Of the fall Of Jerusalem.
And now the temple was set on fire. the Jews rush
ing through the flames to perish amid irs ruins
at was calm summer uight-the l0th of August
the whole hill, on which stood the temple was
one gigantic blaze Of fre-the roofs Of cedar crushed
the golden pinuaoles Of the dome were like spikes
of crimson flame. Through the lUrid atmosphere all
was carnage and slaughter; the echoes Of shrieks
and wells rang back from the hill of Zion and Mount
of Olives Amongst the smoking runs, and over
the piles Of the dead, Titus planted the standard of
Rome"