The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-07-23

BULWER ON THE DESTRUCTION OF JERU-
SALEM.
few weeks ago Sir f. Bulwer Lvtton delivered
lecture in Loncoln, which city he has for a num-
Der of years represented in Parliament on the
early history of Eastern nations. He gave an out
line of the history of the Babvlonian, Assvrian,
Persian, Egyptian, Greek and Jewish nations, and
closed with the following powerful and dramatic
description of the destruction of Jerusalem by
Titus:
Sixty years after the birth of our Lord Judea
and Samarla became a Roman province, under sub
ordinate governors, the most famous of whom was
Pontius PLATE. These governors became so on
pressive 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 same
scenes of appalling terror to be found in
the history of this siege. The city itself was
rent by factions and the elements of civil hatred
had broke loose-the streets were slippery with
the blood of citizens-brother slew brother-the
granaries were set on fire-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 were again the gallant eountrymen of
David and Joshua-they sailed forth and scattered
the eagles of Rome But this triumph was brief
the erocity of the illtated Jews again wasted
itself on each other. And Titus marched on-en-
camped his armies close by the walls-and from
the heights the Roman General gazed with awe on
the strength and spendor of the city of jehovah
Let us pause-and take, ourselves, a mournfu
glance at Jerusalem, as it then was The CITY was
fortified by triple wall, side where it
was protected by deep and impossible ravines
These walls, of the most solid masonry were guard
ed by strong towers opposite to the otiest of these
towers Titus had encamped. From the height of that
tower the sentinel might have stretched below
the whole of that fair Territory of Judea about
to pass from the countrymen of David. Within
these walls was the palace of the kngs-its
roof of cedar, its doors of the rarest marbles
nl thn c+riac
and vessels of gold and silver. Groves and
gardens cleaning with fountains, adorned with
statues of bronze, divided the courts of the
palace itself But high above all, on a pre-
adorned by Solomon. The temple was as strong
without a CITADEL within more adorned than
a palace. On entering, you beheld porticoes of
numberless columns of porphyry, marble and
alabaster; gates adorned with gold and silver
among which was the wonderful gate called the
Beautiful. Further on, through the vast arch, was
the sacred portal which admitted into the interior
of the temple itself-all sheeted with gold,
and overhung by vine tree of gold the
branches of which were as large as man. The
roof OF the temple, even the outside, set
over with golden spikes, to prevent the birds set
Ting there and detiling the holy dome. At dis
tance, the whole temple looked like mount of snow
fretted with golden pinnaces. But, alas, the veil
OF that temple had been already rent asunder by
an inexpiabe crime, and the Lord of Hosts did not
fight with Israel. But the enemy is laundering
against the wall.
All around the city arose immense machines,
from which Titus poured down fragments of
rock, and showers of fire. The walls gave way
the city was entered the temple itself was
stormed. Famine in the meantime had made such
havoc, that the besieged were more like spectres
than living men; they devoured the belts to their
swords the sandals to their feet Even nature itself
so perished away, that a mother devoured her own
infant, fulfilling the awful words of the warke pro-
phe who had first led the Jews towards the land of
promise: 'The tender and delicate woman among
you, who would not adventure to set the sole
of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and
tenderness-her eyes shall be evil toward her young
and the children that she shall bear for she shall
eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege
and straitness wherewth thine enemy shall distress
thee in thy gates" Still, if the foe and famine
were not enough, citizens smote and murdered each
other as they met in the way-false prophets ran
bowling through the streets, every image of de-
spar completes the CHASTITY picture of the fall of Je
rusalem And now the temple was set on fire, the
Jews rushing through the flames to perish amidst
its ruins.
1t was a calm summer night-the 10th of August;
the whole hill on which stood the temple
gigantic blaze of fre-the roofs of cedar crashed
the gold pinnacles Of the dome were like spikes of
crimson flame. Through the urid atmosphere all
carnage and slaughter; the echoes of shrieks
and yels rang back from the Hill of Zion and the
Mount of Olives Amongst the smoking ruins, and
of Rome.
Thus were fulfilled the last avenging prophecies
thus perished Jerusalem. In that dreadful day
men still were living who might have heard the
warning voice of Him they crucifed-'EFerily,
say unto you all, these things shall upon this
generation. 0, Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
thou that kest prophets and stonest them that
are sent to thee, behold your house is
left unto you desolate" And thus were the He
brew people scattered over the face of the earth,
still retaining this hour their mysterious denti
ty-stil living proof of the truth of those pro-
phets they had scorned or slain-stl, vainly await
f,lh
eighteen centuries ago, upon the Mount of Calva-
ry,