Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1858-07-01
BuIwer on the Destruction of Jerusalem.


A few weeks ago Sir E. Bulwer Lytton
delivered a lecture in Lincoln, which city he
has for number Of years represented in
Parliament, on the early history of Eastern
nations He gave an outline Of the history
of the Babylonian, Assyrian, Persian, Egyp-
tian, Greek and Jewish nations, and closed
with the following powerful and dramatic
description of thelestruction of Jerusalem
by Titus:
six years after the birth of our Lord,
Judea and Samaria became a Roman pro-
vince, under subordinate governors, the
most famous of whom was PontIus PLATE.
These governors become SO oppressive that
the Jews broke out into rebellion; and sew
enty years after Christ, Jerusalem was f..
nally besieged by Titus, afterwards Empe-
tror of Rome q. TRACED on the gtaga llaasl
the same scenes of appalling horror as are
to be found in the history of this seige.
The city itself was rent by factions at the
deadliest war with each other-all the ele-
ments of civil hatred had broke loose-the
streets were slippery with the blood of her
citizens-brother slew brother-the grana-
ries were set on fre-famine wasted those
whom the sword did not slay In the midst
of these civil massacres, the Roman armies
appeared before the walls of Jerusalem -
Then for short time the rival factions uni
ted against a common foe: they were again
the gallant countrymen of David and Joshua
the sailed forth and scattered the eagles
of Rome. But this triumph was brief; the
ferocity of the ill-fated Jews soon again
wasted itself on each other And Titus
marched on--encamped his armies close by
the walls and from the heights the Roman
general gazed with awe on the strength and
splendor of the city of Jehovah
Let US here pause-and take ourselves, a
mournful glance at Jerusalem, as it then
was The city was fortified by triple wall,
save on one side, where it was protected by
deep and impossible ravines. These walls,
of the most solid masonry, were guarded by
strong towers: opposite to the loftiest of
these towers Titus had encamped. From
the height of the tower the sentinel might
have seen 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 kings-its roof
of cedar, its doors of the rarest marbles, its
chambers filled with the costliest tapestries,
and vessels of gold and silver. Groves and
gardens, cleaning with fountains, adorned
with statues of bronze, divided the courts oi
the palace itself. But high above all, upon
precipitous rock rose the temple, fortified
and adorned by Solomon. This temple was
as strong without as citadel, within more
adorned than palace. On entering, you
beheld porticoes of numherless columns oi
porphyry, marble and alabaster; gates a.
dorned with silver, among which was the
wonderful gate called the Beautiful. Fur
ther on, through vast arch was the sacred
portal which admitted into the interior Of
the temple itself-all sheeted over with gold
and overhung by vine tree Of gold, the
branches of which were large as a man.
The roof of the temple, even on the outside,
were set over with golden spikes, to prevent
the birds from setting there and de6ling
the holy dome At distance the whole
temple looked like mount of snow, fret
ted with golden pinacles. But alas! the
vale of that temple had been rent asun-
der by an inexpiable crime, and the Lord
of hosts did not fight with Israel. But
the enemy is laundering at the wall All
round the city arose immense machines,
from which Titus poured down mighty frag
ments of rock, and showers Of fire. The
walls gave way-the city was entered-the
temple itself was stormed. Famine in the
mean while had made such havoc, that the
/ beseiged were more like spectres than living
men; they devoured their belts to their