THE JEWS.

Oh, holy Simon! Oh, prophetic Simon!
Lead thou, lead thou against the Gentile host,
And we will ask no angel breath to blast them.
The valour of her children soon shall scatter
The spoiler from the rescued walls of Salem,
Even till the wolves of Palestine are glutted
With Roman carnage.

AMARIAH.

Blow, ye sacred priests,

Your trumpets, as when Jericho of old

Cast down its prostrate walls at Joshua's feet!

PLACIDUS.

Let the Jew speak, the captive of Jotapata ; Haply they'll reverence one, and him the bravest Of their own kindred.

TERENTIUS.

See! he speaks to them;

And they do listen, though their menacing brows

Lower with a darker and more furious hate.

JOSEPH.

Yet, yet a little while-ye see me rise,
Oh, men of Israel, brethren, countrymen !
Even from the earth ye see me rise, where lone,
And sorrowful, and fasting, I have sate

These three long days; sad sackcloth on the limbs
Which once were wont to wear a soldier's raiment;
And ashes on the head, which ye of old

Did honour, when its helmed glories shone
Before you in the paths of battle. Hear me,

Ye that, as I, adore the Law, the Prophets;
And at the ineffable thrice-holiest name

Bow down your awe-struck foreheads to the ground.
I am not here to tell you, men of Israel,
That it is madness to contend with Rome;

That it were wisdom to submit and follow

The common fortunes of the universe;

For ye would answer, that 'tis glorious madness
To stand alone amid the enslaved world

Freedom's last desperate champions: ye would an

swer,

That the slave's wisdom to the free-born man
Is basest folly. Oh, my countrymen!
Before no earthly king do I command you
To fall subservient, not all-conquering Cæsar;
But in a mightier name I summon you,
The King of Kings! He, he is manifest
In the dark visitation that is on you.

'Tis He, whose loosed and raging ministers,
Wild War, gaunt Famine, leprous Pestilence,
But execute his delegated wrath.

Yea, by the fulness of your crimes, 'tis He.

Alas! shall I weep o'er thee, or go down

And grovel in the dust, and hide myself

From mine own shame? Oh, thou defiled Jerusalem!
That drinkest thine own blood as from a fountain;
That hast piled up the fabric of thy guilt

To such portentous height, that earth is darken'd
With its huge shadow that dost boast the monuments
Of murder'd prophets, and dost make the robes
Of God's High-priest a title and a claim
To bloodiest slaughter-thou that every day
Dost trample down the thunder-given Law,

Even with the pride and joy of him who treads
The purple vintage-And oh thou, our Temple
That wert of old the Beauty of Holiness,
The chosen, unapproachable abode

Of Him which dwelt between the cherubim,
Thou art a charnel-house, and sepulchre

Of slaughter'd men, a common butchery

Of civil strife ;—and hence proclaim I,.brethren,
It is the Lord who doth avenge his own:

The Lord, who gives you over to the wicked,
That ye may perish by their wickedness.

* Oh! ye
And yet are sold unto a baser bondage,
One that, like iron, eats into your souls,
Robbers, and Zealots, and wild Edomites!

that do disdain to be Rome's slaves,

Yea, these are they that sit in Moses' seat,
Wield Joshua's sword, and fill the throne of David;
Yea, these are they

AMARIAH.

I'll hear no more-the foe

Claims from our lips the privilege of reply.

Here is our answer to the renegade,

A javelin to his pale and coward heart!(12)

JOSEPH.

I am struck, but not to death! that yet is wanting To Israel's guilt.

JEWS.

Oh, noble Amariah!

Well hast thou spoken! well hast thou replied!
Lead-lead-we'll follow noble Amariah!

TITUS.

Now, Mercy, to the winds! I cast thee off-
My soul's forbidden luxury, I abjure thee!

Thou much-abused attribute of gods

And godlike men.

And now,

'Twas nature's final struggle;

whate'er thou art, thou unseen prompter!

That in the secret chambers of my soul

Darkly abidest, and hast still rebuked

The soft compunctious weakness of mine heart,
I here surrender thee myself. Now wield me