Page:Jerusalem's captivities lamented, or, A plain description of Jerusalem (1).pdf/16

16 by the Romans, you might have ſeen aged men and women, and ſeveral other wretched people, who, with blubbered cheeks and diſhevelled hair, went howling and lamenting for the ruin of the Temple and Sanctuary, wearing and bearing in their habits and bodies, the ſad character of divine vengeance, of whom the ſoldiers exacted a fee for liberty of weeping; and they who formerly ſold the blood of Jeſus, were now forced to bay their own tears, without being pitied.

The Roman ſoldiers, being now quite ſpent with doing execution, and having a great deal more of their work yet to do, Titus ordered his men to hold their hands, ſaving only to thoſe whom they found armed, or in a poſture of reſiſtance, and to give quarters to all the reſt. But the ſoldiers went beyond their commiſſions, and put the aged and ſickly to the ſword, promiſcuouſly, with their companions; and for thoſe that were ſtrong and ſerviceable, they ſhut them up in the temple, in the women's quarter. Caeſar appointed Fronto, one of his friends and freemen to inform him of the people, and to do by them as they deſerved. As for the ruffians, and the ſeditious, that impeached one another, he had them all put to death; but for men of comely and graceful perſons, and in the prime of their youth, he reſerved them for the triumph; ſending away all above