Page:Jerusalem's captivities lamented, or, A plain description of Jerusalem (2).pdf/12

 being weary of this tyranny, delivered the city to Simon, thinking he would help them, but he joined the other rebel, and they reigned month about, till at last they quarelled between themselves.

Then there was nothing but slaughter and bloodshed, so that the blood of the Jews ran through the streets even to the temple of the, like a flood: all that the seditious overcame, they set their houses on fire, so that they burnt fourteen hundred storehouses, that were full of corn, wine, and oil, which caused a sudden famine in Jerusalem. Thus visited the city with four plagues at once, viz. sword, pestilence, famine, and fire: to which the fifth was added, the ruin and destruction of all the glorious buildings, so that nothing but desolation, pollution of the temple and all holy things, and uproar without any rest: no help, no succour, but every corner was full of howling, yelling, weeping, wailing, sobbing and sighing of women, children, and aged men starving for want of bread, and others roaring in their wounds; so that all manner of miseries oppressed the inhabitants, and he was thought a happy man who was dead before that day.

At this time Vespasian, with his army, was lying at Galilee, and from thence he went to Rome to receive the Imperial Crown, and left his son Titus, with the half of his army to besiege Jerusalem, the other to tarry at Alexandria till further orders. "That I shall do," said Titus,