Pearl-Maiden: A Tale of the Fall of JerusalemHaggard, H. Rider (Henry Rider)
History
Pearl-Maiden: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem
Haggard, H. Rider (Henry Rider)
Historical fiction; Jerusalem -- History -- Fiction
Then he stood still watching as Caleb vanished quickly among the great
boles of the olive trees. “What can stir a Jew so much,” he reflected
to himself, “as to make him give something for nothing, and especially
to a Roman? Perhaps he is Pearl-Maiden’s brother. No, that can’t be
from his eyes—her lover more likely. Well, it is no affair of mine, and
although he never grew them, the vegetables are good and fresh.”
That evening when Caleb, still disguised as a peasant, was travelling
through the growing twilight across the hills that bordered the road to
Tyre, he heard a mighty wailing rise from Jerusalem and knew that it
was the death-cry of his people. Now, everywhere above such portions of
the beleaguered city as remained standing, shot up tall spires and
wreaths of flame. Titus had forced the walls, and thousands upon
thousands of Jews were perishing beneath the swords of his soldiers, or
in the fires of their burning homes. Still, some ninety thousand were
left alive, to be driven like cattle into the Court of Women. Here more
than ten thousand died of starvation, while some were set aside to
grace the Triumph, some to be slaughtered in the amphitheatres at
Cæsarea and Berytus, but the most were transported to Egypt, there,
until they died, to labour in the desert mines. Thus was the last
desolation accomplished and the prophecy fulfilled: “And the Lord shall
bring thee into Egypt again with ships . . . and there ye shall sell
yourselves unto your enemies for bondmen and for bondwomen, and no man
shall buy you.” Thus did “Ephraim return to Egypt,” whence he came
forth to sojourn in the Promised Land until the cup of his sin was
full. Now once more that land was a desert without inhabitants; all its
pleasant places were waste; all its fenced cities destroyed, and over
their ruins and the bones of their children flew Cæsar’s eagles. The
war was ended, there was peace in Judæa. _Solitudinem faciunt pacem
appellant!_
When Caleb reached Tyre, by the last light of the setting sun he saw a
white-sailed galley beating her way out to sea. Entering the city, he
inquired who went in the galley and was told Gallus, a Roman captain,
in charge of a number of sick and wounded men, many of the treasures of
the Temple, and a beautiful girl, who was said to be the grand-daughter
of Benoni of that town.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account