And Roman arms the second wall retake; Soon mounted high the golden eagle shines, And spreads new life, thro’ all the weary’d lines. They shout aloud, their sun-burnt faces glow, Heedless they pass their comrades now laid low; No thoughts but war and victory they own, Of conq’ring Romans and of Jews o’erthrown, Of easy plunder to reward their toils, Of massive gold and weighty Jewish spoils. A sad reverse within the city reigns, Here all is dying groans and bleeding veins; Here Famine still in all its horrors clad, Press some to death, and leave the living mad; Here restless Faction rides in deadly strife, And pleas’d with blood now takes the long-sought life; Here sore oppression gripes with iron hand, And darts with fury o’er the bleeding land; Here houses blaze, here welt’ring bodies lay, And fright with deep-fetch’d groans the dark’ning day; Wild desolation holds his murd’ring reign, While pity heedless bleeds at ev’ry vein. Ill-fated city, Judah’s greatest pride, Thy boasted strength all distant lands deride, Now laugh to see thy boding towers gone, To view thy fertile meadows left forlorn; To view thy chiefs, with blood and rapine strong, Now spread destruction o’er the famish’d throng, Whose wealth nor pow’r can aught assistance give, Or let their starving owners longer live. So the firm oak, proud monarch of the wood, Which for whole ages has undaunted stood, When lightnings flash, and thunders roll afar, Gives way, o’ercome by elemental war. PART III. ARGUMENT. The Romans assembled by the walls are addressed by Titus, who approves of their bravery, and incites them to pursue their conquest—Chezron and his band fire the towers and retake the inner wall—Chezron, in the act of erecting his standard, is killed.—His troops rush into the flames—Eleazer meets the Romans—Retreats to the temple, where the battle is renewed—Simon fires the outer courts of the temple—Jezra, wandering in the Roman camp, sees the flames, hurries to Titus, and implores him to stop their progress—The Jews retreating to Lebanon are followed by their foes, whom they entice within the walls, and then burn the place—Jezra ascends to a pinnacle, and perishes among the ruins—Simon and Eleazer attack the Romans—Their flight—Eleazer’s death—Plunder of the city—Simon gives himself up—Final overthrow of the city—And conclusion.