eached to its inward parts,
but was still consuming the rooms that were about the holy house, and
Titus supposing what the fact was, that the house itself might yet be
saved, came in haste and endeavored to persuade the soldiers to quench
the fire, and gave order to Liberalius the centurion, and one of those
spearmen that were about him, to beat the soldiers that were refractory
with their staves and to restrain them; yet were their passions too hard
for the regards they had for Caesar, and the dread they had of him who
forbade them, as was their hatred of the Jews, and a certain vehement
inclination to fight them, too hard for them also. Moreover, the hope of
plunder induced many to go on, as having this opinion, that all the
places within were full of money, and as seeing that all round about it
was made of gold. And besides, one of those that went into the place
prevented Caesar, when he ran so hastily out to restrain the soldiers,
and threw the fire upon the hinges of the gate, in the dark; whereby the
flame burst out from within the holy house itself immediately, when the
commanders retired, and Caesar with them, and when nobody any longer
forbade those that were without to set fire to it. And thus was the holy
house burned down without Caesar's approbation.

While the holy house was on fire everything was plundered that came to
hand, and ten thousand of those that were caught were slain; nor was
there a commiseration of any age, or any reverence of gravity, but
children, and old men, and profane persons, and priests were all slain
in the same manner; so that this war went round all sorts of men, and
brought them to destruction, and as well those that made supplication
for their lives as those that defended themselves by fighting. The flame
was also carried a long way, and made an echo, together with the groans
of those that were slain; and because this hill was high, and the works
at the Temple were very great, one would have thought the whole city had
been on fire. Nor can one imagine anything either greater or more
terrible than this noise, for there was at once a shout of the Roman
legions, who were marching all together, and a sad clamor of the
seditious, who were now surrounded with fire and sword.

The people also that were left above were beaten back upon the enemy,
and under a great consternation, and made sad moans at the calamity they
were under; the multitude also that was in the city joined in this
ou