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deadly, and if it comes to a hand-to-hand grapple they are as dangerous
as wild beasts, who would claw out your eyes or your throat. You know
that our fellows of the Tenth Legion have been, ever since Caesar's time,
as rough soldiers as any with the Eagles, but I can assure you that I
have seen them positively cowed by the fury of these fanatics. As a
matter of fact we have had least to bear, for it has been our task from
the beginning to guard the base of the peninsula upon which this
extraordinary town is built. It has steep precipices upon all the other
sides, so that it is only on this one northern base that fugitives could
escape or a rescue come. Meanwhile, the fifth, fifteenth, and the
twelfth or Syrian legions have done the work, together with the
auxiliaries. Poor devils! we have often pitied them, and there have been
times when it was difficult to say whether we were attacking the town or
the town was attacking us. They broke down our tortoises with their
stones, burned our turrets with their fire, and dashed right through our
whole camp to destroy the supplies in the rear. If any man says a Jew is
not a good soldier, you may be sure that he has never been in Judaea.

However, all this has nothing to do with what I took up my stylus to
tell you. No doubt it is the common gossip of the forum and of the baths
how our army, excellently handled by the princely Titus, carried one
line of wall after the other until we had only the temple before us.
This, however, is--or was, for I see it burning even as I write--a very
strong fortress. Romans have no idea of the magnificence of this place.
The temple of which I speak is a far finer building than any we have in
Rome, and so is the Palace, built by Herod or Agrippa, I really forget
which. This temple is two hundred paces each way, with stones so fitted
that the blade of a knife will not go between, and the soldiers say
there is gold enough within to fill the pockets of the whole army. This
idea puts some fury into the attack, as you can believe, but with these
flames I fear a great deal of the plunder will be lost.

There was a great fight at the temple, and it was rumoured that it would
be carried by storm to-night, so I went out on to the rising ground
whence one sees the city best. I wonder, uncle, if in your many
campaigns you have ever smelt the smell of a large beleaguered town. The
wind was south to-night, and this terrible smell of death came straight
to ou