remost of these scrambled on to the wall, the waiting
Jews rushed at them and cut them down with savage shouts, while other
Jews seizing the rungs of the ladder, thrust it from the coping to fall
with its living load back into the ditch beneath. Once there were great
cries of joy, for two standard-bearers had come up the ladders carrying
their ensigns with them. The men were overpowered and the ensigns
captured to be waved derisively at the Romans beneath, who answered the
insult with sullen roars of rage.

So things went on till at length the legionaries, wearing of this
desperate fighting, took another counsel. Hitherto Titus had desired to
preserve all the Temple, even to the outer courts and cloisters, but now
he commanded that the gates, built of great beams of cedar and overlaid
with silver plates, should be fired. Through a storm of spears and
arrows soldiers rushed up to them and thrust lighted brands into every
joint and hinge. They caught, and presently the silver plates ran down
their blazing surface in molten streams of metal. Nor was this all, for
from the gates the fire spread to the cloisters on either side, nor did
the outworn Jews attempt to stay its ravages. They drew back sullenly,
and seated in groups upon the paving of the Court of Women, watching the
circle of devouring flame creep slowly on. At length the sun rose. Now
the Romans were labouring to extinguish the fire at the gateway, and to
make a road over the ruins by which they might advance. When it was
done at last, with shouts of triumph the legionaries, commanded by Titus
himself and accompanied by a body of horsemen, advanced into the Court
of Women. Back before them fled the Jews, pouring up the steps of the
Gate Nicanor, on the roof of which Miriam was chained to her pinnacle.
But of her they took no note, none had time to think, or even to look
at a single girl bound there on high in punishment for some offence, of
which the most of them knew nothing. Only they manned the walls to right
and left, and held the gateway, but to the roof where Miriam was they
did not climb, because its parapet was too low to shelter them from the
arrows of their assailants.

The Romans saw her, however, for she perceived that some of his officers
were pointing her out to a man on horseback, clad in splendid armour,
over which fell a purple cloak, whom she took to be Titus himself. Also
one of the soldiers shot an arrow at her which struck upon the spiked
co