Jr. John Church

“ No tongue but with Placidus’ praise is fir’d;
Titus himself with noble envy swells,
The man gives way, but yet the king rebels,
p. 19And thus he speaks: “Thy words and deeds are great,
But we are men, then wherefore tempt our fate:
He is but fool who of his lot complains,
Yet greater far is he who life disdains;
They only noble are whose deeds are good,
Whose virtues have the shocks of fate withstood,
Who fight their country’s battles as their own,
And die to gain them victory alone. ”

“ Be cruel still, and, if ye can, be bold;
For fall you must—the sword is pois’d on high,
Darkness overspreads and hides the shining sky”—
He stops—he strives—alas! can say no more,
And dying wallows in his smoking gore.
A joyful shout his last sad murmurs drown,
Placidus hears, and bends his brow to frown;
When swift as flashing lightnings ever sped,
Wing’d darts and jav’lins fly around his head. ”

“ And, if thou hop’st for peace beyond the grave,
Preserve an orphan, and my daughter save;
p. 45Oh! cheer my Jezra, pity her despair,
With you I leave her, take her to your care:
I was your deadly enemy ’tis true,
For thou a Roman art, and I a Jew.
But ah! that starting tear now speaks thee friend,
Then promise thou my Jezra to defend;
Thou swearest by thy sword!—Enough, enough;—
Oh! may thy path through life be never rough. ”

“ Placidus views his comrades round him lie,
He bids the rest give back, and heaves a sigh;
Yet still they fall, the coward and the brave,
Till none are left but firm Placidus’ slave,
Who, when they mark his master for their prey,
Uplifts his shield, and turns each death away:
But ah! what fury glows in yonder crew,
Now flush’d with blood, their treachery pursue.
Thick fly the darts around the noble pair,
Who now like brothers in the danger share ”

“ Our conq’ring deeds are spread along each coast,
Our cheerful squadrons for the field prepare,
And willing all to die, they greatly dare.
Then think, my comrades, what would be their woe
If they return, and leave the vaunting foe;
Think how we all should lose our well-got fame,
And Jews and Romans join to tell our shame. ”

“ The Romans, with their new success elate,
Place batt’ring rams, and force each pond’rous gate;
A breach they make, then mount—the Jews oppose,
And pour destruction on their rising foes:
p. 54Whole legions fall, yet legions still appear,
And mount the breach, devoid of puny fear.
The rebel Jews dismay’d the wall forsake,
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 ”

“ And fell with Chezron—all as Chezron brave;
Thus fell three hundred renegading Jews
To endless night (as all who God abuse) ,
Neglected fell, and fell no more to rise,
For ever banish’d from the happy skies.
Eleazer’s troops now on the Romans rush,
Resolv’d to perish or at once to crush,
p. 63With double speed their weighty jav’lins fly,
They kill with fury, and with fury die;
Yet all their courage now avails but nought,
For Roman ranks, with glowing freedom fraught,
Pursue their conquest, spite of breasted files,
Through falling ruins and o’er smoking piles. ”

“ They seize Eleazer’s sword, and at each breast
They strike, and from their mortal sorrows rest;
Freed from their pride, and from ambition’s lust,
They, with their lordly palace, sink to dust.
Meanwhile, the Romans having conquer’d all,
And having kill’d till none was left to fall,
Like hunters ride through ev’ry blood-wash’d street,
Securing ev’ry valued prize they meet,
Uncheck’d by Titus, who within his tent
Thinks of his home, and gives his sorrows vent;
p. 76Thinks of his promis’d joys for ever fled,
For Jezra now is number’d with the dead. ”

“ Remember your forefathers’ mighty deeds,
This poise your darts, this urge your well-train’d steeds;
Here let our Roman banners be unfurl’d,
Rome still shall be the mistress of the world.”
Again the army their loud voices raise,
And in loud accents echo forth his praise:
“Down with Jerusalem! great Titus, live!
Titus shall reign; to him our lives we give,
For him we’ll fight ’till Jewish tongues shall own,
That only he is worthy Judah’s throne.”
p. 49They raise, their spears, their shining weapons wield,
And strike their arms against the sounding shield ”

“ Eleazer and his bands the temple gain’d,
And with their horrid deeds the place profan’d;
In blood they walk’d, breathing defiance round,
The vaulted roof their awful oaths resound;
Madly they rush, like tygers on their prey,
And murder all who dare oppose their way.
p. 39Without was John’s and Chezron’s savage bands,
In bloody strife engag’d, clos’d hands to hands,
While from the hill above the shafts were pour’d,
To fell those wretches who escap’d the sword.
By Simon’s party was the hill possess’d,
And wing’d their darts, whilst others closely press’d ”

“ Those headstrong rebel Jews no longer jeer.
Then on, my friends, nor check your flowing rage,
E’en to the temple’s steps the war we’ll wage,
There from its rocky height we’ll dash them slain,
And save the holy place themselves profane;
There pay our vows to Him, whose frowning nod
Makes nations tremble, Rome’s benignant God;
To whose great pow’r we owe each great success,
The king of all in heav’n, on earth not less.”
As Titus spoke, a band by Chezron led
Descend with each a torch of blazing red,
Down to the conquer’d inner wall they haste,
To move the Romans or the wall lay waste ”

“ They thirst for blood, and arm their eager hands.
Unmindful of the truce Placidus bears,
The stately walls soon throng with shafts and spears;
Yet still he hastens heedless to the walls,
Nor hosts of enemies his soul appals.
Great soul! no deep laid treachery he views,
And by the wall addresses thus the Jews:
p. 24“Attend my words—foes, Isr’alites, and men,
Brist’ling like tigers pant within their den,
When will ye own cool reason’s easy sway?
When join in peace, and shun the rude affray? ”

“ When fearing men and fiends shall dread the hour,
But all shall own the Saviour’s mighty pow’r,
Till Jews and Romans shall like friends arise,
And take their flight together through the skies;
There lost to anger and the love of fame
Shall join to bless the Tri-une’s sacred name;
Or like their native cities, burning go,
And sink for ever to eternal woe.
FINIS.
FOOTNOTES.
[9] Antient writers affirm, that Titus was converted to the Christian religion, during the Jewish war, by a high priest whom he had taken prisoner, though he afterwards espoused paganism. ”

“ And wanders forth ’midst heaps of slaughter’d foes;
Now join’d with dying friends, whose deepen’d sighs
In mournful echoes play along the skies.
p. 43Here thrifty Jews regret their ill-got coin,
Here Romans bold with bleeding cowards join;
The haughty chiefs in life overspread with pride,
Now grovel with the peasant side by side;
These Titus view’d with pain and downcast eye,
And strove in vain to stop the coming sigh ”

“ In vain he singly fac’d a line of foes,
In vain he fell—his faithful servant rose,
And sav’d a life, which yielded nought but woes.
Within the tent he heedless stands aloof,
Entranc’d from all but Titus’s reproof:
“Great sir (he cries) the world is nought to me,
And I’m content, if native Rome be free:
p. 18These are our foes; and ’tis a Roman’s pride
(For which what thousands of our friends have died)
To strive with all who would our pow’r withstand,
Or mar die honor of our native land. ”

“ Gives way, at last, by Roman pow’r subdu’d.
“Hold, fools! (Eleazer cries) and cease your rage,
Shall we like lions here with friends engage,
While pagan dogs lay this our city low,
And trample on our laws without a blow?
p. 40No, never be it said; but follow me,
And with me die, or share my victory.”
The bands inspir’d, forget their civil thrall,
And join’d like brothers, rush towards the wall;
The mounted Romans view their coming foes,
Whilst ev’ry breast with double ardour glows:
The Jews approach—a bloody scene ensues,
Whole hosts of Romans fall on hosts of Jews. ”

“ All future ages will your deeds enroll,
And tell our victories from pole to pole.
But to our subject—Certain headstrong Jews
Have leap’d to power, and that pow’r abuse;
From conquer’d cities hither have they fled,
And threat to pour destruction on our head.
p. 15But let them threat, our armies, void of fear,
Grown great by conquest, challenge them e’en here:
Then princes say, shall we proceed with war,
Or make a peace, and so our arms withdraw?
What thinks my brother? he is cool tho’ brave,
Speak, Trajan, speak, your counsel let us have!”
Trajan arose:—“Do we or not love Rome? ”

“ From ev’ry breast bursts forth a lengthen’d groan,
Aspiring Titus e’en forgets his throne:
He looks for her he ne’er shall see again,
And turns to weep, but weeping now is vain;
Awhile the troops with grief inactive stand,
Like shipwreck’d sailors on a barren strand,
p. 73Which having gain’d, lie murm’ring on the brink,
And view their comrades die, their vessel sink,
Without the pow’r to save,—while thro’ the sky
The pealing thunders roll and lightnings fly.
“Charge, Jews, with spirit (Simon madly cries)
And let them see their vaunting we despise ”

“ It is customary with authors, either from the expectation of a fee, their knowledge of the weakness of those to whom they present their works, or some interested motives, to fill their dedications with the most ridiculous applause and fulsome adulation ”

“ The particular kindness and regard with which you have ever honored our family, the liberality with which you have received my father’s works, and a knowledge of your native goodness, embolden me to sue for your patronage and attention to this my first (and probably the last) essay, which, though it has no claim to merit, may afford p. ivyou a few moments amusement in your solitude; where, being surrounded by Nature, and free from the noise and bustle of the town, you have leisure to survey the wonders of Creation, and admire the incomprehensible power of the Creator ”

“ Permit us then, brave sir, these Jews to tame,
And die, at least, with glory on our name;
At once like lions on our foes we’ll rush,
Like lions perish, or like lions crush.”
“Prince (answers Titus) you’re, I fear, too bold,
But yet in Rome it never shall be told,
That Titus checked the ardor of his hosts:
No, lead them on, we still maintain our posts,
And if thou fall’st, as much I fear thou wilt,
Thy comrades’ blood be on thee, thine the guilt.”
p. 51The headstrong youths now spur their foaming steeds
Straight to the walls, and Antiochus leads ”

“ And, ’midst the horror, bury your renown;
Not one shall live of sire, child, or dame,
But on your heads we’ll climb to peace and fame.”
A priest appears the hostile Jews among,
With peace and soft persuasion on his tongue,
p. 25Accedes to all the terms of Roman law,
And Titus owns, to shun the dreadful war. ”

“ In laying these sheets before a criticising public, the author has perhaps overstepped the bounds of decorum, and may be thought by some to impose upon the generosity of his friends—be it so—but, reader, you are aware that there is a spark of ambition in all; some to gain a name—some to rise in the state, and range at large the patriot and statesmen—some (far happier they) to rise in business, and retire to spend the remainder p. ”