The suruey of popery vvherein the reader may cleerely behold, not onely the originall and daily incrementes of papistrie, with an euident confutation of the same; but also a succinct and profitable enarration of the state of Gods Church from Adam vntill Christs ascension, contained in the first and second part thereof: and throughout the third part poperie is turned vp-side downe.

CHAP. IIII. Of the siege of Hierusalem by Titus.

Titus the sonne of Vespasianus the Emperour of Rome, was a man of such valure, prudence, and humanitie, & so beau∣tified with all kinde of heroicall vertues, that he was common∣ly named in the mouth of euery man, Amor & delitiae humani generis, the onely delight of mankinde. In the second yeare of Vespasianus, in the moneth of Aprill, when the Iewes did ce∣lebrate their Passeouer, (at which time great concourse of peo∣ple was assembled from euery coast,) hee besieged the citie of Hierusalem, and the eight day of September, he conquered the same by force and assault.

Although the citie of Hierusalem,* 1.1 was fiue times taken and destroied before, by Nabuchodonozor▪ Asocheus, Antiochus, Pompeius, and Herodes; yet was there in the siege made by Titus, such famine, sedition, and domesticall desolation, as the like hath not been knowne in any citie. The mothers murthered their owne naturall children, and that done, boiled them, so to saturate their insatiable hunger. This seemeth incredible, but holy writ reporteth no lesse, as I haue prooued in the first book, and the eight chapter of the former part. The wiues snatched meate out of the mouthes of their husbandes, the children from their parentes, and the mothers plucked it out of the mouthes of their infantes. When they killed their children, and one another for want of foode; they could not doe the fact so se∣cretly, but it was espied, & taken from thē by others of greater

force: for so soone as their doores were shut, others suspecting that they were eating meate, came violently vpon them, and tooke from them the meat alreadie chewed in their mouth. Yea it is incredible to be tolde (saith Iosephus) what tortures and af∣flictions many suffered,* 1.2 to enforce them to disclose, where they had hid but one loafe of bread.

Iosephus being a Iew himselfe, and greatly fauouring his countrey men, (being taken prisoner of the Romaines long be∣fore, and at that time in great credite both with Titus and Ves∣pasianus his father,) laboured by all meanes possible to per∣swade the Iewes, that they well considering their own distresse and the mightie force of the aduerse part, woulde in time while there remained place for mercie, yeeld themselues to Titus, and giue vp their citie into his hands. But in vain was his oration; he had not eloquence to perswade them.

From king Dauid to the siege made by Titus, were 1179 yeares, & from the building of the city to the destruction therof, 2177. yeres. Yet such was the deformity of their sins, and their ingratitude in Gods sight; as neither the antiquitie of their Ci∣tie, neither their wōderful riches, neither their renown through∣out the world, nor the glorie of their religion, was able to de∣fend it from vtter desolation.

A noble woman, Marie by name, daughter to Eleazer, dwelling beyond Iordan, and flying to Hierusalem for aide, was there besieged with others.* 1.3 In the time of the great fa∣mine, she killed her own son; and when she had eaten part, she reserued the rest. Others perceiuing that shee had gotten some meate, did manace death vnto her, vnlesse shee woulde tell where it was hidde. Which shee doing for feare, they were all astonied at the sight thereof. It is my sonne (saith the woman) eate thereof, for I haue eaten before you. I woulde neither haue you more effeminate then a woman, nor more pitifull then a mother. O horrible monster of the worlde! What can bee more vnnaturall, then the fact? What more cruell, then the wordes? Ouer and besides those that were slaine in the famine, plague, and the sworde; sixteene thou∣sand were sent by Titus to Alexandria, there to doe seruile workes, as bondmen. Two thousand hee carried with him

for a triumph, whom in publicke spectacles hee proposed to be deuoured of wilde beastes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iosephus de bel∣lo. Iud lib. 7.6, 18
• * 1.2

  Ioseph. vbi sup. ca. 11.
• * 1.3

  An horrible fact, and vglie to be∣hold.