ness of their religion, and of the tremendous strength of the Roman arms. The island of Mona or Anglesey was the residence of the arch-druid, and the asylum of all the principal enemies of the Romans. It was invaded by Paulinus Sueto nius. He found the native army prepared to receive him; and its dreadful aspect confounded his soldiers, who, for a short space, stood powerless, as marks to the arrows of their opponents. Among the latter, the Romans were astonished to see the women, in funeral apparel, running like furies along the ranks with lighted torches, while woods deemed sacred, altars burning, and multitudes of druids standing with uplifted hands denouncing the vengeance of Heaven on the invaders of their mysteries, exceedingly augmented the horrors of the scene. The Roman soldiers resumed their courage, rushed on the enemy, put to the sword or dispersed the terrific multitude, demolished the groves and altars, and burnt to death the druids in their own hallowed fires.

While Suetonius remained with his troops in Mona, the chiefs of the kingdoms of Britain cast of the Roman yoke, which had long dreadfully oppressed them. The various tribes were led by the celebrated Boadicea, widow of Prasutægus, late king of the Iconi, who had left the emperor jointheir with his daughters of his kingdom. The Roman officers, instead of protecting his family insulted them, and plundered their dominions. They answered the widow's remonstrances by beating her with rods, and violating her daughters in her presence. She sought revenge by attacking the Roman colony of Camolodum, the modern Malden, a town in Essex. Her army laid in ashes and destroyed all the infantry of the ninth legion. "Suetonius flew to the assistance of his countrymen, and soon succeeded in bringing the Britons to a general action on open ground, where their superiority in point of numbers was of little avail against discipline and science. They were defeated with prodigious slaughter, whilst the victors, by their own account, lost only five hundred men. The disproportion was doubtless great; but this is probably an exaggeration in both directions. The Britons seem to have fought gallantly, though not successfully; and hence the historian says, that 'the glory won on that day was equal to that of the most renowned victories of the ancient Romans,' a statement inconsistent with the notion that it had been either easily or cheaply purchased. Boadicea ended her miseries by taking poison." Suetonius thus

re-established the power of the Romans in Britain. He was soon after recalled, and his successors for several years permitted the native princes to reign in peace. The Romans had to endure and overcome a much fiercer contest in Judea than even in Britain.

CHAPTER IV.

THE ROMAN EMPIRE TRIUMPHANT-CONTINUED.

DESTRUCTION OF THE JEWISH NATION BY THE ROMANS.

THE Jews were now a race of beasts of prey rather than the humble worshippers of the God of heaven. They had shed the blood of their Messiah, and everywhere thirsted for the blood of his followers; and under the Satanic influence, which they preferred to the wisdom of God announced by the Apostles, they hurried on to ruin, dreadful beyond what was ever endured by an intelligent and reflecting, or indeed by any organised nation on the face of the earth, They had been for thirty years the most violent, resolute, and persevering opponents of the army appointed by Christ to establish and extend the kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy, which they and their fathers had long expected, and had been chosen by God to receive and protect. Truly it was just that inexpressible wrath came on them, that all nations might know that Jehovah had exalted his Son Lord of all, and would put all his enemies under his feet.

The Jews had been long going on to a state of anarchy before Albinus was sent to govern them. The law respecting the office of high-priest was disregarded. King Agrippa, to whom the Romans committed the care of the temple, appointed to the office any unqualified person whom he conceived would pursue measures acceptable to him, and the Roman governor of Syria, and the procurator of Judea. Depositions were frequent; and as every one who had once been high priest always retained the title, the number was now considerable. These were rivals for power and wealth, and divided the people into parties, and all of them devoured the tithes appropriate to the whole race of priests, who consequently were oppressed by poverty, and rendered contemptible in the eyes of the people. Of the high-priests, Ananias was by far the richest, and at the same time the most avari

cious. He by presents secured the favor of Albinus and Jesus, who recently had been made high-priest, so that he was permitted to rob the priesthood without dread of punishment. Many of the basest of the people were employed by him to carry away from even the threshing-floors of the priests the tithes which they had collected, and not unfrequently to assault and maltreat the servants who opposed them. Other high-priests imitated him. The consequence was that the families of the priests were left destitute, and some of them died from want of food. Thus the natural protectors of the people lost all civil and moral influence, and the law ceased to be respected. The Sicarii and other murderers and robbers multiplied, became more daring in deeds of wickedness and blood, and spread terror and desolation over the whole country. Albinus endeavoured to restore order and peace, by sending his soldiers against the Sicarii and other depredators, and a number of their leaders were made prisoners. This roused them to direct all their efforts to spoil those whom he protected in their wickedness. Thus they entered the city by night just before one of the great festivals, when it was filled with strangers. They took Eleazar, the son of Ananias, who was scribe to the governor of the temple, prisoner; and only released him when his father had prevailed on Albinus to liberate ten of their number, whom his soldiers had taken captive. They persevered to seize successively the servants of Ananias, and retain them till they procured in exchange some of their own number who had fallen into the hands of the Romans. While this profligate race were united to prey on the rich, the chief men, particularly the high-priests, were completely divided, calumniated by one another, and sometimes gathered their respective dependants, and raised tumults in the city, stoning one another. The Levites, or inferior ministers of the temple, on observing the degradation of the priests, imagined that they were at least their equals. Ambitious of honour, they petitioned king Aggrippa to assemble the sanhedrim, and grant them liberty to wear the dress of the priests. He complied with their wishes, utterly contemning the law of Moses, which, as Josephus observes, was never transgressed by his people without punishment being inflicted . on the nation.

Agrippa, who had always been the friend of the Jews, and highly esteemed by them, unhappily subverted his authority, by publicly showing his eager desire to please the Romans. He enlarged and adorned Česarea Philippi, and, in honour

of Nero, named it Neronias. He erected a magnificent theatre at Berytus, raised statues and images, and introduced the various forms of Roman games and amusements which he proposed should be renewed every year.

Thus all those whom the people had been accustomed to respect made themselves odious in their eyes, and they were as sheep without a shepherd, while they cherished the deepest seated hatred of the Romans who tyrannised over them. What, therefore, but revolt, insurrection, civil war or utter ruin, could, in their circumstances, be looked for by the Jewish nation? These calamities, in their most fearful aspect, had been predicted by the Lord Jesus, to transpire during the very generation who had unjustly put him to the most ignominous and agonising death, and whom he also foretold should persecute to death the faithful ambassadors, prophets, teachers, and disciples, who were about to appear among them.

When Albinus, after two years, was recalled from the government, before leaving Judea, he put to death all prisoners whom he deemed to merit this punishment; and dismissed the rest, on receiving from them more or less money. This conduct of the governor, doubtless, increased the number of the lawless. Another event had the same wretched result. The building of the courts of the temple was now finished, according to the plan of Herod the Great, and about eighteen thousand men were thrown idle. The treasures laid up for these workmen, however, were not exhausted. Those who were solicitous for the peace of the land implored Agrippa to expend these treasures on the workmen, and employ them in rebuilding the eastern cloisters, which, in Solomon's temple rose from a deep valley. The king declined their request, for he said, that there seemed no necessity for such a work; but they might, if they pleased, pave the streets of the city with white stone. Of the great number of men thus left without labour and means of subsistence for themselves and family, many joined the banditti that covered the country, and contributed to dissolve the bonds of society, Nor was Gessius Florus, the successor of Albinus, the man either qualified or disposed to rescue the nation from impending evils, or even to mitigate those already felt, and by every benevolent heart. deplored. The government of Albinus had been most iniquitous; he countenanced, according to Josephus, every kind of wickedness to the extent that he could make it subservient to procure wealth. But his most unjust and cruel deeds were