Of the horyble and woful destruccion of Jerusalem
And of the sygnes and tokens that were seene before it was destroied: which
distruction was after Christes assension. xlii. yeares. To the tune of the Queenes Almayne.
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An Emperour Vaspasian
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Some tyme in Rome there was,
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Through whom much dolors then began
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Of mortall wars alas,
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With in two yeares that he did rayne
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He put the Jewes to myckill payne
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With fyer and sword both take and slayne,
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His power brought so to passe,
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His Sone Tytus having no dread
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His army over Judae spread
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The people to the Citie flead
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Hoping to have redresse.
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Before Titus Vaspasians sonne
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Unto this warres dyd goo
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Was after Cristes assencion,
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Longe. xl. yeares and two
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Then did the Romayns with suche pride
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Be set theyr land both far and wyde,
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And hemd them in, on every side
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To theyr great payne and wo,
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They brought the Jewes in such a case
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The prophesye, to bryng to passe,
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Spoke by our Lord when he here was
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The scripture doth saye so.
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That prudent Jewe Josephus sayes
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Who did no wryte in vayne,
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That he was present in those dayes
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And sawe this mortall payne,
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When that Tytus both bold and stout
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Be set Jerusalem about,
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That none mought in, nor Issue out,
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No waye but to be slayne.
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For Tytus his chyef capteyn was
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The seige when he had brought to passe
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Great was the cry woe and alas,
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The story doth saye playne.
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He stopt their pypes and Conduyts all,
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That no water mought passe:
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With famyne they were in great thrall,
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Moste wofull was their case,
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They were constraynyd in such need
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With Horsse, and Asse, them selves to feed
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Both Dogg, and Catte, this do I reed
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Most ougle meate it was,
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The honger ther it was so great,
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Ones vomit was anothers meate
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Ther was no waye for to intreate
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But present death alas.
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Sixe mounths the siege it did holde on
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About that Citie great,
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Whearin was manie a mothers sonne
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Did starve for lacke of meate,
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The famous Ladies of that towne
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That weare before of hie renowne,
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For fault of foode fell in a sowne
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Ther was nothinge to geate:
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The storye this doth specifie,
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The mothers moste unnaturally,
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They slewe their Children rufully,
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And Rostyd them to eate.
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This Titus then of hye renowne
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Most valyently and bold,
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The walles so stronge he did cast downe
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Resystaunce waxyd colde,
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The people in the streetes laye dead,
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They had no Succour drynk nor bread
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Muche was the blood that then was shead,
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Alas lament wee should:
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The Romains entred with suche might,
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With Polaxe, speares, & swerdes so bright
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They slew all that came in their sight
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No mercie they did hold.
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The Gates that covered were with golde
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They threw them to the ground,
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That famous Citie to behold
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For sinne it was confound,
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Aleven honderid thowsande slaine
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Through honger, swerde & pestelent paine
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In this the storie doth not faine,
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Of manie a blooddy wound,
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The stinke of carkas in the streete,
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The feble soules that could not fleete
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For faint with honger skarce could creepe,
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Full heavie was their sounde.
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Then Titus gave this sentence blive
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Which Romayns lykyd well,
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As many as you fynd alyve,
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After this Rate them sell,
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As Crist was sold for thyrtye pence,
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By Judas and his false pretence,
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So Titus made their recompence
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The storie thys doth tell,
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XXX. Jewes for a penie bougt,
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As manie more were solde for nought
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Ther owne confusion thus was wrought
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Because they did rebell.
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And manie prisoners mo I weene
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To Egipt they weare send,
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Fowerscore thousand, and seventeene
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In prison all their ende,
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And Titus in his companie
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Tooke manie such as were worthie,
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And lead them bounde all captivelie,
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To Rome with him to wend:
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Ther was no helpe for to revoke,
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As Jhosephus saith in his booke
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His Chronicles who liste to looke,
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On truth they do depend.
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Thirtie years God gave them space
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That they mought yet repent,
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Their lives amend and call for grace
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For them Christ did lament,
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This lovinge Lord oft did them call
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By sundrie signes as heare you shall
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Before his wrath on them did fall
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Or anger fullie bent,
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Twelve dayes eclipsed was the moone,
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That they mought bee converted soone,
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But they wist not what to bee doone,
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But sinne still did augment.
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Before the seige or anie warr,
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the space of all one yeare
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Over that towne was seene a starre,
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Most blasinge bright and cleare
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So like a sworde in shape it was,
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Wher at great feare and wonder was,
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Yet left they not their wickednes,
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when these signes did appeare:
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Moreover in the ayre so light,
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In plate of maile and armore bright,
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Were seene men redie for to fight,
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To shewe theyr time was neare.
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A festifall daye, in Apriell,
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To halowe they were dight,
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And sodainlie amongst them fell
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A merveylous straunge light,
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So bright and cleare with suche aleame,
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Passing the sonne as it did seeme,
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But what it ment no man could deeme.
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But were all in sore flyght
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And whyle the pristes did this indure
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To offer a Calfe they did their cure,
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Whiche Calfe a thinge against nature,
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Brought forth a Lambe in sight.
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Suche manie tokens contrarie
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Whiche doth Prognostikate,
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And to the Jewes did signifie
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Their wofull fall and fate,
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Before that Titus warr began
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Fower yeares of space, this prove I can,
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How that the sonne of one rude man,
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Ananias lowe of state,
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He ran the streates in suche a rage
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Beinge a child of tender age,
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To call crie he did not swage
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Repente eare it be late.
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But for his paines he was well beat
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This had he for his hire,
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For truthe they did him evill intreate
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Against him did conspire,
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But yet he cried and would not blen,
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While he was able yet to ren,
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Sayenge wo be to Jerusalem,
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For kindling of Gods yre:
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Wo be to thee and to thy land
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Thou art beset in wofull band,
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Thy dayes of sorowe is at hand
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Of famine swerd and fyer.
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This was that famous Citie then
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Distroyed with fier and sword,
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That mightie towne Jerusalem,
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The Citie of the Lorde:
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Because their God they would not knowe
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Christ being. xxx. yeares belowe
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His word to them plainlie did shewe
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This scripture doth recorde,
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That they mought be his chosen firste,
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To live and raigne amongst the just,
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And to no other for to truste
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But to belyve his word.
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Nowe seinge that this Jerusalem,
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As scripture doth tell true
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Was plaguyd for th sinnes of men,
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Which Romaines overthrew,
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What shall that Lorde to us expresse
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That so doth live in suche excesse,
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Of whordome, Pride, and covitousnes
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More now then did the Jewe,
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Therfore is our example this,
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Amend the thinge that is amysse
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That we maye have eternall blisse,
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By Christe our Lorde Jesue.
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