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But when the people of Antioch were informed that Titus was approaching,
they were so glad at it, that they could not keep within their walls, but
hasted away to give him the meeting; nay, they proceeded as far as thirty
furlongs, and more, with that intention. These were not the men only, but
a multitude of women also with their children did the same; and when they
saw him coming up to them, they stood on both sides of the way, and stretched
out their right hands, saluting him, and making all sorts of acclamations
to him, and turned back together with him. They also, among all the acclamations
they made to him, besought him all the way they went to eject the Jews
out of their city; yet did not Titus at all yield to this their petition,
but gave them the bare hearing of it quietly. However, the Jews were in
a great deal of terrible fear, under the uncertainty they were in what
his opinion was, and what he would do to them. For Titus did not stay at
Antioch, but continued his progress immediately to Zeugma, which lies upon
the Euphrates, whither came to him messengers from Vologeses king of Parthia,
and brought him a crown of gold upon the victory he had gained over the
Jews; which he accepted of, and feasted the king's messengers, and then
came back to Antioch. And when the senate and people of Antioch earnestly
entreated him to come upon their theater, where their whole multitude was
assembled, and expected him, he complied with great humanity; but when
they pressed him with much earnestness, and continually begged of him that
he would eject the Jews out of their city, he gave them this very pertinent
answer: How can this be done, since that country of theirs, whither the
Jews must be obliged then to retire, is destroyed, and no place will receive
them besides?" Whereupon the people of Antioch, when they had failed
of success in this their first request, made him a second; for they desired
that he would order those tables of brass to be removed on which the Jews'
privileges were engraven. However, Titus would not grant that neither,
but permitted the Jews of Antioch to continue to enjoy the very same privileges
in that city which they had before, and then departed for Egypt; and as
he came to Jerusalem in his progress, and compared the melancholy condition
he saw it then in, with the ancient glory of the city, and called to mind
the greatness of its present ruins, as well as its ancient splendor, he
could not but pity the destruction of the city, so far was he from boasting
that so great and goodly a city as that was had been by him taken by force;
nay, he frequently cursed those that had been the authors of their revolt,
and had brought such a punishment upon the city; insomuch that it openly
appeared that he did not desire that such a calamity as this punishment
of theirs amounted to should be a demonstration of his courage. Yet was
there no small quantity of the riches that had been in that city still
found among its ruins, a great deal of which the Romans dug up; but the
greatest part was discovered by those who were captives, and so they carried
it away; I mean the gold and the silver, and the rest of that most precious
furniture which the Jews had, and which the owners had treasured up under
ground, against the uncertain fortunes of war.
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