Jewish Rome, two days; and they have not been wholly barren of events or pleasures. But what chiefly they have impressed upon my mind is the speedy certainty of riot and violence within the city. The mutual hostility of the different portions of the inhabitants I find to be bitter to an extreme degree. The signs are many, and distinct enough, of approaching tumult. No Jew passes a Greek, but he must take an insult; and if it be returned, it then comes to blows, and others join, and the fight rages till they are separated by the Roman horse. The synagogues, often beautiful with marble, or sculptured wood, have been defaced by filth, which the licentious rabble have hurled upon them, when protected by the night. So, too, have the houses of the principal men among them been dealt with in the like manner. Yet, of all this the Roman power takes no note, but looks on, apparently pleased with the violences and indignities which are put upon the barbarians, or their only care is that there shall be no general combats; and to this end, the guard of the governor has been doubled, and ere the decree to raze the devoted synagogue shall go into effect, a legion, it is so reported, will be drawn from Jerusalem. Philip, in the mean time, with others of the principal citizens, is working in secret to make ready, in the last resort, such a

defence as shall, perhaps, strike Pilate as too formidable to be trifled with. Yet, it is their purpose, that no general resistance by arms shall be made, till all other means have been tried to soften the obstinacy of the governor.

The Jews, after a consultation among those who are chief among them, have resolved upon another and more numerous deputation to Pilate. Five hundred of their number, headed by the priests and elders of the synagogues, are appointed again to present themselves before the governor, and intercede for the people and their religion. All have agreed in this measure, but it has been chiefly urged by the Herodians, who are unwilling that the present peaceful order of things should be disturbed. They are for quiet and peace, on whatever terms of submission, and for adopting, to the farthest extent possible, without the absolute surrender of their national religion, the customs and usages of both Roman and Greek; it being with them, as it hath been with others whom I could name elsewhere, a point of vanity to strip themselves of everything, that by its strangeness should proclaim them Jews, retaining little but the name, and a very slight observance of their sabbaths, fastdays, and other laws and institutions of the like kind. They advocate forbearance and delay now, for the reason especially that the games of

Herod are just about to be celebrated, and ought not to be disturbed. The more zealous Jews have united with them, because, for the most part, they would sincerely deprecate a general quarrel, in which the affair now seems likely enough to terminate, and hope, by a fair show of temperance and patience, to carry their end against the Greeks. But, among these last, there is a small number, — small compared with the whole, but composed of men who set their religion before all other things, who will suffer nothing to be done, which shall so much as seem to cast contempt upon it, if even by the sacrifice of their lives the evil can be averted. These are men the most singular I have ever yet met with. Religion is to them, as they say, and as one sees, more than life; yet they are filled at the same time with the darkest, fiercest passions. The very temper and soul of the assassin seem lodged within them, so that to defend some ceremony or law of their worship, from slight or insult, they would not pause to involve a whole city in war and bloodshed. Philip, I need hardly say, is one of these; while his mother and sister, though belonging to the number of the zealous, yet are truly desirous to avoid open violence. He rather desires it, that he may revenge himself and his religion upon such as have oppressed and injured them. If,

my mother, thou wouldst know upon what side, and leagued with whom stands thy unworthy son, who as yet may be termed little more than a proselyte of the gate, he can hardly to-day inform thee. He is at present rather a lookeron than an actor; and on which side he will by-and-by find himself, he pretends not to say. Of one thing, however, is he certain, that he will stand guardian in any time of danger over the widow of Sameas and her dark-skinned daughter. Anna thinks thus ;-and she makes pretensions to a great gift of discernment; "Julian," she said to her mother, "seems little enough of our side, if one judges by the costume, the air, and by words that lie on the surface of discourse. But by the motions of his countenance last night, when he sat listening to the words of Simon, am I sure that his heart must ever be on the side of the injured; and by what he did not say, am I sure that, either because of the early instructions of his mother, or because of his very nature, it is only the God and the faith of Moses that will ever give him rest. He wants more than he has. And where

shall he find it but here among us?" So said the wise and penetrating Anna. Her mother smiled, and nodded, as if assenting. I only said in reply something that implied my thought, "that among the Jews, as among the Romans, there

was too much in their religion of what was only ceremonial and barren, that too many seemed to think it enough to meet the letter of some dead ritual, while the practice of virtue was overlooked." She only looked sad and sorrowful, as I said this, which was to me as if she had confessed that it was true enough of great proportions of her people. In her own heart, I knew it was sufficiently otherwise, though I could not say so. There is, I am sure, truth and faith enough in her to save a city.

Cæsarea is now filling with the numbers of those from the country round about, who are pouring in to witness the games of Herod ; numbers greater than usual, drawn now not only by a desire to see the sports, but by curiosity and interest concerning the present difference. Philip assures me that the zealous are arriving from great distances.

When some new events have happened, I will write again; till then, farewell."

In this slight vein, in those days of my more than Egyptian darkness, did I open myself to my mother; who did not, thereupon, deny and disown me, as she might justly enough have done, but had patience with me, and by her timely counsels strove,and not wholly in vain, to carry up to