"How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people! how is she become as a widow ! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary? She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they are become her enemies. Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate; her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy. And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture; and they are gone without strength before the pursuer. Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction, and of her miseries, all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths. Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward. Her filthiness is in her skirts, she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully; she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction; for the enemy hath magnified himself. The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.

"All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of

beauty, The joy of the whole earth? All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash their teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it. The LORD hath done that which he had devised: he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee; he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries." (Lam. i. 1-10, ii. 15-17.)

By Babel's streams we sat and wept,
when Sion we thought on,

In midst thereof we hang'd our harps,
the willow trees upon.

For there a song required they,
who did us captive bring:

Our spoilers called for mirth, and said,
a song of Sion sing.

O how the Lord's song shall we sing
within a foreign land?

If thee, Jerus'lem, I forget,

skill part from my right hand.

My tongue to my mouth's roof let cleave,
if I do thee forget,

Jerusalem, and thee above,

my chief joy do not set.

THE END.