The Sixth Age
after which he is sent to preach, the wickedness of Nero not having yet reached to such a head as history records of him. Death of JamesJames, the brother of our Lord, after ruling the church of Jerusalem thirty years, is, in the seventh year of Nero, stoned to death by the Jews, who wreaked on him the vengeance which Paul had escaped. Festus is succeeded in office by Albinus, Albinus by Florus. Impatient of the luxury and avarice of the latter, the Jews rebelled against the Romans, Vespasian sent against the Jews.
[A.D. 65.] whereupon Vespian was sent against them with an army, and took most of the the cities of Judæa. Above all his other enormities, Nero first persecutes the Christians; of whom the most illustrious victims were Peter and Paul put to deathPeter and Paul, the former of Peter and whom was crucified, the latter slain with the sword. He attempted no military expedition whatever, and well nigh lost Britain;[1]London Burntfor under him two of the noblest towns there were taken and destroyed.
A.M. 4081 [80].
Conquers Isle of Wight. Vespasian, among his other exploits, while yet a subject, was sent by Claudius[2] into Germany, and thence to Britain: he engaged thirty-two
- ↑ See Bede's Ecclesiastical History, B. I. Ch. III. Suetonius Paulinus, the Roman praetor, overrun the island of Anglesey, and destroyed the Druidical worship. The Britons attacked London, which they reduced to ashes, and butchered the inhabitants and their allies, to the amount of 70,000, but were shortly after defeated by Suetonius, and 80.000 fell in the field of battle; and Boadicea, queen of the Iceni, poisoned herself.
- ↑ Ibid. B. I. Ch. III.
