attest to the antiquity of that fable. But the north wind opposes
and beats upon the shore, and dashes mighty waves against the
rocks which receive them, and renders the haven more dangerous
than the country they had deserted. Now as those people of Joppa
were floating about in this sea, in the morning there fell a
violent wind upon them; it is called by those that sail there
"the black north wind," and there dashed their ships one against
another, and dashed some of them against the rocks, and carried
many of them by force, while they strove against the opposite
waves, into the main sea; for the shore was so rocky, and had so
many of the enemy upon it, that they were afraid to come to land;
nay, the waves rose so very high, that they drowned them; nor was
there any place whither they could fly, nor any way to save
themselves; while they were thrust out of the sea, by the
violence of the wind, if they staid where they were, and out of
the city by the violence of the Romans. And much lamentation
there was when the ships were dashed against one another, and a
terrible noise when they were broken to pieces; and some of the
multitude that were in them were covered with waves, and so
perished, and a great many were embarrassed with shipwrecks. But
some of them thought that to die by their own swords was lighter
than by the sea, and so they killed themselves before they were
drowned; although the greatest part of them were carried by the
waves, and dashed to pieces against the abrupt parts of the
rocks, insomuch that the sea was bloody a long way, and the
maritime parts were full of dead bodies; for the Romans came upon
those that were carried to the shore, and destroyed them; and the
number of the bodies that were thus thrown out of the sea was
four thousand and two hundred. The Romans also took the city
without opposition, and utterly demolished it.