mes, accompanied the detachment himself;[5] and
according to some,[6] he carried his hateful conduct even to betraying
him by a kiss. However this may be, it is certain that there was some
show of resistance on the part of the disciples.[7] One of them
(Peter, according to eye-witnesses[8]) drew his sword, and wounded the
ear of one of the servants of the high priest, named Malchus. Jesus
restrained this opposition, and gave himself up to the soldiers. Weak
and incapable of effectual resistance, especially against authorities
who had so much prestige, the disciples took flight, and became
dispersed; Peter and John alone did not lose sight of their Master.
Another unknown young man followed him, covered with a light garment.
They sought to arrest him, but the young man fled, leaving his tunic
in the hands of the guards.[9]

[Footnote 1: John xiii. 30.]

[Footnote 2: The singing of a religious hymn, related by Matt. xxvi.
30, and Mark xiv. 26, proceeds from the opinion entertained by these
two evangelists that the last repast of Jesus was the Paschal feast.
Before and after the Paschal feast, psalms were sung. Talm. of Bab.,
_Pesachim_, cap. ix. hal. 3, and fol. 118 _a_, etc.]

[Footnote 3: Matt. xxvi. 36; Mark xiv. 32; Luke xxii. 39; John xviii.
1, 2.]

[Footnote 4: Matt. xxvi. 47; Mark xiv. 43; John xviii. 3, 12.]

[Footnote 5: Matt. xxvi. 47; Mark xiv. 43; Luke xxii. 47; John xviii.
3; _Acts_ i. 16.]

[Footnote 6: This is the tradition of the synoptics. In the narrative
of John, Jesus declares himself.]

[Footnote 7: The two traditions are agreed on this point.]

[Footnote 8: John xviii. 10.]

[Footnote 9: Mark xiv. 51, 52.]

The course which the priests had resolved to take against Jesus was
quite in conformity with the established law. The procedure against
the "corrupter" (_mesith_), who sought to injure the purity of
religion, is explained in the Talmud, with details, the naive
impudence of which provokes a smile. A judicial ambush is there made
an essential part of the examination of criminals. When a man was
accused of being a "corrupter," two witnesses were suborned who were
concealed behind a partition. It was arranged to bring the accused
into a contiguous room, where he could be heard by these two without
his perceiving them. Two candles were lighted near him, in order that
it might be satisfactorily proved that the witnesses "saw him."[1] He
was then made to repeat his blasphemy, and urged to re