y the High Priests and the Pharisees, to convoke the members of the
Council and to call together the witnesses. It appeared to me that I
saw feelings of hatred and fury burst forth in different parts of the
city, under the form of flames, which flames traversed the streets,
united with others which they met, and proceeded in the direction of
Sion, increasing every moment, and at last came to a stop beneath the
tribunal of Caiphas, where they remained, forming together a perfect
whirlwind of fire.

The Roman soldiers took no part in what was going on; they did not
understand the excited feelings of the people, but their sentinels were
doubled, their cohorts drawn up, and they kept a strict look out; this,
indeed, was customary at the time of the Paschal solemnity, on account
of the vast number of strangers who were then assembled together. The
Pharisees endeavoured to avoid the neighbourhood of the sentinels, for
fear of being questioned by them, and of contracting defilement by
answering their questions. The High Priests had sent a message to
Pilate intimating their reasons for stationing soldiers round Ophel and
Sion; but he mistrusted their intentions, as much ill-feeling existed
between the Romans and the Jews. He could not sleep, but walked about
during the greatest part of the night, hearkening to the different
reports and issuing orders consequent on what he heard; his wife slept,
but her sleep was disturbed by frightful dreams, and she groaned and
wept alternately.

In no part of Jerusalem did the arrest of Jesus produce more
touching demonstrations of grief than among the poor inhabitants of
Ophel, the greatest part of whom were daylabourers, and the rest
principally employed in menial offices in the service of the Temple.
The news came unexpectedly upon them; for some time they doubted the
truth of the report, and wavered between hope and fear; but the sight
of their Master, their Benefactor, their Consoler, dragged through the
streets, torn, bruised, and ill-treated in every imaginable way, filled
them with horror; and their grief was still farther increased by
beholding his afflicted Mother wandering about from street to street,
accompanied by the holy women, and endeavouring to obtain some
intelligence concerning her Divine Son. These holy women were often
obliged to hide in corners and under door-ways for fear of being seen
by the enemies of Jesus; but even with these precautions they were
oftentimes insu