dignation of Pilate, as it was his place to
see that all the taxes were properly paid, and he exclaimed in an angry
tone, 'That is a lie! I must know more about it than you.' This obliged the
enemies of our Lord to proceed to the third accusation, which they did
in words such as these: 'Although this man is of obscure birth, he is the
chief of a large party. When at their head, he denounces curses upon
Jerusalem, and relates parables of double meaning concerning a king who
is preparing a wedding feast for his son. The multitude whom he had
gathered together on a mountain endeavoured once to make him their
king; but it was sooner than he intended: his plans were not matured;
therefore he fled and hid himself. Latterly he has come forward much
more: it was but the other day that he entered Jerusalem at the head of
a tumultuous assembly, who by his orders made the people rend the air
with acclamations of "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed be the empire
of our Father David, which is now beginning." He obliges his partisans to
pay him regal honours, and tells them that he is the Christ, the
Anointed of the Lord, the Messiah, the king promised to the Jews, and
he wishes to be addressed by these fine titles.' Then witnesses gave
testimony concerning these things. The last accusation--that of Jesus
causing himself to be called king--made some impression upon Pilate; he
became a little thoughtful, left the terrace and, casting a
scrutinising glance on Jesus, went into the adjoining apartment, and
ordered the guards to bring him alone into his presence. Pilate was not
only superstitious, but likewise extremely weak-minded and susceptible.
He had often, during the course of his pagan education, heard mention
made of sons of his gods who had dwelt for a time upon earth; he was
likewise fully aware that the Jewish prophets had long foretold that
one should appear in the midst of them who should be the Anointed of
the Lord, their Saviour, and Deliverer from slavery; and that many
among the people believed this firmly. He remembered likewise that
kings from the east had come to Herod, the predecessor of the present
monarch of that name, to pay homage to a newly-born king of the Jews,
and that Herod had on this account given orders for the massacre of the
Innocents. He had often heard of the traditions concerning the Messiah
and the king of the Jews, and even examined them with some curiosity;
although of course, being a pagan, withou