o upwards of two hundred, and all thought to pay court to
their monarch by torturing Jesus in some unheard-of way. Many were
bribed by the enemies of our Lord to strike him on the head with their
sticks, and they took advantage of the confusion and tumult to do so.
Jesus looked upon them with compassion; excess of pain drew from him
occasional moans and groans, but his enemies rejoiced in his
sufferings, and mocked his moans, and not one among the whole assembly
showed the slightest degree of compassion. I saw blood streaming from
his head, and three times did the blows prostrate him, but angels were
weeping at his side, and they anointed his head with heavenly balsam.
It was revealed to me that had it not been for this miraculous
assistance he must have died from those wounds. The Philistines at
Gaza, who gave vent to their wrath by tormenting poor blind Samson;
were far less barbarous than these cruel executioners of our Lord.

The priests were, however, impatient to return to the Temple;
therefore, having made certain that their orders regarding Jesus would
be obeyed, they returned to Herod, and endeavoured to persuade him to
condemn our Lord. But he, being determined to do all in his power to
please Pilate, refused to accede to their wishes, and sent Jesus back
again clothed in the fool's garment.

CHAPTER XXI.

Jesus led back from the Court of Herod to that of Pilate.

The enemies of Jesus were perfectly infuriated at being obliged to
take Jesus back, still uncondemned, to Pilate, who had so many times
declared his innocence. They led him round by a much longer road, in
order in the first place to let the persons of that part of the town
see him in the state of ignominy to which he was reduced, and in the
second place to give their emissaries more time to stir up the populace.

This road was extremely rough and uneven; and the soldiers,
encouraged by the Pharisees, scarcely refrained a moment from
tormenting Jesus. The long garment with which he was clothed impeded
his steps, and caused him to fall heavily more than once; and his cruel
guards, as also many among the brutal populace, instead of assisting
him in his state of exhaustion, endeavoured by blows and kicks to force
him to rise.

To all these outrages Jesus offered not the smallest resistance; he
prayed constantly to his Father for grace and strength that he might
not sink under them, but accomplish the work of his Passion for our
redemption.