platform,
and seated himself at the little table. The Chief Priests took their
seats likewise, and Pilate once more demanded: 'Which of the two am I to
deliver up to you?' A general cry resounded through the hall: 'Not this
man, but Barabbas!' 'But what am I to do with Jesus, who is called Christ?'
replied Pilate. All exclaimed in a tumultuous manner: 'Let him be
crucified! Let him be crucified!' 'But what evil has he done?' asked Pilate
for the third time. 'I find no cause in him. I will scourge and then
acquit him.' But the cry, 'Crucify him! Crucify him!' burst from the crowd,
and the sounds echoed like an infernal tempest; the High Priests and
the Pharisees vociferated and hurried backwards and forwards as if
insane. Pilate at last yielded; his weak pusillanimous character could
not withstand such violent demonstrations; he delivered up Barabbas to
the people, and condemned Jesus to be scourged.

CHAPTER XXII.

The Scourging of Jesus.

That most weak and undecided of all judges, Pilate, had several
times repeated these dastardly words: 'I find no crime in him: I will
chastise him, therefore, and let him go;' to which the Jews had continued
to respond, 'Crucify him! Crucify him!' but he determined to adhere to his
resolution of not condemning our Lord to death, and ordered him to be
scourged according to the manner of the Romans. The guards were
therefore ordered to conduct him through the midst of the furious
multitude to the forum, which they did with the utmost brutality, at
the same time loading him with abuse, and striking him with their
staffs. The pillar where criminals were scourged stood to the north of
Pilate's palace, near the guard-house, and the executioners soon arrived,
carrying whips, rods, and ropes, which they tossed down at its base.
They were six in number, dark, swarthy men, somewhat shorter than
Jesus; their chests were covered with a piece of leather, or with some
dirty stuff; their loins were girded, and their hairy, sinewy arms
bare. They were malefactors from the frontiers of Egypt, who had been
condemned for their crimes to hard labour, and were employed
principally in making canals, and in erecting public buildings, the
most criminal being selected to act as executioners in the Praetorium.

These cruel men had many times scourged poor criminals to death at
this pillar. They resembled wild beasts or demons, and appeared to be
half drunk. They struck our Lord with their fists, an