stain their arms, and he groaned, prayed, and shuddered. At this
moment, some strangers mounted on camels passed through the forum; they
stopped for a moment, and were quite overcome with pity and horror at
the scene before them, upon which some of the bystanders explained the
cause of what they witnessed. Some of these travellers had been
baptised by John, and others had heard the sermon of Jesus on the
mountain. The noise and the tumult of the mob was even more deafening
near the house of Pilate.

Two fresh executioners took the places of the last mentioned, who
were beginning to flag; their scourges were composed of small chains,
or straps covered with iron hooks, which penetrated to the bone, and
tore off large pieces of flesh at every blow. What word, alas! could
describe this terrible--this heartrending scene!

The cruelty of these barbarians was nevertheless not yet satiated;
they untied Jesus, and again fastened him up with his back turned
towards the pillar. As he was totally unable to support himself in an
upright position, they passed cords round his waist, under his arms,
and above his knees, and having bound his hands tightly into the rings
which were placed at the upper part of the pillar, they recommenced
scourging him with even greater fury than before; and one among them
struck him constantly on the face with a new rod. The body of our Lord
was perfectly torn to shreds,--it was but one wound. He looked at his
torturers with his eyes filled with blood; as if entreating mercy; but
their brutality appeared to increase, and his moans each moment became
more feeble.

The dreadful scourging had been continued without intermission for
three quarters of an hour, when a stranger of lowly birth, a relation
to Ctesiphon, the blind man whom Jesus had cured, rushed from amidst
the crowd, and approached the pillar with a knife shaped like a cutlass
in his hand. 'Cease!' he exclaimed, in an indignant tone; 'Cease! Scourge not
this innocent man unto death!' The drunken miscreants, taken by surprise,
stopped short, while he quickly severed the cords which bound Jesus to
the pillar, and disappeared among the crowd. Jesus fell almost without
consciousness on the ground, which was bathed with his blood. The
executioners left him there, and rejoined their cruel companions, who
were amusing themselves in the guardhouse with drinking, and plaiting
the crown of thorns.

Our Lord remained for a short time on the ground, at