being placed upon their backs, and their hands tied
tightly to the two ends. They were clothed in large aprons, with a sort
of sleeveless scapular which covered the upper part of their bodies,
and they had straw caps upon their heads. The good thief was calm, but
the other was, on the contrary furious, and never ceased cursing and
swearing. The rear of the procession was brought up by the remainder of
the Pharisees on horseback, who rode to and fro to keep order. Pilate
and his courtiers were at a certain distance behind; he was in the
midst of his officers clad in armour, preceded by a squadron of
cavalry, and followed by three hundred foot soldiers; he crossed the
forum, and then entered one of the principal streets, for he was
marching through the town in order to prevent any insurrection among
the people.

Jesus was conducted by a narrow back street, that the procession
might not inconvenience the persons who were going to the Temple, and
likewise in order that Pilate and his band might have the whole
principal street entirely to themselves. The crowd had dispersed and
started in different directions almost immediately after the reading of
the sentence, and the greatest part of the Jews either returned to
their own houses, or to the Temple, to hasten their preparations for
sacrificing the Paschal lamb; but a certain number were still hurrying
on in disorder to see the melancholy procession pass; the Roman
soldiers prevented all persons from joining the procession, therefore
the most curious were obliged to go round by back streets, or to
quicken their steps so as to reach Calvary before Jesus. The street
through which they led Jesus was both narrow and dirty; he suffered
much in passing through it, because the archers were close and harassed
him. Persons stood on the roofs of the houses, and at the windows, and
insulted him with opprobrious language; the slaves who were working in
the streets threw filth and mud at him; even the children, incited by
his enemies, had filled their pinafores with sharp stones, which they
throw down before their doors as he passed, that he might be obliged to
walk over them.

CHAPTER XXXI.

The First Fall of Jesus.

The street of which we have just spoken, after turning a little to
the left, became rather steep, as also wider, a subterranean aqueduct
proceeding from Mount Sion passed under it, and in its vicinity was a
hollow which was often filled with water and mud after