such is the sharpness of their conscience that they
digest these camels as the ostrich digests a stone, and nothing appears
of it.'

Fresh bursts of applause replied to the pleasantry of Banaias, and Jesus
resumed:

'Woe to you, Pharisees! woe to you who cleanse the outside of the cup
while within it is all rapine and impurity.'

'It is true,' replied several voices; 'these hypocrites clean the
outside because the outside alone is seen.'

The son of Mary continued:

'Woe to you, Pharisees! who preach what you ought to do, but do it not!
Woe to you who make heavy and insupportable burthens, place them on the
shoulders of men, but will not touch them with your finger.'

This new comparison struck the mind of the auditors of the young master,
and several voices again exclaimed:

'Yes, yes, these idle hypocrites say to the humble, "Work is holy; work,
work, but we will not work. Yes, bear alone the burthen of the labor,
but we rich will not touch it with the end of our finger."'

Jesus continued:--

'Woe to you who do all your actions that you might be seen of men. It is
for this that you carry long bands of parchment, on which are written
the words of the law, which you do not practice. Woe to you who say, "If
a man swears by the temple it is nothing, but if he swears by the gold
of the Temple, he is bound by his oath."'

'Because for these rich wicked ones,' said a voice, 'nothing is sound
but gold. They swear by their gold as others swear by their soul or by
their honor.'

'So that if a man swears by the altar it is nothing,' pursued Jesus;
'but whoever swears by the offering that is on the altar, he is bound by
his oath. Woe to you, hypocrites! who pay scrupulously the tenth, but
who deny that which is more important in the law, justice, mercy, and
good faith. These were the things you should practice, without omitting
the others.'

'By the two thumbs of Methusalem!' exclaimed Banaias, laughing, 'you
appear at ease, friend. As these hypocrites have in their coffers enough
to pay the tithe without inconveniencing themselves, and they pay it;
but where would you have them find this money of justice, of good faith,
and of mercy, which you demand from these whitened sepulchres, from
these swallowers of camels of iniquity, as you will so call them?'

'Alas! the young master says true,' observed another; 'for him who has
no money justice is deaf. The doctors of the law do not say to you at
their court, "What