eight are close at
hand, let us attack the archers,' but Jesus bade him hold his peace, and
then turned and walked back a few steps. At this moment four disciples
came out of the garden, and asked what was taking place. Judas was
about to reply, but the soldiers interrupted, and would not let him
speak. These four disciples were James the Less, Philip, Thomas, and
Nathaniel; the last named, who was a son of the aged Simeon, had with a
few others joined the eight Apostles at Gethsemani, being perhaps sent
by the friends of Jesus to know what was going on, or possibly simply
incited by curiosity and anxiety. The other disciples were wandering to
and fro, on the look out, and ready to fly at a moment's notice.

Jesus walked up to the soldiers and said in a firm and clear voice,
'Whom seek ye?' The soldiers answered, 'Jesus of Nazareth.' Jesus said to them,
'I am he.' Scarcely had he pronounced these words than they all fell to the
ground, as if struck with apoplexy. Judas, who stood by them, was much
alarmed, and as he appeared desirous of approaching, Jesus held out his
hand and said: 'Friend, whereto art thou come?' Judas stammered forth
something about business which had brought him. Jesus answered in few
words, the sense of which was: 'It were better for thee that thou hadst
never been born;' however, I cannot remember the words exactly. In the
mean time, the soldiers had risen, and again approached Jesus, but they
waited for the sign of the kiss, with which Judas had promised to
salute his Master that they might recognise him. Peter and the other
disciples surrounded Judas, and reviled him in unmeasured terms,
calling him thief and traitor; he tried to mollify their wrath by all
kinds of lies, but his efforts were vain, for the soldiers came up and
offered to defend him, which proceeding manifested the truth at once.

Jesus again asked, 'Whom seek ye?' They replied: 'Jesus of Nazareth.' Jesus
made answer, 'I have told you that I am he,' 'if therefore you seek me, let
these go their way.' At these words the soldiers fell for the second time
to the ground, in convulsions similar to those of epilepsy, and the
Apostles again surrounded Judas and expressed their indignation at his
shameful treachery. Jesus said to the soldiers, 'Arise,' and they arose,
but at first quite speechless from terror. They then told Judas to give
them the signal agreed upon instantly, as their orders were to seize
upon no one but him whom Judas