tterly hopeless to say anything more, and
therefore commenced his preparations for passing sentence. The two
thieves had received their sentence of crucifixion some time before;
but the High Priests had obtained a respite for them, in order that our
Lord might suffer the additional ignominy of being executed with two
criminals of the most infamous description. The crosses of the two
thieves were by their sides; that intended fro our Lord was not
brought, because he was not as yet sentenced to death.

The Blessed Virgin, who had retired to some distance after the
scourging of Jesus, again approached to hear the sentence of death
pronounced upon her Son and her God. Jesus stood in the midst of the
archers, at the foot of the staircase leading up to the tribunal. The
trumpet was sounded to demand silence, and then the cowardly, the base
judge, in a tremulous undecided voice, pronounced the sentence of death
on the Just Man. The sight of the cowardice and duplicity of this
despicable being, who was nevertheless puffed up with pride at his
important position, almost overcame me, and the ferocious joy of the
executioners--the triumphant countenances of the High Priests, added to
the deplorable condition to which our loving Saviour was reduced, and
the agonising grief of his beloved Mother--still further increased my
pain. I looked up again, and saw the cruel Jews almost devouring their
victim with their eyes, the soldiers standing coldly by, and multitudes
of horrible demons passing to and fro and mixing in the crowd. I felt
that I ought to have been in the place of Jesus, my beloved Spouse, for
the sentence would not then have been unjust; but I was so overcome
with anguish, and my sufferings were so intense, that I cannot exactly
remember all that I did see. However, I will relate all as nearly as I
can.

After a long preamble, which was composed principally of the most
pompous and exaggerated eulogy of the Emperor Tiberias, Pilate spoke of
the accusations which had been brought against Jesus by the High
Priests. He said that they had condemned him to death for having
disturbed the public peace, and broken their laws by calling himself
the Son of God and King of the Jews; and that the people had
unanimously demanded that their decree should be carried out.
Notwithstanding his oft repeated conviction of the innocence of Jesus,
this mean and worthless judge was not ashamed of saying that he
likewise considered their decisio