od to get out of the trouble of having told a first, he
must make the guilt of a still deeper dye.

But could he not in some way conciliate the Jews, and save Jesus as
well? he wondered. Yes; he would pretend to look upon Him as guilty; but
would remind them of the custom of releasing some prisoner at the
Passover; and try to persuade them to have Jesus set free. But they
preferred Barabbas; and Pilate tried another plan. He would inflict upon
Jesus the painful and humiliating punishment of scourging and let Him
go.

But what right had he to do that to an innocent Man? How fast he was
yielding! And what a coward a guilty conscience had made of him!

But much as he was to blame, there was sent to him a warning that could
not be despised.

That morning, a troublous dream had come to Claudia Procula, Pilate's
wife, who was a Jewish proselyte. And now, messengers from her came
running out of breath, and standing before the golden bema, delivered
the message she had sent; "Have thou nothing to do with that just Man;
for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him."

This troubled Pilate more and more; and his face paled, and his strong
limbs trembled. He remembered how, not very long before, when Caesar's
enemies were plotting against his life, a dream had come to his wife,
Calpurnia, who had sent to warn him not to go to the meeting of the
senate, on the Ides of March. But he went in spite of the dream, and was
murdered! And now, a similar warning was sent to him to strengthen him
to do right. Should he heed it, and let the innocent Jesus go free? It
was still in his power to refuse to crucify Him; and what remorse he
would save himself? and what bitter anguish! But notwithstanding the
warning dream, he took the last fatal step.

"_Ibis ad crucem_," "Thou must go to the cross," he said to Jesus, and
to the attendant, "_I miles, expedi crucem_," "Soldier, go prepare the
cross."

Unable to shake off that ominous dream, he called for water, and washed
his hands, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person." But
he could not wash away his responsibility, or that last greatest crime
of giving up to the fiendish malice of a cruel mob the Innocent One
about whom he had had such misgivings and such a warning.

From that day all peace of mind fled from him; and before long he was
pining away in bitter exile and poverty; the very punishment having come
upon him that he had tried to avert.

H.