Seigneur Baruch, after consulting in a low tone
with Caiphus and the banker, said to the Roman: 'Seigneur Pontius
Pilate!' But the Seigneur Pontius Pilate, smiling more and more to
himself, made no reply; the doctor of law was obliged to touch him on
the arm. The Procurator, now appearing to awake suddenly, said: 'Excuse
me, my seigneurs, I was thinking, I was thinking of ..., but what is it
all?'

'It is, Seigneur Pontius Pilate,' replied Doctor Baruch, 'that if, after
all that my friends and myself have narrated to you of the abominable
projects of this Nazarene, you do not proceed against him with the
greatest rigour, you, the representative of the august Emperor Tiberius,
the natural protector of Herod, our prince, it will happen that....'

'Well! what will happen, my seigneurs?'

'It will happen that before next Easter, Jerusalem, the whole of Judea,
will be given up to pillage by the act of this Nazarene, whom the
populace already calls the King of the Jews.'

Pontius Pilate replied, maintaining that tranquil and careless manner
that characterized him: 'Come, my seigneurs, don't take bushes for
forests, or molehills for mountains! Is it for me to remind you of your
history? Is this boy of Nazareth the first who has bethought him of
playing the part of a Messiah? Have you not had Judas the Galilean, who
pretended that the Israelites were to acknowledge no master but God, and
who endeavored to stir up the population against the power of us Romans?
What happened? This Judas was put to death; and it shall be the same
with this young Nazarene if he thinks of exciting rebellion.'

'No doubt, seigneur,' replied Caiphus, the high priest.

'The Nazarene is not the first impostor who has proclaimed himself the
Messiah which our holy scriptures have announced for so many ages. For
fifty years past, not to speak of recent facts, Jonathan, and after him,
Simon, the magician, surnamed the Great Virtue of God; then Barkokebah,
the Son of the Star, and many other pretended Messiahs or Saviors, and
regenerators of the country of Israel! But none of these cheats had the
influence of this Nazarene, and especially his infernal audacity; they
did not, like him, furiously attack the rich, the doctors of law, the
priests, family, and religion; in fact, all that should be respected,
under pain of seeing Israel fall into chaos.

'Those other impostors did not address themselves specially and
constantly, like the Nazarene, to the d