d. Say to him, 'Write not the
king of the Jews, but that he said, I am king of the Jews?'"

"We are off at once," said the rabbi and Saras.

"Stay," said Caiaphas, "also request from the governor that he may
order the bones of the crucified to be broken and their bodies taken
down from the cross before the eve of the Passover."

When the rabbi and Saras departed on their mission, the hangmen, who
had been sitting at the foot of the cross, bethought themselves, and
the first, who was named Agrippa, standing up, said, "Now, comrades,
let us divide our share." Taking the mantle of Jesus, they seized each
one corner, and then pulling all together, rent it into four parts.
The coat remained. Agrippa held it up, "The mantle has made just four
pieces; shall we rip up the coat also? See, it is without seam."

"No," said Faustus, who had fastened the superscription over the head
of Jesus, "it would be better to cast lots for it."

"Look," said Agrippa, as he went to the foot of the cross and took up
the basket, "see, here are dice." Then the four hangmen, standing at
the feet of Jesus threw the dice, Agrippa threw them first, saying, "I
will try my luck first. Alas, that is too little," he added, as he
counted up the result of his throw, "I have lost."

Catiline, the third hangman, as he rattled the dice in his hand, looked
up at Jesus and said, "Hi! you up there, if you can still work miracles
on the cross, give me good luck." The others shrugged their shoulders
and said, "What does he care about us?" Catiline's throw was not high.

Then Nero said, "I ought to have had better luck," and throwing the
dice he counted fifteen. "Nearly enough; now, Faustus, it is your
turn."

Faustus threw the dice, saying, "I ought to get it." They all bent
over to see the result.

"Eighteen!" cried Catiline; "that is the best yet."

Then said Agrippa, "Take it," handing him the mantle, "it is thine;
take it away."

And Nero consoled himself by saying, "You are not to be envied."

Faustus gathered up the coat, and folding it up put it away.

By this time the rabbi and Saras returned from Pilate, and coming back
to Caiaphas they said, "Our mission was in vain. The governor would
not listen to us."

Caiaphas indignantly asked, while the priests and Pharisees crowded
around, "Did he give you no answer at all?"

"This only," said the rabbi. "What I have written I have written."

"Intolerable," said Annas.

Caiaphas als