used. The main line of the composition runs from the head of the man
in the upper left corner, to the beggar in the lower right corner. The
lifted sword and the falling mantle form the connecting lines across
the canvas.

The feast of St. Martin is celebrated on the eleventh of November, in
that short season of warm weather which brightens the autumn. It is
for this that the French call the week "St. Martin's little summer."
Every year, at this time, pious pilgrims visit the quiet cells, in the
limestone cliff by the riverside, where the good bishop used to retire
for prayer.

XI

THE CRUCIFIXION

The life of our Lord, which began in the Bethlehem manger, culminated
on the cross of Mount Calvary. In our picture we see the Man of
Sorrows in his last moments of suffering. How it came about that he
was crucified is fully related by the four evangelists.[19]

[Footnote 19: St. Matthew, chapters xxvi. and xxvii.; St. Mark,
chapters xiv. and xv.; St. Luke, chapters xxii. and xxiii.; St. John,
chapters xviii. and xix.]

For three years he had gone about among the people, healing the sick,
comforting the sorrowing, and preaching the good tidings of the
kingdom. His blameless life was a constant reproach to hypocrites and
evil doers. The priests were jealous of his popularity and hated him
for his rebukes. As the feast of the Passover drew near, they sought
how they might kill him.

Judaea was at that time a province of the great Roman empire, and the
civil authority was vested in the governor, Pontius Pilate, and a body
of Roman soldiery. The Romans, however, did not interfere much with
the affairs of the Jews, and there was little trouble in carrying out
a plot. A formal charge against Jesus was made by false witnesses,
and he was arrested as a common criminal. After being examined by the
high priest, he was led to the governor for trial. "And they began to
accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation and
forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ,
a king."

Pilate now took him within his palace for a private interview, and
could find no fault with him. Nor did King Herod, to whom the case was
referred, differ from the governor as to the prisoner's innocence.
Pilate therefore appealed to the people in behalf of Jesus, but a
multitude of angry voices shouted, "Crucify him!" "Crucify him!" "And
so, Pilate, willing to content the people ... delivered Jesus ... to