lly Peter, it was a
devil. Judas was about to follow the devil when an angel appeared and
stopped him. He was to die a different death, and not yet.

A tearful scene between mother and son came next; I did not care for it,
but the dream of Claudia, the wife of Pilate, was, as Carmelo said, "una
visione tremenda." In a dress of scarlet satin trimmed with gold and
lace, she sat in an arm-chair in a garden and went to sleep. Christ
appeared to her. She spoke to him, but he did not reply, and as she woke
he vanished. She slept again, and Annas appeared to her in red fire,
threatening her if she yielded to the emotions which the vision of the
Man of Sorrows had raised in her heart. She woke in dismay as he
vanished. She slept again, and saw Pilate in hell surrounded by devils.
She woke in fright. She slept again, and a devil appeared and talked to
her, justifying Pilate. S. Michele came and killed the devil.

GOOD FRIDAY

The Machiavelli was closed. At the Sicilia the performance began with
the trial of Christ. Pilate sat in the middle with Joseph of Arimathaea
and Nicodemus on his right, Caiaphas, Annas, and Misandro on his left.
Beyond Nicodemus was the Nazarene in a red cloak holding a reed and
crowned with thorns; and beyond Misandro was Barabbas. Pilate made the
opening speech. Caiaphas then spoke for the prosecution; the question in
debate was whether Christ was the Son of God, and he accused Christ of
being a deceiver. Nicodemus followed for the defence. Then Annas for
the prosecution. He said: "The voice of God is the voice of the people."
He was followed by Joseph, who maintained that the wonders performed by
Christ were not done by magic, they were miracles; that is he was not a
magician, he was the Son of God. Misandro spoke last.

Here a messenger arrived from Claudia telling her dream and begging
Pilate to go to her. The Court rose and Pilate went home to comfort his
wife, while the others talked among themselves just as barristers do in
the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand when the sitting is suspended.

Pilate returned and took his seat. He proposed to liberate Christ and to
sacrifice Barabbas. He presented Christ to the people, saying:

"Ecce Homo."

And the crowd shouted: "Not this man, but Barabbas."

Pilate ironically congratulated them:

"You are right, O ignorant People!" and, telling Barabbas to go and
thieve again, he liberated him.

Then the false witnesses cam