THE SILVER CROSS
IWTV. OP CALIF. LIBRARY. LOS
THE FULL SERIES OF
nf
History of a Proletarian Family
Across the Ages
EU
N
UE
Consisting of the Following Works:
THE GOLD SICKLE ; or, Hena the Virgin of the Isle of Sen.
THE BRASS BELL; or, The Chariot of Death.
THE IRON COLLAR; or, Faustine and Syomara.
THE SILVER CROSS; or, The Carpenter of Nazareth.
THE CASQUE'S LARK; or, Victoria, the Mother of the Camps.
THE PONIARD'S HILT; or, Karadeucq and Ronan.
THE BRANDING NEEDLE; or, The Monastery of CharoUes.
THE ABBATIAL CROSIER; or, Bonaik and Septimine.
THE CARLOVINGIAN COINS; or, The Daughters of
Charlemagne.
THE IRON ARROW-HEAD; or, The Buckler Maiden.
THE INFANTS SKULL; or, The End of the World.
THE PILGRIM'S SHELL; or, Fergan the Quarryman.
THE IRON PINCERS; or, Mylio and Karvel.
THE IRON TREVET; or Jocelyn the Champion.
THE EXECUTIONER'S KNIFE; or, Joan of Arc.
THE POCKET BIBLE; or, Christian the Printer.
THE BLACKSMITH'S HAMMER; or, The Peasant Code.
THE SWORD OF HONOR; or, The Foundation of the French
Republic
THE GALLEY SLAVE'S RING; or, The Family Lebrenn.
Published Uniform With This Volume By
THE NEW YORK LABOR NEWS CO.
28 CITY HALL PLACE
NEW YORK CITY
THE SILVER CROSS
:: :: OR :: ::
THE CARPENTER OF NAZARETH
A Tale of Jerusalem
By EUGENE SUE
TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL FRENCH
By DANIEL DELEON
NEW YORK LABOR NEWS COMPANY. 1909
Copyright. 1909. by the
NEW YORK LABOR NEWS CO.
INDEX
TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE vii
INTRODUCTION 1
I. A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S 3
II. JOANNA, AURELIA AND GENEVIEVE 32
III. THE TAVERN OF THE WILD ASS 42
IV. THE YOUNG MAN OF NAZARETH 58
V. THE VALLEY OF CEDRON 80
VI. GENEVIEVE'S MARTYRDOM 102
VII. THE GARDEN OF OLIVES 113
VIII. BEFORE CAIAPHAS 124
IX. ON, TO PONTIUS PILATE ! 134
X. BEFORE PONTIUS PILATE 144
XI. IN THE COURT OF THE PRAETORIUM 161
XII. GOLGOTHA 171
EPILOGUE 187
2133415
TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE
Of the series of nineteen historic novels that comprise
Eugene Sue's work entitled The Mysteries of the People;
or, History of a Proletarian Family Across the Ages, the
first four may be called the overture to the historic drama
that really starts with the fifth The Casque's Lark; or,
Victoria, the Mother of the Camps, when the two dis-
tinct streams of the typically oppressed and typical op-
pressor meet and closes with the nineteenth The Gal-
ley Slave's Ring; or, The Family of Lebrenn, bringing
history down to the year 1848. The introductory period
closes with this, the fourth story, The Silver Cross; or,
The Carpenter of Nazareth. While the first of the intro-
ductory stories The Gold Sickle; or, Hena, the Virgin
of the Isle of Sen portrays the Gallic people, pure, brave,
industrious but unorganized ; while the second The Brass
Bell; or, The Chariot of Death narrates the enslavement
of this people, as the inevitable consequence of their un-
organized condition, which not all their virtues could
parry; while the third The Iron Collar; or, Faustina and
Syomara describes Roman society with an eye especially
to the brutality that the slave was subjected to, and the
brutalizing effect thereof upon the slaveholder himself;
while these three stories unfold the gradual breakdown of
society under the Roman sway, this, the fourth, summar-
izes the preceding ones in the grand climax of the political
upheaval which the Tragedy of Calvary, though expected
to, was not able to burke.
Although Sue's Mysteries of the People; or, History
of a Proletarian Family is a "work of fiction," yet it is
the best universal history extant; better than any work,
TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.
avowedly on history, it graphically traces the special fea-
tures of the several systems of class-rule as they have suc-
ceeded each other from epoch to epoch, together with the
nature of the struggle between the contending classes. The
"Law," "Order," "Patriotism," "Religion," etc., etc., that
each successive tyrant class, despite its change of form,
hysterically sought refuge in to justify its criminal exist-
ence whenever threatened; the varying economic causes of
the oppression of the toilers; the mistakes incurred by
these in their struggles for redress; the varying fortunes
of the conflict; all these social dramas are therein repro-
duced in a majestic series of "historic novels," covering
leading and successive episodes in the history of the race.
The present story The Silver Cross; or, The Car-
penter of Nazareth is a marvellous presentation of one
of the world's leading events in a garb without which that
event is stripped of its beauty and significance. As the
narrative rushes onward thrillingly from start to catas-
trophe, it delineates one after another the leading features
of the oppressors' class their unity of action, despite
hostile politico-material interests and clashing creed ten-
ets; the hypocrisy that typifies them all; the oneness of
fundamental purpose that animates pulpit, professional
chair, or public office in possession of a plundering class.
Page after page holds the mirror up to the modern ruling
class its orators, pulpiteers, politicians, lawyers, together
with its long train of menials of high and low degree
and, by the reflection cast, enlightens and warns.
DANIEL DE LEON.
Milford, Conn., May, 1909.
INTRODUCTION.
I, Fergan, the grandson of Sylvest, unable to do bet-
ter, wish to add this introduction to the following story
written by my wife, Genevieve, for our family archives,
s a sequel to the narrative of my grandfather.
Genevieve was my foster sister, and later became my
wife. Shortly after our marriage she was hired from
my master as a washerwoman by a Roman residing in
Marseilles and named Gremion, a relative of my grand-
father 's first master, and agent of the Roman fisc.
The dominion of the Romans then extended from
one end of the world to the other. Judea had become
subject to them as a dependency of the province of
Syria, which was governed by a Roman Prefect.
From the port of Marseilles vessels often took sail
for the country of the Israelites. Gremion, a relative
of the Procurator of Judea, named Pontius Pilate, was
appointed the successor of the Tribune of the Treasury,
whose duty it was to oversee the collection of taxes in
that country. Wherever the Roman dominion planted
itself, the collection of taxes was at the same time
organized.
Aurelia, the wife of Gremion, who had hired my wife
Genevieve as a washerwoman, was so pleased with her
a INTRODUCTION.
kind manners and her attention to work, that she
wished to keep her near her during her long voyage
to the country of the Israelites. She begged her hus-
band to purchase Genevieve, and he did so.
The gods were kind to us. Aurelia was of that small
number of Roman dames who were benign towards
their slaves. Young, handsome, of a lively and sport-
ive disposition, Aurelia was not likely to render servi-
tude too harsh to my wife. This consideration miti-
gated my sorrow at our separation. I had become quite
skilled at my weaver 's trade, and yielded large returns
to the fiscal agents, who hired me out to other masters.
It was, accordingly, towards the fifteenth year of
the reign of Tiberius that my wife departed from
Marseilles with Aurelia, her mistress, for Judea.
The events in the following narrative were written
by Genevieve a year ago, after her return from her
voyage. My own life has been until now so monoto-
nous and insignificant that an account of it would
make a poor showing in the archives of my family.
As to Genevieve 's experience, although she relates
some adventures that are of but little importance, and
which occurred in the land of the Hebrews during her
sojourn in Jerusalem, it will have at least the attrac-
tion that a very distant and little known country hap-
pens to be its theater.
CHAPTER I.
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S.
On that evening there was a great supper party at
the mansion of Pontius Pilate, the Procurator in the
country of the Israelites for the Emperor Tiberius.
Towards the decline of day the most brilliant com-
pany met at the mansion of the Roman seigneur. The
house, like those of all rich persons of that country,
was built of hewn stone, plastered over with chalk, and
covered with a wash of a reddish color. 1
The sumptuous residence was reached through a
square yard, surrounded with marble pillars that
formed a gallery. In the center of the yard a foun-
tain spouted jets of limpid water, imparting an agree-
able coolness under the burning sun of Arabia. A
tall palm tree, planted close to the fountain, shaded it
with its foliage by day. From the square yard one
stepped into a vestibule filled with servants, and from
there into the banquet hall, the walls of which were
panelled in sandalwood encrusted with ivory.
Around the table lay couches of cedar wood, covered
with rich draperies, on which the guests sat to eat.
According to the custom of the country, each of the
1 Jeremiah, 22.14.
* THE SILVER CROSS.
dames present at the supper had brought with her
one of her female slaves, who stood behind her during
the repast. It was in this way that Genevieve, the wife
of Fergan, witnessed the scenes which she is about to
describe, having accompanied her mistress Aurelia to
the residence of Seigneur Pontius Pilate.
The company was select. Prominent among the men
of greatest note were Seigneur Baruch, a Senator and
doctor of law; Seigneur Chuza, the intendant of the
residence of Herod, Tetrarch or Prince of Judea under
the protection of Rome; Seigneur Gremion, recently
arrived from Roman Gaul in the capacity of Tribune
of the Treasury in Judea; Seigneur Jonas, one of the
richest bankers of Jerusalem; and, finally, Seigneur
Caiaphas, one of the Princes of the Church of the
Hebrews.
Among the dames at the supper table were Lucretia,
the wife of Pontius Pilate; Aurelia, the wife of Gre-
mion; and Joanna, the wife of Chuza. 1
The two handsomest dames of the company that took
eupper on that evening at the mansion of Pontius Pilate
were Joanna and Aurelia. Joanna had the beauty that
is peculiar to Orientals large black eyes that were at
once gentle and warm, and teeth of a whiteness that
her brunette complexion rendered all the more daz-
zling. Her turban, made of a costly Tyrian material
of purple color, and held together by a thick chain of
gold, the ends of which fell one on each of her shoul-
1 Lukc. 8.3.
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S. 5
ders, framed her forehead, which two heavy braids of
black hair partly concealed. She was clad in a long
white robe which left exposed her arms, richly circled
with gold bracelets. Over her robe, and held at the
waist by a purple scarf of like material with her tur-
ban, she wore a sort of sleeveless vest of orange-colored
silk. Joanna's beautiful features bore the stamp of
sweetness, and her smile was expressive of charming
kindness.
Aurelia, the wife of Gremion, born of Roman par-
ents in the south of France, was also beautiful. She
was dressed after the fashion of her own country two
tunics, one long and of rose color, the other short and
blue. A net of gold thread held her auburn hair. Her
skin was as white as Joanna's was brown. Her large
blue eyes danced with delight, and her cheerful smile
proclaimed unalterable good temper.
Senator Baruch, one of the most learned doctors in
the law, occupied the place of honor at the supper.
He seemed to be a great glutton. His green turban
leaned almost the whole time over his plate. He even
had to loosen two or three times the belt that held his
Jong velvet robe, ornamented with a long silver fringe.
The gluttony of the fat Senator drew several times
smiles and mutual whispers from Joanna and Aurelia,
new friends as they were, who sat beside each other, and
behind whom stood Genevieve, losing not a word that
passed between them, and no less attentive to all that
the other guests said.
THE SILVER CROSS.
Seigneur Jonas, one of the wealthiest bankers of
Jerusalem, with a little yellow turban on his head and
clad in a brown robe, wore a grey and pointed beard.
He resembled a bird of prey. Off and on he spoke in
ft low voice to the doctor of law, who rarely answered
him, never ceasing to eat, while the High Priest Caia-
l>has, Gremion, Pontius Pilate and the other person-
ages conversed among themselves.
Towards the end of the supper, the doctor of law,
having at last had his fill, wiped his greasy beard with
the back of his hand, and addressed the recently ar-
rived Tribune of the Treasury, saying:
"Seigneur Gremion, are you beginning to accustom
yourself to the ways of our poor country? Oh! It
must be a great change to you who come from Roman
Gaul what a long voyage you have made!"
"I like to see new countries," answered Gremion;
"and I shall have frequent occasion to travel over your
country overseeing the tax collectors."
"Unfortunately for Seigneur Gremion," put in the
banker Jonas, "he arrives in Judea in sad and evil
days."
"Why so, seigneur?" asked Gremion.
"Are not times of civil disturbances always evil
times?" answered the banker.
"No doubt, Seigneur Jonas; but what disturbances
do you mean?"
"My friend Jonas," replied Baruch, the doctor of
law, "refers to the deplorable disorders that a vasra-
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S- 1
bond of Nazareth leaves behind him in his wake wher-
ever he goes, and which grow worse every day."
"Oh, yes!" said Gremion, "that former carpenter of
Galilee, who was born in a stable, and is the son of a
plowmaker. I heard it said that he goes all over the
country how did you call him?"
"If he were given the name he deserves," cried the
doctor of law angrily, "he would be called the Scamp
the Impious the Seditious but he carries the name of
Jesus."
"An idle ranter," interjected Pontius Pilate, with a
shrug of his shoulders after emptying his cup. "A
fool prating to geese."
' ' Seigneur Pontius Pilate ! ' ' cried the doctor of law
in a reproachful tone. "How! You who represent in
this country the august Emperor Tiberius, the pro-
tector of us peaceful and honest folks, seeing that, but
for your troops, the populace would long ago have
risen in revolt against Herod our Prince you remain
indifferent to the acts and doings of that Nazarene!
You dismiss him as a fool! Oh, Seigneur Pontius
Pilate, this is not the first time I have warned you that
fools like that one are political pests!"
"And I repeat it, my seigneurs," replied Pontius
Pilate, holding out his empty cup to the slave behind
him. "I repeat it, you alarm yourselves unnecessarily.
Let the Nazarene preach at his ease, his words will
blow over like the wind."
"Seigneur Baruch," asked Joanna, in her sweet
8 THE SILVER CROSS-
voice, "why do you entertain such a bitter hatred for
that young man of Nazareth? You never hear his
name mentioned without becoming enraged."
"Yes, I hate that Nazarene," answered the doctor
of law. "My hatred is justified by his conduct. The
wretch, who respects nothing, has not only insulted
me, me, personally, but he has gone farther; he has
insulted all my fellow Senators in my person. Do you
know what he dared to say on the square of the Tem-
ple, as he saw me walk by?"
"Well, what did he say, Seigneur Baruch?" Joanna
persisted, smiling. "It must have been something
frightful!"
"It was abominable, monstrous! That is what it
was," replied the doctor of law. "Well, as I said, I
was crossing the square of the Temple; I was coming
from dinner at my friend Samuel's. On my way I en-
countered a group of beggars all in rags workmen,
camel-drivers, fellows who let out asses, women of ill
repute, children in tatters, and other people of the
most dangerous sort. They stood listening to a young
man who had mounted upon a stone and was perorating
at the top of his voice. Suddenly he pointed his finger
at me. All the other vagabonds turned around to see
me, and I heard the Nazarene, it was he, you must
know, say to his audience of rag-tag and bob-tail:
'Beware of the doctors of the law which love to go in
long clothing, and love salutations in the market places,
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S.
and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the upper-
most rooms at feasts.' m
"You must admit, Seigneur Pontius Pilate," ob-
served the banker Jonas, ' ' that it is impossible to carry
the audacity of personality any further than that "
"To me it seems," whispered Aurelia to Joanna,
laughing and calling her attention to the circumstance
that the doctor of law actually occupied the place of
honor at the feast, "to me it seems that Seigneur Ba-
ruch has, indeed, a fondness for the best places."
"That is why he is angry at the young man of Naz-
areth, who holds hypocrisy in horror," answered Jo-
anna, while Seigneur Baruch proceeded, more and more
incensed :
"But, my dear seigneurs, there are still worse abom-
inations to follow. 'Beware,' the inciter to sedition
proceeded to yell, 'beware of the doctors of the law
tor they devour widows' houses, and for a pretence
make long prayers; these shall receive greater damna-
tion.' 2 Yes, those are the very words that I heard the
Nazarene utter. And, now, Seigneur Pontius Pilate,
I solemnly declare to you that, if you do not suppress
as speedily as possible the unbridled license which
dares to assail the authority of the doctors of the law,
that is to say, Law and Authority themselves if Sen-
ators can thus with impunity be pointed out to the
hatred and contempt of the public if that can be,
then it is done for society ! ' '
1 Mark, 12.38. 39.
'Mark, 12.40.
10 THE SILVER CROSS.
"Let him taik," observed Pontius Pilate with phil-
osophic composure, and again emptying his cup. "Let
him talk, and you enjoy your lives unmolested."
"Enjoy one's life unmolested, Seigneur Pontius
Pilate, when one foresees grave disasters?" exclaimed
the banker Jonas. "I must confess that the fears of
ray worthy friend Baruch are but too well founded.
Yes, I say with him, it is done for society. The audac-
ity of this carpenter of Nazareth transcends every-
thing. There is nothing that he respects. Yesterday
it was Law and Authority that he assailed in their
representatives. To-day it is the rich against whom he
arouses the dregs of the populace. Did he not venture
to utter this execrable sentiment: 'It is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a
rich man to enter into the kingdom of God'?" 1
At this citation by Seigneur Jonas all the guests ex-
claimed in chorus :
"Abominable!"
"We are marching towards an abyss!"
"According to that, all of us, as we sit here, who
have gold in our coffers, are condemned to eternal
fire!"
"The idea of comparing us to cables that can not
pass through the eye of a needle !"
"And these monstrosities are said and repeated by
the Nazarene to the dregs of the populace!"
"With intent to incite them to loot the rich "
1 MatUiewT 19.24.
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S. 11
"Is not that a despicable way of flattering the de-
testable passions of the mob of tattered beggars in
whom Jesus of Nazareth takes so much delight, and
with whom, it is said, he gets regularly drunk?" 1
"I find it hard to blame the young fellow for loving
wine," remarked Pontius Pilate, laughing heartily,
and again holding out his cup to his slave. "Guzzlers
are not dangerous people."
"But not yet is that all," put in Caiaphas, the High
Priest. "The Nazarene does not only outrage Law,
and Authority, and Property he attacks with no less
brazenness the religion of our fathers. For instance,
it is expressly ordered in Deuteronomy: 'Unto the
stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy
brother thou shalt not lend upon usury.' 2 Note well
the first words: Unto the stranger thou mayest lend
upon usury. Well, now, in utter contempt for the pre-
scriptions of our holy religion, the Nazarene arrogates
to himself the right to say: 'Do good, and lend, hop-
ing for nothing again,' 3 and he takes particular care
to add: 'Ye can not serve God and mammon.'* So
that religion expressly declares it is permissible to
draw profit on your money from strangers, and the
Nazarene, blaspheming Holy "Writ in one of its most
important dogmas, denies what it affirms, forbids what
it allows."
"My condition of a pagan," replied Pontius Pilate,
thrown into a rollicking mood by his copious potations,
Luke. 7.34. Luke, 6.35.
Deuteronomy, 23.20. Luke 16.18.
12 THE SILVER CROSS.
"does not allow me to take part in such a discussion.
While you are at it, I shall silently to myself invoke
our God Bacchus wine, slave! Wine!"
"Nevertheless, Seigneur Pontius Pilate," objected
the banker Jonas, who seemed hardly able to restrain
his irritation at the Roman's indifference, "even if
we pass by what there is of sacrilegious in this propo-
sition of the Nazarene, you will have to admit that it
is downright insanity. With such notions, good-bye to
all commerce!"
"It means the ruin of public fortune!"
"What am I to do with the gold in my coffers if I
were not to draw profit on it, if I were to lend, hoping
for nothing again? It is to make one laugh were it
not so odious "
"Nor is it the case of an isolated attack aimed at
our holy religion," proceeded Caiaphas to explain.
"With the Nazarene, it is a settled policy to outrage
and undermine the faith of our fathers. Let me give
you another instance. The other day the sick were
bathing in the pool of Bethesda. That day was the
Sabbath. Now, you know, my seigneurs, how solemn
and sacred is the prohibition against doing any man-
ner of work on the Sabbath."
"To all religious people it is impiousness. "
"Now, watch the conduct of the Nazarene," Caia-
phas proceeded. "He goes to the pool, and note in
passing that, with cunning villainy, he never accepts a
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S- 1*
denier for his cures. Among others, he finds there a
nian with a dislocated foot he sets it "
' ' What ! On the Sabbath ! ' '
"Abomination and desolation!"
"To heal a patient on the Sabbath sacrilege!"
"Yes, my seigneurs," answered the priest with a
mournful voice; "he committed the sacrilege!" 1
"If the young man had failed to restore the patient
to the use of his foot," whispered Aurelia to Jo-
anna, smiling, "I could understand their rage."
"Such ungodliness," added Doctor Baruch, "such
ungodliness deserves the severest punishment it is im-
possible to outrage religion in a more abominable man-
ner!"
"And you must not think that the Nazarene keeps
his sacrileges dark, or blushes over them far from it!
He carries blasphemy to the point of deriding the Sab-
bath, and of denouncing those who observe it as hypo-
crites!" 2
A general murmur of indignation received these
words of the Prince of the Church, so abominable was
the Nazarene 's impiousness considered by the guests
of Pontius Pilate. The latter, however, unconcernedly
emptying cup upon cup, seemed no longer to be inter-
ested in the conversation that went on all around him.
"No, Seigneur Caiaphas," remarked the banker
Jonas, with a look of consternation, "if it were some
' *Luke, 6.7-11.
"Luke, 13.15.
1* THE SILVER CROSS.
one else than yourself who informed me of such enor-
mities, I would hesitate to believe them."
"What I am telling you are accurate facts. The
idea occurred to me of placing near the Nazarene cer-
tain wily fellows who assume the appearance of being
partisans of his. They draw him out. He then speaks
without mistrust, opens his heart to my men, and then
they return immediately to me and repeat everything
that took place." 1
"That is an excellent plan that you hit upon, Seig-
neur Caiaphas," observed the banker Jonas approv-
ingly. "All honor to you!"
"Well, thanks to these emissaries," the High Priest
proceeded, "I am informed that as late as day before
yesterday the Nazarene uttered incendiary language,
enough to egg on the slaves who listened to him to cut
the throats of their masters. He said: 'The disciple
is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord ;
it is enough for the disciple that he be as his master,
and the servant as his lord'!" 2
A fresh murmur of indignation ran over the assem-
blage.
"You notice the kind concession that the Nazarene
deigns to make to us!" cried the banker Jonas. "In-
deed? It is enough that the slave be as his master!
l Luke, 20.20.
Dupln makes the following re- I have not used the proper term
flection : "Who would not be sur- to qualify the emissaries sent out
prised to find here the odious about Jesus". Dupln. Sr., Jesux
trade of the agent prorocateurT before Caiaphas. p. 30.
One may see for himself whether J Matthew, 10.24-25.
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S. 15
You grant us that much, Jesus of Nazareth ! You per-
mit that the slave shall not be above his seigneur!
Many thanks to you!"
"And consider," added the doctor of law, ''consider
the consequences of these amazing doctrines if they
were to be generally spread among the masses. We
may now speak freely, here among us, now that our
servants have left the banquet hall. The day when
the slave will consider himself the equal of his master
he will say to himself: 'If I am my master's equal, he
can not have the right to keep me in bondage, and I
have the right to rebel.' Now, my seigneurs, you can
easily imagine what such a revolt would mean!"
"It would be the end of society!"
"The end of the world!"
"Chaos!" cried Seigneur Baruch. "Only chaos can
follow upon the unchaining of the most detestable pas-
sions of the populace, and the Nazarene flatters them
only in order to let them loose upon us. He promises
mountains and marvels to the wretches in order to
make proselytes of them. He flatters their envious ha-
tred by saying to them that on the day of justice 'the
last shall be first, and the first last'!" 1
"Yes, in the kingdom of heaven," interjected Jo-
anna, in a sweet yet firm voice. "That is the sense in
which the young man understands it."
"Oh, indeed?" said Seigneur Chuza, her husband,
satirically. "He means only the kingdom of heaven t
'Matthew, 20.10.
19 THE SILVER CROSS.
Do you really believe that? If so, why then did a fel-
low named Peter, one of his disciples, shortly ago pro-
pound to him this categoric question: 'Behold, we
have forsaken all, and followed thee: what shall we
have therefore?' " l
"That Peter is a man of foresight," remarked the
banker jeeringly. ' ' That fellow does not allow himself
to be paid with hollow words."
"To that question from Peter," replied Chuza,
"what waa the Nazarene's answer, couched in such
terms as to incite the cupidity of the bandits whom,
sooner or later, he means to turn into his instruments?
He answered in these unmistakable words:
" 'Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren,
or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or
lands for my sake shall receive an hundredfold now
in this time, and shall inherit everlasting life.' " 2
" 'Now in this time,' that is clear enough," put in
Doctor Baruch. "He promises now and in this time
to the men of his bands a hundred houses for the one
which they give up in order to follow him ; a hundred-
fold larger field for the one they abandon ; and, over
and above all that, for the future, in the centuries to
come, he assures eternal life to the reprobates!"
"Now, then, where is he to seize those hundred
houses for one," inquired the banker Jonas, "or the
fields that he promises to the vagabonds ? He will have
Matthew 19.27
Matthew. 19.29, Mark, 10.29,30.
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S. 17
to take them from us, from us, the property holders,
irom us, the cables for whom the entrance into Para-
dise is as narrow as the eye of a needle, simply because
of our wealth."
"It seems to me, my seigneurs," insisted Joanna,
"that you put a wrong interpretation upon the words
of the young master. They are used in a figurative
sense. ' '
"Indeed!" again exclaimed Joanna's husband in
ironical accents. "And what may the beautiful figure
of speech be, what is the allegory?"
' ' When Jesus of Nazareth says that those who follow
him will enjoy now a hundredfold what they give up,
he means, it seems to me, that the consciousness of
preaching the glad tidings, the love of our fellowmen,
kindness towards the weak and suffering, will compen-
sate a hundredfold for the earthly goods that they may
have renounced."
Joanna's clever and kind words were ill received by
the guests of Pontius Pilate, and the High Priest cried
out:
"I pity your wife, Seigneur Chuza, for being, like
30 many other women, blinded by the Nazarene. So
completely are his eyes fastened upon material wealth,
that he has the audacity of sending the vagabonds,
whom he calls his disciples, to establish themselves in
other people's houses and to eat their fill there under
the pretence of preaching his delectable doctrines to the
inmates. ' '
18 THE SILVER CROSS.
"How is that, my seigneurs!" exclaimed Gremion.
"Are such highhanded deeds possible in your country,
and can they be perpetrated with impunity! People
establish themselves by main force in your house, and
eat and drink under pretence of perorating ? ' '
"Those who admit the disciples of the young master
of Nazareth," rejoined Joanna, "receive them volun-
tarily. "
"Yes, some of them," said Jonas. "But the larger
number of those who harbor the vagabonds yield to
fear and to threats. According to the orders of the
Nazarene whoever refuses to shelter and feed his idle
tramps are consigned by them to the fires of heaven. ' n
Fresh clamors of indignation received the report of
these new misdeeds of the Nazarene.
"That's an intolerable tyranny!"
"A stop must be put to such indignities!"
"It is simply organized pillage!"
"So, you see," said the banker Jonas, "Seigneur
Baruch is perfectly right when he says that it is
straight toward chaos that we are led by the Nazarene,
to whom nothing is sacred. I repeat it not satisfied
with seeking to overthrow Law, Authority, Property
and Religion, his infernal purpose is to destroy the
family also "
"The fellow must be the very incarnation of your
own Beelzebub!" cried Gremion. "What is that you
say, my seigneurs! The Nazarene miscreant contem-
Luke, 10.3-12.
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S. 19
plates annihilating the family? The sacrosanct insti-
tution of the family ? ' '
"Yes, to annihilate by dividing it," explained Caia-
phas. "To annihilate it by sowing discord and hatred
at the domestic hearth! By arousing the son against
the father! Servants against their masters!"
"Seigneur," said Gremion, shaking his head doubt-
fully, "can so abominable a project find lodgment in a
sane man's head?"
"In the head of a man, no," answered the High
Priest; "in the head of a Beelzebub like the Nazarene,
certainly. Here is the proof of it: According to the
irrefutable report of my emissaries, whom I told you
about, the accursed man uttered, only a week ago, the
following horrible words in an address to the band of
beggars that never leaves him:
" 'Think not that I am come to send peace on earth.
I came not to send peace but a sword. I am come to
send fire on the earth ; and what will I if it be already
kindled! Suppose you that I am come to give peace
on earth? I tell you, nay; but rather division. I am
come to set a man at variance with his father, and the
daughter against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes
shall be they of his own household. For henceforth
there shall be five in one house divided, three against
two, and two against three.' m
"But that is shocking!" cried the banker Jonas and
the intendant Chuza in chorus.
1 Matthew, 10.84-36, Luke, 12.49-53.
20 THE SILVER CROSS.
"It is to preach the dissolution of the family through
hatred!"
"It is preaching civil war!" cried the Roman Gre-
mion. "Social war, like that raised by the revolted
slave Spartacus!"
* ' "What, to dare say : ' I am come to send fire on the
earth, and what will I if it be already kindled'!"
"And also: 'A man's foes shall be they of his own
household'!"
"And besides: 'Henceforth there shall be five in
one house divided, three against two, and tvv r o against
three'!"
"Why, he himself has the infernal audacity to sum
up his purpose saying: 'I am come to send fire on the
earth.'"
Joanna listened with distressed impatience to the
numerous charges preferred against the Nazarene.
Finally she cried in a firm and indignant tone:
"Oh, my seigneurs; I am weary of listening to your
calumnies ! You misapprehend the words of the young
master of Nazareth to his disciples. When he speaks
Df the division that will arise in a family, he means
that, while in the same house some may share his
doctrine of love and good will for their fellows that
he preaches with his lips and his heart, others will per-
sist in the hardness of their hearts, and they will needs
be divided. He means that the servitors will declare
themselves the enemies of their master if he has been
unjust and wicked. In short, he means to say that
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S. 21
everywhere some will be with and some against him.
And could it be otherwise? He urges people to re-
nounce wealth; he proclaims the slave the equal of his
master ; he consoles and forgives those who have sinned
in consequence of their misery or in consequence of
ignorance, rather than with evil intent. Everybody
could not possibly share such generous doctrines. What
new truth was ever proclaimed that did not at first
divide mankind ? The young master of Nazareth mere-
ly announces in his figurative language that he has
kindled a fire on earth in the hope that the earth may
be illumined! Oh! I believe him! The fire of which
he speaks is the ardent love for humanity with which
his heart is aflame."
While Joanna was uttering these sentiments in a
moved and vibrating voice she seemed even more beau-
tiful than in repose. Aurelia, her new friend, contem-
plated her with as much astonishment as admiration.
The other guests of Seigneur Pontius Pilate, on the
contrary, uttered numerous expressions of amazement
and indignation. Chuza, the husband of Joanna, ad-
dressed her with severity :
"You must be losing your senses! I am ashamed of
your words. It is incredible that a self-respecting
woman could dare, without dying of confusion, defend
such abominable doctrines, that are preached on the
public streets and in disreputable taverns among vaga-
22 THE SILVER CROSS.
bonds, thieves and fallen women the habitual compan-
ionship of the Nazarene."
"Did not the young master, in answer to those who
reproached him with his evil associations, say the
whole need not a physician, but they that are sick?" 1
was Joanna 's prompt reply in her habitually sweet and
sonorous voice. "By means of this parable he denoted
that it was those that led evil lives who needed above
all being enlightened, sustained, guided and loved. I
repeat it, yes, loved and comforted in order to be re-
gained to better ways, because kindness and mercy ac-
complish more than violence and punishment. This
is the pious and gentle task that Jesus daily imposes
upon himself."
"And I repeat to you," cried out Chuza in a tower-
ing rage, "that the only object of the Nazarene in thus
flattering the detestable passions of the dregs of the
populace, among whom he spends his time, is to cause
them to revolt at a favorable hour and season, to place
himself at their head, set Jerusalem and all Judea on
fire, sack the land and drench it in blood. He expresses
himself clearly enough. Has he not the audacity to
say that he brings not peace on earth but a sword
and fire"
These words from Herod's intendant met with
marked approval from the guests of Pontius Pilate, all
of whom seemed more and more amazed at the silence
and indifference of the Roman Procurator. The latter,
all the time frequently emptying his cup, smiled with
Matthew, 0.12.
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S. 23
ever increasing good nature at the mention of each
fresh enormity that the young man of Nazareth was
being charged with.
Aurelia, who had listened to the generous defence
of the young master by the wife of Herod's steward,
said to her in an undertone:
"Dear Joanna, I can not tell you how much I desire
to see that Nazarene. He must be an extraordinary
man "
"Oh, indeed! Extraordinary in his kindness of
heart," answered Joanna, also in a low voice. "If you
only knew how tender is his voice when he addresses
the weak, the afflicted, and little children. Oh! espe-
cially the little children! He loves them to the point
of adoration. When he sees any of them his face as-
sumes a celestial aspect."
"Joanna," replied Aurelia, smiling, "is he so very
beautiful?"
"Oh, yes, beautiful, beautiful as an archangel!"
"How curious I am to see and hear him!" repeated
Aurelia. "But, alas! How is that to be done if he is
always in such bad company? A woman could hardly
venture in any of the taverns where he preaches."
Joanna remained thoughtful for a moment ; she then
said:
"Who knows, dear Aurelia! We may, perhaps, find
some means of seeing and hearing the young man of
Nazareth. ' '
24 THE SILVER CROSS-
" Oh ! " exclaimed Aurelia, delighted. ' ' Dear Joanna,
in what way?"
"Hush! we are observed," answered Joanna. "We
shall talk about this later."
In fact, indignant at his wife's obstinacy in defend-
ing the Nazarene, Seigneur Chuza, no less so than Caia-
phas, was casting angry glances at her from time to
time.
Pontius Pilate had once more emptied his large cup.
With inflamed cheeks and sparkling eyes, he seemed
to be enjoying extreme internal beatitude.
After consulting in a low voice with Caiaphas and
the banker, Seigneur Baruch addressed the Roman,
saying :
"Seigneur Pontius Pilate, if, after all that my friends
and I have just informed you of concerning the abom-
inable projects of the Nazarene, you should fail to take
extreme measures against the man you, the repre-
sentative of the august Emperor Tiberius, the natural
protector of Herod our Prince then, before next pass-
over, Jerusalem, all Judea, will be a prey to sack and
pillage, instigated by the Nazarene, whom the popu-
lace already is acclaiming as the King of the Jews."
Preserving the tranquil and unconcerned manner so
characteristic of him, Pontius Pilate made answer:
"Come now, my friends, do not take bushes for
forests, or molehills for mountains! Is it for me to re-
mind you of your own history ? Is the lad of Nazareth,
perchance, the first who ever took it into his head to
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S- 26
play the role of Messiah? Did you not have, before
him, Judas the Galilean, who claimed the Israelites
should recognize no master but God and who even
sought to arouse the populace against our power. What
happened? Judas was put to death and the same
thing will happen to the young man of Nazareth if he
should actually fan a rebellion into flame."
"It is undeniable, seigneur," replied Caiaphas, the
High Priest, "that the Nazarene is not the first im-
postor who pretended to be the Messiah, announced by
our Holy Writ so many centuries ago. Since the last
fifty years, to mention only recent happenings, we have
had a number of false Messiahs : Jonathas ; after him,
Simon, the Magician, surnamed 'The Great Virtue of
God'.; and many other impostors, alleged Messiahs, or
saviors, or regenerators of the land of Israel ! But none
of those frauds ever enjoyed the influence that the
Nazarene does, or above all, had his infernal audacity.
Never did any of them assail, as this one does and
assail with inveterateness wealth, religion, in short,
all the things that must be respected unless Israel is to
be plunged into chaos. None of those other impostors
addressed themselves especially and constantly, as does
the Nazarene, to the dregs of the populace, over whom
be has attained a redoubtable ascendancy. Why, only
recently, when Seigneur Baruch, at tlie end of his pa-
tience at the public insults with which the Nazarene
hounded the Pharisees, attempted to have him arrested,
26 THE SILVER CROSS.
he was prevented from so doing by the mob. 1 Accord-
ingly, if you do not come to our help, you, Seigneur
Pontius Pilate, who have a considerable armed force at
your command, it will be done for the public peace,
and even an insurrection against your troops becomes
possible."
"All that sounds very plausible, my seigneurs," re-
plied Pontius Pilate, laughing. "If the Nazarene should
dare to cause the populace to mutiny against my
troops, you will see me the first ready casque on head,
cuirass on back, sword in hand. As to all else by
Jupiter ! You will yourselves have to disentangle your
own skein if a kink has got into it. Such internal mat-
ters concern only you, you who are the Senators of the
city. Arrest the young fellow, imprison him, crucify
him if he deserves it it is your right, exercise it. As
to me, I represent here the Emperor, my master. So
long as his power is not assailed, there is nothing for
me to meddle with."
"Moreover, Seigneur Procurator," added Joanna,
"did not the young master say: 'Render unto Caesar
the things which are Caesar 's, and unto God the things
that are God's'?" 2
"True, noble Joanna," answered Pontius Pilate,
"that sounds very far from wanting to arouse the peo-
ple to rise against the Romans."
"But do you not see, seigneur," cried Doctor Ba-
ruch, impatiently, "that the fraud uses such language
1 Mark. 12.12.
Matthew, 22.21.
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S. 27
only out of hypocrisy, in order not to awaken your
suspicion, but that, at the proper time, he will call the
populace to arms?"
"In that event, my seigneurs," rejoined Pontius
Pilate, again emptying his cup, "the Nazarene will
find me ready to receive him at the head of my cohorts.
Your troubles with the young fellow in nowise con-
cern me."
That instant a Roman officer burst into the banquet
hall in a state of great excitement, and said to Pontius
Pilate :
"Seigneur Procurator, information has just reached
us that a grave commotion is being caused by Jesus
of Nazareth."
"Poor young man!" said Aurelia to Joanna, in a
whisper. "He is the sport of misfortune. Everything
seems to go against him ! ' '
"Let us listen," answered Joanna, uneasy. "Let
us listen."
"You see it now, Seigneur Pontius Pilate," cried at
once the High Priest, the doctor of the law, and the
banker. "Not a day goes by without the Nazarene 's
disturbing the public peace."
"Answer me," said the Procurator, addressing the
officer, "what is it all about?"
"Some people who have arrived from Bethany re-
port that three days ago Jesus of Nazareth brought a
dead body to life. The whole population of the town
is in indescribable commotion ; bands of ragged people
28 THE SILVER CROSS.
are at this hour running through the streets of Jeru-
salem with torches, crying: "Glory to Jesus of Naza-
reth, who resuscitates the dead!' "
"The audacious rascal!" cried Caiaphas. "The idea
of pretending to be able to emulate our prophets ! To
emulate Elijah, who brought to life the son of the
widow of Zarephath, 1 or Elisha, who resuscitated the
son of the Shunammite ! 2 Profanation ! Profanation ! ' '
"He is an impostor!" echoed the banker Jonas. "It
is an impious fraud ! Sacrilege ! Our Holy Writ says
that the Messiah will resuscitate the dead. The Naza-
rene is trying to play his role of Messiah."
"They even mention the name of the dead man who
was brought to life," said the officer. "They say his
name is Lazarus. ' '
"An example must be made!" cried the doctor of
the law. "That Lazarus should be hanged to teach
him to come to life again !" 8
"Do you hear them? They wish to put the poor
man to death." remarked Aurelia to Joanna, shrug-
ging her shoulders. "To lose one's life because it was
regained without one's fault! At least I presume they
do not accuse him of having begged to be resurrected.
These men certainly are insane."
"Alas! dear Aurejia," answered Chuza's wife sadly,
"these are wicked mad men."
"I repeat," Doctor Baruch was heard to declare,
"that fellow Lazarus should be hanged!"
I Klnsrs, 17.9-24. 'John, 12.10.
II Kings, 4.32-35.
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S- 8*
" Fudge, my seigneurs!" exclaimed Pontius Pilate.
"Here was an honest corpse sleeping tranquilly in his
grave, not harboring any evil thoughts; he is resus-
citated without his help, and you want me to have him
hanged for that!"
"Yes, seigneur!" cried Caiaphas. "The mischief
must be nipped in the bud. If this Nazarene now takes
to resuscitating dead bodies "
"It would be impossible to tell where that would
end!" cried Doctor Baruch. "I therefore address a
formal request to Seigneur Pontius Pilate that the au-
dacious Lazarus be put to death."
"But, seigneur," suggested Aurelia, "suppose you
hang him, and the young master of Nazareth resus-
citates him over again?"
"Then we will hang him over again, Dame Aurelia!"
answered the banker Jonas angrily. "We will hang
him aver again ! By Joshua ! Do you think we are in
the accommodating mood to please such vagabonds?"
"My seigneurs," answered Pontius Pilate, "you
have your militia, have that Lazarus arrested and
hanged, if it pleases you. If you do, however, you
would show yourselves more pitiless than we the
pagans, who, like yourselves, have had our resur-
rected ones. But by Jupiter! We do not hang them.
I heard it said quite recently that Apollonius of Tyana
resuscitated a young girl whose coffin he ran against,
with her betrothed walking behind and mourning.
30 THE SILVER CROSS.
Apollonius uttered some magical words, and the bride
stepped out of her coffin fresher and more charming
than ever before. 1 The marriage then took place, and
the couple lived happy ever afterwards."
"Would you have caused the poor bride who came
back to life to die over again, my dear seigneurs?" in-
quired Aurelia.
"Yes, by all means," answered Caiaphas, "if she
was the accomplice of an impostor. But seeing that
the seigneur Procurator leaves us in the lurch, myself
and my friend Baruch shall call out the militia and
issue orders for the arrest of that Lazarus."
"G-o ahead, my seigneurs," said Pontius Pilate,
rising.
"Seigneur Gremion," said Chuza, the intendant of
the house of Herod, "I was to leave day after to-mor-
xow on a journey of inspection that is to take me as
far as Bethlehem. If you wish us to travel together.
I shall hasten my departure by one day, and we may
start to-morrow morning. We shall be back in four
days. I shall avail myself of your escort. In these
disturbed days it is well to be protected."
"I accept your offer, Seigneur Chuza," answered the
Tribune of the Treasury. "I should be delighted to
travel in your company."
"Dear Aurelia," Joanna whispered to her friend,
"you wanted to see the young master of Nazareth T"
1 Baur Apollonius of Tyano Straus In his Ufe of Jesus,
and Ohritt, sec. 145; cited by II, p. 187.
A SUPPER AT PONTIUS PILATE'S. 81
"Oh! Now more than ever, dear Joanna! Every-
thing 1 hear told of that extraordinary young man re-
doubles my curiosity."
"Come to my house to-morrow after my husband's
departure. ' '
"To-morrow? Agreed, dear Joanna."
The two young women, together with their husbands
and the slave Genevieve, left the residence of Pontius
Pilate.
CHAPTER H.
JOANNA, AUKELIA AND GENEVIEVE.
The tavern of the Wild Ass was a favorite gathering
place for camel drivers, hirers of asses, carriers, itin-
erant merchants, vendors of watermelons, pomegran-
ates, fresh dates in season, and, later, of olives and
dried dates. In the tavern were also found people
without any settled trade prostitutes of low degree,
beggars, vagabonds and bold fellows whose armed pro-
tection travelers purchased when they journeyed from
town to town in order to be defended against high-
waymen by this mercenary escort, often themselves
very much suspected. There were also seen in the place
Roman slaves whom their masters brought to the coun-
try of the Hebrews.
The tavern of the Wild Ass enjoyed a bad reputa-
tion. Quarrels and fights were of frequent occurrence.
Towards nightfall none were seen to venture in the
neighborhood of the Lambs' Gate, not far from which
the haunt was situated, but men of sinister aspect or
women of a disorderly life. Later, when night had
fully set in, cries, peals of laughter and bacchanalian
songs were heard to issue from the dreaded locality,
JOANNA, AURELIA AND GENEVIEVE. M
not infrequently plaintive moans followed the disputes.
Occasionally, militiamen of the Jerusalem Guard en-
tered the tavern under pretence of restoring order, and
came out again either deeper in their cups and more
turbulent than the drinkers, or driven out with sticks
and stones.
On the day after the supper that took place at the
residence of Pontius Pilate, towards evening, after
dusk, two young men plainly dressed in white tunics
and turbans of blue wool were promenading in a little
winding street, at the extremity of which the door of
the dreaded tavern was to be seen. They were talking
together as they walked, and often turned their heads
to look at the opposite end of the street as if they
awaited the arrival of some one.
"Genevieve," said one of them to his companion,
stopping a moment the two pretended young men
were Aurelia and her female slave, disguised in men's
attire "Genevieve, my new friend Joanna is very
slow in joining us. I begin to feel alarmed. Besides,
if I must confess it to you, I fear I am committing an
indiscretion."
"Then, dear mistress, let us return home."
"I have a good mind to do so and yet would such
a good opportunity ever offer itself again?"
"It is true that the absence of your husband. Seig-
neur Gremion, who left this morning with Seigneur
Chuza, the intendant of the house of Herod, leaves
you entirely free, and that it may, perhaps, be long
34 THE SILVER CROSS.
before you have such another opportunity."
"Confess it, Genevieve, you are even more curious
than I to see this extraordinary man, this young mas-
ter of Nazareth; are you not?"
"If it is so, iny dear mistress, there would be noth-
ing strange in my wish. I am a slave, and the Naza-
rene declares there should be no more slaves."
"Am I, then, such a harsh mistress, Genevieve t"
"No ! Oh, no ! But, frankly, do you know many mis-
tresses like you?"
"It is not for me to answer such a question, flat-
terer!"
' ' Then it is for me to say so. If there is exceptionally
such a good mistress as you there are a hundred others
who for a word, at the slightest act of negligence, have
their slaves' flesh cut with the whip, or torture them
with cruel delight. Is that not true?"
"I can not deny that."
"You render servitude to me as bearable as possible,
my dear mistress. But, after all, I do not belong to
myself. I have been obliged to tear myself from my
dear Fergan, my husband, who wept so bitterly at my
departure. Who tells me that I shall see him again
upon my return to Marseilles? Who tells me that he
may not have been sold and carried away to some other
place? Who tells me that Seigneur Gremion may not
sell me, and separate me from you?"
"I promised you that you shall never part from
me."
JOANNA, AURELIA AND GENEVIEVE. 35
"But if your husband should want to sell me, could
you prevent him?"
"Alas, no!"
"And yet, only a hundred years ago, the fathers and
mothers of us Gauls were free ! The ancestors of Fer-
gan were the bravest chiefs of their tribe!"
"Oh!" said Aurelia, smiling, "a Caesar's daughter
would not be any prouder for having an emperor for
her father than you are of what you call the ancestors
of your husband."
"Pride is not allowed to a slave," answered Gene-
vieve sadly. "All I regret is our freedom. What did
we do to lose it ? Oh, if only the prayers of this young
man of Nazareth were granted ! If there were no more
slavery!"
"No more slavery! Why, Genevieve, you are going
crazy. Is such a thing possible? No more slaves 1
That their lives be made less hard to bear, that I con-
cede is proper. But wholly to suppress slavery would
be the end of the world. Do you see, Genevieve, it is
just such extreme views that injure the young man of
Nazareth."
"He is not beloved by the powerful and happy. Yes-
terday, at the supper at Seigneur Pontius Pilate's, as
I stood behind you, I listened to all that was said. I
did not lose a single word. How inveterate their ha-
tred for the young man!"
"It can not be helped, Genevieve," answered Aure-
3 THE SILVER CROSS.
lia smiling. "In a certain measure it is his own fault."
"And you, too, accuse him!"
"No, I do not. But you must remember that he
assails the bankers, the doctors of the law, the priests,
in short, all the hypocrites who belong to the party of
the Pharisees. That should be enough to ruin him
forever. ' '
"At least it takes courage to tell the truth to wicked
people when they are powerful. Besides, the young
man of Nazareth is as good as he is courageous, ac-
cording to your friend Joanna. She is rich and in high
standing, and she is not a slave like myself. Accord-
ingly, he does not preach in her favor, and yet, sec
how much she admires him!"
"Joanna's admiration, the admiration of a sweet
and charming woman, does no doubt speak in the
young man's favor. It would be impossible for Jo-
anna, with her noble heart, to admire a wicked man.
What a lovable friend accident has given me in her!
I know nothing so tender as her looks, or so touching
as her voice. She says that when the Nazarene speaks
to the afflicted, the poor and to little children his as-
pect becomes divine. I do not know, but what is cer-
tain is that Joanna's face becomes celestial when she
speaks of him "
"Is it not she who is coming from the other side, my
dear mistress? I hear a light step approaching in the
shadow."
"It must be she."
JOANNA, AURELIA AND GENEVIEVE. 37
Indeed, Joanna, also disguised in man's garb, joined
Aurelia and her slave a second later.
"You have probably been waiting for me a long
time, Aurelia," said the young dame; "I could not
leave my house in secret before now."
"Joanna, I do not feel very much at ease. I think I
am just now more timid than curious. Only think,
women of our rank in that horrible tavern, where, it
is said, the dregs of the city gather!"
"Have no fear. Those people are more turbulent and
frightful in appearance than they are really wicked.
I have already been twice among them in this disguise
with one of my female relatives, to hear the young
master. The light is poor in the tavern. There is a
dark gallery that runs around the court. We shall not
be seen from there. We shall call for a pot of beer,
and no heed will be given to us. They are occupied
onty with the young man of Nazareth, or in his ab-
sence, with his disciples who come to preach the glad
tidings. Come, Aurelia, it is getting late come."
"Hark! Hark!" said the Roman dame to Joanna,
listening with alarm in the direction of the tavern.
"Do you hear those cries? They are quarreling in the
horrible place!"
"That is a sign that the young master has not yet
arrived," explained Joanna. "In his presence all voices
are hushed, and the most violent become like lambs."
"And besides, Joanna, look at that group of vile
looking men and women gathered at the door under
88 THE SILVER CROSS.
the light of the lantern. Let us wait until they go in
or go away."
"Come, there is nothing to fear, I assure you "
"No, I beg of you, Joanna, wait a little longer. I
certainly do admire your bravery."
"Oh! It is that Jesus of Nazareth inspires cour-
age, as he inspires the turbulent with gentleness. More-
over, if you only knew how natural his language is!
What touching and ingenious parables he hits upon
to express his thoughts in a way that he can be under-
stood by these plain people, by these poor in spirit, as
he calls them, and whom he loves so dearly! Accord-
ingly, everybody, down to the little children, for whom
he entertains so much tenderness, understand his dis-
courses, and do not lose a word. No doubt, before
him, other Messiahs have prophesied the deliverance
of our country from the oppression of the stranger,
have explained our Holy Writ, have healed desperate
diseases by means of the magic of medicine. But none
of these Messiahs has until now displayed the fore-
bearing patience with which the young master teaches
the humble and the little ones all, in short, because,
to him there are no infidels or pagans. All simple
hearts are good, and worthy of the kingdom of heaven.
Did you ever hear his parable of the heathen? There
is nothing so simple and yet so touching."
"No, Joanna, I never heard it."
"It is called The Good Samaritan."
"What is a Samaritan?"
JOANNA, AURELIA AND GENEVIEVE. 39
"The Samaritans are an idolatrous people who in-
habit the territory on the other side of the furthermost
mountains of Judea. The chief priests look upon those
people as barred from the kingdom of God. This is
the parable:
" 'A certain man went down from Jerusalem to
Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him
of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed leav-
ing him half dead.
" 'And by chance there came down a certain priest
that way; and when he saw him, he passed on the
other side.
" 'And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place,
came and looked on him, and passed by on the other
side.
" 'But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came
where he was; and when he saw him he had compas-
sion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds,
pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast,
and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
" 'And on the morrow when he departed, he took
out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said
unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou
spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
" 'Which now,' Jesus asked his disciples, 'which
now of these three, think you, was neighbor unto him
that fell among the thieves?'
" 'He that showed mercy on him,' was the answer
given.
40 THE SILVER CROSS.
" 'Go in peace and do you likewise,' replied Jesus
with a celestial smile." 1
The slave Genevieve could not restrain her tears on
hearing this story, especially seeing that Joanna laid
particular emphasis, with ineffable sweetness, upon
the last words of Jesus "Go in peace, and do you like-
wise."
"You are right, Joanna," said Aurelia pensively,
"even a child could understand the moral conveyed by
those words. I myself feel deeply moved by them."
"And yet this parable," Joanna proceeded to say,
"is one of those that have exasperated the chief priests
and the doctors of the law most bitterly against tho
master of Nazareth."
"Why so?"
"Because in that story he exhibits a Samaritan, a
pagan, as more humane than the Levite, than the priest,
since the idolater, seeing a brother in a poor wounded
man, succored him, and thus rendered himself worthier
of heaven than the two holy men of hard hearts. This
is one of the things which the enemies of Jesus call
his blasphemies and his sacrileges!"
"Joanna, let us proceed to the tavern. I no longer
fear to enter the place. People for whom such stories
are invented, and who listen to them with avidity, can
not be wicked."
"As you see, my dear Aurelia, the word of the Naza-
Luke, 80.80-87.
JOANNA, AURELIA AND GENEVIEVE. 41
rene already has its effect upon you. It inspires you
with confidence and courage. Come! Come!"
And the young dame took her friend's arm. The
two, followed by the slave Genevieve, proceeded to the
tavern of the Wild Ass, where they soon arrived.
CHAPTER III.
THE TAVERN OF THE WILD ASS.
This tavern, constructed on a square plan like all
other houses in the Orient, consisted of an interior
court surrounded by heavy columns that supported a
terrace and formed four galleries under which the
drinkers could take shelter when it rained. This night,
however, being clear and mild, the larger number of
the patrons of the place sat around the tables in the
court, lighted by the flickering glimmer of a huge iron
lamp that stood in the center of the place. This soli-
tary luminary threw hardly any light into the galleries,
where also some drinkers were seated. The galleries
were thus thrown almost completely in the shade.
It was to one of these somber covers that Joanna,
Aurelia and GTenevieve proceeded. In crossing the then
noisy crowd they noticed many ragged people, or at
least poorly clad, a large number of whom were disor-
derly women. Most of these were miserably dressed, and
had for their turban only a shred of white veil around
their heads; some others, however, wore dresses and
head covers of rather costly but faded material, cop-
per bracelets, necklaces and earrings studded with false
THE TAVERN OF THE WILD ASS- 43
stones. Their cheeks were brilliantly painted; their
haggard and sad countenances bespoke a certain bit-
terness of mind; their manifestations of pleasure were
boisterous and exaggerated; everything about them
told of the trials, agonies and shame of the sad life of
courtesans.
Of the men, some seemed depressed with poverty,
others looked savage and desperate. Several wore
rusty weapons at their belts, or were leaning upon long
sticks tipped with an iron ball. Farther away, distin-
guishable by their iron collars and shaven heads, stood
some household slaves belonging to Roman officers.
Still further off, a number of infirm, in rags, squatted
beside their crutches. Mothers held in their arms their
little pale and wan children whom they covered with
looks of tender anxiety, as they awaited the arrival of
the master of Nazareth, who was so skilled in the art
of healing.
Prom a few words exchanged by two rather well
dressed but cynical and hard-featured men, that fell
upon the ear of Genevieve she guessed that the men
were secret emissaries employed by the chief priests
and the doctors of the law to spy upon the Nazarene,
and lure him into the trap of some imprudent confi-
dence.
Bolder than her friend, Joanna had made a passage
for her through the crowd, and seeing an unoccupied
table standing in the shadow and behind one of the
columns of the galleries, the wife of Seigneur Chuza
44 THE SILVER CROSS.
seated herself there with Aurelia, and called for a pot
of beer from one of the waiter-girls of the tavern, while
Genevieve, taking her stand beside her mistress, did
not lose sight of the two emissaries of the Pharisees,
and listened with avidity to everything that was being
said around her.
"The night advances," remarked sadly a young and
handsome woman to one of her friends seated opposite
to her, and the cheeks of whom, like her own, were
covered with paint, in the style common to courtesans,
"Jesus of Nazareth will not come to-night."
"It was scarcely worth the while to come," answered
the other reproachfully. "We should have taken our
walk in the neighborhood of the Pool. We would then
have come across some half drunk Roman centurion,
or some doctor of the law scraping the walls, his nose
in his cloak. From either we would have got a supper.
You must not complain, Oliba, if we go to bed supper-
less. It is your own doing."
"That bread has begun to taste so bitter to me that
I do not regret It. ' '
"Bitter or not it is bread and when one is hun-
gry, one eats it."
"I would have forgotten all about my hunger, lis-
tening to the words of Jesus," replied the first cour-
tesan in a soft voice.
"Oliba, you will yet go crazy to feed upon words!"
"It is because the words of Jesus breathe forgive-
ness, mercy, love until now there were for us only
THE TAVERN OF THE WILD ASS. 46
words of aversion and contumely."
And the courtesan remained pensive, her forehead
resting upon her hand.
"You are a singular girl, Oliba!" remarked the
other. "At any rate, however hollow it may be, we
shall not partake of even that supper of words. The
Nazarene will not come now. It is too late."
"On the contrary, may the all-powerful God send
him here!" exclaimed a poor woman who was seated
on the ground near the two courtesans, and held a
sick child in her arms. "I have come on foot all the
way from Bethlehem to beg our good Jesus to heal my
daughter. He has no equal as a healer of children's
ailments, and, so far from demanding payment for his
advice, he often gives us wherewithal to purchase the
balms that he prescribes."
"By the bowels of Solomon! I also hope that our
friend Jesus may not fail us this evening ! ' ' came from
a. large sized man of ferocious aspect with a long, stiff
beard, a rag of a red turban on his head, and clad in a
camel's hair skirt that hung almost in shreds from a
cord that was wound around his waist and from which
dangled a long sheathless and rusty cutlass. This man
also held in his hand a long stick tipped with an iron
ball. "If our good friend of Nazareth does not come
this evening I shall have spent my night for nothing.
I had bargained to escort a traveler who did not dare
to entrust himself alone on the road from Jerusalem to
Bethany out of fear of footpads."
46 THE SILVER CROSS.
"Just look at that bandit with his gallows-bird face
and long cutlass! A comforting escort for a traveler,
he is!" observed to his companion in a low voice one
of the two secret emissaries seated not far from where
Genevieve stood.
"He would cut his too confiding traveler's throat
and rob him at the first dark spot on the road," an-
swered the other emissary.
"As true as my name is Banaias," the man of the
long cutlass proceeded to say, "I would have gladly
lost the neat godsend of escorting a traveler, if our
friend of Nazareth had come ! I love that man ! I do !
He consoles one for having to drag his rags about, by
proving to us that, since they can no more enter into
Paradise than a hawse could pass through the eye of a
needle, all the wicked rich will some day roast like
capons in the kitchen of Beelzebub. True enough, that
fills neither our bellies nor our purses ! But it comforts.
I could spend whole days and nights listening to him
belaboring the priests, the doctors of the law and the
rest of the Pharisees! And right he is, my friends!
You should just hear those Pharisees ! If you are taken
before their tribunal for some trifle, all they do is to
shout: 'Quick, to jail with him and to the whipping
post!' 'Thief!' ' Criminal !' ' Firebrand of hell !' ' Son
of Satan!' and other such paternal remonstrances. By
the nose of Ezekiel ! Is that the way to correct a man ?
Do not the accursed fellows know that many a horse,
that is restive to the whip, will obey the voice? Oh,
THE TAVERN OF THE WILD ASS. 47
who only the other day said to us, If your brother tres-
pass against you, rebuke him ; and if he repent, forgive
him. 1 That is talking ! By the ear of Melchisedech ! I
am not tender and benign like the pascal lamb ; no, no,
I have had ample time to get my heart, head and skin
hardened. Twenty years ago my father drove me from
his home on account of a youthful indiscretion. Ever
since I have lived at the devil's expense. I am as hard
to curb as a savage. And yet, by the faith of Banaias,
with a single word in his sweet voice our friend of
Nazareth could make me go to the end of the world."
"If Jesus can not come himself," put in another
drinker, "he will send word to us with one of his dis-
ciples, who will preach the glad tidings to us in the
master's stead."
"For want of cakes made of fine wheaten flour
kneaded with honey, one eats barley bread, ' ' remarked
an old beggar bent down under the weight of years.
"The word of the disciples is good better is the word
of the master."
"Oh, yes!" replied another beggar. "To us who
have been in despair since our birth he gives eternal
hope."
"Jesus teaches us that we are not lower than our
masters; by what right do they keep us in bondage?"
"Is the reason that, if there are a hundred masters
on one side, we are ten thousand slaves on the other?"
came from a second slave, "Patience! Patience! The
1 Luke, 17.3.
* THE SILVER CROSS.
day will come when we shall count our masters, and
we shall count ourselves. After which the words of
Jesus will be accomplished Many that are first shall
be last; and the last shall be the first." 1
"He said to us, workingmen, who, due to the weight
of the taxes and the greed of the dealers in merchan-
dise, often are in want for bread and raiment, our-
selves and our wives and children with us: 'Take no
thought ; God, our heavenly father, clothes the lilies of
the field ; he feeds the fowls of the air ; a day will come
when you shall lack for nothing. ' ' ' 2
"Yes, and Jesus also added: 'The workman is
worthy of his meat.' " 3
"Here comes the master! Here comes the master!"
cried several persons standing near the entrance of the
tavern. Aurelia, no less curious than her slave Gene-
vieve, stepped upon a bench in order to obtain a better
view of the young master.
The expectation of the crowd was disappointed. It
was not yet he. It was Peter, one of his disciples.
"And Jesus?"
"Will not the Nazarene come to-night?"
"Shall we not see our friend, the friend of the
afflicted?"
"Myself, Judas and Simon," answered Peter, "were
accompanying him and came as far as the city gate
when a poor woman who saw us pass begged the mas-
1 Matthew. 19.30. 'Matthew. 10.10.
5 Matthew, C.28-34.
THE TAVERN OF THE WILD ASS. *
ter to go to her house and visit her sick daughter, and
he did so. He kept Judas and Simon near him and
sent me to you. Those who wish his ministration only
need to wait for him here. He will come."
The words of the disciple calmed the impatience of
the crowd, and Banaias, the man with the long cutlass,
said to Peter:
' ' While we wait for the master, tell us of the good
tidings. Is the time drawing near when the gluttons,
whose belly expands in the measure that ours caves in,
will have only the sulphur and pitch of hell to grow
fat upon?"
"Yes, that day draws near!" cried Peter, climbing
upon a bench. "Yes, that day is coming as comes the
stormy night charged with thunder and lightning ! Did
not the Lord say through the mouth of his prophet:
'Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall pre-
pare the way before me?' "*
"Yes! Yes!" answered several voices.
"Who is that angel?" replied Peter. "Who is that
angel, if not Jesus, our master, the Messiah the only
true Messiah!"
"He is the promised angel!"
"He is the true Messiah!"
"And that angel having prepared the way, what does
the Lord say further through the mouth of the
prophet?" continued Peter. "He says:
" 'And I will come near to you to judgment; and I
iMalachl, 3.1.
SO THE SILVER CROSS.
will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and
against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and
against those that oppress the hireling in his wages,
the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the
stranger from his right, and fear not me.' 1 And did
not the Lord also add: 'There is a generation whose
teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives to
devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from
among men'!" 8
"If that generation has knives for teeth," exclaimed
Banaias, grasping his cutlass, "we shall bite with
ours!"
"Oh, may the day come when those who oppress the
hireling in his wages shall be judged! I shall deliver
up the banker Jonas to the vengeance of the Lord!"
solemnly declared a workingman. "He made me work
secretly upon the wainscoting of his banquet hall on
the Sabbath and then withheld from me the wages of
those days. I wanted to lodge a complaint against
him, and he threatened to denounce me to the chief
priests as a profaner of holy days, and cast me into
prison!"
"And do you know why the banker Jonas oppressed
you in your wages?" replied Peter. "Because as say-
eth the prophet :
" 'The horseleach has two daughters, crying, Give,
give.' "
MalachI. 3.5 * Proverbs, 30.15.
Proverbs. 30.14.
THE TAVERN OF THE WILD ASS-
"And will not the fat horseleaches some day have
to disgorge all the blood that they sucked from poor
workingmen, widows and orphans?" loudly asked Ba-
naias.
"Yes, yes," answered the disciple; "our prophets
and Jesus have announced that for them shall be weep-
ing and gnashing of teeth. 1 But when the thorns which
choke the grain are pulled up, the wicked kings, the
avaricious and the usurers uprooted from the earth
whose sap they suck up, then will arrive the day of
happiness for all and justice for all. And when that
day shall have arrived, say our prophets:
" 'Nations shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not
lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn
war any more. But they shall sit every man under
his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make
them afraid. ' The work of justice shall be the security,
the peace and the happiness of every one. And finally,
'the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leop-
ard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the
young lion, and the f atling together ; and a little child
shall lead them/ " 2
The charming picture of peace and universal happi-
ness seemed to make a profound impression upon the
audience of Peter. Several voices cried:
1 Matthew, 13.42.
Micah, 4.3,4 ; Isaiah, 11.6.
52 THE SILVER CROSS.
"Oh, may that day come soon! Why should one
race cut the throat of another race?"
"How much blood wasted!"
"And who profits by it? Only the conquering
Pharaohs the men of blood, of battle and of rapine."
"Oh, may those days of happiness, of justice and
of good will come, when, as the prophets say, 'a little
child shall lead them.' "
"Yes, a little child will be sufficient. "We shall all be
gentle because we shall all be happy; we shall then be
peaceful and docile, while now we are so unhappy, so
angry, so exasperated that a hundred giants could not
hold us in."
"And when that day shall have come," Peter pro-
ceeded to say, "every one having his share in the full-
ness of the earth that will be rendered fruitful by the
labor of all, all being certain of a life of peace and
happiness, then no longer will the idle be seen to enjoy
the fruits of others ' toil. Did not the Lord say through
the mouth of the son of David, one of his elect :
" 'Yea, I hated all my labor which I had taken un-
der the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that
shall be after me. For there is a man whose labor is in
wisdom, and in knowledge and in equity ; yet to a man
that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his
portion. And who knows whether he shall be a wise
man or a fool ? This also is vanity and a great evil. ' ' n
"You know," added the apostle, "the voice of the
son of David is holy as justice itself. No, he who doeg
1 EccloBlaatee, 2.18,21.
THE TAVERN OF THE WILD ASS. *
not work, should nol profit by the work of others!"
"But suppose I have children," called out a voice;
"if, by depriving myself of rest and of the half of my
daily bread, I succeed in saving up something for them
in order to save them the necessity of experiencing the
hardships that I underwent, would it be wrong for me
to bequeath my property to them?"
' ' Eh ! Who speaks to you of the present ? ' ' answered
Peter. "Who speaks to you of these days when the
strong oppress the weak, the rich the poor, the unjust
the just, the master the slave? In seasons of storms
and tempests each raises a shelter for himself and his
family, that is but right ! But when the times promised
by the prophets shall have come, benign times, when a
beneficent sun will always shine; when there will be
no more storms; when the birth of every child will be
greett d with joyful chants as a blessing from the Lord,
instead of being wept over, as happens to-day, as an
affiiction, because, conceived in tears, the human being
of to-day lives and dies in tears, while, on the
contrary, the child conceived in joy is bound to live in
joy; when labor, to-day excessive, will itself be a joy,
so abundant will be the fruits of the land promised by
the Lord then every one, feeling at ease about his
children's future, will no longer be compelled to lay
up stores, and gather treasures for them by depriving
and working himself to death. No ! No ! When Israel
will finally enjoy the kingdom of God, each will work
for all, and all for each!"
54 THE SILVER CROSS.
"Instead of, as happens to-day," said the working-
man who complained of the iniquity of the banker
Jonas, ' ' all work for some few, who work for none and
enjoy the work of all."
"As to such people," Peter proceeded, "our master
of Nazareth has said:
" 'The son of man shall send forth his angels, and
they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that
offend, and them who do iniquity ; and shall cast them
into a furnace of fire ; there shall be wailing and gnash-
ing of teeth.' m
"And it would be no more than just," observed
Oliba, the courtesan, "because they it is who force us
to sell our bodies in order to escape the gnashings of
the teeth that hunger causes."
"It is they who compel mothers to traffic with their
children sooner than to see them die of want!" ex-
claimed another courtesan. "We are meat for prostitu-
tion!"
"Oh! When will that day of justice come?"
"It is coming! It approaches!" answered Peter in
a resounding voice. "Evil, iniquity, violence reigns
everywhere, not here, in Judea, only, but throughout
the world, which is the Roman world. Oh! The ills
that afflict Israel are as nothing beside the frightful
ills that overwhelm her sister nations ! The whole uni-
verse is weeping and bleeding under the triple yoke
of Roman ferocity, debauchery and greed! From one
end of the world to the other, from Syria to down-
i Matthew, 13.41-42.
THE TAVERN OF THE WILD ASS- 56
trodden Gaul, one hears the clanking of chains and
the moanings of slaves, borne down with toil ; wretched
beings among the wretched of the earth, they sweat
blood at every pore ! More to be pitied than the beast
of the forests that dies in his den, or than the beast
of burden that dies on his litter, the slaves are tor-
tured and thrown to the teeth of ferocious animals!
If they try to break their chains they are smothered in
their own blood ! Verily, I say unto you, in the name
of Jesus, our master, verily I say unto you that can
not endure!"
"No ! No !" cried several voices. "No ! that can not
endure!"
"Our master is sorrowful," continued the disciple.
"Oh! .He is sorrowful unto death thinking of the hor-
rible deeds, the vengeances, the shocking reprisals that
so many centuries of oppression and iniquity are about
to unchain upon earth. Day before yesterday the
master said to us:
" 'When you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars,
be you not troubled; for such things must needs be;
but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and
there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there
shall be famines and troubles, and fearful sights and
great signs shall there be from heaven, men's hearts
failing them for fear, and for looking after those things
which are coming on the earth; for the powers of
heaven shall be shaken.' m
~ Mark, 13.7-8 ; Luke, 21.11 26,
5 THE SILVER CROSS.
A rumbling murmur of dread ran through the crowd
at these prophecies of Jesus reported by Peter, and
several voices cried:
"Terrific storms must be about to burst forth from
heaven!"
"So much the better! The clouds of iniquity must
needs burst that the heavens may be cleared, and*the
eternal sun shine in all its splendor!"
"And if they grind their teeth on earth before grind-
ing them in the eternal flames, the self-seeking rich,
the chief priests, the crowned Pharaohs will have
brought it upon themselves!" cried Banaias.
"Yes! Yes! It is so! Vengeance!"
"Oh!" proceeded Banaias, "it is not to-day that the
prophets have been shouting the warning in their ears :
Repent ! Be good ! Be just ! Be merciful ! Look down
to your feet instead of admiring yourselves in your
pride! Begone, surfeited gluttons that you are! You
reject the most delicate meats ! You fall down gorged
with wine beside your cups full to the brim ! You ask
yourselves: 'Shall I don to-day my robe lined with
gold embroidery, or my plush mantle embroidered in
silver'? And all the while your neighbor, shivering
with cold beneath his rags, is not allowed even a sip
from your cup, or to lick up the crumbs of your feasts '
By the entrails of Jeremiah ! That sort of thing has
endured quite long enough!"
"Yes! Yes!" cried several voices. "That sort of
thing has endured too long! The most patient finally
grow tired ! Death to the plunderers of the people ! ' '
THE TAVERN OF THE WILD ASS. 67
"The most peaceful ox some day turns upon the
goad!"
"And what a goad hunger is!"
"Yes!" resumed Peter. "Yes, this sort of thing has
endured too long ! This sort of thing has lasted but too
long. Accordingly, Jesus our master has said:
' ' ' The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has
anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has
sent me to heal the broken-hearted; to preach deliver-
ance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach
the acceptable year of the Lord. For these be the days
of vengeance, that all things which are written may be
fulfilled.'" 1
These words of the Nazarene, reported to the crowd
by Peter, aroused fresh enthusiasm. Genevieve over-
heard one of the two emissaries of the law and of the
chief priests say to the other:
"This time the Nazarene shall not escape us. Such
prophecies render him amenable to the laws and pun-
ishments provided against the seditious."
But a new and loud murmur was at this moment
heard on the outside of the tavern of the Wild Ass, and
this only cry was repeated by all:
"It is he! It is he!"
"It is our friend!"
"Here he is!"
"It is he!"
"Here he is!"
1 Lnke. 4.18.18 ; 21.22.
CHAPTER IV.
THE YOUNG MAN OF NAZARETH.
Upon now learning of the arrival of Jesus of Naza-
reth, the guests that filled the tavern struggled and
crowded to meet the young master. The mothers, who
held little children in their arms, strove to be the first
to approach Jesus. The infirm, taking up their crutches,
begged their neighbors to open a way for them. Al-
ready the moving and charitable influence of the word
of Mary's son was such that the able-bodied stepped
aside in order to clear a passage to him for the mothers
and the cripples.
Joanna, Aurelia and her slave shared the general
emotion. Above all did Genevieve, the daughter, wife,
and perhaps some day mother of slaves, feel her heart
beat strongly at the sight of him, who, as he said,
came to announce deliverance to the captives, and set
free those who were weighed down under their chains.
At last Genevieve saw him.
The son of Mary, the friend of little children, of
poor mothers, of the afflicted and of the slaves, was
dressed like the rest of his countrymen, the Israelites.
He wore a robe of white linen held around his waist
THE YOUNG MAN OF NAZARETH.
with a leather girdle from which hung an alms bag. A
square blue mantle covered his shoulders. His long,
gold-blonde hair fell on either side of his pale visage
of an angelic sweetness. His lips and chin were slight-
ly shaded by a light growth of beard with a golden glint
like his hair. His bearing was cordial and familiar.
He clasped fraternally all the hands held out to him.
Several times he stooped down to embrace some ragged
child who held the lappets of his robe, and smiling
with benignity he said to the men and women who
crowded around him:
' ' Suffer them suffer the little children to come unto
me!"
Judas, a man of somber and sullen countenance, to-
gether with Simon and other disciples of Jesus, ac-
companied him, each carrying a little casket from
which, after questioning each patient and attentively
listening to his answers, the son of Mary would take
some medicament which he would give tp the sick and
the women who came to consult his science, either in
their own behalf or that of their children. More than
once did Jesus accompany the advice and balms which
he distributed with a little money gift that he took
from the alms bag hanging from his belt. So heavily
and frequently did he draw upon his alms bag that,
having once more thrust in his hand, he smiled sadly
at finding the pouch empty. After turning the same
inside out, he made a touching sign of regret, as if to
announce that he had nothing more to give. As those
THE SILVER CROSS.
whom he succored with his advice, his balms and his
money thanked him effusively, he answered them in
his sweet voice:
"It is the Lord God, our heavenly father, whom you
must thank, not me. Peace be with you!"
"If your money treasure is exhausted, my friend,
there remains to you another, an inexhaustible treas-
ure the treasure of your good words," said Banaias,
who had elbowed his way near Jesus of Nazareth, and
contemplated him with a mixture of respect and ten-
derness that caused one to forget his savage ugliness.
"Yes," replied another; "tell us, Jesus, the things
that we humble and lowly people understand."
"The language of our holy prophets is divine but
it is frequently not to be understood of us poor
people."
"Oh, yes, our good Jesus," added a handsome boy
who had glided into the front ranks and held a lappet
of the robe of the young master of Nazareth. "Tell us
one of those parables that are so pleasant to hear, and
which we retain in our memory to repeat to our moth-
ers and brothers."
"No, No!" put in other voices. "Before the para-
ble deliver to us one of your beautiful discourses
against the wicked rich, the powerful, and the proud!"
"And, above all, our friend," interjected Banaias,
"tell us when those Pharaohs will be gathered unto
Beelzebub, their lord and master."
But the son of Mary pointed with a smile to the little
THE YOUNG MAN OF NAZARETH. 61
child who had first asked for a parable, and took him
upon his knees after seating himself near a table.
Thus exhibiting his tenderness for infancy, the son of
Mary seemed to say that the dear little boy should be
first satisfied in his desire.
All then grouped themselves around Jesus. The
children, who loved him so much, sat down at his feet.
Oliba and other courtesans also sat down on the floor
in Oriental fashion, with their arms around their
knees, and their eyes fixed upon the young master of
Nazareth in eager expectation. Banaias, together with
several others of his stamp, gathered behind the young
master and ordered silence to the expectant multitude.
Finally, others, further away, among whom were Jo-
anna, Aurelia and her slave Genevieve, formed a sec-
ond tier by rising on the benches.
The son of Mary, keeping upon his knees the boy,
who, with one arm resting on the shoulder of his good
Jesus, seemed to hang upon his lips, the son of Mary
commenced the following parable:
"A certain man had two sons:
"And the younger of them said to his father: Father,
give me the portion of goods that falls to me. And he
divided unto them his living.
"And not many days after, the younger son gath-
ered all together, and took his journey into a far coun-
try, and there wasted his substance with riotous liv-
ing.
"And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty
62 THE SILVER CROSS.
famine in that land, and he began to be in want.
''And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that
country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
"And he would fain have filled his belly with the
husks that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto
him."
At this passage in the story, the boy, whom the son
"i Mary held upon his knees, heaved a sigh and clasped
his hands pityingly.
Jesus continued:
"And when he came to himself, he said: How many
hired servants of my father's have bread enough and
to spare and I perish with hunger ! I will rise and go
unto my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have
sinned against heaven, and before you. and am no more
worthy to be called your son ; make me as one of your
hired servants.
"And he arose and came to his father. But when he
was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had
compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed
him.
"And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned
against heaven, and in your sight, and am no more
worthy to be called your son.
"But the father said to his servants. Bring forth the
best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his
hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted
calf, and kill it ; and let us eat and be merry, for this
THE YOUNG MAN OF NAZARETH. M
my son was dead, and is alive again ; he was lost, and is
found. And they began to be merry."
"Oh! The good father!" exclaimed the child whom
the young master of Nazareth held on his knees. "Oh!
The good, kind father, who forgives, and embraces in-
stead of scolding!"
Jesus smiled, kissed the boy on his forehead, and
proceeded :
"And they began to be merry.
"Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came
and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and danc-
ing.
"And he called one of the servants and asked what
these things meant.
"And he said unto him, Your brother is come; and
your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has
received him safe and sound.
"And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore
came his father out, and threatened him.
"And he, answering, said to his father: Lo, these
many years do I serve you, neither transgressed I at
any time your commandment ; and yet you never gave
me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends.
But as soon as this your son was come, which has de-
voured your living with harlots, you have killed for
him the fatted calf."
"Oh! How wicked is that elder brother!" said the
child whom the young master held upon his knees.
"He is envious of his younger brother, notwithstanding
64 THE SILVER CROSS.
he returns home so wretched. God will not love the
envious brother. Not so, good Jesus!"
The son of Mary shook his head as if to answer the
child that, indeed, God did not love the envious, and
proceeded :
"And the father said unto his first born: Son, you
are ever with me, and all that I have is yours. It was
meet that we should make merry, and be glad; for
this your brother was dead, and is alive again; and
was lost, and is found." 1
All the people present seemed touched to tears by
this narrative. The son of Mary having stopped speak-
ing to drink a glass of wine that Judas, his disciple,
poured out to him, Banaias, who had listened to him
with profound attention, cried out:
"Our friend, do you know that that somewhat re-
sembles my own history, and is very much like that
of many other people? If, after my first youthful
slip, my father had acted like the father in your para-
ble, and had stretched out his arms to me in token of
forgiveness, instead of driving me out of the house
with a merciless caning, I might at this hour be seated
at my own honest hearth, in the midst of my family,
whereas to-day the highroad is my hearth, misery my
wife, and for children I have my evil thoughts, the
spawn of wild-eyed Mother Misery. Oh ! Why did I
not have the man of that parable for my father!"
"The indulgent father forgave," observed Oliba the
I,uke 15.11-32.
THE YOUNG MAN OF NAZARETH. . ,*
courtesan, " because he knew that God having given
youth to his creatures, these sometimes abuse the boon.
But those who, disgraced, wretched and repentful, re-
turn humbly beseeching a little corner under the pa-
ternal roof, should not they, so far from being spurned,
be received with mercy?"
"As to me," exclaimed another voice, "I would not
give a grape-stone for that elder brother, for that
sanctimonious man, so harsh, so sour and so jealous,
to whom virtue cost nothing!"
Genevieve overheard one of the emissaries of the
Pharisees say to his companion:
"Does not the Nazarene flatter in a dangerous man-
ner the evil instincts of these vagabonds ! Henceforth,
every idle debauchee, who will have left the paternal
home, will believe himself justified to consign his father
to Beelzebub if the ill-advised father, instead of kill-
ing the fatted calf, chases out of doors, as he ought to,
the villainous son whom only hunger drives back to
the fold."
"Yes, and all wise and honest people will be con-
sidered hard-hearted and jealous."
And this same man, believing that no one would
know who spoke, said aloud:
' ' Glory to you, Jesus of Nazareth ! Glory to you, the
protector and defender of us dissipators and prosti-
tutes! It is folly to be virtuous and provident. The
fatted calf must be killed for the debauched!"
Loud murmurs of disapprobation received the words
W THE SILVER CROSS.
of the emissary of the Pharisees. All eyes turned in
the direction whence the words had come. Threats
were uttered.
"Away with these men, these inexorable beasts!"
"Oh ! They are pitiless. They have no entrails, these
people whom repentance never moves," remarked the
courtesan Oliba. "These cold bodies that do not real-
ize that the blood boils with others."
"Let the one who thus spoke show himself!" shouted
Banaias, striking the table with his heavy iron-tipped
stick in a threatening manner. "Yes, let him show us
his virtuous face, the scrupulous worthy, who is se-
verer than our friend of Nazareth, the brother of the
poor, of the sorrowful and of the sick, whom he sup-
ports, heals and consoles ! By the ear of Zerubbabel ! I
would like to meet him face to face, the spotless white
lamb, who bleats his virtues to us. Where is he, that
immaculate lily of the valley of men 1 He surely smells
virtue like a veritable balm," added Banaias, dilating
his large nostrils. "By the nose of Malachi! I do not
smell at all the aroma of wisdom, that perfume of hon-
esty that surely the sweet-scented choice vase hidden
among us should emit."
The witticism of Banaias caused great mirth to the
audience, and the one of the two emissaries who had
uttered the satire against the words of the son of Mary
did not seem to be in a hurry to meet the wishes of
the redoubtable friend of the Nazarene. On the con-
trary, he, as well as his companion, affected to look
THE YOUNG MAN OF NAZARETH. 7
around, as the other guests did, for the man from whom
the words had proceeded.
The tumult was on the increase when the young
master of Nazareth made a sign that he wished to
speak. The tempest subsided as if by magic, and, an-
swering to the reproach of being too indulgent towards
the sinners, Jesus said in an accent of kind severity :
"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he
lose one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine
in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until
he find it? And when he has found it, he lays it on
his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying unto
them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep
which was lost. I say unto you," added the son of
Mary in a tone of grave and tender authority, "I say
unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one
sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety-nine per-
sons which need no repentance." 1
These touching words of the son of Mary made a
strong impression upon the crowd. It applauded with
hands and words.
"Answer that, my white lambkin, my spotless lily!"
again shouted Banaias, addressing the invisible inter-
rupter of the Nazarene. "If you do not share the
opinion of our friend, step forward and repeat and
make good your words."
"The wonderful merit, as Jesus says," observed an-
Luk 15.4-7.
68 THE SILVER CROSS.
other, "the wonderful merit for him who is neither
hungry nor thirsty, to be neither gluttonous nor a
drunkard!"
"Easy is virtue to him who lacks for nothing," said
the courtesan Oliba. "Hunger and neglect ruin more
women than dissipation."
Suddenly there was a peculiar stir among the crowd
that filled the tavern, and the name of Magdalen trav-
eled from lip to lip.
"She is one of those creatures who make a traffic
of their bodies," Joanna informed Aurelia. "It is not
want that plunged her, as it does so many others, into
this degradation, but a first slip, followed by the de-
sertion of the man who seduced her, and whom she
truly loved. Since then, despite the disorders of her
life and the venality of her amours, Magdalen has
proved that her heart was not wholly corrupted. The
poor never apply to her in vain, and she has passion-
ately loved several men with a love as devoted as it was
disinterested, sacrificing to them the chief priests, thn
doctors of the law and many a rich seigneur who vied
with his fellows in the gifts that he lavished upon her.
My husband, among others, was of the number of
those magnificent admirers "
"Tour husband, dear Joanna?"
"He spent a good deal of money upon Magdalen
he is so beautiful," answered the young dame with an
indulgent smile. "He is one of those who have en-
riched her. Marvels are told of her house, or rather
, THE YOUNG MAN OF NAZARETH. 69
of the palace that she inhabits. Her coffers are filled
with the rarest cloths and the most dazzling stones.
Gold and silver vases, imported at a great expense
from Rome, Asia and Greece, are heaped upon her
sideboards. The purple and silk of Tyre ornament her
residence; and her domestic servants are as numerous
as those of a Princess."
' ' We also have in Italy and in Roman Gaul creatures
like her, the insolent luxury of whom abashes the medi-
ocre fortunes of many honest women," answered Au-
relia. "But what can this Magdalen want with the
young master of Nazareth?"
' ' No doubt she comes, like several others of her class
whom you see yonder, less rich but no less degraded
than herself, to listen to the words of Jesus. His sweet
and tender word, which penetrates the heart with its
mercifulness, affects them and causes repentance to
germinate."
As she heard these words spoken by Joanna. Gene-
vieve was reminded of the narrative of Sylvest, her
husband's grandfather, a narrative that described the
horrible life of Syomara the courtesan, and her fright-
ful death. 1
"Perhaps," thought Genevieve to herself, "perhaps
Syomara also might have been touched with repent-
ance and her end might have been peaceable if. like
this Magdalen that they speak about, she could have
1 The third story of tb? <">rfi, Faustina and Syomara."
and entitled "The Iron Collar ; Of,
TO THE SILVER CROSS.
heard the healing instructions of this young man."
"There she is!" cried several voices. "Room for
Magdalen, the beauty among the most beautiful!"
"Our Princess!" remarked her companion to Oliba,
with a certain touch of pride. "After all, our Queen
is Magdalen!"
"A sad royalty ! ' ' answered Oliba with a sigh. ' ' Her
shame is seen from higher up and further away ! ' '
"But she is so rich so very rich!"
"To Bell one's self for a denier or for a heap of
gold," replied the courtesan, "where is the difference?
The ignominy is the same."
"Oliba, you are completely losing your senses!"
The young woman made no answer, and sighed.
Standing, like her mistress, upon a bench, Genevieve
raised herself on tip-toes, and presently saw the cele-
brated courtesan enter the court of the tavern.
Magdalen was of exceptional beauty. The chin-
piece of her gold-fringed white silk turban framed a
face of an admirable perfection. Her long-arched eye-
brows, black as ebony, like the strands of her hair,
traced their dainty lines upon that hitherto brazen and
proud, but now sad and humble forehead. The woman
seemed heart-broken. The edges of her eyelids, stained
bluish after the fashion of the Orient, imparted an
uncommon appearance to her tear-drowned eyes, and
seemed to double their size as they shone through their
tears like two black diamonds. A long robe of light
blue Tyrian silk fringed with gold and embroidered
THE YOUNG MAN OF NAZARETH. Tl
with pearls fell in a long train behind her, and around
her waist she had a flowing scarf of cloth of gold stud-
ded with many-colored stones matching those of her
double necklace, her ear-rings, and the bracelets which
covered her bare and handsome arms in which she held
a rose-colored alabaster urn from Chalcedon, more pre-
cious than gold.
"What a change has come over Magdalen!" ex-
claimed Joanna, addressing Aurelia. "I have seen her
pass & score of times in her litter, borne by her servi-
tors dressed in rich liveries, the triumph of beauty, the
intoxication and delight of youth legible on her face.
Yet now, behold her timidly approaching Jesus, hum-
ble, depressed, tearful, and sadder than the most deso-
late of those poor women who hold their ragged chil-
dren in their arms."
"But what is she about?" inquired Aurelia, watch-
ing more and more attentively. "She is standing be-
fore the young master of Nazareth. With one hand she
holds the alabaster urn close to her heaving bosom,
while with the other hand she is unloosing her rich
turban. She casts it far away from her. Her black,
luxurious hair, tumbling down upon her breast and
shoulders, unrolls like a jetty mantle, down to the
ground. ' '
"Oh! Look! Look! her tears flow more copious!"
exclaimed Joanna. "They inundate her face."
"She has knelt down at the feet of the son of Mary,"
72 THE SILVER CROSS.
said Aurelia, "and bathes them with tears and covers
them with kisses."
"What heart-rending sobs!"
' ' And the tears that she sheds upon the feet of Jesus
she is wiping them with her long hair." 1
"Watch her! Without ceasing to weep, she takes up
her elaborate urn and pours upon the feet of Jesus a
delicious perfume, the odor of which reaches even as
far as here."
"The young master tries to raise her she resists.
She can not speak. Her sobs break her voice. She
bows her head down to the floor."
Then Jesus, who could scarcely restrain his emo-
tion, turned to Simon, one of his disciples, and ad-
dressing him, said:
' ' There was a certain creditor who had two debtors :
the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty:
And when they had nothing to pay, ho, frankly forgave
them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love
him more?"
Simon answered and said:
"Master, I suppose that he whom he forgave most."
"You have rightly judged, Simon."
And pointing to the rich courtesan on her knees at
his feet, Jesus said to those around him :
"See ye this woman? I say unto ye. Her sins, which
are many, are forgiven, for she loved much."
Luke 15.38.
THE YOUNG MAN OF NAZARETH. T3
Then addressing Magdalen in a voice instinct with
kindness :
''Your sins are forgiven your faith has saved you;
go in peace." 1
"Abomination of desolation!" exclaimed one of the
emissaries of the Pharisees in a low voice to his com-
panion. "Can brazenness and demoralization be car-
ried to greater length! The Nazarene forgives every-
thing that is reprehensible, absolves everything that
is punishable, extols all that is low! After rehabili-
tating the profligate and prodigal, we now have him
rehabilitating infamous harlots!"
"And what for?" replied the other emissary. "Sim-
ply in order to flatter the vices and detestable passions
of the villains that he gathers around him, to the end
that he may some day use them. ' '
"But, patience!" said the other. "Patience! Naza-
rene, your hour draws nigh! Your ever-increasing
audacity will soon draw a terrible punishment upon
your head!"
While Genevieve heard the two wicked men express
these sentiments, she saw Magdalen, after the merciful
words of Jesus, rise radiant. Tears still rolled down
her beautiful face, but those tears no longer seemed
bitter. She distributed among the poor women who
surrounded her the precious stones and jewels that she
was ornamented with. She even unclasped the mag-
nificent robe that she wore over her tunic of fine Sidon
7.40-60.
74 THE SILVER CROSS.
material, and donned the coarse brown woolen mantle
of a young woman, to whom she gave in exchange her
own richly pearl-embroidered robe of great value. She
then said to Simon, the disciple of the young master,
that she would never quit her humble vestments,
and that the very next day she would distribute all her
property among the needy, and among the courtesans
whom only their misery kept from returning to a bet-
ter life.
At these acts, which were accompanied with words of
kindness, Oliba clasped her hands, and moved by an
impulse of gratitude, threw herself at the feet of Mag-
dalen, took her hands, kissed them amid sobs and said :
"Blessed be you, Magdalen! Oh! blessed be you!
Tour bounty will be the salvation of me and of my
other companions in shame. We repented at the voice
of the son of Mary. His words thrilled our hearts, and
we expected forgiveness. But, alas! the necessity of
living held us back in evil. Blessed be you, Magdalen,
you who render possible our return to righteousness ! ' '
"Listen, it is not me you must bless," answered
Magdalen, "but Jesus of Nazareth."
And Magdalen mingled with the crowd to listen to
the word of the young master.
Some of his disciples having informed him concern-
ing Magdalen that she had been seduced and then de-
serted by a doctor of the law, the countenance of Jesus
assumed a serious, severe and even menacing aspect.
He said:
THE YOUNG MAN OF NAZARETH. 76
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for you are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed
appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead
men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also
outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you
are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, you
blind guides! which strain at a gnat and swallow a
camel!" 1
The familiar satire caused much mirth among the
audience, and Banaias cried:
' ' Oh, how right you are, our friend ! How many of
those gluttons do we know who swallow camels! But
such is the rigid strictness of their conscience that they
digest camels like ostriches digest pebbles, and they do
not seem to mind it. All is grist that comes to their
mill."
Fresh outbursts of laughter answered the sally of
Banaias, and Jesus proceeded :
"Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the
platter, but within they are full of extortion and ex-
cess. Woe unto you which bind heavy burdens, and
grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders,
but yourselves will not move them with one of your
fingers!" 2
This fresh familiar comparison struck the minds of
the hearers of the young master, and several voices re-
sponded :
1 Matthew 23.24,27,28.
'Matthew 23.4,26.
7 THE SILVER CROSS-
"Yes! Yes! The hypocritical do-nothings say t th
lowly: 'Labor is holy work! But we, we shall not
work!'"
"Yes; 'you alone shall carry the burden of labor
but we will not move it with one of our fingers 1* "
Jesus proceeded :
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
you do all your works for to be seen of men! You
make broad your phylacteries and enlarge the borders
of your garments ! Woe unto you which say, Whoso-
ever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a
debtor!" 1
"Because," interjected a voice, "to those wicked
rich nothing is holy but gold! They swear by their
gold as others swear by their soul or by their honor !"
Jesus resumed :
"And, whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is noth-
ing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon
it, he is guilty. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for you pay tithe of mint, and anise and
cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of
the law, judgment, mercy and faith. These ought you
to have done, and not leave the other undone!" 2
"By the two thumbs of Methuselah!" cried Banaias,
laughing. "You say so as if it could be easily done!
All those hypocrites have in their coffers wherewith to
pay the tithe, and they pay it. But where do you ex-
1 Matthew 23.5,16.
Matthew 23.18,23.
THE YOUNG MAN OF NAZARETH. 11
pect them to find the coin of justice, of good faith and
of mercy which you demand of those whitened sepul-
chres, of those swallowers of camels, or those people
reeking with iniquity?"
"Alas! The young master speaks truly!" said an-
other. "To him who is moneyless, justice is deaf. The
doctors of the law do not say to you in their tribunals :
'What good reason can you allege in your behalf?'
but: 'How much money do you promise me?'!"
"I entrusted some savings to Joas, one of the chief
priests," put in a poor old woman. "He told me he
spent it in good works for my salvation. What was I
to do, lone poor woman that I am, against so powerful
a seigneur? I had to submit, and beg for my bread,
which I do not find every day. ' '
At this complaint Jesus cried with redoubled indig-
nation :
"0, woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretence
make long prayer. You serpents, you generation of
vipers! how can you escape the damnation of hell?
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise
men, and scribes for your salvation but, alas ! ' ' added
the son of Mary in a tone of deep sadness, "some of
them you shall kill and crucify, and some of them shall
you persecute from city to city, that upon you may
come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from
the blood of the righteous Abel, unto the blood of
78 THE SILVER CROSS.
Zacharias, whom you slew between the Temple and the
altar!" 1
"Oh! Fear not, our friend! If those swallowers of
camels should want to shed your blood," cried Ba-
naias, striking the hilt of his long and rusty cutlass,
1 ' they will first have to shed ours ! And we will not run
before them, either!"
"Yes! Yes!" answered the crowd almost in chorus.
"Fear nothing, Jesus of Nazareth. We will defend
you against your enemies!"
"We shall die for you, if necessary!"
"You shall be our leader!"
"Our King!"
But the son of Mary, as if mistrustful of these trans-
ports, shook his head with more and more profound
sadness, tears welled at his eyes; and he cried in a
disconsolate voice:
"O Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You that kill the proph-
ets, and stone them which are sent unto you! How
often would I have gathered your children together,
even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wing
and you would not ! You would not ! ' '*
And the accents of the son of Mary, at first cutting,
severe or indignant when he referred to the Phari-
sees, were stamped with such heartrending grief as he
pronounced those last words that almost all those
present wept like the young master of Nazareth. Pres-
1 Matthew 23.1433.34.
Matthew 23.37.
THE YOUNG MAN OF NAZARETH. 79
ently profound silence ensued ; Jesus was seen with his
elbows leaning on the table and weeping with his face
hidden in his hands.
Genevieve could no longer restrain her own tears.
She overheard one of the two emissaries say to his com-
panion in a tone of triumph:
"The Nazarene has called the doctors of the law and
the chief priests 'serpents' and 'generation of vipers'!
This whole evening he has done nothing but blaspheme.
All that men hold most sacred he has denounced. A
curse upon him!"
"Oh! You talk of crucifixion, Jesus of Nazareth!"
replied the other. "We would not have you proved a
liar, prophet of Beelzebub!"
Simon, one of the disciples of the young master, see-
ing him remain with his head leaning upon his hands,
weeping in silence, stooped over him and said:
"Master, the sun will soon be rising. The peasants
who bring the vegetables to the market of Jerusalem
go through the Valley of Cedron. They thirst for your
word. They expect to meet you on their way. Shall
we not go out to them ? ' '
Jesus rose. His sad and pensive countenance bright-
ened as he embraced the little children, and they, see-
ing he was about to depart, put their arms around his
neck. Jesus then clasped fraternally all the hands that
were offered to him and left the Wild Ass tavern, which
was situated near that gate of the city that led to the
fields.
CHAPTER V.
THE VALLEY OF CEDRON.
Jesus wended his way towards the Valley of Cedron
which male and female peasants crossed on their way
to Jerusalem, whither they took provisions as well as
vegetables to market.
Such was the attraction of the word of the young
master of Nazareth that the greater part of the people
who had spent the night listening to him decided to
accompany him now.
Magdalen, Oliba and Banaias were among these.
"Joanna, will you also go outside the city?" in-
quired Aurelia of Chuza's wife. "Day is dawning.
Let us return home. It might be imprudent to prolong
our absence."
"I shall not yet return home. I shall follow Jesus
to the end of the world," answered Joanna with exal-
tation.
And stepping down from her bench she drew from
her pocket a heavy purse of gold which she placed in
the hands of Simon just as he was leaving the tavern
close upon the steps of the son of Mary.
"The young master emptied his alms bag this even-
THE VALLEY OF CBDRON. M
ing, ' ' Joanna said to Simon ' here is wherewith to re-
plenish it and enable him to alleviate the sufferings
of the poor."
"You, again!" said Simon with gratitude at seeing
Joanna. "Your charity never tires."
"It is your master's tenderness that is inexhaustible.
He never tires of helping and consoling the poor,
the repentant and the oppressed," answered Chuza's
wife.
Genevieve, who watched uneasily the emissaries of
the Pharisees, once more overheard the one say to the
other :
"Follow and keep an eye upon the Nazarene. I shall
hasten to Seigneurs Caiaphas and Baruch, and report
to them the abominable blasphemies and impieties that
he uttered to-night in the company of these vagabonds
of these women of ill fame of a rabble. The Naza-
rene must not this time escape the fate that awaits
him."
The two men parted.
Aurelia, seeming to have reflected for a moment, said
to her friend:
"Joanna, I can not express to you the effect that
that young man's word has upon me. His word, at
times so simple, tender and lofty, other times so caus-
tic and threatening, penetrates my heart. It is as if
a new world opened to my soul, because to us 'pagans'
the word Charity is something new. So far from
being appeased, my curiosity and interest have been
88 THE SILVER CROSS.
whetted. Whatever may happen, Joanna, I am deter-
mined to go with you. Our husbands will be away four
days. What will it matter, after all, whether we re-
turn home before or after sunrise?"
Gtenevieve was very happy at hearing her mistress
thus express herself. As she thought of her fellow
slaves in Gaul she also was highly desirous to hear
more of the words of Jesus, the friend and liberator
of bondmen.
Immediately after leaving the tavern with her mis-
tress and the charitable wife of Seigneur Chuza, Gene-
vieve witnessed an incident that proved to her how
quickly the word of Jesus bore fruit.
Magdalen, the beautiful and repentant courtesan,
now covered by a coarse woolen mantle like a pauper,
followed the anxious crowd behind Jesus. Her foot
struck against a stone in the street, she stumbled and
would have fallen to the ground but for the timely as-
sistance of Joanna and Aurelia, who, being accidental-
ly near, hastened to her assistance.
"What, you, Joanna, the wife of Seigneur Chuza!"
exclaimed the courtesan, who saw through Joanna's
disguise and blushed with shame as, no doubt, the im-
pure gifts she had received from Chuza came to her
mind. "You, Joanna, are not afraid to lend me a help-
ing hand, to me, wretched creature and justly despised
of honest women!"
"Magdalen," Joanna answered with charming be-
nevolence, "did not our young master say to you: 'Go
THE VALLEY OF CEDRON. 88
in peace,' and that 'all your sins are forgiven, for you
loved much?' By what right should I be severer than
Jesus of Nazareth? Give me your hand, Magdalen
your hand. It is a sister who asks you for it in token*
of pardon and oblivion of the past."
Magdalen took the hand that Joanna offered her, but
it was to kiss it with respect, and to cover it with tean
of gratitude.
"Oh! Joanna," the mistress of Gene vie ve said to her
friend in a low voice. "The young man of Nazareth
would be pleased to see you practice his precepts so
generously."
Joanna, Aurelia and Magdalen soon passed through
the gate of Jerusalem in the wake of the crowd.
The sun, rising at that moment in all its splendor,
illuminated the distant fields of the Valley of Cedron,
the Oriental aspect of which, so novel to Genevieve,
struck her with surprise and admiration.
Thanks to the spring season, which, moreover, was
early this year, the plains that lay at the gates of Jeru-
salem were as verdant and florid as those of Sharon
which Genevieve had crossed with her mistress on her
journey from Jaffa (her place of disembarkation) to
Jerusalem. White and red roses, narcissuses, ane-
mones, yellow gilly-flowers and odoriferous immortelles
perfumed the air and enlivened the fields with their
bright colors moist with the dew.
At the roadside a clump of palm trees shaded the
dome of a well, whither already large black oxen, cou-
** THE SILVER CROSS.
pled by their yokes, and led by drivers clad in skirts
of camel skins, came to drink. Shepherds also were
seen leading to the well their flocks of pendant-eared
goats and long-tailed sheep; while dusky-complexioned
young women, dressed in white and proceeding, no
doubt, from a hamlet that could be seen at a little dis-
tance half hidden in a wood of olive trees, drew water
from the well and returned to their homes carrying
upon their heads, half enveloped with their white veils,
large jars of the fresh water.
Further away, along the dusty road that descended
in zig-zag along the near slope of a ridge of mountains,
the crest of which was barely disengaging itself from
the azure mists of the morning, a long caravan was
seen, slowly wending its way, with the long necks of
the camels towering above the baskets and bales with
which the animals were laden.
All along the road followed by Genevieve blue
pigeons, larks and wagtails, nestled in the copse of
nopal and turpentine-shrubs, sang their songs, while
here and there a white stork with red legs rose in the
air with a captured snake in its beak.
Several herdsmen and laborers, learning from the
people who followed the Nazarene that he was going
to the hill of Cedron to preach the glad tidings, turned
their herds in that direction, and increased the crowd
attached to the steps of the son of Mary.
Joanna, Aurelia and Genevieve thus drew near the
THE VALLEY OF CEDRON. 86
hamlet that lay half hidden in the wood of olive trees,
which had to be crossed in order to reach the hill.
Suddenly a large number of men and women were
seen rushing out of the wood and uttering cries and
imprecations.
At the head of the crowd were several doctors of
the law and priests. Two of the latter dragged along
a handsome young woman in bare feet and arms, and
barely clad in a tunic. Shame and terror were de-
picted on her tear-stained face. Her disheveled hair
fell down upon her shoulders. From time to time, and
praying for mercy between her sobs, she threw her-
self in her despair upon her knees on the stones that
strewed the road, despite the efforts of the two priests,
who, each holding her by an arm, trailed her through
the dust, and forced her to rise again to her feet and
proceed with them.
The crowd at their heels showered hisses, impreca-
tions and insults upon the unfortunate woman, who
was as livid and terrified as a woman would be who
was being led to death.
The priests and doctors of the law, who, no doubt,
recognized the young master of Nazareth, made a sign
to the villagers, whose imprecations and ire were at
every step redoubling in fury, to halt for a moment.
The angry mob whom they addressed and which con-
sisted of men and women, immediately picked up
heavy stones and, armed with them, broke out every
W THE SILVER CROSS.
little while in coarse insults and threats of death
against the weeping prisoner.
The priests and the doctors of the law dragged the
unfortunate woman to the very feet of Jesus, whom, in
her terror, she immediately began to implore for
mercy, raising up to him her face bathed in tears and
her bruised hands clotted with blood and dust.
Then, one of the priests, intending to tempt Jesus
and hoping to destroy him should his verdict be dif-
ferent from theirs, said to him:
"This woman was taken in adultery in the very act.
Now, Moses in the law commanded that such should be
stoned; but what say you?"
But instead of answering, Jesus stooped down and
wrote on the ground in the dust :
"He that is without sin among you, let him cast a
first stone at her. ' '
And as the astonished Pharisees continued asking
him, he raised himself, and read unto them in a loud
voice what he had written.
Loud applause broke from the crowd behind the son
of Mary at these words from his mouth.
Banaias laughed uproariously and cried:
' ' Well answered, our friend ! I am no prophet, but
if only unsullied hands may stone this poor sinner to
death, then, by the heels of Gideon! I swear we shall
presently see all these furiously virtuous people, all
these frenetically chaste, all these diabolically modest
folks, beginning with the seigneurs priests and the
THE VALLEY OF CEDRON. 87
seigneurs doctors of the law, turn their sandals around
and tuck up their robes in order that they may run
all the faster. Look at them! What did I tell you!
Behold them dispersing like a herd of swine pursued
by a wolf!"
"And swine they are!" said another. "As to the
wolf at their heels, it is their own conscience."
In fact, after having heard those words of Jesus
He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first
stone at this woman the doctors of the law, the high
priests, as well as those who had first intended to stone
the adulteress, fearing a rough handling by the crowd
that followed the young master of Nazareth, left so
precipitately that when the son of Mary, who had
stooped down again and continued to write, again
looked up, the mob, only shortly before so threaten-
ingly clamorous, was far away, fleeing towards the
hamlet. There was none left behind but the accused
woman, still upon her knees, suppliant and weeping at
his feet.
Smiling shrewdly and with kindness, and pointing to
the empty space left around her through the dispersion
of those who wanted to stone her, Jesus said to the
woman :
"Woman, where are those your accusers? Has no
man condemned you?"
' ' No man, Lord, ' ' she said breaking into tears.
88 THE SILVER CROSS.
"Neither do I condemn you," Jesus said; "go, and
sin no more." 1
And leaving the adulteress on her knees in the trans-
port of having been saved from death and forgiven,
the son of Mary arrived, followed by his disciples and
the crowd behind him, at the foot of a hill where
already a large number of country people were congre-
gated, impatiently awaiting his arrival, some with their
provisions upon donkeys or zebras, others in wagons
drawn by oxen, and still others in baskets that they
carried upon their heads. The herdsmen who, when
the Nazarene went by, were watering their flocks at
the fountain, also arrived in turn. When this large
assemblage stood silent and expectant at the foot of the
hill, Jesus of Nazareth climbed up its slope with the
view of being better heard by all.
As the rising snn bathed with its radiant beams the
son of Mary clad in his white tunic and blue mantle,
caused his celestial visage to shine resplendent, and
sported in his long blonde hair, his head seemod
crowned with an aureola of gold. Then, addressing
himself to the simple in heart whom he loved with a
love equal to his love for the little children, Jesus said
to them in his sonorous and gentle voice:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit : for theirs is the king-
dom of heaven !
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit th
earth.
'John 8.4-12.
THE VALLEY OF CEDRON. 89
"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be com-
forted.
"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain
mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see
God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be
called the children of God.
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for right-
eousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 1
"But woe unto you that are rich! for you have re-
ceived your consolation.
' ' Woe unto you that are full ! for ye shall hunger.
"Woe unto you that laugh! for ye shall mourn and
weep.
"Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of
you ! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. 2
"Love your neighbor as yourself.
"Take heed that you do not your alms before men,
to be seen of them !
"Therefore when you do your alms, do not sound a
trumpet before as the hypocrites do in the synagogues
and in the streets, that they may have glory of men.
Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward. 3
"The other day I sat in the synagogue over against
the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money
into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in
Matthew 5.2-10. Matthew 19.10 ; C.l-2.
Luke 6.24-26.
90 THE SILVER CROSS.
much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she
threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And I
called unto me my disciples, and I said unto them:
" 'Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath
cast more in, than all they which have cast into the
treasury: for all they did cast in of their abundance;
but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even
all her living. n
"When you do your alms, let not your left hand
know what your right hand does.
"And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypo-
crites are : for they love to pray standing in the syna-
gogues and in the corners of the streets that they may
be seen of men. But you, when you pray, enter into
your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray
to your Father which is, in secret.
"Moreover, when you fast, be not as the hypocrites,
of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces
that they may appear unto men to fast.
"But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and
wash your face, that you appear not unto men to fast,
but unto your Father which is, in secret. 2
"Above all do not you do like the two men of this
parable :
"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one
a Pharisee, the other a publican. The Pharisee stood
and prayed thus with himself:
" 'God, I thank you that I am not as other men are,
>Mark 12.41-44.
Matthew 6.3,5,6,16,18.
THE VALLEY OF CEDRON. 81
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publi-
can, whom I see yonder. I fast twice in the week, I
give tithes of all that I possess.'
"The publican, on the contrary, standing afar off,
would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but
smote upon his breast saying :
" 'God be merciful unto me a sinner!'
"I tell you, this man went down to his house justi-
fied, rather than the other: for everyone that exalts
himself shall be abased; and he that humbles himself
shall be exalted. l
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,
where moth and rust do corrupt, and where thieves
break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust do
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor
steal : for where your treasure is, there will your heart
be also ! a
"Do unto others as you wish to be done by; that is
the law and the prophets.
"Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you.
"And if any man will sue you at the law, and take
away your coat, let him have your cloak also.
' ' Give unto him that asks. 8
"He that has two coats, let him impart to him that
has none, and he that has meat let him do likewise.*
"When the day of judgment shall have come, the
Lord shall say unto them on the left hand :
Luke 18.10-14. ' Matthew 5.40,42,44.
Matthew 6.19-21. Luke 3.11.
W THE SILVER CROSS.
" 'Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels.
" 'For I was an hungered and you gave me no
meat!
" 'I was thirsty and you gave me no drink!
" ' I was a stranger, and you took me not in !
" 'I was naked, and you clothed me not!
" 'I was sick and in prison, and you visited me
not!'
' ' Then shall the wicked make answer to the Lord :
" 'Lord, when saw we you an hungered, or athirst,
or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did
not minister unto you?'
* ' Then shall the Lord answer them, saying :
" 'Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you did it
not to one of the least of these, you did it not unto
me.'" 1
To the great regret of the assembled multitude that
listened moved and deeply affected by the divine pre-
cepts of the son of Mary, precepts that the poorest
in spirit could understand, the discourse was suddenly
interrupted in consequence of a violent tumult.
It happened in this way : A troop of mounted men,
coming down from the mountain and riding in haste to
Jerusalem, found its way blocked by the large gather-
ing of people standing at the foot of the hill where the
young master of Nazareth was preaching.
In their impatience, the riders brutally ordered the
1 Mattbw 25.41-46.
THE VALLEY OF CEDRON. W
crowd to disperse and open a passage to Seigneur
Chuza, the intendant of the house of Prince Herod, and
Seigneur Gremion, the Roman Tribune of the Treasury.
At sight of the soldiers of the escort, Aurelia, the
wife of Seigneur Gremion, grew pale and said to
Joanna :
' ' Our husbands ! Returned so soon ! They must have
turned back. They will find us absent from home
they will learn that we are away since last evening
we are lost!"
"Have we anything to reproach ourselves with?
Why should we feel alarmed?" asked Joanna. "Have
we not been listening to teachings that render good
hearts still better?"
"Dear mistress," said Genevieve to Aurelia, "I be-
lieve that Seigneur Gremion has recognized us from his
horse. I see him whispering to Seigneur Chuza, and
pointing in this direction."
"Oh, I tremble!" exclaimed Aurelia. ""What are
we to do ? What will come of this ? Oh, a curse upon
my curiosity ! ' '
"On the contrary, blessings upon it!" answered
Joanna. "You will carry home treasures in your heart.
Come, let us boldly go to our husbands. Only the
wicked hide and drop their heads. Come, Aurelia,
come and let us walk with heads erect!"
At that moment, Magdalen the penitent approached
the two women, and said to Joanna with tears in her
eyes:
94 THE SILVER CROSS.
"Adieu; you who gave me your hand when I was
despised, your memory will ever be present to Mag-
dalen in her seclusion "
"What seclusion do you mean?" asked Joanna, sur-
prised. "Where do you intend going, beautiful
Magdalen?"
"Into the desert!" answered the penitent, extend-
ing both her arms towards the crags of the arid moun-
tains, on the other side of which spread the desolate
solitudes of the Dead Sea. "I am going to the desert
to weep over my sins, but carrying in my heart a treas-
ure of hope! Blessed be the son of Mary, to whom
I owe that treasure ! ' '
And the crowd parting respectfully before the dis-
tinguished penitent, she departed in the direction of
the arid mountains that she had pointed to.
Hardly had Magdalen disappeared when Joanna,
leading her friend almost against her will, moved to-
wards the riders through the crowd that already began
to give signs of irritation at the uncivil language of
the men of the escort.
Herod, the Prince of Judea, who would have been
driven from the throne but for the protection of the
Roman arms, was generally abhorred He was cruel
and dissolute, and crushed the Israelitish people with
the weight of his taxes. Consequently, as soon as it
was known that one of the horsemen was Seigneur
Chuza, the intendant of the execrated Prince, the
hatred entertained for the master was visited upon his
THE VALLEY OF C ED RON. 05
intendant as well as upon the latter 's companion,
Seigneur Gremion, who, in the name of the Roman fisc,
gleaned where Herod had reaped.
While Joanna, Aurelia and Genevieve the slave were
with difficulty crossing the dense crowd to reach the
riders, hooting broke out from all parts against Seig-
neurs Chuza and Gremion, and these were forced to
hear, while they shook with rage, such invectives as
these weak echoes of the young master's anathemas
against the wicked:
"Woe unto you, intendant of Herod! who crush us
with taxes and devour the houses of widows and
orphans. ' '
"Woe unto you, Roman! who come to share our
spoils."
Banaias, brandishing in one hand his cutlass with a
threatening and enraged mien, drew near the two
seigneurs and shaking his other fist at them bellowed:
' ' The fox is cowardly and cruel, and he called to his
aid his friend the wolf, whose teeth are longer and
have more strength. The cruel and cowardly fox is
your master Herod, Seigneur Chuza! The ferocious
wolf is Tiberius, the master of you, Roman, who have
come to help the fox with his prey ! ' '
And as Seigneur Chuza, pale with rage, seemed to
be about to draw his sword in order to strike Banaias,
the latter raised his cutlass and cried :
"By the bowels of Goliath! I'll slice you in two
W THE SILVER CROSS.
like a watermelon if you dare set hand to your
sword!"
Having for their only escort five or six outriders,
the two seigneurs restrained their anger and sought to
disengage themselves from the crowd which was wax-
ing more and more threatening.
"Yea, woe unto you, ye men of the fisc of Herod and
Tiberius! Woe unto you! We are hungry and you
tear away from our lips with your taxes the bread
moistened in our sweat."
"Woe unto you! you overwhelm defenceless people
with privations."
"Woe unto you! the day of judgment is at hand."
"Yes, yes! soon there will be for you, the wicked
and oppressors, weeping and gnashing of teeth. ' '
"Then the first will be the last and the last the
first"
More and more frightened, Chuza and Gremion con-
sulted each other with their eyes, unable to see a way
of escaping from the threatening mob. The more
angered among the crowd already began to pick up
stones, and armed with an enormous rock, Banaias
cried out:
"This morning our master, speaking of that poor
woman whom the Pharisaic hypocrites meant to stone,
said: He that is without sin among you, let him cast
the first stone at her. And I, my friends say to you :
Let him who has been flayed by the fisc throw the first
THE VALLEY OF CEDRON. ft
stone at the flayers ! and let that stone be followed by
a good many others "
"Yes! Yes!" came from a hundred throats in the
crowd. "Let them be buried under a heap of
stones! "
"Stone them!"
"To the stones! To the stones!"
"Our husbands are in great danger; that is an addi-
tional reason to draw near them," said Joanna to
Aurelia, redoubling her efforts to reach the men on
horseback.
Suddenly the sweet and vibrating voice of the Naza-
rene was heard above the tumult, uttering these
words:
"Verily, I say unto you, If these men have sinned,
may they not repent before the day o judgment? Let
them sin no more and go in peace!"
At these words of the son of Mary the popular tem-
pest subsided as if by enchantment. The clamor was
stilled. The crowd became silent, and, by a spontane-
ous movement parted to open a passage to the steward
of Herod, Seigneur Gremion, and their escort. Joanna
and Aurelia then succeeded in joining their husbands.
At the sight of his wife, Seigneur Gremion said to
Chuza angrily: "Indeed, it is my wife and in man's
clothes"
"And mine accompanies her!" cried Chuza, no less
irritated. "And, like yours, in man's disguise. It is
the abomination of desolation!"
98 THE SILVER CROSS.
"And the feast is complete," added Gremion; "there
is ray wife's slave "
Perfectly composed and sweet, Joanna said to her
husband :
"Seigneur, make room for me; I shall mount on the
crupper of your horse and ride home with you."
"Yes," answered Chuza, grinding his teeth with
rage; "you shall ride home with me but, by the
pillars of the Temple ! you never again shall leave the
house without me."
Joanna made no answer, but reached up her hand
to her husband in order that he help her to mount on
the crupper. With a light bound she sat herself upon
the horse.
"You may also jump on the crupper of my horse,"
said Gremion angrily to his wife. "Your slave Gene-
vieve and, by Jupiter! she will pay dearly for her
complicity in this indignity your slave Genevieve can
mount on the crupper behind one of the men of my
escort."
It was done so, and the troupe pursued its route to
Jerusalem.
The rider who carried Genevieve on the crupper
of his horse rode close behind the Seigneurs Gremion
and Chuza. She could hear the two scolding their
wives angrily.
"No, by Hercules!" cried the Roman. "To find my
wife in man's disguise in the midst of that pack of tat-
tered beggars, vagabonds and seditious villains! It
THE VALLEY OF CEDRON. 99
is hard to believe. No, by Hercules ! I must come all
the way to Judea to see such an enormity!"
"And I, who am of Judea, seigneur," echoed Chuza,
"I am no more accustomed to such enormities than
yourself. I was well aware that mendicants, thieves,
and courtesans of the lowest stamp followed the ac-
cursed Nazarene. But may the wrath of the Lord
strike me down this instant, if I ever heard it said
that self-respecting women stooped to the indignity
of mingling among the dregs of the populace that the
fellow leads at his heels all over the country a vile
populace that would have stoned us to death a minute
ago but for our resolute bearing!" added Seigneur
Chuza haughtily.
"Yes, fortunately, we were able to cow the miscre-
ants with our courage," grunted Seigneur Gremion.
' ' Otherwise, it would have been done for us. Ah ! You
were right this is a fresh proof of the hatred and re-
sentment kindled by the incendiary sermons of that
Nazarene. All he does is to excite the poor against
the rich!"
' ' Did not the young master, on the contrary, appease
the fury of the crowd?" suggested Joanna in a sweet
and firm voice. "Did he not say: 'Let these men go,
and let them sin no more'?"
"If that is not audacity!" cried Chuza, addressing
Gremion. "Did you hear what my wife said? Would
one not think that a seigneur can no longer travel the
roads in peace without the consent of the Nazarene-
100 THE SILVER CROSS.
of that son of Beelzebub! And that if we escaped the
fury of the villains, it was thanks to the promise he
made for us that we would sin no more! By the
pillars of the holy Temple! That is impudence for
you!"
"The young master of Nazareth," replied Joanna,
' ' cannot answer for what is said or done in his name.
The crowd was unjustly enraged at you he appeased
it with a word what more could he do ? "
"Worse still!" again cried Seigneur Chuza. "And
by what right does that Nazarene calm or arouse the
populace at his pleasure? Do you know why we are
returning to Jerusalem so soon ? It is because we have
been assured that, in consequence of the abominable
sermons of that fellow, the mountain people of Judea
and the peasants of Sharon would stone us to death
if we presented ourselves to collect the taxes "
"The young master said: 'Render unto Caesar the
things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things
that are God's,' '* replied Joanna. "Can he be
blamed if the people, crushed down by the fisc, are not
in a condition to pay excessive imposts?"
"By Hercules! They will have to pay, all the same!"
cried Seigneur Gremion. "We return to Jerusalem to
fetch an escort of sufficient soldiers to crush the re-
bellion. Woe to them who resist us we shall exter-
minate every one of them!"
"And, above all, woe to the Nazarene!" put in Seig-
* Matthew 23.91.
THE VALLEY OF CEDRON. 101
neur Chuza. "He alone is the cause of all the trouble.
1 mean to notify King Herod, and the Seigneurs Pon-
tius Pilate and Caiaphas of the increasing audacity of
the vagabond, and demand his execution."
"Do him to death," replied Joanna, "he will pardon
you, and pray to God to pardon you!"
In this way Joanna, Aurelia and Genevieve were
carried back to Jerusalem on the crupper of their hus-
bands' steeds and escorted by the soldiers.
CHAPTER VI.
GENEVIEVE 'S MARTYRDOM.
The instant Genevieve and her mistress arrived at
the residence of Seigneur Gremion, he ordered his wife
to her room.
Aurelia lowered her head with a sigh, and obeyed,
casting a sad look of adieu to her slave.
Gremion then seized Genevieve by the arm and
dragged her into a lower apartment, a sort of cellar,
in which leather bottles filled with oil and wine, besides
other provisions, were stored. The darksome place
was reached by a short and steep staircase. Gene-
vieve 's master pushed her down so rudely that she fell
over and tumbled down from step to step to the bot-
tom, while Gremion bolted the door from the out-
side.
The young woman rose bruised at every joint, sat
down upon the ground, and wept bitterly. Presently
her tears became almost comforting, as she thought
that she suffered for having gone to hear the word of
the young master of Nazareth, who was so kind to
the poor and the slaves, so merciful towards the peni-
tent, so severe with the rich and wicked.
GENEVIEVE'S MARTYRDOM. 103
Brought up in the druid faith which her mother had
transmitted to her, so to say, with life, Genevieve re-
posed no less trust in the words of the son of Mary.
Although he professed another religion than that of
the druids, Jesus believed with the druids, it was said,
that in departing from the world, life continued be-
yond in body and soul, seeing that, according to his
faith, he spoke of the resurrection of the dead. Finally,
despite the loftiness of the druid faith, which freed
man of the fear of death by teaching him that he never
died, Genevieve missed in the precepts of the Gallic
religion that feeling of brotherhood and mercifulness
that stamped the words of the young man of Nazareth.
The slave was indulging in these reflections when
she saw the door of the cellar in which she was locked
up swing open. Gremion, her master, was coming
back, followed by two other men. One of these held a
bundle of cords in his hand, the other a couple of
scourges of many thongs.
Genevieve had never seen these men before. They
were oddly clad.
Seigneur Gremion descended the first few stairs and
said to Genevieve:
"Undress yourself! "
The slave looked up at her master with as much sur-
prise as terror, hardly trusting her ears. He re-
peated :
"Undress yourself if you do not, these men, they
are the assistants of the executioner of the city, will
104 THE SILVER CROSS.
themselves strip off your clothes in order to give you
a whipping."
That degrading punishment, so often inflicted upon
female slaves, Genevieve had never before under-
gone, thanks to the goodness of the gods and of her
mistresses. Overcome with terror, Genevieve could
now only join her hands, stretch them out to her mas-
ter, and fall upon her knees imploring mercy.
But Seigneur Gremion, standing aside to make room
for the two men to pass who had remained at the head
of the staircase, said to them :
"Strip her naked and whip her to the quick that
the blood may run. She shall not forget that she
assisted at the preaching of the accursed Nazarene."
Genevieve was then hardly twenty-three years old,
and often had Fergan, her husband, told her that she
was beautiful. Despite her tears, her prayers and her
impotent resistance, her clothing was removed from
her, she was tied fast to a post in the cellar, and imme-
diately her body was cut with the strokes of the whip.
Genevieve had at first hoped that shame and horror
would deprive her of consciousness. It happened
otherwise. But she forget the pain of the strokes in
the shame that overpowered her at finding herself a
prey to the lascivious looks of the executioner's men,
and at the jokes that they exchanged as they struck.
Standing by with his arms crossed, Seigneur Gre-
mion remarked, laughing and jeering : :
"Did the Nazarene, the famous Messiah who dabbles
GENEVIEVE'S MARTYRDOM. 105
in soothsaying, foretell you what is now happening to
you, Genevieve? Do you still think he was right to
proclaim that the slave is the equal of his master?
By Jupiter ! I begin to feel sorry I did not have you
whipped in the center of the public square it would
have been a good lesson taught over your shoulders to
the bandits who place reliance upon the insolences of
their friend Jesus!"
When the executioner's assistants were tired of
striking one of them was ordered by Gremion to untie
Genevieve, and her master then said to her :
' ' You shall not leave this cellar for eight days. Dur-
ing this time my wife shall have to help herself with-
out you. That shall be her punishment. ' '
And Gremion, together with the executioner's
assistants, went out of the cellar, leaving Genevieve
alone. Not, then, was it a remembrance of the tender
and merciful utterances of the son of Mary that re-
curred to the mind of the lacerated slave, as hap-
pened before her punishment. It was the remem-
brance of the words of anathema, which likewise he
had uttered that very morning against the wicked and
the oppressors. During the long hours that she spent
alone with the recollection of her shame, she swore to
herself that, if ever it should be the pleasure of the
gods that she should be a mother, and that she could
keep her child near her, it would be her endeavor to
inspire him at once with love for the weak and the
oppressed, and horror for slavery, and hatred for the
106 THE SILVER CROSS-
rich and the oppressors, instead of allowing such proud
sentiments to degenerate in his soul as they had cooled
down in the soul of her husband Fergan, whom she
so dearly loved, despite the weakness of his nature.
Genevieve had been locked up three days in the
cellar of the house, whither, every morning, her mas-
ter brought her some food, when one evening, at a
rather advanced hour, the door of the slave's prison
was opened. She saw Aurelia, her mistress, appear at
the opening, holding a lamp in one hand and a bundle
in the other.
Aurelia descended the stairs and placed the bundle
on the floor.
"Poor woman! You have suffered a good deal on
my account," said Aurelia, whose eyes grew dim with
tears as she approached Genevieve. "My poor, dear
Genevieve ! ' '
Despite her mistress's kindness, Genevieve could not
help answering her with bitterness:
"If you had a daughter, and if men stripped her
naked to whip her at her master's command, what
would you think of slavery?"
"Genevieve, you blame me! "
"I am not blaming you. I am blaming slavery. You
are kind to me. And yet, see how I have been
treated!"
"Verily have I these three days begged pardon for
you with my husband," replied Aurelia in a voice re-
plete with compassion. "He denied my prayers. I
GEN EV I EVE'S MARTYRDOM. 107
implored him to allow me to visit you; he remained
obdurate. He carries with him the key of your prison,
and places it under his pillow at night. This is the
first night that I succeeded in capturing it when he fell
asleep. And here I have come."
"I have suffered greatly more with shame than
with pain," said Genevieve, vanquished by the sweet-
ness of her mistress, "but your words console me."
"Listen, Genevieve, I am not here simply to console
you. You can flee from this house, and render a great
service to the young man of Nazareth perhaps even
save his life ! ' '
"What say you, dear mistress!" cried Genevieve,
thinking less of her own freedom than of the service
that she might be able to render to the son of Mary.
"0, speak! I am ready to give you my life, if neces-
sary, for him who says that one day the chains of the
slaves shall be broken."
"Since that day when we spent the night out of the
house to hear the sermons of Jesus, Joanna and I did
not see each other. Seigneur Chuza forbade her to
leave her premises. But, to-day, yielding finally to
her entreaties, he brought her here and while he con-
versed with my husband she informed me that the
young master of Nazareth had been betrayed, and that
he was to be arrested this very night, and put to
death."
' ' Betrayed ! He ! By whom I " .
"By one of his own disciples "
"0, the infamous wretch! "
108 THE SILVER CROSS.
Already triumphing over the death of the poor
Nazarene, Seigneur Chuza had revealed the whole plot
to Joanna, in order to derive a wicked joy from the
grief that such sad news would cause her. This is
what happened : The Pharisees, the doctors of the law,
the Senators and the chief priests all of them being
exasperated by the precepts and prophecies of the
young man, gathered at the residence of the High
Priest Caiaphas, and there plotted to capture the
Nazarene by surprise. "Fearing an uproar among the
people in case he was arrested yesterday, a holyday in
Jerusalem, they postponed the execution of their evil
designs for to-night," concluded Aurelia.
" What ? To-night ? This very night T ' '
"Yes, one of his own disciples, one named Judas, is
to deliver him."
"One of those who, a few nights ago, accompanied
him to the Wild Ass tavern?"
"The very one whose somber and sullen face called
your attention that night. Well, Judas went to the
chief priests and the doctors of the law, and he said to
them: 'Give me money, and I shall deliver the
Nazarene to you '-
"The wretch!"
"The Pharisees covenanted with him for thirty
pieces of silver, and at this very hour, may be, the poor
young man who mistrusts nobody, may have fallen a
victim to treason."
GENEVIEVE'S MARTYRDOM. 109
"Alas, if so it is, what service could I render to
him?"
"Listen these were Joanna's words to me this
evening: 'It was on our way to you, dear Aurelia,
that my husband informed me with cruel delight of
the doom that threatens Jesus. Under surveillance as
I am, I have no means of warning him. My servants
stand in such dread of Seigneur Chuza, that not all
the entreaties or money bribes that I might offer them
could induce any to leave the house on such an errand
as taking a word of warning to the son of Mary. A
thought struck me. Your slave Genevieve seems to
be endowed with as much courage as devotedness.
Might she not be of service to us at this emergency?'
I informed Joanna of the cruel vengeance that my hus-
band had taken upon you. But so far from giving up
her project, Joanna inquired from me where Gremion
kept the key of your prison. 'Under his pillow at
night,' I answered her. 'Try to get it while he is
asleep,' suggested Joanna; 'if you succeed in securing
it, set Genevieve free; you will have no difficulty in
helping her out of the house ; let her go straight to the
Wild Ass tavern; she will probably be able to meet
someone there who can tell her where the young mas-
ter is.' "
"Oh, dear mistress," cried Genevieve, "I shall prove
myself worthy of the confidence that you repose in
me. Let us open the house-door quickly."
"One moment. Before proceeding any further with
110 THE SILVER CROSS-
our project, we must guard against my husband's
anger. It is not for my sake that I fear the same but
for your sake. You may judge, poor Genevieve, .from
the atrocious treatment that you received, what you
would have to expect when you return home "
"Let us not think of me!"
"On the contrary, we did think of you! Listen fur-
ther. My friend's nurse lives near the Judicial Gate.
She sells woolen goods and is called Veronica, wife of
Samuel. Can you remember those names ? ' '
"Yes; yes. Veronica, the wife of Samuel, mer-
chant of woolen goods near the Judicial Gate. But,
dear mistress, let us make haste; time passes; every
minute lost may be fatal to the young master. Oh, I
entreat you, let us hasten to open the street-door."
"No, not before I shall have at least informed you
where you can find a safe refuge. Under no circum-
stances could you come back to this house. I shudder
at the thought of the punishment that my husband
would inflict upon you."
"What, leave you! Leave you forever, my dear
mistress ! ' '
"Would you prefer to undergo some infamous pun-
ishment, and still worse torture, perhaps?"
"I would prefer death to such disgrace!"
*'My husband would not kill you. A slave repre-
sents a sum of money. So, you see, there is no help
for it, we must separate. It grieves me greatly I
may never again find a slave in whom I can trust like
GENEVIEVE'S MARTYRDOM. Ill
you but after I heard the words of that young man,
I share the enthusiasm that he inspires in Joanna. If
you agree to save him "
"Do you doubt that, dear mistress?"
"No; I know your devotedness and courage. This,
then, is what you must do : If you succeed in finding
the young master of Nazareth, you shall warn him
that he has been betrayed by Judas, one of his disciples,
and that there is nothing for him to do but flee from
Jerusalem in order to escape the Pharisees, who have
sworn his death! Joanna is of the opinion that by
withdrawing to Galilee, his native country, the son of
Mary will be safe, because his enemies would not dare
to pursue him so far away."
"But, dear mistress, even here, in Jerusalem, all he
would have to do would be to call the people to his
defence. His disciples, who worship him, will place
themselves at the head of the revolt, and not all the
Pharisees combined would be strong enough to effect
his arrest, even with the help of the militiamen."
"Joanna also thought of that. But, in order for
him to arouse the people in his behalf it is necessary
that he, or his disciples, be made aware of the danger
that threatens them."
"Therefore, dear mistress, we have not a minute to
lose."
"Once more, poor Genevieve, you are forgetting the
risks that you run. As soon as you shall have warned
the young master or any of his disciples, go to the
118 THE SILVER CROSS.
house of Veronica, the wife of Samuel. You will tell
her that you come from Joanna, and, as a proof, you
will give her this ring which my friend took from her
finger, and which her nurse will recognize. You will
request Veronica to conceal you in her house, and to
repair later to Joanna, who will inform her of the fur-
ther plans that we shall have matured for your safety.
Veronica, my friend said to me, is a good and accom-
modating woman. She, as well as her husband, feel
very grateful towards the young man of Nazareth, be-
cause he healed one of their children. You will be in
perfect safety with those people, until Joanna and I
shall have arrived at some proper plan for you. That's
not yet all. You must go in man's disguise. Now get
ready quick to run to the Wild Ass tavern."
"Dear, dear mistress you think of everything!"
"Get ready quick I shall go out and unlock the
street door."
CHAPTER VII.
THE GARDEN OP OLIVES.
Aurelia left the cellar and returned almost immedi-
ately. She found Genevieve buckling on a leather
belt around her tunic.
"I cannot unlock the door!" exclaimed Aurelia in
despair. "The key will not turn in the lock, as usual!
Can it have been plugged?"
"Dear mistress," answered Genevieve, "come with
me. We two, together, may succeed in turning the
key."
And the two crossed the courtyard, and arrived at
the outer gate. Genevieve 's efforts proved as futile
as those of her mistress. The key refused to turn in
the lock. The gate was surmounted by an open half-
arch. But it was impossible to reach that opening
without a ladder. Genevieve suddenly turned to
Aurelia :
' ' In the family narratives left to Fergan I read that
one of my ancestresses named Meroe, the wife of a
mariner, managed, with the aid of her husband, to
climb up quite a high tree." 1
"How?"
1 The Incident referred to occurs In "The Brass Bell," the
ond of this series.
114 THE SILVER CROSS.
"Be good enough, dear mistress, to place your back
firmly against the gate. Now, clasp your hands and
hold them tight, so that I may rest my foot in their
hollow ; I shall then place my other foot on your shoul-
der, reach the opening, and leap from there down into
the street."
Suddenly the slave was startled by the voice of Seig-
neur Gremion, who, from the terrace, called out
angrily :
"Aurelia! Aurelia!"
"My husband!" cried the young woman in a trem-
ble. *'0h! Genevieve, you are lost!"
"Your hands, your hands, dear mistress!" said the
slave hurriedly. "If I can only climb up to the open-
ing I am safe."
Aurelia obeyed Genevieve almost mechanically. The
threatening voice of Seigneur Gremion drew nearer
and nearer. After placing one foot in the hollow of
her mistresses 's two hands, the slave leaped up. gently
supported her other foot upon Aurelia 's shoulder,
reached the height of the opening, managed to sit her-
self upon the wall, and remained crouched for a mo-
ment under the half-arch.
"But," suddenly exclaimed Aurelia in fear, "you
may hurt yourself, poor Genevieve, in jumping down
into the street."
That instant Seigneur Gremion arrived upon the
scene, pale and enraged, and holding a lamp in his
hand.
THE GARDEN OF OLIVES. 116
"What are you doing here?" he shouted, addressing
his wife. "Answer! Answer!" And immediately
perceiving the slave crouching above the gate he
added :
"Ah! The wretch! The rascal! The infamous
beggar ! You are trying to escape from my house, are
you! And my unworthy wife is seconding your
flight!"
"Yes!" answered Aurelia boldly. "Yes! Even if
you were to kill me on the spot, she shall escape your
ill treatment ! ' '
After having surveyed the street from the height of
the opening in which she was cowering, Genevieve
saw that she had to leap down a distance of twice her
height. For an instant she hesitated. She heard Seig-
neur Gremion, who brutally shook his wife by the arm
in order to pull her away from the chain of the gate to
which she clung with desperation, bellowing :
"By Hercules! Will you let me through! I shall
go outside and wait there for your miserable slave. If
she does not break her neck in jumping out into the
street, I shall myself break every bone in her body with
a club!"
"Try jump down and save yourself, Genevieve!"
Aurelia called out. "Be not afraid! He will have to
trample me under his feet before he can open the
door!"
Genevieve raised her eyes to heaven to invoke the
protection of the gods, gathered herself together, leaped
11 THE SILVER CROSS.
down from the half-arch, and was lucky enough to
strike ground without hurting herself. Nevertheless,
for an instant the fall dazed her ; but she speedily rose
and fled rapidly, her heart aching at the cries emitted
from within by her mistress, whom her husband
was striking.
After first running precipitately in order to be as far
as possible from her master's house, the slave stopped
a moment for breath, and then pursued her way in the
direction of the Wild Ass tavern, where she expected
to ascertain the whereabouts of the young master of
Nazareth, whom she was to warn of the danger that
threatened him.
Her expectations were not deceived. The tavern-
keeper to whom she addressed herself informed her
that Jesus had left the place a few hours before her
arrival, leading several of his disciples in the direction
of the Torrent of Cedron to a garden planted with olive
trees, where he often repaired at night to meditate and
pray.
Genevieve started in haste towards the place desig-
nated. As she was passing through the city gate, she
saw at a little distance behind her in the dark the
light of several torches shimmering upon the casques
and armors of a considerable troop of soldiers. They
marched in disorder, and emitted confused clamors.
Fearing they might have been sent out by the Phari-
sees to seize the son of Mary, the slave began to run,
THE GARDEN OF OLIVES. "7
hoping to be beforehand with them, and arrive in time
10 give the alarm to Jesus or his disciples.
She was but a little distance away from these armed
men, whom she recognized as Jerusalem militiamen,
people who enjoyed but a poor reputation for courage,
when, by a ray of light from the torches that they
carried, she noticed on one side of the highway and
winding in the same direction, a narrower path lined
with turpentine-trees. She struck into the path in order
to escape being seen by the soldiers, at the head of whom
she distinguished Judas, the disciple of the young mas-
ter whom she had noticed at the Wild Ass tavern on
the night of her previous sally with her mistress. She
now heard him say in a loud voice to the militia offi-
cer in command of the escort :
"Seigneur, whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is
the Nazarene."
"Oh! This time," answered the officer, "he shall
not escape us, and to-morrow, before the sun is down,
the seditious fellow will have paid the penalty of his
crimes. Let us hurry. Let us hurry. Someone of his
disciples might notify him of our approach. Let us
be cautious lest we fall into some ambush and let us
be particularly cautious when on the point of seizing the
Nazarene. He might employ against us some magical
or diabolical charm. In recommending prudence to
you," explained the militia officer affecting a bold
,'oice, "it is not because I am afraid of danger but in
order to insure the success of our enterprise."
118 THE SILVER CROSS.
The militiamen did not seem greatly reassured by
these words of their officer, and they slackened their
pace out of fear of falling into ambush. Genevieve
profited by this circumstance, and starting to run, she
arrived at the banks of the Torrent of Cedron. She
noticed a little hill planted with olives at a short dis-
tance from where she stood. This wood, wrapt in the
shade, was hardly distinguishable from the surround-
ing darkness of the night. She listened. Silence all
around. Only at a distance behind her the measured
steps were heard of the soldiers who drew slowly near.
For a moment Genevieve gathered hope, thinking that,
perhaps, warned in time, the young master of Naza-
reth had left the place. She was advancing cautiously
in the dark when she stumbled against a body that
lay at the foot of an olive tree. She could not with-
hold a cry of fear, when the man against whom her
feet had struck awoke with a start, saying :
"Master, forgive me, but this time again I could not
overcome the sleep that fell upon me. ' '
"A disciple of Jesus!" cried the slave, anew
alarmed. "He must be here!"
And addressing herself to the man :
"Since you are a disciple of Jesus, save him it is
still time. Look yonder, in the distance, the torches !
Do you hear confused clamors? They want to ar-
rest him and do him to death. Save him ! Save the
young master!"
"Who?" answered the disciple, still half numb with
THE GARDEN OF OLIVES. 119
sleep. "Whom do they want to do to death? Who
are you?"
"It matters not who I am! Save your master!
They are coming to seize him the soldiers are ap-
proaching "
"Yes!" answered the disciple in a tone of surprise
and fear, being now finally thoroughly awake. "I see
at a distance the shimmer of casques in the light of
torches. But, ' ' he added, looking around him, ' ' where
are my companions?"
"Probably asleep like yourself," said Genevieve.
"And your master, where is he?"
"Yonder, in the Garden of Olives, whither he fre-
quently withdraws to meditate. This night his soul
felt exceeding sorrowful he wished to be alone, and
withdrew under those trees, after recommending to us
all that we watch "
''Pie must have anticipated the danger that threat-
ened him," cried Genevieve, "and you had not the
strength to resist sleep?"
"No. I and my companions struggled in vain our
master came twice and woke us up, kindly reproach-
ing us for having fallen asleep and then he retired
again to meditate and pray under the trees "
"The militiamen!" cried Genevieve. seeing that the
light of the torches drew nearer and nearer. "They
are here ! He is lost ! unless he can hide in the wood
or that you die in his defence Are you armed?"
"We have no arms with us," answered the disciple
120 THE SILVER CROSS.
beginning to tremble. "Besides, it would be senseless
to think of resisting the soldiers! "
"No arms!" cried Genevieve indignant. "Are arms
necessary ? Are not the stones on the road, is not cour-
age enough to crush those men?"
"We are not men of the sword," said the disciple
looking around uneasily, seeing that the militiamen
were near enough to *vhere he stood partly to light up
Genevieve, the disciple and several of his companions
vvhom she then began to distinguish lying here and
there asleep at the feet of the trees.
The militiamen hastened to the spot tumultnously.
Descrying by the light of their torches several men,
some still asleep on the ground, others rising, and some
standing, they precipitated themselves upon them,
threatening them with their swords and staves, sev-
eral of them being armed only with staves, and all
shouting :
"Where is the Nazarene? Tell us, Judas, where is
he?"
The traitor and infamous disciple, after examining
by the light of the torches the countenances of his old
companions, the disciples of Jesus, who were now held
prisoners, said to the officer :
"The young master is not among these."
"Is he to escape us this time again?" cried the offi-
cer. "By the pillars of the Temple! You received
the price of his blood, traitor ! You shall deliver him
to us!"
THE GARDEN OF OLIVES. 121
Genevieve held herself aloof in the shadow. Sud-
denly she noticed a few steps from her, on the side of
the Garden of Olives, something resembling a white
figure and clearly distinguishable from the darkness,
approaching the soldiers. Genevieve 's heart felt like
breaking. Undoubtedly it was the young master, whom
the noise of the loud voices was attracting to the spot.
She was not mistaken. She soon recognized Jesus by
the light of the torches. On his sweet, sad face neither
fear nor surprise was depicted.
Judas made a sign of intelligence to the officer, ran
forward to meet the young man of Nazareth, and
said:
"Hail, master;" and he kissed him.
At these words, those of the militiamen not engaged
in holding the disciples who vainly struggled to escape,
remembering the recommendations of their officer on
the subject of the infernal sorceries that Jesus would
be inclined to use against them, looked at him with
fear, and hesitated to approach and seize their pris-
oner. The officer himself kept at a safe distance be-
hind his soldiers, and urged them to lay hands on
Jesus, without himself daring to set them the exam-
ple.
Calm and pensive, the young master took a few
steps towards the armed men, and said to them in his
sweet voice :
"Whom seek you?"
"We seek Jesus of Nazareth," answered the officer,
122 THE SILVER CROSS.
without coming from behind his soldiers. "We seek
Jesus of Nazareth."
"I am he," said the young master, taking another
step towards the soldiers.
The latter went backward, afraid.
Jesus repeated :
"I ask you again, whom seek you?"
"Jesus of Nazareth!" they all answered in chorus.
"We want to seize Jesus of Nazareth."
And again they went back.
"I told you that I am he," answered the young mas-
ter, stepping nearer to them. "If therefore you seek
me, let those go their way," he added, pointing to his
disciples, who were still held fast by the soldiers.
The officer made a sign to the militiamen, who still
wavered. Nevertheless two of them approached
Jesus to bind him, while he remarked to them in a kind
voice :
"Are you come out as against a thief with swords
and staves for to take me ? I sat daily with you teach-
ing in the Temple, and you laid no hold on me." 1
Then voluntarily he extended his hands to the cords
with which he was bound. The cowardly disciples of
the young master did not have the courage to defend
him. They dared not even accompany him as far as
the prison. The instant they were no longer held
by the soldiers they fled in all directions.
A sad smile flitted over the lips of Jesus, as he saw
John 18.6-8; Matthew 26.55-56.
THE GARDEN OF OLIVES. 123
himself thus betrayed and forsaken by those whom he
had loved so dearly, and whom he took to be his
friends.
Hidden in the shadow of an olive-tree, Genevieve
could not hold back tears of grief and indignation at
seeing those men thus abandon the young master like
cravens. She now understood why the doctors of the
law and the chief priests, instead of arresting him in
plain day, waited for the night to seize him. They
feared the anger of the people, and of such resolute
men as Banaias. These never would have allowed the
friend of the poor to be carried away without offering
resistance.
CHAPTER VIII.
BEFORE CAIAPHAS.
The militiamen marched out of the Garden of Olives
loading their prisoner in their midst. They returned
to the city. After a while Genevieve noticed that a
man, whose face she could not see clearly in the dark,
followed at a little distance behind her, and several
times she heard the man sigh and sob aloud.
After re-entering Jerusalem through silent and de-
serted streets, as these usually are at this hour of the
night, the soldiers proceeded to the palace of Caiaphas,
the High Priest, whither they took Jesus. Perceiving
a large number of domestic servants at Caiaphas' door,
Genevieve mingled among them when the soldiers
went in, and remained for a while in the vestibule
which was lighted by torches. It was only then that,
in the light shed by the torches, she recognized the man
who had followed the friend of the oppressed from the
Garden of Olives. He looked at once grieved and
afraid. Tears inundated his face. Genevieve at first
believed that at least one of the friends of the young
master had remained true to him, and that he would
surely prove his loyalty by accompanying Jesus before
BEFORE CAIAPHAS. 125
the tribunal of Caiaphas. Alas! The slave was mis-
taken. Hardly had Peter crossed the threshold when,
instead of walking on and joining the son of Mary, he
sat down upon one of the benches in the vestibule
among the servants of Caiaphas, and hid his face in his
hands.
Seeing at the farther end of the courtyard a bright
light escaping from a door outside of which pressed
the soldiers of the escort, Genevieve approached them.
The door belonged to a spacious hall, in the center of
which rose a tribunal lighted by numerous flambeaux.
She recognized, seated behind the tribunal, many
faces that she had seen at the supper party of Pontius
Pilate. Seigneur Caiaphas, the High Priest; Baruch,
the doctor of the law; Jonas, the Senator and banker
were among the judges of the young master of Naza-
reth. The prisoner was led before them with his hands
bound. His face preserved its habitual serenity, sad-
ness and sweetness. A short distance from him stood
the tip-staves. Behind these, and mixed with the mili-
tiamen and domestics of the household of Caiaphas,
were the two spies whom Genevieve had noticed at the
tavern of the Wild Ass.
The countenance of the friend of the afflicted was
tranquil and dignified. His judges looked irritated.
Their features expressed the triumph of a spiteful joy.
They spoke in a low voice among themselves, and off
and on they pointed their fingers threateningly at
126 THE SILVER CROSS.
the son of Mary, who patiently waited to be interro-
gated.
Unnoticed among the audience that crowded the
hall, Gtenevieve could hear all that the enemies of the
young master said among themselves.
"Caught, at last, this Nazarene who preached sedi-
tion!"
"Ha! He now looks less insolent than when he was
at the head of his band of villains and prostitutes!"
"He preaches against the rich ! " exclaimed one of the
domestics of the High Priest. "He commands the re-
nunciation of riches but if our masters were to keep
poor cheer, we servants would then be reduced to the
lot of hungry mendicants, instead of fattening upon
the abundant scraps of delicate feasts, and getting
drunk on the leavings in the bottles of delicate wines."
"And that's not all," came from another servant.
"If the accursed Nazarene were to have his way, our
masters, after voluntarily impoverishing themselves,
would have to renounce all magnificence and all enjoy-
ments. They could not cast off every day superb robes
or tunics, the color or the embroidery of which pleased
them no longer. Now, who profits by the whims of
our fastidious seigneurs but we? Tunics and robes
fall to our share !
"And if our masters were to renounce pleasure in
order to live amid fasts and prayers, they would no
longer keep handsome concubines; they would not
have occasion to entrust us with their amorous mes-
BEFORE CAIAPHAS. 12T
sages, or to engage our services in brokerages that are
so magnificently rewarded when successful ! ' '
"Yes yes " cried several of them together,
"death to the Nazarene, who would turn us, who live
in idleness, abundance and joy, into mendicants, or
beasts of burden!"
Genevieve heard a good many other remarks made in
an undertone, and all ominous to the life of the friend
of the afflicted. One of the two secret emissaries,
behind whom she happened to stand, said to his fel-
low:
"Our evidence will suffice to convict the hellish
Nazarene. I have arranged matters with Seigneur
Caiaphas."
At that moment, one of the High Priest's tip-staves,
who was placed beside the young master of Nazareth,
and charged to keep watch over him, struck the slab-
stones of the hall with his mace. Immediately there
was a dead silence.
Thereupon, after exchanging a few words in a low
voice with the other Pharisees who constituted the
tribunal, Caiaphas addressed the audience:
' ' Is there any present who has come to depose against
the man named Jesus of Nazareth?"
One of the emissaries stepped to the foot of the
tribunal and said in a solemn voice:
"I swear that I heard this man affirm that the high
priests and the doctors of the law were all a lot of
128 THE SILVER CROSS,
hypocrites, and that he spoke of them as a generation
of vipers and serpents."
A murmur of indignation ran through the ranks of
the militiamen and domestic servants of the High
Priest. The judges looked at one another, as though
they asked whether it were possible for such words to
have been uttered.
The other emissary then stepped forward beside his
accomplice, and, raising his hand above his head, added
in a no less solemn voice :
"I swear I heard this man affirm that the people
should rise against Prince Herod, and also against
the Emperor Tiberius, the august protector of Judea,
and proclaim himself King of the Jews."
While a smile of pity flitted over the lips of the son
of Mary at these false charges, seeing he had distinctly
said: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
and unto God the things that are God's," the Pharisees
of the tribunal raised their hands to heaven in order
to take it to witness of such enormities.
One of the domestic servants of Caiaphas now
stepped forward, and, in turn, said to the judges :
"I swear I heard this man say that all the Pharisees
should be massacred, their houses should be sacked, and
their wives violated!"
A fresh movement of horror was manifested among
the judges and their devoted partisans in the audi-
ence.
BEFORE CAIAPHAS. 129
"Pillage! Massacre! Violation of women!" cried
out some.
"Just think of what the Nazarene proposes!" cried
others.
"Abomination and desolation!" came from another
set of throats.
"That is why he always leads a gang of villains at
his heels! "
"He surely meant to set fire some day to Jerusa-
lem!"
"And sack the city!"
"And put the people to the sword! "
Caiaphas the High Priest, who presided, made a
sign to one of the tip-staves to order silence. The offi-
cer struck the slab with his mace. Everyone kept
quiet.
Then, addressing the young master in a threatening
voice, he said:
"Why answer you not to what these witnesses
have testified against you?"
Jesus answered in an accent that breathed sweetness
and dignity:
"I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the
synagogue, and in the Temple, whither the Jews always
resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why ask
you me? Ask them which heard me, what I have said
unto them; behold, they know what I said."
Hardly had he spoken when Genevieve saw one of
the tip-staves, furious at this so just and calm answer,
130 THE SILVER CROSS.
raise his hand and strike Jesus in the face with the palm
of it, crying:
"Answer you the High Priest so?"
At so infamous an outrage, to strike a man whose
hands were bound. Genevieve felt her heart leap, and
tears welled out of her eyes, while among the soldiers
and domestic servants of the High Priest, on the con-
trary, loud roars of laughter rent the air.
The son of Mary remained imperturbably placid. He
only turned toward the tip-staff and said to him
gently :
"If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but
if well, why smite me?" 1
These words, this angelical meekness did not disarm
the persecutors of the young man. Fresh peals of
coarse laughter broke out throughout the hall, and
insulting jeers were recommenced from all sides.
"Ha! The Nazarene, the man of peace, the enemy
of war does not belie himself! He is a coward and
suffers his face to be smitten !
"Why call you not to your disciples! Let them
come to your deliverance and to revenge you !
"His disciples!" came mockingly from one of the
militiamen who had arrested Jesus. "His disciples!
Ha! Had you only seen them! At the mere sight
of our lances and torches, the cowards fled like a brood
of owls!"
"They were only too happy to escape from the spell
John 18.20-23.
BEFORE CAIAPHAS. 131
of the Nazarene, who held them, bound to him by
magic!"
' ' The proof that they hate and despise him is clear
not one of them, not a single, solitary one dared to
come in here with him ! ' '
"Oh!" thought Genevieve. "How much must not
Jesus suffer from this cowardly ingratitude of his
friends! That must be more painful to him than the
insults that he bends under."
And turning her head in the direction of the street
door, she saw Peter at a distance. He was still seated
on the bench with his face buried in his hands, and too
cowardly to step forward to the defence of his kind
master before the tribunal of blood.
The uproar caused by the tip-staff's act of violence
subsided by little and little. One of the emissaries then
resumed in a stentorian voice:
"Finally, I swear that this abominable man blas-
phemed by calling himself the Christ, the son of
God!"
Caiaphas, then, again addressing Jesus, said to
him in a still more menacing voice :
"Answer you nothing? What is it which these wit-
ness against you?"
But the young master slightly shrugged his shoulders
and held his peace.
The silence of Jesus enraged Caiaphas ; he rose in his
seat, and shaking his fist at the son of Mary, cried :
132 THE SILVER CROSS.
"I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us
whether you be the Christ, the son of God! "
" You have said; I am;" answered the young master
with a sad smile.
Genevieve had heard Jesus say that all men were
the sons of God, in the same spirit that the druids
teach that all men are children of one God. What,
then, was the astonishment of the slave when she now
saw the High Priest, the moment Jesus answered him
that he was the son of God, rise, rend his clothes with
all the signs of terror and horror, and, addressing him-
self to the members of the tribunal, exclaim:
"He speaks blasphemy! "What further need have
we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard his blas-
phemy. What think ye?"
"He is guilty of death!"
That was the answer of all the judges of that tribunal
of iniquity.
But the voices of Doctor Baruch and of the banker
Jonas were heard above all others. Striking the mar-
Me of the tribunal, they cried aloud :
"Death to the Nazarene! He deserves death !"
"Yes! Yes!" responded the militiamen and domes-
tic servants of the High Priest. "He deserves death!
Death to the villain!"
"Take the criminal before the judgment seat of
Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Judea for the Emperor
Tiberius !" ordered Caiaphas to the soldiers. "Only he
BEFORE CAIAPHAS. 133
can issue the order to put the condemned man to
death."
At these words of the High Priest, the son of Mary
was dragged out of the house, in order to be taken be-
fore Pontius Pilate. x
'Matthew 26.62-66.
CHAPTER IX.
ON, TO PONTIUS PILATE !
To the cry of: "On, to Pontius Pilate!" the mob of
menials followed the soldiers who took Jesus to the
Roman magistrate.
Mixing among the servants Genevieve also followed
the soldiers. As she passed under the vault of the
outer door she saw Peter, the cowardly disciple of the
young master, although less cowardly than all the rest,
seeing that he alone had followed Jesus so far. She
saw Peter turn his head away as Jesus, who sought to
catch his disciple's eye, passed before him in the cus-
tody of the soldiers.
One of the female servants of the house, thinking she
recognized Peter, said to him :
"You also were with Jesus of Galilee."
But Peter, blushing and dropping his eyes answered :
"I know not what you say."
Another servant, who heard Peter's answer, said
unto them that were there :
"I tell you this fellow was also with Jesus of Naza-
reth."
"I swear," cried Peter, "I swear I do not know
Jesus of Nazareth."
ON, TO PONTIUS PILATE! 135
Genevieve's heart revolted with indignation and dis-
gust. Peter, who either through a cowardly weakness,
or, perhaps, fearing to share his master's fate, denied
him twice with perjury, was in her estimation the low-
est of men. More than ever did she pity the son of
Mary for having been betrayed, deserted and then de-
nied by the very ones who were so near to his heart.
In this way she explained to herself the heart-rending
look of sadness that she had observed on the face of
Jesus. A great soul like his could not fear death, he
could only feel distressed at the ingratitude of those
whom he took for his dearest friends.
The slave left the house of the High Priest where
Peter the renegate and foremost disciple had remained
behind, and speedily rejoined the soldiers who carried
Jesus away. Day was beginning to dawn. A number
of mendicants and vagabonds who spent the night upon
the benches, placed on either side of the doors of the
houses, awoke at the noise made by the tramp of the
approaching soldiers who led Jesus captive. For a
moment Genevieve hoped that these poor people, who
had followed the young master everywhere, who called
him their friend, and for whom they now seemed to
have so much pity, would hasten to notify their ac-
quaintances, gather them together, and free the young
master of Nazareth from his captors.
She addressed one of these :
"Are you aware that those soldiers have seized the
young master of Nazareth, the friend of the poor and
136 THE SILVER CROSS-
afflicted ? They mean to put him to death. Run to his
defence! Free him! Arouse the people! The sol-
diers will flee before you."
But the man answered in a timorous voice :
"The Jerusalem militia may, perhaps, flee. But the
soldiers of Pontius Pilate are veterans. They have
strong lances, thick cuirasses, and sharp-edged swords.
"What could we do against them?"
"But you may rise in mass! You may arm your-
selves with stones and sticks!" cried Genevieve. "At
least you could die in attempting to revenge a man who
consecrated himself to your cause!"
The mendicant shook his head and answered as one
of his friends drew near him :
"However wretched life may be, a man holds fast
to it. It would be like rushing into the jaws of death
to rub our rags against the cuirasses of the Roman sol-
diers."
"Besides," put in the other vagabond, "if Jesus of
Nazareth is a Messiah, like so many others who pre-
ceded and so many more who will follow him, it would
be, indeed, a misfortune if he is killed. But we never
run short of Messiahs in Israel."
"But if he is done to death," cried Genevieve in
despair, "it is because he has loved you it is because
he took pity upon your distress it is because he cast
up to the rich the hypocrisy and the hardness of their
hearts towards those who suffer."
"That's all very true. He has unceasingly predicted
ON, TO PONTIUS PILATE! 137
to us the coming of the kingdom of God upon earth,"
answered the vagabond, stretching himself out again
upon his bench in order to enjoy the warmth of the
rising sun. "Nevertheless the happy days which he
promises us do not arrive we are beggars to-day, as
much so as we were yesterday."
"And who tells you but that those happy days which
he promises will arrive to-morrow?" inquired Gene-
vieve. "Do not the crops need time to germinate, to
grow and to ripen? Poor impatient blind men that
you are! Consider that if you suffer him whom you
call your friend to be killed before he has fecundated
the good seed that he sowed in the hearts of the people,
you thereby suffer a harvest, that may become bounti-
ful, to be trampled under foot and destroyed in the
bud."
The two vagabonds remained silent and shook their
heads. Genevieve left them, thinking to herself with
redoubled sorrow:
"Am I to meet on all hands nothing but ingratitude,
oblivion, cowardice and treachery! Oh, it is not the
body of Jesus that will be crucified; it will be his
heart!"
The slave hastened to come up with the soldiers who
were rapidly drawing near the palace of Pontius Pilate.
At the moment when she began to quicken her pace she
observed a sort of tumult among the Jerusalem mili-
tiamen who made a sudden halt. She mounted upon
a stone bench, and then saw Banaiias standing alone
138 THE SILVER CROSS.
and intercepting the passage of the soldiers in a nar-
row arcade which the troop had to cross in order to
reach the Governor's palace. Banaias barred the pass-
age with audacity, whirling his iron-tipped stick over
his head.
' ' Oh ! He at any rate did not desert the man whom
he called his friend!" thought poor Genevieve.
"By the shoulders of Sampson!" bellowed Banaias.
"If you. do not set our friend free on the spot, you
militiamen of Beelzebub, I shall rain blows upon you
as hard as the flail beats the wheat on the barn-floor!
Ah! If I only had had time to gather a band of my
companions who are as determined as myself to de-
fend our friend of Nazareth, I would issue an order
instead of addressing a request to you, and that request
I now repeat let go our friend! If you don't, by the
jawbone that Sampson helped himself with, I shall
brain everyone of you, even as Sampson brained the
Philistines!"
"Do you hear the villain? He calls such an insolent
threat a request!" cried the officer in command of the
militiamen, prudently keeping himself in the midst of
his soldiers. "Run the wretch through with your
lances! Smite him with your swords, if he does not
clear the way!"
The Jerusalem militiamen were not a very valiant
set of men. They had hesitated considerably before
seizing Jesus, who advanced towards them alone and
unarmed in the Garden of Olives. Despite the orders
ON, TO PONTIUS PILATE! 139
of their chief they remained undecided for a moment
before the threatening attitude of Banaias. In vain
did Jesus, whose sweet yet firm voice Genevieve could
hear, seek to appease his defender and request him to
withdraw.
Banaias' only answer to the entreaties of the young
master was to bellow still louder and more threaten-
ingly at the latter 's captors, and addressing him
said :
' ' Take no thought of me, our friend. You are a man
of peace and harmony. I, on the contrary, am a man
of violence and struggle. When a weak man is to be
protected leave that to me. I shall block the path of
these soldiers until the noise of the affray reaches my
friends and fetches them to my support. Then by
the five hundred concubines of Solomon who danced
naked before him ! you will then see the jig that these
militiamen of the devil will be put through, to the
tune of our iron-headed sticks beating time upon their
casques and shining cuirasses!"
"How long are you going to allow yourselves to be
insulted by a single man, my brave soldiers ! ' ' cried the
officer of the militiamen. "Oh! If only my orders
were not to stick close as his shadow to the Nazarene
then then I would show you what to do my long
sword would long ago have cut the bandit's throat!"
"By the navel of Abraham! It is I who will run
through your bowels and tear our friend from your
clutches;" responded Banaias. "I am all alone but
140 THE SILVER CROSS.
one good falcon is worth more than a hundred black-
birds!"
Saying this Banaias rushed upon the militiamen,
whirling his iron-headed stick over his head, desoite
the entreaties of Jesus.
Taken at first off their guard and thrown into dis-
order by such audacity, several soldiers in the front
ranks of the escort took to their heels. But presently
ashamed of their cowardice and realizing that there
was only one man to contend with, they rallied and at-
tacked Banaias in turn. Galled from all sides and
overwhelmed by superior numbers, Banaias finally
dropped dead, cut to pieces, despite the heroic resist-
ance that he offered. Genevieve saw the enraged sol-
diers thereupon pick up and throw the bleeding, man-
gled body of the only defender of the son of Mary into
a pit that stood near the arcade. After this exploit
the officer, brandishing his long sword, placed himself
valorously at the head of his troop, and the whole body
proceeded on its march to the residence of Seigneur
Pontius Pilate, where Genevieve had accompanied her
mistress Aurelia a few days previous.
The sun was now high in the sky. Attracted by the
noise of the struggle between Banaias and the soldiers,
a large number of the inhabitants of Jerusalem had
come out of their houses and followed the troop of
militiamen.
The residence of the Roman Governor was situated
in one of the richest quarters of the city. The people
ON, TO PONTIUS PILATE! 141
who, attracted by curiosity, accompanied Jesus, so
far from taking pity upon him, overwhelmed him with
insults and hootings.
"At last!" cried out some. "The Nazarene who
threw our city into commotion and alarm is caught! "
"The seditious fellow strove to drive the beggars to
mutiny against the rich and the bourgeois ! "
"The impious villain blasphemed against our holy
religion in every address that he delivered! "
"The audacious miscreant sought to upturn our
families by glorifying the prodigal and debauched
sons!" shouted one of the two emissaries who kept
himself near the skirts of the troop.
"The infamous scamp tried to corrupt our wives/'
cried the other emissary, ' ' by glorifying adultery ! He
snatched one of those sinners, a shameless woman, from
the death that she deserved ! ' '
"Thanks be to the Lord!" added a money-changer.
"If the Nazarene is put to death, which would be no
more than just, we shall be able to set up again our
stalls under the colonnade of the Temple, whence the
profanator and his band of vagabonds drove us
away! "
"What fools we were to stand in fear of his mob of
beggars who clung around him!" exclaimed still an-
other. "Not one of the lot dared resist the arrest of
the Nazarene, by whose name they had been continu-
ously swearing and whom they called their friend!"
!42 THE SILVER CROSS*
"Let short work be made of the abominable inciter
to riot! Crucify him, and be done with him! "
"Yes! Yes! Death to the Nazarene!" cried the
mob that surrounded Genevieve.
And the crowd, that was steadily swelling in num-
bers, repeated with increasing fury the ominous cry :
"Death to the Nazarene!"
"Alas!" said the slave to herself. "Can there be
any lot more horrible than that of this young man
deserted by the poor whom he cherished, hated by the
rich to whom he preached abnegation and charity!
How bitter must not be the grief that tears at his
heartstrings!"
Ever followed by the mob, the body of militiamen
arrived in front of the residence of Pontius Pilate.
Several chief priests, doctors of the law, Senators and
other patricians, among whom were Caiaphas, Doctor
Baruch and the banker Jonas had joined the troop,
and now marched at its head.
One of these Pharisees cried out :
"Seigneur, let us go in to Pontius Pilate and demand
of him the immediate sentence of death upon the
Nazarene!"
But the High Priest Caiaphas answered with a
pious air:
' ' My seigneurs ! We cannot this day set foot in the
house of a pagan. Such a defilement would prevent us
from eating the passover to-day. Are we to violate
our religious laws?" 1
'John 18.28.
ON, TO PONTIUS PILATE! 143
" No ! ' ' exclaimed Doctor Baruch. ' ' We cannot com-
mit such an act of abominable impiety!"
"Do you hear them?" said one of the spies in ac-
cents of admiration. "Do you hear the saintly men?
How profound their respect for the commandments of
our religion! Ah! They are not like that impious
Nazarene, who mocks and utters blasphemy at the most
sacred things ! He dared to say that the Sabbath need
not be observed!"
"Oh! The infamous hypocrites!" thought Gene-
vieve to herself. "How well did Jesus know them!
How right he was to unmask them ! Just look at them
afraid to defile their sanda.ls by stepping into the
ho ise of a pagan during the passover, and yet they do
not fear to defile their souls by demanding of the same
pagan that he spill the blood of a just man and one of
their own countrymen, at that! Oh! Poor young
master of Nazareth! They will make you pay with
your life for your courage to attack the wicked
frauds!"
CHAPTER X.
BEFOEE PONTIUS PILATE.
The officer of the militiamen entered the palace of
Pontius Pilate, leaving the escort on the street with
the prisoner in their custody. Genevieve in the mean-
time climbed up behind a wagon that was hitched to
a yoke of oxen and that the crowd had stopped. From
her position the slave commanded a full view of the
young man of Nazareth.
She saw him standing erect in the center of the
squad of soldiers, with his hands bound behind his
back, his head bare, his long blonde hair falling down
over his shoulders, his looks calm, with a smile of resig-
nation upon his lips. He contemplated the tumultu-
ous and threatening crowd with a sort of grieved com-
miseration, as if he pitied these people for their blind-
ness and iniquity. From all sides insults were hurled
at him. Even the militiamen treated him with extreme
brutality, and had torn almost to shreds the blue man-
tle that he wore over his white tunic. To all these
outrages and ill treatment Jesus opposed an unalterable
placidity. Only, from time to time, he raised his eyes
to heaven. But Genevieve did not see the least sign
BEFORE PONTIUS PILATE. 145
of impatience or the slightest sign of anger betrayed
upon his pale and beautiful countenance.
Suddenly these words ran over the crowd:
"Here comes Seigneur Pontius Pilate! "
"He will now pronounce the sentence of death upon
the accursed Nazarene "
"At last we shall see him crucified on Golgotha,
where the criminals are executed "
In fact, Genevieve soon saw Seigneur Pontius
Pilate appear at the door of his house. He evi-
dently had been roused from his bed, seeing he was
wrapped in a morning robe. His hair and beard were
in disorder. His red and swollen eyes seemed dazzled
by the rays of the rising sun. He had hard work to
suppress his yawns, and seemed greatly annoyed at
having been awakened so early in the morning; when,
according to his habit, he probably had prolonged the
previous evening's supper far into the small hours of
the night. Accordingly, addressing Doctor Baruch in
a brusque and ill-natured tone, Pontius Pilate said to
him:
"What accusation bring you against this man?"
Doctor Baruch looked hurt at the brusqueness and
ill-nature of Pontius Pilate, and answered angrily:
"If he were not a malefactor, we would not have
delivered him up unto you."
Pontius Pilate, in turn offended at the angry tone of
Doctor Baruch, replied testily:
143 THE SILVER CROSS.
1 ' Very well, since you say he sinned against the Law,
take him and try him according to your own Law. ' '
And the Governor turned his back upon Doctor
Baruch, shrugging his shoulders, and withdrew into his
house.
For a moment Genevieve believed the young man of
Nazareth was safe, seeing the answer of Pontius Pilate
aroused widespread murmurs among the crowd.
"Just like the Romans!" said some. "All they
want is to promote disturbances in our country, in
order to dominate it and levy increased contribu-
tions"
"That Pontius Pilate seems to protect the accursed
Nazarene! "
"As for me, I feel, quite sure the Nazarene is a
secret agent of the Romans," put in one of the spies.
"They ever utilize such seditious wretches to carry
out their dark projects! "
"There can be no doubt about it," answered the
other spy; "the Nazarene has sold himself to the
Romans. He is an agent provocateur. ' '
As this fresh insult fell upon the ears of Jesus, Gene-
vieve saw him raise his eyes to heaven with a distress-
ful look, while the mob proceeded to repeat :
"Yes! Yes! He is a traitor!"
"He is an agent of the Romans! "
"Death to the traitor! 1 '
"Death to the spy!"
Doctor Baruch was not ready to let slip his prey.
BEFORE PONTIUS PILATE. 147
Upon seeing Pontius Pilate withdraw into his house, he
and several chief priests ran after him, and having en-
treated him to come out again, they led him forward
amid great plaudits from the mob.
Seigneur Pontius Pilate seemed to continue the inter-
rogatory very much against his will. He again asked
Doctor Baruch impatiently, pointing at Jesus :
"What accusation bring you against this man?"
The doctor of the law answered in a loud voice :
"This man stirs up the people, teaching throughout
all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place."
At this accusation Genevieve overheard one of the
spies say to the other in an undertone :
"Doctor Baruch is a sly fox. This accusation
amounts to a charge of sedition. He will thereby com-
pel the Roman Governor to find the Nazarene guilty."
Pontius Pilate having beckoned Jesus to approach,
they exchanged a few words. At each answer made by
the young master of Nazareth with his habitual serenity
and dignity, Pontius Pilate looked more and more con-
vinced of his innocence. Finally he resumed aloud,
addressing the chief priests :
"You have brought this man unto me, as one that
perverts the people; and, behold, I, having examined
him before you, have found no fault in this man touch-
ing those things whereof you accuse him. I do not deem
him worthy of death. I will therefore chastise him
and release him." 1
'John 18.29-31 ; Luk 23.14-16,
148 THE SILVER CROSS.
And smothering a last yawn he made a sign to one
of his servants, who left, running.
Not satisfied with the verdict of Pontius Pilate, the
crowd first murmured, and then broke out into loud
complaints.
"It was not merely to chastise the Nazarene that he
was brought here," clamored some, "but to have him
sentenced to death! "
"After he is chastised, he will resume his seditious
conduct and will continue to stir up the people! "
"We do not ask for the chastisement of Jesus, but
for his death! "
"Yes! Yes!" clamored several voices. "Death!
Death!"
Pontius Pilate made no answer to these clamors and
cries except to shrug his shoulders, and he went in once
more.
"If the Governor is convinced of the innocence of
the young master," thought Genevieve, "why chastise
him at all? That is at once cowardice and cruelty.
Perhaps he hopes by such a concession to allay the
wrath of the enemies of Jesus. Alas ! He is mistaken.
He can appease them only with the death of the just
man!"
Hardly had Pilate issued the orders for the chastise-
ment of the son of Mary when the militiamen seized
him ; tore from his shoulders the last remaining shreds
of his mantle ; pulled off his linen and his woolen tunic ;
rolled the same down to his leather girdle; and thus
BEFORE PONTIUS PILATE. 149
left the upper part of his body bare. They then bound
him fast to one of the pillars that ornamented the en-
trance of the Roman Governor's residential palace.
Jesus offered no resistance ; he uttered no complaint.
He only turned his celestial countenance towards the
crowd, and contemplated the same in sadness, without
seeming to hear the insults, the hootings and the denun-
ciations of him, that increased in volume and bitter-
ness.
Someone had gone for the city executioner, who
was to administer the whipping to Jesus with switches.
While awaiting the arrival of the executioner, the
vociferations, incited by the emissaries of the Pharisees,
continued unabated :
"Pontius Pilate thinks he will satisfy us by having
the villain scourged. He is mistaken!" said some.
"The guilty negligence of the Roman Governor,"
suggested one of the spies, "shows quite clearly that
he has a secret understanding with the Nazarene. "
"Oh! my friends what are you complaining
about?" came from a third. "Pontius Pilate is grant-
ing us more than we even asked for. We asked only
for the death of the Nazarene. Now he will be flogged
before being put to death. Glory to the generous Pon-
tius Pilate!"
"Yes! Yes! He is bound to pronounce the death
sentence. We shall see to it that he does so ! -
"Ha! Here comes the executioner!" cried several
150 THE SILVER CROSS.
voices. "Here is the executioner, and his two assist-
ants."
Genevieve recognized the two men, who, three days
before, had scourged her at her master's house. Tears
involuntarily welled to her eyes at the thought that
the young man, who was all love and mercifulness, was
about to undergo the ignominious chastisement re-
served for slaves.
The executioners carried under their arms, each, a
bundle of hazel switches, long, flexible and of about the
thickness of a thumb. Each executioner took one, and,
at a sign given by Caiaphas, the strokes began to rain,
hard and thick, upon the shoulders of the young man
of Nazareth. Each time a switch broke, a fresh one
was taken.
At first, Genevieve turned her face away from the
cruel spectacle. But she could not help hearing the
ferocious jests of the mob, which could not but be an
even more painful suffering to the son of Mary than
the chastisement itself.
"You who said: 'Love ye one another,' you accursed
Nazarene!" cried several voices, "here is a sample of
how we love you! "
"You who said: 'Share your bread and your cloak
with him who has neither bread nor cloak' take note,
our honest executioners follow your precepts they
share their switches to break them on your back ! "
"You who said it was easier for a hawser to go
through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter
BEFORE PONTIUS PILATE. 151
paradise, don't you think it would be easier to go
through the eye of a needle than to escape the switches
that are caressing your loins? "
"You who glorified vagabonds, thieves, courtesans
and other gallows-birds no doubt you loved the vil-
lains! .Well, you knew that some day you would be
whipped like any of them! "
Jesus emitted not a cry ; he uttered not a complaint.
He was so impassive that Genevieve feared he had
fainted away with pain. She turned her face anxiously
towards him.
Alas ! Horrible was the spectacle that met her eyes.
The young master's back was but one broad bleeding
wound, broken here and there by long bluish welts.
Only at such places was the skin not cut. Jesus turned
his head heavenward, and shut his eyes, no doubt to
escape the sight of the pitiless mob. His countenance,
livid and bathed in perspiration, revealed horrible suf-
ferings as each fresh flagellation lashed his skin, already
cut to the quick. This notwithstanding, at times it
was noticeable that he strove to smile with angelic
resignation.
The chief priests, the doctors of the law, the Sena-
tors and all the rest of the wicked Pharisees followed
with triumphant and greedy eyes the process of the
torture. Among the most eager to feast upon the young
man's agony were Doctor Baruch, Caiaphas and the
banker Jonas. The executioners' arms began to tire.
They had broken almost all the switches of their bun*
152 THE SILVER CROSS-
dies on the back of Jesus. They questioned Doctor
Baruch with a look, as if to ask whether it was not
time to stop the torture. But the dcetor of the law
cried :
"No! Use up your switches, to the very last one!"
The order of the Pharisee was carried out. The last
switches were broken upon the shoulders of the young
master, bespattering the executioners' faces with blood.
It no longer was the skin that they flagellated it was
a bleeding wound. So excessive was the chastisement
that, despite his courage, Jesus fainted away ami
dropped his head with a dull thud upon his left shoul-
der. His knees beSit under him, and he would have
fallen to the ground but for the cords that held him
fast by the waist to the column of the portico.
After having ordered the chastisement Pontius Pilate
had again withdrawn into his house. At this moment
he came out once more, and ordered the executioners
to unbind the condemned man. They unfastened the
cords and held him up. One of them threw his woolen
tunic over his shoulders. The contact of the coarse
material with the quivering flesh caused such a sharp
pain to Jesus that a tremor ran over his frame. The very
excess of the pain recalled him to consciousness. He
raised his head, sought to steady himself upon his leg-},
opened his eyes, and cast a merciful look upon the
crowd.
Pontius Pilate, believing he had satisfied the hatred
BEFORE PONTIUS PILATE. 153
of the Pharisees, said to the crowd after Jesus was un-
bound :
"Behold the man!"
With these words he motioned his officers to return
into the house. He was about to follow them when
Caiaphas, the High Priest, after taking a hurried
council with Doctor Baruch and the banker Jonas,
cried out aloud, holding the Governor by his robe :
"Seigneur Pilate, if you let this man go, you are
not Caesar's friend. The Nazarene calls himself King.
Whosoever makes himself a King, speaks against
Caesar!"
"Pontius Pilate will now fear to be taken for a
traitor to his master Tiberius," said to his accomplice
one of the spies who stood near G-enevieve. "He will
be obliged to condemn the Nazarene."
Whereupon that wicked man cried out aloud :
"Death to the Nazarene, the enemy of the Emperor
Tiberius, protector of Judea ! ' '
"Yes! Yes!" answered a chorus of voices. "The
Nazarene calls himself King of the Jews! "
"He means to overthrow the supremacy of Emperor
Tiberius!"
"He means to declare himself King by a popular
uprising against the Romans, our friends, our protec-
tors and allies. "
"Answer me this question. Pontius Pilate!" cried
one of the spies from the midst of the crowd. ''How
154 THE SILVER CROSS.
does it happen that we Hebrews show ourselves more
devoted than you to the Emperor your master?"
"How does it happen," screamed the other spy,
"that it is we, the Hebrews, who demand the death of
the seditious villain who aims at overthrowing the
authority of Borne, while you, the Governor in
Tiberius 's name, look with favor upon the rebel and
inciter to rebellion ? ' '
This apostrophe seemed to affect Pilate all the more,
seeing that from all parts of the crowd the cry now
resounded :
"Yes! Yes! To set the Nazarene free is to betray
the Emperor!"
"Or, perhaps to betray a secret understanding with
the rebel!"
"Yes! Is Pontius Pilate his accomplice?"
Despite his possible desire to save the young man of
Nazareth, Pilate looked more and more troubled at the
reproaches that issued from the mob, reproaches that
seemed to impeach his loyalty to Tiberius. * He
stepped towards the Pharisees, spoke with them in a
low voice, while the militiamen kept Jesus safely in
their midst with his hands pinioned behind him.
Caiaphas then spoke up aloud, addressing Pontius
Pilate so as to be heard by the whole mob, and pointing
at Jesus ;
"We have found that this man perverts our people,
that he prevents them from paying tribute to Caesar*
Before CaiapJiai gn<f Pilate, Dupln, Br ; p, 106,
BEFORE PONTIUS PILATE. 155
and that he proclaims himself the Bang of the Jews,
by virtue of being the son of God."
Pontius Pilate thereupon turned towards the young
man of Nazareth and said :
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
"Do you say this thing of yourself?" answered
Jesus in a voice weakened by pain, "or did others tell
it you of me?"
"The chief priests and the Senators have delivered
you unto me," answered Pontius Pilate. "What have
you done? Do you pretend to be the King of the
Jews?"
Jesus shook his head gently and answered :
"My kingdom is not of this world if my kingdom
were of this world, then would my friends fight, that I
should not be delivered to you but I repeat to you
my kingdom is not from hence."
Pilate looked again at the Pharisees as if taking
themselves to witness of the answer that Jesus made,
an answer that spoke him guiltless, seeing that he pro-
claimed his kingdom was not of this world.
"His kingdom," thought Genevieve to herself, "is
surely in those unknown worlds where, as our druid
faith teaches us, we shall rejoin those whom we have
loved here. How can they venture to sentence Jesus,
as a rebel to the Emperor, he who has so often said:
'Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and
unto God the things that are God's'?"
But, alas, Genevieve forgot that the hatred of the
15 THE SILVER CROSS.
Pharisees was implacable. The seigneurs Baruch,
Jonas and Caiaphas having again spoken in a low voice
to Pontius Pilate, he once more asked Jesus :
"Are you the son of God yes or no?"
"Yes," answered Jesus in his sweet and firm voice;
"yes, I am."
At this answer the priests, the doctors and Senators
grew indignant and uttered loud exclamations which
the mob promptly echoed :
"He speaks blasphemy! "
"He says he is the son of God!" yelled one of the
spies.
"He who calls himself the son of God thereby calls
himself the King of the Jews!"
"He is an enemy of the Emperor ! "
"Death to the Nazarene! "
"Sentence him!"
"Order him crucified! "
Pontius Pilate, a singular mixture of cowardly
weakness and of equity, wishing, no doubt, to make a
last effort to save Jesus, addressed the crowd saying
that it was the custom on that hotyday to set a criminal
free, and that the people would now have to choose for
this act of clemency between a prisoner named Barrabas
and Jesus, who already had been whipped with
switches. And he added :
"Which of the two will you, therefore, that I release
unto you Jesus or Barrabas?"
BEFORE PONTIUS PILATE. 157
Genevieve saw the agents of the Pharisees run from
group to group among the mob, saying :
''Let us demand the release of Barrabas! Let us
demand the release of Barrabas!"
Soon the whole mob was crying :
".Release Barrabas, not Jesus!"
"But," replied Pilate, "what shall I do with
Jesus?"
"Crucify him!" came from thousands of throats.
"Crucify him!" they repeated.
"But," Pontius Pilate still objected, "what evil has
he done?"
' ' Crucify him ! ' ' was the only answer that came from
the mob that grew more and more furious.
"Crucify him!"
"Death to the Nazarene! "
Lacking the courage to protect Jesus whom he found
innocent, Pontius Pilate made a sign to one of his
domestics. The man ran into the Governor's house
while the mob cried with increasing fury:
"Crucify the Nazarene! "
"Crucify him!"
Jesus, ever calm, sad, and pensive, seemed a stranger
to what was happening around him.
"No doubt," thought Genevieve, "his thoughts al-
ready roam in those mysterious worlds where we are
re-born when we depart from this world."
The domestic servant of Pontius Pilate returned,
holding a silver pitcher in one hand and a basin in the
158 THE SILVER CROSS.
other. A second domestic servant took the basin and,
as the first servant poured water into it out of the
pitcher, Pontius Pilate dipped his hands in the water
and said aloud:
"I am innocent of the blood of this just person. See
you to it. As for me, I wash my hands of this affair."
"Let the blood of the Nazarene be on us!" cried one
of the spies.
"Yes! Let his blood be on us and on our chil-
dren!"
"Then," said Pontius Pilate, "take Jesus and crucify
him yourselves. And as you so wish it. Barrabas shall
be released." 1
Saying this Pontius Pilate went into his house fol-
lowed by the loud acclamations of the mob, while
Caiaphas, Doctor Baruch, the banker Jonas, and the
other now triumphant Pharisees shook their fists at
Jesus.
The officer in command of the squad of militiamen
which was charged to arrest the son of Mary in the
Garden of Olives, approached Caiaphas and re-
marked :
"Seigneur, in order to take the Nazarene to Golgo-
tha, where criminals are executed, we shall have to
cross the crowded quarter of the Judicial Gate. It
may be that the present quietness on the part of the
partisans of the rebel is only in seeming and that, as
soon as we arrive in that quarter of the slums they will
iJohn~l~9 12-lfi; Luke 23.21-23;
Matthew 27.1126; Mark 15.9-12.
BEFORE PONTIUS PILATE. 159
rise to set the Nazarene free. I answer for the bravery
of my good militiamen. Already this morning they
sustained a stubborn fight, and put to flight a large
gang of desperadoes commanded by a bandit named
Bana'ias, who insisted that we release Jesus. Not one
of the rebels escaped despite the furious resistance
that they offered."
''The cowardly liar!" said Genevieve to herself, as
she heard the boastfulness of the militiamen's officer,
who proceeded :
"Nevertheless, Seigneur Caiaphas, despite the tried
bravery of our militia, it might be more prudent to en-
trust the Roman guard with the duty of conveying the
Nazarene to the place of execution."
"I think so, too," answered the High Priest. "I
shall request one of the officers of Pontius Pilate to keep
the Nazarene in the Praetorium of the Roman cohort
until the hour of execution."
While the High Priest proceeded to make his pro-
posed arrangements with one of the officers of
Pontius Pilate, Genevieve saw the commander of the
militiamen step towards Jesus, and a moment later she
heard him, in answer to some words spoken by the
young master, say to him mockingly :
"You seem to be in a great hurry to stretch out your
limbs upon the cross. It must first be built, and that
is not done in the shake of a lamb's tail. You ought
to know that better than anyone else, since you are a
carpenter yourself."
160 THE SILVER CROSS.
The officer of Pontius Pilate, with whom the
High Priest had just been speaking, now returned to
Jesus and said:
"I shall take you to the Praetorium of our soldiers.
When the cross is ready it will be brought there, and
you will thereupon proceed to Calvary under our
escort. Now, follow me!"
CHAPTER XI.
IN THE COURT OF THE PRAETORIUM.
Jesus, still pinioned, was conducted by the militiamen
to a near-by hall in the court of a building where the
Roman soldiers were quartered. The door, before which
a sentinel was slowly pacing, stood open. Several peo-
ple, who, like Genevieve, had followed the Nazarene
looked in from the street to see what happened within.
When the young master was taken to the court of the
Praetorium this is the name given to the barracks of
the Roman soldiers the men were scattered in several
groups among themselves. Some were furbish-
ing their arms; others were playing at a variety
of games; still others were being exercised in
the use of the lance under the direction of an officer;
finally, not a few lay stretched out on the benches in
the sun, and sang, or chatted together. From their
faces, bronzed in the sun; from their martial and sav-
age bearing; from the military character of their
weapons and their raiment ; from all these tokens the
brave, veteran but pitiless soldiers were recognizable
who had conquered the world, leaving behind them in
their wake massacre, spoliation and slavery.
162 THE SILVER CROSS.
The instant the Romans heard the name of Jesus of
Nazareth, and saw him brought to the court of the
Praetorium by one of their officers, all dropped their
games, and ran to see him.
Genevieve realized, when she noticed the mocking
and hardened mien of the soldiery, that the son of
Mary was about to undergo fresh outrages. The slave
remembered having read in the narratives, left to her
husband Fergan by his ancestors, of the horrors com-
mitted by the soldiers of Caesar, the scourge of Gaul.
She made no doubt but that the men who now sur-
rounded the youiig master were as cruel as those of
former days.
There stood in the very center of the court of the
Praetorium a stone bench upon which the Romans im-
mediately made Jesus sit down, with his hands left
pinioned behind his back. Thereupon, planting them-
selves in a semi-circle around him, they began to mock
and insult him :
"Look at the famous prophet!" said one of them.
"Look at the prophet who announced that the day will
come when the sword will be turned into a pruning
hook, and there will be no more war, and no more bat-
tles!"
"No more war? By brave Mars, no more war?"
cried several soldiers, deeply indignant. "Ha! That*
is the kind of stuff that you prophesy, is it? Prophet
of misfortune ! ' '
"Think of it, no more war! Which means to say, no
IN THE COURT OF THE PRAETORIUM. 163
more clarions, no more floating ensigns, no more shining
cuirasses, no more casques with cockades to attract the
women ! ' '
"No more war! Why that means no more conquests,
no more plunder, no more rapes ! ' '
' ' What ! No more wiping our iron spiked shoes upon
the heads of conquered people ! ' '
'"'No more drinking their wine while making love to
iheir daughters as we do here as we did in Gaul as
we did in Britain as we did in Spain in short, as we
have done all over the universe ! ' '
"No more war! By Hercules! And what would
become of the strong and the brave, accursed Naza-
rene? I presume you would have them plow the earth .
from early dawn to dusk, or spin cloth like base slaves,
instead of dividing their time between battle, idleness,
the tavern and love ! ' '
"You who cause yourself to be styled the son of
God," said one of the Romans, shaking his fist at the
young master, "you must be the son of God Fear, pol-
troon that you are ! ' '
"You who now cause yourself to be called the King
of the Jews, do you contemplate having yourself ac-
claimed the King of all the cowards in the universe!"
"Comrades!" cried one of the soldiers, bursting into
uproarious laughter. "Since he is King of the pol-.
troons, he should be crowned! "
The suggestion was received with insulting mirth,
Several voices crfer 1 out on the spot 5
164 THE SILVER CROSS-
"Yes! Yes! Since he is King he should be in-
vested with the purple!"
"We must put a scepter in his hand a crown on
his head a royal mantle on his shoulders! Let us
glorify him ! Let us render homage to him as unto our
august Emperor Tiberius!"
And while their companions continued to crowd
around and to insult the young master of Nazareth,
who remained indifferent to the outrages that they
heaped upon him, several of the soldiers went away.
One went after a rider's red cloak, a second in search
of a centurion's cane, a third, seeing in a corner a heap
of brush, destined to kindle fire with, started to plat a
crown.
Thereupon several voices cried out:
"And now, let us proceed to the coronation of the
King of the Jews!"
"Yes! Let us crown the King of the Cowards!"
"The son of God!"
"Friends, the coronation must be done with pomp,
as if he were a veritable Caesar!"
"I am the crown-bearer!"
"I the scepter-bearer!"
"I the bearer of the imperial mantle!"
And in the midst of hootings and coarse jests, the
Romans formed themselves into a sort of mock proces-
sion.
The crown-bearer marched first, holding aloft the
crown of thorns with a solemn air arid followed by sev-
IN THE COURT OF THE PRAETORIUM. 165
oral soldiers. Next came the scepter-bearer, also fol-
lowed by a suite of soldiers. Last came the one who
held the mantle.
And all sang in chorus:
"Hail to the King of the Jews!"
"Hail to the Messiah!"
"Hail to the Son of God ! "
"Hail to the Caesar of the poltroons hail! "
Meekly seated on the stone bench Jesus looked at the
preparations for the insulting ceremony with unalter-
able serenity.
The crown-bearer was the first to approach the young
master of Nazareth ; he raised the thorny braid over his
head, and said :
"I crown thee, O, King!"
And the Roman slammed the crown so brutally upon
the head of Jesus that the thorns lacerated his forehead.
Thick drops of blood flowed like bloody tears down the
face of the victim. But, excepting the first involun-
tary quiver, caused by the pain, the features of the
young master preserved their habitual meekness, and
betrayed neither resentment nor anger.
"And I invest thee with the imperial purple, O,
King!" added the next Roman, while one of his com-
panions tore away the tunic that had been thrown over
the lacerated back and shoulders of Jesus. No doubt
the wool of the garment had already stuck to the liv-
ing flesh. When it was violently torn off the shoulders
of Jesus he uttered a deep cry of pain. But that was
166 THE SILVER CROSS.
all. He quietly suffered himself to be clad in the red
mantle.
"And, now, grasp thy scepter, 0, great King!" said
the third Roman, kneeling down before the young mas-
ter, and placing in his hand the centurion's vine-
stock.
Thereupon all shouted in chorus amid great roars of
laughter :
"Hail, 0, King of the Jews, hail!"
A large number of them went even so far as to kneel
down before him in mockery while they repeated :
"Hail, O, great King!"
Jesus held in his hand the mock scepter and uttered
not a word. Such imperturbable resignation and an-
gelic sweetness at first struck the Romans so forcibly
that they remained stupefied. But speedily their rage
boiled at the young master's display of patience, and
they vied with one another to irritate him, crying :
"It is not a man; it is a statue! "
"All the blood he had in his veins has flowed out
under the switches of the executioners! "
"The coward! He dares not even complain! "
"Coward?" said a veteran with a thoughtful mien
after having long contemplated Jesus, although he was
himself, at first, one of his bitter tormentors. "No!
That man is no coward. No, in order to endure
patiently all that we have made him suffer, it requires
more courage than to rush head down and sword iq
IN THE COURT OF THE PRAETORIUM. 167
hand upon the enemy. No," he repeated stepping
aside, "no, that man is no coward!"
And Genevieve believed she saw a tear roll down
upon the grey moustache of the old soldier.
The other Romans, however, sneered at the compas-
sion of their comrade and cried :
"He does not perceive that this Nazarene affects
resignation in order to inspire us with sympathy. ' '
"That's so ! Within he is all rage and hatred, while
externally he shows himself kind and patient. ' '
"He is a slinking tiger, covered with a lamb's skin."
At these words Jesus merely smiled sadly and shook
his head. The movement caused a spray of blood to
rain down around him, seeing that the wounds cut into
his forehead by the thorns were still bleeding.
At the sight of the blood of that just man, Gene-
vieve could not help murmuring to herself the refrain
of the song of the Sons of the Mistletoe
Oh, flow, flow, thou blood of the captive!
Drop, drop, thou dew of gore!
Germinate, Bprout up, thou avenging harvest!
Hasten, you mower, it is ripe!
Whet your scythe, whet it
Whet your scythe!
"Oh!" thought Genevieve, "the blood of this inno-
cent man, of this martyr, who has been so shamefully
deserted by his friends, by that mass of poor and op-
pressed people whom he loved that blood will surely
fall upon them and their children. May it also fruc-
tify the bloody crop of vengeance!"
168 THE SILVER CROSS*
Exasperated by the celestial patience of Jesus, the
Roman soldiers were at their wits' end to overcome it.
Insults and threats being unable to shake it, one of the
soldiers pulled out of his hands the vine-stock which he
still calmly held, and broke it over his head, crying :
"This may make you give some sign of life, statue
of flesh and bone!"
But Jesus, having first bowed his aching head under
the blow, raised it again and cast a look of forgive-
ness upon the man who had struck him.
Undoubtedly this ineffable sweetness must have
either intimidated or embarrassed the barbarians. One
of them untied his own scarf, bandaged the eyes of te
young master of Nazareth and said to him :
"0, great King, your respectful subjects are un-
worthy to bear your looks ! ' '
The eyes of Jesus being thus bandaged, a thought of
savage cowardice struck one of the Romans. He ap-
proached his victim, smote him on the face, and said
with a peal of laughter :
"0, great prophet, now tell us the name of the one
who struck you!"
A horrible sport began thereupon.
Those robust and armed men walked up in turn, one
after the other, laughing their loudest, and smote the
face of the young pinioned man, broken by so many
tortures. As each one smote the face of Jesus he
shouted :
' ' Can you guess this time who struck you ? ' '
IN THE COURT OF THE PRAETORIUM. 169
Jesus and these were the only words that Gene-
vieve heard him utter during that protracted martyr-
dom Jesus exclaimed in a merciful voice, raising
heavenward his bandaged face :
"Oh! Lord, my God pardon them they know not
what they do!"
That was the single and tender wail that the victim
uttered and it was not even a wail it was a prayer
that he addressed to the gods, imploring their pardon
for his tormentors, who knew not what they were
doing !
So far from being appeased by such divine meek-
ness, the Romans redoubled their acts of violence and
outrages.
The most infamous ones among them spat in the face
of Jesus.
Genevieve would not have been able longer to en-
dure the sight of these monstrosities if it had not
pleased the gods to put an end to them. A great uproar
was heard from the side of the street, and she saw
Doctor Baruch, the banker Jonas and the High Priest
Caiaphas drawing near. Two men behind them car-
ried a heavy cross considerably larger than a man's
size. At the sight of the instrument of death, the peo-
ple who had crowded outside of the door, and among
whom was Genevieve, cried out triumphantly :
"At last!"
"Here is the cross!
"Here is the cross! "
170 THE SILVER CROSS.
"A spick and span brand new cross! "
"A cross worthy of a King! "
When the Romans heard the announcement that the
cross was coming, they seemed vexed at the prospect
of their victim's escaping them.
Jesus, on the contrary, when he heard the cries of:
"Here comes the cross!" "Here comes the cross!"
rose from his stone bench with a kind of relief, no
doubt anxious to depart soon as possible from this
world.
The soldiers unbandaged his eyes and removed the
red mantle from his shoulders, leaving only the crown
of thorns upon his head. Thus he remained half
naked. In this condition he was taken to the door of
the Praetorium, where stood the men who had brought
the cross.
CHAPTER XII.
GOLGOTHA.
In their still unglutted hatred, Doctor Baruch, the
banker Jonas, and the High Priest Caiaphas exchanged
looks of triumph among themselves as they pointed to
the young master of Nazareth standing before them
pale and bleeding, and whose strength seemed about
exhausted. The pitiless Pharisees could not resist the
cruel delight of heaping some fresh insults upon their
victim.
The banker Jonas said to him:
"Audacious fraud, now you see what abusing the
rich leads to ! You have now stopped mocking them,
I notice! You no longer compare them to hawsers,
incapable of passing through a needle's eye! It is a
pity your taste for satire is all gone!"
"Are you now satisfied," put in Doctor Baruch,
"with having spoken of the doctors of the law as
cheats and hypocrites, who like to have the upper seats
at feasts? They, at least, will not dispute your place
on the cross!"
"And the priests!" added Caiaphas. "They also
were a lot of frauds who devoured widows' houses and
for a pretence made long prayers hardened men. more
merciless than the heathen Samaritans a lot of dull-
ards, narrow-minded enough to observe the Sabbath
172 THE SILVER CROSS.
piously proud fellows, who caused trumpets to be
sounded before them in order to proclaim the alms
that they gave ! You thought yourself well entrenched !
You struck a bold poise at the head of your band of
beggars, skip- jacks and prostitutes, whom you recruited
in the taverns, where you spent your days and nights !
Where are all your partisans now? What has become
of them? Why do you not summon them to your
help? Let them come to your deliverance!"
The hatred of the mob was less patient than that of
the Pharisees, who delighted in slowly torturing their
victim. Furious cries soon burst all restraint:
"Death!"
"Death to the Nazarene! "
"Hurry up! "
"Do they mean to afford him a chance of escape by
delaying his execution!
"He will not expire the instant he is nailed to the
cross! "
"No! There will be plenty of time to chat with
him after that is done!
"Yes! Hurry up!"
"His band of criminals may have been scared only
for a moment! "
"Yes! And they may regain courage and try to
take him away from us! "
"Anyhow, what is the sense of addressing him? It
is clear that he does not mean to answer! "
GOLGOTHA. 173
"Death!"
''To death! To death!"
"And he shall himself carry his cross all the way to
the place of execution! "
The proposition of this fresh barbarity was received
with general applause. Jesus was taken out of the
Praetorium court, and the cross was laid upon one of
his bleeding shoulders. So sharp was the pain, and
the weight of the cross so heavy, that the unhappy
young man's knees for a moment faltered under him,
and he was about to fall to the ground. But draw-
ing fresh strength from his own courage and resigna-
tion, he seemed to steel himself against weakness and
pain, and, bent under his burden, he peacefully com-
menced his march.
The mob at his heels, together with the escort of
Roman soldiers, cried out aloud:
"Room there!"
"Room for the triumphal march of the King of the
Jews!"
The mournful procession started for the place of
execution, which was situated outside of the Judicial
Gate. It soon left the rich quarter of the Temple
behind it, and proceeded on its route through a less
wealthy and much more populous part of the city. In
the measure that the procession entered the quarter of
the poor, Jesus began to receive at least some tokens
of interest.
174 THE SILVER CROSS.
Genevieve saw a large number of women standing
at their doors, who lamented the fate of the young
master of Nazareth. They remembered that he was
the friend of the poor and of the little children. Many
of these innocents wept and threw kisses to the good
Jesus, whose simple and touching parables they knew
by heart.
But, alas! Almost at every step, overcome with
pain and crushed under the weight that he carried,
the son of Mary stumbled and stopped. Finally,
strength wholly failing him, he fell upon his knees,
then on his hands, and his forehead struck the ground.
Genevieve thought he was dead or dying; she could
not repress a cry of grief and terror; but he was not
dead. His martyrdom and agony were destined to be
still prolonged.
The Roman soldiers of his escort, as well as the
Pharisees, cried out to him :
"Stand up!"
"Stand up, lazy fellow!"
"Rise! You are only pretending to faint, in order
to escape carrying your cross to the place of execu-
tion!"
"You reproached the chief priests with binding upon
the backs of men burdens too heavy to bear, but which
they themselves would not touch with their fingers,"
said Doctor Baruch, "and here you are doing no bet-
ter than you blamed others for doing refusing to
carry your cross!"
GOLGOTHA. 175
Jesus, still upon his knees and his forehead bent
towards the ground, helped himself with his two hands
to rise, which he finally succeeded in doing with great
effort. Then, still staggering, he waited for the cross
to be placed back upon his shoulders. But hardly was
his burden laid upon him anew, when, despite his cour-
age and good will, he succumbed and fell down a sec-
ond time all of a heap.
' ' Come ! ' ' cried out the Roman officer, brutally. ' ' He
is pretending!"
"Seigneur Baruch!" cried one of the spies, who,
like the Pharisees, had not quitted their victim, "do
you see that man, yonder, in a brown mantle, who is
passing so quickly, turning his head away, as if he
desired not to be recognized ? I have often seen him at
the meetings of the Nazarene. Suppose we make him
carry the cross!"
' ' Yes ! " said Baruch. ' ' Call him ! "
"Halloa, there, Simon!" cried the emissary.
"Halloa, there, Simon the Cyrenean! You took part
in the sermonizings of the Nazarene, now come and
take part in carrying his burden!"
No sooner had this man called Simon, than several
voices in the mob joined him:
"Halloa, there, Simon!"
"Simon!"
At first, when summoned by the spy, Simon had has-
tened his pace as if he did not hear; when, however,
a large number of voices began to call his name, he
176 THE SILVER CROSS.
turned back, walked toward the spot where Jesus lay,
and approached with a troubled mien.
"We are going to crucify Jesus of Nazareth, whose
preachings you liked to hear so well," said the banker
Jonas to him, jeeringly ; "he is your friend. You surely
will not refuse to help him carry his cross?"
"I shall carry it all alone," answered the Cyrenean,
who now mustered up courage enough to cast a look
of pity at the young master, who, still recumbent upon
his knees, seemed ready to faint.
Having taken charge of the cross, Simon marched
ahead of Jesus, and the procession resumed its way.
About a hundred steps further, at the entrance of
the street that led to the Judicial Gate, and passing
before the shop of a dealer in woolen goods, Genevieve
saw a woman of venerable aspect step out. At the
sight of Jesus, pale, broken and bleeding, the woman
could not repress her tears. It was only then that the
slave, who had so far forgotten that she might be
hunted for by orders of her master, Seigneur Gremion,
recalled the address given to her by her mistress. Aure-
lia, on the part of Joanna, telling her that Veronica, her
nurse, who kept a shop near the Judicial Gate, could
give her a temporary asylum, where she would be safe.
But Genevieve thought not at that moment of her
own safety. An invincible power held her fast to the
steps of the young master of Nazareth, whom she
wished to follow to the end. She saw Veronica in tears
approach Jesus, whose face was bathed in a bloody
GOLGOTHA. 1T7
sweat, and wipe with a linen napkin the visage of the
poor martyr, who thanked Veronica with a smile of
celestial kindness.
Several steps further, and still on the same street
that led to the Judicial Gate, Jesus passed before sev-
eral women who bewailed and lamented him. He
stopped for a moment and said to those women in an
accent of profound sadness:
"Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep
for yourselves, and for your children; for, behold, the
days are coming in which they shall say, Blessed are
the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the
paps which never gave suck!"
And, although broken with suffering, drawing him-
self up with an inspired air, his features stamped with
heart-rending grief as if conscious of the frightful mis-
fortunes that he foresaw, Jesus cried out in a prophetic
tone that made even the Pharisees themselves tremble :
"Yes, for, behold, the days are coming when in their
horror men will begin to say to the mountains, Fall
on us ; and to the hills, Cover us ! m
And dropping his head upon his breast, Jesus pain-
fully pursued his march amidst the silence of stupor
and dread that followed those prophetic words. The
procession proceeded up the steep street that led to
the Judicial Gate under which you pass to ascend Gol-
gotha, a hill that lies outside of the city and on the
'Luke 23.28-30.
178 THE SILVER CROSS.
top of which the crosses of condemned criminals are
raised.
Genevieve noticed that the mob, at first so cowardly
hostile to Jesus, began, as the hour of execution drew
near, to feel moved to bemoan the lot of the victim.
The unfortunate people undoubtedly understood, but,
alas ! too late, that by suffering the friend of the poor
to be done to death, not only were they about to be
deprived of a defender, but their shameful ingratitude
might have for its consequence to dishearten those who
would otherwise have been inclined to continue the
work of the young master of Nazareth, and devote
themselves to the poor and afflicted.
After the procession passed under the vault of the
Judicial Gate it began to ascend Mount Calvary. The
ascent was so steep that more than once was Simon
the Cyrenean, who still carried the cross of Jesus, as
well as the young master himself, compelled to stop
for rest.
Jesus seemed to have preserved hardly strength
enough to reach the top of that barren ridge, that Avas
littered with rolling stones, and on which here and
there grew briars and a few stunted bushes of a pale
green.
The sky was now overcast with thick clouds. A
somber and lugubrious day threw a pall of sadness
upon all things around.
To her great surprise Genevieve observed towards
the summit of Calvary two other crosses already
GOLGOTHA. 179
erected, besides the one that was to be erected for
Jesus, the young master of Nazareth. In her surprise,
she inquired from a man in the crowd what the pur-
pose of those two other crosses was.
' ' The two crosses, ' ' she was answered, ' ' are intended
for the thieves, who are to be crucified together with
the Nazarene."
' ' And why are the thieves to be crucified at the same
time as the young master?" inquired the slave.
"Because the Pharisees, men of justice, wisdom, and
piety, wished that the Nazarene be accompanied unto
death by the sort of wretches with whom he associated
in life."
Genevieve turned around and looked into the face of
the man from whom this explanation came. She rec-
ognized one of the two spies.
"Oh! The merciless men!" thought the slave.
"They find means to outrage Jesus even unto death."
When the Roman soldiers who escorted the young
master arrived at the summit of Mount Calvary, fol-
lowed by the now more and more silent and pitying
mob, besides Doctor Baruch, the banker Jonas and the
High Priest Caiaphas, all the three anxious to assist
at the agony and death of their victim, Genevieve saw
the two thieves who were destined for execution at the
same time as the young master. Surrounded by their
guards, they stood pinioned and ashy pale, and awaited
death with a terror mixed with wrath and impotent
rage.
180 THE SILVER CROSS.
At a sign from the Roman officer in command of the
escort, the executioners took down the two crosses
from the holes into which they had been temporarily
stuck, and laid them down flat upon the ground. The
soldiers then seized the two criminals, and despite their
loud cries, blasphemies and desperate resistance, strip-
ped them of their clothes and stretched them out upon
the two crosses. While the soldiers held the two thieves
down, the executioners, equipped with long nails and
heavy hammers, nailed fast upon the crosses by their
hands and feet the wretched men, who uttered piercing
cries of pain. By means of this refinement of bar-
barity the young master of Nazareth was made to taste
in advance the bitter fate that he was soon to undergo
himself. Indeed, at the sight of the torments experi-
enced by his two companions in punishment, Jesus
could not repress his tears. He raised his eyes to
heaven, and then hid his face in his hands to keep
away the painful spectacle.
So soon as the two thieves were nailed down, the
crosses on which they writhed and moaned were raised,
were replaced into the ground and steadied with stones
and stakes.
"Come, now, Nazarene," said one of the execution-
ers to Jesus, stepping to the young master, and holding
his heavy hammer in one hand and several long, strong
nails in the other. "Come, now, are you ready? Shall
we have to use force with you also, as we had to do
with your friends?"
GOLGOTHA 181
"I don't know what they have to complain of,"
stolidly remarked the other executioner; "one lies so
comfortably on a cross with one's arms stretched out,
like a man who stretches out his limbs after a long
sleep!"
Jesus made no answer. He removed his clothes,
placed himself upon his instrument of death, extended
his arms over the crossbeams, and looked up to heaven
with his eyes bathed in tears.
Genevieve then saw the two executioners kneel down
on either side of the master and take up their hammers
and nails. The slave shut her eyes, but she could
hear the dull strokes of the hammers as they drove the
nails into the quivering flesh, while the two thieves
continued rending the air with pitiful cries of pain.
The sound of the hammer strokes ceased. Genevieve
opened her eyes. The cross to which the young mas-
ter of Nazareth had been nailed was raised and set
up between the crosses of the other two crucified men.
Jesus, his brow crowned with thorns, his long blonde
hair matted and glued to his temples by sweat mixed
with blood, his face livid and bearing the stamp of
ominous suffering, and his lips turning bluish, seemed
+o be on the point of expiring. With the weight of his
whole body resting on his two hands nailed to the
cross, as well as upon his feet, from which drops of
blood trickled down, his arms suddenly stiffened in
convulsive paroxisms, while his half-bent knees
against each other.
182 THE SILVER CROSS.
At that moment the almost dying voice of the two
thieves reached Genevieve's ears as they addressed
themselves to Jesus:
"A curse upon you Nazarene! A curse upon you
you who told us that the first would be last and the
last first! Here we are crucified! what can you now
do for us?"
"A curse upon you who promised consolation to the
afflicted!" responded the other thief. "Here we are
crucified where is our consolation?"
"A curse upon you who told us that only the sick
need the physician! We are sick sorely sick where
is our physician?"
"A curse upon you who told us that the good shep-
herd would leave his flock to seek for a single lamb
gone astray! We went astray, and you leave us in
the hands of the executioners!"
Nor were those wretches the only ones to insult the
agony of Jesus. Horrible to say, and hardly believable
by Genevieve herself at the hour when she writes this
account, Doctor Baruch, the banker Jonas, and Caia-
phas the Prince of the Church, vied with one another
in mockeries and objurgations, hurled at the young
man of Nazareth at the moment when he was about
to render up his soul :
"Oh! Jesus of Nazareth! Jesus the Messiah! Jesus
the Prophet! Jesus the Savior of the world!" said
Caiaphas, laughing. "How comes it you did not fore-
GOLGOTHA 183
tell your own fate? Why do you not begin by saving
yourself, you who were to save all the world?"
"You call yourself the Son of God, O, Nazarene!"
added the banker Jonas. ' ' We shall take stock in your
celestial power if you now come down from that cross !
Son of God, come down! What! You prefer to
remain nailed to those beams like a nightbird on a barn
door? You may be called Jesus the Crucified, but not
Jesus the Son of God! "
"You always seemed so reliant upon the Lord as
your special protector," exclaimed Doctor Baruch;
"why do you not call him now to your help? If he
is your special protector, if you are, indeed, his son,
why does he not thunder against us? Why does he
not transform your cross into a rose-bush, whence
you could fly, radiant, to heaven?"
Hootings and mockeries from the Roman soldiers
accompanied the cowardly outrages of the Pharisees.
Suddenly Genevieve noticed the body of Jesus quiver
at every limb, and he made one last effort to turn his
heavy head heavenward. A last glimmer of life illu-
mined his celestial visage, a heart-rending smile con-
tracted his lips, and he murmured in an expiring voice :
"Lord! Lord! Have mercy upon me! "
His head then sank upon his breast the friend of
the poor and the afflicted had ceased to live.
Genevieve fell upon her knees and burst into tears.
That instant she heard an angry voice cry out behind
her:
184 THE SILVER CROSS.
"Here is my fugitive slave! Oh! I felt certain I
would find her in the tracks of the accursed Nazarene,
whom final justice has been at last meted out to. Seize
her! Bind her hands behind her back! Oh! This
time my revenge shall be terrible!"
Genevieve turned around and saw her master, Seig-
neur Gremion.
"Now," said Genevieve, "I can die since he is dead
who promised the slaves to break their chains!"
* * *
Although she had to undergo the most cruel tor-
ments at the hands of her master, Genevieve did not
die, seeing it is she who wrote this account for her
husband Pergan.
After having narrated what she heard and what she
knew of the life and death of the young master of
Nazareth, Genevieve would deem it preposterous on
her part to dare speak of what happened to herself,
after the sad day when she saw the friend of the
poor and the afflicted expire upon the cross.
All that Genevieve will say is that, taking for exam-
ple the resignation of Jesus, she endured patiently the
cruelties of Seigneur Gremion. Out of attachment for
her mistress Aurelia, Genevieve submitted to every-
thing, not to be separated from her dear mistress.
Thus she remained a slave of Seigneur Gremion 's wife
during the two years of her sojourn in Judea.
Alas ! As a natural sequel of human ingratitude, six
months after the death of the poor young man of
GOLGOTHA 185
Nazareth, his memory was effaced from the people's!
mind. Only a few of his disciples piously preserved^
his remembrance. 1
Often did Genevieve say to herself with a sigh:
"Poor young master of Nazareth! When he an-
nounced that one day the fetters of the slaves would
be broken, he only listened to the aspirations of his
angelic soul. The future was to give the lie to that
generous hope."
In fact, when, after two years spent in Judea with
her mistress Aurelia, Genevieve returned to Gaul, she
found there slavery still in force, as atrocious, perhaps
even more atrocious than it had been before.
To this narrative which she wrote for her husband
Fergan, Genevieve has attached a little silver cross
given to her by Joanna, the wife of Seigneur Chuza,
shortly after the death of the young man of Nazareth.
Some few people, Joanna being of their number, who
preserved a pious respect for the memory of the friend
of the afflicted, had little crosses made in commemora-
tion of the instrument of the death of Jesus, and either
1 The sentence that smote the events once more upset their ex-
master carried immediately wide- pectatlons, and caused them to
spread discouragement among his confound the new Christ with all
followers. The large crowds, ap- the previous Messiahs, the prom-
parently so devoted, that had ises and the efforts of whom had
been seen running from all sides remained without lasting effect.
to hear his voice, dispersed. They The emotion produced by the
had believed In the external and death of Jesus left hardly any
sudden formation of the King- traces behind It in the country,
dom of God of a new social or- It was lost in a mass of other
der which' according to the emotions." Salvador. Jeans
word of the son of Mary, would Christ and Hit Doctrine, vol. II,
hnvc carried the last to the first p. 212.
place. The natural course of
186 THE SILVER CROSS.
carried the same, or distributed them among their
friends after having deposited them on the summit of
Mount Calvary, upon the ground on which that just
man's blood had flowed.
Genevieve knows not whether she is some day to be
a mother. If such happiness should fall to her lot
but is it happiness to the slave to bring to life other
slaves? she will join this little silver cross to the fam-
ily relics that the descendants of Joel, the brenn of
the tribe of Karnak, are bid to transmit to themselves
from generation to generation.
May this little cross be the symbol of the future
emancipation of our old and heroic Gallic race !
May one day the words of Jesus be realized for our
children's children THE CHAINS OF THE SLAVES WILL
BE BROKEN.
EPILOGUE
I, Fergan, the husband of Genevieve, add these few
words to the preceding narrative of Genevieve 's:
Forty years have elapsed since my well beloved, and
ever lamented wife wrote down the things she had
seen during her sojourn in Judea.
The hope Genevieve had gathered from the words
of Jesus The chains of the slaves will be broken has
not been realized, and never will be realized. More
than forty years have elapsed since that promise was
made, and slavery still prevails. During all these forty
and odd years I have continued unceasingly to turn my
wheel for my masters, just as my son Judicael now
does, seeing that he, like his father, is a weaver slave.
Poor child of my old age it is now twelve years
since Genevieve died in giving life to you you are, if
anything, still more frail of body and timid of disposi-
tion than myself !
Alas! As was foreseen by my grandfather Sylvest,
our race has degenerated more and more.
Poor child of my old age, I have not, as our ances-
tors, whether free or slave, but ever brave, any heroic
or tragic account to hand down to you of my life
My life you are acquainted with, my son; should I
188 THE SILVER CROSS.
live a hundred years, it will continue to be what it has
hitherto been, as far back as I can recollect. It can
be summed up in these words :
"To rise early every morning to weave cloth; and
go to bed at night. To interrupt the long hours of
my monotonous work in order to eat a meager pittance.
Sometimes to be beaten, either on account of my mas-
ter's whim, or his bad temper."
Such has been my condition since I knew myself,
my poor child ! Such, no doubt, will be yours ! Alas !
Degenerate Gauls, neither you nor I will have aught
to add to the worthy traditions of our ancestors.
I write and sign this forty and odd years after my
wife Genevieve saw the young man of Nazareth done
to death.
To you, my son Judicael, I, Fergan. the son of Pearon,
bequeath, in order that you may preserve and trans-
mit to your descendants, these narratives of our family,
accompanied with these following relics:
The gold sickle of our ancestress Hena ;
The brass bell of my great-grandfather Guilhern;
The iron collar of my grandfather Sylvest ; and
The little silver cross that Genevieve left to me.
I Gomer, the son of Judicael, was seventeen years
old when my father died that is fifty years ago from
the date when I write these lines. As my grandfather
and my father foresaw, my slave's life has been, like
theirs, monotonous and gloomy.
EPILOGUE. 189
I blush with shame at the thought that neither I,
nor you, my son Mederick, no doubt, will, in turn,
have aught to add to the narratives of our ancestors.
Alas! They have not yet come, perhaps never will,
those days of which our grandmother Genevieve spoke
upon the faith of a man whom she calls in her narra-
tive the young master of Nazareth, who foretold that
one day the chains of the slaves would be broken.
To you, then, my son Mederick, I, Gomer. the son of
Judicael, bequeath for you to preserve, and transmit
to our descendants, these family relics and narratives.
THE END.
DUE 2 WKS FROM DAE RECEIVED
A 000 038 530 2
