Ah, see the king that's crowned in scorn, What monarch such a crown has worn Or scepter borne, and he so great? Ye see him decked with purple shreds, They laugh and jeer and shake their heads, Is this the royal robe of state? Ah! what a man! Where is the trace of deity? Ah! what a man-- The sport of the rude hangman he. Caiaphas and Annas and the chief priests and rulers, and the council and the traders of the temple, and the witnesses accompanied the soldiers, who once more led Jesus to Pilate's house. Then said Caiaphas, "Now Pilate must be challenged more imperiously; and if he does not do according to our will then shall the authority of Caesar extort the sentence from him." "Shall I now," said Annas, "in my gray old age see the synagogue overthrown? No! with stammering tongue I will cry for the blood and death of this criminal, and then descend to the bosom of my fathers, when I have seen this evil-doer die upon the cross." "We would sooner," cried the rabbi, speaking with great animation, "be buried in the ruins of the temple than to go back upon our resolution. We shall never leave off until he is dead." Then proclaimed Caiaphas, "Whosoever goes back on this decision, let him be cast out of the synagogue." And Annas added, "Let the cross of the fathers fall upon him." Then said Caiaphas, "Time presses, the day is advancing; now we must employ all the means at our disposal in order to carry out our will before the feast." At this time the Jews and the soldiers leading Jesus stood once more before the house of Pilate. Pilate, attended by his servants, soon appeared on the balcony. "We bring the prisoner once more before thee and earnestly desire his death," said Caiaphas. All the priests cried aloud, "We insist upon it, he must die." Then said Pilate, "Ye brought me this man as an agitator and see, I have heard your complaints, and I have myself examined him, and have not found anything in him touching those things whereof you accuse him." Then said Caiaphas angrily, "We abide by our accusation; he is a criminal worthy of death." And the priests cried, clamorously, "He is an offender against our law and against Caesar." Then said Pilate, "I have sent him because he is a Galilean to Herod. Have you brought forward your complaints before him?" "Yes," said Caiaphas, "but Herod would not judge the case because thou art in authority here." Then said Pilate, "He, too, has found nothing in the man that deserves death, but in order to meet your desire I will have this man scourged and let him go." But Annas said, "That sufficeth not," and Caiaphas said, "The law prescribes for such a criminal not the punishment of scourging, but the punishment of death." The priests cried again, "To death with him."