Pilate said to the thieves, "Of you and your misdeeds the earth shall today be free. You shall die upon the cross. Let the sentence of death be now read." Then the scribe stood forward and read thus: "I, Pontius Pilate, viceroy in Judea of the mighty Caesar Claudius Tiberius, pronounce at the desire of the high priests and the Sanhedrin and the people of the Jews, the sentence of death upon a certain Jesus of Nazareth, who is accused of having stirred up the people to revolt, of having forbidden to pay tribute to Caesar, and of having proclaimed himself king of the Jews. The same shall be crucified outside the city between two malefactors who have been likewise condemned to death for many robberies and murders, and be brought from life to death. Given at Jerusalem on the eve of the Passover." When the scribe had read the sentence Pilate broke a staff, flung it among the people, saying in tones of great bitterness, "Now take him hence and crucify him!" and went rapidly into the house, leaving Jesus in the hands of the Jews. "Triumph!" cried Caiaphas in wild exultation. "The victory is ours! The enemy of the synagogue is destroyed!" The priests and people shouted, "Away with him to Golgotha! Long live the synagogue! Long live the nation!" Then said Annas, "Hasten, that we may come home in time to eat the Passover." The priests and Pharisees said, "We will keep this Passover with joy, as did our fathers in Egypt." "Now," said Caiaphas, "let our triumphal procession go through the midst of Jerusalem." "Where," asked the rabbi, "are his disciples? They are invited to cry Hosanna!" Then rushed the multitude away, crying, "Up and away off to Golgotha! Come and see him perish on the cross! O delightful day, the enemy of Moses is overthrown! Ha! now he has his reward! So be it done to everyone who despises the law! He deserves the death on the cross! O happy Passover! Now joy will return to Israel! There is an end of the Galilean!" And so crying, with wild and savage clamor, they swept back to the street of the Sanhedrin. [Transcriber's note: A line seems to be missing from the book at this point. All that appears is a blank line followed by the single word:] "me?" CHAPTER IX. THE CRUCIFIXION. Ye pious souls rise up and go, With grateful penitence aglow With me to Golgotha, and see What shall be done your souls to free See how the Mediator dies The atoning death of sacrifice. O, who can know the love that lives In this heart now laid bare, That kindness back for hatred gives And saves us from despair? Offer this love of His Your heart's best impulses, His cross before, For evermore.