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PILATE, on the tessellated pavement in front of his palace. YE have brought unto me this man, as one | |
| Who doth pervert the people; and behold! | |
| I have examined him, and found no fault | |
| Touching the things whereof ye do accuse him. | |
| No, nor yet Herod; for I sent you to him, | 5 |
| And nothing worthy of death he findeth in him. | |
| Ye have a custom at the Passover, | |
| That one condemned to death shall be released. | |
| Whom will ye, then, that I release to you? | |
| Jesus Barabbas, called the Son of Shame, | 10 |
| Or Jesus, Son of Joseph, called the Christ? | |
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THE PEOPLE, shouting. Not this man, but Barabbas!
PILATE. What then will ye | |
| That I should do with him that is called Christ? | |
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THE PEOPLE. Crucify him!
PILATE. Why, what evil hath he done? | |
| Lo, I have found no cause of death in him; | 15 |
| I will chastise him, and then let him go. | |
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THE PEOPLE, more vehemently. Crucify him! crucify him!
A MESSENGER, to PILATE. Thy wife sends | |
| This message to thee,—Have thou naught to do | |
| With that just man; for I this day in dreams | |
| Have suffered many things because of him. | 20 |
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PILATE, aside. The Gods speak to us in our dreams! I tremble | |
| At what I have to do! O Claudia, | |
| How shall I save him? Yet one effort more, | |
| Or he must perish! Washes his hands before them. I am innocent | |
| Of the blood of this just person; see ye to it! | 25 |
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THE PEOPLE. Let his blood be on us and on our children | |
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VOICES, within the palace. Put on thy royal robes; put on thy crown, | |
| And take thy sceptre! Hail, thou King of the Jews! | |
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PILATE. I bring him forth to you, that ye may know | |
| I find no fault in him. Behold the man! CHRISTUS is led in with the purple robe and crown of thorns. | 30 |
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CHIEF PRIESTS and OFFICERS. Crucify him! crucify him!
PILATE. Take ye him; | |
I find no fault in him.
CHIEF PRIESTS. We have a Law, | |
| And by our Law he ought to die; because | |
| He made himself to be the Son of God. | |
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PILATE, aside. Ah! there are Sons of God, and demi-gods | 35 |
| More than ye know, ye ignorant High-Priests! | |
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To CHRISTUS. Whence art thou?
CHIEF PRIESTS. Crucify him! crucify him | |
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PILATE, to CHRISTUS. Dost thou not answer me? Dost thou not know | |
| That I have power enough to crucify thee? | |
| That I have also power to set thee free? | 40 |
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CHRISTUS. Thou couldest have no power at all against me | |
| Except that it were given thee from above; | |
| Therefore hath he that sent me unto thee | |
The greater sin.
CHIEF PRIESTS. If thou let this man go, | |
| Thou art not Cæsar’s friend. For whosoever | 45 |
| Maketh himself a King, speaks against Cæsar. | |
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PILATE. Ye Jews, behold your King!
CHIEF PRIESTS. Away with him! | |
Crucify him!
PILATE. Shall I crucify your King? | |
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CHIEF PRIESTS. We have no King but Cæsar!
PILATE Take him, then, | |
| Take him, ye cruel and bloodthirsty Priests, | 50 |
| More merciless than the plebeian mob, | |
| Who pity and spare the fainting gladiator | |
| Blood-stained in Roman amphitheatres,— | |
| Take him, and crucify him if ye will; | |
| But if the immortal Gods do ever mingle | 55 |
| With the affairs of mortals, which I doubt not, | |
| And hold the attribute of justice dear, | |
| They will commission the Eumenides | |
| To scatter you to the four winds of heaven, | |
| Exacting tear for tear, and blood for blood. | 60 |
| Here, take ye this inscription, Priests, and nail it | |
| Upon the cross, above your victim’s head: | |
| Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. | |
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CHIEF PRIESTS. Nay, we entreat! write not, the King of the Jews; | |
| But that he said: I am the King of the Jews! | 65 |
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PILATE. Enough. What I have written, I have written. | |
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