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The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.Anne Catherine Emmerichand her veil fell gracefully over her shoulders. She moved quietly, and although her heart was aprey to the most bitter grief, her countenance was calm and resigned. Her dress was moistened bythe dew which had fallen upon it during the night, and by the tears which she had shed in suchabundance; otherwise it was totally unsoiled. Her beauty was great, but indescribable, for it wassuperhuman—a mixture of majesty, sanctity, simplicity, and purity.The appearance of Mary Magdalen was totally different; she was taller and more robust, theexpression of her countenance Showed greater determination, but its beauty was almost destroyedby the strong passions which she had so long indulged, and by the violent repentance and grief shehad since felt. It was painful to look upon her; she was the very picture of despair, her longdishevelled hair was partly covered by her torn and wet veil, and her appearance was that of onecompletely absorbed by woe, and almost beside herself from sorrow. Many of the inhabitants ofMagdalum were standing near, gazing at her with surprise and curiosity, for they had known herin former days, first in prosperity and afterwards in degradation and consequent misery. Theypointed, they even cast mud upon her, but she saw nothing, knew nothing, and felt nothing, saveher agonising grief.220CHAPTER XXVI.The Crowning with Thorns.No sooner did Sister Emmerich recommence the narrative of her visions on the Passion than sheagain became extremely ill, oppressed with fever, and so tormented by violent thirst that her tonguewas perfectly parched and contracted; and on the Monday after Mid-Lent Sunday, she was soexhausted that it was not without great difficulty, and after many intervals of rest, that she narratedall which our Lord suffered in his crowning with thorns. She was scarcely able to speak, becauseshe herself felt every sensation which she described in the following account:Pilate harangued the populace many times during the time of the scourging of Jesus, but theyinterrupted him once, and vociferated, ‘He shall be executed, even if we die for it.’ When Jesuswas led into the guard-house, they all cried out again, ‘Crucify him, crucify him!’After this there was silence for a time. Pilate occupied himself in giving different orders to thesoldiers, and the servants of the High Priests brought them some refreshments; after which Pilate,whose superstitious tendencies made him uneasy in mind, went into the inner part of his palace inorder to consult his gods, and to offer them incense.When the Blessed Virgin and the holy women had gathered up the blood of Jesus, with which thepillar and the adjacent parts were saturated, they left the forum, and went into a neighbouring smallhouse, the owner of which I do not know. John was not, I think, present at the scourging of Jesus.126
The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.Anne Catherine Emmerich221A gallery encircled the inner court of the guard-house where our Lord was crowned with thorns,and the doors were open. The cowardly ruffians, who were eagerly waiting to gratify their crueltyby torturing and insulting our Lord, were about fifty in number, and the greatest part slaves orservants of the jailers and soldiers. The mob gathered round the building, but were soon displacedby a thousand Roman soldiers, who were drawn up in good order and stationed there. Althoughforbidden to leave their ranks, these soldiers nevertheless did their utmost by laughter and applauseto incite the cruel executioners to redouble their insults; and as public applause gives fresh energyto a comedian, so did their words of encouragement increase tenfold the cruelty of these men.In the middle of the court there stood the fragment of a pillar, and on it was placed a very low stoolwhich these cruel men maliciously covered with sharp flints and bits of broken potsherds. Thenthey tore off the garments of Jesus, thereby reopening all his wounds; threw over his shoulders anold scarlet mantle which barely reached his knees; dragged him to the seat prepared, and pushedhim roughly down upon it, having first placed the crown of thorns upon his head. The crown ofthorns was made of three branches plaited together, the greatest part of the thorns being purposelyturned inwards so as to pierce our Lord’s head. Having first placed these twisted branches on hisforehead, they tied them tightly together at the back of his head, and no sooner was this accomplishedto their satisfaction than they put a large reed into his hand, doing all with derisive gravity as ifthey were really crowning him king. They then seized the reed, and struck his head so violentlythat his eyes were filled with blood; they knelt before him, derided him, spat in his face, and buffetedhim, saying at the same time, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ Then they threw down his stool, pulled himup again from the ground on which he had fallen, and reseated him with the greatest possiblebrutality.222It is quite impossible to describe the cruel outrages which were thought of and perpetrated by thesemonsters under human form. The sufferings of Jesus from thirst, caused by the fever which hiswounds and sufferings had brought on, were intense. 13 He trembled all over, his flesh was tornpiecemeal, his tongue contracted, and the only refreshment he received was the blood which trickledfrom his head on to his parched lips. This shameful scene was protracted a full half-hour, and theRoman soldiers continued during the whole time to applaud and encourage the perpetration of stillgreater outrages.CHAPTER XXVII.13 These meditations on the sufferings of Jesus filled Sister Emmerich with such feelings of compassion that she begged of Godto allow her to suffer as he had done. She instantly became feverish and parched with thirst, and, by morning, was speechlessfrom the contraction of her tongue and of her lips. She was in this state when her friend came to her in the morning, and shelooked like a victim which had just been sacrificed. Those around succeeded, with some difficulty, in moistening her mouthwith a little water, but it was long before she could give any further details concerning her meditations on the Passion.127
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