The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. - documenta ...

The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.Anne Catherine Emmerich236Jesus was conducted by a narrow back street, that the procession might not inconvenience thepersons who were going to the Temple, and likewise in order that Pilate and his band might havethe whole principal street entirely to themselves. The crowd had dispersed and started in differentdirections almost immediately after the reading of the sentence, and the greatest part of the Jewseither returned to their own houses, or to the Temple, to hasten their preparations for sacrificingthe Paschal Lamb; but a certain number were still hurrying on in disorder to see the melancholyprocession pass; the Roman soldiers prevented all persons from joining the procession, thereforethe most curious were obliged to go round by back streets, or to quicken their steps so as to reachCalvary before Jesus. The street through which they led Jesus was both narrow and dirty; he sufferedmuch in passing through it, because the archers were close and harassed him. Persons stood on theroofs of the houses, and at the windows, and insulted him with opprobrious language; the slaveswho were working in the streets threw filth and mud at him; even the children, incited by hisenemies, had filled their pinafores with sharp stones, which they throw down before their doors ashe passed, that he might be obliged to walk over them.CHAPTER XXXI.The first Fall of Jesus.237THE street of which we have just spoken, after turning a little to the left, became rather steep, asalso wider, a subterranean aqueduct proceeding from Mount Sion passed under it, and in its vicinitywas a hollow which was often filled with water and mud after rain, and a large stone was placedin its centre to enable persons to pass over more easily. When Jesus reached this spot, his strengthwas perfectly exhausted; he was quite unable to move; and as the archers dragged and pushed himwithout showing the slightest compassion, he fell quite down against this stone, and the cross fellby his side. The cruel executioners were obliged to stop, they abused and struck him unmercifully,but the whole procession came to a standstill, which caused a degree of confusion. Vainly did hehold out his hand for some one to assist him to rise: ‘Ah!’ he exclaimed, ‘all will soon be over;’and he prayed for his enemies. ‘Lift him up,’ said the Pharisees, I otherwise he will die in ourhands.’ There were many women and children following the procession; the former wept, and thelatter were frightened. Jesus, however, received support from above, and raised his head; but thesecruel men, far from endeavouring to alleviate his sufferings, put the crown of thorns again on hishead before they pulled him out of the mud, and no sooner was he once more on his feet than theyreplaced the cross on his back. The crown of thorns which encircled his head increased his paininexpressibly, and obliged him to bend on one side to give room for the cross, which lay heavilyon his shoulders.136