CHAPTER I.

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INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY.

THE SILVER CROSS

OR

The Carpenter of Nazareth

A Translation from the French

OF

EUGENE SUE

[image of the logo of the publisher]

NEW YORK:

Published by the INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING Co.,

23 Duane Street.

1899.

PREFACE.

Eugene Sue wrote in French a monumental work: "The Mysteries of the

People," or "History of a Proletarian Family." It is a "work of

fiction;" yet it is the best universal history extant: better than any

work, avowedly on history, it graphically traces the special features of

the several systems of class-rule as they have succeeded each other from

epoch to epoch, together with the nature of the struggle between the

contending classes. The "Law," "Order," "Patriotism," "Religion," etc.,

etc., that each successive tyrant class, despite its change of form,

hysterically sought refuge in to justify its criminal existence whenever

threatened; the varying economic causes of the oppression of the

toilers; the mistakes incurred by these in their struggles for redress;

the varying fortunes of the conflict;--all these social dramas are

therein reproduced in a majestic series of "historic novels," covering

leading and successive episodes in the history of the race.

The work here published in English garb is one of these historic novels.

It is chosen because of its singular fitness to modern times in one

important respect:--the unity of action of the oppressors, despite

hostile politico-material interests and clashing religious views; the

hypocrisy that typifies them all; the oneness of fundamental purpose

that animates pulpit, professorial chair or public office in possession

of a plundering class; and, last not least, the identity of the methods

pursued and the pretences seized by the plundering and ruling class, at

that long ago critical period in the history of the human race, when the

pre-feudal colossus of the Roman Empire was, by force of its own power,

beginning to strangle itself, and, at the present or third critical

period, when the grand-child of that ROMAN SYSTEM and child of

FEUDALISM,--CAPITALISM--, is now in turn, likewise by virtue of its own

ripened colossal power, throttling itself to death, and, with its death

throes, heralding the advent of a new civilization--the SOCIALIST SOCIAL

SYSTEM.

"The Silver Cross," or "The Carpenter of Nazareth," is a pathetic page

from history that holds the mirror up to the Capitalist Class--its

orators, pulpiteers, politicians, lawyers, together with all its other

menials of high and low degree--, and, by the reflexion cast, enlightens

and warns.

D. D. L.

NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 1898.

THE SILVER CROSS

--OR:--

THE CARPENTER OF NAZARETH.

CHAPTER I.

It was about the fifteenth year of the reign of the Emperor Tiberius

that I, Genevieve, a slave of Aurelia, the wife of a Roman named Gremion

and located in Marseilles, departed from Marseilles with my mistress and

her husband for Judea.

The dominion of the Romans, at that period, extended from one end of the

world to the other. Judea had submitted to them, as a dependence of the

province of Syria, governed by a magistrate from Rome. Several vessels

departed from Marseilles for the country of the Israelites. My master,

Gremion, a relative of the Roman Procurator in Judea named Pontius

Pilate, was chosen to replace in that country the treasury-tribune,

appointed to collect the taxes; for wherever the Roman dominion

established itself, the exaction of taxes was established at the same

time.

One evening there was, at Jerusalem, a grand supper at Pontius Pilate's,

Procurator in the country of the Israelites, for the Emperor Tiberius.

Towards the decline of the day, the most brilliant society of the city

repaired to the house of the Roman seigneur. His mansion, like that of

all the rich persons of the country, was built of hewn stone, plastered

over with chalk, and painted a red color.

This sumptuous residence was entered by a square court, surrounded by

marble columns, forming a gallery. In the middle of this court there was

a fountain, which spread a delicious freshness beneath the scorching sun

of Arabia. An immense palm tree, planted near the fountain, covered it

with its shade during the heat of day. Next came a vestibule filled with

servants, and thence followed the dining hall, wainscotted with sandal

wood, inlaid with ivory.

Around the table were ranged beds of cedar-wood, hung with rich

draperies, on which the guests seated themselves during the repast. In

accordance with the custom of the country, the women who partook of the

dinner had each brought one of their slaves, who stood behind them

during the feast. It was thus that I, Genevieve, witnessed the scenes I

am about to narrate, having accompanied my mistress, Aurelia, to the

house of Pontius Pilate.

The society was select. Amongst the most distinguished guests were

remarked the Seigneur Baruch, a senator and doctor of law; the Seigneur

Chusa, steward of the household of Herod, tetrarch or prince of Judea,

under the protection of Rome; the Seigneur Gremion, newly arrived from

Roman Gaul, as clerk of the treasury in Judea; the Seigneur Jonas, one

of the richest bankers in Jerusalem; and lastly, the Seigneur Caiphus,

one of the princes of the Hebrew church.

Amongst the number of women who were present at the feast were Lucretia,

the wife of Pontius Pilate; Aurelia, the wife of Gremion; and Jane, the

wife of Chusa. The two prettiest women of the assembly, who on this

night supped with Pontius Pilate, were Jane and Aurelia. Jane had that

beauty peculiar to the orientals; large black eyes, soft and piercing,

and teeth of a snowy whiteness, which her dark complexion rendered still

more dazzling. Her turban, of rich Tyrian cloth, and of a purple color,

encircled by a heavy gold chain, the two ends fell one on each shoulder,

encased her countenance half concealed by large tresses of black hair.

She was dressed in a long white robe, leaving bare her arms loaded with

gold bracelets. Over this robe, confined round her waist by a scarf of

purple cloth, similar to the turban, she wore a sort of spencer of

orange silk, without sleeves. The handsome features of Jane had an

expression full of gentleness, and her smile expressed an engaging

sweetness.

Aurelia, Gremion's wife, born of Roman parents, in southern Gaul, was

also beautiful, and wore, according to the fashion of her country, two

tunics, one a long one and red, the other short and clear blue; a gold

band confined her chestnut hair; her complexion was as fair as that of

Jane was dark; her large blue eyes beamed with delight, and her cheerful

smile announced an unalterable good humor.

The senator Baruch, one of the most learned doctors of the law, occupied

at this supper the place of honor. He appeared to be a perfect gourmand,

for his green turban was almost constantly close to his plate; two or

three times even he was obliged to loosen the belt that confined his

flowing violet robe, adorned with long silver fringe. The gluttony of

this fat seigneur made Jane and Aurelia often smile and whisper, new

friends as they were, and seated next each other, and behind whom stood

I, Genevieve, not losing one of their words, and equally attentive to

all that was said by the guests.

The Seigneur Jonas, one of the richest bankers of Jerusalem, wearing a

little yellow turban, and brown robe, and having a pointed grey beard,

resembled a bird of prey; he conversed from time to time, in a

suppressed tone, with doctor Baruch, who replied to him but rarely, and

without interrupting himself in his eating, whilst the high priest

Caiphus, Gremion, Pontius Pilate, and the other guests, also pursued

their conversation.

Towards the conclusion of the supper, the doctor of law, beginning to be

satisfied, wiped his greasy beard with the back of his hand, and said to

the treasury-receiver, newly arrived in Judea:

'Seigneur Gremion, are you getting accustomed to our poor country? Ah!

'tis a great change for you, who arrive from Roman Gaul. What a long

voyage you had!'

'I like to visit new countries,' replied Gremion, 'and I shall

frequently have occasion to travel through this in order to overlook the

bill-collectors.'

'Unfortunately for the Seigneur Gremion,' said the banker Jonas, 'he

arrives in Judea at a most unhappy time.'

'Why so, seigneur?' inquired Gremion.

'Are not civil troubles always bad times?' replied the banker.

'No doubt, seigneur Jonas; but what troubles do you refer to?'

'My friend Jonas,' observed Baruch, the learned doctor, 'alludes to the

deplorable disorders which that vagabond of Nazareth everywhere draws

after him, and which increase every day.'

'Ah! yes,' said Gremion, 'that ancient journeyman carpenter of Galilee,

born in a stable, and son of a plough maker? He is running about the

country, they say, and you call him....'

'If we give him the name he deserves,' exclaimed the learned doctor in

an angry tone, 'he would be called the vagabond, the impious, the

seditious; but he bears the name of Jesus.'

'Right. A boaster,' said Pontius Pilate, shrugging his shoulders after

emptying his cup, 'a fool, who talks to geese: nothing more.'

'Seigneur Pontius Pilate!' exclaimed the doctor of law in a tone of

reproach: 'I do not comprehend you! What! You who represent here the

august Emperor Tiberius, our protector, among us honest and peaceable

people, for without your troops, the populace would long ago have risen

against Herod; but prince, you pretend to be indifferent to the words

and acts of this Nazarene; you treat him as a madman. Ah! Seigneur

Pontius Pilate, to-day is not the first time I have told you this;

madmen like this one are public pests!'

'And I repeat to you, seigneurs,' replied Pontius Pilate, extending his

empty cup to his slave standing behind him, 'I repeat that you are

wrong to alarm yourselves; let the Nazarene speak, and his words will

pass like the wind.'

'Seigneur Baruch, you wish much harm to this young man of Nazareth,

then!' said Jane in her gentle voice; 'you cannot hear his name

pronounced without getting in a rage.'

'Certainly, I wish him harm,' replied the learned doctor; 'and it is but

justice, for this Nazarene, who respects nothing, has not only insulted

me, personally, but he has also insulted all my brethren of the senate

in my person. For do you know what he dared to say in the Temple on

seeing me pass?'

'Let us hear the terrible words, Seigneur Baruch,' said Jane, smiling;

'for they must indeed be frightful!'

'Frightful is not enough; 'tis abominable, monstrous, you must say!'

replied the doctor of law; 'I was passing the Temple, then, the other

day; I had just been dining with my neighbor, Samuel; at a distance I

saw a group of beggars in rags, workmen, camel-drivers, men who let out

asses, disreputable women, tattered children, and other individuals of

the most dangerous sort; they were listening to a young man mounted on a

stone. He was holding forth with all his power. Suddenly he pointed at

me; all the vagabonds turn round towards me, and I hear the Nazarene,

for it was he, I could have divined him simply from the circle round

him, I heard the Nazarene say to these good-for-nothings, 'Beware of

these doctors of the law, who love to parade in their long robes, to be

saluted on the public place, to have the highest seats in the

synagogues, and the best places at the feasts.'

'You will admit, Seigneur Pontius Pilate,' said Jonas the banker, 'that

it is impossible for audacity and personality to go further.'

'But it seems to me,' said Aurelia to Jane quietly, in remarking to her

that the learned doctor had precisely the seat of honor at the feast,

'it seems to me that the Seigneur Baruch has a great affection for these

places.'

'That is the very reason why he is so furious against the young man of

Nazareth, who has a horror of all hypocrisy,' replied Jane.

Baruch continued, more and more furious: "But here, dear seigneur, is

something more abominable still: 'beware,' added the seditious vagabond,

'beware of those doctors of the law who devour the houses of the widows

under pretence of making long prayers. These persons,' and the audacious

fellow again pointed me out, 'these persons will be punished more

rigorously than the others.' Yes, this is what I heard the Nazarene say

in direct words. And now, Seigneur Pontius Pilate, I declare to you, if

you do not repress at once this unbridled license, which dares attack

the authority of the doctors of the law, that is, law and authority

themselves, if they are thus allowed to signalize the senators with

impunity to public scorn and contempt we are treading on a precipice!"

'Let him talk,' said Pontius Pilate, again emptying his cup; 'let him

talk, and let us live and enjoy!'

"To live and enjoy is not possible, Seigneur Pontius Pilate, when we

foresee great disasters,' replied the banker Jonas; 'I declare that the

fears of my worthy friend Baruch are well-founded.--Yes, and like him I

repeat, 'we are treading on a precipice;' this carpenter of Nazareth

has an audacity that passes all bounds; he respects nothing, nothing;

yesterday 'twas the law, authority, he attacked in their

representatives; to-day 'tis the rich against whom he excites the dregs

of the populace. Has he not dared to pronounce these execrable words:

'It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a

rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.'"

At this citation of the Seigneur Jonas, all the guests exclaimed, at one

moment, ''Tis abominable!'

'What shall we come to?'

'To an abyss; as the Seigneur Baruch has so well demonstrated!'

'And so, all of us, who possess gold in our coffers, are thus doomed to

eternal fire!'

'Compared to camels, that cannot pass through the eye of a needle!'

'And these monstrosities are said and repeated by the Nazarene to the

dregs of the populace; to excite them to the pillage of the rich. Is it

not basely flattering the detestable passions of these tattered

vagabonds, whom Jesus of Nazareth takes such delight in, and with whom,

they say, he gets drunk?'

'I cannot find fault with the fellow for being fond of wine,' said

Pontius Pilate, laughing, and extending his cup to his slave. 'Drinkers

are not dangerous men.'

"But this is not all," said Caiphus, the high priest: "not only does

this Nazarene outrage law, authority, and the possession of riches; he

attacks no less audaciously the religion of our fathers. Thus

Deuteronomy explicitly says, 'You shall not lend in usury to your

brother, but only to strangers'--remark well this, 'but only to

strangers.' Well, despising the precepts of our holy religion, the

Nazarene arrogates to himself the right of saying: 'Do good to all, and

lend without expecting anything;' and he took care to add: 'You cannot

serve God and Mammon.' So that religion declares formally that it is

lawful to obtain a profit for one's money from strangers; whilst the

Nazarene, blaspheming the holy scriptures in one of its most pre-eminent

dogmas, denies what it affirms, and defends what it permits."

'My condition as a heathen,' replied Pontius Pilate, more and more

good-humored, 'does not permit me to take part in such a discussion; I

will inwardly invoke our god Bacchus. Some wine, slave! some wine!'

'Nevertheless, Seigneur Pontius Pilate,' said the banker, Jonas, who

seemed with difficulty to restrain the rage which the indifference of

the Roman caused him, 'even putting aside whatever sacrilege there may

be in the proposition of the Nazarene, you will admit that it is one of

the most outrageous; for, my seigneurs, I ask you, what would then

become of our commerce?'

''Tis the ruin of public wealth!'

"What would they have me do with the gold in my coffers if I made no

profit from it; if I lend 'without expecting anything,' as this

audacious reformer says? It would make one laugh if it was not so

odious."

'And it does not even concern an isolated attack, directed against our

holy religion,' said Caiphus, the priest. 'With the Nazarene 'tis a

settled plan to outrage and undermine at its base the faith of our

fathers; here is a fresh proof: lately the sick were plunged into the

pool of Bethesda.'

'Near the Gate of the Lambs?'

'Precisely; and the day was the Sabbath. Now you know, seigneurs, how

sacred and solemn is the prohibition against doing anything whatsoever

on the Sabbath day.'

'For a religious man, 'tis doing a terrible impiety.'

'Now judge of the Nazarene's conduct,' continued Caiphus: 'he goes to

the pool, and observe, too, that by a cunning villany, and in order to

ruin the physicians, he never receives a penny for cures, for he is

deeply skilled in the healing art.'

'How could you imagine, Seigneur Caiphus, that a man who respects

nothing would respect even the physicians?'

'The Nazarene arrives at the pool, then; he finds there, amongst others,

a man whose foot was dislocated; he replaces it for him.'

'What! on the Sabbath day?'

'He dared!'

'Abomination of desolation!'

'Heal the sick on the Sabbath day!'

'What sacrilege!'

'Yes, seigneurs,' replied the high priest, in a mournful voice; 'he has

committed this sacrilege.'

'Now, if the young man had not healed the sufferer,' said Aurelia to

Jane, smiling, 'I could understand their rage.'

'Such an impiety deserves the worst punishment; for it is impossible to

outrage religion more abominably!'

'And do not imagine,' continued Caiphus, 'that the Nazarene dissembles

the sacrileges or blushes at them; far from it; he blasphemes to that

degree as to say that he laughs at the Sabbath, and that those who

observe it are hypocrites.'

A general murmur of indignation acknowledged the words of the high

priest, so abominable did the impiety of the Nazarene appear to the

guests of Pontius Pilate; but the latter, emptying cup after cup,

appeared to trouble himself no further as to what was being said around

him.

'No, Seigneur Caiphus,' said the banker Jonas, with an air of amazement;

'if it were not you who affirmed such enormities, I should hesitate to

believe them.'

'I speak to the purpose, for I had the happy idea, I think, of bribing

some very artful fellows who feign to be the partizans of this Nazarene;

they therefore make him speak; he yields without suspicion, converses

frankly with our men, and then these come immediately and report all to

us.'

''Twas a most excellent idea of yours, Seigneur Caiphus,' said Jonas the

banker: 'honor to you!'

'It is, therefore, owing to these emissaries,' continued the high

priest, 'that I was informed that the day before yesterday this Nazarene

pronounced inflammatory words capable of inducing the slaves to cut the

throats of their masters.'

'What a wretch!'

'But what does he want?'

"Seigneur, here are his words,' said Caiphus, 'listen well: 'The

disciple is no more than the master, nor the slave more than his lord;

'tis enough for the disciple to be equal with his master, and for the

slave with his lord.'"

A fresh murmur of furious indignation was heard. 'Only see the fine

concession this Nazarene deigns to make to you,' exclaimed the banker

Jonas.--'Really, 'tis enough for the slave to be equal to his lord! You

concede us this, Jesus of Nazareth! You permit the slave not to be

greater than his lord: many thanks!'

'And mark,' added the doctor of law, 'mark the consequences of these

frightful doctrines, if they were ever published; and we may speak thus

between ourselves, now that our servants have quitted the festive hall;

for, in fact, the day on which the slave shall think himself the equal

of his master, he will say to himself: if I am the equal of my master,

he has no longer the right to keep me in servitude, and I have the right

to rebel. Now, my lords, you know what such a revolt would be! It would

be the end of society!'

'The end of the world!'

'Chaos!' exclaimed Doctor Baruch; 'for chaos must succeed to the

unchaining of the most detestable popular passions, and the Nazarene

only flatters them in order to unloosen them; he promises mountains and

marvels to these miserables, to make proselytes of them; he flatters

their hateful envy by telling them that at the day of judgment, the

first shall be last, and the last shall be first.'

'Yes, in the kingdom of heaven,' said Jane, in a mild but firm voice:

''tis thus I understand the young master.'

"Ah! really?' said the Seigneur Chusa, her husband, in a sardonic tone,

'it simply alludes to the kingdom of heaven? You think so? Why then,

some time ago, did one named Peter, one of his disciples, I believe, say

to him in plain terms, 'Master, if we abandon all and follow thee, what

shall we have in return for it?'"

'This Peter was a cautious man,' said Jonas the banker, in a tone of

raillery; 'this worthy didn't like working for nothing.'

'To this question of Peter's,' said Chusa, 'what did the Nazarene reply,

in order to excite the cupidity of the brigands, whom sooner or later he

will make his instruments?'

"He replied in these very words: 'He who abandons house, brothers,

sisters, father, mother, children and fields for me and for the gospel,

shall receive for the present a hundred fold more than he abandons, and

in future ages, life eternal.'"

'For the present, that's quite clear,' said Doctor Baruch, 'he promises

for the present to the men of his band a hundred houses in lieu of one

they quit to follow him; a field a hundred times larger than that they

abandon; and, in addition, for the future, in after ages, he assures

these miscreants a life eternal! Now where will he obtain these hundred

houses for one?' continued Jonas the banker: 'yes, where will he get

them; these fields promised to the vagabonds? He will take them from us,

the possessors of wealth, us, the camels, for whom the entrance to

Paradise is as narrow as the eye of a needle, because we are rich.'

'I think, seigneurs,' said Jane, 'that you do not rightly interpret the

words of the young master: they have a figurative sense.'

'Really!' exclaimed Jane's husband in a tone of irony: 'well, let us try

this wonderful figure.'

'When Jesus of Nazareth says, that those who will follow him shall have

for the present a hundred times more than what they abandon, he means by

that, I think, that the consciousness of preaching good news, the love

of our neighbor, the compassion for the suffering and the feeble, will

compensate fourfold for the renunciation we have imposed on ourselves.'

These wise and gentle words of Jane were but ill received by the guests

of Pontius Pilate; and the high priest exclaimed:

'I pity your wife, Seigneur Chusa, for being like so many others,

blinded by the Nazarene. He simply requires good materials; for here is

something a little stronger. He has the audacity to send the vagabonds,

whom he calls his disciples, to establish themselves, to eat and drink

as they like in houses, without paying anything, under pretence of

preaching in them his abominable doctrines.'

'How, seigneurs,' said Gremion, 'in your country such violences are

possible, and remain unpunished? People come to your house and establish

themselves by force, and eat and drink there under the pretence of

holding forth?'

'Those who receive the disciples of the young man of Nazareth,' replied

Jane, 'receive them voluntarily.'

'Yes,' said Jonas, 'some of them; but the majority of those who harbor

these vagabonds yield to fear, to threats; or, according to the orders

of the Nazarene, those who refuse to lodge these idle vagabonds are

doomed by him to eternal fire.'

Fresh clamors arose at the narration of the further misdeeds of the

Nazarene.

''Tis an intolerable tyranny!'

'There must be an end put to such indignities, however.'

''Tis an organized pillage!'

'Consequently,' said the banker Jonas, 'the Seigneur Baruch was

perfectly right in saying, it is straight to chaos that this Nazarene is

leading us, to whom nothing is sacred; for I repeat, not content with

endeavoring to destroy the law, authority, property, and religion, he

would, to crown his infernal work, destroy all family ties!'

'Why, he is your Beelzebub in person!' exclaimed Gremion.

'What! my lords, this Nazarene would annihilate all family ties!'

'Yes, annihilate them by dividing them,' said Caiphus: 'annihilate them

by sowing discord and hatred in the domestic hearth! by arming the son

against the father! and servants against their masters!'

'Seigneurs,' continued Gremion, with an air of doubt, 'can a project so

abominable enter the head of a man?'

"Of a man, no," replied the high priest; "but of a Beelzebub like this

Nazarene; here's the proof from the undoubted report of the emissaries,

whom I spoke of; this cursed fellow pronounced the other day, the

horrible words following, speaking to the bands of beggars who never

quit him: 'Believe not that I have come to bring peace on earth, I have

brought the sword: I am come to bring fire on the earth, and all my

desire is that it may rise to a flame: it is disunion, I repeat, and not

peace, that I bring you; I am come to sow division between the father

and the son, the daughter and the mother, the daughter-in-law and the

mother-in-law: a man's own servants shall declare themselves his

enemies; in every house of five persons, two of them shall be against

the other three.'"

'Why, 'tis frightful!' exclaimed at once the banker Jonas, and the

intendant Chusa.

''Tis preaching the dissolution of family by hatred.'

''Tis preaching civil war!' exclaimed Gremion, the Roman: 'social war,

like that stirred up by Spartacus, the rebellious slave.'

"What! he has the hardihood to say, 'I am come to bring fire on the

earth, and all I desire is that it may rise to a flame; a man's own

servants shall declare themselves his enemies: in every house of five

persons, there shall be two against the others!' it is, as he had the

infernal audacity to say, 'bringing fire on the earth.'"

Jane had listened with painful impatience to all the accusations made

against the Nazarene; she therefore cried with a firm and animated

voice:

'Ah! my seigneurs, I am tired of listening to your calumnies; you do not

comprehend the sense of the words of the young man of Nazareth to his

disciples. When he speaks of the divisions that will spring up in

families, it signifies that in one house, some sharing his doctrine of

love and tenderness to one's neighbor, which he preaches from his heart

and lips, and the others persisting in their hardness of heart, they

shall be divided; he means that servants shall declare themselves the

enemies of their masters, if the master has been wicked and unjust; he

means, lastly, that in every family some shall be for and some against

him.

'Can it be otherwise? He recommends the renunciation of riches; he

proclaims the slave the equal of his master; he consoles, he pardons

those who have sinned more in consequence of their misery and their

ignorance than from a wicked nature. All men therefore cannot at once

share his generous doctrines. What new truth did not at first cause

division amongst them?

'Thus the young man of Nazareth says, in his figurative language, that

he is come to bring fire on earth, and that his desire is that it may

kindle! Oh, yes, I believe so; for the fire of which he speaks is the

ardent love of humanity with which his heart is fired.'

Jane, in thus expressing herself, in a calm and vibrating voice, looked

still more handsome; Aurelia, her new friend, contemplated her with as

much surprise as admiration. The guests of the Seigneur Pontius Pilate,

on the contrary, raised murmurs of astonishment and indignation, and

Chusa, Jane's husband, said to her harshly:

'You are mad, and I am ashamed of your words. It is incredible that a

woman who respects herself can dare, without dying of confusion, defend

such abominable doctrines, preached in the market-place, or in ignoble

taverns, in the midst of vagabonds, thieves and prostitutes, the usual

body-guard of the Nazarene.'

"The young man, replying to those who reproached him with this wicked

congregation, did he not say," continued Jane in a voice still firm and

sonorous: "It is not those who are well but those who are sick, who have

need of the physician?' meaning by this parable that it is the people

whose life is wicked who have especial need of being enlightened,

supported, guided, loved; yes, I repeat, loved and consoled, to return

to good; for mercy and gentleness do more than violence and punishment;

and this tender and pious task, Jesus imposes on himself every day!"

'And for my part, I repeat to you,' exclaimed Chusa in a rage: 'that the

Nazarene only thus flatters the detestable passions of the vile populace

amidst which he passes his life, in order to make rebels of them, at a

fitting opportunity, to declare himself their chief, and to deliver up

all in Jerusalem and Judea to fire, sword, and pillage! since he has the

audacity to say that he does not bring peace on earth, but the sword,

but fire....'

These words of Herod's steward were greatly approved of by the guests of

Pontius Pilate, who seemed more and more astonished at the silence of

the Roman Procurator; for the latter, frequently emptying his large cup,

smiled more and more good-humoredly at each enormity with which the

young Nazarene was reproached. Aurelia had attentively listened to the

wife of Herod's intendant so courageously defending the young preacher,

so that she said to her quietly: 'Dear Jane, you cannot tell how

desirous I am of seeing this young Nazarene of whom they speak so much

evil, and of whom you speak so much good; he must be an extraordinary

man!'

'Oh, yes; extraordinary for his beauty,' replied Jane softly: 'if you

knew how gentle his voice is when speaking to the feeble, to the

suffering, and to children, oh, especially to little children! He loves

them to adoration; when he sees them his features assume a celestial

expression.'

'Jane,' resumed Aurelia, smiling; 'he is very handsome, then?'

'Oh, yes, yes; handsome, handsome as an archangel!'

'How anxious I am to see him, to hear him!' continued Aurelia, in a

manner more and more interested. 'But alas! how is it to be done, if he

has always such an assemblage round him? A woman cannot risk herself in

the taverns in which he preaches, as they say?'

Jane remained thoughtful for a moment, she then resumed: 'Who knows,

dear Aurelia, perhaps we may find means to see and hear the young man of

Nazareth.'

'Oh! speak,' exclaimed Aurelia, eagerly: 'speak at once, dear Jane; what

means?'

'Silence, we are observed,' replied Jane, 'by and bye we will talk over

it.'

In fact the Seigneur Chusa, very indignant at the obstinacy of his wife

in defending the young Nazarene, occasionally threw upon her angry looks

while conversing with Caiphus.

Pontius Pilate had once more emptied his large goblet, and with his

cheeks inflamed, his eyes fixed and sparkling, and a complete stranger

to all that was passing around him, he seemed to be enjoying an extreme

inward beatitude. The Seigneur Baruch, after consulting in a low tone

with Caiphus and the banker, said to the Roman: 'Seigneur Pontius

Pilate!' But the Seigneur Pontius Pilate, smiling more and more to

himself, made no reply; the doctor of law was obliged to touch him on

the arm. The Procurator, now appearing to awake suddenly, said: 'Excuse

me, my seigneurs, I was thinking, I was thinking of ..., but what is it

all?'

'It is, Seigneur Pontius Pilate,' replied Doctor Baruch, 'that if, after

all that my friends and myself have narrated to you of the abominable

projects of this Nazarene, you do not proceed against him with the

greatest rigour, you, the representative of the august Emperor Tiberius,

the natural protector of Herod, our prince, it will happen that....'

'Well! what will happen, my seigneurs?'

'It will happen that before next Easter, Jerusalem, the whole of Judea,

will be given up to pillage by the act of this Nazarene, whom the

populace already calls the King of the Jews.'

Pontius Pilate replied, maintaining that tranquil and careless manner

that characterized him: 'Come, my seigneurs, don't take bushes for

forests, or molehills for mountains! Is it for me to remind you of your

history? Is this boy of Nazareth the first who has bethought him of

playing the part of a Messiah? Have you not had Judas the Galilean, who

pretended that the Israelites were to acknowledge no master but God, and

who endeavored to stir up the population against the power of us Romans?

What happened? This Judas was put to death; and it shall be the same

with this young Nazarene if he thinks of exciting rebellion.'

'No doubt, seigneur,' replied Caiphus, the high priest.

'The Nazarene is not the first impostor who has proclaimed himself the

Messiah which our holy scriptures have announced for so many ages. For

fifty years past, not to speak of recent facts, Jonathan, and after him,

Simon, the magician, surnamed the Great Virtue of God; then Barkokebah,

the Son of the Star, and many other pretended Messiahs or Saviors, and

regenerators of the country of Israel! But none of these cheats had the

influence of this Nazarene, and especially his infernal audacity; they

did not, like him, furiously attack the rich, the doctors of law, the

priests, family, and religion; in fact, all that should be respected,

under pain of seeing Israel fall into chaos.

'Those other impostors did not address themselves specially and

constantly, like the Nazarene, to the dregs of the populace, of which he

disposes in a fearful manner; for indeed, only lately the Seigneur

Baruch, weary of the public outrages with which the Nazarene pursued the

Pharisees, that is, the most respectable persons of Jerusalem, who

profess the pharisaical opinions, so honest, so moderate in all things,

the Seigneur Baruch, I say, wished to imprison the Nazarene; but the

attitude of the populace became so menacing that my noble friend Baruch

dared not give the order to arrest this wicked man.

'Thus, then, Seigneur Pontius Pilate, you have at your disposal a

considerable armed force: if you do not come to our aid, who have at our

disposition only a feeble militia, a portion of which is no less

infected than the populace with the detestable doctrines of the

Nazarene, we will not answer for the public peace; and a popular rising

against your own troops is possible.'

'Oh! as to that, my seigneur,' replied Pontius Pilate, smiling, 'you

will find me the first prepared, helmet on head, cuirass on back, and

sword in hand, if the Nazarene dare revolt the populace against my

troops; as for the rest, by Jupiter, unravel your skein yourselves if

'tis in a mess, my seigneurs: these interior affairs concern you alone,

you senators of the city. Arrest the young man, imprison him, crucify

him if he deserves it, 'tis your right, make use of it; as for me, I

represent here the emperor, my master; as long as his power is not

attacked, I shall not budge.'

"And besides, Seigneur Procurator," said Jane, "has not the young man of

Nazareth said: 'Render unto God that which is God's, and unto Cæsar that

which is Cæsar's?'"

''Tis true, noble Jane,' replied Pontius Pilate; 'and there is a wide

difference between that and a wish to stir up the people against the

Roman.'

'But do you not see, then, seigneur,' exclaimed Doctor Baruch, 'that

this cheat acts in this way from hypocrisy, that he might not arouse

your suspicions, and that, the hour arrived, he will call the populace

to arms?'

'In that event, my seigneurs,' replied Pontius Pilate, again emptying

his cup, 'the Nazarene will find me prepared to receive him at the head

of my cohorts; but until then I have nothing to do with your broils.'

At this moment a Roman officer entered in a state of bewilderment, and

said to Pontius Pilate: 'Seigneur Procurator, strange news has just

arrived here.'

'What is it?'

'A great popular emotion is caused by Jesus of Nazareth.'

'Poor young man!' said Aurelia, addressing Jane: 'he is the sport of

misfortune; every one is against him!'

'Let us listen,' said Jane anxiously: 'let us listen!'

'You see, Seigneur Pontius Pilate,' exclaimed at the same time the high

priest, the doctor, and the banker, 'not a day passes on which this

Nazarene does not disturb the public peace.'

'Answer me,' said the governor to the officer:--'what does it concern?'

"Some people arrived from Bethany pretend that three days ago, Jesus of

Nazareth brought the dead to life: all the people in the town are in

extraordinary commotion; bands of ragged fellows are at the present

moment running about the streets of Jerusalem, with torches crying:

'Glory to Jesus of Nazareth, who brings the dead to life!'"

'The audacious knave!' exclaimed Caiphus: 'to try to imitate our holy

prophets! to imitate Elias, who resuscitated the son of the widow: of

Elisha, who resuscitated Joreb! Profanation, profanation!'

'He is an impostor!' exclaimed Jonas: ''tis impious, sacrilegious

deception! Our holy scriptures announce that the Messiah shall bring the

dead to life. The Nazarene would play his character to the end.'

'They go so far as to give the name of the dead man resuscitated,'

observed the officer: 'he is named Lazarus!'

'I demand from the Seigneur Pontius Pilate,' exclaimed Caiphus, 'that

they discover and arrest this Lazarus on the instant!'

'There must be an example,' exclaimed the doctor of law: 'this Lazarus

must be hung! this will teach him to come to life!'

'Do you hear them? they will put this poor man to death,' said Aurelia,

addressing Jane, and shrugging her shoulders: 'to lose one's life,

because we have regained it despite ourself! for they will not accuse

him, I suppose, of soliciting to be resuscitated: decidedly they are

mad.'

'Alas! dear Aurelia,' said Chusa's wife mournfully, 'there are wicked

madmen.'

'I repeat,' exclaimed Doctor Baruch, 'that this Lazarus must be hung.'

'Stuff! my seigneurs: why, look you, here is an honest corpse sleeping

tranquilly in its sepulchre, not thinking of any harm; he is brought to

life; he cannot help it, and you would have me hang him for this?'

'Yes, seigneur,' exclaimed Caiphus; 'we must extirpate the disease at

the root; for if this Nazarene now takes to resuscitating the dead....'

'It is impossible to foresee where it will end,' cried Doctor Baruch: 'I

therefore formally demand of the Seigneur Pontius Pilate, that this

audacious Lazarus be put to death!'

'But, seigneur,' said Aurelia, 'suppose you hang him, and the young

Nazarene resuscitates him again?'

'We will hang him again! Dame Aurelia!' exclaimed Jonas, the banker: 'We

will hang him again! By Joshua! it would be a joke to yield to these

vagabonds!'

'My seigneurs!' said Pontius Pilate: 'you have your militia, arrest and

hang this Lazarus, if you like; but you will be more unmerciful than we

heathens, whether Greeks or Romans, who, like you, have had our

resuscitated. But, by Jupiter! we do not hang them; for I have heard it

said that quite recently Apollonius of Tyana resuscitated a young girl,

whose funeral he met, followed by her betrothed in great trouble.

Apollonius spoke a few magic words, the young girl issued from her

coffin, more fresh, more charming than ever. The marriage took place,

and the pair lived very happy.'

'Would you then have the poor girl die a second time, my seigneurs?'

inquired Aurelia.

'Yes, certainly,' replied Caiphus, 'if she was the accomplice of an

impostor; and since the seigneur Procurator leaves us abandoned to our

own forces, I and my worthy friend Baruch will quit you, that we may

give instant orders relative to the arrest of this Lazarus.'

'Do so, my seigneurs,' replied Pontius Pilate, rising, 'you are senators

of your city.'

'Seigneur Gremion,' said Chusa, the steward of Herod's household, 'I

must depart the day after to-morrow for Bethlehem: if you would like

that we should travel in company, I will anticipate my departure by a

day, and will start to-morrow morning, we shall return in two or three

days; I shall take advantage of your escort, for in these troubled times

it is right to be well accompanied.'

'I accept your offer, Seigneur Chusa,' replied the treasury-receiver; 'I

shall be delighted to journey with some one who, like yourself, knows

the country.'

'Dear Aurelia,' said Jane to her friend softly, 'you wish to see the

young man of Nazareth?'

'Oh! more than ever, dear Jane; all that I hear redoubles my curiosity.'

'Come to my house to-morrow, after the departure of my husband,' resumed

Jane in a low tone, 'and perhaps we may find means of satisfying you.'

'But how?'

'I will tell you, dear Aurelia.'

'To-morrow then, dear Jane.'

And the two young women quitted, in company with their husbands and me,

the slave Genevieve, the house of Pontius Pilate.