The Carrying of the Cross.
When Pilate left the tribunal a portion of the soldiers followed
him, and were drawn up in files before the palace; a few accompanying
the criminals. Eight-and-twenty armed Pharisees came to the forum on
horseback, in order to accompany Jesus to the place of execution, and
among these were the six enemies of Jesus, who had assisted in
arresting him in the Garden of Olives. The archers led Jesus into the
middle of the court, the slaves threw down the cross at his feet, and
the two arms were forthwith tied on to the centre piece. Jesus knelt
down by its side, encircled it with his sacred arms, and kissed it
three times, addressing, at the same time, a most touching prayer of
thanksgiving to his Heavenly Father for that work of redemption which
he had begun. It was the custom among pagans for the priest to embrace
a new altar, and Jesus in like manner embraced his cross, that august
altar on which the bloody and expiatory sacrifice was about to be
offered. The archers soon made him rise, and then kneel down again, and
almost without any assistance, place the heavy cross on his right
shoulder, supporting its great weight with his right hand. I saw angels
come to his assistance, otherwise he would have been unable even to
raise it from the ground. Whilst he was on his knees, and still
praying, the executioners put the arms of the crosses, which were a
little curbed and not as yet fastened to the centre pieces, on the
backs of the two thieves, and tied their hands tightly to them. The
middle parts of the crosses were carried by slaves, as the transverse
pieces were not to be fastened to them until just before the time of
execution. The trumpet sounded to announce the departure of Pilate's
horsemen, and one of the Pharisees belonging to the escort came up to
Jesus, who was still kneeling, and said, 'Rise, we have had a sufficiency
of thy fine speeches; rise and set off.' They pulled him roughly up, for
he was totally unable to rise without assistance, and he then felt upon
his shoulders the weight of that cross which we must carry after him,
according to his true and holy command to follow him. Thus began that
triumphant march of the King of Kings, a march so ignominious on earth,
and so glorious in heaven.
By means of ropes, which the executioners had fastened to the foot
of the cross, two archers supported it to prevent its getting entangled
in anything, and four other soldiers took hold of the ropes, which they
had fastened to Jesus underneath his clothes. The sight of our dear
Lord trembling beneath his burden, reminded me forcibly of Isaac, when
he carried the wood destined for his own sacrifice up the mountains.
The trumpet of Pilate was sounded as the signal for departure, for he
himself intended to go to Calvary at the head of a detachment of
soldiers, to prevent the possibility of an insurrection. He was on
horseback, in armour, surrounded by officers and a body of cavalry, and
followed by about three hundred of the infantry, who came from the
frontiers of Italy and Switzerland. The procession was headed by a
trumpeter, who sounded his trumpet at every corner and proclaimed the
sentence. A number of women and children walked behind the procession
with ropes, nails, wedges, and baskets filled with different articles,
in their hands; others, who were stronger, carried poles, ladders, and
the centre pieces of the crosses of the two thieves, and some of the
Pharisees followed on horseback. A boy who had charge of the
inscription which Pilate had written for the cross, likewise carried
the crown of thorns (which had been taken off the head of Jesus) at the
end of a long stick, but he did not appear to be wicked and
hard-hearted like the rest. Next I beheld our Blessed Saviour and
Redeemer--his bare feet swollen and bleeding--his back bent as though he were
about to sink under the heavy weight of the cross, and his whole body
covered with wounds and blood. He appeared to be half fainting from
exhaustion (having had neither refreshment or sleep since the supper of
the previous night), weak from loss of blood, and parched with thirst
produced by fever and pain. He supported the cross on his right
shoulder with his right hand, the left hung almost powerless at his
side, but he endeavoured now and then to hold up his long garment to
prevent his bleeding feet from getting entangled in it. The four
archers who held the cords which were fastened round his waist, walked
at some distance from him, the two in front pulled him on, and the two
behind dragged him back, so that he could not get on at all without the
greatest difficulty. His hands were cut by the cords with which they
had been bound; his face bloody and disfigured; his hair and beard
saturated with blood; the weight of the cross and of his chains
combined to press and make the woollen dress cleave to his wounds, and
reopen them: derisive and heartless words alone were addressed to him,
but he continued to pray for his persecutors, and his countenance bore
an expression of combined love and resignation. Many soldiers under
arms walked by the side of the procession, and after Jesus came the two
thieves, who were likewise led, the arms of their crosses, separate
from the middle, being placed upon their backs, and their hands tied
tightly to the two ends. They were clothed in large aprons, with a sort
of sleeveless scapular which covered the upper part of their bodies,
and they had straw caps upon their heads. The good thief was calm, but
the other was, on the contrary furious, and never ceased cursing and
swearing. The rear of the procession was brought up by the remainder of
the Pharisees on horseback, who rode to and fro to keep order. Pilate
and his courtiers were at a certain distance behind; he was in the
midst of his officers clad in armour, preceded by a squadron of
cavalry, and followed by three hundred foot soldiers; he crossed the
forum, and then entered one of the principal streets, for he was
marching through the town in order to prevent any insurrection among
the people.
Jesus was conducted by a narrow back street, that the procession
might not inconvenience the persons who were going to the Temple, and
likewise in order that Pilate and his band might have the whole
principal street entirely to themselves. The crowd had dispersed and
started in different directions almost immediately after the reading of
the sentence, and the greatest part of the Jews either returned to
their own houses, or to the Temple, to hasten their preparations for
sacrificing the Paschal lamb; but a certain number were still hurrying
on in disorder to see the melancholy procession pass; the Roman
soldiers prevented all persons from joining the procession, therefore
the most curious were obliged to go round by back streets, or to
quicken their steps so as to reach Calvary before Jesus. The street
through which they led Jesus was both narrow and dirty; he suffered
much in passing through it, because the archers were close and harassed
him. Persons stood on the roofs of the houses, and at the windows, and
insulted him with opprobrious language; the slaves who were working in
the streets threw filth and mud at him; even the children, incited by
his enemies, had filled their pinafores with sharp stones, which they
throw down before their doors as he passed, that he might be obliged to
walk over them.