the jacket (the star-rover)-第51章

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what　shall　happen　to　you　when　you　are　dead。　　One　life　at　a　time；

Lodbrog。　　It　saves　trouble。　　It　saves　trouble。〃



〃Go　on；　Miriam；　go　on；〃　his　wife　cried。



She　had　sat　entranced　during　the　discussion；　with　hands　tightly

clasped；　and　the　thought　flickered　up　in　my　mind　that　she　had

already　been　corrupted　by　the　religious　folly　of　Jerusalem。　　At　any

rate；　as　I　was　to　learn　in　the　days　that　followed；　she　was　unduly

bent　upon　such　matters。　　She　was　a　thin　woman；　as　if　wasted　by

fever。　　Her　skin　was　tight…stretched。　　Almost　it　seemed　I　could　look

through　her　hands　did　she　hold　them　between　me　and　the　light。　　She

was　a　good　woman；　but　highly　nervous；　and；　at　times；　fancy…flighted

about　shades　and　signs　and　omens。　　Nor　was　she　above　seeing　visions

and　hearing　voices。　　As　for　me；　I　had　no　patience　with　such

weaknesses。　　Yet　was　she　a　good　woman　with　no　heart　of　evil。





I　was　on　a　mission　for　Tiberius；　and　it　was　my　ill　luck　to　see

little　of　Miriam。　　On　my　return　from　the　court　of　Antipas　she　had

gone　into　Batanaea　to　Philip's　court；　where　was　her　sister。　　Once

again　I　was　back　in　Jerusalem；　and；　though　it　was　no　necessity　of　my

business　to　see　Philip；　who；　though　weak；　was　faithful　to　Roman

will；　I　journeyed　into　Batanaea　in　the　hope　of　meeting　with　Miriam。



Then　there　was　my　trip　into　Idumaea。　　Also；　I　travelled　into　Syria

in　obedience　to　the　command　of　Sulpicius　Quirinius；　who；　as　imperial

legate；　was　curious　of　my　first…hand　report　of　affairs　in　Jerusalem。

Thus；　travelling　wide　and　much；　I　had　opportunity　to　observe　the

strangeness　of　the　Jews　who　were　so　madly　interested　in　God。　　It　was

their　peculiarity。　　Not　content　with　leaving　such　matters　to　their

priests；　they　were　themselves　for　ever　turning　priests　and　preaching

wherever　they　could　find　a　listener。　　And　listeners　they　found　a…

plenty。



They　gave　up　their　occupations　to　wander　about　the　country　like

beggars；　disputing　and　bickering　with　the　rabbis　and　Talmudists　in

the　synagogues　and　temple　porches。　　It　was　in　Galilee；　a　district　of

little　repute；　the　inhabitants　of　which　were　looked　upon　as　witless；

that　I　crossed　the　track　of　the　man　Jesus。　　It　seems　that　he　had

been　a　carpenter；　and　after　that　a　fisherman；　and　that　his　fellow…

fishermen　had　ceased　dragging　their　nets　and　followed　him　in　his

wandering　life。　　Some　few　looked　upon　him　as　a　prophet；　but　the　most

contended　that　he　was　a　madman。　　My　wretched　horse…boy；　himself

claiming　Talmudic　knowledge　second　to　none；　sneered　at　Jesus；

calling　him　the　king　of　the　beggars；　calling　his　doctrine　Ebionism；

which；　as　he　explained　to　me；　was　to　the　effect　that　only　the　poor

should　win　to　heaven；　while　the　rich　and　powerful　were　to　burn　for

ever　in　some　lake　of　fire。



It　was　my　observation　that　it　was　the　custom　of　the　country　for

every　man　to　call　every　other　man　a　madman。　　In　truth；　in　my

judgment；　they　were　all　mad。　　There　was　a　plague　of　them。　　They　cast

out　devils　by　magic　charms；　cured　diseases　by　the　laying　on　of

hands；　drank　deadly　poisons　unharmed；　and　unharmed　played　with

deadly　snakesor　so　they　claimed。　　They　ran　away　to　starve　in　the

deserts。　　They　emerged　howling　new　doctrine；　gathering　crowds　about

them；　forming　new　sects　that　split　on　doctrine　and　formed　more

sects。



〃By　Odin；〃　I　told　Pilate；　〃a　trifle　of　our　northern　frost　and　snow

would　cool　their　wits。　　This　climate　is　too　soft。　　In　place　of

building　roofs　and　hunting　meat；　they　are　ever　building　doctrine。〃



〃And　altering　the　nature　of　God；〃　Pilate　corroborated　sourly。　　〃A

curse　on　doctrine。〃



〃So　say　I；〃　I　agreed。　　〃If　ever　I　get　away　with　unaddled　wits　from

this　mad　land；　I'll　cleave　through　whatever　man　dares　mention　to　me

what　may　happen　after　I　am　dead。〃



Never　were　such　trouble　makers。　　Everything　under　the　sun　was　pious

or　impious　to　them。　　They；　who　were　so　clever　in　hair…splitting

argument；　seemed　incapable　of　grasping　the　Roman　idea　of　the　State。

Everything　political　was　religious；　everything　religious　was

political。　　Thus　every　procurator's　hands　were　full。　　The　Roman

eagles；　the　Roman　statues；　even　the　votive　shields　of　Pilate；　were

deliberate　insults　to　their　religion。



The　Roman　taking　of　the　census　was　an　abomination。　　Yet　it　had　to　be

done；　for　it　was　the　basis　of　taxation。　　But　there　it　was　again。

Taxation　by　the　State　was　a　crime　against　their　law　and　God。　　Oh；

that　Law！　　It　was　not　the　Roman　law。　　It　was　their　law；　what　they

called　God's　law。　　There　were　the　zealots；　who　murdered　anybody　who

broke　this　law。　　And　for　a　procurator　to　punish　a　zealot　caught　red…

handed　was　to　raise　a　riot　or　an　insurrection。



Everything；　with　these　strange　people；　was　done　in　the　name　of　God。

There　were　what　we　Romans　called　the　THAUMATURGI。　　They　worked

miracles　to　prove　doctrine。　　Ever　has　it　seemed　to　me　a　witless

thing　to　prove　the　multiplication　table　by　turning　a　staff　into　a

serpent；　or　even　into　two　serpents。　　Yet　these　things　the

thaumaturgi　did；　and　always　to　the　excitement　of　the　common　people。



Heavens；　what　sects　and　sects！　　Pharisees；　Essenes；　Sadduceesa

legion　of　them！　　No　sooner　did　they　start　with　a　new　quirk　when　it

turned　political。　　Coponius；　procurator　fourth　before　Pilate；　had　a

pretty　time　crushing　the　Gaulonite　sedition　which　arose　in　this

fashion　and　spread　down　from　Gamala。



In　Jerusalem；　that　last　time　I　rode　in；　it　was　easy　to　note　the

increasing　excitement　of　the　Jews。　　They　ran　about　in　crowds；

chattering　and　spouting。　　Some　were　proclaiming　the　end　of　the

world。　　Others　satisfied　themselves　with　the　imminent　destruction　of

the　Temple。　　And　there　were　rank　revolutionises　who　announced　that

Roman　rule　was　over　and　the　new　Jewish　kingdom　about　to　begin。



Pilate；　too；　I　noted；　showed　heavy　anxiety。　　That　they　were　giving

him　a　hard　time　of　it　was　patent。　　But　I　will　say；　as　you　shall　see；

that　he　matched　their　subtlety　with　equal　subtlety；　and　from　what　I

saw　of　him　I　have　little　doubt　but　what　he　would　have　confounded

many　a　disputant　in　the　synagogues。



〃But　half　a　legion　of　Romans；〃　he　regretted　to　me；　〃and　I　would　take

Jerusalem　by　the　throat　。　。　。　and　then　be　recalled　for　my　pains；　I

suppose。〃



Like　me；　he　had　not　too　much　faith　in　the　auxiliaries；　and　of　Roman

soldiers　we　had　but　a　scant　handful。



Back　again；　I　lodged　in　the　palace；　and　to　my　great　joy　found　Miriam

there。　　But　little　satisfaction　was　mine；　for　the　talk　ran　long　on

the　situation。　　There　was　reason　for　this；　for　the　city　buzzed　like

the　angry　hornets'　nest　it　was。　　The　fast　called　the　Passovera

religious　affair；　of　coursewas　near；　and　thousands　were　pouring　in

from　the　country；　according　to　custom；　to　celebrate　the　feast　in

Jerusalem。　　These　newcomers；　naturally；　were　all　excitable　folk；

else　they　would　not　be　bent　on　such　pilgrimage。　　The　city　was　packed

with　them；　so　that　many　camped　outside　the　walls。　　As　for　me；　I

could　not　distinguish　how　much　of　the　ferment　was　due　to　the

teachings　of　the　wandering　fisherman；　and　how　much　of　it　was　due　to

Jewish　hatred　for　Rome。



〃A　tithe；　no　more；　and　maybe　not　so　much；　is　due　to　this　Jesus；〃

Pilate　answered　my　query。　　〃Look　to　Caiaphas　and　Hanan　for　the　main

cause　of　the　excitement。　　They　know　what　they　are　about。　　They　are

stirring　it　up；　to　what　end　who　can　tell；　except　to　cause　me

trouble。〃



〃Yes；　it　is　certain　that　Caiaphas　and　Hanan　are　responsible；〃　Miriam

said；　〃but　you；　Pontius　Pilate；　are　only　a　Roman　and　do　not

understand。　　Were　you　a　Jew；　you　would　realize　that　there　is　a

greater　seriousness　at　the　bottom　of　it　than　mere　dissension　of　the

sectaries　or　trouble…making　for　you　and　Rome。　　The　high　priests　and

Pharisees；　every　Jew　of　place　or　wealth；　Philip；　Antipas；　myselfwe

are　all　fighting　for　very　life。



〃This　fisherman　may　be　a　madman。　　If　so；　there　is　a　cunning　in　his

madness。　　He　preaches　the　doctrine　of　the　poor。　　He　threatens　our

law；　and　our　law　is　our　life；　as　you　have　learned　e