the jacket (the star-rover)-第54章

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Next　I　saw　Pilate's　wife。　　Looking　into　her　eyes　I　knew；　on　the

instant；　after　having　seen　Miriam's　eyes；　that　this　tense；

distraught　woman　had　likewise　seen　the　fisherman。



〃The　Divine　is　within　Him；〃　she　murmured　to　me。　　〃There　is　within

Him　a　personal　awareness　of　the　indwelling　of　God。〃



〃Is　he　God？〃　I　queried；　gently；　for　say　something　I　must。



She　shook　her　head。



〃I　do　not　know。　　He　has　not　said。　　But　this　I　know：　　of　such　stuff

gods　are　made。〃





〃A　charmer　of　women；〃　was　my　privy　judgment；　as　I　left　Pilate's　wife

walking　in　dreams　and　visions。



The　last　days　are　known　to　all　of　you　who　read　these　lines；　and　it

was　in　those　last　days　that　I　learned　that　this　Jesus　was　equally　a

charmer　of　men。　　He　charmed　Pilate。　　He　charmed　me。



After　Hanan　had　sent　Jesus　to　Caiaphas；　and　the　Sanhedrim；　assembled

in　Caiaphas's　house；　had　condemned　Jesus　to　death；　Jesus；　escorted

by　a　howling　mob；　was　sent　to　Pilate　for　execution。



Now；　for　his　own　sake　and　for　Rome's　sake；　Pilate　did　not　want　to

execute　him。　　Pilate　was　little　interested　in　the　fisherman　and

greatly　interested　in　peace　and　order。　　What　cared　Pilate　for　a

man's　life？for　many　men's　lives？　　The　school　of　Rome　was　iron；　and

the　governors　sent　out　by　Rome　to　rule　conquered　peoples　were

likewise　iron。　　Pilate　thought　and　acted　in　governmental

abstractions。　　Yet；　look：　　when　Pilate　went　out　scowling　to　meet　the

mob　that　had　fetched　the　fisherman；　he　fell　immediately　under　the

charm　of　the　man。



I　was　present。　　I　know。　　It　was　the　first　time　Pilate　had　ever　seen

him。　　Pilate　went　out　angry。　　Our　soldiers　were　in　readiness　to

clear　the　court　of　its　noisy　vermin。　　And　immediately　Pilate　laid

eyes　on　the　fisherman　Pilate　was　subduednay；　was　solicitous。　　He

disclaimed　jurisdiction；　demanded　that　they　should　judge　the

fisherman　by　their　law　and　deal　with　him　by　their　law；　since　the

fisherman　was　a　Jew　and　not　a　Roman。　　Never　were　there　Jews　so

obedient　to　Roman　rule。　　They　cried　out　that　it　was　unlawful；　under

Rome；　for　them　to　put　any　man　to　death。　　Yet　Antipas　had　beheaded

John　and　come　to　no　grief　of　it。



And　Pilate　left　them　in　the　court；　open　under　the　sky；　and　took

Jesus　alone　into　the　judgment　hall。　　What　happened　therein　I　know

not；　save　that　when　Pilate　emerged　he　was　changed。　　Whereas　before

he　had　been　disinclined　to　execute　because　he　would　not　be　made　a

catspaw　to　Hanan；　he　was　now　disinclined　to　execute　because　of

regard　for　the　fisherman。　　His　effort　now　was　to　save　the　fisherman。

And　all　the　while　the　mob　cried：　　〃Crucify　him！　　Crucify　him！〃



You；　my　reader；　know　the　sincerity　of　Pilate's　effort。　　You　know　how

he　tried　to　befool　the　mob；　first　by　mocking　Jesus　as　a　harmless

fool；　and　second　by　offering　to　release　him　according　to　the　custom

of　releasing　one　prisoner　at　time　of　the　Passover。　　And　you　know　how

the　priests'　quick　whisperings　led　the　mob　to　cry　out　for　the

release　of　the　murderer　Bar…Abba。



In　vain　Pilate　struggled　against　the　fate　being　thrust　upon　him　by

the　priests。　　By　sneer　and　jibe　he　hoped　to　make　a　farce　of　the

transaction。　　He　laughingly　called　Jesus　the　King　of　the　Jews　and

ordered　him　to　be　scourged。　　His　hope　was　that　all　would　end　in

laughter　and　in　laugher　be　forgotten。



I　am　glad　to　say　that　no　Roman　soldiers　took　part　in　what　followed。

It　was　the　soldiers　of　the　auxiliaries　who　crowned　and　cloaked

Jesus；　put　the　reed　of　sovereignty　in　his　hand；　and；　kneeling；

hailed　him　King　of　the　Jews。　　Although　it　failed；　it　was　a　play　to

placate。　　And　I；　looking　on；　learned　the　charm　of　Jesus。　　Despite

the　cruel　mockery　of　situation；　he　was　regal。　　And　I　was　quiet　as　I

gazed。　　It　was　his　own　quiet　that　went　into　me。　　I　was　soothed　and

satisfied；　and　was　without　bewilderment。　　This　thing　had　to　be。　　All

was　well。　　The　serenity　of　Jesus　in　the　heart　of　the　tumult　and　pain

became　my　serenity。　　I　was　scarce　moved　by　any　thought　to　save　him。



On　the　other　hand；　I　had　gazed　on　too　many　wonders　of　the　human　in

my　wild　and　varied　years　to　be　affected　to　foolish　acts　by　this

particular　wonder。　　I　was　all　serenity。　　I　had　no　word　to　say。　　I

had　no　judgment　to　pass。　　I　knew　that　things　were　occurring　beyond

my　comprehension；　and　that　they　must　occur。



Still　Pilate　struggled。　　The　tumult　increased。　　The　cry　for　blood

rang　through　the　court；　and　all　were　clamouring　for　crucifixion。

Again　Pilate　went　back　into　the　judgment　hall。　　His　effort　at　a

farce　having　failed；　he　attempted　to　disclaim　jurisdiction。　　Jesus

was　not　of　Jerusalem。　　He　was　a　born　subject　of　Antipas；　and　to

Antipas　Pilate　was　for　sending　Jesus。



But　the　uproar　was　by　now　communicating　itself　to　the　city。　　Our

troops　outside　the　palace　were　being　swept　away　in　the　vast　street

mob。　　Rioting　had　begun　that　in　the　flash　of　an　eye　could　turn　into

civil　war　and　revolution。　　My　own　twenty　legionaries　were　close　to

hand　and　in　readiness。　　They　loved　the　fanatic　Jews　no　more　than　did

I；　and　would　have　welcomed　my　command　to　clear　the　court　with　naked

steel。



When　Pilate　came　out　again　his　words　for　Antipas'　jurisdiction　could

not　be　heard；　for　all　the　mob　was　shouting　that　Pilate　was　a

traitor；　that　if　he　let　the　fisherman　go　he　was　no　friend　of

Tiberius。　　Close　before　me；　as　I　leaned　against　the　wall；　a　mangy；

bearded；　long…haired　fanatic　sprang　up　and　down　unceasingly；　and

unceasingly　chanted：　　〃Tiberius　is　emperor；　there　is　no　king！

Tiberius　is　emperor；　there　is　no　king！〃　　I　lost　patience。　　The　man's

near　noise　was　an　offence。　　Lurching　sidewise；　as　if　by　accident；　I

ground　my　foot　on　his　to　a　terrible　crushing。　　The　fool　seemed　not

to　notice。　　He　was　too　mad　to　be　aware　of　the　pain；　and　he　continued

to　chant：　　〃Tiberius　is　emperor；　there　is　no　king！〃



I　saw　Pilate　hesitate。　　Pilate；　the　Roman　governor；　for　the　moment

was　Pilate　the　man；　with　a　man's　anger　against　the　miserable

creatures　clamouring　for　the　blood　of　so　sweet　and　simple；　brave　and

good　a　spirit　as　this　Jesus。



I　saw　Pilate　hesitate。　　His　gaze　roved　to　me；　as　if　he　were　about　to

signal　to　me　to　let　loose；　and　I　half…started　forward；　releasing　the

mangled　foot　under　my　foot。　　I　was　for　leaping　to　complete　that

half…formed　wish　of　Pilate　and　to　sweep　away　in　blood　and　cleanse

the　court　of　the　wretched　scum　that　howled　in　it。



It　was　not　Pilate's　indecision　that　decided　me。　　It　was　this　Jesus

that　decided　Pilate　and　me。　　This　Jesus　looked　at　me。　　He　commanded

me。　　I　tell　you　this　vagrant　fisherman；　this　wandering　preacher；

this　piece　of　driftage　from　Galilee；　commanded　me。　　No　word　he

uttered。　　Yet　his　command　was　there；　unmistakable　as　a　trumpet　call。

And　I　stayed　my　foot；　and　held　my　hand；　for　who　was　I　to　thwart　the

will　and　way　of　so　greatly　serene　and　sweetly　sure　a　man　as　this？

And　as　I　stayed　I　knew　all　the　charm　of　himall　that　in　him　had

charmed　Miriam　and　Pilate's　wife；　that　had　charmed　Pilate　himself。



You　know　the　rest。　　Pilate　washed　his　hands　of　Jesus'　blood；　and　the

rioters　took　his　blood　upon　their　own　heads。　　Pilate　gave　orders　for

the　crucifixion。　　The　mob　was　content；　and　content；　behind　the　mob；

were　Caiaphas；　Hanan；　and　the　Sanhedrim。　　Not　Pilate；　not　Tiberius；

not　Roman　soldiers　crucified　Jesus。　　It　was　the　priestly　rulers　and

priestly　politicians　of　Jerusalem。　　I　saw。　　I　know。　　And　against　his

own　best　interests　Pilate　would　have　saved　Jesus；　as　I　would　have；

had　it　not　been　that　no　other　than　Jesus　himself　willed　that　he　was

not　to　be　saved。



Yes；　and　Pilate　had　his　last　sneer　at　this　people　he　detested。　　In

Hebrew；　Greek；　and　Latin　he　had　a　writing　affixed　to　Jesus'　cross

which　read；　〃The　King　of　the　Jews。〃　　In　vain　the　priests　complained。

It　was　on　this　very　pretext　that　they　had　forced　Pilate's　hand；　and

by　this　pretext；　a　scorn　and　insult　to　the　Jewish　race；　Pilate

abided。　　Pilate　executed　an　abstraction　that　had　never　existed　in

the　real。　　The　abstraction　was　a　cheat　and　a　l