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