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.



CHAPTER XXXI.

The First Fall of Jesus.



The street of which we have just spoken, after turning a little to
the left, became rather steep, as also wider, a subterranean aqueduct