more angry, and recommencing their insults and blows endeavoured to
force him to get up out of the mud. Their cruelty to Jesus so
exasperated Simon of Cyrene that he at last exclaimed, 'If you continue
this brutal conduct, I will throw down the cross and carry it no
farther. I will do so if you kill me for it.'

A narrow and stony path was visible as soon as the gate was passed,
and this path ran in a northerly direction, and led to Calvary. The
high road from which it deviates divided shortly after into three
branches, one to the south-west, which led to Bethlehem, through the
vale of Gihon; a second to the south towards Emmaus and Joppa; a third,
likewise to the south-west, wound round Calvary, and terminated at the
gate which led to Bethsur. A person standing at the gate through which
Jesus was led might easily see the gate of Bethlehem. The officers had
fastened an inscription upon a post which stood at the commencement of
the road to Calvary, to inform those who passed by that Jesus and the
two thieves were condemned to death. A group of women had gathered
together near this spot, and were weeping and lamenting; many carried
young children in their arms; the greatest part were young maidens and
women from Jerusalem, who had preceded the procession, but a few came
from Bethlehem, from Hebron, and from other neighbouring places, in
order to celebrate the Pasch.

Jesus was on the point of again falling, but Simon, who was behind,
perceiving that he could not stand, hastened to support him; he leant
upon Simon, and was thus saved from falling to the ground. When the
women and children of whom we have spoken above, saw the deplorable
condition to which our Lord was reduced, they uttered loud cries, wept,
and, according to the Jewish custom, presented him cloths to wipe his
face. Jesus turned towards them and said: 'Daughters of Jerusalem, weep