The executioners had fastened a piece of wood at the lower part of
the cross under where the feet of Jesus would be nailed, that thus the
weight of his body might not rest upon the wounds of his hands, as also
to prevent the bones of his feet from being broken when nailed to the
cross. A hole had been pierced in this wood to receive the nail when
driven through his feet, and there was likewise a little hollow place
for his heels. These precautions were taken lest his wounds should be
torn open by the weight of this body, and death ensue before he had
suffered all the tortures which they hoped to see him endure. The whole
body of our Lord had been dragged upward, and contracted by the violent
manner with which the executioners had stretched out his arms, and his
knees were bent up; they therefore flattened and tied them down tightly
with cords; but soon perceiving that his feet did not reach the bit of
wood which was placed for them to rest upon, they became infuriated.
Some of their number proposed making fresh holes for the nails which
pierced his hands, as there would be considerable difficulty in
removing the bit of wood, but the others would do nothing of the sort,
and continued to vociferate, 'He will not stretch himself out, but we
will help him;' they accompanied these words with the most fearful oaths
and imprecations, and having fastened a rope to his right leg, dragged
it violently until it reached the wood, and then tied it down as
tightly as possible. The agony which Jesus suffered from this violent
tension was indescribable; the words 'My God, my God,' escaped his lips,
and the executioners increased his pain by tying his chest and arms to
the cross, lest the hands should be torn from the nails. They then
fastened his left foot on to his right foot, having first bored a hole
through them with a species of piercer, because they could not be
placed in such a position as to be nailed together at once. Next they
took a very long nail and drove it completely through both feet into