washed them with her tears, and often pressed her face upon them.

The water which had been used was not thrown away, but poured into
the leathern bottles in which the sponges had been squeezed. I saw
Cassius or some other soldier go several times to fetch fresh water
from the fountain of Gihon, which was at no great distance off. When
the Blessed Virgin had filled all the wounds with ointment, she wrapped
the head up in linen cloths, but she did not as yet cover the face. She
closed the half-open eyes of Jesus, and kept her hand upon them for
some time. She also closed the mouth, and then embraced the sacred body
of her beloved Son, pressing her face fondly and reverently upon his.
Joseph and Nicodemus had been waiting for some time, when John drew
near to the Blessed Virgin, and besought her to permit the body of her
Son to be taken from her, that the embalming might be completed,
because the Sabbath was close at hand. Once more did Mary embrace the
sacred body of Jesus, and utter her farewells in the most touching
language, and then the men lifted it from her arms on the sheet, and
carried it to some distance. The deep sorrow of Mary had been for the
time assuaged by the feelings of love and reverence with which she had
accomplished her sacred task; but now it once more overwhelmed her, and
she fell, her head covered with her veil, into the arms of the holy
women. Magdalen felt almost as though her Beloved were being forcibly
carried away from her, and hastily ran forward a few steps, with her
arms stretched forth; but then, after a moment, returned to the Blessed
Virgin.

The sacred body was carried to a spot beneath the level of the top
of Golgotha, where the smooth surface of a rock afforded a convenient
platform on which to embalm the body. I first saw a piece of
open-worked linen, looking very much like lace, and which made me think