University of Virginia Library

PONTIVS PILAT. THE JEWS.
[PILAT.]
Horror distracts my sense: irresolute
Whether I should break silence, or sit mute.
Envy th'accus'd condemnes, whom Justice cleares.
I must confesse, perswaded by my Feares,
Lest I this State and People should insence,
I wisht they could have prov'd that great Offence.
Yet whatsoever they inforc'd of late,
No fault of his reveal'd, but their own hate.
His silence was a vanquishing reply.
Who for detecting their false piety
(Whose supercilious looks, with fasting pale,
Close avarice, and proud ambition vaile)
Is by their Arts made guilty: One that slights
The God they adore, and violates his Rites.
From hence those many-nam'd Offences spring;
And his aspiring to become their King.
Can those poore Fishers of that In-land Sea,
And women, following him from Galile,
So great a Spirit in their Leader raise;
That Rome should feare, whom all the World obayes.
Yet he avers his Kingdome is unknown,
Nor of this World; and bows to Cæsars Throne.
Prov'd by th'event: for when the Vulgar bound
His yeelding hands, they no resistance found.
But his endowments, zealous in defence
Of clouded Truth, their mortall hate incense.
Follow'd by few, who like affections beare,
And with beliefe their Masters doctrine heare.
If true, he may speak freely; nor must dye
For Ostentation, though he broach a lye.
But if distracted, that's a punishment
Even to it selfe, and Justice doth prevent.
He, whom this Annual Solemnity
Hath now invited to the Temple by
His Father built, whose Kingdome borders on
The land innobled by Agenor's Throne,
Of these stupendious acts by Rumour spred
Could fixe no faith, though in his City bred.
To laughter doom'd, his Rivall Herod scorn'd;
And sent him back, in purple robes adorn'd.
Th'implacable, now far more fiercely bent
To prosecute the twice-found innocent:
Perhaps afraid lest they their owne should loose,
Vnlesse they him of forged guilt accuse.
But when Revenge doth once the Minde ingage;
O how it raves! lost to all sense but rage!
No Lionesse, late of her whelps bereft,
With wilder fury prosecutes the Theft.
O Shame! through feare I sought to shield the Right
VVith honest Fraud, and Justice steale by slight:
As when the labouring Bark, too weak to stem
The boysterous Tide, obliquely cuts the stream.
They have an ancient Custome, if we may
Believe the Jews, derived from that Day
When the delivered Sons of Israel
Fled from those banks whose flouds in summer swel:
That ever when the Vernall Moone shall joyne
Her silver Orb, and in full lustre shine,
They should some one release, to gratifie
The People, by their Law condemn'd to die.
Now, hoping to have free'd the Innocent,
The violent Priests my Clemency prevent:
Who urge the heady Vulgar to demand
One Barrabas; a Thiefe, who had a hand
In every murther, hot with humane blood.
How little it avails us to be good!
Preposterous Favour! through the hate they beare
His guiltlesse Soule, their Votes the guilty cleare.
And now my Wifes not idle dreames perplex
My strugling thoughts, which all this night did vex
Her troubled slumbers: who conjures me by
All that is holy, all the Gods, that I
Should not the laws of Justice violate
To gratifie so undeserv'd a hate.
For this shall I the Hebrew Fathers slight,
Th'indeavours of a Nation so unite,
Committed to my charge? Shall I for One
Poore Abject, forfeit all the good I have done?
These pester'd Wals all Jewry now infold;
The Houses hardly can their Strangers hold,
Sent from all parts to this great Festivall:
What if the Vulgar to their weapons fall?
Who knows the end, if once the Storme begin?
Sure I, their Judge, egregious praise should win
By troubling of the publique Peace. Shall I
Then render him to death? Impiety!
For what offence? Is his offence not great,
Whose innovation may a warre beget?
Lest Empire suffer, they who scepters beare
Oft make a Crime, and punish what they feare.
One hope remaines: Our Souldiers the Free-borne,
And yet by our command, with whips have torne.
A sight so full of pitty may asswage
The swiftly-spreading fire of popular Rage.
Look on this Spectacle! his armes all o're
With lashes gall'd, deep dy'd in their own gore!
His sides exhausted! all the rest appeares
Like that Fictitious Scarlet which he weares!
And for a Crown, the wreathed Thornes infol'd
His bleeding browes! With griefe his griefe behold!

JEWES.
Away with him: from this Contagion free
Th'infected Earth, and naile him on a Tree.

PILAT.
What, crucifie your King?

JEWES.
Dominion can
No Rivall brook. His rule, a Law to Man,
Whom Rome adores, we readily obay:
And will admit of none but Cæsars Sway.
He Cæsars right usurps, who hopes to ascend
The Hebrew Throne. Thy own affairs intend.
Dost thou discharge thy Masters trust, if in
Thy government a president begin
So full of danger, tending to the rape
Of Majesty? Shall treason thus escape?

PILAT.
The Tumult swels: the Vulgar and the Great,
Joyne in their Votes with contributed heat.
Whose whisperings such a change of murmur raise
As when the rising Windes first Fury strayes
'Mong wave-beat Rocks; when gathering Clouds deforme
The face of Heaven, whose Wrath begets a Storme:
The fearefull Pilot then distrusts the Skies;
And to the neerest Port for refuge flies.
To these rude Clamours they mine eares inure:
Such sharpe diseases crave a sudden cure.
You my Attendants, hither quickly bring
Spot-purging Water from the living Spring.
Thou liquid Chrystall, from pollution cleare;
And you my innocent hands like record beare,
On whom these cleansing streames so purely runne;
I voluntarily have nothing done.
Nor am I guilty, though he guiltlesse die:
Yours is the Crime; his Blood upon you lie.

JEWES.
Rest thou secure. If his destruction shall
Draw down celestiall Vengeance, let it fall
Thick on our heads, in punishment renew:
And ever our dispersed Race pursue.

PILAT.
Then I, from this Tribunall, mounted on
Imbellish'd Marble, Judgements awfull Throne,
Thus censure: Lead him to the Crosse; and by
A servil death let Judahs King there dye.