WDM
ALBANY REGISTER.
tewjmr !
This poem, which appeared s few
years since In Blackwood's Magazine.
represents a letter written Mine time
during the first century, by a lawyer
in Jerusalem, to a friend In Borne,
giving an account of the betrayal
of Christ A portion of ear patrons
will doubtless prize it, and all may
read it with interest :
Marcus, abiding In Jerusalem,
Greeting to (faius, hit best friend in
Home !
Solve! then present" will be borne to
you
By Lucius, who is wearied with this
place,
Sated with travel, looks upon the East
As simply hateful Mazing, barren,
bleak.
And longs again to find himself in
Borne,
Alter the tumult of its streets, its trains
Ot slaves and clients, and its villas
cool
With marble porticoes beside the sea,
And friends and banquets more than
all. its games
This life seems blank ami flat. He
pants to stand
In its vast circus all alive with heads
And quivering arms and floating robes
the air
Thrilled by the roaring fremitus of
men
The suulit awning heaving overhead,
Swollen and strained against its corded
veins,
And flapping out its Item with loud re
port The wild beasts roaring from the pit
below
The wilder crowd responding from
above
With one long yell tliat sends the start
led blood
With thrill and sudden flush Into the
cheeks
A hundred trumpets screaming the
dull thump
Of horses galloping across the sand
lite dang of scabbards, the sharp clash
of steel
Live swords, that whirl a circle of
grey fire
Brass lieiniets flashing "neath their
streaming hair
A universal tumult then hush
Worse than the tumult-all eyes strain
ing down
To the arena's pit all Hps set close
All muscles striined and then tint
sudden yell,
Ilabet That's Borne, says Lucius : so
it is!
That is, 'tis hi Borne 'tis not yours
and mine.
And yet, great Jupiter ! here at my
skie
He stands with face aside as if he saw
The games he thus describes, and says,
-TbU'sIife!
Life ! life 1 my friend, and this is simp
ly death !
Ah ! for my Borne f " I jot his very
words
Inst as lie utters them. I hate these
games,
And Lucius knows it, yet be will go
on.
And alMurainst my will he stirs my
So I suspend my letter for a while.
A walk has calmed me I begin again
Letting this last page, since it is writ
ten, stand.
Lucius is going ; you will see him soon
In our great Forum, there with him
will walk.
And hear him rail and rave against the
East
I stay behind tor these hare silences.
These bills that in the sunset melt and
bum.
This proud stem people, these dead
seas and lakes.
These sombre cedars, this intense still
sky,
To me. o'erwearied with Life's din
and strain,
Are grateful as the solemn blank of
nigra.
Alter the fierce day's irritant excess.
Besides, a deep absorbing interest
Detains me here, fills up my mind and
sways
My inmost thoughts has got as 'twere
a grip
Upon my very life, as strange as new.
1 scarcely know how well to speak of
this.
Fearing your raillery at best at worst
Even your contempt ; yet, spite of all,
I speak ;
First do not deem me to have lost my
head,
Sunstruek, as that, man Paul was' at
Borne.
No, I am sane as ever, and mv pulse
Beats even, with no lever In my blood.
And yet I half incline to think his
words,
Wild as they were, were not entirely
wild.
Nay, stall I dare avow it ? 1 half tend.
Here in this place, surrounded by these
men
Despite the jeering natural at first
Ami thenttjejsressure of my llfe-lcng
thought
Trained up against it-to excuse but
And half admit the Chdatos he thinks
Qui
Is, at the least, a most mysterious man.
Bear with me it I now avow as much:
When next we meet I will expose my
mind.
But now the subject I must scarcely
touch.
How many a time, while sauntering
up and down
The Forum's sHce, or pairing 'neath
the shade
Of some grand temple, arch, or portico.
nave we discussed some Knotty (point
or law.
Some curious case, whose coiftradlct-
ing facts
Looked Janus-faced to innocence and
guilt.
I see you now arresting me, to note
nun quiet fervor and upimed nanti
Some subtle view or tact by me o'er-
looked,
nd urging tne, who always strain my I
point
(Being too much, 1 know, a partisan), j
t o pause, anil press not. to the issue so, j
But more a part, with less impetuous I
zeal.
Survey as from an upper floor tlie facts. j
I need you now to rein me in, too quick
To ride a whim beyond the term of
Twth?
For here a case comes up to which in
vain
own a VIY f J VWUIM "V.l 'J
mind ;
But you are absent so 1 send these
notes.
The case is one of Judas. Simon's son.
Iscariot called a Jew and one of
tlmse
Who followed Christns, held hj some
a God.
Dirt deemed by others to have preached
ami taiight
A superstition vile, of which one point
Was worship of an ass ; but this is false!
Judas, his follower, all the sect declare,
Bought by a bribe of thirty silver coins
Basely betrayed his master unto death.
The question is Did Judas doing this.
Act from base motives and commit a
crime?
Or, all things taken carefully in view.
f cm.k- ft flaut vnti ncuilil Limi t tin mv
Can he be justified in what lie did .'
i , , . . ..
Here on, tlie spot surrounded by the i
men
w no acted in tne urama, 1 nave seugni
To study out this strange and tragic
case.
Many are dead as Herod, Caiaplias,
Aud alsd Pilate a most worthy man,
Under whose rule, but all without his
fault
And. as I fancv. all against Ms will.
Christus was crucified. This I regret;
His words with mo would have the
greatest weight;
The chief of the Centurions, whose
r i v.rePrt. 11. Jt i
Is to be tmstejl, as he saw and heard,
Not once, but many a time and oft;
ins man,
His look and bearing, Lysias thus de
scribes: "Tall, slender, not erect a little bent;
Brows arched ami dark ; a high ridged
lofty head ;
Thin temples, veined and delicate;
large eyes ;
Sad. very serious, seeming as it were
To look beyond you, and whene'er he
spoke
Illumined bv an inner lamping light
At times, too, gleaming with a strange
wildfire
When taunted by the rabble In thepWno onue believing, all in all he
streets ; lieved
A Jewish face, complexion pale but TJ....U1 rtK,,.,lJ.., A OAAH.!.... .loir
j i. ,
j Stia.ji ,
Thin, high art nostrils, quivering con-
stanuy;
Long nose, ftill lips, lands tapering,
full of veins; ...
His movements nervous; as he waked
beseemed
Scarcely teheed tlie persons whom be
nd for the most part gazed upon the t
ground.
" As for his followers, t knew them
all
A strange mad set and full of fancies
wlkl-
Jobtv, Peter, James and Judas best
of all
All seemed to me good men without
offene
A little crazed hut who is wholly
sane?
They went about sml cured tlie sick
and halt.
And gave away their money to the
poor.
And all their talk was charity and
peace.
If Christus thought and said he was a
God.
'Twas harmless madness, not deserv
ing death.
What most aroused the wealthy Bab
ul s rage
Was that he set the poor against the
rich.
Alid, worst of all, roundly denounced
the priests.
With all their rich phylacteries and
robes
Said they were hypocrites who made
Jong prayers.
And robbed poor widows ami devoured
their means.
And were at best but whi ted sepulchres.
And tills it was that brought him to the
cross.
"Those who went with Mm and be
lieved In him
Were mostly dull, uneducated men,
Simple and honest, dazed by what lie
did,
And misconceiving every word lie said.
He led thnn with him in spell-bound
awe.
And all his cures they called miraculous.
They followed him like sheep where'er
he went
With feelings mixed ot wonder, fear
and loe.
Yes! 1 suppose they loved him, though
they fled
Stricken with fear when we arrested
him."
"What! alt-all fled?" I asked; "Did
none remain ?"
j " Not one," he said " all left him to
his flu."
Not one dared own he wasa follower
i Xotdie gave witness tor him of them
I all?
Stop! When 1 say not one of them.
1 mean
No one but Judas Judas whom they
call
The traitor who betrayed him to his
ueatu.
He rushed Into the council hall and
cried.
" TM I have sinned Chrlstas is inno-
cent'
! And here I come to wliat of all I've
heard
Most touched me-1 for this my letter
I write.
Paultis, you know, had only for this
man,
This Judas, words of scorn and bitter
hate.
Mark bow different tlie view that Lysias
took!
When, urged by me his story thus he
told:
" Some saj that Judas was a base, vile
man.
Who sold his master for the meanest
bribe.
Others again insist he was most right.
Giving to justice one who merely sought
To overthrow the Church, subvert the
law,
And on Its rains build himself a throne.
I, knowing, Judas and none better
knew
I, caring nought for Christus more
than him.
But hating lies, the simple truth will
tef
No man can say I ever told a lie-
. . w Beskies.
Kill, t
f he truth is truth, and let the truth be
told.
Judas, I say, alone ot all tlie men
Who followed Christus, thought he was
God.
Some feared him for his power of mira-
j wer(J' attractet, hya$wt of speu;
. followed him to hear his sweet,
I clear voice
j And genti, speaking, hearing with
their ears,
Ad knowtng not senie of wnat K
j said
But one alone believed he was the
The true Messiah of the Jews. That
one
Was Judas he alone of all the crowd.
' He to betray his master for a bribe !
He last of all ! 1 say this friend of
mine
Was brave when all the rest were
cowards there.
Ills was a noble nature: frank and
bold.
Almost to rashness bold, yet sensitive,
tVl.Aluir kta draama f.n- Arm WMtlftSad
milling l uiim;n;t. auu wi iiui i un,
Beady to venture all to gain his end.
No promise or siAtertage forhim;
' uh act went from his thought straight
to the butt;
i yt with this ardent and impatient
nsood
! Was joined a visionarynaind that took
, (mi)res.iona qick ami line, yet deep
T,ereiore it'was that in this subtle soil
The master's words took root and grew
and flowered
He heard ami followed and obeved ;
his Mth
Was serious, earnest, real winged to
fly;
He doubted not, like some who walked
with him
Desired no first place, as did James
and John
Denied him not with Peter ; not to
him
His master said, "Away, thou'rt an
offense ;
Get thee behind me, Satin!" not to
him,
'Am I so long with ye who know me
not?'
Fixed as a rock, nntempted by desires
To gain the post of honor when his
Lord
Should come to rale chosen from out
the midst
I Of six-score men as his apostle then
I Again selected to the place of trust
j Unselfish, honest, be among them
walked.
" That he was honest and was so es
teemed, .
Is plain from this they chose him out
of all
To bear the common purse, and take
and jay.
John says be wa thief, because he
Tlie pttcotSrt for some ointment once
Hls paid.
And urged 'twere better given to the
poor!
Lift up bis ,wdns.iTO all things to
the poor!
Sell mrj'thlagftnd give al! to the poor! '
And Judas, who hc!leved, not made
believe.
Used las own words, and Ciiiistns.
who excused
The gift because of love, rebuked him
INC.
Thief ! ay. hp 'twas, this very thief.
they chose v
To bear tlie purse and give alms to
the poor.
I. for my part see nothing wrong in
this."
" But why, if Juds. was a man like
ink
Frank, noble, lionet"" here I inter
posed Whv was it that lie thus betrayed
his Lord?"
This question oftdkl I revolve." said
lie.
" When all the tacts were fresh and
oft revolved
In latter day,., with no change of mind:
And tin- is my solution of the case.
-Daily he heard his master's void)
proclaim.
"I am the Lord! the Father live in
mo
Who kno .veth me knows the Eternal
le who believes in me snail neveruie.
No! lie shall see me with my angles j u '
(X),IU! . . . ., So sad alia deep it startled me. I
ltli power and glory here upon the ; turu d,
... , eart)1 ,, .. ., . And there against the wall, with glmt
To judge tlie quick and dead! Among Jvftase,
you here An(j c.TKli starting In n frenzied
Some shall uot taste ot death before I
?!ne . , ,, 4, As in a tit, lav Judas ; las weak arms
God's kingdom to establish on the H yMm hu mMh m
.... oart ' i fti oien twitched :
-What meant these words? ny nis hands were clutched and clenched
seethed in Judas soul. ,ltu hi . nitm
" Here is my God-Messiah, king ot I Al)tl ,1()W awj tiK.(1 j,ia breast heave d
""J?"- r , , , . , with a gasp.
Chrislus the Lord.-thc Savior of us Frigltt.l,i fdijeU ;,ouie water in
' lii"4 1'rtcc,
And threatened by this crawling scum Spoke to liiin, liftetl him, and nihtied
ot men ! t Km
Oh, who shall urge the coming of that At mm ba(.k ilt0
day eve
When he in majesty shall clothe him-' wJtf a mMl Ml g-j,,
, .1 i , 1 1 i And to the ground lie tlnipiasl. I
And stand before the astomslied world j arelied him o'er,
its King." Fearing some mortal wound, vet none
Long brooding over this inflamed his , found,
, , , . hi i Then with a gasp .iga'm the life ie-
And, ever rash iu scheme as wild in j turuetl.
thought, Am iIt s,in wit, rong, con-
At last he said 'No longer will I bear i vulslon twitched
This ignominy heap upon my Lord. ,s k ilk , CTkjd .Wml:
No man liath wer to luirm the tnia m..ln ,
Almighty me. , ; No answer! 'Speak, 'man !' Then at
Ay, let men s hand lie lifted, then at ast ,0
, oncrI. ., . ... ,. l.lo, leave me. leave me Lysias. Oh.
Effulgent like the sun, swift like the ' mjr ;
,, . 8W0"1,: . ' . . t. What have I done ? Oh, Christus!
The jagged lightning Hashes from the j MasU r Lord.
,. u M'' . .i ,. ! n i Forgive me, oh. forgive mo!' Then a
Shall be manifest t ho living God h t,r.. fi
And prostrate all stall on tlie earth j 0, agmiv that pereei, ,,. t0 the llenrt,
'"ore i As groveling on the ground he turned
" Such was his thought w hen at the away
iasover And hid his face, and shuddered in his
The Lord with his disciples met ami robes.
supped : Was this the man whose face an hour
And Christus saw the trouble in his i ago
mind, I Shone with a jov so strange? What
And said, -Behold, among you here is ; means it ail ?
one ! Is this a sudden madness? 'Speak!'
Tliat sliall betry me lie to whom I cried.
give 'What means this, Judas? Be a man
This sop, 'and he the sop to Judas gave; I and speak!'
And added 'Tliat thou doest. quickly j Yet there he lay, and neither moved
do;' , nor spoke.
And Judas left him. hearing those last i thought tliat he hail fainted, till at
words : fast
Now shall the Son of man beglorifled. Sudden he turned, and grasped my
Ah. yes ! his master had divined his i arm and cried.
thought ; "Say, Lysias. is this true, or am I mad? '
His master should be glorified through ; 'W hat true ?' I said. 'True that yon
him. seized the Lord !
" Straight upon me and the high priests ; Yon could not seize him he is God.
became. me Lord!
Filled with this hope, and said. 'Be-; l thought 1 saw yon seize him. Yet I
hold me here. Know
Judas, afollowerof Christus ! Come! ! That was impossible, for he is God !
I will point out mv master whom you I And yet you live yon live. He spared
seek ."
And out at once they sent me with
my baud ;
And, as we went I said, rebuking him.
'How, Judas, is it yon thus betray
The Lord and master whom you love.
to death?'
And, smiling, tlien he answered, 'Fear
you not;
Do your duty ; take no heed of me,'
'Is not this vile?' I snid;'I had not
deemed
Such baseness In you." 'Though it
seems so now. '
Still smiling, he replied, 'wait till the
end.
Now comes the hour tliat I have pray-
ed V. see
The hour of joy to all who know the
truth."'
" "Is this man mad ?' I thought, and
looked at him.
And, in the darkness creeping swiftly
on.
His face was glowing, almost shown
with light ;
And rapt as if in visionary thought
Hi- walked lipshb. m.. tmzlmr at the
Vi J
'
"Passing at last beyond the Cednm
We A garden on whose, open
Darkles were loosely Mngg.
Here we paused,
Ami lifted up our torches, and beheld
Against the blank white wall a shad
owy group.
There waiting motionless without a
word:
A moment ami with rapid, nervous
step,
Judas alone advanced, and, as he
reached
The tidiest flgnre. lifted quick his head;
And crying. 'Master! Master !' klrd
hweneek.
We, knowing it was ChrUtus, forward
pressed;
Malchiw was at my side, when sud
lnly A swnrd flashed ou from one among
tliemthere.
And shearw his ear. At once our
swords flashed out.
But Christus lifting up his hand, said.
Peace,
Sheathe thy sword. Peter I must
drink the cup.'
And 1 cried also, Peace, and sheathe
your sword-.'
Then on his anil I placed my band
and said,
In the law's iisme." lie nothing said.
but reached
His arms ollt, and we humid hi hai ds
with liords,
This done I turned, but all llse rest had
lied.
And he alone was left to meet his late.
My men I ordered then to take ami
hear
Their pri-niier to the city ; and at once
Thev ,ov1( away. I. si-elng not out
guide.
,.,., .,,i,.. w ,,.. .!,..
you. I hen ;
Where ami? What lias happened?
A black cloud
Came o'er ine when you laid your
hands on him.
Where are they all? Where Is he?
Lysias, spenk ."
Judas,' I said, 'wliat folly Is all this
Christus my men have bound and
borne nun away ;
: The rest have fled. House now and
eome with me !
My men await nic, arouse yourself.
and come ! '
'Throwing his arms up. in a fit he tell,
With a loud shriek that pierced the
I silent night.
I could not stay, but culling instant aid.
We bore him quick to the adjacent
house.
And placing him in kindly charge. I left.
Joining my men who stayed for me
below,
'Straight to the high priest's liouse we
hurried on,
And Christus in an inner room we
.... V.T '
placed :
; net at ins uoor a guard, anu then came
I out
mtlltm tliere ,rept into the hall.
j 73.! the b,n3ttnS co"h wo wt'
Slta 'Wtat
Cried some one ; ami I turning looked
v t him.
'Twas Peter. 'Tls ti fellow of that
band
That followed Christus. and believed
In him.'
Tls false !' cried Peter ; ami he curved
and swore.
COKCtCPEn ON SECONp P40B.