Sketches from the Life of Paul (1883) — PDF Scan 224

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PAUL A PRISONER . 217 spot. With violentblowsand shoutsof vindictivetriumph,theydraggedhim from thesacred inclosure. Now that they had him in their power,theyweredeterminednottolosetheirprey. He shouldbe stonedto death,as Stephenhad been years before. They had alreadyreached the court of the Gentiles, and the Levites had closedthegatesbehindthem,lesttheholyplace shouldbe pollutedwith blood,when they were interruptedin theirmurderousdesigns. News had been carriedtoClaudiusLysias,the commander of the Roman garrison, that all Jerusalemwas in an uproar. Lysiaswellknew the turbulent elements with which he had to deal,and with hisofficersand a strongforceof armed men he rushed down to the temple court. Ignorantof thecauseof the tumult,but seeing that the rage of the multitude was directed against Paul,the Roman captainconcluded that he must be the Egyptian rebelwho had so successfullyeluded theirvigilance. He commanded that Paul be seized, and bound between two soldiers,a hand beingchainedtoeach. He then questionedthosewho seemed to be leadersin the tumult as to who theirprisonerwas ,and of what crimehe had been guilty. Many voiceswere at once raisedin loud and angry accusation;but on accountof theuproarthechiefcaptaincould obtainno satisfactoryinformation,and he ordered thatthe prisonerbe removedtothecastle,where were the Roman barracks . The rage of the multitudewas unbounded when they saw theirprey about to be taken from theirgrasp;asp; and theysurged and pressed socloselyabout Paul thatthesoldierswere compelledto bear him in theirarms up the stair