Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/404

288 to crucifixion, I beseech thee to give me him for burial. Pilate saith, And what hath happened, that when he hath been witnessed against by his own nation for magic arts, and hath been suspected of seizing the kingdom of Cæsar, and hath therefore been given up to death by us, we should give order for him to be honoured again when he is dead? And Joseph, being very sorrowful and weeping, fell at the feet of Pilate, saying, My lord, let no jealousy of the dead possess thee. For, in death, every fault must perish with a man. But I know thy majesty, how anxious thou wast not to crucify Jesus, and what thou saidst to the Jews for him, at one time persuading, and at another time angry, and afterwards how thou didst wash thy hands, and didst declare thou hadst no part at all with those who wished him to be put to death. On all which accounts I entreat thee that my request may not be rejected. Pilate, therefore, seeing Joseph thus urgent and entreating, and weeping, raised him up, saying, Go, I grant thee such a one that is dead; take him and do what thou wilt.

And then Joseph, having given thanks to Pilate, and kissed his hands and his robes, went out rejoicing in heart, because he had obtained what was desired, but having his eyes yet filled with tears: thus, while sorrowing, he had joy. He went away to Nicodemus, therefore, and told him all that had happened. Then, when they had bought a hundred pounds of myrrh