The Irish standard., 1905-01-28
WHO WASP|LATE?
Some Interesting Legends of
Him Here Produced.
He Was Known as the Son Of
Tyrus, King of Mayence.

legends Of Pontius PLATE, as sub
joined:
"1n the eyes of the historians, PLATE
appears like some wierd, dramatic, dis
appearing effect, thrown suddenly by
limelight upon the stage. Men have
written on the subject of Plate with
an air of learning, vet nothing is really
known about either the beginning or
the end of the procurators career. But
for his appointment to office in Judea,
and his sudden, catapultic propulsion
from a judgment at Jerusalem into
universal history, his name and memo
ry would have been consigned to OBJ
livion.
by the aid of legend he came into
the world as the son Of Tyrus, King of
Mayence. He was speeded out Of it
by marvellous tradition which recites
that, when at the Crdcifixion, darkness
yelled the earth, the Emperor Tiberius
at Capri, becoming alarmed, made in
quiry, and hearing of the tragedy of
Calvary, ordered the execution of Pr
late. who pleading ignorance, prayed
to Jesus, a voice from heaven respond
ing, giving him an assurance similar
to that given to the thief on the cross,
his wife at the same time dying with
joy on account of the blessed manifes-
tation. But since tradition, no more
than history, is unanimous, another
account states that PLATE persisted
miserably; and a pool on the mount
called Pilatus, overlooking Lake ILL
cerne, is darlly associated with his
fate
WHO was Pontius PLATE? Bacon
discovered a Jester under the procura-
tors mantle: What is truth? said
testing PLATE, and would not stay for
an answer Tacitus viewed him as a
tool of the empire. Our Lord deals
gently with his judge, saying: He
that delivereth Me unto thee hath the
greater sim Tertullian, in his charity,
found that ut heart. PLATE was
Christian The Ethiopian church can
onized Plate. choosing significantly
June 25. placing him by the side of
John the Baptist: the forerunner and
the judge of Jesus being honored to-
gether in that sacred order of the year,
which marks the successive steps in
the worlds redemption. Clearly there
were facts in the history of PLATE not
known by the present generation; and
after all that has been written about
the procl1rator of Judea, may we not
be sufficiently bold to say that Pontius
PLATE was the tertium quid of this
day and age. the man for the emergen-
cy in the plan Of Divine Providence?
There we might rest the discussion,
yet, nevertheless, the story of Pilates
wife seems. in some way, to have a
real connection with his last DAVIS.
There We're grounds for placing him in
the calendar. and these, perhaps, stand
| connected with the conversion of Clau-
dia Plocula, who appears dramatically
on the scene at Jerusalem, in connec-
ton with the trial of oar Lord. Legally,
she was not entitled to any place in
Palestine, even as Plate had no real
! business in Jerusalem. If he had
stayed where lie belonged, at Caecarea,
his proper headquarters, the stones Of
Zion might never have cried out
against him. Procurators were forbid
den by law to take their wives into
the provinces, but in Pilates day the
law had fallen into desuetude, and
FhcltuS refers to the successful at
tempt of Coencena in the senate to re-
vive the prohibition.
"According to Roman law, there
fore, Claudia's position at Jerusalem
was illegal! but. morally, she was in
her right place, being sympathetic and
tender in her regard for the Nazarine,
warming her husband how he brought
evil upon that just man. Some Jews
have supposed. foolishly enough that
her dream was the effect produced,
! magically, by our Lord Himself:
whereas, if He had desired. He could
have summoned legions of angles. and
laid all Judea waste. On the other
hand, the Venerable Bede and st.
Bernard are among those who suggest
that the dream was the work of Satan
to hinder the atoning of Christ. Other
wise, it has been viewed as inspired
to emphasize the guilt Of PLATE in the
eyes of the world, while incidentally
bearing witness to the freedom of his
will, and proving that, though the in
strument of Providence, he sinned
from choice.
''The sense of guilt is one vindication
of the belief in free will. At all events
the most favorable view has been taken
Of Claudia Procula; first proselyte
to the Jewish religion, and afterwards
convert to the faith of Christ. The
Greek calendar makes her saint.
Oct. p being set apart to do her honor.
And why not? Hers was the only
voice in Jerusalem recognized BY tho
sacred writer's as speaking in defense
of our Lord. In the history of the aw-
full trial, Claudia appears like fash
light on dark and stormy sea. Was
the pagan Plate at last sanctified by
a hn1