velled at the subtlety with which he had answered them, but the common folk were amazed and dumfounded at his answer. And soon I heard one say to another, "He denieth: he would pay tribute to Cæsar." And gradually all the men drew away from him, leaving him alone with only the company with him from Bethany.
But he, seeing this, turned to one of those with him, and said, "Peter, of whom do the kings of the earth take custom? of their own children, or of the aliens?" And Peter answered and said, "Of the aliens." Then Jesus said to him, "Then are the children free?" And Peter said to him, "Yes." Then said Jesus unto him, "Then do thou also give, as being an alien to them." The common folk heard this, indeed, but were in no wise satisfied. If they were to give tribute to the Romans for whatever cause, they were still to be under subjection to Rome, and then Jesus refused to be their Liberator; that had become clear to them of a sudden. And they drew still further away from him. And a deep silence of mortification fell upon all men there, so that thou couldst
