arrulous, but firm, truthful, and intelligent. He professes to be a
Christian in communion with the Congregational Church of the North, and
openly preaches his purpose of universal emancipation, and the negroes
themselves were to be the agents, by means of arms, led on by white
commanders. Colonel Washington says that he was the coolest and
firmest man he ever saw in defying danger and death. With one son dead
by his side, and another shot through, he felt the pulse of his dying
son with one hand, held his rifle with the other, and commanded his men
with the utmost composure, encouraging them to be firm, and to sell
their lives as dearly as they could.'

The trial for treason and murder took place in the Virginian Court on
October 27-31, ere he had recovered. He pleaded for delay till his
health allowed him to give more attention to his defence, but the
request was refused. So, weak and wounded, he had to lie upon his
pallet with a blanket thrown over him. His words were few, and to the
same effect as those we have quoted. There was only one verdict
possible in that court--GUILTY--and he was sentenced to be hanged.
Technically there was no other course possible. The calm verdict of
the CAMBRIDGE MODERN HISTORY upon the raid is correct: 'It was the mad
folly of an almost crazed fanatic . . . the stain still upon him of the
bloodiest of the lawless work done in the name of Freedom; a terrible
outlaw because an outlaw for conscience' sake; intense to the point of
ungovernable passion--heeding nothing but his own will and sense of
right; a revolutionist upon principle; a lawless incendiary, and yet
seeking nothing for himself.'

But while we feel the veracity of these words there comes to our mind
one of Charles Kingsley's impulsive sayings: 'Get hold of one truth,
let it blaze in your sky like a Greenland sun, never setting day or
night. See it in everything, and everything in it. The world will
call you a bigot and fanatic, and then fifty years after will wonder
how it was the bigot and fanatic managed to do so much more than all
the sensible men round about him.'

John Brown vindicated that opinion.

CHAPTER VIII

THE HALT OF THE BODY AND THE MARCH OF THE SOUL

The journeys of John Brown's body were now at an end. Only his soul
was free to travel, and it found its vehicle in letters which carried
thoughts that breathed and words that burned far and wide.

This condemned prisoner had five weeks left