Then ... behold me. As he spoke, he threw up his arms, and walked forth into a broad clear space before the bench, where every body could hear and see him, and was about to address the jury, when he was interrupted by a crash of thunder that shook the whole house, and appeared to shake the whole earth. A dreadful outcry ensued, with flash after flash of lightning and peal after peal of thunder, and the people dropped upon their knees half blinded with light and half crazy with terror; and covered their faces and shrieked with consternation.
Why, what are ye afraid of judges? And you, ye people—cried the prisoner, that ye cover your faces, and fall down with fear ... so that if I would, I might escape.
Look to the prisoner there ... look to the prisoner.
—Ye do all this, ye that have power to judge me, while I ... I the accused man ... I neither skulk nor cower. I stand up ... I alone of all this great multitude who are gathered together to see me perish for my sins ... the Jonah of this their day of trouble and heavy sorrow.
Not alone, said Rachel Dyer, moving up to the bar.
If not altogether alone, alone but for thee, thou most heroic woman.... O, that they knew thy worth!... And yet these people who are quaking with terror on every side of us, bowed down with mortal fear at the voice of the Lord in the Sky, it is they that presume to deal with us, who are not afraid of our Father, nor scared by the flashing of his countenance, for life and for death—
Yea George—
Be it so—
Prisoner at the bar—you are trifling with the court.... You have not answered the charge.
Have I not!—well then—I prepare to answer it now. I swear that I loved them that I have buried there—there!—loved them with a love passing all that I ever heard of, or read of. I swear too that I nourished and comforted and ministered to the dear creatures, who, ye are told, have come out of the earth to destroy me—even me—me, their husband, their lover, and the father of their children! I swear too—but why continue the terrible outrage? Let my accusers appear! Let them walk up, if they will, out of their graves!—their graves are before me. I am not afraid—I shall not be afraid—so long as they wear the blessed shape, or the blessed features of them that have disappeared from their bridal chamber, with a——