,,prisoner ,,for ,,blasphemy ,by ,george ,william ,foote ,originally published #ahhf ,persecution is not refutation1 nor even triumph3 the wretched infidel as he is called1 is probably happier in his prison than the proudest of his assailants--,,byron4 ,london3 ,progressive ,publishing ,company #bh ,stonecutter ,street1 ,e4,c4 #ahhf ,,chapters ,i4 ,the ,storm ,brewing ,,ii4 ,our ,first ,summons ,,iii4 ,mr4 ,bradlaugh ,included ,,iv4 ,our ,indictment ,v4 ,another ,prosecution ,,vi4 ,preparing for ,trial ,,vii4 ,at the ,old ,bailey ,,viii4 ,newgate ,,ix4 ,the ,second ,trial ,x4 ,black ,maria ,,xi4 ,holloway ,gaol ,,xii4 ,prison ,life ,,xiii4 ,parson ,plaford ,,xiv4 ,the ,third ,trial ,,xv4 ,loss and ,gain ,,xvi4 ,a ,long ,night ,,xvii4 ,daylight ,,preface4 ,this little volume tells a strange and painful story2 strange1 because the experiences of a prisoner for blasphemy are only known to three living ,englishmen2 and painful1 because their unmerited sufferings are a sad reflection on the boasted freedom of our age4 ,my own share in this misfortune is all ,i could pretend to describe with fidelity4 ,without 7,i hope7 any meretricious display of fine writing1 ,i have related the facts of my case1 giving a precise account of my prosecutions1 and as vivid a narrative as memory allows of my imprisonment in ,holloway ,gaol4 ,i have striven throughout to be truthful and accurate1 nothing extenuating1 nor setting down aught in malice2 and ,i have tried to hit the happy mean between negligence and prolixity4 ,whether or not ,i have succeeded in the second respect the reader must be the judge2 and if he cannot be so in the former respect1 he will at least be able to decide whether the writer means to be candid and bears the appearance of honesty4 ,one reason why ,i have striven to be exact is that my record may be of service to the future historian of our time4 ,it is always rash to appeal to the future1 as a posturing ,english novelist did in one of his ,prefaces2 and it is well to remember the witticism of ,voltaire1 who1 on hearing an ambitious poeticule read his ,ode to ,posterity1 doubted whether it would reach its address4 ,but it is the facts1 and not my personality1 that are important in this case4 ,my trial will be a conspicuous event in the history of the struggle for religious freedom1 and in consequence of ,lord ,coleridge's and ,sir ,james ,stephen's utterances1 it may be of considerable moment in the history of the ,criminal ,law4 ,it is more than possible that ,i shall be the last prisoner for blasphemy in ,england4 ,that alone is a circumstance of distinction1 which gives my story a special character1 quite apart from my individuality4 ,as a muddle-headed acquaintance said1 intending to be complimentary1 ,some men are born to greatness1 others achieve it1 and ,i had it thrust upon me4 ,prosecutions for ,blasphemy have not been frequent4 ,sir ,james ,stephen was able to record nearly all of them in his ,history of the ,criminal ,law4 ,the last before mine occurred in #aheg1 when ,thomas ,pooley1 a poor ,cornish well-sinker1 was sentenced by the late ,mr4 ,justice ,coleridge to twenty months' imprisonment for chalking some blasphemous words on a gate-post4 ,fortunately this monstrous punishment excited public indignation4 ,mill1 ,buckle1 and other eminent men1 interested themselves in the case1 and ,pooley was released after undergoing a quarter of his sentence4 ,from that time until my prosecution1 that is for nearly a whole generation1 the odious law was allowed to slumber1 although tons of blasphemy were published every year4 ,this long desuetude induced ,sir ,james ,stephen1 in his ,digest of the ,criminal ,law to regard it as practically obsolete4 ,but the event has proved that no law is obsolete until it is repealed4 ,it has also proved ,lord ,coleridge's observation that there is1 in the case of some laws1 a discriminating laxity1 as well as ,professor ,hunter's remark that the ,blasphemy ,laws survive as a dangerous weapon in the hands of any fool or fanatic who likes to set them in motion4 ,in the pamphlet entitled ,blasphemy ,no ,crime1 which ,i published during my prosecution1 and which is still in print if anyone is curious to see it1 ,i contended that ,blasphemy is only our old friend ,heresy in disguise1 and that1 we know1 is a priestly manufacture4 ,my view has since been borne out by two high authorities4 ,lord ,coleridge says that this law of blasphemous libel first appears in our books--at least the cases relating to it are first reported--shortly after the curtailment or abolition of the jurisdiction of the ,ecclesiastical ,courts in matters temporal4 ,speaking broadly1 before the time of ,charles ,,ii4 these things would have been dealt with as heresy2 and the libellers so-called of more recent days would have suffered as heretics in earlier times4 ,reference3 ,the ,law of ,blasphemous ,libel4 ,the ,summing-up in the case of ,regina v4 ,foote and others4 ,revised with a ,preface by the ,lord ,chief ,justice of ,england4 ,london1 ,stevens and ,sons4 ,sir ,james ,stephen also1 after referring to the writ ,de ,heretico ,comburendo1 under which heresy and blasphemy were punishable by burning alive1 and which was abolished in #afgg1 without abridging the jurisdiction of ,ecclesiastical ,courts in cases of atheism1 blasphemy1 heresie1 or schism1 and other damnable doctrines and opinions1 adds that ,in this state of things1 the ,court of ,queen's ,bench took upon itself some of the functions of the old ,courts of ,star ,chamber and ,high ,commission1 and treated as misdemeanours at common law many things which those courts had formerly punished444 ,this was the origin of the modern law as to blasphemy and blasphemous libel4 ,reference3 ,blasphemy and ,blasphemous ,libel4 ,by ,sir ,james ,stephen4 ,fortnightly ,review1 ,march1 #ahhd4 ,less than ten years after the glorious revolution of #afhh there was passed a statute1 known as the #i and #aj ,william ,,iii41 c4 #cb1 and called ,an ,act for the more effectual suppressing of ,blasphemy and ,profaneness4 ,this enacts that any person or persons having been educated in1 or at any time having made profession of1 the ,christian religion within this realm who shall1 by writing1 printing1 teaching1 or advised speaking1 deny any one of the persons in the ,holy ,trinity to be ,god1 or shall assert or maintain there are more gods than one1 or shall deny the ,christian doctrine to be true1 or the ,holy ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testament to be of divine authority1 shall upon conviction be disabled from holding any ecclesiastical1 civil1 or military employment1 and on a second conviction be imprisoned for three years and deprived for ever of all civil rights4 ,lord ,coleridge and ,sir ,james ,stephen call this statute ferocious1 but as it is still unrepealed there is no legal reason why it should not be enforced4 ,curiously1 however1 the reservation which was inserted to protect the ,jews has frustrated the whole purpose of the ,act2 at any rate1 there never has been a single prosecution under it4 ,so much of the statute as affected the ,unitarians was ostensibly repealed by the #ec ,george ,,iii41 c4 #afj4 ,but ,lord ,eldon in #ahag doubted whether it was ever repealed at all2 and so late as #ahfg ,chief ,baron ,kelly and ,lord ,bramwell1 in the ,court of ,exchequer1 held that a lecture on ,the ,character and ,teachings of ,christ3 the former defective1 the latter misleading was an offence against the statute4 ,it is not so clear1 therefore1 that ,unitarians are out of danger2 especially as the judges have held that this ,act was special1 without in any way affecting the common law of ,blasphemy1 under which all prosecutions have been conducted4 ,dr4 ,blake ,odgers1 however1 thinks the ,unitarians are perfectly safe1 and he has informed them so in a memorandum on the ,blasphemy ,laws drawn up at their request4 ,this gentleman has a right to his opinion1 but no ,unitarian of any courage will be proud of his advice4 ,he deliberately recommends the body to which he belongs to pay no attention to the ,blasphemy ,laws1 and to lend no assistance to the agitation for repealing them1 on the ground that when you are safe yourself it is ,quixotic to trouble about another man's danger2 which is1 perhaps1 the most cowardly and contemptible suggestion that could be made4 ,several ,unitarians were burnt in ,elizabeth's reign1 two were burnt in the reign of ,james ,i41 and one narrowly escaped hanging under the ,commonwealth4 ,the whole body was excluded from the ,toleration ,act of #afhh1 and included in the ,blasphemy ,act of ,william ,,iii4 ,but ,unitarians have since yielded the place of danger to more advanced bodies1 and they may congratulate themselves on their safety2 but to make their own safety a reason for conniving at the persecution of others is a depth of baseness which ,dr4 ,blake ,odgers has fathomed1 though happily without persuading the majority of his fellows to descend to the same ignominy4 ,it will be observed that the ,act specifies certain heterodox opinions as blasphemous1 and says nothing as to the language in which they may be couched4 ,evidently the crime lay not in the manner1 but in the matter4 ,the ,common ,law has always held the same view1 and my ,indictment1 like that of all my predecessors1 charged me with bringing the ,holy ,scriptures and the ,christian religion into disbelief and contempt4 ,with all respect to ,lord ,coleridge's authority1 ,i cannot but think that ,sir ,james ,stephen is right in maintaining that the crime of blasphemy consists in the expression of certain opinions1 and that it is only an aggravation of the crime to express them in offensive language4 ,judge ,north1 on my first trial1 plainly told the jury that any denial of the existence of ,deity or of ,providence was blasphemy2 although on my second trial1 in order to procure a conviction1 he narrowed his definition to any contumelious or profane scoffing at the ,holy ,scriptures or the ,christian religion4 ,it is evident1 therefore1 what his lordship believes the law to be4 ,with a certain order of minds it is best to deal sharply2 their first statements are more likely to be true than their second4 ,for the rest1 ,judge ,north is unworthy of consideration4 ,it is remarkable that1 although he charged the jury twice in my case1 ,sir ,james ,stephen does not regard his views as worth a mention4 ,lord ,coleridge says the law of blasphemy is undoubtedly a disagreeable law1 and in my opinion he lets humanity get the better of his legal judgment4 ,he lays it down that if the decencies of controversy are observed1 even the fundamentals of religion may be attacked without a person being guilty of blasphemous libel4 ,now such a decision can only be a stepping-stone to the abolition of the law4 ,who can define the decencies of controversy8 ,everyone has his own criterion in such matters1 which is usually unconscious and fluctuating4 ,what shocks one man pleases another4 ,does not the proverb say that one man's meat is another man's poison8 ,lord ,coleridge reduces ,blasphemy to a matter of taste1 and de gustibus non est disputandum4 ,according to this view1 the prosecution has simply to put any heretical work into the hands of a jury1 and say1 ,gentlemen1 do you like that8 ,if you do1 the prisoner is innocent2 if you do not1 you must find him guilty4 ,such a law puts a rope round the neck of every writer who soars above commonplace1 or has any gift of wit or humor4 ,it hands over the discussion of all important topics to pedants and blockheads1 and bans the argumentum ad absurdum which has been employed by all the great satirists from ,aristophanes to ,voltaire4 ,when ,bishop ,south was reproached by an ,episcopal brother for being witty in the pulpit1 he replied1 ,my dear brother in the ,lord1 do you mean to say that if ,god had given you any wit you wouldn't have used it8 ,let ,bishop ,south stand for the blasphemer1 and his dull brother for the orthodox jury1 and you have the moral at once4 ,such a law1 says ,sir ,james ,stephen1 would never work4 ,you cannot really distinguish between substance and style2 you must either forbid or permit all attacks on ,christianity4 ,great religious and political changes are never made by calm and moderate language4 ,was any form of ,christianity ever substituted either for ,paganism or any other form of ,christianity without heat1 exaggeration1 and fierce invective8 ,saint ,augustine ridiculed one of the ,roman gods in grossly indecent language4 ,men cannot discuss doctrines like eternal punishment as they do questions in philology4 ,and to say that you may discuss the truth of religion1 but that you may not hold up its doctrines to contempt1 ridicule1 or indignation1 is either to take away with one hand what you concede with the other1 or to confine the discussion to a small and in many ways uninfluential class of persons4 ,besides1 ,sir ,james ,stephen says1 ,there is one reflection which seems to me to prove with conclusive force that the law upon this subject can be explained and justified only on what ,i regard as its true principle--the principle of persecution4 ,it is that if the law were really impartial1 and punished blasphemy only because it offends the feelings of believers1 it ought also to punish such preaching as offends the feelings of unbelievers4 ,all the more earnest and enthusiastic forms of religion are extremely offensive to those who do not believe them4 ,why should not people who are not ,christians be protected against the rough1 coarse1 ignorant ferocity with which they are often told that they and theirs are on the way to hell-fire for ever and ever8 ,such a doctrine1 though necessary to be known if true1 is1 if false1 revolting and mischievous to the last degree4 ,if the law in no degree recognised these doctrines as true1 if it were as neutral as the ,indian ,penal ,code is between ,hindoos and ,mohametans1 it would have to apply to the ,salvation ,army the same rule as it applies to the ,freethinker and its contributors4 ,excellently put4 ,i argued in the same way1 though perhaps less tersely1 in my defence4 ,i pointed out that there is no law to protect the decencies of controversy in any but religious discussions1 and this exception can only be defended on the ground that ,christianity is true and must not be attacked4 ,but ,lord ,coleridge holds that it may be attacked4 ,how then can he ask that it shall only be attacked in polite language8 ,and if ,freethinkers must only strike with kid gloves1 why are ,christians allowed to use not only the naked fist1 but knuckle-dusters1 bludgeons1 and daggers8 ,in the war of ideas1 any party which imposes restraints on others to which it does not subject itself1 is guilty of persecution2 and the finest phrases1 and the most dexterous special pleading1 cannot alter the fact4 ,sir ,james ,stephen holds that the ,blasphemy ,laws are concerned with the matter of publications1 that a large part of the most serious and most important literature of the day is illegal1 and that every book-seller who sells1 and everyone who lends to his friend1 a copy of ,comte's ,positive ,philosophy1 or of ,renan's ,vie de ,jesus1 commits a crime punishable with fine and imprisonment4 ,sir ,james ,stephen dislikes the law profoundly1 but he prefers stating it in its natural naked deformity to explaining it away in such a manner as to prolong its existence and give it an air of plausibility and humanity4 ,to terminate this mischievous law he has drafted a ,bill1 which many ,liberal members of ,parliament have promised to support1 and which will soon be introduced4 ,its text is as follows3 ,whereas certain laws now in force and intended for the promotion of religion are no longer suitable for that purpose and it is expedient to repeal them1 ,be it enacted as follows3 #a4 ,after the passing of this ,act no criminal proceedings shall be instituted in any ,court whatever1 against any person whatever1 for ,atheism1 blasphemy at common law1 blasphemous libel1 heresy1 or schism1 except only criminal proceedings instituted in ,ecclesiastical ,courts against clergymen of the ,church of ,england4 #b4 ,an ,act passed in the first year of his late ,majesty ,king ,edward ,,vi41 c4 #a1 intituled ',an ,act against such as shall unreverently speak against the sacrament of the body and blood of ,christ1 commonly called the sacrament of the altar1 and for the receiving thereof in both kinds1' and an ,act passed in the #ith and #ajth year of his late ,majesty ,king ,william ,,iii41 c4 #ce1 intituled an ,act for the more effectual suppressing of blasphemy and profaneness are hereby repealed4 #c4 ,provided that nothing herein contained shall be deemed to affect the provisions of an ,act passed in the nineteenth year of his late ,majesty ,king ,george ,,ii41 c4 #ba1 intituled ',an ,act more effectually to prevent profane cursing and swearing1' or any other provision of any other ,act of ,parliament not hereby expressly repealed4 ,until this ,bill is carried no heterodox writer is safe4 ,sir ,james ,stephen's view of the law may be shared by other judges1 and if a bigot sat on the bench he might pass a heavy sentence on a distinguished blasphemer4 ,let it not be said that their manner is so different from mine that no jury would convict2 for when ,i read extracts from ,clifford1 ,swinburne1 ,maudsley1 ,matthew ,arnold1 ,james ,thomson1 ,lord ,amberley1 ,huxley1 and other heretics whose works are circulated by ,mudie1 ,lord ,coleridge remarked ,i confess1 as ,i heard them1 ,i had1 and have a difficulty in distinguishing them from the alleged libels4 ,they do appear to me to be open to the same charge1 on the same grounds1 as ,mr4 ,foote's writings4 ,personally ,i understand the ,blasphemy ,laws well enough4 ,they are the last relics of religious persecution4 ,what ,lord ,coleridge read from ,starkie as the law of blasphemous libel1 ,i regard with ,sir ,james ,stephen as flabby verbiage4 ,lord ,coleridge is himself a master of style1 and ,i suppose his admiration of ,starkie's personal character has blinded his judgment4 ,starkie simply raises a cloud of words to hide the real nature of the ,blasphemy ,laws4 ,he shows how ,freethinkers may be punished without avowing the principle of persecution4 ,instead of frankly saying that ,christianity must not be attacked1 he imputes to aggressive heretics a malicious and mischievous intention1 and apathy and indifference to the interests of society2 and he justifies their being punished1 not for their actions1 but for their motives3 a principle which1 if it were introduced into our jurisprudence1 would produce a chaos4 ,could there be a more ridiculous assumption than that a man who braves obloquy1 social ostracism1 and imprisonment for his principles1 is indifferent to the interest of society8 ,let ,christianity strike ,freethinkers if it will1 but why add insult to injury8 ,why brand us as cowards when you martyr us8 ,why charge us with hypocrisy when we dare your hate8 ,persecution1 like superstition1 dies hard1 but it dies4 ,what though ,i have suffered the heaviest punishment inflicted on a ,freethinker for a hundred and twenty years8 ,is not the night always darkest and coldest before the dawn8 ,is not the tiger's dying spring most fierce and terrible8 ,my sufferings1 therefore1 are not without the balm of consolation4 ,i see that the future is already brightening with a new hope4 ,without rising to the supreme height of ,danton1 who cried ,let my name be blighted that ,france be free1 ,i feel a humbler pleasure in reflecting that ,i may have been instrumental in breaking the last fetter on the freedom of the press4 ,g4 ,w4 ,,foote4 ,february #ast1 #ahhf4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,storm ,,brewing4 ,in the merry month of ,may1 #ahha1 ,i started a paper called the ,freethinker1 with the avowed object of waging relentless war against ,superstition in general and the ,christian ,superstition in particular4 ,i stated in the first paragraph of the first number that this new journal would have a new policy2 that it would do its best to employ the resources of ,science1 ,scholarship1 ,philosophy and ,ethics against the claims of the ,bible as a ,divine ,revelation1 and that it would not scruple to employ for the same purpose any weapons of ridicule or sarcasm that might be borrowed from the armoury of ,common ,sense4 ,as the ,freethinker was published at the people's price of a penny1 and was always edited in a lively style1 with a few short articles and plenty of racy paragraphs1 it succeeded from the first2 and becoming well known1 not through profuse advertisement1 but through the recommendation of its readers1 its circulation increased every week4 ,within a year of its birth it had outdistanced all its predecessors4 ,no ,freethought journal ever progressed with such amazing rapidity4 ,true1 this was largely due to the fact that the ,freethought party had immensely increased in numbers2 but much of it was also due to the policy of the paper1 which supplied1 as the advertising gentry say1 a long-felt want4 ,although the first clause of its original programme was never wholly forgotten1 we gradually paid the greatest attention to the second1 indulging more and more in ,ridicule and ,sarcasm1 and more and more cultivating ,common ,sense4 ,a dangerous policy1 as ,i was sometimes warned2 but for that very reason all the more necessary4 ,the more ,bigotry writhed and raged1 the more ,i felt that our policy was telling4 ,borrowing a metaphor from ,carlyle's ,frederick1 ,i likened ,superstition to the boa1 which defies all ponderous assaults1 and will not yield to the pounding of sledge-hammers1 but sinks dead when some expert thrusts in a needle's point and punctures the spinal column4 ,i had a further incentive4 ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's infamous treatment by the bigots had revolutionised my ideas of ,freethought policy4 ,although never timid1 ,i was until then practically ignorant of the horrible spirit of persecution2 and with the generous enthusiasm of youth ,i fondly imagined that the period of combat was ended1 that the liberty of platform and press was finally won1 that ,supernaturalism was hopelessly scotched although obviously not slain1 and that ,freethinkers should now devote themselves to cultivating the fields they had won instead of raiding into the enemy's territory4 ,alas for the illusions of hope6 ,they were rudely dispelled by a few scenes in the ,house of ,commons1 and barred from all chance of re-gathering by the wild display of intolerance outside4 ,i saw1 in quite another sense than ,garth ,wilkinson's1 the profound truth of his saying that-- ,the ,duke of ,wellington's advice1 ,do not make a little war1 is applicable to internal conflicts against evil in society4 ,for little wars have no background of resources1 they do not know the strength of the enemy1 and the peace that follows them for the most part leaves the evil in dispute nearly its whole territory2 perhaps is purchased by guaranteeing the evil by treaty2 and leaves the case of offence more difficult of attack by reason of concession to wrong premises4 7,human ,science and ,divine ,revelation1 ,preface1 p4 vi47 ,yes1 the war with ,superstition must be fought a outrance4 ,we must decline either treaty or truce4 ,i hold that the one great work of our time is the destruction of theology1 the immemorial enemy of mankind1 which has wasted in the chase of chimeras very much of the world's best intellect1 fatally perverted our moral sentiments1 fomented discord and division1 supported all the tyranny of privilege and sanctioned all debasement of the people4 ,far be it from me to argue this point with any dissident4 ,i prefer to leave him to the logic of events1 which has convinced me1 and may some day convince him4 ,but to recur4 ,before the ,freethinker had reached its third number ,i began to reflect on the advisability of illustrating it1 and bringing in the artist's pencil to aid the writer's pen4 ,i soon resolved to do this1 and the third and fourth numbers contained a woodcut on the front page4 ,in the fifth number there appeared an exquisite little burlesque sketch of the ,calling of ,samuel1 by a skilful artist whose name ,i cannot disclose4 ,although not ostensibly1 it was actually1 the first of those ,comic ,bible ,sketches for which the ,freethinker afterwards became famous2 and from that date1 with the exception of occasional intervals due to difficulties there is no need to explain1 my little paper was regularly illustrated4 ,during the whole twelve months of my imprisonment the illustrations were discontinued by my express order4 ,i was not averse to their appearing1 but ,i knew the terrible obstacles and dangers my temporary successor would have to meet1 and ,i left him a written prohibition of them1 which he was free to publish1 in order to shield him against the possible charge of cowardice4 ,since my release from prison they have been resumed1 and they will be continued until ,i go to prison again1 unless ,i see some better reason than ,christian menace for their cessation4 ,the same fifth number of the ,freethinker contained an account of the first part of ,la ,bible ,amusante1 issued by the ,anti-,clerical publishing house in the ,rue des ,ecoles4 ,that notice was from my own pen1 and ,i venture to reprint the opening paragraphs4 ,voltaire's method of attacking ,christianity has always approved itself to ,french ,freethinkers4 ,they regard the statement that he treated religious questions in a spirit of levity as the weak defence of those who know that irony and sarcasm are the deadliest enemies of their faith4 ,superstition dislikes argument1 but it hates laughter4 ,nimble and far-flashing wit is more potent against error than the slow dull logic of the schools2 and the great humorists and wits of the world have done far more to clear its head and sweeten its heart than all its sober philosophers from ,aristotle to ,kant4 ,we in ,england have ,comic ,histories1 ,comic ,geographies1 and ,comic ,grammars1 but a ,comic ,bible would horrify us4 ,at sight of such blasphemy ,bumble would stand aghast1 and ,mrs4 ,grundy would scream with terror4 ,but ,bumble and ,mrs4 ,grundy are less important personages in ,france1 and so the country of ,rabelais and ,voltaire produces what we are unable to tolerate in thought4 ,i concluded by saying--,we shall introduce the subsequent numbers to the attention of our readers1 and1 if possible1 we shall reproduce in the ,freethinker some of the raciest plates4 ,we shall be greeted with shrieks of pious wrath if we do so1 but we are not easily frightened4 ,there was really more than editorial fashion in this we1 for at that time ,mr4 ,ramsey was half proprietor of the ,freethinker1 and his consent had of course to be obtained before ,i could undertake such a dangerous enterprise4 ,i gladly avow that he showed no hesitation2 on the contrary1 he heartily fell in with the project4 ,he frankly left the editorial conduct of our paper in my hands1 despised the accusation of ,blasphemy1 and defied its law4 ,his half-proprietorship of the ,freethinker has terminated1 but we still work together in our several ways for the cause of ,freethought4 ,mr4 ,ramsey went with me into the furnace of persecution1 and he bore his sufferings with manly fortitude4 ,the ,freethinker steadily progressed in circulation1 and in ,january1 #ahhb1 ,i was able to secure the services of my old friend1 ,joseph ,mazzini ,wheeler1 as sub-editor4 ,he had for long years contributed gratuitously to my literary ventures1 and those who ever turn over a file of the ,secularist or the ,liberal will see with what activity he wielded his trenchant pen4 ,when he became my paid sub-editor1 our relations remained unchanged4 ,we worked as loyal colleagues for a cause we both loved1 and treated as a mere accident the fact of my being his principal4 ,the same feeling animates us still1 nor do ,i think it can ever suffer alteration4 ,the new year's number1 dated ,january #a1 #ahhb1 referred to ,mr4 ,wheeler's accession1 and to that of ,dr4 ,edward ,aveling1 who then became a member of the regular staff4 ,it also referred to the policy of the ,freethinker1 and to another subject of the gravest interest--namely1 the threats of prosecution which had appeared in several ,christian journals4 ,as pieces of justification1 to use a ,french phrase1 ,i quote these two passages3 ,our ill-wishers 7what journal has none87 have been of two kinds4 ,in the first place1 the ,christians1 disgusted with our blasphemy1 predicted a speedy failure4 ,the wish was father to the thought4 ,these latter-day prophets were just as false as their predecessors4 ,now that they witness our indisputable success1 they shake their heads1 look at us askance1 mutter something like curses1 and pray the ,lord to turn us from our evil ways4 ,one or two bigots1 more than ordinarily foolish1 have threatened to suppress us with the strong arm of the law4 ,we defy them to do their worst4 ,we have no wish to play the martyr1 but we should not object to take a part in dragging the monster of persecution into the light of day1 even at the cost of some bites and scratches4 ,as the ,freethinker was intended to be a fighting organ1 the savage hostility of the enemy is its best praise4 ,we mean to incur their hatred more and more4 ,the war with superstition should be ruthless4 ,we ask no quarter and we shall give none4 ,secondly1 we have had to encounter the dislike of mealy-mouthed ,freethinkers1 who want omelettes without breaking of eggs and revolutions without shedding of blood4 ,they object to ridiculing people who say that twice two are five4 ,they even resent a dogmatic statement that twice two are four4 ,perhaps they think four and a half a very fair compromise4 ,now this is recreancy to truth1 and therefore to progress4 ,no great cause was ever won by the half-hearted4 ,let us be faithful to our convictions1 and shun paltering in a double sense4 ,truth1 as ,renan says1 can dispense with politeness2 and while we shall never stoop to personal slander or innuendo1 we shall assail error without tenderness or mercy4 ,and if1 as we believe1 ridicule is the most potent weapon against superstition1 we shall not scruple to use it4 ,these extracts from my old manifestoes may possess little other value1 but they at least show this1 that the peculiar policy of the ,freethinker was not adopted in a moment of levity1 but was from the first deliberately pursued2 and that while ,i held on the even tenor of my way1 ,i was fully conscious of its dangers4 ,early in ,january there fell into my hands a copy of a circular to ,members of ,parliament by ,henry ,varley1 the ,notting ,hill revivalist4 ,this person was a notorious trader in scandal1 and he still pursues that avocation4 ,many of his discourses are delivered to men only1 an advertisement which is sure to attract a large audience2 and one of them1 which he has published1 is just on a level with the quack publications that are thrust into young men's hands in the street4 ,henry ,varley had already issued one private circular about ,mr4 ,bradlaugh1 full of the most brazen falsehoods and the grossest defamation2 and containing1 as it did1 garbled extracts from ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's writings1 and artfully-manipulated quotations from books he had never written or published1 it undoubtedly did him a serious injury4 ,the new circular was worthy of the author of the first4 ,it was addressed ,to the ,members of the ,house of ,commons1 and was for private circulation only4 ,the indignant butcher1 for that is his trade1 wished to submit to their notice the horrible blasphemies that are appended1 and quoted from a new weekly publication issued from the office where ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's weekly journal1 the ,national ,reformer1 is published4 ,the paper is entitled the ,freethinker1 and is edited by ,g4 ,w4 ,foote1 one of ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's prominent supporters1 and one of his right hand men at the ,hall of ,science4 ,the ,commons of ,england were also requested to notice that ,dr4 ,aveling1 who for some years has been one of ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's chief helpers1 is another contributor to this disgraceful product of ,atheism4 ,in conclusion1 they were called upon to devise means to stay this hideous prostitution of the liberty of the ,press1 by making these shameless blasphemers amenable to the existing law4 ,it is a curious thing that such a fervid champion of religion should always attack unbelievers with private circulars4 ,yet this is the policy that ,henry ,varley has always pursued4 ,he is a religious bravo1 who lurks in the dark1 and strikes at ,freethinkers with a poisoned dagger4 ,more than once he has flooded ,northampton with the foulest libels on ,mr4 ,bradlaugh1 invariably issued without the printer's name1 in open violation of the law4 ,he is liable for a fine of five pounds for every copy circulated1 but the action must be initiated by the ,attorney-,general1 and our ,christian ,government refuses to punish when the offence is committed by one of their own creed1 and the sufferer is only an ,atheist4 ,varley's circular served its evil purpose1 for soon after ,parliament assembled in ,february1 ,mr4 ,c4 ,k4 ,freshfield1 member for ,dover1 asked the ,home ,secretary whether the ,government intended to prosecute the ,freethinker4 ,sir ,william ,harcourt gave the following reply3 ,i am sorry to say my attention has been called to a paper bearing the title of the ,freethinker1 published in ,northampton1 and ,i agree that nothing can be more pernicious to the minds of right-thinking people than publications of that description-- 7cheers7--but ,i think it has been the view for a great many years of all persons responsible in these matters1 that more harm than advantage is produced to public morals by ,government prosecutions in cases of this kind4 7,hear1 hear74 ,i believe they are better left to the reprobation which they will meet in this country from all decent members of society4 7,cheers74 ,this highly disingenuous answer was characteristic of the member for ,derby4 ,his reference to the ,freethinker as published at ,northampton1 clearly proves that he had never seen it2 and his unctuous allusions to public morals and decent members of society are further evidence in the same direction4 ,the ,freethinker was accused of blasphemy1 but until ,sir ,william ,harcourt gave the cue not even its worst enemies charged it with indecency4 ,in a later stage of my narrative ,i shall have to show that the ,liberal ,home ,secretary has acted the part of an unscrupulous bigot1 utterly regardless of truth1 justice and honor4 ,i thought it my duty to write an open letter to ,sir ,william ,harcourt on the subject of his answer to ,mr4 ,freshfield1 in which ,i said--,i tell you that you could not suppress the ,freethinker if you tried4 ,the martyr spirit of ,freethought is not dead1 and the men who suffered imprisonment for liberty of speech a generation ago have not left degenerate successors4 ,should the necessity arise1 there are ,freethinkers who will not shrink from the same sacrifice for the same cause4 ,the sequel has shown that this was no idle boast4 ,a few days later the ,freethinker was again the subject of a question in the ,house4 ,mr4 ,redmond1 member for ,new ,ross1 asked the ,home ,secretary whether the ,government had power to seize and summarily suppress newspapers which they considered pernicious to public morals2 and1 if so1 why that power was not exercised in the case of the ,freethinker and other papers now published and circulated in ,england4 ,sir ,william ,harcourt repeated the answer he gave to ,mr4 ,freshfield1 and added that it would not be discreet to say whether the ,government had power to seize obnoxious publications4 ,mr4 ,redmond's question was a fine piece of impudence4 ,assuming that he represented all the voters in ,new ,ross1 his constituents numbered two hundred and sixty-one2 and they could all be conveyed to ,westminster in a tithe of the vehicles that brought people to ,holloway ,gaol to welcome me on the morning of my release4 ,the total population of ,new ,ross1 including men1 women and children1 is less than seven thousand2 a number that fell far short of the readers of the ,freethinker even then4 ,representing a mere handful of people1 ,mr4 ,redmond had the audacity to ask for the summary suppression of a journal which is read in every part of the ,english-speaking world4 ,nothing further of an exciting nature in connexion with my case occurred until early in ,may1 when a prosecution for ,blasphemy was instituted at ,tunbridge ,wells against ,mr4 ,henry ,seymour1 ,honorary ,secretary of the local branch of the ,national ,secular ,society4 ,this ,branch had been the object of continued outrage and persecution1 chiefly instigated1 ,i have reason to believe1 by ,canon ,hoare4 ,the printed announcements outside their meeting-place were frequently painted over in presence of the police1 who refused to interfere4 ,finally the police called on all the local bill-posters and warned them against exhibiting the ,society's placards4 ,stung by these disgraceful tactics1 ,mr4 ,seymour issued a jocular programme of an evening's entertainment at the ,society's hall1 one profane sentence of which1 while it in no way disturbed the peace or serenity of the town1 aroused intense indignation in the breasts of the professional guardians of religion and morality4 ,they therefore cited ,mr4 ,seymour before the ,justices of the ,peace1 and charged him with publishing a blasphemous libel4 ,he was committed for trial at the next assizes1 and in the meantime liberated on a hundred pounds bail4 ,acting under advice1 ,mr4 ,seymour pleaded guilty1 and was discharged on finding sureties for his appearance when called up for judgment4 ,this grievous error was a distinct encouragement to the bigots4 ,their appetite was whetted by this morsel1 and they immediately sought a full repast4 ,my own attitude was one of defiance4 ,in the ,freethinker of ,may #ad ,i denounced the bigots as cowards for pouncing on a comparatively obscure member of the ,freethought party1 and ,i challenged them to attack its leaders before they assailed the rank and file4 ,this challenge was cited against me on my own trial1 but ,i do not regret it2 and indeed ,i doubt if any man ever regretted that his sense of duty triumphed over his sense of danger4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,our ,,first ,,summons4 ,some day in the first week of ,july 7,i fancy it was ,thursday1 the #fth1 but ,i cannot distinguish it with perfect precision1 as some of my memoranda were scattered by my imprisonment7 ,i enjoyed one of those very rare trips into the country which my engagements allowed4 ,i was accompanied by two old friends1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,m4 ,wheeler and ,mr4 ,john ,robertson1 the latter being then on a brief first visit to ,london4 ,we went up the river by boat1 walked for hours about ,kew and ,richmond1 and sat on the famous ,terrace in the early evening1 enjoying the lovely prospect1 and discussing a long letter from ,italy1 written by one of our best friends1 who was spending a year in that poet's paradise4 ,how we chattered all through that golden day on all subjects1 in the heavens above1 on the earth beneath1 and in the waters under the earth6 ,with what fresh delight1 in keeping with the scene1 we compared our favorite authors and capped each other's quotations6 ,rare ,walt ,whitman told ,mr4 ,conway that his forte was loafing and writing poems4 ,well1 we loafed too1 and if we did not write poems1 we startled the birds1 the sheep1 the cattle1 and stray pedestrians1 by reciting them4 ,i returned home with that pleasant feeling of fatigue which is a good sign of health--with tired limbs and a clear brain1 languid but not jaded4 ,throwing myself into the chair before my desk1 ,i lit my pipe1 and sat calmly puffing1 while the incidents of that happy day floated through my memory as ,i watched the floating smoke-wreaths4 ,casually turning round1 ,i noticed a queer-looking sheet of paper on the desk4 ,i picked it up and read it4 ,it was a summons from the ,lord ,mayor1 commanding my attendance at the ,mansion ,house on the following ,tuesday1 to answer a charge of ,blasphemy4 ,strange ending to such a day6 ,what a tragi-comedy life is--how full of contrasts and surprises1 of laughter and tears4 ,two others were summoned to appear with me3 ,mr4 ,w4 ,j4 ,ramsey1 as publisher and proprietor1 and ,mr4 ,e4 ,w4 ,whittle1 as printer4 ,mr4 ,bradlaugh1 who was not included in the prosecution until a later stage of the proceedings1 rendered us ungrudging assistance4 ,mr4 ,lickfold1 of the well-known legal firm of ,lewis and ,lewis1 was engaged to watch the case on behalf of ,mr4 ,whittle4 ,as for my own defence1 ,i resolved from the very first to conduct it myself1 a course for which ,i had excellent reasons1 that were perfectly justified by subsequent events4 ,in the ,freethinker of ,july #cj1 #ahhb1 ,i wrote3 ,i have to defend a principle as well as myself4 ,the most skilful counsel might be half-hearted and over-prudent4 ,every lawyer looks to himself as well as to his client4 ,when ,erskine made his great speech at the end of last century in a famous trial for treason1 ,thomas ,paine said it was a splendid speech for ,mr4 ,erskine1 but a very poor defence of the ,rights of ,man4 ,if ,freethought is attacked it must be defended1 and the charge of ,blasphemy must be retorted on those who try to suppress liberty in the name of ,god4 ,for my part1 ,i would rather be convicted after my own defence than after another man's2 and before ,i leave the court1 for whatever destination1 ,i will make the ears of bigotry tingle1 and shame the hypocrites who profess and disbelieve4 ,for whatever destination6 ,yes1 ,i avow that from the moment ,i read the summons ,i never had a doubt as to my fate4 ,i knew that prosecutions for ,blasphemy had invariably succeeded4 ,how1 indeed1 could they possibly fail8 ,i might by skill or luck get one jury to disagree1 but acquittal was hopeless2 and the prosecution could go on trying me until they found a jury sufficiently orthodox to ensure a verdict of guilty4 ,it was a foregone conclusion4 ,the prosecution played1 ,heads ,i win1 tails you lose4 ,and now a word as to our prosecutor4 ,nominally1 of course1 we were prosecuted by the ,crown2 and ,judge ,north had the ignorance or impudence to tell the ,old ,bailey jury that this was not only theory but fact4 ,lord ,coleridge1 when he tried us two months later in the ,court of ,queen's ,bench1 told the jury that although the nominal prosecutor was the ,crown1 the actual prosecutor1 the real plaintiff who set the ,crown in motion1 was ,sir ,henry ,tyler4 ,he provided all the necessary funds4 ,without his cash1 nobody would have paid for the summons1 and the pious lawyers1 from ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard downwards1 who harangued the magistrates1 the judge and the jury1 would have held their venal tongues1 and left poor ,religion to defend herself as she could4 ,and who is ,sir ,henry ,tyler8 or1 rather1 who was he8 for after emerging into public notoriety by playing the part of a prosecutor1 he fell back into his natural obscurity4 ,he remained a ,member of ,parliament1 but no one heard of him in that capacity1 except now and then when he asked a foolish question1 like others of his kind1 who are mysteriously permitted to sit in our national legislature4 ,three years ago1 however1 he was a more conspicuous personage4 ,he was then chairman of the ,board of ,directors of the ,brush ,light ,company2 and according to ,henry ,labouchere's statements in ,truth1 he was a notorious guinea-pig4 ,he was certainly an adept in the profitable transfer of shares3 so much so1 indeed1 that at length the shareholders revolted against their pious chairman1 and appointed a committee to investigate his proceedings4 ,whereupon this modern ,knight of the ,holy ,ghost levanted1 preferring to resign rather than face the inquiry4 ,this is the man who asked in the ,house of ,commons whether ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's daughters could not be deprived of their hard-earned grants for their pupils who successfully passed the ,south ,kensington examinations6 ,this is the man who posed as the amateur champion of omnipotence6 ,surely if deity wanted a champion1 ,sir ,henry ,tyler is about the last person who would receive an application4 ,yet it is men of this stamp who have usually set the ,blasphemy ,laws in operation4 ,these infamous laws are allowed to slumber for years1 until some contemptible wretch1 to gratify his private malice or a baser passion1 rouses them into vicious activity1 and fastens their fangs on men whose characters are far superior to his own4 ,with this fact before them1 it is strange that ,christians should continue to regard these detestable laws as a bulwark of their faith1 or in any way calculated to defend it against the inroads of infidelity4 ,sir ,henry ,tyler may after all have been a tool in the hands of others1 for the ,st4 ,stephen's ,review has admitted that the object of this prosecution was to cripple ,mr4 ,bradlaugh in his parliamentary struggle1 and we expected a prosecution long before it came1 in consequence of some conversation on the subject overheard in the ,tea ,room of the ,house of ,commons4 ,but this1 if true1 while it heightens his insignificance1 in no wise lessens his infamy2 and it certainly does not impair1 but rather increases1 the force of my strictures on the ,blasphemy ,laws4 ,lord ,coleridge1 in the ,court of ,queen's ,bench1 on the occasion of ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's trial1 sarcastically alluded to ,sir ,henry ,tyler as a person entirely unknown to me--a very polite way of saying1 ,what does such an obscure person mean by assuming the role of ,defender of the ,faith8 ,his lordship must also have had that individual in his mind when1 on the occasion of my own trial with ,mr4 ,ramsey in the same ,court on ,april #be1 #ahhc1 he delivered himself of these sentiments in the course of his famous summing-up3 ,a difficult form of virtue is quietly and unostentatiously to obey what you believe to be ,god's will in your own lives4 ,it is not very easy to do that1 and if you do it1 you don't make much noise in the world4 ,it is very easy to turn upon somebody who differs from you1 and in the guise of zeal for ,god's honor1 to attack somebody who differs from you in point of opinion1 but whose life may be very much more pleasing to ,god1 whom you profess to honor1 than your own4 ,when it is done by persons whose own lives are full of pretending to be better than their neighbors1 and who take that particular form of zeal for ,god which consists in putting the criminal law in force against somebody else--that does not1 in many people's minds1 create a sympathy with the prosecutor1 but rather with the defendant4 ,there is no doubt that will be so2 and if they should be men--,i don't know anything about these persons--but if they should be men who enjoy the wit of ,voltaire1 and who do not turn away from the sneer of ,gibbon1 but rather relish the irony of ,hume--one's feelings do not go quite with the prosecutor1 but one's feelings are rather apt to sympathise with the defendants4 ,it is still worse if the person who takes this course takes it not from a kind of rough notion that ,god wants his assistance1 and that he can give it--less on his own account than by prosecuting other--or if it is mixed up with anything of a partisan or political nature4 ,then it is impossible that anything can be more foreign from one's notions of what is high-minded1 religious and noble4 ,indeed1 ,i must say it strikes me that anyone who would do that1 not for the honor of ,god1 but for his own purposes1 is entitled to the most disdainful disapprobation that the human mind can form4 ,some of the orthodox ,tory journals censured ,lord ,coleridge for these scathing remarks1 but his lordship is not easily frightened by anonymous critics1 and it is probable that1 if he ever has to try another case like ours1 he may denounce the prosecutors in still stronger language if their motives are so obviously sinister as were those of ,sir ,henry ,tyler4 ,there was a great crowd of people outside the ,mansion ,house on ,tuesday morning1 ,may #aa1 and we were lustily cheered as we entered4 ,long before the ,lord ,mayor1 ,sir ,whittaker ,ellis1 took his seat on the ,bench1 every inch of standing space in the ,justice ,room was occupied4 ,mr4 ,bradlaugh took a seat near ,mr4 ,lickfold and frequently tendered us hints and advice4 ,mr4 ,ramsey1 ,mr4 ,whittle1 and ,i took our places in the dock as our names were called out by ,mr4 ,gresham1 the chief clerk of the court4 ,our summons alleged that we unlawfully did publish1 or caused to be published1 certain blasphemous libels in a newspaper called the ,freethinker1 dated the #bhth of ,may1 #ahhb4 ,mr4 ,maloney1 who appeared for the prosecution1 seemed fully impressed with the gravity of his position1 and when he rose he had the air of a man who bore the responsibility of defending in his single person the honor1 if not the very existence1 of our national religion4 ,his first proceeding was very characteristic of a gentleman with such a noble task4 ,he attempted to hand in as evidence against us several numbers of the ,freethinker not mentioned in the summons1 and these would have been at once admitted by the ,lord ,mayor1 who was apparently used to accepting evidence in an extremely free and easy fashion1 as is generally the case with the great unpaid2 but ,mr4 ,lickfold promptly intervened1 and his lordship1 seeing the necessity of carefulness1 then held that it would be advisable to adhere to the one case that morning1 and to take out fresh summonses for the other numbers4 ,mr4 ,maloney then proceeded to deal with the numbers before the ,court4 ,there were numerous blasphemies which1 if we were committed for trial1 would be set forth in the indictment1 but he would spare the ears of the ,court4 ,one passage1 however1 he did read1 and it is well to put on record1 for the sake of those who talk about our indecent attacks on ,christianity1 what a prosecuting barrister felt he could rely on to procure our committal4 ,it was as follows3 ,as for the ,freethinker1 he will scorn to degrade himself by going through the farce of reconciling his soul to a ,god whom he justly regards as the embodiment of crime and ferocity4 ,those words were not mine2 they were from an article by one of my contributors2 but ,i ask any reasonable man whether it is not ludicrous to prate about religious freedom in a country where writers run the risk of imprisonment for a sentence like that8 ,as ,mr4 ,maloney ended the quotation his voice sank to a supernatural whisper1 he dropped the paper on the desk before him1 and regarded his lordship with a look of pathetic horror1 which the worthy magistrate fully reciprocated4 ,as ,i contemplated these two voluntary augurs of our national faith1 and at the same time remembered that far stronger expressions might be found in the writings of ,mill1 ,clifford1 ,amberley1 ,arnold1 ,newman1 ,conway1 ,swinburne1 and other works in ,mudie's circulating library1 ,i could scarcely refrain from laughter4 ,the witnesses for the prosecution were of the ordinary type--policemen1 detectives1 and lawyer's clerks--with the exception of ,mr4 ,charles ,albert ,watts1 who by accident or design found himself in such questionable company4 ,this young gentleman is the son of ,mr4 ,charles ,watts and printer of the ,secular ,review1 and he was called to prove that ,i was the editor of the ,freethinker4 ,with the most cheerful alacrity he positively affirmed that ,i was1 although he had absolutely no more knowledge on the subject--as indeed he admitted on cross-examination--than any other member of the ,british public4 ,his appearance in the witness-box is still half a mystery to me and ,i can only ask1 ,que le diable allait-il faire dans cette galere8 ,ultimately the case was remanded till the following ,monday1 ,mr4 ,maloney intimating that he should apply for fresh summonses for other numbers of the ,freethinker1 as well as a summons against ,mr4 ,bradlaugh for complicity in our crime4 ,let me here pause to consider how these prosecutions for blasphemy are initiated4 ,under the ,newspaper ,libels ,act no prosecution for libel can be commenced against the editor1 publisher or proprietor of any newspaper1 without the written fiat of the ,public ,prosecutor4 ,this post is occupied by ,sir ,john ,maule1 who enjoys a salary of ,l#b1jjj a year1 and has the assistance of a well-appointed office in his strenuous labors4 ,punch once pictured him fast asleep before the fire1 with a handkerchief over his face1 while all sorts of unprosecuted criminals plied their nefarious trades2 and ,mr4 ,justice ,hawkins 7,i think7 has denounced him as a pretentious farce4 ,he is practically irresponsible1 unlike the ,attorney-,general1 who1 being a member of the ,government1 is amenable to public opinion4 ,press laws1 except in cases of personal libel1 ought not to be neglected or enforced at the discretion of such an official4 ,every interference with freedom of speech1 whenever it is deemed necessary1 should be undertaken by the ,government1 or at least have its express sanction4 ,nothing of the sort happened in our case4 ,on the contrary1 ,sir ,john ,maule allowed our prosecution after ,sir ,william ,harcourt had condemned it4 ,the ,public ,prosecutor set himself above the ,home ,secretary4 ,unfortunately the general press saw nothing anomalous or dangerous in such a state of things2 for an official like ,sir ,john ,maule1 while ready enough to sanction the prosecution of an unpopular journal1 which presumably has few friends1 is naturally reluctant1 as events have shown1 to allow proceedings against a powerful journal whose friends may be numerous and influential4 ,fortunately1 however1 a ,select ,committee of the ,house of ,commons has taken a more sensible view of the ,public ,prosecutor and the duties he has so muddled1 and recommended the abolition of his office4 ,should this step be taken1 his duties will probably be performed by the ,solicitor-,general1 and the press will be freed from a danger it had not the sense or the courage to avert4 ,as for ,sir ,john ,maule1 he will of course retire with a big pension1 and live in fat ease for the rest of his sluggish life4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,mr4 ,,bradlaugh ,,included4 ,mr4 ,maloney obtained his summons against ,mr4 ,bradlaugh1 whose name was included in a new document which was served on all of us4 ,i have lost our first ,summons1 but ,i am able to give a copy of the second4 ,it ran thus3 ,,to ,,william ,,james ,,ramsey1 of #bh ,stonecutter ,street1 in the ,city of ,london1 and #bj ,brownlow ,street1 ,dalston1 in the county of ,middlesex2 ,,george ,,william ,,foote1 of #i ,south ,crescent1 ,bedford ,square1 in the county of ,middlesex2 ,,edward ,,william ,,whittle1 of #agj ,saint ,john ,street1 ,clerkenwell1 in the county of ,middlesex2 and ,,charles ,,bradlaugh1 of #bj ,circus ,road1 ,saint ,john's ,wood1 in the county of ,middlesex1 and #bh ,stonecutter ,street1 in the ,city of ,london4 ,whereas you have this day been charged before the under-signed1 the ,lord ,mayor of the ,city of ,london1 being one of ,her ,majesty's justices of the peace in and for the said ,city1 and the liberties thereof1 by ,sir ,henry ,tyler1 of ,dashwood ,house1 #i ,new ,broad ,street1 in the said ,city1 for that you1 in the said ,city1 unlawfully did publish1 or cause and procure to be published1 certain blasphemous libels in a newspaper called the ,freethinker1 dated and published on the days following--that is to say1 on the #bfth day of ,march1 #ahhb1 on the #ith1 #bcrd and #cjth days of ,april1 #ahhb1 and on the #gth1 #adth1 #bast and #bhth days of ,may1 #ahhb1 and on the #aath and #ahth days of ,june1 #ahhb1 against the peace1 etc43 ,these are therefore to command you1 in ,her ,majesty's name1 to be and appear before me1 on ,monday1 the #agth day of ,july1 #ahhb1 at eleven of the clock in the forenoon1 at the ,mansion ,house ,justice-,room1 in the said ,city1 or before such other justice or justices of the peace for the same ,city as may then be there1 to answer to the said charge1 and to be further dealt with according to law4 ,herein fail not4 ,given under my hand and seal1 this #abth day of ,july1 in the year of our ,lord #ahhb1 at the ,mansion ,house ,justice-,room1 aforesaid4 ,,whittaker ,,ellis1 ,lord ,mayor1 ,london4 ,on the following ,monday1 ,july #ag1 the junior ,member for ,northampton stood beside us in the ,mansion ,house dock4 ,the court was of course crowded1 and a great number of people stood outside waiting for a chance of admission4 ,the ,lord ,mayor considerately allowed us seats on hearing that the case would occupy a long time1 a piece of attention which he might also have displayed on the previous ,tuesday4 ,it seems extremely unjust that men who are defending themselves1 who need all their strength for the task1 and who may after all be innocent1 should be obliged to stand for hours in a crowded court in the dog-days1 and waste half their energies in the perfectly gratuitous exertion of maintaining their physical equilibrium4 ,i shall not describe the proceedings before the ,lord ,mayor on this occasion4 ,properly speaking1 it was ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's day1 and some time or other its incidents will be recorded in his biography4 ,suffice it to say that he showed his usual legal dexterity1 sat on poor ,mr4 ,maloney1 and sadly puzzled the ,lord ,mayor4 ,i must1 however1 refer to one point1 as it illustrates the high ,christian morality of our prosecutors4 ,mr4 ,maloney had obtained an illegal order from the ,lord ,mayor to inspect ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's bank account1 and armed with this order1 which1 even if it were legal1 would not have extended beyond the limits of the ,city1 this enterprising barrister had overhauled the books of the ,st4 ,john's ,wood ,branch of the ,london and ,south-,western ,bank4 ,lord ,coleridge's astonishment at this unheard-of proceeding was only equalled by his trenchant sarcasm on the ,lord ,mayor as a legal functionary1 and his bitter cold sneer at ,mr4 ,maloney1 who1 it further appeared1 had actually played the part of an amateur detective1 by setting street policemen to watch ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's entries and exits from his publishing office4 ,on the following ,friday1 ,july #ba1 the hearing of our case was resumed4 ,we were all committed for trial at the ,old ,bailey1 with the exception of ,mr4 ,whittle1 the printer1 against whom the prosecution was abandoned on the ground that he had ceased to print the ,freethinker4 ,this was an unpleasant fact1 and alas6 it was only one of a good many ,i shall have to relate presently4 ,before our committal ,i essayed to read a brief protest against the prosecution1 which ,i had carefully prepared4 ,in defiance of the statute1 the ,lord ,mayor refused to hear it4 ,an altercation then ensued1 and ,i should have insisted on my right unless stopped by brute force2 but on his lordship promising that a copy should be attached to the depositions1 ,i yielded in order to let ,mr4 ,bradlaugh have a full opportunity of stigmatising ,sir ,henry ,tyler1 who had left his questionable business at ,dashwood ,house during a part of the day1 to gloat over the spectacle of his enemy in a criminal dock4 ,some portions of my half-suppressed protest ought not to be omitted in this history4 ,after dealing in a few lines with the origin of the ,blasphemy ,laws1 censuring the conduct of ,sir ,henry ,tyler1 and alluding to ,sir4 ,william ,harcourt's reply to ,mr4 ,freshfield1 ,i expressed myself as follows3 ,what1 indeed1 do the prosecutors hope or expect to gain8 ,freethought is no longer a weak1 tentative1 apologetic thing2 it is strong1 bold1 and aggressive2 and no law could now suppress it except one of extermination4 ,every breach made in its ranks by imprisonment would be instantly filled2 and as punishment is not eternal on this side of death1 the imprisoned man would some day return to his old place1 fiercer than ever for the fight1 and inflamed with an unappeasable hatred of the religion whose guardians prefer punishment to persuasion1 and supplement the weakness of argument by the force of brutality4 ,blasphemy is a very general offence if we take even the lenient definitions of ,sir ,james ,stephen in his ',digest of the ,criminal ,law4' ,all who publicly advocate the disestablishment of the ,church are guilty under one clause1 and half the leading writers of our age are guilty under another4 ,it is difficult to find a book by any eminent scientist or thinker which does not contain open or covert attacks on ,christianity and ,scripture1 and the ,archbishop of ,canterbury has pathetically complained that it is dangerous to introduce high-class magazines to the family circle1 because they are nearly sure to contain a large quantity of scepticism4 ,why are these propagators of heresy never molested8 ,because it would be perilous to touch them4 ,prosecutions are always reserved for those who are unprotected by wealth and position4 ,heresy in expensive books for the upper classes is safe1 but heresy in cheap publications for the people incurs a terrible danger4 ,the one is flattered and conciliated1 while the other is liable at any moment to be put on its defence in a criminal court1 and is always at the mercy of any man who may choose to indulge his political animosity1 his social enmity1 or his private spite4 ,blasphemy is entirely a matter of opinion4 ,what is blasphemy in one country is piety in another4 ,progress tends to reduce it from a crime to an affair of taste4 ,to deal with it in the bad spirit of the old laws1 which are only unrepealed because they have been treated as obsolete1 is to outrage the conscience of civilisation1 and to violate that liberty of the press which ,bentham justly called 'the foundation of all other liberties4' ,if opinions are not forced on people's attention1 if they are expressed in publications which are sold1 which can be patronised or neglected1 and which must be deliberately sought before they can be read2 then1 unless they contain incitements to crime1 they are entitled to immunity from molestation1 and to interfere with them is the height of gratuitous impertinence4 ,in the ordinary course our ,indictment would have been tried at the ,old ,bailey4 ,the grand jury found a true bill against us1 after being charged by the ,recorder1 ,sir ,thomas ,chambers1 who addressed them as fellow ,christians1 quite forgetful of the fact that ,jews and ,deists are eligible as jurymen no less than orthodox believers4 ,according to the newspapers this bigot described our blasphemous libels as shocking1 and said that it was impossible for any ,christian man to read them without feeling that they came within that description1 and they ought to return a true bill4 ,this same ,sir ,thomas ,chambers is a patron of piety1 especially when it takes the form of aggressive polemics4 ,some time afterwards he joined a committee1 with the late ,lord ,shaftesbury1 ,lord ,mayor ,fowler1 and other religious worthies1 whose object was to raise a testimonial to ,samuel ,kinns1 an obscure author who has written a stupid volume on ,moses and ,geology for the purpose of showing that the book of ,genesis1 to use ,huxley's expression1 contains the beginning and the end of sound science4 ,it thus appears that a ,christian magistrate may subscribe 7or1 which is quite as pious and far more economical1 induce others to subscribe7 for the confutation of heretics1 and afterwards send them to gaol for not being confuted4 ,what a glorious commentary on the great truth that ,england is a free country1 and that ,christianity relies entirely on the force of persuasion6 ,fortunately1 however1 our case was not tried at the ,old ,bailey4 ,mr4 ,bradlaugh obtained a writ of certiorari removing the indictment to the ,court of ,queen's ,bench1 where our case was put in the ,crown ,list1 and did not come on for hearing until two months after ,i was imprisoned on another indictment4 ,mr4 ,bradlaugh obtained the writ on ,july #bi1 #ahhb4 ,it was during the long vacation1 and we had to appear before more than one judge in chambers1 ,mr4 ,justice ,stephen being the one who granted the writ4 ,i remember roaming the ,law ,courts with ,mr4 ,bradlaugh that morning4 ,we went from office to office in the most perplexing manner4 ,everything seemed designed to baffle suitors who conduct their own cases4 ,obsolete technicalities1 only half intelligible even to experts1 met one at every turn1 and when ,i left the ,law ,courts ,i felt that the thing was indeed done1 but that it would almost puzzle omniscience to do it again in exactly the same way4 ,over seven pounds was spent in stamps1 documents1 and other items2 and ,i was informed that a solicitor's charges for the morning's work would have exceeded thirty pounds4 ,securities for costs were required to the extent of six hundred pounds1 and of course they had to be given4 ,yet we were merely seeking justice and a fair trial6 ,as ,i walked home ,i pondered the great truth that ,england is a free country1 and that there is one law for the rich and the poor2 yet ,i reflected that as only the rich could afford it1 the poor might as well have no law at all4 ,i have already referred to our printer's defection4 ,acting under advice1 ,mr4 ,whittle declined to print the ,comic ,bible ,sketch in the number for ,july #af1 and the following week he refused to print at all4 ,he announced this decision after all the type was set up and the formes were almost ready for the press4 ,only forty-eight hours remained before the ,freethinker was due4 ,during that period1 in company with my friend and sub-editor1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,m4 ,wheeler1 ,i made desperate efforts to get a printer to undertake the work4 ,at last ,i discovered a ,freethinker who placed his inadequate resources at my disposal4 ,he could only set up four pages of type1 and only print copies with a hand-press4 ,even that was better than nothing2 anything being preferable to lowering the flag in the heat of battle4 ,but alas6 fate is stronger than gods or men4 ,i was foiled at the last moment1 just as victory seemed within my grasp2 how ,i forbear to explain1 although the incidents of that eventful day would form an interesting chapter of my ,autobiography4 ,enough copies were pulled to constitute a legal issue of the paper1 and one of these is safely deposited in the ,british ,museum2 but none were printed for the market1 and it was everywhere reported that the ,freethinker was dead4 ,christian ,evidence lecturers joyously announced the fact at their meetings1 and ,mr4 ,maloney ironically alluded to it in ,court4 ,i bore all these taunts with grim silence1 which was at last broken1 not by words1 but by deeds4 ,these people did not know that the ,freethinker1 like the founder of their faith1 had disappeared one week only to reappear the next4 ,with the aid of ,mr4 ,ramsey1 who again stood by our side1 we succeeded in restoring our paper to the light of day4 ,type was purchased1 compositors were engaged1 and a little shop was taken in ,harp ,alley4 ,the ,freethinker for ,july #cj struck astonishment into the souls of those who had rejoiced over its death when they saw no ,freethinker for ,july #bc4 ,from that moment our issue was never once suspended1 although we had some desperate close shaves4 ,in the number for ,august #f1 as ,i could not get our machiner to print any ,comic ,bible ,sketches just then1 ,i published a serious one1 reproduced from an old ,dutch ,bible of #affi4 ,it represented ,moses obtaining a panoramic view of ,jehovah's back parts4 ,below the text ,i inserted the following notice3 ,as the bigots object to our ,comic ,bible ,sketches1 we shall publish a few ,serious ,bible ,sketches1 copied accurately from old ,bibles of the ages of faith1 to show what the ,christians have done themselves in the way of familiar interpretation4 ,we hope the bigots will like the change4 ,by the next week1 however1 ,i had overcome our machiner's scruples1 and the ,comic ,bible ,sketches were resumed and continued up to the day of my imprisonment4 ,my attitude towards the prosecution is amply expressed by these facts1 but a few words from my pen at that time may not be altogether superfluous4 ,in an article entitled ,crucify ,him6 in the ,freethinker of ,august #f1 #ahhb1 ,i wrote3 ,we are charged with blasphemy1 and so was ,jesus ,christ4 ,what a grim joke it will be if the ,freethinker is found guilty and punished for the same crime as the preacher of the ,sermon on the ,mount6 ,truly adversity makes us acquainted with strange bedfellows4 ,yet1 whatever happens1 we will not quail4 ,we will not vapor about legions of angels1 but trust in the living legions of ,freethought4 ,we will not yield to the weakness of an agony and bloody sweat1 nor pray that the cup may pass from us1 nor cry out that we are forsaken2 for our sources of strength are all within us1 and cannot be taken away4 ,we have a sense of truth1 a conviction of right1 and a spirit of courage1 caught from the gallant men who fought before4 ,let the bigots do their worst2 they will not break our spirit nor extinguish our cause4 ,let the ,christian mob clamor as loudly as they can1 ',crucify him1 crucify him6' ,they will not daunt us4 ,we look with prophetic eyes over all the tumult1 and see in the distance the radiant form of ,liberty1 bearing in her left hand the olive branch and in her right hand the sword1 the holy victress1 destined by treaty or conquest to bring the whole world under her sway4 ,and across all the din we hear her great rich voice1 banishing despair1 inspiring hope1 and infusing a joyous ardour in every nerve4 ,from the first ,i was sure that the ,freethought party would support those who were fighting its battle1 and ,i was not deceived4 ,the ,freethinker ,defence ,fund was liberally subscribed to throughout the country1 several working men putting by a few pence every week for the purpose2 and as ,i travelled up and down on my lecturing tours ,i experienced everywhere the heartiest greetings4 ,i saw that the party's blood was up1 and that however it might ultimately fare with me1 the battle would be fought to the bitter end4 ,considerable controversy took place in the daily and weekly press4 ,professor ,w4 ,a4 ,hunter contributed a timely letter to the ,daily ,news1 in which he described the ,blasphemy ,laws as a weapon always ready to the hand of mischievous fools or designing knaves4 ,mr4 ,g4 ,j4 ,holyoake wrote in his usual vein of covert attack on ,freethinkers in danger4 ,mrs4 ,besant joined in the fray anonymously1 and a letter appeared also from my own pen4 ,there were articles on the subject in the provincial newspapers1 and amongst the ,london journals ,i must especially commend the ,weekly ,dispatch1 which never wavered in faithfulness to its ,liberal traditions1 and stood firm in its censure of our prosecution from first to last1 even when other journals turned from the path of religious liberty1 proved traitors to their principles1 and joined the bigots in their cry of ,to prison1 to prison6 against the obnoxious heretics4 ,for some time after this we pursued the even tenor of our way4 ,many of the wholesale newsagents1 who had been frightened when our prosecution was initiated1 regained confidence and resumed their orders4 ,early in ,october we removed from ,harp ,alley to #bh ,stonecutter ,street1 which had just been vacated by the ,freethought ,publishing ,company1 and which has ever since been the publishing office of the ,freethinker4 ,about the same time ,i issued a pamphlet entitled ,blasphemy no ,crime1 a copy of which was sent to every newspaper in the ,united ,kingdom4 ,it traversed the whole field of discussion1 and gave a brief history of past prosecutions for ,blasphemy1 as well as the principal facts of our own case4 ,in ,november ,i announced the preparation of the second ,christmas ,number of the ,freethinker1 the publication for which ,i paid the penalty of twelve months' imprisonment4 ,before1 however1 ,i deal fully with that awful subject ,i will redeem my promise to inform my readers of the nature of our indictment1 and what were the actual charges preferred against us by ,sir ,henry ,tyler on behalf of the insulted universe4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,our ,,indictment4 ,our ,indictment covered twenty-eight large folios1 and contained sixteen ,counts4 ,of course we had to pay for a copy of it2 for although a criminal is supposed to enjoy the utmost fair play1 and according to legal theory is entitled to every advantage in his defence1 as a matter of fact1 unless he is able to afford the cost of a copy1 he has no right to know the contents of his ,indictment until he stands in the dock to plead to it4 ,it was evidently drawn up by someone grossly ignorant of the ,bible4 ,the ,apocalypse was described as the ,book of ,revelations1 and the ,gadarean swine came out as ,gadderean4 ,probably ,sir ,henry ,tyler and ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard knew as much of the ,scriptures they strove to imprison us for disputing as the person who drew up our ,indictment4 ,mr4 ,cluer caused some amusement in the ,court of ,queen's ,bench when1 in the gravest manner1 he drew attention to these errors4 ,lord ,coleridge as gravely replied that he could not take judicial cognisance of them4 ,whereupon ,mr4 ,cluer quietly observed that he was ready to produce the authorised version of the ,bible in court in a few minutes1 as he had a copy in his chambers4 ,this remark elicited a smile from ,lord ,coleridge1 a broad grin from the lawyers in ,court1 and a titter from the crowd4 ,it was perfectly understood that a gentleman of the long robe might prosecute anybody for blasphemy against the ,bible and its ,deity1 but the idea of a barrister having a copy of the sacred volume in his chambers was really too absurd for belief4 ,the preamble charged us1 in the stock language of ,indictments for ,blasphemy1 as may be seen on reference to ,archibold1 with being wicked and evil-disposed persons1 and disregarding the laws and religion of the realm1 and wickedly and profanely devising and intending to asperse and vilify ,almighty ,god1 and to bring the ,holy ,scriptures and the ,christian ,religion into disbelief and contempt4 ,the first observation ,i have to make on this wordy jumble is1 that it seems highly presumptuous on the part of weak men to defend the character of ,almighty ,god4 ,surely they might leave him to protect himself4 ,omnipotence is able to punish those who offend it1 and ,omniscience knows when to punish4 ,man's interference is grossly impertinent4 ,when the emperor ,tiberius was asked by an informer to allow proceedings against one who had blasphemed the gods1 he replied3 ,no1 let the gods defend their own honor4 ,christian rulers have not yet reached that level of justice and common sense4 ,next1 it was flagrantly unjust to accuse us of aspersing and vilifying ,almighty ,god at all4 ,the ,freethinker had simply assailed the reputation of the god of the ,bible1 a tribal deity of the ,jews1 subsequently adopted by the ,christians1 whom ,james ,mill had described as the most perfect conception of wickedness which the human mind can devise4 ,what difference1 ,i ask1 is there between that strong description and the sentence quoted from the ,freethinker in our ,indictment1 which declared the same being as cruel as a ,bashi-,bazouk and bloodthirsty as a ,bengal tiger8 ,the one is an abstract and the other a concrete expression of the same view2 the one is philosophical and the other popular2 the one is a cold statement and the other a burning metaphor4 ,to allow the one to circulate with impunity1 and to punish the other with twelve months' imprisonment1 is to turn a literary difference into a criminal offence4 ,further1 as ,sir ,james ,stephen has observed1 it is absurd to talk about bringing the ,holy ,scriptures and the ,christian religion into disbelief and contempt4 ,one of these words is clearly superfluous4 ,considering the extraordinary pretensions of the ,bible and ,christianity1 it is difficult to see how they could be brought into contempt more effectually than by bringing them into disbelief4 ,but greater absurdities remain4 ,our ,indictment averred that we had published certain ,blasphemous ,libels to the great displeasure of ,almighty ,god1 to the scandal of the ,christian religion and the ,holy ,bible or ,scriptures1 and against the peace of our ,lady the ,queen1 her crown and dignity4 ,let us analyse this legal jargon4 ,how did our prosecutors learn that we displeased ,almighty ,god8 ,in what manner did ,sir ,henry ,tyler first become aware of the fact8 ,was it1 in the ancient fashion1 revealed to him in a dream1 or did it come by direct inspiration8 ,what was the exact language of the aggrieved ,deity8 ,did he give ,sir ,henry ,tyler a power of attorney to defend his character by instituting a prosecution for libel8 ,if so1 where is the document1 and who will prove the signature8 ,and did the original party to the suit intimate his readiness to be subpoenaed as a witness at the trial8 ,all these are very important questions1 but there is no likelihood of their ever being answered4 ,the scandal of the ,christian ,religion is an impertinent joke4 ,christianity1 as ,lord ,coleridge remarked1 is no longer1 as the old judges used to rule1 part and parcel of the law of ,england4 ,i argued the matter at considerable length in addressing the jury1 and his lordship supported my contention with all the force of his high authority4 ,after pointing out that at one time ,jews1 ,roman ,catholics1 and ,nonconformists of all sorts--in fact every sect outside the ,state ,church--were under heavy disabilities for religion and regarded as hardly having civil rights1 and that undoubtedly at that time the doctrines of the ,established religion were part and parcel of the law of the land1 ,lord ,coleridge observed1 as ,i had done1 that ,parliament1 which is supreme and binds us all1 has enacted statutes which make that view of the law no longer applicable4 ,i had also pointed out that there might be a ,jew on the jury4 ,his lordship went further1 and remarked that there might be a ,jew on the bench4 ,his words were these3 ,now1 so far as ,i know1 a ,jew might be ,lord ,chancellor2 most certainly he might be ,master of the ,rolls4 ,the great and illustrious lawyer ,sir ,george ,jessel whose loss the whole profession is deploring1 and in whom his friends know that they lost a warm friend and a loyal colleague2 he1 but for the accident of taking his office before the ,judicature ,act came into operation1 might have had to go circuit1 might have sat in a criminal court to try such a case as this1 might have been called upon1 if the law really be that ',christianity is part of the law of the land' in the sense contended for1 to lay it down as law to a jury1 amongst whom might have been ,jews1--that it was an offence against the law1 as blasphemy1 to deny that ,jesus ,christ was the ,messiah1 a thing which he himself did deny1 which ,parliament had allowed him to deny1 and which it is just as much part of the law that anyone may deny1 as it is your right and mine1 if we believe it1 to assert4 ,clearly then1 according to the dictum of the ,lord ,chief ,justice1 it is not a crime to publish anything to the scandal of the ,christian ,religion1 although it was alleged against us as such in our ,indictment4 ,the only real point that can be discussed and tested is in the last clause4 ,i do not refer to the ,queen's crown and dignity1 which we were accused of endangering2 for our offence could not possibly be construed as a political one1 and it is hard to perceive how the ,queen's dignity could be imperilled by the act of any person except herself4 ,what ,i refer to is the statement that we had provoked a disturbance of the peace2 a more hypocritical pretence than which was never advanced4 ,i venture to quote here a passage from my address to the jury on my third trial before ,lord ,coleridge3-- ,a word1 gentlemen1 about breach of the peace4 ,mr4 ,justice ,stephen said well1 that no temporal punishment should be inflicted for blasphemy unless it led to a breach of the peace4 ,i have no objection to that1 provided we are indicted for a breach of the peace4 ,very little breach of the peace might make a good case of blasphemy4 ,a breach of the peace in a case like this must not be constructive2 it must be actual4 ,they might have put somebody in the witness-box who would have said that reading the ,freethinker had impaired his digestion and disturbed his sleep4 ,they might have even found somebody who said it was thrust upon him1 and that1 he was induced to read it1 not knowing its character4 ,gentlemen1 they have not attempted to prove that any special publicity was given to it outside the circle of the people who approved it4 ,they have not even shown there was an advertisement of it in any ,christian or religious paper4 ,they have not even told you that any extravagant display was made of it2 and ,i undertake to say that you might never have known of it if the prosecution had not advertised it4 ,how can all this be construed as a breach of the peace8 ,our ,indictment says we have done all this1 to the great displeasure of ,almighty ,god1 and to the danger of our ,lady the ,queen1 her crown and dignity4 ,you must bear that in mind4 ,the law-books say again and again that a blasphemous libel is punished1 not because it throws obloquy on the deity--the protection of whom would be absurd-- but because it tends to a breach of the peace4 ,it is preposterous to say such a thing tends to a breach of the peace4 ,if you want that you must go to the ,salvation ,army4 ,they have a perfect right to their ideas--,i have nothing to say about them2 but their policy has led to actual breaches of the peace2 and even in ,india1 where1 according to the law1 no prosecution could be started against a paper like the ,freethinker1 many are sent to gaol because they will insist upon processions in the street4 ,we have not caused tumult in the streets4 ,we have not sent out men with banners and bands in which each musician plays more or less his own tune4 ,we have not sent out men who make hideous discord1 and commit a common nuisance4 ,nothing of the sort is alleged4 ,a paper like this had to be bought and our utterances had to be sought4 ,we have not done anything against the peace4 ,i give the ,indictment an absolute denial4 ,to talk of danger to the peace is only a mask to hide the hideous and repulsive features of intolerance and persecution4 ,they don't want to punish us because we have assailed religion1 but because we have endangered the peace4 ,take them at their word1 gentlemen4 ,punish us if we have endangered the peace1 and not if we have assailed religion2 and as you know we have not endangered the peace1 you will of course bring in a verdict of ,not ,guilty4 ,gentlemen1 ,i hope you will by your verdict to-day champion that great law of liberty which is challenged--the law of liberty which implies the equal right of everyman1 while he does not trench upon the equal right of every other man1 to print what he pleases for people who choose to buy and read it1 so long as he does not libel men's characters or incite people to the commission of crime4 ,appealing now to a far larger jury in the high court of public opinion1 ,i ask whether ,freethinkers are not one of the most orderly sections of the community4 ,why should we resort to violence1 or invoke it1 or even countenance it1 when our cardinal principle is the sovereignty of reason1 and our hope of progress lies in the free play of mind on every subject8 ,we are perhaps more profoundly impressed than others with the idea that all institutions are the outward expression of inward thoughts and feelings1 and that it is impossible to forestall the advance of public sentiment by the most cunningly-devised machinery4 ,we are par excellence the party of order1 though not of stagnation4 ,it is a striking and pregnant fact that ,freethought meetings are kept peaceful and orderly without any protection by the police4 ,at ,st4 ,james's ,hall1 ,london1 the only demonstrations1 ,i believe1 for which the services of a certain number of policemen are not charged for in the bill with the rent1 are those convened by ,mr4 ,bradlaugh and his friends4 ,lord ,coleridge1 ostensibly but not actually following ,michaelis1 raised the subtle argument that as people's feelings are very tender on the subject of religion1 and the populace is apt to take the law into its own hands when there is no legal method of expressing its anger and indignation1 some sort of blasphemy laws reasonably enforced may be an advantage even to those who differ from the popular religion of a country1 and who desire to oppose and to deny it4 ,but this is an inversion of the natural order of things4 ,what reason is there in imprisoning an innocent man because some one meditates an assault upon him8 ,would it not be wiser and juster to restrain the intending criminal1 as is ordinarily done8 ,i object to being punished because others cannot keep their tempers2 and ,i say further1 that to punish a man1 not because he has injured others1 but for his own good1 is the worst form of persecution4 ,during the many years of my public advocacy of ,freethought in all parts of ,great ,britain1 both before and since my imprisonment1 ,i have never been in a moment's danger of violence and outrage4 ,i never witnessed any irritation which could not be allayed by a persuasive word1 or any disturbance that could not be quelled by a witticism4 ,with all deference to ,lord ,coleridge1 whom no one admires and respects more than ,i do1 ,i would rather the law left me to my own resources1 and only interfered to protect me when ,i need its assistance4 ,now for the counts of our ,indictment4 ,there is danger in writing about them1 as it is held that the publication of matter found blasphemous by a jury1 except in a legal report for the profession1 is itself blasphemy1 and may be punished as such4 ,i am not1 however1 likely to be deterred from my purpose by this consideration4 ,on the other hand1 as the incriminated passages were all carefully selected from many numbers of a journal never remarkable for its tender treatment of orthodoxy1 ,i do not see any particular advantage to be derived from their republication4 ,they are1 of course1 far more calculated to shock religious susceptibilities 7if these are to be considered7 when they are picked out and ranked together than when they stand amid their context in their original places4 ,such a process of selection would be exceedingly hard on any paper or book handling very advanced ideas1 and very backward ones1 in a spirit of great freedom4 ,nay1 it would prove a severe trial to most works of real value1 whose scope extended beyond the respectabilities4 ,not to mention ,byron's caustic remarks on the peculiar expurgation of ,martial in ,don ,juan's edition1 it is obvious that the ,bible and ,shakespeare could both be proved obscene by this process2 and setting aside ancient literature altogether1 half our own classics1 before the age of ,wordsworth and ,scott1 would come under the same condemnation4 ,i know ,i am intruding among my betters2 but ,i do not claim equality with them2 ,i merely ask the same liberal judgment4 ,a man is no more to be judged by a few casual sentences from his pen1 without any reference to all the rest1 than he is to be judged by a few casual expressions he may let fall in a year's conversation4 ,curiously1 in all those twenty-eight folios of blasphemy1 only three sentences were from my own pen1 and two of them were extracted from long articles4 ,one was a jocose reference to the ,jewish tribal god1 who1 as ,keunen allows1 was carried about1 probably as a stone fetish1 in that wooden box known as the ark of the covenant4 ,another occurred in a long review of ,jules ,soury's remarkable book on the subject of ,jesus ,christ's hallucinations and eccentricities1 in which he endeavors to show that the ,prophet of ,nazareth passed through certain recognised stages of brain disease4 ,referring to the close of his career1 ,i wrote that1 ,when ,jesus made his triumphant entry into ,jerusalem he was plainly crazed4 ,that one sentence was picked out from a long review1 running through three numbers of the ,freethinker1 and filling six columns of print4 ,the third sentence was a satirical comment on the sensational and blasphemous title of ,dr4 ,parker's book on ,the ,inner ,life of ,christ4 ,i asked1 ,how did he contrive to get inside his maker8 ,there was a fourth sentence ,i wrote for the ,freethinker1 but as it was a verbatim report of some ,bedlamite observations of a ,salvationist at ,halifax1 published1 as ,i said1 to show what is being done and said in the name of ,christianity1 ,i decline to be held responsible for it4 ,let ,general ,booth be answerable for the blasphemies of his own followers4 ,all the other passages in the ,indictment were from the pens of contributors1 over whom1 as they signed their articles1 ,i never held a tight rein4 ,they were mostly amplifications of the sentence ,i have already quoted about the cruel character of the ,bible ,god4 ,i did not1 however1 dwell on this fact in my address to the jury4 ,i took the full responsibility1 and fought my contributors' battle as well my own4 ,i bore their iniquities1 the chastisement of their peace was upon me1 and by my stripes they were healed4 ,four of the ,comic ,bible ,sketches were included in the ,indictment4 ,they appeared in the ,freethinker on the following dates3--,january #bi1 ,april #bc1 ,may #bh1 and ,june #aa 7#ahhb74 ,readers who care to see what they were like can refer to the file in the ,british ,museum4 ,those illustrations have not been declared blasphemous1 for when the ,indictment ,i have been explaining was tried before ,lord ,coleridge1 the jury1 after several hours' deliberation1 could not agree to a verdict of ,guilty4 ,the ,indictment on which ,i was found guilty1 and sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment1 was a later one4 ,it was based on the ,christmas ,number1 #ahhb1 to which ,i previously referred4 ,let me now give a brief history of my second prosecution4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,another ,,prosecution4 ,in the month of ,november 7#ahhb7 ,i announced my intention to bring out a new monthly magazine entitled ,progress4 ,several friends thought it impolitic to launch my new venture in such troubled waters1 and advised me to wait for the issue of the prosecution4 ,but ,i resolved to act exactly as though the prosecution had never been initiated4 ,it seemed to me the wisest course to go on with my work until ,i was stopped1 and risk the consequences whatever they might be4 ,the result has proved that ,i was right2 but ,i do not wish to boast of my judgment1 for when ,i was imprisoned all my interests were fearfully imperilled1 and everything depended on the loyal exertions of a few staunch ,freethinkers 7of whom more anon7 who stepped into the breach and defended them with great courage and ability until ,i was able to resume my post4 ,progress made its due appearance in ,january1 #ahhc1 and1 notwithstanding the extraordinary vicissitudes of its career1 it has flourished ever since without any solution of continuity4 ,while ,i was advertising ,progress ,i was also preparing the second ,christmas ,number of the ,freethinker4 ,the announcement of its contents caused a great deal of excitement1 and ,i am prepared to admit that it was1 to use a common phrase1 the warmest publication ever issued4 ,it was full from cover to cover of what the orthodox call blasphemy1 and it was speedily described by the ,christian press as more outrageous than any of the ordinary numbers for which we were already prosecuted4 ,the description was perfectly correct4 ,i had concluded that my wisest policy1 as it was certainly the most courageous1 was to disregard the ,blasphemy ,laws and defy the bigots2 to show that ,freethought was not to be cowed or intimidated by threats of imprisonment4 ,facing the enemy boldly appeared to me better than running away2 a course in which ,i could see neither glory1 honor1 nor profit4 ,even if ,i had consulted my safety above all things1 ,i should have seen little wisdom in flight2 and being shot in the back1 while no less dangerous1 is far more ignominious than being shot in the front4 ,i have paid the full penalty of my policy2 ,i have suffered twelve months' torture in a ,christian gaol2 yet ,i do not repent the course ,i took2 and ever since my release from prison ,i have felt it my duty to continue doing the very thing for which ,i was punished4 ,being tastefully got-up1 well printed1 profusely illustrated1 and extensively denounced by the organs of ,toryism and piety1 this ,christmas ,number had a very large sale4 ,yet1 strange as it may sound to some bigoted ears1 ,mr4 ,ramsey and ,i were after all several pounds out of pocket by it1 the expenses being altogether out of proportion to the price1 and our object being less material gain than the wide dissemination of our views4 ,with the knowledge of this pecuniary loss in our minds1 it may be imagined how grimly we smiled when the counsel sternly alluded to our nefarious profits4 ,i shall have occasion to deal with the contents of this ,christmas ,number when ,i explain our second ,indictment2 which1 ,i repeat1 as there is general misunderstanding on the subject1 was tried before the first1 and resulted in ,judge ,north's atrocious and almost unparalleled sentence4 ,during the interval between the publication of this budget of blasphemy and the date of our summons to answer a criminal charge founded on it1 ,i had several interviews with ,mr4 ,e4 ,truelove1 a gentleman well known to all advanced people in ,london as a veteran champion of the freedom as the press4 ,at the age of seventy1 after a long life sans peur et sans reproche1 this fine old reformer was dragged by the paid ,secretary of the ,society for the ,suppression of ,vice 7or the ,vice ,society as ,cobbett always called it7 into a criminal court to answer a charge of obscenity4 ,the objectionable matter was contained in an extremely mild1 not to say mawkish1 essay on the population question by ,robert ,dale ,owen1 a man of literary eminence in the ,united ,states1 and once an ambassador of the great ,republic4 ,like ourselves1 ,mr4 ,truelove was tried twice before a verdict of guilty could be obtained4 ,his sentence was four months' imprisonment like a common felon4 ,mr4 ,truelove was indisposed to reveal the secrets of his prison-house out of a tender regard for my feelings1 but seeing that ,i preferred to know the worst1 he told me all about the felon's cell1 the plank bed1 the oakum picking1 the wretched diet1 and the horribly monotonous life4 ,my chief feeling on hearing this sad tale was one of indignation at the thought that a man of honest convictions and blameless life should be subjected to such privations and indignities4 ,it did not weaken my resolution2 it only deepened my hatred of the system which sanctioned such iniquities4 ,from ,america1 however1 came a piece of bitter-sweet news4 ,mr4 ,d4 ,m4 ,bennett1 editor of the ,new ,york ,truthseeker1 had just died4 ,his end was hastened by the heart-disease he contracted while undergoing imprisonment for an offence similar to that of ,mr4 ,truelove4 ,yet almost at the moment of ,mr4 ,bennett's death1 another jury had found another publisher of the very same work ,not ,guilty4 ,i learned from the ,new ,york papers that the acquittal was partly due to the impartiality of the judge1 partly to the progress the public mind had made on the population question1 and partly to the fact that the accused publisher conducted his own defence4 ,here was a gleam of hope4 ,i also might meet with an impartial judge1 ,i also might find a jury reflecting an enlightened public opinion1 and ,i also was resolved to defend myself4 ,alas6 ,i did not know that ,i was to meet with the most bigoted judge on the bench1 and to plead to a jury exactly calculated to effect his vindictive purpose4 ,on ,thursday1 ,december #g1 #ahhb1 we published our second ,christmas ,number of the ,freethinker4 ,i will deal with its contents presently1 when ,i have narrated how it led to our second prosecution4 ,let it here suffice to say that it was undoubtedly a very warm publication1 and well calculated to arouse the slumbering ,blasphemy ,laws4 ,some ,freethinkers even were astonished at its audacity4 ,a few belonging to an old-fashioned school1 and a few more who were assiduously courting respectability1 resented our action2 although1 as the vast majority of our party were of an opposite opinion1 they refrained from expressing their reprobation too loudly4 ,in reply to their murmurs ,i wrote an article in my paper on ,superstitious ,freethinkers4 ,it appeared in the number for ,december #ca1 and thus appropriately closed a year of combat4 ,a few passages are1 perhaps1 worth insertion here4 ,it has been said of ,robert ,burns that1 although his head and heart rejected ,calvinism1 he never quite got it out of his blood4 ,there is much truth in this metaphor4 ,burns was1 in religious matters1 one of a very large class4 ,many men rid their intellects of a superstition1 without being able to resist its power over their feelings4 ,even so profound a sceptic as ,renan has admitted that his life is guided by a faith he no longer possesses4 ,and we are all familiar with instances of the same thing444 ,reverting to avowed ,freethinkers1 it is evident that some of them who have lost belief in ,god are afraid to speak too loud lest he should overhear them4 ',how old are you1 ,monsieur ,fontenelle8' asked a pretty young ,french lady4 ',hush1 not so loud1 dear ,madame6' replied the witty nonagenarian1 pointing upwards4 ,what ,fontenelle did as a piece of graceful wit1 some ,freethinkers do without any wit at all4 ,they object to laughing at the gods1 whether ,christian1 ,brahmanic or ,mohammedan2 and perhaps they would extend the same friendly consideration to ,mumbo ,jumbo4 ,strange that people should be so tender about ghosts6 ,especially when they don't even believe them to be real ghosts4 ,to the ,atheist all gods are fancies1 mere delusions 7not illusions71 like the philosopher's stone1 witchcraft1 astrology1 holy water and miracles4 ,i am as much entitled to ridicule the gods of ,christianity as any other ,freethinker is entitled to ridicule the miracles at ,lourdes2 and when 'taste' is dragged into the question1 ,i simply reply that there is as much ill taste in the one case as in the other4 ,all that this 'taste' can mean is that no devout delusion should be ridiculed1 which is itself one of the greatest pieces of absurdity ever perpetrated4 ,it would shield every form of 'spiritual' lunacy in the world4 ,these squeamish ,freethinkers don't object to ridicule in politics1 literature or social life4 ,they rather approve ,punch and the other comic journals1 even when these satirise living persons who feel the sting4 ,why1 then1 do they object to ridicule in religion8 ,simply because they still feel that there is something sacred about it4 ,now ,i insist that on the ,atheist's principles there can be no such sacredness1 and ,i decline to recognise it4 ,i take the full consequences and claim the full liberty of my belief4 ,christians may1 of course1 urge that their feelings on such a subject as religion are sacred1 and a few superstitious ,freethinkers may concede this monstrous position4 ,i do not4 ,the feelings of a ,christian about ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,ghost1 are no more sacred than my feelings on any other subject4 ,i have no quarrel with persons1 and ,i recognise how many are hurt by satire4 ,but the world is not to be regulated by their feelings1 and much as ,i respect them1 ,i have a greater respect for truth4 ,every mental weapon is valid against mental error4 ,and as ridicule has been found the most potent weapon of religious enfranchisement1 we are bound to use it against the wretched superstitions which cumber the path of progress4 ,intellectually1 it is as absurd to give quarter as it is absurd to expect it4 ,my answer to the ,freethinkers who would coquet with ,christianity1 and gain a fictitious respectability by courting compliments from ,christian teachers1 is that they are playing with fire4 ,let them ponder the lessons of history1 and remember ,clifford's bitter word about the evil superstition which destroyed one civilisation and nearly succeeded in destroying another4 ,fortunately1 however1 the logic of things is against them4 ,broad currents of thought go on their way without being deflected by backwashes1 or eddies or spurts into blind passages4 ,freethought will sweep on with its main volume1 and dash against every impediment with all its effective force4 ,well1 ,i exercised the full liberty of my belief1 and ,i had to take its full consequences4 ,yet1 looking back over my year's torture in a ,christian gaol1 my conscience approves that dangerous policy1 and ,i do not experience a single regret4 ,in the same number of the ,freethinker ,i referred at some length to ,tyler's prosecution1 which was dragging along its slow course in a way that must have been very provoking to ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's enemies4 ,by dexterous manoeuvring and skilful pleading1 that litigious man1 as the ,tories call him1 had managed to get two counts struck out of our ,indictment4 ,the result of this to ,mr4 ,ramsey and myself was nil1 but it brought great relief to ,mr4 ,bradlaugh1 and made his acquittal almost a matter of certainty4 ,meanwhile our ,christmas ,number was selling rapidly4 ,in a few weeks it had reached a far larger circulation than had been enjoyed by any ,freethought publication before4 ,naturally the bigots were enraged1 both by its character and its success4 ,many religious journals1 and especially the ,rock1 clamored for legal protection against such blasphemy4 ,irate ,christians called at our shop in ,stonecutter ,street1 purchased copies of the obnoxious paper1 and1 flourishing them in the faces of ,mr4 ,ramsey and ,mr4 ,kemp1 declared that we should hear more of this2 to which pious salutation they usually replied by offering their minatory visitors a dozen or perhaps a quire at trade price4 ,similar busybodies called at ,mr4 ,cattell's shop in ,fleet ,street1 and plied him with cajoleries when menaces were futile4 ,one of them1 indeed1 attempted bribery4 ,he offered ,mr4 ,cattell half a sovereign to remove our ,christmas ,number from his window4 ,what a wonderful bigot6 ,that detestable fraternity has nearly always persecuted heresy at other people's expense1 but this man was willing to tax himself for that laudable object4 ,surely he is phenomenal enough to deserve a memorial in ,westminster ,abbey1 or at least an effigy at ,madame ,tussaud's4 ,presently our shop was visited by another class of men--plain-clothes detectives4 ,they came in couples1 and it was easy to understand their business4 ,we were1 therefore1 not surprised when1 on ,january #bi1 #ahhc1 we were severally served with the following summons3-- ,to ,,george ,,william ,,foote1 of ,no4 #i ,south ,crescent1 ,bedford ,square1 ,middlesex2 ,,william ,,james ,,ramsey1 of ,no4 #bh ,stonecutter ,street1 in the ,city of ,london1 and ,no4 #bj ,brownlow ,street1 ,dalston1 ,middlesex2 and ,,henry ,,arthur ,,kemp1 of ,no4 #bh ,stonecutter ,street1 aforesaid1 and ,no4 #ae ,harp ,alley1 ,farringdon ,street1 ,london1 ,e4,c4 ,whereas you have this day been charged before the undersigned1 the ,lord ,mayor of the ,city of ,london1 being one of her ,majesty's ,justices of the ,peace in and for the said ,city and the ,liberties thereof1 by ,,james ,,macdonald1 of ,no4 #g ,burton ,road1 ,brixton1 in the county of ,surrey1 for that you did in the said ,city of ,london1 on the #afth day ,december1 in the year of ,our ,lord1 #ahhb1 and on divers other days1 print and publish1 and cause and procure to be printed and published1 a certain blasphemous and impious libel in the ,christmas ,number for #ahhb of a certain newspaper called the ,freethinker1 against the peace of our ,lady the ,queen1 her crown and ,dignity4 ,these are therefore to command you1 in her ,majesty's name1 to be and appear before me on ,friday1 the second day of ,february1 #ahhc1 at eleven of the clock in the forenoon1 at the ,mansion ,house ,justice ,room1 in the said ,city1 or before such other ,justice or ,justices of the ,peace for the same ,city as may then be there1 to answer to the said charge1 and to be further dealt with according to law4 ,herein fail not4 ,given under my hand and seal1 this #bith day of ,january1 in the year of ,our ,lord1 #ahhc1 at the ,mansion ,house ,justice-,room aforesaid4 ,,henry ,e4 ,,knight1 ,lord ,mayor1 ,london4 ,the ,james ,macdonald of this summons1 who played the part of a common informer1 turned out to be a police officer4 ,in the ordinary way of business he went to the ,lord ,mayor1 complained of our blasphemy and his own lacerated feelings1 and applied for a summons against us as a first step towards punishing us for our sins4 ,what a reductio ad absurdum of the ,blasphemy ,laws6 ,instead of ordinary ,christians protesting against our outrages1 and demanding our restraint in the interest of the peace1 a callous policeman has to do the work1 without a scintilla of feeling about the matter1 just as he might proceed against any ordinary criminal for theft or assault4 ,the real mover in this business was ,sir ,thomas ,nelson1 the ,city ,solicitor1 representing the richest and corruptest ,corporation in the world4 ,the ,corporation of the ,city of ,london might be described in the language which ,jesus applied to the ,town ,council of ,jerusalem eighteen centuries ago--,they devour widows' houses1 and for a pretence make long prayers4 ,what could be more hypocritical than such a body posing as the champions of religion1 and especially of the religion of ,christ6 ,if the ,prophet of ,nazareth were alive again to-day1 who would expect to find him at a ,lord ,mayor's banquet8 ,would he frequent the ,stock ,exchange1 be at home in the ,guild-hall and the ,mansion ,house1 or select his disciples from the worshippers in the myriad temples of ,mammon8 ,would he not rather hate and denounce these modern ,pharisees as cordially as they would certainly hate and denounce him8 ,if the ,city ,fathers meant to protect the honor of ,god1 they were both absurd and blasphemous4 ,there is something ineffably ludicrous in the spectacle of a host of fat aldermen rushing out from their shops and offices to steady the tottering throne of ,omnipotence4 ,and what presumption on the part of these pigmies to undertake a defence of deity6 ,surely ,omnipotence is as able to punish as ,omniscience knows when to punish4 ,the theologians who1 as ,matthew ,arnold says1 talk familiarly of ,god1 as though he were a man living in the next street1 are modest in comparison with his self-elected body-guard4 ,would it not be better for these presumptuous mortals to mind their own business8 ,it will be time enough for them to supervise their neighbors when they have reformed themselves4 ,with all their pretensions to superior piety and virtue1 they are notoriously the greatest ring of public thieves in the world1 and they are at present lavishly expending trust-monies in a desperate endeavor to justify their turpitude and prolong their plunder4 ,according to our summons1 ,mr4 ,ramsey1 ,mr4 ,kemp1 and ,i appeared at the ,mansion ,house on ,friday1 ,february #b1 #ahhc4 ,the ,justice ,room was thronged long before the ,lord ,mayor took his seat on the ,bench1 and all the approaches were crowded by anxious sympathisers4 ,all the evidence was of a purely formal character4 ,it was a foregone conclusion that we should be committed for trial4 ,we all three pleaded not guilty and reserved our defence4 ,before leaving the ,court1 however1 notwithstanding his lordship's interruption1 ,i protested against the revival of an old law which had fallen into desuetude1 which had not been enforced in the ,city of ,london for over fifty years1 and which was altogether alien to the spirit of the age4 ,my remarks were greeted with loud applause by the public in ,court4 ,of course his lordship frowned1 and the ushers shouted ,silence6 ,but the mischief was done4 ,it was obvious that we had many friends1 that we were not going to be tried in a hole-and-corner fashion4 ,our case excited much interest in ,london4 ,most of the newspapers contained a good report of the proceedings at the ,mansion ,house2 and even the ,tory ,evening ,news1 which affirmed that we were three vulgar blasphemers undeserving of notice1 had as the leading line on its placard ,prosecution of the ,freethinker3 ,result6 ,the ,freethinker for ,february #aa contained an article from my pen on the ,infidel ,hunt1 and a very admirable article by ,mr4 ,wheeler on ,the ,fight of ,forty ,years ,ago1 narrating the trials of ,southwell1 ,holyoake1 ,paterson1 and other brave heretics4 ,mr4 ,ramsey did not then quite approve my attitude of defiance1 although he has changed his mind since4 ,he thought it more prudent to bend a little before the storm1 instead of daring its utmost violence4 ,he was also anxious to please those with whom he had worked before his partial alliance with me1 and who were not prepared to sanction his continued connexion with the ,freethinker if he wished to remain with them4 ,for these reasons he retired from our partnership1 and ,i was at once registered as the sole proprietor of the paper4 ,this step naturally added to the danger of my situation1 and it was freely used against me at the trial4 ,but ,i had no alternative1 unless the ,freethinker was to go down1 and that ,i had resolved to prevent at any cost4 ,at the same time ,i engaged to take over ,mr4 ,ramsey's business at ,stonecutter ,street1 and to recoup him for his heavy investment2 and ,i am bound to admit that he behaved generously in all these arrangements4 ,on ,february #aa the following editorial notice appeared in my paper3 ,with this number of the ,freethinker ,i assume a new position4 ,the full responsibility for everything in connexion with the paper henceforth rests with me4 ,i am editor1 proprietor1 printer and publisher4 ,my imprint will be put on every publication issued from #bh ,stonecutter ,street1 and all the business done there will be transacted through me or my representatives4 ,this exposes me to fresh perils1 but it simplifies matters4 ,those who attack the ,freethinker after this week will have to attack me singly4 ,i never meant to give in1 and never will so long as my strength serves for the fight4 ,whoever else yields1 ,i will submit to nothing but physical compulsion4 ,if the ,freethinker should ever cease to appear1 the ,freethought party will know that the fault is not mine4 ,certain parts of the mechanical process of production are dependent on the firmness of others4 ,one man cannot do everything4 ,but ,i pledge myself to keep this ,freethought flag flying at every hazard1 and if ,i am temporarily disabled ,i pledge myself to unfurl it again1 and if need be again1 and again4 ,de l'audace1 et encore de l'audace1 et toujours de l'audace4 ,mr4 ,wheeler stood loyally by me in this emergency4 ,his efforts for our common object were untiring1 and never was his pen wielded more brilliantly4 ,perhaps1 indeed he overstrained his energies1 and thus led to the complete breakdown of his health soon after my imprisonment4 ,a few days later ,sir ,thomas ,nelson1 the ,city ,solicitor1 served a summons on ,mr4 ,h4 ,c4 ,cattell of #hd ,fleet ,street1 who had so annoyed the bigots by exposing the ,christmas ,number of the ,freethinker in his window4 ,detectives also visited other newsagents and threatened them with prosecution if they persisted in selling my paper4 ,it was evident that the ,city authorities were bent on utterly suppressing it4 ,they tried their utmost and they failed4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,preparing ,,for ,,trial4 ,there were many reasons why ,i did not wish to be tried at the ,old ,bailey4 ,first1 it is an ordinary criminal court1 with all the vulgar characteristics of such places3 swarms of loud policemen1 crowds of chattering witnesses1 prison-warders bent on recognising old offenders1 ushers who look soured by long familiarity with crime1 clerks who gabble over indictments with the voice and manner of a town-crier1 barristers in and out of work1 some caressing a brief and some awaiting one2 and a large sprinkling of idle persons1 curious after a fresh sensation and eager to gratify a morbid appetite for the horrible4 ,how could the greatest orator hope to overcome the difficulties presented by such surroundings8 ,the most magnificent speech would be shorn of its splendor1 the most powerful robbed of more than half its due effect4 ,in the next place1 ,i should have to appear in the dock1 and address the jury from a position which seems to require an apology in itself4 ,and1 further1 that jury would be a common one1 consisting almost entirely of small tradesmen1 the very worst class to try such an indictment4 ,for these and other reasons ,i resolved to obtain1 if possible1 a certiorari to remove our ,indictment to the ,court of ,queen's ,bench2 and as the first ,indictment had been so removed1 ,i did not anticipate any serious difficulty4 ,on ,monday1 ,february #ai1 after travelling by the night train from ,plymouth1 where ,i had delivered three lectures the day before1 ,i applied before ,justices ,manisty and ,matthew1 who granted me a rule nisi4 ,but on the ,saturday ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard moved that the rule should be taken out of its order in the ,crown ,paper1 and argued on the following ,tuesday4 ,seeing that the ,court was determined to assist him1 ,i acquiesced in the motion rather than waste my time in futile obstruction4 ,on ,tuesday1 ,february #bg1 ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard duly appeared1 supported by two junior counsel1 ,mr4 ,poland and ,mr4 ,f4 ,lewis4 ,the judges1 as on the previous ,saturday1 were ,baron ,huddleston and ,mr4 ,justice ,north4 ,the former displayed the intensest bigotry and prejudice1 and the latter all that flippant insolence which he subsequently displayed at my trial1 and which appears to be an inseparable part of his character4 ,when1 for instance1 ,i ventured to correct ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard on a mere matter of fact1 as is quite customary in such cases2 when ,i sought to point out that the ,indictment already removed included ,mr4 ,ramsey and myself1 and not ,mr4 ,bradlaugh only2 ,justice ,north stopped me with ,not a word1 sir1 not a word4 ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard made a very short speech1 knowing that such judges did not require much persuasion4 ,he moved that the rule nisi should be discharged2 put in a copy of the ,christmas ,number of the ,freethinker1 which he described as a gross and intentional outrage on the religious feelings of the public2 alleged1 as was perfectly true1 that it was still being sold2 and urged that the case was one that should be sent for trial at once4 ,my reply was longer4 ,after claiming the indulgence of the ,court for having to appear in person1 owing to my purse being shorter than the ,london ,corporation's1 ,i laid before their lordships my reasons for asking them to make the rule absolute4 ,i argued that1 as a press offence1 our case was eminently one for a special jury2 that the law of blasphemy1 which had not been interpreted for a generation1 was very indefinite1 and a common jury might be easily misled2 that as contradictory statements of the common law existed1 it was highly advisable to have an authoritative judgment in a superior ,court2 that grave questions as to the relations of the statute and the common law might also arise2 that it was manifestly unfair1 while a sweeping ,indictment for blasphemy was removed to a higher ,court1 that ,i should be compelled to plead in a lower ,court on a similar charge2 and that it was unjust to try our case at the ,old ,bailey when the ,city ,corporation was prosecuting us4 ,to none of these reasons1 however1 did their lordships vouchsafe a reply or extend a consideration4 ,baron ,huddleston simply held the ,christmas ,number of the ,freethinker up in ,court1 and declared that no sane man could deny that it was a blasphemous libel--a contumelious reproach on our ,blessed ,savior4 ,but that was not the point at issue4 ,whether the prosecuted publication was a blasphemous libel or not1 was a question for the jury at the proper time and in the proper place4 ,all ,baron ,huddleston was concerned with was whether a fairer trial might be obtained in a higher ,court than in a lower one1 and before a special jury than before a common one4 ,that question he never touched1 and the one he did touch he was bound by legal and moral rules not to deal with at all4 ,justice ,north briefly concurred with his learned brother1 and refrained from adding anything because he would probably have to try the case at the ,old ,bailey himself4 ,what a pity he did not reflect on the injustice of publicly branding as blasphemous the very men he was going to try for blasphemy within forty-eight hours6 ,the next morning1 ,february #bi1 ,mr4 ,ramsey1 ,mr4 ,kemp and ,i duly appeared at the ,old ,bailey4 ,before the regular business commenced1 ,i asked his lordship 7it was indeed ,justice ,north7 to postpone our trial until the next sessions1 on the ground that1 as my application for a certiorari was only decided the day before1 there had been no time to prepare an adequate defence4 ,his lordship refused to grant us an hour for that absurd purpose4 ,directly ,i sat down ,mr4 ,poland arose1 and begged that our trial might be deferred until the morrow1 as his leader1 ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard1 was obliged to attend elsewhere4 ,this request was granted with a gracious smile and a bland1 ,of course1 ,mr4 ,poland4 ,what a spectacle6 ,an ,english judge refusing a fellow-citizen a single hour for the defence of his liberty and perhaps his life1 and granting a delay of twenty-four hours to enable a brother lawyer to earn his fee6 ,i spent the rest of that day in preparations for the morrow--writing out directions for ,mr4 ,wheeler in case ,i should be sent to prison1 arranging books and documents1 and leaving messages with various friends2 and ,i sat far into the night putting together finally the notes for my defence4 ,i was quite cool and collected2 ,i neglected nothing ,i had time for1 and ,i was dead asleep five minutes after ,i laid my head on the pillow4 ,only for a moment was ,i even perturbed4 ,it was when ,i was giving ,mr4 ,wheeler his last instructions4 ,pointing to my book-shelves1 ,i said3 ,now1 ,joe1 remember that if ,mrs4 ,foote has any need1 or if there should ever be a hitch with the paper1 you are to sell my books--all of them if necessary4 ,a great sob shook my friend from head to foot4 ,the bitter truth seemed to strike him with startling force4 ,imprisonment1 and all it involved1 was no longer a dim possibility3 it was a grim reality that might have to be faced to-morrow4 ,tut1 tut1 ,joe6 ,i said1 grasping his arm and laughing4 ,but the laugh was half a failure1 and there was a suspicious moisture in my eyes1 which ,i turned my face away to conceal4 ,during the day ,i had a last interview with ,mr4 ,bradlaugh and ,mrs4 ,besant at #fc ,fleet ,street4 ,mr4 ,bradlaugh told me he could find no flaw in our ,indictment1 and his air was that of a man who sees no hope1 but is reluctant to say so4 ,mrs4 ,besant was full of quiet sympathy1 proffering this and that kindness1 and showing how much her heart was greater than her opportunity of assistance4 ,in the evening ,i attended the monthly ,council meeting of the ,national ,secular ,society4 ,mr4 ,ramsey was also present4 ,we both expressed our belief that we should not meet our fellow-councillors again for some time1 and solemnly wished them good-bye1 with a hope that1 if we were sent to prison1 they would seize the opportunity1 and initiate an agitation against the ,blasphemy ,laws4 ,i then drove home1 and finished the notes for my defence4 ,early the next morning ,i was at #bh ,stonecutter ,street4 ,being apprehensive of a fine as well as imprisonment1 ,i made hasty arrangements for removing the whole of the printing plant to some empty rooms in a private house4 ,mr4 ,a4 ,hilditch was the friend on whom ,i relied in this emergency2 and ,i am indebted to him for aid in many other difficulties arising from my prosecution4 ,my foreman printer1 ,mr4 ,a4 ,watkin1 superintended the removal4 ,by the evening not a particle of our plant remained at the office4 ,mr4 ,watkin stuck loyally to his duty during my long absence1 and on my return ,i found how much the ,freethinker owed to his unassuming devotion4 ,one ordeal was left4 ,i had to say good-bye to my wife4 ,it was a dreadful moment4 ,reticence is wisdom in such cases4 ,i will not inflict sentiment on the reader1 and ,i was never given to wearing my heart upon my sleeve4 ,let it suffice that ,i fought down even the last weakness4 ,when ,i stepped into the ,old ,bailey dock ,i was calm and collected4 ,all my energies were strung for one task--the defence of my own liberty and of the rights of ,freethought4 ,that very morning the ,freethinker appeared with its usual illustration4 ,it was the last number ,i edited for twelve months4 ,my final article was entitled1 ,no ,surrender1 and ,i venture to quote it in full1 as exhibiting my attitude towards the prosecution within the shadow of the prison walls3-- ,the ,city ,corporation is lavishly spending other people's money in its attempt to put down the ,freethinker4 ,sir ,thomas ,nelson is keeping the pot boiling4 ,he employs ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard and a tail of juniors in ,court1 and half the detectives of ,london outside4 ,these surreptitious gentleman1 who ought to be engaged in detecting crime1 are busily occupied in purchasing the ,freethinker1 waylaying newsvendors' messengers1 intimidating shopkeepers1 and serving notices on the defendants4 ,what money1 unscrupulously obtained and unscrupulously expended1 can do is being done4 ,but there is one thing it cannot do4 ,it cannot damp our courage or alienate the sympathy of our friends4 ,there is evidently a widespread conspiracy against us4 ,we have to stand on trial at the ,old ,bailey in company with rogues1 thieves1 burglars1 murderers1 and other products of ,christian civilisation4 ,the company is not very agreeable1 but then ,jesus himself was crucified between two thieves4 ,no doubt the ,jews thought him the worst of the three1 just as pious ,christians will think us worse than the vilest criminal at the ,old ,bailey2 but posterity has reversed the judgment on him1 and it will as certainly reverse the judgment on us4 ,if a jury should give a verdict against us1 which we trust it will not1 the prosecutors will probably strike again at some other ,freethought publication4 ,the appetite for persecution grows by what it feeds on1 and demands sacrifice after sacrifice until it is checked by the aroused spirit of humanity4 ,after a sleep of twenty-five years the great beast has roused itself1 and it may do considerable damage before it is driven back into its lair4 ,we may witness a repetition of the scenes of fifty and sixty years ago1 when scores of brave men and women faced fine and imprisonment for ,freethought1 tired out the very malice of their persecutors2 and made the ,blasphemy ,laws a dead letter for a whole generation4 ,may our victory be as great as theirs1 even if our sufferings be less4 ,but will they be less8 ,who knows8 ,they may even be greater4 ,christian charity has grown so cold-blooded in its vindictiveness since the 'pioneer days' that blasphemers are treated like beasts rather than men4 ,there is a certain callous refinement in the punishment awarded to heretics to-day4 ,richard ,carlile1 and other heroes of the struggle for a free press1 were mostly treated as first-class misdemeanants2 they saw their friends when they liked1 had whatever fare they could paid for1 were allowed the free use of books and writing materials1 and could even edit their papers from gaol4 ,all that is changed now4 ,a 'blasphemer' who is sent to prison now gets a month of ,cross's plank-bed1 is obliged to subsist on the miserable prison fare1 is dressed in the prison garb1 is compelled to submit to every kind of physical indignity1 is shut out from all communication with his relatives or friends except for one visit during the second three months1 is denied the use of pen and ink1 and debarred from all reading except the blessed ,book4 ,england and ,russia are the only countries in ,europe that make no distinction between press offenders and ordinary criminals4 ,the brutal treatment which was meted out to ,mr4 ,truelove in his seventieth year1 when his grey hairs should have been his protection1 is what the outspoken sceptic must be prepared to face4 ,after eighteen centuries of ,christianity1 and an interminable procession of ,christian 'evidences1' such is the reply of orthodoxy to the challenge of its critics4 ,these things1 however1 cannot terrorise us4 ,we are prepared to stand by our principles at all hazard4 ,our motto is ,no ,surrender4 ,what we might concede to criticism we will never yield to menace4 ,the ,freethinker1 we repeat again1 will go on whatever be the result of the present trial4 ,the flag will not fall because one standard-bearer is stricken down2 it will be kept flying proudly and bravely as of old--shot-torn and blood-stained perhaps1 but flying1 flying1 flying6 ,let me now pause to say a few words about our ,indictment4 ,it was framed on the model of the one ,i have already described charging us with being wicked and profane persons1 instigated by the ,devil to publish certain blasphemous libels in the ,christmas ,number of the ,freethinker1 to the danger of the ,queen's ,crown and dignity and the public peace1 and to the great displeasure of ,almighty ,god4 ,the various blasphemies were set forth in full1 and my readers shall know what they were4 ,mr4 ,wheeler's comic ,trial for ,blasphemy was one of the pieces4 ,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke and ,john were accused of blasphemy in the ,court of ,common ,sense4 ,they were charged with publishing all the absurdities in the four gospels1 and in especial with stating that a certain young ,jew was ,god ,almighty himself4 ,after the citation and examination of many witnesses1 ,mr4 ,smart1 ,q4,c41 urged upon the jury that there was absolutely no evidence against the prisoners4 ,it was perfectly clear that they were not the authors of the libels2 their names had been used without their knowledge or sanction2 and he confidently appealed to the jury for a verdict of ,not ,guilty4 ,after a brief consultation1 concluded this clever skit1 the jury1 who had carefully examined the documents1 were of opinion that there was nothing to prove that the prisoners wrote the libels complained of4 ,a verdict of acquittal was accordingly entered1 and the prisoners were discharged4 ,now1 every person acquainted with ,biblical criticism knows that ,mr4 ,wheeler simply put the conclusions of nearly all reputable scholars in a bright1 satirical way2 and a century hence people will be astonished to learn that such a piece of defensible irony1 every line of which might be justified by tons of learning1 was included in an indictment for blasphemy1 and considered heinous enough to merit severe punishment4 ,there were a few lines of verse picked out of long poems1 and violently forced from their context2 and also a few facetious ,answers to ,correspondents1 mangled in the same way4 ,certainly any publication could be condemned on this plan4 ,the ,bible itself might be proved an obscene book4 ,then came eighteen illustrations1 entitled ,a ,new ,life of ,christ4 ,all the chief miracles of his career were satirised1 but not a single human incident was made the subject of ridicule4 ,now1 if miracles are not objects of satire1 ,i should like to know what are4 ,if they never happened1 why should they enjoy more respect and protection than other delusions8 ,why should one man be allowed to deny miracles1 and another man imprisoned for laughing at them8 ,must we regard long-faced scepticism as permissible heresy1 and broad-faced scepticism as punishable blasphemy8 ,and if so1 why not set up a similar distinction between long and broad faces in every other department of thought8 ,why not let ,punch and ,fun be suppressed1 political cartoons be ,anathema1 and social satire a felony8 ,another illustration was called ,a ,back ,view4 ,it represented ,moses enjoying a panoramic view of ,jahveh's back parts4 ,judge ,north did his dirty worst to misrepresent this picture1 and perhaps it was he who induced the ,home ,secretary to believe that our publication was obscene4 ,in reality the obscenity is in the ,bible4 ,the writer of ,exodus contemplated sheer nudity1 but the ,freethinker dressed ,jahveh in accordance with the more decent customs of the age of reason4 ,i would cite on this point the judgment of ,mr4 ,moncure ,d4 ,conway1 the famous minister of ,south ,place ,chapel4 ,he expressed himself as follows in a discourse on ,blasphemous ,libel immediately after our imprisonment1 since published in ,lessons for the ,day3-- ,the prosecutor described the libels as 'indecent1' an ambiguous word which might convey to the public an impression that there was something obscene about the pictures or language1 which is not the fact4 ,the coarsest picture is a sidewise view of a giant's form1 in laborer's garb1 the upper and lower part veiled by a cloud4 ,only when one knows that the figure is meant for ,jahveh could any shock be felt4 ,the worst sense of the word 'indecent' was accentuated by the prosecutor's saying that the libels were too bad for him to describe4 ,in this way they were withheld from the public intelligence while exaggerated to its imagination4 ,the fact under this is that some bigots wished to punish some ,atheists1 but could only single them out beside eminent men equally guilty1 and forestall public sympathy by pretending they had committed a libel partly obscene4 ,this is not ,english4 ,frederick the ,great1 being a king1 was a privileged blasphemer4 ,in some unquotable verses written after the battle of ,rossbach1 where he routed the ,french and drove them off the field pell-mell1 he sings1 as ,carlyle says1 with a wild burst of spiritual enthusiasm1 the charms of the rearward part of certain men2 and what a royal ecstatic felicity there is in indisputable survey of the same4 ,he rises1 adds ,carlyle1 to the heights of ,anti-,biblical profanity1 quoting ,moses on the ,hill of ,vision4 ,to ,soubise and ,company the poet of ,potsdam sings-- ,je vous ai vu comme ,moise ,dans des ronces en certain lieu ,eut l'honneur de voir ,dieu4 ,frederick's verse is halting enough1 but it has a certain heartiness and epic greatness of cynicism2 and so his biographer continues justifying this royal outburst of racy profanity with ,rabelaisian gusto4 ,i dare not follow him2 but ,i am anxious to know why ,carlyle's ,frederick circulates with impunity and even applause1 while the ,freethinker is condemned and denounced4 ,judge ,north may be ignorant of ,carlyle's masterpiece1 but ,i can hardly presume the same ignorance in ,sir ,william ,harcourt4 ,he probably sinned against a greater light4 ,few worse outrages on public decency have been committed than his describing my publication as not only blasphemous1 but obscene4 ,and the circumstances in which this slander was perpetrated served to heighten its criminality4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,at ,,the ,,old ,,bailey4 ,george ,william ,foote1 ,william ,james ,ramsey1 and ,henry ,arthur ,kemp1 cried the ,clerk of the ,court at the ,old ,bailey4 ,it was ,thursday morning1 ,march #a1 #ahhc1 and as we stepped into the dock the clock registered five minutes past ten4 ,we were provided with chairs1 and there were pens and ink on the narrow ledge before us4 ,it was not large enough1 however1 to hold all my books1 some of which had to be deposited on the floor1 and fished up as ,i required them4 ,behind us stood two or three ,newgate warders1 who took quite a benevolent interest in our case4 ,over their heads was a gallery crammed with sympathisers1 and many more were seated in the body of the court4 ,mr4 ,wheeler occupied a seat just below me1 in readiness to convey any messages or hand me anything ,i might require4 ,between us and the judge were several rows of seats1 all occupied by gentlemen in wigs1 eager to follow such an unusual case as ours4 ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard lounged back with a well-practised air of superiority to the legal small-fry around him1 and near him sat ,mr4 ,poland and ,mr4 ,lewis1 who were also retained by the prosecution4 ,justice ,north was huddled in a raised chair on the bench1 and owing perhaps to the unfortunate structure of the article1 it seemed as though he was being shot out every time he leaned forward4 ,his countenance was by no means assuring to the prisoners4 ,he smiled knowingly to ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard1 and treated us with an insolent stare4 ,watching him closely through my eye-glass1 ,i read my fate so far as he could decide it4 ,his air was that of a man intent on peremptorily settling a troublesome piece of business2 his strongest characteristic seemed infallibility1 and his chief expression omniscience4 ,i saw at once that we should soon fall foul of each other1 as in fact we did in less than ten minutes4 ,my comportment was unusual in the ,old ,bailey dock2 ,i did not look timid or supplicating or depressed2 ,i simply bore myself as though ,i were doing my accustomed work4 ,that was my first offence4 ,then ,i dared to defend myself1 which was a greater offence still2 for his lordship had not only made up his mind that ,i was guilty1 but resolved to play the part of prosecuting counsel4 ,we were bound to clash1 and1 if ,i am not mistaken1 we exchanged glances of defiance almost as soon as we faced each other4 ,his look said ,i will convict you1 and mine answered ,we shall see4 ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard's speech in opening the case for the prosecution was brief1 but remarkably astute4 ,he troubled himself very little about the law of ,blasphemy1 although the jury had probably never heard of it before4 ,he simply appealed to their prejudices4 ,he spoke with bated breath of our ridiculing the most awful mysteries of the ,christian faith4 ,he described our letterpress as an outrage on the feelings of a ,christian community1 which he would not shock public decency by reading2 and our woodcuts as the grossest and most disgusting caricatures4 ,and then1 to catch any juryman who might not be a ,christian1 though perhaps a ,theist1 he declared that our blasphemous libels would grieve the conscience of any sincere worshipper of the great ,god above us4 ,this appeal was made with uplifted forefinger1 pointing to where that being might be supposed to reside1 which ,i inferred was near the ceiling4 ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard finally resumed his seat with a look of subdued horror on his wintry face4 ,he tried to appear exhausted by his dreadful task1 so profound was the emotion excited even in his callous mind by our appalling wickedness4 ,it was well acted1 and must1 ,i fancy1 have been well rehearsed4 ,yes1 ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard is decidedly clever4 ,it is not accident that has made him legal scavenger for all the bigots in ,england4 ,mr4 ,poland and ,mr4 ,lewis then adduced the evidence against us4 ,i need not describe their performance4 ,it occupied almost two hours1 and it was nearly one o'clock when ,i rose to address the jury4 ,that would have been a convenient time for lunch1 but his lordship told me ,i had better go on till the usual hour4 ,as ,i had only been speaking about thirty minutes when we did adjourn for lunch1 ,i infer that his lordship was not unwilling to spoil my defence4 ,how different was the action of ,lord ,coleridge when he presided at our third trial in the ,court of ,queen's ,bench6 ,the case for the prosecution closed at one o'clock1 exactly as it did on our first trial at the ,old ,bailey4 ,but the ,lord ,chief ,justice of ,england1 with the instinct of a gentleman and the consideration of a just judge1 did not need to be reminded that an adjournment in half an hour would make an awkward break in our defence4 ,without any motion on our part1 he said3 ,if you would rather take your luncheon first1 before addressing the jury1 do so by all means4 ,mr4 ,ramsey1 who preceded me then1 had just risen to read his address4 ,after a double experience of ,judge ,north1 and two months' imprisonment like a common thief under his sentence1 he was fairly staggered by ,lord ,coleridge's kindly proposal1 and ,i confess ,i fully shared his emotion4 ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard had grossly misled the jury on one point4 ,he told them that even in our great ,indian dominions1 where ,christianity was by no means the creed of the majority of the population1 it had been found necessary to protect the freedom of conscience and the right of every man to hold his own faith1 by making criminal offenders of those who1 for outrage and insult1 thought it necessary to issue contumelious or scornful publications concerning any religious sect4 ,in reply to this absolute falsehood1 ,i pointed out that the ,indian law did not affect publications at all1 but simply punished people for openly desecrating sacred places or railing at any sect in the public thoroughfare1 on the ground that such conduct tended to a breach of the peace2 and that under the very same law members of the ,salvation ,army had been arrested and imprisoned because they persisted in walking in procession through the streets4 ,under the ,indian law1 no prosecution of the ,freethinker could have been initiated2 and1 in support of this statement1 ,i proceeded to quote from a letter by ,professor ,w4 ,a4 ,hunter1 in the ,daily ,news4 ,judge ,north doubtless knew that ,i could cite no higher authority1 and seeing how badly his friend ,sir ,hardinge was faring1 he prudently came to his assistance4 ,interrupting me very uncivilly1 he inquired what ,professor ,hunter's letter had to do with the subject1 and remarked that the jury had nothing to do with the law of ,india4 ,then1 my lord1 ,i retorted1 ,i will discontinue my remarks on this point1 only expressing my regret that the learned counsel should have thought it necessary to occupy the time of the court with it4 ,whereat there was much laughter1 and his lordship's face was covered with an angry flush4 ,later in my address ,i had a long altercation with his lordship4 ,i wanted to show the jury that such heresy as ,i had published in the ,freethinker abounded in high-class publications1 but ,justice ,north endeavoured 7vainly enough7 to prevent me4 ,the verbatim report of what occurred is so rich that ,i give it here instead of a summary version3 ,now1 gentlemen1 ,i told you before that one of the reasons1 in my opinion1 why the present prosecution was commenced1 was that the alleged blasphemous libels were published in a cheap paper1 and ,i asked you to bear in mind that there was plenty of heresy in expensive books1 published at #ajs41 #abs41 and even as much as ,l#a and more4 ,i think ,i have a right to ask that you should have some proof of this statement4 ,i think ,i can show you that similar views are expressed by the leading writers of to-day--not1 perhaps1 in precisely the same language-- for it is not to be expected that the paper which is addressed to the many will be conducted on just the same level1 either intellectually or aesthetically speaking1 as a publication1 in the form of an expensive book1 which is only intended for men of education1 intelligence and leisure2 but such views are put before the public by the most prominent writers of the day4 ,you will1 of course1 expect to find differences in the mode of expression1 and as a matter of course1 differences of taste2 but ,i submit that differences of taste affect the question very little unless1 as ,i have said1 they actually lead to breaches of the peace4 ,but in a case like this there ought to be no distinction on grounds of taste4 ,surely the man who says a thing in one way is not to be punished1 while the man who says the same thing in another way is to go scot free4 ,you cannot make a distinction between men on grounds of taste4 ,i can imagine that if there were a parliament of aesthetic gentlemen1 and ,mr4 ,oscar ,wilde were made ,prime ,minister1 some such arrangement as that would find weight before the jury2 but1 in the present state of enlightened opinion1 ,i do not think that any such arrangement would be accepted by you4 ,now1 gentleman1 ,i shall call your attention first of all to a book which is published by no less a firm than the old and well-established house of ,longmans4 ,the author of the book---- ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,what is the name of the book8 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,the book is the ',autobiography of ,john ,stuart ,mill4' ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,what are you going to refer to it for8 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,i am going to refer to one page of it1 my lord4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,what for8 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,to show that identical views to those expressed in the cheap paper before the court are expressed in expensive volumes4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,i shall not hear anything of that sort4 ,i am not trying the question1 nor are the jury1 whether the views expressed by other persons are sound or right4 ,the question is whether you are guilty of a blasphemous libel4 ,i shall direct them that it will be for them to say whether the facts are proved in this case4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,i will call your attention1 my lord1 to the remarks of ,lord ,justice ,cockburn in a similar case4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,i will hear anything relevant to the subject4 ,my reason for asking you was to find out whether you were going to quote a law book4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,i will quote a verbatim report4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,i can hear that4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,it is the case against ,charles ,bradlaugh and ,annie ,besant4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,by whom is your report published8 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,it is a verbatim report published by the ,freethought ,publishing ,company--the shorthand notes of the full proceedings1 with the cross-examination and the judgment of the court4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,there is no evidence of that4 ,did you hear it8 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,i did not personally hear it1 but my co-defendants did4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,i will hear you state anything you suggest as being said by ,lord ,chief ,justice ,cockburn4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,mrs4 ,besant was about to read a passage from ',tristram ,shandy'---- ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,you have not proved the publication4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,quite so1 my lord2 but although this is not formal evidence1 and only the report of a case1 ,i thought your lordship would not object to hear it4 ,mr4 ,foote here handed in a copy of the report to the judge1 and pointed out that the ,lord ,chief ,justice had said he could not prevent ,mrs4 ,besant from committing a passage to memory1 or from reading books as if reciting from memory4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,i will allow you to go on1 either quoting from memory or reading from the book2 but ,i cannot go into the question of whether this is right or not4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,i am not proposing that4 ,i am only going to show that opinions like those expressed here extensively prevail4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,that is not the question at all4 ,if they extensively prevail1 so much the worse4 ,what somebody else has said1 whoever that person may be1 cannot affect the question in this case4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,but1 my lord1 might it not affect the question of whether a jury might not themselves1 by an adverse verdict1 be far more contributing to a breach of the peace than the publication on which they are asked to adjudicate8 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,i think not1 and it shall not do so if ,i can help it4 ,it is a mere waste of time to attempt to justify anything that has been said in the alleged libel by showing that someone else has said the same thing4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,in all trials the same process has been allowed4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,it will not be allowed on this occasion4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,if your lordship will pardon me for calling attention to the famous case of the ,king against ,william ,hone1 ,i would point out that there ,hone read extracts to the jury4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,very possibly it might have been relevant in that case4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,but1 my lord1 it was precisely a similar case--it was a case of blasphemous libel4 ,lord ,ellenborough sat on the bench4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,possibly4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,and ,lord ,ellenborough allowed ,mr4 ,hone to read what he considered justificatory of his own publication4 ,the same thing occurred in the case of the ,queen against ,bradlaugh and ,besant4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,we have nothing to do to-day with the question whether any author has taken the views which are taken in these libels1 whoever the author was4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,does your lordship mean that ,i am to go on reading or not8 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,go on with your address to the jury1 sir2 that's what ,i wish you to do4 ,but you cannot do what you were about to do--refer to the book you mentioned for any such purpose as you indicated4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,i hope your lordship does not misunderstand me4 ,i am simply defending myself against a very grave charge under an old law4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,go on1 go on1 ,foote4 ,i know that4 ,go on with your address4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,your lordship1 these questions are part of my address4 ,gentlemen 7turning to the jury71 no less a person than a brother of one of our most distinguished judges has said---- ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,now1 again1 ,i cannot have you quoting books not in evidence1 for the sake of putting before the jury the matters they state4 ,the passage you referred to is one in which the ,lord ,chief ,justice pointed out that that could not be done4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,but the action1 my lord1 of the ,lord ,chief ,justice did not put a stop to the reading4 ,he said he would allow ,mrs4 ,besant to quote any passage as a part of her address4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,go on4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,no less a person than the brother of one of our most learned---- ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,now did ,i not tell you that you could not do that8 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,will your lordship give me a most distinct ruling in this case8 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,i am ruling that you cannot do what you are trying to do now4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,i am sorry1 my lord1 ,i cannot understand4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,i am sorry for it4 ,i have tried to make myself clear4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,does your lordship mean that ,i am not to read from anything to show justification of the libel8 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,there is no justification in the case4 ,the question the jury have to decide is whether you1 and the persons present with you1 are guilty of a libel or not4 ,for that purpose they will have to consider whether the matters in question are a libel4 ,if so1 they will have also to consider whether you and the other defendants are guilty of having published it4 ,if they think it a libel1 and that you have published it1 they will have answered the only two questions they will have to put to themselves4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,my lord1 in an ordinary libel case justification can be shown4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,go on4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,i do not wish to occupy the time of the court unnecessarily1 but really ,i think your lordship ought to remember the grave position in which ,i stand1 and not stand in the way of anything which ,i consider to be of vital importance to my defence4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,i have pointed out to you what ,i consider to be the question the jury have got to decide4 ,i hope you will not go outside the lines ,i have pointed out to you2 but1 with these remarks1 ,i am very reluctant to interfere with any prisoner saying anything which he considers necessary1 and ,i will not stop you4 ,i hope you will not abuse the concession ,i consider ,i am making to you4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,i should be very sorry1 my lord4 ,i am only stating what ,i consider necessary4 ,this is a very fair specimen of his lordship's manners4 ,unfortunately1 it is also a fair specimen of his lordship's law4 ,when ,i read similar extracts in the ,court of ,queen's ,bench1 ,lord ,coleridge never interrupted me once2 nay1 he told the jury that ,i had very properly brought those passages before their notice1 that ,i had a perfect right to do so1 and that it was a legitimate part of my defence4 ,since then ,i have conversed with many gentlemen who were present1 some of them belonging to the legal profession1 and ,i have heard but one opinion expressed as to ,judge ,north's conduct4 ,they all agree that it was utterly undignified1 and a scandal to the bench4 ,perhaps it had something to do with his lordship's removal1 a few weeks afterwards1 to the ,chancery ,court1 where his eccentricities1 as the ,daily ,news remarked at the time1 will no longer endanger the liberty and lives of his fellow-subjects4 ,when ,i cited ,fox's ,libel ,act and asked that my copy1 purchased from the ,queen's printers1 might be handed to the jury for their guidance1 his lordship sharply ordered the officer not to pass it to them4 ,i shall tell them1 he said1 what points they have to decide1 as though ,i had no right to press my own view4 ,he would never have dared to treat a defending counsel in that way1 and he ought to have known that a defendant in person has all the rights of a counsel1 the latter having absolutely no standing in court except so far as he represents a first party in a suit4 ,may they not have a copy of the ,act1 my lord8 ,i inquired4 ,no1 replied his lordship1 they will take the law from the directions ,i give them2 not from reading ,acts of ,parliament4 ,this is directly counter to the spirit and letter of ,fox's ,act2 and ,i suspect that ,judge ,north would have expressed himself more guardedly in a higher court4 ,if juries have nothing to do with ,acts of ,parliament1 why are statutes enacted8 ,judge ,north would be ashamed and afraid to speak in that way before his superior brother judges at the ,law ,courts2 but at the ,old ,bailey he was absolute master of the situation1 and he abused his power4 ,he knew there was no court of criminal appeal1 and no danger of his being checked by either of the fat aldermen on the bench4 ,they were in fact our prosecutors1 and they appeared to enjoy their paltry triumph4 ,as ,i have said1 ,i began my address to the jury at one o'clock1 and at half-past we adjourned for lunch4 ,mr4 ,wheeler ran across the road and ordered some refreshment for us1 and pending its arrival we descended the dock-stairs and entered a subterranean passage1 which was lit by a single gas-jet4 ,on each side there was a little den with an iron gate4 ,one of these was filled with prisoners awaiting trial or sentence1 who gazed through the bars at us with mingled glee and astonishment4 ,they were chatting merrily1 and ,i imagine from their free and easy manner that most of them were old gaol-birds4 ,perhaps there were some forlorn1 miserable creatures cowering in the darkness behind1 with throbbing brows and hearts like lead1 on whose ears the light laughter of their callous companions grated even more harshly than it did on ours4 ,the left-hand den was empty1 and into it we were ushered by the aged janitor1 who regarded us with looks of mute reproach4 ,he was evidently subdued to what he worked in4 ,his world consisted of two classes--criminals and police2 and without any further ceremony of trial and sentence1 the very fact of our descending into his ,inferno was clear evidence that we belonged to the former class4 ,as the den was only illuminated by a few straggling gleams from the gas-jet outside1 we were unable to discriminate any object until our eyes grew accustomed to the gloom4 ,while we were in this state of semi-blindness1 something stirred4 ,i wondered whether it was a dog or a rat4 ,the doubt was soon resolved4 ,a human form reared itself up from the bench against the wall1 where it had been lying1 not asleep indeed1 but half unconscious2 and to our great surprise1 it turned out to be ,mr4 ,cattell1 who had surrendered to his bail at the same time as we did1 and had been shivering there ever since ten o'clock4 ,after we left him he continued shivering for three or four hours longer in that black-hole of the ,old ,bailey1 which struck a chill into our very bones even in the brief period of our tenancy1 and which could hardly be warmed by any conflagration short of the last4 ,it appeared damp as well as cold1 and a sinister effluvium came from a place of necessity at the back4 ,six or seven hours' incarceration in such a place might injure a strong constitution and seriously damage a weak one4 ,surely it is scandalous that unconvicted prisoners1 some of whom are eventually acquitted1 should suffer this unnecessary hardship and incur this unnecessary risk4 ,presently our lunch arrived4 ,the platefuls of meat and vegetables had a savory smell1 our appetites were keen1 and our stomachs empty4 ,but a difficulty arose4 ,there were forks1 but no knives2 those lethal instruments being forbidden lest prisoners should attempt to cut their throats4 ,i subsequently had the use of a tin knife in ,newgate1 but even that1 which used to be common in prisons1 is now proscribed4 ,the only carving instruments allowed the guests in her ,majesty's hotels is a wooden spoon1 although the tin knife still lingers in the ,houses of ,detention4 ,among other elaborate precautions against suicide1 ,i found that the prisoners awaiting trial were furnished with quill pens4 ,steel pens had been banished after the desperate exploit of one poor wretch1 who had stabbed away at his windpipe with one1 and inflicted such grave injuries that the officials had great difficulty in saying his life4 ,but revenons a nos moutons1 or rather our forks4 ,we disposed of the vegetables somehow1 and as for the meat1 we were obliged to split and gnaw it after the fashion of our primitive ancestors4 ,we drank out of the mouth of the claret bottle1 passing it round till it was emptied4 ,it was probably a good honest bottle1 but in the circumstances it seemed a despicable fraud4 ,we tried hard for another supply1 but we failed4 ,being anxious to prevent a display of inebriety in the dock1 or desirous to repress rather than stimulate our audacity1 the venerable janitor interposed the most effectual obstacles1 and we were constrained to reason down the remnant of our thirst1 which1 if ,i may infer from my own case1 was almost as insensible to argument as the judge himself4 ,feeling very cold1 we essayed a little exercise4 ,the dimensions of our den1 which were three steps each way1 did not allow much play for individuality4 ,erratic pedestrianism was clearly dangerous1 so we rushed round in ,indian file1 like braves on the warpath2 and1 by way of relieving the tedium1 we speculated on the number of laps in a mile4 ,our proceedings seemed to strike the wild beasts in the opposite den as unaccountable imbecility4 ,they grinned at us through the bars with as much delight as children might evince in the ,zoological ,gardens at a performance of insane monkeys4 ,but their amusement was suddenly arrested4 ,st4 ,peter appeared at the gate1 flourishing his keys4 ,it was two o'clock4 ,what a strange sensation it was1 mounting those dock stairs6 ,more loudly than my experiences below1 it said--,you are a prisoner4 ,the court was densely crowded1 and as ,i emerged into it1 the sea of faces1 suddenly caught en masse1 seemed cold and alien4 ,the feeling was only momentary1 but ,i fancy it resembled the weird thrill that must have swept through the ancient captive as he entered the ,roman arena from his dark lair1 and confronted the vague host of indifferent faces that were to watch his fight for life4 ,i resumed my address to the jury at two o'clock1 and concluded it at four4 ,a considerable portion of that time was spent in altercations with the judge1 of which ,i have already given some striking specimens4 ,let me now give another4 ,it excited great laughter in court1 and ,i confess the situation was so comic that ,i could scarcely preserve my own gravity4 ,after quoting a number of blasphemous passages from the writings of ,professor ,clifford1 ,lord ,amberley1 ,matthew ,arnold1 the author of ,the ,evolution of ,christianity1 ,swinburne1 ,byron and ,shelley1 ,i proceeded thus3 ,now1 gentlemen1 ,i have given you a few illustrations of permitted blasphemy in expensive books1 and ,i will now trouble you with a few instances of permitted blasphemy in cheap publications1 which are unmolested because they call themselves ,christian1 and because those who conduct them are patronised by ecclesiastical dignitaries4 ,here ,i produced a copy of the ,war ,cry1 in which ,i had marked a piece of idiotic blasphemy4 ,judge ,north scented mischief1 and gestured to the officer behind me4 ,but that functionary was too deeply interested in the case to make much haste1 and1 not wishing to be frustrated1 ,i read as rapidly as ,i could4 ,before he could arrest me ,i had finished the extract4 ,my auditors were all convulsed with laughter1 except the judge1 who was convulsed with rage4 ,as soon as he could articulate he addressed me as follows3 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,now1 ,foote1 ,i am going to put a stop to this4 ,i will not allow any more of these illustrations of what you call permitted blasphemy in cheap publications4 ,i decline to have any more of them put before me4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,my ,lord1 ,i will use them for another purpose1 if you will allow me4 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,you will not use them here at all1 sir4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,may they not be used1 my lord to show that an equally free use of religious symbols1 and religious language1 prevails widely in all classes of literature and society8 ,mr4 ,justice ,north3 ,no they may not4 ,i decline to hear them read4 ,they are not in evidence1 and ,i refuse to allow you to quote from such documents as part of your speech4 ,mr4 ,foote3 ,well1 gentlemen1 ,i will now ask your attention very briefly to another branch of the subject4 ,the fact is1 ,i was perfectly satisfied4 ,i had purposely kept the ,war ,cry till the last4 ,it naturally ended my list of citations1 and his lordship's victory was entirely specious4 ,those who may wish to read my address in its entirety will find it in ,the ,three ,trials for ,blasphemy4 ,for those1 however1 who are not so curious or so painstaking1 ,i give here the peroration only1 to show what sentiments ,i appealed to in the breasts of the jury1 and how far my defence was from boastfulness or servility3 ,gentlemen1--,i told you at the outset that you1 are the last ,court of ,appeal on all questions affecting the liberty of the press and the right of free speech and ,freethought4 ,when ,i say ,freethought1 ,i do not refer to specific doctrines that may pass under that name3 ,i refer to the great right of ,freethought1 that ,freethought which is neither so low as a cottage nor so lofty as a pyramid1 but is like the soaring azure vault of heaven1 which over-arches both with equal case4 ,i ask you to affirm the liberty of the press1 to show by your verdict that you are prepared to give to others the same freedom that you claim for yourselves4 ,i ask you not to be misled by the statements that have been thrown out by the prosecution1 nor by the authority and influence of the mighty and rich ,corporation which commenced this action1 has found the money for it1 and whose very solicitor was bound over to prosecute4 ,i ask you not to be influenced by these considerations1 but rather to remember that this present attack is made upon us probably because we are connected with those who have been struck at again and again by some of the very persons who are engaged in this prosecution2 to remember that ,england is growing day by day in its humanity and love of freedom2 and that1 as blasphemy has been an offence less and less proceeded against during the past century1 so there will probably be fewer and fewer proceedings against it in the next4 ,indeed1 there may never be another prosecution for blasphemy1 and ,i am sure you would not like to have it weigh on your minds that you were the instruments of the last act of persecution-- that you were the last jury who sent to be caged like wild beasts men against whose honesty there has been no charge4 ,i am quite sure you will not allow yourselves to be made the agents of sending such men to herd with the lowest criminals1 and to be subjected to all the indignities such punishment involves4 ,i am sure you will send me1 as well as my co-defendants1 back to our homes and friends1 who do not think the worse of us for the position in which we stand3 that you will send us1 back to them unstained1 giving a verdict of ,not ,guilty for me and my co-defendants1 instead of a verdict of ,guilty for the prosecution2 and thus1 as ,english juries have again and again done before1 vindicate the glorious principle of the freedom of the press1 against all the religious and political factions that may seek to impugn it for their own ends4 ,the court officials could not stifle the burst of applause that greeted my peroration4 ,i had flung all my books and papers aside and faced the jury4 ,i spoke in passionate accents4 ,my expression and gestures were doubtless full of that dramatic power which comes of earnest sincerity4 ,i felt every sentiment ,i uttered1 and ,i believe ,i made the jury feel it too1 for they were visibly impressed1 and their emotion was obviously shared by the crowd of listeners who represented the greater jury of public opinion4 ,mr4 ,ramsey followed me with a speech which he read from manuscript4 ,it occupied half an hour in delivery4 ,it was terse and vigorous1 and it really covered most of the ground in debate4 ,i listened to it with pleasure as an admirable summary of our position4 ,but it lost much of its force in being read instead of spoken extemporaneously1 and its very virtues as a paper were its defects as an address4 ,the points wanted elaboration4 ,before they had fairly mastered one argument1 the jury were hurried on to another4 ,mr4 ,ramsey is by no means incapable of making a forcible speech1 and ,i think he should have trusted to his power of improvisation4 ,there was no need for a long effort4 ,he might have concentrated himself on a few salient points of our defence1 and pressed them on the jury with all his might4 ,his own sentiments1 naturally expressed1 in homely language1 would have had a greater effect than any literary composition4 ,after an experience of three trials1 ,i would give this advice to every man who has to defend himself before a jury on a charge of blasphemy or sedition--,write out on a sheet of paper the heads of your defence4 ,number them in the order you think they should be treated1 so that your address may have a logical continuity4 ,fill in your sub-divisions1 similarly numbered1 under the chief heads1 beginning the lines half-way across the page1 so as to catch the eye readily4 ,think every clause out carefully4 ,fix every illustration in your mind until it becomes almost a fact of memory4 ,don't write out fine passages and try to remember them verbally4 ,write nothing2 it will only confuse you1 unless you have long practised that method4 ,when you have systematised your thoughts1 and think your written arrangement is complete1 ponder it clause by clause with the paper at hand for constant reference4 ,no matter if your thoughts seem to wander1 and the subject appears to grow vague2 your mind is dwelling on it1 and ideas will fructify in your mind unconsciously as seeds sprout in the dark4 ,when the hour of trial arrives1 arm yourself with the familiar paper1 trust to your own courage1 and speak out4 ,you will have thoughts1 and nature will find you words4 ,justice ,north's summing-up was simply a clever and unscrupulous bit of special pleading4 ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard had left the court1 and his friend on the bench conducted his case for him4 ,he told the jury that ,i had wasted their time1 and indulged in a number of other insults1 which might be pardonable in a legal hack bent on earning his client's fee1 but were scarcely consistent with the dignity and impartiality of a judge4 ,his tone was even worse than his words4 ,he had no sympathy with us in our desperate effort to defend our liberty against such overwhelming odds1 nor did we solicit any2 but we had a right to expect him to refrain from constant expressions of antipathy4 ,that1 however1 was not the whole of his offence against the rules of justice4 ,he recurred to the bad old example of ,lord ,ellenborough in devoting most of his time to answering my arguments4 ,lord ,coleridge remarked in the ,court of ,queen's ,bench that such a task was not for the judge1 but for the counsel on the other side of the case4 ,i wish his lordship had read a lesson to ,justice ,north on that subject before he presided at our trial4 ,there is only one passage of his summing-up that ,i wish to criticise fully4 ,it contains his statement of the ,law of ,blasphemy4 ,but as he made a very different statement four days later on at our second trial1 ,i prefer to wait until1 by placing these discrepant utterances together1 ,i can give the reader a fair idea of ,justice ,north's authority as a legal oracle4 ,the jury retired at five o'clock4 ,justice ,north kept his seat1 probably fancying they would soon agree to a verdict of ,guilty4 ,but as the minutes went by1 and the result seemed after all dubious1 he resorted to a paltry trick4 ,notwithstanding the late hour1 he had ,mr4 ,cattell brought into the dock for trial4 ,by procuring a verdict against him our jury might be influenced4 ,according to theory1 of course1 the jury hold no communication with the world while in deliberation2 but it is well known that officers of the court have access to them1 and tidings of ,mr4 ,cattell's fate could be easily conveyed4 ,we stepped down the stairs1 out of sight but not out of hearing1 and made way for ,mr4 ,cattell to take our place in the dock4 ,he was very pale with cold and apprehension1 and too timid to take a seat1 he stood with his hands resting on the top ledge4 ,the evidence against him was very brief4 ,instead of defending himself he had employed counsel4 ,that gentleman admitted the horrible character of the publication1 so eloquently denounced by the learned judge4 ,he said that his client could not for a moment think of defending it2 in fact1 he had only sold it in ignorance1 and he would never repeat the offence4 ,on the ground of that ignorance and that promise1 it was hoped that the jury would return a verdict of ,not ,guilty4 ,mr4 ,cattell declares that he never instructed his counsel to say anything of the kind2 but all ,i know is that it was said1 and that while our cheeks were tingling with shame and indignation1 he heard it all without a word of protest4 ,judge ,north acted openly as counsel for the prosecution in this trial4 ,there was not the slightest disguise4 ,he took the case completely into his own hands1 examined and cross-examined4 ,his summing-up was a disgusting exhibition4 ,naturally enough the jury returned a verdict of ,guilty without leaving the box2 but sentence was deferred until our jury had also agreed4 ,by this time1 ,i felt convinced they would not agree1 and every minute strengthened my belief4 ,while they deliberated we were all conducted to the subterranean den1 where we kept each other in good spirits4 ,st4 ,peter brought us some water to drink in a dirty tin can4 ,we tasted it1 found that a little of it was more than enough1 and declined to hazard a further experiment on our health4 ,at last1 after two hours and ten minutes' waiting1 we were summoned back to the dock4 ,there was profound silence in court1 and as the jury filed into their seats a painful sense of expectation pervaded the assembly4 ,his lordship said that he had called them into court to see whether he could assist them in any way1 and especially by explaining the law to them again4 ,the foreman1 in a very quiet1 composed manner1 replied that they all understood the law1 but there was no chance of their agreeing4 ,his lordship invited them to try a further consultation1 to which the foreman replied that it would be useless4 ,then1 said his lordship1 ,i am very sorry to say ,i must discharge you1 and have the case tried again4 ,then1 turning to the ,clerk of ,arraigns1 he added1 ,i will attend here on ,monday and try the case again with a different jury4 ,this was against the ordinary rule of the court1 and the sessions had to be prolonged into the next week for our sakes2 but his lordship could not deny himself the luxury of sentencing us4 ,he had set his heart on sending us to gaol1 and would not be baulked4 ,we naturally expected to be liberated till ,monday1 and ,i formally applied for a renewal of our bail4 ,but his lordship refused my application in the most peremptory and insulting manner4 ,i pointed out that ,i should require a proper opportunity to prepare another defence for the second trial1 to which his lordship replied1 ,you will have the same opportunity then that you have now4 ,he then hurriedly left the bench1 and we were in custody of the ,governor of ,newgate4 ,several friends rushed forward to shake hands with us over the dock rail1 and there were loud cries of ,bravo1 jury6 ,presently we descended to the ,inferno again1 from which we were conducted by a long subterranean passage to ,newgate prison4 ,judge ,north's action was simply vindictive4 ,even if we were guilty our offence was only a misdemeanor4 ,we had been out on bail from the beginning of the prosecution1 we had duly surrendered to trial1 after the jury's disagreement we really stood in a better position than before1 and there was not the slightest reason to suppose that we might abscond4 ,on the other hand1 it was clear that we were fighting against long odds4 ,the rich ,city ,corporation was prosecuting us regardless of expense1 and their case was conducted by three of the most skilful lawyers in ,london4 ,reason1 justice and humanity1 alike demanded that we should enjoy freedom and comfort while marshalling our resources for a fresh battle4 ,judge ,north1 however1 thought otherwise2 in his opinion we required a different kind of opportunity4 ,he locked us up in a prison cell1 excluded us from light and air1 deprived us of all communication with each other1 and debarred us from all intercourse with the outside world except during fifteen minutes each day through an iron grating4 ,such malignity is an unpardonable crime in a judge4 ,there may have been some bad criminals in ,newgate when ,i entered it1 but ,i would rather have embraced the worst of them than have touched the hand of ,judge ,north4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,newgate4 ,the subterranean passage through which ,mr4 ,ramsey1 ,mr4 ,kemp1 ,mr4 ,cattell1 and ,i were conducted from the ,old ,bailey dock to ,newgate prison1 was long and tortuous1 and two or three massive doors were unlocked and relocked for our transit before we emerged into the courtyard4 ,in the darkness the lofty walls looked grimly frowning1 and ,i imagined what feelings must possess the ordinary criminal who passes under their black shadow to his first night's taste of imprisonment4 ,another massive door was opened in the wall of ,newgate1 and we were ushered into what at first sight appeared a large hall4 ,it was really the interior of the prison4 ,glancing up1 ,i saw dimly-lighted corridors1 running round tier on tier of cell-doors1 and connected by light1 graceful staircases2 a clear view of every door being commanded from the office at the west end of the ground-floor4 ,we were invited one by one into a side office1 where we inscribed our names in a big book4 ,a dapper little officer1 who treated me with a queer mixture of authority and respectfulness1 wrote out my description as though he were filling in a passport4 ,i was very much amused1 and finding he was not too precise in his observations1 ,i corrected and supplemented them in a good-humored manner4 ,after completing this task he requested me to deliver up the contents of my pockets4 ,having passed nearly all my money to ,mr4 ,wheeler1 ,i had little to deposit4 ,some prisoners1 however1 are less careful4 ,the officer told me that he occasionally received as much as ten or twelve pounds from one visitor1 although the majority were almost penniless4 ,my small change was carefully counted by us both1 and when it was stowed in my purse1 ,i put my signature under the amount in the register4 ,then followed my other belongings4 ,i had stupidly brought a bunch of keys1 which the officer eyed very suspiciously4 ,keys in a prison6 ,the official mind might well be alarmed4 ,next came some letters and telegrams ,i had received while in ,court1 and a lead pencil1 which ,i took from my breast-pocket4 ,anything more in that pocket8 said the officer1 catching hold of the coat-lappet1 and attempting to insert his hand4 ,i beg pardon1 ,i replied1 disengaging his hand and stepping back2 ,i can do that myself4 ,see6 ,i said1 turning my pocket inside out4 ,he was satisfied1 but slightly annoyed4 ,the man was simply doing his duty1 and ,i daresay he showed me far more courtesy than other prisoners were treated with4 ,yet the process of searching is unspeakably revolting1 and ,i shrank from it instinctively2 taking care1 however1 by my rapid gestures to render it unnecessary4 ,prisoners are regularly searched in ,holloway ,gaol1 as well as in other penal establishments2 and being under the ordinary prison regulations1 like other convicted criminals1 ,i was of course subjected to the indignity4 ,i must in candor admit that the officers made it as little offensive as possible in my case2 yet the touch of a man's hand about one's person is so repulsive1 that ,i always had great difficulty in suppressing my indignation4 ,if an officer owes a prisoner a grudge1 he is able 7especially if the man is a little more refined than the general run of his associates7 to render the searching an almost intolerable infliction4 ,sometimes the prisoners are stripped to their drawers or shirts1 without any particular reason2 and the process can even be carried farther1 until they are in a state of complete nudity4 ,on one occasion this experiment was attempted on me1 but ,i declined to submit to it1 and the brace of officers 7they always search in pairs1 to prevent collusion7 shrank from employing force4 ,all the requisite formalities being transacted1 ,i was supplied with a pair of sheets and a duster2 and carrying these on my arm1 ,i was conducted upstairs to my apartment4 ,before leaving1 however1 ,i shook hands with my companions1 although it was in direct defiance of the rules and regulations4 ,my cell was ,number ,one4 ,it was considered the place of honor4 ,i was informed that it was once tenanted by the elder of two famous brother forgers1 who spent three weeks there preparing his defence and writing an extraordinary number of letters4 ,this information was communicated to me with an air of solemnity as though so eminent a criminal had left behind him the flavor of his greatness1 and had in some measure consecrated the spot4 ,the gas was lit1 and the officer withdrew1 banging the door as he went4 ,he seemed to love the sound1 and ,i subsequently discovered that this was a characteristic of his tribe4 ,only two men in ,holloway ,gaol ever shut my door gently4 ,they were the gallant ,governor and a clerical locum tenens who officiated during the chaplain's frequent absence in search of recreation or health4 ,colonel ,milman closed the door like a gentleman4 ,mr4 ,stubbs closed it like an undertaker4 ,he was the most nervous man ,i ever met4 ,but ,i must not anticipate4 ,more of him anon4 ,prison cells1 ,i had always known1 are rather narrow apartments1 but the realisation was nevertheless a rough one4 ,my domicile1 which included kitchen1 bedroom1 sitting-room and water-closet1 was about ten feet long1 six feet wide1 and nine feet high4 ,at the end opposite the door there was a window1 containing perhaps three square feet of thick opaque glass4 ,attached to the wall on the left side was a flap-table1 about two feet by one1 and under it a low stool4 ,in the right corner1 behind the door1 were a couple of narrow semi-circular shelves1 containing a wooden salt-cellar full of ancient salt1 protected from the air and dust by a brown paper lid1 through which a piece of knotted string was passed to serve as a knob4 ,the walls were whitewashed1 and hanging against them were a pair of printed cards1 which on examination ,i found to be the dietary scale and the rules and regulations4 ,the floor was black and shiny4 ,it was probably concreted1 and ,i discovered the next day that it was blackleaded and polished4 ,finally ,i detected an iron ring in each wall1 facing each other1 about two feet from the ground4 ,what are these for8 ,i thought4 ,they would be convenient for hanging if they were three feet higher4 ,perhaps they are placed there to tantalise desperate unfortunates who might be disposed to terminate their misery and wish the world an eternal ',good ,night6' ,as ,i paced up and down my cell1 full of the thought1 ,i am in prison1 then1 my curiosity was excited by a large urn-looking object in the right corner under the window1 just below a water-tap and copper basin4 ,i had noticed it before1 but ,i fancied it was some antique relic of ,old ,newgate4 ,examining it closely1 ,i found it had a hinged lid1 and on lifting this my nose was assailed by a powerful smell1 which struck me as about the most ancient ,i had ever encountered4 ,this earthenware fixture was in reality a water-closet1 and ,i imagined it must have communicated direct with the main drainage4 ,a more unwholesome and disgusting companion in one's room is difficult to conceive4 ,i believe these filthy monstrosities still exist in ,newgate1 although they are abolished in other prisons4 ,yet it puzzles one to understand why prisoners awaiting trial should be poisoned by such a diabolical invention any more than prisoners who have been convicted and sentenced4 ,just as ,i finished inspecting this monument of official ingenuity1 ,i heard a heavy footstep along the corridor1 and presently a key was inserted in my lock4 ,it grated harsh thunder as it turned4 ,the door was flung open abruptly1 without any consideration whether ,i might be standing near it1 and an official entered1 who turned out to be the chief warder4 ,he was a polite1 handsome man of five-and-forty1 with a fine pair of dark eyes and a handsome black beard4 ,during my brief residence in ,newgate he treated me with marked civility1 and sometimes engaged in a few minutes' conversation4 ,in one of these brief interviews he told me that he had officiated at fourteen executions1 and devoutly hoped he might never witness another1 his feelings on every occasion having been of the most horrible character4 ,i also found that he was fond of a book1 although he had little leisure for reading or any other recreation4 ,he looked longingly at my well-printed copy of ,byron2 but what impressed him most was my little collection of law books1 especially ,folkard's fat ,law of ,libel1 which he regarded with the awe and veneration of a bibliolater1 suddenly confronting a gigantic mystery of erudition4 ,this worthy officer came to tell me that my friend with the big head had just called to see what he could do for us4 ,big-head was ,mr4 ,bradlaugh4 ,the description was facetious but by no means uncomplimentary4 ,our meals had been ordered in from over the way1 and ,i might expect some refreshment shortly4 ,while he was speaking it was brought up4 ,he then left me1 and ,i devoured the coffee and toast with great avidity4 ,my appetite was far from appeased1 but ,i had to content myself with what was given me1 for prison warders look as surprised as ,bumble himself at a request for more4 ,when the slender meal was dispatched1 the chief warder paid me another visit to instruct me how to roost4 ,under his tuition ,i received my first lesson in prison bed-making4 ,a strip of thick canvas was stretched across the cell and fastened at each end by leather straps running through those mysterious rings4 ,a coarse sheet was spread on this1 then a rough blanket1 and finally a sieve-like counterpane2 the whole forming a very fair imitation of a ship's hammock4 ,it had by no means an uncomfortable appearance1 and being extremely fagged1 ,i thought ,i would retire to rest4 ,but directly ,i essayed to do so my troubles began4 ,when ,i tried to get on the bed it canted over and deposited me on the floor4 ,slightly shaken1 but nothing daunted1 ,i made another attempt with a similar result4 ,the third time was lucky4 ,i circumvented the obstinate enemy by mounting the stool and slowly insinuating myself between the sheets1 until at length ,i was fairly ensconced1 lying straight on my back like a prone statue or a corpse4 ,for a few moments ,i remained perfectly still enjoying my triumph4 ,presently1 however1 ,i felt rather cold at the feet1 and on glancing down ,i saw that my lower extremities were sticking out4 ,i raised myself slightly in order to cover them1 but the movement was fatal2 the bed canted and ,i was again at large4 ,this time ,i had serious thoughts of sleeping on the floor1 but as it was hard and cold ,i abandoned the idea4 ,i laboriously regained my lost position1 taking due precautions for my feet4 ,after a while ,i grew accustomed to the oscillation1 but ,i had to face another evil4 ,the clothes kept slipping off1 and more than once ,i followed in trying to recover them4 ,at last1 ,i found a firm position1 where ,i lay still1 clutching the refractory sheets and blankets4 ,but ,i soon experienced a fresh evil4 ,the canvas strip was very narrow1 and as my shoulders were not1 they abutted on each side1 courting the cold4 ,even this difficulty ,i finally conquered by gymnastic subtleties4 ,warmth and comfort produced their natural effect4 ,my brain was busy for a few minutes4 ,thoughts of my wife and the few ,i loved best made me womanish1 but a recollection of the malignant judge hardened me and ,i clenched my teeth4 ,then ,nature asserted her sway4 ,weary eyelids drooped over weary eyes1 and through a phantasmagoria of the trial ,i gradually sank into a feverish sleep4 ,i was aroused in the morning by the six o'clock bell4 ,it was pitch dark in my cell except for the faint glimmer of a distant lamp through the thick window-panes4 ,a few minutes later a little square flap in the centre of my door was let down with a startling bang2 a small hand-lamp was thrust through the aperture1 and a gruff voice cried ,now1 then1 get up and light your gas3 look sharp4 ,i cannot say that ,i made any indecent haste4 ,my gas was lit very leisurely1 and as ,i returned the lamp ,i saw a scowling visage outside4 ,the man was evidently exasperated by my passive resistance4 ,my ablutions were performed in a copper basin not much larger than a porridge bowl2 indeed1 it was impossible to insert both hands at once4 ,there was1 of course1 no looking-glass1 and as the three-inch comb was densely clogged with old deposits1 my toilet was completed under considerable difficulties4 ,i never combed my hair with my fingers before1 but on that occasion ,i was obliged to resort to those primitive rakes4 ,when ,i was finally ready1 the chief warder summoned me downstairs to be weighed and measured4 ,my height was five feet ten in my shoes1 and my weight twelve stone nine and a half in my clothes4 ,at eight o'clock breakfast came4 ,it consisted of coffee1 eggs and toast4 ,at half-past eight we were taken out to exercise4 ,what a delight it was to see each other's faces again6 ,and how refreshing to breathe even the atmosphere of a ,city courtyard after being locked up for so many hours in a stifling cell4 ,the other prisoners were already outside1 and we had to pass through the court in which they were exercising to reach the one considerately allotted for our special use4 ,they presented a cheerless spectacle4 ,silently and sadly1 with drooping heads1 they skirted the walls in ,indian file2 a couple of officers standing in the centre to see that no communication went on between them4 ,many eyes were lifted to gaze at us as we passed4 ,some winked1 and a few looked insolent contempt1 but the majority expressed nothing but curiosity4 ,our courtyard was about thirty feet by twenty4 ,it was stone-paved1 with a door leading to the ,old ,bailey at one end1 and a row of high iron bars at the other4 ,the air was brisk1 and the sky tolerably clear for the place and season4 ,our pent-up energies required a vent1 and we rushed round like caged animals suddenly loosened4 ,gently1 cried our good-natured custodian2 but we paid little heed to his admonition2 our blood was up1 and we raced each other until we were wearied of the pastime4 ,presently ,i heard my name called1 and on advancing to the spot whence the voice issued1 ,i saw ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's face through the iron bars4 ,after a few minutes' conversation he made way for ,mrs4 ,besant4 ,she was quite unprepared for such an interview4 ,her idea was that she would be able to shake hands2 ,i1 however1 knew better1 and for that reason ,i had forbidden my wife to visit me1 preferring her letters to her company in such wretched circumstances4 ,mrs4 ,besant was particularly cordial4 ,we are all proud1 she said1 of the brave fight you made yesterday4 ,how the time slipped by6 ,when she retired it seemed as though our conversation had but just opened4 ,i was only entitled to receive two visitors1 but by a generous arithmetic ,mr4 ,bradlaugh and ,mrs4 ,besant were counted as one4 ,mr4 ,wheeler was therefore able to see me on business4 ,we had much to arrange1 and the result was that ,i enjoyed scarcely more than half an hour's exercise4 ,surely it is a grievous wrong that a prisoner awaiting trial should be allowed such brief interviews with his friends1 especially when he is defending himself1 and may require to consult them4 ,and is it not a still more grievous wrong that these interviews should take place during the exercise hour8 ,there is no reason why they should not be kept separate2 indeed there is no reason why the inmates of ,newgate should not be allowed to exercise twice a day4 ,no work is done in the prison1 and marshalling the prisoners is not so laborious a task that it cannot be performed more than once in twenty-four hours4 ,at the expiration of our miserable sixty minutes we were marched back to our cells2 but we were scarcely under lock and key again before we were summoned to the ,old ,bailey1 the officer telling us that he thought they were going to grant us bail4 ,we were conducted through the subterranean passage to the ,old ,bailey dock-stairs4 ,standing out of sight1 but not out of hearing1 we listened to ,mr4 ,avory's application for bail on behalf of ,mr4 ,kemp4 ,judge ,north refused in cold1 vindictive tones2 he had evidently let the sun go down on his wrath1 and rise on it again4 ,mr4 ,avory thereupon asked whether he made no difference between convicted and unconvicted prisoners4 ,none in this case1 was his lordship's brutal and supercilious answer2 and then we were hurried back to our cells4 ,my apartment was execrably dark4 ,it was situated in an angle of the building2 there was a wall on the right and another in front1 so that only a little light fell on the right wall of my cell near the window4 ,after severely trying my eyes for two or three hours1 ,i was obliged to make an application for gas1 which1 after some hesitation1 was granted4 ,but ,i found the remedy almost worse than the evil4 ,sitting all day at the little lap-table1 with my head about ten inches from the gas-light1 made me feel sick and dizzy4 ,mr4 ,ramsey1 as ,i afterwards discovered1 was made quite ill by a similar nuisance1 and the chief warder was obliged to release him for a brief walk in the open air4 ,i applied the next morning for a fresh cell1 and was duly accommodated4 ,my new apartment was very much lighter1 but the change was in other respects a disadvantage4 ,the closet was fouler1 and as the lid was a remarkably bad fit1 it emitted a more obtrusive smell4 ,the copper basin also was filled with dirty water1 which would not flow away1 as the waste-pipe was stopped up4 ,to remedy these defects they brought the engineer1 who strenuously exercised his intellect on the subject for three days2 but as he exercised nothing on the waste-pipe1 ,i insisted on having the copper basin baled out1 and secured a bucket for my ablutions4 ,during my first day in ,newgate1 the officers occasionally dropped in for a minute's chat with such an unusual prisoner4 ,i found them for the most part good fellows1 and singularly free from the bigotry of their betters4 ,the morning papers also helped to wile away the time4 ,i was pleased to see that the ,daily ,news rebuked the scandalous severity of the judge1 and that the reports of our trial were reasonably fair1 although very inadequate4 ,the ,daily ,chronicle was under an embargo1 and could not be obtained for love or money2 the reason being1 ,i believe1 that many years ago it commented severely on some prison scandal1 and provoked the high and mighty ,commissioners into laying their august proscription upon it4 ,all the weekly papers1 or at least the ,radical ones ,i inquired for1 were under a similar embargo1 for what reason ,i could never discover4 ,perhaps the ,commissioners1 who enjoy a reputation for piety1 exclude ,radical and heterodox journals lest they should impair the ,christianity and ,toryism of the gaol-birds4 ,many letters reached me and were answered1 so that my time was well occupied until twelve1 when dinner was brought in from over the way4 ,being well-nigh ravenous1 ,i dispatched it with great celerity1 washing it down with a little mild ale4 ,prisoners awaiting trial are allowed 7if they can pay for it7 a pint of that beverage1 or half a pint of wine4 ,after dinner ,i felt drowsy1 and as there was no sofa or chair1 and no back to the little three-legged stool1 ,i was obliged to dispense with a nap4 ,i walked up and down my splendid hall instead1 longing desperately for a mouthful of fresh air by way of dessert1 or a few minutes' chat with my friends1 who ,i dare say were in exactly the same predicament4 ,tea1 which came at five1 brightened me up1 and as ,mr4 ,wheeler had by this time sent in all my books and papers1 ,i settled down to three hours' hard work4 ,the worthy ,governor1 a tall sedate man1 did not like the titles of some of my books1 and inquired whether ,i really wanted them for my defence4 ,i replied that ,i did4 ,then1 said he to the chief warder1 they may all be brought up1 but you must take care they don't get about4 ,at half-past eight1 according to the rules1 ,i retired to my precarious and uncomfortable couch2 a few minutes later my gas was turned off1 and ,i was left in almost total darkness to seek the sleep which ,i soon found4 ,thus ended my first day in ,newgate4 ,my second day in ,newgate passed like the first4 ,prison life affords few variations2 the days roll by with drear monotony like wave after wave over a spent swimmer's head4 ,we enjoyed ,judge ,north's opportunity to prepare our fresh defence in the way ,i have already described4 ,we were locked up in our brick vaults twenty-three hours out of the twenty-four2 we walked for an hour after breakfast in the courtyard2 and the fifteen minutes allowed for the interview with two visitors was1 as before1 religiously deducted from the sixty minutes allowed for exercise4 ,mr4 ,wheeler sent in more books and papers1 and ,i devoted my whole time1 except that occupied in answering letters1 to preparing another speech for ,monday4 ,sunday was a miserably dull day4 ,no visits are allowed in that sacred interval1 a regulation which presses with great severity on the poorer prisoners1 whose relatives and friends are freer to visit them on ,sunday than during the week4 ,the confinement was beginning to tell on me4 ,my life had been exceptionally active1 physically and mentally1 and this prison life was as stagnant as the air of my cell4 ,thus cabin'd cribbed1 confined1 ,i felt all my vital functions half arrested4 ,dejection ,i did not experience2 my spirits were light and fresh2 but the body revolted against its ill-treatment1 and recorded its protest on the conscious brain4 ,how grateful was the brief hour's exercise on the ,sunday morning6 ,the muffled roar of the great city was hushed1 and the silence served to emphasise every visual phenomenon4 ,even the air of that city courtyard1 hemmed in by lofty walls1 seemed a breath of ,paradise4 ,i threw back my shoulders1 expanding the chest through mouth and nostrils1 and lifted my face to the sky4 ,a pale gleam of sunshine pierced through the canopy of ,london smoke4 ,it might have looked ghastly to a resident in the country1 unused to the light ,london calls day1 but to one immured in a prison cell it was an irradiation of glory4 ,the mind expanded under the lustre2 imagination preened its wings1 and sped beyond the haze into the everlasting blue4 ,gallant ,lovelace1 in durance vile1 boasted his unfettered mind1 and sang-- ,stone walls do not a prison make1 ,nor iron bars a cage4 ,true1 but the model prison was not invented then1 nor was the silent system in vogue4 ,lovelace's apartment was1 perhaps1 not so scrupulously clean as mine1 but it commanded a finer prospect4 ,he knew nothing of the horror of opaque windows1 and his iron bars did not exclude the air and light4 ,at eleven o'clock my cell door was opened1 and an officer asked me if ,i would like to go to chapel4 ,yes1 ,i replied1 for ,i was curious to see what a religious service in ,newgate was like1 and any interruption of the day's monotony was welcome4 ,standing outside my cell door1 ,i perceived ,mr4 ,ramsey1 ,mr4 ,kemp1 and ,mr4 ,cattell already outside theirs4 ,the few other prisoners still remaining in ,newgate 7they are transferred to other prisons as soon as possible after sentence7 were ranged in a similar manner4 ,a file was then formed1 and we marched1 accompanied by officers1 through a passage on the ground floor to the chapel1 passing on our way the glass boxes in which prisoners hold communication with their solicitors4 ,an officer stands outside during the interview3 he can hear nothing1 but he is able to see every motion of the occupants2 the object of this mechanism being to guard against the passage of any interdicted articles4 ,the chapel was small1 lighted by a large window on the left side from the door1 and warmed by a mountainous stove in the centre4 ,a few backless forms were provided on the floor for unconvicted prisoners4 ,we were accommodated with the front bench1 and requested to sit two or three feet apart from each other1 the few other prisoners occupying seats behind us being separated in the same way4 ,the convicted prisoners sit in a railed-off part of the chapel1 and ,i believe there is a gallery for the women4 ,on our right1 facing the window1 was a pulpit1 below which was the clerk's desk1 flanked on the right by the ,governor's box and on the left by a seat for the officers4 ,after waiting some time1 we heard footsteps at the door4 ,in strode the tall ,governor and the ,chaplain1 the one entering his box1 and the other going to the clerk's desk1 where he read the service1 which was rushed through at the rate of sixty miles an hour4 ,mr4 ,duffeld started the hymns1 but his voice is not melodious1 and he has little sense of tune4 ,the singing1 indeed1 would have broken down if it had not been for the ,francatelli of the establishment1 who had exchanged his kitchen costume for the official uniform1 and sang with the fervor and emphasis of a ,methodist leader or a captain in the ,salvation ,army4 ,mr4 ,duffeld mounted the pulpit to read his sermon4 ,his text was ,matthew vii41 #ba3 ,not everyone that saith unto me ,lord1 ,lord1 shall enter into the kingdom of heaven2 but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven4 ,this text caused me a pleasant surprise4 ,i had heard of ,mr4 ,duffeld as a member of1 or a sympathiser with1 the ,guild of ,st4 ,matthew2 and ,i fancied that he meant to condemn our prosecution1 not directly1 so as to offend his employers1 but indirectly1 so as to justify himself and satisfy us4 ,i was1 however1 greviously mistaken4 ,mr4 ,duffeld's sermon was directed against the large order of professing ,christians1 who manage a pretty easy compromise between ,god and ,mammon1 between ,jesus ,christ and the world and the flesh1 if not the ,devil4 ,it had no reference to us1 and it was entirely inappropriate to the rest of the congregation1 who1 ,i must say1 from the casual glimpses ,i caught of them1 were glancing about aimless as monkeys1 or staring listless like melancholy monomaniacs4 ,when the benediction was pronounced1 ,mr4 ,duffeld marched swiftly away2 the tall ,governor strode after him1 and the prisoners filed in silence through the doorway back to their cells4 ,what a commentary it was on ,our ,father6 ,it was a ghastly mockery1 a blasphemous farce1 a satire on ,christianity infinitely more sardonic and mordant than anything ,i ever wrote or published4 ,soon after returning to my cell ,i was glad of the substantial dinner and drowsy ale to deaden the bitter edge of my scorn4 ,after tea ,i settled down to the final preparations for my defence4 ,my gas was left on for an extra hour to afford me the time ,i required4 ,it was half-past nine when ,i retired to my hammock4 ,everything was then finished except the interview ,i had requested with my co-defendants4 ,this the ,governor was powerless to grant4 ,he had applied to the visiting magistrates1 who protested the same inability4 ,a petition had then been forwarded to the ,home ,secretary1 but no answer had been received4 ,while ,i was pondering this difficulty1 my cell door was suddenly opened1 and the ,governor entered4 ,apologising for disturbing me unceremoniously at that unseasonable hour1 he informed me that a messenger from the ,home ,office had brought the necessary permission for our interview4 ,it took place the next morning4 ,we had just thirty minutes to arrange our plan for the approaching battle1 the consultation being held in the courtyard before breakfast4 ,the time was of course absurdly inadequate4 ,we had a just claim to better treatment1 ,mr4 ,ramsey1 ,mr4 ,kemp and ,i2 we were charged with the same offence2 we pleaded to a common indictment2 we stood together in the same dock2 we were involved in the same fate2 and witnesses would be called against us all three indifferently4 ,surely1 then1 as the jury had disagreed once1 and we had to defend ourselves afresh1 we were entitled to proper conference with our papers before us4 ,this al fresco chat was the last of ,judge ,north's opportunities4 ,at ten o'clock we were once more in the ,old ,bailey dock1 fronting the judge and jury1 surrounded by an eager crowd1 and beginning a second fight for liberty and perhaps for life4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,second ,,trial4 ,before ,i had been in the ,old ,bailey dock two minutes on the morning of my second trial1 ,i found that our case was hopeless4 ,the names of no less than four jurymen were handed to me by friends in court1 every one of whom had been heard to declare that he meant to bring in a verdict of ,guilty4 ,one of these impartial guardians of ,english liberty had stated1 in a public-house1 his intention to make it hot for the ,freethinkers4 ,how many more had uttered similar sentiments it is impossible to say1 but it is reasonable to suppose that1 if four were discovered by my friends1 there were others who had escaped their detection4 ,one of the four1 a ,mr4 ,thomas ,jackson1 was called on the jury list4 ,i at once challenged him4 ,he was then put into the witness-box1 and on examination he admitted that he had expressed an opinion adverse to the defendants in this case4 ,then ensued a bit of comedy between ,judge ,north and ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard1 who both assumed a wonderful air of impartiality4 ,judge ,north3 ,sir ,hardinge1 is it not better to withdraw this juryman at once8 ,whatever the verdict of the jury1 ,i should be sorry to have a man among them who had expressed himself as prejudiced4 ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard3 ,oh yes1 my lord2 ,i withdraw him4 ,it will be much more satisfactory to the ,crown and everybody else concerned4 ,i withdraw him1 says ,sir ,hardinge2 ,i should be sorry to have him1 says the ,judge2 both evidently feeling that they were making a generous concession in the interests of justice4 ,but as a matter of fact they had no choice4 ,mr4 ,thomas ,jackson could no more sit on that jury after my challenge than he could fly over the moon4 ,i smiled at the pretended generosity of these legal cronies1 and said to myself1 ,thank you for nothing4 ,mr4 ,thomas ,jackson's exit made no practical difference4 ,i felt1 ,i will not say that the jury was packed1 but that it was admirably adapted to the end in view4 ,ours being the only case for trial that day1 it was not difficult to accomplish this result4 ,a friend of mine said to one of the officers of the court before ,i entered the dock1 ,well1 how is the case going to-day8 ,oh1 was the prompt reply1 they are sure to convict4 ,he knew the character of the jury4 ,some of the twelve men and true had not even the decency to attend to the proceedings4 ,one was timed by a friend in court--dead asleep for sixty minutes4 ,when that juryman awoke his mind was made up on the case4 ,at the conclusion of a trial that lasted over six hours they did not even retire for consultation4 ,they stood up1 faced each other1 muttered together for about a minute1 nodded their heads affirmatively1 and then sat down and gave a verdict of guilty4 ,several of the jury1 however1 ,i am bound to admit1 had no idea that ,judge ,north would inflict upon us such infamous sentences1 and they were quite shocked at the consequences of their verdict4 ,four of them subsequently signed the memorial for our release4 ,a fifth juryman vehemently declined to do so4 ,no1 he said1 not ,i4 ,i'm a man of principle6 ,they got off too easy4 ,two years' hard labor wouldn't have been a bit too much4 ,this pious gentleman is a publican in ,soho1 and bears the name of a famous murderer1 ,wainwright4 ,but to return4 ,mr4 ,ramsey and ,i were represented this time on all legal points by counsel4 ,mr4 ,cluer watched our interests vigilantly1 and performed a difficult task with great courage and judgment4 ,he bore ,judge ,north's insults with wonderful patience4 ,don't mind what you think about1 it1 ,mr4 ,cluer1 ,i don't want you to tell me what you think2 such were the flowers of courtesy strewed from the bench upon ,mr4 ,cluer's path4 ,our counsel's colleague in the case was ,mr4 ,horace ,avory1 who represented ,mr4 ,kemp4 ,he also had a somewhat onerous duty to perform4 ,there is no need to deal with the technical evidence against us4 ,it was of the usual character1 and we merely cross-examined the witnesses as a matter of form4 ,one thing was brought out clearly4 ,sir ,henry ,tyler's solicitors were aiding ,sir ,thomas ,nelson1 and their clerks were produced as witnesses against us4 ,judge ,north's reception of evidence was peculiar4 ,knowing that there was no ,court of ,criminal ,appeal1 he set the rules of procedure at defiance4 ,any tittle-tattle was admitted1 and postmen and servants were allowed to swear as to the directions on unproduced documents alleged to have been addressed to me4 ,when1 several weeks later1 ,i was tried a third time in the ,court of ,queen's ,bench1 ,i heard ,lord ,coleridge rebuke the prosecuting counsel for attempting to put questions against which ,judge ,north would hear no objection4 ,i understand now how much prisoners are at the mercy of judges1 and ,i feel how much truth there was in the remark ,i once heard from a prisoner in ,holloway ,gaol1 that it's often a toss up whether you get one year or seven4 ,let me here also ask why ,mr4 ,fawcett1 the late ,postmaster ,general1 allowed his letter-carriers to be employed as detectives in such a case4 ,it was proved in evidence that a policeman had called at the ,west-,central ,post ,office1 and obtained an interview with the manager1 after which the letter-carriers were instructed to spy upon my correspondence4 ,mr4 ,fawcett subsequently denied that the letter-carriers had ever been so instructed2 but in that case the ,post ,office witnesses must have committed perjury4 ,i do not believe it4 ,i am confident that they merely obeyed orders1 and that the scandalous abuse of a public trust must be charged upon the district postmaster1 who probably thinks any weapon is legitimate against ,freethinkers4 ,as ,mr4 ,fawcett refused to censure the postmaster for exceeding his duty1 or the letter-carrier for committing perjury1 ,i cannot hold him altogether guiltless in the matter4 ,in opening my defence ,i took care to accentuate my appreciation of ,judge ,north's kindness1 as the following passage will show3 ,gentlemen of the ,jury1--,i stand in a position of great difficulty and disadvantage4 ,on ,thursday last ,i defended myself against the very same charges in the very same indictment4 ,the case lasted nearly seven hours1 and the jury retired for more than two hours without being able to come to an agreement4 ,they were then discharged1 and the learned judge said he would try the case again on ,monday with a new jury4 ,as ,i had been out on bail from my committal1 and as ,i stood in the same position after that abortive trial as before it commenced1 ,i asked the learned judge to renew my bail1 but he refused4 ,i pleaded that ,i should have no opportunity to prepare my defence1 and ,i was peremptorily told ,i should have the same opportunity as ,i had had that day4 ,well1 gentlemen1 ,i have enjoyed the learned judge's opportunity4 ,i have spent all the weary hours since ,thursday1 with the exception of the three allowed for bodily exercise during the whole interval1 in a small prison cell six feet wide1 and so dark that ,i could neither write nor read at midday without the aid of gaslight4 ,there was around me no sign of the animated life ,i am accustomed to1 nothing but the loathsome sights and sounds of prison life4 ,and in these trying and depressing circumstances ,i have had to prepare to defend myself in a new trial against two junior counsel and a senior counsel1 who have had no difficulties to contend with1 who have behind them the wealth and authority of the greatest and richest ,corporation in the world1 and who might even walk out of court in the perfect assurance that the prosecution would not be allowed to suffer in their absence4 ,those who wish to read the whole of my defence1 which lasted over two hours1 will find it in the ,three ,trials for ,blasphemy4 ,one portion of it1 at least1 is likely to be of permanent interest4 ,with ,mr4 ,wheeler's aid ,i drew up a long list of the abusive epithets applied by ,christian controversialists to their ,pagan opponents or to each other4 ,it fills more than two pages of small type1 and pretty nearly exhausts the vocabulary of vituperation4 ,i added a few pearls of orthodox abuse of ,atheism1 and then asked the jury whether ,christians had taught ,freethinkers to show respect for their opponents' feelings4 ,nobody in this country1 ,i continued1 whatever his religion1 is called upon to respect the feelings of anybody else4 ,it is only the ,freethinker who is told to respect the feelings of people from whom he differs4 ,and to respect them how8 ,not when he enters their places of worship1 not when he stands side by side with them in the business and pleasures of life1 but when he reads what is written for ,freethinkers without knowing that a pair of ,christian eyes will ever scan the page4 ,it may be asked why ,i adopted a course so little likely to conciliate my judges4 ,my reply is that ,i did not try to conciliate them4 ,feeling convinced that their verdict was already settled1 and that my fate was sealed1 ,i cast all such considerations aside1 and deliberately made a speech for my own party4 ,i was resolved that my loss should be the gain of ,freethought4 ,the peroration is the only other part of my defence ,i shall venture to quote4 ,it ran as follows3 ,gentlemen1 carry your minds back across the chasm of eighteen centuries and a half4 ,you are in ,jerusalem4 ,a young ,jew is haled along the street to the place of judgment4 ,he stands before his judge2 he is accused--of what1 gentlemen8 ,you know what he is accused of--the word must be springing to your lips--,blasphemy6 ,every ,christian among you knows that your founder1 ,jesus ,christ1 was crucified after being charged with blasphemy4 ,gentlemen1 it seems to me that no ,christian should ever find a man guilty of blasphemy after that1 but that the very word ought to be wiped from your vocabulary1 as a reproach and a scandal4 ,christians1 your founder was murdered as a blasphemer1 for1 although done judicially1 it was still a murder4 ,surely then you will not1 when you have secured the possession of power1 imitate the bad example of those who killed your founder1 violate men's liberties1 rob them of all that is perhaps dearest to them1 and brand them with a stigma of public infamy by a verdict from the jury-box6 ,surely gentlemen1 it is impossible that you can do that6 ,who are we8 ,three poor men4 ,are we wicked8 ,no1 there is no proof of the charge4 ,our honor and honesty are unimpeached4 ,it is not for us to play the ,pharisee and say that we are better than other men4 ,we only say that we are no worse4 ,what have we done to be classed with thieves and felons1 dragged from our homes and submitted to the indignities of a life so loathsome and hideous1 that it is even revolting to the spirits of the men who have to exercise authority within the precincts of the gaol8 ,you know we have done nothing to merit such a punishment4 ,gentlemen1 you ought to return a verdict of ,not ,guilty against us1 because the prosecution have not given you sufficient evidence as to the fact2 because whatever legal bigotry is gained from the decisions of judges in the past must be treated as obsolete1 as the ,london magistrate treated the law of ,maintenance2 because we have done nothing1 as the indictment states1 against the peace2 because our proceedings have led to no tumult in the streets1 no interference with the liberty of any man1 his person or property2 because no evidence has been tendered to you of any malice in our case2 because there is no wicked motive in anything we have done2 because the founder of your own creed was murdered on a very similar charge to that of which we stand accused now2 and1 lastly1 because you should in this third quarter of the nineteenth century assert once and for ever the great principle of the absolute freedom of each man1 unless he trench on the equal freedom of others4 ,i ask you to assert the great principle of the liberty of the press1 liberty of the platform1 liberty of thought and liberty of speech2 ,i ask you to prevent such prosecutions as are hinted at in the ,times this morning2 ,i ask you not to allow sects once more to be hurling anathemas against each other1 and flying to the magistrates to settle questions which should be settled by intellectual and moral suasion2 ,i ask you not to open a discreditable chapter of ,english history that ought to have been closed for ever2 ,i ask you to give us a verdict of ,not ,guilty1 to send us back to our homes and to stamp your brand of disapprobation on this prosecution1 which is degrading religion by associating it with all that is penal1 obstructive1 and loathsome2 ,i ask you to let us go away from here free men1 and so make it impossible that there ever should again be a prosecution for blasphemy2 ,i ask you to have your names inscribed in history as the last jury that decided for ever that great and grand principle of liberty which is broader than all the skies2 a principle so high that no temple could be lofty enough for its worship2 that grand principle which should rule over all--the principle of the equal right and the equal liberty of all men4 ,that is the principle ,i ask you to assert by your verdict of ,not ,guilty4 ,gentlemen1 ,i ask you to close this discreditable chapter of persecution once and for ever1 and associate your names on the page of history with liberty1 progress1 and everything that is dignified1 noble and dear to the consciences and hearts of men4 ,when ,i sat down there was a burst of applause1 which the court officials were unable to suppress4 ,mr4 ,ramsey followed with another written speech1 well composed and very much to the point4 ,i noticed some of his auditors outside the jury-box choking down their emotion as he touchingly referred to his sleepless nights in ,newgate through thinking of wife and child4 ,his ,lordship1 ,i observed only smiled bitterly4 ,judge ,north's summing up was a fraudulent performance4 ,he told the jury that the consent of the ,attorney-,general had to be obtained for our prosecution1 as well as that of the ,public ,prosecutor1 which was a downright falsehood1 unless it was a piece of sheer ignorance4 ,he pretended to read the whole chapter on ,offences against ,religion in ,sir ,james ,stephen's ,digest of the ,criminal ,law1 while in reality he deliberately omitted the very paragraph which damned his contention and supported mine4 ,he also produced a new statement of the ,law of ,blasphemy to suit the occasion4 ,on the previous ,thursday he told the jury that any denial of the existence of ,deity or of ,providence was blasphemy4 ,but in the meantime the public press had condemned this interpretation of the law as dangerous to high-class heretics4 ,his lordship1 therefore1 expounded the law afresh1 so as to exempt them while including us4 ,the only question he now submitted to the jury was1 ,are any of those passages put before you calculated to expose to ridicule1 contempt or derision the ,holy ,scriptures or the ,christian religion8 ,this amended statement of the ,law of ,blasphemy went directly in the teeth of our ,indictment1 which charged us with bringing ,holy ,scripture and the ,christian ,religion into disbelief as well as contempt4 ,the fact is1 blasphemy is a judge-made crime1 and the blasphemer's fate depends very largely on who tries him4 ,lord ,coleridge holds one view of the law1 ,sir ,james ,stephen another1 and ,justice ,north another still4 ,nay1 the last judge differs even from himself4 ,he can give two various definitions of the law in five days1 no doubt on the principle that circumstances alter cases1 and that what is true for one purpose may be false for another4 ,i have said that the jury1 with indecent haste1 returned a verdict of ,guilty4 ,the crowd of people in court were evidently surprised at the result1 although ,i was not1 and they gave vent to groans and hisses4 ,the tumult was indescribable4 ,suddenly there rang out from the gallery overhead the agonising cry of my young wife1 whom ,i had implored not to come1 and whose presence there ,i never suspected4 ,she had crept in and listened all day to my trial1 never leaving her seat for fear of losing it2 and now1 overwearied and faint for want of food1 she reeled under the heavy blow4 ,my heart leaped at the sound2 my brain reeled2 the scene around me swam in confusion--judge1 jury1 lawyers and spectators all shifting like the pieces in a kaleidoscope2 my very frame seemed expanding and dissolving in space4 ,the feeling lasted only a moment4 ,yet to me how long6 ,with a tremendous effort ,i crushed down my emotions1 and the next moment ,i was mentally as calm as an ,alp1 although physically ,i quivered like a race-horse sharply reined up in mid-gallop by an iron hand4 ,my wife ,i could not help1 but ,i could still maintain the honor and dignity of ,freethought4 ,order was at length restored after his lordship had threatened to clear the court4 ,mr4 ,avory then asked him to deal leniently with ,mr4 ,kemp1 who was merely a paid servant of ours1 and in no other way actually responsible for the incriminated publication4 ,justice ,north listened with ill-concealed impatience4 ,he was obviously anxious to flesh the sword of justice in his helpless victims4 ,directly ,mr4 ,avory finished he began to pronounce the following sentence on me1 and while he spoke there was deadly silence in that crowded court3-- ,george ,william ,foote1 you have been found ,guilty by the jury of publishing these blasphemous libels4 ,this trial has been to me a very painful one4 ,i regret extremely to find a person of your undoubted intelligence1 a man gifted by ,god with such great ability1 should have chosen to prostitute his talents to the service of the ,devil4 ,i consider this paper totally different from any of the works you have brought before me in every way1 and the sentence ,i now pass upon you is one of imprisonment for twelve calendar months4 ,twelve months6 ,it was longer than ,i expected1 but what matter8 ,my indifference1 however1 was not shared by the crowd4 ,they rose1 and as the reporter said1 burst forth into a storm of hissing1 groaning1 and derisive cries4 ,damn ,christianity6 ,i heard one shout1 and ,scroggs and ,jeffries were flung at the judge1 who seemed at first to enjoy the scene1 although he grew alarmed as the tumult increased4 ,clear the gallery1 he cried1 and the police burst in among the people4 ,but before they did their work something happened4 ,from the first ,i resolved1 if ,i were found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment1 that ,i would say something before leaving the dock4 ,my first impulse was to hurl at the judge a few words of passionate indignation4 ,but ,i reflected ,no6 ,i have been tried and condemned for ridiculing superstition4 ,sarcasm is ,blasphemy4 ,well then1 let me sustain my character to the end4 ,i will leave with a stinging ,freethinker sentence on my lips4 ,raising my hand1 ,i obtained a moment's silence4 ,then ,i folded my arms and surveyed the judge4 ,our eyes flashed mutual enmity for a few seconds1 until with a scornful smile and a mock bow ,i said1 ,thank you1 my lord2 the sentence is worthy of your creed4 ,that retort has frequently been cited4 ,it was a happy inspiration1 and the more ,i ponder it the more profoundly ,i feel that it was exactly the right thing to say4 ,the officers behind gave me a pressing invitation to descend the dock stairs1 and ,i complied4 ,for a long time ,i waited in one of the little dens ,i have already described1 pacing up and down1 revolving many thoughts1 and wondering what detained my companions4 ,the fact is1 the police had a great deal of trouble in executing the judge's orders1 and some time elapsed before he could strike ,mr4 ,ramsey and ,mr4 ,kemp4 ,meanwhile ,i could hear through the earth and the brick walls the roar of that indignant crowd which filled the street and suspended traffic1 and ,i knew it was the first sound of public opinion reversing my unjust sentence4 ,consider it for a moment4 ,there is no allusion to outraged feelings1 much less any suggestion of indecency4 ,it is a plain declaration of theological hatred2 it breathes the spirit which animated the ,grand ,inquisitors when they sentenced heretics to be burnt to ashes at the stake4 ,listen1 says the judge4 ,i am on ,god's side4 ,you are on the ,devil's4 ,god doesn't see you1 but ,i do2 ,god doesn't punish you1 but ,i will4 ,we have hells on earth for you ,freethinkers1 in the shape of ,christian gaols1 and to hell you go6 ,presently ,mr4 ,ramsey came down with nine months on his back1 and then ,mr4 ,kemp with three4 ,they had my sentence between them4 ,mr4 ,cattell afterwards joined us without any sentence4 ,he was ordered to enter into his own recognisances in ,l#bjj1 and to find one surety in ,l#ajj1 to come up for judgment when called upon4 ,people have wondered on what principle ,judge ,north determined our sentences4 ,one theory is that he punished us according to the amount of his time we occupied4 ,i made a long speech and got twelve months2 ,mr4 ,ramsey made a short speech and got nine2 ,mr4 ,kemp made no speech and got only three2 while ,mr4 ,cattell cried ,peccavi and got off with a caution4 ,ready1 cried the old janitor1 in response to a distant voice4 ,our den was unlocked and we were marched back to ,newgate for the last time4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,black ,,maria4 ,when we entered ,newgate as condemned criminals1 we were theoretically under severe discipline1 but the officers considerately allowed us a few minutes' conversation in the great hall before we marched to our cells4 ,we shook hands with ,mr4 ,cattell1 whom ,i rather contemptuously congratulated on his good fortune4 ,he went into the office to receive back his effects1 and that was the last we saw of him4 ,vanishing from sight1 he vanished from mind4 ,during my imprisonment ,i scarcely ever thought of him in connexion with our case1 and in writing this history ,i have had to tax my memory to record his insignificant role4 ,according to the rules and regulations1 all our privileges ended on our sentence4 ,we were therefore entitled to nothing but prison fare after leaving the ,old ,bailey4 ,but the hour was late1 the cook was probably off duty1 and our tea and toast had been waiting for us since five o'clock2 so the head warder decided that we might postpone our trial of the prison menu until the morning4 ,when it was brought to me1 my toast 7to use an ,hibernicism7 proved to be bread-and-butter4 ,there were three slices4 ,i ate two1 but could not consume the third1 my appetite being spoiled by excitement and the tepid tea4 ,the officer who acted as waiter informed me that the ,old ,bailey ,street had been thronged all the afternoon1 and was still crowded4 ,we all thought1 he said1 that you would get off after that speech--and you would have with another judge4 ,but you won't be in long4 ,they're sure to get you out soon4 ,i shook my head4 ,take my word for it1 he answered4 ,thanking him for his kindness1 ,i told him ,i had no hope1 and was reconciled to my fate4 ,twelve months was a long time1 but ,i was young and strong1 and should pull through it4 ,yes1 he said1 with an appreciative look from head to feet1 there isn't much the matter with you now4 ,but you'll be out soon1 sir1 mark my word4 ,i have learnt since that the crowd waited to give ,judge ,north a warm reception4 ,but they were disappointed4 ,his lordship went home1 ,i understand1 via ,newgate ,street1 and thus baffled their enthusiasm4 ,mr4 ,cattell was1 ,i believe1 less fortunate4 ,he was hooted and jeered by the multitude1 and obliged to take ignominious shelter in a cab4 ,strange as it may seem1 my last night in ,newgate was one of profound repose4 ,i was wearied1 exhausted2 and spent nature claimed an interval of rest4 ,for a few minutes ,i lay in my hammock1 listening to the faint sound of distant voices and footsteps4 ,memory and fancy were inert2 only the senses were faintly alive4 ,consciousness gradually contracted to a dim vision of the narrow cell1 then to a haze1 in which the gaslight shone like a star1 and finally died out4 ,but by one of those fantastic tricks the imps of dreaming play us1 the last patch of consciousness changed into my wife's face4 ,it was too dim and distant to stir grief or regret2 like the vague vision of a beloved face hovering over eyes that are waning in death4 ,in the morning ,i was awakened as usual by the officer bringing the light for my gas4 ,at eight o'clock the little square flap in my door was let down with the customary bang1 and1 on looking through the aperture1 ,i perceived a big pan containing a curious clotted mixture1 which resembled bill-stickers' paste4 ,behind the utensil ,i saw part of an officer's uniform4 ,this worthy stirred the mixture with a ladle1 while he jocosely inquired1 ,d'ye want any of this8 ,i did not4 ,come1 he continued1 put out your tin and ,i'll give you some4 ,i told him my appetite was not robust enough for his hospitality1 and he passed on1 probably feeling sure ,i should not eat the prison fare1 and thinking the stuff too good to be wasted4 ,i took the little brown loaf he offered me and examined it closely4 ,it was very hard1 and apparently very dry4 ,depositing it on the shelf1 ,i breakfasted on cold water and the slice of bread-and-butter left over night4 ,after this sumptuous repast ,i was let out for exercise4 ,this time the three condemned blasphemers were not taken to a separate court4 ,we paraded the common yard with the other prisoners4 ,they were few in number1 but they showed many varieties of disposition4 ,one hung his head1 and doggedly tramped round the wretched enclosure2 another walked erect and stiff1 with an air of defiance2 another shuffled along with a vacant stare1 as though dazed by his fate2 another looked as indifferent as though he were walking along the street2 and another leered at his companions in misfortune1 as though the whole thing were an elaborate joke4 ,for a few minutes ,i trotted behind ,mr4 ,ramsey1 with whom ,i exchanged a few cheerful words1 but the vigilant officers soon separated us4 ,how long have ye got8 was the constant question of the man at my rear1 until the officers detected1 and removed him4 ,i was surprised and annoyed at this easy familiarity1 but ,i grew accustomed to it afterwards4 ,the rules of civilised society naturally lapse in prison4 ,talking is strictly prohibited1 pals are rigorously kept apart1 nobody knows who will be next him in the exercise ring1 and any man who wants to wag his tongue must strike up a conversation with his immediate neighbor4 ,how long are ye doing8 is almost invariably the introduction4 ,this muttered question brings a muttered answer4 ,confidences are exchanged1 and the conversation grows animated1 until at last the speakers forget prudence1 and betray themselves to the eyes or ears of an officer1 who immediately parts them1 or makes them both fall out1 and reports them to the ,governor for violating the rules4 ,the old stagers acquire a knack of talking without moving their lips1 so that the words just reach the man in front or behind4 ,if an officer suspects one of these worthies1 he calls out1 ,now then1 seventeen1 ,i see ye6 ,see me what8 says the indignant innocent4 ,talking1 replies the officer4 ,why1 ,i never opened my lips1 says the prisoner1 and his defence is perfectly true4 ,on returning from the exercise yard to our cells1 we were furnished with a sheet of paper and an envelope to write the last letter which condemned criminals are permitted to send from prison after their sentence4 ,the privilege is almost a mockery1 for no answer is allowed1 and there is little consolation in flinging a final word into the vast silence1 which seems deaf because unresponsive4 ,a last interview1 however brief1 would be far more merciful4 ,we were summoned from our cells at eleven o'clock for conveyance to ,holloway ,gaol4 ,all our effects were handed over to us1 and we formally signed a receipt for them in the big book4 ,while this process was going on the officers allowed us to chat1 and endeavoured to console us by insisting that we should soon be out4 ,one of them1 with a practical turn of mind1 recollecting that ,i had complained of my apartment1 informed me that there were some beautiful cells at ,holloway4 ,having pocketed our belongings1 we were conducted through the subterranean passage ,i have several times mentioned to the great courtyard4 ,the head-warder conversed with us very genially1 but when we emerged into daylight and faced the prison van drawn up to receive us1 his manner changed4 ,holding a formidable document1 he called out our names and descriptions1 officially satisfying himself that we were the persons under sentence4 ,i told him1 with mock solemnity1 that ,i had no doubt ,i was the ,george ,william ,foote described on the blue paper1 and my fellow prisoners gave him a similar assurance4 ,it was a critical moment4 ,will they1 ,i thought1 try to handcuff us8 ,i hoped not1 for ,i had resolved not to submit tamely to any gratuitous indignities1 and ,i should have felt it necessary to offer what resistance ,i could to such a flagrant insult4 ,happily the handcuffs were kept out of sight4 ,one by one we ascended the steps1 entered the narrow passage in the van1 and huddled ourselves into the narrower boxes4 ,they were so small that no ordinary-sized man could sit upon the little bench at the back4 ,i was obliged to crouch on one ham diagonally1 my shoulders stretching from corner to corner4 ,half a dozen holes were bored through the floor1 and there was a space between the side of the box and the roof of the van1 which sloped away like an eave4 ,probably the ventilation was ample1 yet ,i felt stifled1 and so powerful is imagination that ,i breathed heavily and irregularly4 ,but reason soon came to my assistance and allayed my apprehensions1 although a remnant of fancy still speculated on what would happen if the vehicle upset4 ,presently the door was banged1 and ,black ,maria started with her living freight4 ,we had the conveyance1 or rather its interior1 all to ourselves4 ,surely the boxes we were pent in never held such company before4 ,three blasphemers1 who had never injured man1 woman or child1 were travelling to gaol under a collective sentence of two years' imprisonment1 for no other crime than honestly criticising a dishonest creed4 ,we were going to spend weary days and months among the refuse of society4 ,we were doomed to associate with the criminality which still curses civilisation1 after eighteen centuries of the gospel of redemption4 ,posterity would condemn our sentence as a crime1 but meanwhile we were fated to suffer4 ,rattle1 rattle1 rattle6 ,how the wretched machine did rattle6 ,even the roar of the streets we traversed was inaudible1 quenched in the frightful din4 ,all ,i could do was to inspect the memorials of my predecessors in that box4 ,the sides were scrawled over with their names 7or nicknames7 and sentences4 ,their brief observations had a jovial tone4 ,i suppose the miserable passengers in that black ferry-boat to ,hades are too full of care to indulge in such trifling1 and only wanton larrikins and old stagers employ their pencils in illustrating the planks4 ,after a long drive we entered an archway and stopped4 ,a heavy door was closed behind us1 and another opened in front4 ,the van moved forward a few yards and turned round4 ,then the door was opened1 and looking out ,i saw the front of ,holloway ,gaol4 ,several minutes elapsed before we descended from the prison van4 ,during this interval ,i chatted freely with my fellow-prisoners1 although we could not see each other4 ,but ,i have always found1 as one of ,george ,meredith's characters says1 that observation is perhaps the most abiding pleasure in life1 and ,i watched with great amusement the antics of a sprucely-dressed young fellow who sat on the step behind1 and held a facetious conversation with the pleasant officer who delivered us at ,holloway4 ,this natty blade was1 ,i presumed1 our driver4 ,his talk was of horses and drinking1 and ,i wondered how he obtained the money to purchase all the liquors which he boasted of having imbibed that morning4 ,he seemed to possess a sort of right divine to enjoyment on this earth1 and ,i felt strongly tempted to offer him the few shillings ,i had in my pocket4 ,the money was useless to me in prison1 but it would serve as buoyant air to the wings of this human butterfly4 ,what a contrast between our lots6 ,his head was untroubled with thought1 he knew nothing of convictions 7except legal ones71 and sacrifices for principle had probably never entered within the range of his imagination4 ,he chattered away like a garrulous daw1 perched upon the step2 while we three in the van were just leaving the sunlight of life for the darkness of imprisonment4 ,our devotion to principle seemed almost folly1 and our passion for reforming the world a species of madness4 ,so it must have appeared eighteen centuries ago1 when the ,prophet of ,nazareth stood in the hall of a palace in ,jerusalem4 ,the men and damsels who warmed themselves at the fire must have marvelled at the infatuation of ,jesus as he courted the shadow of death4 ,when ,black ,maria disgorged her breakfast1 we were ushered into the great hall of ,holloway prison4 ,the ,deputy-,governor at once accosted us1 and told us to wait1 standing against the wall1 until he could see about us4 ,forgetting the rules and regulations1 we resumed our conversation1 until we attracted the attention of an underling1 who marched up with a lordly air and sternly ordered us to stop talking4 ,presently two figures leisurely descended the flight of stone steps leading to the offices and the interior of the prison4 ,i recognised one of these as the ,governor of ,newgate4 ,he had evidently come to introduce us4 ,his companion was ,colonel ,milman1 the ,governor of ,holloway4 ,after a few minutes' conversation1 of which ,i inferred from their looks that we were the object1 they parted1 and ,colonel ,milman then advanced towards us with a genial smile4 ,he busied himself about us in the most hospitable manner1 as though we were ornaments to the establishment4 ,interrogating us as to our occupations1 he found that only ,mr4 ,ramsey was acquainted with any mechanical work4 ,in his younger days he had practised the noble art of ,st4 ,crispin1 but he found that no shoes were made in the place1 and he had little taste for cobbling4 ,relying on some information he had received in ,newgate1 he inquired1 with an air of childlike sincerity1 whether there was not some work to do in the ,governor's garden4 ,colonel ,milman smiled expressively as he answered that he was afraid not4 ,the gallant ,governor then went into an office1 and as ,i wanted to speak to him before we were marched off1 ,i walked in after him4 ,hi6 exclaimed the officious underling1 you mustn't go in there4 ,but ,i went in1 nevertheless1 followed by the fussy officer1 who was quietly told by the ,governor that he needn't trouble4 ,i explained to ,colonel ,milman that my position was peculiar4 ,yes1 he said1 ,i know2 ,i saw you at the ,old ,bailey yesterday1 and his look expressed the rest4 ,i then stated that1 as there was no ,court of ,criminal ,appeal1 ,i wished to make representations to the ,home ,office as to the character our trial and the almost unprecedented nature of our sentence2 in particular1 ,i wished the ,home ,secretary to say whether he would sanction our being classed with common thieves for a press offence4 ,i was told that ,i could have an official form for this purpose2 and1 thanking the ,governor1 ,i withdrew to join my companions4 ,let me here thank ,colonel ,milman for his unvarying kindness4 ,during the whole of my imprisonment he never once addressed me in any other way than he would have addressed me outside2 and although he had to carry out a harsh sentence1 it was obvious that he shrank from the duty4 ,but this eulogium is too personal4 ,i hasten1 therefore1 to say that ,i never heard ,colonel ,milman speak harshly to a prisoner1 or saw a forbidding look on his fine face4 ,one of nature's gentlemen1 he could hardly be uncivil to the lowest of the low4 ,colonel ,milman always dressed well1 and the little color he always affected was in harmony with his exuberant figure4 ,it was refreshing to see him occasionally in one's weariness of the dingy prison4 ,he usually stood at the wing-gate as the men filed in from exercise1 and answered their salutes1 with a word for this one and a smile for that4 ,one day ,i heard a handsome eulogy on him by a prisoner4 ,he was standing in the open air outside the gate4 ,it was a pleasant summer morning1 and he was radiantly happy4 ,a man behind me was evidently struck by the ,governor's appearance1 for ,i heard him mutter to his neighbor1 ,good old boy1 ain't he8 ,yes1 said the other1 you're right4 ,fat1 ain't he8 rejoined number one4 ,yes1 said number two1 like a top4 ,it do yer good to see somebody as ain't thin4 ,from the great hall of ,holloway prison we were conducted through a passage under the staircase to the basement of the reception wing4 ,our pockets were emptied1 but not searched1 and every article stowed away in a little bag4 ,one by one we went into an office1 where a clerkly official wrote our descriptions in a book4 ,what religion8 he inquired1 when he came to the theological department4 ,none1 ,i replied4 ,what6 he rejoined1 surely you're ,catholic or ,protestant or something4 ,then1 with a flourish of the pen1 and an air of finality1 he put the question again more decisively1 ,what religion8 ,none1 ,i said4 ,he stared1 gave me up as a bad job1 and wrote down ,religion none4 ,that extremely succinct description figured for twelve months on the card outside my cell door1 and ,i have heard prisoners speculating as to what sort of religion none was4 ,it was the name of a sect they had never heard of4 ,the prisoners' cards1 affixed to their cell doors1 and containing their name1 age1 crime1 sentence1 class and creed1 were of two colors--white 7the emblem of purity7 for the ,protestants1 and red 7the symbol of sin7 for the ,catholics4 ,these criminal members of the two great divisions of ,christendom1 like their better or more fortunate co-religionists out of doors1 do not mix in their devotions4 ,they worship ,god at different times1 although1 alas6 the same building has to serve for both4 ,no special color has been found requisite for ,freethinkers1 who seldom trouble the prison officials1 although this fact is only another proof of their uncommon obstinacy2 for it is clear that1 according to their principles1 they ought to fill our gaols1 yet they perversely refrain from those crimes which every principle of consistency obliges them to commit4 ,after this ceremony we were conducted upstairs to our cells in the reception wing1 to await an opportunity of washing and changing our clothes4 ,we passed several prisoners at work in the corridors4 ,all were silent and stolid1 and ,i could hardly resist the impression that ,i was in a lunatic asylum4 ,we were handed over to a red-haired and red-bearded warder1 who locked us up in separate cells4 ,before closing my door1 he asked whether ,i was a ,german1 and had any connection with ,herr ,most4 ,i explained that the ,freiheit and the ,freethinker were very different papers4 ,what's your sentence8 he said4 ,twelve months4 ,whew6 but it's a long time4 ,yes1 my red-headed friend1 you were quite right4 ,it was indeed a long time6 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,holloway ,,gaol4 ,a few minutes afterwards the red-haired warder returned with what he called some dinner4 ,it consisted of a little brown loaf1 two or three coarse potatoes1 and a dirty-looking tin of pea-soup4 ,i was hungry1 but ,i could not tackle this food4 ,from my earliest childhood ,i have always had a physical antipathy to pea-soup4 ,the very sight of it raises my gorge4 ,nor have ,i any special relish for potatoes1 unless they are of good quality and well cooked4 ,i therefore munched the brown bread1 and washed it down with cold water4 ,it was a ,spartan meal1 but a very indigestible one1 as ,i can certify from painful experience4 ,why a prisoner's stomach should be so grossly abused by a sudden change of diet passes my comprehension4 ,surely it would not be difficult to introduce the prison fare gradually4 ,there is real danger in a shock to the basic organ of life when all the other organs are painfully accommodating themselves to a radical change of environment4 ,weak men are sometimes shattered by it4 ,those who talk about the healthiness of prisons 7a subject on which ,i shall have something to say by-and-bye7 would be astonished at the quantity of physic dispensed by the doctor4 ,my constitution is a strong one1 and a dyspeptic old friend used to envy my treble-distilled gastric juice4 ,before ,i went to ,holloway ,gaol ,i scarcely knew1 except inferentially1 that ,i had a stomach2 and while ,i was there ,i scarcely knew ,i had anything else4 ,after dining ,i walked up and down my cell--tramp1 tramp1 tramp4 ,how the time crawled1 weary hour on hour1 like a slow serpent over desert sands4 ,there was nothing to read1 nothing to do1 nothing to hear1 and nothing to see4 ,i was steeped in nothing4 ,and as the senses were unexercised1 thought worked on memory till the brain seemed gnawing itself1 as a shipwrecked man might assuage his thirst at his own veins4 ,then imagination1 the magician1 lovely in weal but terrible in woe1 began to weave his spell1 and visions arose of dear loved ones agonising beyond the prison walls1 to whom my heart yearned through the dividing space with an intense passion that seemed as though its potency might almost annihilate our barriers4 ,alas6 hearts yearn in vain4 ,nothing avails but strength1 and what we cannot achieve the ,fates never bestow4 ,my cell walls stood cold and impassable around me1 like sentinels of destiny1 too vigilant for evasion and too strong for resistance4 ,brute force overmatches even genius and divinity in the ultimate appeal4 ,prometheus lies chained to his ,caucasian rock1 in eternal pain though in eternal defiance2 and ,napoleon frets away his mighty life at ,st4 ,helena watched by the callous eyes of ,sir ,hudson ,lowe4 ,about three o'clock my cell door was again unlocked and ,i was invited to take a bath4 ,in the corridor ,i met my two fellow prisoners1 and we were all three marched back to the reception room4 ,three good baths of warm water were awaiting us4 ,what a glorious luxury after the six days' confinement1 without any means of washing one's skin6 ,some of the prisoners1 ,i understand1 regard the first bath as the worst part of the punishment4 ,they are brought up in dirt1 and love it2 like the ,italian who deserted the ,english girl he was engaged to1 and justified himself by saying3 ,oh1 if ,i marry her1 she wash me1 and then ,i die4 ,we1 however1 splashed about in our baths1 uttering ejaculations of pleasure1 and congratulating each other on at least one pleasant bit of prison experience4 ,the doors of our bath-rooms were about five feet high1 with an open space of nine or ten inches between the bottom and the floor4 ,over the top of these an officer passed us each a couple of shirts 7under and over71 a pair of drawers1 a pair of trousers1 and worsted stockings4 ,the drawers and the under-shirt were woollen1 and the outer-shirt coarse striped cotton4 ,the trousers seemed a mixture of cotton and wool4 ,they are brown when new1 but they wash white1 and look then very much like canvas4 ,my pair was a terrible misfit1 and had to be exchanged for another nearly twice the size4 ,we were also provided with a net bag to put our own clothes in4 ,my good black suit1 dirty linen1 hat and boots1 were all crushed in together ,after this performance the bags are hung up1 and either the next day1 or at their leisure1 the officials make an inventory of the contents1 and stow them away until the day before the prisoner leaves1 when they are taken out in readiness for donning on the blessed morning of release4 ,clad in shirt1 trousers and stockings1 we walked from our baths to the reception room1 where we found several officers and the ,governor and ,deputy-,governor1 who had apparently come to superintend our toilet4 ,each of us was fitted with a new pair of shoes1 a waistcoat and a coat4 ,these arrangements were the subject of a good deal of pleasantry4 ,our garments were not of a ,bond ,street pattern2 indeed1 it takes a very handsome man to cut an elegant figure in a prison suit4 ,i maliciously remarked to ,mr4 ,ramsey that he looked like a gentleman out yachting2 but somehow he was unable to see himself in that light4 ,my own clothes were sadly defective4 ,the biggest shirt-collar they had would not button round my throat1 and the longest stock was so inadequate that a special one had to be made for me4 ,nor would the biggest coat fasten across my chest4 ,a broad expanse of waistcoat yawned between the button and the button-hole4 ,fancying that my complaint was merely fractious1 the ,deputy-,governor--a tall1 powerful man--tried to pull them together1 and miserably failed4 ,well1 he said1 it's the largest in stock1 and we can't give you what we haven't got4 ,yes1 ,i exclaimed1 that's all very well2 but if ,i go about with an open throat like this ,i shall get an attack of bronchitis4 ,pray let me have a stock as soon as possible4 ,and do you really mean that you can't possibly find me a bigger coat8 ,the ,deputy-,governor eyed me smilingly as he said1 ,come1 ,mr4 ,foote1 don't be so particular2 the clothes don't quite fit you now1 but they will4 ,and the worst of it was they did4 ,my coat1 however1 was always tight across the chest4 ,i changed my trousers and waistcoat as ,i grew slimmer1 but the solid structure of my back and chest 7built up by athletics in youth and sustained by lecturing in manhood7 always taxed the resources of the establishment in the matter of coats4 ,one by one we went into the booking-clerk's office again1 where we were scaled and our weights entered in a book4 ,then we had an interview with the doctor1 whose duty it was to examine us to see whether we were suffering from any complaint4 ,i was pronounced quite sound4 ,dr4 ,gordon spoke pleasantly then1 as he always did afterwards4 ,i suppose you've lived pretty well8 he said4 ,not epicureanly1 ,i answered1 but still well4 ,i'm afraid you won't like our hospitality1 he rejoined4 ,i suppose not1 ,i replied grimly4 ,however1 he continued1 ,i shall put you on third-class diet at once1 and order you a mattress4 ,what the third-class diet was the reader shall learn presently4 ,the second-class diet1 which ,i should otherwise have had for the first month1 consists of nothing but bread and sloppy meal-and-water1 three times a day4 ,mr4 ,kemp had to put up with this wretched fare for a while1 and he tells me he was ravenously hungry morning and night1 so that it was a luxury to pick up a chance piece of bread from a dinner-tin in the corridor or from a friendly prisoner off his feed4 ,bathing1 clothing1 and doctoring over1 we were marched back to our cells1 each loaded with a new mattress and a pair of clean sheets4 ,a few minutes later ,i was summoned to the schoolroom with ,mr4 ,ramsey1 where we were furnished with pen and ink and a sheet of foolscap to write our petition to the ,home ,secretary4 ,the schoolmaster officiated on this occasion4 ,he was a tall1 pleasant-looking man1 something over forty1 with a tendency to baldness4 ,i believe he instructs prisoners who cannot read or write in those useful arts4 ,but his general duty is to play factotum to the chaplain4 ,he takes the singing class1 leads the music in chapel1 plays the harmonium 7the chaplain always calls it the organ71 acts as parson's clerk1 and reads the lessons when his superior's throat is hoarse with raving4 ,he has a clear and powerful voice1 which often serves him in good stead4 ,the congregation has a knack of getting out of time and tune when the melody is unfamiliar2 this1 in turn1 distracts the choir1 who flounder hopelessly1 until the schoolmaster drags them back by putting full steam on the harmonium and singing at the top of his voice4 ,every ,sunday afternoon1 at least1 he was obliged to display his vocal prowess in this manner4 ,after every one of the commandments read out by the parson the prisoners chanted the response1 ,lord have mercy upon us1 and incline our hearts to keep this law4 ,nine times they chanted thus1 gathering momentum as they went along1 so that they took the tenth in brave style4 ,but1 alas6 the tenth was different4 ,lord have mercy upon us1 and write all these thy laws in our hearts1 we beseech thee1 were the words1 and the tune was correspondingly altered4 ,fortunately1 just at the point of change1 there was a strong crescendo1 which gave the schoolmaster a fine opportunity of asserting himself4 ,dragging them back was impossible1 so he drowned them1 and concluded with the solemn diminuendo amid the breathless admiration of the audience1 who went wrong and wondered at his going right every ,sunday with the most astonishing regularity4 ,looking after the library was the part of the schoolmaster's duty which brought him in frequent contact with me4 ,i always found him very civil and obliging2 and from all ,i could ascertain he was not only generally liked in the prison1 but considered a better gentleman than the chaplain4 ,my petition to the ,home ,secretary was a lengthy document4 ,i assigned many reasons for considering our sentence atrocious4 ,i will not recite them1 because they will easily suggest themselves to the readers who have followed my narrative4 ,in conclusion ,i asked1 if our release was impossible1 that we might be treated as first-class misdemeanants1 according to the general ,european custom in the case of press offenders1 or at least supplied with books and writing materials4 ,sir ,william ,harcourt sent no answer for a month4 ,at the end of that interval the ,governor called me into his office and read out the brutal reply3 ,the ,home ,secretary requests ,colonel ,milman to inform ,foote and ,ramsey that he sees no reason for acceding to their request4 ,that was the only instruction ,colonel ,milman ever received from the ,home ,office concerning us4 ,two months later1 when public opinion was more fully aroused in our favor1 ,sir ,william ,harcourt allowed paragraphs to circulate in the papers1 stating that orders were given for our being granted every indulgence consistent with our safe custody4 ,it was a brazen lie1 which we were prevented from contradicting by the prison rules4 ,so carefully is every regulation contrived for shielding officials that a prisoner is not allowed1 in his quarterly letter1 to give any particulars of his treatment4 ,sir ,william ,harcourt also permitted the newspapers to announce that our health would not be allowed to suffer4 ,another lie6 ,when1 after six weeks' incessant diarrhoea1 ,i complained that my stomach would not accommodate itself to the prison food1 and asked to be shifted to the civil side1 where ,i could provide my own1 ,sir ,william ,harcourt did not even condescend to reply1 although he was duly informed that if ,mr4 ,ramsey and ,i had been found ,guilty at the ,court of ,queen's ,bench1 on our third trial1 ,lord ,coleridge would not only have made his sentence concurrent with that of ,judge ,north1 but also have removed us from the criminal-wards to the debtors' wing4 ,nay1 more4 ,when ,mr4 ,kemp had to be taken to the hospital1 where he was confined to his bed1 and so weakened that he had to be assisted to the carriage on the morning of his release1 ,sir ,william ,harcourt would not remit a day of his sentence1 or take any notice of his representations4 ,it is well that the public should know this1 and contrast ,sir ,william ,harcourt's treatment of us with his treatment of ,mr4 ,edmund ,yates4 ,from the first ,i had no expectation of release4 ,i told ,colonel ,milman that ,sir ,william ,harcourt was merely a politician1 who cared for nothing but keeping in office2 and that unless our friends could threaten some ,liberal seats1 or seriously affect a division in the ,house of ,commons1 he would keep us in to please the bigots and the ,tories4 ,our petition to the ,home ,secretary being finished1 we returned to our cells1 where tea was served at six o'clock4 ,it consisted of gruel1 or1 in prison parlance1 skilly1 and another little brown loaf4 ,the liquid portion of this repast was too suggestive of bill-stickers' paste to be tempting1 so ,i made a second meal of bread and water4 ,the red-haired warder gave me a lesson in bed-making before he locked me up for the night4 ,hammocks had been dispensed with in ,holloway ever since ,sir ,richard ,cross groaned in the travail of invention1 and produced his masterpiece and monument--the plank bed4 ,yet so slow is the official mind1 that the rings still lingered in some of the cells4 ,the plank bed is constructed of three eight-inch deals1 held together laterally by transverse wooden bars1 which serve to lift it two or three inches from the floor4 ,at the head there is a raised portion of flat wood1 slightly sloping1 to serve as a bolster4 ,for the first month 7such is ,sir ,richard ,cross's brilliant idea7 every prisoner1 no matter what his age or his offence1 must sleep on this plank bed without a mattress1 unless the doctor sees a special reason for ordering him one4 ,during the second month he sleeps on the plank bed three nights a week1 and during the third month one night4 ,sleeps6 ,the very word is a mockery4 ,scores of prisoners do not sleep1 but pass night after night in broken and restless slumber4 ,fancy a man delicately brought up1 as some prisoners are1 suddenly pitched on one of these vile inventions4 ,he tosses about hour after hour1 and rises in the morning sore and weary4 ,he has no appetite for breakfast1 and is low all day4 ,the next night comes with renewed torture1 and on the following day he is still worse4 ,he then applies to see the doctor1 who gives him a bottle of physic1 which forces an appetite for a while4 ,but it is soon powerless against the effects of nervous exhaustion1 and before the poor devil can obtain relief1 he is sometimes reduced to the most pitiable condition4 ,i have seen robust men in ,holloway1 by means of this plank bed and other superfluous tortures of our prison system1 brought to the very verge of the grave2 and ,i can scarcely control my indignation when ,i remember that ,mr4 ,truelove1 at the age of seventy1 was subjected to this atrocious discipline4 ,the mattresses are stuffed with fibre4 ,they are tolerable at first1 but in a few weeks the stuffing runs into lumps1 and your mattress gets nearly as hard as the plank4 ,shaking is no good2 ,i tried it1 and found it only shifted the lumps out of the places my body had forced them in1 and left me to repose on a series of hillocks4 ,i got my mattress changed once or twice1 but ordinary prisoners are seldom so fortunate4 ,i retired to rest early that first evening in ,holloway4 ,the day had been eventful1 and ,i slept heavily4 ,breakfast the next morning was a second edition of the tea--bread and skilly2 and again ,i refreshed myself with the little loaf and cold water4 ,soon after breakfast ,i was invited to attend chapel4 ,it was a welcome summons1 for the cell is so drearily monotonous that any change is agreeable4 ,the corner of the chapel we entered was partitioned off from the rest of the building1 and capable of seating twenty or thirty prisoners4 ,besides ourselves1 there were present ten or twelve boys1 three or four old men1 and two or three persons who looked slightly imbecile4 ,the service was read by the chaplain1 whose voice was loud1 authoritative1 and repellant4 ,some people would call it gruff4 ,it was certainly the most unpersuasive voice ,i ever heard4 ,as ,i listened to its domineering tones ,i could hardly refrain from laughing1 for they elicited an old story from the depths of memory4 ,an aged pauper lay dying1 and in the parson's absence the master officiated at the sinner's exit from this world4 ,well1 ,tom1 he began1 you've been a dreadful fellow1 and ,i fear you are going to hell4 ,oh1 sir1 said the poor old fellow1 you don't say so4 ,yes1 ,tom1 the master rejoined1 ,i do say so2 and you ought to be thankful there's a hell to go to4 ,after chapel we spent an hour or so in our cells1 and were then conducted to the basement of the reception wing1 where we met the ,governor1 who conducted us through several dark passages that led to the foot of a spiral iron staircase4 ,we ascended this1 and found ourselves on the ground floor of the criminal side of the prison4 ,four wings radiated from a common centre1 distinguished by the first four letters of the alphabet4 ,i was taken to the first cell in the first wing1 ,mr4 ,ramsey to the second cell in the second wing1 and ,mr4 ,kemp to the second cell in the third wing2 our numbers being ,a #b1 #a--;,b #b1 #b--;and ,c #b1 #b4 ,colonel ,milman personally placed me in charge of a warder who has since left the prison1 and ,i believe the service4 ,he was a good1 kind-hearted fellow1 who never spoke harshly to anybody4 ,following me into my cell1 he took pains to put me through the ropes4 ,before leaving he said1 ,i'm very sorry to see you here1 ,mr4 ,foote4 ,i've been reading your case in the papers4 ,it's a great shame4 ,but ,i'll do my best to make you comfortable while you're with me4 ,and ,i must say he did4 ,there were several prisoners standing mute in the corridor outside1 and ,i remarked that they were a pale looking crew4 ,yes1 said the warder sadly1 confinement tells on a man4 ,then he gently closed and locked the door1 leaving me alone to begin my long ordeal1 with the words humming in my ears like the whisper of a fiend--,confinement tells on a man6 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,prison ,,life4 ,when ,i found myself alone in my permanent cell1 ,i sat down on the little three-legged stool and examined the furniture4 ,there was a flap-table1 two feet by one1 fixed on the right wall4 ,in the left corner behind the door were three minute quarter-circle shelves1 containing a roll of bedding1 a wooden salt-cellar1 a wooden spoon1 and a comb and brush1 each about four inches long4 ,in the opposite corner under the window stood the plank bed1 and on the floor were three tin utensils--a dust-pan1 a water-can1 and a nondescript lidded article for baser uses4 ,fortunately1 the urn-shaped abomination ,i found in the ,newgate cells1 and have already described1 was absent in ,holloway4 ,when a prisoner wished to visit the water-closet1 he rang his bell1 and sooner or later 7often later7 he was let out4 ,each wing had two closets in a deep recess1 the door shielding the occupant's person from mid-leg to breast4 ,during the night the nondescript lidded article was brought into requisition4 ,when the cell doors were opened at six o'clock in the morning every prisoner put out his slops1 which were emptied by the cleaners4 ,this scavenger's work must be very distasteful1 but so anxious are the prisoners to get out of their cells that there are always plenty of candidates for the office4 ,the tins are kept clean by means of brick and whitening1 which are passed into the cells every evening in little cotton bags4 ,my dust-pan1 at least1 was always well polished1 for ,i used it as a mirror to see how ,i was looking1 being naturally anxious to ascertain what visible effect the prison life had upon me4 ,one of the warders put me up to a very useful wrinkle4 ,by well cleaning the dust-pan with whitening1 rubbing it up well with the clean rag until it had a nice surface1 and then lightly passing a rag saturated with dubbin over it1 you could produce a beautiful polish by a few slight touches of the finisher4 ,after this artistic process the dust-pan shone like an oriental mirror1 and might have served a belle at her toilette4 ,every article of furniture has now been described1 excepting the stool4 ,it was a miniature tripod1 fifteen inches high1 with a round top about eight inches in diameter4 ,a more uncomfortable seat could hardly be devised4 ,there was no support for the back1 and the legs had to be stretched out at full length4 ,if you bent them you threw your body forward1 and ran the risk of contracting round shoulders4 ,whenever ,i wanted a little ease1 especially after dinner1 when a ,v-shaped body is not conducive to digestion1 ,i used to rest against the upright plank bed1 extend my legs luxuriously1 and dream of the cigar which was just the one thing required to complete a picture of comfort4 ,such was the furniture of my apartment in ,her ,majesty's ,holloway ,hotel4 ,scantier appointments were impossible4 ,yet1 to my surprise1 an officer came in one day with an inventory1 to see if anything was missing4 ,rather a superfluous check1 when the iron cell door was constantly locked and there was no opening to the window6 ,a prisoner could hardly bury his furniture in a concrete floor1 and the most ferocious appetite would surely quail before deal planks and tin pans4 ,the cell itself was similar to the one ,i have already described4 ,the ventilation was provided by an iron grating over the door1 communicating with a shaft that carried off the foul air2 and another iron grating under the window1 which admitted the fresh air from outside4 ,this grating1 however1 did not communicate directly with the atmosphere1 for the prison is built with double walls4 ,eighteen inches or so below it was another grating in the outer wall4 ,this arrangement prevented the prisoners from getting a glimpse of the grounds1 as well as the air from rushing in too rawly4 ,my cell was one of the old ones4 ,in the new cells there is a slightly different method of ventilation4 ,two of the small panes of glass are removed from the window1 and a little frame is placed inside1 consisting of wood at the sides and fluted glass in the front4 ,flush with the window-sill at the bottom1 it inclines inward at an angle of twenty degrees1 so that there is room at the top for a six-inch flap1 which works on hinges1 and is elevated or lowered by a chain4 ,this is an improvement on the old system1 because the fresh air comes in straight1 and you can regulate the inflow4 ,but in both cases the fresh air has to ascend1 and unless there is a wind blowing you get very little of it on a hot summer day4 ,the ventilation depending entirely on temperature1 without being assisted by a draught1 if the outside temperature1 as is often the case in the summer1 happens to be higher than that of your cell1 your atmosphere is stagnant1 and you live in a tank of foul air4 ,this defect might be partially remedied by leaving the cell doors open when the prisoners are out at exercise or chapel1 and1 as it were1 refilling the tank4 ,but keys are a fetish in prison1 and the officials think it quite as necessary to lock up an empty cell as an occupied one4 ,the cell floor1 ,i have said1 was blackleaded and polished4 ,a small fibre brush was supplied for sweeping up the dust1 and a tight roll of black cloth for polishing4 ,i used both these at first1 but ,i soon dispensed with the latter4 ,having a slight cold1 ,i found my expectoration black1 a circumstance that slightly alarmed me until ,i reflected that my lungs were in excellent order1 and that the discoloration must be due to some extrinsic cause4 ,this ,i discovered to be the blacklead from the floor4 ,it wears off under your tread1 and as there is no draught to carry the dust away1 it floats in the air and is inhaled4 ,the only remedy was to avoid the blacklead altogether4 ,when1 therefore1 the bucket containing a quantity in solution was next brought round1 ,i declined to have any4 ,but you must1 said the officer4 ,well1 ,i object1 ,i answered1 and ,i certainly shall not put it on4 ,if you like to do it yourself of course ,i cannot prevent you4 ,he did not like to do it himself and disappeared1 saying he would come again directly1 which he forgot to do4 ,several days afterwards the ,deputy-,governor came on a tour of inspection4 ,noticing that my floor was neither black nor polished1 he attempted a mild reproof4 ,i repeated my objection4 ,well1 you know1 he replied1 you must keep your cell clean4 ,yes1 ,i rejoined1 and ,i do keep it clean for my own sake2 but your blacklead is dirt4 ,that ended the conversation1 and the blacklead question was never agitated again1 although once or twice1 during my absence from the cell1 the obnoxious stuff was put on the floor and polished up by one of the cleaners4 ,let me add that in the new cells the floors are all boarded1 and the blacklead nuisance is there unknown4 ,while ,i was meditating on my luxurious surroundings1 the warder entered again with a prisoner1 who carried a bag4 ,well1 ,mr4 ,foote1 said the genial officer1 how are you getting on8 ,i've brought you some work4 ,it isn't hard1 and you needn't task yourself2 you'll find it help to pass away the time4 ,some of the contents of the bag were then emptied on the floor4 ,they consisted of fibre-rope clipped into short lengths4 ,these had to be picked abroad4 ,the work was light1 but very monotonous4 ,it did help to kill time1 and it was less troublesome than picking oakum4 ,mr4 ,truelove tells me that they made him pick oakum in prison till his fingers were raw1 and laughed at him for complaining4 ,he was then seventy years old6 ,think of it1 reader1 and reflect on the tender mercies of the religion of charity4 ,during my imprisonment ,i never worked at anything but fibre-picking4 ,gladly would ,i have wheeled a barrow in the open air1 but that is a privilege reserved for felons2 misdemeanants are locked up in their cells night and day4 ,once there was an attempt made to instruct me in the art of brush-making1 but it egregiously failed4 ,an officer from the ,d wing1 where the mats and brushes are made1 opened my cell door one afternoon1 and shouted1 ,come along6 ,where8 ,i asked1 not liking his manner4 ,where6 he ejaculated1 ,come along4 ,thank you1 ,i said1 but you must please tell me where4 ,he was very much annoyed by my freezing civility1 which ,i always found the best represser of impertinence2 but recognising his mistake1 he changed his tone1 and vouchsafed an explanation4 ,the ,governor1 he said1 wants you to come and see how brushes are made4 ,oh1 of course1 ,i said1 and marched after him4 ,arriving at the ,d wing1 ,i was silently introduced to a prisoner sitting on a stool1 who had been brought out of his cell to give me lessons in brush-making4 ,he worked and ,i watched4 ,presently the officer had to attend to some other business a few yards off4 ,directly his back was turned the prisoner eagerly whispered1 ,how long are ye doin'8 ,i told him4 ,i'm doin' fifteen months1 he confidingly said4 ,then he added1 with look half positive and half interrogative1 ,time's damned long1 ain't it8 ,i agreed4 ,forgetting his work1 he spliced a bit of rope badly4 ,see1 ,i said1 that splice is wrong4 ,ah1 he replied1 his face brightening1 you're a salt un too1 are ye8 ,hanged if ,i didn't think you was a barnacle4 ,he informed me that he had been in the ,english and ,american navies1 and all round the world4 ,where had ,i been8 ,i was obliged to explain that ,i was a journalist4 ,quill-driving1 as he called it1 was evidently1 in his opinion1 an ignominious employment4 ,however did ,i learn splicing6 ,when ,i explained that ,i was bred at the seaside1 and passionately loved boating1 his sailor's heart warmed towards me again4 ,this work ain't hard1 he said2 you can make two brushes in an hour and a half1 and ,i makes a dozen a week4 ,i smiled4 ,it was a fine illustration of what is called prison labor4 ,resuming1 he said3 ,i'm the only one as makes 'em now1 and ,i s'pose they wants more4 ,the chap as made 'em afore me used to do three dozen a week4 ,wasn't he a darned fool8 ,now1 don't you go makin' more than two a day1 or you'll put my nose out of joint4 ,no1 ,i promised1 ,i won't make more than two a day4 ,ah1 he said1 looking at me with a comical twinkle of the eyes1 ,i see you ain't a goin' to make brushes4 ,at this point the warder stepped up1 and invited me to try my hand4 ,thank you1 ,i replied2 the ,governor told you to let me see how brushes are made1 and ,i have seen how brushes are made4 ,then bowing slightly1 ,i walked straight back to my cell1 leaving the officer almost petrified with astonishment4 ,i heard no more of brush-making4 ,my objection to the work was simple4 ,it was more interesting than picking fibre1 but it necessitated stooping1 the brush being held1 like a shoe1 between the knees4 ,as a lecturer1 ,i knew too well the value of a sound chest to engage in such employment4 ,i come now to the diet4 ,third-class fare1 to which ,i was entitled by the doctor's order1 was almost entirely farinaceous1 and miserably monotonous4 ,breakfast and tea 7or supper71 served at eight and six respectively1 consisted of six ounces of brown bread and three quarters of a pint of gruel1 or skilly4 ,the latter was frequently so fluid that spooning was unnecessary4 ,the dinners1 served punctually at twelve o'clock1 were more varied4 ,brown bread and browner potatoes were the staple of each mid-day meal4 ,the bread was always excellent4 ,the potatoes were abominable4 ,i have said that they were browner than the bread1 and ,i may add that the color was not caused by cooking1 but purely original4 ,as the old potatoes were leaving the market1 and the new ones were too expensive for prisoners1 the most robust appetite must have turned with disgust from the supply which fell to our share4 ,i should imagine that every swine's trough around the metropolis must have been plundered to provision ,holloway ,gaol4 ,the variable part of the dinner was as follows4 ,pea-soup1 to which1 as ,i have already said1 ,i had a physical antipathy1 was served up three days out of every seven--on ,tuesdays1 ,thursdays1 and ,saturdays4 ,and such pea-soup6 ,the mixture used to rise as ,i swallowed it1 and ,i have often grasped my throat to keep it down1 knowing that if ,i did not eat1 however nauseous the food1 my health would necessarily suffer4 ,it was not pea-soup before the joint1 but pea-soup without it1 and in that case the quality of the compound is an important matter4 ,when ,i read the ,book of ,job afresh in my cell1 ,i found in the sixth chapter1 and seventh verse1 a text which admirably suited my situation3 ,the things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat4 ,three days a week ,i could have preached a better1 or at least a more feeling1 sermon on that text than any parson in the kingdom4 ,on ,sundays and ,wednesdays1 instead of the pea-soup1 ,i was served with six ounces of suet pudding baked in a separate tin4 ,i never saw such pudding1 and ,i never smelt such suet4 ,brown meal was used for the dough1 and the suet lay on the top in yellow greasy streaks4 ,i can liken the compound to nothing but a linseed poultice4 ,the resemblance was so obvious that it struck many other prisoners4 ,i have heard the term poultice applied to the suet pudding more than once in casual conversations in the exercise ground4 ,twice a week ,i was entitled to meat4 ,on ,friday1 instead of the pea-soup or suet pudding1 there was three ounces of ,australian beef2 and on ,mondays three-quarters of an ounce of fat bacon with some white beans4 ,the subtle humorist who drew up the diet scale had appended a note that all meats were to be weighed without bone4 ,a good tale hangs by that bacon and beans4 ,while ,i was awaiting the second trial in ,newgate1 and providing my own food1 ,i studied the diet scale which hangs up in each cell1 and was fascinated by this extravagant quantity of pork1 which seemed to evidence an unimagined display of prison hospitality4 ,one of the officers to whom ,i mentioned the matter said1 ,ah1 ,mr4 ,foote1 ,i wish you would show that diet up when you get out4 ,untried prisoners have the same fare as condemned criminals1 only they get less of it4 ,there are lusty chaps come in here1 some of them quite innocent1 who could eat twice as much1 and look round for the man that cooked it4 ,i'll tell you a story about that three-quarters of an ounce4 ,a fellow rang his bell one day after the dinner was served4 ',well1' ,i said1 'what's the matter8' ',i want's my bacon1' said he4 ',well1 you've got it1' said ,i4 ',no ,i aint1' said he4 ',it's in your tin1' said ,i4 ',taint in my tin1' said he4 ,then ,i fetched up the cook4 ,we all three searched1 and at last we found the bacon in one of the shucks of the beans4 ,the worthy fellow laughed1 and so did ,i1 as he ended his story4 ,there might have been some exaggeration in it1 but you would not find it so hard to believe if you had ever sat down to dine on three-quarters of an ounce of fat bacon4 ,i was confined in my cell twenty-three hours out of every twenty-four1 and during the first week my one hour's exercise was mostly taken in the corridor instead of in the open air4 ,the prison authorities are careless about a man's health being subtly undermined1 but they do not like him to catch cold1 which may produce visible and audible consequences4 ,whenever it is snowing or raining1 or whenever the ground is wet1 the prisoners exercise in the corridors1 where the air is scarcely purer than in their cells4 ,during the first week1 the weather being bad1 ,i only went out once4 ,on ,saturday1 which was cleaning day1 ,i had no exercise at all1 and on ,sunday ,i was entitled to none--prisoners not being allowed that privilege on the blessed ,sabbath until a month of their sentence has expired4 ,i was therefore confined to my cell without exercise or fresh air from ,friday morning until ,monday morning1 or three clear days4 ,the exercise out of doors is a delightful relief from solitary confinement in a brick vault4 ,the prisoners walk in ,indian file in circles3 a regular thieves' procession1 the ,rogue's ,march without the music4 ,the new comers1 who violate the rule of silence1 are soon detected by the vigilant officers1 but the old hands1 as ,i have said1 acquire a habit of speaking without moving the lips1 and in a tone which just reaches their next neighbor4 ,ten days or so after ,i entered ,holloway ,i overheard the following conversation behind me3-- ,who's that bloke in front o' you8 ,dunno1 was the reply4 ,queer lookin' bloke1 aint he8--,how long's he doin'8--,a stretch1 which in prison language means twelve months1 and having served that term1 ,i know that it is a stretch4 ,what's he in for8--,dunno1 but ,i hear he put somethin' in a paper they didn't like4--,what1 a stretch for that6--,and ,i venture to assert that1 although the prisoner who uttered this ejaculation was on the wrong side of a gaol1 his unsophisticated common sense on this point was infinitely superior to the bigotry of ,giffard1 ,harcourt1 and ,north1 and of the jury who assisted in sending us to gaol for putting something in a paper they didn't like4 ,during my first week's residence in ,holloway ,gaol1 owing to the bad weather1 ,i exercised in the corridor with the other inmates of the ,a wing4 ,there is little more room between the cell doors and the railing overlooking the well than suffices for the passage of a single person4 ,the prisoners therefore walked in ,indian file1 and as they were practically beyond supervision except when they came abreast of one of the three or four officers in charge1 a great deal of conversation went on1 and ,i wondered why the chief warder below did not hear the loud hum of so many voices4 ,i afterwards discovered the reason4 ,when you stand under the procession you can hear nothing but the trampling of dozens of feet1 which reverberates through the wing1 and drowns every other sound4 ,at first ,i marched as stiff as a poker1 drawing myself together1 as it were1 into the smallest compass1 to avoid the contamination of the company1 most of whom were poor1 repulsive specimens of humanity1 survivals in our civilised age of the lower types of barbarous or savage times4 ,most of them were young and had a reckless bearing1 but a few were middle-aged1 and some were obviously old hands who knew the ropes1 were reconciled to their fate1 and resolved on making the best of the situation4 ,tramp1 tramp1 tramp6 ,my very life seemed reduced to this monotonous shuffle4 ,i half fancied myself in a new kind of hell1 ranked in an everlasting procession of aimless feet1 mechanically following a convict's coat in front of me1 and as mechanically followed by the wearer of a similar coat behind4 ,but as ,i passed the great window at the end of the wing the blessed light of the silvery winter sun sometimes streamed through the dense glass upon my face1 rays of the eternal splendor coming so many millions of miles from the great fire-fount1 how indifferent1 as ,perdita saw1 to the artificial distinctions of men6 ,i felt refreshed1 but the feeling wore off as ,i returned to the gloomy corridor1 skirting cells on the right1 and on the left a low rail that offered the suicide a tempting leap into the arms of ,death4 ,all this time ,i was living an intense inward life1 but ,i suppose there was a far-away look in my eyes1 for now and then a prisoner would say ,cheer up1 sir4 ,i smiled at this consolatory effort1 for although ,i was disgusted1 ,i was not despondent4 ,occasionally an attempt was made to drag me into conversation1 but ,i parried all advances with as little offence as possible4 ,one dirty short man1 grievously afflicted with scurvy1 or something worse1 several times manoeuvred to get behind me1 and at last he succeeded4 ,how long ye doin'1 mate8 ,no answer4 ,i say1 mate1 how long ye doin'8 ,no answer4 ,a damned long time1 ,i know1 or they wouldn' give ye a ---- new suit like that1 ye stuck-up ------4 ,what oaths ,i heard in that wretched gaol6 ,no abomination of human speech is unknown to me4 ,one particularly vile expletive was fashionable during my imprisonment2 it seasoned every phrase1 and preceded every adjective4 ,its constant iteration was sickening1 until long experience made me callous4 ,how thankful ,i should be to ,judge ,north for trying to purify me in that mud-bath of rascality4 ,i can never forget the debt of gratitude--and ,i never will6 ,among the prisoners ,i noticed one of robust physique and martial bearing4 ,seldom had ,i seen so fine a figure4 ,within six months ,i saw that man reduced almost to a skeleton by solitary confinement1 wearily trailing one limb after the other1 and looking out despairingly from cavernous1 moribund eyes4 ,well did ,lord ,fitzgerald 7,i think7 in a recent speech in the ,house of ,lords describe this torture as the worst ever devised by the brain of man4 ,his lordship added that the ,governor of a great prison told him that he never knew a man undergo twelve months of such punishment without severe suffering1 or two years of it without being terribly shaken1 or three years without being physically and mentally wrecked4 ,in the penal servitude establishments the discipline has to be relaxed1 or the prisoners would die or go mad before their terms expired4 ,they work out of their cells in the daytime1 and on certain occasions 7,sundays1 ,i believe7 they are allowed to walk in couples and exercise their faculty of speech4 ,the poor fellow ,i refer to1 fearing that he would die1 and having learnt that ,i was a public man1 managed to tell me something of his case4 ,he had been a warder in ,coldbath ,fields ,prison1 where he officiated as master-tailor4 ,in an evil moment he cabbaged some cloth1 was detected1 tried1 condemned1 and sentenced to twenty months' imprisonment4 ,he had been in the army for over twenty years without a scratch of the pen against his name1 and his officers had given him excellent characters2 but the judge would hear of nothing in mitigation of sentence1 although he knew it deprived the man of a pension of thirty-six pounds a year1 which he had earned by long service in ,india1 where the enemy's blades had drunk deeply of his blood4 ,his wife and children had gone to a work-house in ,leicestershire1 and as they had no money for travelling1 he had never received a visit4 ,he pined away in his miserable cell until he became a pitiable spectacle which excited the compassion of the whole prison4 ,the doctor ordered him out of his cell1 but the authorities would not allow it4 ,he told me how much he had lost round the chest and calf1 but ,i have forgotten the precise figures4 ,one fact1 however1 ,i recollect distinctly2 he had lost eight inches round the thigh1 and his flesh was like a child's4 ,eventually the doctor peremptorily ordered him into the hospital1 and the ,prison ,commissioners and ,visiting ,magistrates were reluctantly obliged to let him save the man's life4 ,dreary indeed was the life in my prison cell1 sitting on the three-legged stool picking fibre1 or walking up and down the twelve-foot floor4 ,i used frequently to stand under the window for long intervals1 resting my hand on the sloping sill4 ,it was impossible to see through the heavy-fluted panes1 but outside was light1 liberty and life4 ,sometimes1 especially on ,saturdays1 when ,i had been accustomed to run down to the ,north1 the ,midlands or the ,west1 to fulfil a lecturing engagement1 the muffled shriek of a distant railway whistle went through me like the clash of steel4 ,my library1 during the first three months1 consisted of a ,bible1 a ,prayer ,book and a ,hymn ,book4 ,although ,i was really there for knowing too much about the blessed book already1 ,i read it right through in the first month1 and again in the second1 besides reading it discursively afterwards4 ,and still1 ,i am a sincerely impenitent ,freethinker6 ,you may knock a man down with the ,bible1 and make an impression on his skull2 but when he picks himself up again1 you find you have made no impression on his mind1 except that his opinion of you is altered4 ,i remember the chaplain calling to see me one day as ,i was just concluding my inspection of what ,heine calls the menagerie of the ,apocalypse4 ,he could not help seeing the ,bible1 for when it lay open there was very little table visible4 ,ah1 he said1 ,i see you have been reading the holy ,scripture4 ,yes1 ,i replied1 ,i've read it through this month1 and ,i believe ,i'm the only man in the place who has done it--including the chaplain4 ,by and by the schoolmaster hunted me out a ,french ,bible1 the only one in the prison4 ,it was an old one1 and contained some scratches by a ,gallic prisoner1 who had been twice immured for smuggling 7pour contrabandier71 and who pathetically called on ,god to help him4 ,cette vie est vie amere1 he had written4 ,yes1 my poor ,french friend1 it was bitter indeed6 ,as for the hymn book1 it contained two or three good pieces1 like ,newman's ,lead1 ,kindly ,light1 but for the rest it was the scraggiest collection ,i ever met with--evangelical and wooden1 with an occasional dash of weak music and washy sentiment4 ,the monotony of my existence was not even broken by visits to chapel4 ,after the first day's attendance at divine worship for some reason ,i was not let out at the hour of devotion4 ,after a few days1 however1 one of the principal officers said to me ,wouldn't you like to go to chapel1 ,mr4 ,foote4 ,there's nothing irksome in it1 and you'll find it breaks the monotony4 ,with pleasure1 ,i replied1 but ,i have not till now received an invitation4 ,what6 he exclaimed4 ,then1 calling up a young ,irish officer in my wing1 he asked ,how is this8 ,why hasn't ,mr4 ,foote been invited to chapel8 ,well1 sir1 answered the culprit1 scratching his head and looking sheepish1 ,i knew ,mr4 ,foote was a ,freethinker1 and ,i didn't want to insult his opinions4 ,good6 ,i thought4 ,why was not this worthy fellow on the jury1 or better still1 on the bench8 ,i told him ,i was very much obliged for his intended kindness1 but at the same time ,i preferred going to chapel1 as ,i wished to see all ,i could for my money4 ,after that ,i went to the house of prayer like any church-going belle 7this is what ,cowper must have meant1 for how could a bell go to church87 every ,sunday1 and every other day during the week4 ,had the chapel been of larger dimensions ,i should have gone daily1 but it was too small to hold all the prisoners1 who were therefore divided into two congregations1 each approaching the1 holy altar on alternate days4 ,what ,i saw and heard in the sacred edifice will be related in a separate chapter4 ,at the end of my second month ,i was entitled to a school-book and a slate and pencil4 ,these articles were promptly brought to me by the obliging school-master4 ,two copies of ,colenso's ,arithmetic had been procured2 one was given to me1 and the other1 as ,i afterwards learned1 to ,mr4 ,ramsey4 ,the fly-leaf was cut out1 ,i noticed2 the object being to prevent us from obtaining a bit of paper to write on4 ,this1 ,i may add1 is the general rule in the prison library1 every book being thus mutilated4 ,it is a silly precaution1 for if a prisoner can succeed in carrying on a correspondence with his friends outside1 he is obviously not dependent on the library for materials1 and he would be the veriest fool to excite suspicion by amputating the leaves of a book4 ,knowing that ,i should have no better school-book during my long imprisonment1 ,i determined to make ,colenso last as long as possible4 ,i steadily went through it from beginning to end4 ,working the addition and subtraction sums was certainly tedious1 but ,i wanted to keep the interesting problems1 as you reserve the daintier portions of a repast1 till the end4 ,curiously enough1 it was the sober and serious ,colenso who gave me my one restless night in ,holloway ,gaol4 ,i puzzled over one pretty problem1 and the bed-bell rang before ,i could solve it4 ,directly my gas was turned out the method of solution flashed on my mind1 and ,i was so vexed at being unable to work it out immediately that it was hours before ,i could fall asleep4 ,during that time my brain made desperate but futile efforts to reach the answer by mental arithmetic1 and when ,i woke in the morning ,i felt thoroughly fagged4 ,having had no writing materials for two months the slate and pencil looked very inviting4 ,i composed a few pieces of verse1 including a sonnet on ,giordano ,bruno and some epigrams on ,parson ,plaford1 ,judge ,north1 ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard1 and other distasteful personages4 ,but as every piece written on the slate had to be rubbed out to make room for the next1 ,i soon sickened of composition4 ,it was murdering one bantling to make place for another4 ,sometimes the dulness of my incarceration was relieved by overhearing whispered conversations outside my cell door4 ,until we became well known1 there was considerable speculation among the prisoners as to who we were1 and what we were there for4 ,one day a couple of fellows1 engaged in cleaning the corridor1 worked themselves near together1 one standing on either side of my door4 ,who's the bloke in yer8 ,i heard queried4 ,dunno1 said the other1 ,i b'lieve he's a ,fenian4 ,another time ,i heard the answer1 ,oh1 he's one of ,bradlaugh's pals2 and ,bradlaugh's coming up next week--a next week which happily never arrived4 ,mr4 ,ramsey tells me that similar speculations went on outside his door4 ,like mine1 his card specified misdr4 7misdemeanor7 as the offence1 the officials perhaps not liking to write blasphemy4 ,like me also1 he was put down as a ,fenian4 ,why there1 said a prisoner1 who had just enounced this opinion1 look at his card2 see--murder6 ,the misdr4 was not written too plainly1 and murder was his interpretation of the hieroglyph4 ,let me here interpolate another good story in connexion with ,mr4 ,ramsey4 ,he was confidently asked by an old hand what he was in for4 ,blasphemy1 said ,mr4 ,ramsey4 ,blasphemy6 ,what the hell's that8 said the fellow4 ,here was a confirmed criminal who had never heard of this crime before2 it was not in the catalogue known to his fraternity2 and on learning that all which could be got from it was nine months' imprisonment if you were found out1 and nothing if you were not1 he concluded that he would never patronize that line of business4 ,from the description already given of my cell1 the reader has seen that my domestic accommodations were exceedingly limited4 ,all my ablutions were performed with the aid of a tin bowl1 holding about a quart4 ,this sufficed for hands and face1 but how was ,i to get a wash all over8 ,i broached this question one day to warder ,smith1 who informed me that the bathing appliances of the establishment were scanty1 and that the prisoners were only tubbed once a fortnight4 ,i explained to him that ,i was not used to such uncleanliness2 but of course he could not help me4 ,then ,i laid the matter before the ,deputy-,governor1 who told an officer to take me to the bath-room at the base of the debtor's wing1 where ,i enjoyed a good scrub4 ,on returning to the criminal part of the prison ,i had my hair cut1 a prisoner officiating as barber4 ,despite the rule of silence1 ,i gave him verbal instructions how to proceed1 otherwise he would have given me the regular prison crop4 ,during the rest of my term ,i always had my hair trimmed in my own fashion4 ,the prison crop1 ,i may observe1 is rather a custom than a rule2 the regulations require only such hair-cutting and shaving as is necessary for health and cleanliness1 but the criminal population affect short hair1 and the difficulty is not to bring them under1 but to keep them out of1 the barber's hands4 ,prison barbers are generally amateurs4 ,of course the officers are above such work1 and unless a member of the tonsorial profession happens to be in residence1 the scissors are wielded by the first man who fancies himself a natural adept at the business4 ,the last barber ,i saw in ,holloway ,gaol was a coachman1 whose only qualification for the work was that he had clipped horses' legs4 ,he wore a blue apron round a corpulent waist1 and looked remarkably like a pork-butcher4 ,he walked round the victim like an artist engaged on a bust1 and his habit was to work steadily away at one spot until the skin showed like a piece of white plaster1 after which he labored at another spot1 and so on1 until the task was finished4 ,seeing on my head an uncommon mass of hair1 he made many desperate solicitations to be allowed an opportunity of displaying his skill1 but ,i steadily resisted the appeal1 although it evidently cut him to the quick4 ,the bathing-house for the criminal prisoners has eight compartments4 ,in the ordinary course1 ,i should have formed one of a detachment of that number1 but an exception was made in my case1 and ,i was always taken to bathe alone4 ,behind the bath-room were the dark cells4 ,i was allowed to inspect these miserable1 black holes4 ,they were damp and fetid1 and when the door was closed you were in ,egyptian darkness4 ,i cannot conceive that such horrid punishment is necessary or justifiable4 ,the prison authorities have every inmate absolutely in their power1 and if they are obliged to resort to the black-hole1 it must be from want of foresight or the general imbecility of the system4 ,the flogging was always done outside the black-hole1 in the bath-room at the foot of the ,d wing4 ,i have often heard screaming wretches dragged along the corridor1 and their cries of agony as their backs were lacerated by the cat4 ,singularly1 the dinner hour was always selected for this performance1 which must have been a great stimulus to the appetites of new comers4 ,one man who was lashed told me it was weeks before his flesh healed4 ,i do not believe that the cat and the dark hole are necessary to prison discipline4 ,they brutalise and degrade both prisoners and officials4 ,the doctor was astonished one morning by my application for a tooth-brush4 ,such a thing was never seen or heard of in a prison4 ,i was obliged therefore to use my middle finger1 which ,i found a very inefficient substitute4 ,another difficulty arose on the shirt question4 ,the prisoners are allowed a clean outer shirt every week1 and a clean inner shirt every fortnight4 ,i explained that ,i would prefer the order reversed1 but was told that ,i could not be accommodated4 ,but ,i persisted4 ,i wearied the upper officials with applications1 and finally obtained a clean kit weekly4 ,even then ,i found it necessary to badger them still further4 ,the fortnightly intervals between the baths were too long1 and at last ,i got the ,governor to let me have a tub of cold water in my cell every night4 ,this luxury of cleanliness was the best feature in the programme1 although my fellow-prisoners appeared to regard it as an unaccountable fad4 ,one or two brief conversations with the ,governor were also an agreeable variation4 ,i found him to be a disciple and friend of the late ,f4 ,d4 ,maurice1 one of whose books he offered to lend me4 ,he was astonished to find that ,i had read it1 as well as other works by the same author1 which he had not read4 ,colonel ,milman expressed a good deal of admiration for ,mr4 ,george ,jacob ,holyoake1 and he was still more astonished when ,i told him that this gentleman had occupied a blasphemer's cell in the old stirring days1 when he fiercely attacked ,christianity instead of flattering it4 ,nothing would give me greater pleasure1 said the gallant ,governor1 than to hear from you some day as a believer4 ,sir1 ,i replied1 ,i would not have you entertain any such hope1 for it will never be realised4 ,my ,freethought is not a hobby1 but a conviction4 ,you must remember that ,i have been a ,christian1 that ,i know all that can be said in defence of your creed1 and that ,i am well acquainted with all your best writers4 ,i am a ,freethinker in spite of this2 ,i might say because of it4 ,and can you suppose that my imprisonment will induce me to regard ,christianity with a more friendly eye8 ,on the contrary1 it confirms my belief that your creed1 to which you are personally so superior1 is a curse1 and carries the spirit of persecution in its heart of hearts4 ,colonel ,milman smiled sadly4 ,he began to see that the sceptical disease in me was beyond the reach of physic4 ,,chapter4 ,,xiii4 ,,parson ,,plaford4 ,the ,gospel of ,holloway ,gaol1 with which ,judge ,north essayed my conversion1 produced the opposite effect4 ,parson ,plaford1 the prison chaplain1 was admirably adapted by nature to preach it4 ,i have already referred to his gruff voice4 ,he generally taxed it in his sermon1 and ,i frequently heard his thunderous accents in the depths of my cell1 when he was preaching to the other half of the establishment4 ,his personal appearance harmonised with his voice4 ,his countenance was austere1 and his manner overbearing4 ,the latter trait may have been intensified by his low stature4 ,it is a fact of general observation that there is no pomposity like the pomposity of littleness4 ,parson ,plaford may be five feet four1 but ,i would lay anything he is not five feet five4 ,i will1 however1 do him the justice of saying that he read the lessons with clearness and good emphasis1 and that he strove to prevent his criminal congregation from enjoying the luxury of a stealthy nap4 ,he occasionally furnished them with some amusement by attempting to lead the singing4 ,the melody of his voice1 which suggested the croak of an asthmatical raven1 threw them into transports of sinister appreciation2 and the remarkable manner in which he sometimes displayed the graces of ,christian courtesy to the schoolmaster afforded them an opportunity of contrasting the chaplain with the ,governor4 ,parson ,plaford's deity was an almighty gaoler4 ,the reverend gentlemen took a prison view of everything4 ,he had a habit1 as ,i learned1 of asking new comers what was their sentence1 and informing them that it ought to have been twice as long4 ,in his opinion1 ,god had providentially sent them there to be converted from sin by the power of his ministry4 ,i cannot say1 however1 that the divine experiment was attended with much success4 ,the chaplain frequently told us from the pulpit that he had some very promising cases in the prison1 but we never heard that any of them ripened to maturity4 ,when he informed us of these hopeful apprentices to conversion1 ,i noticed that the prisoners near me eyed him as ,i fancy the ,spanish gypsies eyed ,george ,borrow when they heard him read the ,bible4 ,their silence was respectful1 but there was an eloquent criticism in their squint4 ,after one of his frequent absences in search of health1 ,parson ,plaford related with great gusto a real case of conversion4 ,on one particular morning a prisoner was released1 who expressed sincere repentance for his sins1 and the chaplain's locum tenens had written in the discharge book that he believed it was a real case of conversion to ,god4 ,that very morning1 ,i found by comparing notes1 also witnessed the release of ,mr4 ,kemp4 ,all the parson-power of ,holloway ,gaol had failed to shake his ,freethought4 ,his conversion would have been a feather in the chaplain's hat1 but it could not be accomplished4 ,the utmost that could be achieved was the conversion of a ,christian to ,christianity4 ,on another occasion1 ,parson ,plaford ingenuously illustrated the character of prison conversions4 ,an old hand1 a well-known criminal who had visited the establishment with wearisome frequency1 was near his discharge4 ,he had an interview with the chaplain and begged assistance4 ,sir1 he said1 ,i've told you ,i was converted before1 and you helped me4 ,it wasn't true1 ,i know2 but ,i am really converted this time4 ,god knows it sir4 ,but the chaplain would not be imposed upon again4 ,he declined to furnish the man with the assistance he solicited4 ,and then1 said the preacher1 with tears in his voice1 he cursed and swore2 he called me the vilest names1 which ,i should blush to repeat1 and ,i had to order him out of the room4 ,oh1 he continued1 it is an ungrateful world4 ,but holy scripture says that in the latter days unthankfulness shall abound1 and these things are signs that the end is approaching4 ,blessed be ,god1 some of us are ready to meet him4 ,these lachrymose utterances were the precursors of a long disquisition on his favorite topic--the end of the world1 the grand wind-up of the ,lord's business4 ,we were duly initiated into the mysteries of prophecy1 a subject which1 as ,south said1 either finds a man cracked or leaves him so4 ,the latter days and the last days were accurately distinguished1 and it was obscurely hinted that we were within measurable distance of the flaming catastrophe4 ,over forty sermons fell from ,parson ,plaford's lips into my critical ears1 and ,i never detected a grain of sense in any of them4 ,nor could ,i gather that he had read any other book than the ,bible4 ,even that he appeared to have read villainously1 for he seemed ignorant of much of its contents1 and he told us many things that are not in it4 ,he placed a pen in the fingers of the man's hand which disturbed ,belshazzar's feast1 and gave us many similar additions to holy writ4 ,yet he was singularly devoid of imagination4 ,he took everything in the ,bible literally1 even the story of the descent of the ,holy ,ghost upon the apostles in the shape of cloven tongues of fire4 ,they were like this1 he said1 making an angle with the knuckles of his forefinger on the top of his bald head1 and looking at us with a pathetic air of sincerity4 ,it was the most ludicrous spectacle ,i ever witnessed4 ,during the few visits he paid me1 ,parson ,plaford was fairly civil4 ,mr4 ,ramsey seems to have been the subject of his impertinence4 ,my fellow-prisoner was informed that we deserved transportation for life4 ,yet at that time the chaplain had not even seen the publication for which we were imprisoned6 ,however1 his son had1 and he was a trustworthy young man4 ,towards the end of his term ,mr4 ,ramsey found the charitable heart of the man of ,god relent so far as to allow that transportation for life was rather too heavy a punishment for our offence1 which only deserved perpetual detention in a lunatic asylum4 ,for the last ten months of my term ,parson ,plaford neither honoured nor dishonored my cell with his presence4 ,soon after ,i was domiciled in the ,a wing he called to see me4 ,i rose from my stool and made him a satirical bow4 ,this greeting1 however1 was too freezing for his effusiveness4 ,notwithstanding the opinion of us he had expressed to ,mr4 ,ramsey1 and with which ,i was of course unacquainted1 he extended his hand as though he had known me for years4 ,ah1 he said1 this is a sorry sight4 ,your trouble is mental ,i know4 ,i wish ,i could help you1 but ,i cannot4 ,you are here for breaking the law1 you know4 ,yes1 ,i replied1 such as it is4 ,but the law is broken every week4 ,millions of people abstain from attending church on ,sunday1 yet there is an unrepealed law which commands them to4 ,yes1 and ,i'd make them1 was the fiery answer from the little man1 as the bigot flamed in his eyes4 ,come now1 ,i said1 you couldn't if you tried4 ,well1 he said1 you've got to suffer4 ,but even if you are a martyr1 you don't suffer what our martyrs did4 ,perhaps not1 ,i retorted1 but ,i suffer all your creed is able to inflict4 ,doesn't it occur to you as strange and monstrous that ,christianity1 which boasts so of its own martyrs1 should in turn persecute all who differ from it8 ,suppose ,freethought had the upper hand1 and served you as you serve us3 wouldn't you think it shameful8 ,of course1 he blurted4 ,then1 correcting himself1 he added3 ,but you never will get the upper hand4 ,how do you know8 ,i asked4 ,freethought has the upper hand in ,france4 ,yes1 he replied1 but that is an infidel country4 ,it will never be so here4 ,but suppose1 ,i continued1 it were so here1 and we imprisoned you for deriding our opinions as you imprison us for deriding yours4 ,would you not say you were persecuted8 ,oh1 he said1 that's a different thing4 ,mr4 ,bradlaugh was then mentioned4 ,by the way1 you're remarkably like him1 said the chaplain4 ,i thought it a brilliant discovery1 and still more so when ,i learned1 a few minutes later1 that he had not seen ,mr4 ,bradlaugh for thirty years4 ,darwin was referred to next4 ,i suppose you know he's been disproved1 said the chaplain1 complacently4 ,no1 ,i don't1 ,i answered2 nor do ,i quite understand what you mean4 ,what has been disproved8 ,why1 he said1 ,i mean that man isn't a monkey4 ,indeed6 ,i rejoined2 ,i am not aware that ,darwin ever said that man is a monkey4 ,nor do ,i think so myself--except in some extreme cases4 ,whether this was construed as a personality or not ,i am unable to decide1 but our interview soon terminated4 ,parson ,plaford called on me two or three times during the next few weeks1 promised me some good books to read as soon as the regulations permitted1 and fulfilled his promise by never visiting me again4 ,mr4 ,ramsey was nursed a little longer4 ,i suppose the chaplain had hopes of him4 ,but he finally relinquished them when ,mr4 ,ramsey said one ,monday morning1 on being asked what he thought of yesterday's sermon1 ,i wonder how you could talk such nonsense4 ,why1 ,i could preach a better sermon myself4 ,could you8 bristled the little man4 ,and from that moment he gave ,mr4 ,ramsey up for lost4 ,one day the chaplain ran full butt against ,mr4 ,kemp in the corridor4 ,ah1 he said1 how are you getting on8 ,mr4 ,kemp made a curt reply4 ,the fact was1 he was chewing a small piece of tobacco1 an article which does somehow creep into the prison in minute quantities1 and is swapped for large pieces of bread4 ,mr4 ,kemp was enjoying the luxury1 although it would have been nauseous in other circumstances2 for the prison fare is so insipid that even a dose of medicine is an agreeable change4 ,now ,parson ,plaford and ,mr4 ,kemp are about the same height1 and lest the chaplain should see or smell the tobacco1 the little blasphemer was obliged to turn his head aside1 hoping the conversation would soon end4 ,but the little parson happened to be in a loquacious mood1 and the interview was painfully prolonged4 ,next ,sunday there was a withering sermon on infidels1 who were described as miserable persons that dare not look you in the face4 ,parson ,plaford seemed to be on very intimate terms with his maker4 ,if his little finger ached1 the ,lord meant something by it4 ,yet1 although he was always ready to be called home1 he was still more ready to accept the doctor's advice to take a holiday when he felt unwell4 ,the last sermon ,i heard him preach was delivered through a sore throat1 a chronic malady which he exasperated by bawling4 ,he told us that the work and worry were too much for him1 and the doctor had ordered him rest1 if he wished to live4 ,he was going away for a week or two to see what the ,lord meant to do with him2 and ,i afterwards heard some of the prisoners wonder what the ,lord was doing with him4 ,i speak to you as a dying man1 said the chaplain1 as he had said several times before when he felt unwell2 and as it might be the last time he would ever preach there1 he besought somebody1 as a special act of gratitude1 to get saved that very day4 ,one of the prisoners offered a different reason for the chaplain's temporary retirement4 ,he ain't ill1 sir4 ,i knows what 'tis4 ,i was down at the front when your friend ,mr4 ,ramsey went out4 ,there was a lot of coaches and people1 and the parson looked as white as a ghost4 ,he thinks ther'll be more coaches and people when you goes out1 and he's gone off sooner than see 'em4 ,during the chaplain's absences his locum tenens was usually a gentleman of very opposite characteristics4 ,he was tall1 thin1 modest1 and even diffident4 ,he slipped into your cell1 as ,i said before1 with the deferential air of an undertaker4 ,his speech was extremely soft and rapid1 although he stuttered a little now and then from nervousness4 ,i suppose you know1 ,i asked on his first visit1 what ,i am here for8 ,y-e-s1 he stammered1 with something like a blush4 ,i said no more1 for it was evident he wished to avoid the subject1 and ,i really think he was sorry to see me persecuted in the name of ,christ4 ,he had called1 he said1 to see whether he could do anything for me4 ,could he lend me any books8 ,i thanked him for the proffered kindness1 but ,i had my own books to read by that time4 ,mr4 ,stubbs's sermons were much superior to ,mr4 ,plaford's4 ,they were almost too good for the congregation4 ,he dwelt with fondness on the tender side of ,christ's character1 and seemed to look forward to a heaven which would ultimately contain everybody4 ,on one occasion we had a phenomenal old gentleman in the pulpit4 ,he was white-haired but florid4 ,his appearance was remarkably youthful1 and his voice sonorous4 ,i heard that he was assistant chaplain at one of the other ,london prisons4 ,with the most exemplary fidelity he went through the morning service1 omitting nothing2 unlike ,parson ,plaford1 who shortened it to leave time for his sermon4 ,i wondered whether he would get through it by dinner-time1 or whether he would continue it in the afternoon4 ,but he just managed to secure ten minutes for his sermon1 which began with these extraordinary words1 that were sung out at the top of his voice3 ,when the philosopher observes zoophyte formations on the tops of mountains1 he1 etc4 ,how singularly appropriate it was to the congregation4 ,the sermon was not exactly ,greek to them1 but it was all zoophyte4 ,i heard some of them wonder when that funny old boy was coming again4 ,the prisoners sit in chapel on backless benches1 tier above tier1 from the rails in front of the clerk's desk almost to the roof behind4 ,two corners are boarded off within the rails1 one for the ,f wing and the other for the debtors' wing4 ,above them is a long gallery1 with private boxes for the governor1 the doctor and the chief warder1 and a pulpit for the chaplain4 ,parson ,plaford used to make a great noise in closing the heavy door behind the pulpit1 leading to the front of the prison2 and he rattled the keys as though he loved the sound4 ,he placed them on the desk beside the sacred volume1 and ,i used to think that the ,bible and the keys went well together4 ,in offering his first private prayer1 as well as in his last after the benediction1 he always covered his face with the sleeve of his robe1 lest1 ,i suppose1 the glory of his countenance1 while communicating with his maker1 should afflict us as the insufferable splendor of the face of ,moses afflicted the ,jews at ,mount ,sinai4 ,his audible prayers were made kneeling with clasped hands and upturned face4 ,his eyes were closed tightly1 his features were painfully contracted1 and his voice was a falsetto squeak4 ,i fancy the ,governor must have sighed at the performance4 ,the doctor never troubled to attend it4 ,the prisoners were supposed to cross their hands in front while in chapel4 ,several unsuccessful attempts were made to induce me to conform to the regulation4 ,i declined to strike prescribed attitudes4 ,another rule1 pretty rigorously enforced1 was that the prisoners should look straight before them4 ,if a head was turned aside1 an officer bawled out ,look to your front4 ,i once heard the injunction ludicrously interpolated in the service4 ,dearly beloved brethren1 said the chaplain4 ,look to your front1 growled the officer4 ,it was text and comment4 ,only once did ,i see a prisoner impressed4 ,the man sat next to me2 his face was red1 and he stared at the chaplain with a pair of goggle eyes4 ,surely1 ,i thought1 the parson is producing an effect4 ,as we were marching back to our cells ,i heard a sigh4 ,turning round1 ,i saw my harvest-moon-faced friend in an ecstacy4 ,it was ,sunday morning1 and near dinner time4 ,raising his hands1 while his goggle eyes gleamed like wet pebbles1 the fellow ejaculated--,pudden next4 ,i have already referred to the chapel music1 in which the schoolmaster played such a distinguished part4 ,a few more notes on this subject may not be out of place4 ,there was a choir of a dozen or so prisoners1 most of whom were long-term men in some position of trust4 ,short-timers are not1 ,i believe1 eligible for membership2 indeed1 the whole public opinion of the establishment is against these unfortunates1 who have committed no crime worth speaking of2 and ,i still remember with what a look of disgust the worthy schoolmaster once described them to me as ,mere parasites1 here to-day and gone to-morrow4 ,having a bit of a voice1 ,i was invited to join the sweet psalmists of ,holloway2 but ,i explained that ,i was only a spectator of the chapel performances1 and could not possibly become an assistant4 ,the privileges enjoyed by the choristers are not1 however1 to be despised4 ,they drop their work two or three times a week for practice1 and they have an advantage in matters which are trifling enough outside1 but very important in prison4 ,in chapel they sit together on the front benches1 and if they smile and whisper they are not so sharply reprimanded as the common herd behind them4 ,another privileged class were the cooks1 who occupied the last bench1 and rested their backs against the wall4 ,they were easily distinguished by their hair being greased1 no other prisoners having fat enough to waste on such a luxury4 ,saturday morning's chapel hour was devoted to general practice1 which was known as the cat's chorus4 ,imagine three or four hundred prisoners all learning a new tune6 ,some of the loudest voices were the most unmusical1 and the warblers at the rear were generally behind in time as well as in space4 ,how they floundered1 gasped1 broke down1 got up again1 and shuffled along as before till the next collapse6 ,sometimes they gave it up as hopeless1 a few first1 and then others1 until some silly fellow was left shrilling alone1 when he too would suddenly stop1 as though frightened at the sound of his own voice4 ,i noticed1 however1 that whenever an evangelical hymn was sung to an old familiar tune1 they all joined in1 and rattled through it with great satisfaction4 ,this confirmed the notion ,i had acquired from previous reading1 that nine out of every ten prisoners in our ,english gaols have been ,sunday-school children1 or attendants at church or chapel4 ,scepticism has not led them to gaol1 and religion has not kept them out of it4 ,parson ,plaford1 as ,i have said1 never visited me after the second month4 ,he heard my defence on the third trial before ,lord ,coleridge1 and sadly confessed to ,mr4 ,ramsey that he was afraid ,i was a hardened sinner4 ,he appears to have had some hopes of my fellow prisoner1 whom he continued to visit for another month4 ,mr4 ,ramsey encouraged him in doing so1 for a conversation with anyone and on anything is a welcome break in the monotony of silence4 ,but when he got books to read there was less need of these interviews1 and they soon ceased4 ,mr4 ,ramsey informs me1 however1 that the chaplain called on him just before he left1 and asked whether he could offer any suggestions as to the system4 ,the old gentleman admitted that he had been operating on prisoners for over twenty years without the least success4 ,the chaplain often confided to us in his sermons that prisoners came to him pretending they had derived great good from his ministrations1 only in order to gain some little privilege4 ,i learned1 also1 from casual conversations in the exercise-ground1 that the old gentleman had his favorites1 who were not always held in the same esteem and affection by their companions4 ,they were generally regarded as spies and tell-tales1 and the men were very cautious of what they said and did in the presence of these elect4 ,piety was looked upon as a species of humbug1 although 7so persistent is human nature7 a really good1 generous man would have been liked and respected4 ,i could be pious for a pound a day1 said one prisoner in my hearing1 with reference to the chaplain's salary4 ,yes1 said the man he spoke to1 so could ,i1 or 'arf of it4 ,one ,sunday the lesson was the story of ,peter's miraculous rescue from prison4 ,ah1 said an old fellow to his pal1 that was a good yarn we heard this morning4 ,i'd like to see th' angel git 'im out o' ,holloway4 ,parson ,plaford was evangelical1 but a thorough ,churchman1 and he had a strong preference for those of his own sect4 ,there was in the prison a young fellow1 the son of a wealthy member of ,parliament1 whose name ,i need not disclose4 ,he was doing eighteen months for getting into difficulties on the turf1 and mistaking his father's name for his own4 ,having plenty of money1 he was able to establish communication with his friends outside2 and this being detected1 the ,governor kept him constantly on the move from wing to wing1 and corridor to corridor1 so that he might have no time to grow familiar with the officers and corrupt their integrity4 ,the plan was a good one1 but it did not succeed4 ,young officers1 who work ninety or a hundred hours a week1 with only two off ,sundays in three months1 for twenty-three shillings1 cannot always be expected to resist a bribe4 ,the young scapegrace ,i refer to was very anxious to get out of his cell1 and he applied to the chaplain for the post of schoolmaster's assistant4 ,the duties of this office are to help bind the books and keep the library catalogue1 and to carry the basket of literature when the schoolmaster goes the round4 ,parson ,plaford would not entertain the application4 ,no1 he said1 ,i begin to think your religious notions are very unsound4 ,i must have a good ,churchman for the post4 ,well1 the chaplain got his good ,churchman2 it was an old hand1 sentenced twice before to long terms for felony1 and then doing another five or seven years for burglary and assault4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,third ,,trial4 ,prison life is monotonous4 ,day follows day in weary succession4 ,except for the card on your door you might lose count of the weeks and forget the date4 ,i went on eating my miserable food with such appetite as ,i had2 ,i crawled between heaven and earth for one hour in every twenty-four2 ,i picked my fibre to kill the time2 and ,i waded through my only book1 the ,bible1 with the patience of a mule4 ,weeks rolled by with only one remarkable feature1 and that was ,good ,friday4 ,the sacred day was observed as a ,sabbath4 ,there was no work and no play4 ,christians outside were celebrating the ,passion of their ,redeemer with plenteous eating and copious drinking1 and dance and song2 while ,i and my two fellow-prisoners1 who had no special cause for sadness on that day1 were compelled to spend it like hermits4 ,chapel hours brought the only relief4 ,parson ,plaford thought it an auspicious occasion for preaching one of his silliest sermons1 and when ,i returned to my cell ,i was greatly refreshed4 ,opening my ,bible1 ,i read the four accounts of the ,crucifixion1 and marvelled how so many millions of people could regard them as consistent histories1 until ,i reflected that they never took the trouble to read them one after another at a single sitting4 ,once or twice ,i caught a glimpse of ,mr4 ,ramsey in chapel1 and ,i occasionally saw ,mr4 ,kemp in the exercise-ground4 ,but ,i knew nothing of what was going on outside4 ,one day1 however1 the outer silence was broken4 ,the ,governor entered my cell in the morning1 and told me he had received a letter from ,mr4 ,bradlaugh1 stating that our original ,indictment 7in which he was included7 would be tried in a few days1 and that he had an order from the ,home ,office to see ,mr4 ,ramsey and me separately4 ,it was some day early in ,april2 ,i forget exactly when4 ,but ,i recollect that ,mr4 ,bradlaugh came up the same afternoon4 ,he saw me in the ,governor's office4 ,we shook hands heartily1 and plunged into conversation1 while the ,governor sat turning over papers at his desk4 ,mr4 ,bradlaugh told me how our ,indictment stood4 ,it would be tried very soon4 ,he was going to insist on being tried separately1 and had no doubt he should be4 ,in that event1 his case would precede ours4 ,what did ,i intend to do8 ,his advice was that ,i should plead inability to defend myself while in prison1 and ask for a postponement until after my release4 ,if that were done he believed ,i should never hear of the ,indictment again4 ,my view was different4 ,i doubted whether another conviction would add to my sentence1 and ,i was anxious to secure the moral advantage of a careful and spirited defence in the ,court of ,queen's ,bench before the ,lord ,chief ,justice of ,england4 ,the ,governor had already supplied me with writing materials1 and ,i had begun to draw up a list of books ,i might require1 which ,i intended to send to ,mr4 ,wheeler4 ,oh1 said ,mr4 ,bradlaugh1 brusquely1 you need not send anything to ,mr4 ,wheeler2 he's gone insane4 ,what6 ,i gasped4 ,the room darkened to my vision as though the sun had been blotted out4 ,the blow went to my heart like a dagger4 ,come1 said ,mr4 ,bradlaugh in a kinder tone1 if you take the news in that way ,i shall tell you no more4 ,it is over1 ,i answered4 ,pray go on4 ,i crushed down my feelings1 but it was not over4 ,mr4 ,bradlaugh did not know the nature of my friendship with ,mr4 ,wheeler2 how old and deep it was1 how inwrought with the roots of my being4 ,when ,i returned to my cell ,i went through my agony and bloody sweat4 ,i know not how long it lasted4 ,for awhile ,i stood like a stone image2 anon ,i paced up and down like a caged tiger4 ,one word burned like a lurid sun through a bloody mist4 ,mad6 ,the school-master called on business4 ,don't speak1 ,i said4 ,he cast a frightened look at my face and retired4 ,at length relief came4 ,the thunder-cloud of grief poured itself in a torrent of tears1 the only ones my persecutors ever wrung from me4 ,over the flood of sorrow rose the rainbow of hope4 ,he is only broken down1 ,i thought2 his delicate organisation has succumbed to a trial too great for its strength2 rest and generous attention will restore him4 ,courage6 ,all will be well4 ,and all is well4 ,my friend is by my side again4 ,he had relapses after his first recovery1 for it was an awful blow2 but ,i was in time to shield him from the worst of these4 ,scientific treatment1 and a long stay at the seaside1 renovated his frame4 ,he has worked with me daily since at our old task1 and ,i trust we shall labor together till there comes ,the poppied sleep1 the end of all4 ,i spent the next few days in preparing a new defence for my third trial for ,blasphemy4 ,during that time ,i was allowed an interview with two friends every afternoon4 ,mrs4 ,besant was one of my earliest visitors4 ,i learned that the ,freethinker was still appearing under the editorship of ,dr4 ,e4 ,b4 ,aveling1 who conducted it until my release2 and that the business affairs of ,mr4 ,ramsey and myself were being ably and vigilantly superintended by a committee consisting of ,mrs4 ,besant1 and ,messrs4 ,r4 ,o4 ,smith1 ,a4 ,hilditch1 ,j4 ,grout1 ,g4 ,standring and ,c4 ,herbert4 ,there was1 in addition1 a ,prisoners' ,aid ,fund opened and liberally subscribed to1 out of which our wives and families were provided for4 ,on the morning of ,april #aj1 soon after breakfast1 and while the prisoners were marshalling for chapel1 ,i was conducted to a cell in front of the gaol1 and permitted to array myself once more in a civilized costume4 ,my clothes1 like myself1 were none the better for their imprisonment2 but ,i felt a new man as ,i donned them1 and trolled operatic airs1 while warder ,smith cried1 ,hush6 ,mr4 ,ramsey went through a similar process4 ,we met in the great hall1 and in defiance of all rules and regulations1 ,i shook him heartily by the hand4 ,he looked thin1 pale1 and careworn2 and the new growth of hair on his chin did not add to his good looks4 ,after our third trial he got stout again1 and it was ,i who scaled less and less4 ,perhaps his shoemaking gave him a better appetite2 and perhaps ,i studied too much for the quantity and quality of prison blood4 ,each of was accommodated with a four-wheeler1 and a warder armed with a cutlass to guard us from all danger4 ,it was a beautiful spring morning1 and the sunlight looked glorious as we rattled down the ,caledonian ,road4 ,i felt new-born4 ,the early flowers in the street barrows were miracles of loveliness1 and the very vegetables had a supernal charm4 ,tradesmen's names over their shops were wonderfully vivid4 ,every letter seemed fresh-painted1 and after the dinginess of prison1 the crude decorations struck me as worthy of the old masters4 ,arriving at the rear of the ,law ,courts1 we found many friends awaiting us4 ,colonel ,milman was obliged to protect us from their demonstrations of welcome4 ,everyone of them seemed desirous to wring off an arm as a souvenir of the occasion4 ,inside ,i met ,mr4 ,bradlaugh1 ,mrs4 ,besant1 ,dr4 ,aveling1 and a host of other friends4 ,my wife looked pale and haggard4 ,she had evidently suffered much4 ,but seeing me again was a great relief1 and she bore the remainder of her long trial with more cheerfulness4 ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's trial lasted three days1 and we were brought up on each occasion4 ,it was what the ,americans call a fine time4 ,a grateful country found us in cabs and attendants1 and our friends found us in dinner4 ,when the first day's adjournment came at one o'clock1 my counsel1 ,mr4 ,cluer1 asked what he should order for us4 ,what a question6 we cried4 ,something soon1 and plenty of it4 ,it was boiled mutton1 turnips1 and potatoes4 ,we proved ourselves excellent trenchermen1 for it was our first square meal for weeks2 and a group1 including some of the jury1 watched us feed4 ,lord ,coleridge's summing up in ,mr4 ,bradlaugh's case was a wonderful piece of art4 ,the even beauty of his voice1 the dignity of his manner1 the pathetic gravity with which he appealed to the jury to cast aside all prejudice against the defendant1 combined to render his charge one of the great memories of my life4 ,the jury retired for half an hour1 and returned with a verdict of ,not ,guilty6 ,mr4 ,bradlaugh was deeply affected4 ,i shook his hand without a word1 for ,i was speechless4 ,i was inexpressibly glad that the enemy had not crippled him in his parliamentary struggle1 and that his recent victory in the ,house of ,lords1 after years of litigation1 was crowned by a happy escape from their worst design4 ,our trial took place the next week1 and lasted only two days1 as we had no technical points to argue4 ,mr4 ,wheeler came up from ,worcestershire to see me4 ,he was still very weak1 and obviously suffering from intense excitement4 ,still it was a pleasure to see his face and clasp his hand4 ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard gloomed on us with his wintry face1 but he left the conduct of the case almost entirely to ,mr4 ,maloney4 ,the evidence against us was overpowering1 and we did not seriously contest it4 ,mr4 ,ramsey read a brief speech after lunch1 and precisely at two o'clock ,i rose to make my defence1 which lasted two hours and forty minutes4 ,the table before me was crowded with books and papers1 and ,i held a sheet of references that looked like a brief4 ,my first step was to pay ,judge ,north an instalment of the debt ,i owed him4 ,my lord1 and gentlemen of the jury1--,i am very happy1 not to stand in this position1 but to learn what ,i had not learned before--how a criminal trial should be conducted1 notwithstanding that two months ago ,i was tried in another court1 and before another judge4 ,fortunately1 the learned counsel1 who are conducting this prosecution have not now a judge who will allow them to walk out of court while he argues their brief for them in their absence4 ,lord ,coleridge interrupted me4 ,you must learn one more lesson1 ,mr4 ,foote1 and that is1 that one judge cannot hear another judge censured1 or even commended4 ,i was checkmated1 but taking it with a good grace1 ,i said3 ,my lord1 thank you for the correction4 ,and ,i will simply confine the observations ,i might have made on that subject to the emphatic statement that ,i have learnt to-day1 for the first time--although this is the second time ,i have had to answer a criminal charge--how a criminal trial should be conducted4 ,his lordship did not interrupt me again4 ,during the whole of my long defence he leaned his head upon his hand1 and looked steadily at me1 without once shifting his gaze4 ,to put the jury in a good frame of mind ,i told them that two months before ,i fell among thieves1 and congratulated myself on being able to talk to twelve honest men4 ,in order1 also1 that they might be disabused of the idea that we were being treated as first-class misdemeanants1 ,i informed them of the discipline we were really subjected to2 and ,i saw that this aroused their sympathy4 ,those who wish to read my defence in extenso will find it in the ,three ,trials for ,blasphemy4 ,i shall content myself here with a few points4 ,i quoted heretical1 and1 as ,i contended1 blasphemous passages from the writings of ,professor ,huxley1 ,dr4 ,maudsley1 ,herbert ,spencer1 ,john ,stuart ,mill1 ,matthew ,arnold1 ,lord ,amberly1 the ,duke of ,somerset1 ,shelley1 ,byron1 ,james ,thomson1 ,algernon ,swinburne1 and others2 and ,i urged that the only difference between these passages and the incriminated parts of my paper consisted in the price t which they were published4 ,why1 ,i asked1 should the high-class blasphemer be petted by society1 and the low-class blasphemer be made to bear their sins1 and driven forth into the wilderness of ,holloway ,gaol8 ,lord ,coleridge1 in his summing up1 supported my view1 and his admission is so important that ,i venture to give it in full4 ,with regard to some of the others from whom ,mr4 ,foote quoted passages1 ,i heard many of them for the first time4 ,i do not at all question that ,mr4 ,foote read them correctly4 ,they are passages which1 hearing them only from him for the first time1 ,i confess ,i have a difficulty in distinguishing from the incriminated publication4 ,they do appear to me to be open to exactly the same charge and the same grounds of observation that ,mr4 ,foote's publications are4 ,he says--and ,i don't call upon him to prove it1 ,i am quite willing to take his word--he says many of these things are written in expensive books1 published by publishers of known eminence1 and that they circulate in the drawing-rooms1 studies1 and libraries of persons of position4 ,it may be so4 ,all ,i can say here is-- and so far ,i can answer for myself--,i would make no distinction between ,mr4 ,foote and anybody else2 and if there are persons1 however eminent they may be1 who used language1 not fairly distinguishable from that used by ,mr4 ,foote1 and if they are ever brought before me--which ,i hope they never may be1 for a more troublesome or disagreeable business can never be inflicted upon me--if they come before me1 so far as my poor powers go they shall have neither more nor less than the justice ,i am trying to do to ,mr4 ,foote2 and if they offend the ,blasphemy ,laws they shall find that so long as these laws exist--whatever ,i may think about their wisdom--they will have but one rule of law laid down in this court4 ,another point ,i raised1 which ,i neglected in my previous defences1 was this4 ,what is it that men have a right to at law8 ,every man has a right to three things--protection for person1 property and character1 and all that can be legitimately derived from these4 ,the ordinary law of libel gives a man protection for his character1 but it is surely monstrous that he should claim protection for his opinions and tastes4 ,all that he can claim is that his taste shall not be violently outraged against his will4 ,i hope1 gentlemen1 you will take that rational view of the question4 ,we have libelled no man's character1 we have invaded no man's person or property4 ,this crime is a constructed crime1 originally manufactured by priests in the interest of their own order to put down dissent and heresy4 ,it now lingers amongst us as a legacy utterly alien to the spirit of our age1 which unfortunately we have not resolution enough to cast among those absurdities which ,time holds in his wallet of oblivion4 ,my peroration is the only other part of the defence which ,i shall extract4 ,gentlemen1 ,i have more than a personal interest in the result of this trial4 ,i am anxious for the rights and liberties of thousands of my countrymen4 ,young as ,i am1 ,i have for many years fought for my principles1 taken soldier's wages when there were any1 and gone cheerfully without when there were none1 and fought on all the same1 as ,i mean to do to the end2 and ,i am doomed to the torture of twelve months' imprisonment by the verdict and judgment of thirteen men1 whose sacrifices for conviction may not equal mine4 ,the bitterness of my fate can scarcely be enhanced by your verdict4 ,yet this does not diminish my solicitude as to its character4 ,if1 after the recent scandalous proceedings in another court1 you1 as a special jury in this ,high ,court of ,justice1 bring in a verdict of ,guilty against me and my co-defendant1 you will decisively inaugurate a new era of persecution1 in which no advantage can accrue to truth or morality1 but in which fierce passions will be kindled1 oppression and resistance matched against each other1 and the land perhaps disgraced with violence and stained with blood4 ,but if1 as ,i hope1 you return a verdict of ,not ,guilty1 you will check that spirit of bigotry and fanaticism which is fully aroused and eagerly awaiting the signal to begin its evil work2 you will close a melancholy and discreditable chapter of history2 you will proclaim that henceforth the press shall be absolutely free1 unless it libel men's characters or contain incitements to crime1 and that all offences against belief and taste shall be left to the great jury of public opinion2 you will earn the gratitude of all who value liberty as the jewel of their souls1 and independence as the crown of their manhood2 you will save your country from becoming ridiculous in the eyes of nations that we are accustomed to consider as less enlightened and free2 and you will earn for yourselves a proud place in the annals of its freedom1 its progress1 and its glory4 ,i delivered this appeal to the jury as impressively as ,i could4 ,there was a solemn silence in court4 ,a storm cloud gathered while ,i spoke1 and heavy drops of rain fell on the roof as ,i concluded4 ,lord ,coleridge lifted his elbow from his desk1 and addressed the jury3 ,gentlemen1 ,i should have been glad to have summed up this evening1 but the truth is1 ,i am not very strong1 and ,i propose to address you in the morning1 and that will give you a full opportunity of reflecting calmly on the very striking and able speech you have just heard4 ,my defence was a great effort1 and it exhausted me4 ,until ,i had to exert myself ,i did not know how the confinement and the prison fare had weakened me4 ,the reader will understand the position better if ,i remind him that the only material preparation ,i had in the morning for the task of defending myself against ,sir ,hardinge ,giffard and ,mr4 ,maloney was six ounces of dry bread and a little thin cocoa1 which the doctor had ordered instead of the skilly to stop my diarrhoea4 ,the ,governor kindly allowed one of my friends to fetch me a little brandy4 ,then we drove back to prison1 where ,i had some more dry bread and thin cocoa4 ,the next morning1 after an exactly similar meal1 we drove down again to the court4 ,lord ,coleridge's summing-up lasted nearly two hours1 and1 like my defence1 it was listened to by a crowded court1 which included a large number of gentlemen of the wig and gown4 ,his lordship's address is reported at length in the ,three ,trials for ,blasphemy1 and a revised copy was published by himself4 ,his view of the law has been dealt with already in my ,preface4 ,what ,i wish to say here is1 that ,lord ,coleridge's demeanor was in marked contrast with ,judge ,north's4 ,i cannot do better than quote a few passages from an open letter ,i addressed to his lordship soon after my release3 ,how were my feelings modified by your lordship's lofty bearing6 ,i found myself in the presence of a judge who was a gentleman4 ,you treated me with impartiality1 and a generous consideration for my misfortunes4 ,no one could doubt your sincerity when1 in the midst of a legal illustration which might be construed as a reflection on my character1 you suddenly checked yourself1 and said1 ',i mean no offence to ,mr4 ,foote4 ,i should be unworthy of my position if ,i insulted anyone in his4' ,you were scrupulously1 almost painfully1 careful to say nothing that could assist the prosecution or wound my susceptibilities4 ,you appeared to tremble lest your own convictions should prejudice you1 and the jury through you1 against me and my fellow prisoner4 ,you listened with the deepest attention to my long address to the jury4 ,you discussed all my arguments that you considered essential in your summing-up2 and you strengthened some of them1 while deprecating others1 with a logical force and beauty of expression which were at once my admiration and my despair4 ,you paid me such handsome compliments on my defence in the most trying circumstances as dispelled at once the orthodox theory that ,i was a mere vulgar criminal4 ,in brief1 my lord1 you displayed such a lofty spirit of justice1 such a tenderness of humanity1 and such a dignity of bearing1 that you commanded my admiration1 my reverence and my love2 and if the jury had convicted me1 and your lordship had felt obliged by the 'unpleasant law' to inflict upon me some measure of punishment1 ,i could still have kissed the hand that dealt the blow4 ,i know how repulsive flattery must be to a nature like yours1 but your lordship will pardon one who is no sycophant1 who seeks neither to avert your frown nor to gain your favor1 who has no sinister object in view1 but simply speaks from the fulness of a grateful heart4 ,and you will pardon me if ,i say that my sentiments are shared by thousands1 who hate your creed but respect your character4 ,they watched you throughout my trial with the keenest interest1 and they rejoiced when they saw in you those noble human qualities which transcend all dogmas and creeds1 and dwarf all differences of opinion into absolute insignificance4 ,lord ,coleridge also deserves my thanks for the handsome manner in which he seconded my efforts to repudiate the odious charge of indecency1 which had been manufactured by the bigots after my imprisonment4 ,these are his lordship's words3 ,mr4 ,foote is anxious to have it impressed on your minds that he is not a licentious writer1 and that this word does not fairly apply to his publications4 ,you will have the documents before you1 and you must judge for yourselves4 ,i should say that he is right4 ,he may be blasphemous1 but he certainly is not licentious1 in the ordinary sense of the word2 and you do not find him pandering to the bad passions of mankind4 ,i ask my readers to notice these clear and emphatic sentences1 for we shall recur to them in the next chapter4 ,the jury retired at twenty minutes past twelve4 ,at three minutes past five they were discharged1 being unable to agree4 ,it was a glorious victory4 ,acquittal was hopeless1 but no verdict amounted practically to the same thing4 ,two juries out of three had already disagreed1 and as the verdict of ,guilty by the third had been won through the scandalous partiality and mean artifices of a bigoted judge1 the results of our prosecution afforded little encouragement to fresh attacks on the liberty of the press4 ,i have since had the pleasure of conversing with one of the jury4 ,himself and two others held out against a verdict of ,guilty1 and he told me that the discussion was extremely animated4 ,my informant acted on principle4 ,he confessed he did not like my caricatures1 and he considered my attacks on the ,bible too severe2 but he held that ,i had a perfect right to ridicule ,christianity if ,i thought fit1 and he refused to treat any method of attacking opinions as a crime4 ,of the other two jurors1 one was convinced by my address1 and the other declared that he was not going to assist in imprisoning like a thief a man who could make a speech like that4 ,the next day ,i asked ,lord ,coleridge not to try the case again for a few days1 as ,i was physically unable to conduct my defence4 ,his lordship said3 ,i have just been informed1 and ,i hardly knew it before1 what such imprisonment as yours means1 and what1 in the form it has been inflicted on you1 it must mean2 but now that ,i do know of it1 ,i will take care that the proper authorities know of it also1 and ,i will see that you have proper support4 ,his lordship added that he would see ,i had proper food1 and he would take the defence whenever ,i pleased4 ,we fixed the following ,tuesday4 ,during the interim our meals were provided from the public-house opposite the prison gates4 ,my diarrhoea ceased at once1 and ,i so far recovered my old form that ,i felt ready to fight twenty ,giffards4 ,but we did not encounter each other again4 ,feeling assured that if ,lord ,coleridge continued to try the case1 as he obviously meant to until it was disposed of1 they would never obtain a verdict1 the prosecution secured a nolle prosequi from the ,attorney-,general4 ,it was procured by means of an affidavit1 containing what his lordship branded as an absolute falsehood4 ,so the prosecution1 which began in bigotry and malice1 ended appropriately in a lie4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,loss ,,and ,,gain4 ,our victory in the ,court of ,queen's ,bench was an unmitigated loss to ,sir ,henry ,tyler and his backers1 for it threw upon them the whole costs of the prosecution4 ,it was also a loss to ourselves2 for ,i have it on the best authority that1 if we had been found guilty1 ,lord ,coleridge would have made his sentence concurrent with ,judge ,north's1 and shifted us from the criminal to the civil side of the prison1 where we should have enjoyed each other's society1 worn our own clothes1 eaten our own food1 seen our friends frequently1 received and answered letters1 and spent our time in rational occupations4 ,to the ,freethought cause1 however1 our victory was a pure gain4 ,as ,i had anticipated1 the press gave our new trial a good deal of attention4 ,the ,daily ,news printed a leading article on the case1 calling on the ,home ,secretary to remit the rest of our sentence4 ,the ,times published a long and admirable report of my defence1 as well as of ,lord ,coleridge's summing-up1 and predicted that the trial would be historical1 chiefly because of the remarkable defence made by one of the defendants4 ,a similar prediction appeared in the ,manchester ,weekly ,times1 according to which the defendant ,foote argued his case with consummate skill4 ,across the ,atlantic1 the ,new ,york ,world said that ,mr4 ,foote1 in particular1 delivered a speech which1 for closeness of argument and vividness of presentation1 has not often been equalled4 ,even the grave and reverend ,westminster ,review found after reading what the ,lord ,chief ,justice himself characterises as ,mr4 ,foote's very striking and able speech1 that the editor of the ,freethinker is very far from being the vulgar and uneducated disputant which the ,spectator appears to have supposed him4 ,other ,liberal papers1 like the ,pall ,mall ,gazette and the ,referee1 that had at first joined in the chorus of execration over the fallen blasphemer1 now found that my sentence was monstrous4 ,so true is it that nothing succeeds like success6 ,i did not let these compliments turn my head4 ,my speeches at the ,old ,bailey were little1 if anything1 inferior to the one ,i made in the ,court of ,queen's ,bench4 ,there was no change in me1 but only in the platform ,i spoke from4 ,the great fact to my mind was this1 that given an impartial judge1 and a fair trial1 it was difficult to convict any ,freethinker of blasphemy if he could only defend himself with some courage and address4 ,this fact shone like a star of hope in the night of my suffering4 ,as ,i said in one of my three letters from prison3 ,for the first time juries have disagreed1 and chances are already slightly against a verdict of ,guilty4 ,now the jury is the hand by which the enemy grasps us1 and when we have absolutely secured the twelfth man we shall have amputated the thumb4 ,on ,may #a the following letter from ,admiral ,maxse appeared in the ,daily ,news3 ,,to ,,the ,,editor ,,of ,,the ',,daily ,,news4' ,,sir1--,foote's brilliant defence last week will probably have awakened some fastidious critics to their error in having depicted him as a low and coarse controversialist1 while ,lord ,coleridge's judgment will have convinced the public that had ,lord ,coleridge occupied the place of ,justice ,north1 the defendant would have escaped with a mild penalty4 ,in the meantime1 ,mr4 ,foote continues to undergo what is virtually 'solitary confinement' in a cell1 and is condemned to this punishment for a year4 ,a more wicked sentence1 or a more wicked law1 than the one which ,mr4 ,foote and his companions suffer from1 is1 in my opinion1 impossible to conceive1 that is to say in a country which professes to enjoy religious liberty4 ,his crime consisted in caricaturing a grotesque representation of a religion which has certainly a higher side4 ,people who are truly religious should be obliged to ,mr4 ,foote1 if he managed to shock some people concerning any feature of religion which is gross and degrading to that religion4 ,i know something of ,mr4 ,foote1 and ,i am quite certain he would not say anything to shock a refined interpretation of religion4 ,refined ,christians are anxious themselves to get rid of the excrescences of their creed4 ,the question at issue really is as to whether a coarse picture of religion1 and of one religion only1 is to be protected by the ,state from caricature1 and from caricature alone2 because it seems to be granted that an intellectual absurdity may be intellectually impeached4 ,it is impossible such a monstrous doctrine as this can stand4 ,it will pass away1 and probably in a few years it will be remembered with some astonishment2 but oppressive and persecuting laws are only got rid of by the spectacle of an impaled victim4 ',by the light of burning heretics ,christ's bleeding feet ,i track4' ,the impaled victim is now ,mr4 ,foote4 ,it is a disgrace to ,england that his solitary confinement--twenty-three out of the twenty-four hours are solitary--or indeed1 that any punishment whatever is possible for a man's style in religious controversy2 and to a ,liberal it is profoundly humiliating that such a proceeding takes place under a ,liberal ,government and without one word of remonstrance in the ,house of ,commons4 ,where are the ,radicals8-- ,yours obediently1 ,,fredk4 ,a4 ,,maxse4 ,april #cjth4 ,let me take this opportunity of thanking ,admiral ,maxse for his courageous generosity on my behalf4 ,directly he heard of my infamous sentence he wrote me a brave letter1 which the prison rules forbade my receiving1 stating that he would join in any agitation for my release1 or for the repeal of the wretched law under which ,i was suffering the utmost martyrdom which society can at present impose4 ,i have always regarded ,admiral ,maxse as one of the purest and noblest of our public men1 and ,i valued his sympathy even more than his assistance4 ,further correspondence appeared in the ,daily ,news1 and the ,liberal papers called on ,sir ,william ,harcourt to intervene4 ,memorials for our release flowed in from all parts of the country4 ,one of these deserves especial mention4 ,the signatures were procured1 at great expense of time and labor1 by ,dr4 ,e4 ,b4 ,aveling and an eminent psychologist who desired to avoid publicity4 ,among them ,i find the following names3-- ,admiral ,maxse ,george ,bullen ,c4 ,crompton1 ,q4,c4 ,george ,du ,maurier ,charles ,maclaren1 ,m4,p4 ,george ,dixon ,dr4 ,g4 ,j4 ,romanes ,henry ,sidgwick4 ,dr4 ,charlton ,bastian ,herbert ,spencer ,dr4 ,edward ,clodd ,hon4 ,e4 ,lyulph ,stanley1 ,m4,p4 ,dr4 ,e4 ,b4 ,tylor ,j4 ,cotter ,morison ,dr4 ,w4 ,aldis ,wright ,jonathan ,hutchinson ,dr4 ,macallister ,john ,collier ,dr4 ,e4 ,bond ,john ,pettie ,dr4 ,j4 ,h4 ,jackson ,james ,sully ,dr4 ,h4 ,maudsley ,leslie ,stephen ,editor ,daily ,news ,lient4-,col4 ,osborne ,editor ,spectator ,p4 ,a4 ,taylor1 ,m4,p4 ,editor ,academy ,professor ,alexander ,bain ,editor ,manchester ,examiner ,professor ,huxley ,editor ,liverpool ,daily ,post ,professor ,tyndall ,francis ,galton ,professor ,knight ,f4 ,guthrie1 ,f4,r4,s4 ,professor ,e4 ,s4 ,beesly ,frederick ,harrison ,professor ,h4 ,s4 ,foxwell ,g4 ,h4 ,darwin ,professor ,r4 ,adamson ,professor ,g4 ,croom ,robertson ,rev4 ,dr4 ,fairbairn ,professor ,e4 ,ray ,lancaster ,rev4 ,r4 ,glover ,professor ,drummond ,rev4 ,j4 ,g4 ,rogers ,professor ,t4 ,rhys ,davids ,rev4 ,j4 ,aldis ,r4 ,h4 ,moncrieff ,rev4 ,charles ,beard ,rev4 ,j4 ,llewellyn ,davies ,rev4 ,dr4 ,crosskey ,rev4 ,dr4 ,abbot ,s4 ,h4 ,vines ,rev4 ,a4 ,ainger ,the ,mayor of ,birmingham ,rev4 ,stopford ,a4 ,brooke ,i doubt whether such a memorial1 signed by so many illustrious men1 was ever before presented to a ,home ,secretary for the release of any prisoners4 ,but it made no impression on ,sir ,william ,harcourt1 for the simple reason that the signatories were not politicians1 but only men of genius4 ,as the ,weekly ,dispatch said1 ,sir ,william ,harcourt never does the right thing when he has a chance of going wrong4 ,the ,echo also regretted the ,home ,secretary's decision1 while the ,pall ,mall ,gazette1 then under the editorship of ,mr4 ,john ,morley1 concluded its article on the subject by saying1 ,the fact remains that ,mr4 ,foote is suffering a scandalously excessive punishment1 and that the ,home ,office must now share the general condemnation that has hitherto been confined to the judge4 ,on ,july #aa a mass meeting was held in ,st4 ,james's ,hall to protest against our continued imprisonment4 ,despite the summer weather1 the huge building was crammed with people1 every inch of standing room being occupied1 and thousands turned away from the doors4 ,letters of sympathy were sent by ,canon ,shuttleworth1 ,admiral ,maxse and ,mr4 ,p4 ,a4 ,taylor ,m4,p4 ,among the speakers were the ,rev4 ,w4 ,sharman1 the ,rev4 ,s4 ,d4 ,headlam1 the ,rev4 ,e4 ,m4 ,geldart1 ,mr4 ,c4 ,bradlaugh ,m4,p41 ,mrs4 ,annie ,besant1 ,dr4 ,e4 ,b4 ,aveling1 ,mr4 ,joseph ,symes1 ,mr4 ,moncure ,d4 ,conway and ,mr4 ,h4 ,burrows4 ,the greatest enthusiasm prevailed1 and the resolutions were carried with only two dissentients4 ,still ,sir ,william ,harcourt made no sign4 ,at last ,mr4 ,peter ,taylor1 the honored member for ,leicester1 publicly interrogated the ,home ,secretary in the ,house of ,commons4 ,mr4 ,taylor's question was as follows3 ,mr4 ,p4 ,a4 ,,taylor asked the ,secretary of ,state for the ,home ,department whether he had received memorials from many thousands of persons1 including clergymen of the ,church of ,england1 ,nonconformist ministers1 and persons of high literary and scientific position1 asking for a mitigation of the sentences of ,george ,william ,foote and ,william ,james ,ramsey1 now imprisoned in ,holloway ,gaol on a charge of blasphemy2 whether they have already suffered five months' imprisonment1 involving until lately confinement in their respective cells for twenty-three hours out of every twenty-four1 and now involving twenty-two hours of such solitary confinement out of each #bd2 and whether he will advise the remission of the remainder of their sentences4 ,thereupon ,sir ,william ,harcourt reared his unblushing front and gave this answer3 ,sir ,,william ,,harcourt--,the question of my hon4 friend is founded upon misconception of the duties and rights of the ,secretary of ,state in reference to sentences of the law1 which ,i have often endeavoured to remove1 but apparently with entire want of success4 ,it is perfectly true that ,i have received many memorials on this subject1 most of them founded on misconception of the law on which the sentence rested4 ,this is not a matter ,i can take into consideration1 either upon my own opinion or upon that of 'clergymen of the ,church of ,england1 ,nonconformist ministers1 and persons of high literary and scientific position4' ,i am bound to assume that until ,parliament alters the law that law is right1 and that those who administer the law administer it rightly4 ,if ,i took any other course1 outside my opinion--if ,i had one upon this subject--,i should be interfering with the making and with the administration of the law1 and transferring it from ,parliament to the ,executive and to a ,minister of the ,crown4 ,i am quite sure my hon4 friend would not like that course4 ,it has been said1 ,oh1 but you can deal with sentences4 7,hear1 hear47 ,sentences must be dealt with not upon the assumption that the law was wrong1 and that the jury and judge were wrong1 but upon special circumstances applicable to the particular case which would justify a ,minister in recommending to the ,crown a remission of sentence4 ,what are the circumstances8 ,nobody--,i do not care whether legal persons or belonging to the classes mentioned in this question--who has not seen the publication can judge of the matter4 ,i have seen it1 and ,i have no hesitation in saying that it is in the most strict sense of the word an obscene libel4 ,it is a scandalous outrage upon public decency4 7,opposition cheers47 ,that being so1 the law has declared that it is punishable by law4 ,i have no authority to declare that the law shall not be obeyed2 nor do ,i think that within less than half the period of the punishment awarded by the ,court1 if ,i were to advise the ,crown to remit the sentence1 ,i should be discharging the responsibility which rests upon me with a sound or sober judgment4 7,opposition cheers1 and murmurs below the gangway47 ,the ,tory cheers which greeted this malicious reply suffice to condemn it4 ,sir ,william ,harcourt has told many lies in his time1 but this was the most brazen of all4 ,he knew we were not prosecuted for obscenity2 he knew there was not a suggestion of indecency in our indictment2 and he had before him the distinct language of the ,lord ,chief ,justice of ,england1 exonerating us from the slander4 ,yet he deliberately libelled us1 in a place where his utterances are privileged1 in order to conciliate the ,tories and please the bigots4 ,some of the ,radical papers protested against this wanton misrepresentation1 but ,i am not aware that a single ,christian journal censured the lie which was used to justify persecution4 ,freethinkers have not forgotten ,sir ,william ,harcourt1 nor have ,i4 ,some day we may be able to punish him for the insult4 ,meanwhile1 ,i venture to think that if the member for ,derby and the editor of the ,freethinker were placed side by side1 an unprejudiced stranger would have little difficulty in deciding which of the two was the more likely to be bestial4 ,poor ,mr4 ,ramsey1 not knowing his man1 innocently petitioned the ,home ,secretary from prison1 pointing out that he was tried and imprisoned for blasphemy1 asking to be released at once1 and offering to supply ,sir ,william ,harcourt with fresh copies of our ,christmas ,number for a new trial for obscenity4 ,of course he received no reply4 ,my counsel1 ,mr4 ,cluer1 gallantly defended my reputation in the columns of the ,daily ,news1 and he was supported by one of the ,jury1 who wrote as follows3 ,,sir1--,from the reference in your short leader on the subject1 it appears that the ,home ,secretary1 in answer to ,mr4 ,taylor1 declined to consent to the release of ,messrs4 ,foote and ,ramsey1 on the ground that they had published an obscene libel4 ,on the late trial before the ,lord ,chief ,justice1 certain numbers of the ,freethinker1 on which the prisoners were being tried1 were charged by the prosecution with being 7inter alia7 blasphemous and indecent4 ,the judge in the course of his remarks said1 the articles inculpated might be blasphemous1 but assuredly they were not indecent4 ,the opinion of ,sir ,william ,harcourt1 consequently1 though in harmony with that of the junior counsel for the prosecution1 is altogether opposed to that of ,lord ,coleridge1 who was the judge in the case4 ,the ,daily ,news itself put the matter very clearly4 ,mr4 ,foote and ,mr4 ,ramsey1 it said1 were sent to prison by ,mr4 ,justice ,north for publishing a blasphemous libel4 ,sir ,william ,harcourt declines to release them on the ground that they have published an obscene libel4 ,it is not usual to keep ,englishmen in gaol on the ground that they committed an offence of which they have not been convicted1 and against which they have had no opportunity of defending themselves4 ,but ,sir ,william ,harcourt thought otherwise1 and kept us in prison1 acting at once as prosecutor1 witness1 jury and judge4 ,mr4 ,gladstone was appealed to1 but he regretted he could do nothing1 presumably because we were only ,englishmen and not ,bulgarians4 ,an answer to this piece of callous hypocrisy came from the ,london clubs4 ,one resolution passed by the ,combined ,radical ,clubs of ,chelsea1 representing thousands of working men1 characterised our continued imprisonment as an indelible stigma on the ,liberal ,government4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,a ,,long ,,night4 ,feeling there was no prospect of release1 and resigned to my fate1 ,i settled down to endure it1 with a resolution to avail myself of every possible mitigation4 ,colonel ,milman included us among the special exercise men1 and we enjoyed the luxury of two outings every day2 our solitary confinement being thus reduced to twenty-two hours instead of twenty-three4 ,by finessing ,i also managed to get an old feather pillow from the store-room1 which proved a comfortable addition to the wooden bolster4 ,the alteration in our food ,i have already mentioned4 ,sir ,william ,harcourt did absolutely nothing for us1 but the ,secretary of the ,prison ,commissioners gave instructions that we were to be treated as kindly as possible1 so that nothing might happen to us4 ,one of the upper officers1 whom ,i have seen since1 told me we were a source of great anxiety to the authorities1 and they were very glad to see our backs4 ,mr4 ,anderson called on me in my cell and asked what he could do for me4 ,open the front door1 ,i answered4 ,with a pleasant smile he regretted his inability to do that4 ,well then1 ,i continued1 let me have something to read4 ,yes1 he said1 ,i can do that4 ,there are many books in the prison library4 ,but not one1 ,i retorted1 fit for an educated man to read4 ,they are all selected by the chaplain4 ,well1 he answered1 ,i cannot give you what we haven't got4 ,but why not let me have my own books to read8 ,i asked4 ,mr4 ,anderson replied that such a thing was unheard of1 but ,i persisted in my plea1 which ,colonel ,milman generously supported4 ,well1 said ,mr4 ,anderson1 ,i suppose we must4 ,your own books may be sent in1 and the ,governor can let you have them two at a time4 ,but1 you know1 you mustn't have such writings as you are here for4 ,oh1 ,i replied1 you have the power to check that4 ,they will all pass through the ,governor's hands1 and ,i will order in nothing but what ,colonel ,milman might read himself4 ,oh1 said ,mr4 ,anderson1 with a humorous smile1 which the ,governor and the ,inspector shared1 ,i can't say what ,colonel ,milman might like to read4 ,the interview ended and my books came4 ,what a joy they were6 ,i read ,gibbon and ,mosheim right through again1 with ,carlyle's ,frederick1 ,french ,revolution and ,cromwell1 ,forster's ,statesmen of the ,commonwealth1 and a mass of literature on the ,rebellion and the ,protectorate4 ,i dug deep into the literature of ,evolution4 ,i read over again all ,shakespeare1 ,shelley1 ,spenser1 ,swift and ,byron1 besides a number of more modern writers4 ,french books were not debarred1 so ,i read ,diderot1 ,voltaire1 ,paul ,louis ,courier1 and the whole of ,flaubert1 including ,l',education ,sentimentale1 which ,i never attacked before1 but which ,i found1 after conquering the apparent dullness of the first half of the first volume1 to be one of the greatest of his triumphs4 ,mr4 ,gerald ,massey1 then on a visit to ,england1 was churlishly refused a visiting order from the ,home ,office1 but he sent me his two magnificent volumes on ,natural ,genesis1 and a note to the interim editor of the ,freethinker1 requesting him to tell me that ,i had his sympathy4 ,i fight the same battle as himself1 said ,mr4 ,massey1 although with a somewhat different weapon4 ,i was also favored with a presentation copy of verses by the one writer ,i most admire1 whose genius ,i reverenced long before the public and its critics discovered it4 ,it would gratify my vanity rather than my prudence to reveal his name4 ,agreeably to the proverb that if you give some men an inch they will take an ell1 ,i induced the ,governor to let me pursue my study of ,italian4 ,first he allowed me a ,grammar1 then a ,conversation ,book1 then a ,dictionary1 then a ,prose ,reading ,book1 and then a ,poetical ,anthology4 ,these volumes1 being an addition to the two ordinary ones1 gave my little domicile a civilised appearance4 ,cleaners sometimes1 when my door was opened1 looked in from the corridor with an expression of awe4 ,why1 ,i heard one say1 he's got a cell like a bookshop4 ,with my books1 my ,italian1 and my ,colenso1 ,i managed to kill the time2 and although the snake-like days were still long1 they were less venomous4 ,yet the remainder of my sentence was a terrible ordeal4 ,i never lost heart1 but ,i lost strength4 ,my brain was miraculously clear1 but it grew weaker as the body languished2 and before my release ,i could hardly read more than an hour or two a day4 ,the only break in the monotony of my life was when ,i received a visit4 ,mrs4 ,besant1 ,dr4 ,aveling1 ,mr4 ,wheeler and my wife1 saw me occasionally2 either in the ordinary way1 at the end of every three months1 or by special order from the ,home ,office4 ,i saw my visitors in the prison cages1 only our faces being visible to each other through a narrow slit4 ,we stood about six feet apart1 with a warder between us to stop improper conversation4 ,i could not shake a friend's hand or kiss my wife4 ,the interviews lasted only half an hour4 ,in the middle of a sentence ,time6 was shouted1 the keys rattled1 and the little oasis had to be left for another journey over the desert sand4 ,every three months ,i wrote a letter on a prison sheet4 ,two sides were printed on1 and the others ruled wide1 with a notice that nothing was to be written between the lines4 ,no doubt the authorities were anxious to save the prisoners the pain of too much mental exertion4 ,i foiled them by writing small1 and abbreviating nearly every word4 ,my letters were of course read before they were sent out1 and the answers read before they reached me4 ,no respect being shown for the privacies of affection1 ,i addressed my letters to ,dr4 ,aveling for publication in the ,freethinker4 ,one of these documents lies before me as ,i write4 ,it was the extra letter ,i sent to my wife before leaving1 and contains directions as to clothes and other domestic matters4 ,i venture to reproduce the advertisement1 which occupies the whole front page3 ,a prisoner is permitted to write and receive a ,letter after three months of his sentence have expired1 provided his conduct and industry have been satisfactory during that time1 and the same privilege will be continued afterwards on the same conditions and at the same intervals4 ,all ,letters of an improper or idle tendency1 either to or from ,prisoners1 or containing slang or other objectionable expressions1 will be suppressed4 ,the permission to write and receive letters is given to the ,prisoners for the purpose of enabling them to keep up a connexion with their respectable friends1 and not that they may hear the news of the day4 ,all ,letters are read by the ,authorities of the ,prison1 and must be legibly written1 and not crossed4 ,neither clothes1 money1 nor any other articles1 are allowed to be received by any ,officers of the ,prison for the use of ,prisoners2 all parcels containing such articles intended for ,prisoners on discharge must bear outside the name of the ,prisoner1 and be sent to the ,governor1 or they will not be received4 ,persons attempting otherwise to introduce any article to or for a prisoner1 are liable to a fine or imprisonment1 and the ,prisoner concerned may be severely punished4 ,the authorities are not so careful about the letter being legible by its recipient4 ,they do not insert it in an envelope1 but just fold it up and fasten it with a little gum1 so that the letter is nearly sure to be torn in the opening4 ,the address is written on the back by the prisoner himself1 before the sheet is folded4 ,lines are provided for the purpose1 and it is pretty easy to see what the letter is4 ,surely a little more consideration might be shown for a prisoner's friends4 ,they are not criminals1 and as the prison authorities incur the expense of postage1 they might throw in a cheap envelope without ruining the nation4 ,mr4 ,kemp was released on ,may #be in a state of exhaustion4 ,it is doubtful if he could have survived another three months' torture4 ,what illness in the frightful solitude of a prison cell is ,i know4 ,i once caught a bad cold1 and for the first time in my life had the toothache4 ,it came on about two o'clock in the afternoon1 and as applications for the doctor are only received before breakfast1 ,i had to wait until the next day before ,i could obtain relief4 ,it arrived of itself about one o'clock4 ,the doctor had considerately left my case till last1 in order to give me proper attention4 ,mr4 ,ramsey was released on ,november #bd4 ,he was welcomed at the prison gates by a crowd of sympathisers1 and entertained at a breakfast in the ,hall of ,science1 where he made an interesting speech4 ,by a whimsical calculation1 ,i reckoned that ,i had still to swallow twenty-one gallons of prison tea and twelve prison sermons4 ,christmas ,day was the only variation in the remainder of my term4 ,being regarded as a ,sabbath1 it was a day of idleness4 ,the fibre was removed from my cell1 my apartment was clean and tidy1 a bit of dubbin gave an air of newness to my old shoes1 and after a good wash and an energetic use of my three-inch comb1 ,i was ready for the festivities of the season4 ,after a sumptuous breakfast on dry bread1 and sweet water misnamed tea1 ,i took a walk in the yard2 and on returning to my cell ,i sat down and wondered how my poor wife was spending the auspicious day4 ,what a merry ,christmas for a woman whose husband was eating his heart out in gaol6 ,the chapel-bell roused me from phantasy4 ,while the other half of the prison was engaged in devotion1 ,i did an hour's grinding at ,italian1 and read a chapter of ,gibbon2 after which ,i heard the miserable sinners return from the chapel to their cells4 ,my ,christmas dinner consisted of the usual diet1 and after eating it ,i went for another brief tramp in the yard4 ,the officers seemed to relax their usual rigor1 and many of the prisoners exchanged greetings4 ,how did yer like the figgy duff8 ,did the beef stick in yer ribs8 ,such were the flowers of conversation4 ,from the talk ,i overheard1 ,i gathered that under the old management1 while ,holloway ,gaol was the ,city ,prison1 all the inmates had a blow-out on ,christmas ,day1 in the shape of beef1 vegetables1 plum-pudding1 and a pint of beer4 ,some of the old hands1 who remembered those happy days1 bitterly bewailed the decay of prison hospitality4 ,their lamentations were worthy of a ,conservative orator at a rural meeting4 ,the present was a poor thing compared with the past1 and they sighed for the tender grace of a day that is dead4 ,after exercise ,i went to chapel4 ,parson ,plaford preached a seasonable sermon1 which would have been more heartily relished on a full stomach4 ,he told us what a blessed time ,christmas was1 and that people did well to be joyful on the anniversary of their ,savior's birth4 ,before dismissing us with his blessing to our little rooms1 which was his habitual euphemism for our cells1 he remarked that he could not wish us a happy ,christmas in our unhappy condition1 but he would wish us a peaceful ,christmas2 and he ventured to promise us that boon if1 after leaving chapel1 we fell on our knees and besought pardon for our sins4 ,most of the prisoners received this advice with a grin1 for their cell floors were black-leaded1 and genuflexions in their little rooms gave them too much knee-cap to their trousers4 ,at six o'clock ,i had my third instalment of ,christmas fare1 the last mouthfuls being consumed to the accompaniment of church bells4 ,the neighboring ,bethels were announcing their evening performance1 and the sound penetrated into my cell4 ,true believers were wending their way to church1 while the heretic1 who had dared to deride their creed and denounce their hypocrisy1 was regaling himself on dry bread in one of their dungeons4 ,the bells rang out against each other with a wild glee as ,i paced my narrow floor4 ,they seemed mad with intoxication of victory2 they mocked me with a bacchanalian frenzy of triumph4 ,yet ,i smiled grimly1 for their clamor was no more than the ancient fool's shout1 ,great is ,diana of the ,ephesians4 ,great ,christ has had his day since1 but he in turn is dead2 dead in man's intellect1 dead in man's heart1 dead in man's life2 a mere phantom1 flitting about the aisles of churches1 where priestly mummers go through the rites of a phantom creed4 ,i took my prison ,bible and read the story of ,christ's birth in ,matthew and ,luke1 ,mark and ,john having never heard of it or forgotten it4 ,what an incongruous jumble of absurdities6 ,a poor fairy tale of the world's childhood1 utterly insignificant beside the stupendous revelations of science4 ,from the fanciful story of the ,magi following a star to ,shelley's ,world on worlds are rolling ever1 what an advance6 ,as ,i retired to sleep on my plank-bed my mind was full of these reflections1 and when the gas was turned out1 and ,i was left in darkness and silence1 ,i felt serene and almost happy4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,daylight4 ,a new day dawned for me on the twenty-fifth of ,february4 ,i rose as usual a few minutes before six4 ,it was the morning of my release1 or in prison language my discharge4 ,yet ,i felt no excitement4 ,i was as calm as my cell walls4 ,strange6 the reader will say4 ,yet not so strange after all4 ,every day had been filled with expectancy1 and anticipation had discounted the reality4 ,instead of waiting till eight o'clock1 the usual breakfast hour1 superintendent ,burchell brought my last prison meal at seven4 ,i wondered at his haste1 but when he came again1 a few minutes later1 to see if ,i had done1 ,i saw through the game4 ,the authorities wished to discharge me rapidly1 before the hour when my friends would assemble at the prison gates1 and so lessen the force of the demonstration4 ,i slackened speed at once1 drank my tea in sips1 and munched my dry bread with great deliberation4 ,come1 said superintendent ,burchell1 you're very slow this morning4 ,oh1 ,i replied1 there's no hurry2 after twelve months of it a few minutes make little difference4 ,burchell put the words and my smile together1 and gave the game up4 ,down in the bathroom at the foot of the debtors' wing my clothes were set out1 and some kind hand had spread a piece of bright carpet for my feet4 ,i dressed very leisurely4 ,with equal tardiness ,i went through the ceremony of receiving my effects1 carefully checking every article1 and counting the money coin by coin4 ,the ,governor tendered me half a sovereign1 the highest sum a prisoner can earn4 ,thank you1 ,i said1 but ,i can't take their money4 ,we had to go through the farce4 ,in the little gate-house ,i met ,mr4 ,bradlaugh1 ,mrs4 ,besant1 and my wife4 ,colonel ,milman wished us good-bye1 the gate opened1 and a mighty shout broke from the huge crowd outside4 ,from all parts of ,london they had wended in the early morning to greet me1 and there they stood in their thousands4 ,yet ,i felt rather sad than elated4 ,the world was so full of wrong1 though the hearts of those men and women beat so true6 ,as our open carriage crawled through the dense crowd ,i saw men's lips twitching and women shedding tears4 ,they crowded round us1 eager for a shake of the hand1 a word1 a look4 ,at length we got free1 and drove towards the ,hall of ,science1 followed by a procession of brakes and other vehicles over half a mile long4 ,there was a public breakfast1 at which hundreds sat down4 ,i took a cup of tea1 but ate nothing4 ,after a long imprisonment ,i could not trust my stomach1 and ,i had to make a speech4 ,after ,mr4 ,bradlaugh1 ,mrs4 ,besant and the ,rev4 ,w4 ,sharman 7secretary of the ,society for the ,repeal of the ,blasphemy ,laws71 had made speeches1 which ,i should blush to transcribe1 ,i rose to respond4 ,it was a ticklish moment4 ,but ,i found ,i had a voice still1 and the words came readily enough4 ,concluding my address ,i said3 ,i thank you for your greeting4 ,i am not played out4 ,i am thinner4 ,the doctor told me ,i had lost two stone1 and ,i believe it4 ,but after all ,i do not think the ship's timbers are much injured4 ,the rogues ran me aground1 but they never made me haul down the flag4 ,now ,i am floated again ,i mean to let the old flag stream out on the wind as of yore4 ,i mean to join the rest of our fleet in fighting the pirates and slavers on the high seas of thought4 ,an hour afterwards my feet were on my own fender4 ,i was home again4 ,what a delicious sensation after twelve months in a prison cell6 ,friends prescribed a rest at the seaside for me1 but ,i felt that the best tonic was work4 ,in less than three days ,i settled everything4 ,i resumed the editorship of the ,freethinker at once1 and began filling up my list of engagements4 ,on meeting the ,committee1 who had managed our affairs in our absence1 ,i found everything in perfect order1 besides a considerable profit at the banker's4 ,messrs4 ,a4 ,hilditch1 ,r4 ,o4 ,smith1 ,j41 ,grout and ,g4 ,standring had given ungrudgingly of their time2 ,mr4 ,c4 ,herbert1 acting as treasurer1 had kept the accounts with painstaking precision2 and ,mrs4 ,besant had proved how a woman could take the lead of men4 ,nor must ,i forget ,mr4 ,robert ,forder1 the ,secretary of the ,national ,secular ,society1 who acted as shopman at our publishing office1 and sustained the business by his assiduity4 ,i had also to thank ,dr4 ,aveling for his interim editorship of the ,freethinker1 and the admirable manner in which he had conducted ,progress4 ,the first number of the ,freethinker under my fresh editorship appeared on the following ,thursday4 ,in concluding my introductory address ,i said3 ,i promise the readers of the ,freethinker that they shall1 so far as my powers avail1 find no diminution in the vigor and vivacity of its attacks on the shams and superstitions of our age4 ,not only the writer's pen1 but the artist's pencil1 shall be busy in this good work2 and the absurdities of faith shall1 if possible1 be slain with laughter4 ,priests and fools are1 as ,goldsmith said1 the two classes who dread ridicule1 and we are pledged to an implacable war with both4 ,the artist's pencil6 ,yes1 ,i had resolved to repeat what ,i was punished for4 ,i left written instructions against the publication of ,comic ,bible ,sketches in the ,freethinker during my imprisonment2 but although ,i would not impose the risk on others1 ,i was determined to face it myself4 ,a fortnight after my release the ,sketches were resumed1 and they have been continued ever since4 ,my reasons for this decision were expressed at a public banquet in the ,hall of ,science on ,march #ab4 ,i then said3 ,mr4 ,bradlaugh has said that the ,freethought party--which no one will dispute his right to speak for--looks to me1 among others1 after my imprisonment1 to maintain with dignity whatever position ,i have won4 ,i hope ,i shall not disappoint the expectation4 ,but ,i should like it to be clearly understood that ,i consider the most dignified attitude for a man who has just left gaol after suffering a cruel and unjust sentence1 for no crime except that of thinking and speaking freely1 is to stand again for the same right he exercised before1 to pursue the very policy for which he was attacked1 precisely because he was attacked1 and to flinch no hair's breadth from the line he pursued before1 at least until the opposition resorts to suasion instead of force1 and tries to win by criticism what it will never win by the gaol4 ,it is my intention to-morrow morning to drive to the ,west of ,london1 and to leave the first copy of this week's ,freethinker pulled from the press at ,judge ,north's house with my compliments and my card4 ,prolonged applause greeted this announcement1 and ,i kept my word4 ,judge ,north had the first copy of the re-illustrated ,freethinker and ,i hope he relished4 ,at any rate1 it showed him1 as ,john ,bright says1 that force is no remedy4 ,at the banquet ,i refer to ,i was presented with a purse of gold1 in common with ,mr4 ,ramsey1 and an ,illuminated ,address1 which ran as follows3 ,to ,,george ,,william ,,foote1 ,vice-,president of the ,national ,secular ,society1 who suffered for twelve months in ,holloway ,gaol for the so-called offence of ,blasphemy4 ,in offering you on your release this illuminated address1 and the accompanying purse of gold1 we do not seek to give you recompense for the sufferings and insults which have been heaped upon you4 ,we bring them only as a symbol of our thanks to you--thanks1 because1 on your trial1 you spoke nobly for the right of free speech on religious questions2 thanks1 because you bore1 without a sign of flinching1 a sentence at once cruel and unjust2 thanks1 because you have carried on our days the traditions of a ,freethought faithful in the prison as on the platform4 ,signed on behalf of the ,national ,secular ,society ,c4 ,,bradlaugh1 ,president4 ,r4 ,,forder1 ,secretary4 ,greatly also did ,i value the greeting ,i received1 with my two fellow prisoners1 from the working men of ,east ,london4 ,at a crowded meeting in the large hall of the ,haggerston ,road ,club1 attended by representatives of other associations1 ,i was presented with the following address3 ,the ,political ,council of the ,borough of ,hackney ,workmen's ,club present this testimonial to ,george ,william ,foote as a token of admiration of the courage displayed by him in the advocacy of free speech1 and in sympathy for the sufferings endured during twelve months' imprisonment for the same under barbarous laws unfitted for the spirit of a free people4 ,signed on behalf of the ,council ,,alfred ,,pike1 ,president4 ,,chas4 ,,knight1 ,secretary4 ,the largest audience that ever assembled at the ,hall of ,science listened to my first lecture1 at which ,mr4 ,bradlaugh presided1 two days after my release4 ,seventeen hundred people crowded into a room that seats nine hundred1 and as many were unable to gain admission4 ,similar welcomes awaited me in the provinces2 and ever since my audiences1 as well as the sale of my journal and writings1 have been far larger than before my imprisonment4 ,hundreds of people1 as they have told me1 have been converted to ,freethought by my sufferings1 my lectures1 and my pamphlets4 ,i hope ,judge ,north is satisfied4 ,to prevent a break-down in case of another prosecution1 ,mr4 ,ramsey and ,i clubbed our resources1 and purchased printing plant and machinery1 so that the production of the ,freethinker and other blasphemous literature might be done under our own root4 ,the bigots had proved themselves unable to intimidate us1 and as we were no longer at the mercy of printers they gave up the idea of molesting us4 ,may ,freethinkers ever act in this spirit1 and be true to the great traditions of our cause6 ,f ,i ,n ,i ,s