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[46] colored heroes, Nat Turner and Cinques stood first in his esteem. “How often,” writes a daughter, “have I heard him speak in admiration of Cinques' character and management in carrying his points with so little bloodshed!” Of American writings, he chiefly admired the sayings of Franklin, and the Farewell Address of Washington. I do not see how any one could draw the character of John Brown better than by referring the reader to his favorite books. The Bible, first and above all other volumes, inspired every action of his life. He searched it continually to find there the words of eternal life. Nay, years hence, Christendom will recognize in John Brown a translation of the Old Testament, not into English words, but American flesh and blood. As a father he was tenderly austere; as a husband devotedly faithful and kind. He brought up his family as the Hebrew patriarchs reared their children. The law of God was their earliest and most constant study; unbounded and willing obedience to it, their first and chief lesson. They bended their knees every morning and evening at God's altar; daily read the sacred volume, and sung psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs. Grace before and after meat sanctified their board. The patriarchal principle of filial reverence was in this family a distinguishing trait. Self-sacrifice was their idea of earthly life. “The Puritan idea,” --here it was out-lived; nowhere else was the grandest thing brought over in the Mayflower so sacredly preserved. Other descendants of the passengers in that classic ship have chairs,
Thayer and Eldridge, 1860.
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