Page:The Great Trial of Mahatma Gandhi.pdf/21

 in many eyes, sobbings were heard from many quarters.

But there was one man in the hall who hateth nought Of all which lives, living himself benign Compassionate, from arrogance exempt Exempt from love of self, unchangeable By good or ill, patient, contented, firm In faith, mastering himself, true to his word who unto friend and foe Keeping an equal heart, with equal mind Bear shame and glory; with an equal peace Takes heat and cold, pleasure and pain; abides Quit of desires, bears praise or calumny In passionless restraint, unmoved by each.

A minute passed after the pronouncement of the sentence. The Judge was evidently feeling happy that the whole business was over. He got up, bowed and departed—an instinctive tribute which truth claims from justice. The throne of truth is any day mightier than the chair of justice.

Then followed the last scene of this historic trial—the farewell-friends and followers, one after another, both men and women passed before him. He had a kind word or a cutting