Corey on this occasion shows, that, though a rough man perhaps, and
liable, from his peculiar ways, to be harshly spoken of, he had, after
all, a generous, forgiving, and genial nature. Nathaniel Putnam and
Edmund Bridges state, that, when they brought in their award, "it was
greatly to the satisfaction of the parties concerned; and Giles Corey
did manifest as much satisfaction, and gave as many thanks to every
one of us, as ever we heard; and Goodman Corey did manifest, to our
observation, as much satisfaction to John Procter as he did to the
rest of the arbitrators." Captain Moore, being by when the award was
brought in, says, "I did see and take notice of the abundance of love
manifested from Corey to Procter, and from Procter to Corey: for they
drank wine together; and Procter paid for part, and Corey for part."

This remarkable overflow of affection between these two men is
rendered interesting, not merely by the collisions into which, before
and after, their impulsive and imprudent natures brought them, but by
the part they were destined to enact in an impending tragedy, which
was to bring them to a fearful end in a manner and on a scene that
will arrest the notice of all ages, and attest to their strong
characters and heroic spirit. The passage has a unique interest, and
is worthy of a painter.

It happened unfortunately, that, a few days after the loving embraces
of these hardy men, Procter's house took fire. According to their
habit, some of the neighbors at once started the idea, that Corey had
set fire to it because of the award of the arbitrators, of whom
Procter was one. Under the excitement of the conflagration, with his
usual rashness, and forgetting the pledges of reconciliation that had
just passed between them, Procter fell in with the accusation, and
Corey was brought to trial. It appeared, in evidence, that John Phelps