Let
ttie  suppose  that  you  had  seen  the  respite  given,
and  that  contrite  and  honest  recommendalion
transmitted  to  that  seat  where  mercy  was  pre-
sumed to  dwell;  that  new  and  before  unheard
of  crimes  are  discovered  against  the  informer;
that  the  royal  mercy  seems  to  relent,  and  that
|t  new  recite  is  sent  to  the  prisoner^  that  time

is


684

is  tftk^n^  as  the  learned  conhsel  for  the  crovm
has  expressed  it,  to  see  whether  mercy  could
be  Extended  or  not!  that,  after  that  period  of
lingering  deliberation  passed,  a  third  respite  is
trafismitted  $  that  the  unhappy  captive  himself
feels  the  cheering  hope  of  being  restored  to  a
jkmily  that  he  had  adored,  to  a  character  that
he  b^  never  stained,  and  to  a  country  that  he
had  ever  loved ;  that  you  bad  seen  his  wife  and
children  upon  their  knees,  giving  those  tears  to
latitude,  which  their  locked  and  frozen  hearts
could  not  give  to  anguish  and  de^ir,  and  im«
ploring  the  blessings  df  eternal  providence  upon
his  head,  who  had  graciously  spared  the  father^
and  restored  him  to  his  children;  that  you  had
seen  the  olive  branch  sent  into  bis  little  ark,  but
no  sign  that  the  waters  had  subsided. ^*  Alas  i
nor  wife,  nor  children  more  shall  he  behold,  nor
friends,  nor  sacred  home!"  No  seraph  mercy  un-
bars bis  dungeon,  and  leads  him  forth  to  Jight
and  life ;  but  the  minister  of  death  hurries  him  to
the  scene  of  suffering  and  of  shame;  where,  un-
moved by  the  hostile  array  of  artillery  and  armed
tnen  collected  together,  to  secure,  or  to  insult,
or  to  disturb  him,  he  dies  with  a  solemn  dedara-
tion  of  his  innocence,  and  utters  his  last  breath
in  a  prayer  for  the  liberty  of  his  country. 