the jealousies to which our worldly condition is prone: he trembled lest
the sorrow of separation from a world which Lord Kilmarnock had loved
too fondly, should be revived by the pardon of his friend. "Therefore,"
relates Mr. Foster, "in the morning before I waited upon him, I prepared
myself to quiet and mollify his mind. But one of the first things he
said to me was, that he was extremely glad that the King's mercy had
been shown to Lord Cromartie." "My Lord," inquired Mr. Foster, "I hope
you do not think you have any injustice shown you?" Lord Kilmarnock's
answer was, "Not in the least; I have pleaded guilty: I entirely
acquiesce in the justice of my sentence; and if mercy be extended to
another, I can have no reason to complain, when nothing but justice is
done to me."

With regard to some points upon which the public odium was directed to
the young Chevalier and his party, Lord Kilmarnock was very explicit in
his last conversations with Mr. Foster. We have already seen how far he
was enabled to clear himself concerning his conduct to the prisoners at
Inverness. A report having been industriously circulated, probably with
a view to excuse the barbarities of the Duke of Cumberland, that an
order had been issued in the Pretender's council at Inverness, to
destroy the prisoners who might be taken at the battle of Culloden, Mr.
Foster put the question to Lord Kilmarnock, Whether that statement were
true? "I can most sincerely and freely answer, No," was the satisfactory
reply; and a similar contradiction was given by the dying man to every
accusation of a similar tendency.[382]

On Monday the eleventh of August, General Williamson desired Mr. Foster,
"in the gentlest terms that he could use, to apprize Lord Kilmarnock,
that he had received the order for his, and for Lord Balmerino's
execution." Mr. Foster at first refused to undertake this office. "I was
so shocked at it," writes the good man "that I could not think of
delivering the message myself, but would endeavour to prepare the
unfortunate Lord for it, by divesting him, as far as I could, of all
hope of life." Such, indeed, had been the continual aim of all the
reverend minister's counsels; and he had hoped to entrust the last
mournful task of informing him of the order to other hands. On finding
Lord Kilmarnock in a very resigned and calm state of mind, he ventured,
however, to hint to him how necessary was that diligent and constant
preparation for death which