ring his long imprisonment, seen a divine.
They were easily induced to request that he might be respited for a
week. A respite was granted; but, forty-eight hours before it expired,
Lady Mary presented to the Lords another petition, imploring them to
intercede with the King that her husband's punishment might be commuted
to banishment. The House was taken by surprise; and a motion to adjourn
was with difficulty carried by two votes. [781] On the morrow, the last
day of Fenwick's life, a similar petition was presented to the Commons.
But the Whig leaders were on their guard; the attendance was full; and
a motion for reading the Orders of the Day was carried by a hundred and
fifty-two to a hundred and seven. [782] In truth, neither branch of the
legislature could, without condemning itself, request William to spare
Fenwick's life. Jurymen, who have, in the discharge of a painful duty,
pronounced a culprit guilty, may, with perfect consistency, recommend
him to the favourable consideration of the Crown. But the Houses ought
not to have passed the Bill of Attainder unless they were convinced, not
merely that Sir John had committed high treason, but also that he could
not, without serious danger to the Commonwealth, be suffered to live. He
could not be at once a proper object of such a bill and a proper object
of the royal mercy.

On the twenty-eighth of January the execution took place. In compliment
to the noble families with which Fenwick was connected, orders were
given that the ceremonial should be in all respects the same as when a
peer of the realm suffers death. A scaffold was erected on Tower Hill
and hung with black. The prisoner was brought from Newgate in the coach
of his kinsman the Earl of Carlisle, which was surrounded by a troop
of the Life Guards. Though the day was cold and stormy, the crowd of
spectators was immense; but there was no disturbance, and no sign that
the multitude sympathized with the criminal. He behaved with a firmness
which had not been expected from him. He ascended the scaffold with
steady steps, and bowed courteously to the persons who were assembled
on it, but spoke to none, except White, the deprived Bishop of
Peterborough. White prayed with him during about half an hour. In the
prayer the King was commended to the Divine protection; but no name
which could give offence was pronounced. Fenwick then delivered a sealed
paper to the Sheriffs, took leave of the Bishop, knelt down, laid his