red Majesty, have surrendered themselves at Preston, and
submitted to your Majesty's great clemency and mercy.

"Their crimes are so enormous, that your petitioner can scarce hope
for a pardon; yet the greatness of their offence doth not make your
petitioner lay aside all hopes of mercy, when your petitioner and
they, who are both very young, throw themselves, absolute and
entirely, at your Majesty's feet for it; and as they have a just
abhorrence and a sincere and true repentance for what is past, so
they will give undoubted security and proof of their most dutiful
behaviour to your Majesty's Government for the future.

"Wherefore your petitioner most humbly prays that your Majesty will,
out of your royal clemency and boundless mercy and compassion, spare
the lives of your petitioner's sons, and grant them your most
gracious pardon.

"And your petitioner shall ever, as in duty bound, &c."[221]

The petition was unavailing, and the unfortunate young nobleman prepared
to meet his doom.

On the twenty-fourth of February, at ten o'clock, the Earl of
Derwentwater, with Lord Kenmure, was carried in a hackney-coach from the
Tower to the Transport Office in Tower Hill, where there was a room
prepared for their reception, hung with black, and a passage or gallery
railed in, which led to the place of execution. The scaffold was
surrounded with the Guards. Lord Derwentwater suffered first. He was
observed to turn very pale as he proceeded through the gallery and
ascended the steps; but there was a modest composure observable in his
demeanour. He held a book in his hand, from which he read prayers for
some time; then, requesting leave of the Sheriffs to read a paper to the
people, he went to the rails of the scaffold, and there delivered the
following touching and beautiful address, which, how different soever
may be the sentiments and opinions with which it is perused, can hardly
fail to impress the reader as coming from a conscientious mind:--

"Being in a few minutes to appear before the Tribunal of God, where,
though most unworthy, I hope for mercy, which I have not found from
men now in power, I have endeavoured to make my peace with His
Divine Majesty, by most humbly begging pardon for all the sins of my
life; and I doubt not of a merciful forgiveness, through the merits
of the passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ; for which end I earnestly