JAMES THE SECOND.

133

should have laid up his saying in their hearts, and should, at a crap.later period, have attributed it to divine inspiration. ~lisiT

So effectually had religious faith and hope, cooperatingwith natural courage and equanimity, composed his spiritsthat, on the very day on which he was to die, he dined withappetite, conversed with gaiety at table, and, after his lastmeal, lay down, as'he was wont, to take a short slumber,in order that his body and mind might be in full vigour whenhe should mount the scaffold. At this time one of the Lordsof the Council, who had probably been bred a Presbyterian,and had been seduced by interest to join in oppressing theChurch of which he had once been a member, came to theCastle with a message from his brethren, and demanded ad-mittance to the Earl. It was answered that the Earl wasasleep. The Privy Councillor thought that this was a subter-fuge, and insisted on entering. The door of the cell wassoftly opened; and there lay Argyle on the bed, sleeping, inhis irons, the placid sleep of infancy. The conscience of therenegade smote him. He turned away sick at heart, ran outof the Castle, and took refuge in the dwelling of a lady of hisfamily who lived hard by. There he flung himself on a couch,and gave himself up to an agony of remorse and shame. Hiskinswoman, alarmed by his looks and groans, thought that hehad been taken with sudden illness, and begged him to drinka cup of sack. “No, no,” he said; “that will do me nogood.” She prayed him to tell her what had disturbed him.

“I have been,” he said, “in Argyle’s prison. I have seenhim within an hour of eternity, sleeping as sweetly as everman did. But as for me —

And now the Earl had risen from his bed, and had pre-pared himself for what was yet to be endured. He was firstbrought down the High Street to the Council House, wherehe was to remain during the short interval which was still toelapse before the execution. During that interval he asked