Ossian Collection > History of the Highlands and of the Highland clans > Volume 3

358 HISTORY OF THE HIGHLANUS.
forty-six, upon Iiis former sentence ; but he refused eitlier to plead or
to acknowledge the authority of the court, on the ground that he was a
subject of France, where he had resided thirty years, and honoured with
a commission in the service of his most christian majesty. Being bruuglit
to the bar next day, his former sentence being read over to him, he
pleaded that he was not the person therein mentioned ; but his identity
being clearly established, he was ordered to be executed on the eighth
of December. His aunt, Lady Petre, did every thing in her power to
save him, or at least to procure a respite till his lady should arrive from
Paris, but without success. Some demur seems, however, to have ex-
isted, as the preparations for his execution were so long delayed, that
the carpenters were obliged to work on the scaffold on Sunday the day
before the execution, and all the following night.
About ten o'clock in the morning of Monday the eighth of Decem-
ber, the block and cushion, which were covered with black cloth, were
brought up and fixed upon the stage, and soon thereafter the cofMn was
also placed upon the platform. It was covered with black velvet, fixed
on with nails gilt with gold, and had eight handles similarly gilt ; but it
is said that there was no plate or inscription on the cofRn at this time.
About eleven o'clock the two sheriffs, attended by their officers, made
their appearance, and after inspecting the scaffold, went to the Tower
and demanded the body of Mr Ratcliffe from General Williamson, the
deputy-governor. Being delivered up, he was put into a landau, and
conducted over the wharf, at the end of wiiich he entered a booth lined
with black adjoining the stairs of the scaffold, which had been fitted up
for his reception. After spending about half an hour in devotion, he
proceeded to the scaffold, preceded by the sheriffs, and attended by a
clergyman and some friends. He was dressed in a suit of scarlet, faced
with black velvet trimmed with gold, a gold-laced waistcoat, and wore
a white feather in his hat. When he came upon the scaffold he took a
tender farewell of his friends. He then addressed the executioner, to whom
he presented a purse often guineas. After spending about seven minutes
in prayer on his knees, he rose, and pulling off his clothes, went forward
to the block, on which he placed his head to try how it fitted. He then
spoke to the executioner as if giving him directions, and kneeling down
again, and fixing his head upon the block, in about two minutes he gave
the signal to the executioner, who, as in the case of Balmerino, did not
complete his work till he had given the third blow. The head was re-
ceived in a scarlet cloth. Without the levity of Balmerino, Mr Ratcliffe
displayed the same manly fortitude and contempt of death exhibited by
that unfortunate nobleman. He died, as he had lived, a catholic ; and so
warmly was he attached to the faith of his ancestors, that when some zeal-
ous protestant objected to him, that some of the tenets of his religion were
contrary to reason, he is said to liav(> wished, that for every such tenet,
the belief of which was required liy the church, there were twenty, that