The same gentleman waited upon him again, on the 27th of _February_, being the day before that which was appointed for his execution, and, in Admiral _Boscawen_'s name, acquainted him that a respite was arrived for fourteen days. He composedly desired his compliments to Admiral _Boscawen_, with thanks for his intelligence, without appearing in the smallest degree elevated, or even pleased beyond his usual. His friends, on that occasion, represented to him what had passed in the House of Commons, magnified and dwelt upon every favourable circumstance; and, giving themselves up to joy, congratulated him on the certainty of an honourable pardon, which they imagined must follow. He calmly replied, "_I am glad you think so, because it makes you easy and happy; but I think it is now become an affair merely_ political, _without any farther relation to_ right or wrong, justice or injustice; _and therefore I differ in opinion from you_." During all the time of his confinement, his comportment was uniformly the same; almost always chearful, sometimes, with decency, facetious. This gave rise to a rumour that he expected a pardon, or meditated an escape; which was most industriously propagated, to lessen the merit of his behaviour, by the same instruments that had been always made use of to wrest every circumstance to his disadvantage, and asperse him. Some of those _wretches_ were employed, during his trial, to send up to town, for the newspapers, _false minutes_ of the evidence; and to pick out such passages as could be made to bear a harsh construction, or, by _sophistical_ comments, be brought to carry the appearance of _guilt_, in order to inflame the people, already prepossessed by similar practices. The unwary were prejudiced by these arts, and joined in the cry against him; but he defeated the further designs of his enemies, by preserving the same equanimity to the last. The nearer approach of death made no change in his manner. He had divine service performed in the morning by the chaplain of the _Monarque_, and usually spent the remainder of the day in conversation with his friends; and sometimes in regulating his private family-affairs, when any thing occurred to his memory as not properly settled agreeable to his intention. On _Saturday_ the 12th of _March_, in the evening, when his friends were going on shore as usual, he took leave of his two nephews in a tender manner, and desired they would not come on board to him again, lest any immoderate grief in them should soften him.