When INGS returned from the Council-chamber, he resumed his seat with great sullenness; and as soon as the officers had replaced his handcuffs, he and Thistlewood entered into conversation with great eagerness. Thistlewood spoke almost in a whisper; but Ings was more loud; and, at the close of their conference, he ejaculated, as if talking to himself, but loud enough to be heard by all in the room--“It is want of food which has brought us here. Death--death would be a pleasure to me--I would sooner be hanged this instant, than turned into the street there; for I should not know where to get a bit of bread for my family; and if I had fifty necks, I’d rather have them all broken, one after the other, than see my children starve!” PRESTON continued very talkative and lofty. He seemed bursting with impatience to go before the Council; raising himself from his chair every time the door opened, in hope of being the next called; then sinking back into his seat with vexation and disappointment, and exclaiming, “Oh! how I long to go up! My _genus_ is so great just now, I don’t think there is any man alive has so great a _genus_ as mine is at this moment.” Then he would pore upon the ground for a minute or two in deep cogitation; and at length break out into the following soliloquy:--“If it is the will of the Author of the World that I should perish in the cause of freedom--his will, and not mine, be done! It would be quite a triumph to me!--Quite a triumph to me!”--at the same time throwing his arms about in a manner which savoured strongly of insanity. It was not, however, his fate to be called before the council at all at this time; though, when Thistlewood and some others expressed regret that they had not applied to have their families admitted to see them--he desired them very pompously to make themselves quite easy upon that head, for he would take care to mention it in his speech to their Lordships. Immediately after the prisoners had all been called in, an express was sent off to Captain J. H. Elrington, fort-major of the Tower of London, directing him to prepare for the immediate reception of ten state prisoners. The whole of the examinations having been brought to a conclusion, the council proceeded to deliberate upon the course which was to be adopted with respect to each individual case. They remained thus engaged for nearly two hours. During this interval the crowd in front of the office greatly increased, and the most anxious entreaties were made to be permitted to see the conspirators. These were in most cases ineffectual. Only a few noblemen were permitted to enter, including lord Westmoreland, lord Stair, and some others.