John de Lancaster: a novel; vol. III.Cumberland, Richard
General
John de Lancaster: a novel; vol. III.
Cumberland, Richard
Wales, North -- Fiction
He considers himself as a dying man, and from what he hinted at
respecting his avoidance of a public execution, I cannot but suspect
that he has taken means to intercept that punishment. I understand from
my kind friend Major Wilson, that you are apprised of my connection and
peculiar situation with respect to this unhappy man. I therefore flatter
myself you will not be displeased when I inform you, that I have here in
my hand a full confession, every word of which was dictated by him, and
signed in his own hand-writing with his name, of the dreadful crime,
which has made you fatherless, and also of another infamous proceeding
of a complicated nature, respecting a much-injured young woman, daughter
of his uncle’s bard Ap Rees, and now deceased. Under the dreadful
consciousness of these atrocious deeds he is now approaching to his last
hour. Condition more calamitous than this, is not in mortal man to
suffer or conceive.--In a trunk, of which I have the key, there is a
considerable sum of money, raised and amassed by him before and since
his leaving England, as a resource I should suppose against events,
which he had reason to foresee and dread. Out of this money he has
directed me to purchase an annuity for the joint lives of the father and
brother of the poor girl, who was the victim of his cruel and flagitious
passions. Of his mother he speaks with bitterest abhorrence, accusing
her as the incendiary, who inflamed his animosity against you, and
spurred him on to the late horrid act to satisfy her malice and revenge.
She has thrown herself into the convent of Saint Barbara, and by a
letter I am charged with he solemnly adjures her to devote the remnant
of her days to repentance and atonement. This sir, is the sum of what I
am commissioned to report to you, except the last most anxious wish of
his heart, a wish however, which he justly fears you cannot be induced
to grant, though he credits you for charity of the sublimest sort;
namely, that you would condescend to look upon him in his extreme
distress, and suffer him to humble himself before you, though despairing
of forgiveness.
Sir, replied De Lancaster, with the lessons and example of our Heavenly
Master ever before me, it is not in my heart, wounded although it be, to
turn away from this repentant criminal, and not comply with his request,
however painful it must be to grant it. Tell him I’ll come to him within
this hour; nay, if you rather wish it, I am ready at this very minute to
go with you. Perhaps what you conjecture may be true; and, if it be, no
time is to be lost.
This said, the generous youth, without a moment’s loss, took his visitor
by the arm, and with a ready mind, prepared for every trial, hastened to
the melancholy abode, where, upon giving in his name to the officer upon
guard, he was admitted to the wretch, who had been his unrelenting enemy
through life, and had at length completed the full measure of his malice
and atrocity by the murder of his father.
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