"None, I thank you, good Sir," replied I; "I have money more than
sufficient to reward my gaoler, and to defray my expenses to
Liverpool."
"You have my best thanks and sincere wishes for your happiness. Then I
will not intrude upon you any more, except to give you my address in
case of need. You have made warm friends by your conduct, and if you
ever require their assistance, it will not be withheld."
The priest gave his address upon a piece of paper, and then came to
me.
"Our creeds are not exactly the same, but you will not, my son, refuse
my blessing?" said he, putting his hand upon my head.
"Oh, no," said I, dropping on my knees, "I receive it all in
thankfulness."
"May God bless you, my son," said he, with emotion--and he then
quitted the cell.
What with the previous excitement when my liberation was announced,
and the parting with the kind priest, my feelings were so powerful,
that, as soon as I was alone, I gave vent to them in a flood of tears.
As soon as I was more composed, I rose from the bench, put my
necessaries into my valise, and summoned the gaoler, to whom I made a
handsome present, thanking him for his kindness during my
incarceration. I then shook hands with him, fee'd the turnkey who had
attended upon me, and in a minute more I was clear of the Tower gates.
How my heart heaved when I was once more in the open air.
I looked around me, and perceived that many men were busy in erecting
a scaffolding. My heart sank as I beheld them, as I felt certain what
it was for; but to verify my opinion, I turned to an old woman who had
a sort of stall from which she dispensed mead to the populace, and
inquired of her for what the scaffold was being erected.
"It's for the men who are to be executed to-morrow for aiding the
Jacobites to escape," said she. "Won't your worship take a glass of
mead this morning?"
"I am not thirsty," I replied, as I walked hastily away with my valise
upon my shoulders.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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