lover, is extracted from Washington Irving's "Sketch Book," in which it
appears under the title of "The Broken Heart." It is rather long, but
its beauty will amply repay the trouble of its perusal:--
"Every one must recollect the tragical story of young E----, the Irish
patriot; it was too touching to be soon forgotten. During the troubles
in Ireland he was tried, condemned, and executed, on a charge of
treason. His fate made a deep impression on public sympathy. He was so
young--so intelligent--so generous--so brave--so everything that we are
apt to like in a young man. His conduct under trial, too, was so lofty
and intrepid! The noble indignation with which he repelled the charge of
treason against his country--the eloquent vindication of his name--and
his pathetic appeal to posterity, in the hopeless hour of
condemnation--all these entered deeply into every generous bosom, and
even his enemies lamented the stern policy that dictated his execution.
"But there was one heart, whose anguish it would be impossible to
describe. In happier days and fairer fortunes, he had won the affections
of a beautiful and interesting girl, the daughter of a late celebrated
Irish barrister. She loved him with the disinterested fervour of a
woman's first and early love. When every worldly maxim arrayed itself
against him; when blasted in fortune, and disgrace and danger darkened
around his name, she loved him the more ardently for his very
sufferings. If, then, his fate could awaken the sympathy even of his
foes, what must have been the agony of her whose soul was occupied by
his image! Let those tell who have had the portals of the tomb suddenly
closed between them and the being they most loved on earth--who have sat
at its threshold, as one shut out in a cold and lonely world, from
whence all that was most lovely and loving had departed.
"But then the horrors of such a grave! so frightful, so dishonoured!
There was nothing for memory to dwell on that could soothe the pang of
separation--none of those tender, though melancholy circumstances, that
endear the parting scene--nothing to melt sorrow into those blessed
tears, sent, like the dews of heaven, to revive the heart in the
parching hour of anguish.
"To render her widowed situation more desolate, she had incurred her
father's displeasure by her unfortunate attachment, and was an exile
from the paternal roof. But could the sympathy and kind offices of
friends have reached a spirit so shocked and driven in by horror, she
would have experienced no want of consolation; for the Irish are a
people of quick and generous sensibilities. The most delicate and
cherishing attentions were paid her by families of wealth and
distinction. She was led into society, and they tried by all kinds of
occupation and amusement to dissipate her grief, and wean her from the
tragical story of her lover. But it was all in vain. There are some
strokes of calamity that scathe and scorch the soul--that penetrate to
the vital seat of happiness--and blast it, never again to put forth bud
or blossom. She never objected to frequent the haunts of pleasure, but
she was as much alone there as in the depth of solitude. She walked
about in a sad reverie, apparently unconscious of the world around her.
She carried with her an inward woe that mocked at all the blandishments
of friendship, and 'heeded not the song of the charmer, charm he never
so wisely.'
"The person who told me her story had seen her at a masquerade. There
can be no exhibition of far-gone wretchedness more striking and painful
than to meet it in such a scene. To find it wandering like a spectre,
lonely and joyless, where all around is gay--to see it dressed out in
the trappings of mirth, and looking so wan and woe-begone, as if it had
tried in vain to cheat the poor heart into a momentary forgetfulness of
sorrow. After strolling through the splendid rooms and giddy crowd with
an utter air of abstraction, she sat herself down on the steps of an
orchestra, and looking about some time with a vacant air, that showed
her insensibility of the garish scene, she began, with the
capriciousness of a sickly heart, to warble a little plaintive air. She
had an exquisite voice; but on this occasion it was so simple, so
touching, it breathed forth such a soul of wretchedness, that she drew a
crowd mute and silent around her, and melted every one into tears.
"The story of one so true and tender could not but excite great interest
in a country remarkable for enthusiasm. It completely won the heart of a
brave officer, who paid his addresses to her, and thought that one so
true to the dead could not but prove affectionate to the living. She
declined his attentions, for her thoughts were irrevocably engrossed by
the memory of her former lover. He, however, persisted in his suit. He
solicited not her tenderness, but her esteem. He was assisted by her
conviction of his worth, and her sense of her own destitute and
dependent situation; for she was existing on the kindness of her
friends. In a word, he at length succeeded in gaining her hand, though
with the solemn assurance that her heart was unalterably another's.
"He took her with him to Sicily, hoping that a change of scene might
wear out the remembrance of early woes. She was an amiable and exemplary
wife, and made an effort to be a happy one; but nothing could cure the
silent and devouring melancholy that had entered into her very soul. She
wasted away in a slow, but hopeless decline; and at length sank into the
grave, the victim of a broken heart."
COLONEL EDWARD MARCUS DESPARD, JOHN FRANCIS, JOHN WOOD, AND OTHERS.
EXECUTED FOR HIGH TREASON.
The professed object of the plot, in which these misguided men were
engaged, was neither more or less than the overthrow of the Government,
and the destruction of the Royal Family.
The men, who were found guilty of being concerned in the project, were
Edward Marcus Despard, aged fifty, a colonel in the army; John Francis,
a private soldier, aged twenty-three; John Wood, a private soldier, aged
thirty-six; Thomas Broughton, a carpenter, aged twenty-six; James
Sedgwick Wratton, a shoemaker, aged thirty-five; John Macnamara, a
carpenter, aged fifty; and Arthur Graham, a slater, aged fifty-three.
Colonel Despard, the ill-starred leader of the conspirators, was
descended from a very ancient and respectable family, in the Queen's
County in Ireland. He was the youngest of six brothers, all of whom,
except the eldest, had served their country, either in the army or navy.
In 1766 he entered the army as an ensign in the 5th regiment; and he
afterwards served in the same regiment as a lieutenant; and in the 79th
he successively held rank as lieutenant, quarter-master,
captain-lieutenant, and captain. From his superior officers he received
many marks of approbation, particularly from General Calcraft, of the
50th, General Meadows, and the Duke of Northumberland. He had been, for
the last twenty years before his execution, detached from any particular
corps, and intrusted with important offices.
In 1779, he was appointed chief engineer to the St. Juan expedition, and
conducted himself so as to obtain distinguished praise. He also received
the thanks of the council and assembly of Jamaica, for the construction
of public works there, and was, in consequence of these services,
appointed, by the governor of Jamaica, to be commander-in-chief of the
island of Rattan and its dependencies, and of the troops there; and to
rank as lieutenant-colonel and field-engineer; and he commanded, as
such, on the Spanish Main in Rattan, and on the Musquito shore, and Bay
of Honduras. After this, at Cape Gracias á Dios, he put himself at the
head of the inhabitants, who voluntarily solicited him to take the
command, and retook from the Spaniards Black River, the principal
settlement of the coast. For this service he received the thanks of the
governor, council, and assembly of Jamaica, and of the king himself. In
1783, he was promoted to the rank of colonel. In 1784, he was appointed
first commissioner for settling and receiving the territory ceded to
Britain by the sixth article of the definitive treaty of peace with
Spain, in 1783; and he so well discharged his duty as colonel, that he
was appointed superintendant of his majesty's affairs on the coast of
Honduras, which office he held much to the advantage of the crown of
England, for he obtained from that of Spain some very important
privileges. The clashing interests, however, of the inhabitants of this
coast produced much discontent, and the colonel was, by a party of them,
accused of various misdemeanours to his majesty's ministers.
He now came home, and demanded that his conduct should be investigated;
but, after two years' constant attendance on all the departments of
government, he was at last told by the ministers, that there was no
charge against him worthy of notice, and that his Majesty had thought
proper to abolish the office of superintendant at Honduras, otherwise he
should have been reinstated in it; but he was then, and on every
occasion, assured, that his services should not be forgotten, but that
they should, in due time, meet their reward.
Irritated by continued disappointments, he began to vent his indignation
in an unguarded manner, and thus rendering himself liable to suspicion,
he was for a considerable time confined in Cold Bath-fields' Prison,
under the provisions of the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act, then recently
passed. On his liberation it was found that his passions were not cooled
by the imprisonment which he had undergone; and inflamed against the
government himself, he at length succeeded in gaining over to his views
others whose causes of complaint were even more trivial than those of
their leader. Their proceeding soon became so notorious, that it was
determined that the existence of the society which they had formed was
no longer consistent with public safety; and in consequence of
representations which were made, a search-warrant was issued, which was
placed in the hands of the police for execution. A strong body of
constables having assembled, they all proceeded to the Oakley Arms,
Oakley-street, Lambeth, where they found and apprehended Colonel Despard
and about forty other persons assembled in a room together, the greater
part of whom were men of indifferent character, and of low station in
life. The prisoners were on the following day carried to Union Hall, to
be examined by the magistrates sitting there; and in the end Colonel
Despard, and thirty-two of his companions, were committed to
Horsemonger-lane Gaol to await the final and determinate investigation
of their cases before a jury.
For the better and more effectual trial of the prisoners, a special
commission was issued, by virtue of which they were arraigned, on
indictments which had been found against them, on the 7th February,
1803.
The first case gone into was that of Despard, and the indictment having
been read, the case for the prosecution was opened by the
attorney-general; and he stated that the prisoners had formed a society,
the object of which was to overturn the government. His Majesty having
intended to meet his Parliament a week earlier than he actually did,
namely, on the 16th January instead of on the 23rd, the society proposed
on that day to carry out their plan, which was in the first instance to
lay a restraint upon the King's person, and to destroy him. They
frequently attempted to seduce soldiers into their club, and on any of
them being persuaded to join them, they administered false oaths to
them, and gave them copies of the oath, in order that they might
endeavour to make proselytes in their turn. Among others thus gained
over was one Windsor, but soon after he had joined he became
dissatisfied, and gave information of the conspiracy to a Mr. Bonus, to
whom he showed a copy of the oath, but by the advice of that gentleman,
he remained a member of the society with the design of learning whether
there were any persons of note among its members. On the Friday before
the intended assassination of the King, a meeting was held, at which
Broughton, the prisoner, prevailed upon two of the associates to go to
the Flying Horse, Newington, where they would meet with a "nice man,"
and it turned out that the person so described was Colonel Despard.
The witnesses were then examined; and after proof of the apprehension of
the prisoners, as described already, had been given, and the printed
papers which had been found, and which contained the form of the oath,
&c., had been read, Thomas Windsor, the chief witness, was called.
He deposed as to the manner in which he took the oath, the effect of
which was to bind him to support the views of the society in opposition
to the King and his Government, and then proceeded to detail the plan
which was proposed to be put into execution. Despard was the leader and
director of the whole proceedings; and he recommended that the proposed
attack should be made on that day when his Majesty went to open
Parliament. The object was to seize the person of the King; and Despard
declared that "he had weighed the matter well, and that his heart was
callous, and the King must be put to death." When the murder of his
Majesty had been effected, the mail-coaches were to be stopped, so as to
convey information to the agents of the plotters in the country of what
had occurred; and then a simultaneous rising was to take place. The
witness was to be engaged as an active party in the proceedings of the
conspirators, and he was desired by the prisoner to meet him on
Tower-hill, with some comrades, who were desirous of joining the
society, to consider the best mode of surprising the Tower and securing
the arms. Accompanied by the prisoner Wood therefore, and two other men,
he went to the Tiger public-house, Tower-hill, where Despard soon joined
them. The determination to destroy the reigning monarch was then again
mentioned by Despard; and after a long discussion, it was agreed that
Wood, whose turn it would be to stand sentry in the Park, near the great
gun, should fire into the King's carriage. Before this diabolical
design, however, could be carried into execution, the parties to the
plot were apprehended.
Mr. Serjeant Best and Mr. Gurney, who were retained as counsel for
Despard, severally addressed the jury on his behalf, contending that the
testimony of Windsor was of such a character as to be entitled to no
belief; and they then called Lord Nelson, Sir A. Clarke, and Sir E.
Nepean, all of whom bore testimony to the character of the prisoner as a
zealous and gallant officer. Lord Ellenborough, however, having summed
up the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of Guilty, but earnestly
recommended the prisoner to mercy, on account of his previous good
character, and the services he had rendered to his country.
The other prisoners were subsequently tried, and twelve of them
convicted upon the same evidence, three of whom were recommended to
mercy.
On the prisoners being brought up to receive judgment, Colonel Despard,
who had hitherto invariably preserved a strict silence, declared his
innocence of the charge imputed to him of seducing the soldiers, and
urged that the jury ought not to have convicted him upon such evidence
as had been adduced.
The sentence was then pronounced upon them as traitors in the usual
form; and on Saturday the 19th of February, information was received
that the warrant of execution, authorising their being hanged on the
Monday following, was made out, a portion of their sentence, namely, the
taking out and burning of the bowels, being remitted. It was sent to the
keeper of the New Gaol in the Borough, at six o'clock on Saturday
evening, and included the names already given, three other prisoners,
named Newman, Tyndal and Lander, being respited. As soon as the warrant
for execution was received, it was communicated to the unhappy persons
by the keeper of the prison; when Colonel Despard observed that the time
was short, yet he had not had, from the first, any strong expectation
that the recommendation of the jury would be effectual. The mediation of
Lord Nelson, and a petition to the crown, were tried; but Colonel
Despard was convinced, according to report, that they would be
unavailing. Mrs. Despard, who was a native of the Bay of Honduras, was
greatly affected when she first heard his fate was sealed; but she
afterwards recovered her fortitude, and bore up with great firmness at
parting with her husband.
The other prisoners bore their doom with equal fortitude, but conducted
themselves with less solemnity than the colonel. Their wives were
allowed to take a farewell of them on the same day, and the scene was
truly distressing.
At day-light on Sunday morning, the drop, scaffold, and gallows, on
which they were to be executed, were erected on the top of the gaol. All
the Bow-street patrol, and many other peace-officers, were on duty all
day and night; and a large body of the military was drawn up close to
it.
On the following morning, Monday the 21st of February, 1803, at
half-past six o'clock, the prison bell rang--the signal for unlocking
the cells. At seven, Broughton, Francis, Graham, Wood, and Wratton went
into the chapel with the Rev. Mr. Winkworth. They attended to the
prayers with great earnestness, but at the same time without seeming to
lose that firmness which they had displayed since their trial. Before
they received the sacrament, four of them confessed they had done wrong,
but not to the extent charged against them by the evidence. The fifth,
Graham, said that he was innocent of the charges brought against him;
but he admitted that he had attended two meetings, the second at the
instigation of Francis.
For some time the clergyman refused to administer the sacrament to
Francis, because he persisted in declaring he had been guilty of no
crime. The clergyman said to him, "You admit you attended meetings?" He
answered, "Yes." "You knew they were for the purpose of overturning the
constitution of the country? I by no means wish you to enter into
particulars. I only wish you to acknowledge generally." Francis
rejoined, "I admit I have done wrong in attending those meetings;" and
the sacrament was then administered to them.
Colonel Despard and Macnamara were then brought down from their cells,
their irons knocked off, and their arms bound with ropes. On observing
the sledge and apparatus the colonel smilingly cried out, "Ha! ha! what
nonsensical mummery is this!"
When the awful procession began, which was at half-past eight o'clock
precisely, Macnamara was the first that came out. Colonel Despard was
the last that appeared. He stept into the hurdle with much fortitude,
having an executioner on the right and on the left, on the same seat,
with naked cutlasses. He was thus conducted to the outer lodge, whence
he ascended the staircase leading to the place of execution. The
prisoners were preceded by the sheriff, Sir R. Ford, the clergyman, Mr.
Winkworth, and the Roman Catholic clergyman, Mr. Griffith.
Coffins, or shells, which had been previously placed in a room under the
scaffold, were then brought up, and placed on the platform, on which the
drop was erected; a bag of sawdust, to catch the blood when the heads
were severed from the bodies, was placed beside them. The block was near
the scaffold. There were about a hundred spectators on the platform,
among whom were some persons of distinction, but the greatest order was
observed.
Macnamara was the first on the platform; and when the cord was placed
round his neck, he exclaimed, "Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me! O Lord,
look down with pity upon me!" The populace were much struck by his
appearance. Graham came second; he looked pale and ghastly, but spoke
not; Wratton was the third; he ascended the scaffold with much firmness.
Broughton, who was the fourth, joined in prayer with much earnestness.
Wood was the fifth, and Francis the sixth. They were all equally
composed.
Colonel Despard ascended the scaffold with great firmness, and his
countenance underwent not the slightest change while the awful ceremony
of fastening the rope round his neck, and placing the cap on his head,
was performing; he even assisted the executioner in adjusting the rope;
and looked at the multitude with perfect calmness.
The clergyman, who ascended the scaffold after the prisoners were tied
up, spoke to him a few words as he passed, and the colonel bowed and
thanked him. The ceremony of fastening the prisoners being finished, the
colonel advanced, as near as he could, to the edge of the scaffold, and
made the following speech to the multitude:--
"Fellow Citizens,--I come here, as you see, after having served my
country--faithfully, honourably, and usefully served it, for thirty
years and upwards--to suffer death upon a scaffold for a crime of which
I protest I am not guilty. I solemnly declare that I am no more guilty
of it than any of you who may be now hearing me. But, though his
Majesty's ministers know as well as I do that I am not guilty, yet they
avail themselves of a legal pretext to destroy a man, because he has
been a friend to truth, to liberty, and justice----" [There was a
considerable huzza from part of the populace the nearest to him,
but who, from the height of the scaffold from the ground, could
not, for a certainty, distinctly hear what was said. The colonel
proceeded]----"because he has been a friend to the poor and distressed.
But, citizens, I hope and trust, notwithstanding my fate, and the fate
of those who no doubt will soon follow me, that the principles of
freedom, of humanity, and of justice, will finally triumph over
falsehood, tyranny, and delusion, and every principle hostile to the
interests of the human race. And now, having said this, I have little
more to add----" [The colonel's voice seemed to falter a little here--he
paused a moment, as if he had meant to say something more, but had
forgotten it. He then concluded in the following manner.] "I have little
more to add, except to wish you all health, happiness, and freedom,
which I have endeavoured, as far as was in my power, to procure for you
and for mankind in general."
The Colonel generally spoke in a firm and audible tone of voice, and
left off sooner than was expected. There was no public expression of
feeling at the conclusion of his address.
As soon as he had ceased speaking, the clergyman prayed with the other
prisoners, and after a few minutes he shook each by the hand. The
executioners then pulled the caps over the faces of the unhappy men, and
having quitted the scaffold, the signal was immediately afterwards
given, and the drop fell. The Colonel had not one struggle; twice he
opened and shut his hands, convulsively, and he stirred no more.
Macnamara, Graham, Wood, and Wratton were motionless after a few
struggles, but Broughton and Francis were much convulsed for some time
after their companions had ceased to live.
After they had hung for about half an hour, and when they were quite
dead, they were cut down. Colonel Despard was the first who was removed
from the gallows; his body was placed upon sawdust, and his head upon a
block; and after his coat had been taken off, his head was severed from
his body by persons engaged on purpose to perform that ceremony. The
executioner then took the head by the hair, and carrying it to the edge
of the parapet on the right hand, held it up to the view of the
populace, and exclaimed "This is the head of a traitor, Edward Marcus
Despard." The same ceremony was performed on the parapet at the left
hand. There was some hooting and hissing when the colonel's head was
exhibited. His remains were now put into the shell that had been
prepared for them.
The other prisoners were afterwards successively cut down, their heads
severed from their bodies, and exhibited to the populace, with the same
exclamation of, "This is the head of another traitor:" and the bodies
were put into their different shells, and delivered to their friends for
interment.