tence," he said, "which at once deprives me of my life and estate, and completes the misfortunes of my wife and innocent children, are so heavy upon my mind, that I am scarcely able to allege what may extenuate my offense, if anything can do it. I have confessed myself guilty; but, my lords, that guilt was rashly incurred without any premeditation." Lord Nairn also pathetically pleaded the cause of his wife and twelve children.

The lord steward having answered, at some length, the arguments advanced by the unfortunate lords, in extenuation of their offense, proceeded to pass on them the awful sentence awarded for high treason. The Lords Derwentwater and Kenmure were beheaded on the same scaffold, on Tower Hill, on the 24th of February, 1716; the Earl of Nithisdale, by means of his heroic countess, contrived to escape from the Tower in female attire; and the Earl of Carnwath, and Lords Widrington and Nairn, after remaining in prison till 1717, were released by the Act of Grace, with the forfeiture of their titles and estates.

The only other event of any interest connected with Westminster Hall, in the reign of George the Second, was the arraignment of the celebrated statesman, Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, for high crimes and misdemeanors, on the 24th of June, 1717. The king, the royal family, and the foreign ambassadors were present; and, with the usual ceremonials, the Earl was conducted from the Tower, and led to the bar. It was the object, however, of the ministry to prevent, if possible, an investigation which was likely to reflect but little credit on their own conduct. By means, therefore, of Mr. Walpole, afterwards Sir Robert, a feigned quarrel was got up between the two Houses, long discussions took place as to the mode of conducting the impeachment and trial; and, at the close of the day, it was declared to be

unlikely in the extreme that they should ever come to a mutual understanding. Accordingly, on the 1st of July, the lords again took their seats in Westminster Hall; the prisoner was called to the bar, and no prosecutors appearing, the Earl was unanimously acquitted, and, after an imprisonment of two years, was restored. to his liberty.

George the Second was crowned in Westminster Abbey, on the 11th of October, 1727, and the banquet was afterwards held in the hall with the usual splendor and formalities. But from the coronation festivities of this uninteresting monarch, we turn with far more interest to the splendid and imposing scene presented by Westminster Hall, when those gallant and devoted followers of the fortunes of Charles Edward, the Earls of Cromartie and Kilmarnoch, and Lord Balmerino, were arraigned as criminals under its roof. At eight o'clock in the morning, on the 28th of July, 1746, they were conducted from the Tower to Westminster, in three coaches, attended by a strong guard of foot soldiers, and as soon as the peers had assembled in Westminster Hall, proclamation was made for their appearance. They were then brought to the bar, preceded by the gentleman jailer, who carried the axe with the blunt part towards them. The usual compliments having passed between the prisoners and the peers, the indictments were read with all the customary formalities.

The trial scene of the insurgent lords is graphically described by Horace Walpole, in one of the most interesting of his charming letters. To Sir Horace Mann he writes, on the 1st of August, 1746: "I am this moment come from the conclusion of the greatest and most melancholy scene I ever yet saw! You will easily guess it was the trials of the rebel lords. As it was the most interesting sight, so it was the most solemn and fine: a

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