A genuine & authentic Account of the Behaviour of Dr Archibald Cameron, at the place of Execution, on Thursday, June 7th, 1753. By an Eye and Ear Witness.

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1754 (1754)
A genuine &and authentic Account
of the Behaviour of Dr Archi-
bald Cameron, at the place
of Execution, on Thursday, June
7th, 1753. By an Eye and
Ear ✝ Witness.

When this Gentleman came to the
place of Execution, he looked on the
Officers &and Spectators with an undaunt-
ed &and composed Countenance; and, as
soon as he was unloosed from the
Sledge, he started up, and, with an
heroic Deportment, steptstepped up into
the Cart, by the Help of one of his
Executioners; whence looking roundaround,
with Unconcern, on all the awful
Apparatus of Death, he smiled:
and seeing theX Clergyman that at-tended

✝X
The RevdtReverend Mr James Falconar, a Scots
nonjurant episcopal Clergyman, residing in Lon-
don, &and who attended the Doctor the last four days
of his Life. — Mr Falconar writes thus to me
R. F. (London, AugtAugust 10. 1753) inter alia, “May you
“nor I nor none we wish well or who wish us well,
“ever have such anoyranother Scene to act as I had on ytthat
“melancholy yet glorious Occasion. I was obliged
“(indeed by his own Desire) to go to the very Gal-
“lows wtwith my ever dear Friend, And I had
“almost rather been hanged with him than be
“Witness to his Death but he kept up my Spi-
“rits, ^or otherwise I should never have been
“able to go through with my Office, &and c.”
1755(1755)
tended him coming up the Steps, he
came forward to meet him, &and endeav-
oured, with his fettered Hands, to
help him up, saying “So — are you
“come? This is a glorious Day to
“me! ‘Tisit is my new Birth-Day; there
“are more Witnesses at this Birth,
“than were at my first.” The Clergy-
man asked him how he did: He
said, “Thank God, I am very
“well, but a little fatigued with my
“Journey; but, blessed be God, I am
“now come to the End of it.”

On hearing one of the Gentle-
men, who presided at the Execution,
ask the Clergyman whether he would
be long about his Office, Dr Cameron
immediately took the Word, &and said,
He required but ^very little Time, for it
was but disagreeable being there, &and
he was as impatient to be gone
as they were. The Clergyman
then asked the Gentleman who
had Spoke, whether he was the
✝Sheriff; and, on his being answered
in the Affirmative, he told him, Dr
Cameron’s Business there would
be chiefly with him; that he had something

✝
Mr Missen, Deputy-Sheriff of Middlesex.
1756 (1756)
something to communicate to him,
if he would take The Trouble
to come near; which he very rea-
dily complied with, &and endeavoured
to bring his Horse close to the Cart:
But finding the Horse a little un-
ruly, &and that he could not hear
what the Doctor said, by Reason
of the Noise of the Multitude,
he beckoned with his Hand for
Silence, but to no purpose;
whereupon he very obligingly a-
lighted, &and came up the Steps,
and, with great Civility &and Atten-
tion, listened to the Doctor, who
spoke to this purpose.

“Sir, you see a Fellow-Subject just
“going to pay his last Debt✝ to his
“King &and CountryX. I the more chear-
“fully resign my Life, as it is taken
“from me for doing my Duty accor-
“ding to my Conscience. I freely for-
“give all my Enemies, &and those who
“are instrumental in taking away my Life
✝ X
These words,to his King &and Country, were
omitted by the Newsmongers; for qchwhich Reason
the foresdforesaid Mr Falconar caused print off the
Account of the Behaviour by it selfitself, in two
8voOctavo Leaves (which see) &and insert the above
Words.
— See Scots Magazine for 1753,
May, pag. 251. June, pag. 279 &and 305.
1757 (1757)
“Life. I thank God, I die in Cha-
“rity with all Mankind.

“As to my Religion, I die a Sted-
“faststeadfast ( though unworthy) Member of
“that Church, in which I have al-
“ways lived, the Church of England,
in whose Communion I hope (thro’through
“the Merits of my blessed Saviour)
“for Forgiveness of my Sins, for
“which I am heartily sorry.

“The Custom of delivering
“Something in writing on such Occa-
“sions as this, I should ~~have~~ wil-
“lingly ^have complied with, had not my
“uncommon hard Usage, even after
“Sentence, put it out of my Power,
“being denied the Use of Pen, Ink
“&and Paper, except in the Presence
“of some of my Keepers. But qtwhat
“I intend my Country should be in-
“formed of, with Regard to my dy-
“ing Sentiments, I have, by yethe means
“of a blunt Pencil, endeavoured to
“set down on some Slips of Paper, as
“I could come by them, in as legible
“Characters as I was able; &and these
“I have left in the Hands of my
“Wife, charging her, on her Duty
“to her dying Husband, to transmit
with 1758 (1758)

“with all convenient Speed, a faith-
“ful Transcript of them to you, &and I
“am confident, She will honoura-
“bly discharge the Trust.” ✝

He then told the Sheriff, he would
presume no longer upon his Pati-
ence; but the Sheriff, with Looks
that bespoke a great deal of Concern,
&and with much good Nature, begged, he
would take as much Time as he
pleased, for they would wait till
he was ready 1. The Doctor thanked
him. — Then turning to the Cler-
gyman, he said, I have now done
with this World, &and am ready to leave
it.

He joined heartily in the Com-
mendatory Prayer, &and c. then repeated
some Ejaculations out of the Psalms:
After which he embraced the Cler-
gyman, &and took Leave of him.

P. S. As the Clergyman was go-
ing down from the Cart, he had like
to have missed the Steps, which the
Doctor observing, called out to him,
with a chearfulcheerful Tone of Voice, say-ing

✝
Which Mrs Cameron most faithfully performed,
sending along with it a Letter from herself.
1759(1759)
ing, “Take Care how you go. I think,
“you don’t know this Way so well as
“I do.

N. B. Leith, Saturday, AugtAugust 25th,
1753. I R. F. received from the hands
of the RevdtReverend Mr George Cheyne a
Copy of Dr Cameron’s last &and dying
Words, as also a Copy of his Let-
ter to his Son, both in Manu-
script, &and likewise a printed
Copy of the Dr’sDoctor’s Behaviour at
the Place of Execution; all qchwhich
three Papers were transmitted
to me from the foresaid RevdtReverend
Mr James Falconar through
the said Mr Cheyne’s Hands,
&and were (soon after) printed at
EdrEdinburgh in one sheet 8voOctavo, qchwhich see.

The marginal Notes at the Foot
of Pag. 1743, 1746, 1747, 1748, &and 1751
I took down in writing from Mr
Cheyne’s own Mouth, as he had
them from the mouth of said
Mr James Falconar.

Robert Forbes, A. M.
Copy

Date
Person	Reverend James Falconar
Place