le lord, or for any other person whatsoever."
In this Strong Room, however, Lord Cochrane was detained for more
than three weeks. It was partly underground, devoid of ventilation or
necessary warmth, and, according to the testimony of Dr. Buchan, one
of the physicians who visited him in it, "rendered extremely damp and
unpleasant by the exudations coming through the wall."
On being taken to this den immediately after his capture, Lord
Cochrane was informed by Mr. Jones that he would be detained in it for
a short time only, until the apartments over the lobby of the prison
were prepared for his reception. That was done in a few days; but no
intimation of a change was made until the 1st of April, when a message
to that effect was sent to the prisoner. On the following day he
received a letter from Mr. Jones informing him that, if he would
anticipate the payment of the fine of 1000_l._ levied against him, and
would also pledge himself, and give security for the keeping of the
promise, to make no further effort to escape, he might be allowed to
occupy the more comfortable quarters. "It is no new thing," said Lord
Cochrane, "for a prisoner to escape or to be retaken; but to require
of any prisoner a bond and securities not to repeat such escape was,
I think, a proposition without precedent, and such as the marshal knew
could not be complied with by me without humiliation, and therefore
could not be proposed by him without insult. Besides, he had my
assurance that if I were again to quit his custody (which I gave him
no reason to believe I should attempt, and which, as I observed and
believe, it was as easy for me to effect from that room as from any
other part of the prison), I should proceed no further than to the
House of Commons, and that where he found me before he might find me
again; I having had no other object in view than that of expressing,
by some peculiar act, the keen sense which I entertained of _peculiar_
injustice, and of endeavouring to bring such additional proofs of that
injustice before the House as were not in my possession when I was
heard in my defence." Mr. Jones, however, resolved to keep his captive
in the Strong Room, unless he would promise to resign himself to
captivity in a less obnoxious part of the prison.
Even for that negative favour the marshal took great credit to himself
in a document which he issued at the time. "If a humane and kind
concern for this unfortunate nobleman," he there
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