At the close of his examination, when asked if he would subscribe his
Testimony, he did so, with protestation that he subscribed it as his
testimony, but not as recognizing the authority of his judges. When
condemned to be executed in the Grassmarket, on the Friday following, he
was asked by the Justice General if he desired a longer time, he
declared, "It was all one to him; if the time was protracted, it was
welcome; if it was shortened, it was welcome too;--his Master's time was
the best." Without his knowledge he was reprieved for ten days, till the
17th of February, as the persecutors were to some degree sated with
blood, and perhaps somewhat troubled in conscience by the demeanor of
the youthful confessor. After his condemnation was pronounced, many
attempts were made to shake his constancy. Several petitions were
written for him, but he refused resolutely to sign any of them. It was
at one time proposed to him, that his dropping a few drops of ink on
paper would be sufficient: this however, he promptly refused, alleging
that it would be so far an owning of wicked authority, and a
renunciation of his whole testimony.

His friends were denied access to him in prison; paper and ink were
removed from him, and also part of his dying testimony which he had
written. Others--persons in authority--prelates, curates, and popish
priests visited him. His Christian firmness resisted all their attempts
to make him swerve from his principles; while several of them were
struck and overawed by the power of his singular wisdom, gentleness, and
unaffected goodness. Viscount Tarbet, a man of intellect, but noted for
his lax accommodating principles, said of Renwick, after several times
visiting him, "He was the stiffest maintainer of his principles that
ever came before us. Others we used always to cause at one time or other
to waver; but him we could never move. We could never make him yield nor