But sentence was deferred till next term.

October came round, but Defoe did not appear to receive his sentence.

He had made his peace with the Government, upon "capitulations" of which chance has preserved the record in his own handwriting.

He represented privately to Lord Chief Justice Parker that he had always been devoted to the Whig interest, and that any seeming departure from it had been due to errors of judgment, not to want of attachment.

Whether the Whig leaders believed this representation we do not know, but they agreed to pardon "all former mistakes" if he would now enter faithfully into their service.