DId not people not onely wilfully ne­glect all means of Grace, and smother convictions of Conscience, but also a­bandon all the dictates of Reason, and considerations of their own Interest even in this world, and give themselves wholly up to the conduct of Satan, to be hurried on by his temptations to the most dangerous and de­structive Attempts, one would never imagine, that after so many Monthly Examples as this Ci­ty affords, of persons bringing themselves to shameful and untimely Ends by unjust and wic­ked Courses, any should be at once so impiously and foolishly bold as to follow the same Courses till they involve themselves in the like miserable and deplorable Fate.

At the late Sessions, holden for London and Middlesex the 25th and 26th of April, no less than Nine persons received Sentence of death; of [Page 4] whom Five were old notorious Offenders; and though often they had obtained the favour of the Clergy, and some the mercy of Pardons, yet still they persisted in their lewdness: However, Two of them that seemed the least incourrigible, were once more graciously redeem'd from that destru­ction they had precipitated themselves into: And may their suture lives, thus given them as a Prey, and saved as a Brand pluck'd out of the fire, be spent in honest Industry and Employment, that they may prove worthy of such Reprieve; for assuredly if they do not repent, and turn from these wicked practices, they will shortly again stand in need of Mercy, which will then refuse to hear their Complaints, and deliver them up to Death according to Justice.

One of the other Four was Condemned for murthering her Bastard-Childe, which she most unnaturally kill'd and hid in her bed for some days, till the same was discovered by one that came to visit her. As she denied her murthering of it at the Bar, so she persisted in that negative to Master Ordinary and other Ministers since she received Sentence, alleadging that it was Still­born; or at least, contracted its death as soon as ever it saluted the light, by an accidental fall: However, the Law, to prevent such pretences which in all Cases of that kind might be made, obliging the woman immediately after to Cry out, and she failing therein, and as 'tis shrewdly appa­rent by Circumstances, was the principal Author of its destruction, she was condemned to die, and [Page 5] this day executed at Tyburn according to Sen­tence.

Three others, as the Crime they suffered for was the first they were known to have commit­ted; so was it so strange and heinous, as scarce ever to have been done by any body but them­selves: so that we may say, They died Presi­dents of Punishment, for a Crime unpresidented. These were the two Brothers and Sister of En­field, who so barbarously mangled Jane King, to whom Robert, one of the Brothers, pretended Love; but after a long acquaintance, being Fellow-Servants together, she refused to have him: whereupon his treacherous Love turned to Hatred and Malice, instigated (as 'tis supposed) chiefly thereunto by this unhappy Sister, with whom and his Brother he lays a Plot to disfigure her; maliciously and enviously designing, that because she would not accept of him, they would render her so deformed, that she her self should not be acceptable to any other person. In pursuance whereof, on the 20th of February last about 8 of the clock in the evening, Robert and Jane being only up, and their aged Master in bed, some [...] [...]alls Robert by his name at the back-door, which [...] immediately opens; and then comes in the Sister and Brother, the later of whom seizes upon Jane and holds her, while the former barbarous Fury cuts her Eye so lamentably that she has utterly lost the use of it; mangles her Nose in a dismal manner, insomuch that two bones were taken out of it; her Tongue she slit, [Page 6] and almost cut off both her Lips; and also gave her a wound and two slabs in the Neck, and se­veral slashes on the Arm, &c. And having dis­patch'd this unheard of Cruelty, left her for dead, and went home; who being gone, Robert cries out Murther and Thieves; and Neighbours coming in, pretends to be knock'd down, &c. but it pleas'd God that Jane, after three or four days, recovered her senses and then declared who had abused her, and fully proved the same at the Sessions; whereupon they were all Con­demned according to the Statute in that Case made and provided.

Yet did they all persist in the denial of the Fact, after their Condemnation, even to the day of their Death: nor would all Perswasions or Admoniti­ons of several Ministers that came to visit them, get any acknowledgement that they had any hand in it. Though on the Sunday they carried themselves very attentively in the Chappel, and a great part of the Sermon was to perswade the necessity of Confession in order to their Souls health, yet they could not be prevailed upon; only on the Munday Margaret seemed a little unusually troubled, and delared, That she had something lay upon her Conscience, and desired she might speak with a Minister in private; whereupon a Minister was sent for, who took her aside, and hoping then she would have made an ingenuous Discovery, press'd her with all imagi­nable Arguments, but to no purpose: For she told him, she knew nothing of it; whereupon [Page 7] he as'd her, What it was she said troubled her, and lay upon her Conscience, for which she de­sired to speak with a Minister by her self: To which, all the answer that he could get was, That she had, when she said so, something in her head, but now she had forgot it.

David Hackley having been before burn'd in the hand, &c. after his Sentence, appeared very seriously concern'd; and whereas he had for­merly occasion'd much trouble to a Gentleman that had been his Master, and hired Sadler and others to accuse and swear against him for several matters, endeavouring what they could malici­ously to have taken away his life, had not their wickedness been frustrated by Providence, he now (I say) did freely confess, That all that Pro­secution was malicious and groundless, and that he was chief Designer and Confederate in carry­ing on the same: For which he ask'd God and his Master forgiveness; declaring, That he was heartily sorry for the same, especially that he should draw in others, and provoke them to swear notorious untruths, which he was afraid they had never sincerely repented of before their deaths.

Of the other two Prisoners we have little to say, but only that as they liv'd incorrigible, and would take no warning by several Con­victions; so it is to be fear'd they died so too, at least for any publick signes of Re­pentance, [Page 8] which might testifie the contra­ry.

By the Christian favour of the Court, they were allowed time to prepare for Death until the 4th of May; at which time they were carried to Tyburn, and after the usual Prayers, without any considerable or remar­kable Speeches, but only requesting the Prayers of all good People present, they were Executed according to Law.