The Last SPEECH AND CONFESSION OF Edward Altham, Who was Executed at TYBURN, ON Friday the Twentieth of this Instant July, 1688. for a Rape committed upon the Body of Ruth Ewbanck, a Girl about Nine Years of Age.
THis Day Edward Altham was conveyed in a Coach from Newgate to Tyburn, in order to be Executed there. Upon his Tryal in the Old-Baily, he utterly Deny'd the Fact, altho' it was very fully and clearly Prov'd upon him by several very plain Evidence; besides the Girl confidently affirming that he was the Person that Lay with her, he being a near Neighbour to her Father, one Mr. Ewbanck, in or near Old-Jury, London. Also one of the Evidence saw him in the Room where the Girl cry'd out, after she had so cried out, where he laid her upon the Bed, and made the Rape upon her.
He had the benefit of Mr. Ordinary of Newgate, and other Ministers coming to him after he was Condemn'd, who oftentimes visited him in Prison, in order to prepare him for his future State, but could by no means work any thing upon him, whereby to make him Confess the [Page 2] Crime, altho' the Horridness of it was laid open before him. But to the very last Breath, even when the Cart was draw'd away, he Denied the Fact, and would by no means be brought to any Confession, neither by the Ordinary, nor the good Advice of another Minister, who were both present in the Cart, and Prayed with him and for him; and told him, That they could no ways absolve or give him any sure S [...]tisfaction of the Safety of his future Happiness, without his ingenuous Confession. He answered them very affectionately, That he never committed any such thing to the said Ruth: All that ever he did, was only giving her a slap on her hinder Parts with his Hand. This he peremptorily stood in, saying, That he was falsly Swore against, and therefore would Dye in that sort of Innocency, and leave the Issue to Almighty God. When he was in the Cart, he behaved himself very Penitently, and lamented his Untimely End, directing his Speech to the People, as followeth.
‘Good People, let me beg you all here present to have a care of your Lust and evil Inclinations, and be sure have a great care you do not break the Sabbath-day, a Sin which I have been very much guilty of, the product of which hath brought me to commit several other enormous and very wicked Actions, for which I have deserved Death heretofore. Oh (said he) what miserable and unexpected Mischiefs do Men bring themselves to, by their own private Lusts and wicked Devices, being too apt to give way to the Temptations of the Devil, that common Enemy to all Mankind. Let every good Man take warning by me, and such other like Examples that are before you; and let us all pray to Almighty God, to keep us from Temptations in this wicked World. And, Oh that you would all make good Use of every Example, so that it may ground you the better in the Practise of True Religion and Godliness. Let Men have a care of slighting the Mercies of God, and not make a Scoff and a Mock at Sin, lest God give them up to such like Evils as I have been guilty of, and drawn into; and then God will have more Honour, and the Gospel of Christ more Credit, and many a Soul will be saved from Death both Temporal and Eternal I beg you that hear me at this time, once more to be more wary how you order your Lives and Conversations in this World, and consider what a heighth of Sin Men are grown to, and what power the Devil gets upon Men, especially when they too much yield to his Allurements in the diversities of his Temptations. Gentlemen, I have been guilty of all manner of Sin, and have committed Adultery, but never committed Murther in my life.’
[Page 3] After this, he Prayed for himself, and sung a Psalm, and the Ministers both Prayed for him, as aforesaid. And indeed he behaved himself excellent well, and very sensibly, much like a Person of a more than ordinary Birth and Education, which did very much affect the Spectators, every Person seeming to be very Sorrowful for his Untimely End.
His PRAYER, as followeth. ‘O Almighty and Everlasting God, who art exceeding Merciful and Kind to such poor Creatures as I am, who have committed very great and odious 'Sins and Iniquities against thee. Lord pardon all unto me in the Blood of Christ; I am a poor Creature brought here to Die for my Sins: I Confess all to thee; but Lord thou knowest my Innoceny in this: I therefore come, throwing my Soul upon thy Infinite Mercy, through Christ, for Salvation. Lord hear me! Lord hear me! for thy Mercies sake, and for Jesus Christ his sake, and take my Precious Soul to thy most Blessed Son's Bosom. Help, O Lord, through this Agony of Death, and bring me to thy Blessed Self. Sweet Jesus Receive my Spirit. Amen.’
This is all, as to the manner of behaving himself since his Condemnation, even that he utterly Denied the Fact to the last, as afore-said.
After he had Hanged about the space of an Hour, he was Cut down, and conveyed back to London in a Coach, being put into his Coffin by his Friends and others of his Acquaintance, who were Persons of good Credit, that were present at his Execution; and was after decently Buried by his Relations.
ADVERTISEMENT.
THere was a Man found Dead this Morning about Eight or Nine a Clock in Paddington Fields near Tyburn, hard by the Place where the Vintner Kill'd his Wife about four Years since. He is now to be seen at Paddington, lying in a Publick House, Wounded in three or four Places about his Body; but what he is, or who he belongs to, is not yet known, but seems to have belong'd to some Noble Person.
With Allowance.
July 21. 1688.
LONDON, Printed by George Croom, at the Blue-Ball in Thames-street, near Baynard's-Castle, 1688.