HOw great a sway and Dominion the Black Prince of the Air hath over the minds of too many men, is evident in the strange Crimes and barbarous Outrages they eve­ry day, as slaves to his hellish pleasure commit in the World. Murther in it self is a scarlet and most crying sin, a defaceing of God's Image, and offering violence to Nature; but Satan now adays is not content with a Sacrifice of blood, unless attended with all agravating Circumstances, and acted by, and between persons whose Relation requiring the most endearing affections for each other, sets off Murther in the most ex­quifite colours of Horror.

The Malefactor was by Trade a Cooper, but never ar­rived any higher than to be a JOurney-man in that Pro­fession, he has been Married some years, and had two Children by his Wife; they lived (having only a Lodg­ing in a Chamber) in Court called, Tumble-down-Dicks Court in Clerkenwel: he was generally a very bad Husband, and froward and unkind to his Wife, who yet loving him very well, endeavoured to take no notice of it.

On Thursday the 14 of May he went abroad, and what Company he was with, we cannot say, but know this, that he came no more home till the Munday follow­ing, during all which time the poor woman and her two children were forced to make what shift they could for a Livelyhood, and compelled to sell some cloaths for a lit­tle money to buy them bread: However on Munday in the afternoon this poor woman little dreaming that her end was so neer aproaching, found her Spirits more then ordinary cheerful, insomuch that she took notice of it to several of the Neighbours, saying, That she never had been so brisk and light-hearted as at that instant, in her whole life, and whilst some told her, that so sudden, un­usual, and causeless a mirth and cheerfulness was gene­rally the sign or fore-runner of some grand misfortune; she concluded it on the contrary, a token of good luck; and like a kind Wife, esteeming nothing more than her Husband, how unworthily soever he had dealt by her, added, that she hoped she should see him at home that night, for whose safety, by reason of his long absence, she had for two or three days been much troubled. I shall not stand curiously to descant on, much less deter­mine the nature and causes of those sudden damps or [Page 5]transports of joy or sorrow, which we oftimes feel upon our Spirits, without any cause at all for such emotions, from external Accidents, nor the meaning why they are generally to be understood as portent, of a quite contrary Signification to what they seem to be, whether they are to be accounted the cautionating Items of every persons Genius or Guardian Angel to alarm and prepare one for eminent Disasters, or some sallies of the soul, who forseeing his release from the body aproaching, swells with a full Tide of Joy at the thoughts of that separation. 'Tis certain, that here we may deplore the blind­ness of man's understanding, how we alwayes Err, when from uncertain guesses we measure futurities, and know not in the least one minute what shall be­fall us in the next, not may we with less amazement consider the barbarous ingratitude of this wretched Hus­band to his kind Wife, who so passionately wisht for his comeing home, though the same immediately after proved the loss of her life in an inhumane manner.

For, behold! about five or six of the clock the same Munday in the Afternoon, this long lookt for Extravagant came home to his Wives chamber, where another wo­man was come at the same time to see her, and though 'tis probable an Ale-house had taken up the greatest part of his time, yet he did not seem to be at all in Drink, the woman received him very mildly, told him she was glad to see him well, and that she wondered, and had been much troubled to think what was become of him; and then telling him that one of the Children was not very well, she desired him to give her some money to go to [Page 6]the Apothecaries to buy something for it. Upon which words this wicked man falling into a passion like an en­raged fury, catches up an Adze, an instrument which Coopers usually work with, and by it's sharpness at one end, and hammer at the other, prepared to do Mischief two ways, with the blunt end of this he forthwith knockt her down to the ground, and then continued striking back­wards and forwards till he had given her several mortal wounds, at which as at so many sally ports her affrighted soul took a sudden flight, and left the mangled body wel­tring in it's own Gore upon the Floor.

The other woman when the assault began, feeing the man lay about him so violently with that dangerous and mischievous weapon, was terribly affrighted, and thought fit for to consult her own safety by running down stairs with all the speed imaginable, and crying out as loud as she was able for help.

But no body could come in time enough to the rescue, before he had performed his bloody work upon his poor Wife, and left her wholly breathless; which being done he takes up one of his children into his arms, and was walking with it up and down the room, as in Tri­umph for that Hellish victory.

'Tis supposed by some words utter'd by him since his apprehension that he had a mind to have dispatcht the woman if she had not saved her self by flight, and also to have destroyed this Innocent Babe, but the Wo­mans Exclamations having raised the Neighbors, they prevented his mischievous design, and took the Child from him before he had done it any harm, and be­holding there with pitty and amazement what he had done, they apprehend him, which was the more easie to be done, because he did not seem to intend to make any escape: being charged with a Constable he was forth­with carried before one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex.

When he came there to be Examined, the Hamous Fact was too apparent, The Womans Testimony, and the Notoriousness of the thing, evidencing both the Murder, and him to be the Author of it: Nor indeed did he go about to deny in: but being asked by the Justice, what prompted him to do such a Divelsh In­humane Act, he Could give [...]o [...]ther but this cursed Answer, That be knew well enough he should be Hang'd, and was sorry for nothing but that he had not dispatcht some more of them: And being pressed to explain himself, who he meant, he refused so to do: but repeated the same words again; whereupon his Mittimus was made, and he with a strong Guard sent to Newgate, whither he went attended with very many people, and now lies there in expectation to receive the just reward due to the Demerits of his Crimes.

Oh! Let this Example warn all others from fol­lowing lewd Courses, absenting themselves from their dwellings, and never providing for their Families; and especially from Hearkning to the Devils Suggestions, or their own Revenge; so as in Passionate Phreasie to bereave any of their lives: which besides the Danger of their Souls Eternal Ruine, most Deservedly and assuredly will bring them to fall unpittied, by an untime­ly and ignominious Death.