THE Subject of the ensuing Discourse, and the woful Object beheld by many hundreds, hath occasioned a brief Ab­stract of the Life and Death of the per­son condemned, whose name was Joice Ebbs, her place of livelyhood was in a house of wicked re­sort, in Dog and Bitch yard near Drury Lane, her Husband formerly was a Souldier, and coming home, he found her by her self; and she asked him to eat some part of a Pye with her which she had provided; but he having a mind to a Pipe of Tobacco, desired her to help him to a Pipe, she told him he should have none, but he was resol­ved to have a Pipe, upon which he went to the Cellar to take a Pipe; she told him, if he did, she would stab him with the Knife; upon which, she [Page 4] ris'd from the Table and followed him to the Cellar, and stab'd him in three several places, so that it proved mortal, and he immediately gave up the Ghost.

Upon which several Neighbours coming in they seized on her, carried her before a Justice, and her Mittimus was made for New-gate, where she continued till the Sessions following, and be­ing brought to the Barr she was Arraigned, and confessed the cruel and bloody murther she com­mitted on her Husband, for which she received Sentence according to the Law which was to be made fast to a Stake, and burnt with Faggots at the usual place in Smithfield Rounds. But plead­ing her Belley, she was repreived, and sent back again to Newgate where she continued for the space of ten Months.

Upon Fryday last being the 19th. of May, the Court being set at the Sessions-house in the Old Bayly; the said Joyce Ebbs was called down to the Barr in Order to her former judgement; where being come down, the Clark of the Peace after silence in the Court, said,

Joyce Ebbs, hold up thy hand; which she did as formerly.

Upon which he read over the Indictment, to this effect, viz. Joyce Ebbs thou standest here In­dicted and Convicted for Petty Treason, for the horrid and bloudy Murther committed by thy own hands on Thomas Ebbs thy husband, for which you were formerly Sentenced according to the Law of this Nation, to be Burnt to death; but plead­est thy Belly; whereupon the Honourable Bench [Page 5] ordered that a Jury of Women should be called, which was accordingly done, and they bringing thee in quick preserved thee from death for the space of ten moneths, canst thou say any thing for thy self, why thou shouldest not suffer accor­ding to thy former Sentence; she answered no, but withal desired the mercy of the Honourable Bench.

The Right Honourable the Recorder told her, she had had a long time of mercy by pleading her Belly, yet it appeared not so, though she had lyen ten moneths in custody; to which she answered, that she had a Mischance in the time of her Im­prisonment.

Whereupon it was again demanded of her, what she could say for her self, that she should not suffer according to her former Judgement; she said, she could not plead her Belly, for she had not deserved for it with any since the time of her Commitment.

Upon which the Court Ordered, that she should return to the place from whence she came there to continue till Thursday next, being the two and twentieth day of May, from whence she should go to Smith-field Rounds, and there be Burnt till she were dead, dead, according to her former Judgement.

Which accordingly was put in execution, be­twixt ten and eleven of the clock in the forenoon being guarded from New-gate to Smith-field, by many of the Sheriffs Officers; she was array­ed and attired in White, having a branch of Rose­mary in one hand, and a Nose-gay in her Bosom; But not to omit that which is very observable, [Page 6] even from the first time of her receiving Judge­ment, she was admonished to read and meditate much on that Text, Esa. 57. 15. by which means she gained very much, and by little and little a­bundance of spiritual comfort flowed into her heart; in which condition, she continued many moneths, even until her death; and at severall times some Reverend Divines coming to her, a­mongst whom was Mr. Cook, giving of her good Instructions, and exhorting her to Repentance, to seek unto God for mercy, and to ground her Salvation upon the pretious bloud and merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; upon which, with tears trickling down her cheeks, she ac­knowledged that she had been a wicked liver, and too too lewd in life and conversation, desiring o­thers might take warning by her; for that by her vicious wayes and practises, she had sundry times been assaulted with grievous temptations, and that her sins had made her a prey to Satan, wish­ing that she had never been born, or that she had been made any other Creature then a Woman, crying, Wo, wo, wo, a weak, a woful, a wretched, and most miserable woman! but at length, by Gods wonderful mercy, through the unwearied pains of many good Ministers, at several times, and es­pecially on thursday morning last, that she re­ceived great comfort, expressing her self with much penitency, and crying out, Wonderful, won­derful are the riches of thy mercy, and saving grace, O thy love is unspeakable, in dealing so graciously with me! O Lord my God, blessed be thy Holy Name for evermore, which hath shewed me the path of life; [Page 7] I seek thy mercy, and am assured of thy love; O bles­sed be the Lord, that hath thus comforted me, And for the joy which at this instant my soul feeleth, blessed be his Name for evermore.

Having spent some time in prayer at Newgate, she immediately went to the Stake, where she end­ed her life very penitently, and when the fire was going to be kindled, she cryed out, Lord Jesus strengthen me, blessed Father comfort me, I com­mend my spirit into thy hands, [...] re­deem'd it; Oh what a happy [...] shall I make from night to day, from darkness to light, and from death to life; and now thou fiery Chariot, that cam'st down to fetch up Elijah, carry my poor soul to its happy hold, and all ye Blessed Angels that attended the Soul of Lazarus, to bring it to Heaven, bear me, oh bear me into the bosome of my best beloved; Amen, Amen; come, Lord Iesus, come quickly; And so she departed this life, with three or four dolesom shrieks, when the flames of fire first seized her body.