nearer to the Gate. Mullins never mistrusting that Talbot would offer any Violence to him, gratified his Request; when the other, watching his Opportunity, stabbed him under the right Breast, which had near depriv'd him of Life. No one Person ever came to this fatal End that more justly merited Death; for he certainly has been a most wicked and most abandoned Wretch as ever lived.

6. ROBERT DAMSEL< no role > , aged 39, was born near Dursely in the County of Gloucester , and bred a Shoemaker in that Neighbourhood, as he was pleased to say. He served his Time out, might have been in Business for himself, and would not have wanted Encouragement, had he but been a Friend to himself. He was tolerably well bred, and had an Education equal to his Station in Life, and was taught better Things, if he had not wanted the Grace to follow the Instructions he had in his early Days. He might have been a good Member of Society; but alas! his Will got the better of his Sense, and his Passions of his Reason; and, instead of being led to Virtue by Advice of his Friends, and the Admonitions of his Parents, he took the direct contrary Road, and followed Vice through all its dirty and troublesome Ways to his Undoing. He might, if he had been industrious, have lived very well in the World, and the Almighty had given him Strength to go through with a much more laborious Business than what he was at first destin'd to.

He soon grew weary of Business when he was out of his Time, and led an idle Life up and down the Country for some Time; till at length, being put to his Trumps for Livelihood, he enlisted for a Soldier , and was in the Guards for several Years. Afterwards he kept an Alehouse near the Savoy , and his Wife attended a Sort of an Hospital there, by which he got Money. But Damsel having been always an idle and extravagant Fellow, all their Earnings would not do, but still more was wanting; and in order to supply his Extravagancies, he used to go now and then upon the Road, and being a bold daring Fellow, had Success for some Time, and had been concerned in several Robberies upon the Western Road , which afforded great Booty. The Robbery for which he was condemned he confessed to be guilty of, but often said, he thought it hard that he was not admitted an Evidence, as he was the first taken; but well it was that so dangerous a Person was not suffered to escape; he had been bad enough already, and if Opportunity had been granted, he had a Will to be much worse; but God thought fit to suffer him to be cut off, that he might not run into blacker and more Scenes of Villainy, having already sufficiently offended, and broken through all the Fences and Rules of Law divine and human. He owned he deserved to die, but was unwilling to give up Hopes of Life, even to the last Day. He had the most surly morose Behaviour I almost ever met with, and when he was put in Mind of the Heinousness of those Offences he had been guilty of, he replied, he knew best what he had done, and should endeavour to make his Peace with God, as well as he was able, and should continue to do so as long as he lived. How much in Earnest he was in this Case, he is the best Judge who knoweth the Secrets of all Hearts; but, whether it was owing to a particular Steadiness in his Countenance, or to his Consciousness of having used his utmost Endeavours, we don't pretend to determine, but not the least Alteration appeared in his way of Speech, or in his Countenance, even to the last Moment of his Life.

7. JOSEPH PEACOCK< no role > , aged 24, was born in the Parish of St. James's , Westminster , of Parents in a pretty good Way of Life, who would have given him some Education, but it was not agreeable to his Temper; and for one Day he vouchsafed to go to School, he played Truant five Days, so that their Money was laid out to no Purpose; and so, he says, it was not their Neglect of his early Days, but his own unhappy Disposition, that led him on in Idleness and Ignorance