desired, and therefore prayed that it might be more soned. I ask'd her what saving Faith is? She said to trust in God?s Mercy and Christ's Merits. I explained the nature of true Faith and Repentance at large to her, and ask'd whether she thought these conditional Qualifications for Salvation were easie. She replied, No, because she had been accustomed to Sinning.

Afterward the Ordinary required all the Condemned Criminals to come to Prayers. and spent much time with them. Exhorting them not to trifle in the Concernment of their Souls, but to be serious and sincere therein, that they might obtain a future happy State. I again stated the necessary Qualifications requisite for Salvation, and enquired of most of them singly what was the frame of their Hearts in order thereunto. Some sighed and wept; others did not care to give any distinct account of their Repentance, among whom were Robert Scot< no role > , and Thomas Stiles< no role > , who were Condemned for Robbing in the Highway.

John Stent< no role > also, and Charles Price< no role > would not give any account of their Evil Life, nor express'd any Signs of a sincere Repentance.

Robert Palmer< no role > , Condemned for Murdering one Edith Shanck< no role > whom he called his Wife . He is Aged 34 years, and was born in Glocestershire . I took all the care I could to convince him of the Barbarity of his Crime, but he extenuated, and in a manner disowned it, tho it were fully proved against him. He was very Refractory, and would not stand to any Account of his Life, but said, he had given his Friends satisfaction, and that was enough.

Robert Evans< no role > , Condemned with William Jones< no role > for Robbing in the Highway. He said he was aged 26 years, born in Worcestershire ; That he lately came out of Ireland , where he had lived six years, some part of which he spent in being employed with a File-cutter ; That he kept afterwards a Victualling-house in Ireland for one Year and an half; That lately coming over into England, he went to Bomingham, to see some Friends, and as he was returning towards London , met with Jones, and drinking with him, consented to the Robbery. He confest that he had been a great Sinner, had neglected Prayer, and slighted the Sabbath: But he hopes, God will have mercy on him, for he finds his heart not totally hardned, but feels Sin to be an heavy burthen, and begs of God to make him holy, as well as to deliver him from Hell. I observed him to be more penitent than most of the other Criminals.

The Ordinary prayed with them, and exhorted them every day till their Death, and on the last Lord's Day preacht twice on this Text, viz. the 19th Chapter of St. Luke the 10th Verse, The Son of Man is come to seek, and save that which is last. But the condemned Prisoners refused to come to the Chappel in the Afternoon.

The Prisoners expecting to be Executed on Friday last, had, notwithstanding, a longer time allowed them to farther their Repentance, and make their Peace with Heaven. But, on the contrary, they confederated to contrive Escapes, and, accordingly, on Saturday Night, being in the Condemned Hole with such Instruments as had been privately brought them by such as had admittance, by declaring they were their Wives or Relation. Many of them had loosned and broke their Fetters, yet whil'st they were about to break out, the Watch alarum'd the Keepers, and Major Richardson, upon Notice of the Attempt, came with such a Guard as could be obtained on the sudden, when finding them resolutely bent to dispute for their Liberty, he caused a Ladder to be fetched, and a Blunderbuss charged with Peas, being Fired in at the Grate under the Arch, the dread of a further Harm, induced them to more calmness. However, they continued to declare, they would rather dye in the place, than be Executed at Tyburn, which occasioned a vigilant Guard to be set upon them: But their Fury, by degrees, abating, on Sunday in the morning they came to the Chappel, and the ordinary exhorted them in a Sermon, suitable to the sad Occasion, to repent them of their sins, whilest God's Mercy was to be had; and not to trifle away the precious moments allowed them to gain a happy Eternity. To which many of them gave heedful Attention, but being sent for in the Afternoon, they refused to come, professing to adhere to their former Resolution, of opposing their Execution; which Obstinacy obliged the Keepers, for the preventing further mischief, to Hand-cuff them with Irons. And they had Notice, such as were in the Dead Warrant, to prepare themselves more resolvedly to dye the next morning. When as the Ordinary came to them, in order to give them Consolation, suitable to their great Emergency, and to pray that God would give them a thorough sense of their Sins, and a true and sincere Repentance.

The time for their being carried to the place of Execution come, 18 Men and 2 Women were put in sundry Carts, viz John Twopots< no role > , Nicholas Mason< no role > , Thomas Stiles< no role > , William Ball< no role > , Henry Jones< no role > , Robert Harper< no role > , John Parry< no role > , William Jones< no role > , George Maxfield< no role > , Thomas Roberts< no role > , Robert Scot< no role > , Robert Palmer< no role > , Thomas Emerson< no role > , John Jefferies< no role > John Atherton< no role > , William Ball< no role > , John Stent< no role > , Robert Evans< no role > , Mary Jones< no role > , and Elizabeth Moulton< no role > , in order to their being conveyed presently to Tyburn , Sixteen with their Iron Hand cuffs on, appearing in Penitence and marks of Contrition, much different what they did a little before; for now approaching Death began to look more ghastly. But by the way, Robert Evans< no role > had the good Fortune to meet with a Gracious Reprieve, adding more days to his Life, in hopes of a future Amendment. When about Ten in the Morning Twelve of the Men were Tied upon two of the Angles of the Gallows, all of them expressing by their Words, Behaviour, and Countenances a remorse for the Sins they had committed, desiring God of his infinite Mercy to pity and pardon them in their last and great Tryal and Extremity, but more especially John Jefferies< no role > bewailed the greatness of his Offences, praying very frequently, and acknowledging his unworthiness, confest that even from the Age of Eight Years he hid been addicted to Vices not common to Youth, and in the Series of his Life had been guilty of the most notorious Crimes, Murther excepted. He not only poured ut his Spirit in ehemency of Prayer, but desired the Prayers of others and that the Spectators would take warning to shun those ways that had provoked God to suffer him to fall into so great a shame and misfortune, &c. continuing very Penient till the last.

John Atherton< no role > , a Youth not exceeding 16 or 17 years, confessed likewise, that he had been guilty of many heinous Crimes, bat refused to come to particulars, saying he had confessed; to God already, bat that he had been Guilty of breaking the Commandment being Guilty even of the Sin of uncleanness. The rest likewise Acknowledged their Sins in general, and desired Forgiveness of Gad and Man, but could not be brought to an ingenious Confession as to particulars. The Ordinary prayed, with them, and sung Psalms, in which they joyned with some Cheerfulness, when having Exhorted them to a stedfast Faith, and a full reliance on God's Mercies for the pardon of their Sins, the two Carts, in which they were, drew away, and they by that means were committed to Eternity.

These had not hanged above a quarter of an hour, when the two Women, and the other Five Men were brought, and put into a Cart, under the other Angle of the Gallows, to which they were tied; the Women, especially, were extreme penitent. Jones confessed she had been a great Sinner, prayed to herself, and desired the Prayers of others, bewailed her Sins that had brought her to such Shame and Disgrace: and, to conclude, she made a very pious End. But before these were turned off, the other 12 still hanging on the Gallows, a Gentleman made up with a Reprieve for John Stent< no role > , whereupon he was taken out of the Cart: And the Ordinary having prayed with the rest, exhorted them, as the former, after which they were committed to the mercy if their Redeemer. As for John Moor< no role > Charles Price< no role > , Thomas Lee< no role > , Isaac Ford< no role > , Ann Robinson< no role > , and Katharine William< no role > , who received Sentence of Death with those that suffered, they were Reprieved in Newgate .

This is all the Account I can give of this Session. Dated the 15th of July, 1689 . Samuel Smith< no role > Ordinary .

Lincens?d, 15 July 1689 . James Fraser< no role > .

Advertisements.

There is lately publishe a Computer History of the Lives, Actions, Tryals, Sufferings Deaths and Characters of all those excellent Persons who sell in the West of England, and elsewhere from the Death of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey< no role > , to the Present time, with the Pictures of several of the chief of them in CopperPlates. To which is added the Life, Death, and Character of George Lord Jefferies< no role > , Written by a Person of great Learning aged Piety. Printed by the Order of several of their Relations, for John Dunton< no role > at the Black Raven in the Poultrey .

These are to give Notice to all Persons, for Benefit of the Publick, That Mr. Elmy Operator, of known Integrity, and above 25 years Practice, Liveth at the Blue Ball in Whale-Bone Court, at the Lower End of Bartholomew-lane by the Royal Exchange, who most safely and expeditionsly Cures Deafness and Noise in the Ears in any of what are sever, (if Curable) and at First Sight, by Inspection, Resolves the Patient if so or not, as most Emine Persons of Quality in this City can Testifie. He hath likewise a most excellent Gargarism or Mouth water, which cures any Cker, lcer, or Scuy in the Mouth, fastning loose Teeth, and making black ones as white as Ivory.

London , Printed for Langley Curtiss< no role > at Sir Edmondbury Godfrey's Head near Fleet bridge . 1689.