IV. John Bedley< no role > , born in Ireland , 26 years of Age, was a Soldier for some time, but upon disbanding of the Army fell into bad Company, which brought him to destruction. He confest he was in the Robbery for which he died, but cared not to talk much concerning it, nor of any thing else. Being urged to discover the Condition of his Soul he seem'd to represent that in a frer Character than suited his Condition, and this made me entreat him to consider what he said, and not deceive himself, for God he could not deceive. The effect was Seriousness and Thinking, and indeed his whole Carriage under his sad Circumstances was in some measure an Argument of both.

V. William Goff< no role > , born in the Bishoprick of Durham , 23 years old, condemned for the same Crime with Bedley, confest he was the Person that stood upon Bedley's Shoulders, by the help whereof he got into the Belcony Room, the Belcony Door being open. He acknowledged he had been in three Robberies, and thrice in Prison for it; but for any other sort of Confession he could not be prevailed with to make any; whether that proceeded from a carelesness to consider, or Peevishness of Temper, or a principle of Conscience, must be left to God, who alone knows the Heart; not but that it must be owned, he gave too much ground to imagine the former to be the Cause and too little to suppose any thing of the latter.

VI. John King< no role > , born near Bedford , 23 years of Age, Condemn'd for Felony and Burglary, confest the Crime for which he suffered, but he humbly hoped for Mercy from God, Poverty and great want being the Motive to it. But that I told him could be no excuse for his Crime, for a Man ought to be honest be he never so poor, for if he once ceases to be so, he acts contrary to the Will of God, and nothing can excuse the horrible wickedness; upon this he exprest his sorrow with abundance of Tears, but was so Sick that he was not able to continue in Discourse. Not but that he made it his constant business to pray and Weep, maugre the bad Example of some about him; and to shew his Sincerity, made a shift also to get to Chappel the Day before, and the Morning he died.

VII. John Tackerbury< no role > , Born in Cornwal , after much Argument, confest he was in the Robbery for which he Suffer'd Death; and owned also, that he had been in Jayl once before. But for his Repentance and Sincerity of Heart the only Test of it in Persons under his circumstances, I must take leave to express my Fears about that, when this very Person was so unwise the day before he Died, to send for a Woman, under pretense he was Espoused to her, whereas it appeared, she was only one, with whom he had kept Company. I endeavorr'd to make, him sensible of this, but its much to be fear'd, the Success fell short of the endeavour.

VIII. John Laing< no role > , Born in Scotland , gave this Account of his barbarous Fact. That the Woman whom he Wounded and Robb'd, was a Neighbours Child in his Country, had been his Company keeper for 6 Months, was entrusted by him with things of Value, which she Disposed of in his Absence, and forsook him to follow another; upon which meeting her accidentally in the Street, being Mad with Resentment, and Drunk with Liquour, he seized upon her Head-Clothes, and gave her as he said he wou'd, an Whore's Mark for he almost Cut off her Nose and Gash'd her Cheek in that terrible manner as is not to be exprest. I laid before him the Inhumanity of the Action. Shew'd him first, That he had no Right over her, to strike her in that manner. Secondly, That since as he pretended she wou'd not go and Live with him again, he ought to have been so far form Seizing her, that Charity obliged him to conclude she was now sensible of her Wickedness, and would commit it no more. And Thirdly, That he now saw the lamentable Effect of Living with a Woman without the Sacred Bond of Marriage, that certainly he wou'd therefore Repent of it till the very last moment of his Life. To all which he replied in such a becoming manner as gave great hopes of the Sincerity of his Soul. That it was very true he had no Right to Strike her, and the Thoughts of it overwhelm'd him with Horror and Confusion. That for his belief of her being turn'd Honest, he presumed there was no Room for that, having proof to the contrary. And that for Living with her, without the Sacred Tie of Marriage, he Repented of that from his very Heart and were it to do again, wou'd not do it for the World. Not but that he owned he formerly argued as some of his own Profession does, That being a common Souldier , and consequently unable to Maintain a Wife, he inferr'd the other the better way. But I observed to him that sure now that humour would Vanish, when his Deplorable Fate is before their Eyes, and that saying of the Apostle is once Considered, 'Tis better to Marry than to Burn. I entreated him in the next place to call to Remembrance all his other Sins and take Shame to himself in this World, that God might, if it were his Blessed Will, have Mercy on his Soul in the next. He openly declared that for Sabbath-breaking, Drunkenness and Bad Company he had exceeded in the Commission of those Vices beyond all measure; but for Robbery he had never so much as attempted it but at 13 Years of Age and now the Head-Clothes, which he took from the Woman whom he Wounded so mercilesly. And for Murder he acknowledg'd he had once committed that but it was in a Quarrel. I then remark'd, the Justice of Heaven had now met with him, and he was therefore to give God the Glory. He shewed himself very sensible of it, and in all respects behaved himself as a Penitent.

IX. Edward Fowler< no role > , born as he said in Ireland , but one who followed the Trade of Robbing for nine Years here in London . He was condemned for Felony and Burglary. He confest he had a hand in the Fact, and was guilty of others without Number, particularly of a Crime of the deepest die, and that was Murder, committed on the Road to Acton , about 6 Years since, upon a poor Carter, with whom he had agreed to Travel to that Place. Till this was discovered he laboured under the greatest uneasiness of of Mind, Swore, Cursed, and valued neither Heaven nor Hell, but afterwards grew into a more quiet Temper, especially as he drew nearer to his end.

X. John Wheeler< no role > , born in Oxford , 24 Years of Age, first raved and tared like a mad Man, and then despaired of God's Mercies, as if he had not time enough to prepare for Eternity, and therefore he would not trouble himself about it. But upon reasoning the Case, that a wise Man would make as good use of the short time as he could, that 'twas true his Case was that of a Death Bed Repentance, but then it was not desperate, tho' it was dangerous; for the penitent Thief was saved at the last Hour, and he could not be sure he should not be saved. It behoved him therefore to try the Experiment, it being the best thing after all. This wrought its proper effect, and had it not been for a violence of Passion, and a Spirit that swelled beyond its bounds, there could be nothing wanting to compleat the Penitent.

After this they were Exhorted to partake of the Blessed Sacrament before they Died. Accordingly 6 of them did receive, but 4 did not; the Reason, because by their ill Conduct they shewed themselves uncapable of it, and by their Ignorance, that they did not discern the Lord's Body.

On Fryday the 6th of September, 1700 . These following Persons were conveyed to the Place of Execution: Devereux Pheasant< no role > , Walter Terry< no role > , John Laing< no role > , William Goff< no role > , John Wheeler< no role > , Edward Fowler< no role > , William King< no role > , John Tackerbury< no role > , John Bedley< no role > , John Harrold< no role > . Being come to the fatal Place, it fetch'd Tears from their Eyes, Cries from their Tongues, and Groans from their Hearts; such Tears, such Cries, and such Groans, as shew'd them sensible of another World. As for what was delivered at the Tree, there was nothing material, but a Request of Wheeler, to clear the Reputation of his Father and Mother in Law, they being, as he affirmed, not any cause of his Overthrow. They all attended the great Duty of Prayer to the very last, Singing of Psalms, and Crying unto God. And 'tis pity such a pious Death had not been blest with as Holy a Life.

These following Persons are Reprieved, James Grigson< no role > , John Bird< no role > , Thomas Bird< no role > , Mary Jones< no role > , Rebecca Maud< no role > , and John Peirce< no role > .

The Execution of Martha Bailey< no role > is suspended for some longer time.

This is the Account I have to give of this Sessions.

R. Wykes, Ordinary.

London. Printed for E. Mallet, at the Hat and Hawk in Bride-Lane. 1700.