an end; And that they were going to enter upon a State of Bliss and Glory, in which they should praise God for ever. But withall they must remember, that this happy and glorious State is not attainable without sincere Repentance.

And thus I ended all my Discourses here with particular Applications to the Condemned; whom I endeavour'd, by all the convincing Arguments I could think of, to perswade to this important and most necessary Duty of Repentance. This was the great Theam on which I discours'd to them every Day. Wherein I had Opportunity to observe their Behaviour, which appear'd very decent and devout, according to their weak Capacities. So that from thence I may say, I have some ground to hope that if they were inwardly affected, as they seem'd outwardly to be, those of them that are now reprieved, will lead a better Life than ever they did; which God grant they may do: And for those that have suffer'd the Law, as I left them to the Mercy of God, at their Departure oua of this World; so I leave them now to the Judgment of Men, as to what relates to their Confessions to me: Which are as follow.

1. Joseph Johnson< no role > , Condemned for Robbing on the High-way. He said, he was about 34 Years old, born in the Parish of Presbury in Cheshire : That his Father was a Husbandman, and he a Servant to him, till he came to be about 22 Years of Age; at which time he came up to London , and was a Servant to 3 or 4 Brewers successively for 7 years or thereabouts. Then turning a Porter , he ply'd in the Streets of London , under the Protection of a Freeman of this City; and afterwards, having got a little Money, he became a Fruiterer . He confessed he had been an ill Liver, breaking the Sabbath-day, and committing several Acts of Lewdness and Debauchery, as Whoredom, Adultery, and the like: But he would fain have perswaded me, that he was innocent of the Fact for which he was condemned; asserting most positively for a great while, his being innocent as to any Concern he had in that Matter. But at last he confess'd it plainly; saying, it was true that on the 30th of Nov. last he robb'd Mr. Woolley of a Silver-Watch and some Money on the High-way, being then with three Companions of his. He confess'd also that the said Watch was by a Friend of his (with his Consent) put into the Hand of Mr. Colman (the Evidence against him) in order to his pawning or selling of it. Upon my asking him several Questions, and particularly these. 1. How he came by his Wounds? For, by his own Confession, he had been shot, and received seven Bullets in his Body. 2. Whether he had ever committed, or endeavour'd to commit any Robbery, and where? And 3. Whether he was the Man that us'd to rob on the Black Mare? He answer'd to the first, That about a Fortnight or three Weeks before he was sent to Newgate , he being out upon a Horse he had hired, with a Design to rob on the High-way, in company with another Man, they did (between Honslow-Heath and Colebrook ) meet with a Stage-Coach, having four Gentlemen in it, who seeing him come pretty near the Coach, and perhaps also perceiving that he had sometimes a Mask on, were (as he supposes) apprehensive of his Design of robbing them: And upon that, did (that is, one of them) shoot him with a Brass-Piece or Blunderbuss, and lodged seven or eight Bullets in his Body. To the Second Question, He said, That he had (in company with some others, that is 3, or 4 High-way-Men he was acquainted with) robb'd some Stage-Coaches and Travellers, but not many, he having begun this Trade of Robbing on the High-Way but in Summer last, when he was perswaded to it by others who had been used to it before him; adding that he never took things of great Value, nor offer'd much Violence to any Person; and that he was so far from designing Murther at any time, that he always resolv'd rather to be killed than kill; because he consider'd that Men were in the right to stand upon their own Defence; but his assaulting of them was unlawful. And this it was that kept him from killing the Gentleman that shot him near Hounslow Heath ; which he said, he could easily have done. To the 3d Question, he gave me this Answer; That he had heard of a Man that used to rob on a Black Mare; but he was not the Man, nor knew him. Thus having answer'd to all these Questions, and I thereupon giving him the best Direction I could to repair (as far as possible) the Injuries he had done, and to apply himself to God for Mercy and Pardon; he seem'd to be very sensible of his Faults, and very desirous to make the World amends for them: But as he could not, so he earnestly beg'd of God and Man to forgive him, as he heartily forgave them that wounded him, and all others that had done him any harm; declaring that he died in perfect Charity with all Mankind; and protesting (upon the Word of a Dying Man) that though he had been a wicked Liver (as before confess'd) yet he never wrong'd the Masters that he serv'd, unless it were in such a small Matter as sometimes to make his Friends drink at their cost. And moreover, he said, that when he was a Porter, being often employed in carrying things of Value, as Plate and Money (which he had done sometimes to the Worth of 200l. at once) he ever was faithful to his Trust. To all he had thus told me he added, That about the latter end of King William's Reign, he being condemned (and that justly too) for stealing some Lead about High-Gate , he was ordered into His then MAJESTY's Service; but he bought it off for 4l. or better: And after that was again committed to Newgate ; but it being upon Suspicion only, and no Body appearing against him at the Sessions (as there was no real Cause for it) he was then acquitted. Both these times he said, he went by another Name than that of Johnson, which is not his right Name; but that was; which he desir'd should be here conceal'd, lest it should come to his old Father's Ears, and so bring his Gray-Hair with Sorrow to the Grave. When at the first he was under this Sentence of Death, he seem'd very uneasie, and unsettled in his Mind, as being divided between Hopes and Fears; with a Mixture of other diquieting Passions, as worldly Sorrow, Love for this Life, Anger, Revenge, and the like; but in time he grew more ease, and at last, wholly resign'd himself to the Divine Providence: So that when he came to understand that there was no hope for him in this Life, and that he must certainly die, he cry'd, The Lord s Will be done. I am willing to die. The Lord prepare me for it, and grant me a better Life. From this time forwards he appeared very well composed in his Spirit, and said, he hop'd that God, for his Redeemer's sake, would forgive him all his Sins. He pray'd that all Ill-Livers, and particularly those he had been concerned with, would take Warning by him, so as to amend their Lives, and thereby prevent their Ruine.

II. John Norton< no role > , Condemned for privately Stealing a piece of Damask out of Mr. William Elliot's Shop, on the 25th of December last . He said, he was about 28 Years of Age, born at Athlone in Ireland ; That at the beginning of K. William's Reign, being then about 12 Years old, he went to the Army; and having at first been an Officer's Boy , he became afterwards a Soldier under the Command of Capt. Stagby, in Brigadier Titcomb's Regiment; and served also in Brigadier Stuart and Brigadier Hamilton their Regiments, sometimes as a private Centinel, and sometimes as a Trooper. He confess'd, he had been a loose Liver, and guilty of other Felonies besides that for which he was to die: and that (particularly) about a Fortnight or three Weeks before Christmas last, he (with another Person) stole a Parcel of Stockings out of a Hosier's Shop without Temple-Bar ; and that he had for his Share Nine Dozen of them, which he then sold for Two Shillings a Pair, to one that was at that time just going beyond Sea. He told me, that though his Father was a Protestant, yet his Mother being a Roman Catholick , he was baptiz'd in that Church of which his Mother was, and so desir'd to die in it. I found him very ignorant in any thing of Religion; and by his own Confession, he had liv'd without Religion in the World, having in his former Course of Life, very little concerned himself with the Knowledge or Practice of Christian Duties; for which, he said he was now sorry, and wish'd he had liv'd better. He readily, and without any Disguise, owned the Fact for which he was condemned, and said, he never was guilty of Murther: But for other the Offences he had committed (which he confess'd were not few) he pray'd, that God, and those he had wrong'd, would forgive him, as he freely forgave all Men; That was his own Expression; by which he would declare his dying in Charity with all the World. I found there was but one of all the Six condemned Persons beforementioned that could read; which was a great Disadvantage to them. However, through the Care that was taken, this was (as well as it could be) supplyed by others Reading out of the Bible and other good Books to them, while they lay under this Condemnation, which they were (in some measure) sensible that their great Ignorance of so useful a thing as the Knowledge of Reading is, had been one of the Means of bringing them to.

This Day of their Execution being come, they were carried in a Cart to Tyburn, where I attended them for the last time, and having asked them whether they had any thing to add to, or alter in their Confessions, they told me No. But desired my Prayers, and the Prayers of all the Standers-by. One of them, viz. Johnson, openly owned that he had done much Evil, but no Good in the World; and herenpon begged God's Pardon, and the Pardon of them he had offended; and earnestly desired, that as he had not by his Life, so he might now by his Death do good, and that his Suffering thus shamefully might prove an happy Occasion of other Sinners Amendment.

Then I exhorted them to stir up their Hearts to God: And after Prayers and singing of Psalms, and the rehearsing of the Apostles Creed, and their warning the People by their sad Example to avoid all manner of Sin; After this (I say) wa over, I committed them to God; and retiring from them, left them to their private Devotions, for which they had some time allowed them. Then were they turned off as they were calling upon God in these and the like Ejaculations, which they often repeated. Lord have Mercy upon us! O Father of Mercies open thy Gates unto us, and let us enter in. O Lord despise us not, Reject us not! Lord strengthen us! Lord Jesus save us through the Merits of thy precious Blood! Lord, into thy Hands I commend my Spirit, &c.

This is all the Account that can be given here of these Dying Malefactors, by

PAUL LORRAIN< no role > , Ordinary of Newgate .

Wed. Feb.7.1704.

London, Printed by J. Downing in Bartholomew-Close near West-Smithfield, 1704.