THe late Tryal of Sir G. W. and the other Prisoners Arraigned with him, being upon a Charge of the higkest and most de­testable Nature, had occasioned abundance of antecedent noise and discourse about it in the Town; not a little augment­ed by its being once put off to a longer day, and some other conco­mitant Circumstances which had possest peoples heads with mountain-Conceits, that they should see most hideous Monsters unkennell'd, and screw'd up their expectations to the highest Pin; but finding those pro­digious gapings somewhat Bilkt, 'tis no wonder if they expressed them­selves in different Paraphrases, and some extravagant enough; for 'tis the nature of the many headed-Beast to be suspitious, calumnious, que­rulous, mad to have folks hang'd, and as mad to pitty them when they hear them lying at the Gallows, &c.

[Page 2] For my part, I know not any judicious Protestant in the world, that wishes not but that all the Papists that are yet to be tried, might on fair, just, impartial proceedings, approve themselves innocent: for 'tis not their persons but damnable practices that we hate. But certainly they are no Friends that endeavour from this Occurrence to fly-blow folks heads with Calumnies and sinister Opinions of the Evidence that have deserv'd so much of the Nation. 'Tis true, if to Accuse were e­nough, scarce Any would be Innocent. But 'tis as true, that if to Deny were enough, None would be Guilty.

'Tis certainly the Honour of the Witnesses, and a great Confirma­tion to all sober men of their good Conscience and Integrity, that they would not venture upon any dubious Positives, nor strain a Testi­mony; which, had they been of a profligated temper, 'tis not to be supposed they would have boggled at. Nor does the Law vote it any Blemish on the Prisoners Repute, to have been tried when acquitted: For that severe honest man Cato was above Thirty times Arraigned. Much less ought there to be any Ill-murmurings spread on the Honou­rable Court, or the Gentlemen of the Jury, who are to proceed Secun­dum Allegata & Probata; and where Life is in the Ballance, every syllable must be exactly weighed by the Legal Standard. Yet there are a gaggling Flock of Town-talkers that, though they know nothing of the matter, will be censuring this way or that, just as the Toy takes them; as pertly and dogmatically, as if they were of the Quorum in a Commission of Review.

Having said thus much to discountenance the Insolence of such dri­veling Animadverters, concerning those persons Acquittal, we now proceed to speak of some other people under severer Stars; who for Common Rogueries were this day convey'd to Execution.

ON Friday last the 18th of this instant July, there were in all Nine that received sentence of Death, Seven men and Two wo­men. Some of them, where there were any probable grounds for hope of future amendment, obtained a gracious Reprieve; the rest came now to suffer.

During their being under Condemnation in Newgate, not onely Mr. Ordinary, who is never wanting to improve that dismal time as far as possible he can for the Spiritual good and Soul-advantage of e­very Prisoner that comes under his important Charge, but likewise some other godly Ministers took indefatigable pains to make them sensible of their sad Condition, and to awaken them to look out [Page 3] and prepare for their future State, being in the Jaws of Destruction, and on the very brink of Eternal as well as Temporal Ruine; if by speedy sincere Repentance, and a firm well-grounded, not empty, customary, notional Faith in Jesus Christ, they did not provide for their Immortal Souls.

One of the Coiners seemed to have a more than ordinary Impression made on his Spirit by these Spiritual Exhortations, and did oft express his great sorrow for his Crimes, especially mentioning and bewailing his large-spreading sin in defrauding and wronging such multitudes of people, and many of them peradventure poor and not able to bear it, by putting abroad such quantities of base Counterfeit Money.

Katherine Jumana, Condemned for Murthering her Bastard-Child, was very ill and weak all the while after Sentence; She spent the greatest part of her time in Tears, desired all young Women by her sad Example to take special warning to avoid Lightness, Immodesty, and Lasciviousness; and especially to dread that horrid and unnatu­ral Folly and Impiety, of thinking to cover one Crime with a greater, and adde the Scarlet Sin of Murther to that filthy one of Whore­dom. That she found by sad Experience, that how close soever such Villany was carried, God would one day bring it to light, and se­verely punish the Authors, both in this world, and (if they repen­ted not) in the World to come.

Edward Gowin was Condemned for a Robbery on the Highway. Five of them set upon a Coach coming from Chiswick, in which there was a Captain and his Brother, who though they had secured the Coachman, made so brave a defence, that the Thieves were glad to re­treat, some of them being much wounded, without any other Booty but a Beaver-hat valued at Three pounds.

There were two others Arraigned with him, but onely he found guilty, because to the other two the Evidence was not positive, and so they were set a side. He seemed very resolute and stubborn in his De­portment for a day or two, expecting, as it was thought, a Reprieve; but when at last he must suffer, he began to relent, and express much sorrow and contrition for his ill spent life. He acknowledged that he was seduced and drawn away by ill Companie to lewd Courses; and desired all men to avoid vile Women, naughty Houses, and Nurses of Debaucherie, as the Highway to Ruine and Destruction. He was fre­quent in Prayer for the two last days before he died; and 'tis said, made some very ingenuous Confessions of former Pranks he had plaid, and Robberies by him committed, not meet here to be divulg'd.

[Page 4] Elias Hutchings was a notable Diver, one of the most dexterous Han­dycrafts-men that ever belonged to the Colledge, he was wont to go in a garb as rich as most men about the Town, and generally passed for a Dutch Merchant, for which indeed there was some reason; for having long followed the Trade of Pocket-picking, and chiefly aiming to make Prizes of Watches, and Silver Tobacco boxes; when he had at any time gotten a considerable Cargo of them together, then would he slip over with them into Holland, and barter them away for other Commodities, the putting off of which here, gave him reputation in various Company, and thereby the better opportunities to salute their Fobs when he saw occasion, without being suspected. But of late he took upon him the Quality of a Disbanded Officer, and when he was apprehended, had no less than Eighteen Watches taken in his custody.

The day before they suffered, the Minister exhorting, instructing, and examining each of them apart, and then praying with and for them a considerable time, they generally appeared in a very sober composed frame of spirit, very sensible of their approaching end, some with Tears, and all with deep sighs and groans, imploring mercy and favour from God, and pardon and forgiveness for the sake and only merits of Jesus, of all their crying sins which they freely acknowledged, as they had been innumerable for number, so likewise were they most black and horrid in their particular nature and circumstances.

One of them especially lamented and bewailed his sin in breaking so oft his re­peated Vows to God, and violating holy Resolutions that he had formerly made to amend his life, forsake ill Company, &c. yet presently upon the least temptation, like the Swine returned again to the Mire, and instead of redeeming the time, and a­mending, became every day worse and worse, till at last Custome of sinning having taken away Sence of sin, he became so hardened, as to commit wickedness without any Checks or Remorse, till God was pleased to awaken his Conscience by this just Sentence of Death.

They were carried to Tyburne in this order; Wilmot and Davenpors Drawn on a Sledge: The three for Robbery, viz. Gowin, Williams, and Jones (the two last for robbing a Gentleman in the Strand of a Beaver-Hat) in one Cart, and the Woman and Hutchins in another; but the said Hutchins being met with a Reprieve as he was going to Execution, was immediately brought back. They all appeared very penitent in their Behaviour, and the three especially wept and mourned lamentably; and Wil­mot carried himself Modestly and Devoutly.

They had the day before, and that morning, declared their minds to Mr. Ordinary and others in the Prison; and therefore at the place of Execution did not make any formal Confession: onely in general Terms acknowledging what vile sinners they had bee; and earnestly desiring all present to take warning by their shameful and untimely Ends; to avoid those Evil Courses, as Idleness, Riot, Drunkenness, lewd Company, Uncleanness, and what was a great Inlet to all these, Breach of the Sabbath, and Ne­glect of Gods publick Ordinances and Prayer in private: which being omitted, the Soul is let loose to all Impiety, and Satan finding her without a Guard, leads her Cap­tive at his pleasure. These were the sins which these poor wretches said had hastened their Death and cut them off in the prime of their years, and would undoubtedly soo­ner or later be the ruine of all that continue to walk therein. Then they went to prayer, and so were Executed.