I Shall not, like too many of our modern Pamphleteers, nauseate the Reader with a tedious, or Impertinent Preamble, let it [...]herefore (to awake his attention) suffice to say, [...]at the sad and Tragical Relation, I am hear [...]o give him, is no less remarkable for its cer­tainty, then its Bloody Cruelty, and equally [Page 2]most true, and most Barbarous, the Circum­stances being thus.

Some years ago a person that had served as a Soldier in Cromwels Troop, being after our pre­sent Soveraignes most happy restoration, had put a Period to the necessity of those chargable standing forces disbanded, and having Married a Scotch woman, whilst he resided in that Na­tion, and brought her with him into England, they took a small House scituated in a Vilage called Putley on the Road between Glocestor and Bristol, and therein sold Drink, and Entertain­ed Passengers and Travellers, that had occasion to lye there as a little Inn, and particularly his Wife being a Scot as aforesaid, divers Persons of that Nation who usually Travel from thence into England with Scotch Cloath and other com­modities, resorted thither, and chose rather to Lodg there than elsewhere, for her sake, as be­ing their Countrywoman;

But their Custome being but now and then for a night or two, and their Trade otherwise very small and inconsiderable, their House stand­ing in a place out of the way, where no great Ghests could be expected, all their Neighbours concluded that if they could but live, and keep even with the world, it was as much as they could hope for, but contrary to all expectati­ons, they began to thrive amain, furnishing [Page 3]their house rarely well with all sorts of Hous­hold goods, and convenient Utensils, and having mony on all occasions to lend his Neighbours at a pinch, which all that knew them much admir­ed at, as being sensible that very few years be­fore, when they first came thither, they were very poor and necessitous, and which way they should increase their stock so well, they could not Imagin, for the Man being of a fair plau­sible carriage, and making large pretences of honesty and just dealing, they had not the least suspition or mistrust of the unhappy truth, that this spring tide of Fortune was swel'd with blood, and his Gaines taked together with the Barbarous hands of Robbery and Murther.

Indeed Fortune is only the Imaginary God­dess of fools, there is nothing really happens without its means and propper causes, when we see the hand move on a Dyal, reason tells us there must be some wheels and springs within (though unseen) which produce that motion: Solomon assures us that he that is hastily rich, is really innocent, those that from nothing on a sudden heap up great estates, without any vi­sible trade or way to obtain them, give us grounds to suspect they take some indirect cour­ses, and tread by-paths no way justifiable.

After this person whose name I forbare, meer­ly that I may not seem to prejudice him, be­fore [Page 4]the Law passes on him, had remained some years in this little House, hee sound him­self so well furnisht with money, that he resolves to take a greater, and accordingly setled himself very Comodiously and compleatly in all re­spects in a large Inn near the Citty of Glocester, sometime after which a Smith happening to hire the said house he went out off for the con­veniency of his Trade, was forced to erect a small shed, to serve as a shop on part of the Garden belonging thereunto, and digging pret­ty deep to seet up his Anvil, which requires a good foundation that it might stand fixt and steady, he found the bones and part of the fl [...]sh of a man buried there, the sight whereof strang­ly surprized and affrighted him, and caused him to acquaint his Neighbours therewith, who upon serious consultation about it, adviz­ed him to dig further thereabouts, offering him their assistance therein, which being done, they in short time found the Skeletons or Bones of seven severall persons, the bodies or flesh of them were much consumed, yet some of them had certain remnants of woollen and linen Gar­ments remaining, whereby it might be perceiv­ed that they were buried there in their Cloaths.

Strangly various were the Peoples Censures and apprehensions of this sad accident, as not knowing on whom to fix the guilt of so much [Page 5]Inhumane Barbarousness, for it plainly appear­ed that these persons must be Murthered and Interred there for concealment, at last just Hea­ven, whose purer eyes could not suffer such vil­lany to escape unpunisht, wonderfully opened a way to the discovery, for as they were viewing more narrowly the bones and corps, and re­moving the earth and rubbish to behold them the plainer, they perceived a Knife Stuck in by the Blade bone of one of their breasts, which being taken up and scoured from the rust, they found thereon engraven the name of a man who owned it, which together with divers other Circumstances being considered, the Neigh­bourhood had violent suspitions of him who had been the Author of all these horrid Mur­thers.