THere were in all eleven persons (seven men and four women) that received Sentence of Death at the last Ses­sions; who were most of them old Offen­ders, and such as before had lain under that terrible Condemnation, or at least been burnt in the hand or transported for their wicked Practises: But no Mercy can Re­claim, no Warning Reform some obstinate and incorrigible sinners.

One of these, call'd William Iohnson, had the benefit of his Clergy about five years since, and has several times been in Newgate; but the Fact he now suffer'd for, was thus: On Sunday the 17th of February, in Prayer­time in the afternoon, he and another, not yet to be found, knockt at a Goldsmiths house in Cheapside, where there was no body [Page 4] at home but a young Gentlewoman; and pretending some fair Errand from her Fa­ther, perswaded her to unlock the door, and the Chain being unhappily down, they im­mediately rusht in upon her, gagg'd and se­cur'd her whilst they rifled the house, and stole away Plate of a very great value, as much 'tis supposed as they could well carry off. Though it were positively sworn by the aforesaid maid that he was one of them, yet both at his Tryal and when he received Sentence he very stoutly denied it, and much pleaded his innocence; yet afterwards when he saw there was no hopes but he must suf­fer, he acknowledged it: but could not be brought to discover the other person that was with him, nor where the Plate was, though great endeavours were used by the Ordinary and some others to perswade him thereunto.

Francis Rashfield, otherwise call'd Williams, was condemned for Felony and Burglary, brea­king in the night-time into the house of a Mer­chant in St. Ellens, and stealing rich Clothes and other Goods, to a very great value. Being a person of ill fame, and formerly burnt in the [Page 5] hand, he was taken with one Motly, lately exe­cuted, upon suspition; and the Gentlewoman that had been robb'd, coming to speak with him to endeavour some discovery, she observ'd a Cravat about his neck made of the Lace of one of her Aprons, which she knew very well, as be­ing made with her own hands. He pretended the Cravat was given to him, and brought in a slut, that was a Prisoner in Newgate, to own she gave it him, and that it was made in the same Jail. But after Sentence, he confess'd he was concern'd in that Robbery, and many others with the said Motly, and behaved himself very penitently.

There was one that had been many years a Companion and Assister of naughty persons. At his Sentence it was declared, That he had recei­ved and melted down both the Plate of Chice­ster. Cathedral and that of New Colledge in Ox­ford, and been concern'd in several other noto­rious Pranks; though that he was condemned for, was about a Watch pickt out of a Gentle­mans pocked in St. Sepulchres Church: so im­piously daring are such wicked men, that they presume to practise their Villanies even in the House of God, and make the Sacred Temple a Den of Thieves. The Watch was taken upon him, and he could give no account how he came by it. He seem'd not much affected with his sad condition, but rather flatter'd himself with hopes of getting off; but men must not think [Page 6] always to baffle or elude the stroke of Justice: His fatal moment was come, and with much ap­pearance of Repentance for his past Ill life, he this day went to suffer with the rest.

Hugh Mills died for stealing of Cloath. He had been not long since transported, but was come back before the time limitted, and was now found guilty of a fresh Felony. He ex­press'd more Remorse and Penitence in his be­haviour than any of the rest, and confess'd very freely what a wicked Liver he had been; de­siring all young men to take warning by him, and avoid Idleness, Gaming, and Ill Company, which first brought him to these destructive Courses.

A young Lad suffered for stealing some foul Linnen. He had (notwithstanding all the Cor­rection and Admonition of his Friends to the contrary) been guilty of Thievery, and once Condemned to die before, and yet not above Sixteen years of age. He begg'd hard for Transportation, and promised Amendment; but having received Mercie before, he was now left to the severity of the Law as an Incorrigible Offender.

Of the Women there was Blanch Oakley, who robb'd her Master, a Jeweller, of several Pretious Stones, a Garter belonging to the Noble Order of St. George, and other things of value: and [Page 7] was, it seems, one of those, whereof this Town has too many, who under pretence of getting Service, do onely seek opportunities to rob those they pretend to serve.

The other was Ioan Griffin, one that had long made Thieving her Trade, and not long ago received the Kings Pardon; but immediately fell to her old practise of stealing, having now robb'd a person of a good parcel of Clothes, for which she suffered.

The rest of the persons Condemned obtained his Majesties gracious Reprieve; and we wish they may make good use of their time which is allowed them by his mercie, and abandon all their vile Associates to betake themselves to honest Employments, that they may never again come under the like lamentable Circumstances.

Between the time of Condemnation and Ex­ecution, Mr. Ordinary took abundance of Chri­stian pains both by Preaching, Praying and pri­vate Exhortations, to make them all sensible of their Condition; and we hope with that effect, that their poor Souls may now be blessing the God of Mercie in Happiness, for those precious opportunities. It being observed that most of them, all the time after Sentence, behaved them­selves much more civilly, and with a better frame of Spirit, than others that before them [Page 8] have been in the like Condition. And so in their passage in the Carts to Tyburn, the Tears in their Eyes and penitent Ejaculations, as they caused a general Pity, so gave good grounds to hope well of their endeavours to make their Peace with God for all the Evils of their Lives.

At the place of Execution there was not any of them said much, onely begging the Peoples Prayers, confessing the Justice of their Sentence, and desiring all to take warning by them: Only one insisted more particularly upon his sin of Sabbath-breaking; acknowledging it as a most just Judgment, that as he never made any Con­science of Religious Duties on that day, so it was in that day he committed the Fact which brought him to this shameful and untimely End.