GOD that made man after his own I­mage, made a Law, Gen. 9.6. Who so sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for, in the Image of God made he man. Against this sin of Mur­ther, the wrath of God hath been revea­led from heaven, by his just and daily revengings of innocent blood upon Murtherers. Trea­surers of Examples of Judgements in this kind, both old and new, ly before us; From the time of bloudy Cain, to the blood thirsty Popish Rebels in Ireland, to which slaughter men of the Scarlet whore of Rome, God hath given plenty of blood to drink. We see bloody men dai­ly cut off by the Sword of Justice in all places. The late Execution of the Wife-murtherer at Islington, neer Lon­don, And the late Murthers in the Isle of Thanet in the County of Kent, and the judgement of God on the Mur­therers, call for a book, wherein they may be written for examples to the Generations present and to come.

Adam Sprackling Esquire, of St. Laurence Parish in that Isle, about 20. year since, married Katherine, the [Page 2] Daughter of Sir Robert Leukner, of Kent; This Gentle­man having a fair estate in Lands, and being above thou­sands of his Nelghbours in Estate, wanting the grace of Humility, exalted himself above measure, affected pre­heminence in all Companies, used, in his braveries, long hair, &c. to ride about the Island, and frequent Tap­houses, and there to Rant and roar, game and swear ex­ceedingly, upon the least provocation, and used to quar­rell and draw his weapon, &c. He regarded not the Sab­bath, but prophan'd it at home; The publick worship of God, and Preaching of the Word, he seldome or never attended; delighted much in the company of drunken Ministers. This man, having much wasted his estate by his riotous courses, was of late pursued with arrests and sutes at Law for debts, which he had contracted; and divers that entred into bond for him left to ruine, and imprison­ment; Master Sprackling had Executions out against him, and Bailiffs ready to apprehend him, whereby he was constreined to make his own house his prison, to keep home, and could not dominier abroad, and ride a­bout as heretofore. Upon this occasion he grew sad, cho­lerick, and petulent, and full of rage in his house; His Wife being divers times constreined to lock up her self from him. She was a woman of precious report for ma­ny vertues, and (with Mary) did choose the better part: But upon Saturday at night December 11. last, Ma­ster Sprackling being resolved to mischief her, as the se­quel manifested, He then being in the Kitchin of his house, had one Lamming a neighbour of his with him, and he then sent for one Knowler a Sea-man to come to him; but it being ten of the clock at night, he desired to be excused, saying he was in bed; whereupon Master Sprackling sent for one Martin, a poor old man, a Tenant, and neighbour of his, who (though in bed) did arise and [Page 3] come to Master Sprackling, and then Lamming desired that he might go home, which request Master Sprackling granted. So there remained Master Sprackling and his Wife, and Martin, and one Ewell, servant to Master Sprackling, these four only in the Kitchin; His Daughter and Maid-servant got away (seeing his rage) and locked themselves all night in an out-room far from the Kitchin. Mr. Sprackling would not go to bed, though it grew late, but commanded Martin to bind Ewells legs, which he did accordingly with a dogs couplings, and so Ewell sat bound all night after on the ground. Martin and Ewell conceived it only a frolick or ranting fit or humour come on him, such as they had been formerly acquainted with.

Then he began to rage against his Wife, who sate quietly there: her words to him were full of loving and sweet expressions; but he on a sudden drew his Dagger, and struck her with it on the face, which blow hurt her jaw; but she was very patient, and sayd little to him; but he still raged against her; And towards morning the good Gentlewoman being weary, and in great fear, rose up to go out of the room, and lifting up her hand to open the dore, her Husband following her with a chopping-knife in his hand, cut her wrist therewith, so, that the bone was cut in sunder; her hand hung down only by the si­newes and skin; No help was neer, Ewell bound, and Martin old and weak, and fearing his own life, durst not interpose, but only prayed his Mistris to stay and be quiet, he sayd he hoped all would be well; And Martin got a napkin and bound up her hand with it. After this, towards morning, Mr. Sprackling, raging and rayling at her, dash­ed her on the forehead with the Iron Cleaver or Chop­ping-knife. Then she fell down bleeding, but recovered her self on her knees, and kneeling cryed, and prayed to [Page 4] God for pardon of her own sins, and of her Husbands sin, beseeching God to forgive him, for she forgave him. But, in the time of her praying thus, her Husband chopt her head in the midst into the brains, so that she fell down stark dead instantly, lying in her own blood; Then he killed six dogs, four of which he threw besides his wife, and after she was dead, he cut her in the leg in two places, and compelled Martin to wash Ewells face with her blood, he also dipped linnen in her blood, and besmeared Martin's face with her blood, and bebloudied his own face with it.

For this Fact Master Sprackling was apprehended that night, having his Dagger in one hand, and Pistoll in the other hand; but he was surprized, and taken by one Martin Brook. The next day he was carried to Sandwich Jayl: And after the Maior of Sandwich (being Coroner) and his Inquest had sate upon the death of this Gentle­woman, Martin also was sent to Prison. The Sessions at Sandwich followed on Friday the 22. of April last. The Steward of the Court Mr. Peter Peak a Counsellour of Grayes-Inne, gave a godly and learned charge to the Grand Inquest, and, after mention of many sins, he spake of the crying sin of Murther, what a land-defiling and God-provoking sin it was, as he evidenced by many ex­amples; As, of the Sword not departing from the house of David, for his murther of Uriah, by the Sword of the Ammonites; For the blood of Naboth, the dogs lickd the bloud of Ahab, and threescore and ten sons of his had their bloud shed afterward, and dogs did eat bloudy Jezabel; The sons of bloudy Saul hang'd up, &c. And, for the direction of the Court, he came to some cases of Mur­ther, shewing in such cases there was malice exprest, ma­lice implyed, malice supplyed. Malice exprest, and Mur­ther thereupon, is ordinary: but if a man intend malici­ously [Page 5] to kill one, and it fall out, that he kill not the party, which he desired to mischief, but another, it is murther. He shewed out of his Law-books, that a Father-in-law procured physick for his sick Son-in-law; The Physician prescribed a comfortable Medicine, which the Apothe­cary made accordingly of severall Ingredients; The Son-in law took some of it, but it had almost killed him, though cordiall Physick; The Father-in-law went to the Doctor of Physick, and told him how the Cordiall wrought; Hereupon the Apothecary was sent for, and examined touching the Ingredients; He replied, he had put nothing in, but as the Physician directed, and that he knew the physick so Cordiall, that he would take it himself, and, to justifie himself, did take part of that Medicine; but, he soon dyed: Afterwards it was found out, that the wife of the sick man had put poyson in the Medicine, thinking thereby to poyson her Husband; but, he being of a stronger nature than the Apothecary, did escape, though hardly: but the woman was executed for the Apothecaries death, though she intended not his death, because there was malice exprest, murther intended.

Malice implyed was where no expression of malice in words, &c. appeared in the slayer; as if a Son put his aged Father out of dores in a frosty night, and he dy, its murther; Non refert an occidat, an causam mortis praebeat. If two be together, and, no provocation given or known, one kill the other, there is malice implied; it's Murther.

Malice supplied, this he shewed in two Children in King Henry the seventh's time, one nine year old, the other ele­ven; one kill'd the other, and, because the slayer denyed the fact, and cunningly by excuses sought to hide it, and to acquit himself of it, it was found Murther; Malice was supplyed in Law, to be in the Child though not of compe­tent age, and the Child was thereupon executed.

[Page 6]After the Grand Inquest had received the Bill of In­dictment, which was presented in Court by Mr. Steward Leukner, brother of Mr. Spracklings wife, the Inquest go­ing together, returned to the Bar, finding both Mr. Sprack­ling, and Martin guilty of the Murther of Mistris Sprackling. After dinner the Jury of life and death was called, Mr. Sprackling and Martin pleaded not guilty; and referred themselves to a fair tryall: Mr. Sprackling held up his trembling hand at the Bar; but when the Jury came one by one to be sworn, he excepred against, and put by 20. of them, shewing no reason for it; but, he not being permitted by Law to except against any more, with­out shewing reason for it, a Jury was at last filled up and sworn. And the murther as before rehearsed, was pro­ved by Ewell; (for Martin being a Prisoner and party, could give no evidence.)

Mr. Sprackling pleaded for himself, that he was mad when he kill'd his Wife; and that he knew not what he did: but Lamming, being deposed, testified, that when he left Mr. Sprackling, that Saturday night, he perceived no distemper in him, but that he was as he used to be at other times: And Joseph Cowell his Tenant, who saw him that Sabbath after the Murther done, testified that he was as he used to be, only he spake thick, and often of bloud, blood, blood. And it was testified by Roger Streven, who saw him next morning after the fact, when he went to Prison; He deposed that he saw no sign of distraction in him, but was rationall in his discourse, and provided a Wagon with a bed in it for his conveyance to Sandwich Prison; And Roger Streven deposed, that he heard it af­firmed that Mr. Sprackling said after his wife was dead, now let us kill the Dogs, and then they'l say we are mad indeed.

And since the Tryall, it is known that Mr. Sprackling [Page 7] writ a Letter that Saturday morning to Roger Hooper, a Sea-man, to buy him Goods at London, and such, and such Books; and, to pay money at London for him; which Letter was rationall, in his usuall form of writing. And since the tryall also, Mr. Hopestill Tilden of Sand­wich affirmed in the hearing of many, that he being di­vers times with Mr. Sprackling in Prison, heard him say, he kill'd his Wife, because she was a traitour to him, and sayd, that if it were your case Hopestill, you would do the like to such a Wife that went about to betray you, and undo you, and deliver you to the Bailiffs. And, I since hear, he affirmed the same to another, that morn­ing he went to Prison, saying, she left the dores open on purpose, &c. And for further Evidence at the tryall, many witnesses were called and sworn, that testified, that this bloudy Oxe did use to push in former time; and, that it was not a fit of frenzy at that time of the Murther rehearsed; but, that he was of an habitual bloody dispo­sition and practise. One John Russell deposed, that about twenty year before, he saw Mr. Sprackling endeavour to run one John Simons through with his naked Rapier, in St. Peters Parish, at a Tap-house there, and had nayled him to the wall, had not he took hold on the hilt of the Rapier; and, that in another Tap-house there, he saw Mr. Sprackling quarrell with one Giles, and drew his Sword at him; but, the Deponent did not follow Master Sprackling into the next Room where Giles was; but, he saw Giles come bleeding out.

One Robert Lister deposed, that Mr. Sprackling being worsted in a quarrell in a Tap-house in that Parish, lay there at one Homans all night, and sent for his man Cors­let, his Champion, and next day morning, in cold blood, commanded his man Corslet to fall on the said Robert Li­ster, which he did presently, and strook the said Lister on [Page 8] the jaw with a cudgell, whereby a tumult arose; but, company parted them: And one Goble, a Shoemaker, was run into the bowells, in that Parish, another time, when Mr. Sprackling was in the affray.

Edward Taddy deposed, that he being Constable, did assist Humphery Pudner, the Maior of Dovers Deputy, at St. Johns parish, and Richard Langley, Deputy to the Maior of Sandwich, at St. Laurence Parish, when they three had an Order to disarm Mr. Sprackling, and, having taken and secured the Arms in his house, Mr. Sprackling assaulted the said Edward Taddy, when he met him some moneths after; And Humphrey Pudner deposed, that he drew upon him also in the street; and, that he being Offi­cer, disarm'd Mr. Sprackling in an affray, which he made in a Taphouse in St. Johns Parish; And William Grant deposed, that in that Parish he drew at him, and had cleav'd his head with his Cutlash, if he had not put by the blow. Others were ready to depose many such bloody assaults done by Mr. Sprackling: But (above all) the death of Richard Langley of St. Laurence Parish, was mentioned in Court. This Richard Langley was a very godly man, zealous for God and the State, had seized on Mr. Spracklings Arms, and Articled against him, so that Mr. Sprackling was secured at Canterbury, at the first of the Parliament: But Mr. Sprackling (being at liberty in the year 1648.) the day before the Kentish Insurrection burst out, armed horse and men, and went down from his own house to the Sea-town there, called Ramsgate; that is Romans-gate, where the Romans first Landed when they subdued this Nation: And Richard Langley living there, was sought for; but, he hid himself in his house for a time; but, hearing that Mr. Sprackling was there at the Tavern with Horse and Arms, and a rude crew with him, Langley crept out of his own house, and [Page 9] stole away, and got to one Mistris Johnsons house, and making his sad case known, how Mr. Sprackling sought his blood, The good Gentlewoman lent him her Mare, and Langley presently fled out: but, Mr. Sprackling, hea­ring that Langley was got away, his two men, Allen and Emersom, went after him; One Master John John­son deposed, that he saw them ride af [...]er Langley, so soon as Langley was got on horse-back, and that Mr. Sprack­ling's horse pursued, and they had their Pistolls presen­ted, as they rid by Mistris Johnsons Gate after Langley, whom they overtook about two miles off, and there he was shot through his body with a brace of bullets, which entred his back, and came forth at his breast, and so he was left wallowing in his blood, and died presently, lea­ving behind him a Widow and thirteen Orphans in a sad condition. Whereupon Paul Allen fled, and is not yet taken: But Emersom, though he were af­terwards a Souldier in that Insurrection, Yet he was ap­prehended and Executed at Canterbury. It was not pro­ved that Mr. Sprackling commanded them to kill Lang­ley; But it's certain, that Mr. Sprakling was Commander in chief there that day, and acted as Commissioner, and sent for divers honest men, and imprisoned some in his house, and afterwards went to Sea, and continued with the R [...]volted Ships. And it was deposed at Master Sprackling's tryall, that he had often threatned Richard Langley, and that before Richard Langley was m [...]rthered, M. Sprackling seeing him in the street, drew his Sword at him, and flourished it over his own head, and was ready to assault Richard Langley, but was prevented by others. And it was deposed also that before the Mur­ther of Richard Langley, Mr. Sprackling went out of the Tavern and pursued Langley to his own house with naked weapon in his hand, and there call'd for him, and sought [Page 10] him, but not finding him departed, and going out, let fall his Pistoll in the entry of Langley's house, which Pistoll the Witnesse saw there, and took it up.

After the Court had heard the Evidence against Ma­ster Sprackling, leave was given him to speak for him­self, and to bring what witness he pleased in his defence, he and they should be fairly heard. He named two Law­yers for his assistance in form of Law, but none appeared. Two Physicians appeared in Court for him, and some women, to prove he was mad: but they spake only gene­rall things; only one Physician deposed, that he had let him blood four times together in a fever, about a year be­fore, and that then he was in a distracted fitt; but none could swear he was distracted, neer, at, or after the Murther committed; only that he used to be outragious in passion, &c.

The Jury, giving up their Verdict, said, they found Mr. Sprackling guilty of wilfull Murther.

But they acquitted Martin, having no proof that he had Combined to kill the Gentlewoman, or assisted in killing her; but that, meerly out of fear of death to himself, he was willing to humour his Master in binding Ewell, and in praying Mrs. Sprackling to stay: and Ewell upon oath sayd, that he could not swear that he saw Martin lay hands on her, to keep her from going out, and Martin having also a good testimoniall of all his neighbours, of his peaceable and harmless life. The sentence of death being pronounced by the Maior of Sandwich against Ma­ster Sprackling; Master Peak, the Steward, made a pa­theticall exhortation to Mr. Sprackling to repent; he shew­ed him the heinousness of the fact, and aggravated it in regard of the murthered Gentlewomans worth, in the ad­mirable graces and vertues that shined forth in her, &c. But Mr. Sprackling answered; No man can judge between [Page 11] man and wife, but God alone, and shewing small token of Repentance, or of care for his soul, He only requested then, that his body might be delivered to four women, which he named in open Court. Being returned to Pri­son, he refused Conference with any, from his Judge­ment to his death. Divers godly Gentlemen and Mini­sters desired to speak to him, but he would admit none. There was a Lecture at Sandwich upon the day of his Execution. The Jayl joyned to the yard of the Church, where the Lecture was preached; yet he would not so much as send to be prayed for: But the Lecturer (Ma­ster John Durant) prayed earnestly for him. In Prison he spake of Receiving the Sacrament by the ministring of Mr. Edward Fellows, but did not receive it.

Upon the 27. day of April last, Mr. Sprackling being ready to go to Execution, desired the Sheriff of Sand­wich to make a guard, that no man, Minister, or other, might come neer to speak with him. He had notes in writing at his Execution to look on; He confessed in ge­nerall that he was a sinner, and deserved death, &c. Two Ministers prest neer him, and call'd upon him to consider his condition, and to glorifie God by a free Confession, and exhortation to the people, there being (as was con­ceived) at least 2000. at his Execution; but he desired the Ministers not to trouble him: But one of the Ministers pressed Langley's death upon him, and desired him to dis­charge his conscience in that, whether he were guilty or not; now was the time; as the tree falls, so it lyes; But Mr. Sprackling's answer was; Sir, I have made my confes­sion to God, I pray trouble me not; man hath nothing to do with it, I pray speak no more of it.

This is a sad presumption of his guiltiness of Langley's death; and that the report is true, which saith that Ma­ster Sprackling, when he sent Allen and Emerson after [Page 12] Richard Langley, and bid them bring him dead or alive: If he had not appointed them to kill Langley, he would now have disclaimed the fact; And who would not have believ'd a dying man? It was the saying of many godly wise people, when they heard of Mr. Sprackling's murther of his Wife, that they were perswaded that the cry of Richard Langley's blood did move the blood­avenging God to leave Mr. Sprackling to fall to that Wife-murther, that such a blood-thirsty man might not go to the Grave in peace.

He was hanged in his Cloak, And afterwards put into a Coffin cloaths and all at the Gallows, and after strip­ped, and layd forth, and coffined at the sign of the three Kings in Sandwich; and the next day towards night car­ried from thence six miles on mens shoulders over the Ferry to St. Lawrence Chur [...]h, where in the night he was buried neer his Wife.

This is the true History of these bloody practises: God brings light out of darkness, and the glory of his Justice out of the sin, shame, and destruction of the wic­ked; They are not all sweet flowers from which the Bees gather hony: All truth is written for our Instruction.

Learn

1. Let him that stands take heed lest he fall; All men are subject to the same infirmities, and temptations; Walk circumspectly, pray continually, lest ye enter into Temp­tation.

2. Forsake not God, by forsaking his Sabbaths, Mini­stry of the Word, &c. lest Gods Spirit forsake thee, and thou be given up to Satan to be led captive by him at his will.

3. Let all ranting and prodigall ones, my young Ma­sters and others, learn here the bitter sequels of riot and waste: Besides a world of evils, it brings want, want di­straction, [Page 13] discontent between the neerest Re­lations.

4. Take heed you marry in the Lord. 'Tis not a brave Spark that can mannage his Rapier well, &c. that you can expect to live well with, if there be not grace in the heart.

5. Take heed of malice and wrath, and bloody minded­ness, and of bloody attempts and practises: Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God.

6. Take heed of the company of the wicked, especially of bloody men: It had like to have cost poor Martin his life.

7. Pray that our Higher powers moy take to heart the want of Government in the Port part of the Isle of Tha­net in Kent, which part is so far from Justice, that it is full of prophaness; When the shire-part of the Isle, where Justice is neer and active, is better Reformed. I do humbly wish that all the Isle be made Shire, or a Corporation set up in the Port-part: Drunkenness, Swearing, Sabbath-breaking, &c. none to put such to shame; a Maiors Deputy hath no power, the remedy is worse than the disease, to go so many miles to Complain to the Maiors; But Gods Ju­stice acts where mans doth not. Not a year passeth there, but a Drunkard breaks his neck off his horse, or over the Cliff: Two have hanged themselves within a year last past, one on Easter Monday last, being actually drunk, hangd himself.

8. Pray that a setled godly able Ministry may be esta­blished in the Parish where this Master Sprackling lived; where these bloody and ungodly Practises prevail: The dark corners of the Earth are full of the habitations of Cruel­ty. There are many thousand souls, yet not ten pounds a year setled for the maintenance of a Minister: Richard Langley procured the casting out of the unsavory salt [Page 14] there; And be dyed in the time of his zealous actings to procure maintenance for an able Minister.

9. Look upon this godly Gentlewoman, and Richard Langley, lying in their blood, mangled and slain, and see what may befall the dearest servants of God in this world: and prepare for the like tryalls. They that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution.