THE CONFESSION AND EXECUTION OF Mr. Barney, who was Hang'd at NORVVICH, for the Murder of Esq; Beddingfield Which was commited on
Sunday the 20th. of
July 1684.
With a true Account of his Behaviour during the time of his Imprisonment, unto the day of his Death, which was on the 8th. of
Agust, 1684.
As also a true Account of the Fire which happen'd in
Goodmans Fields.
THe occasion of the Quarrel with the attending Circumstances between this unhappy Gentleman, and Mr. Bedingfield the World has already been acquainted withal: for which reason I shall forbear to repeat them, and only wish this unfortunate person may be the last example of publick Justice in this Nature. As to his Family he was well descended from a worthy Gentleman, a Barronet in the same County, whose Name and Reputation are yet preserv'd, beyond the utmost Imputation of Malice, whatever argument from this disaster it may seem at present to be blasted with.
At the Barr, Mr. Barny made all the defence the Nature of his Crime, and the pregnancy of the proofs against him would admit of, but being by the Jury brought in guilty, he was condemn'd, and by his Majesties Gracious Mercy reprieved till this day; when, according to the Sentence of the Court, he suffered Death at the common place of Execution, and not at the Market-Cross, as was upon mistake suggested in the former Accounts.
During the time of his Imprisonment, especially after Sentence, and the Account he received by his Friends, there was no hopes of pardon, he behaved himself with a Christian patience under so great an affliction, and was visited by several worthy Divines, who endeavour'd to soften his more obdurate heart, by giving him a true representation of that horrid Crime of Murder in its due Colours, how heinous an offence it was against Heaven, and the present Established Laws by which we all live. The Breach of which demands no other Satisfaction, nor can be obliged with any other propitiatory than the Blood of him who spilt his Neighbours, either from the Violence of Passion, or upon more premeditated Malice and Revenge.
He did, in some measure, offer to vindicate himself from any Cowardize in the Action, and that however the Gentleman Mr. Beddingfield happened to be wounded in the back: they were not given by any base and indirect means, but that po [...]ibly they happened to him in the strugle between them, and that as a Gentleman, he always scorn'd a Revenge upon any Person but by those means and methods which among Gentlemen, were always thought honourable and generous.
As to his behaviour as a Christian, no person could more expresly speak his Penitence and Remorse for so great a Crime; and in that interval between the Sentence and the Execution; he passed his time in Prayers and Meditations, confessing as a good Christian ought to do, that he had been a great offender, more particularly against the Laws of God, and now signally against those of Man, for which he suffered this shameful and ignominious Death. Though the Terrors of Death began now to approach him, with all those horrors which may affright the most prepared Christian; yet he did not seem dismay'd, but behaved himself with the Courage and Resolution, which a good man would Encounter so dreadful an Enemy withal.
He spent the short remainder of his time in reading Religious Books and some choice manuals of Devotion, in which he seem'd more particularly delighted, and as he was extreamly obliged to the great pains and labour of some Divines, who were his Friends, and came frequently to visit him: so did he not only pay his thanks and acknowledgements to them in words, but gave more Evident and satisfactory Demonstrations of his Obligations to them by that hearty and sincere penitence and contrition, which by Gods Grace and their indefatigatiable pains was wrought in him. He gave earnest caution and advice to those Gentlemen who came to see him, to have a care of profaning the Lords Day and intemperate drinking, both which sins he had been too frequently guilty of, and which were, in some measure, the occasion of his committing this horrid Sin of Murder, for which he now heartily sorrowed and deservedly suffered. Great intercession was made for his Pardon, which could not be obtained.
ON Friday, between the hours of Eleven and Twelve, he was carried to the common place of Execution, where, after some short Prayers, he suffered according to Law, his Body was put into a Coffin, and delivered to his Friends to interr.
I shall not think it amiss, to acquaint the Reader with this intervene which happen'd in Goodmans-Fields.
ON Sunday Morning, there broke out a most furious Fire at the end of a Row of Houles, near the Bear Tavarn towards Rosemary-Lane; which was first discovered by an Inhabitant near the said House; which happened to be up later than ordinary, cryed our fire, which awakened the Neighbouring Inhabitants; who, when they beheld the said Fire was amazed: it beginning at the Top of the Corner-House, at the East side of the House, and so burning downward, to the destruction of almost the first House, and hath greatly demolish'd the next House adjoyning to it: which was prevented of going any farther, by the assistance that came in, and the endeavour they made for the quenching the same, but no man knowing how it was first kindled, but is adjuged by those which first saw it, to be by the great Thunder and Lightning which was at that [...]ime, and not by unslack'd Lime as is reported, by reason the Lime lay against a Brick Wall, and is extremely more strange because it could not be done by the carelesness of any workman there that time of Night, but more rather by the immediate hand of God.