AT the Sessions for London and Mid­dlesex held at Justice hall in the Old bayly, on Wednesday and Thursday the 10th and 11th of this Instant May, 1676.

There were in all Nine persons condemned to suffer death for their several Crimes; of which a particular Relation having already been published, we shall not here wast our own or the Readers time with an impertinent Re­petition.

However, Mercy so far interposed after the Sentence of Justice, that only Five of them actually suffered: Amongst whom was Eli­zabeth Longman, an old Offendor, having been above a Dozen several times in Newgate: Some time since she was convicted, and ob­tained the benefit and favour of Transporta­tion, and was accordingly carried into Virgi­nia: But Coelum, non Animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt. She had not been there above Fourteen Moneths, before she procured Monies remitted from some of the Brother­hood here, wherewith she bought off her Ser­vitude, and over she comes again into En­gland, long before the term of her Sentence was expired. Nor was she content to violate the Law only in that point, but returned to her old Trade (for so these people call steal­ing) as well as to her Countrey; and was soon after her Arrival conducted to Newgate, for mistaking several parcels of Silk, upon which being Convicted, and pleading her Belly, she was set by the last Sessions before this: But now it appearing that she was highly accessary (though all the while in Newgate) to the Rob­bery of a Person of Quality, and that she was wholly incorrigible, not to be reclaimed by any Warnings, she was brought down again to the Bar, and demanded, what she could say for her self, why she should not suffer Death, according to Law, upon her old Judgment. To which she still pleaded, that [Page 5] she was quick with Child. But being searched by a Jury of Matrons, they found no such thing; so that she was carried with the rest into the Hole, and ordered for Execution. As for her behaviour, I am sorry no better account can be given of it; for truely she did not seem so sensible of her End, or to make that serious preparation for it, as night be expected from a Person in her condition: yet were not the charitable assistances and endea­vours of the Ordinary and several other Mi­nisters wanting towards her, though 'tis feared they did not make the wisht-for Impressions upon her Spirit.

Two othes viz. Edward Wall and Edward Russel that suffered, were brought to this un­timely and ignominious End, by the means and seducements of this unhappy Woman. For they together with one A. M. going after the former Sessions to a Gentlemans House, to sollicite and engage his Interest, in order to the obtaining of a Reprieve for a Woman that past for one of their Wives, and was then under Condemnation, they chanced to spie the Maid a scowring a very considerable quantity of Plate, the glittering sight whereof so much affected them, that when they came back to Newgate, to give an account of their business, amongst other discourse, they mentioned what abundance of Plate they saw. And will you only see it? (says this Besse Longman, being by) then you deserve to starve indeed, when [Page 6] Fortune puts a Booty, as it were, in your Mouths, and you are such Cowards, that you dare not take it: With these and many other words to that purpose, she animated them on so far, till by her Instigation and the Devils together, they resolved upon the Villany, and accordingly went the next Night, broke open the Gentlemans House, and took thence a great quantity of Plate: But upon descrip­tion and search, A. M: was taken next Morn­ing on Saffron-hill, with a Silver Ladle, a Sil­ver Porringer, and that famous Engine of Wickedness, called a Betty. He was carried for the present to New Prison, and there kept till he had discovered the other Parties; and upon his ingenu [...]u [...] Confession obtained the Mercy of a Reprieve from that Execution, which his Fellow Criminals now suffer'd.

The other person executed, was Henry Sea­brooke: He was condemned the former Ses­sions for robbing the Merchant at Dukes place; but upon his pretending to discover the rest of the Cabal, and other great matters, was kept from the Gibbet all this while; but now failing to verifie those pretentions, he was or­dered by the Court to receive his punishment according to his former Sentence, with the rest of the Prisoners condemned this Sessions.

Of these poor wretches, two, viz Wall and Russell, as they ingenuously pleaded guilty to their Indictment at the Bar, so they behaved themselves very modestly at their Condemna­tion; [Page 7] and afterwards in Prison when Ministers came to visit and discourse with them, in order to their Souls everlasting good, they received them with great expressions of joy and esteem, attending with much reverence and seeming heed to their Spiritual Instructions, who with most necessary and importunate Exhortations pressed them to a speedy and hearty Repen­tance,

Since it stood them so much in hand, being upon the brink of Eternity, they told them, Their Condition was sad, as being justly sen­tenced by Men to a temporal Death; but that was infinitely short of being condemned by God, and suffering Eternal Death under the fury of his Wrath: that though it was vain for them to flatter themselves with hopes of [...]onger life in this world, yet there were means left to secure them of Everlasting Life in the [...]ext: and that to such vile sinners as they [...]ad been, it was an unspeakable Mercy, that [...]hey had yet a little space left them, wherein [...]o make their peace with Heaven; and what [...]ould the damned Souls, weltring without [...]ope in Eternal Flames, give or do for such a [...]recious opportunity? With such and many [...]ther pious Admonitions and Prescriptions did [...]hese Spiritual Physitians endeavour to cure [...]he Ulcers of their Souls, and excite them to [...]hrow off the peccant matter, and wash away [...]i [...] Iniquities with tears of a sincere Repen­ [...]ance, proceeding not from a sense of approa­ching [Page 8] Punishment, but of trouble for the Evil it self, and their provoking of God thereby.

To all which they gave very great attenti­on, promising to put that blessed Advice in practice; and so continued in a very serious and laudable frame till the time of Execution, which was the 17th of this Instant May, being then conducted to Tyburn with vast numbers of people following the Carts to behold the last sad Scene of their deplorable Tragedy.

Being come to the Gallows, and the usual Prayers and Solemnities being performed, one of them spoke a pretty while to the Multi­tude, protesting, This was the first Fact that he was ever actually guilty of, though he had been accessary to divers others, and had been all his days a very ill Liver; so that he could not but acknowledge that he suffer'd justly. He very much admonish'd all persons to consider their ways; especially warning Youth not to mis­spend their time in Idleness, or Disobedience to Parents or Masters; and to have a care of being seduced and drawn away by lewd women, affirming that such Courses and their Tempta­tions, and to satisfie their Luxury, had been originally the cause of his destruction, and that shameful death he was now going to suffer.

The rest said very few words, unless to some particular Acquaintance; but by their Ge­stures seemed to pray secretly, and so were all Executed according to Sentence.