THe groſeſt part of folly, and the moſt repugnant, euen vnto our owne naturall reaſon, is to thinke that our hidden abhominations can be concealed from the eie of the Almightie, or that hee ſeeing our bloodie and crying ſinnes, will not either reueale them before his Miniſters of publique iuſtice, or in his beſt pleaſ'd time, power downe ſharpe vengeance for ſuch preſumptuous and rebellious offences. Oh! the miracles in theſe Reuelations are ſuch, and ſo infinite, that the thought of man or his wiſdome is but meere weakeneſſe, going about to comprehend ſuch vnſpeakeable iudgements: & of this wee haue before our eyes a moſt notable exāple in this wretched woman, of whome my preſent diſcourſe intreateth, named Margaret Ferne-ſeede, a womā that euen from her time of knowledge (if the generall report of the world, according to the old adage, may be taken for an Oracle) was giuen to all the looſeneſſe & lewdneſſe of life, which either vnlawfull luſt, or abhominable proſtitution could violently caſt vppon her, with the greateſt infamie, yea, and with ſuch a publique and inreſpectiue vnchaſtitie, that neither beeing chaſte nor caute, ſhe regarded not either into what eare the loathſomneſſe of her life was ſounded, or into what bed of luſt her laſciuious bodie was tranſported: in this more then beaſtiall laſciuiouſnes, hauing conſumed the firſt part of her youth, finding both the corruption of her blood to check the former heate of her luſt, and the too generall vglineſſe of her proſtitution, to breed a loath in her ordinarie cuſtomers, being then confirmed in ſome more ſtrength of yeares, tooke a houſe neare vnto the Iron-gate of the Tower, where ſhe kept a moſte abhominable and vilde brothell houſe, poyſoning many young women with that ſinne wherewith her owne body long before was filthilie bebotched. From this houſe at the Iron-gate, ſhe was married vnto one Anthony Ferne-ſeede a Taylor, dwelling in Ducke-lane, but keeping a ſhop vppon Addle-hill neare Carter-lane. This Anthony was amongſt his neighbors, reputed to be both ſober and of verie good conuerſation.

Now it hapned that ſome few monthes agoe in the fieldes of Peckham neare London, there was found a man ſlaine hauing his throate cut, a knife in his hand, golde ringes vppon his fingars, and fortie ſhillings in money in his purſſe, his woundes of ſo long continuāce that it was not onely corrupted, but there was alſo Maggots, or ſuch like filthie wormes ingendered therein, which gaue teſtimony to the beholders, that he had not ſlaine himſelfe in that place, as well becauſe the place was free from ſuch a ſpectacle the day before, as alſo that ſuch corruption could not proceede from a preſent ſlaughter. Againe, what the perſon ſlaine, no man knewe, both becauſe his phiſ •• omie was altered in his death, and becauſe his acquaintance was little or none in thoſe partes about Peckham: in the end, ſearching his pockets, and other parts of his apparaile, amongſt other notes and reckonings, they found an Indenture wherein a certaine youth which did ſerue him was bound vnto him: this Indenture gaue them knowledge both of his name, and of the place of his dwelling, whereupon, certaine diſcreete perſons of Peckham, ſent to Londdon to Ducke-lane, and inquiring for the houſe of one Anthony Ferne-ſeede, deliuered to his wife the diſaſter and miſchance which had befallen her huſband, which her hardoned heart receiued, not as a meſſage of ſorrow, neither did ye grudging of an afflicted countenance gal her remembrance, but as if it had bene the report of ſome ordinarie or vulgar newes, ſhe imbraced it with an inreſpectiue neglect and careleſnes, & demaunded inſtantly (before the meſſage would tell her how he dyed) whether his throate were cut, or that he had cut his own throate, as either knowing or propheſing how he dide, yet to obſerue a cuſtomarie faſhiō, or (as the prouerbe is) to carrie a candle before ye deuil, ſhe prepares herſelf & her Seruant, in all haſte to go to Peckham to behold her huſband: & in ye way as ſhe went, it was her chance to meete with one of her Huſbands antient acquaintance, who feeling that in charitie which ſhe ought to haue felt in nature, began to cō plaine her miſfortune, telling her ſhe had loſt a moſt honeſt & good huſband: ſhe whome the deuill now would not ſuffer to diſſemble, (though his greateſt art be in diſſimulation) told him her feare was, ſhe ſhold not heare ſo well of him: he wondring at her vngodly careleſneſſe, let her paſſe, when preſently ſhe met another of her acquaintance, who with like charitie to the former, began to pittie her griefes, (though griefe was neuer further from her heart) and to wiſh her thoſe comforts which are fit for affliction, but ſhe as careleſſe as before, gaue him (by the neglect of her words) true teſtimonye how far ſorrow was from her heart, which when he noted, he ſaid, why miſtris Ferne-ſeede, is ye loſſe of a good husband ſo ſlightly to be regarded? for mine owne part, had ſuch a unſchance faine to my fortune, I ſhouldere this haue wept out mine eyes with true ſorrow: but ſhe quickely made him anſwore, tut ſix, mine eyes are ill alreadye and I muſt now preſerue them to mend my cloathes not to mourne for a husband: after that, in her going, the winde blowing the duſt in her face, ſhe takes her ſkatff & wiped her eyes, & ſaid ſhe ſhould ſcarce know her husband when ſhe ſaw him, theſe curtizan like ſpeeches made her acquaintāceleaue her, & wiſhed her more grace, ſo ſhe & her boy came where the bodie was, where more for awe of the Magiſtrate then any terror ſhe felt, ſhe made many ſower faces, but the drineſſe of her braine would ſuffer no moiſture to deſſend into her eyes: many queſtions were asked her, to which ſhe anſwered with ſuch conſtancie, that no ſuſpition could be grounded againſt her: then was her boy taken and examined, whod liuered the abhomination of her life, and that ſince her mariage with his maiſter, ſhe had liued in all diſquietnes, rage, and diſtemperature, often threatning his life and contryuing plots for his deſtruction: that ſhe had euer ſince her mariage, in moſt publique and notorious maner, maintained a yong man, with whom (in his view) ſhe had often committed adultrie: that the ſame young mā ſince his maiſters loſſe was fled he knew not whether, and that his miſtris had euen then before the meſſage of his maiſters death, ſould all his goods (as he ſuppoſed) to fly alſo after him whom ſhe loued: all theſe ſpeeches were not only ſeconded, but almoſte approued by ſome of her neighbors, which liued neare vnto her, inſomuch that ſhe was the ſecond time taken into a more ſtrict examination: wherein albeit ſhe could not denie any of her generall aſſertions, yet touching the death of her huſband, that ſhe forſwore & renounced the fact or practiſe thereof to be hers, with ſuch a ſhameles conſtancie, that •• ee ſtrucke amazement into all that heard her: in the end by authoritie of Iuſtice ſhe was committed to the white Lyon in Southwarke: during the time of which impriſonment, till her time of tryall, thinking to out face truth with boldneſſe, and ſin with impudence, ſhe continued out all her examinations taken before ſeuerall Iuſtices in her former denialls, and whereas the Rod of impriſonment laid vppon others, is receiued as a gentle correction, whereby to looke into themſelues, it was to her rather the bellowes of indignation then a temperer to patience: rather a kinde of frenzie, then a cooler of furie, & rather a pruoker to euill then a perſwader to goodneſſe, for ſhe was ſeldome found to bee in charitie with any of her fellow priſoners, nor at any time in quiet with her ſelfe, rather a prouoker then an appeaſer of diſſentions, given to much ſwearing, ſcarce praying but continually ſcoulding, ſo that ſhee was as hatefull to all them that dwelt with her in that her laſt home the priſon, as ſhee was to people of honeſt conuerſation, hauing deſerued the name of a Baud) while ſhe liued abroad.

In this vnciuill order, ſpending her houres, the time of tryall comming on, (when ſuch offenders were to appeare before the earthly Iudge, to giue accōpt of their liues paſt) amongſt many others, this Margaret Ferneſeed was one and at the aſſizes laſt, according to the order of law, ſhe was indighted, & arraigned, the purpoſe of which inditement, was to haue practiſed the murther of her late huſband Anthony Ferne-ſeede, who as before was found dead in Peckham field nere Lambeth: to the indit •• ment ſhe pleaded not guiltie, putting her cauſe to God and the Countrie, which were a credible Iurie paniled, and had there made their perſonall appearance for that purpoſe: then were theſe ſeuerall witneſſes produced againſt her, namely of the incontinentnes of her life paſt, her attempt to poyſon her huſband before this murther, as alſo to prepare broth for him, and put powder in it, her ſlight regard of him in his life, and her careleſſe ſorrow for him after death: with other circumſtances, as the flight of the fellowe whome ſhe had liued long in adulterie with all, her preſent ſale of her goods vppon her huſbands murther, as it may be iuſtly thought, with purpoſe to flie after him: on which lawfull euidence, ſhe was cōuicted, & after iudgement giuen her to be burned: and from thence ſhe was conueyed backe to the White Lyon, till the time appointed for her execution.