'TIs frequently obſerv'd, and much to be deplored, that the many fatal Examples of this kind have not their Effects on hardned Sinners, (ſuch as have ſold themſelves, as we may properly term it, to do Wickedneſs in reſtraining them from following the footſteps of thoſe that have ſuffered; neither, on the other hand, does the interpoſing Mercy of a Gracious Prince, in ſaving the Lives of many from untimely Deaths, forfeited to Juſtice by the Crimes they have committed, work ſo ſenſibly upon theſe kind of Criminals, as to deter them from proceeding in diſhoneſt ways, and breaking thoſe Laws that ought to be the Rule and Boundary of their Actions, and by which they ſhould ſquare the courſe of their Lives, ſo as to live honeſtly in ſuch Vocations or Callings, &c. as God has appointed or enabled them to ſubſiſt in and by. However, that we may not be wanting to forwarn ſuch as are ſtill encouraging themſelves in the progreſs of Iniquity, we think it highly convenient to give a Relation of the Condemnation, manner of Behaviour, and Sufferings, &c. of the Perſons who received Sentence at the Seſſions holden at the Seſſions-houſe in the Old-Bailey the Firſt of this inſtant September, 1688. as alſo for the further ſatisfaction of thoſe that are inquiſitive after the Account that is ordinarily given upon the Execution of the Priſoners ſuffering at Tyburn, &c. Which Impartial Relation, Reader, take as followeth:

At the Seſſions holden for London and Middleſex, on the 31ſt of Auguſt, and the 1ſt of September, in the cloſe of the ſaid Seſſions theſe Perſons receiv'd Sentence of Death, viz.

John Priſley, for the Murther of Roger Page, late Maſter of the Spotted Dog in Goodmans fields in the Pariſh of White-Chappel, on the 6th of Auguſt, by giving him a mortal Wound on the left-ſide of the Belly, upon a Quarrel happening between the Deceaſed, and one Thomas Yerard and Thomas Dawſon not yet taken, whoſe part the Priſoner (accidentally coming by) took, and gave the Deceaſed the Wound, as it appeared in Court, without any manner of provocation. When, after Sentence of Death received, as in caſe of Wilful Murther, (it being ſo found by the Jury) he was remanded back to Newgate, after having in vain begg'd Tranſportation, and pleaded he was a Young Man, in the prime of his Years and Strength, &c. Where being arrived, he betook himſelf to as much Retirement as poſſible the place would afford; and, upon the ſerious advice given him that he ought not to flatter himſelf with hopes of long Life, became very penſive, not only praying by himſelf, but deſiring the Prayers of ſuch as came to viſit him; imploring God's Mercy, and deſiring that the innocent Blood that had been ſhed might not be laid to his charge; ſaying he had been well educated, and born of conſiderable Parents, but had not cordially hearkened to thoſe good Inſtructions they had given him, rather following his own Imaginations; for which, and other ſins, he believ'd God had brought this Puniſhment upon him. And much in the ſame temper, as far as could be perceived by thoſe that viſited him and attended upon him, he continued, diligently enquiring after his future Safety.

John George receiv'd Sentence in the cloſe of the Seſſions, as the former, for breaking the Houſe of one Richard Higgens of the Pariſh of Acton in the County of Middleſex, and taking Goods and Moneys belonging to the ſaid Higgens and one Edward Stephens, to the value of 10 l. on tho 17th of Auguſt laſt; pleading only, that he bought the Goods in the Street, tho' it appear'd upon Evidence in Court he was found in the Houſe, and there apprehended. But being return'd to Newgate, to expect the Execution of the Sentence, he (tho' concluded to be an old Oſtender) began much to relent, and conſider his Eternal Eſtate, as little hoping or expecting long to continue in this World, much liſtening to thoſe that came in charity to viſit him and his Fellow-Convicts, ſeeming deſirous to be inſtructed, and confeſſing that giving himſelf up to bad Company, he had (to ſupply his Wants, occaſion'd by extravagant Expences) proceeded to take unlawful Courſes: but he hoped, if he might be ſpared, ſo to order the future buſineſs of his Life, as to make (in ſome meaſure) amends for the Injury he had done to ſundry Perſons, whom he forbore to name; but that, if it was his hard hap to fall by an untimely Death, he hop'd God would have Mercy upon his poor Soul, and not ſuffer That to miſcarry; deſiring often the Prayers of all good People, that by their Supplications on his behalf God would give him a true ſenſe of his ſins, and diſpoſe his heart to ſincere Repentance; and ſo continued at times to pray in publick, and by himſelf in private, as much as the convenience of the place would admit.

Daniel Carey had Sentence of Death for the Wilful Murdering of Richard Welding on the 17th of July laſt upon Tower-hill, by giving him a Wound under the left Breaſt of five Inches, whereof the ſaid Welding then, or in a very ſhort time after, dy'd. And tho' in Court he alledged the Witneſſes were miſtaken in the Man, and that there being others there, they might give the Wound above-mentioned; alledging likewiſe his Youth and Innocency: Yet in his retirement he appear'd much afflicted and concern'd at what had happened; hoping, and earneſtly deſiring, that God would not lay Blood to his Charge; and much bewail'd his misfortune for being preſent at this diſaſtrous Accident, giving himſelf up very attentively to hear the Exhortations of ſuch pious Divines and others as came to counſel him for his Immortal Welfare, and adviſing all by his Example to keep out of Quarrellings, and brangling matters of that nature, thereby to prevent their falling into the like misfortune; hoping however, tho' he had liv'd a diſſolute Life, that now his unfeigned Repentance might find place for Mercy, &c.

Charles O Bryan and William Godard received Sentence of Death for a Felony and Burglary, in breaking the Houſe of Edward Weeks of Cony-Hatch in the County of Middleſex in the Night-time, and taking thence Goods and Money to the value of 30 l. in which Exploit one Jones (who was likewiſe with them in the Robbery) receiv'd a mortal Wound, of which he dy'd in Moors-Court in St. Martins in the Fields, they bringing him off at that time wounded, &c. And altho' upon Trial they denied the Fact; yet being returned to Newgate, with little hopes of being repriev'd, tho' they had earneſtly implor'd Tranſportation, a ſenſe of their miſ-ſpent Lives appear'd in their melancholly Deportment and Behaviour, much Dejectedneſs, &c. and made them, in ſpight of ſome little reſolution they ſtrove to put upon it, to conſider the nearneſs of their approaching Ends, as ſtanding condemned by Law, &c. obliging them to a deſire of Repentance and Forgiveneſs of thoſe ſins that had brought them even upon the brink of a ſhameful Death, and earneſtly attending the Exhortations of ſuch as gave Them and their Fellow-Convicts ſerious Advice.

John Pidgley was ſentenc'd with the reſt for ſtealing two Gueldings, value 14 l. on the 27th of July laſt, out of the Grounds of Edward Spear at Hammerſmith, which he ſold to one John Gerrard, who was tried with him, but acquitted. He, as the reſt, being return'd to Newgate, found the ſenſe of approaching Death ſtruck terror upon his Conſcience, and greatly afflict him, inſomuch that he became altogether reſtleſs and uneaſie, till he had ſomewhat allay'd his labouring mind by addreſſing himſelf to ſuch as came to adminiſter ſpiritual Conſolation to eaſe his Oppreſſions, &c. He confeſſed himſelf a very vile Sinner, and that by giving himſelf up to Lewd Company he had been drawn into many evil Practices, continuing very Penitent.

Thus far having proceeded to give an Account of the particular Behaviours of theſe condemned Criminals, as far as was obſerved during their reſpite, we now paſs to what was more general, viz. Upon their being return'd to Newgate af • er Sentence, the next morning ſeveral perſons uiſited them, in order to prepare their minds for a ſincere Repentance, labouring earneſtly to make them ſenſible of the great Crimes they had committed, and the danger they were in not only to loſe a Temporal Life, as forfeited to the Juſtice of the Nation for the breach of the known Laws, but that which is Eternal, unleſs God's Anger by a ſpeedy Repentance might be turned away, and his Mercy plead with his Juſtice on their behalf; laying before them how heinous a thing Sin is in the ſight of God, eſpecially Sins of ſuch a Dye and Complexion as they ſtood notoriouſly guilty of: To which they moſt of them gave very ſerious attention, wiſhing, and heartily deſiring, that Prayers might be put up for them, that God in his infinite Mercy would be pleaſed to have mercy upon their poor Souls, and give them a true ſenſe of the wretched State and Condition wherein they were.

Thus being ſomewhat prepared for Holy Exerciſe, they retired to Prayers, and afterwards, in the Sermons preached on that Occaſion, ſo many as were preſent were further exhorted to a ſerious Repentance, and highly to improve the little time they had, or could expect, on this ſide the Grave, by endeavouring to break the ſtonineſs of their hearts, and ſhew themſelves throughly ſenſible, by an unfeigned acknowledgment of their Crimes, whereby they had offended God and Man in the higheſt Nature, ſome of them being of a Crimſon Dye, as having dipped their hands in innocent Blood, and others in a manner no leſs heinous: Wherefore great Sins required great Repentance; and that ſuch ſtains of Guilt could not be waſhed out without a thorough breaking and humbling under a true ſenſe of them; and that they ought to employ all their power and ſtrength to cry to God, who is the God of Mercies and Forgiveneſs, where the Sinner is truly penitent, and takes ſhame to himſelf. And further they were ſhewed the Nature of their Sins in ſundry reſpects, and earneſtly exhorted not to delay Repentance, by flattering themſelves with hopes of a longer Life, of which they were ſo uncertain: Or, if it ſo fell out that they might be ſpared through the King's great Clemency and Goodneſs, yet however it was high time for them to turn from the evil of their ways, and become new Creatures, leſt by continuing in a courſe of ſinning a greater Evil ſhould ſuddenly overtake them, or to this effect. And then proceeded to give them hopes of Salvation in the many gracious and favourable Promiſes made in the Goſpel to penitent Sinners, tho' turning late from the paths of Iniquity, if the Repentance prov'd ſincere and unfeigned, &c.

The following days they were frequently viſited, and ſupported under their Agony and Afflictions with cordial Advice, and ſeaſonable Admonitions, to which they ſeemed to give extraordinary attention, with promiſe of obſervance and amendment. And now, whil'ſt theſe good Offices continued, and nothing but Death could be expected, ſeeing they were already Dead in Law, and nothing but the Execution of the Sentence remain'd to paſs them from this World into Eternity: His Majeſty's interpoſing Mercy ſtepped between, ſo that ſeveral of them were by his gracious Clemency Repriev'd, of which having notice, they ſeemed much over-joy'd, that by the Goodneſs of their Compaſſionate Prince they were raiſed in a manner from Death (in the thoughts of which they were altogether ſwallowed up) to the proſpect of a longer Life: however Three, viz. Daniel Carey, Charles O Bryan, and John Priſley, whoſe Crimes render'd them leſs fit Objects of ſuch Clemency and Forbearance, on Friday-morning, after they had been pray'd with in the Priſon, and exhorted in this their great Extremity to lay hold on Chriſt by Faith, and wholly rely on God's Mercy through the Merits of their Bleſſed Saviour, &c. were put into the Cart, and carried to Tyburn, the place of Execution; where being arrived, after the uſual Ceremony, two (viz. O' Bryan and Carey) were Executed according to Sentence; but Priſley obtain'd a Reprieve, and was brought back to Newgate.