AN ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE, and DEALINGS of GOD WITH SILAS TOLD, &c.

I WAS born at the Lime-kilns, near the hot-wells, in the city of Briſtol, on the 3d day of April, 1711. My parents, both on the father and mother's ſide, were very creditable people. My grandfather Told, who was an eminent phyſician at London, lived in Bunhill-Row, and was poſſeſſed of a very plentiful eſtate in houſes: My grandmother alſo enjoyed a very conſiderable fortune, at Torrington, in the weſt of Eng⯑land, worth about £600 per annum; but having a great diſlike to London, and her huſband's buſineſs fixing him there, cauſed ſo far a ſeparation between them, that they and their poſterity experienced very fatal conſequences therefrom, as he took to him a houſe⯑keeper, who, as I was informed by my mother, when ſhe found a fair opportunity, gave him what proved his end, and ſecured all his writings, and the title-deeds [2] of the eſtate, together with all the ready-money, plate, jewels, &c. the family being abſent from Lon⯑don! And although ſhe could not hold the eſtate, &c. yet, for a great number of years, and even to this day, ſeveral people have lived rent free, for want of proper title-deeds to empower the heir to receive the ſame; to that when I firſt came to London, after faithfully ſerving my time to Capt. Moſes Lilly, of Briſtol, to the ſeas, they had commenced the building of a few houſes in the front of Bunhill-Row, on the left-hand ſide going up out of Chiſwell-Street; but hearing that one of Dr. Told's grandchildren was come to London, they proceeded no farther than covering them in, and in that condition they remained for the ſpace of twenty years before they were finiſhed, the tenants, all of them, ſtill living rent free. I was frequently adviſed to make a claim to the eſtate; out for want of money to go to law, together with the loſs of the writings, I utterly declined it; ſo that I had given up all hopes of ever being profited thereby: And as to my grandmother Told's eſtate, in the weſt, this never came within my knowledge.

I now come to the account of my father, who was a phyſician at Briſtol, and in great eſteem throughout that city; but being a great ſchemer, it proved his ruin, and the impoveriſhing of all his family, parti⯑cularly in one inſtance, of building a wet dock at the Lime-kilns, where I was born; he laid out thirty-three hundred pounds, and loſt every penny by one Evans, for whom my father undertook the buſineſs, [3] who failed, and went off: This laid my father under the neceſſity of going out doctor of a Guineaman, in the courſe of which voyage he died, and was buried at Kingſton in Jamaica, leaving only ſix hundred pounds for the maintenance and education of five children. I would here obſerve, that during this voyage I was informed he cleared the ſum of £800, which Capt. Celliwood wronged our family of.

My mother was born at Topſham, near Exeter, and was daughter to Capt. Thomas Suckabitch, otherwiſe Suckſbury, who commanded a ſhip upwards of forty years. Something remarkable is related of my mo⯑ther's pedigree, viz. In tracing them up to the fartheſt knowledge, it has been repreſented, that in the time of the Kings of the Weſt Angles, his Majeſty being out on a certain day hunting with his Nobles, diſcover⯑ed a male child in the wood, with no one near it but a large bitch, the maid having left the child with the bitch whilſt ſhe went a nutting in the woods. The King, who found the child ſucking the bitch, carried it home, named it Suckabitch, and brought him up, giving him a large eſtate round the ſpot where he was found, which the ſucceeding generations have ſeve⯑rally enjoyed to this day, but altered the name to that of Suckſbury.

My uncle (Thomas Suckſbury) married the daughter of — Lloyd, Eſq on St. James's Back, with above £100,000 fortune, but ſhe being deformed, he went to ſea again, being captain of a very large ſhip for many years. It was ſuppoſed the ſhip foundered in the Atlantic, as ſhe was never heard of.

[4]My brother Joſeph, and ſiſter Dulcy, with myſelf, were ſent to nurſe at King's-Wood, near Briſtol, where we were taken the utmoſt care of by the moſt tender-hearted woman I ever met with. At this place we all con⯑tinued till I arrived at the age of eight years; my friends, at Briſtol, then made intereſt for one of us two boys to be admitted into the hoſpital of Edward Col⯑ſon, Eſq on St. Auguſtin's Back, near the Quay of Briſtol; a ſchool, I dare venture to ſay, that cannot be ſurpaſſed by any throughout Great-Britain for piety and Chriſtian diſcipline, having a miniſter to attend twice a week regularly, for the inſtruction of one hun⯑dred boys in their duty towards God and man. Here, I think, it may not be improper to give an exact and impartial account of the character and piety of ſo wor⯑thy a benefactor; and alſo of the wiſdom and good⯑neſs of Almighty God in raiſing up ſo ſteady and uſeful a man to poſterity. I ſhall trace this man of God from his birth: He was the ſon of Edward Col⯑ſon, a journeyman ſoap-boiler, whoſe wages did not exceed ten ſhillings per week, and had ten children then living, of whom Edward was the eldeſt, who, when he had arrived to an age fit to be put out an ap⯑prentice, his father bound him to a Virginia cap⯑tain, about the time that the coloniſts were tranſported to North-America, in order to inhabit thoſe parts. This proved his firſt riſe, as his behaviour, and hum⯑ble readineſs to obey his ſuperiors, moved many of the merchants, who firſt ſettled there, to make Edward, the cabin-boy, many preſents, inſomuch that, before [5] his ſhip departed from America for England, he had acquired the ſum of fifty pounds; and, being of an exceeding liberal diſpoſition, on his arrival at Briſtol, he haſtened with the £50, and diſpenſed every farthing there⯑of to the priſoners at Newgate; and ſhortly after ſailed again to Virginia, where he, through the kind pro⯑vidence of God, gathered, among his former friends, twice the money of the preceding voyage, and diſpoſed of the whole after the ſame manner. Here I muſt diſcontinue the relation of his proceedings, knowing no more of them, 'till he arrived at the age of forty years, when, as I have been informed, he became a very eminent Eaſt-India merchant, prior to the in⯑corporation of the Eaſt-India company, and had forty ſail of ſhips of his own, with immenſe riches flowing in upon him; yet, notwithſtanding, he remained ſteady and uniform in his charitable diſpoſition, di⯑ſtributing many thouſand pounds to various charities in and about London, as alſo private gifts to many parts of the kingdom; and in the year 1708 he in⯑ſtituted a very magnificent ſchool on St. Auguſtine's Back, Briſtol, which, as I have been informed, coſt him 11,000 pounds in the building, and endowed the ſame with between 17 and 1800 pounds per an⯑num, freehold for ever; likewiſe ten pounds for ap⯑prenticing every boy, and, for twelve years after his death, ten pounds to put them into buſineſs: He like⯑wiſe maintained religious oeconomy in the ſchool, ſuch as prayers three times a day, performed by one of [6] the ſuperior boys. He alſo cauſed to be erected a very grand free ſtone alms-houſe, with an elegant chapel ſituated in the front thereof, on St. Michael's-Hill, Briſtol, for 24 old men, with a handſome allowance for every individual, and a clergyman to attend them weekly. He alſo founded a large free ſchool in Tem⯑ple-Street, Briſtol, which was ſet apart for the edu⯑cation and clothing of 40 boys; and likewiſe provided for ten old men in the city alms-houſe; nor do I recollect that I ever was in any church throughout the city, but that a memorandum of his donations to ſeveral uſeful charities is recorded of him. I have likewiſe been informed of his building, at his own expence, the whole church and town of All Saints, near the Tolſey, Briſtol, together with thoſe many public charities now extant in that city. It has been frequently reported, that his private charities far ex⯑ceeded thoſe in public. I remember to have heard, in my youthful days, that one of his ſhips, trading to the Eaſt-Indies, had been miſſing for upwards of three years, and was included in the number of thoſe that were deſtroyed at ſea; but at length ſhe arrived, richly laden. His principal clerk brought him the report of her arrival, and of the riches on board; to which he gave anſwer, that as ſhe was totally given up for loſt, he would by no means claim any right to her; there⯑fore ordered the ſhip and her merchandizes to be ſold, and the produce thereof to be applied towards the relief of the needy, which directions were immedi⯑ately carried into execution.

[7]Another ſingular inſtance of his tender conſciouſneſs for charity was; at the age of forty, when he enter⯑tained ſome thoughts of changing his condition, he paid his addreſſes to a lady; but being very timerous, leſt he ſhould be hindered in his pious and charitable deſigns, he was determined to make a Chriſtian trial of her temper and diſpoſition, and therefore one morning filled his pockets full of gold and ſilver, in order that if any object preſented itſelf in the courſe of their tour over London-Bridge, he might ſatisfy his intentions. While they were walking near St. Agnes church, a woman in extreme miſery, with twins in her lap, ſat begging; and, as he and his intended lady were arm in arm, he beheld the wretched object, put his hand in his pocket, and took out a handful of gold and ſilver, caſting it into the poor woman's lap. The lady, being greatly alarmed at ſuch profuſe generoſity, coloured prodigiouſly; ſo that, when they were gone a little farther towards the Bridge foot, ſhe turned to him, and ſaid, Sir! do you know what you did a few minutes ago? Madam, replied Mr. Colſon, I never let my right-hand know what my left-hand doth: He then took his leave of her, and for this reaſon never married to the day of his death, although he lived to the age of 83.

In the year 1721 he died at Mortlake, up the river Thames, having left many conſiderable legacies to charitable uſes. Providentially I was in the [8] ſchool at the time of his death, when orders were given for all the children to learn by heart the 90th Pſalm, to ſing before the corpſe as it entered the city. which was at Lawford's Gate, where we joined the hearſe, and ſang before it the ſpace of five hours, amidſt a moſt numerous and crouded audience: It is impoſſible to deſcribe in what manner the houſes and ſtreets were [...]ined with all ranks of people; and al⯑though the rain de [...]cended in torrents, none paid any regard thereto; but the whole multitude ſeemed eagerly determined to ſee the laſt of ſo eminent a man! We came at laſt to All Saints church, where he was interred under the communion-table. The day of his birth, and alſo of his death, are commemorated to this day throughout the city of Briſtol. His many donations to the poor are, by his executors, faithfully upheld ſtill. Here I conclude the perpetua⯑tive memory of ſo good a man, which ſtill remains invaluable to me!

I now proceed to give an hiſtorical account of my own life from my infancy, as far as it may be brought to my remembrance, which is from three years of age. I was then in petticoats, and, for a conſiderable le [...]gth of time, my ſiſter Dulcybella and ſelf wandered into t [...]e woods and field, fixing ourſelves under the hedges, converſing about God and happineſs; ſo that at times I have been tranſported in ſuch a mea⯑ſure with heavenly bliſs, that whether in the body or [9] out of the body, I could not tell; this happineſs attended me for a few years.

One remarkable circumſtance I would obſerve: When my ſiſter and ſelfwere very young, we wandered out into King's-Wood, and loſt ourſelves in the woods, and were in the utmoſt conſternation, leſt we ſhould be devoured by wild beaſts; but quickly the kind pro⯑vidence of God permitted a large dog to come be⯑hind us; although no houſe was within a mile from the wood, yet the dog drove us clear out of the wood into our knowledge; what was remarkable, the dog never barked at us! And when in our knowledge, we looked around us to behold the dog, but he was not to be ſeen. Being heedleſs, and unapprehenſive of any further danger, we wandered again into the woods, and were a ſecond time bewildered, and in greater perplexity than before; when on a ſudden, looking around us, we beheld the ſame dog making toward us, 'till he came directly up to us; and we being much terrified ran from him, 'till we got a ſecond time into our knowledge; nor did the dog leave us till we were driven by him where we could not poſſibly run into any more labyrinths. I then turned about to look for the dog, but ſaw no more of him, although we were upon an open common; this was the Lord's doing, and it was marvellous in our eyes.

[10]When I arrived at the age of between ſeven and eight years I was put into Mr. Colſon's hoſpital, in the year 1719, and in the year 1725 was bound an apprentice to the ſeas to Capt. Moſes Lilly, in the ſhip Prince of Wales, and ſailed from Briſtol for Cork and Jamaica in the month of July, 1725.

Here I may date my firſt ſufferings: Being wonderfully wrought on by the Spirit of God, and totally ignorant of the maxims of the world, having been confined for ſix years in the hoſpital, free from all intercourſe with mankind, this rendered the new ſea life very diſagreeable to me: Alſo my un⯑acquaintance with the various myſteries on ſhip board, made me very untoward in the duty I was en⯑gaged in. The firſt reception I met with on board, when the ſhip lay in King-road, was to this effect: The chief mate called for the cabin-boy, but he not being on board, he ſent me to the cook to get him a plate of victuals, which I really imagined was meant for myſelf, and accordingly got a plate full, carried it down into the cabin, and, having a keen appetite, made a very comfortable dinner. When the chief mate had done his buſineſs, he ſent for me, in order to bring his victuals: I told him, that I underſtood it was for myſelf, and that I had eat it up; upon which he knocked me down, and began curſing and damning me at a horrible rate. This language I was never ac⯑quainted with, therefore thought I ſhould have broke my heart with grief; and having no friend, to whom [11] I could apply for redreſs, I was forced to ſuffer all the repeated acts of barbarity that might follow, which continued for eleven years.

The firſt of thoſe afflictions was that of ſea ſickneſs, which held me till our arrival at Jamaica. After lying at Kingſton many months (not having any freight for England) the ſhip made a voyage down to the Bay of Campeachy, in the Spaniſh Weſt-Indies, at which place ſhe lay at anchor about 12 miles from the land, where, with her bottom beating the ground every ſwell of the ſea, ſhe was exceedingly damaged. When we had completed our cargo we ſailed back for Jamaica, very ſhort of all ſpecies of proviſion, ex⯑pecting to have a ſhort paſſage; but, to our mortifi⯑cation, it was a paſſage of 14 weeks; and, after being out three weeks, we were put to ſhort allowance, both of bread and water; one biſcuit and two-thirds of a pint of water per day. This was what I never before experienced, and therefore it was the more grievous to be ſuſtained; and had it not been for a heavy ſhower of rain, off the iſland of Cuba, we muſt have periſhed for want. Here we ſtopped up all the ſcuppers, and ſaved about ſix caſks of water, by the uſe of the ſwabs which we dried the decks with, and which we rung into the caſks; and although the water was very bitter, yet, providentially, our lives were pre⯑ſerved thereby; for, we were reduced to half a pint of water a day, and that full of mud and mag⯑gots: yet were we three days before we arrived at Blue-Fields, the weſt end of Jamaica, without a ſingle [12] pint of water on board, and had been eleven weeks deſtitute of biſcuit, peaſe, or flour; ſo that we had neither food to eat, nor water to drink.

When we came to an anchor in Blue-Fields-Bay we boiſted out the long-boat, ſtowed her full of caſks, and diſpatched her for the freſh water, when one of our men fell flat upon his bel [...]y, and drank ſo immode⯑rately, that a few hours after he came on board he expired; and the next morning we ſewed him up in a hammock and threw him overboard, when a large ſhark deſcended after him, and, we ſuppoſed, ſwal⯑lowed the whole body. As we were riding at anchor in Kingſton Harbour, the capital of Jamaica, waiting for a freight to England, we at length got 105 hog⯑ſheads of ſugar on board; and on a Friday a very great noiſe was heard in the atmoſphere, ſimilar to that of ſplitting wood, and the element was very much diſturbed; our chief mate was of opinion, that we ſhould be viſited by a hurricane that evening, which began about eight o'clock the ſame night, and held its vehemency, without intermiſſion, till ſix o'clock the following evening. All language fails me to ſet forth the violence of this tempeſt, as nothing could ſtand before it! There were in the harbour of King⯑ſton 76 ſail of ſhips, many of which were very large; but all riding with three anchors a-head, and notwith⯑ſtanding ours was a new ſhip, with three new cables and anchors, yet, about four o'clock in the morning, we parted all three cables at once, and turning broad⯑ſide to the wind, overſet, and ſunk as far as the ground [13] would permit, and in that condition we were driven, with our gunnel to the bottom, down to the extremity of the harbour, which is about 12 miles. Though we were the firſt ſhip that drove from her anchors, yet all our maſts ſtood; but this was not the ſituation of any veſſel beſide, for the whole fleet loſt all their maſts, yards and bowſprit, and not one veſſel, large or ſmall, but was driven, with aſtoniſhing rapidity, high and dry on the land. The ſame hurricane alſo drove a large ſnow, of 220 tons, above half a mile into the country, which broke and tore the cocoa-nut trees, ſome of them up by the roots; likewiſe a very heavy brigantine was caſt upon the wharfs in the town, and a large ſloop, of about 100 tons, lay with her keel acroſs the brig's deck. In ſhort, that part of the town neareſt the water-ſide was ſufficiently barricaded with the wrecks of ſhips and veſſels; and as there were no tides of ebb and flood, conſequently there was no poſſibility of getting them off; nor were there any, ſave one fine ſtately ſhip, which rode out that tempeſt: So that ſeventy-five ſail of ſhips of war and merchantmen were inevitably deſtroyed in the tremendous Overthrow. One remarkable inſtance I would take notice of, viz. the ſhip Nicholſon, Capt. Smiler, of London, quite a new and beautiful veſſel, rode her bows out, ſunk at her anchors, and all on board periſhed, except the cap⯑tain's ſon and four more, who were ſaved by get⯑ting into a ſmall boat, called the Moſes, that carried no more than one hogſhead of ſugar at a turn.

[14]All the ſhips at Port-Royal ſhared the ſame fate with thoſe at Kingſton, except the Winchelſea man of war, and Kirkington, of Briſtol, Capt. Pills, both of which cut away their maſts, and were upon the brink of foundering even at the cloſe of the hurri⯑cane, which was on Saturday evening, about ſix o'clock. Here I would briefly obſerve, how ſuddenly the ſtorm ceaſed; it varied from eaſt to weſt, and was for a few hours calm; after which it chopped round to its former point, and blowing with a vehe⯑mence impoſſible to be expreſſed, laſted near an hour, and was ſucceeded by a ſecond calm. Two or three days after the reducement of theſe parts of the iſland, viz. Kingſton and Port-Royal, and likewiſe of the dreadful conſequences of the ſtorm upon the fleet of ſhips; the drowned ſeamen were drove upon the ſhore for miles down the harbour, and were left to be de⯑voured by the crows and other wild fowl.

Immediately after the hurricane followed a peſti⯑lential ſickneſs, which ſwept away thouſands of the natives: Every morning I have obſerved between 30 and 40 corpſes to be carried paſt my window; and, being very near death myſelf, I expected every day to approach with the meſſenger of my diſſolution. From this illneſs I contracted an habitual fever and ague, which continued eleven months, ſo that I was waſted to a mere ſhadow, nor had I one perſon under heaven to take care of me, except a negro, who brought me every day a doſe of jeſuits-bark to the warehouſe, where I was laid in a hammock. At length my maſter [15] gave me up, and I wandered up and down the town, almoſt parched with the inſufferable blaze of the ſun, till I was reſolved to lay me down and die, as I had neither money nor friend. Accordingly I fixed upon a dunghill on the eaſt end of the town of Kingſton, and being in ſo weak a condition, I pondered much upon Job's caſe, and conſidered mine ſimilar to that of his. However, I was fully reſigned to death, nor had I the ſlighteſt expectations of relief from any quarter; yet the kind providence of God was over me, and raiſed me up a friend in an entire ſtranger. A London cap⯑tain coming by, was ſtruck with the ſordid object, came up to me, and, in a very compaſſionate manner, aſked me if I was ſenſible of any friend upon the iſland, of whom I could obtain relief. He likewiſe aſked me to whom I belonged. I anſwered, to Captain Moſes Lilly, and had been caſt away in the late hur⯑ricane. This captain appeared to have ſome know⯑ledge of my maſter, and curſing him for a barbarous [...]llain, told me he would compel him to take proper care of me. In about a quarter of an hour after this my maſter arrived (whom I had not ſeen before for ſix weeks) and took me to a public houſe, kept by a Mrs. Hu [...]chinſon, and there ordered me to be taken proper care of; this coſt my maſter about 40s. per week: However, he ſoon quitted the iſland, and directed his courſe for England, leaving me behind at his ſick quarters; and if it ſhould pleaſe God to permit my recovery, I was commanded to take my paſſage for England in the Montſerrat, Captain [16] David Jones, a very fatherly tender-hearted man: This was the firſt alleviation of my miſery. Now the captain ſent his ſon on ſhore, in order to re⯑ceive me on board; when I came along-ſide, Captain Jones, ſtanding on the ſhip's gunnel, addreſſed me after a very humane and compaſſionate manner, with expreſſions to the following effect: ‘Come, poor child, into the cabin, and you ſhall want nothing the ſhip affords; go, and my ſon ſhall prepare for you, in the firſt place, a baſon of good egg flip, and any thing elſe that may be conducive to your relief—’ but I being ſtill very bad with my fever and ague, could neither eat nor drink.

Captain Jones then began to explore his ſurgery-box, in order to touch my caſe with ſome proper medi⯑cines, if any were on board; but, to his diſappoint⯑ment, they were all expended. Notwithſtanding this, he ſent for the boatſwain into the cabin, and aſked him, if he knew of any remedy for the intermitting fever. He told the captain, that he could not only produce a remedy, but that if I lived 50 years longer in the world, I ſhould not be ſubject to it thereafter: This was in the year 1727, which is now 48 years out of the 50, and I do not remember to have experienced one fit of it ſince; and, altho' I had been afflicted with the ague eleven months, the boatſwain cured me in leſs than five hours. Here I began immediately to recover my ſtrength, and became more lively and active than ever I was in my life. Upon our ſailing for Briſtol, Capt. [17] Jones being of a free, affable temper, in order to pleaſe the ſhip's company, ſteered his courſe to make the iſland of Bermudas, merely out of curioſity, as it appears to be very diſtantly ſituated from the Weſt-Indian iſlands. Upon our arrival thereat, we ſcudded along ſhore from one end of the iſland to the other; nor did I perceive either hill or mountain upon the whole iſland, it being a fine level graſſy land. After we loſt ſight of this iſland we made the beſt of our paſſage for England; but in the proſecution thereof ſomething rather ſupernatural happened, and I ſuppoſe may not be credited by many of my readers. Be that as it may, my intentions are not to advance beyond the bounds of truth in relating the following circumſtance, or in any other throughout this tract. —In the ſpace of five weeks, after our departure from Bermudas, the captain ordered the man to keep a ſharp look out at the fore-top-maſt-head, as by our journal and calculation of the log-book we expected to be no great diſtance from Cape Clear, the weſt end of Ireland. Accordingly, one morning about ſeven o'clock, the centinel at the maſt-head threw out the ſignal for land, about two points on the weather-bow; but as at that time the ſhip was running with the wind on the ſtarboard-beam, the captain deemed it moſt adviſeable to brace all ſharp up, and lie as near the wind as we poſſibly could. The land ſoon became conſpicuous to the naked eye from the deck, and we altered our courſe as the land edged round, but would not attempt to make any nearer approach towards it, [18] than a full league. I frequently had my eye fixed upon the land, as had alſo the captain and all the ſhip's company, while we were at work clearing the decks, bending the cables, and making our⯑ſelves ready in all reſpects to adapt the ſhip for an⯑chorage; or to be prepared for running into an har⯑bour, in caſe of any ſtrait or emergency. I do not remember ever to have ſeen any place apparently more fertile, or better cultivated; the fields ſeeming to be covered with verdure, and very beautiful; and as the ſurf of the ſea almoſt convinced us that it was playing on the ſhore, we were beyond all doubt for the ſpace of ten hours, that the ſhip had made a con⯑venient land-fall. Our captain therefore gave the man who firſt diſcovered it 10 gallons of rum and 20 pounds of ſugar; but about ſix o'clock in the even⯑ing, as we were waſhing the decks, and the ſun was ſhining clear from the weſtward, in leſs than a minute we loſt all ſight of the land, and nothing but the hori⯑zon, interſperſed with a few pale clouds, was percepti⯑ble from the deck: This filled the ſhip's company with the utmoſt aſtoniſhment and confuſion; nor did we make the coaſt of Ireland for ſeveral days after. Our captain and ſhip's company concluded that it was Old Brazille, which navigators affirm to have been deſtroyed by an earthquake between 5 and 600 years ago. At length we arrived at Briſtol, and I was with my maſter, Capt. Moſes Lilly, a few weeks, when he conſigned me over to a Timothy Tucker, commander of the Royal George, bound for Guinea and the Weſt-Indies; [19] a greater villain, I firmly believe, never ex⯑iſted, although at home he aſſumed the character and temper of a ſaint.

The firſt demonſtration of his notorious conduct was given to the ſhip's company, in the en⯑forcement of a white woman out of her native coun⯑try, and ſelling her to the Black Prince of Bonny, on the African coaſt. The next proof of his villainy was the vile and blaſphemous language wherewith he per⯑petually governed the ſeamen. Indeed, another exemplification of his horrid conduct was particularly noticed one Sunday morning; as I went down to the gun-room, in order to procure neceſſary proviſions for the ſhip's company, the captain happened to find me at the bread caſk, and declared that I was taking from thence conſiderably more than would be uſed; therefore, he immediately went to the cabin, and brought out with him his large horſe-whip, and exer⯑ciſed it about my body in ſo unmerciful a manner, that, not only the cloaths on my back were cut to pieces, but every ſailor on board declared they could ſee my bones, and that very viſibly; yet this act of barbariſm did not give him ſufficient ſatisfaction, for he threw me all along the deck, and jumped many times upon the pit of my ſtomach, in order to endanger my life; and had not the people laid hold of my two legs, and thrown me under the windlaſs (after the manner they threw dead cats or dogs) he would have ended his deſpotic cruelty in murder. Repeated in⯑ſtances of this behaviour were committed by Capt. [20] Tucker to the principal part of his ſeamen in the courſe of the voyage to Bonny. One day I accom⯑panied the king Arigo on ſhore for the benefit of my health (as the ſavage had almoſt put an end to my life) and continued there for the ſpace of ſix weeks, and ſlept with the king's ſon, prince Arigo, during the ſame. At this place the black king had 600 con⯑cubines, thirty of whom dwelt in his houſe, and an elderly woman preſided over the reſt. One morning in particular I was ſuddenly ſeized with a racking pain in my head; I acquainted the queen, in Mooriſh, with the cauſe of my indiſpoſition; ſhe informed his black majeſty therewith, who ordered me ſome "doctor," as they term it; and about half a dozen of his ladies took me into a back yard, and ſtripped me quite naked, even to my ſkin, ſat me on a joint-ſtool, and gave me ſome yabba (or water) with a cloth to dry myſelf. I could not conceive what they purpoſed to do with me, as the elder lady invented divers ſtratagems to get me into a ſtudious frame of mind; and when they perceived me quite fixed, looking at my feet, and I apprehending they were about to waſh them with the hot water, ſuddenly the female monitor, or preſi⯑dent, ſnatched the cloth from out of the water, and threw it directly in my face, which ſtartled me to ſuch a degree, that it effectually removed the pain in an inſtant: Here I penetrated their maxims in perform⯑ing the cure. However, in about half an hour's time my pain reviſited my head with greater violence than before; and I informed the queen that Iſhe was Oba⯑gona, [21] or my head was very bad: She then told his majeſty that my diſorder was returned, who ſtraightway collected his grandymen together, and they carried me to the ſummit of a certain hill (the acclivity whereof muſt be impoſſible for ſtrangers to ſurmount) on the right-hand ſide of which was ſituated the king's palaver-houſe, or place erected for their heatheniſh worſhip; they took with them a dog, and about 100 roots, called yams. When I entered the houſe, I was ſtruck with uncommon amazement at the ſight of 40 or 50 black mens heads hanged round this palaver-houſe. Here I was inexpreſſibly terrified, as I had received a very pious and Chriſtian education; ſo that their dia⯑bolical and groſs proceedings created great horror upon my ſoul. At length they commenced the uſual ſacrifices to their gods; during which, one of the ſenior cha⯑racters, who ſignalized himſelf by a ſcimeter at his ſide, drew it, took the dog before-mentioned, laid it on the floor, and at one blow cut off its head. He then pulled the tongue out of its mouth, faſtened it between its teeth, and inſtantly came and touched my forehead, cheeks, chin, and every joint, with the dog's tongue.

The king finding theſe reſources to be ineffectual, proceeded further, and directed ſome of his people to ſprinkle the duſt with a quantity of palm wine, and to lead me through a trackleſs deſert down to the ſhip, conceiving the wine (as there was no water to be had) might create a path to the ſea ſhore. This anſwered, and prince Arigo, the king's ſon, hailed the ſhip, which lay at a ſmall diſtance from land, and deſired [22] them to ſend the boat on ſhore, as Piccaninni Bacca⯑ [...]eau was yarre, yarre, that is, "was very ſick:" Accordingly it was done, and when I came on board Tucker, with a grim countenance, and horrid expreſ⯑ſions, aſked me what ailed me. I replied, that I had a ſtrong fever on me. Then, ſaid he, I will ſoon cure you; ſo he went and brought his horſe-whip, and, although I was extremely ſick, he whipt me unmerci⯑fully! Yet, however, his medicine did not perform the c [...]re, but heightened my fever, ſo that I was nearly brought to the gates of death; yet God raiſed me up again. Upon our arrival at St. Thomay, or St. Tho⯑mas, the European woman, which Tucker brought out from England, died in a ſhocking manner, was ſewed up in a hammock, and thrown overboard with a bag of ballaſt at her feet, in order to ſink her; but in the courſe of a week afterwards the corpſe of the woman was obſerved to float upon the water: I believe God had ſuffered this uncommon circumſtance to happen in order to open the eyes of our wicked captain; but he had no dread or remorſe in him.

I cannot but give one more inſtance of the barbarity of this captain during the voyage, and his groſs manner of executing it (as a more bloody and inhuman action ſurely never was perpetrated by an Engliſhman, except himſelf.) This was upon one of our black ſlaves, who thro' a violent ſickneſs was worn to a mere ſkeleton, and as he could not eat his allowance, the ſavage (Tucker) invented a ſcheme to compel the ſlave to eat, and laid to his charge that he was ſulky: However, the poor [23] creature could not, nor did he eat. Upon this the captain called for his black cabin boy, Robin, to bring him his horſe-whip: He did ſo, and Tucker began laſh⯑ing the poor ſick man till, I firmly believe, from his neck to his ancles, there was nothing to be ſeen but bloody wounds. The poor creature made no kind of re⯑ſiſtance, nor ſpoke one word: This provoked and highly incenſed our blood-thirſty devil; ſo that he went ſtill farther, and told him in Negroiſh, he would tickeravoo him. The poor ſlave anſwered, "Adomma," which ſignified, "So be it." By this time the captain's dinner was ready under the awning on the quarter-deck; he left the man in ſhocking agonies, bleeding and groaning on the forecaſtle; came to his dinner like a hog, and eat without fear or ſhame. After he had dined, he called for John Lad, and ordered him to get two ammunition piſtols well loaded with ball; then called for Robin, the cabin-boy, to bring them forward, which when done, he left his table, and or⯑dered John Lad to follow him, which he accordingly did with one piſtol in each hand. They both went forward on the main-deck; the poor object ſat with his back againſt the larboard-gunnel of the ſhip. Then Tucker, with a malicious and virulent grin, pointing one of the piſtols to him, told him it would kill him. The man replied as before, "Adomma." Upon this the captain applied the mouth of the piſtol to the middle of his forehead, and fired. The man inſtantly clapped his hands to his head, one behind, and the other before, and ſtared the captain in the [24] face, the blood guſhing from his forehead like the tapping a caſk, but he did not fall. Tucker then turn⯑ing to John Lad, with a blaſphemous oath ſaid, "This will not kill him;" and immediately clapped another to his ear, and fired that alſo; nor did he drop, even then! At laſt the captain ordered John Lad to fire another through his heart, which was done; he then dropt down dead. All the men ſlaves, in conſequence of this uncommon murder, roſe upon the ſhip's company, with full purpoſe to ſlay us all; but we nimbly betaking ourſelves to the cannons, point⯑ed them through a bulk-head that parted the main and quarter deck; which, when they perceived, the greater part of them ran down between decks, and the remainder jumped overboard, and were all drowned, ſave one or two which, with the aſſiſtance of the Jolly boat, we reſcued from the violence of the ſea. At length we arrived at Barbadoes, when captain Tucker's notorious conduct was repreſſed in ſome meaſure, which was viſibly perceived by his ſending the ſlaves large quantities of rum and ſugar. Yet, on his leaving that iſland, he renewed his former cruelties; but did not exerciſe them on me with that degree of ſeverity which he had frequently uſed in the paſſage to Kingſton.

In the courſe of eight weeks we arrived at Briſtol, and my original maſter (Moſes Lilly) received all my wages, but allowed me no pocket-money; and fit⯑ted me out very ſcantily for the next voyage.— Having no friend or relation in London, I was drawn in to perform a ſecond voyage with Tucker (the bare [25] idea of which almoſt broke my heart;) yet he treated me with leſs rigour than in the voyage before.

I have only two circumſtances to remark in this voyage; the firſt was, when ſlaved and ready to ſail for Bonny, we dropt down, and came to anchor a little without the Bar, and at about twelve o'clock at night an univerſal ſhriek was heard among the ſlaves between decks; and, being aſked what ailed them, they, with wild confuſion of mind, ſaid, that Egbo, or the devil was among them. The next morning, when we came to open the hatches to admit the air into their loathſome dens, and for the purpoſe of diſ⯑charging their tubs, to our great ſurpriſe, we found a number of them laying dead; upon hoiſting up about 80 of them, we ſave [...] 39, and the reſt, having irrecoverably loſt their breath in the ſuffocation, the captain directed us to caſt them overboard, which was inſtantly done, 40 in number.

A ſecond circumſtance, which happened on board our ſhip, and which I think myſelf compelable to relate, was the captain's inhuman cruelty to the ſhip's cook. The poor man had nothing but green-wood to make his furnace boil with, on which account it was impoſſible for him to get the food ready in time; therefore the captain habituated himſelf to certain practices, ſuch as horſe-whiping him, and ſtabbing a knife into his face, ſo that the poor man's life was grievouſly burthenſome to him; indeed he oftentimes [26] hinted to us that he would throw himſelf overboard, but we endeavoured to diſſuade him from it; yet, one morning, about eight o'clock, poor John Bundy plunged himſelf into the ſea without our knowledge; ſo that we diligently ſearched the ſhip for him, but he could not be found. We informed the captain of it, who anſwered with ſome degree of pleaſure, that he ſaw a hat ſwimming a-ſtern, which he ſuppoſed was the b—d of a b—'s hat; yet, notwithſtanding this heart-breaking uſage, we providentially completed the voyage.

After this I was ſhipped on board the Scipio, Capt. Roach, who was much of a ſeaman, a pleaſant tem⯑pered gentleman, and exceeding free and liberal with all his ſhip's company; but he having purchaſed a fine black girl for his own uſe, ſhe, in the end, proved the cauſe of his death. One evening, as we lay at anchor in New Callabar, one Tom Ancrao came on board who talked very good Engliſh, and the facetious Capt. Roach having made a tub of punch on the quarter-deck, had the fidler and the ſhip's company dancing with him, but left me with Tom Ancora to purchaſe the ſlaves. When this was done, Tom deſired me to give him a dram, which I did; he then deſired me to let the bottle ſtand: I told him I muſt firſt obtain the captain's leave for ſo doing. I then went to Capt. Roach, who gave me leave. Tom, at this indulgence, filled a rummer with brandy, and claſping the black girl in his arms (as their cuſtom is) they put both their mouths to the glaſs, and [27] jointly drank thereout; but unfortunately for Capt. Roach, he came into the cabin and detected them in that atti⯑tude while drinking, which ſo provoked him, that he ran the end of his cane into Tom's mouth, broke the tumbler, and knocked out all his front teeth, although he had a fine ſet. The captain then ran to his ſtate-room for one of his loaded piſtols; but Tom, apprehenſive of his danger, jumped over-board. It being dark, and the tide of ebb flowing ſtrong, Tom's canoe dropt a-ſtern, took him up, and carried him on ſhore. Our captain was reſolved to go on ſhore to cloſe the breach that was made; but the ſhip's com⯑pany all earneſtly ſtrove to convince him of the imprudence of going to Tom Ancora's houſe; yet, if he was bent upon going, they intreated him not to eat or drink any thing. However, Capt. Roach was reſolutely deaf to all their kind expoſtulations; he dreſſed himſelf in a ſcarlet pluſh ſuit, put his ſword on, and went to Tom's houſe; but he being too ſubtle for the captain, carried it fair and eaſy, and ſeemed to be very friendly, but took care to give the captain a ſtrong doſe of poiſon, which in three days time operated ſo effectually upon him, that the fingers on both his hands were drawn into the palms, and all his toes were drawn under his feet; hence it evi⯑dently appeared to all the traders that Tom Ancora had poiſoned Capt. Roach.

Next morning one Dick Ebrew and his ſon came on board, and deſired to learn what kind of eatables he [28] partook of, and whether it was hot or cold, while at Tom Ancora's houſe; ſaying, if he would ſimply tell them, it was not impoſſible for them to expel the poi⯑ſon, and ſave his life; theſe two men I have often ad⯑mired for their meek and loving ſpirit, exceedingly far beyond tens of thouſands who call themſelves Chriſtians: However, all their reaſoning with the captain, to convince him that he was poiſoned, proved ineffectual, as he inſiſted upon it he was not; and again, the others as ſtrenuouſly inſiſted upon it that he was. At length the benevolent father and his ſon parted with our captain in a plaintive condition (their eyes expreſſive of the ſame) as they had not the op⯑portunity of preſerving his life; he being a man greatly eſteemed amongſt the natives for his courteous be⯑haviour.

Before I proceed any farther, I would relate the behaviour of our cooper and a black, whom we named Adam. When the ſhip was ſailing over the Bar, Adam had planned the cutting off the ſhip's company, which, when perceived by the other ſlaves, they joined the mutiny, and on a ſudden roſe and ſeized the cook, and threw him into the furnace of boiling rice; they likewiſe attacked the boatſwain, took from him his knife, and ſtabbed him in ſeveral parts of the body, and threw him over-board. Wells, the cooper, hearing the diſturbance, came up out of the hold, upon which Adam alſo ſeized him; but the [29] cooper ſaid to him, "Adam, you no ſavee me, toſſue you mini?" The Engliſh of which is, "Don't you know I often give you water?" Adam then ſaid to him, "Toſſue coopery," which is, "Get out of the way." The cooper then got over the quarter-deck bulk-head to the arms cheſt, took up a loaded piſtol, and ſhot Adam through the head; the other ſlaves, at ſeeing their champion dead, ran all down between decks, were cloſely confined, and admirably well ſe⯑cured, to prevent a ſecond maſſacre; and as the cap⯑tain lay dangerouſly ill, and only five men able to work the ſhip, we, with the greateſt and moſt elaborate toil, reached the Weſt-Indies in three weeks.— Upon the ſhip's arrival there, the owner of her made the cooper a preſent of £60 for his ſervices on board her at the time of thoſe aſſaſſinations. I would again obſerve, before I return to Capt. Roach, while we lay at Callabar, and juſt previous to our ſailing, the captain ſent me on ſhore armed, with two men, to what is called, "Enforcement of trade." Accord⯑ingly I went on ſhore, with a cutlaſs by my ſide, and in my hands two loaded piſtols. When I arrived at the top of the hill, I heard an uncommon ſhrieking of women, and as I drew near a diviſion of houſes I ſaw what (through curioſity) I had long wiſhed to ſee, namely, Egbo, a native, in a fine ſilk graſs meſhed net, ſo curiouſly made to fit him, that nothing but his hands and feet appeared; the net ended with a fringe, not unlike ruffles. This man is looked upon as both [30] God and devil, and all ſtand in the moſt profound awe of him, from the higheſt to the loweſt.

I ſtood ſtill to ſee the ſequel of his caprice, and ob⯑ſerved that in his hand he had a green bough, where⯑with he was whipping the womens poſteriors, as they went naked, and chaſing them out of one houſe into another; and as they were exceedingly terrified, and conſidered it a heavy curſe when Egbo ſtruck them, therefore they fled from him as we would flee from hell flames. However, when he had ſatisfied himſelf by laſhing the poor women, he came out through the middle of the court, and through the meſhes of his net, I was diſcovered by him. Preſently he advanced towards me, with full purpoſe to let me alſo feel the weight of his green bough; upon which I inſtantly drew my hanger, with a reſolution to cut off his head. He then ran away, and I ſaw him no more. After⯑wards I was viſited by ſome of the chief men in the town, ſaying, "Bacareau, you no fear Egbo?" I replied, "Not I, and that if he had offered to ſtrike me I would have cut his head off." At which anſwer they could not help laughing heartily, and then re⯑tired.

I now return to continue the thread of my account of Capt. Roach, and the further particulars of my voyage to Jamaica. My reader may obſerve, that I leſt the deſcription of our proceedings upon Old Callabar, at our captain loſing the uſe of his limbs; [31] at length he found the poiſon to work fatally upon him, ſo that he was reduced to an inability of helping him⯑ſelf. The whole burthen then fell on my hands, nor would he ſuffer any other to approach him. I con⯑ducted myſelf in the diſagreeable function tolerably well, till we anchored under St. Thomas's fort, on a Portugueſe iſland, lying about 300 miles to the weſt⯑ward of the Coaſt of Africa, where Capt. Roach directed me to ſell the ſurplus of cargo, after purchaſing the Guinea ſlaves, &c. I went accordingly on ſhore with the remaining part of the cargo to the Scrivan's houſe. The governor's principal clerk bartered with me for gold-duſt, broken and damaged jewels, rings, &c. which amounted to the ſum of £630: He put it into a very curiouſly-made bag, the better to enable me to keep it ſecure. I took the aforeſaid ſum in my right⯑hand, and as I was walking deliberately down to the Beach, ſwinging it backwards and forwards, a little black boy came behind me, ſnatched the bag of gold out of my hand, and fled out of ſight before I could well look round me. Here I was left in the utmoſt conſternation at ſo great a loſs; but in a few minutes, to my unſpeakable ſatisfaction, I perceived the Scrivan, from whom I had received the gold, haſtening down upon the Beach with the bag in [...]is hand, who had met the boy flying up the town with it. He then gave me the bag and money, and ſaid, "Sir, be more careful of your property for the fu⯑ture, eſpecially when you are in a ſtrange country." I was inconceivably thankful, and am ready to affirm, [32] that this Portugueſe was actuated with ſtronger princi⯑ples of honour (eſpecially in this inſtance to a ſtranger) than thouſands of my countrymen would have been to a native of their own country.

By this time our captain grew worſe, and one day with his ſtool came ſeveral large clots of blood from him, one of which reſembled a fowl's kidney, and the bulk was nearly equal to that of a pigeon's egg. When I informed the captain thereof, he lifted up his eyes and hands (I hope his heart too) to heaven, repeating theſe words, "Lord Jeſus, receive my ſpirit." From this time he voided larger clots of blood, ſo that it was computed two or three and thirty pounds of blood had been diſcharged from him at various times. He ſtrictly charged the ſurgeon to open him when dead, for the ſatisfaction of his wife. He ſoon after made his exit, and upon his body's dif⯑fection, the ſurgeon pointed out to us the myſtery of the poiſon, and its operation; likewiſe the cauſe of his voiding ſuch quantities of blood, which was in conſequence of the veins acroſs his ſtomach being cut by the poiſon into 500 pieces. He was then ſewed up in his hammock, with a bag of ballaſt faſtened to his feet, and committed to the great deep; and I firmly believe he had all his ſufferings here.

Various occurrences happened in the ſhip during the captain's illneſs, but I ſhall particularly remark [33] only the circumſtance of one, which, I apprehend, was rather of an ominous nature. Every day, in the courſe of his weakneſs in body, he made repeated efforts to reach the cabin windows, in order to receive the cooling air, and at whatever times he looked in the water, a devil fiſh was regularly ſwimming at the ſtern of the ſhip; he did not appear to be a fiſh of prey, but his breadth from fin to fin was about 28 feet, and in length about ſeven or eight, with a wide tail, and two ivory horns in front. He followed the ſhip, to our beſt calculation, near 1800 miles; nor was it remembered by any of the ſhip's crew that a fiſh of that nature had made its appearance in the courſe of any of their voyages. Perpetual attempts to deſtroy or catch this monſter was made, by the faſtening a thick rope round the body of a dead negro, and caſting him over-board, but it was ineffectual; the fiſh ſwam cloſe under our ſtern, got his horns entangled in the rope, under-run it to the end, and then toſſed his refuſed prey ſeveral yards above the water. When the captain died he forſook the ſhip, and we ſaw him no more.

Our chief-mate, James Seabons, on the death of Capt. Roach, undertook the command of the ſhip, and after a ſhort paſſage of a few days ſhe arrived at Jamaica. While we were lying at moorings, and tar⯑rying in the harbour for a freight, the ſhip was over⯑run with rats, and, by our judgment, there were thouſands on board; this we deemed an ill omen, [34] which indeed proved ſo in a ſhort ſpace of time. When the ſhip ſailed from Jamaica, we had a difficult taſk to ſteer through the windward paſſage; but at length we weathered the eaſt end of Jamaica, and directed a ſteady courſe between that and Hiſpaniola, and the eaſt end of Cuba. About three o'clock in the after⯑noon, having a fair wind, by which the ſhip was ſcudding eleven or twelve miles an hour, we ſuddenly diſcovered a very large ſloop cloſe in ſhore, under Cape Nichela. Our captain, being a young mariner, took her to be a New York ſloop, bound for Jamaica. We inſtantly hauled up our courſes and lay too; but, as ſhe ſwiftly bore down upon us, our captain ſhortly found his miſtake, as ſhe proved to be a Spaniſh Guarda la Cofta, or, what was more redoubtable, a Spaniſh pirate. The enemy's veſſel was exceedingly large, full of guns and men: our captain was then very aſſiduous, and exerted, himſelf to the utmoſt, in the means of ſaving the ſhip, but the men would neither fight nor fly; ſo that the captain was con⯑ſtrained to ſurrender the ſhip, cargo and men, to the diſpoſal of the enemy.

When we were boarded, the Spaniſh ſailors began to plunder us, ſtripping and taking all away, from the captain down to the cabin-boy; nor did they ſpare the cloaths on our backs, but in turn of them clothed us with their filthy ragged frocks and drawers. They killed all our poultry, and ſet us to picking them; put [35] on the ſhip's large kettle, and boiled both fowls and ducks. They likewiſe took away all our compaſſes, ſave two that had been ſpoiled with the rain on the Coaſt of Africa. In ſhort, they took away every uſe⯑ful article, and left us totally deſtitute of carpenter's, cooper's, and boatſwain's tools. They then informed us, that, at eight o'clock the next morning, every one of us, without diſtinction, partiality or reſerve, ſhould be hanged, and that without ceremony, and had alſo the barbarity to preſent to us the place and the ſcaffold erected for that purpoſe, which was on the platform under Cape Nichola; and we had every reaſon to fear that they would have carried their deſigns into execution, had not the Providence of God interpoſed, by making me the inſtrument of our deliverance therefrom. The happy circumſtance was this; I frequently kept the ſhip's accounts in the captain's abſence, and was ordered to do ſo when he was re⯑moved on board the Spaniſh pirate. I then ſecured his gold watch, and depoſited the ſame amongſt the coals in the fore-peak, and brought our ſhip to an anchor cloſe under the enemy's ſtern, where we re⯑mained all night.

When the enemy's under captain had diſcontinued his plundering, their principal, or Spaniſh com⯑mander, repaired on board the capture, and brought our maſter with him, in order to ſpend the evening together; and in the courſe of their converſation, the Spaniſh captain (to my extreme grief and diſappoint⯑ment) [36] aſked captain Seaborn if he had ſuch a thing as a watch on board? He replied, "Sir, I had a gold watch on board, and a ſilver one, but I am afraid they are loſt in the plunder:" However, the captain wiſely aſked me if I knew whether it was ſtolen, or whether I had taken care of it myſelf; if I had, he ſaid it would be the ſure means of ſaving our lives. I told him that I had hid it in the fore-peak amongſt the coals. I was then directed to go and bring it; but one of the Spaniſh common ſeamen, knowing for what I was ſent thither, followed me down the fore⯑ſcuttle, and when I had pocketed the watch, he took up a billet of wood, ſtruck me a blow on my left ear, which ſtunned me, and then took the watch from out of my pocket. Notwithſtanding my inſenſibility I could take particular notice of the fellow, that if I ſurvived the blow he might be apprehended. In about twenty minutes. I came to myſelf, went and informed our captain of what had happened, who aſked me if I knew the man again [...]t I told him, he was leaning with his left-arm on the ſhip's gunnel: He then informed the Spaniſh captain of it, who went with me to the man, and demanded the watch. The daſtardly fellow went on his knees, and ſurrendered it, and was after⯑wards, with all his plundering companions, by the command of their captain, diſmiſſed from our ſhip, and ſent on board their own. They all returned to their own veſſel in launches; and after their captain had diſcourſed with ours about the ſpace of 40 minutes, he returned on board his own ſhip likewiſe.

[37]We ſtill remained in a ſtate of anxiety in reſpect to our deſtiny; but at eight o'clock the next morning a deciſion took place, by the Spaniſh captain hailing our ſhip, and deſiring us to weigh anchor, and direct our immediate courſe for England. The un⯑common joy which this reprieve produced in the hearts of every ſailor on board our ſhip, was infinitely beyond what I am able to deſcribe in this narrative. Each of us danced, ſkipped and jumped about, from one end of the ſhip to the other, inſomuch that ſeveral ſailors were quite fatigued, and an utter ſtop was made to our neceſſary duty. But when this exſtacy was ſub⯑ſided, and the ſhip's company more compoſed, we im⯑mediately hove a-head, weighed anchor with great pleaſure, made ſail with a favourable breeze, and, in the ſpace of two hours, left the land ſeven leagues a⯑ſtern. My reader will remember, that the ſhip's company was threatened with execution the morning of the reprieve, therefore the irreſiſtible joy we all experienced may be eaſily accounted for. However, greater misfortunes and croſs providences were yet to come, for the third day after our eſcape from the pirate, by the officers obſervation and the ſhip's reckon⯑ing, we apprehended that the veſſel was no great diſtance from Crooked Iſland; therefore a diligent lookout at the maſt-head was ordered to be kept. Preciſely at ten o'clock, P. M. the centinel called out to the man at the wheel, and begged him inſtantly to put the helm hard at lee, as there were 50 ſail of [38] ſhips on the lee-bow at no great diſtance. We were at that time ſcudding with the wind quarterly (all our ſteering-ſails ſet) at the rate of 12 or 13 miles an hour. The ſhip quickly anſwered her helm, but having ſuch a croud of ſail upon her, and the mariners not being ſufficiently active to haul them down at ſo ſhort a notice, we found that, inſtead of ſhipping, we were ſurrounded with dreadful breakers on a reef of rocks, and ſo very ſteep withal, that when the ſhip's ſtern tended round, any perſon could have jumped off the ſhip's tafferel upon them. Having ſo exceeding ſwift a way through the water, ſhe drew a little off from the rocks; yet, by reaſon of her miſſing ſtays, ſhe fell off again, and the firſt blow ſhe ſtruck, a pro⯑jected part of a rock went through her bottom, and in a few minutes the whole ſhip was full of water. By the deep-ſea line we found that her ſtern lay in 80 fathoms, and had ſhe not been held faſt by this rock, every one on board muſt inevitably have periſhed.

In the midſt of thoſe ſuffering ſeaſons, we all ex⯑perimentally knew the merciful hand of Almighty God was over us; for if the ſhip had not ſtruck on the ſpot where ſhe providentially did, it would have been an utter impoſſibility for any one on board to have reached the land, as we afterwards found there was no paſſage through the reef, except that part whereon the veſſel was wrecked. Seeing no proſpect of ever ſecuring the leaſt part of her hull, we uſed all diligence at every poſſible opportunity to ſave part [39] of her cargo. We ſpeedily hoiſted out our long-boat, and ſtowed ſeveral bags of bread therein, together with an old fore-ſail, wherewith we intended to make a tent on ſhore; but the boat being exceedingly rot⯑ten, with many leaks in her bottom, and having no tools on board to ſtop them before we could reach the landing-place, to our mortification the boat ſunk to the gunnel, and totally ſpoiled all our bread; yet, by the aſſiſtance of the Almighty, we all eſcaped to land with the fore-ſail, with which, and the help of two long poles, we erected a ſmall tent, for the purpoſe of keeping off the inſufferable heat, and ſcorching influ⯑ence of the ſun.

When the evening approached, the captain directed us to run the yawl backwards and forwards from the eaſt to weſt parts of the iſland, in order to diſcover the town or inhabitants (if any) whereby to obtain ſome refreſhment; but, after having ſpent eight hours in that hazardous excurſion, we perceived that the iſland was totally uninhabited. Here another freſh ſcene of diſtreſs preſented itſelf. As we could get no proviſion from the ſhip, we were deter⯑mined to ſearch the iſland for both food and water; we did ſo, but without ſucceſs; nor was the land pro⯑ductive of any animal or vegetable ſpecies, but an abundance of land crabs and ſhell fiſh. Theſe evident marks of deſolation and barrenneſs gave birth to vari⯑ous reſources, in order to ſupport life; and accordingly three or four of us were compelled by the captain to [40] venture ourſelves naked into the ſea, and ſwim on board the ſhip (if poſſible) for the purpoſe of getting ſuch water as was not ſpoilt; and, notwithſtanding the wreck lay full two miles from the ſhore, yet we effected our purpoſe in a ſhort time.

Having hoiſted out three caſks of freſh water, we left them to be driven on ſhore by the ſtrength of a conſtant ſea-breeze and the waves together, which, in the ſpace of ten minutes, ſent them ſo near the land, as to be rolled up the beach by our ſeamen on ſhore. My readers may be ſurpriſed at our ſwimming two miles upon a ſtretch; but let it be obſerved, that there were many ſmall rocks lying between the ſhore and the ſhip, ſo that when we were almoſt wearied out, they ſerved us for reſting places; though, truly, we never quitted theſe rocks, but at the immediate hazard of our lives, ſeeing there were a multiplicity of ſharks and alligators perpetually ſporting throughout the Bay. I perfectly well remember to have ſeen three ſharks divide a man's body in the harbour of St. Tomay, on the coaſt of Africa; the firſt ſeized one of his hind⯑quarters, and wrenched it off at the firſt ſhake; a ſecond attacked the other hind-quarter, and took that away likewiſe; when a third furiouſly attacked the remainder of the body, and greedily devoured the whole thereof.

I was ſubject to many dreadful apprehenſions in the performance of my exploits, leaſt a circumſtance of [41] this kind ſhould befal me likewiſe, but the Lord was my ſure protector. After we had weathered three weeks in this deplorable ſituation, and expoſed to the malignancy of the inclement atmoſphere, the moſ⯑chettos, like ſwarms of bees, diſcovered our perſons, and pierced our fleſh ſeverely with their poiſonous ſtings, inaſmuch that we were all neceſſitated to bury ourſelves in the ſand, even our hands and faces (clear⯑ing only our mouths and noſtrils at certain times, for the admittance of air and diſcharge of breath) or we ſhould certainly have been ſtung to death.

Our captain then aſked who would undertake to proceed with him towards the N. W. part of the iſland, as he conceived that would be the only means of find-a remedy. I readily complied with his propoſal, and jumped into the boat, accompanied by four others and the captain; and upon our leaving the iſland we left thoſe troubleſome companions the inſects. Here it may be well to obſerve the goodneſs of God in ſending theſe inſects to drive us out to ſea. Our captain being inclined to run round the iſland, in order to make what diſcoveries he could, we ſailed about 30 miles round to the S. W. where we found a fine bay. As the boat (having but a light breeze) imperceptibly advanced to the land, we diſcerned ſeveral Flemingo birds, and as they were a fowl of the firſt magnitude, we all imagined that they were ſome perſons who in⯑habited the place; but when we arrived at the rocks we found our miſtake, and were under the neceſſity [42] of reviſiting that truly diſagreeable reef of rocks, whereon our ſhip was caſt away.

Upon our approach to the ſhore ſeveral of our people, with over-joy, deſired us to run out to ſea, as there was a veſſel in the Offing. The captain immediately ſteered through the Gut, and we happily met her about half a mile from the wreck of our ſhip. When we came near to the ſtranger, the ſeamen preſented loaded blunderbuſſes at us, and told us to keep off, or they would certainly fire upon us. We begged to inform them that we were in great diſtreſs, our ſhip being loſt on the reef of rocks, and that the remainder of our people were on ſhore in a tent. Their captain then, with ſome warmth, declared, if we did not keep our boat at a greater diſtance from their ſhip, he would diſcharge a ſix-pounder at us, and ſend both yawl and men to the bottom. He likewiſe aſſerted, that we were pirates, that our ſhip was not loſt, but riding at an anchor; and that we had no authority to lay in thoſe uninhabited parts of the world. We expoſtulated with the captain a conſiderable time, and at length he permitted us to repair on board.

When we had ſo done, the captain, whoſe name was Cabel Bean, ran cloſe in ſhore, embarked the re⯑mainder of our diſtreſſed companions by the aſſiſtance of their yawl, and, after having interrogated them reſpecting their cataſtrophe, he found that our relation was ſtrictly true.

[43]As we had many valuables on board, which we ſup⯑poſed had received no damage, the veſſel (which was called the Patomack ſloop) ſtood off and on till, with their boats and our yawl, we had ſaved goods to the amount of £1200, in anchors, cables, rigging, rum, pimento, cotton, &c. and as the veſſel had nothing on board but ballaſt, it was more adapted to receive the ſpoilt goods; while we were thus employed, a large turtle boat, from Virginia, hove in ſight; the maſter's name was Sims, a Molatta, he likewiſe lent us the aſſiſtance of his boat and crew in recovering the ſpoils of our cargo. After we had ſaved every thing within the reach of poſſibility, Sims, the Molatta, took three or four of us, with the two captains, round to the N. ſide of the iſland, in order to inſtruct us in the myſtery of fiſh catching, ſo that we might in ſome degree alleviate our diſtreſſes, if we ſhould at any future period fall into the like ſituation. Accordingly we ſailed up a ſalt-water river, where were plenty of mullets, and a young chicken turtle; and as the water in this region was amazingly ſhallow, not more than two feet, we chaſed thoſe fiſh backwards and forwards till we chaſed them out of breath, and withal, into about ſix inches water, which opportunity we nimbly embraced, in falling flat upon our breaſts, and catching them with⯑out any tackle.

We ſecured the chicken turtle after the ſame man⯑ner, and haſtened to Terra-firma, with a deſign to cook all our acquiſitions; and notwithſtanding we could [44] get neither fire or candle, yet Mr. Sims produced a tinder-box, and ſtriking fire to the tinder, applied a ſmall piece thereof to ſome dry graſs, gave it a few ſhakes into the air, till it was kindled into a ſubſtantial fire. We then barbaqued the young turtle, and boiled a mullet. Still we were at a loſs to obtain freſhwater, and aſked Mr. Sims if he could procure us any. He only ſcratched and troubled the ſand rather above high⯑water mark, and, to our aſtoniſhment, the freſh water ſprung up. After we had regaled ourſelves, captain Sims conveyed us from that region, in his turtle-boat, to the reef of rocks, whereon our ſhip was caſt away. By this time the ſeamen of captain Bean's Potomack had well nigh equipped her, and tarried only for the return of their paſſengers.

When we were all on board, the liberal captain openly diſtributed all and every part of the proceeds of ſaid cargo among the ſailors belonging to the wreck, and then directed his courſe towards Boſton, in New-England. About three weeks after our departure from the deſolate iſland, early one morning, we diſ⯑covered the Gay-Head of St. Matthias's vine yard, ſo called from its appearance in a variety of colours, with a reef of rocks, not more than half a mile a⯑ſtern of us. We came to anchor about eight o'clock in the evening, with fine pleaſant weather; but at ten P. M. a tremendous ſtorm aroſe, which cauſed the ſea to roar dreadfully, and run mountains high.

[45]Preciſely at twelve o'clock, as I had the watch upon deck, a very heavy ſea broke againſt our bow, which ſtrained the ſhip exceedingly: I haſtily ran to the companion hatchway to call another upon the guard, but ſuſpecting the violent ſea to have had a dangerous tendency on the ſhip, went immediately to the deep⯑ſea lead, took and hove it over the ſtern, to judge whether ſhe was riding ſafe at her anchors or not, but found the lead was under her bottom. I ran to the hatchway, called all hands, and informed them the veſſel was adrift.

Captain Bean, of the ſloop, ſaid, in a very ſolemn manner, "Then the Lord have mercy on our ſouls, we are every one loſt," and immediately the veſſel came down with ſuch vehemency upon the rocks, that when the waves returned, they were high even up to our gunnel above the water, the ſea driving us upon them with ſuch a power, that nothing but the omni⯑potence of God could have preſerved us from the im⯑minent danger. The ſea ſtill continued with the utmoſt rapidity, and followed us like rolling moun⯑tains even to the beach, which daſhed the ſloop ſo violently upon and againſt the rocks, that we enter⯑tained no other ideas of the conſequence, but that ſhe would be broke in a thouſand pieces. In this ſituation I pulled off my frock and drawers, which was all the Spaniards had left me, and all the covering I had in the world; the next wave that attacked us, waſhed [46] them over-board, and left me completely deſtitute of clothing of any kind whatever; nor was it in the power of any perſon on board to afford me any kind of re⯑lief. However, when we were upon the deck, I pro⯑poſed to three more on board that could ſwim tolerably well, to plunge ourſelves over-board, and attempt to gain the ſhore, perſuaded that, if this plan could be effected, a method might be taken to ſave the lives of thoſe on board, who otherwiſe muſt have been drowned. Accordingly four of us caſt ourſelves over⯑board, and endeavoured to ſwim on ſhore; but in the attempt we were carried backwards out of our depths by a raging ſurf; nor could we get firm foot⯑ing on the ſandy beach till the wave had ſpent itſelf. At length, after having our bodies dangerouſly hurt, and driven about by every ſucceeding wave, we got ſafe on ſhore, and hailed the others on board the wreck to ſend a rope on ſhore, in order to haul them one by one to land. They did ſo, and we reſcued every poor diſtreſſed companion of ours from the re⯑morſeleſs deep. After this, they unanimouſly conſented to travel a little way into the country, and almoſt compelled me to go with them, naked as I was; but I very reluctantly declined it, owing to ſhame and confuſion; and while the others were ranſacking the iſland in queſt of proviſion, &c. I was ſolitarily be⯑wailing my deplorable and hapleſs ſtate between two ſmall rocks, and almoſt ſtarved with hunger and cold. At ſeven o'clock in the evening, it being duſk, one of [47] our men came running towards me, and compelled me to go to a tavern with him, which was at the diſtance of ſeven miles. I aſked him if he had brought me any thing to cover me. He replied, No; but that there was ſpeedy help for it. I readily complied with his deſires, but with much difficulty reached the tavern at midnight. The meſſenger went in, and informed the hoſt of my caſe, who brought me out a pair of red breeches, which was all he had left after ſupplying the reſt.

Ebenezer Allen, governor of the iſland, and who dwelt about ſix miles from the tavern, hearing of our diſtreſs, made all poſſible haſte to relieve us; and when he arrived at the tavern (accompanied by his two eldeſt ſons) he took captain Seaborn, his black ſervant, Joſeph and myſelf, through partiality, and eſcorted us home to his own houſe. Between eleven and twelve at night we reached the governor's manſion. All of us aſhamed to be ſeen, would fain have hid our⯑ſelves in any dark hole or corner, as it was a truly magnificent building, with wings on each ſide there⯑of; but, to our aſtoniſhment! we were received into the great parlour, where were ſitting by the fire-ſide two fine portly ladies attending the ſpit, which was burthened with a heavy quarter of houſe lamb.

Obſerving a large mahogany table to be ſpread with a fine damaſk cloth, and every knife, fork and plate, to be laid in a genteel mode, I was apprehen⯑ſive [48] that it was intended for the entertainment of ſome perſons of note and diſtinction; or, at leaſt, for a family ſupper. In a ſhort time-the joint was taken up and laid on the table, yet nobody ſat down to eat; and as we were almoſt hid in one cor⯑ner of the room, the ladies turned round and ſaid, "Poor men, why don't you come to ſupper?" I replied, "Madam, we had no idea that it was pre⯑pared for us!" The ladies then intreated us to eat without any kind of fear of them, aſſuring us that it was prepared for none others; and none of us having eaten any thing for near ſix-and-thirty hours before, we picked the bones of the whole quarter; to which we had plenty of rich good cyder to drink. After ſup⯑per we went to bed, and enjoyed ſo proſound a ſleep, that the next morning it was difficult for the old gen⯑tleman to awake us.

The following day I became a partaker of ſeveral ſecond-hand garments, and as I was happily poſſeſſed of a little learning, it cauſed me to be more abund⯑antly careſſed by the whole family, and therefore I "fared ſumptuouſly every day." This unexpected change of circumſtance and diet, I undoubtedly experi⯑enced in a very uncommon manner; but as I was ſtrict⯑ly trained up a Churchman, and could not ſupport the idea of a Diſſenter (although, God knows, I had well nigh by this time diſſented from all that was truly good) this proved a bar to my promotion, and my ſtrong propenſity to ſail for England, to ſee my mo⯑ther, [49] prevented my acceptance of the greateſt offer I ever received in my life before; for when the day came that we were to quit the iſland, and to croſs the Sound over to a town called Sandwich (on the Main Continent) the young eſquire took me apart from my aſſociates, and earneſtly intreated me to tarry with them; ſaying, that if I would accede to their propoſals, nothing ſhould be lacking to render my ſituation equivalent with that of the family.

As there were very few white men on the iſland, I was fixed upon (if willing) to eſpouſe one of the governor's daughters: I have been informed that the governor was immenſely rich, having on the iſland two thouſand head of cattle, and twenty thouſand ſheep, and every acre of land thereon belonging to himſelf. However, I could not be prevailed upon to accept the offer; therefore the governor furniſhed us with 40s. each, and gave us a paſs over to the town of Sandwich.—Upon our arrival there, we waited on a Mr. Silas Bourn, juſtice of the peace, who treated us courteouſly, ordered us to ſign our names to a cer⯑tain document, which he purpoſed to tranſmit over a large canal to the keeper of a tavern, whereby we could have every thing we wiſhed for.

After taking our leave of juſtice Bourn, we ſet out for Plymouth, which, we were informed, was the firſt ſpot whereon the Americans landed when they firſt went over to inhabit thoſe parts of the world. It ap⯑peared [50] a low mean place, with only a ſmall ſpired meeting-houſe, which they built, and covered in with ſhingles before they had raiſed one dwelling-houſe: Such was their zeal for the glory of God! We paſſed through this tract of land without a main road to guide us, till we came to a wood. The woods in this part of the world are no ways ſimilar to thoſe in England with briars and thorns; but are variegated with num⯑berleſs rows of tall pines, which naturally grow at a tolerable diſtance from one another, ſo that they bear a greater reſemblance to a gentleman's park, and form a beautiful appearance. We continued travelling till it began to grow dark, and finding no houſe in our way ſince we left Plymouth, we concluded that we muſt pitch our tent in the woods all night. However, at about ſeven o'clock, we fell in with a ſmall public-houſe. After we had ſupped, I craved the hoſpitality of an old Engliſhman in providing a bed for each of us; but he very roughly expreſt his diſapprobation thereof, ſeeing we were intire ſtrangers.

As we were juſt about to commence our nocturnal journey, a poor woman ran up to us, and inſiſted upon our returning to her quarters, where we ſhould be hoſpitably accommodated with every thing that was ſuitable to our ſituation for that night. This being the firſt of November, and the winter in that ſouthern hemiſphere being juſt ſet in, we were, whilſt by the fire, almoſt burnt on one ſide, but nearly frozen on the other. As ſoon as day-light appeared we aroſe, [51] took our leave of the old woman, after returning her many thanks, ſet out upon our journey, and at half paſt eleven, A. M. we all reached the beautiful town of Hanover. Here the buildings and ſtructures (from one end thereof to the other) were truly magnificent and handſome. The inhabitants were really polite, wealthy, and of a beautiful com⯑plexion, mien and deportment.

At the north weſt part of the town was a very fine road, which extended itſelf to the ſea ſhore. In the center of which road ſtands a ſtately church, very aptly ſituated for the purpoſe of travellers, who frequently have recourſe thereto, and intermit their journey on Sabbath-Days. One Sunday, as my companions and ſelf were croſſing the church-yard, at the time of di⯑vine ſervice, a well dreſt gentleman came out of the church, and ſaid to us, "Gentlemen, we do not ſuffer any perſon in this country to travel on the Lord's-Day." We gave him to underſtand, that it was neceſſity which conſtrained us to walk that way, as we were all ſhip-wrecked on St. Martin's Vineyard, and were journeying to Boſton. The gentleman was ſtill diſſatisfied, but quitted our company, and went into the church. When we had gone a little farther, a large white houſe proved the object of our attention; the door being wide open, we reaſonably imagined it was not in an unguarded ſtate, without ſervants or others; but as we all went into the kitchen, nobody appeared to be within, nor was there an individual either above [52] or below. However, I adviſed my companions to tarry in the houſe until ſome perſon or other ſhould arrive. They did ſo, and in a ſhort time afterwards two ladies, richly dreſt, with a footman following them, came in through the kitchen, and notwithſtand⯑ing they turned round and ſaw us (who in ſo dirty and diſagreeable a garb and appearance, might have ter⯑rified them exceedingly) yet neither of them was obſerved to take any notice of us, nor did either of them aſk us any queſtions, touching the cauſe of ſo great an intruſion.

About a quarter of an hour afterwards a footman entered the kitchen with the cloth, and a large two⯑quart ſilver tankard full of rich cyder; alſo a loaf and cheeſe, but we not knowing it was prepared for us, did not attempt to partake thereof. At length the ladies, coming into the kitchen, and viewing us in our former poſition, deſired to know the reaſon of our malady, ſeeing we were not refreſhing ourſelves: Whereupon I urged the others to join with me in the acceptance of ſo hoſpitable a propoſal. After this the ladies commenced a familiar enquiry into our ſituation. I gave them as particular an account of every recent viciſſitude that befel us, as I was capable of, with a genuine relation of our being ſhipwrecked, and the [...]ole reaſons of our travelling into that country. Like⯑wiſe begged they would excuſe our impertinence, as they were already informed of the cauſe.

[53]We then were emboldened to aſk the ladies if they could furniſh us with a lodging that evening. They replied, it was uncertain whether our wiſhes could be compleated there; but that if we proceeded ſomewhat farther, we ſhould, doubtleſs, be entertained, and genteelly accommodated by their brother, a quaker, whoſe houſe was not more than the diſtance of ſeven miles. We thanked the ladies, and ſet forward, and at about eight o'clock arrived at their brother's houſe. Fatigued with our journey, we haſtened into the par⯑lour, and delivered our meſſage; whereupon a gentle⯑man quickly gave us to underſtand, by his free and liberal conduct, that he was the quaker referred to by the aforeſaid ladies, who (total ſtrangers as we were) uſed us with a degree of hoſpitality, impoſſible to be exceeded. Indeed, I could venture to ſay, that the accommodations we met with at this quaker's houſe (ſeeing they were imparted to us with ſuch affectionate ſympathy) greatly outweighed thoſe we formerly ex⯑perienced.

After our banquet, the gentleman took us up into a fine ſpacious bedchamber, with deſirable bedding, and very coſtly chints curtains. We enjoyed a ſound night's reſt, aroſe between ſeven and eight the next morning, and were entertained with a good breakfaſt; returned many thanks for his unreſtrained friendſhip and liberality, and departed therefrom fully purpoſed to direct our courſe for Boſton, which was not more than ſeven miles farther. Here all the land was ſtrewed [54] with plenty; their orchards were replete with apple-trees and pears. They had cyder preſſes in the center of their orchards, and great quantities of neat cyder, and any perſon might become a partaker thereof for the mere trouble of aſking. We ſoon entered Boſton, a commodious beautiful city, with 17 ſpired meetings, the Diſſenting religion being then eſtabliſhed in that part of the world. I reſided here for the ſpace of ſour months, and lodged with captain Seaborn, at deacon Townſend's, deacon of the north meeting, by trade a blackſmith.

Nothing was wanting during our continuance there, but, on the contrary, affluence flowed in upon the in⯑habitants from all parts of the Continent. I need not give any deſcription of Boſton, as by this time the town, commerce, ſituation, &c. are almoſt univer⯑ſally known to every kingdom of Europe. Here I ſhall only make a few obſervations, touching the na⯑ture and diſpoſition of the inhabitants of that city. Their behaviour is altogether amiable, as peace⯑makers; and they are naturally bleſſed with humane inclinations, together with ſuch ſtrict order and oecono⯑my, as I never before obſerved; nor do I ever re⯑member to have heard one oath uttered, or the name of the Lord mentioned, ſave upon a religious occaſion, during the four months I tarried at that place; nor is there one lewd houſe ſuffered in the whole town, or any Sabbath-breaking. It was a pleaſure to buy and [...]ell among them, becauſe I never found an individual [55] throughout their fraternity guilty of extortion. Would to God I could ſay this of the inhabitants of Great-Britain!

Upon the arrival (at Boſton) of all our ſeamen, they were ſtrongly recommended by the natives to ſue for the ſalvage of their goods and properties, which were fortunately ſaved out of the ſhip Scipio; but captain Clark refuſed to make us any ſatisfaction, as his veſſel was wrecked by waiting to take us up. Upon this circumſtance, a certain gentleman of that city, undertook our cauſe, and commenced an action againſt captain Clark in the Admiralty-court. The defendant ſtood the trial, which was maintained by judge Byfield, an elderly gentleman; and after a hearing of about half an hour, the judge addreſſed captain Clark, told him to look upon us as objects of diſtreſs, and aſked him, if he thought we had not ſuf⯑fered ſufficiently already. He therefore ſaid, as they ſaved the cargo of their own veſſel, I hereby decree, that they ſhall all, without any kind of reſtraint, re⯑ceive double ſalvage. Then, to our aſtoniſhment, captain Clark, though deemed by the inhabitants a covetous and avaricious character, anſwered the judge with a chearful accent, that it ſhould be ſo; and that he would, moreover, render to each of us a preſent of ten pounds currency, excluſive of our reſpective ſal⯑vage. Thus ended our law-ſuit, and we had a ſuffici⯑ency to fit us out with every neceſſary article for ſea again.

[56]I embraced the firſt opportunity for that purpoſe, and voluntarily ſhipped myſelf on board the Allen, captain Dennis, for Antigua, in the Weſt-Indies. I got my diſcharge there, having a ſtrong inclination to return to my native country. Accordingly I entered into an agreement with captain Skatt, then lying in the har⯑bour of St. John's (the principal commercial town of Antigua) but as we were tarrying there, in order to ob⯑tain a freig [...]t for England, there came on a very ter⯑rible hurricane; and although it was exceſſively vio⯑lent during its continuance, and drove us out of the harbour into the Offing, yet we providentially ſuſtained but very little damage; and notwithſtanding the ſhip was intirely unrigged (ſave a jury foremaſt) yet, by the aſſiſtance of that, and the immediate providence of God, we reached, in the ſpace of eight days, the har⯑bour of St. John's again. When we had taken in part of our homeward-bound merchandize, the ſhip was, by virtue of a ſpecial document from the governor of ſaid iſland, tranſmitted to the iſland of Montſerrat, about ten leagues to leeward of Antigua; there, to procure the reſidue of our cargo, and finiſh the lading thereof.

This iſland chiefly conſiſts of numerous lofty and barren mountains, with an unnavigable harbour, ren⯑dered ſo by a multiplicity of ſmall ſharp-pointed rocks, ſeveral whereof, at ebb-tide, are one, two, or more feet above the water. There is [...]ikewiſe a very mean and inconſiderable town, which maintains little or no [57] correſpondence with others in the adjacent iſlands: The name of this town is Baſſeterre, and it is ſituated in view of the iſlands of Nevis, St. Chriſtopher, and Guardaloupe. Here another difficulty followed us, as we were neceſſitated to travel ſeven or eight miles over various rocks, and through many vallies, in order to get fire-wood, called Manchanell; which is one of the moſt beautiful trees probably in the known world, and bears an apple, the odours whereof are not unlike our Engliſh golden rennets, and of an equal form and ſize; but it is one of the rankeſt poiſons, root, body, branches, leaves, and fruit. I remember when I firſt went to Jamaica, at a place called Littleworth, one of thoſe kind of trees was planted, which grew full of fruit, and ſpread its branches and leaves as wide as our great walnut-trees in England. I ſimply knocked down one of the apples, and ignorant of the conſequence, was going to eat it (as it was pleaſing to the eye) when a black man, obſerving my heedleſs actions, ran with uncommon ſwiftneſs towards me, and in a cautious hurry, ſnatched it from my hand, giving me at the ſame time to underſtand, that if I had eaten it, all my teeth would have fallen out of my head, and that with⯑out any kind of remedy; and further, he told me, that if any perſon was to ſtand under that tree in a ſhower of rain, the drops iſſuing therefrom, and falling on any part of the ſkin, would take it clearly off. As our men were cutting thoſe trees for fire-wood at Montſerrat, they had their eyes cloſed and ſwelled in ſo dreadful a manner, that we were apprehenſive they [58] never could retrieve their natural ſight; but, I think, they ſeverally recovered in a very ſhort time.

When the ſhip was compleatly ready for ſailing we weighed our anchor, and ſailed for Briſtol, where we arrived after a ſeven weeks paſſage; and, after a peaceable retirement for a few weeks, I ſhipped myſelf with captain James Seaborn for a ſecond voyage with him, in the ſhip Amoretta, for Old Callabar, on the Coaſt of Africa, and the iſland of Barbadoes, one of the Caribbe or Weſt-Indian iſlands. Here I began to be prefered, being made gunner of the ſhip; and when we were ſlaved the ſhip ſailed for Barbadoes; but was ſpeedily ordered for South-Carolina, there to diſ⯑poſe of our ſlaves, which we did, to our ſatisfaction, in a few days, and were ſoon reladen; then, without any delay, ſteered our courſe with a ſtrong though de⯑lightful gale to the Briſtol channel. Nothing remarka⯑ble occurred in the courſe of this voyage. On coming to England I betook myſelf to Barnſtaple in Devon, where dwelt a brother of mine, who kept a genteel ſhop there. I continued with him for ſeveral days, then repaired to Briſtol again, accompanied by my brother, and from thence ſet off for London to viſit my mother, whom I had not ſeen for ten years paſt. My family being in low circumſtances, I was obliged to go again to ſea, and the firſt trip was in a coaſting ſloop to Wiſbeach, with a captain John Heath. When I returned, I ſhipped myſelf with captain Thomas [59] Long, in the ſhip Ann and Judith, for Antigua. When I had made this voyage alſo, I covenanted with cap⯑tain Rogers for a voyage up the Mediterranean. His ſhip was Iaden with 280 quarters of corn, upon char⯑ter-party, to three delivering ports, viz. Marſeilles, Genoa and Leghorn. In the courſe of this eaſtern voyage we ſuſtained various hardſhips, which may particularly be attributed to the perverſeneſs of our commander. We ſailed from the Downs in the month of January, 1733, after riding out and weathering many vehement ſtorms in that ſea. The whole fleet ſailed down Channel with very promiſing weather; but before we had made any progreſs in our intended voyage, the wind ſuddenly varied, and blew with ſuch vehement rage, that the greater part of the fleet were ſcattered, and their ſails blown and torn to atoms; there⯑fore ſuch part thereof as could put back without danger returned to Spithead, while the others were diſperſed abroad throughout the Channel, and driven over to the coaſt of France: But our captain, as before hinted, being an obſtinate, though an experienced ſeaman, and the whole ſhip intirely his own, was determined to aſſume that unreſtrained preſumption, which other commanders more circumſpectly declined. The conſequence was, we were beating to windward for full five weeks inceſ⯑ſantly under reeſed courſes, the mountainous ſea making continual breaches over the ſhip; nor did the cook, or any of the ſeamen, during that time, dreſs any proviſions; neither had any of us the comfort of a dry thread upon our backs. One night in particular, the [60] wind being at north-weſt, attacked us ſo violently, that the ſhip was laid hatches under water, and the fore-ſcuttle, where we came up, being unfortunately open, every repeated ſea poured itſelf down into the hold like ſtoods, inſomuch that the ſhip was ſunk very near two ſtreaks in the water. The captain was at the ſame time curſing, ſwearing and roaring, at the ſhip's company, like an infernal ſpirit; and had it not been through the dexterous alacrity and nimbleneſs of a John Stonehouſe, one of our ſeamen, who ran up the weather main ſ [...]reads, and who ſecretly conveyed him⯑ſelf under water to come at the lee-main-ſheet, and let it go (which, as the main-ſail was ſet, naturally preſſed the ſhip down to leeward) we muſt inevitably have foundered, and all hands, without relief, have periſhed. When the main-ſheet was let fly, the main-ſail went all to ſhivers, like a clap of thunder: the fore-ſail then were the ſhip round, and brought her ſtarboard-ſide to the wind, which blew her upon an even keel. She lay for a long time like a log upon the waves, and having five feet water in her hold, we had immediate recourſe to both pumps, and in about five hours cleared her, and proceeded on our voyage. But the obſtinacy of the captain occaſioned the loſs of the cargo of whout, not one ſingle buſhel being ſaved out of the whole lading; and this conſiderable loſs fell upon the configuors. As our firſt port of delivery was Marſeilles, in the ſouth of France, down in the gulph of Lyons, in the Streights of Gibraltar, we went thither, and offered to the conſignees there the [61] cargo; but they refuſed to accept thereof. This obliged us to carry it to Genoa, where it was likewiſe refuſed. From thence we ſteered up to Leghorn, and this being the laſt port of delivery, the freightor's correſpondents were conſtrained to accept of it, good or bad, agreeable to charter. When our cargo was diſ⯑charged, and our ſhip reladen, we departed for England. But before I proceed to our paſſage for England, I would take notice of ſome of thoſe things which are worthy ob⯑ſervation in that part of Italy where we were ſtationed.

And firſt, I never remember to have ſeen a more ſplendid, magnificent, and fertile country in the courſe of my life than this was. Here the warmeſt of my juve⯑nile conceptions of foreign parts were in ſome meaſure realized; and as at the early period of my life I had en⯑tertained many pleaſing ideas of thoſe places where the apoſtles, with ſuch holy zeal, propagated the Goſpel in their travels, ſo I found a natural propenſity to ſatisfy myſelf with a clear view of every remarkable thing throughout the limits of my reſtriction while on ſhore. In one part of Genoa I obſerved two very lofty pillars of marble, built upon ſo elevated a plan, as to be evidently perceptible from ſhips at the diſtance of 12 miles at ſea. This is conjectured to be the gallons erected for Mord [...]cai the Jew, by the wicked contri⯑vance of Haman, and which proved fatal to Haman himſelf. Two things more I ſhall notice in Genoa. The firſt is the image of a man, at the back part of a gentleman's houſe, ſculptured out of a ſolid rock, [62] almoſt at the ſummit thereof, which appears to be precipitated therefrom, with his head foremoſt, his arms extended, and the hair of his head hanging pendant conſiderably below his body, and his whole frame fixed on his right foot, through which a ſpring was convey⯑ed, and ran throughout the body, ſo as to diſcharge drops of water from the tops of his fingers and hair. Here another ſurpriſing phoenomenon attracted my notice; at the top of a paſſage that led me to the rock, I perceived the exact repreſentation of a ſtout and corpulent man, deſcending from the rock, which ſeemed to threaten me with impending danger, therefore I nimbly fled out of its way, leaſt in its fall I ſhould be cruſhed to pieces: However, the ſtatue remained firm in that ſurpriſing attitude.

The next curioſity was a grand arched bridge, near a mile in length, with many ſpacious arches, and ſtreets of houſes (ſome of them four ſtories high) running under thoſe arches. This bridge, as I have been informed, was conſtructed for the better conveni⯑ence of carriages paſſing from the city into the coun⯑try, for ſupplying the remoter natives with the neceſ⯑ſaries of life and commerce. The diſtance between every arch is ſufficiently extenſive to admit of twenty carriages abreaſt of each other. I likewiſe, in the courſe of my obſervations on this city, perceived that it was founded on a baſis of ſeven hills, having a beautiful 'Change covered, and ſky-lights fixed [63] around, for the better conveniency of merchants to tranſact their negociations.

At Leghorn I ſaw nothing intereſting, or of a grand appearance, except the four brazen men, who are placed in a conſpicuous ſituation round a pedeſtal. This was erected in honour of the duke of Genoa, who gloriouſly defeated four notorious pirates that fre⯑quently diſturbed the Mediterranean, viz. a father and his three ſons; they were taken priſoners by the duke in a row galley, and their ſtatues erected in braſs around the pedeſtal, as a memorial; and on another ſpot was placed the image of the duke ſtanding upright, with a truncheon in his hand, and caſting an air of contempt upon the four captives, the ſpace between theſe not ex⯑ceeding half a dozen yards. In this place there are nu⯑merous gallies of war, ſupported by common proſtitutes and ſtrumpets tolerated by government, who have a conſiderable part of the city allowed them, wherein they commit all manner of abominations. I do not ever re⯑member to have fallen in with a city or town, in which impurity predominates over the inhabitants in ſo li⯑centious a manner as in the city of Leghorn; nor is it poſſible for either ſex to forſake or renounce that horrid courſe of life, even though they ſhould be ever ſo deſirous, or convinced of the ſin thereof.

When the term of my liberty was elapſed, I repaired on board our ſhip, and in a few days we ſailed for England. When we arrived off the Iſle of Wight, a [64] tender which lay in the Channel to preſs the homeward bound ſeamen (a proceeding derogatory to God and man) took our ſhip's crew, and after having been on board the tender rather upwards of a week, a diviſion took place among the ſeamen; one part was ſent on board the Lenox, of 70 guns, and the other part on board the Ipſwich, of the ſame force. After lying at Spit⯑head ten months, under the weight of an arbitrary fel⯑low of a lieutenant, I was removed on board the Phoenix, captain Trivil Caley, who was the complete gentleman and Chriſtian, and one whoſe conduct was guided by the tear of God. He frequently encouraged religious diſci⯑pline on board; nor did he ever neglect to order his chaplain to attend his invalid ſeamen, at five o'clock in the morning, both at Portſmouth and Goſport, and would conſtantly viſit every patient reſpectively, on his knees, at their bedſides, with all the devotion be⯑coming a Chriſtian. Never was a commander ſo careſſed by a ſhip's company as captain Caley, and his men were equally endeared to him. So intirely cautious was he before he ſpoke to any man on board, from the higheſt to the loweſt, that he even drew the attention of ſtrangers; for my part I could never look at him, but with uncommon ſatisfaction and delight: In ſhort, his mildneſs, ſapience and fortitude, greatly ſurpaſſed thoſe characters I had ever admired before in my life! Happy, truly happy it proved for me, that I providentially fell in with ſo worthy a Chriſtian; otherwiſe, what with the hell of uncommon curſes and blaſphemous oaths, accompanied by an habitual courſe [65] of cruel and barbarous behaviour, on the parts of two lieutenants, I muſt have died under my burthen, as the idea of a man of war was ever perfectly diſtaſteful to my inclination. At that time I was grievouſly op⯑preſſed with the rheumatiſm: However, early one morning, God undertook my cauſe, and I began thus to reaſon with myſelf: The rheumatiſm! What is it? and it was ſtrongly ſuggeſted to me in a manner not unlike a clear voice, "It is a violent cold." I then, with great aſtoniſhment, aſked, what is moſt proper as a remedy for the cold? I was anſwered as before, "Spring water." The reaſon of this I could not comprehend; and aſked again, Why ſpring water? The anſwer to me (clear as a ſtrong voice) was, "Man was created out of the duſt of the earth, and water ſprings out of the bowels of the earth, therefore it is the more adapted to his nature." At this I was ſatisfied, and ſtraightway called for a man, whoſe name was Tom Lewis, who came immediately, and aſked me what I wanted. I requeſted him to procure, from ſome part of the ſhip, five or ſix ſhirts, and air them ſufficiently at the fire-ſide: I told him alſo to fill a large pitcher full of water, and bring it inſtantly to me, and I would drink till I could drink no more, as I believed the Lord had directed me to a cure, by taking a hearty draught of ſpring water. He endeavoured to diſſuade me from ſo haſty an action, aſſuring me, that its operation would ſurely kill me in my then preſent condition: "Notwithſtanding," added he, "if you are bent upon taking it, I will get it quickly." He did ſo, [66] and compleated my deſires. I then drank immediately of the ſpring water, laid myſelf down on the bed, and Tom covered me up very warm. After I had lain about the ſpace of half an hour, with no appearance of the water's operation, I put my head under the cloaths, and breathed hard on the pit of my ſtomach; this produced a perſpiration, and that in a profuſe meaſure. I then deſired my attendant to bring me half a dozen well-dried and warm ſlannels, in order to rub me from head to foot: He did this likewiſe, and continued his rubbing till I had made five ſhirts in a condition equal to the dipping of them in water. When I had put on my ſixth dry ſhirt, I gave Thomas to underſtand, that I was totally exempt from every the leaſt ſymptom of the rheumatiſm and pain; in⯑ſtantly jumped out of bed, dreſſed myſelf without his aid, and aſked him what was for dinner below. He replied, "Salt-fiſh and potatoes;" and although I had not enjoyed one meal for eight or ten weeks before, yet I went down, and made as hearty a meal as I ever remember to have eat in my life, and then walked the diſtance of a mile on ſhore, by way of recreation. Here I conſidered that nothing was impoſſible to him who had all power in heaven and in earth. Two or three days after this I was pro⯑nounced "Able," and went on board the Lenox, the ſhip I formerly belonged to. My ſeveral indiſpoſitions began in the month of January, 1734, and accompa⯑nied me with direful pangs and ſenſations, till the latter end of April following.

[67]On the Chriſtmas-Eve, in the courſe of my liberty, I eſpouſed Mary Verney, a very virtuous young wo⯑man, in the twenty-ſecond year of her age. At that time I was in my twenty-third year. After remaining on board the ſhip for two months, orders were ſent down to Sir John Norris, on board the Britannia, a firſt-rate of 100 guns, with the union flag at his main-top-maſt-head; the Barflour, admiral Balchan, of 90 guns, and blue flag at the fore-top-maſt-head; and the Lancaſter, of So guns, admiral Haddock, with St. George's flag at his fore-top-maſt-head, to⯑gether with twenty-five ſail of the line, to ſail imme⯑diately for Liſbon, in order to protect the king of Portugal's Brazilian fleet from the threats of the Spaniards. Here myſelf, with ſeveral others, were turned over from the Lenox on board the Grafton, of 70 guns, and ſailed, in company with the fleet, for Liſbon, and arrived in the Tagus ſome time in the month of May, 1735, where we lay ten months at anchor, in which time the Brazil fleet arrived, and orders were ſent from England for admiral Haddock's ſquadron to return thither. Previous to our departure from Liſbon the king of Portugal, with his brother; the black prince, came on board of all three admirals, whoſe ſhips were dreſt in various colours, conſiſting of all nations in the world, and making a very brilliant appearance. His Portugueſe majeſty allowed every man and boy in the fleet one pint of wine per day, with freſh proviſions every day till the completion of our voyage.

[68]We ſailed for England in the beginning of January, 1736, and arrived off the rocks of Scilly the latter end of the ſame month, where our ſhip was well nigh loſt, it being indiſpenſably neceſſary for us to beat to windward under reefe [...] courſes; but, thank God, we were preſerved in this ſtorm alſo, and arrived ſafe in Chatham river, where we were paid off, February 6, 1736. I then came directly to London, nor have I ever been to ſea ſince. I could wiſh to make one re⯑mark here, which I have omitted in the courſe of my voyages. The coaſt of Africa is attended every day (eſpecially on the leeward coaſt) with dreadful tornadoes of wind, thunder and lightning, the flaſhes of which for ſome time take away the ſight. At one time in parti⯑cular, about eight degrees to the ſouthward of the equi⯑noctial line, at one A. M. a violent tornado came down upon us, with loud claps of thunder, and fierce flaſhes of lightning: In the height of this ſtorm alſo deſcended from the diſturbed clouds ſomething that bore the re⯑ſemblance of a ſquib darting out fire at one end, about one foot and a half in length, and the thickneſs of a man's wriſt: It came down from the heavens with aſtoniſhing velocity, paſſed within a yard of my head, and penetrated the quarter-deck; but meeting with an obſtruction of the air, made its way through the main hatchway, took a ſwift courſe over the larboard-quar⯑ter, and, when it burſt, exploded with ſo loud a clap of thunder, that we could not expect two planks of the ſhip would have remained together. However, the ſhip [69] weathered this ſtorm alſo, but not without much da⯑mage, through the mighty force of the tornado.

I now entered into a new ſcene of life, and altho' I had been brought up to the ſea, and had no friends to ſupply my neceſſities at home, yet I was reſolved, thro' the help of the Almighty, to have recourſe to any em⯑ployment, be it in never ſo menial a calling, rather than abide in the unſuitable ſtate of life I formerly did. A life attended with all manner of ſufferings and wick⯑edneſs in the higheſt degree, my caſe being rather different from other ſeamen; as God never left me without conviction, which conſtantly rendered my mind very unhappy, and I ever experienced grievous ſtings of conſcience for the commiſſion of any diſcoverable ſin. Being now in a married ſtate, and deſirous to lead a regular and obſervant life, I habituated myſelf to the church-ſervice; but finding the churchmen living as did other people, and having no Chriſtian friend to converſe with, I knew not what ſtep to take, and therefore readily concluded, religion was a mere farce. At the ſame time, being ſubject to the weight of many temporal diſtreſſes, a freſh burthen came upon me; yet it pleaſed God to point me out, in a few months, a ſchool at Staplefoot Tauney, near Paſſingford Bridge, in the county of Eſſex, erected by a lady Luther, who ſpared no pains in its building; and alſo beſtowed many donations towards the ſupport and maintenance thereof. My whole ſalary amounted to £14 per annum, ten pounds whereof was the neat [70] ſalary from the ſchool; two pounds from lady Luther, and the like ſum from Mr. Moot, a wealthy farmer, with as many day-ſcholars as I could acquire for my own account. I ſoon raiſed a conſiderable ſchool, and ſent to London for my wife, and all my goods. The lady three days in the week invited me with the cu⯑rate of the pariſh to dine with her; and every other day, if I thought proper, to accompany the ſervants at their dinner in Knave's-Hall, as they termed it. I now began to be much delighted with my ſituation, and reſerved no diligence to bring the children forward in their learning; indeed the ſucceſs I met with, cauſed the ſchool to be recommended throughout the country.

Here the curate of the pariſh frequently called upon me, and decoyed me to his lodgings, about three miles from the ſchool, to join him in ſmoaking a pipe, drinking a bowl of punch, with the like carouſals. I was alſo preſſed upon to ſing him a ſea ſong, and was generally detained ſo very late at night, that I could ſcarcely find my way home; but this life did not an⯑ſwer my deſires, and therefore, as the curate and myſelf were going from lady Luther's over the fields to my ſchool, I took upon myſelf to quote ſome paſſages of Scripture, relating to our immoral proceedings. My guide, or pretended one, laughed heartily, and ſaid, "Told, are you ſo great a blockhead as to believe the Scripture? It is nothing but a pack of falſe theology, the whole of it." This ſurpriſed me much, and from [71] that period I ſeparated myſelf from his company; and God, in his providence, diſunited me from thoſe dead and barren Chriſtians, by the following ſimple circum⯑ſtance.

The wood I had beſpoke for firing not coming in, as I expected, I acquainted farmer Mills, on the op⯑poſite ſide of the church-yard, who gave me leave to ſend my boys into his field, where they might be able to collect a quantity ſufficient for my uſe until the be⯑ſpoken fire-wood came in; and ſeeing it was on the farmer's own ground, I had no conceptions of any impropriety of conduct on my part; yet this, through the inſinuative complaint of an old woman (who ever before expreſt the ſincereſt regard for myſelf and wife) proved the cauſe of my removal out of the ſchool and country. Sir Edward Smith, then lord of the manor, ſent for lady Luther, and deſired to know what kind of a ſchoolmaſter ſhe had brought into the country, and whether he ever taught his children their catechiſm. My lady informed me that Sir Edward greatly ſur⯑priſed her; but ſhe anſwered him, that I bore the beſt characters, and had brought the children forward in their education in an extraordinary manner, and that I taught the children their catechiſm every Thurſday. Sir Edward then aſked, how I came to leave out the eighth commandment; therefore inſiſted upon my diſ⯑miſſion from the ſchool, and departure from the town immediately; nor would he hear the circumſtance face to face, ſo that I was under the neceſſity of hiring a [72] waggon to carry all my goods back to London; and was then at a loſs what method to purſue for the main⯑tenance of my family; but in a ſhort time a clerk's place offered at King's-Wharf, Beaufort's-Buildings, to a dealer in coals and timber. I remained there about four months, when my miſtreſs leaving off buſi⯑neſs, I was neceſſarily diſcharged, and was left deſti⯑tute of employment for ſome time; nor could I obtain any relief, or procure the leaſt employ, from any quarter thereabouts, ſo was reſolved to ſubmit to any the meaneſt office to procure a ſubſiſtence, and accord⯑ingly engaged myſelf to a Mr. Medway, a bricklayer, in Watling-ſtreet, to keep his books, and at vacant opportunities to attend and wait on the labou [...]ers. Here I continued about ſix or ſeven years, and after⯑wards ſerved Mr. John Pankeman, a bricklayer like⯑wiſe; but in the courſe of my ſervices with him, God began a different providence with me, and one day, as labouring at my work in Old-Street Road, a young man, who was likewiſe a bricklayer, came and aſked me if I could help him to buſineſs. I anſwered him rather roughly, which he received with great meek⯑neſs; this ſtruck me with ſurpriſe: I then called him back, and deſired him to wait on a certain maſter bricklayer, at an appointed place the next morning, who, I was apt to believe, could find him employ⯑ment. He repaired thereto accordingly, and the gen⯑tleman, without aſking him any queſtions, admitted him into his ſervice. This young man was the inſtrument, in the hand of God, of leading me [73] out of darkneſs into his marvellous light. Here my readers will permit me to enter upon my religious life, and therefore I think it prudent to revert back to my earlieſt days; and as I have already in the begin⯑ning ſet forth the manner and myſtery of God's work⯑ing upon my ſoul, to the time of my admiſſion into Edward Colſon's Hoſpital, ſo I ſhall occaſionally in⯑terſperſe my changes of ſtation in this life, as well as thoſe of a ſpiritual nature.

When I firſt was admitted into ſchool, between two extremes, that of parting with my tender-hearted nurſe, and being driven into a new ſcene of life, I was brought under much diſtreſs of mind; yet I conſtantly found the Spirit of God working powerfully upon me; nor could I ever find peace or reſt but when meditating on things divine. My thoughts, when at prayers in the ſchool three times every day, were carried up into heaven, with the moſt ſolemn ardent deſire; and when we aſſembled in the college church, which we regu⯑larly did every Sabbath-Day, the ſervice there was to me a heaven upon earth. Here I drank deep into the bliſs and happineſs of the ever-bleſſed and adorable Jeſus, and that without interruption, till I arrived at the age of ten years, by which time I had made ſome proficiency in learning, and was approved of by the miniſter, who came twice a week to inſtruct us in re⯑ligious principles; ſo that in a ſhort time I was com⯑petent (by readily anſwering him any queſtions pro⯑pounded) [74] to be intitled a monitor. I then began to read pious books, eſpecially the Pilgrim's Progreſs. This ſet me on fire for God and heavenly bliſs, and wrought in me the utmoſt horror of taking the Lord's name in vain, or of telling a lye; and as there were a few lads in the ſame order as myſelf, that were piouſly inclined, ſo we often read the Pilgrim's Pro⯑greſs together. On a Lord's-Day in particular, being at the college church, the reverend Mr. Sutton preached a very alarming diſcourſe upon the deep things of eter⯑nity, to a wanton crouded congregation. The faſhion was then for the women to go naked-breaſted; nor was there ſcarce a woman to be found in the college but appeared in the moſt indecent manner; yet the diſcourſe in a great meaſure effected its deſign; neither do I ever remember to have ſeen any thing of that kind in Briſtol afterwards. Many of our boys were deeply affected by the ſermon, ſo that when we came home to ſchool, ſeveral of us entered into an agree⯑ment to pinch the tongue of him that told a lye, or that mentioned the Lord's name in an irreverent way.

When I was about twelve years of age I was more profoundly acquainted with divine things, but not with myſelf as a ſinner. Sitting one day in my order, and reading the Pilgrim's Progreſs, I ſuddenly laid down the book, leaned my right elbow on my right knee, with my hand ſupporting my head, and medi⯑tated [75] in the moſt ſolemn thought, upon the awfulneſs of eternity: Suddenly I was ſtruck with a hand on the top of my head, which affected my whole frame; the blow was immediately followed by a voice with theſe words, "Dark! dark! dark!" and although it alarmed me prodigiouſly, yet, upon the recovery from ſo ſudden a motion, I found myſelf broad awake in a world of ſin. Notwithſtanding all my former happi⯑neſs and bliſs, I now found a dreadful difference, as nothing could give me ſatisfaction, either from perſon or things; not could I ever reſt [...]atisfied about my ſalva⯑tion, as temptation from the world, the fleſh and the devil, were ever beſetting me.

One day, the boys being permitted to go to viſit their friends, I obtained permiſſion likewiſe, although I had no relation or friend in the city, my mother and two ſiſters reſiding in London, and my two elder bro⯑thers reſiding in the country. However, ſeveral of the boys accompanied me that afternoon to go to a river, called Broad-Stony, near the city, for the pur⯑poſe of learning to ſwim; and, as I was ſtrongly de⯑ſirous of learning that art, ſeveral of the ſmaller boys, with myſelf, went into a pond adjoining to that river, which received the overflowing thereof. It being low water, I ventured rather beyond the others; but in attempting to ſwim, ſtruck out of my depth, and was for ſome time ſtruggling for life. My companions, who ſat upon the bank on the other ſide the river, imagined I was taking my ſport and paſtime, by rea⯑ſon [76] of my riſing above water and diving under again; therefore had no conceptions that I was on the verge of being drowned, till they perceived that I gave a dart, ſunk, and they could ſee me no more. At this they were all terribly affrighted, and in the utmoſt conſter⯑nation, not knowing what to do; but deſcrying ſome haymakers at the farther end of the meadow, they ran with all poſſible haſte, and informed them that a boy was drowned. Providentially there was a Dutch⯑man among the haymakers, who, upon hearing the ſad news, threw down his hay-fork, ran to the river⯑ſide, enquired of the others where I was perceived to ſink, and, upon as near an information as could poſſi⯑bly be given, he jumped in without pulling off any of his cloaths. He then ſearched and groped about for a conſiderable time, but I could not be found, as in the dart I had ſhot a great diſtance from the ſpot where the children perceived me to ſink. I was now given up for loſt; but as the Dutchman was ſwimming to the bank where a willow-buſh grew out at the ſide, in order to haul himſelf out of the pond, he felt about with one of his legs juſt before he came to the bank, and as my head was covered in the mud, with my heels upright, ſo he providentially ſtruck his foot againſt mine, and joyfully gave the ſignal that I was found. He went down, brought me up, and landed me on the bank; but not the leaſt ſigns of life were diſcernible in me. The Dutchman held me with my heels up⯑wards for ſome minutes, and then concluded my life was irretrievably gone; yet it entered into his [77] mind to try another method: Accordingly he ſwam acroſs the river, and went a little way up the hill, where there was a ſmall alehouſe. He got from thence a quartern of brandy, and ſwam over the river back again into the meadow, holding up the brandy in one hand, and ſwimming with the other. My jaws were firmly ſet together, nor was there any motion or breath to be perceived; yet he put ſome brandy into his mouth, forced my jaws open, and blew repeatedly half a quartern of ſpirits down my throat: He alſo blew ſome up my noſtrils, and into my ears, and in about three quarters of an hour my left-eye flew open, and I gave a loud ſhriek. They then carried me to Baptiſt-Mills, where, in about four hours, I recovered my ſenſes, ſo as to have a faint knowledge of one or two of the boys: Theſe were the immediate accounts of all tranſactions as they related them to me.

I was then conveyed home to the ſchool, but with an excruciating pain, equal to the being out through in the middle of my body; nor did I enjoy an ex⯑emption therefrom for ſeveral years together; neither do I remember a ſingle twelvemonth, for a dozen years ſucceſſively, but that this pain produced two, three, or more fits of ſickneſs every year, and many of them brought me near the grave. When I went to ſchool, Mr. Samuel Gardner, the principal maſter of the hoſ⯑pital, having been informed of the circumſtance, puniſhed me ſeverely, as a ſtrict charge had been de⯑livered by him that none of us ſhould go near the [78] water, one of his ſcholars having been drowned ſome time ago, and who never recovered.

I hope my readers will ſuſpend their judgment, in cenſuring what I am now about to relate, although it may appear rather incredible: I ſhall then, in the moſt ſimple and artleſs manner treat of what was as real to my ſenſations, as that I ever had an exiſtence. The circumſtance was this: Although I was deprived of my natural ſenſes, and had no ideas of the things of t [...]s world, yet my ſpirit was permitted by God both to behold and experience that which, I believe, no one in the body ever did. My entrance into this bliſsful viſion, as it [...]ared to me, was, that I ruſhingly emerged out of thick [...]a [...]eſs into a moſt glorious city; the luſtre of which a [...] f [...]r outſhone the brilliancy of the noon-day [...]n, [...] the brightneſs thereof tranſcends the glimmer⯑ing ray [...] of the moon. This empyreal light ſhone with a [...]eſplen [...]ent power on the city, and illuminated even the darkneſs, through which I ſeemed to urge my [...]y, and enforce my entrance into that beatifie ſtate; [...]nd notwithſtanding we cannot retain a ſtedfaſt eye upon the ſun, when dazzling our eart [...]ly cities with its meridian ſplendors, yet I found no impe [...]iment to my ſight in looking with a rapturous ardency on this h [...]ave [...]ly [...]me, the beams whereof darted from the [...]th-eaſt, with a r [...]f [...]lgence beyond the higheſt con⯑ceptions. There was alſo ſome reſemblance of a bot⯑tom, or f [...]oor, like unto glaſs, but neither the city or bottom were of any ſubſtance. The inhabitants were [79] all in the form of men, arrayed in robes of the fineſt quality, from their necks down to their feet; yet they alſo appeared to me of no material ſubſtance. What particularly courted my attention was, that not one of theſe celeſtial bodies were under any degree of labour to walk, as they all glided ſwiftly along, as if carried by the wind. This was my own caſe, clothed in the fineſt of linen, and conveyed with the like celerity. No ſpeech or language was needful there, as they were all one ſoul. The ſolemn, ſacred joy, and uninter⯑rupted peace, I then poſſeſſed, all language fails me to point out: I had no imaginations of evil, or any temptations thereto, but was completely happy without mixture.

Another point of this viſion I would juſt remark before I cloſe the ſubject, that is, while thoſe bleſſed ſpirits were performing their aerial courſe, one of them about 50 yards off, on my right-hand, turned round, and looked ſtedfaſtly at my raiment: We both ſud⯑denly ſtopt, and the extacies which proceeded from his countenance, united us together as one. Oh! who can expreſs the ſweet, pleaſant, and ſerene tranquility (then enjoyed! But, on a ſudden, I loſt all ſenſe of this very deſirable ſtate, and clearly apprehended my being brought again into a ſinful world; the coming into which was as through a devouring ocean of blood and fire. This was the ſequel and concluſion of that awful diſpenſation of the righteous God to me, well knowing how he had diſpoſed of me for many years [80] paſt, that I might be made perfect through ſufferings, and drink deep into this cup, and be baptized with his baptiſm. As to my external ſufferings, they are prin⯑cipally ſet forth in the foregoing part of this nar⯑rative.

I have likewiſe already hinted at my being particu⯑larly convinced of ſin, by reading the Pilgrim's Pro⯑greſs, yet the Spirit of God never left me without conviction; nor do I remember ever to have fallen into any outward ſin, but I reflected upon it with guilt and abhorrence; and being deeply affected with the conſe⯑quence of [...] in a future judgment, I was alſo often terrified with awful dreams. When on my firſt paſſage to Jamaica I was grievouſly exerciſed in my mind, as not one of the mariners had the leaſt concern for God, or the ſalvation of their own ſouls; but, on the contrary, appeared to be greedy of eternal death and damnation; and, as St. Paul intimates, "Evil communications corrupt good manners," ſo this, in proceſs of time, though with much fear and trembling, not only cor⯑rupted my manners, but my morals alſo; and, being unacquainted with the devices of the devil, I ſtole into a reaſoning ſpirit, doubting whether all thoſe perſons, who ſeemed happy in themſelves, could be loſt eter⯑nally or not, although they lived ſuch horrid lives. The fatal enemy made a freſh attack upon my mind, and forced me ſtill to doubt whether God would ſuffer any of the human ſpecies to be puniſhed eternally for crimes committed in this their tranſitory ſpan of life, [81] although the word of God expreſsly declares it ſhall be ſo; thoſe and ſimilar temptations got conſiderable advantage of me.

When we arrived at Jamaica, the inhabitants, in every particular, correſponded with thoſe reaſonings; nor do I remember ever to have met with one man, or woman, who had the fear of God before their eyes in the town of Kingſton, or Port-Royal, or even the form of godlineſs among them. They were much addicted to pro⯑phane curſing, ſwearing, whoredom, lying, and Sabbath-breaking, exerciſing the utmoſt cruelty on their unhappy negro ſlaves, which never appeared to be a burthen upon their untouched conſciences, and as I have been a ſpectator to multiplied acts of cruelty, exerciſed by them, upon their poor miſerable black drudges, I ſhall briefly relate one inſtance, which, for its notoriety and unheard of inhumanity, it would be unjuſt on my part to withhold from the attention of all lovers of clemency and Chriſtian diſcipline, and from the world in gene⯑ral. As I went on ſhore at Ramſay's-Wharf for cer⯑tain ſugars, at the eaſt end of Kingſton, a ſtout black man, about thirty-ſix years of age, was brought down to the crane, at the end of the wharf, by his maſter, and for the commiſſion of ſome almoſt nameleſs error, was delivered up to be puniſhed. The mode of exe⯑cuting this bloody puniſhment was as follows: The boatſwain tied both wriſts together with a ſtrong cord, then hooked the crane between his wriſts, and hoiſted his body nearly a foot from the floor. The boatſwain [82] then took a whip, compoſed of cow's-ſkin, which, when dried hard and twiſted lengthways, forms a kind of cork⯑ſcrew, the outward edge thereof from end to end being extremely ſharp. A negro man, in obedience to the boatſwain's commands, and at a moment's notice, began the direful action, in preſence of his vile maſter, accom⯑panied by two others of the ſame complexion, gazing upon the pitiable object with complaiſancy and delight. After the executioner, with his piercing weapon, and with one hundred repeated laſhes, had reduced his body from neck to ancles into one flagrant wound; and human nature was no longer able to ſupport itſelf under the remorſeleſs ſtroke, the poor man hung down his head, and received the remaining cuts like a ſtock or a ſtone, repeatedly, though faintly, uttering "Oh! me deady! me deady!" Nor did this move the accurſed fiend (his maſter) till the poor tortured object appeared in his laſt gaſps. He then deſired the boatſwain's mate to deſiſt for a few moments, and approached the almoſt expiring ſlave; where, taking a more particular ſurvey of his wounds from head to foot, and perceiving two or three inch ſpaces which had not been laid open, he inſtantly ran to the boatſwain's mate, and compelled him to laſh him there alſo, and make him all alike. When this was executed he was looſed, and as he had no ſtrength to ſtand, ſo he lay as totally dead, while he was waſhed from head to foot in a tub of ſalt-beef pickle, placed on the wharf for that purpoſe. Here I was greatly aſtoniſhed that the excruciating pains and acute ſmarts, produced by the pickle, did not put a [83] ſpeedy end to the remainder of his exiſtence. The vile heathen (his maſter) tarried to behold this operation alſo, and afterwards walked off well ſatisfied. The effect this worked upon my mind (as I ever did, and humbly hope ever ſhall abhor the ap⯑pearance of cruelty, more eſpecially when I behold ſuch mercileſs acts thereof as I then did) heightened my indignation to ſuch a degree, that I muſt acknow⯑ledge, had I been poſſeſſed of a knife, ſword, or any other cutlery inſtrument, I ſhould certainly have tranſ⯑fixed the body of ſo infernal a being. This deed was not executed in a corner, or done privily, but upon the open wharf, and in a nominal Chriſtian Proteſtant country; but if the word "Chriſtian" implies (which it unqueſtionably doth) one who has the mind that was in his heavenly Maſter, or that purſues his moſt holy example, then there can be no impropriety, or breach of charity, in pronouncing ſuch wretches as thoſe chil⯑dren of the devil, rather than the children of God, by faith in Chriſt Jeſus. The Scripture impartially con⯑demns all ſuch with this dreadful ſentence, "Depart, ye curſed, into everlaſting fire," unleſs they deeply repent before they are called out of this life. All this groſs ignorance and horrid barbarity overſpread the iſland of Jamaica in the year 1727, and I am ſpared to the year 1775; yet there are too many reaſons to believe that the ſame, or nearly the ſame, ſpirit of cruelty ſtill predominates over thoſe our unfortunate fellow creatures, the greater part of whom are clan⯑deſtinely taken away from their native countries, utterly [84] againſt the conſent of their parents and themſelves, and enforced, by deviliſh compulſion, into ſlavery and captivity to the lateſt moment of their lives, with their children, and childrens children after them, unto many generations, until God undertakes their wretched cauſe, and ſets them at liberty. Here it may be retorted upon me, "Phyſician, heal thyſelf," as I had been in the ſlave trade for ſome years: I confeſs and acknow⯑ledge this charge, but my caſe was different, being at that time an apprentice, and unacquainted with the conſequent evils of that horrid trade, I conducted my⯑ſelf with the utmoſt circumſpection, according to the beſt of my knowledge, in obedience to my maſter's intereſt: But when I arrived at Boſton, thoſe pious and Chriſtian people reaſoned the matter with me, and, notwithſtanding my familiarity with the African trade, and the immediate proſpect of being made a conſpicuous character in that impious number of Guinea commanders; yet, through the all-wiſe Pro⯑vidence of God, I relinquiſhed every point of tempo⯑ral intereſt and advantage; nor had I any the leaſt inclinations, or weakeſt deſires, of reſuming them any more: Therefore I am under the higheſt obligations to the Almighty for ſo happy a deliverance from the ſnare of the devil, ſeeing that it is one of the moſt baſe practices under the ſun; but had not the Lord's timely interpoſition manifeſted itſelf in reſcuing me therefrom, I probably might (by promotion to the rank of captain) have proved as eminent a ſavage as the moſt notorious character among them. Surely [85] an immediate curſe from God attends upon this cruel trade, as few voyages are made to thoſe parts in which the crews are not thinned by poiſon, ſuiſide, ill uſage, and every ſpecies of deſtruction; this I have remarked during the ſlavery under which I laboured when un⯑happily linked to that trade. And although I was frequently labouring under ſevere ſickneſſes myſelf, yet the merciful hand of God was ever over me, and followed me with daily convictions for ſins, yet, having an evil precedent always before me, and the corruptions of my own evil nature inceſſantly prompting me to ſin, I ſometimes gave way thereto, againſt the light of conſcience, knowing but very little of the corrupt fountain from whence thoſe reſiſtleſs currents of evil perpetually flowed; yet this was always a pain to my mind, and a complete obſtacle againſt my having immediate recourſe to private devotion. It likewiſe proved a barrier againſt my ſolemn deprecations for pardon of my paſt ſins, and to guard againſt future temptations; but to my greater grief ſtill, I found that, when the bank was broken, the breach was made wider; and being at that time between 17 and 18 years of age, and my carnal paſſions getting the dominion over me, I was oftentimes overcome with ſwea [...]ing, drunkenneſs and lewdneſs, as alſo divers other evils; therefore, what with my terrified con⯑ſcience, and croſs providences in temporals, my life became completely miſerable; ſo that for about ten years I continued in that unſettled ſtate, ſinning and repenting; nor did the Lord ſuffer me to proſper, [85] either in ſoul or body; yet I was never without fear of death, hell and judgment: This I conſidered a mercy far beyond my deſerts.

In the month of July, 1740, Mr. Charles Caſper Greaves, the young bricklayer, already ſpoken of in the foregoing account, was made the inſtrument of my introduction among the then much deſpiſed people, called Methodiſts; a people grievouſly contemned, by reaſon of the many evil reports raiſed againſt them; one of which was, That the falſe prophets referred to in Scripture were every Sunday, or at other ſelect opportunities, in the center of their congregations. Another report was, the there were certain ſubter⯑raneous dens and caves, into which the men and women frequently reſorted, there to commit all manner of abo⯑minations. Together with ſimilar reports; all which I cordially believed, and communicated thoſe ſictiti⯑ous relations to my wife, her father and mother, ſo that we all conceived an utter deteſtation to theſe Methodiſts: But God's thoughts of them were not as our thoughts, therefore I was, through his Providence, pointed out to be the happy inſtrument of converſion both to my own and wife's family, which will more fully appear in the ſequel hereof. But, previouſly re⯑turning to young Mr. Greaves, I hope to recount the many intereſting paſſages of our intercourſe during his employment in Golden-Lane, by a brewer, to whom I was alſo a clerk. I here deſcried ſomething in the countenance and behaviour of this young man, [87] very different to that I beheld in others, as well as myſelf. However, to my ſhame be it ſpoken, I treated him with ridicule and contempt, he being a Whitfieldlite, as it was termed; and to the neareſt of my remembrance, I ſometimes curſed and ſwore at him, and told him the whole fraternity of them was a mixture of falſe prophets, hypocrites and ple⯑beians; all which he bore with a calm magnanimity and unwearied patience; nor did he return me one evil word or look. His countenance appeared full of holy grief, which greatly condemned me, although I concealed it from him; and at twelve o'clock, being dinner time, he aſked me where I dined. I anſwered him very roughly, "In the hay-loft." He then ſaid, "I will go with you;" ſo we both aſcended together, and as ſoon as we were ſeated on the truſſes of hay, he took a Prayer-Book out of his pocket, and read a few verſes out of the Pſalms; he then turned round, and aſked me what I thought of thoſe words; and as I was fond of the Scriptures, I was the more confounded, well knowing they condemned me more abundantly than before. When he perceived my tongue was ſilent, he began rather too haſtily upon me, and aſked me to go with him that evening to hear the Reverend Mr. Weſley at the Foundry. I beg'd him, for God's ſake, never to aſk me a queſtion of that kind any more, for I was determined never to go thither, and that if my wife ever came to the knowledge of ſuch proceedings, ſhe would never forgive me; ſeeing me ſo earneſt, he conſidered it prudent to ſay no more; but in that in⯑ſtant [88] God began to work powerfully upon my ſoul. Then the eye of my mind ſaw the Son of God ſitting on his throne to judge the world, and a calm peace reſted upon me, ſuch as tongue cannot expreſs. This happy change abode with me every moment of that afternoon, and I quickly, though imperceptibly, found my ſpirit much united to Mr. Greaves, and therefore related my experience to him. I then my⯑ſelf propoſed going with him to hear the Reverend Mr. Weſley, to which he acceded with great ſatis⯑faction, and accordingly we repaired to the Foundry, but were diſappointed.

The next morning he took me up to Short's Gar⯑dens, to hear Mr. Weſley; but we were diſappointed there likewiſe. However, we tarried to hear the ſer⯑mon, yet the place was very unpleaſant; but the preacher exceedingly more ſo, who proved to be Mr. Maxfield, a lay-preacher, with a thick-head, of curled hair, reſembling a mop, and a clowniſh diſagreeable voice, ſtammering out his words, as I ima⯑gined, without rhyme or reaſon. When he had con⯑cluded I went out in a pet, and aſked Mr. Greaves for what reaſons he brought me there, whether it was to hear a good ſermon, or to be diſguſted by the grumbling of a fellow who could not deliver half a dozen words of common ſenſe.

This unkind ſpeech, however, did not appear to affect him the leaſt in the world; but, on the contrary, [89] excited his compaſſion, and increaſed his pity towards me; ſo that he very mildly enquired of me the place of my reſidence, and gave me to underſtand, that, without any fear of diſappointment, I might depend upon hearing the Reverend Mr. Weſley next Sunday morning at five o'clock. I anſwered him, more ſurly than ever I did before, but told him he might call at my apartments if he thought proper, and gave him directions accordingly; and, notwithſtanding his place of abode was at Kenſington, and that of mine on Church-Hill, near Black-Friars church, yet he was at my houſe preciſely at four o'clock in the morning. I then went with him to the Foundry, and as we were paſſing through Cheapſide, he commenced a Chriſtian converſation, and aſked me if I ever had an idea of what was become of all thoſe who walked that ſtreet fourſcore or an hundred years ago. This prepared my mind for hearing the word, and, as before ob⯑ſerved, God had wrought graciouſly upon my ſoul, ſo I was the better prepared to receive inſtructions. When we entered the Foundry (as I had heard various unaccountable reports both of the place and people) I was much tempted to gaze about me, in order to make a few obſervations thereon; and finding it a ruinous place, with an old pantile covering, a few rough deal boards put together to conſtitute a temporary pulpit, and ſeveral other decayed timbers, which compoſed the whole ſtructure, I began to think it anſwered the re⯑port given of it, as there were many rooms and cor⯑ners ſimilar to thoſe caverns related to me by my [90] former irreligious acquaintances. In one of theſe recluſe parts of the Foundry ſat three or four old wo⯑men, one of whom appeared in the attitude of an unmoveable ſtatue, with her apron over her face, nor was ſhe uncovered during the whole time of divine ſervice. The enemy of ſouls immediately ſuggeſted that ſhe was an hypocrite. My friend, Mr. Greaves, ſtood cloſe behind me, to prevent my going out, as I had done at Short's-Gardens, to which I was ſtrongly tempted, and had it not been for the multitude of people aſſembled together, ſo early in the morning as between four and five o'clock, and the ſtriking con⯑ſideration of ſuch profound ſeriouſneſs, which evidently appeared in the countenance of almoſt every perſon there, I muſt certainly have given way to the temptation, and thereby have loſt the greateſt bleſſing I ever experienced before. I tarried there a full half hour before the ſervice began, during which my mind was ſorely diſturbed with many ſtrange notions, as I had been ſo ſtrongly attached to the church of England. Exactly at five o'clock a general whiſper was conveyed through the congregation, and "Here he comes! Here he comes!" was repeated with the utmoſt pleaſure. I was filled with curioſity to ſee his perſon, which, when I beheld, I much deſpiſed. The enemy of ſouls, who is never unprepared to hinder the ſalvation of individuals, ſuggeſted, that he was ſome farmer's ſon, who, not able to ſupport himſelf, was making a penny in this low and ignoble manner. He paſſed through the con⯑gregation into the temporary pulpit, and, having his [91] robes on, I expected he would have begun with the Church ſervice; but, to my aſtoniſhment, the intro⯑duction to his preaching was the ſinging an hymn, with which I was almoſt enraptured; but his extem⯑porary prayer was quite unpleaſant, as I thought it ſavoured too much of the Diſſenters mode of worſhip, which at that time my prejudice could not abide. After which he took his text in the 2d chapter, of the 1ſt epiſtle general of St. John, 12 and 13 ver. "I write unto you, little children, becauſe your ſins are for⯑given you, &c." The enemy ſtruck a deadly blow at me, and in that moment ſuggeſted, that he was a Papiſt, as he dwelt ſo much on forgiveneſs of ſins; and altho' I had read this portion of Scripture many times before, yet I never underſtood that we were to know our ſins forgiven on earth; ſuppoſing that it referred only to thoſe to whom the apoſtle was then writing, eſpecially as I had never heard this doctrine preached in the Church. However, my prejudice quickly abated, thro' the excellent wiſdom with which Mr. Weſley ſpoke: This clearly elucidated the ſubject, and proved the point. I then plainly ſaw I could never be ſaved without know⯑ing my ſins were forgiven me; and in the midſt of his ſermon the Spirit of God ſealed the truth of every word upon my heart. At the cloſe of the diſcourſe, however ſtrange it may appear, a ſmall ſtill voice entered my left ear, with theſe words, "This is the truth!" and inſtantly I felt it in my heart; and for five and thirty years I have never once doubted of thoſe truths and doctrines received amongſt us, viz. "Of ſalvation by [92] that faith productive of good works." My worthy friend, Mr. Greaves, obſerving my attention to the ſermon, aſked me how I liked Mr. Weſley. I replied, "As long as I live I will never part from him." Hitherto the Lord hath kept me, and I truſt he ever will. With this firſt ſermon my ſoul was on fire, aſſured that it was the truth; ſo that I was filled with zeal for the righteous cauſe, and for ſome years I ran, as it were through fire and water, to promote the Redeemer's kingdom, and that not without glorious ſucceſs. Here I broke off at a ſtroke all my old ac⯑quaintance in iniquity, who mocked and derided me exceedingly; and one of my moſt intimate acquaint⯑ances ſaid to me, "What! Told, are you commenced Whitfieldli [...]e? As ſure as ever you was born, if you follow them, you are damned!" But the heavier my perſecutions were, the more abundantly I rejoiced, and conceived ſuch love and union to my miniſters and companions in tribulation, that nought but death could make a ſeparation.

I had now to encounter with my wife and family, with whom for many years I had lived peaceably and in quiet; but they perceiving different marks of an alteration in my mind and behaviour, ſuſpected I had been among the Methodiſts. My wife, though a wor⯑thy, honeſt woman, yet an entire ſtranger to this new light, happened one day to exclaim very warmly, and ſaid, "What the devil poſſeſſes you? I hope you have not been among the Methodiſts; I'll ſacrifice [93] my ſoul rather than you ſhall go among thoſe miſ⯑creants;" although I never before this heard an ill expreſſion drop from her lips (Oh! how does the car⯑nal mind rage in the unconverted!) However, I gave her for anſwer, "If you are reſolved to ſacrifice your ſoul, I am reſolved, God willing, to join them:" At which ſhe ſaid no more, nor ever oppoſed my going to the word.

After this happened a very unfortunate circumſtance. One evening, as my wife was occaſionally at her ac⯑cuſtomed chandler's ſhop (which in a circle of years had taken ſome hundreds of pounds of my wife's family, between whom and the proprietor, a ſpirit of unanimi⯑ty had invariably ſubſiſted from the origin of their mutual acquaintance) ſhe diſcovered a leg of pork roaſting by the fire, and, being big with her fourth child, longed to eat of the joint. Mr. C. . . . . was ever free with our family in what my houſe afforded, therefore my wife naturally imagined a ſimilar degree of freedom on her part would not be conſidered as an act of rudeneſs by Mr. C. . . . .—At this time, how⯑ever, he ſeemed unfamiliar; nor did he invite my wife to partake of his ſupper, as uſuall Mrs. Told, being ſtrictly modeſt, went home, and informed her mother of the illiberality of Mr. C. . . . . who went immediately to him, and related to him my wife's condition; upon which he raved, curſed, ſwore, and, with the hotteſt cenſure, replied, "What! can I not have a joint of meat, but ſhe muſt long for it?" [94] throwing out of his mouth, at the ſame time, the moſt ſarcaſtic and repeated invectives. Her mother, ſtruck with his behaviour, quickly informed me thereof. I then went to him myſelf, and offered him half a gui⯑nea for a plate-full of the pork, which he ſharply refuſed. This broke off, for ever afterwards, our acquaintance; but I do not imagine that the diſap⯑pointment would have effected my wife, had it not been principally owing to the weakneſs of her mother, who informed her of the man's cruel behaviour; which had ſo heavy an effect upon her, that the child became emaciated within her, inſomuch that ſhe was never de⯑livered, but lay eight months under the phyſician's charge, which was attended with a very great expence. At this time my ſalary was but low, having no more than ten ſhillings per week: Out of this three-pence was applied to the pay-table every Saturday evening; nine ſhillings I lodged in the hands of a friend for the ſup⯑port of my wife, and the remaining nine-pence was the whole of my ſubſiſtence the following week.

In the year 1744, having been married ſeven years, my wife died, leaving only one child, a girl about two years of age. God now began to bleſs me in my temporals, and increaſed my outward circumſtances. Soon after my wife' [...] death I was recommended to a Mr. Bembow, at New-Crane, Wapping, to ſerve him as a clerk, where I was greatly reſpected, through my diligence in buſineſs, and conſtant aſſiduity when em⯑ployed in a more infer [...]or calling. A few months [95] of my ſervices to Mr. Bembow were ſcarcely expired, before I was viſited by a Mr. Hogg, one of the Rev. Mr. Weſley's ſtewards, who informed me, that the Rev. Mr. Weſley requeſted my undertaking to teach the charity-children at the Foundry-ſchool; but I being fixed with Mr. Bembow refuſed it. A few days after Mr. Hogg returned, and, together with a repetition of his former meſſage, he ſaid that Mr. Weſley poſitively inſiſted upon it, making mention, that my calling thereunto was equally clear and evident with Mr. Weſley's calling to the miniſtry. I then believed it was my duty to comply with his deſires, and therefore informed Mr. Bembow of the intended ſeparation. Both Mr. Bembow and his wife intreated me to continue my ſervices towards them, telling me, at the ſame time, that no money ſhould part us; for that they never had acquired an aſſiſtant who executed their commands with ſuch attention, and promoted their intereſt with ſuch aſſiduity and pains, as I con⯑ſtantly did; but, as I conſidered it the immediate in⯑terpoſition of God, and dared not, for conſcience ſake, to reject the undertaking, I then thought proper to continue ſteadfaſtly inexorable to all their intrea⯑ties, though it was the occaſion of much grief on both ſides.

The day after our diſunion I was eſtabliſhed in the Foundry-ſchool, and, in the ſpace of a few weeks, collected threeſcore boys and ſix girls▪ but the ſociety, though many in number, yet poor withal, could not [96] grant me more than ten ſhillings per week. This, however, was ſufficient for me, as they hoſpitably boarded and clothed my daughter. Being conſcious of my indiſpenſable duty in this important undertak⯑ing, and having the children under my care from five in the morning till five in the evening, both winter and ſummer, ſparing no diligence to make them com⯑plete in the rudiments of their education, I at length, with the aſſiſtance of an uſher and four monitors, brought near 40 of them into writing and arithmetic. I continued in the ſchool ſeven years and three months, and diſcharged 275 boys, moſt of them to capital trades.

In the year 1744, and as near as I can well remem⯑ber, in the month of June, I attended the children one morning at the five o'clock preaching; when the Rev. Mr. Weſley took his text out of the 25th chapter of St. Matthew, the 41ſt, 42d, 43d, and 44th verſes, and I having laboured under ſore convictions for a conſiderable time, was almoſt diſtracted in my mind, when he read theſe words, "I was ſick, and in priſon, and ye viſited me not;" and as I was ſenſible of my negligence, in never viſiting the priſoners during the courſe of my life, ſo therefore I was filled with an horror of mind beyond expreſſion. I then began to reaſon with myſelf, that I had obeyed the other in⯑junctions, but not this one; therefore I could not be ſaved, as I never had a mere knowledge of either pri⯑ſons or keepers; and to increaſe my then prevailing [97] wretchedneſs, it was ſuggeſted to me that I ſhould be eternally miſerable if I did not ſpeedily viſit them. This threw me, well nigh, into a ſtate of deſpondency and hopeleſſneſs, as I was totally unacquainted with the meaſures requiſite to be purſued for that purpoſe. However, the good and gracious God, two or three days after, ſent a meſſenger to me in the ſchool, who informed me of ten malefactors that were under ſen⯑tence of death, and would be glad of any of our friends who could make it convenient to go and pray with them. The meſſenger, whoſe name was Sarah Peters, gave me to underſtand, that they were all much awakened, and that one of them (John Lancaſter) was converted, and full of the love of God. In con⯑ſequence of this reviving information, I committed my ſchool (without an hour's delay) to the ſuperin⯑tendency of my truſty uſher, Mr. Marr, and went with Sarah Peters to Newgate, where we had admit⯑tance into the cell wherein they were confined.

In the firſt place, I deſired Lancaſter to call them altogether into his cell, and then began to inquire into the ſtate of their ſouls. I addreſſed Mr. Lancaſter firſt, as he appeared to be all alive to God. He told me he had no doubt but that God, for Chriſt's ſake, had forgiven him all his ſins; and, although (as he obſerved) he was very young, yet he had lived a very wicked life, and acknowledged, that three others, with himſelf, were the perſons who robbed the Foundry one morning of all the braſs candleſticks; but he knew [98] that ſhortly he would be with Jeſus in Paradiſe. He added, "This morning, about five o'clock, the Sun of Righteouſneſs aroſe in my dark cell, and I am now ſo full of God and heaven, that I am like a barrel of new wine ready to burſt for vent. Oh! for words to expreſs what I now feel!" He then dropt on his knees, and earneſtly ſupplicated the Lord Jeſus to endue the Reverends John and Charles Weſley with ſuch a profu⯑ſion of his bleſſed countenance, that when his glorious wiſdom calls them hence, they might come to the grave as ripe ſhocks of corn to the ground, fitted for their maſter's pleaſure. I then ſpoke to the reſt, ſix of whom ſeemed clear of their acceptance in the Beloved.

While I was ſpeaking to theſe, one Roberts, a car⯑man, who lived in Whitecroſs-Street, entered the cell, looking at me with a ſullen ſhyneſs, and, with a countenance ſpeaking the very ſpirit of the old ſerpent dwelling in him. This immediately ſtruck me, and I endeavoured to ſpeak to him with all the comfortable words, and uſe the moſt pacific exhortati⯑ons, I was capable of, inviting him to come to the Lord Jeſus as a poor, helpleſs, loſt, and undone ſinner, that Jeſus was the only ſinner's Friend; told him, that the King of heaven laid down his life for the chief of ſinners, and that he certainly died for him: I there⯑fore quoted (for example) David, Mary Magdalen, Peter, and the thief on the croſs. Now, while I was thus ſpeaking to him, I perceived his countenance to [99] change into a pleaſing ſmile, and his uncultivated ſavage behaviour, happily transformed into a child-like deportment. Now God inſtantly made the lyon to lie down with the kid; ſo the turbulent man became meek, and continued thus till his laſt moments.

The report having been made, and the dead-war⯑rant coming down, eight of the ten were ordered for execution; the other two were reſpited: Nor did either of thoſe two appear to have any the leaſt regard or concern for their deathleſs ſouls; therefore, I truſt, they were ſpared for a good purpoſe, that they might have time for repentance and amendment of life.

The day arrived, whereon the other eight malefactors were to die. Sarah Peters and myſelf were early at the cell, in order to render them all the ſpiritual ſervice that was within our power. The keeper having re⯑ceived directions on the over-night to lock them all up in one cell, that they might pour out their ſouls together in fervent ſolemn prayer to Almighty God, they paid very circumſpect attention thereto, and a happy night it proved to each of them; ſo that when they were led down from their cell, they appeared like giants refreſhed with wine; nor was the fear of death apparent in any of their countenances. We then went up to the chapel, when my companion and myſelf converſed with them in the preſs-yard room. Upon being called out to have their irons taken off, Lan⯑caſter [100] was the firſt: While they were diſburthening his legs thereof, the ſheriff being preſent, Lancaſter looked up to heaven with a pleaſant ſmile, and ſaid, "Glory be to God for the firſt moment of my entrance into this place; for before I came hither my heart was as hard as my cell wall, and my ſoul was as black as hell; but, Oh! I am now waſhed, clearly waſhed, from all my ſins, and by one o'clock ſhall be with Jeſus in Paradiſe;" and, with many ſtrong and forci⯑ble expreſſions, he exhorted the innumerable ſpectators to flee from the wrath to come. This cauſed the ſheriff to ſhed tears, and aſk Mr. Lancaſter if he was really in earneſt, being ſo greatly affected with his lively and animated ſpirit. As their irons were taken off, they were remanded back to the preſs-yard room; but by ſome accident they were a long time getting off the laſt man's fetters. When they were gotten off, Lancaſter, beholding him at a ſhort diſtance, clap⯑ped his hands together, and joyfully proclaimed, "Here comes another of our little flock." A gen⯑tleman preſent ſaid (with an apparent ſympathizing ſpirit) "I think it is too great a flock upon ſuch an occaſion!" Lancaſter, with the greateſt fluency of ſpeech, and with an aſpiring voice, ſaid, "Oh! no, it is not too great a flock for the Shepherd Jeſus; there is room enough in heaven for us all." When he exhorted the populace to forſake their ſins, he particularly en⯑deavoured to preſs on them to come to the Throne of Grace immediately, and without fear, aſſuring them, [101] that they would find him a gracious and merciful God, to forgive them as he had forgiven him. At length they were ordered into the cart, and I was prevailed upon to go with them. When we were in the cart, I addreſſed myſelf to each of theſe ſeparately. The firſt perſon was Mr. Atkins, the ſon of a glazier, in the city, a youth of 19 years of age. I ſaid to him, "My dear, are you afraid to die?" He replied, "No, Sir, really, I am not." I then aſked him, "Wherefore he was not afraid to die?" He again anſwered me, "Becauſe I have laid my ſoul at the feet of Jeſus, therefore I am not afraid to die." I then ſpoke to Mr. Gardner, a journeyman carpenter, about the age of 50, who made a very comfortable report of what the Lord had done for his ſoul, through the free remiſſion of all his paſt ſins, and that he found the true peace of God reigning in his heart. The laſt perſon to whom I ſpoke was one Thompſon, a very illiterate young man; but he, agreeable to the others, entertained no fear of death; aſſuring me alſo, that he was perfectly happy in his Saviour, and continued ſo till his laſt moments. This was the firſt time of my viſiting the malefactors at Newgate, and of my attendance upon them to the place of execution; and then it was not without much ſhame and fear, becauſe I clearly perceived the greater part of the populace conſidered me as one of the ſuf⯑ferers. When we came to the fatal tree, Lancaſter lifted up his eyes thereto, and ſaid, "Bleſſed be God," then prayed extemporary in a very excellent manner, and the others behaved with great diſcretion. [102] John Lancaſter had no friend who could procure for his body a proper interment; ſo that, when they had hung the uſual ſpace of time, and were cut down, the ſurgeon's mob ſecured the body of Lancaſter, and carried it over to Paddington. There was a very crouded concourſe, among whom were numberleſs gin and gingerbread vendors, accompanied by pick-pockets and whores, of almoſt every denomination in London; in ſhort, the whole ſcene reſembled a principal fair, rather than an awful execution. Now when the mob was nearly diſperſed, and there remained only a few byſtanders, with an old woman who ſold gin, a remarkable occurrence took place, and operated to the following effect:

A company of eight ſailors, with truncheons in their hands, having come to ſee the execution, looked up to the gallows with an angry countenance, the bodies having been cut down ſome minutes previous to their arrival. The old woman, before named, who ſold gin, obſerving theſe tars to grow violent, by reaſon of their diſappointment, mildly accoſted them, and ſaid, "Gentlemen, I ſuppoſe you want the man that the ſurgeons have got." "Ay," replied the ſailors, "where is he?" The poor affrighted woman gave them to underſtand, that the ſurgeons crew had carried him over to Paddington, and ſhe pointed out to them the direct road thereto. They haſtened away, and as they entered the town, enquiry was made by them where the ſurgeons mob was to be diſcovered; and [103] receiving the information they wanted, they went and demanded the body of John Lancaſter. When the ſailors had obtained the body, two of them caſt it on their ſhoulders, and carried him round by Iſlington; they being tired out with its preſſure, two others laid themſelves under the weight of the body, and carried it from thence to Shoreditch; then two more carried it from Shoreditch to Coverley's-fields; at length, after they were all rendered completely weary, and unable to carry it any farther, the ſequel of their project, and their ultimate contrivance to rid themſelves of the body was, an unanimous conſent to lay it on the ſtep of the firſt door they came to. They did ſo, and then went their way. This gave birth to a great riot in the neighbourhood, which brought an old wo⯑man, who lived in the houſe, down ſtairs. When ſhe ſaw the corpſe lay at the ſtep of the door, ſhe proclaim⯑ed, with an agitated ſpirit, "Lord, here is my ſon, John Lancaſter!" This being ſpread abroad, came to the knowledge of the Methodiſts, who made a col⯑lection, and got him a ſhroud and a good ſtrong coffin. I was ſoon informed of this event, which was peculiarly ſingular, as the ſeamen had no knowledge of the body, nor to whom he belonged when living. My ſecond wife went with me to ſee him, previous to the burial; but neither of us could perceive the leaſt alteration in his viſage, or features, or any appearance of violence on any part of his body. A pleaſant ſmile appeared in his countenance, and he lay as in a ſweet ſleep.

[104]From the time of this introduction among the priſo⯑ners, I preached frequently to the ſelons and debtors in Newgate. Of the latter I joined about 36 in a regular ſociety; nor would they ſuffer any individual to live in any outward ſin, as they never neglected to inform me of every ſuch inſtance on my following viſitation. At that time I had ſo lively a zeal for the cauſe of re⯑ligion, from my firſt hearing the Goſpel, that I ſpared no pains or labour to do all the good that was then in my power, through the aſſiſtance of God, both to the bodies and ſouls of ſinners, embracing every oppor⯑tunity, both in reſpect to hearing and ſpeaking; ſo that in proceſs of time I preached in every priſon, as well as many workhouſes in and about London; and frequently travelled to almoſt every town within 12 miles around this metropolis; nor did I ever doubt, but that God as ſurely called me to that office of ad⯑miniſtering his Holy Word to the unhappy malefactors, as St. Paul was called to the miniſtry.

I ſtill continued in the Foundry-ſchool, and by my ſecond marriage to the widow of captain Robert Grif⯑fith, who had five children living, my family was much increaſed in temporal circumſtances for the ſpace of a few years, and my ſoul was exceedingly delighted; but when I began to confine myſelf to certain regula⯑tions, ſuch as riſing at four o'clock every morning, going to the five o'clock preaching, diligently attend⯑ing the church-ſervice, and ſtrictly obſerving all the other ordinances of God, I was then clearly convinced [105] of my unbelief, of my loſt eſtate, and of the carnal mind, which is at enmity with God. No tongue can expreſs the bitterneſs of ſoul I then laboured under, both day and night, and that for a long time having "no reſt in my fleſh by reaſon of my ſin;" and although my place of abode joined the Foundry, yet, when I have left the ſchool, to go either to breakfaſt or dinner, my agony of mind has been ſo dreadfully heavy, that I have even forgot to eat my bread, and have oftentimes wandered into Hoxton-Fields, there to pour out my miſery before God. Frequently after I had diſmiſſed my ſcholars in the evening, I have, rather than go to my own apartments, taken a ſolitary walk into the fields till nine, ten and eleven o'clock, roaring for the very diſquietude of my ſoul; and notwithſtanding I never could accuſe myſelf of inattention to any ordi⯑nance, faſting and praying, and fitting up both early and late, yet my unbelief prevailed, till I became completely miſerable. In this ſituation I continued about three years, ſo that I "choſe ſtrangling rather than life;" nor could I, with all my hearing and ſelf-denial, overcome this damning ſin of unbelief. Never was I poſſeſſed of ſo irritable a diſpoſition, and at the time when people told me I could believe if I would, gladly would I have given worlds to believe, were they in my power; but "ſuch power belongeth to God alone," and glory be to him, he diſplayed that power in my deliverance. The manner of my reſcue, as it appeared to me, in a manifeſt reality, I ſhall ſimply and ſin⯑cerely relate. Taking one morning my melancholy [106] walk, after five o'clock preaching, in the deepeſt di⯑ſtreſs of mind, and as I was paſſing Ratcliff-Row, leading to the Shepherd and Shepherdeſs (a walk I had taken before times out of number) I perceived a cow coming towards me. I really wiſhed in my heart I was that beaſt, as I conſidered it ten thouſand times happier than myſelf. The next thing that paſſed me was a dog; I heartily wiſhed I could metamorphoſe my body and mind into that of the dog's. Afterwards I obſerved a man taking his courſe a few yards off; I then thought that man would afford me the greateſt happineſs I ever before experienced, if he would put an end to ſo wretched a life. In theſe miſerable and diſtracted moments I had no conception of a delive⯑rance ſo very near, eſpecially as the enemy of my ſoul had juſt previouſly ſuggeſted to me, that if I lived 500 years longer in the world I ſhould never receive a transformation of ſpirit by the grace of God; all which I believed. However, I continued walking, by a ſlow gradation, till I came to a loneſome part of a field, by the Shepherd and Shepherdeſs, which I ima⯑gined was better calculated for retirement than any other ſpot thereabouts. When I had ſecluded myſelf therein, being alone, on a ſudden, in the twinkling of an eye, "a hand ſtruck me a weighty blow on the top of my head," which in ſome meaſure affected my ſenſes; but I inſtantly found myſelf crying with a loud voice, "Praiſe God, praiſe God," and, looking up, I beheld the ethereal univerſe, replete with the glory of God; and that glory of ſuch ſubſtance and palpa⯑bility, [107] I thought I could have laid hold of it with my hand. This attended me for the ſpace of a minute; but was ſucceeded by an uncommon thick darkneſs, through which a black dart, as if it was ſhot from the hill near Iſlington, pierced its way, and, with wonderful ſwiftneſs, entered my heart. I did not feel any pain thereby; but it was followed with theſe words, "This is one of your old deluſions." Although I was ſtag⯑gered at this for a few moments, yet I was quickly enabled to look up to heaven, and to beſeech God in fervent prayer, that I might more fully know whether this was the remiſſion of my ſins, or not, as at the firſt I felt unſpeakable peace, which far outweighed all my former miſery; and as I looked up, the heavens were uncloſed about a mile in length, as it appeared to my mortal eyes, and tapered away to a point at each end. The center of this awful and ſacred avenue was about twelve feet wide, wherein I ſaw the Lord Jeſus ſtand⯑ing in the form of a man, holding both his ineſtimably precious hands upright, and from the palms thereof the blood ſtreaming down; floods of tears guſhed from my eyes, and trickled down my cheeks. I ſaid, "Lord, it is enough!" nor have I once doubted ſince, but that I was freely juſtified at that time.

Now, as I had been greatly harraſſed when in my wretched ſtate with the doctrine of election, I prayed the Lord to explain to me, whether the blood of Jeſus Chriſt was ſufficient to ſave all the world, or not, and immediately ſome articulate voice aſked me the fol⯑lowing [108] queſtion: "How did you find yourſelf an hour ago?" I then recollected that I was in a wretched and loſt ſtate. The voice again ſuggeſted, "All the world is but as one man, and one man as all the world." The meaning of theſe words were as clear to my intellectual ſenſations, as the ſun performing its diurnal courſe; therefore one drop of the blood of Chriſt was not only ſufficient to ſave the whole world, but ten thouſand worlds of ſinners, if there were ſo many. This I believed as an unqueſtionable aſſertion of verity; nor, ſince this, do I ever remember to have experienced the ſlighteſt temptation to the doctrine of predeſtination, whereof I cannot, by any means, con⯑ſider myſelf a defender.

Seeing that nothing remarkable has occurred in my ſpiritual or temporal affairs, from the year 1745 to 1775, I ſhall now confine myſelf to give a farther ac⯑count of my elaborate reſearches into the ſituation of the priſoners at Newgate, and into the ſtate of their ſouls; but I purpoſe not to enter into a minute hiſtory of each, but of ſuch only as were the moſt remarkable characters among them, in the courſe of my ſeveral viſitations.

I believe it may be upwards of twenty-one years ſince I firſt attended the priſoners in Newgate, and there chiefly on the debtors ſide; though ſometimes I converſed in public among the felons, and the Lord is [109] witneſs to the horrible ſcene, and the dreadful emblem of the infernal pit, which was therein pourtrayed, con⯑ſiſting of ſwearing, curſing, ſpeaking blaſphemies, and foul converſation, and that continually. The un⯑fortunate perſons confined in that priſon found it the neareſt reſemblance to the picture of hell of any under the canopy of heaven. However, having a conſtant preſſure upon my mind to ſtand up for God in the midſt of them, and to defend his cauſe againſt thoſe mighty ſinners, while heedleſsly proceeding in this deſtructive path, I therefore prayed to God for wiſdom and forti⯑tude in the attempt of that diſagreeable taſk to fleſh and blood. I confeſs I did ſo many times with fear and trembling, yet I can conſcientiouſly announce to the world, I ever found the Lord overcoming all my apprehenſive dreads, and confounding the adverſary. Indeed, for a few years, I could not fully perceive my call to attend the malefactors, meeting with ſo many and various repulſes from the keepers and ordinary, as alſo from the priſoners themſelves; but notwithſtand⯑ing this oppoſition, I was the more vehemently preſſed on in ſpirit to burſt through all; ſo that, by the aid of him who has all power in heaven and earth, I be⯑came (in the name of God) daringly reſolute in that point, and would conform myſelf to no denial. The ordinary (Mr. Taylor) conſtantly on Sunday mornings ſtationed himſelf a few doors from Newgate, for the ſpace of two hours or more, to obſtruct my entrance, in forbidding all the turnkeys reſpectively to give me admittance; yet the God of all compaſſion to thoſe [110] ſouls for whom Chriſt died, frequently made an en⯑trance for me, ſo that I had an opportunity of preach⯑ing every Sunday morning on the debtors-ſide, to the number of 40 priſoners, who behaved with much ſeriouſneſs and attention; after which I propoſed to them the uniting themſelves together in the nature of a ſociety, and acquainted them alſo with the manner and reſtrictive proceedings of Mr. Weſley throughout his ſeveral congregations. I read and left with them the rules of our ſociety, particularly deſiring them to conſider ſeriouſly whether they deemed it proper to confine themſelves to ſuch regulations or not. Upon my ſucceeding viſit I underſtood, that, through the circumſpection of two or three priſoners, who were men of good underſtanding, and of a liberal educa⯑tion, that had highly approved of my propoſals, an unity had taken place among 30 or more. For a conſiderable time afterwards they payed regular atten⯑tion to preaching, and to the meeting of the young ſociety, behaving themſelves ſuitable to what might be reaſonably expected from perſons in a ſituation like theirs. If any offence was given to the ſociety in my abſence, a report of the perſon or perſons, by whom ſuch offence had been occaſioned, was never withheld from my notice. This deſirable oeconomy continued for a conſiderable time, when a great tumult was made by the ordinary, who ever afterwards ſhut me out from thoſe parts of the priſon: It may here be ob⯑ſerved, there were many intermediate workings of [111] God's bleſſed ſpirit among the felons; but more emi⯑nently among the condemned malefactors.

I hope now to give a ſhort account of God's re⯑markable working upon the ſouls of Mr. Holmes and five others, four of whom were moſt rancorous and un⯑forgiving Roman Catholicks. The caſe of Mr. Holmes nearly correſponded with that of John Lancaſter, already treated of in the foregoing relations. This man was excellently uſeful to the others of his fellow ſufferers; and likewiſe greatly ſo to the ſpectators. Having no oppoſition, I joyfully embraced the opportunity of viſiting theſe ſix malefactors, and ſoon gained my point over the two Proteſtants and three of the Papiſts, who, by force of my arguments, rejected further ad⯑vice from the prieſt, and cloſed in with ſalvation by faith alone.

Here I endeavoured to take ſuch methods of con⯑ducting myſelf towards theſe men, as I had uſually done with the former happy departed ſouls; and as I had an open door into the cells, which ever proved the moſt beneficial to the then confined priſoners, I went from cell to cell, being locked in with every individual for a longer or ſhorter time, according to the ſituation and ſtate of mind of each priſoner, and was permitted by the turnkey to retire without any emolument whatever: Herein the hand of the Almighty was quite evident. Finding Mr. Holmes more lively [112] and active than any of the reſt, he anſwered a very uſeful purpoſe; having a clear ſenſe of forgiveneſs himſelf, he zealouſly exerted himſelf in the means of bringing the reſt of his fellow-ſufferers to a true ſenſe of the neceſſity of being born again; and truly the Lord proſpered his endeavours, ſo that at every re⯑peated viſit, I made to them (which was very frequent) I found the reſt of the malefactors either under ſtronger convictions, or juſt ready to ſtep into the pool. For my own part, the advice I gave them was principally to make them the more deeply ſenſible of their loſt eſtate, while I was very cautious of daubing them with untempered morter; and hence I always per⯑ceived their converſions were more ſolid, real, and permanent; ſo that what they had received was truly ſhewn in their conduct. A few days before their death, I came more particularly home to the point, and ex⯑hibited to both Proteſtants and Papiſts how abſolutely impoſſible it was for happineſs to be obtained, either in time or eternity, without the clear knowledge of God being reconciled to them through the death and paſſion of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, together with a ſenſe of their redemption through his blood, the forgiveneſs of their ſins. None of them appeared to be clear in this point, except Holmes; all the reſt ſtill lay at the pool-ſide.

Here I was ſtruck with the conduct of one of the young Roman Catholicks, who, notwithſtanding all that I could [113] force into his mind, would not be reconciled to his proſecutor, declaring that he would maintain that ob⯑ſtinate reſolution to his laſt moments! I told him, if he retained and cheriſhed that dangerous reſolution, the Word of God lay flat againſt him, quoting this paſſage of Scripture, "If ye from your heart forgive not every one his brother's treſpaſſes, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your treſpaſſes." This greatly alarmed his mind, ſo that he became more teachable. The night before their execution, I deſired the inner keeper, or turnkey, of their reſpective cells, to give them the opportunity of aſſembling together in one cell, to the end they might all paſs their laſt hours in unitedly pouring out their ſouls in ſervent and mighty prayer before God: This was granted agree⯑able to my deſires. I alſo requeſted one of the priſo⯑ners, who had been confined for ſome years, to attend them diligently, and read to them. He did ſo, and they accordingly began their exerciſe from out of the Prayer Book; but, after ſpending two hours in that lifeleſs frame, and finding their ſpirits to be in no wiſe animated thereby, one of the malefactors was moved, and ſaid, "Come, let us pray extempore, and who knows but God will open our mouths." They all gladly conſented thereto, and the Lord in his mercy did (in compaſſion to their infirmities) not only open their mouths, but their hearts too, and that in an unuſual manner, manifeſting himſelf unto them, as he does not unto the world; ſo that they wreſtled with [114] God in ſuch great fervor of ſpirit, from nine till twelve o'clock, that each of them was in a profuſe bath of ſweat. Then they laid themſelves down to reſt from twelve till two, when every one of them again joined themſelves in eager prayer; nor did they deſiſt from their happy exerciſe till the time arrived, when they were ſummoned to chapel I went that morning before day-light, and availed myſelf of the joyful opportunity of getting admittance juſt before they were let down. As they entered the preſs-yard, I ſaw the happy con⯑ſequence of their laſt acts of devotion and ſolemnity. No tongue or pen is able faintly to repreſent the ſolemn joy and peace which appeared in each coun⯑tenance; but particularly in the young Roman Catho⯑licks, whom I could not prevail upon to forgive his proſecutor: To him I chiefly addreſſed myſelf, ſaying, "My dear man, how do you find yourſelf?" He re⯑plied, with a pleaſant voice, and a heavenly counte⯑nance, "Find myſelf! why, truly Sir, my ſoul is ſo filled with light, love and peace, that I am the ſame as if I had nothing beſide within me!" In this rap⯑turous ſpirit he continued to his latter moments. After chapel, Holmes, with the others, came down, and had their irons ſtruck off. He ſpoke to all about him of the unſpeakable love of God to him; and aſſured them that he knew God, for Chriſt's ſake, had forgiven him all his ſins: His words were ſo very powerful, that he drew abun⯑dance of tears from the ſpectators. After they were haltered, they were put into three carts, and ſent for execution. I went with Holmes in the firſt, ſpending [115] our way to the moſt advantage. Upon our arrival at the tree, Holmes firſt ſtood up, and, lifting his eyes to heaven, ſaid, "Lord, didſt not thou die for ſinners? thou didſt die for me!" Then turning round to the multitude, he prayed extempore ſo very excellently, that it cauſed hundreds to be in tears round the gal⯑lows. When prayers were finiſhed by the ordinary, all of them, agreeable to my requeſt, went off the ſtage of mortality, firſt turning round, and putting their faces to each other, their hands being tied, crying out, as in the voice of one man, "Lord Jeſus receive our ſpirits."

During the ſpaces of time which intervened between the ſeveral executions, I frequently preached and ex⯑horted among the felons and debtors in Newgate, and conſtantly viſited the ſick in all parts of the priſon, which I have ſufficient reaſon to believe was bleſſed, in a great meaſure, to many of their ſouls; as, in conſe⯑quence of thoſe means, numbers were prepared to receive the glad tidings of ſalvation when under ſen⯑tence of death.

Some years ago, Meſſrs. Morgan, Whalley, Brett, and Dupree, with two more, being then under ſentence of death, were ordered for execution, in the late king's reign; and notwithſtanding they were all con⯑ſpicuous characters in life, yet the higheſt intereſt the nation could afford was ineffectual to obtain an ex⯑emption [116] from juſtice, eſpecially as their fatal delin⯑quency was the fruit of an intoxicated project.

The circumſtance was thus: They all conjunctly agreed upon a party of pleaſure, at the election of a certain member for Chelmsford, Eſſex; but after they had glutted themſelves with an immoderate regale⯑ment, they u [...]animouſly conſented to divert them⯑ſelves by going out upon the roads, and there en⯑deavour to effect a robbery on the firſt individual that might preſent himſelf in their way. In the courſe of theſe their unreſtrained proceedings, a certain farmer chanced to paſs them, who was attacked by theſe un⯑happy men, and robbed of all his money. After this the farmer, having met with aſſiſtance, purſued them all into Chelmsford, where they were every one ſe⯑cured, and were removed by a habeas the next day to London; they took their trials, were caſt, received ſentence of death, and ordered, as before mentioned, for execution. Mr. Brett was the ſon of an eminent divine in Dublin! Mr. Whalley a gentleman of a con⯑ſiderable fortune, and was poſſeſſed of three country ſeats of his own! Mr. Dapree was alſo the complete gentleman! and Mr. Morgan an officer on board one of his Majeſty's ſhips of war! The laſt of theſe was frequently viſited by lady Elizabeth Hamilton (the duke of Hamilton's daughter) both before and after ſentence. I have ſeldom failed to be preſent with them at their ſeveral interviews in Newgate, and thereby [117] underſtood, that if this lamentable affair had not taken place, the connubials of Mr. Morgan and lady Betty were to have been ſolemnized in a very ſhort time.

This lady, like the importunate widow ſet forth in the Goſpel, went daily to his Majeſty, as did alſo others who had great influence, at her requeſt, and pleaded with his Majeſty for the life of Mr. Morgan; but, at the firſt, his Majeſty conſidering it a point of injuſtice, as well as partiality, would by no means at⯑tend to her plaintive petitions. Another conſideration was, that they were all perſons of dignity and fortune, and could not plead neceſſity to palliate the enormity of thoſe robberies, as many unhappy ſufferers could, therefore his Majeſty ſaid, his ſubjects were not to be put in bodily fear, and ſuffer the loſs of their property, merely through a capricious, wanton whim: However, the morning prior to the execution lady Betty Hamilton appeared before his Majeſty, and fell upon her knees, (I ſuppoſe in tears too.) "My lady," ſaid his Majeſty, "there is no end to your importunity; I will ſpare his life, upon condition that he be not acquainted therewith till he arrives at the place of execution." Theſe documents were with the utmoſt preciſion attend⯑ed to; and accordingly Mr. Brett, Mr. Whalley, and Mr. Dupree, were tied up to the gallows; the other cart with Mr. Morgan, and two other gentlemen, fol⯑lowed; but the ſheriff, upon ordering the coach to [118] ſtop, produced the reſpite ſent to Mr. Morgan from his Majeſty. 'Tis hard to expreſs the ſudden alarm this made among the numerous multitude; and when I turned round and ſaw one of the priſoners out of the cart, with his halter looſe, falling to the ground, he having fainted away at the ſudden news, I was in⯑ſtantly ſeized with a great terror, as I thought it was a reſcue rather than a reprieve; but when I beheld Mr. Morgan put into a coach, and perceiving that lady Betty Hamilton was ſeated therein, in order to receive him, my fear was at an end, and truly I was very well pleaſed on the occaſion.

As ſoon as the coach, with Mr. Morgan and the lady, had drove off for Newgate, a venerable gentle⯑man, who carried the appearance of a courtier, walked up to the firſt cart, and, addreſſing himſelf to Mr. Dupree in a very Chriſtian manner, begged him to look ſtedfaſtly to God, in whoſe preſence he would ſhortly appear, and hoped, the mercy his companion received would have no bad effect upon him. Mr. Dupree, with the moſt unimaginable calmneſs and compoſure of mind, ſaid, "Sir, I thank God that he is thus reprieved; it does not by any means affect me:" This gave the gentleman much ſatisfaction. Now when prayers were ended, I addreſſed each of them in the moſt awful and ſtriking words I was capable of, and which, I have great reaſon to believe, were not to little purpoſe, as they all appeared intirely [119] reſigned to their fate. Mr. Brett, the clergyman's ſon, diſplayed the conduct of a gentleman and ſcholar: In a mild ſpirit, he earneſtly craved the ſincere prayers of the multitude; and likewiſe, in his laſt piece of exhortation, he conjured them all to take warning by the untimely end of the three objects of their preſent attention. When they were turned off, and the mob nearly diſperſed, I haſtened back to Newgate, and there ſeriouſly converſed with Mr. Morgan, who, in conſequence of the unexpected change, was ſcarcely recovered.

In the courſe of our reciprocal converſation he told me his mind, a few minutes previous to and at the arrival of his reprieve, was in ſo happy a ſtate, that he could not immediately tell whether life or death was beſt; yet, when about ſix weeks were elapſed, it evidently appeared, by Mr. Morgan's tranſactions, that his Majeſty's gracious act of lenity was clearly worn off his remembrance; for one day, as I chanced to pay him a viſit (whereof he was not previouſly ap⯑priſed) I detected him in playing at cards with and againſt a Mr. Barrett, who was confined upon the ſup⯑poſition of defrauding his creditors. This man was apparently totally deſtitute of the fear or knowledge of God, and was alſo very prejudicial in his behaviour to the ſouls of poor condemned priſoners, ever at⯑tempting to divert their minds from their attention to that which was truly good; likewiſe ſetting at nought, [120] and expoſing to cenſure and ridicule, thoſe who inceſ⯑ſantly laboured for their eternal benefit; but the Lord over-ruled him. I then laid before Mr. Morgan the dangerous folly of ſuch proceedings, and added, "if ſuch conduct as that (viz. playing at cards) is of⯑tentimes, through point of conſcience, aboliſhed by men of common ſenſe, how much more then ought ſuch empty and ſoul-deſtroying amuſement to be deſpiſed by one who had ſo recently been reſcued from death by his Majeſty's great clemency in ſo conſpicuous a man⯑ner as he himſelf had! I therefore intreated him to lay the cards aſide, and never attempt to reſume ſuch folly any more. By virtue of this remonſtrance he became very complaiſant, and, as an obſequious child, conforms his behaviour to the wiſhes of his parents, juſt ſo Mr. Morgan renounced the diverſion to which his mind was ſo ſtrongly inured; and, in a moment's time, he marked the line of his conduct with an hum⯑ble attention to all my ſympathiſing reproofs.

The before-mentioned Mr. Barrett, finding I had taken the attention of Mr. Morgan from off his evil allure⯑ments, began to abuſe me very much, and alſo boaſted that it was not in the power of all the world to hurt him; that he defied all the judges to bring him in as a culprit upon trial; but, however, ſhortly after, his creditors, having a ſtrong ſuſpicion that he had ſome effects concealed in a cheſt, wherewith he was furniſh⯑ed in Newgate, obtained a judicial order to ſearch it, [121] and found (as they had been informed) to the amount of £5000 in bank notes, cut in halves. Soon after this his trial came on, and he was deemed guilty by the judges. He was condemned with Mr. Samuel Lee, a fine young gentleman, for forgery, and they were both accordingly ordered for execution; Mr. Barrett, on the Tueſday, in Smithfield; Mr. Lee, on the Wedneſ⯑day, at Tyburn. Mr. Barrett refuſed my company, and the ſervice I might have been to him; therefore I cannot give my readers any account of him, as touch⯑ing his behaviour during his latter moments; yet Mr. Lee, the morning before his execution, was very attentive to inſtruction, and juſt before he was turned off the ſtage of life, put a letter into my hand, which I opened, and was deeply affected with the contents thereof: It began thus, "Oh, eternity! eternity! eternity! who can fathom the depths of eternity?" The whole body of the letter expreſſed the devouteſt ſentiments of his inmoſt ſoul. His behaviour on the paſſage [...]o and at the place of execution was altogether ſerious; nor did he leave room to doubt of his eternal ſalvation.

I ſhall next ſpeak of what I heard and knew of Mary Edmonſon, who was executed on Kennington-Common, upon the ſuppoſition of murdering her aunt at Rotherhithe. This unfortunate young woman was under cloſe conſi [...]ement a great length of time. The day of her removal arrived; ſhe was then conveyed [122] to Kingſton, there to ſtand trial before judge Denni⯑ſon, who ſome time before tried a Mr. Coleman, a brewer's clerk, for the ſuppoſed perſonal abuſe of a young woman; and, although the opponents of Mr. Coleman laboured to perſuade this young woman that Coleman was the perſon who treated her in that ſcan⯑dalous manner, yet, when they were in each others preſence, ſhe declared he was not the man. His ene⯑mies ſtill preſſed upon this young woman to change her opinion, aſſuring her that he was the offender; and as further interrogatories were put to her, reſpect⯑ing the circumſtances which had been alledged, ſhe gave a contradictory anſwer, which ſeemed to imply that he was the man; ſo the poor guileleſs priſoner was thereby put into immediate confinement, and there ſecured till his trial came on, when he was condemned, and executed. About three years after this Mr. Cole⯑man's innocence was brought to light, and that as evident as the noon-day ſun, the carman who drove him to the place of execution having been proved to be the man, and that by his own confeſſion; he was therefore tried, condemned and executed, and one Mr. Delagourd, who was found perjured in Coleman's caſe, was ſentenced to ſtand in the pillory oppoſite St. George's church in the Borough. Afterwards he, with two others, who were concerned in the taking away Mr. Coleman's life, were tranſported.

I return now to Mary Edmonſon, who, as before obſerved, was tried by judge Denniſon upon mere cir⯑cumſtances, [123] as no poſitive evidence againſt her could be produced. However, I underſtood that the priſoner ſuffered very ſevere and rigorous treatment from the judge, becauſe ſhe inſiſted upon her innocence and integrity, the judge ſtill laying the murder to her charge, calling her a notorious vile wretch, aſſuring her that ſhe would be d—d if ſhe denied the fact, a [...] matters were ſo evident, particularly ſeeing that her apron and cap were found covered with blood in the copper-hole; yet, as ſhe was condemned on circum⯑ſtances only, and as I attended her to the place of ex⯑ecution, I have every reaſon to believe ſhe was con⯑demned innocent of the charge.

Now as I was often prevented embracing the oppor⯑tunities of viſiting this woman while in confine⯑ment, ſo therefore I entertained no ideas, or even the leaſt intentions, of ſeeing her ſuffer; but as I was occaſionally paſſing through the Borough, I chanced to call on one Mr. Skinner, a cheeſemonger in that ſtreet, who earneſtly intreated me to attend the unfortunate Mary Edmonſon, that being the morning appointed for her execution. As he was a man very piouſly in⯑clined, and one who ſeemed deeply affected about the future ſtate of her ſoul, I therefore complied with his intreaties, although I was extremely fatigued by my long journey; and as he further obſerved, that the unhapy woman had been brutally dealt with in the courſe of her impriſonment, and alſo greatly hindered [124] in making her peace with God, I immediately (con⯑ſidering it a point of my duty) ſet out for Kennington-Common, yet with very ſlight hopes of coming to the ſpeech of her before ſhe entered into her unchange⯑able ſtate: but the Lord has his way in the whirl⯑wind. Some minutes, previous to my arrival at the Peacock, near the Common whereon ſhe was to ſuffer, Thomas Tollis, the executioner, eſpied me in the midſt of the mighty concourſe, and, filled with joy and tears, hurried through the croud, and ſaid, "Mr. Told, I thank God you are come; pray follow me, and I will lead you to the room wherein ſhe will ſhortly be confined; and, for God's ſake, ſpeak as cloſely to her as you can." I followed him into the room, and, af⯑ter having tarried about the ſpace of half an hour, I heard a violent ſhout of "Here ſhe comes!" I then had recourſe to the window which looked into the road, and there perceived that the turbulent mob were univer⯑ſally combined in giving her a ſhocking reception with extended mouths, throwing out the moſt vile, terrible, and blaſphemous curſes and oaths, impoſſible to be pen'd or ſet forth! nay, too horrible for reflection to dwell on! When the priſoner was brought into the room, ſhe ſtood with her back againſt the wainſcot; but appeared perfectly reſigned to the will of God. I then addreſſed myſelf to her, ſaying, "My dear, for God's ſake, for Chriſt's ſake, and for the ſake of your own precious ſoul, do not die with a lie in your mouth! You are, in a few moments, to appear in the preſence [125] of an Holy God, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. O conſider what an eternity of miſery muſt be, and this will be the certain portion of all who die in their ſins; therefore, if you are guilty, openly confeſs it; or if you were in any wiſe concerned in the murder, you are not clear before God, if you do not publicly acknowledge your guilt." She heard me with much meekneſs and ſimplicity; but anſwered, That ſhe had already advanced the truth, and hoped ſhe might perſevere in the ſame ſpirit to her laſt moment Mr. Hammett, who was then chief keeper of the New-Priſon, Borough, by order of the ſheriff, diſmiſſed every perſon from out of the room; and ſaid to me, "Mr. Told, I am ſenſible of the buſineſs upon which you came hither; but muſt beg you will quit the room, as no perſon is permitted to attend her without obtaining the ſheriff's conſent for that purpoſe;" but, upon Mr. Hammett's following me out, he intimated that the ſheriff would grant me permiſſion to attend her in the cart to the place of ex⯑ecution, if I deemed it prudent to aſk him.

The period of her departure for the gallows having arrived, I ſolicited the ſheriff to beſtow his approba⯑tion of my viſiting her as ſoon as poſſible. He then aſked me "if I was a clergyman?" I replied, "No, Sir." "Are you a diſſenting miniſter?" I anſwer⯑ed, "No." "What are you then?" I informed him, that I was one who preached the Goſpel, and [126] could wiſh to be the means of bringing the priſoner to a confeſſion. The ſheriff at that bid me lay hold of his horſe's bridle, and told me I ſhould accompany her to the place of execution; yet he did not urge me to ruſh into that dangerous attempt immediately, ſeeing the rioters were ſo fiercely exaſperated againſt her. It was obſerved to me by the ſheriff, that a very great ſatisfaction would be given to the nation in general, if I could be inſtrumental in bringing her to a confeſſion. Now, as we were proceeding on the road, the ſheriff's horſe being cloſe to the cart, I looked at her from under the horſe's bridle, and ſaid, "My dear, look to Jeſus." This ſalutary advice quickened her ſpirit, inſomuch that, although ſhe did not look about her before, yet ſhe then turned herſelf round to me, and joyfully anſwered, "Sir, I bleſs God, I can look to Jeſus to my comfort." This produced a pleaſant ſmile in her countenance, which when the ſons of vio⯑lence perceived, they d—d her in a ſhameleſs manner; this was accompanied with a vengeful ſhout, "See how bold ſhe is! See how the L—h laughs!" At length we came to the tree, where many officers were ſtationed on horſeback, beſides numbers more on foot furniſhed with conſtables ſlaves. When the cart was back⯑ed under the gallows, a very big and corpulent man (as I was in the midſt of the hubbub) trod on my left foot with ſuch fury and weight, that I really thought he had taken it quite off: However, the ſheriff ſoon cleared the way, and formed an arrangement of con⯑ſtables [127] round the cart, then directed ſome of them to put me thereinto, in order that I might be of all the ſervice to the malefactor which laid in my power; the ſheriff himſelf ſtanding behind the cart, the better to avail himſelf of my diſcourſe with her. When ſhe was tied up, I began to addreſs her nearly with the ſame words as I did at the Peacock, preſſing upon her (at the ſame time) an acknowledgement of the per⯑petration, in the moſt ſolemn manner I was capable of; but ſhe declared her innocence in preſence of the ſheriff. I then interrogated her thus, "Did you not commit the fact? Had you no concern therein? Was you not intereſted in the murder?" She anſwered, "I am as clear of the whole affair, as I was the day my mother brought me into the world." The ſheriff, on hearing theſe words, ſhed plenty of tears, and ſaid, "Good God! it is a ſecond Coleman's caſe!" The circumſtance likewiſe brought tears from many perſons who heard her. When I was getting out of the cart, the executioner put the handkerchief over her eyes; but ſhe quickly moved it away, and, addreſſing her⯑ſelf to the multitude, begged them to pray that God would bring to light, when ſhe was departed, the cauſe of the aſſaſſination, ſaying, that ſhe had no doubt that the prayers of ſuch perſons would be heard, as ſhe repeated her innocence, ſolemnly declaring, that ſhe was as ignorant of the crime for which ſhe was going to ſuffer, as at the day of her birth; and added alſo, "I do not lay any thing to the charge of my Maker, he has [128] an undoubted right to take me out of this world as ſeemeth him good; and, although I am clear of this murder, yet I have ſinned againſt him in many grievous inſtances; but, I bleſs God, he hath forgiven me all my ſins." Her kinſman then came up into the cart, and would fain have ſaluted her; but ſhe mildly turned her face aſide, ſtrongly ſuſpecting him to be the aſſaſſin, having frequent [...]y challenged him there⯑with at Kingſton: This, I believe, will ſhortly appear to the ſatisfaction of my readers, that he was the very man, and the ſole cauſe of Mary's untimely end; but firſt I purpoſe to finiſh with Mary.

After her kinſman was gone out of the cart the exe⯑cutioner, a ſecond time, was putting the handkerchief over her face, which ſhe again turned aſide, looking at the ſheriff, and lamenting thus with meekneſs, "I think it cruel that none is ſuffered to pray by me." The ſheriff then deſired me, for God's ſake, to go a ſecond time into the cart, and renew my prayers with her, which, when finiſhed, Mary began to pray ex⯑tempore, and in a moſt excellent manner; when ſhe had concluded her prayer, the executioner performed his part, and, being turned off, her body dropt againſt my right ſhoulder; nor did ſhe once ſtruggle or move, but was as ſtill as if ſhe had hung three hours. Upon her trial it was repreſented, that ſhe cut all her fingers acroſs on both hands for a deception, in order to lay the murder upon ſome other perſon; [129] but, in her defence upon trial, ſhe declared that her fingers were not cut by a knife; but, being alarmed, when ſhe entered the houſe, at ſeeing four men, one of whom was in a white frock; and alſo ſeeing her aunt lay weltering in her own blood, ſhe, in conſe⯑quence thereof, made ſomewhat of a ſtartling motion, which, when the felons perceived, they all ran out of doors. Mary neceſſarily following them cloſe, caught the door with both her hands, and called out, "Murder;" but, by their pulling the door very hard, her eight fingers were thereby jammed almoſt off. When ſhe was executed, I noticed her fingers, went immediately and took a door, with which I jammed my fingers alſo, and found them to be marked exactly like hers.

I now return to the kinſman of Mary Edmonſon, who, upon the death of his aunt (as Mary and he were couſins) was intitled to £100, left him by way of legacy, and likewiſe to Mary £200. The kinſ⯑man having received his, bought himſelf out of the army, as before he had been a foot ſoldier. Some time after the execution of his kinſwoman, he, with another man, hired a poſt-chaiſe in the Borough, to go on a party of pleaſure to Croydon-Fair: Upon their return in the evening, Mary Edmonſon's kinſ⯑man ſaid to his friend in the chaiſe, as paſſing Ken⯑nington gallows, "There is the place where my kinſ⯑woman (Mary Edmonſon) was hung wrongfully!" [130] The other (ſtruck by the aſſertion) ſaid, "Wrong⯑fully! How do you know ſhe was hung wrongfully?" "Becauſe" replied the kinſman, "I ſhould have gone in her room." His companion, after a ſhort conver⯑ſation, and among other queſtions, aſked him where was the place of his abode? He anſwered, "In Hedge-Lane, Charing-Croſs." Now, when they had put up the chaiſe, the ſuppoſed friend of Mary's kinſman went that moment to juſtice Hammond, in the Borough, who, being informed of what had paſſed, granted a warrant to apprehend him. He was accord⯑ingly apprehended, and committed to Newgate, where, at his requeſt, I viſited him. He then deſired me to render him all the ſpiritual aſſiſtance I was able; but my inſtructions were loſt in the inſtructions which he received at Newgate from his fellow criminals, having ſpeedily learnt how to act, and alſo the art of denying the confeſſion he had made to his companion in the chaiſe. Notwithſtanding he was removed by a habeas from Newgate to Kingſton in Surry, and when the aſſizes commenced, he was tried before judge Denni⯑ſon, who tried his kinſwoman, Mary Edmonſon; but, as he ſo artfully denied the charge, the judge frankly acquitted him: However, he ſoon went on the high⯑way, and committed a robbery, and was taken, for which he was tried, caſt, and condemned; but, I have been informed, judge Denniſon, to prevent c [...]amours, got him a reprieve for tranſportation; ſo that I have never heard of the villain ſince, which is now many years ago.

[131]I ſhall next give an account of Mr. Harris, who was reported to be the flying highwayman. During his confinement, after ſentence, he was both ſtupid and hardened, inattentive to inſtruction from the ordinary or myſelf. The morning of his execution, when he came out of his cell, he behaved as a man deprived of his ſenſes; but, upon his entering the chapel, he be⯑came violent; ſo that the Rev. Mr. Rowe was terribly affrighted, and thereupon ran for his life: However, I went to him, and, endeavouring to create a calm⯑neſs in his temper, I ſolemnly ſet before him the awful eternity he was juſt going to enter into; yet all the counſel I gave him was as water ſpilt on the ground; nor was the leaſt glimpſe of repentance to be ſeen in his countenance, or behaviour. The others that were ſentenced to ſuffer with him, by direction of the ſheriffs, were ordered into the cart; yet the ſame dull⯑neſs and ſtupidity of mind was not removed from Mr. Harris; nor did he give the leaſt attention to what was ſpoke concerning him, until we had paſſed a little beyond Hatton-Garden: I then preſſed upon him to be ſilent and ſtill for the ſpace of ten minutes, during which to be very cautious of ſpeaking a ſingle word; but to be fully obſervant in keeping the eye of his mind ſteadfaſtly fixed upon the ever-bleſſed and adora⯑ble Jeſus, and to beſeech of him the forgiveneſs of all his ſins. Hanging back his head on the copſe of the cart, he ſhut his eyes, and was profoundly ſilent for the ſaid ſpace of ten minutes, when, upon raiſing [132] himſelf up, the tears pouring down his cheeks, he clapped his hands together, and ſaid, "Now I know the Lord Jeſus has forgiven me all my ſins, and I have nothing to do but to die." He then burſt into an extem⯑pore prayer, that the aſſembled populace might more diſtinctly hear him on both ſides, and continued happy to his laſt moments; but ſolemnly denied the charge of his being the flying highwayman, as he never leaped a turnpike-gate in his life; though it was acknowledged by him that he had committed ſeveral highway robberies in his life-time.

The next perſon, of whom I ſhall give a particular account, was one Anderſon, a poor abject labouring man, whoſe character, before the following unfortu⯑nate affair happened, was unimpeachable, touching his induſtry, ſobriety, and honeſty. This poor man had a wife far gone with child, and a daughter about ſeven years old; but was totally deſtitute of money, cloaths, and a ſpot where to lay their heads, having been by one of their rigid creditors diſpoſſeſſed of the mean habitation they formerly held, and neceſſitated to lay on the floor in ſuch perſons apartments, as the good⯑neſs of God had actuated with principles of humanity.

One morning Mr. Anderſon, having been a long time without employment, ſaid to his wife, "My dear, I have a ſtrong inclination to go down upon the Quays, it may be the Lord will provide for me a loaf of bread, [133] or ſome employment, whereby we may ſuſtain our⯑ſelves a little longer, or elſe we ſhall periſh with hunger. He accordingly went out, and that ſpeedily; but as the many attempts he had hitherto made were intirely fruitleſs, and finding that all reſources had failed, a temptation entered into his mind to commence robber. In order to raiſe himſelf and family from that deepeſt ſtate of penury and diſtreſs, he gave way to the temptation, and accordingly turned back, and went into Hoxton-Fields, where caſually meeting two waſherwo⯑men, who were bringing home their clean linen, he, without bidding them ſtop, ſaid to one, "Miſtreſs, I want money." She replied, "I have only two-pence." Then, ſaid he, "Give me that." After this exaction of two-pence, he addreſſed the other, ſaying, "You have got money, I know you have." The woman anſwered, "I have but four-pence." He exacted that likewiſe, and, inſenſible of what might fol⯑low, ſcarce knowing what he did, he walked before them into town. When they arrived in Old-Street, the two women charged him with a conſtable, and both de⯑clared that he ſtopped them in Hoxton-Fields, and formally robbed them of their money. He was, by reaſon of this information, committed to priſon, tried, and caſt at the Old-Bailey for death, with ſeveral others, who lay a conſiderable time under ſentence be⯑fore the report was made to his Majeſty. In the inte⯑rim poor Mrs. Anderſon, though big with her third [134] child, made frequent viſits to her huſband, and, thro' the conſiderate intervention of ſome beneficent friends, ſhe was enabled to ſupply him with ſufficient food, the priſon allowance not being more than one pennyworth of bread per day. During the many years I attended the priſoners, it is ſcarce within my remembrance to have ſeen an inſtance of ſuch meek, loving, and ten⯑der ſpirits, conjugally ſubſiding, as that which appeared ſo admirably conſpicuous in the countenance and de⯑portment of this poor man and his wife; indeed, they were naturally inclined to few words; but the woman, frequently ſeating herſelf by her huſband's ſide, and there throwing her arms around his neck, they would ſhed mutual and ſympathetic floods of tears, to miti⯑gate the great anguiſh which, at their ſeveral inter⯑views, regularly overwhelmed their united hearts: But it is impoſſible to do juſtice to their exquiſite ſenſibility and tender affection. When I called all the priſoners into the p [...]eſs-yard room, they behaved with the deepeſt attention; nor do I remember to have made them one viſit, but I ever found their ſouls to be greatly profited by m [...] exhortations. I may further obſerve, this was the caſe with all the others then under confinement, in ſome meaſure.

Mr. Anderſon, ſome time before the death warrant came down, was both convinced of ſin, and alſo clearly ſenſible of the remiſſion of his ſins. The morning of his execution having arrived, I attended him a little [135] paſt ſix o'clock, and, upon his being let down from his cell, found him to be exceedingly happy in his mind, telling me he had no doubt of his ſalvation, and that he ſhould ſhortly be with Jeſus, whom his ſoul loved; and added, "This is the happieſt day I ever ſaw in my life; Oh! who can expreſs the joy and peace I now feel: If I could have all the world I would not wiſh to live another day!" Notwithſtanding the miniſter, churchwardens and overſeers, with ſeveral others of St. Luke's pariſh, preſented various petitions to his Majeſty on his behalf, and though he had received an honourable character from the captain of the man of war, whereto he formerly belonged, and from which he wa [...] re [...]larly diſcharged, yet, when his caſe was under the conſideration of the Privy-Council, by a wrong in⯑formation which they received, that he was the Anderſon, who was an audacious highwayman at that time on the roads, he was included in the dead warrant.

Now as I was going in the cart with him to the place of execution, well knowing the miſerable ſituation of his wi [...]e, I enq [...]ired of him where ſhe was to be found; to which he a [...]ſwered, "I can give you no kind of in⯑telligence where, ſeeing ſhe has no place of abode; but ſays on the floor in ſome poor perſon's dwelling⯑houſe, movin [...] from [...] the is compelled by neceſſity; therefore I am uncertain where ſhe may be found or heard of." I th [...]n ſ [...]d him where there might be a probability of diſcovering her reſidence. [136] He told me in Lamb-Alley, Biſhopſgate-Street. Now finding that the Lord had ſtrengthened my wiſhes to aſſiſt her, I ſpent therefore three days in grovelling through almoſt every dirty alley in that neighbourhood; and, after having almoſt reſigned every hope of coming to the knowledge of her then place of abode, I at the laſt received information of her, whereby it was aſcer⯑tained that ſhe dwelt in Holywell-Lane. I went there accordingly, and found her in a melancholy ſituation, ſitting with a poor old woman; when, looking into the room, I ſaw no other furniture than a piece of an old rug, whereon they both laid themſelves to ſleep; the room alſo was, I verily believe, more nauſeous than the cells of Newgate. When I had ſpoken a few words, I gave Mrs. Anderſon ſtrict directions to call at my houſe, in Chriſtopher's-Alley. She came, but not without much fear, imagining I had ſomewhat to ſay againſt her. As I was engaged in other employ⯑ment when ſhe came to my houſe, my wife happened to converſe with her, and as Mrs. Told always had a very tender heart towards the poor, ſhe put two ſhil⯑lings into the poor woman's hand, bidding her come in and take a dinner. In the courſe of their conver⯑ſation, my wife obſerved to Mrs. Anderſon that I only wanted to do her all the good that was in my power. The next night I was appointed to preach at our chapel in Old-Gravel-Lane, where, in my diſcourſe, I re⯑preſented to the congregation the unfortunate caſe of Mr. Anderſon, who died for ſix pence, being the firſt [137] crime, if criminal, which I think not, were circum⯑ſtances conſidered. I alſo ſet forth the afflicted and deplorable ſituation of his wife. Now, although the congregation that evening was but ſmall, and thoſe chiefly poor people, yet they contributed to her relief ſix and twenty ſhillings; and, by laying her caſe before others, I got as much as clothed her decently. As ſhe continued with me I perceived ſhe began to grow near her time; I therefore aſked her if ſhe could give me an account of the pariſh ſhe properly belonged to, telling her I would get a petition ſigned by Doctor Wathen, one of the governors of the London lying-in-hoſpital, to provide ſome kind of an aſylum for her reception; but the poor woman, not having any knowledge of her huſband's pariſh, I was on that ac⯑count obliged to commit her as one of the caſual poor on the pariſh of Shoreditch, Doctor Wathen informing me ſhe could not be admitted into the London lying-in-hoſpital without a ſecurity from the pariſh, to receive the child in caſe of her death. I waited on the prin⯑cipal church-warden; but, he being abſent, I repaired to the dwelling-houſe of the other, who ridiculed and abuſed me in a moſt ſcandalous manner indeed, altho' I had already repreſented to him the lamentable ſtate of Mrs. Anderſon, aſſuring him that her life would be loſt for want of attention, being left intirely deſtitute of money or clothing. The ſavage replied, "I ſup⯑poſe it is ſome woman you have got with child, and you want to father it upon the pariſh:" For this I paid [138] him a compliment, and told him, "I lived but a few doors from him, that my character was well known, and that if he cho [...]e to inquire thereinto, he would, in my opinion, find himſelf miſtaken." He then ſaid, in a ſurly manner, "Then I ſuppoſe it is ſome hang'd man's widow or other." I quickly took my leave of him, aſſuring him, that I ſhould ſeek no further relief from one who [...]e unhandſome behaviour rendered him inco [...]petent to give any. I haſtened then immediately to a gentle⯑man of mine own correſpondence, who maintained a cloſe acquaintance with the upper church-warden, and informed him of the unkind, and alſo ungenteel be⯑haviour of the other, with the diſtreſſed ſituation o [...] poor Mrs. Anderſon. Now the upper church-warden, who ſeemed to be of a moſt excellent polite and benevolent ſpirit, and deſired my friend to ſend her to his apart⯑ments the next morning by eight o'clock. She waited on him accordingly, and made herſelf known. He ordered her in, and gave her a good breakfaſt, while he ſigned her petition: When he had ſo done, he ordered her to carry it to the under church-warden to ſign it alſo, at whoſe peril it would be to refuſe her, ſeeing the upper church-warden had previouſly ſigned it. As ſoon as her petition was ſigned, ſhe attended at the hoſpital in Alderſgate-Street, and was accordingly admitted, where in a few days ſhe was delivered of a fine girl. When her month was clapſed, my wife received her into our own houſe, with the child, and ſhe continued there for many months, performing her daily buſineſs [139] induſtriouſly, with all the ſobriety and cleanlineſs ima⯑ginable; nay with much more than could be expected or deſired from a woman in her miſery of mind. This exertion of her ability was manifeſted by way of a requital of our former kindneſſes. Some time after her child died, and as my wife was able to tranſact her daily occaſions without Mrs. Anderſon's immediate aſſiſtance, I did, at Mrs. Told's requeſt, procure a houſekeeper's place for her, where ſhe gave great ſatisfaction, and ſoon became a creditable, reſpected woman. I alſo bound her daughter an apprentice to a weaver, and have never ſeen her ſince but twice, which is ſome years ago.

Some time after Mr. Anderſon's execution, I at⯑tended Mr. Powell, who was caſt for forgery: He was much of the gentleman, as well as a very perſonable man. The only obſervation I have to make on his behaviour is, that during his confinement, ſeriouſneſs and devotion were truly conſpicuous in him. He never feared to inſtruct his brethren under his unhappy ſituation; ſo that, by his upright walking in the fear of God, a ſolemn awe was laid on the minds of thoſe his fellow ſufferers. When the day appointed for exe⯑cution arrived, the ſheriff indulged him with a coach, and bade me get therein, that I might diſpenſe my ſpiritual labour to his invaluable ſoul. I accordingly exerted myſelf to the utmoſt in giving him this kind of help; and afterwards went to the other malefactors, [140] who were conveyed in carts, and there attended them alſo, imparting ſimilar paſſages of ſcriptural aſſiſtance to them. Mr. Powell's mind was ſtaid upon God in ſo ſteadfaſt a manner, that after we had ſung an hymn, and concluded our prayers, he cloſed his eyes, and earneſtly intreated me to decline my diſcourſe with him, in order that he might be the better enabled to medi⯑tate on God and an awful eternity. At the place of execution they all behaved with that penitence and ſo⯑lemnity, naturally expected of men going into an un⯑changeable ſtate, therefore, I humbly hope, they are all lodged in Immanuel's breaſt.

In the next place I ſhall ſpeak of a Mr. Gibſon, an a [...] [...]y, who was ſentenced to death for forgery. He w [...] an emin [...]nt character in his profeſſion, portly and handſome in his perſon. In reſpect to religious prin⯑ciples he had been very wavering and irreſolute, ever learning, but never coming to the perfect knowledge of the truth; ſometimes he inclined to the Romiſh church, at other times he would conform to the eſta⯑bliſhed church of England; then he would go to the Methodiſts; and ſometimes he held with the Diſſenters of various denominations; but I ſoon became ac⯑quainted with his motives for this kind of doctrine hunting, viz. that it aroſe from pecuniary views, and lucrative deſires; this I learnt by his own acknow⯑ledgement. He frequently attended my exhortations with the reſt under ſentence, always expreſſing much [141] ſatisfaction thereby: I alſo made him repeated viſits to his own room, on the maſter's ſide, where he always readily received me, and that with expreſſions of great pleaſure.

Upon his trial his cauſe had been referred to the twelve judges. After 15 months confinement he diſ⯑patched his wife to one of the judges to know if a determination of his cauſe was nearly on the carpet. The judge anſwered, "If Mr. Gibſon is in ſo great a hurry to know this, you may acquaint him, that his cauſe has been, after mature conſideration and weight, finally determined, and he will not find it altogether ſatisfactory." His wife went back without loſs of time, and acquainted him with the information given her by the judge; yet he ſtill poſſeſſed a kind of inattentive careleſſneſs: However, the enſuing ſeſſions he was ſum⯑moned to the bar, there to plead to his ſentence, in preſence of four judges on the bench. Permiſſion was granted him to make his own defence, and, as I was preſent during the whole time, it was a matter of aſtoniſhment on my part [...]o hear his learned and rhe⯑torical arguments; alſo the many diſputable points of law referred to from various books and acts of parlia⯑ment: Indeed, I really believe it was the univerſal opinion of the aſſembly that he would be immediately cleared, as none of the judges were able to confute him. At length judge Parrot roſe from his ſeat, and, addreſſing Mr. Gibſon with a lofty air, told him (and [142] beg'd he would take notice) that his crime had been well conſidered by the twelve judges, and that they had unanimouſly conſidered him guilty, a [...]g, "My brethren here preſent maintain the ſa [...] opinions." Mr. Gibſon, on hearing this, turned as [...] as death, and was ſcarcely able to ſtand. He was [...] commit⯑ted to his cell, and cloſely confined the [...] where he ſoon ſhook off the R [...]man Catholick [...], and by turns a [...]l [...]ed t [...] [...] different f [...]c [...]s who often viſited him. Here I may venture to obſerve, his atten⯑tion to my exhor [...]ations was ſer [...]s and conſtant, although [...]e was a [...]moſt inceſſantly buſied with other gentlemen, who attended him in his cell, drawing up ſome writing [...] other to thoſ [...] whom he or they thought moſt exp [...]ient, in order to obtain a reſpite or a pardon from his Majeſty. When the report came down that Mr. Gibſon was included in the dead war⯑rant, he was ſhockingly alarmed, and began to be more in earneſt, inquiring of me, in an agony of ſpi⯑rit, what he muſt do to be ſaved. I applied th [...]ſe paſſages of Scripture at firſt which were the moſt awakening to his conſcience, and I believe they were not utterly in vain: When I perceived his ſoul was in extreme anguiſh and bitterneſs, then, and not till then, I pointed him to the Lamb of God, who was ever waiting to be gracious to every returning prodi⯑gal: I alſo applied thoſe healing portions of God's moſt Holy Word, which were moſt conducive to his preſent and eternal happineſs. The awful day came [143] whereon he was appointed to die; nor did I perceive any mark or token of a change in his ſoul. On going to the place of execution his mind was greatly agita⯑ted, as life is precious and eternity awful beyond conception, eſpecially when both are ſo very near; yet no one could be more diligent in making ſerious in⯑quiries of what might be moſt beneficial to his im⯑mortal ſpirit. When we arrived at the fatal ſpot, he turned to me (being greatly terrified) and ſaid, "Oh! Mr. Told, I beſeech you give me all the aſſiſtance you poſſibly can," which, through the enlivening guidance of Almighty God, I was enabled to do, and in conſequence whereof, he appeared to be much more compoſed and reſigned to his fate. I hope our Lord and Saviour was propitious to his never-dying ſoul. I endeavoured to be equally ſerviceable to all the reſt, who were apparently in a better ſtate to leave this world than Mr. Gibſon.

I ſhall now ſpeak of a few of the cutters among the weavers; three of them I ſhall mention in particular, viz. Doyle, Valine, and Meſſman. The night Meſſ⯑man was brought to Newgate, in order to be ſettered, he diſcovered me at ſome diſtance, and, approaching me, he ſaid, "Mr. Told, I know you very well," and added, crying, "I am afraid I ſhall ſuffer, there⯑fore hoped I would attend him both before and after his trial, and give him all the inſtruction I was capable of." I accordingly imparted to him ſuch pieces of inſtruction as he ſeemed to ſtand in the moſt need of; [144] and, although he was a man of an undaunted ſpirit, handſome, and of a tolerable good underſtanding, yet he was ſoon brought into ſubjection to the Father of ſpirits; and every viſit I afterwards paid him, he gave freſh evidence of deeper conviction of ſin, a clearer knowledge of himſelf, his deep fall from God, and his loſt ſtate. His converſion was very ſingular, being quickly changed from darkneſs to light, and from the power of ſin and ſatan unto God, which was evidently perceived by all around him. Before I conclude with Mr. Meſſman, and his calm and peaceable exit, I judge it no wiſe improper, but rather neceſſary, to render an exact account of Doyle and Valine, who were executed on Bethnal-Green, by the decree of government, and in the ſheriffalty of aldermen Town⯑ſend and Sawbridge.

I have but two remarks to make concerning them, nor can I repreſent any thing conſiderable reſpecting their attention to things of eternity. It is true a few favourable circumſtances were manifeſted in their behaviour; and, at Mr. Doyle's requeſt, I wrote two or three petitions to his Majeſty, and twice obtained a reſpite; but, unfortunately for them, an order after⯑wards appeared to ſend them away for execution. Here I endeavoured to perſuade Mrs. Doyle to carry another petition; but ſhe replied, with ridiculous un⯑concern, "There is no occaſion for it, I am very clear he will not die." By what I gathered after this, the [145] woman's meaning was, he would aſſuredly be reſcued by the weavers upon their arrival at Bethnal-Green; and, without doubt, theſe were the ſecret intentions of the riotous mob, as was realized by a watch word which, on a ſudden, was diffuſed all over the Green! Stones then began to fly from every quarter. Now, as I was with the officiating ordinary in a coach, a meſ⯑ſenger was diſpatched from the ſheriff, giving my companion in the coach to underſtand, that no time for prayers or devotion would be allotted them, neither would there be any occaſion for either of us; that as ſoon as the gibbet, which was in the cart with them, was come to the place appointed, they were to be la [...]nched off immediately. Mr. Valine, greatly ter⯑fied, begged heartily that one prayer might be offered up to God for them; but that not being granted, they were turned off in the utmoſt hurry and confuſion.

Mr. Meſſman, and others of the cutters, were ſhortly after executed at Tyburn; but Meſſman, apprehenſive that the combination of weavers purpoſed a reſcue, and he b [...]ing very happy in his ſoul, addreſſed him⯑ſelf, when in the cart, to the ſpectators, ſaying, with a ſtrong voice, "Gentlemen, I humbly intreat you to keep as much ſilence as is poſſible; we could wiſh to go to our everlaſting home in peace and quietneſs, being happy enough to leave this world without the leaſt de⯑ſire of living any longer herein;" nor did we endure any tumult any part of the way, or at the place of ex⯑cution. [146] Their behaviour was all ſeriouſneſs and devotion, for which I have ſtrong hopes that they are at reſt from ſin and ſorrow, and become partakers of everlaſting glory.

I ſhall next give a brief account of Mr. Bolland, a ſheriff's officer, who had frequently attended the male⯑factors at Tyburn; he was condemned for forging an endorſement on the back of a promiſſory note: His character was alſo, in many other inſtances, ſadly ſtain⯑ed, ſo that the conſideration of the latter, added to the former offence, together with an obſervation made by one of the judges on the frequency thereof in the mercantile world, proved the tranſaction too weighty to keep him upon ſufficient grounds for ſelf vindication; otherwiſe (as I had been informed) the mere forgery itſelf would not have been altogether heavy enough to bring him, by impartial juſtice, to ſo awful a ſituation.

When Bolland firſt found that his life was cloſely purſued, he immediately refunded the money; yet his proſecutors would by no means deliver up the note: He then informed me that his proſecutors exacted of him a ſecond payment of the money, and finding his life ſtill in danger, he paid that alſo, upon their giving him an indemnification under their hands, obliging themſelves to cancel the endorſement; and, as he was perſuaded they would act with principles of honour, [147] he therefore paid no further attention to their proceed⯑ings; however they refuſed at laſt to efface the in⯑dorſement.

His trial came on, and he was caſt, and then com⯑mitted to his cell, where he lay a long time, but gave very little attention to his ſpiritual concerns. His poor wife took every opportunity to make all the intereſt ſhe poſſibly could. When the dead⯑warrant came down, and Mr. Bolland included therein, he was ſo engaged in writing petitions, &c. that he could not, neither would he, ſet apart a few moments for the endeavours to ſecure his ſoul, which gave me great uneaſineſs. I frequently told him, how dreadfully dangerous it was to be ſo anxious concern⯑ing his body, while his ſoul was intirely neglected: He made many promiſes, but performed very few of them. A day or two previous to his execution, his wife waited on their Majeſties at the play-houſe, where ſhe gave a petition into each of their hands. His Majeſty, in conſequence of the petition, ſent for the recorder, and told him that he had a great inclination to ſpare Bolland's life. The recorder replied to his Majeſty, that if he ſpared his life, whoſe character was truly infamous and baneful, he would ſpare as great a villain as any in the nation. It muſt be ob⯑ſerved, I ſpeak this only from the information which I received.

[148]On the morning of his execution I went early to the cell, and laboured very much with Mr. Bolland, who betrayed a violent agitation of mind. When we had entered the chapel he exhibited the moſt ſerious atten⯑tion, and was well pleaſed to hear inſtruction. As he had very little knowledge of the way to eternal life, ſo he was the more intent upon, and earneſt in ſearch⯑ing after, thoſe paſſages of Scripture, which might furniſh him with any hopes of being ſaved. The or⯑dinary, myſelf, and other ſpiritual friends, uſed our utmoſt endeavours to aſſiſt him in that road to eternal life. When he was in the cart, going to the place of execution, he ſcarcely ceaſed a ſingle minute in aſking me what he muſt do to be ſaved; and, at the criſis of his diſſolution, he repeated the ſame. I can only leave him to a merciful Redeemer, hoping he is ſafely lodged in the arms of his Love.

The next, of whom I would ſpeak, was a young gentleman, Mr. Slocomb, who was executed for de⯑frauding his father of £300 in the ſtock of the South-Sea-Houſe; much of the gentleman and ſcholar was evident in the behaviour of this youth. Upon his father's coming up to London to receive his intereſt-money, he was informed that his ſon brought his draft for £300, which money he received, and the ſum debited to his father's account. Mr. Slocomb, ſenior, declared he never gave his ſon any ſuch draft, and therefore inſiſted upon the receipt of his whole in⯑tereſt. [149] The gentlemen at the office perceiving the young man's life in danger, acquainted his father of the circumſtances; telling him alſo, if he would not abide the loſs, they muſt be under the neceſſity of apprehending his ſon, who would moſt aſſuredly ſuffer death. The father would by no means ſuffer the loſs, accordingly the youth was apprehended. He was afterwards brought upon his trial, where he was condemned, and received ſentence of death: The lump of adamant (his father) then retired to his own country, nor would he after that, ſee or hear from his ſon; neither did he once write to him, or give him any kind of advice, or remit him any degree of relief, not⯑withſtanding he lay a long time under ſentence, be⯑fore he was ordered for execution. Something re⯑markably amiable I perceived in his conduct, viz. In the firſt place, an intire reſignation to the will of God, which kept down every murmuring thought, and in⯑tirely prevented his making any complaint againſt the ſeverity of his father, who deviated ſo cruelly from paternal duty.

And ſecondly, in his behaviour during his confine⯑ment; this alſo was admirable, he being filled with perfect ſeriouſneſs and devotion, occaſion'd (I may ven⯑ture to ſay) by the cloſe attention he duly gave to my inſtruction and repeated exhortations. In ſhort, he never neglected to attend on the means of grace at every opportunity. Mr. Powell, a fine young gentle⯑man, [150] who was ſentenced at the ſame time for forgery, became a companion of Mr. Slocomb's; they con⯑ſtantly converſed together about the awful things of eternity, and were both truly inſtructive to other ma⯑lefactors. They were both much lamented by all who knew them, even the moſt diſtant of their acquaint⯑ance. As their whole demeanour was grounded on the baſis of godlineſs, they, on the awful hour, mutually exhibited ſo excellent a meaſure of that happy ſpirit, that I am firmly perſuaded in my mind, thoſe, who cloſely examined their conduct when on the brink of eternity, could entertain no doubt of their eternal ac⯑ceptance with God.

The next account which I ſhall give, is that of Mary Pyner, who was ſentenced to death for ſetting fire to her maſter's houſe. At the ſame time three or four men were caſt for death, with whom Mary endeavoured to contract a very wanton intercourſe; but they ap⯑peared to be on their important guard every moment of their confinement, behaving with much penitence and contrition of ſpirit; therefore the enemy of their ſouls could not inject his fatal poiſon into the minds of thoſe, by the means of Mary's ungovernable folly. I ſtrove to make this young woman the greateſt and firſt object of my viſit; but experienced various repulſes from her⯑ſelf, as well as others; I was grieved to behold this heed⯑leſſneſs in her conduct, eſpecially as the dead-warrant had juſt arrived, wherein ſhe was included. However, at [151] length, I took her aſide into the preſs-yard-room, and ſaid to her, "Mary, how is it that you in particular, above all the other malefactors, are ſo regardleſs about your precious and immortal ſoul? Do not you very well know that God's all-ſeeing eye penetrates your rude behaviour towards the men? Are you not afraid of going to hell, ſeeing you are in a ſhort time to ap⯑pear before the great Jehovah, againſt whom you are now ſinning with an high hand? Are you determined to deſtroy your own ſoul, your everlaſting happineſs, and your All; What, are you in love with eternal per⯑dition, and God's wrath, that you ſo madly purſue it? And do you long to be involved in the bottomleſs pit, and the lake that burns with fire and brimſtone, which will never be quenched? Oh! remember, if you die in your preſent condition, you will die eternally under the wrath of an offended Saviour; and all theſe miſeries, attended with greater plagues, will be your portion for ever!" Mary lent a particular and calm attention to what I ſaid concerning her, and replied, "Mr. Told, I have had ſome knowledge of you, having many times heard you preach at Weſt-Street chapel." At this I was greatly aſtoniſhed, and aſked her what could be her reaſons, when ſhe had heard the Goſpel preached, to be guilty of ſo heinous a crime as ſetting fire to her maſter's houſe, and afterwards to rob him of his property. She anſwered, the devil was too powerful for her in the temptation. Now I perceived that a change in her countenance and behaviour com⯑menced [152] from that moment; nor did I hear one unbe⯑coming expreſſion, or obſerve an indiſcreet action, to her laſt moment; and, as her time was ſhort in this tranſitory world, I was the more intent on her future happineſs.

The night prior to her execution, I importunately beſought her to ſpend every moment in wreſtling mightily with God for pardon, through his dearly be⯑loved Son, that, for his ſake, all her ſins might be blot⯑ted out as a cloud, and her manifold tranſgreſſions as a thick cloud; to which ſhe anſwered, "God being my helper, I am determined not to cloſe my eyes the whole night." Similar advice I gave to all the reſt of the malefactors, one of whom eſpouſed the like re⯑ſolution. I then deſired the inner keepers to lock them all up in one cell, that they might pour out their joint ſupplications to the awful and tremendous Judge of quick and dead, in whoſe preſence they muſt all una⯑voidably appear in a few fleeting moments! This was readily granted, ſo they accordingly devoted that night to an inexpreſſible advantage, by praying, ſing⯑ing hymns, and rejoicing, the Lord God himſelf being evidently in the midſt of them. When I re⯑turned to them the next morning, and after having received this ſoul-reviving information, I begged the keepers to unlock the cells, and lead them down into the preſs-yard. The firſt that came out was Mary Pyner. I was ſtruck with joy and delight when I [153] beheld the happy change in her countenance. As ſhe came out of the cell door, which led into the preſs-yard, ſhe appeared to be filled with the peace and love of God, when, clapping her hands together with pleaſant energy, ſhe gave a triumphant ſhout with theſe words, "This night God, for Chriſt's ſake, has forgiven me all my ſins; I know that I have paſſed from death unto life, and by twelve o'clock I ſhall be with my Redeemer in the world of glory." When the ſervice and Sacrament was concluded, they all came down from chapel, and were ordered into the preſs-yard-room, where I continued praying for, and exhorting them all nearly the ſpace of forty minutes, when directions were given to bring them out, and place them in two carts. Mary Pyner, accompanied by two other malefactors and myſelf, went in the firſt cart. While we were on our paſſage to the place of execution, I frequently exhorted them to keep the eye of their mind ſtedfaſtly looking up to Jeſus, uſing many repetitions of ſome paſſages of Scripture, which I conſidered beſt adapted to their awful ſituation. Here I am ſtrongly perſuaded my labour was not in vain, particularly ſo in the ſoul of Mary, who abided in the happy ſpirit of faith, ſinging, praiſing, and giving glory to God without intermiſſion, from the moment I addreſſed them till they arrived at the tree. Mary then accoſted one of her companions in ſuffering, who cried vehemently, and in great anguiſh of ſoul, ſaying, "Lord Jeſus forgive me my ſins! God be merciful to [154] me a ſinner;" and ſhe ſaid to him, "Do you believe Jeſus Chriſt died for you?" He replied, truly I do." Then ſaid Mary, "There is no room left for a doubt of your ſalvation." This produced a glorious revival of his ſpirit, which continued with him till his laſt breath.

When the cart was put under the gallows, Mary was the firſt that bore the rope: As ſoon as this was done, ſhe turned round to an innumerable aſſembly of people on both ſides, ſaying, "Good people, I doubt not that many of you are greatly affected at beholding ſo young a creature as I am brought to this unhappy and ſhameful end; but, Oh! I am as happy as I can bear to be, having full aſſurance that I ſha [...]l live with him who died for me, and there commence an everlaſt⯑ing banquet of greater happineſs at his right-hand, in the region of endleſs Pa adiſe." She then began to ſtrengthen her fellow-ſufferers, beſeeching them not to doubt of the readineſs of God to ſave them. I rejoiced, in hope that they all received that great ſalvation, purchaſed by the blood of the everlaſting covenant. When duty was cloſed, they were all turned off, crying for mercy of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Amen.

I ſhall now give a plain ſimple relation of the un⯑fortunate Mrs Brownrigg, in order to furniſh my readers with a view of her diſquietudes, and her ſhocking ſituation during her impriſonment. The Rt. [155] Hon. the Lord-Mayor having been pleaſed to favor me with an order to Mr. Akerman (the keeper of Newgate) for granting me permiſſion to attend her while confined therein, for the cruel and wilful mur⯑der of her apprentice girl, Mary Clifford, Septem⯑ber 4th, 1767.

I went there accordingly, on the evening ſubſequent to the above direction, and was conducted to the room where Mrs. Brownrigg was ſitting on her bedſide, ac⯑companied by a poor woman. I addreſſed her in the moſt awful and ſtriking manner I was capable of, and withal told her, that I came by order of the Lord-Mayor, and in the name of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; therefore obſerved, if ſhe would accept of my ſervices as a ſpiritual viſitor, I ſhould conſider it as my duty to ſpeak my mind on this occaſion, as fully and cloſely as poſſible, eſpecially as I had heard very dreadful ac⯑counts of her conduct. She replied, "Mr. Told, I am very glad to ſee you, and ſhall not eſteem you my friend, if you do not deal with plainneſs towards me, and ſpeak as home and cloſe as you can. Happy was I to hear her ſpeak thus, and ſaid to her, "Mrs Brown⯑rigg, you are in an awful ſituation before man, but more eſpecially before the Almighty God; your moſt ſecret ſins are within his immediate view, ſo that you can hide nothing from his all-ſeeing eye: Your character alſo, in the eye of the world, is rendered loathed and horrible, as you are charged with crimes of the deepeſt [156] dye, to many of which I can ſcarcely allow any degree of credibility: However, matters appear too evident in regard to the fact for which you are convicted." I likewiſe told her, "I very much feared ſhe had but little mercy upon her late fellow creature; that ſhe had cruelly uſed the deceaſed repeatedly, and for ſome length of time!" Her anſwer was, "I acknow⯑ledge this accuſation, ſo far as to have given the girl repeated corrections, but no farther; my intentions being directly oppoſite to any kind of violence." I then obſerved to her, that I did not believe ſhe was ſtimu⯑lated by ſo fierce a ſpirit of anger, as to be driven to the immediate perpetration of murder; but I added alſo, "What were your ideas of the dreadful conſequences, which muſt iſſue, from ſuch ſhocking acts of cruelty, too ſhocking to nature?" She replied, "Sir, if I had any conſideration of the danger thereof, I could not have done the deed; the devil reigned with a fatal maſtery over me" I then told her, the Word of God expreſsly declares, "Whoſo ſheddeth man's blood, by man ſhall his blood be ſhed;" therefore I had no doubt that her life would go for the life of the poor child. She replied, "I have no doubt of it neither." Here I began to addreſs her with a more pointed con⯑verſation, and ſaid to her, "If you are thus conſcious of your guilt, there is no time to loſe; immediately then lay your dreadful caſe before God, under a deep ſenſe of the ſin you have committed, and not for that only, but for all and every of your actual ſins, from [157] the earlieſt period of your life to the preſent moment, or you can have no juſt hopes of mercy at the hand of God, through the merits of a crucified Redeemer, as we are confidently aſſured he came into the world to ſave us from our ſins, not in them:" Therefore I continued to inſiſt upon it, unleſs ſhe humbled herſelf under the mighty hand of God by a heart-felt repen⯑tance, and an open acknowledgement of thoſe flagrant crimes ſhe had been guilty of, no favor could be af⯑forded to her unhappy ſoul by the hand of God in the day of judgement, nor would ſhe conſequently have peace of mind while on earth. "This," ſaid Mrs. Brownrigg, "I firmly believe." I then further ad⯑ded, "that I did not come to extort any confeſſion from her, and beg'd ſhe would confeſs nothing to me;" but I obſerved to her, "You will, in a few days, be brought upon your trial, when you will not only be in the preſence of the judge and jury, but alſo in the more immediate preſence of the all-ſeeing God; and witneſſes will be called for to give evidence againſt you; then more eſpecially will be the time when it behoves you to ſpeak the truth; and I charge you therefore, at the peril of your ſoul, not to advance any thing againſt the dictates of your own conſcience, in covering your crimes, the guilt of which you know before God you are not exempt from; but I pray you adhere firmly to the truth, ſhould death be the conſe⯑quence." She replied, "I intend it." I again ad⯑viſed her to reject, as much as poſſibly ſhe could, the [158] ſuggeſtions of the enemy, in covering her crimes; but to be frankly ingenuous in the acknowledgement there⯑of before proper magiſtrates: I then cloſed my firſt viſit with prayer, after having given her, agreeable to her ſolicitations, all the ſpiritual aſſiſtance within the limits of my capacity. When finiſhed, I parted with her, and the next day (being Sunday) I viſited her again, about twelve o'clock, aſking her how ſhe found herſelf, as I perceived her ſpirits to be greatly depreſſed. She replied, "Mr. Told, ſince you was with me yeſterday, I have deeply weighed your kind inſtructions, which has occaſioned great uneaſineſs and diſtreſs in my mind; and notwithſtanding I was ſome⯑what eaſy and compoſed at certain periods before, I am, alas! quite otherwiſe now, for I am horribly afraid, my grievous ſins have been ſet in array before me! and I am dreadfully intimidated and fearful, leſt God ſhould never ſhew me his mercy!" I told her, I was happier with this report, and much more ſatisfied with her preſent ſtate, than at my former viſit, as I then perceived ſome hopes of her unhappy ſtate, as her condition was, becauſe her conſcience was now convinced of her crime. I applied at this time many threatening, as well as healing, paſſages of Scripture to her conſcience, which ſhe very willingly, and with much thankfulneſs, received. I concluded this viſit alſo with prayer, and then parted. Upon my third viſit (which was on Monday) I found her in a very bad and dangerous ſpirit: Here I exerted my every [159] faculty, in order to ſettle her mind, and ſtrengthen her confidence in God; but, to my ſorrowful diſap⯑pointment, I obſerved the enemy had ſo buffetted her ſoul, that ſhe ſtrongly endeavoured to conceal her guilt, telling me, with bitterneſs of ſpirit, ſhe never intended murder; and that ſhe was aſſured, the rigid, partial jury, who ſat upon the body of the deceaſed, would, through their envonomed prejudice, treat her with a degree of rigour and ſeverity much heavier than her deſerts; this ſhe ſpake with much warmth.

I then told her this perverſeneſs of ſpirit, alſo her preſent temper and diſpoſition of mind, would prove exceedingly hurtful to her precious, never-dying ſoul, and that it betrayed in her an abſolute blindneſs and hard⯑neſs of heart; ſo that no ſigns of repentance appeared, or the leaſt concern for ſuch repeated acts of violence: I likewiſe gave her to underſtand, that I conſidered it a grand point of my duty to defend the characters of thoſe gentlemen who were on the coroner's inqueſt; adding, "Can you (Mrs. Brownrigg) entertain a thought that thoſe gentlemen, who are under an oath, and in no wiſe intereſted in giving falſe evidence againſt you, would endeavour to take away your life, without ſubſtantial reaſons and good grounds in their evidence?" I inſiſted upon her laying aſide all ſuch vain pretences, which were the mere artifices of the devil, to deſtroy her ſoul; telling her withal, if ſhe would ſtand open to conviction, and behave in her [160] ſhort moments as became one who was thus confined to a few hours only for the working out her ſalvation with fear and trembling, probably God would ſhew her favour at the laſt, and the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, which ſpeaketh better things than the blood of Abel, would waſh away the ſtain of that blood ſhe had ſo cruelly and unreſtrainedly ſhed: I likewiſe pointed out to her, the loving ſpirit of a dying Saviour, who, when he was expiring on the accurſed tree for man's redemption, prayed with his laſt breath, ſaying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." His prayer was heard, and anſwered. When Peter was preaching to a great number of them, they were cut to the heart, and cried out, in an agony of ſpirit, "Men and brethren, what muſt we do to be ſaved?" Peter anſwered them, "Repent every one of you, and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jeſus, for the remiſſion of your ſins, and you ſhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoſt; for the promiſe is unto you, and to your children, and to all thoſe that are afar off, even to as many as the Lord our God ſhall call:" Therefore," I obſerved, "if the mercy of God extended itſelf to the very murderers of his only begotten Son, there can be no doubt that it will reach your poor guilty conſcience alſo! If you, like them, are pricked at the heart, and cry earneſtly to God for mercy through the Son of his Love, you likewiſe ſhall obtain the remiſſion of your ſins, and your name ſhall be written in the Lamb's book of life. Then [161] you ſhall ſing the new ſong to God and the Lamb, who hath redeemed us with his blood, and ſaves the vileſt and chief of ſinners." Theſe, with many ſimi⯑lar exhortations, having been given her, ſhe began to recover her former compoſedneſs of ſpirit, never more attempting to juſtify herſelf, or even to extenu⯑ate her guilt. I terminated this viſit with fervency of prayer alſo, and had not an opportunity of ſeeing her again until the day prior to the awful day of her exit.

On the 13th of September, being the Lord's-Day, I came to Newgate about twelve o'clock, and met her as ſhe was coming down ſtairs from the chapel. The keepers informed me of the ſtrict orders they had re⯑ceived to lock her up immediately in her cell, and deſired me to be particularly vigilant in my remarks on her behaviour. Mrs. Brownrigg then went into her cell, and I followed her thereinto, and, at her requeſt, the turnkey and woman who attended her were both diſmiſſed. The cell doors were then locked and bolted upon us, when ſhe began to expreſs the extreme anguiſh of her ſoul, ſaying, "Mr. Told, God for ever bleſs you, ſit down by me." When we were ſeated, ſhe began to wring her hands in vehement agitation of ſpirit, praying moſt earneſtly that God, for Chriſt's ſake, would have mercy upon her poor guilty ſoul, expreſſing herſelf, with floods of tears, to this effect, "O Lord Jeſus! waſh away the guilt of the blood [162] which I have ſhed, in thy moſt precious blood! O Lord, I am the vileſt and chief of ſinners; be gracious, be merciful to me, O heavenly Jeſus, for none ſuch a ſinner as myſelf ever exiſted! O ſave, ſave and deliver from eternal burnings, my poor, guilty, wretched, and hell-deſerving ſoul! Oh! Lord, what muſt I do to be ſaved? Gracious God, what muſt I do? Now, heavenly Jeſus, cleanſe thou my ſtains, or I am undone for ever!" Thus ſhe continued for ſome minutes, and then turned to me, and ſaid, "Mr. Told, what muſt I do? My ſoul is in bitterneſs and heavy diſtreſs." She added alſo, "I wreſtled all the laſt night with God in prayer, except the ſpace of an hour, during which I ſoundly ſlept, and had very many comfortable viſits from the Lord. During my interval of ſleep I dreamed a dream, in which I beheld a man coming towards me with a glaſs of wine in his hand, who bade me drink it; I took particular notice of the wine that it was red, ſo that when I awoke I was much re⯑freſhed; but all my comforts are gone again, there⯑fore I am now more diſtreſſed than ever."

I replied, "Mrs. Brownrigg, I am afraid you do not ſufficiently permit the ſpirit of God to convince you of the enormity of the crime for which you are condemned. Are you condemned in your own con⯑ſcience? Do you judge yourſelf, that you may not be judged of God? Condemn yourſelf, that you may not be condemned in the day of judgment, when the ſecrets of [163] all hearts will be open to God, angels and men? Do you call to remembrance the ſins of your whole life? And are you fully convinced that you deſerve to be puniſhed eternally for your impiety and tranſgreſſion?" She replied, "I do." Then," ſaid I, "if it be ſo, you are not far from the kingdom of God." Wringing her hands, in an agony of ſpirit, ſhe ſaid, "Oh! that I may know this. Oh! that I may be aſſured of this. Great God! enable me to depend on this." She continued to uſe ſeveral repetitions hereof. I then aſked her whether ſhe was never tempted to deſtroy herſelf. She anſwered, "Mr. Told, I am glad you have aſked me this queſtion, and I will anſwer it without reſerve." Beginning the relation ſhe ſaid, "When I was firſt taken at Wandſworth, the conſta⯑ble compelled my landlady to ſearch my pockets, to know whether I had a knife, or any other inſtrument, whereby I might have committed the ſhocking act of ſuicide. I was ſearched accordingly, and although I had a knife ſecreted, yet it was not found. This threw me into a violent temptation, ſo that I cut a little hole, about the bigneſs of a ſilver groat, in the peek of theſe my ſtays," ſhewing me the place. "Herein," continued ſhe, "I put the knife; it being a claſped one, I conveyed it round my hip through the covering of my ſtays." She then preſented to me the very place where it lay undiſcovered during her confinement in the Poultry compter. After that ſhe added, "Now, as I have advanced thus far, I [164] ſhould be to blame were I to be ſo very diſingenuous as to conceal the reſt, therefore I ſhall acknowledge to you, Mr. Told, that many times I uſed to conſider where, and on what part of my body it would be the moſt expedient to ſtab myſelf, that by ſo doing I might effect the buſineſs at once; yet the Lord, in his infi⯑nite mercy, led me ſafe through this temptation.

I then aſked her if ſhe had ever ſeriouſly conſidered the conſequence of ſo raſh an attempt, and what would have become of her ſoul if ſhe had died in an act of ſelf-murder, ſeeing it would be utterly impoſſible for her to be ſaved, not having time for repentance? She anſwered, "I never was inclined to think on, or con⯑ſider, any thing of that nature; for the conſideration of that ſhame, ignominy and reproach, that are al⯑ways conſequent on Tyburn executions, ſuppreſſed every other ſerious and calm idea whereon my con⯑templations ſhould have rationally dwelt." I told her I had a few queſtions more to aſk her, and beg'd ſhe would return me the plain, ſimple truth, ſo that her veracity might be unſullied and ſpotleſs. She replied, "Mr. Told, I can open my heart to you, like as to myſelf; aſk what you judge proper, and I will, by openneſs and ſimplicity, endeavour to afford you ſatisfaction." I then informed her, it was cur⯑rently reported, and well nigh in every one's mouth, that, in the courſe of her practice in midwifry, ſhe had been guilty of deſtroying ſeveral children in the [165] birth, and feeding her ſwine with them. I added, "Is this true, or not?" She replied, "I was aſked the ſame queſtion ſome time ago by an eminent phyſi⯑cian; but truly, Mr. Told, I never had any misfortune during the time of my practice, except with three, and I now deſire you to take down, in writing, the names of thoſe three gentlewomen I then laid, and they will give you a ſatisfactory account, viz. whether the fault lay at my door or not, as they were all three brought into the world putrified. "I have had," ſaid ſhe, "as good ſucceſs in general as moſt women in my calling, and was equally eſteemed by my employers; neither were they ever ſo wonderfully aſtoniſhed as at the time this unfortunate affair came to light." The names of the three gentlewomen, who had the dead children, were Mrs Gore, at Camberwell; Mrs. Flude, at the workhouſe, in Grub-Street; and Mrs. —, at the Bell-Inn, Holborn.

The ſecond queſtion I aſked her, aroſe from an in⯑formation I had received touching her ſecret tranſacti⯑ons with ſeventeen apprentice girls, whom ſhe had at ſeveral times acquired from various pariſhes in and about London, as it was ſaid, that when ſhe was requeſted to give an account of them, ſhe could produce but three. I demanded, "Is this true, or not?" To which ſhe an⯑ſwered, "I never in my life had more than three ap⯑prentices, viz. the deceaſed, the evidence, and one that is gone back to the Foundling-Hoſpital.

[166]Thirdly, I aſked her, if ſhe could ſay, in the preſence of Almighty God, that ſhe never practiſed any of thoſe cruelties before. Her anſwer to this was, "I never did." I aſked her again, what could induce her to commit ſo dreadful an act of barbarity now. She ſaid, "I can give you very ſubſtantial reaſons for ſo doing." "Pray," ſaid I, "what may they be?" She replied, "About ten years ago, when I had ſix ſmall children about me, I walked cloſely in the ways of God, never being able to accuſe myſelf of negligence, or inattention, riſing at five o'clock in the morning, and being at Bow Church-yard, in Cheap [...]le, at ſix o'clock prayers: Then, Mr. Told, I was very happy in my God, who manifeſted himſelf to me, ſo that I walked ſtedfaſtly in the light of his bleſſed countenance for a conſiderable time: But, Oh! unhappily for me, I grew ſlack in my duty, forſook my God, and he forſook me; ſo that I fell into the ſpirit of pride and anger, then, by degrees, into the crime for which I am to die! I can give you, Mr. Told, no other reaſon; but I beg you will help my diſtreſſed ſoul all that you can." I replied, "I hum⯑bly hope God will be your helper, protector, and de⯑fender." As I ſtill hoped that ſhe had not committed the unpardonable ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, I truſted there was yet room for mercy; therefore I preſſed upon her to underſtand, that Chriſt himſelf declared, that every other ſin, of what nature or kind ſoever, ſhall be forgiven unto men, upon tree repentance and deep [167] humiliation, under a ſenſe of guilt before God. Here I ſtrongly exhorted her to come to the throne of grace, and to truſt fully in the blood of the everlaſting cove⯑nant; and that God, for Chriſt's ſake would, upon no conſideration, reject, or caſt out thoſe who came to him through the Son of his Love; but would blot out all their iniquities as a cloud, and their tranſgreſſions as a thick cloud; and that God was in Chriſt recon⯑ciling the world unto himſelf. I alſo told her, that the Lord Jeſus, even while he hung upon the accurſed tree, bore all and every one of our ſins on his own body, ſaying, "It is finiſhed," having made a full ſufficient ſacrifice, oblation and ſatisfaction, for the ſins of the whole world, and for her's, and mine in particular. I alſo beg'd her to obſerve, that we were not damned ſo much for particular or weighty crimes committed, but for not believing in our inmoſt ſouls the great truths of the Goſpel, which ſpeaks in this manner, "God ſent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be ſaved.

Again, I informed her, that when the Lord Jeſus ſent forth his twelve diſciples, he gave them this com⯑mand, "Go ye into all the world, preach the Goſpel to every creature." "By the Goſpel you are to un⯑derſtand," ſaid I, "the glad tidings of ſalvation, through a crucified Redeemer; whoſoever therefore believes, and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved, but he that [168] believeth not ſhall be damned." "My dear woman," added I, "venture your All in time and eternity on this great Saviour of the world, and then, though your ſins ſhould be as ſcarlet, God will make them white as ſnow, and, although they be as crimſon, they ſhall be as wool: You ſee then that God's thoughts towards us are not as our thoughts towards him and one another. See then that you lay faſt hold on this hope of eternal life ſet before you; and, though you will aſſuredly to⯑morrow, before this time, pay the debt of your natural life, for the life you have deſtroyed; yet be of good com⯑fort, the Son of God hath given body for body, and ſoul for ſoul, that we may be made partakers of eternal life, and be for ever where the wicked ceaſe from troubling, and the weary ſpirits are at reſt." Thus I continued to preſs the doctrines of ſalvation by faith with weight upon her conſcience, and found my labour was not in vain in the Lord. She then began to be much com⯑forted, telling me before we parted, ſhe found ſhe could now truſt body and ſoul in the hands of her dear unerring Saviour. Her countenance was much altered, and that languid gloom, which reſted upon her at our firſt entrance into the cell, I eaſily perceived to termi⯑nate in pleaſant ſerenity. Compoſure of mind, and reſignation of ſpirit, was expreſſed ſtrongly in all her looks. I then went to prayer, and parted with her for this time, commending her into the hands of a merciful Redeemer.

[169]Monday the 14th inſtant, being the day of her exe⯑cution, I repaired to Newgate about a quarter paſt ſix o'clock in the morning, where I found Mrs. Brownrigg with the Rev. Mr. Moor, the ordinary, in the preſs⯑yard-room. We went immediately up to chapel, en⯑deavouring to comfort her in the beſt manner we could, and found her ſpirit fully prepared to receive inſtructi⯑on, her mind greatly compoſed, and her heart filled with prayer. When we came to chapel, we tarried ſome time before prayers began, in the courſe of which interim the turnkey had introduced Mr. Brownrigg and their ſon. They addreſſed each other in a very ſtriking manner; then the ordinary prayed extempore with them, after which we ſang an hymn; he then exhorted, and prayed again; when he had done, he deſired me to pray: I did ſo, and we ſang another hymn, very applicable to the dying malefactors caſe. Now when we were ready to communicate, the others were ad⯑mitted up to chapel, among whom were three clergy⯑men, who joined us in the ſacred ſupper of our Lord; and truly a bleſſed time it was, eſpecially with the malefactor, her huſband and ſon; at the cloſe of which ſolemnity, it was conſidered prudent to diſmiſs every perſon from the chapel, in order to give them the fairer opportunity of taking their laſt farewell of one another; ſo we all retired accordingly, but I had not reached the bottom of the ſteps before the keeper beckoned to me, ſaying, Mrs. Brownrigg deſired to ſpeak a few words with me. I ſpeedily returned to her; upon [170] which ſhe ſaid, "Mr. Told, we want you to employ a little more of your time with us; pray give my huſband and ſon a word of advice." I did ſo, agreeable to her deſires, and imparted (I may venture to ſay) no ſmall ſhare of inſtruction, for which they all returned me many thanks. I then addreſſed myſelf to Mrs. Brown⯑rigg, as ſhe was in the ſpirit of prayer. While I was ſpeaking to her, the ſon fell down on both his knees, and, burſting into a flood of tears, with his head againſt his mother's ſide, ſaid, "I beſeech you, my dear mother, lay both your hands upon my head, and bleſs me." She replied, "I hope God will bleſs my dear ſon." Almoſt frantic, he added, "My dear mother, put both your hands upon my head, and bleſs me your⯑ſelf." His mother then put both her hands upon his head, ſaying, "My bleſſing be upon thee, my dear child." The huſband then fell down on both his knees on the other ſide, ſaying, "The Lord bleſs you; God be with you, my dear wife," being ſcarce able to ſpeak for weeping; he aſſured her that all the care that was poſſible ſhould be taken of her offspring, that they might be trained up to ſerve God. They then parted, when the keeper and myſelf led her down ſtairs (as ſhe was, through extreme debility, unable to walk alone) and carried her into the preſs-yard⯑room. The ſheriff not having arrived, we caught another opportunity of being uſeful to her, applying our ſhort time to the moſt advantage. A clergyman, belonging to St. Paul's, was likewiſe of excellent ſer⯑vice, [171] giving her, without any narrowneſs of heart, good and wholeſome advice; the Lord reward him ſeven-fold in his own boſom. The time came, when Mrs. Brownrigg was ordered into the cart, when the Rev. Mr James and myſelf ſtationed ourſelves by each ſide of her, Mr. James on the right-hand, and myſelf on the left. When we had fixed ourſelves, I perceived the whole powers of darkneſs were ready to give her a reception. Beckoning to the multitude, I deſired them to pray for her, at which they were rather ſilent, until the cart began to move. Then they triumphed over her with three huzzas; this was followed by a com⯑bination of helliſh curſes. When we had paſſed thro' the gate, carts were placed on each ſide of the ſtreet, filled principally with women. Here I may ſay, with the greateſt truth, nothing could have equalled them, but the damned ſpirits let looſe from the infernal pit; and, to be brief, this was the ſpirit of the wicked multitude intirely to the place of execution; and, not⯑withſtanding her crime was horrible, yet God, in his infinite wiſdom and mercy, ſupported her mind; ſee⯑ing her time was ſhort, ſo that ſhe never made one complaint of ſuch treatment; neither did ſhe drop one murmuring expreſſion from her lips in any part of her paſſage. I repeatedly aſked her, if the dreadful tu⯑mult did not draw the attention of her mind from off the Lord Jeſus. She replied, "Not in the leaſt, I bleſs God.' Then ſome of the common cries, from the thoughtleſs concourſe, accompanied with dreadful [172] imprecations, were, pull her hat off, pull off her hat, that we may ſee the b—'s face: However, I with⯑ſtood this cutting clamour all the way, till we came to the place of execution, and that for two reaſons; firſt, I was conſcious it would too much expoſe her to the cenſure of the inexorable mob, and, which was abundantly worſe, it would diſcompoſe her mind, and hinder her meditating with God; the ſecond conſide⯑ration was, that, as the incenſed mob thought it not enough to rejoice over her by common rage and de⯑famatory abuſe, but were altogether cruel to caſt ſtones, dirt, &c. therefore, if I, through endeavouring to pacify them by virtue of a friendly addreſs, ſhould, on the contrary, excite their madneſs and exaſpera⯑tion, they would not only diſturb her mind, but en⯑danger her life before the law had executed its office. I muſt obſerve here, I never, in the courſe of my life, beheld ſo much the abſolute neceſſity, which all miniſ⯑ters of the Goſpel, of every denomination amongſt us, lay under, in plucking thoſe brands out of the jaws of eternal death and deſtruction, or a dreadful account will be one day given by ſuch preachers. When we came to the place of execution, the outcries of the mob were not ſo violent; yet, notwithſtanding, when ſhe was tied up to the fatal tree, and expoſed to God, angels and men, (an awful ſpectacle) little or no compaſſion was drawn from the hearts of the populace, for the behaviour of thouſands was ſuch, as, I am per⯑ſuaded, no part of the habitable world would be guilty [173] of, except the inhabitants of Great-Britain. Imme⯑diately after the executioner had tied her up, I diſco⯑vered an horrible dread in her countenance: Fearing that ſome violent temptation had aſſaulted her, I beg'd to know the cauſe of her being ſo diſtreſſed. She ſaid, "Mr. Told, I have many times paſſed by this place, and always experienced, when near this ſpot of ground, a dreadful horror ſeized me, for fear that one day or other I ſhould come to be hanged. This," ſaid ſhe, "enters afreſh upon my mind, and greatly terrifies me!" I ſaid, "Your mind all the way was very compoſed, and repeatedly you told me, you could put your full truſt and confidence in your bleſſed Redeemer, and that you had no doubt but that you ſhould be happy with him; don't you find it ſo ſtill?" She replied, "I ſtill retain my confidence, but this power⯑fully occurs to my mind of what I frequently imagined whenever I paſt this piece of ground, and therefore I am terrified exceedingly." I then told her, it was by no means a point of her buſineſs, or duty, to pay any attention to that; but her whole intire duty and attention was to look ſtedfaſtly to the Lord Jeſus, and that would be ſufficient to ſubdue every other oppoſi⯑tion, and enable her to reſign her ſpirit into the hands of Almighty God. Some time before ſhe was turned off, the Rev. Mr. Moor came into the cart, ſpake to her, and prayed with her. We ſang two hymns, and continued to exhort her for three-quarters of an hour. She was very devout, crying vehemently for mercy. [174] Juſt as the cart was ready to draw off, the miniſters all having gone out, I turned to her, and adviſed her, in her laſt moment, to keep her mind ſtedfaſtly fixed upon Chriſt. She ſaid, "I hope I ſhall." The cart then drew off, and, I humbly truſt, God has received her departed ſpirit. Amen.

Thus, Chriſtian Reader, concludes the narrative of the life of Mr. Silas Told, written by himſelf ſome time before his departure from this vale of tears, after having paſſed through a troubleſome and laborious life with great fortitude and patience; being continually anxious for the good of his fellow creatures, particu⯑larly the condemned malefactors in the ſeveral priſons in and about the metropolis; ſtriving ardently, by all the means in his power, to promote their everlaſting welfare; ſubmitting meekly, for Chriſt's ſake, to the ill treatment which he too often experienced, not only from priſoners and keepers, &c. but even to reproach and cenſure from thoſe, who ought rather to have encouraged and applauded him. After having done all the good in his power, he chearfully reſigned his ſoul into the hands of his Heavenly Father, in Decem⯑ber, 1779, in the 68th year of his age, and hath, no doubt, received this bleſſed welcome, "Well done, good and faithful ſervant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."