The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

pentance, which might testifie the contraty.

By the Christian favour of the Court, they were allowed time to prepare for Death until the 4May; at which time they were carried to  Tyburn, and after the usual Prayers, without any considerable or remarkable Speeches, but only requesting the Prayers of all good People present, they were Executed according to Law.

THE CONFESSION AND EXECUTION Of the Seven Prisoners Suffering at TYBURN On Fryday the4th of May 1677.

VIZ.

  Robert Dine,   William Dine, and   Margaret Dine, Of  Enfield, for barbarously wounding of   Jane King, the Sweet-heart of the said Robert.

  Margaret Spicer, For murthering her Bastard-childe.

  David Hackley,   Jeremiah Dawson, and   Mary Browne, All notorious Offenders, and formerly Burn'd in the hand for several Felonies by them committed.

Together with their penitent Behaviour in  Newgate, since their Condemnation, and last Speeches at the place of Execution.

The Confession and Execution of the Seven Prisoners Suffering at Tyburn.

DId not people not onely wilfully neglect all means of Grace, and smother convictions of Conscience, but also abandon all the dictates of Reason, and considerations of their own Interest even in this world, and give themselves wholly up to the conduct of Satan, to be hurried on by his temptations to the most dangerous and destructive Attempts, one would never imagine, that after so many Monthly Examples as this City affords, of persons bringing themselves to shameful and untimely Ends by unjust and wicked Courses, and should be at once so impiously and foolishly bold as to follow the same Courses till they involve themselves in the like miserable and deplorable Fate.

At the late Sessions, holden for London and Middlesex the 25,26April, no less than Nine persons received Sentence of death, of

whom Five were old notorious Offenders; and though often they had obtained the favour of the Clergy, and some they mercy of Pardons, yet still they persisted in their lewdness: However, Two of them that seemed the least incourrigible, were once more graciously redeem'd from that destruction they had precipitated themselves into: And may their future lives, thus given them as a Prey, and saved as a Brand pluck'd out of the fire, be spent in honest Industry and Employment, that they may prove worthy of such Reprieve; for assuredly if they do not repent, and turn from these wicked practices, they will shortly again stand in need of Mercy, which will then refuse to hear their Complaints, and deliver them up to Death according to Justice.

One of the other Four was Condemned for murthering her Bastard-Childe, which she most unnaturally kill'd and hid in her bed for some days, till the same was discovered by one that came to visit her. As she denied her murthering of it at the Bar, so she persisted in that negative to Master Ordinary and other Ministers since she received Sentence, alleadging that it was Stillborn; or at least, contracted its death as soon as ever it saluted the light, by an accidental fall; However, the Law, to prevent such presences which in all Cases of that kind might be made, obliging the woman immediately after to Cry out, and she failing therein, and as 'tis shrewdly apparent by Circumstance, was the principal Author of its destruction, she was condemned to die, and this day executed at  Tyburn according to Sentence.

Three others, as the Crime they suffered for was the first they were known to have committed; so was it so strange and heinous, as searce ever to have been done by any body but themselves: So that we may say, They died Presidents of Punishment, for a Crime unpresidented. These were the two Brothers and Sister of  Enfield, who so barbarously mangled   Jane Kine, to whom   Robert, one of the Brothers, pretended Love; but after a long acquaintance, being Fellow-Servant s together, she refused to have him: whereupon his treacherous Love turned to Hatred and Malice, instigated (as 'tis supposed) chiefly thereunto by this unhappy Sister, with whom and his Brother he lays a Plot to disfigure her; maliciously and enviously designing, that because she would not accept of him, they would render her so deformed, that she her self should not be acceptable to any other person. In pursuance whereof, on the 20February last about 8 of the clock in the evening, Robert and Jane being only up, and their aged Master in bed, somealls Robert by his name at the back-door, whimmediatley opens; and then comes in the Sister and Brother, the later of whom seizes upon Jane and holds her, while the former barbarous Furcy cuts her Eye so lamentably that she has utterly lost the use of it; mangles her Nose in a dismal manner, insomuch that two bones were taken out of it; her Tongue she flit,

and almost cut off both her Lips; and also gave her a wound and two slabs in the Neck, and several slashes on the Arm, Etc. And having dispatch'd this unheard of Cruelty, left her for dead, and went home; who being gone,   Robert cries cut Murther and Thieves; and Neighbours coming in, presends to be knock's down, Etc. but in pleas'd God  Jane, after three or four days, recovered herand then declared who had abused her, andully proved the same at the Sessions; whereupon they were all Condemned according to the Statute in that Case made and provided.

Yet did they all persist in the denial of the Fact, after their Condemnation, even to the day of their Death: nor would all Perswasions or Admonitions of several Ministers that came to visit them, get any acknowledgement that they had any hand in it. Though on the Sunday they carried themselves very attentively in the Chappel, and a great part of the Sermon was to perswade the necessity of Confession in order to their Souls health, yet they could not be prevailed upon; only on the Munday   Margaret seemed a little unusually troubled, and delared, That she had something lay upon her Conscience, and desired she might speak with a Minister in private; whereupon a Minister was sent for, who took her aside, and hoping then she would have made an ingenuous Discovery, press'd her with all imaginable Arguments, but to no purpose: For she told him, she knew nothing of it; whereupon he as'd her, What it was she said troubled her, and lay upon her Conscience, for which she defired to speak with a Minister by her self: To which,all the answer that he could get was, That she had, when she said so, something in her head, but now she had forgot it.

  David Hackley having been before burn'd in the hand, Etc. after his Sentence, appeared very seriously concern'd and whereas he had formerly occasion'd much trouble to a Gentleman that had been his Master, and hired sadler and others to accuse and swear against him for several matters, endeavouring what they could maliciously to have taken away his life, had not their wickedness been frustrated by Providence, he now (I say) did freely confess, That all that Prosecution was malicious and groundless, and that he was chief Defigner and Confederate in carrying on the same: For which he ask'd God and his Master forgiveness; declaring, That he was heartily sorry for the same, especially that he should draw in others, and provoke them to swear notorious untruths, which he was afraid they had never sincerely repented of before their deaths.

Of the other two Prisoners we have little to say, but only that as they liv'd incorrigible, and would take no warning by several Convictions; so it is to be fear'd they died so too, at least for any publick signes of Re-