The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Fourth PartHead, Richard
General
The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Fourth Part
Head, Richard
Rogues and vagabonds -- England -- Fiction
seem’d to me as dead, and had they seen me, I believe I had not been now
living; my Mistress had the chiefest hand in this work as I judge, for
she got up into the Rack, and stradling the beam tyed the Rope, then did
my Master raise the body in his Arms for her to put the noose about his
neck; this is a truth said he, for which I will rather dy then deny.
His Master hearing this, and being conscious to himself that this was no
ly which the boy said, betook himself to his heels, whilst his wife with
a brazen countenance was justifying her innocence. The people seeing the
flight of one, and the matchless impudence of the other, concluded them
guilty; and laying hands on her first, and hold of him after, they
secured them with the boy till the Constable was fetched, who came
immediately and carried them before a Justice, where being examined they
stood out stiffly in their own vindication, maugre the boys peremptory
and undaunted accusation; In fine their guilty consciences would not let
them longer persist in their justification, but confest the Fact that it
was an hundred pounds which was committed to their charge by the
Gentleman, that first tempted them to smother him, the Devil helping
them to way they thought undiscoverable. They were committed to a Goal,
where they lay till Assizes; at which time they were both sentenced to
dye.
Glad was I that it should come into my head to ramble into the Countrey
at that nick of time, for my extraordinary familiarity with them might
have raised a suspition to the endangering of my person, besides the boy
which accused them had a spight against me for causing him to be soundly
bang’d sometimes for some Roguish trick he served me; one he play’d a
little before this Murder was committed, and being basted for it, I
heard him say mutteringly, he would find a time to be even, judge you
whether he be not, however thus he was an unhappy Roguish boy, yet
Heaven judged him a fit Instrument to discover a deed so bloody and
horribly wicked.
Coming to the place of Execution, I could not see in my Hosts face any
considerable marks of remorse or penitency, only the fear of Death had
screwed his face into a hundred ugly affrighting formes: She for her
part ascended the Ladder after she had seen the death of her Husband,
with magnanimity and Courage; having been in Prison according to report,
the greatest Penitent that ever was known to go thence and suffer as a
Malefactor, I say she standing undauntedly on the Ladder, spake to the
People after this manner, which I here recount as carrying some very
remarkable things in it.
The Speech of a Notoriously-wicked Woman
at her Execution.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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