ing in public posts by the usurper's commissions, which were void of all power and authority. God knows my heart: I did this at first through ignorance and error, but, after I had recollected myself, and informed my judgment better, I repented, and drew my sword for the king, and now submit myself to this violent death for his sake. I heartily pray God my patience and my sufferings may atone for my former crime; and this I beg through the merits, mediation, and sufferings, of my dearest Saviour, Jesus Christ.

I do sincerely forgive all my enemies, especially those who have either caused or increased the destruction in church or state; I pray God to have mercy upon them, and spare them, because they are the works of his own hands, and because they are redeemed with his Son's most precious blood. I do particularly forgive, from the bottom of my heart, the Elector of Brunswick, who murders me; my unjust pretended judges and jury, who convicted and condemned me; Mr. Patten and Carnaby, evidences who swore against me at my trial. And I do here declare, upon the words of a dying man (and all my Northumberland fellow-prisoners can testify the same), that the evidence they gave was so far from being the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, that, in relation to my indictment, they swore not one true thing against me, but many absolute falsehoods. I pray God forgive them, for I am sure I do.

'Lastly, I forgive all who had a hand in the surrender at Preston, for they have surrendered away my life; and I would to God that were the only bad consequence of it. But, alas! it is too plain that the surrenderers not only ruined many of his majesty's brave and faithful

subjects, but gave up their king and country into the bargain: for it was then in their power to have restored the king with triumph to his throne, and thereby to have made us a happy people. We had repulsed our enemies at every attack, and were ready, willing, and able, to have attacked them.

On our side, even our common men were brave, courageous, and resolute; on the other hand, theirs were directly the contrary, insomuch that, after they had run away from our first fire, they could never be brought so much as to endeavour to stand a second. This I think myself obliged in justice to mention, that Mr. Wills may not impose upon the world, as if he and his troops had conquered us, and gained the victory; for the truth is, after we had conquered them, our superiors thought fit to capitulate and ruin us: I wish them God's and the king's pardon for it.

May it please God to bless, preserve, and restore our only rightful and lawful sovereign, King James the Third; may he direct his counsels, and prosper his arms; may he bring him to his kingdom, and set the crown upon his head.

May he protect him from the malice of his enemies, and defend him from those who for a reward would slay him innocent! May he grant him in health and wealth long to live; may he strengthen him, that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies; and finally, when it pleases his infinite wisdom to take him out of this world, may he take him to himself, and reward him with an everlasting crown of glory in the next.

These, my beloved countrymen, are the sincere prayers, these the last words, of me who am now a dying person; and if you have any regard to the last words of one

pebble-stones, and, striking Goodman on the head, he was so stunned that he was easily taken; and, some other persons now coming up, one of them drew a hanger, and pursued Stephens, who submitting after a short resistance, both the prisoners were conveyed to Newgate.

Stephens having been admitted an evidence against Goodman, the latter was brought to his trial, when he endeavoured to prove that he was in another place when the robbery was committed, and that he had purchased Mr. White's horse; but the jury found him guilty, as they did not believe the testimony of his witnesses.

After conviction he was put into the bail-dock, in order to receive sentence; but the night being dark, and being assisted by some other prisoners, he got over the spikes, and, though he was loaded with irons, effected his escape.

But it was not long before he was retaken, owing to a very singular circumstance. While in custody, he delivered some money to a carrier to take into the country to a woman with whom he had cohabited; but the carrier, considering his situation, kept the money for his

own use.

next sessions at the Old Bailey, he received sentence of death.

While he lay in this deplorable situation, he acknowledged his guilt, confessed he had committed many robberies, lamented the iniquities of his past life, and wished he could make reparation to those whom he had injured. He was executed at Tyburn, on the 12th of March, 1716.

The fate of this malefactor will afford an useful lesson to persons somewhat advanced in life. After having been nine years in a successful business, the keeping of bad company induced him to his ruin. Hence we may learn the folly of departing from the sober comforts of domestic felicity, to keep company with drunkards, and riot in debauchery. The circumstance of Goodman's being seen at Bow, on the very horse he had stolen but a few days before, on the same road, shows the folly that, almost in every instance, attends thieves. They are generally detected by some omission or carelessness of their own, which even a child would blush to be guilty of; but the fact is that villainy is frequently off its guard, and the eye of Providence is ever watchful to bring the guilty to justice.

This doctrine cannot be set in a clearer light than by Goodman's going to advise with a lawyer how to recover the money of the carrier; not reflecting that he himself was a dead man, in the eye of the law, at the very time of making this appli cation, which led so soon to his own destruction. Hence we see the em phatical force of that text of scripture, 'The wicked is taken in his own snare.'

instructed Thamus, king of Egypt, in the tricks of play. Cards were invented to amuse a puny Dauphin

of France, but are now become a common medium of robbery in the hands of sharpers. Cyrus and Alexander admired hunting; Cicero played with a kitten; Socrates found recreation in galloping about on a hobby-horse with children; Plato turned pedlar; Posidonius, the stoic philosopher, under the most violent paroxysms of the gout, would only smile and say, 'Pain! all thy obliging services are to no purpose; thou may'st be a little troublesome; but I will never own thee for an evil.' Shakspeare says, 'All mankind to some lov'd ills incline;' but woe to him whose propensities lead him to drinking aud gaming. Aristotle treats gamesters as thieves, pickpockets, and robbers, and these anuals of crime sufficiently corroborate the opinions of the philosophers of old.

Mr. Hamilton was born in the county of Clydesdale, and was related to the ducal family of Hamilton. His parents, to whom he was an only son, sent him to Glasgow to study the law; but, the young gentleman's disposition leading him to the profession of arms, his friends exerted their interest to procure a commission; but the intervention of the crime of which we are about

to relate the particulars prevented their generous intention from taking effect.

Young Hamilton soon becoming connected with some abandoned young gentlemen at Edinburgh, he lost considerable sums at gaming; and, going to his parents for more, they supplied him for the present, but said they would not advance him any further sums while he continued his dissipated course of life.

Being possessed of this money, Hamilton went to a village near Glasgow, to meet his companions at a public house kept by Thomas Arkle. Having drank and gamed

for several successive days and nights, Hamilton's companions withdrew while he was asleep, leaving him to discharge the bill, which exceed. ing his ability, a quarrel ensued between him and Arkle, and, while they contended, Arkle stripped Hamilton's sword of the scabbard.The latter immediately ran away; but, finding he had no scabbard to his sword, he instantly went back to the house, when, Arkle calling him several scandalous names, he stabbed him so that he immediately expired.

The daughter of Arkle, being present, attempted to scize Hamilton; in doing which she tore off the skirt of his coat, which was left on the floor, together with his sword, on his effecting a second escape. This daughter of Arkle was almost blind; but her keeping the sword and the skirt of the coat proved the meaus of bringing Hamilton to justice.

The murderer, having gone to Leith, embarked on board a ship, and landed in Holland, where he continued two

years; but his parents dying in the interval, he returned to Scotland, when he was taken into custody on account of the murder.

On his trial, he pleaded that he was intoxicated at the time the fact was committed; to which he was instigated by the extreme ill usage he had received from Arkle.-The jury, not allowing the force of these arguments, found him guilty, and he was beheaded by the maiden, on the 30th of June, 1716. This instrument of death, from which the guillotine in France was constructed, we have already described, in the case of Alexander Balfour.

Mr. Hamilton's case will teach us to reflect on the sad consequences of keeping bad company, and an attachment to gaming. But for

these vices, he might have lived happy in himself, and a credit to the worthy family from which he was descended. The youth who will devote those hours to the gamingtable which he ought to employ in the honest advancement of his fortune can expect only to be reduced to beggary at the best: but, in a thousand instances, as well as the

present, the consequences have been much more fatal.

Hence let young gentlemen learn to shun the gaming-table as they would a pestilence, to proceed in the plain path of honour and integrity, and to know that there can be no true happiness in a departure from the line of virtue!

THIS man came to London in search of a livelihood, and for some time maintained himself by selling poultry in the streets; but, growing weary of that employment, he enlisted into the army, in which he continued nine years; but, having obtained his discharge, he became acquainted with a set of thieves, who committed depredations in the neighbourhood of London; and, being apprehended, he was tried at the Old Bailey, and whipped.

Soon after he obtained his liberty, he returned to his former way of life; and, being taken into custody in Hertfordshire, he was tried, convicted, and punished by burning in the hand. After this he began the practice of robbing higlers on the highway, and he obtained the appellation of Chicken Joe, from his singular dexterity in that employ.

ment.

land Road till his spirits were somewhat elevated, he proceeded to Stoke Newington, and, after sauntering a while in the fields, without meeting with any person whom he durst venture to attack, he went into Queen Elizabeth's Walk, behind the church, where he saw a gentleman's servant, whose money he demanded. The servant, being determined not to be robbed, contested the matter with Still, and, a battle ensuing, the villain drew a knife, and stabbed the footman through the body.

He immediately ran away; but, some people coming by while the footman was sensible enough to tell them what had happened, Still was pursued, taken, and brought to the spot where the other was expiring; and, being searched, the bloody knife with which he had committed the deed was found in his pocket. The man died after declaring that Still was the murderer; and the latter was committed to Newgate; and, being indicted at the Old Bailey, the jury did not scruple to find him guilty, in consequence of which he received sentence of death, and was executed on Stamford Hill, on the 22d of March, 1717.

The progression of this malefactor seems to have been very gradual, from smaller to greater crimes, till at length his life paid the forfeit for one of the most enormous. Hence