ing no noise, he imagined that the family were fast asleep. Hereupon he descended to the room on the first floor, where the tinder-box lay; and, having lighted his candle, he went to the counting-house, and took a sum of money, and several notes and bills.

This being done, he took a picce of wood with which they used to beat tobacco, and, going up stairs again, he hastily entered the room where Peter Wolter was asleep, and, advancing to his bed-side, struck him violently on the head; and, though his heart in some degree failed him, yet he continued his strokes. As the wounded youth groaned much, he took the pillow, and, laying it on his mouth, sat down on the side of the bed, and pressed it hard with his elbow, till no appearance of life remained.

Perceiving Wolter to be quite dead, he searched his chests of drawers and pockets, and took as much money as, with what he had taken from his masters, amounted to above eight pounds. He then packed up some linen and woollen clothes, and, going down one pair of stairs, he threw his bundle into a house that was uninhabited.

He then went up stairs again, and, having cut his candle, lighted both pieces, one of which he placed in a chair close to the bed-curtains, and the other on a chest of drawers, with a view to have set the house on fire, to conceal the robbery and murder of which he had been guilty. This being done, he went through a window into the house where he had thrown his bundle; and in this place he staid till five in the morn ing, when he took the bundle with him to his lodgings in Queen Street, where he shifted his apparel, and went to the Dutch church in Trinity Lane. After the worship of the congregation was over, he

heard a bill of thanks read which his masters had sent, in devout acknowledgment of the narrow escape that themselves and their neighbours had experienced from the fire. Struck by this circumstance, Strodtman burst into tears; but he endeavoured as much as possible to conceal his emotion from a gentleman who sat in the same pew with him, and who, on their coming out of the church, informed him that the house of Messrs. Stein and Dorien narrowly escaped being burnt on the preceding night, by an accident then unknown; but that the destruction was providentially prevented by the Dutch maid smell. ing the fire, and seeing the smoke, so that, on alarming her master, the flames were extinguished by a pail of water.

Strodtman made an appointment to meet the gentleman who gave him this information, on the outer walks of the Royal Exchange, in the afternoon, to go to the Dutch church in the Savoy: but the gen tleman not coming to his time, he went alone to Stepney Church, and, after service was ended, he walked towards Mile End, where he saw the bodies of Michael Van Berghen and Dromelius, who had been hung in chains, as before mentioned. This sight gave him a shocking idea of the crime of which he had been guilty, and he reflected that he might soon become a like horrid spectacle to mankind. Hence be proceeded to Blackwall, where he saw the captain of a French pirate hanging in chains, which gave fresh force to the gloomy feelings of his mind, and again taught him to dread a similar fate. After having been thus providentially led to the sight of objects which he would otherwise rather have avoided, he returned to his lodgings in great dejection of mind, but far from re

penting or even being properly sengible of the crime he had committed; for, as he himself said, his heart did not yet relent for what he had done; and if he had failed in murdering his fellow-'prentice in his bed, he should have destroyed him some other way.'

On his return to his lodgings he ate his supper, said his prayers, and went to bed. On the following morning he went to the White Horse inn without Crippelgate to receive cash for a bill of twenty pounds, which he had stolen from his master's house; but the person who was to have paid it being gone out, he was desired to call again about twelve o'clock. In the interim he went to the house of a banker, in Lombard Street, who requested him to carry some money to his (the banker's) sister, who was at a boarding-school at Greenwich. Strodtman said he could not go till the following day, when he would execute the commission: but, before he left the house, the banker told him that a young man named Green had been to inquire for him; on which Strodtman said, that if Mr. Green returned, he should be informed that he would come back at one o'clock. Hence he went again to the White Horse inn, where he found the party, who told him that he had no orders to pay the money for the bill.

Having received this answer, he went to his lodgings, where he dined, and then went to the bank er's, in Lombard Street, where his master, Stein, with Mr. Green and another gentleman, were waiting for him. Mr. Stein asked him if he would go willingly to his house, or he carried by porters; and he replied, that he would go of his own accord. When he came there, he was asked some questions respecting the atrocious crimes of which

he had been guilty; but, persisting that he was innocent, he was searched, and the 201. bill found in his possession. They the inquired where he lodged; t which he answered, in Moorfields whereupon they all went thithet together, but the people denied his lodging there at that time.

Mr. Stein, finding him unwilling to speak the truth, told him that, if he would make a full discovery, he should be sent abroad out of the reach of justice. Hereupon 13 mentioned his real lodgings; oa which they went thither in a coach, and, finding the bills and other stolen effects, Strodtman was carried before Sir Humphrey Edwin, who committed him to Newgate on his own confession.

He was not tried at the first sessions after his commitment, and, in the interval that he lay in prison, some bad characters who were confined there prevailed on him, when he came to trial, to plead not guilty; a circumstance which he afterwards sincerely repented of. On his trial, however, there were so many cor. roborative proofs of his guilt, that the jury could not hesitate to convict him, and he received the sentence awarded by law.

While he was under sentence of death, his behaviour was remarkably contrite and penitent; and when the ordinary of Newgate acquainted him that the warrant for his execution was come down, aud that he would suffer in a few days, he said, "The Lord's will be done! I am willing to die, only I beg of God that I may not (as I deserve) die an eternal death; and that, though I die here, for my most heinous and enormous crimes, yet I may, for the love of Christ, live eternally with him in heaven :" to which he added, "God bless the king, and all my honorable judges: they have done

me no wrong, but it is I that have done great wrong. The Lord be merciful to me, a great sinner, else I perish!"

At times he seemed to despair, because he feared that his repentance was not equal to his guilt; but then again his mind was occasionally warmed with the hope that his pcnitence was such as would lead to salvation.

When at the place of execution, he acknowledged his crime, for which he professed the sincerest sorrow and repentance; he begged pardon of God for having endea. voured, with presumptuous lies, to conceal his guilt, which being punished in this world, his eternal punishment in the next might be avoided. He died full of contrition, penitence and hope; and suffered at Tyburn on the 18th June, 1701; and it was remarked that he kept his hand lifted up for a considerable time after the cart was drawn away.

There are some very remarkable circumstances in the case of Herman Strodtman, which are well worthy of observation. The prudence of the Dutch maid, who, when she observed the agitation of his mind, advised him to bear present evils with resolution, in the hope of future peace. The doctrine inculcated by this honest girl ought not to be despised even by the wisest of men.

Strodtman's resolution not to murder Wolter till he had received the sacrament has something shock. ingly striking in it. We are at once charmed and amazed at the influence religion has on the mind. A man is determined to commit murder, but will defer the fatal stroke till he thinks the soul of his adversary is properly prepared for eternity! Hence let parents be taught the necessity of impressing the precepts of religion on the minds of

their children. Even a man in the resolution of deliberate murder could not forget that there is a God to reward the pious as well as punish the wicked.

The influence of religion over this determined sinner, previous to the commission of the horrid act, must add a charm to the comfort we find in its true exercise. To religion more than to the terrors of the law do we owe our safety. The latter may be evaded, but a man cannot fly from his own conscience; which, though sometimes tardily, will ever lead to its own punishment.

Strodtman's master, Stein, going to Chatham, to inquire if he had been really impressed, and finding that he had not, is a good lesson against the sin of lying. Nothing is so easy as the detection of a liar; nothing more scandalous than the being liable to such detection.

Strodtman's going to church repeatedly, before and after the commission of the murder, are very striking circumstances, and combine with those above-mentioned to prove that it is impossible to root from the mind that regard for religion which should be planted in the years of infancy.

By Strodtman's going to receive the money for the bill of twenty pounds he took the readiest method to convict himself; for he might have been certain that, when the bill was missed, payment would be stopped: but thus it happens, in almost every instance, that villany defeats its own ends.

From the whole of this malefactor's case we may learn that the direct road to happiness is through the path of integrity; and that the indulgence of violent passions, whatever the provocation may be, is equally inconsistent with the laws of reason, and the doctrines of Christianity.

THIS unhappy woman was born at Reading, in Berkshire, and, when she was old enough to go to service, went to live with a grocer in that town. Mary being a girl of vivacity and genteel figure, she unfortunately attracted the regard of the grocer's son, and the consequence of their connexion became very conspicuous in a short time.

As soon as it was evident that she was pregnant, she was dismissed from her master's service, on which she immediately made oath that his was the father of the child thereafter to be born-a circumstance that compelled the old gentleman to support her till she was brought to bed.

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She had not been delivered long before she went to London, and entered into the service of a mercer in Cheapside, where, by prudent conduct, she might have retrieved the character she had forfeited in the country; for, though she had already suffered by her indiscretion, an intimacy soon subsisted between her master and herself; but, as their interviews could not conveniently be held at home, they contrived to meet on evenings at other places, when the mistress of the house was gone to the theatre, or out on a visit.

This connexion continued till the the girl was far advanced in her pregnancy, when the master, apprehensive of disagreeable consequences at home, advised the girl to quarrel with her mistress, in order that she might be dismissed, and then took a lodging for her at Hackney, where she remained till she was delivered; and in the mean time the connexion between her and her master continued as before.

Being brought to bed of a child that died in a few hours after its birth, the master thought himself happy, supposing he could easily free himself from the incumbrance of the mother, of whom he now be came heartily tired.

When the girl recovered from her lying-in, he told her that she must go to service, as it did not suit him to maintain her any longer; but this enraged her to the highest degree, and she threatened to discover the nature of their connexion to his wife, unless he would make her a present of twenty guineas; and with this demand he thought it prudent to comply, happy to get

rid of her even on such terms.

Being now in possession of money, and in no want of clothes in which to make a genteel appearance, she removed from Hackney to Wych Street, without Temple Bar, but was scarcely settled in her new lodgings before she sent a letter to the mercer's wife, whom she acquainted with the nature of the connexion that had subsisted between her late master and her. self; but she did not mention her place of abode in this letter.

The consequence was, that the mercer was obliged to acknowledge the crime of which he had been guilty, and solicit his wife's pardon in terms of the utmost humiliation, This pardon was promised, bui whether it was ever ratified remain a doubt.

Mrs. Adams had the advantage of an engaging figure, and, passing as a young woman in her new lodgings, she was soon married to a young fellow in the neighbourhood; but it was not long before he discovered the imposition that had

been practised on him, on which he embarked on board a ship in the royal navy.

By this time Mrs. Adams's money was almost expended; but, as her clothes were yet good, an attorney of Clement's Inn took her into keeping; and, after she had lived a short time with him, she went to another of the same profession, with whom she cohabited above two years; but on his marriage she was once more abandoned to the world. Fertile of invention, and too proud to condescend to accept of a common service, she became connected with a notorious bawd of Drury Lane, who was very glad of her assistance, and promised herself considerable advantage from the association. In this situation Mrs. Adams displayed her charms to considerable advantage, and was as happy as any common prostitute can expect to be: but alas! what is this happiness but a prelude to the extremity of misery and distress? Such indeed it was found by Mrs. Adams, who having been gratified by a gentleman with a considerable sum of money, the bawd quarreled with her respecting the dividing of it, and, a battle ensuing, our heroine was turned out of the house, after she had got a black eye in the contest.

After this she used to parade the Park in the day-time, and walk the streets in the evening, in search of casual lovers; at length she joined the practice of theft to that of incontinence, and few of her chance acquaintance escaped being robbed. She was often taken into custody for these practices, but continually escaped through defect of evidence. But an end was soon put to her depredations; for, having enticed a gentleman to a bagnio near Covent Garden, she p cked his pocket of all his money, and a bank note to

a large amount, and left him while he was asleep. When he awoke, he sent immediate notice to the Bank to stop payment; and, as Mrs. Adams came soon after to receive the money for the note, she was taken into custody, and lodged in prison; and, being in a short time tried at the Old Bailey, she was convicted, received sentence of death, and was executed at Tyburn, on the 16th of June, 1702.

After her conviction she lived in the same gay and dissipated manner that she had done before, and was visited by many of her former acquaintance, who supplied her with money to support her extravagance. Agreeable to her own request, too, their mistaken bounty contributed to purchase her a suit of mourning, in which she was executed; and they buried her in as handsome a manner as if her life had been conducted by the rules of virtue, and she had likewise been a woman of fortune.

The reflections naturally arising from this case are such as we hope may prove serviceable to our readers of both sexes. This young woman submitting to be debauched by her master's son, at Reading, laid the foundation of her ruin. Hence girls of her rank of life should be taught never to yield to unlawful solicitations: for when men above their own sphere pay addresses to them, it may reasonably be supposed that honorable marriage is not intended; and girls should always despise addresses of every other kind, and shun the deluder as they would a pestilence.

When Mary Adams got a reput able service in London, she had fair opportunity of recovering her character; and the moment her master attempted to seduce her she ought to have quitted her place. Her meanness afterwards,