waitedwithgreatimpatience,andunderthegreatestoppressions
ofspiritsimaginable,tillaboutfouro’clockhecametomy
apartment;forIhadobtainedthefavour,bythehelpofmoney,
nothingbeingtobedoneinthatplacewithoutit,nottobe
keptinthecondemnedhole,astheycallit,amongtherestof
theprisonerswhoweretodie,buttohavealittledirty
chambertomyself。
MyheartleapedwithinmeforjoywhenIheardhisvoiceat
thedoor,evenbeforeIsawhim;butletanyonejudgewhat
kindofmotionIfoundinmysoul,whenafterhavingmadea
shortexcuseforhisnotcoming,heshowedmethathistime
hadbeenemployedonmyaccount;thathehadobtaineda
favourablereportfromtheRecordertotheSecretaryofState
inmyparticularcase,and,inshort,thathehadbroughtme
areprieve。
Heusedallthecautionthathewasableinlettingmeknow
athingwhichitwouldhavebeenadoublecrueltytohave
concealed;andyetitwastoomuchforme;forasgriefhad
oversetmebefore,sodidjoyoversetmenow,andIfellinto
amuchmoredangerousswooningthanIdidatfirst,andit
wasnotwithoutagreatdifficultythatIwasrecoveredatall。
ThegoodmanhavingmadeaveryChristianexhortationto
me,nottoletthejoyofmyreprieveputtheremembranceof
mypastsorrowoutofmymind,andhavingtoldmethathe
mustleaveme,togoandenterthereprieveinthebooks,and
showittothesheriffs,stoodupjustbeforehisgoingaway,
andinaveryearnestmannerprayedtoGodforme,thatmy
repentancemightbemadeunfeignedandsincere;andthat
mycomingback,asitwere,intolifeagain,mightnotbea
returningtothefolliesoflifewhichIhadmadesuchsolemn
resolutionstoforsake,andtorepentofthem。
Ijoinedheartily
inthepetition,andmustneedssayIhaddeeperimpressions
uponmymindallthatnight,ofthemercyofGodinsparing
mylife,andagreaterdetestationofmypastsins,fromasense
ofthegoodnesswhichIhadtastedinthiscase,thanIhadin
allmysorrowbefore。
Thismaybethoughtinconsistentinitself,andwidefromthe
businessofthisbook;particularly,Ireflectthatmanyofthose
whomaybepleasedanddivertedwiththerelationofthewild
andwickedpartofmystorymaynotrelishthis,whichis
reallythebestpartofmylife,themostadvantageoustomyself,
andthemostinstructivetoothers。
Such,however,will,Ihope,
allowmethelibertytomakemystorycomplete。
Itwouldbe
aseveresatireonsuchtosaytheydonotrelishtherepentance
asmuchastheydothecrime;andthattheyhadratherthe
historywereacompletetragedy,asitwasverylikelytohavebeen。
ButIgoonwithmyrelation。
Thenextmorningtherewasa
sadsceneindeedintheprison。
ThefirstthingIwassaluted
withinthemorningwasthetollingofthegreatbellatSt。
Sepulchre’s,astheycallit,whichusheredintheday。
Assoon
asitbegantotoll,adismalgroaningandcryingwasheard
fromthecondemnedhole,wheretherelaysixpoorsoulswho
weretobeexecutedthatday,somefromonecrime,somefor
another,andtwoofthemformurder。
Thiswasfollowedbyaconfusedclamourinthehouse,among
theseveralsortsofprisoners,expressingtheirawkwardsorrows
forthepoorcreaturesthatweretodie,butinamannerextremely
differingonefromanother。
Somecriedforthem;somehuzzaed,
andwishedthemagoodjourney;somedamnedandcursedthose
thathadbroughtthemtoit——thatis,meaningtheevidence,or
prosecutors——manypityingthem,andsomefew,butveryfew,
prayingforthem。
Therewashardlyroomforsomuchcomposureofmindas
wasrequiredformetoblessthemercifulProvidencethathad,
asitwere,snatchedmeoutofthejawsofthisdestruction。
I
remained,asitwere,dumbandsilent,overcomewiththe
senseofit,andnotabletoexpresswhatIhadinmyheart;for
thepassionsonsuchoccasionsasthesearecertainlysoagitated
asnottobeablepresentlytoregulatetheirownmotions。
Allthewhilethepoorcondemnedcreatureswerepreparing
totheirdeath,andtheordinary,astheycallhim,wasbusy
withthem,disposingthemtosubmittotheirsentence——Isay,
allthiswhileIwasseizedwithafitoftrembling,asmuchas
IcouldhavebeenifIhadbeeninthesamecondition,astobe
surethedaybeforeIexpectedtobe;Iwassoviolentlyagitated
bythissurprisingfit,thatIshookasifithadbeeninthecold
fitofanague,sothatIcouldnotspeakorlookbutlikeone
distracted。
Assoonastheywereallputintocartsandgone,
which,however,Ihadnotcourageenoughtosee——Isay,as
soonastheyweregone,Ifellintoafitofcryinginvoluntarily,
andwithoutdesign,butasameredistemper,andyetsoviolent,
anditheldmesolong,thatIknewnotwhatcoursetotake,
norcouldIstop,orputachecktoit,no,notwithallthe
strengthandcourageIhad。
Thisfitofcryingheldmeneartwohours,and,asIbelieve,
heldmetilltheywerealloutoftheworld,andthenamost
humble,penitent,seriouskindofjoysucceeded;arealtransport
itwas,orpassionofjoyandthankfulness,butstillunableto
giveventtoitbywords,andinthisIcontinuedmostpartof
theday。
Intheeveningthegoodministervisitedmeagain,andthen
felltohisusualgooddiscourses。
Hecongratulatedmyhaving
aspaceyetallowedmeforrepentance,whereasthestateof
thosesixpoorcreatureswasdetermined,andtheywerenow
pasttheoffersofsalvation;heearnestlypressedmetoretain
thesamesentimentsofthethingsoflifethatIhadwhenIhad
aviewofeternity;andattheendofalltoldmeIshouldnot
concludethatallwasover,thatareprievewasnotapardon,
thathecouldnotyetanswerfortheeffectsofit;however,I
hadthismercy,thatIhadmoretimegivenme,andthatitwas
mybusinesstoimprovethattime。
Thisdiscourse,thoughveryseasonable,leftakindofsadness
onmy
heart,asifImightexpecttheaffairwouldhavea
tragicalissuestill,which,however,hehadnocertaintyof;
andIdidnotindeed,atthattime,questionhimaboutit,he
havingsaidthathewoulddohisutmosttobringittoagood
end,andthathehopedhemight,buthewouldnothaveme
besecure;andtheconsequenceprovedthathehadreasonfor
whathesaid。
ItwasaboutafortnightafterthisthatIhadsomejustapprehensions
thatIshouldbeincludedinthenextdeadwarrantattheensuing
sessions;anditwasnotwithoutgreatdifficulty,andatlasta
humblepetitionfortransportation,thatIavoidedit,soillwas
Ibeholdingtofame,andsoprevailingwasthefatalreportof
beinganoldoffender;thoughinthattheydidnotdomestrict
justice,forIwasnotinthesenseofthelawanoldoffender,
whateverIwasintheeyeofthejudge,forIhadneverbeen
beforetheminajudicialwaybefore;sothejudgescouldnot
chargemewithbeinganoldoffender,buttheRecorderwas
pleasedtorepresentmycaseashethoughtfit。
Ihadnowacertaintyoflifeindeed,butwiththehardconditions
ofbeingorderedfortransportation,whichindeedwashard
conditioninitself,butnotwhencomparativelyconsidered;
andthereforeIshallmakenocommentsuponthesentence,
noruponthechoiceIwasputto。
Weshallallchooseanything
ratherthandeath,especiallywhen’tisattendedwithan
uncomfortableprospectbeyondit,whichwasmycase。
Thegoodminister,whoseinterest,thoughastrangertome,
hadobtainedmethereprieve,mournedsincerelyforthispart。
Hewasinhopes,hesaid,thatIshouldhaveendedmydays
undertheinfluenceofgoodinstruction,thatIshouldnothave
beenturnedlooseagainamongsuchawretchedcrewasthey
generallyare,whoarethussentabroad,where,ashesaid,I
musthavemorethanordinarysecretassistancefromthegrace
ofGod,ifIdidnotturnaswickedagainasever。
Ihavenotforagoodwhilementionedmygoverness,who
hadduringmost,ifnotall,ofthispartbeendangerouslysick,
andbeinginasnearaviewofdeathbyherdiseaseasIwas
bymysentence,wasagreatpenitent——Isay,Ihavenotmentioned
her,norindeeddidIseeherinallthistime;butbeingnow
recovering,andjustabletocomeabroad,shecametoseeme。
Itoldhermycondition,andwhatadifferentfluxandreflux
oftearsandhopesIhadbeenagitatedwith;ItoldherwhatI
hadescaped,anduponwhatterms;andshewaspresentwhen
theministerexpressedhisfearsofmyrelapsingintowickedness
uponmyfallingintothewretchedcompaniesthataregenerally
transported。
IndeedIhadamelancholyreflectionuponitin
myownmind,forIknewwhatadreadfulgangwasalways
sentawaytogether,andIsaidtomygovernessthatthegood
minister’sfearswerenotwithoutcause。
’Well,well,’says
she,
’butIhopeyouwillnotbetemptedwithsuchahorridexample
asthat。’
Andassoonastheministerwasgone,shetoldmeshe
wouldnothavemediscouraged,forperhapswaysandmeans
mightbefoundouttodisposeofmeinaparticularway,by
myself,ofwhichshewouldtalkfurthertomeafterward。
Ilookedearnestlyather,andIthoughtshelookedmorecheerful
thansheusuallyhaddone,andIentertainedimmediatelya
thousandnotionsofbeingdelivered,butcouldnotformylife
imagethemethods,orthinkofonethatwasintheleastfeasible;
butIwastoomuchconcernedinittolethergofrommewithout
explainingherself,which,thoughshewasverylothtodo,yet
myimportunityprevailed,and,whileIwasstillpressing,she
answeredmeinafewwords,thus:
’Why,youhavemoney,
haveyounot?
Didyoueverknowoneinyourlifethatwas
transportedandhadahundredpoundsinhispocket,I’llwarrant
you,child?’saysshe。
Iunderstoodherpresently,buttoldherIwouldleaveallthat
toher,butIsawnoroomtohopeforanythingbutastrict
executionoftheorder,andasitwasaseveritythatwas
esteemedamercy,therewasnodoubtbutitwouldbestrictly
observed。
Shesaidnomorebutthis:
’Wewilltrywhatcan