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