Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A25179
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An Account of the execution and last dying speeches of Thomas Watson and Thomas Gourdon who were executed (the one for murthering his wife and the other for high-treason) on Kenington-Common in the county of Surry, the 19th of March, 1687 : together with a true coppy of a paper left by Tho. Watson in order to be published and recommended by him at the place of execution to the spectators as the real sense of what he further designed or intended to say or leave at his going out of this world &c. ...
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1687
(1687)
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Wing A288_VARIANT; ESTC R27084
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7,230
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4
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An ACCOUNT OF THE EXECUTION And Last Dying SPEECHES Of Thomas Watson and Thomas Gourdon Who where Executed the one for Murthering his Wife and the other for High-Treason on Kenington-Common in the County of Surry the 19th of March 1687. Together with a True Coppy of a Paper left by Tho. Watson in order to be Published and and Recommended by him at the place of Execution to the Spectators as the real Sense of what he further designed or intended to say or leave at his going out of this World c. Being Written with his own Hand in the Marshalsea Prison OF the four Persons who Received Sentence of Death at the last Lenten-Assizes held at St. Margarets-Hill in Southwark for the County of Surry two received a Gracious Reprieve and the other two viz. Thomas Watson Condemned for Killing Mary Watson his Wife by giving her a Mortal Wound with his Bionet and Thomas Geurdon for Clipping and Defacing the Currant Coin of this Kingdom were this 19th of March 1687. Conveyed to Kennington Common the place appointed for their Execution the First in a Cart and the Latter on a Sledge where being arrived about Eleven of the Clock in the Morning Gourdon was taken out of the Sledge and put into the Cart where Watson was and being both of them Tyed up in the usual manner Watson after he had delivered the Books he had brought with him together with his Hat Cravat and some other things of the like Nature to his Friends who attended in a Coach was asked if he intended to say any thing to the People in Relation to the Circumstances he was under who replyed he designed to say something as he hoped for the good of the Spectators who came to be Witnesses of his unhappy End and thereupon having declared that he had left the particulars of what he intended to say in Writing with a Woman a Friend of his in order to be Printed for the General Good and Satisfaction of the publick he proceeded in this manner I Beseech you good People who come to see my shameful and Ignominious End and Death which I little expected one day to come too that you would take warning and not give way to Passion which many times makes Men do what they least design for when a Man is inraged the Devil many times prevails against him with his Temptations As for my part I did no more design to Act the Crime for which I suffer than to do hurt to my own Heart but what I did I did out of a sudden Rashness and I hope in Christ Jesus I shall find Pardon for it After this he told the Minister and the under Sheriff c. that what else he thought convenient to make publick as afore-said he had left in the hands of his Friend with a desire it should be Printed and Published and repeated the same with a loud Voice to the People that came to be Spectators of his unhappy End appearing very sensible of his Offence which was observed by his many Expressions of the Detestation and Abhorrence he conceived thereat and earnest desires that God would of his infinite Mercy be pleased to forgive and pardon him for so offending Thomas Gourdon being desired to declare himself as to what he stood Condemned said that many before him had been brought to the like Death he he was to undergo for the like Crimes that he stood charged withall but his Wishes and earnest Desires were that he might be the last and that he trusted in Jesus Christ that he should find a Pardon for his sins and thereupon fell to praying sometimes with an audible voice and at other times to himself then the Minister who attended this business prayed with them a considerable time after which being demanded if they had any thing more to say in order to the easement or disburthening of their minds they answering they had nothing more to say to the people whereupon the Executioner having orders to drive away the Cart they were turned off After the Bodys had hung the space of half an hour or somewhat more they were taken down and delivered to their Friends who attended with two Coffins in order to dispose of them according to their discression The true Coppy under Thomas Watson's own hand and Written by him in Prison take as followeth AFter my condemnation having a true Sense of my sad Estate I bitterly lamented my sins and loathed my self for them especially as they were against a Good and Gracious God According to Psal 31.4 and 15.4 I was deeply sensible of and grieved for the Corruption of my heart from whence my actual sins did proceed According to Psal 51.5 I Mourned over my Back slidings because God was thereby dishonoured I found it hard to believe yet I resolved I would call upon God and relye upon the Merrits of Christ alone for Salvation saying if I perish I will perish at the Fountain of Mercy I was much in a little time in Dutys yet I professed to my self I saw the insufficiency of them to justifie or save me as in Phil. 3.9 I made choice of Christ before all before Life it self According to Phil. 3.8 I longed for the Morning when I was to Die because I desired to be with Christ According to Phil. 1.23 I greatly loved God because much was forgiven me According to Luk. 7.47 and said though I should fail before him yet I would trust in him I loved the Company of Gods people and professed I would rather be with them in Prison with Bread and Water than with the ungodly at liberty with the greatest Dainties According to the 1 Joh. 3.14 I Besought God that he would ever give me a heart to think it better to be in Chains and brought to Dye than to go on in sin I was broken and melted for my sins when those that came to visit me were gone from me and not in their presence yet this was sometimes my trouble least God should loose the Glory he had wrought in me I Weep'd for joy at the time when I conceived that God loved me forasmuch as I was not sinning against him as others were and I my self had formerly done for I found and tasted more sweetness in the ways of God and in praying and mourning for forgiveness of my sin than ever I found in the committing of them I counted sin to be worse than Death or Hell I looked upon the loss of God more than the torments of the latter and feared it more nay I praised God because in the Grave I should sin no more and thus I comforted my self in misery advising all to Watch and Pray that they might not enter into Temptation and be guilty of the like sins which I had committed but prayed that my fellow Convicts might recieve the like Consolation my Repentance had wrought in me Written by me Thomas Watson with my own Hand in the Marshalsea After I had thus far improved my time I