wickednesse with perfect hatred and rue the persons with christeÌ modestie knowing that with what measure we met vnto others with the same shall it be moten to vs agayne Finally let al folkes both maried and vnmaried learne hereby to possesse and kéepe their vessell in honestie and cleannesse For if the knot betwene man and wife whiche ought to be inseparable be once broken it is seldome or neuer knit again And though it be yet is not the wound so throughly healed but there appéereth some skarre euer after But if the sore rancle fester inwardly as commonly it doth except the more grace of God be in the end it bursteth forth to the destructioÌ or hurt of both parties not lightly without great harme to others also besides themselues as we sée by this example For when the body which was dedicated to God to be his temple and the tabââ¦rnacle of his holy spirite is become the sinke of sinne and cage of vncleannesse the deuill ceasseth not to driue the parties still headlong vnto naughtinesse till they be falne eyther into open shame and daunger of temporall law or into damnable destruction both of body soule according as Salomon in his Prouerbes sayth that the steps of a harlot leade downe vnto death and hir feete perce euen vnto hell Therefore good reader so heare and reade this present example as the same may turne to the bettering of thy state and not to occasion of slaunder nor to the hurt of thine owne conscience nor to the offence of thy Christian brethren Farewell A. G. Anne Saunders confession as she spake it at the place of execution GOod people I am come hither to die the deathe wherevnto I am adiudged as worthely as deseruedly as euer died any I had a good husband by whom I had manie children with whom I liued in wealth might haue done stil had not the deuill kindled in my hearte first the hellish firebrand of vnlawfull lust afterward a murtherous intent to procure my saide husbande to be bereued of his life which was also by my wicked meanes accomplished as to the world is known And as I woulde if he coulde heare me if it might be prostrate vpon the ground at my husbands feete aske mercy with plentiful teares of him so that which I may I oughte to doe I aske mercye of God I aske mercie of all men and women of the world whoÌ by my deede example I haue offended and especiallye I bewaile my husbande aske mecie of my childreÌ whoÌe I haue beraued of so good a father I aske mercy of his kindred and frendes whome I haue hurt of all my frends kindred of whom I am abashed and ashamed and beyng of my selfe vnworthy of pittie yet I besech them all you all all the whole worlde euen for gods sake and for our sauiour Christs sake to forgiue me And I thank God with my whole harte he hathe not suffered me to haue the reigne and bridle of sinning gyuen me at my will to the daunger of my eternall damnatioÌ but that he hath founde out my sin brought me to punishment in this world by his fatherly correctioÌ to amend to spare and saue me in the world to come I beseche him graunte me his heauenly grace that all who do behold or shall heare of my death maye by the example therof be frayed from like sinning And I besech you all to pray for me and with me The Prayer whiche was said by Anne Saunders at the place of execution the copie wherof she deliuered vnto the right honourable the Eââ¦rle of Bedforde AS I doe confesse vvyth great sorrovv O deare ââ¦ather that I haue grieuously and oftentimes inned againste heauen and against thee am ââ¦vvorthy to be called thy daughter so O deare Father I acknovvledge thy mercy thy grace and loue tovvards me most vvretched sinner offred me in my Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christe in vvhom thou giuest me an hearte to repent And by repentance hast put away my sinnes and throvvne them into the bottome of the Sea O deare Father encrease and continue this grace vntill the ende and in the ende I testifie this day O Lord my God thy loue O Lorde thy sauing health is liââ¦e euerlasting and ioy vvithout end and bicause thou hast touched my sinfull heart vvith the ãâ¦ã pleasure of my sinne and vvith a deâ⦠of thy kingdome O deare Father ãâã thy Christes sake as I hope thou vvilt so I beseeche thee to finishe that good vvorke in me Suffer me not mercifull and louing Father to be troubled vvith death vvhen it layeth holde on me nor vvith the loue of life vvhen it shal be taken avvay O Lorde novve as thou hast so still lifte vp my soule as it vvere vvith an eagles vvings vnto Heauen there to beholde thee Lorde into thy hands I commit my body that it be not troubled in death and my soule that it see not damnation Come Lorde Iesu come assiste me vvith thy holy spirite a vveake vvomaÌ in a strong battell come Lord Iesu come quickly saue thy hand maide that putteth hir trust in thee behold me in Christ receiue me in christ in vvhose name I pray saying Our Father c. Anne SauÌders dying to the world and liuing to God. After this she also said a godly Prayer out of the Serice boke which is vsed to be said at the hour of death note of a certaine saying vvhich Master Saunders had lefte written with his owne hand in his studie CHriste shal be magnified in my body whither it be thorough life or else death For Christe is too me life and death is too me aduauntage These wordes were M. Nowels Theame which he preached at the buriall of my brother Haddon vpon Thursday beyng y xxv day of ãâã Anno. Do. 1570. Anno. Rââ¦ginae Elizabeth 13. AmoÌg other things which he preÌached this saying of his is to be had alwayes in remembrance that is that we must all when we come to pray first accuse and coÌdemne our selues for our sinnes committed against God before the seate of hys Iustice and then after cleaue vnto him by faythe in the mercy and merites of our Sauioure and Redéemer Iesus Christ whereby we are assured of eternall saluation
protested howbeit vntruly y mistres Saunders was not priuie nor coÌsentyng thervnto Upon this confessioÌ he was arrââ¦igned at y Kings Bench in Westminââer ââ¦l on friday y xvij of April wher acknowledging himself guiltie he was coÌdemned as Principall of the murther of master Saunâââs according to whiche sentence he was executed in Smithfield on monday the. xx of the same moneth at whiche tyme thoughe vntruely as she hir selfe ââ¦ssed afterwarde he laboured by all mâ⦠to cleare mistresse Saunders of coÌmitting eââ¦il of hir bodie with him and afterward waâ⦠hanged ãâã in chââ¦s ââ¦Ã©ere vnto the place where he hadde ãâã the ãâã Thus much ãâã the very case of the murther it ãâã and ãâã ãâã of the principall doeâ⦠ãâã ãâã As for the aââ¦knowledgement of the former wickââ¦dnesse of his life and the heartie ãâã that he pretended for the same ãâã to his ãâã death I deferce them to the ãâã parte of this matter to whiche pââ¦ce ãâã ãâã do more peculiarly peâ⦠In the ãâã time mystresse Drevvrie and hir man béeing examined and as well by their owne confessions as by the falling outâ⦠of the matter in consequeÌce and also by Brownââ¦s appeachment thought culpable were committed to warde And anone after ãâã Saunders béeing deliuered of childe chââ¦rched for at the time of hir husbands death she looked presently to lye doââ¦e was vpon mistresse Drewries mans confession and vpon other great likelyhoodes and presumptions likewise committed to warde and ââ¦n wednesday the sixth of May arreigned with mistresse Drewrie at the Guilde hall the effecte of whââ¦se seuerall inditements is this That they had by a letter written bene procurers of the sayde murther and so accessaries before the fact And knowing the murther done had by money and otherwise relieââ¦ed and béene ayding to the murtherer and so accessaries also after the facte Whervnto they both of them pleaded not giltie And mistresse Saunders notwithstanding the auouchement of mistresse Drewries man face to face and the great probabilities of the euidence giuen in against hir by master Geffrey the Quéenes Maiesties Serieant stoode so stoutly sââ¦il to the deniall of all things in which stoute deniall she continued also a certayne tyme after hir condemnation that some were brought in a blinde beliefe that either she was not giltie at al or else had but brought hir selfe in danger of lawe through ignorance and not through pretenced malice Howbeit forasmuche as bare ⪠doââ¦all is no sufficient barre to discharge manyfest matter and apparant euidence they were both condemned as accessaries to master Saunders death and executed in Smithââ¦ld the thirteenth of May beeing the wednesday iâ⦠the Whitson weeke at whiche time they both of them confessed them selues guiltis of the facte for which they were condemned and with verye greate repentaunce and weakenesse receyued the rewarde of their trespasse in the presence of many personages of honor and worship and of so great a number of people as the like hathe not bene séene there togither in any mans remeââ¦braunce For almoste the whole fielde and all the way from newgate was as full of folke as coulde well stande one by another and besides that great companies were placed bothe in the chambers neere abouts whose windowes walles were in many places beaten down to looke out at and also vpon the gutters sides and toppes of the houses and vpon the battlements and stéeple of S. Bartholmewes Mistresse Drewries man was arreignéd at Newgate on Friday the. viâ⦠of Maye being there condemned as accessarie was executed with his mistresse at the time and place aforesayd Thus haue ye heard the murthering of master Saunders with the apprehension arreignement condemnation and execution of the principall and of the accessaries to the same Now let vs procéede to the incidents that haââ¦ed from the times of their apprehensions to the time of their deathes and so to the adââ¦ion which is the conclusion and fruite of this whole matter Whereas it was determined that mistresse Saunders mistresse Drewrie should haue suffered ⪠vpon the ãâã saterday after their condemnation whiche was Whitson euen the matter was stayde till the wednesday in Whitson wéeke vpon these occasions ensuing The booke of Maister ââ¦ders accomptes and reckenings whervpon depended the knowlege of his whole state was myssing Certaine summes of money were saydâ⦠to be in the handes of parties vnknowne the intelligence whereof was desyred and sought for to the beââ¦e of master Saunders children The parties coââ¦ted were to be reformed to Godwarde and to be broughte to the willing confessing of the things for whiche they had bene iustly condemned and whiche as yet they ââ¦natly concealed And besides al this one Mell a minister that had heretofore ben suspended from his Ministerie accompanying mistresse Saunders from hir condemnation to Newgate and conferring with hir as it had bene to giue hir good counsell and comforte was so blynded wyth hir solemne asseuerations and protestations of innocencie that notwithstanding he had heard hir inditement with the exact and substantiall triall of hir case yet notwithstandyng he perswaded himselfe that she was vtterly cléere and thereuppon falling in loue with hir dealte with mistresse Dââ¦e to take the whole guilt vpon hir selfe vndertaking to sue for mistresse Saunders pardon And so what by his terrifying of hir with the horroure of mischarging and caââ¦ing away of an innocent what with his promising of certayne money to the mariage of hir daughter and with other perswasions she was so wholly woonne that way that as wel before certaine personages of honour as also before the Deane of Paules others she vtterly cléered mistresse Saunders of the facte or of coÌsent to the same taking the wholâ⦠blame thereof to hir selfe and ãâã to stande therin to the death contrarie to hir former confession at the tyme of hir arrââ¦ement Mistresse Saunders also after the laying of this platte stoode so stoutely to hir tackling that when the Deane of Paules gaue hir godly exhortation for the clearing of hir conscience and for the recoÌciling of hir selfe vnto God as the time and case most needefully required as other had done before he could obtayne nothing at hir hande By meanes whereof he was ââ¦ayne to leaue hir that time which was the Friday not without great griefe and indignation of mind to sée hir ãâã ãâã In the meane while the sayâ⦠Mell discouering his purpose and whole platforme to an honest Gentleman whom he vnskilfully toke to haue bin a welwiller to obtayne the pardon of mistresse Saunders was partly by that meanes and also by other ãâã of his ãâã cut off from his enterprise For when he came to sue for hir pardon which thing he did with such outrage of doting affection that he not only proffered suÌmes of mony but also offered his owne body life for the safety of the woman whom he protested vpon his conscience to be vââ¦ilty The Lordes of the counsell knowing hir to be rightly coÌdemned by
good iustice and being ãâã to the state of the case beforehââ¦nd and also finding him out by his owne vnwise ãâã whereof among other one was thââ¦t he inteÌded to marie hir not only frustrated his desire but also adiudged him to stande vpon the pillorie with apparant notes and significations of his lewde and ãâã ãâã According to the which ãâã ãâã ⪠he was set ãâã a ãâã ãâã the place of execution at the tyme of theyr suffering with a paper pinned vpon hys breast wherein were written certain wordes in great Letters conteyning the effects of his fact to his open shame ãâã For practising to colour the detestable factes of George Saunders wife Which was a very good lesson to teache all persons to refrayne froÌ any deuises or practises to deface or discredite the honorable procéedings of Counsellours and publike lawfull forme of trialles and iudgementes according to Justice or to hinder the beneficiall course of so good examples By this occasion Mistresse Sanders was vtterly vnprouided to die at that time and therfore as well in respect of mercie as for the considerations aforesaid a further respite was giuen to them vnwitting and a repriuie was sent by M. Mack williams for a time if neede were In the meane time that is to wit vpon the saturday morning the constant reporte goeth that as certaine men came talking through Newgate one happened to speake lowde of the gallowes that was set vp and of the greatnesse and strongnes of the same saying ââ¦t would hold them both and moe the sounde of whiche wordes did so pierce into the watchfull eares of mistresse Saunders who lay nearehand that being striken to the heart with the horror of the present death which she loked for that day she went immediatly to mistresse Drewrie and telling hir that she knew certainely by the wordes which she had heard that they should by all likelihode be executed that day asked hir if she would stand to hir former promise But mistresse Drewrie after better consideration of hir selfe counselling hir to fall to playne and simple dealing telling hiâ⦠that for hir owne parte she was fully determined not to dissemble any longer nor to hazarde hir owne soule eternally for the safetie of an other bodies temporall life Then Mistresse Saunders who had determined to acknowledge nothing agaynst hir selfe so long as she might bee in any hope of life howbeit that she always purposed to vtter the truth whensoeuer she should come to the instant of death as she hir self confââ¦sed afterward being striken both with feare and remorse did by the aduise of master Coââ¦e who laboured verie earnestly with hir to bring hir to repentance and was come to hir verye early that morning because it was thought they shoulde haue bene executed presently send for the Deane of Paules agayne and bewayling hir former stubburnes declared vnto him and master Cole master Charke and master Yong that shée had giuen hir consent and procurement to hir husbandes death through vnlawfull luste and liking that she had to Brown confessing hir sinfulnesse of life committed with him and humbly submitting hirselfe to hir deserued punishment besought them of spirituall comfort and councell which thing they were glad to perceyue and therevpon employed their trauell to do them good and laboured very painfully to instruct them aright for God wote they founde all the thrée prisoners very rawe and ignorant in all things perteyning to God to their soule health yea and euen in the very principles of the Christen religion Neuerthelesse through Gods good working with their labour they recouered them out of Sathans kingdome vnto Christ insomuch that besides their voluntary acknowledging of their late heinous fact they also detested the former sinfulnesse of their life and willingly yelded to the death which they had shunned vttering such certaine tokens of their vnfayned repentance by all kinde of modestie méekenesse as no greater could be deuised For Mistresse Saunders the same day sent for hir husbands brothers and their wiues and kinsfolke that were in the towne whiche came vnto hir the day before hir death in whose presence she knéeling mildely on hir knées with abundance of sorrowful teares desired them of forgiuenesse for bereuing them of their deare brother and friende wherevnto master Saunders the Lawyer in the name of them al answered that as they were very soriâ⦠both for the losse of theyr friend and also for hir heinous fault so they heartily forgaue ââ¦ir and in token thereof knéeled downe altogyther praying to GOD wyth hir and for hir that hée also woulde remitte hir sinne Besides this pitiful submission she also bewayled hir offence towardes hir owne kinred whome she had stayned by hir trespas and towardes the whole worlde ãâã she had offended by hir crime but especially hir children whome she had not onely berââ¦fte bothe of father and mother but also lefte them a coarsie and shame Wherfore after exhortation giuen to suche of them as were of any capacitie and discretion that they shoulde feare God and learne by hir fall to auoyde sinne she gaue eche of those a booke of maister Bradfordes meditations wherin she desired the foresayd thrée preachers to write some admonition as they thought good Whiche doone she subscribed them with these wordes Youre ââ¦orowfull mother Anne Saunders And so blessing theÌ in the name of God of our Sauior Iesus Christ she sent theÌ away out of hir sorowfull sight and gaue hir selfe wholly to the settling of hir grieued heart to the quiet receiuing of the bitter cup which she dranke of the nexte day as ââ¦ath bene tolde before Howbeit without doubt to hir euerlasting comforte And mistresse Drewrie no lesse carefull of hir owne state besides hir humble repentance in the prison and hir earnest desiring of the people to pray for hir selfe and the others with hir as they came toward execucution did vpon the Carte not onely confesse hir giltinesse of the facte as mistresse Saunders had don but also with great lowlinesse and reuerence first knéeling downe towards the Earle of Bedforde and other noble men that were on horssbacke on the East side of the stage tooke it vpon hir death that whereas it had bin reported of hir that she had poysoned hir late husbande Master Drewrie and dealt with witchcraft and sorcerie and also appeached diuers merchante mens wiues of dissolute and vnchast liuing she had done none of all those thinges but was vtterlie cleare bothe to God and the worlde of all suche manner of dealing And then with like obeysance turning hir ââ¦fe to the ââ¦arle of ãâã who was in a chamber behinde hir she protested vnto him before God that whereas she had bene reported to haue bene the cause of separation betwixte him and my Lady his wyfe she neither procured nor consented to any suche thing But otherwise wheras in the time of hir seruice in his house she had offended him in neglecting or contemning hir duetie she acknowledged hir