T is reported she should say She knew she should be Damned but not for this Crime Exon March 30 1676. Sir Yours to love and serve you in our Lord Jesus What ever the effect and Fruit of their labors was she gave them this ensuing Confession which one of those Reverend Ministers that panted after her Souls Salvation took from her mouth and hath Cloathed it in these words The Ingenious and true Confession of Anne Evans concerning the horrid and cruel Murder of Elizabeth Weeks and Mary Pengelley ENvy being once at the height it put in Execution with a Witness This Nurse having by some means caused her Husband to receive words from her Mistris he was pleased to be very angry with his Wise for the same and withal threatens her to leave her And departed for a Fortnights time whereupon began an hatching of this Barbarous action by the said Nurse saying she would fit her for it for she her Mistris was the cause of her Husbands going from her as she said and endeavored to put it in practise with perswading the said Anne Evans to go to Master Mathews the Apothecary for Ratsbane telling her she should ask it for the poysoning of Rats and Mice saying it will do her work in as short a time as one might go to the Gate and back again and then they should live as merry as the days were long when the old Devil was gone Saying she knew one who was poysoned in as little time with it and some Cream Whereupon like a true and Faithful Servant the said Anne Evans refuseth and rejects the said sayings and would by no means do it Here we must stop a while and give you to understand how much this poor Creature lived in fear of the Nurse and by that means neglected the discovery of it to the destroying of her Body â—ut 〈◊〉 hot 〈…〉 the destroying of her Soul For there is mercy with the Lord that he may be Feared Now the Devil having once got hold on her Heart neglects no opportunities but puts her on it with great subtilties and invention The Nurse laying as it is supposed by all circumstances a clean Paper twisted at both ends with Poyson in it in the path of the Garden knowing that this Anne Evans was to go forth to gather Herbs to put into the Pot according to her Mistresses command she finds the Paper lying in her way which she took up and brought in and shews it to this Nurse again asking her what it was who pretended she knew not and with all bidding her put it out of her hand the Nurse eyed her where she lay'd it which was in the Kitchin on a shelf Going afterward to the Conduit for Water at her return it came into her mind to look on that thing once more which she had taken up in the Garden and it was gone off from the shelf which no body else could take but the said Nurse for it was at Eight of the Clock at night and no body there but she Then the said Anne Evans saw her grinding it on the Harth with Two Tiles and demanding her what she was doing she cryed Peace we shall have brave sport if you will but put this into the old Womans Dish She through her enticements and strong perswasions not knowing what it was or that the end of it would be death being not willing to have her displeasure For she lived in great fear of offending the Nurse because she was in great favor with the young Mistress thinking that if she did not consent to her request she should fare the worse for it And further the said Anne Evans doth testifie that the same Sunday she was sent for some drink which she brought to the Nurse and the Nurse did Warm it and put a bit of Bread into it and drank up a good draught of it and filled it up again afterward with other drink in which she had steeped some of that Powder all night and gave it to the old Mistriss to drink Here is a Consession Harmonical with that she made formerly she varied nothing from first to last in it So that as the Serpent drew in Eve in like manner did this wicked Nurse beguile this poor Maid into the transgression ON Wednesday the 29. of March they left Exon and were brought on Horseback to Plymouth in order to their execution At the Bridg end as they were coming out of the City that vile Woman was heard to lay unto the Hangman boastingly That she had known many Men in her life and used several other obscene expressions that I will not soil my Paper nor make my Reader blush at the Relation of them In their journey the Girl was very pensive cared for little or no refreshment and at the last place where they baited being desired to take some sustenance she replied There was other work for her than to eat or drink she had a Soul to save would look wholly after that and no more care for her Body which should neither eat nor drink more in this world The Nurse was of a far different temper and deportment far from seriousness or thoughts of Death and Eternity The Executioner was her Husband and if he had not defiled her they are both abominably wronged Now they return again to Plymouth At their entrance they are attended by Thousands of People Persons of all Age and Quality ran to meet them They are gazed at as so many Monsters Every one passeth his censure on them some with bowels of pitty on the poor Girl scarce any one hath Charity for the Nurse They went from this Town with their sin and under guilt They return unto it with shame and sorrow and under wrath Being conducted unto their Chamber the Reverend and Learned Ministers of Plymouth Dr. Ashton Mr. Collings and Mr. Read visits them and discourse with them but the Throng of Spectators was so great that for the present much good could not be done by them Yet so strong a flame of divine love toward the Souls of these condemned wretches was kindled in the hearts of those grave Divines that they return again unto them after Ten and though late at night yet spent a considerable space of time in Religious conferences with them and muster up all their arguments to induce that obstinate sinner the Nurse to confess and forsake the Devil and to accept of Gods tender mercies But the flinty Rock will sooner gush out with Waters and the Adamant be broken to pieces by the Hammer than her unmoveable Soul utter forth one Syllable of guilt Heart-work is hard work None but the Divine and Omnipotent Arm can unlock it's Doors or break its Bars in pieces With the Maid they had no difficulty she owneth and confesseth all Her desires are for mercy at the hands of God acknowledging she deserved and expected none from Men. They conclude their charitable Visit with seeking God the Reverend Doctor praying most fervently for
whom she might Communicate it and have the benefit of their Assistance Counsels and Directions in order to her Salvation That it was impossible for her to get to Heaven without it Confession being a main and principal ingredient into Repentance To this she answered positively she would not and as peremptorily that it was enough to confess to God and why should she confess unto men I told her God required in publick scandalous and crying Crimes such as those whereof she was Guilty and especially now the lot of God had attached her and his holy righteous providence had condemned her that she should confess accuse shame and condemn her self publickly That otherwise she slandered most unworthily the Right Honorable Judge and the whole Court and endeavored to raise up a base and scandalous suspition of them as if they had maliciously took away her life To which she in plain terms said They had she was Innocent and they must answer for it unto God I told her I heard the Devil speaking with her tongue and was afraid to stay with her any longer least the should tear her in a Thousand pieces before me I had known many hard-hearted Murderers this Thirteen years last past in this Goal but never before met with the like That I saw she was resolved to be Damned and go to Hell And I was seriously perswaded that since so many Ministers had been with her and treated with her about everlasting life to no purpose and that all my poor endeavors were unsuccesful that God would never grant her Grace to repent but that she was a Vessel of wrath and preparing her self a pace for endless destruction At these words she began to weep and wept bitterly wringing her hands crying Oh! Sir What shall I do Will you have me speak that which I do not know I am Innocent Well woman said I if you be Innocent as to this Crime tell me are you not Guilty of some other Capital Crime deserving death For though the Lord may suffer an Innocent person to undergo an unjust Sentence from men yet if he have any Grace he will own the Justice of God in mans injustice It is rare very rare indeed that God the Wise and Righteous Governor of the World suffers the Innocent to be Condemned and the Guilty absolved but if he do is there not a Cause for it Were I in your Case I would say unto the Lord do not Condemn me shew me wherefore thou contendest with me Come unrip your heart and tell me what sins thou hast been Guilty of that though you need no Repentance for this Murder for which as you say you are unjustly Condemned yet you may be holpen unto Repentance for them Sir I know no sin at all that I am Guilty of is her reply No Sir none at all Ah! poor wretch Guilty of no sin Is not thy nature depraved Hath not thy life been debauched How hast thou improved thy time here in Prison In Prayers Repentance and preparation for death Still she answers No sin deserving death It may be she had committed some little sins as all others do but for sins deserving death she never had committed any I told her she was a perfect stranger to her own heart that she was full of sin all over but blind and could not see them that her little sins were all damnable and as she knew one drop of Poyson would kill as bad as a Spoonful so one little sin without Repentance would as infallibly Damn her as the greatest that for my part I did utterly despair of her Salvation seeing the Devil to be so strong in her that she was in the Gall of bitterness and bond of Iniquity and seared that she would go to Hell with a lye in her mouth she was now pleasing the Devil and thought she had found his Service so profitable and beneficial to her that she was resolved to serve him to the last and to hear the Lord Thunder in her Ears Go Thou Cursed Murderess into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels for ever At this she wept again and told me she was a poor * Ignorant Ingrant Soul But she hoped it would not be so bad with her as I spake I told her it was my hearts desire it might not be so I pittied her from my Soul I labored for her everlasting welfare I had no other design upon her than to pluck her out of the Jaws of Hell That I had nothing but labor for my pains and was afraid I should be a Witness at the last day against her for her refusal her stubborn wilful rejection of everlasting life That so her Brother had done before her and would never repent nor confess till he was upon the Gallows ready to be turned over and then out all came when he could live no longer to the Devil then he would go to God and God must be put off with the Devils leavings To which she rejoyned that her Brother had made a Godly end and she was sure he was now in Heaven and did wish she might make as good an End And said I I pray God you may make a better Now that the Curiosity of my Reader who will inquire concerning her Brother may be satisfied I shall give an account of him briefly craving pardon for amuseing him with this Digression Take then his and subscribed with his own hand at Lanceston in Cornwall April the Third 1675. Just as he was a turning over for till then he would make none The Confession of John Codmore Condemned to be Executed and Made by him at the Gallows 1. HE began to commit the sin of Theft first upon Pease and Apples 2. The next thing he stole was Figs from a Merchants Stall unknown to the Owner 3. Next he wronged his Father in giving away his Syder unknown to him and by reason of perswasions of others And he Married against his Fathers consent 4. When he was with his Master John Temple of Tamerton Parish he took Money for Dying of Cloth and Stockings unknown to his said Master 5. Next when he was with Robert Strong of Plymouth he there received Money for Dying of Cloth Stockings and Wool unknown to his Master which did belong unto his Master and in his Service went into a Garden and stole Goesberries and Cherries 6. Next he stole from Peter Slade of Tregony Fourteen Pounds of Wool and also kept from him Dy-stuff which did belong unto him 7. Next he stole from Samuel Pentire of Tregony One piece of Sarge who brought it to him to Dye and never had the return of it more 8. Next he stole from John Cooling of Verrian a Yard and half of Sarge and several Pounds of Wool 9. Next he stole from John Bullock of the same Parish One piece of Sarge who brought it to him to Die and never had it more 10. He stole from another person whose name he hath forgot Two Yards and half
herself Now she being questioned about her offence owns every particular thereof it having been propounded to her in particulars Owneth that the Nurse bad her put it in Only denieth the Deposition of Scannels Wife professing that she cannot remember it Professeth her hearty and unfeigned sorrow for her sin not only because it had ruined her Mistresses and her self but principally and especially because it was an high dishonor to God Father Son and Spirit that it made her unworthy of his Favor and Blessing yet she professed her Faith and Hope of Salvation through the alone Merits of the Lord Jesus Into whose hands she now commended her self and desired to forgive all the World and that Bloody Woman the Nurse who had drawn her into destruction and added that she submitted patiently to her death because she had deserved it And said it was her wish that all others would take warning by her Example and taking this Relator by the hand Sir saith she will you not pray with me Did you not promise me yon would And craving it with Tears it was readily accorded Silence being commanded and every Person composed there was this following Prayer conceived and poured before the Lord in her behalf MOst Holy Lord God! The Righteous Judg of the whole World Just in all thy Ways and Holy in all Works The great and terrible God! a consuming Fire and everlasting burnings How can such sinful chaff and stubble as we are stand before thee We must needs in a Moment be reduced unto Ashes if thou hast not pitty on us But blessed be thy Name thou art a God of wonderful Love and Mercies Thou hast so loved the World as to give thine only begotten Son to the death for us that we believing in him should not perish but have everlasting life We are greater Sinners than the Apostate Angels and yet have greater Mercies afforded us though they are better capacited to serve God than our selves and never sinned against thee but once yet thou didst utterly reject them never gavest a Christ to them nor to die for them whereas thou hast bestowed him on us the most unworthy Persons Sons and Daughters of sinful Adam who have never ceased sinning against thee We are all Sinners by Nature and from our Youth upward We were conceived in sin and born in iniquity Our Infancy our Youth and riper years have been all spent in the drudgery of sin We have broken all the Commandments of our God in heart thought word and deed sinned against the Law and against the Gospel against all the means used by our God to reclaim and to reform us We have despised the best of Mercies and deserved the worst of Judgments yea to be burnt up with unquenchable flames as this poor wretched Malefactor is now ready to be with those that are temporal But hitherto thou hast spared and reprieved us and given us space for Repentance and waitest to be gracious to us and biddest us seek thee O our God whilest thou mayest be found and call upon thee whilest thou art near it forsake our ungodliness and to forego all our wickedness and thou wouldest abundantly pardon yea thou art so gracious as to bid and incourage us to Pray for others with promises of Audience and Acceptance This emboldens us to make our addresses to thee for this poor condemned Creature ready to be executed We confess for her and she doth acknowledg for her self Lord her great and grievous offences that she hath been a Rebel against thee all her days lived in sin neglected duty neglected getting the saving knowledg of God and acquaintance with thee that she hath not hearkened to the voice of God speaking from his holy Word unto her but listned readily unto the Temptations and Suggestion of the Devil a Murderer from the beginning and by whose enticements she hath embrewed her hands in Blood in the guilt of innocent Blood of her Relation and Superiors which crys to Heaven for vengeance against her Lord she cannot stand before the Justice of Men. Ah! how unable is she to subsist at the Bar of God Man hath justly contemned her and the Lord might justly damn her and that to all Eternity The wages of her sin is death death Temporal and Eternal But Lord though she is miserable thou art merciful though she is full of sins thou art full of pardons though she is helpless in her self yet in thee Lord is she not hopeless Blessed be God that hath opened a Door of hope for her in the Resurrection of Christ Jesus who was delivered to the death for her sins and rose again from the dead that she might be justified Thy Free guift in Christ Jesus is Eternal Life Oh! How sweet is thy mercy Suffer us Blessed Father in all humility to plead with thee in her behalf Oh That thou wouldest be gracious to her she is thy Creature the work of thine hands do not destroy her She is the purchase of thy Sons blood Oh Let him not loose her Christ died for her Oh Let him not die in vain for her Therefore save her Her sins are many but thy mercies are infinitely more her sins are Bloody Crimson Scarlet and crying sins but the blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sins Bloodshed by her cryeth down Vengeance on her But yet dear Lord Hear Oh hear the lowder outcries of thy Sons blood for her She is if ever any an object worthy of pitty not from any worth in her but because of her misery If God do not help her who will Who can Men and Angels cannot save her but Jesus Christ can He is able And Bessed be thy name sweet Jesu Thou art willing also even to the worst and utmost to save Thou art an Almighty and All sufficient Saviour thine arm is not shortened thy Grace is not exhausted Oh Magnifie thy Grace now even now upon her Thou hast said that the weary the heavy laden should come unto thee and thou wouldest give them rest And that such as come unto thee though the greatest sinners thou wouldest not cast out 'T is late indeed that she comes unto thee but not too late Truth Lord Late Repentance is seldom true but yet true Repentance is never too late Bitter late than never Thou hast given us one instance one example of the Thief on the Cross saved at the Eleventh at the last hour save one 't is but one that we should not presume and yet one that we should not despair Oh Lord she will not despair of thy mercy that were a greater sin than all the rest that she hath committed Now Lord though late she comes unto thee she throws her self at thy Feet and we thy poor Servants come unto thee and prostrate our selves at thy fleet for her Oh! Do not cast her out of thy sight Oh! Let her not be Damned but saved This is a true and faithful saying worthy of all acceptation most worthy of hers and she accepts of it
Prison are these no Capital offences Let them not be What meant she by those words unto the Girl that to her knowledg a little Poyson in Cream had made one away in less time than you could go from her Matters House to the Gate I am apt to think that she would not confess this Murder lest some other might out also There was a shrewed Item in her Exon acknowledgment That she knew she should be damned though not for this Crime It brings to my remembrance a Story which I had from Mr. B. Cl. a very holy Man of God a Reverend Minister of the Gospel who if yet in the Land of the living is one of the most Ancient Laborers in the Lords Vineyard in this Western Diocess that in his younger days when he was Minister of Petrocks by the Castle of Dartmouth he was sent to Visit and Pray with a dying Man under very much trouble of Conscience His case was this Sir said he unto the Minister about Seven months since as I was walking to Buscow I met a Camerade of mine who had gone to Sea about a fortnight since and taking him by the hand wondring at his arrival I said VVhat cheat Mate What makes thee return so soon and look so Pale I am dead quoth this Spectrum Dead Man and yet walk and talk Yes saith he I am dead I was took sick shortly upon my going to Sea and died this day and about an hour since so many Leagues off was I thrown overboard Now I desire thee to go home and tell my Wise of it and to open my Coffer and show her my Will and see my Legacies paid which having promised to do for him at parting he added And at for that business between thee and me that thou well wotest off I charge thee that thou never speak of it to any Man living for if thou dost I will in that very moment tear thee in a thousand pieces Now Sir this lies heavy heavy upon my Conscience Fain would I declare it It is upon my Tongue but I cannot And why can you not Oh Sir do not you see him Do not you see him Look how terrible he is There he is just against me Oh! how doth he threaten me I would tell you but I dare not And whatever arguments this Reverend Personage could use unto the sick Man he could never bring him to a Confession but he pines away under his terrors and horrors till at last not being able to subsist any longer by reason of them he died Whether there be any parallel between the conditions of this Man and Woman I leave it unto my Readers judgment The poor Girl at her Death at the very point of Death charged her with it This Philip Cary her self confessed before the Major of Plymouth at her Examination and the very day before her Execution to this Relator that she knew of it And is she Innocent We have reason to believe the confession of a Penitent before the denial of a stubborn and impenitent VVoman Besides she had a very fair trial before the Judg. There were no less than Nineteen VVitnesses that gave in their Evidence to his Lordship and the Grand Jury upon Oath against her Yet she saith Not guilty Yea and takes it to her death that she is Innocent knew nothing of Poyson But what if all this be nothing but Lyes and Imposture VVhat if evidence appears against her after death and that she did both know of it and buy the Poyson also Reader I will not amuse thee call thine Eyes upon what follows and thou wilt be in so me measure satisfied The Examination of Elizabeth the Wife of Thomas Webb of Plymouth in the County of Devon Marriner had and taken at Plymouth by and before the Worshipful William Weeks Gentleman one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace within the Burrough of Plymouth on her Corporal Oath the Seventh day of April Anno Domini 1676. THe said Examinant saith That about a week before Philip the Wife of Richard Cary of Plimouth was committed to Plimouth Prison on suspition for the Poysoning of Elizabeth Weeks and Mary Pengelley This Examinant on a Saturday Evening when the Candles were lighted being at the House of John Vallacke Apothecary in Plymouth there came into the said Mr Vallacks shop a VVoman who was a stranger unto this Examinant and desired the said Mr. Vallacks Boy to give her a Penny worth of Mercury as she called it and said she was hasty That accordingly the said Boy delivered unto the said VVoman the said Mercury as she called it in a white Paper And that about a week after that the said Philip Cary being committed unto the said Prison as afore said this Examinant went to the VVindow of the Prison and saw her and she believes that the said Philip Cary was the same VVoman which so fetched the said Mercury as aforesaid Signum dicta E. VV. Elizabeth Webb Possibly you will ask VVhy had not this VVoman given in her Evidence being so material before her death I answer She is of age Let her speak for her self REader by this time I believe thou art wellwearied Sure if thou be not I am However at parting let me ask thee one Question VVhat art thou A Master or a Servant A Parent or a Child In what Relation standest thou Inferior or Superior I. If thou be a. Child or Servant Receive Wisdom receive Instruction 1. BEware of little sins you generally make no reckoning of them Your vain Thoughts your idle Words your envious and malicious Imaginations your froward Replies and Answers again your undutiful and disobedient Carriages to Parents to your Masters and Mistresses these are counted by you little sins But what and if God call them great sins VVhose opinion and judgment shall we take concerning the nature and evil of sin Yours or Gods My dear Youth Read and Ponder that Text of Scripture Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach Men so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven Math. 5.19 I must tell you and you shall find it by woful experience that little sins allowed make way for great sins A little Thief creeping in at the VVindows may open the Door to great Ones A little Sin is as mortal as damnable as a great one A little Leak undiscerned may sink Ship Men and Goods A Ponyard shall stab a Man to death as well as a Rapier A Pistol can kill as well as a Cannon Little sins fill up the measure of your sins one very little sin may do it Cyphers in themselves signifie nothing but added unto figures how do they raise the sum A Consonant of it self may be a Mute make no sound but joyned with a Vowel may make a roaring noise Those which you call little sins may fill up the Sum and seal up the Account and make a roaring Noise against you in Heaven Your thought-sins never acted but intended are