ricide, is not this an useless piece of barbarity?

Nathaniel Hawes was a native of Norfolk, in which county he was born in the year 1701. His father' was a grazier in ample circumstances, but, dying while the son was an infant, a relation in Hertfordshire took care of his education.

At a proper age he was appren. ticed to an upholsterer in London; but, becoming connected with people of bad character, and thus acquiring an early habit of vice, he robbed his master when he had served only two years of his time, for which he was tried at the Old Bailey; and, being convicted of stealing to the amount of thirtynine shillings, was sentenced to seven years' transportation.

This sentence, however, was not carried into execution, owing to the following circumstance: A man named Phillips had encouraged the unhappy youth in his depredations, by purchasing, at a very low rate, such goods as he stole from his master: but, when Hawes was taken into custody, he gave information of this affair, in consequence of which a search-warrant was procured, and many effects belonging to Hawes's master were found in Phillips's possession.

Hereafter application was made to the king, and a free pardon was granted to Hawes, whereby he was rendered a competent evidence against Phillips, who was tried for receiving stolen goods, and transported for fourteen years.

Hawes, during his confinement in Newgate, had made such connexions as greatly contributed to the contamination of his morals; and, soon after his release, he connected himself with a set of bad fellows who acted under the direction of Jonathan Wild; and, having made a particular acquaintance with

one John James, they joined in the commission of a number of rob beries.

'After an uncommon share of success for some days, they quarrelled on the division of the booty: in consequence each acted on his own account. Some little time after they had thus separated, Hawes, being apprehensive that James would impeach him, applied to Jonathan Wild, and informed against his old acquaintance, on which James was taken into custody, tried, convicted, and executed.

Notwithstanding this conviction, the Court sentenced Hawes to be imprisoned in the New Prison; and that gaol was preferred to Newgate, because the prisoners in the latter threatened to murder Hawes, for being an evidence against James.

Here it should be observed that, by an act of the 4th and 5th of William and Mary, for the more effectual conviction of highwaymen, the evidence of accomplices is allowed; but the evidence cannot claim his liberty unless two or more of his accomplices are convicted ; but may be imprisoned during the pleasure of the Court.

Soon after his commitment, Hawes and another fellow made their escape, and, entering into partnership, committed a variety of robberies, particularly on the road between Hackney and Shoreditch.

This connexion, like the former, lasted but a short time: a dispute on dividing their ill-gotten gains occasioned a separation; soon after which Hawes went alone to Finchley Common, where, meeting with a gentleman riding to town, he pre sented a pistol to his breast, and commanded him instantly to dismount, that he might search him for his money.

The gentleman offered him four shillings, on which Hawes swore

the most horrid oaths, and threat. ened instant death if he did not im

mediately submit. The gentleman quitted his horse, and in the same moment seized the pistol, which he snatched from the hand of the rob. ber, and, presenting it to him, told him to expect death if he did not surrender himself.

Hawes, who was now as terrified as he had been insolent, made no opposition; and, the driver of a cart coming up just at that juncture, he was easily made prisoner, conveyed to London, and committed to Newgate.

The

When the sessions came on, and he was brought to the bar, he refused to plead to his indictment, alleging the following reasons for so doing that he would die, as he had lived, like a gentleman: people (said he), who apprehended me, seized a suit of fine clothes, which I intended to have gone to the gallows in; and, unless they are returned, I will not plead; for no one shall say that I was hanged in a dirty shirt and ragged coat.'

On this he was told what would be the consequence of his contempt of legal authority; but, this making no impression on him, sentence was pronounced that he should be pressed to death; whereupon he was taken from the Court, and, being laid on his back, sustained a load of two hundred and fifty pounds' weight about seven minutes; but, unable any longer to bear the pain, he entreated he might be conducted back to the Court, which being complied with, he pleaded not guilty; but the evidence against him being complete, he was convicted, and sentenced to die.

After conviction his behaviour was very improper. He told the other capital convicts he would die like a hero, and behaved in the same thoughtless way till the arri val of the warrant for his execution: after which his conduct was not altogether so imprudent. He owned to the Ordinary of Newgate that he was induced to refuse to plead to his indictment that the other prisoners might deem him a mari of honour, and not from the idle vanity of being hanged in fine clothes.

He acknowledged many robberies which he had committed, but charged Jonathan Wild as being the principal author of his ruin, by purchasing the stolen goods. He likewise owned that he had been base enough to inform against persons who were innocent, particu. larly a gentleman's servant who was then in custody; but he did not discover many signs of contrition for this or any other of his offences.

He was executed at Tyburn on the 22d of December, 1721.

The inferences to be drawn from the case of this malefactor are obvious. By his informing against James, lest James should impeach him, we see how little confidence thieves can place in each other; and that partnerships in wickedness are sure to end in destruction.

From the resistance made by the gentleman whom Hawes attacked, and the consequent apprehension of the offender, we may fairly conclude that there is a cowardice naturally attached to guilt, which will almost infallibly favour the cause of the honest man.

on sending him to sea: accordingly they got him rated as a midshipman, and he sailed to the coast of Spain: but, soon quitting the naval service, he returned to England, and, commencing highwayman, committed many robberies on the road to Hampstead, on Finchley Common, and in the neighbourhood of Hammersmith.

When he first began the practice of robbing, he formed a resolution to retire when he had acquired as much money as would support him : but this time never arrived; for, finding his success by no means proportioned to his expectations, he became one of the gang under Jonathan Wild, of infamous memory; and was for a considerable time screened from justice by that celebrated master of thieves.

Burridge, being confined in New Prison for a capital offence, broke out of that gaol; and he was repeatedly an evidence at the Old Bailey, by which means his associates suffered the rigour of the law. At length, having offended Wild, the latter marked him down as one doomed to suffer at the next execution after the ensuing sessions at the Old Bailey; which was a common practice with Wild when he grew tired of his dependants, or thought they could be no longer serviceable to him.

Alarmed by this circumstance, Burridge fled into Lincolnshire, where he stole a horse, and brought it to London, intending to sell it at Smithfield for present support: but, the gentleman who lost the horse having sent a full description of it to London, Burridge was seen riding on it through the street, and watched to a livery-stable.

Some persons going to take him, he produced a brace of pistols, threatening destruction to any one who came near him; by which he

got off; but, being immediately pursued, he was apprehended in May-fair, and lodged in Newgate.

On his trial, a man and a woman swore that they saw him purchase the horse; but, as there was a material difference in their stories, the Court was of opinion that they had been hired to swear, and the judge gave directions for their being taken into custody for the perjury.

The jury did not hesitate to find Burridge guilty; and, after sentence was passed, his behaviour was extremely devout; and he encouraged the devotion of others in like unhappy circumstances.

He was executed at Tyburn on the 22d of March, 1722, in the 34th year of his age; having first warned the spectators to be obedient to their parents and masters, and to beware of the crime of debauching young women, which had first led him from the path of duty, and finally ended in his ruin.

The idea this unhappy man had conceived, of leaving off robbing when he had obtained enough to support him, was ridiculous in the highest degree. Perhaps there never was a single instance of a thief retiring on the profits of his plunder. What is got in an illegal manner is always spent in debauchery and extravagance: but, supposing retirement was possible, could that man expect one moment of peace who had acquired his subsistence by acts of dishonesty? He could not eat a morsel of bread, or drink a draught of liquor, but he must reflect that it was not his own. His days would be wretched, and his nights sleepless; he would be terrified by every new face he saw; the fear of de tection would be uppermost in his mind; and he would be perpetually tormented with the racking pains of a guilty conscience.

After this dreadful representation

unhappy circumstances. That of Reeves was particularly hardened: he would sing and swear while the other convicts were at prayers; yet he told the Ordinary that he was certain of going to heaven.

The most curious circumstance arising from the detection of these offenders was the singular method that Hartley took to save his life. He procured six young women, dressed in white, to go to St. James's, and present a petition in his behalf. The singularity of their appearance gained them admission; when they delivered their petition, and told the king that, if he extended the royal mercy to the offender, they would cast lots which should be his wife; but his Majesty said that he was more deserving of the gallows than a wife, and accordingly refused their request.

As they were going to execution the Ordinary asked Reeves if his wife had been concerned with him in any robberies. No,' said he; 'she is a worthy woman, whose first husband happening to be hanged, I married her, that she might not reproach me by a repetition of his virtues.'

At the fatal tree Reeves behaved in the most hardened manner, affected to despise death, and said he believed he might go to heaven

from the gallows as safely as from his bed.

These offenders suffered at Ty. burn on the 4th of May, 1722.

We see, in the instance of these malefactors, from what a casual circumstance their detection arose. A man hears a description of them in a public house; the next day he goes accidentally into another alehouse, where he sees them offering the stolen goods for sale; and, by an honest deception, procures their being taken into custody. The poor fiddler had no interest in their detection but what arose from his abhorrence of vice; yet he was so regardful of what he had heard, that he became the immediate instrument of bringing them to justice.

Hence let us learn to admire the inscrutable mysteries of the providence of God, which, as they surpass our finite comprehension, should excite our wonder and our gratitude. Nothing can be hid from the all-seeing eye of Heaven; and the man that commits a crime with the hope of concealing it does but treasure up a fund of uneasiness for his own mind: for, even if the crime should be concealed from the public, he will be perpetually harassed with the corroding stings of a guilty conscience, and at all times carry with him a hell in his own bosom!

men's legs, called hamstringing, in order to prevent their escape from being robbed.

Sir John Coventry, in the reign of Charles II. having opposed the measures of the Court in the house of commons, in revenge some armed villains attacked him one night in Covent-garden, slit his nose, and cut off his lips. Shocked by so barbarous a deed, the mem,