turned back into England, because such persons were more
bloody and dangerous rogues than any other, and when prompted by
despair, apt to resist the officers of justice, took place, and he was
put into the death warrant.

Both before and after receiving sentence, he not only abandoned himself
to stupid, heedless indolence, but behaved in so rude and troublesome a
manner as occasioned his being complained of by those miserable wretches
who were under the same condemnation, as a greater grievance to them
than all their other misfortunes put together. He would sometimes
threaten women who came into the hold to visit modestly, tease them with
obscene discourse, and after his being prisoner there committed acts of
lewdness to the amazement and horror of the most wicked and abandoned
wretches in that dreadful place. Being however severely reprimanded for
continuing so beastly a course of life, when life itself was so near
being extinguished, he laid the crime to his own ignorance, and said
that if he were better instructed he would behave better, but he could
not bear being abused, threatened and even maltreated by those who were
in the same state with himself. From this time he addicted himself to
attend more carefully to religious discourses than most of the rest, and
as far as the amazing dullness of his intellects would give him leave,
applied to the duties of his sad state.

Before his death he gave many testimonies of a sincere and unaffected
sorrow for his crimes, but as he had not the least notion of the nature,
efficacy or preparation necessary for the Sacrament, it was not given
him as is usually done to malefactors the day of their death. At the
place of execution he seemed surprised and astonished, looked wildly
round upon the people, and then asking the minister who attended him
what he must do now, the person spoke to instructed him; so shutting his
hands close, he cried out with great vehemence, _Lord receive my soul._

His age was about twenty-five at the time he suffered, which was on the
6th day of November, 1723.

The Life of JOSEPH MIDDLETON, Housebreaker and Thief

Amongst the numbers of unhappy wretches who perish at the gallows, most
pity seems due to those who, pressed by want and necessity, commit in
the bitter exigence of starving, some illegal act purely to support
life. But this is a very scarce case, and such a one as I cannot in
strictness presume to say that I have hitherto met with