e
power of gold, or any other privilege, prevent him from obtaining his
right, and clapping a pistol to a man's breast, and taking from him his
purse? Yet the one shall thereby obtain a coach, and honour, and titles;
the other, what?--a cart and a rope. Don't imagine from all this that I
am hardened. I acknowledge the just judgment of God has overtaken me. My
Redeemer knows that murder was far from my heart, and what I did was
through rage and passion, being provoked by the deceased. Take warning,
my comrades; think what would I now give that I had lived another life.
Courageous? You'll say I've killed a man. Marlborough killed his
thousands, and Alexander his millions. Marlborough and Alexander, and
many others, who have done the like, are famous in history for great
men. Aye--that's the case--one solitary man. I'm a little murderer and
must be hanged. Marlborough and Alexander plundered countries; they were
great men. I ran in debt with the ale-wife. I must be hanged. How many
men were lost in Italy, and upon the Rhine, during the last war for
settling a king in Poland. Both sides could not be in the right! They
are great men; but I killed a solitary man."

It will be seen from the following account, that in the olden time the
cost and trouble attending an execution was a serious matter:--

To the Right Honourable the Lord Commissioners of His Majesty's
Treasury.

The humble petition of Ralph Griffin, Esq., High Sheriff of the
County of Flint, for the present year, 1769, concerning the
execution of Edward Edwards, for burglary:--

_Sheweth._

That your petitioner was at great difficulty and expense by himself,
his clerks, and other messengers and agents he employed in journeys
to Liverpool and Shrewsbury, to hire an executioner; the convict
being of Wales it was almost impossible to procure any of that
country to undertake the execution.

L s. d.
Travelling and other expenses on that occasion 15 10 0

A man at Salop engaged to do this business. Gave him
in part 5 5 0

Two men for conducting him, and for their search of
him on his deserting from them on the road, and
charges on inquiring for another executioner 4 10 0

After much trouble and expense, John