waitedwithgreatimpatience，andunderthegreatestoppressions
ofspiritsimaginable，tillaboutfouro’clockhecametomy
apartment；forIhadobtainedthefavour，bythehelpofmoney，
nothingbeingtobedoneinthatplacewithoutit，nottobe
keptinthecondemnedhole，astheycallit，amongtherestof
theprisonerswhoweretodie，buttohavealittledirty
chambertomyself。
MyheartleapedwithinmeforjoywhenIheardhisvoiceat
thedoor，evenbeforeIsawhim；butletanyonejudgewhat
kindofmotionIfoundinmysoul，whenafterhavingmadea
shortexcuseforhisnotcoming，heshowedmethathistime
hadbeenemployedonmyaccount；thathehadobtaineda
favourablereportfromtheRecordertotheSecretaryofState
inmyparticularcase，and，inshort，thathehadbroughtme
areprieve。
Heusedallthecautionthathewasableinlettingmeknow
athingwhichitwouldhavebeenadoublecrueltytohave
concealed；andyetitwastoomuchforme；forasgriefhad
oversetmebefore，sodidjoyoversetmenow，andIfellinto
amuchmoredangerousswooningthanIdidatfirst，andit
wasnotwithoutagreatdifficultythatIwasrecoveredatall。
ThegoodmanhavingmadeaveryChristianexhortationto
me，nottoletthejoyofmyreprieveputtheremembranceof
mypastsorrowoutofmymind，andhavingtoldmethathe
mustleaveme，togoandenterthereprieveinthebooks，and
showittothesheriffs，stoodupjustbeforehisgoingaway，
andinaveryearnestmannerprayedtoGodforme，thatmy
repentancemightbemadeunfeignedandsincere；andthat
mycomingback，asitwere，intolifeagain，mightnotbea
returningtothefolliesoflifewhichIhadmadesuchsolemn
resolutionstoforsake，andtorepentofthem。
Ijoinedheartily
inthepetition，andmustneedssayIhaddeeperimpressions
uponmymindallthatnight，ofthemercyofGodinsparing
mylife，andagreaterdetestationofmypastsins，fromasense
ofthegoodnesswhichIhadtastedinthiscase，thanIhadin
allmysorrowbefore。
Thismaybethoughtinconsistentinitself，andwidefromthe
businessofthisbook；particularly，Ireflectthatmanyofthose
whomaybepleasedanddivertedwiththerelationofthewild
andwickedpartofmystorymaynotrelishthis，whichis
reallythebestpartofmylife，themostadvantageoustomyself，
andthemostinstructivetoothers。
Such，however，will，Ihope，
allowmethelibertytomakemystorycomplete。
Itwouldbe
aseveresatireonsuchtosaytheydonotrelishtherepentance
asmuchastheydothecrime；andthattheyhadratherthe
historywereacompletetragedy，asitwasverylikelytohavebeen。
ButIgoonwithmyrelation。
Thenextmorningtherewasa
sadsceneindeedintheprison。
ThefirstthingIwassaluted
withinthemorningwasthetollingofthegreatbellatSt。
Sepulchre’s，astheycallit，whichusheredintheday。
Assoon
asitbegantotoll，adismalgroaningandcryingwasheard
fromthecondemnedhole，wheretherelaysixpoorsoulswho
weretobeexecutedthatday，somefromonecrime，somefor
another，andtwoofthemformurder。
Thiswasfollowedbyaconfusedclamourinthehouse，among
theseveralsortsofprisoners，expressingtheirawkwardsorrows
forthepoorcreaturesthatweretodie，butinamannerextremely
differingonefromanother。
Somecriedforthem；somehuzzaed，
andwishedthemagoodjourney；somedamnedandcursedthose
thathadbroughtthemtoit——thatis，meaningtheevidence，or
prosecutors——manypityingthem，andsomefew，butveryfew，
prayingforthem。
Therewashardlyroomforsomuchcomposureofmindas
wasrequiredformetoblessthemercifulProvidencethathad，
asitwere，snatchedmeoutofthejawsofthisdestruction。
I
remained，asitwere，dumbandsilent，overcomewiththe
senseofit，andnotabletoexpresswhatIhadinmyheart；for
thepassionsonsuchoccasionsasthesearecertainlysoagitated
asnottobeablepresentlytoregulatetheirownmotions。
Allthewhilethepoorcondemnedcreatureswerepreparing
totheirdeath，andtheordinary，astheycallhim，wasbusy
withthem，disposingthemtosubmittotheirsentence——Isay，
allthiswhileIwasseizedwithafitoftrembling，asmuchas
IcouldhavebeenifIhadbeeninthesamecondition，astobe
surethedaybeforeIexpectedtobe；Iwassoviolentlyagitated
bythissurprisingfit，thatIshookasifithadbeeninthecold
fitofanague，sothatIcouldnotspeakorlookbutlikeone
distracted。
Assoonastheywereallputintocartsandgone，
which，however，Ihadnotcourageenoughtosee——Isay，as
soonastheyweregone，Ifellintoafitofcryinginvoluntarily，
andwithoutdesign，butasameredistemper，andyetsoviolent，
anditheldmesolong，thatIknewnotwhatcoursetotake，
norcouldIstop，orputachecktoit，no，notwithallthe
strengthandcourageIhad。
Thisfitofcryingheldmeneartwohours，and，asIbelieve，
heldmetilltheywerealloutoftheworld，andthenamost
humble，penitent，seriouskindofjoysucceeded；arealtransport
itwas，orpassionofjoyandthankfulness，butstillunableto
giveventtoitbywords，andinthisIcontinuedmostpartof
theday。
Intheeveningthegoodministervisitedmeagain，andthen
felltohisusualgooddiscourses。
Hecongratulatedmyhaving
aspaceyetallowedmeforrepentance，whereasthestateof
thosesixpoorcreatureswasdetermined，andtheywerenow
pasttheoffersofsalvation；heearnestlypressedmetoretain
thesamesentimentsofthethingsoflifethatIhadwhenIhad
aviewofeternity；andattheendofalltoldmeIshouldnot
concludethatallwasover，thatareprievewasnotapardon，
thathecouldnotyetanswerfortheeffectsofit；however，I
hadthismercy，thatIhadmoretimegivenme，andthatitwas
mybusinesstoimprovethattime。
Thisdiscourse，thoughveryseasonable，leftakindofsadness
onmy
heart，asifImightexpecttheaffairwouldhavea
tragicalissuestill，which，however，hehadnocertaintyof；
andIdidnotindeed，atthattime，questionhimaboutit，he
havingsaidthathewoulddohisutmosttobringittoagood
end，andthathehopedhemight，buthewouldnothaveme
besecure；andtheconsequenceprovedthathehadreasonfor
whathesaid。
ItwasaboutafortnightafterthisthatIhadsomejustapprehensions
thatIshouldbeincludedinthenextdeadwarrantattheensuing
sessions；anditwasnotwithoutgreatdifficulty，andatlasta
humblepetitionfortransportation，thatIavoidedit，soillwas
Ibeholdingtofame，andsoprevailingwasthefatalreportof
beinganoldoffender；thoughinthattheydidnotdomestrict
justice，forIwasnotinthesenseofthelawanoldoffender，
whateverIwasintheeyeofthejudge，forIhadneverbeen
beforetheminajudicialwaybefore；sothejudgescouldnot
chargemewithbeinganoldoffender，buttheRecorderwas
pleasedtorepresentmycaseashethoughtfit。
Ihadnowacertaintyoflifeindeed，butwiththehardconditions
ofbeingorderedfortransportation，whichindeedwashard
conditioninitself，butnotwhencomparativelyconsidered；
andthereforeIshallmakenocommentsuponthesentence，
noruponthechoiceIwasputto。
Weshallallchooseanything
ratherthandeath，especiallywhen’tisattendedwithan
uncomfortableprospectbeyondit，whichwasmycase。
Thegoodminister，whoseinterest，thoughastrangertome，
hadobtainedmethereprieve，mournedsincerelyforthispart。
Hewasinhopes，hesaid，thatIshouldhaveendedmydays
undertheinfluenceofgoodinstruction，thatIshouldnothave
beenturnedlooseagainamongsuchawretchedcrewasthey
generallyare，whoarethussentabroad，where，ashesaid，I
musthavemorethanordinarysecretassistancefromthegrace
ofGod，ifIdidnotturnaswickedagainasever。
Ihavenotforagoodwhilementionedmygoverness，who
hadduringmost，ifnotall，ofthispartbeendangerouslysick，
andbeinginasnearaviewofdeathbyherdiseaseasIwas
bymysentence，wasagreatpenitent——Isay，Ihavenotmentioned
her，norindeeddidIseeherinallthistime；butbeingnow
recovering，andjustabletocomeabroad，shecametoseeme。
Itoldhermycondition，andwhatadifferentfluxandreflux
oftearsandhopesIhadbeenagitatedwith；ItoldherwhatI
hadescaped，anduponwhatterms；andshewaspresentwhen
theministerexpressedhisfearsofmyrelapsingintowickedness
uponmyfallingintothewretchedcompaniesthataregenerally
transported。
IndeedIhadamelancholyreflectionuponitin
myownmind，forIknewwhatadreadfulgangwasalways
sentawaytogether，andIsaidtomygovernessthatthegood
minister’sfearswerenotwithoutcause。
’Well，well，’says
she，
’butIhopeyouwillnotbetemptedwithsuchahorridexample
asthat。’
Andassoonastheministerwasgone，shetoldmeshe
wouldnothavemediscouraged，forperhapswaysandmeans
mightbefoundouttodisposeofmeinaparticularway，by
myself，ofwhichshewouldtalkfurthertomeafterward。
Ilookedearnestlyather，andIthoughtshelookedmorecheerful
thansheusuallyhaddone，andIentertainedimmediatelya
thousandnotionsofbeingdelivered，butcouldnotformylife
imagethemethods，orthinkofonethatwasintheleastfeasible；
butIwastoomuchconcernedinittolethergofrommewithout
explainingherself，which，thoughshewasverylothtodo，yet
myimportunityprevailed，and，whileIwasstillpressing，she
answeredmeinafewwords，thus:
’Why，youhavemoney，
haveyounot？
Didyoueverknowoneinyourlifethatwas
transportedandhadahundredpoundsinhispocket，I’llwarrant
you，child？’saysshe。
Iunderstoodherpresently，buttoldherIwouldleaveallthat
toher，butIsawnoroomtohopeforanythingbutastrict
executionoftheorder，andasitwasaseveritythatwas
esteemedamercy，therewasnodoubtbutitwouldbestrictly
observed。
Shesaidnomorebutthis:
’Wewilltrywhatcan