THE CONFESSION AND EXECUTION OF Mr. Barney, who was Hang'd at NORVVICH, for the Murder of Eſq; Beddingfield Which was commited on Sunday the 20th. of July 1684.With a true Account of his Behaviour during the time of his Impriſonment, unto the day of his Death, which was on the 8th. of Aguſt, 1684.As alſo a true Account of the Fire which happen'd in Goodmans Fields.
THe occaſion of the Quarrel with the attending Circumſtances between this unhappy Gentleman, and Mr. Bedingfield the World has already been acquainted withal: for which reaſon I ſhall forbear to repeat them, and only wiſh this unfortunate perſon may be the laſt example of publick Juſtice in this Nature. As to his Family he was well deſcended from a worthy Gentleman, a Barronet in the ſame County, whoſe Name and Reputation are yet preſerv'd, beyond the utmoſt Imputation of Malice, whatever argument from this diſaſter it may ſeem at preſent to be blaſted with.
At the Barr, Mr. Barny made all the defence the Nature of his Crime, and the pregnancy of the proofs againſt him would admit of, but being by the Jury brought in guilty, he was condemn'd, and by his Majeſties Gracious Mercy reprieved till this day; when, according to the Sentence of the Court, he ſuffered Death at the common place of Execution, and not at the Market-Croſs, as was upon miſtake ſuggeſted in the former Accounts.
During the time of his Impriſonment, eſpecially after Sentence, and the Account he received by his Friends, there was no hopes of pardon, he behaved himſelf with a Chriſtian patience under ſo great an affliction, and was viſited by ſeveral worthy Divines, who endeavour'd to ſoften his more obdurate heart, by giving him a true repreſentation of that horrid Crime of Murder in its due Colours, how heinous an offence it was againſt Heaven, and the preſent Eſtabliſhed Laws by which we all live. The Breach of which demands no other Satisfaction, nor can be obliged with any other propitiatory than the Blood of him who ſpilt his Neighbours, either from the Violence of Paſſion, or upon more premeditated Malice and Revenge.
2He did, in ſome meaſure, offer to vindicate himſelf from any Cowardize in the Action, and that however the Gentleman Mr. Beddingfield happened to be wounded in the back: they were not given by any baſe and indirect means, but that po••ibly they happened to him in the ſtrugle between them, and that as a Gentleman, he always ſcorn'd a Revenge upon any Perſon but by thoſe means and methods which among Gentlemen, were always thought honourable and generous.
As to his behaviour as a Chriſtian, no perſon could more expreſly ſpeak his Penitence and Remorſe for ſo great a Crime; and in that interval between the Sentence and the Execution; he paſſed his time in Prayers and Meditations, confeſſing as a good Chriſtian ought to do, that he had been a great offender, more particularly againſt the Laws of God, and now ſignally againſt thoſe of Man, for which he ſuffered this ſhameful and ignominious Death. Though the Terrors of Death began now to approach him, with all thoſe horrors which may affright the moſt prepared Chriſtian; yet he did not ſeem diſmay'd, but behaved himſelf with the Courage and Reſolution, which a good man would Encounter ſo dreadful an Enemy withal.
He ſpent the ſhort remainder of his time in reading Religious Books and ſome choice manuals of Devotion, in which he ſeem'd more particularly delighted, and as he was extreamly obliged to the great pains and labour of ſome Divines, who were his Friends, and came frequently to viſit him: ſo did he not only pay his thanks and acknowledgements to them in words, but gave more Evident and ſatisfactory Demonſtrations of his Obligations to them by that hearty and ſincere penitence and contrition, which by Gods Grace and their indefatigatiable pains was wrought in him. He gave earneſt caution and advice to thoſe Gentlemen who came to ſee him, to have a care of profaning the Lords Day and intemperate drinking, both which ſins he had been too frequently guilty of, and which were, in ſome meaſure, the occaſion of his committing this horrid Sin of Murder, for which he now heartily ſorrowed and deſervedly ſuffered. Great interceſſion was made for his Pardon, which could not be obtained.
ON Friday, between the hours of Eleven and Twelve, he was carried to the common place of Execution, where, after ſome ſhort Prayers, he ſuffered according to Law, his Body was put into a Coffin, and delivered to his Friends to interr.
I ſhall not think it amiſs, to acquaint the Reader with this intervene which happen'd in Goodmans-Fields.
ON Sunday Morning, there broke out a moſt furious Fire at the end of a Row of Houles, near the Bear Tavarn towards Roſemary-Lane; which was firſt diſcovered by an Inhabitant near the ſaid Houſe; which happened to be up later than ordinary, cryed our fire, which awakened the Neighbouring Inhabitants; who, when they beheld the ſaid Fire was amazed: it beginning at the Top of the Corner-Houſe, at the Eaſt ſide of the Houſe, and ſo burning downward, to the deſtruction of almoſt the firſt Houſe, and hath greatly demoliſh'd the next Houſe adjoyning to it: which was prevented of going any farther, by the aſſiſtance that came in, and the endeavour they made for the quenching the ſame, but no man knowing how it was firſt kindled, but is adjuged by thoſe which firſt ſaw it, to be by the great Thunder and Lightning which was at that•ime, and not by unſlack'd Lime as is reported, by reaſon the Lime lay againſt a Brick Wall, and is extremely more ſtrange becauſe it could not be done by the careleſneſs of any workman there that time of Night, but more rather by the immediate hand of God.