A Full and True ACCOUNT of the Penitent BEHAVIOUR, Laſt Dying Words, & Execution OF Mr. Edmund Allen, Gent.Who was Condemned at the Seſſions-Houſe in the Old Baily, for Abuſing his Loving and Tender VVife, by Cruelly Beating her ſeveral Times with a Bull's Pizzle; and, laſt of all, moſt Barbarouſly and Inhumanely Poyſoning of her, by giving her White Mercury, which he unhappily mixt with Rasberry Gelly. With a RELATION of The REPRIEVE of Mr. Richard Buttler, who was likewiſe Order'd to be Executed with the ſaid Allen; On Friday, the 19th of this Inſtant July, 1695. VVith Mr. Allen's laſt VVords, &c.
IT is ſad to conſider, that no Fatal Examples of the JUSTICE of GOD and Man can deter ſome ſort of People from Ruſhing on them to their Deſtruction: Not only, to the certain Deſtruction of their Bodies, as being cut off from the Society of Men, but to the great and eminent Hazard of their Pretious and Immortal Souls, which are more Valuable than a Thouſand Worlds; Our Bleſſed Saviour tell us, There's nothing can be given in Exchange for a Soul, when loſt. Then how cautious ought we to be, by all ways of Virtue and Religion, to ſecure ſo Ineſtimable a Jewel: And ſince the Time that is here given us to ſpend well, is the Talent we are to Improve to make us everlaſtingly Happy; or, by not Improveing it Miſerable for ever, we ought to be Circumſpect about it.
This may ſuffice for Admonition and Cantion; but now we come nearer to the Purpoſe,
EDMUND ALLEN, was well Educated and of good Parentage; but gave himſelf over, when he came to Years to ſuch Company, as made him for the future forget himſelf, in purſuing thoſe Virtuous Ways he was brought up to. Before he had Settled himſelf well in the World, he fell into the Company of Lewd-Women; yet, being at laſt weary of ſuch a proffligate Courſe of Life; or elſe wanting Mony to Support it, he bethought himſelf of Marriage, and indeed in this he had the good Fortune to get the Good-Will of one that brought him a conſiderable Portion, (ſome ſay about Fifteen-Hundred Pounds preſent, and more upon the Death of Relations.) A while they lived together quietly; but ſome Lewd-Women finding an Oppurtunity to draw him off and ſet him againſt her; his (as we may truly term it) Diſſembled Love turned into Hatred; he uſed her very grievouſly, and becauſe he thought this ill Uſage not A•fliction enough to a Tender-Heart, having ſpent moſt of the Mony he had with her, and willing to live ſtill in Splendour, he reported himſelf a Widower, and going to a Young-Gentlewoman one Frances Artis, he ſo inſinuated himſelf into her Favour, that ſhe had a good liking of him, without the Conſent of her Friends, and raſhly gave herſelf away, with a conſiderable Fortune; ſo that it is agreed on he had 3000l. by his Wives and his Relations: But the matter being diſcovered he was Proſecuted at Suffolk Aſſizes for Poligamy or Marrying a ſecond Wife, the former being Alive; where he eſcap'd by his Clergy; but this was no Warning to this to be deplored Sinner, for, being deſirous to proceed further in the State of Matrimony, he beat the ſaid Frances Allen, as now we muſt call her frequently, in a moſt miſerable Manner, ſometimes with a Bull's-Pizzle, at other times with a Horſe-Whip; and one time, by this curſed means, making her Miſcarry, he would not ſuffer thoſe Women that offered their Neighbourly Aſſiſtance to come near her in her doleful Condition. But her Heart not breaking with ſuch violent Uſage, as, it is thought, he expected it would; he conſidered of other more deſtructive Ways, for, comeing home from ſome Lewd Women, (where it is ſuppoſed this poor Innocent Creatures Deſtruction was Plotted) he ſeemed more Kind than uſual, which the good Natured Woman taking to be real, and that, as he told her, he had Repented him of his former Follies and Extravagancies, and intended to turn a good Husband; ſhe ſeemed Over-joyed at the ſuppoſed Reformation; but alaſs, it proved Fatal to her, for treating her with ſome Rasberry-Gelly, or Cakes, he treacherouſly mixed Poiſon, ſuppoſed to be Sublimated Mercury, in them; which ſoon after put her into a violent Heat, and flying to her Brain, cauſed Diſ-reſt and Uneaſineſs, of which ſhe mightily complaining, he pretending to be very Officrous, immediately fetched a Doſe of Opium, which finiſhed the wicked deſign of her Death; though, being taxed, he ſaid it was only Poppy-Water he gave her. This, with many other Circumſtances relating to the Murther of his Wife, being proved againſt him at the Old-Baily, and he making but a ſlender Defence for himſelf was found Guilty of wilful Murther; and on the 6th. Inſtant received Sentence of Death.
Being return'd to Newgate, he grew very Melancholy: His Thoughts were taken up with Sadneſs, and a deep Reflection on his former mis-ſpent Life. As ſoon as he was in the Priſon he Retired himſelf as much as the Conveniency would permit; ſome of his Friends came to him, adviſing him, To betake himſelf to a ſerious Repentance; to humble himſelf before God, for his many Sins; and to Implore Pardon and Forgiveneſs for them; not to bear himſelf up with hopes of Life in this World, ſeeing it was uncertain, but to uſe the Time allowed him in a ſincere Repentance, to waſh off the Stains that polluted his Soul. Theſe, and the like Perſwaſions, touched his Conſcience with Remorſe, and drew Tears from his Eyes, ſo that he deſired them to, Pray for him, That God in his infinite Mercy would conſider him, a Poor, Sinful Creature, whoſe many Sins had provoked him, in Juſtice, to bring him to this perril of Death, Shame, and Diſgrace; Praying by himſelf, and deſiring to be prayed for, which was accordingly perform'd: The Miniſters that vifited him, deſiring him to have in his Mind the Words of the Prophet David, viz. From Blood Guiltineſs Deliver me O God! He Confeſſed his Sins were very great and grieveous, Imploring God, in this his great Extremity, not to lay them to his Charge, but to take away his ſtony Heart, and give him a Heart of Fleſh, that he might be touched with a ſenſe of his Rebellion againſt him, in breaking his Commandments, and ſining againſt that Grace that was once given him, to lead him into the way of all Truth and upright Walking in this his Pilgrimage on Earth. On the Two Sabbath Days that happened during his Reſpite he behaved himſelf with extraordinary Devotion, being very attentive to the Expreſſions of the Promiſes of God, in Mercies offered by God to poor Repenting Sinners. Yet, notwithſtanding this, at ſome times flattered himſelf with Hopes of Life; eſpecially when he found he was Reprieved for Seven Days.
As for Richard Butler, who went with him, in Order to his Execution, he, to outward Appearance, ſeem'd not in the leaſt Penitent, having, I ſuppoſe, ſome Hopes of a Reprieve, or Pardon: But from Newgate to Knibbs's Pound (being near that Place where he received a Reprieve) he all along bore a Chearful Countenance; ſpeaking freely to all the Spectators, and often bitterly inveighing the Perſon, who ſwore againſt him, &c.
But, to return to Mr. Allen: On Friday, the 19th. Inſtant, he was conveyed privately in a Coach to Tyburn; where there was a great deal of Aſſiduity uſed, as to his Eternal Concerns; not only by the Reverend Ordinary; but alſo, by another moſt Reverend Divine: After he was Tyed up in the Cart, he greatly bewailed his former miſpent Life; deſiring others to be warned, by his unhappy end: He Prayed, and was Prayed with; and according to all outward Appearance, mad•a very Penitent End; tho' he had lived a Wicked Life; ſo the Cart being drawn away, his Soul was committed to the Hands of his Merciful Creator and Redeemer: Whoſe ways with Mankind are Unſearchable; and whoſe Mercies towards Penitent Sinners are Unlimited.