OF all sins there is no sin cries louder in the ears of God and Man than that of shedding of Bloud ; innocent Bloud , What a Hainous , Inhumane , Barbarous and wicked sin it is ? and such was the sin here , as hereafter will more largely appear in the insuing Discourse .

The sad occasion of this Relation is one Mary Cook , the Wife of Thomas Cook , living in Cloath-Fair near Smithfield , a Mother of three Children , two Sons and one Daughter , which Daughter was the Child of her chief affection , and the subject of her chief affliction , upon whom she pitched to act this horrid Murther , she is aged about thirty seven years , of a very silent melancholly temper , troubling her thoughts too much with care for the things of this world ( as with bitter sighs she hath often since acknowledged : She was very subject to conceive discontents to her self , and to construe most passages from her Relations to the worst sense , ( whether really or seemingly intended , we will leave to her Relations ( who are more nearly concerned ) to consider how little , or how far they might contribute to the encrease of her melancholly Spirit , and so hasten her to this Ruine . ) We will not charge them with any thing , only relate what she hath after in private and publick confessed to several that are ready to give a very just account ( if occasion require ) Viz. That her conceived discontents at the unkindness of her Relations ( as she supposed ) did make her grow so big with melancholly , ( a good bait for the Devil to work upon ) Her natural life grew a burden to her , and her spiritual life she grew more and more mindless of . So prevalent are the Devils temptations when he meets with such melancholly subjects ; and when he had found this way would work about his purposes to her destruction , he was not wanting to stir up instruments to hasten and heighten the same ; So at last she comes to enter into secret counsel with the Devil and her own wicked Heart , how to bring her life to an end : At last she resolves upon drowning her self , and had attempted it many months agon , but being providentially met by some that knew her , was disappointed of this sinful and sad purpose : Some months after she resolves upon hanging her self , and to that end got several Sceans of Silk , and in her own Seller was going to act that dreadful Tragedy , but her Husband providentially approaching prevented her .

And it is worthy of note , for all that read this sad storie that still the Devil prevailed with her to keep his Counsel from the knowledge of such friends as might any way discourage her , in the prosecution of this wicked design , by which means he had her linked the faster to his chain , in order to her destruction : For it is more than probable , had she made her temptations know to some sober Christian , means with God and her Heart might have been used , to have plucked her out of this snare of the Devil , but she still persists and now at l●st resolves to cut her own throat , and but a day or two before she acted this last Tragedy , it is observable , she a little gave vent to her inside ; had wisdom and Gods blessing been observed , to have made some narrow search into the nature of what she uttered . For upon some occasion of her Husbands being to accompany some persons upon such occasions as she seemed not liking to , did thus reply : if he went , she would then throw her Child in the fire , namely , that little Babe she soon after murdered , but by his complyance at this time , she was prevented : But the devil does not leave her , he has her too fast to lose his labour ; for on the sixth of February , being the Lords day 1670/69 between eight and nine in the morning , she having over-night lodged a knife about her with an intent , ( as she hath often since confessed ) to cut her own throat the next opportunity , rising in the morning she goes down Stairs to make her Fire , and then whets her knife to make it more ready , then puts it to her throat making some impression upon her skin , and then with-drew her hand again : Now the Devil that is never wanting to help forward wicked purposes , puts her upon a fresh cosultation , what should become of that Child she so much loved above the other two Children when she was dead , upon this she conceived better to rid that out of this world first , so should she by that means come to her own end , upon which she goes up stairs , and finding her Husband absent , she with great violence took the Babe out of the Cradle , a Daughter of about two years and a quarter old and cut its throat , in a ghastful manner , the poor Babe ( as she hath related ) gave three or four lamentable sigh● and so departed ; immediately she threw it from her upon the fire-Hearth , and then passionately stamped with her feet ; her Husband hastily running up stairs , and at the door asking , Wife , what is the matter ? She dolefully replies , she had given the Child its breakfast , no sooner had she spoke , but he beheld with an afflicted spirit his Babe lie bleeding upon the ground , in which amaze , breaking out into great lamentation , a Lodger and Neighbors approach , and a Chyrurgeon sent for , but all in vain .

A Constable is sent for to secure the Murtherer , by whom she is carried before Sir W. Turner , who hearing the Fact with great amazement , committed her to Newgate , where she remained till the Sessions came , in which time she miscarried , and was in all likelihood in such a condition as might put a period to her life before Sessions came . But Divine Providence had otherwise decreed , she must live to satisfie the justice of the Law , and be a Terror to deter all others from being guilty of the like Crime : nay , if they have any Grace , from having any thoughts of so horrid a Blood-guiltiness .

During the time of her being in Newgate , she continued a woman much dejected in spirit and deeply afflicted with melancholy , notwithstanding the utmost of means was used both for body and soul , as if so be God had marked her for an abject of terror to all surviving Mothers , both that were spectators , and also for the future that shall hear of , or read this bloody Narrative , her obdurating and impenetrable heart , not being capable to receive that daily supply of comfort or consolation which she had , did much discourage the faithful Ministers and People of God , who was very earnest with her and God in her behalf ; always very slow and backward in speech to every thing of good unless to the confession of the unnatural , inhumane , notorious , material bowelless cut-throat murther : Upon which at the first , rather inclined to desperation , at last did believe there was mercy enough , and pardoning grace in the Lord Jesus Christ , but she could find in her self no comfort of it , though desires after it ; all this while so far forth as her wicked companions and fellow Prisoners did not by their graceless discourses , and unseemly actions prevent ; she implyed in duty : but she told us she could only word it and not heart it : Another time told us that if she could be but once more sensible of the light of Gods countenance being revealed to her , she did not care if she died the next moment ( which was the most honest expression that ever we heard from her , ) For saith she , the reproachful , ignominious bodily death I do not fear , it is my due debt I ought to pay ; but the death of my Soul I dread . She told us a day or two after she had received some comfort , but soon eclipsed , and lost again by reason of melancholy vapours , her intellects being much impair'd , and the Devil improving the present advantage ; but her usual request of Ministers and the People of God was not voluntarily , but as the discourse of others made way and exhausted it ; Thus you have an account of her quotidial and dayly temper . The Sessions now beginning at Justice Hall in the Old Baily , on the 21. Feb. She was there Arraigned and Cast for her life .

By the favour of the Bench , she had a weeks time granted her to prepare for her death ; and to die on Wednesday the second of March in Smithfield , over against Cloth-fair Gate , where formerly she lived , and committed that out-crying unparallel'd Murther .

Dr. St. a very Able and Reverend Divine ; was had to her on Monday before she suffered , both to see how she was prepared for Death , and to understand the truth as to what might be the occasion of her committing that horrid sin ; and that Religion might not be aspersed . He demanded solemnly and seriously , whether that was the occasion of it , and that she would give the truth of it as a dying woman ; She answered no , there was no such thing : but being prest farther with the same motives said , she did not believe her Relations to love her so well as they ought , and she being under some distempers of body a week or a fortnight before , and they would not seek out for help ; She did it out of revenge to them which she did intend to have done to her self , but going up stairs with the Knife , found the innocent Babe ( the Devil turning the temptation ) ●●leep in the Cradle , took it out and most barbarously Cut the Throat of it , it giving one shrike , and lifting up the eyes to see from whom the the fatal bloody stroke came , and so became the Mothers sinful Sacrifice .

March 1. Being the day before her Execution , her Husband being gone from her most part of the Afternoon , being jealous he was gone to seek her Pardon ; she declared to a friend that was with her , That she did not desire a Pardon , but if she could obtain a Pardon in Christ , it was all she desired ; continuing very chearful all night , with breathing after Christ , and begging Pardon for her sins . After half an hours rest , which was all she took in the night , her Husband asked her how it was with her , she answered , not so well to boast , she found greater discoveries of Christ to her poor Soul , then she heretofore had and was more chearful and freer to discourse of her condition this day , then any day before , since she came nto Prison .

On the day of her Execution , reading Isaiah 43. ver. 1. But now thus saith the Lord that created the● O Jacob , and he that formed thee , O Israel , Fear not : For I have redeemed thee , I have called thee by thy name , thou art mine . She said to her Husband , what hath the Lord Redeemed me , such a sinner as 〈◊〉 am , redeemed ?

Being asked by her Husband when she was going into the Cart , If she would not take her Bible with her , she answered she could not boast to the world , she desired a Pardon from Christ in her heart , and said she freely forgave every one , and desired forgivness of all , & that they would pray to God for her , that he would forgive her . Being brought to the place of , Execution in Smithfield , a Gibbet being Erected at Cloth fair Gate after her Prayers , and Prayers made for her , and many good expressions uttered by her , the Executioner did his Office . She being observed to lift up her hands after she was turned off , so long as she was judged to have any sense left in her .