ON wednesdaie being the fourth day of March last 1590. there was a Seminarie Priest brought forth of Newgate , who a few daies before had ben iustly condemned for high Treason , where according to his iudgement before past , and the qualitie of his offence , hee was laide vpon a hurdle , and from thence drawne into Holborne , & so through Fetter lane conuaied into Fléet stréet , where was a newe Iebbet set vp for that purpose , & people in great abundance resorted to sée the prisoner executed .

This Priest came thether apparelled in the habit of a Gentleman , in a dublet of blacke satten , cut with great cuts , & drawn out with white silke , he had on a paire of small round paine hose , & on euerie paine a faire gold lace , his neather stockes were of purple silke , and a paire of bootes ouer them , Gentleman like , turnd downe at the knée , and faced with veluet , he had a blacke felt hat on his head , & his haire was verie long , so that he could hardly be knowen from an ordinarie Gentleman .

Thus being apparelled and come to the place of execution , conducted thether by the shéerife of London , and the officers of the said Citie . For that the iebbet was not full ready , the sheerife did withdrawe the prisoner into a house hard by , where an ancient & worshipfull Gentleman in office towards her Maiestie , had some time of conference with the prisoner . And when euerie thing was in a readines , the prisoner was brought backe again to be executed . And first before hee went vp , his boots were pulled off , & his neather stocks also , whereby his feete and legs were naked , his other clothes hung loose about him , with his hands tied , & so went hee vp the ladder , the hang-man being then readie on the top of the iebbet to receiue him with the halter , which he put about his neck . Which done , the priest began to speake vnto the people , shewing thē that hee was a Priest , & after went about to defend the popish religion colorably , & seemed to ie himselfe , by saying he had not offended hi● Maiestie . Whervpon the Gentleman before mentioned spake vnto the priest , & shewed h●m wherein he had offended the laws of this l●●d , in cases of high treason . First , by being a S●minarie Priest therby a sworne enemie to this land and hauing liued out of the lande among her Maiesties enemies , was agayne lately return●d onelie to persuade her Maiesti●s subiectes from their due obedience . The confession of this priest also taken before in writing , was read openly , where he sayde that the Pope hath authoritie to depose the Quéenes Maiesty of England , as though the Queenes Maiestie and the religion now vsed in England , had bin vnder the gouernment of the Pope , and therefore to bee disanulled at the Popes pleasure , whereby hee denied her Maiestie of her supremacie in the Churches of her dominions , which is high treason of it selfe . Last of all , he shewed vnto the people , & auouched it to the prisoners face , ( which he coulde not denie ) that this priest who was an Englishman borne , and therefore a subiect to her Maiestie , contrarie to his duetie , had betaken himselfe a long time a subiect & seruant to the Pope , with sundrie other , who together were lately come ouer into England , to persuade her Maiesties subiects from theyr obedience , by becomming assistants and fauourers of a new inuasion , now speedily pretended by the helhounds of the Romish Sinagogue , therby to become traitors to her Maiestie , in working the ruine of this lande , as hath bin lately pretended , yet their hope made frustrate by Gods prouidence , who stil doubtles sighteth for this land , and defendeth all the true subiects thereof , for the sake of our holie Iudith , who swaieth the sword of iustice with great wisedome and mercie , whose person the God of heauen prosper and continue in this land , and grant vnto her long life , and a peace able raigne ouer vs , that during her life she may so quaile the hearts of all the enimies to this land , that none hereafter may dare to attempt the hurt thereof . This Popish Priest aforesaid , after a few Popish praiers mumbled to himselfe , was turned from of the ladder , and permitted to hang vntil he was dead , and after was quartered in seuerall péeces , to be set vp in seuerall places , to the example of al other hereafter . And ouer the Iebbet was written in great letters the cause of his death in these wordes , viz. For Treason and sauoring of forraine Inuasion .

In the forenoone of the same daie also , there were two hanged , the one in Smithfield , and the other in the fieldes at Graies Inne lane end , for secret harboring , receiuing and denying this Priest & others such pernitious persons , by whose meanes great hurt may arise . The one died a very obstinate Papist , the other a very penitent person , sorie that hee had transgressed her Maiesties laws in that case : which thing he onely did for worldly benefit . To conclude , let this their follie forewarne al others , how they enter into such actions , and refraine from secret harbouring , releeuing or succouring such leud persons , who seeke by all possible meanes to ruinate this lande , by depriuing the Quéenes most excellent Maiestie , and bringing in forraine enimies : that by inuasion they may shedde the bloude of innocents , and roote out all her Maiesties louing subiects , which God grant may neuer come to passe , Amen .

A woman executed on the Thursdaie following .

ON the Thursdaie following there was a rumour throughout London , that a maide seruant shoulde be burned in S. Georges fieldes , which but two daies before ( at the Assizes holden in Southwarke for the Countie of Surrey ) had bin found guilty , condemned and iudged so to suffer death for murther by her committed . Wherevpon a stake was set vp in the said fielde , and the réedes and faggots brought thether , but by reason of the throng of people which came thether out of London , they were constrained to defer the execution vntil after sixe of the clocke at night , at which time the greater multitude being departed , the prisoner was brought forth sodenly , and conuaied into the field , without anie notire giuen to anie of the people otherwise , then that she should be burned in the place where the stake before stood , to which place the people flocked in great abundance . Now the shirefe and the warders that accompanied him , perceiuing the vnrulines of the people to bee great , sodenly cast themselues in a round , and vpon a faire gréene place in the waie as they came , digged a hole , and therein pitched the stake , and fastned the prisoner therunto , who came thether in this sort : shee being stripped out of her clothes in the prison before she came forth , had nothing vpon her but a wide frocke downe to her foote , made of course canuas , gathered about the wristes , with an olde neckinger about her necke , and a faire kercher vppon her head , about her necke there was a long yron chaine fastned , whereby she was lead , and came wallowing like a Beare to the stake , according to her ordinarie vse of going when she was in seruice . And beeing fastned to the stake with two yron chaines , réeds were set round about her , and faggots of very day stickes planted by them , in which shee was wholy incompassed , and nothing to be seen of her round about , but only her face , on one side the reedes looking forth . And so with as much speed as might be , after the ministers had persuaded her to call vppon God , and to arme her self with patience , and not to feare death , with other good admonitions for her soules health . Hauing saide the Lordes praier , & asked God & al the world forgiuenes , the reeds were set on fire first vnderneath hir with a Linke , & then round about her , wherof the reedes and dry faggots tooke speedie hold , and so soone as she felt the force & fiercenes of the fire to touch hir , she cried out twice saying , alasse , alasse , and hauing called vppon God , euen in short space the smoke and vapor of the fire choked hir , that she was soone dead , and so continued in the fire vntil she was consumed to ashes . Now forsomuch as the most part of people coulde neither see the prisoner , nor knowe the true circumstaunce of her offence , whereby her death iustly ensued , it is thought conuenient that the same be here expressed , to the intent she may bee an example to others to auoide the like wickednes .

This person whome I can neither call by the name of maide , wife nor widowe , for that she was neuer maried , and yet hath had three or foure children , did remain in and about the Borough of Southwarke a long time , and was when she died about two & forty yeeres of age , and about two yeeres since came into the seruice of one Lewes Bell a Water-man dwelling on the banke side néere the Clinke , he beeing a man of good reputation & calling , and one that hath borne the most part of offices to be borne among the inhabitants thereabout , and before she came into this mannes seruice , she had dwelt with a Mistres within Chain-gate , whom she robbed of ten pounds , yet conuaied it so secretly , as she went vnsuspected for the same : she heing new come into the seruice of the said Bell , who had an honest aged woman to his wife then liuing , which this wicked person soone dispatched with poison , wherof shortly after her mistres died , and nothing sayd nor suspected . This was about two yeres since . After this , as some saith , she perswaded her selfe , that her maister woulde haue married her , which he neuer promised to do , nor intended anie such matter towardes her , neither was there anie reason he shoulde so do , because she was ill fauoured , vnhandsome , and foolish , her looks were crabbed , her behauiour vnseemly , and in qualities sluttish : yet inwardly subtill , so that about Midsommer last her maister married a widow , being a very honest and comely woman , and of reasonable yeeres , whom as it seemeth , this bad creature secretly enuied for marrying hir master , and shortly after this woman sel sicke in verie grieuous sort , & lay languishing a long time of the saide disease , which in deede was poisoned potage , wherof she did eate but a little , wherevpon her eies watered grieuously , and her stomacke was very ill . This woman had two wenches in the house dwelling with her , the yonger of them séeing her mistres set by the potage , tooke them and did eate them , whereof soone after she swelled vpward in the throate and so died . This was about Saint Iames tide last . The bigger girle hauing had some tast of the same , sickned also , so that the haire fell off from her head , and broke out in verie ill fauoured sort , but being strong of nature escaped death . All which notwithstanding , there arose no doubte nor suspition of poisoning , by her to be attempted , vntil about Barthelmew tide following , at which time her mistres being recouered of her grieuous and strange disease , tooke occasion to put her awaie , willing her to prouide for her self , and so she did . Whereupon on the daie before , she should departe from her said mistres seruice , she hauing carried awaie all her apparell and furniture , promised that night to come and sup with her master and mistres , and to giue them a posset : she being departed , there was missed the summe of fifteene shillings , which by her had beene taken forth of a cubborde : Whereupon the good man sent his wife to séeke hir , whom with much a doe she brought home , where the good man in searching her , found the most part of his wiues monie , and besides , found a paper of poison in her bosom , which he did not know to be poison , vntyll one of his neighbours being a Surgion , was sent for to sée the same , who tolde him that it was poison , and although they did demand of her to what vse she bought or kept it , yet would she not confesse the same , vntill they brought her before a Iustice , to whom with much a do , & the secret working of Almighty God , who wold haue the truth of such wickednes come to light , she confessed as followeth . First , that she had with poison murdered her olde mistres , about Saint Andrews tide was twelue moneth . Item , that she had once attempted to murther her mistres now beeing , with poison , whereof she sel sicke , but recouered againe , by giuing her poison in a messe of pottage . Item , that her mistres eating but two or thrée spoonefulls of the said potage , did set them by and would eate no more , and then the yonger wench in the house did eate vp the rest of the sayd pottage , and soone after dyed thereof . Item , she confessed that she had taken ten pounds from hir mistres that she serued before within Chaine-gate , and that shee had dispersed the same , and lent it foorth to sundrie persons . She also confessed that shee had taken the sayde fiftéene shillings foorth of her mistres cubbord , by taking her key from vnder her beds head when she was a sleepe . And lastly being demanded what her intent was to do with that poison , which was found about her , she confessed that her intent and meaning was euen that night to haue poisoned her mistres , by putting the same poison into the posset which was promised to be eaten at her mistres house that night . Whereof must néeds haue ensued farre greater danger both to her mistres , & to her master , with the rest of the householde , had not God verie miraculously , as you haue heard before preuented it .

Thus haue you hearde howe the deuill wrought with this wicked creature from time to time . First he allured her by idlenesse and fleshly desires to become incontinent , and to leade a verie loose and lasciuious life , by hauing one childe after another , and yet neuer married nor liuing satisfied , but liued lyke a dog that stil returned to his olde vomit . Herevpon a couetous desire of wealth made her pilfer and picke from one mistres and then from another , so that for want of the feare of God , one sinne tooke hold of another , and forced her to murther an honest olde woman with poison , and so from her to another , seeking to worke confusion vpon confusion , vntill God by his wonderfull prouidence did bring the same to light , and forced her owne heart and tongue to reueale her abhominable wickednes , onely to bring her selfe to shame and confusion , which by sentence of iustice was compassed , who awarded her due iudg●ment agréeable to her wicked deserts .