THE most considerable Tryal this Wednesday fore-noon , was of a Woman for Murthering her Bastard Child ; a Crime in it self so horrid and unnatural , as one would think no person , especially of that Sex , which is counted the most tender-hearted and merciful , could be guilty of such an inhumane Impiety , and yet there is nothing more frequent ; notwithstanding the daily examples of punishment by death inflicted upon them ; for I do not remember any Sessions for these half dozen years last past , wherein there hath not been , at least one , if not more Tryed for this Bloody Crime . The present Prisoner was Servant to a Gentlewoman of good worth , and had behaved her self with that diligence and modesty , that she had gained much upon the Affections and good opinion of the Family , so that they had no mistrust of her ; though when she had been privately Delivered , and disposed of her Child , she was taken notice of to be ill , and some Feminine symptomes appeared . But the same at last increasing , a Midwife was sent for ; who examining and enquiring into Circumstances , concluded her to have been delivered of a Child , and charging her with it , she ingeniously confest it , and that it was in a void Garret , near the room she lay in , where they found it buried under certain Tiles and Rubbish . She then and now alleadged that it was still both ; but confessing that she was never Married , and the Statute making it Death for a Woman to be delivered of a Bastard-Child , without witness or discovering it ; and the Midwife , though she could not positively affirm that she had gone her full time , yet acknowledging the Infant had both Hair and Nails , she was Convicted , and received Sentence of death .

A person that had been an old Offender , though but a young man , was Tryed on two Indictments , for stealing of several Watches , both pickt out of the Prosecutors Pockets ; and to aggravate his Crime , one of them was stoln in the Savoy Church : being taken upon suspition , and his Lodgings searcht , there were found a great number of Watches , about eighteen , and amongst them these two , which were now owned : though the Witnesses could not directly Swear he was the man that robb'd them , yet being taken from their persons , and found in his custody , who was not able to give any good account how he came by them , but onely a frivolous allegation , that he bought one of them of a fellow that appeared to be hang'd last Sessions , and the other of he knew not whom ; he was found guilty on both Indictments .

A very little Girl was Arraigned for stealing a Money-Box , and therein three pound and odd money , out of a Chandlers shop , whilst they were at Dinner : she had often frequented the place for Alms , and the good man had several times relieved her ; and once before she had taken away a Box and Farthings , as since she confest , though then not suspected ; but now they very quickly missing their Money , pursued , found her out not far off , and charging her very sharply , made her confess the Theft , and acquaint them that she had thrown the Box over a wall , and hid the money in a piece of Leather under a stone by a Pump , where they found it : but she being a Child , and , as she said , not above eight years old , and , by her allegations , there being some reason to suspect that she did it by the wicked instigation of her Parents , in pitty to her tender age , as not having any Felonious intent , she was favoured so far , as not to be found guilty of the Indictment .

So likewise two Boys , that by stealing a Gentlemans key from a Bedmaker with whom they went to School , got into his Chamber in an Inn of Chancery , and breaking his study , stole thence six pound and odd money , and two Rings , and so run two or three miles out of Town , where after some time they were taken , and one of the Rings , and forty shillings of the Money , the rest thereof being spent , and one Ring as they said lost : It appearing that onely one of them did the Fact , though the other had share in spending the Money , the first was found guilty , and the other acquitted . It being a most sad object , to see Children so young , so vitiously inclined , as to attempt such wickedness .

A bold Girl was accused for breaking open a Trunk , and stealing a dozen of Napkins in the House of one that was remotely related to her ; but the Jury did not think the Evidence plain enough to Convict her . So likewise they acquitted two Shop-lifts , charged with stealing of forty yards of Bone lace ; for though there were violent presumptions of their guilt , there was no direct proof .

In the afternoon a Carman took a Trial for killing a Boy in Newgatestreet ; driving his Cart along very moderately , and meeting with some Gentlemens Coaches , he going to give way , the Child being on the other side , unseen by him , hapned to be beat down , and run over by the farther wheel : All which Circumstances being proved by persons of credit that saw the Action , and declared that they verily believed it was purely an involuntary Accident , and not by any default of the Prisoner , he was cleared .

Next was a Young man , by Trade an Instrument-maker , Tryed for firing of New-Prison , lately burnt down : To which Prison he had been Committed for a Recusant , but got out upon Bayl . There was a Witness which occasioned the Suspicion , that testified , That the day before the fire , the Prisoner ask'd him if he had a minde to earn 50 s . To which he consenting , if in an honest way , the Prisoner refused to tell him for what service , unless he would promise him absolutely to do it , and so they parted ; but first the Prisoner told him , If he would earn it , he should see fine sport in New-prison before the next day 7 a Clock ; before which time the said Prison was burnt . There were some other Witnesses , but not direct to the purpose ; and the Prisoner proving , that the same Night he was out of Town ; upon a full disquisition of the whole matter , he was found not Guilty .

After this was a notable Tryal of two persons for Coyning ; they were by trade Watch-makers , and one of them lately dwelt in the Old-Bayly ; but together with another of their Gang not yet taken , they had hired Rooms at a House by Bun-hill-fields , where they drove their mischievous Trade . Having paid their Landlady some of their counterfeit Money , she sent out a Boy with a new-mill'd Half-crown , to buy some Nutmegs . The Grocer's Apprentice by the lightness suspected it to be naught , and took advice on it , who concurr'd in the same opinion ; and seeing it so very fresh and newly done , cut it , and found it to be Brass , but exquisitely plated over , allowing not above three pennyworth of Silver to a piece . Hereupon they took the name of the person from whom the Boy said he came , and gave notice : But the Artists understanding there was some noise abroad of it , fled with the greatest part of their Tools , before the House came to be searcht . However , notice being given in the Gazette , one was soon after taken in Bristol , and the other in London . Their Landlord and Landlady both swore they had seen them at work , and several of their Mill'd-pieces were produced in Court , most artificially contrived , having their Mills to do it exactly . They made some slight defence ; but upon such plain Evidence of the Fact , were found Guilty of the Treason .

A Young man was likewise Convicted for stealing a Nag out of the Grounds near Nottingham , and coming riding up towards London , in Middlesex his Horse wanted shoeing ; where the Smith observing that he came a different Way from the Road which he pretended , and other circumstances , mistrusted that he had stoln the Gelding ; and questioning him , he at first endeavoured to make an escape ; but being taken , confess'd that he took him up near the place aforesaid ; Whither notice being sent , the Owners Son came now and gave Evidence against him , on which he was found guilty .