Some serious and important reflections will naturally occur to the mind on perufing the above melancholy narrative. Mr. Hunter was educated in a manner greatly fuperior to the vulgar; and he was of a profeffion that ought to have fet an example of virtue, instead of a pattern of vioe: yet neither his education nor profeffion could actuate as preventive remedies against a crime the most abhorrent to all the feelings of humanity.

Hunter's firft offence, great as it was, could be confidered as no other than a prologue to the dif mal tragedy that enfured a tragedy that was attended with almost every poffible circumftance of aggravation; for Mr. and Mrs. Gordon had done nothing to him that could tempt him to any thoughts of revenge; and the children were too young to have offended him, even in intention; they fimply mentioned to their parents a circamftance, that to them appeared fomewhat extraordinary; and which, Mr. Hunter's character and Atuation confidered, was indeed of a very extraordinary nature: yet, in revenge of the fuppofed affront, did he refolve to embrue his hands in the blood of innocents who never offended.

When we confider the conduct of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon, in difcharging the young woman who was guilty of a violation of the laws of decency, and retaining in their family the principal of fender, we must own that their partiality was ill founded; this. however, must be afcribed to the veneration in which clergymen are univerfally held, and the particular regard that was fhewn towards them in Scotland at the commencement of the prefent century. Still, however, it is an aggravation of Hunter's crime, who ought to have been grateful in proportion as he was favoured.

It is a fhocking part of Hunter's story, that he who was looked upon as a minifter, was one of a fociety of abandoned young fellows, who occafionally affembled to ridicule the fcriptures, and make a mockery of the being and attributes of God! Is it then to be wondered that this wretch fell an example of the exemplary justice of Divine Providence? Perhaps a fate no lefs dreadful attended many of his companions; but as their hiftories have not reached our hands, we can only judge of the confequences by the enormities of their crimes.

There is fomething fo indefcribably shocking in denying the existence of that God in whom we “live, move, and have our being," that it is amazing any man can be an atheist, who feels that he did not create himself.

From this fad tale be mortals taught

The wond'rous pow'r of God,

And, fill'd with deep repentance, bow

Beneath his vengeful rod!

Narrative of the Life, and Execution of JOHN COWLAND, Gentleman, at Tyburn, for the Murder of Sir ANDREW SLANNING, Baronet.

NOTWITHSTANDING the particulars of

this affair are hort, they are interefting. Sir Andrew Slanning having made a temporary acquaintance with an orange-woman, while in the pit at Drury Lane play-houfe, retired with her as foon as the play was ended, and was followed by Mr. Cowland and fome other gentlemen. They had gone but a few yards before Mr. Cowland put his arm round the woman's neck; on which Sir Andrew defired he would defift, as fhe was his

wife.

wife. Cowland, knowing that Sir Andrew was married to a woman of honour, gave him the lie, and fwords were drawn on both fides: but fome gentlemen coming up at this juncture, no immediate ill confequence happened.

They all now agreed to adjourn to the Rofe tavern; and Captain Wagget having there ufed his utmoft endeavours to reconcile the offended parties, it appeared that his mediation was attended with fuccefs; but, as they were going up ftairs to drink a glafs of wine, Mr. Cowland drew his fword, and stabbed Sir Andrew in the belly, who finding himself wounded, cried out " murder."

One of Lord Warwick's fervants now, and two other perfons who were in the house, ran up and difarmed Cowland of his fword, which was bloody to the depth of five inches, and took him into cuftody. Cowland now defired to fee Sir Andrew; which being granted, he jumped down the stairs, and endeavoured to make his efcape; but being purfued he was eafily re-taken.

Cowland was inftantly conducted before a juftice of the peace, who committed him; and on the 5th of December, 1700, he was tried at the Old Bailey, on three indictments, the firft at the common law, the fecond on the ftatute of stabbing, and the third on the coroner's inqueft for the murder.

Every fact above mentioned was fully proved on the trial; and among other things it was depofed, that the deceafed had poffeffed an estate of 20,000l a year, and his family became extinct by his death, and that he had been a gentleman of great good-nature, and by no means difpofed to animofity.

Sentence

Sentence of death was now paffed on Mr. Cow land being found guilty on the clearest evidence, and though great intereft was made to obtain a pardon for him, he was executed at Tyburn on the 20th of December, 1700.

From the moment of his imprisonment to the day of his death, his behaviour was truly contrite and penitent; he profeffed the most unfeigned forrow for all his fins, and gave the following account of himself: That he was the fon of reputable parents, who apprenticed him to a goldImith. That in the early part of his life he was fober and religious, ftudying the fcriptures, give ing a regular attendance on divine worship, and devoutly reflecting on his duty towards God; but that abandoning this courfe of life, he became an eafy prey to his own intemperate paffions, and proceeded from one degree of vice to another, till at length he committed the horrid crime for which he was juftly doomed to fall a facrifice to the violated laws of God and his country.

On a retrospect of the above-written melancholy narrative, fome reflections will occur that, if properly attended to, may be of fingular use to the reader. The difpute which coft Sir Andrew Slanning his life, took its rife from his having afsociated himself with a woman of light character, with whom Cowland thought he had as much right to make free as the baronet; but Sir Andrew was originally to blame; for as he was a married man, there was a greater impropriety in the connection he had formed: this, however, was no kind of juftification of the conduct of Cowland, who could have no business to interfere; and his crime is greatly enhanced by his having committed the murder after an apparent reconciliation had taken place. To fum up our

obfer

obfervations in a few words; from this fad tale let married men be taught the danger that may enfue from the fligheft criminal connection: and let young gentlemen learn to govern and moderate their paffions fo may all parties live, an honour. to themselves, and a credit to their families and friends.

:

Circumftantial Account of the Life, Trial, Piracies, and Execution of Captain JOHN KIDD, who was banged at Execution Dock.

HE cafe of Captain Kidd, while in agita

THE

tion, engaged the attention of the public in a very eminent degree, though the man himfelf was one of the moft contemptible of the human race. The town of Greenock in Scotland gave birth to Captain Kidd, who was bred to the fea, and having quitted his native country, he refided at New York, where he became owner of a fmall veffel, with which he traded among the pirates, obtained a thorough knowledge of their haunts, and could give a better account of them than any other perfon whatever. He was neither remarkable for the excefs of his courage, nor for his want of it. In a word, his ruling paffion appeared to be avarice, and to this was owing his connection with the pirates.

When Kidd was in company with these abandoned people he used to converfe and act as they did; yet at other times he would make fingular profeffions of honefty, and intimate how eafy a matter it would be extirpate these people, and prevent their making future depredations,