that　I　had　forfeited　all　hope　of　any　happiness　in　the　eternity
  that　I　was　just　going　to　enter　into；　and　on　the　contrary　was
  entitled　to　all　that　was　miserable；　or　had　been　conceived　of
  misery；　and　all　this　with　the　frightful　addition　of　its　being
  also　eternal。
  I　am　not　capable　of　reading　lectures　of　instruction　to　anybody；
  but　I　relate　this　in　the　very　manner　in　which　things　then
  appeared　to　me；　as　far　as　I　am　able；　but　infinitely　short　of　the
  lively　impressions　which　they　made　on　my　soul　at　that　time；
  indeed；　those　impressions　are　not　to　be　explained　by　words；
  or　if　they　are；　I　am　not　mistress　of　words　enough　to　express
  them。　　It　must　be　the　work　of　every　sober　reader　to　make　just
  reflections　on　them；　as　their　own　circumstances　may　direct；
  and；　without　question；　this　is　what　every　one　at　some　time　or
  other　may　feel　something　of；　I　mean；　a　clearer　sight　into　things
  to　come　than　they　had　here；　and　a　dark　view　of　their　own
  concern　in　them。
  But　I　go　back　to　my　own　case。　　The　minister　pressed　me　to
  tell　him；　as　far　as　I　though　convenient；　in　what　state　I　found
  myself　as　to　the　sight　I　had　of　things　beyond　life。　　He　told　me
  he　did　not　come　as　ordinary　of　the　place；　whose　business　it
  is　to　extort　confessions　from　prisoners；　for　private　ends；　or
  for　the　further　detecting　of　other　offenders；　that　his　business
  was　to　move　me　to　such　freedom　of　discourse　as　might　serve
  to　disburthen　my　own　mind；　and　furnish　him　to　administer
  comfort　to　me　as　far　as　was　in　his　power；　and　assured　me；
  that　whatever　I　said　to　him　should　remain　with　him；　and　be
  as　much　a　secret　as　if　it　was　known　only　to　God　and　myself；
  and　that　he　desired　to　know　nothing　of　me；　but　as　above　to
  qualify　him　to　apply　proper　advice　and　assistance　to　me；　and
  to　pray　to　God　for　me。
  This　honest；　friendly　way　of　treating　me　unlocked　all　the
  sluices　of　my　passions。　　He　broke　into　my　very　soul　by　it；　and
  I　unravelled　all　the　wickedness　of　my　life　to　him。　In　a　word；　I
  gave　him　an　abridgment　of　this　whole　history；　I　gave　him　a
  picture　of　my　conduct　for　fifty　years　in　miniature。
  I　hid　nothing　from　him；　and　he　in　return　exhorted　me　to　sincere
  repentance；　explained　to　me　what　he　meant　by　repentance；　and
  then　drew　out　such　a　scheme　of　infinite　mercy；　proclaimed
  from　heaven　to　sinners　of　the　greatest　magnitude；　that　he　left
  me　nothing　to　say；　that　looked　like　despair；　or　doubting　of
  being　accepted；　and　in　this　condition　he　left　me　the　first　night。
  He　visited　me　again　the　next　morning；　and　went　on　with　his
  method　of　explaining　the　terms　of　divine　mercy；　which
  according　to　him　consisted　of　nothing　more；　or　more　difficult；
  than　that　of　being　sincerely　desirous　of　it；　and　willing　to　accept
  it；　only　a　sincere　regret　for；　and　hatred　of；　those　things　I　had
  done；　which　rendered　me　so　just　an　object　of　divine　vengeance。
  I　am　not　able　to　repeat　the　excellent　discourses　of　this
  extraordinary　man；　'tis　all　that　I　am　able　to　do；　to　say　that　he
  revived　my　heart；　and　brought　me　into　such　a　condition　that
  I　never　knew　anything　of　in　my　life　before。　　I　was　covered
  with　shame　and　tears　for　things　past；　and　yet　had　at　the　same
  time　a　secret　surprising　joy　at　the　prospect　of　being　a　true
  penitent；　and　obtaining　the　comfort　of　a　penitentI　mean；　the
  hope　of　being　forgiven；　and　so　swift　did　thoughts　circulate；
  and　so　high　did　the　impressions　they　had　made　upon　me　run；
  that　I　thought　I　could　freely　have　gone　out　that　minute　to
  execution；　without　any　uneasiness　at　all；　casting　my　soul
  entirely　into　the　arms　of　infinite　mercy　as　a　penitent。
  The　good　gentleman　was　so　moved　also　in　my　behalf　with　a
  view　of　the　influence　which　he　saw　these　things　had　on　me；
  that　he　blessed　God　he　had　come　to　visit　me；　and　resolved　not
  to　leave　me　till　the　last　moment；　that　is；　not　to　leave　visiting　me。
  It　was　no　less　than　twelve　days　after　our　receiving　sentence
  before　any　were　ordered　for　execution；　and　then　upon　a
  Wednesday　the　dead　warrant；　as　they　call　it；　came　down；　and
  I　found　my　name　was　among　them。　　A　terrible　blow　this　was
  to　my　new　resolutions；　indeed　my　heart　sank　within　me；　and
  I　swooned　away　twice；　one　after　another；　but　spoke　not　a　word。
  The　good　minister　was　sorely　afflicted　for　me；　and　did　what　he
  could　to　comfort　me　with　the　same　arguments；　and　the　same
  moving　eloquence　that　he　did　before；　and　left　me　not　that
  evening　so　long　as　the　prisonkeepers　would　suffer　him　to　stay
  in　the　prison；　unless　he　would　be　locked　up　with　me　all　night；
  which　he　was　not　willing　to　be。
  I　wondered　much　that　I　did　not　see　him　all　the　next　day；　it
  being　the　day　before　the　time　appointed　for　execution；　and　I
  was　greatly　discouraged；　and　dejected　in　my　mind；　and　indeed
  almost　sank　for　want　of　the　comfort　which　he　had　so　often；
  and　with　such　success；　yielded　me　on　his　former　visits。　　I
  waited　with　great　impatience；　and　under　the　greatest　oppressions
  of　spirits　imaginable；　till　about　four　o'clock　he　came　to　my
  apartment；　for　I　had　obtained　the　favour；　by　the　help　of　money；
  nothing　being　to　be　done　in　that　place　without　it；　not　to　be
  kept　in　the　condemned　hole；　as　they　call　it；　among　the　rest　of
  the　prisoners　who　were　to　die；　but　to　have　a　little　dirty
  chamber　to　myself。
  My　heart　leaped　within　me　for　joy　when　I　heard　his　voice　at
  the　door；　even　before　I　saw　him；　but　let　any　one　judge　what
  kind　of　motion　I　found　in　my　soul；　when　after　having　made　a
  short　excuse　for　his　not　coming；　he　showed　me　that　his　time
  had　been　employed　on　my　account；　that　he　had　obtained　a
  favourable　report　from　the　Recorder　to　the　Secretary　of　State
  in　my　particular　case；　and；　in　short；　that　he　had　brought　me
  a　reprieve。
  He　used　all　the　caution　that　he　was　able　in　letting　me　know
  a　thing　which　it　would　have　been　a　double　cruelty　to　have
  concealed；　and　yet　it　was　too　much　for　me；　for　as　grief　had
  overset　me　before；　so　did　joy　overset　me　now；　and　I　fell　into
  a　much　more　dangerous　swooning　than　I　did　at　first；　and　it
  was　not　without　a　great　difficulty　that　I　was　recovered　at　all。
  The　good　man　having　made　a　very　Christian　exhortation　to
  me；　not　to　let　the　joy　of　my　reprieve　put　the　remembrance　of
  my　past　sorrow　out　of　my　mind；　and　having　told　me　that　he
  must　leave　me；　to　go　and　enter　the　reprieve　in　the　books；　and
  show　it　to　the　sheriffs；　stood　up　just　before　his　going　away；
  and　in　a　very　earnest　manner　prayed　to　God　for　me；　that　my
  repentance　might　be　made　unfeigned　and　sincere；　and　that
  my　coming　back；　as　it　were；　into　life　again；　might　not　be　a
  returning　to　the　follies　of　life　which　I　had　made　such　solemn
  resolutions　to　forsake；　and　to　repent　of　them。　　I　joined　heartily
  in　the　petition；　and　must　needs　say　I　had　deeper　impressions
  upon　my　mind　all　that　night；　of　the　mercy　of　God　in　sparing
  my　life；　and　a　greater　detestation　of　my　past　sins；　from　a　sense
  of　the　goodness　which　I　had　tasted　in　this　case；　than　I　had　in
  all　my　sorrow　before。
  This　may　be　thought　inconsistent　in　itself；　and　wide　from　the
  business　of　this　book；　particularly；　I　reflect　that　many　of　those
  who　may　be　pleased　and　diverted　with　the　relation　of　the　wild
  and　wicked　part　of　my　story　may　not　relish　this；　which　is
  really　the　best　part　of　my　life；　the　most　advantageous　to　myself；
  and　the　most　instructive　to　others。　　Such；　however；　will；　I　hope；
  allow　me　the　liberty　to　make　my　story　complete。　　It　would　be
  a　severe　satire　on　such　to　say　they　do　not　relish　the　repentance
  as　much　as　they　do　the　crime；　and　that　they　had　rather　the
  history　were　a　complete　tragedy；　as　it　was　very　likely　to　have　been。
  But　I　go　on　with　my　relation。　　The　next　morning　there　was　a
  sad　scene　indeed　in　the　prison。　　The　first　thing　I　was　saluted
  with　in　the　morning　was　the　tolling　of　the　great　bell　at　St。
  Sepulchre's；　as　they　call　it；　which　ushered　in　the　day。　　As　soon
  as　it　began　to　toll；　a　dismal　groaning　and　crying　was　heard
  from　the　condemned　hole；　where　there　lay　six　poor　souls　who
  were　to　be　executed　that　day；　some　from　one　crime；　some　for
  another；　and　two　of　them　for　murder。
  This　was　followed　by　a　confused　clamour　in　the　house；　among
  the　several　sorts　of　prisoners；　expressing　their　awkward　sorrows
  for　the　poor　creatures　that　were　to　die；　but　in　a　manner　extremely
  differing　one　from　another。　　Some　cried　for　them；　some　huzzaed；
  and　wished　them　a　good　journey；　some　damned　and　cursed　those
  that　had　brought　them　to　itthat　is；　meaning　the　evidence；　or
  prosecutorsmany　pitying　them；　and　some　few；　but　very　few；
  praying　for　them。
  There　was　hardly　room　for　so　much　composure　of　mind　as
  was　required　for　me　to　bless　the　merciful　Providence　that　had；
  as　it　were；　snatched　me　out　of　the　jaws　of　this　destruction。　　I
  remained；　as　it　were；　dumb　and　silent；　overcome　with　the
  sense　of　it；　and　not　able　to　express　what　I　had　in　my　heart；　for
  the