THE Murtherers Lamentation:

THE Murtherers Lamentation:

BEING An Account of John Jewster and William Butler, who where arraign'd and found guilty of the Robbery and Murther of Mrs. Jane Le-grand; for which they received due Sentence of Death, and was accordingly Executed on the 19th day of this Instant July, in Spittle-fields.

Magdalene College - Pepys Library, Pepys Ballads 2.179; EBBA 20796

O Most unhappy men we are, this sad and dismal day,
Wrapt us in sorrow, grief, and care, alas, what shall we say?
The dying hearts within us bleed, for mercy, Lord, we cry,
Tho' for a most unchristian deed, we are condemn'd to dye .

Pale death this morning we behold,
with hearts as cold as stone;
Why did we covet cursed gold, which never was our own?
It has our sad destruction wrought, and for this villany,
Alas, we are to justice brought, in open shame to dye.

My name is Jewster , I confess, that first the plot did lay,
Yet did I not the least express, they shou'd her life betray;
But Butler enter'd first the room, to act that villany:
And now we both receive our doom, in open shame we dye .

I to my shame have done amiss, be'ng a relation near;
Of such a horrid crime at this,
the worst shall seldom hear;
That I with ruffins should combine to act that villany,
For which I must my breath resine, in open shame we dye .

First Satan tempted us to steal; we did contract that guilt,
And that we might the same conceal, her aged blood we spilt;
Thus we from sin to sin did go, in highth of villany,
And this has wrought our overthrow, in open shame we dye .

Alas, let me do what I can, declare the truth I must,
I Butler was the very man, that stopt her breath at first;
By violence I seiz'd her throat, oh horrid villany;
My soul on seas of grief does float, as being brought to dye .

Her lodger we did then surprise with the same violence,
Stopping her mouth with rags likewise,
depriving her of sence;
Yet she her reason soon obtain'd the truth to testifie,
When at the bar we was arrain'd and eke condemn'd to dye .

One being dead, the other bound,
we rifl'd then the store,
For strait in ready cash we found, nine hundred pounds and more;
We fill'd our pockets with the same, this done, we strait did fly,
Yet we was took and brought to shame, being condemn'd to dye .

Since in the blood of innocent
our hands we did imbrew;
Altho' in heart we do lament, this death is but our due;
Let others a fair warning take, by this our distany,
Who must in shame the world forsake, as being brought to dye .

Good Lord, in pity us behold, thy love we do implore,
For tho' our sins are manifold, thy mercies Lord are more;
Tho' we on earth thy laws did break, yet as this life we leave,
O save us for thy mercies sake, our sinful souls receive.

murder

Spitalfields

Printed for J. Deacon, at the Angel in Guiltspur-street .