quicker Senſe of his Condition; for when he ſaw thoſe he was allotted with gone to Execution, he ſent a Meſſage by the Provoſt-Marſhal to the Court, to be
inform’d of the Meaning of it, and humbly deſir’d to know whether they deſign’d him Mercy, or not? If they did, he ſtood infinitely oblig’d to them, and thought the whole Service of his Life an incompetent Return for ſo great a Favour; but that if he was to ſuffer, the ſooner the better, he ſaid, that he might be out of his Pain.
There were others of theſe Pyrates the reverſe of this, and tho’ deſtitute of Miniſters, or fit Perſons to repreſent their Sins, and aſſiſt them with ſpiritual Advice, were yet always imploying their Time to good Purpoſes, and behaved with a great deal of ſeeming Devotion and Penitence; among theſe may be reckon’d Scudamore, Williams, Philips, Stephenſon, Jefferys, Leſly, Harper, Armſtrong, Bunce, and others.
Scudamore too lately diſcerned the Folly and Wickedneſs of the Enterprize, that had chiefly brought him under Sentence of Death, from which, ſeeing there was no Hopes of eſcaping, he petitioned for two or three Days Reprieve, which was granted; and for that Time apply’d himſelf inceſſantly to Prayer, and reading the Scriptures, ſeem’d to have a deep Senſe of his Sins, of this in particular, and deſired, at the Gallows, they would have Patience with him, to ſing the firſt Part of the thirty firſt Pſalm; which he did by himſelf throughout.
Armſtrong, having been a Deſerter from his Majeſty’s Service, was executed on Board the Weymouth, (and the only one that was;) there was no Body to preſs him to an Acknowledgement of the Crime he died for, nor of ſorrowing in particular for it, which would have been exemplary, and made ſuitable Impreſſions on Seamen; ſo that hislaſt
