It  was  of  such  frequent  occurrence  that  men  got  callous  about
it,  nay,  joked  of  it.  '  Mr.  Ordinary  visits  his  melancholy  Flock  at
Newgate  by  Eight.  Doleful  Procession  up  Holbom  Hill  about
Eleven.  Men  handsome  and  proper,  that  were  never  thought  so
before,  which  is  some  Comfort  however.  Arrive  at  the  fatal  Place  at
Twelve.  Burnt  Brandy,  Women  and  Sabbath  breaking  repented
of.  Some  few  Penitential  Drops  fall  under  the  Gallows.  Sheriffs
Men,  Parson,  Pickpockets,  Criminals,  all  very  busie.  The  last
concluding  peremptory  Psalm  struck  up.     Show  over  by  One.'

Misson  gives  a  far  longer  account,  full  of  detail,  of  an  execution
in  those  days.  He  says  :  '  Hanging  is  the  most  common  Punish-
ment in  England.  Usually  this  Execution  is  done  in  a  great  Road '
about  a  quarter  of  a  League  from  the,  Suburbs  of  London.  The
Sessions  for  trying  Criminals  being  held  but  eight  Times  a  Year,
there  are  sometimes  twenty  Malefactors  to  be  hang'd  at  a  Time.
'  They  put  five  *  or  six  in  a  Cart  (some  gentlemen  obtain  leave
to  perform  this  journey  in  a  coach)  and  carry  them  riding  back-
wards with  the  Rope  about  their  Necks,  to  the  fatal  Tree.  The
Executioner  stops  the  Cart  under  one  of  the  Cross  Beams  of  the
Gibbet,  and  fastens  to  that  ill-favoured  Beam  one  End  of  the  Rope,
while  the  other  is  round  the  Wretches  Neck  :  This  done,  he  gives
the  Horse  a  Lash  with  his  Whip,  away  goes  the  Cart,  and  there
swings  my  Gentleman  Kicking  in  the  air.
