The National Register.
London, England, 1815-11-12 00:00:00

7`26

fined or he should destroy himself and his wife"—if they in-
sist upon his sanity when he made these entreaties and decla-
ration—that thew, by so doing, fix upon him the horrible im-
putation of purposing, in his right mind, the perpetration of
the greatest crime in the power of man to commit, but which
no intelligent reader, from the perusal of the workoull infer
to be there in any way charged upon Mr. Robert G. Turner.
Attack upon the private character of Mr. Turner's family
is in no respect the object of the publication ; it has nothing
to do with them at-their conduct- but as the Prosecutors .of
the unfortunate Elizabeth .Penning. Notwithstanding the•
horrible reports entertained by them against the unhappy
girl, ne retaliation has been sought by impugning their repu-
tation. As the Thirteen Certificants, therefore, will not find
throughout the work the least impeachment of Mr. Robert
Gregson Turner's " modesty and chastity," or any other of
the virtues they ascribe to him, they have not to support
those virtues against the publication. In short, notwith-
standing the certificate is written in a style that Dr. Solomon
himself may despair of excelling, yet as it blinks the main
fact, the extraordinary scene at Messrs. Corbyn's, and as I
know some of the Thirteen Certificants have not read the
publication, the character of Mr. Robert Gregson Turner does
not seem to have benefited by their. handling. Why do
these Thirteen Certificants address what they call their infor-
mation to the UNWARY ?

55, Fleet Street, Nov. 9.

am, Sir,

Yours respectfully,
WILLIAM HONE.

ELIZ. FENNING'S CORRESPONDENCE.

We extract the following interesting letters of this un-
fortunate girl, written a few hours before her execution,
from the work published on, her trial by Dr. Watkins :
Filon's side, Nergate, 21, (22) July, 1815.
Dear and affectionate Parents,

With heart-rending sighs and tears, I for the'last time, and
ever last time, write these solemn lines to you, hoping and
trusting the Almighty to give you strength and fortitude to
bear the distressigg„awful, and dreadful scene, that is about to
take place. Believe me, cruel and pitiable is my unfortunate
mad affecting situation ; but God's will be done : and with
bumble resignation I must bear my untiniely fate : but what
pleasing consolation within my tortured breast, to suffer inno- ,
cent ! Dear parents, Ido solemnly declare, was I never to
enter the heavenly mansion of heavenly lest, I .am murdered!
`Yes, dear father and mother, believe I am your only child,
that speaks the sentiments of a bieaking heart. Don't let me
distress your breaking heart, l wish to comfort you, dearest
of parents : he happy : pray take comfort': let me entreat of
goo to be reconciled, and I will be happy in heaven, and with
my dear sisters and brothers, and will meet you by and by:
pray read the blessed Bible, and turn your hearts, and live a
religious and holy life, and then we shall be where sorrow
and troubles will be flo more; I grieve more to think I had
an opportunity sooner, and did not make use of it : yet
there's time. though short, to pray to my heavenly Father, to
forgive me all my sins and offt.nces in my life past : only
she passage of death that I have to go through, which, I
'hope and trust, will soon be over. Oh my blest and beloved
parents, think what are my present and distressed feelings, to
part from you who gave me my being, and nourished me at
that 'breast; and was my sole comfort, and nursed me in my
belp!ess and infant yoars, and was atways my directors, to keep
toe in [the] sacred path of virtue, which 1 have strictly kept,

gsgwa;awavim,g'•4lll',Womm~letal

STER.

and will be one sin less to answer for, as a spotless flame will
be acceptable in the eyes of God. I mention this, as I let
you all [know] I have not done amiss. Oh, dear parents,
what an affecting scene, to part from you, which must be
endured by the laws of justice! but justice has not been
shown at [the] bar. Man judges man : God will judge u
all, who knows the secrets of hearts, and those who swore my
life will never enter with me into rest. God bless you both,

and may you live happy I Adieu from your injured and
unhappy child.

Keep these few lines in remembrance of me, as that is all
[the] comfort I can afford, with my imperfect prayers.
Adieu, dear parents, God bless you both !
ELIZA FENNING, aged 21 years.
23 July, 1815, A/rind&

My dear Friend,

Ou tof love and respect I write these last and solemn lines
to bid you an everlasting and eternal farewel in this world of
sorrow and woe. I have but a few hours before I leave this
vale of tears to enter the heavenly mansion of rest, but yet I
never shall die happy till I communicate any secret that my
dying heart contains-1 die innocent of the crime lam to sur-
for such an ignomi,sinis death
.for. Pray tell my dear parents
not to put a bit of black about me, as it will be a token of in-
noccnce. A very few leave this world a pure virgin : and
when led to the gallows, I shall be led as a shepherd leadeth
lamb to the slaughter, or as a bride to her heavenly bride
groom, and there to be united at the altar of God—and rest
on the bosom of my heavenly Father, where parting shall be
no more. Dear friend, pray lead a religious and holy life,
and then I shall meet you in heaven with my dear parents,
and enjoy everlasting felicity, with blessed saints and angeli
above. Please to grant me one request, if you possibly can,
to see my body laid in the mouldering earth, in the early
prime of youth : but I only go a little time • before you all :
we must all die, then why should I repine ? It would be
wicked to fly in the face of the Almighty, for God's will be
done: the Lord gave and the Lord bath taken away, and
blessed is the name of God.

May God bless you, and all that may be yours in this
world, and all your dear friends. Bless you once more, i;
my dying prayer—speak comfort to my poor unhappy p -
rents, who will soon not have a single child to console them
in the hour of distress, in their few remaining years of old
age.

I once more bless you, and bid you an eternal farewel.
EL(ZA FENSING, aged 21 years.

It is reported, that although there is no actual and direct
recall of the" Earl of Moira from. the Government, of India,
vet that an ofliCial letter has been sent out by the Court of
Directors, sanctioned by the Board of Control, commenting
very pointedly on the bad policy of the war atiainst the
Napaulese ; this letter, it is thought, may have such an effect
on the mind of the Noble Lord, as to determine hi'm to give
in his resignation of his own impulse.
Lord•GorManiton humanely offered two hundred guineas
to six gallant fellows to rescue the crew of the Mary, of Glas-
gow, which was stranded near Balbrignan, in Scotland, on
Sa•urday week. The unfortunate seamen, on the vessel fill-
ing, haled themselves in the shrouds, and every attempt to
relieve them proved ineffectual, from the heavy swell and
surf, until the above men, on Monday morning, put off in
a stout boat, and brought the whole crew, at the great hazard
of their own lives, on shore, though alniost in! Malaga state.
Mr. Filgate. of Lowther Lodge, added 20 guineas to his
Lordship's handsome reward. •