The Late John Thurtell.
The Times, 1824-01-12T00:00:00

Ii i3 pePk3 imporlane i4t y to kt now, thai tis d WTts true tin e1 bhipasilens and his 'imes yac st Iength aroused toi a tfu -ma of the cozzolations of-reliion, and an adriitssior. of the serenity they gave to tlatt6rtitudeand courage with v hirsc ature eemed to lhave no abundantly supplied him.. From thfe blcginnilg of his im. prisonament the chaxplain of tle gantaupplied him with the religious bools sthich he thought best calculated to awakea his mind to spi- rit u1limp ronz. -To the Rev. MI r. IAoyd, an crs. Wil soDn, IIa st also indebted for .imilar nieans of restoring his mnind to a ptoper consideration of 'his situation: these marks of humane attention to the prisoner, 'which were always acldsowlcdged by him, with grati- tade, and particulisly in all his conmmunieations with-thdehaplains whose province it maire immediately wvas to administer them, neverthdess, do not seem for some tirae to have had their full efTect. He was at all time3 cool and collated, buit his fortitn'de rseemed the result of natural courage; his tind wag nevir, until the very near approach of his trial, enmelently'plastic to receivo the impresion, that whabtever silew he might take of the course thatbecane binm ineeting the particular cimelaid to h'ts charge, it was timne,under any alternative,to reflect serieusly upon his past life, and prepare for eternity. Frota his firstimprIsonment, the Bible and'other reMigion societies had sent to him books of devo- tian, and cealous (sometimes indiscreet) individuals, both anony- mouslyandbyname, forwarded to him tracts andsermons, and Esmetimes private admonitions, recommending the course whieh they tbought he ought to pursue. He used occasionally to talk of thes efirts from without to tamper with his state of mind sith ar-ch levity; and to some of the anonymotis letters thus seat to him, lhe oftes, when speaking of them to others, applied a humorous tone of crticismn which, if ithad emanated from any otnerperson,s might It hlaae been deemed inopportune. Wnen sporen to before trial re- spactiautue murder, he was always most anxious to evade conversa. tion 00 thatpatticnlar topic, and anxious to turn the subject, which he often did with considerable address, and then became fluent upOnd any otherevent in his life which suggested itself at the momnent, and was lively or adveinturous enough to furnish interest to those Vth whom he happened to be in conversation. W;hen spoken to respcut- ing any particular fact of which it was presumeda'he bad any infor- mation, lie either communicated what he said he knew in a prompt and fluent manner, or else laughed at the notion that he lOew any thing upon the point. WVhen spoken to aboat gam- ing-b'buses, or the company of pugii'sts, his answer was T,g rm_that-he had nat. known cither for--two.years,-znd -many OfXhe principal individuals engagea in theom for nearly three Ycar-th- accident, rather than any predilection for such associates, bad led him among them-thiat he wasoalwvays a loser, and often, he believel, a dupe. lie repeatedly said to several of those who visited him in prii.on, that on the very last night he entered a gaming-house in the metropolis, said to be kept by a person of the niame of Ben- nett, and in which he had previously lost some money, that that in. dividual, at his departure, presented hitm with a 501. note, saying, " Take this, Thurtell; pray don't come here again; yoa are bot the man we want;" and he never entered the house afterwards. When walking in the yard with his fellew.prisoners, he was in the habit of entertaining them with anystoryofhis life wbich, whilst it withdrevw his mind from reflection, prevented those around him, if they 7ere so disposed (vvhcic rarely occurred), from introducing any subject that was calculated to embarrass him. But it was only within the Last few davs that he seriously turned his thoughts to religious instruc. tion. ic appeared forafortnight aftertheadjotrnmentofthe com. mission, busily and exclusively occupied in arranging his defence, and revi3ing the materials whicll lie had previously provided for it. The extracts from the " Percy Anecdotcs" formed originally no panr of his statement; they were transmitted to hiii after his solici. tors had furnislhed him with the materials wvhiclh their view of the case suggested, and he was at first somewhat embarrassed in the mnde of embodying them in the address he bad already prepared and reduced to memory. As the day of the trial approached, it was appa. rent to those whovereimnmediatelyarotndhim, thtat his mind assumed a moreserioustuzn, andthatheturnedwith an airofgreaterthoughtful. ness to the perusal of the religious books which wereleft by the chap- lain in his apartment: the previous coUections of tracts, and books of prayer transamitted by private societies or individuals, had been disregarded, or deetroyed, and the two or three which were left by the chaplain became evidently a source of consElation to the pri- avner. The moment the trial terminated he turned to them with an intense feeling of devotion; his fortitude never failed him, nor va. ried, but he became more resigned, and his seriousness subsided into deep and unaffected penitence. In his desire to apply himself for forgiveness to Heaven, he wished not to be disturbed with par. ticular quiestionss; and to the credit of all who had access to him in this temper of mind, no obtrusive or uRbecoming attempt was made to extort from him disclosures,-an attempt however, that, considering the unbroken spirit of the man, the desperate fideity which he devoted to the last associates of his career, and with which, dying, he sealed his connexion with them,would in :aM psrbthiEfy, i ong -Tam1ed;nu'tTvAithTrawnth him, 'h the re- newa of irritation, and the sospicion which it might have attached to all who apptoachedhim at his last moments, from the opportunity which hefully enjoyedof endeavouring to make his peace with Hea. ven, by a faUll and unqualified contrition for all his offences. The stamp of his character was observable in the selection he made from beoes ofdevotion put into his hands: lie turned with an acknow- ledgment of thankfulness to the passages which were marked for bis perusal; but recurred on the day and night before his execution, to some of the elequentpassages in Dr. Paley's posthumous volume of tracts, whicb are to be found in the prayers for a permon tr ssiled in rrind and conscieke, and these passages, which were remarkable for vigour of truth, he reaa witb great ftrvour himself, and then begged of Mlr. lilson, jun., or one of the attendants, to repeat to him with as much earnestness an-d emphasis as they ud command, while he valked up and dowa the room. Although cfren subauerd into tears at the recital of particular passages, the ob- durate perversion of his mode of thinking repressed every suggestion of conscienee to disclose the secrets of his last haunts, and tbe guilt of his associates; and to the last moment of his existence he seemed to think, that the imperfeca retribution to society of his general de- claration of penitence and contrition was all which he was bound to administer. On the night of the fitst dsy's adjoarnment of the trial, he became struck with the force of some of the details that were tseed in evidence against him at the close of the prosecution. He appeared to have previously had no idea that his identity could have 'bea so clearly established in evidenc The night was dark, and there was no moon at the hour; bht the passing at the mnoment of the stage-coach with lItnts, as Clarke stood at one oide .of the road, while Thurtel drove hi3 gig at the ntlher, afforded under all the circumstances an almost miracu- lens opportunity for recognition which he never anticipated. The racent of his removal after condemnation to the gaol, le, after a %isr generzl reaarks upon the evidence, abandoned alU intention of upeaking a word more upon the subject-an intention to whieli he zdhered The following are the prayers which he read, andl had re- panted to him on the night before his execution. The last prayer ~fom Dr. Paley's Tracts he read over several times before lie fell a0,Iecp upon his bed:_ "0 most just and h0oly Lord GOd, rvho bringest to liglht the hiddei things of darhness, and by thy just and wise provi- dence dost br;sg to shame, and punishment; disappointing the hopes of wicked m;ktg; visiting their sins upon them irk this pre, cent life, that thoa ln'ayPst deter others frotn the evil of tbeir ways rave their touls in the dayof judgment: 0 Lord, in mercy to down upon this thy avanlt, who now is before thee, to eohfess tiy justice, in-making hin a sad example to others. He with sorrow ''-Qd teb1ame copfessetb, it would ouzt with thee, should death eter. nzl be the vages of his sins, athd evrirasting sorrow be the recomi pease hf his iniquitv. He h,as, we cn0fess, 0 Lord, despised thy mercy, and ahused thy goodness, and has, therefore, no reason to expect ouy othier than to be miade au eyerlasting sacrifice to thy justice. When Ihou hast, by the ministry Pt thy word, ad the interposition of thy providence, called him tO rPentaince, lie has slightcd tbine admonitions. Oh, how just' th-efore,G Would it be now in thee to disrcgard his cry in this day oi t7llble, when distress amn anguish are come upon bimn. He conr- fe=e3 thathe bath brIdened his heart, notwithstanding all thy ir xntnities to him to repeat nd live; that he has stll gone on from n iednes to another, eagerly repeating the works of darkness, nd even hating to ba reformed; that he has notodously broken his ba,pismal vo"s, and given encouragement to ethers to blaspheme o-ar holy faith; and tlhat on these accounts h e has nothing to expect but that thou shouldest deal dwith hhn according to is sins, and re- ward himn according to the multitude of his o TI`ncfa. But th ou; 0 God, l ast bees pleased to declare, tbat with, thee is mercy and pleu- tewus redemption; that thou desirest t the death of a sinmer, but rasher that he should repent and live. Thou baet so loved the -crld, that thou gayest thly only begotten Sen, that who eXTr be. Iav-eth in him should n ot perish, but have eve rlsting i f. O let not him v'hom we are now monurzending to thy -serey, for eperis and b c los t. ',ave cormp3s&o upo4 ipil i;able em- r r-* v ko owns hbe d emrv t3 eternally O die, a nd let him. .1d mercry in bis ditres. Pardon, ' we . earnatly entreat. etrehis ' l i vlful a-d his heedlesz follies, bis c ro-4 znd hiis 4torious CIcs; pticdatly thatfOp VeIfCIheiS rb6V7 to die. 'Q Lords, thos Gai of rnemy, who art abun d A tnes, have pit t oin t be w, or7k of thin e ow bands. Bury hi ; sins ' in his g re,$and htond lvver th ey an ay r r-e up in t his 'world to dixace him, tltethtem teverrss. u,p in 2-Lazeat to conilmn him ; ond whatever he sukes, ~zire let lusn ^haa fiab- f n.the nuierof t6ZO VAM kialforgtun adv rLov0nscovered. ElIowever.an mittth. en tim Ofjsssiticee, and tO& ieeefrom bde n, guiyf the the li e.m y X 5tL-sbo la c t^ediis }y a, ft_ssu 4o7.edm Ul my beddivcttd ft neteraondemnatIon, (or .daee oJesis hrist,:l who die,to save sinners. Arnet." He also repeated the following from the same collection: it is en- tiled, "A General Prayerfrr preparltioNaad reLadinessto die i":- -" Lord,wlat i6 our lie;bu a vapdar, which apo&reth'for alittle time, 3and then vanisheth away P Even at th2 longest, how short andti transitory! and when we tbink ourselves most secure, yet wekeow not wvnat a day rnay bring forth; nor ho* soon thou mayest come, before we are aviare, to call us to our last account. " Quickly shall we be as water spilt on the ground, which eannot be gathered up again. Quicklyshall we be snatched away from hence, and our place shaU know us no more. "Our bodies shall soon lie down in the grave, and our souls be sammored-to appear before the tribunalof Christ, tt--receiveourever- lasting doom; and yet, 0 lIord, how do the generality of mankind live in this world, as if they werainever to leave it! How unmind- ful are we all of our departure! how improvident of our time! h1ow careless of our souls, and negligent in our preparations foir eternity! io that thou msightest justly cut us offin the midst of our sinc, and our unpreparedness tit appear befo:e *hee. But, 0 God of all com- fort and mercy, reniember not our sins against thee, but remember thy own, love to us in Jesas Christ, and thy tender mercies wbich have been ever of old. 0 remember howshort our time is, and so I teact us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.' The condcuding paragraph of the prayer the prisoner read several times witb the utmost fervour, viz.:_ "' Quickea thy servant, 0 Lord, into a powerful and serious con- sideration of these things, now thou hast brought him into more inti- mate acquaintance with them. Instruct and assist him in this great work of preparation to die, Show him how to do it, and help him with good success to perform it, that.when the time of his dissolu- tion draweth near he may lave nothing eLce to do but to resign him- self willingly and cheerfully into thy hands, as into the hands of s merciful Creator, there to remain with thee for ever in that blessed pLace, where sin, andsiess,and death shall do no more." Amen. The following was the concluding praye-, wvhich he repeated many times over: it is entitled A Pra,ver of Preparationfw- Death "O Almighty God, maker and judge of a'l men, havemercy upon me, tly weak -and sinful creature; and if by thy most wise and righteous appoininnent, the hour-of death be approaching towards me, enableme to meet it with a mind fully prepared for it, and to pass through thIs great andawful trial in the manner most profitable for me. 0 let me not leave any thing undone which may help to make n departuresateand-eappy, or to qualifymle for theilighest degreeof tbyfavourthatIlamncapable of attaining. Pardon the sins which f have committed against thee, by thought, word, and deed, andall my neglects ofduty. Pardon the sins which I have cormnitted against my neighbour; and if others have wronged or offended me, incline my heart freely and fully to forgive them. Cleamse mny soul from all its corruptions, and transform it into the likeness of thy son Jesus Christ, that I may behold thy face in glory, and be made partaker of thy heavenly kingdom. And 0! merciful Father, give mc that supply of spiritual comfort which thou scestucedful for me in my present condition: and grant that when my change comnes, I m.-y die with a quiet conscience, with a well- grounded assurance of thy favour, and a joyful hope of a blessed re- surrection, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen." This was the last prayer lie repeated before entering into the cha. pel. In the course of the previous night, lie was also particularly struck with several forcible passages in an old volame of sernons by Dr. Brewster, more especially with one upon "Judgutenl to comnc," which enforced tic imperative necessity of repentance, and the dis. mission of all self-delusion fro;:- the human heart, on the awful ap- proacli of deatl, in a simnple and cloquent strain, we'l c.4lculated to make an impression upon the prisoner. This desperate man had evidently a declamatory turn of mind, and some taste for elocution, but it was neither correct nor well cul- tivated; he was fond, it would seem, of display, and had filled his memory with quotations from plays, and volumes of speeches. He had no literary acquiremnents, although he was ambitious to disperse such gatherings as are above alluded to among his convivial compa- nions. This desire for ef'ect was a ruling principle, which clung to him to tde last. On the day whichl intervened between his con- demnation and execution, he seemed most anxious to know what impression his address hadi made upon the public, and particu- larly solicitous to see a newspaper. One was shown to hirm, which he read attentively, and said that in what he thought his best p.s- sages, the words did not ran on well, they did not read as he spoke them; and so intent was he upon correcting what he felt to be the errors of thereport,that on the morning of his execution, the last letter he wrote to a gentleman in London consisted of half a dozen lines, written with a firm hand; and transmitting this commis- sion:- " Will you be kind enough to get my defence put into one of the papers as I spoke it ? I am happy. God bless you. "Your unfortunate friend, " JOlHiN T'rTr'iss.T.T" ?7D ZAfg J6TzVftflff%