A CABINET of Grief: OR, THE French MIDWIFE'S Miserable mean for the Barbarous Murder committed upon the Body o● her Husband▪  
With the manner of her Conveying away hi● Limbs▪ and of her Execution; She being Burnt to Ashes on the 2d. of March in Leicester-Fields.   the burning of the French midwife 
Licenced according to Order  
Blare, at the Looking-Glass on London-Bridge. 1688.   

A Cabinet of GRIEF; OR, The French Midwives miserable moan, etc.  
UNder a sense of that Horrid and Hellish Sin of Murder, which I lately committed; I desire to leave to the World this following Treatise.  
First, the Cause of my Provocation: Secondly, the manner in brief of the Murder: And thirdly, my hearty and unfeigned sorrow for my Offence, which I hope may stand as a Monument to succeeding Ages, of that Unmerciful Murder, which brings me to my Miserable End.  
First of the Cause; Since the time I became the Unhappy Wife of that miserable Man, his Unnaturalness and Cruelty has been such, that no Tongue is able to express the daily sorrows that I underwent: from my unhappy Destiny let every Man and Wife be warned, let not sin and Satan provoke your passions, but learn to live in Love and Unity one with another, for where it is otherwise, there is little hope of a happy life, or a blessing from God, as I by sad Experience know full well.  
Dennis my Husband, whom I Murdered, through the bad Company he kept, and the abuses he gave me, caused great confusion between us. Time af●er time would he ransack and rifle me of what I earned by my industrious Care; then would he ramble into Foreign parts, till he had wasted and consumed the same. This being done, he would return to me home again, with promise of amendment of lif●, yet in few days he would run into the same Extravagancy, to my great discontent, tho' I often endeavoured to persuade and reconcile him, yet it was all in vain; for the more I entreated the more he would revile me, vowing, That for the future it should be worse and worse: this aggravated my sorrows, and made them more than I was able to bear; so that groaning under the burden of my afflictions, I knew not what course in the World to take, to ease myself of that miserable bondage I was in. At these times the Devil was busy with me, so that I often before this time attempted to do the same, but was prevented by the assisting grace of God; but he still running on in this race of Wickedness, it gave fresh occasion of the same temptations again; but yet the sorrows and sufferings that I underwent I own to be no Argument that I should make myself guilty of his Blood; yet wanting the fear of God, I gave way to the Temptation, the which has proved the Ruin of us both: my unhappy Husband has fallen by my hand of Cruelty, and now I for this bloody Fact do wait for my just Punishment; which is, to end my days in Flames, in view of thousands that will be there to see my end.  

A Brief Account of the manner of Commiting this Crime.  
JAnuary the 26th. in the Morning, when he had been all the foregoing Night in such bad company as he kept, he returned to his home, the Door being left for his coming in; he entered the Room while I was in a sweet sleep; free from the thoughts of all manner of Evil, but he being disguised in Drink, fell foul upon me, and bitterly abused me with blows, which did exasperate my Spirits to that height of Passion, that I resolved in my Heart to be Revenged of him, altho' it proved my overthrow: and in this manner did I contrive my desperate Design: he going into his Bed and falling into a sound sleep, I took my fair opportunity in this wise.  
A Pack-thread being near at hand, the which he had used for a Garter, the same did I take, and putting of it round his Neck, made a Noose and Strangled him in his sleep, tho' he strugg'ld for his life, yet I hardened my Heart against him, and resolved to go forward with my design: He being dead, continued in our Lodging from Thursday till the Monday f●llowing, during which time, the Horror of Conscience so tormented me, that I could not be at rest until I had revealed it to some of my Friends, whom I thought I might trust with such a Secret; but instead of their siding with me in this black and bloody Crime which I had committed, they blamed me for my Unnatural Cruelty, and was abhorred and held detestable in their sight.  
Monday the 30th. of January, I having contrived this following means to convey him away, I resolved then to put it into practice: for the more ease of conveying him out of our Lodging, I first cut off his Head from his Shoulders, after that his Arms and Legs from his Body, then taking the Trunk of his Body, I wrapped it up in a Cloth, and lugged it forth myself by Night, throwing it upon a Dunghill in Parker's Lane, and then his Limbs I threw into an House of Office in the Savoy, over the side of the Thames; the Head into a Vault, near the Strand.  
This being done, I concluded all was safe and well, bat the Carcase was soon sound, and the next day the Limbs, which bloody Tragedy put the whole Town into a Consternation, woodring who might be the Actor of so bloody a deed; but I remained un-apprehended till the Thursday following at Night, when being seized on by an Officer, I trembled, for Conscience began to afflict me: I was soon brought to Examination, than hurried to Prison, where I bitterly bewailed my unhappy state.  
During the time of my Imprisonment, I began to consider with myself what I had done, and likewise what I had brought myself unto, at which serious Consideration, I was afflicted in my Mind, wounded in my Conscience, and drowned in my Tears; the Gild of my Crime was the Cause of my Grief; often did I earnestly desire of God that he would make me sensible of my sins, and likewise truly sorrowful for the same. Upon my bended knees often did I present him with a broken Heart, truly humbled under a sense of urfeigned sorrow for that black Crime▪ that I had committed, earnestly begging of God to pardon my offences, and receive me into his favour. The short time I have in this world, I purpose, with God's assistance, to spend in Holy Meditations, and the company of such whose good Instructions may help to prepare my Soul for Eternity; having so few Minntes in my Glass, there's no time to dally and let them slip, but so to make a full Improvement of the utmost of them, that I may find the comfort and benefit of the same to Eternity.  
Being brought to the Court of Justice, in order to Trial, the Fact I confessed, and Guilty was all I could plead, but the Court in tenderness bid me put myself upon Trial, notwithstanding all I had said, but Conscience told me 'twas true, I only pleaded Guilty, which was Recorded, and so I received the due Sentence, To be burnt till I was dead, which was the most terrible and astonishing sound in my Ears, that ever I heard in my Life.   

For the better impressing of this Subject on your Hearts and Minds, take these following Lines, which may be Sung to the Tune of, The Pious Christians Exhortation.  

A Lack! my very heart does bleed,  
to see my woeful Destiny,  
You that my Dying Lines shall read,  
I pray you all to pity me.   

A Murder here I did commit,  
for which I have deserved Death,  
This Crime I never shall forget,  
as long as I have life or breath.   

With grief and sorrow am I slain,  
to see the Race that I have run,  
A thousand times I wish in vain,  
this Wicked deed I had not done.   

It was my Husband whom I killed,  
and Mangled at so strange a rate,  
The World may be with Wonder filled,  
while I this Tragedy relate.   

In sorrow here my hands I wring,  
on Wrack of Conscience am I rolled,  
What did provoke me to this thing,  
in brief to you I will unfold.   

With care and grief I was oppressed,  
e'er since I did become his Wife,  
And never could have peace or rest,  
but led a discontented life.   

No Tongue is able to express  
what I with him did undergo,  
He Cruel was and pitiless,  
which now has proved our overthrow.   

From time to time he Riffl'd me,  
scarce leaving any  to wear,  
Besides his Acts of Cruelty,  
this drove me into deep Dispair.   

My heart was ready then to break,  
in private I shed many a Tear,  
As knowing not what course to take,  
my sorrows they were so severe.   

Against me his whole heart he set,  
and often vowed my Blood to spill,  
Morning and Night when  we met,  
confusion was our Greeting still.   

When him I strove to Reconcile,  
saying, thou knowst how 'tis with us,  
Maliciously he'd me Revile,  
and swear it should be worse and worse.   

Though he to Wickedness was bend,  
and showed himself so cross and grim,  
I own this was no Argument  
that I, alas! should Murder him.   

But Sin and Satan so took place,  
by living so from time to time,  
For want of Gods preventing Grace,  
I did commit this horrid Grime.   

When Man and Wife lives at discord,  
they may expect both fear and dread,  
For there's no Blessing from the Lord,  
where such a Wicked life is led.   

For coming from bad Company,  
when I was in a sweet Repose,  
He from the sleep did waken me,  
with many cruel bitter Blows.   

This did the height of Anger raise,  
when he did such unkinkness show,  
That I resolved to end his days,  
altho' it proved my overthrow.   

To Bed he strait ways did repair,  
as soon as he these Blows did give,  
Thought I thy life I will ensnare,  
thou hast but little time to live.   

I vowed no favour to afford,  
to him that used me so amiss,  
Strait he I Strangled with a Cord,  
when as he little thought of this.   

Although he struggled for his life,  
as surely very well he might,  
Yet I his cruel-hearted Wife,  
resolved to expel my spite.   

Thus him of life I did deprive,  
then in his Bed some days he lay,  
My greatest care was to contrive,  
how to convey his Corpse away.   

To bear him forth myself alone,  
I cut off Head, Arms, c'ry Limb,  
Had I not had a Heart of Stone,  
I could hot thus have Mangled him.   

His Head into a Vault I threw,  
his Carcase on a foul Dunghill,  
His other Limbs into the Thames,  
and then I thought all things was well.   

Safe was I then, as I did think,  
yet seized I was in a short time,  
For Heaven's Justice would not wink  
at such a black and bloody Crime.   

Then to a Prison was I sent,  
there to bewail my wretched state,  
And there in Tears I did lament,  
but this was when it was too late.   

To Justice was I brought indeed,  
where Conscience in my face did fly,  
Guilty was all that I could plead,  
I knew I did deserve to Die.   

O than my sad and dismal Doom,  
soon after this I did receive,  
It was in Fire to Consume,  
which made my very heart to grieve.   

Alas! I knew not what to say,  
'tis Death alone must end the strife,  
Behold this dreadful dismal Day,  
the which must end my dearest Life.   

Although I Weep and make sad moan,  
as being Wounded to the heart,  
I cannot choose but needs must own  
it is no more than my Desert.   

To see me go some Thousands throng,  
and thus in shame and much disgrace,  
Through many Crowds I passed along,  
unto the Execution place.   

Lord, tho' my Body here must Burn,  
for my sad Crime so gross and foul,  
Yet when I shall to Ashes turn,  
receive my poor Immortal Soul.    
FINIS.   

 public execution of the French midwife in Leicester Fields