The last SPEECH, Confession & Prayer OF Joyce Ebbs, To several Ministers in the Presse-yard at Newgate, and at the place of Execution in Smithfield Rounds on Thursday last in the forenoon.  
Immediately before She was bound to the Stake, to be burnt alive, to ashes, for that horrid Act, and Bloody murdering of her own Husband at Dog and Bitch Yard near Drury Lane.  
As also, the several Passages that happened before her death; her heavy groans and shrieks in the Fire, and the providing of a half sheet spread over with Pitch, to shorten the time of her miserable Torment.  
LONDON, Printed for G. Chambers, 1662.   

The last Speech and Confession of joice Ebbs, to several Ministers in the Press-yard, and at the place of Execution in Smithfield Rounds on Thursday last.  
THE Subject of the ensuing Discourse, and the woeful Object beheld by many hundreds, hath occasioned a brief Abstract of the Life and Death of the person condemned, whose name was Joice Ebbs, her place of livelihood was in a house of wicked resort, in Dog and Bitch yard near Drury Lane, her Husband formerly was a Soldier, and coming home, he found her by herself; and she asked him to eat some part of a Pie with her which she had provided; but he having a mind to a Pipe of Tobacco, desired her to help him to a Pipe, she told him he should have none, but he was resolved to have a Pipe, upon which he went to the Cellar to take a Pipe; she told him, if he did, she would stab him with the Knife; upon which, she rised from the Table and followed him to the Cellar, and stabbed him in three several places, so that it proved mortal, and he immediately gave up the Ghost.  
Upon which several Neighbours coming in they seized on her, carried her before a Justice, and her Mittimus was made for Newgate, where she continued till the Sessions following, and being brought to the Bar she was Arraigned, and confessed the cruel and bloody murder she committed on her Husband, for which she received Sentence according to the Law which was to be made fast to a Stake, and burnt with Faggots at the usual place in Smithfield Rounds. But pleading her Belie, she was repreived, and sent back again to Newgate where she continued for the space of ten Months.  
Upon Friday last being the 19th. of May, the Court being set at the Sessions-house in the Old Bailie; the said Joyce Ebbs was called down to the Bar in Order to her former judgement; where being come down, the Clerk of the Peace after silence in the Court, said,  
Joyce Ebbs, hold up thy hand; which she did as formerly.  
Upon which he read over the Indictment, to this effect, viz. Joyce Ebbs thou standest here Indicted and Convicted for Petty Treason, for the horrid and bloody Murder committed by thy own hands on Thomas Ebbs thy husband, for which you were formerly Sentenced according to the Law of this Nation, to be Burnt to death; but pleadest thy Belly; whereupon the Honourable Bench ordered that a Jury of Women should be called, which was accordingly done, and they bringing thee in quick preserved thee from death for the space of ten months, canst thou say any thing for thyself, why thou shouldest not suffer according to thy former Sentence; she answered no, but withal desired the mercy of the Honourable Bench.  
The Right Honourable the Recorder told her, she had had a long time of mercy by pleading her Belly, yet it appeared not so, though she had lain ten months in custody; to which she answered, that she had a Mischance in the time of her Imprisonment.  
Whereupon it was again demanded of her, what she could say for herself, that she should not suffer according to her former Judgement; she said, she could not plead her Belly, for she had not deserved for it with any since the time of her Commitment.  
Upon which the Court Ordered, that she should return to the place from whence she came there to continue till Thursday next, being the two and twentieth day of May, from whence she should go to Smithfield Rounds, and there be Burnt till she were dead, dead, according to her former Judgement.  
Which accordingly was put in execution, betwixt ten and eleven of the clock in the forenoon being guarded from Newgate to Smithfield, by many of the Sheriff's Officers; she was arrayed and attired in White, having a branch of Rosemary in one hand, and a Nosegay in her Bosom; But not to omit that which is very observable, even from the first time of her receiving Judgement, she was admonished to read and meditate much on that Text, Esa. 57 15. by which means she gained very much, and by little and little abundance of spiritual comfort flowed into her heart; in which condition, she continued many months, even until her death; and at several times some Reverend Divines coming to her, amongst whom was Mr. Cook, giving of her good Instructions, and exhorting her to Repentance, to seek unto God for mercy, and to ground her Salvation upon the precious blood and merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; upon which, with tears trickling down her cheeks, she acknowledged that she had been a wicked liver, and too too lewd in life and conversation, desiring others might take warning by her; for that by her vicious ways and practices, she had sundry times been assaulted with grievous temptations, and that her sins had made her a prey to Satan, wishing that she had never been born, or that she had been made any other Creature than a Woman, crying, Woe, woe, woe, a weak, a woeful, a wretched, and most miserable woman! but at length, by God's wonderful mercy, through the unwearied pains of many good Ministers, at several times, and especially on thursday morning last, that she received great comfort, expressing herself with much penitency, and crying out, Wonderful, wonderful are the riches of thy mercy, and saving grace, O thy love is unspeakable, in dealing so graciously with me! O Lord my God, blessed be thy Holy Name for evermore, which hath showed me the path of life; I seek thy mercy, and am assured of thy love; O blessed be the Lord, that hath thus comforted me, And for the joy which at this instant my soul feeleth, blessed be his Name for evermore.  
Having spent some time in prayer at Newgate, she immediately went to the Stake, where she ended her life very penitently, and when the fire was going to be kindled, she cried out, Lord Jesus strengthen me, blessed Father comfort me, I commend my spirit into thy hands, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redeemed it; Oh what a happy 〈◊〉 shall I make from night to day, from darkness to light, and from death to life; and now thou fiery Chariot, that cam'st down to fetch up Elijah, carry my poor soul to its happy hold, and all ye Blessed Angels that attended the Soul of Lazarus, to bring it to Heaven, bear me, oh bear me into the bosom of my best beloved; Amen, Amen; come, Lord jesus, come quickly; And so she departed this life, with three or four dolesom shrieks, when the flames of fire first seized her body.  
FINIS.