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on the floor, cut her throat from ear to ear; and then, to avoid a discovery being made, set fire to the house, after he had rifled it of all the valuable things in it; but the divine vengeance was resolved not to let this barbarous act go unpunished: for the neighbourhood observing a more than ordinary smoke issuing out of the house, concluded it was on fire, and accordingly unanimously joined to extinguish it, which they effectually did; and then, going into the house, found Mr. Bean and his maid inhumanly murdered. Our adventurer was got out of the way, and no one could be found to fix these cruelties upon; but it was not long before justice overtook Cunningham, who, being impeached by a gang of thieves that had been apprehended, and were privy to several of his villainies, he was taken up and committed a close prisoner to the talbooth, where so many witnesses appeared against him, that he was condemned and hanged at Leith, the 12th of April, 1635.

When he went to the place of execution, he betrayed no signs of fear, nor seemed any way daunted at his approaching fate. As he lived, so he died, valiantly and obstinately to the last, unwilling to have it said, that he, whose hand had been the instrument of so many murders, proved pusillanimous at the last.

JOHN HAMPDEN, Esq.

FOR REFUSING TO PAY SHIP-MONEY, 1037. 13 AND 14 CAR. I.

His majesty King Charles I. in the beginning of February, 1638, caused the following case to be proposed to the judges, viz.

"CAROLUS Rex.

"When the good and safety of the kingdom in general is concerned, and the whole kingdom is in danger; whether may not the king, by writ under the great seal, command all his subjects, at their charge, to provide and furnish such number of ships, with men, victuals, and munition, and for such time as he shall think fit, for the defence and safeguard of the kingdom, from such dan-