the above-mentioned, it will be unnecessary to say more of it.
All the Prisoners arraigned, pleaded Not Guilty, and put themselves upon their Tryals, except James Wilson, and John Levit, who pleaded Guilty to both Indictments, and Daniel Perry, to one only. The Major would have gone through both the Indictments at once, which the Court not admitting, he pleaded Not Guilty to both Indictments, but being convicted of one, he retracted his former Plea to the second Indictment, and pleaded Guilty to it.
The Prisoners made little or no Defence, every one pretending only that they were taken off a Maroon Shore, and were shipped with Major Bonnet to go to St. Thomas's; but being out at Sea, and wanting Provisions, they were obliged to do what they did by others; and so did Major Bonnet himself, pretend that ’twas Force, not Inclination, that occasioned what had happened. However, the Facts being plainly proved, and that they had all shared ten or eleven Pounds a Man, excepting the three last, and Thomas Nichols, they were all but they, found Guilty. The Judge made a very grave Speech to them, setting forth the Enormity of their Crimes, the Condition they were now in, and the Nature and Necessity of an unseigned Repentance; and then recommended them to the Ministers of the Province, for more ample Directions, to fit them for Eternity, for (concluded he) the Priest's Lips shall keep Knowledge, and you shall seek the Law at their Mouths; for they are the Messengers of the Lord. Mat. II. 57. And the Ambassadors of Christ, and unto them is committed the Word [or Doctrine] of Reconciliation, 2 Cor. V. 19. 20. And then pronounced Sentence of Death upon them.
On Saturday November the 8th, 1711. Robert Tucker, Edward Robinson, Neal Paterson, William Scot, Job Bayley, John-William Smith, John Thomas, William Morrison, Samuel Booth, William Hewit, William Eddy, alias Neddy, Alexander Annand, George Ross, George Dunkin, Matthew King, Daniel Perry, Henry Virgin, James Robbins, James Mullet, alias Millet, Thomas Price, John Lopez, and Zachariah Long, were executed at the White-Point near Charles-Town, pursuant to their Sentence.
As for the Captain, his Escape protracted his Fate, and spun out his Life a few Days longer, for he was try'd the 10th, and being found Guilty, received Sentence in like Manner as the former; before which Judge Trot, made a most excellent Speech to him, rather somewhat too long to be taken into our History, yet I could not tell how to pass by so good and useful a Piece of Instruction, not knowing whose Hands this Book may happen to fall into.
The Lord Chief Justices'sSpeech, upon his pronouncing Sentence on MajorStede Bonnet.
MAjor Stede Bonnet, you stand here convicted upon two Indictments of Pyracy; one by the Verdict of the Jury, and the other by your own Confession.
Altho’ you were indicted but for two Facts, yet you know that at your Tryal it was fully proved even by an unwilling Witness, that you piratically took and rifled no less than thirteen Vessels, since you sail'd from North-Carolina.
So that you might have been indicted, and convicted of eleven more Acts of Pyracy, since you took the Benefit of the King's Act of Grace, and pretended to leave that wicked Course of Life.
Not to mention the many Acts of Pyracy you committed before; for which if your Pardon from Man was never so authentick, yet you must expect to answer for them before God.
You know that the Crimes you have committed are evil in themselves, and contrary to the Light and Law of Nature, as well as the Law of God, by which you are commanded that you shall not steal, Exod. 20. 15. And the Apostle St. Paul expresly affirms, That Thieves shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 6. 10.
But to Theft you have added a greater Sin, which is Murder. How many you may have killed of those that resisted you in the committing your former Pyracies, I know not: But this we all know, That besides the Wounded, you kill'd no less than eighteen Persons out of those that were sent by lawful Authority to suppress you, and put a Stop to those Rapines that you daily acted.
And however you may fancy that that was killing Men fairly in open Fight, yet this know, that the Power of the Sword not being committed into your Hands by any lawful Authority, you were not impowered to use any Force, or fight any one; and therefore those Persons that fell in that Action, in doing their Duty to their King and Country, were murdered, and their Blood now cries out for Vengeance and Justice against you: For it is the Voice of Nature, confirmed by the Law of God, That whosoever sheddeth Man's Blood, by Man shall his Blood be shed. Gen. 9. 6.
And consider that Death is not the only Punishment due to Murderers; for they are threatened to have their Part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone, which is the second Death, Rev. 21. 8. See Chap. 22. 15. Words which carry that Terror with them, that considering your Circumstances and your Guilt, surely the Sound of them must make you tremble; For who can dwell with everlasting Burnings? Chap. 33. 14.
As the Testimony of your Conscience must convince you of the great and many Evils you have committed, by which you have highly offended God, and provoked most justly his Wrath and Indignation against you, so I suppose I need not tell you that the only Way of obtaining Pardon and Remission of your Sins from God, is by a true and unfeigned Repentance and Faith in Christ, by whose meritorious Death and Passion, you can only hope for Salvation.
You being a Gentleman that have had the Advantage of a liberal Education, and being generally esteemed a Man of Letters, I believe it will be needless for me to explain to you the Nature of Repentance and Faith in Christ, they being so fully and so often mentioned in the Scriptures, that you cannot but know them. And therefore, perhaps, for that Reason it might be thought by some improper for me to have said so much to you, as I have already upon this Occasion; neither should I have done it, but that considering the Course of your Life and Actions, I have just Reason to fear, that the Principles of Religion that had been instilled into you by your Education, have been at least corrupted, if not entirely defaced, by the Scepticism and Infidelity of this wicked Age; and that what Time you allowed for Study, was rather applied to the Polite Literature, and the vain Philosophy of the Times, than a serious Search after the Law and Will of God, as revealed unto us in the Holy Scriptures: For had your Delight been in the Law of the Lord, and that you had meditated therein Day and Night, Psal. 1. 2. you would then have found that God's Word was a Lamp unto your Feet, and a Light to your Path, Psal. 119. 105. and that you would account all other Knowledge but Loss, in Comparison of the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus, Phil. 3. 8. who to them that are called is the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God, 1 Cor. 1. 24. even the hidden Wisdom which God ordained before the World, Chap. 2. 7.
You would then have esteemed the Scriptures as the Great Charter of Heaven, and which delivered to us not only the most perfect Laws and Rules of Life, but also discovered to us the Acts of Pardon from God, wherein they have offended those righteous Laws: For in them only is to be found the great Mystery of fallen Man's Redemption, which the Angels desire to look into, 1 Pet. 1. 12.
And they would have taught you that Sin is the debasing of Human Nature, as being a Derivation from that Purity, Rectitude, and Holiness, in which God created us, and that Virtue and Religion, and walking by the Laws of God, were altogether preferable to the Ways of Sin and Satan; for that the Ways of Virtue are Ways of Pleasantness, and all their Paths are Peace, Prov. 3. 17.
But what you could not learn from God's Word, by reason of your carelesly, or but superficially considering the same, I hope the Course of his Providence, and the present
