ryn intimating a wish to take the opinion of the twelve judges of England, the counsel for the prosecution, waving the point for the present, insisted on the prisoner's being tried on the second indictment, for feloniously shooting at Barnaby Windsor, which the learned counsel said, would occupy no great portion of time, as it could be sufficiently sup ported by the testimony of a single witness. He was accordingly tried and found guilty on a second capital indictment. The prisoner, who, contrary to general expectation, had in a great measure hitherto refrained from his usual audacity, began with unparalleled insolence of expression and gesture, to ask his lordship if he "was to be murdered by the evidence of one witness?" several times repeating the question, till the jury returned him-guilty. When Mr. Baron Perryn put on the judicial cap, the prisoner, unconscious, and regardless of his dreadful situation, at the same time put on his hat, observing the judge with contemptuous looks while he was passing the sentence. When the constables were removing him from the dock to a coach, he continued to vent torrents of abuse against the judge and jury, whom he charged with, as he stiled it, his murder. As his desperate disposition was well known, he was, to prevent resistance, hand-cuffed, and his thighs and arms also bound strongly together, in which situation he was conveyed back to prison. So callous was this ruffian to every degree of feeling, that on his way to be tried, as he was passing near the usual place of execution on Kennington Common, he put his head out of the coach window, and, with all the sang froid imaginable, asked some of those who guarded him, if they did not think he would be twisted on that pretty spot by Saturday? After receiving sentence of death, he was conducted back to prison,

prison, where, having got some black cherries, he amused himself with painting on the white walls of the room in which he was confined, various sketches of robberies which he had committed; one representing him running up to the horses' heads of a postchaise, presenting a pistol at the driver, and the words, "D-n your eyes stop," issuing out of his mouth; another where he was firing into the chaise; a third, where the parties had quitted the carriage, and several others, in which he was described in the act of taking the money from the passengers, being fired at, where his companion was shot dead, &c.— At the place of execution he appeared entirely unconcerned, had a flower in his mouth, his bosom was thrown open, and he kept up an incessant conversation with the persons who rode beside the eart i frequently laughing and nodding to others of his acquaintance whom he perceived in the crowd, which. was immense. He suffered Aug. 3, 1795, at Kennington Common, with John Little, who having had an employment at the laboratory of the palace at Kew, became acquainted with Mr. Macevoy and Mrs. King, persons of very advanced years, and who had been many years resident at Kew. Sup-. posing they had some property at home, he watched an opportunity and murdered them both.

AYLIFFE, JOHN, (FORGERY,) was the son of an upper servant with Gerrard Smith, esq. a gen. tleman of large fortune near Tockenham în Wiltshire. After young Ayliffe had been instructed in the first rudiments of learning, he was sent to the celebrated academy at Harrow on the Hill, where he became a good proficient in Latin and Greek. On his quitting the academy, he acted in the capacity of usher to a boarding-school at Lineham in Wiltshire, where, unknown to her parents,

he

he married the daughter of a clergyman, who had a fortune of 500l. On receipt of this money, he be came so extravagant, that he spent the whole in the course of two years; when, being in circumstances of distress, a widow lady, named Horner, took him into her service as house-steward. In a short time he was appointed land-steward to another lady, who recommended him as a man of abilities to the Hon. Mr. Fox, (afterwards Lord Holland) who gave him the place of one of the commissaries of musters in the war-office, by which he acquired the right of adding the title of esquire to his name. The profits of Ayliffe's new office were so considerable that he was induced to purchase an elegant house in Dorsetshire, which he furnished in a stile far too expensive for his rank of life. In other instances, he gave proofs of a strange extravagance of disposition; for he ran in debt with a number of people, though his income was sufficient to have satisfied the wishes of any reasonable man. At length, when his creditors became urgent, he had recourse, for a present supply, to some irregular, and very dangerous, practices; amongst others, he forged a presentation to the valuable rectory of Brinkworth in Wiltshire, which he sold to a young clergyman- for a considerable sum. This living being in Mr. Fox's gift, he forged his hand-writing, and that of two subscribing witnesses, with admirable dexterity; but, soon after his affairs becoming desperate, a discovery was made of the fraud. Hereupon the clergyman took to his bed, and literally died in consequence of that oppression of spirits which is commonly called a broken-heart; for the purchase of the presentation had ruined his circumstances. After his death, the following short note was found in his drawer, directed to "John Ayliffe SATAN, esq.

"Sir, I am surprised you can write to me, after you have robbed and most barbarously murdered me. Oh Brinkworth!"

Ayliffe being arrested for debts to the amount of eleven hundred pounds, took refuge in the Fleetprison, where he forged a deed of gift from Mrs. Horner for four hundred and twenty pounds a year, and three thousand pounds in money. On this deed he raised considerable sums, by a series of artifice and management that is almost without example. For this forgery he was brought to trial at the OldBailey, and capitally convicted; but, in the interval, he was continually representing Mr. Fox as the concealed author of his ruin, to prevent his making discovery of some irregular transactions which he alledged were carried on at the war-office. He still continued to charge his benefactor with unjustifiable proceedings, in the very moment that he was soli citing his interest to save his life; for, after convic tion, he wrote him the following letter:

"Honoured Sir,-The faults I have been guilty of, shock my very soul, and particularly those towards you; for which I heartily ask pardon both of God and you. The sentence pronounced upon me fills me with horror, such as was never felt by mortal. What can I say? O my good God! that I could think of any thing to induce you to have mercy upon me; or to prevail upon you, good sir, to intercede for my life. I would do any thing, either at home or abroad. For God's sake, good sir, have compas. sion on your unhappy and unfortunate servant, JOHN AYLIFFE." It is also said, that Mr. Fox supported this man during the whole time of his confinement in New

gate,

gate, allowing every thing that his unhappy situation could require. He was in the utmost agonies during the greater part of the night previous to his exe. cution; but slept about two hours towards the ap proach of morning. His agitation of mind had brought on a fever, which producing an intolerable thirst, he endeavoured to allay it by drinking large and repeated draughts of water. On his way to the place of execution these emotions seemed to have subsided; and at the fatal tree he behaved with decency and composure. Some persons present called out"a reprieve!" but he paid no regard to what was said; and his hopes, respecting this life, appeared now to have vanished. He suffered at Tyburn on the 7th of Nov. 1759. His body was put into a hearse, and conveyed into Hertfordshire for interment, agreeable to his own request. After his execution a very extraordinary pamphlet was published, called "The Case of John Ayliffe, esq." which contained a great variety of original papers, and was thought, we know not with what justice, to bear very hard on the character of the late Lord Holland. It was bought up by his lordship's friends and agents.

B.

BAKER, WILLIAM, (FORGERY,) was born in Cannon, where his father kept a baker's shop, and received his education at Merchant Taylor's School. At a proper age he was apprenticed to a grocer in a considerable way, and behaved with so much diligence and fidelity, that soon after the time of his apprenticeship had expired, his master admitted him an equal partner in trade. Having carried on the grocery for about seven years, he

declined