Stupidity, however it may arise, whether from a natural imperfection of
the rational faculties, or from want of education, or from drowning it
wholly in bestial and sensual pleasures, is doubtless one of the highest
misfortunes which can befall any man whatsoever; for it not only leaves
him little better than the beasts which perish, exposed to a thousand
inconveniences against which there is no guard but that of a clear and
unbiased reason, but it renders him also base and abject when under
misfortunes, the sport and contempt of that wicked and debauched part of
the human species who are apt to scoff at despairing misery, and to add
by their insults to the miseries of those who sink under their load
already.
James White, who is to be the subject of the following narration, was
the son of very honest and reputable parents, though their circumstances
were so mean as not to afford wherewith to put their son to school, and
they themselves were so careless as not to procure his admission into
the Charity School. By all which it happened that the poor fellow knew
hardly anything better than the beasts of the field, and addicted
himself like them, to filling his belly and satisfying his lust.
Whenever, therefore, either of those brutish appetites called, he never
scrupled plundering to obtain what might supply the first, or using
force that might oblige women to submit against their wills unto the
other.
While he was a mere boy, and worked about as he could with anybody who
would employ him, he found a way to steal and carry off thirty pounds
weight of tobacco, the property of Mr. Perry, an eminent Virginian
merchant; for which he was at the ensuing assizes at the Old Bailey,
tried and convicted, and thereupon ordered for transportation, and in
pursuance of that sentence sent on board the transport vessel
accordingly. Their allowance there was very poor, such as the miserable
wretches could hardly subsist on, viz., a pint and a half of fresh
water, and a very small piece of salt meat _per diem_ each; but that
wherein their greatest misery consisted was the hole in which they were
locked underneath the deck, where they were tied two and two, in order
to prevent those dangers which the ship's crew often runs by the
attempts made by felons to escape. In this disconsolate condition he
passed his time until the arrival of the ship in America, where he met
with a piece of good luck (if attaining liberty may be called good luck)
without acquiring at the same time a means to preserve life in any
comfort. It happened thus.
The super-cargo falling sick, under the usual distemper which visits
strangers at first coming if they keep not to the exact rules of
temperance and forbearance of strong liquors, ran quickly so much in
debt with his physician that he was obliged immediately to go off, by
doing which six felons became their own masters, of whom James White was
one. He retired into the woods and lived there in a very wretched manner
for some time, till he met with some Indian families in that retreat,
who according to the natural uncultivated humanity of that people
cherished and relieved him to the utmost of their power.
Soon after this, he went to work amongst some English servants, in order
to ease them, telling them how things stood with him, viz., that he had
been transported, and that for fear of being seized he fled into the
woods, where he had endured the greatest hardships. The servants pitying
his desperate condition relieved him often, without the knowledge of
their mistress until they got him into a planter's service, where though
he worked hard he was sure to fare tolerably well. But at length being
ordered to carry water in large vessels over the rocks to the ship that
rode in the bay underneath it, his feet were thereby so intolerably cut
that he was soon rendered lame and incapable of doing it any longer. The
family thereupon grew weary of keeping him in that decrepit state he was
in, and so for what servile scullion-like labour he was able to do, a
master of a ship took him on board and carried him to England.
On his return hither, he went directly to his friends in Cripplegate
parish and told them what had befallen him, and how he was driven home
again almost as much by force as he was hurried abroad. They were too
poor to be able to conceal him, and he was therefore obliged to go and
cry fruit about the streets publicly, that he might not want bread. He
went on in this mean but honest way, without committing any new acts
that I am able to learn, for the space of some months. Then being seen
and known by some who were at that employed (or at least employed
themselves) in detecting and taking up all such persons as returned from
transportation, White amongst the rest was seized, and the ensuing
sessions at the Old Bailey convicted on the Statute. He pleaded that he
was only a very young man, and if the Court would have so much pity on
him as to send him over again, he would be satisfied to stay all his
life-time in America; but the resolution which had been taken to spare
none who returned back into England, because such persons were more
bloody and dangerous rogues than any other, and when prompted by
despair, apt to resist the officers of justice, took place, and he was
put into the death warrant.
Both before and after receiving sentence, he not only abandoned himself
to stupid, heedless indolence, but behaved in so rude and troublesome a
manner as occasioned his being complained of by those miserable wretches
who were under the same condemnation, as a greater grievance to them
than all their other misfortunes put together. He would sometimes
threaten women who came into the hold to visit modestly, tease them with
obscene discourse, and after his being prisoner there committed acts of
lewdness to the amazement and horror of the most wicked and abandoned
wretches in that dreadful place. Being however severely reprimanded for
continuing so beastly a course of life, when life itself was so near
being extinguished, he laid the crime to his own ignorance, and said
that if he were better instructed he would behave better, but he could
not bear being abused, threatened and even maltreated by those who were
in the same state with himself. From this time he addicted himself to
attend more carefully to religious discourses than most of the rest, and
as far as the amazing dullness of his intellects would give him leave,
applied to the duties of his sad state.
Before his death he gave many testimonies of a sincere and unaffected
sorrow for his crimes, but as he had not the least notion of the nature,
efficacy or preparation necessary for the Sacrament, it was not given
him as is usually done to malefactors the day of their death. At the
place of execution he seemed surprised and astonished, looked wildly
round upon the people, and then asking the minister who attended him
what he must do now, the person spoke to instructed him; so shutting his
hands close, he cried out with great vehemence, _Lord receive my soul._
His age was about twenty-five at the time he suffered, which was on the
6th day of November, 1723.