22
cried out. When the sentence was over, he gathered his thoughts, and his heart was as hard as ever; for he said, "Well! the man that is born to be hanged, will not be drowned!" This was very wicked, but ho could not help it, for he had no command of his thoughts or words.
After being brought back to Calton jail, the wickedness of his heart was still great, and he had so little thought of his awful situation, that he made the following lines, just to show that his spirit could not be conquered:-
Able and willing you will find,
Though bound in chains, still free in mind;
For with these things I'll ne'er be grieved,
Although of freedom I'm bereaved.
In this vain world there is no rest,
And life is but a span at best;
The rich, the poor, tho old, the young,
Shall all lie low before its long.
I am a rogue, I don't deny,
But never lived by treachery;
And to rob a poor man, I disown,
But them that are of high renown.
Now, for the crime that I'm condemn'd,
The same I never did intend;
Only my liberty to take,
As I thought my like did lie at stake.
My life by perjury was sworn away,
I'll say that to my dying day;
Oh, treacherous S———, you did me betray,
For all I wanted was liberty.
