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 execution; but slept about two hours towards the approach 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 de cency and composure. Some persons present called out 66 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'sfriends 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

declined that business, and connected himself in partnership with Mr. Carter, a sugar-baker; and by this new undertaking flattered himself in the expectation of speedily acquiring a fortune. About the period of his commencing sugar-baker, he married one of his cousins, who was daughter of a clergyman in Northamptonshire; and with her received a handsome, fortune. For several years he fulfilled all his engagements with the greatest punctuality, and was supposed to be possessed of considerable property. He attended the sales of the EastIndia company's goods, frequently purchased very large quantities of teas, and had extensive dealings in other articles. He often sustained considerable loss by the sale of his goods: and his circumstances, at length, became so embarrassed, that he was under apprehension thata commission of bankruptcywould issue against him. He flattered himself, however, that,if he could support his credit for a short time, matters would take a more favourable turn, and his circumstances be retrieved. His anxiety to avoid a bankruptcy, induced him to forge an East India warrant for goods to the amount of nine hundred and twenty-two pounds. But it must be remarked, that the forgery was not committed with any intention to defraud,but merely to raise a'supply for present exigencies. He was in expectation of speedy remittances, on the receipt of which he intended to take up the counterfeit warrant. Having passed it into the hands of Mr. Holland, who sent it to the India-house, where the forgery was detected, he was in consequence apprehended. Being put on his trial at the Old Bailey, several gentlemen of reputation appeared in his behalf, and spoke to his character in the most favourable terms but both the forgery and the uttering the counterfeit warrant having been

proved against him by indisputable testimony, and strongly corroborating circumstances, he of course was condemned to suffer death. His behaviour, while under sentence of death, was perfectly consistent with his unfortunate situation. Being conveyed to Tyburn in a mourning coach, he appeared to be in a composed state of mind, and entirely resigned to his fate. He suffered Dec. 31, 1750.

BAKER,

BALFOUR, ALEX. (MURDERER,) was born in the year 1687, at the seat of his father, Lord Burleigh, near Kinross. He was first sent for education to a village called Orwell, near the place of his birth, and thence to the University of St. An-, drew's where he pursued his studies with a diligence and success that greatly distinguished him. His father, Lord Burleigh, had intended to have sent him into the army in Flanders, under the command of the Duke of Marlborough, in which he had rational expectation of his rising to prefer.nent, as he was related to the Duke of Argyle and the Earl of Stair, who were majors-general in the army; but this scheme unhappily did not take place. Mr. Balfour, going to his father's house during the vacation at the university, became enamoured of Miss Anne Robertson, who officiated as teacher to his sisters. This young lady was possessed of considerable talents, improved by a fine education; but Lord Burleigh being apprized of the connection between her and his son, she was discharged, and the young gentleman sent to make the tour of France and Italy. Before he went abroad, he sent the young lady a letter, informing her, that, if she married before his return, he would murder her husband. Notwithstanding this threat, which she might presume had its origin in ungovernable passion, she married Mr.

Syme,

Syme, a schoolmaster, at Innerkeithing, in the county of Fife. When Balfour returned from his travels, his first business was to enquire for Miss Robertson; and learning that she was married, he proceeded im-, mediately to Innerkeithing, when he saw Mrs. Syme sitting at her window, nursing the first child of her marriage. Recollecting his former threatenings, she now screamed with terror, and called to her husband to consult his safety. Mr. Syme, unconscious of offence, paid no regard to what she said: but, in the interim, Balfour entered the school-room, and finding the husband, shot him through the heart. The confusion consequent on this scene favoured his escape: but he was taken into custody, within a few days, at a public house, in a village four miles from Edinburgh; and, being brought to trial, was sentenced to die, but ordered to be beheaded by the maiden, (a machine resembling the guillotine of France,) in respect to the nobility of his family. He was to have suffered on Monday the 7th of May, 1708, and the scaffold was actually erected for the purpose; but on the preceding day, his sister went to visit him, and being very much like him in face and stature, they changed clothes, and he made his escape from the prison. His friends having provided horses for him, and a servant, at the West gate of Edinburgh, they rode to a distant village, where he changed his clothes again, and afterwards left the kingdom. Lord Burleigh, the father, died in the reign of Queen Anne; but had first obtained a pardon for his son, who succeeded to the family title and honours, and who lived forty four years after his escape, having died, in 1752, a sincere penitent for the murder he had committed.

BARRINGTON, GEORGE, (PICK-POCKET) whose real name was Waldrɔn, was born abont the year