Broadside entitled 'The Last Speech'

Transcription

THE LAST

SPEECH

Consession, and dying declaration of MORT COLLINS, Soldier
in the 27th Regiment of foot, who was execute at Glasgow, on
Wednesday the 7th of November 1792, and his Body given to
the doctors, for the murder of John Panton, keeper of Bridwell.

MORT COLLINS aged 22 years, was born
in the County of Clare in Ireland, of honest
and industrious parents, who kept me at school
until I arrived at the age of fourteen years,
When I was bound an apprentice to the glazing
and painting business. After two years I broke
my Indenture, but agreed with another matter,
with whom I served as a journeyman for three
years, during the latter part of which I began
to neglect my business and frequent bad com-
pany ; my companions taking advantage of the
silliness of my temper, easily led me into any
mischief they pleased. Once they enticed me,
when drunk, to beat a man in a most Unmerci-
ful manner, for this I was clapt in prisons and
afterwards tried before a Sheriff Court but
acquitied,the Sheriff gave me a long exhorta-
ion to reclaim me from my wicked conduct;
and ordered me to examine carefully my bad
inclinations and acquaint my parish pastor of
them, and follow the instructions and advices
he should dictate to me : this I never did, but
lived in perfect neglect of my holy religion;
and hence all my misfortunes.

At last by dedicating my whole time to drink
and women, I gave up my business altogether
and inlisted in the 37th regiment of foot, from
that time I continued the same evil practices till
they brought me to this end. But I declare to
God, that all my bad actions were the effects of
drink, and that I was so perfectly intoxicated
when the deed for which I am condemned was
perpetrated, that next morning I recollected
nothing of what had passed that night. I there-
for pray to God, that all young people may
take warning from me, beware of bad company,
liquor and women were my ruin. I invite the
the whole creation to praise the Lord for his
tender mercies to me in bringing me to a true
sense of my misery after such a wicked life, and
leaching me to hope for pardon of all my offences
through the merits of Jesus Christ.

I return my grateful thanks to Mr. M'Kay
for the indulgence he allowed my friends in
in visiting me, and John M'Dougal, the inner
keeper of the Jail, I cannot express his kindness
to me, being always ready to render me every
service in his power. I likewise return my most
sincere thanks to a Lady in the neighbourhood
who supplyed me with the necessaries of life in
a liberal manner, may the Lord reward them.
(Signed) MORT COLLINS.
JOHN M'DOUGAL., Inner-keeper, Witness.

O my God and Creator, the time of my de-
parture is at hand, and death presseth fore up-
on me. It summons me to appear before thy
dreadful tribunal; it frights me, when it brings
to my remembrance all my former sins, and re-
presents unto me the heinousness of my crimes.
O great God, when I seriously think what I am
and consider what thou art, I am astonished,
and the fight of thy Divine Majesty frieght me
for I am but dust and ashes, and my being is
less than nothing ; but thou art infinite in thy
Being and Glory ; the heaven is thy throne,
and the earth is thy footstool. I am clothed
with darkness, but thou dwellest in a light that
no man can approach into. How dare I that
am but convinced of sin, draw near unto thee,
who art the Holy of Holies, and Holiness itself
How can I that am but dry straw and stubble,
Hand before an everlasting burning ? O God of

God, if I did but see thee sitting upon the
throne of Glory, the Judge of thousand thou-
lands of immortal spirits waiting upon thee and
ten thousand milions worshipping thee ; if I did
see thee armed with thounder-bolts, encompa-
ssed with flames of fire, like to those of mount
Sinai ;I should not only be afraid, but I should
fall into despair, instead of drawing hear unto
thee, I should fly from thee as Adam and end-
eavour to hide myself from eyes, that can not
suffer the fight of evil ; I should cry oat as
Moses I am afraid, that I tremble all over.
Or as the prophet Isaih, Woes is me, for I am
undone, because I am a man of unclean lips.
and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips, Ita. O               

If we had lived in the days when our Savour
was on earth there is none of us but would
looked upon it as a singular happiness and hon-
our, to have been admitted with Peter, James,
and John, when he went up to mount Tabor,
to be eye witness of his transfiguration., A
far greater honour and happiness, Death is-
endeavouring to procure you ; it will usher you
up to mount Sion, it will transport me above all -
the heavens, where you shall behold more exce-
llent wonders than ever the apostles beheld up-
on mount Tabor; for you shall not only behold
that glorious Savour whiter than the snow, and
higher than the sun, but you yourself shall also
be transfigured with him, and clothed with
exceeding great glory. The holy aposties saw
but two prophets; but you shall see all the Pro-
phets, Patriarchs, Apostles, Consessors, Mar-
tyrs, the Holy and Blessed Virgin Mary, and
generally all the Saints that Reign and Triumph
in heaven. The Apostles had a sight of this
glory of our Saviour, as an slash of lightning it
continued with them but a moment, for soon
after they came down from the holy mountain,
and were again in the same temptations as before
and besieged by the same calamities.

For that purpose it is not necessary that we
should go put of the world, but that the world
should be banished, and driven out of us, and
that we should renounce all the vanities and un-
ruly affections, so that we may be able to speak
with the Apostle, the world is crticisied to me,
and I am crucified to the world.

O Holy of Holies when shall thy church be
so sanctified and cleansed,that no spot or wrinkle
or any such thing shall appear in it? When
shall I be decked with fine Linen, cloathed with
the Sun, and crowned with the Stars? When
shall my heart be as a Golden Vial, from
whence sweet perfume may ascend? When shall
I behold thy face continually? When shall I
love thee without interruption, and serve thee
without any bar or hinderance? When wilt
thou put into my hands a celestial harp, and
into my mouth the songs of the Blessed? And
when shall I worship thee in the company of all
the holy spirits without intermssion, and for
ever? When shall I sing forth thy praises in
heaven, O Lord, when shall I appear with the
holiness of thy saints, in the white robes of thy
Martyrs, and be as fiery as the Cherubims that
fly about thy glorious Throne 1 O my God
Let this holy Zeal which thou hast kindled in
my soul be like a fiery Chariot, and an holy
frame to carry me up to the Heavens of thy
glory where I am to shine in thy presence for
ever. Amen.

The above Speech was wrote by the Pannell's own hand, on the brink of eternity, what
follows his signing was wrote by another hand, and given to J. GALBRAITH.to publish

His bahaviour at the place of execution with some other papers will be published.

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