she Go learn of her Humility An odd Epitaph upon Thomas Saffin Here Thomas Saffin lies Interr'd ah why Born in New-England did in London die Was the third Son of eight begot upon His Mother Martha by his Father John Much favour'd by his Prince he 'gan to be But nipt by Death at the Age of 23. Fatal to him was that we Small-Pox name By which his Mother and two Brethren came Also to breathe their last nine Years before And now have left their Father to deplore The loss of all his Children with that Wife Who was the Joy and Comfort of his Life June 18. 1687. Here lie Interr'd the Bodies of Captain Thomas Chevers who departed this Life the 18th of Nov. 1675. Aged 44 Years And of Anne Chevers his Wife who departed this Life the 14th of Nov. 1675. Aged 34 Years And of John Chevers their Son who departed this Life the 13th of Nov. 1675. Aged 5 Days Reader consider well how poor a Span And how uncertain is the Life of Man Here lie the Husband Wife and Child by Death All three in five days space depriv'd of Breath The Child dies first the Mother next the Morrow Follows and then the Father dies with Sorrow A Caesar falls by many Wounds well may Two stabs at Heart the stoutest Captain slay On Another Tomb-stone is writ Here lies two loving Brothers side by side In one day buried and in one day died Here lies the Body of Mrs. Bridget Radley the most deservedly beloved Wife of Charles Radley Esq Gentleman-Usher Daily-Waiter to His Majesty which Place he parted withal not being able to do the Duty of it by reason of his great Indisposition both of Body and Mind occasioned by his just Sorrow for the loss of her She changed this Life for a better the 20th of November 1679. Sacred to the Immortal Memory of Sir Palmes Fairbone Kt. Governour of Tangier in Execution of which Command he was Mortally wounded by a Shot from the Moors then Besieging the Town in the 46th Year of his Age Octob. 24. 1680. Ye Sacred Reliques which that Marble keep Here undisturb'd by Wars in quiet sleep Discharge the Trust which when it was below Fairbone's undaunted Soul did undergo And be the Town 's Pallà dium from the Foe Alive and dead these Walls he will defend Great Actions great Examples must attend The Candian Siege his early Valour knew Where Turkish Blood did his young Hands imbrew From thence returning with deserv'd applause Against the Moors his well-flesh'd Sword he draws The same the courage and the same the cause His Youth and Age his Life and Death combine As in some great and regular Design All of a piece throughout and all Divine Still nearer Heaven his Vertue shoâ—e more bright Like rising Flames expanding in their height The Martyr's Glory crown'd the Soldier 's fight More bravely British General never fell Nor General 's Death was e'er reveng'd so well Which his pleas'd Eyes beheld before their close Follow'd by thousand Victims of his Foe * To this lamented Loss for Times to come His Pious Widow Consecrates this Tomb. Here lies expecting the Second Coming of our Saviour the Body of Edmund Spencer the Prince of Poets in his Time whose Divine Spirit needs no other Witness than the Works which he left behind him He was Born in London in the Year 1510. and died in the Year 1596. Abrahamus Couleius Anglorum Pindarus Flaccus Maro Delicìae Decus Desiderium Aevi sui Hic juxta situs est Aurea dum volitant latè tua scripta per orbem Et fama aeternùm vivis Divina Poeta Hîc placidâ jaceas requie custodiat urnam Cana fides vigilentque perenni lampade musae Sit sacer iste locus Nec quis temperarius ausit Sacrilegà turbare manu venerabile bustum Intacti maneant maneant per saecula dulcis Coulei cineres servetque immobile saxum Six vovet Votumque suum apud posteros sacratum esse voluit Qui vivo Incomparabili posuit sepulchrale marmor Georgius Dux Buckinghamiae Excessit è vita Anno Aetatis suae 49. honorifica pompa elatus ex Aedibus Buckinghamianis vitis Illustribus omnium ordinum exsequias celebrantibus sepultus est Die 3. M. Augusti Anno Domini 1667. On the Royal Tombs adjoyning to Cowley 's a Modern Poet writes thus Whole Troops of mighty Nothings lie beside Of whom 't is only said they liv'd and dy'd Here lies Henry Purcel Esq who left this Life and is gone to that Blessed Place where only his Harmony can be exceeded Obiit 21. die Novembris Anno Aetatis suae 37. Annoque Domini 1695. CHAP. CXLVIII Miracles giving Testimony to Christianity Orthodoxy Innocency c. I Can never believe that Miracles ascended up to Heaven with our Saviour so as never to be seen upon Earth more after the first Age of the Church 'T is true they have run in a narrower Stream And when the Gospel was sufficiently established and confirmed by the Testimony of them they were not quite so necessary But some Necessity still occurs and some Miracles have been in all Ages wrought Take these amongst many others and compare them with some other Chapters of this Book 1. Irenaeus in his Second Book against Heresies saith Some of the Brethren and sometimes the whole Church of some certain Place by reason of some urgent Cause by Fasting and Prayer had procured that the Spirits of the Dead had been raised again to Life and had lived with them many Years Some by the like means had expelled Devils so that they which had been delivered from Evil Spirits had embraced the Faith and were received into the Church Others had the Spirit of Prophecy to foretel things to come they see Divine Dreams and Prophetical Visions Others Cure the Sick and Diseased and by laying on of Hands restore them to Health Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 2. S. Augustine tells us that when the Bodies of Gervasius and Protasius the Martyrs were taken up and brought to S. Ambrose's Church at Milan several Persons that were vexed with unclean Spirits were healed and one a noted Citizen that had been blind many Years upon touching the Bier with his Handkerchief was restored to his sight Aug. Confess l. 9. c. 7. 3. In the Reign of Constantine the Great the Gospel was propagated into Iberia in the uttermost part of the Euxine Sea by the means of a Captive Christian Woman by whose Prayers a Child that was Mortally Sick recovered health and the Lady of Iberia her self was delivered from a Mortal Disease Whereupon the King her Husband sent Embassadors to Constantine entreating him to send him some Preachers into Iberia to Instruct them in the True Faith of Christ which Constantine performed with a glad heart Clark in Vit. Constantin p. 11. 4. That Luther a poor Friar saith one should be able to stand against the Pope was a great Miracle that he should prevail against the Pope was a greater
very wonderful and hardly credible which was a certain species of Madness raging a long time especially in Germany wherewith Persons of all Conditions but mostly the Commonalty were seized Shoomakers Taylors and Country-fellows throwing aside their Shooes their Garments and their Ploughs being seized with a horrid fury and meeting together in certain places without any lying down would carry on their Dances so long till their very Breach failed them unless they were restrained by force for oftentimes they proceeded to such a degree of fury if there were not care taken that they offered violence to themselves Sometimes they would Dance upon high Precipices of Rocks till they threw themselves down and brake their Necks and sometimes upon the Banks of the Rhine and other Rivers into which they would precipitate and drown themselves They would run hooting about and bawling and dancing with geminated Clamours truculent Aspect and foaming Mouths that their Friends were fain to lay high Forms and Seats in their way on purpose for them to leap over Women with Child did not escape this fury but ran about up and down in the Dance without any inconvenience to their Burthen The Magistrates were fain to appoint Musicians and Drumers and the stoutest Fellows they could get to lead and assist them in their Dances out of the publick Treasury till their furious Fits expired They betook themselves by Prayer to St. Vitus or John Baptist in hopes of recovering their Health See more of this in Schenck Obs Med. l. 1. p. 144. also in Camerar Syllog Memorah Cent. 11. p. 84. Bodin l. 5. de Repub. cap. 1. c. 25. Schenckius tells of a Nobleman's Son who playing with a couple of Cherry-Stones to shew some Tricks put one of them into his Ear to make a shew â—ow speedily he could convey it from the one Ear to the other but put it so far in that it could not be got out again no not by the help of Physicians till at last by the help of Nature the Stone began to germinate with the warmth and moisture of the Ear and being cleft in two parts it was by a small pair of Pinchers got out Schenck Ibid. p. 178. 26. Donatus tells the like Story of one Bonardus who had got a Karobe Seed in his Ear and at last by the help of an Aposthume which it caused in the place the Seed sprouted forth and so was drawn out Donat. Flist Mirab. l. 2. c. 12. 27. A certain Nobleman of Venice aged 46. whose smelling and spitting was hindred being dead had his Brain Diffected and therein was found a Stone near the Basis his Bowels being opened his Liver was found hard and stony and the Blood contained in it as black as Ink. Ibid. 28. Physicians tell us of some Prodigious Haemorrhagies wherein sometimes 18 sometimes 20. and sometimes 40 pounds of Blood hath flowed forth 29. Hollerius tells of a Girl who on the 9th of April Anno 1553 at St. James's-Gate voided a large white Worm thick and longer than a Span at her Nostrils without any cough or Vomiting going before And Trincavel tells of a Noble Venetian who in a Fever voided at his Nose a Worm almost four Fingers long Ibid. 30. Scaliger tells us of a Man whose Tongue was so big that he durst nor declare in particular how large it was for fear he should be suspected of a Lye Scal. Exercitat 199. c. 2. Many other of portentous Tumours in this part we have from other Physicians 31. Lusitanus relates how one Jacob Offlood had great Hairs growing on his Tongue and he guessed that he had them in his Heart too Stones are often found to breed under the Tongue and so are Worms too and sometimes Warts 32. I saw a man whose Gums by daily vomiting of an acid Humour grew so big that they covered all his Teeth Cardan l. 12. de Subtil 33. A Periodical Flux of Blood out of the Gums have been sometimes observed by Physicians particularly in the late famous Archbistop Vsher who had such a Flux twice or thrice a year which in his younger years was so great that it put him sometimes in danger of Life but afterwards more sparing and by drops yet without any intermission day or night for one Natural Day sometimes two or more together Arnold Boâ—â— c. 7. 34. Some have been Born with Teeth some have had 26 in number others 28 others 32 in some saith Columbus there is a double Row yet in my Son Phâ—hus there are 3 Rows Columb Anatom Some have had only one Bone instead of Teeth others have had Teeth breed in the Pallat of their Mouths as both Alexander de Benedictus Eustachius c. do testifie 35. Columbus found Bones in the Lungs of one Francis Capellus l. 15. Anat. Some by Coughing have Spit up Gravel Gabriel Falopius found in the Lungs of a young man that he Dissected at Padua Anno 1565. 4 Stones each of them as big as a large Bean c. Physicians mention Flies Worms and other little Animals as generated in the Lungs the rough Artery and the Region of the Vital Instruments 36. Nicolaus de Podio had an Asthma every Friday Nicol. Serm. 4. Tract 2. c. 25. 37. One Daniel Bonricius on the 8th of January 1559. spit Blood mixt with Phlegm the next day a Vein being opened he continued to Spit Bloody his difficulty of Breathing increased so that he continued Waking some Nights together Blood perpetually issued forth out of his Nostrils yet without any Cough in great plenty In a Twelve-month besides Blood he Spit out a great deal of Phlegm black and not deep and yet without any mixture of Blood The same day a light Cough seized him and a greater difficulty of Breathing and his Spittle was more bloody Not long after he grew very cold sweat breathed hard and his Voice was intercepted Upon taking of the Antidote of Diamose he grew warm again slopt and breathed more easily and promised recovery the next night his watching difficulty of breathing phlegmatick black and bloody Spittle returned in great plenty and so continued till he died Cardanus 38. A young Gentleman of Arles Caesar sa Sata being wounded in his Back and Sides by a clownish Servant of the Family after two days died his Body being opened upon the command of his Parents and the Magistrate there was so great plenty of Phlegm found in his Breast as amounted to 20 Sextarii I know not whether he means the Greek of the Roman Measure Quarts of Pints Valeriola l. 4. Obs 7. Nicolaus tells us That he saw a Woman distempered with an Empyema that Spit 8 pounds every day and continued so for 6 days together Jacobus Comm. 1. ad Aph. 5. Sect. 2. l. 6. Coact Hipp. 39. Campejus saw at Lunevil a little Town of Lotharingia two young men begotten by the same Father so extenuated and dried with a Consumption that the very Skin being chapt represented the Bones naked and exposed them to sight
Who upon the Eighth day of July 1657. went from this to a better World about four of the Clock the day before he Died a Matron who Died a little before and whilst living was Dear to Mr. Vsher appeared to him in his sleep and invited him to Sup with her the next Night He at first denyed her but she more vehemently pressing her request on him at last he consented and that very Night he Died. Dr. Stern's Dissertatio de morte p. 163. 14. I have also the fullest assurance that can be of the Truth of this following Narrative A Person yet living was greatly concerned about the welfare of his Dear Father and Mother who were both shut up in London in the time of the great Contagion in 1665. Many Letters he sent to them and many hearty Prayers to Heaven for them But about a fortnight before they were infected he fell about break of day into this Dream that he was in a great Inn which was full of company and being very desirous to find a private Room where he might seek God for his Parents Life he went from Room to Room but found company in them all at last casting his Eye into a little Chamber which was empty he went into it lockt the Door kneeled down by the outside of the Bed and whilst he was vehemently begging of God the Life of his Friends fixing his Eyes upon the Plaister'd Wall within side the Bed there appeared upon the Plaister of the Wall before him the Sun and Moon shining in their full strength The sight at first amazed and discomposed him so far that he could not continue his Prayer but kept his Eye fixed upon the Body of the Sun at last a small line or ring of black no bigger than that of a Text Pen circled the Sun which increasing sensibly eclipsed in a little time the whole body of it and turned it into a blackish colour which done the Figure of the Sun was immediately changed into a perfect Death's head and after a little while Vanished quite away The Moon still continued shining as before but whilst he intently beheld it it also darkned in like manner and turned also into another Death's head and Vanished This made so great an Impression upon the beholder's mind that he immediately awaked in confusion and perplexity of thoughts about his Dream and awakning his Wife related the particulars to her with much emotion and concernment but how to apply it he could not presently tell only he was satisfied that the Dream was of an extraordinary Nature At last Joseph's Dream came into his thoughts with the like Emblems and their Interpretation which fully satisfied him that God had warned and prepared him thereby for a sudden parting with his Dear Relations which answerably fell out in the same order his Father dying that day fortnight following and his Mother just a Month afterwards These Eight Relations the Transcribed out of Mr. Flavel's Treatise of the Soul 15. The Lady Rich gives this Relation of Mr. Tyro Minister from his own Mouth About seven weeks before his Death when there was hope of recovery he told me he had something to tell me that he had not imparted to any body and expressed it thus When I was one Evening returning to my Lodging then at Vngar from this House being then in a good Degree of Health and in a serious frame meditating by the way I heard a Voice say You shall dye and not pass your five and thirtieth year of Age. Which Voice Astonished me greatly and looking round about me seeing no body put me into great Consternation and Sweat all over me such as I never felt tho I dare not compare it to drops of Blood yet I cannot express how dreadful it was You know Madam my Principles and that I am no Enthusiast and how cautious I am as to Revelations But I am sure this was no Melancholy Fancy But an Articulate Voice After I had a little recovered my self I begged of God to discover to me if this were from him or a Delusion from Satan but still the Impression remained t ho I sought God by Prayer most part of that Night and you may remember in my next Visit I told you I should dye shortly but I did not tell you of the Voice I heard And then he added This is my Five and Thirtieth year of my Age in July next I shall be so old And many other Expressions he added which is too much for a Letter but he Died in January 1630. Hist Disc Appar Witches p. 199. 16. The Lady Ware 's Chaplain dreamt that such a day he should dye but having forgot it almost till the Evening before Supper there being thirteen at Table according to a fond conceit that one of these must soon dye One of the young Ladies pointed to him as the person He remembring the Dream fell into some disorder but being reproved for his superstition he said he was confident he was to dye before Morning It was Saturday Night and he was to Preach next day he went to his Chamber in perfect health sate up late prepared his Notes for his Sermon and the next Morning was found Dead See Mr. Parson's Sermon at the Earl of Rochester's Funeral 17. Sir Matthew Hale had some secreet presage of his Death saying that if he did not dye such a day he should live a Month longer and he died that very day Month. Nov. 25. See his Life by Dr. Burnet 18. It was observed that several Omens preceeded the Death of Arch-bishop Laud as the falling down of his Picture in his Parlour the Arms of his See the sinking of the Lambeth Ferry-Boat with the Arch-Bishop's Coach-Horses and Coach-Men to the bottom of the Thames Dr. Heylin in his Life and the Author of the Breviate of the Life of Arch-Bishop Laud p. 35. 19. One James Oxenham of Sale-Monachroum in the County of Devon a Gentleman of good worth and quality who had many Children one whereof was called John Oxenham a young Man in the Vigour Beauty and Flower of his Age about twenty two six Foot and a half high pious and well qualified this young Man falling Sick two days before his departure there appeared the likeness of a Bird with a white Breast hovering over him Attested by Robert Woodley and Humphrey King who justified it to the Minister of the Parish being examined by him at the appointment of Joseph Laud Bishop of Exeter this Person died Sep. 5. 1635. He was no sooner Dead in this Manner but the same Apparition did again shew it self to Thomazine the Wife of James Oxenham the younger a Woman of unspotted Life about eleven a Clock at Night And she died to the comfort of all about her Sep. 7. 1635. Attested by Elizabeth Frost and Joan Tooker who were examined by the same Minister Not long after Rebeccah Sister of the aforesaid Thomazine Aged about eight years about eleven a Clock at Night was presented with
the Skin was married to the Bones with so close a conjunction that their Bodies seemed all Boney and tied together only with Nerves truly saith he you would have taken them for the very Images of Death The Younger of them walked well enough for he seemed not much unlike an Ape yet in walking the Bones cracket together very like the dry shells of Nuts Their Father continually attended the Furnace Symph Campej l. 4. c. 13. c Narat Histor Galeni 40. Worms have been found sometimes breed in the Heart which hath caused Palpitation and the Lunatick Passion and consquently Death 41. Arculanus relates that he saw a sharp Bone that stuck in the Throat of one at two months end come out through the Skin Forest l. 15. c. 42. A certain Student in the Colledge of Preleum who had swallowed down a branch of Grass voided it afterwards whole through the intercostal space Parcus l. 24. c. 19. 43. A certain Shepherd being forced to swallow a Knife with a Horn handle half a Foot long after a fortnights space and much pain upon an Aposthume breaking out of his Groins voided it there Idem Dr. Brown tells us That either this Knife or another is to be seen in the Emperor of Germany's Library I say this or another for there is the like Story of a Boy in Prussia that swallowed his Knife and had it taken out again by a Chirurgion Several Persons have swallowed Pins most of which they have voided again by Urine One Mrs. Skâ—ymsher of Aqualat in Shropshire near Newport as it was related to my Lord Paget in my hearing after she had swallowed down a Pin took it out of her Arm many years 44. Sudor Anglicus or the Sweating-sickness was a Pestilent kind of Fever which either killed or delivered the Patient in a day or two mostly peculiar to England but by its Contagion communicating it self sometimes to Holland it ended commonly in Sweating and there was hopes of Recovery by no other Medicines but Sudorificks This arose first of all Anno 1486. in the Summer time and in one day with an excessive Flux of Sweat would carry away many thousands They that were seized with it would be Sowed presently up in the Sheets and Blankets and earnestly intreat their Friends not to leave them till their 24 hours were out which Friends perhaps being seized presently after and thrust into the same Bed to them where being mightly covered with heaps of Cloaths they cried out wretchedly earnestly imploring the Favour of God and Man Gemma Cosmo l. 1. c. 8. 45. Lues Pannoniae or the Hungarian Fever Theriodes vulgarly the worm of the Brain began in the Expedition of the Emperor Maximilian II. against Soliman the Turkish Emperor Anno 1566. in Hungary and carried away a vast number of People insomuch that you might see dead Bodies lie in the Streets of Vienna whither the Army hastned daily First they were taken with a light rigour and coldness within less than an hour with extream heat and pain of the Head and Breast and unsatiable Thirst so that you might see them out of their Tents at Pitchers and Bowls of cold Water drinking till they had Breathed their last The 2d or at most the 3d day they grew Delirious sometimes there was attending a Disentary or Flux of the Liver sometimes the Colick and pain of their sides Matter thrown out by Stool or out of the Head into either Ear causing Deafness gave hopes of Recovery They all had spots like Flea-bitings upon their Body especially their Breast and Back Arms and Shoulders Jordanus de Pestis Phaenomini c. 19. Tract 1. 46. Febris Stigmatica otherwise called Lenticula or Punticula appeared first Anno 1505. and 1528. in Italy especially Cyprus and the Neighbouring Islands it was contagious upon contact at first it was easie and pleasant enough but afterwards was attended with uneasiness and weariness of Body heaviness of the Head or dulness of the Senses Delirium redness of Eyes Talkativeness red Spots about the seventh day in the Arms Back and Breast little or no Thirst c. few Women were taken with this Fever very sew old Men almost no Jews c. Tracaster l. 2 3. c. 6 7. de Contag Morb. 47. Morbus Gallicus was brought first by the Spaniards out of the Indies and shewed it self first in the Camp of Charles V. at Naples it spared none of what degree so ever Kings Lords or Ladies infected the Head Eyes Nose Pallat of the Mouch Skin Flesh Bones Ligaments and inward parts of the Body produced a lumpish heaviness in the Members wandring Pains faint Complexions Sadness Tumours Pustules Ulcers Buboes c. Barrow's method of Physick l. 6. c. 1 2 3. 48. Brunnae Lues of Lues Nova Moraviae not very mortal yet of an unusual form and strange Symptoms and very Contagious it began about Anno 1577. upon occasion of going into the Baths near Brunna The hurt did not appear until a formight or a month after Afterwards these Symptoms followed sluggishness and torture of Body a dejected Mind a sad Countenance pale Face a brown Circle about the Eyes a frowning Forehead an extraordinary heat in such places where they had used Cupping glasses in the day it produced Ulcers and much Corruption sometimes a kind of Scab all over the Body like the Small-Pox Callouses in the Head which broke and run pricking Pains all over the Body no rest perpetual crying out roaring tears avoiding all Conversation and sight of Men c. Jordanus de Lue Nova Moraviae CHAP. XXXVII Strange Birds I Do not intend to present my Reader here with a Complete Aviary or to tell him only what he knows already though perhaps the Book may fall into the hands of some who know more than I can tell them but only to speak of some of those Inhabitants of the Airy Region these Winged People of the Sky that common Eyes are least acquainted with and which we do not see every day whereof there is so great a variety and wherein there is such a pleasant sight of the Creator's Infinite Wisdom and Workmanship as is enough to allure our Eyes to a further Prospect and Disquisition of what there is above these 1. The Eagle is justly esteemed King of Birds The right Foot is reported greater than the left the Brain is so hot that mingled with Hemlock Juice and drank in Powder it will make one Mad. It drinks not because the Blood of what it Preys upon sufficeth it But in old Age when the Beak is crooked with dryness it preserves it self by drinking Aelian They have been seen a Cubit in largeness and some young ones whose Wings stretched out would reach 7 Ells the Claws were bigger than a great Man's Fingers and the Thighs greater than a Lions When the young ones are hatcht she holds them in her Talons against the Sun and having proved them to be Legitimate she takes them on her Wings and carries them
or Four times as before and then coming to Wallace said Friend I percieve that thou art not well Wallace replied No truly Sir I have not been well these many Years Then he asked what his Disease was â— A Deep Consumption and our Doctors say 't is past Cure answered Wallace To which the old Pilgrim replied They say well but what have they given thee for it Truly nothing said he for I am very poor and not able to follow the Doctor 's Prescriptions and so I have committed my self into the Hands of Almighty God to dispose of me as he pleaseth The Old Man answered Thou say'st very well But I will tell thee by the Almighty power of God what thou shalt do only observe my words and remember them and do it but whatsoever thou dost Fear God and serve him To Morrow Morning to into thy Garden and get there Two Red Sage Leaves and one Leaf of Bloodwort put these into a Cup of Small Beer let them lie there for the space of Three Days together drink thereof as oft as need requires but let the Leaves still remain in the Cup and the Fourth Morning cast them away and put Three fresh ones in their room and thus do for 12 Days together neither more nor less I pray thee remember what I say and observe and do it But above all Fear God and serve him And for the space of these Twelve Days thou must neither drink Ale nor Strong Beer yet afterwards thou mayest to strengthen Nature and thou shalt see that before these Twelve Days are expired through the great mercy and help of Almighty God thy Disease will be cured and the frame of thy Body altered c. With much more to this purpose adding withal that he must change the Air and then his Blood would be as god as ever it was only his Joints would be weak as long as he lived But above all said he Fear God and serve him Wallace asked him to eat some Bread and Butter or Cheese he answered no Friend I will not eat any thing the Lord Christ is sufficient for me neither but very seldom do I drink any Beer but that which comes from the Rock And so Friend the Lord God in Heaven be with thee At parting Samuel Wallace went to shut the Door after him to whom the Old Man returning half way into the Entry again said Friend I pray remember what I have said and do it But above all Fear God and serve him Wallace said he saw him pass along the Street some half a Score Yards from his Door and so he went in But no Body else saw this Old Man though many People were standing in their Doors near Wallace's House Within Four Days upon the use of this Drink a Scâ—rf arose upon his Body and under that a new fresh Skin and in Twelve Days he was as strong as ever he had been and healthful except only a little weakness in his Joynts And once in the Twelve Days by the importunity of some Friends drinking a little Strong Drink he was struck speechless for 24 Hours Many Ministers hearing the report of this wonderful Cure met together at Stamford and considering and consulting about it for many Reasons concluded the Cure to be done by the Ministry of an Angel 8. Monsieur Jurieu a Banished Minister of France wrote in one of his Pastoral Letters out of Holland to the Persecuted Protestants in France a very surprising Relation of Songs and Voices heard in the Air A. C. 1685 in these Words This Year 1685 hath been as abundant in Prodigies as any for a long while wherein we have heard of extraordinary Storms Fires falling from Heaven others coming out of the Earth Signs in the Air and Insects of unknown Shapes which have been believed to have fallen from Heaven and particularly the Singing of Psalms and Voices in the Air. It is near a Year since we heard any Speech concerning it and they told us that these Singings had been heard in Bearn the first Province whether the Dragoons were sent Behold our Witnesses every one will judge of what worth they are Monsieur Magâ—udy Pastor of the Church of Orthez having been questioned concerning this Affair hath interrogated divers Persons according as it appears by his Certificate I do declare that Monsieur Bazin a Younger Brother and an Inhabitant of Bearn hath told me that walking with some of his Friends after Mid-day near the City of Orthez he heard Voices which sung Psalms and as he imagined that it might be some Women that washed Linnen he ran to demand of them whether it was they that sang they told him no and that they themselves had for a long time heard the same singing of Psalms This happened some Months before the Interdiction of our Church The said M. Bazin is a very Honest Man very Judicious and of Integrity I add that Madamoiselle de Casenaue of Orthez being not able to believe that which was said concerning Singing of Psalms a Woman said to her that if she had the Curiosity to hear them sing she would call on her at her own House at a time convenient which she did For this Woman being at Eleven at Night in the uttermost part of the City with Multitudes of other Persons to hear those Voices which sung in the Air the Praises of God having heard this singing of Psalms she ran to Madamoiselle de Casenaue who immediately gets out of her Bed causes one of her Neighbours to rise and they ran to that Quarter of the City which was far from her House where they found Multitudes of Persons who were ravished with that pleasant Melody which they heard in the Air they themselves returned to their Houses with this great Consolation to have heard those Psalms sung in the Air which they could no more sing in their Church which had been interdicted for some Months past They added that they seemed to hear them sing in the same manner which they used to sing in their Church and after the Singing ceased there was a Voice which spake but in an articulate and confufed manner so that they could not distinguish what was said This Gentlewoman is very well worthy of Credit Mâ—reover I attest that an infinite number of Persons of Orthez do say that they heard the singing of Psalms which they call the Singing of Angels And that they exhorted each other in the Day to be present in the Night in certain Places of the City to satisfy this holy curiosity which was the reason that the Magistrates of Orthez published an Ordinance whereby they forbad all Persons from going out of their Houses or assembling themselves by Night to hear these Voices which filled this poor afflicted People with Joy and extraordinary Consolation This is that which hath been told me concerning this singing of Psalms to which I find no difficulty to give a full assent because the Persons that reported it are of great sincerity
Saturday came to my House Incognito to know of me the truâ—h of the Countrey Report about this Maid having seen some of the Nails c. she had vomited up I told him it was very true and if he would stay in Town till the Morning he might see it himself for his own satisfaction VVhich he did and early in the Morning was called to see her But because Beer was not given her when she wanted it she lay in a very deplorable Condition till past Two in the Afternoon when with much difficulty she brought up a piece of Brass which the said Gentleman took away with him though before the piece of Brass came up he told me he was satisfied of the Truth of the thing because it was impossible for any Mortal to counterfeit her miserable condition She sometimes lying in a dead Fit with her Tongue swelled out of her Head and then reviving she would fall to vomiting but nothing came out till about two a Clock in the Afternoon Nay so curious waâ—â—he to anticipate any Cheat that he searcht her Mouth himself gave her the beer held her up in his Hand and likewise the Bason into which she vomited and continued with her all this time without Eating and Drinking which was about Eight Hours that he might be an Eye-witness of the Truth of it Nay further he found the Maid living only with a Brother and Three poor Sisters all young Persons and very honest and the Maid kept at the charge of the Parish which were sufficient Testimonies they were uncapable of making a Cheat of it The Gentleman I now mentioned was as I afterward learn'd Esquire Player of Castle-Cary I have often wondred how it was possible for all that Trumpery to be conveyed into her Body which at Intervals she cast up I therefore made all the Observation I could to satisfie my self and others I found that those things which she brought up in the Morning were conveyed into her Body by some Diabolical Power when she was in Bed at Night what induced me easily to believe this was by considering these following Circumstances That it was only in the Morning that she vomitted up Nails and scarce did any thing in the Afternoon I found by Enquiry that she always slept with her Mouth open and could not help it and when asleep she could not be awakened either by calling jogging or pulling of her for some considerable time though at the same time she fetch'd such deep and painful Groans as if she were awaked and sensible of her sad Condition For my farther satisfaction I got some at my own Charge to sit up at Nights with her and watch her Mouth and to see it was kept close shut Whilst this was done the Vomiting of Nails ceased and that for Thirteen Nights successively but when it was neglected she would be sure to bring up something of Nails or some such Stuff I then had her lodged at a Neighbour's House to see whether her vomitting of Nails would totally cease but it did not For coming one Day to my House to refresh her self she had not been there Two Hours before she began to be ill we immediately gave her some Beer and she vomited up a great Board Nail Some time after this she threw up a great piece of Brass which I saw followed with much Blood and she being extreamly weakened with striving and falling into a Fit I caused a Woman to open her Mouth who took out as much Blood as she could hold in the hollow of her Hand After the Assizes afore-mentioned was ended and she was turned Home she grew worse than ever by Vomitting of Nails pieces of Glass c. And falling one Day into a violent Fit she was swelled to an extraordinary bigness some Beer being given her she threw up several pieces of Bread and Butter besmeared with poysonous Matter which I judged to be Mercury This so much affrighted the Neighbours that they would come no more near her So that one Day she being taken desperate ill I was sent for to pray with her and compassionating the Deplorablenels of her Condition I at last resolved to take her into my own House where in a short time the Vomiting ceased though for some space her Distorting Fits followed her But blessed be God is now and has been for a considerable time last past in very good Health and fit for a Service April 4th 1691. May-Hill Minister of Beckington in the County of Somerset 15. In the beginning of the late War Colonel Bowen in Glamorganshire being oppressed by the King's Party took Arms under the Earl of Essex and by his Valour obtained a good Repute in the Army so that in a short time he got the Command of Lieutenant Colonel But as soon as the heat of the VVar was abated his Case and Preferment led him to a careless and sensual Life and he became an absolute Atheist denying Heaven or Hell God or Devil acknowledging only a Power as the Heathens did Fate accounting Temporal Pleasures all his expected Heaven So that at last he became hateful and hating all Civil Society and his nearest Relations About December last he being in Ireland and his Wife a Pious Gentlewoman living in his House in Glamorgan was very much troubled one Night with a great Noise much like the sound of a Whirl-wind and a violent beating of the Doors or Walls as if the whole house were falling in Pieces And being in her Chamber with most of her Family after Praying to the Lord accounting it Sinful Incredulity to yield to fear she went to Bed and suddenly after there appeared unto her something like her Husband and asked her whether he should come to Bed she sitting up and Praying to the Lord told him he was not her Husband and that he should not He urged more earnestly What! Not the Husband of thy Bosom What! Not the Husband of thy Bosom Yet had no Power to hurt her And she together with some Godly People spent the Night in Prayer being very often Interrupted by this Apparition The next Night Mr. Miles a Godly Minister with four other Godly Men came to watch and pray in the House that Night and so continued in Prayer and other Duties of a Religion without any Interruption or Noise at all that Night But the Night following the Gentle woman with several other Godly Women being in the House the noise of a Whirl-wind began again with more violence than formerly and the Apparition walked in the Chamber having an unsufferable stench like that of a putrified Carcass filling the Room with a thick smoak smelling like Sulphur Darkening the Light of the Fire and Candle but not quite Extinguishing it sometimes going down the Stairs and coming up again with a fearful Noise disturbing them in their Prayers one while with the sound of words which they could not discern otherwise striking them so that the next Morning their Faces week black with the smoak and their
was at some pains to enquire into the truth of it and found the means to get the present Lord Duffus's opinion thereof which shortly is That there has been and is such a Tradition 20. The following Account I received November last from Mr. Alexander Mowat a Person of great Integrity and Judgment who being Minister at the Church at Lesly in the Shire of Aberdene was turned out for refusing the Oath of Test Anno. 1681. He informs That he heard the late Earl of Cathnes who was Married to a Daughter of the late Marquess of Argyle tell the following Story Viz. That upon a time when a Vessel which his Lordship kept for bringing home Wine and other Provisions for his House was at Sea a common Fellow who was reputed to have the Second-sight being occasionally at his House the Earl enquired of him where his Men meaning those in the Ship were at that present time The Fellow replied at such a place by Name within four Hours Sailing of the Harbour which was not far from the place of his Lordship's Residence The Earl asked what Evidence he could give for that The other replied that he had lately been at the place and had brought away with him one of the Sea-mens Caps which he delivered to his Lordship At the four Hours end the Earl went down himself to the Harbour where he found the Ship newly arrived and in it one of the Seamen without his Cap who being questioned how he came to lose his Cap Answered that at such a place the same the Second-sighted Man had Named before there arose a Whirl-wind which endangered the Ship and carried away his Cap The Earl asked if he would know his Cap when he saw it He said he would whereupon the Earl produced the Cap and the Seaman owned it for that which was taken from him This is all the Information which I can give at present concerning Transportation by an Invisible Power 21. One Instance I had of one Allen Miller being in Company with some Gentlemen having gotten a little more than ordinary of that strong Liquor they were Drinking began to tell Stories and strange Passages he had been at But the said Allen was suddenly removed to the farther end of the House and was there almost strangled recovering a little and coming to the place where he was before they asked him What it was that troubled him so He Answered he durst not tell for he had told too much already 22. The Devil appeared to a Dying Man and shewed him a Parchment very long Written on every side with the Sins both of words thoughts and deeds of the Sick Man and said unto him Behold thy vertues See what thy Examination shall be To whom he Answered True Satan but thou hast not set all Thou shouldst have added The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all Sin And he that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved Chetwinds Hist Collect. 23. Luther relates of himself that being at Prayer contemplating how Christ hung on the Cross and suffered for his Sins there appeared suddenly on the Wall a bright shining Vision and therein appeared also a glorious form of our Saviour Christ with his five wounds stedfastly looking upon him as if it had been Christ himself corporally Now at the first sight he thought it had been some good Revelation yet presently recollected himself and apprehending it some jugling of the Devil For Christ appeareth unto us in his word and in a meaner and more humble form like as he was humbled on the Cross for us Therefore said he I spake to the Vision in this manner Away thou confounded Devil I know no other Christ than he that was Crucified and who in his word is Pictured and Preached to me Whereupon the Image Vanished which was the very Devil himself And in like manner said Luther further A Gentlewoman a Virgin not far from my House at Wittenburg lay very sick to whom also appeared a Vision after this sort following She beheld as she thought a Glorious form of our Saviour which she was ready to have Worshipped and fall down before but I being sent for presently repaired to her and saw the Vision also as in the form of Christ I admonished her seriously that she should not suffer her self to be deluded by the Devil whereupon upon she raised up her self and spit upon the Face of the Image and instantly the Image was changed into a great ugly Snake which slid to the Gentlewomans Bed and bit her by the Ear so there stood drops of Blood upon the Ear which trickled down and thereupon the Snake vanished This I beheld with mine Eyes said Luther with divers others that stood by Luther's Coll. p. 144. 24. There was in Scotland one an Obsessus carried in the Air several times in the view of several Persons his Fellow-Soldiers Major Henton hath seen him carried away from the Guard in Scotland sometimes a Mile or two Sundry Persons are living now 1671 that can attest this Story I had it from sir Robert Harley the Son who Marryed Major Henton's VVidow as also from E. T. D. D. 25. A Gentleman of my Acquaintance Mr. M. was in Portugal Anno 1655 when one was Burnt by the Inquisition for being brought thither from Goa in East-India in the Air in an incredible short time CHAP. IV. Concerning the Existence and Appearance of Separate Souls THat the Souls of Men do not expire with the Breath and Vital Vnion or fall into a deep Sleep never to be awaked till the General Resurrection according to the Opinions of some Drowsy People whose Reasons at present are asleep in their Bodies is a Truth I think easily evincible out of the Topicks of all Religions that make any Noise and Figure in the World out of the clear Text of Sacred Scripture and from the very nature of our Souls as they now are and act in the Body whilst in union with it Mr. Stevens in his late Sermons upon the Parable of Dives and Lazarus tells us that one of the Fathers calls the Good Angels Enocatores Animarum the Callers forth of Souls and such as shew them Paraturam Diversonii the preparation of those Mansions they are going to Hence says he we observe when good Men are dying they are often in silent Raptures and express a kind of impatience till they are dissolved And why because they spiritually see what they cannot utter as did St. Paul when he was wrapt up into the Third Heaven There is a kind of a Draught presented to them by their Guardian Angels of those Transcendent Joys they are almost ready to enter in possession of and therefore long and pine till they are conveyed into that place of unspeakable Felicity These Heavenly Spirits succour and support them under their Pain and Sickness and when their Souls are stormed out of their Bodies they encompass and embrace them soaring through the Regions of Evil Angels into Heaven 'T is said that Lazarus
his own great Abilities after Courtesies of Courage had passed between them My Lord says the Duke I know your Lordship hath very worthily good Accesses unto the King our Soveraign let me pray you to put His Majesty in Mind to be good as I no way distrust to my poor Wife and Children at which Words or at his Countenance in the Delivery or at both my Lord Bishop being somewhat troubled took the freedom to ask him whether he had never any secret Abodement in his Mind No reply'd the Duke but I think some Adventure way kill me as well as another Man The very day before he was slain feeling some indisposition of Body the King was pleased to give him the Honour of a visit and found him in his Bed where and after much serious and private Discourse the Duke at his Majesty's departing embraced him in a very unusual and passionate Manner and in like sort to his Friend the Earl of Holland as if his Soul divined he should see them no more which infusions towards fatal End had been observed by some Authors of no Light Authority On the very day of his Death the Countess of Denbigh receiv'd a Letter from him whereupon all the while she was writing her Answer she bedew'd the Paper with her Tears And after a most bitter Passion whereof she could yield no Reason but that her dearest Brother was to be gone she fell down in a Swoon Her said Letter endeth thus I will pray for your happy Return which I look at with a great Cloud over my Head too heavy for my poor Heart to bear without torment but I hope the great God of Heaven will bless you The day following the Bishop of Ely her devoted Friend who was thought the fittest Preparer of her Mind to receive such a doleful Accident came to visit her but hearing she was at rest he attended till she should awake of her self which she did with the Affrightments of a Dream her Brother seeming to pass thorough a Field with her in her Coach where hearing of a sudden Shout of the People and asking the reason it was answer'd to have been for Joy that the Duke of Buckingham was sick Which natural Impression she source had related unto her Gentlewoman before the Bishop was entred into her Bed-Chamber for a chosen Messenger of the Duke's Death This is all I dare present of that Nature or any of Judgment not unwillingly omitting certain Prognostick Anagrams and such strains of Fancy Sir Henry Wooton 's Short View of the Life and Death of George Villiers Duke of Buckingham p. 25 26. 2. When Alexander went by Water to Babylon a sudden Wind arising blew off the Regal Ornament of his Head and the Diadem fixt to it This was lookt upon as a Presage of Alexander's Death which happen'd soon after 3. In the year of Christ 1185. the last and most fatal end of Andronicus Commenus being at Hand the Statute of St. Paul which the Emperor had caused to be set up in the great Church of Constantinople abundantly wept Nor were these Tears in vain which the Emperor washt off with his own Blood 4. Barbara Princess of Bavaria having shut her self up in a Nunnery among other things allow'd her for her peculiar Recreation she had a Marjoram-Tree of an extraordinary bigness a small Aviary and a Gold Chain which she wore about her Neck But 14 Days before she died the Marjoram-Tree dried up the Birds the next Night were all found dead and after that the Chain broke in two in the middle Then Barbara calling for the Abbess told her that all those Warnings were for her and in a few Days after died in the Seventeenth year of her Age After her Death above twenty other Virgins died out of the same Nunnery Several other Presages there are that foretold the death of Princes and great Men As the unwonted Howlings of Dogs the unseasonable Noise of Bells the Roaring of Lions c. Concerning Dead Mens Lights seen often in Wales take this following Story 5. A Man and his Family being all in Bed about Midnight and awake he could perceive a Light entring a little Room where he lay and one after another of some Dozen in the shape of Men and two or three Women with small Children in their Arms entring in and they seemed to dance and the Room to be far wider and lighter than formerly they did seem to eat Bread and Cheese all about a kind of a Stick upon the Ground they offer'd him Meat and would smile upon him he could perceive no Voice but he once calling upon God to bless him he could perceive the Whisper of a Voice in Welsh bidding him hold his Peace being about four Hours thus he did what he could to awake his Wife and could not they went out into another Room and after some dancing departed and then he arose yet being but a very small Room he could not find the Door nor the way to Bed until crying out his Wife and Family awaked Being within about two Miles of me I sent for the Man who is an honest poor Husbandman and of good Report And I made him believe I would put him to his Oath for the Truth of this Relation who was ready to take it Attested by Mr. John Lewis a learned Justice of Peace in Cardigan-shire Hist Discourse of Appar and Witches p. 130. 6. Mr. Flavel in his Treatise of the Soul says I have with good Assurance this Account of a Minister who being alone in a Journey and willing to make the best Improvement he could of the Days Solitude set himself upon a close Examination of the State of his Soul and then of the Life to come and the manner of its being and living in Heaven in the Views of all those things which are now pure Objects of Faith and Hope after a while he perceiv'd his Thoughts begin to fix and come closer to these great astonishing things than was usual and as his Mind settled upon them his Affections began to rise with answerable Liveliness and Vigour He therefore whilst he was yet Master of his own Thoughts lift up his Heart to God in a short Ejaculation that God would so order it in his Providence that he might meet with no Interruption from Company or any other Accident in that Journey which was granted him For in all the Days Journey he neither met overtook or was overtaken by any Thus going on his way his Thoughts began to rise and swell higher and higher like the Waters in Ezekiel's vision till at last they became an overflowing Flood Such was the Intention of his Mind such the ravishing Tastes of Heavenly Joys and such the full Assurance of his Interest therein that he utterly lost the Sight and Sense of this World and all the concerns thereof and for some hours knew no more where he was than if he had been in a deep sleep upon his Bed At last he began to perceive
himself very faint and almost choaked with Blood which running in abundance from his Nose had discoloured his Cloaths and his Horse from the Shoulder to the Hoof. He found himself almost spent and nature to faint under the pressure of Joy unspeakable and unsupportable and at last perceiving a Spring of Water in his way he with some difficulty alighted to cleanse and cool his Face and Hands which were drenched in Blood Tears and Sweat By that Spring he sate down and washed earnestly desiring if it were the pleasure of God that might be his parting place from this World He said Death had the most aimable Face in his Eye that ever he beheld except the Face of Jesus Christ which made it so and that he could not remember tho he believed he should die there that he had one thought of his Dear Wife or Children or any other Earthly concernment But having drank of that Spring his Spirits revived the Blood stenched and he Mounted his Horse again and on he went in the same Fame of Spirit till he had finished a Journey of near Thirty Miles and came at Night to his Inn. Where being come he greatly admired how he came thither and that he fell not all that day which past not without several Trances of considerable continuance Being alighted the Inn-Keeper came to him with some astonishment being acquainted with him formerly O Sir said he what is the matter with you You look like a Dead Man Friend replied he I was never better in my Life Shew me my Chamber cause my Cloak to be cleansed burn me a little Wine and that is all I desire of you for the present Accordingly it was done and a Supper sent up which he could not touch but requested of the People they would not trouble or disturb him for that Night All this Night passed without one wink of sleep tho he never had a sweetr Nights rest in all his Life still still the joy of the Lord over-flowed him and he seemed to be an Inhabitant of the other World The next Morning being come he was early on Horse-back again fearing the Divertisements in the Inn might bereave him of his joy for he said it was now with him as with a Man that carries a Rich Treasure about him who suspects every Passenger to be a Theif but within a few hours he was sensible of the ebbing of the Tydes and before Night tho there was an Heavenly Serenity and sweet Peace upon his Spirit which continued long with him yet the Transports of Joy were over and the fine edge of his delight blunted He many years after called that day one of the Days of Heaven and professed he understood more of the Life of Heaven by it than by all the Books he ever Read or Discourses he ever entertained about it 7. Thus Mr. Knox predicted the very place and manner of the Laird of Grange You have sometimes seen the courage and constancy of the Laird of Grange in the cause of God and now that unhappy Man is casting himself away I pray yopu go to him from me said Mr. Knox and tell him unless he forsake the Wicked course he is in the Rock wherein he confideth shall not defend him nor the Carnal Wisdom of that Man meaning the young Leshington whom he counteth half a God shall help him But he shall be shamefully pull'd out of the Nest and his Carcase hung before the Sun And even so it fell out the following year when the Castle was taken and his Body hang'd out before the Sun Thus God exactly fulfilled the prediction of his Death Clark's Lives p. 277. 8. The same Mr. Knox in the Year 1566. Being in the Pulpit a Edenburgh upon the Lords Day a Paper was given up to him among many others wherein these words were scoffingly Written concerning the Earl of Murray who was slain before Take up the Man whom ye accounted another God At the end of the Sermon Mr. Knox bewailed the loss that the Church and State had by the Death of the Virtuous Man and then added There is one in this company that makes this horrible Muther the subject of his mirth for which all good Men should be sorry but I tell him he shall die where there shall be none to lament him The Man that wrote the Paper was one Thomas Metellan a young Gentleman who shortly after in his Travels Died in Italy having none to assist or lament him 9. Sir Anthony Wingfield who was slain at Brest Anno. 1594. At his undertaking of that expedition he was strongly perswaded it would be his Death and therefore so settled and disposed of his Estate as one that never reckoned to return again And the day before he died he took order for the Payment of his Debts as one that strongly presaged the time was now at hand which accordingly fell out the next day Sir Jophn Norris his Expedition p. 46. 10. The Learned and Judicious Amiraldus gives us this well attested Relation of Lewis of Bourbon That a little before his Journey from Dreux he Dreamed that he had fought three successful Battels wherein his three great Enemies were slain but that at last he himself was mortally wounded and that after they were laid one upon another he also was laid upon the Dead Bodys The event was Remarkable for the Mareschal of St. Andree was killed at Dreux the Duke of Guise at Orleans the Constable of Montmorency at St. Denis And this was the Triumvirate which had Sworn the ruin of those of the Protestant Religion and the Destruction of that Prince At last he himself was slain at Basack as if there had been a continuation of Deaths and Funerals Amiraldus of Divne Dreams p. 122 123. 11. Suetonius in the Life of Julius Caesar tells us that the Night before he was slain he had Divers Premonitions thereof for that Night all the Doors and Windows of his Chamber flew open his Wife also Dreamed that Caesar was slain and that she had him in her Arms. The next day he was slain in Pompey's Court having received three and twenty wounds in his Body 12. Pamelius in the Life of Cyprian tells us for a most certain and well attested truth that upon his first entrance into Carubis the place of his Banishment it was revealed to him in a Dream or Vision that upon that very day Twelve-Month he should be consummate Which accordingly fell out for a little before the time prefixed there came suddainly two Apparators to bring him before the New Proconsul Galeius by whom he was Condemned as having been a Standard-Bearer of his Sect and an Enemy of the Gods Whereupon he was Condemned to be Beheaded a Multitude of Christians following him crying Let us die together with him 13. And as Remarkable is that recorded by the Learned and Ingenious Doctor Stern of Mr. Vsher of Ireland a Man saith he of great Integrity Dear to others by his Merits and my Kinsman in Blood
Soul in thy Heavenly Kingdom 42. Nehemiah this very hopeful young Man going out to hunt with a Companion who fell out with him and stabbed him mortally and kill'd him A little was gather'd up spoke by him as followeth I am ready to die now but knew not of it even now when I went out of my door I was only going to hunt but a wicked Man hath killed me I see that word is true He that is well to day may be dead to morrow He that laughed yesterday may sorrow to day My Misery overtook me in the Woods No Man knoweth the day and time when his Misery cometh Now I desire patiently to take up my Cross and Misery I am but a Man and must feel the Cross Oh Christ Jesus help me thou art my Redeemer my Saviour and my Deliverer I confess my self a Sinner Lord Jesus pardon all my Sins by thy own Blood when thou diedst for us O Christ Jesus save me from Hell Save my Soul in Heaven Oh help me help me So he died The wicked Murderer is fled 43. John Owussumug sen He was a Young Man when they began to pray to God he did not at the present joyn with them he would say to me I will first see into it and when I understand it I will answer you he did after a while enter into the Civil Covenant but was not entered into the Church-Covenant before he dyed he was propounded to joyn to the Church but was delayed he being of a quick passionate temper some witty littigations prolonged it I till his Sickness but had he recovered the Church was satisfied to have received him he sinished well His Speech as followeth Now I must shortly die I desired that I might live I sought for Medicines to cure me I went to every English Doctor at Dadham Medfield Concord but none could cure me in this World But Oh Jesus Christ do thou heal my Soul now I am in great pain I have no hope of living in this VVorld a whole Year I have been afflicted I could not go to the publick Sabbath worship to hear God's VVord I did greatly love to go to the Sabbath VVorship Therefore I now say to all you Men Women and Children Love much and greatly to keep the Sabbath I have been now long hindred from it and therefore now I find the worth of it I say unto you all my Sons and Children do not go into the Woods among non-praying People abide constantly at Natick You my Children and all my Kindred strongly pray to God Love and Obey the Rulers and submit unto their Judgment hear diligently your Ministers Be obedient to Major Gookins and to Mr. Eliot and Daniel I am now almost dead and I exhort you strongly to Love each other be at peace and be ready to forgive each other I desire now rightly to prepare my self to dye for God hath given me warning a whole year by my Sickness I confess I am a Sinner My heart was proud and thereby all Sins were in my heart I knew that by Birth I was a Sechim I got Oxen and Cart and Plough like an English Man and by all these things my heart was Proud Now God calleth me to Repentance by my Sickness this whole Year Oh Christ Jesus help me that according as I make my confession so through thy grace I may obtain a pardon of all my Sins For thou Lord Jesus didst dye 〈◊〉 us to deliver us from Sin I hear and believe that thou hast dyed for many Therefore I desire to cast away all Worldly hindrances my Lands and Goods I cast them by they cannot help me now I desire truely to prepare to dye My Sons I hope Christ will help me to dye well Now I call you my Sons but in Heaven we shall all be Brethren this I Learned in the Sabbath Worship all miseries in this World upon Believers shall have only Joy and Blessing in Jesus Christ Therefore Oh Christ Jesus help me in all my miseries and deliver me for I trust in thee and save my Soul in thy Heavenly Kingdom now behold me and look upon me who am dying So he dyed 44. John Speen he was among the first that prayed to God he was a diligent Reader he became a Teacher and carried well for Divers years until the Sin of strong drink did infect us and then he was so far infected with it that he was deservedly laid aside from Teaching His last Speeches were as followeth Now I dye I defire you all my Friends forgive him that hurt me for the word of God saith in Mat. 6.3 4. Forgive them that have done you wrong and your Heavenly Father will forgive you but if you do not forgive them your Heavenly Father will not forgive you Therefore I intreat you all my Friends forgive him that did me wrong for John Nunusquanit beat him and hurt him much a little before his Sickness now I desire to dye well now I confess all my Sins I am a Sinner especially I loved strong Drink too well and sometimes I was mad drunk tho I was a Teacher I did offend against praying to God and spoiled my Teaching all these my Sins and Drunkeness Oh I pray you all forgive me Oh Jesus Christ help me now and deliver my Soul and help me that I may not go to Hell for thou O Christ art my Deliver and Saviour Oh God help me Lord tho I am a Sinner Oh Lord do not forget me And so he dyed 45. Black James He was in former times reputed by the English to be a Pawaw but I cannot tell this I know he renounced and repented of all his former ways and desired to come to Christ and pray to God and died well as appears in what followeth Now I say I almost dye but you all my Sons and all you that pray at Chabanukong komu◠take heed that you leave not off to pray to God for praying to God is exceeding good for praying to God is the way that will bring you to the Heavenly Kingdom I believe in Christ and we must follow his Steps Especially you my Sons beware of Drunkenness I desire you may stand fast in my room and Rule well I am almost now dead and I desire to dye well Oh Lord Jesus Christ help me and deliver my Soul to die well So he died CHAP. XIX Strange ways of Restraining Persons from Sin THE Doctrine of the Irresistibleness of Gods Decrees was so far ventilated in the last Age that the Letters of Accord between the Judicious Bishop Sanderson and the Learned Dr. Hammond sufficed to confirm me and I think they may be sufficient for others in this Opinion viz. That those whom God hath Elected to everlasting Life shall be so far taken care of that such means shall be allowed them and such methods used towards them that they shall not fail of Inheriting Everlasting Life For whom God Loves he Loves unto the end And all things shall work
Hastings about Three Years ago where when the People were in great Poverty and suffer'd much by Scarcity of Money and Provisions it pleased God that an unusual and great Showl of Herrings came up the River by which the Inhabitants were plentifully supplied for the present and the next week after a Multitude of Cod succeeded them which were supposed to have driven the former into the River before them by which means the Necessity of the poor Inhabitants was supplied unexpectedly to Admiration 6. And this very Year 't is very observable when Money is at a low ebb amongst us and People every where muttering and complaining of the baseness of the old Coyn and the slowness of Coyning new Money c. God hath sent us in his Gracious Providence such a plentiful Harvest that not only the Farmers and poor People but even the Fields themselves to use the Psalmist's Phrase seem to laugh and sing 7. One Mr. Norwood late of Deptford a serious Christian being low in the VVorld and having several small Children his VVife then lying in was extreamly discontented at the Poverty and Straits of the Family the poor man pinched with this double Distress VVant of Provision and Peace too and belng unwilling to trouble his Master who was a Meal-Man and had relieved him formerly in his Troubles retires to Prayer opens his Case to God Almighty begs earnestly for a Supply returns home to his VVife and finds her in a pleasant Temper who ask'd him If any body had been with him Telling him That some body who would not tell whence he came had brought her Five Shillings This extreamly affected and chear'd the good man that he was free to speak of it in all Companies as occasion offered it self and at last mentioned it to the very Person a Minister Mr. J. J. that sent it who professed that being in his Study at that time upon a sudden and warm Impulse of mind he was put upon it 8 Another time his VVife was reduced to great Necessities for want of Shifts c. and was disturbed as before the good man goes the next Lord's Day to Church was Invited to Dine and Sup with a Friend said nothing of these wants but at going away the good VVoman of the House put him up Shifts for his VVife and Children and I think saith my Relater for himself too and ties up some money in one of them These are both Attested by one Mr. John Lane of Horsly down Lane in Southwark in a Letter dated July 3. 1695. and subscribed by several other hands of St. Olives Parish 9. Another person one Atkins formerly of Oxford lately of St. Olives in Southwark being brought to low Circumstances and so straitened with Poverty that they had neither Bread nor Drink nor Candle nor money to buy with the Wife grew impatient and the good man endeavoured to satisfie her with recounting over their former Experiences of Gods Goodness to them c. told her they would go to Prayer and beg for a supply he had not been long at his Devotions but a person knocking at the Door ask'd for Mr. Atkins but not willing to stay for his coming left Five Shillings with the woman for him not telling who sent it nor did they ever know his Name to this day which so wrought upon the unbelieving Wife that she was mightily affected with it and laid the consideration of it deeply to Heart This is likewise Attested by the aforesaid Author Mr. John Lane c. 10. A. C. 1555. betwixt Oxford and Aldebrough in the County of Suffolk when by unseasonable Weather a great Dearth was in the Land a Crop of Pease without Tillage or Sowing grew in the Rocks insomuch that in August there were gathered above one hundred Quarters a Quarter being 8 Bushels and in Blossoming remained as many more This is related by Mr. Speed and by the Author of the World Surveyed and others for a very great Truth CHAP. XXII Strange Instances of Consolation and Protection in Dangers MAN's Extremity we use to say is God's Opportunity and no doubt but one great Reason why God chuseth rather such Seasons to appear in is to give a clearer Demonstration of his Power and to shut out all others that may put in for a share of the Glory as Co-rivals with Him He will not give His Honour to any of His Creatures which they would be apt to challenge if God should put forth himself too early for their Relief and Assistance when they think they can stand upon their own Legs I. Personal Deliverances and Comforts c. 1. Polycarp being Conducted to the Theatre in order to his Suffering Martyrdom was Comforted and Encouraged by a Voice from Heaven Be of good Chear O Polycarp and play the Man The Speaker no Man saw but the Voice was heard by many of us said his Church at Smirna in their Epistle to the Brethren of Pontus Clark's Marr. of Ecclesi History 2. A brief Account of Mr. Roswell 's Tryal and Acquittal About the same time Mr. Roswell a very worthy Divine was Tryed for Treasonable Words in his Pulpit upon the Accusation of very vile and lewd Informers and a Surry Jury found him Guilty of High Treason upon the most villanous and improbable Evidence that had been ever given notwithstanding Sir John Tallot no Countenancer of Dissenters had appeared with great Generosity and Honour and Testified That the most material Witness was as Scandalous and Infamous a Wretch as lived It was at that time given out by those who thirsted for Blood That Mr. Roswell and Mr. Hays should die together and it was upon good Ground believe that the happy deliverance of Mr. Hays did much contribute to the preservation of Mr. Roswell though it is very probable that he had not escaped had not Sir John Talbot's worthy and most honourable Detestation of that accursed Villany prompted him to repair from the Court of King's Bench to King Charles II. and to make a Faithful Representation of the Case to him whereby when inhumane bloody Jefferys came a little after in a Transport of Joy to make his Report of the Eminent Service he and the Surry Jury had done in finding Mr. Roswell Guilty the King to his disappointment appeared under some Reluctancy and declared That Mr. Roswell should not die And so he was most happily delivered Bloody Assizes 3. Origen mightily Encouraged the Martyrs of his time visited such as were in deep Dungeons and close Imprisonment and after Sentence of Death accompanied them to the place of Execution putting himself often in great Danger thereby he kissed and embraced them at their last Farewell so that once the Heathens in their Rage had stoned him to Death if the Divine Power of God had not marvelloussy deliver'd him and the same Providence did at many other times Protect and Defend him oven so often as cannot be told c. Ibid. 4. Augustine going abroad to visit his Churches was laid
Stock Here I got Money and hired a Cellar where I laid up some other of my Goods When weary of my Slavery I formed a design for my Liberty and Communicated it to John Anthony Carpenter William Adams Brick-layer John Jephs Sea-man John a Carpenter and two others Men of able Bodies and useful in the intended Project which being formed in Parcels and afterwards put together might be the means of our Escape They approved the Proposal and in my Cellar we began our Work We provided first a piece of Timber of twelve Foot long to make the Keel but because it was impossible to convey a piece of Timber of that length out of the City but it must be seen and suspected we therefore cut it in two Pieces and fitted it for Joynting just in the middle Then we provided Ribs after which to make the Boat water-tite because Boards would require much â—ammering and that noise was like to betray us we bought as much Canvas as would cover our Boat twice over upon the Canvas of the Carine we provided also as much Pitch Tar and Tallow as would serve to make it a kind of Tarpawling Cere-Cloth to swaddle the naked Body of our Infant-boat of two Pipe-staves sawed a-cross from Corner to Corner we made two things to serve for Oars and for our Provision we had a little Bread and two Leather-Bottles full of fresh Water we also remembred to buy as much Canvas as would serve for a Sail. We carry'd out all these in Parts and Parcels fitted them together in the Valley about half a Mile from the Sea whither four of our Company carried the Boat on their Shoulders and the rest follow'd them At the Sea-side we stript put our Cloaths into the Boat and carry'd it and them as far into the Sea as we could all seven got in but finding she was overladen two of them were content to stay on Shoar having bid them farewel we lanched out June 30. 1644. The Bill of Lading was John Anthony William Adams John Jephs John Carpenter and William Okeley four of us wrought continually at the Oars the fifth was to free the Boat of that Water which by degrees leaked through the Canvas our Bread was soon spoiled with soaking in salt Water our fresh VVater stunk of the tanned Skins and Owze yet we complain'd not Three days with good Husbandry our Bread lasted us but then pale Famine stared us in the Face VVater indeed we might have but it must be salt out of the Sea or that which had been strained through our own Bodies and that we chose of the two but that we must not have after a while unless we would accept of the other first and the Misery was these did not asswage our Thirst but increase it The VVind too for some time was full against us but God rebuked it made it our Friend a second Inconvenience was that our Labour was without Intermission and a third the extremity of Heat by Day the Season raging hot the beginning of July and we wanted fresh VVater to cool the Heat our Labour made it insupportable to our Bodies and our little Hope made it as grievous to our Souls one Help we had a poor one he that emptied the Boat threw the VVater on the Bodies of the rest to cool them but our Bodies thus scorched and cooled rose up in Blisters all over Great pain we felt great dangers we were in great miseries we endured great wants we were under and had nothing left but Hope Food and Strength If any ask by what Directions we steer'd our Course to Mayork whither we designed for the Day a Pocket-Dial supplied the place of the Compass by Night the Stars when they appear'd and when not we guessed our way by the Motions of the Clouds four Days and four Nights were we in this woful plight on the fifth all hope that we should be saved was perished so that we left off our Labour because we had no Strength left only emptied the Boat of VVater when God sent some Relief to us as we lay hulling up and down we discover'd a Tortoise not far from us asleep in the Sea Had Drake discovered the Spanish Fleet he could not have more rejoyced VVe took up our Oars silently row'd to our Prey took it into our Boat with great Triumph we cut off her Head and let her bleed into a Pot we drank the Blood eat the Liver and sucked the Flesh It wonderfully refreshed our Spirits and we picked up some Crumbs of Hope About Noon we thought we discovered Land 't is impossible to express the Joy of our raised Souls at this Apprehension we wrought hard and after further Labour were fully satisfied that it was Land and it was Mayork we kept within sight of it all day the sixth of July and about Ten a Clock at Night we came under the Island and crept as near the Shoar as we could and durst till we found a convenient place where we might thrust in our Weather-beaten Boat When we were come to the Land we were not insensible of our Deliverance but tho' we had escaped the Sea we might die at Land we had no Food since we eat the Liver and drank the Blood of the Tortoise therefore John Anthony and my self were sent out to scout abroad for ftesh Water because we spake some Spanish we came to a Watch-Tower of the Spaniards spake to him on the Watch told him our Condition earnestly begging some fresh Water and some Bread he threw us down an old mouldy Cake but so long as it were a Cake Hunger did not consider its Mouldiness then he directed us to fresh Water which was hard by We stood not telling Stories we remembred our Brethren left with our Boat and observing the Sentinels Directions came to a Well where there was a little Water and eat a bit of our Cake but the Passage was so disused that we had much ado to force our Throats to relieve our Clamourous Stomachs We return to our Boat acquaint them with the good Success of our Embassy and all prepare to make to the Well so tying our Boat as fast as we could to the Shoat we left her to Mercy Now we are at the Well it hath Water and we have something to draw but God must give us a Throat to swallow for William Adams attempting to drink after many Essays was not able to swallow it but still the Water return'd so that he sunk down to the Ground faintly saying I am a dead Man but after much striving he took a little so refreshed with our Cake and Water we lay down by the Well-side till the Morning when it was clear Day we again went to the Watch-man intreating him to direct us to the next House or Town where we might find Relief he civilly pointed us to one about Two Miles off and long it was e're our blister'd Feet could overcome the tediousness of that little way When we came
Liquors unless now and then a Glass by way of Cordial CHAP. LXXII Present Retribution to the Devout and Praying Or Prayers answered in Kind NEver did God say to any of the Seed of Jacob seek my face in vain Our Saviour hath resolved us by the Authority of his Word the Example of the Syrophoenician Woman Mat. 15 22. And the Parable of the Importunate Widow Luke 18.2 That Prayer is no vain or fruitless Point of Devotion Let Elijah Daniel David Jesus the Apostles and all the sincere Votaries of the Church of GOD give their Suffrage in the Case 1. Alexander Bishop of Constantinople when Arius was sent for thither by the Emperour to give an Account of his unquiet Behaviour at Alexandria shut himself up in the Church and there fell to Fasting and Prayer begging of God Night and Day with Tears That if Arius were true in his Opinion he might never see the Day of his Trial but if not that God would inflict some visible Judgment upon Arius the Author of so much Mischief Arius before the Emperour subscribed and swore to the Decrees of the Nicene Council but with Fraud and Equivocation for swearing that he heartily assented to what he had written he meant only a Form of Faith which he had purposely put in his Bosom upon this the good Emperour was satisfied and commanded Alexander to receive him into his Communion This was upon Saturday but the next Day expecting to the admitted he goes out of the Palace with Eusebius and many Followers in great Pomp and Pride but by and by in the chief Marker-place of the City his Conscience accused him his Belly loosened he called for the next Jakes whither he retired immediately and there his Fundament coming out he voided much Blood together with Bowels Spleen and Liver and so died wretchedly Clark's Marr. of Eccl. History 2. St. Augustine when the Goths and Vandals were broke into Africa and besieged Hippo sitting at Table one Day with his Presbyters and the Bishops that were fled thither from other places for Refuge said to them You know Brethren that from the beginning of this Siege my daily Prayers have been That God would either free us from it or give his Servants Patience and Courage to undergo what he imposeth or to take me out of this present evil World and I believe that God will answer my desire And accordingly the Third Month of the Siege he fell sick of a Fever and died Ibid. And Dr. Jer. Tailour Life of Christ. He was very powerful in Prayers so that sometimes thereby he hath cast out Devils Clark Ibid. I have mention'd formerly in my Christian 's Companion out of his Confessions that once being extreamly afflicted with the Tooth-ach so that he could not speak by writing he requested his Friends that came to visit him to pray with and for him which they did and immediately whilst they were at Prayers his Pain ceased and his Speech was restored 3. Luther being present at the Marriage of Philip. Duke of Pomerania with Mary Daughter to the Elector of Saxony prayed for a Blessing and taking Philip by the hand said The Lord God be with you and keep your Posterity from failing but his Wife continuing barren Four Years all his Male-stock was like to be extinct yet at length by God's Blessing according to Luther's Prayer he had Seven Sons by her which wonderfully increased the Family Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 141. 4. Mr. Hugh Latimer used constantly in his Prayers to beg That God would restore the Gospel to England once again Which blessed be God hath been granted Clark's Exam. p. 461. 5. Luther is said to be able to prevail with God at his pleasure to obtain what he list according to that of Prov. 12.2 Once praying for the Recovery of Myconius he let fall this rapturous Expression Fiat voluntas mea Let my Will be done and then sweetning it Mea voluntas Domine quia tua My Will because thine which was granted Ibid. p. 466. 6. Henry late Lord Delamer in his Advice to his Children tells them That he had observed any Morning that he had hurried over his Devotions the Day following was not prosperous and that thing which particularly occasioned him to such haste met with ill success Lord Delamer's Works p. 3. 7. A. C. 1584 near Bern in Switzâ—rland a certain Hill in an Earthquake was carried violently over and beyond other Hills and covered a whole Village consisting of Ninety Families one Half-house only excepted wherein the Master of the Family with his Wife and Children were earnestly praying unto God This is attested by Polanus who lived in those parts Syntag. p. 841. Present Retribution to the Devout Prayers answered in kind c. 8. IF Mr. Elliot said of any Affiar I cannot bless it it was a worse omen to it then the most inauspicious Presages in the World but sometimes after he had been with God about a thing he was able successfully to foretel I have set a Mark upon it it will do well I shall never forget that when Enland and Holland were plunged into the unhappy War which the more sensible Protestants every-where had but sorrowful Apprehensions of our Elliot being in the height and heat of the War privatly asked What News we might next look for Answered unto the surprize of the Enquirer Our next News will be a Peace between the two Protestant Nations God knows I pray for it every day and I am verily perswaded we shall hear of it speedily And it came to pass accordingly There was a godly Minister of Charles-Town one Mr. Foster who with his Son was taken Captive by Turish Enemies much Prayer was made both privately and publickly by the good People for the Redemption of that Gentleman but we were at last informed that the bloody Prince in whose Dominion he was now a Slave was resolved that in his Life-time no Prisoner should be released And so the distressed Friends of this Prisoner now concluded Our hope is lost Well upon this Mr. Elliot in some of his next Prayers before a very solemn Congregation very broadly begg'd Heavenly Father work for the Redemption of thy poor Servant Foster and if the Prince which detains him will not as they say dismiss him as long as himself lives Lord we pray thee to kill that cruel Prince kill him and glorifie thy self upon him And now behold the Answer the poor captivated Gentleman quickly returns to us that had been Mourning for him as a lost Man and brings us news that the Prince was come to an untimely Death by which means he was now set at liberty Cotton Mather in his Life p. 50. 9. In 1642 One Mary Glover a Merchants Daughter in Thames-street being bewitched by one Mother Jackson who was arraigned at Newgate in London continuing every second day in most strange and dreadful Fits and Torments for about three Weeks or a Month after the Witch was condemned several Ministers and
shall deliver into their Hands take heed of them and cleave fast to Christ For they will leave no corner of his Conscience unsearched but will attempt by all guileful and subtle means to corrupt him and to cause him to fall from God and his Truth The Night after he had Subscribed he was greatly troubled and through Affliction of Conscience could not Sleep neither could his Mind be eased till he had procured his Subscription and tore out his Name Being Condemned to be Burned he thus said My Mind and Conscience I Praise God is now quiet in Christ and I by his Grace am very willing and content to give over my Body to the Death for a Testimony of his Truth and pure Religion against Antichrist and all his false Religion and Doctrine Ibid. p. 28. 7. In Suffolk among others there was one Peter Moon and his Wife who were Charged for not coming to Church and for neglecting other Popish Ceremonies Moon was first Examined Whether the Pope was not the Supreme Head of the Church Whether the Queen were not the right Inheritrix of the Crown Whether Christ's Body was not Really Present in the Sacrament c and being of a timorous Disposition he so answered as his Adversaries were satisfied His Wife also by his Example was drawn into the same Dissimulation and so they were dismissed But when they came home and began to bethink themselves what they had done they fell into such Trouble and Horror of Conscience that they were ready wholly to Despair And Moon seeing a Sword hanging in his Parlor was tempted to have slain himself with it which yet the Lord was pleased to prevent and afterwards upon their unfeigned Repentance to restore and comfort them Ibid. 8. Sir John Check who had been Tutor to King Edward VI. in the Reign of Queen Mary was cast into the Tower and kept close Prisoner and put to this miserable choice either to forego his Life or that which was more precious his Liberty of Conscience Neither could his Liberty be procured by his great Friends at any lower Rate than to Recant his Religion This he was very unwilling to accept of till his hard Imprisonment joyned with threats of much worse in case of his refusal and the many large promises made upon his Submission with what other means humane Policy could invent wrought so upon him whilst he consulted with Flesh and Blood as drew from him an Abrenuntiation of that Truth which he had so long Professed and still Believed upon this he was Restored to his Liberty but never to his Comfort for the Sense of and Sorrow for his own Apostacy and the daily sight of the cruel Butcheries exercised on others for their constant adherence to the Truth made such deep Impressions upon his broken Spirit as brought him to a speedy yet through God's Mercy and Goodness to a comfortable end of his Miserable Life A. C. 1557. ibid. p. 28. 9. There was one Ralph Allerton who coming into his Parish Church of Bently in Essex and finding the People idle or ill imployed he exhorted them to go to Prayers and after he had read to them a Chapter out of the New Testament for which being Apprehended he was carried before Bishop Bonner who by his subtle perswasions and flatteries so prevailed with this poor Man that he drew him to Recant his former Profession and so dismissed him But this base Cowardice of his brought him into such Bondage and Terrors of Conscience and so cast him down that if the Lord had not been exceeding gracious unto him he had Perished for ever But the Lord looking upon him with the Eyes of Mercy after he had Chastned raised him up again giving him not only hearty and unfeigned Repentance of his Back-sliding but also a constant boldness to profess his Name and Gospel even unto Death ibid. 10. In the City of Bristol there was one Richard Sharp a Weaver who being Apprehended for Religion was carried before Doctor Dalby the Chancellor who after he had Examined him about the Sacraments of the Altar so wrought upon him by Perswasions that he drew from him a promise to make a publick Recantation and the time and place were appointed for it But after this Promise Sharp felt such an Hell in his Conscience that he was not able to follow any Business and he decayed in his bodily Health and wholly lost his Colour Whereupon on a Sabbath going to his Parish-Church he pressed to the Quire-door and with a loud Voice said Neighbours bear me Record that yonder Idol pointing to the Altar is the greatest and most abominable Idol that ever was and I am sorry that ever I denied my Lord God For this he was carried to Prison and Sealed the Truth with his Blood Ibid. p. 29. 11. When Jerome of Prague came to the Council at Constance they sent him to a Town where they tied him fast to a great Block and set his Legs in the Stocks his Hands also being made fast unto them the Block being so high that he could not possibly sit thereon but his Head must hang downward where also they allowed him nothing but Bread and Water But within eleven days hanging thus by the Heels he fell very sick Yet thus they kept him in Prison almost Twelve Months and then sent to him requiring him to Recant and to Subscribe that John Huss was justly put to Death which he did partly out of fear of Death and hoping to escape their hands Yet they sent to Examine him again but he refused to Answer except he were brought in Publick before the Council and they presuming that he would openly confirm his former Recantation sent for him May 25. 1416. subborning False Witnesses to Accuse him But he so learnedly cleared himself and refuted his Adversaries that they were astonished at his Oration which he concluded with this That all such Articles which Wickliff and Huss had written against the Enormities Pomps and Disorders of the Prelates he would firmly Hold and Defend even unto Death And that all the Sins he had committed did not so much gnaw and trouble his Conscience as did that most Pestiferous Act of his in Recanting what he had justly spoken and to the consenting to the wicked Condemnation of Huss and that he repented with his whole Heart that ever he did it For this he was Condemned and Burned Ibid. p. 30. 12. Some of the Friends of Galcacius Garacciolus Marquess of Vico having promised to accompany him in his voluntary Exile but afterwards looking back and turning again to their Vomit they were Apprehended and cast into the Inquisition were they were forced publickly to Recant and to Abjure their Religion and so they became the Subject of Misery and Infamy and were equally Odious to both Parties Ibid. p. 30. 13. Tho. Bilney A. C. 1531. of Cambridge Professor of both Laws Converted Thomas Arthur and Mr. Hugh Latimer but after recanting his Principles for the space of two
stretching out her Fingers to the full length used to swear by these Ten Bloody Bones This Woman had a Son called Stephen Maurice who was born with two Thumbs upon a Hand and he likewise marrying had several Children born in like manner with two Thumbs a-piece upon each Hand all which supernumerary Thumbs she in a bloody manner with her own Hand cut off This Woman assisted my Mother as Midwife when she brought me into the World W. T. 6. Sir Roger Mosson of Mosson in Flint-shire had a Coal-pit sunk pretty deep by some Workmen who discovered a good Mine of Coal but meeting with a Fire-damp were so affrighted that they deserted the Work At last a bold Fellow that was a notorious Swearer came and undertook to go on with it He with two or three more Men goes down into the Pit leaving the other Men near the Eye thereof whilst himself with a Candle lighted goes forward but presently was so attacked with the Fire-damp that the other Men were struck down with it in great amazement and had much adoe to recover themselves and an Engine of a vast bulk and weight that stood near the Eye of the Pit was carried up into the Air as high as the tops of some Trees that grew upon a Hill near adjoyning and the Man himself that went foremost with the Candle miserably and irrecoverably perished This I had out of the Philosophical Transactions printed some Years ago but in what Year particularly I remember not having not the Pamphlet by me at present 7. Anno Christi 1649. about the end of June there was a Soldier at Ware going with some others to wash himself in the River but finding the Water shallow he asked if there was no deeper a Place for him to swim in Some told him that there was not far off a deep Pit but that it was very dangerous and therefore advised him to take heed how he went into it To whom he answered God damn me if it be as deep as Hell I will go into it which accordingly he did but immediately sunk to the bottom never rising again but was there drowned Attested by good Witnesses Clark's Mirr c. 129. 8. One Mr. Barrington a great Swearer going forth a Hunting or Hawking on a Lord's-Day or a Festival and not speeding to his Mind came to an Ale-house at Puckrych Five Miles from Ware in the way to Cambridge and called for Drink beginning to swear after his unhappy Custom saying By God's Blood this is an unlucky Day and presently after he bled at the Nose which so vexed him that he began to rail and blaspheme the Name of God swearing Passion Wounds Flesh Nails Blood and Body c. till at last he proceeded farther to bleed at the Ears Eyes Wrists joynts of his Hands and of all his Body at the Navil and Fundament in a wonderful great Quantity and Streams of Blood blaring out his Tongue in a fearful manner as black as Pitch so that no Person durst come near him This continued faith my Author till the Devil and Death made an end of him Next day the Body was laid on a Cart carried to Stondâ—n and buried in the High-way Mr. Batman in his Doom warning to the Judgment p. 418. Who saith he had it from Mr. Barrington's wife afterward married to Mr. Carington in Cambridge CHAP. CVII Divine Judgments upon Sabbath-breakers AS God requires us to Remember the Sabbath-Day so as to keep it Holy so himself Remembers them that dare to Profane it The Child that gathered Sticks on that Day among the Israelites in the early Times of the Mosaick Oeconomy was by the Order of God himself stoned to Death And as he began to shew his Severity betimes in the Punishing of this Sin so he hath continued to the present Age to shew his great Displeasure against it insomuch that I think King James was much in the right when he caused his Declaration for Sports upon that Day to be torn out of his printed Volume of Writings where it is not now to be seen 1. A certain Nobleman profaning the Sabbath usually in Hunting had a Child by his Wife with a Head like a Dog and with Ears and Chaps crying like a Hound 2. Stratford upon Avon was twice on the same Day Twelve month being the Lord's-Day almost consumed with Fire chiefly for Profaning the Lord's-Day and Contemning his Word in the Mouth of his Faithful Minister 3. Feverton in Devonshire whose Remembrance makes my Heart bleed was oftentimes admonished by her Godly Preachers that God would bring some heavy Judgment on the Town for their horrible Profanation of the Lord's-Day occasioned chiefly by the Market on the Day following Not long after his Death on the 3d. of April Anno Dom. 1598. God in less than half an Hour consumed with a sudden and fearful Fire the whole Town except only the Church the Court-House and the Alms-Houses or a few poor Peoples Dwellings where a Man might have seen Four Hundred Dwelling-Houses all at once on fire and above Fifty Persons consumed by the Flame Not many Years after this a Misfortune of the like nature befell the Town again for on the Fifth Day of August 1612. Fourteen Years since the former Fire it was again fired and all consumed except some Thirty Houses of poor People with the School-House and Alms-Houses They are blind which see not in this the Finger of God God grant them Grace when it is next built to change their Market-Day and to remove all Occasions of Profaning the Lord s-Day Let other Towns remember the Tower of Siloe Luke 13.4 and take Warning by their Neighbours Chastisements Fear God's Threatnings Jerem. 17.27 And believe God's Prophets if they will prosper 1 Chron. 20.20 Thus far Dr. Bread in his Theatre of God s Judgments p. 419 420. 4. Mr. Smythyes Curate of St. Giles's Cripplegate in the Confession and Discovery of a Condemned Prisoner executed May the 25th 1687 for Theft saith that it was his Earnest Desire That all young Men especially should take care not to mispend the Lord's-day And I do now know saith he that ever I observed any Repentance in a Condemned Malefactor who did not bitterly lament his Neglect of his Duty to God on that Day 5. Edmund Kirk Vintner executed at Tyburn July 11. 1684. for murdering his Wife in his Confession acknowledged himself frequently guilty of Profaning the Lord's-Day Vpon which Holy Day saith he I committed the hainous Sin of murdering my poor Wife Thus Sin was punished with Sin a Less with a Greater and the Greater with the Gallows and that Greater committed near the same Gallows And himself confessed That he had to his Wife asking whilst she passed by what Place that was told it was Tyburn where John Gower was lately hanged for killing his Wife O Lord how dear to me thy Counsels are but how just and terrible are thy Judgments 6. Famous and memorable also is that Example which happened at
the Vines As the Fact was doing comes by a Blind Man led by a Dog as 't is usual in that case and hearing one groan asked who it was The Murderer answered That it was a Sick Man easing himself The Blind Man thus deluded the Villain with his Master's Money and Bills of Exchange sets up a Shop at Roan In the mean time the Merchant was expected at Lucca and when he came not a Messenger was dispatched to seek him who after much Enquiry heard at an Inn that Six Months before a Luquois Merchant lodged there and was going towards Paris But the Messenger hearing nothing of him there began to suspect that he was murdered and made his Complaint to the Parliament at Roan who caused Enquiry to be made if any about that time had set up a new Shop and finding that the Man aforesaid had they caused him to be Arrested But he upon Examination denied the Fact till the dead Corps was heard of And the Blind Man also hearing of this Enquiry informed what he had heard about that Place where the Corps was found and what he was answered saying withal that he knew the Voice from any others Many Prisoners therefore were ordered to speak the same Words to the Blind Man together with the Murderer but amongst them all he owned his Voice Whereupon the Villain possess'd with abundance of Horror confess'd the Act and was deservedly executed Wanley ibid. 11. Anno 1611. Some of the English Embassadors Retinue entred into a Quarrel with some of the Jamoglans of the next Seraglio In this Tumult one of the Embassador's Men threw a Stone and smote a Jamoglan on the Forehead that he died in few Hours The Aga of the Seraglio complained hereof to the Grand Visier who presently sent the Sub-Bassa of Galatia to make Enquiry of the Fact The Embassador went himself to the Seraglio and sent for his Men which had been in the Quarrel and willed the Turks to kill the Man which had thrown the Stone who all with one shout ran upon one Simon Dibbins a Man that was newly come from Candia where he had serv'd the Venetians and was now entertained into the Embassador's Service who interposed for him but in vain The English offer'd great Summs for his Life but the Turks would have Blood for Blood The Day of Execution being appointed the Embassador sent his Chaplain to the Prison to prepare him for Death who examining him how he had formerly lived he confessed that some few years before he had in England killed a Man for whic he had fled to Candia from whence he came to Constantinople where he was now to suffer for that which he did not The just Judgment of God thus pursuing him he was hanged at the Embassador's Gate Knowle's Turkish Hist p. 1311. 12. Smith and Gurney two Water-men of Gravesend were some Years since hired by a Grasier to carry him down to Tilbury-Hope for he intended to go to a certain Fair in Essex to buy Cattle These Villains perceiving he had Money conspired to take away his Life and accordingly as they went one of them cut his Throat and the other taking his Money threw him over-board This Murder was concealed divers Years but in the Summer 1656. those Murderers as they were drinking together fell out and one of them in his Passion accused the other of Murder and he again accused him Upon which being Apprehended and Examined they confessed the Fact were condemn'd at Maidstone Assizes and were both hang'd in Chains at Gravesend 13. Anno 1656. A Woman in Westphalia being near the Time of her Travel went to the next Village to confess her self In her Confession she told the Priest she had newly found a Purse full of Money and therefore desired him that he would speak of it publickly that it might be restored to the right Owner The Priest told her it was sent to her from Heaven that she should reserve it to her self and enjoy it The Woman thus informed kept the Purse to her self In her return home she was to pass thorough a Grove into which she was no sooner come but the Pains of Travail came upon her In the mean time a Noble Person who had lost the Purse rode up to her and demanded if she had not found one She beseeched him that for the Love of God he would ride to the next Village for some Women to assist her in her Labour and that she would restore him the Purse he sought after The Nobleman rode as fast as he could to call some Women in which time of his Absence came the wicked Priest cuts off the Woman's Bead and seizes uppon the Purse The Nobleman returning with the Women were Witnesses of this Tragical Spectacle but who had done it was unknown It was at a time when the Snow lay thick upon the Ground and find some Foot-steps he pursued them till he overtook the Priest whom he seizâ—d and found his Purse upon him He ty'd him therefore to the Tail of his Horse and so draggâ—d him to the Magistrate to be punished His Sentence was to be thrown into a Cauldron of boiling Oyl which was accordingly executed on January 20. 1656. Lonicer's Theatr. p. 436. 14. A Lock-smith young and given to Luxury killed both his Parents with a â—istol out of a desire to enjoy their Money and Estate Having committed this horrible Murder he wâ—â—â— presently to a Cobler and there bought him a pair of Shooes leaving behind him his old and toâ— ones which the Cobler's Boy threw under his Seat which he sate upon Some Houre after the Door of the House where the Slain were was commanded by the Magistrate to be opened where were found the dead Bodies which the Son so lamented that no Man had the least Suspicion of him to be the Author of so great a Villainy But it fell out by Accident that the Cobler had observed some Spots of Blood upon the Shooes left with him and it was observ'd that the Son had more Money about him that he used to have The Magistrates moved with these things put the Man into Prison who soon confessed the Fact and received the Punishment worthy of his Crime This was by the Relation of Luther at Regiment in Borussia Anno 1450. Lonicer's Theatr. p. 284. 15. In Mets a City of Lorrain the Executioner of the City in the Night and Absence of the Master got privity into the Cellar of a Merchant's House where he first slew the Maid who was sent by her Mistress to fetch some Wine in the same manner he slew the Mistress whâ— wondring at her Maid's Stay came to see what was the Reason This done he fell to Rifling Chests and Cabinets The Merchant upon his Return finding the horrible Murder and Plunder of his House with a Soul full of Trouble and Grief complains to the Senate and when there were divers Discourses about the Murder the Executioner had also put himself in the Court with
Love or Good-will towards him Though he stayed long at Brundusium she never went to see him and when his Daughter took that long Journey from Rome to Brundusium to visit him she neither provided Company to conduct her nor gave her Money or other Necessaries for the way yea she so handled the matter that when Cicero came to Rome he found nothing in his House but bare Walls and yet was greatly in Debt by her Plut. in Vita ejus 2. Alboynus King of the Lombards having overcome in War Cunemundus King of the Jepidi and having slain him made a Drinking-Cup of his Skull yet took his Daughter Rosamund to Wife Now it fell out that Alboynus being one day drunk forced his Wife to drink out of her Father's Skull which she so much stomached that she promised one Helmichilâ—â— her self to Wife and Lombardy for a Dowry if he would kill her Husband the King which he assented to and performed But they were afterwards so hated for it that they were forced to fly to the Court of the Exarch of Ravenna who seeing Rosamund's Beauty and the Mass of Money and Jewels which they brought with them perswaded her to kill Helmichilde and to take him for her Husband which accordingly she promised to do And when her Husband Helmichilde coming out of the Bath called for Beer she gave him a strong Poyson but when he had drunk half of it suspecting the Matter he forced her to drink off the rest and so both died together Heil Geog. p. 150. 3. Joan Queen of Naples was insatiable for her Lust which cause her to hang her first Husband which was Andrew Second Son to the King of Hungry at her Window for Insufficiency Her second Husband was Lewis of Tarentum who did with over-straining himself to satisfie her Appetite Her third Husband James of Tarracon a gallant Gentleman she beheaded for lying with another Woman Her fourth Husband was Otho Duke of Brunswick in whose time the King of Hungary drave her out of her Kingdom and having taken her hung her out of the same Window where she had hang'd her first Husband Ibid p. 162. 4. An ancient Gentleman of good Account marrying a beautiful young Gentlewoman but having no Issue he took into his House a young Gentleman a Neighbour's Son and compleatly qualified purposing to make him a Sharer in his Estate This Gentleman grows familiar with his Wife which gave so much occasion of Suspicion and caus'd such a Rumour in the Country that his Father requires him to return home again He doth so but at parting promiseth Marriage to the Gentlewoman in case of her old Husband's Decease and she to him both with Oaths The old Gentleman's Maid meeting with this young Gallant over a Glass of Wine tells him in private how much his Company was missed at her Master's House and his Return desired But withal tho' she knew the Familiarities between him and her Mistress yet it was all feigned for another enjoyed both her Heart and Body naming the Person The Gentleman is startled but Incredulous After some time the old Gentleman sends for him again He goes in the Night but very privily having before by Letter desired that the Garden Door might be left open for him and tells the old Gentleman the Reason of his Absence But before he went back he goes softly to the Gentlewoman's Bed-Chamber Door who often lay by her self and hears the Whispers of two distinct Voices Upon which in a sudden Passion he resolves to break in upon them and run them through with a Sword but relenting with Tenderness he departs softly to his own home grows Melancholy and Distemper'd but recovering he resolved to Travel The old Man sends for him to take an unwilling Farewel At the Importunity of his Father he goes After Dinner the Wife singles him for a Farewel weeping in his Bosom and beseeching him to have a care of his Safety but especially of his Vow and Promise Instead of Reply he gave her a Letter which he desired her to peruse in his Absence She opens the Letter and reads there all the Story of her Lust laid open particularly and pathetically This struck her to the Heart she fell presently into Frensie and Despairing soon after died Which News came to the Gentleman before he reach'd Gravesend The old Man afterwards inriched him with a great part of his Land which he enjoys saith my Author to this Day Wonders of the Female World p. 125. out of Heywood CHAP. CXX Divine Judgments upon Undutiful Children A Wife Son maketh a glad Father but a foolish Son is the heaviness of his Mother saith Solomon Prov. 10.1 And in another Place the disobedient Child is threatned with a Punishment to be inflicted on him by the Ravens of the Valley and the young Eagles Prov. 30.17 as it were to signifie that such a one is in a fair way to an untimely and disgraceful Death like to perish and lie unburied in the open Air for Birds of Prey to feed upon and 't is certain many such Instances there are of Children who forsake the Counsels of their Parents and never return to the Paths of Vertue but go on till their Sin brings them to some miserable End 1. Freeman Sondes Esq Son of Sir George Sondes of Lees-Court in Shelwich in Kent being commanded by his Father to comply with the Will of his elder Brother in a small Matter relating to their Cloaths and in an obstinate manner disobeying so that his Father was provoked to use some threatning Expressions as that he should for the future depend much upon his Brother Freeman hereupon in great discontent when his elder Brother was fast asleep gave him a deadly Blow on the right side of his Head with the back of a Cleaver taken out of the Kitchen the Sunday Night before he did the Fact He after the Blow said he would have given all the World to recall it and made a stop of the rest to see how deep he had wounded him and finding it to be a mortal Wound having broken the Skull his Brother stretching himself on his Bed and struggling for Life and he gathering from thence that he was in great torment discovered then even in that Storm of Temptation so much of a relenting Spirit that to put him out of his pain he did reiterate his Blows with a Dagger which he had about him When he had thus imbrued his Hands in his Brother's Blood he threw the Cleaver out of a Window into the Garden and came with great confusion and disturbance in his Face into his Father's Bed-Chamber adjoyning to his Brother's with the Dagger in his Pocket and undrawing the Curtains shook his Father by the Shoulder who being thus awaken'd out of his Sleep received from his Mouth this Heart-breaking Message Father I have killed my Brother He being asTonished at it made this Reply with much horror What sayest thou Hast thou Wretch killed thy Brother Then you had
his Creatures that depend upon him for every bit of Bread they eat and are not able to stand a moment upon their Legs without him grow bold in confidence of their own Faculties as if they were a kind of Demi-gods upon Earth Absolute and Soveraign without any dependance upon Heaven 1. Arimazes having garrison'd a very strong and steep Rock in the Sogdian Country with Thirty Thousand Men sent to Alexander the Great who demanded it to know whether he could flee or not But the next Day he was taken together with his strong Hold and nailed to a Cross God delights to confute Men in their Confidences that they that are his way run to the Rock of Ages Isa 26.4 to that Arx roboris of his Holy Name which alone is impregnable and inexpugnable 2. The Spaniards in 1588. called their Navy the Invincible Armado but it proved otherwise and that upon St. James's Dayâ— whom they count their Patron and Tutelary Saint Trapp 3. The Lord Mordant afterwards Earl of Peterborough being a Papist and desirous to draw his Lady to the same Religion he was willing that there should be a Meeting of two Eminent Parsons of each Party to dispute what might be in Controversie between them The Lady made choice of our Lord Primate and prevailed with him though newly recovered from a long Sickness and scarce able to take such a Journey The Jesuite chosen by the Earl went under the Name of Beaumond but his true Name was Rookwood Brother to Ambrose Rookwood one of the Gunpowder Traytors The Place of Meeting was at Drayton in Northamptonshire where there was a great Library so that no Books of the Ancient Fathers were wanting upon occasion for their View The Points to be disputed on were concerning Transubstantiation Invocation of Saints Worshipping of Images and the Visibility of the Church Three Days they were in this Disputation three Hours in the Forenoon and two in the Afrernoon each Day and the Conclusion was this after the third Day 's Meeting The Lord Primate having been hitherto Opponent now the Tables were to be turned and the Jesuite according to his desire was to oppose and the Lord Primate to answer But when the time came the Jesuite was expected instead of coming he sent his Excuse to the Lord Mordant which was That all the Arguments which he had framed in his Head and premeditated so that he thought he had them as perfect as his Pater-Noster were now slipt from him and he could not possibly recover them again and that he believed it was a just Judgment of God upon him for undertaking of himself to dispute with a Man of that Eminency and Learning without a License from his Superiors The Lord Mordant seeing his Tergiversation upon some further Discourse with the Lord Primate was converted and became a Protestant and so continued to his Death One Challoner a Secular Priest afterwards writing a Book against this Beaumond by way of Scorn bids him beware of coming any more to Drayton lest he should meet with another Vsher to foil him again to the Dishonour of his Profession and himself See his Life 4. A little before the late horrid Conspiracy against the Life of our present Soveraign King William the III. in an exempt Chappel within three Miles of Norwich one preached on those Words Jer. 24.10 and near the time of the intended Assassination on Jer. 46.10 For this is the day of the Lord God of Hosts a day of Vengeance that he may avenge himself on his Adversaries and the Sword shall devour and it shall be satisfied and made drunk with their Blood for the Lord God of Hosts hath a Sacrifice in the North Country by the River Euphrates One Mr. Trinder also a noted Justice of Peace in Middlesex in the Reign of King James to his Nephew in the Earl of Arran's Regiment in a Letter dated at Paris Feb. 1695. writes thus viz. Sir Notwithstanding your great Confidence in your Hero and your great Ingratitude to your Friend your Repentance shall not be too late if the Effects of it appear within a Month after the Receipt of this Advertisement from your Friend J. T. Another great French Man in a Letter to a Friend concluded That the whole English Nation would be a miserable Field of Blood c. And the Courtiers of France and some of them bragg'd That King James was not gone to invade but to take possession of his Kingdom Nay the D. of B. was so confident of Success in this Business that he told the French King he scrupled not within three Months but he should be sent over by King James to give him Thanks in way of Embassy for all his Kindness to him since he left his Kingdoms A Declaration was drawn up printed and dispersed on purpose to cajole the People of England into false Hopes of a Relaxation of Taxes perpetual Parliaments and the Preservation of the Protestant Religion c. Transport Ships were ready and Soldiers to the number of 20000 to embark at Callis Bullen Dunkirk c. And the French King caused to be delivered 100000 Lewis ' d'ores to the late King desiring him to hasten his Departure for that all things were in readiness and so took his leave of him wishing him a prosperous undertaking promising as soon as he posted himself in England he would supply him with more Troops The Pope's Nuncio likewise pronounced a solemn Benediction upon the Enterprize and the Jesuites had begg'd Chelsea-College for themselves the Image of St. Victor was bestowed upon the Army as an auspicious Omen And yet after these Preparations and great Confidences when they thought all cock-sure the Descent was hindred by the Winds the Counsels took air in England and by Divine Providence the Authors of the Conspiracy discovered and several of them brought to condign Punishment The Impartial History of the Plots and Conspiracies against King William p. 30 31 c. CHAP. CXXXIV Divine Judgments upon Bribery and Injustice SHould any one saith Bishop Latimer in a Sermon preached at Court ask me which was the readiest way to Hell I would answer First be Covetous secondly take Bribes thirdly pervert Judgment and Justice There 's the Mother and her two Daughters I will add fourthly a Tyburn Tippet Hangum Twinum for him If saith he to his Majesty I were King and any of my Judges should thus suffer themselves to be corrupted and pervert Justice tho' he were my Lord Chief Justice himself as God shall judge me I would make Quondams of every Man of them If not in these Words yet to this purpose Sure I am God Almighty doth ring very sharp Peals of his Wrath and Vengeance by the Prophets in the Ears of his People Israel for this very Sin and there is no doubt but he is as severely angry with it in all Ages even to this Day 1. A. C. 1289. A. 16. Edw. I. upon the general Accounts made of the ill Administration of Justice in
cast his Child into the Fire and the Child afterwards sicken'd and died The Leper cleansed p. 17. For this Act he was suspended again Ibid. 37. James Naylor a Blasphemous Quaker was burnt in the Tongue at Bristol 38. Jo. Collins and Tho. Reeve Ranters for calling a Cup of Ale the Blood of Christ and saying They could go into the House of Office and make a God every Morning c. were in the Old-Bailey Fined and Sentenced to Six Months Imprisonment Tho. Kendal in Drury-Lane affirming there was no God or Hell fell down dead See the Tryals Printed by B. Alsop 1651. Muggleton was condemned to the Pillory and â—ined 500 l. 1676. CHAP. CXXXIX Divine Judgments upon Wizards Witches and Charmers c. IT is worthy of a very serious Consideration That those very People who leave the God of Israel and think to better themselves by Idols or Corrivals and a superstitious Adbesion to them either the World or the Devil or any other Pretender never got any thing by such Methods but to be deluded in their Hopes and sink under the Vanity of their foolish and wicked Curiosity When did we ever see a Wizard Rich Or a Curioso Prosperous I mean a Curioso in the worst sense Or an Atheist make a Comfortable Exit out of the World I grant sometimes by the Leave of him that Rules the World and the Industry of Satan present Advantages may possibly accrew and do too often to be Worshippers of Mammon but generally when the Blot is great and the Criminal notorious God looks upon it as conducive to his Honour and necessary in point of Justice and Wisdom to strike openly and leave a Mark of Ignominy upon such gross Delinquents Read what follows and ye will agree with me in judgment 1. Concerning John Faustus Dr. d ee and Edward Kelley c. See the Chapter of Divine Judgments upon Curiosity 2. A. C. 1553. Two Women were taken who with a Tempest Hail and Frost design'd to destroy all the Corn in the Country but being found cutting a Neighbour's Child in pieces to boil in a Cauldron in order to the making of a Magical Ointment for the purpose were put to Death Beard 's Theatr. p. 419. 3. At Ihena in Germany or near it An. 1558. a Magician that had used to cure Diseases by the Composition of Herbs was for poisoning of a Carpenter whom he had a Quarrel with a little before examined before the Senate confessed the Murder and was burnt at a Stake Ibid. 4. Cleomandes a Conjurer in Rome for practising Death upon many little Children was sought for by the Parents but having shut himself up close in a Coffer and they breaking it open the Devil carried him away Plutarch 5. Piso being accused by Tiberius for bewitching Germanicus to Death cut his own Throat Tacit. Ann. 6. One Otto a Dane who by his Devilish Art used to raise Storms was at last by one more Expert drowned in the Seas himself 7. A Conjurer in Saltzburg attempting to draw all the Serpents in the Country into a Ditch and feed them there was by the old Serpent the Devil drawn in amongst them and perished miserably Clarks Exampl Vol. I. c. 8. 8. The Governour of Mascon a great Magician as he was at Dinner with some Company was snatched away by the Devil hoisted up into the Air and carried three times about the Town to the great Astonishment of the Inhabitants to whom he cried for help but all in vain Ibid. Ex Hug. de Clun An. 1437. Sir Giles Britaine Hight-Constable of France having murdered above 160 Infants and Women great with Child and wrote Conjuring-Books with their Blood which was proved against him was adjudged to be hanged and burnt to Death Ibid. p. 37. 10. Picus Mirandula writes That in his time a great Conjurer promised a certain Prince that he would present to him the Siege of Troy with Hercules and Achilles fighting together as when alive but being at his Conjurations the Devil carried him away that he was never heard of after Ibid. 11. The Lord of Orve in Lorrain used to feast Noblemen splendidly but fraudulently with all sorts of Dainties so that at parting they found their Stomachs empty having eat nothing was often seen scourged by a Monkey sometimes lying along upon his Table and begging of the Monkey Let me alone Wilt thou always torment me at this rate At last in great Misery and Beggary he was forc'd to get into an Hospital in Paris where he ended his wretched Life Ibid. 12. An. 1530. A Popish Priest digging for a Treasure in a hollow Pit of the City which the Devil had directed him to found at last a Coffer with a black Dog lying by it which whilst he was looking upon the Earth fell upon him and rushed him to death Wierus 13. Cornelius Agrippa a great Necromancer always attended with a familiar Spirit like a black Dog his End approaching he takes off the inchanted Collar from the Dog's Neck saying Be gone thou cursed Beast thou hast utterly undone me After which the Dog vanish'd and he died miserably Clark ex Paul Jovio 14. An. 1578. Simon Pembroke of St. George's Parish in London being suspected for a Conjurer and one that used to erect Figures being questioned for it as he was before the Judge he fell down and died having some Conjuring-Books found about him Clark Ibid. 15. A Sicilian called Lyodor for using Charms and Spells transforming Men into Beasts and other Shapes doing Mischief to the People of Catania charming himself out of the Hangman's Hands being carried in the Air to Constantinople and back again c. was at last by Leo Bishop of Catania seized before all the People who admired him and burnt alive in a hot Furnace Schot Phil. Curios c. 16. Ann. Bodenham of Fisherton-Anger near Salisbury a Witch for predicting things to come helping People to stolen Goods c. was executed at Salisbury 1653. Edm. Bowyer 's Narrative 17. An. 1642. One Mother Jackson for bewitching one Mary Glover in Thames-street a Merchant's Daughter was arraigned and condemned at Newgate 18. John Contius an Alderman of Pentich in Silesia near 60 Years of Age being invited to the Mayor's Supper after the ending of a certain Controversie between some Waggoners and a Merchant gets leave first to go home to order some Concerns leaving this Sentence behind him It 's good to be Merry whilst we may For Mischiefs grow fast enough e'ry Day Going home and looking upon the Hoof of one of his Geldings he was so struck that he complained he was all on fire fell sick complained loudly and despairingly of his Sins but would have no Divine to come to him The Night he died a Black Cat opened the Casement with her Nails scratched his Face and Bolster and so vanishing away he breathed his last A violent Storm of Wind arose a Spirit in the shape of Contius appeared in the Town that would have ravish d a
73. Ibid. p. 75 76. out of the Bishop of Kilmore 20. Mr. Bilney going to the Place of Execution comforted himself with this Consideration That he was then sailing upon the troubled Sea but e're long his Ship would be in a quiet Harbour and I doubt not saith he but through the Grace of God I shall endure the Storm only I would entreat you to help me with your Prayers As he wet along the Streets he gave much Alms to the Poor by the Hands of one of his Friends At the Stake he made a long Confession of his Faith in an excellent manner and gave many sweet Exhortations to the Pople and then earnestly called upon God by Prayer and at the end rehearsed the 143 Psalm Then turning to the Officers he ask'd if they were ready Whereupon the Fire was kindled he holding up his Hands and crying sometime Jesus and sometime Credo But the Wind blowing away the Flame from him and the Pain enduring the longer he was put to a longer exercise of Patience till at last he gave up the Ghost Ibid. p. 124. 21. William Tindal whilst he was tying to the Stake cried with a fervent and loud Voice Lord open the King of England 's Eyes And so he was first strangled by the Hangman and then burnt A. C. 1556. Ibid. p. 129. 22. Leo Judae a little before his Death sent for the Pastors and Professors of Tigure and made before them a Confession of his Faith concluding thus To this my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ my Hope and my Salvation I wholly offer up my Soul and Body I cast my self wholly upon his Mercy and Grace c. Ibid. p. 137. 23. Cruciger after three Months illness calling his two young Daughters to repeat their Prayers before him and then himself praying with great fervency for himself the Church and those his Orphans concluded I call upon thee with a weak yet a true Faith I believe thy Promises which thou hast sealed with thy Blood and Resurrection c. Ibid. p. 145. 24. Martin Bucer in his Sickness to Mr Bradford coming to him and telling him that he would remember him in his Prayers being that Day to preach uttered these Words Ne abjicias me in tempore senectutis c. Forsake me not in the time of Age when my Strength fails me And being admonished in his Sickness that he should arm himself against the Assaults of the Devil he answered That he had nothing to do with the Devil because he was wholly in Christ And God forbid God forbid said he but that I should have some Experience of his Heavenly Comfort After Sermon Mr. Bradford coming again and declaring unto him the great Fear which the Physicians had to prescribe any thing unto him by reason of the Weakness of his Body with his Eyes fixed towards Heaven he uttered these Words I le ille regit moderatur omma He he it is that rules and governs all things And so in the midst of many pious Prayers he quietly yielded his Soul into the Hands of God Febr. 27. 1551. Ibid. p. 160. 25. George Prince of Anhalt falling sick of a most troublesome Disease was frequent in holy Prayer for himself for all the Princes of that Family for his Country and for Germany He had some portion of Holy Scriptures daily read to him He made his Will wherein he set down the Confession of his Faith and commended the Defence of the Churches to his Brother adding something to the Stipends of all the godly Ministers under his Charge often ruminated on those Texts God so loved the World that he gave c. No man shall take my sheep out of my hand Come uto me all ye that are weary c. And so in holy Meditations and Prayers he resigned up his Spirit unto God A. C. 1543. Ibid. p. 165. 26. John Rogers being degraded and excommunicated in Queen Mary's Reign was warned to prepare for Death before he arose If it be so said he I need not tye my Points Being afterwards brought to Smithfield and a Pardon offered him he refused to Recant His Wife with Nine small Children and the Tenth sucking at her Breast coming to him the sorrowful Sight nothing moved him But in the Flames he washed his Hands and with wonderful Patience took his Death He was the Protomartyr in Queen Mary's Reign The Sabbath before his Death he drank to Mr. Hooper who lodged in a Chamber beneath him bidding the Messenger to commend him to him and tell him That there was never a little Fellow that would better stick to a Man than he would to him Supposing they should be both burned together tho' it happened otherwise Ibid. p. 168. 27. Laurence Saunders being in Prison for a Year and three Months wrote thence in a Letter to his Wife I am merry and trust I shall be merry maugre the Teeth of the all the Devils in Hell Riches I have none to endow you with but that Treasure of tasting how sweet Christ is to hungry Consciences whereof I thank my Christ I do feel part that I bequeath unto you and to the rest of my beloved in Christ c. When he came near the Place of Execution at Coventry to be burned he went cheerfully to the Stake kissing of it and saying Welcome the Cross of Christ welcome Everlasting Life And the Fire being kindled he sweetly slept in the Lord. Ibid. p. 171. 28. Bishop Hooper being come to the Stake prayed about half an Hour and having a Box with a Pardon set before him he cried If you love my Soul away with it if you love my Soul away with it Three Irons being prepared to fasten him to the Stake he only put an iron Hoop about his middle bidding them to take away the rest saying I doubt not but God will give me strength to abide the extremity of the fire without binding When Reeds were cast to him he embraced and kissed them putting them under his Arm where he had Bags of Gun-powder also When Fire was first put to him the Faggots being green and the Wind blowing away the Flame he was but scorched More Faggots being laid to him the Fire was so suppress'd that his nether Parts were only burned his upper being scarce touched he prayed O Jesus the Son of David have mercy upon me and receive my Soul and wiping his Eyes with his Hands he said For God's Love let me have more Fire A third Fire being kindled it burned more violently yet was he alive a great while in it the last Words which he uttered being Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Ibid. p. 175. 29. Rowland Taylor going to the Stake at Hadley the Streets were full of People weeping and bewailing their Loss to whom he said I have preached to you God's Word and Truth and am come to seal it with my Blood He gave all his Money to the Poor for whom he was wont thus to provide formerly Coming to the Place of
and the Romans will come and take away both our Place and Nation Here was a causeless Cry against Christ That the Romans would come and see how just the Judgment of God was They crucified Christ for fear least the Romans should come and his Death was it which brought in the Romans upon them God punishing them with that which they most feared And I pray God this Clamour of venient Romani of which I have given no cause help not to bring them in For the Pope never had such a Harvest in England since the Reformation as he hath now upon the Sects and Divisions that are amongst us In the mean time by Honour and Dishonour by good Report and evil Report as a Deceiver and yet True am I passing through this World Some Particulars also I think it not amiss to speak of And first this I shall be bold to speak of The King our gracious Sovereign hath been also much and â—eed for bringing in of Popery but on my Conscience of which I shall give God a present Account I know him to be as free from this Charge as any Man living and I hold him to be as sound a Protestant according to the Religion by Law establish'd as any Man in this Kingdom and that he will venture his Life as far and as freely for it and I think I do or should know both his Affection to Religion and his Grounds for it as fully as any Man in England The second Particular is concerning this Great and Populous City which God bless Here hath been of late a Fashion taken up to gather Hands and then to go to the Great Court of this Kingdom the Parliament and clamour for Justice as if that Great and Wise Court before whom the Causes come which are unknown to the many could not or would not do Justice but at their Appointment A way which may endanger many an innocent Man and pluck his Blood upon their own Heads and perhaps upon the City 's also And this hath been lately practised against my self the Magistrates standing still and suffering them openly to proceed from Parish to Parish without Check God forgive the Setters of this I beg it with all my Heart but many well-meaning People are caught by it In St. Stephen's Case when nothing else would serve they stirred up the People against him and Herod went the same way when he had killed St. James yet he would not venture upon St. Peter till he found how the other pleased the People But take heed of having your Hands full of Blood For there is a Time best known to himself when God above other Sins makes Inquisition for Blood and when that Inquisition is on foot the Psalmist tells us that God remembers but that 's not all he remembers and forgets not the complaint of the poor that is whose blood is shed by oppression v. 9. Take heed of this 'T is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God but then especially when he is making Inquisition for Blood and with my Prayers to avert it I do heartily desire this City to remember the Prophecy Jer. 26.15 The third Particular is the poor Church of England It hath flourished and been a shelter to other neighbouring Churches when Storms have driven upon them But alas now 't is in a Storm it self and God only knows whether or how it shall get out And which is worse than a Storm from without it 's become like an Oak cleft to shivers with Wedges made out of its own Body and at every Cleft Profaneness and Irreligion is entering in while as Prosper speaks L. 2. de Contemptu Vitae c. 4. Men that introduce Profaneness are cloaked over with the Name of Imaginary Religion For we have lost the Substance and dwell too much in Opinion and that Church which all the Jesuites Machinations could not Ruine is fallen into Danger by her own The last Particular for I am not willing to be too long is my self I was Born and Baptized in the Bosom of the Church of England established by Law in that Profession I have ever since lived and in that I come now to die This is no time to dissemble with God least of all in matter of Religion and therefore I desire it may be remembred I have always lived in the Protestant Religion established in England What Clamours and Slanders I have endured for labouring to keep an Uniformity in the External Service of God according to the Doctrine and Discipline of this Church all Men know and I have abundantly felt Now at last I am accused of High Treason in Parliament a Crime which my Soul ever abhorred This Treason was charged to consist of these two Parts an Endeavour to subvert the Laws of the Land and to overthrow the True Protesant Religion established by Law Besides my Answers to the several Charges I protested my Innocency in both Houses It was said Prisoners Protestations at the Bar must not be taken I can bring no Witness of my Heart and the intentions thereof therefore I must come to my Protestation not at the Bar but at this hour and instant of my Death In which I hope all Men will be such Charitable Christians as not to think I would die and dissemble being instantly to give God an Account for the Truth of it I do therefore here in the Presence of God and his Holy Angels take it upon my Death That I never endeavoured the Subversion either of Law or Religion and I desire you all to remember this Protestation of mine for my Innocency in these and from all Treasons whatsoever I have been accused likewise as an Enemy to Parliaments No I understand them too well and the Benefit that comes by them too well to be so but I did mislike the Misgovernments of some Parliaments many ways and I had good Reason for it For Corruptio optimi est pessima the better the Thing is in nature the worse it is corrupted And that being the Highest Court over which no other here have jurisdiction when 't is misinformed or misgoverned the Subject is left without all Remedy But I have done I forgive all the World all and every of those bitter Enemies which have persecuted me and humbly desire to be forgiven of God first and then of every Man whether I have offended him or not if he do but conceive that I have Lord do thou forgive me and I beg forgiveness of him and so I heartily desire all to joyn in Prayer with me O Eternal God and Merciful Father look down upon me in Mercy in the Riches and Fulness of all thy Mercies look upon me but not till thou hast nail'd my Sins to the Cross of Christ not till thou hast bathed me in the Blood of Christ not till I have hid my self in the Wounds of Christ that so the Punishment due to my Sins may pass over me And since thou art pleased to try me
we may without Flattery account this his warm Zeal for his Country if it did a little exceed a happy as well as a very pardonable Error He was extraordinary ingenious in his own Trade and imployed amongst great Persons for his dexterity therein He had an entire Love for the City of London and stood up for its Honour and Privileges as highly as any Man living He had a Soul so very great and generous that many who knew him well have said considering his Education they wondred how he came by it He was a Man of very good sound Sense considerably more than those of his Rank generally have which he had much improved in his latter time by Conversation with Persons of Honour and Quality In fine he liv'd sufficiently belov'd by those who knew and did not fear him and dy'd lamented by his Friends and admired and esteemed by his very Enemies Some time after his Death his Picture was sold about Town Under it were these Lines engraven By Irish Oaths and wrested Laws I fell A Prey to Rome a Sacrifice to Hell My guilty Blood for speedy Vengeance cries Hear hear and help for Earth my Suit denies 3. ARTHVR Earl of Essex THat Party and those Persons who were engag'd to manage the Designs before-mention'd were now entred on the most compendious way of introducing what they desir'd as well as avoiding what their own Consciences and all the World knew they deserv'd My Lord of Essex was a Person whom 't was no doubt the highest Interest of the Popish Faction to have gotten out of the way even tho' there had been no such extraordinary Reason as has been mentioned He had large Interest a plentiful Estate a great deal of Courage understood the World and the Principles and Practices of the Papists as well as any Man having been of several Secret Committees in the Examination of the Plot on which very reason there was as much necessity for his dying as Sir E. B. Godfrey's He was besides all this they very well knew of Inflexible Honesty and so true a greatness of Mind they could no more expect to gain him than Heaven it self to be on their side As for the immediate Subject of his Death the manner and circumstances thereof It must first be granted and a very reasonable demand it is that for the present only supposing he was murder'd by the Papists they would we may be sure make it their business to render the manner of it as dark as the Hell in which 't was contriv'd But whatever this couragious honest Gentleman suffer'd from their Spite and Malice he bore all with handsom and truly English Resolution As he before his Imprisonment and since was indefatigably diligent in getting up the bottom of this foul Business all English-men must own he has deserv'd the Love and Honour of his Country who was not discourag'd from acting even in the worst of times against a whole enraged Faction His CHARACTER It must be confessed 't is a bold and dangerous thing to attempt the Character of one of the greatest Men which our Age has produced especially for one who had not the Honour of any Personal intimacy with him All that 's to be done is from what has been already said and what other Memoirs are left of him to endeavour at something so like him that any one who sees it may say 't was meant for the Picture of the Great Essex how infinitely soever it must of necessity be short of its Original The first thing then Remarkable in him and which alone would sufficiently distinguish him is That he was a Person of strict Morals and severe Piety and that in the midst of a Court and Age not very Famous for either Nor did this degenerate into Superstition or Weakness He was a refin'd Politician without what some will say 't is impossible to be so and that 's Dissimulation When Affronts were offer'd him he did not as others dissemble 'em but like himself only scorn and conquer 'em even tho' of the highest Nature and which generally pierce deepest into Persons of his Figure and Character He was as all the rest here commemorated a firm Lover of his Country and Religion the true Character of a true English-man and engaged on their sides against the then Duke of York and other Ministers not from any mean Pique or little discontented Humour which he was very much above but meerly from the true Respect he had for them and a sense of that imminent Danger they were in which his piercing Judgment and long Experience made him more sensible of and his Courage and Vertue more concern'd at than others not only those who fat unconcern'd Spectators or shared in their Ruins but even then most of them who were engaged with him in the same Common Cause of their Defence and Preservation Nothing of such an impatience or eagerness or black Melancholy could be discern'd in his Temper or Conversation as is always the Symptom or Cause of such Tragical Ends as his Enemies would perswade us he came to Lastly What may be said of most of the rest does in a more especial and eminent manner agree to the Illustrious Essex and than which nothing greater can be said of Mortality He liv'd an Hero and dy'd a Martyr Upon the Execrable Murther of the Right Honourable Arthur Earl of Essex MOrtality wou'd be too frail to hear How ESSEX fell and not dissolve with fear Did not more generous Rage take off the blow And by his Blood the steps to Vengeance show The Tow'r was for the Tragedy design'd And to be slaughter'd he is first confin'd As fetter'd Victims to the Altar go But why must Noble ESSEX perish so Why with such fury drag'd into his Tomb Murther'd by slaves and sacrific'd to Rome By stealth they kill and with a secret stroke Silence that Voice which charm'd when e'er it spoke The bleeding Orifice o'er flow'd the Ground More like some mighty Deluge than a Wound Through the large space his Blood and Vitals glide And his whole Body might have past beside The reeking Crimson swell'd into a Flood And stream'd a second time in Capel's Blood He 's in his Son again to Death pursu'd An instance of the high'st Ingratitude Then they malicious Stratagems employ With Life his dearer Honour to destroy And make his Fame extinguish with his Breath An Act beyond the Cruelties of Death Here Murther is in all its shapes compleat As Lines united in their Centre meet Form'd by the blackest Politicks of Hell Was Cain so dev'lish when his Brother fell He that contrives or his own Fate desires Wants Courage and for fear of Death expires But mighty ESSEX was in all things brave Neither to Hope nor to Despair a Slave He had a Soul to Innocent and Great To fear or to anticipate his Fate Yet their exalted Impudence and Guilt Charge on himself the precious Blood they spilt So were the Protestants some Years ago Destroy'd
in the performance of that Duty which like Jacob's Ladder tho' it stand upon the Earth yet it reaches up to Heaven Here 's the Love of God made manifest to a poor Sinner at the last hour like the Thief upon the Cross he that never new before what the Love of God was to his Soul finds it now filled with it and running over Now bless the Lord O my Soul yea all that is within me Bless his holy Name for this Dispensation Now Light appears out of Darkness in the Face of Jesus now all Worldly Joy and Comforts seem to me as they are things not hard to part with Father Mother Brothers Sister Wife Children House and Lands are as my dear Saviour saith to be parted with for him or we are not worthy of him I bless his Name I find no reluctancy to do it he hath brought me to his Foot-stool and I can say heartily the Will of the Lord be done in this matter I never before but saw a Beauty in Worldly Comforts but now those seem so faded by the greater Lustre and Beauty that I see in God in Christ Jesus that I am astonished where I have been wandring all my days spending my Time and my Money for that which is not Bread O strive to get a taste of this Love of God in Christ Jesus and it will perfectly wean you from this deceitful foolish World What is worldly Honour and Riches O set not your hearts upon them but get a Treasure in Heaven that your hearts may be there also O lose no time for if you ever knew the sweetness of it you would never be at rest till you found him whom your Soul loved it will be more yea infinitely more than all worldly Enjoyments can afford you tho' in their greatest Perfection it will make your Life sweet and your Death most comfortable It is the Bread which this World knoweth not of and therefore maketh little or no Enquiry after it Dearest Relations whilst you and my other dear Friends are like Aaron and Hur holding up the Hands of Moses I am through Grace getting Victory over the Amalekites I â—n embrace my dear and beloved Brother and Companion with more Joy in the Field of Suffering than ever I could have done had I met him crowned with the Lawrels of Victory Oh the Mercy to die with such a Friend and such a valiant Soldier of Jesus who hath kept his Garments clean I now begin to pity you that stay behind who have many Temptations to conflict with for a little yea a very little time and my Warfare will be accomplished and if God continue his Love and Influence upon my Soul it will be both short and sweet I have little of this World about me I leave you all the Legacy of what was ever dearest to me the best of Wives and five poor Children who must pass through an evil and sinful World but I have committed them to God who hath commanded to cast our Fatherless Children and Widows upon him Dear Parents Brothers Sister all adieu my time draws on my Paper is finished and your dying Child and Brother recommends you all to him who is All-sufficient to the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus the great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant who will make you Perfect in every good Work to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen RICHARD NELTHROP From the Palace of Newgate Octob. 30. 1685. Two of the Clock in the Morning Mr. Nelthrop's Last Speech THE great and inexpressible trouble and distraction I have been under since I came into Trouble especially since my close Confinement in Newgate hath so broken my Reason that for many Weeks last past till the day my Sentence was passed I have not had any composure of Mind and have been under the greatest trouble imaginable Since my dearest Wife hath had the Favour granted her of coming to me I am at present under great composedness of Mind through the Infinite Goodness of the Lord. As to what I stand Outlawed for and am now sentenced to die I can with comfort Appeal to the great God before whose Tribunal I am to appear that what I did was in the simplicity of my heart without seeking any private Advantage to my self but thinking it my Duty to hazard my Life for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and English Liberties which I thought invaded and both in great danger of being lost As to the Design of Assassinating the late King or his present Majesty it always was a thing highly against my Judgment and which I always detested and I was never in the least concerned in it neither in Purse nor Person nor ever knew of any Arms bought for that intent nor did I believe there was any such Design or ever heard of any disappointment in such an Affair or Arms or Time or Place save what after the Discovery of the General Design Mr. West spoke of as to Arms bought by him And as to my self I was in the North when the late King was at New-Market and the first News I had of the Fire was at Beverly in York-shire As to my coming over with the late Duke of Monmouth it was in prosecution of the same ends but the Lord in his Holy and Wise Providence hath been pleased to blast all our Undertakings tho' there seemed to be a very unanimous and zealous Spirit in all those that came from beyond the Seas And as to the Duke of Monmouth's being declared King I was wholly Passive in it I never having been present at any publick Debate of that Affair and should never have advised it but complained of it to Col. Holmes and Captain Patchet I believe the Lord Gray and Mr. F the chief Promoters of it As to the Temptation of being an Evidence and bringing either into trouble or danger of his Life the meanest Person upon the Account for which I suffer I always abhorred and detested the thoughts of it both when in and out of danger and advised some very strongly against it except when under my Distraction in Prison that amongst other Temptations did violently assault me but through the goodness of my dearest God and Father I was preserved from it and indeed was wholly incapable and could never receive the least shadow of comfort from it but thought Death more eligible and was some time afore out of my distracted and disquieted condition wholly free from it though not without other Temptations far more Criminal in the sight of Men. I bless the Father of all Mercies and God of all Consolations that I find a great Resignedness of my Will to his finding infinitely more comfort in Death than ever I could place in Life tho' in a condition that might seem honourable every hour seeing the Will of God in ordering
this Affair more and more cleared up to me God hath given God hath taken blessed be his holy Name that hath enabled me to be willing to suffer rather than to put forth my hand to Iniquity or to say a Confederacy with those that do so I am heartily and sincerely troubled for what hath happened many mans Lives being lost and many poor distressed Families ruin'd the Lord Pardon what of sin he hath seen in it He in his wonderful Providence hath made me and others concerned Instruments not only for what is already fallen out but I believe for hastening some other great Work he hath to do in these Kingdoms whereby he will try and purge his People and winnow the Chaff from the Wheat the Lord keep those that are his Faithful unto the end I die in Charity with all the World and can readily and heartily forgive my greatest Enemies even those that have been Evidences against me and I most humbly beg the Pardon of all that I have in the least any way injured and in a special manner humbly ask Pardon of the Lady Lisle's Family and Relations for that my being succoured there one Night with Mr. Hicks brought that worthy Lady to suffer Death I was wholly a Stranger to her Ladiship and came with Mr. Hicks neither did she as I verily believe know who I was or my Name till I was taken And if any other have come to any loss or trouble I humbly beg their Pardon and were I in a condition I would as far as I was able make them a requital As to my Faith I neither look nor hope for Mercy but only in the Free-Grace of God by the Application of the Blood of Jesus my dearest and only Saviour to my poor sinful Soul My distresses have been exceeding great as to my Eternal State but through the infinite goodness of God tho' I have many sins to answer for yet I hope and trust as to my particular that Christ came for this very end and purpose to relieve the Oppressed and to be a Physician to the Sick I come unto thee O blessed Jesus refuse me not but wash me in thine own Blood and then present me to thy Father as Righteous What though my Sins be as Crimson and of a Scarlet Dye Yet thou canst make them as white as Snow I see nothing in my self but what must utterly ruine and condemn me I cannot answer for one Action of my whole Life but I cast my self wholly upon thee who art the Fountain of Mercy in whom God is reconciling himself to the World the greatest of Sins and Sinners may find an All-sufficiency in thy Blood to cleanse them from all sin O dearest Father of Mercy look upon me as Righteous in and through the imputed Righteousness of thy Son he hath payed the Debt by his own Offering up himself for sin and in that thy Justice is satisfied and thy Mercy is magnified Grant me thy Love O dearest Father assist me and stand by me in the needful hour of Death give thy Angels charge over my poor Soul that the Evil One may not touch nor hurt it Defend me from his Power deliver me from his Rage and receive me into thine Eternal Kingdom in and through the alone Merits of my dearest Redeemer for whom I praise thee To whom with thy self and holy Spirit be ascribed all Glory Honour Power Might and Dominion for ever and for ever Amen Dear Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Amen R. NELTHROP Newgate Octob. 29. 1685. 6. Mrs. GAVNT ONE of the great Reasons why Mrs. Gaunt was burnt was 't is very possible because she lived at Wapping the honest Seamen and hearty Protestants thereabouts being such known Enemies to Popery and Arbitrary Government that the Friends of both gave all who oppose it the Name of Wappingers as an odious Brand and Title She was a good honest charitable Woman who made it her business to relieve and help whoever suffered for the forementioned Cause sparing no Pains refusing no Office to get them Assistance in which she was the most Industrious and Indefatigable Woman living Among others whom she had thus relieved who were obnoxious Persons was one Burton whom with his Wife and Family she had kept from starving for which may the very Name of them be register'd with Eternal Infamy they swore against her and took away her Life Tho' she says in her Speech there was but one Witness against her as to any Money she was charg'd to give him and that he himself an Outlawed Person his Outlawry not yet revers'd he not being Outlawed when she was with him and hid him away That which she writ in the Nature of a Speech has a great deal of Sense and Spirit Were my Pen qualified to represent the due Character of this Excellent Woman it would be readily granted That she stood most deservedly entituled to an Eternal Monument of Honour in the hearts of all sincere Lovers of the Reformed Religion All true Christians tho' in some things differing in Persuasion with her found in her an Universal Charity and sincere Friendship as is well known to many here and also to a multitude of the Scotch Nation Ministers and others who for Conscience-sake were formerly thrust into Exile These found her a most refreshing Refuge She dedicated her self with unwearied Industry to provide for their Supply and Support and therein I do incline to think she out-stripped every individual Person if not the whole Body of Protestants in this great City Hereby she became exposed to the implacable Fury of Bloody Papists and those blind Tools who co-operated to promote their accursed Designs And so there appeared little difficulty to procure a Jury as there were well-prepared Judges to make her a Sacrifice as a Traytor to the State Her Judges the King's Counsel the Solicitor-General the Common Serjeant c. rackt their Inventions to draw Burton and his Wife to charge Mrs. Gaunt with the knowledge of his being in a Plot or in the Proclamation but nothing of that could be made out nor is here any sort of Proof that Mrs. Gaunt harboured this ungrateful Wretch or that she gave him either Meat or Drink as the Indictment charges her but notwithstanding that her Jury brought her in Guilty The Sentence was executed upon this Excellent Woman upon Friday then following being the 23d of October 1685. when she left her Murderers the following Memorial Newgate 22d of October 1685. Mrs. Gaunt's Speech written the Day before her Sufferings NOT knowing whether I should be suffered or able because of weaknesses that are upon me through my hard and close Imprisonment to speak at the Place of Execution I writ these few Lines to signifie That I am well reconciled to the way of my God towards me though it be in ways I looked not for and by terrible things yet in Righteousness having given me Life he ought to have the disposing of it when and how he pleases
said before there is nothing in your Paper about the Doctrine of Non-resistance Mon. I Repent of all things that a true Christian ought to Repent of I am to die pray my Lord Assist Then my Lord we can only recommend you to the Mercy of God but we cannot Pray with that Chearfulness and Encouragement as we should if you had made a particular Acknowledgment Mon. God be praised I have Encouragement enough in my self I die with a clear Conscience I have wronged no Man Assist How sir no Man Have you not been Guilty of Invasion and of much Blood which hath been shed and it may be of the loss of many Souls that followed you You must needs have wronged a great many Mon. I do Sir own that and am sorry for it Assist Give it the true Name Sir and call it Rebellion Mon. What Name you please Sir I am sorry for Invading the Kingdom and for the Blood that has been shed and for the Souls which may have been lost by my means I am sorry it ever happened Mr. Sher. Vandeput He says he is sorry for Invading the Kingdom Assist We have nothing to add but to renew the frequent Exhortations we have made to you to give some Satisfaction for the Publick Injuries to the Kingdom There have been a great many Lives lost by this Resistance of your Lawful Prince Mon. What I have done has been very ill and I wish with all my heart it had never been I never was a Man that delighted in Blood I was very far from it I was as cautious in that as any Man was the Almighty God knows how I now die with all the Joyfulness in the World Assist God grant you may Sir God give you True Repentance Mon. If I had not True Repentance I should not so easily have been without the fear of Dying I shall die like a Lamb. Assist Much may come from Natural Courage Mon. I do not attribute it to my own Nature for I am fearful as other Men are but I have now no fear as you may see by my Face but there is something within me that does it for I am sure I shall go to God Assist My Lord be sure upon good grounds do you Repent you of all your sins known or unknown confessed or not confessed of all the sins which might proceed from Error in Judgment Mon. In general for all I do with all my Soul Assist God Almighty of his Infinite Meâ—â— forgive you Here are great Numbers of Spectators here are the Sheriffs they represâ—â—â— the Great City and in speaking to them you speak to the Great City make some Satisfaction by owning your Crime before them He was exhorted to Pray for the King and was asked whether he did not desire to send some Dutiful Message to His Majesty and to recommend his Wife and Children to His Majesty's Favour M. What harm have they done Do it if you please I pray for him and for all Men. Ass At his undressing My Lord you have been bred a Soldier you will do a generous Christian thing if you please to speak to the Soldiers and say That here you stand a sad Example of Rebellion and entreat them and the People to be Loyal and Obedient to the King M. I have said I will make no Speeches I will make no Speeches I am come to die Ass My Lord Ten Words will be enough M. Then calling his Servant and giving him something like a Tooth-pick Case Here said he give this to the Person to whom you are to deliver the other things To the Executioner Here are Six Guinea's for you pray do your Business well Don't serve me as you did my Lord Russel I have heard you struck him three or four times Here to his Servant take these remaining Guinea's and give them to him if he does his Work well Execut. I hope I shall M. If you strike me twice I cannot promise you not to stir During his undressing and standing towards the Block were used divers Ejaculations and much of the 51st Psalm and particularly Deliver me from Blood guiltiness O God Thou God c. Then he lay down and soon after he raised himself upon his Elbow and said to the Executioner Prithee let me feel the Ax. He felt the Edge and said I fear it is not sharp enough Execut. It is sharp enough and heavy enough Then he lay down again During this space many pious Ejaculations were used by those that assisted him with great fervency God accept your Repentance God accept your Repentance God accept your imperfect Repentance My Lord God accept your general Repentance God Almighty shew his Omnipotent Mercy upon you Father into thy Hands we commend his Spirit c. Lord Jesus receive his Soul Thus ended the Life of the late Duke of Monmouth on Wednesday the 15th of July 1685. on Tower-hill A Brief Abstract of the Paper left behind him I Repent in general of all my Sins and am more particularly concerned for what Blood hath been spilt on my Account and the rather seeing the Issue is such as I fear will prove of Fatal Consequence to the Reformed Protestant Religion Instead of being counted Factious and Rebellious the very opposing of Popery and Arbitrary Power now arising and appearing plain enough would sufficiently have protected my Cause besides several other most heinous and notorious Crimes such as the unhappy Fate of the Earl of Essex and my Father of ever blessed Memory and others now covered over with Jesuitical Policy should have been detected and avenged I have lived and shall now die in the Faith of this That God will work a Deliverance for his People and then will be discovered the great and horrid and scarcely to be parallell'd Villainies our Enemies have been guilty of but now you see my case is desperate yet know that I die a Martyr for the People and shall rather pity the State that their false and covetous Minds have brought themselves and me to than discover who are the Persons concerned in my Overthrow and I heartily forgive all that have wronged me even those that have been Instrumental in my Fall earnestly praying for their Souls And I hope King James will shew himself to be of his Brother's Blood and extend his Mercy to my Children even as he was wont to his greatest Enemies they being not capable to Act and therefore not conscious of any Offence against the Government Argile and the Duke of Monmouth being now both safe in their Graves King James was so puff'd up with a petty Victory over a few Clubmen and so wrapt up with a Conceit that he had now conquer'd the whole Nation so that now believing himself impregnable he resolves to be revenged upon the Western People for siding with his Capital Enemy Monmouth and to that purpose sends down his Executioner in Ordinary Jefferies not to decimate according to the Heathen way of Mercy but with the Besom of his
it to lye No I will not I say if he was my Lawful King I was misled in my Judgment and have committed a great Error but Lord I hope thou hast washed away all my sins in and through the Blood of my dear Redeemer in whose alone Merits I hope for Mercy I desire to be asked no more Questions Then the Minister prayed very devoutly near half an hour after which lifting up his Hands and Eyes to Heaven he quietly submitted to Death 14. Mr. John Hicks's Last Speech 1685. I Suppose the Spectators here present may expect I should speak something before I leave this Sanguinary Stage and Passage through my Bloody Sufferings by which my Immortal Spirit will be speedily transported into an invisible and eternal World and I conclude that they have different Resentments hereof Some resent them with much Joy high Exultation and Triumph others with equal Grief and Sorrow that to the one I am a most pleasant Spectacle that they behold me with high complacency and delight but to the other I am a mournful and unpleasant one and they behold me with no less pity and compassion Concerning the first I can say I freely and heartily forgive them and heartily pray that God would most mercifully and graciously prevent their mourning through Misery not only here but eternally hereafter Concerning the other I will say Weep for your own sins and for the sins of the Nation for the highest Rebellions that ever were committed against the great and eternal God lament bitterly for those sins that have been the meritorious Cause of the late terrible Judgment that which I fear will cause God to break in upon this Nation with an overflowing Deluge of Judgments which are far more tremendous and dreadful As for Sympathizing with me in drinking this bitter Cup appointed for me I return you most humble and hearty thanks earnestly desiring God to come unto you and fill your Souls with all Coelestial Comforts and Spiritual Consolations Something I must say to purge and clear my self from a false Accusation laid to my Charge as that I was engaged with Col. Blood in Rescuing Col. Mason near Boston when he was sent down with a Guard from London to York to be Tryed for High Treason and that I was the Man that killed the Barber of that City and that also I was with him when he stole the Crown Now as I am a dying Man and upon the very brink of a very stupendous Eternity the truth and reality whereof I firmly believe without any Reservation or the least Equivocation I do declare in the Presence of the All-seeing God that Impartial Judge before whom in a very little time I must appear I never saw nor conversed with Mr. Thomas Blood from 1656 till after he stole the Crown which was in 71 or 72 nor was ever engaged with him in any of his Treasonable Plots and Practices 'T is true I being involved in great trouble of another Nature of which I have given to the World a Narrative and which is notoriously known in the Country where I then lived by some that were Enemies to me for my Preaching I was perswaded to apply my self to Mr. Blood to procure by his Intercession his late Majesty's Gracious Favour Accordingly he brought me into his Royal Presence while I was there his Majesty carried it with great Clemency without expressing one word of that which I am now charged with Mr. Blood continued with his Majesty a little longer than I did then he told me that he had granted me a Pardon which I did thankfully accept of knowing it would free me from all Penalties and Troubles that I was obnoxious to and were occasioned to me by my Nonconformity Then engaging him to take out my Pardon he told me That he got it out with several others that had been engaged with him in several Treasonable Designs and Actions at which I was troubled supposing it might be imputed to me thereby yet God knows I have often since reflected upon it with great regret and dissatisfaction If Mr. Blood did inform the late King to make himself the more considerable and to bring as many of his Party as he could to accept of their Pardons that he might be rendered utterly incapable of Plotting any further Mischief against his Government or any other ways that I was engaged with him in any of his Treasonable Attempts I now appeal to God as a dying Man concerning it that he hath done me an irreparable wrong I also in the same manner do declare That I was never engaged with any Party in Plotting or Designing or Contriving any Treason or Rebellion against the late King and particularly that I was altogether unconcerned in and unacquainted with that for which my Lord Russel and others suffered and as much a stranger to any against the present King And whereas it is reported of me That at Taunton I perswaded the late Duke of Monmouth to assume the Title of King I do once more selemnly declare That I saw not the said Duke nor had any Converse with him till he came to Shipton-Mallet which was Thirteen Days after he landed and several days after he had been at Taunton And 't is as false that I rid to and fro in the West to stir up and perswade Men to go into his Army and Rebel against his present Majesty for I was in the East Country when the Duke landed and from thence I went directly to him when he was at Shipton-Mallet not one Man accompanying me from thence But hitherto as I lived so now I die owning and professing the true Reformed Christian commonly called the Protestant Religion which is founded on the pure written Word of God only and which I acknowledge likewise to be comprehended in the Articles of the Doctrine of the Church This Religion I have made a reasonable and free choice of and have heartily embraced not only as it protests against all Pagan and Mahometan Religion but against the Corruption of the Christian and I humbly and earnestly pray to God that by his Infinite Wisdom and Almighty Power he will prevent not only the utter extirpation but diminution thereof by the heighth and influence of what is contrary thereto and for that end the Lord make the Professors of it to live up more to its Principles and Rules and bring their Hearts and Conversations more under the Government and Power of the same I die also owning my Ministry Non-conformity for which I have suffered so much and which doth now obstruct the King's Grace and Mercy to be manifested and extended to me For as I chose it not constrainedly so I appeal to God as a dying Man not moved from Sullenness or Humour or Factious Temper or Erroneous Principles of Education or from Secular Interests or Worldly Advantages but clearly from the Dictates of my own Conscience and as I judged it to be the Cause of God and to have more of Divine Truth
are of all other most suitable sweet and satisfactory to immortal Souls And also I see that he that departs from iniquity makes himself a Prey and so many plunging themselves into the ways of Iniquity lest they should be accounted odious and vile which makes them so much degenerate not only from Christianity but from Humanity it self as if they were scarce the Excrement of either contemning even that most Noble Generous Heroick Spirit that dwelt in many Heathens who accounted it most honourable and glorious to contend for their Rights and Liberties yea to suffer Death and the worst of Deaths in Defence of the same and judge them accursed and most execrable in the World that do so and not only so but for their own Profit and Advantage have many of them enslaved their Posterity by it and are most industrious and laborious most fierce and furious to destroy them whereby they are become as unnatural as Children that seek the ruine of their Parents that begot them and brought them forth or them that lay violent hands upon themselves dashing out their own Brains cutting their own Throats hanging and drawing themselves ripping up their own Bellies tearing out their own Bowels they being in different senses Children and Members of that Body Politick they design and attempt the Destruction of and when I know not how long the Duration and Continuance of these things shall be or a Conclusion or End by God shall be put thereto who by Divine and Unerring Wisdom Governs the World why shall my Soul be unwilling to take its flight into the unseen and eternal World Where no sullied sordid or impious thing most incongruous and unbecoming Nature shall be seen and found and where I shall behold no narrow conclusive contracted Soul there habitually preferring their private before a publick good but all most unanimously and equally centre in one common universal good and where the sighs and groans and cries of the afflicted and persecuted shall be heard no more for ever I earnestly exhort all most highly to prize and value Time and diligently improve it for Eternity to be wise seriously and seasonably to consider of their latter End For by the irrepealable and irreversible Law of Heaven we must all die yet we know not how where or when Live with your Souls full of solicitude and care with a most deep concernedness and most diligent industriousness whilst you have time and opportunity and the means of Grace Health and Strength make sure of these two great things viz. 1. What merits for you a Right and Title to Eternal Life and Glory and the future unchangeable Blessedness as the Redeemer's most precious Blood and Righteousness that thereby a real Application and Imputation may be unto you by sincere Believing 2. That that which makes you qualified Subjects for it is the great work of Regeneration wrought in your Souls being renewed in the Spirit of your Minds the Divine Nature being imprest upon them repairing of the depraved Image of God in you that being transformed into his own likeness thereby in the World you may mind and savour more the things of the Spirit than the things of the Flesh Coelestial and Heavenly more than Terrestrial and Earthly Superiour more than Inferiour things And therewith have a holy Life and Conversation conjoyned that results and springs from the same as Fruit from the Root and Acts from the Habits Let all in order thereto seriously consider these few Texts of Sacred Scripture let them predominately possess you let them be deeply and indelibly Transcribed upon your Souls let them be assimilated thereunto and made the written Epistles the lively Pictures thereof Matth. 5.8 20. Blessed be the pure in heart for they shall see God Vers 20. For I say unto you except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven John 3.3 Jesus answered and said unto him Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God c. Gal. 5.19 20 to 23. Now the works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Adultery c. James 1.18 Of his own Will begat he us with the Word of Truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Vers 13. Wherefore gird up the loyns of your Minds c. Colos 3.1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things that are above Set your affections on things above not c. Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts c. Ephes 2.1 And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Rev. 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no power Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation c. 1 Pet. 1.15 But as he that hath called you is holy so be ye c. Vers 23. Being born again not of corruptible Seed c. Psal 4.3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself c. I shall mention now no more the whole Bible abounds with these Texts with what a Renovation and Change of our Carnal and Corrupt Hearts and Natures there must be with Holiness of Life and Conversation before we can be capable of a future and blessed Immortality and of inheriting the Kingdom of God for ever and ever Amen 15. Captain Abraham Ansley 's Last Speech I AM come to pay a Debt to Nature 't is a Debt that all must pay though some after one manner and some after another The way that I pay it may be thought by some few ignominious but not so by me having long since as a true English-man thought it my Duty to venture my Life in defence of the Protestant Religion against Popery and Arbitrary Power For this same purpose I came from my House to the Duke of Monmouth's Army At first I was a Lieutenant and then a Captain and I was in all the Action the Foot was engaged in which I do not repent For had I a Thousand Lives they should all have been engaged in the same Cause although it has pleased the wise God for Reasons best known to himself to blast our Designs but he will deliver his People by ways we know nor think not of I might have saved my Life if I would have done as some narrow-soul'd Persons have done by impeaching others but I abhor such ways of Deliverance choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy Life with Sin As to my Religion I own the way and
away and so the Fact was discovered After his Condemnation being remanded back to Newgate O said he had the happy Words of a Text which I lately heard been but well observed by me how happy had I now been And O that all young Men would seriously mind them viz. Wherewithal shall a young Man cleanse his way by ruling himself after the Word of God And then commenting on the First Psalm he said But O Wretch that I am I walked in the Counsel of the Vngodly and stood in the way of Sinners and sate in the Seat of the Scornful Confessing himself at the Place of Execution to be a young Man but a great Sinner 12. John Atherton executed at Dublin in Ireland for unnatural Concupiscence One thing he said troubled him much which was his Neglect and Disrespect of his Mother acknowledging according to the Fifth Commandment that his Days were therefore justly shortned The Morning of the Day of his Execution when the Divines came to visit him he cried out as in a Rapture O my God hath heard me about Four or Five of the Clock this Morning for the space of an Hour and an half I have had that Sweetness in my Soul that Refreshment in my Heart that I am not able to express Comparing it to the hidden Manna and the white Stone which no Man knows but he that hath it Finding such Joy as if he had been in the Suburbs of Heaven already When he was in view of the Gallows he said There is my Mount Calvary from whence I hope to ascend to Heaven He confessed and lamented his Neglect of Private Prayer in his Family for which and other Sins God suffered him to fall 13. Thomas Holland Executed near Southwark Anno 1687. for the Murder of his Wife Being apprehended and committed to the Marshalsea he confessed and lamented his Drunkenness Sabbath-breaking and other Sins his Neglect of Prayer and the Publick Worship of God which brought him to that untimely End Exhorting the People at the Place of Execution to the well-spending of their Time laying up for themselves Treasures in Heaven c. 14. Thomas Watson Executed for murdering his Wife on Kenington-Common in the County of Surrey March the 19th 1687. made this his last Speech I beseech you Good People who come to see my shameful and ignominious End and Death which I little expected one day to come to that you would take Warning and not give way to Passion which many times makes Men do what they least design For when a Man is enraged the Devil many times prevails against him with his Temptations As for my part I did no more design to act the Crime for which I suffer than to do hurt to my own Heart but what I did I did out of a sudden Rashness and I hope in Christ Jesus I shall find Pardon for it See the Narrative 15. Captain Winterflood condemn'd for Pyracy 1675. at the Gallows begg'd all to consider his Condition and acquainted them with his Life and Conversation He told them he had been a great Sinner but most of all he lamented his Sin of Swearing He said it was a common Thing for him to swear by the precious Blood of his dear Saviour A Saying so common amongst the Seamen when they should be admiring God's Wonders in the Deep when they are in a Storm and know not but the next Billow will turn them to the bottom of the Sea and their Souls before the Righteous Judge of Quick and Dead yet they in the midst of such Dangers did usually swear most He begged that they would take Warning by him and learn to get an honest Livelihood and then God would bless them He call'd a Psalm and pray'd very heartily to God that he would forgive him though his Sins were great yet he said he knew there was Vertue enough in Christ's Blood to cleanse him at whose Feet he would throw himself who I hope had Mercy on him as he had on the Thief on the Cross See the Narrative published 1675. 16. A Brief Account of the Penitential End of Thomas Mackerness extracted from the larger Narrative written by Mr. Burroughs Minister at Wisbech THomas Mackerness late of March in the Isle of Ely was a Man of a most Profligate and Heinously Wicked course of Life As to his Parentage and Education being utterly a stranger to him till after his Condemnation I can say nothing nor is it much material But by his own Confession to me and others he was famous or rather infamous for all manner of Impieties living many Years in such a Dissolute Flagitious and Atheistical way as was extreamly hazardous to his Soul 's Eternal welfare and exposed him to the Fatal stroke of Justice even from Men here He told me that for Drunkenness Swearing Whoring and Theft none had exceeded him that in these Capital and Epidemical Sins of the Age it was not possible to apprehend how Notorious he had been I observed in him some kindly beginnings of True Repentance which I laboured to promote with utmost diligence He shewed me several Books lent to him concerning which he asked my Advice My Reply was That he had not time to read Books and that I judged it best to lay them all aside except the Bible and a little Book Entituled A Guide for Heaven because it contained Excellent Directions for a saving Close with Christ I directed him to several Texts of Scripture which I desired him to Peruse and Meditate upon in my absence He thankfully accepted my Directions and when I returned in the Evening he saluted me on this manner Welcome welcome Guest indeed I can now tell you that you and none but such as you are that come to do my Soul good are welcome to me One might read a marvellous change of his inward Disposition in his Countenance he seemed transported with more than ordinary sense of the Quickening and Comforting Influences of Divine Grace I have been considering saith he the Advice you gave me and Meditating on those Scriptures you directed me to And Oh! I see it is Nothing but a Christ will do me good Oh the sweet Promises that God hath made to Returning Sinners Blessed be God I am out of Hell I had thought I had been in Hell in the Night I saw as it were Hell Gaping the Devil Roaring and my own Conscience Condemning me to the Pit of Hell and indeed crying out with Horror Blood gushed from my Nose Some that lay in the Room with me said I had been in a Slumber whether I was or no I could not well tell but thought I might be so However when I found my self out of Hell Oh how it affected me Then he wept and melted kindly saying Oh what a Wretch am I that I should sin against so good a God as this who hath declared himself so ready to forgive I am resolved to lie at his Feet I am convinced that I am a lost undone Creature out
so have some excellent Persons in this Countrey done Governour Eaton at New-Haven and Governour Hains at Hartford died in their Sleep without being sick That Excellent Man of God Mr. Norton as he was walking in his House in this Boston was taken with a Syncope fell down dead and never spake more Nor is there any Rule or Reason for Christians to pray absolutely against sudden Death Some Holy Men have with submission to the Will of the most High desired and prayed for such a Death So did Mr. Capel and God gave him his Desire for on September 21. 1656. having Preached twice that Day and performed Religious Duties with his Family he went to Bed and died immediately The like is reported by Dr. Fuller in his Church History concerning that Angesical Man Mr. Brightman who would often pray if God saw fit that he might die rather a sudden than a lingring Death and so it came to pass For as he was travelling in the Coach with Sir John Osborne and reading of a Book for he would lose no time he was taken with a Fainting Fit and though instantly taken out in the Arms of one there present and all means possible used for his Recovery he there died August 24. 1607. The Learned and Pious Wolfius not the Divine who has written Commentaries on several Parts of the Scriptures but he that published Lectionum Memorabilium Reconditarum Centenarios on May 23. 1600. being in usual Health was after he had Dined surprised with a sudden illness whereof he died within a few Hours That Holy man Jacobus Faber who did and suffered great things for the Name of Christ went suddenly into the silent Grave On a Day when some Friends came to visit him after he had courteously entertained them he laid himself down upon his Bed to take some Repose and no sooner shut his Eyes but his Heaven-born Soul took its flight into the World of Souls The Man who being in Christ shall always be doing something for God may bid Death Welcome when ever it shall come be it never so soon never so suddenly Thus far Mr. Mather God who is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek him was pleased to give a Quietus est to the Reverend Mr. Hurst suddenly taking him from his Work to receive his Wages advancing him from the Pulpit to the Throne April 14. 1690. as he did the laborious Bishop Jewel who was first of the same Merton College in Oxford in somewhat alike manner from preaching at Lacock in Wiltshire now near an Hundred and twenty Years since who had said to a Gentleman disswading him from preaching then It did best become a Bishop to die preaching or standing in the Pulpit seriously thinking of that comfortable Elogy of his Lord and Master which you heard our Preacher chose for his Text at the Interment of Mr. Cawton Happy art thou my Servant if when I come I find thee doing Mr. Wells and Mr. Pledger were if I mistake not both struck with sudden Death on the Lord's-Day An Ingenious Poet of our own said in his Jambicks of the excellent Mr. Vines who went to his eternal Rest the Night after his Preaching and Administring the Lord's Supper the beginning of March 1655. Abit beata Mors Modis oportet hisce Episcopum mori And another then to the same purpose in our Mother Tongue wrote also Our English Luther Vines whose Death Iweep Stole away and said nothing in a Sleep Sweet like a Swan he Preach'd that Day he went And for his Cordial took a Sacrament Had it but been suspected he would die His People sure had stopp'd him with a Cry But his Hour was then come and so was that of the famous Mr. Hollingworth at Manchester who when at a Fast in Praying and Preaching he had as far outdone himself that Day as he used to outdoe other Ministers chang'd his Habitation here for a better having done his Work upon the irresistable Stroke of a deadly Apoplexy So was that as I have heard of the holy Mr. Ambrose So that of the laborious and much-followed Mr. Watson and we know lately of our Brother Mr. Oakes carried out of the Pulpit As was the Learned and Pious Professor Dr. Joshua Hoyl out of the University Pulpit in Oxford Death which came to him was in hast and made quick dispatch it gave one blow and down he fell Mr. Thomas Gouge died says Archbishop Tillotson who preach'd his Funeral Sermon in the 77th Year of his Age Octob. 29th 1681. It so pleased God adds this Great Author that his Death was so sudden that in all probability he himself hardly perceiv'd it when it happen'd for he died in his Sleep So that we may say of him as it is said of David After he had served his Generation according to the Will of God he fell asleep I confess continues our Author that a sudden Death is generally undesirable and therefore with Reason we pray against it because so very few are sufficiently prepared for it But to him the constant Employment of whose Life was the best Preparation for Death that was possible no Death cou'd be sudden nay it was rather a Favour and Blessing to him because by how much the more sudden so much the more easie As if God had designed to begin the Reward of the great Pains of his Life in an easie Death And indeed it was rather a Translation than a Death and saving that his Body was left behind what was said of Enoch may not unfitly be applied to this Pious and Good Man with respect to the suddenness of his Change He walked with God and was not for Good took him See his Funeral Sermon CHAP. CXLVII EPITAPHS MANY Instances of EPITAPHS in Prose and in Verse may be collected from the old Greek Poets and Historians who yet were but Children compared to the Chaldeans and Egyptians But the Ancientest President of Epitaphs must be that recorded in the Ancientest History viz. the Old Testament 1 Sam. 6.18 where it is recorded that the Great Stone erected as a Memorial unto Abel by his Father Adam remained unto that Day in being and its Name was called the Stone of Abel and its Elegy was Here was shed the Blood of Righteous Abel as it is also called 4000 Years after Mattn 23.35 and this is the Original of Monumental Memorials and Elegies 1. St. Bernard 's Epitaph made by one Adam a Canon Regular Clarae sunt Valles sed claris Vallibus Abbas Clarior his clarum nomen in Orbe dedit Clarus avis clarus meritis clarus honore Claruit ingenio religione magis Mors est clara cinis clarus clarumque sepulchrum Clarior exultat Spiritus ante Deum Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 105. 2. The Epitaph upon Bede made by one of his Scholars Hac sunt in Fossà Bedae Snacti Ossa But in the Morning this was found on his Tomb. Hac sunt in Fossà Bedae Venerabilis Ossa Ibid.
of Exalting the Majesty of God and your own Reward amongst Men. The Regal Power allotted to us makes us common Servants to our Creator then of those People whom we Govern So that observing the Duties we owe to God we deliver Blessings to the World in providing for the Publick Good of our States we Magnifie the Honour of God like the Coelestial Bodies which though they have much Veneration yet serve only to the Benefit of the World It is the Excellency of our Office to be Instruments whereby Happiness is delivered into the Nations Pardon me Sir This is not to Instruct for I know I speak to one of more clear and quick sight than my self but I speak this because God hath pleased to grant me a happy Victory over some part of those rebellious Pirates that have so long molested the Peaceful Trade of Europe and hath presented further occasion to Root out the Generation of those who have been so pernicious to the Good of Our Nations I mean since it hath pleased God to be so auspicious to Our beginnings in the Conquest of Salla that We might joyn and proceed in hope of like Success in the War against Tunis Algier and other Places Dens and Receptacles for the Inhumane Villanies of those who abhor Rule and Government Herein whilst We interrupt the Corruption of Malignant Spirits of the World We shall glorifie the great God and perform a Duty that will shine as glorious as the Sun and Moon which all the Earth may see and Reverence A Work that shall ascend as sweet as the Perfume of the most Precious Odours in the Nostrils of the Lord A Work grateful and happy to Men. A Work whose Memory shall be reverenced so long as there shall be any that delight to hear the Actions of Heroick and Magnanimous Spirits that shall last as long as there be any remaining amongst Men that Love and Honour the Piety and Vertue of Noble Minds This Action I here willingly present to you whose Piety and Vertues equal the Greatness of your Power That we who are Servants to the Great and Mighty God may Hand in Hand Triumph in the Glory which this Action presents unto us Now because the Islands which you Govern have been ever Famous for the unconquered Strength of their Shipping I have sent this my Trusty Servant and Embassador to know whether in your Princely Wisdom you shall think fit to assist me with such Forces by Sea as shall be answerable to those I provide by Land which if you please to grant I doubt not but the Lord of Hosts will Protect and Assist those that Fight in so Glorious a Cause Nor ought you to think this strange that I who much reverence the Peace and Accord of Nations should exhort to a War Your great Prophet Christ Jesus was of the Line of the Tribe of Judah as well as the Lord of Peace which may signifie unto you that he which is a lover and maintainer of Peace must always appear with the Terror of his Sword and wading through a Sea of Blood must arrive to Tranquility This made James your Father of Glorious Memory so happily renowned amongst all Nations It was the Noble Fame of your Princely Vertues which resounds to the utmost corners of the Earth that perswaded me to invite you to partake of that Blessing wherein I boast my self most Happy I wish God may heap the Riches of his Blessings on you increase your Happiness with your Days and hereafter perpetuate the Greatness of your Name in all Ages Heylin Cosmogr p. 961 962. It were not difficult to add many more such Attestations as these from Heathens Indians Jews c. For indeed all the Converts brought over to Christianity contribute a particular strength to this kind of Evidence But these I think are enough to satisfie any reasonable Reader and the unreasonable will not be convinc'd though Witnesses should arise from the Dead CHAP. CL. The Sufferings of the Reformed in the Kingdom of France THE Sufferings of the Reformed in the Kingdom of France within the Revolution of a few Years have been so great and attended with so many Remarkable Providences that tho' we cannot pretend to give our Reader a full Idea of them here that being reserved ' till the Publication of the Two last Volumes of the Edict of Nants it self yet we cannot but take notice of a few Particulars which were Transacted within the Bounds of Lower Languedoc and that may in the mean time serve for a Specimen of the same 1. When the Parliament of Toulouse and other Parliaments in France laboured to destroy the Protestant Churches God was pleased to raise up a Lawyer named Claude Brousson who with much Zeal and holy Boldness sollicited the Parliament of Toulouse on their behalf but being at last through the Violence of the Persecution forced to go out of France in the Year 1683. after he had run through many Dangers there he did yet from thence forward labour according to his Ability for the Defence Edification and Consolation of his distressed Brethren Lausanne in Switzerland was the principal place of his Residence and though he had not been bred in the Study of Divinity yet by assiduous Application and the blessing of God upon his Labours he Composed and caused to be Printed several small Pieces adapted for the Use of the afflicted Churches c. and which he took care to have dispersed up and down France and elsewhere continually As the extraordinary Ministers of God's Word were pleased to come often to confer with him concerning what both the one and the other of them had done for advancing the Lord's Work and that on the other hand he found he had not now as also for some time past the same liberty as formerly to disperse his Writings in France by the Post he was sollicited by his Conscience to return thither also in order to do what he could for the Promotion of God's Glory and had always these Words upon his Spirit Ezek. 13.4 5. O Israel thy Prophets are like the Foxes in the Desares Ye have not gone up into the Gaps neither made up the Hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the Battel in the day of the Lord. And that other Text in Judges 5.23 Curse ye Meroz said the Angel of the Lord c. Wherefore he at length determined to go thither and in order thereunto made up several Bales of those Writings he had got Printed and which he judged most proper for the advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven he did suppose he might be able to find out a way to convey those Bales into Languedoc and that when he found himself in the Heart of the Kingdom he might disperse the said Writings with more Facility then he could have done during his abode in Switzerland but the Ways of God are not like nor Ways nor his Thoughts like our Thoughts But whatever be proposed hereby the Danger
whereof were 16 handful consecrated afterwards to Hercules Ibid. ch 5. 19. The Catoblepas is like a Bull very terrible with blood-shot Eyes looking downward from the Venemous Herbs that it feeds on lifting up its Mane with open Lips it roars terribly sending such a Stream out of the Throat that the Air will be infected and make others dumb that draw it in causing Mortal Convulsions Ibid. ch 12. 20. The Sheep of Mexico are Beasts of the greatest Profit and least Charge that are for from them they draw Meat and Cloathing they use them also to carry all their burthens having need neither of Shooes nor Saddles nor yet of any Oats so that they serve their Masters for nought feeding only on Grass which they find in the Fields There are two kinds of them the one bearing Wool the other are bare which are the better for burthen they are bigger then great Sheep and less then Calves they have long Necks like a Camel they are of divers Colours some white some black and others grey or spotted their Flesh is good Meat but that of their Lambs is better of their Wool the Indians make Cloth some courser others finer like half Silk upon these the Spaniards carry their bars of Silver one of them carrying about 150 pound weight In the Stomach of these Beasts is found the Bezar's Stone sometimes one alone sometimes two three or four they are different in form greatness and colour some like Filberds others like Walnuts some as big as Pidgeon's Eggs others as big as Hen's Eggs some white some dark green some black and some as if they had been gilded they are all made of divers Films and Skins one upon another Purch Pilgr Vol. 3. p. 969. In Socotira are Sheep whose Tails weigh 28 pound apiece Ibid. 21. The Armadillo is of the bigness of a Pig and of a white Colour a long Snout and the Body covered with Shells like Plates they are so hard that no Arrow will pierce them except in the Flanks where they are softer they lie in the Ground Ibid. 22. The Porcupine hath bristles or Quills white and black of a span and a half long which they can cast and they are of this quality that where one of these bristles enters into the Flesh if it be not pull'd out presently it will work it self quite through they are of good Flesh and raste Ibid. 23. The Civet Cat exceeds the Castor for bigness her Head is little her Eyes clear hath a long Muzzle sharp and offensive Teeth her Hair is party-coloured harsh and bristly yellow above and whiter underneath the Pocket wherein the Civet is bred is near the Genitory which is taken forth with a Spoon or a Stick saith Purchas It hath Mustachioes and a long bushy Tail There is great plenty of them in Ethiopia where the Jews keep them in wooden Cages feeding them with raw Mutton and Beef cut in small pieces Civet is the Sweat of this Beast which they make go back with a Stick which they thrust in betwixt the Bars of the Cage and catch hold of his Tail they take hold also of his two hind Legs pulling him half out of the Cage by the Door which falls down upon his back and keeps him fast there then another opens a certain Cod of Flesh which is shap'd like a split Gizzard and scrapes all the sweat off it within The Males have it between their Stones and Yard the Females have it betwixt their Fundament and Privities 't is emptied of the Sweat twice a Weck each Beast yielding a Drachm at a time It is first of a whitish Gray which afterwards turns to a very brown Colour Dr. Stubbs saith they will live a Month without drinking and if they drink once a Month they will then yield the more Civet Sir Thomas Pope Blunt Nat. Hist p. 9. 24. The Musk Cat Monsieur Thevenot tells us That in the great Mogul's Countrey there is a Beast like a Fox in the Snout which is no bigger then a Hare the Hair of a Stags Colour Teeth like a dog it yields most excellent Musk for at the Belly it hath a Bladder full of corrupt Blood which they take from it which is the Musk but after this Operation is made the Beast is not long liv'd None of them have above one bladder no bigger then a Hen's Egg which will yield about an Ounce of Musk. Ibid. p. 1. 25. The Cows of Mexcio have Bunches on their Backs about the bigness of our Bulls having little Horns more Hair on the foreparts then behind which is like Wool on the Back-bone having Manes like Horses and long Hair from their Knees downwards with much on their Throats They are Meat and Drink Shooes Houses Fire Vessels and their Masters whole substance Purch Pilgr Vol. 2. p. 1003. 26. The Possown of Virginia hath a Bag under her Belly from whence she letteth forth her Young ones and taketh them in again at her pleasure Idem Vol. 4. p. 1772. 27. The Camelopardus is the highest of Beasts so that a Man on Horseback may ride upright under his Belly his Neck is long so that he usually feedeth upon the Leaves of Trees his Colour is white and speckled his hinder Legs are shorter then his former so that he cannot graze but with difficulty he is also called a Jaraff Idem p. 1469. 28. I shall conclude this Chapter with a Description which Dr. Brown gives of the Elector's Hunting House at Dresden The Hunting-house is in the Old Town and therein are 15 Bears very well provided for and looked unto they have Fountains and Ponds to wash in and near to the Pond ragged Posts or Trees set for the Bears to climb up and Scaffolds made at the Top to Sun and dry themselves where they will also sleep and come and go as the Keeper calls them in the House for wild Beasts I took Notice saith he of a Marian which is a four footed Beast that hangs upon Trees by the Tail also a wild or Mountain Cat of a large size 5 Young Bears 5 Old black Bears a white Bear very large the Feet Head and Neck whereof are long then those of the black two Lions 10 Luckses perhaps he means Lynxes very fine Beasts in Bigness Colour and Shape between a Tyger and a wild Cat the Tips of their Ears and Tail are black their Eyes lively their Skin Lyon-colour and spotted especially about their Eyes Dr. Edw. Brown's Trav. in his Description of Vienna Whereas I have spoke before of Vnicorns I desire my Reader to take Notice that Dr. Edward Brown speaking of 3 Unicorn's Horns which were shewed him at Vtrecht little differing in length the longest being 5 Foot and a half out of one whereof being made hollow and tipt with Silver he drank gives us his Judgment thus These saith he were of the Sea Unicorn or the Horn or long wreathed Tooth of some Sea Animal taken in the Notthern Sea of which I have seen many
Gryllus Acheta the Cricket It is a Winged Insect like a Locust or Grashopper lives in Chimneys and warm Places and sings almost continually 18. â—â—mica Murmos the Pismire or Ant. It is a small but wise Creature gathering its Food in Summer in the Full Moons and resting in the New Moons They are like a Commonwealth and gather Corn which they dry and bite at both Ends that they may not grow they wear away Stones by their Assiduity and make beaten Road-ways they help one another in drawing their Burthens dam out Water and bury their Dead The Greater lead the way and the Lesser drag the Corn and when dirty they cleanse themselves before they enter into their Habitations They teach their Young to labour but expel the Idle and when they carry their Grain it is said to be a sign of foul Weather They cast up the Earth over the Mouths of the Caves that the Water may not enter in wherein they have three Cells in the first they live in the second they breed and bury and in the third they keep their Corn. They generate in Winter bring forth Eggs which in Spring are Ants when old they grow Winged and then suddenly after die Salmon's Disp l. 2. p. 260. 19. Hirudo Sanguisuga the Horse-Leach The Great are best with a Line on their Back They are used to draw Blood with but they ought fisrt to be cleansed of purged with clean Water and then applied to the Part it being first rubbed with Sal Nitre Blood Milk Clay or Honey then apply them To remove them cast upon their Mouth Salt Ashes Aloes Vinegar c. and they will fall off In the River of Mauretania they are said to be seven Cubits long 20. Julus Centumpeda the Gally-Worm They are a short kind of Scolopendra's exceeding in number of Feet all other Insects 21. Locusta It was formerly used as a Food in the Eastern Countries and John Baptist fed upon them It is an Insect which has a Head like a Horse six Legs and Wings being of divers Colours Anno 852 they wasted France 20 Miles in one Day going in Troops the Leaders with a few more went before to take up Quarters the next Day at the same Hour they all arrived In the Sixth Year of the Emperour Argyropolus they drove the Inhabitants of certain Provinces of the East to such Necessity that they sold their Children and passed into Thrace next Year they returned again and having spoiled the Provinces three Years perished at Pergamos In some Places the Magistrate appoints them to be killed thrice a Year and he that refuseth is punished Johnston's Nat. Hist p. 254. 22. Musca the Fry 23. Papilio Compilo Avicula Isiodori the Butterfly They generate in May June and July and lay Eggs. 24. Pediculus the Louse breeds first in the Skin of the Head and abounds in Hectick Feavers not so in Putrid Feavers It leaves those that are dead Eating of Figs is said to produce them but 't is certain it breeds Warts on the Skin Johnston 25. Pulex the Flea they are generated by Dust as also of putrified Sweat The only Remedy to destroy them is the Pulp or Decoction of Coloquintida Salmon Some say Silk-Yarn put into the Bed will gather them together into it 26. Ricinus Redivivus the Tike is a filthy Creature or kind of Louse that troubles Oxen Goats Sheep Dogs c. 27. Scarabeus the Beetle the smell of Roses is said to kill them 28. Scincus the Sea-Skink 29. Scolopendra they differ from a Galley-Worm as a Lobster from a Crevise They are Poisonous and their Poison causes Putrifaction 30. Scorpio it is almost like a Craysish having little Eyes Oval form eight Feet and two Arms. Of great use in Physick especially for the Stone and Gout 31. Stella Mariana or the Sea-Pad is of great use in Physick 32. Tabanus Asilus Musca Caballonia the Ox-Fly 33. Teredo the Wood-Worm breeds and feeds in many Trees except the Oak and some others The Frygians are said to eat of them thence called Xylophagi Elian writes that the King of the Indies used for a second Course a Worm breeding in Plants which was broiled at the Fire Johnst Nat. Hist p. 263. 34. Vespa the Wasp breeds most when Wolves kill Horses or Oxen Sometimes they are found in a Stags Head One brought one of these formed Wasp-Houses wonderfully made to Pierius Valerianus at Belunum from some Wood in a Desart which he describes thus There are seven Rounds one above another at two Fingers distance distinguished by little Pillars between that every one might have space enough to go and come to his House the Diameter of the Rounds unto the fifth was about 12 Digits the others narrowed by degrees The first Round or Chamber was hanged to a Bough of an old Tree guarded with a Crust against Wind and Weather beneath were six angled Cells close together so that the other Chambers were all overcast with the same Crust c. All these Creatures flew out of the upper Stations those in the lowest Rooms seemed like to Embrio's c. part their Belly from their Breast and they will live long and will sometimes prick one that touches their Sting an Hour after A Swarm of Wasps among the Romans was accounted an ill Omen Johnst Nat. Hist p. 267. 35. We will conclude this Chapter with a general Discourse of Worms especially such as are bred in living Creatures for they are found in Cattle and in Men as well as Plants or in the Earth Anno 1549 there were many Men about the River Thaysa in whose Bodies were found Creatures called Lutrae and Lizards Wierus saw a Country-man that voided a Worm 8 Foot long with Mouth and Head like a Duck. Wier de Praestig Daemon l. 3. c. 15. A Maid at Lovain saith Cornelius Gemma voided many prodigious Creatures amongst the rest a living Creature a Foot and half long thicker than a Man's Thumb like an Eagle but the Tail hairy Forestus out of Hostim Obs Med. p. 1. obs 2. shews that at beneventum in Italy there was a great Mortality which much troubled the Physicians not knowing the Cause thereof till they opened one of the dead Bodies in whose Brain they found a red Worm yet alive this they tried to kill by divers Medicaments but nothing was effectual At last they boiled some slices of Rhadish in Malaga Wine and with this it was killed He shews also that one being cured of the french Malady was still tormented with the Head-ach till his Skull by Advice was open'd under which upon the Dura Mater was found a black Worm which being taken out and killed he was cured Brassavola records in 16 Aphorism l. 3. Hippocr that an old Man of 82 Years by a Potion made of Scordium and Sea-Moss voided 500 Worms Alexander Benedict speaks of a young Maid who lay speechless 8 Days with her Eyes open and upon the voiding of 42 Worms recovered her Health Alexand. Bened. lib.
above a Miller hard by was called to their assistance who also suddenly fell down upon them and dyed to whom after some deliberation taken another Ventures down with a Rope about his middle but he fell from the Ladder in just the same manner and though presently drawn up by the People above yet was scarcely recovered in an Hour or more And on the 20th of Augusst 1674 upon a Buckets falling casually into a Well on the South-side of the said Town about a Furlong from the former a Woman calls her Neighbour a lusty strong Man to go down by a Ladder to fetch up her Bucket who also unmindful of the former accident soon granted her unhappy request for by that time he came half way down he fell dead from the Ladder into the Water the Woman amazed calls another of her Neighbours a Lusty young Man about 28 who hastily descending to give his assistance much about the same place also fell down from the Ladder and dyed without giving the least sign of his Change so suddenly Mortal are the Damps of that place Dr. Plots Nat. Hist of Oxfordshire p. 61. The Doctor advises all such as are to go down into any deep Well that may be suspected to have any Malignant noxious Steams or Vapours first to throw down into them a Peck of good Lime which slaking in the Water and fuming out the Top will so effectually dispel all such Poysonous Vapours that they may safely go down and stay sometime unhurt Ibid. p. 63. CHAP. LII Rain Hail Snow Frosts c. THE Governor of the World to shew his Wisdom and make his power known hath set the Sun in the Firmament among other Offices to exhale and draw up the Vapours and moisture from the Earth into the Vpper Regions of the Air and when they are condensed into Clouds he hath the Winds ready to carry them about from place to place and when they are Sunn'd and Fann'd sufficiently there and made pure and fit for our use he doth again either dissolve or congeal them and send them down to us in the several Species of Rain Hail Snow c. O Lord our Governor how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth 1. The 30th of July Anno 1662. was a very stormy and tempestuous day in Cheshire and Lancashire At Ormskerk there was such a Storm of Hail as brake the Glass-Windows and did much hurt to the Corn. Mr. Heywood the Minister measured an Hail-Stone after some of it was wasted and found it 4 Inches about others were judged to be greater 2. The 13th of October Anno 1666. there was in Lincolnshire a dreadful Storm of Thunder and Hail-Stones much bigger than Pidgeons Eggs and some fell as large as Pullets Eggs. Ibid. 3. The 26th of June Anno 1682. in New England there were the most amazing Lightnings that had been known grievous Hail falling with it At Springfield it was most dreadful where great pieces of Ice some 7 some 9 Inches about fell down from the Clouds with such violence that the Shingles upon some Houses were broken thereby and holes beat into the Ground that a Man might put his Hand in Several Acres of Corn were beat down and destroyed by the Hail c. Mather's Remarkable Providences p. 318. 4. In the 23th year of King Henry II. a shower of Blood rained in the Isle of Wight which continued two hours together Clark's Examples p. 571. 5. In June Anno 1653. a black Cloud was seen over the Town of Pool which a while after was dissolved into a shower of Blood that fell warm upon Men's hands Some green Leaves with those drops of Blood upon them were sent to London attested by Eye-witnesses Clark's Mirr p. 484. 6. Before Caesar's Death no only drops of Blood fell from Heaven but also Pitts and Pools flowed with Blood Plutarch 7. Anno 1620. it Rained Blood in Poland so abundantly that the drops fell very fast from the tops of the Houses Soon after the Tartars with 40000 Men invaded Poland exercising incredible cruelty killing in one place above 3000 Polanders And the Turks with 90000 men fell into Walslady where they had a bloody Encounter with 12000 Poles led by the Great Chancellor of the Kingdom who himself with the whole Army were slain few or none escaping Burtons Surp Mir. of Nature p. 99. 8. The 16th of July Anno 1622. in the Dukedom of Wittenburg it Rained Blood on the Hands and Clothes of Labouring-men and likewise upon Trees Stones and other places in the Fields In these parts at Noringen many thousands were slain Ibid. p 101. 9. The 29th of June Anno 1625. at Constantinople began a most terrible Tempest with Thunder and Lightning that all the City shewed as if it had been on Fire at the end whereof fell a Storm of Hail that brake Tiles and Glasses so that Stones were taken up of 150 Drams and the next morning some of them being weighed they were about 7 and 8 Ounces a piece wherewith they were sore wounded and the 3d of July after fell another Tempest of Thunder and Lightning which burned a Woman and Child and slew much Cattle in the Field Clarks Example c. 103. p. 490. 10. Anno 763. when the Turks first brake forth from about the Caspian Sea there was such an extraordinary cold Winter that the Euxine Sea was frozen 30 foot thick Men walked upon the Ice for 100 miles into the Sea yea all the Country from Lycia to Denubius and on the other side as far as Euphrates were so associated by the Frost as if they had been all one Country Some pieces of Ice like unto Mountains fell upon and beat down the Walls of several Cities Ibid. 11. In the Reign of King John were great Thunders and Lightning and Showers with Hail-Stones some as big as Goose Eggs. Clark's Mirr p. 571. 12. Anno 1568 upon All-Saints Eve the Sea excessively swelling in some places over-flowing and in others bearing down the Banks such a prodigious and unheard of Deluge covered certain Islands of Zealand with a great part of the Sea-Coast of Holland and almost all Friezeland as destroyed much Land and many Men. In Friezeland alone were 20000 Persons drowned whose Bodies with the Carcasses of Cattle Houshold Goods and broken Ribs of Ships floated all over the Fields the Land being indistinguishable from the Sea Many were saved from the tops of Hills and Trees being ready to starve by Boats Strada Clarks Examples p. 490. 13. Anno 1586. it Rained Locusts in Thracia and Ducks and Geese in Croatia as Leonclavius testifies who was an Eye witness of it The Locusts fell in such multitudes that they devoured all the Country And on the contrary the Ducks and Gâ—ese fed and nourished many Cluverius Hist Mundi p. 742. Clark Ibid. 14. Anno 1608. a Frost began in December and continued till the April following with such violence that not only the Thames was so frozen that loaded Carts were driven over
another Earthquake in the same Country that reached 300 Leagues along the Sea-shore and 70 Leagues in Land and Levelled the Mountains along as it went threw down Cities turn'd the Rivers out of their Channels and made an universal Havock and Confusion all this was done saith the Author in the space of seven or eight Minutes sometime before this above 40000 People perished in an Earthquake about Puel and Naples 20. In 1590 happened a terrible Earthquake which made Austris Bohemia and Moravia to Tremble in 1591. In St. Michael Island in the West-Indies there was an Earthquake which continued about 16 days to the extream Terror of the French which inhabit there especially when by force thereof they perceiv'd the Earth to move from place to place and Villa Franca their Principal Town overthrown the Ships that then rode at Anchor trembled and quaked insomuch that the People thought the day of Judgment was come In 1593 another terrible Earthquake happened in Persia which overturn'd 3000 Houses in the City of Lair crushing to Death above 3000 Persons in their Ruins In 1614 there was a great Earthquake in Vercer one of the largest of the Azor's Islands belonging to the King of Portugal overturning the City of Agra 11 Churches 9 Chappels besides many private Houses and in the City of Praga hardly an House was left standing not long after a dreadful Earthquake happened in St. Michael another Island of the Azores the Sea opened and thrust forth an Island above a League and a half in length at the place where there was above 150 Fathom Water 21. In 1622 was a great Earthquake in Italy the shape of an Elephant was seen in the Air and three Suns Armies Fighting Monstrous Births Waters turned into Blood unusual and impetuous Tempests which overthrew several Towers 22. In 1627 an Earthquake happened in England and a great Fiery Beam was seen in the Air in France Six Suns in Cornwall at once and five Moons in Normandy In the same year July 31 happened an Earthquake in Apulia in Italy whereby in the City of Severine 10000 Souls were taken out of the World and in the Horrour of such infinite Ruins and Sepulchre of so many Mortals a great Bell thrown out of the Steeple by the Earthquake fell so fitly over a Child that it inclos'd him doing him no harm made a Bulwark for him against any other danger 23. In the year 1631 there happened a Terrible Earthquake in Naples and the Mountain of Soma after many terrible Bellowings Vomitted out burning streams of Fire which tumbled into the Adriatic Sea and cast out huge deal of Ashes the like happened the year following with great Damage and Loss to the Neighbouring places in Houses People and Cattle and in Apulia 17000 Persons were destroyed by the same 24. In the year 1631 there happened a Terrible Earthquake in the Island of St. Michael one of the Terceres in the Atlantick Ocean Westward upon June the 26th this Island began universally to shake which continued eight days so that the People leaving the cities Towns and Castles were forc'd to live in the open Fields which was attended with a dreadful breaking out of Fire that had not the Wind by Divine Providence blown from the Isle into the Sea and drove back this outragious Fire without doubt the whole Country had been burnt up and destroy'd 25. In 1560 about five a Clock about the County of Cumberland and Westmorland was a general Earthquake wherewith the People were so affrighted that many of them forsook their Houses and some Houses so shaken that their Chimneys fell down The same year the Island of Santorim at the bottom of the Streights in the Mediterranean Sea not far from Candia had formidable Earthquakes and Fires it was most remarkable upon September 24 1650 which shook the Isle till the 9th of October with such mighty and frequent Earthquakes that the People fearing their immediate Ruin was approaching were on their Knees Night and Day before the Altars it cannot be expressed what Horrour seized all Men especially when the Flames breaking through all Obstacles strove to make themselves away through the midst of the Waters of the Ocean about four Mites Eastward from Santorin for the Sea all on a suddain swelled thirty Cubits upward and extending it self wide through the Neighbouring Lands overturn'd all in its way 26. In 1657 the Spaniards felt a terrible blow in Peru which if it were not a Mark of the Wrath of Heaven saith the Author was at least a Sign that the Earth is weary of them especially in those Parts where they have stain'd it with so much Innocent Blood The City of Lima was swallowed up by an Earthquake and Calao another City not far from it was consumed by a Shower of Fire out of the Clouds 11000 Spaniards lost their Lives in this Calamity and the Earth devoured an 100 Millions of refin'd Silver which the Lucre of the Spaniards had forc'd out of her Bowels 27. In 1660 an Earthquake happened at Paris in France and at the same time we had News that part of the Pyrenean Mountains had been overthrown some days before they are certain Mountains that divide France and Spain it did great Mischief there overwhelm'd some Medicinal Baths many Houses and destroying much People one Church which sunk into the Caverns below was thrown up again and stands very firm but in another place this was look'd upon as a great Miracle especially by the French who have disputed with the Spaniard about a Church standing upon the Frontier-Line but now is removed near half a League within the acknowledged Limits of France 28. In 1665 there was a great Tempest accompanied with Thunder Lightning and an Earthquake in divers places in England at which time the stately Spire of Trinity Church in Coventry fell down and demolished a great part of the Church 29. In 1668 in Autumn a great part of Asia and some parts of Europe were infested with extraordinnry Earthquakes the Cities of Constantinople and Adrianople felt its effects but not with that Violence and continuance as in other places In some parts of Persia it continued for above fourscore days Torqueto and Bolio two considerable Cities were by its great Violence laid even to the Ground and all or most of their Inhabitants buryed in the Ruins above 6000 Persons Perished in the first of them and above 1800 in the latter and in all the Adjacent Cities it raged with extraordinary Fury destroying and ruining the Buildings killing many of the People and the rest were forced to quit the Towns and take up their Lodgings in the Fields 30. In 1687 October 20 the London Gazette gives a sad Relation of another Earthquake in the Kingdom of Peru in America whereby the City of Lima was totally overthrown and not an House left standing burying many of its inhabitants under its Ruins at the same time Callao Fenettei Pisco Chancay Los Florillos c. Most of the Sea-port
words she used and so calling Belzebub Tormentor Satan and Lucifer appear there suddenly Arose a very high VVind which made the House shake and presently the Back door of the House flying open there came five Spirits as the Maid supposed in the likeness of ragged Boys some bigger then others and ran about the House where she had drawn the Staff and the VVitch threw down upon the ground Crumbs of Bread which the Spirits picked up and leapt over the Pan of Coals oftentimes which she set in the midst of the Circle and a Dog and a Cat of the VVitches Danced with them and after sometime the VVitch looked again in her Book and threw some great white Seeds upon the ground which the said Spirits picked up and so in a short time the VVind was laid and the VVitch going forth at her back Door the Spirits Vanished After which they VVitch told the Maid that Mr. Mason should demand Fifteen Hundred Pound and one Hundred and Fifty Pound per Annum of Mr. Goddard and if he denied it he should Prosecute the Law against him and be gone from his Father and then he should gain it VVith which message the Maid returned and acquainted Mr. Mason The same Maid being sent again to her from the same Party to enquire in what part of the House the Poyson was that should be given her Mistress Hereupon she took her Stuff as before and making therewith a Circle the VVind rose forthwith then taking a Beesome she swept over the Circle and made another and looking in her Book and Glass as formerly and using some words softly to her self she stood in the Circle and said Belzebub Tormentor Lucifer and Satan appear There appeared first a Spirit in the shape of a little Boy as she conceived which then turned into another shape something like a Snake and then into the shape of a shagged Dog with great Eyes which went about in the Circle and in the Circle she set an earthen Pan of Coals wherein she threw something which burned and stank and then the Spirit Vanished After which the Witch took her Book and Glass again and shewed the Maid in the Glass Mrs. Sarah Goddard's Chamber the colour of the Curtains and the Bed turned up the wrong way and under that part of the Bed where the Bolster lay she shewed the Poyson in a white Paper The Maid afterwards returned home and acquainted Mistress Rosewel with what the Witch had shewed her in a Glass that the Poyson lay under Mistress Sarahs Bed and also spoke to her that they might go together and take it away When the Maid was another time sent to procure some exemplary Punishment upon Mr. Goddard's two Daughters who yet were unjustly as it seems aspersed with the suspicion of endeavouring to Poyson their Mother in Law The Witch receiving the VVenches errand made a Circle as formerly and set her Pan of Coals therein and burnt somewhat that stunk extreamly and took her Book and Glass as before is related and said Belzebub Tormentor Lucifer and Satan appear and then appeared five Spirits as she conceived in the shape of little Ragged Boys which the VVitch commanded to appear and go along with the Maid to a Meadow at Wilton which the VVitch shewed in a Glass and there to gather Vermin and Dill and forthwith the Ragged Boys ran away before the Maid and she followed them to the said Meadow and when they came thither the Ragged Boys looked about for the Herbs and removed the Snow in two or three places before they could find any and at last they found some and brought it away with them and then the Maid and the Boys returned again to the VVitch and found her in the Circle pairing her Nails and then she took the said Herbs and dried the same and made Powder of some and dried the Leaves of other and threw Bread to the Boys and they Eat and Danced as formerly and then the VVitch reading in a Book they Vanished away And the VVitch gave the Maid in one Paper the Powder in another the Leaves and in the Third the paring of the Nails and which the Maid was to give her Mistress The Powder was to put in the young Gentlewomens Mrs. Sarah and Mrs. Ann Goddard's Drink or Broth to rot their Guts in their Bellies the Leaves to rub about the Brimbs of the Pot to make their Teeth fall out of their Heads and the paring of the Nails to make them drunk and mad And when the Maid came Home and delivered it to her Mistress and told her the Effects of the Powder and the other things her Mistress laughed and said that it is a very brave thing indeed But yet she had the discretion not to make use of it This Powder was shewn at the Assizes so that is could be no Fancy or Dream together with a piece of Money that she received of the Spirits which one of them first bit and gave it to the VVitch and then the VVitch gave it to the Maid The Hole also in her Finger was then shown out of which Blood was squeezed to subscribe a Covenant with the Devil as you may see in the Fourth and Last bout of Conjuring the VVitch performed in the Maids presence For she being advised by Mr. Goddard's Houshold to go to London she went to the VVitches first before she quitted the Countrey who being made acquainted with her Journey asked her whether she would go to London High or Low To which she replied what do you mean by that She answered if you will go on High you shall be carried to London in the Air and be there in Two Hours but if you go a low you shall be taken at Sutton Town 's End and before unless you have help But before the Maid departed the VVitch earnestly desired the Maid to live with her and told her if she would do so she would teach her to do as she did and that she should never be taken Then the Maid asked her what she should do She answered you shall know presently and forthwith she appeared in the shape of a great black Cat and lay along by the Chimney at which the Maid being much affrighted she came into her own Shape again and told her I see you are afraid and I see you are willing to be gone and told her if she was she should say so and not speak against her Conscience and the Maid replied she was willing to go and not dwell with the VVitch Then the VVitch said she must seal unto her Body and Blood not to discover her which she promising to do she forthwith made a Circle as formerly she had done and looking in her Book called Belzebub Tormentor Lucifer and Satan appear Then appeared Two Spirits in the likeness of great Boys with long shagged Hair and stood by her looking over her Shoulder and the VVitch took the Maio's Fore-finger of her Right Hand in her Hand and pricked it with
a Pin and squeez'd out the Blood and put it into a Pen and put the Pen in the Maids Hand to write in a great Book and one of the Spirits laid his Hand or Claw upon the Witch whilst the Maid wrote and when she had done writing whilst their Hands were together the Witch said Amen and made the Maid say Amen and the Spirits said Amen Amen And the Spirits Hand did feel could to the Maid as it touched her Hand when the Witches Hand and hers were together writing And then the Spirit gave a piece of Silver which he first bit to the Witch who gave it to the Maid and also stuck Two Pins in the Maids Head-cloaths and bid her keep them and bid her be gone and said also I will vex the Gentlewoman well enough as I did the Man in Clarington Park which I made walk about with a Bundle of Pales on his Back all Night in a Pond of Water and could not lay them down till the next Morning All these things the Maid deposed upon Oath and I think it now beyond all Controversy evident that unless she did knowingly forswear her self that they are certainly true For they cannot be imputed to any dreaming Fancy nor melancholly Now that the Maid did not forswear herself nor invent these Narrations she swore to many Arguments offer themselves for Eviction As first that it is altogether unlikely that a sorry Wench that could neither write nor read should be able to excogitate such Magical Forms and Ceremonies with all the Circumstances of the effects of them and declare them so punctually had she not indeed seen them done before her Eyes Secondly if she had been so cunning at inventing Lies she could not but have had so much wit as to frame them better for her own Advantage and for theirs by whom she was imployed or told so much only of the truth as would have been no Prejudice to her self nor any else to have it revealed For in brief the case stood thus her Mistriss either had or feigned her self to have a Suspicion that her Two Daughters in Law Mrs. Sarah and Mrs. Ann Goddard complotted to poison her Hereupon this Maid Anne Styles was sent to the Witch upon pretence to know when this Poysoning would be and how to prevent it and at the Second time she consulted her the VVitch sent her to the Apothecaries to buy her some white Arsenick and bring it her which she taking told her she would burn it and so prevent the poysoning of her Mistress The buying of this Arsenick was the great occasion of the Maids flying for it coming to the knowledge of the Two Sisters how they were suspected to endeavour the poysoning of their Mother and that they had bought an Ounce and half of Arsenick lately at the Apothecaries they to clear themselves from this Suspicion made diligent Enquiry at all the Apothecaries Shops throughout Sarum and at last found where the Poison was bought Hereupon the Maid was desired by her Mistriss to go away and shift for her self to avoid that trouble and disgrace that might come upon them if she should stay and be examined before some Justice VVhile she was upon her Journey Mr. Chandler Son in Law to Mr. Goddard hearing how his Mother in Law was in danger of being poysoned and that a Servant of hers that had bought the Poison was fled he forthwith with another Man made after her overtook her near Sutton had her there into an Inn where she confessed what has been above related VVhich Confession I say cannot be any feignment or forged Tale but certain Truth it making nothing for the Parties Advantage or their that imployed her but rather against them and mainly against her self when as if she had confessed the buying of the Arsenick with the purpose of preventing her Mistress being poysoned by the help and skill of the VVitch or VVise-VVoman it might have gone for a tolerable piece of Folly and could not seem so criminal and execrable as these other Acts do Nothing therefore but a guilty Conscience and the power of truth did extort from her this impartial Confession which thus every way touches her Friends her Self and the VVitch Thirdly that her Compact with the Devil was no Fable but a sure Truth and if that be true there is no reason to doubt of the rest was abundantly evinced by the real effects of it For after she had delivered the Piece of mony above-mentioned and the Two Pins to Mr Chandler she said she should be troubled for not keeping these things secret For the Devil told her so long as she kept them secret she should never be troubled but now she said having revealed them she feared she should be troubled At her Recovery of the first Fit she fell into both Mr. Chandler and William Atwood the man that went with him saw a black Shade come from her whereupon presently she came to herself Again she was so strong in her Fits that Six Men or more could not hold her and once as they were holding her she was caught up from them so high that her Feet touched their Breasts As also at another time about midnight she being miserably tormented and crying out the Devil will carry me away she was pulled from them that held her and cast from the low Bed where she lay to the top of an high Bed with her Cloaths torn off her Back and a piece of her Skin torn away The Candle in the Room standing on the Table was thrown down and put out at which time there being a little Boy that was almost asleep but with this noise being affrighted had no power with the rest to go out of the Room stayed there and saw a Spirit in the likeness of a great black man with no Head in the Room scuffing with the maid who took her and set her into a Chair and told her that she must go with him he was come for her Soul she had given it to him But the maid answered that her Soul was none of her own to give and he had already got her Blood but as for her Soul he should never have it and after a while tumbling and throwing about of the maid he vanished away And that which the Boy heard and saw was no Fancy of his own but a real object of his Senses the Witches condition in another Chamber at the same time does not obscurely argue for she was then seen with her Clothes off in her Fetters running about like mad and being asked why she ran about the Room she replied she could not keep her Bed but was pulled out by violence and being asked the Reason why she replied pray you what is the matter in your Chamber Nothing said they but a Child is not well To which she answered Do not you lie to me for I know what is the matter as well as your selves But to return to the maid from whom we may draw further