the Heavens the following Letters I. N. R. I. M. D. L. V. I. I. A. R. E. I. N. E. N. D. E. D. I. S. E. S. R. E. I. C. H. S. Nay that Author further affirmeth that at Friburg in Germany the same year on a very fair day Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Iridi insidentem conspectum fuisse Our Lord Jesus Christ was beheld sitting upon a Rainbow as if upon his Tribunal to denounce the Vniversal Judgment In 1558 there was seen a Blazing Star in Spain at first somewhat dim at which time Charles the 5th Emperor and King of Spain sickned but as his disease increased so it grew in bigness at last shooting its fiery streams point blank against the Monastery where he lay in the very hour the Emperor dyed the Comet vanished The same year in the Month of August a Comet in the form of a spit appeared of a pale envious colour denoting a more then ordinary mortality of great Potentates Queen Mary of Hungary and Bohemia and Queen Mary of England both dye Christian the 2. King of Denmark dyes in Prison after 26 years imprisonment Henry 2. King of France is slain by running at Tilt Pope Paul 4. dyes and likewise the Dukes of Venice and Ferrara with fifteen Cardinals besides many other Princes In 1562 an Earthquake happened in Constantinople Clashing of Weapons in the Elements and armed men seen there Much Thunder was heard in England and five Suns seen in Holland After this the English take many Towns in France There was a great Plague in England the Muscovites invade Leiseland and the Danes and Lubeckers Sweden the Polanders beat the Livonians Nine Thousand men were slain at Dreux in Normandy and among them the King of Navar The same year December 19. Mr. John Calvin lying in his bed sick of the Gout it being Sunday and the North Wind having blown strongly for two days together some Friends coming to visit him he said unto them Truly I know not what is the matter but I thought that the last night I heard warlike Drums beating very loud and I could not perswade my self but it was so Let us go to Prayers for surely some great business is at hand And indeed this very day there was a great Battle fought between the Papists and Protestants not far from Paris in France news whereof came to Geneva a few dayes after Clarks Examp. 2 Part Pag. 564. XXXIII In 1568 were many Locusts in France The Heavens seem all on fire in Hungary In England when the true Moon was under the Earth there appears a Moon and a Cross with a refulgent Star at the top thereof Soon after the Third Civil War in France began the King of Sweden is deposed and imprisoned The Prince of Conde is taken and shot to death with a Pistol The Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland rebel against Queen Elizabeth Selymus Emperor of the Turks invadeth Cyprus The Polanders and Danes fight at Sea About this time the Duke of Alva came first into the Low-Countreys and the future calamities of his Government were presaged by a boy born at Leige with two heads four legs and as many hands the terror whereof was increased by a fire happening immediately after in the City of Mechlin by a spark falling amongst Gunpowder which took hold of threescore Barrels and caused such an horrid Thunder and Earthquake that in most of the Cities of Flanders the Men and Houses trembled at the dreadful noise Not long after when the Prince of Orange brought an Army against the Duke in the behalf of the Protestants there were seen in divers places on a clear night two Armies in Battalia brandishing their glittering Pikes as if they were ready for a charge The next year a Comet appears at the setting of the Sun near the Planet Jupiter Then followed a Famine in Austria Sweden Bohemia Bavaria Rustia Lithuania Joachimus 2. Elector of Brandenburg dyes and a little after Four Hundred Thousand People are drowned in Flanders and Holland besides Cattel In 1572 there appeared a Comet or New Star in Cassiopeia which continued Six teen Months Soon after which Charles 9. King of France who was the Author of the bloody Massacre in France dyed of extraordinary bleeding which issued from divers parts of his body cursing and swearing in a most dreadful manner saith Mr. Camden in his History of Queen Elizabeth Sigismund King of Poland likewise dyeth The Duke of Norfolk in England is beheaded A great Rebellion in Ireland XXXIV In 1577 Another Blazing Star of great magnitude appeared Sebastian King of Portugal dyed the next year of two wounds which he received in his head in his expedition for Africa In 1579 a fiery Dragon and great Troops of Ravens flew through the Air in Germany A mighty Tempest happened in Bohemia and an Earthquake in Holland Armies are seen in the Heavens at Antwerp Two armed men are visible in the Air in Gelderland That which followed was the Polanders take Livonia and Polotia from the Moscovite The Popish Clergy are expelled out of the City of Antwerp by the People The Emperor forbids the Protestant Religion at Aken In 1585 a Comet appeared for many weeks together and the next year it rained Locusts in Thracia and Ducks and Geese in Croatia as Leonclavius testifies who was an eye-witness thereof The Locusts fell in such multitudes that they devoured all the Countrey and on the contrary the Geese and Ducks fed and nourished many Cluverius Hist World Soon after Osman Emperor of the Turks and Stephen King of Poland both dye In 1593 there was another terrible Earthquake at Lar in Persia which overthrew Three Thousand Houses crushing to death above Three Thousand Persons in their Ruins yea the Castle though built upon the top of a solid Rock groaned in the like affrighting downfall Herberts Travels In 1598 Feb. 25 which was a little before the Earl of Essex went into Ireland the Sun being almost totally Eclipsed it was so dark for the time that the like had never been seen in the Memory of Man XXXV In the year 1602 there was an Earthquake in England a very great Blazing Star appeared Armies of men were seen in the Air in France and warms of Grashoppers are visible in Germany asster this the Spaniards invade Ireland but are beaten thence The Swedes in vain attempt Livonia The Turks loose Alba Regalis and therein Threescore Thousand men Queen Elizabeth of England dyeth In 1607 another Comet appeared There were great Wars between the Swedes and Danes and Charles Duke of Lorrain dyeth In 1610 fiery Darts and Lances were visible in the Heavens Four Crosses appeared in the Air at once in Spain where likewise happened Thunder and a very great Earthquake Now the Danes war against the Swedes The Persians invade Babylon and kill Twenty Thousand Turks Henry 4. â—â—ing of France is murdered the Polanders overcome the Moscovites and Nine Hundred Thousand Meors are banished out of Spain J. G. This
In December 1664 In Iannuary 1664 5 In April 1663 In August 1682. In December 1680 The Five Blazing Stars seen in England since the year 1663. Page 154.160.182.18 London Printed for Nath Crouch 〈◊〉 THE SURPRIZING MIRACLES OF Nature and Art In TWO PARTS Containing I The Miracles of Nature or the Strange Signs and Prodigious Aspects and Appearances in the Heavens the Earth and the Waters for many Hundred years past with an Account of the most famous Gomets and other Prodigies since the Birth of our Blessed Saviour and the dreadful Effects of many of them Also a particular Description of the five Blazing Stars seen in England within Eighteen years last past and abundance of other unaccountable Accidents and Productions of all kinds till 1682. II. The Miracles of Art describing the most Magnificent Buildings and other Curious Inventions in all Ages as Solomons Temple The Seven Wonders of the World and many more Excellent Structures and Rarities throughout the whole Earth Beautified with divers Sculptures of many Curiosities therein By R. B. Author of the Hist of the Wars of England Remarks of London Wonderful Prodigies Admirable Curiosities in England and Extraordinary Adventures of several famous Men. London Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell next Kemp's Coffee-House in Exchange-Alley over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1683. To the READER THere is no Person of any Age or Vnderstanding but must needs acknowledge that the last Forty Years has been as it were an Age of Prodigies and Wonders in these three Kingdoms so that it may be no former time can parallel so many strange Transactations as have happened in so little space and therefore as an Ingenious Person says A Book of Prodigies is fit In times Prodigious to be writ And another Learned Author says The wise Creator of Heaven and Earth is wont when the measure of our wickedness comes to the height rather to inflict upon us Temporal than Eternal punishments and to use for our Amendment the Occasion of these Natural Effects thereby to affright us from the Terrour of those sights to a Repentance and dutiful respect of him And if we consult History we shall find that there hath never been any notable Apparition or Prodigy seen in the Heavens but it hath been attended in the sequel with more than Ordinary Changes or Troubles here on Earth Neither is there any one except he hath no Religion who is not affrighted at Lightning the clashing noise of Thunder or an horrible Comet For God speaks to men not only with the Tongues of men by Prophets Apostles and Teachers but sometimes also by the Elements and other Extraordinary signs in the Heavens Earth or Sea Vpon these Considerations this small Collection of the most remarkable Prodigies since the Creation cannot surely be unseasonable or ungrateful but may by the Blessing of Heaven cause some Profligate Persons to forsake their evil ways and thereby divert the just Judgments of the Almighty from being poured down upon this wicked and adulterous Generation Here are also added many wonders of Art in the Magnificent Structures and Curious Inventions of all Ages and it is very apparent that notwithstanding our high Conceits of the knowledge of this last Age yet we are obliged to our Ancestors for many if not most of our present useful and Profitable Arts and Sciences R. B. The Surprizing Miracles of Nature in the Heavens Earth and Waters STrange and Wonderful have been the Miraculous Productions of Nature in all Ages or rather of the God of Nature and Divine Providence St. Auflin that Famous and Reverend Father of the Church defineth Miracles to be those things which happen beyond the Expectation or thought of the Beholder and begets in him a Miraculous Contemplation yea oftentimes horrour and amazement whereof there are two kinds True and False the false Miracles are such as are not really as they seem to be but meerly acted by the Power of Nature although obscure and hid The True are performed by the Power of God above and beyond all the Faculties of created Nature partly to procure Admiration and partly to confirm the Faith of Men such were the bringing back of the shadow Ten Degrees in the Dial of Ahaz for Hezekiah A Virgin to conceive with Child and yet remain a Virgin To draw water out of a hard Rock To cause the Sea to divide asunder The Sun to stand still To cause Manna to fall from Heaven To turn Water into Wine and many of the like kind recorded in the Holy Scriptures And these were formerly used for the Confirming of the Faith both of Jews and Christians but are not now necessary since the Writings of the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles are so generally preached unto all Yet hath not the Almighty left himself without Witness nor mankind without warnings of approaching Judgments and Desolations by Prodigious Signs and Wonderful Appearances in all times of the World thereby if possible to deter them from their Evil Practices and to induce them to repentance and Reformation of which the very Heathens were sensible for we may find in the Roman Histories that there never happened any Remarkable Prodigy but the People of every Sex Age and Quality flockt and ran to their Temples and Altars making Prayers and offering Sacrifices to their Gods for appeasing and pacifying their incensed Wrath which may condemn the neglect and Contempt that is in those who pretend to own the true Christian Religion and may teach us to repair to the true God and implore his mercy and forbearance of pouring his Wrath upon us In order whereunto it cannot surely be unseasonable nor unprofitable to Collect out of very approved Authors the most Remarkable Prodigies or Miracles that have appeared cither in the Heavens Earth or Waters for some Thousands of years in this Kingdom and many other parts of the World with the Tremendous Consequences that have succeeded divers of them as to Wars Fires Famines and other dreadful Calamities in several Nations upon some of which the Famous Dubartas thus Ingeniously Comments page 14. Here in the night appears a flaming Spire There a fierce Dragon folded all in Fire Here a bright Comet there a fiery Stream Here Flying Lances there a burning Beam Here seems a Horned Goat inviron'd round With fiery flakes about the Air to bound There with long bloody Hair a Blazing-Star Threatens the World with Famine Plague and War To Princes Death to Kingdoms many Crosses To all Estates Inevitable Losses To Herdsmen Rot To Ploughmen hapless seasons To Saylers storms To Cities Civil Treasons I shall therefore proceed to give an Account of the most Famous and surprizing Signs and Wonders which I find recorded in History I. In the time of the Carthaginian War a River in Italy was observed for near the space of a day to run perfect Blood no accident that might cause it being perceived by any In Hetruria the Heavens were seen to burn In the City of Arimini
the Command of Nero who rejoyces in that Villany playing upon his Harp and singing the Destruction of Troy This year the Jews rebel against the Romans and many of them were slain Gassius Florus being killed by them Boadicia Queen of the Brittains being assisted by Corbred King of Scots killeth Seventy Thousand Romans Natura Prodig p. 46. VII In the Sixty Seventh year after the Birth of our Saviour and about the Fortieth after the Jews had with cruel hands crucifyed the Lord of Life that innocent blood which they desired might fall upon them and their Children began to be revenged upon them for soon after the Romans came and burnt down and destroyed the City and Temple of Jerusalem and kil'd multitudes of them as by the sequel will appear but before these woful Desolations happened there wanted not Prodigious Signs and warnings from Heaven of their Approaching Miseries For the year before Vespasian came against them there was seen a Star over the Temple so bright as if a man had held many drawn swords in his hand And at the same time which was the Passover that whole night the Temple was light and clear as at Noon-day and continued so seven nights together which wise men understood to be a very ill Prognostick though others thought it good A Sword and other Instruments of War were seen hanging in the Air directly over the City very dreadful to behold The same time likewise they brought a Heifer for a Sacrifice which when she was knocked down she calved a Lamb besides there was a certain Gate called the East-gate which could never be opened or shut without the help of Twenty men and the creaking of the hinges might be heard afar off This Gate was found open without any mans help and they could not shut it till a great number joyned their strength Moreover there was discerned on the Sanctum Sanctorum or Holies of Holies a whole night long the face of a man very terrible There appeared also at the same time four Chariots with Horsemen fighting fiercely against each other and great Blasts of Fire in the sky coming toward Jerusalem In the Feast of weeks the Priests heard a man walking in the Temple and saying with a wonderful terrible voice Come let us go away out of this Temple let us make haste away from hence At that time also there was this writing found graven on an old Stone At what time the building of the Temple shall be brought to a four square then it shall be destroyed Now when the Temple was besieged and the Walls bruised the Jews making haste to repair the Ruins without remembrance of the old writing they made the Temple four square These words were likewise found in the Walls of the Sanctum Sanctorum When the whole building of the Temple shall be four square then shall a King reign over Israel and that King and Ruler shall reign over all the Land of Israel Some interpreted this of the King of Israel but the Priests said it was meant of the King of the Romans These were the dreadful Presages of their ensuing Calamities which never ended till the whole People were almost utterly destroyed and they ceased to be any more a Nation which sad Judgment remains upon them to this day and whereof I shall here give a brief Account The beginning of their troubles happened in the time of King Agrippa during whose Reign the Wars began between the Jews and Romans which never ceased till the people of Judea were led captive into the Provinces of the Romans and the Temple was made desolate the rise whereof was on this occasion In the Twentieth year of his Reign the ninth day of the First Moneth which is July Nero Emperor of Rome sent a Present for a Burnt Offering to be offered at the Temple of Jerusalem requiring peace of the Elders of Judea and Jerusalem and that they would enter into League with him saying My request is that you would offer my Present to the Lord your God for his service and Religion pleaseth me very well therefore I desire you to joyn in Friendship with me according as you have done with the Emperors of Rome my Predecessors in time past I have heard what Cassius the Captain of mine Army hath done to you which displeaseth me out of measure wherefore I assure unto you a faithful League by the Consent and Counsel of the Senate of Rome that hereafter there shall never any Roman Captain stir hand or foot against you but rather your Magistrates Rulers and Judges shall be all Jews and of Jerusalem Yea Agrippa your King shall be Lord of all your Rulers and what he commands you shall do it the Romans shall only be called your Lords and shall have no more to do with you When these Embassadors came to Jerusalem they delivered their Message to Anani the Priest and placed Nero's present before him which was a Bull for a Burnt-Offering with a Crown of Gold upon his head his Horns were also covered with Gold upon his Body was a Cloth of Purple adorned with precious Stones before him some Persons carried Ten Talents of Gold and behind a great number of Sheep followed for Peace-Offerings But when Eleasar the Son of Anani heard of it he came and turned Nero's Presents out of the Temple saying We will not prophane and unhallow the Sanctuary of our Lord with the Offerings of Strangers for God will not accept either their Burnt-Offerings or Peace-Offerings When he had thus spoke he sounded a Trumpet and set his Men in Array against the Guards of the Romans who were quartered in Jerusalem and falling suddenly upon them slew many of them that day with one of their Captains and took another of them alive who being a Valiant man and seeing himself overpowred by the Jews he cryed out save my Life and I will yield upon which Eleazer the Rebel swore That he would not kill him but spare him for his valour he having slain many of the Jews in the Conflict whereupon the Captain yielded himself Prisoner Then said Eleazer to him Even as thy sword hath made many Women Childless so shall thy Mother be made childless of thee above all others and thereupon contrary to his Oath he commanded his Servants to kill him King Agrippa seeing this was extreamly troubled and therefore as he stood in the street cryed out O thou Rebel Eleasar I pray God that this mischief of which thou art the cause and thy wickedness may fall upon thee and thy Fathers House which when it cometh to pass we shall not be disturbed thereat It seems hard to keep Peace and Tranquillity in thy days for they are not like to be continued by thee How long wilt thou go on to bring us into Bryers thou Enemy and hater of the Lord Why dost thou destroy and wast the Vineyard of the Lord God of Hosts To whom Eleazar replyed Why takest thou upon thee the Name of King If thou be
Vespasian here with us a wise and valiant Commander who hath conquered many Cities and vanquished divers Warlike Nations How many puissant Kings hath he subdued to the Roman Empire and how hath he enlarged it far and wide And now when the Empire ought to have been bestowed upon Vespasian or some Person of the like merits because no such could be found among them they have bestowed it upon a Fool and a sottish Drunkard wherein they have done very undiscreetly however we are resolved the Empire of Rome shall suddenly have a better Emperor and thereto let God say Amen Hereupon the Princes who were present consulted together and decreed to make Vespasian Emperor and going all together to him they said Thou shalt be our Head for the Empire belongeth to such a one as thy self and thou shalt have Dominion over us But Vespasian refused to take it on him and would not be perswaded to consent thereto however they compelled him placing him in the Throne of Majesty and setting the Crown on his head which he would have taken away and pulled off with his hand because he would not be Emperor upon which the Roman Captains drew their Swords and said Thou shalt be Emperor and Reign over us therefore refuse it not if thou do thou shalt dye upon our swords Vespasian therefore seeing himself constrained being afraid of his Life was content to suffer himself to be proclaimed Emperor then all the Army swore Allegiance to him as he sate upon the Royal Seat as Emperor and King of Kings In the mean time the Civil Wars at Jerusalem increased dayly by reason of Jehochanan that Limb of the Devil who had escaped thither again There was likewise another Cut-Throat Ruffâ—â—n called Schimeon who was discarded from his Command for his Villanys by Anani the Priest After which gathering together a rout of Thieves Rebels and Murderers throughout all Galilee to the number of Twenty Thousand he came towards Jerusalem to vex the Israelites who encountred with him with various success sometimes one Party prevailing and then the other but at length one Jacob a great man among the Edomites joyned with him and helped to subdue his own Countrey with whom being strengthned they approached the Walls of Jerusalem destroying the Corn and Fruits of the Ground Jehochanan having intelligence of his intentions to besiege the Town and being too weak to encounter him he issued out of the City and lay in Ambush for Schimeon at which time it happened that Schimeon's Wife who was fled out of Jerusalem with her Men and Women Servants for fear she should be killed for her Husbands sake passed by the place of Ambushment whom Jehochanan took not a little proud of such a prey and carryed into the City thinking Schimeon would comply upon any Terms to gain his Wife whom he dearly loved This came to Schimeons ear just at the time he had taken many of Jehochanan's men and cut off their hands sending them with such shame to Jerusalem to their Master He likewise sent Embassadors to Jehochanan to return his Wife or upon refusal he threatned him with the utmost Extremity since he was resolved to take the City ere long and to Jehochanans shame would cut off the Hands and Legs of all the Inhabitants Jehochanan being afraid Schimeon having with him Forty Thousand Fighting men he sent him his Wife whereupon he continued without the Town while Jehochanan played the Tyrant within his Souldiers ravishing the Citizens Wives and Daughters and shedding much innocent blood and whoever complained was presently slain so that the Condition of the Israelites was truly miserably for if any went out of the City they were slain by Schimeon and those within were continually murdered by Jehochanan The Citizens being therefore tyred by his Tyranny assembled together and encountred with Jehochanan where a multitude of them were slain and if the Edomites who were fled to Jerusalem from the Tyranny of Schimeon had not come in to their relief the whole People of Jerusalem had been utterly destroyed and slain every Mothers Son by Jehochanan his power was so great Then Anani the High Priest and other Grave Men not being able to suffer the wickedness of Jehochanan any longer resolved to deliver the City to Schimeon hoping he would slay Jehochanan who was at length prevailed with and promised to assist them against the Seditious but being entred with his whole Army he broke his promise and joyned himself with Jehochanan so that these two Rebels reigned in Jerusalem by course one of them one Moneth and the other another yet within two days they quarrelled about Eleasar the Priest whom Schimeon would have slain but Jehochanan defended so that ever after they fought one against the other During these Transactions at Jerusalem Vespasian had sent two Noblemen to Rome to make away the Emperor Vitellius whereby he might come and receive the Imperial Crown there They went therefore and raised an Army wherewith they fell upon Vitellius and slew him though not without much opposition for there were slain that day in Rome eighty Thousand valiant Souldiers Then Vespasian taking half his Army with him left the other part with Titus his Son to besiege Jerusalem but to continue at Alexandria till further order to whom Titus at his departing said I shall do dear Father according to your Commandment for to you it belongeth to command and to me to obey Vespasian took with him Agrippa and Menas his Son with Joseph the Priest for fear they should raise a Rebellion As he approached nigh Rome all the Citizens came forth to meet him and received him with great Joy and mighty shews and Triumphs and soon after he was solemnly crowned Emperor within a few days Vespasian was displeased with King Agrippa upon certain false Informations that he designed some disturbance upon which both he and his Son Munabas were put to Death This happened three years and an half before the destruction of Jerusalem at which time the continual Sacrifice ceased for One Thousand Two Hundred and Ninety days as it is written in the 12 of Daniels Prophecy But Joseph was by the clemency of Vespasian set at Liberty and sent to Titus who was then at Alexandria in Egypt with Letters from his Father and was kindly received by him Titus soon after marched with a mighty Army to Caesarea where he stayd till the Winter was past before he would besiege Jerusalem But in the mean time the quarrels and murders in that City ceased not but Summer and VVinter the VVars continued between Schimeon Jehochanan and Eleasar for God had in Judgment sent a Spirit of Giddiness among the Citizens so that they were divided into three Parts The first and best sort of the People followed Anani the Priest who at that time had stained and suspended his Office of Priesthood Another part followed Seditious Jehochanan and the third were for Schimeon So that in the midst of Jerusalem there was nothing but slaughter and
of its depth the Overseers of the work being desirous to find the bottom tyed a long Rope to one of the Labourers and let him down into it being come to the bottom there was water therein up to his Ankles and searching every part of that hollow place he found it to be foursquare as far as he could conjecture by feeling then returning toward the Mouth of it he happened upon a little Pillar not much higher than the water and laying his hand on it found a book thereon wrapt up in a piece of thin clean Linnen which taking up he gave notice by shaking the rope to be drawn forth which done he shewed them the book which struck them with admiration because it seemed very fresh and untoucht though found in so dark and obscure an hole The Book being unfolded and opened surprized not only the Jews but the Graecians for they found in the entrance thereof these words written in Capital Letters IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORD WAS GOD And to speak truly saith the Historian that Scripture did plainly and manifestly contain the whole Gospel which the Divine Tongue of the Virgin Disciple St. John had declared This together with the other Miracles which at that time were proclaimed from Heaven did demonstrate that not any word of our Lord should fall to the ground which had foretold the utter desolation both of the Temple and City of Jerusalem Eusebius Eccles Hist lib 3. Thus severely were the Judgments of Heaven executed upon the Jews which did not yet end here but continued to their posterity For in 434. The Jews in the Isle of Creet were deluded by the Devil affirming himself to be Moses who led the Israelites through the Red Sea and perswaded those poor Creatures That he was sent from God to lead them through the Sea to their own Countrey the holy Land This these poor Creatures soon believed and disposing of all their Goods to others according to his perswasion they followed this seducer who had spent a whole year in going from one City to another he then led them with their Wives and Children to the top of a steep Rock that hung over the Sea when they were come hither this Mock Mises commanded them to wrap their heads in their upper Garments and so to throw themselves from the Rock into the Sea assuring them of a safe Passage they readily obeyed him and in that manner a great many of them perished in the Waves and more would have followed had it not pleased God that some Christian Fishermen were there at that instant who took up many of them as they were flooting upon the waters and ready to perish These afterward returning to the rest of the Jews told them how they had been cheated and deceived and how narrowly they had escaped whereupon they being upon good reason all very much inraged sought far and near for this seducer to put him to death but when he could not possibly be found any where they thereupon fully concluded That it was the Devil himself the old man slayer who had appeared to them in humane shape and divers of the Jews being moved by this Calamity became Christians Eusebius Hist In the Reign of Trajan the Jews rebelled in Egypt and Cyrene where they slew many Greeks and Romans and did eat their flesh and girded themselves with their Guts imbrued themselves with their blood and cloathed themselves with their skins Many they sawed in sunder from the Crowns downward others they cast to wild Beasts so that they destroyed Two Hundred Thousand of them and likewise Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand by the same abhorred Cruelty in Egypt and Cyprus whereupon Trajan sent an Army against them under Martius Turbo who destroyed many Thousands of them and fearing lest the Jews in Mesopotamia should break out into the like outrages he commanded Lucius Quietus utterly to destroy and root them out of that Countrey which he performed so effectually that the Emperor to recompence his service made him President of Judea Dion Hist Adrian the Emperour rebuilt the City of Jerusalem though not in the same place for he changed the scituation thereof somewhat Westward and called the name thereof Aelia according to his own name To despight the Christians he built a Temple over our Saviours Grave with the Images of Jupiter and Venus another at Bethlem to Adonis the Gallant of Venus and to inrage the Jews who abominate Swinesflesh he set up the Picture of a Swine over the Gates of the City who storming at the prophanation of their Land broke out into open Rebellion but were subdued by Julius Severus the Emperors Lieutenant an experienced Captain who by reason of their multitudes would not try it out in a set Battel but proceeding more warily and taking his opportunity he by degrees took 50 of their fortifyed Castles rased nine hundred and fourscore of their best Towns and slew five hundred and eighty thousand of their men besides an innumerable multitude who perished by Famine Sickness and Fire so that almost all Judea was left destitute With them likewise was slain one Benchoahab their Counterfeit Mâ—ssias for so he termed himself that is The Son of a Star usurping that Prophecy out of Jacob a star shall arise Though he proved but a fading Comet whose blazing portended the ruine of that Nation The Captives by order from Adrian were transported into Spain and the Holy Land was laid wast which parted with her people and fruitfulness both together Indeed Pilgrims here and there find Parcels of rich ground in Palestine which God may seem to have left that men may tast the former sweetness of the Land before it was scourged for the Peoples sins and that they may guess the goodness of the cloth by the fineness of the shreds But it is barren for the generality the streams of Milk wherewith it once flowed are now drawn dry and the whole face of the Land looketh sad not so much for want of dressing as because the Almighty God hath frowned on it Adrian aforementioned banished Five Hundred Thousand Jews into Spain whence they were again banished by Ferdinando and Isabella in 1492 at which time there were driven out of Spain One Hundred and Twenty Thousand Families From thence they passed into Tuseany and the Popes Dominions but were again banished by Pope Paul 4. and Pius 5. But it would be endless to shew what miseries they have endured in all Nations ever since their Predecessors committed that great and grievous sin of Crucifying the Lord of life and Glory and thus much of the Jews as we find them mentioned by Josephus Eusebius Mr. Clark and other Ancient and Modern Authors I shall now proceed in the series of the History of Comets and other Prodigies according to the Order of time which this digression hath somewhat diverted VII In the 70 year after the Birth of our Saviour thâ—â—â— was a great
and eat each other so that none could pass safely on the way or in the streets without a guard or very well armed and though some have been taken and severely punished by Justice yet others continued lurking to seize upon Passingers Three Maidens at Odenheim near Worms agreed to live together and take their chance but as the Proverb saith Necessity hath no Law and hunger is a sharp Thorn for in a while they were all so extreamly pinched with Famine that they sought to take away one anothers lives to save their own Two of them conspired to kill the third by strangling her in bed or some other way and after to dress and eat her up All which they did accordingly Then the second resolved to strangle her Companion and cut off her head which when she had done and devoured her flesh her heart was so hardened that she went to a Village called Ridisheim to a Woman of her Acquaintance called Margaret whose Husband was absent for fear of the Souldiers the woman entertained her kindly rejoycing that she came to see her But in the night lying by the woman she barbarously cut off her head and binding the dead body upon a board brought it to her house at Piedessen but being pricked with the sharpness of hunger she had not patience to cut the body in pieces but only cut off the head and both the hands which she washed and dressed The Husband coming home missed his wife and inquiring of the Neighbours they told him such a maid was seen with her upon which he went immediately to her house and knocking at the door asked her if she had not seen his Wife she answered him no But such deeds of cruelty are hard to be concealed Murder will out as they say The man goes into her house and casting his eyes round looks into every corner at length he spies an hand to stick out of the Pot which hung over the Fire Hereupon being overcome with grief he rageth against the Murderess and threatens her so severely that she presently confesseth the whole truth to him thereupon he complains to a Justice the woman is seized and brought before the Lords of Justice sitting in the Judgment Seat They deliberate a great while about her punishment some were of opinion that what she had acted was not as a Rational Creature but as a Brute since the desire of Food is common to us with Beasts But others alledged such horrid wickedness ought severely to be punished for a Terror to others Upon which she was led to the common place of Justice her head was cut off and her body being bound to a wheel was left as a spectacle to all Passengers of the horror of the Fact That which follows saith my Author I cannot write without Tears no man ever hated his own flesh saith the Scripture and such are the Children of our Bodies so that it is even against nature to destroy such fruit Yet the dreadful sharpness of hunger hath brought this to pass Oh what is that miserable necessity which makes us even break stone Walls which causeth us to forget our nearest and dearest Relations that vanquishes our most natural and most powerful Passions and tempts us to destroy that which we before so dearly loved and so carefully cherished At Oterburg in the Palatinate a Widow woman living near the Church-yard her name well known had a Daughter of about nine or ten years old This child was grown so faint with hunger that one time with sorrowful eyes looking upon her Mother she said Sweet Mother I would willingly dye so I were rid of my The Terrible Prodigies during the Wars and Desolations in Germany Page 125 pain Oh that you would make an end of me then should I go from whence I came or if I should kill you then you would be rid of your pain The Mother looking earnestly upon her again with a woful sigh replyed And what wouldest thou do with me Child The Girl very mournfully replyed I would then eat you for they say that mans flesh is very sweet The Mother at these words fell a weeping and being wonderfully distracted in her own thoughts like a Ship tossed between the two Rocks of Desperate Neceffity and Motherly Affection at length the first of them prevailed and suddenly catching the Child by the head and untying her hairlace twisteth it about the neck of this innocent Lamb and so presently strangled her being dead and she having no knife to cut the Body in pieces she took a Spade and therewith hewed it into Gobbets and so dressing the head and part of the Body eat it up Some part thereof she sold to her Neighbours for about six pence a pound Her Child being long missed her acquaintance asked her where it was and how she came by that Flesh she replyed It was Hogs flesh which she had got of the Souldiers who passed that way But perceiving the truth would be discovered she freely confessed all whereupon she was taken and Imprisoned being allowed half a pound of bread and a Kann of Water a day till her sentence Being after examined before the Lords she told them That she was happy since she came to Prison and would be glad to lye there all her life for now she had wherewith to abate her hunger and thirst her dreadful pain was thereby much abated This so moved the Judges to compassion that they freed her from Prison and let her go as Innocent as being compelled thereto by woful Necessity I cannot but record another story of the like nature A Woman of Hornbach having been newly brought to bed and wanting milk to nourish her Babe she kissed and imbraced it a thousand times drowning it almost with her Tears and after a long Conflict with her own disturbed Soul she killed it with a knife and afterward dressed and eat it When it began to be known she was examined before the Judges who asked her Why she killed her Child she answered That mighty and intolerable hunger had forced her to do it and that it was the fruit of her own body which she thought she might better make use of than of any other However she was condemned to dye and accordingly executed for a terror to others I am even weary saith he of these lamentable Relations yet more miserable Accidents if more miserable can be followed these They traced and followed the dead bodies to their place of Burial and then digging them out of their Graves dressed and eat them so that in divers places at Worms especially they were forced to set watch at the Church-yards and over the Graves to keep the dead from being stolen and eaten Yea to that extremity were they brought that some constrained by hunger took Poyson to dispatch themselves nay the very Wild Beasts in Woods were starved for want of Prey The Earl of Arundel travelling to Frankford in his way toward England a Boor or Peasant of the Countrey being their Guide