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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B08186	The lamentations of Germany. Wherein, as in a glasse, we may behold her miserable condition, and reade the woefull effects of sinne. / Composed by an eye-witnesse thereof: and illustrated by pictures, the more to affect the reader. By Dr. Vincent. Theol..	Vincent, Philip, b. 1600.; Weckherlin, Georg Rodolf, 1584-1653.	1638 (1638)	STC 24760.5; ESTC S95680	21,484	88

a Sparrow fall not to the ground but according to the will of our heavenly Father much lesse are millions of men mowed downe with the sword but according to his righteousnesse in Iudgement It is also cleare out of Scripture that wee ought to lay to heart those Iudgemements of God which wee are acquainted with and especially his greater Iudgements God sends one place to consider of another Goe yee now unto my place which was in Shilo where I set my name at the beginning and see what I did to it for the wickednesse of my people Israel Ier. 7.12 saith God to the men of Ierusalem And who makes question but that those Churches Nations Persons and Places which have speciall relation one unto another sacred or civill in the bonds of Religion neighbourhood or commerce are more especially bound mutually to consider and bemoane one anothers conditions This likewise is evident that our Church and State and every member of the same ought upon speciall considerations to be cordially affected with the miseries of Germany They are of the same Religion with us Christians as wee are our peace is the weaker for want of theirs many of our owne have suffered with them But above all is the affliction of that Royall Lady our Gracious Soveraignes onely sister who hath suffered already in her Royall Person and may suffer yet more in her posterity but God forbid But what is it that wee must doe or learne from the state of things in Germany The particulars are severall in severall regards In relation to God to them and to our selves In regard of God Wee must acknowledge the infinitenesse of his Wisdome and unsearchablenesse of his Iudgements and take heede of rash assigning the cause Some lay all the blame upon the Protestants as if their divisions among themselves and unnecessary separation in their phrase from the Church of Rome were the roote of all But is it not more likely that Germany drinkes now of the cup of wrath because shee hath long drunke of the cup of sundry great abominations The generall cause which is sinne wee all acknowledge It were a happinesse to know the speciall according unto that Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas But such a spirit of discerning God gives not unto all They themselves best know their owne waies case and state and therefore wee may leave it unto them to consider of the speciall causes whom it most concernes But who will not feare the Lord and glorifie his Name who onely is holy and whose judgements are made manifest Rev. 15.4 In respect of them first let us sympathize grieve with them that grieve Rom. 12.15 and weepe with them that weepe We are all members of one and the same mysticall body whereof Christ is head Our peace and security is in a great measure bound up in theirs their troubles may increase ours as they have already occasioned many feares cares and expences Witnesse the great levie of souldiers at some times and not a little chargeable Embassages from our King and State Next of all we are to pray for them that God would restore peace and make up all breaches Giving the Lord no rest untill hee make Ierusalem the praise of the earth Abraham interceded long for Sodome how much more ought we to do the like for them And yet further as we have ability and opportunity we ought to help and succour them ministring to their necessities receiving of their profugates and intertaining them into our bosomes when they fly from their owne to us Many of ours found among them a shelter from the storme in our Marian daies and doe still no doubt blesse God for our peace notwithstanding their owne warres In respect of our selves there be many instructions which we may learne from the Lecture of their calamities No privileges can finally secure a sinfull people for what have wee to glory in that they had not The seedes of all their evills are sowne in our fields There be likewise divers duties that wee should abound in the more In repentance lest we bring upon our selves the like In prayer that God would blesse our state and government that by the wisdome thereof we may be led along in such waies as may propagate our peace unto posterity In patience under those chastisments which we suffer Though the hand of God hath long beene upon many Cities and Townes and his Arme be stretched out still upon some of them yet is our misery happinesse in comparison of theirs If a gentle plague alone have affrighted us all What would Sword and Famine with it doe There be also some sinnes in speciall which wee ought to repent of as drunkennesse prophanation of the Lords Day and other holy festivalls rash oathes quickely made and as quickly broken together with Sacriledge all which are most notorious not among them alone but among our selves also This we should doe but what doe wee Wee put farre away the evill day and cause the seat of violence to come neere We drinke wine in bowles and anoint our selves with the chiefe ointments but are not grieved for the afflictions of Ioseph Amos 6.3 6. This is no small sinne and if once the day of our visitation come a small chastisement on Gods part will not be all Oh that wee would consider the Vialls of Gods wrath are pouring forth as well on his owne Churches for correction as on their adversaries unto destruction Who knows how fast the day may passe round Gods arrowes are all fleet The curse of God goeth forth over the face of the whole earth Zacch 5.3 If the sinnes of Sodome be found in Samaria and the sinnes of Samaria in Ierusalem they shall all pledge each other for God is no respecter of persons Are there no drunkards but in Germany Or doth God hate sinne in them alone What are we that God should alwaies spare us Many cry Peace Peace and I with the Prophet Ieremy say Amen The Lord doe so the Lord performe the words of them which prophesie of nothing but good Ier. 28.6 But it s good to remember that of the Apostle when they cry Peace Peace c. Gloss ordin in Ier. 7.12 Quicquid illi populo fecit Deus timeamus cum nos similia faciamus Yet no such clouds blessed be God arise over our heads as those wherewith her horizon is darkened But stormes arise suddenly God creates good and evill brings both when there is no appearance or cause of suspicion Not to feare is cause enough to be affraid if wee could so reflect upon our selves As God brings light out of darknesse so darknesse out of light How faire rose the Sunne upon Sodome that day it rained fire and brimstone How poore a thing was a cloud like a mans hand to prognosticate abundance of raine by But I must manum de tabula Well then reade on reade and spare not reade and consider reade and weepe imagine the Booke to be Germany

it selfe their case ours and our soules in their soules stead Do as Nehemiah did when he heard of the state of Ierusalem and the Temple therein He sate downe and wept mourned and fasted certaine daies and prayed before the Lord God of Heaven Neh. 1.4 Would we but doe the like for our selves and them God would assuredly restore their peace and continue ours for which I shall ever heartily pray and so rest A well-wisher to all the Churches of God Imprimatur Haec Epistola Samuel Baker London Ian. 22. 1637. CHAP. I. EVills of Punishment are Gods the evill of Sinne is wholly ours Whatsoever was the impulsive cause of his iudgements our wholesomest use is to attribute them to our sins to greater sins greater Iudgements seeing God seemeth to observe a proportion to our deserts for Ezek. 14.21 the Prophet speaks of foure sore Iudgements that is greater and more grievous than the rest famine sword pestilence and the noysome beast With these hath he lately visited some nations especially Germany before a large populous fertile and flourishing Countrey What shall we say were their sinnes greater than ours No but except we repent what may we expect the sinnes of Sodome were pride idlenesse and fulnesse of bread and such they acknowledge theirs to have beene I have seene their peasants served in plate they slept with downe-beds above and under them their stoves kept them insensible of the winters cold they ate no dish of meate without his sauce their plenty of corne and wine milke and honey fish and flesh did equall that of any other nation whatsoever A little labour brought them in much delicacy of living made them incompassionate of others sufferings and security blinded them that they could not see the storme a comming Thus while they swim in fulnesse and pleasure the Iudgement that slept was suddenly awaked and the fire of war was kindled in all their coasts which blowne with the bellowes of exasperated spirits hath depopulated their Land and consumed their dwellings to the ground all lieth desolate the vineyards are not dressed nor the fields tilled the sword is every where drunke with blood Famine killeth more than the sword and the pestilence with other Epidemicke diseases warres attendants devoure their part also and which is worst of all there is yet no end of these things the blazinge starre 1617 burgers and ministers releued in prisson a diuine tortured with a Catt CHAP. II. Of Extortions and exactions TO beginne with warre which beganne the rest who knoweth not that this mercilesse fury hath there plaied the tyrant ever since that burning Beacon the blazing starre gave them the alarme 1617. which the best Astrologers expounded the sword of Germany A prophecie I have seene long since written in a Booke which belonged to a canonick of Nimegon and now in the Library at Zutphen that a time should come when one Frederike should be King and then should the Princes of Germany the Nobility of Bohemia and the people of both be oppressed and warre rage beyond all precedent of former ages this if ever is now fulfilled in our daies And if in such disorder it may be possible I will observe this order in speaking thereof first extortions and exactions secondly tortures and torments thirdly rape and ravishing fourthly robbery and pillaging fifthly blood-shed and killing sixthly burning and destroying These shall be the scenes of this first act Famine and pestilence shall stand for the other acts of this direfull tragedy in which as no action or passion was simple or single so can I not but with intermixtion and confusion rehearse them For the first as no province or part of Germany can boast of her freedome from these miseries though some have beene more free than others so is there no Prince nor State which hath not suffered herein no City no Towne almost no person Every halfe yeeres every moneths yea weekes relation telleth us of hundreds thousands millions of rix dollars or guldens imposed exacted extorted by the Conquerors or spoylers for the redemption of mens lives or liberties goods or dwellings c. Strange and impossible oft-times have the ransomes beene with which they have taxed the Burgers at the taking in of townes And that they might have their wills in this kinde they have called the Magistrates and Burghers into the State-houses threatned imprisoned or otherwise abused them till they condescended At Gryphenberg they kept the Senators shut up in a chamber of the common hall macerating and tormenting them so long with hunger and smoake that some of them dyed Wee left in Heydelberg Castle many Burgers to this their mercy and divers reverend Ministers who were imprisoned and fed with bread and water till the charity of the reformed Churches could relieve them Presently after they at Frankendale surrendring the towne upon necessity could not enioy the articles granted them by the enemy But were together with the grave Counsellours and other Electorall Ministers forced to endure such conditions as were fitter for slaves and dogges than men Some were cast into prison and there so handled that many of them dyed through griefe and sorrow Others though altogether exhausted redeemed themselves with unreasonable ransomes The goods of those that were fled were confiscated all the inhabitants though they were willing to leave their houses with all their furniture were detained in the City and their destruction most cruelly plotted after like manner have others beene dealt with contrary to all oathes and promises yea contray to the lawes of nations and common faith twisted out there eyes Raced offe there skinne with knifes hanging vp in the smoke blood sprouted at fingers end plaining there faces pisse poured downe there throates CHAP. III. Of Tortures and Torments NOt to insist on these looke we upon the cruelties which the licentious Souldier hath exercised upon the persons of the inhabitants without respect of age sex dignitie calling c. and we shall rather thinke them banditos or renegado's than men of armes rather monsters than mankinde Nor Turkes nor Infidels have so behaved themselves Even Princes sacred persons though they never bore armes as the old Landgrave of Hessen and others yea some of the female sex as the old Dutchesse dowager of Wirtenberg have beene without any regard or pitty taken prisonors reviled abused Aronibeus reporteth from the Letters of the D. of Saxony that some of Tillies Souldiers caused his Subiects to be tortured by halfe strangling them and pressing their thumbes with wheeles His Souldiers and those of Walsten exercised yet greater cruelties in Pomeren and thereabouts They made the people by force to eate their owne excrements and if they would not they thrust them downe their throats and so choaked some of them Whom they thought to have hidden gold or other wealth they have assyed by exquisite torments to make them confesse Yea Princely personages have suffered like cruelty in this kinde with meaner folke They have wound and tied about the heads

having done the like 〈◊〉 commanded them all to bee hanged but because they were not all alike guilty they cast lots for their lives and every tenth man died Some have leaped into rivers into walls or killed themselves because they would not bee subiect to the filthy lusts of these hell-borne furies Not onely sicke and weake maids and women have beene violated till they died but these wretches have committed like filthinesse with the dead bodies Marchants Rob●● and 〈◊〉 persons priuelegdd Rifled Diuines cutt in peaces CHAP. V. Of robbery and pillaging NO man can now passe any where in Dutch-land but he is robbed stripped perhaps killed The Merchants of Frankford Nurenberg Lipzig Hamburg c. have had too woefull experience hereof witnesse of infinite this one instance The Merchants of Basil returning from the Mart at Strasburg and other Faires to goe to Shoffehausen were set upon by the Imperialists in their lodging and though they offered to prove themselves Merchants and craved their lives upon their knees yet they killed ten of them saying they must die because they were heretickes The rest leaving their goods and garments behind escaped by flight starke naked in the night The very Convoyes which waite on those that travell to guard them are oftentimes as bad almost as a strange enemy They watch all occasions to take from them what they have their money and goods their horses as they goe to watering or out of the stables in the night spoyle their wagons when they make a stand rifle and strippe and meanest persons if they straggle from the company and so they served us all the way from Heydelberg to Hessen-land that wee knew not which was worse our friend with us or our enemy behinde us Two Countesses of great nobility with their faire daughters and followers in distresse were entertained by us in the Castle of Heydelberg the one immediately before the other in the time of the siege When our hope of subsisting began to faile they went away with the enemies pasport Notwithstanding which they were by them robbed and rifled in their coaches of all they had not sparing the very garments that covered them The priviledged persons of royall Embassadours their goods and followers cannot be secured from them witnesse this yeere the shamefull plundering of the Danish Embassadour What quarter they give to the traveller the like or worse they afford the inhabitants If they escape with their lives this is all and well too when the time hath beene that one might have travelled safe from the one end of Germany to the other with a white rodde in his hand and an hundred pound in his purse Indeed they robbe one another every where out of their quarter nor are they fellow souldiers any longer when they have opportunity to play the theeves Nor God nor divell doe they acknowledge but when they sweare nor is any thing so vile but they will doe it Priests slaine at Altars Altars Croats eate Children Noses eares Cut of to make hatbandes CHAP. VI. Of Bloodshed and killing AS for killing this is the least of all the rest Death puts an end to all miseries onely they that survive are oft-times the worse for want of them that are dead To report the blood-shed of this warre would be incredible Alsted saith that before the King of Swedens comming it had consumed no lesse than 100000 If this be true what hath it done since how many millions have miserably perished they have sometimes killed one another and among other precedents this is not least remarkeable that Gourdon and Lesley Scotch Colonels with Colonell Butler the Irish man who killed Walstein the Count of Tirskie and other Imperiall officers then readie to revolt to the Swedish partie are now this yeere after the same manner hurt or killed themselves as is written by Gallas his followers upon a dispute about that former businesse a document for all strangers to take heede how they collogue with those monsters in such dangerous actions who love the treason but hate the traitor The crueltie of the Soulder towards the inhabitants of those Countries is inexpressible Persons secular and sacred have had the same measure Neere Fryburg Holck his Souldiers cut in pieces a reverend Minister a man of rare learning and piety The dogs would not licke his blood nor touch his flesh So his friends buried his mangled members At Landshood in Bavier the Souldier entring by force killed not onely all they found in armes but the innocent inhabitants yea the very Priests kneeling at the Altars and divers other instances of like nature I could produce Now what may the poore peasant and countrey-dwellers expect to kill them if they resist or refuse them any thing is but ordinary in this warre among the Imperialists is a base sort of rascally horse-men which serve them and are called Croats The tenth part of them are not of that Countrey for they are a miscellanie of all strange nations without God without religion and have onely the outsides of men and scarce that too They make no conscience of murthering men or women old or young yea the very innocent babes and like the beasts among whom they are bred do sometimes eate them when other food might be found the poore people have by these beene every where knocked downe in the fields and waies slaughtered stabbed tortured barbarously Their fellow souldiers are not much behind them having some where left such foot-steps of their cruelty that there scarce remaine living to relate the sufferings of the dead I have seene them beat out the braines of poore old decrepid women as in sport and commit other outrages of like nature which my brevity will not permit me to relate It is now grown so usuall with the poore people to see one slaine before anothers face that as though there were no relation no affection of neighborhood kindred or friendship among them none compassionateth almost none cryeth out oh my father or oh my brother As for quarter that is mercy and the saving of the lives of the vanquished when they begge it on their knees the vanquishers have been oft times inhumane The Croats till of late never gave any quarter but killed whatsoever enemy they had at their mercy The like did the Curlins the regiment of hell receive pay of them of Gaunt and Bruges to bring the nose and eares of their enemies away to their Masters Tilly after the defeate of the Duke of Brunswicke at Heuxt on the Maine drew out of that towne threescore poore Souldiers and caused them all to be killed in the cold blood before the gate saying that he sacrificed them to Count Mansfield their master I could weary my reader with these examples But I forbeare 2000 villages burnt in Bauaria No tillange nor Breding Cattell But dringe all in to Citties CHAP. VII Of burning and destroying FOr burning pulling down and ruining of Churches Cities Villages the like hath not been heard The Swedish

army burned above 2000 Villages in Bavaria in revenge of the Palatine cause But their enemies spare neither foes nor friends What goodly houses of the Nobility and Gentry shall you there see fallen downe or so defaced as is scarce reparable without building new From what quarter soever the army riseth they will be sure to leave some dwellings in the ashes some in the smoake To that passe it is now come that every one that is a man betaketh himselfe to armes There is now no other aboad but some campe no other plow to follow no other imployment but the warre for hee that is not an actor with the rest must needs be a sufferer among the miserable patients No tilling of the land no breeding of cattell for if they should the next yeere the souldiers devoure it Better to sit still than to labour and ler others reape the profits Hence an universall desolation Part of the people swarme as banished in strange Countries as I have observed in Suisse at Lausan Berne Basil c. in France in Italy especially the Venetian Territories From Basil to Strasburg from Strasburg to Heydleberg from thence to Marpurg I scarce saw a man in the fields or Villages Little better shall a man finde it that travelleth from the Kingdome of France to the middle of Bohemia from the Alpes above Auspurg to the Baltique Sea a square of land little lesse than thrice all Great Britaine Onely here and there as the land hath rest the dwellers returne But alas the farre greater part are extinguished by warre misery or length of time Eateing dead horses Fowles eate the dead CHAP. VIII Of Famine FAmine commeth next in place a thing so grievous that David preferred the pestilence in his choice To see men slaine by the sword or die of contagious diseases is not yet so grievous as to see them die of famine or kill to eate one another In Samaria besieged by Benhadad K. of Syria the famine was so great that an Asses head was sold for 80. pieces of silver and the fourth part of a cab of Doves dung forfifty pieces of silver Two women covenanted to eate their children successively and when they had boyled and eaten the one the other woman hid hers In the siege of Ierusalem mice ratts and hides were good meate and women did dresse and eate their owne children the smell whereof drew others that were hunger-starved to come to share with them But that Cities not besieged and a Countrey naturally fertile should bee so ruined as not to bee able for so long a time to afford bread to a poore remnant of people but that they must be faine to eate carian yea dead men yea one another living this is pityfull this is unheard of Had I not beene provided of Viaticum at my comming out of Suisse famine had arrested mee in Germany for there was not any where meate for money The Italians and Spaniards which had been at the skirmish at Nortlingen and without armes wandred among the Duke of Lorraines troupes at Nyburg and Brisac were so black and feeble through hunger that had I not given them part of my provision I thinke they had rent mee in pieces and eaten mee Travelling from Nieustadt toward Frankendale in a snowie day I met unexpected the army of Duke Bernard whose stragling fore-runners came riding vp to me by couples and when I looked for a worse errand asked only for bread which my guide gave them so long as wee had any From thence to Manheime and Heydleberg many dead men lay strewed on the way especially on the fire places which perished through cold and want Before wee were besieged last time in Heydleberg Castle some of my patients almost recovered of their diseases sent mee word they were dying of famine as indeed they did except our canon helped to shorten their miseries For being immediately shut up we shot into the towne night and day almost uncessantly Our souldiers at the first killed more horses on a day than they could eate lest they should famish for want of hay and those they threw out of the Castle downe the rocke which the enemy in the night drew into the towne though some in so doing were slaine by our shot and so they ate our horse flesh also our Serieant Maior sallied with fifty men upon the enemy being 300. entrenched on the hill on the East side of the Castle and beate them out of their workes Many were slaine some broke their necks downe the rocks but which equallized the victory the valiant Maior was shot dead Our souldiers being masters of the trench fell to ransacke the enemies knapsackes which they had left behind them But there was nothing in them save our horse flesh which every day grew scarser with us so that now we killed the horses which stood fasting and sleeping on the dung-hill not out of compassion but necessity Another Serieant Maior had two very faire horses shut up our souldiers tooke the one and ate him hee thinking to make sure the other stapled him to the wall with a strong chain and a padlock but they espying their opportunity cut off the horses necke left the head in the chaine and carried away the body and ate it At length dogs and carian came into request wee could smell our meat afarre off and on the table it was yet more loathsome the taste did answer the smell yet we ate it savourly but our bread at last failing we yeelded to necessity Carion Sould in the Market As Dogges Rattes Tyteinge for Carion CHAP. IX Of Famine THe armies now every where over-ranne the Countrey devoured both Corne and Cattell so they that had goods left offered to give all for a little belly-timber But not so obtaining it they were faine to lie upon the streets and high waies a thing not usuall with them and to crave for Gods sake wherewith to refresh their dying soules But no sooner had they swallowed what was given them but they fell downe and died Memorable is that story which Reinmannus recordeth of the Famine in Alsatia the last yeere which is at this present yet worse Valentine of Engelin a Citizen of Rufack with the dead-burier delivered unto the Magistrate upon their oathes that Anne the daughter of Iohn Ehstein confessed unto them that she came from Colmar where shee had waited many daies before the hangmans doore in hope to get a piece of hors-flesh to satisfie her hunger But not prevailing she was now come to Rufack entreating them that if there was the body of any young man or woman unburied that they would give it her to eate to preserve her life And that two women a boy did after the same manner speake unto them telling them that they had for a long time lived of dead mens flesh which being published the Cloyster of the Church-yard of St. Nicholas where the dead bodies were kept was locked up Lastly that foure young maides had cut