punishments wherewith since it appeared the secure world hath â—in soundly whipped and severely corrected â—ea the great Miseries and Calamities which poore dilacerated Germany hath since its appearance â—elt and found are as unspeakable as deplorable â—ardly to bee lively delineated by mans tongue or pen. For that is now compleatly if not too fully effected which is spoken of in Comets that never did a Comet appeare which was not accompanied with much evill and miserie And Claudianus the Poet writ thus of their operations Bellacanunt ignes subitosque tumultus Et elandestinis surgentia fraudibus arma Civiles etiam motus cognataque bellâ— Significant Thus englished They shew fierce wars fire sword sudain broyles And by clandestine craft fast springing toyles Uncivill-civill jarres and home-bred flames They signifie c. Pontanus also writes thus of them Ventorum quoque certa dabune tibi signa Cometae Etâ—am belli motus feraque arma minantur Magnorum clades populorum funera Reâ—â—â— Comets are certaine signes of future things Kings Threatning fierce Wirres much blood and death of Of the estate coâ—aitió of this our present Comet ancient Astrologians have thus written Verba docent et signa monent et poena probabit Nisubitò in melius vitam convertimus 〈◊〉 Words teach signes preach and punishments make That want of true repentance proves our bane plain Which altogether the following yeers being fulfilled verified is notable to all the Christian world to take warning by and to declare the misery Wâ— after this appearing blazing Comet Germany felt would require many volumes How many fruitfull Countries Dominions and Territories are through these last warres totally ruinated the Cities Towns and Villages therein spoiled and made pillars of fire and smoke the Churches lying desolate the woods being cut down the earth untilled and lying waste The bloody and cruell dealing of inhumane souldiers especially of the Crabats in many goodly Townes and Cities is scarce credible which furiously have plundered the places torturing the Inhabitants most barbarously ravished women even to death powred dunghill-water and vineger into the throats of men and women tyed chains and cords about their heads and have twisted them so hard that they have fallen down dead upon the ground some are hanged up by the privy memberâ— sâ—wed off the legs of some rubbed off the flesh from the legs of others to the very bones tyed the armes of others backwards and so hanged them up by those distorted parts drew many through the streets of the Cities starke naked brake and wounded them with axes and hammers and generally used them with such barbarous cruelty that many begged to be shot or slain instantly rather than to live and be partakers of such misery Some they have rosted alive and sacked the Cities miserably that they spoiled what they could not carry away All the corn and provision of victuals have they taken away with them and left the places so bare that many of the best rank for the space of 8. dayes after saw not one bit of bread but were glad to feed upon roots and water spâ—iled the Inhabitants of their garments exposed them to that nakednesse that neither man woman nor childe have had clothes to put on No man indeed can be ignorant of the miserable condition of all Germany No man can think of it without a sorrowfull heart none that hath not put on the Stoicks stupidity can heare it without compassion Such civill warres were never without strange prodigies and this as in the beginning it was threatned by this said Comeâ— so in the continuance the uncouth condition thereof was still made apparent by those strange things which happened out of the common course of Nature which I shall endeavour to declare as followeth Aâ—no 1619. in the moneth of December the water which doth runne through Sixto a Citie in Hungaria where in the yeer 1588. an exceeding greâ—t battell was fought betwixt the Turks and Christians turned to bloud and the ice therein was likewise bloud-red which at many places was transported This perhaps hath been a fore-runner of the bloody encounters and skirmishes which happened afterwards 1621. in the same places and thereabouts betwixt the Imperialiâ—â—s and Bethlem-Gabors Army where Bethlem-Gabor fought a bloudy battell against the Imperialists under Generall Bucqnoy and rowted their whole Army and put to the sword above 2000. of them upon the place About Midsummer Anno 1620. another hard conflict happened neere the Citie Sixto where Bethlem-Gabor lost 600. men and on the Imperiall side some 400. amongst which was the Marquis Palavâ—â—ino an Imperiall Commander Seene at Groningen A great Blassing Starre and 2 Armies onein the North totherin the South and the Northern Army beaten 1619 At wien water turned into blood for 8day es and 3 Sunnes and 3 Rainbowes in the Skie 1619 In the same moneth December Anno 1619. at Groningen in the Dukedome of Brunswick appeared a great blazing Starre and two Armies one in the East the other in the North fighting against each other in the Heaven so long till the Army of the North was slaine and defeated This islued out Anno 1626. the 25. of August where few leagues from this place a fore battell was fought betwixt the King of Denmark and the Imperiall Generall Tilly in which the King lost the field and 4000. of his Army were slaine and taken prisoners amongst them were also slaine 4. Danish Colonels and a Landgrave of Hessen Of the Imperialists lost their lives some 3. or 400. upon the place We will not speak much of another conflict which happened in the same Dukedome when the fore-mentioned Starre was seen where 500 were slaine upon the place neere Calinberg nor of the bloody massacre done by the Imperialists in the Citie of Munden in the said Dukedome where 2500. Citizens and Souldiers were put to the sword most miserably by the Imperialists the 27. of August Anno. 626. At Wien in Austria the water in the Ditch was to bee seene like blood for the space of 8. dayes likewise 3. Rainbowes appeared and 3. Sunnes in the Heaven in the beginning of April Anno. 1619. here in the same place and City and in the same yeere the 25. of October a great and bloody fight was at the Donaw-bridge in the same Towne of Wien betwixt the Bohemians and Generall Bucquey in which encounter were slaine on the Imperiall side 4500. and of the Bohemians some 1000. and a great many wounded which were brought with Waines into the Hospitals of Wien Anno 1620. about the moneths of April some strange fignes and prodigies of future misety appeared in Polonia where it rayned blood in so much that the drops of them fell abundantly downe from the tops of the houses whose signification not long after was thâ—s that the Tartarians with an Army of 40000. men invaded Polonia with such cruelty as is scarce credible killing in one place more then 3000. of the
man can be ignorant how the people and inhabitants of that Country have been tortured for their money had their cattell driven away their houses firedand and all commers driven out of the same Country The Souldiers neither observed martiall discipline nor morall honesty neither keeping the Lawes nor fearing God Virgins and women have been ravished upon the high altars And if the weekely contribution were not payed at the Souldiers pleasure then the inhabitants were presently spoyled or killed of them Strange was that Thunderclap which fell at Brig in Silesia wherein the Immediate power of God appeared A thunder Bolt about mid-day May the 29. Anno 1628. fell upon one of the Churches of the same Towne broke downe the doore slew a poore woman in the porch as she was praying wounded in its course many poore women and children After this the same thunderbolt rowted towards the Church in the Suburbs struck the Minister as he was reading doing him no more harme but that it singed the haire of his head nor the people which fell down and prostrated themselves to the Earth at the instant A strange thunder fell upon the Church at Sagan another Towne in Silesia the 13. October in the same yeare whence it burst forth by a window attended with such winds raine haile stormes and tempests that it tore up the Trees by the very roots blasted the Herbs and fruit-Trees and so harrowed the Country for a league about that the losse was esteemed of a great summe of money I can onely say with the Prophet it is the glorious God which makes the Thunder marvellous are his works and that my soule knoweth right well Besides this Thunder and tempest afterwards appeared just over the Church fiery beames like a sword and a rod the Bells in the steeple began to sound and ring without helpe of man and 3. miles of the heavens for the space of an houre seemed open and fiery Betwixt this Towne Sagan and Steinaw both situated in Silesia a hot skirmish happened the 17. of August in the yeare 1632. following where the S wedes and Saxons forces came before the Imperiall leaguer under Don Balthasar di Maradas consisting of 12000. men The Swedes cruelly with 20. peeces of Ordnance thundred both upon the Towne Steinaw and the Imperiall leaguer The Swedes and Saxons Cavalery charged and fell upon their horse quarters their horsemen after a charge or two were defeated some 4000. of their foot having thrust themselves into the Fort of the same Town In this fight were some 2000. Imperialists slaine the rest of the horse-men running towards Sweinitz and Breslaw At Griffenbery another Town betwixt Sagan and Brig in Silesia the Swedish Generall Bannier was entered in a set Battell with 15000. Imperialists under the conduct of their Generall Coloredo the 29. of Iune Anno 1634. and got a noble victory where the Imperialists lost some 4000. men slaine upon the place Another Towne in Silesia by name Olaw felt the like misery of the bloody warres with more grievous punishment After the Battell at Lignith the Saxon Army marched towards the same Towne wherein the Imperiall Governour being advertised of the Saxons comming burnt the whole Towne to the ground and betooke himselfe into the Castle from thence the Saxons did goe to Orls a lesser Towne then this in Silesia wherein the Imperiall Governour Don Iohn de Languiall yeelded to the mercy of the Saxon and was taken prisoner with his 300. Souldiers Sâ—llaw a City in Silesia suffered also much calamity and was plundered at the same time by the Souldiers in their fury For the Saxon Army though not with strong opposition tooke the same City by assault the issue on both sides was bloody A very miraculous thing happened in a Souldier at Geismar in Hassia Anno 1630. Two Souldiers lying for a safeguard in the same Towne the one at night makes his complaint to his fellow Souldier who lay with him in one bed for taking much cold to whom the other answered that he did not beleeve it in regard that his body was very hot and wet intreating him to touch and feele his side Which when he had done finding his hands exceeding wet which were as it were glued or congeled together suspected some had event First lookes upon his hands in the shadow of the Moon and apprehendeth his hands to be bloody being hereat much terrified called for a Candle who findâ— the Souldier very weake and his left side and the sheets of the bed to be bloody and whereas their indeavour was to wash off the blood of his side presently commeth forth more and more blood at length after a space of an houre it ceaseth of it selfe Three handfulls of blood or thereabout was taken out of the sheetes this with the relation of other circumstances they presented in the morning to the Captaine and Commander of those two Souldiers who enquired of him how he had felt himselfe that night the Souldier answered that he had been in great anguish of heart and was afterwards restored to his former health It cannot be concealed how many and severall Armies and Forces since have invaded this goodly Country of Hassen and especially about the time when this prodigie happened on the Souldier The 2. next yeeres after how barbanously and inhumanely the Inhabitants thereof have been used by the Imperall Army and that against all reason without any cause and besides all colour of right and justice they are yet still sensible of them and whâ—ch was worse then all this if the Prince with his poore subjects did at any time complaine or sue for justice or redresse they were but scorned and rejected for their labours contrary to all Lawes and rights of nature as also against the peace of Religion and of policy all Constitutions and Articles of the Romane Empire yea they have endured the most barbarous usage that might be in the said Country of Hassia namely in quarterings taxations burnings robberies sacking of their Townes and Villages yea also and of putting to the sword innumâ—rable innocent Subjects of all sorts During all which proceedings of the enemy and most lamentable sufferings of the Inhabitants the worst hath been of all that notwithstanding those infinite complaints prayers cryes and lamentation they were never able to obtaine any pitty of their cause or any Christian compassion towards them The Norinberg Carrier with some company in his journey towards Hamborow passing by the Towne of Coburg at night in the moneth of May Anno 1630. observed with great admiration a prodigious fire going into the Towne and out of the Towne as if some discharging of great Orduance were heard for certaine houres after this Before the Towne of Coburg Generall Wallenstein presenting his Canons in the yeare 16â—2 following the Towne being there upon entred the Dukes Pallace within the Towne fell also to the Souldiers ransacking with the rich houshold-stuffe and a great part of treasure The Towne being thus mastered
Generall signifying it would cost all their lives for that the Town-house was already undermined and the Myne filled with powder and that they certainly expected to be blown up immediatly Out of commiseration therefore to those poore people was offered another agreement unto the Governour and granted them liberty to march out with their swords onely which was accepted At Dresden Iune the 23. Anno 1634. happened another Prodigy where towards evening at five of the clocke the Sun was first seene as white as Snow and then suddainely becomming darke as if a mist went over it It appeared first in forme of a Crowne and then like a Feather red as blood in which postures when it had continued by the space of halfe an houre it returned to his orbicular shape but retained the sanguine hew till it went downe and the Moon at her rising retained the same bloody aspect till she was not to be seen in that Horison I know not whatsoever the Physiologers bable of naturall causes yet such alteration in the Heavenly and Ayry bodies is alwayes prodigious Memorable was that observation of the ancient Astrologians to this purpose Speaking of the fearfull blazing Star seene 1618. that it did presage 1. Violenta et superba Consilia dissidiâ— proditiones et rebelliones 2 Latrocinia et subsessiones viarum solicitudinem Auxietatemque Animorum 3 Regum et Principum interitum bella pestem et morbos varios 4 Religionis legum et institutorum mutationem novarum rerum inexplebilem cupiditatem I shall not dispute of the effects but expect them a Luxuriant wit may happily play on either side and presage probably good or evill to either party I dare not medle here my wish is Deus omen in hostes Convertat and my prayer shall still be Powre out thine indignation O Lord upon the Heathen and thy wrath upon them which have not called upon thy name About the midle of Iune Anno 1634. at Berlin in the marquisdom of Brandenburg it rayned Blood and Brimstone The next yeare following in the moneth of November before the gate of Itzeho a Towne in Holstein it rayned thick blood whose droppes instead of inck have represented right naturall Blood in writing How many bloody conflicts and encounters the same yeare and the next following happened betwixt these two Countries no man can fully apprehend or beleeve unlesse such as have seen it with their eyes And to avoide all other bloody passages whichhave raged most cruelly in those parts yet still in remembrance is the last bloody and sore Battell which was fought in the moneth of October Anno 1636. at Witstock in which were slaine 7000. of common Souldiers upon the place on the Saxon and Imperiall side and many others more which fell by the sword of the Swedes in the prosecution 6. whole Regiments being totally ruinated besides those great Commanders who lost their lives also namely the two Generall Majors Wilsdorp and Goliz 5. Colonels besides Rittmasters Captaines and divers Officers both of Horse and Foot 1500. prisoners taken amongst which were 170. Officers 143. Cornets and Ensignes 14. peeces of Ordnance and 8000. Wagons were lest to the Swedish conquerours Of the Swedes were also slaine upon the place of Battell 1000. and upwards amongst which there were of account two Colonels 4. Lieutenant Colonels and sundry Ritmasters Captaines and under officers At Mâ—lnick where the Randevouz of the Saxon Army was in time of prayer Iuly the 24. Anno 1634. was a strange apparition in the Ayre which is thus delivered by Letters bearing date the same day That about evening when our Electors Chaplaine was at prayers there appeared a signe in the Skie like a fiery Beame when he had finished his course and the Lieutenant Generall Arnheim his Chaplaine did his Office there appeared another in a forme of a Scepter fiery-red just over the house where he made his sermon assoone as prayers were done and the Chaplaine had spoken Amen the signe vanished It was seene of many after this The Crabats like Vermin in a Warren worse then Bandetties have ransacked plundered and pillaged what places soever they came unto in these Countries this yeare and the other following they spared neither Noblemens Houses Churches nor Cloysters but robbed and dismembred the Country people ravished the women defloured the maids burnt the Villages and Townes and did such mischievous insolences as those Rhodopes and Dolopes would have started at Man and beast and Fowles of the Ayre all seemed now to be at an irreconciliable difference and Germany must be the stage whereupon they played their prizes at Hessen in the moneth of March Anno 1635. there met together two Armies of strange Birds which fought as it were in a set Battaile and neere Straubinge upon the Danubie multitudes of Dogges had their randevouze which fought so eagerly that the whole vicinage was not onely affrighted by the Prodigy but as if they would not admit of any agreement but such as themselves liked of when the Governour of Ratisbone had sent out against them 4. companies of his Garrison with Muskets and other Military instruments to assault and slaye them they left their hostility a strange Enemy comming upon them set upon the Souldiers and in despite of their shot and weapons devoured nine men Multitudes of Strange dogges fought so Eagerly and slew each other that the Gouerner of Ratisbone sent 4 Companies of Muskets against them and 9. of the men were slaine by the dogges The Conduit at Isenach rane blood for 2 houres together 1637 Strange Prodigies terrifying the hearts of the people while the Princes and peeres were in their jollitie in the Dyet at Ratisbone Mars and Saturne reigned abroad and warre with his grim attendants Famine Pestilence Fire and destruction also raging abroad in the Romane Empire What might happen by the fault of a carelesse or unskilfull Mason not well bedding or cementing the stones at the building of a new Steeple at Vienna was by the construction of the vulgar sort counted ominous The spire of Shotten lately built fell downe suddenly the 19. of December Anno 1636. about the time of the Coronation of the new King of Romanes at Ratisbone and demolished the new builded Church and that was made portentous the rather being accompained with another of the same time at Rome where a great blazing Starre called by the Naturalists Cometa Crinitus appeared for a space and then vanished away suddenly over S. Pauls Church with a noyse and diverse Monuments placed in the Church fell downe and were defaced utterly Now it would relish of over much boldnesse to peepe into the Arke of the Divine Secrets nor can we conclude any particular consequences to have been portended by the accidentary fall of the aforesaid new Steeple at Vienna yet doubtlesse the comet though caused by the meeting of secundary and naturall causes was the significator of what ensued about that time and not long after Within the space of a
withall if they yeelded not which the 5. October was done Neere this Friberg Holcks men who was then chiefe Commander of those Imperiall Forces taking I know not what high displeasure at a certaine Minister of the Country a man of rare learning first of all hewed him miserably in peeces with their swords and then sung him to their Dogs to bee eaten But the Dogs as astonished at such savage cruelty ô stand and wonder would not so much as touch or licke a droppe more of his blood VVhereupon his friends the next day gathered up his pieces and interred them And lest this should seeme incredible the Authour of Le soldat Suâ—dois avowes that the Crabats shewed themselves ingenious to invent new torments for the poore Inhabitants and that it was frequent with them for want of Dogs-meate to feede their Curres with humane flesh This if it may be true though the Dogs were the Man-eaters yet the Crabats surely were the Cannibals At Kempten in Swabeland a strange Prodigie and abortive was borne of a Citizens wife in the moneth of August Anno 1632. his head was altogether fat and without eares the hands stretcht out all bloody twixt the flesh and skin whose left hand held a rope the belly thereof having too prickt wounds and the left knee twice broken a corde being about it This goodly Towne was held by the Imperiall Commander Bray and being strongly besieged and many times furiously assaulted by the Swedes at the end of six dayes it was surrendred upon composition in the moneth of May in the yeare 1633. The Commander went to Reitaw where he was beheaded because he so slightly surrendred the said Towne The 18. of March Anno 1634. was this Towne of Kempten the second time taken by Gustavus Horn by assault and whereas the Imperiall Colonell with his Carrison had retyred themselves into the Castle both place and men were enforced the next day to yeeld upon hard conditions Many bloody â—â—â—irmiâ—es are fallen out about this Towne where the Imperialists were often times beaten to the very gates of Kempten What misery the yeares following this Towne felt and the Country thereabouts when it was besieged and taken by the Imperialists againe cannot well be expressed It was brought to such extremity of famine not much inferiour to that of Samaria and Ierusalem recorded in holy Scripture or Saguntus in Spaine and Perusium in Hetruria or Tuscany a Province in Italy mentioned by prophane Histories many brave Citizens out of this and the neighbour Townes were compelled by necessity to beare Armes thereby to get their lively-hood Horse-flesh was sold for high prises Dogges Cats and Vermine were as good as Venison all commerce being cut off Bread-Come was not onely at an excessive rate not to be purchased with money so that the spruce Citizens which formerly held the Country people as Boores and Clownes unfit for their society might well discerne that their labours were not to be despised their dead wares standing in no parallell of Use with the Fruit of the Field gotten by the industry of the rough handed Plow-man and the blessing of God In the moneth of February Anno 1633. at Dobenshutz a Village in the territory of Althenburg in a fish-pond sprang forth blood which caused an exceeding ill stinke so that if passengers had touched it they could not wash off the stinke in 3. dayes This Country indeed hath been this yeare and the others following lamentably ruined and plunged the Souldiers licentiousnesse exercising their wonted cruelty and beastly ravishing hath beene unheard of Many faire Townes were forced spoiled and burnt to ashes for resisting and divers of the Villages as well as the foresaid Dobenschutz put on fire and the Inhabitants thereof most miserably slaughtered Here were the women yea Ladies Gentlewomen and others like beasts and dogs yoaked and coupled together to be sent into the Woods and ravished who for resisting had their cloaths stript off their bodies whipt their eares cut off and so sent home againe Hereabout gat the Souldiers and Crabats together some thousands heads of Cattell and what beast soever could not or did not readily follow them they either houghed or killed lest as they said it should serve some hereticks The rest I omit not so much for Frevities sake as for horror not listing to relate the Barbarismes and sheddings of blood committed by the Crabats as if they had falne in not to make warres but desolations or as if they had beleeved that a Country was never thorowly conquered till it were utterly by sword and fare destroyed Gustavus Horn Swedish field-Marshall with the Rhinegrave and a Landgrave of Hessen being come to Bibrach the 6. of March Anno 1633. a portentuous Prodigie appeared about 8. clocke in the evening right over the Towne two long Swords were seene in the Ayre the one fiety the other red as blood Many hard eâ—counters fell out about this time and about this place betwixt the Swedes and Imperialists Hornes people were supposed to have killed 600. Crabats in a few dayes neere and about this Towne of Bibrach and so many of Duke de Ferias men who had a new Army of Spanish and Italians brought to aide the Imperialists dyed by the way by frost sword and famine that betwixt Vlm and Bibrach were found 1000. dead carcasses And so the Catholick Generalls were then glad to make towards Bavaria having scarce brought away the third part of their Army Spanish Jtalians Germans and Burgundians This Towne of Bibrach not long after Gustavus Horns departing was retaken by the Imperialists by assault the Garrison laying downe both Armes and Ensignes to have their bare lives saved Some moneths after foure Regiments of the Imperialists betwixt this Towne and Isne were surprised and ruinated by the Swedes which invaded their quarters tooke a Colonell with many Officers prisoners putting a great many to the sword 600. other Imperialists having been abroad were also overtaken and killed the most of them In the moneth of March Anno. 1634. Gustavus Horn besieged the City of Bibrach againe in the which lay 1300. men offering upon his first approaches a faire agreement which the Imperiall Governour of the Towne refused then planting his Ordnance hee battered the Towne so long till he won the enemies works and made a breach into the walls Then the Governour sending a Trumpet out of the Towne desired reasonable conditions else that he would defend the Towne to the last man And that first of all he would burn and blow up all the Protestant Citizens which he had already lockt up into the Towne-house and into a cellar This being refused for that he had already denyed first good offers After all this when as all things were ready for the assault and the Swedish troopes advanced towards the breach the Evangelicall Ministers together with divers women came foortâ— of the Towne making a most pitifull cry and entreaty to the Swedish