brought them home to Biscay Here the Vistiors of the Inquisition came aboard the Ship put them on Examination but by the Master's Favour and some general Answers they escaped for the present But fearing a second search they shifted for themselves and going twelve Miles by Night into France and so safely arrived in England Thus as the Psalmist speaks They which go down into the Sea and occupy in great Waters these Men see the Works of the Lord and his Wonders in the Deep Hackluit's English Voyages Vol. 3. Pag. 163. Full. Worth Pag. 282. in Devonshire 5. Dr. VVilliam Johnson late Chaplain and Subalmoner to King Charles I. going aboard from Harwich on Michaelmas-Day Sep. 29. 1648. was seized presently with a dull sadness of Spirit and was to use his own Words in a strange Anguish and Propassion so that he suffered Shipwreek in his Mind and all the terrors thereof before it came so really sick that to be drown'd in his Thoughts had been no Affliction to him After some time and not long about four a Clock in the Afternoon the Ship sprung a leak the Doctor crawled upon the Deck sees the sad Sight one fell to his Prayers another wrung his Hands a third wept after all they fell to work but in vain for the Wound was incurable At last they cast out their Long-boat shot off eight or nine Guns to give notice to the Master of the Ship that went out with them leap'd all into the Boat and in leaping the Doctor had like to have been drown'd No Mr. Cook who was Master of the Ship came to their Relief he and all his Men perished at the same time Now it blew half a Storm and they in a small Vessel many Leagues from any Shoar without Compass to guide them or Provision to sustain them starved with Cold and Night growing upon them without any thing in their Boat but a small Kettle which serv'd as a Scoop to cast the Water out and three Bags of pieces of Eight to the value of 300 l. sterling nothing to help them but their Prayers In this extremity of Danger see the Goodness of God a Ship made towards them and they with their two Oars towards it but the Sea was boisterous the Waves raging so that they were fain to keep out the Sea with their Backs sitting close to one another and to make use of their Kettle and for a long time were not able to reach the Ship nor the Ship them Tho' the good Man the Skipper hung on the Lee and did what he could to retard the Course of his Ship and hung out a Light to them at last they got into the Ship but the Doctor being weak and his Hands made useless and numb with cold and wet was left in the Boat till with the help of a Rope the Seamen pull'd him up Now they began to think over their Losses in the Shipwreck but they were not considerable when God had so graciously spared their Lives The next day Thursday it blew very fair for Norway whither their Ship was bound and about 12 a Clock at Noon they came within view of it but to escape the Rocks they thought to keep off the Coast till Morning and so sat down to eat the Doctor not having made a Meal in five Days About ten a Clock at Night when they had set their Watch and prayed with secure Thoughts they laid themselves to rest some of them upon their Bed but God appointed a harder Lodging for them such a one as for Jacob in his Journey to Padan Aram Gen. 28.11 for the Ship with full Sails ran upon a Rock and gave such a Crack that it was able to have awaken'd the most dead asleep among them The Mariners cried out Mercy Mercy Mercy the Master bid the Doctor pray for them pray for them for they should certainly perish The Ship stuck so fast in the Cleft of the Rock and brake in the hinder parts and one of the Seamen with a Rope in his Hand fastened to one of the Masts leaped from the Bow of the Ship to the Rock the rest following him 28 in number the Doctor being left alone upon the Deck began to wonder what was become of his Company and perceiving that they had all crowded to the Head of the Ship he went to see and there found a Dane who took pity on him and help'd him to get down with hird and being got down the Rope with much difficulty and danger he climb'd up on all four to his Company on the Rock Immediately the Ship began to decline and the Master being left last of all in the Ship made lamentable Moan to them to help him but too late for the Ship brake and sunk immediately and he good Man with a Light in his Hand who had been so kind in saving others but a little before was now with four of the Mariners drown'd himself Now the rest were upon a little Rocky Island unhabitable where they passed a sad Night the Country People call the Rock Arn-scare next Morning they were hungry one of the Boys brought the Doctor a Leaf of Scurvy-Grass some of them went a Fishing with a long Arm and a bended Finger and drew up some small Muscles Fresh Water was not to be had the Doctor being in a Fever was forced to lap salt Water which he still vomited up again and this he was told was both a present Cure of his Sickness and future Preservation of his Health A Danish Ship passed by but tho' they waved their Hats to them came not near them Then to their Prayers and singing Psalms after which some of them made a Raft and ventured to Sea upon it and it proved to be then a great Calm and the Goodness of God appear'd miraculous in that after the Loss of two great Ships he should save them by a swimming Plank for by this means several Shawls came rowing towards them before Night and brought Provision with them so that they got all once more to Land in Waller-Island where they were lodged in the Parson's House who was a Lutheran and shewed them no little kindness the People weeping bitterly at the Relation of their misfortunes and setting before them Meat and Drink Rye-Pancakes for Bread and good Lubeck Beer and after Sermon a doubtful Meal full of Variety in one Dish as Beef Mutton Lard Goat Roots and so many of God's Creatures that it seem'd the First Chapter of Genesis in a Dish From Ostersound they came for England in a Ship which presently had almbst fallen foul upon a Rock afterward sprang a Leak so that they were forced to pump for their Lives till at last they got safe but thro' Dangers and Troubles to Yarmouth See the Narrative it self called Deus Nobiscum with a Sermon by W. Johnson D. D. 6. Dr. Baily of St. John's Colledge in Oxford had a Son who was Servant to Sir John Robinson Alderman of London and afterwards Lieutenant of the
yet a spacious Field to turn me in having to deal with a Tribe of Men that have as much Faith as Goodness and perhaps little more and yet being to handle a Point wherein God himself hath taken care to obviate the Scruples and Infidelity of Ill Men more than in the former case where Self-Interest disposeth them to a Belief The Devil in the Serpent tempting Eve the Evil Angels sent among the Egyptians Psal 78.49 The Devil in the case of Job 's Affliction Job 1.17 19. of our Saviour Mat. 4. of the Demoniacs up and down in the Gospels c. One would think were enough to startle these Infidel Bravadoes into at least a modest fear and humble silence and suspension of Judgment But because they are so obstinate we shall here muster up a Legion of Devils to attack and out-face their Confidence and let them look to it and consider well with themselves in due time how they will be able to stand to the adventure of such a Conflict I shall not stay to tell all the Stories at large that I meet with but give a short Epitome of them enough to satisfie any People of an unbiassed Judgment and clear Intellectuals And if at last they do not surrender up their Faith I shall be ready to say as John 10.20 Themselves have Devils and are mad 1. Among the Antients we have several Stories of such Apparitions and Spectres 1. When Cassius and Brutus were to pass out of Asia into Europe and to transport their Army into the Opposite Continent and horrible Spectacle is said to appear unto Brutus in the dead of the Night the Moon not shining very bright and all the Army being in silence a black Image of a huge and horrid Body standing by him silently is said to offer itself to Brutus his Candle being almost out and he musing in his Tent about the Issue of the War Brutus askt what Man or God he was The Spirit answered O Brutus I am thy Evil Genius and thou shalt see me again at Philippi Brutus replied I will meet thee there then The Spirit disappeared but according to his Promise appeared again in the Fields of Philippi to Brutus the Night before the last Fight Plutarch in Vit. Bruit p. 1000. Camerar Medit. Hist l. 4. c. 2. The same Cassius in the very same Battel in the Field of Philippi is reported by Historians to have seen one in the shape of Julius Caesar of a more than ordinary height coming towards him on Horse-back with an angry Countenance and a forc'd Gallop to strike him which struck such a Fear into him that he turned back upon his Enemies and soon after killed himself Camerar ibid. l. 4. p. 289. 3. The like befel Cassius of Parma a renowned Poet who followed the side of Brutus and Cassius say Acron and Porphyrio being Colonel of a Regiment of Foot His Masters being dead he retired to Athens where Qu. Varus sent for that purpose by Augustus slew him But Valerius Maximus adds That whilst he was at Athens one Night being overwhelm'd with cares he thought that he saw a very great Black Man with long Hair and his Beard uncombed stand before him who being asked what he was answered I am the Evil Spirit Cassius affrighted with that fearful Countenance and so fearful a Name called aloud for his Servants ask'd if they saw such a Person come into his Chamber or go out they all swore they saw none VVhereupon he laid him down and began to take some rest but the same Phantome appeared again and so awaken'd him that he called for a Light and charged his Servants not to leave him Between this Night and his Death there passed not many Days Idem lib. 4. ex val Max. 4. Dio of Syracuse before he was killed by those that conspired against him sitting one evening very Pensive and Solitary in his Gallery a sudden Noise made him lift up his Head and looking towards the other side of the Gallery he espied a great Woman of such a Face and Dressing as one of the Furies is represented with sweeping the place upon which in great Amazement he called his Friends and wish'd them to stay with him all Night fearing the return of the Spectre A while after a young Son of his in a Transport of Passion threw himself headlong from the Top of the House and was killed Plutarch in vit Dion et ex eo Camerar medit Hist. l. 4. 5. Cornelius Sylla being in the Countrey saw an ill Spirit that called him which in the Morning he told his Friends made his Will Seal'd it in the Evening and the Night following died of a Feaver Aged Sixty Years Camerar Ibid. l. 4. Wanley's wonders c. Book 6. 6. Xerxes had a Spectre appeared twice to him in his Sleep stirring him up to make War upon the Grecians and the last time with a pair of burning Tongues in his Hands as if he would have put out his Eyes because he opposed the Counsels of War Ibid. 7. Julian the Apostate the Night before he was declared Emperour told his Friends that as he reposed himself there stood before him as it were a Genius or Familiar Spirit saying to him in pretty rough Terms Julian I have a long time without making any ado waited at thy Lodging-door desiring to make thee Great sometimes I have gone away as if no reckoning had been made of me if now thou reject me tho many are of the same mind to advance thee I will take my leave and go away very sorrowful For the rest mark this well that I will not tarry much longer with thee And a little before he was kill'd in the War against the Persians the same Genius or Demon appeared to him again all ragged and filthy to look upon with a horn of plenty in his hand covered with a Linnen Cloath walking very sadly a-long by the Hangings of his Tent. Amm. Marcell l. 20. Camerar medit Hist l. 4. Lavater de Spectr c. 12. Wanley's Wonders of the little World Book 6. p. 612. 8. Curtius Rufus being come into Africa with the Governour being yet of little Credit or Reputation walking one day at Noon in the Portico or Gallery before his House a Woman greater and fairer then ordinary appeared to him whereat he was abash'd but she said to him I will foretell thee thy Fortunes thou shalt return to Rome shalt be advanced to great Office shalt be chosen Proconsal and Governour of Africa and shalt die in that Dignity Plin. Secundus lib. 3. Epist. Camerar Ibid. Wanley c. Ibid. 9. A Woman pretending to have the Holy Ghost proved a Witch and did many VVonders She had a gift of Prayer and did Baptize and Administer the Lords Supper in the ordinary way c. Epist Firmil ad Cypr. 75. p. 238. This is much like the story of Magdalena Cracia c. 10. To come nearer to our own times as Luther was once walking in his
and out of the Town and heard a mighty noise like the Discharging of Canons Two years after which General Wallestein Assaulted this Town with Souldiers and great Guns but was so stoutly entertained by those within that after the loss of a great many of the Imperialists he was forced tho he had besieged it above Twenty Months to break up his siege and depart Surprizing Mirac of Nature p. 108. 2. In King Henry the VIII's Days there was one Mr. Gresham a Merchant of London setting Sail homewards from Palermo where dwelt at that time one Antonio called the Rich who had at one time two Kingdoms Mortgaged to him by the King of Spain and being Crossed by contrary Winds Mr. Gresham was constrained to Anchor under the Lee of the Island off from Bulo where was a Burning Mountain Now about the Midday when for a certain space the Mountain forbore to send forth Flames Mr. Gresham with eight of the Sailors ascended the Mountain approaching as near the Vent as they durst where amengst other Noises they heard a Voice cry aloud Dispatch dispatch the Rich Autonio is a coming Terrified herewith they hasted their return and the Mountain presently broke out in a Flame But from so dismal a place they made all the haste they could and desiring to know more of this matter the Winds still thwarting their course they returned to Palermo and forthwith enquiring for Antonio they found that he was Dead about the very Instant so near as they could guess when that Voice was heard by them Mr. Gresham at his return to London reported this to the King and the Mariners being called before him confirmed the same upon Mr. Gresham this wrought so deep an Impression that he gave over all his Merchandizing distributed his Estate partly to his Kinsfolk and partly to good uses retaining only a Competency for himself and so spent the rest of his days in Solitary Devotion Sands Relat. 248. 3. Knocking 's Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubrey Esq Mr. Baxter's Certainty of the Worlds of Spirits A Gentleman formerly seeming Pious of late Years hath fallen into the Sin of Drunkenness and when he has been Drunk and slept himself Sober something Knocks at his Beds-head as if one knock'd on a Wainscot when they remove the Bed it follows him besides loud Noises on other parts where he is that all the House heareth It poseth me to think what Kind of Spirit this is that hath such a care of this Man's Soul which makes me hope he will recover Do good Spirits dwell so near us Or are they sent on such Messages Or is it his Guardian Angel Or is it the Soul of some Dead Friend that suffereth and yet retaining Love to him as Dives did to his Brethren would have him Saved God keepeth yet such things from us in the Dark Three or four Days before my Father died as I was in my Bed about Nine a Clock in the Morning perfectly awake I did hear three distinct Knocks on the Beds-head as if it had been with a Ruler or Ferula Mr. Hierome Banks as he lay on his Death Bed in Bell-yard said Three Days before he died that Mr. Jennings of the Inner-Temple his great Acquaintance Dead a Year or two before gave Three Knocks looked in and said Come away He was as far from believing such things as any man 4. Mr. Brograve near Puckridge in Hertford-shire when he was a young man riding in a Lane in that Contrey had a Blow given him on his Cheek or Head He look'd back and saw that no body was near behind him anon he had such another Blow I have forgot if a Third He turn'd back and fell to the Study of the Law and was afterwards a Judge This Account I had from Sir John Penrudock of Compton-Chamberlain our Neighbour whose Lady was Judge Brograve's Neice 5. Newark has Knocking 's before Death And there is a House near Covent-Garden that has Warnings 6. At Berlin when one shall Die out of the Electoral House of Brandenburgh a Woman Drest in white Linnen appears always to several without speaking or doing any harm for several Weeks before This from Jasper Belshazer Cranmer a Saxon Gentleman Thus far I am beholding to Mr. Aubrey's Collect. CHAP. VII Discovery of Things Secret or Future by Prodigies Comets Lights Stars c. HERE I propound only to shew how God Almighty when he is doing or going to do any thing extraordinary in the World to put Nature out of its usual Course and make some greater and more remarkable Steps in his Providence He often hangs out some Flag makes some Flame of Fire his messenger or so Ruffles the Elements of the Visible World in such an unusual manner as is enough to startle Men not out of but into their Wits and make them serious and inquisitive into the Counsels of Heaven and their own Merits and Behaviour towards God and so to Humble them into Sorrow and Penitence when they see the Hand of God thus lifted up or concern'd for them 1. Before the Destruction of Jerusalem there was often seen in the Air Armies of men in Battle-array seeming to be ready to charge each other the Brazen Gate open'd of it self without being touched by any Body Joseph de Bell. Jud. l. 7. Gaffarella Part 2. c. 3. 2. A little before the time that Xerxes cover'd the Earth with his million of men there appear'd horrible and dreadful Meteors as Presages of the Evils that afterwards happened as there did likewise in the time of Attila who was call'd Flagellum Dei God's Scourge Gaffarrel unheard of Curios Part 2. Ch 3. 3. When Ambrose was a Child a Swarm of Bees settled on his Face in the Cradle and flew away without hurting of him whereupon his Father said Si vixerit infantulus ille aliquid magni erit viz. If this Child live he will be some great man Clark's Mart. of Eccl. Hist 4. In the time of Gregory the Great A. C. 600 c. The River Tsber swell'd to such an unmeasurable height that it ran over the Walls of Rome and drowned a great part of the City and brake into many great Houses overthrew divers antient monuments and Gravaries belonging to the Church carrying away many thousand measures of Wheat Presently after which Innundation came down the River an innumerable Company of Serpents with one monstrous great one as big as a Beam which when they had swam into the Sea were there choaked and their Carcasses being all cast upon the Shoar there rotted which caused such an Infection of the Air that presently a great Plague followed at Rome so that many thousands died of it Yea Arrows were visibly seen to be shot from Heaven and whosoever was stricken with them presently died amongst whom Pelagius was one then Bishop of Rome Ibid. p. 97. What the consequences of those Prodigies were I leave to the Consideration of the ingenious Reader who may easily find in Church-History
it is my Happiness to have this little Invisible Acquaintance with you I shall omit no Opportunity of troubling you with such poor Thoughts as the Lord shall give unto me of the best Things humbly wishing as for the making up the sad Differences of Religion among us the Lord would give those in Authority to weigh thatPious and Wise Discourse you have proposed as to those four great Parties in the Dedication of your Saints Rest with my unfeigned Prayers for your Health and Happiness Hist Discourse of Apparitions c. 12. March 2. 1678. At Poins-town in the County of Tepperary in Ireland were seen divers strange and prodigious Apparitions whereof take the Account as follows On Sunday in the Evening several Gentlemen and others after named walked forth in the Fields and the Sun going down and appearing somewhat bigger than ordinary they discoursed about it directing their Eyes toward the Place where the Sun fat when one of the Company observed in the Air near the place where the Sun went down an Arm of a Blackish Blue Colour with a ruddy complection'd Hand at one end and at the other end a Cross Piece with a Ring fastned to the middle of it like one end of an Anchor which stood still a while and then made Northwards and so disappeared next there appeared at a great Distance in the Air from the same part of the Sky somethings like a Ship coming towards them and it came so near that they could distinctly perceive the Masts Sails Tacklings and Men she then seem'd to tack about and sail'd with the Stern foremost Northwards upon a dark smooth Sea which stretched it self from South-west to North-west having seem'd thus to sail some few Minutes she sunk by degrees into the Sea her Stern first and as she sunk they perceived her Men plainly running up the Tacklings in the forepart of the Ship as it were to save themselves from drowning Then appear'd a Fort with somewhat like a Castle on the Top of it out of the sides of which by reason of some Clouds of Smoak and a flash of Fire suddenly issuing out they concluded some Shot to be made The Fort then immediately was divided in two Parts which were in an instant transformed into two exact Ships like the other they had seen with their Heads towards each other That towards the South seem'd to chase the other with its Stem foremost Northwards till it sunk with its Stem first as the first Ship had done the other Ship sail'd some time after and then sunk with its Head first It was observ'd That Men were running upon the Decks of these two Ships but they did not see them climb up as in the last Ship excepting one Man whom they saw distinctly to get up with much Haste upon the very top of the Bowsprit of the second Ship as they were sinking They supposed the two last Ships were engaged and sighting for they saw the likeness of Bullets rowling upon the Sea while they were both visible Then there appear'd a Chariot drawn with two Horses which turn'd as the Ships had done Northward and immediately after it came a strange frightful Creature which they concluded to be some kind of Serpent having a Head like a Snake and a knotted Bunch or Bulk at the other end something resembling a Snail 's House This Monster came swiftly behind the Chariot and gave it a sudden violent Blow then out of the Chariot leaped a Bull and a Dog which followed him and seem'd to bait him These also went Northwards as the former had done the Bull first holding his Head downwards then the Dog and then the Chariot till all sunk down one after another about the same place and just in the same manner as the former These Meteors being vanished there were several Appearances like Ships and other things The whole time of the Vision lasted near an Hour and it was a very clear and calm Evening no Cloud seen no Mist nor any Wind stiring All the Phoenomena came out of the West or South-west and all moved Northwards they all sunk out of Sight much about the same place Of the whole Company there was not any one but saw all these things as above-written whose Names follow Mr. Allye a Minister living near the place Lieutenant Dunslervile and his Son Mr. Grace his Son-in Law Lieutenant Dwine Mr. Dwine his Brother Mr. Christopher Hewelson Mr. Richard Foster Mr. Adam Hewelson Mr. Bates a School-master Mr. Larkin Mrs. Dunslervile Her Daughter-in-Law Her Maiden Daughter Mr. Dwine's Daughter Mrs. Grace her Daughter 13. Ostenta or Portents Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubrey Esq How it comes to pass I know not but by Ancient and modern Example it is evident that no great â—ccident befalls a City or Province but it is presaged by Divination or Prodigy 14. There was a strange Phenomenon seen at Broad-Chalk in Wiltshire on the First Day of May 1647. It continued from about Eleven a Clock or before till Twelve It was a very clear Day but few did take notice of it because it was so near the Sun-Beams My Mother happened to espy it going to see what a Clock it was by an Horizontal Dial and then all the Servants saw it Upon the like occasion Mr. Jo. Sloper B.D. Vicar there saw it and all his Family and the Servants of Sir George Vaugham then Fellow of Falston who were Hunting on the Downes saw it The next remarkable thing that follow'd was that on the Third of June following Cornet Joyce carried King Charles I. Prisoner from Holdenby to the Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight lieth directly from Broad-Chalk at the X a Clock Point 15. There was seen at Bishops Lamington in Wiltshire in Sept. 1688. Two Balls of Light They were about Eleven Degrees above the Horizon by the Quadrant observed by Mr. Robert Blea one of the Earl of Abingdon's Gentlemen CHAP. VIII Discovery of Things Secret or Future by Dreams and Visions I Would not be so Superstitious or Phanatic as to lay a Stress upon all Dreams as if they were significative is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor so Prophane as to range all under the Notion of meer Natural or Fortuitous The Dreams of Joseph Pharoah Nebuchadnezzar Joseph in the New-Testament Pilate's Wife c. had certainly something of Divinity in them and may be reasonably supposed to be infused by good Angels But are those all Were men to see Visions and dream Dreams no longer when life and Immortality were brought to light thro' the Gospel Let these instances which follow be well weighed and let the Judicious Reader judge as he please 1. Polycarp having been at Prayer three Days before his Apprehension and afterwards fallen asleep he saw in a Vision by Night the Pillow under his Head set on fire and suddenly consumed to Ashes which when he awaked he interpreted it to be meant of his martyrdom Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 2. Ireneus in his 2d Book
Heaven O might my Days be lengthned so that I Might sing of thy great deeds before I die See how all things do their Joy and Gladness shew For that Age which is ready to ensue The Thracian Orpheus should not me o'recome Nor Linus though his Parents heard the Son If Pan Arcadia Judging strive with me Pan should Arcadia Judging Conquered be CHAP. XIII Of Prophets WE have frequent mention made of Prophets and Prophecying in the New as well as the Old Testament by which Divines do generally understand Preachers and Preaching and I believe they are partly in the right But I Query if or no the common Notion be deep and extensive enough For with an humble Deference to my Superiors and Betters I am of Opinion that Preachers cannot otherwise with any Propriety of Speech be call'd Prophets than as they are Authorized and Enabled by God Almighty to foretel their respective Flocks and particular Members of the Church they are concerned with what is like to be their future Doom in this partly but especially in the other World And this from their deep Contemplations of God's revealed Decrees their Study of Sacred Scriptures and the Refinedness and Soundness of their Judgments and withal if Men of a Sincere Piety and Devotion from the especial Communications of the Spirit of Grace And if there be any Probability in this 't is no wonder if we find Prophecying not quite ceased amongst us 1. Valentine the Emperor being slain in France and Eugenius nominated Emperor in his room Theodosius the Elder being very sorry and considering how dangerous a War lay before him yet thinking it a great Dishonour to suffer such an Action to go unpunished he muster'd up his Army and with all possible Speed marched against the Conspirators but as a good and holy Christian he first betook himself to Fasting and Prayer seeking unto God the Giver of Victory for Success in his Enterprize requesting the Prayers of other Holy Men also whereof one oâ— them sent him Word that he should have the Victory but should die in Italy and never return again to Constantinople He obtained the Victory fixed himself afterwards at Millain where he lived for some Years and there died Clark in his Life 2. Anno Christi 1279. there lived in Scotland one Thomas Lermouth a Man very greatly admired for his foretelling of Things to come He may justly be wondred at for foretelling so many Ages before the Union of the Kingdom of England and Scotland in the Ninth Degree of Bruce's Blood with the Succession of Bruce himself to the Crown being yet a Child and many other things which the Event hath made good The day before the Death of King Alexander he told the Earl of March that before the next Day at Noon such a Tempest should blow as Scotland had not felt many Years before The next morning proving a clear day the Earl challenged Thomas as an Imposter he replied That Noon was not yet past about which time a Post came to inform the Earl of the King 's sudden Death and then said Thomas This is the Tempest I foretold and so it shall prove to Scotland as indeed it did Spotwood's Hist of Ch. of Scotland l. 2. p. 47. Clark's Mir. c. 101. p. 467. 3. Duncan King of Scots had two principal Men whom he employ'd in all Matters of Importance Mackbeth and Banquho these two travelling together thro' a Forest were met by three Witches Weirds as the Scots call them whereof the first making Obeysance unto Mackbeth saluted him Thane that is Earl of Glammis the second Thane of Cander and the third King of Scotland This is unequal Dealing said Banquho to give my Friend all the Honour and none unto me to which one of the Weirds made answer That he indeed should not be King but out of his Loyns should come a Race of Kings that should for ever rule the Scots And having thus said they all vanished Upon their Arrival to the Court Mackbeth was immediately created Thane of Glammis and not long after some new Service requiring new Recompence he was honour'd with the Title of Thane of Cander Seeing then how happily the Prediction of the three Weirds fell out in the two formea he resolved not to be wanting to himself in fulfilling the third He therefore first killed the King and after by reason of his Command amongst the Soldiers he succeeded in his Throne Being scarce warm in his Seat he called to Mind the Prediction given to his Companion Banquho whom hereupon suspecting as his Supplanter he caused to be killed together with his whole Posterity only Fleance one of his Sons escaping with no small difficulty into Wales freed as he thought of all Feat of Banquho and his Issue he built Dunsinan Castle and made it his ordinary Seat afterwards on some new Fears consulting with his Wizzards concerning his future Estate he was told by one of them that he should never be overcome till Bernane-Wood being some Miles distant came to Dunsinan-Castle and by another that he should never be slain by any Man which was born of a Woman Secure then as he thought from all future Dangers he omitted no kind of Libidinous Cruelty for the space of eighteen Years for so long he tyranniz'd over Scotland But having then made up the Measure of his Iniquities Mackduffe the Governour of Fife with some other good Patriots privily met one Evening at Bernane-Wood and taking every one a Bough in his Hand the better to keep them from Discovery marched early in the Morning towards Dunsinan-Castle which they took by Storm Mackbeth escaping was pursued by Mackduffe who having overtaken him urged him to the Combat to whom the Tyrant half in Scorn returned That in vain he attempted to kill him it being his Destiny never to be slain by any that was born of a Woman Now then said Mackduffe is the fatal end drawn fast upon thee for I was never born of a Woman but violently cut out of my Mother's Belly which so daunted the Tyrant tho' otherwise a Valiant Man that he was easily slain In the mean time Fleance so prosper'd in Wales that he gain'd the Affection of the Prince's Daughter of the Country and by her had a Son call'd Walter who flying Wales return'd into Scotland where his Descent known he was restored to the Honours and Lands of his House and preferr'd to be Steward of the House of Edgar the Son of Malcoline the Third sirnamed Conmer King of Scotland the name of Stewart growing hence hereditary unto his Posterity From this Walter descended that Robert Stewart who succeeded David Bruce in the Kingdom of Scotland the Progenitor of nine Kings of the Name of Stewart which have reigned successively in the Kingdom Heylin's Cosmogr pag. 336. 4. Walter Devereux Earl of Essex having wasted his Spirits with Grief fell into a Dysentery whereof he died after he had requested of such as stood by him that they would admonish
Who upon the Eighth day of July 1657. went from this to a better World about four of the Clock the day before he Died a Matron who Died a little before and whilst living was Dear to Mr. Vsher appeared to him in his sleep and invited him to Sup with her the next Night He at first denyed her but she more vehemently pressing her request on him at last he consented and that very Night he Died. Dr. Stern's Dissertatio de morte p. 163. 14. I have also the fullest assurance that can be of the Truth of this following Narrative A Person yet living was greatly concerned about the welfare of his Dear Father and Mother who were both shut up in London in the time of the great Contagion in 1665. Many Letters he sent to them and many hearty Prayers to Heaven for them But about a fortnight before they were infected he fell about break of day into this Dream that he was in a great Inn which was full of company and being very desirous to find a private Room where he might seek God for his Parents Life he went from Room to Room but found company in them all at last casting his Eye into a little Chamber which was empty he went into it lockt the Door kneeled down by the outside of the Bed and whilst he was vehemently begging of God the Life of his Friends fixing his Eyes upon the Plaister'd Wall within side the Bed there appeared upon the Plaister of the Wall before him the Sun and Moon shining in their full strength The sight at first amazed and discomposed him so far that he could not continue his Prayer but kept his Eye fixed upon the Body of the Sun at last a small line or ring of black no bigger than that of a Text Pen circled the Sun which increasing sensibly eclipsed in a little time the whole body of it and turned it into a blackish colour which done the Figure of the Sun was immediately changed into a perfect Death's head and after a little while Vanished quite away The Moon still continued shining as before but whilst he intently beheld it it also darkned in like manner and turned also into another Death's head and Vanished This made so great an Impression upon the beholder's mind that he immediately awaked in confusion and perplexity of thoughts about his Dream and awakning his Wife related the particulars to her with much emotion and concernment but how to apply it he could not presently tell only he was satisfied that the Dream was of an extraordinary Nature At last Joseph's Dream came into his thoughts with the like Emblems and their Interpretation which fully satisfied him that God had warned and prepared him thereby for a sudden parting with his Dear Relations which answerably fell out in the same order his Father dying that day fortnight following and his Mother just a Month afterwards These Eight Relations the Transcribed out of Mr. Flavel's Treatise of the Soul 15. The Lady Rich gives this Relation of Mr. Tyro Minister from his own Mouth About seven weeks before his Death when there was hope of recovery he told me he had something to tell me that he had not imparted to any body and expressed it thus When I was one Evening returning to my Lodging then at Vngar from this House being then in a good Degree of Health and in a serious frame meditating by the way I heard a Voice say You shall dye and not pass your five and thirtieth year of Age. Which Voice Astonished me greatly and looking round about me seeing no body put me into great Consternation and Sweat all over me such as I never felt tho I dare not compare it to drops of Blood yet I cannot express how dreadful it was You know Madam my Principles and that I am no Enthusiast and how cautious I am as to Revelations But I am sure this was no Melancholy Fancy But an Articulate Voice After I had a little recovered my self I begged of God to discover to me if this were from him or a Delusion from Satan but still the Impression remained t ho I sought God by Prayer most part of that Night and you may remember in my next Visit I told you I should dye shortly but I did not tell you of the Voice I heard And then he added This is my Five and Thirtieth year of my Age in July next I shall be so old And many other Expressions he added which is too much for a Letter but he Died in January 1630. Hist Disc Appar Witches p. 199. 16. The Lady Ware 's Chaplain dreamt that such a day he should dye but having forgot it almost till the Evening before Supper there being thirteen at Table according to a fond conceit that one of these must soon dye One of the young Ladies pointed to him as the person He remembring the Dream fell into some disorder but being reproved for his superstition he said he was confident he was to dye before Morning It was Saturday Night and he was to Preach next day he went to his Chamber in perfect health sate up late prepared his Notes for his Sermon and the next Morning was found Dead See Mr. Parson's Sermon at the Earl of Rochester's Funeral 17. Sir Matthew Hale had some secreet presage of his Death saying that if he did not dye such a day he should live a Month longer and he died that very day Month. Nov. 25. See his Life by Dr. Burnet 18. It was observed that several Omens preceeded the Death of Arch-bishop Laud as the falling down of his Picture in his Parlour the Arms of his See the sinking of the Lambeth Ferry-Boat with the Arch-Bishop's Coach-Horses and Coach-Men to the bottom of the Thames Dr. Heylin in his Life and the Author of the Breviate of the Life of Arch-Bishop Laud p. 35. 19. One James Oxenham of Sale-Monachroum in the County of Devon a Gentleman of good worth and quality who had many Children one whereof was called John Oxenham a young Man in the Vigour Beauty and Flower of his Age about twenty two six Foot and a half high pious and well qualified this young Man falling Sick two days before his departure there appeared the likeness of a Bird with a white Breast hovering over him Attested by Robert Woodley and Humphrey King who justified it to the Minister of the Parish being examined by him at the appointment of Joseph Laud Bishop of Exeter this Person died Sep. 5. 1635. He was no sooner Dead in this Manner but the same Apparition did again shew it self to Thomazine the Wife of James Oxenham the younger a Woman of unspotted Life about eleven a Clock at Night And she died to the comfort of all about her Sep. 7. 1635. Attested by Elizabeth Frost and Joan Tooker who were examined by the same Minister Not long after Rebeccah Sister of the aforesaid Thomazine Aged about eight years about eleven a Clock at Night was presented with
of it Catesby and the rest posted into Warwickshire and began an open Rebellion being joyned with about Eighty more and so Trooping together broke open the Stables belonging to Warwick-Castle and took thence some great Horses Thence into Worcestershire and so to Staffordshire where they rifled the Lord Windsor's House of all the Armour Shot Powder c. But being pursued by the high Sheriff of Worcestershire and his Men who rush'd in upon them both the Wrights were shot through and slain with one Musquet-Bullet the rest being taken were carry'd Prisoners to London being all the way gaz'd at revil'd and detested by the common People for their horrid and horrible Treason and so at last they receiv'd the just Guerdon of their Wickedness See a fuller Account in Bishop Carleton's Thankful Remembrance of God's Mercy III. In the Reign of King Charles the First 1. Sir John Temple Master of the Rolls and one of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council within the Kingdom of Ireland and who was Father of the present Sir William Temple relates in his History of the Irish Rebellion in 1641. and which History was first Printed in London in 1646. there in P. 16 17 and 18 sets down that the first Plot for the Rebellion carried on with so great Secresie as none of the English had Notice of it before it was ready to be put in Execution and that on the 22d of October 1641. In the very Evening before the Day appointed for a Surprizal of the Castle and City of Dublin Owen O Conall a Gentleman of an Irish Family but one who had been bred a Protestant and who had been drinking that Evening came to the Lord Justice Parsons there about Nine of the Clock and acquainted him with a Conspiracy for the seizing upon His Majesty's Castle of Dublin and the Magazine therein the next day but he did then make such a broken Relation of a Matter that seem'd so incredible in its self as that his Lordship did then give but very little Belief to it at first in regard it came from an obscure Person and one he conceived somewhat distemper'd in Drink but in some Hours after O Conall being somewhat recover'd from his said Distemper was examin'd upon Oath before the Lords Justices and his Examination gave such a particular Account of the Conspiracy and the Conspirators therein that caused the Lords Justices to sit up all that Night in Consultation for the strengthning of the Guards in the Castle of Dublin and likewise of the whole City and for the seizing of the Persons of the Conspirators that the Execution of the Plot was thereby prevented and otherwise the Castle of Dublin had been the next day in the Possession of the Rebels of Ireland and all the Protestants in Dublin had been the next day massacred The Papists planted the Soveraign Drug of Arminianism here in England on purpose to promote Divisions among us and endeavoured to Advance Arbitrary Power and inflame the Puritans as the Author of the History of Popish Sham-Plots from the Reign of Queen Elizabeth tells us out of a Letter sent to the Rector of Brussels And Cardinal Richlieu sent over one Chamberlain hither who for four Months had Consultations with the Jesuits how to stir up the Scots and foment our Broils as may be seen in Dr. Heylin's Life of Archbishop Laud and Habernfeild's Plot c. Or to speak in the very Words of the late Learned Bishop of Lincoln Dr. Barlow When King James slept with his Fathers and was Translated to a better Kingdom out of the reach of Popish Conspirators their Designs slept not they prosecuted their Plots and Conspiracies to Ruin our Church and Establish'd Religion as much in Charles the First as in his Father's time and at last it came to this Issue that other Means failing the King and Arch-Bishop must be taken away This was discover'd by an Honourable Person Andreas ab Habernfeild to the English Embassador Sir W. Boswel at the Hague and by him to the Arch-Bishop and by him to the King and the Original Copy of the Discovery being found in the Arch-Bishop's Library after his Death was then publish'd and is in print in many Hands and among others in mine In the mean time adds my Author the Civil Wars began and our Popish Conspirators are first in Arms and the bloody Rebellion and in Ireland murder'd above 100000 Protestants in cold Blood without any Provocation given but to kill Hereticks which according to them was Lawful and Meritorious And farther when in Process of that fatal Rebellion carry'd on by English and covertly by Popish Rebels that good King was taken and a Council of Priests and Jesuits sitting in London signified the Condition of Affairs here to a Council of their Confederates at Paris and they transmitted the Case to Rome from whence Directions and Commands were return'd back again to London in short it was determined that it was for the Interest of the Catholick Cause that the King shculd die and accordingly their Council of Priests and Jesuits in London voted his Death This saith the same Reverend Author is now notoriously known to be true and in print publish'd to the World by Reverend and Learned Person who if any shall call him to Account for it is so convinced of the Ttuth of what he writ that he publickly offers to make it good viz. Dr. Du-Moulin Canon of Canterbury in two Books written to the same purpose See more in Bishop Barlow's Book called Popish Principles c. inconsistent with the Safety of Protestant Princes The Irish Papists when they had promised to furnish his Majesty with 10000 Men for the helping of him against the Parliament did not but endeavour'd to cut off the King's Army there by Force and Treachery and employ'd Commissioners to Rome France Lorrain and Spain to invite a Foreign Power into England See Fowles Hist of Rom. Treasons and the Lord Orcery 's Answer to Peter Welsh About 30 Priests or Jesuits were met together by a Protestant Gentleman between Roan and Diep to whom they said taking him to be one of their Party they were going to England and would take Arms in the Independant Army to be Agitators The Romish Priest and Confessor is known who when he saw the fatal Stroke given to the King flourish'd with his Sword and said Now the greatest Enemy we had in the World is gone When the Murder was cried down as the greatest Villany the Pope commanded all the Papers about the Queen to be burnt Many intelligent Travellers told what Joy there was in the English Convents beyond Seas and the Seminaries upon Tidings of the King's Death Benedictines were afraid lest the Jesuits should get their Lands and the English Nuns contended who should be Abesses the Fryars of Dunkirk were jealous lest the Jesuits should engross all the Glory to themselves Du-Moul Answer to Plul. Angl. And tho' the Papists during the Civil Wars flock'd to the King's
visited the Dungeons attended the Places of Execution studied the Languages profited much in the Hebrew taught first a Grammar-School then the Catechist-School at Alexandria reading daily Lectures scarce allowing him Rest at Night but for a very few Hours and that not on a Bed but the bare Ground often Fasting going Barefoot abstaining from Wine making himself an Eunuch c. never affecting Wealth tho' having many and great Friends continuing above Fifty two Years in Teaching Writing Confuting Exhorting and Expounding the Scriptures Ibid. One saith of him Origeni nullae pars aetatis periit à studiis And another Origenis ingenium sufficiebat ad omnia pardiscenda Ibid. 3. Isidore Bishop of Sevil was very painful and so macerated his Body with Labours and enriched his Soul with Divine Learning and Contemplations that he seemed to live an Angel's Life upon Earth Ibid. p. 99. 4. Mr. Gregory of Christ-Church studied Sixteen Hours a Day constantly scarce allowing himself sufficient time for Sleep little for Meals none for Society or Recreation In his Life He arose every Morning at Four a Clock and seldom went to Bed before Ten. 5. Sir Edward Coke Author of the Institutes and Chief-Justice in King James's Days was very regular in his Hours especially of going to Bed at Nine a Clock and rising at Three in the Morning insomuch that when a Messenger came from the King to his House at One a Clock in the Night to give Orders for the Issuing out a Writ for the Seizing the then Earl of Somerset for the Murder of Sir Thomas Overbury his Son told the Messenger If he came from Ten Kings he could not disturb his Father 'till Three a Clock and so Inviting the Messenger in to Drink a Glass of Wine with Mr. Coke and his Company at Three a little Bell was rung to call up the Servants upon which Sir Edward arose Detection of the Court and State of England 6. Bishop Latimer rose Summer and Winter ordinarily at Two a Clock in the Morning to his Studies Fox's Martyrology 7. Mr. Julius Palmer a Martyr in Queen Mary's Reign was so indefatigable in Study that the arose ordinarily every Morning at Four a Clock and went not ordinarily to Bed 'till Ten. Fox's Martyrology 8. Bishop Jewel was so industrious that he hid himself the greatest part of the Day in his Studies and so much recalled his Senses from exteriour Objects that Chrysippus-like he had need of a Melissa to put him in mind of his Meat In his Life 9. Mr. Bradford slept not commonly above Four Hours in the Night and in his Bed 'till Sleep came his Book went not out of his Hand Ibid. 10. Erasmus in a Letter to Paracelsus professeth that for some Days he had not been at leisure either to take Physick or be Sick or Die he was so overwhelmed with the Toyls of Study 11. Our late Queen Mary of Sacred Memory usually rose at Six a Clock in the Morning and even whilst she was a dressing had some good Books read over to her at least afterwards betook to her Study and Devotions where she continued often 'till Publick Prayers or other Important Business called her away 12. Renatus Deschartes was Educated and Taught in the Schools of Flexia and had run through the whole Course and Race of his Study at Seventeen Years of Age. He was for Three Years a Voluntier in the Dangers of War twice present at the Siege of Breda and in the Battle of Prague from whence he visited Italy discoursed with Galileus c. came back to the Siege of Capha and so to France again to the Siege of Rochel Afterwards to Holland and then into Denmark Tyrol Venice Amsterdam Paris c. Whilst he followed the War in the Winter he employed his vacant Hours in Philosophical Contemplations he studied Twenty five Years in a Desart in Holland He was slenderly stored with Books because he understood they were not true the Mathematical only excepted wherefore being ask'd by a Friend Whether he had a Library and desired to shew it lifting up the Cloth he discovered to him a Calf dissected See his Life by Borellus p. 14 15 c. 13. Hen. Zebertus Th. D. testifies That Delrius in the Adversaria which he publish'd for the Illustration of Seneca he had quoted One hundred thousand divers Authors in divers Sciences and Languages with very great Labour and Judgment and all this at Nineteen Years of Age. Drexel Aurisod He read over more than once with close Reading all the Fifteen Volumes of Tostatus Ibid. 14. Thuanus tells of a Country-man of his Franc. Victa who was so bent upon his Studies that sometimes for Three Days together he would sit close at it without Meat or Sleep more than what for meer necessity of Nature he took leaning on his Elbow without moving out of his place Wanley's Wonders c. l. 3. c. 41. 15 St. Augustine sitting one time in a solitary place meditating upon the Trinity a poor Woman coming to Advise with him about a weighty Matter presented her self before him but he took no Notice of her she spake to him but neither yet did he observe her upon which the poor Woman went away angry with the Bishop and her self supposing her Poverty to be the occasion of the neglect Afterwards being at Church where he Preached she was wrapt up in Spirit and in a kind of Trance thought she heard St. Austine discoursing concerning the Trinity and was informed by a private Voice that she was not neglected as she thought by the humble Bishop but was observed by him upon which she goes again and was resolv'd in her Doubt Idem ex Sabell ex l. 2. c. 6. 16. Dr. Reynolds when the Heads of the University of Oxford came to Visit him in his Sickness which he had contracted meerly by his exceeding Pains in Studies whereby he brought his withered Body to be a very Skeleton they earnestly perswaded him that he would not Perdere substantiam propter accidentia Lose his Life for Learning he with a smile answered out of the Poet Nec propter Vitam vivendi perde causas Nor to save Life lose that for which I live Clark's Marr. c. 82. p. 358. 17. Thomas Aquinas sitting at Dinner with Philip or as Campanus saith with Lewis King of France was on a sudden so transported in his Mind that he struck the Board with his Hand and cried out Adversus Manichoeos conclusum est The Manichees are confuted At which when the King admired Thomas blushing besought his Pardon saying That an Argument was just then come into his Mind by which he could utterly overthrow the Opinion of the Manichees Zuing. Theatr. Vol. 1. L. 1. p. 23. Fulgos L. 8. C. 2. p. 1044. And again he was so very intent upon his Meditations and in his Reading that he saw not such as stood before him heard not the Voices of those that spoke to him so that the Corporeal Senses seemed to have relinquished
an idle Person walking in the Streets but their Doors and Windows close shut the People within exercised in serious and grave Discourses reading of the Scriptures Repetition of Sermons Catechising Praying Singing of Psalms c. In the other the Doors open the Streets too much frequented with idle Company and licentious Exercises And even in Whitchurch where the Plague first and afterwards a Fire had the greatest Influence the Rector or Minister of the Parish did often enough and very plainly admonish them Inhabitants of that particular Street called the New-Town of their careless observance of the Lord's-Day as if that in his Judgment were the distinguishing Sin of that Street above any others in the Town 4. I have taken Notice elsewhere of Ministers and others who have been delighted and expended themselves in Sabbatical Devotions have been called to their Rest upon that Day As for instance 1. The Divine Poet nad Preacher Mr. Herbert 2. Mr. Edw. Deering 3. Theodore Beza 4. Arch-Bishop Abbot soon after he came out of the Pulpit fell sick and shortly after died 5. Dr. Rob. Harris died between Twelve and One a Clock on Saturday Night 6. Dr. Preston at Five a Clock on the lord's-Lord's-day Morning 7. Dr. Thomas Tailour of Aldermanbury Mr. Edward West the Lord's-Day-Night after having Preach'd there 8. Mr. Julius Herrings 9. Mr. Thomas Wadsworth and Mr. Richard Vines 10. Sir Matthew Hale upon Christmas-Day a Day which he used to Celebrate with great Devotion and much Spiritual Joy leaving behind him no less than Seventeen Poems which he had Composed upon that Day to the Honour of his Saviour Cum multis aliis c. On the same Day died Mr. Sam. Crook Minister See the Head of Sudden Death for more Relations of this nature 5. Mr. H. Burton after his Sufferings and Exile having an Order sent him from the Parliament for his Enlargement and his Return for England makes this Observation and in these Words Blessed Tidings indeed and the more because it comes from a Parliament and the more because it comes from a Parliament's Handsel presenting much Good but promising more The News filled Guernsey Castle with Joy and so the Island The First Observation I made of it was of the Day on which this Tidings came First I noted it was the Lord's-Day which Day I had mightily propugned and defended both by Preaching and Writing against the Malignant and Prophane Adversaries of the Sanctification thereof and of its Morality And when the Book for Dispensations and Allowance of Sports on that Day came with an Injunction to be publickly read in my Church upon the Lord's-Day that ery Day instead of Reading of it I turned my Afternoon Preaching into an opening of the Fourth Commandment therein proving the Lord's-Day both for Sabbath and Sanctification under the Gospel now the Order for my Liberty came on that Day See his Life p. 38. CHAP. LXXV Present Retribution to them that have been Obedient to Parents HOnour thy Father and Mother saith the Apostle which is the first Commandment with Promise And the particular Promise annexed to it is Length of Days viz. That thy Days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee And the Reason is obvious and natural and plain to any Man of Common Sence for besides that the Dutifulness of Children is the likeliest may to engage the Favour of God and the Divine Conduct and Blessing on their sides it obligeth the Children who are temselves green in Years and unexperienced in the World and obnoxious to many Temptations and Snares of Ill Company Idleness Rashness Licentiousness c. to keep close to wiser Counsels and the grave Instructions of their faithful aged and experienced Parents by which means they oftentimes fare better than such rash and refractory Phaetons who throw off the Yoke of Parental Discipline and are left like Sons of Belial to do whatsoever seems good in their own eyes How many in the World have escaped the Stings of Poverty and the Ignominy of the Gallows and a violent Death and other Dangers by this means 1. Tho' Lamech had several other Children as Jabal Jubal Tubal-Cain c. yet none that we read of trod in the Steps and proved so dutiful and comfortable to his Parents as Noah Gen. 5.29 And he was remarkably blessed and rewarded for it for when all the rest of the World was destroyed He found Grace in the sight of the Lord Gen. 6.8 2. Noah had Three Sons Shem Ham Japhet but Ham dishonoured his Father and made a Scorn of his Nakedness and therefore was accursed by him Shem and Japhet joyned together and took a Garment to cover their Father's Infirmity and therefore Blessed saith Noah be the Lord God of Shem c. Gen. 9.26 3. Abraham had Two Sons Ishmael and Isaac the one scornful and disinherited and turned out of the House the other dutiful and his Father's Favourite and Heir 4. Isaac had Two Sons Esau and Jacob the one a cunning Hunter a profane Fellow that made light of his Birth-right and therefore forfeited his Blessing the other a plain Man and pious and according procured the Blessing 5. Jacob had many Children but Reuben the First-born unstable as Water went up to his Father's Bed and defiled it and therefore Gen. 49.4 Thou shalt not excel Simeon and Levi had Instruments of Cruelty in their Habitations in their Anger they slew a Man and in their Self-will digg'd down a Wall and therefore ver 7. Cursed be their Anger for it was fierce c. They were to be divided and scattered in Israel Judah to save Joseph's Life who was his Father's Fondling and the Son of his Old Age advised his Brethren to sell him and afterwards offered himself to be Joseph's Bondman for his Brother Benjamin out of Tenderness to his Aged Father Gen. 44.34 For how shall I go up saith he to my Father and the Lad be not with me lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my Father And therefore see how this Piety of Judah and Dutifulness to his Father was at last rewarded chap. 49.8 9 10. Judah thou art he that thy Brethren shall praise thy Hand shall be in the Neck of thy Enemies thy Father's Children shall bow down before thee Judah is a Lion's Whelp c. The Sceptre shall not depart from Judah c. 6. I have read saith my Author of a young Man hang'd at Four and twenty Years whose curled Black Locks upon the Gallows instantly turned White many enquiring into the Cause of such a strange Event a grave Divine assigned this Reason Had this young Man saith he been dutiful to his Parents obedient to his Superiours he might have lived so long 'till that in the Course of Nature his Black Hairs had become White Mr. Quick in his relation of the Poisoning of a whole Family in Plimouth c. p. 87. 7. Mr. Paul Baines of Christ's-College in Cambridge was at first very
be deceived but of Perseverance itself we are uncertain Discourses of God c. in the Appendix containing his Judgment in divers controverted Points p. 88. But by the leave of this learned and worthy Man how is this consistent with the Profession of St. Paul I have fought the good Fight henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown c. How with the Doctrine of the Church of England in her Articles and Homilies How with the Letters of Accord between Bishop Sanderson and Dr. Hammond which I have not leisure now to cite at large And how with the Experiences and Assurances of many Christians 1. The Apprehensions that Death drew near were very comfortable to Mr. Wilson A Gentle-woman of his Society coming to take her leave of him being about to remove out of Maidstone he pleasantly said to her What will you say good Mrs. Crisp if I get the start if you and get to Heaven before you get to Dover When another came to visit him he ask'd her What she thought of him she answered Truly Sir I think you are not far from your Father's House To which he replied That 's good News indeed and is enough to make one laugh for Joy See his Life 2. Mr. John Janeway when he lay upon his Death-bed his Mother and Brethren standing by he said Dear Mother I beseech you as earnestly as ever I desired any thing of you in my Life that you would chearfully give me up to Christ I beseech you do not hinder me now I am going to Rest and Glory I am afraid of your Prayers least they will pull one way and mine another Then turning to his Brethren he thus spake unto them I charge you all do not pray for my Life any more you do me wrong if you do O the Glory the unspeakable Glory that I behold my Heart is full my Heart is full Christ smiles and I cannot choose but smile Can you find in your Heart to stop me who am now going to the compleat and Eternal Enjoyment of Christ Would you keep me from my Crown The Arms of my blessed Saviour are open to embrace me the Angels stand ready to carry my Soul into his Bosom O! did you but see you would all cry out with me How long dear Lord come Lord Jesus come quickly O why are his Chariot-wheels so long a coming See his Life 3. Dr. Samuel Winter lying upon his Death-bed about Six of the Clock on the lord's-Lord's-Day Morning he raised himself up in his Bed and with a chearful and loud Voice called to his Wife who lay in a Bed by him saying ' Sweet-heart I have been this Night conversing with Spirits And as in a Rapture he cried out O the Glories that are prepared for the Saints of God! The Lord hath been pleased to shew me this Night the exceeding Weight of Glory which in Heaven is laid up for his Chosen Ones Saying further That he had studied and thought that he knew as much what the Glory which in Heaven was as another Man but the now saw that all the Divines on Earth were but Children in the Knowledge of the Great Mystery of Heavenly Glory which the Lord that Night had given him a clearer sight of than ever formerly he had That it was such a Mystery as could not be comprehended by the Wit of Man With many other such-like Expressions and he had his Soul so wonderfully elevated that he could not declare what he found and felt therein See his Life 4. Mr. Samuel Fairclough kept his Bed but one whole Day before his departure which he had longed and waited for and the very Day before his last Day on Earth some Company being with him he expressed how much Comfort he did then take to consider how that his Saviour had tasted Death for him and that Christ by his Resurrection had given him an assurance that he was the First-fruits of those that sleep in him telling some that stood by him That it was very much the Duty of Believers to rejoyce that Death had lost its Sting and was now disarmed and that the Power of the Grave was quite vanquished and overcome See his Life 5. James Bainham a Martyr in Queen Mary's Reign being at the Stake in the midst of the burning Fire his Legs and Arms half consumed spake thus to the Standers-by O ye Papists behold ye look for Miracles and here now ye may see one for in this Fire I feel no more pain than if I were in a Bed of Down and it is to me as a Bed of Roses Fox Martyrol 6. Robert Smith Martyr being at the Stake ready to be burned exhorted the People to think well of his Cause telling them That God would shew some Token thereof and accordingly when he was half burnt all black with Fire and clustered together on a Lump like a black Coal so that all thought him to be dead on a sudden he rose upright lifted up the Stumps of his Arms and clapt them together Ibid. Clark's Examp. Vol. 1. C. 39. 7. Mr. Robert Glover Martyr was so suddenly replenished with Divine Comfort a little before his Death that clapping his Hands together he called to his Man saying He is come he is come and so died chearfully Ibid. 8. Mr. John Holland a faithful Minister the Day before his Death calling for a Bible continued his Meditation and Exposition on Rom. 8. for the space of Two Hours but on a sudden he said Oh stay your Reading What Brightness is this I see Have you light up any Candles A Stander-by said No it is the Sun-shine for it was about Five a Clock in a clear Summer's Evening Sun-shine saith he nay it is my Saviour's-shine now Farewel World welcome Heaven the Day-star from on high hath visited my Heart O speak it when I am gone and preach it at my Funeral God deals familiarly with Man I feel his Mercy I see his Majesty whether in the Body or out of the Body God be knoweth but I see thhings that are unutterable And being ravished in his Spirit he roamed towards Heaven with a chearful Look and a soft sweet Voice but what he said was not understood With the Sun in the Morning following raising himself as Jacob upon his Staff he shut up his blessed Life with these blessed words O what an happy Change shall I make from Night to Day from Darkness to Light from Death to Life from Sorow to Solace from a factious World to a heavenly Being Oh! my dear Brethren Sisters and Friends it pitieth me to leave you behind yet remember my death when I am gone and what I now feel I hope you shall feel e're you die that God doth and will deal familiarly with Men. And now thou fiery Chariot that camest down to fetch up Elijah carry me to my happy Hold. And all ye blessed Angels that attended the Soul of Lazarus to bring it to Heaven bear me O bear me into the Besom of my
Monster yet often viewing will make it familiar and free it from distaste Walk every day with Joseph a turn or two in thy Garden with Death and thou shalt be well acquainted with the Face of Death but shalt never feel the Sting of Death Death is black but comely Philostrates lived Seven Years in his Tomb that he might be acquainted with it against his Bones came to lie in it Some Philosophers have been so wrapp'd in this Contemplation of Death and Immortality that they discourse so familiarly and pleasingly of it as if a fair Death were to be preferâ—◠〈◊〉 a pleasant Life 1. King Xerxes standing on a Mountain and having many Hundred thousand of his Soldiers standing in the Plain fell a weeping to think upon it how in a few Years he and all those gallant valiant Men must die Adam he lived 930 Years and he died Enoch he lived 965 Years and he died Methusalem lived 967 Years and he died Oh the longest Day hath its Night and in the end Man must die Maximilian the Emperor made his Coffin always to be carried along with him to this end that his high Dignity might not make him forget his Mortality Joseph the Jew in his best Health made his Stone Coffin be cut out in his Garden to put him in mind of his Ego abeo I go hence The Persians they buried their dead in their Houses to put the whole Houshold in mind of the same Lot Semel mori once to die Simonides when commanded to give the most wholsome Rule to live well willed the Lacedoemonian Prince ever to bear in mind Se tempore brevi moriturum E're long he must die I have read of a sort of People that used dead Mens Bones for Money and the more they have they are counted the more Rich Herein consists my richest Treasure to bear that about me that will make me all my Life remember my End Great Sultan Saladin Lord of many Nations and Languages commanded upon his Death-bed that one should carry upon a Spear's point through all his Camp the Flag of Death and to proclaim for all his Wealth Saladin hath nought left but this Winding-sheet An assured Ensign of Death triumphing over all the Sons of Adam I uncloath my self every Night I put off all but what may put me in mind of my Winding-sheet Anaxagoras having Word brought him his only Son was dead his Answer was Scio me genuisse mortalem I know he was born to die Philip of Macedon gave a Boy a Pension every Morning to say to him Philippe memento te hominem esse Philip remember thou art a Man and therefore must die When I was a young Man saith Seneca my care was to live well I then practised the Art of Well-living When Age came upon me I then studied the Art of Dying well Platonius in Stobelas 'T is not enough saith he to spend the present Day well unless thou spendest it so as if it were to be thy last Caesar Borgias being sick to Death said When I lived I provided for every thing but Death now I must die and am unprovided to die A Man saith Luther lives Forty Years before he knows himself to be a Fool and by that time he sees his Folly his Life is finished So Men die before they begin to live When dying then sin if you can said Picus Mirandula In Sardis there grew an Herb called Appium Sardis that would make a Man lie laughing when he was deadly sick Such is the Operation of Sin Beware therefore of this Risus Sardonicus Laughter of Sardis Commonly good Men are best at last even when they are dying It was a Speech worthy the Commendation and frequent Remembrance of so divine a Bishop as Augustine which is reported of an aged Father in his time who when his Friends comforted him on his Sick Bed and told him they hoped he should recover answered If I shall not die at all well but if ever why not now Surely it is Folly what we must do to do unwillingly I will never think my Soul in a good case so long as I am loath to think of dying There is no Spectacle in the World so profitable or more terrible than to behold a dying Man to stand by and see a Man dismanned Curiously didst thou make me in the lowest part of the earth saith David But to see those Elements which compounded made the Body to see them divided and the Man dissolved is a rueful sight Every dying Man carries Heaven and Earth wrapped up in his Bosom and at this time each part returns homeward Certainly Death hath great dependency on the course of Man's Life and Life it self is as frail as the Body which it animates Augustus Caesar accounted that to be the best Death which is quick and unexpected and which beats not at our doors by any painful Sickness So often as he heard of a Man that had a quick passage with little sense of pain he wished for himself that Euthanesie While he lived he used to set himself between his two Friends Groans and Tears When he died he called for his Looking-glass commanded to have his Hair and Beard kembed his rivelled Cheeks smoothed up then asking his Friends if he acted his part well when they answered Yes Why then says he do you not all clap your hands for me Happy is he who always and in every place so lives as to spend his every last moment of Light as if Day were never to return Epictetus most wisely teaching this Death saith he and Banishment and all that we look upon as Evils let them be daily set before thy Eyes but of all most chiefly Death So shalt thou think upon nothing that is too low nor too ardently covet any thing The Day-Lily is a Flower whose Beauty perishes in a Day There is also a Bird haunts the River Hypanis called Haemorobios or the Bird of one Day ending its Life the same Day that it begins dying with the dying Sun and travelling thro' the Ages of Childhood Youth and Old Age in one Day In the Morning it is hatch'd at Noon it flourishes in the Evening it grows old and dies But this is more to be wonder'd at in that winged Creature that it makes no less Provision for one little Day than if it were to live the Age of a Crow or a Raven To this little Animal the Life of Man is most fitly to be compar'd It inhabits by the River of Gliding Time but more fleet than either Bird or Arrow And often only one Day determines all its Pomp oft-times an Hour and as often a Moment We ambitiously desire great Names and without any prejudice to our Ears we hear the Titles of Magnificent most Illustrious Happy Pious Most Potent Most August Most Invincible the Best the Greatest What can we do more unless we should imitate Sapor King of the Persians in an Epistle which he thus began to Constantine the Emperor Sapor King
God and then commanded them to be taken away That Night the Ministers continuing with him a certain Friend coming to him Oecolampadins ask'd him What News The Answer being made None But saith he I 'll tell you some News I shall presently be with my Lord Christ Being ask'd if the Light offended him Putting his Hands to his Eyes he answered Here is abundance of Light and then praying earnestly with the Words of David Psal 51. to the end and saying O Christ save me he fell asleep Clark Ibid. 14. Queen Mary the Second of blessed Memory on her Death-bed when the Most Reverend Archbishop Tenison bespoke her Madam Settle your Affairs your Family and your Mind you have lived and finished the course which the Parent of Nature hath allâ—tted you replied with an undaunted Cheerfulness Father How good a Messenger are you to me who as it were commanded from Heaven bring the Tydings of my last Necessity of Dying Here I am ready to submit to whatever pleaseth God the Disposer of my Life and Death I am not now to learn that difficult Art of Well-dying I have made up my Account with God by the Assistance of my Surety Christ I have discharged my Conscience long since I have considered the Condition of my Mortality I have settled all my Affairs and surrendred into the Bosom of my dearest Husband all those Cares that concern the World And therefore he that calls finds me ready to lay down the Burden of this Life being no more than a load of Infirmities Sin and Labour Then turning to her Husband standing by her Bed-side she is said to have broke forth into Words to this Effect Farewel my William and live mindful of our undefiled Matrimony till thy Lot shall restore thee to me or moe to thee I shall not altogether die while you singly possess the sole Image of us both c. Spanheim in his Fun. Orat. of Queen Mary the Second This I suppose contains the summ of what that Excellent Queen delivered but I suspect the Author hath set it off with an Embellishment of Words which did not become a dying Person The most Reverend Archbishop delivers it more nakedly and briefly 15. Anthony Walleus on his Death-bed exhorted all his Family to Fear God and the Children to Reverence their Mother for so God would bless and provide for them That every one should take care of all the rest but especially that every one should take care of himself Then he bad his Son John to have a special Care of his Mother and so kissing them took his Leave of them all and then turning his Face from them he fell asleep out of which he never awaked only some time when his Pains came upon him he stirred a little and so on the Sabbath about Eleven of the Clock he quietly resign'd up his Spirit unto God A. C. 1639. Aetat 66. Clark's Exampl p. 490. 16. Henry Alting the Day before his Death sang the 130 Psalm with a sweet Voice and warm Zeal and spent the rest to his time in hearty Prayers and holy Meditations In the Evening he blessed his Children and then commanded his Son Dr. James Alting to pray with him and in his Prayers to remember the Church and University The next Day which was the Sabbath-Day being visited by Camerarius and Strasbergerus Agents for the Crown of Sweden and his old Friends he was refreshed a little with their Company but told them that he should depart before Sun-set and accordingly about Three of the Clock in the Afternoon with a constant Voice he bid them all Farewel and after the Prayer of Emmius Pastor of the Church without the least struggling he quietly slept in the Lord A. C. 1644. Ibid. p. 497. 17. Mr. John Bruen of Stapleford a little before his Death said I will have no black no proud or pompous Funeral neither is there any cause of Mourning but of Rejoycing rather in my particular And immediately before he expired lifting up his Hands he said The Lord is my Portion my Help and my Trust his blessed Son Jesus Christ is my Saviour and Redeemer Amen Even so saith the Spirit unto my Spirit Therefore come Lord Jesus and kiss me with the Kisses of thy Mouth and embrace me with the Arms of thy Love Into thy hands I commend my spirit O come now and take me to thine own self O come Lord Jesus come quickly O come O come O come Mr. Hinde in his Life 18. Berengarius is said to have breathed out these Words with his last gasp Now I am to go and appear before God either to be acquitted by him as I hope or condemned by him as I fear Mr. Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 7. out of Illyricus 19. Erasmus by his Last Will and Testament confirmed both by the Emperor and Pope declared Bonifacius Amerbachius his Heir Hieronymus Frobenius and Nicolaus Episcopius Overseers of his Will wherein to several Friends he bequeathed several Legacies as a Clock of Gold to Ludovicus Berus a Spoon and Fork of the same to Beatus Rhenanus to Petrus Vetereus 150 Crowns as much to Philippus Montanus to his Servant Lambert 200 Florins to Brischius a Silver Tankard to Paulus Volsius 100 Florins to Signismundus Tilenius 150 Duckats to Erasmus Frobenius his Godson two Rings to Hieronymus Frobenius his wearing Cloaths Bedding and Houshold-stuffs to his Wife a Ring wherein was set a precious Stone having therein engraven a Woman looking ove her Left Shoulder to Episcopius a fair Silver Bowl with a Cover to his Wife a Diamond Ring to Goâ—lenius a Silver Bowl his Library he sold upon his Death-bed to Johannes à Lasco his Medals ancient Coins ready Money and Debts with the remainder of his Watches Clocks Rings Plate Jewels and other Curiosities of no small value to his Heir Amerbachius not for his own use but to be sold and the Money by Advice of the fore-named Overseers to be distributed first to the poor infirm Persons whether through Age or Sickness secondly to portionless Virgins to procure them Husbands and thirdly to poor but hopeful young Scholars for Advancement of their Studies His Heir he restrained meerly to his Legacy which was none of the greatest He fell sick first of the Gout and then fell into an Hepatical Flux so that for a whole Month together he came seldom out of his Bed and but once over the Threshold of his Chamber yet whilst his Body lay tortured upon this double Rack he wrote a Treatise de Puritate Ecclesiae and made a hard shift to finish his Recognitions of Origen These were the two last Songs of this dying Swan whose Patience ever encreased with his Torments and in the end surmounted them He retained his Speech to the last gasp and breathed out his Soul in these Ejaculations Mercy sweet Jesus Lord loose these Bands How long Lord Jesus how long Jesus Fountain of Mercy have Mercy on me c. He died July 12. 1536. Aged 71 or
and Books and Collections I can rest my Soul on nothing but the Scriptures and above all that Passage lies most upon my Spirit Titus 2.11 12. The Grace of God that brings Salvation c. 76. Dr. Donn on his Dying-bed told his Friends I Repent of all my Life but that part I spent in Communion with God and doing good 77. Sir Walter Rawleigh in a Letter to his Wife after his Condemnation hath these words If you can live free from Want care for no more for the rest is but a Vanity Love God and begin betimes in him shall ye find True Everlasting and Endless Comfort My dear Wife Farewel Bless my Boy Pray for me and let my True God hold you both in his Arms. 78. Mr. Herbert the Divine Poet to one going about to Comfort him with the Remembrance of a good Work he had done in Repairing a ruinous Church belonging to his Ecclesiastical Dignity made answer 'T is a good Work if sprinkled with the Blood of Christ In the Preface before his Poems 79. Mr. Tho. Cartwright the last Sermon that he made was Dec. 25. on Eccl. 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth c. On the Tuesday following the Day before his Death he was two Hours on his Knees in private Prayer in which as he told his Wife he found wonderful and unutterable Joy and Comfort and within a few Hours after he quietly resigned up his Spirit to God Dec. 27. 1603. Mr. Clark 's Martyrol p. 21. 80. Mr. Paul Baines in his last Sickness had many Fears and Doubts God letting Satan loose upon him so that he went away with far less Comfort than many weaker Christians enjoy Ibid. p. 24. 81. Mr. William Bradshaw exhorted all that came to him to lay a good Foundation for a comfortable Death in time of Life and Health assuring them that their utmost Addresses and Endeavours would be little enough when they came to that Work Ibid. p. 51. 81. Mr. Richard Rothwel foretold his own Death I am well and shall be well shortly said he to some that sent to enquire how he did And afterwards whispering one in the Ear there present said Do you know my meaning I shall be with Christ e're long but do not tell them so And after Prayer smiling said he Now I am well Happy is he that hath not bow'd a knee to Baal He called upon the Company to sing Psal 120. And in the singing of it he died An. 1627. Aged 64. Ibid. p. 71. 83. Dr. Preston the Night before he died being Saturday he went to Bed and lay about three Hours desirous to sleep but slept not Then said My Dissolution is near let me go to my Home and to Jesus Christ who hath bought me with his most precious Blood About Four of the Clock the next Morning he said I feel Death coming to my Heart my Pain shall now be quickly turned into Joy And after Prayer made by a Friend he look'd on the Company turned away his Head and at Five a Clock on the lord's-Lord's-Day in the Morning gave up the Ghost An. 1628. Aged 41. or near it Ibid. p. 113. 84. Mr. Hildersam sickening with the Scurvy in the midst of Winter on March 4. being the Lord's-Day was prayed for in the Congregation of Ashby His Son also prayed with him divers times that Day and in the last Prayer he departed March 4. 1631. Had I time to pause upon it methinks the Death of many worthy Persons happening upon the Christian Sabbath is worthy of a special Remark Mr. Hildersam had given order in his Will that no Funeral Sermon should be preached at his Burial Ibid. p. 123. 85. Dr. Tho. Tailour of Aldermanbury expressed himself thus O said he we serve a good Lord who covers all our Imperfections and gives us great Wages for little Work And on the Lord's-Day he was dismissed hence to keep a perpetual Sabbath in Heaven in the Climacterical Year of his Age 56. Ibid. p. 127. 86. Mr. John Carter likewise Feb. 21. 1635. being the Lord's-Day ended his Life with a Doxology The Lord be thanked Ibid. p. 140. 87. Dr. Sibs died Anno 1631. Aged 58. Ibid. Dr. Chaderton Anno 1640. Aged 94. Ibid. 88. Mr. Ball being ask'd in his last Sickness whether he thought he should live or die answered I do not trouble my self about that matter And afterwards how he did replied Going to Heaven apace He died 1640. Aged 55. Ibid. 89. Dr. Potter died about the great Climacterical Year of his Age being suspected to have laid to Heart the Reproaches of some thrown upon him for a Sermon preached a little before at Westminster as too sharp against Innovations in the Church Ibid. 90. Mr. Julines Herrings the Night before his Departure was observed to rise upon his Knees and with Hands lifted up to Heaven to use these Words He is overcome overcome through the Strength of my Lord and only Saviour Jesus unto whom I am now going to keep a Sabbath in Glory And accordingly next Morning March 28. 1644. Aged 62. on the Sabbath-Day he departed Ibid. 168. 91. Mr. John Dod was tried with most bitter and sharp Pains of the Strangury and great Wrestlings with Satan but was Victorious To one watching with him he said That he had been wrestling with Satan all Night who accused him That he had neither preached nor prayed nor performed any Duty well for manner or end but saith he I have answer'd him from the Example of the Prodigal and the Publican One of his last Speeches was with Eyes and Hands lift up to Heaven I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Which desire was granted him Anno 1645. aged 96. Ibid. p. 178. 92. Mr. Herbert Palmer after Isa 38 Chap. being read prayed himself to this purpose First for himself That God would heal the sinfulness of his Nature pardon all his Transgressions deliver him from Temptation accept him in Christ c. Then for the Publick the Nation King and Parliament Ministers c. For Scotland and the Churches in France New-England c. Queen's College Westminster the Country his Benefactors c. He departed December 25. 1647. aged 46. He desired his Friends not to Pray for his Life but Pray God saith he for Faith for Patience for Repentance for Joy in the Holy Ghost Lord saith he cast me down as low as Hell in Repentance and lift me up by Faith to the highest Heavens in confidence of thy Salvation The Tuesday before he departed This day Seven-night said he is the Day on which we have used to remember Christ's Nativity and on which I have preached Christ I shall scarce live to see it but for me was that Child born unto me was that Son given c. Ibid. p. 201. 93. Mr. John Cotton to Mr. Wilson taking his last leave of him and praying that God would lift up the Light of his Countenance upon him and shed his Love into his Soul presently answered
in the performance of that Duty which like Jacob's Ladder tho' it stand upon the Earth yet it reaches up to Heaven Here 's the Love of God made manifest to a poor Sinner at the last hour like the Thief upon the Cross he that never new before what the Love of God was to his Soul finds it now filled with it and running over Now bless the Lord O my Soul yea all that is within me Bless his holy Name for this Dispensation Now Light appears out of Darkness in the Face of Jesus now all Worldly Joy and Comforts seem to me as they are things not hard to part with Father Mother Brothers Sister Wife Children House and Lands are as my dear Saviour saith to be parted with for him or we are not worthy of him I bless his Name I find no reluctancy to do it he hath brought me to his Foot-stool and I can say heartily the Will of the Lord be done in this matter I never before but saw a Beauty in Worldly Comforts but now those seem so faded by the greater Lustre and Beauty that I see in God in Christ Jesus that I am astonished where I have been wandring all my days spending my Time and my Money for that which is not Bread O strive to get a taste of this Love of God in Christ Jesus and it will perfectly wean you from this deceitful foolish World What is worldly Honour and Riches O set not your hearts upon them but get a Treasure in Heaven that your hearts may be there also O lose no time for if you ever knew the sweetness of it you would never be at rest till you found him whom your Soul loved it will be more yea infinitely more than all worldly Enjoyments can afford you tho' in their greatest Perfection it will make your Life sweet and your Death most comfortable It is the Bread which this World knoweth not of and therefore maketh little or no Enquiry after it Dearest Relations whilst you and my other dear Friends are like Aaron and Hur holding up the Hands of Moses I am through Grace getting Victory over the Amalekites I â—n embrace my dear and beloved Brother and Companion with more Joy in the Field of Suffering than ever I could have done had I met him crowned with the Lawrels of Victory Oh the Mercy to die with such a Friend and such a valiant Soldier of Jesus who hath kept his Garments clean I now begin to pity you that stay behind who have many Temptations to conflict with for a little yea a very little time and my Warfare will be accomplished and if God continue his Love and Influence upon my Soul it will be both short and sweet I have little of this World about me I leave you all the Legacy of what was ever dearest to me the best of Wives and five poor Children who must pass through an evil and sinful World but I have committed them to God who hath commanded to cast our Fatherless Children and Widows upon him Dear Parents Brothers Sister all adieu my time draws on my Paper is finished and your dying Child and Brother recommends you all to him who is All-sufficient to the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus the great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant who will make you Perfect in every good Work to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen RICHARD NELTHROP From the Palace of Newgate Octob. 30. 1685. Two of the Clock in the Morning Mr. Nelthrop's Last Speech THE great and inexpressible trouble and distraction I have been under since I came into Trouble especially since my close Confinement in Newgate hath so broken my Reason that for many Weeks last past till the day my Sentence was passed I have not had any composure of Mind and have been under the greatest trouble imaginable Since my dearest Wife hath had the Favour granted her of coming to me I am at present under great composedness of Mind through the Infinite Goodness of the Lord. As to what I stand Outlawed for and am now sentenced to die I can with comfort Appeal to the great God before whose Tribunal I am to appear that what I did was in the simplicity of my heart without seeking any private Advantage to my self but thinking it my Duty to hazard my Life for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and English Liberties which I thought invaded and both in great danger of being lost As to the Design of Assassinating the late King or his present Majesty it always was a thing highly against my Judgment and which I always detested and I was never in the least concerned in it neither in Purse nor Person nor ever knew of any Arms bought for that intent nor did I believe there was any such Design or ever heard of any disappointment in such an Affair or Arms or Time or Place save what after the Discovery of the General Design Mr. West spoke of as to Arms bought by him And as to my self I was in the North when the late King was at New-Market and the first News I had of the Fire was at Beverly in York-shire As to my coming over with the late Duke of Monmouth it was in prosecution of the same ends but the Lord in his Holy and Wise Providence hath been pleased to blast all our Undertakings tho' there seemed to be a very unanimous and zealous Spirit in all those that came from beyond the Seas And as to the Duke of Monmouth's being declared King I was wholly Passive in it I never having been present at any publick Debate of that Affair and should never have advised it but complained of it to Col. Holmes and Captain Patchet I believe the Lord Gray and Mr. F the chief Promoters of it As to the Temptation of being an Evidence and bringing either into trouble or danger of his Life the meanest Person upon the Account for which I suffer I always abhorred and detested the thoughts of it both when in and out of danger and advised some very strongly against it except when under my Distraction in Prison that amongst other Temptations did violently assault me but through the goodness of my dearest God and Father I was preserved from it and indeed was wholly incapable and could never receive the least shadow of comfort from it but thought Death more eligible and was some time afore out of my distracted and disquieted condition wholly free from it though not without other Temptations far more Criminal in the sight of Men. I bless the Father of all Mercies and God of all Consolations that I find a great Resignedness of my Will to his finding infinitely more comfort in Death than ever I could place in Life tho' in a condition that might seem honourable every hour seeing the Will of God in ordering
this to be written upon his Tomb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was able to do all things Monstrous Ambition Mr. Baker 's Flores 79. Similius being buried in the Cares of the Court and living rather for his Emperor's sake than for his own caused this Inscription to be put upon his Tomb. Here lies Similius an Old Man of Seven Years of Age. 80. Adrian appointed this to be his Epitaph Adrianus Sixtus hic situs est qui nihil sibi infoelicius in vitâ duxit quam quod regnaverat Here lies Adrianus Sixtus who never thought any thing so unhappy to him in his Life as his Reigning Mr. Barker 's Flores 81. I have read of the People called Sicyonians that they would have no Epitaph written upon the Tombs of their Kings but only their Names that they might have no Honour but what did result from their Merits Mr. Barker 's Flores 82. Earl Morton put this Epitaph upon John Knox his Tomb. Here lieth the Body of that Man who in his life-time never feared the Face of any Man Mr. Barker's Flores 83. Semiramis ordered this to be written upon her Tomb. If any King stand in need of Money let him break open this Monument Hereupon Darius ransack'd the Tomb and found within another Writing Hadst thou not been unsatiably Covetous thou wouldst never have invaded thus the Monument of the Dead And so went away ashamed Mr. Barker 's Flores 84. On Sardanapalus's Tomb by his own appointment was written So much I had as I eat and drank Chetwind 's Hist Collections 85. A Monk bestows this Epitaph on Wickliff The Devil's Instrument Churches Enemy Peoples Confusion Hereticks Idol Hypocrites Mirror Schismes Broacher Hatred's Sower Lyes Forger Flattery 's Sink who at his Death despaired like Cain and stricken by the horrible Judgment of God breathed forth his wicked Soul to the dark Mansions of the black Devil-Whereby God's Children may learn not to regard while they live the Malice nor to expect after their Death ought else but the slanderous rancour of the wicked Speed's Hist p. 622. 86. One John Child a Gentleman Hunting in the depth of Winter in Dartmore Forest in Devonshire lost both his Company and his Way in a bitter Snow and to preserve himself from perishing with extream Cold he killed his Horse and crept into his Bowels for warmth and wrote the following Verses with the Blood He that finds and brings me to my Tomb The Land of Plinistock shall be his doom That Night he was frozen to Death and being soon after found by some Monks of Tavestock Abbey the Abbot of Tavestock having caused him to be decently buried got that Rich Manor See a Book called Mankind displayed Some Remarkable Epitaphs now to be found in Westminster Abbey Stepney Churchyard and the New Burying-Place in Bunhill-Fields the last of which was inclosed with a Brick-Wall at the sole Charge of the City of London in the Mayoralty of Sir John Lawrence Knight Anno Dom. 1665. And afterwards the Gates thereof were built and finished in the Mayoralty of Sir Thomas Bloudworth Anno Dom. 1666. Here lies waiting for the Resurrection of the Just Mary late Wife of John Merrion who died Nov. 25th 1693. in the 26th Year of her Age. From my sad Cradle to my Sable Chest I found few Days of Joy or Months of Rest My Race was short yet tedious ending soon For suddenly my Sun did set at Noon I groan'd for Rest and fell asleep at Even So when I wak'd behold I was in Heaven Weep not dear Husband do not weep no more Because I am not lost but sent before Here lieth the Body of Mrs. Dorcas Bentley the Faithful tender Wife of Johathan Bentley Citizen and Watch-maker of London who lived much desired and died much lamented Aug. 3. 1693. My Dear Thy zealous care to serve thy God And constant Love to Husband dear Thy harmless Heart to every one Remains still tho' thy Corps lie here J. B. Mary Morris died Novemb. 13th Aged Three Quarters of a Year and Nine Days 1695. If I cou'd ever write a lasting Verse It shou'd be laid Dear Saint upon thy Herse Ah beauteous Blossom too untimely dead Whither Oh whither is thy sweetness fled Where are the Charms that always did arise From the prevailing Language of thy Eyes Here lies Interred the Body of Mr. Edward Bagshaw Minister of the Gospel who received from God Faith to embrace it Courage to defend it And Patience to suffer for it When by the most despised and by many persecuted esteeming the Advantage of Birth Education and Learning all Emiaâ—â—t in him as things of worth to be accounted loss for the Knowledge of Christ from the Reproaches of pretended Friends and Prosecutions of professed Adversaries he took Sanctuary by the Will of God in Eternal Rest 28th of December 1671. Here also lies the Body of Mrs. Margaret Wife of Mr. Edward Bagshaw who departed this Life 20th of February 1692. Here the Wicked cease from troubling and here the weary be at rest Here the Prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the Oppressor Upon a Stone adjoyning to Stepney Church is writ Of Carthage great I was a stone Oh Mortals read with pity Time levels all and spareth none Man Mountain Town nor City Therefore Oh Mortals all bethink You whereunto you must Since now such stately Buildings lie Buried in the Dust An Odd Epitaph on Will. Wheatly Whoever treadeth on this stone Pray now tread most neatly For underneath this stone here lies Your honest Friend Will. Wheatly Here lieth Interred the Body of Mary Wife of Captain Malachy Simons Mariner who departed this Life the 29th of June Anno Dom. 1677. Aged 50. Rest thou whose Rest gives me a restless Life Because I 've lost a kind and vertuous Wife I 'll visit thee and when I leave this Light Come spend my time in the same Cell at Night Till then farewel farewel I cannot take A final leave until thy Ashes wake Here lieth Interred the Body of Dame Rebecca Berry the Wife of Thomas Elton of Stratford Bow Gent. who departed this Life April 26. 1696. Aged 52. Come Ladies ye that wou'd appear Like Angels fair come dress ye here Come dress you at this Marble stone And make that humble Grace your own Which once adorn'd as fair a Mind As ere yet lodg'd in Womankind So she was dress'd whose humble Life Was free from Pride was free from Strife Free from all envious Brawls and Jars Of Humane Life the Civil Wars These ne'er disturb'd her Peaceful Mind Which still was gentle still was kind Her very looks her garb her meen Disclos'd the humble Soul within Trace her through every Scene of Life View her as Widow Virgin Wife Still the same humble she appears The same in Youth the same in Years The same in low in high estate Ne'er vex'd with this ne'er mov'd with that Go Ladies now and if you 'd be As fair as great as good as
as please This Relation is attested by many Religious Persons whose Names follow Ericus Westergard Rotalph Rakestat and Thor. Venes Coadjutors of the Pastor in the Parish of Niaess That Anno 1639 upon the 20th Day of May by Command of the Lord President in Remerigi the Lord Paulus Tranius Pastor in Niaess we went to receive an Account of the monstrous Birth in Sundby brought forth by an honest Woman Anna the Daughter of Amandus the Wife of Gandbrandus Erlandsonius who had already been the Mother of Eleven Children the last of which she was delivered of upon March 4. 1638. This Anna in the Year 1639 upon the 7th of April began to grow ill and being in great Pains in her Belly her Neighbours were called the same Day at Evening in the presence of her Neighbours she brought forth an Egg in all respects like that of an Hen which being broken by the Women then present Anna Grim Elen Rudstad Gyro Rudstad and Catharina Sundby they found that in the Yolk and White it answered directly to a common Egg. Upon the 18th Day of April about Noon in the Presence of the same Persons she was delivered of another Egg which in Figure differed nothing from the former This was the Confession as well of the Mother as of them that were present we do Artest by our Seals in the Presence of the Lord President in the Parish of Niaess the Day and Year abovesaid Bar. Hist Anat. c. 1. n. 4. p. 10. 8. Anne Tromperin was delivered of a Boy and two Serpents upon St. John's Day Anno 1576. She said That in a very hot Day she had drunk of a Spring where she suspected that she had drank of the Sperm of Serpents The Child was so lean as that he was scarce any thing but Bones The Serpents were each of them an Ell in length and thick as the Arm of an Infant both which alive as they were were buried by the Midwife in the Church-yard Sennert Pract. Med. l. 4. par 2. sect 4. cap. 10. p. 327. 9. The Concubine of Pope Nicholas the Third was delivered of a Monster which resembled a Bear Martin the Fourth in the First Year of his Popedom entertained this Lady and fearing lest she should bring forth other Bear-Whelps he caused all the Bears which were painted or carved in the Pope's Palace whilst the Family of Vrsini bore sway in Rome to be blotted out and removed Camer Hor. Subs Cen. 10. At a Procession in Bois le Duc in Brabant some of the Citizens were disguised according to the Custom of the Place some in the Habit of Angels and others in the Shape of Devils as they are painted One of these Devils ran home to his House in that Attire took his Wife and threw her upon a Bed saying He would get a young Devil upon her He was not much deceived for his Wife bore a Child in that Shape which at his coming into the World began to run and skip up and down all over the Chamber Ibid. 11. Anno 1678 upon the 17th Day of January at Eight of the Clock after Noon there was at the Town of Quiro an honest Matron who was then deliver'd of a Child which had upon its Head five Horns opposite each to the other and like unto those of a Ram also from the upper part of his Forehead there hung backward a very long piece of Flesh that covered most part of his Back in Form like a Woman 's Head-Tire about his Neck there was a double Row of Flesh like the Collar of an Horse at the end of his Fingers were Claws like to those Tallons in Birds of Prey his Knees were in the hinder part of his Leg his Right Leg and Foot were of a shining red Colour the rest of his Body all swarthy He is said to come into the World with a great Cry which so frighted the Midwife and the Women present that they ran immediately out of the House Paraeus de Mons l. 24. 12. Lithgow tells of a Monster that below the Middle Part there was but one Body and above the Middle there were two living Souls the one separated from the other with several Members their Heads both of one bigness the belly of the one join'd with the Posterior Part of the other and their Faces looked both one way as if the one had carried the other on his Back Their Eyes were exceeding big and their Hands greater than an Infant of three times their Age. The Excrements of both issued forth at one place and their Thighs and Legs were of a great Growth not agreeable to their Age which was but 36 Days Their Feet like the Foot of a Camel round and cloven in the midst They eat insatiably and continually mourn'd when one slept the other waked Lithg par 2. p. 52. 13. A Woman at Prague having felt a Commotion in her Bowels while the Inwards of a Calf were taking out brought forth a Boy whose Liver Intestines Stomach and Spleen with the greatest part of the Mesentery hung out beyond the Navel Fabrit Obs Chir. Cen. 3. Obs 55. p. 239. 14. At Cracovia was born a Child terrible to behold with flaming and shining Eyes the Mouth and Nostrils were like to those of an Ox it had long Horns and a Back hairy like a Dog's It had the Faces of Apes in the Breast where the Teats should stand it had Cats Eyes under the Navel fasten'd to the Hypogastrium and they looked hideously It had the Heads of Dogs upon both Elbows and at the Whire-Bones of each Knee looking forwards It was Splay-footed and Splay-handed the Feet like Swans Feet and a Tail turn'd upwards that crook'd up backwards about half an Ell long It lived four Hours from its Birth and near its Death it spake thus Watch for the Lord your God comes This was Anno 1543. Lycosten de Prod p. 582. 15. Anno 1573 at St. Lawrence in the West-Indies was a Child born that had two Horns on the Head like those of Kids long Hair on the Body a Fleshy Girdle about his Middle double from whence hung a piece of Flesh like a Purse and a Bell of Flesh in his Left Hand white Boots of Flesh on its Legs doubled down In brief the whole Shape was horrid and diabolical and conceived to proceed from some Fright taken from the Antick Danceâ— of the Indians among whom the Devil sometimes appears Dr. More 's Immortality of the Soul l. 3. c. 7. p. 173. 16. At Boston in New-England Anno 1637 Mrs. Dyer was delivered of a Monster which had no Head the Face on the Breast the Ears like Apes Ears growing on the Shoulders the Eyes and Mouth stood far out the Nose hooking upward the Breast and Back full of Prickles the Navel and Belly where the Hips should have been in stead of Toes it had on each Foot three Claws upon the Back it had two great Holes like Mouths above the Eyes it had four Horns and
Silver Sphere a most exquisite Piece of Art which ws sent by the Emperor Ferdinand to Soliman the Great Turk is mentioned by Paulus Jovias and Sabellicus It was carried by twelve Men unframed and re-framed in the Grand Seignor's Presence by the Maker of it who likewise delivered him a Book containing the Mystery of using it of which Du Bartus thus Nor may we smother or forget ungrately The Heav'n of Silver that was sent but lately From Ferdinando as a famous work Vnto Bizantium to the greatest Turk Wherein a Sprite still moving to and fro Made all the Engine orderly to go And tho' th' one Sphere did always slowly glide And contrary the other swiftly slide Yet still the Stars kept all their Courses even With the true Courses of the Stars of Heaven The Sun there shifting in the Zodiack His shining Horses never did for sake His pointing Path there in a Month his Sister Fulfill'd her Course and changing of her lustre And form of Face now larger lessor soon Follow'd the Changes of the other Moon Knowles Turk Hist p. 713. 2. The Duke of Holsteine hath order'd a Globe to be made in the City of Cottorp it is a double Globe made of Copper ten Foot and half in Diameter so that within it ten Persons may sit at a Table which with the Seats about it hangeth at one of its Poles There a Man may see by means of an Horizontal Circle within the Globe how the Stars and Sun its self out of its Center moveth of its self through its Ecliptick Degrees and riseth and setteth regularly The Motion of this Globe exactly followeth that of the Heavens and deriveth that Motion from certain Wheels driven by Water which is drawn out of a Mountain hard by and let in as it requireth more or less according to the swiftness of the Spheres Olearius Travels p. 339. 3. A. 1635. There was at Leige an English Jesuit named Linus who had saith Kircher a Phial or Glass of Water wherein a little Globe did float with the 24 Letters of the Alphabet described upon it on the inside of the Phial was an Index or Stile to which the Globe did turn and move it self at the Period of every Hour with that Letter that denoted the Hour of the Day successively as tho this little Globe kept Pace and Time with the Heavenly Motions And Kircher himself had a Vessel of Water in which just even with the Surface of the Water were the 24 Hours describ'd A piece of Cork was set upon the Water and therein were put some Seeds of the Heliotrope or Sun-Flower which like the Flower it self did turn the Cork about according to the Course of the Sun and with its Motion point out the Hours of the Day Gass in Vit. Paeiresk 1.5 p. 185. Hist Man Arti. c. 1. p. 10. 4. Galileo could by the help of a round Box held towards the Sun produce a Light that would shoot it self into a very dark Room and ascend by Degrees as a Vapour that is kinded by the Sun to the admiration of all Spectators It was a Concave Box that he used Fortes Feriae Ac. p. 123. Curious Inventions of Clock-work 5. Gaffarel tell us That he saw at Leghorn a Clock brought thither by a German to be sold which had many Rarities in it for besides an infinite number of strange Motions which appear'd not at all to the Eye you had there a Company of Shepherds some of them playing at Bagpipes with such Harmony and exquisite Motion of the Fingers as that one would have thought they had been alive others dancing by Couples keeping exact Time and Measure whilst others caper'd and leaped up and down with so much nimbleness that my Spirits were wholly ravish'd with the Sight saith he Gaffar Curios c. 7. p. 236. 6. Copernicus made an excellent Clock in which there was not only to be heard a number of different Noises occasioned by its various Motions but also most exactly to be discovered the Circuitions of all the Coelestial Orbs the Distinctions of Days Months Years there the Zodiack did explicate its Signs So performing the Circle of the Year there the playing Ram began the Spring Cancer produces the Summer Libra enriches it with Autumn and the Slothful Scorpio makes the Winter Here also the Moon changes in the Nones shines out more bright in the Ides and shamefully conceives her Conjuction with the Sun in the Kalends But those things which the Ingenious Artificer presented and as it were produced in the Scene upon the entrance of every Hour marvellously delighted the Spectators every Hour made Shew of some Mystery in our Faith The first Creation of the Light the powerful Separation of the Elements and all other intermediate Mysteries he had traced upon this Engine even to the great Eclipse that was when our Saviour suffered on Mount-Calvary to insist upon the particulars was the work of an Age the Eye that is the Devourer of such Beautiful Objects embrace more in an Hour than the Tongue is able to represent in a considerable space of time Fortes feria Acad. pag. 58. 7. A. 1571. Conraldus Dusipodius invented the most famous Clock at Strasburg Before the Clock stand a Globe on the Ground shewing the Motions of the Heavens Stars Planets namely of the Heaven carried about by the first Mover in 24 Hours of Saturn by his proper Motion carried about in 30 Years of Jupiter in 12 of Mars in 2 of the Sun Mercury and Venus in one Year of the Moon in a Month. In the Clock it self there be two Tables on the Right and Left Hand shewing the Eclipses of the Sun and Moon from the Year 1573. to A. 1624. The third Table in the midst is divided into three Parts In the first Part the Statues of Apollo and Diana shew the Course of the the Year and the Day thereof being carried about in one Year the second Part shews the Year of our Lord and of the World the Equinoctial Days the Hours of each Day the Minutes of each Hour Easter-day and all other Feasts and the Dominical Letter the third Part hath the Geographical Description of all Germany and particularly of Strasburgh and the Names of the Inventors and of all the Work-men In the middle Frame of the Clock is an Astrolabe shewing the Sign in which each Planet is every Day and there be the Statues of the seven Planets upon a round piece of Iron lying flat so that every Day the Statue of that Planet that rules the day comes forth the rest being hid within the Frames till they come out by course at their day as the Sun upon Sunday and so for all the Week And there is a Terrestrial Globe and the Quarter and the Half Hour and the Minutes are shew'd there There is also the Skull of a dead Man and two Statues of two Boys whereof one turns the Hour-Glass when the Clock hath struck the other puts forth the Rod in his Hand
at each Stroke of the Clock Moreover there be the Statues of the Spring Summer Autumn and Winter and many Observations of the Moon In the upper part of the Clock are four old Men's Statues which strike the quarters of the Hour the Statue of Death coming out at each Quarter to strike but being driven back by the Statue of Christ with a Spear in his Hand for three Quarters but in the fourth Quarter that of Christ goeth back and that of Death striketh the Hour with a Bone in his Hand and then the Chimes sound On the top of the Clock is the Image of a Cock which twice in the Day croweth aloud and clappeth his Wings Besides this Clock is deck'd with many fine Pictures and being on the inside of the Church carrieth another Frame to the outside of the Wall wherein the Hours of the Sun the Courses fo the Moon the Length of the Day and such other things are set out with great Art Morrison's Itenerary Part 1. Cap. 1. Pag. 31. 8. At Dresden a Cockoo sings by Clock-work a Horseman rides a Ship sails an old Woman walks a Centaur runs and shoots and a Crab creeps upon a Table so well as to amaze and delight Dr. Ed. Brown's Trav. p. 167. CHAP. VI. Improvements in Navigation NONE of the Elements have escaped the Inquisition of Humane Study Men have adventured not only to Travel upon the Surface of the Waters and cut thro the Surging Waves but to dive to the bottom and examine all the Secrets of the vast Ocean and to that end have made considerable Improvements in the Art of Navigation But being my self a Land-Animal I am not able to say much upon the Point only for a Spur to the Industry and Emulation of others take these few subsequent Remarks 1. The Chard and Compass is well known to be a late but ingerrious and useful Invention far beyond the old wild way of Sailing by the Coasts of the Land and much conducive to the mutual Traffick and Commerce of divers Nations I wish I could say it had been more so to the Propagation of Learning and True Religion 2. The Longitude upon the Sea complain'd of lately by Seamen and Pilots who having lost sight of the Land and knowing by Observation of the Compass and Altitude at what Distance they were from North and Sourth but not able to discern the Longitude viz. the Distance from East to West hath been lately put into a fair way of Discovery by Mr. Huggens by the help of the Pendulum whose Exactness is such that it fails not one Moment And the Certainty of this Experiment is recommended by Captain Holms in a Letter written from London January 1665. c. 3. Sir William Petti invented a Vessel or Ship of a new Form called the Experiment like two little Ships joyned together by a Platform so that between the two there might be a space almost as large as the two Ships together thro' which the Water had an entire Liberty to pass the Keel of each being 80 Foot long the bigness with the Platform only 32 Foot the height from the Keel to the Platform 14. In War it would carry 50 pieces of Canon 200 Men with three Months Provision if used for Merchandize it would carry 300 Tuns The Advantages expected from it were that it would be swifter than other Ships as being capable of carrying twice or thrice as many Sails as others and having no Ballast it would be higher and surer because the figure of its sides with the Water which runs between the two Ships would keep it from running aground and having no Ballast it would not sink what Breaches soever it might meet with especially if assisted by some pieces of Canon besides its Keel would defend it being supported by many straight Planks if it should touch the Ground with all its weight and lastly it would turn more speedily than those Ships whose Rudder receives only the broken Water by the round Sides of them and ross less in a Tempest and in calm Weather would to with Oars betwixt the two little ones beneath the Platform c. but what the Event of this Experiment is I am not able to say This Description that I have given is taken out of a Letter written from London about it The Young Students Library p. 208. 4. A Doublet of Buoyant Matter lately invented which being put over or under a Man's Cloaths will bear his Head above Water for 24 Hours tho he cannot swim was tried this Month of June A. 1696. below London-Bridge and proved effectual as we are informed by the Flying-Post Numb 167. CHAP. VII Improvements in Law THAT Law might be reduced into the Method of an Art or Science hath been the wish of many Learned Men I dare not undertake any such Work my self yet for the Curiosity of my Reader I will present him here with something of a Scheme which I had lying by me Extracted out of Sir Mat. Hales Pleas of the Corwn Sir H. Finch 's Common Pleas c. 1. Pleas of the Crown have a Respect either to 1. Capital Offences 1. Against God as 1. Heresie 2. Witchcraft 2. Against Man 1. Capital 1. Treason 1. High as Compassing the Death of the King Queen Prince Levying War against him Violation of the Queen Princess killing of the Chancellor Treasurer Justice of one Bench or other Justice in Eire of Assizes of Oyer and Terminer in their place Counterfeiting and Clipping of the King's Coin Refusing the Oath of Supremacy on the Second Tender Extolling the Bishop of Rome Priests coming into the Realm 2. Petit A Servant killing of the Master a Wife her Husband Ecclesiastick his Superiour Son his Father c. 2. Felony against Life as Felo de se Chance medley doing a lawful Act without Intent of Hurt and Death following Death per infortunium without procurement of another the Cause is Deodand ex necessitate viz. Murder proceeding from Malice precognitated Manslaughter on a sudden Falling out Against Goods Larceny simple and grand of the value of 12 Pence feloniously taken Complicated Larceny or mixed with Robbery viz. Taking from the Person and putting him in fear or from the House Piracy Burglary viz. or Breaking by Night and entering into a House with a Felonious Intent Arson maliciously and voluntarily burning the House of another Hindrances of Amesning a Felon to publick Justice by breaking of Prison Rumper Prison Escape Rescure in a Person that 's a Stranger Felonies by Statute Conspiring to kill the King Witchcraft Buggery Penetratio emissio cum carnali cognitione Rape taking a Woman against her Will. Malicious cutting out Tongues or pulling out Eyes Stealing or avoiding Records Multiplication of Gold or Silver Hunting unlawfully in Forests Chases Wartens Embezilling of the King's Armour Subjects passing Sea to serve Foreign Princes c. Purveyors and wandering Soldiers in certain Cases Marrying a Second Husband or Wife the First living except the Man be under