be paid by 40 shillings apiece 13. For the Marriages of poor Maids in Reading in the same manner 100 l. 14. For the Marriages of poor Maids in Newbery that have served 7 years the same Master or Mistress 50 l. 15. To set on work idle vagrant Boys in Bridewel 200 l. 16. Towards Finishing the Pinacles of the Steeple of S. Marys in Reading 50 l. 17. To be lent upon Bond with Sureties to several honest industrious poor Clothiers in Reading first for 7 years then for 3 years to others and so on gratis for ever 500 l. viz. 50 l. apiece 18. To the Clothiers of Newbery the same Sum for the like use viz. 500 l. 19. To poor industrious Merchant-Adventurers in London to be lent by 300 l. in a parcel gratis from 3 years to 3 years in like manner as before 300 l. 20. To his Brother William Kendrick and Children 2000 l. and a Gold-Ring 21. To his Sister Anna Newman of Reading 1000 Marks 22. To her Children 2000 Marks c. 23. To his Sister Alice Vigures of Exeter 500 l. 24. To her Children 1000 l. 25. To his Brother James Winch of Purley in the County of Berks and Children 1000 l. 26. To old Elizab. Kendrick his Uncle's Daughter 50 l. 27. To Tho. Newman at Delf in Holland Servant to his Partner 1000 l. 28. To his Kinsman and late Servant Sim. Gaudy 1000 l. 29. To Arth. Aynscomb Merchant then at Antwerp Shearer with him in Trade 500 l. 30. To Barney Reymes Merchant at Delf another Shearer 500 l. 31. To Mr. John Quarles who was his Master and then kept his Accompts 500 l. forgiving him also a Debt of 300 l. 32. To Mr. George Lowe Merchant and former Partner 300 l. 33. To Tho. Billingslie Son of Sir H. B. 200 l. forgiving him also a Debt of 200 l. more 34. To the Executors of Tho. Jackson Merchant 300 l. 35. To Luces van Punon of Middleburgh 50 l. 36. To Jeremiah Poets of Middleburgh 20 l. 37. To William Powle his Covenant-Servant 200 l. 38. To And Kendrick his Apprentice 300 l. and in lieu of what he had received with him 100 l. 39. To another Apprentice Chr. Packe 100 l. 40. To his House-keeper 20 l. To two of his Maids 20 l. apiece To his Drawer 50 l. to another Drawer 25 l. To his Drawers Servants 25 l. To his twelve Clothworkers Rowers and Shearers 130 l. To Bigge and Salisbury that pressed and folded his Cloth 25 l. To his Porters at the Water-side 10 l. To Packers 10 l. To his Water-bearer 3 l. To the Washer 5 l. To W. Bealde of Reading Clothier 50 l. to another Clothier 50 l. To another Clothier Tho. Newman 100 l. To John Skegmere Secretary to the Merchant-Adventurers 100 l. To R. B. a Partner 300 l. To Mr. W. T. 5 l. To Officers of the Company 15 l. For Service at 6 a Clock in Reading 250 l. the like at Newbery 250 l. to another 100 l. For a Dinner for the Drapers at his Funeral 40 l. Extracted out of the Copy printed A. C. 1625. 23. The Lady Alice Dutchess Dudley gave many hundred pounds toward the Building of St. Giles's Church the Church being finished she gave Hangings of Watchid Taffety to cover the upper-end of the Chancel and those bordered with a silk and silver Fringe Item For the back of the Altar a rich green Velvet Cloth with these three Letters in Gold IHS embroidered on it Two Service-Books in Folio embossed with Gold A gree Velvet Cloth with a rich deep Gold Fringe to cover the Altar on Sundays A Cambrick-Altar Cloth with a deep Bonelace round about another fine Damask-Altar Cloth Two Cusâ—ins for the Altar rickly embroidred with Gold A large Turkey Carpet to be spread on the Week-days over it A beautiful Skreen of Carved Work which was placed where the former in the old Church stood Moreover she gave a neat Pair of Organs with a Case richly Gilded Item Ver costly handsom Rails to guard the Lord's Table from prophane uses It. The Communion-Plate of all sorts in Silver and gilt for that sacred use she was at the Charge of Paving the upper-end of the Church wih Marble-stones She gave the great Bell and was at the Charge of Casting and Hanging the other five Bells She gave to the Church of Stonelay in Warwickshire as also to the Churches of Mancester Leke-Wotton Ashow Kenelworth and Monks-Kirby Twenty pounds per Annum apiece for a perpetual Augmentation to the poor Vicaridges of those respective Churches for ever She bestowed on the same Churches as also upon the Churches of Bedford Acton St. Albans Patshill divers pieces of costly Plate for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in each of them And she purchased a fair house and Garden near the said Church of St. Giles's and gave it for a perperual Mansion to the Incumbents after three Lives She also allowed a yearly Stipend to the Sexton of that Churchâ—â— Tole the great Bell when the Prisoners condemned to die were passing by and to Ring out after they were executed She likewise gave great Sums of Money for the Repairing the Cathedral Church of Litchfield and for the Re-edifying of St. Sepulchres in London All these with many more were the Product of her great Charity whilst she lived and thereby made her own Eyes her Overseers and her own Hand her Executors At her Death she gave for Redemption of Christian Captives from the Hands of Infidels One hundred pounds per Annum for ever To the Hospital in St. Giles's Four hundred pounds for Twenty pounds a year for ever For the placing out for ever of poor Parish-Children of St. Giles's Apprentices Two hundred pounds to purchase 10. l. per Annum To the Poor of the Parishes of Stoneley Kenilworth Leke-Wotton Ashow Bedford and Passhill aforesaid and also of Lichborow and Blakesley One hundred pounds per Annum And upon the Day of her Funeral Fifty pounds to be distributed among the Poor She gave to Fourscore and ten Widows according to the number of the years she had lived to each one a Gown and fair white Handkerchief to attend the Hearse wherein her Body was carried and One shilling apiece for their Dinner after that Solemnity was performed which was on the 16th of March 1668. She gave to every place where her Corps should rest in its passage from London unto Stoneley aforesaid in Warwickshire where she had a Noble Monument prepared by her self She ordered that Six pence should be given to every poor Body that should meet her Corps on the Road. She gave to Blakesley Lichborow and Patshill Ten pounds apiece to be distributed among the Poor the same day her Corps was interred to Stoneley Fifty pounds distributed the same day Thus this Illustrious Dutchess did in her Life and at her Death and doubtless for all her good Deeds she has her Reward in Heaven by God's Mercy and Christ's Merits See the Narrative of her Life
prospect of Peace or Help and yet God hath revived me thro' his Soveraign Grace and Mercy and there have been several heretofore forely perplex'd with great inward and outward trouble whom God aftr that wonderfully refreshed Mr. Robert Bruce some time ago Minister at Edinburgh was Twenty years in Terrors of Conscience and yet delivered afterwards You may also direct them to the Lives of Mrs. Brettergh Mrs. Drake Mr. Peacock and Mrs. Wight where they will see a very chearful day returning after a black and stormy night and that the Issue from their Afflictions was more glorious than their Conflict was troublesome They went forth weeping they sowed in Tears but they reaped an Harvest of wonderful Joys afterwards You have in the Book of Martyrs written by Mr. Fox an instance of Mr. Glover who was worn and consumed with inward Trouble for the space of Five years that he neither had any Comfort in his Meat nor any Quietness of Sleep nor any Pleasure of Life he was so perplexed as if he had been in the deepest Pit of Hell yet at last this good Servant of God after so sharp Tempetations and the strong Buffetings of Satan was freed from all his trouble and was thereby framed to great Mortification and was like one already placed in Heaven and led a Life altogether Celestial abhorring in his Mind all propahen things and you have a remarkable instance of mighty Joy in Mr. Holland a Minister who having the day before he died meditated upon the 8th of the Romans he cried on a sudden Stay your Reading What Brightness is it that I see They told him it was the Sun-shine Nay saith he my Saviour's shine Now farewell World and welcome Heaven the day-star from an high hath visited my Heart O speak it when I am gone and let it be Preached at my Funeral God dealeth familiarly with Man I feel his Mercy I see his Majesty whether in the Body or out of the Body God he knoweth but I see things unutterale And in the Morning following 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 Sorrow to Solace from a factious World to an Heavenly Being O! my dear Friends it pitieth me to leave you behind yet remember what I now feel I hope you shall find e're you die That God doth and will deal familiarly with Men. And now thou fiery Chariot that came down to fetch up Eliah carry me to my happy hold and all the blessed Angels who attended the Soul of Lazarus to bring it up to Heaven bear me O bear me into the Bosom of my best Beloved Amen Amen Come Lord Jesus come quickly And so he fell asleep See this and several other Instances in Mr. Robert Bolton's Instructions for Afflicted Consciences p. 87. and 235 c. Thus far Mr. Rogers I shall next add what dreadful Apprehensions a Soul has that is under Desertion from Mr. Rogers's own Experience and I shall give it you in his own words viz. The time of God's Forsaking of a Soul is a very dark and mournful time 't is not only night but a weeping stormy Night and it may not be unuseful to you who have it may be hitherto lived in the Beams and chearful Light of Day to know what passes in this sorrowful and doleful Night and in this Matter I will not borrow Information from others but give you my own Experience 1. In this Night the deserted Soul in overwhelmed with continual Thoughts of the Holiness and Majesty and Glory of the Lord not does in think of him with any manner of Delight acording to that of Asaph Psal 77.3 I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my Spirit was over-whelmed And in how deplorable a case is such a Soul that cannot think of its God and its Creator but with Grief and Sorrow 2. The Deserted Soul in this mournful Night does look upon God as its Enemy and as intending its Hurt and Ruin by the Sharpness of his Dispensations and this makes it to be incapable of receiving any Consolation from the Creatures for will it say to them Alas if God be my Enemy as I apprehend him to be which of you can be my Friend He is with his People ut he has forsaken me he has east me into a fiery Furnace where I am daily burnt and scorcht and he is not with me there I dare not says the mourning Person look up to Heaven for there I see how great a God I have against me I dare not look into his Word for there I see all his Threats as so many barbed Arrows to strike me to the Heart I dare not look into the Grave because thence I am like to have a doleful Resurection and what can a poor Creature do that apprehends the Almighty to be his Enemy It is a common thing to say Why do you so lament and mourn you have many Mercies left many Friends that pray for you and that pity you Alas what help is there in all this if God himself be gone Nothing is then lookt upon as a Mercy and as for the Prayers of others will the distressed Person say They can do me no good unless I have Faith and I find I have none at all for that wou'd purify and cleanse my Heart and I do nothing else but sin 3. In this doleful Night the Soul hath no evidence at all of its former Grace so that in this Night the Sun is not only set but there is not one Star appears such an one look upon himself as altogether void of the Grace of God he looks upon all his former Duties to have been Insincere or Hypocrital he feels his Heart hardned at present and concludes that it was never tender I am an Apostate if I had any share in the Intercession of the great Redeemer he wou'd not leave me thus sad and desolate O! how greatly have I been deceived that imagined my self to be an Heir of Heaven and am now seized with the Pangs of Hell 4. During this Sadness the Soul cannot think of Christ himself with any Comfort For thus it argues he will be a Saviour to none but those that believe I have no Faith and therefore he will be no Saviour to me he that is to his Servants as the Lamb of God will be to me as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah he that deals gently with them will tear me to pieces He seems to be angry and enraged against me for my Disobedience and though I have cried sometimes Have Mercy on me thou Son of David he passes away and does not regard my Cries and O what shall I do when he comes in the Clouds of Heaven when I am to stand at his Bar and to be punished as an Unbeliever 5. In this Night the Soul is full of Terror and how can it be otherwise when every
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-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
now about One or Two and twenty He and several young Gentlemen rode down from London a little before the Duke landed and were taken on Suspicion and laid up in Ilchester Gaol till the Duke himself came and relieved them He continued in his Army till the Rout when if I mistake not he got to Sea and was forc'd back again with the Hewlings or some others He was condemned at the bloody Assizes in Dorchester A Friend discoursing to him at Dorchester about his Pardon and telling him the doubtfulness of obtaining it he replied Well Death is the worst they can do and I bless God that will not surprize me for I hope my great Work is done At Taunton being advised to govern the Airyness of his Temper telling him it made People apt to censure him as inconsiderate of his Condition to which he answered Truly this is so much my natural Temper that I cannot tell how to alter it but I bless God I have and do think seriously of my eternal Concerns I do not allow my self to be vain but I find cause to be chearful for my Peace is made with God through Jesus Christ my Lord. This is my only ground of Comfort and Cheerfulness the Security of my Interest in Christ for I expect nothing but Death and without this I am sure Death would be most dreadful but having the good Hope of this I cannot be melancholy When he heard of the triumphant Death of those that suffered at Lyme he said This is a good Encouragement to depend upon God Then speaking about the mangling of their Bodies he said Well the Resurrection will restore all with great Advantage the 15th Chapter of the First of Corinthians is Comfort enough for all Believers Discoursing much of the Certainty and Felicity of the Resurrection at another time he said I will as I think I ought use all lawful Means for the saving of my Life and then if God please to forgive me my Sins I hope I shall as chearfully embrace Death Upon the Design of Attempting an Escape he said We use this means for the preserving our Lives but if God is not with us it will not effect it It 〈◊〉 Business first to seek to him for Direction and Success if he sees good with resigning our Lives to him and then his Will be done After the Disappointments when there was no prospect of any other Opportunity he spake much of the Admirableness of God's Providence in those things that seem most against us bringing the greatest Good out of them For said he we can see but a little way God is only wise in all his Disposals of us If we were left to chuse for our selves we should chuse our own Misery Afterwards discoursing of the Vanity and unsatisfyingness of all things in this World he said It is so in the enjoying we never 〈◊〉 our Expectations answer'd by any thing in it and when Death comes it puts an end to all things we have been pursuing here Learning and Knowledge which are the best Things in this World will then avail nothing nothing but an Interest in Christ is then of any worth One reading to some of his Fellow-Prisoners Jer. 42.12 I will shew mercy unto you that he may have mercy upon you and cause you to return to your own Land he said Yes we shall but not in this World I am perswaded September the 29th at Night after he heard he must die the next Morning he was exceedingly composed and chearful expressing his Satisfaction in the Will of God The next Morning he was still more spiritual and chearful discovering a very sweet Serenity of Mind in all that he said and did Whilst he was waiting for the Sheriff reading the Scriptures Meditating and conversing with those about him of Divine Things amongst other things said be I have heard much of the Glory of Heaven but I am now going to behold it and understand what it is Being desir'd to disguise himself to attempt an Escape he said No I cannot tell how to disturb my self about it and methinks it is not my Business now I have other things take up my Thoughts If God saw good to deliver me he would open some other Door but seeing he has not it is more for the Honour of his Name we should die And so be it One saying to him that most of the Apostles died a violent Death he replied Nay a greater than the Apostles our Lord himself died not only a shameful but a painful Death He further said This manner of Death hath been the most terrible thing in the World to my Thoughts but I bless God now am I neither afraid nor ashamed to die He said The parting with my Friends and their Grief for me is my greatest Difficulty but it will be but for a very short time and we shall meet again in endless Joys where my dear Father is already enter'd him shall I presently joyfully meet Then musing with himself a while he with an extraordinary seriousness sung these two Verses of one of Herbert's Poems Death is still working like a Mole Digging my Grave at each remove Let Grace work so on my Soul Drop from above Oh come for thou dost know the way Or if to me thou wilt not move Remove me where I need not say Drop from above He then read the 53d of Isaiah and said He had heard many blessed Sermons from that Chapter especially from the 16th Verse All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way but the Lord hath laid on him the Iniquities of us all Seeming to intimate some Impress made on his Soul from them but was interrupted Then he said Christ is all When the Sheriff came he had the same chearfulness and serenity of Mind in taking Leave of his Friends and in the Sledge which seemed to encrease to the last as those present have affirmed joyning in Prayer and in singing a Psalm with great appearance of Comfort and Joy in his Countenance insomuch that some of his Enemies that had before censured his Chearfulness for unthoughtfulness of his Danger and therefore expected to see him much surprized now professed they were greatly astonished to see such a young Man leave the World and go through Death as he did His CHARACTER He was a very promising and ingenious young Gentleman He had a great deal of ready Wit and an extraordinary Briskness and Gaity He was a very good Scholar had run through a course of Philosophy but his particular Inclination was to the Mechanical part of it wherein he had a very happy Genius and performed many pretty things He wrote very good clean Latin He was indifferent tall pretty thin a fair Complexion his Nose a little inclining to one side being hurt in his Infancy He led a sober vertuous Life and dy'd a happy Death at Taunton September the 30th 1685. 4. Lady LISLE HAD those Persons who suffer'd about Monmouth's Business
Nunnery of Pict Royal des Champs whither it was carried after it was dead and put up in an Urn with this inscription Juveni Postum spes fortuna valete The two following Letters between Mrs. E and her Husband may properly be inserted here as they contain the Last Will and Dying Request of two Persons very Remarkable for their conjugal Affection as was mentioned before under the Chapter of Good Wives The HUSBAND's Letter My Dearest Heart I Rejoyce in the entireness of thy Affection which many (a) (a) I suppose he means his late Voyage to America and the Low-Countries c. at which time he presented her with a Ring with this Inscription Many Waters cannot quench Love Cant. 8.6 Waters could not quench nor thy two Years Sickness abate so that were there Hopes of thy being well I shou'd think my self still in Paradise or had met with this Life but as an Earnest of the Happier to come But the dearest Friends must part and thy languishing State makes it necessary for me to impart a few things relating to my own and thy Decease which I must say is the greatest Affliction that can befall me not only as thou wert the Wife of my Youth but as I ever thought my truest Friend Thy Sympathy with me in all the Distresses of my Life both at Sea and Land will make thy Vertues shine with the greater Lustre as Stars in the darkest Night and assure the World you love me not for my Fortunes Thy love to me in this very Respect has exceeded the Generosity of that Dutch Lady who having the Choice of all she cau'd carry at once out of a besieged Castle instead of taking her Rings and Jewels as was expected she locks her Husband up in a Chest and carries him thence on her Back as her chiefest Treasure and by that Stratagem saved his Life Mrs. Katharine Clark was another singular Instance of Respect to her Husband both in Words and Deeds She never rose from the Table even when they were alone but she made a Courtesie she never drank to him without bowing his Word was a Law to her and she made it her Business to please him The Lady Eleanor Wife to King Edward I. saved his Life by sucking Poison out of his Wounds which had otherwise been incurable Queen Mary II. was also a Royal Pattern of Conjugal Affection being both Hands Ears and Eyes to the King in his Absence Neither was William less obliging in all the Instances of a tender Husband Fair course of Passions where two Lovers start And run together Heart thus yok'd in Heart But tho' these are mighty Instances of a pure Love yet all inferior to thy Garden Walks and something else I forbear to mention Nothing can love like the generous Daphne or be so constant as Mutius who strives to become Not (b) (b) This was the Motto in a Ring he gave her before Marriage thine alone but even the same with thee There is such a Union between us that we seem as two Souls in the same Body or rather two Souls transformed into one This makes such an even Thread of Endearment run through all we think or do that as you ever command me in any equal Matter by your constant obeying of me so I as readily scruple every thing that is not agreeable to your Will But nothing happens that is not so for like Spanheimius's Wife thou art willing to be govern'd by me in all things If any Quarrel is 't is who of the two shall live the most Content so that 'Tween you and me now the Accounts are even A Chain of Hearts and the first Link is Heaven I enjoy both Worlds in such a Spouse and were I to wed again and this I speak after (c) (c) They had now been Marry'd about Ten Tears long Tryal I 'd preferr thy self to the Richest Nymph (d) (d) This was the Posie of their Wedding-Ring God saw thee most fit for me and I cou'd not find such another had I a thousand Advisers and as many Worlds to range in to please my Eye and Fancy Then never think thy long Sickness can tire me for (e) (e) Cant. 8.7 True Love is stronger than Death And I could be content to be Tost Weather beaten and even Ship-wrack'd that you might get safe to Harbour which shou'd you miss at last yet you may take this Comfort even in Death it self that you can die but half whilst I am preserved neither need you fear the Consequence of Death who have liv'd so good a Life 'T is true Conscience makes Cowards of us all Lewis II. King of France when he was Sick forbad any Man to speak of Death in his Court But there 's nothing in Death it self that can affright us 'T is only Fancy gives Death those hideous Shapes we think him in 'T is the Saying of one I fear not to be Dead yet am afraid to Die There is no Ponyards in Death it self like those in the way or prologue to it And who wou'd not be content to be a kind of Nothing for a moment to be within one instant of a Spirit and soaring through Regions he never saw and yet is curious to behold My Dear Thou hast nothing to fear in thy Passage to the other World for thy Interest in Christ secures thee against the Devil and as to Death which sets thee ashore 't is no more than a soft and easie Nothing Seneca says 'T is no more to die than to be born We felt no Pain coming into the World nor shall we in the act of leaving it Death is but a ceasing to be what we were before we were We are kindled and put out to cease to be and not to begin to be is the same thing But you 'll say perhaps what do I mean by the same thing and that you are still as much in the Dark as ever Why truly Daphne so am I 't is true Bradshaw tells us There have been Men that have tried even in Death it self to relish and tast it and who have bent their utmost Faculties of Mind to discover what this Passage is but there are none of them come back to tell us the News No one was ever known to ' wake Who once in Death's cold Arms a Nap did take Lucret. Lib. 3. Canius Julius being condemn'd by that Beast Caligula as he was going to receive the Stroke of the Executioner was ask'd by a Philosopher Well Canius said he Where about is your Soul now What is she doing What are you thinking off I was thinking replied Canius to keep my self ready and the Faculties of my Mind settled and fix'd to try if in this short and quick Instant of Death I cou'd perceive the Motion of the Soul when she starts from the Body and whether she has any Resentment of the Separation that I may afterwards come again to acquaint my Friends with it So that I fansie there
the Seed of David Psal 89.37 compared there to the Moon is meant the Church and as for the Sun ye have heard already that God himself stoops to the Metaphor the other part is easily made out viz. That this Sun and this Moon are related one to the other as the Bridegroom and the Bride Isa 62.1 5. You are this Moon God hath set his Love upon the Children of Men with design to marry them to himself Christ the Son of Righteousnes hath died to purchase their Affections and present them to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle c. As a Man loves his Wife so doth Christ the Church Only this Are you willing to accept the Proposal or will you disdain the Motion Shall this Moon scorn to be married to this glorious Sun Or are you willing to take Christ for your wedded Husband to live together after God's Ordinance in the sacred Tye of a Matrimonial Relation God himself courts you Christ hath died for you the Spirit and the Bridegroom say Come and we his Embassadors and Ministers say Come we beseech you in Christ's stead The Commission to us is much the same with Abraham's to his Servant Gen. 24.38 And our Answer may be much the same with Abraham's Servant to his Master ver 39. However our Address to you is the same with his to Rebecca v. 49. If you are willing God is willing and all things are ready and the Match is excellent and no Dowry on your part is required only as the Psalmist Psal 45.10 Hearken O Daughter and consider and incline thine Ear. And if you are thus far willing heartily willing the Espousals may be celebrated now we will very quickly God willing solemnize the Contract in the Sacrament and shortly the Marriage shall be consummate and the Feast prepared when the Scaffold of this World is taken down and the Compeer of our Bridegroom the Man of Sin is destroyed and the Number of the Guests are compleated and Room is made for that Great Solemnity then I say the Marriage-Day will come and the Feast celebrated and the Nuptials consummate and then Rev. 19.7 Let us be glad and rejoyce and give Honour to him for the Marriage of the Lamb i◠come and his Wife hath made herself ready III. Of the Existence of a Separate Soul and Ministry of Angels And was carried by the Angels into Abraham's Bosom Luke 16.22 THE Context is a Parable which I need not make a Rehearsal of The Subject of my Discourse is somewhat abstruse from Common Sence My Text lies all out of sight The Soul of Lazarus lately departed out of the Body the Angels carrying it perceptible to no Mortal Eye the Place whither Abraham's Bosom in the other World From whence we have a fair occasion to Discourse of I. The Existence of a Separate Soul II. The Ministration of Angels to it in that State III. The Conveyance of it to the common Receptacle of Departed Souls I shall propound the Doctrine thus Doct. Vpon the supposition of a Sound Faith in Christ our Souls are well provided for at the Dissolution of our Bodies The Soul of a good Christian is better accommodated after its departure out of the Body than it could be in the Body Thô the outward Tabernacle be taken down and returns to the Dust the Soul is in a safe and comfortable Condition and that in respect of its Immortality and Existence in a Separate State The Foundation I have for this Argument in my Text is this viz. That thô our supposed Friend Lazarus was dead yet he was carried away by Angels His Body cannot be meant in this Case that was to return to its Dust and at the disposal of Mankind it must therefore be his Soul which remained alive after Death Shall I give you some Arguments to prove that the Soul lives when the Man dies 1. The Scripture tells us so The Righteous hath hope in his Death Prov. 14.32 Stephen pray'd Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Acts 7.59 To Day shalt thou be with me in Paradise c. 2. Take away this Doctrine and the Force of all Religion falls to the Ground Then that of the Epicurean takes place Let us eat and drink for to morrow we die Then who would renounce his Lusts to serve a God And quit the present Pleasures of Sin in hopes of a future Reward Were it not that Mankind hath naturally and generally all the World over a sollicitous Care for the other World Religion would be soon banish'd out of this 3. If the Soul live not after the Body 't is more unhappy in the Body than the Souls of Bruits and Man is a more ignoble inferiour Creature than those Creatures which serve him We enjoy less of the Pleasures of this World than many Bruits We are distracted with more Cares Fears and Anxieties about Death and Hell about Duty and Conscience about Body and Soul about Children and Friends about the Concerns of the present Time and Time to come than the innocent pleasant Birds of the Air Beasts of the Forrest and Fishes of the Sea So that we must conclude if the Creator that made us made us with any Wisdom and did not put an absolute Cheat upon us he made us for a longer Life than that of this World And the Soul must live longer or the Workmanship of God's Hands is clouded with a grievous Solecism There are many more Arguments by which this Doctrine is wont to be proved which I shall now pass over supposing my Readers are all willing enough that their souls should survive their Bodies and endure to Eternity 2. When the Soul goes out of the Body 't is conveyed away by Angels into the other World Once out of Prison and it comes into the Society of Spirits whilst 't is here in the Body 't is pent up and cloyster'd within such thick Mud-walls that it hardly enjoys a free and unconfined Breathing can scarce peep out at the Windows or take Acquaintance with those Spiritual Creatures of its own Kind 't is mancipated for the time to a heavy lumpish Body shackled and chained up in a narrow Tabernacle of Flesh and Blood But when Death unties the Knot and open's the Prison-doors then like a Bird broke newly out of the Cage 't is presently saluted with Ghosts its Fellows a sort of Spiritual Intelligent Abstracted Forms naked Spirits which come to congratulate and conduct it to its place of Rest This will appear more probable if you consider 1. That God employs the Angels about the common Providential Government of the World Those Ministring Spirits are ready at hand to do his pleasure and nimble and active if he bids them go they go if come they come c. And this all without Murmur Dispute or Displeasure in a ready pleasant chearful manner Thus we find an Angel attending Hagar by the Fountain of Water Gen. 16.7 And again Gen. 21.17 we read of Angels appearing to Abraham
somewhat not obscurely pointed at by them 5. Thales Milesius by help of the Stars foretold an abundance of Olives that should be the Year following Arist Pol. l. 1. c. 7. 6. In the Reign of Theodosius there appear'd a Star shooting forth Beams in the shape of a Sword and in the time of Sultan Scilim an infinite Number of Crosses appear'd shining in the Air which foreshewed the Loss he afterward receiv'd by the Christians Gaffarel unheard of Curios Part 2. Ch. 3. And who knows not that the Emperor Pertinax was forewarn'd of his Death three Days before by a certain Vision that seem'd to threaten him in a Pond with a drawn Sword in his Hand Idem ibid. 7. Appian hath reckon'd up what miraculous things were seen and heard before the breaking out of the Civil Wars as fearful Voices and strange running up and down of Horses which no Body could see Pliny hath likewise set down those that were heard in the same manner before the Cymbrian War and among the rest divers Voices that were heard from Heaven and dreadful Alarms sounded by certain terrible Trumpets Before the Lacedemonians were overthrown at the Battle of Leuctra the Arms in the Temple were heard to make a Noise of their own Accord and about the same time at Thebes the Gates of the Temple of Hercules open'd of themselves without any Man touching thee and the Arms that hung against the Wall were found cast on the Ground as Cicero reports the Story lib. de Div. not without the great Astonishment of the Beholders At the time that Milliades went against the Persians divers strange Sights foreshew'd what the Event would be and that I may trouble my self to reckon up these Wonders no longer you may have recourse to Livy who for having been so copious in his Stories of this Nature is thought fit by some Authors to be stiled a Tragedian rather than an Historian Gaffarel unheard of Curios par 2. c. 3. Cicerone de Divin Val. Max. l. 1. Ces l. 1. de Bell. Civ Malleal de Nob. c. 30. c. 8. Constantine the Great marching towards Rome with an Army of 9000 Foot and 8000 Horse against the Tyrant Maxentius and musing with himself unto what God he should address his Prayers for Success for as yet he was not settled fully in the Christian Faith and considering withal that his Predecessors who had worshipp'd many Gods and put their Trust in them had very often miscarry'd and that on the contrary his Father that had only worshipped one and the true God had a happy Reign and was still preserved from many Dangers he therefore resolved to adore that God only which his Father had served and upon that prayed earnestly to God to reveal himself to him and to prosper him in his Journey and whilst he was thus praying lifting up his Eyes to Heaven about Noon-day he beheld the Sign of a Cross lively figured in the Air with this Inscription In hoc Vince by this Overcome himself and all his Army wondring at so strange a Prodigy and being much troubled in his Mind to know the meaning of it the next Night following Christ appear'd to him in his Sleep commanding him to make the like Figure and Banner and to carry it against his Enemies Whereupon the next day imparting the Vision to his Friends he sent for the best Goldsmiths and Lapidaries to make the like Cross with Gold and precious Stones and resolved to worship that God only who thus appear'd to him Afterwards with great courage he went forwards bearing before him and his Victorious Army instead of the Imperial Eagle the form of this Vision upon his Standard Maxentius as much depending upon his Sorcerers was no less confident of Victory for the furtherance whereof he framed a deceitful Bridge over Tiber to intrap Constantine and sent out divers Armies to oppose him before he should come near the City But Constantine trusting only in God overthrew at the first Encounter his first second and third Armies and so marching thro' all Italy he brought his Victorious Ensigns near the Walls of Rome Hereupon Maxentius led forth his Army above a mile from Rome and joyned Battle with Constantine but being overcharged with Constantine's Vantguard he with the rest of his Army fled and either thro' Haste or Forgetfulness took over the Deceitful Bridge which he had made to entrap Constantine with where they had no sooner enter'd but it fell asunder and so they were all drown'd Clark in vit Constantin p. 4. Centuria Magdeburg ex Eusebiâ— 9. In the Reign of Justinian there was such a prodigious Sight seen about the Sun that the like had not been seen or heard of before The Sun for the greatest part of the Year gave so little Light that it was but equal to the Light of the Moon and yet at the same time the Sky was clear without Clouds or any thing to obscure it after which there followed a great Famine and much War and Bloodshed Idem in vit Justinian Tho' the Centurians of Magdeburgh are silent in the Case and make no mention of it notwithstanding they undertake to record all the Prodigies and Wonders that happen'd in the Reigns of the several Emperors however I offer it only upon the Credit of my Author who lays it wholly at Evagrius his Door 10. Gasper Cruciger â—s he lay in his Bed in the Night Nov. 6. A. C. 1548. Seeing a Prodigy which then happen'd viz. A great Chasm in the Heaven and in some places Fire falling to the Earth and flying up again into the Air much bewailed the great Commotions and Dusipations in the Church which he foresaw by this Prodigy Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 145. 11. Mr John Lewis a Learned Justice of Peace in Cardiganshire speaking concerning the strange and usual Appearance of Lights call'd in Welch Dead Mens Candles before Mortality hath these Words This is ordinary in most of our Counties that I never searce heard of any Young or Old but this is seen before Death and often observ'd to part from the Body of the Persons all along the way to the place of Burial and infallibly Death will ensue Now Sir It is worth your Resolution whether this may proceed from God or no it is commonly imputed to the Igneous Air of the Counties But that evil Spirits can come by so much Knowledge as to be always so infallible tho' herein I confess them very vast and be so favourable and officious unto man as to be such seasonable monitors of his Dissolution and to give so much Discovery of Spiritual Essences and the Immortality I doubt whether they mean us so much Good as this Some Wiles I confess they may have by such Appearance but it carries the Benefits mention'd with it whereas their Disappearance makes more for Infidelity and Atheism But this I leave to your Judgment begging Pardon for this Boldness in diverting you from your far better Thoughts and seeing
speedy approaching of his final Destruction Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 32. 8. John Knox to the Earl of Morton who came to visit him in his Sickness said my Lord GOD hath given you many Blessings Wisdom Honour Nobility Riches many good and great Friends and he is now about to prefer you to the Government of the Realm the Earl of Marr the late Regent being newly dead in His Name I charge you use these Blessings better than formerly you have done seeking first the Glory of God the Furtherance of his Gospel the Maintenance of his Church and Ministry and then be careful of the King to procure his Good and the Welfare of the Realm if you do thus God will be with you and honour you if otherwise he will deprive you of all these Benefits and your end shall be Shame and Ignominy These Speeches the Earl call'd to mind about nine Years after at the time of his Execution saying That he had found John Knox to be a Prophet Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 322. 9. The same Knox a day or two before his Death calling Mr. Lindsey and Mr. Lawson to him the two Preachers of the Church said There is one thing that grieveth me exceedingly you have some time seen the Courage and Constancy of the Laird of Graing in the cause of God and now that unhapyy Man is casting himself away I pray you go to him from me and tell him that unless he forsake that wicked Course that he is in the Rock wherein he confides shall not defend him nor the Carnal Wisdom of the Man which he counts half a God which was young Leskington shall yeild him Help but he shall be shamefully pull'd out of that Nest and his Carcass hung before the Sun meaning the Castle which he kept against the King's Authority for his Soul is dear to me and if it were possible I would fain have him saved Accordingly they went to him conferr'd with him but could by no means divert him from his course But as Knox had foretold so the Year after his Castle was taken and his Body was there publickly hang'd before the Sun yet he did at his Death express a serious Repentance Ibid. p. 323. 10. How Mr. Dod by a secret Impulse of Spirit went at an unseasonable time to visit a Neighbour whom he found with a Halter in his Pocket going to hang himself and by such a seasonable Visit prevented his Death See elsewhere in this Book 11. Dr. Bernard in the Life of Arch-bishop Vsher tells us That the Bishop himself had confessed in his Hearing that oftentimes in his Sermons he found such warm Motions and Impulses upon his Mind to utter some things which he had not before intended to deliver or not to deliver with so much Briskness and Peremptoriness that he could not easily put them by without present Expression and Delivery I remember not the Doctor 's words but of this nature were those remarkable Predictions of his concerning the Massacre in Ireland and his own Poverty c. which because I have not Bishop Vsher's Life by me written by Dr. Bernard take out of Mr. Clark Upon the Suspension of the Statute in Ireland against the Toleration of Papists Preaching before the State at Dublin making Application of that Text Ezek. c. 4. v. 6. where the Prophet by lying on his Side was to bear the Iniquity of Judah for 40 days I have appointed thee saith the Lord each day for a year This saith he by the Consent of Interpreters signifies the time of 40 Years to the Destruction of Jerusalem and of that Nation for their Idolatry and so said he will I teckon from this Year the Sin of Ireland and at the end of the time those whom you now embace shall be your Ruin and you shall bear this Iniquity wherein he prov'd a Prophet For this was delivered by him A. C. 1601. and A. C. 1641. was the Irish Massacre and Rebellion and what a continued Expectation he had of a grat Judgment upon his Native Country I saith Dr. Bernard can witness from the year 1624. Clark in his Life Dr. Bernard I remember makes this Remark upon that Sermon that it was the last the Bishop wrote at length and it was dated with a particular Notion of the Day and Year He foretold likewise his own future Poverty when he was in his greatest Prosperity and spoke before many Witnesses 1624. repeated it often afterwards that he was perswaded that the greatest Shake to the Reformed Churches was yet to come In short as I said before he often acknowledged that sometimes in his Sermons he was resolved to forbear speaking of some things but it proved like Jeremiah's Fire shut up in his Bones that when he came to it he could not forbear unless he would have stood mute and proceeded no further Ibid. 12. Mr. Hugh Broughton in one of his Sermons 1588. when the Spanish Navy was upon the Sea and Men's Hearts were full of Fears of the Event Now saith he the Papists Knees knock one against another as the Knees of King Belshazzar did and News will come that the Lord hath scatter'd that Invincible Navy Fear ye not nor be dismay'd at these smoaking Firebrands In his Life p. 2. 13. Bishop Jewel crossing the Thames when on a sudden at the rising of a Tempest all were astonished looking for nothing but to be drowned assured Bishop Ridley that the Boat carry'd a Bishop that must be burnt and not drowned In Bishop Jewel's Life 14. Mrs. Katherine Stubs after she had Conceived with Child of a Daughter three or four Years after Marriage said many times to her Husband and others That that Child would be her Death She was delivered safely within a Fortnight and was able to go abroad but presently after fell sick of a Burning Quotidian Ague of which she died See her Life 15. Impulses Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubrey Esq Oliver Cromwell had certainly this Afflatus One that I knew that was at the Battle of Dunbar told me that Oliver was carried on with a Divine Impulse he did Laugh so excessively as if he had been drunk his Eyes sparkled with Spirits He obtain'd a great Victory but the Action was said to be contrary to Humane Prudence The same fit of Laughter seiz'd Oliver Cromwell just before the Battle of Naseby as a Kinsman of mine and a great Favourite of his Collonel J. P. then present testified 16. King Charles the I. after he was Condemn'd did tell Collonel Thomlinson that he believed That the English Monarchy was at an end About half an Hour after he told the Collonel That now he had an Assurance by a strong Impulse on his Spirit that his Son should Reign after him This Information I had from Fabian Philips Esq of the Inner-Temple who had good Authority for the Truth of it I have forgot who it was 17. The Lord Roscomon being a Boy of Ten Years of Age at Caen in Normandy one day was
himself very faint and almost choaked with Blood which running in abundance from his Nose had discoloured his Cloaths and his Horse from the Shoulder to the Hoof. He found himself almost spent and nature to faint under the pressure of Joy unspeakable and unsupportable and at last perceiving a Spring of Water in his way he with some difficulty alighted to cleanse and cool his Face and Hands which were drenched in Blood Tears and Sweat By that Spring he sate down and washed earnestly desiring if it were the pleasure of God that might be his parting place from this World He said Death had the most aimable Face in his Eye that ever he beheld except the Face of Jesus Christ which made it so and that he could not remember tho he believed he should die there that he had one thought of his Dear Wife or Children or any other Earthly concernment But having drank of that Spring his Spirits revived the Blood stenched and he Mounted his Horse again and on he went in the same Fame of Spirit till he had finished a Journey of near Thirty Miles and came at Night to his Inn. Where being come he greatly admired how he came thither and that he fell not all that day which past not without several Trances of considerable continuance Being alighted the Inn-Keeper came to him with some astonishment being acquainted with him formerly O Sir said he what is the matter with you You look like a Dead Man Friend replied he I was never better in my Life Shew me my Chamber cause my Cloak to be cleansed burn me a little Wine and that is all I desire of you for the present Accordingly it was done and a Supper sent up which he could not touch but requested of the People they would not trouble or disturb him for that Night All this Night passed without one wink of sleep tho he never had a sweetr Nights rest in all his Life still still the joy of the Lord over-flowed him and he seemed to be an Inhabitant of the other World The next Morning being come he was early on Horse-back again fearing the Divertisements in the Inn might bereave him of his joy for he said it was now with him as with a Man that carries a Rich Treasure about him who suspects every Passenger to be a Theif but within a few hours he was sensible of the ebbing of the Tydes and before Night tho there was an Heavenly Serenity and sweet Peace upon his Spirit which continued long with him yet the Transports of Joy were over and the fine edge of his delight blunted He many years after called that day one of the Days of Heaven and professed he understood more of the Life of Heaven by it than by all the Books he ever Read or Discourses he ever entertained about it 7. Thus Mr. Knox predicted the very place and manner of the Laird of Grange You have sometimes seen the courage and constancy of the Laird of Grange in the cause of God and now that unhappy Man is casting himself away I pray yopu go to him from me said Mr. Knox and tell him unless he forsake the Wicked course he is in the Rock wherein he confideth shall not defend him nor the Carnal Wisdom of that Man meaning the young Leshington whom he counteth half a God shall help him But he shall be shamefully pull'd out of the Nest and his Carcase hung before the Sun And even so it fell out the following year when the Castle was taken and his Body hang'd out before the Sun Thus God exactly fulfilled the prediction of his Death Clark's Lives p. 277. 8. The same Mr. Knox in the Year 1566. Being in the Pulpit a Edenburgh upon the Lords Day a Paper was given up to him among many others wherein these words were scoffingly Written concerning the Earl of Murray who was slain before Take up the Man whom ye accounted another God At the end of the Sermon Mr. Knox bewailed the loss that the Church and State had by the Death of the Virtuous Man and then added There is one in this company that makes this horrible Muther the subject of his mirth for which all good Men should be sorry but I tell him he shall die where there shall be none to lament him The Man that wrote the Paper was one Thomas Metellan a young Gentleman who shortly after in his Travels Died in Italy having none to assist or lament him 9. Sir Anthony Wingfield who was slain at Brest Anno. 1594. At his undertaking of that expedition he was strongly perswaded it would be his Death and therefore so settled and disposed of his Estate as one that never reckoned to return again And the day before he died he took order for the Payment of his Debts as one that strongly presaged the time was now at hand which accordingly fell out the next day Sir Jophn Norris his Expedition p. 46. 10. The Learned and Judicious Amiraldus gives us this well attested Relation of Lewis of Bourbon That a little before his Journey from Dreux he Dreamed that he had fought three successful Battels wherein his three great Enemies were slain but that at last he himself was mortally wounded and that after they were laid one upon another he also was laid upon the Dead Bodys The event was Remarkable for the Mareschal of St. Andree was killed at Dreux the Duke of Guise at Orleans the Constable of Montmorency at St. Denis And this was the Triumvirate which had Sworn the ruin of those of the Protestant Religion and the Destruction of that Prince At last he himself was slain at Basack as if there had been a continuation of Deaths and Funerals Amiraldus of Divne Dreams p. 122 123. 11. Suetonius in the Life of Julius Caesar tells us that the Night before he was slain he had Divers Premonitions thereof for that Night all the Doors and Windows of his Chamber flew open his Wife also Dreamed that Caesar was slain and that she had him in her Arms. The next day he was slain in Pompey's Court having received three and twenty wounds in his Body 12. Pamelius in the Life of Cyprian tells us for a most certain and well attested truth that upon his first entrance into Carubis the place of his Banishment it was revealed to him in a Dream or Vision that upon that very day Twelve-Month he should be consummate Which accordingly fell out for a little before the time prefixed there came suddainly two Apparators to bring him before the New Proconsul Galeius by whom he was Condemned as having been a Standard-Bearer of his Sect and an Enemy of the Gods Whereupon he was Condemned to be Beheaded a Multitude of Christians following him crying Let us die together with him 13. And as Remarkable is that recorded by the Learned and Ingenious Doctor Stern of Mr. Vsher of Ireland a Man saith he of great Integrity Dear to others by his Merits and my Kinsman in Blood
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
them plainly that as they came both into the Room she saw a Man with a Scarlet Cloak and a white Hat betwixt them giving the Lady a Kiss over the Shoulder and this was the Cause of her weeping All which came to pass after Macklend's Death the Tutor of Lovat marry'd the Lady in the same Habit the Woman saw him 33. One Instance I had from a Gentleman here of a Highland Gentleman of the Mackdonalds who having a Brother that came to visit him saw him coming in wanting a Head yet told not his Brother he saw any such thing but within 24 Hours thereafter his Brother was taken being a Murderer and his Head cut off and sent to Edinburgh Many such Instances might be given 34. Diembrooke in his Book de Pete gives us a Story of Dimmerus de Raet that being at Delft where the Plague then raged sent then his Wife Thirty Miles off And when the Doctor went to see the Gentleman of the House as soon as he came in the old Chair-woman that washed the Cloaths fell a weeping He asked her Why said she My Mistress is now dead I saw her Apparition but just now without a Head and that it was usual with her when a Friend of hers died to see their Apparitions in that manner tho' never so far off His Wife died at that time 35. Th. May in his History Lib. 8. writes That an old Man like an Hermit Second-sighted took his Leave of King James the First when he came into England He took little notice of Prince Henry but addressing himself to the Duke of York since King Charles I. fell a weeping to think what Misfortunes he should undergo and that he should be one of the miserablest unhappy Princes that ever was 36. A Scotch Noble Man sent for one of these Second-sighted Men out of the Highlands to give his Judgment of the then great Favourite George Villers Duke of Buckingham as soon as ever he saw him Pish said he he will come to nothing I see a dagger in his Breast and he was stabb'd in the Breast by Capt. Felton Thus far I am beholding to Mr. Aubrey's Collections 37. Before the Battle at Philippi began two Eagles sought in the Air between the two Armies Both the Armies stood still and beheld them and the Army was beaten that was under the vanquished Eagle See Appian's Hist Part 2. Lib. 4. Sect. 2. 38. 'T is commonly reported That before an Heir of the Cliftons of Clifton in Nottinghamshire dies that a Sturgeon is taken in the River Trent by that place 39. Thomas Fludd of Kent Esq told me That it is an old Observation which was pressed earnestly to King James I. that he should not remove the Queen of Scots Body from Northamptonshire where she was Beheaded and Interred For that it always bodes ill to the Family when Bodies are remov'd from their Graves For some of the Family will die shortly after as did Prince Henry and I think Queen Anne 40. A little before the Death of Oliver Protector a Whale came into the River Thomas and was taken at Greenwich Foot long T is said Oliver was troubled at it 41. When I was a Freshman at Oxford 1642. I was wont to go to Christ-Church to see King Charles I. at Supper where I once heard him say That as he was Hawking in Scotland he rode into the Quarry and found the Covey of Partridges falling upon the Hawk and I do remember this Expression farther viz. And I will swear upon the Book 't is true When I came to my Chamber I told this Story to my Tutor said he That Covey was London 42. The Day that the Long Parliament began 1641. the Scepter fell out of the Figure of King Charles in Wood in Sir Trenchard's Hall at Wullich in Dorset as they were at Dinner in the Parlour Justice Hunt then dined there 43. When the High Court of Justice was voted in the Parliament-House as Berken-head the Mace-bearer took up the Mace to carry it before the Speaker the top of the Mace fell off This was avowed to me by an Eye-witness then in the House 44. The Head of King Charles I.'s Staff did fall off at his Tryal that is commonly known 45. King Charles II. went by long Sea to Portsmouth or Plymouth or both an extraordinary Storm arose which carried him almost to France Sir Jonas Moor who was then with his Majesty gave me this Account and said that when they came to Portsmouth to refresh themselves they had not been there above half an Hour but the Weather was Calm and the Sun shone His Majesty put to Sea agian and in a little time they had the like Tempestuous Weather as before 46. The Gloucester-Frigot cast away at the Lemanere and most of the Men in it the Duke of York escaping in a Cockboat An. 1682. May the fifth on a Friday 47. When King James II. was Crown'd according to the antient Custom the Peers go to the Throne and kiss the King the Crown was almost kiss'd off his Head An Earl did set it upright And as he came from the Abbey to Westminster-Hall the Crown totter'd extreamly 48. Mr. Hill at Shellen in Herefordshire in 1648. after saying God bless our Gracious Soveraign he puts the Cup to his Lady to drink at which a Swallow flew in at the Window and pitch'd on the Brim of the Earthern Cup not half a Pint and sipt and so flew out again This was in the Presence of Parson Still Major Gwillim and two or three more that I knew very well The Cup is preserv'd here still as a Rarity See Mr. Aubrey 's Mscellanies for a larger Account 49. When King James II. was at Salisbury Anno 1688. the Iron Crown upon the Turret of the Councel-House was blown off 50. I did see Mr. Chr. Love beheaded on Tower-Hill in a delicate clear day About half an Hour after his Head was struck off the Clouds gathered blacker and blacker and such terrible Claps of Thunder came that I never heard greater 'T is reported that the like happened after the Execution of Alderman Cornish in Cheapside Octob. 23. 1685. 51. Anno 1643. as Major John Morgan of Wells was marching with the King's Army into the West fell sick of a Malignant Fever at Salisbury and was brought dangerously ill to my Father 's at Broad-Chalk where he was lodged secretly in a Garret there came a Sparrow to the Chamber-Window which peck'd the Lead of a certain Pannel only and only one side of the Lead of the Lozenge and made one small hole in it He continued this pecking and biting of the Lead during the whole time of his Sickness which was not less than a Month when the Major went away the Sparrow desisted and came thither no more 52. Sir Walter Long 's Widow of Dorset in Wilts did make a solemn Promise to him on his Death-bed that she would not marry after his Decease But not long after one Sir Fox
or more some big some small together then so many and such Corpses together If two Candles come from divers places and be seen to meet the Corpses will the like if any of these Candles are seen to turn sometimes a little out of the way or path that leadeth to the Church the following Corps will be forced to turn in that very place for the avoiding some dirty Lane or plash c. Now let us fall to evidence Being about the Age of Fifteen dwelling at Lanylar late at Night some Neighbours saw one of these Candles hovering up and down along the River-Bank until they were weary in beholding it at last they left it so and went to Bed A few Weeks after came a proper Damsel from Montgomery-shire to see her Friends who dwelt on the other side of that River Istwith and thought to Ford the River at that very place where the Light was seen being dissuaded by some Lookers on some it is most likely of those that saw the Light to adventure on the Water which was high by reason of a Flood She walked up and down along the River-Bank even where and even as the aforesaid Candle did waiting for the falling of the Water which at last she took but too soon for her for she was drowned therein Of late my Sexton's Wife an aged understanding Woman saw from her Bed a little bluish Candle on her Tables end within two or three Days after came a Fellow enquiring for her Husband and taking something from under his Cloak clap'd it down upon the Tables-end it was a dead-born Child Another time the same Woman saw such another Candle upon the end of the self-same Table within a few Days after a weak Child newly Christend by me was brought to the Sexton's House where presently it died ' And when the Sexton's Wife who was then abroad came home she found the Child on the other end of the Table where she had seen the Candle Some thirty or forty Years since my Wife's Sister being Nurse to Baronet Rudd's three eldest Children and the Lady Mistress being dead the Lady Comptroller of the House going late into the Chamber where the Maid-Servants lay saw no less than Five of those Lights together It happen'd a while after that the Chamber being newly Plaister'd and a Grate of Coal-fire therein kindled to hasten the drying of the Praister that five of the Maid-servants went to Bed as they were wont but as it fell out too soon for in the Morning they were all dead being Soffocated in their Sleep with the steem of the new-temper'd Lime and Coal This was at Langathen in Carmarthenshire Jo. Davis See more Generglyn March 1656. To this Account of Mr. Davis I will subjoyn what my worthy Friend and Neighbour Randal Caldicot D. D. hath affirmed to me many Years since viz When any Christian is drowned in the River Dee there will appear over the Water where the Corps is a Light by which means they do find the Body Thus far Mr. Aubrey Ominous Presages taken notice of as relating to the Troubles and Death of King Charles I. in a Printed Relation 1655. 68. When he was in Spain treating and prosecuting the Match with the Infanta Jun. 30. 1623. a great Clap of Thunder struck away the Flag and Flag-staff from the Main-top-mast-head of a Ship then riding at Black-wall and bound for Spain with Provision of fresh Victuals to fetch the Prince home it also split the Main-top-mast and threw one part on one side and the other part on the other side of the Ship and raized the Main-mast down to the Ship it killed two Men and one Woman at Croydon This was two Days after the Prince wrote to the Pope Thursday next there were many great Claps of Thunder abundance of Rain and so great a Pillar of Fire from Heaven out of the South that it reach'd from the Heavens to the Farth not as a Flash of Lightning gone in the very sight but a very firm Pillar of Fire The Crown and Vane from the top of the Gate-House of St. James whereon the Clock stood was struck down a piece of the Bell where the Priuce kept his Court melted a Gardiner near Westminster kill'd and his Wife hurt another at Croyden kill'd c. Old Tho. Earl of Arundel having sent for the King's Statue out of Italy viewing it at Greenwich where it was landed and commending the Workmanship whilst they were discoursing of it there fell three drops of Blood on the top of it no Man knowing how they should come there A. 1623. A Buckinghamshire Taylor came from Alisbury aged 41 and a sober Man went along London Streets pronouncing Woe to Rome Woe to the Pope Woe to all Papists and all that did adhere to Popery Dukes Marquesses Earls c. This three or four Days in the Week praying earnestly at White-Hall-Gate for the Continuance of the Gospel in England till he was sent to the New-Bridewell near Clerken-well where he continued three Weeks After which he proceeded again to the same Execrations One of the Crowns and Vanes of the Tower was turned over the Top of the Spindle with a very small Gale of Wind and so hung for three quarters of a Year or more the Crown and Vane weigh'd 100 weight His Hand and Scepter broke off from his Statue at the Exchange and fell down to the Ground even at Change-time to the admiration of all Beholders and the next day it was set up again One Mrs. Cary of Bristol a Woollen-Draper's Widow on the Back of the Town having seen many strange Apparitions of the late King at several times as his Crown all bloody himself in Black and his Head off by means of the Earl of Dorset was admitted to the King who dismissed her with only this Reflection Take her away she is a merry Woman The VVoman returns home to Bristol where the like Visions appear'd to her again she could not contain but away she makes for London a second time and the King gone to York by the help of a Lady at Court she follows in a Coach thither and with much Importunity of Speech beseecheth him to consider what she had seen and said but was not credited At Caussam near Reading the King playing at Chess with White Men the Head of the VVhite King fell off VVhen the Lord Fairfax was at St. Albans and the General Council of the Army drawing up the grand Rdmonstrance against the King the Sign of the Kings-Head beneath the Hill from the Cross that part of the Board between the Head and Shoulders was broken out of the Sign so that the Head and Shoulders seem'd parted VVhen the King was at the High Court of Justice as it was then called on his Tryal the Head of his Cane fell off he stooped to take it up himself looked upon it as an ominous Presage 69. William Writtle condemn'd at Maidston Assizes for a double Murder mention'd hereafter told a Minister
his Judgment and Piety that notwithstanding the Opposition made by some great ones without his own seeking he was made Bishop of Meath in Ireland which just then fell void while he was in England and the King often boasted That he was a Bishop of his own making Clark in his Life 12. The Papists very rashly and hastily had Publish'd a Libel against Luther supposing he was deâ—d because he was constrained for his own safety to use caution in appearing abroad by râ—â—on of his many Enemies that laid wait for him signifying How the Devils had carried away his Body c. Which Libel came to Luther's hands two Years before he died and he reading of it thank'd God that the Devil and his Instruments were such Tools that they could not stay till his Death Pref. to Luther 's Sermons I pass over the Story of Queen Emma Mother to King Edward the Confessor who is said by our Historians to be causlesly suspected of too much Familiarity with Alwinus Bishop of Winchester of which Suspicion she purged herself and him by the Fire-Ordeal walking bare foot over nine red-hot Plough-shares without any hurt in thankfulness for which 't is said they gave each of them nine Manours to the Church of Winchester Dugdale Monast. Angl. Vol. 1. inter Addenda p. 980. 13. A. C. 1650. Anne Green a Servant-Maid to Sir Tho. Read of Duns-Tew in Oxfordshire being with Child by some one of the Family through over-working her self in turning of Malt fell in Travail about the fourth Month of her time but being but a young Wench and not knowing how it might be repairs to the House of Easement where after some Straining the Child scarce above a Span long and of what Sex not to be distinguished fell from her unawares She was three Days after conveyed to the Castle of Oxford and there Sentenc'd to be Hang'd She hung half an Hour was pulled by the Legs and struck on the Breast by divers of her Friends and after all had several Stroaks given her on the Stomach with the But-end of a Soldier 's Musket Afterwards being cut down and put in a Cossin and brought away to a House to be dissected though the Rope still remained strait about her Neck they perceived her Breast to rise whereupon one Mason a Taylor in Charity to her set his Foot upon her Breast and Belly and as some say one Orum a Soldier struck her again with the But-end of his Musket After a while they perceived a small Rattling in her Throat and then they used means for her Recovery by opening a Vein laying her in a warm Bed and causing another to go into Bed to her and using other Remedies with respect to her Senselesness Head Throat and Breast insomuch that within 14 Hours she began to speak and the next Day Talk'd and Prayed very heartily In the mean time her Pardon was sued out from the Powers then in being and Thousands of People came to see her magnifying the just Providence of God in thus asserting her Innocency of Murder She affirmed that she neither remembred how the Fetters were knock'd off how she went out of the Prison when she was turn'd off the Ladder whether any Psalm was sung or not nor was she sensible of any Pains that she could remember but which is most observable she came to her self as if she had awakened out of her Sleep not recovering the use of her Speech by slow degrees but in a manner altogether beginning to speak just where she left off on the Gallows She lived afterwards and was Married and had three Children not dying till 1659. Dionysius Petavius takes notice of it in his Continuation of the Hist of the World so doth Mr. Heath and Dr. Plot in his Natural Hist of Oxfordsh p. 193. 14. I shall only take notice further of an awful Example mentioned by A. B. Spotswood in his History of Scotland p. 449. His Words are these This Summer viz. Anno 1597. there was a great Business for the Tryal of Witches amongst others one Margaret Atkin being apprehended on Suspicion and threatned with Torture did confess her self Guilty being Examined touching her Associates in that Trade she named a few and perceiving her Delations find Credit made offer to detect all of that sort and to purge the Country of them so she might have her Life granted For the reason of her Knowledge she said That they had a secret mark all of that sort in their Eyes whereby she could surely tell how soon she looked upon any whether they were Witches or not And in this she was so readily believed that for the space of three or four Months she was carried from Town to Town to make Discoveries in that kind many were brought in question by her Delations especially at Glasgow where divers Innocent Women through the Credulity of the Minister Mr. John Cowper were condemned and put to Death In the end she was found to be a meer Deceiver and sent back to Fife where she was first Apprehended At her Tryal she affirmed all to be false that she had Confessed of her self or others and persisted in this to her Death which made many fore-think their to great forwardness that way and moved the King to re-call his Commission given out against such Persons discharging all Proceedings against them 15. There was in the Year 1649. in a Town called Lauder in Scotland a certain Woman accused and imprisoned on Suspicion of Witchcraft when others in the same Prison with her were Convicted and their Execution ordered to be on the Monday following she desired to speak with a Minister to whom she declared freely that she was guilty of Witchcraft acknowledging also many other Crimes committed by her desiring that she might die with the rest She said particularly that she had Covenanted with the Devil and was become his Servant about Twenty Years before and that he kissed her and gave her a Name but that since he had never owned her Several Ministers who were jeasous that she accused her self untruly charged it on her Conscience telling her That they doubted she was under a Temptation of the Devil to destroy her own Body and Soul and adjuring her in the Name of God to declare the Truth Notwithstanding all this she stiffly adhered to what she had said and was on Monday Morning Condemned and ordered to be Executed that Day When she came to the place of Execution she was silent until the Prayers were ended then going to the Stake where she was to be burnt she thus expressed her self All you that see me this Day know ye that I am to die as a Witch by my own Confession and I free all Men especially the Ministers and Magistrates from the guilt of my Blood I take it wholly on my self and as I must make answer to the God of Heaven I declare I am as free from Witchcraft as any Child but being accused by a Malicious Woman and
he stood fair for the Pontifical Chair upon the death of Pope Paul III. and the Party for him had gain'd almost a sufficient number of Suffrages he seemed little concern'd at it and did rather decline than aspire to that Dignity Yea and when a full number had agreed and came to adore him according to the ordinary Ceremony he receiv'd it with his usual Coldness and that being done in the Night he said God loved Light and therefore advised them to delay it till Day came upon which the Italians among whom Ambition passes for the Character of a great Mind looked on this as an unsufferable piece of Dulness so the Cardinals shrunk from him before day and chose de Monte Pope who reigned by name of Julius the III. His first Promotion was very extraordinary for he gave his own Hat to a Servant that kept his Monkey and being ask'd the Reason of it He said He saw as much in his Servant to recommend him to be a Cardinal as the Conclave saw in him to chuse him to be Pope See Abridgment of the Hist. of the Reform l. 2. p. 121. And it is remarkable that notwithstanding he had such an humble Opinion of his own Parts yet he behaved himself so wisely at the Council of Trent that it raised his Esteem much and moved the Conclave of Rome to a Design of promoting him to the Popedom Ibid. See more in the Chapter of present Retribution to the Humble and Modest. CHAP. XXVI Persons strangely admonished of Sins or Dangers WE have to deal with so gracious a God and one so concern'd for our Welfare and Salvation that he seldom lets his Children run into Dangers without giving them a previous Notice and Admonition of it Thus the Persecution design'd by Herod against our Saviour was notified to Joseph in a Dream and withal a way directed for his Escape S. Peter was told plainly before-hand of Satan 's Defire to sift and winnow him Judas o his Temptation and all the rest of the Apostles of their stumbling and Offence And indeed all the Christian Disciples had fair warning of the Dangers that awaited them in the World after our Saviour's Ascension into Heaven and therefore they were to fore-arm themselves with Prudence and Innocency c. How S. Paul was admonished by Agabus of his being bound at Jerusalem See Act. 21.11 12. 1. We do elsewhere relate in this Book how a Gentleman in London whensoever he was drunk was continually molested with a Noise over his Head as he lay in his Bed c. 2. Some few Days before the Duke of Buckingham's going to Portsmouth where he was stabbed by Felton the Ghost of his Father Sir George Villiers appear'd to one Parker formerly his own Servant but then Servant to the Duke in his Morning-Chamber-Gown charged Parker to tell his Son that he should decline that Employment and Design he was going upon or else he would certainly be murder'd Parker promised the Apparition to do it but neglected it The Duke making Preparations for his Expedition the Apparition came again to Parker taxing him very severely for his Breach of Promise and required him not to delay the acquainting his Son of the Danger he went in Then Parker the next day told the Duke that his Father's Ghost had twice appear'd to him and had commanded him to give him that warning The Duke slighted it and told him he was an old doting Fool. That Night the Apparition came to Parker and said Thou hast done well in warning my Son of his Danger but tho' he will not yet believe thee go to him once more however and tell him from me by such a Token naming a private Token which no Body knows but only he and I that if he will not decline his Voyage such a Knife as this is pulling a Knife out from under his Gown will be his Death This Message Parker also delivered the next day to the Duke who when he heard the private Token believed that he had it from his Father's Ghost yet said that his Honour was now at Stake and he could not go back from what he had undertaken come Life come Death This Passage Parker after the Duke's Murder communicated to his Fellow-Servant Henry Ceely who told it to a Reverend Divine a Neighbour of mine from whose Mouth I have it saith Mr. Glaenvil in his Sadducism Triumph p. 410. 3. A Gentleman in Ireland near to the Earl of Orory's sending his Butler one Afternoon to buy Cards as be passed a Field he to his wonder espy'd a Company of People sitting round a Table with a deal of good Chear before them in the midst of the Field And he going up towards them they all arose and saluted him and desired him to sit down with them But one of them whispering these Words in his Ear Do nothing this Company invites you to do He thereupon refused to sit down and immediately the Table and all that belonged to it were gone and the Company are now playing and dancing And the Butler being desired to joyn himself with them but he refusing they fall all to work but he refusing to work with them they all disappeared The Man runs strait home and was no sooner entred his Master's House but down he falls and lay some time sensless but coming to himself again he related to his Master what had happened The Night following there comes one of this Company to his Bed-side and tells him that if he offer'd to stir out of Doors the next day he would be carried away Hereupon he kept within but towards the Evening having need to make Water he adventured to put one Foot over the Threshold several standing by Which he had no sooner done but the espy'd a Rope cast about his Middle and the poor Man was hurried away with great swiftness they following after him as fast as they could but could not overtake him At length they espy'd a Horseman coming towards them and made signs to him to stop the Man whom he saw coming near him and both ends of the Rope but no Body drawing When they met he laid hold on one end of the Rope and immediately had a smart Blow given him over his Arm with the other end But by this means the Man was stopt and the Horseman brought him back with him The Earl of Orory hearing of these strange Passages sent to the Master to desire him to send this Man to his House which he accordingly did And the Morning following or quickly after he told the Earl that his Spectre had been with him again and assured him that that day be should most certainly be carried away and that no Endeavours should avail to the saving of him Upon this he was kept in a large Room with a considerable number of Persons to guard him among whom was the famous Stroker Mr. Greatrix who was a Neighbour There were besides other Persons of Quality two Bishops in the House at the same
the Devil Nay he used to stop his Ears at the ill Speeches of Hereticks and shunn'd the Places where they were uttered Clark's Marr. of Eccl. History 2. Origen was sometimes necessitated to frequent the Lectures of one Paulus a famous Heretick at Antioch being both kindly entertained by the same Gentlewoman in the same House yet would he never be perswaded to join with him in Prayer detesting his Heretical Doctrine ibid. 3. Athanasius was so great a Lover of Truth and Orthodoxy that he alone resisted stoutly all the Devices and malicious Contrivances and Opposition of the Arians insomuch that it was said of him One Athanasius stood firm against all the World He was often falsly Accused often forced to Fly often Deposed and as often Escaped The Magicians and Soothsayers in Alexandria in Julian's time acknowledged that they could do nothing in their Art except Athanasius were removed out of the City ibid. 4. Basil being attacked by fair Speeches and Promises of Preferment from Valens the Emperous to turn Arian answered the Messenger Alas Sir These Speeches are fit to catch little Children that look after such things we are otherwise taught by Sacred Scripture and are ready to suffer a thousand Deaths rather than suffer one Syllable or Tittle of Scripture to be altered when Modestus the Prefect ask'd Know ye not who we are that command it No Body said Basil so long as you require such things to which he answered Know ye not that we have Honours to bestow upon you whereunto he replied They are but Changeable like your selves Upon this the Prefect in a Rage threatned to Confiscate his Goods to Torment Banish or Kill him Basil answered As for Consiscation he had nothing to lose for Banishment Heaven only was his Country and for Torments one Blow would dash his Body in pieces and for Death that was the only way to set him at Liberty The Prefect told him He was Mad I wish said he that I may be ever so Mad. The Emperour being acquainted with this Carriage of Basil went to Church next Morning with Design to disturb him but seeing his Reverend Carriage he was so convinced that he made a large Offering which yet Basil refused as coming from an Heretick ibid. 5. Epiphanius was semper acerrimus Hereticorum oppugnator i.e. always a very brisk Opposer of Hereticks ibid. 6. St. Augustine was called Hereticorum Malleus i.e. the Hammer of Hereticks Disputing often with the Manichees Donatists Arians and Pelagians and commonly in his Disputations making use of Notaries to write down the Arguments and Answers on both sides to prevent mis-reports and herein was very successful So many things were dictated and published by him so many Disputations held in the Church so many things written against Hereticks and so many Books of Sacred Scripture Expounded by him that a Studious Man all his life long can scarely know and read over ibid. In his latter Days he looked over all his Books and wrote two Volumes of Retractations and complained that some Ministers had gotten and divulged some of his Books before he had perfected them ibid. 7. Theodosius senior having called a Council upon occasion of the Arian Heresy the Emperour retired into his Closet fell down upon his Knees before God humbly beseeching him to reveal the Truth unto him and to assist him in finding it out then perusing every ones Opinion and seriously weighing it in the Ballance of the Sanctuary he condemned and tore in pieces all those Creeds that derogated from the Unity that is in the Blessed Trinity allowing and highly commending the other Clark in vitâ Theodosii 8. Pomponius Atticus neither would tell a Lye nor could endure one Text. Officinum 1138. 9. Bericus the Abbot that dwelt in the Wilderness of Thebais was never heard to swear an Oath never to tell a lye never to be angry never to speak an idle word ibid. 10. Hor the Abbot is said never to have told a lye never to have spoken evil to any Man ibid. 11. The late Countess Dowager of Warwick was exact in Word and Deed she never forfeited her Title to the Privilege of Peerage to be believed upon the honour of her Word which was as Sacred as any Oath and as good Security as many Bonds No inconvenience to her self would make her Recoil or Flinch from the Obligations she had brought her self under by her own Mouth Yea she had such an abhorrence of a dishonourable Recess from express or but intimated promises that it would render her esteem of such Persons exceeding cheap and mean who by little Arts and Shifts would lose and free themselves from their Engagements and disappoint the Expectations they had raised in others to save the Charges accounting their Money spared a very poor and base redemption of their Reputation She abhorr'd a Lye and used modesty to give this Testimony to her self You know I dare not I will not Lye And her Lord knew this so well that though he were positive enough yet would never persist if there happened any contest against whatever she affirmed peremptorily And a Lye was the foulest blemish any could stain themselves with in Converting with her and the most unpardonable fault a Servant could contract to whom she used to say Tell me the Truth and I can forgive you any thing Yea she feared the very shadow of a Lye Dr. Walker in her Life p. 90. 12. Sir William Fitz-Williams was a Man of so great Veracity that that grand Word On mine Honour was Security enough for a Kingdom and the only Asseveration he used It was his privilege that he need not swear for a Testimony and his renown that he would not for his Honour Lloyd's Worthies p. 549. CHAP. XXXVII Remarkable Friendship A Young Gentleman with whose Father I had held an uninterrupted Correspondence for near thirty Years but was lately Deceased wrote yesterday a Letter to me challenging as heir to his Father the Inheritance of his Correspondence tho' at a great distance building upon that Text Thy own Friend and thy Father's Friend forsake not And in Truth a solid Friendship founded upon Virtue and sincere Religion is one of the greatest sweetnesses of this Life and rarely to be found in the World A David and Jonathan a Gregory and Nazianzen a Cranmer and Cromwel a pair of true Friends among Men are seldomer to be found then a Club of Knaves or a herd of Bruits agreeing together 1. Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea for his great Love to Pamphilus was Sirnamed Pamphilus 2. Basil the Great at Athens fell into acquaintance with Gregory Nazianzen and joining Studies together they continued in firm amity all their Life after Clark's Marr. of Ecclesiastical Hist. 3. Theodoret and Cyril after a breach healed between them were mighty loving each to other ever after Ibid. 4. S. Bernard seeing a want of Ministers in his Country and burning with a Zeal to Save Souls resolved to set on the Work and seeking one by
Chin were all covered over with Scabs Wheals and Scales so as no Barber could nor would shave him she with her little Scissars played the Barber and made him a deft Beard From this Sickness he fell into another which lasted seven years During which time with incredible Diligence she made ready his Meat put in his Tents laid on his Plaisters dressed and bound up his Thighs all rotten with Scabs and Ulcers his Breath was such that none durst come near by ten paces and abide by it which yet she protested was sweet to her This long Sickness and the Nourishing and Medicining of a Body oppressed by so many Diseases was a great matter in a House that had no Rents or Profits coming in and where Trade had ceased of a long time and consequently the Gain She therefore to furnish Expences sold her Precious Jewels her Gold Chains her rich Carcanets her Garments of great value a Cupboard of Pâ—ate not caring for any thing so her Husband was relieved and contenting her self with little so he wanted nothing Thus Valdaura lingred on a Life by the help of his Wife within a rotten Body or rather within a Grave for Twenty years together in which time she had eight Children by him yet neither she not they had so much as a Scab Wheal or Pimple in any part of their Bodies Valdaura died an old Man for whose Death his Wife Clara made so much Mourning as they who knew her well say never Woman did for any Husband When some instead of comforting her told her God had done much in taking him away and that they therefore came to congratulate with her She detested their Speeches wishing for her Husband again in exchange of five Children and though she was yet both young and lusty and sought to by many she resolved not to marry saying She should never meet with any whom she could like so well as her Dear Bernard Valdaura Lud. viv de Christian Faemina l. 2. p. 360. Camerar Oper. subciscent 1. c. 51. p. 226. 8. The Lord of Harlem in the Low-Countries having by his Exactions and Cruelty made himself odious to all his People was together with his Wife besieged in his Castle by them and so prest for want of Victuals that he was compelled to enter into Treaty His Wife a true Mirrour of Piety and Love towards her Husband amongst other Articles Capitulated That she might have so much of her most precious Movables as she could carry out at one time the which being granted the with the help of her Chamber-Maids carried her Husband lockt in a Chest out of the Castle leaving all her Rings and Jewels behind her Belg. Com. Wealth p. 55. 9. In the Bohemian Persecution we read of the Major of Litomeritia who apprehended Twenty four Godly Citizens of whom his own Son-in-Law was one and after he had almost pined there in Prison he adjudged them to be drowned in the River Albis whereupon his Daughter wringing her Hands and falling at her Father's Feet besought him to spare her Husband but he harder than a Rock bid her hold her Peace saying What can you not have a worthier Husband than this To which she answered You shall never more espouse me to any And so beating her Breast and tearing her Hair she followed her Husband to the River and when he was cast into the midst of the River bound she leaped in and caught him about the middle but being unable to draw him forth they were both drowned together and the next Day were found embracing one another Clark's Mar. V. 1. p. 289. 10. Philip Sir-named the Good Duke of Burgundy married the Sister of Charles the Dauphin and not long after this Charles basely and perfidiously slew Philip's Father whereupon Philip being full of Anger and Grief went to his wife saying O my Wife thy Brother hath murthered my Father Upon this his Wife that loved him dearly burst forth into Tears and Lamentations fearing least this Act of her Brother's would make a Breach betwixt her Husband and her which her Husband taking Notice of comforted her saying Be of good cheer tho' it was thy Brother's yet it is not thy Fault neither will I esteem or love thee the less for it c. Which accordingly he made good so long as they lived together Lip Exem Pol. p. 200. 11. Budaeus that learned French-man had a great help of his Wife in Points of Learning she used to be as busie in his Study as about her Huswifery Clark's Mar. V. 1. C. 65. p. 291. 12. Mrs. Katherine Clark was singular and very exemplary in that Reverence and Obedience which she yielded to her Husband both in Words and Deeds She never rose from the Table even when they were alone but she made Courtesie She never drank to him without bowing his Word was a Law unto her she often denied herself to gratifie him and when in her Sickness and Weakness he mentioned her Case in particular unto God in his Prayer the Duty being ended she would make him Courtesie and Thank him In case of his absence she would pray with her Family Morning and Evening the like she would do in his Presence in case of his Sickness and Inability to perform the Duty himself Her Modesty and Chastity were rare and remarkable but fitter to be conceived by those which know what belongs to them than to be expressed in Words for there is a Conjugal as well as a Virginal and Vidual Chastity In case of her Husband's Sickness she was a tender diligent and painful Nurse about him skilful and careful in making him Broaths and what else was needful for him If at any time she saw him in Passion with sweet and gentle Words she would mollifie and moderate it She was often a Spur but never a Bridle to him in those things which were good She was always well pleased with such Habitations as in their many Removes he provided for her and with such Apparel and Diet as his Means which was sometimes short would allow She never grutched nor grumbled at any of those Dispensations which God's All-wise Providence carved out unto them Clark's Lives last Vol. p. 154. 13. Madam de Saint Blanker Wife to the late magnanimous Mareschal de Biron was Visited by a Lady of great Birth who brought with her very goodly Works of Silk which she and her Daughters had wrought in Samplers She brought with her also one of her Children that danced delicately and played sweetly on the Gittern whom she shewed to the Lady Mareschal that she and her Children should learn to spend their time in the like delightful Exercises Madam Mareschal made her Answer That she could not devise any better Works Exercises wherein to instruct her Sons and Daughters that in the Fear of God and good Means whereby their Hearts would become magnanimous to do Service for their King according as their Father had formerly done And indeed all the Male-Children issuing of her
flown away in this Rapture from them all Then lying down quietly in her Bed she thus spake Why are you all silent Where is my Minister Sir what did you think of me when I was in this late strange posture Did not you imagine me to be mad No said he but it was very strange to us c. So surely it was said she it was very strange But will you know how it surprized me At this Morning before you came to pray with me being alone I prayed to God That he would not absent himself for ever but that once before my Death he would reveal Christ unto me and give me some sence and feeling of his Love and that he would open the Brasen-Gates of this hard Heart of mine that the King of Glory might enter in Presently after even as soon as you had ended your Prayer this sudden Fit of unsupportable Joy and Feeling surprized me and with great violence did rush upon me so that I could not contain myself but made that sudden Outcry among you all But I must confess to you that I knew not neither do remember what I said Only I beseech you to make use of it hereafter to all that shall be in my Case After me never despair of any how desperately miserable soever their Case be which at worst cannot exceed mine but use and apply the means unto them and that will prevaile at length I sought for that in the Law which was to be found only in the Gospel c. O pray pray pray O give Thanks for now you have it you have it you have it About four a Clock in the Afternoon she suddenly fell into such another Rapture of Joy unspeakable professing that her frail Flesh was overcome with it Next Morning her Mother finding her dressed in a strange and unusual manner all in White she told her as also Mr. Dod and Dr. Preston she desired to be buried so After Prayers and Praises and divers suitable Instructions to the Family and her Father and Thanks to the Minister c. whilst at Prayer her Hands falling and Lips moving she sunk down in Bed and resigned up her Spirit to God Dr. Preston preach'd her Funeral Sermon See her Life called Mrs. Drake revived also Clark's Lives 11. Mrs. Katherine Stubs having made a most heavenly Confession of her Faith at large with a sweet lively aimiable Countenance red as the Rose and most beautiful to behold she had no sooner made an end but Satan was ready to bid her the Combat upon which on a sudden she bent her Brows she frowned and looking as it were with an angry stern and austere Countenance as though she saw some filthy some ugly displeasing thing the burst forth into these speeches following How now Satan what mak'st thou here Art thou come to tempt the Lord's Servant I tell thee thou Hell-hound thou hast no part nor portion in me nor by the grace of God ever shalt have I was now am and ever shall be the Lords yea Satan I was chosen an Elect of God to everlasting Salvation before the foundation of the World was laid and therefore thou must get thee packing thou damned Dog and go shake thy Ears for in me thou hast nought But what doest thou lay to my charge thou foul Fiend Ah! that I am a Sinner and therefore shall be Damned I confess indeed that I am a Sinner and a grievous Sinner both by original Sin and actual Sin and that I may thank thee for and therefore Satan I bequeath my sin unto thee from whence it first came and appeal to the Mercy of God in Christ Jesus Christ came to save Sinners as he himself saith and not Righteous Behold the Lamb of God saith John that taketh away the Sins of the World And in another place he crieth out The Blood of Jesus Christ doth cleanse us from all Sins c. Objection O but God is a just God thou sayest and therefore in Justice must needs condemn me Answer I grant Satan that he is a just God and therefore he cannot in Justice punish me for my Sins which he hath punished already in his own Son It is against the Law of Justice to punish any Fault twice I was and am a great Debtor unto God the Father but Jesus Christ hath paid that Debt for me and therefore it stands not with the Justice of God to require it again and therefore avoid Satan avoid thou Fire-brand of Hell avoid thou damned Dog and tempt me no more for he that is with me is mightier then thou even the mighty and victorious Lion of the Tribe of Juda who hath bruised thy Head and hath promised to be with his Children to the End of the World Avoid therefore thou Dastard avoid thou cowardly Soldier remove thy Siege and yield the Field won and get thee packing or else I will call upon my Grand Captain Christ Jesus the Valiant Michael who beat thee in Heaven and threw thee down into Hellwith all thy hellish Train and devilish Crew She had scarcely pronounced these last Words but she fell suddenly into a sweet smiling Laughter saying Now he is gone now he is gone do you not see him run like a Coward and run away like a beaten Cock He has lost the Field and I have won the Vistory even the Garland and Crown of everlasting Life and that not by my own Power and Strength but by the Power and Might of Jesus Christ who hath sent his holy Angels to keep me And speaking to them that were by she said O would to God you saw what I see for behold I see infinite Millions of most glorious Angels stand about me with fiery chariots ready to defend me as they did the good Prophet Elias These holy Angels these ministring Spirits are appointed of God to carry my Soul into the Kingdom of Heaven where I shall behold the Lord face to face c. Now I am happy and blessed for ever for I have fought the good Fight and by the might of Christ have won the Victory Come sweet Chrict come my Lord Jesus c. then singing a Psalm most sweetly and desiring the 133th Psalm might be sung before her to Church and desiring her Husband not to mourn for her on a sudden she seemed as it were greatly to rejoyce and looked chearfully as though she had seen some glorious Sight and lifting up her whole Body and stretching forth her Arms as though she would embrace some glorious and pleasant thing said I thank my God through Jesus Christ he is come he is come my good Goaler is come to let my Soul out of Prison O sweet Death thou art welcome welcome sweet Death never was there any Guest so welcome unto me as thou art welcome the Meslenger of everlasting Life welcome the Door and Entrance into everlasting Glory welcome I say and thrice welcome my good Goalor do thy Office quickly and set my Soul at liberty strike sweet
Lordship I am ignorant in that she herself can best tell if she could be prevailed with so to do and the History of it and the rest of the Passages of her Life would be very acceptable and useful to the most curious and inquisitive Part of Mankind And now my Lord I think good here to put an end to my plain Relation of these very strange Passages of this Ann Jefferies's Life It 's only Matter of Fact which I have here faithfully related I have not made any Observations nor Reflections upon any one Passage I leave your Lordship to your own free Thoughts and Judgment I my self cannot give one natural Reason for any one of these Passages that happened to this poor Woman but must conclude with that great Apostle and Scholar St. Paul Rom. 11.33 34 35 36. O the depths of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out For who hath known the Mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counseller Or who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed unto him again For of him and through him and to him are all things To whom be Glory for ever Amen I am Your Lordship's most Humble and Dutiful Servant MOSES PITT May 1. 1696. CHAP. LXXXIII Satan and Ill Spirits permitted to Hurt the Good in their Names SAtan hath his Name from Slandering and to shew that he is a true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and answers his Name to a Hair he hath not been wanting to reproach back-bite accuse and affix Nick-names and opprobrious Titles all along upon those People that will not list themselves under his Banner and fight under his Colours The Prophets were sufficiently misrepresented under the old Mosaic Oeconomy and the Jewish Church were accused of Treasons and Rebellions nor did our Saviour himself escape the Lash of slanderous Tongues Is not this the Carpenter And worse then that Behold a gluttonous Man and a Wine-bibber and worse yet He casts out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils St. Paul was counted a seditious and busie Man a raiser of Tumults and causer of Rebellion a Heretick Mad a Blasphemer and a Despiser of the Fathers Ordinances to use the Words of Bishop Jewel in his Apology St. Stephen one who had spoke against the Law Moses the Temple and against God himself 1. Who knows not saith Bishop Jewel after what sort our Fathers were railed upon in times past which first of all began to acknowledge and profess the Name of Christ How they made private Conspiracies devised secret Counsels against the Common-wealth and to that end made early and private Meetings in the Dark killed young Babes fed themselves with Man's Flesh and like Savage and Bruit Beasts Drink their Blood In conclusion after they had put out the Candles did commit Adultery among themselves and without regard commit Incest one with another that Brethren lay with their Sisters Sons with their Mothers without any Reverence of Nature or Kin without Shame without Difference c. Bishop Jewel in his Apol. 2. The Waldenses or Vaudois who were a sort of People that stood it out with Constancy against the Corruptions of the Church of Rome had so many opprobrious Titles bestowed upon them by the Agents of that Prince of Darkness as would almost tire a serious Reader to read over Albigenses Fratricelli's Poor Man of Lions Turlupius Sabalpius c. 3. Luther was so hateful to them of the Roman Communion that they slandered him as if he had been begot by an Incubus had familiar Conversation with the Devil was Possessed and at last was carried away by the Devil Body and Soul alive and they published the Story of his shameful Death whilst himself was yet alive 4. Calvin was so odious that the Wits of Bruxels combined together in a Knot to pour as much Satyr upon him as possibly they could introducing the Prince of the bottomless Pit as transported with Rage and Passion and threatning to plague the World with the most pestilential Monster he could procure for the Punishment of Mankind And then telling us that he had been guilty of such Villanie◠that he was Burned in the Shoulder for a Malefactor that he changed his name from Cawin to Calvin that he went to exercise the Devil out of a Person possessed and had like to have been torn in pieces by him c. I know not how now to cite my Authority for this last Paragraph the Book being gone out of my hands but I think the Title of it was Calvino-Mastix Published by the Wits of Bruxels Some gave the name of Calvin to their Dogs and others out of hatred to him abstained from the Lord's Supper Beza in vit Calvin 5. Beza and Oecolampadius and others of the Reformed Church were bespattered with most dirty and devillish Slanders in a Popish Book which I lent formerly to a Neighbour but could never recover the sight of it agen Particularly Beza was reproached as guilty of Adultery Sodomy and Obscenity 6. Bishop Hooper called a Hypocrite a Beast c. 7. And what hath been the meaning of those odious Nick-names raised in this Kingdom in this last Age amongst People and Brethren of the same Faith and Hope Puritans Phanaticks and Roundheads on the one side and Malignants Cavaliers and Papists are Popishly affected on the other side Whigs and Tories and for them that had not Zeal enough to advance to the same height of Bigottry with either Extreams but endeavoured to moderate between them and make Peace Trimmers and Time-observers And these reproachful Titles thrown about with so much Rashness and Bitterness that it broke the Hearts of some very worthy and innocent Persons particularly a Petition full of unjust Accusations being preferred against Mr. Francis Quarles by eight Men whereof he knew not any two nor they him save only by sight the first News of it struck him so to the Heart that he never recovered it but said plainly It would be his Death and accordingly it proved See his Life Writ by his sorrowful Widow Mrs. Vrsula Quarles by way of Preface to his Poetical Paraphrase upon Ecclesiastes And it is observable what Mr. Mather tells us of the Persons Bewitched lately in New-England that the Devil doth often appear before them in the Shape and Representation of some good or creditable Person whom they had no reason to suspect as he did to Isaf Chacus the Turk at London the Night before he was Baptised in the Person of Mr. Durie his Instructor to disswade and affright him from his Purpose as may be seen in the Printed Relation LHAP CXXXIV Satan permitted to Hurt the Good in their Health of Body AS the Christian Religion hath a natural Tendency to the Preservation of Health and long Life length of Days being in her right Hand according to Solomon And God almighty hath 〈◊〉 Health and Prosperity to them that live a godly Life So
shall deliver into their Hands take heed of them and cleave fast to Christ For they will leave no corner of his Conscience unsearched but will attempt by all guileful and subtle means to corrupt him and to cause him to fall from God and his Truth The Night after he had Subscribed he was greatly troubled and through Affliction of Conscience could not Sleep neither could his Mind be eased till he had procured his Subscription and tore out his Name Being Condemned to be Burned he thus said My Mind and Conscience I Praise God is now quiet in Christ and I by his Grace am very willing and content to give over my Body to the Death for a Testimony of his Truth and pure Religion against Antichrist and all his false Religion and Doctrine Ibid. p. 28. 7. In Suffolk among others there was one Peter Moon and his Wife who were Charged for not coming to Church and for neglecting other Popish Ceremonies Moon was first Examined Whether the Pope was not the Supreme Head of the Church Whether the Queen were not the right Inheritrix of the Crown Whether Christ's Body was not Really Present in the Sacrament c and being of a timorous Disposition he so answered as his Adversaries were satisfied His Wife also by his Example was drawn into the same Dissimulation and so they were dismissed But when they came home and began to bethink themselves what they had done they fell into such Trouble and Horror of Conscience that they were ready wholly to Despair And Moon seeing a Sword hanging in his Parlor was tempted to have slain himself with it which yet the Lord was pleased to prevent and afterwards upon their unfeigned Repentance to restore and comfort them Ibid. 8. Sir John Check who had been Tutor to King Edward VI. in the Reign of Queen Mary was cast into the Tower and kept close Prisoner and put to this miserable choice either to forego his Life or that which was more precious his Liberty of Conscience Neither could his Liberty be procured by his great Friends at any lower Rate than to Recant his Religion This he was very unwilling to accept of till his hard Imprisonment joyned with threats of much worse in case of his refusal and the many large promises made upon his Submission with what other means humane Policy could invent wrought so upon him whilst he consulted with Flesh and Blood as drew from him an Abrenuntiation of that Truth which he had so long Professed and still Believed upon this he was Restored to his Liberty but never to his Comfort for the Sense of and Sorrow for his own Apostacy and the daily sight of the cruel Butcheries exercised on others for their constant adherence to the Truth made such deep Impressions upon his broken Spirit as brought him to a speedy yet through God's Mercy and Goodness to a comfortable end of his Miserable Life A. C. 1557. ibid. p. 28. 9. There was one Ralph Allerton who coming into his Parish Church of Bently in Essex and finding the People idle or ill imployed he exhorted them to go to Prayers and after he had read to them a Chapter out of the New Testament for which being Apprehended he was carried before Bishop Bonner who by his subtle perswasions and flatteries so prevailed with this poor Man that he drew him to Recant his former Profession and so dismissed him But this base Cowardice of his brought him into such Bondage and Terrors of Conscience and so cast him down that if the Lord had not been exceeding gracious unto him he had Perished for ever But the Lord looking upon him with the Eyes of Mercy after he had Chastned raised him up again giving him not only hearty and unfeigned Repentance of his Back-sliding but also a constant boldness to profess his Name and Gospel even unto Death ibid. 10. In the City of Bristol there was one Richard Sharp a Weaver who being Apprehended for Religion was carried before Doctor Dalby the Chancellor who after he had Examined him about the Sacraments of the Altar so wrought upon him by Perswasions that he drew from him a promise to make a publick Recantation and the time and place were appointed for it But after this Promise Sharp felt such an Hell in his Conscience that he was not able to follow any Business and he decayed in his bodily Health and wholly lost his Colour Whereupon on a Sabbath going to his Parish-Church he pressed to the Quire-door and with a loud Voice said Neighbours bear me Record that yonder Idol pointing to the Altar is the greatest and most abominable Idol that ever was and I am sorry that ever I denied my Lord God For this he was carried to Prison and Sealed the Truth with his Blood Ibid. p. 29. 11. When Jerome of Prague came to the Council at Constance they sent him to a Town where they tied him fast to a great Block and set his Legs in the Stocks his Hands also being made fast unto them the Block being so high that he could not possibly sit thereon but his Head must hang downward where also they allowed him nothing but Bread and Water But within eleven days hanging thus by the Heels he fell very sick Yet thus they kept him in Prison almost Twelve Months and then sent to him requiring him to Recant and to Subscribe that John Huss was justly put to Death which he did partly out of fear of Death and hoping to escape their hands Yet they sent to Examine him again but he refused to Answer except he were brought in Publick before the Council and they presuming that he would openly confirm his former Recantation sent for him May 25. 1416. subborning False Witnesses to Accuse him But he so learnedly cleared himself and refuted his Adversaries that they were astonished at his Oration which he concluded with this That all such Articles which Wickliff and Huss had written against the Enormities Pomps and Disorders of the Prelates he would firmly Hold and Defend even unto Death And that all the Sins he had committed did not so much gnaw and trouble his Conscience as did that most Pestiferous Act of his in Recanting what he had justly spoken and to the consenting to the wicked Condemnation of Huss and that he repented with his whole Heart that ever he did it For this he was Condemned and Burned Ibid. p. 30. 12. Some of the Friends of Galcacius Garacciolus Marquess of Vico having promised to accompany him in his voluntary Exile but afterwards looking back and turning again to their Vomit they were Apprehended and cast into the Inquisition were they were forced publickly to Recant and to Abjure their Religion and so they became the Subject of Misery and Infamy and were equally Odious to both Parties Ibid. p. 30. 13. Tho. Bilney A. C. 1531. of Cambridge Professor of both Laws Converted Thomas Arthur and Mr. Hugh Latimer but after recanting his Principles for the space of two
stretching out her Fingers to the full length used to swear by these Ten Bloody Bones This Woman had a Son called Stephen Maurice who was born with two Thumbs upon a Hand and he likewise marrying had several Children born in like manner with two Thumbs a-piece upon each Hand all which supernumerary Thumbs she in a bloody manner with her own Hand cut off This Woman assisted my Mother as Midwife when she brought me into the World W. T. 6. Sir Roger Mosson of Mosson in Flint-shire had a Coal-pit sunk pretty deep by some Workmen who discovered a good Mine of Coal but meeting with a Fire-damp were so affrighted that they deserted the Work At last a bold Fellow that was a notorious Swearer came and undertook to go on with it He with two or three more Men goes down into the Pit leaving the other Men near the Eye thereof whilst himself with a Candle lighted goes forward but presently was so attacked with the Fire-damp that the other Men were struck down with it in great amazement and had much adoe to recover themselves and an Engine of a vast bulk and weight that stood near the Eye of the Pit was carried up into the Air as high as the tops of some Trees that grew upon a Hill near adjoyning and the Man himself that went foremost with the Candle miserably and irrecoverably perished This I had out of the Philosophical Transactions printed some Years ago but in what Year particularly I remember not having not the Pamphlet by me at present 7. Anno Christi 1649. about the end of June there was a Soldier at Ware going with some others to wash himself in the River but finding the Water shallow he asked if there was no deeper a Place for him to swim in Some told him that there was not far off a deep Pit but that it was very dangerous and therefore advised him to take heed how he went into it To whom he answered God damn me if it be as deep as Hell I will go into it which accordingly he did but immediately sunk to the bottom never rising again but was there drowned Attested by good Witnesses Clark's Mirr c. 129. 8. One Mr. Barrington a great Swearer going forth a Hunting or Hawking on a Lord's-Day or a Festival and not speeding to his Mind came to an Ale-house at Puckrych Five Miles from Ware in the way to Cambridge and called for Drink beginning to swear after his unhappy Custom saying By God's Blood this is an unlucky Day and presently after he bled at the Nose which so vexed him that he began to rail and blaspheme the Name of God swearing Passion Wounds Flesh Nails Blood and Body c. till at last he proceeded farther to bleed at the Ears Eyes Wrists joynts of his Hands and of all his Body at the Navil and Fundament in a wonderful great Quantity and Streams of Blood blaring out his Tongue in a fearful manner as black as Pitch so that no Person durst come near him This continued faith my Author till the Devil and Death made an end of him Next day the Body was laid on a Cart carried to Stondâ—n and buried in the High-way Mr. Batman in his Doom warning to the Judgment p. 418. Who saith he had it from Mr. Barrington's wife afterward married to Mr. Carington in Cambridge CHAP. CVII Divine Judgments upon Sabbath-breakers AS God requires us to Remember the Sabbath-Day so as to keep it Holy so himself Remembers them that dare to Profane it The Child that gathered Sticks on that Day among the Israelites in the early Times of the Mosaick Oeconomy was by the Order of God himself stoned to Death And as he began to shew his Severity betimes in the Punishing of this Sin so he hath continued to the present Age to shew his great Displeasure against it insomuch that I think King James was much in the right when he caused his Declaration for Sports upon that Day to be torn out of his printed Volume of Writings where it is not now to be seen 1. A certain Nobleman profaning the Sabbath usually in Hunting had a Child by his Wife with a Head like a Dog and with Ears and Chaps crying like a Hound 2. Stratford upon Avon was twice on the same Day Twelve month being the Lord's-Day almost consumed with Fire chiefly for Profaning the Lord's-Day and Contemning his Word in the Mouth of his Faithful Minister 3. Feverton in Devonshire whose Remembrance makes my Heart bleed was oftentimes admonished by her Godly Preachers that God would bring some heavy Judgment on the Town for their horrible Profanation of the Lord's-Day occasioned chiefly by the Market on the Day following Not long after his Death on the 3d. of April Anno Dom. 1598. God in less than half an Hour consumed with a sudden and fearful Fire the whole Town except only the Church the Court-House and the Alms-Houses or a few poor Peoples Dwellings where a Man might have seen Four Hundred Dwelling-Houses all at once on fire and above Fifty Persons consumed by the Flame Not many Years after this a Misfortune of the like nature befell the Town again for on the Fifth Day of August 1612. Fourteen Years since the former Fire it was again fired and all consumed except some Thirty Houses of poor People with the School-House and Alms-Houses They are blind which see not in this the Finger of God God grant them Grace when it is next built to change their Market-Day and to remove all Occasions of Profaning the Lord s-Day Let other Towns remember the Tower of Siloe Luke 13.4 and take Warning by their Neighbours Chastisements Fear God's Threatnings Jerem. 17.27 And believe God's Prophets if they will prosper 1 Chron. 20.20 Thus far Dr. Bread in his Theatre of God s Judgments p. 419 420. 4. Mr. Smythyes Curate of St. Giles's Cripplegate in the Confession and Discovery of a Condemned Prisoner executed May the 25th 1687 for Theft saith that it was his Earnest Desire That all young Men especially should take care not to mispend the Lord's-day And I do now know saith he that ever I observed any Repentance in a Condemned Malefactor who did not bitterly lament his Neglect of his Duty to God on that Day 5. Edmund Kirk Vintner executed at Tyburn July 11. 1684. for murdering his Wife in his Confession acknowledged himself frequently guilty of Profaning the Lord's-Day Vpon which Holy Day saith he I committed the hainous Sin of murdering my poor Wife Thus Sin was punished with Sin a Less with a Greater and the Greater with the Gallows and that Greater committed near the same Gallows And himself confessed That he had to his Wife asking whilst she passed by what Place that was told it was Tyburn where John Gower was lately hanged for killing his Wife O Lord how dear to me thy Counsels are but how just and terrible are thy Judgments 6. Famous and memorable also is that Example which happened at
and encompassed the Guests with Funeral Salutations They supped in the mean time with a deep silence Domitian in the mean time began a Discourse relating to nothing but Death and Funerals While the Guests in the extremity of Terror were ready to die for fear What then Domitian thought he had given wholsom Admonition to himself and the Senators Abraham that great Person when he by the Command of God had been forced as a Pilgrim to wander from place to place minded nothing more than the Purchase of a Burying-place that he would have to be so surely his own that he might possess it by all the Right and Law imaginable For this reason he paid down the Money demanded of the Seller Currant Money among the Merchants Nor was it enough for him that the Purchase should be publickly made he required that all the Inhabitants of the Country should be Witnesses of the Bargain Whereby that Person of high Credit intimated that nothing is more a Man's Property than his Sepulchre which he may truly above any thing else call his own according to the Example of Abraham the best of Men always reckoning it among their chiefest Cares to take care of their Sephlchres The Emperor Maximilian the First three Years before he died caused his Coffin made of Oak to be put up in a great Chest and carried along with him where-ever he went and provided by his Will that his Body should be put into it wrapt in Linen without any Embalming or Disembowelling his Nose Mouth and Ears only being filled with Quick-lime What meant that great Personage Only to have his Monument always in his sight to give him this continual Document Think upon Death that it should also further say wherefore dost thou amplifie and extol thy self wherefore doâ—t thou possess so much and covet more Thee whom so many Provinces and Kingdoms will not contain a little Chest must hold But why did he put the Lime into those hollow parts Behold the Spices that Embalmed him Maximilian that thou wert great thy Actions declare but this more especially before thy Death What need I call to mind the Bier of Ablavius who being Captain of the Pretorian Bands a Prince among the Courtiers of Constantine the Great an insatiable devourer of Gold which he thought upon more than his Tomb. This Person Constantine taking by the Hand How long said he Friend shall we heap up Treasure And speaking those words with the Spear that he held in his Hand he drew out the form of a Coffin in the Dust and then proceeding Though thou hadst all the Riches in the World yet after thou art dead a Place or Chest no bigger than this which I have here marked out must contain thee if so large a piece of Ground do come to thy Lot Constantine was a Prophet for Ablavius being cut into bits had not a piece left big enough to be buried The Emperor Charles the Fifth of Famous Memory most piously imitating that Maximiliâ—n whom I have mentioned long before his Death withdrew himself of his own accord from Publick Affairs and having resigned his Cares to his Young and Vigorous Son shut himself up in the Monastery of St. Justus in Spain only with Twelve of his Domesticks applying himself to Religious Duties He forbid himself to be called by any other Name than Charles and disclaiming with Business the Names of Caesar and Augustus contemned whatever savoured of Honourable Title This also is farther reported that long before the Resignation of his Empire he caused a Sepulchre to be made him with all its Funeral Furniture which was privately carried about with him where-ever he went This he had five Years by him in all places even when he marched against the French to Milan causing it every Night to be placed in his Chamber Some that waited on him imagin'd the Chest had been full of Treasure others full of Ancient Histories some thought one thing some another But Caesar well knowing what it contained and wherefore he carried it about smiling said that he carried it with him for the use of a thing which was most dear to him in the World Thus Charles continually thought upon Death and every day could say I have lived rising every day to Heavenly Gain Many others have happily imitated Charles the Emperor who have been used twice every day to contemplate their Coffins the Monument of their Death Genebald Bishop of Laudanum lay in a Bed made like a Coffin for seven Years together all which time he lived a most severe Life Ida a Woman of applauded Sanctity long before her Death caused her Coffin to be made which twice a day she filled full of Bread and Meat which she twice a day gave liberally to the Poor The study of Vertue is the best Preparation for Death No Death can defile Vertue He easily contemns all things who always meditates upon this That he is to die I am told of a worthy Person now living in London who keeps his Coffin by him and has done so for a considerable time Mrs. Parry an Ancient Gentlewoman kept her Coffin by her several Years she lived in the Town of Bergavenny in Wales On LIFE Life is a Dream a Bubble Ice a Flower and Glass A Fable Ashes and the fading Grass A Shadow a small Point a Voice a Sound A blast of Wind at length 't is nothing found Sc. Ambrose having received the News of his Death when his Friends bewailed him and begg'd of God to grant him a longer space of Life I have not lived as to be ashamed to live among you neither do I fear to die because we have a gracious God St. Austin nothing troubled at the News of his Death He never shall be great saith he who thinks it strange that Stones and Wood fall and that Mortals die St. Chrysostom a little before his Death in Exile wrote to Innocentius We have been these three Years in Banishment exposed to Pestilence Famine continual Incursions unspeakable Solitude and continual Death But when he was ready to give up the Ghost he cryed out aloud Glory be to thee O God for all things Aemylius and Plutarch at the approach of the Theban Exile being reported to the Magistrates of the Thebans they being in the midst of their Jollity took no notice of it At the same time Letters being brought to the Chief Magistrate wherein all the Counsels of the Exiles were discovered and delivered to him at the same Banquet he laid them under his Cushion sealed as they were saying I deferr serious Business till to Morrow But this deferrer of Business with all his Friends was that Night surprized and killed Thus Death uses to surprize those that delay while they deliberate while they muse while they deferr he comes and strikes with his unlook'd-for Dart. St. Austin a most faithful Monitor thus instructs one that promises I will live to Morrow God has promised thee Pardon but neither God nor Man has promised
Fires with Red Wine and gathering the Bones together to include them in Urns which they placed in or upon some sumptuous rich Monument erected or that purpose The Custom of Burning the dead Bodies continued among the Romans but until the time of the Antonine Emperors An. Dom. 200. or thereabouts then they began to Bury again in the Earth Manutius de leg Rom. Fol. 125 126. They had at these Burials suborned counterfeit hired Mourners which were Women of the loudest Voices who betimes in the Morning did meet at appointed Places and then cried out mainly beating of their Breasts tearing their Hair their Faces and Garments joyning therewith the Prayers of the defunct from the hour of his Nativity unto the hour of his Dissolution still keeping time with the Melancholick Musick This is a Custom observed at this day in some Parts of Ireland but above all Nations the Jews are best skilled in these Lamentations being Fruitful in Tears Tears that still ready stand To sally forth and but expect Command Amongst these Women there was ever an old aged Beldam called Praefica Superintendint above all the rest of the Mourners who with a loud Voice did pronounce these words Ire licet as much as to say He must needs depart and when the dead Corps was laid in the Grave and all Ceremonies finished she delivered the last Adieu in this manner Adieu Adieu Adieu we must follow thee according as the course of Nature shall permit us To Mourn after the Interrment of our Friends is a manifest Token of true Love Our All-Perfect and Almighty Saviour Christ Jesus wept over the Grave of dead Lazarus whom he revived whereupon the standers by said among themselves Behold how he loved him The Ancient Romans before they were Christians mourned Nine Months but being Christians they used Mourning a whole Year cloathed in black for the most part for Women were cloathed partly in white and partly in black according to the diversity of Nations These Examples considered I observe that we in these days do not weep and mourn at the departure of the Dead so much nor so long as in Christian Duty we ought For Husbands can bury their Wives and Wives their Husbands with a few counterfeit Tears and a sour Visage masked and painted over with dissimulation contracting Second Marriages before they have worn out their Mourning Garments Babilas the Martyr appointed to be buried with the Bolts and Fetters which he had worn for Christ Mr. Barker 's Flores It was Lewis the Second of France who when he was sick forbad any Man to speak of Death in his Court Mr. Barker 's Flores Abraham see how he beginneth to possess the World by no Land Pasture or Arrable Lordship The first being is a Grave So every Christian must make this Resolution The first Houshold-stuff that ever Seleucus brought into Babylon was a Sepulchre-stone a Stone to lay upon him when he was dead that he kept in his Garden Beza saith of a Sickness he had at Paris Morbus iste verae Sanitatis mihi principium fuit That Disease was the beginning of my true Health And Olevian to the same purpose of a Sickness he had said I have thereby learned more of Sin and the Majesty of God than I ever knew before As also Rivet said In the space of ten days since I kept my Bed I have learned more of true Divinity than in the whole course of my Life before Mr. Barker 's Flores Socrates the Night before he was to die would learn Musick because he would die learning something Chetwind's Hist Collections We can never be quiet till we have conquered the fear of Death The sight of Cyrus's Tomb struck Alexander into a dumps But when Grace prevails Death hath lost his Terror Aristippus told the Mariners that wondred why he was not as they afraid in the Tempest that the Odds was much for they feared the Torments due to a wicked Life and he expected the Reward of a good one And it was cold Comfort that Diogenes gave a lewd Liver that being banish'd complained that he should die in a Foreign Soil Be of good chear wheresoever thou art the way to Hell is the same Feltham Resolves p. 42. Queen Ann the Wife of King Henry the Eighth when she was lead to be beheaded in the Tower espying one of the King's Privy-Chamber she called him unto her and said unto him Commend me unto the King and tell him he is constant in his course of advancing me for from a Private Gentlewoman he made me a Marchioness from a Marchioness a Queen and now that he hath left no higher Degree of Worldly Honour for me he hath made me a Martyr Baker's Chron. Hen. VIII Philip King of Macedon walking by the Sea-side got a fall and after he was risen perceiving the Impression of his Body upon the Sand Good God said he what a small parcel of Earth will contain Us who aspire to the Possession of the whole World That Great Man Hugo Grotius near his Death professed That he would gladly give all his Learning and Honour for the Integrity of a Poor Man in his Neighbourhood that spent Eight Hours of his Time in Prayer Eight in Labour and Eight in Sleep and other Necessaries and unto some that applauded his marvellous Industry he said Ah Vitam perdidi operose nihil Agendo But unto some that asked the best Counsel which a Man of his Attainment could give he said Be serious sabina a Roman Matron being condemned to die for her Religion fell in Travel and cried out And one said to her If you cry out thus now what will you do when you come to the Stake She answered Now I cry out because I feel the fruit of Sin but then I shall be in comfort as suffering and dying for my Saviour Mr. Barker 's Flores CHAP. CXLIII The Last words of Dying Men as also their Last Wills and Testaments WE are apt to make Enquiry after the Last Speeches and Sentiments of Persons when they are going out of the World because we then believe that their Exes are open and their Judgments 〈◊〉 and they dare net tell a Lye for Fear or Affection when they are going to appear before their Judge and commencing state of Eâ—ernily The Last Words so far as we can understand by Records 1. Of Ignatius I am God's Corn I shall be ground to Meal by the Teeth of Wild Beasts and he found God's white Bread Dr. Cave 's Prim. Christ Clark 's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 2. Of Dionysius Arâ—â—pag He with Eyes and Hands lift up to Heaven said O Lord God Almighty thou only begotten Son and Holy Spirit O Sacred Trinity which art without beginning and in whom is no Division received the Soul of thy Servant in Peace who is put to Death for thy Cause and Gospel Ibid. viz. Clark 's Marrow c. 3. Epiphanius dying said to his People of Salamia God bless you my Children for Epiphanius
Execution he was not suffered to speak to the People who much lamented his Death yet was very chearful saying Thanks be to God I am even at home And when he had prayed and made himself ready he went to the Stake and kissed it The Fire being kindled he held up his Hands and called upon God saying Merciful Father of Heaven for Jesus Christ my Saviour's sake receive my Soul into thy hands And so stood still without moving till one with an Halberd struck out his Brains Ibid. p. 178. 30. Mr. Bradford as soon as he approached the Stake fell flat on the Ground intending there to pur forth his Prayers to Almighty God for he was not permitted to do it publickly but Woodroffe the Sheriff commanded him to arise and dispatch for the People encreased and pressed upon him Whereupon as soon as he got up he embraced the Stake and kissed it put off his Cloaths gave them to his Servant comforted the Stripling that was to be burned with him and earnestly exhorted the People to Repentance Which so enraged the Sheriff that he commanded his Hands to be tyed His last Words that were audible were Strait is the way and narrow is the gate that leads to salvation and few there be that find it He endured the Flame as a fresh gale of Wind in a hot Summer's Day without any Reluctancy Ibid. p. 189. 31. Bishop Ridley and Bishop Latimer suffered together but were not permitted to speak at the Stake The Evening before their Execution Ridley washed his Beard and his Feet and bad those that supped with him to his Wedding the next Day demanding of his Brother Mr. Skipfide whether he thught his Sister his Wife could find in her Heart to be there and he answering That he durst say she would with all her Heart he professed to the thereof very glad At Supper-time he was very chearful and merry desiring those there present that went of which number Mrs. Irish his Hostess tho' an eager Papist was one to quiet themselves affirming That tho' his Breakfast was like to be somewhat sharp and painful yet his Supper he was sure would be pleasant and sweet They endured a long time in the Fire with most grievous Pains to the great Grief of the Beholders thro' the Indiscretion of those that composed the Pile burning as it were by piece-meal till at last their Souls mounted as in a flaming Chariot up to Heaven Ibid. p. 203 204. 32. Bishop Latimer when he came to the Stake lifting up his Eyes with a comfortable and lovely Countenance cried out God is faithful who will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able and when the Fire was kindled O Father of Heaven receive my Soul His Blood as he was burning running out of his Heart in such abundance as if all the Blood of his Body had been gathered thither to the great Astonishmnt of the Beholders Ibid. p. 210. 33. Mr. Philpot going into Smithfield and the way being very foul two Officers took him up and bore him to the Stake to whom he said merrily What will you make me a Pope Being got into Smithfield he kneeled down and said I will pay my Vows in the midst of thee O Smithfield and kissing the Stake Shall I disdain to suffer at this Stake when my Lord and Saviour refused not to sufer a most vile Death for me And when the Fire was kindled with much Meekness and Comfort he resigned up his Spirit unto God Ibid. p. 222. 34. Archbishop Cranmer when tied to the Stake thrust first of all his Right Hand into the Fire wherewith he had subscribed to Popery crying out Ah my unworthy Right Hand So that his Hand died a Malefactor and the rest of his Body a Martyr Ibid. p. 228. 35. Bugenhagius drawing near to his End often repeated This is Life Eternal to know Thee the only true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ and so quietly departed this Life Aged 73. Ibid. p. 233. 36. Phil. Melancthon in the midst of many Heavenly Prayers surrendred his Soul unto him that gaveit Aged 63. Ibid. p. 241. 37. Hyperius falling sick of a Fever gave diverse Instructions to his Wife for the Education of his Children to his Children for the serving of God and obeying their Mother and when his Friends visited him requested them to bear Witness That he now died in that Faith which he had taught while he lived and so yielded up his Spirit to God Aged 53. Ibid. p. 265. 38. John Brentius falling sick of a Fever made his Will and therein set down a Confession of his Faith received the Sacrament exhorted the Ministers of Stutgard to Unity in Doctrine and a mutual Love always saying That he longed for a better an Eternal Life and so died Aged 71. Ibid. p. 298. 39. Bishop Jewel died praying and prayed dying His last Words worthy to be written with the Point of a Diamond never to be razed out were these A Crown of Righteousness is laid up for me Christ is my Righteousness this is my Body this day quickly let me come unto thee this day let me see thee Lord Jesus He was arrested by Death as he was preaching at Lacock upon those Words Walk in the Spirit and so carried from the Pulpit to Bed from which he never rose more Ibid. p. 311. 40. John Knox a Day or two before his Death sending for Mr. Lawson Mr. Lindsey the Elders and Deacons of the Church told them the Time was approaching which he long thirsted for wherein he should be released from all his Cares and be with his Saviour Christ for ever And now saith he God is my Witness whom I have served with my Spirit in the Gospel of his Son that I have taught nothing but the true and sincere Word of God I am not ignorant that many have and do blame my too great Rigor and Severity but God knows that in my Heart I never hated those against whom I thundered God's Judgments I did only hate their Sins and laboured according to my power to gain them to Christ That I did forbear none of what Condition soever I did it out of Fear of my God who hath placed me in the Function of his Ministry and I know will bring me to an Account Now Brethren for your selves I have no more to say but to warn you to take heed to the Flock over which God hath placed you Overseers which he hath Redeemed by the Blood of his only-begotten Son And you Mr. Lawson Fight a good Fight do the Work of the Lord with Courage and with a willing mand and God from Heaven bless you and the Church whereof you have the Charge Against it so long as it continues in the Doctrine of the Truth the Gates of Hell shall not prevail Having thus spoken and the Elders and Deacons being dismissed he called the two Preachers to him and said There is one thing that grieves me exceedingly you have
the Chapel of Lambeth House where he received his Archiepiscopal Consecration His chief Motto painted on the Walls of his House and in his Windows was that of St. John The World passeth away and the lust thereof Ibid. p. 529. 60. Archbishop Abbot preached upon this his last Text John 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that may abide with you for ever Upon the first Proposal whereof as many of his Hearers presaged his departure from them so it proved his last Farewel-Sermon For soon after he came out of the Pulpit he fell into grievous Fits of the Stone which first stopped the Passages of Nature and within a few days shut up all the Offices of his Senses To those that came to visit him who were not a few and among others the Judges being then at Sarum in their Circuit he comunicated most Christian and grave Advice insisting very much upon the Benefit of a good Conscience the Comfort whereof he felt now in his Extremity admonishing all that heard him so to carry themselves in their most private and secret Actions as well as publick that they might obtain that at the last which would stand them in more stead than what all the World could afford them besides At last with Hands and Eyes lift up to Heaven he gave up the Ghost with these Words Come Lord Jesus come quickly finish in me the Work that thou hast begun Into thy hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me Save me for thy Mercy 's sake for I put my whole trust in thee Let thy mercy be shewed upon me for my sure trust is in thee O let me not be confounded for ever Ibid. p. 550. 61. William Cooper born at Edinburgh used these amongst other Meditations in his last Sickness Now my Soul be glad for of all parts of this Prison the Lord hath set to his Pioneers to loose thee Head Feet Milt and Liver are fast failing yea the middle Strength of the whole Body the Stomach is weaken'd long agoe Arise make ready shake off thy Fetters mount up from the Body and go thy way I saw not my Children when they were in the Womb yet there the Lord fed them without my knowledge I shall not see them when I go out of the Body yet shall they not want a Father Death is somewhat dreary and the Streams of that Jordan between us and our Canaan run furiously but they stand still when the Ark comes Let your Anchor be cast within the Veil and fastened on the Rock Jesus Let the end of the three-fold Cord be buckled to the Heart so shall ye go through He expressed a great Willingness to Exchange this Life for a better which he did Anno 1619. Ibid. p. 563. 62. Andrew Willet in a Journey from London homewards had his Leg broken by a Fall from a Horse and was God's Prisoner for 9 Days together being so long confined to his Bed where his Time he spent in meditating upon the Song of Ezekiel Isa 38. his Contemplations being taken down in Writing by his Son who then attended upon him Two Sabbath-Days which happen'd in that time he spent in Conscionatory Exhortations to those who waited upon him Upon the tenth Day on occasion of a Bell tolling for one near Death he discoursed with his Wife touching the Joys of Heaven and then they both sang an Hymn composed by himself which they usually every Morning praised God with Their Spirits being thus raised they continued their Melody and sang the 146 Psalm sometimes stopping a little and glossing upon the Words by way of Self-application till on a sudden fetching a deep Sigh or Groan he sunk down in his Bed but being raised up a little he said Let me alone I shall do well Lord Jesus And with that Word gave up the Ghost ibid. p. 575. 63. Mr. Bolton falling sick of a Quartan-Ague and finding his Distemper get strength revised his Will and having preached upon Death Judgment and Hell he promised next to preach upon Heaven the only fourth and last Thing that remained but never preached more He often breathed forth these Speeches O when will this good Hour come When shall I be dissolved When shall I be with Christ Tho' Life be a great Blessing yet I infinitely more desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ He thanked God for his wonderful Mercy in pulling him out of Hell in sealing his Ministry by the Conversion of Souls which he wholly ascribed to his Glory He called for his Wife and desired her to bear his Dissolution with a Christian Fortitude and turning to his Children told them they should not now expect from him in his Weakness to say any thing to them he had told them enough formerly and hoped they would remember it and verily believed that none of them durst think to meet him at the great Tribunal in an unregenerate State Some of his Neighbours moved to him that he would tell them what he felt in his Soul Alas said he do ye look for that now from me who want Breath and Power to speak I have told ye enough in my Ministry Yet to satisfie you I am by the wonderful Mercies of God as full of Comfort as my Heart can hold and feel nothing in my Soul but Christ with whom I heartily desire to be And seeing some weeping he said Oh what a deal of Doe there is before one can die The very Pags of Death being upon him after a few gapings for Breath he said I am now drawing on apace to my Dissolution Hold out Faith and Patience your Work will quickly be at an end Then shaking them by the Hand he desired them to make sure of Heaven and remember what he had formerly taught them protesting that it was the Truth of God as he should answer it at the Tribunal of Christ before whom he should shortly appear And a dear Friend taking him by the Hand ask'd him if he did not feel much pain Truly no said he the greatest that I feel is your cold Hand And then being laid down again not long after he yielded up his Spirit unto God Anno 1631. Aged 60. Ibid. p. 591. 64. Mr. Will Whately in his Sickness gave heavenly and wholsome Counsel to his People exhorting them to Redemption of Time Reading Hearing and Meditating on the Word of God to be much in Prayer Brotherly Love and Communion of Saints c. A Minister praying with him That if his time were not expired God would restore him or put an end to his Pains c. he lifting up his Eyes stedfastly towards Heavne and one of his Hands in the close of that Prayer gave up the Ghost shutting his Eyes himself as if he were fallen into a Sleep Anno 1639. Aged 56. a little before the Civil Wars began and before the sad Desolations that befel the Town of Banbury in particular Ibid. p. 599. 65. Dr. Robert Harris when
With much more which would be too tedious to relate in this place See the Narrative At last with a chearful and smiling Countenance embracing Dr. Sibbalds he said Truly Sir I do take you in mine Arms and truly I bless God for it I do not fear I have an Assurance that is grounded here laying his hand upon his Heart now that gives me more true Joy than ever I had I pass out of a Miserable World to go into an Eternal and Glorious Kingdom and Sir though I have been a most sinful Creature yet God's Mercy I know is infinite and I bless my God for it I go with so clear a Conscience that I know not the Man I have Personally injured Then Embracing those his Servants which were there present he said to each of them You have been very Faithful to me and the Lord bless you And so turning himself to the Executioner he said I shall say a very short Prayer unto my God while I lie down there and when I stretch out my Hand my Right-hand then Sir do your Duty and I do freely forgive you and so I do all the World Then the Earl of Cambridge said to the Executioner Must I lie all along He answered Yes and 't please your Lordship Then he said When I stretch out my hands but I will fit my Head first tell me if I be right and how you would have me lie And being told he must lie a little lower he said Well stay then till I give you the Figure And so having lain a short space devoutly Praying to himself he stretch'd out his Right-hand whereupon the Executioner at one blow severed his Head from his Body which was received by two of his Servants then kneeling by him into a Crimson Taffaty Scarff and that with the Body immediately put into a Coffin brought upon the Scaffold for that purpose and from thence conveyed to the House that was Sir John Hamilton's at the Mews 116. The Speech of the Earl of Holland upon the Scaffold IT is to no purpose I think to speak any thing here which way must I speak And then being directed to the Front of the Scaffold he leaning over the Rail said I think it is fit to say something since God hath called me to this Place The first thing which I must profess is what concerns my Religion and my Breeding which hath been in a good Family that hath been ever Faithful to the True Protestant Religion in the which I have been bred in the which I have lived and in the which by God's Grace and Mercy I shall die I have not lived according to that Education I had in that Family where I was born and bred I hope God will forgive me my sins since I conceive that it is very much his Pleasure to bring me to this Place for the sins that I have committed The cause that hath brought me hither I believe by many hath been much mistaken They have conceived that I have had ill Designs to the State and to the Kingdom truly I look upon it as a Judgment and a just Judgment of God not that I have offended so much the State and the Kingdom and the Parliament as that I have had an extream Vanity in Serving them very extraordinarily For those Actions that I have done I think it is known they have been very Faithful to the Publick and particularly to the Parliament my Affections have been ever exprest truly and clearly to them The disposition of Affairs now have put things in another posture than they were when I was engaged with the Parliament I have never gone off from those Principles that ever I have profest I have lived in them and by God's Grace will die in them c At last the Earl turning to the Executioner said Here my Friend let my Cloaths and my Body alone there is Ten Pounds for thee that is better than my Cloaths I am sure of it Execut. Will your Lordship please to give me a sign when I shall strike And his Lordship said You have room enough here have you not Execut. Yes Then the Earl of Holland turning to the Executioner said Friend do you hear me if you take up my Head do not take off my Cap. Then turning to his Servants he said to one Fare you well thou art an honest Fellow and to another God be with thee thou art an honest Man And then said Stay I will kneel down and ask God forgiveness and then prayed for a pretty space with seeming earnestness Then speaking to the Executioner he said Which is the way of lying which they shewed him and then going to the Front of the Scaffold he said to the People God bless you all and God deliver you from any such Act as may bring you to any such Death as is violent either by War or by those Accidents but that there may be Peace among you and you may find that the Accidents that have happened to us may be the last that may happen in this Kingdom it is that I desire it is that I beg of God next the saving of my Soul I pray God give all Happiness to this Kingdom to this People and this Nation And then turning to the Executioner he said how must I lie I know not Execut. Lie down flat upon your Belly Whereupon after he had prayed with much Affection for a short space the Executioner upon the sign given at one blow severed his Head from his Body 117. The Lord Capel after a brave Speech made upon the Scaffold wherein he prayed for his Enemies taxed the Illegality and Injustice of the Proceedings against him lamented the Consent he gave to the Sentence of Death passed upon the Earl of Strafford as an Act of Cowardice commended the King Charles for a Vertuous and sufficient Prince prayed for the Prince his Son commended the Case of the Nation to the Grace and Mercy of God prayed for all the People and humbly beg'd that God would stanch that Issue of Blood and lastly for himself at last he submitted his Neck to the stroke of the Executioner 118. Mr. Love's Speech on the Scaffold on Tower-Hill August 22. 1651. BEloved Christians I am this Day made a Spectacle to God Angels and Men a Grief to the Godly a Laughing-stock to the Wicked and a Gazing-stock to all yet blessed be my God not a Terror to my self tho' there be but a little between me and Death yet this bears up my Heart there is but a little between me and Heaven It comforted Dr. Tallour the Martyr when going to Execution that there were but two Stiles between him and his Father's House There 's a lesser way between me and my Father's House but two steps between me and Glory it is but lying down upon the Block and I shall ascend upon a Throne I am this day Sailing towards an Ocean of Eternity through a rough Passage to my Haven of Rest through a Red-Sea to
we may without Flattery account this his warm Zeal for his Country if it did a little exceed a happy as well as a very pardonable Error He was extraordinary ingenious in his own Trade and imployed amongst great Persons for his dexterity therein He had an entire Love for the City of London and stood up for its Honour and Privileges as highly as any Man living He had a Soul so very great and generous that many who knew him well have said considering his Education they wondred how he came by it He was a Man of very good sound Sense considerably more than those of his Rank generally have which he had much improved in his latter time by Conversation with Persons of Honour and Quality In fine he liv'd sufficiently belov'd by those who knew and did not fear him and dy'd lamented by his Friends and admired and esteemed by his very Enemies Some time after his Death his Picture was sold about Town Under it were these Lines engraven By Irish Oaths and wrested Laws I fell A Prey to Rome a Sacrifice to Hell My guilty Blood for speedy Vengeance cries Hear hear and help for Earth my Suit denies 3. ARTHVR Earl of Essex THat Party and those Persons who were engag'd to manage the Designs before-mention'd were now entred on the most compendious way of introducing what they desir'd as well as avoiding what their own Consciences and all the World knew they deserv'd My Lord of Essex was a Person whom 't was no doubt the highest Interest of the Popish Faction to have gotten out of the way even tho' there had been no such extraordinary Reason as has been mentioned He had large Interest a plentiful Estate a great deal of Courage understood the World and the Principles and Practices of the Papists as well as any Man having been of several Secret Committees in the Examination of the Plot on which very reason there was as much necessity for his dying as Sir E. B. Godfrey's He was besides all this they very well knew of Inflexible Honesty and so true a greatness of Mind they could no more expect to gain him than Heaven it self to be on their side As for the immediate Subject of his Death the manner and circumstances thereof It must first be granted and a very reasonable demand it is that for the present only supposing he was murder'd by the Papists they would we may be sure make it their business to render the manner of it as dark as the Hell in which 't was contriv'd But whatever this couragious honest Gentleman suffer'd from their Spite and Malice he bore all with handsom and truly English Resolution As he before his Imprisonment and since was indefatigably diligent in getting up the bottom of this foul Business all English-men must own he has deserv'd the Love and Honour of his Country who was not discourag'd from acting even in the worst of times against a whole enraged Faction His CHARACTER It must be confessed 't is a bold and dangerous thing to attempt the Character of one of the greatest Men which our Age has produced especially for one who had not the Honour of any Personal intimacy with him All that 's to be done is from what has been already said and what other Memoirs are left of him to endeavour at something so like him that any one who sees it may say 't was meant for the Picture of the Great Essex how infinitely soever it must of necessity be short of its Original The first thing then Remarkable in him and which alone would sufficiently distinguish him is That he was a Person of strict Morals and severe Piety and that in the midst of a Court and Age not very Famous for either Nor did this degenerate into Superstition or Weakness He was a refin'd Politician without what some will say 't is impossible to be so and that 's Dissimulation When Affronts were offer'd him he did not as others dissemble 'em but like himself only scorn and conquer 'em even tho' of the highest Nature and which generally pierce deepest into Persons of his Figure and Character He was as all the rest here commemorated a firm Lover of his Country and Religion the true Character of a true English-man and engaged on their sides against the then Duke of York and other Ministers not from any mean Pique or little discontented Humour which he was very much above but meerly from the true Respect he had for them and a sense of that imminent Danger they were in which his piercing Judgment and long Experience made him more sensible of and his Courage and Vertue more concern'd at than others not only those who fat unconcern'd Spectators or shared in their Ruins but even then most of them who were engaged with him in the same Common Cause of their Defence and Preservation Nothing of such an impatience or eagerness or black Melancholy could be discern'd in his Temper or Conversation as is always the Symptom or Cause of such Tragical Ends as his Enemies would perswade us he came to Lastly What may be said of most of the rest does in a more especial and eminent manner agree to the Illustrious Essex and than which nothing greater can be said of Mortality He liv'd an Hero and dy'd a Martyr Upon the Execrable Murther of the Right Honourable Arthur Earl of Essex MOrtality wou'd be too frail to hear How ESSEX fell and not dissolve with fear Did not more generous Rage take off the blow And by his Blood the steps to Vengeance show The Tow'r was for the Tragedy design'd And to be slaughter'd he is first confin'd As fetter'd Victims to the Altar go But why must Noble ESSEX perish so Why with such fury drag'd into his Tomb Murther'd by slaves and sacrific'd to Rome By stealth they kill and with a secret stroke Silence that Voice which charm'd when e'er it spoke The bleeding Orifice o'er flow'd the Ground More like some mighty Deluge than a Wound Through the large space his Blood and Vitals glide And his whole Body might have past beside The reeking Crimson swell'd into a Flood And stream'd a second time in Capel's Blood He 's in his Son again to Death pursu'd An instance of the high'st Ingratitude Then they malicious Stratagems employ With Life his dearer Honour to destroy And make his Fame extinguish with his Breath An Act beyond the Cruelties of Death Here Murther is in all its shapes compleat As Lines united in their Centre meet Form'd by the blackest Politicks of Hell Was Cain so dev'lish when his Brother fell He that contrives or his own Fate desires Wants Courage and for fear of Death expires But mighty ESSEX was in all things brave Neither to Hope nor to Despair a Slave He had a Soul to Innocent and Great To fear or to anticipate his Fate Yet their exalted Impudence and Guilt Charge on himself the precious Blood they spilt So were the Protestants some Years ago Destroy'd
in Ireland without a Foe By their own barbarous Hands the Mad-men die And Massacre themselves they know not why Whilst the kind Irish howl to see the Gore And pious Catholicks their Fate deplore If you refuse to trust Erroneous Fame Royal Mac-Ninny will confirm the same We have lost more in injur'd Capel's Heir Than the poor Bankrupt Age can e're repair Nature indulg'd him so that there we saw All the choice strokes her steady hand cou'd draw He the Old English Glory did revive In him we had Plantagenets alive Grandeur and Fortune and a vast Renown Fit to support the lustre of a Crown All these in him were potently conjoyn'd But all was too ignoble for his Mind Wisdom and Vertue Properties Divine Those God-like ESSEX were entirely thine In his great Name he 's still preserv'd alive And will to all succeeding Times survive With just Progression as the constant Sun Doth move and through its bright Ecliptick run For whilst his Dust does undistinguish'd lie And his blest Soul is soar'd above the Sky Fame shall below his parted Breath supply 4. WILLIAM Lord RVSSEL THE next who fell under their Cruelty and to whose Death Essex's was but the Prologue was my Lord Russel without all Dispute one of the finest Gentlemen that ever England bred and whose Pious Life and Vertue was as much Treason against the Court by affronting them with what was so much hated there as any thing else that was sworn against him The Last Speech and Carriage of the Lord Russel upon the Scaffold c. ON Saturday July the 21st 1683. about Nine in the Morning the Sheriffs went to Newgate to see if the Lord Russel was ready and in a little time his Lordship came out and went into his Coach taking his Farewel of his Lady the Lord Cavendish and several other of his Friends at Newgate In the Coach were Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Burnet who accompanied him to the Scaffold built in Lincoln's Inn-Fields which was covered all over with Mourning Being come upon the Scaffold his Lordship bowed to the Persons present and turning to the Sheriff made this following Speech Mr. Sheriff I expected the Noise would be such that I should not be much heard I was never fond of much speaking much less now therefore I have set down in Paper all that I think fit to leave behind me God knows how far I was always from Designs against the King's Person or of altering the Government And I still pray for the Preservation of Both and of the Protestant Religion Mr. Sheriff I am told that Captain Walcot Yesterday siad something concerning my Knowledge of the Plot I know not whether the Report be true or not Mr. Sheriff I did not hear him name your Lordship Writer No my Lord your Lordship was not named by any of them Lord Russel I hope it is not for to my knowledge I never saw him nor spake with him in my whole Life and in the Words of a dying Man I profess I know of no Plot either against the King's Life or the Government But I have now done with this World and am going to a better I forgive all the World heartily and I thank God I die in Charity with all Men and I wish all sincere Protestants may love one another and not make way for Popery by their Animosities I pray God forgive them and continue the Protestant Religion amongst them that it may flourish so long as the Sun and Moon endures I am now more satisfied to die than ever I have been Then kneeling down his Lordship prayed to himself after which Dr. Tillotson kneeled down and prayed with him which being done his Lordship kneeled down and prayed a second time to himself then pull'd off his Whig put on his Cap took off his Crevat and Coat and bidding the Executioner after he had lain down a small moment do his Office without a Sign He gave him some Gold Then embracing Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Burnet he laid him down with his Neck upon the Block The Executioner missing at his first stroke though with that he took away his Life at two more severed the Head from the Body The Executioner held up the Head to the People as is usual in cases of Treason c. Which being done Mr. Sheriff ordered his Lordship's Friends or Servants to take the Body and dispose of it as they pleased being given them by His Majesty's Favour and Bounty His Body was convey'd to Cheneys in Buckinghamshire where 't was buried among his Ancestors There was a great Storm and many loud Claps of Thunder the day of his Martyrdom An Elegy was made on him immediately after his Death which seems by what we have of it to be writ with some Spirit and a great deal of Truth and Good-will only this Fragment on 't could be retriev'd which yet may not be unwelcome to the Reader 'T is done he 's crown'd and one bright Martyr more Black Rome is charg'd on thy too bulky score All like himself he mov'd so calm so free A generall Whisper question'd Which is he Deckt like a Lover tho' pale Death 's his Bride He carne and saw and overcame and dy'd Earth wept and all the vainly pitying Croud But Heaven his Death in Thunder groan'd aloud His CHARACTER For his Character if we 'll believe the best Men and those who knew him best 't is one of the most advantageous the Age or indeed our Nation has yielded Those are great words which Mr. Leviston Gower speaks of him on his Tryal but yet not a Syllable too big for his Merit tho' they are very expressive of it That he was one of the best Sons the best Fathers the best Husbands the best Masters the best Friends and the best Christians By other That he was a most Vertuous Prudent and Pious Gentleman A Man of that Vertue that none who knew him could think him guilty of such a Conspiracy A Man of great Honour and too Prudent to be concern'd in so vile and desperate a Design A Person of great Vertue and integrity One whom those he had long convers'd with never heard utter so much as a word of Indecency against the King And others of the highest Quality who had been often in his Company say That they had never heard any thing from him but what was Honourable Just and Loyal His Person was tall and proper his Temper even and aggreable and such as rendred his Vertues even more lovely than they did him His Piety and Devotion as unaffected and yet as remarkable as his Love to the Church of England The True Church of England as he himself calls it not those Tumours and Wens that grow upon it and pretended to be not only part but all of it in our late bad Times to whose Heighths and Extravagancies he thinks it no shame in his Speech to confess he could never rise He was of a Noble Courage which he did not express by
as Mr. Battiscomb and made him such frequent Visits in the Prison till the Place it self was so far from being Scandalous that there was generally all the Conversation and where you might be sure to meet the best Company in the Town of both Sexes Mr. Battiscomb had the Happiness not to be displeasing to the fair Sex who had as much Pity and Friendship for him as consisted with the Rules of Decency and Vertue and perhaps their Respect for him did not always stop at Friendship tho' it still preserved the other Bounds inviolable Pity is generally but a little way from Love especially when the Object of it is any thing extraordinary But after he had been there some time and nothing could be prov'd against him which could any ways affect him he was at length almost unwillingly deliver'd from this sort of happy Slavery And when the Duke landed appear'd with him and serv'd him with equal Faith and Valour till the Rout at Sedgmoor when he fled with the rest and got up as far as Devonshire where he was seiz'd in a Disguise and brought to his old Palace the Prison at Dorchester He behav'd himself there the second time in the same courteous obliging manner as he did at the first tho' now he seem'd more thoughtful and in earnest than before as knowing nothing was to be expected but speedy Death tho' his Courage never droopt but was still the same if it did not encrease with his Danger At his Tryal Jeffreys rail'd at him with so much eagerness and barbarity that he was observ'd almost to foam upon the Bench. He was very angry with him because he was a Lawyer and could have been contented all such as he should be hang'd up without any Trial and truly 't was no great Matter whether he or the rest had had that Formality or no. Mr. Battiscomb was as undaunted at the Bar as in the Field or at Execution How he demeaned himself in Prison before his Death take this following Account verbatim as 't was written by his Friends The Account given of him by his Relations HE was observed to be always serious and chearful ready to entertain Spiritual Discourse manifesting Affection to God's People and his Ordinances he seem'd to be in a very calm Indifference to Life or Death referring himself to God to determine it expressing his great Satisfaction as to some Opportunities of Escape that were slipt saying That truly he sometimes thought the Cause was too good to flee from suffering in it tho' he would use all lawful Means for his Life but the Providence of God having prevented this he was sure it was best for him for he said he bless'd God he could look into Eternity with Comfort He said with respect to his Relations and Friends to whom his Death would be afflictive That he was willing to live if God saw good but for his own part he thought Death much more desirable He said I have enjoyed enough of this World but I never found any thing but Vanity in it no Rest or Satisfaction God who is an Infinite Spiritual Being is the only suitable Object for the Soul of Man which is spiritual in its Nature and too large to be made happy by all that this World can afford which is all but sensual Therefore methinks I see no reason why I should be unwilling to leave it by Death since our Happiness can never be perfected till then till we leave this Body where we are so continually clogg'd with Sin and Vanity frivolous and foolish Trifles Death in it self is indeed terrible and natural Courage is too low to encounter it nothing but an Interest in Christ can be our Comfort in it he said which Comfort I hope I have intimating much advantage to his Soul by his former Imprisonment The Day he went from Dorchester to Lyme after he had received the News of his Death the next Day he was in the same serious Cheerfulness declaring still the same Apprehension of the Desirableness of Death and the great Supports of his Mind under the Thoughts of so sudden passing through it alone from the Hope of the Security of his Interest in Christ taking leave of his Friends with this Farewel Tho' we part here we shall meet in Heaven Passing by 〈◊〉 Estate going to Lyme he said Farewel Temporal Inheritance I am now going to my Heavenly Eternal One. At Lyme the Morning that he died it appeared that he had the same Supports from God meeting Death with the same cheerfulness When he was mounting the Ladder he smiled and said I am not afraid of this I am going to a better Place from a poor and miserable World to a Celestial Paradise a Heavenly Jerusalem I might have chosen whether I would have undergone this Death if I had hearkened to the L. C. J. but it was upon such unworthy Terms that shou'd I have accepted of my Pardon it wou'd have been troublesome to me I die a true Protestant I am in Charity with all Men. God preserve this Nation from Popery The Lord bless you all So taking his leave of them he knew after Prayer he lanched into Eternity His CHARACTER All that knew or saw him must own Mr. Battiscomb was very much a Gentleman not that thin sort of Animal that flutters from Tavern to Play-house and back again all his Life made up of Wig and Crevat without one dram of Thought in his Composition but one who ha◠solid Worth well drest and set out to the World His Body made a very handsome and creditable Tenement for his Mind and it had been pity it shou'd have liv'd in any other He wa◠pretty tall well made I think inclining to Black not altogether unlike Mr. Benjamin Hewling as He has been thought to resemble the Duke of Monmouth He was Witty Brave exactly Honourable Pious and Vertuous and if ever that Character belong'd to any Man it did eminently to Mr. Battiscomb That he liv'd universally belov'd and dy'd as generally lamented 3. Mr. WILLIAM JENKYNS HIS Father was sufficiently known and his Circumstances hard enough being seized only for his Opinion and clapt up close in Newgate where the Inconvenience of the Place and want of the Exercise he formerly enjoy'd quickly kill'd him as he used to say before his Confinement 't would certainly do if ever it happen'd Thus was he requited by that very Person for whom with Mr. Love he ventured his Life so deeply and so hardly escaped with it 'T was his inhumane Treatment which edg'd and animated his Son and the Revenge of his Father's Blood may be presum'd to have gone very far in pushing him on to engage his Life and Fortune in this Undertaking he having given Funeral Rings for his Father with this Poesie William Jenkyns murder'd in Newgate He was his Father's only Son who had taken care to have him educated suitable to his ingenuous Birth and Inclinations He improved sufficiently in all useful Learning and was
who had had Command in the Duke's Army where he behaved himself very stoutly to the last after the Army was dispersed he among others was taken received Sentence of Death at Dorchester and here brought for the completion of the same and from thence we hope was translated to Heaven He spent his time between the Sentence and Execution very devoutly in confirming and strengthning those that were to be his Fellow-Sufferers and made it his Business to bring them to a Willingness to submit to and a Preparedness for Death The Day being come and he brought to the Place of Execution he thus spoke My Friends You see I am now on the brink of Eternity and in a few Minutes shall be but Clay You expect I should say something as is usual in such Cases As to the Matter of Fact I die for it doth not much trouble me knowing to my self the Ends for which I engaged with the Duke of Monmouth were both Good and Honourable Here being stopp'd and not suffer'd to proceed further he then comforted his Fellow-Sufferers desiring them to joyn with him in singing an Hymn which he himself composed After the Hymn sung he prayed devoutly for half an Hour After Prayer he gave great Satisfaction to all present of his Assurance of Heaven had many weeping Eyes for him and was much lamented in the Town tho' a Stranger to the Place So unbuttoning himself said to the Executioner I fear not what Man can do unto me I pray thee do thy Work in Mercy for I forgive thee with all my Heart and I also pray to God to forgive thee Don't mangle my Body too much And so lifting up his Hands to Heaven the Executioner did his Office 5. WILLIAM COX THere was also one William Cox that died with him who also died very courageously despising the Shame in Hopes and Expectation of a future better Estate He and his two Sons were some of the first that came to the Duke of Monmouth and all taken and all condemned together The Father only suffered the Sons by Providence were preserved When he was going to Execution he desired leave to see his Sons then in another Prison in the Town to whom he gave his Blessing and though he was going to be Executed yet had that Satisfaction to hope that God would preserve them which was so An Account of those Executed at Sherborn 1. AT Sherborn in the same County were Executed Twelve who all died Courageously especially one Mr. Glisson of Yeovel in the County of Somerset His extraordinary Deportment and Carriage at the Place of Execution was so very confiderable as gave great Satisfaction to his Friends and Amazement to his Enemies He declared to the World That he died a true Protestant and had not ingaged with the Duke of Monmouth but judged it high time to stand up for the Defence of the same though God Almighty had thought fit to frustrate his Designs and to bring him to that Place to seal the same with his Blood 2. JOHN SAVAGE and 3. RICHARD HALL ALso John Savage and Richard Hall of Culliton in the County of Devon suffered at the same Time and Place In their particular Conversation they valued those most that they saw most of Piety in and pitied others that they saw not so well prepared saying That the Remembrance of our Vanity may cause Compassion towards such as were in such a Condition Exhorting all to be serious and to consider their Latter End which deserved the greatest Attention of Mind the way to die comfortably being to prepare for it seriously At the Hour of Execution their Chearfulness and Comfort was much encreased saying Now the Will of God will be done and he hath most certainly chosen that for us which is best with many other such-like Christian Expressions too tedious here to be inserted 4. JOHN SPRAGVE and 5. WILLIAM CLEGG WE return now to Culliton in the County of Devon where John Sprague and William Clegg both of that Town were condemned at Exon and there brought to be Executed Before they were brought into the Place a Messenger came from the Prisoners with a Request to the Vicar of the Parish to desire his Company and Assistance in this their Extremity and to Administer those Spiritual Helps that were suitable to Men in their Circumstances Accordingly the said Minister came very readily and did demand of them What they had to desire of him The dying Persons answered They desired his Prayers Accordingly he prayed with them a considerable space of time and after that he asked of them several Questions for to give him and the World satisfaction of the prepared Condition they were in in order to their launching into Eternity especially about the Doctrine of Non-Resistance John Sprague very soberly and moderately replied but whether satisfactory or not we leave to the Reader He believed That no Christian ought to resist a lawful Power but the Case being between Popery and Protestantism alter'd the Matter and the latter being in danger he believed that it was lawful for him to do what he did though God in his Providence had thought fit to bring him to this Place of Execution After reading a Chapter out of the Corinthians and singing a Psalm suitable to the Occasion he very vehemently and fervently recommended his Soul to the All-wise God by Prayer for near half an Hour to the great Satisfaction of all that heard him Then his Wife and Children coming to him weeping bitterly he imbraced them in his arms saying Weep not for me but weep for your selves and for your Sins for that he had that quiet Satisfaction that he was only going to be translated into a state of Bliss and Happiness where we should Sin and Sorrow no more but that all Tears should be wiped away wishing them to be diligent in the Service of God Then recommending his Wife and Children to the Protection of the Almighty God who had promised to be a Husband to the Widow and a Father to the Fatherless who was faithful and able to make up their loss in him in that which should be better for them than he could be desiring God to be a Refuge for them to fly to for security and preservation from the Troubles that seemed to threaten this poor Nation the which if they did conscientiously perform though Death here made a separation he doubted not of meeting them in Heaven at last And so the Executioner did his Office During which time his Brother-sufferer William Clegg was all the time on his Knees praying to himself with a seeming Zeal suddenly after which his turn being come to follow his Brother he only told the People That his Fellow-sufferer had spoken what he thought was necessary and they were also his Sentiments And so submitted to Execution An Account of those Executed at Axminster and Honiton 1. AT Axminster one also was Executed his Name Mr. Rose he was a Gunner that landed with the Duke of Monmouth
Polemical Books concerning them here I greatly deplore and bewail the greedy Appetite and insatiable Thirst that Professing Protestants have after the Blood of their Brethren and the high pleasure they take in the effusion thereof But what will not Men do when they are either Judicially blinded or their secular Worldly Interest insensibly insinuates and winds it self into their Religion is so twisted and incorporated with it that it animates and acts it is the Life and Soul the vital Form and Power and made wholly subservient thereunto I bless God for all my Sufferings and particularly for this last for the benefit and fruit of it by God's sanctifying of them to me have been great hereby I have been effectually convinced of the Vanity of the World and my own sinfulness by Nature and Practice and to see that to be sin which I never saw before and to be more throughly humbled for what I know to be â—n not only of Commission but of Omission also Hereby I have been brought to a more thorough deep inward sense and feeling of the absolute necessity of the Righteousness of Christ to justifie me and he hath been made much more dear and precious to my Soul than ever he was before Hereby my Soul hath been more refin'd from the Dross of Sensuality wrought into a more Heavenly Frame raised up to a higher pitch of Spirituality hereby I am made more meek and humble and so judge more charitably of others that differ from me in Opinion and Judgment So though by God's most Righteous Judgment I have been â—â—prehended and most justly and deservedly undergo this Suffering for my Sins yet I hope thâ—â— have wrought for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory fitting and preparing me making me a better qualified Subject for and far more meet to be a Partaker of the same By the Grace and Strength of God I will not purchase my Life by the Death and Blood of my Protestant Brethren but choose to die rather than be a Betrayer of them the impetuous and violent Assault of this I dreaded more than Death it self Blessed be God I was not exposed unto it and conquered by it as some have been Having such full bodily vigour and strength being in such perfect Health notwithstanding my Age predominating in me it hath made it more difficult to die than if I had been clogged and incumbred with Infirmities made to bow and stoop under them by prevailing Diseases and Distempers gradually worn out therewith which many times makes Men weary of Life and to desire to die and this in Conjunction with many things which I forbear to mention highly gratifying and pleasing to Sense which I must leave for ever strengthens and heightens the Difficulty and begets a great Regret and Reluctancy in my Will to have the Earthly Tabernacle of my Body dissolved and my Soul to dislodge and quit the same But now when the black and gloomy Shades of Death do overspread me I can say to the Glory of God's most Free and Powerful Grace True Faith in some measure hath changed the Difficulty into a Facility and easiness of dying It hath very much subdued the reluctancy of my Will against it for it makes future things present and invisible things visible and doth realize and substantiate the same to me and as by it I penetrate and pierce into Eternity and behold invisible and immortal things so hereby blessed be God I have obtained a greater Victory over Sense The World is crucified to me and I to the World and all the most pleasant and delightful Objects therein all finite fading Creatures Comforts and Enjoyments are become minute and small despicable and contemptible to me in comparison thereof being infinitely contained and comprehended therein Shall my Soul clasp and cling about these Mortal and perishing things Shall it cleave and be glued to them Shall it be confined and captivated into what is kept in the narrow bounds of Time and in this lower World Shall it earnestly desire and thirst for muddy Streams yea Rivers of Flesh-pleasing good when by an Eye of Faith I can look into the indeficient inexhaustible purest Fountain the immense immensurate Ocean of Divine Good hoping to drink thereof to swim and bathe my Soul therein for ever and ever And when I consider how long my Ears have been bound up and tyed to their innumerable and horrid Oaths and cursed Blasphemies and mine Eyes to see the Profanation of the Day of God and when I beheld such an overflowing Flood of most prodigious Impiety such an inundation of most monstrous Iniquity and so much Hell upon Earth and that there is so much decay of holy Zeal and true Piety and Christian Religion among the Professors of it such seeming incurable Breaches and Divisions such expiring Love and Charity and parting 's among 'em it hath powerful influence on my Soul to reconcile it more to Death and makes it electively and from choice to leave this present World and to take up my abode in that which is unseen and future where there shall be nothing but perfect Love and Holiness a sinless state and serving God with all unweariedness and perfection with the highest complacency and delight that immortal Souls can be capable of There is perfect Peace and Concord the innumerable Company of Angels and the Spirits of Just Men made perfect all fastened together with indissoluble and uninterrupted Chains of most pure Love and all continually wrapt up in and transported with the highest Admiration of God's Love his infinite and incomprehensible Excellencies and Perfections singing Hallelujahs to him without ceasing and triumphing in his Praise for ever and ever The Consideration also that I know so little of these Sublime Profound and Divine Mysteries of the most Glorious Mystery of Salvation by Jesus Christ that I am so uncapable to Fathom the depth of the Providences of God whose ways are in the Sea and whose paths are in the deep Waters and whose foot-steps are not known and particularly in the late stupendous and amazing one and that I am so ignorant of the Nature of Angels and Spirits with their Offices and Operations and of their high and glorious Excellencies and that I am so little acquainted with the Nature of my own Soul as at present dwelling in and united to my Body and as disunited and separated from it how without Corporeal Organs it shall most vivaciously and vigorously perform all its proper Functions and Offices and more than ever strongly and indefatigably serve the Lord Jesus most fervently and abundantly love him and delight in him every way much more obtain the supream and highest end of its Creation and Being and this makes me much more willing to die that I may have the knowledge thereof with innumerable other things that I am now either ignorant of or do but imperfectly know and so be made happy by a plenitude of fulness of enjoying intellectual Pleasures which
aloud how much I love thee not that I like the Fune al State of Great Men neither do I approve the Embalming of the Egyptians and I as little fancy your odd Whim of being wrapp'd in a Leaden Coffin and flung into the midst of the Sea as if you desired to protract the Corruption of your Flesh out of which you shall be generated anew or dream'd of rising whole as you lay down and carrying Flesh and Blood into the Kingdom of Heaven without a change But tho' I like not these costly Burials yet I think no Tomb gay enough to enclose thy Ashes tho common Graves deserve no Inscription yet thy Relicks shall have a Monument may tell thy Vertues to the end of Time But what Epitaph can reach thy Worth 'T is a Note above Ela and can't be reach'd by a Cowley's scarce by a S r's Verse Neither can this Love to thy Ashes be call'd profuse but a Debt due to thy Memory and is what 's justified by the Example of former Ages St. Jerome tells us That in his Time Husbands were wont to spread Lilies Violets and Roses upon the Graves of their deceas'd Wives by which uxorious Office they did lessen the Grief of their Hearts conceiv'd by the Loss of their loving Bed-fellows and the like Expressions of mutual Love Wives shewed to their bury'd Husbands Now above all Flowers in these Ceremonious Observances the Rose was in greatest Request for tho' dead and dry it preserves a pleasing Sweetness and was for that Reason by the Ancients strewed upon their Kindreds Graves 'T is incredible says a late (n) (n) Dr. Horneck's Lives of the Primitive Christians Writer to consider what Cost the Primitive Christians bestow'd upon the Burials of their deceas'd Friends they look'd upon 't as sinful to neglect those Bodies when dead which in their Life-time had been Temples of the Holy Ghost The Care they took to embalm them was such that the Arabs professed they got more Money for their Perfumes of the poor Christians than of the richer Pagans who yet never were without Incense in their Idol-Temples Tho' they had little in the World yet what they had they were very free off on such Occasions for they look'd upon Good Mens Funerals as Prologues to Eternal Rest All this is supposing you die first which if you shou'd my Corpse shall follow just as Lodowick Cortusius a Lawyer of Padua follow'd his Wife He 'd have no Mourning at his Funeral but order'd Pipers Harpers and Twelve Virgins clad in Green to sing all the way to his Grave that so which is what I intend he might turn his Funeral Rites into a Marriage Ceremony But if I happen to die before you prepare me thus for the Grave Let me be said out in the Chamber next the Dining-Room from thence on the * * Not sooner least I come to Life again at my Mother did after seeming Death Seventh Day after my Death let me be nail'd down in an Elm-Coffin when kiss and salute my Hand and Cheek as a Token of thy Affection to me The Chinese always before they bury their Dead if he was a married Man bring him to his Wife that so she might first kiss him and bid him farewel After this is done let my Body be carried to the New-burying Place there to lie in the same Grave with Thee and our (o) (o) A Gentlewoman descended of honourable Parents with whom they had contracted an extraordinary Friendship dear O where we 'll both wait thy coming to us and instead of the fashionable Custom of staying at Home I 'd have thee follow my Corpse to the Ground 't is the last Office of Love to a Friend see me put into it and be one of the last that shall come thence In performing this Request you in part imitate the generous Hota who thus followed her Husband to the Grave laid him in a stately Tomb and then for Nine Days together she wou'd neither eat nor drink whereof she died and was buried as she had ordered in her Last Will by the side of her beloved Husband He first deceas'd she for a few Days try'd To live without him lik'd it not and dy'd I mention not this Instance as if I thought I deserv'd your Tears or liked Extravagant Mourning No as St. Bernard says let them bewail their Dead to excess who deny their Resurrection yet I must say that to follow our Friends to the Grave and to mourn for their Interrment is a manifest Token of True Love Our Blessed Saviour himself wept over the Grave of dead Lazarus whom he revived whereupon the standers by said among themselves Behold how he loved him The Ancient Romans before they were Christians mourned Nine Months but being Christians they used Mourning a whole Year cloathed in Black for the most part for Women were cloathed partly in White and partly in Black according to the Diversity of Nations But in our Times Husbands can bury their Wives and Wives their Husbands with a few counterfeit Tears and a sowre Visage masked and painted over with Dissimulation contracting like the Ephesian Matron Second Marriages before they have worn out their Mourning Garments But the Tears I have shed for your long Sickness have clear'd me of this Levity and shew even while you are living how much I shall grieve when you die in earnest and how impatient I 'll be till I bed with you in the Dust that as our Souls shall know each other when they leave the Bodies so our Bodies also may rise together after the long Night of Death and I hope I shall find thee of this Opinion Dr Brown applauds those ingenious Tempers that desire to sleep in the Urns of their Fathers and strive to go the nearest way to Corruption 'T was the late Request of a Great Divine to lie by his Wife in Shore-ditch and for that Reason he was bury'd there And Sir Nathanael Barnardiston in his Last Will desires his Executors that the Bones of his Father might be digged out of the Earth where they were bury'd and laid by his own Body in a new Vault he ordered 'em to erect for the same purpose that tho' he cou'd not live with his Father as long as he wou'd have desired yet he designed that their Bodies should lie together till the Resurrection As it is good to enjoy the Company of the Godly while they are living so it is not amiss if it will stand with convenience to be buried with them after Death The old Prophets Bones escap'd a burning by being buried with the other Prophets and the Man who was tumbled into the Grave of Elisha was revived by the virtue of his Bones and we read in the Acts and Monuments that the Body of Peter Martyr's Wife was buried in a Dunghil but afterwards being taken up in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth it was honourably buried in Oxford in the Grave of one Frideswick a Popish She-Saint to this
and died Chetwind 's Hist Collections In the Year 1559. Henry the Second King of France was slain in the midst of his Pastimes and Triumphs and in publick Joy of the People For while he Celebrated the Nuptials of his Daughter at Paris in a Tilting the Splinter of a broken Lance flew with such violence and pierced his Eye that he died immediately In the Year 1491. Alphonsus the Son of John the Second King of Portugal being about Sixteen Years of Age a Prince of great Hopes and Wit took to Wife Isabella the Daughter of Ferdinand King of Spain whose Dowry was the ample Inheritance of her Father's Kingdoms The Nuptials were celebrated with the preparations of Six Hundred Triumphs Plays Running Racing Tilting Banquets So much Plenty so much Luxury that the Horse-boys and Slaves glistered in Tissue But oh immense Grief hardly the Seventh Month had passed when the young Prince sporting a Horse-back upon the Banks of Tagus was thrown from his Horse to the Ground so that his Scull was broken and he wounded to Death He was carried to a Fisher's House scarce big enough to contain him and two of his Followers there he lay down upon a Bed of Straw and expired The King flies thither with the Queen his Mother There they behold the miserable Spectacle their Pomp turn'd into Lamentation The growing Youth of their Son his Vertues Wealth like Flowers on a sudden disrobed by the North-winds blast and all to be buried in a miserable Grave O the sudden Whirlwinds of Human Affairs O most precipitate Falls of the most constant Things What shall I remember any more Basilius the Emperor was gored to death by a Hart while he was entangled in a troublesome Bough The ancient Monument in the Camp of Ambrosius near Aenipontus witnesses That a Noble Youth though under Age set Spurs to his Horse to make him leap a Ditch twenty foot broad The Horse took it but the Rider and the Horse fell by a sudden and almost the same kind of death That the Spoils of the Horse and the Garments of the Youth speak to this Day But this sudden Fate is common as well to the Good as to the Bad neither does it argue an unhappy Condition of the Soul unless any Person in the Act of burning Impiety feel himself struck with the Dart of Divine Vengeance Such was the Exit of Dathan and Abiram whom the gaping Earth miserably swallowed up obstinate in their Rebellion against Moses Such was the End of those Soldiers whom for their Irreverence to Elijah Heaven consumed with Balls of Fire Such was the End of the Hebrew whom the Revengers Sword pass'd thorough finding him in the Embraces of the Midianitess turning his Genial into his Funeral Bed So many Pores of the Body so many little Doors for Death Death does not shew himself always near yet is he always at hand What is more stupid than to wonder that that should fall out at any time which may happen every Day Our Limits are determined where the inexorable necessity of Fate has fix'd them But none of us knows how near they are prefixed So therefore let us form our Minds as if we were at the utmost extremity Let us make no Delay Death has infinite accesses So it is indeed and to what I have said I add It is reported that a certain Person dream'd that he was torn by the Jaws of a Lion He rises careless of his Dream and goes to Church with his Friends In the way he sees a Lyon of Stone gaping that upheld a Pillar Then declaring his Dream to his Companions not without Laughter Behold said he this is the Lyon that tore me in the Night So saying he thrust his Hand into the Lyon's Jaws crying to the Statue Thou hast thy Enemy now shut thy Jaws and if thou canst bite my Hand He had no sooner said the Word but he received a deadly Wound in that place where he thought he could have no harm for at the bottom of the Lyon's Mouth lay a Scorpion which no sooner felt his Hand but he put forth his Sting and stung the young Man to death Are Stones thus endued with Anger Where then is not Death if Lyons of Stone can kill In the same manner died the young Hylas who was kill'd by a Viper that lay hid in the Mouth of a Bear 's resemblance in Stone What shall I mention the Child kill'd by an Isicle dropping upon his Head from the Penthouse whom Martial laments in the following Verses Where next the Vipsan Pillars stands the Gate From whence the falling Rain wets Cloak and Hat A Child was passing by when strange to tell Vpon his Throat a frozen drop there fell Where while the Boy his cruel Fate bemoan'd The tender point straight melted in the Wound Would Chance have us adore her lawless Will Or tell where Death is not if Drops can kill 'T is the Saying of Annaeus Uncertain it is saith he in what place Death may expect thee therefore do thou expect Death in every place We trifle and at distance think the Ill While in our Bowels Death lies lurking still For in the moment of our Birth-day Morn That moment Life and Death conjoin'd were born And of that Thread with which our Lives we measure Our Thievish Hours still make a rapid â—â—â—zure Insensibly we die so Lamps expire When wanting Oil to feed the greedy Fire Though living still yet Death is then so nigh That oft-times as we speak we speaking die Senccio Cornelius a Roman Knight a Man of extream Frugality no less careful of his Patrimony than of his Body when he had sate all Day till Night by his Friend sick a Bed beyond all Hopes of Recovery when he had Supp'd well and cheary was taken with a violent Distemper the Quinsey scarcely retained his Breath within his contracted Jaws till Morning so that he deceas'd within a few Hours after he had performed all the Duties of a sound and healthy Man What follows is extracted from Mr. Increase Mather's Book of Remarkable Providences I Shall only add says he at present That there have been many sudden Deaths in this Countrey which should not pass without some Remark For when such Strokes are multiplied there is undoubtedly a speaking Voice of Providence therein And so it hath been with us in New-England this last Year and most of all the last Summer To my Observation in August last within the space of three or four Weeks there were twelve sudden Deaths and it may be others have observed more than I did some of them being in respect of sundry Cirrumstances exceeding awful Let me only add here that sudden Death is not always a Judgment unto those who are taken out of an evil World It may be a Mercy to them and a Warning unto others as the sudden Death of the Prophet Ezekiel's Wife was Many of whom the World was not worthy have been so removed out of it Moses died suddenly and
of the Provincial Presidents have written heretofore unto Our Father of Famous Memory whom he answered in Writing again That they were not to be longer molested unless they had practised Treason against the Roman Empire And many have given Notice unto Us of the same Matter whom We answered as Our Father did before Us. If any therefore hereafter be found thus busied in other Mens Affairs We Command that the accused be absolute and free though he be found such a one I mean faulty and that the Accuser be grievously punished This Edict was proclaimed at Ephesus in the hearing of the great Assembly of Asia Euseb l. 4. c. 13. 6. Dr. Heylin in his Cosmography tells us That some of the Natives of America would say to some of the English at their first going over to those Foreign Plantations That King James was a good King and his God a good God but their Tauto naught 7. In the City of Aleppo a handsome French Slave a Young Man of Eighteen Years Old being tempted to Sodomy by his Master's Steward and upon his denial being threatned with immediate Death if he disputed any longer The vertuous Slave finding himself destitute of all other Remedies nimbly seized upon a Scymetar which hung upon the Wall of the Chamber and at one blow with it smote off the Turk's Head To escape Death for this Fact which was the lightest Punishment he could expect he takes an Arabian Horse out of his Master 's Stable with a design to make for Scandaroon to the English Factory there But unhappily meeting his Master upon the way he was stop'd brought back again and upon discovery of the Murther brought before the Basha by whom upon the Importunity of the Turks he was condemned to be beheaded The Slave then as brought to the Place of Execution which is a Field without the City where being come he appeared though very modest yet undaunted and fearless of Death And having prayed with much Fervour and Devotion and having particularly acknowledged his Fault and begged Almighty God's Pardon for telling his Master that his House was robbed when he met him upon the Road he was strip'd stark naked according to the Custom of that Place and discovered a lovely Body in which inhabited a more lovely Soul And immediately before his Death he did aver that he died a Christian depending wholly for his Salvation upon the Merits of our Saviour and that he killed the Steward for no other reason but to avoid being polluted by him and that he hoped God would shew some sign upon his Body to attest his Innocency and the Truth of what he said After having said this his Head was struck off from his Body and both left unburied according to Custom Many rebellious Turks were executed at the same time in the same place whose Bodies were quickly torn in pieces and devoured by a certain sort of great Dogs kept at Aleppo who were allowed no other Sustenance almost but the Carcasses of Malefactors But it was observed that none of those Dogs would touch the Body or Head of this Martyr of Chastity And which is more strange yet though this Young Man's Body lay in the Field unburied Ten or Twelve days and no other Execution in all that time and the Dogs so extreamly pinched with Hunger that they were ready to devour living Men yet they would not touch this Body And which is more Remarkable yet though it lay exposed all this time to the heat of the Sun in that very intemperate Climate yet did it not stink corrupt or change colour And this Circumstance moreover is affirmed as Remarkable that after Ten days there being another Execution in the same Place that Carcass was immediately devoured in the sight of the People But the Turks to bury their own shame were necessitated at last to dig a Grave and entomb this chaste Martyr See the Narrative Printed with License at London Anno Christi 1676. 8. The Testimony of Cublay the Emperor of the Tartars concerning Christ upon occasion of a Victory obtained by him over the Great Province of Mangi A. C. 1286. THis Day I cannot deny but that the Victory which I have obtained over mine Enemies is by especial Grace from my great God the Sun Moon and Stars abiding in this Glorious Vault of Heaven To whom I purpose to render Thanks to Morrow even in this open Field to which purpose I give Order that the Places be avoided of Humane Bodies here slain as also of the dead Beasts and decent Altars purposely erected As for the Prisoners being most part of them Christians whom I behold despoiled of their Arms shouted at mocked despised and jested at by the Jews Mahometists and others upbraiding them with their God Jesus Christ who was sometime fastened to a Cross by the said Jews for not aiding and helping them to the Victory as wanting such Power because so many of their Ensigns are here prostrated at my feet From this present hour forward I forbid all manner of Persons of what Quality or Religion soever they be to use any more such Derisions of themm on pain to be deprived of their Arms and well whipped with Rods at two several times yea on the very greatest pain beside that can be imagined And so much the rather because their God Jesus Christ is esteemed of Us to be one of the very greatest Coelestial Deities full of all Right Equity and Justice For he knowing these Christians to make War against Us unjustly being Our Subjects that never gave them occasion but revolted of themselves and adhered with Our Enemies therefore hath he permitted that I should win the Day albeit I have heard him to be called the God of Battels Over and besides this I Pardon all them that have followed my unkind Nephews Naiam and Caydve as being meerly deceived by them in making them believe they were levied for my Service and therefore I receive them again into my Protection Giving further to understand that all such as have any Prisoners they are not to offer the least harm whatsoever but immediately to set them at Liberty delivering them their Arms and all other Equipages to them belonging on pain to pass through the danger of the Army even he the proudest that shall make denial Our Charge imposed on the Christians is to Pray unto their God for Our Prosperity and to do Us Nine Months Service by taking Wages of Us in Our Instant War against the King of Nixamora who denieth to pay Us Our Tribute and strives to equal himself with Our Greatness Treasur of Ancient and Modern Times l. 2. p. 130. 9. The Testimony of Sidan King of Morocco concerning Jesus Christ in a Letter to James the First King of England WHen these Our Letters shall be so happy as to come to Your Majesty's sight I wish the Spirit of the Righteous God may so direct your Mind that you may joyfully embrace the Message I send presenting to you the means
Happiness Death and Judgment Arch-bishop Tenison 's Sermon preached at the Funeral of Her late Majesty 41. In this Princess Authority Majesty and Humility met together That dwelt in her to such a degree that in her Presence or within her Hearing the speaking of this which I have said or any thing like this would have been exceedingly offensive But the Justice of Nations gives those Praises to the Merit of good Princes which their own Modesty would not bear An ordinary Instance may suffice for the shewing her averseness not only to Flattery but to Praise Of a Book addressed to her she said She had read it and lik'd it well but much the better because the Epistle was a bare Dedication Ibid. 42. Her Graces and Vertues were not blemished by Vanity or Affection Had that been so she would scarce have made such a Profession as this a little before her Death I know said she what loose People think of those who pretend to Religion they think it is all Hypocrisie Let them think what they will I may now say and I thank God I can say it I have not affected to appear what I was not Ibid. 43. Seeing God had determin'd this good Queen must die the Christian Manner in which she went out of the World is in some sort an Alleviation of the Grief of those whom she has left behind her who have indeed Reason more than enough to mourn but yet not as Persons without hope Ibid. 44. I will not say that of this Affliction she had any formal Presage but yet there was something which look'd like an immediate Preparation for it I mean her choosing to hear read more than once a little before it the last Sermon of a Good and Learned Man now with God upon this Subject What! shall we receive Good from the Hand of God and shall we not receive Evil Job 2.10 Ibid. 45. She fix'd the Times of Prayers in that Chamber to which her Sickness had confin'd her On that very Day she shewed how sensible she was of Death and how little she fear'd it She required him who officiated there to add that Collect in the Communion of the Sick in which are these Words That whensoever the Soul shall depart from the Body it may be without Spot presented unto Thee I will said she have this Collect read twice every Day All have need to be put in mind of Death and Princes have as much as any Body else Ibid. 46. She seem'd neither to fear Death nor to covet Life There appear'd not the least Sign of Regret for the leaving of those Temporal Greatnesses which make so many of high Estate unwilling to die It was you may imagine high Satisfaction to hear her say a great many most Christian Things and this amongst them I believe I shall now soon die and I thank God I have from my Youth learned a true Doctrine that Repentance is not to be put off to a Death-bed Ibid. 47. On Thursday she prepared herself for the blessed Communion to which she had been no Stranger from the Fifteenth Year of her Age. She was much concern'd that she found herself in so Dozing a Condition so she expressed it To that she added Others had need to pray for me seeing I am so little able to pray for my self 48. When a Second Portion of a certain Draught was offer'd her she refus'd it saying I have but a little Time to live and I would spend it a better way Ibid. 49. In all these Afflictions the King was greatly afflicted how sensibly and yet how becomingly many saw but few have Skill enough to describe it I 'm satisfied I have not At last the Helps of Art and Prayers and Tears not prevailing a Quarter before One on Friday Morning after two or three small Strugglings of Nature and without such Agonies as in such Cases are common having like David serv'd her own Generation by the Will of God she fell on sleep Thus far Arch-bishop Tenison 50. Before the Queen had exceeded the Age of Childhood when in the midst of her Play she was imitating the Dutch March with her Hands upon the Cover of a Chest and was admonish'd not to mind the Dutch the King her Uncle's Enemy but on the other side France and the Dauthin were commended to her with a Divine and Prophetic Utterance she made answer I care not for France 't is Holland I desire Not many Words indeed but certainly Prognosticating and apparently then foretelling that fame Wedlock from Heaven conferr'd upon us and upon all Europe Dr. Perizonius 's Oration on the Queen in Holland 51. She had a greater Regard to the Dignity of those on whom she conferr'd her Bounty than to her own Fame in so fruitful a Field of Honour nor would she endure it should be spread abroad how many or who they were whom she supported by her Liberality Therefore she sate by herself and four times a Year alone in her Closet carefully computed what she had formerly determin'd to give to every one She view'd the Accompts of her Beneficence herself and distributed it from those Notes to several parts of the World by Letters written with her own Hand no Body being admitted to assist her in so Noble an Office because it was not her pleasure that any Body should be concern'd in the Testimony of her Conscience This was that which the ancient Stoics so studiously inculcated but very difficulty perswaded either others or themselves to observe That Vertue was to be desir'd for its own sake without any respect of Profit Praise or in hopes of great Advancement Ibid. 52. After the Expedition for England the Queen being tyr'd out with Grief and Mourning she order'd a Lady to be sent for of approved Probity and Illustrious Quality into whose Breast she might discharge the Sighs and Afflictions which then oppress'd her And then it was that she poured forth these Expressions sad indeed but worthy to be Engraven in Gold or carv'd in Cedar That if the only thing contended for were the Right which her Birth and the Laws of the Land had given her to the Inheritance of three Kingdoms she would never assent that it should be justify'd and recover'd by Arms from her Father but that she was over-rul'd by this Perswasion alone that the Laws of her Country and the Safety of the true Reformed Religion were in apparent danger Otherwise that she would reddily and patiently acquiesce and be satisfi'd with the Fortune which she had obtain'd in this Country with the Love and good Will of all Men which was dearer to her than a Kingdom And that she could not but extol the wonderful Goodness of God toward her that tho' she spent her brittle Years in a Court besieg'd with Vice and Impiety and tho' after the Death of her Mother she grew up under a Step-Dame and a Father devoted to the Church of Rome and were little minded by her Vncle yet she had so
hither to the King giving him an Account That she had ordered a Fleet of Forty Men of War to sail away for the Coast of France and burn the Enemies Ships which were reported to be design'd to infest the English Shoar What Symphony could produce a more harmonious Harmony of Notes than this of the Opinions and Counsels of the King and Queen when the one knew nothing of the other's Mind Insomuch that Similitude of Manners and Consent of Minds not Fortune seem'd to have joyn'd William and Mary together Ibid. 60. It wos a Saying of the King before he thought of Marriage to Charles the Second's Embassador at a time when there happen'd an accidental Discourse about the Choice of Wives That of all the Qualities to be sought for in a Wife his first Care should be to find out the Best-Condition'd And he himself made himself the Master of his Wish for he could not have found to better Wife had the Sun itself according to the Proverb been to have sought her out But as the King met with his chief Help and Assistance in the Queen's Love so not only her Subjects but all others for whom it was in her Power to do Good found more than ordinary Succour in her bountiful Nature She thought the Day lost wherein she had not an Opportunity to do good to several Ibid. 61. How many experienc'd the Bounty of the her Munificent and Liberal Hand as well in England as in Germany the Low Countries Piedmont but more especially the French Exiles who rather chose to lose their Estates than to hazard the Loss of their Souls And the Splendour of this Benevolence shin'd forth in Mary's â—â—st coming into this Country For the Prince of Orange so soon as Mary became his Consort order'd such a Sum of Money to be paid her for the necessary Expences of her Apparel and Princely Ornaments What did the Divine Princess do with it at those Years She did not stifle the Money in close and dark Chest nor did she lavish it out in gorgeous Attire upon Pearls and Gems which other Women far distant from her degree are so mad after that they never cease this Fury 'till they have quite ruin'd their Husband's Patrimonies But moderate in her Layings-out considering the Grandeur of her Fortune upon her Apparel and other Ornaments which the Dignity of so great a Princess requir'd she introduc'd into the Court-Diligence Frugality Pasirmony Vertues most commonly unknown in Courts The rest of that large Allowance she consum'd in Relieving the Distresses of honest and worthy People who labour'd under great Necessities not through their own Extravagancy but reduc'd thereto by Misfortune and the Hardness of the Times Ibid. 62. What her Innoceny and Temperance was in the midst of so much Wealth your selves cannot be ignorant who know how pious she was nor have I any thing to add as to her Chastity when your have heard how entirely she lov'd the King She could not endure a wanton Word nor the sight of a Woman who was reported or suspected to have violated her Modesty Ibid. 63. As she excell'd all in Majesty so she suffer'd none to out-do her in Humanity I will give you one rare Example of her extraordinary Affability and Goodness An Embassador of a great Prince after he had paid his Duty to Mary at the Hague retiring out of the Chamber lest he should turn his back to the Princess went backward stopping and bowing two or three times By chance it happen'd that after he had bow'd a second time still retreating backward his Perriwig caught hold of a Branch that hung in the Room which either he had not seen or else had forgot and pulling it off discover'd his bald Head The Embassador blush'd and the Ladies and Maids of Honour could not forbear laughing only the Princess did not so much as smile but kept her Countenance with the same Gravity as when she heard the Embassador's Address After the Embassador was gone one of the Ladies who was greatly in her favour admiring the Reservedness of the Princess upon such a Jocular Accident made bold to ask her how she could hold laughing To whom the Princess I should have done the Embassador an Injury said she should I by an unseasonable Fit of Laughter added to the Shame and Trouble of a Person who was in Confusion and Perplexity enough at what had unhappily and through no Fault of his befall'n him No Madam that had been ill done and against my Duty Ibid. 64. Now as she was always like herself through the whole Course of her Life so neither did she swerve from herself at her Death Ibid. 65. When the Right Reverend Arch-bishop of Canterbury sent for some few Days before she expir'd gave her to understand the certain Approach of Death that she was to prepare for the Journey which all Mortals early or later are to take placidly without any sign of a sick Mind thô extreamly weakned in Body by the force of the Disease she made answer That that was not the first Day of her Learning to prepare for Death for that she had serv'd God during the whole Course of her Life A Saying truly worthy of so great a Queen worthy the Remembrance of all Ages She had learn'd that then we begin to live when we die We die as soon as born every Day something is imperceptibly cropt from our Lives 'till by degrees the whole be lopt away And that this most pious Queen neither deceiv'd herself nor the Arch-Bishop is apparent from that memorable Saying of hers about Six Years before her fatal Day when she sate by the Bed-side of a Noble Person 's Wife whom she highly lov'd and valued to confirm and comfort her then drawing her last Breath They who were present desir'd her that she would turn away her Eyes from the expiring Lady But the Queen refus'd saving withal That it rarely fell out for Persons of her Rank and Quality to see such a Spectacle as now was offered her by the design'd Favour of Heaven to make advantage of it in better understanding the Vanity of our Life What advantage she made of it the Conclusion of her Days sufficiently taught us Ibid. 66. She bid the King Farewel in these Words I leave the Earth I hope dear King you never mistrusted my Fidelity and Love Moderate your Grief I wish that with the same Joy that I depart with the same Easiness you may set Bounds to your Sorrow Soon after the Divine Mary expir'd in the Hands and Embraces of the King who never left her nor stirr'd out of her Chamber Day or Night whilst she lay labouring under three most cruel Diseases and Small-Pox an Erisipelas and a Pestilential Fever either of which was enough to have carried off the strongest of Men. Ibid. 67. Never any Man whatever were the Madness of raging Disaster could perceive any change of Countenance in the King But this same Grief he was not able to withstand vanquish'd
1. p. 52. Camerar Hor. Subcis cent 2. c. 66. CHAP. V. Examples of the Numerous Issue of some Persons BE Fruitful and Multiply was a Blessing bestowed not only upon the rest of the Animal World at the Creation but upon Mankind especially and afterwards upon the Jewish Church more then others and 't is certain the more excellent any Being is the more desirable is its Increase and the Multiplication of its Species We are pleased with profitable Cattle and love to see our Orchards and Fields of Corn Fruitful Is it the glory of Man and Woman only to be barren Or should we not have some Zeal to fill up the vacant spaces in the Church of God Militant first and Triumphant afterwards And then happy they who produce most Fruit for Heaven 1. In the History of the Acts of Augustus Caesar it is Recorded that in his 12th Consulship upon the 11th day of April C. Crispinus Hilarius a Gentleman of Fesule came with a solemn Pomp into the Capitol attended upon with his 9 Children 7 Sons and two Daughters with 27 Grand-Children that were the Sons of his Children and 39 more who were his great Grand-Children the Sons of his Sons Sons and besides these with 12 Females that were his Childrens Daughters and with all these he solemnly Sacrificed Plin. l. 7. p. 162. 2. There was a Noble Lady of the Family of the Dalburges who saw of her own Race even to the sixth degree whereof the Germans have made this Distict Mater ait Natae dic Natae Filia Natam Vt moneat Natae plangere Filiolam Thus Englished by Hakwell Apolog. l. 3. c. 5. p. 224. The Aged Mother to her Daughter spake Daughter said she arise Thy Daughter to thy Daughter take Whose Daughter 's Daughter Cries 3. Vives speaks of a Village in Spain that had above a Hundred Houses whereof all the Inhabitants were issu'd from one certain Old Man who then liv'd when as that Village was so Peopled The Name of Propinquity how the youngest should call him could not be given for the Spanish affords not a Name above the great Grand-Fathers Father Vives in comment Sup. lib. de Civit. Dei l. 1. 8. c. 15. 4. In the Burrough of Leicester in the Church of St. Martins is a very remarkable Epitaph viz. Here lyeth the Body of John Heyrick of this Parish who departed this Life the second of April 1589 being about the Age of 76 years he did Marry Mary the Daughter of John Bond of Wardend in the County of Warwick Esq he lived with the said Mary in one House full 52 years and in all that time never buried Man Woman nor Child though they were sometimes 20 in Houshold He had Issue by the said Mary 5 Sons and 7 Daughters the said John was Mayor of the Town 1559. and again Anno 1572 the said Mary lived to 97 years and departed the 8th of December 1611. She did see before her departure of her Children and Childrens Children and their Children to the number of One Hundred Forty and two ibid. 5. In St. Innocents Church-yard in the City of Paris is to be seen the Epitaph of Yeoland Baily which doth shew that she had lived 84 years and might have seen 288 Verstegan saith 295 of her Children and Childrens Children she died on the 17th of April 1514. Hakewel ibid. p. 234. Versteg Restit decay'd Int. 1. p. 3. 6. In Markshal-Church in Essex on Mrs. Honywoods Tomb is this Inscription Here lieth the body of Mary Waters the Daughter and Co-heir of Robert Waters of Lenham in Kent Esq Wife of Robert Honywood of Charing in Kent Esq her only Husband who had at her decease lawfully descended from her 367 16 of her own body 114 Grand-Children 228 in the third Generation and 9 in the fourth She liv'd a most Pious Life and in a most Christian manner died here at Markshall in the 93 year of her Age and in the 44th of her Widowhood May 11th 1620. Wanly Hist of Man p. 41. 7. Dame Ester Temple Daughter to Miles Sands Esq was born at Latmos in Buckinghamshire and was marryed to Sir Thomas Temple of Stow Baronet she had 4 Sons and 9 Daughters which liv'd to be marry'd and so exceedingly multiplied that this Lady saw 700 extracted from her Body Doctor Fuller saith he bought the Truth hereof by a Wager he lost besides there was a new Generation of Marriageable Females just at her Death Had the Off-spring of this Lady been contracted into one place they were enough to have peopled a City of a competent proportion The Lady Temple died Anno 1656. Fullers Worthies p. 138. Buckinghamshire 8. We read saith Mr. Ricaut that the Eastern Parts of the World have abounded with Children of diver Mothers and but one Father and that ordinarily as great Personage in Egypt hath been attended with 100 lusty Sons in the Field proceeding from his own Loins well Armed and daring in all Attempts of Was. Paul Ricaut Esq present State of the Ottoman Empire p. 292. A Woman in Delph three several days voided three Worms out of her Navel and not long after was delivered of a Boy and then seven days after that of another Forest 17. Obs. 35. 10. I have heard the Reverend dr Annesley has had 25 Children for Dr. Manton baptizing one of them was asked how many children the Doctor had to whom he return'd this Answer That he was not certain how many but believ'd 't was Two Dozen or a Quarter of an Hundred CHAP. VI. Children crying in the Womb. 'T IS common for Infants at their first Exit out of their Mothers Womb to give some Significations of their resentment of the Change but to do it before they come into the common Air of this World is more rare and strange one would think it time enough for them to Cry when they are born and arrived at the brink of Troubles but some whether through the Strength of Nature or some premature Eruption of the Amnion or other Accident in the Womb or an extraordinary Sagacity in provident Nature and foresight of the Evils to come Anticipate their time and are heard to Cry before either the Mother or Midwife go about to disturb them in their little Mansions 1. At Heyford Purcel there was a Child that Cyred very Audibly in its Mothers Womb sometime before the Birth The People being frighted with it and expecting some Calamity should soon attend such a Prodigy pernicious forsooth not only to the place where heard but to the state it self whereas the Learned Bartholin more rightly Notes that the Ruin of Kingdoms depends rather upon the Wickedness of People than any such Vagitus Dr. Plot. Nat. Hist Oxf. p. 192. 2. Anno 1648. There was a Woman the Wife of a Seaman near to the Church of Holmiana who had been big for 8 Months she was of a good habit of body and nor Old this Woman upon the Eve of Christmas-day upon the Calends in the year following
Lord Bacon casts up her Age to be 140 at least adding withal that she recovered her Teeth after casting them 3 several times Rawleigh Hist World l. 1. c. 5. p. 166. Fuller p. 310 13. Garsius Aretinus lived to 194 years in good state of Health and deceased without being seized with any apparent Disease only perceiving this Strength somewhat weakned Thus writes Petranch of him to whom Garsias was great Grandfather by the Fathers side Fulgos. l. 8. c. 14. p. 1096. 14. Thomas Parre Son of John Parre born at Alderbury in the Parish of Winninton in Shropshire he was born in the Reign of King Edward IV. Anno 1483. at 80 years he marryed his first Wife Jane and in the space of 32 years had but two Children by her both of them short lived the one lived but a Month the other but a few years being Aged 120 he fell in Love with Katherine Milton and got her with Child He lived to above 150 years two Months before his Death he was brought up by thomas Earl of Arundel to Westminster he slept away most of his time and is thus Characterised by an Eye Witness of him From Head to Heel his body had all over A Quick set Thick set Natural Hairy Cover change of Air and Dyet are conceived to Accelerate his Death which happened November 15 Anno 1634 and was buried in the Abby Church at Westminster Fullers Worthies p. 11. Shropshire 15. John of Times was Armour-bearer to Charles the Great by whom he was also made Knight being a Man of great Temperance Sobriety and Contentment of Mind in his Condition of Life lived unto the 9th year of the Emperor Conrade and died at the Age of 361 years Anno 1128. 1146 saith Fulgosus Bakers Chron. p. 73. 16. Guido Bonatus a Man of great Learning saith he saw a Man whose name was Richard Anno 1223 who told him that he was a Soldier under Charlemain and that he had now lived to the 400th year of his Age. Fulgos. l. 8. c. 14. p. 1098. CHAP. XXXIII Examples of a Vegete and Healthful Old Age. I have often look'd upon Old Age as the very Dregs of Life the Sediment of our Natural Humour 's a Complex of Infirmities but the following Instances would tempt one to love Temperance for Lifes sake and Life for it self for no doubt but the Sweetness of Life consists much in the Healthful and Vegete Temper of our Bodies and a Virtuous course of Life and due Abstinence Conduceth much thereto when the Debauch'd Sensualist lies down under the Burden of his Carelesness and the Sins of his Youth never able to retrieve the Damages of his former Lusts 1. Sir Walter Rawleigh in his Discovery of Guiana reports of the King of Aromaia being 110 years Old came in a Morning on foot to him from his House which was 14 English Miles and returned on foot the same day Hakew. Apolog. l. 3. c. 1. p. 166. 2. Buchanan in his Scottish History speaks of one Lawrence who dwelling in one of the Orcades marryed a Wife after he was 100 years of Age and more and that when he was 140 years old he doubted not to go a Fishing alone in his little Boat though in a rough and Tempestuous Sea Camor Hor Subs. c. 2. cap. 68. p. 277. 3. Sigismemd Polcastrus a Physician and Philosopher of Padua Read there 50 years in his Old Age he buried 4 Sons in a short time at 70 years of Age he married again and by his second Wife he had 3 Sons the eldest of which called Anronius he saw dignified with a Degree in both Laws Jerome another of his Sons had his Cap set upon his Head by his Aged Father who Trembled and Wept for Joy not long after which the Old Man died Aged 94 years Schenck p. 539. 4. Platerus tells of Thomas Platerus His Father upon the Death of his first Wife Anno 1572. and the 73 year of his Age married a second time within the compass of 10 years he had 6 Children by her 2 Sons and 4 Daughters the youngest of his Daughters was born in the 81 year of his Age two years before he died J Foelix was born Anno 1536 and my Brother Thomas 1574 the distance between us being 38 years and yet my Brother is all Gray and seems Elder then my self possibly because he was gotten when my Father was stricken in years Pl. Obs. p. 275. 5. M. Valerllus Corvinus attained to the fulfilling of 100 years betwixt whose first and sixth Consulship there was the distance of 47 years yet was he sufficient in respect of the entireness of his bodily Strength not only for the most important Matters of the Common-wealth but also for the exactest Culture of his Fields a Memorable Example Val. Max. l. 8. c. 13. p. 236. 6. Metellus equalled the length of his Life and in extream Age was created Pontiffe for 22 years he had the ordering of the Ceremonies in all which time his Tongue never faultred in Solemn Prayers nor did his Hand tremble in the Offering of the Sacrifices Val. Max. ibid. p. 238. 7. Nicholaut Leonicenus was in the 96 year of his Age when Langius heard him at Ferrara where he had Taught more then 70 years he used to say that he enjoyed a Green and Vegete Age because he had delivered up his Youth chast unto Man's Estate Melch. Adam in Vit. Germ. Med. p. 141. 8. Massanissa was the King of Numidia for 60 years together and excelled all other Men in respect of Strength and of an admirable Old Age that for no Rein or Cold he would be induced to cover his Head they say of him that when he was on Horseback he would lead his Army for the most part both a compleat day and the whole Night also nor would he in extream Age omit any thing of that which he had accustomed to do when young and after the 86th year of his Age he begat a Son and whereas his Land was was waste and desert he left it fruitful by his continual Endeavours in the Cultivation of it he lived till he was above 90 years of Age. Val. M. p. 236. 9. Cornarus the Venetian was in his Youth of a Sickly body began to eat and drink first by measure to a certain weight thereby to recover his Health this Cure turned by use into a Diet that Diet into an extraordinary long Life even of 100 years and better without any decay of his Senses and with a constant enjoyment of Health Verulam's Hist of Life and Death p. 134. 10. Appius Claudius Coecus was blind for the space of very many years yet notwithstanding he was burden'd with this mischance he govern'd 4 Sons and five Daughters very many Dependants upon him yea and the Common-wealth it self with abundance of Prudence and Magnanimity when he had lived so long that he was even tired with living caused himself to be carried to the Senate for no other purpose then to perswade them
from making a Dishonourable Peace with King Pyrrhus Val Mar. l. 8. c. 13. p. c 236. 11. Gorgias Leontinus the Master of Isocrates when he was in the 107 year of his Age being asked why he would tarry solong in this Life because saith he I have nothing whereof I can accuse my Old Age Val. Max. l. 8. c. 13. p. 237. 12. Lemnius tells of one at Stockholm in Sweden who at the Age of 100 married a Wife of 30 years and begat Children of her this Man was of so fresh and green Old Age that he scarce seemed to have reached more then 50 years Cam. Hor. Sub. Cent. 2. p. 277. 13. Isocrates in the 94th year of his Age put forth his Book Intituled Panathenaicus he lived 15 years after it and in that extream Age of his he was sufficient for any work he undertook both in Strength Judgment and Memory Zuin. Theat Vol. 2. l. 4. p. 337. 14. Agesilaus King of Sparta though he had attained to a very great Age yet was often seen to walk without Shooes on his Feet or Coat on his back in Frost and Snow and this for no other cause then that being now an Old Man he might give those that were young and Example of Patience and Tolerance Ibid. 15. Asclepiades the Prusian gave it out Publickly that no Man should esteem him as a Physician if ever he should be Sick of any Disease whatsoever and ideed he credited his Art for having lived to Old Age without Alteration in his Health he at last fell down a pair of Stairs and died of the fall Ibid. 16. Mithridates King of Pontus who for 40 years managed a War against the Romans enjoyed a prosperous Health to the last of his Life used to Ride to throw Javelins and on Horses disposed at several Stages Rode 1000 Furlongs in one day and also could drive a Chariot that was drawn with 16 Horses Cel. Rhod. Ant. lect l. 29. c. 17. p. 1365. 17. Mr. Patrick Wian Minister of Lesbury Read the Divine Service David's Psalms one Chapter out of the Old Testament and one out of the New without the use of Spectacles he had two New Teeth his Sight much decayed was restored unto him about the 110th year of his Age Hair was restored to his bald Scull and he could Preach a Sermon without the help of Notes he gave this Accunt of himself October 19. 1657. 18. A certain German living in Italy had at 60 years of Age recovered his Teeth and black Hair and had extended his Life to a great many years with the only use of black Helebore White-Wine and Roses Bartholin Hist Anat. cent 5. Hist 28. p. 51. 19. At Tarenturn there lived an Old Man who at the Age of 100 years was grown young again he had changed his Skin like unto a Snake and had recovered a New Being withal he was become so young and fresh that hose who had seen him before could then scarce believe their own Eyes and having continued above 50 years in this Estate he grew at length to be so Old as he seemed to be made of Barks of Trees Hakewell's Apol. l. 3. c. 1. p. 167. 20. in Anno 1536. Noâ—nio de Cugne being Vice-Roy of the Indies for the King of Portugal it was averred by good Proofs and sufficient Testimony that an Indian brought unto him was 340 years Old he had grown young again 4 times changing his white Hair and recovering his New Teeth when the Vice-Roy did see him he then had the Hair of his Head and Beard black This Man was born in the Realm of Bengala and did affirm that he at times 700 Wives whereof some were dead and some were put away The King of Portugal being advertised of this wonder did often enquire and had Yearly News of him by the Fleet which came from thence He lived about 370 years Camerar Hor. Subs c. 2. cap. 68. p. 278. 22. An Old Abbatess being decrepit suddenly became Young her Monthly Courses returned her rugged and wrinkled Skin grew smooth her hoary Hairs grew black and New Teeth in her Head and Paps swelled after the manner of Virgins Donat. Hisi Med. Mir. l. 6. c. 2. p. 300. 21. Mr. John Craig of Scorland a great Divine and excellent Preacher sincere and inclining to no Faction lived 88 years thô he endured many Toffings Troubles and Dangers in his Life time after many Troubles for his Religion in his own Countrey he went to France and from thence to Rome where by the favour of Cardinal Pool he was received among the Dominions of Bononia he was employed in all their Affairs throughout Italy and was sent in Commission to Chios where he behaved himself so well that at his return he was made Rector of their School where having access to their Libraries he met with Calvin's Institutions by which and the Advice of a Reverend Old Man he was confirmed in the Opinion he had entertain'd for which being accused of Heresie and sent to Rome where after 9 Months Miserable Imprisonment he was condemned to be burnt the next Day But the same Night Pope Paul the Fourth died upon the Noise whereof the People in a Tumult broke open the Prisons by which means Mr. Craig had his Liberty As he sought to escape he met with one of the Banditi who remembring a Charity received from him gave him Money to bear his Charge to Bononia trusting to find Friendship from his Acquaintance but fearing to be intrapt fled from thence And being in a wild Desart Pensive and without Money a Dog with a Purse in his Teeth fawned upon him and gave it him From thence he came to a Village and meeting Travellers to Vienna he went with them whilst at Vienna professing to be a Dominican he was brought to preach before the Emperour Maximilian the Second from whence Pope Pius the Third sent for him but the Emperour sent him away with Letters of safe Conduct so returning to Scotland where he preached painfully many Years till spent with Age he died in Peace Anno 1600. Arch-Bishop Spotswood 's Hist Church of Scotland p. 461. 22. The Reverend Dr. Annesley appeared of a hale and hardy Constitution of Body which was such as to endure the coldest Weather without Hat Gloves or Fire For many Years he seldom drank any thing besides Water His Sight so strong that to his Death he read the smallest Print without Spectacles and in a Life lengthen'd do his 77th Year he was rarely Sick His Natural Capacity was good and his Temper vigorous and warm which his Grace over-ruled mostly to undertake those most excessive Labours and sustain the Difficulties which without a Body and Mind so fashioned had been impossible in so long a course of Service And this Vigour he so retain'd to his very Death as if God would give an Instance that the Fervour of some Men's Souls in his Work were either in dependent on the Body or their Bodies with Moses were still
the Skin was married to the Bones with so close a conjunction that their Bodies seemed all Boney and tied together only with Nerves truly saith he you would have taken them for the very Images of Death The Younger of them walked well enough for he seemed not much unlike an Ape yet in walking the Bones cracket together very like the dry shells of Nuts Their Father continually attended the Furnace Symph Campej l. 4. c. 13. c Narat Histor Galeni 40. Worms have been found sometimes breed in the Heart which hath caused Palpitation and the Lunatick Passion and consquently Death 41. Arculanus relates that he saw a sharp Bone that stuck in the Throat of one at two months end come out through the Skin Forest l. 15. c. 42. A certain Student in the Colledge of Preleum who had swallowed down a branch of Grass voided it afterwards whole through the intercostal space Parcus l. 24. c. 19. 43. A certain Shepherd being forced to swallow a Knife with a Horn handle half a Foot long after a fortnights space and much pain upon an Aposthume breaking out of his Groins voided it there Idem Dr. Brown tells us That either this Knife or another is to be seen in the Emperor of Germany's Library I say this or another for there is the like Story of a Boy in Prussia that swallowed his Knife and had it taken out again by a Chirurgion Several Persons have swallowed Pins most of which they have voided again by Urine One Mrs. Skâ—ymsher of Aqualat in Shropshire near Newport as it was related to my Lord Paget in my hearing after she had swallowed down a Pin took it out of her Arm many years 44. Sudor Anglicus or the Sweating-sickness was a Pestilent kind of Fever which either killed or delivered the Patient in a day or two mostly peculiar to England but by its Contagion communicating it self sometimes to Holland it ended commonly in Sweating and there was hopes of Recovery by no other Medicines but Sudorificks This arose first of all Anno 1486. in the Summer time and in one day with an excessive Flux of Sweat would carry away many thousands They that were seized with it would be Sowed presently up in the Sheets and Blankets and earnestly intreat their Friends not to leave them till their 24 hours were out which Friends perhaps being seized presently after and thrust into the same Bed to them where being mightly covered with heaps of Cloaths they cried out wretchedly earnestly imploring the Favour of God and Man Gemma Cosmo l. 1. c. 8. 45. Lues Pannoniae or the Hungarian Fever Theriodes vulgarly the worm of the Brain began in the Expedition of the Emperor Maximilian II. against Soliman the Turkish Emperor Anno 1566. in Hungary and carried away a vast number of People insomuch that you might see dead Bodies lie in the Streets of Vienna whither the Army hastned daily First they were taken with a light rigour and coldness within less than an hour with extream heat and pain of the Head and Breast and unsatiable Thirst so that you might see them out of their Tents at Pitchers and Bowls of cold Water drinking till they had Breathed their last The 2d or at most the 3d day they grew Delirious sometimes there was attending a Disentary or Flux of the Liver sometimes the Colick and pain of their sides Matter thrown out by Stool or out of the Head into either Ear causing Deafness gave hopes of Recovery They all had spots like Flea-bitings upon their Body especially their Breast and Back Arms and Shoulders Jordanus de Pestis Phaenomini c. 19. Tract 1. 46. Febris Stigmatica otherwise called Lenticula or Punticula appeared first Anno 1505. and 1528. in Italy especially Cyprus and the Neighbouring Islands it was contagious upon contact at first it was easie and pleasant enough but afterwards was attended with uneasiness and weariness of Body heaviness of the Head or dulness of the Senses Delirium redness of Eyes Talkativeness red Spots about the seventh day in the Arms Back and Breast little or no Thirst c. few Women were taken with this Fever very sew old Men almost no Jews c. Tracaster l. 2 3. c. 6 7. de Contag Morb. 47. Morbus Gallicus was brought first by the Spaniards out of the Indies and shewed it self first in the Camp of Charles V. at Naples it spared none of what degree so ever Kings Lords or Ladies infected the Head Eyes Nose Pallat of the Mouch Skin Flesh Bones Ligaments and inward parts of the Body produced a lumpish heaviness in the Members wandring Pains faint Complexions Sadness Tumours Pustules Ulcers Buboes c. Barrow's method of Physick l. 6. c. 1 2 3. 48. Brunnae Lues of Lues Nova Moraviae not very mortal yet of an unusual form and strange Symptoms and very Contagious it began about Anno 1577. upon occasion of going into the Baths near Brunna The hurt did not appear until a formight or a month after Afterwards these Symptoms followed sluggishness and torture of Body a dejected Mind a sad Countenance pale Face a brown Circle about the Eyes a frowning Forehead an extraordinary heat in such places where they had used Cupping glasses in the day it produced Ulcers and much Corruption sometimes a kind of Scab all over the Body like the Small-Pox Callouses in the Head which broke and run pricking Pains all over the Body no rest perpetual crying out roaring tears avoiding all Conversation and sight of Men c. Jordanus de Lue Nova Moraviae CHAP. XXXVII Strange Birds I Do not intend to present my Reader here with a Complete Aviary or to tell him only what he knows already though perhaps the Book may fall into the hands of some who know more than I can tell them but only to speak of some of those Inhabitants of the Airy Region these Winged People of the Sky that common Eyes are least acquainted with and which we do not see every day whereof there is so great a variety and wherein there is such a pleasant sight of the Creator's Infinite Wisdom and Workmanship as is enough to allure our Eyes to a further Prospect and Disquisition of what there is above these 1. The Eagle is justly esteemed King of Birds The right Foot is reported greater than the left the Brain is so hot that mingled with Hemlock Juice and drank in Powder it will make one Mad. It drinks not because the Blood of what it Preys upon sufficeth it But in old Age when the Beak is crooked with dryness it preserves it self by drinking Aelian They have been seen a Cubit in largeness and some young ones whose Wings stretched out would reach 7 Ells the Claws were bigger than a great Man's Fingers and the Thighs greater than a Lions When the young ones are hatcht she holds them in her Talons against the Sun and having proved them to be Legitimate she takes them on her Wings and carries them
extraordinary Carps Trouts Tenches Pikes c. There is that substantial large Fish called Scheiden or Silurus Gesneri larger than Pike Salmon or any of our River Fishes but the great Fishes called Hausons or Husons in Jonston for largeness exceeds all others some being 20 foot long Some think this to be the Fish which Aelian names Antacetus and speaks largely of the Fishing for them in Ister I was saith he at the Fishing places for Hausons in Schiit Island between Presburg and Comora for they come not usually higher especially in Shoals and it is much that they come so high for they are perceived to come up the Stream out of the Euxine Sea They Eat them both fresh and salted they taste most like Sturgeon It is a Cartilaginous Fish consisting of Gristles and they have a hollow nervous chord the down the Back which being dried serves for a Whip When they Fish for them they blow a Horn or Trumpet and know where they go by the moving of the Water Dr. Browns Trav. p. 154. 19. Chatagne de Mer or Sea Chest-Nuts found in Canada of New France are the most delicious Fish that possibly can be Nova Francia p. 265. CHAP. XL. Strange Serpents THere is no kind of living Creature that we have a greater Antipathy against then this of Serpents and the Reason will easily appear to the Reader upon perusal of this Chapter so that they seem to me very fit Emblems of Satans Malice and Cunning and fit Engines for that Evil Spirit to make use of in the Delusion and Destruction of Human Nature insomuch that a due consideration of the Resemblance will serve pretty well to solve the difficulty of the History of our Fall 1. The Asp Their Poison is so great that they are not used in Medecines That of Chalidonia is the most Poisonous Death straight-way following The Cure of their Poison is by Incision Cauteries Cuppings and Cocks Rumps applied c. It is like to a Land-Snake but broader on the Back their Teeth are long and full of holes which are covered with a Skin that slides up when they Bite letting out their Poison Salmons Dispensatory p. 247. 2. The Ammodite its Poison is not inferiour to that of the Asp some dying within 3 hours after the Wound received none living above 7 days The Biting of the Female is most Venemous It is a kind of Viper of a Cubit long having black spots on the Skin small lines on the Back and hard Wart like a Horn on the upper Chap and very fierce Ibid. 3. Amphisbaena It is a venemous Serpent making a Wound so small that it can scarce be discerned causing Inflammation and a lingring Death It s Body is of an equal thickness the Eyes commonly shut the Skin rough hard spotted and of an Earthly colour They go both ways Ibid. 4. The Boa It is a Serpent which goes upon its Belly and grows to be above an hundred foot long It kills not Cattle till their Milk is dried up and then it Eats them destroying Herbs It s Poison causes Tumours Swellings and Iastly Death Ibid. 248. 5 Caecilia The Slow-Worm is a Creature which has a very strong Poison If their Wound swell prick and apply a Cataplasm of Fullers Earth and Vinegar It is called the Blind-Worm but it hurts not unless provoked Ibid. 6. Cenchrus the Millet It is a Serpent about two Cubits long of a dark colour spotted like the Millet-Seed They go strait and are avoided by an oblique Motion It is a dangerous and strong Beast when it seizes its Prey it sucks the Blood whilst it beats the Body with its Tail Ibid. 7. Cerastes the Horned Serpent 'T is a yard long of a sandy colour with two Horns and Teeth like a Viper its Poison is deadly It make the patient made Eyes dim Nerves immoveable causes a pricking like Needles Ibid. 8. Chelidrus Druina Hicinus Querculus Cheresidial the Druin it s among the first Ranks of Serpents for Poison 'T is about a yard long full of Scales under which breed a sort of Flies which destroy it The Back is blackish Head broad and flat Their Captain hath a white Crown or Comb on his Head It s very smell stupifies and almost strangles Ibid. 9. Coluber the Adder is a hotter Serpent than a Snake of a dark blacker colour of about a Cubit long Their Biting causes Swelling Paleness and Swounding The Cure is Venice-Treacle or Mithredate with Wine or Juice of Rice c. Ibid. 10. Dipsas Ammoatis Situla Melanurus Causon It is a burning fiery Serpent insomuch that they that are bit thirst most intolerably and drink so much till they burst It is less than a Viper but kills sooner about a Cubit long the Head and Tail are very little small and black the other parts whitish with black and yellow sports Ibid. p. 249. 11. Draco the Dragon It hurts more by its Biting and Tail than by its Poison 12. The Haemorrhe Affodius Sabrine is about a Foot long of a sandy colour spotted all over with black flaming Eyes small Head with the appearance of Horns having Scales rough and sharp making a noise as he goes Its biting causes a continual bleeding sweat violent torture Pain in the Stomach difficulty of Breathing Convulsions c. The Cure is by Scarification c. Ibid. 13. Lacerta the Lizard is of a changeable colour and an Enemy to the Spider and Toad The Eggs kill speedily except a sudden remedy be exhibited made of Falcons Dung and Wine If they Bite they leave their Teeth behind them which cause continual aking till taken out The Green Lizard living in Meadows are not Venomous Ibid. 14. Lacerta Aquatica the Neute is Venemous and hardly dies by blows but Salt kills them presently Their Eggs are about the bigness of Pease If provoked they shut the Mouth and stand upon their hinder Legs till their Body be all white or pale by which is shown their ill Nature Ibid. 15. Pelias by Biting causes Putrification but such as is easily Cured by drinking Poisan with Oil and anointing with Balm of Perue Ibid. 16. Prester That which Junius and Tremelius think to be the fiery Serpent in the Wilderness is a hot and fiery Beast and goes panting with open Mouth of a very malignant Poison The Cure is by the Juice of Pursley and Castorcum Drunk with Opoponax and Juice of Rue in Canary Ibid. 17. Plyas the most Poisonous Asp kills by Spitting Touch or Smell wounding almost invisibly They Prick not much bigger that the stinging of a Bee without swelling it causes heaviness of the Eyes pain of the Body with some kind of Pleasure Stupidity Deafness Convulsion Vomiting and Death 'T is about a yard long ash-colour flaming and greenish 18. Regulus Sibulus Basiliscus the Cockatrice is the King of al Serpents infecting the Air round about so that no Creature can live near it It is said that he kills both by touching and sight casting forth a burning
is a certain way by which some Men make Trial what Death is but for my own part I cou'd ne'er yet find it out But let Death be what it will 't is certain 't is less troublesome than Sleep for in Sleep I may have disquieting Pains or Dreams and yet I fear not going to Bed I hope these Thoughts will put a gloss upon the Face of Death and to make Death yet the easier to thee think with thy self I shall not be long after thee for 't is but t'other Day I came into the World and anon I am leaving it I now take my leave of every Place I depart from There is says Feltham no fooling with Life when 't is once turned beyond Thirty Silence was a full Answer of him that being ask'd what he thought of Humane Life said nothing turn'd him round and vanish'd Abraham see how he beginneth to possess the World by no Land Pasture or Arable Lordship the first thing is a Grave The first Houshold-stuff that ever Seleucus brought into Babylon was a Sepulchre-stone a Stone to lay upon him when he was dead that he kept in his Garden and you know my Dear a Friend of ours tho' in perfect Health that 's now making his Coffin as a daily Monitor of his own Mortality Life at best is uncertain yet as to outward Appearance I am likely to go first But should'st thou die before me But what a melancholy thing wou'd the World then appear I 'll retire to God and my own Heart whence no Malice Time nor Death can banish thee The variety of Beauty and Faces I shou'd see after thy Decease tho' they are quick Underminers of Constancy in others to me wou'd be Pillars to support it since they 'd then please me most when I most thought of you I 've graved thy Picture so deep in my Breast that 't will ne'er out till I find the Original in the other World Don't think my Dear that conjugal Affection can be dissolved by Death The Arms of Love are long enough to reach from Earth to Heaven Fruition and Possession principally appertain to the Imagination If we enjoy nothing but what we touch we may say Farewel to the Money in our Closets and to our Friends when they go to Agford Part us and you kill us nay if we wou'd we cannot part Death 't is true may divide our Bodies but nothing else We have Souls to be sure and whilst they can meet and caress one another we may enjoy each other were we the length of the Map asunder Thus we may double Bliss stol'n Love enjoy And all the Spight of Place and Friends defie For ever thus we might each other bless For none cou'd trace out this new Happiness No Argus here to spoil or make it less 'T is not properly Absence when we can see one another as to be sure we shall tho' in a State of Separation For sight of Spirits in unprescrib'd by space What see they not who see the Eternal Face The Eyes of the Saints shall out-see the Sun and behold without Perspective the extreamest Distances for if there shall be in our glorified Eyes the Faculty of Sight and Reception of Objects I could think the visible Species there to be in as unlimitable a way as now the intellectual The bright transforming Rays of Heavenly Light Immense Immortal Pure and Infinite Does likewise with its Light communicate The Spirit exalt and all its frame dilate St. Augustine tells us The Saints of God even with the Eyes of their Bodies closed up shall see all things not only present but also from which they are corporally absent for then shall be the Perfection whereof the Apostle saith we Prophecy but in part then the Imperfect shall be taken away Whether this be so I cannot say yet sure I am that nothing can deprive me of the Enjoyment of the Vertues while I enjoy my self Nay I have sometimes made good use of my Separation from thee we better fill'd and farther extended the Possession of our Lives in being parted you lived rejoyced and saw for me and I for you as plainly as if you had your self been there But sure I dream for lo on a sudden all the Arguments I use to sweeten our parting are as so many Daggers thrust into my Heart and now it comes to the push I can't bear the Thoughts on 't Part bless me how it sounds 't is impossible it shou'd be so it does not hang together What part after so many Vows of never parting here or scarce a Minute in the other World 'T is true we first came together with this Design to help and prepare one another for Death but now the Asthma is digging thy Grave and thy Coffin lies in view I am fainting quite away methinks I feel already the Torments to which a Heart is expos'd that loses what it loves never did Man love as I have loved my Sentiments have a certain Delicacy unknown to any others but my self and my Hearts loves Daphne more in one Hour than others do in all their Lives Say dear Possessor of my Heart can this consist with parting No With Gare on your Last Hour I will attend And least like Souls should me deceive I closely will embrace my new-born Friend And never after my dear Pithia leave 'T is my Desire to Die first or that we expire together in thy tender Arms I wou'd imitate herein the Mayor of Litomentia's Daughter who leaping into the River where her Husband was drowned she clasped him about the middle and expires with him in her Arms and which is very Remarkable they were found the next Day embracing one another I likewise admire the Resolution of the Indian Wives who in Contempt of Death scorn to survive their Husbands Funeral Pile but with chast Zeal and undaunted Courage throw themselves into the same Flames as if they were then going to the Nuptial Bed As Remarkable is that of Laodomia the Wife of Protesilaus who hearing that her Husband was killed at Troy slew her self because she would not out-live him Neither is Artemisia to be less valued who after the Death of her Husband lived in continual Mourning and dy'd before she had finished his Tomb having drunken the Bones of her Husband beaten into Powder which she buried in her own Body as the choicest Sepulchre she cou'd provide for him And if we look back into ancient Times we find there was hardly a (g) (g) Dr. Horneck's Lives of the Primitive Christians Widow among the Primitive Christians that complained of Solitariness or sought Comfort in a Second Marriage Second Marriage then was counted little better than Adultery their Widows were the same that they were whilst their Husbands lived Neither are the Men without Ancient and Modern Instances of this Nature For C. Plautius Numida a Senator having heard of the Death of his Wife and not able to bear the Weight of so great a Grief thrust his Sword into
repaired even to old Age when he designeth extraordinary Services by them Dr. Annesley 's Funeral Sermon preached by Mr. Daniel Williams CHAP. XXXIV Persons reviving after a supposed Death I Expect this Title will be quarrelled at both by Naturalists and Divines the former will object the Impossibility of a habit returning into the subject after a perfect Privation the latter will fetch an Argument from the Decree of the Almighty and alledge the Determination of the Immortal Soul immediately after a Dissolution and Separation to its Eternal State and Abode To both which I make only this short Answer That I conceive that in some of the Cases hereafter mentioned the Privation was not perfect in others the Return was not Natural 1. Anno 1537 when the Plague raged at Colen one Richmet Adolick a Noble Lady died in Appearance and as the Fashion was then had her Rings and Jewels buried with her of which the covetous Sexton having notice came with a Companion of his to dig her up that being done they opened the Coffin and going about to pull off her Rings she rose up in her Shroud at which the Sacrilegious Villains being conscious of Guilt and oppressed with Fear fled and for haste left the Lanthorn and the Church Door open so that the Lday loosing her self took up the Lanthorn and went home her Husband hearing her Voice was as much terrified as the others had been but by degrees lessening his Fears he received her with Joy when he perceived she was a living Corps and not a Ghost or Spectre and she confessed to him that she had all that time been as one in a Sleep till two Men came rudely and waked her but when she was made sensible that she had been buried she started and then praised GOD that those Men's Evil Purposes had been the Means of her Safety and being thereupon taken great Care of she recovered her Health and lived to have three Sons afterwards as appears by her Monument erected in Memory of so strange a Deliverance and standing now in the Entrance of the Apostle's Church in Colen The Ladies Dictionary p. 491. 2. In the same City John Duns called Scotus falling into an Apoplexy was buried alive but had not the good Fortune as the other to be timely relieved for before he could be taken up he had beat his Brains against the Grave-Stone Ibid. 3. Anno 1661 to the Knowledge of many Hundred about London one Lawrence Cawthorn a Butcher in St. Nicholas Shambles who having provided all Things to his Marriage it is doubtful whether too much Strong-Waters or Opium given him by his Landlady who aimed at what Moneys he had got and knew she should not be the better for it if he married cast him into a profound Sleep so sleeping all that Night and all the next Day she got some of her Confederates to give out he was dead so buried him but the next Day being Sunday as the People passed to Church they heard a strange Groaning in the Ground but for a time could not tell what to make of it growing louder thô a kind of hollow Sound they informed the Churchwardens of it who only flouted at it as a Delusion of the Senses but the next Day being better informed and all Circumstances considered this new Grave was opened and the Body found warm thô dead with the stifling Vapours and violent Beatings against the Sides of the Coffin upon News of which the barbarous old Woman fled and we do not hear she ever was found agains Ibid. 4. The Story of Anne Green hanged at Oxford and returning to Life again is already related in the former part of this Book 5. Anno 1658 Elizabeth the Servant of one Mrs. Cope of Magdalen Parish in Oxford was indicted at the City Sessions for killing her Bastard-Child and putting it in the House of Office of which being convicted she was condemned to die and accordingly was hanged at Green-Ditch the place appointed for the Execution of the City-Malefactors where she hung so long that one of the By-standers scrupled not to say If she were not dead he would be hanged for her Being out down put into a Coffin and brought to the George Inn Life was found in her and after breathing a Vein being put to bed with another young Wench by her she came quickly to her self but was the Night following barbarously carried to Glocester-Green and there hanged a second time Dr. Plot 's Nat. Hist of Oxford ch 8. p. 119. 6. I have a Relation by me from Coventry well attested concerning a young Damosel who was given for dead by her Parents laid forth and Cakes baked for her Funeral and other Preparations made for the Solemnity yet afterwards returned to Life again But having misplaced the Paper and not being able to find it presently I cannot be exact in Particulars Mr. Richard Harris who lives there and is employed commonly in dispersing and collecting Letters Patents in several Counties of England is by Marriage related to the Family 7. I have mentioned another Example out of Dr. Marc Casauben of a Person who revived again before he was buried on purpose to discover a Murder of a former Wife 8. Mrs. Anna Atherton being about 14 Years of Age fell sick in November 1669 whereupon several Physicians were called to her Assistance who consulted about her Distemper and judged it to be something of an Ague thô the Symptoms thereof were somewhat different from those that were usual in that Distemper Her Disease proved too hard for their Skill and Medicines and brought the Patient to a thinness of Body paleness of Countenance and stupidness to any thing but her Devotions She was before of a full habit of Body of a brisk and lively Temper and prone to all kind of Exercise befitting her Age. Under this strong Alteration she continued till the beginning of February ensuing when by little and little she felt a sensible Decay of her whole Body which daily encreasing prevailed at length upon all the Organs of Life and Motion so that in appearance she lay void of either whereupon she was concluded to be really dead The Women who came to do their last Office to her Body perceived more heat and warmth in her than they thought to be usual in dead Bodies upon which they desisted a while and because the Room was close and a Fire had been always in it thinking the usual Warmth might proceed from thence they opened the Casements to let in what Air they could and put out the Fire and then left her sometime to her self But returning they found the same warmth to continue then they left her in this manner one whole Day yet could find no Alteration whereupon they applied a Looking-glass to her Mouth but not the least Cloud appeared They put live Coals to her Feet which discovered not the least sign of Life or Sense Notwithstanding her Mother was very timorous which made her delay her Burial and