thee to Morrow Sigismund the Second King of Poland because of his perpetual delay and heaviness in weighty Affairs was called the King of to-morrow Such are we certainly Men of to-morrow we delay all things most willingly also if we could to put off Death it self but the business of dying admits of no delay suffers no put-offs Francis the First King of France being taken by Charles the Fifth when he had read at Madrid Charles's Impress upon the Wall Plus ultra Farther yet added thereto To day for me to morrow for thee The Victor took it not ill but to shew that he understood it wrote underneath I am a Man there is no Humane Accident but may befal me Barlaam the Hermit an Old Man of Seventy Years when Jehosaphat the King asked him how Old he was Answered Forty five at which when the King admired He reply'd that he had been absent rom his Studies Twenty five Years as if those Years which he had spent upon the Vanity of the World had been quite lost Sir Tho. Moor that no Age might delude a Person with the hopes of a longer Life gives this Admonition As he that is carried out of a Prison to the Gallows though the way be longer yet fears not the Gallows the less because he comes to it a little the later and though his Limbs are firm his Eyes quick his Lungs sound and that he relish his Meat and Drink yet this is still his Affliction that he is upon his Journey Thus are we all carried to the Gibbet of Death we are all upon the way only parted by some little Intervals The Elector of Brandenburg came to Visit Charles the Fifth being Sick of the Gout and advised him to make use of his Physicians To whom Charles replied The best Remedy in this Disease is Patience The compleat Armour of a Sick Man is Patience being so guarded he need fear neither Sickness Pain nor Death He is Proof against the blows of his Enemies and shall certainly overcome for Patience overcomes all things St. Austin Bishop of Hippo went to visit another Bishop of his Familiar Acquaintance lying in Extremity to whom as he was lifting up his Hands to Heaven to signifie his Departure St. Austin replyed That he was a great support of the Church and worthy of a longer Life To whom the sick Person made this Answer If never 't were another thing but if at any time why not now Thus Sitenus being taken by Midas and asked what was the best thing could happen to Man For a while stood silent At length being urg'd to speak he answer'd That the best thing was never to be born the next to die the soonest that might be This I must not omit very wonderful unheard-of and pleasant in the Relation Lodowick Cortusius a Lawyer of Padua forbid to his Relations all Tears and Lamentations by his Will And desir'd that he might have Harpers Pipers and all sorts of Musick at his Funeral who should partly go before partly follow the Corps leaving to every one of them a small Sum of Money His Bier he ordered to be carry'd by Twelve Virgins that being clad in green were to sing all the way such Songs as Mirth brought to their remembrance leaving to each a certain Sum of Money instead of a Dowry Thus was he buried in the Church of St. Sophia in Padua accompanied with a Hundred Attendants together with all the Clergy of the City excepting those that wore black for such by his Will he forbid his Funeral as it were turning his Funeral-Rites into a Marriage-Ceremony He died the 17th of July 1418. Admirable was the saying of St. Bernard Let them bewail their Dead who deny the Resurrection They are to be deplor'd who after Death are buried in Hell by the Devils not they who are plac'd in Heaven by the Angels Cyrus being about to die My Son said he when I am dead close up my Body neither in Silver nor in any other Metal but return its own Earth to the Earth again His last words were Be grateful to your Friends and you will never want the Power to punish your Enemies Farewel my dear Son and tell these my Words to your Mother also Wisely said Theophrastus upon his Death-Bed Many fine and pleasant things doth Life impose upon us under the pretence of Glory than the love of which there is nothing more vain Hither may be referred the saying of Severus the Emperor I was all things but nothing avails Alexander after many and great Victories overcome at length he fell not only into his Bed but into his Tomb contented with a small Coffin Peter Alphonsus reports That several Philosophers flock'd together and variously descanted upon the King's Death One there was that said Behold now four Yards of Ground is enough for him whom the spacious Earth could not comprehend before Another added Yesterday could Alexander save whom he pleas'd from Death to Day he cannot free himself Another viewing the Golden Coffin of the deceased Yesterday said he Alexander heaped up a Treasure of Gold now Gold makes a Treasure of Alexander This was their Learned Contention yet all ended in this Then he fell sick and died Lewis King of France gave these his last Admonitions to his Son Beware my Son that thou never commit any deadly Sin rather suffer all manner of Torments First chuse such about thee as will not be afraid to tell thee what thou art to do and what to beware To thy Parents give all Obedience Love and Reverence Ferdinand the Great King of Castile falling sick of his last Sickness caused himself to be carried to the great Church in all his Royal Robes where putting off all his Royal Ornaments and as it were restoring God his own he put on a Hair-Clâ—â— and casting himself upon the Ground with Tears in his Eyes Lord said he the Kingdom which thou gavest me I return to thee again seat me I beseach thee in Eternal Light Charles King of Sicily spoke these words Oh the Vain Thoughts of Men Miserable Creatures we are delighted with Honour heap up Treasure and neglect Heaven O the happy Fate of the Poor who content with little sleep in Tranquility What does now my Kingdom what do all my Guards avail me I might have been miserable without all this Pomp. Where is now the power and strength of my Empire The same necessity involves me as hampers the meanest Beggar Of so many Thousands of Clients Servants and Flatterers there is not one that will or can accompany me to the Tribunal of God Go Mortals go and swell your Breasts with great Thoughts to Day or to Morrow ye must die Farewel Earth would I could say welcom Heaven Dionysius the Areopagite being condemned to lose his Head with a Christian Generosity contemning the Reproaches of the Spectators Let the last words of my Lord upon the Cross said he be mine in this World Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit
her Husband dictated he not daring or not caring at that time of his Weakness to gainsay or resist her when he was called to Seal and Subscribe he wrote not in English but Greek This is the Will of Penelope Chaloner The Will being thus finished to her great Satisfaction she would not depart till she had got it into her own Custody that it might be safely kept At last upon some Difference between her Son and her arising it was produced to her great shame and disappointment 12. Going one time to Major Trevers his House in Cheshire I met with the Major at Tarvia near his House where there had been a Lecture that day permitted by Bishop Wilkins and kept up by the Neighbouring Clergy The Major told me That the Preacher for that Day had this pleasant shall I say or odd Passage in his Sermon A Scotch Laird or Gentleman having sent or a Clerk to make his Will began to him thus after the common Preface Imprimis I bequeath my Soul to God To which his Clerk made answer very seriously But what if he wonnot take it Mon With what temper of Spirit it was then spoken I know not but sure I am 't is a Point that deserves a serious Thoughtfulness and Gravity of Mind CHAP. CXLVI Remarkable Instances of Sudden Death WHO will not stand upon his Guard against the Efforts of Death that threaten us every Hour who has appointed no time when he intends to meet us He creeps flies leaps upon us with a tacit motion a stealing pace making no signs before-hand without any cause without any caution in-sickness in health in danger in security so that there is nothing sacred or safe from his clutches No Man says the Reverend Mr. Veal in his Sermon concerning the Danger of a Death-bed Repentance knows the time of his Death any more than the manner of it or means by which it shall be brought about Our breath is in God's hands Dan. 5.23 No Man hath a Lease of his Earthly Tabernacle but is Tenant at Will to his Great Landlord Who knows when he shall die or how Whether a Natural Death or a violent one To how many thousand unforeseen Accidents are Men subject Not only Swords and Axes may dispatch them but God can Commission Infects and Vermin to be the Executioners of his Justice upon them A great Prelate may be eaten up of Mice Hatto Archbishop of Mentz and a Patent Prince devoured by Worms Acts 12.23 And who doth not carry the Principles of his own Dissolution perpetually within him Death lies in Ambush in every Vein in every Member and none know when it may assault them It doth not always warn before it strikes If some Diseases are Chronical others are Acute and less lingring and some are as quick as Lightning kill in an instant Men may be well in one moment and dead in the next God shoots his Arrows at them they are suddenly wounded Psal 64.7 How many are taken away not only in the midst of their days but in the midst of their sins The lusting Israelites with the flesh between their teeth Numb 11.33 Julian if Historians speak truth with Blasphemy in his mouth and how many frequently with the Wine in their heads In such cases what place what time for Repentance for seeking it for using means to attain it when they have not room for so much as a thought of it Thus far Mr. Veal I now proceed to Instances of Sudden Death Sound and merry was Tarquin when he was choaked with a Fish-bone Healthy also was Fabius when a little Hair that he swallowed with his Milk cut the Thread of his Life A Weezel bit Aristides and in a moment of time he expired The Father of Caesar the Dictator rose well out of his Bed and while he was putting on his Shooes he breathed his last The Rhodian Embassador had pleaded his Cause in the Senate even to Admiration but expired going over the Threshold of the Court-house A Grape-stone killed Anacreon the Poet and if we may believe Lucian Sophocles also Lucia the Daughter of Marcus Aurelius died with a littie prick of a Needle Cn. Brebius Pamphilus being in his Pretorship when he asked the time of the Day of a certain Youth perceived that to be the last hour of his Life The Breath of many is in haste and unexpected Joy expels it As we find it happened to Chilo the Lacedaemonian and Diagoras of Rhodes who embracing their Sons that had been Victors at the Olympick Games at the same time and in the same place presently expired Lastly Death has infinite accesses through which he breaks into our Houses Sometimes through the Windows sometimes through the Vaults sometimes through the Copings of the Wall sometimes through the Tyles and if he cannot meet with any Traytors either in the City or in the House I mean the Humours of the Body Diseases Catarrhs Pleurisies and the like which he makes use of as Ministers in his Councils he tears up the Gates with Gunpowder Fire Water Pestilence Venom nay Wild Monsters and Men themselves as bad he leaves no Engines untryed to snatch and force away our Lives Mephibosheth the Son of Saul was slain by Domestick Thieves as he was sleeping at Noon upon his Bed Fulco King of Jerusalem as he was Hunting a Hare fell from his Horse and was trampled to Death by his hoofs and so gave up the Ghost Josias of all the Kings of Judah David excepted for Piety Sanctimony and Liberality the chief was unexpectedly wounded with an Arrow and died in his Camp The Holy Ludovicus in the 57th Year of his Age upon the African Shore in the midst of his Army the Pestilence there raging died of the Distemper Egillus King of the Goths a most Excellent Prince was killed by a Mad Bull which the madder People not enduring the severity of his Laws had let forth Malcolm the First King of Scotland after many Examples of Justice while he was taking Cognizance of the Actions of his Subjects by Night was on a sudden suffocated Have not many gone well to Bed that have been found dead in the Morning Of necessity the Soul ought to stand upon its Guard Vzza a Person of no small Note in David's Lifeguard when he attempted to stay the shogging Ark as it was carried in Triumph to Jerusalem was presently struck from Heaven so that he died by the Ark. The hand of God armed a Lion out of a Wood against the Prophet that had eaten contrary to his Command The sudden voice of Peter compelled Anazias and Saphira to expiate their Crime by as sudden a Death whose Souls the greatest part of Divines believe to be freed from Eternal Punishment thereby But enough of Ancient Examples Charles the Eighth of France having concluded a Marriage between his Daughter Magdalene and Ladislaus King of Bohemia while the Bride with great Pomp was conveyed towards her intended Husband he was taken suddenly with Sickness
His honour or profane this ground Let no black-mouth'd breath'd rank Curr Peaceful James his Ashes stur Princes are Gods O do not then Rake in their Graves to prove them Men. 56. Vpon the King of Sweden Upon this Place the great Gustavus died While Victory lay weeping by his side 57. Vpon Sir Francis Vere When Vere sought Death arm'd with his Sword and Shield Death was afraid to meet him in the Field But when his Weapons he had laid aside Death like a Coward struck him and he died 58. Another Here lieth Richard A Preene One Thousand Five Hundred Eighty Nine Of March the xx day And he that will die after him may 59. Another Here lieth he who was born and cryed Told Threescore Years fell sick and dyed 60. At Farlam on the West Marches toward Scotland near Naworth-Castle John Bell broken brow Ligs under this stean Fovr of mine een Sons Laid it on my weam I was a Man of my Meat Master of my Wife I lived on my own Land With mickle strife 61. In St. Paul 's was this Here lies John Dod a Servant of God to whom he is gone Father or Mother Sister or Brother he never knew none A Headborough and a Constable a Man of Fame The first of his House and last of his Name Died buryed and deceas'd the Fifteenth of May One Thousand Five Hundred and Fifteen being Whitson-Monday 62. On Mr. Burbidge the Tragedian Exit Burbidge 63. On Mr. Weymark a constant Walker in Paul ' s. Defessus sum ambulando 64. In St. Mary Saviours this Here lies William Emerson Who lived and died an honest Man 65. In the North-Country this Here ligs John Hubberton And there ligs his Wife Here ligs his Dagger And there ligs his Knife Here ligs his Daughter And there ligs his Son Heigh for brave John Hubberton 66. Vpon JOhn Death Here lies John Death the very same That went away with a Cousin of his Name 67. Vpon Mr. Parsons Organist at Westminster Death passing by and hearing Parsons play Stood much amazed at his depth of Skill And said this Artist must with me away For Death bereaves us of the better still But let the Quire while he keeps time sing on For Parsons rests his Service being done 68. On Mr. Charles Wray When I in Court had spent my tender Prime And done my best to please an Earthly Prince Even sick to see how I had lost my Time Death pitying mine Estate removed me thence And sent me mounted upon Angels Wings To serve my Saviour and the King of Kings 69. Many and sundry Opinions were conceived of Joan of Arck some judging her miraculously raised up by God for the good of France others that she was but a meer Impostor We will suspend our Judgment herein and referr you to the Epitaph which we find thus written on her Here lies Joan of Arck the which Some count Saint and some count Witch Some count Man and something more Some count Maid and some a Whore Her Life 's in question wrong or right Her Death 's in doubt by Laws or might Oh Innocence take heed of it How thou too near to Guilt dost sit Mean time France a Wonder saw A Woman Rule ' gainst Salique Law But Reader be content to stay Thy censure till the Judgment-day Then shalt thou know and not before Whether Saint Witch Man Maid or Whore 70. An Epitaph upon Sir Philip Sidney England Netherland the Heavens and the Arts All Soldiers and the World have made six Parts Of the Noble Sidney for none will suppose That a small heap of Stones can Sidney inclose England hath his Body for she it bred Netherland his Blood in her Defence shed The Heavens his Soul the Arts his Fame All Soldiers his Grief the World his Good Name 71. The following Epitaph was written upon the Tomb-stone of JOHN WHITE Esq a Member of the House of Commons in the Year 1640. and Father to Dr. Annesley's Wife lately deceased Here lies a John a burning shining Light Whose Name Life Actions all alike were WHITE 72. Mrs. Wilkinson with her Child went to Heaven from her Childbed on whose Tomb-stone a learned Doctor wrote the following Lines viz. Here lies Mother and Babe both without sins Next Birth will make her and her Infant Twins See Mr. Adams 's Sermon in the Continuation of Morning Exercise Questions and Cases of Conscience 73. Vpon Richard Howkins Here lies Richard Howkins who out of his store Gave Twenty good Shillings for the use of the Poor Upon condition his Body shoul'd ne'er be removed Until the appearing of our dearly Beloved 74. On the Tomb-stone of a great Scold was written Her Husband prays if by her Grave you walk You gently tread for if she 's wak'd she 'll talk 75. Vpon Mr. West Here lies Ned West of Men the best Well loved by his Wife But Oh he 's gone his Thread is spun And cut off by the Knife Of cruel Atropos Oh Jade Rokcy and flinty hearted Maid To kill so good a Man Take from my Wooff two Inches off And let him live again 76. On the Tomb of the Electeress Dowager of Saxony are to be seen the following Devices and Motto's I. Piety with an Heart in which some Beams from the Name Jehovah are centered with this Motto From him and to him II. Clemency with a Cloud of Dew hanging over the Land with this Motto Water is common to all III. Friendliness with a Sun piercing a dark Cloud over-against a Rainbow and this Motto He enlightens and makes glad IV. Magnanimity with a Rock upon which some Thunderbolts are darted with this Motto They don't terrifie V. Liberality with a Fountain from whence some Hands were taking out Water with this Motto So much the more plentiful VI. Patience with a Crucible full of Gold standing in the Fire with this Motto I burn but I am cleansed from my Dross or I shall come out more pure VII Pity or Compassion with a Silk-Worm beginning to Spin with this Motto I will serve you with my Bowels And VIII Humility with a Violet Flower growing in the Grass with this Motto The more humble the more fragrant Flying Post Nov. 21. 1696. 77. I find I have inserted in my Paper-book an Epitaph upon the Tomb of the Earl of Warwick in whose Death the Family was extinct Within this Marble doth Entombed lie Not one but all a Noble Family A Pearl of such a price that soon about Possession of it Heaven and Earth fell out Both could not have it so they did devise This fatal Salvo to divide the Prize Heaven shares the Soul and Earth his Body takes Thus we lose all while Earth and Heaven part stakes But Heaven not brooking that the Earth should share In the least Atom of a Piece so rare Intends to sue out by a new revize His Habeas Corpus at the Grand Assize Mr. Barker's Flores 78. I have read of a certain Prince who would have
him truly from the Lord with a kindness that notably represented the Compassion which he hereby taught his Church to expect from the Lord Jesus Christ and after he had lived with her more than half a Hundred Years he followed her to the Grave with Lamentations beyond those which the Jews from the Figure of a Letter in the Text affirm that Abraham deplored his Aged Sarah with her departure made a deeper Impression upon him than what any common Affliction could His whole Conversation with her had that Sweetness and that Gravity and Modesty beautifying of it that every one called them Zachary and Elizabeth Cott. Mather in his Life p. 57. 5. 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 his Breast but by the sudden coming in of his Servants he was prevented from finishing his Design and his Wound was bound up by them nevertheless as soon as he found opportunity according to his desire he tore off his Plaisters opened the Lips of his Wound with his own Hand and let forth a Soul that was unwilling to stay in the Body after that his Wife had forsaken hers Val. Max. L. 4. C. 6. p. 114. 6. Philip sir-named the Good the First Author of that Greatness whereunto the House of Burgundy did arrive was about Twenty three Years of Age when his Father John Duke of Burgundy was slain by the Villany and Perfidiousness of Charles the Dauphin being informed of that unwelcome News full of Grief and Anger as he was he hasts into the Chamber of his Wife she was the Dauphin's Sister O said he my Michalea 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 less for it c. Which accordingly he made good so long as they lived together Lips Monit L. 2. C. 17. p. 388. Pol. p. 200. Clark's Marr. c. 65. p. 291. Wanley's Wonders of the Little World p. 143. 7. Mr. Samuel Fairclough his Wife dying in Child-bed was blamed for his great Sorrow for such a pious Relation See his Life CHAP. LIII Good Children Remarkable THat old celebrated Proverb in our Church Train up a Child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it hath so much truth in it that a Good Education will either improve and meliorate the Nature of Persons or haunt them with continual Checks and Vneasiness of Thought all their Life after either they shall be made better by the Impression of early Notions upon their Hearts or smart for their Disobedience and Obstinacy For certainly a crooked Child seldom grows streight with Age and if a Plant is not flexible when young it will grow stiffer and more obdurate with time We use to Imprint the Seal when the Wax is warm and soft and Sow our Seed at Seed-time not in the Drought of Summer or the Coldness of Winter Every Body that hath Eyes takes Notice of the Rising Sun and the first opening of the Day every Gardiner and Farmer loves to see his Seeds and Grain and Plants promise well at the first And who is there so improvident among Christians as not to take notice and rejoyce in the early Product of their Instructions and Endeavours but especially to see them grateful and good in their particular Relations 1. Ant. Wallaeus attended upon his Parents so carefully in the time of their Sickness and so comforted them with Divine Consolations that at the Hour of Death they both blessed him and gave this Testimony of him that he had never offended them in all his Life Clark's Eccles History p. 471. 2. Q. cicero Brother of Marcus being proscribed and sought after to be slain by the Triumvirate was hid by his Son who for that cause was hurried to Torments but by no Punishments or Tortures could he forced to betray his Father The Father moved with the Piety and Constancy of the Son of his own accord offered himself to Death least for his sake they should determine with utmost severity against his Son Zonar Annual Tom. 2. p. 86. Xiphil in Augusto p. 60. 3. There happened in Sicily as it hath often an Irruption of Aetna now called Mount Gibel it murmurs burns belches up Flames and throws out its fiery Entrails making all the World to fly from it It happened then that in this violent and horrible breach of Fire every one flying and carring away what they had most precious with them Two Sons the one called Anapias the other Amphinomus careful of the Wealth and Goods of their Houses reflected on their Father and Mother both very old who could not save themselves from the Fire by slight And where shall we said they find a more precious Treasure than those who begat us The one took up his Father on his Shoulders the other his Mother and so made passage through the Flames It is an admirable thing that God in the Consideration of this Piety though Pagans did a Miracle for the Monuments of all Antiquity witness that the devouring Flames staid at this Spectacle and the Fire wasting and broiling all about them the Way only which these two good Sons passed was Tapestry'd with fresh Verdure and called afterwards by Posterity The Field of the Pious in Memory of this Accident Causs Hic Tom. 1. L 3. p. 113. Lon. Theatr. p. 272. Solin C. 11. p. 225. Camerar Oper. Subciscent 1. C. 86. p. 401. 4. Sir Thomas Moore being Lord Chancellor of England at the same time that his Father was a Judge of the King's-Bench he would always at his going to Westminster go first to the King's-Bench and ask his Father Blessing before he went to sit in the Chancery Baker's Chron. p. 406. Fuller H. S. L. 1. C. 6. p. 13. 5. The Carriage of Mr. Herbert Palmer towards his Parents was very dutiful and obsequious not only during his Minority but even afterwards which was very evident in that Honour and Respect which he continued to express to his Aged Mother to the Day of her Death Clark's Exampl Vol. 1. C. 23. 6. Our King Edward the First returning from the Wars in Palestine rested himself in Sicily where the Death of his Son and Heir coming first to his Ear and afterwards the Death of the King his Father he sorrowed much more for the loss of his Father than of his Son whereat King Charles of Sicily greatly wondred and asking the Reason of it had this Answer return'd him The loss of Sons is but light because it may be easily repaired but the Death of Parents is irremediable because they can never be bad again Idem
fearful Spectacle of God's Wrath both against that Heathenish Sport and wilfull Prophaning of the Sabbath whilst he maketh the very thing they had chosen for their Sport and Pastime to be the Instrument of executing his Fury The truth of this I diligently enquired after at my first coming to Sarum and very many Godly and Credible Persons who had seen that sad Spectacle in my hearing attested it to be so Ibid. 19. Mr. Hugh Clark Preaching about Oundle in Northampton-shire where the People were generally very Ignorant and much addicted to the prophanation of the Lord's-day by Whitson-Ales Morris-Danceâ— c. which he much set himself against endeavouring to convince them of the evil and denouncing God's Judgments in case of their obstinate perseverance They being trained up in those Courses and hardned by Custom persisted still in their wickedness At last on a Lord's-Day the Leader of the Dance a lusty young man in the midst of their Prophane Pastimes fell down suddenly and died but they soon shaking off their Fear returned to their Vomit again The Lord's-day following Mr. Clark took occasion from this sad dispensation to quote that Text Jer 17.27 If thou wilt not hearken to me to Hallow the Sabbath-day c. then will I kindle a fire in the Gates thereof c. The People still kicked against these Admonitions and the Eve following returned to their Sports again among whom was a Smith that was a chief Ring-leader but it pleased God the very next day two Husband-men coming to his Shop to sharpen their Plough-shares a Spark from the red-hot Iron as he was beating it upon the Anvil flew into the Thatch which both the Smith and his Neighbours saw but had not power to move towards it which presently burnt down the Shop House and all the Smith's Goods This Mr. Clark pressed upon their Consciences but nothing would prevail till at last upon a Sabbath-day at night when they were retir'd to their several homes there was heard a great noise and ratling of Chains up and down the Town which was accompanied with such a smell and stink of Fire and Brimstone that many of their guilty Consciences suggested to them that the Devil was come to fetch them away quick into Hell and now and not till now they began to think in good earnest of a Reformation Mr. Clark in his Father's Life p. 128. And thus much for the Examples of the first Table whereof if some seemed to exceed Credit by reason of the strangeness of them yet let us know that nothing is impossible to God and that he doth often work Miracles to controul the obstinate Impiety and Rebellion of mortal Men against his Commandment Besides there is not one Example here mentioned but it hath a credible or probable Author for the Avoucher of it Let us now out of all this that hath been spoken gather up this wholesom Lesson to love God with all our Heart and Affection to the end we may Worship him Invocate his holy Name and repose all the confidence of our Salvation upon him alone through Christ Jesus seeking by pleasing and obeying his Will to set forth his Glory and render him due thanks for all his benefits CHAP. CVIII Divine Judgments upon Scorners of their Pastors Preachers c. THe Psalmist David hath ranged Scorners in the highest Class of Sinners Psal 1.1 and Solomon tells us that Judgments are prepared for the Scorners Prov. 19.29 and again He that being often Reproved hardneth himself shall suddenly be destroyed and that without Remedy Prov. 29.1 Vpon which considerations Scornfulness is justly look'd upon by wise persons as the must visible mark and characteristic of a Reprobate Sinner a Person not worthy of more instruction from Man but like Ephraim joyned to Idols to be left to himself and the Wisdom of Heaven Reprove not a Scorner Can not that which is Holy to Dogs 1. Mr. Batman tells us of himself I was saith he in present danger to have been slain in the House of him whom I took to be my Friend laying to my charge such things as I was innocent of being only his surmise which afterward was confessed by him he was then in Wealth but how he died if his name were known it would soon be discerned Not many years after I fell into the hands of inconstant men whose double dealings I referred to God and one of them was stricken blind after much molesting me which when he had disclosed in part his old Malice died I trust Penitent another falling into a Dropsie confessed his attempted wrongs with tears and died I trust a good Christian Two others for reproving them for their manifest Whoredom it is well known that if Grace to Repent be as far from them as that wealth they once possessed they cannot die without Shame in the World and Vengeance of God Doom Warning c. p. 410 411. 2. Gildas preaching to the old Britains Repentance and forewarning them of Plagues to come was laughed to scorn and taken for a false Prophet But what followed God sent in their Enemies on every side and destroying them gave their Land to other Nations Beard 's Theatre p. 144. 3. John Wickliff preaching against the Idolatry and Superstitions of the Age was despised together with his Sermons and both burnt after his Death himself and Books What ensued A most heavy Vengeance Their lawful King slain Three others set up on a row under whom all the noble Blood was spilt and half the Commons destroyed a War with France Civil Discord at Home Cities and Towns decayed and the Land brought half to a Wilderness Ibid. 4. Hemingius a learned Divine in his Exposition upon the First Chapter of St. John's Gospel reporteth That about the Year 1550. there was a certain lewd Companion in Denmark who had long made a Profession to mock at all Religion and at devout Persons This Fellow entring into a Church where there was a Sermon made by the Minister of the Place began contrary to all those that were present to behave himself most profanely and to shew by lewd Countenances and Gestures his Dislike and Contempt of that holy Exercise To whom the Preacher being instant upon his Business in hand spake not a Word but only sighing prayed unto God that this Mocker might be suppressed Who seeing that the Preacher would not contest against him but contemned his unworthy Behaviour goeth out of the Church but yet not out of the Reach of God's Vengeance for presently as he passed out a Tyle fell from the House upon his Head and slew him upon the Place A just Judgment upon so profane a Wretch from whence all Scorners and Deriders of godly Sermons and the Preachers of the same may take Example for their Amendment if they have any Grace in them Ibid. 5. Christopher Turk a Counsellor of State to a great Nobleman in Germany going one Day to Horse and mocking at a certain Nobleman who was then Prisoner in his
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
Oxford at the same time when the Relation came fresh to the Vice-Chancellor And Lodging at Chadlington not far from Oxford upon the Saturday Night after with the Minister of the Place then a Fellow of Merton-Colledge of thirteen or fourteen years standing He told me that having an occasion of Travelling into Wiltshire near to the very place where this Goddard dwelt he had the very story fully attested to him by many credible Persons 7. Mrs. Taylor of the Ford by S. Neots in a Letter to Dr. Ezekiel Burton relates how one Mary Watkinson whose Father lived in Smithfield but she Married to one Francis Topham and she living in York with her Husband being an ill one who did steal her away against her Parents consent so that they could not abide him That she came often to them and when she was last with him upon their parting she expressed that she feared she should never see him more He Answered her if he should die if God did permit the Dead to see the Living he would see her again now after he had been Buried about half a year one Night when she was in Bed but could not sleep she heard Musick and the Chamber grew lighter and lighter and she being broad awake saw her Father stand at her Bed-side who said Mall did I not tell thee that I would see thee once again She call'd him Father and talk'd of many things and he bad her be Dutiful and Patient to her Mother And when she told him that she had a Child since he died he said That would not trouble her long He bad her speak what she would now to him for he must go and that he should rever see her more till they met in the Kingdom of Heaven So the Chamber was darker and darker and he was gone with Music and she said that she did never dream of him nor ever did see any Apparition of him after He was a very honest godly Man as far as I can tell saith the same Mrs. Taylor in the Clause of a Letter Ibid. and it is attested by G. Rust likewise afterward Bishop of Dromore 8. Dr. Farrar a Man of great Piety and Physician to King Charles the II. and his Daughter Mrs. Pearson's Mother a very pious Soul made a Compact at his Intreaty that the first of them that died if happy should after Death appear to the Surviver if it were possible the Daughter with some Difficulty consenting thereto Some time after the Daughter who liv'd at Gillingham-Lodge two Miles from Salisbury fell into Labour and by a Mistake being given a noxious Potion instead of another prepared for her suddenly died Her Father liv'd in London and that very Night she died she open'd his Curtains and looked upon him He had before heard notâ—ing of her Illness but upon this Apparition confidently told his Maid that his Daughter was dead and after two Days receiv'd the News Her Grandmother told Mrs. Pearson this as also an Uncle of hers and the abovesaid Maid and Mrs. Pearson I know and she is a very Prudent and Good Woman Saith Mr. Edward Fowler in a Letter to Dr. H. More An. 1678. Ibid. 9. Mr. Quick in his Relation of a Family poison'd at Plymouth relates this Story which he saith he had from one Mr. B. Cl. a very Holy Man and a Reverend Minister formerly of Petrocks by the Castle of Dartmouth This Minister was sent for to visit and pray with a dying Man under very much Troubles of Conscience His Case was this Sir said he unto the Minister about 7 months since as I was going to Buscow I met a Comerade of mine who had gone to Sea about a Fortnight since and taking him by the Hand wondring at his Arrival I said What chear Mate What makes thee return so soon and look so pale I am dead quoth this Spectrum Dead man and yet walk and talk Yes saith he I am dead I was took sick shortly after my going to Sea and died this day and about an Hour since so many Leagues off I was thrown overboard Now I desire thee to go home and to tell my Wife of it and to open my Coffer and shew my Will and see my Legacies paid which having so promised to do for him at parting he added And as for that business between thee and me that thou well wotest of I charge thee that thou never speak of it to any Man living for if thou dost I will in that very moment tear thee in a thousand Pieces Now Sir this lies heavy upon my Conscience Fain would I declare it it is upon my Tongue but I cannot And why can you not said the Minister Oh! Sir do not you see him Look how terrible he is there he is just against me Oh how doth he threaten me I would tell you but I dare not And whatever Arguments this Reverend Parsonage could use unto the sick man he could never bring him to a Confession but he pined away under his Terrors and Horrors till at last not being able to subsist any longer by reason of them he died See the aforesaid Relation called Hell open'd or the Infernal Sin of Murder punished P. 82 83. 10. No longer since than the last Winter there was much Discourse in London concerning a Gentlewoman unto whom her dead Son and another whom she knew not had appear'd Being then in Lodnon I was willing to satisfie my self by enquiring into the Truth of what was reported and on Febr. 23. 1691. my Brother who is now a Pastor to a Congregation in that City and I discoursed the Gentlewoman spoke of she told us that a Son of hers who had been a very civil young Man but more airy in his Temper than was pleasing to his serious Mother being dead she was much concern'd in her Thoughts about his Condition in the other World but a Fortnight after his Death he appear'd to her saying Mother you are solicitous about my Spiritual Welfare trouble your self no more for I am happy and so vanish'd See Mr. Increase Mather's Cases of Conscience about Witches p. 11. 11. Apparitions extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubrey Esq The Antiquities of Oxford tell us that St. Edmund Archbishop of Canterbury did sometimes converse with an Angel or Nymph at a Spring without St. Clements Parish near Oxford as Numa Pompilius did with the Nymph Egeria This Well was stopped up since Oxford was a Garrison See the Life of John Donn D. D. Dean of St. Pauls writ by Mr. Isaac Walton where it is affirmed that the Dean did see the Apparition of his Wife 12. Mr. Cashio Burroughs was one of the most Beautiful Men in England and very Valiant but very proud and Blood-thirsty There was then in London a very Beautiful Italian Lady who fell so extreamly in Love with him that she did let him enjoy her which she had never let any man do before Wherefore said she I shall request this Favour of you never to
Daughter drew near her time he sent for her to himself with design to destroy what should be born of her The Infant was delivered to Harpagus to be slain a Man of known Fidelity and with whom he had Communicated his greatest Secrets But he fearing that upon Astyages his death Maudane his Daughter would succeed in the Empire the King having no Issue Male and that then he should be paid home for his Obedience doth not kill the Royal Babe but delivers it to the King 's chief Herdsman to be exposed to the wide World It fell out that the Wife of this Man was newly brought to Bed and having heard of the whole Affair earnestly requests her Husband to bring her the Child that she might see him He is overcome goes to the Wood where he had left him finds there a Bitch that had kept the Birds and Beasts off from the Babe and suckled it her self Affected with this Miracle he takes up the Child carries it to his Wife who saw it loved it bred it up till it grew up first to be a Man and then a King He overcomes Astyages his Grandfather and Translates the Scepter from the Medes to the Persians Just Hist l. 1. p 16. Val. Max. l. 1. c. 7. Wanley l. 6. c. 1. 13. When Alexander after the long and difficult Siege of Tyre lead his Army with great Indignation against the Jews devoting all to Slaughter and the Spoil Jaddas the then High-Priest admonished by God in a Dream in his Priestly Attire and with his Mitre on his Head and upon that the Name of God with a Number of Priefts and People goes to meet him Alexander with great Submission approaches him Salutes and Adoves him telling Parmeno who was displeased with it That he worshipped not the Man but GOD in him who as he said had appeared to him in that Form in Dio a City of Macedonia in his Dream encouraging him to a speedy Expedition against Asia promising his Divine Power for Assistance in the Conquest of it Upon this he pardon'd the Jews honoured and enriched the City and Nation Jos l. 1. c. 8. Wanley l. 6. c. 1 c. 14. Julius Caesar dreamed that he had carnal Knowledge of his Mother which the Soothsayers Interpreted That the Earth the common Mother of Mankind should be subjected to him Sueton. in Jnl. p. 8. Wanley's Wonders of the little World l. 6. c. 1. 15. The Night before Polycrates King of Samos went thence to go to Oretes the Lieutenant of Cyru in Sardis his Daughter dreamed that she saw her Father lifted up in the Air where Jupiter washed him and the Sun anointed him which came to paâ—s For as soon as he was in his Power Oretes caused him to be hang'd upon a Gibbet where his Body was washed with the Rain and his Fat melted with the Sun Camerar Oper. Subcisiv Cent. 2. c. 57. ex Herodot l. 3. 16 Antigonus dreamed that he Sowed a spacious Field with Gold which sprang up flourish'd and ripen'd was reaped presently and nothing left but Stubble and then he seemed to hear a Voice That Mithridates was fled into the Euxine Sea carrying along with him all the Golden Harvest This Mithridates was then in the Retinue of Antigonus King of Macedonia his own Countrey of Persia being ruin'd and therein his own Fortunes The King awakes and terrified with this Dream he resolves to cut off Mithridates but being informed by Demetrius Antigonuâ—'s Son of the danger he was in he flies privately into Cappadocia where he Founded the Famous Kingdom of Pontus Wanley's Wond l. 6. c. 1. Ex Lips Plutarch 17. Qu. Catalus in his Dream saw Jupiter delivering into the hand of a Child the Roman Ensign The next Night the same Child hugg'd in Jove's Bosom and when Catalus offered to pluck him thence Jupiter forbade him telling him He was born jor the welfare of the Romans The next Morning seeing Oâ—tavianus afterwards Angustus in the Street he ran to him and cryed out This is He whom the last Night I saw Jupiter hâ—g in his Bosome Idem en Xiphil August Fulgos. l. 1. 18. Two Accadians of intimate Acquaintance lodging at Megara the one with a Friend the other at an Inn he at his Friend's House saw in his sleep his Companion begging of him to assist him for he was circumvented by his Host The other awakening leaps out of his Bed with intention to go to the Inn but suspecting his Dream to have nothing in it returned to his Bed and Sleep The same Person appears to him a second time all bloody requesting him earnestly to revenge his Death affirming That he was killed by his Hoâ— and that at his very time he was carried out in a Cart towards the Gate all covered with Dung The Man at last overcome with these Entreaties of his Friend immediately runs to the Gate finds the Cart seizeth and searcheth it where he found the Body of his Friend and thereupon dragg'd the Inn-keeper to his deserved punishment Idem ex Val. Max. i. 1. c. 7. Dr. More Immort 〈◊〉 Soul l. 2. c. 16 c. 19. Alexander the Philosopher the same Hour that his Mother died saw in his sleep the Solemnities of his Mother though she was at that time a Day 's Journey distant from him Wanley's Wonders of the little World l. 6. c. 1. 20. Sionia â— 1523. dreamed that falling into a River he was in great danger of drowning and calling to one for Succour was neglected This Dream he told to his Wife and Servants the next Day going to help a Child that was fallen into the River near the Castle of Pâ—sâ—aâ—â— he leap'd in and perished in the Mud. Idem ex Heywood Hierarch l. 4. Jovio 21. Galen being troubled with an Inflammation about the Diaphragma dreamed that upon opening of a Vein between his Thumb and Fore-ringer he should recover his Health which he did and was restored Idem ex Schot Phys Curios l. 3. c. 25. Col. Rhod. c. 22. Celitts Rhodiginses saith When he was 22 Years of Age being perplexed with Ectrapali a Greek Word in the Annotations upon Pliny signifying those who grow beyond the common Proportions of Nature assign'd to their kind in his perplexity he lay'd him doâ—n to sleep and in his Dream recalled to mind the very Book page and place of the page of another Author where he had formerly read it Col. Rhod. Am. lact l. 27. c. 9. 23. A Citizen of Millain was demanded a Debt as owing from his dead Father and when he was in some trouble about it the Image of his dead Father appears to him in his sleep tells him the Debt was paid and in such a place he should find the Writing with the Hand of his Creditor to it Awaking from his Dream and Sleep he finds the Acquittance Which Saint Austin saith himself saw with his own Eyes Wanley ex Fulgos. l. 1. c. 5. p. 130. 24. When S. Bernard's Mother
to the sober consideration of an Intelligent Reader 1. The Magi or Wise Men of the East were directed by a Star to the very Countrey and Place where our Blessed Saviour was Born and this method God seemed to take for their Conduct rather then another because they were trained up according to the custom of the Oriental Countreys in these studies See Doct. Gell's Serm. in defence of Astrlogy 2. Our Saviour at his Crucifixion to denote the horror of the Act and the Extinction of Light in the Jewish Church gives notice to the whole World by a dismal Eclipse of the Sun what a Bloody Act that People were a doing at that time and what a Calamitous season was approaching that Nation There was Darkness upon the Face of the Earth from the 6th to the 9th hour This Eclipse Dionisius is said to have seen in Egypt and in Astonishment to cry out Either Nature or the God of Nature suffers And tho this be accounted not in the Number of natural but supernatural Eclipses because if there be any credit to be given to the Writings of Dionysius it was obsered by him and the Philosopher Apollophanes to happen not at the time of the Conjunction of Sun and Moon but at their opposition Viz. At full Moon this doth no hurt to my cause at all For I plead only for this point that God is pleased to make significations of his will in the discovery of things not well known in the outward Face of the Heavens Eusebius also tells us that Phlegon made observation of this Eclipse Alsted Eucyel l. 20. c. 10. Hist Eclips 3. A little before the Death of Charles the great A. C. 814. There happened another Famous Eclipse of the Sun of which Eginardas in his Life as he is cited in fascical tempt saith thus Many Signs preceeded the Death of the Glorious and Holy Emperour Charles for there was an unusual Eclipse of the Sun and Moon there appeared for seven days a spot of black colour in the Sun Ibid. 4. June 17th 1415. When John Husse was tried at Constance by the Cardinals and Bishops in the Convent of the Franciscans there fell out so great an Eclipse that the Sun was almost Darkened After which John was Condemned and a dismal Persecution followed upon all his Disciples that breathed after a Reformation Clark's marr of Eccl. Hist p. 123. 5. A Greek Astrologer the same that had predicted the Dukedom of Tuscany to Cosmo de medices foretold also the Death of Alexander and that with such confidence that he described the Murderer to be one of this familiar Acquaintance of a slender Body small Face Swarthy Complexion and of an unsociable reserved temper by which description he did as good as point out with the Finger Lawrence Medices who Murdered the same Alexander in his Bed-Chamber Dinoth memorab l. 6. p. 394. Jovii Elog. p. 320. 6. Pope Paul the 3d wrote to Petrus Aloides Farnesius his Son that he should take special care of himself upon the 10th of September for the Stars did then threaten him with some signal Misfortune Upon which the Incredulous young Man was slain by thirty Men who had joyned in Conspiracy against him Sleiden Comment l. 19. Zuing. Theat vol. 5. l. 3. 7. Basilius the Mathematician predicted to Cosmo Medices when as yet but a private Man that a mighty Rich Inheritance would fall to him before the Ascendant of his Nativity was Illustrated by a happy Conspiracy of Stars in Capricorn in such manner as had heretofore fallen out to Augustusâ— Caesar and Charles the 5th Emperor and accordingly upon the 5th of the Ides of January he was advanced to the Dukedom of Florence Dinoth memorab l. 6. p. 390. 8. The Famous Picus Mirandula for his invective Writings against the Astrologers of his time called Flagellum Astrologorum or Astrologo-Mastix the Scourge of Astrologers met at last with one Bellantius of Syena who upon a Scheme of his Nativity gave this Judgment upon him that he should dye the thirty fourth year of his Age Which accordingly came to pass Gaffarell Curios c. 7. p. 252. 9. Guido Bontius foretold to Guido Count of Monts-ferat the day wherein he might if he would sally out of Forolirium and attack his Enemies and might defeat them but withal himself should be wounded in the Hip. Which accordingly he did and prospered the Astrologer himself being in Company with him and providing a medicine for the wound before-hand which the Count as was predicted received at the same time Wanley's Wonders of the little World l. 6. c. 4. Fulges Ex. l. 8. c. 11. 10. Within three or four days after King Charles the Second died I being then Minister of Shipley and considering with my self of how great importance the knowledge of such an Accident might be to the Nation concluded that if they were any thing of moment in the Science of Astrology sure some prediction might be expected from our Prognosticators in this case Upon which I went streight to a Countrey Shop where Almanacks were sold and enquired what old ones lay upon their hands they produced all out of which I singled out so many as pretended to Astrological Observations and Prognostications in one of them which I think was Gadbury's I found to this purpose That that year by the then Configurataions of the Heavens should be much such another as was that of 1660 which was so happy for the settlement of the late King in his Throne but now as then there would be a Party of Saturnine humours that would by their murmuring and discontents be in danger of bringing Punishment upon their own Heads After I had read over this I passed on to another where I found words of the like import Upon which I returned home pausing upon the case not knowing whether to resolve it into the Science of Astrology or something else And so I leave it to the censure of my Reader For Comets I declared that I do not believe the Governour of the World puts out such Flameaus sets such Beacons on fire in the upper Regions for no purpose Nature doth not saith the Philosopher and shall the Christian say the God of Nature doth any thing in vain Two and Fifty years ago Decemb. 1638. There was a Blazing Star seen upon which followed the Irish Massacre and the late Civil Wars In December and March 1664. There were two Comets seen which were followed by that sad and dreadful Plague whereof died that were taken notice of 98596 besides many others which escaped the Bills of Mortality and that lamentable fire which in London destroyed so many Stately Buildings and Parish Churches 11. In Dec. and Jan. 168â— Another Great Comet appeared to the Amusement or Terrour of all considering Spectatours beginning in Sagittarius or the latter end of Scorpio about the beginning of November thence proceeding to Capricorn c. Concerning which said John Hill a Physician and Astrologyer in his Alarm to Europe Printed by H.
c. Isaac Vâ—s de Sybil. Orac. p. 20. The Sybils Oracles gave such Testimony to the Expectation of a Messiah that at last the reading of them was forbid to private Persons Justin Martyr saith It was a capital Crime for any one to read the Books of Hystaspes Sybilla and the Prophets as the same Vossius tells us out of his Second Apology And the Christians whenever they were engaged in Disputation with the Gentiles always Appealed to the Sybils and commended them to their Books as is clear from Justin M. Clements Tertullian Lactantius and all Ibid. p. 34. 5. Croesus King of Lydia having determined to War upon Cyrus Consulted the Oracle of Apollo at Delphos touching the Success whence he received this Answer Croesus Halyn penetrante magnam disperdet opnmvim When Croesus has the Halys past A Sword of Treasure shall he wast He Interpreted this of the Riches of his Adversaries but the Event shewed they were his own for he lost his army Kingdom and Liberty in that Expedition Herodot l. 1. p. 20. Dinoth memorab p. 409. 6. There were some ancient Stories of the Sybils in which was contained That Africa should again fall under the power of the Romans Mundum cum prole sua interiturum This Prophecy of the Sybils affrighted very many extreamly sollicitous lest the Heavens and the Earth together with all Mankind should then perish But Africa being Reduced by the fortunate Virtue of Belisarius it then appeared That the Death of Mundus the then General and of Mauritius his Son was Predicted by the Sybil who in Battle against the Goths were both Slain at Salona a City in Dalmatia Dinoth l. 6. p. 412. 7. Nero Caesar Consulted the Oracle of Apollo at Delphos touching his future Fortune and was thereby Advised To beware of the Sixty and Third Year he concluded that he should not only arrive to old Age but also that all things should be prosperous to him and was so entirely possessed that nothing could be Fatal till that Year of his Age that when he had lost divers things of great value by Ship-wreck he doubted not to say amongst his Attendants That the Fishes would bring them back to him But he was deceived in his Expectation for Galba being in the Sixty third Year of his Age was Saluted Emperor by his Soldiers and Nero being forced to death was succeeded by him in the Empire Sueton. l. 6. c. 40. p. 259. Zuring Theatr. vol. 1. l. 1. p. 78. 8. Alexander King of Epirus Consulted the Oracle of Jupiter at Dodona a City of Epire about his Life he was Answered That he should shun the City of Pandosia and the River Acherusius as fatal places he knew there were such places amongst the Thospoci Warring therefore upon the Brutii a warlike People he was by them overthrown and slain near unto places amongst them called by the same name Alex. ab Alexand. dies Genial l. 5. c. 2. Fitzherb of Relig. and Policy Part 1. c. 36. p. 446. Just. l. 12. p. 134. 9. Croesus sent to Delphos to know of the Oracle if his Empire and Government should be durable or not the Answer he received was Regis apud medos mulo jam sede potico Lyde fugam mollis scruposum corripe ad Hermum Neve mane ignavus posito sis Lyde pudore When the Verses came to Croesus he took great pleasure therein hoping it would never come to pass that amongst the Medes a Mule instead of a Man should Reign and that therefore he and his Posterity should preserve their Empire unabolished But when after he was overcome he had got leave of Cyrus to send to Delphos to upbraid the Oracle with the Deceit Apollo sent him word That by the Mule he meant Cyrus because he was Born of Parents of two different Nations of a more noble Mother than Father for she was a Mede the Daughter of Astyapes King of the Medes the Father a Persian and Subject to the Medes and though a very mean Person had yet married Mandane the Daughter of his King Herod l. 1. p. 21. 39. 10. In the last place I recommend to the Consideration of the Ingenuous Reader these Verses out of Virgil ascribed to Cumaea one of the Sybils concerning Christ as I find them Translated out of the Ancient Ecclesiastical Histories of Eusebius Socrates and Evagrius c. by Dr. Hanmer in Constantines Oration to the Clergy c. 20. p. 124. Now a new Progeny is sent down from Heaven high Yea Muses with a lofty wing Let us of higher Matters sing This is the last Age wherein Cumaea shall her Verses sing The Integrity of Times shall new renew again And a Virgin shall bring back old Saturn's Reign The Birth of that most happy Child in whom The Iron Age shall end and the Golden Age back 〈◊〉 Chast Lucina favour He shall the powers of wickedness destroy And free the World from Fears and all Aâ—â—y He shall live with the Gods and see again The Gods and Heroes and be seen of them And with his Fathers Vertues he shall Reign Over the World which shall Peace obtain The grateful Earth sweet Child shall be most willing To bring forth Gifts for thee without all Tilling The winding Ivy and the Ladies Gloves And also Saffron that the Medow loves And is called Medow-Saffron and with those That smiling Flower that 's call'd our Ladies Rose The Goats shall bring their Vdders home And the gentle Flocks great Lyons shall not shun Thy Cradle fairest Flowers shall bring forth still Which shall have power the poysonous Herbs to kill The Serpent he shall to destruction bring Assyrian Amomum shall each-where spring He may at once know Vertue and may read His Father's Works and what the Heroes did The Fields when the soft Ears are ripe Shall by degrees even wax white And the red Grnpe shall not scorn To grow on the undrest Thorn From the hard Oak there shall Sweet Honey sweat forth and fall Yet some few Prints of wickedness shall remain So that Ships shall sail on Thetis Waves again Which shall make them to encompass their Towns round With Walls and to make Trenches on the ground Another Typhis and Argos there shall be To convey the chosen Heroes and besides we Shall have other wars again us to destroy And great Achilles shall be sent to Troy VVhen thou shalt attain at length To Years of Man-hood and firm strength The Sea shall then be quiet no Ships shall range Abroad her Wares with others to exchange Then every Land shall every thing produce And then to Plough the Earth they shall not use Vines by the Hook shall not be rectify'd Nor VVooll with divers colours shall be dy'd Fair Fleeces voluntary shall proceed And cloath the Lambs while they do gently feed Jove's Off spring and the Gods dear Progeny Come to those Honours which attend on thee See how the VVorld doth nod though poised even Both Earth the broad Sea and the highest
Heaven O might my Days be lengthned so that I Might sing of thy great deeds before I die See how all things do their Joy and Gladness shew For that Age which is ready to ensue The Thracian Orpheus should not me o'recome Nor Linus though his Parents heard the Son If Pan Arcadia Judging strive with me Pan should Arcadia Judging Conquered be CHAP. XIII Of Prophets WE have frequent mention made of Prophets and Prophecying in the New as well as the Old Testament by which Divines do generally understand Preachers and Preaching and I believe they are partly in the right But I Query if or no the common Notion be deep and extensive enough For with an humble Deference to my Superiors and Betters I am of Opinion that Preachers cannot otherwise with any Propriety of Speech be call'd Prophets than as they are Authorized and Enabled by God Almighty to foretel their respective Flocks and particular Members of the Church they are concerned with what is like to be their future Doom in this partly but especially in the other World And this from their deep Contemplations of God's revealed Decrees their Study of Sacred Scriptures and the Refinedness and Soundness of their Judgments and withal if Men of a Sincere Piety and Devotion from the especial Communications of the Spirit of Grace And if there be any Probability in this 't is no wonder if we find Prophecying not quite ceased amongst us 1. Valentine the Emperor being slain in France and Eugenius nominated Emperor in his room Theodosius the Elder being very sorry and considering how dangerous a War lay before him yet thinking it a great Dishonour to suffer such an Action to go unpunished he muster'd up his Army and with all possible Speed marched against the Conspirators but as a good and holy Christian he first betook himself to Fasting and Prayer seeking unto God the Giver of Victory for Success in his Enterprize requesting the Prayers of other Holy Men also whereof one oâ— them sent him Word that he should have the Victory but should die in Italy and never return again to Constantinople He obtained the Victory fixed himself afterwards at Millain where he lived for some Years and there died Clark in his Life 2. Anno Christi 1279. there lived in Scotland one Thomas Lermouth a Man very greatly admired for his foretelling of Things to come He may justly be wondred at for foretelling so many Ages before the Union of the Kingdom of England and Scotland in the Ninth Degree of Bruce's Blood with the Succession of Bruce himself to the Crown being yet a Child and many other things which the Event hath made good The day before the Death of King Alexander he told the Earl of March that before the next Day at Noon such a Tempest should blow as Scotland had not felt many Years before The next morning proving a clear day the Earl challenged Thomas as an Imposter he replied That Noon was not yet past about which time a Post came to inform the Earl of the King 's sudden Death and then said Thomas This is the Tempest I foretold and so it shall prove to Scotland as indeed it did Spotwood's Hist of Ch. of Scotland l. 2. p. 47. Clark's Mir. c. 101. p. 467. 3. Duncan King of Scots had two principal Men whom he employ'd in all Matters of Importance Mackbeth and Banquho these two travelling together thro' a Forest were met by three Witches Weirds as the Scots call them whereof the first making Obeysance unto Mackbeth saluted him Thane that is Earl of Glammis the second Thane of Cander and the third King of Scotland This is unequal Dealing said Banquho to give my Friend all the Honour and none unto me to which one of the Weirds made answer That he indeed should not be King but out of his Loyns should come a Race of Kings that should for ever rule the Scots And having thus said they all vanished Upon their Arrival to the Court Mackbeth was immediately created Thane of Glammis and not long after some new Service requiring new Recompence he was honour'd with the Title of Thane of Cander Seeing then how happily the Prediction of the three Weirds fell out in the two formea he resolved not to be wanting to himself in fulfilling the third He therefore first killed the King and after by reason of his Command amongst the Soldiers he succeeded in his Throne Being scarce warm in his Seat he called to Mind the Prediction given to his Companion Banquho whom hereupon suspecting as his Supplanter he caused to be killed together with his whole Posterity only Fleance one of his Sons escaping with no small difficulty into Wales freed as he thought of all Feat of Banquho and his Issue he built Dunsinan Castle and made it his ordinary Seat afterwards on some new Fears consulting with his Wizzards concerning his future Estate he was told by one of them that he should never be overcome till Bernane-Wood being some Miles distant came to Dunsinan-Castle and by another that he should never be slain by any Man which was born of a Woman Secure then as he thought from all future Dangers he omitted no kind of Libidinous Cruelty for the space of eighteen Years for so long he tyranniz'd over Scotland But having then made up the Measure of his Iniquities Mackduffe the Governour of Fife with some other good Patriots privily met one Evening at Bernane-Wood and taking every one a Bough in his Hand the better to keep them from Discovery marched early in the Morning towards Dunsinan-Castle which they took by Storm Mackbeth escaping was pursued by Mackduffe who having overtaken him urged him to the Combat to whom the Tyrant half in Scorn returned That in vain he attempted to kill him it being his Destiny never to be slain by any that was born of a Woman Now then said Mackduffe is the fatal end drawn fast upon thee for I was never born of a Woman but violently cut out of my Mother's Belly which so daunted the Tyrant tho' otherwise a Valiant Man that he was easily slain In the mean time Fleance so prosper'd in Wales that he gain'd the Affection of the Prince's Daughter of the Country and by her had a Son call'd Walter who flying Wales return'd into Scotland where his Descent known he was restored to the Honours and Lands of his House and preferr'd to be Steward of the House of Edgar the Son of Malcoline the Third sirnamed Conmer King of Scotland the name of Stewart growing hence hereditary unto his Posterity From this Walter descended that Robert Stewart who succeeded David Bruce in the Kingdom of Scotland the Progenitor of nine Kings of the Name of Stewart which have reigned successively in the Kingdom Heylin's Cosmogr pag. 336. 4. Walter Devereux Earl of Essex having wasted his Spirits with Grief fell into a Dysentery whereof he died after he had requested of such as stood by him that they would admonish
the aforesaid Memoirs Vnder this Stone the Matchless Digby lies Digby the Great the Valiant and the Wise This Age's Wonder for his Noble Parts Skill'd in six Tongues and Learn'd in all the Arts. Born on the day he died th' Eleventh of June On which he bravely fought at Scanderoon 'T is rare that one and self-same Day should be His Day of Birth of Death of Victory 13. I had a Maternal Uncle that died the Third of March last 1678. which was the Anniversary day of his Birth and which is a Truth exceeding strange many Years ago he foretold the day of his death to be that of his Birth and he also averr'd the same but about the Week before his departure 14. Of the Family of the Trevours six successive principal Branches have been born the Sixth of July Same Memoirs 15. Meekren in his Medico Chirurgical Observations gives an Account of a Man that had a Septenary-Fever and Pliny if we may believe him tells us of one Antipater a Sidonian that also had a Fever or as some call it an Ague every Year upon his Birth-day As for the Nature of such Fevers or Agues they are as unaccountable as the Revolution of Sevens a Year in which it 's observ'd a great part of the World that get out of Childhood die in and we read of one Family that never escapes it Whether an Anniversary Ague is curable I dare not pretend since we want Examples perhaps from the Fewness of ' em 16. In the Family of the Hastings Earls of Pembrooke it is memorable that for many Generations together no Son ever saw the Father The Father being always dead before the Son was born Chetwind's Historical Collections I shall take particular Notice here of the Third of November both because 't is my own Birth-day and also for that I have observ'd some remarkable Accidents to have happen'd thereupon I had an Estate left me in Kent of which between thirty and forty Acres was Marsh-Land very conveniently flanking its Up-land and in those Days this Marsh Land was usually lot for Four Nobles an Acre My Father died 1643. Within a Year and half after his Decease such Charges and Water-scots came upon this Marsh-land by the Influence of the Sea that it was never worth one Farthing to me but very often eat into the Rents of the Up-land So that I often think this Day being my Birth-day hath the same evil Influence upon me that it had 580 Years since upon Earl Godwin and others concern'd in Low Lands 18. The Parliament so fatal to Rome's Concerns here in Henry VIII's time began the Third of November 26th of his Reign in which the Pope with his Authority was clean banish'd the Realm See Stow's Annals and Weaver p. 80. 19. The Third of November 1640. began that Parliament so direfully fatal to England in its Peace its Wealth its Religion its Gentry Nobility nay it s King 20. The Third of September was a remarkable Day to the English Attila Oliver 1650. He obtain'd a memorable Victory at Dunbar another at Worcester 1651. And that day he died 1658. 21. The Third of September was Dismal and Unhappy to the City of London and consequently to the whole Kingdom I come now to the Days of the Week 22. I. Tuesday Dies Martis was a most remarkable Day with Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury as Weaver 201 observes from Mat. Paris Upon a Tuesday he suffer'd upon a Tuesday he was Translated upon Tuesday the Peers of the Land sate against him at Northampton upon Tuesday he was Banished upon Tuesday the Lord appear'd to him at Pontiniac saying Thomas Thomas my Church shall be glorified in thy Blood Upon Tuesday he return'd from Exile upon Tuesday he got the Palm or Reward of Martyrdom upon Tuesday 1220. his Venerable Body receiv'd the Glory and Renown of Translation fifty Years after his Passion Thus my Author 22. II. Wednesday is said to have been the fortunate day of Sixtus Quintus that Pope of Renowned Merit that did so great and excellent Things in the time of his Government See The just Weight of the Scarlet Robe p. 101. his desired Praises On a Wednesday he was born on that Day he was made Monk on the same he was made General of his Order on that also was he successively created Cardinal elected Pope and also Inaugurated See Heylin speaking of the Temple of Jerusalem 23. III. Thursday was a fatal Day to Henry VIII as Stow 812. and so also to his Posterity He died on Thursday Jan. 28. King Edward VI. on Thursday July 6. Queen Mary on Thursday November 17. Queen Elizabeth on Thursday March 24. 24. IV. Friday was observ'd to be very fortunate to the Great Renowned Capt. Gonsalvo he having on that day given the French many Memorable Defeats 25. V. Saturday was a Lucky Day to Henry VII Upon that Day he atchiev'd the Victory upon Richard III. being August 22. 1485. On that day he entred the City being August 29. Correct Stow who mistakes the Day and he himself always acknowledged he had experienced it fortunate See Bacon in his Life 26. At Feltwell in Norfolk which lies East and West a Fire happen'd to break out at the West end which the West Wind blew and burn'd all the Street On that Day Twenty Years another Fire happened there which began at the East end and burn'd it to the Ground again This I had from a Reverend Divine 27. Collonel Hugh Grove of Wiltshire was beheaded at Exeter together with Coll John Penrudock on the Ninth day of May 1655. On that very day Three Years his Son and Heir died at London of a Malignant Fever and about the same Hour of the Day 28. A very good Friend of mine and old Acquaintance was born on the 15th of November his eldest Son was born on the 15th of November and his Second Son's First Son on the 15th of November Thus far I 'm beholding to Mr. Aubrey's Collections CHAP. XVI Premonitions of particular Changes or Accidents of Life FOR God to take notice of and concern himself with Particulars was an Article of Religion which Epicurus could not allow of because it seemed Inconsistent with the Majesty of the Supream Being to interrupt his own Peace and Quiet with so many little Punctilioes But for us Christians to doubt of it were very unreasonable since we find in Sacred Scripture that He was concerned about the Sin of Adam the Murder of Abel the Punishment of Cain the preservation of Noah the Production of Isaac the Correction of David the safety of Daniel and the Three Children and to pass over many more Instances the Death of his Son and St. Peter his Apostle 1. Sir Henry Wooton speaking of the Duke of Buckingham's Death takes notice of these Ominous Presagements before his end being to take his Leave of my Lord's Grace of Canterbury the only Bishop of London whom he knew well planted in the King 's unchangeable Affection by
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
Children nearer to him and not to suffer them to live out of full Communion with his Church or else he would in his Anger leave them to such Abominations as shall cut them off from his Church And since this time many young People have by the Grace of the Lord been prepared for full Communion and have taken hold of the Covenant confessing that they have felt the impression of the Word upon that abashing Occasion spoken And thus the fall of one hath been the rising of many Where Sin abounds the Lord can make Grace to superabound Concerning some Personal Deliverances 1. There was a Young man endeavouring to subdue a Young Horse and a Rope at one end of it was fastened about the Horses Neck but the Horse running with great speed the other end of the Rope caught the Foot of this Young Man as in a snare and was so entangled therein that he was drawn Ten Rods upon his back in a very rough and uneven place of Land he being utterly unable to free himself and none at hand that could help him and thus it being come to this Extremity the Horse of himself stood still so long and no longer time than that the Young Man did clear his Foot out of the Rope and thus was delivered out of the danger and suffered not a broken Bone nor any considerable bruise or harm 2. There was another Young Man who sate upon a Plough-Beam and suddenly his Cattle moving his Plough turned and one of his Legs was Entangled within the Plough and the Plough-Irons pressing hard against some part of his Body but could not free himself and the more he called to the Cattle the more speedily they moved and thus was in danger of being torn in pieces but in this extremity it was not long before the Cattle of themselves stood still 3. There was another Young Man who did fall about Ten Foot from some part of the Mill Timber into deep Waters and a place of many Rocks a Stream very violent and he was carried about eleven Rods down the Stream where there was a great piece of Ice and while he was in this confounded and amazed Posture his hand was guided to take hold of that Ice and there to hold until one who saw him fall did adventure upon that Ice and drew him out of the Waters and thus they were both delivered Thus far Mr. Mather 4. Martin Bucer upon a Sermon Preached against the Impieties and Superstitions of the Church of Rome whilst he attended upon the Prince Elector Palatine in Belgium did so incur the ill will of the Monks and Friars that they said Snares for him but he having notice thereof fled secretly away and went unto Franciscus Sickingem by whom he was kindly entertained promising him safety till the times were better quieted in reference to Religion Ibid. p. 155. 5. I will here set down a Remarkable story of my Own Father William Turner a Private Man and disengaged from Parties who yet in the time of our late Civil Wars being requested by a Neighbour to assist him in the seecuing of a Gelding which he had in a Pasture not far from my Father's House upon the Expectation of an Army that was coming in that Road My Father readily without any excuse went along with him took the Horse out of the Pasture went along the Road so long till the Neighbour fearing danger diverted into the Feilds My Father being not far from his own House and trusting partly to the innocence of his cause kept the Road and bid Farewel to his Companion but by and by meeting with some Souldiers he passed by them and after them others till at last finding the lane narrow and the Souldiers come in greater multitudes to avoid the trouble of giving way to so many having a confidence in the swiftness of his Horse and the Knowledge of by-paths he turned back again but had not gone far till he was shot at once and again and at last shot through his Body between the Bowels and Bastard-Ribs and at last seized His Horse Boots Sword and Cloaths all taken from him and a tattered suit of Apparel from a common Souldier put upon him And at last brought to the General who passed this Sentence upon him that he should be hang'd the next Rendezvour Accordly he was driven before them to the next Market-Town Drayton in Shropshire put under the Table whilst the General and his Officers went to breakfast in order to be hanged by and by But upon a false report the General caused the Trumpeter to sound a March and so left my Father bleeding inwardly in the Inn. Three Chirurgeons that were sent for successively one after the other gave him over for desperate but at last a Gentlewoman related to the Earl of Shrewsbury looking upon his wound did believe it curable and accordingly undertook the Cure and in six Months at least effected it but so that my Father upon the least Surcharge of new Ale or Beer or any windy Liquor was obnoxious to Fainting-Fits till it pleased God after 20 Years or thereabouts to order it so that the Escharre broke out in way of an Issue which continued with him I think to almost the time of his Death which was in the 77th Year of his Age A. D. 1689 90. This I thought my self bound in point of Gratitude to the Divine Providence to Record 6. Beza being in France in the first Civil War and there tossed up and down for two and twenty Months Recorded six hundred Deliverances from Dangers in that space for which he solemnly gave God thanks in his last Testament Flavel's Divine Conduct p. 104. 7. Extracted from Mr. Aubery 's Miscellanies Anno 1670. A poor Widow's Daughter in Herefordshire went to Service she was Aged about 20 fell very ill even to the point of Death her Mother besought God to spare her Daughter's life and take her to him At this very time the Daughter fell into a Trance which continued about an Hour they thought she had been Dead When she recovered out of it she declared the Vision she had in this Fit viz. That one in black Habit came to her whose Face was so bright and glorious she could not behold it and also he had such brightness upon his Breast and if I forget not upon his Arms and told her That her Mother's Prayers were heard and that her Mother should shortly die and she should suddenly recover And she did so and her Mother died She hath the Character of a modest humble vertuous Maid Had this been in some Catholick Country it would have made a great Noise 8. T is certain there was one in the Strand who lay in a Trance a few Hours before he departed And in his Trance had a Vision of the Death of King Charles the II. It was at the very Day of his Apoplectick Fit 9. There is a Sheet of Paper Printed 16 concerning Ecstasies that James Vsher late Lord Primate
of Ireland once had but I have been assured from my Honoured Friend James Tyrrel Esq his Lordship's Grand-son that this was not an Ecstasie but that his Lordship upon reading the 12 13 14 c. Chapters of the Revelation and farther Reflecting upon the great increase of the Sectaries in England supposed that they would let in Popery which consideration put him into a great Transport at the time when his Daughter the Lady Tyrrel came into the Room when he Discoursed to her divers things tho' not all contained in the said Printed Paper Thus far Mr. Aubery 10. Mr. Brewen of Sâ—apleford as he excelled others in the Holiness of his Life so he much excelled himself towards his death his Motions towards Heaven being then most vigorous and quick The Day before his last sickness he had such extraordinary Inlargements of Heart in his Closet-Duty that he seemed to forget all the Concernments of his Body and this lower World and when his Wife told him Sir I fear you have done your self hurt with Rising so early He Answer'd If you had seen such glorious things as I saw this Morning in private Prayer with God you would not have said so for they were so wonderful and unspeakable that whether I was in the Body or out of the Body with Paul I cannot tell And so it was with the Learned and Holy Mr. Rivet who seemed as a Man in Heaven just before he went thither 11. It is Recorded of our Famous Jewel That about the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign the Inquisition taking hold of him in Oxford he fled to London by Night but providentially losing the Road he escaped the Inquisitors who pursued him However he fell that Night into another eminent hazard of Life for wandring up and down in the Snow he fainted and lay starving in the way panting and labouring for Life at which time Mr. Latimer's Servant found and saved him See his Life 12. The Protestants besieged in Bezier's in France were delivered by a Drunken Drummer who going to his Quarters at Mid-night rang the Alarm-Bell of the Town not knowing what he did and just then were their Enemies making their Assault And as weak and improbable means have been blessed with Success to the Church in general so to the preservation of its particular Members also William of Nassau Prince of Orange as he lay in Camp near to the Duke of Alva's Army some Spaniards in the Night brake into his Camp and some of them ran as far as the Prince of Orange's Tent where he was fast asleep but he had a Dog lying by him on the Bed that never left Barking and Scratching him by the Face till he had awaked him whereby he escaped the Danger Strada 13. Queen Elizabeth's Preservation in the Tower in the time of her Imprisonment is a Remarkable Providence not to be forgot viz. When her Bloody Sister Queen Mary had design'd her Death she was preserved by King Philip Queen Mary's Husband who had not perhaps his Fellow in Christendom at that time for Cruelty and Persecution of the Reformed and was moved to the Saving the Princess Elizabeth's Life not so much by his Bowels of Compassion as a Principle of Policy For if Queen Mary should die Childless as indeed he feared if the Princess Elizabeth had been taken out of the way the Queen of Scots a Papist would have come to the Crown of England who being inseparably joyned in League with France might both of them together been too hard for Spain and that his Gentleness to the Princess could be on no other account appears plainly by his putting his Eldest Son to death upon no other Account than for his being so mercifully inclined to the Protestants in the Netherlands This remarkable Providence needs no vouching but however it may be found in a Book that goes under the Name of Mr. Slingsby Bethel in Octavo p. 6. Printed in London A. C. 1694. 14. When several oppressed with the Cruelty and Tyranny of Richard the Third did confederate to Raise Henry Earl of Richmond to the Crown and by his Marriage with Elizabeth Eldest Daughter of Edward the Fourth to Unite the Houses of York and Lancaster Mr. Henry Wiat was one therein Ingaged and Intrusted in the Association and Correspondence between the Duke beyond Sea and his Friends in England and passed with Messages for which he was Suspected and Examined but for want of Proof discharged he was afterwards thereof Accused committed to the Tower and Tortured for Discovery of the Duke's Design and Friends in England but neither Threats Torture or fair Promises of Reward could prevail so that he was cast into the Dungeon and Fed with Bread and Water and there lay at the Duke's Descent and Victory where a Cat did use to come to him and bring Provision or he had been Starved He for his Fidelity was preferred made a Knight Baronet by Henry the Seventh and of the Privy Council to Henry the Seventh and Henry the Eighth This Relation hath been received true in the Family in Kent and in Memory thereof his Picture is preserved with a Cat creeping in at a Grate with a Pidgeon in its Mouth and these Verses added Hunc macrum rigidum maestum fame frigore cura Pavi fovi acui carne calore Joco This Relation was sent me November 16. 1696. by Counsellor Wiat now Living at Serjeants Inn near Fleet-street II. Sea-Dangers and Deliverances 1. Great were the Dangers and wonderful the Deliverances of Will. Okely and his Company the Relation of which from his own Book I have thus Contracted An. Dom. 1639. We took Ship at Gravesend in the Mary of London Mr. Boarder Master bound for the Isle of Providence in the West-Indies Five Weeks we lay in the Downs waiting for a Wind and then we set Sail and came to Anchor near the Isle of Wight but by this time all our Beer in the Ship stunk and we were forced to throw it over-board and to take Vinegar to mix with Water for our Voyage The next Lord's Day we set Sail again and coming between the Island and the main Land we stuck fast in the Sands but the Tide coming in heaved us off The sixth Day after our setting Sail from the Isle of Wight we discovered three Turks Men of War who Chased us and at break of Day boarded and took us Having kept us close Prisoners at Sea at the end of five or six Weeks they brought us to Algiers where I was sold for a Slave the first Market-Day to a Patron who told me I must allow him two Dollars a Month and live ashoar where I would and get it where I could though I knew not where to Levy the least Mite of it Wandering up and down I light of an English-Man in his little Shop that Traded with Tobacco and a few other Things His Partner I became with a little Money I had reserved and a small modicum my Patron had allowed me for my
scent to her Nose and thereby receive it into her Brain which if she had done it had been her Death Never any Treason against her came so near to Execution as this For the Traytor Squire observed his Direction did the Deed and that immediately before the Queen rode abroad but the Divine Providence kept her from touching the Pummel with her Hand yet was the Treason discovered and the Traytor received his reward 17. A. C. 1599. The Earl of Tyr-Owen an Irish-man having been some while in Spain returned from thence with a Rebellious Mind and by the Assistance of Spain and the Popish Faction raised a Rebellion whereby more damage accrued to the Queen and State than by any other Rebellion all her Days yet by the good hand of God this Rebellion also was subdued and that Land secured and quieted 18. A. C. 1600. There was a Plot for the removing some of the Queens chief Officers and Councellors from about her which had it been effected might have proved dangerous to her Person and State the rather because many Papists had a great hand in that Conspiracy But the Lord prevented the mischief intended 19. A. C. 1602. Henry Garnet Superiour of the Jesuits in England Robert Tresmand Jesuit Robert Catesby Francis Tresham and others in the Name of all the Romish Catholicks in England imployed Thomas Winter into Spain to obtain an Army from thence to joyn with a Popish Army that should be raised here to change the Government and Religion setled among us Spain and England being then at Wars the motion was readily embraced by the Spaniards and an hundâ—ed thousand Crowns promised to help forward the business but before any thing could be effected it pleased God to take away that Peerless Princess full of Years in peace on her Bed having Reigned Gloriously 44 Ysars four Months and seven Days being sixty nine Years six Months and seventeen Days old II. In the Reign of King James 1. In the first Year of his Reign before he was solemnly Anointed and Crowned Watson and Clark two Romish Priests drew into their Conspiracy some Noble Men some Knights and some Gentlemen to surprise the King and his Son Prince Henry presuming on Foreign Forces for Aid and Assistance intending to alter Religion and to set up such Officers of State as they ohought best but their Plot before it came to execution was discovered the Traytors Condemned some of them Executed and others through the Kings Clemency spared Garnet and Tresmond Jesuits with Catesby and Tresham notwithstanding the Death of Queen Elizabeth when they saw that King James Defended the same Faith continued to solicit the King of Spain to send an Army into England to joyn with the Forces of the Papists here for Extirpation of Religion But the King of Spain being in Treaty with the King of England about Peace refused to hearken to any such motion whereupon they together with other Unnatural and Trayterous Subjects Plotted the matchless merciless devilish and damnable Gun-powder Treason as is now to be shewed The Plot was to under-mine the Parliament-House and with Powder to blow up the King Prince Clergy Nobles Knights and Burgesses the very Confluence of all the flower of Glory Piety Learning Prudence and Authority in the Land Fathers Sons Brothers Allies Friends Foes Papists and Protestants all at one blast Their intent when that Irreligious Atchievement had been performed was to surprize the remainder of the King's Issue to alter Religion and Government and to bring in a Forreign Power Sir Edmond Baynam an attainted Person who stiled himself Prince of the Damned Crew was sent unto the Pope as he was the Temporal Prince to acquaint him with the Gun-powder Plot and now to the Plot it self The Sessions of Parliament being dissolved July 7th A. C. 1605. and Prorogued to the 7th of February following Catesby being at Lambeth sent for Thomas Winter who before had been imployed into Spain and acquainted him with the design of blowing up the Parliament-House who readily apprehending it said This indeed strikes at the Root only these helps were wanting a House for Residence and a skilfull Man to carry the Mine but the first Catesby assured him was easie to be got and for the Man he commended Guy Fawkes a sufficient Souldier and a forward Catholick Thus Robert Catesby John Wright Thomas Winter and Guy Fawkes had many Meetings and Conferences about the business till at last Thomas Piercy came puffing into Catesby's Lodging at Lambeth saying What Gentlemen shall we always be thinking and never do any thing You cannot be ignorant how things proceed To whom Catesby answered that something was resolved on but first an Oath for Secrecy was to be Administred for which purpose they appointed to meet some three Days after behind St. Clements Church beyond Temple-Bar where being met Peircy professed that for the Catholick cause himself would be the Man to advance it were it with the slaughter of the King which he was ready to undertake and do No Tom. said Catesby thou shalt not adventure thy self to so small purpose if thou wilt be a Traytor there is a Plot to greater Advantage and such a one as can never be discovered Hereupon all of them took the Oath of Secresie heard a Mass and received the Sacrament after which Catesby told them his devilish Devise by Mine and Gun-powder to blow up the Parliament-House and so by one stroke with the Destruction of many effect that at once which had been many Years attempting And for case of Conscience to kill the Innocent with the nocent he told that it was Warrantable by the Authority of Garnet himself the Superiour of the English Jesuits and of Garrard and Tresmond Jesuitical Priests likewise who by the Apostolical Power did commend the Fact and Absolve the Actors The Oath was given them by the said Garrard in these words You shall swear by the blessed Trinity and by the Sacrament you now purpose to receive never to disclose directly nor indirectly by Word or Circumstance the Matter that shall be proposed to you to keep secret nor desist from the Execution thereof until the rest shall give you leave The Project being thus far carried on in the next place the first thing they sought after was a House wherein they might begin the Work for which purpose no place was held fitter than a certain Edifice adjoyning to the Wall of the Parliament-House which served for a With-Drawing Room to the Assembled Lords and out of Parliament was at the disposal of the Keeper of the place and Wardrobe thereto belonging These did Piercy hire for his Lodgings entertained Fawkes as his Man who changed his Name into Johnson had the Keys and keeping of the Rooms Besides this they hired another House to lay in Provision of Powder and to frame and to fit Wood in for the carrying on the Mine which Catesby provided at Lambeth and Swore Robert Keyes into their Conspiracy whom he made the
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
Things He could not endure to be put to Bed without Family-Duty but would put his Parents upon Duty and would with much Devotion kneel down and with great Patience and Delight continue 'till Duty was at an end When he had committed any fault he was easily convinced of it and would get into some Corner and Secret Place and with Tears beg Pardon of God and Strength against such a Sin He had a Friend that oft watched him and listned at his Chamber-door from whom I received this Narrative A Friend of his asked him Whether he were willing to die when he was first taken sick he answered No because he was afraid of his State as to another World Why Child said the other thou didst pray for a new Heart for an humble and a sincere Heart and I have heard thee Didst thou not pray with thy Heart I hope I did said he Not long after the same Person asked him again Whether he were willing to die He answered Now I am willing for I shall go to Christ He still grew weaker and weaker but carried it with a great deal of sweetness and patience waiting for his Change and at last did cheerfully commit his Spirit unto the Lord and calling upon the Name of the Lord and saying Lord Jesus Lord Jesâ—â— in whose Bosom he sweetly slept dying as I remember when he was about Five or Six Years old 8. Of a little Girl that was wrought upon when she was between Four and Five Years old Mary A. when she was between Four and Five Years old was greatly affected in hearing the Word of God and became very solicitous about her Soul and Everlasting Condition weeping bitterly to think what would become of her in another World asking strange Questions concerning God and Christ and her own Soul So that this little Mary before she was full Five Years old seemed to mind the one thing needful and to choose the better part and sate at the Feet of Christ many a time and oft with Tears She was very Conscientious in keeping the Sabbath spending the whole time either in Reading or Praying or learning her Catechism or teaching her Brethren and Sisters See took great delight in Reading of the Scripture and some part of it was more sweet to her than her appointed Food she would get several choice Scriptures by heart and discourse of them savourly and apply them suitably A little before she died she had a great Conflict with Satan and cried out I am none of his Her Mother seeing her in trouble asked her what was the matter she answered Satan did trouble me but now I thank God all is well I know I am none of his but Christ's After this she had a great Sence of God's Love and a Glorious Sight as if she had seen the very Heavens open and the Angels come to receive her by which her Heart was filled with Joy and her Tongue with Praise Being desired by the Standers-by to give them a particular Account of what she saw she answered You shall know hereafter and so in an Extasie of Joy and holy Triumph she went to Heaven when she was about Twelve Years old Hallelujah 9. Of a Child that began to look towards Heaven when she was about Four Years old A certain little Child when she was about Four Years old had a Conscientious Sence of her Duty towards her Parents because the Commandment saith Honour thy Father and thy Mother And though she had little advantage of Education she carried it with the greatest Reverence to her Parents imaginable so that she was no small Credit as well as Comfort to them She would be very attentive when she read the Scriptures and be much affected with them and would by no means be perswaded to prophane the Lord's Day but would spend it in some good Duties When she was taken sick one asked her Whether she were willing to die she answered Yes if God would pardon her Sins Being asked How her Sins should be pardoned she answered Through the Blood of Christ. There were very many observable Passages in the Life and Death of this Child but the Hurry and Grief that her Friends were in buried them 10. Charles Bridgman had no sooner learned to speak but he betook himself to Prayer His Sentences were wise and weighty and well might become some ancient Christian His Sickness lasted long and at least Three Days before his Death he prophesied his Departure and not only that he must die but the very Day The last Words which he spake were exactly these Pray pray pray nay yet pray and the more Prayers the better all prospers God is the best Physician into his Hands I commend my Spirit O Lord Jesus receive my Soul Now close mine Eyes Forgive me Father Mother Brother Sister all the World Now I am well my Pain is almost gone my Joy is at hand Lord have mercy on me O Lord receive my Soul unto thee And thus he yielded his Spirit up unto the Lord when he was about Twelve Years old This Narrative was taken out of Mr. Ambrose 's Life's Lease 11. Of a poor Child that was awakened when she was about Five Years old A certain very poor Child that had a very bad Father but it was to be hoped a very good Mother was by the Providence of God brought to the sight of a Godly Friend of mine who upon the first sight of the Child had a great pity for him and took an Affection to him and had a mind to bring him for Christ It was not long before the Lord was pleased to strike in with the Spiritual Exhortations of this good Man so that the Child was brought to a liking of the things of God He would ask very excellent Questions and Discourse about the Condition of his Soul and Heavenly Things and seemed mightily concerned what should become of his Soul when he should die so that his Discourse made some Christians even to stand astonished He was greatly taken with the great kindness of Christ in dying for Sinners and would be in Tears at the mention of them and seemed at a strange rate to be affected with the unspeakable Love of Christ After the Death of his Mother he would often repeat some of the Promises that are made unto Fatherless Children especially that in Exod. 22.22 Ye shall not afflict any Widow or the Fatherless Child if thou afflict them in any wise and they cry at all unto me I will surely hear their cry These words he would often repeat with Tears I am Fatherless and Motherless upon Earth yet if any wrong me I have a Father in Heaven who will take my part to him I commit myself and in him is all my trust Thus he continu'd in a Course of Holy Duties living in the fear of God and shewed wonderful Grace for a Child and died sweetly in the Faith of Jesus My Friend is a Judicious Christian of many Years Experience who was
offend Man and expose themselves to the disfavour of the World as Abraham believed contrary to all apparent Sense and common Reason and yet was blessed Or as Daniel and the three children ventured to Worship God in the prospect of temporal Dangers and yet were delivered Or as the Apostles left all to follow Christ and yet were rewarded For God is not unrighteous to forget our Works of Faith and Labours of Love which we shew toward his Name Heb. 6.10 This Subject is of a large Extent and therefore I must of necessity narrow it or it would carry me into all the particular Duties of our Religion 1. Mr. Lloyd speaking of Dr. Nicholas Wotton Doctor of the Civil Laws and first Dean of the two Metropolitan Churches of Canterbury and York saith Augustus lamented for Varus his Death because he said Now I have none in my Country to tell me the Truth with Wotton went off that Faithfulness that Peasants have and Princes want None more resolute abroad none more hold and downright at home His plain Dealing saved King Henry some Treasure King Edward the North Queen Mary Calice for a while and Queen Elizabeth her Faith and Crown A Virtue that made him the Overseer of most forreign Ministers Actions abroad and one of the Eighteen Executors of King Henry's Will and Testament at home He was Privy Counsellor to four successive Sovereigns viz. King Henry the VIII King Edward the VI Queen Mary Queen Elizabeth He was employed thirteen several times in Embassies to forreign Princes Five times to Charles the Fifth Emperour Once to Philip his Son King of Spain Once to Francis the First King of France Once to Mary Queen of Hungary Governess of the Netherlands Twice to William Duke of Cleve Once to renew the Peace between England France and Scotland Anno. 1540. Again to the same purpose at Cambray Anno 1549. Once sent Commissioner with others to Edinburgh in Scotland 1560. He refused the Archbishoprick of Canterbury profered him in the first of Queen Elizabeth Lloyd's Worthies p. 107.108 109. 2. Mr. Dod when single thinking how he should maintain a Wife and Children was encouraged by looking upon a Hen and Chickens scratching for their living and considering that the Hen did but live before now she was able to maintain all that Family And accordingly himself fared for God provided plentifully for him and his See his Life 3. One John Stewart Provost of Aaire in Scotland having lent or given a great part of his Estate to the Poor in Charity and at last being himself in straits he was called a Fool and reproached for what he had done upon which he goes over to France adventures to Fraight a Ship at Rochel with Salt c. upon his Credit returns home and vends the Commodities with which he paid his Debts and had 20000 Marks over to his own Pocket Clark's Leg. CHAP. LXVIII Present Retribution to Plain and Faithful Reprovers HE that rebukes a Man afterwards shall find more Favour then he that flattereth with his Tongue saith Solomon Prov. 28.23 That this effect doth not always follow is easily deducible from the Admonition of our Saviour who adviseth us not to give that which is Holy unto Dogs nor to cast Pearls before Swine lest they turn again and rent us c. But that when our Reproofs meet with fit and capable Subjects it is so is often proved by Experience 1. Bishop Barnes having suspended Nr. Bernard Gilpin requires him suddenly upon his return from a Journey out of the North to Preach a Visitation Sermon at Chester Mr. Gilpin desired to be excused as being not provided and being suspended But the Bishop accepting no denial at last Mr. Gilpin answered Seeing it cannot be otherwise your Lordship's Will be done And after a little pawse began his Sermon in the Application whereof he proceeded thus And now Reverend Father my Speech must be directed to your Fatherhood God hath exalted you to be Bishop of this Diocess and God requires an account of your Government hereof c. And so proceeding to tax the Faults of the Diocess Let not saith he your Lordship say these Crimes have been committed by the Fault of others without your Knowledge for whatsoever your self shall do in Person or suffer by your Connivency to be done is wholly your own therefore in the presence of God his Angels and Men I pronounce your Fatherhood to be the Author of all these Evils yea and in that strict Day of the General Account I shall be a Witness to testifie against you c. After which pungent Admonition contrary to expectation the Bishop brought Mr. Gilpin home and there walking with him in his Parlour takes him by the Hand and thus bespeaks him Father Gilpin I acknowledge you are fitter to be Bishop of Durham than myself to be Parson of this Church of yours I ask forgiveness for Errors past forgive me Father I know you have hatch'd up some Chickens that now seek to pick out your Eyes but so long as I shall live Bishop of Durham be secure no Man shall injure you See his Life by Bishop Carleton p. 58. 2. Bishop Latimer who sent K. Henry the Eighth the New Testament for a New-year's Gift with this Inscription Marriage is honourable among all Men and the Bed undefiled but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge c. Who preach'd such pungent Sermons to the Court to the Judges to the Clergy to all yet lived well died comfortably put on the Crown of Martyrdom at his Exit out of this World and since his departure hath escaped the Lash of envious and reproachful Tongues much better than his then prosperous Adversaries and Persecutors See the Story of Dr. Wotton in the foregoing Chapter how his Fidelity and Veracity were rewarded with present Preferments and honourable Offices CHAP. LXIX Present Retribution to the Humble and Modest. MOdesty is a Vertue say some the will starve a Man and indeed among some undiscerning Persons it goes under no better Notion than Cowardice and Sneakingness of Spirit when Audaciousness and Arrogance are valued at a high rate among Fools But all the World is not foolish there are some wise and judicious Men dispersed here and there among us and these know how to judge of true Modesty and Humbleness of Spirit and with them these Qualities are of great Price But however God Almighty hath an especial Favour for them and doth value them and will reward them either here or hereafter He exalts the humble and meek and fills the hungry Soul with good things 1. Dr. Sanderson was a Man of great Modesty as well as Judgment and yet purely by the Dint of Merit and Modesty together made his way not only to considerable Preferment in the Church but gained upon the Estimation and Affections of all Parties in England and lived peaceably all his Days and now being dead hath escaped better the Bitings of virulent Tongues than some other bigotted Persons
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
of destroying herself and have had oftentimes a Knife put into her Hand to do it so that she durst not be left by herself alone and when she had considered what the Cause of it might be her Conscience did hint most her neglecting of Duties to have performed they being the Ordinances of God Thus she continued 'till two Years ago she buried her Child the which was a very great trouble to her to part with and then was she more convinced of Sin which caused her Burthen to be the greater so that she could seldom have any other Thoughts but of Desperation but the Lord keeping her by his great Mercy so that sometimes she could pray with Devotion and discerning the Lord to remove this great Trouble from her she did plainly find that those great Temptations were very much lessened the which is a great Comfort unto her Spirit Believers Experiences p. 25. CHAP. XCI Satan Hurting by Dreams That God hath made use of Dreams and Visions of the Night to awaken Men to their Duty and a Sence of the Dangers they were in is demonstrated already and it is not unreasonable to believe that the Devil can in this Case too transform himself into an Angel of Light and impose upon the Imaginations of Men by strange deluding Fancies and Idea's formed on purpose to trick their Minds into a Snare and to allure them into some Trap of either Sin or Misery that he hath laid for them 1. King James the Fifth of Scotland was a great Enemy to the Light of the Gospel which in his Days broke forth in that Kingdom viz. about the Year 1541 and out of a blind and bloody Zeal was heard to say That none of that Sort should expect any Favour at his Hands no not his own Sons if they proved guilty But not long after Sir James Hamilton being suspected to incline that way was falsly accused of a Practice against the King's Life and being Condemned was Executed Shortly after the King being at Linlithgow on a Night as he slept it seemed to him That Thomas Scot Justice-Clerk came unto him with a Company of Devils crying Wo-worth the Day that ever I knew thee or thy Service for serving thee against God and against his Servants I am now adjudged to Hell torments Hereupon the King awaking called for Lights and causing his Servants to arise told them what he had heard and seen The next Morning by Day-light Advertisement was brought him of this Scot's Death which fell out just at the time when the King found himself so troubled and almost in the same manner for he died in great extremity often uttering these words Justo Dei Judicio comdemnatus sum by the righteous Judgment of God I am condemned Which being related to the King made the Dream more terrible 2. Another Vision he had in the same place not many Nights after which did more affright him Whilst he lay sleeping he thought He saw Sir James Hamilton whom he had caused to be Executed come with a Sword drawn in his Hand wherewith he cut off both his Arms threatning also to return within a short time and deprive him of his Life With this he awaked and as he lay musing what this might import News was brought him of the Death of his two Sons James and Arthur who died at St. Andrews and Strinling at one and the same Hour The next Year viz. 1542 being overcome with Grief and Passion himself died at Faulkland in the Thirty second Year of his Age. Arch-bishop Spoteswood 's History of the Church of Scotland Clark's Mirrour Ch. 7. p. 34 35. I am not sure that these particular Instances are properly placed under this Head I leave it to my wise and judicious Reader to consider whether or no these were Divine Admonitions or Satanical Illusions Mr. Clark hath accounted them as Satanical But 't is certain the Vulgar sort of People are so fond of observing their Dreams and some pretended wise Men and Women of a superstitious Kidney do promote this Fancy extreamly and undertake to prescribe Rules for the making a Judgment upon them and by that means do no small hurt to some weak hypochondriacal and melancholick Spirits How often shall we hear them whining out their Complaints upon the Account of some late Dream in expectation of some sad Disaster or Malady that they believe with much Confidence will befall them And sometimes fretting and pining to that extremity that no Comfort will down with them 'till the Date of their Dream be fully expired And I doubt not but Comfort will down with in promoting these silly and troublesome Conceits CHAP. XCII Satan Hurting by Witchcraft ATheism and Sadducism have got such Ground in the World of late Ages that 't is no vain Vndertaking to write of Devils and the Mischief done by them to Mankind by the Mediation of a sort of People that have Familiar Communion with them To transcribe all has been writ upon this Subject by Dr. More Mr. Glanvil Mr. Baxter Scheggius Remigius Delrio Mather c. would make up a large Volume enough to confute any whose Faces are not harder than Brass and their Hearts than Iron it shall be enough to say so much as shall suffice to convince those who are industrious enough to read patient enough to deliberate and have humility and honesty enough to be serious and impartial And as for the rest Qui vult Decipi decipiatur 1. In Pinola there were some who were much given to Witchcraft and by the Power of the Devil did act strange Things Amongst the rest there was one Old Woman named Martha de Carillo who had been by some of the Town formerly accused for Bewitching many but the Spanish Justices quitted her finding no sure Evidence against her with this grew worse and worse and did much harm when I was there two or three died withering away declaring at their Death That this Carillo had killed them and that they saw her often about their Beds threatning them with a frowning and angry Look the Indians for fear of her durst not complain against her nor meddle with her Whereupon I sent saith my Author unto Don Juan de Guzman the Lord of that Town that if he took not Order with her she would destroy the Town He hearing of it got for me a Commission from the Bishop and another Officer of the inquisition to make diligent and private Enquiry after her Life and Actions Which I did and found among the Indians many and grievous Complaints against her most of the Town affirming that she was certainly a most notorious Witch and that before her former Accusation she was wont to go as she had occasion about the Town with a Duck following her which when she came to the Church would stay at the Door 'till she came out again and then would return with her which Duck they imagined was her beloved Devil and Familiar Spirit for that they had often set Dogs at
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
Enemy's Hands uttered these or such-like Speeches See what is become of these Gallants that sung so much one with another When any one doth wrong us God is our Succour and Defence But he had scarce ended his Words whenas a sudden Grief took him so that he was forced to alight from his Horse and to be carried to Bed where instead of singing he died in Despair drawing forth his Tongue as black as a Coal and hanging out of his Mouth This happened the Ninth of June 1547. Ibid. 6. Mr. Job Williams of Preston-Baggot having made a Journey to London to enter his Minister Mr. Benjamin Lovel into the High-Commission Court tho' a worthy Man on his Return was struck with such Terrors of Conscience that he fell sick sent for Mr. Lovei and begg'd his Pardon telling him That so soon as he had sealed the Bond for his Prosecution the Devil appeared to him and said he would have him without any Remedy Thus he continued crying out there was no Mercy for him and about a Fortnight after in his own House with a piece of Bed-cord he hang'd himself Related from Mr. Lovel's own Mouth Clark's Exampl Vol. 1. c. 85. See the last Example in the Chapter of Divine Judgments upon Murder 7. One of my Parishioners where I was Minister formerly having given Occasion of Scandal by his Drunkenness and reproachful Tongue and Execrations was by me disswaded from coming to the Sacrament till such time as he had given some Proof of his Reformation He took this so disdainfully that he left our Communion went first to a Meeting of dissenting Protestants in the Town then to the Papists and at last falling ill of a strange Disease in his Bowels from which he could find no Ease or Relief but by taking a daily Dose of Laudnum his only Child died his Wife became lame on her Arm and he continued pining away some Years and at last died in extream Poverty and was carried like a Sack of Corn with only one Man attending on Horseback to his Grave CHAP. CIX Divine Judgments upon Persecution WE find the Evils done to God's People have been repaid by a just Retribution to their Enemies Pharaoh and the Egyptians were cruel Enemies to God's Israel and designed the Ruine of their poor innocent Babes and God repaid it in smiting all the First-born of Egypt in one Night Exod. 12.29 Haman erected a Gallows fifty Cubits high for good Mordecai and God so ordered it that himself and his ten Sons were hanged on it And indeed it was but meet as the Reverend Divine saith That he should eat the Fruits of that Tree which himself had planted Esther 7.10 Aâ—hitophel plots against David and gives Counsel like an Oracle how to procure his Fâ—ll and that very Counsel like a surcharged Gun recoiâ—s upon himself and precures his Ruine c. The Arm which Jeroboam stretched out to smite the Prophet God smites Oberve the few Instances which follow 1. Maximinus that cruel Emperor who set forth his Proclamation engraven in Brass for the utter Abolishing of the Christian Religion was speedily smitten like Herod with a dreadful Judgment swarms of Lice preying upon his Entrails and causing such a Stench that his Physicians could not endure to come nigh him and for Refusing it were slain Hundreds of like Instances might easily be produced to confirm this Observation And who can but see by these Things that verily there is a God that judgeth in the Earth 2. Charles the IX most inhumanely made the very Canals of Paris to stream with Protestant Blood and soon after he died miserably his Blood streaming from all Parts of his Body Flav. Div. Cond p. 26. 3. Stephen Gardiner that burnt so many of God's dear Servants to Ashes was himself so scorched up by a terrible Inflammation that his very Tongue was black and hung out of his Mouth and in dreadful Torments ended his wretched Life Ibid. Fox's Mar. 4. Laurentius Surius a German Chronicler to Charles the V. Emperor heard this strange Accident by People worthy of Belief who made Report thereof to the Emperor because they were there present at that time And since then I my self saith my Author have heard it confirm'd by divers honourable Gentlemen who travelled for certain Knowledge thereof The Islands of the Molucques are many in Number but among the rest there are Five more great and remarkable than all the other which are named Tidora Terrenata Mata Matila and Matiena in which Islands there is much greater Increase of Spices than in any other as is yet discovered as of Pepper Nutmegs Ginger Cloves and Mace besides Rice and many other Fruits Charles the V. who had an Interest in these Islands having need of Money to serve his Wars in Italy Germany and France quitted his Rights to the King of Portugal for 350000 Duckats At which time Mansor King of the great Island Tidora entertained the Portugals very courteously permitted all his Subjects to be instructed in the Christian Religion and so many of them as pleased to be Baptized But this good King dying his Son not only interdicted the Portugals Commerce with his Subjects but also commanded his People as suddenly as they could to kill them and that none should be so bold as to make Profession of the Christian Faith or to meddle with any matter thereof This was no sooner understood by some who were but badly affected to Christianity but before they could prevent it many Portugals were slain and such as had any means of Escape fled into their Ships lying near at Anchor and returned home to Portugal with these ill Tydings Here ye are to note That after this disloyal Act of so evil Usage towards Strangers and Breach of Fidelity without any Cause given to procure it albeit the Deceased King Mansâ—r whose own Letters cleared from all such Barbarous and Mahometan Perfidie had granted to the Portugals free Liberty to slay any that hindred their Commerce or any way scandalized their Religion which they refused to do they carried themselves very patiently in all the Injuries that these Mahometist Molucques offered them who were much assisted in their Violence by the Arabian Merchants After this Massacre of the Christians for the space of two Years the Land of Tidora and other Isles adjacent became Barren Their Trees brought forth no more Fruits no Spices and altho' the Grounds were sowed and resowed many times together yet did they not produce any Corn and the Rice which they kept for further sowing putrefied of it self the sweet Waters became salt the Cattle as Elephants Oxen Kine Camels Sheep and such like died well near all and caused the Death of many People beside 5. The several Deaths of the principal Actors in that bloody Tragedy the Parisian Massacre are worthy Observation The King died wallowing in Blood not only issuing from all the Passages of his Body but as it were in a sweat of Blood from all the Pores of it the
times sooner than Old Jude will forgive us once But Sam was of another Mind goes to Jude's House confesseth the Injury offers the Money Jude Pardons him but would take no Money This grieved him more upon which he goes to his Spiritual Father Mr. Ward opens to him the whole state of his Soul who in great tenderness poured Wine and Oyl into his Wounds See his Life See the Story of the Fire at Brightling in the last Chapter as also of the Staffordshire man that stole a Bible in the Chapter of Cursing c. 6. Rich. Rogers of Middle near Salop had a Bible stollen out of his Seat in the Church and a while after his Daughter one Morning found another thrown by the House Door which he made publick Proclamation of at Church and no body own'd or claim'd it From his own Mouth 7. Mr. Mackerness in the Narrative which himself hath publish'd of his own Life confesseth his stealing a Duck near Oxford and eating it and with great trouble of Spirit professeth himself willing to make four-fold Restitution if he knew to whom CHAP. CXVI Divine Judgments upon Sacrilege Simony SAcrilege is the Diversion of Holy and Ecclesiastick things to Profane and Secular use As Simeon and Levi so Theft and Sacrilege be evil Brethren saith Sir H. Spelman Theft robs our Neighbour Sacrilege God God himself hath told us That Lands and Houses may be sanctified to the Lord but things devoted are most Holy to the Lord Lev. 27.28 and not redeemable And the Charters of our Foundations of Monasteries and Abbies were generally in these words Concessi Deo Ecclesiae Offero Deo confirmavi Deo Ecclesiae c. Cook Magn. Chart. fol. 2.1.6 c. Simony is the Purchasing of what is Sacred and Spiritual with things of Secular Nature and Consideration Both which sins God hath appeared plainly against as may be made appear to any one that is acquainted with the History of the Church Uzzah died because be did but touch the Ark to save it He that prosaned the Sabbath was stoned Corah and his Company who medled with the things of the Priesthood wire swallowed up quick Ananias died Simon Magus was accursed 1. When Heliodorus was present in the Temple with his Soldiers ready to seize upon the Treasury by the Prayers of the People of Jerusalem the Lord of all Spirits and power shewed so great a Vision that he fell suddenly into an extream fear and trembling For there appeared unto him an Horse with a terrible Man sitting upon him most richly trapped which came fiercely and smote at him with his fore-feet Moreover there appeared two Young Men notable in Strength excellent in Beauty and comely in Apparel which stood by him on either side and scourged him with many stripes so that Heliodorus that came in with so great a company of Soldiers and Attendants was stricken dumb and carried out in a Litter upon means shoulders for his strength was so abated that he could not help himself but lay destitute of all hopes of Recovery so heavy was the Hand of God upon him until by the Prayers of Onias the High-Priest he was restored then he confessed that he which dwelt in Heaven had his Eyes on that Place and defended it from all those that came to hurt and spoil it Josephus 2. Sir Henry Spelman instanceth in these Examples following 1. William the Conqueror fires St. Peter's Church in York rifles the Monasteries destroyed Thirty Six Mother-Churches in Hampshire to make his New-Forest takes all their Plate Treasure Chalices c. Afterwards Robert his own Son rebels beats his Father and wounds both his Person and Honour Richard his beloved Son is killed in his Father's New-Forest by the goring of a Stag as Speed saith by ill Air as Cambden After which he burns the City of Manuts and Church of St. Mary's with two Anchorites upon which his Horse gives him a fall breaks his Belly his Body is forsaken by his Nobles and Servants but by the Courtesie of a Country Gentleman brought after three days to Caen in Normandy but there a Fire happening an Interruption is made again and afterwards Burial denyed by one that claimed the Ground At last a Composition being made he is Interred but the Town being afterwards taken by an Enemy his Bones are digged up and scattered as Chaff before the Wind. 2. His Son Henry Hunting in the New-Forest is Struck through the Jaws with the bough of a Tree 3. His Grandchild William second Son to Robert Eârl of Flanders in a War against his Uncle Henry the First received a small Wound in his Hand and died of it 4. Robert of Normandy the Conqueror's Eldest Son is disinherited by his Father imprison'd by his Brother Henry the First for 26 Years hath both his Eyes put out and is starved in Cardaff Gaol 5. William Rufus stores his Treasury by the Sale of Chalices and Church-Jewels and is afterwards killed by Sir Walter Tyrrel shooting at a Deer in New-Forest in the same place where a Church stood His Funeral was interrupted as his Fathers his Corpse brought by a â—iâ—â—y lean Beast to Winchester the Cart breaks by the way he is buried unlamented and his Bones after taken up and laid in a Coffin with Canutus his Bones c. 6. Hugh Earl of Shrewsbury 11th kennell'd his Dogs in the Church of S. Frydame where in the Morning they were found mad and himself afterwards fighting with the Enemy was shot dead in the Eye 7. King John rifled the Abbeys of Peterborough and Croyland and carrying his Sacrilegious Wealth to Lincoln the Earth swallows up Carts Carriages Horses and all his Church-Spoil and all the Church-spoilers the King passing the Washes in another place receives the News together with his own Sickness whereof he died 8. William Marshal Earl of Pembroke in the Irish War takes from the Bishop of Furnes two Mannors belonging to his Church is Excommunicated dies and is buried in the Temple-Church at London The Bishop sues to the King to return the Lands the King requires the Bishop to Absolve the Earl Both King and Bishop go to the Earl's Grave the Bishop is obstinate the Earl's Son is obstinate too the Bishop tells the King Sir what I have said stands immutable the Punishment of Malefactors is from the Lord and the Curse written in the Psalms will fall heavy upon Earl William in the next Generation shall his Name be forgot and his Sons shall not share the Blessing of Increase and Multiply and some of them shall die miserable Deaths and the Inheritance of all be dispersed and scattered and all this my Lord O King you shall see even in your Days With what Spirit soever the Bishop spake it in the space of Twenty Five Years all the Earl's five Sons inherited successively all die Childless particularly one in Prison and another by a fall from his Horse 9. Cardinal Woolsey while free from Sacrilege was the Catalogue of Humane
They brought to me the Man himself and when we ask'd him how he dared to sin again after such a Warning he had no Excuse But being a Person of Quality for some special Reason of Worldly Interest I must not name him Hist Disc of Apparitions and Witches p. 60. 27. Mr. William Rogers an Apothecary of Crancbrook in Kent exceeding much given to Drinking and Sabbath-breaking though a Young Man of a sweet and pleasing Temper was often admonished and perswaded by Mr. Robert Abbot Minister of the Place to come to Church but had often promised and failed But one Lord's-day in the Morning when he said he was ready to come he was taken sick and betook him to his Bed but it proving only an Ague next Morning he betook him to his old course again Next Week the Messenger of Death came in earnest Mr. Abbot addressed himself to him in his Chamber with these words Oh! how often have you deceived God your own Soul and me and what is now to be done I fear you will die and then what will become of you His Sickness prevailed and there was too great a Fire kindled in his Breast to be smothered it burned in his own Soul and it lightened from his Heart and Lips into the Ears and Hearts of those about him One while he cries out of his sins saying I have been a fearful Drunkard pouring in one Draught after another till one Draught could not keep down another I now would be glad if I could take the least of God's Creatures which I have abused I have neglected my Patients which have put their Lives in my hands and how many Souls have I thus murdered I have wilfully neglected God's House Service and Worship and tho' I purposed to go God strikes me thus before the day of my Promise comes because I am unworthy to come among God's People again Another while he falls to wishing Oh! that I might burn a long time in that Fire pointing to the Fire before him so I might not burn in Hell Oh! that God would grant me but one Year or a Month that the World might see with what an heart I have promised to God my Amendment Oh! that God would try me a little but I am unworthy Another while to his Companions Be warned by me to forsake your wicked ways lest you go to Hell as I must do Calls his young Servant tells him that he had been a wicked Master to him But be warned by me saith he you have a Friend that hath an Iron Furnace which burns hot a long time but if you give your self to my sins you shall be burned in the Furnace of Hell an hotter Furnace Millions of Millions of Ages The Minister propounding to him the Gospel-Promises of the largest size he cried It is too late I must be burned in Hell He pressed him with Tears not to cast away that Soul for which Christ died c. He answered He had cast off Christ and therefore must go to Hell In short at last in idleness of Thoughts and Talk he ended his miserable Life See the Narrative published by Mr. Abbot the Minister Or A Pamphlet called A Warning-piece to Drunkards p. 31 32. 28. Nathanael Butler was first addicted to Drunkenness Gaming Purloining and Fornication before he committed that Murder upon his Friend John Knight in Milk-street London 1657. for which he was afterwards condemned to the Gallows and executed 29. Tho. Savage used to spend the Sabbath at an Ale-House or a Base House and was that very Morning made Drunk by his Harlot with burnt Brandy when perswaded to Murder his Fellow-Servant for which he was executed at Ratcliff 1668. CHAP. CXXIV Divine Judgments upon Uncleanness Inordinate Love c. BIshop Latimer is said to have presented King Henry the VIII a new Testament wrapp'd up in a Napkin for a New Year's Gift with this Poesie about it Fornicators and Adulterers God will judge 'T was boldly done and the Admonition tho' very biting and pungent yet had the Word of God for its Basis and Foundation For to touch a little upon the History of this Sin 1. Eli's Sons 1 Sam. 2. David 2 Sam. 11. The two Women 1 King 3.16 may go for Scriptural Examples all faulty this way and all punished yea Solomon himself no doubt paid dear for his Polygamy and Concubinage not to except Jacob among the Patriarch's who was most crossed in his Children of any as I have noted before in this Book 2. Henry the VIII and our late King Charles the II. may be worthy of the Reader 's Remark 3. A. C. 1544. Henry Duke of Brunswick had for his Wife the Sister of Vlrick Duke of Wirtemberg who had for one of her Wairing-Maids one Eve Trottin with whose Beauty the Duke was so desperately smitten that after some Sollicitations he had several Children by her But after some time unknown to his Wife and her Friends he shut her up in his Castle of Stauffeburg and appoints two Women to lay a wooden Image representing her in her Bed giving out that Eve was sick at last this Image was laid up in a Coffin and it was pretended that Eve was dead The Counterfeit Corps was carried forth to be buried with all the usual Pomp and Ceremonies of a Funeral Prayers and Sacrifices The Dutchess and her Maids and other Companies of Virgins were present at the Solemnity all in mourning Apparel In the mean time Eve was kept in the Castle and the Duke had seven Children by her afterwards But at last the Imposture was brought to light to the perpetual Shame and Ignominy of the Duke with what ill Consequences more I cannot inform my self Sleidan's Commentar l. 15. 4. Childeric King of France was so odious for his Adulteries that his Nobles conspired against him and drove him out of the Kingdom Clark's Exampl Vol. I. c. 2. 5. Sir Robert Carr made afterwards Viscount Rochester a Minion of King James the I. and one of the Privy-Council falling in Love with the Countess of Essex who being married with Robert Earl of Essex both at Twelve Years of Age had lived above Ten Years without any carnal Knowledge one of another to make way for a Marriage with the same Countess procures the Commitment of Sir Tho. Overbury to the Tower because he discouraged Rochester from the said Match and at last his Death Upon which followed a Divorce between the Countess and the Earl her Husband a Creation of Rochester Earl of Somerset a Consummation of the Marriage between Rochester and the Countess of Essex a Celebration of the Wedding with the presence of the King Queen Prince and a great Confluence of Bishops and Nobles a gallant Masque of Lords and afterwards another Masque of the Princes Gentlemen which out-did this a Treat afterwards at Merchant's-Hall where the Mayor and Aldermen in their Gowns entertained the Bride and Bridegroom with the Attendance of the Duke of Lenox the Lord Privy-Seal the Lord-Chamberlain
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
of Kings Companion of the Stars and Brother to the Sun and Moon to Constantine my Brother wishes Health Or rather let us borrow Names from the Bisnagentian King who was wont to be saluted The Bridegroom of Good Luck the God of great Provinces the King of most potent Kings Lord of all the Armies of Horse the Master and Teacher of those that understand not how to speak Emperor over three Emperors Conqueror of whatever he saw Preserver of his Conquests whom Eight Parts of the World fear a Knight to whom there is none to be compar'd a Vanquisher of every one that boasts in Strength the Hunter of Elephants Lord of the East South North West and Sea All this Peter Irricus relates Are here Titles enough If you please let us add a Series of Eulogies which the Soldan sets before his Epistles in this order Omnipotent Salmander before Carthage Lord of Jordan Lord of the East Lord of Bethlehem Lord of Paradise Praefect of Hell Supremest Emperor of Constantinople Lord of the Dry Fig the Lord by whom the Sun and Moon steer their course Protector of John the first Priest Emperor King of Kings Lord of the Christians Jews Turks the God's Friend In a Style not much unlike to this Solyman wrote to our Caesar To Charles the Fifth always most August Emperor Solyman his Contemporary sprung from the Victorious and most Noble Family of the Ottomans Emperor of Trebizond and Constantinople Lord of the World and Conqueror of the Earth c. What wou'd ye have more O truly Splendid Misery O Ashes and Nothing O Vanity of Vanity Most shameful is that Ignorance when Man forgets himself to be Man Wouldst thou have an Abstract an Epitome of all Humane Life Daniel the Archbishop and Elector of Mentz in Germany in a little Book of Prayers wrote with his own Hand these Precepts of Living 1. Life short 2. Beauty deceitful 3. Money flies away 4. Empire envy'd 5. War pernicious 6. Victory doubtful 7. Friendship fallacious 8. Old Age miserable 9. Death happiness 10. Wisdom Fame Eternal That Heavenly Wisdom that brings us to Kingdoms never destitute never to be invaded eternal A Nation bordering upon the Thracians and in Customs agreeing with them has this one peculiar to themselves That when an Infant is born the Relations sitting about it weeping and wailing enumerate the Miseries which the Child is to endure On the other side when a Man dies they bury him with Joy and Exultation recounting from how many Miseries he is deliver'd Deservedly this Nation claims to it self the Applaute of Wisdom who celebrate the Birth of Man with Tears and his Funeral with Pomp and Gladness Elegantly answered Laeâ—ius that Wise Man to a certain Person saying I am Sixty Years of Age. Thou callest these Sixty answered he which thou hast not Neither what is past nor what is to come is thine We depend upon a point of flying Time and it is the part of a great Man to have been moderate Plato was of Opinion that any Man became so much the wiser by how much the more lively he considered Death Therefore he gave this Law to his Disciples studious in Philosophy that when they went a Journey they should never cover their Feet whereby that wise Man insinuated that the end of Life was always to be thought on Nicholas Christophorus Radzivile Prince of Poland affirms that in Egypt they who excelled others in Prudence and Age were wont to carry the long Bones of dead Men carved out of Wood or Ebony shew them one to another and thereby exhort one another to Contemplation They also introduce the Remembrance of Death at their Tables and conclude their Banquets with this sad Sentence Memento Mori Remember to Die Caleph King of the Tartars in the City of Bagdat upon a Festival Day which they call Ramadan being resolved to shew himself to the People rode forth upon a Mule clad in Vestments that glistered with Gold Silver and precious Stones but over his Tulipan he wore a black Veil signifying that all his Pomp was one day to be clouded by the shades of Death Justinian the Emperor being dead a Coverlet was thrown over him wherein were wrought in Phrygian Work the Essigies and Figures of the Vanquished Cities and Barbarous Kings whom he had overcome Behold the Image of Death among Pageants Scaffolds Triumphs and Victories Death plays with Empires and knocks as well at the Towers of Kings as at the Cottages of the Poor Pope Martin the Fifth had this Symbol of a speaking Picture or of silent Poesie Upon a Funeral Pile kindled and ready to burn lay the Popes Triple Crown the Cardinals Hat the Archbishops Cap the Emperors Diadem the Kings Crown the Ducal Cap and Sword with this Motto Sic omnis gloria Mundi Thus all the Glory of the World I cannot but approve the Answer of a certain Mariner who being ask'd where his Father dy'd In the Sea said he And when the other ask'd him the same Question concerning his Grandfather his Great Grandfather and his Great Great Grandfather the Mariner still returned him the same Answer Then inferred the other And dost not thou fear to go to Sea To which the Seaman waving a Reply And where did your Father die In his Bed said the other where your Father your Grandfather and the rest of your Ancestors They all said the other died in their Beds Then said the Mariner And do not you fear to go to Bed so Fatal to all your Predecessors Very Elegantly and somewhat above a Sailor's Genius John Patriarch of Alexandria who took his Name from giving Alms while he was living and in health caused his Monument to be built but not to be finished for this Reason that upon Solemn Days when he performed Divine Service he might be put in mind by some of the Clergy in these Terms Sir your Monument is yet unfinished command it to be finished for you know not when the Hour may come When the Emperor of the East was newly chosen no Person had liberty to speak to him before the Stone-cutter had shewed him several sorts of Marble and asked him of which his Majesty would be pleased to have his Monument made What was the meaning of this but only to intimate these Words O Emperor exalt not thy self thou art but a Man thou shalt die like the meanest of Beggars therefore so govern thy Kingdom which thou art to lose that thou may'st gain an Eternal Kingdom Domitian the Emperor gave a Banquet to the Chief of the Senate and the Order of Knighthood after this manner He hung his House all with Mourning the Roofs Walls Pavements Seats were all covered with black bespeaking nothing but sorrow Into this Funeral Dining-room were all the Guests introduced by Night without any Attendants By each was placed a Bier with every one his Name inscribed upon it with such Candles as they were wont to burn in their Monuments They that waited were dad in black
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
to the uttermost I humbly beseech thee give me now in this great Instant full Patience proportionable Comfort and a Heart ready to die for thy Honour the King's Happiness and this Church's Preservation and my Zeal to these far from Arrogancy be it spoken is all the Sin Humane Frailty excepted and all Incidents thereto which is yet known to me in this Particular for which I now come to suffer I say in this particular of Treason but otherwise my Sins are very many and great Lord pardon them all and those especially whatever they are which have drawn down this special Judgment upon me And when thou hast given me Strength to bear it do with me as seems best in thine own Eyes and carry me through Death that I may look upon it in what Visage soever it appear unto me Amen And that there may be a Stop of this Issue of Blood in this more than miserable Kingdom I shall desire That I may pray for the People too as well as for my self O Lord I beseech thee give Grace of Repentance to all Blood-thirsty People but if they will not Repent O Lord confound all their Devices defeat and frustrate all their Designs and Endeavours upon them which shall be contrary to the Glory of thy Great Name the Truth and Sincerity of Religion the Establishment of the King and his Posterity after him in their just Rights and Privileges the Honour and Conservation of Parliaments in their just Power the Preservation of this poor Church in her Truth Peace and Patrimony and the Settlement of this distracted and distressed People under their ancient Laws and in their native Liberties And when thou hast done all this in Mercy for them O Lord fill their Hearts with Thankfulness and with Religious Dutiful Obedience to thee and thy Commandments all their Days So Amen Lord Jesus Amen And receive my Soul into thy Bosom Amen Our Father c. Again kneeling by the Block he prayed thus Lord I am coming as fast as I can I know I must pass through the Shadow of Death before I can come to see thee But it is but umbra mortis a meer Shadow of Death a little Darkness upon Nature but thou thro' thy Merits and Passion hast broke through the Jaws of Death So Lord receive my Soul and have Mercy upon me and bless this Kingdom with Peace and Plenty and with Brotherly Love and Charity that there may not be this Effusion of Christian Blood amongst them for Jesus Christ's sake if it be thy Will Then laying his Head upon the Block and praying silently to himself he said aloud Lord receive my Soul Which was the Signal given to the Executioner Thus he died Aged 71. Jan. 10. 1644. A brief Relat. of his Death and Sufferings printed at Oxon c. 1644. 114. King Charles the First made this his last Speech upon the Scaffold I Shall be very little heard by any body here I shall therefore speak a Word unto you here Indeed I could hold my Peace very well if I did not think that holding my Peace would make some Men think that I did submit to the Guilt as well as to the Punishment but I think it is my Duty to God first and to my Country for to clear my self both as an honest Man and a good Christian I shall begin first with my Innocency In troth I think it not very needful for me to insist long upon this for all the World knows I never did begin a War with the two Houses of Parliament and I call God to witness to whom I must shortly make an Account that I never did intend to encroach upon their Privileges They began upon me it was the Militia they began upon They confess'd that the Militia was mine but they thought it fit to have it from me And to be short if any Body will look to the Dates of Commissions both theirs and mine and likewise to the Declarations will see clearly that they began these unhappy Troubles not I So that for the Guilt of these enormous Crimes that are laid against me I hope in God that God will clear me of it I will not I am in Charity God forbid that I should lay it upon the two Houses of Parliament there is no necessity of either I hope they are free of this Guilt For I do believe that ill Instruments between them and me have been the Cause of all this Bloodshed so that by way of speaking I find my self clear of this I hope and pray God that they may be so too Yet for all this God forbid that I should be so ill a Christian as not to say That God's Judgments are just upon me Many times he doth pay Justice by an unjust Sentence that is ordinary I will only say this That an unjust Sentence that I suffered to take effect is punished now by an unjust Sentence upon me That is so far I have said to shew you that I am an innocent Man Now for to shew you that I am a good Christian I hope there is a good Man pointing to Dr. Juxon that will bear me witness that I have forgiven all the World and those in particular that have been the chief Causers of my Death who they are God knows I do not desire to know I pray God forgive them But this is not all my Charity must go further I wish that they may repent for indeed they have committed a great Sin in that Particular I pray God with St. Stephen that this be not laid to their Charge nay not only so but that they may take the right way to the Peace of the Kingdom So Sirs I do wish with all my Soul and I hope there is some here will carry it further that they may endeavour the Peace of the Kingdom Now Sirs I must shew you how you are out of the way and will put you in a way First You are out of the way for certainly all the way you ever had yet as I could find by any thing is in the way of Conquest Certainly this is an ill way for Conquest Sirs in my Opinion is never Just except there be a good just Cause either for Matter of Wrong or a just Title and then if you go beyond it that makes it Unjust in the end that was Just at first But if it be only Matter of Conquest then it is a great Robbery as a Pirate said to Alexander That he was the great Robber he was but a petty Robber And so Sirs I do think the way you are in is much out of the way Now Sirs for to put you in the way believe it you will never do right nor God will never prosper you until you give God his due the King his due that is my Successors and the People their due I am as much for them as any of you You must give God his due by regulating rightly his Church according to his Scriptures which is now out
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
read a Paper in which was a good rational Confession of his Faith then comes to the Occasion of his Death for which he says He neither blames the Judges Jury nor Council but only some Men that in reality were deeper concern'd than he who combin'd together to swear him out of his LIfe to save their own and that they might do it effectually contriv'd an Untruth c. He forgives the World and the Witnesses gives his Friends Advice to be more Prudent than he had been prays that his may be the last Blood spilt on the Account wishes the King wou'd be merciful to others says he knew nothing of Ireland and concludes with praying God to have Mercy upon him He had then some Discourse with Cartwright wherein he tells him That he was not for contriving the Death of the King nor to have had a Hand in 't and being urg'd with some Matters of Controversie tells him He did not come thither to dispute about Religion but to die Religiously 7. Mr. ROVSE ROuse comes next gives an Account of his Faith professing to die of the Church of England tells his former Employment and Manner of Life acknowledges he heard of Clubs and Designs but was never at 'em and a perfect Stranger to any thing of that Nature Gives a Relation of what past between him and his Majesty on his Apprehension Talks somewhat of Sir Thomas Player the Earl of Shaftsbury and accommodating the King's Son as he calls it tho' not while the King reign'd Then falls upon Lee and the Discourse they had together who as he says swore against him on the Trial those very Words he himself had used in pressing him to undertake the Design Speaks of a Silver Ball which he proposed to be thrown up on Black-Heath and after some Discourse with the Ordinary gives the Spectators some good Counsel They they all Three singly prayed and then the Sentence was executed upon them 8. ALGERNOON SIDNEY Esq THe next Victim to Popish Cruelty and Malice was Colonel Algernoon Sidney of the ancient and noble Name and Family of the Sidneys deservedly famous to the utmost Bounds of Europe who as the ingenious Mr. Hawles observes was meerly talk'd to Death under the Notion of a Commonwealth's Man and found Guilty by a Jury who were not much more proper Judges of the Case than they wou'd have been had he writ in Greek or Arabick He was arraign'd for a Brnach of this Plot at Westminster the 17th of November 1683. where tho' it cannot be said the Grand Jury knew not what they did when they found the Bill against him since no doubt they were well instructed what to do yet it must that they found it almost before they knew what 't was being so well resolv'd on the Case and agreed on their Verdict that had he been Indicted for Breaking-up an House or Robbing on the High-way 't was doom'd to have been Billa vera as much as 't was now An Abstract of the Paper delivered to the Sheriffs on the Scaffold on Tower-Hill December 7. 1683. by Algernoon Sidney Esquire before his Execution FIrst having excused his not speaking as well because it was an Age that made Truth pass for Treason for the Proof of which he instances his Trial and Condemnation and that the Ears of some present were too tender to hear it as because of the Rigour of the Season and his Infirmities c. Then after a short Reflection upon the little said against him by other Witnesses and the little Value that was to be put on the Lord Howard's Testimony whom he charges with an infamous Life and many palpable Perjuries and to have been byassed only by the Promise of Pardon c. and makes even tho' he had been liable to no Exceptions to have been but a single Witness He proceeds to answer the Charge against him from the Writings found in his Closet by the King's Officers which were pretended but not Lawfully evidenced to be his and pretends to prove that had they been his they contained no condemnable matter but principles more safe both to Princes and People too than the pretended high-flown Plea for Absolute Monarchy composed by Filmer against which they seemed to be levelled and which he says all intelligent Men thought were founded on wicked Principles and such as were destructive both to Magistrates and People too Which he attempts to make out after this manner First says he if Filmer might publish to the World That Men were born under a necessary indispensible Subjection to an Absolute King who could be restrained by no Oath c. whether be came to it by Creation Inheritance c. nay or even by Usurpation why might he not publish his Opinion to the contrary without the breach of any known Law Which Opinion he professes consisted in the following Particulars 1. That God had left Nations at the liberty of Modelling their own Governments 2. That Magistrates were instituted for Nations and not E contra 3. That the Right and Power of Magistrates was fixed by the standing Laws of each Country 4. That those Laws sworn to on both sides were the matter of a Contract between the Magistrate and People and could not be broken without the Danger of dissolving the whole Government 5. The Vsurpation could give no Right and that King had no greater Enemies than those who asserted that or were for stretching their Power beyond its Limits 6. That such Vsurpations commonly effecting the Slaughter of the Reigning Person c. the worst of Crimes was thereby most gloriously Rewarded 7. That such Doctrines are more proper to stir up Men to destroy Princes than all the Passions that ever yet swayed the worst of them and that no Prince could be safe if his Murderers may hope such Rewards and that few Men would be so gentle as to spare the best Kings if by their Destruction a wild Vsurper could become God's Anointed which he says was the scope of that whole Treatise and asserts to be the Doctrine of the best Authors of all Nations Times and Religions and of the Scripture and so owned by the best and wisest Princes and particuarly by Lewis XIV of France in his Declaration against Spain Anno 1667. and by King James of England in his Speech to the Parliament 1603. and adds that if the Writer had been mistaken he should have been fairly refuted but that no Man was ever otherwise punished for such Matters or any such things referred to a Jury c. That the Book was never finished c. nor ever seen by them whom he was charged to have endeavoured by it to draw into a Conspiracy That nothing in it was particularly or maliciously applied to Time Place or Person but distorted to such a sense by Innuendo's as the Discourses of the Expulsion of Tarquin c. and particularly of the Translation made of the Crown of France from one Race to another had been applied by the then Lawyers
Innuendo's to the then King of England never considering adds he that if such Acts of State be not allowed Good no Prince in the World has any Title to his Crown and having by a short Reflection shewn the Ridiculousness of deriving Absolute Monarchy from Patriarchal Power he appeals to all the World whether it would not be more Advantageous to all Kings to own the Deerivation of their Power to the Consent of willing Nations than to have no better Title than Force c. which may be over-powered But notwithstanding the Innocence and Loyalty of that Doctrine he says He was told he must die or the Plot must die and complains that in order to the destroying the best Protestants of England the Bench was fill'd with such as had been blemishes to the Bar and Instances how against Law they had advised with the King's Council about bringing him to Death suffer'd a Jury to be pack'd by the King's Sollicitors and the Vnder-Sheriff admitted Jury men no Freeholders received Evidence not valid refus'd him a Copy of his Indictment or to suffer the Act of the 46th of Edw. 3. to be read that allows it had over-ruled the most important Points of Law without hearing and assumed to themselves a Power to make Constructions of Treason tho' against Law Sense and Reason which the Stat. of the 25th of Edw. 3. by which they pretended to Try him was reserved only to the Parliament and so praying God to forgive them and to avert the Evils that threatned the Nation to sanctifie those Sufferings to him and tho' he fell a Sacrifice to Idols not to suffer Idolatry to be established in this Land c. He concludes with a Thanksgiving that God had singled him out to be a Witness of his Truth and for that Good Old Cause in which from his Youth he had been engag'd c. His EPITAPH ALgernoon Sidney fills this Tomb An Atheist by declaiming Rome A Rebel bold by striving still To keep the Laws above the Will And hindring those would pull them down To leave no Limits to a Crown Crimes damn'd by Church and Government Oh whither must his Soul be sent Of Heaven it must needs despair If that the Pope be Turn-key there And Hell can ne'er it entertain For there is all Tyrannick Reign And Purgatory's such a Pretence As ne'er deceiv'd a Man of Sense Where goes it then where 't ought to go Where Pope and Devil have nought to do His CHARACTER There 's no need of any more than reading his Trial and Speech to know him as well as if he stood before us That he was a Person of extraordinary Sense and very close thinking which he had the Happiness of being able to express in Words as manly and apposite as the Sense included under ' em He was owner of as much Vertue and Religion as Sense and Reason tho' his Piety lay as far from Enthusiasm as any Man's He fear'd nothing but God and lov'd nothing on Earth like his Country and the just Liberties and Laws thereof whose Constitutions he had deeply and successfully inquired into To sum up all He had Piety enough for a Saint Courage enough for a General or a Martyr Sense enough for a Privy-Counsellor and Soul enough for a King and in a word if ever any he was a perfect Englishman 9. Mr. JAMES HOLLOWAY MR. Holloway declared That Mr. West proposed the Assassination but none seconded him That he could not perceive that Mr. Ferguson knew any thing of it and HOlloway said It was our Design to shed no Blood He being interrogated by Mr. Ferguson's Friend Mr. Sheriff Daniel whether he knew Ferguson he answer'd That he did know him but knew him to be against any Design of killing the King 10. Sir THOMAS ARMSTRONG HE had been all his Life a firm Servant and Friend to the Royal Family in their Exile and afterwards He had been in Prison for 'em under Cromwel and in danger both of Execution and Starving for all which they now rewarded him He had a particular Honour and Devotion for the Duke of Monmouth and push'd on his Interest on all Occasions being a Man of as undaunted English Courage as ever our Country produced In his Paper he thus expressed himself That he thanked Almighty God he found himself prepared for Death his Thoughts set upon another World and weaned from this yet he could not but give so much of his little time as to answer some Calumnies and particularly what Mr. Attorney accused him of at the Bar. That he prayed to be allowed a Tryal for his Life according to the Laws of the Land and urged the Statute of Edward 6. which was expresly for it but it signified nothing and he was with an Extraordinary Roughness condemned and made a precedent tho' Holloway had it offered him and he could not but think all the World would conclude his Case very different else why refused to him That Mr. Attorney charged him for being one of those that was to kill the King He took God to witness that he never had a Thought to take away the King's Life and that no Man ever had the Impudence to propose so barbarous and base a thing to him and that he never was in any Design to alter the Government That if he had been tried he could have proved the Lord Howard's base Reflections upon him to be notoriously false He concluded that he had lived and now died of the Reformed Religion a Protestant in the Communion of the Church of England and he heartily wished he had lived more strictly up to the Religion he believed That he had found the great Comfort of the Love and Mercy of God in and through his blessed Redeemer in whom he only trusted and verily hoped that he was going to partake of that fulness of Joy which is in his pesence the Hopes whereof infinitely pleased him He thanked God he had no repining but chearfully submitted to the Punishment of his Sins He freely forgave all the World even those concerned in taking away his Life tho' he could not but think his Sentence very hard he being denied the Laws of the Land On the Honourable Sir Thomas Armstrong Executed June 20. 1684. HAdst thou abroad found Safety in thy Flight Th' Immortal Honour had not flam'd so bright Thou hadst been still a worthy Patriot thought But now thy Glory 's to Perfection brought In Exile and in Death to England true What more could Brutus or just Cato do 11. Alderman CORNISH TO make an end of this Plot altogether 't will be necessary once more to invert the Order in which things happened and tho' Mr. Cornish suffer'd not till after the Judges returned from the West as well as Bateman after him yet we shall here treat of 'em both and so conclude this Matter Cornish on his Tryal is said to have denied his being at the Meeting and discoursing with the Duke of Monmouth Which they 'd have us believe
which I bless God I am fully satisfied it 's all my desire that he would chuse for me and then I am sure it will be best whatever it be for truly unless God have some Work for me to do in the World for his Service and Glory I see nothing else to make Life desirable In the present state of Affairs there is nothing to cast our Eyes upon but Sin Sorrow and Misery And truly were things never so much according to our desires it 's but the World still which will never be a resting-place Heaven is the only state of Rest and Happiness there we shall be perfectly free from Sin and Temptation and enjoy God without interruption for ever Speaking of the Disappointment of their Expectations in the Work they had undertaken he said with reference to the Glory of God the Prosperity of the Gospel and the delivery of the People of God We have great cause to lament it but for that outward Prosperity that would have accompanied it it 's but of small moment in it self as it could not satisfie so neither could it be abiding for at longest Death would have put an end to it all Also adding nay parhaps we might have been so foolish as to have been taken with that part of it with the neglect of our Eternal Concerns and then I am sure our present Circumstances are incomparably better He frequently express'd great concern for the Glory of God and Affection to his People saying If my Death may advance God's Glory and hasten the Deliverance of his People it is enough saying It was a great comfort to him to think of so great a Privilege as an Interest in all their Prayers In his Converse particularly valuing and delighting in those Persons where he saw most Holiness shing also great Pity to the Souls of others saying That the remembrance of our former Vanity may well cause Compassion to others in that state And in his Converse prompting others to Seriousness telling them Death and Eternity are such weighty Concerns that they deserve the utmost intention of our Minds for the way to receive Death chearfully is to prepare for it seriously and if God should please to spare our Lives surely we have the same reason to be serious and spend our remaining days in his Fear and Service He also took great care that the Worship of God which they were in a Capacity of maintaining there might be duly perform'd as Reading Praying and Singing of Psalms in which he evidently took great delight For those three or four days before their Deaths when there was a general Report that no more should die he said I don't know what God hath done beyond our expectations if he doth prolong my Life I am sure it is all his own and by his Grace I will wholly devote it to him But the 29th of September about Ten or Eleven at Night we found the deceitfulness of this Report they being then told they must die the next Morning which was very unexpected as to the suddenness of it but herein God glorified his Power Grace and Faithfulness in giving suitable Support and Comfort by his blessed Presence which appeared upon my coming to him at that time finding him greatly composed he said Tho' Men design to surprize God doth and will perform his Word to be a very present help in trouble The next Morning when I saw him again his Chearfulness and Comfort were much increased waiting for the Sheriff with the greatest sweetness and serenity of Mind saying Now the Will of God is determined to whom I have referred it and he hath chosen most certainly that which is best Afterwards with a smiling Countenance he discoursed of the Glory of Heaven remarking with much delight the third fourth and fifth Verses of the 22d of the Revelations And there shall be no more Curse But the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his Servants shall serve him and they shall see his Face and his Name shall be in their Foreheads and there shall be no Night there and they shall need no Candle nor Light of the Sun and they shall Reign for ever and ever Then he said Oh what a happy State is this shall we be loth to go to enjoy this Then he desired to be read to him 2 Cor. 5. For we know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God a House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens to the tenth or eleventh Verses In all his Comforts still increasing expressing his sweet Hopes and good Assurance of his Interest in this Glorious Inheritance and being now going to the Possession of it seeing so much of this happy Change that he said Death was more desirable than Life he had rather die than live any longer here As to the manner of his Death he said When I have considered others under these Circumstances I have thought it very dreadful but now God hath called me to it I bless God I have quite other apprehensions of it I can now chearfully embrace it as an easie Passage to Glory And tho' Death separates from the Enjoyments of each other here it will be but for a very short time and then we shall meet in such Enjoyments as now we cannot conceive and for ever rejoyce in each others Happiness Then reading the Scriptures and musing with himself he intimated the great Comfort God conveyed to his Soul in it saying O what an invaluable Treasure is this blessed Word of God In all Conditions here is a store of strong Consolation One desiring his Bible he said No this shall be my Companion to the last moment of my Life Thus Praying together Reading Meditating and Conversing of Heavenly things they waited for the Sheriff who when he came void of all Pity or Civility hurried them away scarce suffering them to take leave of their Friends But notwithstanding this and the doleful Mourning of all about them the Joyfulness of his Countenance was increased Thus he left his Prison and thus he appeared in the Sledge where they sat about half an hour before the Officers could force the Horses to draw at which they were greatly enraged there being no visible obstruction from weight of way But at last the Mayor and Sheriff hall'd them forward themselves Balaam-like driving the Horses When they came to the Place of Execution which was surrounded with Spectators many that waited their Coming with great Sorrow said That when they saw him and them come with such Chearfulness and Joy and Evidence of the Presence of God with them it made Death appear with another Aspect They first embraced each other with the greatest Affection then two of the elder Persons praying audibly they join'd with great seriousness Then he defired leave of the Sheriff to pray particularly but he would not grant it only asked him if he would Pray for the King He answered I Pray for all Men. He
Duke 〈…〉 in Scotland with what Forces he could make to which were added some others who 〈…〉 which after several Marches and Counter-Marches were at length led into a Boggy sort of a place on pretence or with intention to bring him off from the other Army then upon the Heels of 'em where they all lost one another dispers'd and shifted for themselves the Earl being taken by a Country-man and brought to Edinburgh where he suffer'd for his former unpardonable Crime requiring Care shou'd be taken of the Protestant Religion and explaining his taking the Test conformable thereto for the Legality of which he had the Hands of most of the eminent Lawyers about the City He suffer'd at Edinburgh the 30th of June 1685. His Speech has a great deal of Piety and Religion nor will it be any Disgrace to say 't was more like a Sermon 'T is as follows The Earl of Aâ—gyle's Last Speech June 30. 1685. JOB tells us Man that is born of a Woman is of few days and full of trouble and I am a clear Instance of it I shall not now say any thing of my Sentence or Escape about three Years and a half ago nor of my Return lest I may thereby give Offence or be tedious Only being to end my Days in your presence I shall as some of my last Words assert the Truth of the Matter of Fact and the Sincerity of my Intentions and Professions that are published That which I intend mainly now to say is To express my humble and I thank God chearful Submission to his Divine Will and my Willingness to forgive all Men even my Enemies and I am heartily well satisfied there is no more Blood spilt and I shall wish the Stream thereof may stop at me And that if it please God to say as to Zerubbabel Zech. 4.6 Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts I know Afflictions spring not out of the Dust God did wonderfully deliver and provide for me and has now by his special Providence brought me to this Place and I hope none will either Insult or stumble at it seeing they ought not for God Almighty does all things well for good and holy Ends tho' we do not always understand it Love and Hatred is not known by what is before us Eccles 9.1 and 8.11 12 13. Afflictions are not only foretold but promised to Christians and are not only tolerable but desirable We ought to have a deep Reverence and Fear of God's Displeasure but withal a firm Hope and Dependance on him for a blessed Issue in compliance with his Will for God chastens his own to refine them and not to ruine them whatever the World may think Heb. 12.3 to 12. Prov. 3.11 12. 2 Tim. 1.8 2 Tim. 2.11 12. Matth. 10.18 to 40. Matth. 16.24 to 28. We are to imitate our Saviour in his Sufferings as 1 Pet. 2.23 and 1 Pet. 4.16 to 20. We are neither to despise our Afflictions nor to faint under them both are extreams We are not to suffer our Spirits to be exasperated against the Instruments of our Trouble for the same Affliction may be an effect of their Passion and yet sent by God to punish us for Sin Tho' 't is a Comfort when we may say to them with David Psal 59.3 Not for my transgression nor for my sin O Lord. Nor are we by fraudulent pusillanimous Compliances in wicked Courses to bring Sin upon our selves Faint Hearts are ordinary false Hearts choosing Sin rather than Sufferings and a short Life with eternal Death before temporal Death and a Crown of Glory Such seeking to save a little loses all and God readily hardens them to proceed to their own Destruction How many like Hazael 2 Kings 8.13 run to Excesses they never thought they were capable of Let Rulers and others read seriously and weigh Prov. 1.10 to 20. 2 Chr. 28.6 to 17. Prov. 24.11 12. and 28.10 And avoid what is Bad and follow what is Good For me I hope by God's strength to joyn with Job chap. 13. 15. and the Psalmist Psal 22.4 and 167. and shall pray as Psal 74.19 to 24. and Psal 122.6 to 9. and Luke 1.74 75. and shall hope as Psal 94.14 15. I do freely forgive all that directly or indirectly have been the Cause of my being brought to this Place first or last and I pray God forgive them I pray God send Truth and Peace in these Three Kingdoms and continue and encrease the glorious Light of the Gospel and restrain the Spirit of Profanity Atheism Superstition Propery and Persecution and restore all that have back-slidden from the Purity of their Life or Principles and bless his whole People with all Blessings spiritual and temporal and put an end to their present Trials And I entreat all People to forgive me wherein I have offended and concurr with me to pray That the Great Good and Merciful God would sanctifie my present Lot and for Jesus Christ his sake Pardon all my Sins and receive me to his Eternal Glory It is suggested to me That I have said nothing of the Royal Family and it remembers me that before the Justices at my Trial about the Test I said That at my Death I would pray That there should never want one of the Royal Family to be a Defender of the True Ancient Apostolick Catholick Protestant Faith which I do now And that GOD would enlighten and forgive all of them that are either luke-warm or have shrunk from the Profession of it And in all Events I pray God may provide for the Security of his Church that Antichrist nor the Gates of Hell may never prevail against it 8. Colonel RVMBOLD AT the same Place died Colonel Richard Rumbold June 26. 1685. Two or three Passages there are worth Remarks in his Speech and Tryal as Arguments of his Sense and Courage For this Cause he says were every Hair of his Head and Beard a Life he 'd joyfully sacrifice 'em all That he was never Antimonarchical in his Principles but for a King and Free Parliament the King having Power enough to make him Great and the People to make 'em happy That he died in the Defence of the just Laws and Liberties of the Nations That none was mark'd by God above another for no Man came into the World with a Saddle on their Backs nor others Booted and Spurr'd to ride upon 't And being ask'd if he thought not his Sentence dreadful answer'd He wish'd he had a Limb for every Town in Christendome The Last Speech of Colonel Richard Rumbold at the Market-Cross of Edinburgh with several Things that passed at his Tryal June 26. 1685. ABout Eleven of the Clock he was brought from the Castle of Edinburgh to the Justices Court in a great Chair on Mens shoulders where at first he was asked some Questions most of which he answer'd with silence at last said He humbly conceived it was not necessary for him to add to his
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
p. 101. 3. Luther had many made upon him as Roma Orbum domuit Romam sibi Papa subegit Viribus illa suis fraudibus iste suis Quanto isto major Lutherus major illâ Istum illamque uno qui domuit calamo I nunc Alciden memorato Graecia mendax Lutheri ad calamum ferrea clava nihil Theod. Beza Another Lutherus Decimum confregit strage Leonem De clava noli quaerere penna fuit Joh. Major 4. Zuinglius had this Zuinglius arderet gemino cum Sanctus amore Nempe Dei imprimis deinde suae Patriae Dicitur in solidum se devovisse duobus Nempe Deo imprimis deinde suae Patriae Quam benè persolvit simul istis vota Duobus Pro Patrià exanimis pro Pietate Cinis Theod. Beza 5. John Picus Mirandula who lived apace and did a great deal in a little time dying in the 32d Year of his Age had this Epitaph engraven upon his Tomb in St. Mary 's Church in Florence belonging to the Jacobine Friars Joannes jacet hic Mirandula caetera norunt Et Tagus Ganges forsan Antipodes Boisardus in Biblioth 6. John Brentius was buried with much Honour and had this Epitaph Voce Stylo Pietate Fide Candore probatus Joannes tali Brentius ore fuit In English With Voice Style Piety Faith and Candour grac'd In outward shape John Brentius was thus fac'd Full. Abel Rediv. p. 298. 7. John Knox had this Epitaph bestowed upon him in extempore Expression while his Corpse was putting in the Ground by the Earl of Murray Here lieth one who in his Life-time never feared the Death of any Man Ibid. p. 324. 8. Wigandus made his own Epitaph In Christo vixi morior vivoque Wigandus Do sordes morti caetera Christe tibi In English In Christ I lived and die and live again My Filth to Earth I give my Soul with Christ shall reign Ibid. p. 369. 9. Mr. John Fox hath this upon his Tomb in St. Giles 's Church without Cripplegate Christo S. S. Johanni Foxo Ecclesiae Anglicanae Martyrologo Fidelissimo Antiquitatis Historicae indagatori sagacissimo Evangelicae Veritatis Propugnatori acerrimo Thaumaturgo Admirabili qui Martyres Marianos tanquam Phoenices ex cineribus redivivos praestîtit Patri suo omni pietatis Officio imprimis colendo Samuel Foxus illius primogenitus hoc Monumentum posuit non sine lachrymis Obiit die 18 Mens Apr. A. D. 1587. jam Septuagenarius Vita vitae mortalis est spes vitae immortalis Ibid. p. 38â— 10. Bishop Andrews had this most excellent significant and speaking Epitaph Lector Si Christianus es siste Morae pretium erit Non nescire Te Qui vir hic situs sit Ejusdem tecum Catholicae Ecclesiae membrum Sub eadem foelicis Resurrectionis spe Eandem D. Jesu praestolans Epiphaniam Sacratissimus Antistes Lancelotus Andrews Londini oriundus educatus Cantabrigiae Aulae Pembrock Alumnorum Sociorum Praefectorum Unus nemini secundus Linguarum Artium Scientiarum Humanorum Divinorum Omnium Infinitus Thesaurus stupendum Oraculum Orthodoxae Christi Ecclesiae Dictis scriptis precibus exemplo Incomparabile Propugnaculum Reginae Elizabethae a Sacris D. Pauli London Residentiarius D. Petri Westmonast Decanus Episcopus Cicestrensis Eliensis Wintoniensis Regique Jacobo tum ab Eleemosynis Tum ab utriusque Regni Consiliis Decanus denique Sacelli Regii Idem ex Indefessà operà in studiis Summà sapientià in rebus Assiduà pietate in Deum Profuâ—â largitate in egenos Rarâ amenatate in suos Spectatâ probitate in omnes Aeternum admirandus Annorum pariter publicae famae satur Sed Bonorum passim omnium cum luctu denatus Celebs hinc migravit ad Aureolam caelestem Anno Regis Carolis Secundo Aetatis suae 71. Christi MDCXXVI Tantum est Lector Quod Te merentes Posteri Nunc volebant atque ut ex voto tuo valeas Dicto Sit Deo Gloria Mr. Issaacson in his Life 11. Dr. Reinolds had this Epitaph bestowed upon him by Dr. Spencer his Successour with an Inscription in Golden Letters Virtuti Sacrum Johanni Rainolde S. Theologiae D. Eruditione Pietate Integritate hujus Collegii Pres. qui obiit Maii 21. A. 1607. Aetatis suae 58. Johannes Spencer Auditor Successor Virtutum Sanctitatis admirator h. e. amoris ergô posuit Fuller Abel Rediviv p. 491. 12. Archbishop Parker had this engraven upon his Tomb in Lambeth Chapel composed by Dr. Haddon Matthew Parker lived sober and wise Learned by study and continual practice Loving True of Life uncontroll'd The Court did foster him both young and old Orderly he dealt the Right he did defend He lived to God to God he made his End Ibid. p. 530. 13. In the last Year of the Reign of King Henry he Second more than 600 Years after the time of his Death the Body of King Arthur was found in the Church-yard of Glastenbury betwixt two Pyramids therein standing He was laid no less than 16 foot deep in the Ground for fear as Hollinshead writes the Saxons should have found him and surely the searchers for his Body would have never digged so deep had they not at seven foot depth found a mighty broad Stone to which a Leaden Cross was fastened and in that side that lay downwards in barbarous Letters according to the rudeness of that Age this Inscription was written upon that side of the Lead that was towards the Stone Hic jacet sepultus inclytus Rex Arturius In insula Avalonia Here lieth King Arthur buried in the Isle of Avalodonia Nine foot deeper in the Trunk of a Tree was his Body found buried his Bones being of a marvellous bigness the space of his Forehead betwixt his two Eyes was a span broad and his Shin-bone being set in the Ground reached up to the middle Thigh of a very tall Man ten Wounds appeared in his Scull one whereof was very great and plain to be seen His Wife Queen Guinever lay buried likewise with him the Tresses of whose Hair the last of our Excrements that perish finely pleated and of coulour like the burnish'd Gold seemed whole and perfect until it was touched but then to shew what all Beauties are it immediately fell to dust Engl. Worthies by Will Winstanley p. 14. 14. The old Verses which were written on Geoffery Chaucer's Grave at first were these Galfridus Chaucer vates sama Poesis Maternae haec sacra sum tumulatus humo 15. Mr. Michael Drayton was buried Anno 1631. in Westminster Abby near the South Door by these two eminent Poets Geoffery Chaucer and Edmund Spencer with this Epitaph Do pious Marble let the Readers know What they and what their Children owe To Drayton's Name whose sacred Dust We recommend unto thy Trust Protect his Memory and preserve his Story Remain a lasting Monument of his Glory And thy Ruines shall disclaim To be the Treasurer of his Name His Name that cannot fade shall be An everlasting Monument to thee
the Comforts which God gave them in Times past or that from the great Number of Copies of his Sermons Letters and Prayers which he took care to disperse amongst them during his Sickness and which had been read by Persons of Quality and other wealthy Ones who 'till that time would not frequent the Religious Assemblies the Zeal of the most Cold and the Courage of the most Fearful had been influenced and raised up it matters not to determine but Persons of Quality and others who 'till then had testified less Zeal for the Truth came now to give Glory to God in the Holy Assemblies in the midst of all the People insomuch that afterwards it was one of Brousson's greatest care to prevent the Assemblies becoming too numerous to the end they might not make too much Noise and that the People might not be exposed to too great Evils however these Assemblies made so much Noise in the Kingdom that the People of other parts where those who preach'd in Cevennes and Lower Languedoc could not go were edified and strengthned Brousson also sent as far as possibly he could Copies of his Sermons Letters and Prayers to give part of those Instructions and Consolations to them afar off which God by his Ministry bestowed upon the People of Cevennes and Lower Languedoc He was seconded in the same good Work by Papus of whom you have heard somewhat before and who was saved by Divine Providence when Vivens was killed for he had been gone but a Minute out of the Cave where Vivens was invested on him God had bestowed the Spirit of Prayer in a great degree he had before the Death of Vivens begun to labour for the Consolation of the People by excellent Prayers and this he continued after his Death and went from place to place to keep small Meetings where he read the Holy Scriptures and some of the Sermons afore-mentioned and of which he had desired Copies besides whom there was another young Man whose Name was Vzes about twenty Years old who having got together ten or a dozen of the same Sermons got them by Heart and went also to repeat them from place to place and to comfort the People by Praying amongst them But what is more surprising than any thing hitherto related is that God was pleased to raise up the young Maidens for to labour for the Salvation and Comfort of that distressed People one whereof was called Isabel Redostiere about eighteen Years old the Daughter of a Country-man that lived at the foot of the Mountain Liron and the other Pintarde about sixteen or seventeen the Daughter of another Peasant near St. Hipolite They did not take upon them to administer the Sacraments but they went asunder from Place to Place and Desart to Desart to keep Meetings where they exhorted the People out of the Word of God to be converted sanctified be zealous for God come out of impure Babylon to give Glory to God and serve him in purity of Heart according to his Commandments and to be faithful to him unto Death and at the same time edisying comforting and strengthning the People by ardent and excellent Prayers Redostiere coming to know that Broussin with some other faithful Friends that accompanied him were upon an high Mountain she came thither to see them with another faithful Maiden that was elder than herself and who usually kept her Company in whom Brousson and his Friends observed such a Character of Modesty Humility Simplicity and Piety that ravished them with admiration When she happened to be in the same part of the Country where Brousson was she would often come to see and to confer with him about Religious Matters and especially she came frequently to those Assemblies where he administred the Lord's Supper and Brousson hath always testified that she was filled with the Grace of God After this same Maiden had for about two Years laboured for the Salvation and Support of the People she was taken and carried before the Intendant who said unto her So are you one of those Maidens who concern themselves in Preaching I have replied she given some Exhortations to my Brethren and have pray'd to God with them when occasion hat served if you call that Preaching I have Preached But do not you know said the Intendant that the King hath forbidden it I know it well said she again my Lord but the King of Kings the God of Heaven and Earth hath commanded it and I am obliged to obey him rather than Men. Then the Intendant proceeded and told her She deserved Death and that she ought not to expect any other Treatment than that which others had already suffered who had been so adventurous as to preach against the King's Orders But she made him answer She was not disinay'd at that and that she was fully resolved to suffer Death for the Glory and Service of God After many such Discourses the Intendant seeing this young Maiden dispos'd to suffer Martyrdom did not think fit to put her to Death for fear without doubt least the Constancy of this young Maiden should produce a quite contrary Effect to his Intentions he therefore contented himself to sentence her to a perpetual Imprisonment where she is still in the Tower of Constance in Aâ—guemortes with several other Women and faithful Maidens The other Maiden whote Name we told you was Pintarde laboured 〈◊〉 on her part in the Work of the Lord. Brousson had several times an opportunity to confer also 〈◊〉 her and to joyn with her in many an excellent Prayer she made to God that she for the most part drew out of the Psalms and those Old Prophets which agreed exactly to the then State of the Church of God in France and which she delivered with very great fervency One Night as Brousson drew nigh to a place where he had appointed a Meeting to be in the Neighbourhood of St. Hipolite he heard her make a Controversial Sermon or Discourse with great strenuousness She oftentimes kept Meetings where she prenched the Word of God and where she made excellent Prayers and this she continued two Years or better But at last this good Maiden fell into the Hands of her Enemies also with whom the Intendant had much the same Discourse as that already mentioned with the other Maiden but finding she was also very ready to go and suffer Martyrdom he contented himself to condemn her to perpetual Prison where she is still in the Castle of Sommieres These two holy Maidens had not been long Imprisoned but that God was pleased to raise up in Low Cevennes three other Maidens who also edified the People much by their excellent Prayers One of them among the rest and whom perhaps it 's not fit I should name did many times Extempore pray for Half an Hour and Three Quarters of an Hour wherein she very pathetically brought in and applied several Texts of Scripture insomuch that at the very same time she spake to God and
her Death With some Remarkable Passages relating both to her Person and Government I Shall conclude this History of Providence with a Collection of the memorable Speeches and Sayings of our never-enough lamented Sovereign the late Queen MARY and shall here and there add some remarkable Passages relating to her Person and Government as a Noble Testimony to Religion from one whose Parts and Endowments were as high as her Dignity as if Providence would not leave the prophane Age room to say that Religion was only pretended to by the Mean and Ignorant but convince them by the Vertuous Life and Dying Breath of a Princess every way so Glorious and Great So extraordinary strict says Bishop Fowler in his Preface relating to the Queen was Her Majesty's Life even from her Youth that for the Seventeen Years of her Married State the King as he hath professed could never see any thing in her which he could call a Fault and no Man continues this Learned Author can keep a stricter Guard upon his Words than His Majesty is always observed to do Then certainly a Collection of the Memorable Speeches of such a Princess must needs be very useful and so much the more so as there are several remarkable Sayings of this Royal Person scattered in so many Books which its hardly possible for any private Person to have all of them by him and therefore a View of them all at once in a Collection from the best Authors that have writ upon this Subject may perhaps be very acceptable to the serious Reader 1. That we may begin from her Cradle The most August Queen MARY II. was born in the Sixty second Year of this Age upon the Tenth of May James then Duke of York and the Lord Chancellor's Daughter being her Parents Many and conspicuous were the Prognosticks of a true and far from counterfeited Piety that glitter'd in her and shin'd forth in the early Dawn of her Infancy For when in her tender Years she had lost an excellent Mother and under the Tuition of Persons less concern'd was deliciously bred up in a Court full of all manner of Pleasure and Voluptuousness such was always her Constancy such her Temperance and Modesty that no Example of others no Allurement of Vice no Contagion of Neighbouring-Courts could force her to go astray from the right Path. She was instructed in the Fundamentals of the true Reform'd Religion by the Bishop of London which he so happily laid and she so cordially imbib'd that she could never be shaken by any treacherous Insinuations any Promises or Threats any Punishments or Rewards choosing rather to die than never so little to recede from the Truth wherein she had been grounded After she had spent the rest of her Childhood in those Studies by which generous and illustrious Souls are rais'd to the Expectations of great Fortune and had abundantly furnish'd herself as well with Christian as with Royal Vertues in the Fifteenth Year of her Age she was auspiciously Married to William the Third of that Name Prince of Orange William marries Mary a Kinsman a Kinswoman and thus by a double Tye and a firmer Knot than hitherto the most Noble Families of all Europe are joyn'd together She for her Ancestors claims the Family of the Stuarts He the Nassavian Race She the Monarchs of Great Britain He the Governours of Germany and the Caesars themselves The Nuptial Solemnities being over the Royal Bride cross'd over out of England into these Parts together with her Husband and chose for her Seat and Residence the Hague the most pleasant and delightful place not only of Holland but almost of all Europe Where belov'd of all Men and fix'd in the Good-will of all the People propensly devoted to her for the space of some Years she so charmingly and affectionately liv'd with her Husband the best of Men and no less cordially affectionate to her not only without the least Contention or Quarrel but without the least suspicion of Lukewarmness that she might well be said to be a conspicuous Example of Conjugal Affection not only to Kings and Princes and Men in high Degree but also to private Persons After some Interval of Time when they who bare ill will to our Princes and us to Liberty and Religion and more especially to this Republick stirr'd up new Troubles in England and the Nobility of the Kingdom call'd to their Aid our Prince While he strove one way and the Winds drove another at length wafted over with favourable Gales and Wishes safely arriv'd in England and without Resistance but rather with the general Applause of the Nation and as it were born upon the Shoulders of the People came to the Royal City When afterwards he invited his dearest Consort then the Companion of his Bed now of his Kingdom to partake of the Honour offer'd him and the Dignity soon after to be conferr'd upon him and the equal share of his Fortune in the Eighty ninth Year of this Age luckily and auspiciously both Husband and Wife were declar'd King and Queen with equal Power and Authority by the common Vote and Suffrage and unanimous Consent of both Houses In the Morning she rose with the Sun and worship'd the Lord of Heaven and Earth But when she was sometimes forc'd to rise at Midnight by reason of the urgent Affairs of the State and could not afterwards sleep she commanded either the Holy Scripture or some other pious Book to be brought her If any Persons came to visit her in a Morning before she had pour'd forth her Prayers she sent them back with this Expression That she was first to serve the King of Kings If any persons were said to seek her life by Treachery and Conspiracy her Answer was That she submitted to the Will of Heaven Francius 's Oration upon the Death of the Queen 2. Such was the Sanctity of Mary's Life that King William after her Decease calling to mind her Piety towards God the Integrity of her Life and her Extraordinary Knowledge of Sacred Things brake forth into this expression That if he could believe that ever any mortal Man could be born without the contamination of Sin he would believe it of the Queen And she preserv'd herself so chast and spotless that while she resided upon Earth she liv'd the Life of the Saints even in the Hurry of the Court where there are so many Incitements to evil Grevius 's Oration on the Death of the Queen 3. We had very admirable Accounts of the late Queen from her Court at the Hague during her Abode there from most unquestionable Testimonies which made us envy our Neighbours Happiness in such a Princess who knew their Happiness as 't was impossible they should not and had an extraordinary Value and Veneration for her And since her Return to her Native Country and her Advancement to the Throne here we never knew a more eminent Exception than she was to that common Observation Minuit praesentia Famam The Fame
if those Princes were truly such as the Historians represented them they had well deserved that Treatment And others who tread their Steps might look for the same For Truth would be told at last and that with the more Acrimony of Style for being so long restrained It was a gentle suffering to be exposed to the World in their true Colours much below what others had suffered at their Hands She thought that all Sovereigns ought to read such Histories as Procopius for how much soever he may have aggravated Matters and how unbecomingly soever he may have writ yet by such Books they might see what would be probably said of themselves when all Terrors and Restraints should fall off with their Lives Ibid. 20. She did hearken carefully after every thing that seemed to give some hope that the next Generation should be better than the present with a particular Attention She heard of a Spirit of Devotion and Piety that was spreading itself among the Youth of this great City with a true Satisfaction She enquired often and much about it and was glad to hear it went on and prevailed She lamented that whereas the Devotions of the Church of Rome were all Shew and made up of Pomp and Pageantry that we were too bare and naked And practised not enough to entertain a serious Temper or a warm and an affectionate Heart We might have Light enough to direct but we wanted Flame to raise an exalted Devotion Ibid. 21. She was â—o part of the Cause of the War yet she would willingly have sacrificed her own Life to have preserved either of Those that seemed to be in Danger at the Boyne She spake of that Matter two Days after the News came with so tender a Sense of the Goodness of God to her in it that it drew Tears from her and then she freely confessed That her Heart had trembled not so much from the Apprehension of the Danger that she herself was in as from the Scene that was then in Action at the Boyne God had heard her Prayers and she blessed him for it with as sensible a Joy as for any thing that had ever happened to her Ibid. 22. The Reflections that she made on the Reduction of Ireland looked the same way that all her Thoughts did Our Forces elsewhere both at Sea and Land were thought to be considerable and so promising that we were in great Hopes of somewhat that might be decisive Only Ireland was apprehended to be too weakly furnished for a concluding Campaign Yet so different are the Methods of Providence from Humane Expectations that nothing memorable happened any where but only in Ireland where little or nothing was expected Ibid. 23. When sad Accidents came from the immediate Hand of Heaven particularly on the occasion of a great Loss at Sea she said Tho' there was no occasion for Complaint or Anger upon these yet there was a juster Cause of Grief since God's Hand was to be seen so particularly in them Sometimes she feared there might be some secret Sins that might lie at the Root and blast all But she went soon off from that and said Where so much was visible there was no need of Divination concerning that which might be hidden Ibid. 24. She was sorry that the State of War made it necessary to restrain another Prince from Barbarities by making himself feel the Effects of them and therefore she said She hoped that such Practices should become so odious in all that should begin them and by their doing so force others to retaliate that for the future they should be for ever laid aside Ibid. 25. She apprehended she felt once or twice such Indispositions upon her that she concluded Nature was working towards some great Sickness so she set herself to take full and broad Views of Death that from thence she might judge how she should be able to encounter it But she felt so quiet an Indifference upon that Prospect leaning rather towards the desire of a Dissolution that she said Tho' she did not pray for Death yet she could neither wish nor pray against it She left that before God and referred herself entirely to the disposal of Providence If she did not wish for Death yet she did not fear it Ibid. 26. We prayed for our selves more than for her when we cried to God for her Life and Recovery both Priest and People Rich and Poor all Ranks and Sorts joyned in this Litany A universal Groan was Ecchoed to those Prayers through our Churches and Streets Ibid. 27. But how severely soever God intended to visit us she was gently handled she felt no inward depression nor sinking of Nature She then declared That she felt in her Mind the Joys of a good Conscience and the Powers of Religion giving her Supports which even the last Agonies could not shake Thus far Bishop Burnet 28. In the Publick Worship of God she was a bright Example of solemn and unaffected Devotion She prayed with humble Reverence heard the Word with respectful Silence and with serious Application of Spirit as duly considering the infinite Interval between the Supremacy of Heaven and Princes on Earth That their Greatness in its Lustre is but a faint and vanishing Reflection of the Divine Majesty One Instance I shall specifie in this kind When her Residence was at the Hague a Lady of Noble Quality coming to the Court to wait on her on a Saturday in the Afternoon was told she was retired from all Company and kept a Fast in Preparation for the receiving the Sacrament the next Day The Lady staying 'till Five a Clock the Princess came out and contented herself with a very slender Supper it being incongruous to conclude a Fast with a Feast Thus solemnly she prepared herself for Spiritual Communion with her Saviour Dr. Bates 's Sermon upon the Death of the Queen 29. She had a sincere Zeal for the healing our unhappy Divisions in Religious Things and declared her Resolution upon the first Address of some Ministers that she would use all Means for that Blessed End She was so wise as to understand the Difference between Matters Doctrinals and Rituals and so good as to allow a just Liberty for Dissenters in things of small moment She was not fetter'd with superstitious Scruples but her clear and free Spirit was for the Union of Christians in Things essential to Christianity Ibid. 30. In her Relation to the King she was the best Pattern of Conjugal Love and Obsequiousness How happy was her Society redoubling his Comforts and dividing his Cares Her Deportment was becoming the Dignity and Dearness of the Relation Of this we have the most convincing Proof from the Testimony and Tears of the King since her Death Solomon adds to many Commendations of a vertuous Woman as a Coronis That her Husband praises her The King 's declaring that in all her Conversation he discovered no Fault and his unfeigned and deep Sorrow for his Loss are the Queen 's
entire Elogy Ibid. 31. I cannot omit her Reverential Regard for the Lord's-Day which at the Hague I had a very particular occasion to take Notice of On a Saturday a Vessel the Pacquet-Boat was stranded not far from thence which lying very near the Shore I view'd happening to be thereabouts at that time 'till the last Passengers were brought as all were safe off Multitudes went to see it and her Highness being inform'd of it said she was willing to see it too but thought she should not for it was then too late for that Evening and she reckoned by Monday it would be shiver'd to pieces thô it remaining entire 'till then she was pleas'd to view it that Day but she resolved she added she would noe give so ill an Example as to go see it on the Lord's-Day Mr. Howe 's Discourse on the Death of our late Queen 32. She was not inaccessible to such of her Subjects whose dissentient Judgments in some such Things put them into lower Circumstances Great she was in all valuable Excellencies nor greater in any than in her most Condescending Goodness Her singular Humility adorn'd all the rest Speaking once of a good thing which she intended she added But of my self I can do nothing and somewhat being by one of two more only then present interposed she answered She hoped God would help her Ibid. 33. He that will read the Character Psal 15. and 24. of an Inhabitant of that Holy Hill will there read her true and most just Character Wherein I cannot omit to take notice how sacred she reckoned her Word I know with whom she hath sometimes conferr'd whether having given a Promise of such a seeming import she could consistently therewith do so or so saying That whatever prejudice it were to her she would never depart from her Word Ibid. 34. She had a Love to all good Men thô of a different Communion Her Esteem and Affection were not confin'd to one Party or to the Church of which herself was a Member This is the Unchristian Character of many that they hate and despise those who differ from them in the Circumstantials of Religion But the deceas'd Queen had a larger Soul she lov'd and valu'd the Image of God wherever she found it 'T is well known how frequently I may say constantly she joyn'd in the Worship of God with the Dutch and French Churches thô their Constitution and Order are very different from those of the Church of England I have been a Witness of the Kindness and Respect with which she treated English Dissenting Ministers and was present when she thank'd one of that quality for a Practical Book of Divinity which he had publish'd and had been put into her Hands This Consideration makes our Loss the greater because she is taken away who was so capable and willing to compose the unhappy Differences in Matters of Religion which she did lament and earnestly wish'd the removal of ' em Mr. Spademan 's Sermon preach'd at Rotterdam the Day of Her Majesty's Funeral 35. Those who never had themselves Experience of Want and Distress are tempted unto a neglect and disregard of the Miserable Most of the Great and Rich choose rather to lay out their Treasures on any Vanity than in Relieving the Destitute and Distress'd But this pious Queen was rich in this kind of good Works and did as willingly seek out Objects of her Charity as others do avoid ' em The Character which Solomon gives of a Vertuous Woman did most visibly belong to the deceas'd Queen Prov. 31.20 She stretched out her Hand to the Poor yea she reacheth forth both her Hands to the Needy And it might truly have been said of her what Job alledged as an Evidence of his Sincerity in the Service of God Job 29.13 15 16. The Blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caus'd the Widow's Heart to sing for Joy c. By such a Christian Practice this wise Queen laid up Treasure in Heaven Ibid. 36. Could we and those who were related to the late Queen be perswaded to walk in the Steps of her Faith and Piety we should reap more Advantage after her Death than we did in her Life 'T is a memorable Wonder that is related 2 Kings 12.21 How when a dead Man was cast into the Sepulchre of Elisha as soon as he touch'd the Bones of Elisha he revived and stood upon his feet We may hope that if the holy Example of the deceas'd Queen might touch our dead Souls they would be reviv'd and gain Spiritual Life Ibid. 37. She knew how dangerous an Instrument of the Devil Flattery is and how fatally her Station exposed her to it And she took care for nothing more than to secure herself against the danger of it I Shall never forget with what weight of Reason and sincerity of Concern I have sometimes heard this Great Queen represent the Dangers which Princes above all others are apt to run in this respect And with what Earnestness she has exhorted those about her to deliver to her the plainest Truths and with all Freedom to tell her if they had observed any thing amiss in her Conduct that she might amend it Dr. Wake 's Sermon preached at Grey's-Inn on the Occasion of the Queen's Death 38. She thought herself engag'd to labour not only her own particular but the Salvation of others You may know it you that by your Employments were design'd to her immediate Service have been so often corrected by her when over zealous for her and so negligent of God she would not admit of your Sedulities but when they were sanctifi'd by Prayer It behoves ye in the first place to serve God said she to ye that 's your first Duty I will have none of your Attendance but upon that Condition Mr. Claude's Sermon on the Queen's Death preach'd at the Hague 39. Never was Majesty better tempered with Easiness and Sweetness She knew how to be familiar without making herself cheap and to condescend without meanness She had all the Greatness of Majesty with all the Vertues of Conversation and knew very well what became her Table and what became the Council-Board She understood her Religion and loved it and practised it and was the greatest Example of the Age of a constant regular unaffected Devotion and of all the eminent Vertues of a Christian Life In the midst of all the Great Affairs of State she would rather spare time from her Sleep than from her Prayers where she always appeared with that great Composure and Seriousness of Mind as if her Court had been a Nunnery and she had nothing else to do in the World Dr. Sherlock 's Sermon preached at the Temple upon the sad Occasion of the Queen's Death 40. She was not wrought up to any Bigottry in unnecessary Opinions She was most conversant in Books of Practical Divinity of which some of the latest used by her were certain Sermons and some Discourses concerning
by the force of his Love and Loss as having lost the most certain and faithful Companion of his Fortune of his Counsels this Cares his Labours and his Thoughts who far exceeded all the Excellencies of the Female Sex that hardly the Vertue of any Woman in any Age can be compar'd to hers For that Reason perhaps in was that Heaven deny'd her Off-spring lest she should bring forth a worse than herself and here Husband seeing Nature could go no further Ibid. 68. Thou best and greatest of Queens thou departest this Life in the Flower of thy Age but what remorsless Death has abstracted from the Number of thy Years Men will add as much and more to the Eternal Glory Fame and Remembrance of thy Name This Life will prolong thy Consecrated Memory to after Ages Nor Marble Mausoleum nor Golden Urn shall hide thee thy Tomb shall be our Breasts Ibid. 69. Being once put in Mind of her approaching End with an undaunted Countenance she return'd this Masculine and truly Royal Expression I am not now to prepare for Death it has been my Study all the Days of my Life Francius 's Oration upon the Death of the Queen 70. Upon the Death of the Queen His Majesty 's otherwise invincible Courage gives way to raging Grief and he who had so often contemn'd the Bullets and Swords of his Enemies he who dreaded neither Flames nor Steel nor Death itself languishes falls and swoons away upon the Death of his dearest Queen He remembers himself to be but a King finds himself a Man and not unwilling acknowledges the Excess of his Grief Miserable Man that I am said he I have lost the best of Women and the most pleasing Companion of my Life Ibid. 71. When she was sometimes forc'd to rise at Midnight by reason of the urgent Affairs of the State and could not afterwards Sleep she commanded either the Holy-Scripture or some other pious Book to be brought her If any Persons came to visit her in a Morning before she had pour'd forth her Prayers she sent 'em back with this Expression That she was first to serve the King of Kings If any Persons were said to seek her Life by Treachery and Conspiracy her Answer was That she submitted to the Will of Heaven Ibid. 72. When any new-fashion'd Garment or costly Ornament was shewed her she rejected 'em as superfluous and answered The Money might be better laid out upon the Poor Ibid. 73. The Mind of Man is better discern'd by his Death than by his Life for Man is apt in his Life-time to conceal and dissemble his Affections but at his Death the Mask being remov'd he appears what he is What was more noble and signal than the Death of this Queen What more becoming a wise Man and a Christian than that Saying of hers This is not the first time that I prepar'd my self for Death Ibid. 74. When the more solemn Duties of Religion were over she never gave her Mind to the frivolous Stories of Amadis and impertinent Fictions of Amad. but attentively studied the Volumes of those Authors by which she might improve her Knowledge and her Prudence I shall relate not what I gathered from the common Reports of Fame but from the Lips of a most worthy Person and my Friend who being admitted in the Morning to kiss her Hands found before her Cambden's Annals of Queen Elizabeth and Doctor Burnet's History of the Reformation But Piety is never to be accounted solidly accomplish'd unless accompanied with Liberality otherwise it would be Piety only in Words and not in Deeds as she herself would say upon the approach of her expiring Minutes Ortwinius's Oration upon the Death of the Queen 75. While Her Majesty was sick the King refus'd to stir from the languishing Queen's Bed-side assiduous to serve her and careless of the Infection that many times accompanies the Malady she had and being often requested to spare His Royal Person and not to inflict another Wound upon suffering Europe made answer That when he Marry'd the Queen he Covenanted to be the Companion not only of her Prosperity but of whatever Fortune befel her and that he would with the Hazard of his Life receive from her Lips her last expiring Gasps All hope of Recovery now was fled away and the most Reverend Father in God the Arch-bishop of Canterbury being admitted into the Room in order to perform the last Duties of his Function Such harsh and disconsolate News would have struck another Person with Horrour and Trembling But what said the Queen to this Full of Faith and Constancy she receiv'd the Tidings with a chearful and undaunted Countenance saying withal That she did no way seek to shun the Stroke of Death but was ready prepar'd for the dark Mansion of the Grave for that she had always so led her Life that whenever Death gave her his last Summons she should be a Gainer by it Ibid. 76. In the first Years of her Youth this Princess display'd the best Natural Disposition in the World a sweet Humour agreeable and always equal a Heart upright and sincere a solid and firm Judgment and a Piety beyond her Age. And it was upon this sincere Report that the great Prince who espous'd her desired to be united to her declaring That all the Circumstances of Fortune and Interest did never engage him so much as those of her Humour and Inclination Funeral Orations upon the Queen recited by the Learned Author of The Collection of Canons Printed at the Hague 77. They who had the Honour to be acquainted with the Character of this great Queen well knew that the Lustre of a Crown did never dazle her 78. She has been heard to say and I have heard her myself when she was congratulated upon her Advancement to the Crown That many times so much Grandeur was a Burthen That in such Stations People liv'd with less Consent to themselves than others and that she should wish she were in Holland again And indeed she had Reason to say so For it may be said of those that Govern that they resemble the Stars that shine with a bright Luster but are never at rest Ibid. 79. I have let no Day pass said the pious Queen when they told her what a dangerous Condition her Life was in I have let not Day pass without thinking upon Death So that she did not look upon it as the People of the World are wont to look upon it with dread and horrour but she look'd upon it after a most Christian-like manner as the end of her Time and the happy Entrance into Eternity She had frequently thought upon that Sentence which will be pronounced to every one of us at the Hour of Death You shall be no more Ibid. 80. With what Goodness did she still inform herself of the Wants and Necessities of those that were in Affliction With what Care did she order 'em to be provided for Her Alms had no other Bounds than those
Hunting or wearied with continual Audiences or tir'd with incessant Cares for the Good of the Republick he comes to my Chamber about Supper-time upon this Condition that I should not tire him more with multiplicity of Questions but rather strive to recreate him over-coil'd and almost spent with pleasing Jests that might revive him with innocent Mirth Ibid. 87. William might justly exalt his single Mary above all the Wives of former Times then whom no Woman greater for her Courage more Religious in her Affection more amiable in her Countenance more modest in here Habit more affable in her Discourse or who with a more obedient readiness to serve her Royal Consort whether present or absent was more his Counsellor his Hands his Ears his Eyes and every-way more assistant to him And therefore the August William told his mournful Bishops and Grandees That Mary's outside was known to them but that her intrinsick and just Value was only known to himself Ibid. 88. Queen Mary lookt upon Piety to be the Compendium the Seasoning of all Vertues and the Support of Kingdoms and therefore Religion was always her first Care and her Supreme Law as it was also to her Glorious William And therefore it was the frequent Saying of those two August Princes That neither the Guards of Majesty the Councils of Princes Emperors Legions Cities Garrison Courage of their Leaders Well-disciplin'd and Veteran Armies nor the Sinews of War any thing avail'd to the Preservation of Sovereigns or their Subjects without God's assistance Ibid. 89. She was moderate in her Dress sparing in her Train but eager and humble in her Attention Who whenever she entred the Church-doors or happen'd to sneeze in the time of Divine Service impatiently brook'd the Bowings and Cringes of the Sycophant Croud professing That in the House of God the Distinction was the same of Meanest and Highest from the most Infinite Majesty Ibid. 90. The Queen being mov'd by the untimely Death of several Illustrious Women in her Court thought it high time more familiarly to converse with Death and meditate upon Eternity And that she might always have him in her Eye besides the Sacred Books which she turn'd over more frequently than ever Alexander did Homer's Iliads she applied herself to other Books no less familiar to her which taught the Art of Dying well more especially the Treatise upon that Subject or Charles Drelincourt which she confess'd to his Son then one of her Physicians That she had read above Seven times over Ibid. 91. How many Things could I say of the Earnest Desires of our pious Queen to see extinguished or as much as could be lessened the impious Divisions too deeply rooted but first sown by the wicked Emissaries of Rome to the Ruin of her Country How averse was she from the Severity of former times which decreed the Dissenters if not to be exterminated by the Sword yet to be routed out by Excommunications and macerated by Imprisonments Fines and Banishment for the only sake of their differing Discipline free from all other the least Stain or Pestilence of Heresie or false Doctrine And how earnestly has she wish'd in my hearing that saving to the Church of England and the Bishops their ancient Rights there might be a moderate way found to consolidate the common Safety of England and the Universal Church by the Union of all Parties all Offences being remov'd all Animosity being laid aside all Passion being moderated and whatsoever on either side savoured too much of Human Invention being utterly rejected Neither if we have any thing of Prophetick in us is all Hopes of such a Union cut off in the Loss of Mary while William still remains Ibid. 92. When this most Noble Senate interposed their kind Offices of Condolement for the Death of King Charles II. by which her Father came to the Sovereignty but upon which most dark and dismal Storms threatned the Kingdom the Church and the Reformed Religion she as she was never without all the Marks of Civility after she had answered the Messengr added these Expressions That it was the Will of God through whose Providence there was no reason to despair of the Publick Safety That the best Consolation in Affliction was a reliance upon God That there was a Threatning Cloud hung over her Father's Kingdoms but that he was able to bring forth a splendid and most acceptable Cloud out of the thickest Darkness Oh Mary a true Prophetess and Words a certain Augury of what was to come 'T is now about two Years since that the Fatal News reached the Ears of the best of Queens that News more especially doleful to our Merchants that so many Ships laden with rich Goods and wealthy Treasure bound for the Levant either through Perfidiousness or supine Negligence were either sunk or burnt or yielded up to the French which penetrated so deeply to the Heart of the compassionate Queen that she could not forbear watering her Royal Cheeks before all the Standers by with a Deluge of Tears nor did she only with her Tears bemoan the Losses of those who suffered after a more than ordinary manner but also testified her sympathizing in their Misery to the Widows and Orphans that were hardly able to bear up under so great a Calamity Nor shall I ever forget that cruel Hour when going to take my leave of the Princess returning to her Country I am call'd said she to my Husband to my Native Country to my Fellow-Citizens and whither Providence leads me I must follow But when I leave this Palace I leave the Seat of my Leisure my Tranquility and Delight And first shall my Right-Hand forget itself before I will ever forget this my Belgium after so many Proofs of the Affection and Judgment of this Republick Whose Losses added she without the least Commotion of Mind whose Misfortunes and Calamities and also whatever prosperous and joyful befals it I shall look upon as my own as long as I remember my self Ibid. 93. But here my Sorrow stops my Mouth and I must put an end at length to my most bitter Memorial of her Praises But wherefore do I say an End when dying she was so much above all Praises by how much the more she approached nearer to Heaven and Eternity Ibid. THE Wonders of Nature PART II. By WILLIAM TVRNER M. A. Vicar of WALBERTON in SUSSEX When I consider thy Heavens the Work of thy Fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is Man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him Psal 8.3 4. LONDON Printed for John Dunton at the Raven in Jewen-Street MDCXCVII THE PREFACE TO THE Wonders of Nature THE Impression which the Almighty hath made upon the several Pieces of the Creation and diversity of Species Figures Lineaments Properties and Curiosity of Operation discernable in them is enough to amuse and puzzle the Reason of the most Ingenious and Gigantic Atheist in the World For can any Man in
Agaric for Phlegm The Lote-Tree follows the Motion of the Sun Philos Confer of the Virtuosi of France p. 122. 2. There is observed a Sympathy between the Feet and the Head the one taking cold the other is affected between the Mouth and the Stomach between the Heart and the Hands or Wrists So that Medicines are often applied to the one for the Cure of the other There is a Sympathy between the Light and the Spirits of Men the Green Colour and the Eyes All Cordials have a Sympathy with the Heatt as Pearls and precious Stones Male-Peony with the Brain the Blood-stone with the Blood The Dog knows the Dog-killer I Query here What is to be thought of the Lions in the Tower dying at the Smell of a Handkerchief dipt in the Blood of King Charles the First 3. I would have it throughly enquired saith Sir Francis Bacon whether there be not some secret Passages of Sympathy between Persons of near Blood as Parents Children Brothers Sisters Nurse-Children Husbands Wives c. There be many Reports in History that upon the Death of Persons of such Nearness Men have and an inward Feeling of it I my self remember that being at Paris and my Father dying in London two or three days before my Father's Death I had a Dream which I told to divers English Gentlemen that my Father's House in the Country was plaister'd all over with Black Mortar There is an Opinion that loving and kind Husbands have a Sense of their Wives Breeding-Child by some Accident in their own Body Bacon's Natural Hist Cent. 10. p. 211. 4. Hither also may be referred the Effects of Imagination of which Authors have said so much A Sister of mine saith Gaffarella had the Figure of a Fish upon her left Leg caused by the Desire my Mother had to eat Fish when she was great and it is represented with so much Perfection and Rarity that you would take it to be drawn by some excellent Master Now that wherein the Wonder lies is this That when ever the Girl eat any Fish that upon her Leg put her to a sensible Pain And I had a Friend that had a Mulberry growing upon his Forehead caused likewise by his Mother's longing after them and he never eat Mulberries but that on his Forehead put him to Pain by its extraordinary Beating This other Story which I shall now relate saith he is very well known to all in Paris that are curious Inquirers into these Things The Hostess of the Inn in the Suburbs of St. Michael at Bois de Vincenne who died about two Years since had likewise a Mulberry growing upon a Lower Lip which was smooth and plain all the Year long till the time that Mulberries begin to ripen at which time hers also began to be red and to swell more and more observing exactly the Season and Nature of other Mulberries Gaffar unheard-of Curios par 2. ch 6. 5. Oysters taken out of Water will open against the Flood-time and close upon the Ebb Britan. Bacon p. 18. 6. All Concords of Musick are Sympathies And 't is observed that if a Lute or Viol be laid upon the Back with a small Straw upon one side of the Strings and another Lute or Viol be laid by it the Unison of one being struck will make the String move and the Straw fall off Bacon's Nat. Hist cent 4. 7. There is a Sympathy between the Ear and Sounds between the Spirit and the Ear insomuch that according to the Variety of Notes and Tones and Tunes the Mind is diversly affected wild Creatures are tamed Soldiers are provoked to Courage some moved to Fear and Sadness by this means The Voice of an Orator or Preacher hath a great Influence upon the Hearers according to the Sweetness Harshness Lowness Loudness Mournsulness c. of it 8. The Sympathetic Powder and Weapon-Salve magnified by Sir Francis Bacon and Sir Kenelm Digby c. is laugh'd at by Mr. Hales of Eaton and look'd upon as a fond Conceit 9. The Sympathy of Affections and Strength of Imagination is admirable when the Mind is able to presage the Death or Dangers of a Friend tho a great way off This also I found in my self For once I suddenly fell into a Passion of Weeping upon the Apprehension I took that my dear Friend was dead whom I exceedingly loved for his Virtues and it fell out accordingly as I presaged for he died about that same Hour that I fell into that Weeping Fit and we were at that time 60 Miles asunder nor could I tell certainly that he was dead till two Days after Thus to some the Death of Friends is presaged by bleeding at the Nose and sudden Sadness by Dreams and divers other ways which the Learned Poet was not ignorant of when he saith Agnovit longe gemitum praesagia mali mens Aen. 1.10 So by the Greek Poet the Soul is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Southsayer of Evil The Cause of this the Gentiles ascribed to the Sun which they held to be the Soul and our Souls Sparks of that great Lamp A Platonical Conceit which he thought Men's Souls to be material we were better to ascribe this to the Information of that Angel which attends us Rosse Arcan Microcosin 10. One Faber of Buxovil in Alsatia constantly acted the Part of his pregnant Wife being taken with Vomitings and suffered those inordinate Longings that usually attend Women in that Condition his Wife all the while suffering no such Inconveniencies Miscelan Curios Med. Phys Germ. An. 2. Observ 215. 11. That this hath happen'd to some Persons in Oxford is very certain and that to knowing Ones too very unlikely to be deceived and of unquestionable Veracity whereof one of them told me That they came upon him when he little thought of his Wife and that the Pangs were very odd ones such as he never felt in his Life not like any Griping in the Guts but lying in the Muscles of the abdomen which yet he should never have thought to have had relation to his Wife had they not suddenly and beyond expectation ceased as soon as his Wife began to be in Labour Thus far Dr. Plot in his Nat. Hist of Oxfordshire p. 193. CHAP. II. Instances of Antipathy THIS is the Opposite of Sympathy arising from the Contrariety of innate and undiscoverable Qualities a secret Vnsuitableness in the Nature of one Thing to that of another where the Properties clash together and bid Battle upon a near approach of one to the other As of the Horse and Camel Elephant and Swine Lion and Cock Bull and Fig-Tree Naked Man and Adder Ape and Tortoise Ape and Eel Cantharides and the Bladder Plague and Quick-silver Plague and Arsnic Birds and Scare-Crows Things alive and Things dead and corrupted as Man and Man's Carcass Beast and Beast's Blood c. But I shall especially Instance in the Antipathies of Mankind against some particular Things 1. Cardinal Don Henrique de Cardona would fall into a
vigour and energy to it beyond common Sense 1. Marinus Barlâ—tins reports of Scanderberg That he brought with him into the World a notable mark of Warlike Glory for he had upon his Right Arm a Sword so well set on as if it had been drawn with the Pencil of the most curious and skillful Painter in the World Camer Hor. Subscis l. 1. c. 60. p. 308. 2. Camerarius saith that he always heard it reported That the Counts of Habsburg have each of them from the Womb a Golden Cross upon his Back viz. certain Hairs after a wonderful manner formed into the Figure of a Cross Ibid. l. 3. c. 42. p. 145. 3. M. Venetus in his 45 years Itinerary in Asia reports That the Kings of Corzani boast of a Nobility beyond that of all other Kings of the Earth upon this account that they are Born into the World with the Impress of a Black Eagle upon their Shoulder which continues with them to their Deaths Ibid. 4. Camerarius saith that it was related That King James I. brought with him from his Mother's Womb certain Royal Signatures for at his Birth there was beheld imprinted on his Body a Lion and Crown and some also add a Sword Ibid. 5. Abraham Buckoltzerus saith That John Frederick Elector of Saxony who was Born June 30. Anno 1503. brought with him from his Mother's Womb an Omen of his future State For he was Born with a Cross of a splendid and golden Colour on his Back upon the sight of which a pious and ancient Priest was sent for by the Ladies of the Court who thereupon said This Child shall carry a Cross conspicuous to all the World the Emblem of which is thus apparent in his Birth The Event did declare and confirm the Truth of the Presage Camerur Ibid. p. 146. 6. Gaffarel tells of his Sister born with a Fish on her Leg caused by the desire of his Mother when Pregnant that it was drawn with so much perfection and rarity as if drawn by some excellent Master and the wonder was that when the Girl eat Fish that on her Leg put her to sensible pain Gaff Curiosities c. 5. p. 143. 7. The Hostess of the Inn in the Suburbs of St. Mich. at Bois de Vicenne had a Mulberry growing upon her Nether Lip which was smooth till the time that Mulberries began to ripen at which time hers began to be red and to swell observin the Season and Nature of other Mulberries till it came to their just bigness and redness Ibid. p. 144. 8. A Woman in the seventh Month of her Pregnancy longed to Eat Rosebuds which being difficult to be procured at last a Bough of them was found she greedily devoured the green Buds of two Roses and kept the rest in her Bosom In the ninth Month being delivered of a Boy upon his Ribs there appeared the likeness of three Roses very red upon his Forehead and either Cheek he had also he resemblances of a red Rose He was therefore commonly called the Rose-Boy Zasut Lusit adm l. 2. Obs 133. CHAP. XXV Childen abiding in the Womb beyond their time THere is not one of the Actions of Nature that I can think of which is not subject to Anomaly and Disorder Sometimes our Tongue stammers our Eyes fail us our Memory is deficient our Feet stumble Sometimes there is a fault in Conception sometimes in Parturition One while the Infant comes too soon before its Natural time into the World another while it is detain'd a prisoner too long and cannot be set at liberty for many years and it may be the Soul go into another World before the Body can be admitted into this and sometimes the Womb that bore it must be the Grave to bury it a miserable case and unhappy for Mother and infant both 1. Catherine the Wife of Michael de Menne a poor Conntryman for 12 years together carried a dead Child or rather the Skeleton of one in her Womb. It was manifest to the touch saith Aegidius de Hertoge who with many other both Men and illustrious Women are witnesses hereof Henricus Cornelius Mathisius Domestick Physician to the Emperor Charle V. who having handled the Woman both standing and lying by touch easily distinguished all the Bones of the Dead Infant in a great Amazement cried out nothing is impossible to God and Nature She Conceived of this Child Anno 1549. Schenck Obs l. 4. p. 575. 2. In the Town of Sindelfingen a Woman of 30 years or thereabouts being with Child 6 or 7 weeks before her expected Delivery upon occasion of a fall on the Ice never afterwards felt her Child to stir After which she Conceived twice or thrice and hath been as often Delivered yet still the usual bigness of her Belly continued and the Dead Child was supposed to continue in her Womb. Ibid. p. 577. 3. Anno 1545. Margarita Carlinia Wife of Geo. Volzerus of Vienna in her Travel perceiving somewhat to Crack within her and never after feeling her Child to stir for four years afterwards she lived with much pain till at length Anno 1549. an Ulcer appearing about her Navel and the Bone of the Child's Elbow at the Orifice she was by Incision Delivered of a Male Child half Putrid which was drawn out thence piece-meal and afterwards happily Cured Zuing. Theat vol. 2. l. 4. p. 357. Donat. Hist Med. Mir. l. 2. c. 22. p. 239. 4. Zacutus Lusitanus hath set down the History of a Woman of mean Fortune and 16 years of Age who being with Child and the time of her Travail come could not be delivered by reason of the narrowness of her Womb the Chirurgions advised Section which they said was ordinary in such Cases but she refused it the Dead Child therefore Putrified in her Womb After three years the smaller Bones of it came from her and so by little and little for ten years together there came forth pieces of corrupted Flesh and Fragments of the Skull At last in the twelfth year there issued forth piecemeal the greater Bones and then her Belly fell and after some years she Conceived again and was happily delivered of a living Boy Zacut. Lusit praxis Med. Admir lib. 2. Obs 357. p. 276. 5. Donatus tells of one Paula the Wife of Mr. Naso an Innkeeper in the Street of Pont Merlian in Mantua who voided by way of Siege a Dead Child with a great deal of Pain the Bones coming forth by piecemeal for several months and years together Donat. Hist Med. Mir. l. 2. c. 22. p. 241. For this the Author cites the Testimony of Hippolitus Genifortus a Chirurgeon and Joseph Arancus a Physician CHAP. XXVI Children Born Preternaturally THAT the Births of Children are sometimes attended with strange either precedent or concomitant or consequent Symptoms or Accidents may be attributed to variety of infetiour and natural Causes as in the following Examples But surely there is a Finger of Omnipotence that over-rules Nature in these and all other
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
another Earthquake in the same Country that reached 300 Leagues along the Sea-shore and 70 Leagues in Land and Levelled the Mountains along as it went threw down Cities turn'd the Rivers out of their Channels and made an universal Havock and Confusion all this was done saith the Author in the space of seven or eight Minutes sometime before this above 40000 People perished in an Earthquake about Puel and Naples 20. In 1590 happened a terrible Earthquake which made Austris Bohemia and Moravia to Tremble in 1591. In St. Michael Island in the West-Indies there was an Earthquake which continued about 16 days to the extream Terror of the French which inhabit there especially when by force thereof they perceiv'd the Earth to move from place to place and Villa Franca their Principal Town overthrown the Ships that then rode at Anchor trembled and quaked insomuch that the People thought the day of Judgment was come In 1593 another terrible Earthquake happened in Persia which overturn'd 3000 Houses in the City of Lair crushing to Death above 3000 Persons in their Ruins In 1614 there was a great Earthquake in Vercer one of the largest of the Azor's Islands belonging to the King of Portugal overturning the City of Agra 11 Churches 9 Chappels besides many private Houses and in the City of Praga hardly an House was left standing not long after a dreadful Earthquake happened in St. Michael another Island of the Azores the Sea opened and thrust forth an Island above a League and a half in length at the place where there was above 150 Fathom Water 21. In 1622 was a great Earthquake in Italy the shape of an Elephant was seen in the Air and three Suns Armies Fighting Monstrous Births Waters turned into Blood unusual and impetuous Tempests which overthrew several Towers 22. In 1627 an Earthquake happened in England and a great Fiery Beam was seen in the Air in France Six Suns in Cornwall at once and five Moons in Normandy In the same year July 31 happened an Earthquake in Apulia in Italy whereby in the City of Severine 10000 Souls were taken out of the World and in the Horrour of such infinite Ruins and Sepulchre of so many Mortals a great Bell thrown out of the Steeple by the Earthquake fell so fitly over a Child that it inclos'd him doing him no harm made a Bulwark for him against any other danger 23. In the year 1631 there happened a Terrible Earthquake in Naples and the Mountain of Soma after many terrible Bellowings Vomitted out burning streams of Fire which tumbled into the Adriatic Sea and cast out huge deal of Ashes the like happened the year following with great Damage and Loss to the Neighbouring places in Houses People and Cattle and in Apulia 17000 Persons were destroyed by the same 24. In the year 1631 there happened a Terrible Earthquake in the Island of St. Michael one of the Terceres in the Atlantick Ocean Westward upon June the 26th this Island began universally to shake which continued eight days so that the People leaving the cities Towns and Castles were forc'd to live in the open Fields which was attended with a dreadful breaking out of Fire that had not the Wind by Divine Providence blown from the Isle into the Sea and drove back this outragious Fire without doubt the whole Country had been burnt up and destroy'd 25. In 1560 about five a Clock about the County of Cumberland and Westmorland was a general Earthquake wherewith the People were so affrighted that many of them forsook their Houses and some Houses so shaken that their Chimneys fell down The same year the Island of Santorim at the bottom of the Streights in the Mediterranean Sea not far from Candia had formidable Earthquakes and Fires it was most remarkable upon September 24 1650 which shook the Isle till the 9th of October with such mighty and frequent Earthquakes that the People fearing their immediate Ruin was approaching were on their Knees Night and Day before the Altars it cannot be expressed what Horrour seized all Men especially when the Flames breaking through all Obstacles strove to make themselves away through the midst of the Waters of the Ocean about four Mites Eastward from Santorin for the Sea all on a suddain swelled thirty Cubits upward and extending it self wide through the Neighbouring Lands overturn'd all in its way 26. In 1657 the Spaniards felt a terrible blow in Peru which if it were not a Mark of the Wrath of Heaven saith the Author was at least a Sign that the Earth is weary of them especially in those Parts where they have stain'd it with so much Innocent Blood The City of Lima was swallowed up by an Earthquake and Calao another City not far from it was consumed by a Shower of Fire out of the Clouds 11000 Spaniards lost their Lives in this Calamity and the Earth devoured an 100 Millions of refin'd Silver which the Lucre of the Spaniards had forc'd out of her Bowels 27. In 1660 an Earthquake happened at Paris in France and at the same time we had News that part of the Pyrenean Mountains had been overthrown some days before they are certain Mountains that divide France and Spain it did great Mischief there overwhelm'd some Medicinal Baths many Houses and destroying much People one Church which sunk into the Caverns below was thrown up again and stands very firm but in another place this was look'd upon as a great Miracle especially by the French who have disputed with the Spaniard about a Church standing upon the Frontier-Line but now is removed near half a League within the acknowledged Limits of France 28. In 1665 there was a great Tempest accompanied with Thunder Lightning and an Earthquake in divers places in England at which time the stately Spire of Trinity Church in Coventry fell down and demolished a great part of the Church 29. In 1668 in Autumn a great part of Asia and some parts of Europe were infested with extraordinnry Earthquakes the Cities of Constantinople and Adrianople felt its effects but not with that Violence and continuance as in other places In some parts of Persia it continued for above fourscore days Torqueto and Bolio two considerable Cities were by its great Violence laid even to the Ground and all or most of their Inhabitants buryed in the Ruins above 6000 Persons Perished in the first of them and above 1800 in the latter and in all the Adjacent Cities it raged with extraordinary Fury destroying and ruining the Buildings killing many of the People and the rest were forced to quit the Towns and take up their Lodgings in the Fields 30. In 1687 October 20 the London Gazette gives a sad Relation of another Earthquake in the Kingdom of Peru in America whereby the City of Lima was totally overthrown and not an House left standing burying many of its inhabitants under its Ruins at the same time Callao Fenettei Pisco Chancay Los Florillos c. Most of the Sea-port
at each Stroke of the Clock Moreover there be the Statues of the Spring Summer Autumn and Winter and many Observations of the Moon In the upper part of the Clock are four old Men's Statues which strike the quarters of the Hour the Statue of Death coming out at each Quarter to strike but being driven back by the Statue of Christ with a Spear in his Hand for three Quarters but in the fourth Quarter that of Christ goeth back and that of Death striketh the Hour with a Bone in his Hand and then the Chimes sound On the top of the Clock is the Image of a Cock which twice in the Day croweth aloud and clappeth his Wings Besides this Clock is deck'd with many fine Pictures and being on the inside of the Church carrieth another Frame to the outside of the Wall wherein the Hours of the Sun the Courses fo the Moon the Length of the Day and such other things are set out with great Art Morrison's Itenerary Part 1. Cap. 1. Pag. 31. 8. At Dresden a Cockoo sings by Clock-work a Horseman rides a Ship sails an old Woman walks a Centaur runs and shoots and a Crab creeps upon a Table so well as to amaze and delight Dr. Ed. Brown's Trav. p. 167. CHAP. VI. Improvements in Navigation NONE of the Elements have escaped the Inquisition of Humane Study Men have adventured not only to Travel upon the Surface of the Waters and cut thro the Surging Waves but to dive to the bottom and examine all the Secrets of the vast Ocean and to that end have made considerable Improvements in the Art of Navigation But being my self a Land-Animal I am not able to say much upon the Point only for a Spur to the Industry and Emulation of others take these few subsequent Remarks 1. The Chard and Compass is well known to be a late but ingerrious and useful Invention far beyond the old wild way of Sailing by the Coasts of the Land and much conducive to the mutual Traffick and Commerce of divers Nations I wish I could say it had been more so to the Propagation of Learning and True Religion 2. The Longitude upon the Sea complain'd of lately by Seamen and Pilots who having lost sight of the Land and knowing by Observation of the Compass and Altitude at what Distance they were from North and Sourth but not able to discern the Longitude viz. the Distance from East to West hath been lately put into a fair way of Discovery by Mr. Huggens by the help of the Pendulum whose Exactness is such that it fails not one Moment And the Certainty of this Experiment is recommended by Captain Holms in a Letter written from London January 1665. c. 3. Sir William Petti invented a Vessel or Ship of a new Form called the Experiment like two little Ships joyned together by a Platform so that between the two there might be a space almost as large as the two Ships together thro' which the Water had an entire Liberty to pass the Keel of each being 80 Foot long the bigness with the Platform only 32 Foot the height from the Keel to the Platform 14. In War it would carry 50 pieces of Canon 200 Men with three Months Provision if used for Merchandize it would carry 300 Tuns The Advantages expected from it were that it would be swifter than other Ships as being capable of carrying twice or thrice as many Sails as others and having no Ballast it would be higher and surer because the figure of its sides with the Water which runs between the two Ships would keep it from running aground and having no Ballast it would not sink what Breaches soever it might meet with especially if assisted by some pieces of Canon besides its Keel would defend it being supported by many straight Planks if it should touch the Ground with all its weight and lastly it would turn more speedily than those Ships whose Rudder receives only the broken Water by the round Sides of them and ross less in a Tempest and in calm Weather would to with Oars betwixt the two little ones beneath the Platform c. but what the Event of this Experiment is I am not able to say This Description that I have given is taken out of a Letter written from London about it The Young Students Library p. 208. 4. A Doublet of Buoyant Matter lately invented which being put over or under a Man's Cloaths will bear his Head above Water for 24 Hours tho he cannot swim was tried this Month of June A. 1696. below London-Bridge and proved effectual as we are informed by the Flying-Post Numb 167. CHAP. VII Improvements in Law THAT Law might be reduced into the Method of an Art or Science hath been the wish of many Learned Men I dare not undertake any such Work my self yet for the Curiosity of my Reader I will present him here with something of a Scheme which I had lying by me Extracted out of Sir Mat. Hales Pleas of the Corwn Sir H. Finch 's Common Pleas c. 1. Pleas of the Crown have a Respect either to 1. Capital Offences 1. Against God as 1. Heresie 2. Witchcraft 2. Against Man 1. Capital 1. Treason 1. High as Compassing the Death of the King Queen Prince Levying War against him Violation of the Queen Princess killing of the Chancellor Treasurer Justice of one Bench or other Justice in Eire of Assizes of Oyer and Terminer in their place Counterfeiting and Clipping of the King's Coin Refusing the Oath of Supremacy on the Second Tender Extolling the Bishop of Rome Priests coming into the Realm 2. Petit A Servant killing of the Master a Wife her Husband Ecclesiastick his Superiour Son his Father c. 2. Felony against Life as Felo de se Chance medley doing a lawful Act without Intent of Hurt and Death following Death per infortunium without procurement of another the Cause is Deodand ex necessitate viz. Murder proceeding from Malice precognitated Manslaughter on a sudden Falling out Against Goods Larceny simple and grand of the value of 12 Pence feloniously taken Complicated Larceny or mixed with Robbery viz. Taking from the Person and putting him in fear or from the House Piracy Burglary viz. or Breaking by Night and entering into a House with a Felonious Intent Arson maliciously and voluntarily burning the House of another Hindrances of Amesning a Felon to publick Justice by breaking of Prison Rumper Prison Escape Rescure in a Person that 's a Stranger Felonies by Statute Conspiring to kill the King Witchcraft Buggery Penetratio emissio cum carnali cognitione Rape taking a Woman against her Will. Malicious cutting out Tongues or pulling out Eyes Stealing or avoiding Records Multiplication of Gold or Silver Hunting unlawfully in Forests Chases Wartens Embezilling of the King's Armour Subjects passing Sea to serve Foreign Princes c. Purveyors and wandering Soldiers in certain Cases Marrying a Second Husband or Wife the First living except the Man be under
14 the Woman under 12 when married absent 7 Years after a Divorce after Nullity obtained Goaler compelling Prisoner to be Appelor c. Transportation of Silver or Importation of False Money Exportation of Wool c. Stealing Falcons Receiving c. Popish Priests Jesuits Aegyptians above 14. Rogue adjudged to the Gallies and returning without License Forging a Deed after a former Conviction Sending Sheep beyond Sea after former Conviction Servants Embezilling the Goods of their Masters c. Cutting Powdike Forcibly detaining Persons in Cumberland 2. Not Capital or Trespasses which are 1. Greater 1. Misprision of Treason or Felony Negative viz. Knowing and not Revealing Receiving a Traitor Counterfeiting Coin c. 2. Theftbote when the Owner doth not know the Felony but takes his Goods again or other amends not to Prosecute 3. Misprisions positive discovery by one of the Grand Jury of the Persous Indicted c. dissuading from witnessing against a Felon c. Reproaching a Judge Assaulting an Attorney against him or abusing a Juror Rescuing a Prisoner from Barr of B. R. B. C. Striking in Westminster-Hall c. in presence of Justices of Assize of Oyer and Terminer Drawing Sword upon any Judge or Justice c. 4. Maihem Cutting off the Hand or striking out a Tooth but not the Ear. 2. Lesser or Ordinary Neglect of Duty Bribery Extortion Affrays Weapons drawn or Stroak given or offered but Words-no-Affray Riots more than two meeting to do some unlawful Act and doing it Forcible Entries and Detainder Forcible Entry i. e. Manu forti with unusual Weapon Menace of Life or Limb breaking Door Barretries Riding Armed going Armed Deceits and Cousenages Nusances decay of Bridges and High-ways Inns and Ale-houses Perjury and Subornation of it Champetry Embracery and Maintenance Engrossing Fore-stalling Regrating in Respect of Religion altering the Prayers Reviling the Sacraments c. Thus far Sir Matthew Hale Others do add Challenging to Fight and receiving the Challenge Striking in the Church-yard with a Weapon maliciously Striking an Officer in doing his Office a Servant striking his Master Dame Overseer unlawful Assaulting Imprisoning Beating or wounding another chafing killing or hurting his Cattle breaking or entering into his House or Land cutting spoiling eating up or treading the Grass or Corn breaking the Walls digging or carryhing away his Earth or Coal felling cutting or breaking Hedge or Trees carrying away his Wife Son and Heir Ward c. Unlawful Arresting his goods or Cattel breaking or cutting his Sluces Shearing his Sheep letting the Water out of his Mill-pond beating his Servant so as to hinder his Work pro curing to take away unlawful Corn growing or rob any Orchated or Gardens or break or cut away any Hedge Pale Rails c. pull up or take away any Fruit Trees cut or spoil any Wood Under-woods Poles Trees standing not being Felony unlawfully breaking into any Ground inclosed for Deer or hunting taking or killing in the Night any Deer or Comes conspiring to Indict another unjustly for an Offence whereof he is lawfully acquitted devising and spreading any false News and Seditions Libelling and promoting any scandalous Writing slandering one with such Words as Traitor Felon Thief Robber c. Selling that which is not a Man 's own or false and deceitful Wares or playing with false Dice a Miller changing his Grist Misfeasance by Nusance as stopping a Ditch to the drowning of my Ground over-riding my Horse disturbing me in my way office burial c. stopping of my Lights laying blocks in the High-way watering Hemp or Flax in any common River Stream or Pond getting Goods by counterfeit Letters Forg-ing Deeds Testaments c. going Armed in an unusual manner Three or more coming together with intent violently to commit an unlawful Act as to beat wound pull down c. t is a Rout if they do it a Riot if they meet only 't is an unlawful Assembly stirring up another to do such an Act an Affray made in disturbance of the Peace divulging Prophesies to disturb the Realm if charged within six Months making forcible entry into Lands and detaining them forcibly one under the degree of Knight above 15 Required by a Justice to Suppress a Riot and refusing Note Some of these may be reduced to some of the former Heads and others fall under the Consideration of Common Pleas. Note Again the Penalties are as followeth 1. For Counterfeiting Coin Drawing and Hanging 2. In other Treasons Drawing Hanging and Quartering 3. For Women Drawing and Burning 4. For Peteit-Treason The Man Hang'd the Woman Burn'd 5. For Felony Hanging 6. For Petit-Larceny Whipping and Forfeiting of Goods 7. For Death per Infortuniam forfeiture of Goods 8. For Death se defendendo Forfeiture of Goods 9. For Misprision of Treason Forfeiture of Goods and perpetual Imprisonment 10. For Trespasses various sometimes Fine sometimes Imprisonment sometimes good Behaviour Whipping Amends c. In the next place are considerable 1. The Jurisdiction or Court viz. the King's Bench Goal-delivery Oyer and Terminer Assizes Justices of Peace Sheriff Coroner Court-Leet 2. The means of bringing Capital Offenders to Tryals which are 1. By Appeal 2. By Appover 3. Indictment 3. Process 4. Arraignment 5. Demeanour of the Prisoner viz. Whether he stands Mute or Answers 6. Pleas which are either Declinatory or Pleading c. 2. Common-Pleas wherein are considerable 1. Possessions viz. Hereditaments or Chattels Real or Personal 2. Wrongs viz. Trespasses upon the Case Disturbance Nusance Deceit real wrongs as Discontinuance Ouster Intrusion Abatement Disseisin c. Rescons Replevin Denier Usurpation c. 3. Writs Real or Personal viz. Praecipe si fecerit te Securum c. Concerning which I have much more to say but am afraid of Surfeiting the Press or swelling the Volume or VVriting Impertinently and countenancing a Litigious Reader CHAP. VIII Of Heraldry PRinces are generally look'd upon as People of a more Effeminate Spirit and less studious than others as if their Supremacy of Power and Honour had betray'd them to such a Dissolusion of their natural Wit and Briskness that they were not fit for any thing of Ingenuity and Prudence of Invention in the Managery and Conduct of their Great Business Yet we find them sometimes beating their Thoughts upon the Anvil to find out and devise proper Methods for the Encouragement and Reward of their Deserving Subjects We shall present the Reader with a short Account of the Peerage or Degrees of Nobility of England 1. Dukes are created by Patent Cincture of Sword Mantle of State Imposition of a Cap and Coronet of Gold on their Heads and a Verge of Gold in their Hands 2. Marquesses first governours of Marches and Frontier Countrys are Created by a Cincture of a Sword a Mantle of State Imposition of a Cup of Honour with a Coronet and Delivery of a Charter or Patent 3. Earls are created by the Cincture of a Sword Mantle of State put upon him by the King himself a Cap and a Coronet put
Canons or Priests 26 poor Knights who had an Allowance for their Prayers to God and St. George of Cappadocia and a Soveraign Cuardian viz. the Kings a Prelate a Prelate of the Garter and a Chancellor viz. the Bishops of Winchester and Salisbury a Register of late the Dean of Windsor a King at Arms an Usher a College in the Castle of Windsor and the Chapel of St. George Their Garter is Blue deck'd with Gold Pearl and Precious Stones and a Buckle of Gold to be worn daily on the left Leg upon pain of forfeiting 10 Shillings their Habit is a Surcoat a Mantle a high Black Velvet Cap a Gold Collar composed of Roses enamelled Red within a Garter enamelled Blue when they wear not their Robes they are to wear an Escutchion of the Arms of St. George viz. A Cross with a Garter and a Star Eight Emperors have been of this Order 27 Foreign King c. None convict of Heresie Treason or Cowardise can be of this Order 2ly Knights of the Bath for we pass over Knights Baronets as absolute are so called from their Bathing used before they were created The first of this sort were made by Henry IV. A. 1399. They are now commonly made at the Coronation of a King or Queen or Creation of a Prince of Wales They wear a Scarlet Ribbond Belt-wise They are still made with much Ceremony too long here to be described 3ly Knights Batchelors Quasi Bas Chevaliers Equites Aurati from the Gilt Spurs usually put upon them Knights of low degree These were antiently made by Jirding with a Sword and Gilt Spurs and was bestowed only upon Sword Men for their Military Services and was reputed an Excellent and Glorious Degree and a noble Reward for Couragious Persons but of late being made more common and bestowed upon Gown-men contrary to the nature of the thing it is become of less Reputation They are made thus The Person kneels down the King with a drawn Sword toucheth him on the Shoulder saying Sois Chevalier au Nom de Dieu and the Advance Chevalier A Knight being to suffer Death is first ungirt his Sword taken away his Spurs cut off his Gantlet pluckt off and his Coat of Arms reversed 4ly Esquires in French Escuyers Scutigeri Armigeri so called because either they boâ—â— a Shield before the King or some of the Nobles in War or else because they bear a Coat of Arms or both and they are 1. All younger Sons of Viscounts and Barons all Sons of Earls Marquesses and Dukes 2. Esquires of the King s Body 3. Eldest Sons of younger Sons of Barons c. 4. Esquiâ—es Created by putting about their Necks a Collar of sses and bestowing on them a pair of Silver Spurs 5. Persons in Superiour Public Office are reputed Esquires viz. Serjeants at Law Justices Mayors Councellors Batchelors of Divinity Law or Physick High Sheriffs c. 5ly Gentlemen are such whose Parents have always carried Coat of Arms c. CHAP. IX Improvements in the Military Art THAT we may not leave any considerable Art untouch'd we shall say a little of the Advancement made in the Art of destroying Peoples Lives not by secret Plots or Villainous Poysons or Devillish Witchcraft the Sciences of Hell and the Phylosophy of Devils but in a Military Open and Hostile manner by the Art of a Public and Lawful War And this likewise seems to have received much Addition and Improvement by the Ingenioso's of the last Ages Tho' perhaps in Fire-darts the Ancients were as ingenious as we as I shall take notice afterwards 1. Frier Bacon is supposed to be the first Inventer of Gunpowder as is gather'd out of his Epistle ad Parisiensen where speaking of the secret Works of Nature and Art he hath these Words In omnem distantiam quam volumus Possumus artificialiter componere Ignem combruentem ex sale Petrae aliis which alia as Dr. Wallis saw it in a Manuscript Copy of the said Roger Bacon in the Hands of Dr. Langbain late Provost of Queen's College were Sulphur and Carbonum Pulvis concerning which after a while he further adds Praeter hac sunt alia stupendia Nature c. that is of Salt-Petre and other Matters viz. Sulphur and the Dust of Coal he could make Fire that should burn at what distance he pleased and further that with the same Matter he could make Sounds like Thunder and Corruscations in the Air more dreadful than those made by Nature For says he a little of this Matter rightly fitted tho not bigger than ones Thumb makes a horrible Noise and shews a violent Corruscation which may be ordered many ways whereby a City or Army may be destroyed the Fire breaking forth with an unspeakable Noise which are wonderful things if a Man knew exactly how to use it in due Quantity and Matter Whence 't is plain he either invented or knew Gunpowder and in all Probability it was invented here at Oxford where he made the rest of his affrighting Experiments And that out of his Works Constantine Ancklitzen of Friburg or Bertholdus Swartz and the rest of the Improvers in all likelihood might have their pretended Inventions Dr. Plot 's Nat. Hist. of Oxfordshire c. 9. Par. 40. c. 2. Thucidides saith that those that besieged the Platenensis when Engines would do no good they fell to Fireworks for casting about the Wall Bundles of Stuff and throwing in Fire Brimstone and Pitch they burnt the Wall whence arose such a Flame that until that time no Man ever saw the like Heron teacheth that in burning of the Walls after you have made a hole thorow you must put Wood of the Pinetree under and anoint them with dry Pitch and powdered Brimstone together with Tar or Oyl and set this on Fire And elsewhere he teacheth to burn with a Pot take an earthen Pitcher and bind it about with Plates of Iron on the outside and let it be full of Small-coal let there be a hole about the bottom to put in the Bellows for when the coals take Fire by sprinkling on ov Vinegar Piss or any other sharp Matter the Walls are broken Vegetius teacheth what combustible Matter must be used and he useth burning Oyl Hards Brimstone Bitumen Burnign Arrows are shot in Cross-bows into the Enemies Ships and these being smear'd over with Wax Pitch and Resin they quickly fire the Decks with so many things that afford Fuel to the Fire 3. Ammianus Marcellinus described Fire-Darts a king of Weapon made after such a fashion It is an Arrow of Cane joyn'd with many Irons between the Shaft and the Head and they are made hollow after the fashion of a Woman's Distaff in the midst of it it hath many small holes and in the very hollow of it is put Fire with some combustible Matter and so it is easily shot forth of a weak Bow for a Bow that is strong puts out the Fire and there is no means to put it out but by casting on