speedy approaching of his final Destruction Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 32. 8. John Knox to the Earl of Morton who came to visit him in his Sickness said my Lord GOD hath given you many Blessings Wisdom Honour Nobility Riches many good and great Friends and he is now about to prefer you to the Government of the Realm the Earl of Marr the late Regent being newly dead in His Name I charge you use these Blessings better than formerly you have done seeking first the Glory of God the Furtherance of his Gospel the Maintenance of his Church and Ministry and then be careful of the King to procure his Good and the Welfare of the Realm if you do thus God will be with you and honour you if otherwise he will deprive you of all these Benefits and your end shall be Shame and Ignominy These Speeches the Earl call'd to mind about nine Years after at the time of his Execution saying That he had found John Knox to be a Prophet Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 322. 9. The same Knox a day or two before his Death calling Mr. Lindsey and Mr. Lawson to him the two Preachers of the Church said There is one thing that grieveth me exceedingly you have some time seen the Courage and Constancy of the Laird of Graing in the cause of God and now that unhapyy Man is casting himself away I pray you go to him from me and tell him that unless he forsake that wicked Course that he is in the Rock wherein he confides shall not defend him nor the Carnal Wisdom of the Man which he counts half a God which was young Leskington shall yeild him Help but he shall be shamefully pull'd out of that Nest and his Carcass hung before the Sun meaning the Castle which he kept against the King's Authority for his Soul is dear to me and if it were possible I would fain have him saved Accordingly they went to him conferr'd with him but could by no means divert him from his course But as Knox had foretold so the Year after his Castle was taken and his Body was there publickly hang'd before the Sun yet he did at his Death express a serious Repentance Ibid. p. 323. 10. How Mr. Dod by a secret Impulse of Spirit went at an unseasonable time to visit a Neighbour whom he found with a Halter in his Pocket going to hang himself and by such a seasonable Visit prevented his Death See elsewhere in this Book 11. Dr. Bernard in the Life of Arch-bishop Vsher tells us That the Bishop himself had confessed in his Hearing that oftentimes in his Sermons he found such warm Motions and Impulses upon his Mind to utter some things which he had not before intended to deliver or not to deliver with so much Briskness and Peremptoriness that he could not easily put them by without present Expression and Delivery I remember not the Doctor 's words but of this nature were those remarkable Predictions of his concerning the Massacre in Ireland and his own Poverty c. which because I have not Bishop Vsher's Life by me written by Dr. Bernard take out of Mr. Clark Upon the Suspension of the Statute in Ireland against the Toleration of Papists Preaching before the State at Dublin making Application of that Text Ezek. c. 4. v. 6. where the Prophet by lying on his Side was to bear the Iniquity of Judah for 40 days I have appointed thee saith the Lord each day for a year This saith he by the Consent of Interpreters signifies the time of 40 Years to the Destruction of Jerusalem and of that Nation for their Idolatry and so said he will I teckon from this Year the Sin of Ireland and at the end of the time those whom you now embace shall be your Ruin and you shall bear this Iniquity wherein he prov'd a Prophet For this was delivered by him A. C. 1601. and A. C. 1641. was the Irish Massacre and Rebellion and what a continued Expectation he had of a grat Judgment upon his Native Country I saith Dr. Bernard can witness from the year 1624. Clark in his Life Dr. Bernard I remember makes this Remark upon that Sermon that it was the last the Bishop wrote at length and it was dated with a particular Notion of the Day and Year He foretold likewise his own future Poverty when he was in his greatest Prosperity and spoke before many Witnesses 1624. repeated it often afterwards that he was perswaded that the greatest Shake to the Reformed Churches was yet to come In short as I said before he often acknowledged that sometimes in his Sermons he was resolved to forbear speaking of some things but it proved like Jeremiah's Fire shut up in his Bones that when he came to it he could not forbear unless he would have stood mute and proceeded no further Ibid. 12. Mr. Hugh Broughton in one of his Sermons 1588. when the Spanish Navy was upon the Sea and Men's Hearts were full of Fears of the Event Now saith he the Papists Knees knock one against another as the Knees of King Belshazzar did and News will come that the Lord hath scatter'd that Invincible Navy Fear ye not nor be dismay'd at these smoaking Firebrands In his Life p. 2. 13. Bishop Jewel crossing the Thames when on a sudden at the rising of a Tempest all were astonished looking for nothing but to be drowned assured Bishop Ridley that the Boat carry'd a Bishop that must be burnt and not drowned In Bishop Jewel's Life 14. Mrs. Katherine Stubs after she had Conceived with Child of a Daughter three or four Years after Marriage said many times to her Husband and others That that Child would be her Death She was delivered safely within a Fortnight and was able to go abroad but presently after fell sick of a Burning Quotidian Ague of which she died See her Life 15. Impulses Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubrey Esq Oliver Cromwell had certainly this Afflatus One that I knew that was at the Battle of Dunbar told me that Oliver was carried on with a Divine Impulse he did Laugh so excessively as if he had been drunk his Eyes sparkled with Spirits He obtain'd a great Victory but the Action was said to be contrary to Humane Prudence The same fit of Laughter seiz'd Oliver Cromwell just before the Battle of Naseby as a Kinsman of mine and a great Favourite of his Collonel J. P. then present testified 16. King Charles the I. after he was Condemn'd did tell Collonel Thomlinson that he believed That the English Monarchy was at an end About half an Hour after he told the Collonel That now he had an Assurance by a strong Impulse on his Spirit that his Son should Reign after him This Information I had from Fabian Philips Esq of the Inner-Temple who had good Authority for the Truth of it I have forgot who it was 17. The Lord Roscomon being a Boy of Ten Years of Age at Caen in Normandy one day was
Brugis for W. Thackery at the Angel in Duck-Lane Let part of France and part of Germany and Spain look to it for they either offensively or defensively shall batter themselves or some other People and in as much as it is gotten into Capricorn I pray God keep the Dominions of Great Britain in Peace because under Capricorn is the North part of Sotland for it is much to be feared the Scots may once more Rebel against England c. And at last I shall now conclude with this Astrological prediction that within this five years all Europe shall go near to be up in Arms. Multi multa sciunt sed nemo omnia Thus far my Author too truely 12. A Neighbour and Friend of mine in Shropshire with whom I have had several discourses about the Lawfulness and certainty of Astrology always asserted the Lawfulness of it because he saw nothing but what was natural in it but confessed the uncertainty of it in many cases as others have done before him not through default of the Art but the Weakness and Unskilfulness of the Artist And he mentioned some particular Instances of his own Experiments wherein he had hit upon the Truth as particularly when one Captain C. near Salop had lost a Horse out of his Stable he was sent for and desired to cast a Figure which he accordingly did and gave such a particular description of the Man that had stole him and the way he was gone that by Virtue of his Directions the Horse was presently found His other Instances I remember not but he was reputed an honest Farmer a good Neighbour and a very facetious Man I suppose he is stil lliving 13. Prophesies Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubrey Esq to pass by the Prophesies of Holy-Writ the Prophesies of Nostraedamus do foretel very strangely but not easily understood till they are fulfilled The Book is now common In a Book of Mr. William Lilly's are Hieroglyphick Prophesies Viz. Of the great Plague of London expressed by Graves and Dead Corps and a Scheme with II ascending the Sign of London and no Planets in the XII Houses Also there is the Picture of London all on Fire also Moles creeping c. Perhaps Mr. Lilly might be contented to have People believe that this was from himself But Mr. Thomas Flatman Poet did affirm that he had seen those Hieroglyphicks in an old Parchment Manuscript Writ in the time of the Monks 14. There is a Prophecy of William Tyndal poor Vicar of Welling in the County of Hertford made in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign I have seen it It is in English Verse two Pages and an half in Folio It fore-told our late Wars I know one that read it Forty Years since 15. Before the Civil-Wars there was much talk of the Lady Ann Davys's Prophesies for which she was kept Prisoner in the Tower of London She was Sister to the Earl of Castlehaven and Wife to Sir John Davys Lord Chief Justice in Ireland I have heard his Kinsman Counsellor Davys of Shraftsbury say that she being in London I think in the Tower did tell the very time of her Husbands Death in Ireland Thus far Mr. Aubrey CHAP. XII Of ORACLES ALL that I propound to my self under this Head is to shew not what Illusions and Impostures were used by the Priests to Cheat the poor Votaries with that Addressed to them much less to vindicate them from the Frauds of Ambiguity and Vanity but to evince this That by them God Almighty permitted sometimes Things otherwise Secret and Future to be made known and this by the mediation of invisible Spirits as the Agents that some Responses were given by Oracles which could not be imputed to the Artifice of a Mechanical Statue nor yet to the Wit of the Priest that officiated As for Instance among the Heathen Oracles for such only I mean this place 1. The Oracle of Delphos the most Famed of all other being consulted for a Resolution of this Question Who was the most happy Man The Answer was made Phedius who died but a while before in the Service of his Countrey The same Question being sent a second time by Gyges one of the greatest Kings in those days of all the Earth viz. Who was the happiest Man next to Phedius The Answer was made Aglaus Sophidius This Aglaus was a good honest Man well stricken in Years dwelling in a very narrow Corner of Arcadia where he had a little House and Land of his own sufficient with the yearly Profits thereof to maintain him plentifully with ease out of which he never went but employed himself in the Tillage and Husbandry of it to make the best benefit he could in such manner that as it appeared by that course of Life as he coveted least so he felt as little Trouble and Adversity while he lived Plin. Nat. Hist l. 7. c. 46. 2. Julian the Apostate Op. p. 181. Ep. 38. makes frequent mention of Oracles in his time particularly in an Epistle to Maximus the Cynick concerning whose Trouble he had by another though at a great distance Consulted the Oracle and received an Apposite Answer Doctor Tenison against Hobbs The Doctor adds also that which is to my purpose viz. I cannot prevail upon my Mind to think that the Priests had no Assistance from Daemons 3. Extracted from the Miscellanies of Mr. Aubrey Hieronimus Cardanus Lib. III. Synesiorum Somniorum Cap. XV. treats of this Subject which see Johannes Scotus Erigena when he was in Greece did go to an Oracle to Enquire for a Treatise of Aristotle and found it by the Response of the Oracle This he mentions in his Works lately Printed at Oxford and is quoted by Mr. Anthony à Wood in his Antiquities of Oxen in his Life 4. Concerning the Oracles of the Sybils there hath been much Controversie and many Discourses spent but after all we have little of their Writings to rely upon excepting only those of the Cumaean Prophetess and those especially which are Recorded by Virgil yet that very same Year that Jerusalem was taken by Pompey it was noised abroad in the World That Nature was with Child for the People of Rome of a King that should Reign over them Whereupon as Suetonius writeth in the Life of Augustus the Senate being affrighted made Order That none Born in that Year should be brought up They who had Wives great with Child promising themselves some hopes thereupon took care lest this Decree of the Senate should be carried to the Treasury The same Year P. Cornelius Lentulus was stirred up therewith conceiving some hopes for himself as both Appian Plutarch Salustius and Cicero in his third Oration against Cataline testifie c. 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the Odiousness of the Fact and to impute the Treason to the discontented Puritans Fawkes coming into Flanders found Owen unto whom after the Oath he declared the Plot which he very well approved of but Sir William Stanley being now in Spain Owen said that he would hardly be drawn into the Business having Suits now in England at the Court Yet he promised to engage him all that he could and to send into England with the first so soon as the Plot had taken Effect Upon this Fawkes to avoid further Suspicion kept still in Flanders all the beginning of September and then returning receiv'd the Keys of the Cellar and laid more Powder Billets and Faggots which done he retired into the Country and there kept till the end of October In the mean time Catesby and Peircy meeting at the Bath it was there concluded that because their numbec was but few Catesby himself should have power to call in whom he would to assist their design by which Authority he took in Sir Everard Digby of Rutlandshire and Francis Tresham Esq of Northamptonshire both of them of sufficient State and Wealth For Sir Everard offer'd Fifteen Hundred Pounds to forward the Action and Tresham Two Thousand But Peircy disdaining that any should out-run him in Evil promised Four Thousand Pounds out of the Earl of Northumberland's Rents and ten swift Horses to be used when the Blow was past Against which time to provide Ammunition Catesby also took in Ambrose Rookwood and John Grant two Recusant Gentlemen and without doubt others were acquainted also with it had these two grand Electors been apprehended alive whose own Tongues only could have given an Account of it The business being thus forwarded abroad by their Complices they at home were no less active For Peircy Winter and Fawkes had stored the Cellar with thirty fix Barrels of Gunpowder and instead of Shot has said upon them Bars of Iron Logs of Timber Massie stones Iron Crows Pickaxes and all their working Tools and to cover all great Store of Billets and Faggots so that nothing was wanting against that great and terrible day Neither were the Priests and Jesuits slack on their parts who usually concluded their Masses with Prayers for the good Success of their expected Hopes Upon Thursday in the Evening ten Days before the Parliament was to begin a Letter directed to the Lord Monteagle was deliver'd by an unknown Person to his Footman in the Street with a strict Charge to give it into his Lords own Hands which accordingly he did The Letter had neither Date nor Subscription and was somewhat unlegible This Letter was imparted to the Earl of Salisbury then Principal Secretary and they both presently acquainted the Lord Chamberlain next to the Earl of Worcester and Northampton and last to the King as followeth My Lord Out of the Love I bear to some of your Friends I have a care of your Preservation Therefore I would advise you as you tender your Life to devise some Excuse to shift off your Attendance at this Parliament For God and Man have concurr'd to punish the Wickedness of this time And think not slightly of this Advertisement but retire your self into your Country where you may expect the Event in safety For though there be no Appearance of any Stir yet I say they shall receive a terrible Blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them This Counsel is not to be contemned because it may do you good and can do you no harm For the danger is past so soon as you have burnt the Letter and I hope God will give you the Grace to make a good use of it to whose holy Protection I commend you His Majesty after reading this Letter pausing a while and then reading it again deliver'd his Judgment that the Stile of it was too quick and pithy to be a Libel proceeding from the Superfluities of an idle Brain and by these Words That they should receive a terrible Blow at this Parliament and yet should not see who hurt them he presently apprehended that a sudden Danger by a Blast of Gunpowder was intended by some base Villain in a Corner though no Insurrection Rebellion or desperate Attempt appear'd And therefore wished that the Rooms under the Parliament-House should be thoroughly searched before himself or Peers should sit therein Hereupon it was concluded that the Lord-Chamberlain according to his Office should view all Rooms above and below but yet to prevent idle Rumours and to let things ripen further it was resolved that this Search should be deferr'd till Monday the day before the Parliament met and that then it should be done with a seeming slight Eye to avoid Suspect According to this Conclusion the Earl of Suffolk Lord-Chamberlain upon Monday in the Afternoon accompanied with the Lord Monteagle repair'd into these Under-Rooms and finding the Cellar so fully stored with Wood and Coals demanded of Fawkes the counteffeit Johnson who stood there attending as a Servant of small Repute who owned the place He answer'd that the Lodgings belong'd to Master Thomas Peircy and the Cellar also to lay in his Winter-Provision himself being the Keeper of it and Master Thomas Peircy's Servant whereunto the Earl as void of any Suspicion told him That his Master was well provided for Winter Blasts But when they were come forth the Lord Monteagle told him That he did much suspect Peircy to be the Inditer of the Letter knowing his Affection in Religion and the Friendship betwixt them professed so that his Heart gave him as he said when heard Peircy named that his Hand was in act The Lord-Chamberlain returning related to the King and Council what he had seen and the Suspition that the Lord Monteagle had of Peircy and himself of Johnson his Man all which increased His Majesties Jealousie so that he insisted contrary to the Opinion of some that a harrow Search should be made and the Billets and Coals turn'd up to the bottom and accordingly the Search was concluded to be made but under colour of searching for certain Hangings belonging to the House which were missing and conveyed away Sir Thomas Knevet a Gentleman of His Majesties Privy-Chamber was employ'd herein who about Midnight before the Parliament was to begin went to the place with a small but trusty number of Persons And at the Cellar Door entring in finding one who was Guy Fawkes at so unseasonable an Hour cloaked and booted he apprehended him and ransacking the Billets he found the Serpent's Nest stored with Thirty six Barrels of Powder and then searching the Villain he found a Dark-Lanthorn about him three Matches and other Instruments for blowing up the Powder And being no whit daunted he instantly confessed his Guiltiness vowing that if he had been within the House he would have blown up House and self and all and before the Council lamented nothing so much as that the Deed was not done saying The Devil and not God was the Discoverer
and made savoury with Grace to the edification of others and 't is certain that out Tongues are but the Signs and Indications of our Thoughts and therefore as the Heart thinketh the Tongue speaketh commonly A pure Fountain doth not send out dirty Streams nor a good Tree bring forth evil Fruit. Besides our Language doth not only expose our selves but hath a great Influence in disposing of others either to Good or Evil to Truth or Error and therefore we had need be cautious and use a sober Prudence and Piety in the Government of that little Member And wise and good People are so sparing and discreet in their Words 1. Bembo a Primitive Christian coming to a Friend to learn a Psalm he began to him the 39th I said I will take heed to my ways that I offend not in my tongue Upon hearing of which Words he stop his Tutor saying This is enough if I learn it as I ought And being after Six Months rebuked for not coming again replied That he had not learnt his first Lesson Nay after Fifteen Years he professed That in that time he had scarce learned to fulfil that one Line Anonym 2. Dr. Potter when Fellow of Queen's College Oxon observing the Fellows after Dinner according to their usual manner talking together of many trivial things said nothing but carefully remarked what they said and when they had done talking he thus bespake them Now my Masters will you hear all your extravagant Discourses for I have strictly observed and marked what you said and thereupon gave them a perfect Rehersal of all their Discourses which they admired and wondred at See his Life by Mr. Clark p. 155. Much the like Story is reported of Mr. J. Janeway in his Life 3. The Essaeans are towards God very Religious for before the Sun rise they speak of nothing but Holy Things and then they make certain Prayers and Vows after the manner of their Country c. Joseph de Bell. Jud. l. 2. c. 7. 4. The Council of Trent because Bishops must be blameless exhorts that to prevent idle Discourses which might arise at the Table of Bishop's themselves the Holy Scriptures be read Conc. Trid. Decret 1. Sess 5. John Picus Earl of Mirandula usually discoursed amongst his Friends of the Vanity and Uncertainty of all Earthly Things and of the Stability of Heavenly Things and therefore he would often call upon them to love the Lord above all c. Clark in his Life 6. One of Bishop Latimer's Injunctions to the Prior and Convent of St. Mary's House in Worcester 1537 was thus Item That the Prior have at his Dinner or Supper every Day a Chapter read and to have edifying Communication of the same History of the Reformation by Dr. Burnet 7. Cardinal Pool in the Platform of his Reformation requires Bishops to have at their Table the Scriptures or other good Books read mixt with pious Discourses Ibid. 8. The Conferences of Mr. John Eliot were like those which Tertullian affirms to have been common among the Saints in his Days Vt qui sciret Dominum audire as knowing that the Ear of God was open to them all and he managed his Rudder so as to manifest that he was bound Heaven-ward in his whole Communication He had a particular Art at Spiritualizing of Earthly Objects and raising of high Thoughts from very mean Things As once going with some feebleness up the Hill to Church he said unto the Person that led him This is very like the way to Heaven 't is up Hill the Lord by his Grace fetch us up And instantly spying a Bush near him he as nimbly added And truly there are Briars and Thorns in the way too As a Friend of the famous Vrsin could say That he never went unto him without coming away Aut doctior aut melior either the wiser or better from him So 't is an Animadversion which more than One Friend of our Eliot's hath made concerning him I was never with him but I got or might have got some good from him Cott. Mather in the Life of Mr. J. Eliot p. 19. 9. Oh! saith Dr. Bolton that worthless Subjects should so often take up our Tongues and Thoughts And Christ so full so sweet so delightful and so profitable a Subject which shall be Matter for our Soul's Discourse to all Eternity shall be thrown aside as not worth taking up In Vit. ejus 10. Mr. Giles Firmin speaking of Mr. Daniel Rogers saith He was a Man of great Parts great Grace and great Infirmities My Father Ward would often say of him My Brother Roger hath Grace enough for Two Men and not half enough for himself a most woful Temper or rather Distemper in his Constitution which hindred much the Lustre of that Grace which was in him By one passage we may judge of his Grace he Dined One Day at a Knight's Table what Company was there I know not but he had not that liberty to be a seasoning his Meat with Savoury and Spiritual Discourse as he was wont to do to sit at Meals and not one Word for God was to him strange the next Day he comes to my House the Man was sadly dejected in such a manner that those who fall into gross Sins scarce know so much Sorrow What is the matter said I. This was the Reason that he was a Man of such a base dastardly Spirit that he could not speak for God I told him Your Father would say in such Companies If you cannot sowe any Good you do well if you can keep out evil Much ado I had to get up his Spirit Firmin's Real Christian Preface to the Reader 11. The late Countess of Warwick would perfume the Company with good Discourse to prevent idle or worse Communication not abruptly upbraidingly or importunely which is very nauseous and fulsome and spoils a good Game by bad Playing but she was like Spiritual Stove you should feel the Heat and not see the Fire and find yourself in other Company among the same Persons and rather wonder than perceive how you came there for she would drop a wise Sentence or moral holy Apothegm with which she was admirably furnish'd that suited with at least not far remote from what was talk'd of and commending or improving it that she 'd wind about the whole Discourse without offence yea with pleasure Dr. Walker in her Life 12. The Discourses which daily fell from Bishop Vsher at his Table in clearing Difficulties in the Scripture and other Subjects especially when learned Men came to visit him tended exceedingly to the Edification of the Heaters so that it might well be said of him as the Queen of Sheba said to Solomon Happy are these thy Servants that stand continually about thee and hear thy Wisdom See his Life 13. Mr. Samuel Fairclough made such a Reform in his Parish that divers Persons who had lived many Years in the place said That in the whole time they never heard an Oath sworn nor
to a Judge's place in the Common-Pleas and he was much urged to accept of it by some eminent Men of his own Profession who was of the King's Party as Sir Orlando Bridgeman and Sir Geoffery Palmer He accepted of the place and was afterwards chosen a Parliament-Man Thus he continued administring Justice 'till the Protector died but then he both refused the Mournings that were sent to him and his Servants for the Funeral and likewise to accept of the New Commission that was offered him by Richard and when the rest of the Judges urged it upon him and employed others to press him to accept of it be rejected all their Importunities and said He could act no longer under such Authority He lived a private Man 'till the Parliament met that called home the King to which he was returned Knight of the Shire from the County of Gloucester Soon after this when the Courts in Westminster-Hall came to be settled he was made Lord Chief Baron and when the Earl of Clarendon then Lord Chancellor delivered him his Commission in the Speech he made according to the Custom on such occasions he expressed his Esteem of him in a very singular manner telling him among other things That if the King could have found out an honester and fitter Man for that Employment he would not have advanced him to it and that he had therefore preferred him because he knew none that deserved it so well As last 1671 he was proved to the Lord Chief Justice of England See his Life by Dr. Burnet CHAP. LXXI Present Retribution to the Temperate SOlomon amongst the Elogiums he bestows upon Spiritual Wisdom gives this for one That length of days is in her right hand and upon Observation it will be found true For besides other Considerations the Rules of Temperance prescribed by our Religion for the Government of our Appetites de mightily conduce to the preservation of Health and long Life and many other Commodities which shall be hinted at in the following Paragraphs 1. Johannes de Temporibus may justly go for an Antesignanus in the Front of this Chapter Armour-bearer to Charles the Great a Man of great Temperance Sobriety and Contentment of Mind and lived to the Age of 361. Hackwel Apol. L. 3. C. 1. Sect. 6 c. 2. Lescius in his Hygiasticon speaking concerning Sobriety reckons up the several Commodities of it thus 1. It frees from almost all Diseases Catarrhs Coughs Wheezings Dizziness Pains of Head and Stomach Apoplexies c. 2. It fortifies against outward Causes Heat Cold Labour Wounds Bruises putting out of Joynt breaking of Bones for Flux of Humours doth much hinder the Cure and causeth Inflamations against the Plague c. 3. It mitigates incurable Diseases as ulcers in the Lungs Hardness in the Liver and Spleen c. 4. It conduceth to long Life and an easie Death except in Cases extraordinary 5. It makes the Body agile lightsome fresh 6. It maintains the Senses in their integrity and vigour 7. It mitigates the Passions especially Anger and Melancholly 8. It preserves the Memory 9. It helps the Wit and Understanding 10. It quencheth Lust and doth wonderfully prevent the Temptations of the Flesh c. 3. Hippocrates to one asking his Advice concerning the preservation of his Health made Answer Let Meat Drink Sleep Venery all be moderate Nor did he only prescribe so to others but practised himself and accordingly he lived One hundred and Four Years Verulam History of Life and Death 4. Galen who lived in Health except One Day 's Sickness the space of an Hundred Years being asked what Diet he used answered I have drank no Wine touched no Woman eat nothing raw or unripe kept my Body warm and my Breath sweet Some say he lived One hundred and forty Years Fulgos L. 8. C. 14. 5. Cicero prescribeth thus for the Health Concoction Chearfulness Walking Temperance Recreation and the Belly soluble Marcil in Pyth. Carm. 6. Sir Matthew Hale with some other young Students being invited to be merry out of Town one of the Company called for so much Wine that notwithstanding all that Sir Matthew Hale could do to prevent it he went on in his excess 'till he fell down as dead before them Mr. Hale thereupon went into another Room shut the Door and pray'd earnestly to God both for himself and his Friend making a Vow to God That he would never again keep Company in that manner nor drink a Health while he lived His Friend recover'd and he religiously kept his Vow to his dying Day and though sometimes roughly treated because he would drink no Health but especially the King 's yet he fared never the worse either in God's Favour or the King 's as appears by the Divine Blessing upon his Practice and the Preferments he had at Court See his Life 7. Ludovicus Cornarius a Venetian and a Learned Man wrote a Book of the benefit of a Sober Life and produceth himself as a Testimony thereof saying Vnto the Fortieth Year of my Age I was continually vexed with variety of Infirmities I was sick at Stomach of a Fever a Pleurisie and lay ill of the Gout At last this Man by the Perswasion of Physicians took up a way of living with such Temperance that in the space of One Year he was freed almost of all his Diseases In the Seventieth Year of his Age he had a fall whereby he brake his Arm and Leg so that upon the Third Day nothing but Death was expected yet he recovered without Physick for his Abstinence was to him instead of all other means and that was it which hindred a recurrency of malignant Humors to the Parts affected In the Eighty third Year of his Age he was so sound and chearful so vegete and so entire in his Strength that he could climb Hills leap upon his Horse from the even Ground write Comedies and do most of those things he used to do when he was young If you ask how much Meat and Drink this Man took his daily Allowance for Bread and all manner of other Food was Twelve Ounces this was his usual Measure and the said Cornarius did seriously affirm That if he chanced to exceed but a few Ounces he was thereby apt to relapse into his former Diseases All this he hath set down of himself in Writing and it is annexed to the Book of Leonardus Lescius a Physician which was Printed at Amsterdam Anno Dom. 1631. Drexel Oper. Tom. 2. p. 794. Lescius Hygiastic C. 4. Sect. 25. p. 86. 8. Mr. W. Garaway of whom I have made mention elsewhere in this Book is now going upon the Eighty first Year of his Age very healthful and stout in his Body of perfect Sence and good Memory to a wonder but the wonder is abated when we consider his Caution used in Dieting of himself for he keeps a Fast and abstains from all Fond at least One Day every Week and at other times ordinarily abstains from Wine and strong
shall deliver into their Hands take heed of them and cleave fast to Christ For they will leave no corner of his Conscience unsearched but will attempt by all guileful and subtle means to corrupt him and to cause him to fall from God and his Truth The Night after he had Subscribed he was greatly troubled and through Affliction of Conscience could not Sleep neither could his Mind be eased till he had procured his Subscription and tore out his Name Being Condemned to be Burned he thus said My Mind and Conscience I Praise God is now quiet in Christ and I by his Grace am very willing and content to give over my Body to the Death for a Testimony of his Truth and pure Religion against Antichrist and all his false Religion and Doctrine Ibid. p. 28. 7. In Suffolk among others there was one Peter Moon and his Wife who were Charged for not coming to Church and for neglecting other Popish Ceremonies Moon was first Examined Whether the Pope was not the Supreme Head of the Church Whether the Queen were not the right Inheritrix of the Crown Whether Christ's Body was not Really Present in the Sacrament c and being of a timorous Disposition he so answered as his Adversaries were satisfied His Wife also by his Example was drawn into the same Dissimulation and so they were dismissed But when they came home and began to bethink themselves what they had done they fell into such Trouble and Horror of Conscience that they were ready wholly to Despair And Moon seeing a Sword hanging in his Parlor was tempted to have slain himself with it which yet the Lord was pleased to prevent and afterwards upon their unfeigned Repentance to restore and comfort them Ibid. 8. Sir John Check who had been Tutor to King Edward VI. in the Reign of Queen Mary was cast into the Tower and kept close Prisoner and put to this miserable choice either to forego his Life or that which was more precious his Liberty of Conscience Neither could his Liberty be procured by his great Friends at any lower Rate than to Recant his Religion This he was very unwilling to accept of till his hard Imprisonment joyned with threats of much worse in case of his refusal and the many large promises made upon his Submission with what other means humane Policy could invent wrought so upon him whilst he consulted with Flesh and Blood as drew from him an Abrenuntiation of that Truth which he had so long Professed and still Believed upon this he was Restored to his Liberty but never to his Comfort for the Sense of and Sorrow for his own Apostacy and the daily sight of the cruel Butcheries exercised on others for their constant adherence to the Truth made such deep Impressions upon his broken Spirit as brought him to a speedy yet through God's Mercy and Goodness to a comfortable end of his Miserable Life A. C. 1557. ibid. p. 28. 9. There was one Ralph Allerton who coming into his Parish Church of Bently in Essex and finding the People idle or ill imployed he exhorted them to go to Prayers and after he had read to them a Chapter out of the New Testament for which being Apprehended he was carried before Bishop Bonner who by his subtle perswasions and flatteries so prevailed with this poor Man that he drew him to Recant his former Profession and so dismissed him But this base Cowardice of his brought him into such Bondage and Terrors of Conscience and so cast him down that if the Lord had not been exceeding gracious unto him he had Perished for ever But the Lord looking upon him with the Eyes of Mercy after he had Chastned raised him up again giving him not only hearty and unfeigned Repentance of his Back-sliding but also a constant boldness to profess his Name and Gospel even unto Death ibid. 10. In the City of Bristol there was one Richard Sharp a Weaver who being Apprehended for Religion was carried before Doctor Dalby the Chancellor who after he had Examined him about the Sacraments of the Altar so wrought upon him by Perswasions that he drew from him a promise to make a publick Recantation and the time and place were appointed for it But after this Promise Sharp felt such an Hell in his Conscience that he was not able to follow any Business and he decayed in his bodily Health and wholly lost his Colour Whereupon on a Sabbath going to his Parish-Church he pressed to the Quire-door and with a loud Voice said Neighbours bear me Record that yonder Idol pointing to the Altar is the greatest and most abominable Idol that ever was and I am sorry that ever I denied my Lord God For this he was carried to Prison and Sealed the Truth with his Blood Ibid. p. 29. 11. When Jerome of Prague came to the Council at Constance they sent him to a Town where they tied him fast to a great Block and set his Legs in the Stocks his Hands also being made fast unto them the Block being so high that he could not possibly sit thereon but his Head must hang downward where also they allowed him nothing but Bread and Water But within eleven days hanging thus by the Heels he fell very sick Yet thus they kept him in Prison almost Twelve Months and then sent to him requiring him to Recant and to Subscribe that John Huss was justly put to Death which he did partly out of fear of Death and hoping to escape their hands Yet they sent to Examine him again but he refused to Answer except he were brought in Publick before the Council and they presuming that he would openly confirm his former Recantation sent for him May 25. 1416. subborning False Witnesses to Accuse him But he so learnedly cleared himself and refuted his Adversaries that they were astonished at his Oration which he concluded with this That all such Articles which Wickliff and Huss had written against the Enormities Pomps and Disorders of the Prelates he would firmly Hold and Defend even unto Death And that all the Sins he had committed did not so much gnaw and trouble his Conscience as did that most Pestiferous Act of his in Recanting what he had justly spoken and to the consenting to the wicked Condemnation of Huss and that he repented with his whole Heart that ever he did it For this he was Condemned and Burned Ibid. p. 30. 12. Some of the Friends of Galcacius Garacciolus Marquess of Vico having promised to accompany him in his voluntary Exile but afterwards looking back and turning again to their Vomit they were Apprehended and cast into the Inquisition were they were forced publickly to Recant and to Abjure their Religion and so they became the Subject of Misery and Infamy and were equally Odious to both Parties Ibid. p. 30. 13. Tho. Bilney A. C. 1531. of Cambridge Professor of both Laws Converted Thomas Arthur and Mr. Hugh Latimer but after recanting his Principles for the space of two
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
and Compotations But this Error cost him dear for being on a time at a youthful Meeting one of his petulant Convivators poured a Cup of cold Water on his Head Which Affront he took so hainously that he went home and died Mr. Jo. Hales of Eaton 3. A. C. 1470. George Nevil Brother to the Great Earl of Warwick at his Instalment into his Archbishoprick of York made a Feast for the Nobility Gentry and Clergy wherein he spent 300 Quarters of Wheat 330 Tuns of Ale 104 Tuns of Wine one Pipe of spiced Wine 80 fat Oxen 6 wild Bulls 1004 Wethers 300 Hogs 300 Calves 3000 Geese 3000 Capons 300 Pigs 100 Peacocks 200 Cranes 200 Kids 2000 Chickens 4000 Pigeons 4000 Rabbits 204 Bitterns 4000 Ducks 400 Hernsews 200 Pheasants 500 Partridges 4000 Woodcocks 400 Piovers 100 Curlews 100 Quails 1000 Egrets 200 Rees above 400 Bucks Does and Roe-bucks 1506 hot Venison-Pasties 4000 cold Venison-Pasties 1000 Dishes of Gelly parted 4000 cold Custards 2000 hot Custards 300 Pikes 300 Breams 8 Seales 4 Propoises and 400 Tarts At this Feast the Earl of Warwick was Steward the Earl of Bedford Treasurer the Lord Hastings Comptroller with many more noble Officers Servitors 1000 Cooks 62 Kitchiners 515. Fuller's Hist of the Church But Seven Years after the King seized on all the Estate of this Archbishop and sent him over Prisoner to Callis in France where vinctus jacuit in summà inopiâ he was kept bound in extream Poverty Ibid. l. 4. cent 15. p. 193. 4. Cleopatra's Luxury in dissolving a Pearl which she took from her Ear in Vinegar to the Value of Fifty Thousand Pound and drinking it off at one Draught out of Vain-glory is well known and yet she was afterwards notwithstanding all her Bravery taken Prisoner and deprived of her Royal State and the other Pearl cut in twain and hung at both the Ears of the Statue of Venus in the Pantheon in Rome Plin. Nat. Hist l. 9. Fulg. Ex. l. 9 c. 5. Heliogabalus filled his Fish-ponds with Rose-water supplied his Lamps with the precious Balsam that distilled from the Trees in Arabia wore upon his Shooes Pearls and Precious Stones engraven strewed his Dining-room with Saffron and his Portico's with Dust of Gold he never wore the same Garments twice and yet they were of the richest silk or Cloth of Gold near the Sea he would eat no Fish in the Midland no Flesh his whole Meals were made often of the Tongues of Singing-Birds Peacocks or the Brains of costly Creatures he gathered in Rome 10000 weight of Spiders to shew the Greatness of his City his Bed was covered with Gold and Silver his Statue whilst he was living was worshipped for a God he set up a Senate of Women gave great Estates to wicked Bawds Panders Jesters c. But at last being generally despised he was slain by his Soldiers in the Fourth Year of his Reign his own Body and his Mother 's dragged along the Streets and cast into the common Laystall Imp. Hist Sabell Ex. l. 8. c. 7. Time's Store-house l. 10. c. 12. 6. Vitellius another Roman Emperor had 20000 Dishes of Fish and 7000 Fowl at one Supper and yet commended his own Temperance in a set Oration before the Senate and People of Rome In the time that he reigned which had need to be but short he wasted Nine Hundred Millions of Sesterces i. e. saith Budaeus 2500000 Crowns or as another 31250 l. Sterling For after he had reigned but Eight Months and a few Days he was slain in the midst of the City Joseph de Bell. Jud. l. 5. c. 13. Tacit. Hist l. 2. 7. Mahomet the Great Sultan at the taking of C. P. had one Helana a very beautiful Person presented to him with whom he was so taken that he spent all his Time with her and seemed quite to have emasculated his Spirit Upon which his Janisaries and Captains began to murmur and threatened to Depose him and put one of his Sons on the Throne One of his Courtiers with great Submission admonished him of it Whereupon he goes presently to his Paragon spent the whole Night with her appointed a Feast next Day sets his Curtezan at Table dressed in the most Princely Robes After Dinner having charged all his Nobles to appear together he brings her before them in his Left Hand and immediately with his Faulchion at one Blow struck off her Head saying Now judge by this whether your Emperor be not able to bridle his Affections Knowles 's Turk Hist 8. The Romans were so given to Pleasure and Luxury in their Apparel Food Ornaments Attendance and Retinue c. before the Decleâ—â—â—on of their Grandeur that Juvenal spends several Satyrs in exposing them to the Laughter and Reproach of the World So effeminate were they that they had a Distinction in their Rings and had some of massie Gold to wear in the Winter others more light for Summer-wear Lucullus had 5000 Cloaks Incredible Summs were expended upon Entertainments 9. The Monks before the Reformation and the Judgments that followed in Germany were grown to that heighth of Luxury that several Pens were exercised in publick Reflections and Censures upon them Among the rest an Author whom I have now by me and who stiles himself Frater de Viridi Valle in Prussia complains pathetically of the Pride of their Habit their Silk Gowns and Cloaks trailing behind them on the Ground their Pearls and Jewels in their Shooes and for a pleasant Jest I suppose tells a Story of one Monk who through extream Poverty was not able to purchase a Cloak with so long a Tail at last got a Mat upon his Back and went about strutting with that and looking on a time behind him to see how finely it trailed after him espied the Devil sitting upon the hinder end of it who laughed in his Face and cryed out saying Aha! plus velles si plus posses 10. Zaleucus the Law-giver of Locris made a Law That no Woman should be attended with more than one Maid in the Streets but when she was drunk nor walk out in the City by Night but when she was going to commit Adultery nor wear Gold or Embroidered Apparel but when she designed to set up for a common Strumpet nor that Men should wear Rings or Tissues but when they went a Whoring Heyl. Geogr. p. 158. This proved an effectual Restraint upon their Luxury that way CHAP. CXXVI Divine Judgments upon Pride Ambition c. HOW vain an Attempt it is for Men to lift up themselves and aspire above the Limits of their own Orb in despite of Him that rules in the Heavens and hath prescribed for wise Reasons the Rules of Humility to us Men threatning to resist the Proud and give Grace to the Humble may appear evidently from these following Examples 1. Colonel James Turner executed at Lime-street London 1663. being a Man of a high Spirit and not having an Estate answerable thereto wherewith to keep up that State and Grandeur
his Creatures that depend upon him for every bit of Bread they eat and are not able to stand a moment upon their Legs without him grow bold in confidence of their own Faculties as if they were a kind of Demi-gods upon Earth Absolute and Soveraign without any dependance upon Heaven 1. Arimazes having garrison'd a very strong and steep Rock in the Sogdian Country with Thirty Thousand Men sent to Alexander the Great who demanded it to know whether he could flee or not But the next Day he was taken together with his strong Hold and nailed to a Cross God delights to confute Men in their Confidences that they that are his way run to the Rock of Ages Isa 26.4 to that Arx roboris of his Holy Name which alone is impregnable and inexpugnable 2. The Spaniards in 1588. called their Navy the Invincible Armado but it proved otherwise and that upon St. James's Dayâ— whom they count their Patron and Tutelary Saint Trapp 3. The Lord Mordant afterwards Earl of Peterborough being a Papist and desirous to draw his Lady to the same Religion he was willing that there should be a Meeting of two Eminent Parsons of each Party to dispute what might be in Controversie between them The Lady made choice of our Lord Primate and prevailed with him though newly recovered from a long Sickness and scarce able to take such a Journey The Jesuite chosen by the Earl went under the Name of Beaumond but his true Name was Rookwood Brother to Ambrose Rookwood one of the Gunpowder Traytors The Place of Meeting was at Drayton in Northamptonshire where there was a great Library so that no Books of the Ancient Fathers were wanting upon occasion for their View The Points to be disputed on were concerning Transubstantiation Invocation of Saints Worshipping of Images and the Visibility of the Church Three Days they were in this Disputation three Hours in the Forenoon and two in the Afrernoon each Day and the Conclusion was this after the third Day 's Meeting The Lord Primate having been hitherto Opponent now the Tables were to be turned and the Jesuite according to his desire was to oppose and the Lord Primate to answer But when the time came the Jesuite was expected instead of coming he sent his Excuse to the Lord Mordant which was That all the Arguments which he had framed in his Head and premeditated so that he thought he had them as perfect as his Pater-Noster were now slipt from him and he could not possibly recover them again and that he believed it was a just Judgment of God upon him for undertaking of himself to dispute with a Man of that Eminency and Learning without a License from his Superiors The Lord Mordant seeing his Tergiversation upon some further Discourse with the Lord Primate was converted and became a Protestant and so continued to his Death One Challoner a Secular Priest afterwards writing a Book against this Beaumond by way of Scorn bids him beware of coming any more to Drayton lest he should meet with another Vsher to foil him again to the Dishonour of his Profession and himself See his Life 4. A little before the late horrid Conspiracy against the Life of our present Soveraign King William the III. in an exempt Chappel within three Miles of Norwich one preached on those Words Jer. 24.10 and near the time of the intended Assassination on Jer. 46.10 For this is the day of the Lord God of Hosts a day of Vengeance that he may avenge himself on his Adversaries and the Sword shall devour and it shall be satisfied and made drunk with their Blood for the Lord God of Hosts hath a Sacrifice in the North Country by the River Euphrates One Mr. Trinder also a noted Justice of Peace in Middlesex in the Reign of King James to his Nephew in the Earl of Arran's Regiment in a Letter dated at Paris Feb. 1695. writes thus viz. Sir Notwithstanding your great Confidence in your Hero and your great Ingratitude to your Friend your Repentance shall not be too late if the Effects of it appear within a Month after the Receipt of this Advertisement from your Friend J. T. Another great French Man in a Letter to a Friend concluded That the whole English Nation would be a miserable Field of Blood c. And the Courtiers of France and some of them bragg'd That King James was not gone to invade but to take possession of his Kingdom Nay the D. of B. was so confident of Success in this Business that he told the French King he scrupled not within three Months but he should be sent over by King James to give him Thanks in way of Embassy for all his Kindness to him since he left his Kingdoms A Declaration was drawn up printed and dispersed on purpose to cajole the People of England into false Hopes of a Relaxation of Taxes perpetual Parliaments and the Preservation of the Protestant Religion c. Transport Ships were ready and Soldiers to the number of 20000 to embark at Callis Bullen Dunkirk c. And the French King caused to be delivered 100000 Lewis ' d'ores to the late King desiring him to hasten his Departure for that all things were in readiness and so took his leave of him wishing him a prosperous undertaking promising as soon as he posted himself in England he would supply him with more Troops The Pope's Nuncio likewise pronounced a solemn Benediction upon the Enterprize and the Jesuites had begg'd Chelsea-College for themselves the Image of St. Victor was bestowed upon the Army as an auspicious Omen And yet after these Preparations and great Confidences when they thought all cock-sure the Descent was hindred by the Winds the Counsels took air in England and by Divine Providence the Authors of the Conspiracy discovered and several of them brought to condign Punishment The Impartial History of the Plots and Conspiracies against King William p. 30 31 c. CHAP. CXXXIV Divine Judgments upon Bribery and Injustice SHould any one saith Bishop Latimer in a Sermon preached at Court ask me which was the readiest way to Hell I would answer First be Covetous secondly take Bribes thirdly pervert Judgment and Justice There 's the Mother and her two Daughters I will add fourthly a Tyburn Tippet Hangum Twinum for him If saith he to his Majesty I were King and any of my Judges should thus suffer themselves to be corrupted and pervert Justice tho' he were my Lord Chief Justice himself as God shall judge me I would make Quondams of every Man of them If not in these Words yet to this purpose Sure I am God Almighty doth ring very sharp Peals of his Wrath and Vengeance by the Prophets in the Ears of his People Israel for this very Sin and there is no doubt but he is as severely angry with it in all Ages even to this Day 1. A. C. 1289. A. 16. Edw. I. upon the general Accounts made of the ill Administration of Justice in
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
how Happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy Chosen sake send me Life and Death I suspect some Mistake in recording these last Words perhaps Life or Death that I may truly serve thee O my Lord God! bless thy People and save thine Inheritance O Lord God save thy People of England O my Lord God defend this Realm from Papistry and maintain thy true Religion that I and thy People may praise thy Holy Name for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake His last Words were I am faint Lord have mercy and take my Spirit He died aged 17. 108. The Lady Jane Grey by King Edward's Will proclaimed Queen of England the Night before she was beheaded sent her Sister her Greek Testament in the end whereof she wrote as may be seen under the Head of Love of the Holy Scriptures She spoke on the Scaffold thus GOod People I am come hither to Die and by a Law I am condemned to the same My Offence against the Queen's Majesty was only in consenting to the Device of others which now is deemed Treason yet it was never of my seeking but by Counsel of those who should seem to have further understanding of those things than I who knew little of the Law and much less of Titles to the Crown But touching the Procurement thereof by me or on my behalf I do here wash my Hands in Innocency before God and the Face of you all this Day and therewith she wrung her Hands wherein she had her Book I pray you all good Christian People to bear me Witness that I die a true Christian Woman and that I look to be saved by no other means but only by the Mercy of God in the Blood of his only Son Jesus Christ And I do confess That when I knew the Word of God I neglected the same and loved my self and the World and therefore this Plague and Punishment is justly befallen me for my Sins And I yet thank God of his Goodness that he hath been pleased to give me Respite to Repent in And now good People while I am alive I pray assist me with your Prayers She died 1554. aged 16. Tu quibus ista legas incertum est Lector ocellis Ipsa equidem siccis scribere non potui Fox 's Martyrol 109. Queen Elizabeth is reported upon her Death-bed but by what Author I confess I do not presently remember to complain of the want of Time Time Time a World of Wealth for an Inch of Time yet finished her Course with that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good Fight c. 110. The young Lord Harrington professed in his Sickness That he feared not Death in what shape soever it came declaring about two Hours before his Death that he still felt the assured Comforts and Joys of his Salvation by Jesus Christ And when Death approached he breathed forth these longing Expressions Oh that Joy Oh my God! when shall I be with thee And so sweetly resigned up his Spirit unto God An. 1613. aged 22. See in his Life in the Young Man's Calling and my Christian 's Companion 111. Henry Prince of Wales eldest Son to King James in his Sickness had these Words to one that waited on him Ah Tom I in vain wish for that time I lost with thee and others in vain Recreations Which puts me in mind of what Mr. Smith relates in the Funeral Solemnity of Mr. Moor Fellow of Gaius College and Keeper of the University Library viz. That he often lamented the Misery of our English Gentry who are commonly brought up to nothing but Hawks and Hounds and know not how to bestow their Time in a Rainy Day and in the midst of all their Plenty are in want of Friends necessary Reproof and most loving Admonition 112. The Earl of Strafford made this Speech on the Scaffold May 12. 1641. MY Lord Primate of Ireland and my Lords and the rest of the Gentlemen it is a very great Comfort to me to have your Lordship by me this Day in regard I have been known to you a long time I should be very glad to obtain so much silence as to be heard a few Words but I doubt I shall not My Lord I come hither by the Good Will and Pleasure of Almighty God to pay that last Debt I owe to Sin which is Death and by the Blessing of God to rise again through the Merits of Christ Jesus to Eternal Glory I wish I had been private that I might have been heard My Lord if I might be so much beholden to you that I might use a few Words I should take it for a very great Courtesie My Lord I come hither to submit to that Judgment which hath passed against me I do it with a very quiet and contented Mind I do freely forgive all the World a Forgiveness that is not spoken from the Teeth outward as they say but from the Heart I speak it in the Presence of Almighty God before whom I stand that there is not in me so much as a displeasing Thought to any Creature I thank God I may say truly and my Conscience bears me witness that in all my Service since I have had the Honour to serve His Majesty in any Employment I never had any thing in my Heart but the joynt and individual Prosperity of the King and People If it hath been my Hap to be misconstrued it is the common Portion of us all while we are in this Life the Righteous Judgment is hereafter here we are subject to Error and apt to be misjudged one of another There is one thing I desire to clear my self of and I am very confident I speak it with so much clearness that I hope I shall have your Christian Charity in the belief of it I did always ever think the Parliaments of England were the happiest Constitutions that any Kingdom or Nation lived under and under God the happiest Means of making King and People happy so far have I been from being against Parliaments For my Death I here acquit all the World and pray God heartily to forgive them and in particular my Lord Primate I am very glad that His Majesty is pleased to conceive me not meriting so severe and heavy a Punishment as the utmost execution of this Sentence I am very glad and infinitely rejoyce in this Mercy of his and beseech God to turn it to him that he may find Mercy when he hath most need of it I wish this Kingdom all the Prosperity and Happiness in the World I did it living and now dying it is my Wish I do now profess it from my Heart and do most humbly recommend it to every Mâ—n here and wish every Man to lay his Hand upon his Heart and consider seriously whether the beginning of the Happiness of a People should be written in Letters of Blood I fear you are in a wrong way and I desire Almighty God that no one drop of my Blood may
upon his Head and a Charter in his Hand They are stiled by the King Consanguinii nostri our Cousins and may use the Stile of Nos but so may Viscounts too All Earls are Local except the Earl-Marshal of England who is also Officiary and the Earl Rivers who is denominated not from the Place but Family 4. Viscounts are so made by Patent 5. Barons so called from Baron or Varon Vir in Spanish are made by Writ and called thereby to sit in the Higher House of Parliament but most usually by Patent The Earls Palatines and Earls Marches of England had anciently their Barons under them and in Cheshire there are still such Barons But these not holding immediately from the King as the Bishop of Man under the Earl of Darby are no Peers The Head of the Barony is some Castle or chief Seat of the Noble Man which is not to be divided amongst Daughters if there be no Son but must defcend to the eldest Daughter All the Lords of England are Feudatories to the King swearing Fealty and doing Homage to him Their several Titles are thus A Duke hath the Title of Grace and may be stiled Most High Potent and Noble Prince a Marquess Most Potent and Noble Lord But so may Earls and Viscounts also A Baron Right Noble Lord. Their Coronets differ thus A Baron hath six Pearls upon the Circle A Viscount hath the Circle of Pearls without number An Earl's Contronet hath the Pearls raised upon Points and Leaves low between The Marquess a Pearl and a Strawberry-leaf round of equal height And a Duke's Coronet only Leaves without Pearls Note That the Dukes of the Blood-Royal bear a Coronet of Crosses and Flower-de-luce which is the same with that of the Prince of Wales and his is the same with the Kings the Arches Globe and Cross on the top of the King's Crown Their Parliamentary Robes are thus distinguished A Baron hath but two Guards on him Mantlet or short Cloak a Viscount two and a half an Earl three a Marquess three and a half and a Duke four Also the Mantle of a Duke Marquess and Earl is faced with Ermin that of a Viscount and Baron with plain white Fur. Their Marks of State are thus A Duke may have in all places out of the King's Presence a Cloth of Estate hanging down within half a Yard of the Ground so may his Dutchess and her Train born up by a Baroness and no Earl to wash with a Duke without the Duke's Pleasure A Marquess may have a Cloth of Estate reaching within a Yard of the Ground and that in all Places out of the Presence or the King or a Duke and his Marchioness to have her Train borne by a Knight's Wife and no Viscount to wash with a Marquess but at his Pleasure An Earl also may have a Cloth of Estate without Pendants but only Fring and a Countess may have her Train borne up by a Gentlewoman out of the Presence of her Superiors and in her Presence by a Gentleman A Viscount may have a Cover of Assay holden under his Cup while he drinks but no Assay taken as Dukes Marquesses and Earls may have and have a Travers in his own House and a Viscountess may have her Gown borne up by a Woman out of the Presence of her Superiours and in their Presence by a man A Baron may have the Cover of his Cup holden underneath whilst he drinketh and a Baroness may have her Gown borne up by a Man in the Presence of a Viscountess All Dukes eldest Sons are born as Marquesses and the younger as Lords with the addition of their Names as Lord Thomas Lord John c. A Marquess's eldest Son is called Lord of a Place and the younger Sons as Lord Thomas Lord John c. And Earl's eldest Son is born as a Viscount and shall go as a Viscount and shall have as many Powderings as a Viscount so their younger Sons are said to be born as Barons but shall go after all Barons and before all Baronets An Earl's eldest Son is called Lord of a place and all his Daughters Ladies but his youngest Sons are not Lords A Viscount's eldest Son is no Lord nor his Daughters Ladies and therefore the eldest Sons and the eldest Daughter of the first Viscount of England is said to be the first Gentleman and Gentlewoman without Title in England yet a Viscount's eldest Son is said to be born a Baron 6. The next Degree to Barons are Baronets which is the lowest Degree of Hoour that is Hereditary An Honour first instituted by King James An. 16 11. given by Patent to a Man and his Heir Males of his Body lawfully begotten for which each one is obliged to pay in the Exchecquer so much oney as will for three Years at Eight Pence per Diem pay 30 Foot Soldiers to serve in the Province of Vlster in Ireland which Sum amounts to 1095 l. which with Fees doth commonly arise tp 1200 l. Baronets have Precedence before all Knights except Knights of the Garter Knights who are Privy-Counsellors and Knights Banorets made under the King's Banner or Standard displayed in an Army Royal in open War and the King personally present or the Prince of Wales Baronets have the Priviledge to bear a Canton of their Coat of Arms or in a whole Scutcheon the Arms of Vlster viz. In a Field Argent a Hand Gules Also in the King's Armies to have place in the Gross near the King's Standard with some other particular for their Funerals The whole Number of Baronets are not to exceed 200 at one and the same time after which Number compleated as any one for want of Heirs come to be extinct the Number shall not be made up by new Creations but be suffered to diminish as appears by their Patent No Honour is ever to be created between Baronets and Barons The word Knight is derived from the German word Knecht signifying Originally a lusty Servitor The Germans by publick Authority bestowed on their young Men able to manage Arms a Shield and a Javelin as fit for Martial Service and to be a Member of the Commonwealth accounted befoe but a part of a Family and such a young Man publickly allow'd they call'd Knetcht from whence we had our Institution of Knighthood The thing Knight is at this Day signified in Latin French Spanish Italian and also in High and Low-Dutch Tongues by a word that properly signifies an Horseman because they were wont to serve in War on Horseback and were sometimes in England called Radenhyts id est Riding Soldiers the Latine Milites according to the common Law 1. Knights of the Garter so call'd because the Garter is an Emblem of Concord or Combination to prevent all Sinister Interpretation whereof the King commanded that Motto or Impress to be wrought on the Garter Honi Scit qui Maly Pence This Honourable Company was anciently a College or Corporation of 25 Companions called Knights of the Garter 14 secular
Fr Fowling Cardan adviseth thus Nux Vomica will stupifie Birds if you mingle it with their Meat I remember I took Crows in my Hand when I had powdered that Nut and mingled it with Flesh If small Birds eat Corn steeped in Wine-Lees and the Juice of Hemlock or Aqua-vitae or only in the Lees of stronger Wine or in the Decoction of white Helebore with an Ox-Gall this will astonish them Those Birds that Fly in Flocks to it are catched in Flocks as Partridges but Geese more than they but chiefly Ducks When you would make some Tame of the wild kind you must cut their wings and make a Trench about the Waters and feed them there with Plenty of pleasant Food For Ducks amongst other things that is the best which we call Sargum In the Night when the tame Ones cry the wild Ones will comethither to Meat For all Creatures agree in four things they all seek for Meat all seek for Pleasure all Fight and all are in Fear and here they understand one the other VVherefore in your Nets you shall sometimes catch a Thousand Ducks at once This may seem strange yet it is true and there is no bette way of Fowling you must chuse tame Ducks that are most like the wild Ducks in their Colour Cardan de Subtilit But this Art of Decoying is much Improved of late Years 2. There are other ways of Fowling which are well known in some places they use low Belling that is they go about in the Night with a Net in one hand to catch Birds in a Candle to draw the Birds towards the Light into the Net a Club to beat the Hedges and drive the Birds out and a little Bell which they ring continually to drown the noise of the Fowlers In other places they use a Stalking Horse especially for the killing of Woodcocks c. 3. For Fishing Sir Philip Harcourt in Oxfordshire hath so contrived his Fish-ponds that the Stews not only feed one another and may be served by letting the Water of the upper Ponds out into the lower but by a side Ditch cut along by them and places out of each may be any of them emptied without letting the Water into or giving the least disturbance to any of the rest Plot 's Nat. Hist. Oxford c. 9. p. 234. 4. Dr. Wilkins when Warden of Wadham College contrived an Engine for Fish of but few Gallons of Water 5. Cardan hath taught us an Ingenuous way to catch Fish thus Fishes are taken with Baits now the Baits must have four Properties they must smell well for this will make them come from remote places Such things are Anniseeds Juice of Panace and Cumin is best of them all They must tast well that they may the more desire them and they may be thereby deceived such are Blood especially Hogs Blood Cheese Bread principally of VVheat Butterflies the best are golden-coloured The Bait must Fume to the Head that it may make them drunk by its violent quality as Aqua-vitae Lees of VVine Last of all it must be Stupifactive to make them sensless Such are Marigold-Flowers that are to be had new every Month for this Herb whose Flowers are yellow cut in pieces will make great Fish astonished in one Hours time So is Lime for though it corrects VVater yet it kills Fish So is the Juice of all the Tithymals and both the Nux Vomica's called Nux Metelli or the sleeping Nut. But nothing is better than that Fruit which is brought from the East and is called Coculus Indicus It is a black Berry like unto a bay Berry but smaller and rounder Our Composition to take Fish is tried to be certain Take a quarter of an Ounce of Oriental Berries Cumin-seed and Aqua-vitae of each a sixth part of an Ounce Cheese one Ounce VVheat-meal 3 Ounces make little Pellats beating all together Cardan de Subtilitate 6. For Hunting it is distinguished according to the Animals we pursue or those we hunt with Those we pursue are Deer Hares Conies Foxes wild Bores Badgers Otters and sometimes Fowl Those Creatures we hunt with are Hounds Grey-Hounds Beagles and other Dogs trained up for particular Games In Sussex is much used the hunting of Moles Hawkes are used for the hunting of Fowl and Ferrets for Conies but what Improvements have been made in these Arts I leave the Curious to enquire CHAP. XIII Curiosities in Writing Cyphering c. THE Art of handling the Pen is much more Gentile and Liberal than that of handling the Spade and therefore no wounder if we find more strokes in Wit and Ingenuity in the one than in the other I intend not now to speak much of Brachygrphy tho an excellent late Invention of Contracting Words and Sentences into short Marks and Signatures nor the Art of writing well and giving Letters their due and decent Mathematical Proportions and Flourishes but of the Subtilty and Finenss of Delineation and Cyphering 1. There was one in Queen Elizabeth's time that wrote the Ten Commandments the Creed the Pater-Noster the Queen's Name and the Year of the Lord within the Compass of a Penny and gave a pair of Spectacles of such an artifical making that by the help thereof she did plainly and distinctly discern every Letter Dr. heylin 's Life of King Charles I. 2. One Francis Alumnius was so notable in the Mystery of Writing that he wrote the Apostle's Creed and the 14 first Verses of St. John's Gospel in the compass of a Penny and in full Words This he did in the presence of the Emperor Charles the V. and Pope Clement VII as is related by Genebrand in his Chronology and Simon Mayolus out of him who said he had the same Miracle at home in his keeping Hist Man Arts. Ch. 3. Pag. 34. 3. The Effigies of King William and Queen Mary with the Lord's Prayer the Creed and Ten Commandments the Magnificat the Prayer for the King and Queen the Prayer for the Royal Family the Prayer for the Clergy and People the Prayer of St. Chrysostom and the Blessing Engraven within a Circle two Inches and a half Diameter Engraven and Sold by John Sturt in Cranes-Court in the Old-Change near St. Pauls Price 2 d. 4. An Elegy on the Death of our most Gracious Soveraign lady Queen Mary engraven with so small a Circumference that it may be set in Rings or Lockets Engraven and Sold by and set in Rings or Lockets by Thomas Sturt 5. Mr. Mason the Author of a New Short-Hand is also very famous in writing many things in a little Compass 6. The written Picture of His Majesty King Charles the I. in St. John's-College Library taking up the whole Book of Psalms in the English Tongue and the written Picture of King James the I. and the Arms of England taking up the whole Book of Psalms in Latin in the Hands of Mr. Morehead Rector of Bucknel are pretty curiosities and much admired Dr. Plot 's Nat. Hist. Ox. p. 276. 7. The Polygraphy or
the bravery of the Temple by the Excellency of the outward Court If the Walls of Babylon are so great what is the City But if the very Suburbs of the New Jerusalem yea the Neighbour-Villages and Country round about at so vast a distance be so rich so plentiful what shall we think of the place itself If the Sun shines to us so glorious so far off what is it if you were near to it I desire not Readers to impose upon your Faith tell me you that admire this World for so delicate an Eden do not you think the God that made it and gave it to the Children of Men most of which care but little for him hath he not a far better for himself and his own Children Psal 8.1 3 c. 2. The Reports of them that have been there or had some sight of the place I shall name St. Paul for one 2 Cor. 12.2 4. Will ye believe such a Man See what he saith 2 Cor. 4.17 18 2 Tim. 4.8 and in several other places I mention St. John the Apostle for another entertained with extraordinary Visions in the Isle of Patmos Rev. 21.2 c. Will ye believe the Son of God that came down from Heaven to visit the Children of Men And came on purpose to court us and prepare our way thither he hath told you of those Rewards in several places Mat. 8.11 Mat. 13.43 Mat. 22.30 Luke 12.32 Luke 20.36 John 10.28 Neither have they only told us these Stories but seal'd their Reports with Miracles and Sufferings And others have believ'd them as wise as we and we believe others in Things as strange and incredible that are not so worthy of Credit as this And why do we stumble here But verily Canaan was a Type of Heaven and the Reports of that a Figure of these and the Unbelief of the Israelites in that Case a Shadow of ours in this They would not believe then nor we now but the Aggravation is on our part Caleb only of them that were sent to search the Land encourag'd them We have a Cloud of Witnesses to encourage us and yet we will not believe Well many of them fell short God not being pleased with them let us take care lest we fall also the same Example of Vnbelief 4. The Inhabitants that dwell there and are like to be our Companions for ever Here we sojourn in Meshech and dwell in the Tents of Kedar we cohabit with a People of unclean Lips and an uncircumcised Heart In Hell the Company is worse nothing there but damned cursed blaspheming Spirits In Heaven is pure Society without any mixture of Evil or Unkindness The Apostle tells you who they are and I suppose you know Heb. 12.22 23 c. 1. God himself Blessed for Evermore The Lord is in his holy Temple the Lord's Throne is in Heaven Psal 11.4 The Lord of Hosts wonderful in Counsel and excellent in Working A King Eternal Immortal Invisible who dwells in the Light which no meer Mortal Man can approach unto The Strength of Israel glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises gracious and merciful slow to anger of great kindness abundant in Goodness and Truth The Father of Lights with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning The Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come the same God for ever and ever The humble holy and compassionate Jesus who died for us who trod the Wine-press of his Father's Wrath alone for us and came from Heaven to Earth from Earth to Hell from Earth to Heaven again to prepare the Way and provide Mansions of Bliss and Crowns of Glory for us The Blessed Spirit the Second Advocate our tender Guide Solliciter and Comforter the Three-One God blessed for evermore 2. The holy Angels glorious Creatures as far superiour to the Excellency of Man as Man is to the Beasts that perish We may guess their Excellency 1. From their Priority of Creation Indeed Moses or whoever was the Author of Genesis gives us no Historical Account of their Creation because it concern'd not us But we may probably conjecture that they were made before us not only because of their Excellency but because likewise they are said to be present Witnesses of the Creation of Man and sung together Job 38.7 When the Foundations of the World were fasten'd and the Corner-stone laid And besides no sooner scarce was Man in Paradise but Satan was there ready one of the fallen Angels to lay a Temptation for him 2. Their Nature having neither the Clogs of Flesh Bones or Blood as we have but free nimble intellectual Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Principalities and Powers endow'd with an extraordinary Measure of Knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eyes before and behind of a quick Sight and Conception and a quicker Expedition in the Dispatch of Sacred Duty Love hath given Wings of an ardent Zeal and a flaming Affection thence called Seraphim in a word immaterial and immortal 3. Their Number You will not expect that we should count the Stars of Heaven Rev. 12.4 Some of the Heathens thought them innumerable so Max. Tyr. and Pythagoras thought all the Air was full of them Thales omnia Deorum sunt plena Orpheus counted 365 Hesiod Three Myriads the Holy Scripture Thousands and Ten thousand times Ten thousand c. Dan. 7.10 Whatever they are they are many and glorious Creatures insomuch that the very appearance of them in this lower World would dazle and affright us We have frequent mention made in the Old Testament of their appearing to some Persons of greater Favour and Eminency in the Church and yet even then it was an astonishing Wonder and even good Men look'd upon it as a Presage of Death Judg. 13.6 19 22. and it would be so now We are dash'd in the Presence of a Man that is extraordinarily famous and eminent for Wisdom Goodness or Greatness How many have we read or heard of Men of a competent Spirit Presence and Courage have been struck mute in the Company of some Great Sir How should we veil our Faces now to Angels as they to God in Heaven The Rags of our Mortality Sin and Baseness is enough to make us blush in such pure glorious heavenly Company That which I drive at in all this is to shew That if the Inhabitants be so rich so brave the Country is a Paradise If the Courtiers are so gorgeously apparelled and arrayed with so high a Glory the Court is more glorious These are the Natives of the place And do not you think the place where they live is mighty pleasant They must needs fare well that go to such good Company 4. But besides all this we shall have the Society of the Spirits of Just Men made perfect Fan the World and sift it so clean that all the Chaff may be driven away and nothing left but pure Grain Good Men Men that love God and work Righteousness and cleave to that which is good Run over all
Bodys swollen with bruises This was attested by Colonel Rogers the Governour of Hereford by a Letter to Mr. Baxter Dated August 23. 1656. As likewise by Mr. Sam. Jones's of Cocdreken Mr. Maur. Bedwell's of Swansy Mr. Daniel Higs and Captain Samuel Foley's both of Clonmell 16. In the year of our Lord 1652. Mary the Daughter of Edward Ellins of the Burrough of Evesham in the County of Worcester Gardiner then about nine or ten years old went in the Fields on a Saturday with some other children to gather Cowslips and finding in a Ditch by the way side at the said Town 's End one Catherine Huxley a single Woman Aged then about Forty years as is supposed easing Nature the children called her Witch and took up Stones to throw at her the said Mary also called her Witch and took up a Stone but was so affrighted that she could not throw it at her then they all run away from her and the said Mary being hindmost this Huxley said to her Ellins you shall have Stones enough in your Whereupon Mary fell that day very ill and continued so Weak and Languishing that her Friends feared she would not recover but a Month after she began to void Stones by the urinary Passages and some little Urine came away from her also when she voided any Stone the Stone she voided was heard by those that were by her to drop into the Pot or Bason and she had most grievous Pains in her Back and Reins like the pricking of Pins the Number of the Stones she voided was about eighty some plain Pebbles some plain Flints some very small and some about an Ounce Weight this she did for some space a Month or two or thereabouts until upon some strong Suspicions of Witchcraft the forenamed Huxley was apprehended examined and searched at whose Beds-head there was found several Stones such as the said Mary voided and was sent to Worcester where at the Summer Assizes in the said Year 1652. then at hand she was upon the Prosecution of the Friends of the said Mary Condemned and Executed Hist Disc of Apparitions and Witches p. 44. 17. Mr. Samuel Clark hath published the Apparition to Mr. White of Dorchester assessor to the Westminister assembly at Lambeth that the Devil in a light Night stood by his Bed-side She looked a while whether he would say or do any thing and then said If thou hast nothing else to do I have and turned himself to sleep Many say it from Mr. White himself Hist Disc of Apparitions and Witches p. 63. 18. Conveyances through the Air c. by Invisible Powers Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubery Esq In a Letter from the Reverend Mr. Paschal Rector of Chedzay in Somersetshire to Mr. Aurbery are these words Viz. The most Remarkable of all happen'd in that Day that I passed by the Door in my return hither which was Easter-Eve when Fry returning from Work that little he can do he was caught by the Woman Spectre by the Skirts of his Doublet and carried into the Air he was quickly mist by his Master and the Workmen and great enquiry was made for Fran. Fry but no hearing of him but about half an Hour after Fry was heard Whistling and Singing in a kind of a Quagmire He was now affected as he was wont to be in his Fits so that none regarded what he said but coming to Himself an Hour after he solemnly protested That the Daemon carried him so high that he saw his Master's House underneath him no bigger than an Hay-cock that he was in perfect Sense and prayed God not to suffer the Devil to destroy him That he was suddenly set down in that Quagmire The Workmen found one Shooe on one side of the House and the other Shooe on the other side his Periwig was espied next Morning hanging on the Top of a tall Tree It was soon observ'd that Fry's part of his Body that had laid in the Mud was much benum'd and therefore the next Saturday which was the Eve of Low-Sunday they carried him to Crediton to be let Blood which being done and the Company having left him for a little while returning they found him in a Fit with his Fore-head all bruised and swoln to a great bigness none being able to guess how it came till he recover'd himself and then he told them That a Bird flew in at the Window with a great force and with a Stone in its Mouth flew directly against his Fore-head The People looked for it and found on the Ground just under where he sate not a Stone but a weight of Brass or Copper which the People were breaking and parting it among themselves He was so very ill that he could not ride but one Mile or little more that Nighr since which time I have not heard of him save that he was ill handled the next Day being Sunday Indeed Sir you may wonder that I have not Visited that House and the poor afflicted People especially since I was so near and passed by the very Door I am very well assured of the Truth of what I have Written and as more appears you shall hear from me again 19. A Copy of a Letter from a Learned Friend of mine in Scotland Dated March 25. 1695. Honoured Sir I received yours Dated May 24 1694. In which you desire me to send you some Instances and Examples of Transportation by an Invisible Power The true cause of my delaying so long to reply to that Letter was not want of Kindness but of sit Materials for such a Reply As soon as I read your Letter of May 24. I called to mind a Story which I heard long ago concerning one of the Lord Duffus in the Shire of Murray his Predecessors of whom it is reported That upon a time when he was walking abroad in the Fields near to his own House he was suddenly carried away and â—ound the next day at Paris in the French King's Cellar with a Silver Cup in his Hand that being brought into the King's Presence and Question'd by him Who he was And how he came thither He told his Name his Countrey and the place of his Residence and that on such a Day of the Month which proved to be the Day immediately preceeding being in the Fields he heard the noise of a Whirl-wind and of Voices crying Horse and Hattock this is the World which the Fairies are said to use when they remove from any place whereupon he cried Horse and Hattock also and was immediately caught up and Transported through the Air by the Fairies to that place where after he had Drunk heartily he fell asleep and before he awoke the rest of the Company were gone and had left him in the posture wherein he was found It 's said the King gave him the Cup which was found in his Hand and dismiss'd him This Story if it could be sufficiently attested would be a Neble Instance for your purpose for which cause I
was with Child of him she dreamed that she had a little white and barking Dog in her Womb which a Religious Person Interpreted thus An excellent Dog indeed for he shall be a Keeper of God's House and shall incessantly bark against the Adversâ—â—ies of it and as a famous Preacher shall cure many with his Medicinal Tongue Idem ex Heidfeld in Sphing c. 37. 25. Francis Petrarch had a Friend so desperately ill that he despaired of his Life wearied with Grief and Tears he fell into a slumber and seemed to see his sick Friend stand before him and tell him that he could not now stay any longer with him for there was one at the Door would interrupt their Discourse to whom he desired that he would recommend his weak Estate and that it he should undertake him he should be restored Presently a Physician enters Petrarch's Chamber who came from the sick as having given him over for a dead Man to comfort him Petrarch recounts his Dream to him with Tears and prevails with him to undertake his Friend who thereupon in a short time recovered Idem ex Fulg. l. 1. c. 5. 26. Arlotte Mother of William the Conqueror when great with Child of him dreamed that her Bowels were extended over all Normandy and England Bakers Chron. p. 28. 27. Whilst I lived at Prague saith an English Gentleman and one Night had sate up very late a drinking at a Feast early in the Morning the Sun-beams glancing on my Face as I lay in my Bed I dreamed that a shadow passing by told me That my Father was dead At which awaking I rose and wrote the Day and Hour and all Circumstances thereof in a Paper-Book which Book with many other things I put into a Barrel and sent it from Prague to Stode thence to be carried into England And now being at Nuremberg a Merchant of a Noble Family well Acquainted with me and my Relations arrived there who told me that my Father was dead about two Months ago I list not to write any Lies but that which I write is as true as strange When I returned into England some Four Years after I would not open the Barrel I sent from Prague till I had called my Sisters and some other Friends to be Witnesses where my self and they were astonished to see my written Dream answer the very day of my Father's Death Morison's Itin. p. 1. c. 1. A.B. Annot. on Relig. Med. p. 294. Wanley's Wonders of the Little World l. 6. c. 1. 28. The same Gentleman saith thus also I may lawfully swear that which my Kinsmen have heard witnessed by my Brother Henry whilst he liv'd that in my Youth at Cambridge I had the like Dream of my Mother's death where my Brother Henry lying by me early in the Morning I dreamed that my Mother passed by with a sad Countenance and told me That she could not come to my Commencement I being within 5 Months to proceed Master of Arts and she having promised at that time to come to Cambridge when I related this Dream to my Brother both of us awaking together in a Sweat he professed to me That he had dreamed the very same and when we had not the least knowledge of our Mother's sickness neither in our youthful Affections were any whit affected with the strangeness of this dream yet the next Carrier brought us word of our Mother's death Iâ—id 29. I cannot omit the Dream and Revelation of Joan d' Arke a Virgin who dreamed that she her self should be the only means to put Charles the 7th in possession of his Kingdom After she had acquainted her Father and Mother with her Dream she is brought to the Lord Baudricate and habited like a Man is presented to the King The Matter seemed ridiculous to the King he takes upon himself the Habit of a Country-man this Maid being brought into the Chamber goeth to the King and salutes him with a modest Countenance and delivered to him the Charge which she had received of the God of Heaven and told him That she should be the means to place the Crown upon his head and relieve Orleance that was Besieged by the English The King was persuaded to give her a Troop of 100 and a good Horse She puts her self into a Man's Habit and like a valourous Captain goeth towards Orleance and relieveth the Town with Victuals without resistance After she was in Orleance she sends a Letter to the King of England and his Troops and wisheth them to depart without shedding any more innocent Blood Joan d' Arke a second time relieveth Orleance and brings in fresh Provision she makes choice of 1500 Men and enters the Fort of Saint Loope the Virgin in the foremost of the Ranks crying Saint Denis the next Day they took two other Forts on the third Day the English made the French recoil but the Virgin incouraging her Men and marching couragiously was shot in the Arm Tush saith she this is a favour nothing amazed she takes the Arrow in one hand and her Sword in the other and enters the Fort. In these three Days the English lost 8000 Men and the French not one hundred and as a remembrance of their Victories the Statues of Charles the Seventh and Joan d' Arke are placed upon the Bridge of Orleance kneeling before a Crucifix Charles the Seventh is Crowned at Rheins all Champaigns yield unto him and the King that was in great danger of losing his Kingdom is now an absolute King The Divine Dreamer p. 15. 30. Cicero among other Dreams relates this A certain Man dreamed that there was an Egg hid under his Bed The Sooth-sayer to whom he applied himself for the Interpretation of the Dream told him That in the same place where he imagined to see the Egg there was Trensure hid Whereupon he caused the place to be digged up and there accordingly he found Silver and in the midst of it a good quantity of Gold and to give the Interpreter some testimony of his acknowledgment he brought him some pieces of the Silver which he had found but the Sooth-sayer hoping also to have some of the Gold said And will you not give me some of the Yolk too Amyrald Dis of Div. Dreams p. 22. 31. Monsieur Pâ—irese Councellor of the Parliament of Provence going from Mohrpellier to Nismes lay all Night in an Inn which is the mid-way betwixt these two places he had in his Company one James Rainier Citizen of Aix who in that Journey lodged in the same Chamber with him As that great Man slept Rainier observ'd that he talk'd and mutter'd something in his Sleep otherwise than was usual with him whereupon he wakened him and ask'd what was the matter Oh! said he you have made me lose a most excellent and pleasant Dream for I was dreaming That I was at Nismes and that a Goldsmith shew'd me a Golden Medal of Julius Caesar which he would sell me for four Crowns and as I was ready to
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
his own great Abilities after Courtesies of Courage had passed between them My Lord says the Duke I know your Lordship hath very worthily good Accesses unto the King our Soveraign let me pray you to put His Majesty in Mind to be good as I no way distrust to my poor Wife and Children at which Words or at his Countenance in the Delivery or at both my Lord Bishop being somewhat troubled took the freedom to ask him whether he had never any secret Abodement in his Mind No reply'd the Duke but I think some Adventure way kill me as well as another Man The very day before he was slain feeling some indisposition of Body the King was pleased to give him the Honour of a visit and found him in his Bed where and after much serious and private Discourse the Duke at his Majesty's departing embraced him in a very unusual and passionate Manner and in like sort to his Friend the Earl of Holland as if his Soul divined he should see them no more which infusions towards fatal End had been observed by some Authors of no Light Authority On the very day of his Death the Countess of Denbigh receiv'd a Letter from him whereupon all the while she was writing her Answer she bedew'd the Paper with her Tears And after a most bitter Passion whereof she could yield no Reason but that her dearest Brother was to be gone she fell down in a Swoon Her said Letter endeth thus I will pray for your happy Return which I look at with a great Cloud over my Head too heavy for my poor Heart to bear without torment but I hope the great God of Heaven will bless you The day following the Bishop of Ely her devoted Friend who was thought the fittest Preparer of her Mind to receive such a doleful Accident came to visit her but hearing she was at rest he attended till she should awake of her self which she did with the Affrightments of a Dream her Brother seeming to pass thorough a Field with her in her Coach where hearing of a sudden Shout of the People and asking the reason it was answer'd to have been for Joy that the Duke of Buckingham was sick Which natural Impression she source had related unto her Gentlewoman before the Bishop was entred into her Bed-Chamber for a chosen Messenger of the Duke's Death This is all I dare present of that Nature or any of Judgment not unwillingly omitting certain Prognostick Anagrams and such strains of Fancy Sir Henry Wooton 's Short View of the Life and Death of George Villiers Duke of Buckingham p. 25 26. 2. When Alexander went by Water to Babylon a sudden Wind arising blew off the Regal Ornament of his Head and the Diadem fixt to it This was lookt upon as a Presage of Alexander's Death which happen'd soon after 3. In the year of Christ 1185. the last and most fatal end of Andronicus Commenus being at Hand the Statute of St. Paul which the Emperor had caused to be set up in the great Church of Constantinople abundantly wept Nor were these Tears in vain which the Emperor washt off with his own Blood 4. Barbara Princess of Bavaria having shut her self up in a Nunnery among other things allow'd her for her peculiar Recreation she had a Marjoram-Tree of an extraordinary bigness a small Aviary and a Gold Chain which she wore about her Neck But 14 Days before she died the Marjoram-Tree dried up the Birds the next Night were all found dead and after that the Chain broke in two in the middle Then Barbara calling for the Abbess told her that all those Warnings were for her and in a few Days after died in the Seventeenth year of her Age After her Death above twenty other Virgins died out of the same Nunnery Several other Presages there are that foretold the death of Princes and great Men As the unwonted Howlings of Dogs the unseasonable Noise of Bells the Roaring of Lions c. Concerning Dead Mens Lights seen often in Wales take this following Story 5. A Man and his Family being all in Bed about Midnight and awake he could perceive a Light entring a little Room where he lay and one after another of some Dozen in the shape of Men and two or three Women with small Children in their Arms entring in and they seemed to dance and the Room to be far wider and lighter than formerly they did seem to eat Bread and Cheese all about a kind of a Stick upon the Ground they offer'd him Meat and would smile upon him he could perceive no Voice but he once calling upon God to bless him he could perceive the Whisper of a Voice in Welsh bidding him hold his Peace being about four Hours thus he did what he could to awake his Wife and could not they went out into another Room and after some dancing departed and then he arose yet being but a very small Room he could not find the Door nor the way to Bed until crying out his Wife and Family awaked Being within about two Miles of me I sent for the Man who is an honest poor Husbandman and of good Report And I made him believe I would put him to his Oath for the Truth of this Relation who was ready to take it Attested by Mr. John Lewis a learned Justice of Peace in Cardigan-shire Hist Discourse of Appar and Witches p. 130. 6. Mr. Flavel in his Treatise of the Soul says I have with good Assurance this Account of a Minister who being alone in a Journey and willing to make the best Improvement he could of the Days Solitude set himself upon a close Examination of the State of his Soul and then of the Life to come and the manner of its being and living in Heaven in the Views of all those things which are now pure Objects of Faith and Hope after a while he perceiv'd his Thoughts begin to fix and come closer to these great astonishing things than was usual and as his Mind settled upon them his Affections began to rise with answerable Liveliness and Vigour He therefore whilst he was yet Master of his own Thoughts lift up his Heart to God in a short Ejaculation that God would so order it in his Providence that he might meet with no Interruption from Company or any other Accident in that Journey which was granted him For in all the Days Journey he neither met overtook or was overtaken by any Thus going on his way his Thoughts began to rise and swell higher and higher like the Waters in Ezekiel's vision till at last they became an overflowing Flood Such was the Intention of his Mind such the ravishing Tastes of Heavenly Joys and such the full Assurance of his Interest therein that he utterly lost the Sight and Sense of this World and all the concerns thereof and for some hours knew no more where he was than if he had been in a deep sleep upon his Bed At last he began to perceive
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
and Milking her Cows and was now become the great Comforter and Encourager of her Husband exceeding chearfully God saith she hath had Mercy on me and any pains taking is pleasant to me There they lived some years with much comfort and had the Blessing of Marriage Divers Children After some three years he was met in Kent on the Road by one of the Tenants of the Estate and Saluted by the Name of Landlord Alas said he I am none oâ— your Landlord Yes you are said he I know more than you do of the settlement Your Father tho a cunning Lawyer with all his Wit could not alienate the Estate from you whom he had made Joint-purchaser My self and some other Tenants know it have refused to pay any Money to Dr. Reeves I have Sixteen Pounds ready for you in my hands which I will pay to your Acquittance and that will serve you to wage Law with them He was amazed at this wonderful Providence received the Money sued for his Estate in a Term or two recovered it He that loseth his Life for my sake and the Gospel shall find it His Blessed Wife in the midst of Blessings enjoying a Loving Husband Divers fine Children a plentiful Estate in the midst of these outward Blessings fell into a Way of questioning the truth of her Grace because of outward Prosperity This was her Sin without doubt for which Mr. Knight rebuked her But it was a severe rebuke that the Lord gave her for her unthankfulness A fine Boy about three years old fell into a Kettle of scalding Wort and was taken out by the Mother and Dyed This she looked on as the Lords Discipline for her unthankfulness and was instructed This Relation was sent me by the Reverend Mr. Singleton now living in Hogsdon-Square near the City of London And he received it from Mr. Knight who was intimately acquainted with Mr. Studly as was hinted before 34. One Nicholas West born at Putney in Surrey being a Student in Kings-College in Cambridge proved a Rakehel and very Wicked for something crossing him in the Colledge he could not find how to be revenged but by setting on fire the Master's Lodgings part whereof he burnt to the ground and immediately after he left the Colledge and lived very loosely but soon after by the influence of the Grace of God and good Advice he seasonably retrenched his Wildness turned hard Student and became an excellent Schollar and after smaller promotions he was at last made Bishop of Ely after which he became a worthy Benefactor to that Colledge and rebuilt the Master's Lodgings which he before had caused to be burnt He Died An. Dom. 1533. Memorands of Kings Colledge Those bodys are usually the most Healthful that break out in their Youth and many times the Souls of many prove the sounder for having vented themselves in their younger days commonly none are greater Enemies to Vice than such as have formerly been the Slaves of it a certain blackness in the Cradle hath been observed to give beginning and rise unto the most perfect Beauties and there are no sort of Men that have shined in greater Glory in the world than such whose first days have been sullied and a little overcast 35. Henry the fifth tho while Prince was Wild and Companion of Riotous Persons yet coming to the Crown the first thing he did was the Banishment of all such his old Companions Ten Miles from his presence 36. Paphnutius is reported to convert a Harlot by this means Pretending Love he desired to be brought into the most private Room she had which she brought him into but still he found fault and complained to her that he was afraid some Eye would see him to which she Answered None can see thee here but only God To which he replyed And dost thou think that God sees thee and yet wilt play the Harlot Which he so enforced that it prevailed upon her to a change Chetwoods Hist Collect. Wonderful were the Conversions of the Indians in America under the Ministry of the Reverend Mr. Eliot the first Preacher of the Gospel amongst ' em I shall give you the Narrative of these Conversious as I sind it drawn up in Mr. Eliot's Life written by Mr. Cotten Mather which is as follows viz. 37. The Indians that had felt the Impressions of Mr. Eliot's Ministry were quickly distinguished by the Name of Praying Indians and these Praying Indians as quickly were for a more decent and English way of Living and they desired a more fixed Cohabitation At several Places did they now combine and settle But the place of greatest Name among their Towns is that of Natick Here 't was that in the year 1651. those that had heretofore lived like the wild Beasts in the Wilderness now compacted themselves into a Town and they first apply'd themselves to the forming of their Civil Government Our general Court notwithstanding their exact Study to keep these Indians very sensible of their being subject unto the English Empire yet had allow'd them their smaller Courts wherein they might govern their own smaller Cases and Concerts after their own particular Modes and might have their Town Orders if I may call them so peculiar to themselves With respect hereunto Mr. Eliot on a Solemn Fast made a publick Vow That seeing these Indians were not prepossess'd with any Forms of Government he would instruct them into such a Form as we had written in the Word of God that so they might be a People in all things ruled by the Lord. Accordingly he expounded unto them the Eighteenth Chapter of Exodus and then they chose Rulers of Hundreds of Fifties of Tens and therewithal enter'd into this Covenant We are the Sons of Adam We and our fore-fathers have a long time been lost in our Sins but now the Mercy of the Lord beginneth to find us out again therefore the Grace of Christ helpeth us we do give our selves and our Children unto God to be his People He shall rule us in all our Affairs the Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us and the wisdom which God has taught us in his Book shall guide us Oh Jehovah teach us Wisdom send thy Spirit into our Hearts take us to be thy People and let us take thee to be our God Such an Opinion about the Perfection of the Scripture had he that he thus express'd himself upon this Occasion God will bring Nations into Distress and Perplexity that so they may be forced unto the Scriptures all Governments will be shaken that Men may be forced at length to pitch upon that firm Foundation The Word of God The little Towns of these Indians being pitched upon this Foundation they utterly abandoned that Polygamy which had heretofore been common among them They made severe Laws against Fornication Drunkenness and Sabbath-breaking and other Immoralities which they began to lament after the Establishment of a Church-order among them and
Discourses upon these Subjects and after all told me Sir the Lord hath given me Repentance for this Sin yea and for every other Sin I see the evil of Sin now so as I never saw it before Oh I loath my self I am a very vile Creature in my own Eyes I do also believe Lord help my unbelief I am heartily willing to take Christ upon his own Terms One thing troubles me I doubt this bloody Sin will not be pardoned Will Jesus Christ said he apply his Blood to me that have shed my own I told him Christ shed his Blood even for them that with wicked Hands had shed the Blood of Christ and that was a Sin of deeper Guilt than this Well said he I will cast my self upon Christ let him do by me what he pleases And so I parted with him that Night Next Morning the Wounds were to be open'd and then the Opinion of the Chyrurgeon were he would immediately expire Accordingly at his Desire I came that Morning and found him in a most serious frame I prayed with him and then the Wound in his Stomach was opened but by this time the Ventricle it self was swoln out of the Orifice of the Wound and lay like a live discolour'd Tripe upon his Body and was also cut through so that all concluded it was impossible for him to live however they stitch'd the Wound in the Stomach enlarged the Orifice and fomented it and wrought it again into his Body and so stitching the Skin left him to the Dispose of Providence But so it was that both the deep VVound in his Throat and this in his Stomach healed and the more dangerous VVound Sin had made upon his Soul was I trust effectually healed also I spent many Hours with him in that Sickness and after his return home received this Account from Mr. Samuel Hardy a Minister in that Town Part whereof I shall Transcribe Dear Sir I was much troubled at the sad Providence in your Town but did much rejoyce that he fell into such Hands for his Body and Soul You have taken much Pains with him and I hope to good purpose I think if ever a great and thorough VVork were done such a way it is now and if never the like I am perswaded now it is Never grow weary of such good VVorks One such Instance is methinks enough to make you to abound in the work of the Lord all your days Flavel's Divine Conduct CHAP. XXI Wants strangely supplied JOseph was sold into Egypt by the Envy of his Brethren to make Provision for them and their Father in a time of Famine Elijah is fed by an Angel when he was ready to starve with Hunger under the Juniper-Tree and found to his great Surprizal a Cake baked on the Coals and a Cruise of Water at his Head another time by a Raven who brought him Bread and Flesh Morning and Evening and a third time by the Wisdom of Zarepheth's Barrel of Meal and Cruise of Oyl which failed not so long as there was necessity of it What should I tell of Daniel and the three Children's Pulse and Water our Saviour's Loaves and Fishes of the Money found in the Belly of a Fish of the great Draught of Fishes that astonished St. Peter into Amazement God feedeth the young Ravens c. 1. Origen with his poor Mother and six Children after the Father's Death and the Confiscation of all his Goods to the Emperor procured a Sustenance for himself and them by teaching a Grammar-School and after being weary of that Profession he betook himself to the stndy of Sacred Scripture and Divinity and thus throwing himself upon Divine Providence it pleased God he was entertain'd by a Religious and Rich Matron together with his Mother and Brethren Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 2. Mr. Samuel Clark in the Life of that painful and humble Servant Mr. John Fox records a memorable Instance or Providence and it is thus That towards the end of King Henry the Eighth his Reign he went to London where he quickly spent that little his Friends had given him or he had acquired by his own Diligence and began to be in great want As one day he sat in St. Paul's Church spent with long Fasting his Countenance thin and his Eyes hollow after the ghastful manner of dying Men every one shunning a Spectacle of so much horror There came one to him whom he had never seen before and thrust an untold Sum of Money into his Hand bidding him be of good Cheer and accept that small Gift in good part from his Country-man and that he should make much of himself for that within a few Days new Hopes were at Hand and a more certain Condition of Livelihood Three Days after the Dutchess of Richmond sent for him to live in her House and be Tutor to the Earl of Surrey's Children then under her Care 3. Mr. Isaac Ambrose a worthy Divine whose Labours have made him acceptable to his Generation in his Epistle to the Earl of Bedford prefixed to his last things gives a pregnant Instance in his own Case his Words are these For my own part saith he however the Lord hath seen cause to give me but a poor pittance of outward things for which I bless his Name yet in the Income thereof I have many times observ'd so much of his peculiar Providence that thereby they have been very much sweetned and my Heart hath been raised to admire his Grace When of late under an hard Dispensation which I iudge not mete to mention wherein I suffer'd conscientiously all Streams of wonted Supplys being stopt the VVaters of Relief for my self and Family did run low I went to Bed with some Staggerings and Doubtings of the Fountains letting out it self for our refreshing but e're I did awake in the Morning a Letter was brought to my Bed-side which was signed by a choice Friend Mr. Anthony Ash which reported some unexpected breakings out of God's Goodness for my Comfort These are some of his Lines Your God who hath given you an Heart thankful to record your Experiences of his Goodness doth renew Experiences for your Encouragement Now shall I report one which will raise your Spirit towards-the God of your Mercies VVhereupon he sweetly concludes One Morsel of God's Provision especially when it comes in unexpected and upon Prayer when wants are most will be more sweet to a Spiritual Relish than all former Enjoyments were Flavel's Divine Conduct p. 93. 4. Rochell was strangely relieved by a Shoal of Fish that came into the Harbour when they were ready to perish with Famine such as they never observed before nor after that time Ibid. p. 31. 5. Mr. William Garaway a Gentleman sufficiently known for his excellent Parts and Activeness and Fidelity to both King and Country in several Parliaments during these three last Reigns told me lately of another such a Special and Remarkable Providence as this was which happened to a certain Sea-Port Town in England
brought them home to Biscay Here the Vistiors of the Inquisition came aboard the Ship put them on Examination but by the Master's Favour and some general Answers they escaped for the present But fearing a second search they shifted for themselves and going twelve Miles by Night into France and so safely arrived in England Thus as the Psalmist speaks They which go down into the Sea and occupy in great Waters these Men see the Works of the Lord and his Wonders in the Deep Hackluit's English Voyages Vol. 3. Pag. 163. Full. Worth Pag. 282. in Devonshire 5. Dr. VVilliam Johnson late Chaplain and Subalmoner to King Charles I. going aboard from Harwich on Michaelmas-Day Sep. 29. 1648. was seized presently with a dull sadness of Spirit and was to use his own Words in a strange Anguish and Propassion so that he suffered Shipwreek in his Mind and all the terrors thereof before it came so really sick that to be drown'd in his Thoughts had been no Affliction to him After some time and not long about four a Clock in the Afternoon the Ship sprung a leak the Doctor crawled upon the Deck sees the sad Sight one fell to his Prayers another wrung his Hands a third wept after all they fell to work but in vain for the Wound was incurable At last they cast out their Long-boat shot off eight or nine Guns to give notice to the Master of the Ship that went out with them leap'd all into the Boat and in leaping the Doctor had like to have been drown'd No Mr. Cook who was Master of the Ship came to their Relief he and all his Men perished at the same time Now it blew half a Storm and they in a small Vessel many Leagues from any Shoar without Compass to guide them or Provision to sustain them starved with Cold and Night growing upon them without any thing in their Boat but a small Kettle which serv'd as a Scoop to cast the Water out and three Bags of pieces of Eight to the value of 300 l. sterling nothing to help them but their Prayers In this extremity of Danger see the Goodness of God a Ship made towards them and they with their two Oars towards it but the Sea was boisterous the Waves raging so that they were fain to keep out the Sea with their Backs sitting close to one another and to make use of their Kettle and for a long time were not able to reach the Ship nor the Ship them Tho' the good Man the Skipper hung on the Lee and did what he could to retard the Course of his Ship and hung out a Light to them at last they got into the Ship but the Doctor being weak and his Hands made useless and numb with cold and wet was left in the Boat till with the help of a Rope the Seamen pull'd him up Now they began to think over their Losses in the Shipwreck but they were not considerable when God had so graciously spared their Lives The next day Thursday it blew very fair for Norway whither their Ship was bound and about 12 a Clock at Noon they came within view of it but to escape the Rocks they thought to keep off the Coast till Morning and so sat down to eat the Doctor not having made a Meal in five Days About ten a Clock at Night when they had set their Watch and prayed with secure Thoughts they laid themselves to rest some of them upon their Bed but God appointed a harder Lodging for them such a one as for Jacob in his Journey to Padan Aram Gen. 28.11 for the Ship with full Sails ran upon a Rock and gave such a Crack that it was able to have awaken'd the most dead asleep among them The Mariners cried out Mercy Mercy Mercy the Master bid the Doctor pray for them pray for them for they should certainly perish The Ship stuck so fast in the Cleft of the Rock and brake in the hinder parts and one of the Seamen with a Rope in his Hand fastened to one of the Masts leaped from the Bow of the Ship to the Rock the rest following him 28 in number the Doctor being left alone upon the Deck began to wonder what was become of his Company and perceiving that they had all crowded to the Head of the Ship he went to see and there found a Dane who took pity on him and help'd him to get down with hird and being got down the Rope with much difficulty and danger he climb'd up on all four to his Company on the Rock Immediately the Ship began to decline and the Master being left last of all in the Ship made lamentable Moan to them to help him but too late for the Ship brake and sunk immediately and he good Man with a Light in his Hand who had been so kind in saving others but a little before was now with four of the Mariners drown'd himself Now the rest were upon a little Rocky Island unhabitable where they passed a sad Night the Country People call the Rock Arn-scare next Morning they were hungry one of the Boys brought the Doctor a Leaf of Scurvy-Grass some of them went a Fishing with a long Arm and a bended Finger and drew up some small Muscles Fresh Water was not to be had the Doctor being in a Fever was forced to lap salt Water which he still vomited up again and this he was told was both a present Cure of his Sickness and future Preservation of his Health A Danish Ship passed by but tho' they waved their Hats to them came not near them Then to their Prayers and singing Psalms after which some of them made a Raft and ventured to Sea upon it and it proved to be then a great Calm and the Goodness of God appear'd miraculous in that after the Loss of two great Ships he should save them by a swimming Plank for by this means several Shawls came rowing towards them before Night and brought Provision with them so that they got all once more to Land in Waller-Island where they were lodged in the Parson's House who was a Lutheran and shewed them no little kindness the People weeping bitterly at the Relation of their misfortunes and setting before them Meat and Drink Rye-Pancakes for Bread and good Lubeck Beer and after Sermon a doubtful Meal full of Variety in one Dish as Beef Mutton Lard Goat Roots and so many of God's Creatures that it seem'd the First Chapter of Genesis in a Dish From Ostersound they came for England in a Ship which presently had almbst fallen foul upon a Rock afterward sprang a Leak so that they were forced to pump for their Lives till at last they got safe but thro' Dangers and Troubles to Yarmouth See the Narrative it self called Deus Nobiscum with a Sermon by W. Johnson D. D. 6. Dr. Baily of St. John's Colledge in Oxford had a Son who was Servant to Sir John Robinson Alderman of London and afterwards Lieutenant of the
Mr. Jennison of Grays-Inn Mr. Lewis Mr. Smith Edmund Everard Esq who was kept four Years close Prisoner in the Tower by the contrivance of some English Subjects whom he had five Years before discovered as plotting against us in France 4. Because several Letters were produced relating to the fame thing as that of the Lord Stafford's to the Lord Aston My Lord the Plot is discovered and we are all undone c. Coleman's Our prevailing in these things would give the greatest Blow to the Protestant Religion here that ever it received since its first Birth c. Petre's Letters Found among Harcourt's Papers c. 5. The Actions that were done after the Discovery to Persons concerned in the Discovery are a strong Argument to create suspicion of the Authors and their Guilt as the Barbarous Murther of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey who took the first Depositions Mr. Arnold and Mr. Pye V. In King James the II. Reign But this was nothing else but Plot from the beginning to the end of it For no Man of good sence could believe that ever he intended to perform that fine Promise which he made of maintaining of the Protestant Religion and the Rights of the Subjects c. without straining Courtesie with his Religious Principles and natural Temper and indeed tho' he appear'd very plausible at first and our credulous People seem'd very willing to construe him in a favourable Sense yet when they had resign'd their Charters and themselves and Estates to him in a Complement which the King took well enough and saw the Laws dispensed with in a gross manner and Arbitrary Power put up its Head at Court with much Confidence and the Visitors sent down to Oxford to purge the Vniversity and Roman Catholicks made Justices of Peace and put in other places of Trust and Masse-Houses open'd publickly and the Interceding Bishops who had done nothing in the World to merit his disfavour sent to the Tower then I say these People began to open their Eyes and were resolved not to shut them any more if they could help it till they had somewhat better to trust to than the Promise of a King whose Word was as inviolable as his Oath and who was never known to be in the least matter unfaithful in his Life for such a Mask was put upon his Face by his Friends and he wore it a while very willingly till the time that he thought he might safely take it off and appear boldly in his Features and in the Head of a standing Army who had promised as stoutly as he to stand by him till they thought it convenient to stand no longer But of this enough and perhaps too much for I do with Pity and Grief of Mind reflect upon the Errors of that unhappy Prince VI. In the Reign of King William the III. This Prince was the happy Instrument under God of our Deliverance but neither was He warm in his Throne before he was called to Battle first in Ireland where he contested with extraordinary Difficulties and escaped extream Dangers from a Cannon-Bullet afterwards in Flanders where his Labours are hardly at an end yet But the most secret and villainous Contrivance of all was the late Barbarous Plot the Scheme whereof was first laid in France but the Scene of the bloody Tragedy was to be in England Here the King was to be Assassinated in a base and cowardly manner as he went a hunting on a Saturday Feb. 22. 1695 6. in a narrow Lane between Brentford and Turnham-Green Sir George Berkley with seven or eight more to Attack the King's Coach and Assassine him whilst two other Parties to the number of 40 attacked the Guards and two more persons Chambers and Durance a Flemming were to be placed at Kensington to give speedy Notice to the Conspirators when the King went abroad At first it was agreed to be put in execution Feb. 15. But the King not going abroad then it was deferr'd till Feb. 22. The French were to make a Descent into England and had got Transport Ships ready and Soldiers 20000 who were to Embark at Callis Bulloign Dunkirk c. The French had at St. Germaines Feb. 7. caused 100000 Lewid'ores to be delivered to the late King James and desired him to hasten his Departure a considerable Body of his old Friends were to meet and joyn the French at their landing All things in appearance were in great forwardness Mortars Field-pieces and heavy Cannon for Land-Service Monsieur de Nesmond Gabaret and Dubart were to command the Men of War that were to convoy the Transport Ships the Conduct of the Land-Army was in the Marquess de Bevron Arcourt as Chief and under him Pecontal and Albergoti as Mareschals de Camp and for Brigadiers the Duke de Humieres Monsieur de Biron and Monsieur de Monray c. and Lapara the chief Engineer The Men being Embark'd the day before it was discover'd here 300 Sail or thereabouts weigh'd Anchor and stood to Sea but the Wind shifting they were oblig'd to return into the Ports and disembark some part of them These were designed to land in Kent Sussex or the Mouth of the River and the Providence is the more remarkable since had they gone forward we might have been under some surprize as not being ready at so short a Warning to oppose them At Kensington the day being come viz. Feb. 22. Keâ—es one of the Spies being sent out to see what he could learn brought word the Guards were returned from Richmond foaming The People much wonder'd the King did not go a hunting for two Saturdays together and the Bravoes began to flag their Courage It seems Capt. Pendergrass discover'd the bottom of the Design on Feb. 13. to Captain Porter and he to my Lord Portland and my Lord to the King on Feb. 14. the very day before the Design was to be put in Execution After which several of the Conspirators have been themselves Executed witness the City-Gates where now their Heads and Quarters are to be seen and this after a free and fair Tryal of their Cause So that our Church may say and our Kings may say as well as that excellent Queen Elizabeth as Psal 129.1 2. c. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up may Israel now say Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth yet they have not prevailed against me The Plowers plowed upon my Back they made long their Furrows The Lord is righteous he hath out asunder the Cords of the wicked CHAP. XXIII The Innocent strangely cleared WHEN Joseph 's Brethren were constrained to go into Egypt and buy Food of and make Obeysance to that very Person they had thrown into a Pit before and sold into Slavery how their Conscience flew in their Faces with sharp Reflections of Guilt The three Children in the fiery Furnace and Daniel in the Lyons Den saved so miraculously and contrary to all Expectation easily extorted a Confession of their Innocence
Qualities upon any but as Dispositions to Eternal Glory and a Token of special Love and everlasting Favour I shall therefore in the next place proceed to enquire after a few Remarkable Instances of this Nature and first of all of Faith that Grace that is so mightily commended under the Oeconomy of the New Testament 1. Luther was a Man of great Faith and Resolution as appears by these Passages in his Sermons Sir Devil I gear not thy Threatenings and Terrors for there is one whose Name is Jesus Christ in whom I believe He hath abolished the Law condemned Sin vanquished Death and destroyed Hell And again Good Mrs. Death Dost thou know this Man Christ Come and bite out his Tooth Hast thou forgotten how little thy Biting prevailed with him once Faith kills Reason that Beast and Monster that all the World cannot kill and Laughs at all the Iniquiry Rage and Fury of the World c. 2. Arch-Bishop Vsher though he fore-told in the time of his greatest Prosperity that he should die in Poverty yet made little Provision for the Storm and though his Losses in Ireland upon the turn of the Times were great and his Straits in England very considerable yet when two several Offers were made him from Foreign Nations the one from Cardinal Richlieu in relation to his great Learning with a promise of large Maintenance and Liberty to live where he listed in France among the Protestants the other from the States of Holland who proffered him the Place of Honorarius Professor at Leyden which had an ample Stipend belonging to it yet he refused both and chose rather to put himself upon Divine Providence in his own Countrey Clâ—rk in his Life 3. Mr. Heron on his Death-bed being minded of his young Children whom he had made but slender Provision for made this Answer which my Author saith was Censured for too light by some Persons That he did not fear but He that fed the young Ravens when they cried unto him would likewise take care of and provide for the young Herons Dr. Fuller in his Meditations 4. Mr. Lancaster being by Birth a good Gentleman and sometime Fellow in King's College in Cambridge he was but little of Stature but eminent as for other things especially for his living by Faith His Charge being great and his Means so small his Wife would many times come to him when she was to send her Maid to Banbury Market to buy Provision and tell him that she had no Money his usual Answer was Yet send your Maid and God will provide and though she had no Money yet she never returned empty for one or other that knew her to be Mr. Lancaster's Maid either by the way or in Banbury Town meeting her would give her Money which still supplied their present wants Mr. Clark in the Life of Dr. Harris 5. Mr. Edw. Lawrence formerly Minister of Basckarth in Shropshire but refusing to comply with the Act of Vniformity and thereupon being in danger of being turned out of his Living being ask'd How he would maintain his VVife and so many small Children as he had Made Answer I intend to live and maintain my Family upon the Fifth Chapter of Saint Matthew CHAP. XXVIII Remarkable Courage and Boldness FEar not thou them saith our Saviour that can destroy the Body and after that have nothing that they can do c. certainly a good Christian Courage in a good Cause and under the Conduct of an humble Prudence is the Gift of God and Blessing of Heaven and one of those Graces that bespeak the person endowed therewith to be somewhat more than common Man Our dear Saviour was taken notice of for one that Preach'd with Authority and the Apostles with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a liberty of Speech and boldness of Spirit which their Adversaries were not able to resist And sometimes we may pick up such Examples of boldness in succeeding Ages of the Church as these that follow 1. Ignatius being required to be present at the Gratulatory Sacrifices appointed by Trajan after the Parthian War which were to be offered in every City before Trajan's Face did justly and sharply reprove the Idolatry for which cause he was delivered to ten Soldiers to be carried to Rome Clark's Mar. of Eccl. Hist 2. Polycarp would not flie when in danger of Persecution and Martyrdom saying The will of the Lord be done and coming to the Searchers he communed with them very chearfully and commanded that the Table should be spread for them intreating them to eat and dine well requesting but one Hours space for his Prayers which was granted him Ibid. 3. Origen was in his early Years desirous of Martyrdom and would have thrusted himself into the Persecutors Hands had not his Mother in the Night time privily convey'd away his Cloathes on purpose to restrain him and when he could do no more he stoutly Exhorted his Father then â—â—â—â—rison by Letters that he would not alter his purpose of Suffering for his Son's sake Dr. Cave Prim. Christ Clark Marrow of Eccl. Hist. c. 4. Valentinian Jun. compassing the Church where Ambrose was in a great rage with a great number of Armed Souldiers commanded him to come forth but he nothing terrified answered That I will never willingly do neither will I betray the Sheepfold of my Sheep to the Wolves nor deliver up the Temple of God to the Authors of Blasphemy but if thou pleasest to kill me here 's my Breast peirce it as thou pleasest with Spear or Sword I am willing to embrace such a Death Upon which resolute Answer the Emperor with-drew ibid. 5. Luther's Courage and Boldness is well known when disswaded from going to Dispute at Worms for fear of his Enemies If I thought saith he there were danger of our Cause I would go tho' there were as many Devils in Worms as Tiles upon the Houses And another time to his Friends quaking for fear of future troubles Come saith he let 's sing the 46th Psalm and let all the Devils in Hell do their worst Pref. to his Sermons 6. John Frith to certain Messengers sent by the Arch-Bishop to bring him before him and they disswading Frith from stiffness in his Opinion about the Sacrament made answer I most heartily thank you for your Good-will and Councel whereby I see your Good-will to me yet my Cause and Conscience is such that in no wise I may or can without danger of Damnation start aside and fly from the Truth whereof I am convinced and which I have Published concerning the Lord's Supper so that if I be askt what my Judgment is about it I must needs declare my Judgment and Conscience therein as I have formerly written tho' I was sure to lose Twenty Lives if I had so many Clarks Eccl. Hist p. 158. 7. King Arthur to increase the Courage of his Soldiers Instituted the Order of Knights of the Round Table that he might reward the well deserving with Titles of Honour None
whom he might be Ordained he pitched upon the Bishop of Catalonia to whom when he came and had Conversed a while with him there grew a very strict Bond of Friendship between them Ibid. p. 105. 5. Under the Seventh Persecution Theodora a godly Virgin for her Religion was condemned to the Stews where her Chastity was to be a Prey to all Commers which Sentence being executed many wanton young Men were ready to press into the House but one of the Brethren called Didymus putting on a Soldier 's Habit would have the first turn and so going in perswaded her to change Garments with him and so she in the Soldiers Habit escaped and Didymus being found a Man was carried before the President to whom he confessed the whole matter and so was condemned Theodora hearing of it thinking to excuse him came and presented her self as the guilty Party desiring that she might Die and the other be Excused but the Merciless Judge caused them both to be put to Death Clark Gen. Martyr p. 82. 6. In Queen Elizabeth's Reign in a Fight between the Earl of Kildare and the Earl of Tir-Owen two of the Earl of Kildair's Foster Brethren were Slain whose Death he took so heavily that himself shortly after Died for Grief For there is no Love in the World comparable by many degrees to that of Foster-brethren in Ireland Camb. Brit. Irel. p. 116. 7. Dr. Cranmer was a Faithful Friend to the Lord Cromwel even in his Disgrace insomuch that he ventured King Henry VIIIth's Displeasure to excuse for him and absented from the Parliament when he was condemned Church Hist. by Dr. Burnet 8. Minutius Faelix saith that he and his Friend Octavius did both will and will the same things 9. Humphry Duke of Glocester being Wounded and Overthrown by the Duke of Alenzon at the Battel of Agincourt in France was rescued by his Brother King Henry Vth who bestriding him delivered him from the Danger Speed Chron. Clark's Mirrour c. 56. p. 231. 10. Pelopidas and Epaminondas were singularly noted and commended for the perfect Love and Friendship that was ever inviolable kept between them even till their Deaths having been joined together in so many Wars Battels Charges of Armies and in Government of the Common-wealth They were both alike born to all Vertue only Pelopidas took most pleasure in the Exercise of his Body and Strength and Epaminondas in the Exercise of his Wit and Learning the Recreation of the one was to wrestle hunt and exercise his Strength of the other to hear study and always to learn something in Philosophy Their great Love each to other was shewed in a Journey they made together unto Mantinea to aid the Lacedemonians who were now in League with the Thebans wherein they being both set in the Battel near together amongst the Foot-men against the Arcadians it fell out that that point of the Lacedemonian Army wherein they were retreated and many of them run away But these two gallant young Men resolved rather to die than to fly and standing close together they couragiously resisted the many Enemies that assaulted them till such times as Pelopidas having received seven dangerous Wounds fell down upon a heap of dead Bodies as well of their Friends as of their Foes then Epaminondas thinking he had been slain stept notwithstanding before him and defended his Body and Armour and he alone fought against many desiring rather to die than to forsake Pelopidas lying amongst the Dead but himself at last being thrust through the Breast with a Pike and receiving a sore Cut on his Arm with a Sword was even ready to sink when Agesipolis King of the Lacedemonians came with the other point of the Battel in an happy hour and so saved both their Lives when they were even past hope Plut. in vita Pelop. 11. Audamidas a Corinthian by Birth had two Friends Aretaeus and Charixcenus both wealthy himself being very poor This Man at his Death made this his last Will and Testament viz. I bequeath my Mother to be nourished and cherished by him in her Old Age. Item I bequeath my Daughter to Charixcenus to be placed out by him with as big a Portion as possibly he can give her The Girl was at that time Marriageable The Heirs as soon as they heard of the Will came forthwith and accepted those things that were given in charge but Charixcenus dying within five days Aretaeus undertook the whole Charge maintained the old Woman during Life and married the Man's Daughter together with his own on the same day allowing them out of five Talents two Talents apiece for their Portion Lucian in Toxar Dial. CHAP. XXXVIII Remarkable Hospitality BY a Hospitality I mean a Charitable Disposition of Soul to entertain and relieve such as are in real Distress And the Apostle enforceth this as a Duty upon Christians with a good Argument when he bids us Not to be forgerful to entertain Strangers because that some by so doing formerly had received Angels into their Houses unawares And who knows till after some time of Conversation with them what Graces may be lodged in the Breasts or what Commissions may be put into the Hands of those Persons that Lazarus like wait at our Gates 1. A religious and rich Matron at Anticch entertained Origen together with his Mother and his Brethren after the Death of his Father and the Confiscation of his Goods 2. Gregory the Great was much given to Hospitality so that when many Inhabitants from divers parts fled from the barbarous Cruelty of the Longobards and came to him he entertained and relieved them inviting daily to his House many of those Exiles He made also large Distributions unto others giving them Corn Wine Flesh Cheese and many other Refreshments in their several Seasons he sent often also large Relief to the Sick Lame and Impotent not only in Rome but in many other Towns and Villages round about insomuch that all that he had seemed to be a common Granary Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 98. 3. Mrs. Margaret Corbet was eminent for a charitable and bountiful Spirit She was another Dorcas Full of Good-Works and Alms-Deeds That high Elogium that Solomon gives to a vertuous Woman may properly be applied unto her Many Daughters have done vertuously but she excelled them all Prov. 31.19 Many there are that come far short of her but very few that went beyond her in Acts of Charity God gave her a liberal and plentiful Estate and that was a great Mercy But it was a far greater Mercy that he gave her a free and liberal Heart to do good and to distribute To cast her Bread on the Waters and to honour God with her Substance That Protestation which Job makes for his own Vindication Job 31.16 19. may fitly be applied unto her He would not withhold the poor from their desire nor cause the eyes of the Widow to fail He would not see any to perish for want of Clothing nor any poor
the Vicaridge of Torcester Ibid. 12. The late Earl of Rochester upon his Death-bed acknowledged how unworthily he had treated the Clergy reproaching them that they were proud and prophesied only for Rewards but now he had learned how to value them that he esteemed them as the Servants of the most High God who were to shew Men the Way to everlasting Life Mr. Parsons in his Funeral Sermon 13. Mr. Whitaker was much beloved his House frequented with many and friendly Visits his Sickness laid to heart and many Prayers publick and private put up for him some Fasts also kept with a special Reference to his Afflictions and his Funeral attended with many weeping Eyes See his Life Mr. Fairclough's Ministry was thought to bring a Temporal Blessing to the Parish 14. I think my candid Reader will easily pardon me if for Gratitude's sake I take an occasion here for the Glory of God and the Commendation of the People to make mention of the Respects Love and Kindnesses much beyond my Desert which I received as from the Inhabitants of Arundel and Shipley in Sussex so especially from the Parishioners of Preston Gubbals and Broughton in Shropshire together with the adjacent Neighbourhood which were so freely and plentifully shewed me whilst I was their Minister that I may testify of them they were kind to me even beyond their power some of them and I hope God would return it into their Bosoms and remember them in the day of their Distress for I speak this to their Praise I never met with a more loving People in my Life 15. Mons du Plessis on his Death-bed gave Thanks to the Minister that had assisted him prayed the Lord to prosper the Word in his Mouth prayed for M. Boucherean Minister of the Church in Saumur and said he Let it not trouble him to be patient he hath to do with a troublesome People the Lord impute not their Sins unto them Clark 's Examp. Vol. 2. c. 27. 16. Mrs. Drake on her Death-bed advised her Father to keep a Minister in his House and returned most affectionate Thanks to a Friend I suppose her Minister begging earnestly Forgiveness of him and would needs have his Hand and Promise for it Mrs. Drake revived 17. John Blacknal of Abington Esq by his last Will bequeathed certain Sums of Money to several Ministers for Duties omitted by him in his Life A. 1625. CHAP. LXI Remarkable Zeal and Devotion ZEal is a Composition of all the Passions the Affections warmed and heated into a lively Vigour and Activeness and this is so far from being a Fault that if it be made regular with Prudence and a Christian Discretion 't is good and commendable always in a good Matter And certainly if ever it be seasonable for us to kindle a fire upon the Altar 't is so when we are about to do sacrifice to God Almighty 1. Polycarp going with S. John to a Bath at Ephesus and espying Ceriathus the Heretick in it said ' Let us depart speedily for fear lest the Bath where the Lord's Adversary is do fall upon us Dr. Cave Prim Christ and Clark 's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 2. Origen when a Boy had an eager desire of Martyrdom So had Cyprian and Gregory Nazianzen Ibid. Dr. Cave Prim. Christ c. 3. The Venerable Bede was so devoutly affected in Reading the Scriptures that he would often shed Tears and after he had ended reading conclude with Prayers Clark 's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 100. 4. Tertullian used to pray thrice a day at the 3 6 9 hours Clark 5. Peter Chrysologus before he penned any thing would with great Ardency humbly betake to Prayer and seek unto God for Direction therein Clark 's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 88. 6. Luther advised George Spalatinus always to begin his Studies with Prayer For saith he there is no Master that can instruct us in Divine Matters but the Author of them Ibid. p. 195. And Melancthon testifies of Luther That he hath heard him so loud and earnest at his Prayers as if some Person were in company discoursing with him Much the same Advice doth Ludovicus Grotius give to all Students in Divinity To pray often And Thomas Aquinas is reported to use that Rule himself always to pray for the Resolution of any difficult and knotty Question and commends to others that Motto Bene orasse est bene studuisse 7. When Erasmus halted between two Opinions Capito continually called upon him to put off that Nicodemus-like Temper Clark 's Eccl. Hist p. 193. 8. Cardinal Wolsey when advanced to great Preferments in both Church and State having all State-business at his disposal and most Church-preferments in his power the Deanry of Lincoln the King's Almonership a House near Bridewel Durham Winchester Bath Worcester Hereford Tourney Lincoln S. Albans and York in his Possession and all other Promotions in his Gift was so devout that he neglected not one Collect of his Prayers for all the Cumbrances of his Place wherein he deceived many of the People who thought he had no time for his Business and his Servants who wondred how he could gain time for his Business from his Devotion Lloyd 's State-Worthies p. 8. 9. Luther was zealous in the Cause of the Reformation that he preached wrote and disputed publickly for it and when discouraged from going to Wormes whither he had been invited by the Emperour with a Promise of safe Conduct lest he should be served as John Husse at the Council of Constance he made Answer If there were as many Devils in the City as Tiles on the Houses to shake the Kingdom of Satan he would go thither And so fervent was he in Prayer that Vitus Theodorus saith of him that no Day passed wherein he spent not at least Three Hours in Prayer Once it fell out saith he that I heard him Good God! what a Spirit what a Confidence was in his very Expression with such a Reverence he sueth for any thing as one begging of God and yet with such Hope and Assurance as if he spake with a Loving Father or Friend Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 141. 10. Sir Thomas Moor was so devour that the Duke of Norfolk coming on a time to Chelsey to Dine with him happened to find him in the Church singing in the Quire with a Surplice on his Back to whom after Service as they went homeward hand in hand together the Duke said God's Body my Lord Chancellor what a Parish-Clark a Parish-Clark you dishonour the King and his Office Nay said Sir Thomas smiling upon the Duke Your Grace may not think your Master and mine will be offended with me for serving of God his Master or thereby count his Office dishonoured England's Worthies by Will. Winstanley p. 201. When the King sent for him once at Mass he answered That when he had done with God he would wait on His Majesty Lloyd's Worthies p. 43. The same Answer Bishop Vsher return'd to Charles the Second Vid.
from Thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practise this my Resolution through Thy Assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this World rather than to turn from Thee to the Ways of Sin and that I will watch against all its Temptations whether of Prosperity or Adversity lest they should withdraw my Heart from Thee beseeching Thee also to help me against the Temptations of Satan to whose wicked Suggestions I resolve by thy Grace never to yield myself a Servant And because my own Righteousness is but menstruous Rags I renounce all Confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone Creature without Righteousness or Strength And for as much as Thou hast of Thy bottomless Mercy offered most graciously to me wretched Sinner to be again my God through Christ if I would accept of Thee I call Heaven and Earth to Record this Day that I do here solemnly avouch Thee for the Lord my God and with all possible Veneration bowing the Neck of my Soul under the Feet of Thy most Sacred Majesty I do here take Thee the Lord Jehovah Father Son and Holy Ghost for my Portion and Chief Good and do give up myself Body and Soul for Thy Servant promising and vowing to serve Thee in Holiness and Righteousness all the Days of my Life And since Thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the only Means of coming unto Thee I do here upon the bended Knees of my Soul accept of him as the only new and living Way by which Sinners may have Access to Thee and do here solemnly joyn myself in a Marriage-Covenant to him O blessed Jesus I come to Thee hungry and hardy bestead poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked a most loathsome polluted Wretch a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to wash the Feet of the Servants of my Lord much more to be solemnly married to the King of Glory but sith such is thine unparallell'd Love I do here with all my Power accept Thee and do take thee for my Head and Husband for better for worse for richer for poorer for all Times and Conditions to love and honour and obey Thee before all others and this to the Death I embrace Thee in all Thine Offices I renounce my own Worthiness and do here avow Thee for the Lord my Righteousness I renounce mine own Wisdom and do here take Thee for my only Guide I renounce my own Will and take Thy Will for my Law And since Thou hast told me that I must Suffer if I will Reign I do here Covenant with Thee to take my Lot as it falls with Thee and by Thy Grace assisting to run all Hazards with Thee verily purposing that neither Life nor Death shall part between Thee and Me. And because Thou hast been pleased to give me Thy Holy Laws as the Rule of my Life and the Way in which I should walk to Thy Kingdom I do here willingly put my Neck under Thy Yoke and set my Shoulder to Thy Burden and subscribing to all Thy Laws as holy just and good I solemnly take them as the Rule of my Words Thoughts and Actions promising that tho' my Flesh contradict and rebel yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole Life according to thy Direction and will not allow myself in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my Duty Only because through the frailty of my Flesh I am subject to many Failings I am bold humbly to protest that unallowed Miscarriages contrary to the settled Bent and Resolution of my Heart shall not make void this Covenant for so Thou hast said Now Almighty GOD. Searcher of all Hearts Thou knowest that I make this Covenant with Thee this Day without any known Guile or Reservation beseeching Thee that if Thou espiest any Flaw or Falshood therein thou wouldst discover it to me and help me to do it aright And now Glory be to Thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this Day forward to look upon as my God and Father that ever thou shouldst find out such a way for the Recovery of undone Sinners Glory be to Thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my Sins in thy own Blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory be to Thee O God the Holy Ghost who by the Finger of Thine Almighty Power hast turned about my Heart from Sin to God O dreadful Jehovah the Lord God Omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost Thou art now become my Covenant-Friend and I through Thine Infinite Grace am become thy Covenant-Servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on Earth let it be ratified in Heaven HENRY GEARING April 11. 1667. 16. For the Christians better Help for the keeping of this Covenant Mr. Allen in his Allarm to the Vnconverted gives this Advice about it This Covenant says he I advise you to make not only in Heart but in Word not only in Word but in Writing and that you wou'd with all possible Reverence spread the Writing before the Lord as if you would present it to him as your Act and Deed and when you have done this set your Hand to it keep it as a Memorial of the solemn Transactions that have passed between God and you that you may have Recourse to it in Doubts and Temptations Mr. Corbet in his Enquiry into the State of his Soul has these Expressions I do not cease says he to lament the more heinous Sins of my Life and cannot forbear the continual imploring of the Pardon of them I do not return again to them and I resolve never so to do I Watch and Pray and strive against all Sin but especially against those Sins to which I am more especially inclined my Conflicts are daily and am put hard to it But I do not yield up my self to any Sin nor lie down in it yea I do not suffer sinful Cogitations to lodge in me I find upon the review of my Life past according to the clearest Judgment that I can make that I have not gone backward but proceeded forward in the ways of Godliness I have been grieved that I am no more elevated in the hope of Heaven and that I cannot attain to a longing desire to be gone hence and to be there with Christ I think with my self sometimes were my Evidences clear for Heaven I would exult to be gone hence this very Hour but I find not this readiness at all times O Lord forgive my ten Thousand Talents I come to Jesus Christ who hath made satisfaction and lay this heavy Reckoning to his Account Lord forgive my Iniquity for it is exceeding great I have done what in me lies to call to remembrance all my remarkable Sins from my Childhood and Youth till now And as far as I can judge I have repented of them both generally and particularly And I now repent of them all from
Transaction between God and him and upon mature Deliberation he judged it most adviseable for him to make his Covenant with God as Explicit as Writing and Signing could render it that so it might leave the more Impression upon his Heart and Life and be an Evidence likewise which in Temptation or Desertion he might have recourse unto Wherefore he set apart a time for I think secret Fasting and Prayer before the Lord and then behold how this young Man counting it high time for hime to be bound out unto some Service took a course for it he subscribed an Holy Covenant of which this was the Matter this the Form The Covenant between God and my Soul renewed confirmed and signed Nov. 22. 1683. Whereas not only the Commands of God who hath often called upon me by his Word preached to give up my self both Body and Soul to be at his Disposal which calls by the publick Ministry were enough to engage me unto this but also the Christian Religion which I profess and my Baptism in which I took the Lord to be my God and promised to renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil and to dedicate my self unto the Service Work and Will of God do bind me hereunto in that God is such a God as deserves this yea infinitely more than this at my Hands my Creator the Fountain of my Being my Preserver my Benefactor my Lord my Soveraig my Judge he in whose Hands my Life my Breath and all my Concerns are he that doth protect me from all Dangers and supply me in all Wants support me under all Burdens and direct me in all Streights he alone that can make me Happy or Miserable he alone that can Save me or Damn me he alone that can give inward Peace and Joy that is my Friend my God in that Self-dedication is the Creatures Advancement these First-fruits if in Sincerity putting upon me a Gloriousness and Excellency in that Felicity hereafter depends upon my dedicating of my self unto God now in that this is the highest piece of Gratitude I am capable of expressing unto God and I know no better way to obey the Will of God than first to give up my self unto him And whereas the Mercies which the Lord hath been pleased graciously to bestow upon me are so many that even bare Morality doth shew me that I can never enough requite one that hath done so much for me except by giving up my self wholly to him 1669. Whereas God hath given me a godly Father and Mother 1674. In that when I was like to die being twice sick of a Feaver God was pleased to bless means for my Recovery and lengthen out the Thread of my Life 1675. Whereas when I by an Accident fell down and had like to have been deprived of the use of my Tongue God was in his good Providence graciously pleased to give me the use of it 1678. Whereas when I was sick of the Small Pox God was pleased to bless means for my Recovery whereas then I made Promises unto God that if he would give me my Health I would endeavour to become a new Creature and he hath done so for these five Years And whereas God hath of late been bestowing many and wonderful Mercies upon me What can I do less than give up my self wholly to him which now I do And O Lord God I beseech thee to accept of thy poor Prodigal now prostrating of himself before thee I confess O Lord I have fallen from thee by my Iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Hell but of thy infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ If I will but turn unto thee with all my Heart therefore upon the call of thy Gospel I come in and from the bottom of my Heart I renounce all thy Enemies with whom I confess I have wickedly sided against thee firmly Covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known Sin but conscientiously to use all means which thou hast prescribed for the utter Destruction of all my Corruptions And whereas I have inordinately let out my Affections upon the World I here resign my Heart unto thee that made it humbly protesting before thy glorious Majesty that it is the firm Resolution of my Heart and that I do unfeignedly desire Grace from thee that when thou shalt call me thereunto I may put in Practice my Resolution through thine Assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in the World rather then to turn from thee to the ways of Sin and that I will watch over all its Temptations whether of Prosperity or Adversity lest they should withdraw my Heart from thee beseeching thee to help me I renounce all my own Righteousness and acknowledge that of my self I am helpless and undone and without Righteousness and whereas of thy bottomless Mercy thou hast offer'd to accept of me and to be reconciled to me and to be my God through Christ if I would accept of thee I do this day avouch thee to be the Lord my God I do here take the Lord Jehovah Father Son and Holy Ghost for my Portion and chief Good and do give up my self Body and Soul for thy Servant promising to endeavour to serve thee in Righteousness and Holiness I do here also on the bended Knees of my Soul accept of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only and living Way by which Sinners may have access to thee and do here joyn my self in a Marriage-Covenant with him O Lord Jesus I come to thee hungry poor miserable blind and naked and a most loathsome Creature a condemned Malefactor Who am I that I should be Married unto the King of Glory I do accept of thee for my Head and Husband and embrace thee in all they Offices I renounce my own Worthiness and do choose thee the Lord my Righteousness I do renounce my own Wisdom and do take thine for my Guide I take thy Will for my Will and thy Word for my Law I do here willingly put my Neck under thy Yoke I do subscribe to all the Laws as Holy Just and Good and do promise to take them as the Rule of my Thoughts Words and Actions but because I am subject to many Failings through frailty I do here protest here before thee that unallowed Miscarriages contrary to the constant Bent of my Heart shall not disannul this everlasting Covenant NATHANAEL MATHER It may justly be taken for granted that such a Work as this would have an Influence into his Conversation afterwards and so it had producing in him a Conversation which became the Gospel of Christ. He kept waiting upon God not only in the Family but also under the Ministry of Two that were near a-kin unto him namely his Father and his Brother whereby the Grace thus begun in him was not a little cherished and promoted and unto all known Sins he now kept saying as I find once in Short-hand written by him To my Lusts I have had Communion
and of great Note too that I could name 2. The Reverend Mr. Hooker a Man so bashful and modest by natural Disposition that he was not able to outface his own Pupils yet hath been rewarded with a competent Estate whilst living and a good Name and glorious Elogiums since his Death 3. Mr. Thomas Gouge was great in Modesty yet it never appeared by word or action that he put any value upon himself or hunted for any applause from Man and this was very observable in him that the Charities which were procured chiefly by his Interest and Industry where he had occasion to speak or to give an Account of them he would rather impute it to any one that had but the least hands and part in the procuring of them than assume any thing of it to himself Another Instance of his Modesty was that when he was ejected out of his Living of Sepulchres Parish he forbore Preaching saying That there was no need of his Labours in London where there were so many godly able and painful Ministers to carry on that Work According to the Apostle's Exhortation he was cloathed with Humility and had in a very eminent degree that Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which St. Peter tells us is in the sight of God of great Price so that there was not the least appearance either of Pride or Passion in any of his Words or Actions He was not only free from Anger and Bitterness but from all affected Gravity and Moroseness His Society and Converse was affable and pleasant He had a very great serenity of Mind and evenness of Temper which was visible in his very Countenance and according his Humility was rewarded with Honour and Respect from Men with the Love of all Parties though of different Sentiments with a great Tranquility of Mind with a peaceable and quiet Possession of the Good Things of this Life and at last with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gentle and easie Death for in a good old Age of Seventy seven Years he died in his Sleep without any sensible Pain or Sickness A. C. 1681. See his Life See more in the Ch. The Humble strangely advanced 4. Mr. John Fox in his younger Days and towards the latter and of King Henry the Eighth's Reign went to London where he lived humbly and obscurely and soon spent what his Friends had given him and his own Industry got him and began to be in want one Day sitting disconsolate in St. Paul's Church almost spent with long Fasting his Countenance being thin his Eyes hollow after the ghastful manner of dying Men insomuch that every Body shunned a Spectacle of so much horrour there came one to him as he was sitting in this humble and homely Posture and despicable Condition and thrust an untold Sum of Money into his Hand bidding him be of good Cheer and accept that as a common Courtesie from his country-men wishing him to make much of himself for within a few Days new Hopes were at hand Mr. Fox could never learn who this was but within Three Days after the Dutchess of Richmond sent for him to live in her House and be Tutor to the Earl of Surrey's Children then under her Charge Clark's Examp. Vol. 2. p. 610. 5. Humility says the Reverend Mr. Steel makes a Man think meanly of himself moderately of his own Notions and Apprehensions highly of those that deserve it and respectfully of all It was this which taught excellent Bishop Ridley when he was in Prison thus to accost honest Bishop Hooper However in some By-matters and Circumstances of Religion your Wisdom and my Simplicity I grant hath a little jarr'd yet now c. More Comfort to them if they had been on these Terms in the time of their Liberty and Prosperity Humility is a great step to Unity Ephes 4.2 I beseech you that ye walk with all lowliuess and meekness with long-suffering for hearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Pray behold how these Graces are here link'd together lowliness meekness unity and peace The humble Man will not endure that his Reputation shall outweigh the Peace of the Church and therefore is more willing that Truth should be victorious than himself He 'll go Two Miles for One to meet his Adversary in an honest way of Accommodation and when he cannot make his Judgment to bend yet his Heart shall stoop to you with all sincerity This Vertue made Aristippus come to Eschines when they were at fend with this greeting Eschines Shall we be Friends And this dictated his Answer Yes Sir with all my Heart But remember saith Aristippus That I being elder than you do make the first motion Yea said the other and therefore I conclude you to be the worthier Man for I began the Strife and you began the Peace Let us all then be cloathed with Humility assume not in regard of your Learning Wit or Parts consider you are but Sharers in our Common Benefactor neither let your Riches or Dignities make you speak or write otherwise than you would do without them and this will go a great way to prevent our biting and devouring one another See Mr. Steel 's Sermon in the Casuistical Morning Exercises CHAP. LXX Present Retribution to the Just. THE Vnjust Oppressors Extortioners Felons Thieves and fraudulent Persons think with their crooked Policy their crafty Dealings their Dissimulation and Tricks to impose upon the World to delude the Senses of Men and enrich themselves and be secure but upon a fair Examination it will be certainly found that Righteousness stands upon much the surer Ground and bids fair both for the Love of Man and the Blessing of God Righteousness exalts a Nation when Sin in general and Injustice in particular is the Reproach and Ruine of any People 1. Sir John Fitz-James of whom we have mentioned before in remarkable Justice was by King Henry the Eighth advanced to be Chief Justice of the King's-Bench 2. Sir Matthew Hale of whom we have mentioned as another Great Example of Justice was presently so taken Notice of by the Eye of the World that he was imployed in his Practice by all the King's Party he was assigned Council to the Earl of Strafford Arch-bishop Laud King Charles the First the Duke of Hamilton the Earl of Holland and the Lord Capel Afterwards being Councel for the Lord Craven he pleaded with that force of Argument that the then Attorney-General threarned him for appearing against the Government To whom he answered He was Pleading in Defence of those Laws which they declared they would maintain and preserve and he was doing his Duty to his Client so that he was not to be daunted with Threatnings Upon all these occasions he had discharged himself with so much Learning Fidelity and Courage that he came to be generally imployed for all that Party and afterwards Cromwel resolving to take him off from that Party endeavoured to promote him
he hath threatned Diseases and Shortness of Life to them that are careless of his Laws and told us That the Wicked shall not live out half their Days And in order hereunto he permits Satan oftentimes to pour out his Malice and Venom upon Mankind partly by Witchcraft and preternatural Strokes as in the case of Job who was afflicted with Boyls and Botches vexations and noisome to a Proverb and in the Instances of the Demoniackâ— in the Gospel who were sorely tormented with Diseases and strange Fits and Convulsions so that they were rent and tore and tertured at upon a Wrack or Gibbet and partly by malicious Injections and Temptations provoked either to Presumption or Despair and all the ill Effects and Consequences of those grand Precipicies of Human Nature And in truth the end of all sinful Courses is Death 1. Langius tells a memorable and true Story of one Vlricus Neusesser who being grievously tormented with a Pain in his side suddenly felt under his Skin which yet was whole an Iron Nail as he thought and so it proved when the Chyrurgion had cut it out But nevertheless his great Torments continued which enraged him so that he cut his own Throat The third Day when he was carried out to be Buried Eucharius Rosenbader and Johannes ab Actenstet a great company of People standing about them dissected the Corps and ripping up the Ventricle found a round piece of Wood of a good length four Knives some even and sharp others indented like a Saw with other two rough pieces of Iron a span long there was also a Ball of Hear This hapned at Fugenstal 1539. Antid against Atheism l. 3. c. 5. 2. Wierus tells also of one that was possessed of which himself was an Eye-witness thâ—â— vomited up pieces of Cloth with Pins stuck in them Nails Needles and such like stuff which he contends doth not come from the Stomach but by a prestigious Slight of the Devil is only ingested into the Mouth Ibid. 3. Cardan relates the like of a good simple country Fellow and a Friend of his that had been a long time troubled with vomiting up Glass Iron Nails and Hair and that at that time he â—old Cardan of it he was not so perfectly restored but that something yet crashed in his Belly as if there were a Bag of Glass in it Ibid. 4. There were thirty Children strangely handled at Amsterdam 1566. of the Truth whereof Wierus professeth himself very well assured They were Tortured very much and cast very violent upon the Ground but when they arose out of their Fit knew nothing but thought they had been only asleep For the remedying of this Mischief they got the help of Physicians Wizards and Exorcists but without success only while the Exorcists were reading the Children vomited up Needles Thimbles shreds of Cloth pieces of Pots Glass Hair and other things of the like nature Ibid. 5. Now the Advantage I would make of those Relations is this That these Effects Extraordinary and Supernatural being so palpable and permanent they are not at all liable to such subtersuges as Atheists usually betake themselves to as of Melancholy and disturbance of Phansie in those that profess they see such strange things or any Fraud or Imposture in those that act Ibid. 6. This following Relation of a strange Witchcraft discovered in the Village Mehra in Sweedland was taken out of the publick Register of the Lords Commissioners appointed by his Majesty the King of Sweeden to examine the whole Business in the Years of our Lord 1669 and 1670. The News of this Witchcraft coming to the King's Ear his Majesty was pleased to appoint Commissioners some of the Clergy and some of the Laity to make a Journey to the Town afore-said and to examine the whole Business and accordingly the Examination was ordered to be on the 13th of August and the Commissioners met on the 12th Instant in the said Village at the Persons House to whom both the Minister and several People of Fashion complained with Tears in their Eyes of the miserable Condition they were in and therefore begged of them to think of some way whereby they might be delivered from that Calamity They gave the Commissioners very strange Instances of the Devils Tyranny among them how by the help of Witches he had drawn some hundreds of Children to him and made them subject to his Power how he hath been seen to go in a visible Shape through the Country and appeared daily to the People how he had wrought upon the poorer sort by presenting them with Meat and Drink and this way allured them to himself with other Circumstances to be mentioned hereafter The Inhabitants of the Village added with very great Lamentations That though their Children had told all and themselves saught God very earnestly by Prayer yet they were carried away by him And therefore begged of the Lords Commissioners to root out this hellish Crew that they might regain their former Rest and Quietness and the rather because the Children which used to be carried away in the Countrey or District of Elfdale since some Witches had been Burnt there remained unmolested That Day i. e. the 13th of August being the last Humiliation-day instituted by Authority for removing of this Judgment the Commissioners went to Church where there appeared a considerable Assembly both of Young and Old The Children could read most of them and sing Psalms and so could the Women though not with any great Zeal or Fervor There were Preached two Sermons that Day in which the miserable Case of those People that suffered themselves to be deluded by the Devil was laid open and these Sermons were at last concluded with very fervent Prayer The publick Worship being over all the People of the Town were called together to the Persons House near three Thousand of them Silence being commanded the King's Commission was read Publickly in the Hearing of them all and they were charged under very great Penalties to conceal nothing of what they knew and to say nothing but the Truth those especially who were guilty that the Children might be delivered from the Clutches of the Devil They all promised Obedience the guilty feignedly but the guiltless weeping and crying bitterly On the 14th of August the Commissioners met again consulting how they might withstand this dangerous Flood after long deliberation an Order also coming from his Majesty they did resolve to execute such as the Matter of Fact could be proved upon Examination being made there were discovered no less than three Score and Ten in the Village afore-said three and Twenty of which freely confessing their Crimes were condemned to die the rest one pretending she was with Child and the other denying and pleading not guilty were sent to Fahluna where most of them were afterwards Executed Fifteen Children which likewise confessed that they were engaged in this Witchery died as the rest Six and Thirty of them between nine and sixteen Years of Age
who had been less guilty were forced to run the Gantlet Twenty more who had no great inclination yet had been seduced to those hellish Enterprises because they were very young were condemned to be lashed with Rods upon their Hands for three Sundays together at the Church-door and the afore-said six and thirty were also doom'd to be lashed this way once a Week for a whole Year together The number of the seduced Children was about three Hundred On the 25th of August Execution was done upon the notoriously Guilty the Day being Bright and Glorious and the Sun shining and some Thousands of People being present at the Spectacle The Order and Method observed in the Examination was thus First The Commissioners and the neighbouring Justices went to Prayer this done the Witches who had most of them Children with them which they either had seduced or attempted to seduce from four Years of Age to sixteen were set before them some of the Children complained lamentably of the Misery and Mischief they were forced sometime to suffer of the Witches The Children being asked whether they were sure they were at any time carried away by the Devil they all declared they were begging of the Commissioners that they might be freed from that intollerable Slavery Hereupon the Witches themselves were asked whether the confessions of these Children were true and admonished to confess the Truth that they might turn away from the Devil unto the Living God At first most of them did very stifly and without shedding the least Tear deny it though much against their Will and Inclination After this the Children were examined every one by themselves to see whether their Confession did agree or no and the Commissioners found that all of them except some very little ones who could not tell all the Circumstances did punctually agree in the Confession of Particulars In the mean while the Commissioners that were of the Clergy examined the Witches but could not bring them to any Confession all continuing stedfast in their denials till at last some of them burst out into Tears and their Confession agreed with what the Children had said And these expressed their abhorrency of the Fact and begged Pardon adding that the Devil whom they called Loeyta had stopp'd the Mouths of some of them and stopp'd the Ears of others and being now gone from them they could no longer conceal it for they now perceived his Treachery Glanvil's Sadduc Triumph p. 579 580 c. I am unwilling to leave this Chapter 'till I have represented the Murderous Nature of Satan and displayed the Devil in his own Colours And this I will endeavour to do in a few Instances which shall be irrefragable beyond all Exceptions and Confutation as I think these before Recorded are enough to make the Atheist bite his Nails and our Witch-Advocates scratch their Heads to find out an Evasion or Scape-hole for themselves to shelter in 7. In 1618. happened a very sad Tragedy in the Family of the Right Honourable the Earl of Rutland whose Children were Bewitched and one Murthered by the Devilish Malice of Joan Flower and her two Daughters Margaret and Philip who dwelt near Belvoir-Castle in Rutland-shire the Residence of that Noble Earl and where they were not only relieved but entertained as Cheerwomen After which Margaret was admitted to live in the Castle as a Servant-maid 'till at length the Countess had Information of some Misdemeanours they were guilty of having Notice that the Mother was a very malicious Woman and much given to Swearing Cursing and Atheistical Imprecations and that of late Days her Countenance was strangely altered her Eyes fiery and hollow her Speech fierce and envious and her whole Demeanour strange and ridiculous being much alone and having divers other Symptoms of a notorious Witch and her Neighbours reported she had Familiar Spirits and terrified 'em all with her Curses and Threats of Revenge upon the least Displeasure was done her She likewise heard That her Daughter Margaret often carried such great Quantities of Provision from the Castle to her Mother as was unfit for a Servant to purloyn and at such unseasonable Hours that it was believed they could never maintain their extraordinary Riot and Expence without robbing their Lady to maintain several debauched Fellows who frequented her Mother's House for the Love of her youngest Daughter Philip who was likewise leudly transported with the Love of one Thomas Symson insomuch as he was heard to say she had Bewitched him for he had no power to leave her though he found himself much altered both in Body and Mind since he kept her Company Such Discourses passed concerning them several Years before they were Apprehended or Convicted of which the Earl and Countess took little Notice by reason of their cunning Observance and modest Carriage toward them At length my Lord had some suspition of the Mother and estranged himself from that Familiarity and Discourse which he used to have with her for one Peak having wronged her she complained to the Earl whom she found unwilling to encourage Clamours and malicious Informations And the Countess discovering some Incivilities in her Daughter's Life and her Neglect of Business discharged her for â—â—ing any more in the Castle yet gave her Forty Shillings a Bolster and a Bed commanding her 〈◊〉 â—ome Upon this the Mother being upbraided by her Neighbours and told that her Daughtâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—urned out of Doors she cursed all that were the Cause of it and studied to Revenge herself upon that Honourable Family The Devil perceiving the malicious Temper of this Wretch and that she and her Daughter were fit Instruments to enlarge his Kingdom offered them his Service and that in such a manner as should no way terrifie them nor could thâ—â— be suspected to be concerned appearing in the shape of a Dog Cat or Rat telling them That if they would make a Contract with him they should have their Will upon their Enemies and do them what Damage they pleased The Thoughts of doing Mischief to their Ill-willers easily induced them all to agree to his damnable Proposals and they consented to be his Body and Soul confirming their Agreement with abominable Kisses and an odious Sacrifice of Blood with certain Charms and Conjurations wherewith the Devil deceived them After this these Three Women became Devils Incarnate and grew proud in the Power they had got to do Mischief by several Spells and Incantations whereby they first killed what Cattel they pleased which so encouraged them that they now threaten the Earl and his Family who soon after fell sick with his Countess and were subject to strange and extraordinary Convulsions which they judging only to proceed from the Hand of God had not the least Jealousie of any evil Practice against them At last as Malice increased in them so the Earl's Family felt the smart of their Revenge for Henry Lord Ross his Eldest Son fell sick of a very unusual Disease and soon after died His
Second Son the Lord Francis was likewise miserably tortured by their wicked Contrivances and his Daughter the Lady Catherine was oft in great danger of her Life by their barbarous Dealings with strange Fits c. The Honourable Parents bore all these Afflictions with Christian Magnanimity little suspecting they proceeded from Witchcraft 'till it pleased God to discover the Villanous Practices of these Women whom the Devil now left to fall into the Hands of Justice for Murdering the Innocent and to remain notorious Examples of God's Judgment to future Ages They were apprehended about Christmas in 1618. and after Examination before divers Justices of Peace who wondred at their audacious Wickedness were all Three ordered to be carried to Lincoln-Jail Joan Flower the Mother it is said called for Bread and Butter by the way and wished it might never go through her if she were guilty of that which was charged upon her and so mumbling it in her Mouth she never spake a word more but fell down and died with horrible Torture both of Soul and Body before she got to the Jail The two Daughters were Examined before Sir William Pelbam and Mr. Butler Justices of Peace Feb. 4. 1618 where Philip the youngest made the following Confession That her Mother and Sister were very malicious against the Earl of Rutland his Countess and their Children because Margaret was turned out of the Lady's Service whereupon her Sister by her Mother's Order brought from the Castle the Right-hand Glove of the Lord Henry Ross who presently rubbed it on the Back of her Spirit called Rutterkin and then put it into boyling Water after which she prickt it very often and then buried it in the Yard wishing the Lord Ross might never thrive And so her Sister Margaret continued with her Mother and she often saw her Imp Rutterkin leap on her Shoulder and suck her Neck She confest also That she often heard her Mother curse the Earl and his Lady and would thereupon boyl Blood and Feathers together using many Devilish Speeches and strange Gestures She likewise acknowledg'd That she herself had a Spirit sucking her Left-breast in the form of a White Rat which it had done for three or four Years past and that when it came first to her she gave her Soul to it who promised to do her good and to force Tho. Symson to love her if she would suffer it to suck her which she agreed to and that it had suckt her two Nights before Margaret her Sister being Examined agreed in the Confession that Philip had made of their Malice to the Earl and about the young Lord's Glove which for other Circumstances for brevity's sake I here omit 12. About the same time Joan Wilmot of Goadby a Witch was Examined by Sir Henry Hastings and Dr. Fleming Justices in Leicester-shire about the Murther of Henry Lord Ross who declared That Joan Flower told her the Earl of Rutland had dealt badly by her and had put away her Daughter and though she could not have her Will of my Lord himself yet she had sped my Lord's Son and had stricken him to the Heart c. 13. Another Witch called Ellen Green of Stathorn in Leicester-shire was Examined about that time by the same Justices who confessed That Joan Wilmot above-named came to her about six Years since and perswaded her to forsake God and betake herself to the Devil to which she consented who then called two Spirits one like a young Cat which she named Puss and the other in the shape of a Mole which she called Hiff Hiff who instantly came and Wilmot going away left them with her after which they leapt on her Shoulder the Kitling sucking her Neck under her Right-ear and the Mole under her Left in the same place after which she sent the Kitling to a Baker in the Town who had called her Witch and struck her bidding it go and Bewitch him to Death And the Mole she sent to Anne Daws of the same Town upon the same Errand because she had called her Witch Whore and Jade and within a Fortnight after they both died After which she sent them to destroy two Husbandmen named Willison and Williman who died both in ten Days these four she murâ—hered while she dwelt at Waltham When she removed to Stathorn where she now dwelt upon a Difference between her and one Patchet's Wife a Yeoman there Joan Wilmot called her to go and touch Patchet's Wife and Child which she did touching the Woman in Bed and the Child in the Midwife's Arms and then sent her Spirits to Bewitch them to Death the Woman languished a Month before she died but the Child lived only 'till next Day after she had touched it adding that Joan Wilmot had a Spirit sucking on her like a little White Dog which she saw and that she gave her Soul to the Devil to have these Spirits at Command for any mischievous purpose and suffered them to suck her constantly about the Change and Full-Moon 14. One Anne Baker a Witch was likewise Apprehâ—â—◠〈◊〉 and Examined about the same time who confessed before Sir George Mannors and Dr. Fleming 〈◊〉 of Peace That she had a Spirit like a White Dog which she called a good Spirit and that one Peak and one Dennis's Wife of Belvoir told her That the young Lord Henry was dead and that his Glove was buried in the Ground which as it wasted and rotted in like manner did the Lord's Liver rot and waste likewise 15. Margaret and Philip Flower were arraigned at the Assizes at Lincoln before Sir Henry Hobart and Sir Edward Bromley Judges whereupon their confessing themselves Actors in the Destruction of Henry Lord Ross with other damnable Practices they were Condemned and Executed at Lincoln March 11. And the rest questionless suffered according to their Deserts History of Daemons p. 140 141 c. Discov of Witchcraft c. 16. Anno Dom. 1645. There was a notable Discovery of several Witches in Essex and among others one Elizabeth Clark was accused of this horrid Crime and Informations taken against her before Sir Harbottle Grimstone and Sir Thomas Bowes Justices of Peace for that Country John Rivet of Mannintree deposed That about Christmass his Wife was taken sick and lame with such violent Fits that he verily believed her Distemper was more than natural who thereupon went to one Hovey at Hadly in Suffolk who was reckoned a cunning Woman she told him That his Wife was Cursed or Bewitcht by two Women who were her near Neighbours and that she believed she was Bewitcht by Elizabeth Clark alias Bedingfield who lived near their House and that her Mother and some of her Kindred had formerly suffered as Witches and Murtherers At the same time Matthew Hopkins of Mannintree declared upon Oath That this suspected Witch being ordered by the Justices to be watched several Nights for Discovering her wicked Practices he coming into the Room where she was with one Mr. Sterne intending not to
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
wherein he had formerly lived fearing nothing so much as to strike sail and to submit to the Inconveniences of a poor and private Life fell into many Errors especially Swearing and Robbing was at last condemn'd to the Gallows where he made a serious Confession begging earnestly of God for Mercy and desiring for his Comfort the Doctor to read to him those Verses of the Second of the Hebrews being the 14 15 16 17 and 18th Verses Next did he give Forty Shillings to the Minister to be given to the Poor of that Parish and Eighteen Shillings and Six Pence more for his Wife to be delivered to his young Son's School master See the Relation p. 25. 2. Sigismund King of Hungary having raised a mighty great Army against the Turks and hearing that his Enemies approached in great Pride said to his Soldiers What need we fear the Turks who need not fear the falling of the Heavens who with our Spears and Halberds are able to hold them up if they should fall But thus relying upon the Arm of Flesh his great Army was presently routed and himself hardly escaped in a little Boat over the Danube leaving most of his Army to the Slaughter and Captivity of the Turks Clark's Mirrour p. 180. 3. Dr. Pendleton in Queen Mary's Reign discoursing with Mr. Sanders about the Persecution threatened whom he found fearful What Man said the Doctor I have much more reason to fear than you as having a fat and big Body yet will I see the utmost drop of this Grease of mine melted away and the last Gobbet of this Flesh consumed to Ashes before I will forsake Jesus Christ and his Truth Yet Sanders suffered and proud Pendleton turned Papist Act. and Monum 4. Cardinal Wolsey born at Ipswich of a very men Parentage but an ambitious and aspiring Mind Batchelor of Arts of Magdalen-College at Fifteen afterwards School-master to the Marquis of Dorset's Family then Secretary to Bishop Fox Chaplain and Deputy to the old Treasurer of Callis Embassador to Maximilian the Emperor advanc'd to all State-Businels and most Church-Preferments the Dearny of Lincoln the King's Almonership a House near Bridewel Durham Winchester Bath Worcester Hereford Tourney Lincoln St. Albans and York being in his Possession and all other Promotions in his Gift at length Archbishop of Canterbury Legate-de-latere to the Pope and Chancellor to the King employed in two Embassies of State to Charles the V. in Flanders Kept in this Capacity 500 Servants 9 or 10 of them Lords 15 Knights and 40 Esquires and wanted nothing now to accomplish his Honours but to be elected Pope for the Attainment whereof whilst he was with great Industry and Policy striving to make his Interest he tumbled down from the top of this huge Precipice to his own great Amazement breathing out his Soul in Words to this purpose when he was Arrested by the King's Order in his way to London If I had served the God of Heaven as faithfully as I did my Master on Earth he had not forsaken me in my old Age. Lloy 's Worthies p. 17 18 19. 5. Simon Thurway born in Cornwal bred in our English Universities until he went over to Paris where he became so Eminent a Logician that all his Auditors were his Admirers most firm his Memory most fluent his Expression and he was knowing in all things save himself for he profanely advanced Aristotle above Moses and himself above both But his Pride had a great and sudden Fall losing at the same instant both Language and Memory he became compleatly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Reason and Speech both Polydor Virgil saith of him Juvene nihil acutius sene nihil obtusius Others add that he made an inarticulate sound like unto lowing This great Judgment befell him about the Year of our Lord 1201. Pol. Virg. Hist Ang. l. 15. p. 284. Delrius Disq Mag. p. 245. Baker's Chron. p. 110. Fuller c. 6. The Duke of Buckingham that great Favourite sent a Noble Gentleman to Bacon then Attorney-General with this Message That he knew him to be a Man of excellent Parts and as the Times were fit to serve his Master in the Keeper's Place but he also knew him to be a Man of a base ungrateful Disposition and an arrant Knave apt in his Prosperity to ruine any that had raised him from Adversity Yet for all this he did so much study his Master's Service that he had obtained the Seals for him but with this Assurance Should he ever Requite him as he had done some others he would cast him down as much below Scorn as he had now raised him high above any Honour he could ever have expected Bacon patiently heard and replied I am glad my noble Lord deals so friendly and freely with me But saith he can my Lord know these Abilities in me and can he think when I have attained the highest Preferment my Profession is capable of I shall so much fail in my judgment as to lose those Abilities and by my Miscarriage to so noble a Patron cast my self headlong to the very bottom of Contempt and Scorn Surely my Lord cannot think so meanly of me Now Bacon was invested in his Office and within ten Days after the King goes into Scotland Bacon begins instantly to believe himself to be King lies in the King's lodgings gives Audience in the great Banqueting-house makes all other Counsellor attend his Motions with the same state the King used to come out with to give Audience to Foreign Embassadors when any other Counsellors sate with him about the King's Affairs he would if they sate near him bid them know their distance Upon which Secretary Winhood went away and would never sit more but dispatched one to the King to desire him to make hast back for his Seat was already usurped If Buckingham had sent him any Letter he would not open or read it in publick tho' it was said it required speedy Dispatch nor would vouchsafe him any Answer In this Posture he lived until he heard the King was returning and began to believe the Play was almost at an end and then he re-invested himself in his old Rags of Baseness which were so tattered and poor at the King 's coming to Windsor that he attended two Days at Buckingham's Chamber being not admitted to any better place than the Room where Trencher-scrapers and Lacqueys attended there sitting on an old Wooden Chest with his Purse and Seal lying by him on that Chest After two Days he had Admittance and at fiest entrance he fell down flat on his Face at the Duke's Foot kissing it and vowing never to rise till he had his Pardon Upon which he was reconciled yet so as from that time to be so very a Slave to the Duke and his Family that he durst not deny the Command of the least meanest of the Kindred nor oppose any thing Court of King James by A. W. p. 131. 132. 7. Pride of Hair was punished saith Dr.
5. The Egyptians ordained Death it self for a Punishment to perjured Persons and to such as declared not the very Truth in their Declaration which they were obliged to make Yearly both touching their Names and the Means they had to nourish their Family Ibid. Though Mr. Clark saith they had no Punishment for Lying 6. Certain Arians suborned a Harlot to accuse Eustathius a good Bishop of Antioch before 2500 Bishops of Adultery which she did by fathering a Child which she had then in her Arms upon him But afterwards she fell sick and confessed that she was hired to it by the Arians adding that one Eustathius a Tradesman had gotten that Child Niceph. l. 8. c. 46. Athanasius was served in the same manner so was Mr. Hooker Author of the Politicks and one Mr. Sparks a Flintshire Minister was suspended on the like occasion the Woman afterwards growing distracted 7. In the Reign of King Canutus the King in Parliament asked the Lords Whether in the Agreement made between King Edmund and him there was any mention made of Dividing any part of the Land to Edmund's Children or Brethren They answering in Flattery No and swearing it too were ever after Mistrusted and Disdained by the King especially such of them as had before sworn Fealty to King Edmund some of them he banished many he beheaded and divers of them by God's just Judgment died suddenly Clark's Exampl Vol. I. p. 194. Speed 8. In Queen Mary's Reign one William Fenning accused an honest Man called John Cooper because he would not sell him two Bullocks as if he had spoken traiterous Words against the Queen and suborned two false Witnesses to depose it Cooper was hanged and quartered and all his Goods taken from his Wife and Nine Children But after a short time one of these false Witnesses being well and at Harvest Work was stricken by God so that his Bowels fell out and he died miserably Ibid. p. 195. 9. Thespis an Athenian Poet being check'd by Solon for acting in a Play because thereby he did lye openly in the Face of all the City excused himself because it was but in jest To whom Solon replied If we commend or allow Lying in sport we shall soon find it used in good earnest in all our Bargains and Dealings Plutarch 10. Artaxerxes having found one of his Soldiers in a Lye caused his Tongue to be thrust through with three Needles Idem 11. The Papists have been so often found guilty of Lying as in the Case of John Husse whom they caused to be burnt after Letters of safe Conduct granted him in the Case of Luther whose Life and Death they wrote whilst as yet the Man himself was alive in the Case of Calvin and Beza whose Lives were writ by Bolsecus a Runagate Friar stuffed with most abominable Lyes in the Case of the House in Black-friars falling upon the Papists at Mass which they publickly reported to be upon an Assembly of Puritans in the Case of the Powder-Plot which they endeavoured in print to throw upon the Puritans likewise c. have obtained this Benefit to themselves That now at long-run no Protestant of any good Brains will believe them any further than he seeth them They have the Fortune of the Shepherd's Boy in the Fable 12. The old Scythians and Garamantes ordained Death for the Punishment of Lyars and false Prognosticators Sir Mart. Coguet's Pol. Disc c. 28. 13. The Persians and Indians deprived the Lyar of all Honour and Liberty of Speech Ibid. 14. The Gymnosophists and Chaldaeans deprived him of all Dignities and condemned him to remain in perpetual Darkness without speaking Ibid. CHAP. CXXXVI Divine Judgments upon Cozenage and Dissimulation OVR God is so far a Lover of Truth that all false ways he utterly abhors and doth so abhor them that he hath forbid them expresly frequently vehemently and ostentimes detects them to the Shame and Disgrace of the Persons guilty And I dare be bold to assert this for a true Proposition That all Lyes and Frauds and Dissimulation stand but upon one Leg and are very easily kicked down with one Spurn of the Divine Providence when Truth and Sincerity have two firm Legs to support them their own Excellence and the Favour of Heaven God will never connive long tho' he may wink a while nor contribute to the Maintenance and Support of false Colours how specious and artificial soever especially where the Cause is grosly bad and the Person faulty is obstinately impenitent Observe but these Stories following 1. The Story of Magdalena Crucia an Abbess in Corduba reverenced for a very devout Saint and Prophetess and afterwards shamefully discovered to be a Witch and for 30 Years together in familiarity with the Devil is related at large before in the Chapter of Revelation of Things secret or future by Divination c. 2. Pope Joan otherwise called John of England was a Woman born at Mentz brought up at Athens in Man's Apparel where she so profited in the Arts that coming to Rome she read the Liberal Sciences and was held so sufficient a Reader that many of the better sort became her ordinary Hearers afterwards with one Consent chosen Pope she lived in the See of Rome two Years and upwards But betaking her self more than before to Idleness and Pleasure she could not live continently as in her poor Estate when she plied her Book diligently whereupon one Day as she went with the Clergy in solemn Procession and in Papal manner she was delivered of her first-begotten Son begot by one of her Chamber-waiters near the Temple of Peace which stands in the City as is evident by an old Marble Image which stands there to this Day to denote so much in a Figure And hereupon it is that when the Popes go from the Vatican to St. John Lateran's and back again they go not the direct way thither but by other Streets further about and so make their Journey longer Thus much saith Theodorus de Niem Bishop of Ferden who lived Anno 1455. Vid. Theodoric libr. de privil jurib Imperii N. B. Pope Pius the V. removed the Image spoken of before This is attested by Luitprandus Bishop of Cremona Vid. Trithem in vit Luitprandi By Marian. Scot. in Chron. ad an 854. l. 3. Sigeb in Chron. ad an 854. By Otho Frizing l. 7. By Gothfrid in Chron. par 20. in Catal. Rom. Pontif. By Hoveden in Hist Angl. With a matter of 30 more Authors mentioned by Dr. James Library-Keeper of Oxford in his Introd to Divin And the Author of a Pamphlet intituled Pope Joan and printed at London A. C. 1689. 3. M. Anton. de Dominis Archbishop of Spalato came over into England wrote here against the Church of Rome afterwards pretended Penitence and was Reconciled and Re-admitted into the Bosom of that Church But his Conscience would not be so served it recoiled back upon him and in his familiar Discourses he broke out as formerly into an Assertion of his
Woman After his Burial his Ghost was very troublesome in the Town to many People but especially to the Parson of the Parish who penned this Narrative c. Weinrich p. 212. 19. Eliz. Mudy for bewitching her Mistress to Death at Hadington in Scotland the Mistress Margaret Kirkwood being then hanging her self in her Chamber whilst the Maid was observed at Church to number upon her Fingers 50 or 51 and crying aloud in the presence of them all Now the Turn is done was seized on Suspicion confessed the Witchcraft and was burned for the same Invis World p. 200. It would be endless to give a particular Catalogue of all in England Scotland Ireland France Spain Germany Denmark New-England c. that have been arraigned and executed for Witchcraft Nor is it difficult to believe that those who take their own time to apply themselves to the Devil for his Assistance shall find him ready enough to call upon them in his time for a nearer and more terrible Acquaintance 20. In the Year 1645. there was a notable Discovery of Witches in Essex viz. Elizabeth Clark Ann West and Rebecca her Daughter Rose Hallybread Joyce Boanes Susanna Cock whose Mother Margery Stoakes upon her Death bed had for her Good commended two Imps to her as also Elizabeth Weed of Huntington-shire John Winnick of the same County c. all brought to the Gallows after a legal Tryal Inform. of Witches c. p. 6. 21. An. 1669 current At Mokra in Sweedland Lords Commissioners being sent down by the King on purpose to make Search and Examination there were found 70 Persons a goodly knot who were engaged in Witchery in that one Village 23 of which freely confessed their Crimes and were contented to die the others pleading not Guilty were sent to Fahluna where most of them were afterwards executed Fifteen Children also who confessed as the rest did died as the rest 36 Children between 9 and 16 Years of Age ran the Gantlet 20 more who were less were condemned to be lashed with Rods three Sundays together at the Church-door and the aforesaid 36 were also doom'd to be lash'd this way once a Week for a whole Year together The Number of the seduced Children was about 300. This is taken out of the publick Register of the Lords Commissioners Concerning the late Confederacy of Witches in New-England I have spoke already in this Book and have no more to add but this That if they be Accursed who put their Trust in Man they cannot certainly be expected to be Happy that put their Trust in Devils CHAP. CXL Divine Judgments upon Backsliders and Apostates TO shew that the Almighty God takes it mighty ill from those People that fall back from the Truth of the Gospel after they have made Profession of it there needs no more Evidence to prove it than the many Precepts and Cautions he hath given us against Apostacy and the frequent Exhortations in Sacred Scripture to Perseverance and Continuance in the Faith The Curses threatned to those that Relapse and make shipwreck of a Good Conscience add still more strength to the Evidence but the Execution of his Menaces puts it more out of doubt yet St. Peter's weeping bitterly and turning back again in a penitential way Judas apostatizing and dying in despair the poor Jewish Church living under a dismal Eclipse of the Divine Favour to this Day are Examples for our Instruction To lay down a few more 1. Mr. Bilny An. 1529. abjured the Protestant Doctrine and submitted to the Powers that then were but fell into such Terrors of Conscience that he was near the point of utter Despair and so continued a whole Year his Friends all the time endeavouring to comfort him but in vain At last through God's Mercy he found Comfort and presently resolved to lay down his Life for that Truth which he had before renounced Clark's Eccl. Hist p. 163. 2. Lucian who had made Profession of Religion in the Time of Trajan afterwards fell from it became a Railer against it and at last was torn in pieces by Dogs Suidas 3. Porphyry being reproved for his Faults by some Christians renounced the Profession wrote against the Religion and died in despair Id. 4. Origen being perswaded rather to offer Incense to Idols than be defiled by an ugly Black-a-moor lost the Peace of his Conscience 5. Tamerus being seduced from the Reformed Religion by his Brother a Papist fell into despair and hang'd himself Theat Hist 6. 1569. One Henry Smith in the Middle Temple turning Papist hanged himself in his own Chamber Acts and Mon. 7. Latomus of Lovain once a Professor of the Gospel afterwards an Apostate made an Oration at Brussels before the Emperor Charles V. against Luther and his Followers but so foolishly that he was laughed to scorn afterwards at Lovain in a publick Lecture he fell into an open Frenzy despairing and blaspheming crying out continually that he was damned c. Senercleus in Epist ante Hist de morte Diazii 8. Arnold Bomelius a Student of Lovain and Favourer of the Gospel a Man of good Parts apostatizing to Popery fell into great Trouble of Mind and thence into Depsair and afterwards walking into the Fields with some Scholars he sate down by a Spring side drew out a Dagger and stabb'd himself Acts and Mon. 9. Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester cried out on his Death-bed That he had denied his Master with Peter but not repented with Peter and so stinking above Ground ended his wretched Life Clark's Exampl Vol. I. c. 6. 10. Mr. West Chaplain to Bishop Ridley in King Edward the Sixth's Reign turning Papist in Queeh Mary's fell into such Torment of Conscience that he pined away and died Acts and Mon. 11. Cardinal Pool was a Favourer of the Truth afterwards a Persecutor but within two or three Days after Queen Mary's death himself died in Terror Clark's Exampl Vol. I. c. 6. 12. Peter Castellan Bishop of Maston an Apostate from the Reformed Religion fell into a strange Disease one half of his Body burning like Fire and the other cold as Ice and in this case with horrible Groans and Cries died Ibid. 13. Henry the Fourth King of France after he came to the Crown turned from Protestant to Papist from Bonus Orbi to Orbus Boni though still Borbonius was first stabb'd in the Tongue by John Castile at last in his Breast by Ravilliac and so died Fren. Hist 14. One Richard Denson a Smith in King Edward the Sixth's Days encouraged a young Man then in Prison to suffer But for my part saith he I cannot burn But though he could not for his Religion he was afterwards burnt for his Apostacy by occasion of a Fire in his Shop and House Clark's Exampl Vol. I. c. 6. 15. Francis Spira is a sad Example of God's Judgment in such Cases but I have mention'd him elsewhere 16. Poor Bishop Jewel was forc'd to spend a Recantation-Sermon beyond Sea and many a Prayer and Teat
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
73. Ibid. p. 75 76. out of the Bishop of Kilmore 20. Mr. Bilney going to the Place of Execution comforted himself with this Consideration That he was then sailing upon the troubled Sea but e're long his Ship would be in a quiet Harbour and I doubt not saith he but through the Grace of God I shall endure the Storm only I would entreat you to help me with your Prayers As he wet along the Streets he gave much Alms to the Poor by the Hands of one of his Friends At the Stake he made a long Confession of his Faith in an excellent manner and gave many sweet Exhortations to the Pople and then earnestly called upon God by Prayer and at the end rehearsed the 143 Psalm Then turning to the Officers he ask'd if they were ready Whereupon the Fire was kindled he holding up his Hands and crying sometime Jesus and sometime Credo But the Wind blowing away the Flame from him and the Pain enduring the longer he was put to a longer exercise of Patience till at last he gave up the Ghost Ibid. p. 124. 21. William Tindal whilst he was tying to the Stake cried with a fervent and loud Voice Lord open the King of England 's Eyes And so he was first strangled by the Hangman and then burnt A. C. 1556. Ibid. p. 129. 22. Leo Judae a little before his Death sent for the Pastors and Professors of Tigure and made before them a Confession of his Faith concluding thus To this my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ my Hope and my Salvation I wholly offer up my Soul and Body I cast my self wholly upon his Mercy and Grace c. Ibid. p. 137. 23. Cruciger after three Months illness calling his two young Daughters to repeat their Prayers before him and then himself praying with great fervency for himself the Church and those his Orphans concluded I call upon thee with a weak yet a true Faith I believe thy Promises which thou hast sealed with thy Blood and Resurrection c. Ibid. p. 145. 24. Martin Bucer in his Sickness to Mr Bradford coming to him and telling him that he would remember him in his Prayers being that Day to preach uttered these Words Ne abjicias me in tempore senectutis c. Forsake me not in the time of Age when my Strength fails me And being admonished in his Sickness that he should arm himself against the Assaults of the Devil he answered That he had nothing to do with the Devil because he was wholly in Christ And God forbid God forbid said he but that I should have some Experience of his Heavenly Comfort After Sermon Mr. Bradford coming again and declaring unto him the great Fear which the Physicians had to prescribe any thing unto him by reason of the Weakness of his Body with his Eyes fixed towards Heaven he uttered these Words I le ille regit moderatur omma He he it is that rules and governs all things And so in the midst of many pious Prayers he quietly yielded his Soul into the Hands of God Febr. 27. 1551. Ibid. p. 160. 25. George Prince of Anhalt falling sick of a most troublesome Disease was frequent in holy Prayer for himself for all the Princes of that Family for his Country and for Germany He had some portion of Holy Scriptures daily read to him He made his Will wherein he set down the Confession of his Faith and commended the Defence of the Churches to his Brother adding something to the Stipends of all the godly Ministers under his Charge often ruminated on those Texts God so loved the World that he gave c. No man shall take my sheep out of my hand Come uto me all ye that are weary c. And so in holy Meditations and Prayers he resigned up his Spirit unto God A. C. 1543. Ibid. p. 165. 26. John Rogers being degraded and excommunicated in Queen Mary's Reign was warned to prepare for Death before he arose If it be so said he I need not tye my Points Being afterwards brought to Smithfield and a Pardon offered him he refused to Recant His Wife with Nine small Children and the Tenth sucking at her Breast coming to him the sorrowful Sight nothing moved him But in the Flames he washed his Hands and with wonderful Patience took his Death He was the Protomartyr in Queen Mary's Reign The Sabbath before his Death he drank to Mr. Hooper who lodged in a Chamber beneath him bidding the Messenger to commend him to him and tell him That there was never a little Fellow that would better stick to a Man than he would to him Supposing they should be both burned together tho' it happened otherwise Ibid. p. 168. 27. Laurence Saunders being in Prison for a Year and three Months wrote thence in a Letter to his Wife I am merry and trust I shall be merry maugre the Teeth of the all the Devils in Hell Riches I have none to endow you with but that Treasure of tasting how sweet Christ is to hungry Consciences whereof I thank my Christ I do feel part that I bequeath unto you and to the rest of my beloved in Christ c. When he came near the Place of Execution at Coventry to be burned he went cheerfully to the Stake kissing of it and saying Welcome the Cross of Christ welcome Everlasting Life And the Fire being kindled he sweetly slept in the Lord. Ibid. p. 171. 28. Bishop Hooper being come to the Stake prayed about half an Hour and having a Box with a Pardon set before him he cried If you love my Soul away with it if you love my Soul away with it Three Irons being prepared to fasten him to the Stake he only put an iron Hoop about his middle bidding them to take away the rest saying I doubt not but God will give me strength to abide the extremity of the fire without binding When Reeds were cast to him he embraced and kissed them putting them under his Arm where he had Bags of Gun-powder also When Fire was first put to him the Faggots being green and the Wind blowing away the Flame he was but scorched More Faggots being laid to him the Fire was so suppress'd that his nether Parts were only burned his upper being scarce touched he prayed O Jesus the Son of David have mercy upon me and receive my Soul and wiping his Eyes with his Hands he said For God's Love let me have more Fire A third Fire being kindled it burned more violently yet was he alive a great while in it the last Words which he uttered being Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Ibid. p. 175. 29. Rowland Taylor going to the Stake at Hadley the Streets were full of People weeping and bewailing their Loss to whom he said I have preached to you God's Word and Truth and am come to seal it with my Blood He gave all his Money to the Poor for whom he was wont thus to provide formerly Coming to the Place of
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
we may without Flattery account this his warm Zeal for his Country if it did a little exceed a happy as well as a very pardonable Error He was extraordinary ingenious in his own Trade and imployed amongst great Persons for his dexterity therein He had an entire Love for the City of London and stood up for its Honour and Privileges as highly as any Man living He had a Soul so very great and generous that many who knew him well have said considering his Education they wondred how he came by it He was a Man of very good sound Sense considerably more than those of his Rank generally have which he had much improved in his latter time by Conversation with Persons of Honour and Quality In fine he liv'd sufficiently belov'd by those who knew and did not fear him and dy'd lamented by his Friends and admired and esteemed by his very Enemies Some time after his Death his Picture was sold about Town Under it were these Lines engraven By Irish Oaths and wrested Laws I fell A Prey to Rome a Sacrifice to Hell My guilty Blood for speedy Vengeance cries Hear hear and help for Earth my Suit denies 3. ARTHVR Earl of Essex THat Party and those Persons who were engag'd to manage the Designs before-mention'd were now entred on the most compendious way of introducing what they desir'd as well as avoiding what their own Consciences and all the World knew they deserv'd My Lord of Essex was a Person whom 't was no doubt the highest Interest of the Popish Faction to have gotten out of the way even tho' there had been no such extraordinary Reason as has been mentioned He had large Interest a plentiful Estate a great deal of Courage understood the World and the Principles and Practices of the Papists as well as any Man having been of several Secret Committees in the Examination of the Plot on which very reason there was as much necessity for his dying as Sir E. B. Godfrey's He was besides all this they very well knew of Inflexible Honesty and so true a greatness of Mind they could no more expect to gain him than Heaven it self to be on their side As for the immediate Subject of his Death the manner and circumstances thereof It must first be granted and a very reasonable demand it is that for the present only supposing he was murder'd by the Papists they would we may be sure make it their business to render the manner of it as dark as the Hell in which 't was contriv'd But whatever this couragious honest Gentleman suffer'd from their Spite and Malice he bore all with handsom and truly English Resolution As he before his Imprisonment and since was indefatigably diligent in getting up the bottom of this foul Business all English-men must own he has deserv'd the Love and Honour of his Country who was not discourag'd from acting even in the worst of times against a whole enraged Faction His CHARACTER It must be confessed 't is a bold and dangerous thing to attempt the Character of one of the greatest Men which our Age has produced especially for one who had not the Honour of any Personal intimacy with him All that 's to be done is from what has been already said and what other Memoirs are left of him to endeavour at something so like him that any one who sees it may say 't was meant for the Picture of the Great Essex how infinitely soever it must of necessity be short of its Original The first thing then Remarkable in him and which alone would sufficiently distinguish him is That he was a Person of strict Morals and severe Piety and that in the midst of a Court and Age not very Famous for either Nor did this degenerate into Superstition or Weakness He was a refin'd Politician without what some will say 't is impossible to be so and that 's Dissimulation When Affronts were offer'd him he did not as others dissemble 'em but like himself only scorn and conquer 'em even tho' of the highest Nature and which generally pierce deepest into Persons of his Figure and Character He was as all the rest here commemorated a firm Lover of his Country and Religion the true Character of a true English-man and engaged on their sides against the then Duke of York and other Ministers not from any mean Pique or little discontented Humour which he was very much above but meerly from the true Respect he had for them and a sense of that imminent Danger they were in which his piercing Judgment and long Experience made him more sensible of and his Courage and Vertue more concern'd at than others not only those who fat unconcern'd Spectators or shared in their Ruins but even then most of them who were engaged with him in the same Common Cause of their Defence and Preservation Nothing of such an impatience or eagerness or black Melancholy could be discern'd in his Temper or Conversation as is always the Symptom or Cause of such Tragical Ends as his Enemies would perswade us he came to Lastly What may be said of most of the rest does in a more especial and eminent manner agree to the Illustrious Essex and than which nothing greater can be said of Mortality He liv'd an Hero and dy'd a Martyr Upon the Execrable Murther of the Right Honourable Arthur Earl of Essex MOrtality wou'd be too frail to hear How ESSEX fell and not dissolve with fear Did not more generous Rage take off the blow And by his Blood the steps to Vengeance show The Tow'r was for the Tragedy design'd And to be slaughter'd he is first confin'd As fetter'd Victims to the Altar go But why must Noble ESSEX perish so Why with such fury drag'd into his Tomb Murther'd by slaves and sacrific'd to Rome By stealth they kill and with a secret stroke Silence that Voice which charm'd when e'er it spoke The bleeding Orifice o'er flow'd the Ground More like some mighty Deluge than a Wound Through the large space his Blood and Vitals glide And his whole Body might have past beside The reeking Crimson swell'd into a Flood And stream'd a second time in Capel's Blood He 's in his Son again to Death pursu'd An instance of the high'st Ingratitude Then they malicious Stratagems employ With Life his dearer Honour to destroy And make his Fame extinguish with his Breath An Act beyond the Cruelties of Death Here Murther is in all its shapes compleat As Lines united in their Centre meet Form'd by the blackest Politicks of Hell Was Cain so dev'lish when his Brother fell He that contrives or his own Fate desires Wants Courage and for fear of Death expires But mighty ESSEX was in all things brave Neither to Hope nor to Despair a Slave He had a Soul to Innocent and Great To fear or to anticipate his Fate Yet their exalted Impudence and Guilt Charge on himself the precious Blood they spilt So were the Protestants some Years ago Destroy'd
in Ireland without a Foe By their own barbarous Hands the Mad-men die And Massacre themselves they know not why Whilst the kind Irish howl to see the Gore And pious Catholicks their Fate deplore If you refuse to trust Erroneous Fame Royal Mac-Ninny will confirm the same We have lost more in injur'd Capel's Heir Than the poor Bankrupt Age can e're repair Nature indulg'd him so that there we saw All the choice strokes her steady hand cou'd draw He the Old English Glory did revive In him we had Plantagenets alive Grandeur and Fortune and a vast Renown Fit to support the lustre of a Crown All these in him were potently conjoyn'd But all was too ignoble for his Mind Wisdom and Vertue Properties Divine Those God-like ESSEX were entirely thine In his great Name he 's still preserv'd alive And will to all succeeding Times survive With just Progression as the constant Sun Doth move and through its bright Ecliptick run For whilst his Dust does undistinguish'd lie And his blest Soul is soar'd above the Sky Fame shall below his parted Breath supply 4. WILLIAM Lord RVSSEL THE next who fell under their Cruelty and to whose Death Essex's was but the Prologue was my Lord Russel without all Dispute one of the finest Gentlemen that ever England bred and whose Pious Life and Vertue was as much Treason against the Court by affronting them with what was so much hated there as any thing else that was sworn against him The Last Speech and Carriage of the Lord Russel upon the Scaffold c. ON Saturday July the 21st 1683. about Nine in the Morning the Sheriffs went to Newgate to see if the Lord Russel was ready and in a little time his Lordship came out and went into his Coach taking his Farewel of his Lady the Lord Cavendish and several other of his Friends at Newgate In the Coach were Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Burnet who accompanied him to the Scaffold built in Lincoln's Inn-Fields which was covered all over with Mourning Being come upon the Scaffold his Lordship bowed to the Persons present and turning to the Sheriff made this following Speech Mr. Sheriff I expected the Noise would be such that I should not be much heard I was never fond of much speaking much less now therefore I have set down in Paper all that I think fit to leave behind me God knows how far I was always from Designs against the King's Person or of altering the Government And I still pray for the Preservation of Both and of the Protestant Religion Mr. Sheriff I am told that Captain Walcot Yesterday siad something concerning my Knowledge of the Plot I know not whether the Report be true or not Mr. Sheriff I did not hear him name your Lordship Writer No my Lord your Lordship was not named by any of them Lord Russel I hope it is not for to my knowledge I never saw him nor spake with him in my whole Life and in the Words of a dying Man I profess I know of no Plot either against the King's Life or the Government But I have now done with this World and am going to a better I forgive all the World heartily and I thank God I die in Charity with all Men and I wish all sincere Protestants may love one another and not make way for Popery by their Animosities I pray God forgive them and continue the Protestant Religion amongst them that it may flourish so long as the Sun and Moon endures I am now more satisfied to die than ever I have been Then kneeling down his Lordship prayed to himself after which Dr. Tillotson kneeled down and prayed with him which being done his Lordship kneeled down and prayed a second time to himself then pull'd off his Whig put on his Cap took off his Crevat and Coat and bidding the Executioner after he had lain down a small moment do his Office without a Sign He gave him some Gold Then embracing Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Burnet he laid him down with his Neck upon the Block The Executioner missing at his first stroke though with that he took away his Life at two more severed the Head from the Body The Executioner held up the Head to the People as is usual in cases of Treason c. Which being done Mr. Sheriff ordered his Lordship's Friends or Servants to take the Body and dispose of it as they pleased being given them by His Majesty's Favour and Bounty His Body was convey'd to Cheneys in Buckinghamshire where 't was buried among his Ancestors There was a great Storm and many loud Claps of Thunder the day of his Martyrdom An Elegy was made on him immediately after his Death which seems by what we have of it to be writ with some Spirit and a great deal of Truth and Good-will only this Fragment on 't could be retriev'd which yet may not be unwelcome to the Reader 'T is done he 's crown'd and one bright Martyr more Black Rome is charg'd on thy too bulky score All like himself he mov'd so calm so free A generall Whisper question'd Which is he Deckt like a Lover tho' pale Death 's his Bride He carne and saw and overcame and dy'd Earth wept and all the vainly pitying Croud But Heaven his Death in Thunder groan'd aloud His CHARACTER For his Character if we 'll believe the best Men and those who knew him best 't is one of the most advantageous the Age or indeed our Nation has yielded Those are great words which Mr. Leviston Gower speaks of him on his Tryal but yet not a Syllable too big for his Merit tho' they are very expressive of it That he was one of the best Sons the best Fathers the best Husbands the best Masters the best Friends and the best Christians By other That he was a most Vertuous Prudent and Pious Gentleman A Man of that Vertue that none who knew him could think him guilty of such a Conspiracy A Man of great Honour and too Prudent to be concern'd in so vile and desperate a Design A Person of great Vertue and integrity One whom those he had long convers'd with never heard utter so much as a word of Indecency against the King And others of the highest Quality who had been often in his Company say That they had never heard any thing from him but what was Honourable Just and Loyal His Person was tall and proper his Temper even and aggreable and such as rendred his Vertues even more lovely than they did him His Piety and Devotion as unaffected and yet as remarkable as his Love to the Church of England The True Church of England as he himself calls it not those Tumours and Wens that grow upon it and pretended to be not only part but all of it in our late bad Times to whose Heighths and Extravagancies he thinks it no shame in his Speech to confess he could never rise He was of a Noble Courage which he did not express by
Quarrels or Duelling but serving his Country at Sea in the most dangerous Wars and at Land in the Parliament in more dangerous Councils and Debates He was there a true Englishman still the same you knew where he would be for he never mov'd A strenuous Asserter and Defender of his Country's Religion and Rights against all Opposers and that in a Lawful and Parliamentary Method He spoke little there but always very home and much to the purpose And that was as true a Character of him formerly recited as if it had come from a better Man That every one knew the Lord Russel to be a Person of great Judgment and not very lavish of Discourse Lastly which will give no small heightening to his Character He had Mr. Johnson to his Chaplain An Abstract of the late Noble Lord Russel's Speech to the Sheriffs as also of a Paper delivered by him to them at the Place of his much-lamented Execution on July 21. 1683. IN his Speech to the Sheriffs he tells them That for fear of not being well heard he had couched what he had to say upon that sad occasion in the Paper he delivered them only he Protest his Innocence of any Designs against the King's Person or the then Government and Prays for the Preservation of both and of the Protestant Religion and in short declares that he forgives all the World and wishes that all True Protestants may love one another and not make way for Popery by their Animosities In the Paper He first declares himself compos'd for Death and weaned from this World Then he affectionately thanks God as in general so in particular for his advantageous Birth and Religious Education of which in that important occasion he found such happy and powerful Effects as kept him up against the fear of Death and all other Discomposures and armed him with such Assurances in God's Love and Mercy as made the most joyful of the visibly saddest Moments of his Life He professes to die as he had lived a sincere Protestant of the Church of England though he never could come up to the heighths of some wishes more Moderation both in Church-men and Dissenters and that the Common Danger of Popery might move them to lay aside their Differences and all Persecuting Inclinations as more unseasonable then than at any other time He declares he had a Notion of Poperey as of an Idolatrous and Bloody Religion and thought himself bound to Act in his Station against it notwithstanding the Power of the Enemies he was sure to meet with on that account c. But yet he professes he never thought of doing any thing against it basely or inhumanely against the Maxims of Christian Religion or the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom for his sincerity in which he appeals to God renouncing all Passion By-End or Ill Design as also all Designs of changing the Government which was in his Opinion the best in the World and for which as well as his Country which he valued above his Life he was ever ready to venture it Disclaims all thoughts against the King's Life denying even the Lord Howard to have said any thing tending to prove it Frays sincerely for the King and Nation and wishes they may be mutually happy in one another that the King may be truly a Defender of the Faith that the Protestant Religion and Kingdom may flourish under Him and He be happy in both Worlds As to his share in the Prosecution of the Popish Plot he declares he acted sincerely in it as really believing as he still did the truth of such a Conspiracy and disclaims his knowledge of any Practices with the Witnesses which he protests against as abominable and disowns Falshood or Cruelty ever to have been in his Nature He persists in his Opinion that Popery was breaking in upon the Nation and grieves to see Protestants Instrumental to it declares his fears of the Sufferings the Protestant Religion was like to undergo and bewails the publick and shameless Impiety that abounded and modestly admonishes all Persons and particularly his Friends well-wishers to the Protestant Cause that were defective to live up to its Principles Then he declares his Submission to God's Pleasure freely forgives his Enemies and desires his Friends to seek no Revenge for his Blood After which he looks back and gives some little touches concerning his past behaviour and the manner of his Treatment at his Tryal He confesses he moved much for the Bill of Exclusion as the only effectual Remedy to secure both the King's Life the Protestant Religion and the Frame of the Government he thinking none of them could be safe so long as there was any hopes of a Popish Successor and that the Limitations proposed to bind the Duke were effectual Remedies against those Fears because the Nation could never be easie and safe under a King without a Prerogative But yet imputes his present Sufferings to the Revengeful Resentments some Persons retained for his Earnestness in that matter Next as to his Conspiring to seize the Guards he disowns that ever he was concerned in any such Design or ever heard talk of any such thing as designed but only one as of a thing feazible against which likewise he warmly declared himself and said the consequence of it was so like to end in Massacring the Guards in cold Blood that he could not but abhor the thoughts of it as approaching too near the Popish Practice at which the Duke of Monmouth taking him by the hand cried out affectionately That he saw they were both of a Temper he adds on that occasion that he always observed in that Duke an abhorrence to all base things He proceeds to shew how he went to the Meeting at Mr. Shepherd's at the Duke of Monmouch's earnest Request chiefly to endeavour to prevent any such disorderly Proceedings as the Duke feared would be otherwise put on by some hot Men whose rash courses he did accordingly most vigorously oppose and yet was condemned only for not discovering them though he endeavoured to reform them because he would not stoop to so mean a thought as that of going about to save his Life by accusing others for Crimes that they only talk'd of and that as we may partly gather from his Discourse he had effectually disswaded them from too so that his Intention was good and his part in that Transaction even in the strictest sense of Law but a Misprision of Treason and therefore he declares he cannot but think the Sentence of Death past against him to be very hard and he by a strange fetch brought within the compass of the Statute of Treason of Edward the Third He moreover adds That he had so convincing a sense of his own Innocence in that Case that he would not betray it by flight tho' much pressed to it He next excuses his saying so little at his Tryal saying he hoped it look'd more like Innocence than Guilt Adding that he was advised not to
confess Matter of Fact too plainly because it would certainly have brought him within the Guilt of Misprision and so he thought it better to say little than by departing from the Ingenuity he had always practised by using little Tricks and Evasions to make the last and solemnest part of his Life so notably different from the preceding course of it as such a Conduct would have made it He farther subjoyns that he never pretended great Readiness in Speaking and advises those Gentlemen of the Law that have it to use it more conscientiously and not to run Men down and impose on Easie and Willing Juries by Strains and Fetches c. the Killing unjustly by Law being the worst of Murthers He then as in several other places repeating his wishes that the Rage and Revenge of some Men and the Partiality of Juries may be stopped with his Blood and so after a small hint how by the Importunity of his Dearest and most Vertuous Lady and some other Dear Friends he had been prevail'd upon against his Inclinations to Address tho' ineffectualy for his Life he concludes with a fresh Protestation of his Innocency and a Devout Prayer to God suitable to that sad Occasion 5. Captain WALCOT CAptain Walcot and his Fellow-sufferers in order of time should have gone first he being convicted before my Lord Russel and executed the Friday as he on Saturday But my Lord Russel's Fate having so immediate a dependance on the Earl of Essex's and all the Plot hanging on him especially they two making the greatest Figure of any who suffer'd on this occasion it look'd more proper and natural to begin with them and reserve the other to this place Captain Walcot was a Gentleman of a considerable Estate in Ireland but more remarkable for the rare Happiness of having Eight Children all at once living and most of all for his Love to his Country which cost him his Life An Abstract of Captain Walcot's Speech CAptain Walcot denied any Design of killing the King or of engaging the Guards whilst others killed him And said That the Witnesses invited him to Meetings where some thing were discoursed of in order to the asserting our Liberties and Properties which we look'd upon to be violated and invaded That They importuned and perpetually solicited him and then deliver'd him up to be hang'd That They combined together to swear him out of his Life to save their own and that they might do it effectually They contrived an Vntruth That he forgave them though guilty of his Blood But withal earnestly begg'd That they might be observed that Remarks might be set upon them whether their End be Peace And he concluded with what made Sir Roger L'Estrange a great deal of Sport but yet Heaven has made it good That when God hath a Work to do he will not want Instruments With him was try'd Rouse who was charged with such a parcel of mad Romance as was scarce ever heard of and one would wonder how Perjury and Malice which use to be sober sins could even be so extravagant as to hit on 't He was to seize the Tower pay the Rabble uncaese the Aldermen to be Pay-Master and Flea-Master General and a great deal more to the same Tune In his Defence he says no great Matter but yet what looks a Thousand times more like Truth than his Accusation That the Tower Business was only Discourse of the feasibleness of the thing as Russel's about the Guards but without the least intent of bringing it to Action That all he was concern'd in any real Design he had from Lee and was getting more out of him with an intention to make a Discovery But it seems Lee got the whip-hand of him they were both at a kind of Halter-Combat Rouse's foot slipt and Lee turn'd him over and saved his own Neck His Dying Words Mr. Rouse declared That he was told that They did not intend to spill one drop of Blood and affirmed that Lee the Witness against him did by his Evidence make him the Author of the very Words that came out of his the said Lee 's own Mouth A Brief Extract of Captain Walcot's Prayer O Lord our God Thou art a God of present help in time of Trouble a God that hast promised to be with thy People in the Fire and in the Water O Lord we pray Thee that thou wilt afford thy Presence to thy poor Suffering Servants at this time O Lord thy Servant that speaketh doth confess that the Iniquties at his heels have justly overtaken him O do thou bathe each of our Souls in that Fountain set open for sin and Uncleanness O do thou enable every one of us from the inward Evidence of thy Spirit to say with thy Servant Job That we know and are assured that our Redeemer lives O give us some inward Tasts of those Heavenly Joys that we hope through the Mercy of Jesus Christ in a little time to have a more full Fruition of O Lord do thou speak Peace to every one of our Consciences though we lie under a Sentence of Death from Man we beg that we may have a Sentence of Life Eternal from our God and though we meet Thee O Lord in a Field of Blood we beg that Thou wilt come to meet us in a Field of Mercy O Lord though we have been Prodigals we desire to return unto our Father's House where there is Bread enough O enable us to come unto Thee as Children to their Parents Lord put to thy helping Hand Lord teach us truly to leave no Sin unrepented of in any one of our Hearts And O Lord we beg that with us thou wilt give us leave to recommend unto thy Care our Poor Wives and Children Thou hast promised to be the Father of the Fatherless and the Husband of the Widow and thou hast commanded us to cast the Care of them upon Thee O do thou make Provision for them an enable them to bear this severe stroke with Patience O Lord we also beseech thee in the behalf of these Poor Kingdoms wherein we are that Thou wilt be merciful to them prevent Divisions among them heal all their Breaches compose their Differences make all that are thine of one Heart and Mind in the things of Thee our God Lord favour us with the Mercy assure us of thy Love stand by us in the difficult Hour take us into thine own Care cause thy Angels to attend us to convey our Souls as soon as they are divided from our Bodies into Abraham's Bosoâ— All which we beg for the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ in whom O Lord this little time do thou give us Hearts to give Thee all Glory Honour and Praise now and for evermore Amen Sweet Jesus Amen 6. Mr. HONE Hone was accused and owns himself Guilty of a Design to Kill the King and the Duke of York or one or neither for 't is impossible to make any Sense of him When they came to suffer Walcot
in the performance of that Duty which like Jacob's Ladder tho' it stand upon the Earth yet it reaches up to Heaven Here 's the Love of God made manifest to a poor Sinner at the last hour like the Thief upon the Cross he that never new before what the Love of God was to his Soul finds it now filled with it and running over Now bless the Lord O my Soul yea all that is within me Bless his holy Name for this Dispensation Now Light appears out of Darkness in the Face of Jesus now all Worldly Joy and Comforts seem to me as they are things not hard to part with Father Mother Brothers Sister Wife Children House and Lands are as my dear Saviour saith to be parted with for him or we are not worthy of him I bless his Name I find no reluctancy to do it he hath brought me to his Foot-stool and I can say heartily the Will of the Lord be done in this matter I never before but saw a Beauty in Worldly Comforts but now those seem so faded by the greater Lustre and Beauty that I see in God in Christ Jesus that I am astonished where I have been wandring all my days spending my Time and my Money for that which is not Bread O strive to get a taste of this Love of God in Christ Jesus and it will perfectly wean you from this deceitful foolish World What is worldly Honour and Riches O set not your hearts upon them but get a Treasure in Heaven that your hearts may be there also O lose no time for if you ever knew the sweetness of it you would never be at rest till you found him whom your Soul loved it will be more yea infinitely more than all worldly Enjoyments can afford you tho' in their greatest Perfection it will make your Life sweet and your Death most comfortable It is the Bread which this World knoweth not of and therefore maketh little or no Enquiry after it Dearest Relations whilst you and my other dear Friends are like Aaron and Hur holding up the Hands of Moses I am through Grace getting Victory over the Amalekites I â—n embrace my dear and beloved Brother and Companion with more Joy in the Field of Suffering than ever I could have done had I met him crowned with the Lawrels of Victory Oh the Mercy to die with such a Friend and such a valiant Soldier of Jesus who hath kept his Garments clean I now begin to pity you that stay behind who have many Temptations to conflict with for a little yea a very little time and my Warfare will be accomplished and if God continue his Love and Influence upon my Soul it will be both short and sweet I have little of this World about me I leave you all the Legacy of what was ever dearest to me the best of Wives and five poor Children who must pass through an evil and sinful World but I have committed them to God who hath commanded to cast our Fatherless Children and Widows upon him Dear Parents Brothers Sister all adieu my time draws on my Paper is finished and your dying Child and Brother recommends you all to him who is All-sufficient to the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus the great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant who will make you Perfect in every good Work to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen RICHARD NELTHROP From the Palace of Newgate Octob. 30. 1685. Two of the Clock in the Morning Mr. Nelthrop's Last Speech THE great and inexpressible trouble and distraction I have been under since I came into Trouble especially since my close Confinement in Newgate hath so broken my Reason that for many Weeks last past till the day my Sentence was passed I have not had any composure of Mind and have been under the greatest trouble imaginable Since my dearest Wife hath had the Favour granted her of coming to me I am at present under great composedness of Mind through the Infinite Goodness of the Lord. As to what I stand Outlawed for and am now sentenced to die I can with comfort Appeal to the great God before whose Tribunal I am to appear that what I did was in the simplicity of my heart without seeking any private Advantage to my self but thinking it my Duty to hazard my Life for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and English Liberties which I thought invaded and both in great danger of being lost As to the Design of Assassinating the late King or his present Majesty it always was a thing highly against my Judgment and which I always detested and I was never in the least concerned in it neither in Purse nor Person nor ever knew of any Arms bought for that intent nor did I believe there was any such Design or ever heard of any disappointment in such an Affair or Arms or Time or Place save what after the Discovery of the General Design Mr. West spoke of as to Arms bought by him And as to my self I was in the North when the late King was at New-Market and the first News I had of the Fire was at Beverly in York-shire As to my coming over with the late Duke of Monmouth it was in prosecution of the same ends but the Lord in his Holy and Wise Providence hath been pleased to blast all our Undertakings tho' there seemed to be a very unanimous and zealous Spirit in all those that came from beyond the Seas And as to the Duke of Monmouth's being declared King I was wholly Passive in it I never having been present at any publick Debate of that Affair and should never have advised it but complained of it to Col. Holmes and Captain Patchet I believe the Lord Gray and Mr. F the chief Promoters of it As to the Temptation of being an Evidence and bringing either into trouble or danger of his Life the meanest Person upon the Account for which I suffer I always abhorred and detested the thoughts of it both when in and out of danger and advised some very strongly against it except when under my Distraction in Prison that amongst other Temptations did violently assault me but through the goodness of my dearest God and Father I was preserved from it and indeed was wholly incapable and could never receive the least shadow of comfort from it but thought Death more eligible and was some time afore out of my distracted and disquieted condition wholly free from it though not without other Temptations far more Criminal in the sight of Men. I bless the Father of all Mercies and God of all Consolations that I find a great Resignedness of my Will to his finding infinitely more comfort in Death than ever I could place in Life tho' in a condition that might seem honourable every hour seeing the Will of God in ordering
to call for it and I desire to offer up my All to him it being but my reasonable Service and also the first Terms that Jesus Christ offers That he that will be his Disciple must forsake all and follow him and therefore let none think hard or be discouraged at what hath happened unto me for he doth nothing without cause in all he hath done to us he being Holy in all his ways and Righteous in all his works and 't is but my Lot in common with poor desolate Sion at this day Neither do I find in my heart the least regret for what I have done in the Service of my Lord and Master Jesus Christ in succouring and securing any of his poor Sufferers that have shewed favour to his Righteous Causeâ— which Cause though now it be fall'n and trampled upon as if it had not been anointed yet it shall revive and God will plead it at another rate than ever he hath done yet and reckon with all its Opposers and malicious Haters And therefore let all that love and fear him not omit the least Duty that comes to hand or lies before them knowing that now it hath need of them and expects they shall serve him And I desire to bless his Holy Name that he hath made me useful in my Generation to the Comfort and Relief of many desolate Ones and the Blessing of those that are ready to perish has come upon me and help'd to make the Heart of the Widow to sing And I bless his Holy Name that in all this together with what I was charged with I can approve my Heart to him that I have done his Will tho' it does cross Man's Will and the Scriptures that satisfie me are Isaiah 16.4 Hide the Outcasts bewray not him that wandereth And Obad. 13.14 Thou shouldst not have given up those of his that did escape in the day of his distress But Man says You shall give them up or you shall die for it Now who to obey Judge ye So that I have cause to rejoyce and be exceeding glad in that I suffer for Righteousness sake and that I am accounted worthy to suffer for Well-doing and that God has accepted any Service from me which has been done in Sincerity tho' mixed with manifold Infirmities which he hath been pleased for Christ's sake to cover and forgive And now as concerning my Fact as it is called alas it was but a little one and might well become a Prince to forgive but he that shews no Mercy shall find none And I may say of it in the Language of Jonathan I did but tast a little Honey and lo I must die for it I did but relieve an unworthy poor distressed Family and so I must die for it Well I desire in the Lamb-like Gospel Spirit to forgive all that are concerned and to say Lord lay it not to their Charge but I fear he will not Nay I believe when he comes to make Inquisition for Blood it will be found at the Door of the furious Judge who because I could not remember things through my dauntedness at Burton's Wife and Daughter's Vileness and my Ignorance took advantage thereat and would not hear me when I had called to mind that which I am sure would have invalidated their Evidence though he granted something of the same nature to another yet denied it to me My Blood will also be found at the door of the unrighteous Jury who found me Guilty upon the single Oath of an Out-law'd Man for there was none but his Oath about the Money who is no legal Witness though he be pardoned his Outlawry not being recall'd and also the Law requires two Witnesses in point of Life And then about my going with him to the Place mentioned 't was by his own Words before he was Out-law'd for 't was two Months after his absconding and though in a Proclamation yet not High-Treason as I have heard so that I am clearly murder'd by you And also Bloody Mr. A. who has so insatiably hunted after my Life and though it is no Profit to him through the ill-will he bore me left no stone unturn'd as I have ground to believe till he brought it to this and shewed favour to Burton who ought to have died for his own Fault and not bought his Life with mine and Capt. R. who is cruel and severe to all under my Circumstances and did at that time without all Mercy or Pity hasten my Sentence and held up my Hand that it might be given all which together with the Great One of all by whose Power all these and a multitude more of Cruelties are done I do heartily and freely forgive as against me but as it is done in an implacable Mind against the Lord Christ and his Righteous Cause and Followers I leave it to him who is the Avenger of all such Wrongs who will tread upon Princes as upon Mortar and be terrible to the Kings of the Earth And know this also that though ye are seemingly fix'd and because of the Power in your Hand are writing out your Violence and dealing with a despiteful hand because of the old and new Hatred by impoverishing and every way distressing of those you have got under you yet unless you can secure Jesus Christ and all his Holy Angels you shall never do your Business nor your Hands accomplish your Enterprizes for he will be upon you e're you are aware and therefore O that you would be wise instructed and learn is the Desire of her that finds no Mercy from you ELIZABETH GAVNT POSTSCRIPT SUch as it is you have it from her who hath done as she could and is sorry she can do no better hopes you will pity and cover weakness shortness and any thing that is wanting and begs that none may be weakned or humbled at the lowness of my Spirit for God's Design is to humble and abase us that he alone may be exalted in this Day and I hope he will appear in the needful time and it may be reserves the best Wine till last as he hath done for some before me None goeth to Warfare at his own Charge and the Spirit bloweth not only where but when it listeth and it becomes me who have so often grieved quenched and resisted it to wait for and upon the Motions of the Spirit and not to murmure but I may mourn because through want of it I honour not my God nor his blessed Cause which I have so long â—â—ed and delighted to love and repent of nothing about it but that I served him and it no Latter 7. The Earl of ARGYLE â—â—E must now take a step over into Scotland that poor Country which has been harrass'd and tired for these many Years to render them perfect Slaves that they might help to enslave 〈…〉 prevent which and secure the Protestant Religion which 't was grown impossible 〈…〉 but by Arms this good Lord embark'd from Holland about the same time with the
said before there is nothing in your Paper about the Doctrine of Non-resistance Mon. I Repent of all things that a true Christian ought to Repent of I am to die pray my Lord Assist Then my Lord we can only recommend you to the Mercy of God but we cannot Pray with that Chearfulness and Encouragement as we should if you had made a particular Acknowledgment Mon. God be praised I have Encouragement enough in my self I die with a clear Conscience I have wronged no Man Assist How sir no Man Have you not been Guilty of Invasion and of much Blood which hath been shed and it may be of the loss of many Souls that followed you You must needs have wronged a great many Mon. I do Sir own that and am sorry for it Assist Give it the true Name Sir and call it Rebellion Mon. What Name you please Sir I am sorry for Invading the Kingdom and for the Blood that has been shed and for the Souls which may have been lost by my means I am sorry it ever happened Mr. Sher. Vandeput He says he is sorry for Invading the Kingdom Assist We have nothing to add but to renew the frequent Exhortations we have made to you to give some Satisfaction for the Publick Injuries to the Kingdom There have been a great many Lives lost by this Resistance of your Lawful Prince Mon. What I have done has been very ill and I wish with all my heart it had never been I never was a Man that delighted in Blood I was very far from it I was as cautious in that as any Man was the Almighty God knows how I now die with all the Joyfulness in the World Assist God grant you may Sir God give you True Repentance Mon. If I had not True Repentance I should not so easily have been without the fear of Dying I shall die like a Lamb. Assist Much may come from Natural Courage Mon. I do not attribute it to my own Nature for I am fearful as other Men are but I have now no fear as you may see by my Face but there is something within me that does it for I am sure I shall go to God Assist My Lord be sure upon good grounds do you Repent you of all your sins known or unknown confessed or not confessed of all the sins which might proceed from Error in Judgment Mon. In general for all I do with all my Soul Assist God Almighty of his Infinite Meâ—â— forgive you Here are great Numbers of Spectators here are the Sheriffs they represâ—â—â— the Great City and in speaking to them you speak to the Great City make some Satisfaction by owning your Crime before them He was exhorted to Pray for the King and was asked whether he did not desire to send some Dutiful Message to His Majesty and to recommend his Wife and Children to His Majesty's Favour M. What harm have they done Do it if you please I pray for him and for all Men. Ass At his undressing My Lord you have been bred a Soldier you will do a generous Christian thing if you please to speak to the Soldiers and say That here you stand a sad Example of Rebellion and entreat them and the People to be Loyal and Obedient to the King M. I have said I will make no Speeches I will make no Speeches I am come to die Ass My Lord Ten Words will be enough M. Then calling his Servant and giving him something like a Tooth-pick Case Here said he give this to the Person to whom you are to deliver the other things To the Executioner Here are Six Guinea's for you pray do your Business well Don't serve me as you did my Lord Russel I have heard you struck him three or four times Here to his Servant take these remaining Guinea's and give them to him if he does his Work well Execut. I hope I shall M. If you strike me twice I cannot promise you not to stir During his undressing and standing towards the Block were used divers Ejaculations and much of the 51st Psalm and particularly Deliver me from Blood guiltiness O God Thou God c. Then he lay down and soon after he raised himself upon his Elbow and said to the Executioner Prithee let me feel the Ax. He felt the Edge and said I fear it is not sharp enough Execut. It is sharp enough and heavy enough Then he lay down again During this space many pious Ejaculations were used by those that assisted him with great fervency God accept your Repentance God accept your Repentance God accept your imperfect Repentance My Lord God accept your general Repentance God Almighty shew his Omnipotent Mercy upon you Father into thy Hands we commend his Spirit c. Lord Jesus receive his Soul Thus ended the Life of the late Duke of Monmouth on Wednesday the 15th of July 1685. on Tower-hill A Brief Abstract of the Paper left behind him I Repent in general of all my Sins and am more particularly concerned for what Blood hath been spilt on my Account and the rather seeing the Issue is such as I fear will prove of Fatal Consequence to the Reformed Protestant Religion Instead of being counted Factious and Rebellious the very opposing of Popery and Arbitrary Power now arising and appearing plain enough would sufficiently have protected my Cause besides several other most heinous and notorious Crimes such as the unhappy Fate of the Earl of Essex and my Father of ever blessed Memory and others now covered over with Jesuitical Policy should have been detected and avenged I have lived and shall now die in the Faith of this That God will work a Deliverance for his People and then will be discovered the great and horrid and scarcely to be parallell'd Villainies our Enemies have been guilty of but now you see my case is desperate yet know that I die a Martyr for the People and shall rather pity the State that their false and covetous Minds have brought themselves and me to than discover who are the Persons concerned in my Overthrow and I heartily forgive all that have wronged me even those that have been Instrumental in my Fall earnestly praying for their Souls And I hope King James will shew himself to be of his Brother's Blood and extend his Mercy to my Children even as he was wont to his greatest Enemies they being not capable to Act and therefore not conscious of any Offence against the Government Argile and the Duke of Monmouth being now both safe in their Graves King James was so puff'd up with a petty Victory over a few Clubmen and so wrapt up with a Conceit that he had now conquer'd the whole Nation so that now believing himself impregnable he resolves to be revenged upon the Western People for siding with his Capital Enemy Monmouth and to that purpose sends down his Executioner in Ordinary Jefferies not to decimate according to the Heathen way of Mercy but with the Besom of his
Cruelties to sweep the Country before him and Young and Old were hang'd by Clusters as if the Lord Chief Justice had designed to raise the Price of Halters After Ages will read with Astonishment the Barbarous Usage of those poor People of which among many Instances this one may seem sufficient whereby to take the Dimensions of all the rest That when the Sister of the two Hewlings hung upon the Chief Justice's Coach imploring Mercy on the behalf of her Brothers the merciless Judge to make her let go caused his Coachman to cut her hands and fingers with the Lash of his Whip Nor would he allow the Respite of the Execution but for two days tho' the Sister with Tears in her Eyes offered a Hundred Pounds for so small a Favour And whoever shelter'd any of those forlorn Creatures were hurried to the Slaughter-House with the same inexecrable Outrage without any consideration either of Age or Sex witness the Execution of the Lady Lisle at Winchester As for Argile and the Duke tho' they might die pitied yet in regard they had declared open Hostility it was no more than they were to expect upon ill Success The Christian Behaviour and Dying Speeches of some that were Condemned and Executed in the West I Shall next proceed to give an Account of the Christian Behaviour and Dying Speeches of some that were Condemned and Executed in the West And I shall begin with 1. The Dying Speech and Behaviour of Mr. Matth. Bragg MR. Matthew Bragg was a Gentleman descended from an Ancient and good Family he was bred an Attorney in which he practised the Law His Case being this He happened to be upon the Road Riding home to his House being come from a Gentleman's House for whom he kept Courts He as before being met with by a Party of Horse belonging to the Duke of Monmouth who were going to search the House of a Roman Catholick for Arms who lived two or three Miles from the Place they met him they required him to go with them and shew them the way he knowing the Country better than they did he desired to be excused telling them It was none of his Business and besides had no Arms. But his Excuses signified nothing they forced him amongst them where they went Being Arraigned and Pleading Not Guilty he put himself on the Tryal of God and his Country which found him and 28 more of 30 Guilty the Lord Chief Justice often saying If any Lawyer or Parson came under his Inspection they should not escape The Evidence against him was a Roman Catholick and a Woman of ill Fame to whom the Lord Chief Justice was wonderfully kind But his Evidence which were more than Twenty to prove his Innocence signified nothing the Jury being well instructed by my Lord Chief Justice Being thus found Guilty Sentence as presently pronounced and Execution awarded notwithstanding all the Interest that was made for him Thus being Condemned on Saturday and ordered to be Executed on Monday he spent the residue of his little time very devoutly and much becoming a good Christian and a true Protestant of the Church of England all which availed nothing with this Protestant Judge He was frequently visited by a worthy Divine of the Church of England who spent much time with him and received great Satisfaction from him The said Divine â—old me That his Deportment Behaviour and Converse was so much like an extraordinary Christian that he could not in the least doubt but this violent Passage would put him into the fruition of Happiness He wish'd and desir'd a little longer time out of no other Design but throughly to repent him of his Sins and make himself more sensible of and fit for to receive the Inheritance that is prepared for those that continue in Well-doing to the end When he came to the Place of Execution with great Courage and Resolution being as he said prepared for Death he behaved himself very gravely and devoutly Being asked when he was on the Ladder whether he was not sorry for his being concerned in the Rebellion He replied That he knew of none that he was Guilty of and prayed them not to trouble him adding He was not the first that was martyr'd He was so much a Christian as to forgive his Enemies And after some private Devotions he suddenly was Translated as we have all Hopes to believe from Earth to Heaven The only Favour of this Protestant Judge was to give his Body to his Friends in order to its Interment amongst his Ancestors 2. The Behaviour of Mr. Smith Constable of Chardstock ANother eminent Person that suffered with him at the same time and place was one Mr. Smith who was Constable of Chardstock who having some Monies in his Hands that belonged to the Militia which came to the knowledge of some of the Duke's Friends they obliged him to deliver it to them which he was forced to deliver and for this was Indicted for High Treason in assisting the Duke of Monmouth To which he pleaded Not Guilty The Evidence against him were the same with those that had been against Mr. Bragg The said Mr. Smith informed the Court and the Jury what little Credit ought to be given to the Evidence The Lord Chief Justice thundred at him saying Thou Villain methinks I see thee already with a Halter about thy Neck thou impudent Rebel to challenge these Evidences that are for the King To which the Prisoner reply'd very boldly My Lord I now see which way I am going and right or wrong I must die but this I comfort my self with That your Lordship can only destroy my Body it is out of your power to touch my Soul God forgive your Rashness Pray my Lord know it is not a small matter you are about the Blood of a Man is more precious than the whole World And then was stopped from saying any more The Evidences being heard a strict Charge was given the Jury about him To be short the Jury brought him in Guilty so that he with the rest received the Sentence of Death all together and were Executed on Monday but by particular Order from my Lord he was ordered to be first Executed The Day being come for Execution being Monday he with a Courage undaunted was brought to the Place where with Christian Exhortations to his Brethren that suffered with him he was ordered to prepare being the first to be Executed where he spake as followeth CHristian Friends I am now as you see launching into Eternity so that it may be expected I should speak something before I leave this miserable World and pass through those Sufferings which are dreadful to Flesh and Blood which indeed shall be but little because I long to be before a just Judge where I must give an Account not only for the Occasion of my Sufferings now but for Sins long unrepented of which indeed hath brought me to this dismal Place and shameful Death And truly dear Country-men having ransacked
my Soul I cannot find my small Concern with the Duke of Monmouth doth deserve this heavy Judgment on me but I know as I said before it is for Sins long unrepented of I die in Charity with all Men I desire all of you to bear me witness I die a true Professor of the Church of England beseeching the Lord still to stand up in the Defence of it God forgive my passionate Judges and cruel and hasty Jury God forgive them they know not what they have done God bless the King and though his Judges had no Mercy on me I wish he may find Mercy when he standeth most in need of it Make him O Lord a nursing Father to the Church let Mercy flow abundantly from him if it be thy Will to those poor Prisoners to be hereafter tried and Lord if it be thy holy Will stop this issue of Christian Bood and let my guiltless Blood be the last spilt on this account Gentlemen all Farewel Farewel all the Things of the World Then singing some few Verses of a Psalm and putting up some private Ejaculations to himself said O Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit and so submitted to the Executioner September the 7th 1685. 3. The Behaviour and Dying Speech of Mr. Joseph Speed of Culliton AT the same time and place as he came near the Place of his Execution he spying his Country-man and Friend called him and said I am glad to see you here now because I am not known in these Parts being answered by his Friend I am sorry to see you in this Condition He replies It is the best Day I ever saw I thank God I have not led my Life as Unchristian-like as many have done having since the Years of Sixteen always had the Checks of Conscience on me which made me to avoid many gross and grievous Sins my course of Life hath been well known to you yet I cannot justifie my self All Men Err. I have not been the least of Sinners therefore cannot excuse my self but since my Confinement I have received so great Comfort in some Assurance of the Pardon of my Sins that I can now say I am willing to die to be dissolved and to be with Christ and say to Death Where is thy Sting and to Grave Where is thy Victory Being ask'd by some rude Soldiers Whether he was not sorty for the Rebellion he was found Guilty of He courageously reply'd If you call it a Rebellion I assure you I had no sinister Ends in being concerned for my whole Design in taking up Arms under the Duke of Monmouth was to fight for the Protestant Religion which my own Conscience dictated to me and which the said Duke declared for and had I think a lawful Call and Warrant for so doing and do not question that if I have committed any Sin in it but that it is pardoned Pray Mr. Sheriff let me be troubled no farther in answering of Questions but give me leave to prepare my self those few Minutes I have left for another World and go to my Jesus who is ready to receive me Then calling to his Friend who stood very near him said My dear Friend you know I have a dear Wife and Children who will find me wanting being somewhat incumbred in the World let me desire you as a Dying Man to see that she be not abused and as for my poor Children I hope the father of Heaven will take care of them and give thern Grace to be Dutiful to their distressed Mother And so with my dying Love to all my Friends when you see them I take leave of you and them and all the World desiring your Christian Prayers for me to the last moment Then repeating some Sentences of Scripture as Colossians chap. 3. v. 1 2. If you then c. and praying very fervently said I thank God I have Satisfaction I am ready and willing to suffer Shame for his Name And so pouring forth some private Ejaculations to himself and lifting up his Hands the Executioner did his Office The Soldiers then present said They never before were so taken with a Dying Man's Speech his Courage and Christian-like Resolution caused many violent Men against the Prisoners to repent of their Tyranny towards them some of whom in a short time died full of Horror And thus fell this Good Man a true Protestant and one that held out to the end An Account of those that suffered at Bridport and Lyme 1. AT Bridport one John Sparke who was a very Good Man and behaved himself with a great deal of Christian-like Courage to the end Being asked how he could endure those Hardships he had undergone since his being taken Says he If this be all 't is not so much but my Friend if you were to take a Journey in those ways you were not acquainted with you would I hope desire Advice from those that had formerly used those ways or lived near by them Yes says he Then said he The ways of Affliction which I have lately travelled in I had Advice many a time from a Minister who hath often told his Congregation of the troublesomeness of the Road and of the difficulty of getting through and has given me and Hundreds of others to understand the Pits and Stones in the way and how to avoid them He has been a Man used to those Roads many Years I have taken his Advice I am got thus far on comfortably and I trust shall do so to the end I am not afraid to fight a Duel with Death if so it must be Now I thank God I can truly say Oh Death where is thy Sting and Oh Grave where is thy Victory Two or three Days after his Sentence he was drawn to Execution but was very rudely and opprobriously dealt with to the Shame of those that then had the Charge over him their Rigour to him was more more like Turks than Christians Being come to the Place of Execution he prayed very devoutly but by the Rudeness of the Guards there could be no Copy taken to be said to be true He died very Couragiously and spake to them in these Words looking on the Soldiers saying Little do you think that this very Body of mine which you are now come to see cut in pieces will one Day rise up in Judgment against you and be your Accuser for your delight in spilling of Christian Blood The Heathens have far more Mercy Oh 't is sad when England must out-strip Infidels and Pagans But pray take notice Don't think that I am not in Charity with you I am so far that I forgive you and all the World and do desire the God of Mercies to forgive you and open your Hearts and turn you from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Lord Jesus Christ And so Farewel I am going out of the Power of you all I have no dependance but upon my blessed Redeemer to whom I commit my dear Wife and Children
it to lye No I will not I say if he was my Lawful King I was misled in my Judgment and have committed a great Error but Lord I hope thou hast washed away all my sins in and through the Blood of my dear Redeemer in whose alone Merits I hope for Mercy I desire to be asked no more Questions Then the Minister prayed very devoutly near half an hour after which lifting up his Hands and Eyes to Heaven he quietly submitted to Death 14. Mr. John Hicks's Last Speech 1685. I Suppose the Spectators here present may expect I should speak something before I leave this Sanguinary Stage and Passage through my Bloody Sufferings by which my Immortal Spirit will be speedily transported into an invisible and eternal World and I conclude that they have different Resentments hereof Some resent them with much Joy high Exultation and Triumph others with equal Grief and Sorrow that to the one I am a most pleasant Spectacle that they behold me with high complacency and delight but to the other I am a mournful and unpleasant one and they behold me with no less pity and compassion Concerning the first I can say I freely and heartily forgive them and heartily pray that God would most mercifully and graciously prevent their mourning through Misery not only here but eternally hereafter Concerning the other I will say Weep for your own sins and for the sins of the Nation for the highest Rebellions that ever were committed against the great and eternal God lament bitterly for those sins that have been the meritorious Cause of the late terrible Judgment that which I fear will cause God to break in upon this Nation with an overflowing Deluge of Judgments which are far more tremendous and dreadful As for Sympathizing with me in drinking this bitter Cup appointed for me I return you most humble and hearty thanks earnestly desiring God to come unto you and fill your Souls with all Coelestial Comforts and Spiritual Consolations Something I must say to purge and clear my self from a false Accusation laid to my Charge as that I was engaged with Col. Blood in Rescuing Col. Mason near Boston when he was sent down with a Guard from London to York to be Tryed for High Treason and that I was the Man that killed the Barber of that City and that also I was with him when he stole the Crown Now as I am a dying Man and upon the very brink of a very stupendous Eternity the truth and reality whereof I firmly believe without any Reservation or the least Equivocation I do declare in the Presence of the All-seeing God that Impartial Judge before whom in a very little time I must appear I never saw nor conversed with Mr. Thomas Blood from 1656 till after he stole the Crown which was in 71 or 72 nor was ever engaged with him in any of his Treasonable Plots and Practices 'T is true I being involved in great trouble of another Nature of which I have given to the World a Narrative and which is notoriously known in the Country where I then lived by some that were Enemies to me for my Preaching I was perswaded to apply my self to Mr. Blood to procure by his Intercession his late Majesty's Gracious Favour Accordingly he brought me into his Royal Presence while I was there his Majesty carried it with great Clemency without expressing one word of that which I am now charged with Mr. Blood continued with his Majesty a little longer than I did then he told me that he had granted me a Pardon which I did thankfully accept of knowing it would free me from all Penalties and Troubles that I was obnoxious to and were occasioned to me by my Nonconformity Then engaging him to take out my Pardon he told me That he got it out with several others that had been engaged with him in several Treasonable Designs and Actions at which I was troubled supposing it might be imputed to me thereby yet God knows I have often since reflected upon it with great regret and dissatisfaction If Mr. Blood did inform the late King to make himself the more considerable and to bring as many of his Party as he could to accept of their Pardons that he might be rendered utterly incapable of Plotting any further Mischief against his Government or any other ways that I was engaged with him in any of his Treasonable Attempts I now appeal to God as a dying Man concerning it that he hath done me an irreparable wrong I also in the same manner do declare That I was never engaged with any Party in Plotting or Designing or Contriving any Treason or Rebellion against the late King and particularly that I was altogether unconcerned in and unacquainted with that for which my Lord Russel and others suffered and as much a stranger to any against the present King And whereas it is reported of me That at Taunton I perswaded the late Duke of Monmouth to assume the Title of King I do once more selemnly declare That I saw not the said Duke nor had any Converse with him till he came to Shipton-Mallet which was Thirteen Days after he landed and several days after he had been at Taunton And 't is as false that I rid to and fro in the West to stir up and perswade Men to go into his Army and Rebel against his present Majesty for I was in the East Country when the Duke landed and from thence I went directly to him when he was at Shipton-Mallet not one Man accompanying me from thence But hitherto as I lived so now I die owning and professing the true Reformed Christian commonly called the Protestant Religion which is founded on the pure written Word of God only and which I acknowledge likewise to be comprehended in the Articles of the Doctrine of the Church This Religion I have made a reasonable and free choice of and have heartily embraced not only as it protests against all Pagan and Mahometan Religion but against the Corruption of the Christian and I humbly and earnestly pray to God that by his Infinite Wisdom and Almighty Power he will prevent not only the utter extirpation but diminution thereof by the heighth and influence of what is contrary thereto and for that end the Lord make the Professors of it to live up more to its Principles and Rules and bring their Hearts and Conversations more under the Government and Power of the same I die also owning my Ministry Non-conformity for which I have suffered so much and which doth now obstruct the King's Grace and Mercy to be manifested and extended to me For as I chose it not constrainedly so I appeal to God as a dying Man not moved from Sullenness or Humour or Factious Temper or Erroneous Principles of Education or from Secular Interests or Worldly Advantages but clearly from the Dictates of my own Conscience and as I judged it to be the Cause of God and to have more of Divine Truth
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
Nature and Art the World is furnish'd with and we set as the principal Spectators of them in order to be High-Priests to offer the Sacrifices of Praise for the Rest of the visible Creation methinks I am ready to complain that our Lives are contracted to so short a Span that we can hardly have time to look about us and admire and give due Praise but we must be gone off the Stage Oh! think I if we might but live now to a Mathusalem's Age or at least a Nestor's or John of the Times or but so long as my Country-man Part what brave Schemes might we draw of Architecture What high Scaffolds might we raise What wonderful Projects might we contrive What ingenious and subtle Ideas might we form The Quadrature of the Circle the perpetual Motion the scaling of the Skies and a perfect Discovery of the Lunar World the Philosopher's Stone Flying Diving Any thing Every thing would be but mean and ordinary to imploy our Wits upon But God hath wisely prevented our Projection of these Babels by reducing our Time to a short Scantling of but a Span long and confounding our Thoughts with a Thousand Cares and Abbreviating our Necessities to a little Compendium of Fearing God and heeping his Commandments as the whole of Man Notwithstanding we have all of us almost some spare Minutes left from our necessary Offices which we might if we would spend in a more noble way upon more generous Exercises either of Veiwing or Doing of Speculation or Action or which were much better both I am not so fond as to conceit that I have given here a due Account of all or most of the Wonders and strange Improvements of Art 't is enough to my purpose if tanquam canis ad Nilum I have exhibited a short Specimen enough to beget Admiration and Emulation Let my Reader read and wonder and fall into an honest Indignation with himself that he hath suffer'd his Sands of Time to run so fast in his Glass and his Blood stagnate in his Veins and his Brains gather Flegm and Water whilst himself doth nothing or nothing to purpose or next door to nothing in comparison with those brave Intellectuals he is endowed with I am not for Domitian's pricking Flies with a Pin nor the Hungarian 's wooden Coat of Mail the work of fifteen Years nor Myrmerides 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coach with four Horses so little you might hide them under a Flie's Wing nor Collicrates 's Elegies writ so small that a Cherry-stone might hold them nor Mark Scaliot 's Lock spoken of hereafter c. These are all certainly but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a laborious Loss of Time an Ingenious Profusion of one of the best Talents we are intrusted with and more than that perhaps of Two viz. Our Time and Wit Let People know their Strength what they can do and consider the Price of Time they have allowed to act in and act accordingly with a due Aim and direct Tendancy to the Divine Honour their Neighbour's Benefit and their own Happiness and I do not doubt but Men will find better Work and at last receive a Better a more Comfortable and Satisfactory Reward Curiosities of Art PART III. CHAP. I. The English Tongue Improved THE Art of Speaking is none of the least Extellencies of Humane Nature the Confusion of Tongues introduced a great Obscurity in delivering the Sense of our Minds and Men were many Ages blundering and unskilful in expressing themselves properly Where Learning prevailed the Languages were sooner ripen'd to a Perfection and Purity The English Tongue by occasion of frequent Intermixtures with other People lay a long time corrupted with a variety of Dialects How it hath been improved of late Ages we may guess by comparing the Old Dialect with the New Of the old take these few Parcels out of Richard a Religious Hermit in the Earl of Exeter 's Library for a Specimen 1. His Te Deum begins thus We heryen ye God we knowlecnen ye Lord Alle ye erie worschips ye everlasting Fader Alle Aungels in Hevens and alle ye poures in yis VVarld Cherebin and Seraphin cryen by be voice to ye unstinting 2. His Benedictus thus Blessyd be ye Louerd God of Israel for he has visityd maad buying of his puple 3. The Magnificat thus My Soul worschips ye Louerd and my gost ioyed in God my hele for he lokyd ye mekeness of hys honde mayden So for i â—en of yat blissefulle Schal sey me all generaciouns For he has don to me grete yingis yat myrty is and his Nome hely 4. Nunc dimittis Louerd you leuest nowe yi Servaunt in pees astir yi word yat you hast seyde byfore for now I am ripe to die for mine eghen hau seen yin owen Son Christ yat is yin owen he le to Men. 5. Mat. Cap. 1. The Bok of ye Generacoun of Jhu Crist Sone of Dauid Sone of Abraham Abraham gendryde Isaac Isaac forsoye gendride Jacob Jacob forsoye gendride Judas and hys breyren 6. Acts 1. Ye dedis of ye Apostlis Theofile fyrst I maad a Sermon of all yingis yat ittu began to do and to teche into the day of his assencioun in whych he commandide in ye hoolst to his Apostlis whyche he hadde chosen to whyche he schewide hymselfe alyve aftyr his passioun by many Argumentys appering to hem fourti dais 7. Rem 1. Paul ye Servaunt of Jhu Crist clepid an Apostle depromptyd into the Gospel of God whyche he hadde behote tofore by hise Profetis in hooli Scriptur of his Sone Apoc. 1. Apocalipis of Jhu Crist whyche God 3 as to him to maak open to hys Servauntis whyche yingis hit behouey to be maad soone c. 8. Pater Noster thus Ure Fadir in Hevene riche Thy nome be haliid everliche Thou bring us to thy michilblisse Thi wil to wirche thu us wisse Al 's it is in Hevene ido Euer in Erth ben hit also That heli bred yat lastyth ay Thou send hious yis ilke day Forgive ous all yat we haueth don Al 's we forgive ych oder mon He let ous falle in no founding Alt scilde ous fro ye foul thing Amen 9. The Creed thus I beleive in God Fadir Almighty Shipper of Heven and Erth and in Jhesus Crist his onle thi Son ure Louerd that is iuange church the hooli gost bore of Mary maiden tholedepine undyr Pounce Pilat picht on rode tre dead and yburiid licht into helle the thrid day fro death arose steich into Heuene sit on his Fadir richt honde God Almichty then is comminde to deme the quikke and the dede I beleue in the hooli Gost alle hooli Chirche mone of Allehallwen forgiuenis of sine fleiss uprising lif withuten end Amen Wevers Fun. Men. p. 152. Of the New or Modern Dialect there is no necessity of giving any Specimen at all CHAP. II. Blind Persons Improved by Art and Industry WHere Nature is defective there the Assistance of Art
Spring then called Goldwell to place a Cistern for his own Drinking met with a Rock so wonderfully contrived by Nature it self that he thought it worthy of all imaginable Advancement by Art He made Cisterns and laid divers Pipes between the Rocks and built a House over them containing one fair Room for Banquetting c. Which when finished A 1636. together with the Rocks Grove c. he presented to the Queen who in Company with the King himself was pleased to honour the Rock not only with her Royal Presence but commanded the same to be called after her own name Henrietta VVhich Structure in the unhappy Civil VVars became neglected and decayed till at last it lapsed into the Hands of the Right Honourable Edw Hen. Earl of Litchfield Lord of the Soil who A. 1674. not only repaired the broken Cisterns and Pipes but made a fair Addition to it in a sinall Island situate in the passage of a Rivulet just before the Building set over the Rock The Rock is Artificial in the middle of the Island covered with living Aqueous Plants the Keeper of the VVater turning the Cocks casteth a Canopy of VVater over the Rock by an Instrument of Brass for that purpose In the middle of the Rock is a Column of VVater rising about 14 Foot designed to toss a Ball. The Streams of VVater that make the Canopy flow from about 30 Pipes set round the Rock which streams while Persons strive to avoid by turning other Cocks they are unavoidably besprinkled either upon their Heads or Leggs or the Reins of their Backs In the Grot the Rock is to beseen made up of large craggy Stones with great cavities between them out of which flows VVater plentifully and perpetually dashing against the Rocks below fed only with a single Spring the natural Rock is about ten Foot high and as many broad but advanced about four Foot more by the addition of some few Shelves of Lead and dry Stones on the top upon turning one of the Cocks rises a Chequer Hedge of VVater and upon turning another two side Columns of VVater and by turning of a third Cock a Column of VVater rises in the middle which ascending into the turn of the Arch and not rising again is received into hidden Pipes into one of which terminated in a very small Cistern of VVater behind a Stone of the Rock and having a Mouth and Languet just above its Surface the Air being forced into it by the Approaches of the VVater a noise is made near resembling the Notes of a Nightingale But when that Pipe is filled the singing ceaseth till the VVater has passed away by another Pipe in the lower part of the Rock which when almost done a noise is heard like the beating of a Drum perform'd by the rushing in of Air into the hollow of the Pipe which is large and of Copper to supply the place of the VVater almost gone out which done the Nightingale may be made to sing again From the turned Roof of the Rock by help of a brass Instrument and turn of a Cock in one of the Closets above they can let down a Canopy of VVater and from the top they can throw arched Spouts of VVater crossing one another c. with some other Sportive Streams of VVater a Cellar behind the Rock to keep Liquors cool or place Musick in for the Surprizal of Strangers c. we think fitter for the Eye than the Pen to describe Ibid. CHAP. XVI TO Sum up all I present my Reader here with an Epitome of Artifices a Miscellany Compendium of little pretty Fancies and Curiosities like the Webs of the Silk-Worm or Spider of an Ingenious Texture and Contrivance enough to demonstrate the Fineness of Man's Wit but whether sufficient to Compensate for the Expence of his precious Talents or no Judge 1. Mr. E formerly mentioned under the Chapter of Grod Wives work'd a most curious wrought Bed all with One Needle which is so much the more remarkable as this Bed by reason of its extraordinary bigness and curious Flourishes was near Ten Years in Finishing 2. Amongst the Rarities of Dresden are to be seen Castles of Gold and Mother of Pearl many Fowls and Cups made of Shells a fine Ostridge made out of its Egg with the Feathers of Gold a Cup made out of the Ball taken out of an Ox's Stomach richly set about a Foot long 121 Heads carved on the out-side of a Cherry-stone a Frier of Japan carv'd in Box a Glass Organ c. Dr. Brown's Travels 3. Dr. Wecker puts the Question VVhether material Statues may Speak by any Artificial way And he tells us That Albertus Magnus was reported to have performed it and he supposeth it may be done by VVind For we see saith he that a Voice or Sound will be conveyed entire through the Air that brass Guns make a mighty noise not to be heard before the slame be seen and therefore Sounds go with Time and are entire without interruption unless they break upon some place the Eccho proves this striking whole against a Wall and rebounding back again like a Beam of the Sun So that he concludes Leaden Pipes 2 or 300 Paces long shall carry Sounds or Words so as to be heard at the other end He tells us he was at the time of VVriting upon the trial of it To which I will add That I have seen the like contrivance of Dr. Wilkins in a Statue set up in Wadham Coll. Garden where there is a leaden Pipe one end whereof is in an Arbor not far distant converyed under Ground to the foot of the Statue which is erected in the middle of a Cistern and so continued through the Body of the Statue upward to the Mouth But what the effect of this Contrivance was I cannot say it being out of Order in my time 4. In the 20th Year of Queen Elizabeth Mark Scaliot Black-Smith made a Lock consisting of 11 pieces of Iron Steel and Brass all which together with a Pipe-Key to it weighed but one Grain of Gold He made also a Chain of Gold consisting of 43 Links whereunto having fastned the Lock and Key before mentioned he put the Chain about a Fleas Neck which drew them all with ease Now all these together Lock and Key Chain and Flea being weighed the weight of them was but one Grain and a half Fayth Ann. p. 128. 5. Myrmecides wrought out of Ivory a Chariot with four VVheels and as many Horses in so little room that a little Fly might cover them all with her VVings The same Man made a Ship with all the Tackling to it no bigger than a small Bee might hide it with her VVings Plin l. 7. c. 21. p. 167. 6. Praxiteles made a Statue of Venus for the Gridians so lively that a certain young Man became so Amorous of it that the excess of his Love deprived him of his VVits This Piece of Art was esteemed at that rate by King Nicomedes that whereas
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All the Pastors of Caen and a good number of other Protestant Refugees belonging to the Town being in the Low Countreys Anno 1687 offered their unanimous and uniform Testimony to the Truth of this marvellous matter 16. There is likewise an undoubted Relation of a poor but a good Woman belonging to the Congregation of Mr. Daniel Burgess in London She had for many Years laboured under a Fistula in her Hip which had proceeded so far that the very Bone was tainted and she was turned out of the Hospital as Incurable This Person reading with Prayer over it that Passage in Mat. 15.28 Jesus said unto her O Woman Great is thy Faith be it unto thee as thou wilt And feeling her Soul by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ carried forth unto a great Faith in him she found herself immediately and miraculously Cured of all her Malady I have not now the Relation of this matter at hand but this is as far as I can remember the Substance of what I received concerning it It was about the beginning of December 1694. 17. In a Letter from the Reverend Mr. John How I find the ensuing Passages which I take the leave to expose unto the Publick It gives among us writes that wort by Man some Reviving to the Languishing Interest of Christianity and some Check to the Infidel Spirit that under the falsely assumed name of Deism would turn all Revealed Religion and indeed all Religion into Ridicule that God is pleased to own it by some late miraculous Cures wrought upon the Acting of Faith in Christ 18. That excellent Person proceeding then to recite some of the Instances which we have already mentioned he adds A fourth I have late certain Knowledge of but the thing was done six Years ago a Blackamooryouth Servant unto a religious Baroner He lately dining at my House assured me That his Servant having a great Aversion to Christianity and refusing Instruction was struck with universal Pains in all his Limbs which continued upon him a Year and half like Rheumatical but relieved by none of the apt usual Means that are wont to give Relief in such cases At length in his Torments which were great he grew serious instructible penitent and by the frequent Endeavours of the Parochial Minister a good man known to me brought to an understanding Acknowledement of Christ upon which Baptism being promised to him he consented but pressed to be carried unto the Assembly that he might own Christ publickly Upon the doing whereof he was immediately Cured and hath continued well ever since These are great Things Hallelujah Preparatives I hope to the Revival of Christianity and I fear to terrible Acts of Vengance upon obstinate persevering Infidels 19. Susanna Arch was a miserable Widow for divers Years overwhelmed with an horrid Leprosie which the Physicians that saw it pronounced incurable but from that very time that they told her so a strange perswasion came into her Mind that the Lord Jesus Christ would Cure her That Scripture came frequently into her Mind Mat. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean and she found herself enabled to plead this before him with some degree of Confidence that at last she should prevail She resolved that she would rely on the Lord Jesus Christ who in the Days of his Flesh when on Earth cured all Diseases and Sicknesses among the People and who had still as much Power now that he is glorified in Heaven She felt many Temptations to weaken her Confidence but still there came in seasonable and agreeable Scriptures with a mighty force upon her to strengthen it as at one time that in Mark 11.22 Have Faith in God At another time that in Job 11.40 Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest believe thou shouldst see the Glory of God At another time that in Heb. 10.35 Cast not away your Confidence which hath great Recompence of Reward Her Leprosie had been complicated with a Phtisick which for many Years afflicted her but in the Month of Novemb 1694. she had her Phtisick removed without any Humane Power and she took that as a Token for Good that she should also be cured of her Leprosie and the late Miracles upon others enlivened this her Hope exceedingly In December the Distemper of this Godly Woman grew worse and worse upon her and when her Mind was uneasie those passages came to mind I know O Lord that thou canst do every thing and Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us On December 26. at Night she was buffeted with some Temptations that her Faith for her Cure having proved but a Fancy her Faith for her Soul must be so too but she cried out unto the Lord Lord I have cast my Soul upon thee and my Body upon thee and I am resolved now to cast all my Diseases upon thee Her Mind was hereupon composed and the next Night putting up her Hand unto her Head first on the one side and then on the other she felt a new Skin on both sides which very much amazed her whereupon she cried out Lord Jesus hast thou begun Thou wilt carry it on She then taking off her Head-Cloaths found the Scurf gone off her Head and a firm Skin appearing there and her Distemper which had extended itself all over her Body from Head to Foot in putrifying Sores was in like manner suddenly taken away to the admiration of all that were Beholders Reader Do not now encourage thy self in a vain Expectation of Miracles to relieve thy particular Afflictions but improve these Miracles as Intimations of what the Lord Jesus Christ can and will quickly do for his afflicted Church in the World These Four last Accounts were Extracted from Mr. Cotton Mather in his Sermon called Things for a Distress'd People Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubrey Esq 20. OUR English Chronicles do Record That in the Reign of King Henry the Third a Child was born in Kent that at Two Years old cured all Diseases Several Persons have been cured of the King's-Evil by the Touching or Handling of a Seventh Son 21. Samuel Scot Seventh Son of Mr. William Scot of Hedington in Wilt-shire did when a Child wonderful Cures by Touching only viz. as to the King's-Evil Wenns c. but as he grew to be a Man the Vertue did decrease and had he lived longer perhaps might have been spent 22. 'T is certain the Touch of a Dead Hand hath wrought wonderful Effects e. g. One a Painter of Stowel in Somerset-shire near Bridgewater had a Wenn in the inside of his Cheek as big as a Pullet's Egg which by the Advice of one was cur'd by once or twice Touching or Rubbing with a Dead Woman's Hand 23. Mr. Davys Mell the famous Violinist and Clock-maker had a Child Crook-back'd that was cured after the manner aforesaid 24. In Somerset-shire 't is confidently reported That some were cured of the King's-Evil by the Touch of the Duke of Monmouth The Lord
Chancellor Bacon saith That Imagination is next Kin to Miracle-working Faith 25. When King Charles the First was Prisoner at Carisbrook-Castle there was a Woman Touched by him who had the King's-Evil in her Eye and had not seen in a Fortnight before her Eye-lids being glued together as they were at Prayers after the Touching the Womans Eyes opened Mr. Seymer Bowman with many others were Eye-witnesses of this 26. William Bakhouse of Swallowfield in Berk-shire Esq had an ugly Scab that grew on the middle of his Forehead which had been there for some Years and he could not be cured In his Journey to Peterborough he dreamt there That he was in a Church and saw a Hearse and that one did bid him wet his Scab with the Drops of the Marble The next Day he went to Morning-Service and afterwards going about the Church saw the very Hearse which was of Black Say for Queen Catherine Wife to King Henry the Eighth and the Marble Grave-stone by He found Drops on the Marble and there were some Cavities wherein he clip'd his Finger and wetted the Scab In Seven Days it was perfectly cured 27. Arise Evans had a fungous Nose and said It was reveal'd to him that the King's Hand would cure him and at the first coming of King Charles the Second into St. James's-Park he kiss'd the King's Hand and rubb'd his Nose with it which disturb'd the King but cured him Mr. Ashmole told me 28. There is extant a true Relation of the wonderful Cure of Mary Maillard Lame almost ever since she was born on Sunday the 26th of November 1693. With the Affidavits and Certificates of the Girl and several other credible and worthy Persons who knew her both before and since her being cured To which is added A Letter from Dr. Wellwood to the Right Honourable the Lady Mayoress upon that Subject London Printed for R. Baldwin near the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-lane 1664. 29. The following Letter I receiv'd from Mr. Moses Pitt with the Relation of Anne Jefferies Decemb. 3. 96. Reverend Sir I Have here sent you what I have Published of Anne Jefferies which you may if you please Reprint in your Collections only with these Additions which accrued not to my Memory or Information 'till after I had Published the same viz. That these Fairies are distinguished into Males and Females and than they are about the bigness of Children of Three or Four Years of Age. I also desire you to insert this Letter to me from my Kinsman Mr. Will. Tom who was the Person which Dined with the Lord Bishop of Gloucester when I told him this of Anne Jefferies and is a Merchant of as much Note as most in Devon or Cornwall and has been Mayor of Plimouth who knows Anne Jefferies who is still living as well as my self he sent me the Letter on my sending him one of the Books by Post I have the Original by me Plimouth May 12. 1696. Cous Pitt I Have yours with the inclosed Prints and do know and have heard that all in it is very true which with my Duty to my Lord Bishop of Gloucester you may acquaint his Lordship it 's needless for me to write to him I am Your Affectionate Kinsman and Servant William Tom. This is all I think needful to acquaint you with on this Subject I am Your True and Faithful Servant Moses Pitt 30. An Account of one Anne Jefferies now living in the County of Cornwall who was fed for Six Months by a small sort of Airy People called Faiâ—ies And of the strange and wonderful Cures she performed with Salves and Medicines she received from them for which she never took one Penny of her Patients In a Letter from Moses Pitt to the Right Reverend Father in God Dr. Edward Fowler Lord Bishop of Gloucester My LORD WHen about Christmass last I waited on you with my Printed Letter to the Author of a Book entituled Some Discourses upon Dr. Burnet now Lord Bishop of Salisbury and Dr. Tillotson late Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury occasioned by the late Funeral Sermon of the former upon the latter After I had paid my Duty and Service to your Lordship you were pleased to mind me of my having told you a wonderful Story about Seventeen or Eighteen Years since in the Company of a Kinsman of mine a Tradesman of Plimouth who also confirmed part of it from his own Knowledge and the following Narrative you will sâ—â—d to contain the Substance of what you then heard And I doubt not but I could bring several other Persons now living to justifie the Truth of what I here write Nay the Person concerned who is at this time living in Cornwall must own it and a great deal more if she could be prevailed with to speak out My Lord I thought I could if any Person alive have prevail'd with her she being the Servant that attended me in my Childhood but your Lordship may see that I cannot and therefore your Lordship must be content with what I here publish I am satisfied I was not nor could be imposed on in this Affair the Particulars having made sâ— great an Impression on me from my Youth hitherto I know my Lord that the great part of the World will not believe the passages here related by reason of the strangeness of them but I cannot help their Vnbelief Your Lordship knows the Record where it 's mentioned That the great God did marvellous things in the sight of our Forefathers but for all that they sinned yet more and believed not his wondrous Works And therefore Vnbelief is no new Sin crept into the World And moreover my Lord if Men would give themselves time to think they cannot but remember that the great God has done as great and marvellous Works in our Age both in Judgment and in Mercy as be did in the Days of old by which the greatest Atheist may be convinc'd not only of the Being of a God but also that his Power and his Goodness are as manifest now as of old and therefore it 's the Duty of all that do by personal Knowledge know any extraordinary Works or Providences of God which are uncommon to publish them to the World that the great God may be glorified and Mankind edified which is purely and truly the Design of Publishing the following Narrative ANne Jefferies for that was her Maiden Name of whom the following strange things are related was born in the Parish of St. Teath in the County of Cornwall in December 1626. and she is still living 1696. being now in the Seventieth Year of her Age she is married to one William Warden formerly Hind a Hind is one that looks after the rest of the Servants the Grounds Cattel Corn c. of his Master to the late eminent Physician Dr. Richard Lower deceased and now lives as Hind to Sir Andrew Slanning of Devon Bar. I must acquaint you Sir that I have made it my Business but could not prevail to get
nutriment and augmentation is decent and salutary and conducive to action and the proper offices of nature but either a Redundancy or Deficiency are hurtful and obstructive Extraordinary fatness on the one hand devours up or overwhelms the Animal Spirits so that they must move like Travellers in the Wilds of Kent and Sussex Leanness impoverishes Nature and sets her upon a poor Horse that 's hardly able to carry himself 1. Zacutus speaks of a young Man so fat that he could scarce move himself or go or set one step forward but continually sate in a Chair in perpetual fear of being Choaked Zacutus cured him Zacut. prox Adm. l. 3. Obs 108. p. 416. 2. Dionisius Son of Clearchus the Tyrant of Heraclea was by reason of his Fat pressed with difficulty of Breathing and fear of Suffocation He could no feel very long and sharp Needles prick'd into his Sides and Belly upon adivce of his Physicians whilst they passed through the Fat till they touched upon the sensible Flesh Athenaeus l. 12. c. 12. p. 549. 3. Vitus a Matera a Learned Philosopher and Divine was so Fat that he was not able to get up a pair of Stairs He breathed with great difficulty nor could he Sleep lying along without danger of Suffocation Donat. Hist Mirab. l. 5. c. 2. p. 274. 4. I have seen saith the same Author ayoung Englishman carried through all Italy to be seen for Money who was of that monstrous Fatness and Thickness that the Duke of Mantua and Mountferrat commanded him to be Pourtray'd naked to the Life Ibid. 5. Anno 1520. a Nobleman born in Diethmarsia but sometimes living in Stockholme being sent to Prison by the Command of Christiern II. could not be thrust in at the Prison Door by reason of his extream Corpulency but was thrown aside into a Corner near it Zuing. Theat v. 2. l. 2. p. 279. 6. Pope Leo X. was Fat to a Proverb Ibid. 7. Polyeusus Sphettius an Athenian mentioned by Plutarch in Photion Ptolomeus Energes Magan who reigned 50 years in Cirene c. are taken notice of by Authors for their Extraordinary Corpulency CHAP. XXXI Instances of extraordinary Leanness 1. CYnesias called Philyrinus because he girt himself round within boards of the Wood Philyra least through his exceeding Talness and Slenderness he should break in the Waste Athen l. 12. c. 13. p. 551. 2. Panaretus was exceeding lean and thin notwithstanding which he passed his whole Life in a most entire and perfect Health Ibid. p. 562. 3. Philetas of Coos was an Excellent Critick and Poet in the time of Alexander the Great but withal he had a body of that exceeding leaness and lightness that he commonly wore Shoes of Lead and carried Lead about him least at sometime or other he should be blown away by the Wind. Ibid. p. 552. CHAP. XXXII Persons Long-liv'd 'T IS reported of Paracelsus that he would undertake if he had the Nurture of a Well-humour'd and Complexien'd Infant from his Nativity to put him in a way of living Everlastingly but that was a brag fit only for such a bold Thrasonical Smatterer in Chymistry and Magick as he was no doubt but Old Age and Death might be retarded and kept off much longer then they are in the Cases of some Persons where Nature hath given a due Contexture a fit Complexion of Humours with the Observation of a suitable Diet and where Divine Providence doth not resist 1. There is a Memorial entred upon the Wall of the Cathedral of Peterborough for one who being Sexton thereof Interred two Queen's therein Katherine Dowager and Mary of Scotland more then 50 years interceeding betwixt their several Sepultures this Vivacious Sexton also buried two Generations or the People on that place twice over Fullers Worthies p. 293. Northamp 2. Richard Chamond Esq served in the Office of Justice of Peace almost 60 years he saw above 50 several Judges of the Western Circuit was Unkle and great Unkle to 300 at the least and saw his youngest Child above 40 years of Age. Fullers Worth p. 211. Cornwal Carew's Survey of Cornwal p. 18. 3. In Herefordshire saith my Lord St. Albans there was a Morrice Dance of 8 Men whose years put together made up 800 that which was wanting in one superabounded in others Verulam Hist Life and Death p. 135. 4. William Paulet Marques of Winchester and Lord Treasurer of England 20 years together who died in the 10th year of Queen Elizabeth was born in the last years of Henry VI. He lived in all 106 years and three Quarters and odd days during the Reign of 9 Kings and Queens of England He saw the Children of his Childrens Children to the number of 103 and died 1572. Bakers Chron. p. 502. fullers Worth Hantshire p. 8. 5. One Polezew saith Mr. Carew of Cornwal reached to 130 years one Beauchamp to 106. And in the Parish where himself dwelt he professed to have remembred the Decease of 4 within 14 Weeks space whose years added together made up the Sum of 340 the same Gentleman made this Epitaph upon one Brawne an Irishman but Cornish Beggar Here Brawne the Quondam Beggar lies who counted by his Tale Some Sixscore Winters and above Such Vertue is in Ale Ale was his Meat his Drink his Cloth Ale did his Death reprieve And could he still have drank his Ale he had been still Alive 6. Democritus of Abdera a most Studious and Learned Philosopher who sent all his Life in the Contemplation and Investigation of things who lived in great Solitude and Poverty yet did arrive to 109 years Fulgos. l. 8. c. 14. p. 1095. 7. Simeon the Son of Cleophas called the Brother of our Lord and Bishop of Jerusalem lived 120 years though he was cut short by Martyrdom 8. Aquila and Priscilla first St. Paul's Hosts and afterwards his fellow Labourers lived together in Wedlock at least 100 years a piece Verulam p. 116. 9. Johannes Summer Matterus saith Platerus my great Grand-father by the Mother's side of an ancient Family after the Hundredth year of his Age Marryed a Wife of 30 years by whom he had a Son at whose sedding which was 20 years after the Old man was present and liv'd 6 years after that so that he compleated 126 years Plateri Obs. l. 1. p. 233. 10. Galen the great Physician who flourished about the Reign of Antoninus the Emperour is said to have lived 140 years from the time of his 28th year he was never seized with any Sickness save only a Feaver for one day only Fulgos. l. 8. c. 14. p. 1096. 11. James Sands near Brimingham in Seaffordshire lived 140 years and his Wife 120. He out-liv'd 5 Leases of 21 years a piece made unto him after he was Married Fullers Engl. Worth p. 47. 12. Sir Walter Rawleigh knew the Old Countess of Desmond who liv'd in the year 1589 and many years since who was Marryed in Edward IV's time and held her Joynture from all the Earls of Desmond since them The
Lord Bacon casts up her Age to be 140 at least adding withal that she recovered her Teeth after casting them 3 several times Rawleigh Hist World l. 1. c. 5. p. 166. Fuller p. 310 13. Garsius Aretinus lived to 194 years in good state of Health and deceased without being seized with any apparent Disease only perceiving this Strength somewhat weakned Thus writes Petranch of him to whom Garsias was great Grandfather by the Fathers side Fulgos. l. 8. c. 14. p. 1096. 14. Thomas Parre Son of John Parre born at Alderbury in the Parish of Winninton in Shropshire he was born in the Reign of King Edward IV. Anno 1483. at 80 years he marryed his first Wife Jane and in the space of 32 years had but two Children by her both of them short lived the one lived but a Month the other but a few years being Aged 120 he fell in Love with Katherine Milton and got her with Child He lived to above 150 years two Months before his Death he was brought up by thomas Earl of Arundel to Westminster he slept away most of his time and is thus Characterised by an Eye Witness of him From Head to Heel his body had all over A Quick set Thick set Natural Hairy Cover change of Air and Dyet are conceived to Accelerate his Death which happened November 15 Anno 1634 and was buried in the Abby Church at Westminster Fullers Worthies p. 11. Shropshire 15. John of Times was Armour-bearer to Charles the Great by whom he was also made Knight being a Man of great Temperance Sobriety and Contentment of Mind in his Condition of Life lived unto the 9th year of the Emperor Conrade and died at the Age of 361 years Anno 1128. 1146 saith Fulgosus Bakers Chron. p. 73. 16. Guido Bonatus a Man of great Learning saith he saw a Man whose name was Richard Anno 1223 who told him that he was a Soldier under Charlemain and that he had now lived to the 400th year of his Age. Fulgos. l. 8. c. 14. p. 1098. CHAP. XXXIII Examples of a Vegete and Healthful Old Age. I have often look'd upon Old Age as the very Dregs of Life the Sediment of our Natural Humour 's a Complex of Infirmities but the following Instances would tempt one to love Temperance for Lifes sake and Life for it self for no doubt but the Sweetness of Life consists much in the Healthful and Vegete Temper of our Bodies and a Virtuous course of Life and due Abstinence Conduceth much thereto when the Debauch'd Sensualist lies down under the Burden of his Carelesness and the Sins of his Youth never able to retrieve the Damages of his former Lusts 1. Sir Walter Rawleigh in his Discovery of Guiana reports of the King of Aromaia being 110 years Old came in a Morning on foot to him from his House which was 14 English Miles and returned on foot the same day Hakew. Apolog. l. 3. c. 1. p. 166. 2. Buchanan in his Scottish History speaks of one Lawrence who dwelling in one of the Orcades marryed a Wife after he was 100 years of Age and more and that when he was 140 years old he doubted not to go a Fishing alone in his little Boat though in a rough and Tempestuous Sea Camor Hor Subs. c. 2. cap. 68. p. 277. 3. Sigismemd Polcastrus a Physician and Philosopher of Padua Read there 50 years in his Old Age he buried 4 Sons in a short time at 70 years of Age he married again and by his second Wife he had 3 Sons the eldest of which called Anronius he saw dignified with a Degree in both Laws Jerome another of his Sons had his Cap set upon his Head by his Aged Father who Trembled and Wept for Joy not long after which the Old Man died Aged 94 years Schenck p. 539. 4. Platerus tells of Thomas Platerus His Father upon the Death of his first Wife Anno 1572. and the 73 year of his Age married a second time within the compass of 10 years he had 6 Children by her 2 Sons and 4 Daughters the youngest of his Daughters was born in the 81 year of his Age two years before he died J Foelix was born Anno 1536 and my Brother Thomas 1574 the distance between us being 38 years and yet my Brother is all Gray and seems Elder then my self possibly because he was gotten when my Father was stricken in years Pl. Obs. p. 275. 5. M. Valerllus Corvinus attained to the fulfilling of 100 years betwixt whose first and sixth Consulship there was the distance of 47 years yet was he sufficient in respect of the entireness of his bodily Strength not only for the most important Matters of the Common-wealth but also for the exactest Culture of his Fields a Memorable Example Val. Max. l. 8. c. 13. p. 236. 6. Metellus equalled the length of his Life and in extream Age was created Pontiffe for 22 years he had the ordering of the Ceremonies in all which time his Tongue never faultred in Solemn Prayers nor did his Hand tremble in the Offering of the Sacrifices Val. Max. ibid. p. 238. 7. Nicholaut Leonicenus was in the 96 year of his Age when Langius heard him at Ferrara where he had Taught more then 70 years he used to say that he enjoyed a Green and Vegete Age because he had delivered up his Youth chast unto Man's Estate Melch. Adam in Vit. Germ. Med. p. 141. 8. Massanissa was the King of Numidia for 60 years together and excelled all other Men in respect of Strength and of an admirable Old Age that for no Rein or Cold he would be induced to cover his Head they say of him that when he was on Horseback he would lead his Army for the most part both a compleat day and the whole Night also nor would he in extream Age omit any thing of that which he had accustomed to do when young and after the 86th year of his Age he begat a Son and whereas his Land was was waste and desert he left it fruitful by his continual Endeavours in the Cultivation of it he lived till he was above 90 years of Age. Val. M. p. 236. 9. Cornarus the Venetian was in his Youth of a Sickly body began to eat and drink first by measure to a certain weight thereby to recover his Health this Cure turned by use into a Diet that Diet into an extraordinary long Life even of 100 years and better without any decay of his Senses and with a constant enjoyment of Health Verulam's Hist of Life and Death p. 134. 10. Appius Claudius Coecus was blind for the space of very many years yet notwithstanding he was burden'd with this mischance he govern'd 4 Sons and five Daughters very many Dependants upon him yea and the Common-wealth it self with abundance of Prudence and Magnanimity when he had lived so long that he was even tired with living caused himself to be carried to the Senate for no other purpose then to perswade them