Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	good_a	great_a	see_v	4,003	5	3.1544	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58822	The wonder of Suffolk: being a true relation of one that reports he made a league with the devil for three years to do mischief; and now breaks open houses, robs people daily, destroys cattel before the owners faces, strips women naked, &c. and can neither be shot nor taken; but leaps over walls fifteen foot high, runs five or six miles in a quarter of an hour, and sometimes vanishes in the midst of multitudes that go to take him. Faithfully written in a letter from a sober person, dead not long since, to a friend in Ship-yard near Temple-Bar, and ready to be attested by hundreds that have been spectatoes of, or sufferers by his exploits, in several parts of Suffolk. With allowance.	W. S.	1677 (1677)	Wing S208; ESTC R214745	2,585	9

The WONDER of SUFFOLK BEING A TRUE RELATION Of one that Reports he Made a League WITH THE DEVIL for Three years to do Mischief And now breaks open houses robs people daily destroys Cattel before the owners faces strips women naked c. and can neither be Shot nor Taken but leaps over walls fifteen foot high runs five or six miles in a quarter of an hour and sometimes vanishes in the midst of multitudes that go to take him Faithfully written in a Letter from a Sober person dated not long since to a friend in Ship-yard neer Temple-Bar and ready to be attested by hundreds that have been Spectators of or Sufferers by his Exploits in several parts of Suffolk With Allowance LONDON Printed for D. M. 1677. A Letter out of Suffolk SIR BEing of late after a tedious Voyage happily arrived through the gracious providence of God at Harwich though I have naturally an aversion to the foolery of Impertinent Complements yet I should hold my self guilty both of Incivility and Ingratitude should I not pay my Respects to my Friends amongst which number your self must ever claim a principal place As for News I shall not trouble you with any thing Forraign since I have met with an Adventure more strange and surprizing since my return than any I encounter'd abroad which for the rarity of it I think fit to acquaint you with setting down only the truth of the matter of Fact as far as possible my Inquiries and Discourses with the most judicious and concerned persons can inform me who have taken some pains after I heard the vulgar Rumour which is spread over all this Country to be satisfied in the reality of the matter and finde the same as follows A man in High Suffolk was some months ago put into a Goal for Debt or some misdemeanour by him committed for he was always a person of a very loose life and Conversation Whilst he continued a Prisoner 't is reported that he made a League with the Devil to do what mischief he pleaseth for the space of three years with Impunity or without any danger of being taken or punished within that Term for the same Which Report is occasion'd by himself who has uttered words to that purpose for the truth of the thing is impossible to be known or proved by any other save what may be collected from the prodigious effects that have since happened which put many sober persons to a loss whether they should reject or believe it But certain it is that about two months ago he made his Escape out of the Goal and no body can tell by what way or means and cannot by all the vigilance or art they can use be retaken though he continue in that Country goes openly in the day-time and often comes neer Ipswich Town but lives wholly upon Villany and seems to study Mischief and doing of spoil and damage to other people even though he himself get nothing by it for his Actions are as follows He commonly breaks into houses and robs the people takes Bullocks and though they are so large as would require several men to lift them can all-alone hang them up by the heels where he takes off their Hides and sells them to Tanners at remote Towns He takes away Calves before the Owners faces and sometimes by I know not what Charms and Spells makes the Calves run after him and leap over hedges or styles to follow him He robs the Spinsters that have received money for their Yarn and tells them he can tell them before-hand how much money to a peny they have got about them When he meets with women he strips them naked and ties them to Trees and uses other barbarous Incivilities having as I was informed by credible persons served several modest Matrons and young Maids so of late insomuch that scarce any of that Sex in the Villages where he haunts dare go abroad to Market or other lawful occasions He talks with many people and asks them whether they have not heard of such a fellow If they say no he certainly robs beats or strips them and tells them now they may honestly say they have met with him If they say they have heard of him then he confesseth he is the man but in such case commo●ly tells them he will do them no harm and i● as good as his word Though his general Residence is in the Woods and Fields yet sometimes he lies in Ale houses but then seldom discovers himself till he is going away he talks there strangely and extravagantly drinks hard but pays for whatever he calls for he has been surprised in houses against Brick-walls and places where it was thought impossible for him to escape yet he has got away sometimes vanishing out of the house where the people had thought they had secured him and sometimes leaping over Brick-walls 10 or 15 foot high When the people have thought they have been neer him he on a sudden has appeared as far dist●nt as they could see above a mile off He has 〈◊〉 that at several times but no Bullet can touch or hurt him He puts men women and Children in great fear and tells the people that seek to take him That he has yet above two years to Reign and they are fool●●o trouble themselves about him in that time and that just before he shall be taken to be hang'd for that he confesses is his Destiny he must kill some Women great with Childe He is though formerly a dull heavy clouterly fellow of late become so devilish nimble and light of foot that he commonly runs 5 miles in a quarter of an hour Having some business in Suffolk I my self lately saw and discoursed with his own Brother who with much sorrow related several of these particulars and told several others and my self That this strange fellow his Brother was then in a Wood neer the Town and told a Gentleman he might escape him in the Road to Woodbriggs We would have gone to see him but the Towns-people assured us that it was seldom or never his manner to be seen to such as look after him out of curiosity but whereas he falls upon other men that he meets with by accident and easily masters them though there be several of them together yet of these at other times he seems to be fearful and so vanishes they know not how or leaps over Quickset hedges and comes at them no more Several other wonderful stories I heard affirmed of him which at present I have omitted For he is the general Talk and Terrour of the Country What to think of it I know not but am sufficiently assured and satisfi'd of the truth of the matter in general having heard the same attested by hundreds that have seen the fellow and those good sober people whose Credit is in no wise to be doubted Yours in great haste to command W. S. Harwich June 10. 1677. Postscript YOu may if you please shew what I have writ to any of your Friends For though it be a strange yet it is so true a story as hundreds can witness that considering the strangeness of it you will perhaps finde as many Truths in it as ever you did in any Relation of this kinde consisting of particulars so very wonderful FINIS