CHAP. I.

STrange and wonderfull are many things we frequently ſee and hear of, to the aſto­niſhment and amazing of Mankind: Yet if we rightly conſider, why GOD ſends, or ſuffers ſuch things in the world, they may turn to our advantag•, to warn us from going on in ſinfull ways, and flee from the wrath that is to come. Where ſtr•nge Prodigies or Portants are ma­nifeſted, they are taken uſually for Fore-run­ners of ſtrange Events, and ſtranger then what I am about to relate, that have wery lately happened, & are atteſted (for a credible truth) by perſons of known integrity I may preſume, have been hardly heard of in any of the Mo­dern ages of the world, but to come near to my purpoſe, and in order, the Firſt that I ſhall preſent you with, is a ſtrange and amazing Ac­count,4 of a Prodigeous Monſterous Birth, which is well atteſted and communicated to us, in the following manner.

One Mary Blackſtour, being married to a Perſon, at a place near Hull, in Yorkſhire ▪ not being paſt Child-bearing, but in youth­full brisk years, was paſſionately deſirous to have a Child, but God with-held from her the fruit of the Womb, which made her angry, and often uſe unbecoming expreſſions; envy­ing thoſe that had Children: and ſo ſhe con­tinued about ten Years, though her husband was an active man, and likely enough for the buſſineſs of Generation. At the end of which time, having taken ſome provocatives, and o­ther ſuppoſed helps, her belly began to riſe, but ſometimes again would ſink all on a ſud­den ▪ Yet nevertheleſs, ſhe had a ſtrong con­ceit ſhe was with Child, and would not be perſwaded from the belief, by judicious grave Matrons, who took it for a windy, ſpu•gy, or watry mole; which ſometimes happens, and is called a falſe Conception: Yet the uſual time of Womens going being expired, and no ſign or Labour, of Delivery appear­ing, ſhe began to grow ſomewhat aſhamed of her•oaſtings; and imprudently uttered raſh5 wiſhes or Vows, as ſhe afterward confeſſed, to the giving God a juſt off•nce, to inflict ſome judgement on her. Yet her belly continued to grow big; and ſhe felt ſtrange pains, un­uſual ſweats and faintings, and ſo it continu­ed near two Years, ſo that ſhe fa•cied ſhe had got a Tinpany, or was ſo believed by others, when indeed it was no otherwiſe, for at the end of two Years, from the beginning of her firſt diſorder and fancying ſhe was with child, ſhe fell into heavy pains as a Women in travel, but greater and more unuſual: this continued ſome time without any app•rent hopes of delivery, till the 4th, o•May laſt 1696.

On this day, ſeveral Women being with her, ſhe was with extraordinary pains and labour delivered of a monſterous Child to the affrightment of all that were preſent, hav­ing three Heads, wonderouſly miſhappen, each having one Eye ſtanding in the fore-head, and a ſmall twiſting thing in the form of a Serpent about each neck: It had four diſtinct Arms and Hands, and on the hands each ten Fingers: though not quite ſo open or diſtinct, ſome being leſs in proportion then uſual to others, It had alſo four Legs, and four Feet, and tho but one body, yet there appeared ſeams in6 it as if two or more wer joined, or were incorporated into one, the Feet had a pro­portion of Toes to the Fingers upon the Hands: It had likeways the privy Members of Male and Female, and was expoſed to the view of many Eminent perſons, who came divers Miles to ſee it: It was heard to cry from all the Heads at one and the ſame time, and many other Obſervations were taken of it.

The M•ther by the hard pains of her Travel, and this Affrightment, Sorrow and ſome other concurrents, fell into a weak Condition, ſo that her upriſing being diſpair­ed of, ſhe deſired a Miniſter might be ſent for (which accordingly was done) to pray with her, and to give her Spiritual Conſo­lation which was done. And divers Queſ­tions was asked her, as, whether ſhe was any ways ſenſible how ſhe might offend GOD, that might cauſe him thus for to afflict her with ſo Monſterous an Iſſue? She replyed unto this with a faint languiſhing Voice, that ſhe believed ſhe had provoked the Divine-Goodneſs, becauſe that ſhe had been too paſſionatly deſirous of Children, and now like Rachel, had brought forth a Benoani, the child of her ſorrow: For ſhe had often de­ſired7 that ſhe might have a Child though ſhe were made an Example, or ſuffered never ſo much upon that account: Which ſhe believed now had fallen juſtly upon her. And thereupon ſhe fell inſtantly into this

Then ſhe Exhorted all that came to viſite her, eſpecially Women, to be contented with what GOD was pleaſed to ſend, or beſtow on them: Not to be too vehement in their de­ſires after any thing this world can afford, but keep all their wiſhes and deſires within bounds8 that they may be pleaſing to Almighty God, who knows beſt what to give, and what to reſtrain from us: And not like Rachell, to cry our (when God reſtrains the fruit of the Womb) give me Children or I die: which in ſome meaſure, was now her c•ſe. And ſhe be•ieved, proceeded from her raſh wiſhes and vehement deſire after ſome Children, de­ſiring for what had happened after death, for that•er almoſt ▪ only failing, and what elſe had happened, calling God to witneſs ſhe had lived chaſtly and honeſtly all her lifetime, as well ſi•gl•as in•he Marriage.

And then finding death approaching, ſhe deſired a Sermon might be preached at her Funeral, for to exhort all to be carefull how they ſpend their days in Pride, Luxury and Wantonneſs, leaſt they too ſadly repent it in the end: Appointing it from the Words of our Saviour, Luke 15.18.19 I will ariſe and go to my Father, and will ſay unto him: Father I have ſinned againſt Heaven, and in thy ſight, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son, make me as one of thy hired Servants.

From theſe words it was inferred, that it is a great ſin to fly from God, (as the Prodigal Son did from his Father) on preſumption,9 and hopes to live ryotouſly always: But when this is done, and we ſee we are ſtraightned and brought to miſery under Heavens afflict­ing Hand, and that our ſtrength and beautie fades, then it is not too late: For the Pro­digal Son, after this was received, and that not without Rejoicing. That we ought not to be, however, too confident in any thing as thinking there is any worth in us, that GOD ſhould have ſo much regard to us, as to t•ke us into his Favour in our greateſt need and neceſſity: When we have ſquandred away the Prime o•our days, and in ſerving our own Luſts: But that we ſhould ſeek him early that he may be found of us, and foreſake all things for the Love of Chriſt: that when we come to dye, we may live with him Eternally. He exhorted the good Women preſent not ſo much to deſire Children, as to conſider when they have them, to bring them up in the fear of the Lord: Rachel was paſſionat, when ſhe found•hé bare no Children to Iacob, and ſo, for that ſhe ſaid, Give me Children or I dye. And indeed ſhe had her laſt Son Benjamin, to her ſorrow, for in her Child bed ſhe dyed: And thus it might be the caſe of this woman now departed. And ſo conclud all with good10 and ſober Advice, to leave off our ſins and follies, and turn to God with all ſpeed, that he may receive us into the Everlaſting Arms of Love, Amen.

CHAP. II.

AT ſundry timer, ſtrange firie Meteors have happened in the Air, and very near the Earth: But I think not in this manner, as I have heard of in any ſtory, and therefore take of it the following Relation. On the 12th of May, a great Tempeſt happened, accompanied with prodigious Rain, Thunder and Lightning, more terrible then has been known for many years before, which occaſion­ed the next day violent floods of Water, by com­ing down the Hills, and overflowing the Brooks and Rivers; But that which is moſt remarkable ▪ is, that after a prodigeous clap of Thunder about Noon, there broke out (as from a cloud) a long ſtream of Fire, which appeared greater as it came nearer to the Earth, forming it ſelf into the ſhape of a prodigeous Firie Serpent that appeared, the Tail dragging on the ground, making a noiſe like a Whirl-wind ſindging the Graſs in its way,11 but that which formed the Head and upper part, was elevated as high as the higheſt Trees, or Laigh­town Steeple, and in the body of the firie Serpent, ſomething oculd be ſeen and plainly diſcerned, working as if ſo be it had been caſed up in a glaſs, whilſt a very terrible ſmoak aſcended, and ſtill it moved on, to the great ter•our and amazement of the people, till it came unto Shipton Brook, where the Tail dragging on the Water cauſed a terrible hiſſing, and ſpouted up the Water a great height, dividing as it were, the Brook in its paſſage over, and the evaporated water fell down in ſmall Rain a great compaſs, and immediatly it Thundered and a terrible Storm enſued, in which this body of fire diſſipated and vaniſhed. This is arreſted by divers, who ſay they were Eye-witneſſes of i•, and much terrified at ſo dreadfull a ſight, which had it ap­peared in the night time, it would have been far more dreadfull and amazing.

CHAP. III.

ON the 16th of May, prodigeous black Clouds began to gather, which over12 the greater part of this, and other Countries adjacent cauſed a darkneſs, that had it not been ſeen at that time a day, ſo that people were apprehenſive of a violent Storm ap­proaching, and happy it was for many that they had ſuch Notice, for immediatly the Thunder began to bellow and the lightning to rend the Clouds, and with prodigeous flaſhes enlighten the Air, and run along the Ground, when immediatly ſome great drops of Rain fell, which was followed by pro­digeous Hail-ſtones which wounded divers that were haſting for ſhelter, killed a great many Fowls, and many ſmall Cattle; Some of theſe ſtones being nine or ten inches in compaſs, of divers forms, ſome ragged, ſome four ſquair, ſome oval, long or round, and ſome again in the ſhapes of divers inſtruments falling ſo violently, that they beat divers young Trees in pieces, greatly damnadging the Corn, Peaſe, &c. and cut off branches of long ſtanding Trees, thicker than ones finger, lying in ſuch prodigeous Quantities in the ways, for a great many hours after­ward unmelted, ſo that the Horſe-Carts, Coaches, and Waggons, eſpecially in the narrow ways, could not paſs without great13 defficultie. The Storm continued about an hou•▪ and damnified a great many Buildings, by beating off the Tiles and Thatch, ſome ſcores of Pigeons, Rooks, Daws. &c. have been found dead in the fields ▪ killed by the fall of the Stones and many Horſes, Cows and Oxen, were ſo bruiſed and wounded that many of them are expected not to live, as alſo ſeveral people who were too far from ſubſtantial ſhelter, or took no timely Warning to get to it. And no ſooner were theſe prodigeous Stones melted, for the Sun ſhined out hot a little after but the Water came pouring down from the Hills into the Valleys and Plains, ſo prodigeouſly, that many Sheep, Swine, and other Cattle were ſwept away and driven violently by the Torrent into Meadows, Rivers and other D•pths, and there periſhed: Several Mills were t•rown down, that ſtood on Rivulets, and ſome people is ſaid to be drowned in them, and for a time there was a fearfull Inundation, which has done much harm to the Graſs and Corn the like for ſuddenneſs and Violence not hav•ing happened in theſe parts for many Ages.

CHAP. IV.

STrange and amazing things in this nature, have been ſeen in Coun­tries, near ſome Change and Cataſ­trophy to warn them to a timely Re­pentance of their ſins, when the Judgements are hanging over their heads before the deſtruction of Jeruſa­lem, Armies (with great blaſts of thun­der and lightning) were ſeen coming towards it, and men on horſeback (as we find in the Macchabees) runing on each other with firie ſpears & launces & many other hiſtories are full of ſuch prodigies, ſuch a thing happened in Enland, before the unnatural Civil wars broke out in 1641, and in Ger­manie it has often happened, and fore­run ſome great calamity.

15But now it ſeems it is come into France, near to the place afoeeſaid. As Letters from the Marqueſs D' Laverden and others ſent to the French Court, teſtifie, viz. That two Armies were ſeen fighting over the Heath of Pontive whilſt a great Body of reſerved men ſtood ſtill: That the Ingagement laſted two hours, to the great Terror and aſtoniſhment of the Spectators, and then vaniſhed away: and it was obſerved the Colours of the one appeared all white, the other of a bloody colour, that former had the Sun in its colours, which vaniſhed firſt ▪ and the Truth of the Story being very well atteſted, it furniſhes abundance of matter of Speculation to all: and there b•ing an account of it printed in France upon the peopl•s Conjectures that the vaniſhing of the Colours with the Sun, In it ſignified the defeat of Lewis his great Undertakings; for the Inv•ſion of England and further concluding ▪ that the end of the War would be fatal to their Nation, the thing was ſurpreſſed, and the Printer im­priſoned, but that ſtopt not the murmour and fears of the Vulgar who being weary of oppreſſion by Taxes, Long for a Peace,