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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.10/04/01*END* + + + + +This etext was produced by Michael Coker. + + MISCELLANIES + + UPON VARIOUS SUBJECTS. + + BY + + JOHN AUBREY, F.RS. + + + +CONTENTS + +LIFE of Aubrey +Dedication to the First Edition +Day-Fatality; or, Some Observations of Days Lucky and Unlucky +Day-Fatality of Rome +Of Fatalities of Families and Places +Ostenta; or, Portents +Omens +Dreams +Apparitions +Voices +Impulses +Knockings +Blows invisible +Prophesies +Miranda +Magick +Transportation by an invisible Power +Visions in a Beryl or Crystal +Visions without a Glass or Crystal +Converse with Angels and Spirits +Corps-candles in Wales +Oracles +Ecstacy +Glances of Love and Malice +An accurate account of Second-Sighted men in Scotland +Additaments of Second-Sight +Farther Additaments +Appendix + + + THE LIFE OF JOHN AUBREY. + + +JOHN AUBREY, the subject of this brief notice, was born at Easton +Pierse, (Parish of Kington,) in Wiltshire, on the 12th of March, 1626; +and not on the 3rd of November in that year, as stated by some of his +biographers. He was the eldest son of Richard Aubrey, Esq. of +Burleton, Herefordshire, and Broad Chalk, Wiltshire. Being, according +to his own statement, "very weak, and like to dye," he was baptized +on the day of his birth, as appears by the Register of Kington. At an +early age (1633) he was sent to the Grammar School at Yatton Keynel, +and in the following year he was placed under the tuition of Mr. +Robert Latimer, the preceptor of Hobbes, a man then far advanced in +years. + +On the 2nd of May, 1642, being then sixteen years of age, Aubrey was +entered a gentleman commoner of Trinity College, Oxford, where he +appears to have applied himself closely to study. He however cherished +a strong predilection for English History and Antiquities, which was +fostered and encouraged at this time by the appearance of the +"Monasticon Anglicanum", to which he contributed a plate of Osney +Abbey, an ancient ruin near Oxford, entirely destroyed in the Civil +Wars. + +On the 16th of April, 1646, Aubrey was admitted a student of the +Middle Temple, but the death of his father shortly after, leaving him +heir to estates in Wiltshire, Surrey, Herefordshire, Brecknockshire +and Monmouthshire, obliged him to relinquish his studies and look to +his inheritance, which was involved in several law suits. + +Though separated from his associates in the University, he appears to +have kept up a correspondence with several of them, and among others, +Anthony Wood, whom he furnished with much valuable information. Wood +made an ungrateful return for this assistance, and in his +Autobiography thus speaks of him:-"An. 1667, John Aubrey of Easton +Piers in the parish of Kingston, Saint Michael in Wiltshire, was in +Oxon. with Edward Forest, a Bookseller, living against Alls. Coll. to +buy books. He then saw lying on the stall Notitiae Academiae +Oxoniensis, and asking who the author of that book was ? he [Edw. +Forest] answered, the report was that one Mr. Anth. Wood, of Merton +College was the author, but was not. Whereupon Mr. Aubrey, a pretender +to Antiquities, having been contemporary to A. Wood's elder brother in +Trin. Coll. and well acquainted with him, he thought, that he might be +as well acquainted with A. W. himself, Whereupon repairing to his +lodgings, and telling him who he was, he got into his acquaintance, +talked to him about his studies, and offered him what assistance he +could make, in order to the completion of the work that he was in hand +with. Mr. Aubrey was then in sparkish garb, came to town with his man +and two horses, spent high, and flung out A. W. in all his recknings. +But his estate of 70011 per an. being afterwards sold and he reserving +nothing of it to himself, liv'd afterwards in very sorry condition, +and at length made shift to rub out by hanging on Edm. Wyld, Esq., +living in Blomesbury near London, on James Carle of Abendon, whose +first wife was related to him, and on Sr Joh. Aubrey his kinsman, +living sometimes in Glamorganshire and sometimes at Borstall near +Brill in Bucks. He was a shiftless person, roving and magotie-headed, +and sometimes little better than crased. And being exceedingly +credulous, would stuff his many letters sent to A. W. with folliries +and misinformations, which would sometimes guid him into the paths of +errour." This example of bad English, and worse taste, was written +after twenty-five years acquaintance! In singular contrast to it, is a +letter of Aubrey to Wood, charging him, it is true, with an abuse of +confidence and detraction, but urging his complaint in terms which +sufficiently evince the kindly and affectionate nature of the writer. + +Malone, in his " Historical Account of the English Stage," has done +Aubrey justice; and his remarks may properly find a place here. " That +the greater part of his (Aubrey's) life was devoted to literary +pursuits, is ascertained by the works which he has published, the +correspondence which he held with many eminent men, and the +collections which he left in manuscript and which are now reposited in +the Ashmolean Museum. Among these collections is a curious account of +our English Poets, and many other writers. While Wood was preparing +his Athenae Oxonienses, this manuscript was lent to him, as appears +from many queries in his handwriting in the margin; and his account of +Milton, with whom Aubrey was intimately acquainted, is (as has been +observed by Mr. Warton) literally transcribed from thence." After +alluding to the quarrel between Wood and Aubrey, he continues, "But +whatever Wood in a peevish humour may have said or thought of Mr. +Aubrey, by whose labours he has highly profited, or however +fantastical Aubrey may have been on the subject of chemistry and +ghosts, his character for veracity has never been impeached, and as a +very diligent Antiquary, his testimony is worthy of attention. Mr. +Toland, who was well acquainted with him, and certainly a better judge +of men than Wood, gives this character of him: 'Though he was +extremely superstitious, or seemed to be so, yet he was a very honest +man, and most accurate in his account of matter of fact. But the facts +he knew, not the reflections he made, were what I wanted.'" + +Aubrey preserved, amidst all his troubles, an intimacy with the men of +Science and Letters of his day, and with them formed the nucleus of +the Royal Society. Some of the principal incidents of his life are +briefly detailed in the following autobiographical memoranda, entitled + + ACCIDENTS OF JOHN AUBREY. + +Born at Easton-Piers, March 1625,6, about sun-rising; very weak and +like to Dye, & therefore christned that morning before Prayer. I think +I have heard my mother say I had an Ague shortly after I was born. + +1629. About three or four years old I had a grievous ague, I can +remember it. I got not health till eleven or twelve, but had sickness +of Vomiting for 12 hours every fortnight for years, then it came +monthly for then quarterly & then half yearly, the last was in June +1642. This sickness nipt my strength in the bud. + +1633. At eight years old I had an issue (naturall) in the coronall +sutor of my head, which continued running till 21. + +1634. October, I had a violent fevor, it was like to have carried me +off 'twas the most dangerous sickness that ever I had, + +1639. About 1639 or 1643 I had the measills, but that was nothing, I +was hardly sick. Monday after Easter week my Uncle's Nag ranne away +with me & gave me a very dangerous fall. + +1642 May 3. Entered at Trinity College. + +1643 April and May, the Small Pox at Oxon; after left that ingeniouse +place & for three years led a sad life in the Country. + +1646. April - Admitted of the M. Temple, but my fathers sickness and +business never permitted me to make any settlement to my study. + +1651. About the 16 or 18 of April I saw that incomparable good +conditioned gentlewoman Mrs M. Wiseman, with whom at first sight I was +in love. + +1652. October the 21. my father died. + +1655. (I think) June 14. I had a fall at Epsam & brake one of my +ribbes, and was afraid it might cause an apostumation. + +1656. Sept. 1655 or rather I think 1656 I began my chargeable & +tedious lawe Suite on the Entaile in Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire. +This yeare and the last was a strange yeare to me. Several love and +lawe suites. + +1656 - Decemb {Astrological sign for conjunction} morb. + +1657. Novemb 27. obiit Dna Kasker Ryves with whom I was to marry, to +my great losse. + +1659. March or April like to break my neck in Ely Minster; and the +next day, riding a gallop there my horse tumbled over and over, and +yet I thank God no hurt. + +1660. July. Aug. I accompanied A. Ettrick into Ireland for a month & +returning were like to be shipwrecked at Holyhead but no hurt done. + +1661, 1662, 1663. About these yeares I sold my Estate in +Herefordshire. Janu. I had the honour to be elected Fellow of the +R. S. + +1664. June 11 landed at Calais, in August following had a terrible fit +of the spleen and piles at Orleans. I returned in October. + +1664 or 1665. Munday after Christmas was in danger to be spoiled by my +horse; and the same day received lasio in testiculo, which was like to +have been fatal. 0. R. Wiseman quod - I believe 1664. + +1665. November 1. I made my first address (in an ill hour) to +Joane Sumner. + +1666. This yeare all my business and affairs ran kim kam, nothing +tooke effect, as if I had been under an ill tongue. Treacheries and +enmities in abundance against me. + +1667. December --- Arrested in Chancery Lane at Mrs Sumner's suite. + +Feb. 24 A.M. about 8 or 9 Triall with her at Sarum; Victory and #600 +damaged; through devilish opposition against me. + +1668. July 6. was arrested by Peter Gale's malicious contrivance the +day before I was to go to Winton for my second triall; but it did not +retard me above two hours, but did not then go to triall. + +1669. March 5 was my triall at Winton from eight to nine. The Judge +being exceedingly made against me by my Lady Hungerford but four of +the { } appearing and much adoe got the moiety of Sarum: Verdict +in #300. + +1669 and 1670 I sold all my Estate in Wilts. From 1670 to this very +day (I thank God) I have enjoyed a happy delitescency. + +1671. Danger of Arrests. + +1677. Latter end of June an impostume brake in my head. +Mdm. St John's night 1673 in danger of being run through with a sword +by a young templer at M. Burges' chamber in the M. Temple. + + +I was in danger of being killed by William Earl of Pembroke then Lord +Herbert at the election of Sir William Salkeld for New Sarum. I have +been in danger of being drowned twice. + +The year that I lay at M. Neve's (for a short time) I was in great +danger of being killed by a drunkard in the Street of Grays Inn Gate +by a Gentleman whom I never saw before but (Deo gratias) one of his +companions hindred his thrust. + +[1754 June 11. transcribed from a MS. in M. Aubrey's own handwriting +in the possession of Dr. R. Rawlinson.] + +These incidents are so curiously narrated, and afford such interesting +glimpses of the times to which they refer, that it is to be regretted +they exist in so brief a form. + +Several of Aubrey's biographers have given a very loose and +unsatisfactory account of him, and it was left for Mr. Britton to +prepare a more authentic Life of one who had laboured long and +zealously to preserve the records of the past. To that gentleman we +owe many particulars regarding the close of Aubrey's career; among +others, the entry of his burial at Oxford, in the church of St. Mary +Magdalene- "1697. John Aubery a stranger was Buryed Jun. 7th." + +To Mr. Britton we are also indebted for the fact that Aubrey was never +married; the statement that he had been united to Joan Sumner, resting +on no surer foundation than the allusion to that lady in the +"Accidents" above quoted. He died intestate, and Letters of +Administration were granted on the 18th December, 1697, to his +surviving brother William. In that license he is described as "late +of Broad Chalk in the County of Wilts, Batchelor." + + [DEDICATION TO THE FIRST EDITION.] + + + TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, + + JAMES EARL OF ABINGDON, + + LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE IN EYRE OF ALL HIS MAJESTY'S + FORESTS AND CHACES ON THIS SIDE TRENT. + +MY LORD, + +WHEN I enjoyed the contentment of Solitude in your pleasant walks and +gardens at Lavington the last summer, I reviewed several scattered +papers which had lain by me for several years; and then presumed to +think, that if they were put together, they might be somewhat +entertaining: I therefore digested them there in this order, in which +I now present them to your Lordship. + +The matter of this collection is beyond human reach: we being +miserably in the dark, as to the economy of the invisible world, which +knows what we do, or incline to, and works upon our passions and +sometimes is so kind as to afford us a glimpse of its prescience. + + MY LORD, + +It was my intention to have finished my Description of Wiltshire* +(half finished already) and to have dedicated it to your Lordship: but +my age is now too far spent for such undertakings: I have therefore +devolved that task on my country man, Mr. Thomas Tanner, - who hath +youth to go through with it, and a genius proper for such an +undertaking. + +* In the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, - Afterwards Bishop of St. Asaph. + +Wherefore, I humbly beseech your Lordship to accept of this small +offering, as a grateful memorial of the profound respect which I have +for you, who have for many years taken me into your favour and +protection. + + MY LORD, + +May the blessed Angels be your careful guardians: +such are the prayers of + +Your Lordship's Most obliged +And humble Servant, + +JOHN AUBREY. 1696. + + + + DAY FATALITY + + + OR, SOME OBSERVATIONS OF DAYS + LUCKY AND UNLUCKY + + LUC. xix. 43. + "In hoc die tuo": In this thy day. + +That there be good and evil times, not only the sacred scriptures, but +prophane authors mention: see 1 Sam. 25, 8. Esther 8, 17. and 9, 19, +22. Ecclus. 14. 14. + +The fourteenth day of the first month was a memorable and blessed day +amongst the children of Israel: see Exod. 12, 18, 40, 41, 42, 51. +Levit. 23, 5. Numb. 28, 16. Four hundred and thirty years being +expired of their dwelling in Egypt, even in the self same day departed +they thence. + +A thing something parallel to this we read in the Roman histories: +that, that very day four years, that the civil wars were begun by +Pompey the father, Caesar made an end of them with his sons; Cneius +Pompeius being then slain, and it being also the last battle Caesar was +ever in. (Heylin in the kingdom of Corduba.) The calendar to Ovid's +Fastorum, says, "Aprilis erat mensis Grcecis auspicatisimus", a most +auspicious month among the Graecians. + +As to evil days and times; see Amos 5, 13. and 6, 3. Eccles. 9, 12. +Psal. 37, 19. Obad. 12. Jer. 46, 21. And Job hints it, in cursing his +birthday. Cap. 3, v. 1,10, 11. See Weever, p.458. + + Early in a morning + In an evil tyming, + Went they from Dunbar. + +Horace, lib. 2. Ode 13. Cursing the tree that had like to have fallen +upon him, says, 'Ille nefasto te posuit die'; intimating that it was +planted in an unlucky day. + +The Romans counted Feb. 13, an unlucky day, and therefore then never +attempted any business of importance; for on that day they were +overthrown at Allia by the Gauls; and the Fabii attacking the city of +the Veii, were all slain, save one. (Heylin, speaking of St. Peter's +patrimony.) And see the calendar annext to Ovid's "Fastorum", as to +the last circumstance. + +The Jews accounted August 10, an unfortunate day; for on that day the +Temple was destroyed by Titus, the son of Vespasian; on which day also +the first Temple was consumed with fire by Nebuchadnezzar. (Heylin.) +The treasury of the times says the eighth of Loyon (August) the very +same day 679 years one after another. + +And not only among the Romans and Jews, but also among Christians, +a like custom of observing such days is used, especially Childermas +or Innocent's day. Comines tells us, that Lewis XI. used not to debate +any matter, but accounted it a sign of great misfortune towards him, +if any man communed with him of his affairs; and would be very angry +with those about him, if they troubled him with any matter whatsoever +upon that day. + +But I will descend to more particular instances of lucky and +unlucky days. + +Upon the sixth of April, Alexander the Great was born. Upon the same +day he conquered Darius, won a great victory at sea, and died the +same day. + +Neither was this day less fortunate to his father Philip; for on the +same day he took Potidea; Parmenio, his General, gave a great +overthrow to the Illyrians; and his horse was victor at the Olympic +Games. Therefore, his prophets foretold to him, "Filium cujus +natalis", &c. That a son whose birth-day was accompanied with three +victories, should prove invincible. "Pezelius in melificio historico". + +Upon the thirtieth of September, Pompey the Great was born: upon that +day he triumphed for his Asian conquest, and on that day he died. + +The nineteenth of August was the day of Augustus his adoption: on the +same day he began his consulship: he conquered the Triumviri, and on +the same day he died. Hitherto out of the memories of King Charles +I's. heroes. + +If Solomon counts the day of one's death better than the day of one's +birth, there can be no objection why that also may not be reckoned +amongst one's remarkable and happy days. And therefore I will insert +here, that the eleventh of February was the noted day of Elizabeth, +wife to Henry VII. who was born and died that day. Weever, p. 476. +Brooke, in Henry VII. marriage. Stow, in Anno 1466, 1503. + +As also that the twenty-third of November was the observable day of +Francis, Duke of Lunenburgh, who was born on that day, and died upon +the same, 1549, as says the French author of the Journal History, who +adds upon particular remark and observable curiosity. + + "Ipsa dies vitam contulit, ipsa necem". + + The same day life did give, + And made him cease to live. + +Sir Kenelm Digby, that renowned knight, great linguist, and magazine +of arts, was born and died on the eleventh of June, and also fought +fortunately at Scanderoon the same day. Here his epitaph, composed +by Mr. Ferrar, and recited in the aforesaid Memoirs: + + Under 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. + 'Tis rare that one and self-same day should be + His day of birth, of death, of victory. + +I had a maternal uncle, that died the third of March,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 averred the same but about the week before his +departure. + +The third of March is the day of St. Eutropius; and as to my uncle it +was significative; it turned well to him, according to that of +Rev. 14, 13. Blessed are the dead, &e. and that of Ovid Metam. lib. 3. + + "---Dicique beatus", + "Ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet.-----" + + --None happy call + Before their death, and final funeral. + +The sixth of January was five times auspicious to Charles, Duke of +Anjou. Ibid. in the life of the Earl of Sunderland. + +The twenty-fourth of February was happy to Charles V. four times. +(Ibid.) Heylin, speaking of the Temple of Jerusalem, hints three of +these four; his birth, taking of Francis, King of France, prisoner; +his receiving the Imperial crown at Bononia. And so doth also the +Journal History before mentioned. + +Of the family of the Trevors, six successive principal branches have +been born the sixth of July. Same memoirs. + +Sir Humphrey Davenport was born the 7th of July; and on that day +anniversary, his father and mother died, within a quarter of an hour +one of another. Same memoirs. + +I have seen an old Romish MSS. prayer-book, (and shewed the same to +that general scholar, and great astrologer, Elias Ashmole, Esq.;) at +the beginning whereof was a Calendar wherein were inserted the unlucky +days of each month, set out in verse. I will recite them just as they +are, sometimes infringing the rule of grammar, sometimes of Prosodia; +a matter of which the old monkish rhymers were no way scrupulous. +It was as ancient as Henry the sixth, or Edward the fourth's time. + +January "Prima dies mensis, & septima truncat ut ensis". +February "Quarta subit mortem, prostemit tertia fortem." +March. "Primus mandentem, disrumpit quarto, bibentem". +April "Denus & undenus est mortis vulnere plenus". +May "Tertius occidit, & Septimus ora relidit".* +June "Denus pallescit, quindenus feeders nescit". +July. "Ter-decimus mactat, Julij denus labefactat." +August. "Prima necat fortem, prostemit secunda cohortem". +September "Tertia Septembris & denus fert mala membris". +October. "Tertius & denus est, sicut, mors alienus". +November. "Scorpius est quintus, & tertius e nece cinctus". +December. "Septimus exanguis, virosus denus & anguis". +* Ex re & ledo. + +The tenth verse is intolerable, and might be mended thus. + +"Tertia cum dena sit sicut mors aliena". + +If any object and say, "Deni" is only the plural; I excuse my self by +that admirable chronogram upon King Charles the martyr. + + "Ter deno, Jani, Lunae, Rex (Sole cadente)" + "Carolus euxtus Solio, Sceptroque, secure". + +Neither will I have recourse for refuge to that old tetrastich, + + "Intrat Avaloniam duodena Caterva virorum + "Flos Arimathioe Joseph, &c." + +because I have even now blamed the liberty of the ancient rhymers. He +means by "Mors aliena", some strange kind of death; though "aliena", +signifies in quite another sense than there used. + +I shall take particular notice here of the third of November, both +because 'tis my own birth day, and also for that I have observed some +remarkable accidents to have happened thereupon. + +Constantius, the Emperor, son of Constantine the Great, little inferior +to his father, a worthy warrior, and good man, died the third of +November: "Ex veteri Calendario penes me". + +Thomas Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, that great man, and famous +commander under Henry IV. V. and VI. Died this day, by a wound of a +cannon-shot he received at Orleans, E MSS. quodam, & Glovero. + +So, also Cardinal Borromeo, famous for his sanctity of life, and +therefore canonized, (Heylin in his "Prcognita", says, he made Milan +memorable, by his residence there) died 1584, this day, as Possevinus +in his life. + +Sir John Perrot, (Stow corruptly calls him Parrat) a man very +remarkable in his time, Lord Deputy of Ireland, son to Henry VIII. And +extremely like him, died in the tower, the third of November, 1592 (as +Stow says). Grief, and the fatality of. this day, killed him. See +Naunton's "Fragmenta Regalia", concerning this man. + +Stow, in his Annals, says, Anno 1099, November 3, as well in Scotland +as England, the sea broke in, over the banks of many rivers, drowning +divers towns, and much people; with an innumerable number of oxen and +sheep, at which time the lands in Kent, sometimes belonging to Earl +Godwin, were covered with sands, and drowned, and to this day are +called Godwin's Sands. + +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 let for four nobles an acre. My +father died, 1643. Within a year and half after his decease, such +charges and water-schots 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 influence upon me, that it had 580 +years since upon Earl Godwin, and others concerned in low-lands. + +The Parliament, so fatal to Rome's concerns here, in Henry VIII's. +time, began the third of November (26 of his reign;) in which the +Pope, with all his authority, was clean banished the realm; he no more +to be called otherwise than Bishop of Rome; the King to be taken and +reputed as supreme head of the church of England, having full +authority to reform all errors, heresies and abuses of the same: also +the first-fruits and tenths of all spiritual promotions and dignities +were granted to the King. See Stow's Annals, and Weever, page 80. + +Not long after which, followed the visitation of abbies, priories, and +nunneries; and after that, their final suppression: this Parliament +being the door, or entrance thereto. + +The third of November 1640, began that Parliament so direfully fatal +to England, in its peace, its wealth, its religion, its gentry, its +nobility; nay, its King. So verifying the former verse of the calendar. + + "Scorpius est quintus, & tertius e nece cinctus, " + + A killing day to some or other. + +On the third of November 1703, was the remarkable storm. +The third of September was a remarkable day to the English Attila, +Oliver, 1650. He obtained a memorable victory at Dunbar; another at +Worcester, 1651, and that day he died, 1658. + +The first two occurrences wonderfully accord to the preceding verses. + + "Tertia Septembris, & denus fert mala membris." + +Being fatal to the two members of great Britain, Scotland and England. +The third, as happy to them both, as the same day, 1666, was dismal +and unhappy to the city of London, and consequently to the whole +kingdom, with its immediate preceding and two succeeding days, viz. +the second, fourth, and fifth of September. + +I come now to the days of the week. + +Tuesday ("Dies Martis") was a most remarkable day with Thomas Becket, +Arch Bishop of Canterbury, as Weever, 201, observes from Mat. Paris: +"Mars Secundum Poetas, Deus Belli nuncupatur. Vita Sancti Thomae +(secundum illud Job, Vita hominis militia est super terram) tota fuit +contra hostem bellicosa, &c". The life of St. Thomas (according to +that of Job, the life of a man is a warfare upon earth) was a +continual conflict against the enemy. Upon a Tuesday he suffered; upon +Tuesday he was translated; upon Tuesday the Peers of the land sat +against him at Northampton; upon Tuesday he was banished; upon Tuesday +the Lord appeared to him at Pontiniac, saying, Thomas, Thomas, my +church shall be glorified in thy blood; upon Tuesday he returned from +exile, upon Tuesday he got the palm or reward of martyrdom; upon +Tuesday 1220, his venerable body received the glory and renown of +translation, fifty years after his passion. Thus my author. + +One thing I make bold to gloss upon. His translation is here mentioned +twice. + +Note, this is no tautology of the historian; but the latter paragraph +is a mere recitation of the first, viz. reference to the time when he +was translated into the number of Saints and Martyrs: "quando in +divorum numerum relatus", as Camden. + +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, +(page 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. + +Friday was observed to be very fortunate to the great renowned Captain +Gonsalvo, he having on that day given the French many memorable +defeats. Saturday was a lucky day to Henry VII. upon that day he +atchieved the victory upon Richard III. being August 22, 1485. On that +day he entered 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. + +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. + +Saturday (or the Jewish Sabbath) was fatal to Jerusalem Temple; for on +that day it was taken by Pompey, Herod and Titus, successively. +Heylin. + +Hitherto by way of prologue. And be pleased to take notice, as to the +days of the month, I have taken such care, that all are according to +the Julian or old account, used by us here in England. (See +Partridge's almanack, preface to the reader) Pope Gregory XIII. +brought in his new stile (generally used beyond sea) anno 1585, in +October, as asserts the Journal History before recited. + +An old proverb. + + When Easter falls in our lady's lap, + Then let England beware a rap. + +Easter falls on March 25, when the Sunday letter is G, and the golden +number 5, 13, or 16. As in the late years, 1459,1638,1649. + +1459, King Henry VI. was deposed and murdered. +1638, The Scottish troubles began, on which ensued the great +rebellion. +1648-9, King Charles I. murdered. + +I think it will not happen so again till the year 1991. + +Now for epilogue and remarkable reflection. + +Turning over our annals, I chanced upon a two-fold circumstance: I +will not say, that none else hath observed the same; but I protest, +("Ita, me Deus amet, ut verum loquor") I do not know of any that have; +and therefore must justly claim to be acquitted from the least +suspicion of plagiarism, or plowing with others heifers. + +The first is, of William the Conqueror. The second, of Edward III. +(I need not say any thing of the eminency of these two; every one +knows what great things they did.) And making reflection upon the +auspicious birth-day of His Royal Highness the Duke of York, I +adventured upon the following composure. (I cannot be proud of my +poetry; but I cannot but be glad of my Bon Heur, "d'avoir (en lisant) +tombe si fortuement sur les evenements d'un si Bon Jour".) + +Ad Illustrissimum & Celsissimum Principem, Jacobum Ducem Eboracensem, +de Natali suo Auspicatissimo Octobris XIV. Anno 1633. + + "--Deus + Anna nefasto te posuit die?" Hor. lib. 2. ode 13. + + Oct. "Decimo quarto Normannus Haraldum + Dux superavit, & Hinc Regia sceptra tulit. + Tertius Edwardus, capto pernice Caleto, + (Gallica quo Regna sunt resarata sibi) + Ire domum tentans, diris turbinibus actus + In pelago, Vitae magna pericla subit." + Oct. Decimo quarto, tamen appulit Oras + Nativas. (His quam prosperus ille dies !) + Natali laetare tuo, guam Maxime Princeps; + Fausta velut sunt haec, Omnia semper habe." + + October's fourteenth gave the Norman Duke + That victory, whence he Englands sceptre took.* + Third Edward, after he had Calais won, + (The mean whereby he France did over-run) + Returning home, by raging tempests tost, + (And near his life (so fortunes) to have lost)** + Arrived safe on shore the self-same date. + (This day to them afforded so fair fate.) + Great Duke, rejoice in this your day of birth; + And may such omens still encrease your mirth. + +* Stow, in anno 1066. +** Stow, in anno 1347. + +The Verses I presented in anno 1672, to a most honourable Peer of the +land, and of great place near his Royal Highness. + +Since which time, old Fabian's chronicle coming into my hands, from +him I got knowledge, that that advantagious peace, mentioned by Stow, +anno 1360, (concluded between the forementioned King Edward III. And +the French King) was acted upon the fourteenth of October, with grand +solemnity. + +The two former circumstances must needs fall out providentially: +whether this last of anno 1360, was designed by Edward III. or no, (as +remembering his former good hap) may be some question: I am of +opinion not. Where things are under a man's peculiar concern, he may +fix a time; but here was the French King concerned equally with the +English, and many other great personages interested. To have tied them +up to his own auspicious conceit of the day, had been an unkind +oppression, and would have brought the judgment of so wise a Prince +into question; we may conclude then, it was meerly fortuitous. +And therefore to the former observation concerning this famous Edward, +give me leave to add, + + "Insuper hoc ipso die (sibi commoda) Grandis + Rex cum Galligenis, foedera fecit idem", + + An advantageous peace, on day self-same, + This mighty Prince did with the Frenchmen frame. + +A memorable peace (foretold by Nostradamus) much conducing to the +saving of Christian blood, was made upon the fourteenth of October +1557, between Pope Paul IV. Henry II. of France, and Philip II. of +Spain. Nostradamus says, these great Princes were "frappez du ciel", +moved from Heaven to make this peace. See Garencier's Comment on +Nostradamus, p. 76. + +A lucky day this, not only to the Princes of England, but auspicious +to the welfare of Europe. John Gibbon, 1678. + +Thus far Mr. John Gibbon. The Latin verses of the twelve months quoted +by him out of an old manuscript, I have seen in several mass-books; +and they are printed in the calendar to the works of the Venerable +Bede. 'Tis to be presumed, that they were grounded upon experience; +but we have no instances left us of the memorables of those days. As +for the third and tenth of September, I have here set down some +extractions from a little book called The Historian's Guide: or, +Britain's Remembrancer; which was carefully collected by a club. It +begins at the year 1600, and is continued to 1690. There cannot be +found in all the time aforesaid, the like instances. + + "Tertia Septembris, & denus fere mala membris". + +September 3,1641. The Parliament adjourned to the 20th of October +next, and the Irish rebellion broke out, where were 20,000 persons +barbarously murdered. + +September 3, 1643. Biddeford, Appleford, and Barnstable surrendered to +the King. + +September 3, 1650. Dunbar fight. + +September 3, 1651. Worcester fight. + +September 3, 1651. Earl of Derby defeated at Preston. + +September 3,1654. A third Parliament at Westminster. + +September 3, 1658. Oliver, Protector died. + +September 3, 1675. The town of Northampton near burnt down to the +ground by accidental fire. + +September 3, 1662. William Lenthal, Speaker of the House of Commons, +died. + +September 3, 4, 1665. Four Dutch men of war, two East-India ships, and +several merchant-men taken by the Earl of Sandwich, with the loss only +of the Hector. + +September 2, 1644. The Earl of Essex fled to Plymouth, and the army +submitted to the King. + +September 2, 1645. The Scots raised the siege from before Hereford. + +September 2, 1653. The Londoners petition the Parliament to continue +tythes. + +September 2, 1685. The Lady Lisle beheaded at Winchester, for +harbouring Hicks, a rebel.. + +September 4, 1643. Exeter taken by Prince Maurice. + +September 4, 1653. General Blake buried at Westminster. + +September 5, 1652. The French fleet beaten by the English. + + **Memorables on September the tenth. + +September 10, 1643. The siege of Gloucester raised. I remember over +that gate which leads to Nymphs-field was this following inscription +in free-stone: the walls are now pulled down. + + Always remember, + The tenth of September, + One thousand six hundred forty three, + And give God the glory. + +September 10, 1645. Bristol surrendered to the Parliament. + +September 10, 1649. Drogheda taken, as appears by Cromwell's letter to +the Speaker Lenthal. + +September 10, 1660. Peace with Spain proclaimed. + +September 10, 1670. Peace concluded between England and Spain in +America, was this day ratified at Madrid. + +19 September 10, 1673. This day his majesty commanded the Earl of +Ossory to take the command of the fleet at the Buoy in the Nore, in +the absence of Prince Rupert. + +September 12, 1679. The King takes from the Duke of Monmouth his +commission of General. + +September 12, 1680. Mrs. Cellier tried at the Old Bailey, for +publishing a book called Malice Defeated, &c. and found guilty. + +September 12, 1683. The siege of Vienna raised (after the besieged had +lost 10,000 men, and the besiegers 70,000) by the King of Poland, and +the Duke of Lorrain. + +May 29, 1630. King Charles II. born. + +May 29, 1660. Restored. + +May 29, 1672. The fleet beaten by the Dutch. + +May 29, 1679. A rebellion broke out in the west of Scotland, where +they proclaimed the covenant, and put forth a declaration. + +The Emperor Charles V. was born on February 24, 1500. + +He won the battle of Pavia, February 24, 1525. + +Clement VII. crowned him Emperor, February 24, 1530. + +Raphael d'Urbino (the famous painter) was born on Good-Friday, and +died on Good-Friday. At Feltwell in Norfolk (which lies east and west) +a fire happened to break out at the west end, which the west wind blew +and burned all the street: on that day twenty years, another fire +happened there, which began at the east end, and burned it to the +ground again. This I had from a reverend divine. Quaere de hoc. + +Colonel Hugh Grove of Wiltshire, was beheaded at Exeter (together with +Colonel John Penruddock) 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. + +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. + +At thee hour of prime, April 6, 1327, Petrarch first saw his mistress +Laura in the Church of Saint Clara in Avignon. In the same city, same +month, same hour, 1348, she died. 'Tis his own remark. Petrarcha +Redivivus, 242. + + + DAY FATALITY OF ROME, + **Written by Mr. JOHN PELL, D.D. from whom I had it. + + +THEY that called the city of Rome, "Urbs AEterna", seemed to believe +that Rome could never be destroyed. But there have been great numbers +of men, that did verily believe, that it shall have an irrecoverable +over-throw. Writers have proceeded so far, as to foretell the time of +Rome's final ruin. Some said that Rome's perdition should happen in +the year of Christ 1670, they have now been decried nine whole years: +so that few take care to know what reasons moved them to pitch upon +that number. + +A Lutheran historian, anno 1656, wrote thus, "Finem Jubileorum +Ecclesiasticorum omniumque temporum in Scriptura revelatorum, desinere +in Annum Christi Millesimum sexcentesimum & septuagesimum, antehac +observavit Beatus Gerhardus cum Philippo Nicolao". But all men are not +of Dr. Gerhard's opinion. Many men believe, that some of the +prophecies in the Revelations do reach far beyond our times, and that +the events of future times will unclasp and unseal a considerable +portion of the Apocalypse. One of the reasons, that recommended the +number of 1670, was because it is the sum of 410, and 1260. + +Historians agree, that in the year of Christ 410, in the month of +August, Rome was trampled under foot, and her heathen inhabitants were +miserably slaughtered by the victorious army of Alaric, a Christian +King of the Goths. Paulus Diaconus saith, August the 24th was the day +of King Alaric's taking Rome. Kedrenus saith, it was August the 26th, +perhaps the army first entered the 24th, and the King followed not +till two days after. + +As for the other number 1260. It is twice found +in the Revelations of St. John, ch. 11, 3. "My two witnesses shall +prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days." And chap. 12, 6. " +Should feed the woman in the Wilderness, a thousand two hundred and +threescore days. "And it is there expressed in another form, (42 times +30) chap. 11, 2. "The Gentiles shall tread the holy city under foot +forty and two months." Chap. 13, 5. "Power was given to the +blasphemous beast to continue forty and two months." Chap. 12, 14. +"The woman is nourished in the Wilderness for ({Greek text: Kairon kai +kaironos kai hemisu kairon}) a season and seasons, and half a season." +See Act. 1, 7. 360 and 720, and 180 are equal to 1260. So it seems +every {Greek text: kaipo} hath 360 days, or twelve months at thirty +days to a month. No doubt Daniel had given occasion to this +expression, chap. 7, 25. " A time, and times, and the dividing of +time." No man can ground any distinct reasoning upon such general +words. But yet it is not tied to a just number of days, (as 360) but +is capable of various interpretations in several prophecies. Daniel +useth a plural in both places, and not a dual, (two times and two +seasons) nor doth John say, two seasons: but by his Numeral +Illustration, he teaches us to understand him, as if he had said, +(chap. 12, 14). " For three seasons and half a season:" I say Numeral +Illustration. For I take it to be no other than an easy example (12 +and 24 and 6 are 42) to direct the sons of the prophets not yet +arrived to the skill of dealing with difficult supputations of numbers +not then discoverable. As Revel. 13, 18. "Here is wisdom, let him that +hath understanding count the number of the beast." + +By 1260 days, almost all the interpreters understand so many years, +but not a year of 360 days; because they find no nation that hath so +short a year. The Egyptians had a year of just 365 days; but before +St. John was born, the Romans had forced them to allow 365 1/4 as +we use now in England. + +In an enquiry concerning Rome, it is fit to consider the +length of a Roman year. (I may justly say a Roman-Moyed; for no city +ever had their year's length and form of a calendar determined, +settled, and commanded with so much absolute authority as Rome had) +Julius Caesar by an edict commanded that number of 365 1/4 +to be observed, and therefore it is called a Julian year. Three +Julians and an half have days 1278 3/8, but Julian years 1378 3/8 +are 1278 Julian years, and days 136 31/32; or almost 137 days. + +Almost 100 years ago, Pope Gregory the XIII by a papal bull introduced +a calendar wherein the year's length is supposed to have days 365 +97/500 Then three Gregorian years and an half have days 1278 279/800 +But Gregorian years 1278 279/800 are 1278 Julian years, and days +almost 118. Wherefore instead of adding 1260, add 1278, add 137 days +to the year of our Lord 410, August 26. The sum shews the year of our +Lord 1688, August 163, that is, ten days after the end of December +1688 old stile. This is the utmost, or farthest day, beyond which no +Apocalypse account (reckoning from Alaric) can point out a time for +the final destruction of the city of Rome. + +Again (instead of adding 1260) add 1278 years, and days 118 to the +year of our Lord 410, August 24. The sum shews the year of our Lord +1688, August 142, that is, eleven days before the end of December 1688 +old stile. This (December 20) is the nearest or soonest day that can +be gathered by Apocalyptic account (reckoning from Alaric) to point +out the time of Rome's final ruin. But if it happens not before the +eleventh of January, men will make no more reckoning of Alaric; but +begin a new account from Attila, in the year of Christ, 453. + +Calculation to a day (when we can do it) may be defended by a great +example. Exod. 12, 41. "At the end of 430 years, even the self-same +day, &c." John Pell. + +Dr. Pell told me, that St. Augustin writes +somewhere, to this purpose, viz. "That it were to be wished, that +some skilful mathematician would take the pains to examine and +consider the mathematical parts of the holy scripture." + + + OF FATALITIES OF FAMILIES + AND PLACES. + + +THE Lord Chancellor Bacon says,* " As for nobility in particular +persons, it is a reverend thing to see an antient castle or building +not in decay: or to see a fair timber tree sound and perfect; how much +more to behold an antient noble family, which hath stood against the +waves and weathers of time: for new nobility is but the act of power; +but antient nobility is the act of time." + +*Essay XIV. of Nobility. + +But "Omnium rerum est vicissitudo": families and places have their +fatalities, according to that of Ovid. + +"Fors sua cuique loco est". Fast. lib. 4. + +This piece of a verse puts me in mind of several places in Wiltshire, +and elsewhere, that are, or have been fortunate to their owners: and +e contra. + +Stourton, (the seat of the Lord Stourton) was belonging to this family +before the conquest. They say, that after the victory at Battaile, +William the Conqueror came in person into the west, to receive their +rendition; that the Lord Abbot of Glastonbury, and the rest of the +Lords and Grandees of the western parts waited upon the Conqueror at +Stourton-house; where the family continue to this day. + +The honourable family of the Hungerfords, is probably of as great +antiquity as any in the county of Wilts. Hungerford, (the place of the +barony) was sold but lately by Sir Edward Hungerford, Knight of the +Bath; as also the noble and ancient seat of Farleigh-Castle, about +anno 167-. But that this estate should so long continue is not very +strange; for it being so vast, 'twas able to make several +withstandings against the shock of fortune. + +The family of Gawen, have been long at Norington, in the parish of +Alvideston in Wiltshire. It was sold by --- Gawen, Esq. to Sir Wadham +Wyndham, one of the Judges of the King's Bench, about 1665. They +continued in this place four hundred fifty and odd years. Then also +was sold their estate in Broad-Chalk, which they had as long, or +perhaps longer. On the south down of the farm of Broad-Chalk, is a +little barrow, called Gawen's Barrow (which must be before +ecclesiastical canons were constituted; for since, burials are only +in consecrated ground). King Edgar gave the manor and farm of Broad- +Chalk to the nuns of Wilton-Abby, which is 900 years ago. + +Mr. Thynne, in his explanation of the hard words in Chaucer, writes +thus, Gawen, fol. 23, p. 1. This Gawyn was sisters son to Arthur the +Great, King of the Britains, a famous man in war, and in all manner +of civility; as in the acts of the Britains we may read. In the year +1082, in a province of Wales, called Rose, was his sepulchre found. +Chaucer, in the Squire's Tale. + + This straunger night that came thus sodenly + All armed, save his head, full royally + Salued the King, and Queen, and Lordes all + By order as they sitten in the Hall + With so high Reverence and Obeisaunce + As well in Speech as in Countenaunce, + That Gawain with his old Courtesie, + Though he came again out of Fairie, + He could him not amend of no word. + +Sir William Button of Tockenham, Baronet, (the father) told me that +his ancestors had the lease of Alton-farm (400. per annum) in Wilts, +(which anciently belonged to Hyde-Abby juxta Winton) four hundred +years. Sir William's lease expired about 1652, and so fell into the +hands of the Earl of Pembroke. + +Clavel, of Smedmore, in the Isle of Purbec, in the county of Dorset, +was in that place before the conquest, as appears by Dooms-day book. +The like is said of Hampden, of Hampden in Bucks: their pedigree says, +that one of that family had the conduct of that county in two +invasions of the Danes. Also Pen of Pen, in that county, was before +the conquest, as by Dooms-day book. + +Contrariwise, there are several places unlucky to their possessors, +e. g. Charter-house, on Mendip in Somersetshire, never passed yet to +the third generation. The manor of Butleigh near Glastonbury, never +went yet to the third generation. + +Bletchington, in Oxfordshire, continued in the family of the Panures, +for about 300 years: it was alienated by --- Panure, to Sir John +Lenthal, about the year 1630, who sold it again to Sir Thomas Coghill, +about 1635. He sold it to William Lewis, Esq. whose relict made it +over to the Duke of Richmond and Lenox, about the year 166-. His Grace +sold it to Arthur, Earl of Anglesey, about the year 166-. + +Fatality of proper names of Princes, e. g. Augustus, the first Roman +Emperor, and Augustulus the last. Constantine, the first Grecian +Emperor, and Constantine the last. The like is observed of the first +and last Mexican Emperors. And the Turks have a prophesy that the last +Emperor will be a Mahomet. + +John hath been an unfortunate name to Kings. All the second Kings +since the conquest have been unfortunate. + +London-Derry was the first town in Ireland that declared for the +Parliament against King Charles I. and for the Prince of Orange +against King James II. It was closely besieged both times without +effect. The King's party were once masters of all the kingdom, except +London-Derry and Dublin, and King James had all in his power but +London-Derry and Inniskilling. One Taylor, a minister, was as famous +for his martial feats in the first siege, as Walker in the last. + +'Tis certain, that there are some houses unlucky to their inhabitants, +which the reverend and pious Dr. Nepier could acknowledge. See Tobit, +chap. 3, v. 8. "That she had been married to seven husbands, whom +Asmodasus, the evil spirit, had killed, before they had lain with her." + +The Fleece-tavern, in Covent-garden, (in York-street) was very +unfortunate for Homicides:* there have been several killed, three in +my time. It is now (1692) a private house. + +"Clifton the master of the house, hanged himself, having perjured +himself." MS. Note in a copy of the Miscellanies in the Library of the +Royal Society. + +A handsome brick house on the south side of Clerkenwell church-yard +had been so unlucky for at least forty years, that it was seldom +tenanted; and at last, no body would adventure to take it. Also a +handsome house in Holborn, that looked towards the fields; the tenants +of it did not prosper, several, about six. + +At the sign of--- over against Northumberland house, near Charing- +Cross, died the Lady Baynton, (eldest daughter of Sir John Danvers of +Dansey.) Some years after in the same house, died my Lady Hobbey (her +sister) of the small-pox, and about twenty years after, died their +nephew Henry Danvers, Esq. of the small-pox, aged twenty-one, wanting +two weeks. He was nephew and heir to the Right Honourable Henry +Danvers, Earl of Danby. + +Edmund Wild, Esq. hath had more Deodands from his manor of Totham in +Essex, than from all his estate besides: two mischiefs happened in +one ground there. Disinheriting the eldest son is forbid in the holy +scripture, and estates disinherited are observed to be unfortunate; +of which one might make a large catalogue. See Dr. Saunderson's +Sermon, where he discourses of this subject. + + **Periodical Small-Poxes. + +The small-pox is usually in all great towns:* but it is observed at +Taunton in Somersetshire, and at Sherborne in Dorsetshire, that at one +of them at every seventh year, and at the other at every ninth year +comes a small-pox, which the physicians cannot master, e. g. + +* This account, I had from Mr. Thomas Ax. + +Small-pox in Sherborne ** during the year 1626. + +And during the year 1634. + +>From Michaelmas 1642, to Mich. 1643. + +>From Michaelmas 1649, to Mich. 1650. + +>From Michaelmas 1657, to Midi. 1658. + +In the year 1667, from Jan. to Sept. 1667. + +Mr. Ax promised me to enquire the years it happened there after +1670, and 1680; but death prevented him. + +** Extracted out of the register-book. + +Small-pox in Taunton all the year 1658.* + +Likewise in the year 1670. + +Again in the year 1677. + +Again very mortal in the year 1684. + +* Out of the register-book. + +Mr. Ax also promised me to enquire at Taunton the years it happened +there after 1660. + +It were to be wished that more such observations were made in other +great towns. + +Platerus makes the like observations in the second book of his +Practice, p. 323. He practised at Basil, fifty six years, and did +observe, that every tenth year they died of the plague there. + +See Captain J. Graunt's observations on the bills of mortality at +London, (indeed written by Sir William Petty, which in a late +transaction he confessed) for the periodical plagues at London, which +(as I remember) are every twenty-fifth year. + + + OSTENTA; OR, PORTENTS. + + +"HOW it comes to pass, I know not;* but by ancient and modern example +it is evident, that no great accident befalls a city or province, but +it is presaged by divination, or prodigy, or astrology, or some way or +other. I shall here set down a few instances." + +* Discourses of Nicholas Machiavel, book 1. Chap 56. + +A Rainbow appeared about the sun before the battle of Pharsalia. See. +Appian, and Mr. T. May's 5th book of his Continuation of Lucan. + +" Ex Chronico Saxonico, p. 112, Anno 1104, fuit primus Pentecostes +dies Nonis Junii, & die Martis sequnte, conjuncti sunt quatuor Circuli +circa Solem, aibi coloris, & quisque sub alio collocatus, quasi picti +essent. Omnes qui videbant obstupuerunt, propterea quod nunquam ante +tales meminerant. Post haec facta est Pax inter Comitem, Robertum de +Normannia, & Robertum de Boeloesme i, e." + +In the year 1104, on the first day of Pentecost, the sixth of June, +and on the day following being Tuesday, four circles of a white +colour, were seen to roll in conjunction round the sun, each under the +other regularly placed, as if they had been drawn by the hand of a +painter. All who beheld it were struck with astonishment, because they +could not learn that any such spectacles had ever happened in the +memory of man. After these things it is remarkable, that a peace was +immediately set on foot, and concluded between Robert, Earl of +Normandy, and Robert de Baelaesme. + +The Duke of York (afterwards Edward IV.) met with his enemies near to +Mortimer's Cross, on Candlemas day in the morning, at which time the +Sun (as some write) appeared to him like three Suns, and suddenly +joined altogether in one, and that upon the sight thereof, he took +such courage, that he fiercely set on his enemies, and them shortly +discomfited: for which cause, men imagined that he gave Sun in his +full brightness for his cognisance or badge. Halle, F. 183, b. 4. + +Our Chronicles tell us, that Anno Secundo Reginae Mariae, 15th of +February, two suns appeared, and a rainbow reversed: see the bow +turned downwards, and the two ends standing upwards, before the +coining in of King Philip. + +The phaenomenon, fig. 1, was seen at Broad-Chalk in Wiltshire, on the +first day of May, 1647. It continued from about eleven o'clock +(or before) till twelve. It was a very clear day; but few did take +notice of it, because it was so near the sun-beams. My mother happened +to espy it, going to see what o'clock it was by an horizontal dial; +and then all the servants saw it. Upon the like occasion, Mr. J. +Sloper, B.D. vicar there, saw it, and all his family; and the servants +of Sir George Vaughan, (then of Falston) who were hunting on the downs, +saw it. The circles were of rainbow colour; the two filots, which cross +the greater circle, (I presume they were segments of a third circle) +were of a pale colour. The sun was within the intersections of the +circles. + +The next remarkable thing that followed was, that on the third of June +following;* Cornet Joyce carried King Charles I. prisoner from +Holdenby to the Isle of Wight. The Isle of Wight lieth directly from +Broad-Chalk, at the 10 o'clock point. + +* See Sir W. Dugdale's hist. of the Civil Wars. + +The phaenomenon, fig. 2, was seen in the north side of the church-yard +of Bishop-Lavington in Wiltshire, about the latter end of September +1688, about three o'clock in the afternoon. This was more than a +semicircle. B. B. two balls of light. They were about eleven degrees +above the Horizon by the quadrant; observed by Mr. Robert Blea, one of +the Earl of Abingdon's gentlemen. + +Cicero de Natura Deorum, lib. 2. "Multa praeterea Ostentis, multa ex +eis admonemur, multisque rebus aliis, quas diuturnus usus ita notarit, +ut artem Divinationis efficeret". i. e. + +Besides, we learn a world of things from these Portents and Prodigies, +and many are the warnings and admonitions we receive from them, and +not only from them indeed, but from a number of extraordinary +accidents, upon which daily use and constant observation has fixed +such marks, that from thence the whole art of divination has been +compounded. + + + OMENS. + + +BEFORE the battle at Philippi began, two eagles fought in the air +between the two armies: both the armies stood still and beheld them, +and the army was beaten that was under the vanquished eagle. +See Appian's Hist. part 2, lib. 4, g. 2. + +It is worthy of notice, that, at the time the cities of Jerusalem and +Antioch were taken from the Pagans, the Pope that then was, was called +Urban, and the Patriarch of Jerusalem was called Eraclius, and the +Roman Emperor was called Frederick; in like manner when Jerusalem was +taken from the Christians by the siege of Saladin, the Pope was called +Urban; the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Eraclius; and the Emperor, +Frederick: and it is remarkable, that fourscore and seven years +passed between these two events. Hoveden, f. 363. + +Mathew Parker, seventieth Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, in the seventieth +year of his age, feasted Queen Elizabeth on her birth day, 1559, in +his palace at Canterbury. Parker. Vitae, 556. + +It is a matter of notable consideration, says a Spanish historian, +that the royal throne of the Morish Kings of Granada, began and ended +in the times of the Fernandos of Castille: beginning in the time of +Saint Fernando, the third of that name, and ending in that of the +Catholic King, Don Fernando the fifth, his successor in the ninth +descent. In the same manner, it is observable that the first Morish +King was called Mahomad, and the last had the same name of Mahomad: +which resembles what passed in the empire of Constantinople, where the +first and last Emperors were called Constantines. +Garibay, 1. 40, c. 43. + +The same author mentions it as an extraordinary circumstance that, at +one time lived in Castille, Arragon, and Portugal, three Kings called +Pedros, and whose fathers were named Alonsos, who were also Kings at +the same time. L. 14, c. 35. + +While Edward, Duke of York,* was declaring his title, in the Chamber +of the Peers, there happened a strange chance, in the very same time, +amongst the Commons in the nether house, then there assembled: for a +Crown, which did hang in the middle of the same, to garnish a branch +to set lights upon, without touch of any creature, or rigor of wind, +suddenly fell down, and at the same time also, fell down the Crown, +which stood on the top of the Castle of Dover: as a sign and +prognostication, that the Crown of the realm should be divided and +changed from one line to another. Halle's Chronicle, H. 6. F. 181. + +* Father of Edward IV. + +Anno 1506. Through great tempest of wind in January, Philip, King of +Castille and his wife, were weather-driven and landed at Falmouth. +This tempest blew down the Eagle of Brass from the spire of St. Paul's +church in London, and in the falling, the same eagle broke and +battered the black Eagle* which hung for a sign in St. Paul's Church- +yard. Stow's Annals, 484. + +* The black Eagle is the cognizance of the house of Austria, +of which Philip was head. + +The silver cross that was wont to be carried before Cardinal Wolsey, +fell out of its socket, and was like to have knocked out the brains of +one of the Bishop's servants. A very little while after, came in a +messenger, and arrested the Cardinal, before he could get out of the +house. See Stow's Chronicle. + +'Tis commonly reported, that before an heir of the Cliftons, of +Clifton in Nottinghamshire, dies, that a Sturgeon is taken in the +river Trent, by that place. + +Thomas Flud, Esq. in Kent, told me that it is an old observation which +was pressed earnestly to King James I. that he should not remove the +Queen of Scots body from Northamptonshire, where she was beheaded and +interred: for that it always bodes ill to the family when bodies are +removed from their graves. For some of the family will die shortly +after, as did Prince Henry, and I think Queen Ann. + +A little before the death of Oliver, the Protector, a Whale came into +the river Thames, and was taken at Greenwich, --- feet long. 'Tis said +Oliver was troubled at it. + +When I was a freshman at Oxford, 1642, I was wont to go to Christ +Church, to see King Charles I. at supper; where I once heard him say, +" That as he was hawking in Scotland, he rode into the quarry, and +found the covey of partridges falling upon the hawk; and I do remember +this expression further, viz. and I will swear upon the book 'tis +true." When I came to my chamber, I told this story to my tutor; said +he, that covey was London. + +The bust of King Charles I. carved by Bernini, as it was brought in a +boat upon the Thames, a strange bird (the like whereof the bargemen +had never seen) dropped a drop of blood, or blood-like, upon it; which +left a stain not to be wiped off. This bust was carved from a picture +of Sir Anthony Van Dyke's drawing: the sculptor found great fault with +the fore-head as most unfortunate. There was a seam in the middle of +his fore-head, (downwards) which is a very ill sign in Metoposcopie. + +Colenel Sharington Talbot was at Nottingham, when King Charles I. did +set up his standard upon the top of the tower there. He told me, that +the first night, the wind blew it so, that it hung down almost +horizontal; which some did take to be an ill omen. + +The day that the long Parliament began, 1641, the Sceptre fell out of +the figure of King Charles in wood, in Sir Thomas Trenchard's hall at +Wullich, in Dorset, as they were at dinner in the parlour: Justice +Hunt then dined there. + +The picture of Arch-Bishop Laud, in his closet, fell down (the string +broke) the day of the sitting of that Parliament. This is mentioned in +Canterbury's doom by W. Prynne. + +The psalms for the eleventh day of the month, are 56, 57, 58, &c. On +the eleventh day of one of the months in the summer time, the citizens +came tumultuously in great numbers in boats and barges over against +Whitehall, to shew they would take the Parliament's part. The psalms +aforesaid, both for morning and evening service, are as prophecies of +the troubles that did ensue. + +When the high court of justice was voted in the parliament house, as +Berkenhead (the mace bearer) took up the mace to carry it before the +Speaker, the top of the mace fell off. This was avowed to me by an eye +witness then in the house. + +The head of King Charles I's. staff did fall off at his trial: that is +commonly known. + +The second lesson for the 30th of January in the calendar before the +common prayer, is concerning the trial of Christ: which, when Bishop +Duppa read, the King was displeased with him, thinking he had done it +of choice; but the Bishop cleared himself by the calendar, as is to be +seen. + +King Charles II. was crowned at the very conjunction of the sun and +Mercury; Mercury being then in "Corde Solis". As the King was at +dinner in Westminster Hall, it thundered and lightened extremely. The +cannons and the thunder played together. + +King Charles II. went by long sea to Portsmouth or Plymouth, or both; +an extraordinary storm arose, which carried him almost to France. Sir +Jonas Moor (who was then with his Majesty) gave me this account, and +said, that when they came to Portsmouth to refresh themselves, they +had not been there above half an hour, but the weather was calm, and +the sun shone: his Majesty put to sea again, and in a little time +they had the like tempestuous weather as before. + +Not long before the death of King Charles II. a Sparrow-hawk escaped +from the perch, and pitched on one of the iron crowns of the white +tower, and entangling its string in the crown, hung by the heels and +died. Not long after, another hawk pitched on one of the crowns. From +Sir Edward Sherborne, Knight. + +The Gloucester frigate cast away at the Lemanore, and most of the men +in it; the Duke of York escaping in a cock boat, anno 1682, May the +5th, on a Friday. + +When King James II. was crowned, (according to the ancient custom, the +Peers go to the throne, and kiss the king) the Crown was almost kissed +off his head. An Earl did set it right; and as he came from the Abbey +to Westminster Hall, the Crown tottered extremely. + +The canopy (of cloth of gold) carried over the head of King James II. +by the Wardens of the Cinque Ports, was torn by a puff of wind as he +came to Westminster Hull; it hung down very lamentably: I saw it. + +When King James II. was crowned, a signal was given from Westminster +Abbey to the Tower, where it was Sir Edward Sherborne's post to stand +to give order for firing the cannons, and to hoist up the great flag +with the King's arms. It was a windy day, and the wind presently took +the flag half off, and carried it away into the Thames. From Sir +Edward Sherborne. + +The top of his sceptre (Flower de Lys) did then fall. + +Upon Saint Mark's Day, after the coronation of King James II. were +prepared stately fire works on the Thames: it hapened, that they took +fire all together, and it was so dreadful, that several spectators +leaped into the river, choosing rather to be drowned than burned. In a +yard by the Thames, was my Lord Powys's coach and horses; the horses +were so frightened by the fire works, that the coachman was not able +to stop them, but ran away over one, who with great difficulty +recovered. + +When King James II. was at Salisbury, anno 1688, the Iron Crown upon +the turret of the council house, was blown off.- This has often been +confidently asserted by persons who were then living. + +In February, March, and April, two ravens built their nests on the +weather cock of the high steeple at Bakewell in Derbyshire. + +I did see Mr. Christopher Love beheaded on Tower Hill, in a delicate +clear day about half an hour after his head was struck off, the +clouds gathered blacker and blacker; and such terrible claps of +thunder came that I never heard greater. + +'Tis reported, that the like happened after the execution of Alderman +Cornish, in Cheapside, October 23, 1685. + +Anno 1643. As Major John Morgan of Wells, was marching with the King's +army into the west, he fell sick of a malignant fever at Salisbury, +and was brought dangerously ill to my father's at Broad-Chalk, where +he was lodged secretly in a garret. There came a sparrow to the +chamber window, which pecked the lead of a certain pannel only, and +only one side of the lead of the lozenge, and made one small hole in +it. He continued this pecking and biting the lead, during the whole +time of his sickness; (which was not less than a month) when the major +went away, the sparrow desisted, and came thither no more. Two of the +servants that attended the Major, and sober persons, declared this for +a certainty. + +Sir Walter Long's (of Draycot in Wilts) widow, did make a solemn +promise to him on his death-bed, that she would not marry after his +decease, but not long after, one Sir --- Fox, a very beautiful young +gentleman, did win her love; so that notwithstanding her promise +aforesaid, she married him: she married at South-Wraxhall, where the +picture of Sir Walter hung over the parlour door, as it doth now at +Draycot. As Sir --Fox led his bride by the hand from the church, +(which is near to the house) into the parlour, the string of the +picture broke, and the picture fell on her shoulder, and cracked in +the fall. (It was painted on wood, as the fashion was in those days.) +This made her ladyship reflect on her promise, and drew some tears +from her eyes.* + +*This story may be true in all its details, except the name of the +lady, who was a daughter of Sir W. Long; she married Somerset Fox, +Esq. See Sandford's Geneal. Hist, of the Kings of England, p. 344. + +See Sir Walter Raleigh's history, book 4, chap. 2, sec. 7. The dogs of +the French army, the night before the battle of Novara, ran all to the +Swisses army: the next day, the Swisses obtained a glorious victory +of the French. Sir Walter Raleigh affirms it to be certainly true. + +The last battle fought in the north of Ireland, between the +Protestants and the Papists, was in Glinsuly near Letterkenny in the +county of Donegall. Veneras, the Bishop of Clogher, was General of the +Irish army; and that of the Parliament army, Sir Charles Coot. They +pitched their tents on each side the river Suly, and the Papists +constantly persist in it to this very day, that the night before the +action,* a woman of uncommon stature, all in white, appearing to the +said Bishop, admonished him not to cross the river first, to assault +the enemy, but suffer them to do it, whereby he should obtain the +victory. That if the Irish took the water first to move towards the +English, they should be put to a total rout, which came to pass. +Ocahan, and Sir Henry O'Neal, who were both killed there, saw +severally the same apparition, and dissuaded the Bishop from giving +the first onset, but could not prevail upon him. In the mean time, I +find nothing in this revelation, that any common soldier might not +conclude without extraordinary means. + +*So an apparition of a woman greater than ordinary, beckoned to +Julius Caesar to pass over the Rubicon, L. Flor. lib. 4. Satyres +appeared to Alexander when he besieged Tyrus; Alexander asked the +divines, what was the signification of it; they told him the meaning +is plain, {Greek Text: Sa Turos} (i.e.) Tyre is thine. Alexander took +the town. Q. Curtius. + +Near the same place, a party of the Protestants had been surprized +sleeping by the Popish Irish, were it not for several wrens that just +wakened them by dancing and pecking on the drums as the enemy were +approaching. For this reason the wild Irish mortally hate these birds, +to this day, calling them the Devil's servants, and killing them +wherever they catch them; they teach their Children to thrust them +full of thorns: you will see sometimes on holidays, a whole parish +running like mad men from hedge to hedge a wren-hunting. + +Anno 1679. After the discovery of the Popish plot, the penal laws were +put in execution against the Roman Catholics; so that, if they did not +receive the sacrament according to the church of England, in their +parish church, they were to be severely proceeded against according to +law: Mr. Ployden, to avoid the penalty, went to his parish church at +Lasham, near Alton, in Hampshire: when Mr. Laurence (the minister) +had put the chalice into Mr. Ployden's hand, the cup of it (wherein +the wine was) fell off. 'Tis true, it was out of order before; and he +had a tremor in his hand. The communion was stopt by this accident. +This was attested to me by two neighbouring ministers, as also +by several gentlemen of the neighbourhood. + +When King James II. first entered Dublin, after his arrival from +France, 1689, one of the gentlemen that bore the mace before him, +stumbled without any rub in his way, or other visible occasion. The +mace fell out of his hands, and the little cross upon the crown +thereof stuck fast between two stones in the street. This is very well +known all over Ireland, and did much trouble King James himself, with +many of his chief attendants. + +The first Moors that were expelled Spain, were in number five thousand +five hundred and fifty-five. They sailed from Denia, October 2, 1609. +H. Bleda. "Expulsion de Moriscos", p. 1000. + + + DREAMS. + + + {Greek Text: --'Onar kai Dios esi}. Homer Iliad A. + + DREAMS PROCEED FROM JOVE. + +HE that has a mind to read of dreams, may peruse Cicero "de +Divinatione", Hier. Cardani "Somniorum Synesiorum", lib. 4, and +Moldinarius "de Insomniis", &c. I shall here mention but little out of +them, my purpose being chiefly to set down some remarkable and divine +dreams of some that I have had the honour to be intimately acquainted +with, persons worthy of belief. + +Cicero "de Divinatione", lib. 1. "Hannibalem, Caslius scribit, cum +Columnam auream, quae esset in fano Junonis Laciniae, auferre vellet, +dubitaretque utrum ea solida esset, an extrinsecus inaurata, +perterebravisse; cumque solidam invenisset, statuissetque tollere: +secundum quietem visam esse ei Junonem praedicere, ne id faceret; +minarique, si id fecisset se curaturam, ut eum quoque oculum, quo bene +videret, amitteret; idque ab homine acuto non esse neglectum; itaque +ex eo auro quod exterebratum esset, buculam curasse faciendum, & eam +in summa columna collocavisse." + +i. e. + +Coelius writes, that Hannibal, when he had a mighty mind to take away a +gold pillar, that was in the Temple of Juno Lacinia, being in doubt +with himself, whether it was solid massive gold, or only gilt, or +thinly plated over on the out side, bored it through. When he had +found it to be solid, and fully designed to have it carried off; Juno +appeared to him in his sleep, and forewarned him against what he was +about, threatening him withal, that if he persisted and did it, she +would take care that he should lose the eye, that he saw perfectly +well with, as he had done the other. + +The great man, it seems, was too wise to slight and neglect this +warning; nay, he even took care to have a ring made of the very gold, +that had been bored out of it, and placed it on the top of the pillar. + +"--- Cum duo quidam Arcades familiares iter una, facerent, & Megaram +venissent, alterum ad cauponem divertisse; ad hospitem alterum. Qui, +ut coenati quiescerent, concubia nocte visum esse in somnis ei qui erat +in hospitio, ilium alterum orare ut subveniret, quod sibi a caupone +interitus pararetur; eum primo perterritum somnio surrexisse; deinde +cum se colligisset, idque visum pro nihilo habendum esse duxisset, +recubuisse; tum, ei dormienti eundem ilium visum esse rogare, ut +quoniam sibi vivo non subvenisset, mortem suam ne inultam esse +pateretur; se interfectum in plaustrum a caupone esse conjectum, & +supra stercus injectum; petere, ut mani ad portum adesset, priusquam +plaustrum ex oppido exiret. Hoc vero somnio commotum mano bubulco +presto ad portam fuisse, quaesisse ex eo, quid esset in plaustro; +ilium perterritum fugisse, mortuum erutum esse, cauponem re patefacta +poenas dedisse. Quid hoc somnio dici divinius potest ?" i. e. + +As two certain Arcadians, intimate companions, were travelling +together, it so happened, that, when they came to Megara, one of them +went to an inn, and the other to a friend's house. Both had supped at +their respective places, and were gone to bed; when lo! he, that was +at his friend's house, dreamt, that his companion came to him, and +begged of him for Heaven's sake to assist him, for that the inn-keeper +had contrived a way to murder him: frightened at first out of his +sleep, he rose up; but soon afterward coming a little better to +himself, he thought, upon recollection, there was no heed to be given +to the vision, and went very quietly to bed again. But as soon as he +was got into his second sleep, the same vision repeated the visit, but +the form of his petition was quite altered. He beseeched him, that, +since he had not come to his assistance, while he was among the +living, he would not suffer his death, however, to go unrevenged. Told +him that as soon as he was murdered, he was tossed by the inn- keeper +into a waggon, and had a little straw thrown over his corpse. He +entreated him to be ready very early at the door before the waggon was +to go out of town. This dream truly disturbed him it seems very much, +and made him get up very early: he nicked the time, and met with the +waggoner just at the very door, and asked him what he had in his cart. +The fellow run away frightened and confounded. The dead body was +pulled out of it, and the whole matter coming plainly to light, the +inn-keeper suffered for the crime.--What is there that one can call +more divine than a dream like this ?" + +"---Somnium de Simonide, qui, cum ignotum quendam projectum mortuum +vidisset, eumque humavisset, haberetque in animo navem conscendere, +moneri visus est, ne id faceret, ab eo, quem sepultum affecerat: si +navigasset, cum naufragio esse perituram: itaque Simonidem rediisse +periisse caeeteros, qui tum navigassent." + +---The dream of Simonides. This person, when he saw a certain body +thrown dead upon the shore, though a stranger, caused him to be +buried. Much about that time he had it in his head to go on ship- +board, but dreamt that he had warning given him by the man he had got +to be interred, not to go; that if he went, the ship would +infallibly be cast away. Upon this Simonides returned, and every soul of +them besides that went on board was lost. + +Cicero "de Divinatione", lib. 2. "Somnium, Alexandri. Qui, cum +Ptolomaeus familiaris ejus, in proelio, telo venenato ictus esset, eoque +vulnere summo cum dolore moreretur, Alexander assidens somno est +consopitus; tum secundum quietem visus ei dicitur draco is, quem +mater Olympias alebat, radiculam ore ferre & simul dicere quo illa +loci nasceretur neque is longe aberat ab eo loco: ejus autem esse vim +tantam, ut Ptolomaeum facile sanaret. Cum Alexander experrectus +narrasset amicis somnium, emisisse qui illam radiculam quaererent. Qua, +inventa, & Ptolomaeus sanatus dicitur, & multi milites, qui erant eodem +genere teli vulnerati." + +(i. e.) The dream of Alexander, when his friend Ptolemy was wounded +in battle, by an envenomed dart, and died of the wound, in all the +extremities of pain and anguish; Alexander sitting by him, and +wearied out and quite fatigued, fell into a profound sleep. In this +sleep, that dragon is reported to have appeared to him, which was bred +up by his mother Olympias, carrying a little root in his mouth and to +have told him in what spot of ground it grew, (nor was it far from +that very place) and told him withal it seems, that such was the +force, efficacy, and virtue of it, that it would work an easy cure +upon Ptolomy. When Alexander waked, he told his friends the dream, and +sent some out in quest of this little root. The root (as story says) +was found, and Ptolemy was healed, so were many soldiers likewise, +that had been wounded with the same kind of darts. + +Cardanus "Somniorum Synesiorum", lib. 4, chap. 2. "Narrat Plinius 35 +lib. Nat. Hist, vir ab omnia superstitione alienissimus, Historiam +hujusmodi. 'Nuper cujusdam militantis in Praetorio mater vidit in +quiete, ut radicem sylvestris Rosae (quam Cynorrhodon vocant) blanditam +sibi aspectu pridie in Fruteto, mitteret filio bibendam: In Lusitania +res gerebatur, Hispaniae, proxima parte: casuque accidit, ut milite a +morsu Canis incipiente aquas expavescere superveniret epistola orantis +ut paretet religioni; servatusque est ex insperato, & postea +quisquis auxilium simile tentavit.' " + +i. e. In his natural history, Pliny, a man the most averse to +superstition, relates to us the following passage. Lately, the mother +of one of the guards, who attended upon the General, was admonished by +a vision in her sleep, to send her son a draught composed of the +decoction of the root of a wild rose, (which they call Cynorrhodon) +with the agreeable look whereof she had been mightily taken the day +before, as she was passing through a coppice. The seat of the war at +that time lay in Portugal, in that part of it next adjoining to Spain, +that a soldier, beginning to apprehend mighty dangerous consequences +from the bite of a dog, the letter came unexpectedly from her, +entreating him to pay a blind obedience to this superstition. He did +so, and was preserved beyond all expectation; and everybody +afterwards had recourse to the same remedy. + +Ibid. Galeni "tria Somnia".--- "Tertium magis dignum miraculo, cum bis +per somnium admonitus, ut arteriam secaret, quae inter pollicem & +indicem est, idque agens liberatus sit a diuturno dolore, quo +infestabatur ea in parte, qua septo transverso jecur jungitur, idque +in libri de sectione venae fine testatus est. Magno certe exemplo, quod +tantus vir in medicina eam adhibuerit somnio fidem, ut in seipso +periculum vitae subierit, in arte propria. Deinde probitatem admiror, +ut quo potuerit solertia ingenii sibi inventum ascribere, Deo cui +debebatur, rediderit. Dignus vel hoc solo vir immortalitate nominis, & +librorum suorum." + +Galen's three dreams. The third more worthy of being called a miracle, +was, when being twice admonished in his sleep, to cut the artery that +lies between the fore finger and the thumb, and doing it accordingly, +he was freed from a continual daily pain with which he was afflicted +in that part where the liver is joined to the midriff; and this he has +testified at the end of his book of Venesection. 'Tis certainly a very +great example, when a man so great as he was in the medicinal art, put +so much confidence in a dream as to try experiments upon himself; +where he was to run the risque of his life, in his own very art. I +cannot help but admire his probity in the next place, that where he +might have arrogated the merit of the invention to himself, and placed +it wholly to the account of the subtility and penetration of his own +genius, he attributed it to God, to whom it was due. In this alone did +the man well deserve to purchase an immortality to his name and his +writings. + +In his fourth book, chap. 4. "De Exemplis propriis", he owns the +solution of some difficult problems in Algebra to his dreams. + +Plinii, Nat. Hist. lib. 22, chap. 17. "Verna carus Pericli +Atheniensium Principi, cum is in arce templum aedificaret, +repsissetque super altitudinem fastigii, & inde cecidisset, hac herba +(Parthenio) dicitur sanatus, monstrata Pericli somnio a Minerva. Quare +Parthenium vocari coepta est, assignaturque ei Deae." + +Pliny's Natural History, book 22, chap. 17. "A little Home-bred Slave, +that was a darling favourite to Pericles, Prince of the Athenians, and +who, while a temple was building in the Prince's palace, had climbed +up to the very top of the pinnacle, and tumbled down from that +prodigious height; is said to have been cured of his fall by the herb +Parthenium, or mug-wort, which was shown to Pericles in a dream, by +Minerva. From hence it originally took the name of Parthenium, and is +attributed to that Goddess. + +"Augustinus, Cui etiam praeter sanctitatem, plena fides adhiberi +potest, duo narrat inter reliqua somnia admiranda. Primum, quod cum +quidam mortuo nuper patre venaretur tanquam de pecunia quam pater illi +ex chirographo debuisset, dum incastus viveret, hac causa nocte quadam +umbram patris videt, quae illum admonuit de persoluta pecunia & ubi +chirographum esset repositum. Cum surrexisset, invenit chirographum +loco eo quem umbra paterna docuerat, liberatusque est ab injusto +petitore." + +Saint Austin, to whom even, besides his sanctity, we owe an entire +credit, tells among others, two very wonderful dreams. The first is, +when a person was arrested by one, as for a certain sum of money, +which his father had owed him by a note under his own hand, while he +led a lewd debauched life, saw the ghost of his father one night, upon +this very account, which told him of the money being paid, and where +the acquittance lay. When he got up in the morning, he went and found +the acquittance in that very place that his father's ghost had +directed him to, and so was freed from the litigious suit of one that +made unjust demands upon him. + + "Alterum adhuc magis mirum". + +"Praestantius, vir quidam a Philosopho petierat dubitationem quandam +solvi; quod ille pernegavit. Nocte sequente, tametsi vigilaret +Prsestantius, vidit sibi Philosophum assistere, ac dubitationem +solvere, moxque abire. Cum die sequenti obviam Praestantius eundem +habuisset Philosophum, rogat, Cur cum pridie rogatus nolluisset +solvere illam questionem, intempesta nocte, non rogatus, & venisset ad +se & dubitationem aperuisset. Cui Philosophus. Non quidem ego adveni +sed somnians visus sum tibi hoc Officium praestare." + + The other is much more wonderful still. + +A certain gentleman named Praestantius, had been entreating a +Philosopher to solve him a doubt, which he absolutely refused to do. +The night following, although Praestantius was broad awake, he saw the +Philosopher standing full before him, who just explained his doubts to +him, and went away the moment after he had done. When Praestantius met +the Philosopher the next day, he asks him why, since no entreaties +could prevail with him the day before, to answer his question, he came +to him unasked, and at an unseasonable time of night, and opened every +point to his satisfaction. To whom thus the Philosopher. " Upon my +word it was not me that came to you; but in a dream I thought my own +self that I was doing you such a service." + +The plague raging in the army of the Emperor Charles V. he dreamt that +the decoction of the root of the dwarf-thistle (a mountain plant since +called the Caroline thistle) would cure that disease. See Gerrard's +Herbal, who tells us this. + +In Queen Mary's time, there was only one congregation of Protestants +in London, to the number of about three- hundred, one was the deacon +to them, and kept the list of their names: one of that congregation +did dream, that a messenger, (Queen's Officer) had seized on this +deacon, and taken his list; the fright of the dream awaked him: he +fell asleep and dreamt the same perfect dream again. In the morning +before he went out of his chamber, the deacon came to him and then he +told him his dream, and said, 'twas a warning from God; the deacon +slighted his advice, as savouring of superstition; but --- was so +urgent with him that he prevailed with him to deposite the list in +some other hand, which he did that day. The next day, the Queen's +officer attacked him, and searched (in vain) for the list, which had +it been found, would have brought them all to the flame. +Foxe's Martyrology. + +When Arch Bishop Abbot's mother (a poor clothworker's wife in +Guilford) was with child of him, she did long for a Jack, and she +dreamt that if she should eat a Jack, her son in her belly should be a +great man. She arose early the next morning and went with her pail to +the river-side (which runneth by the house, now an ale-house, the sign +of the three mariners) to take up some water, and in the water in the +pail she found a good jack, which she dressed, and eat it all, or very +near. Several of the best inhabitants of Guilford were invited (or +invited themselves) to the christening of the child; it was bred up a +scholar in the town, and by degrees, came to be Arch Bishop of +Canterbury. + +In the life of Monsieur Periesk, writ by Gassendus, it is said, that +Monsieur Periesk, who had never been at London, did dream that he was +there, and as he was walking in a great street there, espied in a +goldsmith's glass desk, an antique coin, he could never meet with. (I +think an Otho.) When he came to London, walking in (I think) Cheap- +side, he saw such a shop, and remembered the countenance of the +goldsmith in his dream, and found the coin desired, in his desk. See +his life. + +When Doctor Hamey (one of the physicians college in London) being a +young man, went to travel towards Padoa, he went to Dover (with +several others) and shewed his pass, as the rest did, to the Governor +there. The Governor told him, that he must not go, but must keep him +prisoner. The Doctor desired to know for what reason ? how he had +transgrest ? well it was his will to have it so. The pacquet-boat +hoisted sail in the evening (which was very clear), and the Doctor's +companions in it. There ensued a terrible storm, and the pacquet-boat +and all the passengers were drowned: the next day the sad news was +brought to Dover. The Doctor was unknown to the Governor, both by name +and face; but the night before, the Governor had the perfect vision in +a dream, of Doctor Hamey, who carne to pass over to Calais; and that +he had a warning to stop him. This the Governor told the Doctor the +next day. The Doctor was a pious, good man, and has several times +related this story to some of my acquaintance. + +My Lady Seymour dreamt, that she found a nest, with nine finches in +it. And so many children she had by the Earl of Winchelsea, whose name +is Finch. + +The Countess of Cork (now Burlington) being at Dublin, dreamt, that +her father, (the Earl of Cumberland) who was then at York, was dead. +He died at that time. + +'Tis certain, that several had monitory dreams of the conflagration of +London. + +Sir Christopher Wren, being at his father's house, anno 1651, at +Knahill in Wilts (a young Oxford scholar) dreamt, that he saw a fight +in a great market-place, which he knew not; where some were flying, +and others pursuing; and among those that fled, he saw a kinsman of +his, who went into Scotland to the King's army. They heard in the +country, that the King was come into England, but whereabouts he was +they could not tell. The next night his kinsman came to his father at +Knahill, and was the first that brought the news of the fight at +Worcester. + +When Sir Christopher Wren was at Paris, about 1671, he was ill and +feverish, made but little water, and had a pain in his reins. He sent +for a physician, who advised him to be let blood, thinking he had a +plurisy: but bleeding much disagreeing with his constitution, he +would defer it a day longer: that night he dreamt, that he was in a +place where palm-trees grew, (suppose AEgypt) and that a woman in a +romantic habit, reached him dates. The next day he sent for dates, +which cured him of the pain of his reins. + +Since, I have learned that dates are an admirable medicine for the +stone, from old Captain Tooke of K--. Take six or ten date-stones, dry +them in an oven, pulverize and searce them; take as much as will lie +on a six-pence, in a quarter of a pint of white wine fasting, and at +four in the afternoon: walk or ride an hour after: in a week's time +it will give ease, and in a month cure. If you are at the Bath, the +Bath water is better than white wine to take it in. + +Sir John Hoskin's Lady, when she lay in of her eldest son, had a +swelling on one side of her belly, the third day when the milk came, +and obstructions: she dreamt that syrup of elderberries and distilled +water of wormwood would do her good, and it did so; she found ease in +a quarter of an hour after she had taken it. I had this account from +her Ladyship's own mouth. + +Captain --- Wingate told me, that Mr. Edmund Gunter, of Gresham +College, did cast his nativity, when about seventeen or eighteen years +old; by which he did prognosticate that he should be in danger to lose +his life for treason. Several years before the civil wars broke out, +he had dreamt that he was to be put to death before a great castle, +which he had never seen; which made a strong impression in his memory. +In anno 1642, he did oppose the church ceremonies, and was chosen a +member of Parliament, then was made a Captain, and was taken prisoner +at Edge Hill, by Prince Rupert, and carried to Kenilworth Castle, +where he was tried by a council of war, and condemned to die: but they +did better consider of it, and spared his life; for that he being so +considerable a person, might make an exchange for some of the King's +party-:* and he was exchanged for the right Honourable Montague, Earl of +Lindsey (heir of the General.) Since the restoration, he was made +one of the commissioners of the excise office in London. He did +protest that Kenilworth castle was the very castle he saw in his +dream. + +*Captain Wingate was a prisoner in Oxford, after +Edgehill fight, 1642. + + +Sir Roger L'Estrange was wont to divertise himself with cocking in his +father's (Sir Hammond L'Estrange's) park; he dreamt that there came to +him in such a place of the park, a servant, who brought him news, that +his father was taken very ill. The next day going to his usual +recreation, he was resolved for his dream sake to avoid that way; but +his game led him to it, and in that very place the servant came and +brought him the ill news according to his dream. + +Mr. Edmund Halley, R. S. S. was carried on with a strong impulse to +take a voyage to St. Hellens, to make observations of the southern +constellations, being then about twenty-four years old. Before he +undertook his voyage, he dreamt that he was at sea, sailing towards +that place, and saw the prospect of it from the ship in his dream, +which he declared to the Royal Society, to be the perfect +representation of that island, even as he had it really when he +approached to it. + +A Gentlewoman dreamt that a pultess of blew corants would cure her +sore throat; and it did so. She was a pious woman, and affirmed it to +be true. + +Anno 1690. One, in Ireland, dreamed of a brother or near relation of +his, (who lived at Amesbury in Wiltshire) that he saw him riding on +the downs, and that two thieves robbed him and murdered him. The dream +awaked him, he fell asleep again and had the like dream. He wrote to +his relation an account of it, and described the thieves complexion, +stature and cloaths; and advised him to take care of himself. Not long +after he had received this monitory letter, he rode towards Salisbury, +and was robbed and murdered; and the murderers were discovered by this +very letter, and were executed. They hang in chains on the road to +London. + +'Twas revealed to a King of Scots, that if he drank of the water of +Muswell, he would be cured. After great enquiry they heard of such a +place, not far from Hornsey in Middlesex. See Weever's Funeral +Monuments of the Well. John Norden's Description of Middlesex. Here +was afterwards founded a religious house for Austin Monks: since it +belonged to Sir Thomas Row, and in 1677, was pulled down and the +materials sold. Anciently the Kings of Scotland were feudatory to the +Kings of England, and did their homage every Christmas day. They had +several lodges belonging to them for their reception in their +journey; as at Huntingdon, &c. See Caxton's Chronicle concerning +this. + +The water of this spring is drank for some distempers still. + + "Somnium ex Eubernea porta." + +Mrs. Cl---, of S---, in the county of S---, had a beloved daughter, +who had been a long time ill, and received no benefit from her +physicians. She dreamed that a friend of hers deceased, told her, that +if she gave her daughter a drench of yew pounded, that she would +recover; she gave her the drench, and it killed her. Whereupon she +grew almost distracted: her chamber maid to complement her, and +mitigate her grief, said surely that could not kill her, she would +adventure to take the same herself; she did so, and died also. This +was about the year 1670, or 1671. I knew the family. + +A Gentlewoman, of my acquaintance, dreamed, that if she slept again, +the house would be in danger to be robbed. She kept awake, and anon +thieves came to break open the house, but were prevented. + +J. H. Esq.* being at West-Lavington with the Earl of Abbingdon, +dreamed, December the 9th, his mother rose up in mourning: and anon +the Queen appeared in mourning. He told his dream the next morning to +my Lord, and his Lordship imparted it to me (then there) Tuesday, +December 11. In the evening came a messenger, post from London, to +acquaint Mr. H. that his mother was dangerously ill: he went to London +the next day; his mother lived but about eight days longer. On +Saturday, December 15, the Queen was taken ill, which turned to the +small pox, of which she died, December 28, about two o'clock in the +morning. + +J. H. Against these initials there is a note in the copy of the +first edition already referred to, in these words,-" James Herbert: He +saies he was never there." + +Sir Thomas White, Alderman of London, was a very rich man, charitable +and public spirited. He dreamt that he had founded a college at a +place where three elms grow out of one root. He went to Oxford, +probably with that intention, and discovering some such tree near +Gloucester Hall, he began to repair it, with a design to endow it. But +walking afterwards by the Convent where the Bcrnardines formerly +lived, he plainly saw an elm with three large bodies rising out of the +same root: he forthwith purchased the ground, and endowed his college +there, as it is at this day, except the additions which Arch-bishop +Laud made, near the outside of which building in the garden belonging +to the president, the tree is still to be seen. He made this discovery +about the year 1557. + +There are millions of such dreams too little taken notice of, but they +have the truest dreams whose IXth house is well dignified, which mine +is not: but must have some monitory dreams. The Germans are great +observers of them. It is said in the life of Vavasor Powell, that he +was a great observer of dreams, (p. 17 and 114, of his life) that he +had many warnings from them, that God had spoken to himself and others +by them; for warning, instruction, or reproof. And it is also there +averred, that Angels had appeared to him. See p. 8, of his life. + +In Mr. Walton's life of Sir Hen. Wotton, there is a remarkable story +of the discovery of stolen plate in Oxford, by a dream which his +father had at Bocton-Malherbe, in Kent. See in Ath. & Fasti. Oxon. +vol. 1, p. 351, + +William Penn, proprietor of Pensylvania, told me, that he went with +his mother on a visit to Admiral Dean's wife, who lived then in Petty- +France; the Admiral was then at sea. She told them, that, the night +before, she had a perfect dream of her husband, whom she saw walking +on the deck, and giving directions, and that a cannon bullet struck +his arm into his side. This dream did much discompose her, and within +forty-eight hours she received news of the fight at sea, and that her +husband was killed in the very manner aforesaid. + +Sir Berkley Lucy sold the fabric of the chapel of Netley Abbey, to one +Taylor, a carpenter of Southampton, who took off the roof, and pulled +down great part of the walls. During the time that this Taylor was in +treaty for the chapel, he was much disturbed in his sleep with +frightful dreams, and as some say, apparitions; and one, night he +dreamt that a large stone, out of one of the windows of the chapel, +fell upon him and killed him. The undertaker, though staggered with +these intimations, finished his agreement, and soon after fell to work +on pulling down the chapel; but he was not far advanced in it, when, +endeavouring with a pickax to get out some stones at the bottom of the +west wall, in which there was a large window, the whole body of the +window fell down suddenly upon him, and crushed him to pieces. +Willis's Mitred Abbeys, vol. 2, p. 205, 6. + +Jan. 1774. One Daniel Healy, of Donaghmore, in Ireland, having three +different times dreamed that money lay concealed under a large stone +in a field near where he lived, procured some workmen to assist him in +removing it, and when they had dug as far as the foundation, it fell +suddenly and killed Healy on the spot. + +March 25, 1779. This morning A. B. dreamt that he saw his friend 0. D. +throw himself from a bridge into a river, and that he could not be +found. The same evening, reading Dr. Geddes's account of Ignatius +Loyola, p. 105, 5th tract, v. 3, he met with the following particular +of him; as he was going into Bononia, he tumbled off a bridge into a +moat full of mud; this circumstance was quite new. Every tittle of the +above is strictly true, as the writer will answer it to God.-- To what +can be attributed so singular an impression upon the imagination when sleeping ? + + **Comical History of three Dreamers. + +Three companions, of whom two were Tradesmen and Townsmen, and the +third a Villager, on the score of devotion, went on pilgrimage to a +noted sanctuary; and as they went on their way, their provision began +to fail them, insomuch that they had nothing to eat,, but a little +flour, barely sufficient to make of it a very small loaf of bread. The +tricking townsmen seeing this, said between them-selves, we have but +little bread, and this companion of ours is a great eater -- on which +account it is necessary we should think how we may eat this little +bread without him. When they had made it and set it to bake, the +tradesmen seeing in what manner to cheat the countryman, said: let us +all sleep, and let him that shall have the most marvellous dream +betwixt all three of us, eat the bread. This bargain being agreed +upon, and settled between them, they laid down to sleep. The +countryman, discovering the trick of his companions, drew out the +bread half baked, eat it by himself, and turned again to sleep. In a +while, one of the tradesmen, as frightened by a marvellous dream, +began to get up, and was asked by his companion, why he was so +frightened ? he answered, I am frightened and dreadfully surprized by +a marvellous dream: it seemed to me that two Angels, opening the gates +of Heaven, carried me before the throne of God with great joy: his +companion said: this is a marvellous dream, but I have seen another +more marvellous, for I saw two Angels, who carried me over the earth +to Hell. The countryman hearing this, made as if he slept; but the +townsmen, desirous to finish their trick, awoke him; and the +countryman, artfully as one surprised, answered: Who are these that +call me ? They told him, we are thy companions. He asked them: How +did you return ? They answered: We never went hence; why d'ye talk of +our return ? The countryman replied: It appeared to me that two +Angels, opening the gates of Heaven, carried one of you before our +Lord God, and dragged the other over the earth to Hell, and I thought +you never would return hither, as I have never heard that any had +returned from Paradise, nor from Hell, and so I arose and eat the +bread by myself.- From an old edition of Lasarillo de Tormes. + + + APPARITIONS. + + +CYNTHIA, Propertius's mistress, did appear to him after her death, +with the beryl-ring on her finger. See Propertius, eleg. 7. lib. + + "Sunt aliquid manes, letum non omnia finit, + Luridaque evictos effugit umbra rogos. + Cynthia namque meo visa est incumbere fulcro, + Murmur ad extremae nuper humata viae: + Quum mihi ab exequiis somnus penderet amaris. + Et quererer lecti frigida regna mei. + Eosdem habuit secum, quibus est elata, capillos, + Eosdem oculos. Lateri vestis adusta fuit. + Et solitum digito beryllon adederat ignis, + Summaque Lethoeus triverat ora liquor: + Spirantisque animos, & vocem misit, at illi + Pollicibus fragiles increpuere manus." + + Thus translated by Mr. DART. + + Manes exist, when we in death expire, + And the pale shades escape the funeral fire; + For Cynthia's form beside my curtain's stood, + Lately interr'd near Aniens' murm'ring flood. + Thoughts of her funeral would, not let me close + These eyes, nor seek the realms of still repose; + Around her shoulders wav'd her flowing hair, + As living Cynthia's tresses soft and fair: + Beauteous her eyes as those once fir'd my breast, + Her snowy bosom bare, and sing'd her breast. + Her beryl-ring retain'd the fiery rays, + Spread the pale flame, and shot the funeral blaze; + As late stretch'd out the bloodless spectre stood, + And her dead lips were wet with Lethe's flood. + She breath'd her soul, sent forth her voice aloud, + And chaf'd her hands as in some angry mood. + +St. Augustin affirms that he did once see a satyr or daemon. + +The antiquities of Oxford tell us, that St. Edmund, Arch-Bishop of +Canterbury, did sometimes converse with an angel or nymph, at a spring +without St. Clement's parish near Oxford; as Numa Pompilius did with +the nymph Egeria. This well was stopped up since Oxford was a +garrison. + +Charles the Simple, King of France, as he was hunting in a forest, and +lost his company, was frighted to simplicity by an apparition. + +Philip Melancthon writes that the apparition of a venerable person +came to him in his study, and bade him to warn his friend Grynseus to +depart from him as soon as he could, or else the inquisitors would +seize on him; which monitory dream saved Grynaeus's life. + +Mr. Fynes Moryson, in his travels, saith, that when he was at Prague, +the apparition of his father came to him; and at that very time his +father died. + +In the life of JOHN DONNE, Dean of St. Paul's, London, writ by +Isaak Walton. + +At this time of Mr. Donne's, and his wife's living in Sir Robert +Drury's house in Drury-Lane, the Lord Haye was by King James sent upon +a glorious embassy, to the then French King Henry the IV. and Sir +Robert put on a sudden resolution to accompany him to the French +Court, and to be present at his audience there. And Sir Robert put on +as sudden a resolution, to subject Mr. Donne to be his companion in +that journey; and this desire was suddenly made known to his wife, who +was then with child, and otherwise under so dangerous a habit of body, +as to her health, that she protested an unwillingness to allow him any +absence from her; saying her divining soul boded her some ill in his +absence, and therefore desired him not to leave her. This made Mr. +Donne lay aside all thoughts of his journey, and really to resolve +against it. But Sir Robert became restless in his persuasions for it, +and Mr. Donne was so generous as to think he had sold his liberty, +when he had received so many charitable kindnesses from him, and told +his wife so; who, therefore, with an unwilling willingness, did give a +faint consent to the journey, which was proposed to be but for two +months: within a few days after this resolve, the Ambassador, Sir +Robert, and Mr. Donne, left London, and were the twelfth day got safe +to Paris. Two days after their arrival there, Mr. Donne was left alone +in the room, where Sir Robert and he, with some others, had dined: to +this place Sir Robert returned within half an hour, and as he left, so +he found Mr. Donne alone, but in such an extacy, and so altered as to +his looks, as amazed Sir Robert to behold him, insomuch as he +earnestly desired Mr. Donne to declare what had befallen him in the +short time of his absence? to which Mr. Donne was not able to make a +present answer, but after a long and perplexed pause, said, "I have +seen a dreadful vision since I saw you: I have seen my dear wife pass +twice by me through this room, with her hair hanging about her +shoulders, and a dead child in her arms; this I have seen since I saw +you." To which Sir Robert replied, "Sure Sir, you have slept since I +saw you, and this is the result of some melancholy dream, which I +desire you to forget, for you are now awake." To which Mr. Donne's +reply was, "I cannot be surer that I now live, than that I have not +slept since I saw you, and am sure that at her second appearing, she +stopt and lookt me in the face and vanished." - Rest and sleep had not +altered Mr. Donne's opinion the next day, for he then affirmed this +vision with a more deliberate, and so confirmed a confidence, that he +inclined Sir Robert to a faint belief, that the vision was true. It is +truly said, that desire and doubt have no rest, and it proved so with +Sir Robert, for he immediately sent a servant to Drury-House, with a +charge to hasten back and bring him word whether Mrs. Donne were +alive ? and if alive, in what condition she was as to her health. The +twelfth day the messenger returned with this account-that he found and +left Mrs. Donne very sad, sick in her bed, and that, after a long and +dangerous labour, she had been delivered of a dead child: and upon +examination, the abortion proved to be the same day, and about the +very hour, that Mr. Donne affirmed he saw her pass by him in his +chamber. + +Henry IV. King of France, not long before he was stabbed by Ravillac, +as he was hunting in the forest (I think of Fontaine-Bleau), met in a +thicket, the Gros Venure, who said to him, "Demandez vous?" or "Entendez +vous?" He could not tell whether of the two. + +There is a tradition (which I have heard from persons of honour), that +as the Protector Seymour and his Dutchess were walking in the gallery +at Sheen (in Surrey), both of them did see a hand with a bloody sword +come out of the wall. He was afterwards beheaded. + +Sir John Burroughes being sent envoy to the Emperor by King Charles I. +did take his eldest son Caisho Burroughes along with him, and taking +his journey through Italy, left his son at Florence, to learn the +language; where he having an intrigue with a beautiful courtisan +(mistress of the Grand Duke), their familiarity became so public, that +it came to the Duke's ear, who took a resolution to have him murdered; +but Caisho having had timely notice of the Duke's design, by some of +the English there, immediately left the city without acquainting his +mistress with it, and came to England; whereupon the Duke being +disappointed of his revenge, fell upon his mistress in most +reproachful language; she on the other side, resenting the sudden +departure of her gallant, of whom she was most passionately enamoured, +killed herself. At the same moment that she expired, she did appear to +Caisho, at his lodgings in London; Colonel Remes* was then in bed with +him, who saw her as well as he; giving him an account of her +resentments of his ingratitude to her, in leaving her so suddenly, and +exposing her to the fury of the Duke, not omitting her own tragical +exit, adding withal, that he should be slain in a duel, which +accordingly happened; and thus she appeared to him frequently, even +when his younger brother (who afterwards was Sir John) was in bed with +him. As often as she did appear, he would cry out with great +shrieking, and trembling of his body, as anguish of mind, saying, 0 +God ! here she comes, she comes, and at this rate she appeared till he +was killed; she appeared to him the morning before he was killed. Some +of my acquaintance have told me, that he was one of the most beautiful +men in England, and very valiant, but proud and blood-thirsty. + +* This Colonel Remes was a Parliament man, and did belong to the +wardrobe, tempore Caroli II. + +This story was so common, that King Charles I. Sent for Caisho +Burroughes's father, whom he examined as to the truth of the matter; +who did (together with Colonel Remes) aver the matter of fact to be +true, so that the King thought it worth his while to send to Florence, +to enquire at what time this unhappy lady killed herself; it was found +to be the same minute that she first appeared to Caisho, being in bed +with Colonel Remes. This relation I had from my worthy friend Mr. +Monson, who had it from Sir John's own mouth, brother of Caisho; he +had also the same account from his own father, who was intimately +acquainted with old Sir John Burroughes, and both his sons, and says, +as often as Caisho related this, he wept bitterly. + +Anno 1647, the Lord Mohun's son and heir (a gallant gentleman, +valiant, and a great master of fencing and horsemanship), had a +quarrel with Prince Griffin; there was a challenge, and they were to +fight on horse-back in Chelsea-fields in the morning: Mr. Mohun went +accordingly to meet him; but about Ebury-Farm, he was met by some who +quarrelled with him and pistoled him; it was believed, by the order of +Prince Griffin; for he was sure, that Mr. Mohun, being so much the +better horse-man, &c. would have killed him, had they fought. + +In James-street, in Covent-Garden, did then lodge a gentlewoman, a +handsome woman, but common, who was Mr. Mohun's sweet heart. Mr. Mohun +was murdered about ten o'clock in the morning; and at that very time, +his mistress being in bed, saw Mr. Mahon come to her bed-side, draw +the curtain, look upon her and go away; she called after him, but no +answer: she knocked for her maid, asked her for Mr. Mohun; she said +she did not see him, and had the key of her chamber-door in her +pocket. This account my friend aforesaid, had from the gentle-woman's +own mouth, and her maid's. + +A parallel story to this, is, that Mr. Brown, (brother- in-law to the +Lord Coningsby) discovered his being murdered to several. His phantom +appeared to his sister and her maid in Fleet-street, about the time +he was killed in Herefordshire, which was about a year since. 1693. + +Sir Walter Long of Draycot, (grandfather of Sir James Long) had two +wives; the first a daughter of Sir Thomas Packington in +Worcestershire; by whom he had a son: his second wife was a daughter +of Sir John Thynne of Long-Leat; by whom he had several sons and +daughters. The second wife did use much artifice to render the son by +the first wife, (who had not much Promethean fire) odious to his +father; she would get her acquaintance to make him drunk, and then +expose him in that condition to his father; in fine, she never left +off her attempts, till she got Sir Walter to disinherit him. She laid +the scene for doing this at Bath, at the assizes, where was her +brother Sir Egrimond Thynne, an eminent serjeant at law, who drew the +writing; and his clerk was to sit up all night to engross it; as he +was writing, he perceived a shadow on the parchment, from the candle; +he looked up, and there appeared a hand, which immediately vanished; +he was startled at it, but thought it might be only his fancy, being +sleepy; so he writ on; by and by a fine white hand interposed between +the writing and the candle (he could discern it was a woman's hand) +but vanished as before; I have forgot, it appeared a third time. But +with that the clerk threw down his pen, and would engross no more, but +goes and tells his master of it, and absolutely refused to do it. But +it was done by somebody, and Sir Walter Long was prevailed with to +seal and sign it. He lived not long after; and his body did not go +quiet to the grave, it being arrested at the church porch by the +trustees of the first lady. The heir's relations took his part, and +commenced a suit against Sir Walter (the second son) and compelled him +to accept of a moiety of the estate; so the eldest son kept South- +Wraxhall, and Sir Walter, the second son, Draycot-Cernes, &c. This was +about the middle of the reign of King James I. + +I must not forget an apparition in my country, which appeared several +times to Doctor Turbervile's sister, at Salisbury; which is much +talked of. One married a second wife, and contrary to the agreement +and settlement at the first wife's marriage, did wrong the children by +the first venter. The settlement was hid behind a wainscot in the +chamber where the Doctor's sister did lie: and the apparition of the +first wife did discover it to her. By which means right was done to +the first wife's children. The apparition told her that she wandered +in the air, and was now going to God. Dr. Turbervile (oculist) did +affirm this to be true. See Mr. Glanvill's "Sadducismus Triumphatus". + +To one Mr. Towes, who had been schoolfellow with Sir George Villers, +the father of the first Duke of Buckingham, (and was his friend and +neighbour) as he lay in his bed awake, (and it was day-light) came +into his chamber, the phantom of his dear friend Sir George Villers: +said Mr. Towes to him, why, you are dead, what make you here ? said +the Knight, I am dead, but cannot rest in peace for the wickedness and +abomination of my son George, at Court. I do appear to you, to tell +him of it, and to advise and dehort him from his evil ways. Said Mr. +Towes, the Duke will not believe me, but will say that I am mad, or +doat. Said Sir George, go to him from me, and tell him by such a token +(a mole) that he had in some secret place, which none but himself knew +of. Accordingly Mr. Towes went to the Duke, who laughed at his +message. At his return home the phantom appeared again, and told him +that the Duke would be stabbed (he drew out a dagger) a quarter of a +year after: and you shall outlive him half a year; and the warning +that you shall have of your death, will be, that your nose will fall a +bleeding. All which accordingly fell out so. This account I have had +(in the main) from two or three; but Sir William Dugdale affirms what +I have here taken from him to be true, and that the apparition told +him of several things to come, which proved true, e. g. of a prisoner +in the Tower, that shall be honourably delivered. This Mr. Towes had +so often the ghost of his old friend appear to him, that it was not at +all terrible to him. He was surveyor of the works at Windsor, (by the +favour of the Duke) being then sitting in the hall, he cried out, the +Duke of Buckingham is stabbed: he was stabbed that very moment. + +This relation Sir William Dugdale had from Mr. Pine, (neighbour to Mr. +Towes without Bishops-gate) they were both great lovers of music, and +sworn brothers. Mr. W. Lilly, astrologer, did print this story false, +which made Sir Edmund Wyndham (who married Mr. Pine's daughter) give +to Sir George Hollis this true account contrary to Mr. Lilly. + +Mr. Thomas Ellyot, Groom of the bedchamber, married Sir Edmund +Wyndham's daughter, and had the roll (of near a quire of paper) of the +conferences of the apparition and Mr. Towes. Mr. Ellyot was wont to +say, that Mr. Towes was (not a bigot, or did trouble himself much +about a religion, but was) a man of great morals. + +Sir William Dugdale did farther inform me that Major General Middleton +(since Lord) went into the Highlands of Scotland, to endeavour to make +a party for King Charles I. An old gentleman (that was second-sighted) +came and told him, that his endeavour was good, but he would be +unsuccessful: and moreover, "that they would put the King to death: +And that several other attempts would be made, but all in vain: but +that his son would come in, but not reign; but at last would be +restored." This Lord Middleton had a great friendship with the Laird +Bocconi, and they had made an agreement, that the first of them that +died should appear to the other in extremity. The Lord Middleton was +taken prisoner at Worcester fight, and was prisoner in the Tower of +London, under three locks. Lying in his bed pensive, Bocconi appeared +to him; my Lord Middleton asked him if he were dead or alive ? he +said, dead, and that he was a ghost; and told him, that within three +days he should escape, and he did so, in his wife's cloaths. When he +had done his message, he gave a frisk, and said, + + Givenni Givanni 'tis very strange, + In the world to see so sudden a change. + +And then gathered up and vanished. This account Sir William Dugdale +had from the Bishop of Edinburgh. And this, and the former account he +hath writ in a book of miscellanies, which I have seen, and is now +reposited with other books of his in the Musaeum at Oxford. + +Anno 1670, not far from Cirencester, was an apparition: being +demanded, whether a good spirit, or a bad ? returned no answer, but +disappeared with a curious perfume and most melodious twang. Mr. W. +Lilly believes it was a fairy. So Propertius. + + Omnia finierat; tenues secessit in auras: + Mansit odor; posses scire fuisse Deam. + + Here, her speech ending, fled the beauteous fair, + Melting th' embodied form to thinner air, + Whom the remaining scent a goddess did declare. + +The learned Henry Jacob, fellow of Merton college in Oxford, died at +Dr. Jacob's, M. D. house in Canterbury. About a week after his death, +the doctor being in bed and awake, and the moon shining bright, saw +his cousin Henry standing by his bed, in his shirt, with a white cap +on his head and his beard-mustachoes turning up, as when he was alive. +The doctor pinched himself, and was sure he was awaked: he turned to +the other side from him; and, after some time, took courage to turn +the other way again towards him, and Henry Jacob stood there still; he +should have spoken to him, but he did not; for which he has been ever +since sorry. About half an hour after, he vanished. Not long after +this, the cook-maid, going to the wood-pile to fetch wood to dress +supper, saw him standing in his shirt upon the wood-pile.* This +account I had in a letter from Doctor Jacob, 1673, relating to his +life, for Mr. Anthony Wood; which is now in his hands. + +* See the whole story in Ath. & Fasti Oxon. Part 2, p. 91. + +When Henry Jacob died, he would fain have spoken to the Doctor, but +could not, his tongue faltered, ** 'Tis imagined he would have told +Doctor Jacob, with what person he had deposited his manuscripts of his +own writing; they were all the riches he had, 'tis suspected that one +had them and printed them under his own name. --- See there in the said +Athenae, vol. or part 2. p. 90. + +** This very story Dr. Jacob told me himself, being then at Lord +Teynham's, in Kent, where he was then physician to my eldest son; +whom he recovered from a fever, (A. Wood's note.) + +T, M. Esq., an old acquaintance of mine, hath assured me that about a +quarter of a year after his first wife's death, as he lay in bed awake +with his grand-child, his wife opened the closet-door, and came into +the chamber by the bedside, and looked upon him and stooped down and +kissed him; her lips were warm, he fancied they would have been cold. +He was about to have embraced her, but was afraid it might have done +him hurt. When she went from him, he asked her when he should see her +again ? she turned about and smiled, but said nothing. The closet door +striked as it used to do, both at her coming in and going out. He had +every night a great coal fire in his chamber, which gave a light as +clear almost as a candle. He was hypochondriacal; he married two +wives since, the latter end of his life was uneasy. + +Anno 165-.-- At---in the Moorlands in Staffordshire, lived a poor old +man, who had been a long time lame. One Sunday, in the afternoon, he +being alone, one knocked at his door: he bade him open it, and come +in. The Stranger desired a cup of beer; the lame man desired him to +take a dish and draw some, for he was not able to do it himself. The +Stranger asked the poor old man how long he had been ill? the poor man +told him. Said the Stranger, "I can cure you. Take two or three balm +leaves steeped in your beer for a fortnight or three weeks, and you +will be restored to your health; but constantly and zealously serve +God." The poor man did so, and became perfectly well. This Stranger +was in a purple-shag gown, such as was not seen or known in those +parts. And no body in the street after even song did see any one +in such a coloured habit. Doctor Gilbert Sheldon, since Archbishop +of Canterbury, was then in the Moorlands, and justified the truth of +this to Elias Ashmole, Esq., from whom I had this account, and he hath +inserted it in some of his memoirs, which are in the Musseum at Oxford. + +**MR. J. LYDAL of Trinity College, Soc. Oxon. March 11, 1649, 50, +attests the ensuing relation, in a letter to Mr. Aubrey, thus, + +MR. AUBREY, + +CONCERNING that which happened at Woodstock, I was told by Mr. +William Hawes, (who now lives with Sir William Fleetwood in the +park) that the committee which sat in the manor-house for selling the +king's lands, were frighted by strange apparitions; and that the +four surveyors which were sent to measure the park, and lodged +themselves with some other companions in the manor, were pelted out +of their chambers by stones thrown in at the windows; but from what +hands the stones came they could not see; that their candles were +continually put out, as fast as they lighted them; and that one with +his sword drawn to defend a candle, was with his own scabbard in the +mean time well cudgelled; so that for the blow, or for fear, he fell +sick; and the others were forced to remove, some of them to Sir +William Fleetwood's house, and the rest to some other places. But +concerning the cutting of the oak, in particular, I have nothing. +Your Friend, +To be commanded to my power, +JOHN LYDALL. + +One Lambert, a gun-smith at Hereford, was at Caermarthen, to mend +and put in order the ammunition of that county, before the expedition +to Scotland, which was in 1639. He was then a young man, and walking +on the sand by the sea side, a man came to him (he did verily believe +it was a man) and asked him if he knew Hereford ? yes, quoth he, I am +a Hereford man. Do you know it well, quoth the other; perfectly well, +quoth Lambert. "That city shall be begirt" (he told me he did not +know what the word begirt meant then) "by a foreign nation, that +will come and pitch their camp in the Hay wood, and they shall +batter such gate," which they did, (I have forgot the name of it) +"and shall go away and not take it." + +The Scots came in 1645, and encamped before Hereford in the Hay-wood, +and stormed the --- gate, and raised the siege. Lambert did well +remember this discourse, but did not heed it till they came to the +Hay-wood. Many of the city had heard of this story, but when the -- +gate was stormed, Lambert went to all the guards of the town, and +encouraged them with more than ordinary confidence: and contrary to +all human expectation, when the besieged had no hope of relief, the +Scots raised the siege, September 2, 1645, and went back into +Scotland, "re infecta". I knew this Lambert, and took this account +from his own mouth; he is a modest poor man, of a very innocent +life, lives poor, and cares not to be rich." + +-- A minister, who lived by Sir John Warre in Somersetshire, about +1665, walking over the Park to give Sir John a visit, was +rencountered by a venerable old man, who said to him, "prepare +yourself, for such a day" (which was about three days after) "you +shall die." The minister told Sir John Wane and my Lady this story, +who heeded it not. On the morning forewarned, Sir John called upon +the Parson early to ride a hunting, and to laugh at his prediction: +his maid went up to call him, and found him stark dead. This from my +Lady Katherine Henley, who had it from my Lady Warre. But Dr. Burnet, +in the life of the Earl of Rochester, makes it a dream. + +This put me in mind of a story in the Legend, &c. of King Edward the +Confessor, being forewarned of his death by a Pilgrim, to whom +St.John the Evangelist revealed it,. for which the King gave the +Pilgrim a rich ring off his finger: and the event answered. The +story is well painted on glass, in a window of the south isle of +Westminster-Abbey, (the next window from that over the door that +opens into the west walk of the cloyster) it is the best window in +the church. Underneath the two figures, viz. of the King and the +Pilgrim, are these following verses, viz. + + "Rex cui nil aliud praesto fuit, accipe, dixit. + Annulum, & ex digito detrahit ille suo. + --- Evangelistoe --- villa Johannis. + -- gratia petit." + +The verses under the Pilgrim are not legible. This story is in +Caxton's Chronicle. + +Dr. --- Twiss, minister of the new church at Westminster, told me, +that his father, (Dr. Twiss, prolocutor of the assembly of divines, +and author of "Vindicitae Graticae") when he was a school-boy at +Winchester, saw the phantom of a school-fellow of his, deceased, (a +rakehell) who said to him "I am damned." This was the occasion of +Dr. Twiss'a (the father's) conversion, who had been before that time, +as he told his son, a very wicked boy; he was hypochondriacal. There +is a story like this, of the conversion of St. Bruno, by an +apparition: upon which he became mighty devout, and founded the +order of the Carthusians. + +John Evelyn, Esq., R.S.S., showed us at the Royal-Society, a note +under Mr. Smith's hand, the curate of Deptford, that in +November,1679, as he was in bed sick of an ague, came to him the +vision of a master of arts, with a white wand in his hand, and told +him that if he did lie on his back three hours, viz. from ten to one, +that he should be rid of his ague. He lay a good while on his back, +but at last being weary he turned, and immediately the ague attacked +him; afterwards he strictly followed the directions, and was +perfectly cured. He was awake, and it was in the day-time. + +This puts me in mind of a dream of old Farmer Good, a neighbour of +mine at Broad-Chalk, who being ill, dreamt that he met with an old +friend of his, (long since deceased) by Knighton Ashes (in that +parish) who told him, that if he rose out of his bed, that he would +die. He awaked, and rose to make water, and was immediately seized +with a shivering fit, and died of an ague, aged 84. + +The Lady Viscountess Maidstone told me she saw (as it were) a fly of +fire, fly round about her in the dark, half an hour before her lord +died: he was killed at sea, and the like before her mother-in-law +the Countess of Winchelsea died, (she was then with child). + +A Dutch prisoner at Wood-bridge, in Suffolk, in the reign of K. +Charles II. could discern Spirits; but others that stood by could +not. The bell tolled for a man newly deceased. The prisoner saw his +phantom, and did describe him to the Parson of the parish,* who was +with him; exactly agreeing with the man for whom the bell tolled. +Says the prisoner, now he is coming near to you, and now he is +between you and the wall; the Parson was resolved to try it, and went +to take the wall of him, and was thrown down; he could see nothing. +This story is credibly told by several persons of belief. + +* Dr. Hooke, the Parson of the parish, has often told this story. + + +There is a very remarkable story of an apparition, which Martin +Luther did see. Mentioned in his "Commensalia" or Table-Talk, which +see. + +Those that are delirious in high fevers, see (waking, men, and things +that are not there). I knew one Mr. M. L. that took opium, and he did +see (being awake) men and things that were not present, (or perhaps) +not in being. Those whose spleens are ill affected have the like +phantasies. The power of imagination is wonderful. + + "De seipso duplicate." + +Cardanus, Synes. Somniorum, lib. ii. cap. 12. "In somniis mortis est +signum, quia duo fiunt, cum anima separatur a corpore. Est & signum +morbi in ipsis agrotantibus, nec tum aliud quicquam significat." + + **Of One's being divided into a Two-fold person. + +In dreams it is a sign of death, because out of one are then made +two, when the soul is separated from the body. And it is a sign of +the disease in sick men, nor signifies it any thing else at +that time. + +As concerning apparitions of a man's own self, there are sundry +instances, some whereof, I shall here set down. + +The Countess of Thanet (Earl John's Lady) saw as she was in bed with +her Lord in London, her daughter my Lady Hatton, who was then in +Northamptonshire, at Horton Kirby; the candle was burning in her +chamber. Since, viz. anno 1675, this Lady Hatton was blown up with +gunpowder set on fire by lightning, in the castle at Guernsey, where +her Lord was Governor.* + +* See Mr. Baxter's Treatise of Spirits + +The beautiful Lady Diana Rich, daughter to the Earl of Holland, as +she was walking in her father's garden at Kensington, to take the +fresh air before dinner, about eleven o'clock, being then very well, +met with her own apparition, habit, and every thing, as in a looking- +glass. About a month after, she died of the small-pox. And it +is said that her sister, the Lady Isabella Thynne, saw the like of +herself also, before she died. This account I had from a person of +honour. + +Mrs. E. W. daughter of Sir W. W. affirms that Mrs. J. (her father's +sister) saw herself, i. e. her phantom, half a year before she died, +for a quarter of an hour together. She said further, that her aunt +was sickly fourteen years before she died, and that she walked +living, i. e. her apparition, and that she was seen by several at the +same time. The like is reported of others. + +Mr. Trahern, B.D. (chaplain to Sir Orlando Bridgman, Lord Keeper) a +learned and sober person, was son of a shoe-maker in Hereford: one +night as he lay in bed, the moon shining very bright, he saw the +phantom of one of the apprentices, sitting in a chair in his red +waistcoat, and head-band about his head, and strap upon his knee; +which apprentice was really in bed and asleep with another fellow- +apprentice, in the same chamber, and saw him. The fellow was living, +1671. Another time, as he was in bed, he saw a basket come sailing in +the air, along by the valence of his bed; I think he said there was +fruit in the basket: it was a phantom. From himself. + +When Sir Kichard Nepier, M.D. of London, was upon the road coming +from Bedfordshire, the chamberlain of the inn, shewed him his +chamber, the doctor saw a dead man lying upon the bed; he looked more +wistly and saw it was himself: he was then well enough in health. He +went forward on his journey to Mr. Steward's in Berkshire, and there +died. This account I have in a letter from Elias Ashmole, Esq. They +were intimate friends. + +"In the Desarts of Africk, you shall meet oftentimes with fairies +appearing in the shape of men and women, but they vanish quite away +like phantastical delusions."* + +* Pliny's Natural Hist. lib. 7, chap. 2. + + +I Captain Henry Bell, do hereby declare both to the present age and +to posterity, that being employed beyond the seas, in state affairs, +divers years together, both by King James, and also by the late King +Charles in Germany. I did hear and understand in all places great +bewailing and lamentation made, by reason of destroying and burning +of above fourscore thousand of Martin Luther's books, entituled, His +last Divine Discourses.** + +** This narrative is in the Preface of the translation of Mr. Luther's +Table-Talk. + +Upon which divine work or discourses, the reformation, begun before +in Germany, was wonderfully promoted and spread in other countries. + +But afterwards it so fell out, that the Pope then living, viz, +Gregory XIII. understanding what great hurt and prejudice he and his +religion had already received by reason of the said Luther's +discourses, and also fearing that the same might bring further +contempt and mischief upon himself and his church, he therefore to +prevent the same, did fiercely stir up and instigate the Emperor +then in being, viz. Rodolphus III. to make an edict through the +whole empire, that all the foresaid printed books should be burned, +and also that it should be death for any person to have or keep a +copy thereof, but to burn the same, which edict was speedily put in +execution accordingly; insomuch that not one of all the said printed +books, nor any one copy of the same, could be found out, or heard of +in any place. + +Yet it pleased God, that in anno 1626, a German gentleman, named +Casparas Van Sparr, with whom, in my stay in Germany, about King +James's business, I became familiarly known and acquainted, having +occasion to build upon an old foundation of a house, wherein his +grandfather dwelt at that time, when the said edict was published in +Germany, for the burning the said books, and digging deep under the +said old foundation, one of the said original printed books was there +happily found, lying in a deep obscure hole, being wrapped in a +strong linen cloth, which was waxed all over with bees wax within and +without, whereby the said book was preserved fair without any blemish. + +And at the same time Ferdinandus II. being Emperor of Germany, who +was a severe enemy and persecutor of the Protestant religion, the +foresaid gentleman, and grandchild to him, that had hidden the said +book in that obscure hole, fearing that if the said Emperor should +get knowledge that one of the said books were yet forthcoming, and in +his custody, whereby not only himself might be brought into trouble, +but also the book be in danger to be destroyed, as all the rest were +long before; and also calling to mind, that I had the High-Dutch +tongue very perfect, did send the said original book over hither into +England unto me: related to me the passages of the preserving and +finding the said book; and earnestly moved me in his letter, to +translate the said book into English. + +Whereupon, I took the said book before me, and many times began to +translate the same, but always I was hindered therein, being called +upon about other business, insomuch that by no possible means I could +remain by that work. Then about six weeks after I had received the +said book, it fell out, that being in bed with my wife, one night +between twelve and one o'clock, she being asleep, but myself yet +awake, there appeared unto me an antient man, standing at my +bedside, arrayed in white, having a long and broad white beard, +hanging down to his girdle steed, who taking me by the right ear, +spake these words following unto me; "Sirrah, will not you take time +to translate that book which is sent unto you out of Germany? I will +provide for you both place and time to do it:" and then he vanished +out of my sight. + +Whereupon being much affrighted, I fell into an extream sweat, +insomuch that my wife awaking, and finding me all over wet, she asked +me what I ailed; I told her what I had seen and heard; but I never +did heed or regard visions nor dreams. And so the same fell soon out +of my mind. + +Then about a fortnight after I had seen the vision, on a Sunday I went +to Whitehall to hear the sermon, after which ended, I returned to my +lodging which was then in King-street, Westminster, and sitting down +to dinner with my wife, two messengers were sent from the council- +board with a warrant to carry me to the keeper of the gate-house at +Westminster, there to be safely kept, until farther order from +the Lords of the Council; which was done without shewing any cause* at +all, wherefore I was committed; upon which said warrant I was kept +there ten whole years close prisoner; where I spent five years thereof +about translating of the said book: Insomuch as I found the words +very true which the old man in the aforesaid vision said unto me, " I +will shortly provide you both place and time to translate it." + +Then after I had finished the translation, Dr. Laud, Arch-Bishop of +Canterbury, sent to me in the prison, by Dr. Bray his chaplain, ten +pounds, and desired to peruse the book; he afterwards sent me by Dr. +Bray forty pounds. There was a committee of the House of Commons for +the printing of this translation, which was in 1652. + +*Whatsoever was pretended, yet the true cause of the Captain's +commitment was, because he was urgent with the Lord Treasurer for his +arrears, which amounted to a great sum, he was not willing to pay, and +to be freed from his clamours, clapt him up into prison. + +A full and true relation of the examination and confession of William +Barwick and Edward Mangall, of two horrid murders; one committed by +William Barwick, upon his wife being with child, near Cawood in +Yorkshire, upon the 14th of April last: as likewise a full account +how it came to be discovered by an apparition of the person +murdered. + +The second was committed by Edward Mangall, upon Elizabeth Johnson, +alias Ringrose, and her bastard child, on the 4th of September last, +who said he was tempted thereto by the Devil. + +Also their trials and convictions before the Honourable Sir JOHN +POWEL, Knight, one their Majesties Justices, at the assizes holden at +York, on the 16th of September, 1690. + +As murder is one of the greatest crimes that man can be guilty of, so +it is no less strangely and providentially discovered, when privately +committed. The foul criminal believes himself secure, because there +was no witness of the fact. Not considering that the all-seeing eye of +Heaven beholds his concealed iniquity, and by some means or other +bringing it to light, never permits it to go unpunished. And indeed so +certainly does the revenge of God pursue the abominated murderer, +that, when witnesses are wanting of the fact, the very ghosts of the +murdered parties cannot rest quiet in their graves, till they have +made the detection themselves. Of this we are now to give the reader +two remarkable examples that lately happened in Yorkshire; and no +less signal for the truth of both tragedies, as being confirmed by the +trial of the offenders, at the last assizes held for that county. + +The first of these murders was committed by William Barwick, upon the +body of Mary Barwick, his wife, at the same time big with child. What +were the motives, that induced the man to do this horrid fact, does +not appear by the examination of the evidence, or the confession of +the party: only it appeared upon the trial, that he had got her with +child before he married her: and 'tis very probable, that, being then +constrained to marry her, he grew weary of her, which was the reason +he was so willing to be rid of her, though he ventured body and soul +to accomplish his design. + +The murder was committed on Palm-Monday, being the fourteenth of +April, about two of the clock in the afternoon, at which time the +said Barwick having drilled his wife along 'till he came to a certain +close, within sight of Cawood-Castle, where he found the conveniency +of a pond, he threw her by force into the water, and when she was +drowned, and drawn forth again by himself upon the bank of the pond, +had the cruelty to behold the motion of the infant, yet warm in her +womb. This done, he concealed the body, as it may readily be supposed, +among the bushes, that usually encompass a pond, and the next night, +when it grew duskish, fetching a hay-spade from a rick that stood in a +close, he made a hole by the side of the pond, and there slightly +buried the woman in her cloaths. + +Having thus despatched two at once, and thinking him-self secure, +(because unseen) he went the same day to his brother-in-law, one +Thomas Lofthouse of Rufforth, within three miles of York, who had +married his drowned wife's sister, and told him he had carried his +wife to one Richard Harrison's house in Selby, who was his uncle, and +would take care of her. But Heaven would not be so deluded, but raised +up the ghost of the murdered woman to make the discovery. And +therefore it was upon the Easter Tuesday following, about two of the +clock in the after-noon, the forementioned Lofthouse having occasion +to water a quickset hedge, not far from his house; as he was going for +the second pail full, an apparition went before him in the shape of a +woman, and soon after sat down upon a rising green grass-plat, right +over against the pond: he walked by her as he went to the pond; and +as he returned with the pail from the pond, looking sideways to see +whether she continued in the same place, he found she did; and that +she seemed to dandle something in her lap, that looked like a white +bag (as he thought) which he did not observe before. So soon as he had +emptied his pail, he went into his yard, and stood still to try +whether he could see her again, but she was vanished. + +In this information he says, that the woman seemed to be habited in a +brown coloured petticoat, waistcoat, and a white hood; such a one as +his wife's sister usually wore, and that her countenance looked +extreamly pale and wan, with her teeth in sight, but no gums +appearing, and that her physiognomy was like to that of his wife's +sister, who was wife to William Barwick. + +But notwithstanding the ghastliness of the apparition, it seems it +made so little impression in Lofthouse's mind, that he thought no more +of it, neither did he speak to any body concerning it, 'till the same +night as he was at his family duty of prayer, that that apparition +returned again to his thoughts, and discomposed his devotion; so that +after he had made an end of his prayers, he told the whole story of +what he had seen to his wife, who laying circumstances together, +immediately inferred, that her sister was either drowned, or otherwise +murdered, and desired her husband to look after her the next day, +which was Wednesday in Easter week, Upon this, Lofthouse recollecting +what Barwick had told him of his carrying his wife to his uncle at +Selby, repaired to Harrison beforementioned, but found all that +Barwick had said to be false; for that Harrison had neither heard of +Barwick, nor his wife, neither did he know anything of them. Which +notable circumstance, together with that other of the apparition, +encreased his suspicions to that degree, that now concluding his +wife's sister was murdered, he went to the Lord Mayor of York; and +having obtained his warrant, got Barwick apprehended, who was no +sooner brought before the Lord Mayor, but his own conscience then +accusing him, he acknowledged the whole matter, as it has been already +related, as it appears by his examination and confession herewith +printed: to which are also annexed the informations of Lofthouse, in +like manner taken before the Lord Mayor of York, for a further +testimony and confirmation of what is here set down. + +On Wednesday the sixteenth of September, 1690, the criminal, William +Barwick, was brought to his trial, before the Honourable Sir John +Powel, Knight, one of the judges of the northern circuit, at the +assizes holden at York, where the prisoner pleaded not guilty to his +indictment: but upon the evidence of Thomas Lofthouse, and his +wife, and a third person, that the woman was found buried in her +cloaths in the Close by the pond side, agreeable to the prisoner's +confession, and that she had several bruises on her head, occasioned +by the blows the murderer had given her, to keep her under water: and +upon reading the prisoner's confession before the Lord Mayor of York, +attested by the clerk, who wrote the confession, and who swore the +prisoner's owning and signing it for truth, he was found guilty, and +sentenced to death, and afterwards ordered to be hanged in chains. + +All the defence which the prisoner made, was only this, that he was +threatened into the confession that he had made, and was in such a +consternation, that he did not know what he said or did. But then it +was sworn by two witnesses, that there was no such thing as any +threatening made use of; but that he made a free and voluntary +confession, only with this addition at first; that he told the Lord +Mayor, he had sold his wife for five shillings; but not being able to +name either the person or the place where she might be produced, that +was looked upon as too frivolous to outweigh circumstances, that were +proofs to apparent. + +**The information of Thomas Lofthouse, of Ruforth, taken upon oath the +twenty-fourth day of April, 1690, + +WHO sayeth and deposeth, that one William Barwick, who lately married +this informant's wife's sister,came to this informant's house, about +the fourteenth instant, and told this informant, he had carried his wife +to one Richard Harrison's house in Selby, who was uncle to him, and +would take care of her; and this informant hearing nothing of the said +Barwick's wife, his said sister-in-law, imagined he had done her some +mischief, did yesterday go to the said Harrison's house in Selby, where +he said he had carried her to; and the said Harrison told this informant, +he knew nothing of the said Barwick, or his wife, and this informant doth +verily believe the said Barwick to have murdered her. + +THOMAS LOFTHOUSE. + +"Jurat die & Anno +super dicto coram me," + +S. DAWSON, Mayor. + +**The examination of the said William Harwich, taken the day and year +abovesaid, + +WHO sayeth and confesseth, that he, this examinant, on Monday was +seventh night, about two of the clock in the afternoon, this examinant +was walking in a Close, betwixt Cawood and Wistow; and he farther +sayeth, that he threw his said wife into the pond, where she was +drowned, and the day following, towards the evening, got a hay-spade +at a hay-stake in the said Close, and made a grave beside the said +pond, and buried her. + +WILLIAM BARWICK. + +"Exam. capt. die & Anno +super dict, coram me," + +S. DAWSON, Mayor. + +**The examination of William Barwick, taken the twenty- fifth day of +April, 1690, + +WHO sayeth and confesseth, that he carried his wife over a certain +wain-bridge, called Bishopdike-bridge, betwixt Cawood and Sherborne, +and within a lane about one hundred yards from the said bridge, and on +the left hand of the said bridge, he and his wife went over a stile, +on the left hand of a certain gate, entering into a certain close, on +the left hand of the said lane; and in a pond in the said close, +(adjoining to a quick-wood-hedge) did drown his wife, and upon the +bank of the said pond, did bury her: and further, that he was within +sight of Cawood Castle, on the left hand; and that there was but one +hedge betwixt the said close, where he drowned his said wife, and the +Bishop-slates belonging to the said castle. + +WILLIAM BARWICK +"Exam. capt. die & Anno +super dict, coram me," + +S. DAWSON, Mayor. + +**On Tuesday, September the seventeenth, 1690, at York assizes. + +THOMAS LOFTHOUSE of Rufforth, within three miles of York city, sayeth, +that on Easter Tuesday last, about half an hour after twelve of the +clock, in the day time, he was watering quickwood, and as he was going +for the second pail, there appeared walking before him, an apparition +in the shape of a woman, soon after she sat down over against the +pond, on a green hill, he walked by her as he went to the pond, and as +he came with the pail of water from the pond, looking side-ways to see +if she sat in the same place, which he saw she did; and had on her lap +something like a white bag, a dandling of it (as he thought) which he +did not observe before: after he had emptied his pail of water, he +stood in his yard, to see if he could see her again; but could not: he +says her apparel was brown cloaths, waist-coat and petticoat, a white +hood, such as his wife's sister usually wore, and her face looked +extream pale, her teeth in sight, no gums appearing, her visage being +like his wife's sister and wife to William Barwick. + +Signed, +THOMAS LOFTHOUSE. + +THE second was a murder committed by one Edward Mangall, upon the body +of Elizabeth Johnson alias Ringrose, the fourth of September last +past, at a place called King's Causey, near Adling-street, in the +county of York. He had got her with child, at least as she pretended; +and was brought to bed of a boy, which she called William, and laid +him to Mangall's charge, and required him to marry her: which he +refused at first to do; but afterwards pretending to make her his +wife, bid her go before him down King's Causey, towards the church, +and he would follow her, as he did; but knocked out her brains in a +close by the way, and at the same time, as was shrewdly suspected, +killed the child. + +This Mangall being examined by Mr. William Mauleverer, the coroner, +confessed that he had murdered the woman; but denied that he meddled +with the boy. And being asked why he murdered the woman, he made +answer that the Devil put him upon it; appearing to him in a flash of +lightning, and directing him where to find the club, wherewith he +committed the murder. So ready is the Devil with his temptations, when +he finds a temper easy to work upon. + +He was convicted and found guilty upon the evidence of Anne Hinde, and +his own confession to the coroner, as may be seen by the information +annexed; and was thereupon sentenced to death, and ordered to be +hanged in chains, as Barwick was before him, he making no defence for +himself for so foul and horrid a murder, but that he was tempted +thereto by the Devil. + +**Informations taken upon oath, September the 10th, 1690. + +**The information of Anne Hinde, wife of James Hinde, of Adling-street, +in the County of York, husband-man, upon her oath saith; + +THAT on Monday, the first of September, one Elizabeth Johnson, alias +Ringrose, came to her house in the evening, with a child she called +William; and the said Elizabeth the next day told this deponent, that +the said Elizabeth was going to Gawthrope, in the county of Lincoln, +to seek for one Edward Mangall, who had got her with that child, to +see if he would marry her: upon which this deponent went with the +said Elizabeth, to persuade him to marry her; but he denied having any +dealings with her. But this deponent doth further depose, that on the +fourth of September, the said Edward came to this deponent's house, +and asked for the said Elizabeth; if she were there she might serve a +warrant on him, if she had one, for he was going to Rawclyff, to +consult his friends about it; and after some private discourse had +betwixt the said Edward and the said Elizabeth, the said Elizabeth +told this deponent, that he said, the said Elizabeth might go down +King's-Causey; and he would follow her, and marry her: and this +deponent did see the said Elizabeth go down King's-Causey; and a +little after this deponent saw the said Edward also go down the +King's-Causey; and after that, this deponent did not see the said +Elizabeth, nor the said child till she saw them lie dead. + +ANNE HINDE. + +Capt. 10. die Septembris 1690. + +By me +W. MAULEVERER. + +Un. Coron, Commit, praedict. + +THE examination of Edward Mangall, upon the murder of Elizabeth +Johnson alias Ringrose, taken before me William Mauleverer, Gent, one +of the Coroners of our Sovereign Lord and Lady King William and Queen +Mary, &c. + +THE said Edward Mangall did confess, that he did murder the said +Elizabeth Johnson alias Ringrose, upon the fourth day of September +instant, in a close nigh to King's Causey, he being asked the reason, +said the Devil put him upon it, appearing to him in a flash of +lightning; but denied that he medled with William Johnson alias +Ringrose, the child. + +Taken the 10th of Sept. 1690, +By me +W. MAULEVERER, Coroner. + + + VOICES. + + +"Saepe etiam & in praeliis Fauni auditi, & in rebus turbidis veridicae +voces ex occulto missae esse dicuntur. Cujus generis duo sunt ex +multis exempla, sed maxima. Nam non multo ante Urbem captam exaudita +vox est a Luco Vestae, qui a Palatii radice in novem viam devexus est, +ut muri & portae reficerentur: futurum esse, nisi provisum esset, ut +Roma caperetur. Quod neglectum cum caveri poterat, post acceptam illam +maximam cladem explicatum est. Ara enim Aio loquenti, quam septam +videmus, & adversus eum locum consecrata est." + +i. e. Often even in battles have the Gods of the woods been heard to +speak, and in troublesome times, when the affairs of governments have +gone wrong, and been in disorder and turmoil, voices have been known +to steal upon the ears of persons, that came as it were from a corner, +but they knew not whence, and told them important truths. Of which +kind there are out of a great many, two examples, and those indeed +very rare and extraordinary. For not long before the city was taken, +a voice was heard from the grove of Vesta, which went from the foot, +and basis of the palace, sloping and bending into a new road, that the +city walls and gates should be repaired: and that unless care was +taken of it, the consequence would be, that Rome would be taken. This +being omitted, when provision might have been made, was explained +after that most signal and dreadful overthrow. For the altar, which we +see enclosed, and that fronts that place, was a consecrated altar. + +"--- Negue solum deorum voces Pythagorei observaverunt, sed etiam +hominum, quae vacant omina --- ." + +i. e. Neither did the Pythagorean Philosophers observe the voices of +Gods only, but also those of men, which they called Omens. + +"Nero --- & lo'n dit qu'on entendoit un son de trumpette dans les +collines d'alentour, des gemissemens sur le tombeau de sa mere." + +Nero, they say, heard the sound of a trumpet among the hills and the +rocks round about him, and groans over the tomb of his mother. + +In the life of King Henry IV. of France, written by the Arch-Bishop of +Paris, it is recorded, that Charles IX. (who caused the massacre) was +wont to hear screaches, like those of the persons massacred. + +St. Augustin heard a voice, saying, TOLLE, LEGE, take, read. He took +up his bible, and dipt on Rom. 13. 13. "Not in rioting and +drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness," &c. And reformed his +manners upon it. + +One Mr. Smith, a practitioner of physic at Tamworth in Warwickshire, +an understanding sober person, reading in Hollinshead's Chronicle, +found a relation of a great fight between Vortigern and Hengest, about +those parts, at a place called Colemore: a little time after, as he +lay awake in his bed, he heard a voice, that said unto him, "You +shall shortly see some of the bones of those men and horses slain, +that you read of:" he was surprized at the voice, and asked in the +name of God, who it was that spoke to him. The voice made answer, +that he should not trouble himself about that; but what he told him +should come to pass. Shortly after, as he went to see Colonel Archer +(whose servants were digging for marle) he saw a great many bones of +men and horses; and also pot-sherds; and upon the view it appeared to +be according to the description in Hollinshead' s Chronicle; and it +was the place where the fight was; but it is now called Blackmore. + +This was about the year 1685, and I had the account from my worthy +friend and old acquaintance Thomas Marriet of Warwickshire, Esq., who +is very well acquainted with Mr. Smith aforesaid. + +Extracts out of the book entitled "Relation de la Nouvelle France", +1662, and 1663, 12. + +" Les Sauvages avoient eu de presentiments aussi bien que les +Francois, et de cet horrible Tremble-terre. Voicy la deposition d'une +sauvage age 20. fort innocente, simple, & sincere. La nuict du 4 ou 5 +de Febr. 1663 estant entirement eveillee, & en plein jugement, assise +comme sur mon seant, j'ay entender une voix distincte & intelligible, +qui m'a dit, Il doit arrive aujourdhuy de choses extrangees, la Terre +doit tremble. Je me trouveray pour lors saisie d'une grand frayeur, +parce que je ne voyois personne d'ou peut provinir cette voix: +Remplie de crainte, ja taschay a m'endormir auec assez de peine: Et +le jour estant venu, je dis a mon mary cequi m'estoit arrive. Sur le +9, ou le 10 heure de mesme jour, allant au bois pour buscher, a peine +j'estois entree en la Forest que la mesme voix se fit --- entendre, me +disent mesme chose, & de la mesme facon que la nuicte precedente: La +peur fuit bien plus grande, moy estant tout seule." + +i. e. The wild inhabitants, as well as the French, had presages of +that dreadful earthquake. See here the depositions of a wild Indian, +about twenty-six years of age, who was very innocent, simple, and +sincere. On the night of the 4th or 5th of February, in the year 1663, +being perfectly awake, and in sound judgment, and setting up as it +were in my bed, I heard a distinct and intelligible voice, that said +to me, There will happen to day many strange things. The earth will +quake and tremble. I found myself seized with an extraordinary fear, +because I saw no person from whom the voice could proceed. I, full of +terror, with great difficulty, endeavoured to compose myself to sleep. +And as soon as it was day I told my husband what had happened to me. +About nine or ten of the clock the same day, going to a forest a wood- +gathering, I was scarce got into the brow of the forest, but I heard +the same voice again, which told me the same thing, and in the same +manner as it had done the night before. My fear was much greater this +time, because I was all alone. She got her burden of wood, and met her +sister who comforted her, to whom she told this story, and when she +came to her father's caben, she told the same story there; but they +heard it without any reflections. + +" --- La chose en demeure la, jusquez a 5. ou 6 heures du soir du mesme +jour, ou un tremblement de Terre survenant, Ils reconnurent par +experience, que cequ'ils m'avoient intendu dire avant Midy, n'estoit +que trop vray." + +i. e.---The matter rested there, till about five or six of the clock +in the evening of the same day, when an earthquake coming suddenly +upon us; experience made them recollect and acknowledge that, what +they had heard me say before noon, was but too true. + +"Envoyee au R. P. Andre Castillon Provincial de la Province de France +par les Missioners de Peres de la Compagnie de Jesu. Imprime a Paris, +1664." + +i. e. Sent to the reverend father Andrew Castillon, provincial of the +province of France, by the missioners of the fathers of the Society of +Jesus. Printed at Paris, 1664. + +"Livy makes mention, that before the coming of the Gauls to Rome, +Marcus Ceditius, a Plebeian, acquainted the Senate, that passing one +night about twelve o'clock through the Via Nova, he heard a voice +(bigger than a man's) which advised him to let the Senate know, the +Gauls were on their march to Rome. How those things could be, it is to +be discoursed by persons well versed in the causes of natural and +supernatural events: for my part I will not pretend to understand +them, unless (according to the opinion of some Philosophers) we may +believe that the air being full of intelligences and spirits, who +foreseeing future events, and commiserating the condition of mankind, +give them warning by these kind of intimations, that they may the more +timely provide and defend themselves against their calamities. But +whatever is the cause, experience assures us, that after such +denunciations, some extraordinary thing or other does constantly +happen." + + + IMPULSES. + + +Cicero "de Natura Deorum", lib. 2. + +"PRAETEREA ipsorum Deorum saepe praesentiae, quales supra commemoravi, +--- declarant, ut ab his, & Civitatibus, & singulis Hominibus consuli. +Quod quidem intelligitur etiam significationibus rerum futurarum, quae +tum dormientibus, tum Vigilantibus portentantur. --- Nemo vir magnus +sine aliquo afflatu divino unquam fuit". + +i. e. Moreover the frequent presence of the Gods themselves, as I +have above mentioned, plainly manifest, that they preside, with their +good advice, as guardians, not only over cities, but particular men. +This may be likewise certainly understood by the several +significations of future events, which are predicted to men both +sleeping and waking --- there was never any one single great man, but +what has, in some measure, partaken of this divine inspiration. + +"Testor Deum me olim ante plures menses melancolia ex adverso casu +conceptam, Domini patris mei praesentisse, ac pronunciasse mortem, +cum tamen ipso valde incolumi, nulla ejus mihi ratio probabilis +afferretur: & sic ipse postea momentum sui obitus, septem circiter +horas antea pronunciavit". + +i. e. I call God to witness, that formerly some months before, having +conceived it in a fit of melancholy, from an unlucky event, that I +foreknew, and foretold my father's death, when he being quite in +health, no probable account of it offered itself to me: and in like +manner he himself afterwards pronounced the moment of his departure +near seven hours before. "Imperialis Musaeum Physicum". 104. + +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 obtained a great victory; but the +action was said to be contrary to human prudence. The same fit of +laughter seized Oliver Cromwell, just before the battle of Naseby; as +a kinsman of mine, and a great favourite of his, Colonel J. P. then +present, testified. Cardinal Mazarine said, that he was a lucky fool. + +In one of the great fields at Warminster in Wiltshire, in the harvest, +at the very time of the fight at Bosworth field, between King Eichard +III. and Henry VII. there was one of the parish took two sheaves, +crying (with some intervals) now for Richard, now for Henry; at last +lets fall the sheaf that did represent Richard; and cried, now +for King Henry, Richard is slain. This action did agree with the very +time, day and hour. When I was a schoolboy I have heard this +confidently delivered by tradition by some old men of our country. + +Monsieur de Scudery in his Poem, entituled "Rome Vaincue", fancies an +angel to be sent to Alaric, to impel him to overrun the Roman empire +with his swarms of northern people. The like may be fancied upon all +changes of government; when providence destines the ends, it orders +the means. + +By way of parallel to this, the Pope by the like instinct, being at +Rome in the consistory, did speak of the engagement in the famous +battle of Lepanto, and that the Christians were victors. The fight +at sea being two hundred miles or more distant from them. + +King Charles I. after he was condemned, did tell Colonel Tomlinson, +that he believed, that the English monarchy was now at an end: about +half an hour after, he told the Colonel, "that now he had 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. + +The Lord Roscomon, being a boy of ten years of age at Caen in +Normandy, one day was (as it were) madly extravagant in playing, +leaping, getting over the table-boards, &c. + +He was wont to be sober enough: they said, God grant this bodes no ill +luck to him; in the heat of this extravagant fit, he cries out, my +father is dead. A fortnight after news came from Ireland, that his +father was dead. This account I had from Mr. Knolles, who was his +governor, and then with him; since Secretary to the Earl of +Stafford, and I have heard his Lordship's relations confirm the same. + +A very good friend of mine and old acquaintance, hath had frequent +impulses; when he was a commoner at Trinity College, Oxford, he had +several. When he rode towards the West one time in the stage coach, +he told the company, " We shall certainly be robbed," and they were +so. When a brother of his, a merchant, died, he left him with other +effects, a share of a ship, which was returning from Spain, and of +which news was brought to the Exchange at London of her good +condition; he had such an impulse upon his spirit, that he must needs +sell his share, though to loss; and he did sell it. The ship came safe +to Cornwall, (or Devon) and somewhere afterwards fell upon the rocks +and sunk: not a man perished; but all the goods were lost except some +parrots, which were brought for Queen Katherine. + +The good genius of Socrates is much remembered, which gave him +warning. The Ethnick Genij are painted like our Angels; strong +impulses are to be referred to them. + +The learned Dr. John Pell, hath told me, that he did verily believe, +that some of his solutions of difficult problems were not done "Sine +Domino auxilio". + +Mr. J. N. a very understanding gentleman, and not superstitious, +protested to me, that when he hath been over-persuaded by friends to +act contrary to a strong impulse, that he never succeeded. + + + KNOCKINGS. + + +R. BAXTER'S Certainty of the World of Spirits. "A gentleman, formerly +seemingly pious, of late years hath fallen into the sin of +drunkenness; and when he has been drunk, and slept himself sober, +something knocks at his beds-head, as if one knocked on a wainscot; +when they remove the bed, it follows him, besides loud noises on +other parts where he is, that all the house heareth". + +" It poseth me to think what kind of spirit this is, that hath such a +care of this man's soul, (which makes me hope he will recover). Do +good spirits dwell so near us ? or, are they sent on such messages ? +or, is it his guardian Angel ? or, is it the soul of some dead friend, +that suffereth and yet retaining love to him, as Dives did to his +brethren, would have him saved ? God keepeth yet such things from us +in the dark." + +Major John Morgan of Wells, did aver, that as he lay in bed with Mr. +Barlow (son of the Dean of Wells) they heard three distinct knocks +on the bed; Mr. Barlow shortly after fell sick and died. + +Three or four days before my father died, as I was in my bed about +nine o'clock in the morning perfectly awake, I did hear three distinct +knocks on the beds-head, as if it had been with a ruler or ferula. + +Mr. Hierome Banks, as he lay on his death bed, in Bell-yard, said, +three days before he died, that Mr. Jennings of the Inner-temple, (his +great acquaintance, dead a year or two before) gave three knocks, +looked in, and said, come away. He was as far from believing such +things as any man. + +Mr. George Ent of the Middle-temple, told me, some days before he +died, that he had such a "Deceptio Visus", he called it. + +" In Germany when one is to die out of one's family, or some friends, +there will sometimes likewise happen some token that signifieth the +death of one, e. g. some (or one) in the house heareth the noise, as +if a meal-sack fell down from on high upon the boards of the chamber; +they presently go up thither, where they thought it was done, and find +nothing; but all things in order". + +" Also at Berlin, when one shall die out of the electoral house of +Brandenburgh, a woman drest in white linen appears always to several, +without speaking, or doing any harm, for several weeks before". This +from Jasper Belshazer Cranmer, a Saxon gentleman. + + + BLOWS INVISIBLE. + + +MR. BROGRAVE, of Hamel, near Puckridge in Hertfordshire, when he was a +young man, riding in a lane in that county, had a blow given him on +his cheek: (or head) he looked back and saw that nobody was near +behind him; anon he had such another blow, I have forgot if a third. +He turned back, and fell to the study of the law; and was afterwards a +Judge. This account I had from Sir John Penruddocke of Compton- +Chamberlain, (our neighbour) whose Lady was Judge Brograve's niece. + +Newark (Sir G. L.'s) has knockings before death. And there is a house +near Covent Garden that has warnings. The Papists are full of these +observations. + +The like stories are reported of others. + + + PROPHESIES. + + +CICERO de Divinatione, Lib. 1. "--gentem quidem nullam video, neque +tam humanam atque doctam: neque tam immanem tam; barbaram, quae non +significari futura, & a quibusdam intelligi, praedicique posse censeat". + +i. e. I know of no country, either so polished and learned, or so +rude, barbarous and uncivilized, but what always allowed that some +particular persons are gifted with an insight into futurity, and are +endued with a talent of prediction. + +To pass by the prophesies of holy writ, the prophesies of Nostradamus +do foretel very strangely; but not easily understood till they are +fulfilled. The book is now common. + +Peter Martyr, in his Decades, tells us, that there was a prophet among +the Salvages in America, that did foretel the coming in of strangers +in ships, which they had not known. + +The prophesies of St. Malachi, are exceeding strange. He describes the +Popes by their coats of arms, or their names, or manners: if his +prophesies be true, there will be but fifteen Popes more. It is +printed in a book in Octavo, entituled "Bucelini Historiae Nucleus, +1654, in calce Libri" thus, "Prophetia Malachiae Monachi Bangorensis, & +A. Episcopi Ardinensis, Hiberniae Primatis". 1665, in two leaves. + +Mr. Lancelot Morehouse, in the time of the civil wars, rescued a sheet +of parchment in quarto, most delicately writ, from a taylor's sheers. +It was a part of a book, and was a prophecy concerning England in +Latin Hexameters; I saw it, 1649. It pointed at our late troubles: he +gave it to Seth Ward, Bishop of Salisbury, and is lost among other +good papers. + +In a book* of Mr. William Lilly's, are hieroglyphick prophecies, viz. +of the great plague of London, expressed by graves and dead corpses; +and a scheme with ascending (the sign of London) and no planets in the +twelve houses. Also there is a 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. + +* Monarchy: or, No Monarchy, 4to. + +In the nave of the cathedral church at Wells, above the capitals of +two pillars, are the head of the King, and the head of a Bishop: it +was foretold, that when a King should be like that King, and a Bishop +like that Bishop, that Abbots should be put down, and Nuns should +marry: above the arch, is an abbot or monk, with his head hanging +downwards; and a nun with children about her. The inside of the arch +is painted blue, and adorned with stars, to signify the power and +influence of the stars. This prophecy was writ in parchment, and hung +in a table on one of those pillars, before the civil wars. Dr. Duck +(who was chancellor of Wells) said, that he had seen a copy of it +among the records of the tower at London. It was prophesied 300 years +before the reformation. Bishop Knight was Bishop here at the +reformation, and the picture (they say) did resemble him. + +In the Spanish history, it is mentioned, that a vault being opened in +Spain, they found there Moors' heads, and some writings that did +express, when people resembling those heads should come into Spain, +they would conquer that country; and it was so. See this story more +at large in James Howell's Letters. + +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 foretold our late wars. I know one that read it forty years +since. + + A Prophecy. + + Sexte verere Deos; vitae tibi terminus instat, + Cum tuus in media ardebit Carbunculus igne. + + 0 thou sixth King to God due honours pay, + Remember Prince soon after thou'lt expire, + When thou behold'st thy carbuncle display, + Blaze against blaze amidst the red'ning fire. + +These verses were made by George Buchanan; but (perhaps) the +prediction was made by some second-sighted person. King James, of +Scotland, the sixth, was taken with an ague, at Trinity-College in +Cambridge; he removed to Theobald's; (where he died)sitting by the +fire, the carbuncle fell out of his ring into the fire, according +to the prediction. This distich is printed in the life of King James. + +Before the civil wars, there was much talk of the Lady Anne Davys's +prophesies; for which she was kept prisoner in the tower of London. +She was sister to the Earl of Castle-heaven, and wife to Sir John +Davys, Lord Chief Justice in Ireland; I have heard his kinsman +(Counsellor Davys of Shaftesbury) say, that she being in London, +(I think in the tower) did tell the very time of her husband's death in +Ireland. + + + MIRANDA. + + +OUR English chronicles do record, that in the reign of King Henry III. +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. It must be a seventh son, and no daughter +between, and in pure wedlock. + +Samuel Scot, seventh son of Mr. William Scot of Hedington in +Wiltshire, did when a child wonderful cures by touching only, viz. as +to the King's-evil, wens, &c. but as he grew to be a man, the virtue +did decrease, and had he lived longer, perhaps might have been spent. +A servant boy of his father's was also a seventh son, but he could do +no cures at all. I am very well satisfied of the truth of this +relation, for I knew him very well, and his mother was my kinswoman. + +'Tis certain, the touch of a dead hand, hath wrought wonderful +effects, e. g. - One(a painter) of Stowel in Somersetshire, near +Bridgewater, had a wen in the inside of his cheek, as big as a +pullet's egg, which by the advice of one was cured by once or twice +touching or rubbing with a dead woman's hand, (e contra, to cure a +woman, a dead man's hand) he was directed first to say the Lord's +prayer, and to beg a blessing. He was perfectly cured in a few weeks. +I was at the man's house who attested it to me, as also to the +reverend Mr. Andrew Paschal, who went with me. + +Mr. Davys Mell, (the famous violinist and clock-maker) had a child +crook-backed, that was cured after the manner aforesaid, which Dr. +Ridgley, M.D. of the college of physicians, averred in my hearing. + +The curing of the King's-evil by the touch of the King, does much +puzzle our philosophers: for whether our Kings were of the house of +York, or Lancaster, it did the cure (i. e.) for the most part. 'Tis +true indeed at the touching there are prayers read, but perhaps, +neither the King attends them nor his chaplains. + +In Somersetshire, 'tis 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." + +When King Charles I. 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 woman's eyes opened. Mr +Seymer Bowman, with many others, were eye-witnesses of this. + +At Stretton in Hertfordshire, in anno 1648, when King Charles I. Was +prisoner, the tenant of the Manor-House there sold excellent cyder to +gentlemen of the neighbourhood; where they met privately, and could +discourse freely, and be merry, in those days so troublesome to the +loyal party. Among others that met, there was old Mr. Hill. B. D. +parson of the parish, Quondam Fellow of Brazen-Nose college in Oxford. +This venerable good old man, one day (after his accustomed fashion) +standing up, with his head uncovered to drink his majesty's health, +saying, "God bless our Gracious Sovereign," as he was going to put the +cup to his lips, a swallow flew in at the window, and pitched on the +brim of the little earthen cup(not half a pint) and sipt, and so flew out +again. This was in the presence of the aforesaid parson Hill, +Major Gwillim, and two or three more, that I knew very well then, my +neighbours, and whose joint testimony of it I have had more than once, +in that very room. It was in the bay-window in the parlour there; Mr. +Hill's back was next to the window. I cannot doubt of the veracity of +the witnesses. This is printed in some book that I have seen, I think +in Dr. Fuller's Worthies. The cup is preserved there still as a rarity. + +In Dr. Bolton's Sermons, is an account of the Lady Honywood, who +despaired of her salvation. Dr. Bolton endeavoured to comfort her: +said she, (holding a Venice-glass in her hand) I shall as certainly be +damned, as this glass will be broken: and at that word, threw it hard +on the ground; and the glass remained sound; which did give her great +comfort. The glass is yet preserved among the Cimelia of the family. +This lady lived to see descended from her (I think) ninety, which is +mentioned by Dr. Bolton. + +William Backhouse, of Swallowfield in Berkshire, 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; it became so nauseous, that he would +see none but his intimate friends: he was a learned gentleman, a +chymist, and antiquary: his custom was, once every summer to travel +to see Cathedrals, Abbeys, Castles, &c. In his journey, being come 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, he saw the very hearse (which was of black say, for +Queen Katherine, wife to King Henry VIII.) and the marble grave-stone +by. He found drops on the marble, and there were some cavities, +wherein he dipt his finger, and wetted the scab: in seven days it was +perfectly cured. This accurate and certain information, I had from my +worthy friend Elias Ashmole, Esq. who called Mr. Backhouse father, and +had this account from his own mouth. May-Dew is a great dissolvent. + +Arise Evans had a fungous nose, and said, it was revealed to him, that the +King's hand would cure him, and at the first coming of King Charles II. +into St. James's Park, he kissed the King's hand, and rubbed his nose with +it; which disturbed the King, but cured him. Mr. Ashmole told it me. + +In the year 1694, there was published, + +"A true Relation of the wonderful +Cure of Mary Mallard, (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. Welwood, to the Right +Honourable the Lady Mayoress, upon that subject. London: printed for +Richard Baldwin, near the Oxford Arms in Warwick Lane, 1694. + +A narrative of the late extraordinary cure, wrought in an instant upon +Mrs. Elizabeth Savage, (lame from her birth) without using of any natural +means. + +With the affidavits which were made before the Right Honourable the Lord +Mayor; and the certificates of several credible persons, who knew her both +before and since her cure. + +Enquired into with all its circumstances, by noted divines both of the +church of England, and others: and by eminent physicians of the college: +and many persons of quality, who have expressed their full satisfaction. + +With an appendix, attempting to prove, that miracles are not ceased. +London, printed for John Dunton at the Raven, and John Harris at the +Harrow, in the Poultry. The London divines would have my annotations of +these two maids expunged.* + +*" This Eliza Savage is still lame. It seems my Lord Mayor of London +and Ministers may be imposed on." MS. Note in a copy of the first +edition in the Library of the Royal Society. + + + MAGICK. + + +IN Barbary are wizards, who do smear their hands with some black +ointment,and then do hold them up to the sun, and in a short time you +shall see delineated in that black stuff, the likeness of what you +desire to have an answer of. It was desired to know, whether a ship +was in safety, or no? there appeared in the woman's hand the perfect +lineaments of a ship under sail. This Mr. W. Cl. a merchant of London, +who was factor there several years, protested to me, that he did see. +He is a person worthy of belief. + +A parallel method to this is used in England, by putting the white of +a new laid egg in a beer glass, and expose it to the sun in hot +weather, as August, when the sun is in Leo, and they will perceive +their husband's profession. + +There are wonderful stories of the Bannians in India, viz. of their +predictions, cures, &c. of their charming crocodiles, and serpents: +and that one of them walked over an arm of the sea, he was seen in the +middle, and never heard of afterwards. + +The last summer, on the day of St. John the Baptist, 1694, I +accidentally was walking in the pasture behind Montague house, it was +12 o'clock. I saw there about two or three and twenty young women, +most of them well habited, on their knees very busy, as if they had +been weeding. I could not presently learn what the matter was; at last +a young man told me, that they were looking for a coal under the root +of a plantain, to put under their head that night, and they should +dream who would be their husbands:It was to be sought for that day +and hour. + +The women have several magical secrets handed down to them by +tradition, for this purpose, as, on St. Agnes' night, 21st day of +Jannary, take a row of pins, and pull out every one, one after +another, saying a Pater Noster, or (Our Father) sticking a pin in your +sleeve, and you will dream of him, or her, you shall marry. Ben Jonson +in one of his Masques make some mention of this. + + And on sweet Saint Agnes night + Please you with the promis'd sight, + Some of husbands, some of lovers, + Which an empty dream discovers, + +Another. *To know whom one shall marry. + +You must lie in another county, and knit the left garter about the +right legged stocking (let the other garter and stocking alone) and +as you rehearse these following verses, at every comma, knit a knot. + + This knot I knit, + To know the thing, I know not yet, + That I may see, + The man (woman) that shall my husband (wife) be, + How he goes, and what he wears, + And what he does, all days, and years. + +Accordingly in your dream you will see him: if a musician, with a +lute or other instrument; if a scholar, with a book or papers. + +A gentlewoman that I knew, confessed in my hearing, that she used this +method, and dreamt of her husband whom she had never seen: about two +or three years after, as she was on Sunday at church, (at our Lady's +church in Sarum) up pops a young Oxonian in the pulpit: she cries out +presently to her sister, this is the very face of the man that I saw +in my dream. Sir William Soames's Lady did the like. + +Another way, is, to charm the moon thus: at the first appearance of +the new moon* after new year's day, go out in the evening, and stand +over the spars of a gate or stile, looking on the moon and say, ** + + All hail to the moon, all hail to thee, + I prithee good moon reveal to me, + This night, who my husband (wife) must be. + +You must presently after go to bed. + +* Some say any other new moon is as good. +** In Yorkshire they kneel on a ground-fast stone. + +I knew two gentlewomen that did thus when they were young maids, and +they had dreams of those that married them. + +Alexander Tralianus, of curing diseases by spells, charms, &c. is +cited by Casaubon, before John Dee's Book of Spirits: it is now +translated out of the Greek into English. + +Moreri's Great Historical, Geographical, and Poetical Dictionary. +Abracadabra, a mysterious word, to which the superstitious in former +times attributed a magical power to expel diseases, especially the +tertian-ague, worn about their neck in this manner. + +Some think, that Basilides, the inventor, intends the name of GOD by +it. The method of the cure was prescribed in these verses. + + "Inscribes Chartae quod dicitur Abracadabra + Saepius, & subter repetes, sed detrahe summam + Et magis atque magis desint elementa figuris + Singula quae semper capies & caetera figes, + Donec in angustum redigatur Litera Conum, + His lina nexis collo redimire memento. + Talia languentis conducent Vincula collo, + Lethalesque abigent (miranda potentia) morbos". + + + Abracadabra, strange mysterious word, + In order writ, can wond'rous cures afford. + This be the rule:-a strip of parchment take, + Cut like a pyramid revers'd in make. + Abracadabra, first at length you name, + Line under line, repeating still the same: + Cut at its end, each line, one letter less, + Must then its predecessor line express; + 'Till less'ning by degrees the charm descends + With conic form, and in a letter ends. + Round the sick neck the finish'd wonder tie, + And pale disease must from the patient fly. + +Mr. Schoot, a German, hath an excellent book of magick: it is +prohibited in that country. I have here set down three spells, which +are much approved. + +**To cure an Ague. + +Write this following spell in parchment, and wear it about your neck. +It must be writ triangularly. + + A B R A C A D A B R A + A B R A C A D A B R + A B R A C A D A B + A B R A C A D A + A B R A C A D + A B R A C A + A B R A C + A B R A + A B R + A B + A + +With this spell, one of Wells, hath cured above a hundred of the ague. + +**To cure the biting of a Mad-Dog, write these words in paper, viz. + +"Rebus Rubus Epitepscum", and give it to the party, or beast bit, to +eat in bread, &c. A Gentleman of good quality, and a sober grave +person, did affirm, that this receipt never fails. + +**To cure the Tooth-Ach: out of Mr. Ashmole's manuscript writ with +his own hand. + + "Mars, hur, abursa, aburse". + Jesu Christ for Mary's sake, + Take away this Tooth-Ach. + +Write the words three times; and as you say the words, let the party +burn one paper, then another, and then the last. He says, he saw it +experimented, and the party "immediately cured." + +Mr. Ashmole told me, that a woman made use of a spell to cure an ague, +by the advice of Dr. Nepier; a minister came to her, and severely +repremanded her, for making use of a diabolical help, and told +her, she was in danger of damnation for it, and commanded her to burn +it. She did so, and her distemper returned severely; insomuch that she +was importunate with the Doctor to use the same again; she used it, +and had ease. But the parson hearing of it, came to her again, and +thundered hell and damnation, and frighted her so, that she burnt it +again. Whereupon she fell extremely ill, and would have had it a third +time; but the Doctor refused, saying, that she had contemned and +slighted the power and goodness of the blessed spirits (or Angels) and +so she died. The cause of the Lady Honywood's Desparation was, that +she had used a spell to cure her. + + "Jamblicus de Mysteriis de nominibus Divinis." + +"Porphyrius querit, cur Sacerdotes utantur nominibus quibusdam nihil +significantibus ? Jamblicus respondet, omnia ejusmodi nomina +significare aliquid apud deos: quamvis in quibusdam significata +nobis sint ignota, esse tamen nota quaedam, quorum interpretationem +divinitus accepimus, omnino vero modum ineis significandi +ineffabilem esse. Neque secundum imaginationes humanas, sed secundum +intellectum qui in nobis est, divinus, vel potius simpliciore +praestantiorieque modo secundum intellectum diis unitum. Auferendum +igitur omnes excogitationes & rationales discursus, atque +assimulationes naturalis vocis ipsius congenitas, ad res positas +innatum. Et quemadmodum character symbolicus divinae similitudinis in +se intellectualis est, atque divinus, ita hunc ipsum in omnibus +supponnere, accipereque debemus, &c." + + **Jamblicus, concerning the Mysteries relating to divine names. + +Porphyrius asks the question why Priests make use of certain names +which carry with them no known import or signification ? Jamblicus +replies, that all and every of those sort of names have their +respective significations among the Gods, and that though the things +signified by some of them remain to us unknown, yet there are some +which have come to our knowledge, the interpretation of which we +have received from above. But that the manner of signifying by them, +is altogether ineffable. Not according to human imaginations, but +according to that divine intellect which reigns within us, or rather +according to an intellect that has an union with the Gods, in a more +simple and excellent manner. And whereas the symbolical character of +the divine likeness is in it self intellectual and divine, so are we +to take and suppose it to be, in all, &c. + + ** To cure an ague, Tertian or Quartan. + +Gather Cinquefoil in a good aspect of {Jupiter} to the {Moon} and let +the moon be in the Mid-Heaven, if you can, and take --- of the powder +of it in white wine: if it be not thus gathered according to the +rules of astrology, it hath little or no virtue in it. With this +receipt --- one Bradley, a quaker at Kingston Wick upon Thames, +(near the bridge end) hath cured above an hundred. + + **To cure the Thrush. + +There is a certain piece in the beef, called the mouse-piece, which +given to the child, or party so affected to eat, doth certainly cure +the thrush. From an experienced midwife. + + **Another to cure a Thrush. + +Take a living frog, and hold it in a cloth, that it does not go down +into the child's mouth; and put the head into the child's mouth 'till +it is dead; and then take another frog, and do the same. + + **To cure the Tooth-Ach. + +Take a new nail, and make the gum bleed with it, and then drive it +into an oak. This did cure William Neal's son, a very stout gentleman, +when he was almost mad with the pain, and had a mind to have pistolled +himself. + + **For the Jaundice. + +The jaundice is cured, by putting the urine after the first sleep, to +the ashes of the ash-tree, bark of barberries. + + **To cure a Bullock, that hath the Whisp, + (that is)lame between the Clees. + +Take the impression of the bullock's foot in the earth, where he hath +trod then dig it up, and stick therein five or seven thorns on the +wrong side, and then hang it on a bush to dry: and as that dries, so +the bullock heals. This never fails for wisps. From Mr. Pacy, a yRoman +in Surry. + + **To cure a beast that is sprung, (that is) poisoned. + +It lights mostly upon Sheep. +Take the little red spider, called a tentbob, (not so big as a great +pins-head) the first you light upon in the spring of the year, and rub +it in the palm of your hand all to pieces: and having so done, piss +on it, and rub it in, and let it dry; then come to the beast and make +water in your hand, and throw it in his mouth. It cures in a matter of +an hour's time. This rubbing serves for a whole year, and it is no +danger to the hand. The chiefest skill is to know whether the beast be +poisoned or no. From Mr. Pacy. + + **To staunch Bleeding. + +Out an ash of one, two, or three years growth, at the very hour and +minute of the sun's entring into Taurus: a chip of this applied will +stop it; if it is a shoot, it must be cut from the ground. Mr. Nicholas +Mercator, astronomer, told me that he had tried it with +effect. Mr. G. W. says the stick must not be bound or holden; but +dipped or wetted in the blood. When King James II. was at Salisbury, +1688, his nose bled near two days; and after many essays in vain, was +stopped by this sympathetick ash, which Mr. William Nash, a surgeon in +Salisbury, applied. + + **Against an evil Tongue. + +Take Unguentum populeum and Vervain, and Hypericon, and put a red hot +iron into it; you must anoint the back bone, or wear it on your +breast. This is printed in Mr. W. Lilly's Astrology. Mr. H. C. hath +tried this receipt with good success. + + Vervain and dill, + Hinders witches from their will. + +A house (or chamber) somewhere in London, was haunted; the curtains +would be rashed at night, and awake the gentleman that lay there, who +was musical, and a familiar acquaintance of Henry Lawes. Henry Lawes +to be satisfied did lie with him; and the curtains were rashed so +then. The gentleman grew lean and pale with the frights; one Dr. --- +cured the house of this disturbance, and Mr. Lawes said,that the +principal ingredient was Hypericon put under his pillow. + +In Herefordshire, and other parts, they do put a cold iron bar upon +their barrels, to preserve their beer from being soured by thunder. +This is a common practice in Kent. + +To hinder the night mare, they hang in a string, a flint with a hole +in it (naturally) by the manger; but best of all they say, hung about +their necks, and a flint will do it that hath not a hole in it. It is +to prevent the nightmare, viz. the hag, from riding their horses, who +will sometimes sweat all night. The flint thus hung does hinder it. + +Mr. Sp. told me that his horse which was bewitched, would break +bridles and strong halters, like a Samson. They filled a bottle of the +horse's urine, stopped it with a cork and bound it fast in, and then +buried it underground: and the party suspected to be the witch, fell +ill, that he could not make water, of which he died. When they took +up. the bottle, the urine was almost gone; so, that they did believe, +that if the fellow could have lived a little longer, he had recovered. + +It is a thing very common to nail horse-shoes on the thresholds of +doors: which is to hinder the power of witches that enter into the +house. Most houses of the West end of London, have the horse-shoe on +the threshold. It should be a horse-shoe that one finds. In the +Bermudas, they use to put an iron into the fire when a witch comes in. +Mars is enemy to Saturn. There are very memorable stories of witches +in Gage's Survey of the West-Indies of his own Knowledge: which see. + +At Paris when it begins to thunder and lighten, they do presently ring +out the great bell at the Abbey of St. Germain, which they do believe +makes it cease. The like was wont to be done heretofore in Wiltshire; +when it thundered and lightened, they did ring St. Aldhelm's bell, at +Malmsbury Abbey. The curious do say, that the ringing of bells +exceedingly disturbs spirits. + +In the Golden Legend by W. de Worde. It is said the evill spirytes +that ben in the regyon of th'ayre doubte moche whan they here the +belles rongen. And this is the cause why the belles ben rongen whan it +thondreth, and whan grete tempeste aud outrages of wether happen to +the ende that the feudes and wycked spirytes shold be abasshed, and +flee and cease of the movynge of tempeste. Fol. xxiv. + + + TRANSPORTATION BY AN + INVISIBLE POWER. + + +**A Letter from the Reverend Mr. Andrew Paschal, B.D. Rector of +Chedzoy in Somersetshire, to John Aubrey, Esq. at Gresham College, +London. + +SIR, + +I LAST week received a letter from a learned friend, the minister of +Barnstable in Devon, which I think worthy your perusal. It was dated +May 3, 1683, and is as follows. (He was of my time in Queen's +College, Cambridge.) + +There having been many prodigious things performed lately in a parish +adjoining to that which Bishop Sparrow presented me to, called +Cheriton-Bishop, by some discontented daemon, I can easily remember, +that I owe you an account thereof, in lieu of that which you desired +of me, and which I could not serve you in. + +About November last, in the parish of Spreyton in the county of Devon, +there appeared in a field near the dwelling house of Philip Furze, to +his servant Francis Pry, being of the age of twenty-one, next +August, an aged gentleman with a pole in his hand, and like that he +was wont to carry about with him when living, to kill moles withal, +who told the young man he should not be afraid of him; but should tell +his master, i. e. his son, that several legacies that he had +bequeathed were unpaid, naming ten shillings to one, ten shillings to +another, &c. Pry replied, that the party he last named was dead. The +Spectrum replied, he knew that, but said it must be paid to (and +named) the next relation. These things being performed, he promised he + would trouble him no further. These small legacies were paid +accordingly. But the young man having carried twenty shillings ordered +by the Spectrum to his sister Mrs. Furze, of the parish of Staverton +near Totness, which money the gentlewoman refused to receive, being +sent her, as she said, from the Devil. The same night Fry lodging +there, the Spectrum appeared to him again, whereupon Fry challenged +his promise not to trouble him, and said he had done all he desired +him; but that Mrs. Furze would not receive the money. The Spectrum +replied, that is true indeed; but bid him ride to Totness and buy a +ring of that value, and that she would take. Which was provided for +her and received by her. Then Fry rode homewards attended by a servant +of Mrs. Furze. But being come into Spreyton parish, or rather a little +before, he seemed to carry an old gentlewoman behind him, that often +threw him off his horse, and hurried him with such violence, as +astonished all that saw him, or heard how horridly the ground was +beaten; and being come into his master's yard, Pry's horse (a mean +beast) sprung at once twenty-five feet. The trouble from the man- +spectre ceased from this time. But the old gentlewoman, Mrs. Furze, +Mr. Furze's second wife, whom the Spectre at his first appearance to +Fry, called, that wicked woman my wife, (though I knew her, and took +her for a very good woman) presently after appears to several in the +house, viz. to Fry, Mrs. Thomasin Gidley, Anne Langdon, born in my +parish, and to a little child which was forced to be removed from the +house; sometimes in her own shape, sometimes in shapes more horrid, as +of a dog belching fire, and of a horse, and seeming to ride out of the +window, carrying only one pane of glass away, and a little piece of +iron. After this Fry's head was thrust into a narrow space, where a +man's fist could not enter, between a bed and a wall; and forced to be +taken thence by the strength of men, all bruised and bloody; upon this +it was thought fit to bleed him; and after that was done, the binder +was removed from his arm, and conveyed about his middle and presently +was drawn so very straight, it had almost killed him, and was cut +asunder, making an ugly uncouth noise. Several other times with +handkerchiefs, cravats and other things he was near strangled, they +were drawn so close upon his throat. He lay one night in his periwig +(in his master's chamber, for the more safety) which was torn all to +pieces. His best periwig he inclosed in a little box on the inside +with a joined-stool, and other weight upon it; the box was snapped +asunder, and the wig torn all to flitters. His master saw his buckles +fall all to pieces on his feet. But first I should have told you the +fate of his shoe strings, one of which a gentlewoman greater than all +exception, assured me, that she saw it come out of his shoe, without +any visible hand, and fling itself to the farther end of the room; the +other was coming out too, but that a maid prevented and helped it out, +which crisped and curled about her hand like a living eel. The cloaths +worn by Anne Langdon and Fry, (if their own) were torn to pieces on +their backs. The same gentlewoman, being the daughter of the minister +of the parish, Mr. Roger Specott, showed me one of Fry's gloves, which +was torn in his pocket while she was by. I did view it near and +narrowly, and do seriously confess that it was torn so very accurately +in all the seams and in other places, and laid abroad so artificially, +and it is so dexterously tattered, (and all done in the pocket in a +minute's time) as nothing human could have done it; no cutler could +have made an engine to do it so. Other fantastical freeks have been +very frequent, as the marching of a great barrel full of salt out of +one room into another; an andiron laying itself over a pan of milk +that was scalding on the fire, and two flitches of bacon descending +from the chimney where they hung, and laid themselves over that +andiron. The appearing of the Spectrum (when in her own shape) in the +same cloaths, to seeming, which Mrs. Furze her daughter-in-law has on. +The intangling of Fry's face and legs, about his neck, and about the +frame of the chairs, so as they have been with great difficulty +disengaged. + +But the most remarkable of all happened 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 +missed by his master and the workmen, and a great enquiry was made for +Francis 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 a 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 +shoe on one side of the house, and the other shoe on the other side; +his periwig was espied next morning hanging on the top of a tall +tree. It was soon observed, that Fry's part of his body that had laid +in the mud, was much benumed, 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 forehead all +bruised and swoln to a great bigness, none able to guess how it came, +till he recovered 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 forehead. The people looked for it, and found on +the ground just under where he sat, 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 ride but one mile or +little more that night, 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: +but besides that, they have called to their assistance none but +nonconforming ministers. I was not qualified to be welcome there, +having given Mr. Furze a great deal of trouble the last year about a +conventicle in his house, where one of this parish was the preacher. +But I am very well assured of the truth of what I have written, and +(as more appears) you shall hear from me again. + +I had forgot to tell you that Fry's mother came to me, grievously +bewailing the miserable condition of her son. She told me, that the +day before he had five pins thrust into his side. She asked; and I +gave her the best advice I could. Particularly, that her son should +declare all that the spectre, especially the woman gave him in charge, +for I suspect, there is "aliquid latens"; and that she should remove him +thence by all means. But I fear that she will not do it. For I hear +that Anne Langdon is come into my parish to her mother, and that she +is grievously troubled there. I might have written as much of her, as +of Fry, for she had been as ill treated, saving the aerial journey. +Her fits and obsessions seem to be greater, for she screeches in a +most hellish tone. Thomasin Gidley (though removed) is in trouble I +hear. + +Sir, this is all my friend wrote. This letter came inclosed in +another from a clergyman, my friend, who lives in those parts. He +tells me all the relations he receives from divers persons living in +Spreyton and the neighbouring parishes, agree with this. He spake +with a gentleman of good fashion, that was at Crediton when Fry was +blooded, and saw the stone that bruised his forehead; but he did not +call it copper or brass, but said it was a strange mineral. That +gentleman promised to make a strict inquiry on the place into all +particulars, and to give him the result: which my friend also promises +me; with hopes that he shall procure for me a piece of that mineral +substance, which hurt his forehead. + +The occasion of my friend's sending me this narrative, was my +entreating him sometime since, to inquire into a thing of this nature, +that happened in Barnstable, where he lives. An account was given to +me long since, it fills a sheet or two, which I have by me: and to +gratify Mr. Glanvil who is collecting histories for his "Sadducismus +Triumphatus". I desired to have it well attested, it being full of very +memorable things; but it seems he could meet only a general consent as +to the truth of the things; the reports varying in the circumstances. + +Sir, Yours. + + + **A Copy of a Letter from a learned Friend of mine in SCOTLAND, dated + March 25, 1695. + +HONOURED SIR, + +I RECEIVED yours dated May 24th, 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 fit 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 predicessors 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 found 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 questioned by him, who he was ? +and how he came thither ? he told his name, his country, and the place +of his residence, and that on such a day of the month (which proved to +be the day immediately preceding) being in the fields, he heard the +noise of a whirl-wind, and of voices crying Horse and Hattock, (this +is the word 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 drank heartily he fell asleep, and +before he awoke, the rest of the company were gone, and had left him +in posture wherein he was found. It is said, the King gave him the cup +which was found in his hand, and dismissed him. + +This story (if it could be sufficiently attested) would be a noble +instance for your purpose, for which cause I was at some pains to +enquire into the truth of it, and found the means to get the present +Lord Duffus's opinion thereof; which shortly is, that there has been, +and is such a tradition, but that he thinks it fabulous; this account +of it, his Lordship had from his father, who told him that he had it +from his father, the present Lord's grandfather; there is yet an old +silver cup in his Lordship's possession still, which is called the +Fairy Cup; but has nothing engraven upon it, except the arms of the +family. + +The gentleman, by whose means I came to know the Lord Duffus's +sentiment of the foregoing story, being tutor to his Lordship's eldest +son, told me another little passage of the same nature, whereof he was +an eye witness. He reports, that when he was a boy at school in the +town of Torres, yet not so young, but that he had years and +capacity, both to observe and remember that which fell out; he and his +school-fellows were upon a time whipping their tops in the church-yard +before the door of the church; though the day was calm, they heard a +noise of a wind, and at some distance saw the small dust begin to +arise and turn round, which motion continued, advancing till it came +to the place where they were; whereupon they began to bless +themselves: but one of their number (being it seems a little more +bold and confident than his companions) said, Horse and Hattock with +my top, and immediately they all saw the top lifted up from the +ground; but could not see what way it was carried, by reason of a +cloud of dust which was raised at the same time: they sought for the +top all about the place where it was taken up, but in vain; and it was +found afterwards in the church-yard, on the other side of the church. +Mr. Steward (so is the gentleman called) declared to me that he had a +perfect remembrance of this matter. + +The following account I received, November last, from Mr. Alexander +Mowat, a person of great integrity and judgment, who being minister at +the church at Lesley, in the shire of Aberdene, was turned out for +refusing the oath of test, anno 1681. He informs, that he heard the +late Earl of Caithness, who was married to a daughter of the late +Marquis of Argyle, tell the following story, viz. That upon a time, +when a vessel which his Lordship kept for bringing home wine and other +provisions for his house, was at sea; a common fellow, who was reputed +to have the second-sight, being occasionally at his house; the Earl +enquired of him, where his men (meaning those in the ship) were at +that present time ? the fellow replied, at such a place, by name, +within four hours sailing of the harbour, which was not far from the +place of his Lordship's residence: the Earl asked, what evidence he +could give for that ? the other replied, that he had lately been at +the place, and had brought away with him one of the seamen's caps, +which he delivered to his Lordship. At the four hours end, the Earl +went down himself to the harbour, where he found the ship newly +arrived, and in it one of the seamen without his cap; who being +questioned, how he came to lose his cap ? answered, that at such a +place (the same the second-sighted man had named before) there arose a +whirl-wind which endangered the ship, and carried away his cap: the +Earl asked, if he would know his cap when he saw it ? he said he +would; whereupon the Earl produced the cap, and the seaman owned it +for that, which was taken from him. + +This is all the information which I can give at present concerning +Transportation by an Invisible Power. I am sorry that I am able to +contribute so little to the publishing of so curious a piece as it +seems your collection of Hermetick Philosophy will be. I have given +instructions to an acquaintance of mine now living at Kirkwall, and +took him engaged when he left this place, to inform him concerning the +old stone monuments, the plants and cures in the Orcades, and to send +me an account. But I have not heard from him as yet, though I caused a +friend that was writing to him, to put him in mind of his promise; the +occasions of correspondence betwixt this place and Orkney are very +rare. + +SIR, +Your faithful affectionate friend +And servant, +J. G. + +SIR, + +'Tis very likely my Lord Keeper, [North] (if an account of a thing so +considerable, hath not been presented to him by another hand) will +take it kindly from you. I would transcribe it for Dr. Henry More, to +whom, as I remember, I promised some time since an account of the +Barnstable apparition; but my hands are full of work. May I beg of you +to visit Dr. Whitchcot, minister of St. Laurence church, and to +communicate a sight of this letter from Barnstable: probably he will +be willing to make his servant transcribe it, and to convey it to Dr. +More. Pray present my humble service to him, as also my affectionate +service to our friends Mr. Hook and Mr. Lodwick. I ever rest, SIR, + +Your most faithful +And affectionate servant, + +Chedzoy. ANDREW PASCHAL. + + +THERE was in Scotland one --- (an obsessus) carried in the air several +times in the view of several persons, his fellow-soldiers. Major +Henton hath seen him carried away from the guard in Scotland, +sometimes a mile or two. Sundry persons are living now, (1671) that +can attest this story. I had it from Sir Robert Harley (the son) who +married Major Henton's widow; as also from E. T. D. D. + +A gentleman of my acquaintance, Mr. M. was in Portugal, anno 1655, +when one was burnt by the inquisition for being brought thither from +Goa, in East-India, in the air, in an incredible short time. + + + VISIONS IN A BERYL OR CRYSTAL. + + +BERYL is a kind of Crystal that hath a weal tincture of red; it is one +of the twelve stones mentioned in the Revelation. I have heard,* that +spectacles were first made of this stone, which is the reason that the +Germans do call a spectacle-glass (or pair of spectacles) a Brill. + +*Dr J. Pell + +Dr. Pocock of Oxford, in his Commentary on Hosea, hath a learned +discourse of the Urim and Thummim; as also Dr. Spenser of Cambridge. +That the priest had his visions in the stone of the breast plate. + +The Prophets had their seers, viz. young youths who were to behold +those visions, of whom Mr. Abraham Cowley writes thus. + + With hasty wings, time present they out-fly, + And tread the doubtful maze of destiny; + There walk and sport among the years to come, + And with quick eye pierce every causes womb. + +The magicians now use a crystal sphere, or mineral pearl, as No. 3, +for this purpose, which is inspected by a boy, or sometimes by the +querent himself. + +No. 3. {Illustration} + +There are certain formulas of prayer to be used, before they make the +inspection, which they term a call. In a manuscript of Dr. Forman of +Lambeth, (which Mr. Elias Ashmole had) is a discourse of this, and the +prayer. Also there is the call which Dr. Nepier did use. + +James Harrington (author of Oceana) told me that the Earl of Denbigh, +then Ambassador at Venice, did tell him, that one did shew him there +several times in a glass, things past and to come. + +When Sir Marmaduke Langdale was in Italy, he went to one of those +Magi, who did shew him a glass, where he saw himself kneeling before a +crucifix: he was then a Protestant; afterwards he became a Roman +Catholick. He told Mr. Thomas Henshaw, E.S.S., this himself. + +I have here set down the figure of a consecrated Beryl, as No. 4, now +in the possession of Sir Edward Harley, Knight of the Bath, which he + keeps in his closet at Brampton-Bryan in Herefordshire, amongst his +Cimelia, which I saw there. It came first from Norfolk; a minister had +it there, and a call was to be used with it. Afterwards a miller had +it, and both did work great cures with it, (if curable) and in the +Beryl they did see, either the receipt in writing, or else the herb. +To this minister, the spirits or angels would appear openly, and +because the miller (who was his familiar friend) one day happened to +see them, he gave him the aforesaid Beryl and Call: by these angels +the minister was forewarned of his death. + +No. 4. {Illustration} + +This account I had from Mr. Ashmole. Afterwards this Beryl came into +some-body's hand in London, who did tell strange things by it; +insomuch that at last he was questioned for it, and it was taken away +by authority, (it was about 1645). + +This Beryl is a perfect sphere, the diameter of it I guess to be +something more than an inch: it is set in a ring, or circle of silver +resembling the meridian of a globe: the stem of it is about ten +inches high, all gilt. At the four quarters of it are the names of +four angels, viz. Uriel, Raphael, Michael, Gabriel. On the top is a +cross patee. + +Sam. Boisardus hath writ a book "de Divinatione per Crystallum". + +A clothier's widow of Pembridge in Herefordshire, desired Dr. +Sherborne (one of the canons of the church of Hereford, and Rector of +Pembridge) to look over her husband's writings after his decease: +among other things he found a call for a crystal. The clothier had his +cloths oftentimes stolen from his racks; and at last obtained this +trick to discover the thieves. So when he lost his cloths, he went out +about midnight with his crystal and call, and a little boy, or little +maid with him (for they say it must be a pure virgin) to look in the +crystal, to see the likeness of the person that committed the theft. +The doctor did burn the call, 1671. + + +VISIONS WITHOUT A GLASS OR CRYSTAL. + + +ABOUT the latter end of the reign of King James I. one --- a taylor in +London, had several visions, which he did describe to a painter to +paint, and he writ the description himself in an ill taylor-like hand, +in false English, but legible: it was at least a quire of paper. I +remember one vision is of St. James's park, where is the picture of an +altar and crucifix. Mr. Butler'of the toy-shop by Ludgate, (one of the +masters of Bridewell) had the book in anno 1659; the then Earl of +Northampton gave five pounds for a copy of it. + + +CONVERSE WITH ANGELS AND SPIRITS. + + +DR. RICHARD NEPIER was a person of great abstinence, innocence, and +piety: he spent every day two hours in family prayer: when a patient +or querent came to him, he presently went to his closet to pray: and +told to admiration the recovery, or death of the patient. It appears +by his papers, that he did converse with the angel Raphael, who gave +him the responses. + +Elias Ashmole, Esq. had all his papers, where is contained all his +practice for about fifty years; which he, Mr. Ashmole, carefully bound +up, according to the year of our Lord, in --- volumes in folio; which +are now reposited in the library of the Musseum in Oxford. Before the +responses stands this mark, viz. R. Ris. which Mr. Ashmole said was +Responsum Raphaelis. + +In these papers are many excellent medicines, or receipts for several +diseases that his patients had; and before some of them is the +aforesaid mark, Mr. Ashmole took the pains to transcribe fairly with +his own hand all the receipts; they are about a quire and a half of +paper in folio, which since his death were bought of his relict by +E. W. Esq. E.S.S. + +The angel told him if the patient were curable or incurable. + +There are also several other queries to the angel, as to religion, +transubstantiation, &c. which I have forgot. I remember one is, +whether the good spirits or the bad be most in number ? R. Ris. The +good. + +It is to be found there, that he told John Prideaux, D.D. anno 1621, +that twenty years hence (1641) he would be a bishop, and he was so, +sc. bishop of Worcester. ' + +R. Ris. did resolve him, that Mr. Booth, of --- in Cheshire, should +have a son that should inherit three years hence, [sc. Sir George +Booth, the first Lord Delamere] viz. from 1619, Sir George Booth +aforesaid was born, December 18, anno 1622. + +This I extracted out of Dr. Nepier's Original Diary, then in +possession of Mr. Ashmole. + +When E. W. Esq. was about eight years old, he was troubled with the +worms. His grand father carried him to Dr. Nepier at Lynford. Mr. E. +W. peeped in at the closet at the end of the gallery, and saw him upon +his knees at prayer. The Doctor told Sir Francis that at fourteen +years old his grandson would be freed from that distemper; and he was +so. The medicine he prescribed was, to drink a little draught of +Muscadine in the morning. 'Twas about 1625. + +It is impossible that the prediction of Sir George Booth's birth could +be found any other way, but by angelical revelation. + +This Dr. Richard Nepier was rector of Lynford in Bucks, and did +practise physic; but gave most to the poor that he got by it. 'Tis +certain he told his own death to a day and hour; he died praying upon +his knees, being of a very great age, April 1, 1634. He was nearly +related to the learned Lord Nepier, Baron of M-- in Scotland: I have +forgot whether his brother. His knees were horny with frequent +praying. He left his estate to Sir Richard Nepier, M.D. of the college +of physicians, London, from whom Mr. Ashmole had the Doctor's picture, +now in the Musseum. + +Dr. Richard Nepier, rector of Lynford, was a good astrologer, and so +was Mr. Marsh of Dunstable; but Mr. Marsh did seriously confess to a +friend of mine, that astrology was but the countenance; and that he +did his business by the help of the blessed spirits; with whom only +men of great piety, humility and charity, could be acquainted; and +such a one he was. He was an hundred years old when my friend was with +him; and yet did understand himself very well. + +At Ashbridge in Buckinghamshire, near Berkhamsted, was a monastery, +(now in the possession of the Earl of Bridgewater) where are excellent +good old paintings still to be seen. In this monastery was found an +old manuscript entitled Johannes de Rupescissa, since printed, (or +part of it) a chymical book, wherein are many receipts; among others, +to free a house haunted with evil spirits, by fumes: Mr. Marsh had +it, and did cure houses so haunted by it. Ovid in his festivals hath +something like it. See "Thesaurus Exorcismorum" writ by --- e Societate +Jesu. Oct. Wherein are several high physical and medicinal things. + +Good spirits are delighted and allured by sweet perfumes, as rich +gums, frankincense, salts, &c. which was the reason that priests of +the Gentiles, and also the Christians used them in their temples, and +sacrifices: and on the contrary, evil spirits are pleased and allured +and called up by suffumigations of Henbane, &c. stinking smells, &c. +which the witches do use in their conjuration. Toads (saturnine +animals) are killed by putting of salt upon them; I have seen the +experiment. Magical writers say, that cedar-wood drives away evil +spirits; it was, and is much used in magnificent temples. + + Plinii Natural Hist. lib. 12, cap. 14. +"Alexandra Magno in pueritia sine parsimonia thura ingerenti aris, +paedagogus Leonides dixerat, ut illo modo, cum devicisset thuriferas +gentes, supplicaret. At ille Arabia potitus; thure onustam navim +misit ei, large exhortatus, ut Deos adoraret". + +i. e. As Alexander the great, in the time of his minority, was +heaping incense upon the altars, even to a degree of religious +prodigality, his preceptor Leonidas told him, that he should prefer +his supplications to the Gods after that free manner, when he had +subdued the nations, whose produce was frankincense. And he, as soon +as he had made himself master of Arabia, sent him accordingly a ship +laden with incense, and with it ample exhortations to adore the Gods. + +One says, why should one think the intellectual world less peopled +than the material? Pliny, in his Natural History, lib. --- cap. - +tells us that in Africa, do sometimes appear multitudes of aerial +shapes, which suddenly vanish. Mr. Richard Baxter in his Certainty +of the Worlds of Spirits, (the last book he writ, not long before his +death) hath a discourse of angels; and wonders they are so little +taken notice of; he hath counted in Newman's Concordance of the Bible, +the word angel, in above three hundred places. + +Hugo Grotius in his Annotations on Jonah, speaking of Niniveh, says, +that history has divers examples, that after a great and hearty +humiliation, God delivered cities, &c. from their calamities. Some did +observe in the late civil wars, that the Parliament, after a +humiliation, did shortly obtain a victory. And as a three-fold chord +is not easily broken, so when a whole nation shall conjoin in fervent +prayer and supplication, it shall produce wonderful effects. William +Laud, Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, in a sermon preached before the +Parliament, about the beginning of the reign of King Charles I. +affirms the power of prayer to be so great, that though there be a +conjunction or opposition of Saturn or Mars, (as there was one of them +then) it will overcome the malignity of it. In the life of Vavasor +Powel, is a memorable account of the effect of fervent prayer, after an +exceeding drought: and Mr. Baxter (in his book aforementioned) hath +several instances of that kind, which see. + + **St. Michael and all Angels. + The Collect. + +0 everlasting God, who hast ordered and constituted the services of +men and angels, after a wonderful manner: mercifully grant, that as +thy holy angels always do thee service in Heaven: so by thy +appointment, they may succour and defend us, through Jesus Christ our +Lord. Amen. + + + CORPS-CANDLES IN WALES. + + + **Part of a Letter to MR. BAXTER. + +SIR + +I AM to give you the best satisfaction I can touching those fiery +apparitions* (Corps Candles) which do as it were mark out the way for +corpses to their {Greek text: Koimeterion} and sometimes before the +parties themselves fall sick, and sometimes in their sickness. I could +never hear in England of these, they are common in these three +counties, viz. Cardigan, Carmarthen, and Pembroke, and as I hear in +some other parts of Wales.** + +* Mr. Baxter's Certainty of the Worlds of Spirits, p. 137. +** And Radnor. + +These {Greek text: Phantasmata} in our language, we call Canhwyllan +Cyrph, (i.e.) Corps Candles; and candles we call them, not that we +see any thing besides the light; but because that light doth as much +resemble a material candle-light as eggs do eggs, saving, that in +their journey these candles be "modo apparentes, modo disparentes", +especially, when one comes near them; and if one come in the way +against them, unto whom they vanish; but presently appear behind and +hold on their course. If it be a little candle pale or bluish, then +follows the corps either of an abortive or some infant; if a big one, +then the corps of some one come to age: if there be seen two, or +three, 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 neighbour 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 Montgomeryshire, 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, claped 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 +christened by me, was brought to the sexton's house, where presently +he 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 these lights +together. It happened a while after, that the chamber being newly +plaistered, and a grate of coal fire therein kindled to hasten the +drying of the plaister, 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 suffocated in their sleep with the steam of the +new tempered lime and coal. This was at Langathen in Carmarthenshire. +--- Jo. Davis. See more.--- + +Generglyn, March 1656. + +To this account of Mr. Davis, I will subjoin 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: and it is therefore called the Holy Dee. The +doctor's father was Mr. Caldicot, of Caldicot in Cheshire, which lies +on the river. + + + ORACLES. + + +HIERONIMUS Cardanus, lib. 3, "Synesiorum Somniorum", cap. 15, +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 a Wood in +his Antiquities of Oxon, in his life. He lived before the conquest, +and taught Greek at the Abby in Malmesbury, where his scholars stabbed +him with their penknives for his severity to them. Leland mentions +that his statue was in the choir there. + + + ECSTACY. + + +Cardanus, lib. 2. Synes. Somniorum, cap. 8. + +"IN Ecstasin multis modis dilabuntur homines, aut per Syncopen, aut +animi deliquium, aut etiam proprie abducto omni sensu externo, absque +alia Causa. Id vero contingit consuetis plerunque, & nimio affectu +alicujus rei laborantibus; --- Ecstasis medium est inter vigiliam & +somnium, sicut somnus inter mortem & vigiliam, seuvitam --- Visa in +Ecstasi certiora insomniis: Clariora & evidentiora --- Ecstasi +deprehensi audire possunt, qui dormiunt non possunt". + +Men fall into an Ecstacy many ways, either by a syncope, by a +vanishing and absence of the spirits, or else by the withdrawing of +every external sense without any other cause. It most commonly happens +to those who are over sollicitous or fix their whole minds upon doing +any one particular thing. An Ecstacy is a kind of medium between +sleeping and waking, as sleep is a kind of middle state between life +and death. Things seen in an Ecstacy are more certain than those we +behold in dreams: they are much more clear, and far more evident. +Those seized with an Ecstacy can hear, those who sleep cannot. + +Anno 1670, a poor widow's daughter in Herefordshire, went to service +not far from Harwood (the seat of Sir John Hoskins, Bart. R.S.S.) She +was aged near about twenty; fell very ill, even to the point of death; +her mother was old and feeble, and her daughter was the comfort of her +life; if she should die, she knew not what to do: she besought God +upon her knees in prayer, that he would be pleased to spare her +daughter's life, and take her to him: at this very time, the daughter +fell into a trance, which continued about an hour: they thought she +had been dead: when she recovered out of it, she declared the vision +she had in this fit, viz. that one in black habit came to her, whose +face was so bright and glorious she could not behold it; and also he +had such brightness upon his breast, and (if I forget not) upon his +arms. And told her, that her mother's prayers were heard, and that her +mother should shortly die, and she should suddenly recover; and she +did so, and her mother died. She hath the character of a modest, +humble, virtuous maid. Had this been in some Catholick country, it +would have made a great noise. + +'Tis certain, there was one in the Strand, who lay in a trance a few +hours before he departed. And in his trance had a vision of the death +of King Charles II. It was at the very day of his apoplectick fit. + +There is a sheet of paper printed 16 ... concerning Ecstacies, that +James Usher, late Lord Primate of Ireland, once had: but I have been +assured from my hon. friend James Tyrrell, Esq. (his Lordship's +grandson) that this was not an ecstacy; but that his Lordship upon +reading the 12, 13, 14, &c. chapters of the Revelation, and farther +reflecting upon the great increase of the sectaries in England, +supposed that they would let in popery, which consideration put him +into a great transport, at the time when his daughter (the Lady +Tyrrel) came into the room; when he discoursed to her divers things +(tho' not all) contained in the said printed paper. + + + GLANCES OF LOVE AND MALICE. + + +"AMOR ex Oculo": Love is from the eye: but (as the Lord Bacon saith) +more by glances than by full gazings; and so for envy and malice. + + Tell me dearest, what is Love ? + 'Tis a Lightning from above: + 'Tis an Arrow, 'tis a Fire, + 'Tis a Boy they call Desire.* + +* Mr. Fletcher in Cupid's Revenge. + +'Tis something divine and inexplicable. It is strange, that as one +walks the streets sometimes one shall meet with an aspect (of male or +female) that pleases our souls; and whose natural sweetness of nature, +we could boldly rely upon. One never saw the other before, and so +could neither oblige or disoblige each other. Gaze not on a maid, +saith Ecclus. 9, 5. + +The Glances of envy and malice do shoot also subtilly; the eye of the +malicious person, does really infect and make sick the spirit of the +other. The Lord Bacon saith it hath been observed, that after +triumphs, the triumphants have been sick in spirit. + +The chymist can draw subtile spirits, that will work upon one another +at some distance, viz. spirits of alkalies and acids, e.g. spirits +coelestial (sal armoniac and spirits of C. C. will work on each other +at half a yard distance, and smoke;) but the spirits above mentioned +are more subtile than they. + + "Non amo te Sabati, nece possum dicere quare, + Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te". + + Fellow, I love thee not, I can't tell why, + But this, I'll tell thee, I could sooner die. + +But if an astrologer had their nativities, he would find a great +disagreement in the schemes. These are hyper-physical opticks, and +drawn from the heavens. + +Infants are very sensible of these irradiations of the eyes. In Spain, +France, &c. southern countries, the nurses and parents are very shy to +let people look upon their young children, for fear of fascination. In +Spain, they take it ill if one looks on a child, and make one say, God +bless it. They talk of "mal de ojos". We usually say, witches have +evil eyes. + + + AN ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF SECOND- + SIGHTED MEN IN SCOTLAND. + + + **In Two Letters from a learned friend of mine in Scotland. + + I. + +**To Mr. JOHN AUBREY, Fellow of the Royal Society. + +SIR, + +FOR your satisfaction I drew up some queries about the second-sighted +men, and having sent them to the northern parts of this kingdom, some +while ago, I received answers to them from two different hands, +whereof I am now to give you an account, viz. + + Query 1. + +If some few credible, well attested instances of such a knowledge as +is commonly called the second-sight, can be given ? + + Answer. + +Many instances of such knowledge can be given, by the confession of +such who are skilled in that faculty: for instances I refer you to +the fourth query. + + Query 2. + +If it consists in the discovery of present or past events only ? or if +it extend to such as are to come ? + + Answer. + +The second-sight relates only to things future, which will shortly +come to pass. Past events I learn nothing of it. + +Query 3. + +If the objects of this knowledge be sad and dismal events only; such +as deaths and murders ? or, joyful and prosperous also ? + +Answer. + +Sad and dismal events, are the objects of this knowledge: as sudden +deaths, dismal accidents. That they are prosperous, or joyful, I +cannot learn. Only one instance I have from a person worthy of credit, +and thereby judge of the joyfulness, or prosperity of it, and it is +this. Near forty years ago, Maclean and his Lady, sister to my Lord +Seaforth, were walking about their own house, and in their return both +came into the nurse's chamber, where their young child was on the +breast: at their coming into the room, the nurse falls a weeping; they +asked the cause, dreading the child was sick, or that she was scarce +of milk: the nurse replied, the child was well, and she had abundance +of milk; yet she still wept; and being pressed to tell what ailed her; +she at last said Maclean would die, and the Lady would shortly be +married to another man. Being enquired how she knew that event, she +told them plainly, that as they both came into the room, she saw a +man with a scarlet cloak and a white hat betwixt them, giving the Lady +a kiss over the shoulder; and this was the cause of weeping. All which +came to pass after Maclean's death; the tutor of Lovet married the +Lady in the same habit the woman saw him. Now by this instance, judge +if it be prosperous to one, it is as dismal to another. + + Query 4. + +If these events which second-sighted men discover, or foretel, be +visibly represented to them, and acted, as it were before their eyes ? + + Answer. + +Affirmatively, they see those things visibly; but none sees but +themselves; for instance, if a man's fatal end be hanging, they will +see a gibbet, or a rope about his neck: if beheaded, they will see +the man without a head; if drowned, they will see water up to his +throat; if unexpected death, they will see a winding sheet about his +head: all which are represented to their view. One instance I had +from a gentleman here, of a Highland gentleman of the Macdonalds, who +having a brother that came to visit him, saw him coming in, wanting a +head; yet told not his brother he saw any such thing; but within +twenty-four hours thereafter, his brother was taken, (being a +murderer) and his head cut off, and sent to Edinburgh. Many such +instances might be given, + + Query 5. + +If the second-sight be a thing that is troublesome and uneasy to those +that have it, and such as they would gladly be rid of? + + Answer. + +It is commonly talked by all I spoke with, that it is troublesome; and +they would gladly be freed from it, but cannot: only I heard lately of +a man very much troubled in his soul therewith, and by serious begging +of God deliverance from it, at length lost the faculty of the second- +sight. + + Query 6. + +If any person, or persons, truly godly, who may justly be presumed to +be such, have been known to have had this gift or faculty ? + + Answer. + +Negatively, not any godly, but such as are virtuous. + + Query 7. + +If it descends by succession from parents to children ? or if not, +whether those that have it can tell how they came by it ? + + Answer. + +That it is by succession, I cannot learn; how they came by it, it is +hard to know, neither will they tell; which if they did, they are sure +of their strokes from an invisible hand. One instance I heard of one +Alien Miller, being in company with some gentlemen, having gotten a +little more than ordinary of that strong liquor they were drinking, +began to tell stories and strange passages he had been at: but the +said Alien was suddenly removed to the farther end of the house, and +was there almost strangled; recovering a little, and coming to the +place where he was before, they asked him, what it was that troubled +him so ? He answered he durst not tell; for he had told too much +already. + +Query 8. How came they by it ? + + Answer. + +Some say by compact with the Devil; some say by converse with those +daemons we call fairies. I have heard, that those that have this +faculty of the second-sight, have offered to teach it to such as were +curious to know it; upon such and such conditions they would teach +them; but their proffers were rejected. + +This is all I could learn by tradition of that faculty, from knowing +and intelligent men. If this satisfy not these queries aforesaid, +acquaint me, and what can be known of it shall be transmitted. + +I cannot pass by an instance I have from a very honest man in the next +parish, who told me it himself. That his wife being big with child +near her delivery, he buys half a dozen of boards to make her a bed +against the time she lay in. The boards lying at the door of his +house, there comes an old fisher-woman, yet alive, and asked him, +whose were those boards ? He told her they were his own; she asked +again, for what use he had them ? He replied, for a bed; she again +said, I intend them for what use you please, she saw a dead corps +lying upon them, and that they would be a coffin: which struck the +honest man to the heart, fearing the death of his wife. But when the +old woman went off, he calls presently for a carpenter to make the +bed, which was accordingly done; but shortly after the honest man had +a child died, whose coffin was made of the ends of those boards. + +Sir, the original, whereof this that I have writ, is a true copy, was +sent by a minister, living within some few miles of Inverness, to a +friend of mine whom I employed to get information for me; as I +insinuated before: I have other answers to these queries from another +hand, which I purposed to have communicated to you at this time; but I +find there will not be room enough for them in this sheet; howbeit, in +case you think it fit, they shall be sent you afterward. + +In the mean time, I shall tell you what I have had from one of the +masters of our college here (a north country man both by birth and +education, in his younger years) who made a journey in the harvest +time into the shire of Ross, and at my desire, made some enquiry +there, concerning the second-sight. He reports, that there they told +him many instances of this knowledge, which he had forgotten, except +two. The first, one of his sisters, a young gentlewoman, staying with +a friend, at some thirty miles distance from her father's house, and +the ordinary place of her residence; one who had the second-sight in +the family where she was, saw a young man attending her as she went +up and down the house, and this was about three months before her +marriage. The second is of a woman in that country who is reputed to +have the second-sight, and declared, that eight days before the death +of a gentleman there, she saw a bier or coffin covered with a cloth +which she knew, carried as it were, to the place of burial, and +attended with a great company, one of which told her it was the corps +of such a person, naming that gentleman, who died eight days after. +By these instances it appears that the objects of this knowledge are +not sad and dismal events only, but joyful and prosperous ones also: +he declares farther, that he was informed there, if I mistake not, by +some of those who had the second-sight, that if at any time when they +see those strange sights, they set their foot upon the foot of another +who hath not the second-sight, that other will for that time see what +they are seeing; as also that they offered, if he pleased, to +communicate the second-sight to him. I have nothing more to add at +present, but that I am, Sir, Your faithful friend, + +And humble servant. + + II. + + **To Mr. JOHN AUBREY, Fellow of the Royal-Society at + **Gresham-College, London. Honoured Sir, + +SINCE my last to you, I have had the favour of two letters from you: +to the first, dated February 6, I had replied sooner, but that I +wanted leisure to transcribe some farther accounts of a second-sighted +man, sent me from the north, whereof (in obedience to your desire) I +give here the doubles. + +May the 4th. 1694. + + **A Copy of an Answer to some Queries concerning Second- + sighted Men, sent by a Minister living near Inverness, to a + Friend of mine. + + Query 1. + +THAT there is such an art, commonly called the second-sight, is +certain, from these following instances. + +First, in a gentleman's house, one night the mistress considering why +such persons whom she expected were so late, and so long a coming, the +supper being all the while delayed for them; a servant man about the +house (finding the mistress anxious) having the second-sight, desires +to cover the table, and before all things were put on, those persons +she longed for would come in; which happened accordingly. + +The second instance, concerning a young Lady of great birth, whom a +rich Knight fancied and came in sute of the Lady, but she could not +endure to fancy him, being a harsh and unpleasant man: but her friends +importuning her daily, she turned melancholy and lean, fasting and +weeping continually. A common fellow about the house meeting her one +day in the fields, asked her, saying Mrs. Kate, What is that that +troubles you, and makes you look so ill ? she replied, that the cause +is known to many, for my friends would have me marry such a man by +name, but I cannot fancy him. Nay, (says the fellow) give over these +niceties, for he will be your first husband, and will not live long, +and be sure he will leave you a rich dowry, which will procure you a +great match, for I see a Lord upon each shoulder of you: all which +came to pass in every circumstance; as eye and ear witnesses declare. + +A third instance, of a traveller coming in to a certain house, desired +some meat: the mistress being something nice and backward to give him +victuals; you need not, says he, churle me in a piece of meat; for +before an hour and half be over, a young man of such a stature and +garb will come in with a great salmon-fish on his back, which I behold +yonder on the floor: and it came to pass within the said time. + +A fourth instance, of a young woman in a certain house about supper- +time, refused to take meat from the steward who was offering in the +very time meat to her; being asked why she would not take it ? +replied, she saw him full of blood, and therefore was afraid to take +any thing of his hands. The next morning, the said steward offering to +compose a difference between two men, at an ale-house door, got a +stroak of a sword on the forehead, and came home full of blood. This +was told me by an eye witness. + + Query 2. + +Those that have this faculty of the second-sight, see only things to +come, which are to happen shortly there-after, and sometimes foretel +things which fall out three or four years after. For instance, one +told his master, that he saw an arrow in such a man through his body, +and yet no blood came out: his master told him, that it was +impossible an arrow should stick in a man's body, and no blood come +out, and if that came not to pass, he would be deemed an impostor. But +about five or six years after the man died, and being brought to his +burial-place, there arose a debate anent his grave, and it came to +such a height, that they drew arms, and bended their bows; and one +letting off an arrow, shot through the dead body upon the bier-trees, +and so no blood could issue out at a dead man's wound. Thus his sight +could not inform him whether the arrow should be shot in him alive +or dead, neither could he condescend whether near or afar off. + + Query 3. + +They foresee murthers, drownings, weddings, burials, combats, man- +slaughters, all of which, many instances might be given. Lately (I +believe in August last, 1695) one told there would be drowning in the +river Bewly, which come to pass: two pretty men crossing a ford both +drowned, which fell out within a month. Another instance; a man that +served the Bishop of Catnes, who had five daughters in his house, one +of them grudged, that the burthen of the family lay on her wholly: the +fellow told her that ere long she should be exonered of that task, for +he saw a tall gentleman in black, walking on the Bishop's right-hand, +whom she should marry: and this fell out accordingly, within a quarter +of a year thereafter. He told also of a covered table, full of varieties +of good fare, and their garbs who set about the table. + + Query 4. + +They see all this visibly acted before their eyes; sometimes within, +and sometimes without-doors, as in a glass. + + Query 5. + +It is a thing very troublesome to them that have it, and would gladly +be rid of it. For if the object be a thing that is so terrible, they +are seen to sweat and tremble, and shreek at the apparition. At other +times they laugh, and tell the thing chearfully, just according as the +thing is pleasant or astonishing. + + Query 6. + +Sure it is, that the persons that have a sense of God and religion, +and may be presumed to be godly, are known to have this faculty. This +evidently appears, in that they are troubled for having it, judging it +a sin, and that it came from the Devil, and not from God; earnestly +desiring and wishing to be rid of it, if possible; and to that effect, +have made application to their minister, to pray to God for them that +they might be exonered from that burden. They have supplicated the +presbytery, who judicially appointed publick prayers to be made in +several churches, and a sermon preached to that purpose, in their own +parish church, by their minister; and they have compeired before the +pulpit, after sermon, making confession openly of that sin, with deep +sense on their knees; renounced any such gift or faculty which they +had to God's dishonour, and earnestly desired the minister to pray for +them; and this their recantation recorded; and after this, they were +never troubled with such a sight any more. + + **A Copy of a Letter, written to myself by a Gentleman's Son in + Straths-pey in Scotland, being a Student in Divinity, concerning + the Second-sight. + +SIR, + +I AM more willing than able to satisfy your desire: as for instances +of such a knowledge, I could furnish many. I shall only insert some +few attested by several of good credit yet alive. + +And, first, Andrew Macpherson, of Clunie in Badenoch, being in sute of +Lord of Gareloch's daughter, as he was upon a day going to Gareloch, +the Lady Gareloch was going somewhere from her house within kenning to +the road which Clunie was coming; the Lady preceiving him, said to her +attendants, that yonder was Clunie, going to see his mistress: one +that had this second-sight in her company replied, and said, if yon be +he, unless he marry within six months, he'll never marry. The Lady +asked, how did he know that ? he said, very well, for I see him, saith +he, all inclosed in his winding-sheet, except his nostrils and his +mouth, which will also close up within six months; which happened even +as he foretold; within the said space he died, and his brother Duncan +Macpherson this present Clunie succeeded. This and the like may +satisfy your fourth query, he seeing the man even then covered all +over with his dead linens. The event was visibly represented, and as +it were acted (before his eyes) and also the last part of your second +query, viz. that it was as yet to come. As for the rest of the +questions, viz. That they discover present and past events, is also +manifest, thus: I have heard of a gentleman, whose son had gone +abroad, and being anxious to know how he was, he went to consult one +who had this faculty, who told him, that that same day five o'clock in +the afternoon his son had married a woman in France, with whom he had +got so many thousand crowns, and within two years he should come home +to see father and friends, leaving his wife with child of a daughter, +and a son of six months age behind him: which accordingly was true. +About the same time two years he came home, and verified all that was +fore-told. + +It is likewise ordinary with persons that lose any thing, to go to +some of these men, by whom they are directed; how, what persons, and +in what place they shall find it. But all such as profess that skill, +are not equally dexterous in it. For instance, two of them were in Mr. +Hector Mackenzie, minister of Inverness, his father's house; the one a +gentleman, the other a common fellow; and discoursing by the fire +side, the fellow suddenly begins to weep, and cry out, alas ! alas! +such a woman is either dead, or presently expiring. The gentlewoman +lived five or six miles from the house, and had been some days +before in a fever. The gentleman being somewhat better expert in that +faculty, said; no, saith he, she's not dead; nor will she die of this +disease. 0, saith the fellow, do you not see her all covered with her +winding-sheet; ay, saith the gentleman, I see her as well as you; but +do you not see her linen all wet, which is her sweat ? she being +presently cooling of the fever. This story Mr. Hector himself will +testify. The most remarkable of this sort, that I hear of now, is one +Archibald Mackeanyers, alias Macdonald, living in Ardinmurch, within +ten or twenty miles, or thereby, of Glencoe, and I was present myself, +where he foretold something which accordingly fell out in 1683; this +man being in Straths-pey, in John Macdonald of Glencoe his company, +told in Balachastell, before the Lord of Grant, his Lady, and several +others, and also in my father's house; that Argyle, of whom few or +none knew then where he was, at least there was no word of him then +here; should within two twelve months thereafter, come to the West- +Highlands, and raise a rebellious faction, which would be divided +among themselves, and disperse, and he unfortunately be taken and +beheaded at Edinburgh, and his head set upon the Talbooth, where his +father's head was before him; which proved as true, as he fore-told +it, in 1685, thereafter. Likewise in the beginning of May next after +the late revolution, as my Lord Dundee returned up Spey-side, after he +had followed General Major Mac Kay in his reer down the length of +Edinglassie, at the Milatown of Gartinbeg, the Macleans joined him, +and after he had received them, he marched forward, but they +remained behind, and fell a plundering: upon which Glencoe and some +others, among whom was this Archibald, being in my father's house, and +hearing that Mac Leans and others were pillaging some of his lands, +went to restrain them, and commanded them to march after the army; +after he had cleared the first town, next my father's house of them, +and was come to the second, there standing on a hill, this Archibald +said, Glencoe, if you take my advice, then make off with your self +with all possible haste, ere an hour come and go you'll be put to it +as hard as ever you was: some of the company began to droll and say, +what shall become of me ? whether Glencoe believed him, or no, I +cannot tell; but this I am sure of, that whereas before he was of +intention to return to my father's house and stay all night, now we +took leave, and immediately parted. And indeed, within an hour +thereafter, Mac Kay, and his whole forces, appeared at Culnakyle +in Abernethie, two miles below the place where we parted, and hearing +that Cleaverhouse had marched up the water-side a little before, but +that Mac Leans and several other straglers, had stayed behind, +commanded Major AEneas Mac Kay, with two troops of horse after them; +who finding the said Mac Leans at Kinchardie, in the parish of Luthel, +chased them up the Morskaith: in which chase Glencoe happened to be, +and was hard put to it, as was foretold. What came of Archibald +himself, I am not sure; I have not seen him since, nor can I get a +true account of him, only I know he is yet alive, and at that time one +of my father's men whom the red-coats meeting, compelled to guide +them, within sight of the Mac Leans, found the said Archibald's horse +within a mile of the place where I left him. I am also informed, this +Archibald said to Glencoe, that he would be murdered in the night time +in his own house three months before it happened. + +Touching your third query, the objects of this knowledge, are not only +sad and dismal; but also joyful and prosperous: thus they foretell of +happy marriages, good children, what kind of life men shall live, and +in what condition they shall die: and riches, honour, preferment, +peace, plenty, and good weather. + + Query 7. + +What way they pretend to have it ? I am informed, that in the Isle of +Sky, especially before the gospel came thither, several families had +it by succession, descending from parents to children, and as yet +there be many there that have it in that way; and the only way to be +freed from it is, when a woman hath it herself, and is married to a +man that hath it also; if in the very act of delivery, upon the first +sight of the child's head, it be baptized, the same is free from it; +if not, he hath it all his life; by which, it seems, it is a thing +troublesome and uneasy to them that have it, and such as they would +fain be rid of. And may satisfy your ninth query. And for your farther +contentment in this query, I heard of my father, that there was one +John du beg Mac Grigor, a Reanach man born, very expert in this +knowledge, and my father coming one day from Inverness, said by the +way, that he would go into an ale-house on the road, which then would +be about five miles off. This John Mac Grigor being in his company, +and taken up a slate stone at his foot, and looking to it, replied; +nay, said he, you will not go in there, for there is but a matter of a +gallon of ale in it even now, and ere we come to it, it will be all +near drunken, and those who are drinking there, are strangers to us, +and ere we be hardly past the house, they will discord among +themselves: which fell out so; ere we were two pair of butts past the +house, those that were drinking there went by the ears, wounded and +mischieved one another. My father by this and several other things of +this nature, turned curious of this faculty, and being very intimate +with the man, told him he would fain learn it: to which he answered, +that indeed he could in three days time teach him if he pleased; but +yet he would not advise him nor any man to learn it; for had he once +learned, he would never be a minute of his life but he would see +innumerable men and women night and day round about him; which perhaps +he would think wearisome and unpleasant, for which reason my father +would not have it. But as skilful as this man was, yet he knew not +what should be his own last end; which was hanging: And I am +informed, that most, if not all of them, though they can fore-see what +shall happen to others: yet they cannot foretell, much less prevent, +what shall befal themselves. I am also informed by one who came last +summer from the Isle of Sky, that any person that pleases will get it +taught him for a pound or two of tobacco. + +As for your last query. For my own part, I can hardly believe they +can be justly presumed, much less truly godly. As for this Mac Grigor, +several report that he was a very civil discreet man, and some say he +was of good deportment, and also unjustly hanged. But Archibald +Mackenyere will not deny himself, but once he was one of the most +notorious thieves in all the Highlands: but I am informed since I +came to this knowledge which was by an accident too long here to +relate, that he has turned honester than before. + +There was one James Mac Coil-vicalaster alias Grant, in Glenbeum near +Kirk-Michael in Strathawin, who had this sight, who I hear of several +that were well acquainted with him was a very honest man, and of right +blameless conversation. He used ordinarily by looking to the fire, to +foretell what strangers would come to his house the next day, or +shortly thereafter, by their habit and arms, and sometimes also by +their name; and if any of his goods or cattle were missing, he would +direct his servants to the very place where to find them, whether in a +mire or upon dry ground; he would also tell, if the beast were already +dead, or if it would die ere they could come to it; and in winter, if +they were thick about the fire-side, he would desire them to make room +for some others that stood by, though they did not see them, else some +of them would be quickly thrown into the midst of it. But whether this +man saw any more than Brownie and Meg Mullach, I am not very sure; +some say, he saw more continually, and would often be very angry-like, +and something troubled, nothing visibly moving him: others affirm he +saw these two continually, and sometimes many more. + +They generally term this second-sight in Irish Taishi-taraughk, and +such as have it Taishatrin, from Taish, which is properly a shadowy +substance, or such naughty, and imperceptible thing, as can only, or +rather scarcely be discerned by the eye; but not caught by the hands: +for which they assigned it to Bugles or Ghosts, so that Taishtar, is +as much as one that converses with ghosts or spirits, or as they +commonly call them, the Fairies or Fairy-Folks. Others call these men +Phissicin, from Phis, which is properly fore-sight, or fore-knowledge. +This is the surest and clearest account of second-sighted men that I +can now find, and I have set it down fully, as if I were transiently +telling it, in your own presence, being curious for nothing but the +verity, so far as I could. What you find improper or superfluous you +can best compendise it, &c, + +Thus far this letter, written in a familiar and homely stile, which I +have here set down at length. Meg Mullach, and Brownie mentioned in +the end of it, are two ghosts, which (as it is constantly reported) of +old, haunted a family in Straths-pey of the name of Grant. They +appeared at first in the likeness of a young lass; the second of a +young lad. + +Dr. Moulin (who presents his service to you) hath no acquaintance in +Orkney; but I have just now spoken with one, who not only hath +acquaintance in that country, but also entertains some thoughts of +going thither himself, to get me an account of the cures usually +practised there. The Cortex Winteranus, mentioned by you as an +excellent medicine, I have heard it commended as good for the scurvy; +if you know it to be eminent or specific (such as the Peruvian Bark +is) for any disease, I shall be well pleased to be informed by you. + +Thus, Sir, you have an account of all my informations concerning +second-sighted men: I have also briefly touched all the other +particulars in both your letters, which needed a reply, except your +thanks so liberally and obligingly returned to me for my letters, and +the kind sense you express of that small service. The kind reception +which you have given to those poor trifles, and the value which you +put on them, I consider as effects of your kindness to myself, and as +engagements on me to serve you to better purpose when it shall be in +the power of + +Your faithful friend, + +and servant, &c. + + + ADDITAMENTS OF SECOND-SIGHT. + + +DIEMERBROECK in his book de Peste (i.e. of the Plague) gives us a +story of Dimmerus de Raet, that being at Delft, where the pestilence +then raged, sent then his wife thirty miles off. And when the doctor +went to see the gentleman of the house, as soon as he came in, the old +chair-woman that washed the cloathes fell a weeping; he asked her why? +said she, my mistress is now dead; I saw her apparition but just now +without a head, and that it was usual with her when a friend of hers +died, to see their apparitions in that manner, though never so far +off. His wife died at that time. + +Mr. Thomas May in his History, lib. 8, writes, that an old man (like +an hermit) second-sighted, took his leave of King James I. when he +came into England: he took little notice of Prince Henry, but +addressing himself to the Duke of York (since King Charles I.) fell a +weeping to think what misfortunes he should undergo; and that he +should be one of the miserablest unhappy Princes that ever was. + +A Scotch nobleman sent for one of these second-sighted men out of the +Highlands, to give his judgment of the then great favourite, George +Villers, Duke of Buckingham; as soon as ever he saw him, " Pish," said +he, he will come to nothing. I see a dagger in his breast;" and he was +stabbed in the breast by Captain Felton. + +Sir James Melvil hath several the like stories in his Memoirs. Folio. + +A certain old man in South-Wales, told a great man there of the +fortune of his family; and that there should not be a third male +generation. + +In Spain there are those they call Saludadores, that have this kind of +gift. There was a Portugueze Dominican fryar belonging to Queen +Katherine Dowager's chapel, who had the second-sight. + + + FARTHER ADDITAMENTS. + + + **Concerning Predictions, Fatality, Apparitions, &c. From the + various History of AELIAN. Rendered out of the Greek Original. By + Mr. T. STANLEY. + +THE wisdom of the Persian Magi was (besides other things proper to +them) conversant in prediction: they foretold the cruelty of Ochus +towards his subjects, and his bloody disposition, which they collected +from some secret signs. For when Ochus, upon the death of his father +Artaxerxes, came to the crown, the Magi charged one of the Eunuchs +that were next him, to observe upon what things, when the table was +set before him, he first laid hands; who watching intentively, Ochus +reached forth both his hands, and with his right, laid hold of a knife +that lay by, with the other, took a great loaf, which he laid upon the +meat, and did cut and eat greedily. The Magi, hearing this, foretold +that there would be plenty during his reign, and much blood shed. In +which they erred not. + +It is observed, that on the sixth day of the month Thargelion, many +good fortunes have befallen not only the Athenians, but divers others. +Socrates was born on this day, the Persians vanquished on this day, +and the Athenians sacrifice three hundred goats to Agrotera upon this +day in pursuit of Miltiades's Vow: on the same day of this month was +the fight of Plataea, in which the Grecians had the better; for the +former fight which I mentioned was at Artemisium, neither was the +victory which the Greeks obtained at Mycale on any other day; seeing +that the victory at Plataea and Mycale happened on the self-same day. +Likewise Alexander the Macedonian, Son of Philip, vanquished many +myriads of the Barbarians on the sixth day, when he took Darius +prisoner. All which is observed to have happened on this month. It is +likewise reported that Alexander was born and died on the same day. + +Some Pythian relations affirm, that Hercules, son of Jupiter and +Alcmena, was at his birth, named Heraclides; but that afterwards +coming to Delphi to consult the oracle about some business, he +obtained that for which he came, and received farther privately from +the God, this oracle concerning himself. + + Thee Hercules doth Phoebus name, + For thou shalt gain immortal fame. + +The Peripateticks assert, that the soul in the day-time is inslaved +and involved in the body, so that she cannot behold truth; but in the +night, being freed from this servitude, and gathered together, as it +were, in a round about the parts that are in the breast, she is more +prophetick, whence proceed dreams. + +Socrates said of his daemon to Theages Demodocus, and many others, that +he many times perceived a voice warning him by divine instinct, which, +saith he, when it comes, signifieth a dissuasion from that which I am +going to do, but never persuades to do any thing. And when any of my +friends, (saith he) impart their business to me, if this voice +happens, it dissuades also, giving me the like counsel: whereupon, I +dehort him who adviseth with me, and suffer him not to proceed in what +he is about, following the divine admonition. He alledged as witness +here of Charmides son of Glauco, who asking his advice, whether he +should exercise at the Nemean games; as soon as he began to speak, the +voice gave the accustomed sigh. Whereupon Socrates endeavoured to +divert Charmides from this purpose, telling him the reason. But he not +following the advice, it succeeded ill with him. + +Aspasia a Phocian, daughter of Hermotimus, was brought up an orphan, +her mother dying in the pains of child-birth. She was bred up in +poverty, but modestly and virtuously. She had many times a dream which +foretold her that she should be married to an excellent person. Whilst +she was yet young, she chanced to have a swelling under her chin, +loathsome to sight, whereat both the father and the maid were much +afflicted. Her father brought her to a physician: he offered to +undertake the cure for three staters; the other said he had not the money. +The physician replied, he had then no physic for him. Hereupon +Aspasia departed weeping ! and holding a looking-glass on her knee, +beheld her face in it, which much increased her grief. Going to rest +without supping, by the reason of the trouble she was in, she had an +opportune dream; a dove seemed to appear to her as she slept, which +being changed to a woman, said, "Be of good courage, and bid a long +farewel to physicians and their medicines: take of the dried rose of +Venus garlands, which being pounded apply to the swelling." After the +maid had understood and made trial of this, the tumour was wholly +assuaged; and Aspasia recovering her beauty by means of the most +beautiful goddess, did once again appear the fairest amongst her +virgin-companions, enriched with graces far above any of the rest. Of +hair yellow, locks a little curling, she had great eyes, some what +hawk-nosed, ears short, skin delicate, complexion like roses; whence +the Phocians, whilst she was yet a child called her Milto. Her lips +were red, teeth whiter than snow, small insteps, such as of those +women whom Homer calls {greek text: lisphurous}. Her voice sweet and +smooth, that whosoever heard her might justly say he heard the voice +of a Syren. She was averse from womanish curiosity in dressing: such +things are to be supplied by wealth. She being poor, and bred up under +a poor father, used nothing superfluous or extravagant to advantage +her beauty. On a time Aspasia came to Cyrus, son of Darius and +Parysatis, brother of Artaxerxes, not willingly nor with the consent +of her father, but by compulsion, as it often happens upon the taking +of cities, or the violence of tyrants and their officers. One of the +officers of Cyrus, brought her with other virgins to Cyrus, who +immediately preferred her before all his concubines, for simplicity of +behaviour, and modesty; whereto also contributed her beauty without +artifice, and her extraordinary discretion, which was such, that Cyrus +many times asked her advice in affairs, which he never repented to +have followed. When Aspasia came first to Cyrus, it happened that he +was newly risen from supper, and was going to drink after the Persian +manner: for after they have done eating, they betake themselves to +wine, and fall to their cups freely, encountering drink as an +adversary. Whilst they were in the midst of their drinking, four +Grecian virgins were brought to Cyrus, amongst whom was Aspasia the +Phocian. They were finely attired; three of them had their heads +neatly drest by their own women which came along with them, and had +painted their faces. They had been also instructed by their +governesses how to behave themselves towards Cyrus, to gain his +favour; not to turn away when he came to them, not to be coy when he +touched them, to permit him to kiss them, and many other amatory +instructions practised by women who expose their beauty to sale. Each +contended to out-vie the other in handsomeness. Only Aspasia would not +endure to be clothed with a rich robe, nor to put on a various +coloured vest, nor to be washed; but calling upon the Grecian and +Eleutherian gods, she cried out upon her father's name, execrating +herself to her father. She thought the robe which she should put on +was a manifest sign of bondage. At last being compelled with blows she +put it on, and was necessitated to behave herself with greater liberty +than beseemed a virgin. When they came to Cyrus, the rest smiled, and +expressed chearfulness in their looks. But Aspasia looking on the +ground, her eyes full of tears, did every way express an extraordinary +bashfulness. When he commanded them to sit down by him, the rest +instantly obeyed; but the Phocian refused, until the officer caused +her to sit down by force. When Cyrus looked upon or touched their +eyes, cheeks and fingers, the rest freely permitted him; but she +would not suffer it; for if Cyrus did but offer to touch her, she +cried out, saying, he should not go unpunished for such actions. Cyrus +was herewith extreamly pleased; and when upon his offering to touch +her breast, she rose up, and would have run away, Cyrus much taken +with her native ingenuity which was not like the Persians, turning to +him that brought them, "This maid only saith he, of those which you +have brought me is free and pure; the rest are adulterate in face, but +much more in behaviour." Hereupon Cyrus loved her above all the women +he ever had. Afterwards there grew a mutual love between them, and +their friendship proceeded to such a height that it almost arrived at +parity, not differing from the concord and modesty of Grecian +marriage. Hereupon the fame of his affection to Aspasia was spread to +Ionia and throughout Greece; Peloponnesus also was filled with +discourses of the love betwixt Cyrus and her. The report went even to +the great King [of Persia,] for it was conceived that Cyrus, after his +acquaintance with her, kept company with no other woman. From these +things Aspasia recollected the remembrance of her old apparition, and +of the dove, and her words, and what the goddess foretold her. Hence +she conceived that she was from the very beginning particularly +regarded by her. She therefore offered sacrifice of thanks to Venus. +And first caused a great image of gold to be erected to her, which she +called the image of Venus, and by it placed the picture of a dove +beset with jewels, and every day implored the favour of the goddess +with sacrifice and prayer. She sent to Hermotimus her father many rich +presents, and made him wealthy. She lived continently all her life, as +both the Grecian and Persian women affirm. On a time a neck-lace was +sent as a present to Cyrus from Scopas the younger, which had been +sent to Scopas out of Sicily. The neck-lace was of extraordinary +workmanship, and variety. All therefore to whom Cyrus shewed it +admiring it, he was much taken with the jewel, and went immediately to +Aspasia, it being about noon, finding her asleep, he lay down gently +by her watching quietly while she slept. As soon as she awaked, and +saw Cyrus she embraced him after her usual manner. He taking the neck- +lace out of a box, said, "this is worthy either the daughter or the +mother of a King." To which she assenting; "I will give it you, said +he, for your own use, let me see your neck adorned with it." But she +received not the gift, prudently and discreetly answering, "How will +Parysatis your mother take it, this being a gift fit for her that bare +you ? send it to her, Cyrus, I will shew you a neck handsome enough +without it." Aspasia from the greatness of her mind acted contrary to +other royal Queens, who are excessively desirous of rich ornaments. +Cyrus being pleased with this answer, kissed Aspasia. All these +actions and speeches Cyrus writ in a letter which he sent together +with the chain to his mother; and Parysatis receiving the present was +no less delighted with the news than with the gold, for which she +requited Aspasia with great and royal gifts; for this pleased her +above all things, that though Aspasia were chiefly affected by her +son, yet in the love of Cyrus, she desired to be placed beneath his +mother. Aspasia praised the gifts, but said she had no need of them; +(for there was much money sent with the presents) but sent them to +Cyrus, saying, "To you who maintain many men this may be useful: for +me it is enough that you love me and are my ornament." With these +things, as it seemeth she much astonished Cyrus. And indeed the woman +was without dispute admirable for her personal beauty, but much more +for the nobleness of her mind. When Cyrus was slain in the fight +against his brother, and his army taken prisoners, with the rest of +the prey she was taken, not falling accidentally into the enemies +hands, but sought for with much diligence by King Artaxerxes, for he +had heard her fame and virtue. When they brought her bound, he was +angry, and cast those that did it into prison. He commanded that a +rich robe should be given her: which she hearing, intreated with +tears and lamentation that she might not put on the garment the King +appointed, for she mourned exceedingly for Cyrus. But when she had +put it on, she appeared the fairest of all women, and Artaxerxes was +immediately surprised and inflamed with love of her. He valued her +beyond all the rest of his women, respecting her infinitely. He +endeavoured to ingratiate himself into her favour, hoping to make her +forget Cyrus, and to love him no less than she had done his brother; +but it was long before he could compass it. For the affection of +Aspasia to Cyrus had taken so deep impression, that it could not +easily be rooted out. Long after this, Teridates, the Eunuch died, who +was the most beautiful youth in Asia. He had full surpassed childhood, +and was reckoned among the youths. The King was said to have loved +him exceedingly: he was infinitely grieved and troubled at his death, and +there was an universal mourning throughout Asia, every one +endeavouring to gratify the King herein; and none durst venture to +come to him and comfort him, for they thought his passion would not +admit any consolation. Three days being past, Aspasia taking a +mourning robe as the King was going to the bath, stood weeping, her +eyes cast on the ground. He seeing her, wondered, and demanded the +reason of her coming. She said, "I come, 0 King, to comfort your +grief and affliction, if you so please; otherwise I shall go back." +The Persian pleased with this care, commanded that she should retire +to her chamber, and wait his coming. As soon as he returned, he put +the vest of the Eunuch upon Aspasia, which did in a manner fit her; +and by this means her beauty appeared with greater splendour to the +King's eye, who much affected the youth. And being once pleased +herewith, he desired her to come always to him in that dress, until +the height of his grief were allayed: which to please him she did. +Thus more than all Hs other women, or his own son and kindred, she +comforted Artaxerxes, and relieved his sorrow; the King being pleased +with her care, and prudently admitting her consolation. + + **GEORGE BUCHANAN in his History of SCOTLAND, reciteth of one of + their Kings, James IV. the following very remarkable Passages. + +THE presence of this King being required to be with his army, whither +he was going, at Linlithgo, whilst he was at Vespers in the church, +there entered an old man, the hair of his head being red, inclining to +yellow, hanging down on his shoulders; his forehead sleek through +baldness, bare-headed, in a long coat of a russet colour, girt with a +linen girdle about his loins; in the rest of his aspect, he was very +venerable: he pressed through the crowd to come to the King: when he +came to him, he leaned upon the chair on which the King sat, with a +kind of rustic simplicity, and bespoke him thus; "0 King," said he, "I +am sent to warn thee, not to proceed in thy intended design; +and if thou neglectest this admonition, neither thou nor thy followers +shall prosper. I am also commanded to tell thee, that thou shouldest +not use the familiarity, intimacy, and council of women; which if thou +dost, it will redound to thy ignominy and loss." Having thus spoken, +he withdrew himself into the croud; and when the King inquired for +him, after prayers were ended, he could not be found which matter +seemed more strange, because none of those who stood next, and +observed him, as being desirous to put many questions to him, were +sensible how he disappeared; amongst them there was David Lindsey of +Mont, a man of approved worth and honesty, (and a great scholar too) +for in the whole course of his life, he abhorred lying; and if I had +not received this story from him as a certain truth, I had omitted it +as a romance of the vulgar. + +On Tuesday, July 26, 1720, at a sale of the copies belonging to Mr. +Awnsham Churchill, of London, Book-seller, which were sold at the +Queen's Head tavern, in Pater Noster Row, there was among them a +printed copy of these Miscellanies, corrected for the press by Mr. +Aubrey, wherein were many very considerable alterations, +corrections, and additions, together with the following letter to Mr. +Churchill, written upon the first blank leaf, concerning the then +intended second edition. + +MR. CHURCHILL, + +THERE is a very pretty remark in the Athenian Mercury, concerning +Apparitions, which I would have inserted under this head, it is in +vol. 17, numb. 25. Tuesday, June 1695. + +Mr. Dunton, at the Raven in Jewin-Street, will help you to this +Mercury, but yesterday he would not, his wife being newly departed. + +J. A. + +June 1, 1697. + **The Passage referred to by Mr. AUBREY, in his Letter + to Mr. CHURCHILL.* + +* The passage referred to in this letter is now here inserted: the other +additions are incorporated in the text. Ed. + +Two persons (Ladies) of quality, (both not being long since deceased,) +were intimate acquaintance, and loved each other entirely: it so fell +out, that one of them fell sick of the small-pox, and desired mightily +to see the other, who would not come, fearing the catching of them. +The afflicted at last dies of them, and had not been buried very long, +but appears at the other's house, in the dress of a widow, and asks +for her friend, who was then at cards, but sends down her woman to +know her business, who, in short, told her, "she must impart it to +none but her Lady", who, after she had received this answer, bid her +woman have her in a room, and desired her to stay while the game was +done, and she would wait on her. The game being done, down stairs she +came to the apparition, to know her business; "madam," says the +ghost, (turning up her veil, and her face appearing full of the small- +pox) "You know very well, that you and I, loved entirely; and your not +coming to see me, I took it so ill at your hands, that I could not +rest till I had seen you, and now I am come to tell you, that you have +not long to live, therefore prepare to die; and when you are at a +feast, and make the thirteenth person in number, then remember my +words" and so the apparition vanished. + +To conclude, she was at a feast, where she made the thirteenth person +in number, and was afterwards asked by the deceased's brother, +"whether his sister did appear to her as was reported?" she made him +no answer, but fell a weeping, and died in a little time after. The +gentleman that told this story, says, that there is hardly any person +of quality but what knows it to be true. (From the Athenian Mercury.) + + + APPENDIX. + + AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SURVEY AND + NATURAL HISTORY OF THE NORTH DIVISION + OF THE COUNTY OP WILTSHIRE. + + BY J. AUBREY, ESQ. + + **Printed in "Miscellanies on several curious subjects." + London, E. Curll, 1714. + +AT a meeting of gentlemen at the Devizes, for choosing of Knights of +the Shire in March 1659, it was wished by some, that this County +(wherein are many observable antiquities) was surveyed, in imitation +of Mr. Dugdale's illustration of Warwickshire; but it being too great +a task for one man, Mr. William Yorke (Councellor at Law, and a lover +of this kind of learning) advised to have the labour divided: he +himself would undertake the Middle Division; I would undertake the +North; T. Gore, Esq., Jeffrey Daniel, Esq., and Sir John Erneley would +be assistants. Judge Nicholas was the greatest antiquary, as to +evidences, that this County hath had in memory of man, and had taken +notes in his Adversariis of all the ancient deeds that came to his +hands. Mr. York had taken some memorandums in this kind too, both now +dead; 'tis pity those papers, falling into the hands of merciless +women, should be put under pies. I have since that occasionally made +this following Collection, which perhaps may some-time or other fall +into some antiquary's hands, to make a handsome Work of it. I hope my +worthy friend Mr. Anthony Wood of Oxford will be the man. I am +heartily sorry I did not set down the antiquities of these parts +sooner, for since the time aforesaid, many things are irrecoverably +lost. + +In former days the churches and great houses hereabouts did so abound +with monuments and things remarkable, that it would have deterred an +antiquary from undertaking it. But as Pythagoras did guess at the +vastness of Hercules' stature by the length of his foot, so among +these ruins are remains enough left for a man to give a guess what +noble buildings, &c. were made by the piety, charity, and +magnanimity of our forefathers. + +And as in prospects, we are there pleased most where something keeps +the eye from being lost, and leaves us room to guess; so here the eye +and mind is no less affected with these stately ruins, than they would +have been when standing and entire. They breed in generous minds a +kind of pity, and sets the thoughts a-work to make out their magnifice +as they were taken in perfection. These remains are "tanquam Tabulata +Naufragii", that after the revolution of so many years and +governments, have escaped the teeth of Time, and (which is more +dangerous) the hands of mistaken Zeal. So that the retrieving of these +forgotten things from oblivion, in some sort resembles that of a +conjurer, who make those walk and appear that have lain in their +graves many hundreds of years, and to represent, as it were to the +eye, the places, customs, and fashions that were of old time. + +Let us imagine then what kind of country this was in the time of the +ancient Britains, by the nature of the soil, which is a soure, +woodsere land, very natural for the production of oaks especially; +one may conclude, that this North-Division was a shady, dismal wood; +and the inhabitants almost as salvage as the beasts, whose skins were +their only raiment. The language, British (which for the honour of it, +was in those days spoken from the Orcades to Italy and Spain). The +boats on the Avon (which signifies river) were baskets of twigs +covered with an ox-skin, which the poor people in Wales use to this +day, and call them curricles. + +Within this shire I believe that there were several Reguli, which +often made war upon one another, and the great ditches which run on +the plains and elsewhere so many miles, were (not unlikely) their +boundaries, and withall served for defence against the incursion of +their enemies, as the Picts' Wall, Offa's Ditch, and that in China; to +compare small things to great. Their religion is at large described by +Csesar; their priests were the Druids. Some of their temples I pretend +to have restored; as Anbury, Stonehenge, &c., as also British +sepulchres. Their way of fighting is livelily set down by Caesar. Their +camps, with those of their antagonists, I have set down in another +place. They knew the use of iron; and about Hedington fields, Bromham, +Bowdon, &c. are still ploughed up cinders (i. e. the scoria of melted +iron). They were two or three degrees I suppose less salvage than the +Americans. Till King John's time wolves were in this island; and in +our grandfathers' days more foxes than now, and marterns (a beast of +brown rich furr) at Stanton Park, &c. the race now extinct thereabout. + +The Romans subdued and civilized them; at Lekham (Mr. Camden saith) +was a colony of them, as appears there by the Roman coin found there. +About 1654, in Weekfield, in the parish of Hedington, digging up the +ground deeper than the plough went, they found, for a great way +together, foundations of houses, hearths, coals, and a great deal of +Roman coin, silver and brass, whereof I had a pint; some little +copper-pieces, no bigger than silver half-pence (quaere if they were +not the Roman Denarii) I have portrayed the pot in which a good deal +was found, which pot I presented to the Royal Society's Repository, it +resembles an apprentice's earthen Christmas-box. + +At Sherston, hath several times been found Roman money in ploughing. I +have one silver piece found there (1653) not long since, of +Constantine the Great. Among other arts, that of architecture was +introduced by them; and no doubt but here, as well as in other parts, +were then good buildings, here being so good stone: I know not any +vestigia now left in this country, except the fragments of the Castle +of Salisbury, which takes its name from Caesar, Caesarisburghum, from +whence Sarisburgh, whence Salisbury. + +At Bath are several Roman inscriptions, which Mr. Camden hath set +down, and by the West Gate a piece of a delicate Corinthian freeze, +which he calls wreathed leaves, not understanding architecture; and +by in a bass relieve of an optriouch. At Bethford, about 1663, was +found a grotto paved with Mosaic work, some whereof I have preserved. + +The Saxons succeeding them, and driving away to Ireland, Cornwal, &c. +these Britains were by Romans left here; for they used the best of +them in their wars, (being their best soldiers) here was a mist of +ignorance for 600 years. They were so far from knowing arts, that they +could not build a wall with stone. They lived sluttishly in poor +houses, where they eat a great deal of beef and mutton, and drank good +ale in a brown mazard; and their very kings were but a sort of +farmers. After the Christian Religion was planted here, it gave a +great shoot, and the kings and great men gave vast revenues to the +Church, who were ignorant enough in those days. The Normans then came +and taught them civility and building; which though it was Gothick (as +also their policy "Feudalis Lex") yet they were magnificent. For the +Government, till the time of King Henry VIII. it was like a nest of +boxes; for copyholders, (who, till then were villains) held of the +lords of the Manor, who held of a superior lord, who perhaps held of +another superior lord or duke, who held of the king. Upon any occasion +of justing or tournaments in those days, one of these great lords +sounded his trumpets (the lords then kept trumpeters, even to King +James) and summoned those that held under them. Those again sounded +their trumpets, and so downward to the copy-holders. The Court of +Wards was a great bridle in those days. A great part of this North +Division held of the honour of Trowbridge, where is a ruinated castle +of the dukes of Lancaster. No younger brothers then were by the custom +and constitution of the realm to betake themselves to trades, but were +churchmen or retainers, and servants to great men rid good horses (now +and then took a purse) and their blood that was bred of the good +tables of their masters, was upon every occasion freely let out in +their quarrels; it was then too common among their masters to have +feuds with one another, and their servants at market, or where they +met (in that slashing age) did commonly bang one another's bucklers. +Then an esquire, when he rode to town, was attended by eight or ten +men in blue coats with badges. The lords (then lords in deed as well +as title) lived in their countries like petty kings, had "jura +regalia" belonging to their seigniories, had their castles and +boroughs, and sent burgesses to the Lower House; had gallows within +their liberties, where they could try, condemn, draw and hang; never +went to London but in parliament-time, or once a year to do their +homage and duty to the king. The lords of manours kept good houses in +their countries, did eat in their great Gothick halls, at the high +table; (in Scotland, still the architecture of a lord's house is +thus, viz. a great open hall, a kitchen and buttery, a parlour, over +which a chamber for my lord and lady; all the rest lye in common, viz. +the men-servants in the hall, the women in a common room) or oriele, +the folk at the side-tables. (Oriele is an ear, but here it signifies +a little room at the upper end of the hall, where stands a square or +round table, perhaps in the old time was an oratory; in every old +Gothic hall is one, viz. at Dracot, Lekham, Alderton, &c.) The meat +was served up by watch-words. Jacks are but an invention of the other +age: the poor boys did turn the spits, and licked the dripping-pan, +and grew to be huge lusty knaves. The beds of the servants and +retainers were in the great halls, as now in the guard-chamber, &c. +The hearth was commonly in the middle, as at most colleges, whence the +saying, "Round about our coal-fire." Here in the halls were the +mummings, cob-loaf-stealing, and a great number of old Christmas plays +performed. Every baron and gentleman of estate kept great horses for a +man at arms. Lords had their armories to furnish some hundreds of men. +The halls of justices of the peace were dreadful to behold, the +skreens were garnished with corslets and helmets, gaping with open +mouth, with coats of mail, lances, pikes, halberts, brown bills, +batterdashers, bucklers, and the modern colivers and petronils (in +King Charles I.'s time) turned into muskets and pistols. Then were +entails in fashion, (a good prop for monarchy). Destroying of manors +began temp. Henry VIII., but now common; whereby the mean people live +lawless, nobody to govern them, they care for nobody, having no +dependance on anybody. By this method, and by the selling of the +church-lands, is the ballance of the Government quite altered, and put +into the hands of the common people. No ale-houses, nor yet inns were +there then, unless upon great roads: when they had a mind to drink, +they went to the fryaries; and when they travelled they had +entertainment at the religious houses for three days, if occasion so +long required. The meeting of the gentry was not then at tipling- +houses, but in the fields or forest, with their hawks and hounds, with +their bugle horns in silken bordries. This part very much abounded +with forests and parks. Thus were good spirits kept up, and good +horses and hides made; whereas now the gentry of the nation are so +effeminated by coaches, they are so far from managing great horses, +that they know not how to ride hunting-horses, besides the spoiling of +several trades dependant. In the last age every yRoman almost kept a +sparrow-hawk; and it was a divertisement for young gentlewomen to +manage sparrow-hawks and merlins. In King Henry VIII.'s time, one Dame +Julian writ The Art of Hawking in English verse, which is in Wilton +Library. This country was then a lovely champain, as that about +Sherston and Cots-wold; very few enclosures, unless near houses: my +grandfather Lyte did remember when all between Cromhall (at Eston) and +Castle-Comb was so, when Easton, Yatton and Comb did intercommon +together. In my remembrance much hath been enclosed, and every year, +more and more is taken in. Anciently the Leghs (now corruptly called +Slaights) i. e. pastures, were noble large grounds, as yet the Demesne +Lands at Castle Combe are. So likewise in his remembrance, was all +between Kington St. Michael and Dracot-Cerne common fields. Then were +a world of labouring people maintained by the plough, as yet in +Northamptonshire, &c. There were no rates for the poor in my +grandfather's days; but for Kington St. Michael (no small parish) the +church-ale at Whitsuntide did the business. In every parish is (or +was) a church-house, to which belonged spits, crocks, &c., utensils +for dressing provision. Here the house-keepers met, and were merry, +and gave their charity. The young people were there too, and had +dancing, bowling, shooting at butts, &c., the ancients sitting gravely +by and looking on. All things were civil and without scandal. This +church-ale is doubtless derived from the {Greek text: agapai}, or +love-feast, mentioned in the New Testament. Mr. A. Wood assures me, +that there were no alms-houses, at least they were very scarce before +the Reformation; that over against Christ Church, Oxon, is one of the +ancientest. In every church was a poor man's box, but I never +remembered the use of it; nay, there was one at great inns, as I +remember it was before the wars. Before the Reformation, at their +vigils or revels, sat up all night fasting and praying. The night +before the day of the dedication of the church, certain officers were +chosen for gathering the money for charitable uses. Old John +Wastfield, of Langley, was Peter-man at St. Peter's Chapel there; at +which time is one of the greatest revels in these parts, but the +chapel is converted into a dwelling-house. Such joy and merriment was +every holiday, which days were kept with great solemnity and +reverence. These were the days when England was famous for the " grey +goose quills." The clerk's was in the Easter holidays for his benefit, +and the solace of the neighbourhood. + +Since the Reformation, and inclosures aforesaid, these parts have +swarmed with poor people. The parish of Cain pays to the poor (1663) +L500 per annum; and the parish of Chippenham little less, as appears +by the poor's books there. Inclosures are for the private, not for the +public, good. For a shepherd and his dog, or a milk-maid, can manage +meadow-land, that upon arable, employed the hands of several scores of +labourers. + +In those times (besides the jollities already mentioned) they had +their pilgrimages to Walsingham, Canterbury, &c. to several shrines, +as chiefly hereabouts, to St. Joseph's of Arimathea, at his chapel in +Glastonbury Abbey. In the roads thither were several houses of +entertainment, built purposely for them; among others, was the house +called "The Chapel of Playster" near Box; and a great house called +....... without Lafford's Gate, near Bristol. + +Then the Crusado's to the Holy War were most magnificent and glorious, +and the rise, I believe, of the adventures of knights errant and +romances. The solemnities , of processions in and about the churches, +and the perambulations in the fields, besides their convenience, were +fine pleasing diversions: the priests went before in their +formalities, singing the Latin service, and the people came after, +making their good-meaning responses. The reverence given to holy men +was very great. Then were the churches open all day long, men and +women going daily in and out hourly, to and from their devotions. Then +were the consciences of the people kept in so great awe by +confession, that just dealing and virtue was habitual. Sir Edwyn +Sandys observed, in his travels in the Catholic countries, so great +use of confession as aforesaid, that though a severe enemy to the +Church of Rome, he doth heartily wish it had never been left out by +the Church of England, perceiving the great good it does beyond sea. +Lent was a dismal time, strictly observed by fasting, prayer, and +confessing against Easter. During the forty days, the Fryars preached +every day. + +This country was very full of religious houses; a man could not have +travelled but he must have met monks, fryars, bonnehommes, &c. in +their several habits, black, white, grey, &c. And the tingle tangle of +their convent bells, I fancy, made very pretty musick, like the +college bells at Oxford. + +Then were there no free-schools; the boys were educated at the +monasteries; the young maids, not at Hackney schools, &c. to learn +pride and wantonness, but at the nunneries, where they had examples of +piety, humility, modesty, and obedience, &c. to imitate and practise. +Here they learned needle-work, and the art of confectionary, +surgery, physick, writing, drawing, &c. + +Old Jaques (who lived where Charles Hadnam did) could see from his +house the nuns of the priory of St. Mary's (juxta Kington) come forth +into the nymph-hay with their rocks and wheels to spin, and with their +sewing work. He would say that he hath told threescore and ten; though +of nuns there were not so many, but in all, with lay-sisters, as +widows, old maids, and young girls, there might be such a number. This +was a fine way of breeding up young women, who are led more by example +than precept; and a good retirement for widows and grave single +women, to a civil, virtuous, and holy life. + +Plato says, that the foundation of government is, the education of +youth; by this means it is most probable that that was a golden age. I +have heard Judge Jenkins, Mr. John Latch, and other lawyers, say, that +before the Reformation, one shall hardly in a year find an action on +the case, as for slander, &c. which was the result of a good +government. + +It is a sarcasm, more malicious than true, commonly thrown at the +church-men, that they had too much land; for their constitution being +in truth considered, they were rather administrators of those great +revenues to pious and publick uses, than usufructuaries. As for +themselves, they had only their habit and competent diet, every order +according to their prescribed rule; from which they were not to vary. +Then for their tenants, their leases were almost as good to them as +fee simple, and perchance might longer last in their families. Sir +William Button (the father) hath often told me, that Alton farm had +been held by his ancestors from the Abbey of Winchester, about four +hundred years. The powers of Stanton Quintin held that farm of the +Abbey of Cirencester in lease 300 years: and my ancestors, the +Danvers, held West Tokenham for many generations, of the Abbey of +Broadstock, where one of them was a prior. Memorandum, that in the +abbies were several corrodies granted for poor old shiftless men, +which Fitzherbert speaks of amongst his writs. In France, to every +parish church is more than one priest, (because of the several masses +to be said) which fashion, Mr. Dugdale tells me, was used here, and at +some churches in London, in near half a dozen. + +In many chancels are to be seen three seats with niches in the wall +(most commonly on the south side) rising by degrees, and sometimes +only three seats, the first being for the bishop, the second for the +priest, and the third for the deacon. Anciently the bishops visited +their churches in person. This I had from Mr. Dugdale; as also that in +many churches where stalls are, as at cathedrals, (which I mistook for +chauntries) and in collegiate churches. This searching after +antiquities is a wearisome task. I wish I had gone through all the +church-monuments. The Records at London I can search gratis. Though of +all studies, I take the least delight in this, yet methinks I am +carried on with a kind of oestrum; for nobody else hereabout hardly +cares for it, but rather makes a scorn of it. But methinks it shows a +kind of gratitude and good nature, to revive the memories and +memorials of the pious and charitable benefactors long since dead and +gone. + +Eston Pierse, April 28, 1670. + + +HOROSCOPE OF JOHN AUBREY'S NATIVITY, from his own Sketch. + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of Miscellanies upon Various Subjects +by John Aubrey + diff --git a/4254.zip b/4254.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..408126a --- /dev/null +++ b/4254.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. 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