The Discription of two strange Children.
THis Childe (deerly Belooued, which yu seest figured before the heer, was born the day and yeet a boone written, beeing in alll proportion as thou seest it heer presented. The hed of ye said Childe was to be cōpared in all points like vnto a Bishops Miter, In all other points wel proportioned saue the hands which were as the Picture dooth represent the right hand a swoord, and ye left hand a rod, the other points firmable as a Childe ought to be, but ye Coullour of this Child was to be compared vnto a Negro, or Blackmore, (the which Childe) liued the space of three dayes, in the which dayes it did moste wunderously speak these woords following.
Be the warres of men not yet [Page] doon? Make peace, Make peace in all Cuntries for the LORD wil come and punish the Earth, with Swoord and Rod, as my hands doo represent. And also hee said amend you in all Cuntries for there wil such a mortalitie come, yea such a sudain death that one shall say vnto an other / Oh, Brother where haue you been that you are not dead? These were the woords of the first Childe, which as I haue said before is heer portraturde vnto thee. Therfore repent of thy former offences.
The Discription of the other Childe.
The discription of the other Childe.
THe other Childemy belooued / had this proportion, that is to say. It had two heads in good fourme, but that it was vpon the one side very black / like as the other was. And the other white, and as good c [...]let as may be, and nothing to be seene in the proportion that seemed straunge, but only black and white. This other Childe liued also three dayes. It did [...]ure rest but contiou [...]sly did cry and weep and made great lamentation. In so much that euery one Lamented to see this pitious spectakle, and the third day they bothe dyed.
These Children were borne in Lutsolof, foure miles distant from Sir [...]rach, in the which Cittye, the same was first published, to [Page] the great comfort of the Godly / and to the wicked a terrour and greefe of minde.
The Father of these Children was named Baltus Maler, and the Mother that hare them / had to name Katherin Peeters, who was of the age of fortye yeeres when she bare them.
At the time of their death, fell such a greeuous Plague amongest them of the Cittie: that there dyed in nyne dayes two thowsand persons. Wherof some dyed sitting at meat, & with meat in their mouthes. And the [...] was of so much abundance that it perished vpon the Ground for lack of those that should gather it in for the people lay in ye streets as mosse or durt, and there durst none gather it in.
There haue some supposed this to be but lyes and fables. [Page] but indeed they are the very handy woorks of God and I would wish those Vnbeleeuers to be aduertised from their vnbeleef and forsake their sinnes, least when it is to late they doo repent.
Wee haue a fearful beginning amongst vs of Louin, of Mastreicht of Aken, at Namure, at Sitteret, & at Antvverp, where the People dyed of the plague by heapes, for there hath dyed of the plague cōmonly three hundred a week.
Thus wishing you Christian Bretheren to take example by our plagues to receiue the glorious Gospel of our Lorde and forsake your sins, I bid you Farwel.