❧ The true description of a monsterous Chylde / Borne in the Ile of wight, in this present yeare of oure Lord God, M. D. LXIIII. the month of October, after this forme with a cluster of longe heare about the Nauell, the Fathers name is Iames Iohnsun, in the parys of Freswater.
FOr mercy Lorde, with one accorde,
To the we call and crye:
That so doth show, in earth below,
Thy wonderous workes daylye.
Within the rase, of fyue yeres space
Moche monsterous sights hath byn:
Of sundry kynde, man bare in mynde,
And sone turne from thy syn.
Repent and pray, a mende I say,
Leue of thy wicked wayes:
The tyme drawes on, thou must be gone,
Beholde this later dayes.
Of Infans yonge, agone not longe,
With calues and pigges which were:
The tookens loo, mishappen soo,
Whiche cryeth to vs great feare.
Now this late syght in Ile of Wight,
Straungely it is to tell:
Two children borne, neuer beforne.
Suche wonders there be fell.
The one I fynde, of Woman kynde,
Hauyng her shape all right:
The other is, transposed this,
As pleaseth the Lorde of myght.
Where natures art, doth not her part.
In workyng of her skylle:
To shape a right, eche lyucly wight,
Beholde it is Gods wyll.
Loo here you see, before your eye,
A man childe to beholde:
A babe gylties, deformyd this.
Moste wonderous to be tolde.
No caruer can, nor paynter then,
The shape more vgly make:
As it selfe dothe, declare the truthe,
A syghte to make vs quake.
Let vs all feare, and in mynde beare,
This forme so monsterous:
That no hurt wraught, nor euill hath thaught,
What shall become of vs.
That doth still syn, and neuer lyn,
As men heapyng vp treasure:
Agaynst the day, of wrath for aye,
Of Gods heauy displeasure.
Nowe praye wee all, bothe great and small,
Unto the Lorde of might:
To gyue vs grace in Heauen a place,
There to attayne his sight.
ALl ye that dothe beholde and see, this monstrous sight so straunge,
Let it to you a preachyng be, from synfull lyfe to chaunge:
For in this latter dayes trulye, the Lord straunge syghts doth showe,
By tokens in the Heauens hye, and on the yearth belowe.
This dothe demonstrate to vs, the lyfe whiche we lyue in,
A Monster oughly to beholde, conceyued was in syn:
In shape vnparfett here to vewe, that nature hathe not drest,
A chylde now borne by porte moste true, this from the mothers brest:
For he that doth this shape beholde, and his owne state will knowe,
Will make the proude Pecocke so bolde, beare downe his tayll full lowe;
Nowe Lorde sende downe thy holy spryte, the Confortor of Ioye,
For to direct owr wayes aright, to dwell with thee for aye:
And graunt we maye amende our lyfe, accordyng to thy worde,
In euery age bothe Manne and Wyfe, nowe graunt vs this good Lorde.
Finis
quod Iohn Barkar.
¶ Imprynted at London in Fletestrete: at the Sygne of the Faucon, by Wylliam Gryffith, and are to be solde at his shop in saint Donstons churchyarde, in the west of London, the .viii. daye of Nouember.