IT is reported of the famous Scythian, that when he went foorth to warre againſt his enemies; it was his faſhion, firſt to diſplay a white Enſigne, as a token of his mercie, if his foes would yeeld to faire conditions: but if not, then would he diſplay a red Enſigne, in ſigne of effuſion of bloud and threatning death and deſtruction: but if at leaſt they refuſed to ſtoope to his faire admonitions; then would he ſet vp his black banner: betokning nothing but reuenge, and bloudie ſlaughter; and that not one ſhould ſcape from his threatning furie. So hath Almightie God dealt with this our Country: hath he not from time to time ſent downe his Enſignes of anger amongſt vs to affright vs from our ſinnes and to ſtope our fete in the way of Iniquitie, and yet notwithſtanding, we goe one in our abominations? He hath deuoured vs with diſeaſes, pinched vs with famine, terrified vs with accidentall fiers conſuming our houſes? he hath commāded the mercileſſe waters to ſwallow the friutes of the Earth, ſo as they became vtterly vſeleſſe and vnprofitable to you: he hath trāſpoſed the ſeaſons, ſet Summer in Winters place, & Winter in Summers ſtead: He hath called from amongſt you, the Noble, graue, and learned, the wiſe, the iudge, & godly: nay hath he not come nearer vnto you; and called the husband from the wife, the wife from the husband? the child from the mother? the father from the Sonne, one friend from another, and ſayd them all vp together in the graue of corruption by the hand of death to your ſad ſorrow and diſcomfort? Theſe, and many moe Iudgements hath God ſent downe amongſt you, as ſo many Heralds to proclayme his iuſt anger againſt you for your abominatiōs, and yet you lie ſnorting in your ſinnes, quaffing downe iniquitie like water, and ſecurely ſtreching your limes vpon the bed of luxuritie, as if God were not iealous of his honour, and regarded not our trāſgreſſions. O England, England, delude not thy ſelfe with theſe goulden dreames? but reſol •• that God will come, and viſit thee in ſome ſharper meaſu •• • nd manner, then heretofore he hath done: the axe is allready laid to thy roote? his powerfull hand hath long beene heaued vp ouer thee, and when it fals, it muſt be thy confuſion: O remember, that God is ſaid, to haue feete of Lead, and hands of Iron, he is ſlow to wrath; but when he ſtrikes, he paies home and heauie. Therefore abuſe not thou Gods patient.

How many warning peeces of his diſpleaſure hath he diſcharged vpon thee (O England) and yet, thou takeſt no warning. What blazing Comets, what Apparitions, what vnnaturall Inundations, what maleuolent Coniuntions of the Starres? what Conſpiracies againſt our King and State? What miraculous, Monſtrous, and Prodigious births haue beene preſented to our eyes, as hideous ſpectators of deformitie? yet all theſe cannot moue vs from our wickedneſſe? For better confirmation here of, and meeting with ſo faire an occaſion; I will briefely relate a moſt ſtrange and mōſtrous accident in nature, which, howſoeuer in mans apprehention, it may ſeeme unpoſſble. Therefore, leſt any ſhould meet my diſcourſe with a ſcoffe, and ſmilingly ſay? This is an vſuall tricke put vpon the world for profit? and that this monſtrous Childe birth (whereon my preſent ſubiect is chiefly grounded) was begotten in ſome monſter hatching brayne; produced for a Bartlemew faire babie; and ſent at this time (for order ſake) to be nurced at the common charge of the newes affecting multitude; let them know, that not one ſyllable ſhall be added to the making vp of an vntrueth? but as it is approued to be true, by the atteſtation of many godly, honeſt, and religious women? ſo no leſſe faithfully & truely will I relate it, to the generall ſatisfaction of all thoſe that read. And in briefe, thus it happened. In Kent-ſtreete there dwelleth one, whoſe name is Iohn Ladyman? whoſe wife (vpon the 21. of Auguſt 1617.) after long travell, was deliuered of a Female child with a halfe forehead, without any ſcull, hauing a faire proportioned body from the breſt downward: the ſaid child had its mouth & eyez miraculouſly placed in the ſayd halfe forhead neere vpon the breaſt, vpon the ſaid halfe fore-head lay a peece of fleſh of two fingers thicke round about, the fleſh being wonderfully curled like Gentle womens attire: being of a very blew coullour like a turcke Cocke, the eyes being very bigg ſtaring and very firy red, which greatly terrifyed the midwife and all that were preſent, the chid being dead, the midwife labored to cloſe the ſtaring eies but could not, they preſently fell all to prayer deſiring God to take from them this ſo ſodayne aſtoniſhment and feare, the midwife after prayer ariſing, and ſo the reſt of the women, beholding agayne the Child, they ſaw the eares of it faſtened to the halfe forhead, not being like to Chriſtians eares, but ſtood pricking vp, behind each eare, was two little bones ſtanding vp ouergrowne with fleſh, and hauing very long heaire. In this hideous and fearefull forme was this child brought forth aliue, to the great aſtoniſhment of the beholders, and grieuious lamentation of the parents; If any curious cenſurer call in queſtion the trueth hereof, let him ēquire at the place before recited, for his better ſatiſfaction: In the meane time let me thus ſtop his mouth: That he, who bad the Sun retire, & it obeyed: that he, who reared vp the diuided waters like walls of bricke? and maide a pathway through the deepe: that he, who graſpeth the thunder in his right hand, and the Rainbow in his left: that he, whoſe thrōe is heauen? whoſe footeſtoole is earth? that this terrible God, I ſay, who created all of nothing, can as eaſily diuert the vſuall and orderly courſe of procreation, into dreadfull and hideous deformitie. Therefore let me induce euery honeſt heart, to apply this to his owne conſcience, and ſeriouſly to weigh and conſider the ſinnes of the land in a holy conſideration? then ſhall he clearely diſcerne this monſtrous production, to be a mercifull meſſage ſent from the Almightie, for our further admonition and inſtruſtion. And thou O London, that art intituled the beauty of the world, the blazing beacon of Europe. That in the midſt of iudgements, God hath allwaies remembred mercy, and hath not ſuffered, of a long time, his wrath to lie hard and heauie vpō thee, and further that thou ſhouldſt not reach foorth thy hand to iniquitie? he hath indowed thee with many great and infinite fauours, turning thy fickneſſe into health, thy penury into plentie, thy mourning into mirth? and moſt aboundantly (out of his gratious goodneſſe) hath diſperſed the glourious light of his word, both in the publike Miniſtrie, and priuate excerciſes thereof, whoſe all-ſpreading luſtrie breakes foorth (like the ſwallowing of the Sea) in euery ſtreet, yet ſtill thou hateſt to be reformed: Thus hath he led thee with the lines of his loue, to walke more vprightly with him, who is the God of thy life, libertie, health, wealth and peace: and yet for all this (O London) art thou miſted by the malice of Sathan, and thyne owne corruption, miſerably deceiued with the pleaſures of ſinne, which laſt but for a moment: and ſtill doeſt thou lift vp thy heeles & hands againſt God: and ſteeleſt thy heart, & face, againſt his wayes, workes, iudgement, and mercie. No man takes heed to his paths: he that was filthie, is become more filthie: and the crew of the abominations (vnder whoſe burden the earth groanes: and men ſhould mourne if they were not ſenceleſſe, and graceleſſe) are ſo farre from diminiſhing, that they infinitly increaſe, and get head ouer thee. What need I poynt out vnto thee, thy pride, extortion, oppreſſion, briberie, vſurie, with the reſt of thoſe crying ſinnes? giue me leaue to be ſilent: why the very ſtones in thy ſtreets, beaſts in the fielde, all dumbe & inſenſible Creatures, doe in their kinde, ioyntly crye out againſt thee, as the prophet did in his daies: Iuſtice is turned into gall & wormewood, the poore are ſould for ſiluer, and the needy for ſhooes, why ſhould I capitulate, thy great pride and exceſſe in apparell for backe, with attyres for head, thy whoredome, luxurie, drunkenneſſe? (ſinnes dayly committed, in the preſence both of God and man, as though the Magiſtraite had no law to puniſh them: nor the Miniſter courage to reproue them: for feare of offending a great man in his pariſh, or looſing part of his pention. Thus doth the Snake deuour the Toad, and the Toad the ſnake: thus one wicked man ſtriues to Canopie the wickedneſſe of another, leſt his owne ſhould be vnmasked and laid bare. As for that fearefull ſinne of prophaning the Saboth, that is ſlighted off with the title of Recreation: O where ſhould one find that man, womā, or child who with care and conſcience ſanctifies the Saboth day? either by their religious and reuerent preparing of themſelues to come to the publike aſſemblies? or being come, to demeane themſelues as beſeemeth ſuch heauenly exerciſes, as prayer, and preaching? who regards, to ſpend the holy Saboth in meditation, and conference of inſtructions publickly taught: in ſinging of Pſalmes, Prayer, in viſiting the ſicke, in doing workes of charitie and Chriſtian loue? Or who rather doth not publikely prophane it, priuatly abuſe it: ſome holding it to be but a day of bodily reſt, & therfore betake themſelues to their pillow, and ſleepe longer then on any day of the weeke: ſome accounting of the Church aſſemblies, and the religious excerciſes therein, no better, then of commō meetings for ſports: nor receiue the word with no more reuerence & attention, then a prophane Stageplay, or winters tale: ſome ſitting idly at their doores, gaping and gaſing: ſuffering, nay, commanding their ſeruants and children to prophaine it, by dancing, ſtoole-ball playing, with the like vnlawfull and wicked recreatiōs: ſome alſo poaſting ouer their worldly affaires, caſting vp their accounts: telling of money in Sermon time, reparing to Iuſtices for execution of Law, banquetting their kinſfolkes? with a thouſand ſuch like abominations, fearefully committed vpō the Lords day?

For theſe (O London) may not I (with the Prophet) cry out in the bitterneſſe of my ſoule: Shall not the Land tremble for this? and ſhall not euery one mourne that dwelleth within thee? The which to preuent then, O let my admoniſhmēt beate vpon the Anuile of thy heart, and force thee to fall low vpon the knee of ſubmiſſion: repent thee betimes, while it is called to day, ceaſe to prouoke thy Maker with obſtinate ambition: thy ſinnes are at full height, and with open mouthes call for vengance and deſtruction to conſume thee: O ſend out thy prayers & repentance to ſtop the violence of the Lords iuſt anger breaking foorth againſt thee, which (as a ſtarued Lyon) waites at thy dores, and watches in thy higheſt ſtreets, to deuoure thee, & to ouercloude thy beautie in darke, comfortleſſe, and wofull deſolation: The which, God of his gracious mercie, and fauourable goodneſſe towards thee, preuent in his due time.