Strange newes of a prodigious monster borne in the towneship of Allington in the parish of Standish in the Countie of Lancaster, the 17. day of Aprill last, 1613. Testified by the reuerend diuine Mr. W. Leigh, Bachelor of Diuinitie, and preacher of Gods word at Standish aforesaid. 1613 Approx. 17 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 8 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A05284 STC 15428 ESTC S107360 99843062 99843062 7770

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A05284) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 7770) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 584:10) Strange newes of a prodigious monster borne in the towneship of Allington in the parish of Standish in the Countie of Lancaster, the 17. day of Aprill last, 1613. Testified by the reuerend diuine Mr. W. Leigh, Bachelor of Diuinitie, and preacher of Gods word at Standish aforesaid. [16] p. : ill. Printed by I. P[indley] for S. M[an] and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Ball, [London] : 1613. Printer's and bookseller's names from STC. Leigh is only cited as a witness by an anonymous narrator--STC. Signatures: A-B⁴. Inlaid. Reproduction of the original in the Folger Shakespeare Library.

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eng Leigh, William, 1550-1639 -- Early works to 1800. Monsters -- Early works to 1800. 2004-01 Assigned for keying and markup 2004-02 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-07 Sampled and proofread 2004-07 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-10 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

STRANGE NEWES of a prodigious Monster, borne in the Towneship of Adlington in the Parish of Standish in the Countie of Lancaster, the 17. day of Aprill last, 1613. Testified by the Reuerend Diuine Mr. W. LEIGH, Bachelor of Diuinitie, and Preacher of Gods word at Standish aforesaid.

Printed by I.P. for S.M. and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Ball. 1613.

STRANGE NEWES of a prodigious Monster, borne in the Towneship of Adlington, in the Parish of Standish, in the Countie of LANCASTER.

MAN at the first losing of his Innocencie, lost also his place, and contracted a heauy curse both to himselfe, and to his posteritie. The Earth it selfe innocent of his crime was accurst for his sake, for whome it was created, and brought forth thornes, bryers, and stinking weedes, where before it was full of pleasure, and delight, and so had continued, if man had continued in his first creation: Now the Earth brought forth Monsters and ougly shapes, strange, and full of terror: The heauens them selues changed the frame of their beautie, putting forth fiery meteors, blazing comets, and other prodigious sights, breeding wonder and amazement: Nature suffering violence by sinne peruerted her order, producing strange birthes in preposterous shapes, and all grew out of frame, and sinne being the cause of all, brought forth the effects of all: which seruing as punishments betwixt the Iustice of God, and the vnrighteousnesse of Man hath neuerthelesse but corrected, not rectified Man, that continuing in sinne, findes the continuance of punishment, and yet with obdurate heart, growes from bad to worse, getting by ustome an incorrigible habit of sinning.

All Creatures but Man, haue continued in the kinde and nature of the first Creation; The Sunne, the Moone, the Starres, and euery Planet in his seuerall orbe or Sphere, haue continued their order to the glory of their Creator, euer since the day of their first Creation. The fowles, beasts, and fishes in the Ayre, Earth, and Sea, and euery other vnsensible Creature haue continued in their kinde, to the glory of their great Maker; Only Man, miserable Man, wretched Man, whom God hath made according to his owne Image, and hath indued with reason and vnderstanding, onely he degenerates, committing sinnes, haynous, and detestable in the sight of his Creator, which doth many times so incense the wrath of the most high God against vs, that Ayre, Earth, and Sea, doe many times produce Monsters of ougly and most horrid shapes, to signifie vnto vs the ouglinesse of sinne in the eyes of that pure essence. Neuer was the world so wicked as it is now; for it thriues in ill, as it decayes in Age. It is the worst world (saith an old Man) that euer was, and the best that euer will be. No maruell if Nature grow out of kinde in the procreation of children, when men vnnaturally goe out of kynde in the Actes of sinning. Forbidden sinnes are most of all practised, and sinnes committed that are not to be named: So deepe hath Mans iniquity descended, that it hath brought mishapen formes and deuises out of hell, and it hath againe soared so high, that it hath brought downe vengeance from heauen.

This causeth the Earth to bring forth prodigious Monsters, so farre from the faire frame of Nature, that they make Nature her selfe afraid to looke vpon them, in whom shee findes her lawes and order to haue beene violated. Neuer Countrey hath brought forth more, then this of England, and that of late yeeres, which haue beene so prodigious, that they haue brought horror to the looker on, and haue also proued certaine predictions, foregoing many notable euents. The Sea cast forth and horrid Monster of a strange shape and bignesse, vpon the Coast of Cornewall, in the beginning of that fatall yeere Eighty Eight, when the Spanish fleete soone after frighted England with a dangerous Inuasion, euen to the vtter extirpation of the English name out of this Land, had not Almighty God with his high hand of grace and glory made preuention, returning the Spanish purposes vpon them selues. The Island of Lecale in Ireland within the County of Downe, produced an hidious Monster, bearing the shape both of a Man and a beast, whose eyes sparkling like fyer, and his voyce sounding harsh and shrill, farre from the common strayne, gaue certaine foresignifications of those troubles that the yeere following beganne to vexe both the kingdomes of England and Ireland, in that fearefull yet memorable warre of Tyrone, that in few yeeres after prooued so fatall to both Nations, that it brought wretchednesse not onely to the people then liuing, but hath also prepared misery for the Child yet vnborne, as is too well knowne by the miserable death and slaughter, not onely of the common sort of people, but also by the lamentable ouerthrowes and slaughters of many great, and honorable Personages, famous in blood and quality, that by that vnlucky warre, and other fatall accidents depending thereupon, found vtter ruyne, and destruction, not onely to the incessant griefe of their owne particular families, and dependancies, but also to the generall losse & sorrow of all the English Nation: which warre, monstrous warre, (for so I may call it) when the body against the head, the subiect against the Prince shall rebelliously conspire, God neuer gaue vnto the world a more memorable example, either in what vnsurety stands the state of any Name, or Nation, or what vnhappy successe followes such vnnaturall attempts, or finally what end followes such bloody, and despiteous cruelly, as both the head and principall members of that Irish faction, that bloody, and horrid warre, doe at this day endure, as appeareth in the present state, and condition of the Originall of that monstrous warre, bloody Tyrone himselfe, and other his Associates, who hauing made by their Attaynders, forfeitures, and confiscations both of lands and goods, doe now wander vp and downe Spayne, Italy, and other Countryes, poore, forsaken, wretched, miserable, and hated of all the world.

There was another Monster produced in Antwerpe with foure hands and Armes, two heads, and two bodies, ioynd in one backe, not much vnlike to this Monster, wee are now to write of; and this happened in the yeare foregoing the beginning of those troubles of the low Countryes, which the matchlesse cruelty of Rome and Spayne, hath plagued with vnspeakeable miseries. But aboue all, that hideous monster bred in Russia not aboue fiue yeeres since with three paire of hands, foresignifying that miserable warre that since hath happened, betwixt the three kingdomes, Russia (otherwise called Muscouia) Poland, and Swethland, vnder the Raignes of Demetrius, Emperor of Russia, Sigismond King of Poland, and Charles King of Swethland, the fame whereof will neuer dye, so long as the memory of those kingdomes states endure.

It is credibly reported that neere Lirpoole in Lancashire, about a Tweluemoneth since a childe was borne, both monstrous in shape, and strange in accident; It is fresh in memory, though it liued not aboue three dayes. But I stay too long in matters, though extrauagant yet not impertinent to our present discourse, where I am to deliuer as strange a producement of a prodigious birth, as was euer knowne in this part of the world; and this happened but of late, at a Towne called Adlington in the Parish of Standish neere Wigon in the County of Lancaster; where there was a childe borne of a strange and wonderfull shape, with foure legges foure Armes, two bellyes, proportionably ioyned to one back, one head two faces, like double faced Ianus, the one before, the other behinde, foure eyes, and two noses. It behoues vs to looke about, when such examples beyond the order of Nature are brought forth to put vs in minde of our iniquities, especially the sinnes of Adultery and fornication, which are euer iustly punished by the righteous lawe and iustice of God, euen vpon the Childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him, who also shewes mercy vnto thousands, in them that loue him, and keepe his commandements, which is well proued in the grace, and blessing that Almighty God secretly infundeth in right generation, the contrary whereof is knowne in the curse that he denounceth against Bastardy, which the Prophet vtters in these wordes, Spuria vitulamina non agent radices altas. Bastard slippes shall neuer take deepe roote: which was showne in the example of this Monster, the father and mother whereof were both branded, shee with the marke of Basterdy, and from her Parents crimes in Adultery, indured this punishment: he of very lewde carriage and conditions: neither was this monster borne in the night time, but towards the day, when the morning Sunne beganne to glad the earth with his brightnesse, to this end, that the blacke mantle of the night should not couer this childe of darkenesse, but that the day might plainely discouer to all eyes this wonderfull example of his Iustice.

Certaine Gentlemen, and many of the common people, that were then at Cockepit, when the newes came of this prodigious birth, left their sports and went to behold it with wonder and amazement. Many people came flocking from all places thereunto adioyning, who beheld it with astonishment. The most impious of all could not but confesse, that it was a notable example of Gods fearefull wrath, which God for his mercy sake turne from vs. This happened a little before Easter Terme last vpon relation of some of the Inhabitants there, Master William Leigh Bachelour of Diuinity, a very worthy and Reuerend gentleman, Preacher of the Parish of Standish aforesaid, being also an eye witnesse of the same.

Thus haue you a true relation of this prodigious birth, testified by the generall report, (besides the particular mentions) of that Countrey. The consideration whereof I leaue to the godly disposed, whether as a punishment of sinnes and offences past, or as a true foresignification of some notable euent to follow in succeeding times, or both; Onely thus much, when Nature is thus violated through the Corruption, there commonly fall out many strange and vnheard of actions, either for the time present, or to come, such as hath amazed the world to looke vpon, as in that memorable and euer to be adored Passion of our Sauiour, where after his bloody sufferings in his body, and the heauy expiration of his Soule, the vaile of the Temple rent in sunder from the top to the bottome, the Sunne without any natural cause lost his light, and there was a sodayne darkenesse ouer all the Land, the graues opened and rendered forth their dead, who appeared in the holy City vnto many. In the same day and yeare the Panthaeon in Rome, which was the Temple of the Romane Gods, sodaynely fell, and one cryed out in a Propheticall manner, that either the frame of the world was at that time to be broken, or the God of Nature suffered violence.

Let vs once more cast backe our eyes vpon the wounders of this mishapen monster (the cause of this Treatise) the report whereof not giuing full satisfaction to some people that were incredulous of it, vnles they might be made also eye witnesses of such an vnheard of accident: the graue was opened againe wherein it had been buryed, and the body layde to the view of a great number of beholders: which were at the least fiue hundreth, that not onely beare a bare report, but can also giue true Testimony of this occurrent to their much wonder, and admiration.

Yet these monstrous and prodigious birthes aswell of other Countreyes as our owne, are not great y to be maruelled at, if we look but only into the causes of them, which for the most part are our sinnes, and carelesse negligences: And they are not slightly to be accounted off, because they seldome fall out alone, without some other strange euent, but are ominous foregoers of some worse euils to follow. The Circle of misery which hath for many years been drawne about vs, is large, the lynes of it are not yet closed, the perfect content thereof cannot be ful y knowne, till it please that hand (that first moulded the globe of the world, and which setteth downe in numbers, and proportion, the state of kingdomes) to throw away the rod, that it hath so long held ouer vs, to correct, nay rather to draw blood of vs. Yet all these worke not in vs the effects of our amendment, but that we still wallow in the myre of our wonted wickednesse. The foure Elements of Earth, Water, Ayre, and Fyre, haue seuerally commenced their warres against vs: Ayre hath breathed forth pestiferous fumes to choake vs, shee hath burst open the Cloudes of Infection, and hath powred sicknesse vpon our heads. Water (like Aegyptian Grashoppers) hath often couered our Cornefields, and eaten vp the fruites of the Earth; whilst the Earth by that misery hath closed vp her wombe, nothing being promised by her (that hath alwayes beene so plentifull to her Children) but barrennesse. Fire hath also had his seuerall dayes of triumph to increase in vs our sorrowes, and to shew vnto vs Gods wrath and displeasure against vs for our iniquities. So that all that is aboue vs, and all that is vnder our feete, haue conspired to worke our ouerthrow, or to cause our amendment. Those Creatures, which in the first, and great Parliament of our Creation, were appointed to be our Comforters, haue beene many times sent forth and armed with Celestiall weapons to be our destroyers.

Besides these inflictions, which Tyme (occasioning mens sorrowes and great losses) hath brought forth, there haue beene also many misfortunes in the prodigious portraytures of the like misshapen Creatures: which who can behold without trembling? or if hee behold, not shed teares in abundance to thinke vpon Gods heauy indignation against vs? The causes of his iust quarrell with vs, are writ vpon euery mans forehead, the defiance is in our lips, the maintenance of it in our hearts, the end of it (vnlesse we suddenly repent, and amend,) wil bee dangerous wounds in our soules.

There is yet a meanes to be made for reconciliation, the first borne of the great King of heauen and earth, goes betweene his father and vs as mediator to worke our peace and attonement: It may easily be brought to passe and take effect, if we would but vtterly shake of a bad and base company of vgly and detestable sinnes, that hang vpon euery one of vs: If we doe not, let vs bee well assured, that these fatherly menaces, will bee turned into causes of greater mournings, and these friendly chastisments and beatings, will be changed into blowes not to be indured, to the taking away of our liues for euer.

The Earth that hath yet but begunne to shrinke vp her nerues, and to hide a handfull of her blessings, will open her veynes to swallow vp the memory of them. The water that hath gone about but to drowne a few, will be instrument of generall shipwrackes. The Ayre will in surphureous flakes drop downe all on fire, and that Fyre bring the world to a consumption not to be restored. Yea and these Monstrous birthes which as yet the Earth containes in hir wombe, shall at length be deliuered by her, and produced as witnesses against vs of our hardnesse of heart, and obduracy, and of our carelesse negligence and slacknesse of amendment. The Nature therefore of the disease being knowne, and the Phisicall remedy heard, be Councelled, take what is ministred (so long as you finde it wholesome) and grow strong both to your body, and your soules comfort.

FINIS.

IN Hassia Germaniae haud ignobili ac Euangelica doctrina potissimū nobilitata prouincia, Vui tzenhausiae tertio post festum trium Regū die, infans masculus biceps, collo duplici, duobus capitibus, ac corpore optime cū reliquis membris compacto natus est.