The great wonders that are chaunced in the Realme of Naples, with a great misfortune happened at Rome and in other places, by an earth quake in the moneth of December last past.

Translated out of Frenche into Englishe, by I. A. 1566.

Ierem. 18.
When I take in h [...] to roote out, to destroy, or to wast any people or king­dome, if that people against whom I haue thus deuised, conuerte from their wickednesse, I repente of the plague that I deuised to bring vpon them.
GEntle Reader by this little discourse,
Which doth containe thinges wonderful & high
And that one God doth number dayes & houres
Thy houre to be vncertayne thou mayst see.
In reading it thou mayst likewise remember,
That great Cyty called Sodom and Gommor:
To be in great perill to sinke without succour,
Which wil not God alone in fear & faith honor.

Psal. 107. vers. 33.

For running floudes to dry deserts,
He doth oft chaunge and turne:
And dryeth vp as it were dust,
The springing well and burne.
A fruitfull lande with pleasures deckt,
Full barren doth he make:
When on their sinnes that dwell therein,
He doth iust vengeance take.

To the Reader health.

FOrasmuch (gen­tle reader) as the Lord god the lo­uer & preseruer of thinges which he hath created, giueth vs oftenty­mes warninges and fore­shewynges, & doth declare his diuine power by shew­ing of sygnes and tokens, and things more than na­turall, as the exāples ther­of are verye familiar and playne in holy scriptures, as wel in the olde as in the newe Testament, making sometyme the thunders, tempestes, & earthquakes, [Page] ministers and executers of of his vengeaunce and iu­styce. Those his ministers or scourges, are to admo­nishe vs, and to call vs to repentance, shewing ther­by vnto vs his greate cle­mencye and goodnesse, for so muche as his heauy dis­pleasure is kindled towar­des vs, and his wrath nee­rer than we be aware of, whē that we knowleging our selues to be grieuous sinners, will not repente & amende our euill and per­uers life. I thought it ther fore good, to put into our vulgar tongue these won­derfull [Page] chaunces that are happened of late dayes, as well in the borders of Na­ples, as also within the Citye of Rome, the. xvj. xvii. and xviij. days of De­cember last past Anno. 1565. by the which thou mayest in my iudgemente gather some fruite, whereby thou mayst remember the great and vnspeakeable power of our good God, and hys secret iudgement. Where­fore I praye thee to take this my litle work in good part. God of his goodnesse defende & kepe you.

From Auignon the. xxvij. of Ia­nuary.
‘Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautu.’

¶ An admonition or War­ning to England.

LO here O Englande thou, thy fatall ende mayst sée:
A warning great if thou be wise, this same may be to thée.
Beholde what noble things are come to ruine great:
When fruites are rype, thou well doest know, then are they pluct to eate:
The sinne is very rype, the bankes doe ouer flowe:
The tyme wyll come when thou shalt be, like these be brought as lowe.
If thou doe not repent, when mercy standes in gate:
I feare me when thou wouldest fayne, that it will be to late.
Take tyme while tyme doth giue, a laysure for the same:
Remember well that tyme hath féete, and she is nothing lame.
[Page]Before long haire she hath, behinde she quite is polde:
Put to thy hande, and of her lockes, sée that thou take good holde.
Fall nowe for to repent, for lo, she still doth stande:
And eke beholde howe for to cutte, her Sythe is in her hande.
Not foure Monthes fully past, since these were lyke to thée:
And now thearth hath gaped so wyde▪ that swallowed vp they be.
What was the cause right well, the scripture vs doth showe:
It was the very sinnes of them, that brought those townes so lowe.
Thy sinnes do more abounde, what filth is not in thée:
Why shouldst not thou be swallowed like as all these Castelles be?
But that the mighty God of his abundaunt grace:
Doth yet in mercy graunt to thée, somewhat of longer space.
Consider howe he fierce, of late hath delt with thée:
[Page]Bicause these Castelles and thy selfe, after might warned be.
And now bycause nothing, could make them to repent:
From thée he did transport to them, his grieuous punishment.
Thy warning could not serue, ne yet theirs could serue thée:
Well now for their refusall great, swallowed vp they bée.
Amend my country still, I thée desire and pray:
For I a member of thy state, were loth thou shouldst decay.
Beholde thy louing Lorde, his sworde is in his hande:
Thée to the earth to fling in yre what can his force withstande:
Can mighty gates of brasse, can Castels strongly builte:
His force withstande? his very breath, these Castels quite hath spilte.
No meane there is in déede, that can his plagues withstande:
But onely this repentance may, by mercy stay his hande.
[Page]Repent in tyme therfore, to God for mercy cry:
Which when thou doest his mighty hand he stayeth by and by.
For thus he playne doth say, when sinners shall relente:
And turne from sinne, I euen then lykewise my selfe repente.
Of all the plagues which I vpon them thought to bring:
Lo here the mercy great I say, of our most heauenly king:
Their sinnes Ill quite forgette, if they will turne to me:
I will remember them no more, though thousandes that there be.
Remember Niniuie, how that when god had sente:
Ionas the Prophet vnto them, they straight wayes did repent.
Whereof did come that God, his wrath did still restrayne:
Repent therefore in tyme I say, so mayst thou styll remayne.
FINIS.
ꝙ Iohn Partridge.

Imprinted at London by Henry Denham for Tho­ mas Hacket, and are to be solde at his shoppe in Lumbart streate.

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