VPon the .18. of Ianuarie, last past, 1580. There was a Ma­riage solemnized at Rostorfe, a myle distant from Melwing, in Germany, betwéene one Iames Cranisen, an honest Townes man: and one Margeret Hensters, the daughter of one Hans Steeman of Melwing, deceased. This Iames had bene seruant and Clark, vnto the woorshipfull maister George Ramyts Gentle­man, the tyme of twelue yéeres, who was (by his Maister and sundrie other persons of good calling,) brought to the Church, and at their returne were conducted to his Masters house agayne, who had prepared for him and his guests, a sufficient Feast, at his owne costes and charges: And although this Iames was but a husband mās Sonne, yet was hée beloued of the whole inhabitaunts, & that of the chéefest sort. Thus was this Feast kept in good order, with great Looue and quiet­nesse: mixing with their meat, honest myrth, [Page] well lyked, and noted of sundrie Nobles and Gentlemē, béeing present at the same Feast, and inhabiting there abouts.

The next day folowing, a young maide of the age of fowretéene yéeres, béeing Syster to this Bridegrome, came to y^e wedding house of her brother, bringing with her the daugh­ter of one Simon Franiken of Melwing: bothe which after they had séene the house, and in what order thinges stoode, were desyrous to sée the Daughter of the worshipfull Maister George van Ramyttes, whose name was My­stres Annys: who being in her Chāber, they both went to visite her, & doing theyr duties, they demaūded how shée dyd: she aunswered, indifferent well. Then the two Maydes fate downe by her, where together they cōferred of many matters, especially, as concerning theyr attyre and apparell. The Bridegroome before specified, had made his Sister a silken vpper body, with which shée had dressed her selfe as handsomly as she might, and withall she wore the best and séemlyest apparell that shée had, put on for y^t day. But the Gentle­woman séeing it, began to floute at her, say­ing: Can thy Father cloath thée thus, & seeme so poore? Alas Mistresse (quoth the Mayden) hytherto my poore Father hath alwayes to his power appareled me: but this which you [Page] sée, my Brother hath bestowed on me, to doo him honestie at his mariage: God knoweth who shall weare it out, how long I shal owe it, or whē I shal put it on again. And though we be poore in goods: I trust God will make vs rytche in spirite, and so shée helde her peace, departing for a fine Cake and Wine, wherwith they made merrie. Soone after, the Cittizens Daughter that was well ap­parelled (and somewhat vainglorious with­all) sayd that her mother gaue her all things she could get, but her Father was so harde, y^t she might not weare that she had, but was fayne to kéepe it from his sight. The Gentle­woman replyed saying: my Father byddeth me weare what I wil, & if it were not for of­fence vnto the Nobillitie, he would apparell me lyke a Princes: & therwithall she caused sundry fayre Iewels & Chaines to be taken foorth of her Chestes, which were very curi­ously wrought, & caused great admiratiō vn­to the beholders. The poore coūtrey Mayde y^t knew no Pride, nor had any such attyre to beast on, helde her peace, accounted her selfe w^t her pouerty, as acceptable before god, as y^e richest or fayrest of those fine Dames presēt: saying inwardly to her selfe, God is a ielous God, he hateth pride, he punisheth y^e vnrighteous: [Page] he comforteth the poore, which haue no delyght therin: and maynteyneth them that are continually bent to the seruice of him. After that all together had talked their plea­sures, to theyr contentment: euerie one se­uerally tooke their leaue one of an other, and after a whyle departed to the houses of theyr Parents.

The thirde daye after this Marriage was solemnized, all the ioy was turned into hea­uines, for the death of two of the Maydens before mencioned: namely, the Daughter to the Gentleman, and the syster of the Bride­groome, who dyed bothe in one after noone, betwéene thrée and fowre of the clocke. This so soddayne death, brought great terror and feare vnto theyr Parentes, and also to the hearers therof, in so much that some thought them to be poysoned, and other gaue foorth theyr iudgements according to theyr fanta­sies.

The next daye after, preparation was made for theyr buriall: Nicholas Faber, Par­son of that Villadge, would haue had them bothe buryed in one graue, but the Gentle­man would not. Great lamentation was made for bothe these Maydens, the Gentle­man & his fréendes, for the losse of his daugh­ter: [Page] and the Father and Mother, with her Brother and fréendes, for the losse of theyr godly Childe. Nowe the mother of this poore Mayde, vnderstanding that her neigh­bours were in hande to winde her vp, and so to sende her to the earth: came vnto them and desired that she might yet once more sée her Daughter, which they wyllingly graun­ted: so they went all together to the dead Corpes, (which had bene layd foorth, the full space of two and twenty howres) and the Mother lyfted vp the shéete, syghing, purpo­sing then to take her last farewell, and sight of her déere Daughter, whome she so tender­ly loued. But contrarie to her expectation, and of all the beholders: her Daughter euen as one awaked from a slumber, raysed vp her selfe, and with a mylde & chéerefull coun­tenance, spake vnto her mother as foloweth. My most déere Mother, why haue you sin­ned so sore against God? You haue made me sorrowfull many tymes, but be you con­tent, God hath forgiuen all, for I am sent as a messenger to you, and within fiue dayes I shall returne againe to the place I came frō, where I shall lyue in all peace. Therwith they fetcht her cloathes, which she put on, & walking with them, she demaunded meat:

[Page]This sodaine sight amazed the beholders, for they looked for some other meaning in it. But where as this Mayde was seldome be­fore seene to be merie: They now perceyued her more chéerefull, and with a pleasant dis­posed countenaunce, so that the apparaunt showe of her iesture was woonderfull to be­holde, then meate was brought, and she dyd eate in all mennes sight, disgesting it natu­rally.

Diuers of the chéefe of the Towne came to sée this straunge euent, where after many spéeches by them vttered: the mayde requy­red sylence, and to them all she sayds.

Beloued Christians, woonder not that I haue bene a short tyme from you: but be thankfull to God, that he hath certified you by sundrie signes, how the ende of the world is at hande, and the day of rest comming to reioyce vs: Our charge shall be taken away, and our trauaile haue an ende: Let vs make our selues ready against the Sabaoth of our Sauiour, the onely true sonne of God. Let vs nowe with pure hearts, prepare to méete the heauenly Brydegroome, that with him we maye enter into his euerlasting King­dome, where we shall enioy eternall lyfe.

Maister Nicholas Faber, (Parson of the [Page] Towne) demaunded of her where shée had been? To whom she aunswered: I was ouer taken néere the brydge of the Brooke, by a comely olde man, with a long gray Beard, who saluted me, saying: Daughter, whether wilt thou? Is thy Father at home? I aun­swered yea. Then sayde he to me, come my louing Daughter, I must néedes talke with thée, and tell thée that which as yet is hidden from thée: for great effect dependeth thervp­pon. And be not afrayde, let the grace of God suffice thée, and looke that you conceale not my woords, but reueale them to others: tell what I shew you, vnto olde and young.

So we came to a fayre costly Forte. (no Princes Court lyke it, nor any earthly buil­ding to be cōpared vnto it,) where we were let in. In which place, we saw many bright Angels, shining like y^e beames of the sunne, all singing melodiously with cleare voyce: Holy, holy, holy, is our Lorde God of Sa­baoth. Among which I knewe a great number: But the olde man forbade me to speake vnto any. Foorthwith I was brought againe to the Brooke, where he ouertooke me. I became verie pensiue, when I thought of the woorthinesse of the place where I had bene.

[Page]But the olde man, wylled me to rest con­tented, for this short tyme shall quickly haue an ende, and within fiue dayes thou shalt be brought againe into this place.

He wylled me besides, to manifest (vnto the Penitent) the mercie of God, and to say vnto the worlde, that he is bent to wrath: chéeflie to those that despise, and giue no cre­dite to his examples, which he myraculously hath shewed vnto his people. These are but warninges sent vs, to mollifie our harde hearts, and to admonishe vs from the dete­stable Pride, which is héere maynteyned, because before God you shall finde it damp­nable.

O people full of contempt, despising one an other, some for Ritches, some for Bewtie, o­thers for Wisedome, some for one thing, some for an other: where as before God, we are all alyke with him, poore and rytch: not­withstanding, he will not goe forward with his anger, he will holde his hand, and mode­rate it with mercy, if he finde but some small number, penitent for theyr sinnes.

If you amend not, & turne to God, he wyll foorthwith send on you a general alteration, and such an one, as not only men, but Birds of the ayre, & all lyuing things, shall tremble [Page] at his wrath. Warres shall greatly gréeue the earth, and they shall destroy Countreyes and people: Men shall be most gréeuously chased from theyr houses, and most mysera­bly murthred. And before this happen, there shall come a great dearth: and then God will take his owne that haue turned vnto him, not suffering them to sée this myserie: but those that liue after, shall truly féele y^e wrath of God, so that those which remayne in the thirde yéere, shall well saye. Where haue you bene, that you are not yet destroyed? Many for feare shall decaye: there shall be great Earthquakes, through which. Townes and Stéeples, Castels, Fortes and houses, shall be throwen downe on heapes. Then shall follow such a mishappe, as is not necessarie to be spoken of, for the sinne of the people is abhominable and curssed before God.

After this great and terrible trouble, there shall great Peace aryse, and the people shall lyue in great tranquillitie: there shall be want of learned men, & good Rulers: where­fore good people, let this terrifie your Pride, béeing euen the whole puddle of sinne, and the roote of abhomination.

The cloathes which Mystresse Annys dyd weare, for the Pride and vaine glorie of her [Page] Parentes, they shall become lothsome to all persons, wherby none shall be able to weare them, but shal remaine as a necessary exāple to all persons, & as this dooth prooue true, so shal the rest come to passe. This spéech twise spoken, was marked of many: and others were inquisitiue, to sée the cloathes: which béeing styrred, there arose a great & detesta­ble stincke, that no man could eyther weare them, or abide by them. Which straunge thing, the good Gentlewoman her mother considering: caused the sayde Chamber to be walled in, so that none may come to them any way. Thus the Mayde continued in these and sundrie such other spéeches.

In the meane time, diuers learned Prea­thers came vnto her, and talked with her as concerning Spirituall matters, which shée was glad of. To whome she yeelded hartie thanks, signifying to them, that the fifth day was nowe come, wherin she should be taken from the world. But before she departed, she was desirous to receiue the Sacrament, and Christian Communion of the body & blood of Christe, which Maister Nicholas Faber dyd minister vnto her: And all y^e day he dyd rea­sō with her, to whom she vttered such godly reasōs as it made him merueilously astonied.

[Page]Many people came to sée her as that day, and to sée what would fall out. Then meate was brought, & she sate downe at the Table, be sayd Grace, thanked God, and blessed her Father & Mother, and instantly desyred her Brother, that he would honour his Parēts▪ and not to leaue them in theyr olde age: and in so doing, he should be rewarded with the blessing of God.

Maister. Faber came nowe againe to visite her (as his manner was) and he sayde vnto her, howe doo you? To whome she freendly gaue her hand, and smyling, thanked him of his paynes which he had taken with her.

Then for a last farewell, she rehearsed all the warnings to the poople, desyring them, not to be vnmindfull of them: And anone af­ter, betwéene one and two of the clocke, pa­tiently sitting in a Chayre, shée committed her Soule to God, and yéelded vp the Ghost. Béeing the .xxv. of the sayde Moneth of Ianuarie. 1580.