VVonderfull straunge sightes seene in the element, ouer the citie of London and other places on Munday being the seconde day of September: beginning betweene eight and nine of the clocke at night, increasing and continuing till after midnight: most strange and fearefull to the beholders.

VVonderfull straunge sightes seene in the element, ouer the citie of London and other places on Munday being the seconde day of September: beginning betweene eight and nine of the clocke at night, increasing and continuing till after midnight: most strange and fearefull to the beholders.

Table of contents

Title page

The Call of England.

¶ THE CALL OF England, which setteth out our great sinne and iniquities, Gods long sufferaunce, his sundry kindes of callings, our slacknesse in comming, our incredulity in beleeuing, and our iust destruction.

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VVONDERFVLL straunge sightes seene in the Element, ouer the Citie of London and other places, on Munday being the seconde day of September: beginning betweene eight and nine of the clocke at night, increasing and continuing till after midnight: most strange and fearefull to the beholders.

Psalm. 19.1.

The Heauens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy worke.

AT LONDON; Printed by Robert VValdegraue, dwelling without Temple-barre, neere vnto Sommerset-house.

The Call of England.

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AS nothing can mooue or stirre man more effectually, vnto the feeling of his owne sins, then the lawe of God, thundred out, & threatned against the conscience of his iniquity: so, nothing can draw him, more forcibly vnto repentance, then the sencible sight and feeling, of fearefull and mighty plagues, heauenly threatninges, and strange and prodigious wonders, drawn by the efficient cause (God) from the operations of earthy, ayrie, watry, & heauenly supernal Elementes. As on Munday, beeing the second of September, Anno 1583. was seen very strange sights in the ayre, beginning betwixt the houres of eight & nine at night. And so increasing & continuing till after midnight, but chiefly betwixt eleuen & twelue was séen maruailous strange, rare, miraculous, & wonderful permouements, ad and regrediacions, with constellations of the ayre, and watery elements, which were sometime darke, sometime red, sometime fiery, and bloody colloured, with streames like sharpe speares, shooting [Page] straight vpwarde, and meeting togeather, (as it were) in a round point, with flashes, much brightnesse, many streames, and straunge and vnwonted collours of the rainebow. As also with the collour of the fire of Brimstone, and seeming as it were burning with fierye flashes and smoake. Straunge, and fearefull no doubt to the beholders, as though the gallant frame, of all the radient skie and elements, had beene euen then about to be set on fire. All which threates and often preachings from Heauen, by Fyre, doth yet once agayne call our disobedience, vnto speedy obedience, and amendment of life. I therefore, as one that beheld the same, although of all others, the most vnfittest to report it, haue here in wryting, published the very trueth, and sight, as it then appeared and was manifestly seene, (ouer our horrizon at London) & no doubt of many others. To the end that none might be ignorant, of that last warning, which appeared, to call vs vnto repentaunce. Before the Lord God (whose mercies, are alwaies as great, as him selfe) do bring any notable ouerthrow, or destruction vpon any nation, kingdome, or people, he firste of all giueth [Page] them warning, to the ende, that if they repent not, yet they might be found, vnexcusable, as hauing no cause, to plead ignorance. Thus he dealt towardes the Sodomites, to whom, before hee destroyed them. (With fire and brimstone from heauen) hee sent three Angels to Abraham, to giue them warning, who prayed for them. And before he destroyed the old worlde,Gen. 18. by the diluge of water, he sent them Noah, who preached by the preparing of an Arke, an hundreth and twenty yeares, so that euery stroke of his hammers, might haue been a sufficient sermon, to warne them, of the comming of the waters: before the dearth came vpon Egipt, Gen. 6. the Lorde sent Ioseph, to prouide barnes, and store, for old father Iacob, & his familie, as it appeareth, in the 45. chapiter of Gene.

When the heart of Pharaoh, could be mollified, towards the Aegyptians, by none other meanes then by the Lordes punishmentes, The Lorde sente ten merueilous notable plagues, and wonders vppon Pharaoh, and al his host, yea, from the hiest that sitteth on themperiall seate, to the lowest, that grindeth in myll, or slandeth behinde the doore, and made his stoute stomacke, somewhat [Page] to stoupe. The Lorde hath forwarned vs a great while, & yet doth not cease, so to doe stil, first by his Law, then by his gospel, thirdly by the benefites, that we haue continually receiued of him, fourthly by his creatures, and miraculous tokens, strange monsters, blazing commets, vnwonted enundations of waters, straunge fishes, perrillous warres, earthquakings, and last of all, firye constellations, as now also lately appeared, and is here afore more plainly specified. Obseruing in al pointes (touching the declaration of that strange sight, which I sawe) the trueth, so neare as I can. Requesting, the gentle readers, to pardon me, as one vnlearned, and willing to submit my faltings, alwaies to the censure, iudgement, and discretion of the learned, whom I reuerence. Requesting al, to bear in mind, the holy words of S. Peter in his second epistle, and thirde Chapter, which are spoke to this purpose. First, that there shal come in the latter dais mockers, walking after their owne lustes, And saying, wher is the promise of his comming? For euer since, the olde fathers fel asleepe, al things haue continued still alike from the beginning and creation of the [Page] worlde. For this they know, (how be it are wilfully ignoraunt of it) howe that the heauens were of old, and the earth consisting of the water, and the water by the worde of God. By the which the worlde that then was (as I haue sayde before) perished, being ouer runne with Water. But the heauens, and the earth which be now, are kept in store, by his worde, and reserued vnto fire, against the day of iudgement, and the pardition of vngodly men. And therefore be not ignoraunt of this, that one day is with the Lord, as a thousand yeares, and a thousand yeares, as one day. And that ye Lord is not slack in comming, as some men count slacknesse, but is patient to vs warde, (forasmuch) as he would haue no man lost, but receiued all, vnto repentance. Neuerthelesse, whether ye repent, or continue stil in your sinnes, yet the day of the Lorde shall come, as a theefe in the night, in which the Heauens shal passe away with a greate noise, and the elementes shal melt, with feruent heat, the earth also and the workes that are therein, shalbe vtterly burned. Seing then, that al these things shal perish, what manner of persons ought ye to bee, in al manner [Page] of holy conuersation and Godlinesse. Looking for, and hasting vnto the comming of the day of God, by whom, the heauens shall perishe with fire, and the elementes shall melte with feruente heate. Wherefore good Christians and beeloued brethren, seeing that you doe nowe looke for suche thinges, which vndoubtedly shall come to passe, be diligent, that ye may be founde of the Lord in peace, without spot, and vndefiled. Wherefore seeing ye bee warned, (and that afore hand by diuers and sundry preadmonitions) to take heed. Take heed and beware, least ye fall away (thorow the error of the wicked) from your owne stedfastnes. But growe ye in grace, and in the knowledge of our onely Lord, and Sauiour Iesus Christ, to whom be glory both now and foreuer. Amen.

Farewell in the Lord, Thomas Day.

¶ THE CALL OF England, which setteth out our great sinne and iniquities, Gods long sufferaunce, his sundry kindes of callings, our slacknesse in comming, our incredulity in beleeuing, and our iust destruction.

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NO comfort, solace, nor no ioy,

can lodge within my brest,

Because thou dost me stil annoy,

with thy vnquiet rest.

Repent England, and turn with spéed,

whilst God doth dayly cal,

For he doth sende, and byd thee mend,

before thy dreadful fal.

Deare England thou, dost dayly grieue

and vex me euery way,

To see my workes and prooue my deeds,

what I can do, or say.

Repent England, &c.

Ful twenty yeares and foure thou hast

at large, heard out my cry,

[Page]And stil by word, I say repent

by waters, earth, and skie.

Repent england, &c.

And as vpon Ierusalem,

I did both weepe and waile,

So doth my louing preachers cry,

but nothing can preuaile,

Repent england, &c.

Thou thinkest not vpon my call,

my voyce thou dost note hare,

My preachers meeke, my word most sweet

to saue, thou dost not feare.

repent england, &c.

Neglecting stil, thou dost fulfil

all wickednesse and sinne,

And hast delight, both day and night

to fit, and dwel therein.

repent england, &c.

What sinnes in Noy, his time were found,

or els in Sodomes store,

That doth not now in thee abound,

a thousand times, and more.

repent england, &c.

Is not thy whooredome, and thy pride,

thy vsury, and gaine,

Thy waight, and measure vniust tryde,

still lodged in thy braine.

[Page] repent england, &c.

No care to get, so that thou haue,

thy pining purse to fil,

Who be vndon, although thereby

thy brothers blood thou spil.

repent england, &c.

Loe England now, what meaneth else,

thy rents which tripled bee,

In such a rate, that none but thou

or thine, can dwell with thée.

repent England, &c.

And is it all, nay leases great,

yea Fines and Incomes bare

Vp such a price, that non thats wise,

but thee and thine doth feare.

repent England, &c.

Why dealest thou so (O England)

with thine annointed king,

Who fills thy store, and empts thy store

againe, of euery thing.

repent england, &c.

But auarice (that bagg) stirres vp,

thy Tygred natures kinde,

To wring and wrest the poore, to fill

thine vncontented minde.

repent england, &c.

Thus carelesly, thou dost contemne

[Page] the poore, whom thou shouldst feed,

And to the ritch thou makest feastes

with fare thou dost exceed.

repent england, &c.

Esteeming more thy gluttony,

thy pride, and idle lyfe,

Then care, and conscience of the poore,

to end their law and stryfe,

repent england, &c.

Yet God doth send his Ionas stil,

thee England to cal,

While there is time, if thou wilt heare,

and feare, from sinne to fal.

repent england, &c.

If not, his iudgement is most swift,

remember Easter past,

how on the wednesday, he did shake

this earth, and all things fast.

repent england, &c.

Both Castles, townes, and Towers strong,

and Mountaines euery where,

The ground most firme, and al thereon

did shake, and quake for feare.

repent england, &c.

If then his wrath be found so fearce,

as sencelesse things makes nymble,

Shall it not make the stoutest hearts,

[Page] of vnderstanding tremble?

repent england, &c.

Yes, yes, O england think not so,

but that thou shalt be found,

And as amazed gydsicke man,

fal flat with death to ground.

repent england, &c.

While thou hast time, therefore repent,

and call to God for grace,

That he from wrath may yet relent,

and al thy sinnes deface.

repent england, &c.

Vnto thee which his iudgements call,

and cause thee to decline,

And thitherward appoint thy path,

as by a squared lyne.

repent england, &c.

Repent I say, and soeke his face,

whilst it is to be found,

In this same special time of grace,

here liuing on the ground.

repent england, &c.

And dare thou not protract the time,

to dally any more,

Because the iudge with iudgement comes,

and standeth at the dore.

and saith repent, &c.

[Page]With wonders strange and monsters fell,

and blazing starres by past,

Doth stil Prognosticate and tell,

of iudgement at the last.

repent england, &c.

What sicknes new, with plagues are sent,

what flouds do ouerflow,

In euery place, what wars are bent

to tell vs it is so.

repent england, &c.

And euerything in their degree,

as nature hath assignde,

The tyde, the time, and winters bee,

vnnatural by kinde.

repent england, &c.

What warninges hath beene often sent

to thee, by flashing streames

Of fire, which bids thee to repent

and wake, out of thy dreames.

repent england, &c.

The clowdes, likewise infixt with bloude,

and Brimstome fire, like smoken,

With collours strange, not oft like seene,

a day of dome betoken.

repent england, &c.

As late (alacke) on Munday last,

who so abroad did range,

[Page]Betwixt the howres of leuen and twelue,

might see it very strange.

repent england, &c.

On al the parts of heauenly sky.

was tokens to remember,

The latter comming of the Lorde,

the second of September.

repent therefore O england, &c.

Therefore while thou haste time and space,

and whiles he calles thee still,

Come vnto him, turne not thy face,

obey vnto his wil.

repent england, &c.

And thou shalt haue, that he hath bought,

and purchast for thee free,

The kingdome of eternall rest,

for thy reward and fee.

repent england, &c.

Lord send vs al those heauenly ioyes,

with thee for to remaine,

And vs defend from sathans noyes,

and euerlasting paine.

repent england, &c.

God saue our queene Elizabeth,

and stablish still her raigne,

[Page]In health, and wealth, and happy peace,

thy Gospel to maintaine.

Repent (O England) then with speed,

and turne from sathans thrall.

Both man and wife, amend your life,

and Christ wil saue you all.

FINIS.

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Information about this book

Title statement

VVonderfull straunge sightes seene in the element, ouer the citie of London and other places on Munday being the seconde day of September: beginning betweene eight and nine of the clocke at night, increasing and continuing till after midnight: most strange and fearefull to the beholders.

Day, Thomas, fl. 1583.

Edition statement

1583

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Text Creation Partnership,

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2005-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A19994

ID [STC]

STC 6433

ID [STC]

ESTC S105220

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99840949

ID [PROQUEST]

99840949

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5496

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— VVonderfull straunge sightes seene in the element, ouer the citie of London and other places on Munday being the seconde day of September: beginning betweene eight and nine of the clocke at night, increasing and continuing till after midnight: most strange and fearefull to the beholders., Day, Thomas, fl. 1583..

Extent

[16] p.

Printed by Robert VValde-graue, dwelling without Temple-barre, neere vnto Sommerset-house,. At London :: [1583]. (Signed on [A]4v: Thomas Day.) (Partly in verse.) (The date of the aurora borealis display is given as 2 Sept. 1583 on [A]2r.) (Signatures: [A].) (Running title reads: The call of England.) (Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.)

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