The prophecie of one of His Maiesties chaplains, concerning the plague and black-patches with Mr. Gadburies happy and joyful predictions, for the decrease of the plague both in the city and suburbs; the time when; the manner how; by God's permission, and according to natural causes; the effects and motion of the planets, and what every week may produce for the thrice-happy and welcome abatement of this sad and dismal pestilence; and the city of London to be wholly acquit thereof about (or before) Christmas.

The prophecie of one of His Maiesties chaplains, concerning the plague and black-patches with Mr. Gadburies happy and joyful predictions, for the decrease of the plague both in the city and suburbs; the time when; the manner how; by God's permission, and according to natural causes; the effects and motion of the planets, and what every week may produce for the thrice-happy and welcome abatement of this sad and dismal pestilence; and the city of London to be wholly acquit thereof about (or before) Christmas.

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Title page

The Prophecie of one of His Majeſties Chaplains, concerning the Plague, and Black-Patches.

The Prophecie of one of His Majeſties Chaplains, concerning the Plague, and Black-Patches.

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ALthough after ſeveral evil Aſpects, and Malevolent Conjunctions of the Planets, after bad Conſtitutions of the Air, and diſtemper of the Weather, after dearth of Corn, and ſcarcity of Proviſion, whereby the humors of Mens Bodies have been corrupted, and ſeveral Diſeaſes have ſprung up yet no Plague hath followed; and on the contrary, though after the ſigns of healthy Seaſons, plenty of good and wholeſome Diet, yea and after a moſt cold and dry Winter, and in a dry and temperate Summer, the Plague hath riſen up and ſpread abroad; yet moſt commonly there have been ſome Tokens, Signs, and Fore-runners of it, which have given men an Alarm to prepare for it, expect it, and provide againſt it. From whence alſo is obſervable the Cauſes producing it; Such as are the Poſition of the Heavens and the Conjunction of Mars and Saturn; as the Learned Mr Gadbury hath moſt judiciouſly ſet forth in thoſe Memorable Predictions hereunto [...]nnexed. But firſt the Reader may be pleaſed to obſerve, the Signs immanent and approaching of great Mortality; Mr. Kelway in the third Chapter of his Treatiſe of the Plague printed at London 1593. hath theſe words:

[Page] When we ſee young Children flock themſelves together in Companies, and then will fain ſome o [...] their Company to be dead amongſt them, and ſo will ſolemnize the B [...]rt, this is a token which hath been well obſerved in o [...]r Ag [...] to fore-ſhew great Mortality at hand. And 'tis worthy of ſerious conſideration, that about 20 years ago, one of the Chaplains of his late Majeſty King Charles the Firſt of ever bleſſed memory, did preach at Briſtol upon this Text out of Gen 4.15 [...]nd the Lord ſet a mark [...]pon Cain; And in his Sermon did ſpeak much againſt black-patches and beauty-ſpots; and, among other things, ſaid, that they were Fore runners of other Spots, and Marks of the Plague; and preſently, within a very little while after, the Plague brake out among them, and all thoſe perſons that did wear them, fled the Town. And when St. Andrews Church yard Wall did break or fall down this laſt Winter, ſome there were that did prognoſticate the coming of the Plague, ſaying, It fell in like manner the laſt great Sickneſs in 1625. but what reaſon they had to ſay ſo, is beſt known to themſelves.

Yet true it is, that this black and diſmal Cloud was fore-ſeen and predicted by that great Artiſt in Aſtrologie Mr. John Gadbury, in his Ephemeris for the preſent year 1665. in the Moneth of April, at which time the Sickneſs firſt began to ſhew it ſelf viſible; notwithſtanding it took its Riſe at Chriſtmas, he himſelf being viſited at that time.

And though the Plague cometh unawares, and frizeth upon a man on a ſuddain, yet ſuch is the infinite mercy of God, and the providence of Nature, that it giveth alwayes warning enough to any one that will diligently obſerve it.

The warnings are either a ſuddain Head-ache, a Vomiting, or a Faintneſs, with a Chilneſſe, or a Looſeneſſe. Each of theſe Symptome ſhe [...]th, what part of the body hath been firſt infected; the Head-ache ſ [...]niſes the Brains; the Vomiting the Liver; the Faintneſſe the Heart; and the Looſeneſſe▪ the Stomach and the Gut.

When therefore any one upon a ſudden and without evident cauſe, findeth him [...]el [...] ſeized with either of theſe 4 Symptomes, let him fly to Remedies without the loſſe of a moment of time: For it is one of the eaſieſt Diſeaſes in the World to be cured, if it [Page] be taken within 4 hours after the firſt Invaſion; otherways, and for the mo [...] part mortal. Now aſſoon as one findeth himſelf ſtricken with any of the foreſaid Symptomes, let him preſently repair to a clean and warm room, and kindle a wood-fire in the Chimny, to conſume and deſtroy all the infectious vapours that proceed both from the Air, and the infected party: Let the Patient preſently be put into a warm bed, wrapped in a ſheet and blanket; & then ſweat him well, by giving the party ſome Venice-Treace; and thoſe that have contracted the Plague by a Fright, put a little Saffron into it. Venice-Treacle being taken in time, is the onely Antidote againſt all Plagues and Poiſons whatſoever.

Vinegar is a moſt excellent Antidote againſt the Plague, and to drink 2 or 3 Spoonfu [...]s in a Morning is very good. Hence 'tis, that Phyſitians to ſuppreſſe and take away the fiery Venome of Spurge, Laurel, Mezereon, and other Plants, ſteep them in Vinegar, and ſo give them ſafely to their Patients, whereas otherwiſe they would kill and be a worſe Remedy than the Diſeaſe. And Dioſcorides ſaith that it reſiſts all poyſons both hot and cold. And Chriſtoph. a Ʋega tells of one that was ſtrangled with a Rope, and did foam about the Mouth, and yet was recovered by drinking Vinegar.

Coffee is commended againſt the Contagion; and moderate exerciſe; be ſure to prevent coſtiveneſs, and violent paſſions: Sleep moderately, and after you are up uncover your bed, and open the Curtains to air it, and have the bed well ſhaken when it is made, for Damps are very dangerous.

To go forth with an empty ſtomach is unwholſom; bread dipt in Vinegar is very good; but the beſt Breakfaſt againſt the Contagion is Bisket and Raiſins.

And as the great Cauſes of this particular Peſt were the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter Octob. 10. 1663. the Conjunction of Saturn and Mars Nov. 12 1664. ſo alſo are they chief Cauſes powerfully impelling, that it is to be feared the Peſtilence we now partake of, will not be the one m [...]ie [...]y of the Effects thence to enſue, or thereon depending. [...]y this connexion of Cauſes, it is ſomewhat apparent that this Peſt ſhould have took its beginning at the latter end of 1664. and truly had not the Winter then been ſo extreamly ſharp (it having a Froſt of almoſt ten weeks continuance [Page] together) to have kept it back, it had beyond all queſtion broke forth then. Nay, and break forth it did then too, as the Learned Artiſt in Aſtrologie Mr. Gadbury, can experimentally teſtifie, having been perſonally viſited with it at Chriſtmas that year. And many other Patients of Mr. Joſias Weſtwood the Chirurgeon, were then alſo afflicted with the ſame Diſtemper, and yet obtained cure againſt it, the Air being then ſo friendly to Nature, and an Enemy unto the Peſtilence. But now let us conſider its progreſs and increaſe, with the cauſes thereof, and the poſſibility of its abatement, with the time when. In this matter I ſhall conſult, but not trouble you with the Figure of the Suns Ingreſs into the Equinoctial Sign Aries, for the year 1665. and thence draw down the ſeveral Arguments of encreaſe and abatement; and becauſe the Peſtilence was hardly perceptible untill the Month of June, I will begin there.

This Month, (as if God and Nature had appointed the Sickneſs to be Ominous in earneſt to theſe Nations) we may obſerve two moſt fatal tranſits to uſher it in, viz. Mars his then coming to the oppoſite point of the Aſcendant, and the Sun to the oppoſite point of Saturn; a beginning of a ſickneſs ſo miſchievous, that greater can hardly be; God grant the end be not as inauſpicious: and although (I preſume it will not be of many Months continuance to this great City, yet we are not to ſuppoſe a Peſtilence ended, when it ſeemingly acquits one place.

In the moneth of July it began to encreaſe conſiderably, eſpecially toward the latter end thereof: there were then fix oppoſitions of the Erratick Stars, and two Eclipſes; and to add to theſe, Mars, Venus, and Mercury, then came to the Quadrate place of the Sun, and to the oppoſite point of Saturn by tranſit; and the Sun then came to the oppoſition of Jupiter both by tranſit and aſpect: all which were very great arguments of its encreaſe.

In the Month of Aug. Saturn comes to the Quadrate place of the sun, and will be ſtationary upon it I the Month; the two Eclipſes laſt Month do now begin to operate, which are teſtimonies of very great augmentation: howbeit the fortunate Planet Venus coming to the Sextile of her own place and of the Moms at the beginning of the Month; and coming to a Trine of the Sun, the latter end thereof, may ſo happily contemper the fury of it, that it may not [now] encreaſe or augment to any exceeding great height.

[Page]A [...]art of Septem. is like to prove ſomewhat dangerous becauſe Saturn is in a manner ſtill ſtationary, and the Sun and Saturn then come to a Quadrate aſpect, and this in ill points of the Vernal Figure, Mars and Jupiter who is Dominus Aſcendentis) then alſo come to an oppoſition, and both in ſquare of Luna's place; whence it is probable, that in the ſecond and laſt weeks of this Month, the Peſt may admit of an abatement; but indeed, I much fear about the middle of the month an encreaſe conſiderable: nevertheleſs, I hope, and rationally believe (favente Deo) that this Peſtilence cannot aſcend to any higher degree, than it may at that time reach unto.

The Month of October ſeems to promiſe well, and the Diſtemper therein cannot meet with any eminent cauſe for augmentation: yet I ſuppoſe the ſecond and laſt week will make ſome ſlight Offers at an encreaſe, becauſe then the Sun comes to the oppoſite place of the Moon ▪ and Venus hath a progreſſional motion to the oppoſition of the Sun, and Quartile of Saturns places.

November and December in this reſpect (God not fruſtrating the courſe of ſecond Cauſes, or taking advantage of us for our ſins) I queſtion not will prove very kindly; and the City of London will begin to be in a better heart, than in many Moneths before. Howbeit, it cannot [...]e ſuppoſed that this Peſtilence ſhould in ſo ſhort a time totally vaniſh; or that ſo great a Sickneſs ſhould not leave ſome unkind impreſſions behind it; but in compariſon of what it hath been, I dare aſſert, that we ſhall [then] be (in a manner) wholly acquitted from it, and its violent raging, deſtructive Qualities and Company.

La [...]ly, London hath at preſent been the Patient, and hath felt the force of the Almighties ſcourge to purpoſe; while moſt other places of England have eſcaped the Laſh. I wiſh with all my ſoul, that London might be the Scape-Goat for them all: but ah, I fear, before the Planet Saturn be gotten quite out of Capricorn, that tho [...]e other parts of this Nation will drink deep of the ſame Cup. God and Nature puniſh none by proxy. It will not be this Cities ſufferings, that can excuſe other Towns and Cities, from the violent ſtroak of ſo inſatiate an Enemy. Thus much for the Predictions of the Learned Gadbury.

[Page]And now the great and principal Antidote againſt the Plague is, hearty Repententance and fervent Prayer: For Prayer upon Repentance is of all things moſt powerful with God. And as Faith is the beſt Fence againſt Fear, ſo is Patience the beſt Plaiſter againſt S [...]res: Let the diſtruſt of God's Mercies be far from you; and ariſe from Sin willingly: Read in the Bible daily; take up the Croſſe of Chriſt boldly, and ſtand to it manfully, bearing all Viſitations patiently; pray continually, Reſt thankfully, and thou ſhalt live everlaſtingly, and come to the Hill of Joy quickly: To which place haſten us good Lord ſpeedily.

FINIS.

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THE PROPHECIE Of one of His Maieſties Chaplains, Concerning the Plague and Black-patches: With Mr: Gadburies happy and joyful Predictions, for the Decreaſe of the Plague both in City and Suburbs; The Time when; The Manner how; by God's Permiſſion, and according to Natural Cauſes; The Effects and Motion of the Planets, and what every Week may produce for the thrice-happy and welcome Abatement of this ſad and diſmal Peſtilence; and the City of London to be wholly acquit thereof about [or before] Chriſtmas.

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London, Printed for G. Horton, 1665.

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The prophecie of one of His Maiesties chaplains, concerning the plague and black-patches with Mr. Gadburies happy and joyful predictions, for the decrease of the plague both in the city and suburbs; the time when; the manner how; by God's permission, and according to natural causes; the effects and motion of the planets, and what every week may produce for the thrice-happy and welcome abatement of this sad and dismal pestilence; and the city of London to be wholly acquit thereof about (or before) Christmas.

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1665

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ESTC R220559

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99831955

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99831955

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36422

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— The prophecie of one of His Maiesties chaplains, concerning the plague and black-patches with Mr. Gadburies happy and joyful predictions, for the decrease of the plague both in the city and suburbs; the time when; the manner how; by God's permission, and according to natural causes; the effects and motion of the planets, and what every week may produce for the thrice-happy and welcome abatement of this sad and dismal pestilence; and the city of London to be wholly acquit thereof about (or before) Christmas., Gadbury, John, 1627-1704..

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[2], 6 p.

printed for G. Horton,. London :: 1665.. (Parenthesis have replaced square brackets around "or before" in the title.) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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