TIME was when the Curious World had her eyes alway turned towards the Banks of Nile, and the torrid ſands of ſunburnt Africa, in continual expectation of ſome new and uncouth ſhapes to be ſtill produced by that Monſter-teeming Mother.

But now, as if that vaſt Continent of Prodigies were contracted into the later ſmall Teutonick engine, It is ſtrange to ſee how greedie Mortals eye the labouring Preſs, and with gaping mouths attend its delivery; as ready to ſwallow and devour what ever it brings forth; and what is more prepoſterous, the more Elephantine or Garagantuane the brats dimenſions ſeem, whatere it be above the truth ſo much the eaſilier it goes down and is digeſt • d by that Monſter devouring Monſter, the ma … 〈…〉 .

To ſatisfy which inſatiable Appetite of our News mongers and their Athenians, Heaven and the Elements ſeem peculiarly to have conſented. This being an Age, and this year eſpecially a year of wonders, and if not every where prodigious, yet in no part not remarkable in ſome eminent example of Providence or other: not to ſpeak now of Wars and Battels, or Chriſtians unnaturally weltring in Chriſtian goar, now in moſt part of Europe; what prodigious Inundations. Snow and Cold have moleſted our Climate, what loſſes by Sea, what miſchiefs by Land have in ſeveral parts afflicted us? but above all, what ſtrange Exceſs of Fury & Madneſs has of late exercis'd its rage on our peoples minds? what unparalleld and deſperate Roberies, Cruelties and Cheats have happened? what Diabolical tranſports of deſpair, and Self-Murther, has of late in all parts, in more than Prodigious frequency, ſeized poor Mortals? In a word, have we not been daily alarmed with an infinite variety of unwonted Accidents, that God ſeems reſolv'd to chaſtiſe our delight in falſe and Romantick news, to glut us with the more ſerious ſtrangeneſs of equally ſad and wonderful truths? Yes, ſurely Providence hath given us true ſubject enough for our diſcourſe, without either careening the Ocean, or ranſacking old wives monum • nt for amuſing figments When we our ſelves being become ſo many Prodigies of Sin and Profaneſs, when our days are ſuch, that Vice, that formerly ſhunned the light, now walks unmaſked, and with open face dares plead for the palm, where it was wont to deprecate puniſhment. We cannot wonder if Nature and its Author combine againſt us, & expoſe our Enormities by monſtrous and irregular accidents in the Mac • ocoſme as a • e the lively H • eroglyphicks of them; nay, we can expect no leſs than the Meteors and Elements ſhould be armed to chaſtize our violences done to nature, and even the inſtruments of our Life, Ple • ſure, and Recreation b • b • d and foreſtalled by unſeen and unexpected ſurprizes to revenge our Hypocriſy. This is certainly, what as in general we deſerve, ſo in reallity we all might look for, and therefore, however we may ſee theſe things as we think paſs by us, and light on others, as perhaps ſome may be apt to collect from the deplorable example lately arrived, yet are not ſo partially to apply them, as to think thoſe perſons were e • e the worſe for being the examples of Gods judgments, or that thoſe things happened to th • m on • y, meerly for their ſin, th • t we ſhould therefore conceit our ſelves the more righteous, or ſpared for our g • odneſs; but l • t u • rather conſid • r that o • r ſins were equ • lly, or perhap • more induſtriouſly leve • led at, in ſuch ex • mples than thoſe of the ſuffering, and therefore giving you firſt in charge and caution that Evangelical rule, that you ſhould never think perſons falling under any diſaſters to be the greater ſinners, but that when all are Sinners, ſome are made examples to their own health, and admoniſhment to the living, which admoniſhment if we take not, we ſhall all likewiſe periſh; upon this Chriſtian ſtipulation, I ſay, that what ſhall be related to the living, may be to their benefit, made uſe of without any uncharitable reflections on the dead; who perhaps may be more Innocent than the ſurviving hearers of the ſad cataſtrophe: I ſhall give you a punctual account of a moſt true and unparalleld Diſaſter which happened at Goring Lock going to Stately; on Monday the 6th of this inſtant July 1674▪ about 7 a clock at night, where about 50 or 60 perſons of Men, Women and Children, with one Mare croſſing the water together in a boat from Oxfordſhire to Bark-ſhire, by the watermens imprudently rowing too neer the ſhore of the Lock, they were by the force of the water drawn down the Lock, where their boat being preſently overwhelmed they were all turned into the Pool, except fourteen or fifteen (who had been all then at the feaſt at Goring) were all unfortunately drowned, & to ſhew how vain all humane aid is when Deſtiny interpoſes; this happened in the view of hundreds of people, then met at the ſame Feaſt, near this fatal Lock, who found the excerciſe of their paſtime diſturbed and their Jollity daſhed by this mournful Diſaſter, of which they were helpleſs, but I hope not fruitleſs Spectators.

The perſons drowned, and ſince taken up, are not yet all known who they were, nor whence they came the Boatman John Waklin and his brother Eſcaped by Swimming; William Buſhnel of Hagburn, whoſe the Mare was, was taken up alive, he having n • er 8 hours time by Providence of the Almighty allowed him longer to prepare for death then approaching, deceaſed, his Mare drowned that carried him and E. Dew, by holding on the Mane to the place where they were taken up. The ſame Edward Dew yet alive, relates that he hapened to look to the Bottom of the Lock Pool with his eys open ſaw many that were drowning ſprawling at the bottom like Frogs. Goodman Morecock of Stately, and his wife were Drowned, but their Son in Law Francis Higgs eſcaped with the loſs of his wife (the ſaid Thomas Morecocks daughter,) a Woman with Child, and a Child in her Armes, both then drown • d. Widdow Bell carrying a rich pack of Wares, was drowned, Goodman Wheeler of Mayſeldom was Drowned his wife miraculouſly I ſcaped by catching hold of a mans Leg that g • t on the bottom of the overwhelmed boat, Thomas Smith of Compton and 3 mo • e of the ſame Town with Adam Belinger of Chilton, and one King, a Butcher of Standford, and his wife, were all likewiſe drowned. And on Thurſday the 9th, was 12 more taken up, whoſe names are not yet known, and it is ſuppoſed there are yet more at the botton of the Pool not yet diſcovered.

Readers, You have here though a ſtrange and very ſad relation, yet very true, I dare aſſure you; but becauſe there are dayly ſuch ſad stories, as ſince the deſtruction of Sodom and Gomorrah the like was never heard of it will (I know) be very difficult to perſwade many that what is related is tru • , eſpecially ſuch as live in remo • e places, who ſee not the ſad relations which London affords or other great citys or towns where much people inhabite. What may we beleieve, but that the great day is neer, and if we diligently ſearch the Scriptures we ſhall find theſe the lat • er times of which our Saviour gave us the ſigns.