SOme there be which entitle this the Iron age, because of the stubbornness, and Iron hearted inhabitants that live therein; though I think it may as pro­perly be termed the age of Wonders, con­sidering two so eminent wonders which have lately hapned in the same. viz. That of the Darby-shire Maid, Martha Taylor, her fast­ing from all sustenance for so long a space, and this other of one Iane Streator, a maid of Ware in Hartford-shire, no less strange and wonderful then the other, of which I am now about to relate.

This Iane Stretton was born at Ware in Hartford-shire aforesaid, about the year of our Lord 1649. Being the Daughter of one Thomas Stretton a Wheel-right, who [Page 2] with his wife are now living in the same Town. It so chanced that this Thomas Stretton lost a Bible, which he valued (as every one should doe the word of God) at a high price, and being very desirous to have it again, it so fortuned that he did light in­to the company with one of his Neighbors who was such a one as the Country people term a Cunning man, Wizard, or Fortune-teller. such of whom the Lord saith in Deu­trinomy Chap. 18. v▪ 10. 11. 12. There shall not be found among you any one that useth devination, or an observer of times, or an In­chanter, or a Witch, or a Charmer, or a Con­sulter with familiar spirits, or a Wizard, or a Negromancer,; for all that doth these things are an abomination unto the Lord. This person thus qualified was by Streaton desi­red (if his art could reach so far) to tell him who it was that had his Bible? to which the other answered, that he could if he would: Stretton as bluntly replying again, that then he must be either a Witch or a Devil, seeing he could neither write nor read, these words struck home, and a guilty conscience being wounded will soon ran­chor, [Page 3] his heart is inflamed with the fire of revenge, but for the present he covers it with the ashes of dissimulation; he will not vend his malice at present, but like the Ram goes backward to return with the greater force; love and friendship is written on sand which every puff of wind will blow a­way, but malice and envy is engraven in Marble or Adamant, time cannot obliterate or wear it out; and that which is worst, our Natures are such that one discourtesie shall wash away all the friendship that twenty be­nefits have implanted in our hearts.

But Malice sleeps not though it may wink, within a moneth after the wife of this Fortune-teller or Cunning-man which you please to terme him, comes to Strettons, desireing of this his daughter Iane, (who was newly come out of service) a pot of Drink: she being ignorant of what had passed betwixt her father and the other, willingly does it: Innocency dreads no danger, the child will play with the Bee for his gaudy coat, and mistrusts not his sting, soon after she is taken with violent rage­ing fits, which torment her greviously, yet [Page 4] no mistrust of the cause of her malady, from what was too much afterwards apparent to to be seen: the Devil is a sly theif, and though he keeps his servants poor, yet he indues them with a plentiful stock of malice revenge, and dissimulation.

About a week after the same woman comes again and desires a pin of her, (by small means great mischeifs may be perpe­trated) the silly maid mistrusting no mis­cheif, as not intending any, bestows one on her, when on a sudden her fits waxed far more violent then before; her body swells like a bladder puft up with wind ready to burst, all her members were distorted, and as it were put in the wrack: going to the next Meighbours, her head being intoxica­ted by the violency of her fits, she falls down against the door and beats it open, ly­ing in a deplored spectacle of pitty, tor­mented any one would have thought enough for the satisfaction of the most inveterate malice.

But her misery ends not here, the squib is not run out to the end of the rope, where the Devil has an inch given him, he will take [Page 5] and ell, and as it is said of Rebels, that when they draw their sword, they must throw away their scabboard, so wicked persons think that when they once begin they must make an end, their malice is like an inperfect book, it hath no Fi [...]ts to it, they will willingly loose one eye to put out both of their Neighbors. Her fits increa­sed more violently, the last time the woe­man saw this Maid she sounded away, and lay for the time as it were deprived of life, after the recovery of this sounding fit, her senses being in part recovered, yet her bo­dy still remained as infirme as before; In six months space she neither eat any thing, nor avoided any excrements, for where the cause is taken away, the effect must needs cease. But such a wonder as this could not be confined, it was strait spread abroad, and as we English are like the Athenians de­sirous to hear of News, and to be ascertained of whrt we hear, so the report of this a strange wonder drawes a great concourse of people to the house, to the disturbance not only of the maid, but also of Thomas Streton him­self: wherefore to purchase a quietness to [Page 6] himself, he removed her to the house of one Iohn Wood a Neighbour of his, yet not with­out such provision but that she had conti­nual attendants both night and day by her Friends and Relations, who now at last be:gan to distrust that her sickness proceeded from more then an ordinary cause.

Several days and nights was she thus watched, it being a miracle in Nature that a corporall body should continue without the assistance of food, when at last to the specta­tors plain view, there appeared the resem­blance of Flax and Hair to fall down upon a white sheet that was laid over her bed, which they narrowly taking notice of, and perceiving her tongue to hang or loll out of her Mouth, upon a nearer view found the perfect resemblance of Flax, Hair, and Thred points to be on the same; which be­ing by them removed, there presently pro­ceeded from her mouth two flames in re­semblance of fire, the one of a red colour, the other blew, and soon after, in some short distance of time, eleven pins; in seve­ral crooked forms and shapes, some bowed one ways some another.

[Page 7]The report of these more strange acci­dents soon flew about, not onely all over the Town of Ware, but to the adjacent Vil­lages, and more remote Towns, so that peo­ple came in multitudes to see her, some out of pitty, to help and comfort her, others out of curiosity to be ascertain'd of the truth of these relations, and some who were diffi­dent of any such thing as Witchcraft or con­jurations, who being fully satisfied in the truth of what is here set down, went home fully convinced of their errours.

In all this her extream tortures, she com­plained continually of an exceeding pain in her back more then the other parts of her body, as if she were continually slashed with a kife or had her flesh cut and mangled, and the people about her with setting her up in her bed to give her some ease, found a naked knife there, no body knowing how or which ways it should come thither.

Several things were applyed unto her, and as it is usual for the Tooth-Ach every one hath a particular Medicine, so in that concourse of people there could not but be many advisers, sume to this thing, and some [Page 8] to that, but none that appeared profitable to the Maid, who was more violently tor­tured still then before; It now being appa­rent that her distemper proceeded from the malice of the Devils Instruments, on whose body God had permitted them to exercise their envy, her tongue lolling out of her mouth in so sad and lamentable a manner as struck an astonishment in all the beholders; and to convince them that it was done by Witchcraft and such Diabolical means, they could see the Devil or his Imps, or what it was we cannot determine, but sometimes it was in the shape of a Toad, at other times it resembled a Frog, and at other times again in the form of a Mouse, for as the Devil can transform himself into an Angel of light, to deceive people, so he can turn himself into any beastly shape to torment them.

And now that her Distemper was so evi­dently known, and that the Neighbours were informed of the preceeding passages betwixt this Inchanter, Fortune-teller, cun­ning-man, or what you will term him, his Wife, and the Maid; they adjudged those 2 parties the absolute cause of the Maids, per­plexity, [Page 9] resolved by violence to fetch them before her, in the interim she being in a vi­elent fit, some of the some from her mouth was put into the fire, there to be burnt, the parties that were gone at that time lighting on the vvoman and telling her their resolu­tion to carry her before the maid, she made them this ansvver, that if they had not come, she could not have stayed any longer from her.

Three several times was this Flax and Hair with the likeness of a Thred point seen upon her, before very credible wit­nesses who are ready to attest the same up­their Oaths.

The time that she began to be thus strangely tortured is Michaelmus last was twelve month, during which time if we seriously consider every particular we shall hardly find her paralel, viz. her ex­traordinary tortures, by swellings, som [...] ­ings, and other pains, her abstinency from all food, for about the space of nine moneths, save only some few liquid meats impossible in humane reason to have pre­served life, her being haunted with Frogs, Toads▪ Mice and the like, or worse instru­ments [Page 10] in their likeness, the knife found in her bed, none knowing by what means it came thither, & her pains as it vvere answerable to that instrument; all which being putto­gether and througly considered, we may admire that such weak earthly bodies of ours should hever undergoe such unspeak­able misery, we b [...]ing like glass apt to be broken with the least knock of misery, like straw or stuble which the least fire of af­fliction consumes away, a hair being suffici­ent to choak us, a little stopping of our breath to stifle us, that if we will make compari [...]ons of instability there is nothing more fit to resemble it then the life of man.

At present she takes nothing but sur­rups and such like liquid ingredients, being in much pain and misery, yet it is hoped by the blessing of God and the endeavours of those under whom she is in cure, that at last she may be eased of her misery, and let none look aversly upon her in this re­spect, though she can say with the Prophet, Behold and consider if any griefs be like unto mine, seeing David saith, Many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delive­reth [Page 11] them out of all. And when God had per­mitted Satan to afflict the righteous Iob, gi­ving him power over all his substance, goods, chattels and body, yet still there was a reservation, only (said he) thou shalt not touch his life.

Whom God loveth he chasteneth, that ha­ving Hell here, they may have there hea­ven hereafter, for better it is with poor La­zarus to lye at the doors, having the dogs licking our sores, then with the rich Glutton to fare deliciously every day, and afterwards to be tormented in hell.

Some are of that belief that stories of witchcraft are but idle Chymeras, but we know that no part of Scripture was spoken in vain, and one place thereof saith, thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live, those who are so, I wish them grace to repent, and get out of their damnable estate, and should admo­nish all persons whatsoever not upon any loss or disaster to go to these South-sayers, Wizards, or cunning-men, for as the Scrip­ture saith in one place, Cursed be the Image, and the Image maker, so I say there can [...]o blessing be to those who are either Wi­zards, [Page 12] or go to them for help and Councel.

For the truth of this Relation I might (if there were occasion for it) insert the names of several Eminent Persons both in VVare and London, who freely offered to attest it, but the thing being so near hand and obvi­ous to our eyes, I count it needless, for who will cry out the Sun shines, it being therefore a vain thing to go to prove that which vve suppose none vvill deny, desiring thee to accept of my pains herein, I take my leave.