• Anne Hempstall,
• Joan Bauford
• Elizabeth Bancroft,

and

• Mary Bilbrowe,
• Susan May,
• Arabella Thomas.

IN ancient times have I read of Prophetesses, but not untill of late heard of women Prea­chers, their onely reason or cause of preaching was, that there was a deficiency of good men, wherefore it was but fit, that vertuous women should supply their places, they were (men they did mean) good for nothing, but to make their texts good by expounding the language of the Beast, but they themselves would preach nothing, but such things as the spirit should move them.

The first and chief of this female and Sacerdo­ticall function, was one Anne Hempstall, living in the Parish of Saint Andrews Holborne, neere Lon­don, and in the County of Middlesex, upon a cer­tain time, she having a minde, said shee was mo­ved to be zealously affected, called an assembly [Page 2]of her bibbing Gossips together, whose thoughts were bent more upon the strong water bottle, then upon the uses or doctrines which their ho­ly sister [...]ntended to expound unto them, but be­ing come to the house of this Anne Hempstall, zea­lous Nan spake to them after this manner.

Beloved sisters, this last night I dreamed a strange Dream, moreover me thought I saw a vi­sion, in which Anna the Prohetesse was presented unto my view, the splendour of whose counte­nance did cast me into a trance, wherein I lay un­till the next morning, and the morning being come, I could conceive no interpretation of my Dream but this, that I should imitate godly An­na, by preaching unto you, as shee prophesied to others, her speech strook them all into an asto­nishment, at which, this prophane Anne cryed out, Now doth the holy Ghost descend downe upon you, Wherefore give eare unto mee, then did she begin to talke, and speak unto them that which first came into her minde, but the chiefe matter of her Text was this, That womans haire was an adorning to her, but for a man to have long haire, it was a shame unto him, which the Scripture it selfe cryed fie upon; long did shee preach, and longer I dare avouch then some of the audience were willing, for some of them had as far home as White Chappell, wherefore her longitude might cause a brevitude of her sucking the Aquavitae bottle; two houres being expired, and the bottom of the stool beginning to look o­pen-mouthed with her furious stamps, shee gave [Page 3]them as much peace as in her lay, and so conclu­ded.

Mary Bilbrowe, one of the audience, being of the Parish of Saint Giles in the Fields, desired them to be all with her the next morning, and after Sermon, they should have a good fat pig to break­fast, besides a cup of Sack or Claret to wash it down, they all agreed unto it, and making use of all the Rhetorick which they were borne unto, they gave her thanks, and so for that time a Bottle of Ale or two being devoured, they departed every one to their owne houses. The next morn­ing, they met altogether at the house of Mary Bilbrow, whose husband was a good honest Brick­layer, and so soon as they came within the doores of her house, shee brought them all into her Par­lour as shee called it, and insteed of stools and cushions, shee had provided before hand, three bricks a piece for them to sit upon, her reason was this, shee thought they would not fit much, because women to good instructions love standing, her Pulpit was framed very substantial­ly of brick, so high, that scarce any thing, but her standing up tippet could be seen, she began there very devoutly to make an ex tempore prayer, but before shee had scarce spoke twenty words, her daughter came running in very hastily, telling her a Gentleman at Bloomsbury staid to speake with her about urgent occasions, which hearing, shee lept out of her prayer into this serious meditatiō, I think it be the Gentleman I was withall at Salis­bury [Page 4]Court, whom I promised this day to meet with all, whereupon shee left her Pulpit, spread the cloth, [...]nd brought her Gossips in a pig accor­ding to her promise, who fed heartily, and so de­parted, so much at this time for Middlesex female Teachers.

Now give mee leave to take water, and goe to Gravesend, and so further into Kent, where I shall tell you of one Joan Bauford in the Town of Fe­versham, who taught in Feversham, that husbands being such as crossed their wives wils might law­fully be forsaken.

Then was there one Susan May of Ashford in the County of Kent also which preached in a Barne there, that the Devill was the father of the Pope, The Pope the father of those which did weare Surplices, wherefore consequently the Devill was the Father of all those which did not love Puritans.

There was likewise one Elizabeth Bancroft in Ely in Cambridgshire, where Bishop Wren first going to place Altars there, preached behind the mini­ster upon a Saturday, that it was fit upon Sunday to Sacrifice the Popes Bird upon his own Altar.

Then lastly there was one Arabella Thomas a Welch woman, which lived in the City of Salis­bury, which preached, and in her Sermon said that none but such painfull creatures as her selfe should goe to Heaven, fo [...] those Ministers which did not preach twice upon every Sabbath day, shee said that very shortly the black Raven by day, and the [Page 5]white Owle by night should scratch out their eyes.

Thus have I declared some of the female Acade­myes, but where their Vniversity is I cannot tell, but I suppose that Bedlam or Bridewell would be two convenient places for them, is it not sufficient that they may have the Gospell truly and sincere­ly Preached unto them, but that they must take their Ministers office from them? if there had been such a dearth of the Gospell as there was in the Reigne of Queene Mary it had beene an occasion some what urgent, But God bee pray­sed it was not so, but that they seemed to bee ambitious, and because they would have superio­rity, they would get upon a stoole, or in a tubb in­steed of a pulpit. At this time I have described but six of them, ere long I feare I shall relate more, I pray God I have no cause, and so for this time I conclude.