The most strange and wounderfull apperation of blood in a poole at Garraton in Leicester-shire, which continued for the space of foure dayes, the rednesse of the colour for the space of those foure dayes every day increasing higher and higher, to the infinet amazement of many hundreds of beholders of all degrees and conditions, who have dipped their handketchers in this bloody poole, ... As also the true relation of a miraculous and prodigious birth in Shoo-lane, where one Mistris Browne a cuttlers wife was delivered of a monster without a head or feet, and in stead of a head had a hollow out of which a child did proceed, which was little but lovely, perfect in all but very spare and leane. As also the Kings sending to his Parliament for hostage for the security of his person to come unto London and to sit with his parliament for the composing the diffirences in the kingdome.

The most strange and wounderfull apperation of blood in a poole at Garraton in Leicester-shire, which continued for the space of foure dayes, the rednesse of the colour for the space of those foure dayes every day increasing higher and higher, to the infinet amazement of many hundreds of beholders of all degrees and conditions, who have dipped their handketchers in this bloody poole, ... As also the true relation of a miraculous and prodigious birth in Shoo-lane, where one Mistris Browne a cuttlers wife was delivered of a monster without a head or feet, and in stead of a head had a hollow out of which a child did proceed, which was little but lovely, perfect in all but very spare and leane. As also the Kings sending to his Parliament for hostage for the security of his person to come unto London and to sit with his parliament for the composing the diffirences in the kingdome.

The most strange and wounderfull apperation of blood in a poole at Garraton in Leicester-shire, which continued for the space of foure dayes, the rednesse of the colour for the space of those foure dayes every day increasing higher and higher, to the infinet amazement of many hundreds of beholders of all degrees and conditions, who have dipped their handketchers in this bloody poole, ... As also the true relation of a miraculous and prodigious birth in Shoo-lane, where one Mistris Browne a cuttlers wife was delivered of a monster without a head or feet, and in stead of a head had a hollow out of which a child did proceed, which was little but lovely, perfect in all but very spare and leane. As also the Kings sending to his Parliament for hostage for the security of his person to come unto London and to sit with his parliament for the composing the diffirences in the kingdome.

Table of contents

Title page

The most strange and wonderfull apperitions of blood, in a Poole at Garraton in Leicester-shire, which continued for the space of foure dayes, the rednesse of the colour for the space of those foure dayes every day increasing higher and higher, to the infinet amazement of many hundred beholders of all degrees.

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The most strange and wonderfull apperitions of blood, in a Poole at Garraton in Leicester-shire, which continued for the space of foure dayes, the rednesse of the colour for the space of those foure dayes every day increasing higher and higher, to the infinet amazement of many hundred beholders of all degrees.

WHosoever shall consider these sad times, wherin not onely the sonne riseth against the father the brother against the brother, and the spirit of dissention and warie is spread over the whole face of the earth but such prodigious and wonderfull things have apheared as no age before have ever seene or heard of he must confesse that he liveth now in the evening of time, and in the last age of the world, wherein all things do begin to suffer a change.

I will not trouble you with any thing which in this nature hath heretofore beene delivered to you: The Sword at Plaist [...] flourishing without hands, and the great Stone clambring up the staires and whatsoever there is strange or wonderfull are but sluggish miaclous compared to this, which doth the raither prefer it self to your observation, because in the buisnesse of Plaiste there are as to be seene for the most part but some knavish lights and as it were the Hocus Pocus of a spirit but in this which now shall be represented unto you the immediate anger of God in great Charactes of blood is most appearently to be read.

At Garraton a Towne in Leicester-shire, not far from Loughborough is a great pond of water, which for many generations [Page] hath beene knowne to be there time out of mind, it is above an Acre on the length, and about an Acre in the bredth. It was made at first to satisfie the thirst of the Cattle, which from the commons and pastures thereabouts did daily resort unto it and sometimes it allayed the drought of the poore and thirsty travailer, but now (as if it were another element,) it altread both its nature and complexion, for the beasts did refuse to drinke thereof and some few dayes afterwards being passed they would not come neere the water, which the Countrymen and Inhabitants who were owners of the Cattle thereabouts perceiving they repayred to the pond to see what tht reason of this strange thing should be.

Being come unto the pond they found the colour of the water changed, for it began to looke red, and the substance thereof, was thicker then before, amazed at the nouelty of this sight they departed from the place, they make a relation of it to their friends and one neighbour brings in another to behold this wonderfull chance.

The noyse is spread over all the Country, and in thronging numbers they make haste to see it. The water which at the first began to looke but reddish, doth now looke higher and higher, and as the people came in it did increase in colour. This continued for the space of foure dayes, the Country farre and neere (who had notice of it) comming in to be spectatiors of it. It waxed more red the second day then it seemed at the first, and farre more red the third day then it did of the second, and on the fourth day it grew a perfect sanguine.

There is no wonder in this nature but carrieth some divotion in it, the people stand round about the bankes of the pond, and from looking on the water they look up to heaven from whence they believe that the wonder came; with reverence they discover this miracle of the water turned into wine, but of the water turned into blood they never heard of that wonder before. Some of them more hardy then the rest would undertake to taste of it, to understand if it were already as much in taste as in complection, but they were severely charged by those that did stand by them, and were told that they might follow the more [Page] wise example of the beasts for since the Cattle refused to drink of the water by so doing they would now shew themselves more brutish then the Beasts.

The water still continueth in its bloody colour and had all one standing face of blood, and with all it seemed so thick that if a high wind had blown it is believed that it would very hardly at all or else very gently have moved Every day brought in new observers to behold this admirable poole, and who had but feeue it the day before could not be content with one dayes, wonder, but must come the next day to behold it againe.

It was the object of all the eyes thereabouts, and on their returne homewards the subject of all their discourse. The Knights the Gentlemen, and the Ladies the Peasants, and their Families stood all closse together round about it, and being overcome with the amazement of the sight there was regard unto degrees or distinction of persons, and it seemes they learned this instruction from the Pond which they now made use of. That they were all but one blood.

From the observation of the blood they fall into the consideration at last of the bloody times, where in they live, and being so neere to Lough borough they grow in discourse of how much blood hath beene spilt by the Lord of Loughborough his meanes who being there the great Agent for the King hath robbed many housekeepers in those parts of their goods and their treasure and which is far more deare to them many of their Childrens lives.

Report in the way is made how many families hath he robbed of their fathers, and how many he hath left without their children, they report from the beginning all the skirmishes that have beene made in those parts, and all the battles that have beene fought and all the sieges that have bin laid and raised and passing from one devovring buisnesse to another, they do curse the proceedings of the civill warre.

The true narration of this water turned into blood may be put into succeding calanders, and it may be printed in its owne rubrick, in our dayes did this prodigious sight appeare and afterward, the crimsin colour of the pond did begin to change, and [Page] every day to looke paler and paler untill at lenght it by degree▪ turned unto its first complection of water the bloody substance sinking downe, and by its owne weight settling it selfe in the bottome of the pond. In the meane time the rumor of this flying up and downe the Country, there being above one thousand witnesses to justifie the truth of it, one Master Neale a Gentleman of good account living at great Leake in Nottingham-shire, being travailing on his occasion unto London, and hearing the report of it to be commonly spoken as he did ride upon the way thought it was foure miles out o [...] the rod, he resolued to see it and making haste he easily overcome the lenght of the way, out of a desire to in enjoy the nouelty of the sight being avived he sat a long time on horseback at the entrance into the Pond musing and looking on it, (for it was just at that time) when the water did begin to returne to its first complection and perceving the red substance in the nature of a filmy body to descend towards the bottome, he did put spurres unto his horse who did fling back and snorted and was unwilling to goe into the Pond, but after he had forced him to enter a little way into it, and stirred towards the bottome of the water with his Cane he perceied clots as it were of congealed blood in great abundance to rise up and having stayed upon the top of the water for a little space to descend afterwards by degrees againe.

Not able to satisfie himselfe with any reason from whence this wonder should arise, he departed but the Country people resoluing to examine and dive into the cause thereof, they had a meeting amongst themselves for that intent and concluded at it to have the pond dreyned▪ It being beleeved that the enemy had throwne some Carcasses into the pond to stayne the water, and to bring thereby some suddaine distruction upon the Cattle.

This beleeve being entertained, the sluce is opened and now the water comes trumbling forth as if it were glad of its liberty, and was afraid to stay any longer in the portentous place where before it was in a swift to rent it made good its passage as if one part were emulation to overtake the other, and the latter strove with the former for the honour of proceeding. And to perfect the worke wherein some deeper places of the pond, the water [Page] stood still, and could not disadvantage it selfe into the chennell, the Countrym [...]n some with scoopes and some with pailes did carry forth the water, with many hands they overcame the task which seemed at first almost impossible. And the pond being drayned and found nothing but fish of which in divers kinds there were great store, & those fish seemed still to be very good and nothing the worse for that miraculous accident which had made red the water. We may learne by this what God can doe who in a most wonderfull way can expresse his power without the least dammage to the Creatures.

Howsoever the pond being drayned dry which may increase the wonder, the blood in many places was discovered in extended degrees to be like so many scarlet Carpots on the bottome of the poole, to the unspeakeable amazement of the beholders, and indeed they may well put wonder on, for though in out owne Chronicles & in other Histories we have read sometimes of Clouds that have rayned dropes of blood, which though it is very wonderfull, yet because Phelosophers have undertake to give a naturall reason for it, it substracteth some thing from the greatnesse of the wonder, but this as no cause can be assigned for it, so no story that I remember can example it, but being as farre beyond nature as example it sheweth it selfe to proceed from the immediate power and the hand of God.

I will not presume to give you the interpretation of it not say it is suitable to the present condition of these bleeding times, neither will I be so hardy as to affirme that the foure dayes wherein the water every day seemed to increase in the rednesse of its colour doth signifie the foure years of the war which now are already or neere expired and that as the water every day for the foure dayes exceeded one another in the desines of its sanguine dye, it looking every day redder then before, so the watre for these foure yeares hath every yeare beene one yeare more bloody then the other, surely it will prove good newes could I from hence assure you that as after the foure dayes being ended, the water did begin to returne in its first genuine colour, so the fourth yeare of this war being expired, the Kingdome shall againe returne to its ancient blessing and habit of peace, and that [Page] as the water bringing its first cleanes the blood did sinke downe and vanish away, so now the crying sins of blood shall be washed away from this Kingdome by the cleanes of a new life and by the teares of true repentance.

There were many of the towne of Carraton both men and women, and of the inhabitants of the Country thereabouts who dipped their handkechers in this pond when it was of a bloodly colour, and the linnen retayning the complection of blood, it will be a testimoniall to succeeding times of this most strange and wonderfull accident and of the truth of what we write.

But to give you a good pond to all these wonderfull events, we have received intelligence and it is confidently reported that the King having of late received to many overthrowes, and losse upon losse and despairing of and successe by Armes, hath now sent unto the Parliament at Westminster to desire hostages for the security of his person, that he may come and sit among them to compose the differences of the Kingdome.

It it the desire of many thousands that His Majesty may continue in this happy resolution, and that after so many deffiulties and dangers past, and so much blood spilt he might at lenght by the mercy of God returne and be reconciled to his Parliament, and to this there is no good Subject (unlesse he be a desperate Malignant or some arch Papist) but will say Amen.

In these sad dayes when the voyce of Gods wrath are poured forth on the face of the whole Earth wonders were never more frequent. Every day almost bringeth forth some new Miracle.

In Shoolane London, on Tuesday September sixteene there was a monstrou▪ and prodigious Birth of which the good-woman was delivered with infinet paine and danger. It seemed to be as it were two children the one arising from upper monstrous part of the other, the first child out of which the other lid proceed had neither head not feet, but was onely content with thighes and two-stumps for leggs, neither had it any armes but two imperfect branches came from the shoulders of it which had no hands at all.

The nailes both for the hands & foot in a sormidable length and shapenesse did grow out of the hipps on each side to the [Page] great amazement of the beholders: It had no head, but in Head thereof there did arise from the neck a great and hollow lumpe of flesh, and from thence did proceed another birth in the shape of a man child, and perfect in every limb, it was but little but very lovely to behold, spare and leane and its feet were fastoned in the hollow trunke which grew about the neck of the other monster out of which it doth appeare the whole body doth proceed, it is crediable that it received its originall and the beginning of its growth from the imperfect ruines of the other which (as I have said) having neither head nor feet, receive perfect shapes in all other parts the armes onely excepted, and it was very plumpe and fat, and (as it seemed) designed by nature a female. These birth, do carry with them remarkable observations, sad and monsterous times must labour still with sad and monstrous births and this (as it was still-borne) was exposed unto puplick veiw to the infinet amazement of the beholders and to the great griefe of the Parents.

FINIS.

§

§

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The most STRANGE AND WOVNDERFVLL apperation of blood in a poole at GARRATON In Leicester-shire, which continued for the space of foure dayes, the rednesse of the colour for the space of those foure dayes every day increasing higher and higher, to the infinet amazement of many hundreds of beholders of all degrees and conditions, who have dipped their handketchers in this bloody poole, the scarlet complection of the linnen will be a testimoniall of this wonderfull truth to many succeding generations.

AS ALSO The true relation of a miraculous and prodigious birth in Shoo-lane, where one Mistris Browne a Cuttlers wife was delivered of a monster without a head or feet, and in stead of a head had a hollow out of which a child did proceed, which was little but lovely, perfect in all but very spare and leane.

AS ALSO The KINGS sending to his Parliament for hostage for the security of his person to come unto London and to fit with his parliament for the composing the diffirences in the Kingdome.

Printed at London by I. H.

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Title statement

The most strange and wounderfull apperation of blood in a poole at Garraton in Leicester-shire, which continued for the space of foure dayes, the rednesse of the colour for the space of those foure dayes every day increasing higher and higher, to the infinet amazement of many hundreds of beholders of all degrees and conditions, who have dipped their handketchers in this bloody poole, ... As also the true relation of a miraculous and prodigious birth in Shoo-lane, where one Mistris Browne a cuttlers wife was delivered of a monster without a head or feet, and in stead of a head had a hollow out of which a child did proceed, which was little but lovely, perfect in all but very spare and leane. As also the Kings sending to his Parliament for hostage for the security of his person to come unto London and to sit with his parliament for the composing the diffirences in the kingdome.

Edition statement

1645

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Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

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Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A89372

ID [STC]

Wing M2921

ID [STC]

Thomason E303_22

ID [STC]

ESTC R200300

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99861107

ID [PROQUEST]

99861107

ID [VID]

113235

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A89372)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 113235)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 50:E303[22])

Source

— The most strange and wounderfull apperation of blood in a poole at Garraton in Leicester-shire, which continued for the space of foure dayes, the rednesse of the colour for the space of those foure dayes every day increasing higher and higher, to the infinet amazement of many hundreds of beholders of all degrees and conditions, who have dipped their handketchers in this bloody poole, ... As also the true relation of a miraculous and prodigious birth in Shoo-lane, where one Mistris Browne a cuttlers wife was delivered of a monster without a head or feet, and in stead of a head had a hollow out of which a child did proceed, which was little but lovely, perfect in all but very spare and leane. As also the Kings sending to his Parliament for hostage for the security of his person to come unto London and to sit with his parliament for the composing the diffirences in the kingdome.,

Extent

8 p.

by I.H.,. Printed at London :: [1645]. (Publication date from Wing.) (Annotation on Thomason copy: "7bre 30th 1645" [i.e. September 30].) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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