Signes and wonders from heaven. With a true relation of a monster borne in Ratcliffe Highway, at the signe of the three Arrows, Mistris Bullock the midwife delivering here thereof. Also shewing how a cat kitned a monster in Lombard street in London. Likewise a new discovery of witches in Stepney parish. And how 20. witches more were executed in Suffoke this last assise. Also how the divell came to Soffam to a farmers house in the habit of a gentlewoman on horse-backe. With divers other strange remarkable passages. 1645 Approx. 11 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 4 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A93262 Wing S3777 Thomason E295_2 ESTC R200194 99860999 99860999 113126

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A93262) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 113126) Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 49:E295[2]) Signes and wonders from heaven. With a true relation of a monster borne in Ratcliffe Highway, at the signe of the three Arrows, Mistris Bullock the midwife delivering here thereof. Also shewing how a cat kitned a monster in Lombard street in London. Likewise a new discovery of witches in Stepney parish. And how 20. witches more were executed in Suffoke this last assise. Also how the divell came to Soffam to a farmers house in the habit of a gentlewoman on horse-backe. With divers other strange remarkable passages. [2], 5, [1] p. by I.H., Printed at London : [1645] With a t.p. woodcut. Publication date from Wing. Annotation on Thomason copy: "Aug: 5". Reproduction of the original in the British Library.

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eng Curiosities and wonders -- England -- Early works to 1800. Witchcraft -- England -- Early works to 1800. 2007-03 Assigned for keying and markup 2007-03 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-04 Sampled and proofread 2007-04 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

Signes and wonders from Heaven. With a true Relation of a Monſter borne in Ratcliffe High-way, at the ſigne of the three Arrows, Miſtris Bullock the Midwife delivering her thereof. Alſo ſhewing how a Cat kitned a Monſter in Lombard ſtreet in London. Likewiſe a new diſcovery of Witches in Stepney Pariſh. And how 20. Witches more were executed in Suffolke this laſt Aſſiſe. Alſo how the Divell came to Soffam to a Farmers houſe in the habit of a Gentlewoman on horſe-backe. With divers other ſtrange remarkable paſſages.

Printed at London by I. H.

Signes and wonders from heaven. WITH A true Relation of a ſtrange Monſter born in Ratcliffe High-way: Alſo a Cat kitning a monſter in Lombard ſtreet, &c.

IT is a knowne thing to all Chriſtian people which are capable of underſtanding how that the ſinnes of the world have in a high degree offended the worlds Maker, and provoked the Lord to anger, yet hath the Divel ſo blinded the eyes, and hardned the hearts of many men and women, that they cannot or will not ſee nor take notice of their owne iniquities, but rather ſeeme to excuſe themſelves of thoſe errors which they every day runne into. One will ſay, What though the Lord hath laid his puniſhing hand upon the Kingdome, is it my fault? I am no ſwearer, nor drunkard, no covetous perſon, no prophaner of the Lords Sabbath: and yet peradventure he that thus juſtifies himſelfe is guilty of all theſe, and more then are here named.

Another will be apt to ſay thus: If it be ſinne that hath brought the ſword, or the plague, or any other judgement upon us, 'tis not for any ſins of mine, tis long of ſuch a Lord, or long of ſuch a Magiſtrate that the Lord hath puniſhed the Land.

Others have ſaid, Tis long of the King that the whole Nation is ſo grievouſly troubled, for, ſay they, if the King had ſlaid with his Parliament, we had beene all at peace and quiet. And thus doe many people fl tter themſelves, and lay the blame on others. But of this I am certainly perſwaded that it is ot only for one mans ſins, but it is for every ones ſins that the Lord hath cauſed the ſword to be drawn amongſt us.

Furthermore I obſerve that the Lord had decreed a ſeparation betweene the King and his Parliament before the wars began in England for the fins of the whole nation. That the Lord is angry with us every one; for our ſins doe appeare in this: Doe we not ſee that the bloody wars doth more and more increaſe in our three Kingdoms whereby every mans heart een trimbles to thinke what ſhall become of them.

Doe we not know that the plague of Peſtilence doth daily annoy our Cities, Townes, and Countries: and what great numbers have dyed in Bristoll, Abington, and many places more.

Doe we not heare continuall claymour ring in our ears? how that famine will follow after the ſword, except the Lord will in mercy ſtay the rage of our enemies: It is ſaid, that Peſtilence, the Sword and Famine, are the ſearchers, wherwith the Lord drawes blood of ſinners: is there then any particular man or woman amongſt us all, but either at one time or other hath felt the ſmart of one, if not all of thoſe forenamed ſcourges no, no, there is none alive but hath ſmarted in one degree or other; even from the King to the Begger, Ergo, we are all ſinners: to make it further appeare that the Lord is angry with us for our ſins. Have there not beene ſtrange Comets ſeen in the ayre, prodigies, fights on the ſeas, marvellous tempeſts and ſtormes on the land: all theſe are eminent tokens of Gods anger to Sinners yet thats one all: Have not nature altered her courſe ſo much, that women framed of pure fleſh and blood, bringeth forth ugly and deformed Monſters; and contrariwiſe Beaſts bring forth humane ſhapes contrary to their kind.

Have not the Lord ſuffered the Devill to ramble about like a roring Lyon ſeeing to devoure us: have not a crew of wicked Witches, together with the Devils asſiſtance done many miſchiefes, in Norfolke Suffolke, Eſſex, and other parts of our Kingdome, whereof ſome were executed at Chenſford in Eſſex laſt to the number of fourteen, and many more impriſoned to this day, and by the voice of people there are ſome in Stepney Pariſh now in queſtion about witchcraft, being perſons of eminence their names muſt as yet be concealed, but time will bring truth to light: one thing more of the Witches which have not beene yet printed, was thus: on wedneſday laſt, Iuly, 30. being Faſt-day at a Towne called Soffam in Norfolke, at the Houſe of Peter-Smith, about 4, a clock in the after-noone came a woman ſeeming to be ſome great gentle woman or Lady on Horſe-back who knocking at the dore deſired to come in, there being in the houſe no body but one ſervant Maid, who told her, that he Maſter and Dam with the reſt of the Houſhold were at the Church, and that ſhe durſt let in no body, till ſuch time the Sermon was done, whereat the Gentlewoman commanded her to fetch her ſome of the beſt Beer in the Houſe: the Maid replyed, that there was but one ſort of Beer in the Houſe, and that ſhee would not meddle with till her Maſter came from Church, the Gentlewoman bad her to give her ſome of the Bacon, that was boyling in the pot, whereat the Maid began to tremble, and withal marvelled much how ſhe ſhould come to know what meat was in the pot, and therwithall lift up her hands crying, The Lord deliver me from all witches: ſaid the Gentlewoman, ſee thou look well to thy Beer, & thy Swines fleſh preſently ſeem d to mount her Horſe over the top of the Barne and ſo vaniſhed: When the mau and his ſervants were come from the Church, they found the Maid trembling and quaking in a mighty ſweat, being not able to ſpeake to them for the ſpace of two hours, but having recovered her ſtrength & ſpeech, ſhe told them how the Gentlewoman had talkt with her & what anſwer ſhe made, & of her ſudden departure, and of her going into the Sellar for Beer the Casks were broken, and all the Beere about the Roome: Then the Maid remembred, how that the woman bad her have a care of her Beer, and Swines fleſh went ſtreight-way into the Barten, where ſhe found three of her Maſters fat Hogs, crying, and laying out their tongues, and ſo they dyed.

Iuly 30. Soffam, a knowne witch in Suffolke, not above 2, miles from Clare, met with a woman great with childe comming from the Bake-houſe with a Cake under her arme, ſaid the witch, Give me thy Cake: the woman broke it in the middle, and offered her one part, which the witch refuſed, and ſaid, As ſhe had broken the Cake, ſo ſhould the childe be broken in her body. And immediately the woman went home, and was delivered of two lumps of fleſh.

It is likewiſe certified by many of good quality and worth that at the laſt Aſſiſes in Norfolke there were 40 witches araigned for their lives, and 20. executed: and that they have done very much harme in that Countrey, and have propheſied of the downfall of the King and his Army, and that Prince Robert ſhall be no longer ſhot-free: with many ſtrange and unheard of things that ſhall come to paſſe.

Theſe and many more ſuch like evils have of late beene done in the Countrey, as is affirmed by good ſufficient Authors, as ſhall be related hereafter. And now will I returne and tell you of ſome ſtrange newes neerer home.

Iuly 28. at a place called Ratcliffe High-way neere unto London, at the ſigne of the three Arrows, dwelt a woman named Miſtris Hart, who lived and was well beloved of her neighbours, ſhe was religiouſly given, honeſt in behaviour, courteous in her ſpeech, and well qualified in her actions: This woman being with childe, would oftentimes ſay that ſhe was mightily troubled with what ſhe bore in her wombe, as well ſhe might be: for on the 28. day of Iuly laſt, about 6. of the clocke in the morning ſhe fell ſtrongly in labour, and therewithall ſent for the Midwife, whoſe name is Miſtris Bullock, and other of her neighbours to come to her labour, who through Gods aſſiſtance brought her to a ſafe delivery. The Infant being brought into the world, the Midwife and the reſt of the women having taken a view of it, perceived it to be the ſtrangeſt miſſhapen Monſter that ever they lookt on, or heard tell of. It was both hee and ſhee, borne without a noſe, without hands and feet or legs, one eare, and that grew in the neck, and where the legs and armes ſhould have beene, there grew pieces of fleſh, and no bones nor ioynts. This deformed Monſter was borne alive, but it lived not long: the woman is yet living.

Thus doth the Lord daily ſend wonders into the world, thereby to put us in minde of our ſinnes, and move us to repentance.

One ſtrange Relation more I have to mention, and ſo conclude: and that is this:

In Lombardſtreet in London in a Goldſmiths houſe, a Cat brought forth a monſtrous Kitnen, which was partly ſhapen like a humane creature, and the other part Monſter like. The manner of the forme was thus: It had eight feet upon one body, and two tayls, his pawes were like a childes hands, and never a head, but one great eye placed in the body where the head ſhould be.

Thus have I related unto you ſuch news which is known to be as true as ſtrange: God in his mercy give us all a ſight of our ſins, and grant us grace to acknowledge them, and amend our lives.

FINIS.