EVills of Punishment are Gods, the evill of Sinne is wholly ours. Whatsoever was the impulsive cause of his iudgements, our whole­somest use is, to attribute them to our sins: to greater sins, greater Iudgements, seeing God seemeth to observe a proportion to our deserts: for, Ezek. 14.21. the Prophet speaks of foure sore Iudgements, that is, greater and more grievous than the rest: famine, sword, pe­stilence, and the noysome beast. With these hath he lately visited some nations; especially Germany, before a large, populous, fertile and flourishing Countrey. What shall we say? were their sinnes greater than ours? No, but except we repent, what may we expect? the sinnes of Sodome were pride, idlenesse, and fulnesse of bread; and such they acknowledge theirs to have beene. I have seene their peasants served in plate, they slept [Page 2] with downe-beds above and under them: their stoves kept them insensible of the winters cold; they ate no dish of meate without his sauce; their plenty of corne and wine, milke and ho­ney, fish and flesh, did equall that of any other nation whatsoever. A little labour brought them in much; delicacy of living, made them incompassionate of others sufferings; and se­curity blinded them, that they could not see the storme a comming. Thus, while they swim in fulnesse and pleasure, the Iudgement that slept, was suddenly awaked, and the fire of war was kindled in all their coasts; which blowne with the bellowes of exasperated spirits, hath depopulated their Land, and consumed their dwellings to the ground: all lieth desolate; the vineyards are not dressed, nor the fields tilled: the sword is every where drunke with blood. Famine killeth more than the sword; and the pestilence, with other Epidemicke diseases (warres attendants) devoure their part also; and, which is worst of all, there is yet no end of these things.

TO beginne with warre, which beganne the rest, who knoweth not that this mercilesse fury hath there plaied the tyrant ever since that burning Bea­con, the blazing starre, gave them the alarme, 1617. which the best Astrologers expounded the sword of Germany. A prophecie I have seene, long since, written in a Booke, which belonged to a canonick of Nimegon, and now in the Libra­ry at Zutphen; that a time should come, when one Frederike should be King, and then should the Princes of Germany, the Nobility of Bohemia, and the people of both be oppressed, and warre rage, beyond all precedent of former ages; this, if ever, is now fulfilled in our daies. And if in such disorder, it may be possible, I will observe this order in speaking thereof: first, extortions and exactions: secondly, tortures and torments: thirdly, rape and ravishing: fourthly, robbe­ry and pillaging: fifthly, blood-shed and kil­ling: sixthly, burning and destroying. These shall be the scenes of this first act. Famine and pestilence shall stand for the other acts of this direfull tragedy: in which, as no action or pas­sion was simple, or single, so can I not but with [Page 6] intermixtion, and confusion rehearse them.

For the first, as no province or part of Ger­many can boast of her freedome from these mi­series (though some have beene more free than others) so is there no Prince, nor State, which hath not suffered herein, no City, no Towne, almost no person. Every halfe yeeres, every moneths, yea, weekes relation, telleth us, of hundreds, thousands, millions of rix dollars, or guldens, imposed, exacted, extorted by the Con­querors, or spoylers, for the redemption of mens lives or liberties, goods or dwellings, &c. Strange and impossible oft-times have the ran­somes beene, with which they have taxed the Burgers, at the taking in of townes.

And that they might have their wills in this kinde, they have called the Magistrates, and Burghers into the State-houses, threatned, im­prisoned, or otherwise abused them, till they condescended.

At Gryphenberg, they kept the Senators shut up in a chamber of the common hall, macerating, and tormenting them so long with hunger and smoake, that some of them dyed.

Wee left in Heydelberg Castle many Burgers to this their mercy; and divers reverend Ministers, who were imprisoned, and fed with bread and water, till the charity of the reformed Churches could relieve them.

Presently after, they at Frankendale surren­dring [Page 7] the towne, upon necessity, could not en­ioy the articles granted them by the enemy; But were together with the grave Counsellours, and other Electorall Ministers, forced to endure such conditions, as were fitter for slaves and dogges, than men. Some were cast into prison, and there so handled, that many of them dyed through griefe and sorrow. Others, though altogether exhausted, redeemed themselves with unrea­sonable ransomes. The goods of those that were fled, were confiscated: all the inhabitants, though they were willing to leave their houses, with all their furniture, were detained in the Ci­ty, and their destruction most cruelly plotted: after like manner have others beene dealt with, contrary to all oathes and promises, yea, con­tray to the lawes of nations and common faith.

NOt to insist on these, looke we up­on the cruelties which the licen­tious Souldier hath exercised up­on the persons of the inhabi­tants, without respect of age, sex, dignitie, calling, &c. and we shall rather thinke them banditos or renegado's, than men of armes, rather monsters than mankinde. Nor Turkes nor Infidels have so behaved themselves. Even Princes (sacred persons) though they never bore armes, as the old Landgrave of Hessen, and others: yea some of the female sex, as the old Dutchesse dowager of Wirtenberg, have beene without any regard or pitty, taken prisonors re­viled, abused.

Aronibeus reporteth from the Letters of the D. of Saxony, that some of Tillies Souldiers caused his Subiects to be tortured, by halfe strangling them, and pressing their thumbes with wheeles.

His Souldiers, and those of Walsten, exercised yet greater cruelties in Pomeren, and thereabouts. They made the people by force to eate their owne excrements: and if they would not, they thrust them downe their throats and so choaked some of them.

Whom they thought to have hidden gold or other wealth, they have assyed, by exquisite torments to make them confesse. Yea Princely personages have suffered like cruelty in this kinde with meaner folke.

They have wound and tied about the heads of such, strong matches or cords, and twisted the same till the blood came out of their eyes, eares, and noses, yea till their eyes started out of their heads.

They have put and tied burning Matches betwixt their fingers, to their noses, tongues, iawes, cheekes, breasts, legges, and secret parts.

Yea those parts which nature hideth, they have either filled with powder, or hung satchels of powder on them, and so giving fire to the same, they have in horrible manner burst their bellies, and killed them.

They have with bodkins pierced, yea with knives raced, and cut the skinne and flesh of many, as some Artificers deale with Leather, or other stuffe of like nature.

They have drawne strings and cords thorow the fleshy parts of some, the muscles of their thighes, legges, armes, &c. through their noses, eares, lips, &c.

They have hung up some in the smoake, dry­ing them with small fires, refreshing them sometime with small drinke, or cold water. For these being such as were before overwhel­med [Page 13] with griefe, they tooke care least in their torment they should die too soone.

Some they have put into hot Ovens and so smothered or burned them. Some they rosted with straw-fires.

Some have they stifeled, strangled or han­ged. This was great favour to be ridde out of their paine.

To many they have bound so hard both hands and feete, that the blood hath sprouted out at the ends of their fingers and toes.

Of some they have tied both hands and feete backward together, and stopped their mouthes with clouts to hinder them from praying.

Some have they hanged up, with ropes fast­ned to their privie parts, and hearing their roa­ring cries, have striven to out-roare and drowne their cries as in sport.

And yet more detestable, where they have found poore weake Creatures troubled with ruptures or burstnesse, they have enlarged the same by villanous meanes, filled them with gun-powder, and blowne them up as a mine, by giving fire thereunto.

Many have they trussed up on high, hanging on their feete stones and weights to stretch our their bodies.

With Jizels or like instruments they have gone about to plaine the faces of some, preten­ding that they would make it equall & smooth.

Some housholders have they openly gelded, in the presence of their wives and children.

The mouthes of some have they opened with gags, and then poured downe their throates, water, stinking puddle, filthy liquids, and pisse it selfe, saying, this is a Swedish draught. So grow­ing sicke, and their bellies swelling like a tunne they have died by leisure with the greater torment.

Downe the throates of others, they have thrust a knotted clout, & then with a string pul­led it up againe to move the bowels out of their place, or shew themselves exquisite in such divellish devices. And by these torments they have made some deafe, or dumbe, others blind, others lame and miserable creples, if they killed them not.

If an husband did intreate for the wife, or the wife for the husband, then tooke they the intercessour and he was tortured by them, after the same manner before the others eyes.

And (which is almost beyond all credit) when these poore prisoners or patients, were suffering or dying under their hands, and crying to God in their anguish, these hellish executio­ners would command or force them to pray un­to the divell or call upon him.

Infinite and unspeakeable are the cruelties, which have this last yeere beene exercised by the furious Souldiers on all sides.

And some divels among them did proceed so farre, that they consulted and devised new and exquisite tortures, which they exercised upon innocent persons. They tooke a Divine, (some write a Canon in those parts, and a reve­rend old man) stripped him, bound him along upon his backe on a Table, and a strong bigge Cat upon his naked belly. They beate and pric­ked the Cat to make her fixe her teeth and claws in the poore mans belly. So the Cat & the man, partly through famine, partly through paine and anguish, both breathed their last.

Some of their despicable and infamous ruy­tery cal [...]ed Croats or Crabats, have laboured much to teach their horses not onely to kill men, but to eate humane and Christians flesh, and have consulted how to finde out torments more rare, cruell, and exquisite then ever. What shall we say to these divels? Phalaris, Nero, Dio­nysius, all other tyrants and tyrannies, are in­comparable to these new stratagematists and engineers. Caucasus bred them, Tygers fed them, hell taught them, and thither I remit them.

[Page]

I Have said much of the former particular, and yet but little. I will now speake little of this en­suing abomination, and (I feare) too much. Rapes and ravishing scarce to be spoken or heard of, have they committed, beyond all humane mo­desty. Maides, and matrons, widdowes and wives, without distinction have they violated and forced, and that in the presence of their pa­rents, husbands, neighbours, &c. women with child, in child-bed, &c. no penne can write it, no faith beleeve it. No Chappell, Church, or place consecrated hath beene free from the fil­thiest of pollutions or most sacrilegious barba­rismes. The very Hospitals and Bedlame-hou­ses have not beene spared: their divellish madnesse hath there found subiects for their purpose.

In Hossen-land, a poore leane bedlam wo­man, that had beene kept in chaines above twenty yeeres, was by these hell-hounds let loose. About her they brought divers others, like her selfe, some madde, some dumbe, all [Page 20] wretched. They tied their coates about their cares, and so used them as I shame to ex­presse.

In Pameren they tooke the fairest daughters of the Countrey-dwellers, and ravished them in the light of their parents, making them and their friends to sing Psalmes before them all the while.

In Holy, I have heard some with tear [...] ree [...] the villanies perpetrated by the German troops of Gallas and Altringer, when they besieged Man­tua. Among the rest, a beautifull maid was by her parents hid in the dunghill. But they sound her out, had their pleasures of her, then cut her in pieces, hung her quarters up in the Church, and bid her friends pray to the Saints for her succour.

The Sperenrenterish horsemen (as we came through Brunswick-land) tooke by force a young maide ten yeeres old, and carried her into a wood to ravish her. The mother with upreard hands came running after our Coach, crying out to my Colonell, who was here a stranger without command, and could not relieve her: then saw wee the two horse-men come out of the wood, where they had left the poore childe dead or alive, I know not.

Vertuous and chaste women have they offe­red to kill, or throwne their children into the fire, to make them yeeld.

They have not spared the very Nunnes in the Cloysters, but after they have entred by force, broken open their Trunke [...] and Cossers, and ta­ken their goods, they have likewise ravished them, and killed some of them.

I know the generall, a troope of whose horse having done the like, [...] commanded them all to bee hanged, but because they were not all a­like guilty, they cast lots for their lives, and eve­ry tenth man died.

Some have leaped into rivers, into walls, or killed themselves because they would not bee subiect to the filthy lusts of these hell-borne furies.

Not onely sicke and weake maids, and wo­men have beene violated till they died, but these wretches have committed like filthinesse with the dead bodies.

NO man can now passe any where in Dutch-land, but he is robbed, stripped, perhaps killed. The Merchants of Frankford, Nurenberg, Lipzig Hamburg, &c. have had too woefull experience hereof: witnesse of infinite this one instance. The Merchants of Basil, re­turning from the Mart at Strasburg, and other Faires, to goe to Shoffehausen, were set upon by the Imperialists in their lodging, and though they offered to prove themselves Merchants, and craved their lives upon their knees, yet they killed ten of them, saying they must die, because they were heretickes. The rest leaving their goods and garments behind, escaped by flight starke naked in the night.

The very Convoyes which waite on those that travell to guard them are oftentimes as bad, almost, as a strange enemy. They watch all occasions to take from them what they have, their money and goods, their horses as they goe to watering, or out of the stables in the night, spoyle their wagons when they make a stand, rifle and strippe and meanest persons if they straggle from the company, and so they ser­ved [Page 26] us all the way from Heydelberg to Hessen-land: that wee knew not which was worse our friend with us, or our enemy behinde us.

Two Countesses of great nobility with their faire daughters and followers in distresse, were entertained by us in the Castle of Heydelberg, the one immediately before, the other in the time of the siege. When our hope of subsisting be­gan to faile, they went away with the enemies pasport. Notwithstanding which they were by them robbed and rifled in their coaches of all they had, not sparing the very garments that co­vered them.

The priviledged persons of royall Embassa­dours, their goods and followers cannot be se­cured from them, witnesse this yeere the shame­full plundering of the Danish Embassadour.

What quarter they give to the traveller, the like or worse they afford the inhabitants. If they escape with their lives this is all, and well too: when the time hath beene that one might have travelled safe from the one end of Germany to the other with a white rodde in his hand and an hundred pound in his purse.

Indeed they robbe one another every where out of their quarter: nor are they fellow soul­diers any longer, when they have opportunity to play the theeves. Nor God nor divell doe they acknowledge, but when they sweare, nor is any thing so vile but they will doe it.

AS for killing, this is the least of all the rest. Death puts an end to all miseries; onely they that survive are oft-times the worse for want of them that are dead. To re­port the blood-shed of this warre, would be incredible: Alsted saith, that before the King of Swedens comming, it had consumed no lesse than 100000 If this be true, what hath it done since? how many millions have miserably pe­rished? they have sometimes killed one ano­ther; and among other precedents, this is not least remarkeable, that Gourdon and Lesley, Scotch Colonels, with Colonell Butler the Irish man, who killed Walstein, the Count of Tirskie, and other Imperiall officers then readie to revolt to the Swedish partie, are now, this yeere after the same manner, hurt or killed themselves (as is written) by Gallas his followers, upon a dispute about that former businesse; a document for all strangers to take heede, how they collogue with those monsters, in such dangerous actions, who love the treason, but hate the traitor.

The crueltie of the Soulder towards the in­habitants of those Countries is inexpressible. [Page 30] Persons secular and sacred, have had the same measure. Neere Fryburg, Holck his Souldiers cut in pieces a reverend Minister, a man of rare learning and piety. The dogs would not licke his blood, nor touch his flesh. So his friends bu­ried his mangled members.

At Landshood in Bavier, the Souldier entring by force, killed not onely all they found in armes, but the innocent inhabitants, yea, the ve­ry Priests kneeling at the Altars; and divers other instances of like nature I could produce.

Now what may the poore peasant and coun­trey-dwellers expect? to kill them if they re­sist or refuse them any thing, is but ordinary in this warre: among the Imperialists is a base sort of rascally horse-men which serve them, and are called Croats. The tenth part of them are not of that Countrey: for they are a mis­cellanie of all strange nations, without God, without religion, and have onely the outsides of men, and scarce that too. They make no con­science of murthering men or women, old or young, yea, the very innocent babes; and like the beasts among whom they are bred, do some­times eate them, when other food might be found: the poore people have by these beene every where knocked downe in the fields and waies, slaughtered, stabbed, tortured barba­rously.

Their fellow souldiers are not much behind [Page 31] them having some where left such foot-steps of their cruelty, that there scarce remaine living, to relate the sufferings of the dead. I have seene them beat out the braines of poore old decrepid women, as in sport, and commit other outrages of like nature, which my brevity will not per­mit me to relate.

It is now grown so usuall with the poore peo­ple to see one slaine before anothers face, that (as though there were no relation, no affection of neighborhood, kindred or friendship among them) none compassionateth, almost none cry­eth out, oh my father, or oh my brother.

As for quarter (that is mercy, and the saving of the lives of the vanquished, when they begge it on their knees) the vanquishers have been oft times inhumane. The Croats, till of late, never gave any quarter, but killed whatsoever enemy they had at their mercy. The like did the Cur­lins (the regiment of hell) receive pay of them of Gaunt and Bruges, to bring the nose and eares of their enemies away to their Masters.

Tilly, after the defeate of the Duke of Bruns­wicke at Heuxt on the Maine, drew out of that towne threescore poore Souldiers, and caused them all to be killed in the cold blood, before the gate, saying, that he sacrificed them to Count Mansfield their master. I could weary my rea­der with these examples. But I forbeare.

FOr burning, pulling down and rui­ning of Churches, Cities, Villages, the like hath not been heard. The Swedish army burned above 2000 Villages in Bavaria, in revenge of the Palatine cause: But their enemies spare nei­ther foes nor friends. What goodly houses of the Nobility and Gentry shall you, there, see fallen downe, or so defaced, as is scarce re­parable without building new? From what quarter soever the army riseth they will be sure to leave some dwellings in the ashes, some in the smoake. To that passe it is now come, that every one that is a man, betaketh himselfe to armes. There is now no other aboad, but some campe, no other plow to follow, no other im­ployment but the warre: for hee that is not an actor with the rest, must needs be a sufferer a­mong the miserable patients. No tilling of the land, no breeding of cattell: for if they should, the next yeere the souldiers devoure it. Better to sit still, than to labour, and ler others reape the profits. Hence an universall desolation.

Part of the people swarme as banished in strange Countries, as I have observed in Suisse, at [Page 36] Lausan, Berne, Basil &c. in France, in Italy especi­ally the Venetian Territories. From Basil to Stras­burg, from Strasburg to Heydleberg, from thence to Marpurg, I scarce saw a man in the fields, or Villages. Little better shall a man finde it that travelleth from the Kingdome of France to the middle of Bohemia, from the Alpes above Aus­purg to the Baltique Sea, a square of land little lesse than thrice all Great Britaine. Onely here and there, as the land hath rest, the dwellers re­turne. But alas, the farre greater part are extin­guished by warre, misery, or length of time.

FAmine commeth next in place, a thing so grievous, that David preferred the pestilence in his choice. To see men slaine by the sword, or die of conta­gious diseases, is not yet so grievous, as to see them die of famine, or kill to eate one another. In Samaria besieged by Benhadad K. of Syria, the famine was so great that an Asses head was sold for 80. pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of Doves dung forfifty pieces of silver. Two women covenanted to eate their children suc­cessively: and when they had boyled and ea­ten the one, the other woman hid hers. In the siege of Ierusalem, mice, ratts, and hides were good meate, and women did dresse and eate their owne children, the smell whereof drew others that were hunger-starved to come to share with them. But that Cities not besieged, and a Countrey naturally fertile should bee so ruined as not to bee able, for so long a time to afford bread to a poore remnant of people, but that they must be faine to eate carian, yea dead men, yea one another living: this is pity­full, this is unheard of.

Had I not beene provided of Viaticum, at my [Page 40] comming out of Suisse famine had arrested mee in Germany, for there was not any where meate for money. The Italians and Spaniards, which had been at the skirmish at Nortlingen, and with­out armes, wandred among the Duke of Lor­raines troupes at Nyburg and Brisac, were so black and feeble through hunger, that had I not given them part of my provision, I thinke they had rent mee in pieces and eaten mee.

Travelling from Nieustadt toward Frankendale in a snowie day, I met, unexpected, the army of Duke Bernard, whose stragling fore-runners, came riding vp to me by couples, and when I looked for a worse errand, asked only for bread, which my guide gave them, so long as wee had any.

From thence to Manheime and Heydleberg, ma­ny dead men lay strewed on the way, especially on the fire places, which perished through cold and want.

Before wee were besieged last time in Heydle­berg Castle, some of my patients, almost recove­red of their diseases, sent mee word, they were dying of famine, as indeed they did, except our canon helped to shorten their miseries. For be­ing immediately shut up, we shot into the towne night and day, almost uncessantly.

Our souldiers at the first, killed more horses on a day, than they could eate, lest they should famish for want of hay, and those they threw out of the Castle, downe the rocke, which [Page 41] the enemy in the night drew into the towne, (though some in so doing were slaine by our shot) and so they ate our horse flesh, also our Serieant Maior sallied with fifty men upon the enemy being 300. entrenched on the hill on the East side of the Castle, and beate them out of their workes. Many were slaine, some broke their necks downe the rocks: but which equal­lized the victory, the valiant Maior was shot dead. Our souldiers being masters of the trench, fell to ransacke the enemies knapsackes which they had left behind them. But there was no­thing in them, save our horse flesh, which every day grew scarser with us: so that now we kil­led the horses which stood fasting and sleeping on the dung-hill, not out of compassion, but ne­cessity. Another Serieant Maior had two very faire horses shut up, our souldiers tooke the one and ate him, hee thinking to make sure the other, stapled him to the wall with a strong chain and a padlock, but they espying their op­portunity, cut off the horses necke, left the head in the chaine, and carried away the body and ate it.

At length, dogs and carian came into request, wee could smell our meat afarre off, and on the table it was yet more loathsome, the taste did answer the smell, yet, we ate it savourly, but our bread at last failing, we yeelded to necessity.

THe armies now every where o­ver-ranne the Countrey, de­voured both Corne and Cattell: so they that had goods left offe­red to give all for a little belly-timber. But not so obtaining it they were faine to lie upon the streets and high waies, (a thing not usuall with them) and to crave for Gods sake wherewith to refresh their dying soules. But no sooner had they swallowed what was given them, but they fell downe and died.

Memorable is that story which Reinmannus re­cordeth of the Famine in Alsatia the last yeere, which is at this present yet worse. Valentine of Engelin a Citizen of Rufack, with the dead-bu­rier, delivered unto the Magistrate upon their oathes, that Anne the daughter of Iohn Ehstein confessed unto them, that she came from Colmar, where shee had waited many daies before the hangmans doore in hope to get a piece of hors-flesh to satisfie her hunger. But not prevailing, she was now come to Rufack entreating them, that if there was the body of any young man or woman unburied, that they would give it her to eate to preserve her life.

And that two women & a boy did after the same manner speake unto them, telling them that they had for a long time lived of dead mens flesh, which being published the Cloyster of the Church-yard of S^t. Nicholas where the dead bodies were kept was locked up.

Lastly, that foure young maides had cut in pieces the dead bodies of another young maide of eleven yeeres of age, and eaten every one their part.

At this day it is yet worse. Many that survived the losse of all they had, have for a long time sustained themselves with rootes, Acornes, greene fruites, grasse, thistles, and weeds, that beasts would not have eaten, whereof they grew enraged and died.

The famished have beene so faint, that they have not had strength to bury one another, in so much, that the dead have beene eaten up of Dogges, Foxes and Wolves, and some have run madd for hunger.

In some cities, the inhabitants by this famine, have beene constrained to kill all unedible cat­tell, without any difference, and to sell them publikely: as Dogs, Cats, Rats, Mice, &c.

A woman at Hanaw, that had sold dogs-flesh ordinarily to the souldiers, was in the streetes assaulted by Dogs, all her garments torne off her backe, that shee was faine to sit downe on the ground to hide her shame. And, had shee not [Page 47] beene rescued, shee had beene rent in pieces by the Dogs.

Where any man had a beast left that hee carefully kept for his necessity, some or other of his acquaintance, if hee could come by it, would kill and eate it.

They have snatched one from another the very stinking carrion, which had lyen sixe or seaven weakes dead and full of magots: yea and have fought and beaten one another to get a morsell thereof, as lately happened at Dubach by Bachrack.

It hath moved the great ones and governours of these quarters unto compassion to see their people in such extreame want. In so much that the noble Earle of Falkenstein seeing his subiects crave sustenance of him, commanded his man to give them his hounds to satisfie their hunger which they presently killed and ate.

AS the sicknesse spreadeth by the contagion of infected bodies, so hath this famine encreased by the neglect of Providence in the disa­bled and famished. When no more food was to bee got, they were inraged like beasts one against another, and gathering together by troopes, have watched for one ano­ther upon the high waies, and so murthered, dressed and eaten one another. Thenceforth no man could passe safe on the way or in the streets, except well armed or travelling with a convoy. And some of them have beene taken and severely punished by Justice, neverthelesse they have secretly lurked here and there, and set upon the passengers, as by many instan­ces, I could shew.

It is not good to be alone; for where there is companie, the one will helpe the other in di­stresse. The hardnesse of these times being ob­served or rather felt, three maidens at Odenheim [Page 52] in Dirmbstein by Wormes agreed to dwell toge­ther, and to partake of sweet and sower all alike. But the proverbe is true, that necessity hath no law, and hunger is a sharpe thorne. So pressed they were with extreame famine, that they sought one anothers lives to save their owne. Two of them conspired together to take away the life of the third, by strangling her in bed or otherwise treacherously to kill her, and after to dresse and eate her up. All which they did ac­cordingly. Then the second resolved to stran­gle her companion, and cut off her head, which when she had done, her heart being hardened, she went to a village called Ridisheim to a woman of her acquaintance, called Margaret, whose husband was a Farmer, and kept himselfe away for a time in the towne of Leyningen. The wo­man entertained her kindly, reioycing that shee came yet once to see her. But in the night, lying by the said woman, she cut off her head, bound the dead body upon a board and brought it to Piedessen, where she dwelt and drew it into her house. The sharpenesse of hunger pricking her, she had not the patience to cut the body in pie­ces, but did cut off the head and both the hands onely, and washed and dressed them. The hus­band comming home missed his wife, and en­quired for her at the neighbours, who told him that such a maide was seene with his wife. Hee went to her house, knocked at the doore and as­ked [Page 53] her, if she had not seene his wife. She answe­red him no. But such deedes of cruelty are hardr to bee concealed. Murther will out, they say, or the very bruits will discover it. He goes into he house, casteth his eyes round about, pryeth into every corner: At length hee espieth an hand to sticke out of the pot, which hung upon the fire. Hereupon, as overcome with griefe hee rageth and rayleth against the murderesse, threatneth her with sharpe words, so that she presently con­fessed and revealed it.

Then went he to the Justice and complained. So shee was brought to Slitzey with three Mus­ketiers. They made her hold the sodden hand in her hand, while shee was examined: and so she had her sentence from the imperiall officers, Burgrave Philip of Waldecke, and all the Lords of Justice, before the iudgement seat. They deli­berated long about her punishment, whether she should die or no, because some were of opi­nion, that shee did it not as a rationall creature but as a brute, because the appetite of food is common to us with beastes. But wickednesse, though necessitated, may not ever goe free. Some must be made an example for the terrour of others. She was led to the common place of iustice, her head cut off, and her body bound upon a wheele there to remaine as a spectacle.

I cannot but write with teares what follow­eth.

No man ever hated his owne flesh. But such are the children of our bodies. It is even against nature to destroy such fruite. Yet the sharpe­nesse of hunger brought this to passe. Oh! what is that necessity which makes us breake stone walls, forget the neerest and dearest re­lations, vanquish our naturall and most power­full passions and destroy that which wee so dearely loved, so carefully cherished! At Oter­burg in the Palatinate, a widow woman dwel­ling by the churchyard (her name well known) had a daughter of nine or tenne yeares old. This childe with hunger was growne so faint, that upon a time, with sorrowfull eyes, shee stedfastly looked upon her mother and said, sweet mother, I would willingly dye, so I were rid of my paine. Oh! would you make an end of me, then should I goe from whence I came, or if I did kill you, you would bee rid of your paine. The mother looking upon her againe, sighing said, and what wouldest thou doe with me? The childe answered, very sadly, I then would eate you, for they say that mans flesh is very sweet. The mother fell a weeping, and [Page 55] broken with her owne thoughts, as a ship tossed and beaten betweene two rocks, desperate ne­cessity & her motherly affection, catcheth at her head, untyeth her haire-lace, twisteth it about the necke of this innocent lambe, and so strang­leth her, when it was dead, she having nor knife nor hatchet to cut it in pieces, tooke a spade, and therewith hewed it into gobbets, and so dres­sing the head and part of the body devoured it. Some part thereof shee sould to her neighbours for foure stivers the pound.

Her childe being long missed, her acquain­tance asked her where it was, and how she came by that flesh. She answered it was hogs-flesh, which she had got of the souldiers, who passed that way. But perceiving the truth would come out, she at last confessed it. Whereupon she was complained of to the iustice at Keysars Lauteren, and put in prison by Ionker van Effren, and ad­iudged to an halfe pound of bread, and a kanne of water a day, so to expect her sentence. But being sent for out of prison and examined by the lords shee told them she was happy, that she was in prison, and would be glad to lie there all her life, to slake her hunger and refresh her­selfe with such food, her pricking paine being thereby abated. This so moved the Lords to pitty, that they freed her from prison, and let her goe as innocent.

I cannot but record another story of like na­ture, [Page 56] of the woman of Hornebach, where was sometime the Princely schoole of Zwybruck, Ha­ving lately lyen in childbed and wanting milke to nourish her babe, she kissed and embraced it with moyst teares, and after a long discourse killed it with a knife. Afterwards shee dressed and ate it. When it began to be knowne, shee was examined before the iustices. The Lords as­ked her, wherefore shee killed her childe. She made answer that mighty and intollerable hun­ger had made her so to doe, and that it was her owne fruite, of which shee might better make use, then of any other. Neverthelesse she was condemned to dye, and accordingly executed.

I Am now weary of these lamen­table relations. Yet more mise­rable (if more miserable can be) have ensued. They have traced the dead bodies to the place of their buriall, digged them out of their graves dressed and eaten them. So that in divers places (at Wormes espe­cially) they have beene faine to set watch at the Church yardes, and over the graves to keepe the dead from being stolne and eaten.

In Saxony at this present the case is so misera­ble in this kind, that no pen can expresse it. The Saxon-Austrian armie (were they not beaten) must retreite through hunger, having famished both the inhabitants and themselves.

After the same manner it is upon the Rhine, and many other parts, where the armies are or have lately beene.

To that extremity it is come, that some con­strained by hunger, have taken poyson to ad­vance death.

In a word, the very wilde beasts in the woods doe starve for want of prey.

My Lord the Earle of Arundel travelling homewards towards Franckefort on the Maine, [...] boore or peasant of the country, being thei [...] guide, and having his Legs beare, a fox pursued him, among my Lords followers, and would not forbeare snatching and biting at his bare heeles, (such was his hunger) till they gave him a blow in the necke, and so tooke him alive. Hi [...] eyes were suncke, his bones stucke out, and he [...] was so extreme leane, that his sides almost me [...] together. They carried him alive with them in the coach, and after a few daies he died.

An English gentleman arrived here the othe [...] day, who travelling from Vlmes to Nurenburg, an [...] so through Germany for England, with such companions as guided him by-waies for escaping o [...] the souldiers, reporteth that Wolves, Foxes an [...] other wilde beasts ly dead for want of food, an [...] that in some places men live onely upon robbery and spoile of strangers, or one another The every being become a trade.

DIseases are more feared as they are more dangerous. Great diseases for their difficulty of cure, acute or sharpe diseases, because when they kill they dis­patch suddenly. But Epi­demick and contagious maladies have yet something more, besides their greatnesse, besides their acutenesse to make them terrible. And that is this, that they deprive a man of the comfort of his ac­quaintance, neighbours, friends, kinsfolkes, &c. Adde hereunto that for these wee sel­dome know any specificall remedy, for the pestilence I am sure there is none, as being Gods immediate judgement, though oft times hee useth the ministery of secondary causes, for the executing of his further pleasure herein, I have made tryall of all sorts of antidotes vegetable, minerall, animall, and that according to rationall method, yet am I almost as farre from the cure, as ever. These diseases are oft times warres conco­mitants or effects. Rare it is for a great Ar­mie [Page 64] to stay long in a place, and not to leave some infection behind. Beyond the Dona, after the Swedens departure from thence with their Armies, diseases unheard of, and the pest withall swept away a world of people. The like happened shortly after, about Nurrenberg in the high Palatinate, and on the frontiers of Boheme.

Before Mastreicht, after the Towne was taken, our quarters had contracted infecti­ous sicknesses: whereof I my selfe had my share, being left sicke in the Towne of a purple Feaver. But the yeere following both the Towne and Countrie were grievously affli­cted, with Feavers, Fluxes, and the Plague a­bove all.

The same yeare Elsas or Alsatia and the lower Palatinate, where the Armies of the Duke of Lorraine and the Rhinegrave had lodged, did suffer miserably in this kinde.

The Army of the Prince of Orange having ta­ken Rhineberg, and marching toward Mastricke and Liege, left such infection in great Brabant, about Firkens-ward, that the inhabitants the yeare after were afraide of their owne dwel­lings.

About the same time, Generall Holck being sent by Wolstein, with 6000 to invade Saxony, sacked the City of Leipzick and committed as great outrages as Tillies Army had done before. [Page 65] But such a pestilence overtooke both him and his, that most of his Souldiers died like sheepe of the rot. And being infected himselfe, hee offered 600 Rixdollers for a Minister of the Gospell to instruct and comfort him. But both himselfe, and his Souldiers had so behaved themselves, that no Minister was to be found. In the meane all his friends & servants forsooke him, except his Concubine, who stayed with him to the last. He had beene both of the Re­ligion and the Protestants party, but revolted from both. So guilty of his owne perfidious­nesse, and the execrable murders and rapines that he had caused, he died despairing utterly of all future blisse. At length came a Minister, but Holck was dead before.

The City of Basile that winter, lost above 20000. of the plague. They of the City of Trent, their neighbours rejoyced at their sufferings, as being their enemies in religion. But it fell out with thē, as with Edom in Obadiah, v. 15. that moc­ked Iacob in his distresse. The Winter following, 1634. the pestilence so raged among the Tri­dentines, that we were forbidden to come that way, for the sicke and sound were mixed toge­ther, and that City (not great) buried above 30000.

Besieged in the Castle of Heidleberg I visited every day, divers sicke of the Plague, and like diseases. But in neither of these two great [Page 66] plagues in London, nor in any other, that I have beene in did I ever finde the cause so virulent, the symptomes so incorrigible, the disease so incurable. Some died raging, others were kil­led with their carbuncles, when the venome seemed to bee expelled from the inward parts, others were swollen and discoloured, as though they had taken poyson, and some that died were so spotted, as I never saw the like. If any souldier were but sleightly wounded, presently it became a maligne ulcer, though all good in­ward and outward meanes were used. If the infection got into a kindred, it killed parents, children, and almost all the blood, that were present. Whence I perswade my selfe that Hip­pocrates his [...], that is, the divine hand and fin­ger of God was more conspicuous in this, than in any other visitation I had seene, though I doubt not but our foode with the aire might also helpe to empoyson our bodies extraor­dinarily.

Toward the end of the siege wee had made an hospitall in the roofe of the house. But packing out of the Castle, wee left there our sicke some dying, some crying out at the win­dowes not to be left to their sicknesse, famine, and death, and which was worse than the ene­my, of whom how they were used wee may imagine:

In the Towne they were much visited be­fore [Page 67] we were shut up: which could not but be augmented by the multitudes of the enemie.

In the siege of Hanaw were buried (most of the plague) above 22000 people, and had not God sent that sicknesse to diminish their num­bers, they had yeelded the towne through want of victuals.

In the same siege, Souldiers that went to the guard seeing and well, came off strucken starke blind thirty at a time. Afterwards the disease falling into their legges, the most of them reco­vered.

THe yeare 1635 almost whole Germany felt this punishment, in most grie­vous wise. In Swaben the Countrey of Tyroll, all along the Rhine, and the Maine, it was so furiously hot, that all places were alike safe. The King of Hun­gary was faine to dissolve his Court and send them away into divers Cities, for their safer abode.

In Swaben the inhabitants of Memingen, Campden, and Isuen were utterly consumed, and none left. In the Countrey thereabout, in which were more than thirty thousand men heretofore, were not foure hundred soules to be found.

In the confines of Bavier the living were no­thing neere able to bury the dead. But Rats and Mice devoured their carcasses, most horrible to behold.

The low Countries smarted sore also. The University of Leyden buried thirty thou­sand. The Countrey Villages and the Hague, [Page 72] (where I was shut up my selfe) were miserably afflicted. The Infant Cardinall was forced to remove from Bruxels and Antwerp, the sicknesse did so encrease, in those places.

Nimegen, Emerike, Rees, Guelders, with other places neere, were not onely visited therewith (whereof the Marquesse of Aytona, the Spanish Generall, and other Commanders died) but new contagious diseases, among which were strange Fluxes, and a kinde of pox unheard of.

The Emperours Army dispersing all over for want of resistance, did also scatter the con­tagion from their quarters at Haylbrun, through the Land of Wirtenberg, that many places here­by became utterly depopulated. But since Gallas his taking in the Townes upon the Rhine such an infection happened through the stinch of the dead unburied bodies, that in the Bishopricke of Meniz alone there died of this and hunger twenty foure thousand people.

In Saxony, Brandenburg, Pomeren, Mecklenburg, &c. this yeare the pestilence with like diseases have beene so universall, that these and the sword, seeme to strive which shall be the grea­test destroyer. The retraite of the Swedes, in which they did not onely evade, but cut in pie­ces many of the enemies troopes, is not so fa­mous as these calamities. The very plague con­sumed in Saxony the other day in the space of two moneths, no lesse than sixteene thousand [Page 73] soules. Insomuch that the King of Hungary hath given command, that none shall come from thence to Prague, or the Cities of Bohemia.

As by the print of Hercules his foot you might guesse at his stature, so by these few particulars of the miseries of some places there wee may guesse at the lamentable estate of the whole. The warre having every where caught and ra­ged hath left such wounds as will not in haste be recured, and perhaps posterity for some ge­nerations will see the skars.

Thus is the Virgine daughter of that people destroyed with a great destruction, and with a sore and grievous plague. Goe into the field,Ier. 14.17. behold the slaine with the sword. Enter into the City, behold them that are sicke for hunger al­so. So are they smitten, but are not healed. They looke for peace, but there is no good; for the time of health, but behold trouble.