OVr Sauiour Iesus Christ, by the mouth of his holy Ser­uants, hath now long agoe foretold that in these latter dayes many signes should appeare in the Sunne, Moone, Starres and Creatures aboue; and also before his second comming, many Miracles should heere be seene on earth below. Haue we not felt fa­mine and pestilence in those yeares by-past? [Page 2] And doe wee not heare rumors of Warres euery day, and the rising of Nation against Nation throughout all Europe? How ma­ny Sects of Religion doe daily breake vp, to the ouerthrow of the simplicity and sin­cerity of the Gospell, and offence of weake ones to stumble at? The Wicked in this respect may iustly tremble and quake, who neuer intend to breake off their sinnes by repentance, but putting off the euill day from them, lie wallowing in the puddle of their filthie pleasures, being past all feeling, are frozen in the dregges of the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse: as contrarily the Elect haue matter to reioyce, and lift vp their heads, for the day of their Redemption draweth neere; For doth not daylie expe­rience teach vs the accomplishment of all the tokens which should precede the great day of the Lord? And now of late what a great blazing Starre looked downe vpon the Earth, out of the Firmament, porten­ding no doubt some great alteration of state, and punishment by the Lords vsuall wea­pons [Page 3] of fire, sword and plague, of the stub­borne and obstinate rebellion of the wicked in so great a light of the Gospell? The Lord hath called of late sundry Princes and great Personages to their rest, from these trouble­some times: The rising of it inclining in the South-east ouer the House of Austria, and other partes vnder that Climate, hath brought such effusion of blood, murthering robbing, ransacking of Citties, Townes and Countries with it, which are ominous pre­sages of greater and more fearefull euills to come. For all these things wee cease not to prouoke the holy One of Israel to wrath; yet God, who is rich in mercy, spreadeth forth the large beames of his fatherly boun­tifulnesse and goodnesse on the penitent, that either the vngodly may turne away from their euill waies, or then to make them inexcusable. Christ in the daies of his flesh wrought many Miracles, in hea­ling vncurable diseases, whereof the Lords recordes in the new Testament maketh mention aboundantly; for the which the [Page 4] godly and well disposed glorifieth the Lord, but others wickedly affected doe miscon­strue the action, imputing it to the work of Sathan, or else mocke and calumniate the same. The hand of the Lord is not shortned now among vs vpon whom the ends of the world is come.

In this Amers-ford in the Low-Countries, three miles distant from Vtrecht, an extraor­dinary forme of visitation miraculously befell a young Maiden, named Elizabeth Goossens dwelling neere by the principall Church Saint George, whose father and mo­ther are both yet aliue, honest and wel estee­med persons, of good name and credit in the citie, his name is Goossen Cornelison Taets.

The said Maiden in her infancy was stricken with lamenesse, that the Lord que­stionlesse might manifest his power and goodnesse in her, and continued a criple 25. yeares, so that she could neyther goe, sit, nor stand, but was carryed hither and thither by the helpe of others wheresoeuer her bu­sinesse was, which all the inhabitants of the [Page 5] Citie can faithfully witnesse: wherefore to­wards the end of the foresaid yeares, shee could not for the space of 28. weekes eate or taste any thing to any purpose, but continu­ed in prayers and supplications night and day, repeating these words: Thou Sonne of Dauid, Creator of heauen and earth, receiue mee into thy Kingdome, or else giue me patience and comfort in this my heauy and pittifull disease.

Wherefore, behold what an vnexpected reliefe was sent vnto her: For this present yeare, 1619 the 28. of August last, at night betweene eleauen and twelue a clocke, ac­cording to her accustomed maner, she pou­red out earnest prayers vnto God, her hands stretched out vnto heauen, (for shee had no vse of her knees,) saying, (as her selfe after­wards confessed before great multitudes) Thou God all-sufficient, that both canst and wilt deliuer thine owne, according to thy pleasure, loose me from this earthly tabernacle. Lying thus lifting vp her hart vnto God in effectu­all prayer, loe, sodainly the chamber shined as bright within, as if it had beene sun-shine, [Page 6] and shee thought shee saw before her bed, a yongman in a long white robe, who tooke her by the right hand, lifted her vp kindly vp, and spake vnto her with a soft and sweet voyce, saying, Arise in the name of God, and placed her on a chayre hard by, taking her with his right hand, by the pulse of her right arme, looking alwayes smilingly vpon her, whose long shining robe hung very low, and couered the ground: and the more shee looked vpon him, the more beautifull, faire and comely he seemed to bee, yet within a quarter of an houre, the chamber lost all the brightnesse, and the yongman vanished away from her. Wherefore the Mayd after a loud shrike fell in a sound, which noyse when her mother heard, she came out her bed greatly agast, and finding her daughter lying vpon the ground was exceedingly a­mazed: and after her daughter had reco­uered her spirits, asked how shee came to that place, who with all reuerence told her parents what had hapned vnto her. Wher­fore the next day after being the 29. of Au­gust [Page 7] last, shee who could neither stirre, nor stand nor goe for the space of 25. yeares, went lustily vp and downe the house with­out any staffe, and the third day after, wal­ked apace into her mothers garden, with­out any supply and helpe of staffe at all, for which, the Maid, with her Parents, and whole congregation, with as many in the Citie as did know her (for great was the number of them who did frequent her company, after the miraculous recouery of her health) did prayse, giue thankes, and magnifie Gods great power and goodnesse, who had looked of his vnspeakable fauour vpon the low estate and grieuous sicknesse of this his poore handmaid.

IN this present yeare of our Lord, 1619. the first of October, in the prouince of Vtrecht in the afore­mentioned Amers­ford, dwelleth a man very wealthy, and of good reputation among his neighbours, named Iohn Vandael, by trade a Malt-man, who for his owne prouision, caused a Cow to be killed, in whose intrailes this most deformed and fearefull Monster was found, and the same [Page 10] was laid without the gates of the Citie vpon a dung-hill, to which wonderfull and feare­full spectacle the whole Citie, both young and old, rich and poore, came to behold: for it was in shape as followeth.

The head was like an Otters head, but rounder: it had the nose and mouth of a man, but eares like vnto a Dogge, yet the shape of the eyes resembled much a mans: the colour of it was a fleshy colour, and about the body a scarfe of flesh, the shoul­ders were like vnto a mans to the elbow, and the priuy members not vnlike.

The foreside was such as hath beene spo­ken, but behinde it had a crooked tayle, out of the mouth also did hang a huge long tongue, like vnto a Cow or some other beast of that kinde. The feet thereof very like vnto a hogges, and the mouth was all growne about with hayre. Moreouer, the knees were like two Pompions, fine and round.

And now because I thought it very fit the world should take notice of this vnna­turall [Page 11] and extraordinary worke, I haue set here before your eies as perfect a deliniation thereof, as possibly vpon such a sodaine I could. The Lord make vs feruent in wel­doing, watching and praying, striuing to go in at the narrow gate, that wee may set our affections on things that are aboue, and not on things below: for these terrible spectacles if there were no other thing, may be suffici­ent to driue vs away from the loue of this earthly and transitory pilgrimage: and hee giue vs grace to abhorre monstrous sinnes, which procure these monstrous spectacles, and will bring vpon vs more fearefull iudg­ments, vnlesse we repent betimes.

Englished according to the Copy printed at Vtrecht, by Iohn Amelison, at the signe of the golden ABC. 1619.

• Cornelius Garrets of London.
• and Cornelius Iohnson of London.
• Mr. Iaques Hunscot, of Amers-ford,
• Mr. Ioel de Towers, of Amers-ford,
• Martin Copeman, of Amers-ford,
• Iohn Smeires, of Amers-ford,