MAN at the first losing of his Innocencie, lost also his place, and con­tracted a heauy curse both to himselfe, and to his posteritie. The Earth it selfe innocent of his crime was ac­curst for his sake, for whome it was created, and brought forth thornes, bryers, and stinking weedes, where before it was full of pleasure, and delight, and so had continued, if man had continued in his first creation: Now the Earth brought forth Monsters and ougly shapes, strange, and full of terror: The heauens them selues changed the frame of their beautie, putting forth fiery meteors, blazing comets, and o­ther prodigious sights, breeding wonder and [Page] amazement: Nature suffering violence by sinne peruerted her order, producing strange birthes in preposterous shapes, and all grew out of frame, and sinne being the cause of all, brought forth the effects of all: which seruing as pu­nishments betwixt the Iustice of God, and the vnrighteousnesse of Man hath neuerthe­lesse but corrected, not rectified Man, that continuing in sinne, findes the continuance of punishment, and yet with obdurate heart, growes from bad to worse, getting by [...]u­stome an incorrigible habit of sinning.

All Creatures but Man, haue continued in the kinde and nature of the first Creation; The Sunne, the Moone, the Starres, and euery Planet in his seuerall orbe or Sphere, haue con­tinued their order to the glory of their Crea­tor, euer since the day of their first Creation. The fowles, beasts, and fishes in the Ayre, Earth, and Sea, and euery other vnsensible Creature haue continued in their kinde, to the glory of their great Maker; Only Man, misera­ble Man, wretched Man, whom God hath made according to his owne Image, and hath indued with reason and vnderstanding, onely he degenerates, committing sinnes, haynous, and detestable in the sight of his Creator, which doth many times so incense the wrath of the most high God against vs, that Ayre, Earth, and Sea, doe many times produce Monsters of ougly and most horrid shapes, to signifie vn­to [Page] vs the ouglinesse of sinne in the eyes of that pure essence. Neuer was the world so wic­ked as it is now; for it thriues in ill, as it de­cayes in Age. It is the worst world (saith an old Man) that euer was, and the best that euer will be. No maruell if Nature grow out of kinde in the procreation of children, when men vn­naturally goe out of kynde in the Actes of sin­ning. Forbidden sinnes are most of all pra­ctised, and sinnes committed that are not to be named: So deepe hath Mans iniquity descen­ded, that it hath brought mishapen formes and deuises out of hell, and it hath againe soared so high, that it hath brought downe vengeance from heauen.

This causeth the Earth to bring forth prodi­gious Monsters, so farre from the faire frame of Nature, that they make Nature her selfe afraid to looke vpon them, in whom shee findes her lawes and order to haue beene vio­lated. Neuer Countrey hath brought forth more, then this of England, and that of late yeeres, which haue beene so prodigious, that they haue brought horror to the looker on, and haue also proued certaine predictions, forego­ing many notable euents. The Sea cast forth and horrid Monster of a strange shape and big­nesse, vpon the Coast of Cornewall, in the begin­ning of that fatall yeere Eighty Eight, when the Spanish fleete soone after frighted England with a dangerous Inuasion, euen to the vtter extir­pation [Page] of the English name out of this Land, had not Almighty God with his high hand of grace and glory made preuention, returning the Spanish purposes vpon them selues. The Island of Lecale in Ireland within the County of Downe, produced an hidious Monster, bearing the shape both of a Man and a beast, whose eyes sparkling like fyer, and his voyce soun­ding harsh and shrill, farre from the common strayne, gaue certaine foresignifications of those troubles that the yeere following beganne to vexe both the kingdomes of England and Ireland, in that fearefull yet memorable warre of Tyrone, that in few yeeres after prooued so fatall to both Nations, that it brought wret­chednesse not onely to the people then liuing, but hath also prepared misery for the Child yet vnborne, as is too well knowne by the misera­ble death and slaughter, not onely of the com­mon sort of people, but also by the lamentable ouerthrowes and slaughters of many great, and honorable Personages, famous in blood and quality, that by that vnlucky warre, and other fatall accidents depending thereupon, found vtter ruyne, and destruction, not onely to the incessant griefe of their owne particular families, and dependancies, but also to the ge­nerall losse & sorrow of all the English Nation: which warre, monstrous warre, (for so I may call it) when the body against the head, the sub­iect against the Prince shall rebelliously con­spire, [Page] God neuer gaue vnto the world a more memorable example, either in what vnsurety stands the state of any Name, or Nation, or what vnhappy successe followes such vnnatu­rall attempts, or finally what end followes such bloody, and despiteous cruelly, as both the head and principall members of that Irish faction, that bloody, and horrid warre, doe at this day endure, as appeareth in the present state, and condition of the Originall of that monstrous warre, bloody Tyrone himselfe, and other his Associates, who hauing made by their Attaynders, forfeitures, and confiscations both of lands and goods, doe now wander vp and downe Spayne, Italy, and other Countryes, poore, forsaken, wretched, miserable, and hated of all the world.

There was another Monster produced in Antwerpe with foure hands and Armes, two heads, and two bodies, ioynd in one backe, not much vnlike to this Monster, wee are now to write of; and this happened in the yeare foregoing the beginning of those troubles of the low Countryes, which the matchlesse cruelty of Rome and Spayne, hath plagued with vn­speakeable miseries. But aboue all, that hide­ous monster bred in Russia not aboue fiue yeeres since with three paire of hands, foresignifying that miserable warre that since hath happened, betwixt the three kingdomes, Russia (otherwise called Muscouia) Poland, and Swethland, vnder [Page] the Raignes of Demetrius, Emperor of Russia, Sigismond King of Poland, and Charles King of Swethland, the fame whereof will neuer dye, so long as the memory of those kingdomes states endure.

It is credibly reported that neere Lirpoole in Lancashire, about a Tweluemoneth since a childe was borne, both monstrous in shape, and strange in accident; It is fresh in memory, though it liued not aboue three dayes. But I stay too long in matters, though extrauagant yet not impertinent to our present discourse, where I am to deliuer as strange a produce­ment of a prodigious birth, as was euer knowne in this part of the world; and this hap­pened but of late, at a Towne called Adlington in the Parish of Standish neere Wigon in the County of Lancaster; where there was a childe borne of a strange and wonderfull shape, with foure legges foure Armes, two bellyes, propor­tionably ioyned to one back, one head two faces, like double faced Ianus, the one before, the other behinde, foure eyes, and two noses. It behoues vs to looke about, when such examples beyond the order of Nature are brought forth to put vs in minde of our iniquities, especially the sinnes of Adultery and fornication, which are euer iustly punished by the righteous lawe and iustice of God, euen vpon the Childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him, who also shewes mercy vnto [Page] thousands, in them that loue him, and keepe his commandements, which is well proued in the grace, and blessing that Almighty God secretly infundeth in right generation, the contrary whereof is knowne in the curse that he denoun­ceth against Bastardy, which the Prophet vtters in these wordes, Spuria vitulamina non agent ra­dices altas. Bastard slippes shall neuer take deepe roote: which was showne in the example of this Monster, the father and mother whereof were both branded, shee with the marke of Ba­sterdy, and from her Parents crimes in Adulte­ry, indured this punishment: he of very lewde carriage and conditions: neither was this mon­ster borne in the night time, but towards the day, when the morning Sunne beganne to glad the earth with his brightnesse, to this end, that the blacke mantle of the night should not couer this childe of darkenesse, but that the day might plainely discouer to all eyes this won­derfull example of his Iustice.

Certaine Gentlemen, and many of the com­mon people, that were then at Cockepit, when the newes came of this prodigious birth, left their sports and went to behold it with wonder and amazement. Many people came flocking from all places thereunto adioyning, who be­held it with astonishment. The most impious of all could not but confesse, that it was a nota­ble example of Gods fearefull wrath, which God for his mercy sake turne from vs. This [Page] happened a little before Easter Terme last vp­on relation of some of the Inhabitants there, Master William Leigh Bachelour of Diuinity, a very worthy and Reuerend gentleman, Prea­cher of the Parish of Standish aforesaid, being also an eye witnesse of the same.

Thus haue you a true relation of this pro­digious birth, testified by the generall report, (besides the particular mentions) of that Coun­trey. The consideration whereof I leaue to the godly disposed, whether as a punishment of sinnes and offences past, or as a true foresigni­fication of some notable euent to follow in suc­ceeding times, or both; Onely thus much, when Nature is thus violated through the Corrup­tion, there commonly fall out many strange and vnheard of actions, either for the time present, or to come, such as hath amazed the world to looke vpon, as in that memorable and euer to be adored Passion of our Sauiour, where after his bloody sufferings in his body, and the hea­uy expiration of his Soule, the vaile of the Temple rent in sunder from the top to the bot­tome, the Sunne without any natural cause lost his light, and there was a sodayne darkenesse ouer all the Land, the graues opened and ren­dered forth their dead, who appeared in the holy City vnto many. In the same day and yeare the Panthaeon in Rome, which was the Temple of the Romane Gods, sodaynely fell, and one cryed out in a Propheticall manner, that either the [Page] frame of the world was at that time to be bro­ken, or the God of Nature suffered vio­lence.

Let vs once more cast backe our eyes vpon the wounders of this mishapen monster (the cause of this Treatise) the report whereof not giuing full satisfaction to some people that were incredulous of it, vnles they might be made also eye witnesses of such an vnheard of accident: the graue was opened againe wherein it had been buryed, and the body layde to the view of a great number of beholders: which were at the least fiue hundreth, that not onely beare a bare report, but can also giue true Testimony of this oc­current to their much wonder, and admira­tion.

Yet these monstrous and prodigious birthes aswell of other Countreyes as our owne, are not great [...]y to be maruelled at, if we look but on­ly into the causes of them, which for the most part are our sinnes, and carelesse negligences: And they are not slightly to be accounted off, be­cause they seldome fall out alone, without some other strange euent, but are ominous foregoers of some worse euils to follow. The Circle of misery which hath for many years been drawne about vs, is large, the lynes of it are not yet closed, the perfect content thereof cannot be ful [...]y knowne, till it please that hand (that first moul­ded the globe of the world, and which setteth downe in numbers, and proportion, the state of [Page] kingdomes) to throw away the rod, that it hath so long held ouer vs, to correct, nay rather to draw blood of vs. Yet all these worke not in vs the effects of our amendment, but that we still wallow in the myre of our wonted wicked­nesse. The foure Elements of Earth, Water, Ayre, and Fyre, haue seuerally commenced their warres against vs: Ayre hath breathed forth pestiferous fumes to choake vs, shee hath burst open the Cloudes of Infection, and hath pow­red sicknesse vpon our heads. Water (like Ae­gyptian Grashoppers) hath often couered our Cornefields, and eaten vp the fruites of the Earth; whilst the Earth by that misery hath closed vp her wombe, nothing being promised by her (that hath alwayes beene so plentifull to her Children) but barrennesse. Fire hath also had his seuerall dayes of triumph to increase in vs our sorrowes, and to shew vnto vs Gods wrath and displeasure against vs for our iniquities. So that all that is aboue vs, and all that is vn­der our feete, haue conspired to worke our ouer­throw, or to cause our amendment. Those Creatures, which in the first, and great Parlia­ment of our Creation, were appointed to be our Comforters, haue beene many times sent forth and armed with Celestiall weapons to be our destroyers.

Besides these inflictions, which Tyme (occa­sioning mens sorrowes and great losses) hath brought forth, there haue beene also many mis­fortunes [Page] in the prodigious portraytures of the like misshapen Creatures: which who can be­hold without trembling? or if hee behold, not shed teares in abundance to thinke vpon Gods heauy indignation against vs? The causes of his iust quarrell with vs, are writ vpon euery mans forehead, the defiance is in our lips, the maintenance of it in our hearts, the end of it (vn­lesse we suddenly repent, and amend,) wil bee dangerous wounds in our soules.

There is yet a meanes to be made for recon­ciliation, the first borne of the great King of hea­uen and earth, goes betweene his father and vs as mediator to worke our peace and attone­ment: It may easily be brought to passe and take effect, if we would but vtterly shake of a bad and base company of vgly and detestable sinnes, that hang vpon euery one of vs: If we doe not, let vs bee well assured, that these fatherly me­naces, will bee turned into causes of greater mournings, and these friendly chastisments and beatings, will be changed into blowes not to be indured, to the taking away of our liues for euer.

The Earth that hath yet but begunne to shrinke vp her nerues, and to hide a handfull of her blessings, will open her veynes to swallow vp the memory of them. The water that hath gone about but to drowne a few, will be instru­ment of generall shipwrackes. The Ayre will in surphureous flakes drop downe all on [Page] fire, and that Fyre bring the world to a consump­tion not to be restored. Yea and these Mon­strous birthes which as yet the Earth con­taines in hir wombe, shall at length be deliuered by her, and produced as witnesses against vs of our hardnesse of heart, and obduracy, and of our carelesse negligence and slacknesse of amend­ment. The Nature therefore of the disease be­ing knowne, and the Phisicall remedy heard, be Councelled, take what is ministred (so long as you finde it wholesome) and grow strong both to your body, and your soules comfort.