AFter the discomfiture giuen to the common e­nemy at Turnehault, the. 14. day of Ianuary, was bruted thorough Anwarp, Brusels, Gant, and other chiefe townes nowe holding for the king of Spaine, and that of that small number that efc [...]ped, some were returned to these townes before named, to giue notice of their ill fortune: at this time I say there was much lamentation made for the death of many Commanders. And many priestes in their mumbling maner sung solempne dirges, and breathed out many bitter cur­ses against the honourable alders of our miserable distressed Countries of Flaunders: namely, sir Robert Sidney, and sir Frauncis Vere: rai [...]ing on them with such vnreuerent tearmes as in this place is not fit to be spoken. But at last seeing & know­ing it preuailed not, they ceassed not sending the names of certain saints to the souldiers written in small peeces of paper to weare on their breasts pind, sanctified with many ceremonies against the next time they shoulde encounter vs or any enemies whatso­euer.

After which, vpon the Sunday seuen-night after, being the

3. of the same moneth [...] Souldiers and the [...] [...] into an orchard, or [...] walking, where the people vse their holydaies recreation, and drinke that on the Sunday which they got the wecke before, which was some three Englishe miles from Lile in the way to Deuenter and Be [...]una, where they dranke so much, and sware so abhominably, that on the sodaine God did shew them a fearefull example, as Geo [...]g [...] Clarke marchant, and Cornelius Decu­s [...]e [...] affirmed, who were at Lile the same time, and did by credi­ble [...]tters maintaine asmuch: the maner whereof is heere set downe as neere as may be gathered.

F [...]st there was heard a fearefull and greeuous thunder about two a'clocke in the afternoone, and sodainly the winde began to blow very violently: [...]t which sodaine alteration one in the [...] called Peter Gens [...]ried sacrament, [...] owns land now? and thinking to rise pu [...]ing his cloke and swearing very blasphemously, was by a tree that the winde blew down presently killed, others holding their hands out▪ stood [Page] looking for the lightning laughing, saying, now the diuel come [...] againe: but God to shew his omnipotent power, and to warne o­thers from blaspheming his name or abusing his sabothes, strook some of them dead with thunderbolts, and some blinde with lightning: so that few escaped, but that God did shew them some marke or other of his heauy indignation, for their drunkennesse and blasphemy.

Also there was seen ouer the towns Saint Thomas, Ard, A­ras, and Callice in the aire, foure horsemen in blacke armour, and black lances following one another with mightie haste, running toward the West, as it were against the Sunne: But at last the sunne angry it seemed with their menaces, grewe blacke, and so­dainly caused fearefull lightning and thunder, the clowds open­ing and shutting very fearefully: Insomuch they thought it had been doomes day. And thus they continued for three houres to­gither, and after that there was found bloud in the high way to Betuna, which those of the towne affirmed to raine from heauen. Insomuch that some of the souldiers of the towne being in the fieldes playing at hand-ball one Si [...]e came into the towne albe­dropt with bloud. Likewise being inforced by the bloud that rai­ned to leaue their sport and flie to houses, many of which went to Mecare. And see how this fell as a fatall signe to them: for the very same night certaine souldiers of the count of saint Paul and the marshall Be [...]on hauing deuided themselues into companies appointed to meete at this village, called Mecare vnderstanding that those souldiers had passed the riuer of Some some ten dayes before, and got spoiles in the marshall Berons, and count saint Pauls quarters, and therfore they vowed in this saly of free boot to reuenge themselues at full, & so they did: for in the night they came and fired the village and seased on all they could find worth the carriage for their lawfull purchase; by occasion of which fire, many were forst to leape from windows, and falling, brake their legs, neckes and armes, which the countie of saint Pauls souldi­ers seeing departed, thinking themselues sufficiently reuenged.

Also the very same night those of the townes Ard, Aras, Saint Thoma [...], and Callice, did see in the aire an angell with a crown on his head, and a sworde in one of his handes, which twise or thrise appeared like a sword of fire, still remoouing vp and down [Page] the aire, somtime ouer one of the townes, sometime ouer ano­ther. And in the aire was heard a fearefull noise for the space of an houre togither: and after the noise as certaine marchants af­firme the Angell was heard to weep very greeuously in the aire, and was seene to spreade his arme towardes the Weast, sprea­ding his hand, as warning them to beware lest the sword of gods wrath fell amongst them.

Now after these feareful sights in the aire, there rose a great mist, which gaue such a stincking smell, that the people of Ard were forst to shut their doores and windowes, that before stoode to behold these sights in the aire, and their cattell not able to see where they were, or not able to abide the smell of the grasse, while this fog continued, made haste to come home to their stals along the dikes, as they were woont, and not seeing where they were, fell into diches and riuers by the way and were drowned, which caused great sorrow to the townesmen, and drewe them almost into despaire by this sodain tokē of his heauy displeasure.

Also there was seen in the aire after this fearefull and noisom foggy mist, a bloudy crosse which stoode iust in the same quarter w [...]re the sun grew darke, and where the sodaine fog first arose: to which the angel againe appearing, pointed by stretching out his hand, and was seen iust ouer Saint Thomas and Callice.

Also there was seen a Wagon broken all to peeces as it were in a burning cloud, which in the breaking was h [...]a [...]d to make a great noise in the aire wherat the people were much astonished, and doe since stand in great feare least the Lord of hostes should rise in battell against them, and ouerthrowe them with their horses and chariots as he did those of Pharao folowing the chil­dren of Israel. And certaine it is, that since this fearefull sight many fearing Gods iust iudgement on them for their carrying armes in vniust wars, haue since left their companies & are now ioyned with the king of Fraunce: and it is thought, which I pray God may proue so that more will follow: for those of our poore countrey of Flaunders, as Anwarpe, Brusel [...], Gant, Ard, and Callice, with Grauelin. Dunkercke, and the rest doe finde their states worse then the children of Israels was, being oppressed by Pharaos crueltie with making bricke and other manuel labour: for Pharao, did after the sight of many of Gods wonders, and [Page] plagues shewed on him, suffer the poore oppressed to depart: but this Pharao of Spaine notwithstanding Gods many fearefull examples shewed, will not suffer our poore oppressed Belgians to liue in peace, but still laies more taskes and paiable duties to the maintaining of his vniust wars then Pharao did on the children of Israel: for both their goods, wiues, maids, and liues are at the Spaniards command, or at leastwise control, god yet in mer­cy mooue the heart of some man to be a Moses to my countrey men, and either by miracles or by the sworde release them, their wiues, and children from the handes of those wicked and bloudy minded Spaniardes: for their shoulders are almost broken with bearing the yoke of his oppression. God for his mercy sake when it pleaseth him, release them. Meane space, being as I thanke God I am, free from his tyranny, I will (as I am bound daily) pray for the rest of my countreymen, that God may giue them patience and true faith in Iesus Christ, til it please him to release them.

Thus much I thought good to aduertise you according to my last promise, when we parted at Quient: and in any thing you haue occasion to vse me in these partes, I pray command me in part requitall of your many fauours: for absence cannot make me forget my friends, and so farewell in God.

AMongst the many of Gods fearefull myracles, shewed on vs here in England, as sliding of grounds, remoouing of highwaies, mightie floudes by great abundance of raine, fearefull lightnings and thunders, great fire from hea­uen, sodaine earthquakes, strange and defor­med children borne, great dearth of corne, mighty plagues and pestilence, death of many good and godly benefactors, as the late lord Maior for instance, much strife in the church by sectes and schismes, with fearefull threatnings of the foe of Spaine in his attempts of inuasion, amongest (I say) all these fearefull warnings sent vs by God to draw vs to amendment of life, and [Page] to cease from our former wickednesse, wherein how wissully we transgresse, let euery one examine their conscience, and then no doubt but God will send the remorce of those consciences, to draw vs to a newnesse of life, lest like Ierusalem, Sodome and Gomorrha, and many other countries yet fresh in memorie, we feele Gods iudgement when we would repent and amend: if we might sind time amongst al these tokens of Gods kindled anger beholde one token more, which might mooue vs vpon the knees of our hearts to aske God forgiuenesse for our sinnes, though he had neuer sent vs other token to affright vs, or mooue vs to re­member our swearing, drunkennesse, whoredome, couetousnes, and rapes, and murders and such like. For now behold the Lord hath sent vs no example of nine dayes woonder, as the wicked account all tokens whatsoeuer, but he hath sent vs a heauy ex­ample, an example of affliction, a grieuous and almost incredible disease of sodaine lamenesse, beginning, not at the hart nor head, but at the verie toe of the foote, and can by no meanes be cured, for from the toe it goes into the foote, from thence into the leg, and so vpwards still, and still as it ascends higher, the place it leaueth, dieth, and if it once get to the thigh, then no way but death for the party infected, for there is no meanes to cure it but cutting off the legs and armes. Wheresoeuer it beginneth, it begins like a tingling, or paine like the gowt, and in foure and twentie houres it wil grow red, and in sixe houres after, it will be as blacke as a shooe, and be stone dead, and dies alwaies vp­wards, either in the legs or armes, insomuch that some haue lost both their legs, others both their armes, being cut off, and yet are liuing, a heauy consideration, which the vngodly regard not.

For proofe of what I say, because many are incredulous, ther is a man in Westminster named Hugh Alee, whose sonne Ed­ward Alee was taken with the same disease, whose legge being cut off at the knee was found so dead, that th [...]re came not aboue two drops of bloud from it, and the disease is so stinking, that the surgeons are faine to fold mufflers three double about their noses and mouthes, when they come to dresse them. And al this disease onely raignes within tenne miles of Worcester round a­bout euery way, and in Worcester it selfe, so that there are at this day aboue a hundred infected, and almost halfe as many are dead already of it, and some that looke to it in time, escape: it [Page] spareth neither men nor women, insomuch that manie do leaue to ride that way fearing the disease, whereby the poore countrey is like to be vndone, except that by the praiers of the faithful and godly the Lord be moued to stay his hands. But yet it seemeth that he doth not only shew vs wonders, but hath likewise assig­ned manie men to be hard harted and incredulous of Gods won­ders, the proofe was seene in a man of Worcester, who heare­ing of this strange disease, said he did not beleue that there could be such a sodaine disease: which one hearing, rebuked him, but notwithstanding he continued in his obstinat misdoubt, til a sur­geon carried him from house to house of the infected, and shewed him, in some places legs cut off, and in other places armes, and in many places men dead by this disease: which he seeing, as dispairing, in that he had beene so doubtfull, went home vnto his house, and in very angui [...] died, rauing & crying for Gods mer­cy, which many men may take for example, that doe distrust in the omnipotent power of God, thinking their weake iudgement can comprehend Gods many threatning examples. But why do we wonder at his misbeleefe, when almost in euery place men are misbeleuing & dispairing, & are giuen to violent slaughters? For proofe of which, a man about S. Katherines was found so wilful in his own wicked opinion, that he drowned himself, han­ging a great weight of lead about his necke, thinking by that meanes neuer to haue bin found: but yet for al his wilful act god cast him aland, only to shew vs that he wil not that man shal (re­lying on his own policy) hide any thing from God, for he search­eth the reines & hart, & knows the very thoughts of al men how iust or vniust soeuer. But for al this we are carelesse of his heauy plagues and feareful examples, til either in dispaire or wilfulnes we feele his punishments: for now in this age men are only stu­dying howe to liue and carrie credite in this worlde, thorough worldly riches, which howsoeuer it be gotten they regarde not, be it by murther, oppression, periury, slander & vsury: the proofe whereof appeared in a man dwelling in Kent, who went about to build a faire house, telling a friend of his hee meant to let it w [...]ll when it was finished, & said likewise, that he would let it to the poore, not to the rich, making euery chamber a tenement, and then he knew the poore wil take it at such a rate, that of x. pound a yere, if it were all in one, he would make forty almost, being [Page] thus in tenemēts diuided, & in this determination went forward with his building til it was halfe finished. But see how God shewed his iudgement vpon him, bicause he meant to extort vpon y ^e poore: for when he had builded halfe the house, his mony grew so short that he could proceed no further, whereat many in the country made a great mocking, which at last came to his care, in so much that going thorow the streets of the towne, many would vnderlook him & say, Is this he that wil build houses to begger the poore? but he lacks mony: Mary sayes one, and Ile lend him a peny: wherfore answers another? mary to buy a rope to hang him in for his good mind. Thus many times he was mockt, til at last mooued with bitter anguish, and deepely vext in mind, he went greeuing that any should see his face any more, and in that house which he was building went & hanged himselfe. And this may serue for a warning to many Landlords in these daies that do not build houses as minding thereby to let them the better cheap, but rather to raise the rents, to the vtter vndoing of a common wealth, & only impouerishing to the poore of England, for many nowadaies take in as much ground as to make a hog fly, and when their hog is dead, then they boord the stie, and that a poore man and his wife must pay viii. d. or xii. d. a week, hauing neither chimny nor chamber, such a one, as when 2 or 3 are set togither by a fire made vpon the ground for want of a harth, thē (I say) the house is so ful that the dog must stand at the doore, as hauing no rowme in the house: which is a lamentable case, if it were lookt into, and no doubt makes a great many beggers in a yere, & is besides a couer of much mischiefe: for whatsoeuer they be, or howsoeuer they liue, if they pay them their mony wel, they regard not. And in these places adulterets, theeues, consoliers, and such like are daily harboured, which I pray God wise ma­gistrates may looke into, that it proue not a iust plague to this country of England, and bring not remedilesse hurts to this blessed commonwealth, which God in his great mercy defend vs from, and open our eyes to see his displeasure kindled against vs, and euery man to repent him of his former wicked life, that wee may all with Abraham and the blessed ones liue in ioy with Christ euerlastingly.

Amen.