Newes out of Sum­merset shire. (⸫)

ALbeit that these swelings vp and ouerflowings of waters proceed from natural causes, yet are they the very diseases and monstrous byrthes of nature, sent into the world to terrifie it, and to put it in mind, y ^t the great God, (who holdeth stormes in the prison of the Cloudes at his pleasure, and can enlarge them to breed disorder on the Earth when he growes angry) can aswell now drowne all mankind as he did at the first: But y ^t by these gentle warnings, he would rather haue vs come vnto him, and flye from the points of more dead­ly Arrowes of vengeance, than vtterly to perish. Hee fils out the measures of his chasticement ac­cording to the quality and proportion of our of­fences: for as the Waters transgresse and break their bounds, to the destruction of the fruites of the earth and to the taking away of the liues of man and beast.

[Page]So haue we that should bee subiects to the Almighty King, and (by our oath of Christi­anity) ought and are bound to paye fea [...]ty & allegiance to our Lord and Master, gone be­yond the bankes and limits of all obedience, to y ^e taking away of his loue, without which we cannot liue, and to the vnrecouerable vn­doing of our owne selues.

Sinne ouerflowes our soules: the Seas of all strange impieties haue rusht in vppon vs: we are couered with the waues of abho­mination and vncleannes: we are drowned in the black puddles of hellish iniquity: wee swim vp to the throates, nay euen aboue the chins in Couetousnes, in extortion, in sensu­ality, in enuy one against y ^e other, in contempt of our Maiestrates, in neglect of our lawes, and in violation of those divine statutes, the breach of which is a condemnation to death and that Death, and euerlasting liuing in Hels fire.

Many a time haue we bin summoned to an account for these riotous abuses & misse­spending the talents put into our hands, we haue shifted it off with counterfet sorrow for what wee haue done, and with promises to become faithfull seruants, and new men; yet grow we worse at noone, than we were at y ^e suns rising, and at his going down he blush­eth to behold vs in our nautines. To a strict & strange audite therfore doth God not only cal some of our countrymen now on y ^e soden) but also to afright vs the more to make vs [Page] look about, doth he strike our Cattle with di­seases: he takes away the liues of our beasts fit for labor: he destroies the Corne-fields, & threatens vs with famine: he vndermines our houses with tempests, to make vs feare a desolation. Read therefore, and reade with trembling these his late dreadful iudgmēts, mocke not our selues with vaine hopes, but know that if earthly fathers may be drawne away to forget their owne children, our hea­uenly father may by the vilenes of our souls be drawne to shake off his own people. Listen then how he menaceth, and stand amazed at the wonders of his wrath.

In Ianuary last (towards the end of the moneth,) the sea at a flowing water meeting with Land-floudes, stroue so violently toge­ [...]her, that bearing downe all thinges y ^t vvere builded to vvithstand and hinder the force of them, the bankes were eaten through and a rupture made into Somerset-shire. No sooner was this furious inuader entred, but he got vp hie into the Land, and encountring vvith the riuer Seuern, they both boild in such pride that many Miles, (to the quantity of xx. in length, and 4. or 5. at least in bredth) were in a short time swalowd vp in this torrent. This Inundation began in the morning, & vvithin few houres after, couered the face of y ^e earth thereabouts (that lay within the distance be­fore named) to the deapth of xi. or xii. foot in some places, in others more. The daunger y ^t this terible tempest brought w ^t it▪ wrought [Page] much feat in the harts of all that stood with­in the reach of it, but y ^e soden and strange cru­elty of it, bred the greater terror and amaze­ment. Men that were going to their labours were compelled (seeing so dreadfull an ene­my approching) to flye backe to their houses, yet before they could enter, death stood at the dores ready to receiue them. In a short tyme did whole villages stand like Islands (com­passed rounde with Waters) and in a more short time were those Islands vndiscouera­ble, and no where to be found. The tops of trees and houses onely appeared (especially there where the Countrey lay lowe,) as if at the beginning of the world townes had been builte in the bottome of the Sea, and that people had plaide the husbandmen vnder the Waters.

Who would not haue thought this had bin a second Deluge! for (at one time these inhabi­ted places were sunke cleane out of sight. Hunsfielde (a Market Towne in the sayde Shire) was quite drowned. Grantham a vil­lage vtterly ouer-flowne. Kenhouse another village couered all ouer. Kingson a thyrd vil­lage likewise lies buried in salt Water. So (besides other small cottages standing in va­lies) is Brian Downe a Village quite consu­med. Adde vnto these peopled places, the losse of Marshes, Corne-fieldes, Pastures, Meddowes, and so forth, more then can hee numbred: the misery of it no man can Ex­presse.

[Page]In this ciuill Warres betweene the Land and the Sea, many Men, women, and Children, lost their liues: to saue which, some climbed vppe to the tops of the houses, but the rage of the merci­les tide grew so strong, y ^t in many, yea most of the Villages aforenamed, the Foundations of the buildlngs being washed away, the whole frame fell down, and they dyed in the waters: Others got vp into trees, but the trees had their rootes vnfastened by the selfe-same destroyer, that dis­ioynted barnes and houses, and their last refuge was patiently to die.

A lamentable spectacle was it, to beholde whole heards of Cattle, struggling for life with the flouds, Oxen in great numbers were earyed away with the streame, and looked like so many Whales in y ^e Sea: their bellowing made a noise in the water as if it had bin a tempest, and that y ^e Sea had roared. The flocks of Sheep that are vtterly destroied by this Land-wracke are innu­merable, none knowes the losse for the present but the owners of them: But the whole land wil I feare feele the smart.

A number of most strange shapes of daunger did this monstrous byrth of waters bring forth: of which (for the rarenes) I will set downe some, and none but those that are true. There was a poore Man (a Housholder) dwelling in one of the Villages aforenamed, heaing seauen Children: who (in this generall perill) not knowing howe to bestirre himselfe, was desirous to saue so much of his goods as possibly hee could: But the vio­lence of the streame multiplying more and more [Page] vpon him: It came into his minde to prouide ra­ther for his Children: his goodes therefore hee left to the mercy of that which hath no mercy, and louing one of his Children aboue all the rest, hys feare draue him to run about for the safety of that onely. At last the danger that had rounde about (and within doores) set vpon him and his family, was so great, that hee could neither defend that his deerest Childe, nor the rest, but hauing much ado to get life for himselfe, hee left them and hys whole houshold perishing in the torrent, he getting vp to the top of the house, and so escaping. An in­fant likewise was found swimming in a Cradle, some mile or two frō y ^e place where it was knowen to be kept, and so was preserued, for the Cradle was not of wicker as ours are here, but of strong thicke bordes, closely ioynted together, & that sa­ued the infants life. The ricks of pease in diuers places being vndermined at the bottomes, were lifted vp mainely from the ground, and swum vp & downe in the whole bulke, amongst which a cō ­pany of Hogs, and Pigs, being feeding vpon one of the ricks, and perceiuing it to go away more & more frō thē, they got vp to y ^e top, and there main­tained thē in eating. Nay which is more strange, conies in great numbers being driuen out of their borroughes by the tyde, were seene to sit for safe­ty on the backs of sheepe, as they swom vp & down and at last were drowned with them.

A poore shepheard likewise being in the fielde, some of his sheepe were strayed from the rest, when the waters began to come in vpon the Countrey, which he perceiuing, ran with all speede to fetche [Page] them in, hoping to saue al: but before he had done, hauing much ado to saue himselfe, he was fayne to leaue them, and with his bag & bolte, to climb vp into a tree: there hee saw the confusion of hys whole flock: they swom too and fro bleating for helpe, he satte tearing his hayre and beating his brests; crying mainly out but could not saue thē: when they were all slaine before his eies, he wept then more bitterly to thinke vpon his owne tra­gedy which he saw was now to be acted: he fea­red drowning, yet hee feared staruing more then drowning: he had some victuals with him in the tree: but he knew not how long this siege of wa­ters woulde keepe him in that rotten bulwarke. At length (when he was almost pincht to Death with cold) hee espyed a boat which the Country had sent out to saue others, to that he called, and in that recouered life.

Bristow.

NOw bend your eies vpon the Citty of Bristowe, and there beholde as much cause of lamentation as in any place of this realme, that hath tasted of the like misery. In the selfe same Moneth of Ianuary, and much about y ^e very day, did an arm of the North seas break in (at a spring tide) which ouerflowed not onely the banckes, but almost all the whole Country round about.

All Brent-Marsh is couered ouer: betweene [Page] Barstable and Bristow the Sea swelled vp as hye as Bridgewater. Al the low grounds are not onely hidden w ^t this strange deluge, but in danger (by the opinion of men) to be vtterly last. Whole hou­ses were remoued from the grounde where they stood, and sloat vp and downe like shippes (halfe sunke.)

Their Corne-mowes and hay-mowes are ca­ryed away with the streame and can neuer be re­couered. All theyr fat Oxen that could not swim are drowned: with such a forcible assault did the Waters set vpon the inhabitants, that they who were in theyr houses, and thought themselues sa­fest, could hardly make way for theyr owns liues: by which meanes a number both of men, women, and children perished: theyr deade bodies floate hourely aboue-water, and are continuallys ta­ken vppe: It cannot yet be knowne, howe manye haue fell in this Tempest of Gods fearful iudge­ment.

Most of the goodes both of Cittizens heere in London that were sent thither, and of the inha­bitants dwelling there, as also the Rugs & such other commodity which came from Irelande, to the fayre of Saint Paule, which was now to bee kepte there, are (to an infinite value, and to the daunger of many a mans vndoing) vtterly spoi­led and cast away. Goods in dry-fats, and whole packes of Wares are daily taken vp, but past all recouery euer to bee good againe. This deluge hath couered this part of the country by the space of ten miles ouer in length, at least vppe towards Bridgewater, Many thousands of pounds cannot [Page] make good the losse which the Countrey onely hath heereby receiued. God graunt there ensue no second misery vpon this, worse to our king­dome, than this Plague of Waters.

Norfolke.

NOr let other Countreys insult ouer this: as if their robes of seeming puritie (inuen­ted by the Diuell and his Iourney-men) were a defence or Armour of proofe against the Iudgements of Heauen: they stand all within distance, this late and fearefull Inundation of water makes it apparant.

[Page]For iust the same month of the yeare, weeke of the month, and almost day of the same weeke, In the Countrey of Norfolke, not farre from Kings Lyn, in a place called March-land, happened ac­cidents, though not altogether so violent and mortall as those in Summersetshire, yet accom­panied with much damage, and no little danger. About the xx. of this present month of Ianuarie Anno. Dom. 1607. The cheefe violence of win­ter, being (as they by many rurall obseruations had quoted) almost spent: The Marishes, & Fens, by reason of the yeeres temperature, somewhat drye, and more forward than in other yeares, euerie man to his abilitie, layd out what money hee could spare vppon Heiffors, and such other young ware, emptying their purses of Crownes to cram the Fens with Cattell, little thinking the water would haue made one, and like a new Broome haue sweeped all cleane, as shortly it did.

The Fens thus stored with Cattell, Horse, and Bullocks, for it is not vnknowne what ha­nocke the rot had made with sheepe in the be­ginning of Winter, which dyed in such aboun­daunce, that euen Dogges grewe wearie of them.

The rot hauing begun, and in a manner made an end of Sheep, in comes the water as a second and more violent inuader, and sweepes away what the rot had left behinde.

It happened vpon a night, for when is danger more wakefull than when preuention sleepes, and [Page] not so much as dreames of his Furie, A couple of Hors-coursers, or to attyre them in a courser litter, Horse-stealers, knowing the night, a gowne to cloake their villanie, came sneaking in­to the marrish with an intent to make a Market of what was none of their owne. And draue so many of the Cattell as they thoght sit vp into the higher grounds: but in the meane time they were hotly pursued with a fearefull Hu and cry, not of Constables, but swifter followers (Viz:) the water, which hauing broken out at an old breach, in a quarter of an houre, or a very little portion of time, ouerflowed the Marsh, and that with such vnresisted violence, y ^t they were enforced to leaue their praye (which such fellowes seldome vse to doe) fal to prayer, and to take them to their heels, and of all the Cattell in that Marrish, (being ve­ry many in number) fewe or none were preserued, but those which they had fetched vp with an in­tent to steale: for being ouertaken, or rather ouer­runne by the swiftnesse of the Water, they were dryuen some into Creekes, some into Bushes, and some vpon little Hillocks, and so eitheir lost, dryuen away with the Water, or in conclusion drowned.

Theiwoo good fellowes (against their willes made good) Seeing what present daunger, the water brought in with it, poasted to the Towne whether the Water (had they not made the more hast) had brought the men before them: Raysed the Sexton, got the Keyes of the Church doore, [Page] and (as the custome in such daungers) Iang­led the Belles, and with a fearefull outcry, ray­sed the secure Inhabitantes: who imagining some House to be on fire, rose vppe distractedly in their Shirtes, crying out Water, Water: of which E­lement (they were no sooner vp,) but they percei­ued they had too much: Yet were they still various in their opinions, all fearing, yet none knowing truely what to feare: some got vp to the steeple, many thinking their had been theeus got into the vpper roomes of their Houses, shutting their safe­ties out, by locking themselues in. Some thin­king it had bin but a slight ouerflowing of a spring tyde, laught at the rest.

The truth once knowne, it was no need to byd them make hast: to expresse how amazedly Men ran vp and downe, betwixt sleepe and wake, as­king what newes, and receiuing no other answer but what newes, was strange. In a word, in this danger, euery man layed first hands of what he lo­ued best, some made away with his Wife, some his Children, some careles both of Wife and Children, hurried away his goods. Hee that had seen this troublesome nights worke, would haue thought vpon the miserable night of Troy. Here waded one vp to the middle loaded with wealth, when noting how the water increased, and calling to mind his helplesse Children, with a sigh as loath to part from what hee so deerely had loued, hee throwes it downe, runs to Bedde, wakens his Wife, and from her sides snatches the sleeping in­fants. [Page] Here comes a Husband with his wife on his backe, and vnder either arme an Infant. The Sonne carries the Father, the Brother the Sis­ter, the Daughter the Mother, whilest the vn­mercifull conqueror breakes downe the Walles of the Houses, taking pittie neither of aged nor Sexe, findes some at playe, some a sleepe in Chayers, many in their beddes, that neuer dreamed of misfortune till the Water waked them.

Not to stand long, the Water gaue them but uery short warning, yet like a mercifull Conque­rour, hauing taken the towne, it gaue them their liues, at least all such as were willing to leaue their goods. Some couetous to haue all, lost all, for striuing to saue their goodes, they lost their liues.

In this night-massacre some few were drownd but their true names and certaine number, is not yet directly knowne. Vp to a hill some halfe myle from the Towne they hasted, where that night, or rather peece of a morning, they reposed them­selues.

The next day they might behold their houses wading vp to the middles in Water, some calling for Boates out at Windowes, and from the stee­ples toppe, some swimming vppon plankes, some vppon Fetherheds, whom as they possibly could, they releeued. Horses that were tyed to the Mangers, at the Mangers were all drowned, such as were loose swimming vp and downe, some [Page] recouered the land, some drowned in striuing to recouer it, whole Barnes of Corne, which the couetous owners horded vp in hope of a dearth, the Water discouered and brought foorth, Hous­hold-stuffe which the night before they packt out of the Houses in hope to haue saued, swamme vp and downe, with drowned people so confu­sedly mingled, as men could scarse distinguish their goods, nor know their friends.

Nor did the Water thus confine his tyrranie, but ioyning with land Waters that fell from the high groundes, It inuaded two Villages more, but they hauing warning of the Aproch, though not power to withstand it, had time to preuent it, by conuaying all or most part of their goods and Cattell, to the vpland Villages, leauing onelye the emptie houses to the mercy of (that which is sayd to haue no mercy) the water.

Three Townes thus ouerflowed with water, could not but bring much losse to the poore inha­bitants, yet to increase it, their corne fields (and not onely these) but all alongst the coast and lowe Marshes of that country, to the number of many thousand Acars in seuerall places and fields are toombd and buried in the huge graue of waters, that like a deuouring gulfe is neuer satisfied.

To this there is for the space of ten or twelue miles compasse Marishes and fens cleane vn­der water. The Cattell fed in those Marshes so sodainely taken, that had they not fled to an Hill, some halfe mile in compasse called Thruehill, few [Page] or none of them could haue scaped with life: yet being there, their safety is very daungerous: for this hill being very high and narrowe in the top, is like a Rocke in the Sea, girdled about with Water, so deepe, that on foote neither Man nor Beast canne passe it, and yet not deepe enough to beare a Boat, by reason of muddy and old shrubs y ^t grow in it: by reason whereof the poore beasts haue fedde the Hill so bare, as it affordes neither grasse nor wood, and so do their hunger encrease, and sustenance decrease, as they do eate the tops of Molehils, and the very earth it selfe, and with lamentable bellowing complaine, and as it were make moane to their owners, who beeing wil­ling canne by no meanes releeue them. Hee that should see this pittifull famine of Beasts, coulde not (except hee were too leasiall himselfe) but pit­ty it.

At last they made shift by cutting away through the Shrubs & Bushes, to bring abroad a Ferry Boat to the hill, to which the cattell would swim so thick, y ^t they had much a do to keepe it from sin­king, others seeing their fellowes in the Boate, would throw themselues into the water, and like people at a shipwracke, swarme so thicke about them, and offer such mournefull noyses, that pitti­ed y ^e fellowes to heare, the Boat being full, other striuing to swim after them, being weak, for want of sustenance, were drowned at the Boats side.

In pitty whereof, they concluded to fetch noe more of, but in those Boats conuay Hay, and such like fodder, to the Hill, and there feed them: such [Page] are not too farre spent and gone, by this meanes they hope to recouer, (notwithstanding the best helpe they can apply) they die in great numbers: the fight is to be pittied, the losse greeued at, and the Iudgement to be trembled at. For with it, it brings this fearefull expect of a hard and sharpe dearth. For Corne and Cattell, the two cheefe hopes of bounty taken away, what else can we ex­pect, but a fearefull Ruine, and an ineuitable deso­lation, which God for his mercies sake auert.

YOu haue all this while been Spectators of others sad and tragicall euents which now (euen by our friends, kinsfolkes, and Coun­treymen) haue ben presented on the Theater of the world: It shall not be amisse to turne your faces, and to looke backe vpon the head of time that is gone from vs: weigh therefore those miseries that were measured out in the last Queens raigne in the yeare 1570. with these in 1607. and you shall see our punishment greater, because our treason against God is more horrible.

Bedford

THe fift of October about mid­night, the Water ouerflowed so much, that men were faine to forsake their beds, and one woman drowned. Where al­so were lost a great number of Sheepe, Oxen, Kine, Horse, and other Cattell. Amongst other there, one maister Cartwrite Gentleman, hauing his House inclosed round about, the water came in so much, that a Cart being lodē with Thorns, did swim about the ground. He lost by the same Floud, Sheepe and other cattell, to the value of an hundred pound. The same Gentleman had a close gate by the high wayes side, where the water ran ouer so extreamely, that at the fal thereof it made such an hole, that it was for­tie foot deepe, so that no man could passe that way without great danger. To the filling vp of the sayd Hole, or Pit, was cast in by the men of the sayd Towne 25. loads of Fagots, and 20 load of Horse-dung, which sayd Faggots and Horse-dung filled not vp the hole.

Also one master Lee, at the Freers in Bedford hauing a fayre yarde, wherin was great store of Elme-trees, whereof threescore were blowne downe, with the rootes pulled cleane out of the ground. Also he had a close of Contes that were cleane destroyed.

In the Countie of Norfolke.

THe Sea brake in betweene Wis-bich and Walsockenne, & at the Crossekeies drow­ning Tilny, and old Linne, Saint Mary Teding, Saint Mary Tid, S. Iohns, Waw­ple, Walton, & Walsocken, Emney, Iarmans, and Stowe brinke, all being within the space of tenne Myles. At the Crosse-keyes the good man of the Iune had built an house, with a strong Foundation ioyning vnto another House being old and not so strong, wherein were cer­taine Guests, and when the water came in so violently, the good man of the house beeing in the stronger House, called the men out of the olde House, and they would haue gone downe the stayres, but the water was so high, that they could not get downe, wherefore they went backe againe, and brake an hole into the other House, where they went thorow, and the last man was no sooner in, but the olde House fell downe. The Walles of the houses were bro­ken downe, and the Horses that were tyed at the Maunger, (which was made fast in the ground) did swim in the water, when the Sta­ble was cleane caried away, vntill the waters were assuaged, and were saued aliue, and the people were constrained to get vp to the highest parts of the house, and to bee carried away in Boates.

[Page]At Yermoth a great part of the Bridge was carried away.

The house vpon the Hauen, called the Ha­uen-house, wherein was one Nicholas Iosse­lin, the Hauen man, and his son, with all their tooles was carryed into the Marshes, vi. miles from the Hauen, where it stood vpright, where they cōtinued lōg time without meat or drinke.

Item at Iermans brig street, was very much hurt done by extreame flouds that were there.

Item one Thomas Smith of Yermoth lost a ship, and vii men and a Boy in it.

Item at Newarke by Yermouth were lost vii. Sayle.

Item a greate Hulke loden with Oyle and Pitch, was lost at Worry Sand, and about xx. men lost therin and xxx. saued by the Hulk boat.

In the Bishoprike of Ely.

THese Townes & villages were ouerflow­ed that is to say, Wisbich, Guyhorn, Par­son, Droue, and Hobshouse. This Hob­shouse being an almes house (& the water brea­king down the Walles of it) the wind blew the cloathes of from the bed of a poore man and his Wife, they being acold awaked, and sodainely stept out of his Bed to reach vp his Cloths, and stept vp to the belly in water, and then he think­ing himselfe to be in danger (as he was indeed) and he knowing the best way to escape the dan­ger of the Water, tooke his wife on his necke and carried her away, and so were both saued.

[Page]Item in Wisbich was a Garden, a Tenice play, and a Bowling Ally, walled about with brick (which was worth twentie li. by yeere to the owner) quite destroyed by the water.

Lincolne Shire.

MVmby Chappell the whole towne was lost except three houses.

A ship was driuen vpon an house the Sailers thinking they had bin vpon a Rocke, committed themselues to God, and three of the Marriners leapt out of the ship, and chanced to take holde on the house top, and so saued them­selues: and the wife of the same lying in childe­bed, did clime vp into the top of the house, was also saued by the Marriners, her Husband and Childe being both drowned.

Item the Church was wholy ouerthrone ex­cept the steeple.

Betweene Boston and Newcastle were Xl. Sea Vessailes, as small Ships, Craiers, and such like, lost vpon the Coasts of Boston, Hum­merston, Marshchappell, Tetney, Stepney, Nercots, Kelby, & Grimsby, where no ship can come in without a Pilate, which were all lost with goods, Corne, & cattle, with all the Salt coats, where the chief and finest salt was made, were vtterly destroyed, to the vtter vndoing of many a man, and great Lamentation both of old and young.

[Page]Wentford Bridge being very strong of viii. Arches in length, had iii. of the Arches broken, and cleane carried away.

Maister Smith, at the Swan, there had his house (being iii. stories high,) ouerflowed vnto the third story, and the walles of the stable were broken downe, and the horses ty [...]d to the Manger, were all drowned.

Many men had great losse, aswel of Sheep, Kine, Oxen great Mares, Coltes of the breed of the great horses, and other cattell innumera­ble, of which, the names of many of them shall here follow. maister Pellā lost xiC sheep at Mumb chapel.

In Summercote were lost v.C. sheepe that were of the inhabitance there.

Item between Hummerston, and Grimsby were lost xilc. Sheep, of one master Spencers, whose sheapheard about mid day comming to his wife, and asked his dinner, and shee being more bold then mannerly, sayd he should haue none of her, then he chāced to looke toward the Marshes, where the sheep were, & saw the wa­ter breake in so [...]resly that the sheepe would be lost if they were not brought from thence, said y ^t he was not a good shepheard, y ^t would not ven­ture his life for his sheepe, & so went straight to driue them frō thence: both he & his sheep were drowned, and after the water being gone: hee was found dead, standing vpright in a ditch.

Maister Thimbleby, lost CC.xx. sheep.

M. Dimock, lost cccc. sheepe.

M. Marsh, lost ccccc. sheepe.

M. Madison, lost a ship.

[Page]M. William Askugh of Kelsey, sir hugh Askugh M. Merin M. Fitz, Williams of Maplethorp lost by estimation xx M. of cattell one and other.

Boorn was ouerflowed to the midway of the height of the Church.

Steeping, was wholy carryed away, where was a waine lode of Willow tops, the body of the wain with y ^e willowes, carried one away, & the Axiltree and Wheeles, an other way.

Huntington Shire.

IN the Town of S. Eeds, the water flowed into the Town in such aboūdance, that it ran throw the Town and the Church, being in y ^e most therof, hauing about the Churchyarde a Briek wal, of 2. yardes hie, was so ouerflowed that boats were rowed ouer it without touch­ing the same. Item a litle frō Huntington, were in men riding vpō the Causey being then ouer­flowed (the water on the Causey being not deep and thinking no danger therin) chāced to come into a place wher y ^e water had gulled away the Earth, and the Grauel, were caried away with the water: and willows growing on both sides the way, two of the caught hold on the willows and left their Horses, and saued themselues, and the third chanced to catch a very little twig of a willow between his fingers, hauing very litle hold, for [...]aking his horse, which was carried a great way [...], had much paine to keep his hold on the twig, and hold his head aboue the water, & his Horse returning with force against the streame, came againe vnto him, and vnder [Page] him, by which meanes he set his feet vpon him, and gat better hold of the Willow, and so saued himselfe, and the Horse was immediatly caried away, that he neuer saw him after.

Kent.

AT Broom Hill, in Romney Marsh, foure miles from Rye, the water came in so out­ragiously, that it brake downe the Marsh Wals, one Master Bury, being owner therof, who lost by the same a thousand one hundred threescore and two of his sheepe, & it is thought that the Marsh is neuer like to be gottē again.

Item, at Erith breach, a Mariner riding by the Marshes, seeing two maids in the marshes perceiuing the Waters breaking in so fast, that the Maides were not like to escape, rode vnto them, & one of them gat vp behind him, and the other tooke hold on the Horse-taile, and by that were both saued from drowning.

In the same Marsh were drowned a great number of sheepe.

Item, there in a Marsh land y ^t was sowne, were two Boyes keeping Cro [...]s, in the after­noone, saw the water breaking into rashly, gat them vp into a cart, that was not far frō them, where they were fain to tary vntill y ^e next ride, which came in so boystrous [...] that it had like to ouerthrow both the Cart and the Boyes, and the one of them being more stranger then the o­ther, kept the other in hi [...] [...], where he with cold, wet and feare, dyed so that he was faine to let him fall from him into the water, when hee perceiued that he [...].