POOR ROBINS PROPHESIES. And DIVERTISEMENTS.
UPon turning up the Foundation of Mushrome-Hall, there was found a Porridge-Pot with an Alms-Box in it. The Pott was made of Red Earth, as Man was, and upon it, in Saxon Characters, as much as to say, OUR ORIGINAL. In the Box were two Prophesies, written also in the same Tongue, which are here faithfully Translated, as follows.
The First Prophesy.
When the Toad shall run away with a Legg of the Lyon, and advance it self against the Eagle, then shall the Men of the White Island suffer great Tribulation, by reason of the Excessive Price of HORN-BOOKS, and the danger of their BACON; and take grievous Surfeits of ROTTEN WARDENS. Then shall the Fox whistle, and the Geese Dance, to the Tune of When Jocky first the War began; and there shall be notable Glee among the Children of the Lake.
After this, there shall appear a Face of Brass, under a New thatch'd House, and a Voice shall be heard crying WO, WO, WO, unto those that BAWL; which shall be terrible to the Translater of the DOBUNI, and the POOR WHORES, with their PETITIONS, shall fall down before it. Then shall Men be distracted in their Reckoning, and refuse to give Accompt of their Stewardships; and being far gone in Ale and Concupiscence, they shall have a Hankering after the Flesh, and run their Heads against Cross-Beames in the middle of their Cariere after the Strange Woman; their Eyes being sunk into their Breeches, and the Understanding fallen into the Lower parts.
The Second Prophesy.
When the Moon-Calf shall chop Logique with the Three Lyons, and the Fatherless-Child enter into a League with the French Cutter, the Trusty shall take possession of the House-Top, and the Clother of the Dead shall call in the Man of Letter; to his [...] [Page] and the Canon shall play upon him, from the Man of Po.
In those dayes there shall come forth a Mighty Prophet out of the River of the South, whose Daddy shall not be known, for he shall spring like a Chedir-Cheese; out of the Milk of the whole Parish. He shall confound the Oracles of the Pagan Almanacks, and give thanks upon his Knees to St. Stephen, before the great Tribunal, for his success.
When this is come to pass, the Spirit of Delusion shall preach a New Gospel, in the Name of the fall'n Angel; Maintaining that Rebellion, Rapine, and Bearing false witness are the special Privileges of a Babe of Grace. His sound shall go out into Arabia; He shall hold forth in the Synagogues of smoke, and the Martyr shall give Testimony unto his Doctrine. He shall be skill'd in all the Learning of the Egyptians; and of so wonderful a Memory, that he shall never forget any thing, but his Sins, his Friends, and the Masters of his Parish. He shall shew his Parts before Principalities and Powers, and make great Presents of State-Spectacles, for the Discovery of Non-Entities, and seeing things invisible: by which means, his Virtues shall be made manifest.
And then shall come forth in a fair Foolls-Capp, and bound up in Calves-Leather, the Living History of the Phylosophy of Gotham with certain Learned Exercitations upon the Devils Arss of Peake, which shall make the Squire of the Wandle, and the Lady of the sorrowful countenance, great in their Generations. But behold there is a sad Catastrophe at hand; for the Proud shall be Humbled, St. George appeareth, and the Puissant shall eat Grayns.
Divertisements.
1. IF there be any Man, Woman, or Child, in Town, or Country, that can furnish a considerable quantity of good substantial Statutable Bawdery, let them repair with it to the sign of the Kings Whisperer, and they shall be well paid for their pains, the Master and Mistress of the house, being upon a Collection of Curiosities of that kind, which they intend to publish with Aretines Cutts, and their own Notes upon them, for the Edification of both Sexes.
2. There is now ready for the Press, an Excellent Piece, call'd, The Memoirs of Grim the Collier of Croydon, and Dame Gillian his Spouse, with Instructions how a man may thrive in the world, without either Brains, or Honesty; being of singular use, for Buffoons, Pimps, and Parish-Children.
3. Lost betwixt Tarts Coffee house, and Parliament Stairs, out of a Calves-Leather-Case, a very fair, Large Conscience, ready harden'd, and fit for Use; together with Bills of Accompts, and two Apologys, one for Judas, and another for the seaven deadly sins, clearly proving that the Devil is not so black as they paint him, with a Receipt to turn Hob-nails into Guinnyes. Whosoever has found them, and will deliver them to the true Owner, in the Christ-Cross-Row, shall have a good reward.
4. The Dr. that makes the rare Varnish for keeping people in countenance in the cases of Swearing, Lying & Stealing without the common helps of Pillory or Carting, so that they shall out-face a Court of Justice, and never change colour for't, does now stand fair for Professor to the Societies of Newgate and the Gatehouse, & is to be spoke with, from 8 to 12. in the Morning, at the Graceless Babe; & from 2 to 7 in the Afternoon, at the sign of the Cloake-Carrier. At other times he may be heard of at the Virginia in Black-Fryers.
This may be Printed May 23, 1677. R. L'Estrange.
Printed by H. B. in the Year 1677.