A Copie of a Paper which came from Exeter, inclosed in a Letter to an Eminent Officer of that Garrison, a very honest Godly man) now in LONDON.
THat the Sicknesse being for a long time very tedious in Barnstable, some honest people met together twice a weeke, to pray the Lord for the removing of his hand of Visitation from the Towne, some disturbed them, and crying out they were INDEPENDANTS, Saying they were the cause of the Plague being amongst them, threatning to turne them out of their Towne, this did not disharten the honest people, bur they continued still in prayer, and divers of the other people, went from the house, (where they had abused them, throwing stones and railing on [...]hem) to [Page 2] their owne dwellings, and immediately fell ficck of the Plague, and they, and all their families dyed of the Plague within one weeke, which causeth most of the people of the Towne, to speake well of the honest partie, and to take notice of the hand of GOD on the other, And which is to be observed, not one family of those railed against had not, Heither hath as yet, had any sickenesse amongst them, though it hath been on each hand next dore to them.
Another remarkable thing is, there was a woman in the Towne having the Sicknesse, and being with Child dyed, but was delivered just as shee dyed, none could be gotten to bury her, untill the third day, and when they came in to bury her, they found the Child lying by it's Mother, and had sucked the blood of it's Mother, and was then alive.
And all this is justified by the Deputie governour of Barnstable, besides the confirmation of many more honest people of that Town, So say the Letters from Exeter, (which is all I can say of it.)
A Copie of a Certificate under the hand of Mr. Edward Fleetwood, Minister of Kirkham Parish in Lancashire, concerning the Monster brought forth by Mrs Haughton, a Papist living in that Parish.
AS we must tell no lie, so we should conceal no truth; especially when it tends to Gods glory: There was a great Papist, and of great parentage, within the Parish of Kirkham, and his wives mother being of the [Page 3] same Religion, did usually scoffe and mock the Round-heads, and in derision of Mr. Prinne, and others, cut off the Cats eares, and called it by his name: But behold an example of the Justice and equity of God in his judgements: As Adonibezec was repaid in his own kind: Haman hanged upon the same gallowes he had prepared for Mordecai, and Pharaoh and all his Hoast drowned in the Sea into which hee had thought to have driven the Israelites. And likewise one of the Popish Prelates, who said, hee would not dine before Ridley and Latimer were burnt, was burned in his own intrails. So (much what alike) it fell out with this mans wife, a Popish creature, who being great with child, when the time of her delivery came, she brought forth a monstrous child without an head, ugly and deformed, the portracture whereof is printed, and my selfe eywitnesse thereof,
- Edward Fleetwood, Pastor.
- W. Gattaker, Midwife.
THe mother of this Monster hath been often heard to curse against Mr. Prinne, Mr. Burton, and Doctor Bastwick, and the Roundheads. Also to revile the Parliament, and say that she thought that the King and the Bishops were the righter part of us; she hath been heard to wish, that she and hers might never live to be Roundheads, nor Separatists, and that she hath praid to God, that shee might never live to see any of hers such; and that the P [...] ritans and Independents deserve all to be hanged: and many such like expressions would often fall from her.
Amongst the rest, one speech of hers was most notorious; and hath rested in the memory of some Gentlewomen, and others that heard her when she spake it; that being in company with her, they fell to discourse of the present miseries of the Kingdom by these warres: and some spoke against [Page 5] the Cavaliers and the Papists in the Kings Army; Whereupon thes Mrs Haughton, said little lesse against the Round-heads and Independents, and she said the King was in the right against them; shee was replied to, that those called Round-heads were honest men, and in the right way of walking and living like the people of God, and suteable to the profession of Christians; and withall wishing, if it pleased God that she had her eyes opened, & was such a Round-head. No, saith she, I had rather have no head, nor life: I nor any of mine, I hope, I hope, will ever be such. Answer was made her, that her children, if she had any, might (if God so please) have their eyes opened, and see that good which she is ignorant of. Mrs Haughton made answer again in these words: I pray God that rather then I shal be a Round-head, oy bear a Round-head, I may bring forth a child without a head. This was a fearfull saying, and taken notice of by divers of her neighbours that heard her speak it. And this many who know it, do apprehend, might be a great means to provoke God to shew such a testimony of his displeasure against her, by causing her to bring forth this Monster, whose picture is in the Title page of this book.
Now for testimony of the truth of this, we shall give it you in order thus:
Her neighbours who heard her speak the aforesaid words, have been with Mr. Fleetwood the Minister of the Parish of Kirkham, where she was brought to bed of this Monster, and where it was buried also, and it was told to some of the the County, what had happened, and that she had spoken those words. And after that she was with child, and delivered of the Monster, one widow Gattaker the Midwife, formerly wife to Mr. Gattaker, sometimes Vicar of the said Parish, she being a godly woman, could not bee eased in her mind, untill she had dischaaged her conscince in making it known to Mr. Fleetwood the Minister aforesaid; That shee had brought the said Mrs Haughton to bed of a Monster, [Page 6] which had no head; declaring her opinion, that shee verily believed that it was the hand of God upon her for those imprecations she wished upon herself, as is before exprest: The Minister hee spoke of it to others, and so did the Midwife also, which made it to bee spred up and down the Countsey so that it came to the eares of some of the Committee. And for the further satisfaction of the truth thereof, Colonell More, an honest godly Gentleman, a member of the House of Commons, and one of the Committee being there, it was desired he should send a Letter to Mr Fleetwood the Minister of the Parish, to know the certainty of it, whether it was truth or not: which letter was writ, and by him sent sent accordingly. And Mr Fleetwood reteiving the said letter, sent for the Mid-wife about it, and she still confirmed what she said before; yst for better satisfaction, Mr. Fleetwood caused the grave to be opened, and the child to be taken up, and laid to view, and found there a body without an head, as the Midwife had said, only the child had a face upon the breast of it, Two eyes neer unto the place where the paps where usually are, and a nose upon tne chest, and a mouth a little above the navell, and two eares, upon each shoulder one.
Tae certificate was shewed before divers of the Committee, and by Colonell More, a member of the House of Commons, brought up to London, and shewed to divers of the House; who have commanded it to be printed, so that all the Kingdome might see the hand of God herein: to the comfort of his people, and the terrour of the wicked that deride and scorn them.
A Gentleman was in the shop of one Mr. Munday a Painter, who then lived in Little Brittain against Botolph Church, he was railing against Mr. Prinne, Mr. Burton, and Doctor Bastwick; speaking reproachfully of their sufferings, and the losse of their eares, himselfe wiping his head with his handcarcher, [Page 6] wiped blood from his owne eares, to the amazement of th [...]s [...] who were then present-
One Mr. Bret a Trumpeter of Sir Thomas Fairfaxes, being in Sir Ralph Hoptons quarters with a Message from the Generall, they having had some losses a day or two before, and considering that they failed of their owne expectations, (for they thought they had beene sure to have had Forces from France, Ireland and Oxford, to have destroyed Sir Thomas Fairfax,) but seeing Sir Thomas prospered against them, one of the Cavaliers said in Mr. Brets hearing, God dam him, (hee said) what is there such a change already, (quoth hee) God almighty was a Cavalier the last weeke, but now hee is turned Round-head, and the rest of his fellow Souldiers made sport at this expression; and within about a weeke or two after all their Forces were subdued by Sir Thomas Fairfax.