Being a most strange and true Relation of the voiding of 12 ugly and monstrous Serpents by Mr. Parey, Master of the Bell Inn [...]ncer Temple bar, a little before his death, with a Narrative of his Life and Conversation.

BEfore the destruction of Sodome and Gomorra, sundry strange Prodigies, and Comments were seen, as if the hea­vens, [Page 4]privy to impendent effects, had by their mysticall character revealed a prodigy was in breeding; for in the year that Nero was adopted by Claudius, there appeared three Suns. And in the time of a great Pestilence in Ger­many, Serpents bred in the dead bodies of men and wo­men, so that they could hardly [...]eburied: But in these our dayes a strange example of a wonderful Prodigie hath fallen out neer Temple-bar, where one Mr. Parrey, Master of the Bell-Inn in Bell yard, neer Temple-bar, having for some certain time been extreamly troubled with a pain in the belly, and a great noise or hiffing, as he conceived, would oftentimes desire his friends & neigh­bors to hearken and give ear, whether or no they could hear any thing; they answered, no: Then he desired that Mr Cook the Physitian might be sent for, which was accordingly done and after some converse together, he advised Mr. Parrey to betake himself to a course of Physick, which was observed for some few dayes; but about the 30. of July he began to be extream illy; at which time he went to stool, where he voided twelve Serpents, one having a head like a horse, another headed like a Toad, a third like a Greyhound, a fourth like a Talbot: all which had several distinct heads, though ex­treamly deformed, but died immediatly after they came from him: some were at the least a handful long; others about half a handful, and some shorter: They were [Page 5]somewhat of a dark colour when they were voided; they had no great scent, but a kind of an earthly smell; and were preserved for some time with the spirits of Wine, divers Gentlemen of great worth coming to see them: Nay more, it is credibly reported, that they were often­times heard to croak like Frogs in his belly, and to make such a hideous noise, that after they crawled from him, the sight thereof struck great admiration to the Behold­ers.

Indeed, it is a thing so strange and wonderful, that it surpasse [...] sundry Prodigies in former Ages, and cannot be parallel'd in these lat [...]er Times; and the rather, by reason he was a Gentleman of singular good life and con­versation, and of good repute and worth: He made a very godly, p [...]ous, and Christian end, and departed this life on Thursday the second of August, leaving a gallant Memento a [...]d Character to all Christians.

But again, I am info [...]med by a Ge tleman and friend of Mr. Parreys, that the Cause and [...]ffects of what is be­fore specified, were onely co [...]ge [...]led blood, ingendered in a bladder, and occasioned by a [...]all from his horse; to th [...]s I can say little; but th [...] is truth and proceeded from the same tongue, that Mrs Parrey kept these things from Saturday till Munday and then Mr. Cook carryed them home to his own house, where many Gentlemen and Ladie [...] of great worth resorted, to behold so strange an Object.

And to instance somewhat further of the strange Examples of wonderful prodigies, give me leave to insist somewhat further, and present you with a most remarkable and memorable passage, which hapned before the last destruction of Jerusalem (which calamity befel the Jewes, for crucifying the Lord of Life, and contemn­ing his Gospel) a Comet, in the likeness of a fiery sword, hung over the City for a year to­gether. Also, at the Feast of the Passover a great light appeared about the Altar at midnight, which continued half an hour. Also a Cow that was led to be sacrificed at the Altar brought sorth a Lamb; and the inward Gate of the Temple which was made of massie brass, and u­sed to have twenty men to shut it, being fasten­ed with Locks and bars of Iron, at the fifth hour of the night opened of its own accord. Also a little before Sun-set were seen in the ayr iron Chariots, and an army in battel-array as it were begirting the City.

At the Feast of Pentecost the Priest going into the Temple, felt the place to move, & trem­ble, and a voyce was heard saying, Let us go hence to Pella. Also one Jesus the son of Ana­zaus, 80 years before the war began, went up and down continually crying; A voice from the East, a voyce against Jerusalem, and the Temple: a voyce against new married persons; a voyce against this people. Nay more, before the terrible Wars between the Brittains, and Romans in Neros time, the seas between Brit­tain, and France, at the full tide did overflow of a bloody colour, and at low water the prints of mens bodies were seen upon the bare sand at the mouth of the Thames.

This is a thing so observable, that the like hath not been heard of these many hundreds years, and so remar­kable, that the Colledge of Physitians had an earnest de­sire to have had him opened, and then to have embalm­ed his Corps; but his wife would not condescend there­unto upon no tearms, although great satisfaction mighty have occur'd thereupon: for indeed the thing being so remarkable, it would have left such a Memento to fu­ture Posterity, that the most ancient Records cannot pa­rallel it. Here we might treat a little by way of Com­ment, but we shall decline the way, as false Astronomy, being not yet in utter darkness, though the Sun be set; for the star beaming-influene proves all those Rules ex­centrick, and Apocryphal.