¶
The
reporte
of
a
straunge
and
wonderful
Spectacle
.
SUnday
,
béeing
the
fourth
of
this
August
,
in
the
yéer
of
our
Lord
1577.
to
the
amasing
and
singular
astonishment
of
the
present
beholders
,
and
absent
hearers
,
at
a
certein
towne
called
Bongay
,
not
past
tenne
miles
distant
from
the
Citie
of
Norwiche
,
there
fell
from
heauen
an
excéeding
great
and
terrible
tempest
;
sodein
and
violent
,
betwéen
nine
of
the
clock
in
the
morning
and
tenne
of
the
day
aforsaid
.
This
tempest
took
beginning
with
a
rain
,
which
fel
with
a
wonderful
force
and
with
no
lesse
violence
then
abundance
,
which
made
the
storme
so
much
the
more
extream
and
terrible
.
This
tempest
was
not
simply
of
rain
,
but
also
of
lightning
and
thunder
,
the
flashing
of
the
one
wherof
was
so
rare
,
and
vehement
,
and
the
roaring
noise
of
the
other
so
forceable
and
violent
,
that
it
made
not
onely
people
perplexed
in
minde
and
at
their
wits
end
,
but
ministred
such
straunge
and
vnaccustomed
cause
of
feare
to
be
conceiued
,
that
dumb
creatures
with
the
horrour
of
that
which
fortuned
,
were
exceedingly
disquieted
,
and
senselesse
things
void
of
all
life
and
féeling
,
shook
and
trembled
.
There
were
assembled
at
the
same
season
,
to
hear
diuine
seruice
and
common
prayer
,
according
to
order
,
in
the
parish
church
of
the
said
towne
of
Bongay
,
the
people
therabouts
inhabiting
,
who
were
witnesses
of
the
straungenes
,
the
rarenesse
and
sodenesse
of
the
storm
,
consisting
of
raine
violently
falling
,
fearful
flashes
of
lightning
,
and
terrible
cracks
of
thunder
,
which
came
with
such
vnwonted
force
and
power
,
that
to
the
perceiuing
of
the
people
,
at
the
time
and
in
the
place
aboue
named
,
assembled
,
the
Church
did
as
it
were
quake
and
staggar
,
which
struck
into
the
harts
of
those
that
were
present
,
such
a
sore
and
sodain
feare
,
that
they
were
in
a
manner
robbed
of
their
right
wits
.
Immediatly
héerupon
,
there
appéered
in
a
moste
horrible
similitude
and
likenesse
to
the
congregation
then
&
there
present
,
a
dog
as
they
might
discerne
it
,
of
a
black
colour
:
at
the
sight
wherof
,
togither
with
the
fearful
flashes
of
fire
which
then
were
séene
,
moued
such
admiration
in
the
mindes
of
the
assemblie
,
that
they
thought
doomes
day
was
already
come
.
This
black
dog
,
or
the
diuel
in
such
a
likenesse
(
God
hée
knoweth
al
who
worketh
all
)
runing
all
along
down
the
body
of
the
Church
with
great
swiftnesse
,
and
incredible
haste
,
among
the
people
,
in
a
visible
fourm
and
shape
,
passed
betwéen
two
persons
,
as
they
were
knéeling
vppon
their
knées
,
and
occupied
in
prayer
as
it
séemed
,
wrung
the
necks
of
them
bothe
at
one
instant
clene
backward
,
in
somuch
that
euen
at
a
moment
where
they
kneeled
,
they
strangely
dyed
.
This
is
a
wonderful
example
of
Godis
wrath
,
no
dout
to
terifie
vs
,
that
we
might
feare
him
for
his
iustice
,
or
puling
back
our
footsteps
from
the
pathes
of
sinne
,
to
loue
him
for
his
mercy
.
To
our
matter
again
.
There
was
at
the
same
time
another
wonder
wrought
:
for
the
same
black
dog
,
stil
continuing
and
remaining
in
one
and
the
self
same
shape
,
passing
by
an
other
man
of
the
congregation
in
the
Church
,
gaue
him
such
a
gripe
on
the
back
,
that
therwithall
he
was
presently
drawen
togither
and
shrunk
vp
,
as
it
were
a
péece
of
lether
scorched
in
a
hot
fire
:
or
as
the
mouth
of
a
purse
or
bag
,
drawen
togither
with
a
string
.
The
man
,
albeit
hée
was
in
so
straunge
a
taking
,
dyed
not
,
but
as
it
is
thought
is
yet
aliue
:
whiche
thing
is
meruelous
in
the
eyes
of
men
,
and
offereth
muche
matter
of
amasing
the
minde
.
Moreouer
,
and
beside
this
,
the
Clark
of
the
said
Church
béeing
occupied
in
cleansing
of
the
gutter
of
the
Church
,
with
a
violent
clap
of
thunder
was
smitten
downe
,
and
beside
his
fall
had
no
further
harme
:
vnto
whom
béeing
all
amased
this
straunge
shape
,
wherof
we
haue
before
spoken
,
appeared
,
howbeit
he
escaped
without
daunger
:
which
might
paraduenture
séem
to
sound
against
trueth
,
and
to
be
a
thing
incredible
:
but
,
let
vs
leaue
thus
or
thus
to
iudge
,
and
cry
out
with
the
Prophet
.
O
Domine
!
&c.
O
Lord
,
how
wonderful
art
thou
in
thy
woorks
!
At
the
time
that
these
things
in
this
order
happened
,
the
Rector
,
or
Curate
of
the
Church
,
béeing
partaker
of
the
peoples
perplexitie
,
séeing
what
was
séen
,
and
done
,
comforted
the
people
,
and
exhorted
them
to
prayer
,
whose
counsell
,
in
such
extreme
distresse
they
folowed
,
and
prayed
to
God
as
they
were
assemled
togither
.
Now
for
the
verifying
of
this
report
,
(
which
to
some
wil
seem
absurd
,
although
the
sensiblenesse
of
the
thing
it self
confirmeth
it
to
be
a
trueth
)
as
testimonies
and
witnesses
of
the
force
which
rested
in
this
strange
shaped
thing
,
there
are
remaining
in
the
stones
of
the
Church
,
and
likewise
in
the
Church
dore
which
are
meruelously
renten
&
torne
,
the
marks
as
it
were
of
his
clawes
or
talans
.
Beside
,
that
all
the
wires
,
the
whéeles
,
and
other
things
belonging
to
the
Clock
,
were
wrung
in
sunder
,
and
broken
in
peces
.
And
(
which
I
should
haue
tolde
you
in
the
begining
of
this
report
,
if
I
had
regarded
the
obseruing
of
order
)
at
the
time
that
this
tempest
lasted
,
and
while
these
stormes
endured
,
the
whole
Church
was
so
darkned
,
yea
with
such
a
palpable
darknesse
,
that
one
persone
could
not
perceiue
another
,
neither
yet
might
discern
any
light
at
all
,
though
it
were
leser
than
the
least
,
but
onely
when
the
great
flashing
of
fire
and
lightning
appéered
.
These
things
are
not
lightly
with
silence
to
be
ouer
passed
,
but
precisely
and
throughly
to
be
considered
.
On
the
self
same
day
,
in
like
maner
,
into
the
parish
church
of
another
town
called
Blibery
,
not
aboue
seuen
miles
distant
from
Bongay
aboue
said
,
the
like
thing
entred
,
in
the
same
shape
and
similitude
,
where
placing
him self
vppon
a
maine
balke
or
beam
,
wheron
sometime
the
Rood
did
stand
,
sodainly
he
gaue
a
swinge
downe
through
the
Church
,
and
there
also
,
as
before
,
slew
two
men
and
a
lad
,
and
burned
the
hand
of
another
person
that
was
there
among
the
rest
of
the
company
,
of
whom
diuers
were
blasted
.
This
mischief
thus
wrought
,
he
flew
with
wonderful
force
to
no
litle
feare
of
the
assembly
,
out
of
the
Church
in
a
hideous
and
hellish
likenes
.
These
things
are
reported
to
be
true
,
yea
,
by
the
mouthes
of
them
that
were
eye
witnesses
of
the
same
,
and
therfore
dare
with
so
much
the
more
boldenesse
verifie
what
soeuer
is
reported
.
Let
vs
pray
vnto
GOD
,
as
it
is
the
dutie
of
Christians
,
to
woork
all
things
to
the
best
,
to
turne
our
flintie
harts
into
fleshie
hartes
,
that
we
may
féele
the
fire
of
Gods
mercy
,
and
flée
from
the
scourge
of
his
iustice
.
A
necessary
Prayer
.
O
GOD
which
hast
promised
to
be
a
shield
to
such
as
flee
to
thee
for
succoure
in
their
necessities
,
&
with
thy
wings
to
ouer
shadow
them
that
they
feele
not
the
scorching
heat
of
afflictions
&
miseries
:
we
beseech
thee
,
that
although
we
,
through
the
infinite
and
vnmeasurable
sinnes
whiche
we
commit
,
prouoke
thee
to
smite
vs
with
the
Iron
rod
of
thy
wrath
and
iudgement
:
yet
that
it
would
please
thee
to
remember
that
we
are
but
fraile
flesh
,
subiect
to
sinne
,
and
to
too
prone
to
offend
:
that
it
would
please
thee
to
cast
thy
gratious
countenance
vppon
vs
,
and
to
stretch
out
thy
siluered
scepter
of
peace
vnto
vs
,
that
beeing
restored
into
thy
fauoure
,
from
which
our
offences
haue
separated
vs
,
we
may
shrowd
our
selues
vnder
the
shield
of
thy
safegarde
agaist
all
manner
of
anoyances
whatsoeuer
,
through
Christ
Jesus
our
onely
sauior
&
redeemer
,
in
whose
name
,
as
hee
hath
taught
vs
,
we
say
and
pray
.
Ab
omni
malo
libera
nos
Domine
:
Deliuer
vs
from
all
euil
,
good
Lord
.
Amen
.
Tibi
laus
honor
&
gloria
,
in
aeuum
.
Amen
.