WHen I enter into the consideration of the aptnesse & greedinesse of our Nation ( and not onelie of them , but almost of all people whatsoeuer ) both to entertaine and euen with a violent beliefe , to embrace the report of any Miracle whatsoeuer , howe euer deliuered from the mouthes or pennes of vaine Impostres , or the most vntrue speakers , without eyther examination of the grossenesse , or respect of the malicious or fantasticall inuentors , nay albeit it bee euen repugnant to holy Scriptures , I cannot chuse but admire at their want of faith , especially in these dayes , wherin truth was neuer ( since the dayes of the Apostles ) more truely published , and yet such is our naturall blindnesse , or our willfull Ignorance that if we iourney neuer so safely in the perfect path of saluation yet we will bee drawne astray with the vainest & lightest report either of prodigious monster or false miracle , witnesse Garnets straw , being an imagination and a report as false as Sathan himselfe who is the Author of all falsehood & yet it is harboured in the hearts and mouthes of many simple seduced people , witnes the Iewes Prophesie , being an idle , vaine Pamphlet , as grosse and grosser then Iohn of Calabria , and was printed many years agoe , and this last yeare onely renewed with the addition of 1607. yet amongst fooles , women & children , retayned for such an approued miracle that as if the gift of prophesie were hereditary to the Iewes & their tribes , there are fewe things better beleeued when as in truth there was neuer any such Iew , nor any such prophesie but a meere inuention , witnes Haoker , that would be no lesse then Christ , & many other such like , all which being most absurd , & most improbable . And yet that in these latter dayes , the man of sin shal bring in false prophets , false prophesies , false miracles , & false deceiuers , it is most plaine in many places of holy Scripture & therefore if such falshods be the signes of a false Church , and a false religion , then questionles the Church of Rome hath no aliance with truth , since in her these euills are daily nourisht & ingendred almost howerly beguiling and inchanting the people with the casting out off Diuells , and other vaine and false miracles , there may be Miranda multa , & yet indeed miracula nulla , many wonders as in the Sun , Moone Starrs , and firmament , many wonders in the earth , in the ayre , and in the waters , some as forerunners of the last day , some as forwarning vs of the euills which hang ouer vs and some as punishments of our sins and of these wonders , the waters haue this yeare brought forth the strangest that hath beene read of eyther in this age or any age since the generall flood which hath gone before it : as namely that which in the latter end of Ianuary last , hapned in Sommerset shire , & other parts of the West-countries , the lamentable report whereof , hath already beene published and hath almost ●●ld euery eare both with pitty and wonder , so many soules perishing , so much goodes and Cattell consumed , & so many Townes-houses and good buyldings ouer-whell , med , that the consideration thereof is able to moue remorse and astonishment in men of the most bloody and barbourous natures , euen such as Vergill writs of the Mirmidons , or Homer of the Thrasians that being as it were , he wed out off stint & moued with no cruelty , yet wept at the destruction of Troy , albeit themselues were the greatest actors in that hugh massacre : like soft hearted executioners that feele a touch of that affliction , with which the afflicte onely , but this first outrage of waters , proceeding from the great deepe , I meane the Sea , albe at , the first it apeared most fearefull & wondrous , and that the effects thereof were both most lamentable and at first beyond all bound of imagination , some not so strangely perishing , as others more strangely preserued ( the true relation wherof is to bee read at pleasure ) yet after the dayes of sorrow were past ouer & that the finishing of nine dayes had finished the remembrance of the wonder , immediatly almost euery one could collect vnto himselfe a naturall cause and a proscript & constant reason both how , why , and which way this inundation was effected : as one while the violence of the windes holding backe the springe tides that they wold not haue their free course according to their dispositions , made that two tides ioyning in one and comming both with a double power and quantity , it must of necessity follow that they must rise to a double height & haue double boundes wherein to be contayned , which not being found there would not chuse but followe this most sodaine fearefull , and vnexpected Ouer-flow : others imagined , that the furie of the winds driuing the waters before them and raysing as it were a double quantity made the spring tides double their accustomed greatnesse , and so ouerflowing their bankes to dround all within the compasse of that leuell . thus men forgetting the powreful hand of the Almighty , & turning the wallet of their sins behind their backes , began to imagine liken naturall men , that sith there was a naturall reason for these natural causes sure they were not punishments for our transgressions , neyther had God in his displeasure , or for our amendment laid this gentle affliction vpon vs , but questionlesse they were deceiued , as may appeare euidently by the sequell of this relation : For in Couentry a Citty seated in Warwick-shire vpon the mount of a small hill , being not neare any part of the Sea or falt-water by many scores of miles , neither where there is any ebding or flowing , neyther any fresh Riuer of any quantity , more then such as a man may at any reasonable time of the yeare , eyther leape or stride ouer , this Citty being euer accounted a very drie Citty as wanting water eyther for traffick , or to beare a vessell of burden . In this Citty vppon Thurseday at night beeing the ●6 . of Aprill the dores of heauen beeing opened there fell a great raine , mixed with thunder & lightning , to the amazement of the Cittizens , I do not meane such an amazement as draue them either to feare or despair but such an amazement as doth commonly follow and depend vpon thunder & lightning which are the dartes and arrowes of the highest : this raine , this thunder & lightning continued the most part of all that night euen in the greatest extremity that could be imagined , the heauens as it were euen opening and spreading the lightning abroad like acurtaine , and making the darkenes of the night as bright as day , for the moment it lasted , and the thunder roaring so loud , that it broke the weariest Laborer from his sleepe and recreation : about morning the thunder ceassed and the rayne not falling so thicke as before , was then no more but an ordinarye drizling , so that the Plow-man betooke him to the field , the Laborer to his worke , and the Artificer to his occupation not any whatsoeuer eyther fearing or seeing any cause to feare eyther extraordinary or ordinary flood or inundation , now about eyght of the clock this morning beeing Fryday the 17. of Aprill , according to the vsual custome of that religious Cittye , the Cittizens repayred to the Church to heare a Lecture , which is vsually preache deuery Friday throughout the whole yeare , and when they went from their houses , the left them drye neither sawe they any cause of suspition why they should not so continue , but when they returned backe from the Lecture , they found all the lower partes of the Citty ouer-flown , with a most strange and wonderfull floode , such a one as no age , memory or record hath euer knowne in that place from the first beginning : the waters being risen within the Cittye in the space of three quarters of an howre , better then nine foote high , so that their houses stoode like little Ilandes about which the water beat and seemed to contend with all violence , much hurt there was done of houshold goodes , many sellers of salte , corne and other commodities spoyled , but vnto the high praise of the great God of heauen not any man , woman , or child nor any other liuing creature , that was of any valuable estimation perished in the waters , onely the affliction of their mindes , who being the owners of those houses sawe this fearefull combate betwixt their goodes and this mercilesse enemy , howe farre they were transported with agonie , feare and desperatnesse none can truely iudge or write of , but such as haue felt & known the like or a greater extremity , for in these sodain and miserable disasters , there is euer a diuers and furious combate of many passions and many afflictions .

This water after it was growne to his full height and strength , it so continued as in a stay for the space of three howers , giuing men leaue as it were to behold his dreadfulnes , and to tremble at the work of the highest , and after the three howrs were expired , it sodainly vanished away beyond all expectation making his comming in , & his going forth of equall wonder , the stay of the Flood being almost three times so long , as both his increase and falling , his increasing , abyding & decaying beeing in all little aboue foure howers , yet his extraordinary depth full nine foote by measure , & his boundes many miles in compas , a wonder more then euer hath bin read of , and an examplary punishment so great & so mercifull that it is worthy the recording to all after ages , for it came onely to affright and forwarne , not to afflict or confound : For first no liuing soule hath perished , no cattell are destroyed , no houses are ouer-whelmed , and for the losse of priuate goodes and commodities , it is supposed that the valew of 200. markes , will make a full restitution and yet neuer came Flood more sodaine , neuer was water in shewe more cruell : nor euer were men more secure , or lesse suspitious of so vnlookt for a danger , but the hand of the Lord is vpon his seruants , and hee will chastice those which offend , and haue mercy where he pleaseth .