THERE is no Person of any Age or Understanding , but must needs acknowledge that the last Four , if not Twelve Years , has been , as it were , an Age of Prodigies and Wonders , in these three Kingdoms ; so that , it may be , no former time can parallel , so many strange Transactions , as have happened in so little space ; and therefore , as an ingenious Person says , A Book of Wonders is most fit , In wondrous Times for to be writ .

And another Learned Author says , The Wise Creator of Heaven and Earth is wont , when the measure of our Wickedness comes to the heigth , rather to inflect upon us Temporal , than Eternal Punishments ; and to use for our Amendment , the occasion of these Natural Effects , thereby to affright us , from the terror of those Sights , to a Repentance , and dutiful Respect of him . And if we consult History , we shall find , that there hath never been any notable Apparition or Prodigy , seen in the Heavens , on the Water , or the Earth , but it hath been attended , in the sequel , with more than ordinary Occurances here on Earth : Neither is there any one , except he hath no Religion , who is not affrighted at Lightning , the clashing noise of Thunder , or an horrible Comet ; for God speaks to Men , not only with the Tongues of Men by Prophets , Apostles , and Teachers , but sometime also by the Elements , and other extraordinary Signs in the Heavens , Earth , or Sea .

In order whereunro , it cannot surely be unreasonable , nor unprofitable , to publish to the World , what has lately happened in several parts of England ; of which I shall therefore proceed to give an Account as followeth :

Of a prodigious Clap of Thunder and Lightning , near Daintry in Northampton-shire ; Killing four Persons , &c.

WE have of late , had great Thunders and Lightning , accompanied with terrible Storns of Rain ; whose suddain violence overflowed divers Places , to the great Damage : among others of this kind , of the sad effects of the Storms , we have a particular Account in the following manner , attested by Credible Witness .

At a Place near Badby , a Mile from Daventry in Northampton-shire , on Monday the 27th . of July 1691. 16 Persons being in a Field ( called Everton Field ) at Harvest-Work , The Sky immediately overcasting with black and dismal Clouds , prodigious Thunders & Lightning ensued , which accompanied with extraordinary Showers of Rain , made them seek shelter under the Trees and Hedges ; but they proved no safe retreat ; for immediately a Flash of Fire broke from a Cloud , and falling amongst them with a very sudden motion , struck four of them dead ; they not having leisure to utter one word ; and Burnt Ten of the rest in so terrible a manner , that their Lives are dispaired of : Amongst the Wounded , are the Master of the Ground , and his Wife . And it is remarkable , that one of those Killed , held in his Hand a Snush-box , just putting it to his Nose ; and another had a little Dog between his Legs , holding him by the Ears , as if at play ; which Dog was likewise found Dead . The Fire likewise split an Ash-tree ( under which they sat ) all in pieces ; many Splinters of which are brought to London , as a testimony of this sad and deplorable Disaster . The Storm continued a long time , making the Earth , and the neighbouring Villages , to tremble .

The Names of the Persons Killed ( being Four ) which were as followeth , viz. Mr. Simon Marriot ; Mr. Robert Marriot his Son : Mr. Richard Wills , who was found Dead with a little Dog in his Lap ; who was also Kill'd . Mr. Thomas Burrough , who was found Dead with Snush in his Hand , just putting it to his Nose .

The Confirmation of this Relation ( if any Doubt the Truth thereof ) may be had from divers Creditable Persons in the City of London , as well as in the Country where it hapened ; particularly from Mr. William Needler of Tatnam : Mr. Thomas Hoggins , of St. Martins : Mr. Tulse , a Goldsmith , in Foster-Lane . Mr. Lovert , a Grocer , in Daventry :

Of a Whale , or Sea-monster , near Newcastle .

ON Saturday the Fourth of this instant July , 1691. Between the hours of Nine and Ten in the Morning , there appear'd off of a small Seaport , in the County of Cumberland , called Gossforth ( which place is situate not far from Newcastle , and within Three Miles of Sea Scale ) a Whale , or some other most strange and wonderful Sea Monster , in the shape of a Whale , being of a prodigious and unheard of length and breadth : he was visible to great numbers of Spectators , for above three hours , very near the Shoar , during which time , by his often moving his Body , and flounching up and down in the Sea , he made so prodigious a Noise ( infinitely exceeding that of the coming in , or going out of the Tide at any Bridge , or on the greatest Flood ) that it Allarm'd the Inhabitants that were in the Neighbouring Villages , and others that were at Work in the Fields , for near Ten Miles round .

Of an Apparition of Land Soldiers , near the City of Exeter .

ON Saturday the Eleventh of this instant July , 1691. In the Afternoon of the same day , several Country-Men being at Work , in a Meadow belonging to a small Village , near the City of Exon ▪ in the County of Devon , as they were busily employed in Loading , or as they call it , Housing their Hay , one of them plainly descryed at some distance , a great Body of Armed Men , moving towards them , most of which seemed to be mounted on large White Horses ; the Country-man informing the rest of the Company of it , they plainly saw the same as well as himself : The Men that were mounted on the Horses , had their Swords drawn , and Pieces , like Carbines , hanging on their Shoulders . After some short time , this seeming Body of Men , marched themselves on the Left of them , clear out of Sight ; four of the Persons that saw this Sight or Apparition returning home , went before one Mr. F — an Honourable Justice of the Peace of that County , and made Affidavit of ●… e same ; what may be thought not a ●… tle Remarkable in this Apparition 〈◇〉 that on the very next day being ●unday the 12th . the late Famous Bat●… e in Ireland was Fought , in which ●heir Majesties Forces obtain'd a Sig●al Victory over the French and Irish ●apists ; in which Action the Earl of ●ortland's Regiment ( who were all ●hite Horse , and but just Arrived in ●… e Camp from England ) were consi●erably Engaged ▪ much the same Ap●arition , or like Body of Men , were 〈◇〉 some Days before in Pembrook●… ire in Wales , and in Cheshire ; in the ●ormer of which Places , several Per●ons likewise made Affidavit of the ●… uth , of it before an Honourable ●ustice of the Peace of the said Coun●… y , who sent up an Account of the ●ame to a Relation of his in Grays-●nn London .

The foregoing Relations of Armed Men , and what ensued thereupon in Ireland , brings to my remembrance , ● Relation given by Mr. Hamilton in ●is Account of the Actions of the Inniskilling Men , that just before the Famous Defeat given to Mac-Carty's Army , killing of his Men , and taking himself Prisoner ; there was see● strange Apparitions of Bodies of Me●… &c. in the Adjacent Neighbourhoo●…

Of a Terrible Tempest in the Isle 〈◇〉 ELY .

ON Thursday the 15th . instant , the●… fell a mighty Tempest of Rai●… Hail , Lightning , and Thunder in t●… Isle of Ely , Cambridge-shire , and so●… parts of Hartford-shire ; before t●… Tempest began , the Sky was for ● considerable time Black and Dar●… when on a suddain there happened ● great Storm of Hail , which by t●… assistance of of an East-Wind , fell wi●… such violence , that the Hail-Sto●… rebounded two Foot high from t●… ground , after which followed a fier●… showre of Rain , which seemed rath●… to come down in Pailfuls , than in t●… common way , and so affrighted the I●habitants , that they ran immediate●… into the Fields to save the Sheep a●… Lambs , and other small Cattle ; du●ing this dreadful Storm , the Heave●… sent forth such huge and freque●… flashes of Fire , that the Firmame●… seemed to be in a Flame ; some 〈◇〉 the Hail-Stones that fell , were of 〈◇〉 very large Size ; the Rain caused so great a Torrent of Water , that in several parts great Quantities of Sheep and Lambs , &c. were drowned , which with several considerable quantities of Hay were carried away with the Torrent .

Of strange Apparitions in the Air , near Maldon in Essex .

IN the first Week of July , 1691. At a small place near the Town of Maldon , in the County of Essex , there was seen the following Apparitions , or Appearance : Just about twy light , or the shutting up of the Evening , at the House of the Vicker of the Parish , which is situate near half a mile from the Church , at a time when the Gentleman and his Family was at Supper , a great Dog that belonged to the House , was observed to make a very great and unusual Barking , as if the House had been beset with Thieves ; upon which a Servant was ordered to go into the Yard , to find out the occasion of the Dogs Barking , who coming to the place , saw , to his great Admiration , a strange and unusual Light in the Sky , upon which , giving information thereof to his Master , &c. they all came out , and looking in the Sky , they all soon after , saw the plain likeness or appearance of a Body of Men in the Air , divided into two Bodies ▪ and soon after tha● , they heard th● plain noise or report of Guns , grea● and small , and to their thinking , Me● droping down from both Parties ; a●ter some time , these Bodies of Me● vanished , and they saw the appea●rance of only two Men on Horse-back ▪ Engaged with Pistols , and to thei● thinking , the one killed the other , an● then vanished .