Part 16

In dreams it is a sign of death, because out of one are then made two, when the soul is separated from the body. And it is a sign of the disease in sick men, nor signifies it any thing else at that time.

As concerning apparitions of a man's own self, there are sundry instances, some whereof, I shall here set down.

The Countess of Thanet (Earl John's Lady) saw as she was in bed with her Lord in London, her daughter my Lady Hatton, who was then in Northamptonshire, at Horton Kirby; the candle was burning in her chamber. Since, viz. anno 1675, this Lady Hatton was blown up with gunpowder set on fire by lightning, in the castle at Guernsey, where her Lord was Governor.*

* See Mr. Baxter's Treatise of Spirits

The beautiful Lady Diana Rich, daughter to the Earl of Holland, as she was walking in her father's garden at Kensington, to take the fresh air before dinner, about eleven o'clock, being then very well, met with her own apparition, habit, and every thing, as in a looking- glass. About a month after, she died of the small-pox. And it is said that her sister, the Lady Isabella Thynne, saw the like of herself also, before she died. This account I had from a person of honour.

Mrs. E. W. daughter of Sir W. W. affirms that Mrs. J. (her father's sister) saw herself, i. e. her phantom, half a year before she died, for a quarter of an hour together. She said further, that her aunt was sickly fourteen years before she died, and that she walked living, i. e. her apparition, and that she was seen by several at the same time. The like is reported of others.

Mr. Trahern, B.D. (chaplain to Sir Orlando Bridgman, Lord Keeper) a learned and sober person, was son of a shoe-maker in Hereford: one night as he lay in bed, the moon shining very bright, he saw the phantom of one of the apprentices, sitting in a chair in his red waistcoat, and head-band about his head, and strap upon his knee; which apprentice was really in bed and asleep with another fellow- apprentice, in the same chamber, and saw him. The fellow was living, 1671. Another time, as he was in bed, he saw a basket come sailing in the air, along by the valence of his bed; I think he said there was fruit in the basket: it was a phantom. From himself.

When Sir Kichard Nepier, M.D. of London, was upon the road coming from Bedfordshire, the chamberlain of the inn, shewed him his chamber, the doctor saw a dead man lying upon the bed; he looked more wistly and saw it was himself: he was then well enough in health. He went forward on his journey to Mr. Steward's in Berkshire, and there died. This account I have in a letter from Elias Ashmole, Esq. They were intimate friends.

"In the Desarts of Africk, you shall meet oftentimes with fairies appearing in the shape of men and women, but they vanish quite away like phantastical delusions."*

* Pliny's Natural Hist. lib. 7, chap. 2.

I Captain Henry Bell, do hereby declare both to the present age and to posterity, that being employed beyond the seas, in state affairs, divers years together, both by King James, and also by the late King Charles in Germany. I did hear and understand in all places great bewailing and lamentation made, by reason of destroying and burning of above fourscore thousand of Martin Luther's books, entituled, His last Divine Discourses.**

** This narrative is in the Preface of the translation of Mr. Luther's Table-Talk.

Upon which divine work or discourses, the reformation, begun before in Germany, was wonderfully promoted and spread in other countries.

But afterwards it so fell out, that the Pope then living, viz, Gregory XIII. understanding what great hurt and prejudice he and his religion had already received by reason of the said Luther's discourses, and also fearing that the same might bring further contempt and mischief upon himself and his church, he therefore to prevent the same, did fiercely stir up and instigate the Emperor then in being, viz. Rodolphus III. to make an edict through the whole empire, that all the foresaid printed books should be burned, and also that it should be death for any person to have or keep a copy thereof, but to burn the same, which edict was speedily put in execution accordingly; insomuch that not one of all the said printed books, nor any one copy of the same, could be found out, or heard of in any place.

Yet it pleased God, that in anno 1626, a German gentleman, named Casparas Van Sparr, with whom, in my stay in Germany, about King James's business, I became familiarly known and acquainted, having occasion to build upon an old foundation of a house, wherein his grandfather dwelt at that time, when the said edict was published in Germany, for the burning the said books, and digging deep under the said old foundation, one of the said original printed books was there happily found, lying in a deep obscure hole, being wrapped in a strong linen cloth, which was waxed all over with bees wax within and without, whereby the said book was preserved fair without any blemish.

And at the same time Ferdinandus II. being Emperor of Germany, who was a severe enemy and persecutor of the Protestant religion, the foresaid gentleman, and grandchild to him, that had hidden the said book in that obscure hole, fearing that if the said Emperor should get knowledge that one of the said books were yet forthcoming, and in his custody, whereby not only himself might be brought into trouble, but also the book be in danger to be destroyed, as all the rest were long before; and also calling to mind, that I had the High-Dutch tongue very perfect, did send the said original book over hither into England unto me: related to me the passages of the preserving and finding the said book; and earnestly moved me in his letter, to translate the said book into English.

Whereupon, I took the said book before me, and many times began to translate the same, but always I was hindered therein, being called upon about other business, insomuch that by no possible means I could remain by that work. Then about six weeks after I had received the said book, it fell out, that being in bed with my wife, one night between twelve and one o'clock, she being asleep, but myself yet awake, there appeared unto me an antient man, standing at my bedside, arrayed in white, having a long and broad white beard, hanging down to his girdle steed, who taking me by the right ear, spake these words following unto me; "Sirrah, will not you take time to translate that book which is sent unto you out of Germany? I will provide for you both place and time to do it:" and then he vanished out of my sight.

Whereupon being much affrighted, I fell into an extream sweat, insomuch that my wife awaking, and finding me all over wet, she asked me what I ailed; I told her what I had seen and heard; but I never did heed or regard visions nor dreams. And so the same fell soon out of my mind.

Then about a fortnight after I had seen the vision, on a Sunday I went to Whitehall to hear the sermon, after which ended, I returned to my lodging which was then in King-street, Westminster, and sitting down to dinner with my wife, two messengers were sent from the council- board with a warrant to carry me to the keeper of the gate-house at Westminster, there to be safely kept, until farther order from the Lords of the Council; which was done without shewing any cause* at all, wherefore I was committed; upon which said warrant I was kept there ten whole years close prisoner; where I spent five years thereof about translating of the said book: Insomuch as I found the words very true which the old man in the aforesaid vision said unto me, " I will shortly provide you both place and time to translate it."

Then after I had finished the translation, Dr. Laud, Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, sent to me in the prison, by Dr. Bray his chaplain, ten pounds, and desired to peruse the book; he afterwards sent me by Dr. Bray forty pounds. There was a committee of the House of Commons for the printing of this translation, which was in 1652.

*Whatsoever was pretended, yet the true cause of the Captain's commitment was, because he was urgent with the Lord Treasurer for his arrears, which amounted to a great sum, he was not willing to pay, and to be freed from his clamours, clapt him up into prison.

A full and true relation of the examination and confession of William Barwick and Edward Mangall, of two horrid murders; one committed by William Barwick, upon his wife being with child, near Cawood in Yorkshire, upon the 14th of April last: as likewise a full account how it came to be discovered by an apparition of the person murdered.

The second was committed by Edward Mangall, upon Elizabeth Johnson, alias Ringrose, and her bastard child, on the 4th of September last, who said he was tempted thereto by the Devil.

Also their trials and convictions before the Honourable Sir JOHN POWEL, Knight, one their Majesties Justices, at the assizes holden at York, on the 16th of September, 1690.

As murder is one of the greatest crimes that man can be guilty of, so it is no less strangely and providentially discovered, when privately committed. The foul criminal believes himself secure, because there was no witness of the fact. Not considering that the all-seeing eye of Heaven beholds his concealed iniquity, and by some means or other bringing it to light, never permits it to go unpunished. And indeed so certainly does the revenge of God pursue the abominated murderer, that, when witnesses are wanting of the fact, the very ghosts of the murdered parties cannot rest quiet in their graves, till they have made the detection themselves. Of this we are now to give the reader two remarkable examples that lately happened in Yorkshire; and no less signal for the truth of both tragedies, as being confirmed by the trial of the offenders, at the last assizes held for that county.

The first of these murders was committed by William Barwick, upon the body of Mary Barwick, his wife, at the same time big with child. What were the motives, that induced the man to do this horrid fact, does not appear by the examination of the evidence, or the confession of the party: only it appeared upon the trial, that he had got her with child before he married her: and 'tis very probable, that, being then constrained to marry her, he grew weary of her, which was the reason he was so willing to be rid of her, though he ventured body and soul to accomplish his design.

The murder was committed on Palm-Monday, being the fourteenth of April, about two of the clock in the afternoon, at which time the said Barwick having drilled his wife along 'till he came to a certain close, within sight of Cawood-Castle, where he found the conveniency of a pond, he threw her by force into the water, and when she was drowned, and drawn forth again by himself upon the bank of the pond, had the cruelty to behold the motion of the infant, yet warm in her womb. This done, he concealed the body, as it may readily be supposed, among the bushes, that usually encompass a pond, and the next night, when it grew duskish, fetching a hay-spade from a rick that stood in a close, he made a hole by the side of the pond, and there slightly buried the woman in her cloaths.

Having thus despatched two at once, and thinking him-self secure, (because unseen) he went the same day to his brother-in-law, one Thomas Lofthouse of Rufforth, within three miles of York, who had married his drowned wife's sister, and told him he had carried his wife to one Richard Harrison's house in Selby, who was his uncle, and would take care of her. But Heaven would not be so deluded, but raised up the ghost of the murdered woman to make the discovery. And therefore it was upon the Easter Tuesday following, about two of the clock in the after-noon, the forementioned Lofthouse having occasion to water a quickset hedge, not far from his house; as he was going for the second pail full, an apparition went before him in the shape of a woman, and soon after sat down upon a rising green grass-plat, right over against the pond: he walked by her as he went to the pond; and as he returned with the pail from the pond, looking sideways to see whether she continued in the same place, he found she did; and that she seemed to dandle something in her lap, that looked like a white bag (as he thought) which he did not observe before. So soon as he had emptied his pail, he went into his yard, and stood still to try whether he could see her again, but she was vanished.