Part 20

PROPHESIES.

CICERO de Divinatione, Lib. 1. "--gentem quidem nullam video, neque tam humanam atque doctam: neque tam immanem tam; barbaram, quae non significari futura, & a quibusdam intelligi, praedicique posse censeat".

i. e. I know of no country, either so polished and learned, or so rude, barbarous and uncivilized, but what always allowed that some particular persons are gifted with an insight into futurity, and are endued with a talent of prediction.

To pass by the prophesies of holy writ, the prophesies of Nostradamus do foretel very strangely; but not easily understood till they are fulfilled. The book is now common.

Peter Martyr, in his Decades, tells us, that there was a prophet among the Salvages in America, that did foretel the coming in of strangers in ships, which they had not known.

The prophesies of St. Malachi, are exceeding strange. He describes the Popes by their coats of arms, or their names, or manners: if his prophesies be true, there will be but fifteen Popes more. It is printed in a book in Octavo, entituled "Bucelini Historiae Nucleus, 1654, in calce Libri" thus, "Prophetia Malachiae Monachi Bangorensis, & A. Episcopi Ardinensis, Hiberniae Primatis". 1665, in two leaves.

Mr. Lancelot Morehouse, in the time of the civil wars, rescued a sheet of parchment in quarto, most delicately writ, from a taylor's sheers. It was a part of a book, and was a prophecy concerning England in Latin Hexameters; I saw it, 1649. It pointed at our late troubles: he gave it to Seth Ward, Bishop of Salisbury, and is lost among other good papers.

In a book* of Mr. William Lilly's, are hieroglyphick prophecies, viz. of the great plague of London, expressed by graves and dead corpses; and a scheme with ascending (the sign of London) and no planets in the twelve houses. Also there is a picture of London all on fire, also moles creeping, &c. Perhaps Mr. Lilly might be contented to have people believe that this was from himself. But Mr. Thomas Flatman (poet) did affirm, that he had seen those hieroglyphicks in an old parchment manuscript, writ in the time of the monks.

* Monarchy: or, No Monarchy, 4to.

In the nave of the cathedral church at Wells, above the capitals of two pillars, are the head of the King, and the head of a Bishop: it was foretold, that when a King should be like that King, and a Bishop like that Bishop, that Abbots should be put down, and Nuns should marry: above the arch, is an abbot or monk, with his head hanging downwards; and a nun with children about her. The inside of the arch is painted blue, and adorned with stars, to signify the power and influence of the stars. This prophecy was writ in parchment, and hung in a table on one of those pillars, before the civil wars. Dr. Duck (who was chancellor of Wells) said, that he had seen a copy of it among the records of the tower at London. It was prophesied 300 years before the reformation. Bishop Knight was Bishop here at the reformation, and the picture (they say) did resemble him.

In the Spanish history, it is mentioned, that a vault being opened in Spain, they found there Moors' heads, and some writings that did express, when people resembling those heads should come into Spain, they would conquer that country; and it was so. See this story more at large in James Howell's Letters.

There is a prophecy of William Tyndal, poor vicar of Welling, in the county of Hertford, made in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign. I have seen it: it is in English verse, two pages and an half in folio. It foretold our late wars. I know one that read it forty years since.

A Prophecy.

Sexte verere Deos; vitae tibi terminus instat, Cum tuus in media ardebit Carbunculus igne.

0 thou sixth King to God due honours pay, Remember Prince soon after thou'lt expire, When thou behold'st thy carbuncle display, Blaze against blaze amidst the red'ning fire.

These verses were made by George Buchanan; but (perhaps) the prediction was made by some second-sighted person. King James, of Scotland, the sixth, was taken with an ague, at Trinity-College in Cambridge; he removed to Theobald's; (where he died)sitting by the fire, the carbuncle fell out of his ring into the fire, according to the prediction. This distich is printed in the life of King James.

Before the civil wars, there was much talk of the Lady Anne Davys's prophesies; for which she was kept prisoner in the tower of London. She was sister to the Earl of Castle-heaven, and wife to Sir John Davys, Lord Chief Justice in Ireland; I have heard his kinsman (Counsellor Davys of Shaftesbury) say, that she being in London, (I think in the tower) did tell the very time of her husband's death in Ireland.

MIRANDA.

OUR English chronicles do record, that in the reign of King Henry III. A child was born in Kent, that at two years old cured all diseases. Several persons have been cured of the King's-evil by the touching, or handling of a seventh son. It must be a seventh son, and no daughter between, and in pure wedlock.

Samuel Scot, seventh son of Mr. William Scot of Hedington in Wiltshire, did when a child wonderful cures by touching only, viz. as to the King's-evil, wens, &c. but as he grew to be a man, the virtue did decrease, and had he lived longer, perhaps might have been spent. A servant boy of his father's was also a seventh son, but he could do no cures at all. I am very well satisfied of the truth of this relation, for I knew him very well, and his mother was my kinswoman.

'Tis certain, the touch of a dead hand, hath wrought wonderful effects, e. g. - One(a painter) of Stowel in Somersetshire, near Bridgewater, had a wen in the inside of his cheek, as big as a pullet's egg, which by the advice of one was cured by once or twice touching or rubbing with a dead woman's hand, (e contra, to cure a woman, a dead man's hand) he was directed first to say the Lord's prayer, and to beg a blessing. He was perfectly cured in a few weeks. I was at the man's house who attested it to me, as also to the reverend Mr. Andrew Paschal, who went with me.

Mr. Davys Mell, (the famous violinist and clock-maker) had a child crook-backed, that was cured after the manner aforesaid, which Dr. Ridgley, M.D. of the college of physicians, averred in my hearing.

The curing of the King's-evil by the touch of the King, does much puzzle our philosophers: for whether our Kings were of the house of York, or Lancaster, it did the cure (i. e.) for the most part. 'Tis true indeed at the touching there are prayers read, but perhaps, neither the King attends them nor his chaplains.

In Somersetshire, 'tis confidently reported, that some were cured of the King's-evil, by the touch of the Duke of Monmouth: the Lord Chancellor Bacon saith, "That imagination is next kin to miracle- working faith."

When King Charles I. was prisoner at Carisbrook Castle, there was a woman touched by him, who had the King's-evil in her eye, and had not seen in a fortnight before, her eye-lids being glued together: as they were at prayers, (after the touching) the woman's eyes opened. Mr Seymer Bowman, with many others, were eye-witnesses of this.

At Stretton in Hertfordshire, in anno 1648, when King Charles I. Was prisoner, the tenant of the Manor-House there sold excellent cyder to gentlemen of the neighbourhood; where they met privately, and could discourse freely, and be merry, in those days so troublesome to the loyal party. Among others that met, there was old Mr. Hill. B. D. parson of the parish, Quondam Fellow of Brazen-Nose college in Oxford. This venerable good old man, one day (after his accustomed fashion) standing up, with his head uncovered to drink his majesty's health, saying, "God bless our Gracious Sovereign," as he was going to put the cup to his lips, a swallow flew in at the window, and pitched on the brim of the little earthen cup(not half a pint) and sipt, and so flew out again. This was in the presence of the aforesaid parson Hill, Major Gwillim, and two or three more, that I knew very well then, my neighbours, and whose joint testimony of it I have had more than once, in that very room. It was in the bay-window in the parlour there; Mr. Hill's back was next to the window. I cannot doubt of the veracity of the witnesses. This is printed in some book that I have seen, I think in Dr. Fuller's Worthies. The cup is preserved there still as a rarity.

In Dr. Bolton's Sermons, is an account of the Lady Honywood, who despaired of her salvation. Dr. Bolton endeavoured to comfort her: said she, (holding a Venice-glass in her hand) I shall as certainly be damned, as this glass will be broken: and at that word, threw it hard on the ground; and the glass remained sound; which did give her great comfort. The glass is yet preserved among the Cimelia of the family. This lady lived to see descended from her (I think) ninety, which is mentioned by Dr. Bolton.

William Backhouse, of Swallowfield in Berkshire, Esq. had an ugly scab that grew on the middle of his forehead, which had been there for some years, and he could not be cured; it became so nauseous, that he would see none but his intimate friends: he was a learned gentleman, a chymist, and antiquary: his custom was, once every summer to travel to see Cathedrals, Abbeys, Castles, &c. In his journey, being come to Peterborough, he dreamt there, that he was in a church and saw a hearse, and that one did bid him wet his scab, with the drops of the marble. The next day he went to morning-service, and afterwards going about the church, he saw the very hearse (which was of black say, for Queen Katherine, wife to King Henry VIII.) and the marble grave-stone by. He found drops on the marble, and there were some cavities, wherein he dipt his finger, and wetted the scab: in seven days it was perfectly cured. This accurate and certain information, I had from my worthy friend Elias Ashmole, Esq. who called Mr. Backhouse father, and had this account from his own mouth. May-Dew is a great dissolvent.