And in Derision of Mr. Prynne and others, cut off the Cat's Ears, and called it by his Name.

Strange Signs from Heaven
seen and heard in
Cambridge, Suffolk and Norfolk.
in and upon the 21 day of May last past.
the afternoon,
1646.

Miraculous Wonders
seen at Barnstable, 
Kirkham, Cornwall
and Little Britain, 
in London.

Whereunto
is annexed

Several Apparitions

seen in the air,
at The Hague in Holland,
upon the 21/31 day of May last past,
about one of the clock in the afternoon.

This is licensed and published
according to Order.

London,
printed by T. Forcet,
dwelling in Old Fish Street,
in Heydon Court,
1646. 

Strange Signs from Heaven,
seen in Cambridge, Suffolk and Norfolk,
to warn and awaken the Eastern Association,
with the sourthern parts of the Kingdom.

INCREDULITY has always been the forerunner of misery ever since the Creation. The Old World would not be warned by Noah's building the Ark, until the Flood came; Pharaoh would not be warned by God's judgements till he was swallowed up by the Red Sea. Nay, as Abraham said in the parable to Dives, should one arise from the dead yet would they not believe; therefore, because these warnings would not serve, the Lord, who is slow to wrath and of much mercy, gave signs from Heaven unto the Jews, to forewarn them of their approaching destruction, but they regarded it not. 

THE blazing star seen on our horizon so many years ago, which began towards Germany, fetch'd its compass to Ireland, and whose blazing-bush tail hung over England, was but a nine-days' wonder, although those countries have since found the effects thereof, the Almighty divert his judgements from us if it be his will, which we may justly fear hangs over our heads by reason of our continual ctrying sins, notwithstanding the many tokens of his anger showed unto us by strange and fearful apparitions seen in the air - the 21 of May last past - in may parts, both in our own Kingdom of England and at The Hague in Holland by many hundreds of beholders, which thus appeared unto them.

About New Market in the County of Cambridge, there were seen by divers honest, sober and civil persons and men of good credit, three men in the air striving, struggling and tugging together, one of them having a drawn sword in his hand, from which judgement God in his mercy preserve these Three Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland from further conflicts and effusion of blood. 

Betwixt New Market and Thetford in the County of Norfolk, there was observed a pillar, or a cloud, to ascend from the earth with the bright hilts of a sword towards the bottom of it, which pillar did ascend in a pyramidal form, and fashioned itself into the form of a spire or broach steeple, and there descended also out of the sky the form of a pike or lance with a very sharp head or point to encounter with it. 

Also, at a distance there appeared another spear or lance with a very acute point out of the sky likewise, which was ready to interpose but did not engage itself. The first spear which came fown from Heaven point blank was after a while clean elevated higher, and that spire or spear which went up from the earth, ascended after it to encounter with it the second time. 

This continued about an hour and a half. 

At Sopham in the County of Cambridge aforesaid, a ball of wild-fire fell upon the earth, which burnt up and spoiled about an acre of grain, and when it had rolled and run up and down to the terror of many people and some townsmen that see it. It dissolved and left a most sulphurous stink behind it.

Also, at Camberton in the county aforesaid, divers of the Trained Bands being met at a muster did behold the form of a spire steeple in the sky, with divers swords set round about it. 

At Brandon in the County of Norfilk, the inhabitants were forced to come out of their houses to behold so strange a spectacle of a spire steeple ascending up from the earth, and a pike or lance descending downward from Heaven. The Lord in mercy bless and preserve his Church, and settle peace and truth among all degrees, and more especially among our churchmen!

Also at Brandon in the county aforesaid, was seen at the same time a navy or fleet of ships in the air, swiftly passing under sail with flags and streamers hanged out, as if they were ready to give an encounter.

In Marshland in the County of Norfolk aforesaid, within three miles of King's Lynn, a captain and a lieutenant, with divers other persons of credit, did hear in the time of thunder a sound as of a whole regiment of drums beating a call with perfect notes and stops, much admired at of all that heard it. 

And the like military sound was heard in Suffolk upon the same day, and in other parts of the Eastern Association.

In all these places, there was very great thunder with rain and hailstones of extraordinary bigness and round, and some hollow within like rings. 

The Lord grant that all the people of this Kingdom may take heed to every warning trumpet of his, that we may speedily awaken out of our sins, and truly turn to the Lord, fight his battles against our spiritual enemies, and get those inward riches of which we cannot be plundered of, and so seek an inward kingdom of righteousness and peace, that we may be more capable in his good time of a settled peace and state in the outward Kingdom, and all through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Miraculous Wonders
seen at Barnstable, Kirkham, Cornwall,
and in Little Britain in London.

Copy of a paper which came from Exeter, enclosed in a letter to an eminent officer of that garrison - a very honest godly man - now in London, and all justified by the Deputy Governor of Barnstable, besides the confirmation of many honest people of that town.

The sickness being for a long time very tedious in Barnstable, some honest people met together twice a week to pray the Lord for the removing of his hand of visitation from the town. Some disturbed them, crying out they were INDEPENDENTS, saying they were the cause of the Plague being amonst them, threatening to turn them out of the town. 

This did not dishearten the honest people, but they continued still in prayer, and divers of the other people went from the house - where they had abused them, throwing stones and railing on them - to their own dwellings, and immediately fell sick of the Plague, and they and all their families died of the Plague within one week, which causes most of the people of the town to speak well of the honest party, and to take notice of the hand of God on the other. And which is to be observed, not one family of those railed against had not, neither has as yet, had any sickness amongst them, though it has been on each hand next door to them. 

Another remarkable thing is there was a woman in the town having the sickness and with child died, but was delivered just as she died. None could be gotten to bury her until the third day, and when they came in to bury her, they found the child lying by its mother, and had sucked the blood of its mother, and was then alive.

A copy of a certificate under the hand of Mr. Edward Fleetwood, Minister of Kirkham Parish in Lancashire, concerning a Papist living in that parish.

As we must tell no lie, so we should conceal no truth, espcially when it tends to God's glory.

There was a great Papist, and of great parentage, within the Parish of Kirkham, and his wive's mother being of the same religion did usually scoff and mock the Roundheads, and in derision of Mr. Prynne and others, cut off the cat's ears, and called it by his name.

But behold an example of the justice and equity of God in his judgements, as Adonibezec was repaid in his own kind, Haman hanged upon the same gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, and Pharaoh and all his host drowned in the sea into which he had thought to have driven the Israelites, and likewise one of the popish prelates who said he would not dine before Ridley and Latimer were burnt, was burned in his own entrails. 

So - much what alike - it fell out with this man's wife, a popish creature, who being great with child, when the time of her delivery came, she brought forth a monstrous child without a head, ugly and deformed, myself eyewitness thereof.

Edward Fleetwood, Pastor.
W. Gattaker, Midwife. 

The mother of this monster has been often heard to curse against Mr. Prynne, Mr. Burton and Doctor Bastwick and the Roundheads, also to revile the Parliament, and say that she thought that the King and the Bishops were the righter part of us. She has been heard to wish that she and hers might never live to be Roundheads nor Separists, and that she has prayed to God that she might never live to see any of hers such, and that the Puritans and Independents deserve all to be hanged, and many such like expressions would ofte fall from her. 

Amonst the rest, one speech of hers was most notorious, and has rested in the memory of some gentlewomen and others that heard her when she spake it, that being in company with her, they fell to discourse of the present miseries of the Kingdom by these wars, and some spoke against the Cavaliers and the Papists in the King's army. Whereupon this Mrs. Haughton said little less against the Roundheads and Independents, and she said the King was in the right against them. She was replied to that those called Roundheads were honest men, and in the right way of walking and living like the people of God, and suitable to the profession of Christians, and withal wishing, if it pleased God, that she had her eyes opened, and such was a Roundhead. 

No, says she, I had rather have no head nor life; I nor any of mine, I hope, I hope will ever be such. 

Answer was made her that her children, if she had any, might - if God so please - have their eyes opened, and see that good which she is ignorant of. 

Mrs. Haughton made answer again in these words:

I pray God that rather than I shall be a Roundhead, or bear a Roundhead, I may bring forth a child without a head.

This was a fearful saying, and taken notice of by divers of her neighbours that heard her speak it. And this many who know it do apprehend might be a great means to provoke God to show such a testimony of his displeasure against her, by causing her to bring forth this monster.

Now, for testimony of this we shall give it you in order thus:

Her neighbours who heard her speal the aforesaid words have been with Mr. Fleetwood, the minister of the Parish of Kirkham, where she was brought to bed of this monster, and where it was buried also, and it was told to some of the county what had happened, and that she had spoken those words. 

And after she was with child and delivered of the monster, one Widow Gattaker the midwife, formerly wife to Mr. Gattaker, sometimes vicar of the said parish, she being a godly woman could not be eased in her mind until she had discharged her conscience in making it known to Mr. Fleetwood, the minister aforesaid that she had brought the said Mrs. Haughton to bed of a monster which had no head, declaring her opinion that she verily believed that it was the hand of God upon her for those imprecations she wished upon herself, as is before expressed. 

The minister, he spoke of it to others, and so did the midwife also, which made it to be sped up and down the country, so that it came to the ears of some of the Committee.

And for the further satisfaction of the truth thereof, Colonel More, an honest godly gentleman, a Member of the House of Commons and one of the Committee, being there it was desired he should send a letter to Mr. Fleetwood, the minister of the parish, to know the certainty of it, whether it was truth or not, which letter was writ, and by him sent accordingly. And Mr. Fleetwood receiving the said letter, sent for the midwife about it, and she still confirmed what she said before.

Yet for better satisfaction, Mr. Fleetwood caused the grave to be opened, and the child to be taken up and laid to view, and found there a body without a head as the midwife had said, only the child had a face uponthe breast of it, two eyes near unto the place where the paps usuallu are, and a nose upon the chest and a mouth a little above the navel, and two ears, upon each shoulder one. 

The certificate was showed before divers of the Committee, and by Colonel More, a Member of the House of Commons, brought up to London and showed to divers of the House, who have commanded it to be printed, so that all the Kingdom might see the hand of God herein, to the comfort of the people and the terror of the wicked that deride and scorn them. 

A gentlewoman was in the shop of one Mr. Munday, a painter, who then lived in Little Britain against Botolph Church. He was railing against Mr. Prynne, Mr. Burton and Doctor Bastwick, speaking reproachfully of their sufferings and the loss of their ears, himself wiping his head with his handkerchief, wiped blood from his own ears, to the amazement of those who were then present. 

One Mr. Bret, a trumpeter of Sir Thomas Fairfax's, being in Sir Ralph Hopton's quarters with a message from the general, they having had some losses a day or two before, anc considering that they failed of their own expectations - for they thought they had been sure to have had forces from France, Ireland and Oxford to have destroyed Sir Thomas Fairfax - but feeling Sir Thomas prospered against them, one of the Cavaliers said in Mr. Bret's hearing, 

God damn him - he said - what is there such a change already -quoth he - God Almighty was a Cavalier the last week, but now he is turned Roundhead,

and the rest of his fellow soldiers made sport of this expression. And within about a week or two after, all their forces were subdued by Sir Thomas Fairfax.

Very strange sights seen,
and unwonted sounds heard in the air
at The Hague in Holland,
upon the 21/31 day of May last past,
1646,
about one of the clock 
in the afternoon.

First, came a little round thing about the bigness of a table or board, like unto gray paper, and without it was seen the likeness of a lion and a dragon, which furiously fought together, which dragon after a while did spit fire furiously, but was overcome by the lion, and yet the lion continued in sight.

2. Appeared by the lion a multitude of soldiers, with another dragon lifewise with a multitude of soldiers, both foot and horse, and before every troop a trumpeter which we saw perfectly set the trumpets to their mouths, and so began the troops to fight one against another in great fury, so that we did not know who had the better, but the people banished away, and the lion and the dragon continued still in sight. 

3. There apeared also a king with three crowns on his head, sitting upon a kingly throne with a great company of people about his throne, and they vanished away immediately, but the lion and the dragon aboard still in sight. 

4. There appeared also a number of people's heads, and one great head amongst them, and a multitude of bodies without heads, which vanished away, yet the lion and dragon aboard as before continuing in sight.

5. There appeared yet likewise one man sitting upona horse, which shot himself through - as with a pistol - and dell backward, and so vanished away.

Lastly, there appeared a mighty fleet of ships in the south east, by the lion and the dragon, where the fight was, with a multitude of men aboard the ships with half their bodies to be seen above board, which we saw perfectly hoisting up their sails, and driving to and fro, and, as it were, continued all standing still, till the lion and the dragon embraced one another and so fell backward and disappeared. Whereupon, there appeared a great cloud which was not there before, and so drove away with the wind.

FINIS.