A most strange and wonderful accident, happened at Weersburch by Frankford, by a most fearful Earthquake and daknesse, with a mighty tempest of Thunder and Lightning.  
Also a most dreadful Embassage, uttered to the Governor of that City, by three strange Children which were found in a Wood, threatening destruction to that Country, and to all Christendom.  
First it was published in Print at Frankford, next at Cullenupon Rhyne, and last at Nimweghen. And now Translated out of Duchess in to English, by T. C.  
LONDON Printed by William Barley, and are to be sold at his shop in Gracious street. 1600.   

A most strange and wonderful accident, happened at Weersburch, by Frankford, by a most fearful Earthquake and darkness, with a mighty tempest of Thunder and lightning. And of a dreadful Embassage, uttered to the Governor of that City: by three strange Children, which were found in a wood, threatening destruction to that Country, and to all Christendom.  
RIght just is the Lord in all his judgements, but yet most merciful to such as do repent, and turn away from their wickedness: and although oft times he be severe in his punishments, yet doth he long forbear before he execute his wrath, giving many warnings to all finners to repent and leave off their wicked living: and dealing with us even as a loving Father doth with his children, first threatening us for our faults, and in hope of amendment, forbearing and suffering us, to see if we will take warning and leave off our evil doings. But when he seethe that by no means we will be won to dread his judgements, than he taketh his rod of affliction in hand, and therewith ●●●urgeth the obstinate and rebellious: For although the Psalmist saith in one place, That he is very merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness: It in an other places he saith. The Lord is righteous and just, and rewardeth all men according to their deeds: So that his mercy and justice are of equal quantity, and as he showeth mercy to the humble and contrite, so he executeth his judgement upon the froward and ungodly. And yet notwithstanding, although we see & hear daily what tokens he sendeth us, as favourable warnings, and what judgements he executeth as terrible threatenings: yet we still go on carelessly in our former wickedness, making no more account of all his admonitions, then of a matter nothing appertinent unto us.  
It is not long since he afflicted us here in England. First, with pestilence and mortality, and now last by death and famaine, and even so long as our punishment continued, so long we in some sort sought unto him, but now it hath pleased him again to send us our former health and plenty, we in greater abundance, daily commit more grievous sins then before, and by how much more the mercy of God is showed unto us, so much the more do we continually transgress, neglecting his service, and giving ourselves to all sinful lusts and voluptuous pleasures, taking pleasure and delight in all the most detestable and abominable sins that are in the world. Young men and women, in pride and whoredom, and old folks, in covetousness and gluttony: But wherefore do I impute part to young and part to old? For surely although those sins be most rife in these estates, yet both young and old are partakers in them all, and in a great many more, so as I may say that both young and old, great and small, of all ages, and of all conditions: are apt to all manner of deadly sins and pernicious vices. And although we have the glorious Gospel of jesus Christ, plentifully preached amongst us, and many thousands of good, faithful, and painful Pastors and Ministers, to distribute the same amongst us. Yet there is none of any other Heathen nations, and erroneous Religion that are so slack, in their devotion as we are, nor so negligent and careless in the worship and honour of their false Idols and feigned Gods, as we are in duty and reverence unto our true God and heavenly father. This is a grievous case, and of all things most lamentable, that we being by profession Christians, and bearing the name of Soldiers to so worthy a Captain as our Saviour is, should make so small resistance against our enemies the world, the flesh and the devil, as to let them harbour and remain amongst us, executing their malice upon our wretched souls as they do. Is it not great shame for us being of so excellent a profession, to take so little regard and care thereof, and to see them of false and famed, damned, and superstitious opinions, so careful in maintaining their most wicked heresies? Yes surely it is great shame, and greatly to be feared, that those ignorant Heathen nations, shall in the day of judgement rise up against us, and condemn us for the small care and regard that we take of the truth.  
And surely I would wish every Christian soul to take heed: and have more regard of the honour of God then before times he hath had, lest he in his just judgements, bring utter ruin and destruction upon us all, as he hath lately threatened, by these tokens which now I purpose to declare, advising thee whosoever thou be, that either readest or hearest the same, not to esteem lightly of the matter, but to alter thy mind and leave off thy wickedness in time, while the Lord will be found to show mercy unto thee. And so briefly to the matter.  
Upon the twenty day of july last passed, 1600. A most fearful judgement of God, happened in the City of Weersburch by Frankford, where all at one time the Lord sent a mighty Earthquake, and darkness, with a great and fearful tempest of Thunder and Lightning, which continued for the space of five whole hours in most dreadful manner, so that all the inhabitants of the City, thought surely the last judgement day then to have been come, the terrible shaking of the earth, caused the people both small and great to forsake their houses, (and finding no place for succour wherein they durst abide) did run up and down the streets, weeping and crying in most doleful manner. Many Churches and stonewalles, with other buildings, fell dawn by reason of extreme shaking of the earth, and in their fall, killed and maimed a great number of Christian people, the suddenness of this fearful tempest, put the poor inhabitants in such extreme fear, as no man had any mind of any thing in his house, no, the husband never remembered his wife, nor the wife her husband, but were so exceedingly astonished, that they ran up & down the streets from place to place, like mad or frantic persons.  
The Thunder and lightning, was likewise so terrible, as the lightning seizing upon the houses, burned an hundred and twenty of them down to the ground: and by reason of the people's fear, there was no man that used any kind of means to hinder the force of the fire.  
The man that had now been there, to have seen the demeanour of these poor fearful souls, and could without fear and astonishment, have noted their behaviour: might there have seen a most lively Map of misery and misfortune.  
During the time of this tempest, another most strange and dreadful accident happened in the City. For a man of a most strange complexion, appeared to many people: his hair on his head seemed to be flames of burning fire, his eyes stood staring in most fearful and ghastly manner: his beard all grown out of order, that by visage he seemed like a wild man, in his right hand he held a bloody sword, and in his left hand a rod, from whose branches blood dropped in abundance, his look was stern and revengeful, and his words full of terror, which were these.  
Thus saith the Lord, your sins have moved me to wrath, and your transgressions have provoked my displeasure, therefore except you speedily repent and leave off your wickedness, I will utterly destroy you from the face of the earth, and behold this bloody Sword, that I hold in my right hand, betokeneth dreadful war, which the Lord will bring upon you speedily, except unfeigned repentance. The rod that I have in my left hand, signifieth the punishment which the Lord will inflict upon you, because you will not be warned, and forsake your pride, and such other abominable sins, for as he hath long forborn you, still admonishing and exhorting you by his Preachers, to reform yourselves and amend your lives: So now seeing no other means will serve, he purposeth to take his rod of affliction in hand, and to correct your sins most severely. And seeing mercy will not prevail, nor you make no account thereof, he will now execute his judgements upon you. And having uttered these and such like speeches, he vanished away: at whose departure there was heard such a sorrowful howling and crying: that the people more afraid of this wonder then of all the tempest before, were now with fear so mightily astonished, as they rather seemed dead men then living creatures.  
Not long after, it pleased God that the tempest ceased, and the weather broke up. which comforted the Citizen's hearts, but yet this joy was not perfect with the most part, for there you might see some wailing for the loss of their goods and houses consumed with fire, others making woeful lamentations for their husbands and children, searching amongst the dead bodies which were burnt and slain, with the fire and fall of the buildings, here one crying and wailing of his wounds, gotten in the time of the tempest, there another sorrowing for the loss of his friends, in such pitiful manner, as would have moved the most stony hard, and abdurate heart to relent, and take compassion: but all in vain were these lamentations, for that by them no man is able to recover such losses, wherefore every one as well as they could, striving to comfort themselves, made this their chiefest joy, that it pleased God to stay the tempest, and in some measure to appease his wrath.  
Some two or three days after: to show forth the great joy that they received by the mercy of God, in sparing them at that time. The Governor of the City with some other of his friends, took Wagon, intending for their recreation, to ride to the next City called Ausburch, being not far distant from thence, and as they were in the mid way in a certain Wood called Rade, where suddenly they heard a great noise and cry of certain children, and looking about could see nothing: upon that the Governor sent the wagoner to see if he could find the persons, from whom that clamour proceeded, who went and sought all about, but could find no body, so when he had sought a great while in vain, at last he returned again to the Governor, telling him that he had sought in every place near thereabouts, but could neither see nor hear any such matter. This answer made them greatly to wonder, for still they heard the cry louder than before: which increased their desire so much, as the Governor bade the wagoner to drive forwards into the Wood, to see if they could by any means know the reason of this clamour: Not long had they ridden before they came to a cross way, where four ways met, where they spied three children, two boys and one girl. The Girl had upon her head a costly Call, made of the newest and stateliest fashion, that is at this present worn, upon her lowerparts a pair of Breeches, like a man of the newest fashion likewise, both which attires, signified pride, the one in women, the other in men. The Girl approaching near unto the Wagon, spoke to the Governor as followeth.  
The extreme pride that reigneth in these days among Christians, hath so much provoked the Lords displeasure, that it hath caused him to send us down from heaven, to pronounce his judgements against you all, and to tell you that he hath promised utterly to root you out and destroy you, except you speedily repent, and regard the favourable and merciful warnings that he sendeth you by us: So having uttered such like speeches, she likewise vanished away in a great flash of Lightning, and was seen no more.  
The next approached one of the Boys, who was clad in Turk's apparel, who threatened dreadful war against all Christendom, and that the Turk should according to an ancient Prophecy: come and overrun that Land, and bring his Army into the City of Culen upon Rhyne, which is the place from whence the Rhenish wine cometh: and with sword and fire should destroy all those places in which he entered, and this he said should fall out the next year without fail, except speedy repentance. And that their land should be brought to such extremity through the want of men, that there should not be left in all the Country a man to follow the plough, so as all the country should be desolate and unfruitful.  
Then came the other Boy, who holdeth in either of his hands, a piece of their Country money called a Real, and he said that in certain time after, the Turk should be beaten back again into Hungary, and then should be such plenty, as no man should have need to borrow of his neighbour, but they should have Gold and Silver at will: but there should follow such pestilence & contagion, as the number of the people should be so much diminished, that victuals shall be so plenty, as for three Stivers (which is in English money some seven pence half penny) a man should buy a bushel of of Wheat, and for half so much a bushel of Rye. But a dead man's Coffin should not be found, although a man would give for the same a Duck at of Gold, so grievous the plague should be.  
When all these speeches were uttered, they made the Governor swear, to publish the effect of their words in all their Dominions, and to all other nations near adjoining unto them, which they took their oaths to perform. And so they made letters of Credence, sealed with their Seals and sent them from City to City. First to the Palsgrave, then from him to the Duke of Bronswicke, and so over all the land. This Copy came into England the twelfth day of this present month of November. 1600.  
The names of those Officers to whom this Embassage was uttered. jasper Vromen, Governor of Weersburch, which in their language they call the Scout, and jacobus Vos, Burgomaster.  
FJNIS.