The Wonders of this windy winter.  
By terrible storms and tempests, to the loss of lives and goods of many thousands of men, women and children.  
The like by Sea and Land, hath not been seen, nor heard of in this age of the World.  
LONDON. printed by G. Elder, for john Wright, and are to be sold at his Shop near Christ-Church door. 1619.   

Lamentable reports of this windy Winter, containing the wonderful, and strange mischances happened by tempestuous storms of wind and weather, in these three forepast months of October, November and December, with part of january.  
IN this old, and last age of the World, we yearly behold the strange alterations of times & seasons, and therein, we are put in mind of God's anger purposed against us, by many variable and unusiall acsidents, happening in these our latter days, to move sinful mankind to repentance and newness of life, which if we with the inward eyes of understanding, consider of in remorse of conscience, we shall find that the heavy hand of heaven is laid violently upon us, as well in taking away our great hope, and earthly joy (Henry our Royal Prince) as these our late lamentable mischances by wind and waters added to our sorrows, giving us an outward calamity to our inward griefs, Heaven, let us not think amiss, if we should presumptuously say it is for our sins & transgressions, and that they be forerunners of Gods restless indignation against us; God of his great pity be merciful unto us and grant us speedy repentance.  
We have within these few years, as well within this our native country of England as in foreign nations, been most grievously strooken with the bitter blasts of powerful greatness, one while with the darts of death, as by plagues & pestilence, continuing long amongst us; another time by dry summers, and parching heats, droughts, & sweeting sulphers drying up the moistures of the earth, to cause barrenness with scarcity, then fréezing and cold winters in more than usual extremity to annoy us; another time by floods and overflowings of waters breaking from the bounds of the Seas, in which merciless element many hundreds have perished and have lost both life and goods, as the west parts of England, in the year of our Lord, 1607. can sufficiently witness: Fiery loesses, by the lamentable burning of many Towns: strange sicknesses, by corruption of air: dear years, by scarcity of victual, and such like; all which be the consuming plagues of heaven, laid upon the shoulders of the sinful world, a burden so easeless that no release can come but by forgiveness.  
Likewise, dear countrymen of England, let us now call to present memory another powerful scourge laid upon us, a daily calamity, these into long continuing winds and tempests, which these three forepast Months hath, almost, every day and night affrighted us with fear (as it were) shaking the foundations of the ground, with roar in our ears like thunder, the terrible blasts whereof hath with such extremity continued, that they have made many fearful representations of the dreadful trumpets of God's wrath loudly blown from heaven to the earth, the fury thereof (by his divine sufferance) hath mightily troubled (both sea and land) the Inhabitants of many countries, but especially our native Kingdom, to the less of many thousands which have lost both life and goods in this mortal misery: therefore let us say with the Wisemen; Happy is he that is so provided in life, that no kind of death is sudden unto him, and let us with patience take our deserved puishments, for the smallest breath of God's nostrils, like a whirlwind, can destroy the tottering globe of the whole earth.  
It is with sorrow remembered, and with griefs reported in the City of London, even upon the royal Exchange, the honourable and worthy meeting place of Merchants; that within these three forepast Months of October, November, and December, the devouring gulfs of the sea hath swallowed up above two hundred sail of ships, as well of our own Country, as of neighbouring Nations, with great store of passengers, seafaring men, and owners of the same, adventuring their dear lives in the managing of the aforesaid ships, with all their goods, and merchandises making for our country, all lost; yea all, I say, in these three forepassed months, hath been lost and drenched in the deep vaults of this watery world, a thing both lamentable and fearful, that in so short a time; nay, in a small part of the year, even in an instant, so many heavy mischanches should happen, and so many worthy vessels of adventure miscarry, which had been sufficient (if good speed had prevailed) to have enriched a whole City and bettered a kingdom; but such is the will of God and such is his most just indignation against us.  
It moves my heart with remorse, to think how many people are undone hereby, and how that some few particular men should suffer shipwreck, and by one robustious tempest be deprived of that which might have benefited thousands, therefore he that will enter rightly into consideration hereof must needs acknowledge the case lamentable and the sorrow unspeakable.  
By certification from men of good account and calling, it is reported and known for truth, that in the month of October last, a fleet of fourteen sail of ships making from Newcastle towards London, laden with sea-coal and other commodities of those parts, had their passage by the tyranny of the winds most untimely stopped, and violently cast into the Ocean's womb: in which ships there perished to the number of a hundred and forty seafaring men, besides other passengers, both of men and women, which at that time made their watery graves in the deep sea: This, First struck fear into the hearts of people, which hath been since seconded with many more calamities, which lieth heavy upon the heart of the reporter.  
The narrow seas betwixt Dover and Calais can witness many like mishaps, for by letters sent unto divers great personages of the land, it is approved that upon the coast of France, there hath been found floating, upon the waters, in one week of fowl weather, above seven hundred drowned persons of divers nations, as of English, Dutch, French, and Spanish, with parts and parcels of many split ships, with great store of goods by the fury of the winds beat upon the shore, a sight of sorrow, and most lamentable to behold; it is not as yet nearly known what riches the sea hath swallowed in these three aforesaid months, nor what losses other Countries have sustained, I fear me, the tenth part is not discovered, for God in his high displeasure, still threatens us with these long lasting tempests, day by day sending us sorrow upon sorrow, with hourly news of shipwreck and losses at sea, the scattering of fleets by contrary winds and violent tempests, in one place ships cast away laden with cloth, in another, vessels of salt, some with one thing, some with another, all rich, and of too great a price to be thus suddenly wasted to the benefit of no creature.  
Likewise upon our English coasts, more near the West parts hath been cast away, divers other ships, coming from Spain, where in one of them were known to be seventeen passengers of good reckoning and calling, and some of them citizens of London, which were found dead floating on the waters, some upon planks of wood, pieces of masts and such like, which the fury of the wind and weather had split and torn in sunder, amongst this drowned number (being a fight of great grief) there was taken up a woman, with a child closed to her breast, as it were sucking, also two other women, clasped together arm in arm, as it seemed, dying in each others bosoms.  
It is also credibly reported, by the eye witnesses of this woeful accident, that upon the Western seas, near to the coast of Cornewal, a certain ship was discovered, even sunk to the top of her main mast, with some five or six sailors, remaining in the top eradle to save their lives, but there escaping drowning by water, they were starved to death with cold and want of food, and so found in a calm day by another ship adventuring to preserve them, oh pitiful report and full of heaviness.  
A number more of the like miseries, hath lately happened by reason of these tempestuous winds, but especially to the seamen, & such as have committed themselves, their lives, & estates to the mercies of wind & weather, from whom almost no other news come, but reports of most dangerous escapes, terrible shipwrecks, with loss of life & goods, the impoverishing of merchants, the sinking of ships and such like: of which woeful losses, many of our enhancing extorsioners, makes profit, raising their merchantlike commodities, with other wares to high rates and prizes, working a recoverable substance out of poor men's purses, careless of passed calamities, ob covetous desires, oh lamentable hearing, when the hearts of people are thus hardened. God in his high power, prevent their purposes, & allay these great winds, the call my weather may comfort us, and add a forward willingness to all sea adventurers, to continue their wont profession, even now (many of them) discouraged from country's benefits, by reason of these long continuing tempests. Many more subjects of sorrow present themselves before us, and fills our ears with loss upon loss, to the heart griefs of all good minds, for this watery kingdom, this unsatisfied gulf, hath clasped into her bosom, to the undoing of many thousands, a number of hoys, barks & vessels, such as adventured out for fish, herrings, oysters & such sea victual, into the North seas, and have there suffered shipwreck, and dived the Ocean's bottom past the recovery of man & help of the world.  
It hath been certified for a truth, to some of the greatest statesmen of the Land, that betwixt Michaelmas & Christmas last, the seas have bereaved 7000. and odd people of their lives and that at London, and in the coast towns of England, near the sea side there are known to be fourteen hundred seafaring men's widows, beside fatherless children, & children fatherless. Therefore let all tender hearted people say, with me, that these three months have been times of heaviness, yea times of greatest grief, when the owners of ships and the goods therein, for which they have laboured many a long year, & traveled for in many a weary winter, to be thus in one tempest cast away and lost, and themselves (though escaping life) with their wives and children brought to poverty: how can we chose, but with eyes of pity, & with teare-bestained cheeks, being men, much more Christians, but relent at our neighbours losses, and participate with them in moan.  
Let us (oh my dear countrymen of England) make our petition to God, that he would allay this windy instrument of his wrath, & all other his angers opposed against us for our sins, and confess that our transgressions even stink in the nostrils of his divine Majesty: he is merciful, and sends us daily (as we see) examples both by Sea and Land to win us from wickedness.  
If we cast but our eyes, upon the City of London and the towns and villages near unto the same, we may behold the fury of his high offended power in witnessing the spoils of stately houses, and the high turrets of great personages, by these unruly winds defaced, and as it were, in their greatest pride torn in sunder.  
Look upon the dwellings of many worthy Citizens of this City, & we shall see that God is angry, by the unloosing of these powerful winds, and by suffering them terribly, is uncover their stately Archytectures, untopping their peiring pinickles, blowing down whole sides of houses, yet for all this many of them are merciless, regarding nothing at all the strangeness of these accidents, nor the fearfulness of these times and seasons, but accounts them natural, common, and usual, more like unto Atheists, than Christians, but, oh you temporising naturalists except you repent, full vials of God's wrath will be powered down upon your heads, and all your temporal purposes brought to nothing.  
Likewise, let us settle, before our eyes, and in our present remembrance, these following examples of God's power, which with the breath of his mouth works wonders, these following examples, I say, by these late tempestuous winds done in divers theirs of England, & we shall think them marvelous: was it not a strange accident that a flock of sheep, belonging to a Farmer in Lincolnshire, near unto the town of Boston, named George Kidman, should by the aforesaid winds in one night, be driven twenty miles and more, and then blown into a part of the sea and there drowned, herein was not the wind powerful? yes, yes, so powerful, and strong, that it even confunds human reason to consider of.  
It is also reported by letters, directed to divers Citizens of London, that in the same County of Lincoln, a heard of beasts by violence of the wind and weather, this very last month of December, were driven into a Fenny Marsh, and there most strangely stifled with dirt and water, the owners of these beasts, are certain substantial yeomen, whose names, to cut off tedious descriptions, for this time I omit.  
The wind as we may well understand is strong & unresistible, by some supposed to be a spirit, compassing the world (by God's sufferance) to work wonders, but in my opinion it is an eyrie instrument of uncertainty, appointed by heaven for the use of God's creatures, which brings us many times much blessedness, and purifies the earth from divers corruptions, but at this time for ourselves we have been therewith much annoyed, as it hath here been described both by sea and land; the violence thereof hath caused much hurt in divers countries, by raising of waters, and beating in of the floods, and such like; by which means travelers are hindered of their journeys, and many thereby drowned by adventuring.  
As for example, upon the Wednesday before Christmas last, a man & his wife riding over Maidenhead bridge both upon one horse, by the fierceness of the wind were blown beside, and there drowned both horse and all, God be merciful unto us, and preserve us from all such like mischances.  
The like mishap befell in November last, unto two Yorkshire men, as it is verified by some Gentlemen of the Inns of Court, and Chancery which knew the parties, the one of them a Tanner, named Francis Browne, the other a Clothier, called Richard Smith, both dwelling in a Town near Wakefield side, called Thereby; which two Countrymen falling out upon small occasions, wilfully purposed to come up to London, and there put their Causes of themselves to the laws trial: yet notwithstanding came they up together, where, in riding over a Bridge about Bedford-shire, and conferring of their inward grudges, they were blown both beside into the River; where, by the fierceness of the winds they were most lamentably drowned, both horse and men: and thus by sudden death ended their malice, to the fear and amazement of all such as well could witness their envious proceedings; these, and such like accidents may be fearful examples for the world to behold, especially for richmen, showing to them the certainty of life and goods subject to the chances of death and fortune: according to the saying of a worthy Philosopher.  
Full little thinks the man at morning Sun,  
What hap to him befalls ere day be done.  
Therefore, let us pray for good success in all our businesses, guided and accompanied with the blessings of heaven, and then no doubt but better chance will betide us then these two malicious countrymen had in their journey.  
We have yet more notice, (gentle Reader) of other sorrowful discourses to relate of, which well may beget your sad entertainment, and possess your hearts with remorse, for they be strange and fearful, and in the ear of the hearer full of dole.  
Let us now pass into the middle parts or shires of England, and tell what mischances there happened, the three shires of Warwick, Leicester, and Northhampton (I mean) where the Inhabitants thereof, with stacks and ricks of hay, pease, and beans do usually (in winter times) feed and fatten sheep, and swine, those countrymen (the more is my grief to report) by these aforesaid tempests have endured much loss, for many of their sheep and swine have been smothered under the ricks and stacks blown down by the winds, besides barns and stables with many husbandly houses torn and uncovered of thatch by the same: Likewise the dwellings of yeomen, farmers, & labouring ploughmen in those countries, have been overturned with the rage of this tempestuous commander, well may we therefore (if we consider all these things arightly) call this the black fatal winter of mishaps, in which time many burdens of sorrow be laid upon our country, God be our comfort: for alas, alas, the aforesaid raging winds in divers other shires of England have beaten down a number of houses, dispearcing the substance of the poor owners, where many of them perished in preserving their substance from the fall of their houses.  
Yet let us make no question but that God is merciful, and hath plagued some few with the loss of life and goods, (if it be possible) to call others to amendment of life: Therefore above all things let us take heed, that long escapes of punishment, or the vain hopes of long life do not delude us, and make us still run into our sins without hope of return.  
But to our lamentable narration again, many the like strange events, fell out in other countries and parts of the kingdom; as for example, 2. or 3. shéep-kéepers in a part of Salisbury plain, in the west of England can witness, who in a most tempestuous day, as it is well known in the beginning of December, betook themselves to a Cabin or Cave in the ground for shelter (as there be many in those places) where, by the furiousness of the tempestuous winds then blowing in greatest extremity, the earth rived, and was torn up by reason of the hollowness thereof, under the which they were enclosed & smothered to death, from the like sudden end good Lord keep us.  
It is also known for certainty, that near unto the Town of Causeby in Oxfordshire, a little before Christmas last, two young scholars coming from school the sons of a wealthy Yeoman there dwelling, were by these terrible tempests both blown into a saw-pit, (by reason of this wet winter filled up with dirt and water) and there most lamentably drowned and choked to death: oh woeful and pitiful hearing! especially for the Parents of children, and such as have the tender feeling of love and nature, that two sweet boys brought up by cost and care, should be thus and in this manner cast away.  
Another sorrowful relation, must I here present unto your hearing, which happened in the Eastern parts of Northhampton-shire, of a windmill, which as well by the negligence of the Miller, as the violent force of the wind, causing the mill sails to exceed their usual swiftness, was thereby (wanting grain to grind) by the Millstones set on fire, being in the night, the flakes and sparkles thereof by the fierce winds were blown a long mile off, (as it pleased God) quite over a Village unto a rick of pease, where fetting the same on fire it was suddenly consumed, with fifty fat Wethers feeding thereat; the rage and extremity of these two great oppressors, the Fire and the Wind, so prevailed, that not one man durst adventure the saving thereof; and I have heard it reported by divers in that Country that the consumed Rick and sheep, belonged to an extorting rent-racker, a raiser of cheap markets, and a hoarder up of corn from poor people: here was the powerful hand of God shown, Heaven herein was just, which would not let such wicked deeds go unpunished; God grant that hereby all the like doers may take example, and turn their hearts, that they may be merciful to them that stand in need.  
Turn now but our eyes more nearer London, & we may behold the hand of Heaven lifted against us many ways, yea many ways by these last gusts of windy tempests for our wickedness, as by trees torn up by the roots, standing before in all winds & weathers safe and found for these two hundred years past.  
Also, the noble City of London itself can witness much hurt that is come thereby, as divers people sore bruised and maimed by falls of chimneys, corners and sides of houses, the blowing down of tiles and such like.  
The very River of Thames, is also a precedent hereof, where by the rigorous strength of the winds the water (with the tide flowing overfiercely) made a most dangerous breach over the banks into the Meadows & Marshes by Stratford le bow, & Ham, where many thousand acres of fair grounds are quite overflown and drowned, to the great hurt and hindrance of many the Inhabitants of London, as those Towns thereabouts, the recovery whereof, by men of such understanding, will cost much time, with invaluable sums of money, to the great grief and care of many hundreds.  
The like hindrance though not in that kind, befell unto divers Citizens of London in October last, of whom I know some now dwelling in S. sepulchres parish without Newgate, whose names for good cause I omit, who being at Sittingborne fair in Kent, where dispatching their business, and sending their goods and wares up towards London in a small Bark or Ship, were most lamentably sunk and cast away in the reach over against Barking in Essex.  
In the same County of Essex, at Ilford where a Gentleman's house standeth bravely built with a high turret leaded over, had the log and leads thereon blown off, and by the winds turned up into a round role, which to all men's reason may seem strange, that the winds should be of so great a force to remove so weighty a substance, as that mettle is known to be of.  
From hence, if we but hearken down to the Sea side, and at most of our coast Towns, we shall hear no other reports but of shipwrecks and of drowned people in great numbers taken up, and as it is verified by some of great credit, that at one coast Town of England, there hath been at one certain time a whole Cart-loade of drowned men carried from the Sea side.  
Oh woeful hearing! oh heavy and sad spectacle! it even strikes my very soul with fear to tell it; in many places where I have been I have heard bitter complaints made, some by fathers for their lost children, some by children for their lost fathers, which the sea hath buried up in watery grains, women for husbands, brother for brother, and friend for friend; sorrow is on every side, and all wrought by these late outrageous tempests, never the like in this our sinful age of the world.  
But again to our purpose, another accident comes to my mind, which is requisite and fit to be reported for the strangeness thereof, for it begets cause of heaviness; a certain ship of London, laden with rich commodities of divers Merchants of this honourable City, making for the East countries, and setting forth before Michalmas last, hath ever since (by tempestuous and cross winds) been tossed up and down the narrow seas, some time upon one coast, sometime upon another, still driven from place to place in great danger, no way able (by reason of contrary gales) to finish their intended voyage, but are now at last cast back upon our own shore, where the Owners are forced again to revictuall their ship, to their great loss and hindrance; a charge lying too heavy upon some men's backs, but God is merciful, and sendeth these afflictions to try the patience of his servants, whose losses no doubt but he will restore with a three fold increase of plentiful blessings.  
Thus by degrees do we enter into woe, after woe, where the reports of one mishap, still proves an induction to another, either of dangers by sea, or losses upon land, which I am hear bound upon occasion is intermingle, contrary to true method in writing, but not to be tedious, this must I certify you of, that there is intelligeces upon the exchange among Merchants, of the overflowing & drowning of towns in the Low-countries, where many hundred have perished in their own houses, by the merciless seas, driven in by these late winds, oh heart breaking news: especially to that country people there borne, and here dwelling in London, in this sudden manner to hear of the sad farewell of their friends and kindred, thus to lose their dear lives.  
It is certified likewise that the famous City of Antwerp that flower of Brabant for famous buildings hath had great spoils by this wind and waters, and that part of that worthy city is overflowed thereby, to the impoverishing of divers Merchants, whose factors be here resident in England, but because foreign reports do not much concern our discourses, we will fill up this our volume with our home bred casualties.  
The town of Dover here in Kent, can well declare the powerful strength of these Winter winds, where from time to time, is vioiently cast out of the seas whole shelves and heaps of sand and stone, with many other things to the great wonder of the inhabitants: those that durst adventure to stand upon the shore side, in the fullness of any of these tempests, did behold strange battles, betwixt the wind and waters, where as it seemed, waves like mountains, danced in the skies, 
T.  and the whole seas appeared like a fiery world, all sparkling red, such was it, and so terrible, that it even frighted the careful shipmen, to look above hatches.  
The county of Kent hath borne a pitiful share of these late wracked spoils, and hath received as much loss as any one country beside: amongst many other hurts there happened, this one here following, will I make known as a thing both strange and fearful. About some four miles from Canterbury, at a town called Great Chart, upon Saint john's day last, being Sunday, in the time of Evening prayer, the Church being full of people, arose a most terrible tempest of lightning, wind, and thunder, raging extremely, to the great affright of man, woman and child there remaining, in the midst of which fear, broke into the Church a most ugly shape out of the air like unto a broad eyed bull, 
T.  and dashed the Minister's book out of his hand, with which blow the same arm and hand was strooken lame and black, whereupon the whole audience so fearfully pressed one upon another to get forth that many were hurt and almost bruised to death, amongst which number a Millor was quite slain, by the fright of this misshapen spirit, for so was it thought to be, which without doing further hurt vanished away, taking with it a part of the Church wall, leaving the whole assembly lying almost smothered one upon another's back. It is not for us mortals, to judge the event hereof, but this is reported of the same town of Chart, the parishioners have an evil custom among them, for continually, be it either in service or sermon time, they will stand in troops of four or five in a company in divers parts of the Church, conferring & talking of worldly affairs, not regarding at all the words of the Minister, but rather behave themselves as it were in a fair or market, to the great grief of each well disposed Christian, preparing himself to the service of Almighty God, under whose shield we ought to make our defence against the temptations of the Prince of darkness. And now to draw near unto a conclusion, I think it not impertinent, nor unfitting to add unto these our fearful discourses in like manner a terrible tempest of wind and thunder that happened near unto the town of Nottingham as it is recorded by I. S. a Citizen of London, and known for a troth of the inhabitants there now. This marvelous tempest in great fury, the wind outrageously blowing, came thundering through two towns, and beat down many houses with part of both the Churches, the one of them a village near unto the foresaid town of Nottingham called Sueton adjoining to the River of Trent, which had their bells cast to the outside of the Churchyard, and some webs of lead four hundred foot into the field writhe like unto a pair of gloves: the River of Trent running between the two towns, had the water with the mud in the bottom carried a quarter of a mile, and cast against trees, and the trees torn up by the roots, and cast twelve score off: also a child was taken forth of a man's hand two spears length high, carried a hundred foot from him, and then let fall, and so died: also five or six men thereabout died by this tempest: God be merciful and grant us patience in such like extremities, many other strange accidents there happened as then, of the truth whereof let no man doubt, for of the same there is sufficient proof, and will be verified, if occasion serve, God with his outstretched arm defend and keep us from the like death as many unhappily have here in our Country both by sea and land tasted, and grant that we may seriously to our own goods bear in remembrance all these forepast reports, that they may put us in mind to shun the ways of the wicked, for all these related calamities have been laid upon us for our sins, we see how our good Father is loath to chide us too fircely, and unwilling to strike unto terribly, therefore let these passed warnings move us to good life, which God for his chosen sake grant. Amen.  
FINIS.