A Sad, Amazing and Dreadful RELATION OF A Farmer's Wife, NEAR WALLINGFORD in Berkshire WHO Abusing her Husband, for Selling Cor● cheap to the POOR, and wishing, The Dev●● might Thrash, the next Day found him Thrashing in the Barn, and was by him thrown o●● the Mow, remaining there in a piteous manne● not to be removed, feeding on the Ears o● Corn, and refusing all other Food.  
WITH Her Description of the DEVIL; ho● he vanished from her, and a great Quantity of Corn he had Thrashed was found black an●● burned.  
LONDON: Printed and Sold by J. W. 1697.   

A Sad, Amazing and Dreadful RELATION OF A Farmer's Wife, NEAR WALLINGFORD in Berkshire, WHO Abusing her Husband, for Selling Corn cheap to the POOR, and wishing, The Devil might Thrash, the next Day found him Thrashing, etc.  
MAny things at first view may seem to Mankind so strange and amazing, as to doubt or stagger his Belief, but then when they seriously deliberate and find things as strange very often as undeniably verified, they must admire the wonderful Order of Providence, in acting and disposing of things below in such a manner as passeth our understanding, and this extends either to Mercy, in favouring, feeding and protecting Mankind against Dangers, or in Punishment, in bringing on him Want, Misery and Punishment, by Temptations or other grievous ●ays, as our Sins and Repine draw upon us, 〈◊〉 when God has given us Plenty and we shut up ●ur Bowels of Compassion to the Poor, that are 〈◊〉 want, than Blasts and Mildews often fall upon ●ur Corn and Fruits of the Earth, because God, ●ho gives all increase, is dishonoured, by our covetousness and Ingratitude; so that evil Spirits ●●e sometimes made his Ministers of Vengeance in ●undry kinds to wreck their Fury, as will sadly appear in the following dreadful Relation, which ●as of late occasioned so much Discourse in divers ●arts of this Kingdom, being, for the strangeness ●f it, without parallel: But, not to detain you from the Subject-matter,  
It so happened of late, That a Rich Farmer whom God had blessed with plentiful Crops of of Corn for some Years past, living near Wallingford, in the County of Bucks; so that having his ●arns full stored, and hearing the Markets grew scanty, and the Price was much raised, (to the ●reat Grief and Pining of the Poor in these hard Times, when Work itself is scarce, and Money ●ven by that not easily to be come by, for the supplying the craving Necessities of a Family in a ●ear Year) he opened several Mows that had not ●efore been touched and thrashed great quantities, which he sold in the neighbouring Market●s and ●o several Mealmen, who came to buy it at the ●arn floor, thereby getting great Rates, by which means he gained considerable Sums of Money more ●han he expected: But he one Evening coming ●rom Market, and giving his Wife an Account of ●is Day's Marketting, and how he had sold, she being always severe in Exacting, which, it seems, ●or quietness sake he usually did; or, as some say, ●he b●●ng such a Shrew, he durst not do otherwise, ●he b●a●ing all the Rule, she found by the Money he had not given her a true Account, and to concluded he had undersold, and forced him to a freer confession; which was, That he had opened some Sacks and sold to the Poor, that were very necessitous and flocked thither in great Numbers, some with Tears in their Eyes, at lower Rates▪ as being moved to compassion at their declaring their Necessities and Inabilities to support themselves and their Children, bidding her be patiented and expect God's Blessing to make it up manifold.  
Upon this she fell into a passionate Rage, railing at him in a grievous manner, calling him Fool and Sot, and that he ought to consider his own Interest before that of a parcel of Whores and Rogues, and their Bastards, being a lazy Pack, who minded not so much to work, as to increase the Charge of Parishes, and to eat up what she and others laboured for, etc.  
The good Man endeavoured to pacify her, by putting her in mind, that they had plenty and so felt not the wants of the Poor, and since such a Mercy was extended to them, it was but reason for his sake who had blessed their Endeavours, and given it them, that they should do some good in their Generation.  
But this not at all moving her to pity, she grew more outrageous, saying, None had helped her to the worth of a Penny, but what she had gotten by rising early and sitting up late; and she was beholden to none, as she knew of for a Earthing.  
He upon this pleading the goodness of Providence, to show her her error, she grew more enraged, calling him Sot and Fool, swearing she would have her will▪ and seeing the Rains fell very much and the Harvest like, or at least, as most who are for Self-interest pretend, to be bad, she resolved, that no more should be thrashed, but she would have it kept for dearer Markets, which she said, she foresaw would soon grow to a great rate, by reason of the Rains. So that by this we may see what God sends as a general Good, is often laid hold on by wretched covetous People, to advantage and enrich themselves, in grinding the face of the Poor. The Man then desired, he might thrash some to sell to the Poor People in the Parish where he lived, who could get none at any rate near at hand. But that was refused him, command●● him to turn off the Taskers, or she would break their ●●cks out of the Barn. This Discourse happening, 〈◊〉 Farmer was forced to consent, and so paid ●●●m off, till he could get their Dame in a better ●●mour, and give them further notice: But the ●an being importuned for Corn, he lay at her; ●●●t he might set the Men to work again. Set the ●en to work! replied she angrily, The Devil shall ●…ash it first; or I'll sit on the M●●●…, and eat of the ●●rs myself, before I'll have it 〈…〉 out to be sold 〈◊〉 pitiful Rates, and some other the like Discourse ●●ppened between them, and so to Bed they went. ●t a little before break of Day the Woman was wakened with the thundering Noise of Flails in the ●arn, which made it seem to her as if there had ●een twenty Men at work: The Woman, upon ●●is, thinking her Husband had set the Men on ●ork, waked him and upbraided him with it; ●ut he protested, That he had discharged them, and ●new not of any Bodies being there, for the Key of the ●arn lay on the Shelf in the Kitchen.  
The Woman, not believing him, rise in a rage, ●o turn out the supposed Thrashers, who, finding ●he Key as her Husband said, fancied nevertheless ●hey might have got in at the Pitching-bay, and ●hither she went, but had no sooner opened the Door but the Barn appeared very light within, ●ho ' there were neither Candle nor any thing that could reasonably give it to be seen; and there found a tall Fellow in black a thrashing, who 〈◊〉 done so much Work, that there lay huge heap 〈◊〉 Straw, and a little black Boy threw down 〈◊〉 Sheaves to him as fast as he thrashed; whereat 〈◊〉 falling in a passion, began to treat him by the Na●●… of Rogue and Villain, charging him to be gone, or 〈◊〉 would break his Neck: but he seemed not to mi●● her, his Back being towards her, but plied 〈◊〉 Task, till Anger moved her to strike at him a●● attempt to tear his Hair; but she, instead of Ha●● seemed to lay hold on a Fire, that scorched her 〈◊〉 that she cried out, O Lord, have mercy on me, wh● is this? Whereat the supposed Man took her 〈◊〉 the Arm, saying, I go, but you must stay; an● canting her on the Mow, vanished through th● Roof in a Cloud of Smoke, taking some part of 〈…〉 with him, as also his Imp that attended him.  
And now Daylight coming pretty clear, th● Noise of the Flails ceased, and the Wife not returning he went to see why she stayed, and seeing her o● the Mow, called to her; but she could not speak yet in her looks shown much horror and affrightment, when going up to her, he sound her fast an● , all his strength not being able to sti●● her: And looking on this as some Judgement, h● called some Neighbours, who prayed for her▪ the● her Speech came to her again, and she confessed, i● was a Judgement upon her, by the conviction of her mind telling what she had seen, and how she came on the Mow, showing the Hole in the Roof, and pointing to the Corn; when they went to look on it, being a great quantity, more than two Men could thr●sh in a Day, they found it all black, parched, and as i● were burned, being good for nothing, but to feed Hogs; and it is affirmed, That the Woman soon after telling the Story, falling into Rave, declared, It was revealed, or whispered in her Ear, Tha● she was under the Just Hand of God, whom she ha● offended, and could not be renounced thence, till a certain time. And so she continued Eating the Ears o● the Corn, refusing all other Food, whilst Prayer● were made for her, That God would be merciful 〈◊〉 her, and remove this Heavy Judgement from her.  
FINIS.   

Licenced according to Order.