Fearful Prodigies IN ITALY, seen near the city OF ROME, In the air:  
Between the Castle Angelo and the VATICAN.  
As it was sent in a Letter by a Merchant of good credit living in Leghorn, to signior TORRIANO an Italian here resident in LONDON, and by him faithfully translated into English.  
Mirabilis es, o Domine, in judiciis tuis.  
Printed at London, for John Dobson. Febr. 6. 1643.   

Fearful Prodigies in Italy, seen near the city of Rome in the air, between Castle Angelo and the Vatican.  
Wonderful art thou, o Lord, in all thy works.  
IT is not unknown to all the world, how that Scarlet Whore, which triumphs in the blood of the Saints, that sits upon her seven hills, the sometimes Empress of the earth▪ the city of Rome, hath always endeavoured to show itself the fear of Antichrist the Pope, who by his perverting the truth of Christian Doctrine, and exalting himself above the Princes and Potentates of the earth, strives to extirpate Christ's little stock, it being their father's good will to give them a kingdom. No marvel it is therefore, if the almighty Power out of the viols of his wrath, and the cup of his judgements upon that place, which is guilty of so many fornications, idolatries, and bloud-shods, as in the sequent discourse shall be manifested. On Christmas day, the day of the nativity of our Saviour, stylo novo, about two of the clock in the afternoon, from that hill which was anciently called Mons Tarpeius on which the Capitol, the Temple, consectated to all the Heathen Gods, was sometimes situated, and now the Church of Saint Marie de Monte major. In which is probable are committed as many idolatries as were perpetrated in the other, was heard great and mournful groans, as if it had been of people now departing this life; when on the sudden, the air which was very clear and fair, the days in Italy being as long in December as they are here in mid March; and the great luminary of Heaven, the Sun, operating with as much vigour, was most stupendiously darkened, lightning, fire and smoke ushering in a most hideous tempest of thunder, which in those parts is very rare at that time of the year, by reason of the thinness and purity of the air, unsubject to vapours, which with dreadful bolts, as if it had threatened dissolution not only to Rome, but to all the Nations of the world; Heavens Canoniers discharging their fatal artillery on the mountain, with such speed and violence, that it seemed to rent (as it were) with an earthquake, divers flames of fire breaking forth with strange eruptions out of the earth, as if it would have consumed the whole city: the people in the mean time being in strange and terrible amazements, thinking the day of doom had been come: the Pope's triple crown falling from his head for fear, as I am certainly informed, and the Conclave of Cardinals in mighty fear and perplexity, as it is conjectured; but that the devil was something too great in them, would have repented them of their sins. For after the terrible flashes of lightning, with thunderclaps, and the like hideous and fearful sounds, which endured the space of a full hour, the air began to clear up, and the face of Heaven appeared as it were surrounded with a clear shining light, and the noise seized, and a new one began, which was of a shrill sounding Trumpet, after which came flying in the air from the North and from the South, two dreadful flaming Dragons of huge & extended form: one of them appearing to hover over Castle Saint Angelo, the Pope's principal citadel, and the other over mount Tarpey. In the middle space between which was seen the resemblance of a naked man, the prize for which (it should seem) these infernal Combatants came thither to strive for: and so with huge out-cries and ghastly groans, which were plainly heard, the trumpets sounding as it were a charge, the two winged Devils made haste to encounter one another: the Dragon that came from the North, striving to self upon the man with outstretched wings and Harpenian talons; when presently the other Dragon from the South came in as it were either to the naked man's rescue, or else with more fury to devour him: at last, after divers hovering and dreadful clashings together with their scaly wings, which sounded a far off like dints of swords upon steely Corflets, they furiously met, and like eager Faulkons, or incensed Eagles, endeavoured to plume one another in their rapinous talons; the man all the while casting forth pitiful sighs and heart breaking groans, as if he had seemed to implore assistance from Heaven; and the testified spectators, who stood quaking with as much dread as human frailty can do at such unwonted spectacles. When after two or three gires in the air (like angry Comets) the Dragons seemed to all their views, just over the head of the man, to close together, then could no man imagine the dreadfulness of the combat, Irish greyhounds with English mastiffs, Serpents with Eagles, nay, two encountering ships at Sea, seeming to be but models of this conflict, sometimes one Dragon, and sometimes the other having the better, and extending their scaly mouths to devour that phantom or Apparition of a man that hung in the air betwixt them, and so joining together beak to beak, wing to wing, and body to body; two cunning wrestlers never gave greater demonstration of skill then these two Monsters by their embraces, striving to overthrow, not to support each other. At last, after at least half an hours fight in this stupendious manner which struck at the beholders with an extremity of fear and amazement the Dragon that came from the North, in all men's view seemed to have the better of the conflict, the other with subtle and cunning turns, as it were, rather to defend himself then offend his enemy, flying up and down the empty air, whilst the other most violently pursued him: But as you have seen in the races of horses, wherein the one at the beginning runs at an easy rate, whilst the other is at his full career and swiftness; yet at the end the horse that kept a sober pace at the first, when the other is out of breath outstrips him and gains the post, and with it victory: so as near as could be conjectured went the business of the combat between these two Dragons; for the Dragon of the North having by delays and juggling manner of fight recovered breath, as Rams that retire to come on with the greater acrimony and fierceness, most furiously returned to assault the Dragon of the South, thundering upon his wings, which flagged like sails when they want wind, and piercing his body with his cruel gripes; the other cast forth many a lamentable outcry bewailing, as it were, his mischance, and making such a noise as soldiers do that are vanquished, labouring with might and main to disengage himself from the gripes of his cruel adversary, who still laid on fresh load, so that the poor Dragon of the South was in a most distressed strait, and so striving with all his diminished forces, at last he got out of the reaches and embraces of the Dragon of the North, and then like an ill-bred hawk, in a cloud of sulphurous lightning, turned tail and fled, the Victor not offering to pursue him, in an instant he was vanished, leaving behind him such an horrible stench as was enough to infect the whole Region; the conquering Dragon in the interim giving forth many joyful shouts from his devilish throat, and insulting triumphantly in his victory, made haste toward his incorporeal prey, the naked man, who was notwithstanding visible, and as it seemed, sensible of his approaching ruin; for with dolorous clamours he gave forth such skreekes as would have amazed the hardiest man living, and did so stupefy the auditors, that what between their fears and the expectation of the novelty, were in an agony and distraction; at last it was heard plainly to pronounce in the Italian tongue, Roma, Roma, tua doctrina non s● attuli Catoloci, which is in English, Rome, thy doctrine is not altogether Catholic, in which certainly that devil against his natural quality spoke truth. But to be brief, this wretched, or least seeming wretched man, being now, as it were, in the very jaws of death, the Dragon of the North being even ready to swallow him up at a morsel, was heard in the air a very loud sound of d●●●s, neighing of horses, and clangor of trumpets, when forth of a cloud to the northwest appeared an army of aerial soldiers in white garments, with red crosses in their front before them, and marched with swift and furious approach toward the Dragon, some of them shooting off muskets, which were plainly heard, the fire smoking in their pans, and the smell of the powder being smelled below in the City▪ the Dragon no whit amazed at the multitude of a ailants, flew courageously among the armed squadrons, and dealt a very deathful dole amongst them, beating down both horse and man with his scaly and impenetrable wings; so that divers of them were seen to drop down, as if they had fall'n into some other region of the air, and so were no more: but the other soldiers courageously charging this cruel Dragon on all sides, who vomited up flames of fire and sulphur, and at last with a hideous and fearful screech, extending its scaly wings, and so fell down into the empty regions of the air as the slaughtered soldiers had done, and were seen no more, but left that cursed and devilish smell behind him, that it seemed hell had belched up all his vapours and infernal Lethean fogs, the army of celestial soldiers in the interim compassing the poor shadow of a man about: and so in triumph with ensigns displayed, and Drums beating, departed with all the signs of victory and triumph; immediately the air began to clear, and the sun being just ready to set, it being then about five of clock (the dreadful combat having endured at least two hours) displayed his cheerful countenance, and the Cardinals and Senators of Rome going towards their palaces in much amaze and affright discoursing of the effect of this portent, and some of the Inhabitants of good account going up to the top of mount Tarpey under the place where the last battle was fought upon the Church-walls and the churchyard, they found diffused a great quantity of blood, which lay there like water on the tops of the grass, and this they made evident report of to his unholiness, who made at it a mockery, and interpreted it according to his own devilish fancy, that it portended the downfall of heretics, such as his holiness terms all true believers, that deny his heathenish Supremacy and apostatical tenants.  
Thus have I sent you a true and brief narration of this terrible and prodigious wonder, which you may confidently divulge and report for truth; and so with my true respects to all our friends, I take my leave and rest,  
Your Servant, Antonio di-Soft. Leghorn, January 2. Stilo novo.  
FINIS.