A Strange and True RELATION Of the Prodigious Multitude of MICE, That have Destroyed the PLANTS, HERBS, and GRASS, between ROTTERDAM and SCHEDAM; As it was Communicated to a Person of Quality, by a Letter from a Merchant living in ROTTERDAM. Likewise, Infesting their Houses and Chambers, Insomuch that the Inhabitants thereof are in despair of their Security. Wherein you will find a Philosophical and Historical Relation concerning the Generation of those Vermin, and some Prognostics raised therefrom. As also, An Account how Dengy Hundred in Essex hath been formerly Infested with an incredible number of MICE; And how it was freed after a Miraculous manner.  
Printed, Anno Domini, 1670.   

A Letter to a Friend.  
Worthy Sir,  
TO satisfy your curiosity, knowing you to be delighted with all News; but more especially with that of Prodigies: witness your kind acceptance of my Letters to you upon the apparition of the Comets. I shall now give you an account of a Prodigious Army of Mice, that have lately invaded us, and have possessed themselves of Rotterdam, Schedam, and many other places; their manner of Invasion was as followeth. About the beginning of this November, there was observed by the Inhabitants near to the Maes, whole shoals of living Creatures swimming towards the Shore; at first they were supposed to be small Fish flying to the shore for their security, being pursued by some ravenous Fish that sought to devour them; but it proved quite otherwise: for these supposed Water animals proved to be Water-mices, creatures of the nature of Crocodiles, that can live in both the Elements. They were no sooner Landed, but they, without ask leave, fell to tearing and rooting up Grass, Plants, and what ever came in their way, saving the Ploughmen a labour by turning up the Grass, and making that which was before Pasture, good arable Ground, well cleansed and freed from Weeds; whether the Countrymen do account these courtesies, I cannot tell: but their number makes them so undaunted, that they neither fear the States threatenings of sending an Army of Cats against them, nor care for being Sued at Law for Trespassers▪ They declare nothing but Free Quarter, and are of that generous and good Nature, that they never quarrel with their Landlords, but ar● well contented with what they find in the House. At their first coming they took up their Quarters in the Fields but now they have left off their Field-Quarters, and are come into our Towns, observing the common custom of Armies to Summer in the Fields, and Winter in the Cities. The reason of this Prodigy hath been controverted by all persons, whose Ingenuity leads them to a Scrutiny of things of this nature, as well Divines, Physicians, Lawyers and Astrologers.  
The Divines conclude it to be a severe Judgement of God upon that Country, for the States tolerating all sorts of wickedness, under pretence of tolerating all sorts of Religions.  
The Mathematicians are of the opinion that it is a Judgement of God, but they will have the Cause of it, to be, not the tolerating of Religion, but their too much encroaching upon Neptune's Bounds; and it's feared by many, that these Creatures being so numerous, they may in time eat down the Banks, and give liberty to the Sea, to reassume that which is its undoubted right.  
The Opinion of the Physicians, is, that appearance of these strange Bodies in the Body-Politick, are certain Diagnosticks of some strange Malignant Distemper to happen; But coming to consider what particular Distemper it might be that should afflict the Country; One of the Company desired to have a sight of the State's water, But that would not be granted at that time; But it was thus concluded concerning the particular Distemper; that in regard of those dangerous Symptoms that do now appear, as the Generation of strange Bodies, denotes a great Putrefaction of the Humours, the Ulceration and Corrosion of the interior parts, and the increase of the Animals, do argue some foul Disease, It is much to be feared that the Country this year will sub Morbo Gallico laborare, as a nimble witted fellow amongst them, supposing that it might be meant, that the French would invade the Land; answered, there was no fear of the French coming amongst them, since the Mice had so devoured the Plants, that they could not pick one Salad in the Country.  
The Lawyers coming to consider what might be the events of this Prodigy: Some determined; saying, that they were Prodigious Trespassers; and in regard they lie skulking in holes and corners, and will not be taken by the lawful Process of a Trap, they ought to be sued to an Outlawry,  
The Astrologers have been a great while Calculating the Nativity of this Prodigy rectifying it by the Trutine of Hermes, Animodar, of Ptolemy, and by accidents, which they say is the surest way of Rectification; But as yet they cannot find the Aphaeta, Alcocoden, or Anareta of this Prodigy; so that it may be supposed that these Mice may prove a greater Flagellum Astrologorum; then ever Picus of Mirandula was, or Lilies Gold Chain. They have put out a Book, which they call Nuncius Astralis, or an account of the reasons of the Generation of Mice, according to the Rules of Astrology, of their Progress and Declination of several Prognostications raised therefrom, Predicting the present and future condition of Holland, and the several Accidents, whether good or bad, that shall happen to that State for Twenty years to come; By the next Packet you may expect the Book, which you may think worth your Reading. In the mean time take this short account.  
First, they tell us, that the estimate time of this Prodigious Birth, was when the Sun entered Scorpio, a venomous watery Sign; and from this they conclude, that they were bred in the water, and have venomous teeth, because Grass, nor any thing else grows where they have once been. And about the same time Jupiter did oppose Mars, and squared Sol, and the Moon was in opposition to Saturn, they do Predict from hence, that in regard that Jupiter is Significator of Lawyers and Divines: And Mars the general Significator of Soldiers, that there may be many Controversies, Quarrels, Fightings, Duels between those of the Long Robe, and the Buff-Coats; Then Jupiter squaring Sol, doth show that the Soldier will have the better on't at the Sword, and the Lawyer at his Tongue; the Moon in oppsition to Saturn, doth plainly show; that old Men will have the worst of it, if they deal with young Women, Saturn being the significator of old Men, and the Moon crescent of young Women. From all these aforesaid Aspects, with other Transits; Revolution, Profectional Figures, Speculums, Radices, with many more hard words, which you will find in their Book; They do conclude, that malum principium, malus finis sequitur, the Consequencies will be very Bad and Ominous, a Grand Catastrophe will happen either to the States, or some other Persons; But what these Consequencies are, they tell you, it is not safe to discover the Politic Secrets of the Nation; They intent therefore to see the Event, and then they will explain their Prognostications, and tell you, They did Predict all those things that have happened, as Lily Predicted the King's Restauration by these words in his Merlin's Prophecies; A Grand Catastrophe shall happen in England between the Years 1655, and 1665, in 10 Years over or under; Though in the same Book and Place, he saith positively the contrary.  
Thus having tired your Patience with men's Opinions; I will come now to the Matter, and give you an account how great a trouble these inconsiderable Animals, whose number being considerable, makes them formidable.  
They destroy all our Provision, knawing holes through Wood, Cloth, etc. so that nothing can preserve our Bread, or other Provision from them, but Iron; And therefore many of our Inhabitants are fain to provide Cupboards made of Iron Plate; They do so increase, that we begin to fear they will devour us, as well as our Food; they being already so bold, as to come upon our Beds, and sometimes bite us by the Toes, or Fingers. Great Care is taken for their Destruction, but all in vain, by Traps, Cats, Dogs, all signify▪ nothing.  
There came a V●rtuoso from Paris the other day, that undertakes to free the Town by a Talisman; which startled the Burgo Masters of Rotterdam, supposing it to be the name of some Infernal Spirit, till such time as he explained himself, and told them, that it was only the Effigies of a Mouse Engraven upon Iron; (being demanded why upon Iron, rather than any other Metal? He answered.) Because the Sun entered Scorpio (which is Mars' winter House) when the Mice entered the Land; it must be Engraved in the hour of Mars: afterwards it must be heated nine times upon a Tuesday in the hour of Mars, and quenched with the juice of Martial Plants, impregnated with Sal Martis, then there must be a stone gathered under the Dominion of Venus, when Venus is well fortified in her own Dignities; (Be sure she be not in Conjunction with Mars, for than she will part with no Influences to the Stone) Upon this must be Engraved a She-Mouse in the hour and day of Venus, and this Stone must be made red hot nine times, and quenched as often in the juice of Venerial Plants, impregnated with Ens Veneris. These being prepared▪ this Virtuoso intends to hang this Talismanical stone about the neck of this Talismanical Mouse, and throw them both into the Maes, which will by an occult quality, and sympathetical virtue draw all the other Mice to the bottom of the River to them. The Burgo-Masters at length approve of the Art, and desired him to hasten the experiment.  
But since this, there hath been another Project thought on for freeing the Town.  
A Germane, who it seems, was born in the Town where the Pied Piper whistled the Rats and Mice out of the Town, and drew them into the River, doth affirm, That not long since, the Pipers Tomb was discovered by digging for some Mine, and in it was found the very Pipe, which hath been proved since by the same Experiment, making all the Rats and Mice in the Town to follow him that played upon it. This Germane untertakes to procure this Pipe for a sum of Money, and so to free us from these Vermin. The Papists are very importunate with their Priests to Excommunicate them; and it is discoursed amongst them, that they have sent to the Pope for a Bull to scar them all away,  
We have no other News or Discourse here, but concerning the Mice. I remember a Story that I have read in England of the like Prodigy in Essex, which put us in some comfort of being freed after some such miraculous manner; The Story was thus,  
About November in the year 1581., in the Marshes of Dengie Hundred, in a place called Southminster, in the County of Essex, there suddenly appeared an Infinite and Prodigious number of Mice, which almost covered the whole Superficies of the said Marshes, treading and knawing the Grass by the Roots, spoiling and tainting the same with their venomous teeth, in such sort, that the Cattle that graized thereon, were struck with a Murrain, and many died thereof; which Vermin by all the Policy of Man could not be destroyed, till at last, it came to pass, that there flocked together all about the same Marshes a great number of Owls, whereby they were shortly after the livered from the vexation of the Mice. The like of this was about that time in Kent, as Chronicles relate. What further News shall happen, you may expect an account. In the mean time,  
I rest Yours, Eugenius Anonymus.  
FINIS.