DIGITUS DEI.  
A FAITHFUL RELATION and COLLECTION OF Seven wonderful and remarkable, Judgements, lately inflicted by God on several persons using Execrations and wicked Wishes to themselves; which suddenly came dreadfully to pass: VIZ. 

1. A woman at Atherbury in Oxford-shire burnt to ashes all on one side, when there was no fire near her, in May 1677.  
2. John Duncalf, who denying a Bible that he had stolen, and wishing that he might Rot if he had it, did by degrees Rot away till he died, in July 1677. at King-Swinford in Stafford-shire.  
3. A woman in Newgate struck deaf, blind and dumb, according to her wish, on Saturday the 14 of July 1677.  
4. A man Cursing at Cards in the Marshalseys in Southwark, and wishing he might never stir, immediately fell down dead.  
5. A woman near the Minories, who having forsworn 2 s. was (as 'tis conceived) actually possessed with a Devil, and destroyed in the presence of hundreds of people, October 1675.  
6. A woman great with child near Exeter, asserting a Lie, with a Wish that otherwise she might never be delivered; both she and her child miserably perished.  
7. A man in Suffolk that used to wish he might Rot if he wronged people, before his death perished away in a strange manner, perfect Chalk-stones dropping out of the calves of his legs.    
With an Account of the Circumstances of each Judgement; and a most Notable Speech of a person of Quality on the Ladder about to be hanged.  
Is not destruction to the wicked, and a STRANGE Punishment to the workers of iniquity?  Job 31.3. 
All these things happened unto them for Ensamples, and are written for our admonition,  1 Cor. 10.11. 
That all Israel may hear and fear; and do no more any such wickedness,  Deut. 13.11. 

With Allowance.  
Ro L'Estrange.   
LONDON: Printed for D. M. 1677.   

Seven remarkable Judgements, etc.  
'TIs observed by Physicians, that every Country extraordinarily liable to a Disease, doth likewise yield some particular Herb or Remedy against that Distemper. In this Age, abounding with Fools that say, not only in their hearts, but with their blasphemous lips, That there is no God, wherein so many positively deny an Omnipotent Providence, and almost all live as if they did not regard it, it hath pleased the Divine Majesty to manifest his power by more frequent and immediate Examples amongst us: For (as the Royal Psalmist saith) The Lord is known by his judgements that he executeth, Psal. 9.16. Of which late dreadful Instances I have thought it a seasonable service to make this Collection, consisting of such as have been most notorious and remarkable; not doubting but many more might be added, if Ministers and others would but be at the pains to observe and communicate them, than which I know not any work can be more necessary and useful in a profane and unbelieving Generation.  
I shall begin with a woman at Atherbury in Oxfordshire; who keeping a small Alehouse, had too much addicted herself to lewd Speeches, sometimes Oaths, and frequently Curses, as well on herself as others. It happened about the beginning of May this present year 1677, being all-alone in her house, a Neighbour-woman came thither for some strong drink, which she having drawn and received Twelve pence or some such piece of money, instead of justly returning the full Change, stopped and abated Two pence or Three pence out of it, besides what the present drink came to, pretending there was formerly so much owing to her; which the other resolutely denying, the Hostess began to swear, and use several abominable Wishes, saying, God damn me, and the Devil burn me, if it be not so; which last words she often repeated: However, the other confident perhaps in the certainty of her knowledge to the contrary, still persisting to deny it, and refusing to be gone without the rest of her money, the Alewife at last violently thrust her out of her house, and to prevent her coming in again, shut the door and locked it against her. Thus with many horrid sinful Expressions (if not downright Perjuries) this poor wretch made shift to wrangle her Neighbour out of this inconsiderable sum, but paid lamentably dear for the same: For behold! by a stupendious and terrible Jubgement from Heaven, as we cannot but suppose, she was immediately called to an Account, and Burnt to death, as she had foolishly and wickedly wished, in a wonderful and unheardof manner. For having so shut and locked the door, the same was not opened, nor any further news heard of her, till several hours after, her Husband chanced to come home, and wondering to find his door fast shut in the middle of the day, without being able to make any body answer within, after much inquiry forced open the door, and entering with one or two of his Neighbours, their eyes encountered one of the most sad and dismal Spectacles that ever Mortal beheld: for in the midst of the floot lay the Relics of his Wife; one side of her Body, and the  thereupon, from the sole of her foot to the crown of her head, being Consumed and Burnt to Ashes, and nothing left but the Skeleton or Bones; whereas the other side remained whole, and the  thereon not so much as touched or singed, though it was observed, that the flesh and skin there was all turned black, as if it had been blasted with Lightning; but no visible fire near her, nor indeed had there been any in the house that day. Consider this, all you that forget God, Psal. 50.22. and remember that to the wicked, Our God is a consuming fire.  
The next Judgement is yet more astonishing, happening on the person of one John Duncalfe, born in the Parish of Codsole near Wolver-hampton, but lately living in the Parish of Kings-Swinford in the County of Stafford, by Trade bred up a Wheelwright, but of late leading an idle pilfering kind of life; So that in March this present year 1677, he did steal a Bible from one Goodwife Bays, and sold it to one Norton of Wombern, and being questioned for it, he positively denied it, and wished He might Rot alive, and his hands Rot off, etc. if he had meddled with it: But there is a God that recompenseth the ungodly, and that sometimes according to their own wicked Wishes: For as soon as he had sold this Bible, he was taken with a Trembling as it were an Ague, and immediately his Hands began to Rot, and then he looked on it as the hand of God for his Lying Imprecations. The remarkableness of his Punishment drew many from all parts to behold him; and being poor and unable, by reason of this rotting of his hands, to do any work, and yet seeming otherwise in health and very good stomach, he was laid in a Barn, a Tender appointed to look after him, and Victuals provided for him. On April 26, being visited by a Minister of that County, he observed his Condition to be thus: One hand so rotten off that it hung only by the Muscles, no skin nor flesh on the wrist for four inches, the whole hand drawn up together; so that both for figure and colour it resembled a Beasthoof, which did all soon after drop off: and so he continued consuming by degrees till the middle of June; at which time he had neither Hand nor Leg, but all rotten and dropped off from his wrists and knees, through which the bones appeared, but compassed with corrupt and ulcerous flesh filled with Maggots; and to prevent flye-blowing, usually covered with Dock-leaves. The first Hand and his two Legs were buried May the 13th, and five days afterwards the other Hand came off. During all this time he could Eat, Drink, and Sleep, and as far as could be perceived had none or very little pain. At first he desired people to pray for him, but afterwards became more surly and morose, refusing to discourse with Ministers or other godly Visitants; and not showing that Repentance as all good men hoped so terrible a Visitation might have wrought in him: But rotting on thus by degrees, about the later end of June he gave up the Ghost. A Spectacle so sad, that we may apply that Saying of Holy Writ, though spoken on another occasion; Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard the like long-continuing Monument of Judgement, as we verily believe, in any Age.  
'Tis within these two years last passed, that one that was prisoner in the Marshalseys for Debt being playing at Cards, upon some difference about their Game, fell a swearing and cursing in a lamentable manner; and amongst other lewd speeches, often wished he might never stir more if it were not as he pretended: when behold! scarce were the words out of his mouth, but he falls down dead in the place without speaking a word, or stirring either hand or foot. Which Example we the rather press to your consideration, because many men that would be thought sober, and of good conversation, have got an ill habit of saying Ne'er stir, on every trivial occasion; which we hope this sad Instance will warn them to leave off: Nor are those less to be blamed who hope to escape the punishment of Swearers, etc. by mincing their Oaths, as I'gad, Vddsbudd, etc. which indeed are no less than swearing by the Holy Name, and precious Blood of God: And therefore be not deceived, God will not be mocked, Gal. 6.7.  
In the month of October in the year 1675, a woman living near Well-close, and not far from East-smithfield▪ having wronged a woman of Two-shillings, by taking the same away from a little child to whom it was given to play with, being charged therewith before the Justice, fell down upon her knees, wished that God would Damn her, and the Dveil forthwith take possession of her, and many other the like vile Imprecations, if she had the Money; yet in truth, as she afterwards confessed, had pilfered the same: And Divine Justice dealt with her according to her Wish, by giving permission to the Devil; who suddenly thereupon (as she related, and most that saw her believe) really possessed her, and would several times have choked her; insomuch that coming on the Lord's day into a public Congregation, not far from the place aforesaid, she was before them all lifted up above the ground, & exceedingly tormented, with prodigious swelling in her throat and danger of being choked, and then she would desire them to pray for her, and seem to strive with the Devil in a strange Agony, crying out, Be gone, be gone, Satan! I will serve God, I will serve God, etc. But at last, as the Minister was in his Prayer, was lifted up by invisible means, and fling down headlong to the ground, whence she was taken up dead. The truth hereof is sufficiently known to hundreds about this City, who with Terror were Eye-witnesses.  
'Tis not four years since a woman near Exeter being great with Child, and having used herself to a wicked custom of saying, when any thing was denied or questioned, Let me never be delivered, or Let me perish with what I go with if it be not so: When her pains come upon her at the Expiration of her Reckoning, though there appeared no natural Impediments, but rather all the signs of a happy Chide-birth, yet could she not by any Art be delivered; but after much languishing Torture both she and her unborn Infant perished according to her Wishes.  
Though divers years since, yet 'tis still within the memory of man, and can be attested by several still living, how a Gentleman living at St. Edmund's in Suffolk, being an Usurer and great Oppressor and Grinder of the Poor, under pretence of kindness, the better to colour his Ill designs, was frequently wont to wish that he might Rot, if he wronged them: But God made him an Example of Vengeance: For in his later years he perished away in a strange manner, perfect Chalk-stones being generated in and dropping out of the Calves of his Legs; of which at length he miserably died.  
I shall conclude with a remarkable Speech and Confession of a Person of Quality, who was hanged the 20th of Nou. 1615, on Tower-hill, for being Accessary to the horrid Murder of the Ingenious Sir Tho. Overbury. This Gentleman in an excellent and penitent Speech made immediately before his Death upon the Ladder, has this passage verbatim, taken out of the exact Copy then printed, p. 153. Viz. I had almost forgotten to show you a strange thing which God brought to my memory the last night, which was this: I confess I have been a great Gamester, and especially on the other side have wasted and played many sums of money, which exhausted a great part of my Means; which I perceiving, vowed speriously (not slightly or unadvisedly) to the Lord in my Vow and Prayers, Lord, let me be hanged, if ever I play any more: Which not long after is most justly come upon me, whereof you are all Eye-witnesses, because a thousand times since I have broken this my Vow.  Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed. For they shall not live: thou hast visited and destroyed them, and their memory shall perish, Isai. 26.11. & 14. verse. 
FINIS.