TERRIBLE and WONDERFUL NEWS FROM SCOTLAND, Or, A Dreadful Warning for USURERS and EXTORTIONERS.  
BEING A Full and Faithful Relation how a most Miserable Griping Usurer and Oppressor of the Poor, living near John a Groats house in the Highlands, was on the Third of May last past, carried away by an Evil-Spirit, and hurried too and fro in the Air two days together, in the Sight of Thousands of People, and at last his Body Torn to Pieces, and dropped in several Places.  
Communicated in a Letter from one in the Highlands to a Friend in London; Dated from Glascow the 12th of May.  
LONDON, Printed for A. Huish, in the Year, 1674.   

A LETTER, Containing Strange and Terrible News from the Highlands in Scotland.  
Honoured and most worthy Sir,  
'tIs not in the power of Time or Absence to abate in the least that Affection and Respect I have for you, which being part of my Soul, must be as lasting and Immortal as that, and therefore think not that this cold and barren Country can Chill me into an Indifferency, but that in spite of a thousand Hills that Interpose, my better part in passionate thoughts and kindnesses does every day Visit you; But our Friendship is a purer Flame than to need feeding on the Kitchingstuff Fuel of Compliments, more necessary and proper amongst common acquaintance then intimate Friends I shall therefore quit that Hackney-Road, and the rather, for that Fortune has just now furnished me with a most strange Accident, the Relation whereof will fill up my Letter, without putting me to any trouble of sending you any News of State, whereto I must acknowledge myself an utter stranger; most true it is, the thing seems so wonderful, that I durst not believe it myself, much less should have Imposed it on you, till on a most strict enquiry I found it universally confirmed for an undoubted certainty; and thence am emboldened to acquaint you with it, as one of the most terrible Judgements that has visibly and extraordinarily inflicted in thy our Age.  
If my Memory deceive me not, when I had the happiness of your most agreeable Conversation, you told me you were once in these Scottish Highlands, with the most noble Montross of renowned memory, and if so, I doubt not but you may have seen, or at least heard of John a Gaunt, or John a Groats house, (as the vulgar call it) 'Tis a Castle Scituate beyond Enderness just by the Sands, and for Strength the most considerable and famous in all those parts; near this house there dwelled one descended of Vulgar, yet wealthy Parents in the South of Scotland, his Father having been very Zealous all along in asserting his Majesty's Cause and Interest during the Rebellion, but at last fearing to be ruined for such his Loyalty, made over all his Estate, to the value of 1000 pounds Sterling to this Son, in trust for his Use, but he being naturally of a most miserable Covetous Temper, immediately took the advantage, Seizing all, and turning both his Father and Mother and Eight more of their Children, out of doors to shift for themselves, who were forced in their old age to Beg their Bread till they died; This Inhuman Action could not but be detested by all that heard of it, and therefore to avoid the odium justly endue to one so unnatural; He resolved to remove into a place where he was not known, and accordingly came with his said Ill gotten Estate into the Highlands and took up his Habitation near the place aforesaid; making it his Profession to lend out money to Usury at excessive Rates, and sometimes on Pawns of five times the Value, or Mortgages of Land if the sum were any thing Considerable, which he would be sure to seize and detain if he were not repaid precisely at the day agreed upon, by which means he had utterly ruined many hundreds o● Families, and got a vast quantity of Goods and Lands to himself; Though he had never a Child, yet such a cursed Miser he was, that he was like to starve all his Servants, and has been known not to eat a Bit in four or five days out of pure Covetousness; he would never pay a poor man that worked for him without extraordinary abatements of the common Rate; and if they would not yield to it, bid them sue him for their Money, which he knew they durst not, or at least were not able to do; In brief, Mammon was his God, and he had sold himself to the Devil of Covetousness so far, that he regarded not what manner of fraud, deceit, oppression, cruelty, or other villainy soever he used; if it did but bring him in the least Pecuniary advantage: He was infamously famous throughout all those parts for this base sordid humour, and generally hated, though none durst show it, because of his power and revengful Nature, So that he lived like a petty Tyrant, oppressing his poor Neighbours at his pleasure; But he must give an Account to his Hellish Master of all those good Services, who Rewards him accordingly.  
For behold on Sunday the third of May last past, about five a Clock in the afternoon, just as people were returning from Kirke, a strange, and mighty storm arose on a sudden, rolling forwards in a direct Line towards this Wretchess House, who had, as his Servants since relate, employed himself all that Sacred day in telling over Bags of his beloved Dirt, but was now gone out into a Garden by the Highway side, where, out of Pharisaical ostentation on purpose to be taken notice of, he sat with a Bible in his hand; But the before mentioned Whirlwind (for after that manner it appeared) approaching to the place where he sat, Snatched him up into the Air, not without most Lamentable and affrighting Cries and Screeks, which were quickly drowned by a terrible volley of Thunderclaps that succeeded, which were no sooner over but the Sky grew Clear, and the Devil appeared visible a vast Height in the Air, in several monstrous Shapes one after another, sometimes as a huge Lion holding the Usurer between his dreadful Claws, sometimes as a mighty Serpent fast twined about him, sometimes as a most horrible Bull all on a Flame, and tossing him upon his Horns, etc. And as he appeared in divers shapes, so he likewise after shifted places, being seen now over one village, and within an Hour or two at another, twenty or thirty miles distant; In which manner to the great amazement of thousands of people that were spectators, he continued all Sunday night, Monday, and Monday night, being seen over most places within threescore miles round, during which time several Bags of real Money dropped down from him, most miraculously falling into their yards and grounds whom he had chief wronged by his unconscionable Extortions, but on the Tuesday being the fifth of May, about ten of the Clock in the Forenoen, the Black Prince of the Air appearing again visibly with his wretched Prisoner over the place where he dwelled, and this miserable Creature was seen to be torn all to pieces in a most dreadful manner, and his Limbs thrown down being scattered into several of the adjacent Towns and Villages.  
When his Limbs were taken up, his Bones seemed, broken in a Thousand Places, and the Flesh was burnt as black as Charcoal; I spoke myself with several persons that faw it, who affirmed it was impossible that a more sad and deplorable sight could be seen.  
I hope, Sir, you will Pardon this tedious story, which I doubt not but some Scoffing Wits (who believe no other Heaven but a Tavern, nor Devil but an empty Pocket) will censure it as an abominable untruth; but I hope you retain a better opinion of me than to suspect I would go about to abuse you with a Fiction. I am well satisfied of its Reality, and not a little asserted with so visible a Judgement against oppressors of the poor and needy, against whom we find so many Woes pronounced in the Book of God; I intent next week to set forwards for Edinburgh, having some business which will detain me there till towards Michaelmass, If you will allow me the Honour of a few Lines from you. You may please to direct them to my old Lodging near the Toll-booth, for  
Glasco 12th. of May. 1674. Your most humble and affectionate Friend and Servant▪ W. D.