ENGLAND'S New Wonders OR Four Strange and Amazing Relations That have lately come to pass in England.  

I. A strange and Wonderful Account of one Mary Blackstone, near Hull in Yorkshire, who after ten Years Barrenness, was with Child of a Monstrous Birth, and delivered after too Years going of it, it h●ving 3 Heads, each ●n Eye in the Forehead, Serpents twining about each Neck, 4 Arms, and 4 Legs, each 10 Fingers and To●s on the H●nds and Feet; the Privities of Male and Female. With the Examination of the Mother by the Minister, what answer she ●●ve, her prayer and Advice to all Women▪ Not to wish for ●hing● God sees not Convenient to g●ve, least fearful punishment overtake them, With the T●x● sh● chos● for her Funeral Sermon, befor● she died, ●nd th● substance of the Sermon. By D. Bo●se;  
●I. An Acc●●nt of a mighty Tempest, and the appearing of a terrible Fiery Serpent, at Laightown Buz●●d 〈◊〉 Bed●ordshire  
●II An accounted of a mighty Storm of Hail, ●ear Sta●ford in Northampton shire, which destroyed, many Cattle ●●d Fowl wounded diver●…●●op●e cause● great ●nundation, that ●●●●●oyed several Mills much Corn and other matters, some of th● … n●s being 9 or 10 inches in Compass  
●V. An Account of two ●rmies fight in the 〈◊〉, in Bri●any in France. All very terrible and wonderful.   
Licenced according to Order.  
●ONDON, Printed for J. Blare at the Looking Glass on Lond●n-Bridg●: and Reprinted at ABERDEEN by JOHN FORBES, Anno DOM. 1697.   


CHAP. I.  
A Strange and Wonderful Account of a Monstrous Child with. 3 Heads, 4 Arms 4 Legs, and Eyes in its Forehead, ten Fingers and as many Toes on each Hand and Foot, born near Hull in Yorkshire. Of the Mother's Confession, Prayer and Funeral Sermon, etc.  
STrange and wonderful are many things we frequently see and hear of, to the astonishment and amazing of Mankind: Yet if we rightly consider, why GOD sends, or suffers such things in the world, they may turn to our advantage, to warn us from going on in sinful ways, and flee from the wrath that is to come. Where str●nge Prodigies or Portants are manifested, they are taken usually for Forerunners of strange Events, and stranger then what I am about to relate, that have weary lately happened, & are attested (for a credible truth) by persons of known integrity I may presume, have been hardly heard of in any of the Modern ages of the world, but to come near to my purpose, and in order, the First that I shall present you with, is a strange and amazing Account, of a Prodigious Monstrous Birth, which is well attested and communicated to us, in the following manner.  
One Marry Blackstour, being married to a Person, at a place near Hull, in Yorkshire▪ not being past Childbearing, but in youthful brisk years, was passionately desirous to have a Child, but God withheld from her the fruit of the Womb, which made her angry, and often use unbecoming expressions; envying those that had Children: and so she continued about ten Years, though her husband was an active man, and likely enough for the bussiness of Generation. At the end of which time, having taken some provocatives, and other supposed helps, her belly began to rise, but sometimes again would sink all on a sudden▪ Yet nevertheless, she had a strong conceit she was with Child, and would not be persuaded from the belief, by judicious grave Matrons, who took it for a windy, spongy, or watery mole; which sometimes happens, and is called a false Conception: Yet the usual time of women's going being expired, and no sign or Labour, of Delivery appearing, she began to grow somewhat ashamed of her ●oastings; and imprudently uttered rash wishes or Vows, as she afterward confessed, to the giving God a just offence, to inflict some judgement on her. Yet her belly continued to grow big; and she felt strange pains, unusual sweats and faintings, and so it continued near two Years, so that she fancied she had got a Tinpany, or was so believed by others, when indeed it was not otherwise, for at the end of two Years, from the beginning of her first disorder and fancying she was with child, she fell into heavy pains as a Women in travel, but greater and more unusual: this continued some time without any apparent hopes of delivery, till the 4th, o● May last 1696.  
On this day, several Women being with her, she was with extraordinary pains and labour delivered of a monstrous Child to the affrightment of all that were present, having three Heads, wondrously misshapen, each having one Eye standing in the forehead, and a small twisting thing in the form of a Serpent about each neck: It had four distinct Arms and Hands, and on the hands each ten Fingers: though not quite so open or distinct, some being less in proportion then usual to others, It had also four Legs, and four Feet, and though but one body, yet there appeared seams in it as if two or more were joined, or were incorporated into one, the Feet had a proportion of Toes to the Fingers upon the Hands: It had likeways the privy Members of Male and Female, and was exposed to the view of many Eminent persons, who came divers Miles to see it: It was heard to cry from all the Heads at one and the same time, and many other Observations were taken of it.  
The M●ther by the hard pains of her Travel, and this Affrightment, Sorrow and some other concurrents, fell into a weak Condition, so that her uprising being dispaired of, she desired a Minister might be sent for (which accordingly was done) to pray with her, and to give her Spiritual Consolation which was done. And divers Questions was asked her, as, whether she was any ways sensible how she might offend GOD, that might cause him thus for to afflict her with so Monstrous an Issue? She replied unto this with a faint languishing Voice, that she believed she had provoked the Divine-Goodness, because that she had been too passionately desirous of Children, and now like Rachel, had brought forth a Benoani, the child of her sorrow: For she had often desired that she might have a Child though she were made an Example, or suffered never so much upon that account: Which she believed now had fallen justly upon her. And thereupon she fell instantly into this  

PRAYER.  
O Lord God of infinite Mercies, forgive the sins of my rashness and vain desires, blot out my iniquities, and lay not my sins unto my charge, but give me patience in all my sufferings: And grant me, O Lord, if it shall be thy good pleasure, for to restore me to my former Health, that I may live Uprightly; Soberly, and in a sincere Godly Life, more than heretofore I have done. But O Lord, however it shall please thee to deal with me, either in Life or Death, I do freely and cheerfully resign up my Soul and Body to thy most Merciful Disposal, and through the Mercies and Mediation of thy only Son, jesus Christ, my ever blessed Lord and Saviour, Amen.   
Then she Exhorted all that came to visit her, especially Women, to be contented with what GOD was pleased to send, or bestow on them: Not to be too vehement in their desires after any thing this world can afford, but keep all their wishes and desires within bounds that they may be pleasing to Almighty God, who knows best what to give, and what to restrain from us: And not like Rachel, to cry our (when God restrains the fruit of the Womb) give me Children or I die: which in some measure, was now her c●se. And she believed, proceeded from her rash wishes and vehement desire after some Children, desiring for what had happened after death, for that ●er almost▪ only failing, and what else had happened, calling God to witness she had lived chastely and honestly all her life-time, as well si●gl● as in ●he Marriage.  
And then finding death approaching, she desired a Sermon might be preached at her Funeral, for to exhort all to be careful how they spend their days in Pride, Luxury and Wantonness, lest they too sadly repent it in the end: Appointing it from the Words of our Saviour, Luke 15.18.19 I will arise and go to my Father, and will say unto him: Father I have sinned against Heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son, make me as one of thy hired Servants.  
From these words it was inferred, that it is a great sin to fly from God, (as the Prodigal Son did from his Father) on presumption, and hopes to live riotously always: But when this is done, and we see we are straightened and brought to misery under Heavens afflicting Hand, and that our strength and beauty fades, than it is not too late: For the Prodigal Son, after this was received, and that not without Rejoicing. That we ought not to be, however, too confident in any thing as thinking there is any worth in us, that GOD should have so much regard to us, as to t●ke us into his Favour in our greatest need and necessity: When we have squandered away the Prime o● our days, and in serving our own Lusts: But that we should seek him early that he may be found of us, and foresake all things for the Love of Christ: that when we come to die, we may live with him Eternally. He exhorted the good Women present not so much to desire Children, as to consider when they have them, to bring them up in the fear of the Lord: Rachel was passionate, when she found the bare no Children to jacob, and so, for that she said, Give me Children or I die. And indeed she had her last Son Benjamin, to her sorrow, for in her Child bed she died: And thus it might be the case of this woman now departed. And so conclude all with good and sober Advice, to leave off our sins and follies, and turn to God with all speed, that he may receive us into the Everlasting Arms of Love, Amen.   

CHAP. II.  
An Account of a Terrible Tempest near Laighton-Buzard, in B●dfordshire, May 13, And a strange Fire in the shap of a Serpent, that drew up the Water out of Shipton brook.  
AT sundry timer, strange fiery Meteors have happened in the Air, and very near the Earth: But I think not in this manner, as I have heard of in any story, and therefore take of it the following Relation. On the 12th of May, a great Tempest happened, accompanied with prodigious Rain, Thunder and Lightning, more terrible than has been known for many years before, which occasioned the next day violent floods of Water, by coming down the Hills, and overflowing the Brooks and Rivers; But that which is most remarkable▪ is, that after a prodigious clap of Thunder about Noon, there broke out (as from a cloud) a long stream of Fire, which appeared greater as it came nearer to the Earth, forming itself into the shape of a prodigious Fiery Serpent that appeared, the Tail dragging on the ground, making a noise like a Whirlwind singeing the Grass in its way, but that which form the Head and upper part, was elevated as high as the highest Trees, or Laightown Steeple, and in the body of the fiery Serpent, something oculd be seen and plainly discerned, working as if so be it had been cased up in a glass, whilst a very terrible smoke ascended, and still it moved on, to the great terror and amazement of the people, till it came unto Shipton Brook, where the Tail dragging on the Water caused a terrible hissing, and spouted up the Water a great height, dividing as it were, the Brook in its passage over, and the evaporated water fell down in small Rain a great compass, and immediately it Thundered and a terrible Storm ensued, in which this body of fire dissipated and vanished. This is arrested by divers, who say they were Eye-witnesses of i●, and much terrified at so dreadful a sight, which had it appeared in the night time, it would have been far more dreadful and amazing.   

CHAP. III.  
An account of a terrible Storm of Hail, the Stones as big as Goose Eggs near Stanford, in Northamptoun-shire, killing divers Cattle and wounding many People. With a mighty Flood making very great damage.  
ON the 16th of May, prodigious black Clouds began to gather, which over the greater part of this, and other Country's adjacent caused a darkness, that had it not been seen at that time a day, so that people were apprehensive of a violent Storm approaching, and happy it was for many that they had such Notice, for immediately the Thunder began to bellow and the lightning to rend the Clouds, and with prodigious flashes enlighten the Air, and run along the Ground, when immediately some great drops of Rain fell, which was followed by prodigious Hailstones which wounded divers that were hasting for shelter, killed a great many Fowls, and many small Cattle; Some of these stones being nine or ten inches in compass, of divers forms, some ragged, some four squair, some oval, long or round, and some again in the shapes of divers instruments falling so violently, that they beat divers young Trees in pieces, greatly damnadging the Corn, Pease, etc. and cut off branches of long standing Trees, thicker than one's finger, lying in such prodigious Quantities in the ways, for a great many hours afterward unmelted, so that the Horse-Carts, Coaches, and Wagons, especially in the narrow ways, could not pass without great defficultie. The Storm continued about an hou●▪ and damnified a great many Buildings, by beating off the Tiles and Thatch, some scores of Pigeons, Rooks, Daws. etc. have been found dead in the fields▪ killed by the fall of the Stones and many Horses, Cows and Oxen, were so bruised and wounded that many of them are expected not to live, as also several people who were too far from substantial shelter, or took no timely Warning to get to it. And no sooner were these prodigious Stones melted, for the Sun shined out hot a little after but the Water came pouring down from the Hills into the Valleys and Plains, so prodigeously, that many Sheep, Swine, and other Cattle were swept away and driven violently by the Torrent into Meadows, Rivers and other Depths, and there perished: Several Mills were thrown down, that stood on Rivulets, and some people is said to be drowned in them, and for a time there was a fearful Inundation, which has done much harm to the Grass and Corn the like for suddenness and Violence not hauling happened in these parts for many Ages.   

CHAP. IU.  
A dreadful Account of two Armies seen fight in the Air, near Nantz in Britain, or France.  
STrange and amazing things in this nature, have been seen in Countries, near some Change and Catastrophe to warn them to a timely Repentance of their sins, when the Judgements are hanging over their heads before the destruction of Jerusalem, Armies (with great blasts of thunder and lightning) were seen coming towards it, and men on horseback (as we find in the Macchabees) running on each other with fiery spears & lances & many other histories are full of such prodigies, such a thing happened in Enland, before the unnatural Civil wars broke out in 1641, and in Germany it has often happened, and forerun some great calamity.  
But now it seems it is come into France, near to the place afoeesaid. As Letters from the Marquis D' Laverden and others sent to the French Court, testify, viz. That two Armies were seen fight over the Heath of Pontive whilst a great Body of reserved men stood still: That the Engagement lasted two hours, to the great Terror and astonishment of the Spectators, and then vanished away: and it was observed the Colours of the one appeared all white, the other of a bloody colour, that former had the Sun in its colours, which vanished first▪ and the Truth of the Story being very well attested, it furnishes abundance of matter of Speculation to all: and there b●ing an account of it printed in France upon the people's Conjectures that the vanishing of the Colours with the Sun, In it signified the defeat of Lewis his great Undertake; for the Invasion of England and further concluding▪ that the end of the War would be fatal to their Nation, the thing was surpressed, and the Printer imprisoned, but that stopped not the murmur and fears of the Vulgar who being weary of oppression by Taxes, Long for a Peace,   
FINIS.   

 seven-headed dragon