NEWS FROM NEW-ENGLAND: OF A most strange and prodigious Birth, brought to Boston in New-England, October the 17. being a true and exact Relation, brought over April 19 1642. by a Gentleman of good worth, now resident in London. Also other Relations of six strange and prodigious Births in these Countries following.  
The 1. from New-England. The 2 from Quieres. The 3d. in Ravena. The 4. in Parts. The 5. in St. Andwes' Church in Paris. The 6. in the Forest Biera.  
TB   

A Monstrous Birth brought to Boston in New-England, October the 17. 1637.  
ONe Mary wife of William Dier, sometimes a Citisen and Milliner in the New-Exchange, near the city of London, and being both young, very comely and proper born, was delivered of a woman child stillborn having life a few hour; before, two months before the due time, yet as large as ordinary children are; the face of it stood so far into the breast, as the ears which were like an Ape's ears, grew upon the shoulders; the eyes and mouth stood more out then other children's; the nose grew hooking upwards, the face had no part of the head behind, but a hollow place, yet whole, it had no forehead, but in the place thereof four perfect horns; whereof two were above an inch long, hard and pointed, the other two were short, the breast and shoulders were full of scales, sharp and pricking, like your Thornback, the navel and the belly with a distinction of all the Sex, were behind and the hips were before where the face stood, the arms and legs were as other children but instead of toes, it had on each foot claws with sharp Talents like a fowl, in the upper part of the back, it had two great mouths, and in each a piece of red flesh, sticking in it.   

The second.  
AT Quires a small Village some 10. miles from Turine in Savoy, in the year 1578. upon the 17. day of jan. about 8 a clock at night, an honest Matron brought forth a child, having 5. horns, like to Rams horns, set opposite to one another upon his head; he had also a long piece of flesh like in some sort to a French hood which women used to wear, hanging down from his Forehead by the Nap of his neck, almost the length of his back; two other Pieces of flesh like the collar of a shirt, were wrapped about his neck: the fingers ends of both his hands somewhat resembled a Hawks Talons, and his knees seemed to be in his hams: the right Leg and the right Foot were of a very red colour the rest of his body was of a tawny colour: It is said, he gave such a terrible screech when he was brought forth, that the Midwives, and the rest of the women that were at her Labour, were so frighted; that they presently left the House, and ran away: when the Duke of Savoy heard of this Monster, he commanded it should be brought to him, which performed, one would hardly think what various censures the Courtiers gave of it.   

The third.  
ABout the time that Pope julius the 2. raised up all Italy, and the greatest part of Christendom, against Lewis the Twelfth, King of France, in the year of our Lord, 1512. In which year upon Easter day near Ravena, was fought that mortal Battle; in which the Popes were overthrown; a Monster was born in Ravena, having a horn upon the crown of his head: besides two wings, one Foot alone, most like to the Feet of Birds of prey, and in the knee thereof an eye, the Privities of Male and Female, the rest of the body like a man.   

The Fourth.  
IN the year 1546. a woman in Paris, in her sixth Month of her account, brought forth a child, having two heads, two arms, and four legs and dissecting the body of it, found but one heart: by which, one may know it was but one Infant. For you may know this from Aristotle, whether the monstrous Birth be one, or more joined together, by the principal part. For if that the body hath but one heart, it is but one: if two, it is double by joining together in the conception.   

The Fifth.  
IN Anno 1573. there was seen in St. Andrew's church in Paris, a Boy 9 years old, born in the Village Parpavilla, six miles from Guise, his Father's name was Peter Renard, and his Mother Marquote: he had but two fingers on his right hand, his Arm was well proportioned from the top of his shoulder, almost to his wrist; but from thence to his two fingers ends: it was very deformed, he wanted his legs and thighs; although from the right buttock a certain unperfect figure, having only four toes, seemed to put itself forth: from the midst of the left buttock, two toes sprung out, the one of which was not much unlike a man's yard.   

The Sixth.  
In Anno. 1517. in the parish of Knigswood in the Forest Biera in the way of Fountain-Bleau there was a monster borne with the face of a frogg, being seen by john Bellinger, Chirurgeon to the King's Engineers, before the justices of the Town of Harmoy, principally john Bribon the King's Procurator in that place. The father's name was Amadeus the little, his mothers, Magdalina Sarbucata who troubled with a fever, by a woman's persuasion, held a quick frogg in her hand till it died, she came thus to bed with her husband and conceived. Bellanger a man of an acute wit, thought this was the cause of the monstrous deformity of the Child.   

Woman, is a creature bringing usually but one at a birth, but there have been some who have brought forth two, some three, some four some five, some six, or more at one birth. Empedoches thought that though abundance of seed was the cause of such numerous births: the Stoics affirm the divers cells or partitions to be the cause: for the seed being variously parted into these partitions, and the conception divided, there are more children brought not otherwise then in rivers, the water beating against divers rocks, is turned into into divers circles or rounds. But Aristotle saith there is no reason to think so, for in women that parting of the womb into cells, as in dogs and sows taketh no place:  
For women's Wombs have but one cavity, parted into two recesses, the right and left, nothing coming between; except by chance distinguished by a certain line, for often Twins lie in the same side of the Womb.  
Aristotle's opinion is, that a woman cannot bring forth more than five children at one birth.  
The Maid of Augustus Caesar brought forth nine at a Birth, she and her children died.  
In the Year 1554 at Bearn in Switzerland, the Wife of Doctor john Gelinger, brought forth five children at one Birth, three Boys and two Girls.  
Albuccasis affirms a Woman to have been the Mother of seven children at one Birth; and another, who by some external injury did abort, brought forth five perfectly, shaped in all their parts.  
Pliny reports, that it was extant in the Writings of Physicians, that 12. children were born at one birth, and that there was another in Peloponesus, which 4. several times was delivered of five children at one birth; and that the greater part of those children lived.  
It is reported by Dalechampius that Bonaventura the slave of one Savill, a Gentleman of Sena, at one time brought forth 7. children: of which 4. were baptised in our time, between Sarte and Main in the Parish of Seaux, not far from Chambella: there is a Family and noble House called Maldemeure, the wife of the Lord Maldemeure: the first year she was married, brought forth twins: the second year she had three children: the third year 4. the fourth year five: the fifth year six, and of that Birth she died.  
Of these six one is yet alive, and is Lord of Maldemeur. In the valley of Beaufors, in the County of Anion: a young woman the daughter of Mace Channier, when at one perfect birth she had brought form one child, the tenth day following she fell in labour of of another, but could not be delivered until it was plucked from her by force, and was the death of the mother. Martin Cromerus that author of the Polish history, writeth that one Margaret a woman sprung from a noble and ancient family near Cracovia and wife to Count Virboslaus, brought forth at one Birth 35 living children upon the 20th. day of january. In the year. 1296, Fransiscus Picus Mirandula writeth, that one Dorothy an Italian had twenty children at two births, at the first 9 at the secony 11, and that she was so big that she was forced to bear up her belly which lay upon her knees, with a broad and large scarf tied about her neck, as you may see by divers authors.   
FINIS.  

 woman in bed, two-headed human standing nearby  
LONDON: Printed for JOHN G. SMITH, 1642.