A Relation of a terrible Monster taken by a Fisherman near Wollage, July the 15. 1642. and is now to be seen in King's street, Westminster.  
The shape whereof is like a Toad, and may be called a Toad-fish; But that which makes it a Monster, is, that it hath hands with fingers like a man, and is chested like a man.  
Being near five foot long, and three foot over, the thickness of an ordinary man.  
The following Discourse will describe him more particularly.  
Whereunto is added, A Relation of a bloody Encounter betwixt the Lord Faulconbridge and Sir John Hotham, wherein the Duke of Richmond is hurt, and the Lord Faulconbridge taken prisoner.  
With some other miscellanies of memory both by sea and land, with some foreign Occurrences.  
LONDON, Printed for Nath: Butter. 1642.   

A Relation of a terrible Monster called a Toad-fish, &c.  
GOD showeth his wonders in the deep, (saith the royal Prophet) but those wonders are never with our wonder, when once they leave their wonted stations, and come (upon what message God knows) to visit us in an unknown world: their shapes being as miraculous to us, as our element unnatural unto them. But to the purpose. Friday morning, July 15. between 4. and 5. of the clock in the morning, a little above Wollage, one Thomas West, casting his net upon the coming in of the tide, for Salmon; upon the drawing in of the net, (whose weight and difficulty in dragging portended to him good tidings) on a sudden he found a strange alteration: he sees in the net a Fiend, not a Fish; at the least a Monster, not an ordinary creature. Had not his companion had a better resolution, he would rather have been rid of his net, then troubled with his guest, so deeply was he struck with the odious shape of it. I now proceed to its shape and dimensions. It is by the vote of divers Gentlemen of great quality that went to see it, such a monstrous creature as scarce can be believed ever to have been seen: this morning brought alive into Glove-Alley in King's street. It is called a Toad-fish, and with good reason; for the head and eyes, when it lies upon its belly, do perfectly resemble a Toad. But here lies the wonder, turn him up, or but a little raise his head, and you shall behold the perfect breast and chest of a man: nay you may evidently tell as many ribs, both short and long, as are in a man, and of the same jointure and feature; and two as perfect hands as any man whatsoever. By which it is evident that he swims upright, beating the water with his hands, as we all know how the Toad marcheth with his snout upwards. His mouth very broad, with three ranks of sharp teeth; whereby it is probable that it is a devouring, ravenous, and prey-booting fish; yet is its mouth the very emblem of a Toad, as likewise its eyes. A butcher's wife coming in hastily to see it, and hearing at the first that there was a strange fish to be seen, and being upon it in the stable where it lay before she was aware, thrusting in among others, started from it with a shriek, crying, Oh the devil in the shape of a great fish, swooned, and was fain to be carried out. The dimensions of the fish are these: He is in length well-nigh five foot, in breadth a yard over, having on each side two huge fins, in likeness much like a Thornback, his tail a foot in length, as it were all of Whale-bone.  
Now the coming up of this monster into the fresh river, and so nigh the shore, is more than remarkable, (never any of this strange kind ever having been seen by any age before:) For Pliny, the naturalist, although he confesseth that there is no creature or vermin upon the earth, but hath its like in the seas, and that there is a Toad-fish, yet this Author averreth, that that fish never cometh near the shore, but is constantly in the depth of the Ocean, as is the shark, the flail-fish, and others of that noxious kind, and that he never saw or heard of any taken upon any Coast save one, which was in the year that Nero (that never-sufficiently detested Tyrant) was borne in, of which he hath this note, that Monstrum praecessit monstro: and plainly divined that its arrival was ominous, as indeed all Histories do with constant consent maintain & write, that all unusual births either in men or bruit creatures, in sea or upon land, especially out of their seasons, have ever been the forerunners and sad harbingers of great commotions and tumults in States and kingdoms, if not mournful heralds of utter desolation: witness the Heifer calving of a lamb upon the Altar in Jerusalem, (mentioned by Josephus) some half a year before the dismal sacking, firing, and final subversion of that beautiful & renowned City by Vespasian. A mares foling of a colt with two heads at Vitellius (that beast) his entrance into the Roman Empire, who did much mischiefs in his wicked reign. A Whales coming ashore at deep, a little before Francis the first was taken prisoner at the battle of Pavia by Charles the fift, Emperor of Germany, and King of Spain.  
These unnatural accidentsses though dumb, do notwithstanding speak the supernatural intentions and purposes of the Divine powers, chiefly when they meet just at that time when distractions, jars, and distempers are a foot in a commonweal or Kingcome: Messengers of Justice they were ever accounted; nay, they have without missing ever proved themselves to be the same. God in his mercy grant that this ugly monster may not for our sins prove the like to us, seeing the divers sins which are by divers Divines comprised in the nature of a toad, reign, and have their swing in our Nation. It is further observed by those that profess skill in Prognostication, that of how much the monster is of feature or fashion, hateful and odious, so much it portends danger the more dreadful and universal; God defend their observation may not hold in us, but surely a creature (if a creature we may call it, though truly it goeth something against the hair, considering its detestable ugly shape) I say a creature more displeasing, and at which human blood may rise, I never saw with my eye, nor desire to see again.  
LORD we beseech thee turn thy back upon our sins, and thy favourable aspect upon our miseries, very likely with more haste then good speed to light upon us. Unite (good God) Head and Members, King and Parliament, increase their loyal affections to him, his royal approbation to them and their proceedings, whence may proceed in our time His majesty's content and all our securities, and let all true-hearted, plain-dealing, and plain-meaning Subjects say Amen.   

Divers Occurrences from HULL and other places taken July. 15th. 1642.  
FROM Hull is reported this present Friday at Westminster, that the King intending to build a Sconce or halfmoon near Hull, to the intent to keep aid from them either of men or moneys, in the side of Lincolnshire, he committed the charge of that enterprise to my Lo: Falconbridge: the same Lo: proceeding with all diligence in raising the halfmoon to make batteries upon it, and placing his Ordnance against it, my Lord Rich being in his company, on Tuesday night a Scotch Knight and captain, with 500 men and four field pieces, issued out of Hull, set upon my Lo: of Falconbridge, who received him very stoutly, and maintained a long and hot skirmish, three hours, in which my Lord Duke of Richmond fighting very valiantly is wounded; my Lord forced them to retreat and quit his works; but being more valiant then advised, pursued so far that he had his horse shot under him, and by that means was taken prisoner and carried into Hull: The King sent from Beverley more aid to the halfmoon, so that for such a piece it is very strong. His Majesty is very sorry at the wounding of the Duke, and said openly, that they had drawn his own blood already.  
This morning went 200. Volunteers all armed through lincolns-inn-fields, having red and yellow feathers, and ribbons in their hats, and went directly to the waterside to take shipping for Hull this very day. God send my Lord of Holland, and his associate, well with their message, that they may deliver it unto the King's content, but these are but bad signs of it, divers were slain and hurt of both sides in this attempt and defence spoken of, but no number named.   

London, July 16. 1642.  
RIchard Nevil Esquire, of Billingbeare, Gentleman in Ordinary of his majesty's Privy Chamber, was sent with an hundred gallant Horse, Tuesday, July the 12. unto the aid and assistance of Master Henry Hastings, High sheriff of Leicester shire.  
The Earl of Warwick hath sent again unto the House, earnestly desiring them to consider in what case he stands in as touching moneys and victuals; his soldiers and seamen daily complaining of their wants in both: and as touching victuals, his majesty hath given express command unto all his victuallers at Chattam, and elsewhere, to send in none of any sort or quantity soever, upon pain of his high displeasure, and their peril.   

News from foreign parts, July 16.  
THe Swedes have lately taken from Piccolomini 8000. pounds worth of Gunpowder, abundance of soldier's coats, and other provision; in which he hath lost many men. Likewise the Emperor is fled from Vienna. All Austria (his hereditary country) is revolted from him, and Hungary likewise.   
FINIS.