Strange and Wonderful PRODIGIES: OR, A Full and True Relation of Supernatural Sights and Apparitions lately seen in the AIR: VIZ. Two Great Armies drawn up in Battalia, and seeming ready to Engage each other, beheld for some hours, by several thousands of People: With dreadful Noises heard, like the discharge of Cannons and Muskets, accompanied with hideous Cries and Howl. As also a FIERY-BULLET Of a most vast Magnitude violently rushing through the Air, and at last with a most terrible crack breaking into a thousand pieces, to the unspeakable Terror of the amazed Spectators. As it is certified by several persons of quality. With an Astrological Judgement thereupon.  
London, Printed for G. H. in the Year, 1673.   

Wonderful Prodigies: OR, Supernatural Apparitions, etc.  
THat there have been strange and unaccountable sights and apparitions many times beheld in the Air, is a truth so well vouched as not to be denied by any, but those obstinate Sceptics, who rather than part with a darling fancy of singularity, care not if they give the Lie to all Antiquity, proclaim the rest of Mankind, Fools or Madmen, or disbeleive the Testimonies of their own senses: Josephus an Historian of unquestioned fidelity, tells us of a flaming Sword that hung many days over the City of Jerusalem: Immediately before it's fatal destruction by Vespasian, and 'tis sufficiently known what variety of prodigies proceeded the last most bloody Wars in Germany: Certainly the Doctrine of Meteors affords but little satisfaction to our inquities, after the Causes, amazing apparences, Philosophy is nonplussed, and gives too lean an account when it tells us of Reflections in waterish Clouds of Exhalations, moist clammy Substances drawn up by the Sun's heat, and set on Fire in the upper Region, etc. These may produce an Ignis Fatuus, or Jack with the Lantern: A falling Star, some unusual flashings, Corruscations, Mock-moons, and Halo's or Circles about the Sun, and the like: But for those Extraordinary Phoenomina; we must assign some other adequate Causes, and certainly we shall not Err if we say that All mighty God offended with men's Impiety Exhibites (whether by the Ministry of Angels or otherwise) these strange sights as warnings to admonish them of Severe Judgements impending, unless prevented by sincere Repentance and Amendment.  
How near the Kingdom of Poland was, but the other year to the Confines of Ruin, none can be Ignorant, that at all observe the several stones of fate acted on the great Theatre of the World, Domestic Factions, and an overbearing Invasion by the Turk had reduced that miserable Nation almost to Extremity, being forced (besides an Ignominious tribute) to yield up and prostitute a large part of their Territories to the Lust of that Insatiate Monster of the East, since that, God has offered those People a Breathing time of peace, and in a great measure abated the Animosities of the Nobless and discontents of the Vulgar, what use they have made of these Mercies, or returns of Gratitude to Heaven we know not: 'Tis certain great deliverances oblige Sinners to suitable acknowledgements and Improvements, which providence seems now to Exact, by Alarming them with the most dreadful prodigies that have been heard of in our age. A full and true account whereof as it was lately Transmitted to us in several Letters from thence, be pleased to take as follows.  
On the third of October last passed at the Town of Posen, and round about for above ten mile's distance from thence, about five of the Clock in the morning was seen the perfect appearance of two great Armies in the Air: The Sky was very clear and scarce a Cloud to be seen above the Horizon. One of the Armies stood towards the East, the other to the West, faceing each other, both drawn up exactly in Battadia, and appearing so visibly that the spectators could distinguish the Horse and Foot, discern the Several Brigades, and plainly see their Trains of Artillery: Those that first viewed this strange sight summon their Neighbours to admire it, and in an hours space people are Alarmed round the Country, who get out of their Beds and Houses, and with trembling behold this amazing prodigy, which added more to their terror, when having appeared some time in that posture, as braveing each other, both Armies on a sudden rushed forwards with a Violent motion, and seemed to meet and most furiously engage each other, whereupon they heard whole Valleys of Cannons discharged, and peals of musket shot, continually playing for above an hour; accompanied all that time with hideons Cries, and shrieks, howl, sometimes like the shrieks of Women or Children, and at other times like that of men wounded, and giving up their last Breath in Dying Groans.  
This dismal Airial Conflict continued with much fury till Sunrising, both parties being so intermixed, that it was impossible to distinguish which had the Victory, the whole Heavens appeared of a crimson-dye, and overspread with blood: and the continual Flashes made it seem like the Day of Doom, when the whole World shall become a Prey to the Element of Fire: It is impossible to imagine (much less express) the Consternation of the People, who by thousands stood to behold this wonderful Spectacle, where their eyes and ears Encountered nothing but objects of Terror: At last the Sun being got above the Horizon, caused all these Warlike Phantasms to disapear, and soon after, the noise ceased, and the Heavens put on their former friendly Countenance, which yet cannot wipe out those rueful Characters of Fear, Affrightment, and Dispair, imprinted on the dejected visages of the Spectators by this Prodigy of Horror.  
About a week after, at Noonday, no Cloud, Storm, or Tempest appearing nigh, a most terrible Fiery red hot Bullet was observed by hundreds of people, to pass through the Air a little higher than the tops of their houses, but of a very vast bigness, and making a strange kind of hissing in its passage, yet doing no hurt, but flying so several miles directly East; at last with a mighty noise, as if it would have rend the earth, it burst into a thousand pieces, which flaming and fluttering a while in the Air, vanished.  
Several other strange and prodigious sights have lately manifested themselves in divers parts of that Kingdom, the particulars whereof we shall here omit, and only observe that the forerecited Aparences could not be the vain Chimeras of wanton Fancy, or depraved Conceits of melancholy heads, as Children fancy they see Castles, and men, and beasts, and other strange things sometimes in the Clouds, or a bright Fire; it is impossible such a multitude of people should all be cheated in their senses with one and the same Imagination: nor was it their eyes only, but their ears too had a sufficient share in this prodigious entertainment.  
Let us not place God's immediate miraculous Admonitions to the account of common Secundary causes, nor argue against the reality of their Aparence, till we smart under the fury of their Significations, God has two fair Volumes, whereby he reveals his pleasure to the Sons of men, his Word, and his Works; sometimes he woos us by the one, and sometimes warns us by the other: and those that will neither obey his most profitable Precepts, nor regard his merciful Threaten, deservedly become Objects of his severe Justice: who then sets up cruel and barbarous Nations (as Rods of his Anger) to scourge them that vainly pride themselves in the Title o● Christians, and yet surpass the worst of Heathens in all kinds of Debauchery and Wickedness.  
As for the significations of these uncouth Apparences, we say only in the words of the eldest of Sibyls— Caelum Mars Solus habebit: It is observable that the Male-effects of the three last Comets in 1965. are not to this day overpast: The Northern parts of the world have already been sensible of the Disasters thereby menaced: But we fear this cup of trembling must go round, and who knows but the Country's North and North-East are designed next to pledge it: It is now a hundred years since the famous New-Star in Cassiopia first appeared to mortals; and it was the Judgement of the most Learned Tycho Brahe that the Portents thereof would be chief visible about such a period of time from thence, and in those very Regions of Poland, Russia, or Muscovia: nor do the late frequent opositions of the two Superiors, Saturn and Jupiter imitate less than the Midwifeing some eminent Catastrophes into the World: Those that are acquainted with the Hermetick Learning can tell to what Angel the Government of sublunaries is most referrible, and the few vere Adepti, or Legitimate Sons of Art possessed of the true Cabalistical Astrology, unsullied by the vanities of the Egyptians and Arabians, may give a rational Judgement on such rare Phanomina as these, whilst the vulgar Sciolist flutters in a purblind Ignorance, and does but vend the follies of his frothy brain, instead of the Dictates of Art.  
FINIS.