A STRANGE and WONDERFUL RELATION Of a CLAP of THUNDER, WHICH, Lately set Fire to the Dwellinghouse of one Widow Rosingrean, living in the Town of Ewloe, in the Parish of Howerden in the County of Flint, and furiously burnt down the said House almost to the ground, notwithstanding the early assistance of the whole Town, and a neighbouring Potter and his Family, who has above 20 men daily working at his own Trade.  
Also another RELATION of a Sow of one John Bartington's of Broad-Lane in the same Town and County, which lately brought forth Seven Pigs, six of them well formed, and alive, but the seventh of a monstrous shape, being both Male and Female, its Face like to that of a Child's, having such a Nose, a Mouth and two Teeth not unlike to those of Infants, only it had but one Eye, and that placed in the midst of its forehead. These two Wonders are at present the admiration of the whole County.  
With Permission.  
LONDON. Printed for W. Harris. 1677.   

A Strange and Wonderful RELATION OF A Clap of THUNDER.  
HOnest Reader, I would not have thee to think I am any common Pamphleteer, who with invented Stories and hideous Lies daily disturbs the quiet of the City. I can assure thee, that assoon as I heard a true Account of these Remarkable Accidents, I thought myself obliged by Conscience, not by Interest, to proclaim them to the misbelieving world: I know there are some men so impudent and incredulous, that notwithstanding the daily Dispensations which are distributed amongst us by the Almighty, they will not believe that he is. Nothing but their own destruction will convince them of a Deity, which if the Almighty should be as unkind to them as they are to themselves, their assurance of his Existence would come too late, and they would sadly find the double proof of his Being, both by their Deaths and Torments.  
It's true I acknowledge, Temporal Felicities and Punishments fall like Sunshine upon the Good and Bad; but not with the same divine intention: Afflictions to some are Blessings, whilst Prosperity with all its gaudy Retinue to others are in the end the greatest Punishments. The Widow in the Gospel was not poor because she had but one Mite; but she was rich (and that we are assured of by no less a competent Witness than our Saviour himself) in that she had so much Charity as to give all to the Poor.  
The reputation of his Testimony was worth ten thousand worlds, nor was there any of her contemporary Saints but would have gladly relinquished and laughs at the Riches of Croesus, to have gained the Applause of so knowing an Umpire.  
This I premise, because I would not have any Theological Critic, with a Pharisaical pride, plume and tower himself over the Dispensation which hath lately befallen this poor Widow, whose honest and godly Conversation openly exposed with the clandestine or private trip of many pretending Zealots, would receive from that advantageous Comparison as much Reputation, as we can imagine the Sun would, were it to be compared with the Moon; the one would appear an unblemished Luminary, whilst the other by its own defects would seem but a motlyed and bespotted Light.  
Having thus far quitted myself from any particular Reflections, I shall now with Expedition fall on my Relation.  
At a Town in Flintshire, known by the name of Ewloe, in the Parish of Howerden, was heard (about a week since) an extraordinary Clap of Thunder, wherein the Heavens seemed so far to extend their airy Throats, as if they intended not only no alarm those Inhabitants, but to amuse the generality of the County; but however though the Noise was general, its Effects were particular, for the amazed Townsmen looking upwards towards that part of the Horizon from which they imagined that extraordinary Clap to break forth, they perceived it immediately followed by an extraordinary Flash of Lightning, by reason of whose bigness they were persuaded the tortured Cloud gave so loud an Outcry: This being past, they minded it no longer, but looked upon it as an usual Production of the Elements.  
But they had scarcely leisure to acquaint those which were not Spectators herewith, when they were by a Neighbourly Charity summoned to come to the assistance of a poor honest Widow, whose House this Flash of Lightning it seems had caught hold of; The Fire kindled first in the inside of the House, and the Thunderbolt by its extraordinary strength burst up the Rafter, and still continuing its unwearied force, burst the Loft or Garret, whilst in the mean time the Flame or Vigour of its Etherial Power descended, and burst open the outermost Door, and set Fire even to the Foundation of the Building, which flamed with so great a greediness, as if it intended the whole House for a Morsel. But the Widow being well beloved, had by this time secured both herself and Family out of the reach of those amazing flames; and having called the whole Town, but especially a Potter, who always keeps above 20 men at work, to her Assistance, withal the Vessels of Water they could procure from all the Conduits in Town, they came readily to the quenching of her House, which by this time was all in Flames. But all their resistance against the fire seemed for some time in vain, till so many of her Neighbours and Friends came in, and poured so much Water on the House that the Flames must have swom on their opposing Element, if they would have continued any longer. In short, with much ado they quenched the Fire, when those Flames unexpected had burnt the House almost to the Ground, and by their potent fury gave the rest of their Neighbours, and indeed all who hear of it, a warning not to entertain too great a security in their greatest prosperity.  
Having delivered you in short the true account of this dreadful Thunderbolt, I must acquaint you with an accident which lately happened in the same Town, as prodigious as the former.  
Which was of a Sow of one John Bartington's in Broad-Lane in the same Town, which Sow, about a week since brought forth seven Pigs, six of them had the usual form of Creatures of that kind, but the seventh was most monstrously shaped, its Body only retained a tincture of its Dam and Sire, but its Face much resembled that of a Child's, it had both Nose and Nostrils, much like to those of Infants, Lips and Mouth of the same kind, with only two Teeth, which might be seen to appear out of its unnatural Gums; the greatest difference lay in its Forehead, which had only one Eye in the midst of it: but that which was most strange, and never as before I heard or read of in sensitive Creatures, it was Hermaphroditical, or furnished with the Generative Parts both of Male and Female. I am loath to insist upon the Unnatural Vices which are daily brought to open censure; this last Sessions held in the Old-Bayly has too clearly experienced them. But I hope God Almighty will be pleased to give all the Inhabitants of these Kingdoms so much Grace as may restrain them not only from these Unnatural Vices, but also from all those horrid and crying Offences which bring daily Judgements both on themselves and Brethren.  
Now having given a full Account of these two remarkable Stories I shall admonish the Reader once more, to be charitable in his Censures, and to make it his greatest care to amend his own life, and to beg, of God daily both for his own and others, temporal and eternal felicity.  
FINIS.