A TRUE AND wonderful Relation of a Whale, pursued in the Sea, and encountered by multitudes of other Fishes, as it was certified by divers Mariners of Weymouth, who coming from France, in the good Ship called the Bonaventure, did shoot the said Whale, which making to Land did strike upon the Shore, within three miles of Weymouth, where being opened there was found in the belly of it a Romish Priest, with Pardons for divers Papists in England and in Ireland, whose names are here inserted.  
 woodcut of a whale (resembles large fish) swallowing a person  
Printed according to Order by I. H.   

The Sea-wonder,  
THat Antichrist or the Pope is the Beast of Rome hath been abundantly declared by all reformed Writers, but that this Beast is odious not only to men and Creatures on Earth, but even to the Fishes in the Sea, this age only can give an illustration of it, and that in such a miraculous manner as never age can produce the like. We will describe unto you the full manner of it, and you shall have it really and plainly related as we have received the truth from many who were the present Spectators of this wonderful sight, and we shall desire only from you but the gentleness to receive it, and the credince to believe it.  
On the 19 of October being the Lord's Day the good Ship called the Bonaventure of Weymouth, being bound for England, was bringing home her Merchandise from France which was wines, linen cloth, and abundance of Walnuts, the day was very fair and no wind stirring, so that the Ship for above three hours' space lay hulling upon the Seas, being not able to move either one way nor other for want of wind, although she was full sailed and prepared to take the advantage of every Gale Being put to some inconvenience by reason of this great Calm; the Seamen for the present had nothing else to do but to look about them, many of them (as the manner is at Sea) wishing rather for a Tempest then being Wind-bound to stare about them and do nothing when behold not fare from them they saw a mighty rolling and working upon the water.  
Amazed at the strangeness of the sight, they called unto one another, and were all come above Bord expecting what should occasion so strange a motion in the water, they found it to draw nearer to them, which made them the more eager to apprehend the cause, at length they perceived it to be a Whale, and that of no small proportion but (as it were the Leviathan of the Sea) to transcend all other Whales in length and compass.  
The Whale made towards the Ship, which did put the Mariners into a great fear being not able to get from it, b●t they perceived this Monster of the Sea to come to them rather for refuge, then for offence, for they saw it was followed by an infinite of Company of other Fish, as if all the Fishes of the Se● were in the pursuance of it: There were to be seen Fishes of all sorts, only the Remora was absent, which the Seamen afterwards conceived was got under their Ship and stayed it on purpose that they might be Spectators and the witnesses of this so wonderful an object.  
There was the Swordfish the Thorn-back armed with his prickles, the fair Balena and the filthy Phocae, & such a Fry of Sea-monsters (the old ones following after) is the like was never seen nor can be represented, but only by those men who were the Spectators of it.  
In a most violent manner they did beat against the Whale, making a most hideous and a fearful noise and falling upon her, she made what haste she could to get from them: some of these fishes were in one shape, and some in another, but all most wonderful to behold, who in great fury did use whatsoever weapons of offence that nature had afforded them to assault this Whale.  
Nay they were so eager in their fight that some of them were often seen to leap above the water and as if by that they had gained an advantage of strength, they did throw themselves with greater rage against it, who being but one against so many thousands, was not able to withstand their fury, but making a most terrible cry, did what she could to come near the Ship.  
On this the amazed and distracted Seamen fearing that they should be drowned, discharged divers of their Muskets against it, which it seemeth taken effect, for presently they found great store of Blood to discolour the Sea, And the Whale which before seemed to draw more near the Ship for a safety, did now steer another course through the bloody and foaming waters.  
The infinite shoals of Fish which in incredible numbers did follow the Whale, were no way dismayed at the noise of the Muskets nor at the fire which was given, but perceiving the wounded Whale to make away from the Ship in greedy throng they pressed after it.  
This made the Seamen to wonder more, for many of them whose names are subscribed having been often at Sea never behold the like thing before, nor never saw such diversity of pertentous Fishes following troops on troops, one after another, as if they were in emulation who first should exercise their greatest fury and their revenge upon it.  
Besides they do profess, that it did increase their wonder to see this contestation which is against the usual way of nature: It being common & ordinary for the Whale to pursue other Fishes and to devour them, and not to see a multitude of other Fishes, (as if they were confederate all in one obligation) to pursue the Whale, and to do the utmost of their endeavour to destroy it.  
In this manner they followed the Whale, and used what violence they could against it, as far as their eyes could reach, the Sea beating up and down, and the waters labouring as they passed through them, yet still in choleric tumults pursued the chase, leaving a great trale upon the water, which for a long way was to be seen behind them as they passed.  
By this the evening coming on, the wind did begin to rise which blowing from the South East was very welcome to the Seamen, who making their best advantage of it, they came on the next morning being Monday Octob. 20. unto Weymouth.  
At this Haven Town they were no sooner landed but they understood that a Whale of a mighty bigness was cast up, three miles from that place, who coming in with the tide and being sorely wounded with the Musket shots, did make what hast she could to land, and finding on the ebbing Sea, the tide to forsake her, she made a mighty roar that the noise thereof (as the Country people do report) was heard two miles from it: on the next morning she was found dead, like a mighty ruin lying all along upon the Shore, the Country People coming from all places in multitudes to behold it.  
On the Friday following these Seamen having dispached their business at Weymouth, went nine of them together in one Company to see the Whale, and the rather because they did truly conjecture it to be the same Whale which on Sunday before they saw pursued by such monstrous multitudes of Fishes, conceiving also that by reason of the many wounds she received by the shots from the Muskets that she made haste to the next shore to die on, for the Whale, (although when she is living will be covered with the Sea) yet when she feeleth Death coming on, she doth renounce to that watery Element and will admit to no other coverture than the wide Vault of Heaven.  
These Mariners being come they sound the Country people weary active in cutting up the Whale some busy on one part of the body, some on another, the better sort standing by and wondering at the mighty compass and proportion of it, and encouraging the Country people to proceed in their unaccustomed work. The honest people partaked in the labour, the better sort in the profit, and all in the greivousnesse of the smell which to speak the truth was so excessive that if it be true Philosophy that a violent Subject or sensible doth destroy the Sensory or sense: It may be a question whither these noses can ever have the Capacity of scenting any thing that is sweet again.  
Had you been there, you might have seen Greenland at Weymouth, such a noise and a quarter they do make when they do hue the Whales in pieces in that Northern Climate, which is content for a whole year together, but with one night and with one day. Their strength being lost with labour, and their spirits with the odious importunity of the increasing savour which proceeded from the corruption of that mighty carcase, they relieve themselves according to the accustomed practice, with the strength of hot waters: And now being armed against all ingredients of ill savours they distribute the fish in prepared Cauldrons, which by the benefit of the fire must be improved into oil.  
Though lucre is called filthy lucy, yet the smell of it, is said, to be sweet being extracted out of the greatest corruption whatsoever: while the Labourers are boiling the fish, the Merchants are compounding for the sperm, or the seed thereof: and this commonly is called Parmacitie, some part thereof they design to Falmouth, some part to Exeter, some part to Weymouth, and very likely some part to Bristol, and some part to London: But I would advise my friends in London (on any hand not to meddle with it, the reason whereof in these following Lines I shall declare unto you.  
For the belly of this Whale being opened, and the vast ribs being taken asunder, there was discovered in the bowels of it a man, who it seems had not long laid buried, for his head was shaved, he was surely some Priest, and the hair on his Crown since his death was not much grown forth. It doth appear that he had remained some while alive in those Chambers of death: for besides some papers that were found in a black leatherens Box, it appears that he had some papers to prove that there is a watery Purgatory, of which I believe no man could ever give a more perfect testimony then himself when he was living in the belly of the Whale,  
In this Box was found divers Pardons from the Pope for divers Papists now in England, and in Ireland, as for john Flower in England, and for one Humphrey Vaux (of kin it is believed to that Guido Vaux, who would have blown up the Parliament House in the year 1605.  
There were after this found divers Pardons for dives Papists in Ireland, who have laboured to the uttermost of their endeavours to blow it up again as to one Preston, the same, who is now expected to come over into England with Auxiliary forces from Ireland with an exhortation also to him to proceed in the wars he hath undertaken, with the assurance of the Benediction of his Holiness of Rome. A Pardon for one Muskerry, a Pardon for one Oneale, for Mac Magennts, & one for divers others, which was read by a Scholar, who was then present, as those Seamen have attested, but being themselves but unexperienced men in Letters, they are sorry they cannot deliver the particulars so fully as they desire. It may evidently appear, that the reason why this fish before spoken of in such monstrous tumults did prosecute this Whale, was by reason of the person it interred, who it seems by some shipwreck was received into the belly of the Whale. You may see by this how strong, and how deep a die, is the tincture of guilt which because all the water of the Sea could not wash away from this man, the fishes would not endure their own Element until they had expiated the Waves by the destruction of the Whale that did receive him and intetre him, You may also see what a Sea of sin is in the sea of Rome, the enlertainment whereof the fishes of the Sea would punish with death amongst the greatest of their own inhabitants the benefit whereof to dissuade from Popery will remain to these present times, but the Wonder to all Posterity.  
The Pardons were for 

English men. 

john Flower,  
Humphrey Vaux.     

Irishmen. 

john Muskery.  
William Preston.  
Patrick Oneale.  
james Macgennies.      
The Names of the Seamen that were present and will make attestation of this most wonderful truth are 

William Lelo Master of the Ship.  
Thomas Chibuall Boatswain,  
Francis Sero.  
Thomas Taylor.    
FINIS.