THE YEAR of WONDERS: OR, The glorious Rising of the fifth Monarch: Showing the greatness of that freeborn Prince, who shall Reign and govern; and what shall happen upon his Coronation Deduced from the Eclipse of the Sun, March 29. 1652. Together with the Effects thereof; And a Prophecy touching the change of this present Government, in 1653; the manner thereof, the great wars that shall ensue, the time prefixed for their continuance, and afterwards an everlasting peace to be established; Also, a Description of the strange sights that will be seen in the Air on Monday next; (at which time there will be a great darkness for the space of 3 hours) predicting, a woeful calamity for London; and many prove headless for their Rebellion: the murdering of the K. of France; and the great things that will befall the K. of Scots: the hanging of the great Turk in a Bowstring; and the stabbing of the Pope of Rome by an Englishman. With many other remarkable Predictions (never before published) touching the running of the streets with blood, and burning whole Cities, Towns, and Villages. London, Printed for George Horton, 1652. THE GOLDENAGE: OR, The glorious Rising of the fifth Monarch: Showing the Greatness of that Prince, who shall reign and govern; and what shall antecede and happen upon His Coronation. Deduced from the direful Effects of the great Eclipse of the Sun, March 29. 1652. AS the Stars of Heaven, are the most excellent Characters of the Divinity, Power, Wisdom, & Glory of their Creator, in that they are written and engraven by the finger of God himself (the Father of Lights;) so amongst the Celestial phainòmena the Doctrine of Eclipses takes precedency, because that from their Observations, the primary foundations of the whole body of Astronomy are confirmed, evinced, and demonstrated. For, seeing that the Sun is eclipsed, we conclude the cause thereof to be the interposition of the Moon betwixt him and the Forth, and the cause of the Moon's Eclipse, the interposition of the Earth betwixt her Body and the Suns. This Eclipse will pull down the pride of Magistrates, who are grown to such a terrible height, that 'tis their glory to insult and act wickedly. Mars is chief Lord thereof; and you shall see what a kind of creature he is: He is a hot and dry, firy-burning Planet; an angry conquering creature, destructive to nature: He is so angry, that he will hear no reason: the Priest with his Rhetoric in the Pulpit cannot move him; neither doth he regard the Lawyer that pleads at the Bar: all the Sophistry in Oxford and Cambridge will not be able to qualify his anger in the effects of this Eclipse, but are all like to feel his fury: He lays out all his strength in what he doth, or in what he delighteth to do: his natural disposition is to set people together by the ears: I may say of him, as Virgil said of A●ecto, The dearest knots of friendship he unties, And utterly subverts whole Families With dismal funerals, and bitter wrath: A thousand names, a thousand arts he hath To break sweet peace: by his impetuous charms, The Youth desire, and crave, and handle arms. The whole Nation of Europe is in a mutiny; and they have as much patience as a nest of Wasps. The Merchant's Trading is bad; he scarce knows into what Country to trade; and when he doth, he loseth his ships by Sea. The world is mad, and servants turn masters: and what will the end be? Kings and great men are undone: the Lawyer leaveth prating, & falls to freting. Learned Guido saith, That all the evil that is done (and that is not a little) will be done under, pretence of Religion: which how true it hath proved already in England, every one that hath but wit enough to eat an egg knoweth. The Sea devoureth a great part of Holland, Zealand, and Flanders. Dreadful streamings are seen in the air, strange Satrre●, new Comets will probably be visible about 10 of the clock, muck like unto the ensuing Figure; Which signifies (as Campanella saith) Hot infirmities, acute diseases, wars and dissensions between Kings and their people, and between one King and another, let them remember what Aesop said of the Mouse and the Frog; who whilst they were busy in fight, came a Kite and carried them both away. Look to it, Princes of Europe: there will appear upon the Wing, within these 4 years, a Kite that will serve you the same sauce. Beasts of great valour, and various in colour, will appear in the Air: The beginning of the year will be very fruitful; but heat and dryness consume the fruits of the Earth before the Harvest. As for the Quartile of Jupiter and Mars, which happens in Feb. 1653. I shall speak nothing, but refer you to the ensuing Verses upon that month; and they are these: Mars lays his knapsack by, and stoutly draws, His trusty elbow to prescribe us Laws, Jove claims his privilege, and Mars his power; Both wran le hard, and each on other lour. At length Jove yields, and Mars assumes the chair; Votes his own person noble, do fair. Learned Guifus saith, That the Eclipse of the Sun threatens destruction to the fruits of the Earth, kills the fruit in the bud, kills sheep and other ; great Kings, Princes, & Magistrates, are either banished, imprisoned, or put to death. Princes and their Subjects agree like Cats and Dogs, first they snarl, and then by't; great Armies, terrible Wars, slaughters of men, burning of Towns, Theft, rapines, Depopulations, Fire, and the Sword reigns Lord paramount in the Nations threatened by this Eclipse: Neither shall the Women want their share; for such of them as are with child shall be too subject to miscarry; both men and women are subject to acute Fevers, or other Epidemical diseases; the air is hot, blasting, and burning; dearth of Corn is threatened; Change of Government, both in Principalities and Commonwealths: let Experience be Judge; Time will tell truth, when I may not: If the new Riverwater had been brought from Ware to London in lead, it had come clear; but being brought in earth, it is muddy. But I must not find you a tale & ears too; therefore I will leave this Nation to pick English out of it. This Eclipse also threatens to make Kings and Magistrates Goal-birds, terribly afflicting them; & some of them whom God pleases lose their heads (more is the pity) and then they feel the lighter; others are hanged, and they cannot feel at all: 'tis as wretched a time for Kings as ever the Sun saw. The Soldiers will be in arms against their Governors, right or wrong; for a Sword and a Gun are two prevailing arguments. All the miseries the sword can bring upon a people, and they are not a few, will have influence upon this Eclipse; and the goods of rich men, who have tired their unlucky & Commonwealth destroying brains, will be extorted by violence. The bodies of men are troubled with Choler: Towns and Cities are consumed by fire, and ruined by the soldiery; Murder and Thee very are as familiar, as Butterflies in April: The soldier's sword will prove sharper than the scholars wit. So great and direful are the effects of this Eclipse, that it far exceeds that in Anno 1540, where the Sun was almost totally darkened; as may appear by the ensuing Type, or Figures; This Eclipse happened in Aries; as that of the 29 instant, and immediately followed a parching hot and dry summer, insomuch that deep Rivers were fordable, and great ones dried up: the very heat of the Sun set fire to Woods; burned the King of Echemias' Palace, and fired a great part of Germany. Yet notwithstanding, this was not so great and formidable, as that on the 29 will be; the sight whereof will terrify all mortal eyes, and indeed it will prove the greatest that we had this many centuries of years; nay, ever since the Son of Righteousness suffered on the Cross, when there was darkness over the face of the whole Earth. And the truth is, a general pestilence is threatened to Europe, of which England is like sadly to participate; neither shall Holland want its share. The places subject to the effects of this Eclipse, are England, France, Germany, Swedeland, Poland, Denmark, Silesia, Syria, the holy Land, Palestina, Russia, Ireland, Holland, Zealand, Loram, Franconia, etc. Of Towns and Cities, York, Hull, Naples, Ancenia, Florence, and most of the sea-Towns in Asia the less, Oxford, Caunt, Venice; together with many others; and indeed the effects will be generally felt over all Europe in one measure or other; so that I may say of Europe concerning the effects of this Eclipse, as Mr. Thomas May Esquire, once did of Mauritania, a little before the battle at Thapsus, only a little altering the words, All Monarchy it quite will overthrow, More wrack alas its sad effects will do, Then after-ages can repair with speed; And Beasts possess the seats of Nations dead, Where feared Monarches once gave laws to men Shall Lions reign, and Tigers make their Den. The slimy Serpent all alone shall crawl, And wanting men, shall be no plague at all. Solar Eclipses have been ever fatal to Kings & Magistrates, they cannot agree, but only in one thing, and that is oppressing the people: O pure! they are old dogs at that, and the poor groan under it. Arise o God and help them! Lawyers and Clergymen are displaced and imprisoned, & some made shorter by the head. A new sect of Heretics arise, which makes me admire how worse can be invented then are already. Private murders and poyfoning are like to be very rife: look to't ye great ones in authority, have a care of your selus, lest some of you be sent to take a supper apud inferos, before you are ware of it; 'Tis a scurvy fashion, I do not like it. What the effects of this Eclipse are like to produce to every particular Nation in Europe. 1 IT being taken for granted, that the effects begin to operate jul. 1652, and decline in the year 1655, you may by this know the time of the sufferings of Europe; an Epidemical disease, called madness, possesses the brains of the Princes thereof; the 5. Monarchy of the World is coming, and the effects of this Eclipse make way for him: but he is no Scotchman, no nor English, 'tis he before whose coming, The Heathen shall rage's, and the people imagine a vain thing; the Kings of the earth shall set themselves together against him, etc. His Rise will be great, his Coronation glorious, and he shall rule all Nations in the world. Read the second Psalm thorough out, and you shall see both what shall antecede his Coronation, and what shall follow it. This is the Monarchy that I expect; yet I expect it not in the effect of this Eclipse, for this shall only make way for the fifth Monarchy; and when you see all Europe together by the ears, when you see Kings mad, and their subjects stubborn, then think of these things, and know that he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. 2 The Germans are as bad together by the ears as they were in the days of that conquering Queen of Sweden. Bohemia suffers extremely; the truth of it is, I doubt the poor Emperor will be totally routed. 3 As for England, I cannot sing a quictus est to them as yet, within a few years I shall; Thou hast but one storm to endure, bear that with patience, I hope thy Wars aae almost at an end. Thou wilt in the year 1653. be molested with a consuming pestilence, and troubles, with a change of Government at one and the same time; In making thy choice of thy next Representative, take counsel of God; For assure thyself of this, thou shalt find my words true, as when the Sun is upon the Meridian, thou shalt never be free from plagues, either of War, Pestilence, or Famine, till thou dost submit to such a Government as God intends for thee; the cries of the poor, whom thou dost tyranically defraud of their birthrights, are heard in the ears of our Lord God Almighty. Be pleased to read every morning the 26 Chap. of Levit. 'Tis worth your observation. Our present Governors (who have transmografide Monarchy into a Free State) must not esteem themselves exempted (more than other States) from the effects thereof. For soon after this eclipse great men shall suffer infamous deaths, and we shall generally find men mad to undo themselves; the Prince of planets, the Eye of the World, and the Glory of the Heavens, is eclipsed just upon his Throne, the sight whereof will terrify all mortal Eyes, for we shall see the Stars shine as in a Winter's night, and strange and wonderful sights and apparitions (such as our forefathers never beheld) will be seen in the Air, to the astonishment of all mankind. Many Astrologers calculate that the effiects of this dreadful eclipse will have a great influence upon the K. of Spain; and the K. of Scots (the first, great and potent: the second, poor and despised) and threatens them with sudden deaths; From which, good Lord deliver us all. 4 The Jesuits set all Europe together by the ears, let Milan in Italy beware of Aug. 1653. lest either the sword, earth quake, or pestilence, destroy it. Ah poor University! I mourn for thee, so much good hast thou done to the world in general. Bombardy is quite and clean destroyed, and beasts possess the seats of dead people. The Pope hath got the impudence to outface Heaven, to see if his bulls can outroar the thunder. 5 The Turks fall into a part of Italy, which maketh his Holiness to tremble; but he knoweth how to leave St. Peter's keys, and take St. Paul's sword in hand: the truth is, his fear is more than his harm: it's not the Turk shall pull down the Pope, and yet he must fall: Near unto which time, another dreadful eclipse of the Sun will be seen, whose Conjunction will be in Mars: The sight whereof will be very terrible to behold, and not much differing from that of the 29 of March; as is evident by the ensuing Figure. 6 The effects of this eclipse Mar. 29. shall show themselves first of all in their colours in France: strange massacres desperate Tumults, fire and sword molests that Kingdom; 'tis his own fault, he carrieth himself as like a Tyrant over his subjects, as a Pome-water is like an apple: if about the later end of this year 1652, that poor King is not either knocked on the head, or forced to leave his Kingdom, say I am so ignorant, that I know not a Star from a Hop-pole; let him beware of his Jesuits, especially the College of Forborn for fear they have learned a Scotch-trick, to sell him to his adversaries for money. 7 Let not that noble and valiant soul the Prince of Conde aspire to that kingdom: God hath a determination to blast aspiring brains. If ever that valiant and wise Prince come to reign, it shall be, aut nequicquam, aut nequaquàm, either not at all, or in vain: Ours was the first Monarchy that was brought to an end, and France shall be the next; the Heavens have decreed it, and it's in vain for man to kick against the pricks. Two years shall not pass over thy head, o France, but thy Monarch shall come to its fatal and final catastrophe, & leave thy ruined Nation in such a pickle, that thy pleasant and fruitful Land shall be reduced to such a barrenness, for the wickedness of those that dwell therein, that this present Age shall not live to see it recruited. 8 Thou famous City of Venice look ta thyself, I fear before the year be clapsed, the Turk will have possession of thee: it would grieve a man's heart to see the streets run down with blood; I wish I may be found a false Prophet in this; yet whether I be or not, it would do thee no harm to make thy peace with God. 9 It's almost a wonder I have forgot the Hollander all this while, who shall neither be the last nor the least sufferer in this Eclipse, a body would have thought that Nation had been wise, had they not committed themselves to the protection of the King of France; but when France shall be together by the ears, and more blood spilt there then Wine pressed, then may the Dutchmen say, as the Emperor once did, when he trusted to the Pope for some great courtesy, which he thought would make him and his heirs for ever, the Pope plays the man and dyeth (not because he was weary of this wicked World, and made haste to be in another, for he always loved this World with all his heart, else he had never built a Tabernacle in it) the Emperor hearing of the Pope's death, now saith he, My cake is dough, I never thought of the Pope's dying before. And just in such a pickle will Holland be, when her protecting King is fled for his life: Her necessities will be very great; none will secure, nor many pity her: by reason of her near alliance to the false Scot 10 The Monasteries of Germany are like to be made no Monasteries during the effects of this Eclipse. Truly, by that time the year 1654. be elapsed, popery will breathe its last in Germany. God in Heaven grant they set up the Truth in its stead; that, like other Nations, they do not (with Aesop's fish) leap out of the frying-pan into the fire. 11 During the effects of this Eclipse in England, either at, or before the beginning of the year 1655, (the wiser my brethren of the Communality carry themselves, for aught I know or believe, the sooner it may be effected) the Government will come into the hands of the people, and everlasting peace shall we enjoy, and never more War afflict us. And if we may trust to a piece of Art cabal stick) in August 1655, Rome falleth, and Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace may reign amongst Us. Many people aspire high, and look upon the Scotch-King to invade England once more, as one of the Kings of Denmark did, after 8 years' banishment; but Learned Mr. Lillie hath prophesied, That he shall never more set footing on English ground; that he shall (poor Gentleman) be exposed to great wants; and that he shall receive a stab (or a cup of poison, instead of a brown-bowl of spiced Ale) in 1653. 12 London, beware of a pestilence 1653; get able Physicians: And though many men tell thee of thy final Catastrophe, and fright thee with Mother Shipton's Prophecy, which, if it come to pass upon thee at all, it will be in the year, 1668. Labour thou to be one of the Elect of God, and hold up but thy head till the later end of the year 1665, and I am confident, both thy danger and destruction is past. I could tell the sad things that shall afflict thee in the year 1653. But when Phaeton foretold of a great fire that should burn up the greatest part of Italy, they got the honest soul, and accused him for setting the World on fire, and drowned him in the River Po. And haply should I tell London the truth, I might be inhumanely dealt withal myself; for this is an age in which Obsequ●um amicos, veritas odium parit. 'Tis flattery that gets men friends: Tell but the truth, all friendship ends. 13 The rest of the Princes of Europe must fall as sure as a club: and next to France, Poland is like to go to pot: Denmark and Sweden happily next; and happily Sweden may come to ruin before Denmark especially if the Queen light of such a Husband as probably she may: Let the child of that valiant Father beware of an unfortunate Match about the beginning of 1653. if not, the ruin of that Kingdom may happen about the beginning 1●54. 14 The Florentines are as full of Tumults as a Wood is full of Trees: The Cossaecks fall into Christendom with fire & sword, and I doubt upon the Territories of Italy. 15 The King of Spain is quite and clean routed out of the West-Indies; as he hath formerly there made slaves of other people, (nay, he would have served the Baboons so too, could they have but spoken) so in 1●54. the Natives of the place shall be rid of this, and find another, and yet scarce a better. 16 The Nations of Europe flutter to save their Kings, which never did them good, nor never will; even like a Bird brought up in a Cage, that regardeth not liberty, because it never knew what it was. I remember a pretty story in Aesop's, Fables, which I care not greatly if I recite; The Frogs desired a King of Jupiter, neither would they be pleased unless they had one: Jupiter (to satisfy them) threw down a great beam into the water, which after it had astonished them a while, they began to grow bold with it, and leapt upon it, yea and despised it too, be use it was patiented: They fall a croaking to Jupiter again; and they must have a stout King that could fight, I marry must they; Jupiter, to satisfy their importunity, sends them the Stork, who stalking about the Pool, as the Frogs came to do obey fance to him, he eat them up. I leave every rational man to make the moral of it, 'tis plain enough. 17 An Earthquake is like much to annoy Italy, the people's madness, and the Jesuits knavery much more. Italy! Italy! that ancient Nation where the Poets say Saturn once ruled when he turned Leveller and brought up the Golden Age, I am sorry for thy sufferings, but cannot help them. 18 In the year 1653, about the 3. of April, the Sun will again be eclipsed, but not totally darkened, as appears by the ensuing Figure, The effects of this eclipse will be a change of Government in England: many prove headless for betraying their Trust; a just Reward for Rebellion. About the end of this Eclipse will appear a blazing Star and Comet, the which promiseth the downfall of Tyrants both in Kingdoms and Commonwealths. 19 A fire threatens Constantinople, so doth Dissension, and something worse then either; the great Turk is either slain, or runs away for his life, if a bowstring stops not his journey: you would laugh to see the Tartarian invade Turkey much about the year 1654. I promise him if he do, he will go near to carry it. I would to God he would learn to be so wise as the noble Tamerlane, who is never to be mentioned without an Epithet of Honour. 20 In the year 1654., England gins to grow quiet; that's good news: she enjoys her desired Liberty, which she hath spent so much blood for: the time is now coming, that the Commoner shall be a Freeman, and no longer remain in bondage either to Kings or Parliaments. The Soldier is casting off the burden from them; and they promise him a noble Gratuity; but I wish there may be a real performance, and no more delays: And as a caution by the way, I shall here incite a couple of Verses, made by an Officer of the Army. Our God and Soldiers we alike adore, Even in the brink of danger, not before. After deliverance they are alike requited, Our God's forgotten, and our Soldiers slighted. FINIS.