THE Mournful Widow, OR, A full and true RELATION OF THE APARITION IN Baldwins Garden BEING An Account of the Walking-Spirit OF Mr. THOMAS COOK, Sometime A Stone-Cutter in Baldwin's- Gardens, Deceased.  
As it was taken from the Widow of the said Mr. Cook; and several other Persons (some of which were Divines of the Church of England) that were Eye and Ear-witnesses of the prodigious Appearances, and Actions of the Deceased Mr. Cook.  
published at the Request of some Relations, and particular Friends; to prevent, if possible, the false Reports, that have been, or may be industriously spread by Ignorant or Prejudiced Persons.  
Licenced and Entered according to Order.  
Printed by J. W. near the Green Dragon tavern in Fleetstreet, 1690.   

The Mournful Widow: Or, a Full and True Relation of the Aparition in Baldwin's Gardens.  
IT has been the opinion of some people, as well Divines as as others, that there are no such things as Spirits, Apparitions, Daemons Visible and the like; but that all the affrightments of Men and Women proceeding from the supposed sight of the aforesaid Objects, are no more or other than the pure effects of prejudiced fancy, weakness of Heart, etc. It is the design therefore of this paper, to convince the incredulity of these Atheistically principlied persons, (as I may justly call them) (since they are opposite to express Scripture, and tried Experience) by an instance of this nature which is so far from being feigned or false, that there can be some scores of eye and ear-witnesses to be produced, who will upon any occasion attest the reality of this subsequent Relation, and all this too not to be enqu red after, or left in doubt by distance of place, or other difficulties, since the Circumstances and thing itself may be proved in this very City; and though the modest gravity, and indeed, sorrow of the Wife and Relations of the Deceased (whom we will presently name) has put a stop to any particular publication of the ensuing passages, yet since she has by malicious Tongues been censured as contributing, if not causing the Melancholy Dissatisfactions of her Husband aforesaid, she cannot be displeased in hearing her own Vindication, and exposing the plain matter of fact according to the truth declared by several of her own Family, as well as confirmed by her sorrowful self: Which is as followeth. Thomas Cook by Trade a Stone-cutter, living between Grays-Inn-Lane and Leather-Lane, had lived with hi● Wife Elizabeth Cook for many years, during which time he ha● (being in himself of a surly nature) many bickering proceeding chief from his ill Husbandry, he indeed working pr●b●●●d himself, but would upon the receipt of his Money, t●●● little or no care of his Family; So that his two Children a●● Wife had wholly their own Subsistance from the Wife's o●● Industry, who was by Trade a Body's-Maker, while he wou●● be drinking out his daily get, and indeed, not without shrewd Suspicion of keeping bad Women company: However, nothing of such moment (as can be possibly gathered fro● any of his Family) in the whole time they lived together, havened, as to make any Impression or Dissatisfaction more th●● ordinary, indeed he had by his lavish Expenses, brought himself to such Inconveniences, that occasioned him during t●● whole term of their living together, to be Arrested thir●● times, and he as often experimented the pious fondness of h●● Wife, in being every time relieved and ransomed by her peculiar Charge and Industry: So that the Malicious and base Scandals raised by ignorant People, or prejudiced Heads, are wholly confuted and evinced, some of which pretend that Jealou●● caused his Melancholy, and that he should suspect the fidelity of his good Wife, whose Honesty and Virtue has been in 〈◊〉 her Neighbourhood, both approved and applauded; others impute the disturbance of his Spirit, to his having left sever●● Sums of Money hid and concealed; but this from the ver● meanest of his Circumstances in the World is invalied; and 〈◊〉 speak truth, neither his Wife, nor any of his Family ca● give the least probable reason for this Disturbance he puts them too, except it be, that his Heart being so hardened by the Allurements, Instigation and Temptation of the Devil, that though on his sick Bed, (which most commonly renders the Consciences and Actions of evil-Livers in visible and mournful Characters) he could not hearty set himself to such a sincere Sorrow, Grief and Repentance for his Sins, as was requisite, or that the Subtlety of the Devil made them so black and numerous before him, that he wholly despaired of God Almigh●● infinite Mercy, and the effectual Mediation and Merits of his only Son our most Blessed Saviour, and so left the World in a sort of Grudging and Grief, as may very pr●●●●●ly 〈◊〉 proved from several Expressions that dropped from him during his Sickness, especially towards the latter end: For his good Wife during his Sickness, (which lasted a whole week and no more, and began with a sort of troublesome Hickup,) his good Wife I say, being willing and ready to take care for the future welfare of his Soul, as well as for the present ease and amendment of his Body; would frequently kneel down and pray hearty by him, at some of which times, he would show himself very devour, and bear a part in her pious Ejaculations, as once he cried out to her after she had been zealously praying: Ah! Dear Wife, doubtless the good and great God will have respect to the fervend Sincerity of thy Prayers; ●nd I and my Family shall far the better for them, at another time he was wholly desperate, and in a great agony Exclaimed: Ah! 'tis too late, too late, you and I my Dear, you and I have a greater Account than this to reckon for, thus would he vary, and turn between Hope and Despair; and to ●he last, expressed himself as Doubtful and Fearful, that he ●hould not obtain God Almighty's Mercy and Forgiveness of ●is Sins, and in that Condition died about the sixth or seventh ●ay after his first Ill-ness: And now the Disconsolate Widow ●aving Discharged a good Conscience in a strict care, and Dutiful Attendance of her Husband living, was thinking of a Modest and Decent Disposal of his Corpse now Dead, and accordingly had him Interred with all the Circumstances usual ●nd proper; but to her great Amazement, was scarce well returned from his Burial to her own House, when there was ●eard a great clattering noise as the falling of Pewter or Shelves, ●o that the Widow thinking the Wine-vessel and other things ●y the carelessness of the Maid was fallen down, was just upon chiding, till upon a Search, they found all things in their ●ight order, to their great Astonishment: The fourth night al●er his Burial about Midnight, they heard a great tumbling ●f Stones, and pecking as if some body had been at work in ●he Shop; But that which made the Widow believe it, a Daemon or Spirit was the insensible moving a Stone from one place to another, as he used often when alive, also she would hear the very noise of cutting of Stones under her Bed, and sometimes would perceive the Bed while she was lying in it, hoist up in a strange manner. About a week after his Burial, the Maid who lay in a little Room by her Mistress, perceived her Feet of a sudden to be pressed down, as if some heavy burden had been thrown down upon her, and the next Morning her Feet were seen very sore, swelled, and Black, and herself extremely Affrighted.  
Another time, the Nurse, that sat up with the Widow, went into the little Room to wash her Hands, the Maid being in Bed, who lay as in a Trance, her Eyes being open, and fixed upon one place, all in a Sweat, her Hair standing up, at which the Nurse in a great Fright left the Room, and shutting the Door, immediately heard something Jump, as it were, heavily from the Feet of the Maid's Bed, and walk along the Room; then the Nurse took Heart, and went to the Door and hearkened, and she perceived something move up to the Door, and leaned itself in a posture of harkening too. By this time the Maid was come to herself, and called to th● Nurse, who after some time came, to whom she told wha● Misery she had suffered; and Asked, If she had not heard a sa● Groaning all the Night? As also, That her Master came so nea● her, that her Breath was almost stopped. Before Nurse could ge● back, it was got under the Widow's Bed; who calling for he● Prayer-Book, and recommending herself to the Great God Protection, s●e boldly called out, in the Name of the Father Son, and Holy Ghost, What ar● Thou that thus dost troutle us. And what wouldst Thou have? whereupon it fling open th● Curtains furiously, and giving a great Stamp, went down in to the Shop, and was there heard Pecking, as when Alive on the Stones. Five or Six Gentlemen being desirous to b● satisfied of the truth and meaning of this Apparition; som● being of Opinion, there was no such thing; coming thither merrily together, one of them belonging to Gray's-inns, of sudden Cries out, in a Fright, Here he is; at which the other smiling, as if he had Jested on purpose to scare them, he seriously told them, and pointed to him, drawing the Curtains of the Bed, which they all heard, but saw not. He also ●aid, He was in Black , with a Musling-Nckcloth tied ●ith a Black Ribbon, and was at the Beds-feet, and inclining ●o a posture of Kneeling; but as soon as the Gentleman arose ●rom his Seat, it vanished, and began its usual Frolic of Pecking Stones. Sometimes while the Nurse and the Widow ●ave lain together, it has lifted up the Bed, so that they have ●een in danger of falling out. One time in his own real shape 〈◊〉 appeared to a Stone-Cutter, his old Acquaintance, and with abundance of Threats and Menaces, charged him to repay the ●ixteen Shillings he had received of his Wife for his Gravestone. Another time, about Twelve of the Clock at Night, ●e appeared to the Watch who were going by his House. Another time, the Widow and her Family sitting up till near One of the Clock, and frequently falling to Prayers, of a ●udden they perceived the Candle burn Blue, and presently ●eard a great Knocking, the usual warning that he gives of ●is Approach, and being worn out with tedious Watching, she ●ell into a gentle Slumber, when the Young Woman that lay ●ith her fell a Crying, Oh Mistress, your Pillow is on Fire; at which she waked, and felt one side of her Head very sore, as ●f it had been scorched or bruised; and looking out on the ●loor by her Mistress' side, She saw a Fire rising up like a Pillar, and more than the compass of a Peck; then the Widow Cried out, Avoid Satan, my Trust is in God; and straight the Fire went to the other side of the Bed and vanished; and presently ●fter, they could see the full proportion of the Deceased in ●his Crape-Burial-Dress, and crossing the Room, disappeared. Two Young Men that lie in the same House, Saw one Night ●he full shape and proportion of a Man lying all along by their Bed s●de, and falling Zealously to their Prayers, he starts up, and with ●n Angry Frown leaves them: Another time, the same Two Young Men going out late one Night, it being very Dark, they were scarce got out of the Gate, But a great Light aro●● a sudden, and moving towards them, they could perceive somet●●●● as it were a Dog coming up to them; and presently it took some of Monstrous Shape, which they could not distinguish, and prese●●●● whirling by them it vanished, and left them in great Terror a●● Darkness again. Three Young Women sitting up with t●● Widow, about Eleven of the Clock there was a great Blo● given in the little Room, where the Maid used to lie, and Noise as of some Body walking too and fro, and then th●● all counted several distinct Knocks, to the Number of Twe●ty. One of the Women that sat nigh that Room Door, b●ing Curious to Peep, was thrown by an insensible force out 〈◊〉 her Chair; and it seemed to her, as if it had been some stron● Blast of Wind. At Seven of the Clock, by the same invisible force, the same Young Woman was terribly shaken i● her Chair. Last Sunday Night Two other Watchmen coming along by the House, called at the Hole in the Wall to Drink, and seeing a Man stand hard by, went up to him and Ask who he was, he straight disappeared. These an● many other prodigious Disturbances of the like nature do almost happen every Day and Night in the House of the sai● Cook, lately Deceased, to the wonderful Astonishment of a●● that hear it, and Terror of those poor Wretches that hav● seen and felt many of them And because the Truth of every Circumstance here related may be justly Vindicated, any Person that desires farther satisfaction, may receive it fully from the Mouths of Hundreds in Baldwin's-Gardens, or from the Widow of the said Cook, who with her whole Family have sadly Experimented the Reality of this Relation.   
FINIS.