UC-NRLF B E fiEE MDl B L 487 M5 1820 MAIN THE IRACULOUS CHILD: O R, WONDERFULL NEWS FROM MANCHESTER. \ moft true and certain Account, how one Charles Bennet, a Child hut Three Years old (on the 22nd. ^^ers all Quefiions relating to the Bible, &c. in a wondertull manner. lAnd is now brought up to be prtfentcd to the King, [aving all along on his Journeys been vifited at Coventry, and f)ther Places, by moft of the Minifters and other Learned Men ; |o whom he gives fuch fatisfadion, that they depart with Wonder ind Amazement. any queftion the Certainty of this Relation, let them repair to Mr. Nightingale's, at the Bear Inn, in Weft Smithfield, (where this Child now Refides) and they may be abundantly fatisfied, London, Printed for F. L, 1679. REPRINTED BY A, SWINDELLS, MANCHESTER. ?2^n'7/SQO "^ B>L n^ >" Ms- l^XO ^/\iM Manchester, November 17th. 1820. Gentle Reader, After three years' diligent search, it was with great pleasure (though at great cost) I pro- cured the Tract, of which is annexed a Terbatim Dopy. To remunerate myself, and accommodate those who, at a small expence, would wish a Mira- culous Child, were my motives for reprinting it. I remain, Z Gentle Reader, * — v^Yaur obedient Servant, f «Cl I ^ ^ THE Wonderful! Child : O R Strange News FROM MANCHESTER. 'X'HE Holy Scripture witneff^ith, that God doth **- often reveal his ftrength, and (hew the glorious 'cfFeftj» of his power, out of the mouths of Babes and fucklings. What we are here to relate, is certainly as rare and fignal a difpenfation of his providence, as moll that have appeared in our Age. And this is concerning a Child, the Difcourfe and wonder of all Lancajhirey Warwick/hire, and parts adjacent : For that having never been taught any but his mother Tongue j and being in truth of an age too young and incapable, to all humane apprehenfion, of being taught or in- ftrudled in any thing of Learning, being but three years of Age; and when he began firft, not fj much: he does yet freely and frequently fpeak Latine^ Greeks and HebrexB befides Englijh^ which he was bred unto : and anfy^ers Queftions demanded of him, in any of thofe Languages. The name of this ftrange Child is Charles Bennett the fon of one Thomas Bennett an honcft, poor, induf^ trious man in the town of Manchejter^ and was born on the 22. day of June^ in the year of our Lord 1676: fo that two days before this laft Midjummer^ day, ( 6) day, he was compleatly three years of age, and no more; as not only by its Parents' Affirmation, but likewife that oi the Church-book, and the Teftim ny of many of their Neighbours, does moft certainly ap- pear. As for the conftitution and features of this Child, its countenance is vtry folid and compofed ; and con- fidering its tender age (Ahich ufually is brisk and full of plav) he feems fomewhat inclined to Melancholy, yet hath a kind of Majeftical Gravity even already ap- pearing in his looks , which is frequently attended with a modeft fmije : and when he hears people fall into exctffive praifes of, or wondering extremely at him, does commonly blufh and reprove them ; dtfiring them to praife that God, and admire his power and goodnef^, who is the fole beftower of every good and perfed Gift and work, 'Tis commonly reported, that his mother when big with him, had feveral very ftrange dreams, which did denote what 2i /irodigious or famous Child (he (hould bring into the World. But I w,»uld not relate any thing here, that is uncertain, or doubt- fully told, but what is of approved Truth. He had the ufe of his Tongue, and could prattle EngliJJi^ when he was* but a year and a quarter old : but as fur Latine, or any other Language, he was never taught any thing of that kind : For his Father's Circumftances were far from being fuch as to be at that charge and expence. When he began firft of all to fpeak other Tongues, cannot be precifely fet down ; for the parents do fay, That they have often heard him fpeak words they could not underftand ; but believed it to be only a Childilh Gibberifh. But about a quarter of a year ago, there was publick no- tice (7 ) tice taken of him ; For one of his Relations being reading a Chapter, the Child obferved that they lead wrong ; and withal told them what was the right : and afterwards was heard by feveral that underfiood it to fpeak words of Latine, at which the Hearers were not a little furprized, both becaufe of his Age and of his Education ; And upon a fecond demand in La- tine, receiving a fenfible and plain anfwer, they were more concerned ; and when on further tryal, he was found not only to underftand Latine, but likewife Greek and Hebrew too, they were wholly aftoniflied; and acquainting others with this rarity, the report thereof foon fpread throughout all the Country; and abundance of Minifters, Phyficians, and Gentlemen that are Scholars, come out of Curicfity to fee and hear him ; which when they have done, they all con- fefs that they never faw, heard of, or read the like. 'Tis faid, one of the firft things when he came to difcourfe in Latine, was, that he muft go to the King, for he had fomething to fay to him : what it is he will not, ^tis faid, difcover to any other: but deCred he might be carried up to London ; which not being much taken notice of at firft, he often repeated the fame both in Latine, Greek and Englifli, to fcveral that came to vifit him ; who at laft agreed, that it was very fit he fliould come up ; and accordingly he is now on his Journey towards London ; but cannot travel but a very little way in a day, becaufe of the multitude that crowd to fee him, and perfons of Quality fending for him to their houfes, out of the Road. He was lately at Coventry, where all the Magiftrates came to fee him, and heard him talk in the Languages aforef lid to fcveral Minifters ; whom he very freely converfes with. ( 8 ) with, and anfwers all quefiions out of the Bible, in a wonderful manner. There are f )me peop)le that would feem very wife, that imagine th's Child is pcffeft, and that fome evil Spirit aniwers for ir, in this variety of Languages: but i can by no means yield to this their uncharitable opinion; afwell, becaufe poffeffions are always attended with fame kind of pain, or diforder of the body, and oft-time difturting the Countenance ; of all w^hich there is not in this Cafe the leaft fign : and further, becaufe whatever this Child fpeaks, tends to promote piety and vertue, and difcourage all kinds of wicked- nefs. For his chief difcourfe is to admoniflb men to repent, and amend their lives; now 'lis not likely that an evil Spirit fliould fpeak fo much againft their own intcreit : We do therefore efteem it rather as an extraordin.^ry gift from God ; and hope it will be a n.eans to advance his Glory, that those wh ) will not be reclaimed from their ill lives by the ordinary Mi- nifters of the Church, may at leaft be ftartkd and awakened trom their fins, to fc:e this young miraculous preacher, fent ro call ihem to repentance. We have a Tradition of the famous Ambrofe Merlin^ that he propbefied from his very Infancy : whence fome report him not to have been of humam Race, but be- ^ot by th- Phantafm of Jfiollo ; but thefe are but old wives' Fables I cannot say this Jirodigious Child is a FroJihet\ and yet i hear, that feveral things he hath faid, have afterwards come to pafs. He came to Lon- don the 28th Infiant, and is ludged at the Bear Inn in Smithfieid, where hundreds have been to see him. il vii FINIS. B ^r^m