upon it; which as yet, by God's providence, may be timely prevented. But he, that stills the raging of the sea, will undoubtedly set bounds to this overflowing greatness; having now, as an earnest of that mercy, put it into the hearts of our superiors to provide seasonably for the common safety, and in proportion also to the exigence of the affair; knowing very well, that things of this nature are not to be done by halves.

We have to do with a nation of a large territory; abounding in men, and money; and their dominion is grown so absolute, that no man there can call any thing his own, if the court says nay to it. So that the sober and industrious part are only slaves to the lusts and ambition of the military. In this condition of servitude, they feel already what their neighbours fear, and wish as well to any opportunity, either of avoiding, or of casting off the yoke; which will easily be given by a conjunction of England and Holland, at sea; and almost infallibly produce these effects. First, it will draw off the naval force of France from Sicily, America, and elsewhere, to attend this expedition. Secondly, the diversion will be an ease to the empire, and the confederates, from whence more troops must be drawn to encounter this difficulty, than the French can well spare. Thirdly, it will not only encourage those princes, and states, that are already engaged, but likewise keep in awe those that are disaffected, and confirm those that waver.

It is true, this war must needs be prodigiously expensive; but then, in all probability, it will be short; and, in cases of this quality, people must do as in a storm at sea, rather throw part of the lading over-board, than founder the vessel. I do not speak this, as supposing any difficulty in the case, for the very contemplation of it has put fire into the veins of every true Englishman; and they are moved, as by a sacred impulse, to the necessary and the only means of their preservation. And that which crowns our hopes, is, that these generous inclinations are only ready to execute what the wisdom of their superiors shall find reasonable to command. I need not tell you how jealous the people of England are of their religion and liberties; to what degree they have contended, even for the shadow of these interests; nor how much blood, and treasure, they have spent upon the quarrel. Could an imposture work so much; and can any man imagine, that they will be now less sensible, when they see before their eyes a manifest plot upon their religion; their liberties invaded; their traffick interrupted; the honour and the very being of their country at stake; their wives and children exposed to beggary and scorn; and in conclusion, the privileges of a free-born Englishman exchanged for the vassalage of France.

STRANGE AND TRUE NEWS FROM STAF

FORDSHIRE;

Or, a true Narrative concerning a Young Man lying under Almighty God's just Vengeance, for

IMPRECATING GOD's JUDGMENT UPON HIMSELF,

And pleading his innocency, though he knew himself guilty.

Written by W. Vincent, minister of God's word at Bednall, in the county of Stafford, aforesaid, who saw and discoursed the said person, upon the 26th day of April, 1677. The saddest spectacle that ever eyes beheld. Licensed, May 11, 1677. Roger L'Estrange.

THO

London: printed in the year 1677. Quarto, containing six pages.

HOUGH the sad examples of God's justice upon notorious offenders have been many, in the several parts of the world, yet men are not deterred from, but persist in perfidiousness and villainy: when Satan has, by his temptations, got once an advantage, he never leaves tempting such vanquished sinners, till he has drawn them from less sins to greater, and so brought them to shame and destruction, either in this life, or that which is to come; as by this sad example, of which I am about to discourse, will more fully appear.

One Mr. William Vincent, a minister, hearing a report that a man's hands and feet should rot off, and yet the said man not at all sick, but could eat, and drink, and speak heartily; and having an account where this man lay, could not be satisfied, but made it his business to ride to the place, which was about fourteen or fifteen miles distant from Bednall, where the said minister liveth; and coming to some few houses adjoining to a heath-side in the county of Stafford, aforesaid, in a little shed, or barn, there he finds this subject of God's wrath, and object of every eye's pity that beheld him; and, at that time, there were a great many, both men, women, and children, beholding of him: the person, so afflicted, lying there, upon a pad of straw, between a pair of sheets, not being able to help himself, neither one way or other, more than what the person that looked after him did for him; for there is a man hired only to attend him.

As to the miserableness of his condition, it is this: several of his members consume away and rot; one hand, being rotted from the wrist, that you may not only see through the master bones, but also the bones, for half a handful, between the knuckle-bone of the wrist, and upwards, towards the elbow, hath neither vein, flesh, nor sinew left, but is as bare as any bone can be: one hand is as black as a beast's hoof, and drawn together in the form of the same; so that the said minister, upon the first sight of it, did conclude, that it had been a beast's hoof that had

lain by him, till his keeper shewed him to the contrary, by moving his arm; by which it did appear, that that was his hand, and did join to his wrist, that was bare to the bone for above four inches: the flesh that next appeared, towards his elbow, was ulcerous, and in a rotten condition, and one of his knees rotted, so that his leg was ready to drop off; yet, all this while, the said afflicted person eating, and drinking, and speaking heartily.

Now, you have heard in what a miserable and dreadful condition this sad subject of God's just wrath now lies. Let us proceed to give you an account of his own conjectures, of the cause of his so exemplary punish

ment.

The said person stealing a Bible, being accused of the fact, did absolutely and impudently deny it; not only so, but imprecating sad judgments against himself, in these and such like words, saying, that he desired that God might make him an example, if he were any ways guilty of that crime laid to his charge; and that his hands might rot off if he stole it, and he might rot alive if he had it, or meddled with it; notwithstanding, he knew himself to be guilty of the stealing of it.

All which you may more fully understand, by this following confession from his own mouth, to the said minister, the author of this present

narrative.

This minister, when he came to him, propounded several questions to him, after he had bewailed the lamentable condition of the said person. 1. He asked him, whether he did not look upon the hand of divine vengeance to be upon him, in an extraordinary manner ?

He answered. He did.'

2. The said minister asked him, whether he did apprehend, what that so sore a judgment was for, that he then lay under? Whether he were guilty of any particular sin (that his conscience accused him withal) which did provoke God's wrath in so high a nature against him?

He said, that his particular sin was stealing a Bible, for which he ap prehended this sore judgment of God upon him.

The said minister said further to him, Did you steal a Bible?'
He answered, 'Yes.'

The minister told him, though he did, that was a sin pardonable upon repentance; that God was a merciful God.

But the afflicted person further added, that, when he was questioned for it, he positively denied it, and wished that he might rot alive, and that his hands might rot off, if he ever touched it; and all this while knew himself guilty of the crime.

The minister asked him, 'How long since this fact was committed?' He answered, About six weeks.'

The minister asked him, how long, after that he had wished those sad wishes to himself, it was, before he apprehended that hand of God's wrath to be upon him?

He answered, Not long.'

The minister asked him, after what manner he found himself alter, as to any distemper that seized upon him?

He answered, He was taken with an aguish and feverish condition, and immediately his hand began to rot, and then he looked upon it to

be the hand of God upon him, in punishing him for those sad wishes he wished upon himself: and he further added, that he desired all good people to pray for him.

Let this sad spectacle of divine vengeance move us to consider, with what a God we have to do: be not deceived, God will not be mocked. Let every one consider and admire God's free grace and mercy, that he hath not been made a subject of God's immediate wrath, instead of being a living monument of God's long-suffering and patience. Let no man presume to take God's name in vain; much more, not dare to challenge God's vengeance upon himself. This sad example (being well considered) may deter all that hear of it from such notorious sins. Let every man take the advice of Moses, Deut. xxxii. 29. "To be wise,

to understand, and to consider their latter ends:" which, being done, will bring us to the knowledge of God, ourselves, of Heaven and Hell, and prevent from being unhappy or miserable, either in body or soul. Which is the hearty desire of your humble remembrancer.

W. V.

PROPOSALS FOR BUILDING, IN EVERY COUNTY,

A

WORKING-ALMS-HOUSE OR HOSPITAL,

AS THE BEST EXPEDIENT

TO PERFECT THE TRADE AND MANUFACTORY OF LINNEN CLOTH.

WHEREBY

1. All poor people and their children, from five or six years old, may be employed and maintained; as also all beggars, vagrants, &c. restrained and for ever prevented, and so all parishes eased of that intolerable burden.

2. Many hundred-thousand pounds kept at home, which now every year goes out of the kingdom for linnen, whereby our wealth becomes a prey to other nations.

3. Much land improved in every county to great advantage of landlord and tenant. Humbly offered to the consideration of the great wisdom of the whole nation, now assembled in parliament.

Printed at London, by W. G. for R. Harford, at the sign of the Angel, in Cornhill, 1677. Quarto, containing fourteen pages.

CONS

ONSIDERING the great complaints of poverty; the heavy burdens most parishes lie under to maintain their poor, which daily increase; the swarms of beggars, vagrants, and idle people in city

and country; the great, and it is feared, irrecoverable decay of our ancient trade for woollen cloth; the vast charge we are yearly at in purchasing linnen, &c. from other nations, whereby our treasure is exhausted, and our lands fall for want of being improved some other way, besides planting corn, breeding for wool, &c. which are become of so low a price, as scarce to turn to account: and understanding, that, for remedying thereof, the improving the manufactory of linnen is now under debate, I have taken the boldness to offer the following proposal, which, if thought fit to be put in practice, will, in my opinion, infallibly conduce to all the good ends desired and intended,

viz.

That there may be erected in every county, according to its extent or populousness, a greater or lesser working alms-house, wherein the poor may be continually employed in the manufactory of linnen cloth.

The advantages whereof are evident; for,

1. This manufactory is an employment for the weakest people, not capable of stronger work, viz. women and children, and decrepit or aged people, now the most chargeable; as likewise for beggars and vagrants, who live idly, and by the sweat of other men's labours, and can no way so effectually be brought to industry and order, as when reduced into so narrow a compass or confinement, under fitly qualified rulers, officers, and regular government.

II. These working alms-houses may raise and supply the nation yearly with a sufficient stock of linnen cloth, the finest sort excepted, if true measures be taken, and the design effectually prosecuted: as for example, one million three hundred and fifty-two thousand pounds worth of cloth may yearly be spun in them only, besides what is made in private families—thus demonstrated;

1. It is well known by experience, that three quarters of a pound of thread, worth twelve-pence per pound spinning, will make one ell of cloth, worth two shillings per ell; which three quarters of a pound two spinners may spin in one day; hence it follows,

2. That two-thousand spinners will spin thread enough in one day to make a thousand ells of cloth, worth a hundred pound. And, working but two-hundred and sixty days in the year, may spin twentysix thousand pounds worth of linnen cloth in a year.

3. Suppose then there be as many publick work-houses, as there are counties, which are fifty-two, and in every work-house, one with another, two-thousand spinners (though in some more, some less) then according to these reasonable measures, there will be the fore-mentioned sum of one million three-hundred and fifty-two thousand pounds worth of cloth spun in one year; which is what we undertook to demon

strate.

This or some such prodigious sum of money might yearly be raised to the nation, whereby a treble benefit would ensue: First, we might save so much money, now yearly sent out of the nation for linnen, which, as computed by very worthby intelligent persons, has of late cost us more than a million per annum. Secondly, by employing those hands, which, for the greatest part, are idle; it being reasonably supposed