CHAP. I.

TO Condemne all for some mans faults, were too severe a matter to work upon; or to give credit [Page] to all the reports that are going, were the ready way to be deceived, as may appear by those late Astro­logers, who have bin accounted to be the chiefest men for Wisedom, Knowledge, and Understanding that was in all the world beside; those lines which are here written of them are not written in spight nor malice of them, neither doe I speake against that which is necessary in Astro­nomy.

Astronomy I hold to be very good and beneficiall, if it be honestly, faith­fully, and reasonably dealt withall; as for recording what hath bin done in former ages, and to fore-tell the seasons of the yeare, the length of the day, the changes of the Moon, the circle of the Sun, the nature of the Starrs, and the time when is fitting for Bathing, Letting blood, and the like.

But I would not have men to un­dertake to study so far in Astrology, whereby to write of matters more then becomes them, as some of late have done to their shame & discredit.

Whose names I need not to repeat in this discourse, for they have them­selves at large set forth their owne Names, as you may read it in severall Almanacks, as Lilly, Culpepper, and others, who though in some things, yet they all took ayme at one mark, although never a one of their arrowes came to the right place: they all spoke of the 29 day of March, which some of them called Black-Monday; More-over, they reported that it would be a sad day, a dismall day, a day of darknesse, and such a day that the like had not bin since the oldest man alive can remember: also they fore-told what the effects of that sorrowfull and dreadfull Eclips of [Page] the Sun and the Moone would bring forth, how that Cities should be fi­red, Towns and Castles over-thrown, great Ship-wracks at sea, Robberies done on the land, and that many fearfull Sicknesses and Diseases should be amongst us: so that men and women should be suddenly stricken and fall down dead as they went along the streets: the consi­deration of which matter made ma­ny people of a beliefe, what things some of them had written in their Almanacks would prove to be ve­ry true, nay I am perswaded that some put more confidence in Lilly, then they did in God: but now see what God can doe to their Sexes: the very day which they had pain­ted out to be such a dismall day as is before spoken of, fell not out according to their Expectations and Prognostications, yet a small Eclips [Page] was of the Sun, and did visibly ap­peare for a little space, and so the day became Faire and Cleare, blessed, praised, and glorified be the Name of our good God for our delive­rance.

CHAP. II. Here followeth a briefe Relation of many severall passages and strange effects which was done upon the 29 of March, this present Yeare, 1652. which the Astrologers called Black Monday.

AT the conceit of the matter which the Astrologers had writ­ten in their Almanacks concerning the horrible and terrible Eclips of the Sun, bred such Rumours and Feares throughout all the Cities, Townes and Countries in England, that men and women were amazed and knew not how to bestow them­selves nor what to doe, doubting what would come to passe; where­at some falling into dispaire, made [Page] short dispatch and hang'd them­selves, others run mad about the streets, and many came by untimely deaths before the day of of the Eclips came.

But when the day of the Eclips was come, in the morning many thousand of people both in the City of London and in the Country were in such feare, that although they had businesse to doe, they durst not goe about their occasions, doub­ting what danger might come upon them.

Some there were in London which kept fast their shops, their doores, and their windowes, and would nei­ther buy nor sell till they had seene that the worst was past.

Some that were market folkes durst not goe in the Market to sell their commodities.

Some lay a bed til 2. of the [Page] clock in the after-noone fasting, because they durst not rise out of their beds to eate their dinners.

Among the rest a gallant young woman that had made promise, and was to be married to a Gentleman, durst not stur out of the house to goe to the Church, hee having made a vow that he would not be married in any other place; by which meanes she lost her love and was dismist of her husband, and afterwards wisht that all the Alma­nack-makers were hanged for their false Predictions.

A. Usurer that was to receive money of a country man that was his debter on that day, durst not to venter fourth of his house; by which meanes the man rid forth of London and paid not in his moneyes, for which cause the Usu­rer was about to cut his owne [Page] throat, and had don it if he had not bin preuented by some of his Neighboures.

Some other Christians were so fearefull of what would befall, that they sent their maids two dayes before Black-monday for to fetch in faire water in a redynesse to wash, fearing that the ayre would infect the water.

Some tooke Medicines, Pils, and Antidotes, which was admi­nistred unto them by a supposed out landish, doctor, which he had set bils for in severall places, caling his Medicines, an Antidote against the tirrible Eclipes of the Sun, so he got money, and they went away as wise as wood­cockes; yet their were some in London that proved stout hearted, and said, that they would neither beleve Lilly, Culpepper, nor any other [Page] false prophesie, but that they would only trust in God to be their guid and to defend them from all evils, and so went through their businesses and praised be God they speed never the worse.

CHAP. III. Thus having told you of many passages were done in and about the City of London upon the day that the Astra­ligers cald Black-monday, J pray you to have the patience to hearken to some thing of what was done in the Country.

IT is very true, the Country people in many places put so much con­fidence in Lilly and Culpeppers Alma­nackes, and monthly observations that they beliued every syllable that was there written to be true: and therefore vpon Black-monday they would not undertake to do no ma­ner of busines, neither would they suffer their seruants nor Children to goe forth of their doores sor feare that they should come by some [Page] strange mishap to be scorch't with the sun, or to be kild with a Thunder Bolt.

Others thought that there would be an Egyptian darknesse ouer all the whole land: wherefore the Plowmen durst not in some places to go to plow, the maids were fearefull to go to milking; Carriers and Trauilers were fearefull to passe along the rode, nor durst they that were from home return to their own, tell such time that they had seene the danger of the time ouer past, which at last came to nothing.

But praysed be God we heare of no harm that was done to man, wo­man, nor child on that day, neither in London nor in the Countryes; and now we may see what it is for mortall men to presume to fortell or to prophisie of what God wil [Page] have done: we may reade in the Scrip­ture that God is onely true, and all men are lyers; therefore dear friends, I desire you all to consider of the matter and never depend upon, nor believe lyers, but settle your affections, your hopes, your trust, and your beleefe, only upon God the Father and his onely Sone our Saviour Jesus Christ, and so whea­ther we live or dye, we shall be sure to doe well. So to conclude I remaine your Servant so long as you serve God.