The Twelve Wonders of England

The twelve WONDERS Of this AGE

Being a most strange and true Relation of the voiding of 12 ugly and monstrous Serpents by Mr. Parey, Master of the Bell Inn • ncer Temple bar, a little before his death, with a Narrative of his Life and Conversation.

B Efore the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, sundry strange Prodigies, and Comments were seen, as if the heavens, privy to impendent effects, had by their mystical character revealed a prodigy was in breeding; for in the year that Nero was adopted by Claudius, there appeared three Suns. And in the time of a great Pestilence in Germany, Serpents bred in the dead bodies of men and women, so that they could hardly • eburied: But in these our days a strange example of a wonderful Prodigie hath fallen out near Temple-bar, where one Mr. Parrey, Master of the Bell-Inn in Bell yard, near Temple-bar, having for some certain time been extremely troubled with a pain in the belly, and a great noise or hiffing, as he conceived, would oftentimes desire his friends & neighbors to hearken and give ear, whether or no they could hear anything; they answered, no: Then he desired that Mr Cook the Physician might be sent for, which was accordingly done and after some converse together, he advised Mr. Parrey to betake himself to a course of Physic, which was observed for some few days; but about the 30. of July he began to be extreme illy; at which time he went to stool, where he voided twelve Serpents, one having a head like a horse, another headed like a Toad, a third like a Greyhound, a fourth like a Talbot: all which had several distinct heads, though extremely deformed, but died immediately after they came from him: some were at the least a handful long; others about half a handful, and some shorter: They were somewhat of a dark color when they were voided; they had no great scent, but a kind of an earthly smell; and were preserved for some time with the spirits of Wine, divers Gentlemen of great worth coming to see them: Nay more, it is credibly reported, that they were oftentimes heard to croak like Frogs in his belly, and to make such a hideous noise, that after they crawled from him, the sight thereof struck great admiration to the Beholders.

Indeed, it is a thing so strange and wonderful, that it surpass • sundry Prodigies in former Ages, and cannot be paralleled in these lat • er Times; and the rather, by reason he was a Gentleman of singular good life and conversation, and of good repute and worth: He made a very godly, p • ous, and Christian end, and departed this life on Thursday the second of August, leaving a gallant Memento a • d Character to all Christians.

But again, I am info • med by a Ge tleman and friend of Mr. Parreys, that the Cause and • ffects of what is before specified, were only co • ge • led blood, ingendered in a bladder, and occasioned by a • all from his horse; to th • s I can say little; but th •• is truth and proceeded from the same tongue, that Mrs Parrey kept these things from Saturday till Monday and then Mr. Cook carried them home to his own house, where many Gentlemen and Lady • of great worth resorted, to behold so strange an Object.

And to instance somewhat further of the strange Examples of wonderful prodigies, give me leave to insist somewhat further, and present you with a most remarkable and memorable passage, which happened before the last destruction of Jerusalem (which calamity befell the Jews, for crucifying the Lord of Life, and contemning his Gospel) a Comet, in the likeness of a fiery sword, hung over the City for a year together. Also, at the Feast of the Passover a great light appeared about the Altar at midnight, which continued half an hour. Also a Cow that was led to be sacrificed at the Altar brought forth a Lamb; and the inward Gate of the Temple which was made of massy brass, and used to have twenty men to shut it, being fastened with Locks and bars of Iron, at the fifth hour of the night opened of its own accord. Also a little before Sun-set were seen in the air iron Chariots, and an army in battle-array as it were begirting the City.

At the Feast of Pentecost the Priest going into the Temple, felt the place to move, & tremble, and a voice was heard saying, Let us go hence to Pella. Also one Jesus the son of Anazaus, 80 years before the war began, went up and down continually crying; A voice from the East, a voice against Jerusalem, and the Temple: a voice against new married persons; a voice against this people. Nay more, before the terrible Wars between the Britons, and Romans in Nero's time, the seas between Britain, and France, at the full tide did overflow of a bloody color, and at low water the prints of men's bodies were seen upon the bare sand at the mouth of the Thames.

This is a thing so observable, that the like hath not been heard of these many hundreds years, and so remarkable, that the College of Physicians had an earnest desire to have had him opened, and then to have embalmed his Corps; but his wife would not condescend thereunto upon no terms, although great satisfaction mighty have occur'd thereupon: for indeed the thing being so remarkable, it would have left such a Memento to future Posterity, that the most ancient Records cannot parallel it. Here we might treat a little by way of Comment, but we shall decline the way, as false Astronomy, being not yet in utter darkness, though the Sun be set; for the star beaming-influene proves all those Rules excentrick, and Apocryphal.