BEFORE the battle at Philippi began, two eagles fought in the air
between the two armies: both the armies stood still and beheld them,
and the army was beaten that was under the vanquished eagle.
See Appian's Hist. part 2, lib. 4, g. 2.
It is worthy of notice, that, at the time the cities of Jerusalem and
Antioch were taken from the Pagans, the Pope that then was, was called
Urban, and the Patriarch of Jerusalem was called Eraclius, and the
Roman Emperor was called Frederick; in like manner when Jerusalem was
taken from the Christians by the siege of Saladin, the Pope was called
Urban; the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Eraclius; and the Emperor,
Frederick: and it is remarkable, that fourscore and seven years
passed between these two events. Hoveden, f. 363.
Mathew Parker, seventieth Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, in the seventieth
year of his age, feasted Queen Elizabeth on her birth day, 1559, in
his palace at Canterbury. Parker. Vitae, 556.
It is a matter of notable consideration, says a Spanish historian,
that the royal throne of the Morish Kings of Granada, began and ended
in the times of the Fernandos of Castille: beginning in the time of
Saint Fernando, the third of that name, and ending in that of the
Catholic King, Don Fernando the fifth, his successor in the ninth
descent. In the same manner, it is observable that the first Morish
King was called Mahomad, and the last had the same name of Mahomad:
which resembles what passed in the empire of Constantinople, where the
first and last Emperors were called Constantines.
Garibay, 1. 40, c. 43.
The same author mentions it as an extraordinary circumstance that, at
one time lived in Castille, Arragon, and Portugal, three Kings called
Pedros, and whose fathers were named Alonsos, who were also Kings at
the same time. L. 14, c. 35.
While Edward, Duke of York,* was declaring his title, in the Chamber
of the Peers, there happened a strange chance, in the very same time,
amongst the Commons in the nether house, then there assembled: for a
Crown, which did hang in the middle of the same, to garnish a branch
to set lights upon, without touch of any creature, or rigor of wind,
suddenly fell down, and at the same time also, fell down the Crown,
which stood on the top of the Castle of Dover: as a sign and
prognostication, that the Crown of the realm should be divided and
changed from one line to another. Halle's Chronicle, H. 6. F. 181.
* Father of Edward IV.
Anno 1506. Through great tempest of wind in January, Philip, King of
Castille and his wife, were weather-driven and landed at Falmouth.
This tempest blew down the Eagle of Brass from the spire of St. Paul's
church in London, and in the falling, the same eagle broke and
battered the black Eagle* which hung for a sign in St. Paul's Church-
yard. Stow's Annals, 484.
* The black Eagle is the cognizance of the house of Austria,
of which Philip was head.
The silver cross that was wont to be carried before Cardinal Wolsey,
fell out of its socket, and was like to have knocked out the brains of
one of the Bishop's servants. A very little while after, came in a
messenger, and arrested the Cardinal, before he could get out of the
house. See Stow's Chronicle.
'Tis commonly reported, that before an heir of the Cliftons, of
Clifton in Nottinghamshire, dies, that a Sturgeon is taken in the
river Trent, by that place.
Thomas Flud, Esq. in Kent, told me that it is an old observation which
was pressed earnestly to King James I. that he should not remove the
Queen of Scots body from Northamptonshire, where she was beheaded and
interred: for that it always bodes ill to the family when bodies are
removed from their graves. For some of the family will die shortly
after, as did Prince Henry, and I think Queen Ann.
A little before the death of Oliver, the Protector, a Whale came into
the river Thames, and was taken at Greenwich, --- feet long. 'Tis said
Oliver was troubled at it.
When I was a freshman at Oxford, 1642, I was wont to go to Christ
Church, to see King Charles I. at supper; where I once heard him say,
" That as he was hawking in Scotland, he rode into the quarry, and
found the covey of partridges falling upon the hawk; and I do remember
this expression further, viz. and I will swear upon the book 'tis
true." When I came to my chamber, I told this story to my tutor; said
he, that covey was London.
The bust of King Charles I. carved by Bernini, as it was brought in a
boat upon the Thames, a strange bird (the like whereof the bargemen
had never seen) dropped a drop of blood, or blood-like, upon it; which
left a stain not to be wiped off. This bust was carved from a picture
of Sir Anthony Van Dyke's drawing: the sculptor found great fault with
the fore-head as most unfortunate. There was a seam in the middle of
his fore-head, (downwards) which is a very ill sign in Metoposcopie.
Colenel Sharington Talbot was at Nottingham, when King Charles I. did
set up his standard upon the top of the tower there. He told me, that
the first night, the wind blew it so, that it hung down almost
horizontal; which some did take to be an ill omen.
The day that the long Parliament began, 1641, the Sceptre fell out of
the figure of King Charles in wood, in Sir Thomas Trenchard's hall at
Wullich, in Dorset, as they were at dinner in the parlour: Justice
Hunt then dined there.
The picture of Arch-Bishop Laud, in his closet, fell down (the string
broke) the day of the sitting of that Parliament. This is mentioned in
Canterbury's doom by W. Prynne.
The psalms for the eleventh day of the month, are 56, 57, 58, &c. On
the eleventh day of one of the months in the summer time, the citizens
came tumultuously in great numbers in boats and barges over against
Whitehall, to shew they would take the Parliament's part. The psalms
aforesaid, both for morning and evening service, are as prophecies of
the troubles that did ensue.
When the high court of justice was voted in the parliament house, as
Berkenhead (the mace bearer) took up the mace to carry it before the
Speaker, the top of the mace fell off. This was avowed to me by an eye
witness then in the house.
The head of King Charles I's. staff did fall off at his trial: that is
commonly known.
The second lesson for the 30th of January in the calendar before the
common prayer, is concerning the trial of Christ: which, when Bishop
Duppa read, the King was displeased with him, thinking he had done it
of choice; but the Bishop cleared himself by the calendar, as is to be
seen.
King Charles II. was crowned at the very conjunction of the sun and
Mercury; Mercury being then in "Corde Solis". As the King was at
dinner in Westminster Hall, it thundered and lightened extremely. The
cannons and the thunder played together.
King Charles II. went by long sea to Portsmouth or Plymouth, or both;
an extraordinary storm arose, which carried him almost to France. Sir
Jonas Moor (who was then with his Majesty) gave me this account, and
said, that when they came to Portsmouth to refresh themselves, they
had not been there above half an hour, but the weather was calm, and
the sun shone: his Majesty put to sea again, and in a little time
they had the like tempestuous weather as before.
Not long before the death of King Charles II. a Sparrow-hawk escaped
from the perch, and pitched on one of the iron crowns of the white
tower, and entangling its string in the crown, hung by the heels and
died. Not long after, another hawk pitched on one of the crowns. From
Sir Edward Sherborne, Knight.
The Gloucester frigate cast away at the Lemanore, and most of the men
in it; the Duke of York escaping in a cock boat, anno 1682, May the
5th, on a Friday.
When King James II. was crowned, (according to the ancient custom, the
Peers go to the throne, and kiss the king) the Crown was almost kissed
off his head. An Earl did set it right; and as he came from the Abbey
to Westminster Hall, the Crown tottered extremely.
The canopy (of cloth of gold) carried over the head of King James II.
by the Wardens of the Cinque Ports, was torn by a puff of wind as he
came to Westminster Hull; it hung down very lamentably: I saw it.
When King James II. was crowned, a signal was given from Westminster
Abbey to the Tower, where it was Sir Edward Sherborne's post to stand
to give order for firing the cannons, and to hoist up the great flag
with the King's arms. It was a windy day, and the wind presently took
the flag half off, and carried it away into the Thames. From Sir
Edward Sherborne.
The top of his sceptre (Flower de Lys) did then fall.
Upon Saint Mark's Day, after the coronation of King James II. were
prepared stately fire works on the Thames: it hapened, that they took
fire all together, and it was so dreadful, that several spectators
leaped into the river, choosing rather to be drowned than burned. In a
yard by the Thames, was my Lord Powys's coach and horses; the horses
were so frightened by the fire works, that the coachman was not able
to stop them, but ran away over one, who with great difficulty
recovered.
When King James II. was at Salisbury, anno 1688, the Iron Crown upon
the turret of the council house, was blown off.- This has often been
confidently asserted by persons who were then living.
In February, March, and April, two ravens built their nests on the
weather cock of the high steeple at Bakewell in Derbyshire.
I did see Mr. Christopher Love beheaded on Tower Hill, in a delicate
clear day about half an hour after his head was struck off, the
clouds gathered blacker and blacker; and such terrible claps of
thunder came that I never heard greater.
'Tis reported, that the like happened after the execution of Alderman
Cornish, in Cheapside, October 23, 1685.
Anno 1643. As Major John Morgan of Wells, was marching with the King's
army into the west, he fell sick of a malignant fever at Salisbury,
and was brought dangerously ill to my father's at Broad-Chalk, where
he was lodged secretly in a garret. There came a sparrow to the
chamber window, which pecked the lead of a certain pannel only, and
only one side of the lead of the lozenge, and made one small hole in
it. He continued this pecking and biting the lead, during the whole
time of his sickness; (which was not less than a month) when the major
went away, the sparrow desisted, and came thither no more. Two of the
servants that attended the Major, and sober persons, declared this for
a certainty.
Sir Walter Long's (of Draycot in Wilts) widow, did make a solemn
promise to him on his death-bed, that she would not marry after his
decease, but not long after, one Sir --- Fox, a very beautiful young
gentleman, did win her love; so that notwithstanding her promise
aforesaid, she married him: she married at South-Wraxhall, where the
picture of Sir Walter hung over the parlour door, as it doth now at
Draycot. As Sir --Fox led his bride by the hand from the church,
(which is near to the house) into the parlour, the string of the
picture broke, and the picture fell on her shoulder, and cracked in
the fall. (It was painted on wood, as the fashion was in those days.)
This made her ladyship reflect on her promise, and drew some tears
from her eyes.*
*This story may be true in all its details, except the name of the
lady, who was a daughter of Sir W. Long; she married Somerset Fox,
Esq. See Sandford's Geneal. Hist, of the Kings of England, p. 344.
See Sir Walter Raleigh's history, book 4, chap. 2, sec. 7. The dogs of
the French army, the night before the battle of Novara, ran all to the
Swisses army: the next day, the Swisses obtained a glorious victory
of the French. Sir Walter Raleigh affirms it to be certainly true.
The last battle fought in the north of Ireland, between the
Protestants and the Papists, was in Glinsuly near Letterkenny in the
county of Donegall. Veneras, the Bishop of Clogher, was General of the
Irish army; and that of the Parliament army, Sir Charles Coot. They
pitched their tents on each side the river Suly, and the Papists
constantly persist in it to this very day, that the night before the
action,* a woman of uncommon stature, all in white, appearing to the
said Bishop, admonished him not to cross the river first, to assault
the enemy, but suffer them to do it, whereby he should obtain the
victory. That if the Irish took the water first to move towards the
English, they should be put to a total rout, which came to pass.
Ocahan, and Sir Henry O'Neal, who were both killed there, saw
severally the same apparition, and dissuaded the Bishop from giving
the first onset, but could not prevail upon him. In the mean time, I
find nothing in this revelation, that any common soldier might not
conclude without extraordinary means.
*So an apparition of a woman greater than ordinary, beckoned to
Julius Caesar to pass over the Rubicon, L. Flor. lib. 4. Satyres
appeared to Alexander when he besieged Tyrus; Alexander asked the
divines, what was the signification of it; they told him the meaning
is plain, {Greek Text: Sa Turos} (i.e.) Tyre is thine. Alexander took
the town. Q. Curtius.
Near the same place, a party of the Protestants had been surprized
sleeping by the Popish Irish, were it not for several wrens that just
wakened them by dancing and pecking on the drums as the enemy were
approaching. For this reason the wild Irish mortally hate these birds,
to this day, calling them the Devil's servants, and killing them
wherever they catch them; they teach their Children to thrust them
full of thorns: you will see sometimes on holidays, a whole parish
running like mad men from hedge to hedge a wren-hunting.
Anno 1679. After the discovery of the Popish plot, the penal laws were
put in execution against the Roman Catholics; so that, if they did not
receive the sacrament according to the church of England, in their
parish church, they were to be severely proceeded against according to
law: Mr. Ployden, to avoid the penalty, went to his parish church at
Lasham, near Alton, in Hampshire: when Mr. Laurence (the minister)
had put the chalice into Mr. Ployden's hand, the cup of it (wherein
the wine was) fell off. 'Tis true, it was out of order before; and he
had a tremor in his hand. The communion was stopt by this accident.
This was attested to me by two neighbouring ministers, as also
by several gentlemen of the neighbourhood.
When King James II. first entered Dublin, after his arrival from
France, 1689, one of the gentlemen that bore the mace before him,
stumbled without any rub in his way, or other visible occasion. The
mace fell out of his hands, and the little cross upon the crown
thereof stuck fast between two stones in the street. This is very well
known all over Ireland, and did much trouble King James himself, with
many of his chief attendants.
The first Moors that were expelled Spain, were in number five thousand
five hundred and fifty-five. They sailed from Denia, October 2, 1609.
H. Bleda. "Expulsion de Moriscos", p. 1000.