Dreadful news from Wapping: being a further relation of the sad and miserable condition of Sarah Bower a young girl, of about fourteen years of age, who is unhappily, at present, posses'd with an evil spirit, by Wapping New-Stairs, near the Chappel. All faithfully related by Richard Kirby, student in physick and astrology, who hath visited her. Licensed according to order. Dirby, Richard, b. 1649. 1693 Approx. 13 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A47490 Wing K621 ESTC R222680 99833826 99833826 38304 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A47490) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 38304) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2210:07) Dreadful news from Wapping: being a further relation of the sad and miserable condition of Sarah Bower a young girl, of about fourteen years of age, who is unhappily, at present, posses'd with an evil spirit, by Wapping New-Stairs, near the Chappel. All faithfully related by Richard Kirby, student in physick and astrology, who hath visited her. Licensed according to order. Dirby, Richard, b. 1649. 8 p. printed by W.D. in Bartholomew-Close, London : 1693. With title page illustration. Copy stained; title page trimmed at foot with partial loss of imprint. Reproduction of the original in the Bodleian Library. 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Demoniac possession -- Early works to 1800. 2006-09 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-09 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-10 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2006-10 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion ●readful News from Wapping : Being a further RELATION OF THE Sad & Miserable Condition Sarah Bower , A Young Girl of about Fourteen ●●●●s of Age , who is unhap●●●●● pre●●●t , ●osse●●●d with an ●vil Spirit , ●y ●apping N●●-Staires , near the Chappel . 〈…〉 Re●●●ed by Richard Kirby , Student in P●ysic● and Astrology , who hath Visited her . Novemb. 19. 93. at Noon , I. R. KIRBY , saw this Unhappy Maiden , who is at present Possess'd . ● ☉ a △ ♂ . ☿ ad ☌ ♄ ♀ ad ☍ ♃ . ☽ a ☌ ♄ , ad ☌ ♀ & ☍ ♃ ♐ 8. ☉ 8. ♏ 20. ♎ 13. ♍ ☊ 10. ♂ 7. ♃ 24 ☋ 15 ♋ 7 ♊ 2● . ♊ 8. ♉ 20. ♈ 13● ♓ ♒ ●● . ♑ 7. ☊ 1● ♀ 17. ● 5. ♄ ●3 . ♂ 21. ☿ 2● . Licensed according to Order . The Explanation of the Scheme Signs of Fascination or witchcraft are these , First , A● Infortun●●●ord of the Ascendant and 12th . viz. ♄ . Secondly , The ☾ Lady of the 6th in the 12th . Thirdly , Th● ☾ defluxing from the Body of ♄ . Fourthly , ♀ Lady of th● 8th . in the 12th with Caput Draconis . Fifthly , ♂ in ☍ to the Ascendant , in △ of the ☉ , and he in mundane □ ●● the first . Sixthly , The ☽ in parallel of ♄ , in the Zodiack and applying to a parallel of ☿ Lord of the 4th . All these are sufficient Testimonies to prove Fascination , Witchcraft , or Possession by the Devil . THE Time when I visited this Poor Afflicted Maiden , was the last Lord's-Day at high Noon , being the 19th . of this Instant , to which Moment of Time I have erected the aforesaid Scheme of Heaven , desiring those Juditious Men which have entered Vrania's Court , and are well acquainted with the Starry Train , to give their Opinions of this Afflicted Creatures Condition , that the World may see how the Face of Heaven agrees with what things are done and acted here below , either by Men or Devils . Sarah Bower , the present Subject of this Narration , is near 14 Years of Age , she was usually of a Temper pretty Brisk and Lively , somewhat given to Pride : Some Weeks agoe this Maid as she was going into a Yard near her Aunt● Dwelling received a Sroke on her Back by an invisible Hand , which struck her ●●at on the Ground ; she was taken up as for Dead , but after some time , a Chyrurgeon being sent for who blooded her , she came in some measure to her self again , ●ut the greater part of one side of her Body was all benumm'd , or in a manner Dead ; which occasioned a crooked bending in at the Wast , and a Lameness , tho' before she was very straight and went very well , and the next Day she was taken with most strange and unaccountable Fits , occasioned ( as we then thought ) by the Fright she might receive by the Stroke on the Back . These Fits she had by Intervals several Weeks , in which space of Time many Doctors ( as well as my self ) came to see her , and g●ve her Comfortable things to take ; but at the same time declared they never were with any Patient that had such Fits before . After this , viz. at the end of the 6 Weeks , and about 9 Weeks since , this Maiden , as she was rising in the Morning , and out of her wonted Fits , she was taken Speechless , only she could make an odd sort of a Noise , and her Tongue , which always in her Fits used to hang out of her Mouth , like a Calf below her Chin , was now contracted and drawn almost into her Throat : I perswaded her Aunt to let me put my Hand into her Mouth , which she permitted , and ●ndeavoured to move her Tongue , but it was so fixed , that I could not : A pretty while before this , she being at a Neighbours House , rocking a Child in the Cradle , while the good Woman was gone a little way , ( as she after declared when she came to her Speech ) a Gentleman all in Black opened the Door and came in , and after speaking many kind Words to her , threw down a Bag of Gold and Silver , as she thought , and pour'd the Mony about the Room , and told her she should have that , and fine Suits of Head-Cloths , and very high Top-knots if she would be his , and let him take some Blood out of her Arm ; after which , she standing all in Amaze , the black Gentleman took down a Knife from the Mantle-tree in order , as she thought , to cut her Arm , upon which she made all the Cry and Noise that possible she could , upon which the Mistriss of the House and some other of the Neighbours came in , but upon their appearance the black Gentleman or Devil immediately Vanished , and she made to them all the Signs and Tokens she could at that time of the occasion of her Cry , which they then thought was , that some Rogue had attempted to Rob the House ; she continued thus Speechless untill the Thursday after the Last-Fast , on which day about Ten in the Morning her Speech came to her again and she then seemed to be extraordinary sensible of her former and present Condition , relating as before about the Gentleman in black , and moreover she related how that he had sort of broad Feet like a Cow , and further , that something appear'd to her in the shape of an Angel with Wings in a flaming Light , which she calls the Man of God , charging her to fear and put her trust in God , and not yield to that Man , who was Satan , the Devil that thus Tempted her , for he sought her Soul ; after which she further declared many strange Things , ( and yet seem'd very well in her Senses , ) as it appear'd to the Men , Women , and Neighbours then present , who were near a Room full , also her Aunt , who declares , That since her Speech had been taken from her , she had seen many strange Visions , and been both in Heaven and Hell , that she past through Hell to Heaven , and was like to have been stop'd in the former , but that a good Angel that guarded her , brought her out of it to Heaven , that in Heaven she thought her Happiness so great , that she would have continued there , but her Angel told her that she could not then , but that she should shortly really die , and be brought thither ; after which she declared these Words in the presence of many , That if the People of London , and England , did not speedily repent from their Sins , especially that of Pride in Apparrel , and turn from the Evil of their Ways , God Almighty would give them up as a Prey to their Enemies , and this she declared the Man of God gave her in charge to deliver ; after which she uttered many godly savory Speeches and Expressions to the Persons then present , exhorting them to Repentance , she then declar'd that her Speech would be speedily taken from her , and that it would not be restored to her again till St. Thomas ' s-Day , at Christmas ; at which time she having her Speech , should declare many more Things ; and further , That at Two a Clock in the Afternoon she must go and meet the Black Man that had appeared to her in the Neighbours House afore-mentioned , but that before that time her Speech would leave her , this being about the Hour of Twelve , about One her Speech left her , and then she began to throttle in her Mouth as formerly , and soon after , a Bible lying near her , she took it up , and opened it in the presence of the Company , who observing what place it was she opened at , they found it to be the 17th . Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew ; this Chapter she seemed to read over to her self with a buzzing Noise , pointing to every Verse and Line with her Finger ; soon after this , Two a Clock being come , with great Strength and Violence she found her self or was forced out of the Room from her Company , and went into the Yard , as she had before declared , where she was soon thrown to the Ground in a strange manner , and her Fits came upon her in a worse manner than ever , yet at the same time , though all the Company went into the Yard after her , there was no Form or Shape visible to them , that could occasion her Fall. 'T is very observable , and has often remarked by the Persons present , that though the Evil Spirit in her Fits permits her to be somewhat quiet just before any Divine comes into the Room where she is , yet as soon as ever they come , she begins ( or the Spirit in her rather ) to be troublesome , sometimes falling out a Laughing , other times making Faces at them , and when ever they go to Prayers , or name the Name of God or Christ , the Evil Spirit will bark in her like a Dog , or make other most hedious Noise , and seem to spit in their Faces , though the Maids Lips do not move , sometimes the Spirit will throw her from one end of the Bed to the other , and make her tear her Shift and Bed-Cloaths with great force and violence , that scarce six Men can hold her in , yet she has many Intervales from these Fits , and is at other times very quiet : At this Instant of Writing , this poor Creature continues a sad Spectacle of humane Misery , being daily visited with great Numbers of People , sometimes she hath lowed like a Bull , roared like a Lion , making other strange kind of Noises , the Devil presenting before her the hideous Shape of a Monstrous Fiery Dragon , other whiles a Lyon ; the Man of God pulling one way , and the Devil another . Dear Country-Men , I shall now proceed to give you an Impartial Relation of the several Cures I have lately perfected ( through God's Mercy ) and Restored the Persons to their proper Senses again , to Admiration , viz. Jane Walter of East-Basham near Feaknam in Norfolk , who was Bewitched for a long time , her Tongue was tied in her Head with a Hempen-string , and run full of Pins , and she had many strange Fits , sometimes 20 or more in a day . The primitive cause , as it is supposed , was by a Toad , which offered to creep several times into her Lap , the which was thought to be the Familiar of one Teecle's Wife , a suspected Witch ; for they took the Toad , and offered to burn it , and it vanished away , that none knew what became of it . A Young-man at the Town of Swould in Suffolk , who was under the like Circumstance , Witness the Magistrates of the said Town , and the Witch died for it . Those that are dissatisfied , let them send , and they may be further informed of the same . The Daughter of one John Ballard of Ditchingham-Dam , near Bungy in Norfolk , who was Bewitched for above 2 Years , she voiding out of her Mouth many Stones , Crooked-pins , a piece of Glass , a Buckle , Buttons , and other things , which the Father of the Child hath now by him to shew , the Girl having many strange Fits in a day . All which was shewn and attested before the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Norwich by th● Childs Father , and many others . Ann Burgess in St. Edmunds Parish , near Fiv● Bridge , in Norwich , who was Bewitched for sev●ral Years , she having above Twenty Fits in a day besides she voided many Pins , Nails , Quills , T●bacco pipes , and a bended Farthing , with sev●ral other things before many Witnesses , all whi●● hath been shewed and attested before the May●● of Norwich , and I have them now by me to shew● Grace Brown , the Daughter of John Brown in Cu●ford in the City of Norwich , who was Bewitc●●● for several Years , she voiding many scores ●● Pins out of her Body , some of which I have ●● shew , it being likewise attested before the May●● of the City of Norwich . Many more Instances I could Insert of wond●●ful Accidents in this Nature , but having a Bo●● already in the Press copiously treating on t●● Subject , and my Bounds at present being too n●●row , I shall wave them , Courteous Reader , Subscribing my self your Friend , Richard Kirby From my Lodgings at Mr. Loft's , in King-Street , St. Ann's , Westminster . FINIS .