A discription of a monstrous Chylde, borne at Chychester in Sussex, the .xxiiii. daye of May.
This being the very length, and bygnes of the same. M. CCCCC. LXII.
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WHen God for synne, to plage hath ment
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Although, he longe defarde
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He tokens truly, straunge hath sent
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To make hys foes afearde.
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That they thereby, might take remorce
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Of their yll lyfe mispent
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And more of love, then feare or force
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Their formall faultes repent.
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Before the earth was overflowen
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With waters huge throughout
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He sent them Noe, that holy one
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Who dayly went about.
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To call them then, to Godly lyfe
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At whome they laughte and fumde
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He was contemde of man and wyfe
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Tyll they were all consumde.
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Loth did preache most earnestly
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But it did not prevayle:
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Then fyre and brymstone verely
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Upon them doune did hayle.
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Pharaoes heart had no remorce
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Though wounders straunge he saw
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But rather was therfore the worce
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Without all feare or awe.
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Untyll bothe he and his therfore
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By justice sent of God
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In raginge seas, were all forlore
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And then he felt the rod.
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Ten tymes truely were the Jewes
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In captive brought and led
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Before eche tyme, it God did use
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Hys tokens strange we red.
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The yeare before Vaspatian came
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The Jewes a heyfer drest
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Whiche beyng slayne, did calve a lame
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This sygne they sone did wrest.
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As others doe, and styll have done
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In making it as vayne
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Or els good lucke, they saye shal come
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As please their foolish brayne.
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The Heathen could forese and saye
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That when suche wounders were
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It did foreshew to them alwaye
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That some yll hap drew nere.
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The scripture sayth, before the ende
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Of all thinges shall appeare
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God will wounders straunge thinges sende
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As some is sene this yeare.
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The selye infantes, voyde of shape
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The Calves and Pygges so straunge
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With other mo of suche mishape
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Declareth this worldes chaunge.
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But here, lo, see above the rest
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A Monster to beholde
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Procedinge from a Christian brest
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To monstrous to be tolde.
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No Carver can, nor Paynter maye
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The same so ougly make
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As doeth itself shewe at this daye
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A sight to make the quake.
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But here thou haste by Printing arte
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A signe therof to se
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Let eche man saye within his harte
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It preacheth now, to me.
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That I shoulde seke to lyve hencefoorth
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In Godly lyfe alwaye
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For these be tokens now sent foorth
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To preache the later daye.
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Also it doeth demonstrate playne
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The great abuse and vyce
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That here in Englande now doeth raygne
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That Monstrous is the guyse.
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By readinge stories, we shall fynde
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In scripture, and elleswhere
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That when suche thinges came out of kynde
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Gods wrath it did declare.
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But if we lightely weye the same
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And make but nyne dayes wonder
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The Lord our stoutnes, sone will tame
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And sharpely bringe us under.
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Then ponder wel betymes, long past
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The sequel of suche signes
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And call to God by prayer in hast
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From sinne to chaunge our myndes.
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Repent, amende bothe hygh and lowe
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The woorde of God embrace
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To lyve therto, as we should doe
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God gyve us all the grace.
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The father hereof is one Vyncent, a bout-
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cher, bothe he and hys wyfe being of honest &
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quiet conversation. They having had chyldren
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before, in natural proportion: and went with
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this her full tyme.
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