A compleat history of the most remarkable providences both of judgment and mercy, which have hapned in this present age extracted from the best writers, the author's own observations, and the numerous relations sent him from divers parts of the three kingdoms : to which is added, whatever is curious in the works of nature and art / the whole digested into one volume, under proper heads, being a work set on foot thirty years ago, by the Reverend Mr. Pool, author of the Synopsis criticorum ; and since undertaken and finish'd, by William Turner...

12. Mr. CHARLES BATEMAN.

THE next, and last, was Mr. Bateman the Chirurgeon, a Man of good Sense, good Courage and good Company, and a very large and generous Temper, of considerable Repute and Practice in his Calling: A great Lover and Vindicator of the Liberties of the City and King∣dom, and of more Interest than most of his Station. He was sworn against by Rouse's Lee, and Richard Goodenough, upon the old Stories of seizing the Tower, City, and Savoy.

'Twas urged, That there was Three Years between the Fact pretended, and Lee's Prosecution of him, which, tho' they had but one Witness, could have brought him to Punishment, which would have been judged sufficient by any, but those who would be content with nothing but Blood. For Goodenough, he was but one Witness, and pardon'd only so far, as to qualifie him to do Mischief. However, he was found Guilty, and died as much like a Christian, and with as great a Presence of Mind as most of the others.

The Last Words of those which suffered in the West of England, and other Places, chiefly under Jeffrey's insulting Cruelty.

ONE thing there is very observable in most, if not all of those who laid down their Lives in Defence of the Pro∣testant Religion, both in England and Scotland, that, besides that extraordinary Divine Courage and Chear∣fulness with which they dy'd, they had Expressions plainly boading that great Deliverance which Providence has since that miraculously accomplished for these Kingdom. 'Twould be endless to give almost all the innumerable Instances of it: Mr. Nelthrop says, [God had in his wonderful Providence made him and others Instru∣ments, not only in what was already fallen out, but he believed, for hast'ning some other great Work, he had yet to do in these Kingdoms.] Mrs. Gaunt says, [God's Cause shall revive, and he'd plead it at another rate than yet he had done, against all its malicious Opposers.] And speaks yet more strangely of those then uppermost, and likely to be so, [That tho' they were seemingly fix'd, and using their Power and Violence against those they had now got under 'em, yet unless they could se∣cure Jesus Christ, and all his Holy Angels, they should never do their Business, but Vengeance would be upon 'em, 'e're they were aware.] Capt. Ansley, whose Speech is as pretty a meat thing, as close, and Christian, and couragious, as perhaps any that ever was made by Man in his Condition, after he had said, [He did

not repent what he had done, but if he had a thousand Lives, would have engag'd 'em all in the same Cause;] adds just after, [Though it has pleased the wise God, for Reasons best known to himself, now to blast our Designs, yet he will deliver his People by ways we know not, nor think of.] Rumbold said just the same. Mr. Hewling says, [I question not, but in his own time, God will raise up other Instruments to carry on the same Cause they dy'd for, for his own Glory.] Mr. Lark, [That he was confident God would Revenge their Bloods.] Now it will be very harsh to say, all these, and several more to the same purpose, were nothing but Enthusiasm, since spoken by Persons of all Sexes and Ages, in twenty different Places, in the most calm and serene Tempers, and the Persons not wild or fanci∣ful; and their Words miraculously made good by the Event, which shews God honour'd 'em with being Prophets as well as Martyrs.

To proceed to the Persons who suffer'd in this Cause here, and in the West, and other Places, chiefly under Jef∣frey's Insulting Cruelty. His dealing with 'em is not to be parallel'd by any thing but the new French Dragoons, or the old Cut-throats and Lords Chief-Justices of the poor Albigenses or Waldenses at Merindol and Cutrices. Had the Great Turk sent his Janisaries, or the Tartar his Armies among 'em, they'd scaped bet∣ter. Humanity could not offend so far to deserve such Punishment as he inflicted. A certain Barbarous Joy and Plea∣sure grinn'd from his Brutal Soul through his Bloody Eyes, when ever he was Sentencing any of the poor Souls to Death and Torment, so much worse than Nero, as when that Monster wish'd he had never learnt to Write, because forc'd to set his Name to Warrants for Execution of Malefactors. Jeffreys would have been glad if every Letter he writ had been such a Warrant, and every Word a Sentence of Death. He observ'd neither Humanity to the Dead, nor Civility to the Living. He made all the West an Aceldama; some Places quite depopulated, and nothing to be seen in 'em but forsaken Walls, unlucky Gibbets, and Ghostly Carcasses. The Trees were loaden almost as thick with Quarters as Leaves; the Houses and Steeples covered as closed with Heads, as at other times frequently in that Country with Crows or Ravens. Nothing could be liker Hell than all those Parts, nothing so like the Devil as be. Cal∣drons hizzing, Carkesses boiling, Pitch and Tar sparkling and glowing, Blood and Limbs boiling and tearing, and mangling, and he the great Director of all; and in a word, discharging his Place who sent him, the best deser∣ving to be the late King's Chief Justice there, and Chancellor after, of any Man that breath'd since Cain or Judas.