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...

CHAP. XXI. Great Fasters.

MR. Reynold's well observes, that the long Finger of Powerful Providence is to be observed in these wonderful Effects, and Doctor Willis, that the Parent of Nature, orders Natural Principles, as to their Quantity, Mixture, and Operations; and 'tis as evident, when higher Causes put asunder, what Nature hath joyned together, very astonishing results appear upon the Stage of Humane Nature. Now to supply the Defect of Aliment, it is observable, that at such Times and Cases a•• these are, the Expences of the ••••crocosm by Stool, Ʋrine, Spittle, Menses, (and it may be Transpiration), are in great mea∣sure Retrench'd•• the Igneous Parts of the Body restrained from Excursion, and a fresh supply made by the continual entrance of Breach and Air, together with Pituitous Humours, and a Viscous Oyl produced by a Colliquation of the Emaciated Parts; but I leave it to my Reader to judge of.

1. In St. Austin's days, one lived 40 days without eating any thing; another in the time of Olimpiodorus the Platonish, for so long as he lived, he neither slept nor fed, but only stood in the Sun to refresh himself, The Daughter of the Emperor Cloturius, fasted eleven years. Petrus Apo∣nus, saw one fasted 18 years; Rondeletius, saw one fasted 10, and afterwards became a fruitful Mother. Hermolus knew a Priest, who lived in Health 40 years, without any thing, but by sucking in the Air. One Nicholaus Helvetius, Anno 1640. after that he had 5 Children by his Wife, lived a solitary life, and neither eat nor drank in 15 years; he predicted several things that came to pass, and by his austere Life, made the belief of his fasting unquestionable: Certain it is, that the Bishop of Constantia, in whose Diocess he lived, went to him on purpose to see him, and after diligent Observation, confirmed the Truth of his Report by his Letters; and for the greater certainty compel'd him to taste some food, thô very little, which caused him to have ex∣tream Pain in his Stomach, for 3 days after, the which Nicholaus told him before-hand was his fear; diverse Princes of France and Germany went to him, and found it accoringly. Zach. Quest. Med. leg. l. 4. tit. 1. p. 218. Johnston. Nat. Hist. c. 10. p. 316.

2. Anno 1595. A Maid of about 13 years of Age, was brought to Cologne, whose Parents af∣firmed, that she had lived without any kind of food or drink, for the space of three years; she was of a Melancholy Countenance, her whole body was fleshy, except only her belly. As for Ex∣crements, she voided none; she immediatly swounded at the Taste of a little Sugar; yet this Maid

walked up and down, played with other Girls, danced, and did all other things that are done by Girls of her Age, neither had she any difficulty of Breath. Fabric. Obs. Chirurg. Cent. 2. Obs. 40. p. 116.

3. Paulus Lentulus, tells of a Maid of the Canton of Hearn, in Swisserland, who was by the Command of the Magistrates, strictly Guarded, and all kinds of Tryals put in Practice, for the discovery of any kind of Collusion in the business; they found none, but dismissed her fairly; in the first year of her fasting she slept very little, in the second, nto at all, and so continued for a long time after. Schenck Obs. l. 3. p. 306.

4. Anno 1539. A Girl of about Ten years of Age, born near Spires, began to abstain from all kind of sustenance; and so continued for three years, walking, and talking, and laughing, and sporting as other Children use to do, yet was she narrowly observed by the Command of the Emperour Maximilian, and at the end of 12 days, finding that there could be no jugling in the business, he gave her leave to return to her Friends, not without great Admiration and Princely Gifts. ibid. Horstius in Donat. l. 7. c. 1. p. 646.

5. Anno 1585. We have the like Narration of Katharine Binder, born in the Palatinate, com∣mitted to the search of a Divine, Statesman, and two Doctors of Physick; she is said to have fed only upon Air for the space of 9 years and more. Schenck obs. l. 3. p. 306. Zacch. Qu. Med. legal l. 4. tit. 1. p. 217.

6. Doctor Hakewell, speaks of Eve Fleigen, who being born at Meurs, is said to have taken no kind of sustenance, by the space of 14 years together, that is, from the year of her Age, 22 to 36, and from the year 1597, to 1611, and this we have confirmed by the Magistrates of the Town of Meurs; as also by the Minister, who made Tryal of her in his House 13 days together, by all the means he could devise, but could detect no Imposture. Hakew. Apol. adv. 3. p. 6. Horst. ad Don. l. 7. p. 654.

7. Melancthon wondred at Luther, who being large of body, and strong withal, that he could live with so little Food; for he saith, that when he was in good Health, he has continued 4 days together without eating or drinking any thing at all, and many days together with a little bread and one single Herring. Mel. in vit. Lutheri.

8. Anno 1639. A Scot being overthrown in a Suit at Law, took Sanctuary in Halyrood House, where out of discontent, he abstained from all Meat and Drink, by the space of 30 or 40 days together; the King hearing of it, caused him to be shut up in Edenburgh Castle, where he fasted 32 days; upon this he was dismissed, and after a short time, he went to Rome, where he gave the like Proof of his Fasting, to Pope Clement, VII. from whence he went to Venice, carrying with him a Testimony under the Popes Seal, and there he gave the like proof thereof, and returning into England, he inveighed bitterly against King Henry VIII. whereupon he was thrust into Prison, where he continued Fasting for the space of 50 days; his Name was John Scot. Spotswood's Hist. ch. of Scotland. l. 2. p. 69. Clarks Mir. c. 104. p. 505.

9. Joan the Daughter of John Balaam, of the City of Constance in France, Anno 159••. was seized with great Sickness, after that grew Speechless for 24 days; then her Speech returned, but the passage for Meat and Drink was resolved; nor could the Girl be perswaded to take any Food; the parts of her belly were contracted and clung together, other parts of her body remaining in good plight. The Maid continued thus Fasting for almost 3 years entire, and afterwards by degrees returned to her Food, and to a laudible habit of body. Fra. Citesius op. Med. p. 64. Horstii ad Donat. l. 7. c. 1. p. 648. Tr. oft Times l. 6. p. 550.

10. Febritius tells of a Maid, that lived 15 years without either Meat or Drink, and was living in Anno 1612. Fab. Obs. Cent. 4. Obs. 29. p. 310.

11. Doctor Plot, in his Natural History of Oxfordshire, relates a strange Accident that befell one Rebeccah Smith, the Servant Maid of one Thomas White, of Minster Lovel, who being of a Robust Constitution, though she seldom eat Flesh, (it scarce agreeing with her,) and about to years of Age; after she came from the Communion on Palm-Sunday, April 16, 1671, was taken with such a Dryness in her Throat, that she could not swallow her Spittle, nor any thing else, to supply the decays of Nature; and in this Case, she continued without eating or drinking, to the Amazement of all, for about 10 Weeks, viz. to the 29th of June, being both St. Peters day, and Witney-fair-day; by which time being brought very low her Master enquired and found out a Person who gave him an Amulet, (for it was supposed she was bewitch'd,) against this evil, after the Application whereof, within two or three days time, (though it is not to be supposed, that there was any dependance between the medicine and Disease,) she first drank a little Water, then warm broths, in small quantities at a time, and nothing else till Palm-Sunday again 12 Months after, when she began to eat bread, and other Food again, as formerly she had done, and was at the ••••••e of the Relation, about the Age of 60, and then living at the same place, ready to testifie the Truth of the thing, as well as Tho. White and his Wife, who were all that lived in the House with her, and did confidently assert (for they carefully observed,) that they believed, she never took any thing in those 10 Weeks time, nor any thing more all the year following, but what, was above-mentioned; wherein he believes, they may the rather be credited, because there was never any advantage made of this Wonder, which Argues it clear of all Juggle or Design. Nat. Hist. of Ox∣fordshire. p. 196.

12. Sennertus tells of 3 Persons, that fasted each of 'em two years; one 3 years, another 4, one 7, another 15, another 18, another 20, another 28, another 30, another 36, and another 40 years. Sennert. Pract. l. 3. Part, 1. Sect. 2. c. 2. de longâ abstin.

13. Martha Taylour, of Bakewell in Darbyshire, who upon the occasion of a blow on her back from a Miller, Anno 1667, fasted a Twelve Month; is no Wonder, in comparison with the former Stories; nor that of the Shropshire Maid, whose Mother I was acquainted with, who fasted as ••ong, mentioned in the former part of this Book.