Christian ethics -- Fiction; Christian fiction; Conduct of life -- Fiction
[Picture: Take note symbol] Wise. Alas! so he has, a thousand times
twice told, as may be easily gathered by any observing people in every
Age and Countrey. I could present you with several my self; but waving
the abundance that might be mentioned, I will here present you with
{37c} two; One was that dreadful Judgment of God upon one N. P. at
Wimbleton in Surrey; who, after a horrible fit of Swearing at, and
Cursing of some persons that did not please him, suddenly fell sick,
and in little time died raving, cursing and swearing.
But above all take that dreadful Story of Dorothy Mately an Inhabitant
of As[h]over in the County of Darby.
[Picture: Take note symbol] This Dorothy Mately, saith the Relator,
was noted by the people of the Town to be a great Swearer, and Curser,
and Lier, and Thief; (just like Mr. Badman.) And the labour that she
did usually follow, was to wash the Rubbish that came forth of the
Lead Mines, and there to get sparks of Lead-Ore; and her usual way of
asserting of things, was with these kind of Imprecations: I would I
might sink into the earth if it be not so, or I would God would make
the earth open and swallow me up. Now upon the 23. of March, 1660.
this Dorothy was washing of Ore upon the top of a steep Hill, about a
quarter of a mile from Ashover, and was there taxed by a Lad for taking
of two single Pence out of his Pocket, (for he had laid his Breeches
by, and was at work in his Drawers;) but she violently denyed it,
wishing, That the ground might swallow her up if she had them: She also
used the same wicked words on several other occasions that day.
Now one George Hodgkinson of Ashover, a man of good report there, came
accidentally by where this Dorothy was, and stood still a while to talk
with her, as she was washing her Ore; there stood also a little Child
by her Tub-side, and another a distance from her, calling aloud to her
to come away; wherefore the said George took the Girle by the hand to
lead her away to her that called her: But behold, they had not gone
above ten yards from Dorothy, but they heard her crying out for help;
so looking back, he saw the Woman, and her Tub, and Sive, twirling
round, and sinking into the ground. Then said the man, Pray to God to
pardon thy sin, for thou art never like to be seen alive any longer. So
she and her Tub twirled round, and round, till they sunk about three
yards into the Earth, and then for a while staid. Then she called for
help again, thinking, as she said, that she should stay there. Now the
man though greatly amazed, did begin to think which way to help her,
but immediately a great stone which appeared in the Earth, fell upon
her head, and brake her Skull, and then the Earth fell in upon her and
covered her. She was afterwards digged up, and found about four yards
within ground, with the Boys two single Pence in her pocket, but her
Tub and Sive could not be found.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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