.NDI.MjIzNDM

in w^ch are fishes put according to the number of the Monks of that place. If any one of them happen to be Sick, there is a fish Seen to float & Swim above water half dead, & if the monk shall dy, the fish a few days before dieth. In Some parts in Wales [underlined], death lights [above text: or corps candles] (as they call them) are seen in the night time going from the house where Some body will shortly dy, & passing into the Churchyard. of this my dearly honoured & never to be forgotten friend mr Richard Baxter [underlined] (k) hath given an account in his book about witchcrafts lately published. what to make of Such things except they be the effects of Some old inchantments, I know not. Nor what naturall Reason to as-sign for that which I find amongst the Observations of the Imperiall Academy [underlined] for the yeare 1687, viz. that in an orchard where there are choice Damasien plumbs, the master of the family being Sick if a Quartan Ague, whilst he continued very ill, four of his plumb trees instead of Damasiens brought forth a vile sort of yellow plumbs: but recovering his health the next yeare the tree did (as formerly) bear Damasiens again. but when after that he fell into a fatall dropsy, on those trees were Seen not damasiens but another sort of fruit. the same Author (I) gives instances of w^ch he had the certain knowledge, concerning apple trees & pear trees that the fruit of them would on on a sudden wither, as if they had ben baked in an oven, when the owners of them were mortally Sick. It is no less strange (m) that in the illustrious Electorall house of the _Brandenburg_, before ye death of some one of the Family, feminine Spectres appear (n) and often in the houses of great men, voices & visions from ye invisible world have ben the harbingers of death. When any Heir in the worshipfull family of the _Breretons_ in Cheshire is near his death, there are seen in a pool adjoyning bodyes of [heirs?] Swimming for certain days together. On which learned _Cambden_ (o) hath this note. [underline:] These & Such like things are done either by the holy [inselar?] angells of men or else by the Devils, who by Gods permission mightily shew their power in this inferiour world.

[Margin notes:] (L) ~ Germ. Ephem. An 16 .p.379. (m) Heinkelius de Obsessis p. 86 (n) Camerarius Cant. 1. c. 73 Cardan de vrem[?] varietate lib.16.cap.93

(o) in his Brit- tania p.609