Anonymous

“ Harding proceeded, not by Charlotte-street, to Somerset-house, such was his dread of seeing the ominous woman. It is impossible to describe the effect produced upon him by the apprehension of encountering her: if he heard a female voice behind him in the street, he trembled, and feared to look round, lest he should behold Martha. ”

“ As Nixon’s Prophecies are by some persons thought fables, yet by what has come to pass it is now thought and very plainly appears that most of them have or will prove true; for which reason we have all occasion not only to exert our utmost might to repel by force our enemies, but to return from our abandoned and wicked course of life, and make our continual prayers to God for protection and safety. ”

“ Still, however, Frederick and Maria went loving on; and their hearts grew as one; so truly, so fondly were they attached to each other. George, who was somewhat of a plague to the pair of lovers, was luckily at Oxford, reading away till his head ached, to qualify himself for a degree, and the distant duties of the office whence he was to cull the bunches of diplomatic laurels, and whence were to issue rank and title, and ribbons and crosses innumerable. ”

“ The chairs and stools would frequently march up stairs and down, and they usually played at bowls with the trenches and dishes: sometimes at dinner the meat would be removed before she could touch a bit; which things, as they much troubled the nurse, so they gave great satisfaction to Mother Shipton, as it appeared by her monstrous smiles. Now and then, to pacify her nurse, when she saw her much vexed, she would say, “Be contented; there is nothing here that will harm you.” ”

“ Those who are parents, and those alone, will be able to understand the tender solicitude, the wary caution with which both her father and mother proceeded in a disclosure, so important as the medical men thought to her recovery—so careful that the coming joy should be imparted gradually to their suffering child, and that all the mischiefs resulting from an abrupt announcement should be avoided. ”

“ Frederick Langdale was, as usual, with his betrothed, and Mrs. Harding enjoying the egotism of the lovers, (for, as I said before, lovers think their conversation the most charming in the world, because they talk of nothing but themselves) when his curricle was driven to the door to convey him to Tattersall’s, where his father had commissioned him to look at a horse, or horses, which he intended to purchase; for Frederick was, of all things in the world, the best possible judge of a horse. ”

“ Agatha cast up her eyes, and seeing a face so lovely, could not suspect Satan hid in that comely shape, whereupon, in a lamentable tone, she expressed all that troubled her, informing him of her great wants, and that, not knowing how to work, she could not provide what her necessities required. “Pish,” said Satan “this is nothing; be ruled by me, and all shall be well.” ”

“ The minister and inhabitants entered, and searching the house, missed the child; one of them looking up the chimney, saw the cradle wonderfully hanging up, three yards high, without any support; this was as strangely conveyed down again. They encouraged the nurse, left her in the house (though affrighted) , and departed.
Mother Shipton’s nurse was, after this, sometimes in great perplexity, not knowing what was become of her for days together; but when she was in her greatest scare after her, she saw her oftentimes drop suddenly through the roof of the house. ”

“ Cholmondeley’s he shall be instrumental in delivering the nation.
“The person who then governs the nation will be in great trouble, and skulk about:—The invading King shall be killed, laid across a horse’s back like a calf, and led in triumph. The miller having been instrumental in it, shall bring forth the person that then governs the kingdom, and be knighted for what he has done; and after that England shall see happy days. A new set of young men, of virtuous manners, shall come, who shall prosper, and make a flourishing church for two hundred years. ”

“ THE CHESHIRE PROPHET.
The Prophecy of Nixon has so often given a name to the productions of authors of different principles, that it is now almost become a doubt whether such a person ever existed. Passing through Cheshire lately, curiosity led me to inquire what credit these legends bore among the natives: and I was not a little surprised to find with what confidence they related events which have come to pass within the memory of many of the inhabitants ”

“ The fourth vial will be poured out upon the sun, which must denote some person or persons of great dignity and influence, and as the fourth trumpet brought destruction upon the Emperor of Rome, the sun of the empire, and upon governors under him, signified by the moon and stars; this vial will bring on the ruin of the pope of Rome, the sun of the antichristian empire, with all his cardinals, bishops, priests, etc. The fifth vial will be poured out upon the seat of the beast, which is Rome, the seat that the devil gave to the beast, and will produce great darkness in his kingdom ”

“ There are some times fixed in prophecy, which by diligence, attention, and application men may arrive to some understanding of. There are indeed some times and seasons, the knowledge of which is not to be attained unto; and it would be wrong, as well as in vain, curiously to search into them. It is not for us to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power ”

“ This somewhat affrighted them, for they now verily believed she was a witch, and as they were hastening away, with all imaginable speed, a sudden strong wind hoisted them to a great height into the air, falling all to the ground again without the least harm, the men were like overgrown goats, with large horns on their heads, and the women riding on their backs, which sight, as they produced inexpressible wonder, so amidst their amazement they could not but burst out into excessive laughter. ”

“ But what rendered Nixon the most noticed was that at the time when the battle of Bosworth-field was fought between King Richard the Third and King Henry the Seventh, he stopped his team on a sudden and pointing with his whip from one to the other cried, “Now, Richard! Now, Harry!” several times; till at last, he said, “Now, Harry, get over that ditch and you gain the day.” The plough-holder, amazed, related what had passed when he came p. 12home, and the truth of the prediction was verified by special messengers sent to announce the proclamation of King Henry of England on the field of battle. ”

“ Harding held a responsible and respectable situation under the government, in Somerset House. His income was adequate to his wants and wishes; p. 201his family a family of love: and, perhaps, taking into consideration the limited desires of what may be fairly called middle life, no man was ever more contented, or better satisfied with his lot than he.
Maria Harding, his daughter, was a modest, unassuming, and interesting girl, full of feeling and gentleness. She was timid and retiring; but the modesty which cast down her fine black eyes could not veil the intellect which beamed in them. ”

“ In the reign of King James the First there lived a man generally reputed a fool, whose name was Nixon. One day, when he returned home from ploughing, he laid the things down which he had in his hands, and continued for some time in a seemingly deep and thoughtful meditation, at length he pronounced in a loud hoarse voice, ‘Now I will prophecy;’ and spoke as follows ”

“ John, or Jonathan Nixon, the father of our prophet was a husbandman who held the lease of a farm from the abbey of Vale-Royal, to this day known by the name of Bark, or Bridge-house in the parish of Over near New-Church, and not far from Vale-Royal, on the forest of Delamere, which house is still kept up and venerated by the natives of Cheshire for nothing else that I could hear of but this extraordinary person’s birth, which took place Whitsuntide, and he was christened by the name of Robert, in the year 1467, about the 7th year of Edward IV. ”

“ There are others and very remarkable events, the times of which are pointed at in prophecy; and which with diligence and application, a knowledge of them may in some measure be attained unto: as for instance, the first coming of Christ into this world to save men: the time for it was not only agreed upon and settled between the Father and the Son, called the fulness of time, but there were several prophetic hints of it ”

“ Cholmondeley’s shall fall, if it falls downwards, the church shall be oppressed, and rise no more; but if it fall upwards, next the rising p. 41hill on the side of it, then shall it flourish again. Under this wall shall be found the bones of a British King.
“A pond shall run with blood three days, and the Cross stone Pillar in the forest sink so low into the ground, that a crow from the top of it shall drink of the best blood in England.
“A boy shall be born with three thumbs, and shall hold three kings’ horses, while England shall be three times won and lost in one day.” ”

“ When King James was at London, his children were at Edinburgh, preparing to come into England.
Water shall come over Ouse Bridge, and a windmill shall be set upon a Tower, and a Elm Tree shall lie at every man’s door. At that day women shall wear great hats and great bands. ”

“ A raven is also known to have built in a stone lion’s mouth in the steeple of the church of Over, in the forest of Delamere. Not long before the abdication of King James the wall spoken of fell down and fell upwards and in removing the rubbish were found the bones of a man of more than ordinary size. ”

“ Though at this day there are not ten kingdoms p. 66under the Babylonian empire, it is, notwithstanding, certain, that each kingdom was called, and ought to be called in this prophecy, the tenth part, because the prophet having described this empire in its beginning, by its ten horns, or ten kings, it is necessary for our clear understanding, that every one of these Kings and kingdoms, should be called one of the ten Kings, or of ten kingdoms, with respect to the original constitution of the Antichristian empire. ”

“ Philosophers may pore, and in the might of their littleness, and the erudition of their ignorance develope and disclose, argue and discuss; but when the sage, who sneers at the possibility of ghosts, will explain to me the doctrine of attraction and gravitation, or tell me why the wind blows, why the tides ebb and flow, or why the light p. 200shines—effects perceptible to all men—then will I admit the justice of his incredulity—then will I join the ranks of the incredulous. ”

“ And now Mother Shipton, beginning to grow famous in the world for her notable judgment in things to come, there resorted to her house a number p. 135of people of all sorts, both old and young, rich and poor, especially young maidens, who have always a great desire to know when they shall be married, as also, what manner of husbands they shall have, to which she gave such satisfactory answers, both for the person and time, that no sooner could a young maid get into her teens, but she would presently trot to Mother Shipton’s, to be resolved of her doubt. ”

“ By the “Great Court,” is meant the p. 156Parliament, the supremest court of England; which, in the twenty-seventh year of King Henry’s reign, to support the king’s states, and supply his wants, conferred on the crown all religious houses which were not able clearly to expend above two hundred pounds a year; the great ones not long after following the same fortune of the smaller, which was not done (though attempted) by any king before.
By the dissolution of these houses, many thousands were driven to seek their fortunes in the wide world, and became utterly exposed to want ”

“ As Nixon, in the reign of King James the First, prophesied of many strange and wonderful things that should come to pass, such as an heir being born to Lord Cholmondeley’s which at that time there was little reason to expect, but which came to pass; and that the eldest son or young Lord Cholmondeley should have the misfortune to break his neck by riding a hunting, which accident really did happen; p. 57and several other things already come to pass according to the said prophecy, but, in particular, of a wonderful battle or engagement that should be fought in the forest of Delamere ”

“ If she comes thither it is because she shall shortly change her road. Her greatening will be no damage to protestant states; on the contrary, the protestant states shall be enriched with p. 63the spoil of others and be strengthened by the fall of Antichrist’s empire. This tenth part of the city shall fall, with respect to the papacy; it shall break with Rome and the Roman religion. One thing is certain, that the Babylonian empire shall perish through the refusal of obedience by the ten Kings, who had given their power to the beast. ”

“ He therefore said unto her, “Mother Shipton, it is more than some extraordinary matter which hath made you break out into this sudden passion; and if it may not be troublesome unto you, I shall desire that, as hitherto you have not been scrupulous in revealing p. 176those secrets unto me, which have wrought in me both wonder and amazement, so that you will not so abruptly break off as to leave me in suspense of the cause of your sorrow.” “Ah! Mr. Abbot,” said she, “who can with dry eyes repeat what must next ensue, or but think upon it without a heart full of agony? ”

“ Riches brought pride, and pride brought woe.”
These prophecies were thus explained: by the “Cow,” was made King Henry, by reason of the Earldom of Richmond, which was his inheritance; and the “Bull,” betokened Anne Boleyn, whom the king took to wife in the room of Queen Catherine; her father gave the black bull’s head in his cognizance; and when the king had married Queen Anne, then was fulfilled the second line of the prophecy, viz., “Then, oh! priest, beware thy skull!” ”

“ As to the removal of Peckforton-mill, it was done by Sir John Crew, the mill having lost its trade there, for which he ordered it to be set upon Ludington hill; and being asked if he did it to fulfil the prophecy, he declared he never thought of it. I myself have inquired of a person who knows p. 53Mr. Cholmondeley’s pond as well as Rosamond’s in St. James’s Park and he assured me the falling of the wall and the pond running blood, (as they call it) are facts which in Cheshire any one would be reckoned mad for making the least question of them. ”

“ Like the Waterman who pulls one p. 206way and looks another, Mrs. Langdale aided the entreaties and seconded the commands of her loving spouse, touching the seasonable delay of which I am speaking; and it was agreed, that immediately after the coming of age of Frederick Langdale, and not before, he was to lead to the hymeneal altar the delicate and timid Maria Harding.
The affair got whispered about; George’s fortune in life was highly extolled—Maria’s excessive happiness prophesied by everybody of their acquaintance ”