Brachy-Martyrologia Or, A Brewery of all the greatest Persecutions Which have befallen the Saints and People of God From the Creation to our present Times: Paraphras'd, By Nicholas Billingsly |
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SECT. XXVI. The Modern Persecution of the Church in Germany, since the year 1630.
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 | Brachy-Martyrologia |  |
SECT. XXVI. The Modern Persecution of the Church in Germany, since the year 1630.
Th' Imperialists, when they by storm had gain'dPaswalick town, the Swedish souldiers brain'd:
At the inhabitants their fury lavish'd,
And in the open street, they females ravish'd,
Nay, child-bed women too; they slew the men
And fired o're their heads their houses then.
They massacred Divines, and burned down
The Christian Churches, and at last the town.
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Unto the famous City Magdenburge:
Her goodly structures and aspiring Towers
Were burn'd down in the space of twice six hours.
Without the least respect to old and young,
Were six and twenty thousand slain burnt, slung
Into the river Elve: by sev'ral wayes
The torturers abridg'd poor Chrstians dayes.
Ladies and Gentlewomen yok'd together,
Forc'd into woods, in frosty snowy weather,
Were ravish'd there, strip'd, whip'd, and with a scoft
Dismiss'd, while others had their cars crop'd off.
Hexter is taken, and the Popish rage
Hew'd all in pieces, either sex, and age,
All serv'd alike: what the flesh-eating sword
Had left unspoil'd, the greedy flame devour'd.
At Griphenburge the Senators were starv'd;
The Heidleburg-Divines and Bourgers serv'd
With onely bread and water. Like dogs not men
Were the Frankendales us'd. In Pomeren
The poor inhabitants were forc'd to eat
Up their own excrements: unpleasing meat!
Many suspected to have hidden Gold,
Or silver, suff'red torments manyfold:
With cords the heads of some they wound about,
And twisted them until the blood did sprout
Out of their eyes, ears, noses; nay, unto
Tongues, Cheeks, Breasts, Legs, and secret parts they do
The burning matches, yea, the parts of shame
Stuff'd with gun-powder, burst with horrid flame.
With knives and bodkins they do pink the skin
And flesh of some, draw stiff cords out and in.
Some rosted were with gentle fires, some smok'd
Like bacon-hogs; others hot Ovens chok'd;
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That from their fingers ends and toes there spirted
Sanguineous drops. They ty'd the arms and legs
Of some together backwards and with rags
Ram'd up their mouths, because they should not pray.
Some hung up by the privy members; they
Hearing their outcries, did with tear-throat tones,
Contend to drown their lamentable mones.
Had any ruptures? they enlarg'd their pain
By firing gunpowder: they faces plain
With chisels; and detesticle some men
I'th' presence of their wives and childeren.
Others, stark naked through the streets are drag'd,
VVounded with axes, hammers; some are gag'd
And stinking water, Urine, and the like,
Pour'd down their throats, till sudden sickness strike
Them well-nigh dead: their bellies beyond measure
B'ing fill'd, did swell and so they dy'd by leasure.
Down others throats they knotted clouts constrain,
Then with a packthread, pull them up again,
To the displacing of their bowels; some
VVere by't made deaf, or blinde, or lame, or dum'b.
Some have their legs sawn off; and others have
Their members dislocated; those that crave
Gods blest assistance, are enforc'd to call
Unto the Dev'l for help, or none at all.
And if the husband pleaded for his wife,
Or the wife beg'd but for her husbands life,
They take the intercessor, and likewise
Excruciate him before the others eyes.
Of many by their hard frications
They bar'd the legs, unto the very bones.
Others bound backward by the arms, were hung
By those distorted parts; both old and young
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And so die in an instant, then remain
Alive, and be partakers of such woes
As they were like to feel; for Ah! their foes
Took away all their corn; in stead of bread,
On roots and water, they were glad to feed.
And other some, stripp'd to the very skin,
Had not one sory ragg, to wrap them in.
Hence fruitful soils, were utterly destroy'd,
Cities, and towns, and villages left voyd,
Or sack'd; all the woods fell'd; the ground untill'd;
And ev'ry Church with desolation fill'd.
A Reverend Divine, bound to a table,
Was tortur'd by a cat. VVhat pen is able
To paint their beastliness? maids wives, chast dames,
They forc'd to prostrate to their lech'rous flames,
Friends looking on; yea, women great with child,
In child-bed too: the Churches they defil'd;
The Bedlam-houses, Hospitals also.
In Hessen land they let the women go,
After they ty'd about their ears their coats.
Dead corpses violated were. The Croats
Devour'd young infants, and the commons brain'd
On light occasions; scarce a man remain'd
Alive in many places, that might tell
The outrage of those furies born in hell.
God did this land his warning-pieces show,
Before his murth'ring-pieces gave the blow.
A blood-red Comet with a flaming beard
For thirty daies together there appear'd;
God sent to those, which had so long abhor'd
His faithfull Pastors, and despis'd his word,
This ominous Torch, that while asleep they lie
On the soft pillow of security,
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Their lives or otherwise expect a storme,
Foretold by's Monsters, (so ill-befriended,)
And which this formidable sigre portended.
At Groningen a blazing Star hung forth,
One Army in the East and in the North
Another were engag'd and did contest
Till that was worsted, this obtain'd the best.
At Wien water turn'd to blood; three Suns
Appear'd at once; the thundring of great guns
Was heard; two Armyes then by clear day-light
Deeply engaging in a bloody fight.
At Wittemburgh and Darmstad, blood it rain'd.
So much, that houses and stone walls were stain'd
Therewith; trees wept red drops besmear'd were then
The hands and sickles of the Harvest-men.
At Rat'sbone a strange tempest batt'red down
Above four hundred houses in the town;
Kill'd onely four; it trees by th' roots up tore,
And all within a quarter of an hour.
Near Troppaw a great number of Jack Daws
Eagerly fought with their adva'cd claws,
The battle lasted long and many Jacks
Fall'n down the country-men replenish'd sacks.
In lower Saxony a loaf of bread
Bought by a woman in the cutting bled.
During Magdenburge siege a captain's wife
In child-bed dy'd, her body with a knife
Was ripped open, and her womb did hold
A boy as big as one of three years old;
Having an Helmet, and a breastplate on,
Great boots also after the French fashion,
And by his side there hang'd a bullet-pouch.
At Altenburge, it any did but touch
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Could in three dayes wash off the stinking smell.
Two Armyes of strange birds in Henssen fought;
A randevouz of dogs could not be brought
T'a peace; but seeing musqueteers, they joyn,
For all their guns beat them away, kill'd nine.
| Brachy-Martyrologia | |