jamesgray2

631G  Crouch, Nathaniel 1632?-1725?, Robert Burton = Nathaniel Crouch, the compiler..

       Wonderful prodigies of judgment and mercy, discovered in near three hundred memorable histories: containing I. Dreadful Judgments upon Atheists, perjur’d Persons, Blasphemers, Swearers, Cursers and Scoffers. II. The miserable Ends of divers Magicians, Witches, Conjurers, &c. with several strange Apparitions. III. Remarkable Presages of approaching Death, and of Appeals to Divine Justice. IV. The wicked Lives, and woful Deaths of wretched Popes, Apostares, and desperate Persecutors. V. Fearful Judgments upon cruel Tyrants, Murderers, &c. with the whole discovery of Murders. VI. Admirable Deliverances from Imminent Dangers, and Deplorable Distresses at Sea and Land. Vii. Divine Goodness to Penitents: With the dying Thoughts of several Famous Men concerning a Future State after this Life. Collected from Antient and Modern Authors. And Illustrated with Pictures. By Robert Burton

London:Printed for A. Bettesworth at the Red-Lyon, and J. Batley at the Dove, in Pater-noster-Row,1729
$ SOLD

Octavo, . Eighth edition A-H12 This copy is bound in later quarter calf, part of the leather from the spine is missing but it is very solid.

OK so here I go:  Seamen in great distress eat one another ,A bloudy villain murders 3 children, and, A Virgin destroyed by venemous Serpants. A Blasphemer turned into a black dog   And ….

A Woman torn in peices by the Devil. “. At Oster, a Village in Germany, there happened a most strange and fearful judgement upon a Woman who gave her self to the Devil, both Body and Soul, and used horrible Cursings and Oaths against her self and others, which detestable Custom she practised upon all occasions, but more especially at a Marriage in that Village upon St. John Baptist’s day; and though the whole company exhorted her to leave off that monstrous Villany, yet she would not be perswaded , but continued therein till all the People were set at Dinner, and very merry; when the Devil having got full possession of her, suddenly appeared, and taking her away before them all, transported her into the Air with most horrible out-cries and roarings; and in that manner he carried her round about the Town, so that the Inhabitants were ready to die for fear; and soon after tore her body into four pieces, leaving a quarter of her in the four several high-wayes, that all who came by might be witnesses of her punishment; and then returning to the Marriage, he threw her bowels upon the Table before the mayor of the Town, with these words; Behold these Dishes of Meat belong to thee, whom the like destruction awaiteth, if thou dost not amend thy wicked life.
The Reporters of this History were John Herman, the Minister of that Town, with the Mayor himself, and all the Inhabitants, they being desirous to have it known for Examples sake.

Further on, no image of this one per se
It was unnatural Lust which brought down Vengeance upon Sodom and Gomorrah, who burning with Fire from Hell, the Almighty burnt them up with Fire from Heaven, and even in this last Age we find dreadful Instances of God’s Wrath for that horrid Abomination. For in the Adventures of Mr. T. S. an English Merchant taken Prisoner by the Turks of Algiers, and carried into the Inland Countries of Africa, we find this wonderful Relation. That near Tezrim, a Town in that Country, in a Meadow, this Gentleman saw the perfect Statue of a Man Buggering his Ass; which was so lively, that at a little distance he thought it to be real, but when he came near, saw they were of perfect Stone; he enquired why the Moors or Arabs that naturally hate all Representations, should shew their Skill by making such beastly Figures, odious to Nature; he was informed tht ths was never made by Man, but that some Person had been turned into that Image with the Ass in the very Moment of the Act, by the mighty Power of God, the fleshly Substance of the Man and Ass being changed into firm Stone, as an eternal Reproach to Mankind. Upon further search he found the Stone to represent not only the perfect Shape, but also the Colour of eveery part of the Man and Beast, with the Sinews, Veins, Eyes, Mouth, in such a lively manner that no Artist could express it better; he endeavoured to move it, but the Company said, Some that had laboured to carry away that Monument of Man’s shameful Lust, could never do it, but either their Persons or Cattle were struck dead in the attempt upon the place, Divine Justice not suffering them to be hid or destroy’d which was placed there for an Example; it being necessary that the Moors should have such signal Testimonies [p.143] of God’s Displeasure always before their Eyes, who commit such filthy Actions more frequently than other Nations. This Gentleman was informed, That at there is a Prodigy of Divine Wrath, five Days Journey from that Town, amongst the Mountains of Gubel, more remarkable than this. Some English Merchants had the Curiosity to go thither, and protest that in the place aforesaid, their is a whole Town full of these Stones in the shape of all manner of Creatures belonging to a City, with Houses, Inhabitants, Beasts, Trees, Walls, and Rooms, distinctly formed: They entered the Houses, and found a Child in a Cradle of Stone, a Woman in a Bed of Stone, a Man at the Door looking Lice of Stone; Camels of several postures of Stone, Cats, Dogs, Mice, &c. of perfect Stone, and so well expressing the several Shapes, Posturs, and Passions, which the Inhabitants were seen at that time, that no Engrave could do the like. All our Merchants and Traders that have been in Tripoly, agree in the Confirmation thereof; the Moors report, That this Town was once very Populous and Fruitful, as may appear by the Trees of Stone of several sorts of Fruit planted round about it, and in the places that retain the forms of Gardens and Orchards; but the Inhabitants being given to all manner of Vice and beastly Lust, to the scandal of human Nature, God Almighty in a Moment stopped all their Actions, and turned their Bodies into firm Stone, that future Ages might see and learn to dread his Power. At Athens is a Stone, representing two Men buggering one another. I know not why we should doubt of these Relations, if we consider the Almighty power of God, who can change Things as it seems good to his Divine Wisdom: Or, if we consider the necessity of such notable Examples of God’s Justice to perpetuate his Displeasure in this dreadful Mannere to future Ages, especially in this Country, where the People are [p.144] addicted to Villanies, which Nature abhors: They being like that of Lot’s Wife, turned into a Pillar of Salt, which some ancient Historians affirm to have been remaining in their Days, many hundred Years after. (Adventures of T. S. p. 238.)
To conclude, innumerable are the Examples in all Ages of divine Vengeance against those crying Sins of Cruelty, Murder, and lust, that Men might fear the Lod, because of the Judgments which he executeth.

]BURTON, ROBERT or RICHARD (1632?-1725?), miscellaneous author, whose real name was Nathaniel Crouch, was the author of many books, attributed on the title-page to R. B., to Richard Burton, and (after his death) to Robert Burton. He was born about 1632, and was the son of a tailor at Lewes. Nathaniel was apprenticed on 5 May 1656 for seven years to Livewell Chapman, and at the close of his apprenticeship became a freeman of the Stationers’ Company. He was a publisher, and compiled a number of small books, which, issued at a shilling each, had a great popularity. ‘Burton’s books’ so they were called-attracted the notice of Dr. Johnson, who in 1784 asked Mr. Dilly to procure them for him, ‘as they seem very proper to allure backward readers.’ John Dunton says of him: ‘I think I have given you the very soul of his character when I have told you that his talent lies at collection. He has melted down the best of our English histories into twelve penny books, which are filled with wonders, rarities, and curiosities; for, you must know, his title-pages are a little swelling.’ Dunton professed a ‘hearty friendship for him, but objects that Crouch ‘has got a habit of leering under his hat, and once made it a great part of his business to bring down the reputation of “Second Spira”‘ (a book said to be by Thomas Sewell, published by Dunton). Crouch was also, according to Dunton, ‘the author of the “English Post,” and of that useful Journal intituled “The Marrow of History.”‘ ‘Crouch prints nothing,’ says Dunton, ‘but what is very useful and very diverting.’ Dunton praises his instructive conversation, and says that he is a ‘phoenix author (I mean the only man that gets an estate by writing of books).’ As the name of Thomas Crouch, presumably his son, appears on the title-page of one of Burton’s books in 1726, it may be assumed that he died before that date.

[Records of the Stationers’ Company, obligingly examined for this article by Mr. C. R. Rivington, the clerk; John Dunton’s Life and Errors; Catalogue of the Grenville Collection; Lowndes’s Bibliographer’s Manual; Hawkins’s History of Music, xi. 171; Chalmers’s Biog. Dict.; Book-Lore, 1866.]