Item genre: Prophecy

British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 9 (Commentary, Compilation, Dream, Prophecy, Vision), fols. 10r-17r

A compilation of records of prophetic dreams and visions from diverse sources, and commentary on them, including reference to Katherine Austen's own dreams and visions.

[Written on versos only except fols. 10v and 12v (see items 9.2 and 9.6).]


British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 9.1 (Commentary, Dream, Prophecy), fols. 10r-11r (not 10v)

Henry Hammond's prophetic dream of his preservation in royalist service, 1643.


(Author)John Fell

Doc. Hammond 's Dream.

About the beginning of the troubles, 1643, when ministers was put out of their livings

...

He heard the King proclaimed, and then died a while after.

[See Fell 1661, pages 27-28.]


British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 9.2 (Compilation, Dream, Prophecy), fol. 10v

Records of four further prophetic dreams and visions, apparently known through family members, acquaintances and hearsay.

[The four dream records on fol. 10v have been added at later dates. Item 9.1 runs continuously on the rectos of fols 10 and 11; also, item 9.2.4 is dated 1682.]


British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 9.2.1 (Dream, Prophecy), fol. 10v

See the dream of Lady Burton's cousin

...

and she married at The Hague a Lord, and did so. In book of brown paper.

[Lady Frances Burton was the aunt of Austen's husband, Thomas Austen (see the wills of Thomas Austen and his brother John, PRO, PROB 11/285 and PRO, PROB 11/296).]


British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 9.2.4 (Dream, Prophecy), fol. 10v

1682 Sr Edward Thurland dreamt, or rather he thought an apparition of Judge Hales came to him

...

This Thurland told one that told us. He lived in Surrey.

[The date of this item indicates that Austen continued to add to Book M, probably until her death. Sir Edward Thurland and three others were given a warrant in March 1670 to investigate the misappropriation of Highbury and other crown lands (CSPD 1670, p. 101). Judge Hales is likely to be Sir Matthew Hale, 1609-1676.]


British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 9.3 (Prophecy, Vision), fol. 11r

John Donne's prophetic vision of his wife, when he was travelling in France, drawn from Izaak Walton's The Life of Dr John Donne.


(Author)Izaac Walton

When Dr Donne was in France with Sir Henry Wotten, he left his wife in Engl[and] big with child.

...

And they found that about that very time, his wife was brought to bed of a dead child, very hardly escaping her life.

[Whether Austen sourced this anecdote from the first printed version is uncertain. It appears for the first time in the 4th edition of Walton's Life of Donne (1675); while Austen continued to add anecdotes to Book M until the 1680s (see item 9.2.4), this anecdote is on a page that follows the manuscript's original foliation, and for this reason is most likely to have been transcribed in the 1660s.]


British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 9.4 (Dream, Prophecy), fols. 11r-12r (fol. 11v is blank)

Two prophetic dreams experienced by members of the Wotton family, drawn from Izaak Walton, The Life of Sir Henry Wotton (1651).


(Author)Izaac Walton

Many eminent dreams has been observed of the family of the Wottons.

...

by his sending a letter to the college [Eton College] to know whether the coll. was not robbed by such parties which they could not discover but by the intimation of the dream.


British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 9.5 (Commentary, Compilation, Dream, Prophecy), fols. 12r-13r (not 12v; see item 9.6)

Records of 'diverse other dreams' (as described in Austen's contents page, fol. 3r) and prophetic experiences, including those of 'Henry a German Prince' and Archbishop Laud, compared to Katherine Austen's own experience.

Henry a German prince was admonished by revelation to search for a writing in an old wall which should nearly concern him.

...

Whose name was the Boar he was chosen Roman Emperor. See.


British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 9.6 (Commentary, Compilation, Dream, Prophecy), fol. 12v

Further records of two prophetic dreams, experienced by Lady Diana Holland [not identified] and by an unnamed apothecary at Westminster 'about 1663'.

The Lady Diana Holland dreamed, a while after the death of her mother, the Countess of Holland

...

He had a second fit of sickness a while after, and then he died. It being a summons to him indeed.

[These records on fol. 12v have been added at a later date; item 9.5 runs continuously on the rectos of fols. 12 and 13.]


British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 9.7 (Commentary, Prophecy, Vision), fols. 13r-16r (rectos only; versos blank)

Records of visions and miracles experienced by historical, classical and biblical personages, and reflection on the nature of visions and miracles.


British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 18 (Prophecy, Narrative), fol. 31v

A description of a boy's death following a mysterious voice's warning.

In April 1666 a boy was playing at St Andrews church

...

It was a hollow sound the voice.


British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 19 (Commentary, Compilation, Dream, Prophecy), fols. 32r-32v

A reflection on the dangers of wishing to interpret dreams, drawing on the examples of Henry IV and an unnamed Pope.

Though many dreams have come to pass

...

But men had need take heed of curiosity to know things to come, which is one of the kernels of the forbidden fruit.


British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 20 (Commentary, Compilation, Dream, Prophecy), fol. 33r

A reflection on dreams' value as portents and prophecies, drawing on examples including Lady Margaret Beaufort and Socrates.

Some dreams are not to be slighted

...

and within that time both died. See B. J. [Book J] pag. 260 of dreams and of prophesies.

[For a prophetic dream of Lady Margaret, Henry VII's mother, Austen gives as a source 'end History. H. 7. L. Herbert'. This would seem most likely to be a reference to Edward, Lord Herbert of Cherbury's History of Henry VII, but I have not been able to locate the passage in that volume.]


British Library: Add. MS 4454
The religious meditations, verse and autobiographical writings of Katherine Austen (1664-83)
Katherine Austen (Author)

Item 21 (Prophecy, Narrative), fol. 33v

Story of Mr Chainy. Near Chattame.

Mr Chany a gentleman in Queen Elizabeth's time when she was at Tilbury

...

Upon his tomb near Chattame is the picture in stone of a horse's head in memory of this remarkable ingratitude.


Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies: D/EP F34
Diary, Volume 6 (1711-1713)
(Author, Scribe) Sarah Cowper

Item 30 (Verse, Prophecy), p.34[rev]


Madam la Croy? (Author)

A Prophecy in the Year 1688

John Churchill remember what of thee was said

...

So farewell all thy grandeur, with the old year.

6 lines

Madam la Croy was a French fortune-teller.

[The final rubric appears to be a note added by Cowper. In the table of contents, she identifies Madam la Croy as the author of the piece.]


Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies: D/EP F34
Diary, Volume 6 (1711-1713)
(Author, Scribe) Sarah Cowper

Item 40 (Prophecy), p.41[rev]

The Predictions of Nostradamus

Among the predictions of Nostradamus, I find he says, the Senate of London shall put their king to death.

...

Let the world go, as it will go; for it will go, as it will go. or rub as it will rub.

[

The rubric is from Cowper's table of contents.

Italics in the explicit indicate marginal text.

]


Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies: D/EP F35
Diary, Volume 7 (1713-1716)
(Author, Scribe) Sarah Cowper

Item 24 (Verse, Prophecy), p.[32][rev]


Anon. (Author)

A Prophecy

When the British saints and king

...

From the tyrant 10. and 4. Lewis the 14th.

14 lines

Out of Merlin, 'tis said, printed above twenty years ago.

[

Italics in the last line indicate marginal text.

The final rubric appears to be a note added by Cowper.

]


Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies: D/EP F36
Miscellany (1670-1710)
(Compiler, Scribe) Sarah Cowper

Item 63 (Prophecy, Narrative), fols [61v-62r]

A Prophecy

In King James the First's time a fool whose name was Nixon that was kept in the Cholmley family came in from the plough in the field, laid down the things in his hands and said now I will prophecy,

...

the cook one day locked him up, and the King going on a sudden from Hampton Court to London, they forgot the fool and he was really starved indeed.


Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies: D/EP F36
Miscellany (1670-1710)
(Compiler, Scribe) Sarah Cowper

Item 71 (Prophecy, Narrative), fols [66v-67v][rev]

Interpretation of an earlier prophecy as being fulfilled in present times

Mrs Chute, sister to Mrs Cholmondly, of Val Royal, related to me, all your ladyship has set down in Nickson's prophecy,

...

But that George, the son of George, would make it a flourishing kingdom, and then foretells all sorts of prosperity, and glory, to England for a long time /

[

This entry is written in a slightly more formal hand than the rest of the reversed items.

Followed by blank fols [123v-105v].

]


Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies: D/EP F37
Commonplace Book (1673-1710)
(Compiler, Scribe) Sarah Cowper

Item 36 (Prophecy), pp.207-220

Prophecy of the Bishop of Armagh

Memorandum That the learned primate of Ireland James Ussher coming to visit me at my own house the year wherein he died; I made an humble request to him that he would give me in writing his apprehension concerning justification and sanctification by Christ;

...

that if saith he they bring back the king they may be a little longer delayed, but it will surely come, and therefore look you be not found unprepared for it.

[Followed by blank pp.216-220.]


Cambridge University Library: MS Additional 8460
Miscellany in verse and prose (c.1665-1714. Elizabeth Lyttelton probably began compiling this manuscript in the mid to late 1660s, when she is first mentioned in her father's letters as helping him organize his papers (Keynes, Works, IV, p. 29, letter 21 (13 August 1668)). She might have continued until she gave the manuscript to her cousin Edward Tenison in 1714 (p. 174), though the latest dateable item in the miscellany is 1710 (see Item 6.25).)
Elizabeth Lyttelton (author, scribe)

Item 6.5 (Extract, Prophecy), pp. 100 rev.-99 rev.

Prophecies of Jerome of Prague and John Hus about the appearance of Martin Luther in one hundred years' time

Mr Jerome said again unto them: you will condemn me wickedly and unjustly

...

which was the just hundred year after according to the right account of Jerome's prophecy

[The three extracts on this page come from Foxe 's Book of Martyrs, specifically The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe, ed. by George Townsend, 8 vols (New York: AMS Press, 1965), III, p. 523; IV, pp. 253, 255. Lyttelton recorded that she read ""all fox his book of Martyrs"" to her father (p. 44, Item 2.33). See Items 6.6, 6.7 and 6.38 for further citations from this source.]

[p. 99 is blank.]


National Library of Scotland: MS Adv. 32.4.4
The autobiographical writings and meditations of Katherine Ross and Jean Collace. (c. 1704)
(Author)Katherine Ross
(Author)Jean Collace

Item 3 (Meditation, Prophecy, Religious writing), fols.70v-76v


(Author)Katherine Ross

Some general remarks left under the said Catharine Collace own hand.

In everything that we are in doubt of whether of greater or smaller consequence, whether spiritual or temporal, we ought to be determined of the Lord by enquiring of him,

...

indeed there must be other like work about this great business or we can expect that any mean we can use for our deliverance can be blessed of God.


National Library of Scotland: MS Adv. 34.5.19, fols. 184-284
The autobiographical writings and meditations of Katherine Ross and Jean Collace. (after 1704)
(Author)Katherine Ross
(Author)Jean Collace

Item 3 (Meditation, Prophecy, Religious writing), fols.236r-238r


(Author)Katherine Ross

Some devices of Satan whereby he hath gotten great advantage.

First, places of Scripture which he tempted some to abuse to colour their sinful practices, others he tempts to cast at, as if they were of no use.

...

it's an undervaluing of the glory that's to be revealed at the coming of Christ to be much moved at any calamity that can befall us in this world.