his neck; but when ſleep had conquered drink, and ſobriety had reſtored his ſenſes, he went to his buſineſs as formerly, remembering indeed his late words, but not regarding them; howbeit the devil, to ſhew his double diligence attended him in the likeneſs of a big ſwarthy man aſking him, If he had not forget his promiſe and vow which he had made the day before; and likewiſe demanding, whether it were not lawful to break his neck? and withal ſtruck the poor man, trembling with fear, over the ſhoulders, that his feet and hands preſently dried up, and there he lay, not able to ſtir, till he was carried home; the Almighty not giving to Satan ſo much power over him, as he himſelf wiſhed, but yet permitting him to puniſh him in this manner, for his amendment, and our example.—Beard's Theatre.
XXXIII. A man in Lincolnſhire, for every trifle uſed to ſwear by God's precious blood, and would not take warning from his friends, till at length falling into a grievous ſickneſs, he was again much perſuaded by his friends to repent, whoſe counſel he ſtill rejected; and hearing the bell toll, in the very pains of death he ſtarted up, ſwearing, God's wounds! The bell tolls for me, but he ſhall not be me yet; whereupon the blood iſſued out in a moſt fearful manner from all the joints and parts of his body, his ears, mouth, noſe, wriſts, knees, heels, toes, and every where elſe; and ſo he miſerably ended his wretched life.—Mr. Perkins.
XXXIV. Another, for many years together, had a wicked cuſtom of ſwearing by God's arms; in the end his own arm being hurt with a knife, could not by any means be cured, but rankled, and feſtered daily more and more, and at laſt rotted ſo much, that it fell away piecemeal, and himſelf through anguiſh and pain thereof died.—Mr. Philip Stubs.
