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And now we have got you we'll not let you go,
Unless you'll swear that our blind eyes are true.
This you shall do, or else we'll make you blind,
And pull out both your eyes, you soon shall find.
Now, in this manner, I'll suppose a man
Who is in power, and in power strong,

To work the miracles that were wrought by ME:
I tell you friends, if you will but agree
To let me put some eye-salve to you here,

And then you both with me, shall now see clear;
But if the trial do not make you see,

Then unto your proposals I'll agree.

But now their answer if it thus should come:
We want no eye-sight; 'tis your's we condemn;
Because by begging we get for to be blind,
And though we grope we still a path can find
To make our way men's pity to implore;
We want no eye-sight for to labour here:
No, no, vain man, we chuse for to be blind,
Because by it our Livings we do find

With much more case than those who have eyes to see,

And so in blindness now we chuse to be.

Then now I'll answer for the man that's strong:
You bold Impostors, from my sight be gone!
And of your begging I will now take care,
You shall not get your bread by begging here.
You said that Heaven should not give to me
The light of sight that was not given ye,
Unless I turn'd my blessings to a curse,
That all alike, in suffering, might be lost;
But now that blessing I did offer here,
That you with me in sight might now see clear,
Your infamy was soon discover'd here,
You bold Impostors, impudent you are come,
You thought me weak, for to hold out so long
Your subtle arts in all for to find out:

I knew the reason that your eyes were shut;
And why my eyes you wish'd to shut the same,
And say, by blindness you could judgment form;
Because in Blindness you wish'd for to appear,
And boast of judgment that some merit were
To place within you, though you both were blind,
That in the world you might some honour find:
And force the world your merit to believe,
Yourselves and others you thought to deceive;
But when I offer'd you should judge aright,
And told you both I would restore your sight,
Then back the curtains they were quickly drawn,
And your impotency you soon did own;

And then the Strong Man, he may answer here,
You must have eye-sight ere you can appear
Ever to have ME in your power more,
For now I tell you plain, I've bolt'd the door—

with blackness and now they are writing to warn the bishops and clergy.

"Here is a type stands deep for all:
This funeral will bring on the call
To make the shepherds to appear
Therefore the shadow I plac'd there*
To have the likeness at the first.
But now the substance it is plac'd :
A PERFECT FUNERAL now is come;
And so the substance will go on
To have thy Trial to appear-
They'll find these shadows first were there:
But now the substance it is come,
And every substance will be known,
In perfect likeness to appear:

They'll find the substance now is near;
For all as shadows I plac'd first,
But now the substance I place last,
To bring thy awful trial on-

And Townley's trembling will be known,
That strong in thee it will appear,
As in thy stead I've now plac'd her,
And in thy stead she bold may stand-

The heavens with blackness now command,

And now my blackness will appear,

If men don't hasty waken here,

As she so early did awake,

I say, my clouds on them shall break;
Because, from shadows all shall see,

Such things were ne'er brought round by thee,

To place the shadows at the first,

That like a funeral this should burst.

And now the funeral doth appear,
From innocence no sin was here

Ever committed by the child

And here the learned men are foil'd;

As I compared with my own:

Then here the child must sure be known

In innocence, I say, to die

And mark the words were said to thee,
When that the shadow did appear,

Thou know'st, the child I told thee there:
To shew my Birth, the child must come;
And so my Death a shadow then.
But now the shadow's in the child,
To shew my death, to reconcile
The world to God-like him I died
In strong convulsions then for man.

That is, the writings put in a vault at Paddington, a shadow then of the burial now.

The Garden first you must discern,
What Agonies I then did bear!

And how the midnight hour drew near,
As my Convulsions were within.-
My feelings were unknown to Men
What for their sakes I then did bear;
As well I knew my chosen were
To suffer then the like for ME-
And then the Jews I knew were cast,
Το prove the mysteries at the last,
That dead to knowledge man was come,
As I at first pronounced him;

And so their knowledge it was dead;
And by their death my Blood was shed;
Because that ME they did not know,
From all the wonders I did show,
As never could be work'd by man.
And now in SPIRIT I am come
To work by Wisdom now the same,
And man knows not from whence it came
To see these mysteries so brought round;
They cannot tell from whence the sound,
Before some others do appear

1

To make these mysteries out more clear;
And then they'll own their knowledge dead
To every thing before then laid;
That they did never understand
It was a Work by my Command;
Because they judg'd I could not go
To stoop to man in things so low.
From types and shadows to appear
In language low, no man could clear,
To see the depth, how all is plac'd.
You ne'er discern'd, ye fallen race,
How I from shadows plac'd all first,
Nor how the likeness it did burst.
The type of Isaac plac'd before,
And so my death it did appear.
And then the Brazen Serpent see;
For as I say they look'd on ME,
Nought but a Serpent to appear,
As from the Jews, they judg'd ME there.
So from these shadows none do see
How deep they're plac'd as types of ME;
And let my Gospel to appear;

From Parables I told them there,

How I had liken'd every thing.

Now all to your remembrance bring,

Then all these shadow's you'd see clear

Doth with my Bible all compare.
From types and shadows I began,
From types I now shall make an end;
So from this type I now do say*,
Here is a shadow plac'd this day,

* Child's convulsions, death, and burial.

How all the substance will appear,
For the death warrant's hastening here:
Unto the shepherds this will be,
And their convulsions you will see
To be much greater than the child's;
For now the learned will be foil'd.
For here's a mystery none do see,
How the Tenth Year these things must be,
To have thy letters blaz'd abroad,
A way that man ne'er understood;
But judg'd the letters sent before
Did in like manner so appear;
But then thy letter could not be,
Thou publish'd then the mind of ME
In public letters for to send;
But now I tell thee, by thy friend
Thy letter is publish'd all abroad:
And all the others will be know'd
To fly abroad to man the same;
For here's the letters I did namet,
That I should make to fly abroad;
And now their conduct will be know'd,
For different roads they now will take,
Until they find the truth to break.

But from what shadows you don't discern
The way or manner I to you do waru;
It was a private letter blaz'd abroad,

When in November every truth was know'd:
And now to make the likeness all agree,
It is the private letter I tell thee,

That by the public now must fly abroad;

For like the shadows must the truth be know'd;
For so the substance in the end must burst,-
You ne'er discern'd the manner of the first,
Nor how the shadow it did first appear:
When Pomeroy read his name in public there,
That thou didst put in print by my Command,
But now the substance all may understand."

(signed,)

JOANNA SOUTHCOTT.

DEAR MISS TOWNLEY,

May 23d, 1804.

In answer to the Letters being returned, you say, the day the child was buried, and the Letters sent the

Parliament Letters,

+ See page 82 of Joanna's Six Books of Prophecies.

day he was designed to be buried, I was answered in the following manner:

"As this day was designed for the child's funeral, and this day the letters are sent, it will be for their funerals it the living do not lay it to heart. But as the child was buried the day before, and the letters did not go that day, if they come forward like the letters, the funeral is gone before them; and by the child's death they may have life. If they do as these have done, to improve their time for the future, and be strict to obey my Commands; then I shall change my Threatenings into Blessings, as thy Brother changed his 'funeral; and my sunshine sh 11 rise upon them. If they now turn unto ME, I will now turn unto them. And now I will tell thee why I have made thee a prisoner: Because I know the weakness of thy nature, mind, and heart. I put thee to the trial by Pomeroy, and saw the weakness of thy heart: thou hadst no fortitude to withstand one man, but signed thy name, to please him, to what he never said but once; and that was by putting his name in print, which he said was from the devil; but he never said thy writings were*. But as he complained to thee, thou hadst no fortitude to dispute with him. Therefore, now I have made thee a prisoner, to see no one before it is disputed by those that have more strength and fortitude than thou hast got; and not to give up to any before they give their strong reasons, why they judge thy prophecies come from the Devil; and how they can prove such types and shadows were first placed by him; and how the substance came in such manner, in the tenth year, wherein thou sawest the light of the candles; and how thy Brother should have a Son in that very year, that had nought but daughters before: but he said he had a Son dead-born before the time. And now I tell thee, like dead-born

* See page 76 of the Second Book of Letters.

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