★ Holwell, John [1649-1686]. Holwell’s predictions: of many remarkable things, which may probably come to pase [sic], from the year 1689. Untill the year 1700. Boston, printed by S.G. for Benjamin Harris, at the London Coffee-House, 1690.
In 4° (15 cm), A-B4, pp. 16.
Panorama di tutti gli stati europei nell'arco dei 12 anni toccati da questo pronostico. La chiave interpretativa delle vicende che si susseguono nelle varie regioni è data dalla Great Conjunction di Giove e Saturno risalente al 1603 e dagli aspetti che essa riceve. Mi limito a riportare ciò che attiene all'Italia, nominata solo per l'anno 1689: Now Italy where are all thy Princes, now shut the Stable door to prevent the case of a Horse that is already stole. Oh! what dangers and troubles are thou like to undergo!
Le previsioni sono in generale terribili, ma nel finale ecco cosa scrive Holwell, offrendo un po' di speranza al lettore: There shall also be a great drought and want of Water, and the Earth shall be so parched that there will be no food for Cattle: Great Ples and War shall cover the whole face of the Earth, destroy Mankind, that there will not be sufficient Labourers to get in Harvest, and the Vermin shall so destroy the Fruit on Trees, that all; a general Famine and Dearth of Corn will spread Europe, so that Thou|san shall starve want of Bread; yet at the last we have a Sextile of Saturn and Jupiter, each of them being in their own House: Now shall one appear suddenly, a great Conquerour, the World filled with the same of this Man, who shall all of a sudden give Peace to all Europe. Oh! Happy time.
Esemplari: Yale University; American Antiquarian Society, Massachusetts; Memorial University of Newfoundland Library, St Johns; British Library.