When Arch Bishop Abbot’s mother (a poor clothworker’s wife in Guilford) was with child of him, she did long for a Jack, and she dreamt that if she should eat a Jack, her son in her belly should be a great man.  She arose early the next morning and went with her pail to the river-side (which runneth by the house, now an ale-house, the sign of the three mariners) to take up some water, and in the water in the pail she found a good jack, which she dressed, and eat it all, or very near.  Several of the best inhabitants of Guilford were invited (or invited themselves) to the christening of the child; it was bred up a scholar in the town, and by degrees, came to be Arch Bishop of Canterbury.

In the life of Monsieur Periesk, writ by Gassendus, it is said, that Monsieur Periesk, who had never been at London, did dream that he was there, and as he was walking in a great street there, espied in a goldsmith’s glass desk, an antique coin, he could never meet with. (I think an Otho.) When he came to London, walking in (I think) Cheap-side, he saw such a shop, and remembered the countenance of the goldsmith in his dream, and found the coin desired, in his desk.  See his life.

When Doctor Hamey (one of the physicians college in London) being a young man, went to travel towards Padoa, he went to Dover (with several others) and shewed his pass, as the rest did, to the Governor there.  The Governor told him, that he must not go, but must keep him prisoner.  The Doctor desired to know for what reason ? how he had transgrest ? well it was his will to have it so.  The pacquet-boat hoisted sail in the evening (which was very clear), and the Doctor’s companions in it.  There ensued a terrible storm, and the pacquet-boat and all the passengers were drowned:  the next day the sad news was brought to Dover.  The Doctor was unknown to the Governor, both by name and face; but the night before, the Governor had the perfect vision in a dream, of Doctor Hamey, who carne to pass over to Calais; and that he had a warning to stop him.  This the Governor told the Doctor the next day.  The Doctor was a pious, good man, and has several times related this story to some of my acquaintance.

My Lady Seymour dreamt, that she found a nest, with nine finches in it.  And so many children she had by the Earl of Winchelsea, whose name is Finch.

The Countess of Cork (now Burlington) being at Dublin, dreamt, that her father, (the Earl of Cumberland) who was then at York, was dead.  He died at that time.

’Tis certain, that several had monitory dreams of the conflagration of London.

Sir Christopher Wren, being at his father’s house, anno 1651, at Knahill in Wilts (a young Oxford scholar) dreamt, that he saw a fight in a great market-place, which he knew not; where some were flying, and others pursuing; and among those that fled, he saw a kinsman of his, who went into Scotland to the King’s army.  They heard in the country, that the King was come into England, but whereabouts he was they could not tell.  The next night his kinsman came to his father at Knahill, and was the first that brought the news of the fight at Worcester.