A young boy at the age of eleven years old, from Walsham-le-Willows, in the county of Suffolk, named William Withers is made "an instrument giuen to vs by the prouidence of God," meant to make the people of the village aware of their sins, when on the 24th of December, he falls into a trance "the space of tenne dayes." During this trance, he takes no sustenance, and causes great "greefe of his parentes," as well as "admiration of the beholders." At the end of these ten days, he "came to him selfe againe."(7)

Upon waking from a trance which lasted ten days, and during which time he took no sustenance, the eleven year old boy William Withers begins to speak after twenty-four hours. When he speaks, he "declareth most straunge and rare thinges, which are to come, and hath continued the space of three weeks." Generally, his prophecies relate to praising God, and are told in a "voyce seemeth to bee of such power that all the bedde shaketh."(Cover)

The preacher, Mr. Gatton, comes from Barrow in Suffolk to visit the eleven year old child, William Withers in Walsham-le-Willows, after the boy allegedly woke from a ten day trance, able to "declareth most straunge and rare things, which are to come." After speaking to the boy, he found him "perfect in the Scriptures." He supports all the counsel the boy gives, to "rouze vs vp from our sinnes."(9-10)

Master Ashley, Esquire, "a Gentleman of greate credite and worship," comes to Walsham-le-Willows with some of his men, to "heare and behold" the eleven year old child William Withers who after ten days in a trance without speaking or sustenance, awoke to "declareth most straunge and rare thinges, which are to come." The child singles out the servant, "one Smith" and then "spake vnto him vehemently," and told him that he should mourn for his sins for being so vain and "in such abhominable pride to pranke vp himselfe like the diuels darling, the very father of pride and lying" by wearing "great and monstrous ruffes," or be subject to "euerlasting tormentes in hell fire." This was Smith's second warning, and upon hearing it, "as one prickt in conscience, he sorrowed & wept for his offence." He took the cloth band from around his neck, and cut it into pieces using a knife, and vowed never to wear anything like it again.(10-12)

The child William Withers is visited by two "right worshipfull and vertuous knights," Sir William Spring and Sir Robert [...]armine, after the child emerges from a ten day trance which he neither spoke nor had sustenance during, but awoke to "declareth most straunge and rare thinges, which are to come." They find his words true, and believe he is an instrument of God.(10)