Or, Strange News out of Hartford-shire
The Mowing-Devil is an anonymous English broadside pamphlet from 1678, recounting a strange event in Hertfordshire: a farmer who, in a dispute over wages with a poor mower, swore that the Devil should mow his oats rather than the man — and awoke to find the crop cut in perfect circles overnight. The accompanying woodcut, showing a dark figure scything concentric rings in a field of grain, is one of the most reproduced images in the history of English folklore, often cited as the earliest known account of what would centuries later be called a crop circle.
The pamphlet is a morality tale as much as a wonder-story. The anonymous author uses the event to argue from natural theology — if Devils exist, then Hell exists, and therefore Heaven, and therefore God — and to condemn the farmer's contempt for his poorer neighbour. The central miracle serves a social and theological purpose: divine justice expressed through supernatural mowing.
This text is reproduced from the 1678 edition, digitized from an Early English Books microfilm scan held at the Internet Archive. Long-s (ſ) has been regularized to modern 's'; catchwords and page numbers have been removed as printing artifacts. All original spelling, capitalization, and punctuation has been preserved.
Being a True Relation of a Farmer, who Bargaining with a Poor Mower, about the Cutting down Three Half Acres of Oats; upon the Mower's asking too much, the Farmer swore, That the Devil should Mow it, rather than He: And so it fell out, that that very Night, the Crop of Oats shew'd as if it had been all of a Flame; but next Morning appear'd so neatly Mow'd by the Devil, or some Infernal Spirit, that no Mortal Man was able to do the like. Also, How the said Oats ly now in the Field, and the Owner has not Power to fetch them away.
Licensed, August 22th. 1678.
Men may dally with Heaven, and Criticise on Hell, as Wittily as they please, but that there are really such places, the wise Dispensations of Almighty Providence, does not cease continually to evince. For if by those accumulated circumstances which generally induces us to the belief of any thing beyond our senses, we may reasonably gather that there are certainly such things as Devils, we must necessarily conclude, that these Devils have a Hell; and as there is a Hell, there must be a Heaven, and consequently a GOD; and so all the Duties of Christian Religion as indispensible subsequents necessarily follow.
The first of which Propositions, this ensuing Narrative does not a little help to Confirm.
For no longer ago, than within the compass of this present Month of August, there hapned so unusual an Accident in Hartfordshire, as is not only the general Discourse, and Admiration of the whole Country; but may for its Rarity Challenge any other event, which has for these many years bin Produc't in any other County whatsoever. The Story thus.
In the said County, Lives a Rich industrious Farmer, who perceiving a small Crop of his (of about three Half-Acres of Land which he had Sowed with Oats) to be Ripe and fit for Gathering, sent to a poor Neighbour whom he knew worked commonly in the Summer-time at Harvest Labor, to agree with him about Mowing, or Cutting the said Oats down; The poor Man as it behoov'd Him, endeavour'd to sell the Sweat of his Brows and Marrow of his Bones at as dear a Rate as reasonably he might, and therefore askt a good round Price for his Labour, which the Farmer taking some exceptions at, bid him much more under the usual Rate than the poor Man askt above it; So that some sharp Words had past, when the Farmer told him he would Discourse with him no more about it. Whereupon the honest Mower recollecting with himself, that if he undertook not that little Spot of Work, he might thereby lose much more Business which the Farmer had to imploy him in beside, ran after him, and told him, that, rather than displease him, he would do it at what rate in Reason he pleas'd; and as an instance of his willingness to serve him, propos'd to him a lower price, than he had Mowed for any time this Year before. The irretated Farmer with a stern look, and hasty gesture, told the poor man, That the Devil himself should Mow his Oats before he should have any thing to do with them, and upon this went his way, and left the sorrowful Yeoman, not a little troubled that he had disoblig'd one in whose Power it lay to do him many kindnesses.
But how ever, in the happy series of an interrupted prosperity, we may strut, and plume our selves over the miserable Indigencies of our necessitated Neighbours; yet there is a just God above, who weighs us not by our Bags, nor measures us by our Coffers; but looks upon all men indifferently, as the common Sons of Adam; so that he who carefully Officiates that Rank or Station wherein the Almighty has plac't him, tho but a mean one, is truly more worthy the Estimation of all Men, than he who is prefer'd to superior dignities, and abuses them: And what greater abuse, than the contempt of Men below him: the relief of whose common necessities is none of the least Conditions wherby he holds all his Good things; which when that Tenure is forfeited by his default, he may justly expect some Judgment to ensue; or else that those riches wherby he prizes himself so extravagantly, may shortly be taken from him.
We will not attempt to fathom the cause, or reason of Preternatural events; but certain we are, as the most Credible and General Relation can inform us, that that same night this poor Mower, and Farmer parted, his Feild of Oats was publickly beheld by several Passengers, to be all on a Flame, and so continued for some space, to the great consternation of those that beheld it.
Which strange news being by several carried to the Farmer next morning, could not but give him a great Curiosity to go and see what was become of his Crop of Oats, which he could not imagin, but was totally devour'd by those ravenous Flames which were observ'd to be so long resident on his Acre and half of Ground.
Certainly a reflection on his suddain and indiscreet expression, [That the Devil should Mowe his Oats before the poor Man should have any thing to do with them] could not but on this occasion come into his Memory. For if we will but allow our selves so much leisure, to consider how many hits of providence go to the production of one Crop of Corn, such as the aptitude of Soyl, the Seasonableness of Showers, Nourishing Solstices and Salubreous winds, &c. we should rather welcome Maturity with Devout Acknowledgments than prevent our gathering of it by our profuse wishes.
But not to keep the Curious Reader any longer in suspence, the inquisitive Farmer no sooner arriv'd at the place where his Oats grew, but to his admiration he found the Crop was Cut down ready to his hands; and as if the Devil had a mind to shew his dexterity in the art of Husbandry, and scorn'd to mow them after the usual manner, he cut them in round Circles, and plac't every straw with that exactness that it would have taken up above an Age, for any Man to perform what he did in that one night: And the man that ows them is as yet afraid to remove them.
FINIS.
Colophon
The Mowing-Devil: Or, Strange News out of Hartford-shire is an anonymous broadside pamphlet, licensed August 22, 1678. It survives as one of the most famous documents in English folklore — a wonder-narrative that serves triple duty as pamphlet journalism, moral sermon, and theological argument. The woodcut illustration of a dark figure scything concentric circles into a field of grain has become one of the most iconic images in English supernatural literature, frequently cited in modern discussions of crop circles.
The pamphlet belongs to the rich tradition of seventeenth-century English wonder-pamphlets — cheap, sensational broadsides that reported prodigies, monstrous births, ghostly visitations, and other supernatural occurrences. These publications served as both entertainment and moral instruction, typically interpreting the wonders as divine signs or warnings. The Mowing-Devil follows this pattern precisely: the farmer's contempt for the poor is punished by supernatural intervention, proving (the author argues) the existence of devils, hell, heaven, and God, in that theological order.
Archival text reproduced from the 1678 edition. Digitized from Early English Books microfilm by the Internet Archive (identifier: bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_the-mowing-devil_1678). Long-s (ſ) regularized to modern 's'; catchwords and page numbers removed as printing artifacts. All original spelling, capitalization, and punctuation preserved. Selective italic emphasis from the original preserved where identifiable from the microfilm scan.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
🌲