other Councellors hauing assisted at the iudgement of the said Nullities three Councellors of the Parlament of Dijon named by the said decree aud three others of the sayde Court of Dijon which had assisted at the iudgement giuen against the parties accused and by sixe Masters of Requests The Processe beeing in question TABOVE fearing that which after happened to fortifie his accusation or rather to hinder the decision frames newe crimes whereof no mention had beene made in the former Processe whervnto the parties accused oppose Wherevpon the King by his Letters Pattents of the 15. of September the same yeare made a declaration that sending them to the Parliament of Paris his meaning was not that the Court should take knowledge of any other cause or crimes then those for the which the parties had been condemned in the Court of Parlament at Dijon and whereof they had complayned vnto the King the Kings Atturney generall excepted who vpon view of the sayd Processe finding the accused to bee guilty of other crimes might make pursute against them at his pleasure Moreouer they were charged by the said Letters to do right vpon the repetition of money adiudged to the said TABOVE for the pursute of the Processe The said letters were allowed and regestred the 18. of September The Parties accused are againe examined and heard by the Court vpon the crimes wherewith they were charged TABOVE is allowed to make newe productions and the accused to contradict them In the ende this cause being examined in so goodly an Assembly a definite sentence was giuen in these termes that follow The Court doing right to all and without respect to the quality of the Atturney general in the court of Chambery taken by the said TABOVE in the sayd Processe but so farre as it doth touch the corruptions and falseties pretended by TABOVE against the sayd PELISSON BOISSONNE and ROZET had absolued and did absolue the sayd PELISSON BOISSONNE and ROZET respectiuely of the sayd pretended false-hoods and did condemne the sayd TABOVE for that respect in the charges of the same sute and in domages and interest of the sayd PELISSON BOISSONNE and ROZET which domages and Interests the Court for some causes them mouing hauing taxed and moderated that is to say to the sayd PELISSON two hundred pounds to BOISSONNE foure score pounds and to ROZET the like some of 80. pounds and that besids all other expences domages and Interestes which were adiudged vnto them by a sentence of the 16. of May 1555. for the paiement of which domages and interestes the said TABOVE should remaine in prison And as for all other accusations and crimes obiected by the sayd TABOVE against PELISSON BOISSONNET and ROZET the knowledge whereof was referred to the sayd Court both they the parties were discharged by the Court and freed from farther sute without any charges domage or interest of eyther party reseruing notwithstanding power for the Kings Attorney generall to proceed against the sayde decrees of the 11. of May 1539. the 9. of March the 20. of September made in fauour of the sayd Earles of La Chambery and Bishop of Morienne by way of Nullitie and for them to make their defences to the contrary And for reparation of the false and slanderous accusa tion framed by the sayd TABOVE against PELISSON BOISSONNE and ROZET and for other misdâ—…meanors appearing as wel by the ancient as the later productions made in the sayde processe the Court had condemned the sayde TABOVE to doe penance in open Court on a day of pleading the doores being open bare-headed and bare-foote on his knees in his shert and a halter about his neck holding in his hands a burning Torche of two pound waight and then to say and declare openly with a lowd and intelligeble voyce that falsely maliciously slanderously wrongfully and against the truth hee had charged and accused the saide PELISSON BOISSONNE and ROZET of the sayde pretended falseties crimes and offences for the which he was sorry and desired pardon mercy of GOD the King the Iustice and of the said PELISSON BOISSONNE and ROZET And moreouer the Court did ordaine that the petitions and complaints exhibited vnto the King by the sayd TABOVE together with the suggestions of falshood made by him against the said parties should be defaced and rent in his presence And this done to bee led in the same sort by the Vshers of the Court and set vpon the marble Stone being at the end of the Great Stayres of the Pallace there to do the like penance and so to be carted from the same place vnto the Pillorie at the Halles in the Cittie of Paris and there being set by the Hang-man to bee turned thrice about and then to be carryed backe to the Concergery or prison of the Pallace And moreouer the Court did condemne the said TABOVE to do penance in the open Court of the said Parlament of Chambery whether he should be safely conducted and to pay two hundred pounds for a fine vnto the King and to continue in prison at Chambery vntill the full payment of the fines charges domage and interest adiudged as well to the King as to the said parties after which payment made to bee perpetually confined to the said Country of Sauoy or to any other place within this Realme that should please the King And moreouer the Court did declare his other goods confiscate to whom they did belong the said fines charges domage and interests being first payed and discharged And for certaine causes and considerations then mouing the said Court did ordaine that the saide PELISSON should be sent backe to receiue those admonitions that were appointed to bee giuen him inioyning him to keepe and cause to bee kept the Kings royall ordynances in the said Court of Chambery and not to infringe them vpon paine of an arbitrary punishment Giuen in the Parlament at Paris the eleuenth of October 1556. No Reader of iudgement ought to taxe the Iudges who haue censur'd this cause with so great contrarietie as the like hath not beene heard The Court of Dijon assured themselues in their conceits to doe well without fraud or malice Those of Paris according to their custome shewed their authority which is supreme descouering it may be some thing that was newe and not before knowne It is not for mee beeing a simple Collector and who feares to speake of such assemblies to giue any reasons of the said contrarieties It sufficeth to set downe the fact and to compare the greatnesse of the Parlament of Paris with the rest yet I may not conceale what I heard a Councellour of one of the aboue named Parliaments say that in the question of Iustice of such contrary decrees vpon a crime pleaded before the King who desired to vnderstand the truth those of Dijon had iudged according to their consciences and those of Paris iustly and according vnto Lawe Before I leaue this matter which is so exemplary and of such consequence in
neere the Village they found the child in the cradle crying and calling for meate but the poore Mother beeing opprest with payne a Feauer and with watching neither thought of her selfe nor of her little one The Phisition layes open the woman sees the section grosly sowed vp with ten or twelue stitches and prouided so well for the mother and child as both liued long after Extract out of Maist. d' AL◅EOVX letter written the 20. of December 1585 About the yeare 1550. ELIZABETH ALESPACHIN wife to IAMES NVFER a Surgion remaining in a Village called Sigers in Suisserland beeing great of her first child at the time of her deliuery beeing prest with extreame paines she called many Mid-wiues and Surgions to helpe her but all was in vaine The husband seeing his wife in that extremity tells her his minde in her care She alloweth it he goes to the Baylife of Frauvenfele acquaints him with the estate of his family and his resolution to ease his wife and craues leaue to execute what hee had determined In the ende the Bayliffe knowing his Industry and the loue hee bare vnto his Wife grants his request Hee returnes speedily to his house speakes to the Mid-wiues exhortes the most couragious to assist him and intreats the most fearefull to depart least they should faint and trouble the company for that hee did vndertake a thing which indeede was dangerous but hee hoped for a happy issue with the fauorable assistance of Almighty GOD. These women amazed at his resolution went out all except two which remayned with the Surgions to assist the Patient Her Husband hauing first called vpon GOD with an earnest prayer and shutte the Stoue carefully hee takes his Wife and layes her vpon a Table and with a sharpe Rasor makes an Incission in her belly so happily as presently the Child was taken forth without hurt to the Mother or to the little one The Mid-wiues which did hearken at the doore hearing the Child crye did knocke to enter but they forced them to stay vntill the little one was clensed and drest and the wound stitcht vp the which was closed in few dayes without any feauer or any troublesome accident to the mother who afterwardes had two Sonnes at a burthen one of the which was called IOHN NVFVR hee liued in the yeare 1583. threescore yeares olde Prouost of Sigers-Hausem Shee was brought in bedde afterwards of foure other Children As for the Sonne which was cut out of her belly he liued vnto the yeare 1577. They do yet at this day in those Quarters see the children of this Woman vnto the third and fourth generation GASPAR BAV◅IN a learned Phisition at Basill in his histories of the Caesarian deliuery I did thinke to finde in other histories which I haue among my papers that which I promised you of a Caesarian deliuery but it is among my other remembrances at my house in France I will cause it to bee brought to Montbelliard where I nowe am to send it vnto you I remember the Name of the place and of the Surgion and the yeare and month when it happened but I haue forgotten the names both of the Father and Mother The Village is in the Duchye of Bourgundy called Marsillie neere vnto Mont S. Iohn The Surgion ANTONIE ROBIN borne at Beaune and liuing at Renele Duke a man verye expert in his profession It was in Aprill in the yeare of our Lord GOD 1582. The Woman being yong and strong had beene in sore trauell two whole dayes together and yet did couragiously endure an incision the which succeeded happily The Child liued not long The mother recouered and continued long after The same Seditious Commotions caused by Exactions IN the yeare 1548. the Commons of Guyenne Santonge and Angoulemois fell into a rebellion by reason of the extorsions of the Customers and Farmers of Salt In a fewe weekes they grew to the number of fortye thousand men armed with clubbes and staues ioyning with the Ilanders By a generall consent they ran vpon the Customers and Farmers of salt although the King of Nauarre sought to appease them executing their deseigne with extreame furye against all that they could take The Commons of Gascoigne rise in diuers places the killing of certaine Officers of the Kings that had abused their places being the cause The Maior Iurates and others that bare office in Bourdeaux and the Lord of Monneins in place of the Kings Lieutenant there insteed of remedying these tumults at the beginning temporised to much especially the L. of Monneins for that he gaue way to the insolence of one of the cheefe of these Rebells called La VERGNE who grewe so bold that shortly after hee raised all the common people by the Tocsaine or larum bell Beeing shut vp in the Castle of Ha now then he sent forth certaine Harguebuziers to make the people affraide But this deuise tooke not effect for such issuings did so heate the Cittizens that hauing found la VERGNE ESTONNAC MAQVANAN and others men according to their desire they presently to armes the Customers or Exactors beeing they they sought for vnder which collour pretending they sought for the Exactors many honorable houses were spoiled vpon this the Commons being receiued into the Towne they rung the Alarum Bell no man daring to bee seene but armed and in company of some of these rebelles for otherwise they kild all they met The Counsellers of the Court of Parliament were constrained to leaue their Gownes and betake them to their Dublet and hose and Capt after the fashion of Marriners to carry a pike and march amongest the rude multitude They constrained the Lords of Saulx brethren the one Captaine of the Towne the other of the Castle called Trompette to bee chiefe and assist at the spoile of certaine of their fellowe Cittizens friends houses massacring thē before their faces The Towne-house furnished with an innumerable quantity of armes was spoiled MONEINS Lieutenant for the King verie vnaduisedly left his forte to come and make an oration to this inraged multitude where hee was by them slaine and the Carmelites in danger to haue their house spoiled for that they had buried him in their Church shortly after these spoilers beeing charged beganne to retier and the Parliament began to take courage executing some of the principall of this commotion and amongest the rest La VERGNE who was drawne in peeces by foure horses The King aduertised of this disorder writ to the Commons assuring them with speede hee would prouide for their greeuance Commanding them to cease their armes by meanes whereof euery one retired L' ESTONNAC was happely chaced out of the Castle called Trompette During this FRANCIS of Lorraine Earle of Aumale followed by foure thousand Suisses and the force of the French horse entred into Saintonges pacifying it without resistance or punnishment ANNE of Mommoran◅ie heigh Constable of France with all the forces of both armies ioyned togither in one entred by an vnaccustommed way
Algadefie was wholie ruined the houses and buildings beeing layd flat with the ground The fiue and twenty of May 1566. about three a clocke in the afternoone a clap fell vpon the Castle of Misnia burnt a floore of a Chamber melted kettles and Pannes spoiling all the Chambers entring and going out at the windowes then downe into the cellars to the great amazement of all but hurt not any person Three yeares after the nineteeneth of Iulie the thunder hauing rored from eight a clocke in the morning till foure in the afternoone the boult about one a clock light vpon the Colledge Church of the Towne-house Much Cattell and some men were found dead in the ficildes amongest other memorable accidents the lightning ceized vpon a Country fellowe who burnt all his Bodie ouer three daies after and then died The Mother of IEROME FRACASTORIVS an excellent Philosopher admirable Poet and happy Physition of our time hauing him in her armes giuing him suck was strooke with a thunder-clap and kild without any touch or hutt to the little Childe which was a presage of the glory that this excellent personage who liued long after and then died of an Apoplexie should bee crowned with Horrible fury IN the memory of our Ancestors a Carpentar of Wilsmarse a famous towne in Saxony some-times possest with a Phrensie traueling one day with some of his owne condition with out saying a worde tooke his hatchet and went towards his house where being entred he cloue in two two of his Children his Wife being great with childe hearing the noise ran to saue the third which hee left falling vpon his Wife and cut her and the fruite she bare in peeces And so being couered with bloud he returned to his companions being askt how he came so he came to his senses And then remembring what he had done he went againe to his house snatcht a knife and gaue himselfe a blow on the brest and fell downe dead vpon the ground CRANTZIVS in his 10. booke of Vandalia Of Giants IN the yeare 1511. the Emperor Mâ—…XIMILIAN 1. being at Ausâ—…ourg at an Assembly of the States they presented a man vnto him of an vnreasonable height greatnesse who at a fewe month-fulls and without any stay did eate a whole Sheep or a Calfe not caring whether it were rost or raw saying that it did but sharpen his appetite SVRIVS in his Commentary of the memorable things of our time IOACHIM the 2. of that name Elector of Brandebourg had a peasant in his Court called Little MICHEL by ANTIPHRASIS for he was eight foot high which is a great stature of a man in our time but little and small in comparison of great men in old time namely of Goliath and others about Iudea MATHEVV HORST in his collection of the combate betwixt DAVID and GOLIATH I haue seene a young mayden of a Giant-like stature whom they did carry from Towne to Towne to shewe her as a prodigious thing for the sight of whome euery man gaue some thing wherewith her Mother that conducted her and she were entertained She was in a hired Chamber by her selfe and there suffred her selfe to be seene with admiration Going as others did I inquired carefully of euery point and did learne both from herselfe and her Mother who was a woman of a meane stature that the maidens Father was not tall that in all their stocke there was not any one that exceeded the height of other persones that her Daughter vntill shee was twelue yeares olde was very little but falling at the same time into a quarten ague which had held her some monethes comming to leaue her shee beganne then to growe all her members beeing proportionable to that height so as when I did see her shee was about fiue and twenty yeares olde neither could I note from the head vnto the sole of the foote any disproportion in any of her members but a fit measure in euery one of them At this age of 25. yeares shee had not yet had her monethly Termes nature seeming to haue required and restrayned this excrementall bloud for the norrishment and preseruation of so great a body Shee was helth-full ill faced black simple and grosse writted and heauy of all her Body for the vitall vertue infused at the beginning into this body according vnto the measure due to the greatnesse of an ordinary person dispersed afterwards into so great a Masse could not with equall power shew the efficacie of his worke as in a meane bodie and experience doth shewe that vertue restrained shewes it selfe more vigorous then when it is two much dispersed for the regard of naturall causes of this extraordinary greatnesse by the meanes of the quarten ague wee will leaue the decision vnto Physitions and will not dispute with them but in a word if a person that is about the age of twelue or twentie yeares comes to growe through a sicknesse so as in proportion of Bodie shee comes to bee twise as heigh as anie other wee must confesse that this force of nature is extraordinarie and admirable We haue drawne this Historie out of MARCELLVS DONATVS a learned Physition Lib. 3. Chap. 14. Whereas he treats amply of the causes of the Giant-like height as his profession did require After the victorie which King LEVVIS the twelfth obtained at the Battaile of Lode beeing gone to Milan I found a young man in the hospitall so great as hee could not stand right vp hauing not suffycient norrishment of nature for the thicknesse of his Bodie and the proportion of his forces Hee was therefore layd vpon two beddes the one ioyned long waies vnto the other the which hee did fill with his length The Samogitiens which inhabite betwixt Prusia and Liuonia are verie talle and yet some-times they ingender Children which come to age are of a verie small stature and some-times others which growe wonderfull great SCALIGER in the 63. exercitation against CARDAN There was in our time in Bourdelois a man of an vnmeasurable heigth and greatnesse by reason whereof he was called the Giant of Bourdeaux King FRANCIS amazed to see so long a body commanded hee should be one of his Guarde Hee was a peasant of a grose spirit so as not able to applye himselfe to a Courtiers life after some dayes hee gaue ouer his Halbard and returned to his Village An honourable person who had seene him Archer of the Guarde did assure mee that hee was of such a heigth as any other man of an ordinarie stature might goe right vp betwixt his legges when hee did stride I. CHASSAGNON in his Treatise of Giants Chap. 6. In the yeare 1571 there was a Gyant seene at Paris whome euery man did runne to see Hee kept himselfe very close in an Inne and no man could haue the sight of him but in paying to see him Entring into the Chamber where hee was kept they did see with admiration a man of a strange height sitting in a Chaire but their wondring
happen to bee with child shee should presently be found guilty of Adultery Lib. 1. Of the conference of Antient wonders with moderne I haue seene with mine eyes a Gentle-man sitting by a Gentle-woman an honest Widdow whom hee sought to marrye as afterwards hee did Discoursing with her one day at Dinner a Veyne of the Temple neere vnto his Eare opened of it selfe from the which there issued and came very much blood the which he thought to stoppe with his Hand-kercher I was sitting at the table with them in a Castle whether I was called to cure a Gentleman that was sicke MAT. CORNAX lib. 1. Of his consultations of Physicke chap. 3. A yong mayden being kept from marriage grewe so sad as shee wept continually and would admit no comfort whereof followed an extreame paine in her head which bread a falling sicknes whereof soone after she died The same Author A certain Knight an Albanois hauing after great su◅e obtayned an honest Italian Widowe to his wife beeing one of the fairest women of her time after some months he grew iealous of her without any cause with a wonderfull strang passion For he had no opinion of her that shee eyther had or would wrong her honor but only he was trobled what should become of her after his death fearing least any other should enioye so rare a beauty Vpon this passion which did torment him continually he takes a furious resolution One night which was the last hauing shewed all the loue he could deuise vnto his wife who loued him sincerely in the ende he drew a naked Dagger from vnder his beds head and imbracing his wife with the one hand hee stabbed her with the other Which done he strikes himselfe to the heart and dies presently The wife not quite dead reports the whole history to such as came running ◅n at the crie of her chamber-maide and that the Knight had discouered his strange and cruell Iealousie a little before hee strooke her and then she died quietly Hist. of Italy A young Gentleman in the Emperor CHARLES the fift his Court beeing in loue with a Gentle-woman wrought so as partly by loue partly by force he had her maiden-head the which beeing knowne and hauing cōmitted this act in the Emperors Court he was committed to prison and condemned to loose his head and hauing notice giuen him ouer night that the next day should ende his life that night was so terrible vnto him and wrought such an impression as the next day comming out off prison to go before the seate of Iustice heare the sentence of death no man did know him no not the Emperor him-selfe For feare had so chaunged him that whereas the day before hee had a Vermillion hewe of a flaxen hayre and of a pleasing aspect hee was now like vnto a bodye taken out off the Graue hauing the hayre of his head and beard like to one of seuentye yeares olde and hee had the resemblance more of one that had beene hanged then of a lyuing man The Emperor thinking there had bin some fraud vsed and that some other offender had beene foysted into this Gentlemans place who was not yet 28. yeares old hee caused a search to bee made whence this wonderfull and sodaine change should come and then beholding wistly this poore offender thus terrefied the desire of iust vengeance was conuerted and turned into mercye and as it were reuiued out of a deepe amazement hee said vnto him I pardon thy offence commanding that they should let him goe adding withall that hee had beene punished sufficiently for his fault without the losse of his head LEVINVS LEMNIVS lib. 2. chap. 2. Of the complexion of mans body Where-vnto hee dooth adde certaine reasons of this strange alteration The which I heere set downe adding some words for the better explaning thereof Beeing demanded of a great personage the cause of this prodigious change I answered that wee must impute it to the deepe apprehension and attentiue thought of approching death peercing through the heart for the affection and passion of the minde beeing amazed was so violent and so bitter to the young Gentleman as the vitall spirits were almost quencht and suffocated in him all the parts of the bodye loosing their liuely and pleasing colour did wither and fade sodainely so as the rootes of the hayre nourished and watred by the fuming vapour that is betwivt the skinne and the flesh as the herbes in the ground that are toucht with a cold and drie quality they did wither and presently loose their naturall beautye for euen as the leaues of Trees and Vines in the heate of Sommer growe some times y◅alow and pale by any excesse of heate hayle rayne or a cold Northerly wind euen so the vigour of the bodye the colour the outwarde shewe the hayre which is no part but simply a dependance of the bodye takes the colour of gray or white because that which did maintayne them is quencht The which wee doe see happen to most men that haue beene in dangers in the Warres or in hazard at Sea or that haue beene toucht with dangerous diseases for then they thinke but of one thing which is that Death hath taken them by the throat if not perchance through long custome solide instruction and good resolution by the precepts of true Philosophie and by the assistance of more then a humane spirit they bee not accustomed nor vsed to feare so much The which wee see is ordinary and common in manye olde Souldiars and Martiners in regard of their long and continuall practise When as the horrour of Death surpriseth anye one or that the imagination thereof more bitter then death it selfe is framed in the thought they die sometimes before they are dying as it hath happened vnto many or else the Senses are dulled and mortefied so as the offenders feele not the stroakes as we haue seene in many that haue beene be-headed and broken vppon the Wheele resembling men that haue Apoplexies Lethargies falling-Sicknes Sowndings or like to others which open their eyes yet neither see nor knowe any man The dangers incident to Sea and Land whereas the Image of Death appeares before their eyes and doth fixe it selfe more strongely in the thought make them that are in them to tremble and looke pale the blood retires it selfe and flies from all parts towards the fortresse of the heart all the parts of the body in an instant want their norishment not any one doth discharge his due function but the feete stagger the sight growes dymme the force fayles the vnderstanding becomes blunt the spirit dull the cheekes leane and withered the tongue fumbling and the teeth shaking in the head To conclude there is no man how strong and confident so euer that is not amazed when any mortall danger surpriseth him sodainely True it is that a Christian fixing his hope in the grace of GOD recouers his spirits by little and little shakes of feare assures himselfe and becomes
touch it with my finger After shee had vomited so much water she began to cast forth lumps of haire at her mouth some as long as a mans finger some more some lesse such as wee see fall from olde Dogges in great quantitie for certaine daies enough to haue stust whole dozens of Tennice Balles She cast them vp with great heauing at the heart and much paine falling one night into wonderful transies Hauing found her in a manner like vnto one that was readie to giue vp the Ghost and carefully obseruing all things beeing layd vpon her belly I did see her cast her selfe so so dainlayd from one side vnto the other as if she had not beene presently stai'd she had beat her head against the wall oragainst the bed post She held her hands so strongly together as it was impossible to open them Sometimes she beat her breast so violently as she was like to kill her selfe This fit continued from seuen of the clock at night vntill nine and then shee knew not any one Oftentimes as in the suffocation of the Matrix she grewe wonderfully red and seemed very weary and toyled with some beginning of a Feauer Once or twise she fomed about the mouth And an other time beeing in the extremity of her fit shee fell sodainly into a great laughter and then presently wept bitterly Being come vnto her selfe and falling presently into a long extasie she began in an instant to speake as if she had addressed her selfe vnto GOD holding her hands vp to Heaueh shee spake these words in effect O great GOD seeing thy beauty is so great and incredible how long shal we remaine here when wilt thou take mee out of this World that I may inioye thee hauing said thus as it were awaking and looking on them that were about her she said Which of you hath done mee this wrong to call mee backe into this valley of misery and into the prison of darkenesse when as I did rest so sweetly and did sport my selfe in the goodliest Gardens that could be immagined I do not thinke that a simple and ignorant Maide as this was could vtter such words but in extasie In the meane time she cast vp great lumpes of hayre mixt with much white matter and very thicke and somtimes like vnto the dung of Pigions or Geese In this abundance of filth appeared little peeces of wood and shreds of Parchment A little after she had an other vomiting of a matter as black as coles you would haue said properly it had beene Inke or rather coles beaten to pouder and mixt with water the which continued a good while two or three pounds euery day sometimes with such store of white haire long hard as it would haue made a good Ball. After two dayes she did vomit about two pounds of pure bloud as if a veyne had bene opened This monstrous casting continued a whole weeke comming still at a certaine houre and then the fits of the Epilepsie wherewith she was dayly tormented ceased the which notwithstanding continued sometime once in three dayes and in the end euery seuenth day In the meane time she did still cast haire but not so aboundantlie as before but blacker and shorter as if they had beene cut small and with it a slimie humour like vnto thick matter About the middest of September she did vomit great peeces of parchment halfe a spanne long like vnto the thicke and fleshie skinne of a mans body Afterwards she cast vp others that were thinner but all black In the end shee did vomit some that were very thinne but strong amongst the which there were three a foote long made in fashion of lozenges with strange markes and figures After these skinnes followed an infinite number of stones which shee did cast vp at a certaine houre euery night with great noise and sounding such as is heard in walles that are pulled downe some were thick others pointed vnequall in forme and of a darke coullour they were all small and yet such as they did still feare the maide would haue beene strangled some were couered with Chalke and cymented together in such sort as they might be sayd to haue beene pulled out of a wall Once in my presence she did vomit a pointed stone as big as two Chest-nuts This stone remained aboue a quarrer of an houre in her throate during the which she had no pulce nor respiration so as laying a light feather vpon her mouth it did not moue her hands and feete grew colde and her body stiffe as if it had beene an Image Thinking that she had finished her course and that paine had ended all her miseries I went out of the chamber saying that she was dead when as the Mother called me sodenly back againe saying that her daughter did stirre and opened her eyes As soone as I was returned she did cast vp this stone with great violence I did see it come forth and heard the noise thereof falling into a bason the which did amaze both my selfe and all that were in the Chamber At the same instant she did spit out a peece of wood as bigge as ones thombe but with lesse difficultie then the stone and withall some black haires but few There followed after an other accident almost incredible where-with the maide had almost beene choakt for shee did vomit vp a bone of a Triangle forme sollide without and hollow and spungious within The next day shee cast vp little boanes of diuers formes and proportions Amongst all these were seene stones and haire and then peeces of Glasse and Copper CORNELIVS GEMMA sets downe the remedies which he did apply and maintaines that part of her infirmitie grew by naturall causes and part by the Impostures and illusions of the Diuill who was a chiefe Agent in these accidents which wee haue reported This Historie is written by MARCELLVS DONATVS in his second Booke of his Admirable Histories of Phisicke the first Chapter A false accusation seuerely punished MAister IVLIAN TABOVE the Kings Atturney generall in the Parliament of Chambery being incensed for some admonitions that were made vnto him by the Court goes into the Countrie and ingageth his honor by an accusation which he framed against Maister RAYMOND PELISON President IOHN BOISONNE Priest LEWIS GAVSLERANT called ROZET GRAFFINS and other councellors of the said Court charging them with many corruptions and false-hoods vnder his hand both before the great Councell and the Parliament of Grenoble vpon thirteene Acts proceeding from the foresaid President PELISSON and the aboue named Councellors The first was a sentence giuen in the sayd Parliament of Chambery for the Count de la Chambre the 11. of May 1539. The second a decree for Maister ANDREVV PILLET the 13. of Iune the same yeare Other two decrees for the Bishop of Morienne the 19. of March and 20. of December in the yeare 1540. The 5. the admonitions dated the 11. 13. and 18. of Ianuary 1541. made and deliuered to the said TABOVE
had not chewed well he swallowed it This morcell sticking to the orifice of the throate did so stop the passage as it was not possible for him to swallow any thing no not cleere water Hee could scarce breath the slimie flesh did stick so fast as the Surgions could not possibly drawe it vp nor thrust it downe After seuen dayes being rotten and dissolued it fell into the stomack so as the patient was freed from suffocation But for all this hee escaped not for his throate being inflamed with paine and the application of yrons besides his weakenesse growing through the want of nourishment by the space of seauen dayes had subdued all the forces and faculties of his life so as the foureteenth day he dyed MARCEL DONAT lib 2. of his Admirable Historics Chap. 8. An other learned Phisition doth iustifie that hee had seene one who being tormented with a pointed bone which stucke in his throate after two moneths it came forth through the skinne A Barber being to Tent a woman in the bottome of her mouth hee vnaduisedly let it slippe so as it went by her throate into her stomacke which caused such an indisposition in the poore woman as being wasted and dryed vp after shee had languished many yeares shee dyed I remember that a young man of Harlem who had swallowed Guernettes aliue they be little Fishes of the Sea which some call Squilles or Primotheres hee felt so great paine in his stomack as in the end he dyed of a consumption An other hauing swallowed three Gogions aliue was choaked with the third and dyed A certaine woman hauing vnaduisedly swallowed a needle could not be cured but in despight of all remedics hauing languished sometime in the end shee dyed all wasted and consumed CHARLES SODERIN was some-times troubled with an ague without any apparent cause whereof in the end he dyed being 35. yeares old Being opened they found a steele Needle sticking in his liuer BAZANCE a Surgion drew it forth all eaten and wasted with age and shewed it me CHARLES being but three yeares old had swallowed it by chance NERVEE a Phisition of Florence in his obseruations Barbarous People made milde and gentle through wisedome ROBERT of Saint Seuerin a very valiant Captaine in his time making a voyage into Syria and going towards Mont Sina to accomplish a certaine vowe made by him according to the deuotion of those times hauing descouered certaine troupes of horse which came towards him he demanded of them which did conduct him from the Sultā what people they were Whē they had answered him trembling that they were Arrabians the most dāgerous theeues in the world with out any shewe of amazement but incorraging his companie hee said vnto them that they must vnlade their carriages to the ende that those which came might finde dinner readie as soone as they were arriued whereof they had great neede considering that they had beene much tormented with heat and dust And whilest his people did what he had commanded he went to meete them and saluted them after a gratious manner being by nature a goodly personage both for his stature and countenance making much of them and seeming to haue no distrust of them but with a smiling countenance he tould them by his truch-man that they were wel-come Which words beeing pleasing to these Arrahian theeues they did willingly accept the offer which he made them so as they dined cheerefully with him and after they had receiued some small presents they went their way hauing forgotten all their barbarous crueltie and giuing him many thankes for his good cheere In this report wee see of the one part an act of great Iudgement hee falling sodenly and vnawares into the hands of men without mercie and on the other side an act of great humanity of men which seemed to haue nothing humaine but the face and in crueltie receyuing the nature of Lions Tigers and other sauage Beastes So as in my iudgement the Poets would not haue giuen much lesse commendations to this Captaine then they gaue to ORPHEVS for that with the sweete sound of his harpe hee had mollefied the hearts of cruell and sauage Beastes Conformitie of ancient wonders with moderne Light Hurts proued mortall A Brother of mine called Captaine Saint Martin being three and twenty yeares old who had made sufficient proofe of his valour playing at Tenis hee receiued a blowe with a ball which did hit him a little aboue the right eare without any shewe of contusion or hurt He did neyther set downe nor tooke any rest for it but fiue or sixe houres after he died of an Apoplexie which this blowe did cause A quarrell beeing betwixt two young men the one gaue the other a boxe vnder the eare wherevpon hee fell into an Apoplexie and died within fewe houres after He that strooke him was presently put in prison and the Physitions were called for to knowe their opinions vpon the cause of this yong mans death Some did attribute it to the blowe it selfe saying that the matter had beene mooued there-with others imputed it to repletion and superfluity of humors caused through excesse of eating and drinking others to the humidity of the place whereas death had before long slept This diuersity of opinions stayed the Iudge from pronouncing of a definitiue sentence We haue also knowne a fuller of cloth called PETER who slue a young man with his fist hitting him on the stomacke ANT. BENIVENIVS in the 110. Chap. of his Physicall examples ARDOVIN du FERRIER a yong youth of 13. yeares age was lightly hurt with a ◅allowe staffe on the head being cast by chance out at a garret windoe There was no fracture nor breach to bee seene at all but the sixt day there grewe an inflamation in the wound the next day a Convulsion and a palsey in the right thigh and left arme with a feuer and a fenzie and the eleuenth day hee died FR. VALLERIOLA in the. 1. obseruation of his 3. booke Wounds cured FRANCIS of Lorraine Earle of Aumale and after-wards Duke of Guise s◅aine before Orleance was sore wounded before Boulleyne with a Lance the which entred vnder the right eye declyning towards the nose past throgh betwixt the nape of the necke the eare with such violēce as the head with a peece of the Lance was broken and stucke in his head so fast as they could by no meanes drawe it out but with a Smithes pincers Notwithstanding all this great violence which was not without some fracture of bones sinewes Veines Artieres other parts yet he was cured and liued many yeares after hee was afterwards slaine at the seege of Orleance in the end of the first ciuill warres in our time in France The Historie of our time HENRY of Lorraine his Sonne in an incounter nere vnto Dormans in the yeare 1575. hauing had the better and pursuing some that fled receiued a shot with a pistoll in the cheeke some sayd it was with a harguebuse
the Mother had also giuen him the like councell to escape but GOD by his power did so staie him as hee had no power to flie Beeing carried to prison and examined at the first hee couered his parricyde accusing his Father that hee had slaine himselfe But his excuses beeing found friuolous hee was condemned to haue his right hand cut off then to bee pinched with hot pincers and in the ende hanged by the feete vpon a gibet and strangled with a stone of sixe score pound which should bee hanged at his necke A wicked counterfet beeing prisoner with him aduised him to appeale vnto Paris But hauing freely confessed the Parricide hee reuoked his appeale and was executed The History of our times Of the Heart of man Diuers Histories thereof in our time HAuing perced an Impostume grown of a long time vpon the seauenth turning ioynt where through the venom of his corruption it had made a great ouerture and gnawne the innermost membrane of the heart those which were present beheld one part of the heart which I did shewe them A. BENIVENIVS in his booke de abditis causis Chap. 42. Two Bretheren gentlemen falling out at tables the one of them gaue the other a wound with his knife iust on the seege of the heart the hurt gentleman bleeding exceedingly was carried and layed on a bed whereas all signes of death appeered Beeing sent for I applied that to the heart which I thought â—…it to strengthen it The patient hauing beene as it were at deathes doore vntil midnight beganne to come to himselfe and hauing vsed all the meanes possible I could deuise for his preseruation at length I sawe him cured whereby I knewe the heart had not beene perished as at the first I doubted but the filme or Capsula thereof called PERICALDION by the Greekes was lightly tainted The same Author Chap. 65. We haue seene ANTHONY ALâ—…IAT hurt and hauing his Pericordian vntoucht True it is that hee did sigh very much and lowd The internall parts beeing hurt bring death foure waies either through necessity of their function and office as the Lunges or by reason of the excellency of their nature as the Hart or through much losse of bloud as the Liuer the great arteries and veines or through the malignity of Symptomes and accidents as the neruie parts the ventricle and bladder Although some parts be incurable yet are they not mortall of absolute necessity otherwise death would ensue vpon the incurable hurts of boanes gristles and lygaments The Pericordion then is not mortall of it selfe but because it is impossible to attaine it without offending many other noble parts CARDAN in his Commentarie on the Aphorismes of Hipocrates booke 6. apb 18. Anatomizing a Scholler of mine dead in the Vniuersitie of Rome I found that this yong man had no Pericardion by meanes whereof in his life-time hee swounded very often and seemed as one dead through which defect at length hee died COLVMBVS booke 15. of his Anatomy A certaine Theefe being taken downe from the gallowes where he had bene hanged and not quite strangled was carefully looked vnto and recouered But like an vngratious wretch as he was returning to his old trade againe hee was apprehended and throughly hanged Wherevpon we would needes Anatomize him and wee found that his heart was all heary Which is likewise reported among the Grecians of Aristomenes of Hermogenes the Rhetorician of Leonydas of Lysander and others namely of a dog that ALEXANDER the great had This haire denotes not onely promptitude of Courage and peruerse obstinacy but many times valour contemning all danger BENIVENIVS in Chap. 83. de Abditis causis Vpon a certaine time making the Anatomy of a man at Ferrara wee found his heart cleane couered ouer with haire and indeede he had beene all his life time a desperate ruffian and a notable theefe AMATVS the Portingale in Centur. 6 Cur. 65. Being at Venice and present at the execution of a very notorious theefe the hangman that quartered his bodie found his heart meruailous hairye M. A. Muret booke 12. of his dyuers readings Chap. 10. I haue seeâ—…e the sepâ—…um that distinguisheth the ventrycles of the heart to be a gristle in some mens Bodies in others the left ventricle wanting or so little as it could hardly bee discerned Columb booke 15. of his Anatomy I found in two mens bodies that I opened a boane in the rootes of the great artery and of the arteryall vaine CORN GEMMA in the 2. booke of his Cyclognomia pag 75. In another I found a little boane betweene the gristly circles of the heart the chiefe artery and arteriall veine like to the boane which is commonly found in the heart of a stagge CORN GEMMA in the 1. booke Chap. 6. of his Cosmocritif Doctor MELANCHTHON in his first booke of the Soule testifies of CASIMIR Marquise of Brandebourg a Prince greatly afflicted in his life time with sundry griefes and consumed with long watchings that beeing opened after his decease the humor enclosed in the fylme of the heart was â—…ound quite dried vp and the heart so scorched that it was like a peare burnt in the fire TH. IORDAN in the 1. booke of signes of the plague Chap. 16. Not long since a Romaine gentleman died after hee had languished along time Being opened no heart appeared neither was there any part of it but the fylme left the vnmeasurable heate of his long sicknesse hauing wholy consumed it BERN. IELASIVS in the 28. Chap. of the 5. booke of the nature of things A young Prince being sickly and very much troubled with a payne at the heart assembled a great many Physitions togither for to consult of his dissease Among others there was a young practitioner who declared how he had read in certaine notes that the vse of garlick euerie morning expells a kinde of worme that feedes vpon the heart But both the remedy and the young man that propounded it were despised Not long after this Prince died and his body was opened by the commandement of his Father for to see the cause of his sicknesse death The dissection made they found a white worme hauing a sharpe bill of horne like a pâ—…llets gnawing the heart The Physitions tooke it aliue and layd it on a table in a circle made of the iuyce of garlick The worme began to writh and wriggle euery way still eschuing the iuyce that compassed it about Finally surmounted by the strength and sauor of the garlick it died within the circle to the astonishment of those that had despised so easie a remedie I. HEBANSTEIF in his treatise of the plague It is not long agoe that in the great Duke of Tuscans Court a certaine Florentine beeing assistant at the merry conceites of a pleasant iester was suddainly seized with vnexpected death whereat the company and his friends being much abashed for their better satisfaction after he was knowne to bee starke dead they had him opened and there was
no cause discerned of such a death but only a liue worme which the A◅atomists found in the capsula or filme of the heart P. SPHARER Physition in his Obseruations A certaine woman hauing voyded for the space of many da◅es together a thick and purulent vrine at length died and beeing opened was found interressed in the heart with certaine impostumes and two stones I. HOVLIER Comment 1. on the 6. booke sect 2. aphoris 4. of HIPPOCRAT and the Comment on the 75. aph of the 4. booke The Emperour MAXIMILIAN the second had three little stones found in his heart of the bignes of a pease but not of equall quantity and weight In his life time hee was very much afflicted with a panting of the heart I. WIER in the 4. booke Chap. 16. of the impostures of euill spirits In the heart of IEROME SCHEIBER that died at Paris in the yeare 1547. was opened in the presence of SYLVIVS HOVLIER FERNEL professors in Physick there was foūd an hard blackish roūd stone as big as a nutmeg and weyghing Certaine drammes to the great wonder of all men AER MVRGEL Physition In diuers mens hearts there are found Cornes or hard things like vnto stoanes of the bignes of a nut in others fat in the ventricles or verie thicke Carnosities sometimes of two pounde weight or other substance like the marrowe of sodden beefe Also tumors impostumes of the bignes of an hens egge which in some haue caused co◅ruption of the membrane of the heart in others wasting of the heart it selfe in others mattory and long congealed vlcers The History of them are described by the Doctors of Physick BENIVENIVS IACOT VESALIVS ERASTVS COLVMBVS FERNELIVS HOVLIER IOVBERT and others in their obseruations Commentaries and disputations Which it shall suffise to haue touched in a worde Touching the hurts of the heart FERNELIVS in the fi◅t booke of his Panthologia Chap. 12. holds that if they bee not deepe and penetrated farre into the ventricles of the heart the person hurt dies not presently To which effect IOHN SCHENCK of Grafenberg Doctor of Phisick at Fribourg recounts in the 2. booke of his Physickall Obseruations Obserue 209. that hee had heard a learned Physition tell how a certaine scholler studying at Ingolstad beaing stabbed with a poygnard into the heart the two ventricles wherof were found pearced through and through ranne a good way bleeding and liued a full houre after speaking and cōmending himselfe to GOD. I protest I haue seene a gentleman at Thurin which fought with another that gaue him a thrust vnder the left pappe penetrating euen into the substance of the heart and yet for all that he struck diuers blowes at his enemy that ranne away from him pursuing him the length of two hundred pace and then fell downe dead to the ground After which I opened him and found a wound in the very substance of the heart so bigge that one might haue laid his finger in it and a great quantity of bloud falne vpon the Diaphragma AMER PARE in the 9. Booke Chap. 32. Of Comets IN this Section I will briefly represent the Comets seene in Europe for these hundred yeares or thereabouts adding that which GARCEVS in his Meteorologie LICHOSTENES and others haue obserued vpon this point In the yeare 1500. in the moneth of Aprill a Comet appeared in the North vnder the signe of Capricorne The same yeare Prince CHARLES was borne afterwards Emperor the 5. of that name and SOLYMAN Sultan of the Turkes Soone after folowed the spoile which the Tartares made in Polonia the famine in Swabe a plague throughout all Germanie the taking of Naples by the French A rising of the peasants in the Bishop rike of Spire against the Bishop and the Canons the taking of Modon and some other places in Morea by the Turkes ISMAEL Sophie expelled out of the kingdome of Persia by the Turkes whereof they ceazed The second yeare after the plague made a horrible spoile almost throughout all the whole world the which had for fore-runners figures of crosses falling out of the ayre vpon mens clothes A warre followed in Bauaria two yeares after this plague after the which many great men both spirituall temporal died The Emperor MAXIMILIAN the 1. vanquished the Guelders and then the Hongariens whom he reduced vnder his obedience In the yeare 1506. a Comet appeared in August towards the North couering the signes of Leo and Virgo hauing neere vnto the Chariot a thick and shining taile stretched out betwixt the wheeles of this Chariot for which cause some Astronomers called it the Peacocks taile In September after died PHILIP the 1. king of Spaine father to CHARLES and FERDINAND Emperors The same yeare the Turkes were defeated in battaile by the Persians and on the other side they tooke Modon in Morea from the Christians and defeated their fleete Then followed a ciuill warre betwixt BAIAZET and his sonne SELIM and FRANCIS SPORCE Duke of Milan was taken in Italy by the French As for that which happened in the following yeares the History of our time doth shew it as well in respect of warres Inundations death of famous men and merueilous alterations in Europe the causes whereof we will attribute to the iust iudgements of GOD punishing the sinnes of the world we say only that Comets seeme oftentimes to be fore-runners and Trumpets of the wonderfull iudgements of the Lord as a French Poet speaking of a Comet seene in the yeare 1577. said in the 2. day of his weeke O frantick France why doost not thou make vse Of the strange signes whereby the Heauens induce Thee to repentance canst thou teare-lesse gaze Euen night by night on that prodigious blaze That hairy Comet that long streaming Starre Which threatens Earth with Famine Plague and Warre The Almighties Trident and three forked fire Wherewith he strikes vs in his greatest ire But let vs consider the other Comets according to the order of the yeares In Nouember 1523. there was seene a Comet and soone after the heauens seemed all on fire casting forth infinite flames of lightning vpon the earth the which did tremble afterwards there hapned strange Inundations of water in the realme of Naples Soone after followed the taking captiuity of Francis 1. King of France Germanie was troubled with horrible seditions LEVVIS King of Hungary was slaine in battaile against the Turkes There were wonderfull stirres throughout all Europe and Rome was taken and spoiled by the imperiall Armie In the same yeare of the taking and sack of Rome which was 1527. there was seene another more fearefull Comet then the precedent there followed after it the great spoiles which the Turkes made in Hungary a famine in Swabe Lombardie and at Venice warre in Zuitzerland the siege of Vienna in Austria the Sweat in England the ouer-flowing of the Sea in Holland and Zeland where it drowned a great Country and an Earthquake in Portugall which continued eight dayes In the yeare 1531. from
she was sick she made no account neither of children kinsfolkes friends nor of any other thing in the world And when her husband many times brought their children vnto her she sayd nothing but God blesse you God be your Father and Mother and to the yongest of them Hah little Souldiar She neuer commended them but once vnto her husband And after that shee beheld them with a regardlesse eye A quarter of an houre before her departure she called for her Petti-coate to rise and as she was about to go out of her bed she desired to be made vnready and being laid downe againe she sent for her husband and vsed these words vnto him Behold the end of my desire and the beginning of my felicitie IESVS CHRIST is my hope Good husband I desire but one thing of you Pray vnto GOD for me Her husband and children being prostrated on their knees after an earnest praier vnto GOD she closed her eyes as if she had been going to sleepe died with a sweeter countenance then euer she had had in al her life before Extracted out of my Memorials Demoniacks Examples of diuers illusions of Sathan ALthough there be many times some naturall causes of phrensie or madnesse yet is it without question that the Diuill entreth into certaine persons and in them causeth furies torments either with naturall causes or without them seeing such as are so diseased be often cured by remedies which are not naturall Many times also such spectacles are so many prodigies and predictions of things to come Some do◅en yeares since a woman in the country of Saxony which could neither write nor read being tormented of the Diuill and her fit being past she talked both in Greeke and Latin of the warre of Saxony that happened afterward and pronounced words in Greeke and Latin the sence whereof was that there would be great trouble vpon earth and sedition among the people PH. MELANCHTHON in one of his Epistles Foure yeares before that there was a Maide in the Marquisate of Brandebourg who pulling away the haires from the Furre of any ones garment that came before her those hayres were presently turned into peeces of the country money which this maid gnawed on with an horrible grating of her teeth There were diuerse that hauing snatched some of those peeces out of her hand found them to be very money indeed and do keepe them still This maide was very much tormented at times but within a while after she was thoroughly cured and euer since liued in good health She was often-times prayed for and neuer any other ceremonie was vsed The same I haue heard that in Italy there was a woman a very idiot possessed of the Diuell who being demanded of LAZARVS BONAMI a very learned personage accompanied with his Schollers which was the best verse in VIRGIL suddenly answered Discite institiam moniti non temnere Diuos This sayd shee is the best and worthiest verse that euer VIRGIL made get thee gone and come no more to tempt me PH. MELANCHTHON in his epistles G. PRVCER in the 1. booke of his Comentary of Diuinations Chap. 9. P. BOVISTAV in 26. Chap. of his Prodigious Histories ANTHONY BENIVENIVS in the 8. Chap. of his booke of the hidden causes of diseases writeth that hee sawe a young woman of the age of 1◅ yeares whose hands bowed very strangely backwards assoone as a certaine paine tooke her in the bottom of her belly At her fearefull cryes her belly swelled so big that one would haue thought shee had beene gone 8. moneths with child finally she lost her breath and not able to continue in a place shetumbled from one side of the bed to the other putting her head many times betweene her legges as if she would haue plaid some tumbling trick Then being questioned concerning that which had be falne her she neuer remembred any such matter But searching saith he the causes of this disease we were of opinion that it proceeded from a suffocation of the Matrix and from malignant vapours fuming vpward to the detriment of the heart and braine Whervpon we endeuoured to ease her with medicines but that seruing to no purpose she became more outragious then before and at last began to vomit long crooked Yron nailes tagges of points filled within with waxe and wound all about with hayres and so great a portion of her breakfast that it was not possible for any man whatsoeuer to swallowe it whole Hauing sundry times began such manner of vomitings in my presence I mistrusted that shee was possessed of an euill spirit which charmed the eyes of the assistants whilst he cast those things abroad As presently therevpon it was verified by more apparent signes proofes for afterward we heard her making predictions doing other things which surpassed all vehemencie of sicknesse yea all humaine vnderstanding I WIER in the 4. Booke of diabolical impostures Chap. 6. MEINOR CLATH a Gentleman dwelling at Boutenbrouck a Castle in the Duchie of Iuilliers had a seruant named WILLIAM who 14. yeares together was tormented of the Diuill One day swelling mightily about the throate and looking very pale so that they were affraid he would haue falne downe IVDITH his Mistresse a very honest Gentlewoman gathering her folkes together began to call vpon GOD where-vpon there suddainly issued out of this WILLIAMS mouth amongst other trash all the fore-part of a Shepheards breeches Flint-stones some whole some broken little bottoms of thred a false head of haire needles a peece of a boyes silke doublet and a Peacocks feather Being demanded concerning the cause of his sicknesse hee answered that he met with a woman hard by Camphuse which blowed in his face from whence he thought it proceeded But afterward when he was well he confessed that this accusation was not true and that he was induced by the diuill to say so Furthermore he added that all those prodigious things came not out of his body but were throwne against his mouth by the Diuell whilst they saw him vomit One day being more carefully looked vnto by reasō they were afraid he would haue done himselfe some mischiefe his eyes remained so fast closed together that it was impossible to open thē At length GERTRVDE CLATHS eldest daughter of some 12. yeares of age comming vnto him exhorted him to pray to GOD that it would please him to restore his sight againe wherevpon WILLIAM desired her to pray which she did and her eies were immediatly opened to the great amazement of all that were present The Diuil often perswaded him not to giue eare eyther to his Mistresse or any other that troubled his head with talking to him of GOD who could not helpe him seeing hee was once dead as hee had heard it publickly preached Another time striuing to put his hand vnder the Kitchin-maides clothes and shee rating him for it by his name hee answered in a big voice My name is not WILLIAM but BEELZEEVB wherevnto his Mistresse
into Bourdeaux and beeing possest of all without blowe stroken tooke from the Citizens by vertue of his commission all there tittles recordes and documents of their rightes and priuiledges depriued them of all their honours burnt all their priueleges caused the Court Parliament to cease disarmed all the Inhabitantes tooke downe their Belles depriued them of all their Immunities and Freedomes constrayning the principalls of the Towne to the number of a hundred and fortie to goe seeke the Bodie of the Lord of Monneins at the Carmelites and to remooue it with mourning to Saint Andrewes where it is Interred hauing first with a wax Candle lighted in their handes asked mercie of almightie GOD the King and Iustice before the lodging of the Constable L'ESTONNAC the two Brothers of SAVLX and others had their heads cut off The Marshalles Prouost with a stronge troupe ranne through the Country of Burdelois BAZADOIS and AGENOIS executing them that had caused the larum Bell to bee rung In the ende the two Colonells of the commons called TAILEMAIGNE and GALAFFRE were taken who were broken vpon the wheele beeing first crowned with a Crowne of burning Iron as a punnishment of the souerainty they had vsurpt Certaine monethes after Burdeaux was established in her former estate and after the leauying some summes of money the exactiōs that were cause of these troubles were abolished History and Annales of France vnder HENRY the second Diuers remarkable commotions happened with in this hundred yeares in diuers parts of the world you shall read GOD willing in the following volumes for this time wee present you with the precedent History as an essay of the rest Prodigious spirits IT is not long since there died one CONSTANTIA who counterfeited most sorts of voices some-times hee would singe like an Nightingale who cold not chant diuision better then hee some-time brey like an Asse some-times grumble and barke like three or foure Dogges fighting togither counterfecting him that beeing bitten by the other went crying away with a Combe in his mouth hee would counterfeit the winding of a Cornet all these things hee did so excellent well as neither the Asse nor the Dogges nor the Man that winded the Cornet had any aduantage of him I haue seene and spoken with such a one oftentimes at my owne house but aboue all that which is most admirable is that hee would speake somtimes with a voice as it were inclosed in his stomacke without opening his lippes or very little at all in such manner as if hee were neere you and called you would haue thought the voice had come from a farre and so as diuers of my friends haue beene often deceiued by him Maister PASQVIER in the fift booke of his Recherches of France There is also there recited two other examples of prodigeous Spirits which I will adde to the other The first is of one MOVLINET an ancient French Poet who reports that hee hath seene a man that sunge both the note and ditty of a songe very readily at one time The other is of a young man that came to Paris in the yeare 1445. Not aboue twentie yeares olde who knewe these are the wordes of a Notary of that time all the seauen liberall Artes by the Testimonie of all the learned Clerkes of the Vniuersitie of Paris and could play on all kinde of Instrumentes singe and sett better then any other exceeding all in Paris and there abouts in painting and limming a very expert Souldiar playing with a two hand sworde so wonderfully as none might compare with him for when hee perceiued his enemie comming hee would leape twentie or foure and twentie footes vpon him Hee was also a Maister in Artes a Doctor in Phisick a Doctor of the Ciuill and Cannon Lawe a Doctor in Diuinity And for certaine hee hath disputed with vs of the Colledge of Nauar beeing fiftie in number of the best Schollers in Paris and with more then three thousand other Schollers to all which questions asked him hee hath answered so boldly as it is a wonder for them that haue not seene him to beleeue it Hee spake Latin Greeke Hebrewe Caldey Arabique and many other tongues Hee was a Knight at armes and verily if it were possible for a man to liue an hundreth yeares without eating drinking or sleeping and continually studying yet should he not attaine to that knowledge that he had done certainlie it was a great astonishment to vs for hee knew more then in humaine reason might be comprehended Hee vnderstood the foure Doctors of the Church and to conclude not to bee parareld in the world for wisedome Behold then this prodigious spirit with some others that we haue seene in our Time amongst whom was IOHN PICVS and IOHN FRANCIS PICVS his Nephew Princes of Mirandola IVLIVS CAESAR SCALIGER and others for the most part dead some other yet liuing whom I will forbeare to name Sparkles of Fire IT hath happened in my time to a Carmelite Friar that alwayes and as oft as hee put back his hood one might see certaine sparkles of fire come from the haire of his head which continued in him for the space of thirteene yeares together Madam of Caumont if she combed her haire in the darke seemed to cast forth certaine sparkles of fire from her head SCALIGER in his excersitations against CARDAN It happened vpon a time to a certaine Preacher in Spaine that from the crowne of his head downe to his shoulders one might see a flame of fire issue which was held for a great miracle HERMOLAVS BAREARVS in the fourth Booke of his Phisickes Chap. 5. Fantastiques THere are some Nations that when they are eating they couer themselues I know a Lady yea one of the greatest who is of opinion that to chew is an vnseemly thing which much impaireth their grace and beautie and therefore by her will she neuer comes abroad with an appetite And a man that cannot endure one should see him eate and shunneth all company more when he filleth then when he emptieth In the Turkish Empire there are many who to excell the rest will not be seene when they are a feeding and who make but one meale in a weeke who mangle their faces and cutt their limmes and who neuer speake to any body who thinke to honour their nature by disnaturing themselues O fanaticall people that prize them selues by their contempt mend by their empayring what monstrous beast is this that makes himselfe a horror to himselfe whom his delights displease who tyes himselfe vnto misfortune MONTAIGNE in his third booke of Essayes Chap. 5. I cannot keepe any Register of my actions Fortune hath set them so lowe I keepe them in my fantasie I haue seene a Gentleman that did not communicate his life but by the operation of his belly One might see by him at his rising a roe of close stooles to serue for seuen or eight dayes The same MONTAIGNE Women that haue become Men. IN a place called Esquirie nine leagues
from Coymbra in Portugall dwelt a Knight the Father of a Damsell called MARY PACHECO who being come to the age that Maidens are accustomed to haue their Flowers insteed of them issued a virill member which had laine hidden within vntill then so as of a woman she became a man went apparreld like a man changing name aswell as Sex and was called EMANVEL PACHECO This new man went into the East Indies and returned very rich with the reputation of a braue Caualiero marrying afterwards a Noble Dame That which I haue read in HYPOCRATES in his sixt Booke of the popular diseases of PITHVLIA the wife of PYTHEVS and in PLYNIE 7. Booke 4. Chap. hath imbouldned mee to set before you a History that I would neuer tell any body of thinking it had beene a tale made for pleasure A friend of mine of good authority and worthy of beleefe hath told me that in a certaine place of Spaine a young woman being married to a poore labourer entred into some difference with him eyther through iealousie or some other cause This diuision grew so hotte that the wife finding one night the clothes of a young man that lay there apparrelled her selfe in them and away shee went to gette her liuing as a man In this case whether it were the powerfull working of Nature in her or the burning and excessiue imagination shee had to see her selfe so well and orderly fitted like a man was the cause of this effect but she became a man and married another wife keeping it secret vntill it chanced that a certaine man that before had knowne her comming to the place where shee was and comparing the resemblance of this man with the woman he had knowne before Hee said vnto her Am not I your brother Then this woman made man putting her trust in him discouered vnto him what had happened praying him to keepe it secret IOVIANVS PONTANVS writes of a woman of Gaiette in the kingdome of Naples who after that shee had liued forty yeares married to a poore Fisher-man was changed into a man who because he was mockt with it entred into a Monastery of Monkes where he reports to haue knowne him and dying he was buried at Rome in the Church of our Lady called Minerua Hee addes moreouer that another called AEMELY hauing beene married to one called ANTHONY SPENSE for the space of 12 yeares was in the end changed into a man married a wife hauing first by the commandement of FERDINAND King of Scicilia restored her dowry In our time there hath beene one seene at Bruxels in Brabant called PETER that before was called ELIZABETH for that before she had beene a woman The French forces passing at Vitry I saw a mā whom the Bishop of Soysons at confirmation called GERMAINE whom all the Inhabitants had knowne to haue bin a woman for 22. yeares space was called MARY making saith he some extraordinary leape the virill members came forth there is yet a Song in vse among the Maidens of that place that warneth them that they make no extraordinarie leapes least they become boyes as MARY GERMAINE did MONTAIGNE in the first booke of his Essayes Bodily strength THere hath beene in our time in the kingdome of Galitia one called the Marshall PETER PARDO of Ribabadineira who was at deadly enmity with a certaine Bishop the reason could not be knowne yet at the mediation of certaine friends who sought to take vp the matter and make them friends hee consented to an enter-view As they drew neere together this Marshall feigning that he had forgot all that was past and that he would be friends with the Bishop hereafter ranne to imbrace him But it was a deadly imbrace to the Bishop for it was so rude locking him so fast in his armes as hee brused his sides crusht his Heart and Intrailes so as hee left him dead in the place I haue seene a man in the Towne of Ast who in the presence of the Marquis of P◅scara handed a Piller of Marble three foote long and one foote in Diameter the which he cast high into the ayre then receiued it againe in his armes then lasht it vp againe sometime after one fashion some time after another as easilye as if he had beene playing with a Ball or some such little thing Hee brought from the Shambles certaine Oxe feete newly cut off set a Knife vpon one of them and with a blow of his fist cut it a crosse in two pecces he tooke another Oxe-foote and brake it against his fore-head as if it had beene against a peece of Marble without hurting him-selfe at all In my presence he tooke another and with his fist broke it into diuerse small peeces There was at Mantoa one named RODAMAS a man of a little stature but so strong as hee wreathed and broke with his hands a Horse-shooe and a Cable as big as a mans arme as easily as if they had beene small twine threds mounted vpon a great horse and leading another by the bridle hee would runne a full Carire and stop in middest of his course or when it liked him best SIMON MAIOLVS an Italian Bishop in his Canicular dayes Col. 4. In the yeare 1582. in the months of May and Iune at a solemne feast of the circumcision of MAHVMETT the sonne of AMVRATH Emperor of the Turkes was seene amongst many other actiue men one among the rest most memorable a lusty man and wonderfull strong worthy to bee compared with that most famous MILO of Crotonne who for proofe of his prodigious strength lifted vp a peece of wood that twelue men had much a doe to raise from the earth which he tooke and put vpon his shoulders where hee caried it without any helpe of his hands and afterwards lying downe flat his shoulder and his thigh tyed together he bore vpon his brest a great waighty stone that ten men had rowled thether making but a iest of it And which is a thing yet more wonderfull foure men stood leaping with long peeces of wood vpon his belly Besides this hee brake with his teeth and hands a Horse-shoe with such force that one part remained betweene his teeth and the rest in two peeces in either hand one At the third blow with his fist he brake a Plow-share hee lickt the Plow-share with his tongue being taken red hotte out of the fire he was couered with a great pile of stones but he neuer sturd one iot but remained firme and inuiolable as if he had beene planted there The same man with his teeth onely sadled bridled and harnest a Horse with many other wonders which got him much money and praise of all by reason of his extraordinary force GEORGE LEBELSKI a Polander in his Description of things done at Constantinople at the Circumsition of the Sonne of AMVRATH 1582. Amongst the Germaines of our time there are two recorded for strength GEORGE Baron of Fronsberg and IOHN Baron of Schuartzbourg they easily broke
in Daulphine He desiring to do some seruice to the King of Nauarre as also to auoide the charge that ALLARD and his put him to aduertised the King that beside the quality of Embassador ALLARD maintayned he had assured meanes to come by fiue millions of gold and vpward ALLARD beeing come beefore the King of Nauarre and hauing presented him with letters from the Lord of Dediguieres and confirmed the contents therof by word of mouth he was reasonable wel accouÌ„ted of for a time In the meane whyle the King of Nauarre going to Rochell and ALLARD in his trayne certaine shippes of Sweath land chanced to arriue in the Hauen at Rochell The Capitaines merchants and Maisters whereof hearing of ALLARD with whom they had spoken told some of their acquaintance that ALLARD was a CoÌ„nicatching knaue which had seduced the king of Sweath-laÌ„d with a companion of his a Gascoigne borne was cause of the deuision that happened betweene the King of Sweathland his brother which had set al the realme on an vproare The impostor perceiuing hee was discouered got him presently away with his followers to the late King HENRY the 3 to the Queene mother vnto whom he declared at large what meanes hee had to serue them by putting them in possession of those fiue millions of gold before mentioned and a farre greater summe As also how hauing beene very much vrged by the King of Nauarre to shewe him the place where such great treasures lay and the meanes to come by them because hee would not be constrained so to do he had retired him-selfe as it were euen out of the closet of the Court and seruice of the sayd King of Nauarre The King and his Mother glad of such newes gaue good entertainmeÌ„t to ALLARD whose comming being published in the Court amongest many others he insinuated himselfe into the company of Monsieur de CLERVAN gaue him to vnderstaÌ„d that he had papers of great importance at Rome which hee could not well come by but by meanes of the Suissers who if they would but write vnto the Pope about them he should be sure to haue them restored againe for their sakes Wherfore he promised if they wold procure him those papers to giue theÌ„ 60000. Dollers which the towne of Nuremberg ought him with the interest of it for twelues yeares after 5. in the hundreth by the yeare so that in all it amouÌ„ted to the sum of 96. thousand Dollars CLERVAN thervpon went to his Baronny of Coppet where hauing taken order for certaine priuate affaires of his owne he rode to Berne some two daies iourney and an halfe from thence there he acquainted diuers Lords of that Canton with the whole matter desiring theÌ„ that they would take vpoÌ„ them to write vnto the Pope for to haue those papers againe and draw that profit into their Cofers They answered it was to be feared least ALLARD were some Cunnicatcher and that hauing accesse vnto the Queene Mother who was greatly fauoured of the Pope that loued not them he needed not to employ any other but her in the matter Or if ALLARD desired any other course that he should repaire to the fiue small Cantons their allyes Here-with CLERVAN returned to Coppet which was fast by Geneua where hee talked with a great Merchant called IOHN TERNAVLT about the matter requested him to communicate it to Coronell PSIFFER of Lucerne AMMAN LVCY of Vnderwald and other Lords of the 5 Cantons being at that instant in those quarters which was executed they harkned vnto it reseruing the conclusion vntill such time as they bad conferred in person with ALLARD and CLERVAN who being aduertised that these Switzer Lords were come into France which was about Nouember and December 1582. they went vnto them to Paris where hauing made some entry into the matter it was resolued they should meet at St. Iames his Hospitall to conclude this affaire All was agreed on condition that ALLARD should forth-with assigne ouer the lords of Nurembergs specialties touching thâ—… principall interest aâ—…ore said amouÌ„ting to the sum of 96000. Dollors whereof the Lords of the fiue Cantons should haue three fift parts amounting to 57600. And CLERVAN TERNAVLT the rest equally deuided betwixt theÌ„ which was 19200. Dollars to each of them Besides ALLARD was to furnish 6500. Crownes in ready money for the voyage to Rome wherin TERNAVLT was to be emploied In these agreements PSIFFER a man of â—…ound iudgement stood stiffe in his first opinion that ALLARD was a notorious Impostor Neuertheles he so oiled his toÌ„gue hauing the French Dutch and Italian naturally that in a new assembly with these Lords he declared vnto theÌ„ after a demure and graue manner as his custome was that he was about to contract with the King vnto whom hee was to lend 2. millions of gold 15. daies after the agreement made that is to say 160000. crownes in ready money and 400000 crownes to be raised on the late Lord Constables goods whose Bill he said he had had promised to deliuer it vnto the King who was there withall well pleased as ALLARD affirmed Only he had stood vpon securitie for so notable a summe of money that therefore the Councel promised to assure him the Salt pits of Brouage and the reuene wâ—…thereof where with ALLARD said he was contented onely he feared lest such assurance would be reuoked Wherfore he intreated the Embassadors of the Canton of Lucern that they would deale in such sort with their Lords that he might be receiued into the nuÌ„ber of their Burgesses offering in 〈◊〉 compence of such fauour the summe of 20000. crownes to the Seignorie of Lucern to each of those Embassadors 2500. crowns a piece Therupon he posted to Lucerne tooke his oath returned into France with 12. Switzers for his guard neuer furnishing a penny all this while but lâ—…lling the world asleep with his golden promises and plucking round sums of money both from great small in euery place wherby he maintained himself in his practises All of theÌ„ were cousened by him except the Caronel Psâ—…ffer who beeing rich regarded no promises laughed at their credulity As affaires past in this manner my Lady had intelligence of the speech ALLARD had vsed touching the late L. Constables Bill whereupon shee wrote that they should take heede of this pratler affirming her Lord was not so bad an husband as to be indebted in such a summe to a stranger who at length would proue to be a Cunny-catching kâ—…aue There came a Rocheller also that warned diuers to beware of ALLARD which moued TARNAVLT to write by a trusty messenger to Monsieur GARGOVILAR the Mayor of Rochell who returned answer that ALLARD was a notable deceiuer The Suizter Embassadors hauing sworne the league with the King left TERNAVLT in the Court for the expedition of certaine affaires they had there going to take horse ALLARD accompanied with honourable personages participants in the businesse promised
him goe to execution with his accustomed countenance Hee was tyed to a great stake with a long chaine and they did fire many fagots round about him a pretty distance off supposing that hee would runne about this stake euen vnto the last gaspe But contrarywise falling vpon his knees and lifting vp his eyes to Heauen hee made a feruent prayer vnto GOD then rising vp he went couragiously o the fire enters into the flames and sits downe so quietly as no man could see him moue hand or legge or any other part of his body but with-out any stirre or tormenting of himselfe hee ended his life in the fire They could not finde any peece of his bones and many since passing by the place where hee had beene burnt held it for a place of deuotion This happened about the yeare 1545. the which I haue learned from the mouth of many men worthy of credit good friends to this man with whome they had conuersed familiarly IOHN WIER in his Treatise of extraordinary abstinence It is not long since that a Chanoine of Leege desirous to trie his force in fasting hauing continued vnto the seuenteenth day hee found himselfe so faint and weake as if hee had not beene sodenly helpt with good restoratiues he had dyed The same Author A young Maide of Buchold in the territorie of Munster in Westphalia being oppress with melancholie and keeping the house was for that cause beaten by her Mother The which did so increase her greefe as taking no rest she was foure moneths without eating or drinking vnlesse that some times shee did chewe a peece of a roasted apple and washt her mouth with a little Tisane She grew exceeding leane but in the end GOD restored her lyuing long after very modestly and indued with singular piety The same In October in the yeare 1600. Monsieur RAPIN whome I name with respect beeing a man worthie of credit did assure mee that hee had seene as manie others had done at Conflent in Poitou about the ende of August before the Daughter of IOHN BALAN a Smith called IOANE of foureteene yeares of age who had then liued eighteene monethes without eating or drinking any thing what-so-euer Her tongue was much shronke and her teeth white and cleane her bellie was shronke and shee was a little fleshie behinde When she riseth in the morning shee opens the windowe and stands looking into the a◅er spending the rest of her time in doing some little worke about the house Drawne out of our Memorialls Iustice. IHON de MARESTS hauing beene murthered by the Scignior of TALLART of a great and ancient house and a Gentleman well suported by many great allyances namely by Cardinall IHON of BELLAY who made it his owne fact it seemed that the execution of Iustice was not so speedie as the cause required The Grand-mother of the deceased hauing her onely refuge vnto King FRANCIS the first cast her selfe vpon her knees weeping before him at Fontainbleau whereat the King being amazed asked what she would haue of him Iustice answered she if it shall please your Maiestic At which word he commands her to rise speedily and turning to all that did attend him hee said By the faith of a Gentle-man it is no reason that this Gentle-woman should prostrate her-selfe before me demanding a thing which for the due of my estate I owe her but it is their duties that importune mee for remissions and pardons the which I owe them not but of my especiall grace and royall prerogatiue And after that hee had giuen her a long audience vpon the discourse of her request which which was onely to haue speedy Iustice and hauing promised it vnto her he shewed that the word of such a King was fully accomplished by the euent which followed So as not able to be moued by any sute of his fauorites nor of forraine Ambassadors he would haue punishment inflicted as the greatnesse of the offence required And so TALLART was beheaded at the Hales at Paris in the yeare 1546. Maister E. PASQVIER in the 5. booke of his Collections of France Chap. 7. A notable Theefe ABout the yeare 1503. there liued at Geneua a notable theefe called MORTAC and in French MORTEL He did inchant men in such sort as no man could preuent his theeuing nor punish him after the deed Euery one knew he was a theefe and were as warie of him as they could It was a common watch-word in all the houses of the Towne when as night came for Maisters and Mistresses to warne their seruants to shutte the doores for feare of MORTAC which grew to be an ordinary Prouerbe when as they doubted any one that had filching fingers But there was neither doore lock nor barre that could keepe him out where hee had a will to enter yet hee went not to all places but only to those that lookt sowerly on him and seemed to distrust him for he tooke a delight to steale to be admired for his abilitie and cunning neither did hee care to gather much together but contented himselfe with a little taking no more then would serue him for some 40. or 50. meales with some companions which he carried vp and downe feasting them at his charge And there was no meanes to preuent his wil for he did so inchant them of the house as they lost their speech all meanes to resist him making them like immoueable stocks when he entred into their houses Before he would seize vpon that which he pretended hee would first feed himself at his ◅ase The first thing he euer did was to light a candle thē to take the keys of the house yea from vnder the maister mistresses pillow although they were awake not that he wanted keies for his fingers serued him for his Pick-locks but in thus proceeding he would shew his theeuish authority Then would he open the Larder the Seller from whence hee fetcht meate and wine couered the Table and eate and drunke at his leasure and pleasure and yet not any one of the house did stirre eyther to hinder him or to accompany him neither to crye out nor yet to speake vnto him eyther good or bad This done he went and opened the goodmans cofers and tooke what money hee thought good to make good cheere with his Mignions for 3. weekes or a moneths space in some Tauerne The next day hee and his band would campe where was best wine and the Tauerne keepers entertained this rable very gratiously For this MORTAC did no harme in those places where he vsually frequented and where the maisters did make much of him After they had made many good meales when they came to reckon he neuer brought any money but sayd vnto the Hoste Goe and fetch thy due in the corner of such a Chamber of thy house the which perchance had not beene frequented a moneth before The which the Host doing hee found the iust summe and not a farthing more or lesse It was very strange that
by this burning poyson Secondly the ventricles of the heart were drie and without bloud Thirdly they did obserue that a peece of the mouth of the stomack was almost burnt and reduced to poulder IEROSME CAPIVACCIVS lib. 7. of his practise Chap. 12. I haue seene a young Child which neuer felt the hurt nor complayned till eight monethes after the biting but as soone as it descouered it selfe the Child died FRACASTOR lib. 2. of contagious diseases Chap. 10. Sometimes the biting is so sharpe and violent togither with the apprehension of the parties offended as death followes soone after as I haue seene in many namely in a Mint-man called MARTIN BVTIN and a scholemaster named ROBERT On a winter day about ten yeares since going early in the morning from their houses the one to worke at the Minte the other to teach certaine schollers they were one after an other bitten by a madde Dogge and had much adoe to free them-selues from him The same day they went to their bedds and died within a while after in good sence hauing had many trouble-some and pittifull fitts The one was my Neighbour and I did often visit him hee tooke delight to heare talke of his Saluation and died most Christian-like and so did the other But my Neighbour at my comming in vnto him cryed out that I should not come neere him if I would not haue him bite mee Once not thinking of it for the compassion I had of his torment for some-times hee did houle like vnto a Dogge approching neerer vnto him then I was accustomed he sodenly reacht out to get holde of mine arme with his teeth whereof he fayled for that his motion was not so quicke as mine Hepresently acknowledged his error and asked me forgiuenesse imputing it to the vehemencie of his paine As often as I thinke of that which I did see in the sicknesse of these two good men so often doth my Soule tremble crying out Lord thou hast beene our refuge from one generation to another c. And that which followes in the 91. Psalme not meaning notwithstanding to condemne those whome the wisdome of GOD who is iust and mercifull will visite thus in this world for with what rods soeuer he meanes to chastise those that belong vnto his Sonne his eternall grace fayles them not but they enter by all gates howe hideous soeuer they seeme to humaine sence into the Pallace of happie life and assured glory Extracted out of my Memorials I was called early in a morning in the yeare 1543. to goe see a Gentleman called ALEXANDER BRASQVE with some other Phisitions Hee would by no meanes drinke and as wee did enquire of the cause of his sicknesse those which did tend him did confesse that hee had kist a certaine Dogge of his which hee loued verye well before hee sent him to be drowned for that hee was madde Hee dyed the next day as I had fore-told CARDAN in the first Treatise lib. 2. contradict 9. A Peasant become madde and hearing that hee had not long to liue in the world made great instance to them that kept him and held him straightly bound for hee had some quiet seasons during the which hee spake sencibly that hee might bee suffered once to kisse his children for his last farewell This beeing granted him he kissed his children and so dyed but the seuenth day following his children became madde and after sundry torments they dyed as their Father had done Maister PAVMIER in his Treatise of contagious diseases pag. 266. I haue seene yet more Horses Oxen Sheepe and other Cattle haue become madde and dyed so hauing eaten a little Strawe whereon madde Swine had line In the same Treatise 267. ADAM SCHVEIDTLIN a Surgion did assure mee for certaine that about thirtie yeare since at Hassuelsel in Bauaria a Knight going to Horse-backe was bitten by the foote by a madde Dogge whereof hee made no accoumpt but a yeare and a halfe after hee began to growe madde so as hee bitte the flesh of his owne armes and was not apparantly sicke but two dayes â—…OHN BAVHIN Doctor of Phisicke at Basill in his learned Historie of madde Wolues running about Montbeliard in the yeare 1590. In the yeare 1535. a certaine Hoste in the Duchie of Wirtemberg serued his guests at the Table with Swines flesh the which a mad Dogge had bitten after they had eaten of this flesh they all fell mad Historie of Germanie Certaine Hunts-men hauing slaine a Wolfe made sundrie dishes of meate of the flesh but all that did eate of it became mad and dyed miserably FERNEL lib. 2. Of the hidden causes of things Chap. 14. I haue obserued that the biting of mad Wolues causeth Beasts to die presentlie that are toucht with their teeth Maister PAVMIER in his Treatise of Contagious Diseases Many haue noted that Wolues although they bee not madde yet by reason of their furie and ordynarie vyolence which appeares by their sparkling eyes and their insatiable deuouring they make the flesh of Beasts which they bite or kill to be very dangerous if it bee kept any time A famous Prince did sweare vnto mee that one of his Pages hauing found at a certaine Gentlemans house a Rapier hidden vnder a bed where-with some yeares before they had slaine a madde Dogge hee intreated him to giue it him which done going about to make it cleane and to scowre it beeing rustie in diuers places by mischance hee hurte himselfe a little in one of his fingers where-of hee fell madde and dyed before they could fore-see and preuent the danger ESAYE MEICHNER Physition in his Obseruations There was seene in Portugall a Man bitten with a mad Dogge the which lay hidden three yeares at the end whereof it appeared and hee dyed thereof AMATVS A Portugall Physition in his seuenth Centurie Cure 41. BALDVS a famous Lawyer playing with a little Dogge of his that was madde not knowing it was sleightly bitten on the lippe the which hee regarded not But after foure moneths hee dyed furious and madde and there was no meanes to helpe him for that he dyed not seeking to preuent it in time Maister AMBROSE PARE lib. 20. Chap. 21. In the same place hee propounds diuerse remedies against the biting of a mad Dogge the which he thinks auaileable if any one of them be vsed presently and hee saith that hee hath cured many that haue beene so bitten Among others he specifieth this example following One of the Daughters of Mistresse GRONBORNE at Paris was bitten with a madde Dogge in the middest of her right legge where the Dogge set his teeth very deepe into the flesh the which was cured Among all remedies Treacle saith he is singular causing it to be dissolued in Aqua-vite or in Wine and then rubbing the place therewith hard vntill it bleed then you must leaue within it Linte dipte in the sayd mixture and vpon the wound apply Garlike or Onions stampt or beaten with ordinarie Honie and Turpentine This remedie is excellent
dayly happens wee see that many sick folkes haue no appetite by reason their ventricle is stuft with euill humors and they receiue lesse meate in a weeke then they did in a day when they were well But when a man of a sound bodie can but passe one or two daies without meate and not bee an hungred that exceedes the rules of nature and is a Diuine miracle Howe much more admirable is it that such a man should fast fortie daies togither in such manner that hee feeles no hunger hath no neede to resist the desire of eating nor hath any more appetite to meate or drinke then an Angell Wee beleeue that IESVS CHRIST had a bodie exceeding temperate and pure though hee were subiect to our infirmities according to the condition of his humaine natu◅e sinne excepted Wee acknowledge like-wise that MOYSES and ELIAS when they abstayned fortie da◅e togither from meate and drinke were in perfect health at that time and by a certaine prerogatiue exempted from the common life of men Wherevpon it ensueth that they are iustly esteemed for excellent miracles whereby the authority of those Prophets and of IESVS CHRIST were established Nowe it is no nouelty that the like effects should happen by the order of things which our most good and mighty GOD hath prescribed to nature and by an euident miracle against the lawes of the same nature For feauers and diuers other disseases which the Saints haue healed the Physitions doe also cure But the meanes which they vse make great difference in the case For the Saints by their worde or touch alone through the grace of GOD tooke away the causes of such effects with the necessity imposed vpon nature The Physitions do nothing but oppose vnto naturall things other like wise naturall whereby if the vertue of the remedies giuen by the Creator bee of greatest strength and that it be his will it should not bee in vaine at that time the cause which doth offend is defaced IESVS CHRIST throughly healed the inueterate course of menstruall bloud with the onely touch of the hem◅e of his garment and sayd hee felt that vertue was gone out of him for that effect but the womā touched that in faith which presented it selfe to her hand embracing the power of our Sauiour in her thought Wee by the art of Physick whereof he himselfe a mercyfull Father hauing pittie on mans condition is the true author institutor helpe our s◅lues in the like disseasses with certaine medicines So no question may an abundant phlegmatique humor naturally induce fasting as appeared in those before named which felt themselues well through the good pleasure of GOD. But besides these there are infi◅ite miracles that exceede our vnderstanding which neither humane Art nor Nature it selfe can any waie immitate Such is the curing of naturall blindnesse expelling of vncleane spirits out of humaine bodies raysing of the dead halfe rotten and such like which confirme the authority of the Almightie GOD. By this I thinke it appeares that things which are sayd to happen by a certaine Lawe of nature although but seldome reproue not true miracles nor dimynish their credit and that hee no way contradicteth the Chistian fai◅h which diligently examineth the causes of such euentes But rather is not the verity of vnfained miracles thereby confirmed the better in taking away the occasion of impostures therewithall to the ende they should not easily abuse the vnexperienced people For if any of those which liue without eating by reason of their cold intemperature and abundance of flegme should counterfeit the Prophet inspired of the euer lyuing GOD howe many thousands might hee drawe head-long into error and distruction Verily hee is impio◅s and ignorant of true nay dyuine Phylosophy which thinking of these things and considering them shall affirme it to bee wicked and irreligious to go aboute to distinguish with vnpainted reasons betweene the workes and as wee vse to say the miracles of nature and the miracles of GOD Which all good and Godly persons will freely confesse do belong to an honest religious charitable man These are Doctor IOVBERTS owne wordes whose booke was Printed at Paris the yeare 1579. It hath beene told me of a certaintie that there was a Chanon at Salamanca which went to Toledo and backe againe hauing remained there fifteene or twenty dayes without drinking any drop of Wine or Water from the time of his setting forth till his returne But that which puts me into a greater meruaile is that written by PONTANVS in his Booke of Meteors Of a man that in all his life neuer drunke a drop of any thing which LADISLAVS King of Naples vnderstanding made him drinke a little Water that greatly pained him at his stomack I haue also heard of diuers credible persons that in the Towne of Mansill not farre from the Cittie of Leon was a man liuing that vsed to be two or three moneths without drinking and neuer felt any harme or displeasure by it A. de TORQVEMADO in the first day of his Hexameron Imprinted the yeare 1582. Singular Modestie yeelding to a seuere Censure THere are few men to be found especially among them that are called learned which doe not highly esteeme their owne workes and endure reprehensions impatiently If there be any such found they deserue to be admired and imitated MARCILLIVS FICINVS a most learned Philosopher and renowmed Desciple of PLATO in our time hauing vndertaken PLATOES workes to Translate them out of Greeke into Latin cartyed his Translation vnto a very learned Man called MARCVS MVSVRVS CANDIOT to haue hi◅ aduise MVSVRVS seeing that this translation was done hastely and that it would not satesfie the expectation of many which did greatly affect it Beeing loth to haue his friend derided and to discharge himselfe of his promise hee takes a sponge and puts it into an Inck pot and so blots out all the first page of FICINVS translatiō then turning towards him hee sayd thou seest howe I haue corrected the first page if thou wilt I will do as much to the rest FICINVS without any choller answered him It is no reason that PLATO should be disgraced through my fault then he retired himselfe and hauing his second conceptions better refined he made a newe translation worthie both of the maister and the disciple ZVINGER in the 1. tome of his Theater A Mocker mockt A Certaine man remayning at Onzain neere to Amboisse being perswaded by an hostesse who committed the infamous crime of Adulterie with him to make shewe for the freeing of her husband of all future Iealousie that hee would be gelt by one called M. PETER des SERPENS Surgion at Villantrois in Berry he sent for his kins-folks and after that hee had tould them that hee neuer durst discouer his griefe vnto them hee was in the ende brought to that extremity as he was forced to take that course wherevpon he made his will And to make the better shewe of it after that he had
shee affecting Don IVLIO the Cardinalls Bastard-Brother with no lesse good wil confessed freely vnto the Cardinall that aboue all things that which made her so amyable was the beautie of Don IVLIOS eyes the Cardinall full of furie watching a time when as IVLIO went out of Ferrara a Hunting compassed him about in the field and taking him from his Horse hee caused certaine Ruffians of his to pull out his eyes for that they were companions of his loue Hauing the heart to behold this wicked acte the which was afterwards the cause of great scandalls among the Bretheren FRRNCIS GVICCHARDINE in the end of the sixt Booke of the warre of Italie FERDINAND Brother to ALPHONSO Duke of Ferrara and of IVLIO aboue named whose eyes Cardinall HIPPOLITO of Este had caused to bee pulled out yet by the speedy helpe of the Physitions they were put in againe without losse of his sight conspired the Dukes death with the sayd IVLIO FERDINAND who was second brother vnto the Duke was moued there-vnto through couetousnesse to seize vpon the Duchie and IVLIO for that it seemed vnto him that ALPHONSO did not apprehend the wrong that had bin done him being out of hope to be reuenged of the Cardinall by any other meanes Count ALBERTVS BOSCHET a Gentleman of Modena was acquainted with their councels and practise and hauing wone corrupted some men of base condition which were continually neere to ALPHONSO to giue him delight they had often-times great meanes to kill him but restrained by a fatall feare they alwayes let slip the occasion so as the matter being discouered as it happens almost alwaies when the execution of a conspiracy is deferred FERDINAND and his confederats were imprisoned IVLIO who the conspiracie being discouered was fled to Mantoua to his sister was by the Marquis decree sent prisoner to ALPHONSO after a promise made that he would not put him to death Count ALBERTIN with his consederates were quartered and the two Bretheren condemned to perpetuall prison in the new Castell of Ferrara GVICCHARDINE lib. 7. sect 3. The Cardinall of Pauia the Popes Legate being fled out of Bolonia besieged by the French in the yeare 1511. and was the cause of the losse of it and of many other great disorders which ensued being accused by some of Infidelitie and by others of cowardise and indiscretion Being retired to Rauenna to purge himselfe of that which had happened hee gaue notice of his comming to the Pope and demanded audience whereof the Pope who loued him exceedingly was very ioyfull and inuited him to dine with him But as hee went being accompanied with GVY of Vaine his Brother in lawe and of his guard of Horse-men The Duke of Vrbin Generall of the Popes Armie an ancient enemie to the Cardinall beeing yet madde with disdaine and despight for that hee had sayd that the rebellion and losse of Bolonia had come through his fault and by that meanes the Armie put to route whereof hee was Generall hee went towards him and being entred among the Horse-men of his guard who to doe him honor made him place hee slue this Cardinall with his Poynard it may bee vnworthy for the degree which he held the which ought not to haue any violence nor out-rage offered vnto it but otherwise most worthy of any cruell punishment for his infinite and odious vices GVICCHARDINE lib. 9. sect 18. The Lord YVES of Alegre Captaine of a companie of men at Armes at the Battaile of Rauenna in the yeare 1512. seeing a Bataylion of Italian foote to make head against the Gascoyne hee gaue them so furious a charge as hee forced them to retire but with more valour then good hap in regarde of the successe for the Seigneor of Viuaraiz his owne Sonne hauing beene slaine before his eyes hee being loth to suruiue so great an affliction rides into the thickest of his enemies where hee was slaine after the death of many of his enemies fighting as it did become a valiant Captaine GVICCHARDINE lib. 12. Sect. 14. PHILIP Father to PETER STROSSH cheefe of the banisht men of Florence against Duke COSMO of Medicis hauing beene taken prisoner in fight fearing to be put to death by the hands of Iustice hee resolued to kill himselfe Wherevpon a Spaniard that kept him came vnto him going out of the Chamber where-as PHILIP was he vnaduisedly left his sword there Being a little gone PHILIP barres the doore vnto him and sodenly takes the sworde setting the point against his throate he falles on it with all his force and so kils himselfe vpon the Table They found vpon the table a little note written with his owne hand shewing that seeing he could not liue as his estate required he had shortned his daies for that he would no longer remaine in the world P. IOVIVS in his Histories Supplement of Sabellic ANTHONY VRIE surnamed CODRVS a learned man in our time as his written workes doe witnesse had his Chamber and his Studie behinde the Pallace of FORLI but so darke from day light vntill nine of the clocke as of necessitie he was inforced to haue a Candle He vsed a Lampe of earth very faire and artificially made on the top whereof was grauen a deuise in Latin conteining That those studies which smelt of the Lampe smelt well Hauing left it light in his Chamber going one morning into the Towne about his businesse In his absence no man knowes how fire tooke hold of his Papers and in a short time of all the corners of his studie where as all was consumed both Papers Bookes and moueables Among other writings of his hand there was a Booke burnt intituled Pastor with all the rest of his estate in regarde of worldly goods They say that at the first brute of this fire hee entred into such a rage against him-selfe as crying out like a mad-man and running vp and downe the streetes towards the Pallace beeing neere vnto his Chamber where-at hee durst not enter for feare of the fire hee began to say addressing his speech to the Sonne of GOD What haue I done to thee O CHRIST or how haue I offended thine that thou shouldest strike mee and displaye vpon mee a testimonie of thine inexpiable hatred Then turning to an Image of the Virgin MARY Hearken Virgin what I saye vnto thee with a setled Iudgement and as I beleeue If happely at the houre of my death I recommend my selfe vnto thee heare mee not neyther accept mee in the number of thine for I make accoumpt to bee damned His friends there present did what they could to temper this furie but the boyling choller causing a fire in this miserable mans heart more flaming and violent then any worldly fire would not suffer him to heare any thing that might comfort him Hee was so opprest with his passion as hauing threatned all his friends if they continued to follow him he went out of the Towne and not able to bee stayed hee gotte into a thicke Forrest neere
This extraordinarie pompe of NINACHETVEN caused all men to open their eyes and eares being ignorant what this preparation meant Then began NINACHETVEN to make a pittifull speech and first of all hee remembred the seruices which he had done to the Portugals before the taking of Malaca what he had done since in fauour of their King and how constant and faithfull hee had shewed him-selfe in his dutie with what resolution hee had hazarded his life in many places for proofe of his loyaltie That for recompence of so many good seruices the Portugals would defame his old age in that sort as it was impossible to finde a man that had his honor in any recommendation that could disgest such a disgrace for they dispoyled him of the cha◅ge which they themselues had giuen him they degraded him of his honors making so small an account of him as to haue him end his dayes ignominiously and to be a fable and scorne to all the world That for his part hee had euer valued his life lesse then his honor and had resolued to dye to preserue his reputation and therefore at that instant he did willingly change his life with death rather then to endure the aff◅ont which they meant to doe him Ending his speech he cast himselfe into the fire where he ended his life Eu◅ry one lamented and wept for this man thus dead considering what hee had done for the Portugals his fidelity in all Accidents and the pittifull ende of his age so as manie were much amazed at this spectacle OSORIVS lib. 9. of his History of Portugal Chap. 27. A rich merchant falling in loue with a certaine maide yeelded so much vnto his passion as hee was transported beyond the bounds of reason so as hee became madde and seized with a strange melancho like humor so as hee was tormented with horrible visions both by daie and night some times crying out and storming some-times laughing with open throate He sware that his best beeloued was continually before his eyes hee flattred and made much of her as if she had beene present then sodenly he would blame her and outrage her in euery sort for that she refused to loue him Hee spake not but of her all the day he did nothing but sigth and complaine the night hee had his eyes still open with sorrowing and had often killed himselfe if his kins-folkes and friendes had not kept him Hauing continued seauen monethes in this estate I was called to helpe him and with great difficulties by the grace of GOD I did Physicke him so happely as hee recouered his former wittes againe FR. VALERIOLA in his Pysicall obseruations booke 2. Obserua 7. A Councellor of the Parliament at Grenoble beeing taken with the loue of a Gentlewoman was so wonderfully passioned as hee left his place and all honestie to followe her where-soeuershee went Being contemned by her hee grewe so carelesse of his owne person as hee was full of Lice which got such an habit in him as hee could neuer be freed of them for they grewe vpon him and came out of all partes of his bodie as wee see wormes come out of rotten Carion Fynally some daies before his death seeing himselfe toucht with the hand of GOD he began to despaier of his mercies and to shorten his daies hee resolued to star◅e himselfe besides the Lice had taken such hould vpon his throate as if they would choake him They that saw this pittifull spectacle were much amazed and for pitty concluded to force him to eate and to make him take some coulisses and for that he resisted thē with all his force they bound his armes and kept his mouth open with a staffe whilest they put in the meate Beeing thus vsed hee died like a madde beast through the aboudance of Lice which entred into his throat This happened in the yeare 1559. The second History of France Pope LEO the 10. beeing aduertised of the taking of Milan which he had extreamely desired fell into such an excesse of ioye as a feuer tooke him and he died MONTAIGNE liher 1. of his Essaies Chap. 2. PAVL IOVIVS in the life of LEO the tenth lib. 4. SINAN generall of the Turkes Galleies hauing recouered his onelie Sonne whom hee held to bee lost died sodenly for ioye of IOVIVS in his Histories Some woman haue died for ioye sorrowe and other violent passions But we will speake thereof in an other Booke At the battaile of D' ANGVIEN offred once or twise to kill himselfe despayring of the daie for that it was not succesfull whereas hee did fight thinking by his rashnesse to depriue him-selfe of the Glorie of so goodly a victory The Isle of Gaza beeing forced by the Turkes some yeares since a Sicilian that had two faire Daughters readie to marrie slue them with his owne hand and their Mother who came running to their death This done hee went into the streete with a Cros-bowe and a Harguebuze and with two shot slue two of the first Turkes that approched neere his doore and taking his sword in his hand hee went furiously among them where hee was sodenly cut in peeces and so hee freede him-selfe from bondage after that hee had deliuered his Children MONTAIGNE Booke 2. of his Essaies Chap. 3. It was told me that a prisoner of qualetie being in the Concergerie at Paris his friends beeing aduertised that hee should bee vndoubtedly condemned to auoyde the infamie of such a death they suborned a Preest to tell him that the Souueraigne meanes for his deliuerie was to recommend himselfe to a certaine Saint with such a vowe and that hee should remaine eight daies without taking of anie norrishment notwithstanding anie weakenesse or faynting that hee should feele Hee beleeued him and by this meanes was the cause of his owne death without thinking of it The same Author Some yeares since two Leagues from my house there was a Country man who liued long since hauing his head long troubled with iealousie of his Wife comming one daie from his worke and shee welcomming him home with her accustomed cryes hee entred into such furie as presently with his hooke which hee held in his hand hee cut off those peeces which put him into this great feuer and threwe them sodenly at her face And it is sayd that a young Gentleman of our owne Nation hauing by his importunitie seduced a Gentlewoman growing desperate that beeing readie to enioye her hee could not performe any thing hee presently cut of his owne priuie partes in his Lodging and sent this cruell and bloudie sacrifice for a purgation of his offence MONTAIGNE liber 2. of his Essaies Chap. 29. ANDREVV CONTAREN a Venetian Gentleman being sickly and by reason of his Indisposition some-what weake of braine made sute to haue some charge of importance Beeing refused in open Councell and comming soone after into the companie of diuers young Gentlemen Who thinking to iest with him said that FRANCIS FOSCARIN Duke of Venise had beene the cause
of his repulse and that during his life CONTAREN must neuer hope to be aduanced Being possest with a violent passion of choller and despight hee watcht a time when as the Duke came downe into the golden Chappell to heare Masse Hee staies vpon the staires makes shewe to haue some businesse of importance to impart vnto him Those did accompanie the Duke went aside that CONTAREN might haue the more libertie to speake vnto him Then hee drewe forth a poinard from vnder his cloake with the which hee had slaine the Duke if the Ambassador of Sienna had not staied CONTARENOS arme so as insteede of striking him into the bodie hee did hit him in the cheeke neere the nose Presently manie Senators runne thether they saue the Duke and seize vpon CONTAREN who sought by all meanes for to saue himselfe Afterwardes hee had his hand cut off vpon the same staiers and then was hanged in the accustomed place Such was the rewarde of his violent passion SABELLICVS Booke 1. of his 3. Decade The violence of despaire was strange in LAVRENCE LEVRENTINIAN a learned Physition at Florence Hauing bought a house and paied a third part of the price with a condition that if hee payd not the rest with in sixe months it should be lost The time beeing come hauing no money to satisfie he was so troubled as without any further aduice he cast himselfe head-long into a deepe Well at what time PETER SODERIN great Gonfalonier of Florence gouerned the Common-weale before the Rule of the Medicis P. IOVIVS in the Life of famous men I haue seene a man which grewe fearefull and amazed of him-selfe crying out some-times like a Child though otherwise he had as much Force and courage as any man could haue It is reported also of a Noble-man of Spaine that hee was so full of feare that if they did but shutte any doore of the house where-in hee was at a certaine howre in the night hee conceyued such a feare and was so troubled as often-times hee would cast himselfe out at the Windowes ANT. TORQVEMADO in the third iourney of his discourses I haue seene a woman my neere K◅ns-woman trobled with a certaine Melancholike humour which some terme Mirrachie the which doth some-times cause frenzie and madnesse in them that are toucht with it so to helpe her selfe with discretion and reason as it could neuer vanquish her It was strange to see the combate betwixt Reason and Melancholie in this Woman which cast her-selfe groueling vppon the ground in the extremity of her fitte tare her clothes cast stones at them that lookt on her fought with them that met her and committed many such other follies but through reason shee continued so constant as in the end this humour left her remayning as sound and perfect of iudgement as before In the same Author In the yeare 1558. the Curate of Curpre in Scotland seeing that his Parishoners to the contempt of the authoritie which hee thought to haue ouer them were in despight of him entred into his Parish Church and beaten downe all the Images hee fell into such a choller melanchollie and despayre by reason of this acte as hee slew him-selfe with his owne hands BVCHANAN liber 6. of his Historie of Scotland A certaine man did so abhorre all Phisicke as the verye smell of a potion did so mooue him as hee was forced to goe seuen times to the stoole instantly whereas hee that had taken the same po◅ion should goe but thrice Maister AMBROSE PARE in his Introduction to Surgerie Chap. 22. A Groome of the Lord of Lansacs Chamber reported that a French Gentleman beeing in Poland had a quarten Ague and walking along the Riuer of Vistula in the beginning of his fitte hee was thrust by a friend of his in iest into the Riuer where-with hee was so terrified that although hee could swimme very well and the other also that thrust him yet hee neuer after had any feuer The same Author Chap. 23. At the Campe at Amiens King HENRIE the second commanded mee to goe to Dourlan to dresse many Captaines and Souldiars which had beene hurt by the Spaniards at a sallie Captaine Saint AVEIN lying neere to Amiens as valiant a Gentleman as any was in his time in France although hee had when the Alarum was giuen a fitte of a quarten Ague risse out of his bed and went to Horse to command a parte of his company where hee was shot through the necke with a Harguebuze the which made him to apprehend death so much as hee presently lost his Ague and was afterwardes cured of his wound and liued long after The same Author FRANCIS VALLERIOLA a most famous Physition at Arles writes in the 4. obseruation of the 2. booke of his obseruations of an Inhabitant of the said Towne of Arles called IOHN BERLE who had lyne manye yeares bed-ridde by reason of a palsey It happened that the chamber whereas hee did lye was on fire burning the bordes and some stuffe neere vnto his Bedde Hee seeing him selfe in danger to bee burnt with much payne got vnto a Window out at the which hee cast him-selfe and beganne presently to walke and was cured of his palsey The same VALERIOLA writes in the same Obseruation a strange History of a Kins-man of his called IO◅N SOBIRAT who laye at Auignon lame of both his Legges hauing had his Hammes shronke vp with a Convulsion about sixe yeares One day he grewe into so great a choller against his seruant as reaching at him to strike him the Sinewes stretcht forth presently and grewe supple so as his Legges recouered their strength and he went right vp so cōtinued euer after The same Author The Arch-Bishop of Bourges a verye olde Man who had not gone of fowre yeares before hearing that a certaine troupe of horse which the Earle of Montgommery had brought from Orleans had surprized Bourges and knowing howe much hee had wronged and offended them that were then at that instant the strongest carried away with this apprehension he found his legges so well as he went on foote from his Chamber into the street and so to the great Towre causing all his money and plate to bee carryed with him The History of the first troubles of France vnder CHARLES the 9. lib. 7. At the same time neere to Issoudun in Berry the Seigneor of Condray whose Castle was beseeged by the Lord of Yuoys troupes hauing a little before taken certaine poore men and deliuered them to the Seigneor of Sarzay then commanding in Yssoudun who had commanded them to bee hanged hee fearing to bee taken saued himselfe in a farme house of his called Roueziers where he dyed of Feare In the same Historie and in the same booke In a Towne in Italy called Eugubio there was a Man much tormented with Iealousie who seeing that hee could not descouer if his Wife abandoned her selfe to any other hauing threatned to doe her a shrewd turne hee gelded himselfe that if afterwards shee should
inuincible opposing him-selfe with a cheereful and vndaunted courrage to any danger that hee sees ineuitable except that that for death is horrible and fearefull to al Nature which hath breathing of life for that it destroyes this nature We see some that are dull some furious and madde and others that are altered by decrepit age by bodely indisposition by erronious precepts and doctrine by violent and disordered passions more then feare which apprehend nothing but perish in danger and are extinct before they doubt any thing An other yong Gentleman a Spaniard called IAMES OSCRIO borne of a Noble familie growne in loue with a Gentle-woman of the Court hauing made an appointment with her hee climes vp into a thicke tree in the Kings Garden and hid himselfe there expecting his oportunity Therevpon a little Dogge comes who by his baying discouers him whom they cause to come downe to commit to prison that he might answer with the hazard of his head this crime which was helde capitall in those places for diuers reasons Sentence of death being giuen against him he was so terrified as the next day he was growne all white like a man of fower-score yeares old and was no more knowne then the other In like sort the King of Spaine Grand father to CHARLES the fift gaue him his pardon HADR. IVNIVS in his Comentarie of the haire of the head ca. 10. LO VIVES in his preface vpon SCIPIOS dreame Reason doth teach and examples doe confirme that blacke hayre or any other colour growe white through feare If that which nourisheth the hayre fayles wee grow bald if it bee corrupted they growe white for that an vnkind and an vnnaturall humour succeedes that which is growne could wee haue a history in our time vnder FRANCIS GONZAGVE hee hauing suspected one that was allyed vnto him of treason caused him to be imprisoned in a strong Tower resoluing to giue him the racke and to put him to death The next day morning his keeper came to tell him that the prisoner was growne all white This accident did mollefie the Princes heart causing him to pardon and giue the prisoner his life IVLIVS CAESAR SCALIGER in the 312. exercitation against CARDAN A Falconer seeking on the toppe of a high Rocke for an Eyrie of Sparrow-hawkes feeling the Rope which hee went downe by to breake conceiued such a feare as sodainely his hayre grew white CAEL. RHODIGINVS lib. 13. chap. 27. Of his antient lessons I haue knowne some which beeing escaped beyond all hope from ship-wrake haue in a moment growne all graie HADR. IVNIVS in his Comentary of the haire of the head chap. 10. I am no good Naturalist as they terme them neyther doe I know well how Feare doth worke in vs but vndoubtedly it is a strange passion and the Physitions saye that there is not any one doth sooner trans-port the iudgement out off her due place I haue seene many that haue growne madde through feare and it is certaine in them that are most setled whilest the fitte continues it doth cause terrible amazements I leaue to speake of the vulger sort to whome it doth some times represent their great Grand-father comming out of the Graue in a sheete some-times wild-Woolues Hobgoblins and Bug-beares But euen among Warriors them-selues where it should finde least place howe often hath it changed a flocke of Sheepe into a squadron of Corseletts Reedes and Canes for Men at Armes and Lances our Friendes for our Enemies and a White Crosse for a Redde When as the Duke of Bourbon tooke Rome an Antient that was in gard in Saint PETERS Bourg was so amazed at the first Alarum as he went out at a hole in the Wall made with a great shotte with his Colours in his hand out off the Towne going directly towardes the enemye thinking that hee had retyred into the Cittye but seeing Monsieur de Bourbons Troupes prepare them-selues to incounter him supposing it had beene a Salley which they of the Towne had made hee came to him-selfe and turning head re-entered by the same hole hauing gonne three hundred paces before the Company The Antient to Captaine IVILLE was not so fortunate when as S. POL was taken from vs by the Earle of Bure and Monsteur de Reu. For beeing so transported with feare as hee cast him-selfe with his Colours out off the Towne by a Canonier hee was taken and cut in peeces by the Assaylants And at the same seege the Feare of a Gentleman was Admirable and Memorable the which did so nippe and congeale his Heart as hee fell starke dead at the breach without any wound M. MONTAIGNE lib. 1. Of his Essayes chap. 18. Pope PAVLVS the third hauing in the yeare of our LORD GOD 1536. exhorted the Emperor CHARLES the 5. and the great King FRANCIS to parle together at Nice the Emperors Fleete came to anchor in the port of Ville franche where they stayed a daye About Noone as some Imperiallists did walke beholding the Sea and the high Alpes they discouered a thicke cloud which did rise like the smoake of a Pallace standing on the side of a Hill not farre from them And for that this Cloud did increase and growe by little and little some beganne to maintaine and say that it was a mournfull signe and that BARBAROSSA Generall of the Turkes fleet did approch to surprise both the Pope and the Emperour Vpon this feare they giue an Alarum All the whole Fleete is so terified as the Marquis of Guast Collonel of the foote perswaded the Emperour to get to the toppe of the Appenin hills and ANDREVV DORIA who commanded as Admirall caused them to weigh their Anchors and to turne their Galleyes yet the Emperor would not stirre saying it was a false brute as it appeared soone after that a contri-man fanning beanes in the open Ayre to draw them from their chaffe had caused much dust and at sixe and thirty seuerall times had raised this smoake which many did hold to be sixe and thirty Gallies yet some Matriners did affirme that it was the Turkish Fleete But the deceit beeing discouered this feare which had made most of them to looke pale and tremble was now turned into mirth and laughing P. IOVIVS lib. 17. of his Histories I do not here make mention of the feare the Armies were in in the Realme of Naples and at the battle of Montlhery in the one of them they tooke a Heard of Srags and Hindes for a troupe of men at armes and in the other Thistles for a squadron of Pike-men as IOVIANVS PONTANVS lib. 2. of the warre of Naples PHI. COMINES in the History of LEWIS the 9. and PAVL AEMELIVS lib. 10. make mention for that I doe chiefely busie my selfe about Histories that are lately past In the third Ciuill-warre of France vnder CHARLES the ninth in the yeare 1568. the Armies being in Poitou neere vnto Iasenueil it happened that the Prince of Condé hauing faâ—…led of an Enterprise and retyring in the
beeing charged againe vpon new presumptions shee was drawne to the Rack where shee confessed certaine light faults as shee had done before But feeling her selfe tormented shee beganne to crye out and say Take mee from hence else I shall poyson you all with the stincke of my excrements the which I can no longer holde There were harde by certaine Vaultes or Priuies whether some of the assistance were of opinion they should suffer her to goe Others that were better aduised would by no meanes haue her let loose least there should fall out some new difficultie worse then the former But by the pluralitie of voyces shee was vnbound and ledde where shee pretended to goe where shee stayed aboue halfe an houre without returning not-with standing that shee had beene called twise or thrise In the ende shee was forced to come from thence to bee layde againe vpon the Racke the which they began to straine more then before Shee with-out any lamenting or crying out as shee did before began to laugh and knocking with her fingers shee began at the Iustice saying You my Maisters and thou wicked Hang-man doe what you will your crueltie cannot preuaile against mee Most of the assistants thought that the Diuell had made her impassible For that shee would not aduowe any thing of that where-with shee was charged by new informations but beeing stretcht out vppon the Rack shee did eyther laughe or sleepe So as beeing vnbound shee was carryed againe to her accustomed place Afterward some other witnesses were heard and newe proofes allowed Wherevpon it was ordeyned that shee should bee the third time tortured But before shee was layde vpon the Racke wee caused her to bee powled and all her hayre to bee shauen then was shee layde vppn the Racke againe and tortured verye sore Continuing still thus obstinate some of the companie remembred that they had not shauen the hayre vnder her Arme-pittes and in some other places which I name not They called certaine Women who laying hand on her found little scrowles of Parchment thrust into her priuie partes conteyning certaine names of euill spirites and some Crosses betwixt both These scrowles beeing deliuered vnto the Iustice were the cause that shee was stretcht againe vppon the Racke where-as then shee beganne to crye at the first pull and to confesse euery pointe of that where-with shee was charged by three Informations Beeing demanded the cause of her obstinate perseuerance in her former denialls shee sayde that if they had not shauen away all her hayre and depriued her of those breuets the trueth had neuer come out of her mouth for that the force of the euill spirit was such as with the helpe of her haire and those billets shee was impassible as it appeared Some condemned her to bee burnt aliue others for the most part to doe a rigorous penance publicklye and then to bee banished for euer vppon paine of burning According to this last aduise and counsell shee was set vppon a Scaffolde and a false Periwigge made for her the which was taken from her head by the Hang-man and cast into a great fire made to that ende and shee was ledde by two Senators and the Aduocate of Bruges out of the Territorie So shee retyred out of the Countrie of Flanders into Zeland remaining some certaine weekes at Middelbourgh where shee returned presentlye to her first trade FLORENT DAM Iudge of the Towne was aduertised presently by vs of all the cause that had past in the processe of this woman and in fauour of Iustice there was sent vnto him a coppie of the Informations of her confession vpon the Racke and of the sentence that was giuen against her By meanes whereof he had a watche ouer her and discouering by diuerse apparent presumptions that shee did continue in her diuilish sorceries caused her to bee apprehended and put in prison who hauing straightly examined her by her voluntary confession and according to the former Iudgement he condemned her to be burnt the which was executed Then he sent Letters of aduice to the Councell of Bruges of all that had past by mouth made a large discourse to DAMHOVDERE from whom we had this relation I GEORGE GODELMAN in his Treatise of Witches and Witchcraft lib. 3. Chap. 10. sect 38. About the yeare 1545. there was discouered at Cordoa a very famous and renowmed Towne in Andalousia in Spaine that which followeth A Childe of a poore familye called MAGDELINE de la Croix of the age of fiue yeares was put by the Parents or Tutors into a Couent of Nunnes It is not knowne whether it were for deuotion or for pouertie Beeing thus young and ignorant as yet what euill was they say not-with-standing so inscrutable are the Iudgements of GOD that the Diuell appeared vnto her in the forme of a blacke and hideous Moore Although at the first sight shee were greatly terrified yet this enemie did so flatter her and did promise her so many pretty workes where-in Children take delight as shee did accustome her selfe to talke familiarly with him but alwaies inioyning her that she who was fearefull should discouer nothing of this association In this time the child seemed to haue a wonderfull witte quicke and differing in disposition from others so as shee was much esteemed of the ancient Nunnes and of other young Maides Beeing come to the age of 12. yeares or there-abouts shee was sollicited by the Diuell to marry her-selfe vnto him and for her dowrie he promised her to worke so as for thirty yeares or there abouts shee should liue in such opinion of Holynesse through-out all Spaine as there had neuer beene the like Whilest that MAGDELEINE vnder the opinion of this contract spent the time in her Chamber with this vncleane spirit who entertained her by his illusions An other Diuell tooke the forme and resemblance of MAGDELEINE was in the Church in the Cloyster and in all the assemblies of Nunnes with great shew of deuotion Besides after that hee had done MAGDELEINS seruice in the Church he let her vnderstand all that was done in the world whereof giuing aduertisment to those that had her already in great reputation shee was esteemed to bee a Holy Virgin and began to haue the name of a Prophetesse By reason whereof although shee were not yet of full age shee was chosen Abbesse by a general consent of the Monkes and all the Nunnes When as the Nunnes receiued the Sacrament on dayes accustomed among them the Priest did alwayes cry out that they had taken away one of his Ostes the which was carryed by the aboue-named Angell to MAGDELEINE who was in the middest of her Sisters the which she put into her mouth shewed as a great miracle They say moreouer that if by chance MAGDELINE was not present when Masse was sayde although there were a Wall betwixt them yet when the Priest did lift vp the Corpus Domini this Wall did riue in two that MAGDELINE might see it and eate it