for three dayes after the tempest when he demaunded with greate feare whether the worlde stode still or not To conclude there was neither temple chapel nor other place of sanctuarie frée froÌ„ the furie of this tempest nor any corner of the towne dispensed withall for his malice the same raging indifferently vpon the whole citie leauing it so tottered and defaced that if there were paine in enduring the afflictions there is no lesse cause of pitie nowe to remember so greate a desolation Neither is it inough for the contentment of the reader nor sufficient to the discharge of my intent to preferre as it were paterns and familiar experience of these monstrous quarels skirmishes of the aire and Element aboue if in some sorâ—e I make you not priuie to the causes and motions of the same â–ª Whereof for a first authoritie Aristotle in his Metheors and bokes of the worlde giueth this reason There be .ij. sortes of vapors sayth he which ascend coÌ„tinually from the earth into the ayre wherof the one is hot moist and withal very massy and heuy which makes a stay of theÌ„ in the middle region of the ayre wher they are conuerted into a heauy thicknesse or grosse corruption and in the ende dissolued into watrie humoures as raine haile snowe and other like the other exhalations deriued of the humoures of the earth and drawne vp by the violence of the aire be of a more drie and hotte disposition which makes theÌ„ lighter in weight y â— same procuring them to a higher MouÌ„t euen to y e vttermost regioÌ„ where the extremitie of the heate forceth them to a fierie flame wherof procéede those blasing Cometes dragons and other like wonders in the Element whiche stirre vp an amaze in the people being ignorant of the cause And if it happen that those drie vapoures get place within any cloude they do so pierce and penetrate the most subtil part of it that there is forced a present vent which is the lightning and tremblyng of the heauen from the vehemencie of which conflict within the cloudes doe procéede the thunders and ratling of the skies in such sorte that it séemeth most often that the noyse is in the ayre and the trembling in the earth And yet be not all tempestes and stormes of wether referred altogether to causes naturall albeit it be the opinion of Aristotle and by him very diligently serched for that at certaine times diuels and euill spirites whose dominion and power as S. Paule writeth is chiefly in the ayre â–ª doe stirre vp and breede such monstrous motions when God is contented to giue them that libertie which is very well approued by diuers examples â–ª as well of prophane as sacred recorde And first of all in Iob wher Sathan hauing obteined as it were a licence or saufe conduict of the Lorde consumed by tempeste and fire the seruantes and cattail of the Prophete the like being also in experience amongst the Ethnikes for that according to diuerse of their recordes of credite at such time as the temple of Hamon of so great estimation among the Lybians flourished Sathan abused the people by many false miracles and sleightes of slender substance making them worship him vnder the form and figure of a Belier or by which meanes hauing heaped together an infinite treasure and Cambyses king of Persia sendyng hys armie to spoyle it and sacke the temple the Diuell stirred vp suche stormes and angrie motions in the Element of thunder and lightenings that the furie and flame thereof consumed and smoothered aboue Fiftie Thousande persons Plinie also with diuers others of the auncients affirme that the Hetrurians did so curiously obserue and marke the signes and motions in the Thunders that they did not only calculate of the successe but also gaue iudgement of the effect of diuers things and séemed able as it were by a predestination and forewarnyng appearing in these misticall influences of the Heauens to determine and appointe the very day of the death and lyfe of sundry greate estates for example wherof not long afore the fatall day of the Emperor Augustus Cesar the thunder had defaced the fyrst letter of his name as it stode engraued vpon a piller within the wall whiche the Augurers construed to a spéedie destruction of the emperour and that hée had but a hundred dayes to liue the rather bicause C being taken away ther rested but Esar which signifieth in the Hetrurian tong God and the Romains by the letter C accompte an hundred so that they both agréed that by the stroke of that thunder taking away C was figured the death of Cesar that within the hundreth day he shoulde be with the Gods Whiche chaunced accordingly for that the day of his death agréed with the sentence of their prediction A thing sure of great wonder the rather for that therein appeareth a maruellous power and subtiltie of the Diuell who by his Arte séemeth to discouer and prognosticate the deathe of so greate an Emperoure Aristotle wyth dyuers others of exquisite skill in the studie and reuelation of suche mysteries haue diuided the effectes and operations of those Lightenings and Thunders into thrée degrées the one burneth and consumeth all that commeth wythin hys power the other scorcheth and maketh blacke euery thing it toucheth the thyrde excéedeth them all in naâ—ure and qualitie and is almoste vtterly vnknowen to all the Philosophers for that it drayneth and dryeth vp the Wyne or other lycour wythout hurtyng the vessell or gyuyng it any vent howe close so euer it be it is of suche subtile force that it pierceth thorough euery thyng it melteth Golde and Syluer in the bagge without hurtyng the pursse it burneth and consumeth the apparell withoute touche of harme to any parte of the body that weareth them it smoothereth also the childe vnborne wythin the wombe wythout doyng harme to the mother whereof the chiefest reason wée haue of Recorde is broughte in by Cardanus in hys fyrste Booke de Subtilitate and his fourth boke de Varietate rerum wherein are described at large certayne causes and occasions of those thyngs And touchyng the examples I haue alleaged albeit they séeme straunge and wonderfull for the effect of Thunder yet are they of vndoubted truthe Besides wée haue read and also séene in oure tyme many valyaunt men put in feare wyth Thunder and dyuers greate personages broken in pieces murdered and slaine by such kinde of death The Pope Alexander celebratyng hys Masse on Easter day at Syenna and the diuell belyke pronouncing the passion or rather communicatyng with hys Papisticall ceremonies as he was vpon thys worde or clause of Consumatum est beholde suche a sodaine noise in the cloudes and opening of the Element beganne to houer and pierce into the Temple with such terrour that the Pope beyng dryuen to take day in perfourmyng the residue of hys prayers habandoned the Churche lefte his booke vnshutte for haste and forsooke his Cope and surplesse to make
Phrygia and Halderich were in one moment so couered with water and the sea so peopled with men and beastes crying with pitifull vehemencie that it séemed by them that God had forgotten his vowe made to Noe wherein he promised neuer to destroy mankinde by water againe Albeit the rage was so cruell that men were forced to climbe trées like birdes others ramped vpon the mountaines the mothers caste their children vpon the grounde to the ende they myghte with more spéede flée and shunne the furie of the element And to be short the desolation was suche that there was not only an infinite multitude of men women children and beasts drowned but that whiche was more to be lamented the corruption which sprang of the putrified bodies after the waters were retired to their olde chanel so infected the aire with a sodain plague that the rest which were saued from drownyng were destroyed by the miserable infection therof in suche sort that the Prouince remayned almoste deserte and inhabitable Wherein who list to beholde Flouds more freshe in memorie wherwith other Cities haue bene tormented let hym reade Carion in the Abridgement of his Chronicles and all those of Gasparde Contarenus in his learned boke of Philosophie whiche he made of the foure Elements ¶ The wonderful death of Plinie with a briefe description of the causes of fire whiche come of certaine openyngs of the earth LIke as it is straunge that the fyre falling from heauen should burne those places which it toucheth Euen so it is more monstrous to see the same issue from the earth without knowing where it firste tooke hir nouriture beginning and birth as this whereof Titus Liuius and Orseus make mention which sprang of the intrailes of the earth in the territorie of Calene which ceassed not burning by the space of thrée dayes thrée nights vntill it had committed to cinders about fyue acres of groūd drying so muche the moisture and humour of the grounde that not only the Corne and other frutes but also the trees with all their rootes were burnte and consumed Diuers Historians write that in the olde time the moste parte of the Realme of Scotland was by the like violente irruption of fire springing from an vnknowen opening and caue of the earth quite consumed and burned The cause whereof the Philosophers haue searched with great diligence and in the ende founde that Sulphur Allom Pitche and Water be the cause of the entertaining of that fire together with the very fatnesse of the ground and that fire after it hath founde a vente can not long continue without issuing with a wonderfull violent force And for the most part these flames haue bene diuers times séene of the people with great wonder terrour to them cōmonly about the Sepulchers and Churchyardes and other fat moyste places which was engendred of the fertilitie and moistnesse of the deade bodies who were there buried for men amongest all other creatures be of a very subtile and fat substance as is plainly shewed by that which is discouered in our time of the Sepulcher of Alexander Duke of Florence which although it were made of white Marble both massie heauie yet notwithstanding the fatnesse of y e bodie pierced distilled through the said Sepulcher piercing the bottome of the pillours thereof In like maner the moisture of the bodie of Alphonsus Aualus albeit the Phisitions had dried the same with salte and sande and inwrapped his bodie in leāde yet the fatnesse thereof spotted and spoiled not onely the stones aboue the Tombe but dropped through euery parte of the leade And there is also a mountaine called Hecla in the Isle of Islande whereof one George Agricola a man amongest others of our time worthie of memorie hath made mention reporting the same to caste such flames and making so great a a noise that it séemes to be made the same casting and darting greate stones withall vomitteth Sulphur smothering as in a gulphe all those which approch to beholde the nature of that fire whereby the common people of that cuntrie be brought in such an errour that they beleue that place to be y e prison of the damned Besides also manie Historiās write that there appeared in that place visions which shewe themselues visible and make their seruice to men they appeare for the moste part in the shape and figure of those which by some violent aduenture haue bene either killed or drowned and when those which they know makes their returne to their houses they aunswere them with maruellous complaint wéepingins willing them to returne to the mounte Hecla so sodainly passe vanishe awaye But for my part I haue alwaies thought that they be certaine disciples of the diuell which haue vowed them obedience in that place to deceiue the people being by nature of a Barbarous grosse capacitie whereof as we haue declared before y t the cause of these hideous and pepetuall flames is naturall so it also commeth of the fertilitie of the grounde together with the plentie of Sulphur wherewith the marchants loade so many shippes carying them into strange countreyes And moreouer the fatnesse of the groūde of this Islande as the Auncients and Historians at these dayes write is such and especially in the lowe countrey that they are constrained to féede their cattel but a smal time leaste they shoulde surfeit of the swéetnesse thereof so die as is dayly proued Neither let vs muse or be to curious in searching the cause of these flames of the mountaines so farre from vs for we haue the mounte Vesuue neare to Naples whereof Martial Strabo and Xiphilnius in the life of Seuerus the Emperour haue verye often in their writing made mention to be in times pastmost fertil is now by the continual embracements of the fire vtterlye ruinous and consumed and in the time of Titus Caesar it caste forth such plentie of fire that it burned twoo Cities and the smoke thereof rose so thick and high that it had welnigh darkened the Sunne making the dayes like to the night and all the fields thereabouts were so full of cinders that they seemed in heighte equall with the trées Wherein Plinie who raigned in the time of Vespasian the Emperour desiring to knowe the cause of the continual burning of this mountaine wente to sée it and approching too neare the same was at the sight thereof so astonished that he was immediatly surprised with the flame and his bodye thereby committed to ashes as you maye beholde in the pourtraite before that which is yet fresh in memorie in the yeare 1538. where it began againe to make so great an irruption that it feared al the people bordering vpō it We can in like maner bring in amongst these wonderful mountayns the mount Aetna otherwise called the mount Gibell in Sicile whereof S. Augustine hath made so often mention in hys workes and whiche Strabo witnesseth as one that hath not feared to mounte to the
the whiche meanes we iudge to sée diuers sunnes We maye also sée the lyke in a table wel painted and polished which when we behold there appeareth to vs the shape of two or .iij. being but one in dede and as much we may say of y e Moone Thus haue we declared the very true causes wherfore appere so often .ij. or .iij Sunnes Moones let vs therfore now from henceforth search in nature the cause and beings of these things and stay no more at these fripperies deceiptes and dreames of the Astrologians iudicials who therby haue so oftentimes deceiued begiled vs that they oughte and deserue to be banished exiled from all cōmon wealths well gouerned for what trouble perplexitie and terrour haue they engendred in the consciences of a numbre of poore people As for example in the yere 1514. when they feared not with obstination to publishe openly in all places that there shoulde be in the moneth of February well nigh an vniuersall floud for that the coniunction of all the planets were in the signe of Pisces and notwithstandyng the day which should haue brought forth these waters was one of the moste faire and temperate days of the yere albeit many great personages fearefull of their prophecies made prouision of bisket flower ships and other like things propre to sayle withall fearyng to be surprised and drowned wyth the greate abundance of water whiche they before had tolde of Lette vs further from henceforth learne with Henry the .vij. king of Englande who reigned in oure tyme makyng no accompt of theyr deceytes but chastised their dreame who vpon the sodaine beyng made to vnderstande that one of the moste famous Astrologians of Englande had published in all places that he had found amongst the most hidden secretes of Astrologie that the King shoulde die before the next feast of Christmas commaunded that he should be brought before hym who after he had asked hym whether this talke were true and that the prognosticator had answered him that it was certaine and that he had founde this infallible in his constellation and natiuitie I pray thée then sayde the King tell me where the starres tell thée thou shalte kéepe thy Christmas this yeare To whom he answered he shoulde be in hys owne house with hys familie but I knowe very wel sayd the King that thy starres be lyers for thou shalt neither sée Moone Sunne Starres heauen nor thy familie this Christmasse putting hym presentely in the moste straight darke prison in the great tower of London where he continued till the feast was past Here you may sée how this true Astrologian was vsed remayning prisoner in extreme misery vntil after the feast kept of the natiuitie of Iesus Christe ¶ A wonderfull Historie of Flames of fyre which haue sprong out of the heades of diuers men CHAP. xxj IF there were but one onely Authour which had made mention of the Historie followyng although the truthe therof be sufficiently proued for whiche cause I haue the rather at this time placed it in these my wōders as a chiefe argument or coniecture in nature whereupon may be founded the cause notwithstanding seing so many learned men haue busied themselues to write therof together with so greate a number of faithfull authors witnessing the same in their works we ought the rather vpon their credite to beleue that whiche they haue sayd therin Titus Liuius in his thirde booke and thirde Decade Cicero in his seconde boke De diuinatione Valerius the great in his first boke and .vj. chapiter Frontinus in his secōd boke and .x. chapiter write that after the Scipions were surprised by their enimies and ouerthrowē and killed by the Spanyards and that Lucius Martius a Romaine knight making an oration to his souldiers exhorting to reuēgement they became astonished to see a great flame of fire issuing from his heade without doing to him any hurt which caused the armed men being moued with the sight of thys wonderfull flame to take heart and run so furiously vpon their enimies that they not onely killed xxvij thousande but also had a praie of a great number of captiues besides an inestimable riches they toke from the Carthaginiens Neither haue such fantasticall fyres sprong from the bodies of certaine men or appeared in one only but in many Wherof the same author Titus Liuius writeth in his first boke of things worthy of memory sithens the foundation of Rome the like to happen to Seruius Tullius who succéeded in the imperial seate Tarquinius Priscus from whose heade being yet but yong and as he slepte they sawe issue a flame of fyre whervpon the Quéene Tanaquil wife to the foresayd Priscus affirmed to hir husbād that this flame promised to hym greate good honour and prosperitie whiche afterwards chaunced for he maried not onely hir daughter but after the death of hir husband hée was Kyng of the Romaines And Plutarche and others haue written the lyke of Alexander when he foughte against the Barbariens being in the moste heate of the skirmish they sawe him all on fyre whiche caused a maruellous feare and terrour to his ennimies Euen so I knowe a certaine Physition at this day who writeth of the lyke in diuers of his histories chauncing in our time to a nere friende of his in Italy not onely at one time but at many Whereof as Plinius not onely in an other place maketh mention of the ryuer Trasimenus whyche was seene all on fyre but also maketh a certain discourse of these wonderfull flames whyche be seene aboute the bodies of men Also Aristotle in hys fyrst boke of Metheores treateth in lyke maner But to tell you myne opinion therein I can not any wayes gather the cause or foundation eyther of the one or other althoughe I haue promised to shewe the causes and reasons whervpon these wonders procede and take their beginnyng For if we wyll saye they be made by Arte As we haue séene very often in oure tyme certaine Ruffians vomite and caste forth of theyr mouthes certayne flames of burnyng Fyre whiche Atheneus in the fyrst boke of the Dipnosophistes and fouretenth Chapiter doth witnesse whiche coulde not happen as I thinke to the Histories before mentioned for that it hath chanced to greate lordes vpon whome these wonders haue bene moste proued by which meanes they being attended vpon wyth a greate numbre and multitude of persones the fraude thereof was easlyer discouered Wherefore it is moste expediente then to beléeue that they be wonders and deceytes of Sathan who was so familiar in the worlde passed that he inuented dayly newe wonders as is wytnessed in Exodus of the Magitiens of Pharao whiche conuerted Maydes into Serpentes and floudes of water into bloud whyche be matters as difficulte as to make flames of fyre issue or come from the bodies of men ¶ A Historie very notable of Prodigeous Loues CHAP. xxij I Am ashamed and almoste confused in my self that I must declare the wonderfull loue
the shape or figure of a deade man all to be bathed in the bloudy flouds of horrible murder preferring this lamentable request seing thou hast vsed so smal care to succour my lyfe at the least discharge the office of a friende in reuengyng of my death for this body whiche thou seest so murdered and dismembred afore thée is at the gate of the Citie in a charyot couered wyth dong by the crueltie of myne hoste Thys seconde summonce or rather importunitie was of suche force in the troubled mynde of the other Arcadian that he arose in greate sorrowe and wyth no lesse compassion requested dyuerse friends to accompanie him to the gate of the Citie where as they founde the deade body of his friend hydden in the dong in suche sorte as he appeared to him in his dreame Wherevpon the Hoast being taken and examined auouched the murder and receyued hys hyre by the losse of his head The like is affirmed by Alexander ab Alexandro in the ninth chapter of his second boke De ses iours geniaux which he vnderstode of a familiar and deare friend of his a man whose learnyng and vertue acquite hym from iust imputation of vntruthe in any sorte whatsoeuer Thys man being at Rome was required by one of hys verye friendes to accompanie hym to the bathes of Cumes the intente of whyche iourney as it was to séeke remedy for a disease whyche hadde troubled hym many yeares afore So the other agréed to hys request in sort to his owne expectation Neyther hadde they trauailed many yeares together but thys disease grewe to suche extreme debilitie thorough all hys body that what wyth the anguishe of it and weakenesse in hym to endure the paine he died and gaue vp the goast in an Inne To whome after the other had performed such funeralls as agréed with the time and place seing no cause of nede to passe further to the bathes retourned to Rome and being ouertaken with extreme wearinesse of the firste dayes trauaile tooke vp hys lodging in an Inne by the waye where he was no sooner in bedde and afore he hadde desire to sleepe than the image of his friende whome he hadde put into the earth the day afore presented hym selfe afore hys eyes beholdyng him wyth moste earneste and pitifull regarde and that in the same leane and defourmed estate he was in duryng the extremitie of hys sicknesse The same strikyng such mortall dreade into the other that he was readie to dye for feare and yet was not voide of courage and remembrance to aske hym what he was who without making him any aunswere put off hys ghoastly apparaile and roabes of a ghoast and wente to bedde to hym offeryng to embrace hym with greate familiaritie which forced the poore man halfe deade wyth feare to leape sodainely oute of the bed and saue hym selfe by flyght without that the vision appeared to hym afterwarde Whyche notwithstandyng coulde not so well assure hym but the remembraunce of that feare made hym fall into a mortall disease whiche albeit brought hym to the extreme hazarde of death yet the worst being preuented by special remedies and he returned 〈◊〉 health amoÌ„gst the wonderful reports of this vision he â—â—yd he neuer felt yce more colde than the feete of that dead body touching him in his bed The same author in the .xj. chapter of his first boke confirmeth this discourse with a like example which he hath neither red nor learned by report but séene the experience hym self in one of hys trusty seruantes a man bothe vertuous and of vpright lyuing who layed in his bed fast a slepe began vpoÌ„ a sodain to sigh lament complain in such sort that he awaked all those in the house His master in the morning asked him y e cause of his trouble to whom he answered that these complaintes were not vaine seing that he séemed to sée afore his eyes to be buried the dead body of his mother Whervpon as his maister obserued y e very daye and houre to the ende he myght know whether it didde prognosticate any harme to his man so within certaine dayes after there came a seruant of his mother the messanger of hir death who discoursing hir disease with the order of hir dying conferryng the times together it appered that the houre of hir death agréed wyth the very instaunt of the vysion whych sayth Alexander néede not séeme eyther vaine or doubtfull to suche as knowe certaine houses in Rome at this day of great hate and horrour by reason they are hauÌ„ted wyth spirites Whereof Plurarch maketh mention of Damon in the beginning of the life of Cymon The same also being confirmed with like example written of Pausanias Cleonices and Bizantia the maide bisides the authority of Plinie in his .vij. boke of his Epistles touchyng a vision appearing in a house in Athens and that which Suetonius writeth when Caligula was killed whose house was troubled with prodigeous monsters and visions many yeares after vntil it was burned And lastly suche like is approued by Marcus Paulus Venitian who writeth that at thys day the Tartarians be very strong by enchantments of spirits being able to chaunge the day into darkenesse bring either light or darkenesse when and into what â—â—ace they list wherwith whosoeuer hath ben at any time circumueÌ„ted escapeth hardly without mortal danger Wherof Hayronus is a sufficient witnesse in his historie of the Sarmares wherein he sheweth how the Tartarians being almoste ouerthrowne were restored and became victorious by the enchauntment of the Ensigne bearer who made suche a darknesse ouerwhelm the army of the aduerse part that it dimmed their sights and mortified their corages But here me thinketh we stande too long vpon prophane examples séeing we haue sufficient confirmation by Ecclesiasticall authoritie as Sainct Augustine in hys twelfth Boke and seuententh Chapiter vppon Genesis in the Historie of a frantike man prophecying vpon the death of a Woman who as he was banquetting in his owne house amongâ—â—â— certaine his familiar friends falling into question of a woman knowen to them all willed them to ende their talke of that woman bycause she was alreadie dead which as it moued them the rather bicause some of them sawe hir not long afore so being asked how he coulde assure it sayd he sawe hir passe before him caried by such as put hir in the grounde which happened accordingly within .ij. dayes after for that the dead corps of the same woman passed afore his gate to be buried without that she felte any motioÌ„ of sicknesse at the houre of the prediction In like sorte the said S. Augustin in the same place treateth so strangely of prodigeous visions that were not the holinesse and authoritie of him y t wrote them they deserued smal credit There was saith he in our Citie a yong man so vexed with a paine in his coddes that by the furie of his griefe he séemed to endure a maruelous torment hauing
an honeste feare to fall into a miserable dispaire In such sort that as we reade that the Egyptians were sometime scourged and afflicted wyth ten plagues at Gods hande so we may say by good right that the myserable suters and solicitoures of the lawe doe partycipate dayely wyth tenne thousandes whereof there is no difference as touchyng theyr tormentes sauyng y t the Egiptians plague was moued through their owne occasion by the prouidence of GOD and this of the Pleaders is incensed by the malice of men besides if the Egiptians were afflicted by the biting of beastes riuers running of bloud their landes swarming with Grassehoppers flies and gnatts and their people annoyde with Leprosie Botches and other lothsome diseases our poore pleaders are persecuted in attendyng the Presidentes paying the Notaryes brybing the Solicitoures and annointing their clarkes in the hand with double fée to vse duetie and reuerence to the iudge to clap and knele to the dore kepers and lastly pawne his land and credite to borow money to discharge it All which beside the toile and trauaile of their bodies are incident to the poore pleader without y t he makes any reckening vpoÌ„ what points he must forme his accusation what delayes are awarded to his cause how he must tender his demaund of the one side and challeÌ„ge his exceptions on the other make inquisition examin witnesses indure reproches and make perfect his processe and after that he must take a copie of it recorde it abreuiate it and lastly bring it to the opinion of the iudge from whose sentence for diuers respects he may appeale and remoue his processe bryng it to a higher Court with such infinite toile disquiet of minde that who coÌ„siders of them according to their value and merite in déede ought rather to be contented to lose one parte of his goodes than to get or buy any other at so deare a price which is the cause in déede why this learned bishop of Mâ—nodemo Anthonie de Guauara writ in a certain boke of his that the pleaders were the only true Saincts and Martirs of the world séeing that of the .vij. mortall sinnes they are not to be accused but of .iij. only bicause touching y e other iiij although they wold commit them yet had they neither the meane â—or leasure For how is it possible y t they should be proud seeing that they go continually with their hattes in their handes and sometimes with great humilitie solicite the iudge reserue a solemne reuerence to a pelting procurer lastly performe a fatte paiment to a scribling Notarie And how can they be touched wyth the sinne of couetousnesse séeing their pursses be neuer shut nor theyr hands come emptie out of them but making Idols bothe of maister aduocate and his wife doe neuer cease offring vnto theÌ„ till they haue left their pursse without a liuing And touching the sinne of slouth idlenesse they are voide of infection that way séeing that most commonly in place to passe the night in sléepe and naturall rest they are tormented with sorowes sighes and other passions of griefe and the day slippes away in drudging toile trotting from one place and other to procure expedition to their cause And lastly and least of all are they infected with gluttony seeing they must obserue neither times nor houres to fede their stomacke or procure them an appetite most commonly for expedition sake they eat standing wyth great grose morsels ill swallowed and worse disgested and all to be readie at the pallaice gate to salute hys councellour pul his aduocate by the sléeue make a signe to his clarke to remember his cause wherwith he concludes lastly that a processe is so dauÌ„gerous and venomous a Serpent that who would wishe any euill or heauie fortune to his enimie let him not desire to sée hym poore or miserable hated of others banished his Countrey afflicted with diseases nor threatned with present death But let him pray to God to giue him some crooked or intricate processe for in al the world can not be fouÌ„d a more cruell reuenge for a mannes enimie than to sée him plunged in a troublesom cause in the law ¶ A wonderfull Historie of a monstrous childe which was borne the same day that the Geneuois and Veniciens were reconciled CHAP. xxxix ALthough that nature as Galen witnesseth in his .xiiij. booke de vtilitate partiuÌ„ had an earnest desire that hir work should haue bene immortal if it might haue bene performed but for y t it was not lawful both by the corruptible matter of the elements sprite of the aire she made therefore a forge or helpe supuly for y e immortalitie for she fouÌ„d out a woÌ„derful mean y t in place of y e creature y t shuld die ther shuld be a supply of an other and therfore nature hath giuen to all creatures conuenieÌ„t instruments aswell to conceiue as engender But it is so that these instruments so ordained by nature although y t she had a care to make them perfecte yet there is found in them bothe vice and default as is afterwardes shewed by the forme of this creature wherin Hippocrates witnesseth in his booke De genitura wher he sheweth by the similitude of trees how these children issue from the bellie of theyr mother moÌ„strous and deformed saying thus that of force those bodies which cannot moue by reason of the straightnesse of the place must become the rather mishapen deformed like as trées before they issue out of the earth if they haue not libertie and scope to spring but be with holden by some let or hinderance grow crooked great in one parte and smal in an other Euen so it is of the childe if in the bellie of the mother the parties where he is nourished be more straight one than the other and that vice sayth he commeth of the narownesse of the place to straight in the wombe Wherupon arguing a litle before of the same matter he sheweth other reasons by the which childreÌ„ be made monstrous and deformed as by the natural diseases of the parents for if the foure kindes of humors whereof the séede is made be not wholly contributorie to y e secrete partes there shall be then some partie wanting Besides this he addeth further other reasons touching monstrous birthes as when the mother receiueth some blow or hurt or that the childe fortunes to be sicke in the bellie of hys mother either that the nourishment wherewith he ought to be relieued happen to slippe out of the wombe al which things be sufficient causes to make them hideous waÌ„ting or deformed And if we would consider with iudgement these reasons of Hippocrates treating vpon the generation of monsters we should without all dout finde that this whereof thou séest the portraict is engendred so mishapen by one of these causes which he shewed that is to say by the narownesse of the place wherein nature willing to create two found the
.28 of the same month there appeared in the Element ouer the same place at .x. of the clock in the night a shining Crosse wyth a starre in the toppe and a Moone at the lower ende retiring immediatly after it began to be day without being séene any more at y e time but touching these sights and visions in the aire with their causes which moue in dede by natural meanes as we beholde the figure of our selues in a glasse or the Rainbow in the Element I shal not néede to vse large description of them héere bicause they are auouched by the Astronomers Philosophers and others of like profession beside for mine owne selfe I forbeare to wade farre therin vntil a time cause more conuenient for such purpose THe monsters which are this yeare come to knowledge be two the one was in Prouence at Arles and wandred besides thorow Fraunce It was a childe rough or hairy on all the body hauing the nauell in the place where the nose should stand and the eyes where naturally should staÌ„d the mouthe betwéene the which was a certaine opening hys eares stode on either side the chinne and his mouthe at the ende of the same THe other monster of this yeare .1567 was séene in FlauÌ„ders betweene Anwarpe and Macline in a village called Vbalen It was a childe which had .ij. heades and .iiij. armes séeming .ij. maides ioyned together yet had but .ij. legges Of a wonderfull Daunce LIke as I am greatly in dout whether so infer in the number of wonderful Histories that which we now write not for the matter but that it is shorte and yet worthie of no lesse memorie than admiration Euen so for that the Historie may seeme of lesse credite and truthe the same being written in that time wherin men would scarsly suffer it to be imprinted or taken as a witnesse of antiquitie albeit it were ayded and assisted by a truthe or other probable arguments to the like effect hauing withall sufficiente colour to make men beleue that they speake to be suche as they recite notwithstanding for that we be able to iustifie the truth of this present Historie by one who as be assureth to haue seene it so hath he taken paine to write therof hym selfe which is Othopertus of Saxonie and after him Vincentius wytnesseth the same in hys xxvj boke and .x. chap. and besides Antoni in his fourth chap. his .xvj. titles and seconde tome of hys workes where as I neede not feare to recite it as it is or to aggrauate the opinion or beliefe of any further than a truth So neuerthelesse I haue to preferre and make mention of one Historie very straunge and not heard of yet albeit true Wherof Othopertus writeth that the yeare .1012 which was in the tenth yeare of the emperour Henry the second in a certain borough or towne of Saxonie where he himselfe accompanied with .xvij. other of his friends whiche by computation wer .xviij. he accompted dyd sée .xv. men and iij. women dauncing of a rounde in a Churchyarde and singing of Wanton songs not meete for the solace of honest Christians And albeit there passed by at that instant a Priest who cursed them in such sorte that they daunced and song there the space of a whole yeare Yet that which was most maruellous is that as it rained not sayd he vpon them neyther were they hotte or desirous of meate or drinke nor lefte from doing that exercise or labour so their garmentes and shoes in all their dauncing were not worne or consumed albeit in the ende they sonke into the earth first to the knées and lastely to their middles The yeare expired and their daunce ended and they withall come to a perfecte vnderstandyng in what sporte they had spente the yeare paste one of the women and two others of that companie dyeâ— sodainely and all the reste slepte continually three dayes and thrâ—â— nyghtes Wherevpon some of them immediatly vpon their wakyng dyed the others deferred to the ende to tast more their follie remayned in a continuall tremblyng thorough all the partes of theyr bodies during the terme and space of theyr myserable and vnfortunate lyues FINIS Gellius lib. j. cap. 12. Silemander a worme liuing in the fire A Lampe burning without the aide of oile or match A great infection throâ—ghout all Europe by reason the water in their welles was ympoysoned The Adamant smelleth and â—â—eleth The nature of the Emeraud The Emeraud enimie to vncleanesse Volateranus writeth a lyke example in his geography A wonderfull prouidence of God The natures of sundry stoues Damascen writeth that in the time of Maximinian there wer killed and martyred in .xxx. dayes .xvij. thousande christians Cornelius Tacitus lib. 15. A wall of dead mens head The cause of the flames of fyre from heauen The Romains fearfull of the Eclipse of the Moone The cause of the Eclypse of the Moone iij sunnes sene by Cardanus The causes of the shewes of so many suÌ„nes and moones Plato Aristotlâ— Socrates Vâ—serius Max. lib. 4. A drooken combat Two huÌ„dreth and .l. crownes and some value them at .ij. C.xxx and iiij M.iij C.lx. and v. Ducaâ—s A pearle waying halfe an vnce A wonderfull prodigalitie in an Italian Prelate Some writers haue referred this to the Emperour Tyberius Xerxes killed by his prouost And Darius poisoned after by Alexander Mar. Anto. killed him selfe Cleopatra was stong to death Helioga slayn and cast into Tyber A dead man speaketh to his companion in a dreame An other visioÌ„ appearing to a man that was not a slepe Certaine houses at Rome haunted wyth spirites S. Augustin approueth enchaunting by example The effects of the bishops prophecie Act. 11. Cap. 11. Luke 11. In his booke of the Diuination of Diuels Cap. 22. Gen. lib. 1â— cap. 14. 3. Reg. 22. Visions of the imagination Lib. 1. cap. 20. Visions by naturall cause In his boke of maruelous inuentions Of .vij. voyces or soundes Artificiall visions Paris Garden
heauen be as foretellers and messengers of famine pestilence warres mutations of Realmes and other such like hurtes which happen to the generation of man And he further beleues that the greater and hideous these figures appeare they purporte and shew the greater euils Whereof Proculus one of the moste excellent Astrologians which Grece at any time norished followeth the interpretations of suche predictions by all the signes of heauen recompting by order the maruellous powers which these starres haue vppon the actions humaine And there be others as Ptolome whiche haue written that if any infant in his natiuitie be borne vnder certaine constellations he shall haue power ouer diuels there be also others of opiniō but they be most shamelesse full of blasphemies who haue so much referred themselues to the dispositiō of starres that they haue not feared to write that if any from their natiuitie were borne vnder the aspect of certaine starres that they shoulde haue the gyfte of prophecie and should foretel things to come And that Iesus Christ the sauiour of al the world was borne vnder certaine fortunate cōstellations being y e cause y t he was so perfect wrought so many miracles Here you may see the cruel horrible blasphemies which these detestable infamous Astrologians iudiciall bring forth which is y e cause y t S. Augustin hath banisht thē frō the Citie of God Basil and S. Ciprian deteste thē Chrisostome Eusebius Lactantius and S. Ambrose abhorre them The councell of Tollete reiecte them the ciuill lawes punishe them by death And the Ethniques also as Varro Cornelius Celsus and many other defame them But farre more diuersly amongst Princes than any other hath Picus Mirandula shewed him selfe who hath so very well brought to light and discouered the Labyrinth of their dreames in a Latin worke which he made against them that they scarcely dare once lift vp their hornes Wherefore lette vs now returne to our purpose and shewe so neare as we can whether these straunge figures and Comets whiche we sée from heauen be foretellers of things whiche shall happen or that they be naturall wherein as Aristotle in his first boke of Metheores treating very learnedly of the nature of Cometes and of these other impressions Characters and figures which be made from heuen sayth that they be made onely by nature without makyng mention that they either foretell or appoynt any thing which shall happen euen so it is to be presupposed that if Aristotle who is the first and most excellent of all those which haue written at any time in this Arte had founde neuer so little coniecture or reason in nature that they were appointers of any thing whiche should come to passe he woulde haue kepte them no more secrete or hidden than he hath done the other secretes of philosophie which he hath lefte to vs by his writings Wherfore it is then certaine that these fantasticall flames and other figures whiche we sée from heauen be naturall and grow vpon this occasion folowing There be thrée regions in heauen one whiche is most high who receiueth into hir a maruellous heate for that she is nexte neighbour to the Element of fyre the other which is lower receyueth the beames of the Sunne beaten backe of the earth whereof I haue made mention in my description of the cause of thunders The third is in the mydst of these two to the which do come the force of the heate which commeth from the vppermost part lyke to the heate of the beames of the Sunne beaten backe when it commeth from the lowest or inferior region For as Plinie witnesseth the starres be continually nourished of the humor procedyng of the groūd which be the chiefest causes of these celestiall flames for the earthe as Aristotle sheweth in his fyrst booke of Metheores being chafed of the Sunne rendreth double ayrely substaunce the one vapour which we may proprely name exhalation hote and drye the other is hote and moyste and bicause the firste vapour is most light she is suffered to come to the highest region of the ayre where she is set on fyre wherof procedeth these fyres and flames from heauen which in the formes of dyuers straunge shinyngs appeare in the Cloudes in sundry figures as in the shape of burnyng torches of shippes heades launces bucklers swordes bearded and hairie Comets with other like things whereof we haue made mention here before the whiche engenders greate terror and astonishement to those who be ignorant of the causes wherin as it hapened oftentymes amongst the Romains in the warres of the Macedons who being brought into such fear and terror by the sodain appering of the Eclipse of the Moone that their hearts began to faile them Euen so Cneius Sulpitius seing thē continuing in this feare by a wonderful eloquēce shewed vnto them by probable reasons that such mutation in the aire was naturall and that the Eclipse proceded of no other thing than of an interposition of the Moone betwixt the Sunne and vs and of the earth betwixt vs and the Moone by whiche meanes they were delyuered of their errour not knowing til that houre the cause of the sayd Eclipse The like may be sayd of the raining of blood the which hath so much frighted the people in the yeres passed for bicause they were ignorant wherevpon it proceded as that which fell from heauen in the yere of health 570. in the tyme that the Lumbards wer vnder the conduct of Albuyn traueling through Italy And also ther fel the like yet fresh in memory neare Fribourgh in the yeare .1555 the whyche stained and made the garments and trées whiche it touched of the coloure of redde and notwithstanding although that this séemeth wonderfull yet oftentymes it is naturall For like as the earth gyueth diuers colours to many bodies euen so she coloureth the water of the rayne for if the earth be redde shee rendreth those vapours and exhalations redde the whiche being conuerted into raine the heauen in like maner sendeth them to vs redde and coloured as they were attired and lifted in height and falling so vpon certaine habites she maketh them of the colour and die of redde Wherfore many Historians as well Greekes as Latines amongest their great maruels and rare wonders from heauen haue made mention of these bloudy shoures It resteth now to putte to the laste seale this chapiter and to appoynte the causes of the number of Sunnes and Moones whych appeare oftentimes from heauen as the thrée Sunnes the whiche Cardanus reporteth to haue seene in oure tyme being at Venice And like as we haue sayd that these figures whiche appeare from heauen be natural euen so we must speake of the multitude of Moones and Sunnes the which appeare for that oftentymes and specially when a certaine thicke cloude is readie to raine being founde on the syde of the Sunne the same by a lyke reflection on hir beames imprinteth hir image in the same cloude by
1. ¶ In the second the woÌ„ders and aduertisements of God sent vpon the Citie of Ierusalem to prouoke them to repentaunce 4. ¶ In the thirde mention is made of the deathe of sundry Kings Bishoppes Emperours and Monarques with the wonderfull death of a king of Poloigne and an Archebishop of Maience 5. ¶ In the fourth is described the history of Nabuchodonozer wherin is sheed in what perill they be which coÌ„maunde and haue the gouernement of publike weales 10 ¶ In the fifthe is declared the causes of the bringing forth of monsters and other histories to that purpose 12. ¶ In the sixth is recouÌ„ted a notable history of two maidens engendred in our time the which were knit togither by the forheads 14 ¶ In the seuenth a wonderful and horrible monster of our time vpon the discourse of whom the question is asked whether Diuels can engender and vse the workes of nature 16. ¶ In the eight sundry sortes of Lightnings with wonderful thunders and teÌ„pests happening in our time with the peril harmes proceding of the same and certaine defensible meanes against their furie 19. ¶ In the ninth a wonderful history of a man in our time which washed his hands face in scalding lead 24. ¶ In the tenth wonderfull and straunge histories of the Iewes 26. ¶ In theleuenth Flouds and wonderful inundations of waters which 〈◊〉 happened in our time 29. ¶ In the twelfth the wonderfull deathe of Plinie with a briefe description of the causes of fire which come of certaine openings of the earth 30 ¶ In the thirtenth wonders of certaine horrible Earthquakes chauncing in diuers prouinces with a deceit of Sathan who by his crafte and subteltie made a Romaine knight to throwe himself headlong into a gulffe 33 ¶ In the fourtenth wonders of two bodies knit togethers like two graffes in the trunke of a tree 35 ¶ In the fiftenth a history of a monster who appeared to S. Anthonye in the desert 37 ¶ In the sixtenth a wonderful discourse of precious stones their nature and propertie which reasoneth of their procreation and other strange things breding in the bowels of the erth 38 ¶ In the seuententh a wonderful history of two Princesses being committed to the flames vniustly accused who were deliuered by the vertue of their innocencie 45 ¶ In the eightenth a wonderful history of sundry straunge fishes Monsterâ— Mermaids and other huge creatures found and bred in the Sea 47 ¶ In the ninetenth wonders of Dogges which did eate Christians 54 ¶ In the twentith a wonderfull history of diuers figures Comets Dragones and flames which appeared in heauen to the terrour of the people and whereunto the causes and reasons of them be assigned 56. ¶ In the .21 Flames of fire which haue spronge out of the heades of diuers 〈◊〉 61. 〈…〉 22. A history very notable of 〈…〉 loues with a description of the dissolute life of three renoumed Curtisanes 62 ¶ In the .23 A wonderfull history of a monster out of whose belly issued an other man all whole reseruing the head 69. ¶ In the .24 Notable histories of many plants with their properties and vertues together with a wonderful rote of Baata written of by Iosephus the Hebrew author 70. ¶ In the .25 Wonderfull and excessiue Bankets 76. ¶ In the .26 Certaine wonderfull discourses worthy of memory touching Visions Figures and Illusions appearing as wel in the day as in the night and sleeping as waking 82. ¶ In the .27 A wonderfull history of a monster seene by Celius Rhodigenus 98 ¶ In the .28 A monster on liue whose intrailes and interiour parts were to be sene naked and vncouered 100 ¶ In the .29 Of a prodigeous Dogge which engendred of a Beare and a mastiffe bitche in England seene by the Author at London with the discourses of the nature of this beaste 101. ¶ In the .29 A wonderfull historye of certain women which haue brought forthe a greate number of children and an other which bare hir fruite v. yeares dead within hir belly 108 ¶ In the .31 A wonderfull history of a moÌ„ster hauing the shape of the face of a man who was taken in the Forest of Haueberg in the yeare .1531 whose purtraicte Georgius Fabritius sent to Gesnerus naturally drawne 110 ¶ In the .32 Of wonderfull and strange famines 112 ¶ In the .33 Of a Bird which hath no fete and liues continually in the air being neuer founde vpon the earthe or in the sea but dead 114 ¶ In the .34 Of a certaine monstrous Serpent hauing .vij. heads bought by the Venetians and sent into Fraunce embalmed 117. ¶ In the .35 A straunge and wonderfull historie of two maids knit and conioyned backe to backe sene in diuers places the one at Rome the other at Verona 123 ¶ In the .36 Of wonderfull crueltie in the which is a discourse of Asâ—iages who caused Arpalus to eate the flesh of his owne sonne 125 ¶ In the .37 Of a moÌ„ster brought forth into the worlde aliue hauyng the shape of a man from the nauell vpward and the rest like a dogge 128 ¶ In the .38 A notable complaint made by a monstrous man to the Senate of Rome against the tyrannies of a CeÌ„sour which oppressed the pore people of the riuer of Danubie with rigorous exactions 130 ¶ In the .39 Of a monstrous childe hauing .iiij. fete and .iiij. armes brought into the world the same day that the Geneuois and Venetians were recoÌ„ciled 136 ¶ In the .40 A wonderful discourse of couetousnesse with many examples touching that matter worthy of memory 137 ¶ In the .41 A monster hauing the. wings fete of a bird brought forth at Rauenna in the time of Pope Iuly the seconde and king Lewes the twelfth 139 ¶ Of a straunge monster takeÌ„ vp in the riuer of Tybre in the yeare .1496 Fol. 140 ¶ Of a straunge child borne in Almain in the yeare .1548 hauing but one legge and no armes with a creuise or chinke where his mouth should be 140 ¶ Of a childe borne in Englande in the yere 155â— which had two bodies two heads four hands and thre legs and but one belly 141. ¶ Of a wonderfull and strange monster borne in the yere .1554 eod ¶ Of two woÌ„derfull monsters brought forthe into the worlde in the yeare 1555. the one in Germanie the other in Sauoye 142 ¶ Of a monstrous Calfe brought forthe in Germanie in the yeare .1556 143 ¶ A monstrous child borne in Germanie in the yere .1556 144 ¶ Of a moÌ„strous calfe hauing the head beard and brest of a man eod ¶ Of thre Sunnes sene at one time 145 ¶ Of a shining Crosse with a starre at the toppe and a Mone at the lower ende seene in the yere .1567 eod ¶ Of two monsters 146 ¶ A wonderfull Daunce 147 ¶ The ende of the Table SVNDRY ABVSES and wonders of Sathan CHAPITER j. ALbeit Sathan since the creation of the world hath performed his tirannous raigne in most
prouinces and places of the erth with sundry subtilties and sophisticall sleights to draw vnto him an honour of the people vnder a forme of diuers beastes other creatures yet it is affirmed both by sacred prophane authority that the soueraigne and omnipotent God hath giuen him more scoape and libertie of rage against his people in two places than in all the worlde besides wherof the first was in the Oracle of Apollo a place very famous by report of hystories where he kept his schole open shop of villanous crueltie for the space of 1000. or 1200. yeares drawing the people not only to fall downe worship him but also according to his bloudy disposition he toke vpon him to giue answer to their demaūds with constraint for y e most part that afore he performed resolution of their questions they should honour perfume his house with incense and quick sacrifice of men maydes sometimes the fathers became murderers of their simple and innocent children such was the blindnesse of the people and such the sleight of this subtile serpent to enchaunt and charme their vnderstanding wherwith notwithstanding not satisfied he kept a cōmon storehouse of filthy gaine rauenous couetousnesse that vnder the pretence of religion in such sorte that the most parte of Kings Monarches of the earth came to worship him in that place enriching his temple with infinite treasures and giftes of precious value besides a number of stately Images formed of massiue Golde the same so enlarging his territorie that of a little caue or hollow vault wherin he kept residence at the beginning within a small time he raised it vp to a huge proud Citie wherein he so traffiqued and practised his abhominable trade with Pilgrimes and straungers that came from farre setting such price of the pelfe wherwith he abused the simplicitie of the people that as Diodorus writeth there was found at that time of his treasure aboue ten thousand talentes amounting according to the order of our accompt to six Millions of golde And now touching the description of the scite or situation of the place where this monstrous enimie to the life of man performed his oracles it was a desert and traggie mountaine planted in Grecia vpon the breache or tip of a high and hard Rocke out of the which issued a sulphur or strong breath wherupon was hong on high a colde spirite or figure wauering as the winde and the mouth of this infernal cell did bestride certaine graund paunches or big belied priests cowring one close by an other as though they would hatch yong frie like them selues who receyuing the aire or breath of the wind and participating with the spirite and power of the diuell became as men enraged and without sense braying out answere to the people vpon their demaundes Thys also gaue further cause of wonder touching the place that he was so carefully garded by diuels that no mortal man durst assaile eyther him or his treasure amassed from so many partes of the world the same mouing cause of feare to Princes of the greatest power and also to the mightie conquerour Xerxes who notwithstanding being vpon his conquest of Greece following his couetous inclination to enrich himselfe with the spoile of Sathan attempted to pill his Temple which as he was striuing to bring to passe that parte of the Rocke where Sathan sate in his throne vpon a sodaine ouerwhelmed and fell downe vpon his souldiers the Elamente began to open and cast forth flames of fire with such terrible threates of thunder and lightning that those which were vpon the mountayne fel downe some schortched to death by the vehemencie of the fire and some torne in pieces by other violence that as Trogus affirmeth that assault was the bane of .iiij. thousand of his souldiers which hapned not only to him for that the Frenchmen vndertaking the like enterprise vnder the conducte of Brenus who vowing to skale the mountaine and sacke the temple of Delphos ▪ was resisted with a horrible quaking of the earth which so shaked and disordered the hil that the greatest parte fel vpon his armie and smotheryng who so euer was founde either vpon or vnder it whervpon folowed such terrible motiōs in the Elament with storms tempests wind haile mixed with sulphure and fume of fatal fire that the most part of the armie was consumed Brenus himself so sore woūded that what with the anguish of his hurt impacience of his repulse he sacrifised himselfe vpon the point of his sword The other special place where Sathan kepes hys maiestie vsurping vpon the people with a reuerence as to a God is yet in being in Calycut one of the most riche and famous cities of the Indyans but after a more strange and hydeous fashion than in the Oracle of Apollo for that there he was rather masqued than séene openly where now ielous belike of the honor of his creator he is séene and worshipped vnder the most terrible and mōstrous forme that euer we sée him drawne and painted in any place And here he hath so surely seeled the eies of this miserable people of Calycut that although they acknowledge God yet do they worship and reuerence the Diuel with Sacrifice incense perfume and erection of Images as if he were one of the Deitie in déede And albeit all that Prouince which is of great circuite together with their Kings Rulers of the same are resolued of the vnitie of one God maker of heauen erth with other Elamentes and the whole World besides yet Sathan the father and first founder of all vntruthes hath so preuayled amongst them with such suttle and sinister persuasions that they beleue that God being weary to debate the causes and controuersies happening among men hath committed vnto him the charge of iudgement vpon earth the same inducing this pore and ignoraunt people to think that God hath sent downe that spirit of torment with power to do iustice and reason to euery cause and question amongst them they cal him by the name of Deumo whose portraite the King kepes with gret deuotion in his Chappel as a sanctuarie or holy relike placed in a stately chaire with a Crowne vpon his head after the forme of a Méetre with a garnish of foure hornes foure huge téeth growing out of a monstrous mouth a nose and eyes of the like proportion his handes like to the pawes of an Ape and feete fashioned like a Cock whose forme as you sée is both fearfull and monstrous so it agréeth with the furniture of the chapel wherin it is inclosed being garnished with no other tables or pictures than figures of litle diuels of the like regarde And yet is not this all for their priests which they call Bramynes haue expresse charge to wash this Idol with swéete water and odoriferous balmes and then vpon the sounde of a bell to fall prostrate and doe sacrifice neither doth the King eate any meate which
vpon him tearing the fleshe of his hand with hir téeth and deuoured the same sodainly Al which the infant abode in respect to satisfie hir longing And as she returned to play the like parte againe the childe grieuing at hir crueltie withstode hir Wherof being ashamed and full of despite after she had liued certain days in coÌ„tinual melancolie she broughte forth two twinnes the one aliue and the other dead Wherupon the physitions called together to argue vpon the cause of this childe bearing founde that the deniall of the seconde morsel of the boyes flesh was the occasion therof Behold in effect the causes moste frequented touching y e bringing forth of monsters gathered according to the opinion of the best lerned authors both Greekes and Latins Resting yet ouer aboue al those kind of artificial monsters who be most familiar to these vacabunds vncerten people traueling through al prouinces with diuers abuses and deceiptful legerdemains wherwith they abuse the simplicity of the people in getting their money These masked pilgrims or rather absolute hypocrites studying nothing but the philosophie of Sathan as soone as their children be borne whilest their sinewes bones be tender flexible with smal force wil not stick to breke their arms crush their legs puffe vp their belly with some artificial pouder defacing their noses with other parts of the face somtime pecking out their eyes al to make them appere monstrous wherof besides the familiar examples of oure miserable time there was great experience in Asia in the time of Hippocrates as apereth in his booke de aere locis ¶ The generall causes of the generation of MoÌ„sters with many notable Histories touching the same CHAP. vj. THe Auncients of olde time had these monstrous creatures in so greate horrour that if they fortuned to méete any of them by chauÌ„ce in their way they iudged it to be a foreknowledge of their misfortune and to belâ—eue it y e more the Emperor Adryan chancing to sée a Moore at vnwares assured himself to die immediatly The souldiers of Brutus being readie to ioyne battaile with the armie of Octauus Caesar hauing encouÌ„tred an Ethiopian in their way prognosticated that they shold lose the battaile which hapned according to their imagination In like maner the auncient Romains had these deformed creatures in suche disdaine that they straightly charged that the mis-shapen or hauing any other vice vpon their body shoulde not be receyued amongst the virgins Vestales as Fenestellus teacheth in his boke of the Magistrates and worthie men of Rome But that which is most to be maruelled at is that God forbad Moyses not to receiue them to do sacrifice amongest his people as you may reade more at large in the first chapter of Malachy the .xxj. of Leuit. Wherin S. Hierom hauing fully considered these abuses in an Epistle written to a virgin called Demetriade complaines of those Christians whiche offer vnto God those children or put them into religious houses being crooked lame deformed hauing yet a matter more straunge which Iulius Obsequius and other authors haue written of among the Romaine wonders wherin they credibly reporte that the auncient Romaines had these litle monstrous creatures in such abhomination that as soone as they were borne they were immediatly committed to the ryuer of Tyber there to be norished But we being better broughte vp and fostred in a schole of more humanitie knowyng them to be the creatures of GOD suffer them to be brought to the church there to receiue the holy sacrament of Baptisme as may be séene in the figure of these two Maides embracing eche other ioyned together by a straunge infirmitie of nature who wer séene to liue in our age of many thousande persons in forme or shape such as you see them portraicted And to the end the historie of their natiuitie might be the better vnderstanded I will declare that which Sebastian Munster writeth who saw them and behelde their vnnaturall order at large in the yeare as he sayde a thousand foure hundred fourescore .xv. and in the moneth of September A womaÌ„ brought forth a monster nigh to the citie of Worms vpon the right syde of the riuer of Rhine in a village called Bristante which was two maides hauyng their bodies entier and knitte together by the forheade so that there was not any artificial or humaine policie to deuide them asunder as myne author saw them at Magence in the yeare .1501 and being six yeres of age were constrained to go togither whiche was pitifull to beholde for as the one marched forwards the other of force reculed backwards they rose togither and slept togither their noses touching so nigh that they coulde not turne their eyes but one way their forheades ioyning togethers hanged ouer their eyes letting therby the iust course of their sight and liuing till they were ten yeares of age the one of them died who being separated and taken from the other the hurt she receyued in the separation from hir dead sister was the onely cause she died immediately Beholde here sayth he the cause of this monstrous birth two women talking togither the one of them being great with childe there came a thirde woman not knowyng that eyther of them were with childe and sodainly thrust their heads togithers as they talked wherewith she with childe was astonished whereupon grew this monstrous child bearing And to confirme the same to be of more trouth Cardan affirmeth in his bookes de Subtilitate saying That the astoonishment was some help to tie these .ij. infants togithers albeit he alleaged further cause of this vnnatural birth ¶ A wonderful and horrible monster of our tyme vpon the discourse of whom the question is asked whether Diuels can engender and vse the workes of Nature CHAP. vij THis hideous moÌ„ster whose portraict is here set out was born in base Pologne in the noble city of Cracouie in y e month of Februarie and yeare of grace .1543 or as some write 1547. and vpon the euen of the conuersion of S. Paule who although he were begotten of honorable parents yet was he most horrible deformed and fearefull hauing his eyes of the colour of fire his mouthe and nose like to the snoute of an Oxe wyth an horne annexed thereunto like the trumpe of an Elephant all hys backe shagge hairde like a dogge and in place where other men be accustomed to haue brests he had two heads of an Ape hauing aboue his nauell marked the eies of a cat and ioyned to his knee and armes foure heades of a dog with a grenning and fierce countenance the palmes of his féete and handes were like to those of an ape and amongst the rest he had a taile turning vp so hie that the height therof was half an elle who after he had liued foure houres died saying only Watch the Lorde commeth And although this creature were monstrous yet haue not sundry lerned authors failed to
nature hir wombe opened and yelded into the handes of the Midwife certaine yron nailes thicke tronchions or endes of knotted staues glasse bone lockes of haire hardes of flaxe hemp stones with other trumperie of lothsom hideous regard wherof the diuel by his coniuration and other hellish arte had made an assembly in that place to abuse the simplicitie of suche as are apte to repose certaintie in suche vaine and deceitfull charmes all which is aduouched by Licostenes Amberlachius Iacob Ruffus a notable phisition of Zurick in his booke de hominis generatione Neither nede it seme either straunge or incredible to such as haue noted the epistles and records of S. Paule where he did onely change his shape into the likenesse of an Angell of light to deceiue the people but also in diuerse places addressed himselfe to our sauior Christ with intente to seduce him But bicause wée haue better occasion to discourse at large of such villanies in an other part of this worke where we meane to moue question whether they haue bodies or no we will ende for this time with this resolution that albeit such wicked sprites may cōmunicat with the lusts and prouocations of the flesh yet are they both voyde of séede and without meane of generation for that as there is no difference nor diuision of kynd betwene them so they can not bée neither man nor woman ¶ Sundry sortes of lightnings with wonderfull thunders and tempestes happening in our time with the peril and harmes proceding of the same and certaine defensible meanes against their furie CHAP. viij WHo goeth about to make particular description of the desolation and destruction of diuers ancient and rich Cities Theatres Castles towres piles pillers churches of sumptuous and of stately regarde ouerthrowne and defaced by the violence of lightenyng thunder and other raging furie and tempests of the aire had néede of the assistance of long time and a large volume to pack vp such great and strange matters which maketh me leaue all antiquities records of ancient date to a long leisure and touch only in this treatise such things as hapnyng amongst our selues are also confirmed by our owne viewe and memorie the same being of familiar experiēce may also stirre vp in vs spéedie remorse of cōscience with a more dutiful regard feare of the maruellous effects of the infallible iustice of god At such time then as the french garison was within Milan which according to the chronicles was anno 1521. the said towne was so assailed with sūdry strange storms of lightning that y e citizens dispairing of longer life yelded to y e mercie of God with expectation to be presently consumed with the flame of that torment which amongst other places of the towne semed to thūder his most force vpon y e castle wherin was kept both y e treasure of the town munitiō other furniture of war with great store of Canon pouder cōmonly called Gunpouder which being of it self rather apt to yeld to y e least spark of fire that is thā able to cōtend with any thing that is hoat was immediatly al in a flame by force of suche flashes as came from the opening of the element so raged vpon the towre wherin it was layd that in one instāt it was razed and made flat with y e earth burning blowing vp sundry lodgings bulwarkes of the Castle in such sort that what with the strength of the pouder and furie of the fire there were forced vp into the aire stones of an vnresonable bignesse wherof certain of them fell redounded vpon the .ij. chief Prouosts whom they brused and burned to ashes other brake in pieces the armes legs and other parts of al such as vnhappily were within their power the same performing such effects of mortalitie vpon the garrison there that of two hundred souldiours were scarcely 〈◊〉 on liue a dosen being also of no lesse maruell to beholde the number of huge corner stones caste out into seuerall places of the citie and fields therabout the space of .v. or .vj. C. passes of such weight and greatnesse that the strength of .xx. Oxen were scarce able to remoue them from the earth and yet is there not such cause of wonder in these terrible messangers and tokens of Gods wrath as we reade fel vpon the late miserable and desolate citie of Malynes ▪ parcell of the dominion of the Spanish King within his Duchie of Brabant the .vij. of August .1521 about .xj. of the clock in the night which was afflicted with such horrible calamitie that way for the tyme that the like hath not ben remembred by any report nor seene in any age afore For the thūder made tremble and shake in such sort this miserable citie that the townsmen looked when the earth should open and swalow them into hir intrailes After which fearful brute and horrible noise in the cloudes began to appere in the bottome of the Element a flame resembling a burning torche casting a stinke or lothesome smell like vnto sulphur and brimstone driuing the people into such indifferent feare amaze that they were neither able to take counsel of the case and much lesse iudge the cause of so tragicall a view vntil at last the crie was thorow the whole town that the fyre of heauen was fallen vpon the strong towre and gate of brasse wherin dyd lie .viij. or .ix. barrels of gunpouder which immediatly grewe to such a mortall confusion of all degrées of people within the walles that the very remembraunce of so monstrous a slaughter may moue terror to any heart with what mettall of hardnesse soeuer it be stamped for y e noise was no sooner begoon but the towre was cōuerted into ashes the gate diuided into 10000. peces with like fury vpon y e walls next adioining who were so thorowly defaced turned vp y t the very fūdation was disclosed their greatest stones conueyed furthest frō the Citie their diches and pondes full of water drained and made dry by the extreme heate of the fire the day after wer foūd according to the authoritie of y e chronicle about the sayd towre gate aboue .400 dead bodies besides .140 mortally wounded and almost torne in peces amongst whiche was founde a bigge bellied woman stricken dead whose wombe being ripped did yelde a childe on liue and after baptised whose picture or figure appeareth in the portraicte Some had their heades taken from their bodies as cuningly as it had ben carued with a sworde or sharpe axe for the nonce other some as they were playing at cardes in a Tauerne or tippling house were all destroyed with the lightning and conuerted into cynders except the hostesse or hir maid that was gone into the cellar for wine Amongst suche as were reserued on liue in this horrible slaughter was one man who hiding himselfe in a stonie vault during the extremitie of the storme durst not come out for any persuasion
ende that those litle creatures might be the executioners of their offices others for delite sake would make theÌ„ so tame that at the sounde of a whistle they would leaue the water and come and take meate at their handes vpon the bankes of theyr riuers hauing them in suche delite that Lucius Crassius Censor lamented no lesse the death of one of his litle fishes dying out of his pondes than if it had bene for one of his daughters It is not vnknowen also that the Romain Emperours helde fyshes in suche honour and affection that in their moste Royall and pompous banquets they made more daintie deare accompte of fishe than of any kinde of foule or other fleshe reseruing suche reuerend obseruation to some of them and specially the Sturgeon that as some saye he that broughte it to the borde vsed to do it bareheaded sauing a Cornet or garland of flowers and for a more honour of the thing the Trumpettes and drâ—Ì„mes ceassed not to sounde blow so long as that dishe stoode on the table At this day in Grece Turkie y e people for y e most part be more desirous of fish than of flesh which was also the custome of y e Auncientes wherupon both the Greeke Latin Phisitions do most coÌ„moÌ„ly in all their treatises preferre the nouritures soueraine goodnesse of fishe afore flesh haue giuen also the inferiour place of estimation to flesh Like as at this time also the Egiptians do abstaine all their lyfe from eating of fish obseruing the order of our MoÌ„kes in their abstineÌ„ce from eating of flesh which shall suffice for this tyme for the dignitie commendacion of fishes folowing in order to describe how y e Seas bring forth their woÌ„ders with more maruel thaÌ„ y e lande wherof I will lay afore you in this place only the principal such as haue moued cause of astonishmeÌ„t in y e most precise Philosophers of y e world AmoÌ„gest the most woÌ„ders of y e Sea it may séeme miraculous almost incredible that fishes do flye and that those duÌ„me creatures do lifte themselues froÌ„ out of their moyste Element to pierce and breake the ayre as birdes do with their winges whereof although there be diuerse kindes according to the experience of the Sea yet I haue not figured the pourtrait of any in this chapter saue onely the Arundel or swallowe of the Sea that as Gesnerus and Rondelet in their histories of fishes haue drawne it Who desireth to haue a more large description of this fishe let him read Rondelet in his first chapter of his vj. booke wher he affirmeth this fish to be so called by reasoÌ„ of his colour greatnesse in proporcioÌ„ pinions like to a balde Mouse yet saith he who coÌ„sidereth thorowly of this fishe and maner of his flying he may seeme rather to resemble a swallow than a balde Mouse Opianus saith he flieth out of the water for feare he be deuoured of the great fishes Plinius writeth that there is a fishe flying called Arundelle whiche is very like the birde which we comonly cal a swallowe which as he is rare and sheweth himselfe by greate wonder with his greate wings so being taken they vse commonly to drie him and hang him vp in their houses which I thinke was more rare in the time of Plinie than now because there be diuerse founde in sundrie houses in Spaine Italie Fraunce and elswhere Claudius Campensius Phisition to the Lord Marquis of Trans sayd y t not many yeares past the Lord Admiral of EnglaÌ„d made him a banquet where he presented him with a flying fishe And in our time those that haue sayled by the pillers of Hercules affirme that there is such store of flying fishes thereabout that they séeme rather birdes with wings than fishes of the Sea Besides it is not inconuenient to set forth in this place the pourtrait of a fishe flying or rather a water monster which is the chiefe cause that I haue vndertaken this treatise of fishes This fishe or rather monster of the Sea I haue considered with long viewe iudgement and haue caused him to be drawne as neare as I can according to his naturall proportion wherein I maye boldly preferre as witnesses aboue twoo hundreth personnes who sawe him in Paris aswell as I. Amongest the things of woÌ„der to be séene in this beaste it hath chiefly a hydeous heade resembling rather in figure a horrible Serpent than a fishe with wings resemblyng rather the pynions of a balde mouse sauing they be farre more thicke and massiue he containes neare a foote and a halfe in length neyther is he so well dried but he yeldes some sauour or smel of a fishe the reste is to bée discerned in his figure Many learned men of the vniuersitie who considered largely of hym and his forme assured me that it was a kinde of flying Fishe the same notwithstanding agréeing in nothing with the description of the Auncientes touching the Arunâ—elle of the Sea nor of the Mugilatus nor of other flying fishe which makes me thinke that it is a sorte of monstrous fishe vnknowen to the elders Neither am I ignorant that there bee that can counterfaict by arte dyuerse formes of fishes Dragons Serpentes and other like things wherewith many are abused lyke as maister Gesnerus hath acknowledged by his writings to haue bene circumuented with the like Yet of all those which behelde this fish argued vpon his condition there was not one that could discerne other artificiall sleyght than as Nature brought hym forth formed him The Sea hath also other monsters which be more wonderfull than these as the fishe which they call in Latine Torpedo most coÌ„mon in Hauen townes and is accompted to resemble most of all those fishes that be harde skinned and she hath a hidden propertie which is very straÌ„ge for being hidden within the sand or moudde she slepeth by a secret vertue and making also al the fishe that be neare hir immouable and without sense she féedes vppon them and deuoureth them neither doth hir charme of sleepe extende onely againste fishes but also against men for if a man touch hir with his Anglerod she enchaunteth forthwith his arme And if she féele hir selfe taken with the lyne and hooke she hath this pollicy to embrace the lyne with hir wings and so making hir poyson mounte all along the lyne and the rode so tormenteth the arme of the fisher that often times he is constrained to abandon his prize The authours hereof be Aristotle in his ninth booke and xxxvij chapter De historia animalium Plinie in the .xxxij. booke and second chapter Theophrastus in libro De his quae hyeme latent Galen Opianus Plutarch in libro vtrum anima c. Plato also makes lyke mention in Memâ—o where Socrates is compared to the Torpedo in that by the violence and subtiltie of his argumentes he so grauelled those against whome he maintained disputation that they séemed
to participate with the enchauntement of the Torpedo of whose properties although the authours had made no mention yet the common experience of euery fisher maketh good no lesse of hym It is defended to sell him in the open market at Venise bycause of his poyson Moste parte of oure Phisitions nowe a dayes write that his fleshe is moiste softe and of an vnpleasant taste Yet Galen in his thirde booke de Alimentorum facultatibus and in his booke de Attenuante Victu and in the eyghte of his Methodes doth allowe it onely there hath bene great cōtrouersie amongest the Auncients to know in what parte of his bodie consistes the venom of his charme that casteth both fishe and the parts of men into a sleepe some giue out that it lyeth in one parte some saye in an other but moste agrée that it is deuided throughout euen vnto the gall whiche they confirme by the witnesse of Plinie which saith that the gall of a Torpedo on lyue being applied to the genitors or priuye partes represseth the desire of the fleshe wherein we will ende the discourse of that fishe and his propertie and visite other maruels founde in other fishes Althoughe the water is the proper Element mansion house and place of abode for fishes where they féede liue disporte encrease and exercise all their other functions yet is there of them whiche leaue the Sea floudes and riuers and leape vppon the lande eate and féede vppon hearbes vse recreation in the féeldes and sléepe there now and then Theophrastes affirmeth that neare vnto Babylon when the riuers retire within their bākes there be certain fishes lefte within caues and hollowe places which issue out to feede marching vpō their wings or with their often mouing of their taile whē any offreth to offend or assault them they flie forthwith into their caues as their refuge The auncient Philosophers affirme that there haue bene founde fiishes vnder the earth who for that cause they called Focilles whereof Aristotle makes mention and Theophraste speaking of Paphlilagonia where men drawe fishe and they be very good to eate out of déepe diches and other places wherein no water doth remaine Polybe writes in lyke sorte that neare to Narbone hath bene founde fishes vnder the earth We maye also bring in amongest other wonders of the Sea a kind of fishe called Stella or Sea starre bycause it hath the figure of a painted starre this fishe is of a Nature so hote that he endureth assoone as he hath deuoured which Aristotle approueth in his .v. booke De Historia anima where he gyueth such hotnesse to this fish that she boyleth what she taketh Plinie and Plutarch do likewise affirme that the starre by hir onely touche doth melte boyle and burne whatsoeuer she toucheth and knowing hir vertue she suffreth hir selfe to be touched with other fishe to the ende she maye burne them Monsieur Rondelet a man liuing at this daye and aswel worthie of credit as the best that write in his histostorie de piscibus affirmeth that he hath séene many starres of the Sea but one amongest the reste containing almost a foote in length which he opened in maner of Anotomie and founde in his bellye three Coquylles whole and twoo Remollies halfe digested such is the greate furious heate of this litle creature all which may seeme wonderfull examples of the wonders of the Sea yet are they nothing in respect of those whiche we meane to treate hereafter the same mouing both feare and amaze to suche as haue most nearely sifted the secretes of the Sea For this litle beast which so amazeth y e world is called in Greeke Ethneis and of the Latins Remora to whome is gyuen that name bycause she doth stay Ships as hereafter you shall heare more at large Opyanus and Aelian write that he delites moste in the high sea he is of the length of a cubite of a browne colour like vnto an Eele Plinie maketh hym like to a greate Limace whiche he proueth by the witnesse of suche as sawe one of them that stayed the Galey of the prince Caius Caesar. In his .ix. booke he brings in diuers opinions of sundry authors touchyng this fishe who although they differ in his description yet they agree all that suche one there is and is of power to stay shippes Whereof also many Philosophers of late dayes whiche haue trauailed by many ports and hauens in Asia and Affrica beare witnesse in that they haue séene hym made an Anatomie and proued his vertues with wonderfull effectes It is sure a maruellous and monstrous thing in Nature to finde a fish or creature in the water of y e gretnesse of a Limace which is of force by a secrete propretie of nature to stay immediatly what she toucheth be it the moste huge and tal ship or galey that vseth to scumme the sea whiche made Plinie crie out in this sorte Oh straunge and wonderful thyng sayth he that all the windes blowyng from all partes of the worlde and the moste furious tempestes raging vpon and ouer the waues and contendyng wyth extreme violence against the vessels that sayle thervpon stand in awe of a little fishe of the greatnesse of a Limace whose power preuaileth ouer their furie can restraine and bridle theyr rage and is of more force to stay the strongest shippe that is than all their ankers cables tackles or any other engine employed or vsed about the same This fishe encountred Anthonie in hys warres and restrained hys shippe Adamus Louicerus Lib. de Aquatilibus cōfirming Plinies opinion rauished as it were with suche straunge conditions in a fishe hath trauailed with great paines to searche out the cause in nature wherof being not able to giue any reason by any learnyng or diligence he vsed gaue it ouer with this exclamation Who is he of so dumbe and grosse iudgement whiche wyll not enter into admiration if he beholde at leysure the propreties and power of this little fishe I knowe sayth he that the Adamant hathe power to smell and drawe yron the Diamont sweateth and distilleth poyson the Turkeys doth moue when there is any peril prepared to him that weareth it the Torpille infecteth and maketh slepe the hande and arme of the Fisher and I know that the Basilicke is so venomous that with his onely viewe and regard he poisoneth man of all which notwithstandyng their straungenesse a man maye yelde some reason but of the vertue of this fish we may not argue bicause it is supernaturall for he lyueth in the water taketh his nouriture in the water as other fishes doe and doth no exercise but in the water his little stature approueth that he can do no great violence and yet is there no power equal with his nor force able to resist him there is neither storme nor engin by hande of power to moue a ship after he hath once plyed him selfe to it wer it that the whole windes and violence of the Element
Embassadours to the Emperour to certifie hym that they hadde séene many tymes a Tryton or man of the Sea hyde and wythdrawe hym selfe into a caue neare vnto the Sea There was also aduertisement sente to the Emperor Octauian Augustus that vpon the coast of France were founde certayne Mermaydes deade vpon the banke of the ryuer In like sorte Georgius Trapezuntius a man very famous in learning affirmeth to haue seene vpon the border of the Ryuer appearyng out of the water in the fourme of a Woman vntill the nauill whereof seemyng to maruell and beholdyng hir somewhat nearely shée retired into the water Alexander ab Alexandro a great ciuilian Philosopher in the .viij. Chapter of hys thyrd booke assureth for certaintie that in Epyre now named Romain is a certayne fountaine neare the Sea from whence yong Maydes for the necessitie of theyr houses dydde drawe water and that harde by issued a Triton or Sea man and caughte a little damsell whome he caried oftentymes into the sea and after sette hir on lande agayne wherof the inhabitauntes beyng aduertised vsed suche watche and guarde that they tooke hym and broughte hym afore the Iustice of the place afore whome beyng searched and examined founde in hym all partes and membres of a man for whyche they committed hym to certaine garde and kéepyng offeryng hym meate the whyche he refused wyth sorrowfull lamentations after hys kynde not tastyng any thyng that was offered hym and lastly dyed of hunger séeing hym selfe restrayned from the Elemente wherein he was wonte to dwell Many writers nowe a days do witnesse a thyng more strange than any of these if it be true whyche is that the Archduke of Austriche third sonne of the Emperor Ferdinando made to be caried with him to Gennes in the yere .1548 a Mermayd dead the same so astonishing the people that the moste learned men in Italie came to visite and sée him I coulde yet make of more Watermonsters séene in oure tyme as that whych was figured lyke a Monke an other like a Bishop wyth other of lyke resemblaunce whyche importe the more faith bicause they are preferred by thrée of the most notable Fishers in Europe being also figured so amply in the vniuersall Historie of Fyshes that I néede not to enlarge their descriptions for they haue so lernedly discoursed of the propreties of the same that they haue cutte of all hope to suche as shall come after them to aduaunce it with further addition ¶ Wonders of Dogges whiche dyd eate Christians CHAP. xix IF the bones ashes of all those which haue bene persecuted for the name of Iesus Christe were at this day in being and to be séene with our corporall eyes we myghte then confesse that they were able to buylde a great and proude Citie and withal if all the bloud which hath bene shed for his name were gathered together into one certaine place it were sufficient to make a great floud For who soeuer will reade in Eusebius and S. Augustine the â—â—rsecutions burnings butcheries and slaughters which were made of the poore flocke of Iesus Christ in the time of the Emperour Domitian Traian Antonius Seuerus Maximinian Decius Valerian Aurelian Diocletian Maximian with many others he shal not finde so many thousandes slaine in the cruell warres of the TirauÌ„ts as he shal reade to haue shed their blood for y e name of Iesus Christ neither is the sacrifices of so many Martirs and companies of the good so amplie spoken of by Sainct Augustin in his .xviij. booke .lij. chap. of the Citie of God or by Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall historie or that Orseus writeth so muche to be wondered at or strange as this whereof Cornelius Tacitus maketh mention is wonderfull and worthie to be put in memorie amongest the moste celebrate pourtraicts monsters of this worlde For it did not onely suffise the infamous Tiraunt Nero to make to be burned the bodies of the poore Christians making them serue as torches and blazing linkes to giue light to the Citizens of Rome but also made theÌ„ to be wrapped quicke in the skinnes of certaine sauage beastes to the ende that the dogges thinking they had bene beastes in déede might teare and commit their bodies to pieces Which you may nowe sée by the furious assaultes that Sathan and his accomplices haue builded againste the members of Iesus Christe for there is no Religion which he hath not so furiously persecuted sithens the beginning of the worlde as this of ours wherein although he hath set abroche all his subtilties fraudes malices and inuentions to vndermine it yet notwithstanding it remaineth whole and sounde by the vertue and ayde of the Sonne of God who hath can bridle represse the enuious rage of his enimies And although he hath procured the death of many members of the Churche as Abell Esaie Ieremie Zacharie Policarpius Ignatius and many thousand Martirs and Apostles yet notwithstaÌ„ding he could neuer deface any iote therof for it is writen in like maner that the gates of hel coulde not by any meanes preuaile againste hir albeit that for a certaine time she was put in some perill and was shaken and tossed like a litle barke by the rage teÌ„pestes of the Sea yet surely Iesus Christe did not forsake at any time his espouse but alwayes assisted hir as the head of his bodie watched hir garded hir and maintained hir as is witnessed in the promisses made vnto hir when he saide I will not leaue you my Orpheus I will be with you to the verye laste consummation of the worlde And further he sayeth in Esaie I will put my worde into your mouth and defende you with the shadowe of my hande and those wordes which I put into your mouth shall not be taken from your séede now nor neuer Wherein séeing then that our only religion is true and purified and that it is signed by the bloud of so many Prophetes Apostles and Martirs and confirmed besides with the bloud of Iesus Christ whereof he hath lefte to vs the true Charecter and witnesse of his death that all others be vnlawfull bastards and inuented by the Diuels and men their ministers to the vtter confusion of ours wherefore if it be so pure and holy let vs then indeuour our selues to conserue and kepâ— the same to the ende we maye saye in the last daye to God as the good king Dauid saide Lord I hate them that hate thée I am angrie with them that rise against thée and I hate them with a perfect hate and holde them for mine enimies ¶ A wonderfull historie of diuers figures Comets Dragons and flames which appeared in heauen to the terrour of the people and whereunto the causes and reasons of them be assigned CHAP. xx THe face of Heauen hath bene at diuers times so much disfigured by blasing starres torches fireforkes pillours Lances bucklers Dragons twoo Moones twoo Sunnes at one instant with other like things that whosoeuer woulde recompte
of thrée of the most renoumed Philosophers that euer were at any tyme in the world Wherof the one of them so wel studied in the perfectnesse of the soule and of the nature diuine with a wonderfull diligence in giuing wholsome lawes for a common welth that S. Augustin dare write affirme of him sauing in some respectes to be a perfect Christian. The second so well seene in the Element treating also very learnedly of the secretes of Nature and other sensible things that he shone amongest the reste of the Philosophers as the sunne amongest the starres The thirde as he was nothing inferiour in learning to the other twoo so had he besides such a kinde of holinesse and other ornaments of Ciuilitie that he was nuÌ„bred amongst the seuen fages of Grece which notwithstanding although they had curiously searched the secrets of the heauens of Nature the being and resorte of all things coÌ„tained within the compasse of the earth yet were they not so finely studied nor so well armed in the secretes of their sciences as eyther they vnderstand the Nature of so faire and delicate a creature as a woman is or other wayes be able to defende them selues from their cruell assaultes All the greate Masse of Philosophie wherin Aristotle was so déeply plunged and greatly studied from his birth to his sepulture was not of sufficient force to subdue in him the motions of the fleshe for he became in loue with a coÌ„mon woman named Hermie the loue of whome had so muche enflamed hym that he not onely consumed in the sight of all men but that which more was he became not only a straÌ„ger for hir sake to Philosophie which deserues to be noted amongest these wonders but also worshipped hir made to hir sacrifices as Origene writeth whereof being accusâ—d by Demophilus he was coÌ„strained to abandon Athens where he had remained and written xxx yeares and saued him selfe by flighte Plato who onely amongest the Philosophers merited the name of diuine was not so supersticious but he would aswel knowe what was humanitie as he had bene diligent to searche the secretes of the heauens that he would often times behold and remaine with humaine bodies as is wel notified of him by kéeping coÌ„panie with Aâ—chenasse who although she had gyuen hir selfe ouer to a number in hir youth notwithstanding when she was abaÌ„doned of others Plato receyued hir being so much assotted in hir that he not only loued hir but made certain verses in hir praise lamenting that he should so muche in the sight of al men embrace the loue of so many olde wrinkels as Atheneus y e Greeke authour writeth in his .xiij. booke de ses Dipnosophistes Socrates whose maiestie and grauitie was so much renoumed celebrated by y e AuncieÌ„ts y t they write this wonder of him that he was alwayes one man in sorte that for any Eclips of fortune prosperitie or aduersitie they neuer at any time founde mutation in hym notwithstanding he was not so sterne or seuere in his actions but the loue of his Aspasie did at all times mollifie the same as Clearchus maketh report vnto vs by writing in the firste booke of his Amours And like as I haue broughte these thrée to lighte so could I rehearse a greate number of others as Demosthenes Isocrates Pericles many others whose amorous and lasciuious loues the Greeke Historians haue sufficiently discouered that in reading of them I haue muche maruell that the greatnesse of their studie science wisedome could not moderate suche motions flames but that the smoke of their wantoÌ„ dealings remaineth to their posteritie Wherefore Lays so muche renowmed amongest the loste women was one daye in a greate coller against diuers which praised very earnestly the life maners of all the learned wise Philosophers of Athenes saide vnto some of them I knowe not saith she what is their knowledge neither what is their science neither what bookes your Philosophers studie whome you so much coÌ„mende but I knowe this very well y t I being but a womaÌ„ besides y t I neuer red in y e schooles at Athenes yet haue I séene very often the wise men come here to my schoole where of graue Philosophers they became folishe louers Let vs therefore leaue these Philosophers at reste and search out others for whosoeuer would make a Callender of al those who haue made them selues subiecte to loue should rather make a whole booke thereof than a chapter Menetor as Atheneus reciteth maketh mention of an amorous historie worthie to be noted in our wonders for that there is nothing more rare in Nature than to sée hir which loueth well willing to make partition to an other of that which was so deare vnto hir the whiche some times chaunced in a notable historie that we haue to write of Atheneus maketh mention of a coÌ„mon woman greatly renoumed for hir beautie whose name was Plangon Milesienne as she was beautiful so was she desired of many great Lordes But amongest others she had a yong man called Colophomen a man exquisite in beautie whome she coÌ„monly plaid withall who aboue all others enioyed the best part in hir NotwithstaÌ„ding as these lasciuious loues be for the most part grounded on tickle vncertaine foundatioÌ„s y t all the building coÌ„meth in y e ende to vtter decaye ruine euen so there hapned such a Ielousie betwixte PlaÌ„gon hir friend for y t she vnderstoode he loued an other called Bachide Samienne one nothing inferiour to hir for beautie other douries of Nature Wherin being assailed w t this new Ielousie she determined to make truce w t hir loue to giue y e farewel to this yoÌ„g geÌ„tlemaÌ„ WhervpoÌ„ this yong maÌ„ who wished rather to die thaÌ„ to become a straÌ„ger to hir in whom coÌ„sisted y e coÌ„fort solace of his life began to embrace cherish hir as he was wonte to do but she as cold as y e yse of y e mountaigne made no accoÌ„pte of al his plaints sighes lameÌ„tatioÌ„s requesting y t he wold shun al places of hir repaire without making him further to vnderstaÌ„de the cause of hir displeasure y e yong man touched more neare y e quicke with hir new refusal prostrated him selfe at hir féete all bedewed with teares exclaming that if she deferred to giue him remedie or otherwise relieue him by the influence of some gracious beame of pitie he should presentely perishe Plangon moued with rage pitie and loue sayde vnto hym lette me not fynde thee duryng thy life in my presence vnlesse thou present me with the chain of golde so muche celebrated of Bacchide Samienne wherfore the yong man without other replie went to Bacchide to whome hauyng made vnderstande from point to poynt the furie of the flames and ardent amitie which he bare to Plangon vaÌ„quished of pitie loue gaue vnto him hir chain with charge that he should forthwith present it
which they bring to mankind yet shall we discouer therin an antiquitie so greate as we can not lerne or attain vnto without extreme admiratioÌ„ for lyke as euery arte was inueÌ„ted almost as soon as God had created man afterward augmented by the industrie of man Euen so the herbs plants immediatly after the creation of the elements at such tyme as ther liued no maÌ„ vpon the earth sprong folowing the coÌ„maundement of the Lorde from the caues and entrailes of the earth garnished with their propre and diuine vertues Which besides that Moses the great Lawyer of God sufficiently proueth in Exodus we may also alleage the opinion and witnesse of the auncient Greeke poetes as Orpheus Museus and Hesiodus who haue treated of the praise of Penyroyal as also hath done Homerus of Alisier and others as in like maner Pithagoras hath coÌ„mended the Eschallottus Crisippus Chou and Zeno the Caprier besides it is a thyng most straunge that Salomon king of the Iewes Euax king of the Arabians Iuba king of the Mauritans were so curious not only to know the names and propreties of plantes but also the moste part of them haue diligently written therof Others haue entertained great philosophers and Aâ—borists in diuers deserts of Asia Europe and Affrike for to discouer the secrets of herbes and plants Further it is a thing moste maruellous that a great number of plantes muche renoumed haue taken their names of many kings as Gentiane toke the name of Gentius king of the Illyrians Lymachie of Lyzimachus king of the Macedonians TeucriuÌ„ was inuented by Teucer Achilea of Achilles Arthemisia of Arthemise quéene of Carie. But nowe it resteth for vs as me séemeth hauing searched very narrowely the Antiquitie and prayses of Plantes to be as diligent following oure custome in séeking forth if we can fynd amongst hearbes any thyng monstrous wonderful or straunge as we haue â—one in the moste parte of other thyngs contayned vnder the concauitie of Heauen The Auncients haue reknowleged I know not by what meanes y e maruelous efficaciâ— of a plant which they called Agnus castus whose leaues are like vnto the Oliues for all those who haue written of the Nature and propertie of this plante saye that it resisteth the sinne of the fleshe and that those which either carie the same about them or drinke the iuice thereof be neuer tempted at any time to incontinencie for whiche occasion the maides in olde time bare the braunches and bowes of that hearbe in their hande and made garlandes therof to weare vpoÌ„ their heads thinking therby to make die estinguish the heates of the flesh Wherefore Discorides in the .xv. chapter of his first booke treating of y e Nature of plants sayeth that the Greeks named this tree Agnos that is to saie chaste for by that the Ladies sometime in the Citie of Athens garded their chastitie by making their beads thereof and doing sacrifice therewith to Ceres Euen as we haue described the singularitie of Agnus Castus which defends the chastetie of such persons as vse the same so are we nowe to make mentioÌ„ of an other hearbe altogether contrarie to the Nature of Agnus Castus and as who would saye his mortall enimie for it makes suche as vse the same lasciuious prompte and readie to the Uenerian actes The Auncients haue named this hearbe Satirium for that the Satires and sauage Gods were the inuentours of this plante for the better satisfying of theyr lusts and concupiscence when they wente to playe by the forrests caues with the Nimphes Albeit the Greeks cal it Orchis or Cmoâ—orchis for that that this roote is like the twoo genitories of a dogge in such sorte that it séemes that Nature woulde haue lefte some marke and token in this roote for to shewe the maruellous effects or works natural Wherefore those then sayeth Discorides in his third booke and .xxij. chapter which he writeth of plantes which desire to haue the companie of women ought to vse this roote for that it makes men prompte readie to the exercise and worke of Venus and as they saye this roote being holden in the hande prouoketh a man to desire the pleasure of a woman Bisides there is one thing worthiâ— to be considered of in this roote as who would saye wonderful that is that as one of these twoo rootes which reseÌ„bleth as we haue said before the genitories of a dogge excites stirres a man vnmeasurablie to the wanton actes of Venus so the other roote which is a little lesser extinguisheth hindreth the desire of the flesh in such sorte that as one of these rootes prouoketh the euill so the other giueth remedie Plinius Dioscorides and Galen be authours of this and Dioscorides writeth that the women in Thessalie gaue to men to drinke of that moste fleshly roote the rather to prouoke and stirre them to the lusts abhominable desires of the flesh Wherefore reader I will not forget to declare that thou shalt not néede to doubte of me in all this treatise of the wonders of plants the descriptions faculties temperaments and diuisions of them for that this worke woulde be excessiue excede the limits of my meaning Wherein Dioscorides Theophrastus Galen Plinie Matheolus Fuscheus Ruel and many others haue so well spoken in that that there is nothing to be desired more than they haue written thereof whiche I woulde gladly haue tolde before vnto those which thinke that I had here confounded the diuerse kinds of Satirium like this that the Greekes haue called Orchis Serapias wherof Paulus Aegineta and Aetius haue made mention which others saye to haue receyued that name of Serapius God of the Alexandrians by reason of the greate impudent lasciuitie for which cause they worshipped him in a place called Canope there where he had his Temple of greate reuerence ReligioÌ„ as Strabo reciteth in his .xvij. booke of his Geographies Wherefore it suffiseth me in this chapter to write simplie that there is more cause of maruell and wonder in some particular plant than in euery plant The Auncients as Chrisippus haue founde cause of wonder I can not tell by what meanes in the plante whiche we commonly call Basill who were of opinion that it makes a man senslesse and madde the goats refuse to eate thereof which giues iuste occasion to man to flye the rather from it They adde further that brusing it and putting the same vnder a stone it engendreth a Scorpion or if they chawe it and set it in the Sunne it brings forth wormes Furthermore some saye that if a man be stoung of Scorpion the daye that he eateth of Basill he shall neuer be hoale lykewise some assure that brusing a handefull of Basill with Cancres marins or of the Riuer that all the Scorpions farre or neare will come vnto him Wherfore I am not ignorant that those whiche came after Crysippus did so abhorre Basill that they neuer vsed the same The herbe called of
was nothyng inferiour in prodigall allowance to his father These things be maruellous but there is nothing read of so monstrous in Nature as the riches and noblenessâ— of Pithius who neither was King Prince nor had anyâ— title of dignitie and notwithstanding he receiued and entertained by the space of a whole day the hoste of Xerxes sonne of the greate King Darius who were in number .vij. hundreth foure score and eighte thousande 〈◊〉 the same being no lesse strange vnto that which Herodotus Plinie and Budee write of him when he offred to Xerxes parting from his house to relieue and furnishe his campe fifty moneths with Corne. But least we should excede y e bondes or forsake the path of our first intention let vs retire where we lefte to our pompes and banquets amongest whome for a firste it behoueth vs to place in rancke Cleopatra Quene of Egipte who as Plutarch sayth had so pleasante delectable a phrase in talking that when she would dispose hir tong to entertaine any great Lorde she framed hir reason so tunably as though it had bene an armonious instrument of many strings whiche was the first gin or snare wherein thâ— Pigeon Marcus Antonius was taken for after he was infected with the swetenesse of hir diuine eloquence mixed or seasoned with a rare and wonderfull beautie together with an incredible magnificence in feasting and banqueting determined in place to pursue his causes of importance to make court vnto hir and so being captiue to hir good behauiour stoode more neede to be pitied than of other helpe althoughe he was at the first maister and Lorde yet in the ende he became vanquished and ouerthrowne But nowe to commende the noblenesse of Cleopatra you muste vnderstande what Plutarch writeth that Antonie going againste the Perthes he sente to summon hir to appeare personallie before him at suche time as he was in Cilicie to aunswere to the faultes and charges whereof she was accused knowing that she had giuen ayde and comforte to his enimies againste him but â—he being of a noble minde nothing fearefull or abashed of his threates put not on the apâ—â—â—ell of a person accused as was the custome of the Auncients but decked hir selfe with y e most sumptuous habits she had to 〈◊〉 nothing vnperfourmed y â— appertained vnto the settinâ— forth of so great a Princesse she caused to be trimmed a galey wherin she sayled to him by y e floud Cydius y e powpe wherof was of golde the ores of siluer and the saile of purple being shrowded vnder a tente trimmed with golde enuironed with singers and other heauenly instruments of musick besides all other things which might moue pleasure or coÌ„tentement to a man Whereupon Antonius knowing of hir comming sente to desire hir to supper but she being of hautie minde féeling-hir selfe tickled with such request sente him worde that if it pleased him to come to hir he shoulde be most welcome so much was hir coÌ„fidence in hir beautie eloquence and good behauiour for besides hir glistering beautie Nature had so endued hir with the perfect vnderstanding of diuers languages y t she was able to answere the Arabians the Syrians the Heâ—rues the Medes the Partheans the Ethiopians and the Troglodites withoute interpretour or construer which was the cause that Antonius séeing suche stoare of perfections in this wonderfull creature was incontinent surprised whereof we haue lefte hereunto to speake bycause the magnificence of the banquet made afterwardes by Cleopatra to Antonius hangeth thereupon Which with the sodaine encountre of of this newe beautie of Cleopatra made Antonius to commit to obliuion Octauia sister to Octauus Caesar his lawful wife the remembraunce and regarde of whome he séemed forthwith to exchaunge for a wanton delite in the braueries flatteries of his newe friend who by treate of time gouerned so well his amourous dispositeon with allurementes of contentation that if I woulde describe particularly hir liberall beautie which she vsed in the entertainement of Antonius according to the authoritie of Artheneus a Greeke writer I feare the nobilitie of it would take awaye the credit suche was hir pompe in hir selfe and such hir prodigalitie in expences Albeit what I prefer therin I appeale to the testimonie of the whole troupe of writers that haue dealte in the doings of Antonius Cleopatra who hauing employed all his sleightes pollicies in the deuice of newe delites for the more honour of hir Antonio she became extreme in one thing which was as they were in argumeÌ„t of the bountie of the feaste she said it was not equal and much lesse excede that which she was able to do vpon far lesse warning than this for saith she you cannot take me so vnprouided but that I shalbe able to entertaine you at the charges of a hundreth Sesterces in one banquet Antonius whiche was a very patron of prodigalitie prouoking an experience of hir saying argued against hir wherupon were iudges chosen on both sides and pawnes put in for the proufe of the contention Not long time after Antonius obseruing his aduantage of time with intent to visit hir without warning came vpoÌ„ a sodain to sup with hir when albeit he founde his table furnished with sundrie choices of exquisite meates yet was he of opinion that it was far vnder the value estimation of hir promise vntill he perceiued hir to take from hir eares twoo great and Orient pearles whereof she dissolued immediatly one dronke it in his presence and offring to perfourme the like of the other she was staied by the iudges who assured hir the victorie This pearle was of suche monstrous greatnesse that as Plinie affirmeth it waighed halfe an vnce whiche contained 80. quarettes the same being so massiue that it exceeded in weight the hugâ—st at this day by a quarter of an ounce which is the cause that Plinie commending the excellencie of that pearle calleth it y e only chief principal worke of Nature in that kinde and not without reason séeing the moste part of them which haue valued it do giue it an estimation of 2500. crounes And yet was this prodigalitie little or nothing in respect of the magnificall pompe whiche the Emperour Gecta vsed in his publike banquettes for he caused himselfe to be serued at the bâ—rdâ— with diuersitie of meates as fishe and fleshe in order of the Alphabet for all fowle and fishe that he could recouer â–ª that began with A he caused to be set on his table as a firste seruice as Austriges and suche others practising the like in the seconde course with B as Bustarde Bitter and suche lyke the same not fayling to come immediatly after y e first seruice was taken awaye and so consequently euery letter was honored with a seruice till the whole Alphabet was perfourmed hauing in deede Cookes and cators appointed for that purpose onely But what stande we so long in the searche of foraine prodigalities in banquets seeing
be amongst them song when he heard them crow beat him self with his armes as they do with their wings As also some other that persuaded them to be transfigured into a vessel of earth who kéeping cōtinually vpon the plaines champaines dare not come neare houses or trees for feare to bruse or breake them in pieces There was a certaine Damsel ▪ whereof Alexander Trallianus writeth this history that by a corruption of the imagination she persuaded hir selfe to haue deuoured a Serpente sleeping neither coulde she be deliuered from the disease of suche thought vntill being prouoked to an extreme vomite there was secretly conueyed into the basin a quicke Serpent immediatly after the which she was deliuered of hir disease persuading that she had vomited the Serpent that stirred in the basyn There be yet visions whiche procéede by eating certaine poisons as Plinie and Edwardus witnesse of him of those whiche did eate the braines of a Beare whiche being deuoured they imagined that they were turned into a Beare The like happening in oure time to a Spanishe Gentleman who hauing eaten of a Beare wente wandring by the desertes and mountaines thinking to be trāsformed into a Beare Yet ther be other sortes of visions which according to y e opiniōs of certaine Phisitions proceede vpon certaine Naturall causes as when any man is killed and buried not very deepe in the earth there come as they saye from the dead bodye certaine exhalations and vapours whiche ascende into the ayre do séeme to represente the figure or fourme of hym that was put in the earth Wee haue also many other things whiche vnder the coloure of illusions abuse oure vnderstanding as when the ayre is troubled with contrary winds by whose agitations is engendred a bruite or murmure resembling properly the lowing or noise of beastes or not much vnlike to the complaintes of women and little children sometimes also the ayre pierceth within the creuisses and vaultes of rocks and olde walls and being sent backe againe by his owne violence giueth out so distincte a sounde that it séemes a precise or set voice as we proue oftentimes in that whiche we call Eccho the same pronouncing for the most parte v. or .vj. wordes with so greate maruell that it easely persuades suche as knowe not the cause but specially in the nighte that they be some spirites or Diuels the like hapning in our time to a counseller secretary of a certaine Prince the which by reason of his ignoraunce in the cause of his Eccho was in daunger to be drowned according to Cardanus in his booke of maruellous inuentions who writeth of one Augustinus Lauisarius Counseller to a certain Prince who being in the countrey and out of his waye and lastly ouertaken with night founde himselfe greatly passioned and riding all along a Riuer side began to lamente his distresse and after the Italian maner cried Oh the Eccho which came from a certaine rocke thereby replyed vnto him incontinent with Oh Lauisarius somewhat comforted with the voice thinking it was some man whiche spake demaūded in his language vnde debo passa the Eccho aunswered Passa then the poore secretary being in greater paine than before demaunded Chi which asmuch to say as heare the Eccho replied chi but being yet not well assured he asked him again debo passa chi passa chi saith the Eccho whiche wordes fedde him with suche comfort of his waye that he tooke the riuer being astonied notwithstanding that his horse at his firste entry lost the bottome and begā to swimme and had it not bene the goodnesse of his horse and mercye of the waues that séemed to take compassion vpon his distresse he had taken a moyste lodging in the bottome of the riuer from the whiche albeit he escaped so hardely yet being broughte with muche ado to the other side he passed the reste of the night in colde and prayers withoute comforte sauinge for the pleasure he tooke in the remembrance of his peril past wherof certaine dayes after being come to Millan he made discourse to his deare frende Cardanus in sorte as if it had bene the malice of an euill sprite that wente aboute to drowne him telling the place euery circunstance in order Cardanus smelled forthwith the ignorance and simplicity of the secretary knowing that in that place was a wonderfull Eccho whiche yelded suche a plaine and perfect voice that it séemed to be formed oute of the mouth of some creature for a more assuraunce and proofe whereof he led him eftesones to the same place where they founde that his Passa that guided hym was none other thing than a reuerberation of the Eccho wherein séeing we are nowe so déeply fallen I will not forget to inferre the authoritie of mine authour in an example whilest he write this booke at Paris I haue saith he heard a sound in the borough of Chalenton neare Paris whiche yeldes and returnes the wordes that are spoken whole entier distinctly and plainly and that .vij. times one after an other like to the Eccho septuplex of the Auncients and specially commended of Plinie I haue also oftē marueled y t those which haue written the Antiquities and things worthie of memorie in Paris haue lefte suche a straunge thing without remembraunce in their writings seeing I haue neither heard nor séene so rare a thing in all the voyages I haue made ouer the highe Alpes of Italye and Germanie But now there resteth to put a laste seale to our difference and diffinition of visions to make some discourse of artificiall illusions the which being wroughte by sundry secret and Sophisticall sleightes of men moue no small terror to suche as beholde them as that whereof Hector Boetius in his Histories of Scotlande maketh mention wherein as there was a helpe and furtheraunce by art so the effecte was no lesse maruellous and straunge and at laste the onely cause of conseruation of a whole Kingdome in sorte as foloweth The Pictes according to the Histories haue alwayes borne a mortall hate to the Scots killing after sundry battails and skirmishes the first King of that countrey with the ouerthrowe of most of the nobilitie of that countrey Cenethus second King of the Scots and sonne to him whome the Pictes had murdered desirous to reuenge the death of his father vsed many persuasions to incense the nobilitie to fall into armes againste them who in respecte of their late infortune in the warre and their lacke of power to maintaine the quarell would not agrée to the persuasions of the King in whome as there remained a more grudge againste the death of his father than in the reste so finding him insufficient to worke it by wordes or incitation he reposed a laste helpe and refuge in arte and to giue a beginning to his deuise he fained a cause of conscience and consultation for the which the nobilitie were sente for to assiste the counsell where being lodged
all together within a castell and himselfe also he gat to fauor and further his coÌ„spiracy some .iiij. or .v. men whom according to the truste he put in them he made to be hidden in certaine secret corners of the chambers appointed for the noble men hauing firste attired them in horrible order with skinnes of seawolues whereof is greate stoare in that countrey by reason of the Sea with euery one a staffe in his ryghte hand of a kinde of olde and dry wood which shyneth in the night and in their left hand a great horne of an Ore pierced hollow these according to their commaundemente kept very close secrete vntill the Princes were in theyr first and fast sléepe when they began to appeare and discouer w t their staues glimering like the glaunces or flames of torches braying out of their hollowe hornes a hydeous voyce conteining that they were sent of God to sommon them to the warre of the Pictes against whom the sentence of victory was already pronounced and agréed by the heauens And so these artificiall sprites assisted with the benefite of the night which is the mother nurse to all illusions vsed so fine a conuey in the dispatch of their businesse that they escaped without being disclosed leauing the poore Princes so passioned with feare that they passed the rest of the night in prayers vntill the morning when euerye of them with great solemnitie imparted his vision to y e king who also for his parte to aggrauate the matter with further credite notwithstanding he was the first founder and forger of the mistery approued their sayings with the like appearing to himself albeit he was curious to reueale the secretes of God vntill he had more sure aduertisement thereof wherewith some other persuasions on his parte to enforce their forwardnes they became as eger and earnest to begin the warre as if Christ himself had bene their captaine and so assailed their enimies that they did not only ouerthrow them in battell but also made suche mortall extermination that the memory of the day euer since hath bene vtterly extinct There be some now a dayes that put lighted candels within the heades of dead men to feare the people and others that haue tied little waxe candels lighted vpon cockles tortures snailes which they put in that order within the church yards by night to the end that the simple people séeing these beastes moue a far of with their flames might beleue that it were some dead sprite returned for some speciall cause into the world by which villanous meanes as they haue gotten money of the common and ignoraÌ„t sort so let them be assured to render accompt of their doings to the soueraign iudge for abuâ—â—ng the pore flocke of his deare sonne vnder y e coloure of visions There hath bene yet of late time in Italy an other practise of Diabolical visions performed by certaine candels made of the grease or tallow of a man which so loÌ„g as they were light and did burne in the night the pore people seemed so ouerwhelmed with enchauntments and charmes that a man might haue taken any thing out of their house w tout that they were able to stirre out of their beds to reskue it but our God who according to his iustice doeth leaue nothyng vnpunished hath suffred that the authors and executors of such vanities haue bene taken as the thefe wyth the manner and being condemned haue yelded tribute to suche offences with the price of their life And lastly there is an other sort of artificial visions which are made with an oyle or licoure which cometh of certaine wormes we sée shine in the night which bicause they be things not worthie to be handled in argument amoÌ„gst no christians â–ª I will make silence of them for this time maruelling notwithstanding that sundry learned men heretofore haue vsed so large a libertye in discouering suche vanities the rather for that our natures for the most part are more credulous of such shadowed things than apt to beleue a truthe ¶ A wonderfull history of a monster seene by Celius Rhodiginus CHAP. xxvij TO the ende we shoulde taste of these wonderfell visions which may be thought very strange to the Reader me séemes good to shew here the pourtrait of twoo maruellous monsters the one a man the other a woman séen in diuers prouinces by twoo as excelleÌ„t Philosophers as haue raigned in our age The first being the man was séen by Ludouicus Celius Rhodiginus as he writeth in the iij. chapter of his .xxiiij. booke of auncient lessons folowing in this maner There was sayth he broughte forth a monster at Zarzara in Italy in the yeare of grace 1540. and the .xix. day of Marche worthie to be considered off for many causes One for that it was brought into the worlde at such time as Italy was afflicted wyth the plague and scourge of ciuile warres And that thys monstrous childe was a certaine forerunner or messanger which shewed vnto them the miseries of those domesticall quarels the other causes for the which it deserued to be diligently noted were for the straunge and maruellous effectes that nature exhibited in this little subiect for in the first place the mother of this infant broughte it forth within .iij. moneths wel formed which is a thing monstrous in nature Secondarily he had two faire heades well proportioned and two faces ioyned one to an other and tyed vpon the top of the neck with a proportion maruellous in euery of those partes he had his haire a little long and blacke and betwene these two heades he had a thirde heade whiche excéeded not the length of an eare And for the rest of his body it was so wel made and proporcioned in all thyngs requisite that it séemed that Nature delited to frame and make him so faire Who after he had soiorned a certaine tyme in this miserable worlde died wherein as he was made a present to one of the kyng of Spaynes lieutenants gouerning in that countrey so he thoughte it good to haue him ripped and his bellie opened and intrailes séen which being done he represented vnto the sightes of the lookers on things no lesse maruellous than the presidents written of before that is to say he had two liuers two milts and but one heart Wherwith endeth the description that Celius hath made of that monster The second monster is a woman hauing two heads whose figure is before to be séene with the other and more to be wondered at than the fyrst in one thing for that she liued many yeres whiche is contrary to the nature of monsters who ordinarily lyue not long for the abundance of melancolike humor which abundeth in them to see them selues so opprobrious to the worlde are therby so dried and consumed that their liues be shorte Whiche happened not to this maide which thou seest here portraicted for at suche tyme as Conradus Licostenes came into the Duchie of Bauiere whiche was in the yere
physition of Vienne writ in a Latine worke which he sent for a wonder to Ferdinando Emperor at that day And although he haue dilated on this Historie sufficiently yet notwithstanding I will write thereof more at large in that I shal be able He writeth to the Emperour Ferdinando that in the yeare .1545 there was at Vienne in Austrice a certain woman named Margareta the wife of a Citizen of that towne called George Wolczer who being quicke with childe from S. Bartholomew day to S. Luce and then vpon point to be deliuered she began to féele y e sharpe and dolorous pangs which women accustomably tast and suffer in the bringyng forth of their children caused hir mother and certain other sage women to be called for hir better helpe therin But when they came to the great conflict of Nature and hoped to haue receiued the childe they perceiued such a brute noise as it had ben a thunder clap within the belly of that poore martir y t which made them to thinke that the child was dead with the great striuing and battaile that it had with Nature The noise being at last appaised they coulde not perceiue or iudge any mouing or life in the infant whiche was cause after they had imployed all their labour and arte in vaine thynking to draw the child out of the mothers belly they wer coÌ„strained in the ende to abandon and leaue hir for a time to the helpe and mercy of almightie God Albeit after certaine dayes hir dolor griefe renued that she was not only forced to vse for helpe herein the aduises of the most excelleÌ„t and best experimeÌ„ted physitions in that prouince but also all others elswhere whose fame was most renoumed and celebrated for their excellencie in that arte who with all their physike resolutiue attractiue suppuratiue were not able to deliuer hir from this misery or otherwise comfort hir than with that which the angel sayd to the Prophetâ— Dispone domus tuae quia morieris Whereupon she seing hir self voide of hope to receiue help at mans hands determined to take truce wich nature and perseuer constantly in this hir martirdom the which she continued with extreme dolor the space of foure yerâ—â— carying this dead caryon in hir belly which being exâ—â—ed she resolued in hir self that it was most expedient to expose some ready death rather than to suffer hir selfe continually to pine by the crueltie of that torment Wherfore resting vpon this deliberatioÌ„ she made to be called the Surgions Physitions at whose handes she requested to be opened And in the yeare .1550 the .xij. day of NoueÌ„ber they opened hir belly from which they drewe the childe half rotten which she had caried the space of fiue yeares And after purging and phisiking hir they restored hir by the ayde of God to suche perfect health that she remayneth at this day on liue and so whole that she may yet conceiue and bring forth children As it is more amply declared in the Latine worke sente vnto the Emperour Ferdinando ¶ A wonderfull historie of a Monster hauing the shape of the face of a man who was taken in the forrest of Haueberg in the yere .1531 whose portraict Georgius Fabritius sent to Gesnerus drawen naturally as he is here figured CHAP. xxxj LIke as those which admeasure the greatnesse of the workes of God according to the capacitie of their vnderstandings could scarsly be persuaded that this monster which is here figured shuld be naturall Euen so in my iudgement as I haue oftentimes protested that I wil not fil or pester my wrytings with any fabulous matter or history wherby I shal not be able to verifie the same by the authoritie either of some famous author Greeke or Latin sacred or prophane for as Gesnerus in his History de quadrupedibus viuiparis wryteth that in the Forest of Saxonie in the coast of Dace there was taken certain moÌ„strous beasts hauing y e shape of the face of a man wherof the female in chase by chauÌ„ce was killed of hunters and the male taken by them was brought aliue who afterwardes became domesticall and tame in such sorte as he began to talke a little albeit hys words were imperfect and hoost much like vnto a Goate and touching the rest of his actioÌ„s they were more brutall than humaine For at such time as he was moued by y e ardent heates and motions of nature the women were not in safety with him for he would endeuor himselfe by force to violaâ—e them openly And as an other like to this was taken in the yere .1531 in the Forest de la seigneurie de Salâ—ebourge in Almaine who wold neuer be made tame nor yet endure the loke of a man but liuing in such sorte certaine dayes in the ende died of hunger refusing to be fed of any liuing creature Euen so in the time that Iames the fourth king raigned in Scotland which was in the yere 1409. and y t he sent Iacobus Egilinus in embassage to the French king who by tempest of the seas was cast on land in a certaine Isle of Norway where he saw moÌ„sters like vnto these spoken of before as he witnessed at his return and enquiring of the people of that couÌ„trey what kinde of creatures they were they answered that they were certaine beastes hauing the shape of the face of men who accustomed very often to come by night to their houses which being not repulsed by dogges would deuoure as wel their men as children And I remember that S. Augustine in his boke of the Citye of God maketh mention of sundrye monsters of straungo formes who were found in deserts or elswhere whereupon grew a question whether they were descended of the first man Adam or that they had a reasonable soule or not or whether they should rise as others shall at the generall day of resurrection But for that this matter is a little to long to entreate vpon by reason of the shortnesse of this Chapiter I will therefore reserue it for a nother place more fit and apte for the dissolution therof ¶ A wonderfull History of sundry straunge famines CHAP. xxxij I Doe remember that I haue treated in my third booke of the Theatre of the world howe famine is one of the moste cruell ministers of the iustice of God as he hymselfe witnesseth very often by his Prophets and Apostels sometymes threatning to gyue them for their wickednesse a heauen of brasse and the earth of yroÌ„ that is to say that it shal bring forth nothing albeit I will not forget in this place to make mention of two notable famines noted in the boke of Ecclesiasticus to the ende that drawing our Histories out of the liuely springs of the scripture the same may moue vs y t rather and touche vs the more with remorse euen vpon the hammer of our conscience It is shewed in the .iiij. boke of the kings and .vj. chapter of a famine which happened in Samarie in
swiftnesse and light condition that no shippe how so euer she be assisted with windes or weather is able to make saile equall with the wing of that Birde whose wings in déede are long and thin but of a meruellous reflection and light whose fethers or more properly shagge or long haire be almost of the hardnesse of a horne thys Birde hath no féete she flieth continually without resting in any place sauing that she stayeth against a trée or bough vpon the which she hangeth and stayeth by a lock of hir loÌ„g hair she is of great price by reason of hir strauÌ„genâ—sse and rarietie the great men of Leuant for a brauery do deck the crests of their armors with the plumes of this Birde they saw it at Noremberg by Iohn Cromerus The Almaines call this bird in their laÌ„guage Luffruogel which signifieth a bird of y e air either by reason y t she liueth in the air or that they make accoÌ„pt she is releued therby the most be of opinion y t the female hath one receptacle or retreat vnder hir wings where she layeth and hatcheth hir egges Wherefore the kings of Marmin in the Iles of Moluques not long sithens were persuaded did beleue y t their soules were immortal by the consideration of this Birde being moued by no other argument if not that they obserued one litle bird of extreme beautie which at no time touched the earth but sometimes fell dead from the height of heauen And as the Mahometists trauailed with them they shewed them this birde persuading them that she came from Paradise which was a delicious place where the dead soules toke their repose wherby that people grosse and barbarous beleuing that which the Turkes declared to them begaÌ„ very curiously to examine of their law and in the ende became Mahometists and folow at this day the Mahomet law for which cause they name that birde Manucodiata that is to say the birde of God which birde they haue in such reuerence and honour that the Kings hauing hir aboute them accompte themselues sufficiently guarded from all perill and daunger of warre wherupon the Kings of the Isles aforesayd did send to Charles the fift Emperor fiue of these litle birdes dead for as we sayd before they were neuer taken by any man aliue Maximilianus Transsiluanus Gesnerus pursuing the Historie of this birde addeth yet that whiche foloweth I haue saith he attained to write these things by the letters of Melchior Guillandin Beruce a man great in science and doctrine whiche were brought vnto me to Padoue by the which he writeth hir the birde of Paradyse as here foloweth Albeit those which haue left in writing the nauigation of the Spaniards to straunge countreys assure and affirme that there is a little bird bred and borne in the Isles of Moluques very pleasaunt and of singular beautie wherof the body is but litle notwithstandyng by reason of the hugenesse of hir feathers she séemeth more great which be brode and houering disposed in a rounde in such sort that they represente the circuite of a circle That little birde representeth in greatnesse and forme a Quaile being adorned and decked with feathers of diuers colours most faire and bautifull contenting very muche the eyes of those which behelde hir hir head proportioned to the body somewhat more great than a swallow hir fethers which decke the height of hir from the vppermoste part of the bones of the skurfe of hir neck to the mydst of hir beake be short great hard thick and of a yealowe colour and shineth like the purest golde or the beames of the Sunne the others which couer hir chin be moste delicate tender and resemble a piercyng coloure like to the gréene and not much vnlike to those whiche we see vpon the heades of Canardes being directly against the sunne That birde hath no féete and is very like a Hearon touching the feathers of hir wings sauing that they be more tender and long holden of a broune colour participating with redde and blacke The male of that birde hath a hole vpon the skurfe of his back where the female putteth and hatcheth hir egges and not relieued by other meate than the dewe of heauen whiche serueth them for meate and drinke And who lyst to visite the inwarde parts of thys byrde shall fynde hir full of fat or grease whereof I may boldly talk bicause I haue séene two without legs which is contrary to the writing of Aristotle who affirmeth that no birde wanteth féete he dwelleth alwayes in the ayre I am sure this would amaze you to write wholy the form of this bird by his particulars as Gesnerus writeth according to the witnesse of the foresayd authors Albeit who is desirous to sée a more ample description thereof reade that which the sayd Gesnerus hath written in the chapter where he treateth of the birde of Paradise or in the boke of Auium natura Hieromeus Cardanus in his bokes de subtilitate or place where he writeth of perfect beasts reporteth the like to that which foloweth In the sayd Isles of Moluques they haue found vpon the laÌ„d or in the sea one dead bird called Manucondiata which is as much to saye in the Indians toung as the birde of God or Birde of Paradise whiche they haue not séene on liue for that it hathe no féete Which for my part I haue séene thrée or .iiij. tymes and alwayes wanting those membres she dwelleth continually in the aire and that very high and farre of Shée beareth a body and a beake muche like the sea swallowe both in bignesse and other forme the quilles of hir wings and tayle be full as bigge as those of an Eagle when she aduaunceth or stretcheth them abroade Hir feathers bee very small and moste lyke reseruing their litlenesse to the plumes of a Pehenne or a she Peacocke and differing in that poynt from the Peacocke hym selfe bycause these feathers haue not suche starres or eyes as we sée in the tayle of a Peacocke The backe of the male of this birde is holowe where by moste reason the female dothe laye hir egges seing hir belly is also hollow the same arguyng that by the hollownesse of the one and other she layeth and hatcheth hir eggs there is in the taile of the male a thréede of the length of thrée shaftments blacke in colour neither rounde nor square of an ordinarie bignesse not much vnlyke to a Shoemakers thréede by the whyche it may be presumed that the female is tied and ioyned to his backe whilest she layeth and hatcheth hir egges It is moste certaine that as she remayneth continually in the ayre so lykewise when hir wyngs and tayle be drawne into a roundnesse she supporteth hir selfe that way and being wearie she becommeth as she was afore She doth lyue by none other foode than by the dewe of Heauen whiche serueth hir bothe to eate and also to dryncke the same arguing a wonderfull diligence and maruell of Nature to make
wombe to straight which is y e cause that she is found to wante in suche sorte that the wombe is congealed and gathered in one whereupon groweth this forme and superfluitie of members in this little male moÌ„ster whom thou seest héere figured hauing four armes four legges and but one head with all the rest of his body well proportioned who was engendred in Italie the same day that the Venetians and Geneuois after the sheading of much bloud both of the one side the other coÌ„firmed their peace and wer reconciled togither and which was baptised and liued a certaine time after as writeth Iacobus Fincelius in his booke de miraculis post renatum Euangelium And in the same yeare that Leopolde Duke of Austrich vanquished of the Swizers died And Galea was created Uicount of Millain after the death of Barnabone ¶ A wonderfull Historie of Couetousnesse with many examples touching that matter worthy of memory CHAP. L. DIogines Laerce writeth that there was a Rhodian iesting one day with the philosoper Eschines saying to him I sweare by the immortal gods Eschines that I haue great pitie and compassioÌ„ of thy pouertie To whom he replied sodainly and by the same gods do I make y e like othe that I more bewaile thée to sée thée so rich seing that riches once gotten bréede not onely paine torment care with heauinesse to kéepe them but also a more great displeasure to spend them perill to preserue them occasion of great inconueniences and dangers to defend them And that which yet séemes to me more grieuous and horrible is that where for the most parte thou hidest thy riches in the same place thou leauest thy heart buried And lyke as Herodotus writeth that the inhabitants of the Isles Baleares watch and defend wyth great care that no maÌ„ entring into their Countrey bring or leaue behinde them either golde siluer silke or precious stones which hapned so wel vnto them y t during the space of .400 yeres wherein there was most cruel warres not only amongst the Romains and Carthaginois but also the French Spaniards neuer any of the said nations were once moued to inuade their landes for that they could not finde either golde siluer or other thing of price or value to robbe pilfer or take away euen so there is yet one other thing more straunge that is that Phalaris Agringetin Dionyseus Siracusan Catilmus Romanê° Iugurth Numidien being .iiij. famous tiraÌ„ts neuer maintained their estates realms by any vertue whych they vsed but only by their great gifts presents which they bestowed on their adhereÌ„ts wherfore I wold wish y t al such as be fauored of Princes should note wel this saying y t it is impossible for one being in great fauor to continue long therin being ouerwhelmed accompanyed w t the wicked vice of couetousnesse Neither am I out of my matter hauing touched y e same in the Historyes before for y t in these our dayes y e world is so coâ—rupted therwith as there is no other talke in our coÌ„mon weales of any thing but only of the burning rage of couetousnesse whych raigneth in all y e estates of y e world namely amoÌ„gst y e Ecclesiastical persoÌ„s as our high father w t his Cardinals a thyng much to be lameÌ„ted coÌ„sidering that they ought to be rather distributers of the goods of the Lord thaÌ„ affectionated burning as we sée w t this gréedie desire of riches y t it seemes y t they would drain al the welth of y e world into theyr gulphs in y e end burie the same w t their bodies in the graue wherof I haue written more largely in my other works making mention of the cardinal Angelot But now I wil returne to my matter for sithens that y e pestileÌ„t venom of couetousnesse hath sprinkled hir poison through y e world y t the most part of the prouinces remain be so much infected therwith y t they by that meanes stick not to make marchaÌ„dise of meÌ„s bodies to obtaine mony wherof Celius Rhodiginus in his iij. boke of auÌ„cient lessons .lvj. chapter is a sufficient witnesse who declareth y t in his time diuers wicked persons sold the flesh of men so well seasoned y t is séemed to be the flesh of Porke in which wickednesse as they continued til God by his almighty power discouered the same by suffering them to finde the finger of a man mingled amongest their meats which was the cause that they were taken cruelly punished euen so this néedes not séeme straunge or a fable to those which haue red Galenes .xiij. boke of Elements who sheweth y e mannes flesh is so like vnto porke hauing the very tast and sauor of it that those which haue eaten therof iudged it to be the flesh of a Porke Wherefore in the Historie of Caelius Rhodiginus it is not strauÌ„ge but most apparant that couetousnesse hath so blinded maÌ„ and rageth euen to the very tippe of iniquitie that they cannot adde any thing more thereunto Albeit Conradus Licostenes recompteth yet one other wonderfull Historie of couetousnesse which is nothing inferior to this before who wryteth that in the Dukedome of Wittemberge there was a wicked hoste who presented at supper all his gests lodged in his house with the fleshe of a Porke bitten of a madde dogge which was so greatly infected with the venim of that beast that all those which eate therof became not only madde but also pressed in such sort with the furie and rage of their euill that they eat and tare in pieces one an other ¶ A Monster brought forth at Rauenna in the tyme of Pope Iule the secâ—nde and king Lewes the .xij. CHAP. xlj REader this monster which thou seest here depainted is so brutall and farre differing from humaine kinde that I feare I shal not be beleued in that I shal write ther of hereafter notwithstanding if thou wilt but conferre this with those hauing faces like Doggs and Apes wherof I haue written in the Histories before thou shalt then fynde the other farre more monstrous Iaques Ruell in his bokes of the conception and generation of meÌ„ from wheÌ„ce I haue this figure Conradus Licostenes in his treatie of wonders IohaÌ„nes Multiuallis Gasparus Hedio affirme write y t in the yere 1512. at what time pope Iule y e second stirde vp caused so many bloody tragedies in Italy that he had made warre with king Lewis euen at the iorney of Rauenna this monster was engendred borne at Rauenna aforesayd a citie most auncient in Italy hauyng one horne in his head two wings and one foote like to the foote of a ramping bird with an eye in the knee it was double in kind participating both of the man womaÌ„ hauing in y e stomack y t figure of a Greke Y y e form of a crosse no armes And like as this moÌ„ster was brought into y e world in y