those places did gather togither made good bread a long time of it A yeare after which was 1551. it rayned bloud ouer Lisbonne in Portugall the same yeare a little before Whitsontide the cloudes opening there fell such streames of Water about Kittengen in Franconia as the flouds vpon the Land drowned manie men and much Cattell almost in an instant A great farme consisting of manie houses was ouerthrowne and almost all that dwelt in it drowned The Bridge at Kittengen was beaten downe and carried awaie and if they had not sodenly giuen passage to the Waters percing the Towne walles all had beene lost There were fiue houses quite ouerthrowne fiue others in a village called Rotolsee and fiue in an other place fiueteene men were drowned at Speckfurt and manie houses beaten quite downe to the grownd as also at Pabemberg whereas the vignes and corne-ground was spoyled after a very strange manner At the same-time betwixt Gethe and Iseâ—…ac in Turinge the continuall raine did make the Riuers to rise and swell in such sort as in the village of Theutlebe fiue houses were carried away with a Farmer and his fiue Children In an other village the Waters did drowne the Cattell that were in the field and the young boyes that kept them Towardes SchlakenVuals where the mines are these deluges did inestymable harme The Riuer of Elbe beeing rissen with the raine Water did much harme in the Countrie and so did other Riuers at the same-time The foureteene of August 1552. a great tempest rysing in the aire ouer Holland there fell aboundance of hayle euerie stone waying aboue one pound beeing all of diuers formes Some were verie like the Sonne others were like vnto a Crowne of thorne some resembled Wheeles and other things The Sonne hauing caused them to melt there came forth a stinking smoke the which infected the aire whereof followed a great mortality of Cattell Some monethes before the Riuers of Sal and Mein famous in Germanie did ouerflowe and ruined manie buildings and drowne manie Men and much Cattell It rayned bloud in France And neere vnto Marpurg there was a poole seene manie times bloudie Budissine a Towne seated at the foote of the mountaines which PTOLOMEâ—… calles Suderes at the entrie of the vpper Lusatia a League from the spring of the Riuer Sueuue did feele the thirteeneth of August in the same yeare 1552. the misery which followeth At night a thicke cloud breaking and falling violently in the vallees where there are manie pooles the same beeing full and the causies broken the Water finding a passage it beganne to runne towardes this Riuer which was neere and made it swell heigher then euer had beene seene hauing of it selfe a swift and sodaine course falling from the mountaines Beeing then accompanied with these violent Waters it did breake ouerthrow and pull vp all the foundations of bridges gardines and buildings that were a mile about so as there were no signes of them to be seene This violent floud did drowne two and thirtie persons which could not recouer the Towne in time Many without saued them-selues in the neere Mountaines It was thought that in this deluge there were aboue a hundred persons drowned In the yeare 1553. the extraordinary raine made the riuer of Rhine to swell and ouer-flowe the which was the spoile of a great Countrie neere vnto the bankes The Towne of Ruffach among others was in danger to be drowned by this floud the which was runne out in a short time leauing in recompence of the spoile it had made great abundance of Fishe vpon the land in the Medowes and Marishes yea euen in the Towne vautes At Erford it rained bloud the fift of Iune the same yeare and at Lipsic the 8. of Iuly In the same moneth some dayes before the Batraile betweene MAVRICE Elector of Saxonie and ALBERT Marquis of Brandebourg towards Heldâ—…sheim there were many Trees and Herbes seene couered with bloud which had fallen from Heauen In the yeare 1554. the 26. of May it rained bloud neere to Dunke a Towne in Germanie The yeare following it did also raine bloud at Fribourg in Misnia And on the sixt of Iune there was seene in the Castell Diâ—…che of Vinaire in Saxonie a Fountaine of bloud There was an other betwixt Erford and Vinaire and a third at Erford which before was cleere and faire water In the yeare 1556. about the twelfe and thirteenth of Maye there fell a dewe from Heauen about Bresle and neere to Don in the Canton of Bearne the which had a taste sweeter then Honie Two dayes after it raigned bloud neere to Schafouze The second of September the raine fell in such aboundance at Locarne as the towne was almost spoiled and in daunger to be ruined These Histories are gathered out of the Collection of Prodigies made by L. LYCOSTHENES In Iune in the yeare 1586. there did rise ouer the Cittie of Constantinople a darke cloude the which being dispersed there followed a shower of Grasse-hoppers which did nippe the fruits and the Leaues of Trees The yeare following in December there happened a thing no lesse strange on the frontiers of Croatia neere to Vithitz a Castell belonging vnto CHARLES Arch-duke of Austria They did see â—… cloud of Ducks and Geese by thousands which falling into a lake neere by the night following they made so furious a fight as all the neighbour Countries heard it In the morning the Soldiars and Country-men ranâ—…e thether where they found a great number of Ducks and Geese that had killed one an other whereof they gathered great numbers some a hundred some two hundred they drest them after their manner and liued thereof a long time Those which remayned of this great armie of Combatants being seene in a medowe they tooke their flight and went else where I. LEONCLAVIVS in the supplement of the Annales of Turkiâ—… Prediction THE tenth of September in the yeare 1513. IAMES the 4. King of Scotland hauing imbraced the partie of France tooke armes against England and grewe so vehement in the quarell as there was a battaile giuen whereas King IAMES and all the flower of the Sâ—…cotish Nobilitie were slaine in the field At that time there was a Scottish Gentleman verie straightly imprisoned at London who sayd openly in the hearing of manie some houres before the Battaile If the two armies English and Scotâ—…ish fight this daie I knowe for certaine that the King my Maister wil be to weake for I doe obserue in this conflict of windes in the ayre that the windes are verie opposite vnto Scotland This speech was neither without reason nor without euent for it is most certaine that the Angells bee the preseruers of publike States and of the holy order appointed by the almightie GOD fight constantly against wicked and euill spirits which take pleasure in murthers and the ouerthrowe of all good order which the Lorde allowes as wee reade in the Historie of Persia whereas the Angell tells the Prophit DANIEL that
regard of many the like accidents which do dayly happen I will aduise the Reader to obserue the ende of this accusation where the Hunts-man is taken in his owne snare This poore ACTEON relying vpon his quality and gouerned by his passions came to this ende hauing drawne many great personages into danger for seeking reuenge onely hee ruined himselfe The which may serue for any one that shall attempt to accuse an other He was the Kings Attorney Generall in a soueraigne Court and therfore a publike Accusor and in this quality he had power to informe against all such as he knew to be Offendors without feare of the like punishment L. omnes de delaâ—…oribus lib. 10. c. But he was found vnfurnished of parts required in that place beeing transported by his passions and surprized in slander In which case without respect of his quality and place hee was subiect to the punishment of a Slanderer L. si cautiones C. de ijs qui accu non pos Whereas doing his duty according to the necessity of his place and no otherwise he needed not to haue feared any thing And as it is most profitable as it appeares by the continuall complaints against all sorts of Offendors to haue speciall men for the defence and preseruation of the common-weale of Lawes and good manners and to accuse Malefactors so it is necessary they be Diligent Constant Iust of a good life and singular integrity For he that will take vpon him the charge to accuse must first examine exactly and make proofe of his owne life before hee shall examine and search anothers and must thinke that in the end hee shall reape shame and disgrace in seeking to cause an other to yeeld an accoumpt of his life when as he himselfe is subiect to the like triall In this case the accusers simplicitie imports much who ought to bee free from hatred reuenge and other passions which are contrary to the sinceritie required in those places for that it is hard to haue a sound iudgement with such passions the which do hinder the true office of an accuser which is that in accusing any one hee should no lesse feare the touch of his owne honor and good name then the partie accused the preseruation of his life and goods and the accuser if he be an honest man must thinke and beleeue that in beginning to accuse he brings his owne honour in question which should make him carefull not to propound any thing whereof he is not assured To this end the l. criminis C. de ijs qui accus non pos is not able and worthy to bee often read the which comprehends the said parties It is likely that the Iudges at Chambery were linkt together in many things and that TABOVE being froward and reiecting some admonitions that were giuen him framed this accusation against his head and President who had power to command him and vnder whom he did exercise his place of Kings Atturney generall of whom he should haue endured some-thing considering that the dissimulation of iniuries which he pretended to haue suffered in his owne particular of the said president would haue done him more honour and giuen him greater content then the reuenge which hee got by a sentence at Dijon although it had taken effect The conflict of men of that sort is vniust and inhumaine and hath been in old time reproued at Rome in many iudgements L. PHILO seeking to accuse C. SERVILIVS his Pretor and commander whose Treasurer he had beene was not admitted The like was adiudged against M. AVRELIVS for L. FLACCVS his Generall T. ALBVTIVS had gouerned the Sardes a yeare vnder whome POMPEY was Treasurer They had carried themselues after different manners ALBVTIVS like a Theefe and POMPEY like an honest man The Sardes made their complaints to I. CAESAR accusing ALBVTIVS POMPEY hindred saying that hee was best reformed of his life for that he had beene alwayes with him and serued him as his Treasurer demanding the charge to accuse him from the which hee was reiected CICERO in his first accusation against VERRES to obtaine the place of an Accuser and to keepe Q. CECILIVS who presented himselfe from audience he obiected the three principall reasons before mentioned The first that hee was not free from blame himselfe and namely in the gouernment of VERRES vnder whom hee had had charge in Sicilia The second that he professed himselfe his enemie and therefore transported with affection which is alwayes to bee suspected The third that VERRES is his Commander and Pretor and therefore cannot bee accused by him without violating all publike respect of honestie In the Processe made by NONIVS the black Prouost of Rome against CATELYNS confederates it was taken ill that the sayd NONIVS in his Interrogatories had examined the prisoners if IVLIVS CAESAR being then Pretor were not of the conspiracie for the Pretoriall dignitie which hee then held the which was one of the highest and equall with the Consull for the which the Prouost was blamed and committed to prison although that one of the prisoners had named CAESAR and that he was presently to prouide for the preseruation of the common-weale the which might well allowe the accusation of a Magistrate during his time especially by one of his familie who had beene commanded The which the Lawe hath declared intollerable and worthy of punishment as it appeares in L. si quis ex familiaribus and in the last law C. de ijs qui accus non pos whereas the Emperours declare such absolutions abhominable excepting no crime but treason To conclude Vocem familiarium funestam amputari potius volunt quam audiri I haue set downe this Historie at large for that it is famous I. Papon lib. 19. of his collection of Decrees and sentences arr 9. A woman in Child-bed which abounded with Milke I Haue seene in a Towne of Breslaw a Midwiues Daughter lying in Child-bed who had such aboundance of Milke in her brests as in two or three dayes shee filled a pale contayning twelue quartes They scummed off the Creame with the which they made Butter and Cheese that was very sweete and sauorie neither durst this Cowe with two legges eate in a manner any thing for else shee did yeeld great aboundance of Milke N. MARTIN VVENIRICH in his Commentarie of Monsters Meruailous Aduertisements IAMES the fourth of that name King of Scotts hauing in the yeare 1500. or thereabout defied HENRY the eight King of England as hee was riding towards his army being at Euening praier in a Church at Limnuch there came in an olde man his hayre somewhat reddish and hanging downe on his shoulders bald before and without an hat apparelled in a long blew roabe and girded with a Linnen girdle bearing a graue and reuerent presence who desiring to speake with the King made way through the prease and without any other ceremony went and leaned on the Chaire where the King sate saying vnto him Sir I am sent
no cause discerned of such a death but only a liue worme which the A◅atomists found in the capsula or filme of the heart P. SPHARER Physition in his Obseruations A certaine woman hauing voyded for the space of many da◅es together a thick and purulent vrine at length died and beeing opened was found interressed in the heart with certaine impostumes and two stones I. HOVLIER Comment 1. on the 6. booke sect 2. aphoris 4. of HIPPOCRAT and the Comment on the 75. aph of the 4. booke The Emperour MAXIMILIAN the second had three little stones found in his heart of the bignes of a pease but not of equall quantity and weight In his life time hee was very much afflicted with a panting of the heart I. WIER in the 4. booke Chap. 16. of the impostures of euill spirits In the heart of IEROME SCHEIBER that died at Paris in the yeare 1547. was opened in the presence of SYLVIVS HOVLIER FERNEL professors in Physick there was foūd an hard blackish roūd stone as big as a nutmeg and weyghing Certaine drammes to the great wonder of all men AER MVRGEL Physition In diuers mens hearts there are found Cornes or hard things like vnto stoanes of the bignes of a nut in others fat in the ventricles or verie thicke Carnosities sometimes of two pounde weight or other substance like the marrowe of sodden beefe Also tumors impostumes of the bignes of an hens egge which in some haue caused co◅ruption of the membrane of the heart in others wasting of the heart it selfe in others mattory and long congealed vlcers The History of them are described by the Doctors of Physick BENIVENIVS IACOT VESALIVS ERASTVS COLVMBVS FERNELIVS HOVLIER IOVBERT and others in their obseruations Commentaries and disputations Which it shall suffise to haue touched in a worde Touching the hurts of the heart FERNELIVS in the fi◅t booke of his Panthologia Chap. 12. holds that if they bee not deepe and penetrated farre into the ventricles of the heart the person hurt dies not presently To which effect IOHN SCHENCK of Grafenberg Doctor of Phisick at Fribourg recounts in the 2. booke of his Physickall Obseruations Obserue 209. that hee had heard a learned Physition tell how a certaine scholler studying at Ingolstad beaing stabbed with a poygnard into the heart the two ventricles wherof were found pearced through and through ranne a good way bleeding and liued a full houre after speaking and cōmending himselfe to GOD. I protest I haue seene a gentleman at Thurin which fought with another that gaue him a thrust vnder the left pappe penetrating euen into the substance of the heart and yet for all that he struck diuers blowes at his enemy that ranne away from him pursuing him the length of two hundred pace and then fell downe dead to the ground After which I opened him and found a wound in the very substance of the heart so bigge that one might haue laid his finger in it and a great quantity of bloud falne vpon the Diaphragma AMER PARE in the 9. Booke Chap. 32. Of Comets IN this Section I will briefly represent the Comets seene in Europe for these hundred yeares or thereabouts adding that which GARCEVS in his Meteorologie LICHOSTENES and others haue obserued vpon this point In the yeare 1500. in the moneth of Aprill a Comet appeared in the North vnder the signe of Capricorne The same yeare Prince CHARLES was borne afterwards Emperor the 5. of that name and SOLYMAN Sultan of the Turkes Soone after folowed the spoile which the Tartares made in Polonia the famine in Swabe a plague throughout all Germanie the taking of Naples by the French A rising of the peasants in the Bishop rike of Spire against the Bishop and the Canons the taking of Modon and some other places in Morea by the Turkes ISMAEL Sophie expelled out of the kingdome of Persia by the Turkes whereof they ceazed The second yeare after the plague made a horrible spoile almost throughout all the whole world the which had for fore-runners figures of crosses falling out of the ayre vpon mens clothes A warre followed in Bauaria two yeares after this plague after the which many great men both spirituall temporal died The Emperor MAXIMILIAN the 1. vanquished the Guelders and then the Hongariens whom he reduced vnder his obedience In the yeare 1506. a Comet appeared in August towards the North couering the signes of Leo and Virgo hauing neere vnto the Chariot a thick and shining taile stretched out betwixt the wheeles of this Chariot for which cause some Astronomers called it the Peacocks taile In September after died PHILIP the 1. king of Spaine father to CHARLES and FERDINAND Emperors The same yeare the Turkes were defeated in battaile by the Persians and on the other side they tooke Modon in Morea from the Christians and defeated their fleete Then followed a ciuill warre betwixt BAIAZET and his sonne SELIM and FRANCIS SPORCE Duke of Milan was taken in Italy by the French As for that which happened in the following yeares the History of our time doth shew it as well in respect of warres Inundations death of famous men and merueilous alterations in Europe the causes whereof we will attribute to the iust iudgements of GOD punishing the sinnes of the world we say only that Comets seeme oftentimes to be fore-runners and Trumpets of the wonderfull iudgements of the Lord as a French Poet speaking of a Comet seene in the yeare 1577. said in the 2. day of his weeke O frantick France why doost not thou make vse Of the strange signes whereby the Heauens induce Thee to repentance canst thou teare-lesse gaze Euen night by night on that prodigious blaze That hairy Comet that long streaming Starre Which threatens Earth with Famine Plague and Warre The Almighties Trident and three forked fire Wherewith he strikes vs in his greatest ire But let vs consider the other Comets according to the order of the yeares In Nouember 1523. there was seene a Comet and soone after the heauens seemed all on fire casting forth infinite flames of lightning vpon the earth the which did tremble afterwards there hapned strange Inundations of water in the realme of Naples Soone after followed the taking captiuity of Francis 1. King of France Germanie was troubled with horrible seditions LEVVIS King of Hungary was slaine in battaile against the Turkes There were wonderfull stirres throughout all Europe and Rome was taken and spoiled by the imperiall Armie In the same yeare of the taking and sack of Rome which was 1527. there was seene another more fearefull Comet then the precedent there followed after it the great spoiles which the Turkes made in Hungary a famine in Swabe Lombardie and at Venice warre in Zuitzerland the siege of Vienna in Austria the Sweat in England the ouer-flowing of the Sea in Holland and Zeland where it drowned a great Country and an Earthquake in Portugall which continued eight dayes In the yeare 1531. from