Chapter III: Part 3

=Erasmus Roterodamus=, writeth in his two and twentieth booke of Epistles, vnto a certaine Bishop, excusing himself, touching certaine points, which he had moued vnto him, to the ende he should be very circumspect: and amongst other things, making mention there of spirits or wandring soules, he reporteth this Historie. There was (saith he) a certaine parish Priest, who had dwelling with him in his house, a Néece of his, a woman well stored with money: In whose Chamber hee woulde oftentimes conuey himselfe, being disguised in a shéete lyke vnto a Spirite: And then he cast foorth a doubtfull voyce, hoping that the woman would either procure a coniurer for her helpe, or else her selfe make him answere. But she hauing a man-like courage, priuily requesteth one of her friendes to lodge in her Chamber secretly all night. The man being armed with a clubbe insteed of other coniuring tooles, and being well tippled with drinke, to auoyd feare, hideth himselfe in the bedde. Sodainly commeth the Spirit roaring very miserably: The coniurer with his clubbe awaketh, leapeth out of his bedde scant sober, and setteth vpon him. Then the Spirit with his voyce and iesture, beginneth to make him afrayd. But the drunken coniurer soone answered him: If (quoth he) thou be the Diuel, I am thy mother: and therewith catching holde on him, all to beat him with his club, and would also haue slaine him, if he had not chaunged his voyce, and cryed; O spare me for Gods sake, I am no soule, but I am sir Iohn. Which voyce when the woman heard and knewe, she leapes out of her bedde, and parts the fraye, &c. The same =Erasmus= writeth in the foresayd Epistle, that this Priest vpon Easter eue, put liue crabbes priuily into the churchyard, hauing waxe candles on light cleauing to their sides: which when they crawled amongst the graues, séemed to bee suche a terrible sight, that no man durst approach néere them. Hereof rose a fearfull reporte, wherewith all men béeing amazed, the priest declareth to yͤ people in the pulpit, that they were yͤ soules of deade men which desired to be deliuered out of their torments by Masses & almes déeds. This deceite was espied by these meanes: that at the last one or two of the crabbes were found amongst the rubbish, hauing the candles done out cleauing on their backs, which yͤ priest had not takē vp.

[Sidenote: Georgius Buchananus.]

=Georgius Buchananus=, prince of all Poets in this our age, reporteth an historie in his Commodie called =Franciscanus=, of one =Langus= a priest, who falsly affirming that in a field of Scotland full of Brimstone there were soules miserablie tormented, which continually cried for helpe and succour, suborned a countrie clowne whome he would coniure, as if he had bin one of those soules. Which deceite of his, yͤ husbandmā afterward discouered whē he was drunk. I would here repeate his verses, but that his bookes are nowe in euery mans hands. While I was writing these things, it was reported vnto me by credible persons, that in =Augusta=, a noble citie of Germanie, this present yeare 1569. there was a maide and certaine other men seruants in a great mans family, which little regarded the sect of the =Iesuite= Friers: & that one of the saide order made promise to their master, that he wold easily bring them to an other opinion: & so disguising himselfe like vnto a Diuel, was hid in a priuie corner of yͤ house: vnto the which place, one of the maides going, either of hir owne accorde to fetche some thing, or being sent by her master, was by yͤ disguised Iesuite made maruellously afraide: which thing she presently declared vnto one of the mē seruants exhorting him in any wise to take héede of the place. Who shortly after going to the same place, & laying hold on his dagger, sodeynly stabbed in the counterfeit diuell, as he came rushing on him. This history is written in Duch verses, and put in print, and now almost in euery mans hands.

CHAP. X.

That it is no maruell if vaine sightes haue bene in old
time, neither yet that it is to be maruelled at, if there
be any at this day.

Many other like examples might be brought, but these may suffise to proue euidently, to what point ambition, couetousnesse, enuy, hatred, stubburnesse, idlenesse and loue, do most commonly driue men.

[Sidenote: Ambition.]

We sée by common experience, that proude ambitious men dare aduenture any thing. If they may hurt or hinder other men by accusations, slanders, or any other wayes or meanes, whome they suppose may preiudice or let their exalting to honour, they sticke not at all to doo it. What maruell is it then that Monkes and Priests, which desire to be aloft, indeuour now a daies to purchase vnto themselues authoritie by false miracles, vaine apparitions, and such other like trumpery.

[Sidenote: Couetousnesse.]

[Sidenote: Paule.]

All men know what a pernitious thing couetousnesse is. For they which are not contented to liue with a litle, but will néeds be rich, neither care for any man, nor yet spare any man. Hungry guttes séeke sundrie wayes to fill themselues: fewe willingly endure hunger. Wherefore it is not be maruelled at, if amongst Monks and Priests at these our dayes, who haue bene euer reported to be couetous, there be some founde, which by false apparitions of soules, séeke their gaines, inuenting holy pilgrimages, and other baytes to get mony. For what wil not idle and slothfull lubbers attempt to purchase riches? Doth not Saint =Paule= say, that those which will waxe rich by idlenesse, fall into the snares of the Diuell?

[Sidenote: Enuis.]

Emulation, wilfulnesse, enuie, hatred, contention, desire to ouercome, what they may doo, what they may bring to passe, daily experience teacheth vs. The Preachers of _Berna_, when they perceiued they could not ouercome their aduersaries by any other means, yéelded themselues (which is horrible to be spoken) vnto the diuel, making him one of their counsell. And who can deny but yͤ priests now adayes are also for the most part, stubborne, and full of contention.

[Sidenote: Idlenesse.]

Idlenesse is the nurse and mother of all mischiefe: what goodnesse then may ye looke for of them, which not only exercise themselues in no labours prescribed by God, neither yet apply themselues to good learning, but day and night play the gluttons? Tell me I pray thée, whether the laboring husbandman, or the idle man, who alwayes spent his time in inuenting pernitious mischiefes, first founde out those cruel instruments of warre which they call gunnes?

[Sidenote: Loue.]

It might be declared in many words what loue is able to do. Now because Monks and Priests liue idlely, abounding in all wantonnesse, and yet are restrained from holy marriage, what maruell is it if at this time also they faine and counterfeit many visions, that they might thereby the easier enioy their loue? And here I wil not say it is to be feared, that there are many amongst them so wicked and villanous, as to exercise & practise magicall Artes, and such like, which are vtterly forbidden. Who can then maruell hereafter, if it be sayd, they counterfeyt spirites, affirming they haue let men see this or that soule? For in what men soeuer these vices be, which we haue rehearsed, surely those dare boldly aduenture any thing.

No kinde of men are more obnoxious to these kinde of things, than those which leade their life in Monasteries, and Colledges: and therefore no man ought to maruell or thinke it a straunge thing, if we say that in times past many false visions haue bene practised, and may also at this day likewise happen. For yͤ world, as all men iustly complaine, waxeth worse and worse. Men are now more impudent, more bold, more couetous, and more wicked, than euer they were in times past.

Moreouer, the Cleargie of _Rome_ haue in many places this prerogatiue aboue others, that most men (especially such as are led by superstition) make much of them, worshipping them with great reuerence, no man so much as suspecteth them to apply their mindes to euill matters, to subtiltie, craft, and deceit: all men looke for other things at their hands. If therefore they addict themselues to euill deuises, they may easily deceiue men, except God miraculously reueale their wickednesse, and bring it to light, as we declared in a fewe examples rehearsed before.

[Sidenote: Popes haue fained visions.]

[Sidenote: Bruno.]

[Sidenote: Gregorius 7.]

[Sidenote: Bartholomeus Platina.]

[Sidenote: Bonifacius.]

And perchance for this cause also, Priests and Monkes could not bee so well blamed, for their so often deceiuing plaine meaning folkes with craft and subtiltie, in so much as some of their moste holy Fathers, I meane Popes of _Rome_, haue bin very cunning in magicall sciences, as their owne Historiographers affirme, and by meanes of those artes, haue aspired to the high top of Popedome. =Beno= (or rather =Bruno=, for so I iudge his name is) who was also a Cardinall, set foorth the life of Pope =Gregorie= the seuenth, in writing, in the which hée sheweth the sayd Bishop to haue bene a proude, arrogant, malicious and couetous Monke, and that hée was throughly séene in the blacke art of Negromancie. =Bartholomeus Platina= (who being a sworne seruant with the Pope, excusing their faults as much as he can) writeth of =Siluester= the second, yͭ he gaue himselfe to the diuel, and that by his meanes, his counsell & magical deuises, he atteined yͤ great office of papacie. Doo ye think, that it is a hard thing for him yͭ is confederat with the enemy of mankind, to faine spirits & soules, or to cōiure a diuel, to make men beléeue he were a soule, do you thinke such men abhorre to doo such mischiefe? The =Historiographers= report that =Bonifacius= the 8. deceiued his predecessor =Celestinus=, by a voyce sent through a cane réed, as though it had come from heauen, perswading him to giue ouer his office of Popeship, and to institute therein, one =Bonifacius= a worthier man than he, except he would be thrust out of the kingdome of heauen. The poore simple Pope obeying this voyce, ordeined =Bonifacius= Pope in his steade, in the yeare of our Lord 1294. who first brought in the yeare of Iubile. Of this =Boniface=, the common people would say, _He came in like a Fox, he raigned like a wolfe, and died like a Dog_. If the very vicar of Christ, who hath all knowledge as it were fast lockt in the Coffer of his brest, could be deceiued, lette no man maruel any more if simple credulous husbandmen and citezens haue ben deceiued, and that it hath bin said to them: God spake this: This soule did aske helpe: and such like things, which are most false and vaine. Yf this man coulde counterfeit the voyce of God, coulde he not also faine the voice of dead men?

[Sidenote: Sometimes Laye men beguile the Priests.]

Before I procéede any further, this is also to be obserued, that plesaunt conceited fellowes, may oftentimes deceiue the priests, themselues. For when the priests did brag, that they coulde coniure Spirits and deliuer mens soules, it may be that other being wrapped in shéets, hauing vnderneth them liue coales in an earthen pot, appeared vnto priests, who by and by were persuaded they sawe saules which required their helpe to be deliuered. =Erasmus= in his =Colloquio= or talke which he intituled =Exorcismus, vel spectrum=, or a coniuration or vision, writeth howe one =Polus= maruellously deceiued a priest called =Faustus=. But there is no doubt but that priests being many times deceiued in iest by the lay men for pastimes sake, haue on the other side more often times beguiled them in earnest.

[Sidenote: Men walking by night.]

I haue spoken hitherto of men being awake, and now I will adde a fewe words of such as sléepe. There be many which haue such a kinde of disease, that they walke in their sléepe: which thing we reade to haue bin true in one =Theon= a =Stoicke=, and in =Pericles= seruant, who in their sléepe climed vp to the top of the house. I haue hearde of some which in their sléepe haue done that which béeing awake, they could not do by any meanes. If a man sée such a one walking in the night, either apparrelled or naked, and after here him say he was at the same time in his bed, he will straight thinke, it was his soule that he sawe, the like will he do if he heare such a one at his owne house.

CHAP. XI.

That many naturall things are taken to be ghoasts.

[Sidenote: Fayries of the earth.]

There happen daily many things by the ordinary course of nature, which diuers men, especially they that are timorous and fearefull, suppose to be visions or spirits. As for example, when they heare the crying of ratts, catts, weasels, martins, or any other beaste, or when they heare a horse beate his féete on the plankes in the stable at midnight, by and by they sweat for feare, supposing some bugges to walke in the dead of the night. Somtimes a bittour, or hearne (which birds are sildome séene with vs in _Germany_) or some other straunge birds, make a noise in the aire: many fooles straightwayes dreame, they haue heard I wotte not what. If a worme which fretteth wood, or that bréedeth in trées, chaunce to gnawe a wall of waynescot, or other timber, many will iudge they heare one softly knocking vppon an anduill with a sledge: and sometimes they imagine they heare many hammers at one time. Simple foolish men hearing these things, imagine, I know not how, that there be certaine elues or fairies of the earth, and tell many straunge and maruellous tales of them, which they haue heard of their grandmothers and mothers, how they haue appeared vnto those of the house, haue done seruice, haue rocked the cradle, and (which is a signe of good lucke) do continually tarry in the house. If such dwarfes or elues haue bene séene at any time, surely they were euill spirits. For we reade that the Gentiles in time past, had their familiar or houshold gods, whome they worshipped with great deuotion, because (as they thought) they tooke care of their house, and defended their family: and vnto these men, euil spirits did sometimes appeare, thereby to confirme them the more in their blinde superstition.

[Sidenote: Olaus Magnus.]

=Olaus Magnus= Archbishop of _Vpsalia_, writeth in his history =de Gentibus Septentrionalibus=, that euen at this day also, there are spirits séene in these countries, which hauing the shape of men, do men seruice in the night, dressing their horse, and looking to their cattell. The winde in the night, ouerthroweth some thing, or shaketh a casement or lid of the window: many by and by thinke they sée a spirite, and can very hardly be brought from that vaine opinion.

[Sidenote: Echo.]

This thing is also according to nature, that when a man either crieth or speaketh in the woods, valies, or other hollow places, =Echo= wil resound the later word or sillable, so plainly many times, that a man would verily thinke some liuing bodie made him answere againe. Many would be afraide hereof at all times, but especially in the night season, except he knew very well it were a naturall thing.

[Sidenote: Cardanus.]

=Cardanus= in his booke =de Subtilitate lib.18.= rehearseth a maruellous historie of one =Comensis=, who very late in the night, comming to a riuersside, not knowing where he might passe ouer, called out aloude for some bodie to shewe him the foorde, and when the =Echo= made him answere, hee supposing it to be a man, asked him if he might passe ouer here: to whom the =Echo= answered again in yͤ Italian tong, Here, here. But in yͭ place was a whirlpoole, and a great roring of the water: Therfore yͤ man douting, asketh once or twice againe, whether the riuer might be past ouer in the same place: to which the =Echo= answered stil that it might. In the end, when he had escaped yͤ passage without danger, he told his friends, how by the persuasiō of the diuel, he had almost throwne himself hedlong into the riuer, and drowned himself. In the same place, he saith, that the great Hall at =Ticinium= in _Italy_, doth render sundry and manifold voyces, if one speake in it, and that the voyces as it were die and make an end much lyke a mans voyce, when he lyeth a dying, in so much that a man can scant be perswaded it is the noyse of =Echo=.

[Sidenote: Things shyning by night.]

[Sidenote: Hector Boethius.]

There are certain things which shine only in the night, as some precious stones doo, the eyes of certaine beastes, a Glowoorme, or Globard, as also some kinde of rotten wood, wherewith many times children so terrifie their play-fellowes, that they imagine with themselues, to sée euil spirites, or men all burning with fire. =Hector Boethius= writeth, that a certain King of Scots caused some of his men to be disguised in garments with bright shining scales, hauing in their hands rotten wood instéed of staues, and so to appeare to his nobilitie and Lords in the night, exhorting them to fight couragiously with their enemies, and promising them to obtaine victorie. Whereby the noble men supposing they had séene angels, behaued themselues valiantly, and atchieued the victorie.

[Sidenote: Burning lights.]

Many times candles & small fires appeare in the night, and séeme to runne vp and downe. And as the yong men in _Heluetia_, who with their firebrands which they light, at the bonfires in Shroftide, sometime gather themselues togither, and then scatter abroad, and againe, méeting togither, march in a long rancke: euen so doo those fires sometime séeme to come togither, and by and by to be seuered & runne abroad, and at the last to vanish cleane away. Sometime these fires goe alone in the night season, and put such as sée them, as they trauell by night, in great feare. But these things, and many such lyke haue their naturall causes: and yet I will not deny, but that many times Diuels delude men in this maner.

[Sidenote: Exhalatons.]

Natural Philosophers write, that thicke exhilations aryse out of the earth, and are kindled. Mynes full of sulphur and brimstone, if the aire enter vnto it, as it lyeth in the holes and veines of the earth, will kindle on fier, and striue to get out. Sometimes fire bursteth out of the earth, as high as a tall trée, and is suddeinly put out againe. Which thing is to be thought to procéede of fierie matter, séeking a vent to gush out. Wee reade of the mount _Aetna_ in _Cicilie_, that in times past it burnt continually, day and night, casting forth flames of fire, fiery stones and ashes in great aboundance. The lyke is read also at _Vesuuius_ a hill in _Campaine_, about a Germaine mile from _Naples_: The same hill in the time of =Titus= the Emperour, as S. =Hierom= reporteth, cast foorth of it so much fire, that it burnt the country, and cities, and people rounde about it, and filled the fieldes adioyning full of cinders and ashes. These two hilles, euen in our dayes boyling with great heate, haue very much indamaged the people inhabiting thereabout. In _Iseland_, as =Olaus Magnus= witnesseth, are found fiers which breake out of the earth. And as whole hilles and mountaines may burne, euen so may a litle fire be kindled in the earth, and yet wander very large. They which trauelling by the way, or by some other meanes chaunce to sée these things, and know not the naturall causes of them, imagin by reason of feare, that they haue séene men burning like fire, or some other straunge thing, which they haue heard other men talke of. And by means of their great feare, oftentimes they fall into great daungerous diseases.

[Sidenote: Glasses.]

The arte perspectiue doth also worke this wonderfull feate, that diuers and sundrie shapes will appeare in glasses, made and sette togither aftter a certeine artificial sorte: sometimes they will séeme to goe out of the doores, and resemble men of our familiar acquaintance. Many things in very déed are naturall, although we cannot finde any naturall reason for them.

And yet by the way, they shewe themselues too foolishe, which labour to bring all things to natural causes. Here I will say nothing of these men, which can beare plaine and rude people in hande, that they, or some other of their acquaintance, haue séene strange things, which they earnestly auouch to be true, when as indéede there was no suche thing. How often I pray you, do we heare things affirmed as true, which afterward proue most false: as that one was caried away bodie and soule, that an other was put to death, and an infinit nomber of such like reports.

CHAP. XII.

A proofe out of the Gentiles histories, that Spirites and
Ghoasts do oftentimes appeare.

Albeit many melancholicke, madde, fearefull, and weake sensed men, doo oftentimes imagine many things which in very déed are not, and are likewise deceiued, sometime by men, or by brute beasts: and moreouer mistake things which procéede of naturall causes, to be bugges and spirites, as I haue hitherto declared by many examples, yet it is most certaine and sure, that all those things which appeare vnto men are not alwayes naturall things, nor alwayes vaine terrors to affray men: but that spirites doo often appeare, and many straunge and maruellous things doo sundry times chance. For many such things of this sort, are to be red in diuers graue and auncient Historiographers: and many men of no small credite, haue affirmed, that they haue séene spirites both in the day and in the night also. And here I will orderly declare a fewe histories out of diuers allowed authors, touching spirites which haue appeared and shewed themselues.

[Sidenote: Triton appeared to Iulius Cæsar.]

=Suetonius Tranquillus= writeth, that when =Iulius Cæsar= marching out of _Fraunce_ into _Italie_ with his army, and comming to the riuer _Rubico_, which diuideth _Italie_ from the hether _Fraunce_, staying there a while, and reuoluing with himselfe howe great an enterprise hee had taken in hand, as he was wauering in mind whether he shuld passe the water or not, suddeinly there appeared a man of excelling stature and shape sitting hard by, pyping on a réede. (=Melancthon= in his Phisickes calleth him =Triton=) vnto whom when not only shepheards, but also very many souldiers from the campe, and amongst them diuers trumpetters had flocked to heare him, he sodeinly snatched a trumpet from one of them, and leaped to the riuer, and with a lustie breath blowing vp the alarum, went to the farther side. Then sayd =Cæsar=, good lucke mates, let vs goe whither the gods warnings leade vs, and whither our enemies iniquitie calleth vs: The dice are throwne. And so he transported ouer.

[Sidenote: Theseus seene in the battaile of Maratho.]

=Plutarke= writeth in =Theseus= life, that many which were in the battaile of =Marathonia=, against the =Medians=, did affirme, that they sawe the soule of =Theseus= armed, (who long time before died of a fall) before the vauntgard of the =Grecians=, running and setting on the barbarous =Medians=. For which cause the =Athenians= afterward were moued to honor him as a demigod.

=Pausanias= writeth in =Atticis=, That in the field of =Maratho=. 400. yeares after the battaile there foughten, there was heard the neying of Horses, and the encountring of souldiers, as it were fighting euery night: And that they which of purpose came to heare these things, could heare nothing, but those that by chaunce came that way, heard it very sensibly.

The same =Plutarke= writeth in the life of =Cimon=, that when the citizens of =Cherouesus=, had by faire words called home their captaine =Damon=, (who before for diuers murthers departed the citie) afterwards they cruelly slew him in a Hotehouse, as he was bathing himselfe, and from that time foorth, there were many strange sightes séene in the same place, & many times also most gréeuous gronings were there heard, insomuch that they were euer after constreined to stop vp the hotehouse doores.

Also in yͤ life of =Dion=, he reporteth that the saide =Dion= being a stoute & a couragious man without any feare, sawe notwithstanding a great and maruellous horrible sight. For when he chaunced to sit alone in the entry of his house in the euening (those are =Plutarks= owne words, as =Xiliander= interpreteth them) musing & discoursing many things with himselfe, being sodeinly moued with a great noyse, he arose and looked backe to the other side of the gallerie, and there he espied a monstrous great woman, who in apparell and countenaunce nothing differing from a Tragi, call furie, swept the house with a broome. With the which sight being amazed & terribly afraide, he called his friends and acquaintance vnto him, and declaring vnto them what he had séene, desired thē to remaine with him al that night: for béeing as it were stricken dead with feare, he doubted least it would appeare vnto him againe, if he were alone, which indéede neuer hapned after. But a fewe daies after, his sonne threwe himselfe headlong from the top of the house, and died, and he himselfe being stabbed through the bodie, ended his miserable life.

The same author writeth in the life of =Decius Brutus=, how when =Brutus= was determined to transporte his army out of =Asia= into =Europe=, being in his tent about midnight, the candle burning dimly, and all the host quiet and silent, as he was musing and reuoluing with himselfe, he séemed that he hearde one entring the Tente into him, and looking backe vnto the doore, he sawe a terrible and monstrous shape of a bodie, which farre excéeded the common stature of men, standing faste by him without any words, wherewith he was sore afraid: and yet he ventured to aske it this question. What art thou (saieth hée) either a God, or a man? and why commest thou vnto me? Whereto the image answered: I am (quoth he) O =Brutus=, thy euill ghoast, at =Philippos= thou shalt sée mée. Then saith =Brutus=, being nothing amazed: I will sée thée. When the sight was vanished, he called his seruants, who tolde him, that they neither sawe any such thing, neither heard any voyce at all. All that night =Brutus= could not sléep one winke. In the morning very early, he goeth vnto =Cassius= and sheweth him his straunge vision. =Cassius= who despised all such things (for he was an Epicure) ascribed the whole matter to naturall causes. For his disputation hereof, is yet extant in =Plutarke=. Afterwards =Brutus= (being vanquished by =Augustus=, and =Anthony=, in the field of =Philippi=) slew himselfe because he would not bee deliuered into the hands of his enemies.

[Sidenote: Caius Cassius sawe Iulius Cæsar.]

=Valerius Maximus=, in his first booke and sixt chap. writeth that =Caius Cassius= sawe =Iulius Cæsar= in the battaile of =Philippi=, (in a shape of greater maiesty, than any man hath) setting spurres to his horse, and running on him with a terrible threatning countenance: which when =Cassius= sawe, he turned his backe to the enemy, and fled, and shortly after murthered himselfe.

[Sidenote: Drusus sawe a woman excelling all mortall creatures in maiestie.]

=Dio Cassius Nicæsus=, in his Roman historie from the beginning of his 55.booke writeth of =Drusus=, who by spoyling _Germany_ far and néere on euery side, came euen to the riuer =Albis=, where when he could not get ouer, erecting monuments of victorie, departed back againe: For he there saw a woman, excéeding the state of mortall creatures, which met him, and sayd vnto him: =Drusus=, which canst finde no end of thy gréedie desire, whither goest thou? It is not lawfull for thée to sée al these things: but rather get thée hence, for the ende both of thy life and worthie déedes is nowe at hand. When =Drusus= heard these things, he sodeinly chaunged his course, and being on his iourney, before he came to the riuer of =Rein=, he sickned and dyed. Other like foretokens the same author reporteth to haue hapned before his death, all the which notwithstanding, he nothing regarded. For two yong men appeared on horsebacke vpon the rampiers, and the shriking of women was also hearde, with many other such like. &c.

[Sidenote: Plinius secundus writing of spirits.]

=Plinius secundus= citizen of =Nouocomensis=, hath an Epistle of Spirits appearings, written vnto his friend =Sura= in the vii. booke of his Epistles, which we haue thought good to set downe whole in this place: Leisure (saith he) graunteth me libertie to learne, and giueth thée leaue to teache. Therfore I am very desirous to knowe whether thou thinke fantasies are any thing, and whether they haue any proper figure of their owne, and be some kinde of diuine power, or else whether they take vppon them some vaine & variable shape, according to the feare which we haue of them? That I should so beléeue, I am especially moued thereto by that which I heare saie happened to =Curtius Rufus=, who was as then, companion to the Proconsul of =Affrica=, bothe poore, and also of small reputation. And as he walked one day in a Gallerie towardes the euening their méeteth with him the shape of a woman, more great & beautifull, than any liuing creature. Wherat he béeing amazed, she telleth him that she is _Affrica_, and is come vnto him to foretell him of good happe to followe: First that he should go to Rome, and there take on him the state of great honoure, and afterwarde, that he should returne into the same prouince with full and high authoritie, and there end his daies. Which things came all to passe. And moreouer, the same figure (as it is saide) mette with him againe on the shore side, as he entred out of the ship, and came towardes _Carthage_ to take his charge and regiment in hande. Afterwards falling sick, when no man dispayred of his healthe, coniecturing things to come by those that had passed, and comparing aduersitie with his former prosperitie, he vtterly cast away all hope of recouerie. Is not this also more terrible, and no lesse maruellous, whiche I will now repeate as I haue heard it tolde?

[Sidenote: The spirit of Athens.]

There was in _Athens_ a goodly and a very large house, but euill reported, and counted as an infortunate and vnluckie house. For about midnight, there was heard the noyse of iron, and if one marked it well, the ratling of chaines, as it were a farre off at the first, and so, néerer and néerer: shortly there appeared an image or shape, as it were an olde man, leane and loathsome to beholde, with a long beard and staring haire: on his legges he had fetters, and in his hands carried chaines which he alwaies ratled togither. By meanes whereof, those that inhabited the house, by reason of their feare, watched many heauie and pittifull nights: after their watching folowed sicknesse, and soone after, as feare increased, ensued death. For in the day time also, albeit the image were departed, yet the remembrance thereof, was euer present before their eyes: so that their feare was longer than they had cause to feare. Vpon this the house stood desert and solitarie, wholly lefte vnto the monster whiche haunted it: yet was it proclaimed to be solde, if happily any man whiche was ignorant of this great mischiefe, would either buy it or hire it. =Athenodorus= chanced to come to _Athens_, and there readeth the writing on the doore: And when he had learned the price, because he suspected the good cheapenesse thereof, enquiring further, vnderstoode the whole matter, and notwithstanding any thing that he heard, he hired the house, so much the rather. When it waxed night, he commaundeth his seruauntes to make his bedde in the vtter part of the house: he taketh his writing tables, his writing wier and a candle, and sendeth all his seruaunts into the inner part of the house. He himselfe setleth his minde, his eyes and hand to write, least his mind being vnoccupied, should imagine it heard straunge figures, and should bréed vaine feare. In the beginning of the night, there was silence as is in all other places, but not long after the iron began to ring, and the chaines to moue: but yet he would not looke vp, nor let cease his writing, but hardned his hart, and stopped his eares. Then the noyse increaseth & draweth neare, and séemeth sometimes to be without the porch, sometimes within. Thē he looketh back, and seeth and acknowledgeth the shape whereof he had heard before: the image stood still and beckned with his finger as though he had called him, the philosopher on the other side signifieth with his hand, that he should stay a while, and falleth againe to his writing. The image shaketh his chaines ouer his head, as he sate writing. He looketh about againe, and seeth him beckning, as he did before. And so rising vp without delay, taketh the candle in his hand and foloweth: the image goeth before with a softly pace, as though he were heauily laden with chaines: After he had turned aside into the court of the house, sodeinly vanishing away, leaueth his walking mate alone. He being forsaken, laieth hearbes and leaues gathered togither vpon the place. The next day he goeth to the rulers of the citie, and willeth them to commaund the place to bée digged vp, whiche done, they finde bones wrapped and tyed in chaynes: which the bodie béeing putrified and consumed with long lying in the earth, had left lying in bondes: those bones being gathered togither, were buried solemnely: The house, after they were orderly laide in the ground, was euer after cleare of all such ghostes.

In these things I must beléeue other mens reports, but that which followeth, I can boldly affirme on mine owne knowledge.

I haue one with mée, sometime my bondseruaunt, but nowe enfraunchized and set at libertie, a man not vtterly vnlearned: with him my yonger brother lay togither in one bed. He in his owne imagination seemed that he saw a certain personage sitting vpon the bedde where he laie, putting kniues vnto his head, and therewith polling off his haires. When it was day light, the haires were found on the ground, he being in very déed notted about the crowne of his head. Shortly after the like happened vnto him, which made all men beléeue the first was true. The boy amongst a great many of his fellowes chaunced to sléepe in the schoole, and being in sléepe, there came certaine in at the windowes (as he sayd) cloathed in white garments, and shore of his haire as he laie, and so departed againe as they came. This polling, and also his haires scattered abroad, were founde when it was day. No notable matter ensued hereof, except it were, perchaunce, that I was not accused of treason, as I should haue bene, if =Domitianus=, who died about this time, had liued longer. For there was a libell found in his coffers, giuen vnto him against me, written by maister =Carus=. By which it may well be coniectured, that in so much as those which are accused, doo vse to let their haire growe very long, the cutting of my friends haire, was a sure signe of escaping the great daunger, which then hung ouer my head. Wherefore I hartily require you to straine your learning. The matter is worthie, wherein ye may vse long and déepe consideration: and I surely am vnworthie to whom ye shuld open your knowledge. You may therfore (if it please you) dispute the matter on both sides, as ye are accustomed, but yet I pray you handle it more throughly on the one side, least ye sende me away wauering and hanging in doubt, whereas the cause of my séeking counsel, is to the ende I might be quite out of doubt. Fare ye well.

[Sidenote: Manlius.]

What answere master =Sura=, (who as it appeareth, was well learned) made vnto maister =Pliny= I do not finde. But to say the truth, what sound answere could he, being a Gentile make herein? The like history is to be red in the collections of =Iohn Manlius= common places, who (as =Philip Melancthon= reporteth) dooth write, that =Theodorus Gaza= had a lordship or manour place in _Campania_, giuen him by =Nicholas= Pope of _Rome_. In the manour, when by chaunce, one of his farmers had digged vp a coffin with dead mens bones in it, there sodeinly appeared a spirit vnto him, commaunding him to bury the coffin againe, or else his sonne should shortly after die. Which when the farmer refused to doo, shortly after his sonne was found slaine in the night. A fewe dayes after, the Spirit appeared againe vnto the husbandman, menacing and threatning him, that in case he did not bury the aforesaid bones, he would kill his other sonne also. The man taking warning by his losse, and séeing his other sonne fallen sicke, goeth vnto maister =Theodorus= and sheweth him all the matter. He vnderstanding it, goeth with him to the manour, and there in the same place where the farmer had before digged vp the coffin, casting a new graue, they bury the coffin with the bones. As soone as the bones were laide in the graue, the husbandmans sonne immediatly recouered his health.

=Dion= writeth, that the Emperour =Traianus= was ledde out of the house, where he had taken vp his Inne, in the time of an earthquake, into a more safer place.

=Iulius Capitolinus=, which setteth out a fewe lines of the Romane Emperours, reporteth, that =Pertinax= for the space of thrée days before he was slaine by a thrust, sawe a certaine shadow in one of his fishponds, which with a sworde readie drawne threatened to slaie him, and thereby much disquieted him.

=Flauius Vopiscus= writeth, that whereas =Tacitus= fathers graue opened it selfe, the sides therof falling downe of their owne accord, and that his mothers soule appeared both to him and =Florianus= day and night, as if she had bene liuing, it was a most sure and infallible signe, that he should die shortly after.

=Ammianus Marcellinus=, writing of the signes or prognostications of =Constantius= death, saith that he was troubled and terrified in the night season with shapes and figures.

The same Author affirmeth in his 25. booke, that a little before =Iulianus= died, as he sate writing in the tents, following the example of =Iulius Cæsar=, he sawe the image of the publicke =Genius=, or god of the place (which was wont to be painted with =Amaltheas= horne in his hand) departing from him, more deformed and ill fauoured, than when it began to mount vp to the narrow top of the tent.

[Sidenote: Lucan.]

=Lucanus= as well an excellent Historiographer, as also a most learned Poet, reckneth vp many forewarnings, in his first booke of the battaile of =Pharsalia=, which chaunced before the great conflict betwéen =Iulius Cæsar=, and great =Pompeius=: and amongst other things, he writeth thus.

_The trumpets blew, and looke euen as the battaile ioynd apace, So did the night with silent shades increase her darkish face. And then the ghosts of_ =Sylla= _fierce, were plainly seene in field, Thereby declaring euil signes, of blood that should be spild. And by the floud of Anien, the husband did spie Great_ =Marius=, _out of broken graue his head aduauncing hie_.

CHAP. XIII.

A proofe out of the histories of the auncient Church, and
of the writings of holie Fathers, that there are walking
Spirits.

[Sidenote: Sozomenus.]

If we read ouer the Ecclesiasticall histories, we shall finde many of these examples. =Sozomenus= writeth in his Ecclesiasticall historie, the sixt booke and 28. chapter, of one =Apelles=, a black Smyth by occupation (whose name was at that time very famous throughout _Egipt_, for the gift of working miracles, wherwith he was indewed) who as he was one night hard at his work, had appearing vnto him, a vision of a Diuel in the likenesse and attire of a very beautifull womā, mouing & intising him to the vice of lechery. But he sodenly catching yͤ iron which he wrought on, glowing hot out of the fire, thrust it in yͤ diuels face, and scorched his visage, wherat he fretting & crying out, in al hast fled away.

Likewise in his 7. booke and 23. chap. writing of the sedition raised at _Antioche_, for the immoderat action and tribute which =Theodosius= layd on the citie in the time of warres, whereby the people being offended, ouerthrew the images of the Emperour and his wife, dragging them in roapes about the citie, and reporting all kinde of villany and dispite against them, thus he saith. But in the night before, assoone as the rebellion began, immediatly at the breake of the day, it is certainly reported there was a straunge sight séene, of a woman hauing a huge stature and most horrible looke, running vp and downe the citie through the stréetes aloft in the aire, whisking & beating the aire with a whip, rendring a fearefull sound. That as men are wont to prouoke wilde beasts to anger, which serue for publike spectacles: euen so it séemed, some euil angell by the craft of the diuell stirred vp that commotion amongst the people.

[Sidenote: Theodorus.]

[Sidenote: Nicephorus.]

=Theodorus Lector=, in his first booke of Collectanies, out of the Ecclesiasticall historie writeth, that as =Gennadius= Patriarch of _Constantinople_, came downe to the high aultar to make praiers and orizons, there appeared vnto him a certaine vision or spirit in a most horrible shape and figure, which so soone as he had sharply rebuked, straightwaies he heard a voice crying out aloud, yͭ so lōg as he liued he would giue place & cease, but when he was once dead, he would surely ransack and spoyle the Church. Which when yͤ good father heard, he ernestly praied for yͤ preseruation of the church, & soone after departed this life. There are many things to be read in =Gregori^9 Nicephor^9=, who setteth foorth Ecclesiastical matters at large, & =Abdias= in the liues of the Apostles, concerning visions, dreames, miracles of saints, and also appearings of spirites. For wise men iudge, they were more diligent & ready in describing such things, than in other matters, which might haue bin to greater purpose and much more profitable for the readers to vnderstand.

He that readeth ouer the Histories, which in times past haue bene written, (and that especially by Monkes) shall méete with an innumerable company of these sorts: Yet by the way I must néedes say this, that verie many things haue bin written by them, which the Readers may iustly suspect, and stand in great doubt of.

=Ludouicus Viues=, =Beatus Rhenanus=, and many other learned men of our time, in describing other things, doo finde great fault with the Chronicles written by Monkes, for that they were gathered togither by vnlearned dolts without any iudgement. But let euery man estéeme of them as he list. For albeit there are diuers things in them very foolish and ridiculous, yet it may be well thought that many things were so in very déed, as they haue committed them to writing.

[Sidenote: Ambrose.]

A man shall méete with many places concerning visions and appearings of spirits, euen in the old fathers also. S. =Ambrose= in his 90. Sermon, writeth of a noble Virgin named =Agnes=, who was crowned with martirdome for the professiō of christian religion. And as her parents watched one night by her graue, they saw about midnight, a goodly company of Virgins cloathed in golden vayles, amongst whome also was their daughter, arraied like vnto the rest: who willing the other Virgins to staie awhile, turning her selfe towards her parents, willed them in any case, not to bewaile her as if she were dead, but rather to reioyce with her, for that she had obteined of God eternal life. Which assoon as she had spoken, she immediatly vanisht vanisht out of sight.

[Sidenote: Augustine.]

[Sidenote: Felix appeared at Nola.]

[Sidenote: Gregorie.]

S. =Augustin= declareth in his booke, =De cura pro mortuis agenda=, that when the Citie of _Nola_ was besieged by the Barbariens, the citizens saw =Felix= the martyr plainly appearing vnto them. Touching S. =Gregorie=, who in his Dialogues writeth many such things, we will entreate hereafter when his turne commeth.

Ye shall read of many such like, in the liues of the auncient Fathers, which al are not to be reiected as vain and fabulous, for some part of them written by graue and learned men, whereof letting the rest passe for breuitie sake, I will rehearse one short historie.

[Sidenote: Basiliscus appeared to Chrysostome.]

It is to be séene in the life of =Ioannes Chrysostom=, that =Basiliscus= Bishop of _Comane_ (who suffered as a Martir with =Lucianus= the priest at _Antioch_, vnder =Maximianus= the Emperour) appeared vnto Saint =Chrysostome=, when hee was in exile, and sayd vnto him: Brother =Iohn=, be of good comfort, for to morrow we shall be togither. But first he appeared to the priest of that Church, and sayd vnto him: prepare a place for our deare brother =Iohn=, who will shortly come hither. Which things the euent proued afterwards to be true.

CHAP. XIIII.

That in the Bookes set foorth by Monkes, are many
ridiculous and vaine apparitions.

We made mention a litle before, of Chronicles written by Monkes. Now as touching their legendes of Saintes (as they terme their storehouses of examples, and liues of auncient Fathers, in the which are many apparitions of diuels & spirits,) verily there is no cause at all why we should ascribe much vnto them, for the most part of such stuffe as is set forth in them, haue no shewe nor likelihood of truth: perchaunce their minde was to bring men to great feare and Religion by those their counterfeited and imagined histories. But concerning these, this place now serueth not to intreate.

The like may be sayd, of many superstitious Popish writers, who following these mens steppes, haue written many vpon other mens credit and reports, which least any man thinke I write, being moued with enuie or hatred of the persons, I will shewe you one onely historie or fable amongst so many, that you may thereby haue as it were a taste of that which I sayd euen now.

[Sidenote: S. Seuerine Bishop of Colin.]

=Petrus Damanus=, who first was a Monke after the order of S. =Benedict=, and afterward Bishop of _Hostia_, a man of great estimation among Papists, as well for the opinion they had of his learning, as for the shewe of his vpright liuing, telleth a storie of a certaine Monke of _Colein_, who on a time passing ouer a Riuer on horsebacke, espied Saint =Seuerinus= sometime Bishop of _Colein_ on the Riuer, who not long before was departed this life, and being buried at that time, was much renowmed for doing sundrie miracles. The Bishop catcheth holde on the Monkes bridle, and would not let him passe any further: wherewith the Monke was sore afraide, and diligently enquired of him, why he being so notable a man, was there withholden in that place. The Bishop then required him to lende him his hand, that hée might vnderstand by féeling how it was with him, which when he had done, and that the Bishoppe had dipped the Monkes hande downe into the water, sodeinly in one moment all the flesh of his hand, by reason of the extreame heate, was scalded off, so that the bones only remained al bare. Vnto whom then the Monke, sith (quote hée) thou art so famous a man in the Church, how commeth it to passe that thou art so gréeuously tormented? The Bishop aunswered: only sayd hée for this cause, for that I haue not sayd ouer my Canonicall houres in due time distinctly as I should haue done: for I was in the Emperours Court busied and occupied with matters of his priuie Counsell, in the morning hudling vp all my prayers at once, all the rest of the day I was troubled with other businesse: and for that cause do I now suffer this punishment of miserable heat. But let vs both togither call vnto Almightie God, that it may please him to restore thy hand againe, which came presently to passe assoone as they had thus saide. And then spake he to the Monke saying: Go my sonne and desire the brethren of our Church, as also al other of the Clergie there, to poure out their praiers for mée, to giue almes to the poore and néedie, and to perseuere incessantly in offring vp continuall sacrifice for me, for so soone as these things shal be fulfilled, I shal be deliuered out of these my torments, and shal be ioyfully translated to the fellowship of those blessed Citizens of heauen, which do earnestly desire my company. Out of this historie, this argument or reason they make: If that good and godly Bishop, who being ouercharged with affaires of the Emperour leading to publike wealth, could not dispatch his taske of prayers in due time, and therefore is so miserably vexed and tormented, what punishment may they looke for, which hauing no necessarie businesse, say ouer the Canonicall houres very coldly, or else leaue them cleane vnsayd, that they may the better followe their owne lustes and vaine deuises? And héere note by the way, they make no mention at all of omitting those things which God hath expresly commanded vs. But in case the Popish Bishoppes doo verily beléeue this story to be true, let them thinke with themselues, howe they can be able to excuse themselues before the iudgement seate of Almightie God, for that they are content to be created Bishops of those Churches, whereof notwithstanding they haue no care or regarde, but either wholly intangle themselues with worldly matters, or if they do deale in matters of the Church, their whole study is directed to this end, to stop the sincere preaching of Gods word, and to tread those vnderfoote whose mindes are occupied day and night, to the aduancing and setting forth of Gods glory. Of this stampe and sort, are most of those thinges wherewith the Monkes inferred and stuffed their bookes.

CHAP. XV.

A proofe by other sufficient writers, that Spirites doo
sometime appeare.

[Sidenote: Alexander ab Alexandro.]

As touching other notable writers, they also make mention of spirites which do oftentimes appear. =Alexander ab Alexandro=, an excellent Lawier, born at _Naples_, in his secōd booke _Gemalium dierum_, and ninth chapter, writeth that a certain familiar friend of his, of good credite, did celebrate yͤ funeral of one of his acquaintance, and as he returned towards _Rome_, he entred into an Inne fast by the way, because it was night, and there laide himselfe downe to rest. As he laie there alone broad awake, sodeinly the image of his friend lately deceased, came before him maruellous pale and leane, euen as he was when he sawe him last on his death bedde, whome when he beheld, being almost besides himselfe with feare, he demaunded of him who he was? But the ghost making no answer, but slipping off his cloathes laide him downe in the same bedde, and drew neare, as if he would haue embraced him. The other gaue him place, and kéeping him off from him, by chance touched his foote, which séemed so extréemly cold, as no Ice in the world might be compared vnto it. Whereat the other looking very lowringly vpon him, tooke vp his clothes againe, and rose out of the bed, and was neuer afterwards séene. He reporteth other histories in the same place, which hapned in his time. He liued aboue foure score yeares ago, or neare that time.

[Sidenote: Baptista.]

=Baptista Fulgosus=, Duke of _Genua_, in his booke of worthy sayings and doings of Emperors, Princes, Dukes, &c. (which he wrote being in exile to auoyd idlenesse: Touching straunge and monstrous things) writeth that in the Court of =Mattheus=, surnamed the great Shiriffe of the Citie, in the euening after Sunne sette, there was seene a man farre excéeding common stature, sitting on a horse in complete armour: who when he had bin there séene of many, by the space of an houre, in the end vanished away, to the greate terrour of those that beheld him. About thrée daies after in like maner, two men on horsebacke of the same stature, were séene in the same place, about thrée houres within night, fighting togither a long season, and in the ende vanished away as the other didde before. Not long after, Henry the seuenth Emperor, departed this life, to the vtter vndoing of all the Shiriffes.