any into her mouthe she fell into most strange fits howling and making horrible cryes falling to the ground and beating her selfe most pittifully The which fittes continued halfe an houre and then she came to her selfe BRASAVOL in his Comment 34. vpon the 2. Booke of Hippocrates how to liue in sharpe diseases Wee haue knowne many that could not by any meanes eate any flesh Others that had rather haue tasted of poyson then to haue put any Cheese in their mouth I remember a Spaniard that had neuer eaten in all his life before any Fish what-so-euer Being one daye inuited to Supper by a friend of his they presented a Dishe of Egges in the which there was a little Fishe cunningly minced But hee felt it presentlye and had such a paine at his heart as hee presentlie fell to cast and to haue a Fluxe so vehementlie as all thought hee would haue dyed AMATVS a Portugall in his first Centurie Cure 36. I haue seene a Man in my time that could not abide neyther to eate see nor smell Ecles and if hee by chance came into any place where as any were hidden aliue hee could not possibly abide to bee there but was presently in exceeding great paine and greefe Maister WEINRICH in his Commentarie of Monsters Chapter 8. Maister AMBROSE PARE makes mention of a Noble-man in France which dâ—…d sound as hee was sitting at the Table seeing an Ecle brought in A Learned man a very friend of mine did assare mee that hee had seene in the Cittie of Andwerp a certaine man which did fall into extreame fittes if at any place where hee was inuited eyther to Dinner or Supper they had brought in a Pigge stufte if hee discouered it a farre off hee presently changed countenance and his heart beganne to faint IAMES HOSTVIS in his annotations vpon LEVINVS LEMNIVS A great Ladie beeing at dinner with an Earle hauing eaten a peece of a Cowes-vdder a meate which is verie delicate to many her lippes beganne presently to swell and to growe wonderfully great Shee confessed that she loued that meate but presently after shee had tasted it her lippes did swell in that manner whereof shee knewe no reason The same Author I haue obserued the Earle of Arnstad who did so much abhorre sallet oyle as they were forced to carry all meate out of the Chamber that was in any sort drest with it else he fell sodenly into very dangerous fits The same Author Many of our time haue not eaten any bread beeing loth-some vnto them I knowe a famâ—…lie wherof the Sonnes can eate no cheese and the Daughters will eate it with a good appetite Their Father did not eate any but hated it and their Mother did eate it P. FOREST in the annotations vpon 5. obseruation of the 4. bookes where hee treates of feauers A Peasant of a certaine village neere vnto Alâ—…mar in Holland neuer receiued any meate not drinke what-soeuer but onelie Cowes milke and yet was as lustie and helthfull as any man in those parts The same Author CONRAD HVOER a Country man in Suisserland of the village of Tornac in Turgou a good plaier of the fife as most in his time from his infancy vnto the age of three-score yeares that he died neuer tooke any other norrishment but porrige made with flower milke and Water And if to trie him they did mingle the least crumme of bread with it vnknowne to him or any other thing whatsoeuer hee did presently vomit vp all againe neither could hee swallowe any rawe milke As for other meates hee could not endure the smell of them yet hee could not possibly tast of them And for wine hee did some-times tast of it yet seldome and very little ZVINGER in the 6. booke of the 2. volume of his Theater There haue beene many that could not endure the smell of Roses Beeing at Rome I did see the Cardinall CARAFFA a famous man in his time who euery yeare in the time of Roses was forced to retier himselfe and to liue priuatly in a Pallace of his out of the way whereas he caused the gates to be shut and gards to keepe them to giue warning that his friends seruants and others that came to visit him and to receiue his commandements should not vnaduisedly carrie any Roses in their hands Among the Romaine Gentlemen there was one called PETER MELIN both learned and wise who was much impayred of his helth by the smell of Roses PIERIVS VALERIANVS liber 8. of Hierogliphiques treating of the Snayle I haue knowne a lacobine monke of a Noble house in the Citty of Venise who smelling a Rose or seeing one a farre of felt presently a fainting at his heart and would fall downe in a sowne where he remained as one dead And therefore the Physitions aduised him not to go out of his house in time of Roses for the preseruation of his helth AMATVS a Portugall Centurie 2. cure 36. Don HENRY de CARDONA Cardinall fell into a feuer when as any one presented Roses vnto him PHILIP INGRASSE a Pysition vpon the question of the diâ—…t And in our time there was a Princesse which could not by any meanes endure the smell of a Rose but did sound alwaie if any were brought into her Chamber MARTIN CROMER liber 8. of the History of Poland doth witnesse that a Bishop of Bresâ—…awe named LAVRENCE was smothered with the smell of Roses Doctor IOHN ECHT a Physition at the least smell of any sweete parfume felt a great alteration at the heart and as soone as euer he did smell a read Rose he did neeze wonderfully CRONENBOVRG lib. 10. of the method of Physick A certaine man hauing felt an alteration at his heart seeing the iuice drawne out of a sticke of Cassia beeing sicke he intreated his Phisition not to mingle the iuice in any Physick for him The Physition hauing forgotten this aduertisement prescribed him a potion in the which there was some of this Cassia The sicke man hauing taken it began to cry out I am a dead man the Cassia hath killed me ALEXANDER BENEDICT in the preface of his booke of pestilent feuers There is a whole famelie in the Towne where I dwel of the which neither Man nor Woman great nor small can endure any Diaphinicon in their Physick but all doe cast it vp againe as I haue seene by experience oftentimes MARCELLIVS DONATVS in his booke of Mechoacan BERNARD BONY of the Noble famelie of Ragouses a young gentleman of twenty yeares of age and of a collericke constitution comming vnto me to haue mee see his vrine and to be helpt by my a duice if I found any Indisposition in his bodie I found him to haue a paine in the reines of his backe a beginning of the french-poxe I therefore beganne to write and to prescribe him some Sirops to send for to the Apothecarie But hee willed me that I should make no hast for that hee did abhorre all sweete things as I did finde afterwardes as
Then hauing eased herselfe by Lotions Fomentations Bathes and other fit helpes shee recouered her perfect health R. SOLENANDRE in the 5. booke of his Councells Chap. 15. art 40. Children miraculously preserued THe yeare 1546. in the Towne of Misnia in Saxony a seruant of THOMAS le FEVREs hauing a little Childe in her armes and looking out at a windowe three stories high by mischance let it fal into the streete whence it was taken vp not beeing hurt nor bruzed in any part of the bodie GEORGE la FEVRE in his Annales of Misnia lib. 3. pag. 200. In the moneth of Iune 1552. a girle of PETER PELICES a Cooke in the same Towne and the same streete fell out of the garret windowe of a house and had no harme The same Author pag. 207. The Sonne of SIMON CRAMES a Councellor of the same Towne and dwelling in the same streete fel from an high window downe on the pauement which was of hard stone and yet not hurt in any part of his body it happened in the yeare 1559. In the same Booke pag. 214. Of these three deliuerances GEORGE le FEVRE makes mention in these verses Hoc vidit vâ—…bs quae nobili Prouincia nomen dedit Vna in platea tres tribus Vicibus cadentes Angelo Custode vitam ducere In the moneth of September the yeare 1566. a Maide of SIMON RICHTERS a Citizen of Misna dwelling by Wolfgang Ber let a little Boy which shee held in her armes fall from a very high window Hee lighted first on the end of a Waggon and then on the pauement but was not any way hurt In the same Booke pag 227. 228. The yeare 1568. in the moneth of Iune ERASMVS the sonne of WOLFGANG BEME being but foure yeares old fell out of a window of his fathers house into the street had no harme In the same pa. 229 In a Village hard by Cygne a certaine Countri-woman willed a little boy shee had to go and fetch home their Oxen that were feeding by a woods side Whilst the child was away there fell so much Snowe that vpon a suddaine all the wayes were couered the night came on so fast that the boy was enclosed in the mountaines and could not get out The father mother taking more care for their child then Oxen rose betimes in the morning to go seeke him but the snow was so great that they knew not where to looke him The next day they traced the forrest to finde the body which they were verily perswaded was voide of life but at last they found him sitting on a banke which the Snowe had neither couered nor touched They asked him why he came not home all that while The child answered hauing felt no colde nor harme at all that he staied till it was euening Then they asked him whether hee had eaten any thing or no. A man that I knew not said he came hether gaue me Bread Cheese wherat exceeding ioyfull they carried him home I. MANLIVS in the first booke of his Collections The yeare 1565. about the end of September a maide in the towne of Misna that was an Ideot lead a little girle of three yeares old out of the Towne vnperceiued of any and hauing carryed her to a riuer called Trebisa which was risen some-what high with raine that was falne stripped the girle tooke her vpon her shoulder and waded ouer the riuer then returned and made the child ready againe but being weary of her carriage she left the poore infant in the winde the raine which was then very sharpe and bleake The girle remained all the whole night and halfe the next day on the bare ground where she was found as GOD would by a Countrie wench who tooke her vp in her armes carried her to a farme there by From whence she was conueyed to her Father and Mother that were in great perplexitie for the losse of their child GEORGE FEVRE in the 3. booke of his Annales of Misna The yeare 1558. there fell such an horrible raine and tempest in Thuringe that in an instant it ouer-threw diuers houses and the torrent was so furious that it carried away a great number of persons of all ages Amongst the rest a vyolent inundation of waters ouerwhelmed a poore labourers house of Burcktonne where his wife lay newly deliuered of a Sonne and swallowing vp the wretched Mother carryed away the young infant that a little before had beene laide in a Trough made like a kneeding-tub which was stayed by the bough of an Apple-tree where the childe remained and was found safe and sound after the rage of the waters was alayed euery one acknowledging the truth of this notable sentence that GODS assistance doth appeare when mans doth faile PH. LONICER in the Theater of Examples pag. 196. H. HVSANVS a Lawyer describes in excellent Latin verse such a like miracle which happened about that time in a certaine place of the same Countrie on the behalfe of a little Childe lying in a Cradle which was carryed away very farre by the furie of the waters and then layde gently in a safe shore where it was found aliue ANDREVV MERCKTER recites in a certaine funerall Oration by him written touching afflictions that being a little boy he had beene miraculously preserued from waters from manifest danger of drowning three seuerall times first at Sechouse next at Wittenberg and lastly at Perleberg where this which ensueth hapned vnto him As hee was standing on the bridge of that place which was very high certaine Roysters thronging along in great number and hast pushed him ouer the bridge into the middest of the streame It was in Winter and the Ice couered him so that carried from the top of the water vnder the Ice hee was driuen to a Mill that stood in the riuer where the water not being frosen by reason of the continuall motion which the wheeles of the Mill made he was taken vp and saued PH. LONICER in the same Theater in the examples of the third commandent pag. 198. In a Village called Zum Heniâ—…hen hard by Friberg in Misna a little Boy sonne to a certaine Weauer playing about the house fide fell into a great channell of water that serued to driue a Mill and was suddainly carried by the streame which ran very stiffe vnder his fathers house standing ouer the channell and then vnder a bridge so farre that it was enough to haue drowned him a dosen times without the protection of Heauen which would haue the childe carried to the Mill where he tooke hold with his little hands on the barre which serued to shutte the water-gate and cryed out as lowd as he could An old woman heard him who ran thither and called the Miller so that the Boy was taken vp safe out of the furious waters The same In the yeare 1565. the 10. day of March about seuen of the clock in the morning the Treasurer of Rofenbourg a towne situate on the
by his successors and imprinted at Nuremberg in the yeare 1594. For in the 18. Chapter of the first Booke he saith that these apparitions are made in a Mosquee of the Turkes hard by Cairo There is a fault in the coppy and it should say Hillock or little Mountaine not on the banke of Nilus as BAVMGARTEN writes but halfe a mile of as we haue declared Satanicall Apparitions WHen I studied the lawe in the Vniuersitie of Wittenberge I heard my Tutors often tell that on a time one being attyred after a strange manner came and knocked at the dore of a great Diuine which then read in the same Vniuersitie and dyed in the yeare 1546. the seruant opened the doore and asked him what he would haue Speake with thy Maister quoth hee The Diuine willed him to come in and then this stranger propounded certaine questions touching the controuersies which were at that instant about matters of Religion wherevnto the Diuine hauing giuen a ready solution the stranger put forth harder thou dost somewhat trouble me said the Diuine for I had other things in hand and there-with rising out off his chaire shewed him in a booke the exposition of a certaine place where-about they contended In this strife he perceiued that the stranger in steede of fingers had clawes and tallents like a bird of prey Wherevpon hee began to say vnto him Is it thou then Hearken to the sentence pronounced against thee shewing him that place of the third of Genesis The Seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head He added moreouer Thou shalt not swallow vs all vp The euill spirit mightely confounded enraged vanished away with an exceeding great noyse leauing such a stinke behind him in the Stoue that it stunke of it a long time after IOHN GEORGE GODELMAN Doctor of Lawe at Rostoch in the treatise De Magis Veneficis Lamijs c. booke 1. chap. 3. In the towne of Friburg in Misnia the Diuel presented himselfe in a humane forme to a certain sick-man shewing him a booke exhorting him to recon vp all his sins he could remember because he would note them down in that booke At the first the sick-man was some-what amazed but recouering his spirits he answered Thou saist well I will set thee downe all my sins in order but first write these words on the top in great Letters The Seede of the Woman shall breake the Serpents head The Diuell hearing this condemnation of his fled away leauing ths house full of an extreame stinke The same Author In the yeare 1534. Maist. LAVRENCE TONER Minister of a certaine Towne in Saxony imploying some time about Easter to conferre with some of his parishioners according to the custome touching scrupels of cōscience the Diuell appeared vnto him in the shape of a Man and intreated him to giue him leaue to confer with him whervpon he began to poure out horrible blasphemies against the Sauiour of the World TONER resists and confutes him so coragiously by authorities out of the holy Scripture as this wicked Spirit confounded leauing an intollerable stinke in the place vanished away IOB FINCEL in his first booke of miracles Diuers Apparitions in the Ayre IN the yeare a thousand fiue hundred there was seene in Alsatia neare to Sauerne a Bulls head and betwixt the hornes shined a very great star In the same yeare on the 21 of May there was seene ouer the Towne of Lucerne in Suisserland a fierie Dragon horrible to behold as big as a Calfe and twelue foote long the which did fly towards the bridge of the riuer of Russe which passeth there In the yeare 1503. in the Duchy of Bauiere ouer a little towne called Visoc was seene a Dragon crowned casting f◅rth flames of fire at his mouth Ouer the Citty of M◅lan in the day time the Heauens beeing cleare were seene many stars shining very brightly In the beginning of Ianuary in the yeare 1514. about eight of the clocke in the morning in the Duchy of Witemberg were seene 3. Suns in the firmament that in the middest was much bigger then the rest All three caried the forme of a long sword of a shining colour markt with bloud the points whereof d◅d stretch out far This happened the 12 day of the month The next day ouer the towne of Rotuil there was seene a Sunne shewing a terrible face enuironed with circles of diuers coulours Two dayes before and the 17. of March following were seene three Sunnes and three Moones also the 11. of Ianuary and the 17. of March IAMES STOSEL a Phisition of Memming made an ample discourse prognosticating vppon these apparitions which were followed by great troubles namely in Swaube In the yeare 1517. on Christmas day about the Abbey of Vinaire in Saxony at midnight the Heauens beeing cleere and bright there was seene a Crosse of a reddish coulour In September in the yeare 1520. at Vienna in Austria there were seene many prodigious signes in the heauen The first day from three of the clock afternoone vntill fiue the Sunne was seene enuironed with two great circles Three dayes after about noone there was seene a burning Forke The fift day in the morning there appeared three Sunnes with many Rayn-bowes of diuers fashions The sixt daye about nine of the clocke at night the Moone appeared full trauersed with a Crosse compassed in with a Circle and aboue it a halfe Circle On the seauenth at the breake of day were seene three Sunnes againe and from sixe of the clock vntill seauen a Rain-bowe with three Moones PAMPHILVS GENGENBACH caused these prodigious Meteors to bee cu◅te and published a discourse the which hee sent to the Emperour CHARLES the fift The same yeare the inhabitants of Wissenbourge a Towne seated vpon the Riuer of Rhine heard at noone day such a strange and horrible rushing of armes in the ayre and such a noyse of men fighting and crying as in a set battell that it strooke snch a terror and amazement in them as all runne to Armes thinking the Towne had beene beseeged and that the enemies were at theyr Gates When as the Emperor CHARLES the 5. was crowned in the Citty of Aix la Chapelle the Sunne was seene enuironed with a great Circle and a Raine bowe in the Heauens In the Town of Erfor'd there were three Suns seene Moreouer a burning Cheuron the which was terrible by reason of the greatnesse and length This Cheuron declining to the earth made a great spoile then mounting into the ayre it was conuerted into a cercular forme IOB FINCET in his Collection of the maruells of our Time notes that in the yeare 1523. a Peasant of Hungary going a iourney with his Wagon was be-nighted and forced to lie in the fields attending the breake of day Hauing slept a while he awaked and goes out off his Wagon to walke looking vp into the ayre he did see the resemblance of two Princes fighting with their swords drawn one against an other One was of a
killed her selfe with a Knife A day after a Butcher was slaine in a quarrell and two villages were quite burnt The 15. day of the same moneth the Keeper of S. Katherins forrest was found dead being shotte through with an Harguebuse The 17. a Gold-smiths man falling into dispaire drowned himselfe The night following many were wounded to the death in the streete I had forgot to note that the same eleuenth day of Ianuary when the Heauens did open about Ausbourg there happened such a change in the aire about Mickhuse in Bauicre and so great a light appeared in the night as it did obscure the light of Candles in their shops and houses so as for three houres space those which would worke had no need of any other light then that of Heauen Some moneths after the Heauens began to open in another part of Swau◅e out of the which there proceeded such aboundance of fire as many were striken dombe with feare there were some villages and small Townes burnt and quite ruined They did also see in the ayre certaine resemblances of Camels the which deuoured armed men In diuers dayes and moneths of the same yeare 1556. were obserued other apparitions as in February in the County of Bats there were seene in the ayre armies of foote and horse the which did incounter together furiously In September ouer a little Towne in the Marquisate of Branaebourg called Custerin about nine of the clocke at night they did see infinite flames of fire comming out of the ayre and in the middest two great burning Cheurons In the ende there was a voice heard crying Miserie Miserie vnto the Church Wee haue sayd before that in the yeare 1536. there had beene seene in the ayre in Spaine a Combate of two young men VVLFGANG STRANCH of Nuremberg writes that in the yeare 1556. ouer a Towne in Hungarie the which he calles Babatcha there was seene the 6. of October a little before Sunne rising the resemblance of two naked boyes fighting in the ayre with Cymiters in their hands and Targets vpon their armes Hee which carryed a spred Eagle vpon his shield did charge the other which carryed a Cressant so furiously as it seemed the body being wounded in many places did fall from the Heauen to the Earth At the same time and in the same place was seene a Raine-bow with his accustomed colours and at the end thereof two Sunnes Not farre from Ausbourg there was seene in the ayre a Combate betwixt a Beare and a Lion in December the same yeare And at Wittenberg in Saxony the 6. of the same moneth three Sunnes and a crooked clowd marked with blew and red stretcht forth like vnto a bowe the Sunne shewing pale and sad betwixt the Paralies or seeming Sunnes foure moneths before three Sunnes had beene seene betwixt Euschoin and Basill Touching the significations of all these apparitions I will not meddle with them Since that yeare many are obserued in diuerse climates of the world especially in Europe other wonders in the ayre euen vnto this present age whereof wee may make mention in other Bookes At this time we doe onely represent that which CONRADVS LICOSTHENE hath collected IOB FINCET MARC FRYTSCH and many others in his great volume De Prodigijs et Ostentis As for Comets showers of bloud prodigious hayle and other wonders of Heauen we will speake of them in their proper places Of some that haue lost all appetite of drinking and eating WE haue seene in some diseases the patients haue lost all appetite of eating and drinking in such sort as they tooke in a manner no sustenance Of this number was a Nunne in the couent of Saint Barbe at Delft who being falne sick of the Iaundise in the yeare 1562 continued in her bed six weekes together without eating or drinking All this time shee receiued no nourishment but some Kernells of Lymons the which she held in her mouth and did some-times suck The Father of this Couent led me thether not to minister Phisicke vnto her but to see her as a miracle by reason of her long abstinence but the next day after I had visited her she dyed That which I will adde is more worthy of admiration In the same Towne of Delft being accompanied by a Surgian I did visit a certaine sicke maide of seauen twenty yeares old a halfe it was in May 1556. after the age of sixteene yeares she had neuer come out of her bed hauing eaten euery day since that time but a little morcell of dried Cheese as her keeper had protested neither was it possible to make her swallow any liquor and yet she pist sufficiently she went not to the stoole but once in eight dayes More-ouer she was borne blind she fell to be full of the dropsie at the age of twenty yeares but this water vanished away and then shee had a sound in her belly like the noise of liue Frogges in great abondance accompanied with a strange rising and falling of her bellie so as do I what I could laying my hand vpon her belly it was heaued vp This motion did increase at the full Moone with great paines as also at the flowing of the Sea but at the wane of the Moone and the ebbing of the Sea shee found some ease This motion continued with her seauen yeares and euery tenth weeke shee had her Termes as her keeper did confesse vnto me Strange Appetites THere is no man almost liuing which knoweth not some particular Histories of the extraordinary appetites of certaine women with child for the which the learned Phisitions giue a reason We will report some Examples to incite the reader entring into the cōsideration of them and others that he shall call to minde to honor GOD in so many wonders without naming in particular the diuers sorts of these Appetites which are as variable as the countenances conditions of women that be with child I haue seene one who longing to bite a yong man by the nape of the necke and for that she had forborne a little to satisfie her furious desire she begā to feele gripings and exteame paine in her belly She therfore like a desperate woman leapes vpon this yong man gets hold of the nape of his necke and bites him so sore as he thought to haue died of it L. Viues in his Comment vpon the 7. Chap. de Cituit dei Chap. 25. My Mother bearing mee in her wombe an Appetit tooke her to eate Creueses She sent sodenly to seeke some and being impatient to haue them washt and made cleane she began to eate them rawe and aliue vntil that she had satisfied her desire Trincauelle lib. 7. Chap. 5. Of the meanes to cure diseases in mans body A Woman of Nisues beeing with Child and seeing a young man a Fuller of cloth bare legged shee came so neere him as with her teeth she laies hold of one of his Legges and carries away a peece of it He was content shee should vse
the Mother had also giuen him the like councell to escape but GOD by his power did so staie him as hee had no power to flie Beeing carried to prison and examined at the first hee couered his parricyde accusing his Father that hee had slaine himselfe But his excuses beeing found friuolous hee was condemned to haue his right hand cut off then to bee pinched with hot pincers and in the ende hanged by the feete vpon a gibet and strangled with a stone of sixe score pound which should bee hanged at his necke A wicked counterfet beeing prisoner with him aduised him to appeale vnto Paris But hauing freely confessed the Parricide hee reuoked his appeale and was executed The History of our times Of the Heart of man Diuers Histories thereof in our time HAuing perced an Impostume grown of a long time vpon the seauenth turning ioynt where through the venom of his corruption it had made a great ouerture and gnawne the innermost membrane of the heart those which were present beheld one part of the heart which I did shewe them A. BENIVENIVS in his booke de abditis causis Chap. 42. Two Bretheren gentlemen falling out at tables the one of them gaue the other a wound with his knife iust on the seege of the heart the hurt gentleman bleeding exceedingly was carried and layed on a bed whereas all signes of death appeered Beeing sent for I applied that to the heart which I thought â—…it to strengthen it The patient hauing beene as it were at deathes doore vntil midnight beganne to come to himselfe and hauing vsed all the meanes possible I could deuise for his preseruation at length I sawe him cured whereby I knewe the heart had not beene perished as at the first I doubted but the filme or Capsula thereof called PERICALDION by the Greekes was lightly tainted The same Author Chap. 65. We haue seene ANTHONY ALâ—…IAT hurt and hauing his Pericordian vntoucht True it is that hee did sigh very much and lowd The internall parts beeing hurt bring death foure waies either through necessity of their function and office as the Lunges or by reason of the excellency of their nature as the Hart or through much losse of bloud as the Liuer the great arteries and veines or through the malignity of Symptomes and accidents as the neruie parts the ventricle and bladder Although some parts be incurable yet are they not mortall of absolute necessity otherwise death would ensue vpon the incurable hurts of boanes gristles and lygaments The Pericordion then is not mortall of it selfe but because it is impossible to attaine it without offending many other noble parts CARDAN in his Commentarie on the Aphorismes of Hipocrates booke 6. apb 18. Anatomizing a Scholler of mine dead in the Vniuersitie of Rome I found that this yong man had no Pericardion by meanes whereof in his life-time hee swounded very often and seemed as one dead through which defect at length hee died COLVMBVS booke 15. of his Anatomy A certaine Theefe being taken downe from the gallowes where he had bene hanged and not quite strangled was carefully looked vnto and recouered But like an vngratious wretch as he was returning to his old trade againe hee was apprehended and throughly hanged Wherevpon we would needes Anatomize him and wee found that his heart was all heary Which is likewise reported among the Grecians of Aristomenes of Hermogenes the Rhetorician of Leonydas of Lysander and others namely of a dog that ALEXANDER the great had This haire denotes not onely promptitude of Courage and peruerse obstinacy but many times valour contemning all danger BENIVENIVS in Chap. 83. de Abditis causis Vpon a certaine time making the Anatomy of a man at Ferrara wee found his heart cleane couered ouer with haire and indeede he had beene all his life time a desperate ruffian and a notable theefe AMATVS the Portingale in Centur. 6 Cur. 65. Being at Venice and present at the execution of a very notorious theefe the hangman that quartered his bodie found his heart meruailous hairye M. A. Muret booke 12. of his dyuers readings Chap. 10. I haue seeâ—…e the sepâ—…um that distinguisheth the ventrycles of the heart to be a gristle in some mens Bodies in others the left ventricle wanting or so little as it could hardly bee discerned Columb booke 15. of his Anatomy I found in two mens bodies that I opened a boane in the rootes of the great artery and of the arteryall vaine CORN GEMMA in the 2. booke of his Cyclognomia pag 75. In another I found a little boane betweene the gristly circles of the heart the chiefe artery and arteriall veine like to the boane which is commonly found in the heart of a stagge CORN GEMMA in the 1. booke Chap. 6. of his Cosmocritif Doctor MELANCHTHON in his first booke of the Soule testifies of CASIMIR Marquise of Brandebourg a Prince greatly afflicted in his life time with sundry griefes and consumed with long watchings that beeing opened after his decease the humor enclosed in the fylme of the heart was â—…ound quite dried vp and the heart so scorched that it was like a peare burnt in the fire TH. IORDAN in the 1. booke of signes of the plague Chap. 16. Not long since a Romaine gentleman died after hee had languished along time Being opened no heart appeared neither was there any part of it but the fylme left the vnmeasurable heate of his long sicknesse hauing wholy consumed it BERN. IELASIVS in the 28. Chap. of the 5. booke of the nature of things A young Prince being sickly and very much troubled with a payne at the heart assembled a great many Physitions togither for to consult of his dissease Among others there was a young practitioner who declared how he had read in certaine notes that the vse of garlick euerie morning expells a kinde of worme that feedes vpon the heart But both the remedy and the young man that propounded it were despised Not long after this Prince died and his body was opened by the commandement of his Father for to see the cause of his sicknesse death The dissection made they found a white worme hauing a sharpe bill of horne like a pâ—…llets gnawing the heart The Physitions tooke it aliue and layd it on a table in a circle made of the iuyce of garlick The worme began to writh and wriggle euery way still eschuing the iuyce that compassed it about Finally surmounted by the strength and sauor of the garlick it died within the circle to the astonishment of those that had despised so easie a remedie I. HEBANSTEIF in his treatise of the plague It is not long agoe that in the great Duke of Tuscans Court a certaine Florentine beeing assistant at the merry conceites of a pleasant iester was suddainly seized with vnexpected death whereat the company and his friends being much abashed for their better satisfaction after he was knowne to bee starke dead they had him opened and there was
Prisoners were constrained to feede on them which done all that remayned with LVCATIVS were put to most horrible and Languishing deathes An example of greater crueltie can hardly be-founde since the world was a world And no meruaile if GOD hath punished the King and the Realme of Hungary for such strange and extraordinarie Cruelties suffring the cruelest people of the North namely the Turkes to make that spoile which they haue and continually yet doe there Cruell chastisments are prepared for them that bee cruell and inhumaine The following Bookes shall represent a great number of other Histories of strange accidents and cruelties IOACH CVREVS in his Annales of Silesia pag. 233. During the Peasants warre in Germanie in the yeare 1525. both before and since a Gentleman their enemy not content to haue massacred a great number euen of those which had humbly craued pardon of him confessing that they had beene ill aduised hee gloryed in all companies of his braue exploites adding therevnto a commendation of his thefts hauing cut many good purses and slaine great store of Cattell Some moneths after this furie he fell sicke and languished many dayes of an extreame paine in the Reines of his backe the which thrust him into such despaire as hee did not cease to curse and denie his Creator who is patient iust and fearefull in reuenge vntill that both speech and life failed him The seueritie of GODS Iustice doth yet pursue his house for soone after his eldest Sonne seeking to exalt the prowesse and valour of his Father who in the Peasants warre had done wonders aboue mentioned and excelled all his companions and vanting much of these valiant exploites in an open assembly at a Banquet a Country-man mooued at this brauerie drawes out his Dagger and strikes him dead vpon the place Some fewe dayes after the plague falles into this cruell mans house and kills all that remained In the yeare 1577. in the beginning of September the fire of the second troubles being kindled in France the President of Birague afterwards Chancellor and Cardinall being at that time Gouernor of Lion there were then in Lion two Bretheren called BOVRGATS Gold-smiths by their professions but very much disordered As the liberty of those times did giue meanes to many to glutte their passions vpon them whome they did mallice the BOVRGATS laide hands vpon a companion of theirs a Dyer vpon pretext that hee was of a contrarye religion but it was to reuenge them-selues for a quarrell which they had formerly against him and not ended to their liking They take him and lead him to their dwelling house towardes the Abbey of Esnay beeing out of the way farre from resort of people They binde him fast hand and foote and then tye him by the neck vnto the Chimney so as hee did hang vpright not being able to sitte nor leane any way They leaue him in this sort a whole day threatning him with present death At night they bring in men of their owne sorte and liuing to Supper to bee spectators of this Tragedie they are merry and make good cheere and after Supper they spend the time some in playing at Cardes others in pinching pricking and burning the nose of this poore prisoner being bond hand and foote and tyed in the corner of the Chimney This continued vntill eleuen of the clocke at night when their companions went away and retyred As for the BOVRGATS with-out proceeding any further they cast themselues clothed with their Swordes by their sides vpon a Bedde where they both fell presently a sleepe Their Laquay who was in the corner of the Chimney doth as the Maisters The prisoner perceiuing them all a sleepe and remembring how they had threatned him begins to thinke how hee might escape and hauing recommended himselfe to GOD from whome onely hee attended helpe hee did stâ—…iue in such sort as hee vntyed one hand and then the other afterwardes his necke and lastly his feete Being thus loose hee was mightily perplexed what hee should doe For if these people did awake hee was but a dead man hauing no meanes to defend himselfe they being armed and hee disaâ—…med and hee alone against three for the Laqueye was growne great If he had had a Table cloath a Sheete or a Couering hee might haue slipt downe by the windowe but in opening it the noyse might awake them so as they might followe him and ouer take him the wayes beeing strongly and very straightly garded In this greeuous perplexitie hee discouers that the Laquay who slept in the other corner of the Chimney had a Dagger at his Girdle Hee therefore resolues to kill those two brothers his enemies with this Dagger But there was some difficultie and hazard in the taking of it for that the Laquaye awaking would giue the Alarum yet by the light of the fire hee comes softely vnto him and drawes out his Dagger so quickly and in such sorte as the Laquay stirred not Hauing it hee sodenly went vp into the Chamber and leaped vpon the BOVRGATS and stabbes eyther of them in the brest with this Dagger As hee would haue doubled his stroake one of them leapes vp and layes hold of an Halbard which stood hard by he runs after the Dyer who flyes downe the staires apace to saue himselfe at the foote whereof this BOVRGAT fell and presently dyed The Dyer mounts againe and findes the other dead in the Chamber Hee begins to threaten the Laquaye to kill him presently if he made any noise hee tooke a Candle lead the Laquey into the Seller and forceth him to eate and to drinke a Glasse of Wine then hee bindes him surely dooing him no other harme barres the Sellar doore comes vp and takes that which was easiest to bee transported out of his enemies Chamber And at the breake of daye the Gardes beeing raysed hee leaues the house lockt and so gettes out at Saint SEBASTIANS gate without any hinderance or staye the which was to bee admired seeing they suffered none to goe out but with a Pasporte The friends and companions of BOVRGATS seeing them neyther in the morning nor after Dinner grewe into some doubt and after notice giuen to the Captaine of the Quarter vnder whome these BOVRGATS had charge and command with his consent they brake open the doore and then drewe forth the Laquay who cryed for helpe in the Sellar and found the rest as wee haue sayde The Dyer liued some time after and reported this Historie to many and dyed else-where Memoires of Lion Notable deliuerances and by extraordinarie meanes SYMON GRINEVS a learned personage among many of our time being gone from Heidelberg to Spire in the yeare 1529. where there was an Imperiall Dyet held was desirous to heare a certaine Preacher much esteemen for his eloquence But hearing many propositions come from him against the Maiestie and trueth of the Sonne of GOD. At the end of the Sermon he followed the Preacher saluted him courteously and intreated him to heare him with patience
hee had counted his monie hee sayed merilie that hee had beene with a verie good Hostes seeing that in seauen daies hee had not spent anie thing Memoires de Lion There be many that escaping out of dangers are compelled by the consideration of strange euents to confesse that GOD hath deliuered them without the aide of any second cause Of many examples I will choose and recite one which is worthy of note The Dukes of Saxony FREDERICK the Elector and IOHN his brother went one day by bote along the riuer of Elba from Torque to Wittenberg The water was all couered ◅uer with great pieces of Ice newly broken Those pieces so ran against the boate and bruised it in such sort that assoone as the Princes were landed it split in two and sanke The Princes with great astonishment considering such a spectacle from the shoare and in what danger they had bin by reason of the greatnesse depth and fury of the riuer acknowledged that GOD had preserued the bote vntill such time as they were landed And hauing bin a long time in this consideration without speaking a word the Elector say to his Brother Let vs confesse that GOD hath preserued vs and therfore let vs giue him thanks for his assistance in this many other dangers But whereas you sawe the boate fall in peeces assoone as we were out of it verily I am affraied that our house of Saxony will go to ruine after the death of vs two PEVCER in his Commentary of the principall sortes of Diuinations book 1. Chap. 13. The yeare 1558. a meruailous thing happened at Mech◅rode in Almaigne confirmed by the testemony of diuers credible persons About 9. of the clocke at night a personage attyred in white and followed by a white dogge came and knocked at an honest poore womans dore and called her by her name She thinking it had bin her husband who had beene a long time in a farre Country ran presently to the dore This personage taking her by the hand asked her in whom she put all the hope of her saluation In Iesus CHRIST answered she Then he commanded her to followe him which she refusing to do he exhorted her to be of good courage to feare nothing that done he led her all night through a forrest The next day about noone hee set her vpon an exceeding high mountaine and shewed her things which she was neuer able to expresse Hee enioyned her to returne home and to exhort euery one to turne from their wicked waies adding that an horrible destruction was at hand and hee commanded her also to rest her selfe eight daies in her house at the end whereof he would come to her againe The day following in the morning the womā was found at the townes end and carried home to her house where she continued eight whole daies without eating or drinking When her neighbors and friends perswaded her to take some sustenance her answere was that being extreame weary nothing was so agreable to her as rest how within eight daies the man that had carried her forth would come againe and then she would eate As indeede it came to passe but afterward this woman stirred but little out of her bed sighing from the bottome of her heart and crying out very often O how great are the ioyes of that life and how miserable is this life Beeing demmanded whether shee thought the personage attired in white which appeared so vnto her to bee a good Angell or rather some euill spirit that had transformed himselfe into an Angell of light She answered It is not an euill spirit it is an holy Angell who hath commanded mee to pray incessantlie to GOD and to exhort both great and small vnto amendment of life If any one questioned with her concerning her beliefe I confesse sayd shee that I am a poore sinner but I beleeue that Iesus CHRIST hath obtayned me remission for all my sinnes through the benefit of his death and passion The Minister of the place testified the singular piety and humble deuotion of this woman adding that she was wel instructed and could yeeld very good reason for her religion IOB FINCEL in his 8. booke of Myracles c. In the yeare 1546. a great personage of Germanie hauing beene stayed three daies at Hale in Swabe by the furie and roughnesse of the Waters finally vrged by necessitie to passe ouer hee embarked himselfe in a small bote for to crosse the Riuer accompanyed with three of his Sonnes and a learned Diuyne his friend And seeing his bote readie to bee ouerwhelmed and himselfe and the rest drowned without any apparance of rescue full of faith and hope in GOD he sayd to his friend What triumph would Satan make thinke you and how glad would he be if we two and my three sonnes should bee drowned in this floud But hauing escaped the danger they came safe to land and that personage hauing taken order for certaine great affaires dyed within a while after very peaceably in the inuocation of the name of GOD. Maister ANDDEVV HONSDORFF in his Theater of Examples pag. 296. The yeare 1535. in a village of Silesia named Olst hapened the strangest and most furious tempest in the ayre that euer was seene for it made euen the strongest houses that were built of hewed stone to shake and ouerthrewe diuers One of the inhabitants of the Village named LAVVRENCE THOPHAROSKE hauing his house ioyning to the market place and being verily perswaded that the end of the world was come by reason the Element was all of a flame and that great flakes of of fire flew about shutte himselfe vp in his house and falling on his knees with his wife and children began to pray very earnestly vnto GOD and to sing Hymnes and Psalmes of repentance During these holy exercises a great clap of Tempest with a wonderfull violence tore away the vpper part of the house that was all of hewed Stone together with the roofe and flung it all to the ground without hurting either the Father the Mother or the Children But in another place this tempest did great harme for hauing ouer-throwne a Pinnacle of the Towne-house made all of great foure squared stone cimented and fastned together with Clampornes and barres of Yron fiue persons were slaine with the fall of the houses wherevpon this ruine lighted Whereas contrariwise three others and a Child lying in a little bed were preserued in another house vnder the same ruine and it being demanded of the Child that began to prattle who had holpen him in that danger hee lifted vp his little hand and pointed to Heauen M. AMBROSA MOI◅AN in his exposition of the 19. Psalm No-lesse horrible and dreadfull was another tempest that ranne ouer all the Country of Misnia vpon the 13. day of August 1559. Which thundring very strangely in the aire and ouerthrowing all that it encountred a certaine woman got her selfe with all speede into her Stoue with foure Sonnes shee had and
her maide And then turning her selfe vnto them shee sayd wee haue often heard tell of the last day but wee neuer regarded it till now we see it come which sayd they all fell downe on their knees calling vnto GOD for mercie Therevpon a furious gust of winde tore away the roofe of the house and tearing downe the walles brake the posts seelings and bords of the Stoue all to fitters But in the middest of this feareful tempest the Mother Children Maide remained safe and vnhurt although the timber stones flew as thick as hayle about their eares Satan seeming to bee in the middest of this storme and confounded by the feruent praier of the little flock darted a great beame of twelue foote long as though it had beene an arrowe flying in the aire with the ayde of a violent whirle-winde iust through the windowe of the Stoue at this poore company kneeling against a bench But the holie Angells turned it another way so that it lighted with terrible fury in a corner right against the fornace of the Stoue The same tempest ouerthrewe a Country-mans house vpon his wife and some of their neigbors which were in it at that time and yet they were neuer hurt with the ruine FINCEL in his 3. booke of the meruayles of our time IOHN SPAVGEMBERG Minister of Northuse going to an hot house according to the manner of the Germains and remayning there a good while with his Children bathing themselues assoone as euer they were gone out of it the place sanke and fell downe without hurting any body I MANLIVS in the first booke of his Collections Vpon Easter eue 1565. after horrible whirle-winds thunder lightning hayle and signes of fire in the aire a violent inundation of waters disgorged it selfe vpon a great village named Groesse in the dioces of Friberg in Misnia the torrents and streames wherof swelled with such fury in an instant that they ouer whelmed forty houses in that village without the losse of any creature saue one Childe There were many preserued as it were by miracle two Children with their mother were sound vntouched of the water vnder the ruines of a house in a heape of strawe also two others in a Cellar a nurse with her Childe leaning against a Ladder a blinde man in his entry and diuers others both great and small in high places which with-stood the fury of the water PH LONICER in his Theater of examples in the example of the 3. Commandement pag. 198. I knewe an honorable woman of singular pietie and modestie that some twenty yeares since through an extraordinary and long suppression of her tearmes was a great while and at times very sorely troubled in minde so that she was often determined to haue killed her husband sleeping and her selfe after One day her keeper being gone forth about some businesse shee rose out of her bed and in her smock ranne into a garden behinde her house where by a rope of the well which was seauen or eight fathom she let herselfe downe to the bottom and then by the same rope got vp againe and returned all wet to her Chamber hauing beene vp to the Chin in water Not long after seeming to be some-what better she walked abroad and carryed along with her a Son of hers that is now of very great hope but was then some 4. or 5. yeares old with full entent to drowne him and her selfe in a riuer that was thereby vnto the bridge whereof she made many iournies being still entertained with the Childes comfortable prattle Returning home againe within a while after shee was easily recouered namely by letting of bloud in the Saphena and taking of a gentle purgation After which she had 4. or 5. sweete Children She hath many times told me that in those accidents a man attired in white and of a very pleasing coūtenance appeared vnto her who tooke her by the hand and kindly exhorted her to trust in GOD. Being in the Wel som-what that was very heauy lying on her head and laboring to make her let go the rope for to plunge her ouer head and eares in the water so drowne her this same personage came vnto her tooke her by the arme holpe her to get vp againe which she could neuer haue done of her selfe He also comforted her in the garden and led her very gently to her Chamber where hee vanished away In like manner hee met her as shee was going towardes the bridge and followed her a loofe of vntill such time as she returned home Beeing thorough well shee desired nothing so much as leaue this world and her praiers da◅ely tended to that effect At length GOD heard her and about a moneth before her sicknesse whereof shee dyed going into the kitchen for to wash her handes and her face one of her eye teeth on the right side fell out of her head without any precedent or ensuing paine Wherevpon she went vnto her husband being in bed shewing him the tooth sayd vnto him husband the Lord calls me and it is the accomplishment of my desires O what an happy creature am I Her husband some what mooued there with endeuored notwithstanding to comfort her and falling of purpose into other talke arose went and prayed After that this honorable dame shewed her selfe alwaies merier to her husband and friends then before being graue and seuere to her children and was fairer and lustier then euer she had bin in seauentene yeares that she had liued a wife Towards the end of the moneth there being no apparance of any such matter as she was going to rise betimes in the morning according to her custome for to looke to a young child she had and to tend the affaires of her house shee was constrained to keepe her bed Wherevpon her husband comming in she put him in minde of her tooth and the speeches shee had vsed to him about it and therefore exhorted him to submit himselfe vnto the will of GOD. He being gon vp for to commend his deare moitie vnto him that neuer reiecteth the praiers of his seruants she tooke al her iewells and putting them vp in her purse sent them by her eldest Daughter to him and desired him to keepe them for her sake Hee came downe and gently rebuked her for this apprehension Oh husband sayd shee I haue no neede of any thing in this world for I am going to my GOD. O how blessed am I during her sicknesse which lasted twenty daies I was for the most part present with her beeing tied there vnto for diuers reasons Shee put mee in remembrance againe of that I haue declared before and from so many excellent deliuerances drewe an assured argument of her saluation The day of her decease approching she began to smile and being demanded the cause thereof by mee shee answered softly in mine eare I see my man O how beautifull he is then crying out shee said Stay for mee stay for me All the while
greatest flames and counselled her to become a Nunne as incontinently shee did Beeing shut vp in the Couent shee grewe as it were furious and shewed euery one strange and horrible sights This inconuenient like a plague infected diuers other Nunnes The first beeing sequestred abandoned herselfe to him that kept her and had two Children by him Thus Satan within and without the Couent wrought his detestable effects In the same booke and Chapter I haue heard that the Diuell for certaine yeares togither tormented the Nunnes of Hessymont at Nieumeghen One day he entred with a whirle winde into their Dortor where he began to play so melodiously on the Lute and Harpe that the Nunnes feete tickled to dance Then he tooke the forme of a dog and leaped into one of their bedds it was suspected of incontinency Other strange things happened there as also in another Couent hard by Colen about the yeare 1560. Where the Diuill walked in the likenesse of a dog and hyding himselfe vnder the Nunnes Cloathes played most filthy and shamefull trickes The like he did at Hensberg in the Duchy of Cleues vnder the figure of Catts In the same booke and Chap. ANTHONY SVCQVET Kinght of the order of the golden fleece a personage of great reputation ouer all Flanders and Counsellor in the priuy Counsell of Brabant beside three legitimate Children had a bastard that tooke a wife at Bruges Who a little after her marriage began to be pittifully tormented of the euill spirit insomuch that where-souer shee was euen in the middest of Ladies and gentlewomen she was suddainly carried away drawne vp and downe the roome many times cast now into one corner now into another albeit those that were with her labored to hold her and keepe her from it But in these agitations she tooke but little harme in her body Euery one thought that this inconuenient was procured vnto her by a wench whom her husband that was a proper gallant yong man had somtimes kept Amidst these accidents she became with Child but ceased not for all that to bee tormented of the spirit The time of her deliuery come there chanced to be but one woman in her company who was presently sent to the mid-wife and other women for to come to her labor In the meane time it seemed vnto her that the wench of whom I spake came into the Chamber and serued her in stead of a mid-wife where with the poore gentle woman was so exceedingly frighted that she fell into a swound Being come to herselfe againe she felt that she was discharged of her b◅rthen yet no Child appeared wherat euery body was greatly amazed The next day when she awaked shee found a Child made vp and layd by her in the bed to the which shee gaue suck at two seuerall times Falling a sleepe againe within a little while after the Child was taken from her side neuer seene more The report went that certaine scrolles and magical Characters were found about the lock of the Chamber dore This history was recounted vnto mee by my brother in Lawe a learned and vertuous gentleman who had receiued it from the gentlewomans husband and brother from diuers others that had visited her in her Child bed I. WIER in his 3. booke Chap. 34. Here we might report the monstrous and innumerable convulsions which happened to the Nunnes of Kentorp in the Country of March not farre from Hammone A little before their fit and during the same they cast forth a stynking breath out of their mouthes which at times continued certaine houres In the middest of their paine some of thē were of good memory both heard and knew those that were about them although by reasō of the convulsion of their toungs partes seruing to respiration they could not speake in their sit Now some were tormented more then others and some lesse But this was common to them all that assoone as one was tormented at the onely noise of that one the rest seperated in diuers Chambers were also tormented One of the ancientest of the Couēt of the first that was afflicted named ANNE LENGON discoursed the whole history vnto me When first of all she felt a paine in her left side that it was thought she was taken with the falling sicknesse she was sent to the Monastery of Monherric wherevnto she consented through a certaine deuotion and after she had drunke there in Saint Cornelius head the report went that she was much better then she had beene which was found cleane otherwise For both she the rest being in worse estate then before sent to a cunning-man who certified them that they were all poysoned by their Cooke named ELSE CAMENSE The Diuill taking hold on this occasion began to torment them more then before and which was worse induced them to bite and beate one another and to throw one another to the ground which they did without any harme and as easilie as if they had beene feathers insomuch that they very well perceiued their will was not in their owne power When they were kept from fighting and doing any other violence then they tormented themselues in most grieuous maner and assoone as they were let alone they fell to biting of one another and yet neuer felt any hurt If ANNE spake in her fit it seemed to be done by meanes of some other that drew her breath in and out Shee vnderstood her selfe speake but the speech ended she remembred not a word of that shee had spoken vnlesse it were repeated vnto her againe for then she remembred that she had pronounced it At any time when she set her selfe to pray incontinently shee was molested by the euill spirit fo that she could not as willingly she would either attentiuely prosecute her purpose or moue her tongue But if shee chanced without thinking on it to mutter a Pater noster or an Aue Maria on her Beads shee was so farre from being hindered that then she felt ease Otherwaies shee was altogether dull and destitute of sence discretion and iudgement so that she could neuer thinke a suisedly on any thing what-so euer If any good deuo◅te man that feared GOD fortuned to conferre with her then it seemed the Diuill would punish her for it But contrary wise if other women talked with her about trifling and ordinary matters therein shee tooke pleasure and was eased by it Nowe all these Nunnes thus tormented felt a paine that got vp ward by little and little from the soles of their feete which seemed to them to bee skalded with hot seething water And though they were all thus strangely afflicted yet lost they not their appetite but still receiued sustenance The Diuell spake very often and much by the mouthes of the yongest which had their spirits troubled vnto whom he presented himselfe in the forme of a black Catte and in the likenesse of Else Kamense or of her Mother or Brother so as euery one thought but
so did the Mother and were buried togither in one graue L. VIVES ERASMVS and others which report this Historie say that it was for-asmuch as the sayd Ladie had mockt a verie poore woman as shee was a begginge some releefe of her for that shee carried two Twinnes Shee did blame her verie much saying it was impossible that a woman should haue two Children beegotten at one time of one Father Here-vpon the poore woman made her earnest praier vnto almightie GOD that for proofe of her innocencie beeing wrong-fully accused that the Countesse might carrie as manie Children at one birth as there were number of seuerall daies in the whole yeare To returne to our Histories of fewer Children at a burthen wee haue seene a woman at Aubenas in Viuares who at her first burthen had two Children at her second three and at the third foure At Orillac in Auvergne the Wife of one called SABATIER had three Sons at a birth The first the last liued 24 houres the middle who therefore was called IOHN of three came to mans estate was marryed at Paris and liued long The Wife of a Capper in Rouan crooked and little had fiue Sonnes at one birthe in the yeare 1550. All this is extracted out of Maister L. IOVBERT lib. 3. chap. 1. of his popular errors Let vs adde herevnto some other Histories In the yeare 1554. at Perme in Suitzerland the wife of IHON GELINGER a Doctor was deliuered of fiue Children at one birthe three males and two females PLINIE talkes of a Greeke who at foure burthens had twenty Children whereof the most part liued DALECHAMPS in his French Chirurgerie writes that a Gentle-man of Sienna called BONAVENTVRE SAVELLI had assured him that a slaue and Concubine of his had seuen Children at one birthe whereof foure were baptized And in our time betwixt Sarte and Maine in the parish of Seaux neere vnto Chambellay there is a Gentlemans house called Maldemette whose wife had the first yeare shee was married two Children the second yeare three the third foure the fourth fiue and the fift yeare sixe children whereof she dyed one of these sixe children is yet liuing Seigneor of that place of Maldemette Maister AMB. PARE lib. 24. chap. 5. They haue seene often in Spaine a woman deliuered of three Children and not long since a woman had foure at a burthen It was generally reported a good while since that a great Lady was brought in bedde at Medina del Campo of seauen Children And they say that a Stationers Wife at Salamanca had nine Seeing wee treate of those Admirable Histories of many Children deliuered at one birthe I will report what AVICENNE doth witnesse in the ninth booke of Creatures of a woman who at one birth brought forth 70. Children well proportioned And ALBERT the Great writes that he hath heard for certaine of a Physition which beeing called in a certaine Towne in Germanie to visit a sicke Lady found that she had beene deliuered at one birth of 150. Children all wrapt togither in a little filme as bigge as a mans little finger all which came forth aliue with their iust proportion A. TORQVEMADO in the first daies worke of his hexameron It is admirable that a woman should haue so many Children so small and yet proportioned and aliue as wee haue seene of the Countesse of Holland and other women aboue mentioned by AVICENNE and ALBERT For the explayning of the whole I will adde that which CONSTANTIVS VAROLIVS a learned Physition at Bolonia the fatte doth write in the 4. booke of his anatomie I haue seene saith hee an abortiue frute of three weekes confusedly proportioned of the bignesse of a barley curnell where I did note the head and the brest but no armes nor thighes Moreouer I haue seene an other of sixe weekes old hauing a distinct forme of the bignes of a Bee where did appeere the eyes the nose the mouth the heart the lights the ribbes the backe the liuer the Midriffe the stomacke the reines the bowells the yard other parts the which I shewed vnto many The armes and thighes beganne to bud forth beeing very small in proportion to the rest of this little Bodie for the thighes were no bigger then a graine of mill and the armes twise as bigge I haue seene many other such aboriue fruits of the bignesse of a beane a snaile or a frog Whereas I haue alwaies found all the parts and did euer obserue that the extremities were lesse in proportion then the rest in such sort notwithstanding as the spirit quickning this masse doth fasshon and shape all the partes thereof togither but hee doth bring in successiuely the fall and perfect fynishing of the forme This our Bodie is a rich and admirable web a peece of tapistrie of high price the which should mooue vs thinke often of the contentes of the 139. Psalme CONRAD LICOSTHENES in his collection of prodigies reporting the historie of a Germaine who at two deliueries had twenty Children addes that in the territorie of MODENA an Italian called ANTONIA about forty yeares old who had beene alwaies accustomed to haue foure Children at a time or three at the least had then forty as the Bishop of Como doth testefie who writ the Historie Leauing these ancient Histories whereof wee could produce a great number wee will report some of our time A Country woman in Suisserland in the yeare 1535. had foure Sonnes at one birth the which liued some houres An other woman about Zurich had also foure Sonnes at one time the which were Christened STVMPSVIS and LICOSTHENES A Sicilian named PAMIQVE married to BERNARD BELLOVARD of Agrigentum was so fertill as at thirty birthes shee had seauentie three Children A woman of Misnia beeing foure and twentie yeares olde had nine Children at one birth whereof beeing deliuered both shee and all her Children died TH. FAZEL lib. 6. of the 1. decade of the Historie of Sicilia In the yeare 1579. there liued a woman called SALVSTâ—… fat and low the which at two lyings in had eighteene Children I. MICHEL PASCAL in his Annotations vpon the 1. booke of P. PAVL PEREDA of the cure of diseases Chapter 59. At Bolognia the fat IVLIVS SCATINARE a man that had many Children was the seauenth Childe of birth His mother was sister to the Seigneour FLORIAN de DVâ—…PHE my kinsman and I haue seene a woman in the Towne of Carpi haue fiue Sonnes at one birth CARPVS in the Anotomie Wee reade in the Annales of GENOA written by AVGVSTIN IVSTINIAN in his 5. booke that in the memorie of our Fathers BARTHOLOME the wife of IOHN BOCCANE had at one Child-birth nineteene Children euery one as big as a date hauing but a confused forme A Councellors wife at Bolognia had at her first deliuery two twinnes at the second three Children whereof one had life and foure at the third which died incontinentlie TRINCAVELLE liber 11. Chap 17. of cure of diseases In the time of the Emperor MAXIMLIAN a
Gouernor of the place who there-with acquainted the Landgraue He hauing commanded that it should be hunted and by some way or other taken aliue the Country-men vsed such meanes that they caught it and lead it to the Landgraues Court going on foure feete like a beast and of a grim and terrible looke Beeing in the Princes hall it went and hidde it vnder a bench where it beganne to houle and crie like a Wolfe But some lyniaments though disfigured of a humane face beeing discouered in it the Prince commanded it to bee brought vp among men vntill such time as it might bee more exactly knowne what it was Those which had it in charge so diligently imployed themselues that the creature beganne to growe tame to stand vpright and to goe like other men finally to speake distinctly and then as farre forth as euer his memory would permit him hee declared that hee had liued in a Caue among Wolues which vsed him verie gently and alwaies gaue him the better parte of their prey M. DRESSERVS in his booke of newe and ancient discipline Diuers French Gentlemen can testifie that they haue seene a man which was taken in the forrest of Compiegne and brought to the late King CHARLES the 9. Who went vpon foure feete like a beast and ranne swifter then anie horse Hee could not stand vpright had a verie hard skinne was heary almost all ouer and in stead of speech vsed a feare-full crie accompanied with so hiddeous a looke and countenance that there is no beast so ill-fauored to see-to as that poore creature was which had liued amongest the rauenous Wolues and learned of them to howle Moreouer with his teeth he strangled Dogges dealt no better with men whensoeuer hee met them I could neuer knowe what become of him afterward EXTRACTED out of the Memorialls of our time Touching the first History extracted out of DRESSERVS I knowe not whither it bee the same which is presented by the D. PHILIP CAMERARIVS in his excellent Historicall meditations Chap. 75. The repeticion being but short wil not be offensiue I hope It is a meruaylous thing sayth he if true which is read in the additions to the History of LAMBERT of SCHAFNABOVRG as followeth The yeare 1544. a Child was taken in the Country of Hesse who as hee himselfe hath since declared and was so verified being but three yeares olde was carried away brought vp by Wolues When they got any prey they alwaies brought the better parte of it to the Child which fed vpon it In winter when it was cold they scraped a hole which they trimmed with grasse and leaues of trees whereon they layed the Childe and compassing him about defended him from the iniury of the time afterwards they made him goe vpon his handes and feete and runne along with them whither soeuer they went so that at length and through vse hee could leape and runne aswell as they Being taken he was taught by little and little to go onely vpon his feete He oftentimes sayd that if it had beene in his choice hee would rather haue liued among Wolues then men Hee was brought to the Court of HENRY LANDGRAVE of Hesse for to be seene In the same yeare befell the like case in the farme of Echtzel for a Childe of twelue yeares olde running amongest the Wolues in the Forrest adioyning was taken in the winter time by certaine Gentlemen that hunted the Wolues Children supposed or practised THis Inuention hath beene found out by some barren women some drawne therevnto of their owne motion to please their husbands and to bring an heire into the house vnder their charge to the preiudice of the right heire others consenting to the Impostures of their owne husbands pretending to aduance their estates by such Diuelish practises haue stuft vp their bellies with cloth little cushions but in such sort as they swelling should growe by degrees counterfetting themselues to bee distasted way-ward melancholie and heauie and at the end of 9. monethes to suppose some Child brought secretly from the house of some poore neighbour or for want of one from the hospitall Som-times bought for money or supposed by the husbād hauing had it of some Concubine This is not all for as some that haue beene barren haue vsed the meanes of such suppositions so others haue made vse of it when as they had a great desire to haue a Sonne for the greater contentment of their husbands they see that GOD had sent them a Daughter It is well knowne that about fiftie yeares since a Ladie of Daulphine seeing her selfe in disgrace with her husband for that shee had brought him none but Daughters forged such a tricke to giue him satisfaction shee corrupted a woman of base condition in the beginning of this womans conception and drewe a promise from her to giue her her Childe presently vpon her deliuerie After which practise the Ladie hauing counterfetted all the signes of a woman with Childe in the ende to plaie the last and chiefe part as soone as euer shee herd that the poore woman was in labour and that shee was deliuered of a Sonne shee goes to her bedde feyning to bee in the same paine expecting the little Boy that was promised her The which was done and brought her so secretly by certaine Midwiues as it was receiued of the husband as issued from his Wiues wombe and so generally reputed Wherein I will not ommit a notable example of the almightie GODS iust iudgement for this Ladie who could not bee induced by nature to beare any loue nor to giue any countenance in the house to this Childe although that by meanes of the sayd supposition hee had beene left heire by him who thought himselfe to bee his Father disdayning him daylie more and more in the ende shee forced him to bandie himselfe against her and to haue recourse vnto Iustice challenging his rights as Sonne and heire and offring to force her to an account Ths which did so incense the sayd Ladie as shee conspired his death at the least it was supposed that the murther committed vpon him was by her solliciting Booke first of the conference of ancient wonders with moderne A Childe of Stone A Woman of the Towne of Sens in Bourgondie called COLOMBE CHATRY married to LEVVIS CHARITE a Taylor hauing liued long with him without any children in the end shee conceiued and during the time of her being great she had all the accidents of a womā with child But the time of lying in being come all the endeuours of poore COLOMBE and the helpe of Midwiues were in vaine so as her fruit died and she laye three whole yeares languishing in her bed In the end being some-what eased shee liued in paine 25. yeares more carrying this dead fruite in her body whereof in the end she dyed hauing carryed it 28. whole yeares in her belly Her Husband caused her to be opened and the childe was found conuerted into a hard stone then
into Bourdeaux and beeing possest of all without blowe stroken tooke from the Citizens by vertue of his commission all there tittles recordes and documents of their rightes and priuiledges depriued them of all their honours burnt all their priueleges caused the Court Parliament to cease disarmed all the Inhabitantes tooke downe their Belles depriued them of all their Immunities and Freedomes constrayning the principalls of the Towne to the number of a hundred and fortie to goe seeke the Bodie of the Lord of Monneins at the Carmelites and to remooue it with mourning to Saint Andrewes where it is Interred hauing first with a wax Candle lighted in their handes asked mercie of almightie GOD the King and Iustice before the lodging of the Constable L'ESTONNAC the two Brothers of SAVLX and others had their heads cut off The Marshalles Prouost with a stronge troupe ranne through the Country of Burdelois BAZADOIS and AGENOIS executing them that had caused the larum Bell to bee rung In the ende the two Colonells of the commons called TAILEMAIGNE and GALAFFRE were taken who were broken vpon the wheele beeing first crowned with a Crowne of burning Iron as a punnishment of the souerainty they had vsurpt Certaine monethes after Burdeaux was established in her former estate and after the leauying some summes of money the exactiōs that were cause of these troubles were abolished History and Annales of France vnder HENRY the second Diuers remarkable commotions happened with in this hundred yeares in diuers parts of the world you shall read GOD willing in the following volumes for this time wee present you with the precedent History as an essay of the rest Prodigious spirits IT is not long since there died one CONSTANTIA who counterfeited most sorts of voices some-times hee would singe like an Nightingale who cold not chant diuision better then hee some-time brey like an Asse some-times grumble and barke like three or foure Dogges fighting togither counterfecting him that beeing bitten by the other went crying away with a Combe in his mouth hee would counterfeit the winding of a Cornet all these things hee did so excellent well as neither the Asse nor the Dogges nor the Man that winded the Cornet had any aduantage of him I haue seene and spoken with such a one oftentimes at my owne house but aboue all that which is most admirable is that hee would speake somtimes with a voice as it were inclosed in his stomacke without opening his lippes or very little at all in such manner as if hee were neere you and called you would haue thought the voice had come from a farre and so as diuers of my friends haue beene often deceiued by him Maister PASQVIER in the fift booke of his Recherches of France There is also there recited two other examples of prodigeous Spirits which I will adde to the other The first is of one MOVLINET an ancient French Poet who reports that hee hath seene a man that sunge both the note and ditty of a songe very readily at one time The other is of a young man that came to Paris in the yeare 1445. Not aboue twentie yeares olde who knewe these are the wordes of a Notary of that time all the seauen liberall Artes by the Testimonie of all the learned Clerkes of the Vniuersitie of Paris and could play on all kinde of Instrumentes singe and sett better then any other exceeding all in Paris and there abouts in painting and limming a very expert Souldiar playing with a two hand sworde so wonderfully as none might compare with him for when hee perceiued his enemie comming hee would leape twentie or foure and twentie footes vpon him Hee was also a Maister in Artes a Doctor in Phisick a Doctor of the Ciuill and Cannon Lawe a Doctor in Diuinity And for certaine hee hath disputed with vs of the Colledge of Nauar beeing fiftie in number of the best Schollers in Paris and with more then three thousand other Schollers to all which questions asked him hee hath answered so boldly as it is a wonder for them that haue not seene him to beleeue it Hee spake Latin Greeke Hebrewe Caldey Arabique and many other tongues Hee was a Knight at armes and verily if it were possible for a man to liue an hundreth yeares without eating drinking or sleeping and continually studying yet should he not attaine to that knowledge that he had done certainlie it was a great astonishment to vs for hee knew more then in humaine reason might be comprehended Hee vnderstood the foure Doctors of the Church and to conclude not to bee parareld in the world for wisedome Behold then this prodigious spirit with some others that we haue seene in our Time amongst whom was IOHN PICVS and IOHN FRANCIS PICVS his Nephew Princes of Mirandola IVLIVS CAESAR SCALIGER and others for the most part dead some other yet liuing whom I will forbeare to name Sparkles of Fire IT hath happened in my time to a Carmelite Friar that alwayes and as oft as hee put back his hood one might see certaine sparkles of fire come from the haire of his head which continued in him for the space of thirteene yeares together Madam of Caumont if she combed her haire in the darke seemed to cast forth certaine sparkles of fire from her head SCALIGER in his excersitations against CARDAN It happened vpon a time to a certaine Preacher in Spaine that from the crowne of his head downe to his shoulders one might see a flame of fire issue which was held for a great miracle HERMOLAVS BAREARVS in the fourth Booke of his Phisickes Chap. 5. Fantastiques THere are some Nations that when they are eating they couer themselues I know a Lady yea one of the greatest who is of opinion that to chew is an vnseemly thing which much impaireth their grace and beautie and therefore by her will she neuer comes abroad with an appetite And a man that cannot endure one should see him eate and shunneth all company more when he filleth then when he emptieth In the Turkish Empire there are many who to excell the rest will not be seene when they are a feeding and who make but one meale in a weeke who mangle their faces and cutt their limmes and who neuer speake to any body who thinke to honour their nature by disnaturing themselues O fanaticall people that prize them selues by their contempt mend by their empayring what monstrous beast is this that makes himselfe a horror to himselfe whom his delights displease who tyes himselfe vnto misfortune MONTAIGNE in his third booke of Essayes Chap. 5. I cannot keepe any Register of my actions Fortune hath set them so lowe I keepe them in my fantasie I haue seene a Gentleman that did not communicate his life but by the operation of his belly One might see by him at his rising a roe of close stooles to serue for seuen or eight dayes The same MONTAIGNE Women that haue become Men. IN a place called Esquirie nine leagues
horsshooes with their hands Fronsperg neuer found man so strong but he would remooue him out of his place with the little finger of his right hand he would stay a Horse how strong so euer in his swiftest course with one hand And would remooue with his shoulder a Cannon whether hee list Schuartzbourg would wreath Horse-shooes as if hee had beene some plyable substance POTOCOVA Captaine of the Casiques of Poland beheaded by the commandement of the late King STERVEN would breake Horse-shooes as easily as a man would teare a peece of Paper GEORGE le FEVRE a learned Germaine writes that in his time in the yeare 1529. liued at Misnia in Thuringe one called NICHOLAS KLVNHER Prouost of the great Church that was so strong as without Cable or Pully or any other helpe hee fetcht vp out of a Cellar a Pipe of Wine caried it out of doores and laid it vpon a Cart. A Chanoin of the same Church called ERNEST of the house of the Earles of Mansfelt a strong and tall man would needs one day wrestle with him NICOLAS tooke him vp and lifted him into the ayre and afterwards cast him against a doore with such force that he broke it not-with-standing that it was fast lockt King CHARLES the ninth taking pleasure in exercises of the body being at Blois caused a Breton a man of little stature but well set to be sent for to the Court to wrestle body to body against all comers many both great and small tryed their strength with him but hee foyld them all casting one ouer his head another into the ayre with his heeles vpwards some a if they had bin Fethers others like little stones he cast into the ayre and so against the ground it being vnpossible for any to cast him to the ground Some-times he would lye flatt vpon the ground but who so-euer came neere him was forced to make one leape or other to the great contentment of the beholders To conclude another braue wrestler would needes buckle with him but in the end the Breton hauing his aduersary vpon his knee first lift him vp into the ayre and afterwards lockt him so fast in his armes as hee crusht him sore and to end his conquest he cast him with such violence against the earth as he was lifted vp and caried halfe dead to his lodging whereof he dyed shortly after In the Histories of our Times Thunder and Lightning IN the yeare 1562 beeing in Champatgne and passing by a little Village called Villeneufe not farre off from Sens the Arch-bishopricke certaine Gentlemen and honourable personages tolde mee a strange chance that happened to two young Priests by Thunder who in Haruest time comming from singing of masse for a ritch man dead after dinner retiring themselues were incountred with a torment of the aire accompanied with thunder and strange lightning These two young men recouering a little wood sat them downe togither vnder the Trees But they were kild by thunder where the next day after dilligent search for them their kins-folkes found them They thought at first they had but slept but it proued a perpetuall sleepe stripping and searching them they could finde neither hurt nor marke on their bodies but either of their hatts a little singed and in the middest their was a spot of the bignesse of a Carolus which is about the breadth of a groate Their poore bodies stunck so wonderfully that none could indure about them M. D. BEAVLIEV in his treatise of thunder and lightning About the yeare 1536. vpon a Sunday in summer was kept an excessiue and dissolute marriage in a village halfe a daies iorney from Poitiers the which hath but one streight and long streete In this day and place about noone happened a strange and fearefull thunder a Globe of fire of the greatnesse of a bowle fell in one of the corners of the Towne and ranne along the streete without hurting any bodie to Saint Georges Church where it beeing entred it made a strange spoile taking away the Tombes of the dead ranne to the grear Altar and spoiled a faire Image of our Ladie holding her little Childe in her armes besides it tore away the pauement in diuers places of this Church and brake a chaine of iron that held vp the Crucifix cast it downe brake one arme of it and afterwards grazing along the walles on the left hand without hurting them that were tolling the bells more then for feare to runne away it mounted vp into the Steeple a very faire building the which it burnt in sutch sorte that all the Belles both great and smal were melted the mettall falling vpon the pauement of the Church The same Traualing through Italie not farre from Eugubio I sawe thunder light vpon two peasants riding vpon Asses killing both men and beastes vpon the place they had a third man in their companie who had the bones of one of his armes so broken as one could not see whether their were any bone at all this blowe caused such pittifull greefes in this poore man and did so torment him as he desired not to liue I haue seene two men the Father and the Sonne haue their bodies so amazed and deaded with thunder that I thought verily they had beene falne into an Apoplexy They remained seauen daies togither without eating drinking speaking or moouing In the ende I caused them to bee let bloud giuing them sharpe glisters rubbing and norishing their bodies so as in short time they recouered their former healths Certaine months before the death of HIPOLITO of Este Cardinall of Ferrara thunder fell vpon his Pallace and entred into my Chamber light vpon one of my seruants swordes hanging at the bedde-side melted the point of it making a little bullet of it and neither broke nor hurt the sheath MVRETVS in his Annotations vpon the 31. Chap. of the 2. booke of Senecas naturall questions About the yeare 1560. Neere to Beneuida a Towne of Spaine as two men walked togither in the open fildes a strange tempest arose to the great astonishment of them both they seeking by flight to get some couert and perceiuing the tempest to encrease cast themselues flat to the ground where they felt the tempest readie to lift them from the ground In the ende one of them perceiuyng the noise to cease lifted himselfe vp the whirl-winde hauing much amazed him those which perceiued him comming the other lying still went towards him but him they found dead hauing his bones so broken as one might haue writhed his armes legs like a gloue all his Bodie seeming nothing but flesh likewise his tongue was taken away and could not bee found notwithstanding that they made dilligent search for it Their were diuers Iudgements vpon this accident one sayd hee was an ordinary swearer and blasphemer of the holie name of GOD and therefore was perticularlie chasticed in that parte that had most dishonored his creator By such a fore named whirl-winde a Towne of Spaine called
increased when as they did see him rising from his Chaire for then he toucht the plancher of the Chamber with his head the which was very high after the manner of the French floores They sayd hee was a Polonian or a Transiluanian This Gyant had a Wife of a wonderfull large body and verye fatte with-all but verye lowe in comparison of him of whom they had a young Sonne borne who was in shew to proue one daie almost as tall as his Father At the West-Indies descouered some hundred yeares since manie Giants haue beene seene as they witnesse that haue written their Histories Neere vnto the Antartike Pole there are some found of ten or twelue foote of height as also in the Iland of Sumatra or Taprobane which is toward the East-Indies The same Author MELCHIOR NVNEZ in his letters where hee discourseth of the affaires of CHINA reports that in the chiefe Cittie called Paguin the Porters are fiueteene foote heigh In other letters written in the yeare 1555. hee doth auerre that the King of CHINA entertaines and feedes fiue hundred such men for Archers of his gard SIMON MAIOLVS in his Canicular daies Col. 2. LODOVICVS VIVES a learned Spaniard in his Annotations vpon the 15. booke of S. AVGVSTIN de Ciuitate DEI. Chap. 9. Saith that he had seene in the great Temple at Valencia a mans eye-tooth bigger then his fist IOSEPH ACOSTA in his Historie of the Indies sayth that hee had seene one bigger and the rest answerable vnto it But for that it is to be presumed that such teeth were of Men that had beene dead many ages before we will not insist any more vpon them In our time we haue seene among the Archers of the deceased King of Nauarre a Biarnois of so tall a stature as hee did equall his Maister being mounted vpon a great horse so as he did exceede the tallest men in all the Country by the head the shoulders Hee was a goodly man actiue and pleasant And contrarie-wise there was seene at Paris one called the great Smithe a man of an ill fashion but exceeding tal in comparison of many of meane stature ANTONIE PIGAFET a great traueller in his time affirmes that he had seene towards the Antarticke pole so tall a gyant as other tall men did not reach with their heads aboue his nauill and others beyond the straight of Magellan which had their necks a cubit long and the rest of their bodies answerable An extraordinarie Cure A Certaine Italian hauing had a quarrell with another fell so grieuously sicke as they did not hope for life of him His enemie hearing thereof came to his lodging and inquires of his seruant where his master was The seruant answered him hee is at the point of death and will not escape this day The other grumbling to himselfe replied he shall die by my hands whereupon he enters into the sicke mans chamber giues him certaine stabbes with his dagger and then flies They binde vp this poore sicke mans wounds who by the meanes of so great a losse of blood recouered his health So hee recouered his health and life by his meanes who sought his death R. SOLENANDER lib. 5. of his Counsels 15. Cons. 9. sect Hee makes mention in the same place of a woman which did commonly purge her selfe of her termes by the nose for thirteene moneths together during the which beeing let blood in the Saphena vaine and purged shee was cured And of a man who in the space of twentie and foure howres voyded at the mouth twentie and sixe pounds of blood congealed and very blacke and was cured by diet rest and glisters without any inward medicines A peasant falling into a burning feauer was carryed to the hospitall and being carefully tended fell into extremitie The Physition being a learned man sayd vnto him what wilt thou haue my friend how diddest thou gouerne thy selfe here to-fore I was not accustâ—…med answered the sicke man to eate and drinke as I doe now heere I knew not what sirrops drugges nor Phisicke meant I cannot sleepe vpon feathers It is almost twentie yeares since I did lye in a bed my feeding is Onions hard Cheese and such like delicates my bed was vpon Strawe at the signe of the Starre and couered with my clothes that is to say lying in them The Physition suffred him to lye one night vpon the Strawe and gaue him Onions Salt and colde water holding it good to please him in this extremitie But the next day he found his sicke man halfe cured warming himselfe against the fire We haue obserued saith the same SOLINANDER some sick men who hauing ease in their torments haue chewed and swallowed the receits written by their Physitions and haue beene cared by that meanes A certaine man hauing the Dropsie and little looked vnto by the benefit of nature had an ouerture in his body vnder the pappe betwixt the Peritoyne and the Muscles of the belly by the which we drue aboue 200. bladders like vnto Hens Egges the which were soft and full of stinking water In the 15. Councell of the 5. booke A man lame of the Gout preserued IN the yeare 1589. WILLIAM de MICHES an ancient man being crooked and lame of the Goute had a desire to go and visit an Abbay of Monkes aboue Lions called L' Isle Barbe where there was company that day In the morning he takes a boate with his Daughter his sonne in lawe and some neighbours Hauing visited the Abbay done his deuotion and made good cheere hee and his companie imbarke againe The woman that guided the Boate hauing drunke more wine then water when they should passe vnder the bridge of Sarne insteed of gouerning her boate vnder the Arche the which was great and large she ranne against a pyle so as the Boate was ouer-whelmed and all within it drowned except the poore man that was lame of the Gowt who not able to stirre was carryed by the streame vnto the shore where he was taken vp and carryed to his house and after liued some yeares Memoires of Lion A Man before Age. I Haue knowne a man in Spaine who after some yeares became a Friar of the order of Saint FRANCIS and remained in the Couent of our Lady of Val then in that of Soto and afterwards in the Citty zamore he is so little of stature as without wronging him one may call him Dwarffe though otherwise hee bee of a good fashion and hath a well proportioned body Euery man knowes it and many Monkes of his order haue assured mee for certaine that hee was borne in a Village called Saint Tiso and that comming into the worlde hee had all his Teeth which hee had at the age of fiue and twentie yeares and hath had euer since without changing them or any falling out and hee suckt a very little while Comming out of his Mothers wombe hee had his priuie partes as hairie as a man that is come to his perfect age at seauen yeares olde his
the 1. booke of his Essayes Chapter 21. Not long agoe a certaine woman thinking shee had swallowed a pinne in her meate cryed and tormented herselfe as hauing an intollerable paine in her throate where she thought she felt it stick but because no swelling nor alteration appeared on the out-side a witty fellowe iudging that it was but fantasie opynion taken frō some morcell that had pricked her throate in going downe made her vomit and priuily threwe a crooked pinne into that shee vomited This woman thinking she had cast it vp felt her selfe presently ridde of her paine The same I knew a gentleman that hauing feasted a sorte of his friends bragged three or foure daies after in ieasting manner for it was nothing so that hee had made them eate a cat baked in a pie whereat a gentlewoman of the company conceiued such horror that thereby falling into a weakenesse of the stomach and a feauer it was impossible to saue her The same I do not thinke that euer I haue reade a more admyrable matter in any history then that which is written by that learned personage LEVVIS VIVES Commentary on the 25. Chap. of the 12. booke of the Cittie of GOD. The bookes of Naturalistes sayth hee are full how things seene in conceiuing haue great efficacy in the woman with Childe and in her fruite By reason whereof they command women to haue faire images and pourtraytures aboute their beddes There is a towne in Fland◅rs called BOSLEDVC where euery yeare as in other places of those Countries on the day of the dedication of the great Church of their towne they set forth diuers plaies and pageants disguysing themselues some like Angells and other some like Diuells One of them inflamed with the regard of a certaine young gentlewoman went leaping and dauncing home where meeting his wife all disfigured and masked as he was he threwe her downe on a pallet saying hee would make a little Diuell in her By this approch the woman conceiued but assone as shee was deliuered beganne to skip and daunce like one of these same painted Diuells MARGARET of AVSTRICH the Daughter of MAXIMILIAN Aunt to CHARLES after-ward Emperor the fifth of that name recounted this History to IOHN LAMVS Embassador for FERDINAND King of Romanes M. MARTIN WEINRICH Physition in his Commentary treating of Monsters Chapter 17. AMBROSE PARE an expert and famous Chirurgion reports how a certaine woman of Beausse had a liue Frog tied in the paulme of her hand where she held it till such time as it was stif◅ed and that for to helpe her of a certaine feauer The night following this woman conceiued by her husband and at length was deliuered of a Childe which had a face like the muzzell of a Frog In the same Commentary and Chap. A learned Diuine declares in a certaine Commentary of his vpon Genesis how hee had seene a woman honest faire chast that was deliuered of a Bat. Which happened through one of the neighbors that hauing caught a Bat tied a little bell about him to the end he should fray away others This woman with Childe meeting the Bat conceiued such feare that her fruite receiued the whole forme of it through a strange and exceeding vehement imagination He relates also how he had seene a man wel stroken in years at Witteberg who had a face like death because his mother beeing with Childe of him was affraid of a deaths head and through her imagination had imprinted the forme of it in her Child The same Wee haue seene a woman in the towne of Breslaw in Silesia that beholding a Child newely borne without an hole in the fūdament not long after was deliuered of the like Likewise a Cuntry-woman with Child who returning home alone frō the Citty did eate a snake in steede of an eele which her husband when he came home was so ill-aduised to tell her of where at she conceiued such horror that suddainly shee died of it There haue bin many imprisoned for offences apprehending the losse of their liues as in one night of black or yellow which they were as in the floure of their age haue become all white like old men It is reported that a certaine man being in doubt that one layd waite for his life although this apprehensiō was false yet chancing to meete the party and the other stabbing him in ieast on the stomach with a great turnep imagined that it was a stab with a poygnard and fell downe dead in the place The like is sayd of a Ieaster who being condemned only in shew to be beeheaded for putting a great Prince his Maister in danger of his life as things were in a readinesse for his executiō insteed of striking him with the axe the hang man threw a bole of cold water on his neck but cōming to vnbinde him he found him starke dead in such sort as if his head had beene cleane cut off frō his shoulders The same Not long since one of our Princes whose naturall beauty and liuely disposition the goute had very much impaired suffered himselfe to bee so carried away by the report that went of the meruailous operations of a Priest who with certaine words healed all disseases that he vndertooke a long iourney for to finde him out by the powre of his apprehēsion so perswaded his leggs for certaine houres togither that he drewe the seruice from thē which they had forgot to do him a long time before There was so much simplicity so little art found afterward in the architect of such workes that hee was thought vnworthy of any punishment MONTAIGNE in the 3. booke of his Essayes About 25. years agoe a gentleman in Bassigni hauing bin at a great feast among other honorable company within 3. weekes after meeting some of the guesse one of them said merrily how at that feast insteed of a quarter of Kid they had bin serued with the leg of a Dog very well seasoned and drest and that she aswell as the l◅st had eaten her part of it Whether it were true or no I knowe not but immediately this Gentlewoman conceiued such horror at it that rysing from table she fell into swounings continuall vomytings sincopes and so vyolent a feauer that it was impossible to saue her Extracted out of mine owne notes Notable Impostures IN the towne of Artigules part of the dioces of Rieux and vnder the iurisdiction of the Parliament of Tholouse it happened that one MARTIN GVERRE hauing beene maried the space of ten or eleauen years to BERTRAND ROSLI afterward vpon what discontent I knowe not betweene him and his Father for-sooke his house went and serued vnder the Emperor CHARES the fifth and King PHILIP his Sonne where he continued some dosen yeares till at the taking of the towne of Saint Quintins he lost a legge Now his wife hauing heard no tydings of him in eight yeares before one named ARNOLD TYLLIER some call him ARNOLD of TILL borne in the Country
a notable engastrinyth he affirmed in one of his publick lectures where my 2. Sons THEODOR the Lawier and HENRY Doctor of Physick were present that once in Paris he had seene such another impostor as EVRYCLES who was called PETER the BRABANÇON This fellow when he listed spake out of his belly holding his mouth open but neuer wagged his lippes by such dexterity or the working of the Diuil he connicatched diuers folkes He fel in loue with a faire yong Parisian whose Father was dead and not able to induce the Mother to let him haue her As they were in talke togither about it hee began to send forth a voice out of his body as if the deceased husband cōplained that he was tomented in Purgatory because his widow did not giue her Daughter to Brabanson who had so often demanded her was so honest a man The woman terrified with such complaynts and hauing compassion of her husband consented to this Connicatchers desire who togither with the maide sought also for a certaine great summe of money that was left her by her Fathers will as it appeared shortly after For within halfe a yeare after he was married to her that hee had spēt all her portion he left her with his Mother in law ranne away to Lions There hee learnt that a rich Banker died not long before who in his life time had had a very bad name by reason of his vsurie and extortions Wherevpon he went and found out this Bankers onely Son and heire that was walking in a gallery fast by the Church-yard and told him he was sent vnto him to acquaint him with a matter of great importance which very much cōcerned him There-withall as he was exhorting him to haue more regard to his late Fathers credit and soule then to his death suddainly was heard a voice coūterfetting the Father which BRABANÇON sent out of his belly and in the meane time with a singular dexterity made as though he were wonderfully amazed at it By this voice the Sonne was admonyshed of the estate wherevnto the Father was reduced by his wickednesse and with what paine hee was tormented in the fire of purgatory aswell for himselfe as for his Sonne whom hee had left heire of all his goods gotten with an euill conscience declaring that hee could not bee deliuered vnles his Sonne made dewe satisfaction bestowing almes on those that were then in most neede of them which were the Christians prisoners with the Turke and that therefore he should rely on him that talked with him who was sent to Constantinople by diuers other good folkes and was also very opportunely directed by GOD vnto him for the same effect The Sonne who was none of the wisest in the world although hee suspected no deceite yet not very well digesting this word of furnishing money answered he would thinke vpon it and appointed BRABANÇON to meete him againe the next day in the same place In the meane while he was in a meruailous perplexity mistrusting the place where hee had heard the voice because it was close fit for knauery Wherfore the next day hee carried BRABANĈON into an open place where was neither bush nor any other Couert Notwithstanding talking togither the Son heard the old song with this new addission that without any delay he should giue BRABANĈON 6000. franks should cause 3. Masses to be sung euery day for the saluation of his Fathers soule who otherwise was damned for euer The Son being conscionable astonished without any more deliberation il-gotten goods hauing wings deliuered the Impostor the sum of 200. pound neuer taking any receipt or wittnesse of matters how they past the father came no more to importune his Son but remained quiet As for the Son after he had bid BRABANĈON adiew got him out of Lyons with his prey shewing himselfe some what merier then he had vsed to be the other Bankers wondring at it he told them the occasiō whervpō they laughed him to skorn for that he had so foolishly suffered himself to be Connicatched discouered the imposture vnto him which so strock him to the heart that within a little after he died with griefe went to his Father for to know the truth of the matter I. WIER in his 2. booke of Witches Chap. 14. In the raigne of King CHARLES the 9. a certaine fellow got him to Geneua naming himself IOHN ALLARD beeing but little knowne because he liued by the trade of a gardiner Hauing endured much by reason of the small profit and great labor of so poore a vocation he went after a while into Almaigne finally into Sweath-land where heevsed such means that he came to bee the Kings gardiner By his deuises he aduanced himself by little little so farre forth that he cūningly obtained to be agent for the King to the Seignory of Venice where remayning hee made a voiage to Milan visited the Duke of Sessa who commanded there for the King of Spaine played his part so wel that the Duke lent him sum eight thousand Crownes Not content with this purchase hee labored to make another and returning to Venice he propounded a certaine sale of artillery vnto the Lords and sung so sweete a note that he drewe from them in way of a lone the summe of foureteene thousand Crownes Herevpon he dislodged for to returne sayd hee vnto some of his friends into Sweath-land And passing by Milan he went to do his dutie to the Duke and payd him his 8000. Crownes Being at table in his lodging and his head some-what intoxicated he spake so rudely of the Pope and his Ceremonies that he was arrested prisoner frō Milan cōueied to Naples Pope GREGORY the 13. vnderstanding that a prisoner qualifing himselfe Embassador for the King of Sweath-land was in the hands of the Inquisition cōmanded him to be brought frō Naples to Rome Where being arriued he wold needes see heare him whence sprung at length so great a familiarity betweene them that the Pope promised him a certaine kins-womā of his to wife Thē he set him at liberty appointing him lodging gaue him leaue to visit his Mistres who like-wise went often to see him where-vpon ensued such priuitie betweene them that her belly beganne to swell which was couered with a report of indisposition that required the Signora should change the aire ALLARD fore-seeing that he should be called in question for this pranke of his practised in such sorte with an Englishman seruant to a certaine French Cardinall soiouring for that time at Rome that by his meanes he was carryed along the riuer of Tyber and so escaped away then he got him with all speede into Prouence where beeing arriued at the Port of Antibo hee went to the Baron of Alemagne and there continued a certaine time with his Englishman The Baron dispatched his hands of them and sent them with two or three seruants of their retiniew to the Lords of Dediguieres
them that at TERNAVLTS departure he would send a couple of men along with him with the 6500. crownes appointed for the voyage to Rome when TERNAVLT was ready to set forth on his iourney his men were not but promised to be at Lyons assoone as hee offring notwithstanding to deliuer him this summe of 6500. Crownes if he would stand to the venture which he refused to doesince ALLARD and his associates were to send after him Not long after the Suitzers departure the Pope aduertised of ALLARDS being in the Court of France complained to the King of him who committed him to prison where hee found a certaine Gentleman naming himselfe the Earle of Sanssy a man of a quick spirit and father to three or foure sonnes whereof one had beene brought vp with the Elector Palatine as also to one Daughter whom during this imprisonment he promised to one DV VAL by ALLARDS meanes that said he was DV VALS Vnckle and promised to giue him two hundreth thousand crownes to his marriage But all this practise remained vnperfected by reason of this which ensueth Within a while after was enlarged whereupon he desired TERNAVLT by letters to come to him to Paris wherein TERNAVLT excused himselfe certifying the other that if he would come into Switzerland Sauâ—…y or to Lausanne Geper Morges other places adioyning TERNAVLT would meete him Vpon these letters ALLARD set forth accompanied with two of the Earles sonnes and his traine and came into the countrey of Burgâ—…ngny where he intruded himselfe into the acquaintaince of a gentleman of the countrey whom with great promises hee carried along with him to Morges and there lodged at the signe of the white Crosse. From thence he sent to Geneua for TERNAVLT who beeing arriued ALLARD would haue induced him to haue lent him a thousand crowns adding that he desired that TERNAVLT would take the paines to goe into Sweathland to receiue eighteene hundred thousand dollars for him and he should haue an hundred thousand of them for his labour And further hee promised a very great gift to an honest gentleman brother in law to the said TERNAVLT who refusing to meddle in the matter all contracts were broken off except it were touching three thousand crownes which ALLARD was to pay him out of hand but they are yet to paie This promiser renewed another practise with the Bay liffe of Lausanne and Morges who conducted him to Berne where hee contracted with certaine Lords vnto whom among other things hee promised to deliuer an Obligation of the summe of fiue hundred thousand crownes to him due by EMANVEL PHILIBERT Duke of Sauoy which Obligation he said hee had left at Paris Departing from Berne with promise to be honoured and recompenced he drew towards Neuf-chastel In the mean time his impostures were discouered on euery hand It was known that the Duke of Sauoyes Obligation was of the same nature as the Constables Bill and that all the negotiation with the Embassadors of the small Cantons was but meere knauery on ALLARDS part Therefore order was giuen that he should be attached at Neufchastel where fearing it would not bee long ere he should haue terrible articles framed against him and gathering by some questions which had bin asked him that part of his impostures were discouered his traine beeing vanished away euen in an instant hee resolued with himselfe to inuent all the wayes possibly hee could to escape But meeting with no certaine meane one night going to let himselfe down at an high window of the prison where he was inclosed that which held him chancing to break his fall was so high that he dashed himselfe all to pieces so giuing an end to his life and impostures both at once The Burguignian gentleman whom hee had carried with him to Morges was laid vp in prison and compelled to sell his land for to satisfie the Hoste of the white crosse for ALLARDS expences whilst he lay there Infinit were the tricks where-with this M. GARDYNER cunnicatched all sorts of persons wheresoeuer he came It shall suffice for a conclusion to note the knauish pranke hee plaied the Host of the Stork at Basil where he had lien a long time and was deepely run in arrereages When he was going away in stead of paying he borrowed a newe summe of money of this honest Switzer and for a pawne left him a Portmanteau made faste with three lockes and strong chaines affirming it was full of golde iewels of exceeding value and papers of great importance promising if it were well kept till his returne to giue his said Hoste thirtie thousand Dollars besides his due The newes of his death comming to Bafil the poore Hoste in a maruelous pitteous taking went with the leaue of the Magistrate and got this Portmanteau to bee opened which was found full of nothing but brickes and stones finely packed vp together I had this Discourse from Monsieur TERNAVLT in whose hands I haue seene diuers contracts acts and writings approouing some part of the History of this notable Impostor Imprecations prophane and blasphemous speeches WHen we would obtaine any thing that we greatly desire we care not what we promise and many in this case happen to make imprecations either against themselues or others the fruit whereof they oftentimes reape to their own destruction Wee haue a notable example of it in CHARLES Duke of Burbon who as it is recited by BELLAY in his 8. Booke and FR. GVICHARD IN in his 17. Booke of the warres of Italie labouring to draw some money from the Millanois for to pay his souldiers and because he could not get so great a summe as hee required by reason of the exceeding charge the Citie was at during the warre hee promised them that if they would but furnish him with so much money for that once hee would neuer do them the least extortion in the world againe if he did he prared GOD that at the first skirmish or assault he were in he might be shot through killed Or as GVICHARDIN saith If the Citty of Millan would furnish him with thirty thousand Duckets for a moneths pay that the armie should depart out of Milan and lodge some other where assuring them that though at other times they had beene deceiued with the like promises they should not be so then because he would neuer go against his word and faith on which they might safely relie adding that he prayed GOD if he brake his promise with them his head might bee taken from his shoulders with the first shott of the enemies artillerie Vpon this promise the Millanois strained themselues and paide him the summe But they were so oppressed afterward that many through dispaire hung themselues others threw themselues downe head-long from the tops of their houses and brake their owne necks Shortly wher-vpon the Duke of Bourbon marched forth with his armie and drew towards Rome for to surprise it but hee was slaine with an Harguebuse shott in the assault which many saith
BELLAY attribute to the diuine vengeance because hee kept not the promise which hee made with such an imprecation to the Millanois His death â—…ell on the 6. of May 1527. To this purpose I will adde another Historie though it be ancient reported by ALBERT CRANT in his 6. Booke of the affaires of Saxony Chap. 45. where hee writes that the Emperor FREDERICK the first being in Saint PETERS Monastery at Erford the floore whereon hee went suddenly sanke vnder him and if he had not caught hold on an Yron barre of a window hee had fallen into the Iakes of the Monasterie wherein certaine Gentlemen fell and were drowned amongst the which was HENRY Earle of Schuartzbourg who carried the presage of his death in an vsuall imprecation If I do this or that I would said he I might be drowned in the Iakes But omitting other ancient Histories it being no part of our purpose to touch them in these collections but reseruing them for some other hand and worke I will present the examples of our time concerning imprecations and despightfull speaches eyther against GOD or our neighbours A Soldiar trauelling through the Marquisate of Brandebourg feeling him-selfe not well staied in an Inne gaue his 〈◊〉 his money to keepe Not long after being recouered he asked it againe of the woman who had agreed before with her husband to detaine it Wherefore she denyed that she had any of him and rayled at him as if he had done her wrong to aske it whereat the traueller was so enraged that he accused her of disloyaltie and theft which the Host hearing he tooke his wiues part and thrust the other out of dores who iustly incensed with such dealing drew his sworde and ranne against the gate The Host began to crie out that hee went about to breake into his house and robbe him For which cause the Souldier was apprehended carryed to prison and arraigned before the Magistrate ready to be condemned to death The day came wherein sentence was to bee giuen and executed the Diuill entred into the prison and tolde the prisoner that hee should bee condemned to dye neuerthelesse he promised him if so bee hee would giue himselfe vnto him to keepe him from all harme The prisoner answered that he would rather dye innocent as he was then be deliuered by such means The Diuil hauing shewed him againe the danger wherein hee stood and receiuing the repulse promised not-withstanding to helpe him for nothing and worke in such sort that he should be reuenged on his enemies Hee councelled him then when he should be brought to his tryall to maintaine that hee was innocent and to desire the Iudge to let him haue him for his aduocate whom he should see standing there in a blew Cap which should plead for him The prisoner accepted the offer and the next day being brought to the Barre hearing his aduersaries accusation and the Iudges opinion required according to the custome of the place that he might haue an Aduocate to plead his cause which was granted him This craftye Lawyer stood forth and very subtilly began to defend his client alledging that hee was falselie accused and by consequence wrongfully condemned for the Hoste kept away his money and had misused him besides Therevpon hee vp and tolde how the whole matter had past and declared the place where the money was locked vp The Host on the other side defended himselfe and the more impudently denyed it giuing himselfe to the Diuill both body and soule if so be he had it Where-vpon this Lawyer in the blew Cappe leauing his cause layde hold on the Host carried him out of the hall and hoysted him vp so high in the ayre that it was neuer knowne what became of him afterward I. WIER in his 4. booke of Diuelish deuises Chap. 20. PAVL EITZEN in the 6. Booke of his Morales Chap. 18. saith that this happened in the yeare 1541. and that this Souldier came out of Hungarie In the Towne of Rutlingen a certaine traueller comming into an Inne gaue his Hoste a budget to keepe wherein there was a great summe of money At his departure asking it againe the Hoste denyed hee had any and rayled at him for charging him with it The traueller sued him in the lawe and because there was no witnesse of the matter hee was going to put the Host to his oath who was ready and most desirous to take it and gaue himselfe to the diuill if euer he receiued or kept away the Budget that was in question The plaintiffe required some respite to take aduise whether hee should put the defender to his oth or no and going out of the Court he met two men that asked him the occaston of his comming thither He vp and told them the matter Well sayde they wilt thou bee contented that we shall helpe thee in the cause He answred them I not knowing what they were Ther-vpon they returned all three into the Court where the two that came last began to maintaine against the Hoste that the Budget was deliuered vnto him and that he receiued it and locked it vp in such a place which they named The periured wretch could not tell what to reply and as the Iudge was about to send him to prison the two witnesses began to say it shall not need for wee are sent to punish his wickednesse Saying so they caught him vp into the ayre where he vanished away with theÌ„ and was neuer seene more IOHN le GAST of Brisae in the 2. volume of his Table-talke pag. 131. GILBERT COVSIN of Nosereth in his Narrations PETER ALVARADO a Spanish Captaine making warre on the Indians of Peru receiued a grieuous hurt in a skirmish whereof he dyed two dayes after Lying in his death-bed being asked where he felt his paine In my soule said he it torments me when the newes of his death came to his wife BEATRICE a very proud woman then resident at Guattimall she began to rage to make imprecations and to fall out with GOD euen to say That hee could not deale worse with her then to take away her husband There-vpon shee hung all her house with black and began to mourne in such sort that shee could not be drawne to receiue any sustenance or comfort She did nothing but weepe lye along on the ground teare her hayre and demeane her-selfe like a madde woman Amidst her husbands pompous obsequies of whom GOMARA writes that he maried two sisters and was a long time polluted with foule incest and all this despightfull mourning shee forgot not to assemble the chiefest of the towne together and there to make them declare her for Gouernesse of the Country and to sweare fealtie and obedience vnto her But now let vs heere what came to passe vpon these imprecations and despightfull speeches The 8. of September 1541. it rained so mightely for 24. houres together that the next day about nine or ten of the clock at night two Indians came and
Chap. 9. of his Treatise of the cure of Diseases WILLIAM of BRABANT writes in his Historie that a man of a setled iudgement was some-times so tormented with an euill spirit that at a certaine season of the yeare hee imagined himselfe to bee a rauening Wolfe running vp and downe the Woods Caues and Deserts especially after young Children More-ouer hee saith that this man was often found running in the Desarts like a man out of his wittes and that in the end by the grace of GOD hee came to himselfe againe and was cured There was also as IOB FINCEL reports in his 2. Booke of Miracles a Countri-man neere vnto Pauia in the yeare 1541. who thought himselfe to bee a Wolfe setting vpon diuers men in the fields and slew some In the end being with great difficultie taken hee did constantlye affirme that hee was a Wolfe and that there was no other difference but that Wolues were commonlie hayrie without and hee was betwixt the skinne and the flesh Some too barbarous and cruell Wolues in effect desiring to trie the truth thereof gaue him manie wounds vpon the armes and legges but knowing their owne error and the innocencie of the poore melancholie man they committed him to the Surgions to cure in whose hands hee dyed within fewe dayes after Such as are afflicted with that disease are pale their eyes are hollow and they see ill their tongue is drye they are much altered and are without much spittle in the mouth PLINIE and others write that the braine of a Beare prouokes brutish imaginations And he saith that in our time some made a Spanish Gentleman eate thereof whose phantasie was so troubled as he imagined that he was transformed it to a Beare flying into the Mountaines and desarts I. WIER lib. 4. Chap. 13. Of Diuelish deuises As for those Licanthropes which haue the imagination so impayred and hurt that besides by some particular power of Sathan they seeme Wolues and not Men to them that see them runne doing great spoile BODIN disputes very amply in his Demonomania lib. 2. Chap. 3. where he maintaines that the Diuell may change the figure of one body into another considering the great power which GOD hath giuen him in this elementarie world Hee maintaines that there be Licanthropes transformed really from Men into Wolues alledging diuers examples and Histories to that purpose In the end after many arguments hee maintaines the one and the other sort of Licanthropia And as for this represented in the end of this Chapter the conclusion of his discourse was that men are some-times changed into Beasts the humaine reason remaining whether it bee done by the power of GOD immediatly or that this power is giuen to Sathan the executioner of his will or rather of his fearefull iudgements And if we confesse saith he the truth of the holy writte in DANIEL touching the transformation of NABVCHODONOSER and of the Historie of LOTS wife changed into an immouable Piller it is certaine that the change of a Man into an Oxe or into a Stone is possible and by consequence possible into all other creatures But for that BODIN cites PEVCER touching the transformation of the Pilappiens and doth not relate plainly that which he doth obserue worthy of consideration vpon that subiect I will transcribe it as it is conteined in his learned worke intituled A Commentarie of the principall sorts of diuinations lib. 4. Cap. 9. according to the French edition In the ranke and number of Ecstatiques are put those which they call Licaons and Licanthropes which imagine themselues to bee changed into Wolues and in their forme runne vp and downe the fields falling vpon troopes of great and small Cattell teare in peeces what they incounter and goe roring vp and downe Church-yardes and Sepulchers In the forth booke of HERODOTVS there is a passage touching the Neuriens a people of Scythia who transformed them-selues into Wolues the which hee saith hee could not beleeue not with-standing any report that was made vnto him For my part I haue held it fabulous and rediculous that which hath beene often reported of this transformation of men into Wolues But I haue learned by certaine and tryed signes and by witnesses worthy of credit that they be not things altogether inuented and incredible which are spoken of such transformations which happen euery yeare twelue dayes after Christmas in Liuonia and the Countries thereabout as they haue learned by their confessions which haue beene imprisoned and tormented for such crimes Behold how they report it to be done Presently after that Christmas day is past a lame Boye goes through the Countrie and calles the Diuels slaues together being in great numbers and inioynes them to follow him If they staye any thing then presently comes a great man holding a whippe made of little chaines of Yron where-with he makes them to aduance and some-times he handles these wretches so roughly as the markes of his whippe sticke long by them and puts them that haue beene beaten to great paine Being vpon the way behold they are all as it seemes to them changed and transformed into Wolues They are thousands of them together hauing for their conductor and guide this Whippe-carrier after whom they marche imagining that they are become Wolues Beeing in the open champian Countryes they fall vppon such troupes of Cattell as they finde teare them in peeces and carrye away what they can committing many other spoiles but they are not suffered to touche nor to hurt any reasonable creature When they approche neere vnto any Riuer their guide say they deuides the water with his whippe so as they seeme to open and to leaue a drye path betwixt both to passe through At the end of twelue dayes all the troupe is dispersed and euery one returnes vnto his house hauing layde away his Wolues forme and taken that of Man againe This transformation say they is done after this manner Those which are transformed fall sodenly to the ground like vnto them that haue the Falling-sicknesse and remaine like dead men voyde of all feeling They stirre not from thence neither goe into any other place neither are they transformed into Wolues but are like vnto dead carcasses for although you shake them and rowle them vp and downe yet they make no shewe of life From thence is sprung an opinion that the soules taken out the bodyes enter into these fantosmes or visions running with the shapes of Wolues then when the worke enterprized by the Diuell is finished they returne into their bodyes which then recouer life The Licanthropes them-selues confirme this opinion confessing that the bodyes doe not leaue their humaine forme neyther yet receiue that of a Wolfe but onelie that the soules are thrust out of their prisons and flye into Wolues bodyes by whom they are carryed for a time Others haue maintained that lying in Yrons in a Dungeon they haue taken the forme of a Wolfe and haue gone to finde out their companions many dayes iourney
aboue all those that I haue seene by experience and I vsed it in the curâ—… of the aboue named Maide ANDREVV BACCIVS in his Preface to the Booke of Poisons and Counter-poysons describes the Epitaphe of a Romaine which dyed madde for that shee was not presently and speedily helpt beeing bitten in the finger by a Catte which shee puld by the tayle FRANCIS VALLERIOLA in his Commentarie vpon the Booke of HYPPOCRATES of the substance of the Arte of Physicke Chapter 20. makes mention of a Moyle of his that was madde And MATHIOLVS vpon the 36. Chapter of the sixt Booke of Discordes saith That hee had seene a madde Horse the which hauing broken all that held him hee did runne violently a certaine way where finding an old woman he tooke her vp with his teeth by her head-geare and carryed her aboue tenne paces hanging in the ayre without making of any wound In the same Chapter hee recites the Historie of BALDVS the Lawyer aboue mentioned A Portugall Marchant and foure of his houshold were hurt in one day with the Teeth and clawes of a Catte that was madde Whereof there followed terrible and pittifull accidents and in the end death AMATVS a Portugal Centur. 7. â—…ur 65. These yeares past an Italian Gardiner was at vnawares sette vpon by an olde Cocke of his hauing a sharpe Bill and his Fethers reddish the which did strike him so hard vpon the left hand as there came forth certaine droppes of bloud The same day I was called to see him and comming to him I found him writhing of his mouth there was not any helpe by Scarrifications Incisions Corseys or Applications within or without that could serue All the neighbours about him were amazed to see this poore man in his bedde hauing his face redde and his eyes sparkling and inflamed like vnto a Cocke that is hotte in fight so as the third day of his hurte the patient dyed This made mee to thinke that the Basiliscke so famous among the Ancient is our Cocke the which gaue mee occasion and manie others to make diuerse Epigrammes the sence whereof is comprehended in these two verses Another Basiliske is not this angry Cocke That biting kild his Maister with that stroke ANDREVV BACIVS in the Preface of the Booke of Poisons and Counter-poisons A young man an Italian happened to be bitten with a mad Dogge whereof hee made no account but after foure moneths hee began to growe amazed and to bee wonderfully afraide of all meate and drinke though otherwise hee had his wittes perfect so as after some dayes he dyed of hunger and thirst VIDIVS in the 2. part of his Phisicke Sect. 2. Chap. 6. There are many witnesses worthy of credit which do test fie that they haue seene in the Vrine of men that haue beene bitten with madde Dogges representations of Dogges and as it were gobbets of Dogges-flesh THOMAS 〈◊〉 VIEGA in his Commentarie vpon the 84. Chap. of the Arte of Phisicke MATHIOLVS vpon the sixt booke of DIOSCORIDES Chap. 36. writes these words AVICENNE saith that it happens some-times that those which are bitten by mad Dogs voyde with their Vrine gobbits of flesh not without great paine the which are like vnto little Dogges the which I haue also heard of some of late yea of them that said they pist of these little Dogges the which is not likely c. yet hee that will vnderstand the reasons and the witnesses that do affirme it let him read GENTILIS coment vpon AVICENNE and PETER d' APONE in the 179. Difference There shall he vnderstand how that some-times such things doe happen against the course of nature The same Author saith that hee had seene a neighbor of his a Cloth-worker who hauing bin preserued from the biting of a mad Dog for that he had beaten his woll with rods of a Tree called a Ceruice tree he grew madde and died This Tree hath some sympathiâ—… in his wood with madnesse by the report of many Physitions There remaines yet many Histories of men afflicted with this strange scourge and of the wonderfull accidents of their infirmities the which wee will reserue for another volume this pittifull Chapter of the miseries of man beeing but too long and by consequence troublesome to the reader Excellencie of Memorie MAister THEODORE ZVINGER theâ—… â—… booke of the â—… volume of his great Theater of mans life-hath gathered together the names of many both of ancient times and of ours which haue had excellent memories Among others wee must not forget a yong Scholler borne in the Isle of Corsica who repeated readily thirtie sixe thousand words of diuers sorts of diuers languages of diuers affaires strangely intermixt and confounded presently or a while after hee had heard them pronounced and did say them as easily backward or by the middest as by the beginning without stopping or studdying with a cheerefull countenance and as little moued as if hee had read in a Booke Hee sayd that hee had learned it of a Frenchman his Schoole-maister and in fewe dayes hee made FRANCIS de MOVLIN a Venetian Gentleman to learne his skill who before had the weakest memorie that might bee found The Author of the life of CHRISTOPHER LONGVEIL an eloquent man in our time reports that he had so firme and ample a memory that no time could deface that which hee had read or heard When hee was demanded by many of diuerse things whereof he had not read any thing many yeares before yet hee answered directly to euery thing as if at that instant hee had read the words and sentences in a Booke If at any time they spake vnto him of the same thing but handled by diuers Authors he spake plainely but in such sort as hee did propound distinctly and worde by worde all that the Greeke and Latin Authors Philosophers Orators Poets and Historians doe say with-out equiuocating coating the Bookes passages Chapters and Sections of euery one to the great amazement of all them that heard him SABELLICVS lib. 10. of his Examples Chap. 9. makes mention of one ANTHONIE of Rauenna who approched neere vnto the aboue named Corscican CVSPINIAN saith that the Emperour MAXIMILIAN the first had â—…o excellent a memory as if a man had once talkt vnto him seeing him againe after many yeares hee would know him and remember what hee had sayd vnto him IHON FRANCISCO reportes of his Vncle IHON PICVS Prince of Mirandola that if he heard a great number of Verses pronounced with-out any more repetition hee would say them forward and backward as they pleased There are at this day many learned men Diuines Physitions Lawyers Philosophers Mathematicians Professors in Eloquence and in the Liberall and Humaine Sciences whom I could name in great numbers which are not wanting or ignorant of any thing that is in light who discourse so redelie of ancient Authors as you would say they haue an infinite number of bookes lying open before them to whome wee cannot say nor cite any thing that
company of Crowes came and lighted on the top of the house Where-vpon the theeues began to laugh and saye one to an other looke yonder are they that must reuenge his death whom wee dispatched the other daye The Tapster ouer-hearing them told his Maister who reported it to the Magistrate He presently commanded them to bee apprehended and vpon their disagreeing in speeches and contrary answers vrged them so farre that the confessed the truth wherevpon ensued their execution In the collection of the memorable speeches of this diuine A Gentleman of Chalence in Fossigry bâ—…ing in hâ—… Duke of Sauoyes armâ—…e in September the 〈◊〉 158â—… and gâ—…eeuing to behold the cruelties which wâ—…re 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poore inhabitants of the Bayliwicke of Geâ—… resolued to depart from the said army Now because there was no safer nor nearer way for him then to crosse the lake to Bonne which might very well bee performed in three houres at the most whereas he should haue beene a day and a halfe going by the bridge of Chancy and that with danger hee went to one of his acquaintance named IOHN VILLAIN of the Village of Thaney in the Bayliwicke of Nyon hard by the towne of Coppet and desired him to helpe him to some that would carry him ouer the lake VILLAIN went along with him to Coppet where one of the best of the Towne had the Gentleman to a Tauerne and there it was agreed that two water-men of the place which were present should carry him ouer Wher-vpon he went back to Thaney for his horse apparell and other things Being returned in the boat crossing the lake the said water-men whereof the cheefest was called MARTIN BOVRRY fell vpon him and cut his throat VILLAIN vnderstanding it coÌ„plaining of so cruell a treachery was answered that it was an enemy whoÌ„ they had dispatched The murtherer fearing to bee called in question about it to preuent the matter made a present of the GentlemaÌ„s horse which was of great value to a certaine Maister and kept the rest to himselfe insomuch that the murther was neuer spoken afterward neither durst VILLAIN vse many words about it for feare of him-self But God would not leaue it so vnpunished For about the 15. of Iuly 1591. this BOVRRY going with diuers others of Coppet to shoot for a wager as he was charging the harguebuze which he had robbed the Gentleman of when he murthered him it sodainly discharged of it selfe shot the murtherer through the heart so that hee fell downe starke dead and neuer stirred nor spake a word This relation I receiued from VILLAINS owne mouth In the first troubles a Gentleman of the troups which beseeged Moulins in Burbonnois was taken sicke in such sort that he could not follow his coÌ„pany when they dislodged and lying at a Bakers house called IOHN MON which professed much friendship and kindnes vnto him he put such confidence in him that he stayed behind the rest hauing shewed his host the money that he had who promised to defend him from all men together with a little brother of his some 13. or 14. yeares old But so far was this wretch from keeping his promise that contrarily as soone as it was night he trayned them forth of dores and most wickedly murthered them Now marke howe God reuenged it it happened not long after that the murtherer being in sentinell one of his fellowes not thinking of it shott him through the arme with an Harguebuze wherof he languished the space of 3. months theÌ„ died stark mad Historie of France vnder CHARLES the 9. The towne of Bourges beeing yeelded by Mons. d'Tuoy during the first troubles those that held it before were inhibited froÌ„ talking together either within or without the towne or from beeing aboue two together at a time Amongst them that tooke pleasure vnder colour of this ordinance to murther such as they met talking together there was one named GARGET captaine of the Bourbonne quarter which made a coÌ„mon practise of it who shortly after taken with a burning feauer ranne vp downe the streets blaspheming the name of God calling vpon the Diuel crying out if any one would go along with him to hell he would pay his charges so dyed in desperate and frantike manner In the same History PETER MARTIN one of the Queries of the Kings stable and Post-maister at a place called Liege in the way towards Poictou vpon a slight accusation without either forme or maÌ„ner of processe was condemned by a Lord to be drowned This Lord commanded one of his Faulconers to go and execute this sentence vpon payne to bee drowned himselfe Where-vpon hee performed it but GOD deferred not the reuenge there-of long for within three dayes after this Falconer a Lackey falling out about the good mans apparel went into the field slew one another Which being reported to the Lord a most vnrighteous iudge it compelled him to haue some remorse and to say openly that he would it had cost him fiue hundred crownes the poore Querie had not beene drowned But it was too little for to value the life of an innocent man at In the same historie book 7. Certaine troupes of Peasants of Coulours Ceresiers and other places in Champagne hauing committed many murthers and spoyles in sundrye places were heere and there defeated and came very neere al of them to violent ends during the first troubles I will note two notable particularities here touching two of those troupes One going to set fire on an house fel down starke dead beeing killed with the shot of an Harguebuze vnaduisedly discharged by one of his fellowes Another dragging a poore Man and his Wife to a post for to haue them shot to death receiued also a shot from an Harguebuze which tooke away his life and so his prisoners escaped In the same booke It hath beene obserued in the history of France since the yeare of our Lord GOD 1560. Till the last peace that of a thousand murtherers which remayned vnpunished in regard of men not tenne of them escaped the hands of GOD but made most wretched ends as shal be seene in the bookes following Persons that liued a long time without eating or drinking MAister GERARD de BVCOLD Physition to FERDINAND afterwards Emperor testifieth in a booke imprinted both in Latin and Dutch that the yeare 1539. in a village by Spyre there was one namaed MARGARET the Daughter of SOFREY VVEIS BARBARA his wife which at 18. years of age beeing taken about the ende of September with a little paine in her head and belly began to lose all appetite to meate wherein she continued till the end of the yeare when hauing recouered some stomack she made a meale or two but euer after ceased altogither from eating and drunke very little After Easter the yeare following she refused to drinke insomuch that in the greatest heate of summer shee neuer dranke wherevpon it ensued that shee neither voided vrine nor other excrement
FERDINAND then King of Romains desired to see her to preuent all fraude made her to be carefully kept and looked vnto by the sayd de BVCOLD who hath made this relation confirmed by diuers other wittnesses A Nunne of Saint BARBARAS couent at Delft falling sick of the yellow Iaundise the yeare 1562. kept her bed sixe weekes togither without eating or drinking Al that time she neuer touched any sustenance what-soeuer vnlesse it were a fewe kernells of a limond which shee held in her mouth now then sucked them a little The confessor of the Covent carried me thether not to giue her any Physick but to see her as a miracle by reasō of so long an abstinence The day after I had seene her she departed this world Now this which I will ad is worthy of greater meruaile In the same Towne of Delft about Maie 1566. being accompanied with a Chirurgion I visited a certaine sick maide of 27. yeares of age or thereabout She had kept her bed euer since she was sixteene yeares old eating nothing all that time as her keeper affirmed but once a day a little morcell of drie Cheese Neither was it possible to make her take any kinde of drinke and yet she made Water reasonable well although she went to the stoole but once in eight daies Moreouer she was borne blinde and at 20. years of age had the dropsie but that Water vanishing away insteed thereof shee had a noise in her belly like the croaking of a number of liue Frogs accompanied with a wonderfull heauing and setting of her belly insomuch that doe what I could my hand layd vpon it was lifted vp a good height This motion encreased with grieuous paines at the full of the moone and flowing of the sea but at the wane of the moone ebbing of the sea she felt some ease so it cōtinued with her 7. years hauing her sicknesse euery tenth weeke as her keeper confessed P. FORREST Physition in the 18. booke of his Obseruations Obser. 8. A gentleman that hath worthely acquited himselfe in sundry charges said in a place where I was that he had gone frō Madril to Lisbon in the hottest of sūmer without drinking He beares himselfe passing well for one of his age hath nothing extraordinary in the vsage of his life but this to be 2. or 3. moneths nay a yeare as he hath told mee without drinke Hee feeleth thirst but lets it passe and hee thinkes it is an appetite that easily goes away of it selfe drinks more for company then necessity or pleasure MICHAEL de MONTAGNE in the 3. booke of his Essaies the last Chap. Asmuch is reported of a great Lord in France who hath gone Embassador to Rome and is stil liuing in other honorable emploiments There haue beene many persons both before and in our time which haue fasted very long but hauing no example more remarkeable amongst many others then that which by by I purpose to propound we wil leaue the Reader to the remembrance of such as hee hath either seene or heard it of himselfe In the meane time wee will present this which ensueth On Tuesday the 24 day of Nouember 1584. by the cōmandement of the most illustrious Prince IOHN CASIMIR County Palatine of Rine the gouernor and superintendant of Caiserlanter accompanied with HENRY SMETIVS and IOHN IAMES Theodore Doctors of Physick made enquiry in the village of Schinidweiler in the iurisdiction of Colberberg touching the Maide whose history we relate KVN TONNELIER borne at Spisheim an honest husbandman being examined by those cōmissaries among other articles affirmed that KATHERINE at that instant some 27. years of age Daughter to him and to his Wife likewise named KATHERIN hauing alwaies had her health til such time as she began to haue her monethly purgatiōs at her returne from a certaine wedding caught an ague which tooke away all appetite from her to hot meats for the space of fiue years togither during which time shee felt her selfe well and lusty did her worke was very obedient to her parents deuout in praier vnto GOD well affected to the hearing of his word and throughlie instructed therein Now to bring her to hot meates againe her father and mother besides other ordinary medicines put her into the hands of an Empyrike who in steed of helping her with a certaine drinke quite tooke away her stomach from al meates both hot and cold insomuch that till then namely for the full terme of seauen yeares no meate nor drinke whatsoeuer went downe the throate of this maide who for six moneths after the disgust onely sucked the Iuice of a fewe peares and apples But not able to vse this remedy any longer shee washed her mouth with aqua-uitae but could not swollow a drop of it This lauing some-what refreshed her but being to sharpe she allaied it with a little faire Water Her father added that all this time he could neuer perceiue any euacuation of vrine or other excrement in the said maide or swete or vermine in any parte of her bodie but alwaies found her bedde cleane and her body without spot or speck of filth vnlesse it were that some-times shee seemed to bee troubled with a distillation of the braine which nowe and then made her to spit a little And many times a certaine vapor rose in her side which fumed vp to the heart and caused a paine in her head that made her very faint for the time but it lasted not long and that onely against foule weather The sight or sauor of meates neuer offended her though shee had no appetite nor desire at all to them If at any time shee chanced to faint shee rubbed her temples and stomach with a little sweete Water which very much comforted her The deposition of the mother and neighbors agreed in all pointes heere-with The same KATHERINE visited by the Princes foure Commissaries was found faire of face well colloured full of life and good disposition her eyes cleare and quick sighted like one in perfect health saue that they were some-what sunke into her head and that vnderneath them some times rose a tumor which continued not long Neither had shee any defect in her sences of smelling hearing and tasting Her speach was sweete significant and intelligible Only her mouth was growne so straight by reason of her cheekes which very much pained her as she said her selfe that she could not put so much as her little finger into it but yet without apparance of swelling Her haire was all falne off of her head and began to come againe In this sicknesse or infirmity she had scarce had any speach or sence for three yeares together But the Thursday before Easter 1583. she recouered her speech and sences much better then euer she had had them at any time in her health before and that after an admirable manner as followeth Her Father being gone about that time to a Forrest hard by the village for to fell Timber and her
the Common-wealth of Genâ—…way pag. 787. 788. Nature changed IT chanced in our time at Breslaw in Silesia that a certaine young Maide hauing beene present with many others at the execution of a Theefe which was beheaded shee was so troubled there-with as shee fell to haue the falling sicknesse They applyed many remedies which did her no good A certaine Gossip according to the vsuall custome gaue her aduise saying If they gaue this Maide Cattes bloud to drinke the paine would cease Those which gouerned her following this foolish councell made her to swallow some But soone after the poore Mayde changed her naturall disposition and some-times tooke vpon her the nature of a Catte wauling leaping and running as those Beasts doe and watching softlie for Rattes and Mise in euery corner of the house trying by all meanes to catch them Shee continued in these Cattish exercises vntill the vehemencie of her fitte was past Maister MARTIN VEINRICH in his Commentarie of the beginning of Monsters Wonderfull Natures THere was a certaine Gentle man that could not endure an olde woman should looke vpon him and as it happened once that at a banquet there were certaine that had beene inuited vnknowne to him the which could not but looke vpon him his apprehension was so great as hee dyed sodenly In the same Commentarie of Monsters Cattes offend many with looking on them so as some hearing or seeing a Catte tremble and are much afraide the which I beleeue doth not proceed alone from the venome of Cattes but also from their disposition that doe see or heare them for they haue by Nature this influence from Heauen the which is neuer moued to doe her proper action vnlesse the contrarie obiect present it selfe I haue seene many of this minde and disposition in Germanie and some remaining in Goritzia If this proceeds onely of a naturall quallitie which is in fewe they that are subiect vnto it shewe it plainlie For beeing in Germanie and supping in the Winter time in a Stoue with very good company one of the troupe was much subiect vnto that humour The Hostesse knowing the disposition of the Man shutte a little Kitlin which shee had bred vp into a Cofer with-in the Stoue least this man seeing it should be offended But although hee did neither see it nor heare it yet a while after hauing smelt the ayre of a Catte his disposition enemie vnto Cats beeing stirred hee began to sweate growe pale and trembling to crye out not without amazement to all the companie that there was a Catte hidden in some corner of the Stoue MATHIOLVS vpon the 6. Booke of DIOSCORIDES Chap. 25. I haue knowne a Princesse adorned with all vertues of the minde and body that could not endure the sight of a Catte beeing other-wise of an actiue spirit and armed against all the difficulties of the world Shee imputed the cause of this feare to that which happened to her Mother beeing with Childe with her for on a time a Catte did so terrifie her as shee sounded and was long sicke of this accident Cattes did not feare her before that time when as shee did see them but this falling sodenly as it were in her lappe shee was much amazed THOMAS ERASTVS in his Disputations HIPPOLITVS LANZON a Mantouan Gentleman did so abhorre to see a Hedge-hog as if hee were not sodenly drawne away hee would sweate and faint MARCELLVS Dâ—…NATVS in his Admirall Physicall Histories lib. 6. Chap. 4. I haue knowne a Peasant in Normandie that had neuer eate Bread Flesh Fishe nor Cheese Egges were his onely foode and cheefest nourishment BRVGEMIN in his first Booke of Meate Chapt. 24. Wee haue also seene IHON de la CHESMAYE a Parrisien Secretarie to King FRANCIS the first who did so detest and abhorre the smell of fruit or Apples as hee was forced to rise from the Table when any one was brought And if they came but neere vnto his nose hee presently bled If hee did see any by chance and could not retire himselfe he sodenly stopt his nostrils with peeces of bread Wee haue heard that many issued out of the noble familie of CANDALES in Guienne haue bin of that disposition not to endure the smell of Apples The same Author IAMES of FARLI an excellent Phisition in his time doth testifie of him-selfe that it troubled him as much the eating of Garlike as if he had drunke poyson and he added that the same fittes which appeared in them that had drunke poyson came vnto him hauing eating Garlike Some learned men hold that this hatred proceeds of an opinion which wee haue conceiued that those things which we detest are bad eyther to all in generall or to vs in particular The same There was at Chauny in Picardie a Maide of an honest house about sixteene yeares olde the which vnto that age had neuer fed of any thing but of Milke She could not endure the sent of bread and if they had cast neuer so little of the crumme into her Milke shee smelt it a farre off the which I haue seene with mine eyes and carefully obserued The same BRVGERIN lib. 2. chap. 6. I haue knowne a man hating Cheese so much as if they did put neuer so little in his meate hee presently smelt it and did cast vp his gorge after a strange manner MARCELLVS DONATVS liâ—…er 4. of his Physicall obseruations There was an Italian Earle had a foote-man who if hee had eaten an Egge his lippes began presently to swell his face lookt of a purple hew markt with blacke spottes in diuers places foming at the mouth as if he had taken poyson The same Author An Italian Lady faire and vertuous named FRANCISQVINE wife to Count MATHEVV FRANGEPAN a Noble-man of great power and worth was foureteene yeares old before she could euer be drawne to eate any flesh A certaine Cardinall did abhorre the smell of Roses Late Physitions say that there was a whole familie at Milan to whom the vse of Cassia was so contrary as if any one of them tooke it hee dyed The number of those that cannot taste nor drinke any kinde of Wine with-out offence is infinite I haue a Sonne which doth abhorre Colewortes I my selfe if I see Pourslaine I lothe it Euery man hath some particular affection SCALIGER in the 153. Exercitation against Cardan Sect. 10. I haue knowne an olde woman that did flye the vse of Melons in a whote Countrie hosding that meate very agreeable to others of the same place but for them of her age the worst in the world My Father could neuer swallow any parte of a Hare nor of any Fowle Not long since a Noble-man of accoumpt dyed who could neuer eate nor swallow any meate if it were not some-what Salted MARANTA lib. 3. of the Methode to know Simples The youngest Daughter to FREDERIKE King of Naples a worthy Princesse whome I had some-times in cure for that cause that shee could not eate any flesh no not taste it If shee did but put
for a long time hee had supprest the euill spirit the which did mooue the Greekes to ruine the Persian Monarchie IOACHIM CVâ—…ABVS a learned Phylosopher and Physition of our time in his Annales of Silesia Some yeares before the Emperor MAXIMILIAN the first had made Warre against the Suisses and hauing beene defeated in diuers Incounters certaine Astrologiens and Dâ—…uines aduised him to assayle that nation by some other waie and with newe troupes alleadging that a certaine starre which fauored the Suisses was nowe set and that other starres fauorable to Princes and Monarkes did appeere It succeeded ill with him for that hee beleeued these Diuiners for at the verie first Incounter not farre from Basil the Suisses were victors and wonne all his baggage H. MVTIVS Booke 30. of his Chronicle of Germanie In the following Bookes wee will propounde manie other Histories of Predictions A Prisoner freede A Gentleman of Lombardie named Pâ—…CCHIO valiant and wise but full of the gout beeing in disgrace with a great Noble-man going one daie vnaduisedly vpon his moyle some fewe Leagues from his house hee was pursued and set vpon by this Noble-man who was followed by some Soldiars and then carried prisoner to a stronge Castell out of the waie and shut vp in an heigh Tower and committed to one of his confident seruantes to keepe Hee was fed with bread and water like a crimynall person condemned to perpetuall prison and no man knewe who hee was In the meane time they sought vp and downe for PECCHIO but hearing no newes of him the Iustice of that place where he dwelt thought that hee had beene slayne for they had found his moile and some droppes of bloud vpon him They make dilligent information and two men are charged with whome in times past hee had had a quarrell vppon this presumption they are miserablie imprisoned and greeuiously tortured in such sort as they were forst to confesse that they had slaine PECCHIO so as the one was hanged and the other beheaded But PECCHIO was in prison where hee continued nyneteene whole yeares neuer changing nor putting of the clothes hee had When they tooke him yet full of hope that GOD would one day deliuer him His Sonnes according to the custome made his funerall and the deuided his goods Hee was taken in the yeare 1540. and was deliuered in the yeare 1559. in this manner The Lord who vsed him in that sort beeing dead they intreated PECCHIO after his accustomed manner neither did anie one euer see him or speake to him in all this time It chanced that this Lords heire had an humor to builde neere vnto this Tower and as they pulled downe the Walles which did compasse in PECCHIO who had no light but by a narrowe clifte by the which hee receiued his meate and drinke they spied this man with his clothes tottered his beard long to his knees and his haire hanging vpon his shoulders Euery man runnes to this newe sight Some persons well aduised did wish that hee should not bee brought too sodenly into the light least it should dazell him and that to much aire should make him fainte By little and little hee recouered his sight and strength Then hee lettes them vnderstand what hee was and of all his aduenture in the end hee was knowne reenters into his goods that were sold by his Sonnes and beeing cleerely cured of his gout hee liued the remainder of his daies helthfully The which I haue heard from his owne mouth in Milan where I intreated him to set mee downe this discours the which hee did at large in the yeare 1566. SYMON MAYOL an Italian Bishoppe in his Canicular daies Disc. 4. A Processe ended by an extraordinary meanes DVring the time that GREGORIE the 13. was Pope there was a quarrell and sute for matter of religion against IHON CASIER great Maister of Malta The Iudges appointed the Registers Proctors and witnesses had done all at Malta that might concerne this fact ROMEGAS a Knight of Malta was his principall accuser and as it were a partie All were adiorned to appeare before Pope GREGORIE at Rome in the yeare 1591. where I was and did see ROMEGAS and the great Maister arriue in Nouember In December following ROMEGAS died and presently after the great Maister and they were both interred in the Trinitie Church As for the Iudges Registers Proctors and witnesses being all imbarked in one ship with the Informations and proceedings of the Processe they perished all vpon the Sea in the same moneth and there remained not any leafe of the whole proceeding whereby they might ground any sentence SIMON MAYOL an Italian Bishop in his Canicular dayes Colloq 4. Dangerous Prognostications FRANCIS Marquis of Salusses Lieutenant to King FRANCIS in his armie beyond the Alpes wonderfully fauoured in our Court and bound to the King euen for his Marquisate which had beene forfeited by his Brother hauing no occasion offered him and his affection contradicting it suffred himselfe to be so surprized with feare as it hath beene iustified by the goodly Prognostications which were then spred abroad to the benefit of the Emperor CHARLES the 5. and to our disaduantage euen in Italie whereas these foolish predictions had so great credit as at Rome great summes of money were deliuered out by exchange vpon our ruine that after he had often lamented with his priuate friends the miseries which hee did see ineuitably prepared for the Crowne of France and for his priuate friends he reuolted and changed his partie to his great preiudice not-with-standing all predictions But he carryed himselfe like a man encountred with diuers passions for hauing both Townes and forces in his power the enemies Armie vnder ANTHONIE de LEVA hard by him and wee without any iealousie of him it was in him to haue done worse then hee did for by his treason we lost neyther man nor Towne but onely Fossan and that after it had held out long MONTAIGNE lib. 1. of his Essaies Cha. 11. A wonderfull Ransom THE Spanish Histories write at large of the ransome which ATABALIPA King of Peru payed to bee deliuered out of the bands of PIZARRE valued at manie Millions of golde yet not-with-standing the Spaniards put him to death and spoiled infinite treasures part where of was brought into Europe where it was wretchedly wasted part with those robbers and their ships was lost in the botom of the Sea But in the warre made in our time by the Vaiuod of Valachia against the Turkes in the yeare 1574. certaine Polonian Horsemen hauing defeated a great supply and taken their Commander prisoner who was a man of a tall and goodly stature and so riche as he offered almost an incredible ransom although many did affirme that he had meanes to giue more He offered vnto the Polonians if they would saue his life and not carry him vnto the Vaiuod to pay them twise as much gold thrise as much siluer and once as much in Pearle as he should way This sum
in the houses In this horrible confusion ALFONSO d' AVALOS Marquis of Pescara Colonell of the Imperiall footemen running vp and downe the streetes to preuent the wrong which they went about to offer to the honour of Women A Gentleman of Genoa taking him for some Captaine begā to intreate him to suppresse the insolency of two Spanish soldiars that would rauish his Wife a vertuous honorable Gentlewomā which cried for helpe Sodenly the Marquis lights from his horse goes vp to the Chamber and thrusts through one of these wretches who held the poore Gentle-woman by the haire and striued to ouerthrowe her One being slaine he followes the other who fled downe the staires and gaue him such a blowe as he cleft his head in two Then hauing caused their dead bodies to bee cast out at the Chamber windowe into the streete hee made a proclamation vpon paine of death that no man should presume to wrong either in worde or deede any honest maide or Wife This execution restrayned the loosenesse of the Soldiars and the Maquis for this worthie act was honored of all good men P. IOVIVS Booke 3. of his Historie of our time Recompenses of nature THE prouidence and care which the Creator of all things hath giuen to nature is admirable for by a dailie custome shee doth furnish creatures with such force and dexterity which haue the members crooked defectiue or weake or that haue none at all or hauing do more then is prescribed them as we may wel say that the perfection of a Creature consists not in the distinction of members but in the continuall vse thereof I haue often considered thereon When we were at Cobourg in the Lodging of ERASMVS NEVSTETER a wise vertuous Gentleman of Germanie hauing giuen vs the best entertainement hee could deuise hee sent to a certaine place not farre of for a yong man about thirtie yeares old the which was borne without armes who could do as much with his feete as a very able man could do with his hands so as he him-selfe did afferme that nature had recompenced one guift with an other Being set vpon a seate equalling the heigth of the table whereon they set the meate hee tooke a knife with his feete and began to cut both bread and meate carrying it vnto his mouth and a goblet also as easilie with his feete as an other doth with his handes After dinner hee beganne to write both Italien hand and Dutch so right and so well as euerie one of vs desired to haue of it to keepe for a singularity At my request hee tooke a pen-knife and made good pennes to write and presented them to mee and to others Beeing thus busied I did carefully consider the fashion of his feete and did finde this toes were sum-thing long fit to laie hold of anything and a farre off they resembled the fingers of a mans hand as for his legges hee kept them couered with his cloake PH. CAMERARIVS a Germaine Lawier in his learned Historicall Meditations Chap. 37. I haue seene at my house a little man borne at Nantes without armes who hath so well fashioned his feete to the seruice which his handes doe owe him as in truth they haue halfe forgotten their owne naturall dutie Finally hee calls them his handes hee cuttes hee chargeth a pistoll and dischargeth it hee threads a needle hee sowes hee writes hee pulles of his hat hee combes his head hee plaies at Cardes and Dice and shakes them with as great dexteritie as any other the money which I gaue him hee carried away in his foote as wee doe in our hand I did see an other when I was a Childe who handled a two-hand sword and a halberd helping him selfe with the bending of his necke for want of hands he would cast them vp in the aire and catch them againe throwe a dagger and make a whippe lash as well as any Carter in France MONTAIGNE liber 1. of his Essaies Chap. 22. Of this last in my opinion or of an other no lesse admirable Maister AMB. PARE makes mention in these tearmes Not long since there was a man seene at Paris without armes beeing fortie yeares olde stronge and lustie who did in a manner all the actions that an other might doe with his hands with the stumpe of his shoulder and his head hee would strike a hatchet as strongely as an other man could do with his armes More-ouer hee would lash a Carters whippe and did manie other actions with his feete hee did eate drinke plaied at cardes and dice in the ende hee was a theefe and a murtherer and was put to death in Gelderland Booke 24. treating of monsters Chap. 8. Of late daies wee haue seene at Paris a woman without armes which did cut sowe and doe manie other actions The same Author I haue often-times spoken with the Brother of one called N. MADAME who hauing both handes eaten of with hogges lying in the Cradle beeing but a yeare and halfe olde or there aboutes did helpe her selfe as well with the stumpes beeing growne great as wee do with our fingers Shee did worke excellently well in tapistrie did threed her needle very arteficially and did sowe well in lynnen Memorials of our time Wee haue at Nuremberg a young man and a young maide borne of one Father and Mother of a honest house which are dombe and deafe by nature yet both of them Reade verie well Write Cifer and cast an account The yong man conceiues at the first by the signes that are made him what they demand of him and if hee wants a penne by his countenance hee deliuers his thoughtes beeing the cunningest player at all games of cardes and d◅ce that is to bee found among the Germaines His Sister exceedes all other maides in working with the needle in all workes of Linnen Tapistry imbroydrie c. But amongest the wonderfull recompences of Nature this is remarkable that commonlie seeing anie to mooue their lippes they seeme to vnderstand what is sayd They doe verie often assist at Sermons and you would saie that they vnderstand with their eyes what the Preacher saies as others are accustomed to doe by hearing for as often as they will and without anie teaching or examples they write the Lordes prayer and other Holie praiers they can repeate the Texts of the Gospells that are Preacht on Hollie daies and write them readelie When as the Preacher in his Sermon makes mention of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST the young man before anie other puts his hand to his hat and bends his knee with great reuerence Inthetime of our Fathers there was seene in Flanders IOHN FERDINAND who was borne starke blinde and poore surmounting these two difficulties which are great enemies to learned men in such sort as hee became a learned Poet and Phylosopher as besides hee was so good a musitien as hee plaied verie excelentlie well of diuers sortes of Instrumentes to the great content of them that heard him and besides did
some Muscouits running vp and downe through the smoake who talked of muring vp the portes to keepe out the Tartares who staied vntil the fire were al quencht I and my Interpreter going out of the warehouse found the ashes so hot as we durst scarse goe but necessitie forcing vs wee did runne to the cheefe port where wee found fiue and twenty or thirtie men that had escaped the fire with whome in a short time wee did mure vp that port and the rest and kept watch all night with some hargubuzes that were preserued in the fire In the morning seeing that the Cittie was not to be held by so fewe men as we were wee sought some meanes to enter into the Castell the entrie whereof was then in a manner inaccessible Hee that commanded there was very glad to heare our Intentiō called vnto vs that we should be very welcome But there was great difficulty to enter by reason of the Bridges that were burnt so as wee were forced to climbe ouer Walles hauing heigh Sappin Trees for Ladders which they had cast out vnto vs in the which they had cut notches to keepe vs from slyding Wee did climbe vp with great difficultie for besides the apparent danger of those vneasie Ladders wee carried about vs the summe of 4000. Dallers and some pretious stones the which did trouble vs much to climbe vp theese trees and that which did increase our feare was that before our eyes wee did see some of our companions hauing nothing but their bodies to preserue rowle downe from the top of these trees into the ditch full of bodies that were burnt and wee could not goe but vpon dead bodies the heapes whereof were so thick in euery place as we were forced to go ouer them as if they had beene hills to mount vpon and that which did much trouble vs going vpon them armes and legges did breake the members of these poore Creatures beeing calcined and dried vp through the heate of fire Sinking thus into these miserable carcases the bloud and filth did bound vpon vs. The which caused such a stench through out the whole Cittie as it was impossible to remaine there The 25. of May at night as wee did attend in great perplexity what the Tartares would attempt against vs who were 400. or there abouts within the Castell the Tartares whom we had saluted with our shot and ouerthrowne some of them that had approched to neere one of the Castell gates beganne to turne head the way by the which they came with such speede as the next morning all this storme was past for the which hauing praised GOD and giuen order for our affaires as the present calamity would permit wee departed from this desolate Countrie A wonderfull drawing of bloud I Was called to the suburbes of Saint Germaine to the house of IOHN MATIAV dwelling at the signe of Saint Michell to visit and dresse a young man about 28. yeares olde of a sanguin complexion beeing seruant to one of the Admirall Birons Stewardes Hee had fal◅e forward with his head vpon a stone and had hurt himselfe on the left side in the boane towardes the fore head by meanes of which blowe it had made a contused or bruzed wounde without any fracture of the boane so the seauenth daie he fell into a continuall feuer with a rauing and a great inflamation for that the hairy scalpe was hurt and with all he had a great swelling ouer all his head and necke hauing his face wonderfully disfigured beeing vnable to see or speake neither yet to swallowe any thing but that which was verie Liquide Seeing these accidents although the daie beefore which was the eight after his hurt hee had beene let bloud by GERMAIN AGACE a Maister Barber who had drawne from him foure pallettes of bloud and seeing the Accidents so great and the patient stronge I let him bloud againe and drewe from him foureteene pallets of bloud at that one time then the next daie seeing that neither his feuer nor anie of the other Accidents were anie whit asswaged but rather increased I did let him bloude againe and drewe from him foure pallets more The next daie following these strange Accidents beeing nothing decreased I was of an opinion to let him bloud againe yet I durst not doeit alone considering the great quantitie had beene drawne from him I therefore intreated Monsier VIOLAINE a Doctor of Phisick a learned Man and of a good iudgement to visit the patient Hauing felt his pulce and finding it very strong seeing also the great swelling and the vehemencie of the inflamation hee was of opinion that he should be speedily let bloud and being told that they had drawne 22. pallets from him hee sayd vnto mee although they had drawne more yet must they let him bloud againe seeing that the two cheefe reasons that induce vs to let him bloud are apparent that is the greatnesse of the disease and the strength of the patient Being glad to heare his opinion I drew from him three pallets more in his presence and would haue drawne more but he put it off vntill the after-noone and then I drew two pallets more which in all made seuen and twenty pallets euery pallet of Paris conteining three ounces and more the which were drawne from the patient in foure dayes The night following he rested very well and the next day I found him with out any feauer the swelling was greatly fallen and his inflamation almost gone except his vpper eye-lids and the soft grisle of his eares which places did impostume and cast forth great abondance of filthe So hee was fully cured with the helpe of GOD by those remedies the which with-out his blessing had beene invaine Maister AMBROSE PARE lib. 9. Chap. 14. BABTISTA FVLGOSE in the 1. Booke of his Examples Chap. 6. reports that an Italian Priest called GERMAIN hauing beene let bloud lost all remembrance of Letters and not of ordinary and common things so as he could neither reade nor write no more then if hee had neuer learned it and continued a whole yeare in that estate At the ende of the yeare at the same time and in the same place being let bloud hee recouered his knowledge of reading and writing which he had before TH. ZVINGER in the 1. volume of his Theater Booke 1. I haue added this History although it were of an age before ours because it shewes of a strange letting of bloud A desired Graue IN the time of a great plague afflicting that part of the Countrie where I dwell I did obserue a wonderfull resolution in all the simple people and for that all of one house died in one moneth Infants young and olde they were no more amazed they wept no more I did see some that were afraied to remaine behinde as in a horrible sollitarines neither did I note anie other care in them but of their graues They greeued to see dead carcases lying in the fields exposed to the mercie of wilde
make her complaintes to almightie GOD the world she would force him to the execution of his promise seeing that hee would not willingly performe it The Knight grewe more amazed then before and made her answere that hee vnderstood nothing of her Language and that she mistooke herself for that hee had neuer had any secret conference with her had promised her nothing neither could shee demande any thing at his hands The Gentlewoman mad with this answere in replying sayd Do you not remember that you did this and this with mee repeating euery thing that had happened vnto her with the Imposter in the Knights shape adding withall you cannot auoide it to bee my husband and I your wife The Knight beeing much amazed beganne to protest that shee was much deceiued to thinke it to be true and contending thereon the Gentlewoman did note vnto him the day of the promise which was vpon a sollemne feast daie Then the Knight sware vnto her that vpon that daie nor three weekes before nor three weekes after he had not beene in the Towne neither in his house nor in hers the which I will prooue vnto you so plainely as you shall rest satisfied and if any one hath deceiued you in my name I am not to bee blamed But to the ende you should not doubt of the truth of my saying I will presently verefie it Then not departing from her hee caused seauen or eight of his house-hold seruants and others to come who vnacquainted with the cause did sweare that the Knight had spoken the truth and that all that time hee had beene aboue fiftie Leagues from thence The Gentlewoman much troubled with this deposition beganne to remember some particularities and to apprehend that no mortall man could haue done them but that they were Imposturs of Satan so as soone after the retreate of the true Knight shee beganne to finde the cause of this abuse and detesting her foolish concupiscence humbling her-selfe shee resolued not to thinke anie more of marriage but ended the remainder of her daies in a Monasterie In the same Booke A bloudie sweat THE Plague beeing in the Towne of Misnia in Saxony there died a great nuÌ„ber of people in the yeare 1542. in the moneth of Iuly It happened that an honest woman 〈◊〉 AGATHE ATERMAN fell sicke and for the space of foure daies swete great droppes of bloud at her for-head so as as soone as euer they had wipt her others came presently shee died aboute the twenteth of September GEORGE le FEVRE in the Annales of Misnia Booke 3. A Miserable Rashnesse CLAVDE Bastard Daughter to SINEBALD FIESQVE Earle of Lauagne being married to a Gentleman of Chiauari neere vnto Genoa called RAVASCHIER was much courted to her dishonour by a Gentleman of the same place named IHON de la TOVR who abusing the loue RAVASCHIER did beare him did seeke to robbe him of his Wife But this vertuous Gentle-woman hauing often-times reiected him hee was so blinde as to imagine that her denials were but allurements and setling this vnworthy conceit in his braine finding his friend to be one day absent hee went and lay vnder the Gentle-womans bed hoping that night being come and she lying alone he might easily inioy her Being retyred and layd to her rest before her Chamber-maide went away into a neere Closet shee commanded her to looke about if there were not any thing that might disquiet her rest in the night The 〈◊〉 auing searcht euery where in the end she cast downe her eyes and spyed vnder her Mistresse bed a black thing She cryed out and both fled out of that Chamber into another ouer it where-as the Gentle-womans Father in lawe was LA TOVR seeing him-selfe discouered opens the Chamber windowes speedily and casts himselfe into the streete where hee was pittifully broken and bruized and by the helpe of a friend of his that came by chance hee was carryed home to his owne house Some houres after this Tragedie is knowne for that Chiauary is but a small place The Father in lawe sends letters to RAVASCHIER and to LEVVIS of Fiesque Brother to the Gentlewoman who sent CORNELIVS their Brother with RAVASCHIER and some Soldiars who come secretly in boates being strong and well garded by the Geneuois they presently force IOHN de la TOVRS house and finding him very lame in his bedde of his fall they cut his throate hewe him in peeces and then flie Such was the ende of his rashnesse History of Italie Treasors found spoiled lost sought for againe vainely and dangerously ABout the yeare 1550. neere vnto Deue a Towne in Transiluania the raine and ruines of water hauing beene very great and the weâ—…her growne faire some peasants going forth to worke descouer by the reuerberation of the Sun a great Treasor which did shine vnder a rotten tree which lookt red through age There was first of a la serpent all of gold the which after the death of a Monke called GEORGE who had seized thereon and was slaine came to the hands of the Emperor FERDINAND There was also found a great number of Medailles of gold of the waight of three Crownes a peece hauing the figure of LYSIMACHVS King of Thrace of the one side and on the other side a victory The peasants had the value of twenty thousand Crownes for their shares The rest was sent to FERDINAND then King of Bohemia by IOHN BAPTISTA CASTALDE his Lieutenant with two Medailles of gold of NINVS and SEMIRAMIS giuen to the Emperor CHARLES the 5. This treasor was valued at aboue a hundred thousand Crownes ACS. CENTORIVS Booke 4. of the war of Transiluania A poore fisherman remayning at Bresse called BARTLEMEVVE Grandfather to ANTHONY CODRE VRCE a learned Gramarien in our time digging in the ground found a great vessell full of siluer with the which he purchased lande sufficient to entertaine his family which was great honestly and moreouer he did set vp a goodly shoppe of spices and became one of the richest men in the Country BARTHE LMEVVE of Bologne in the life of ANTHONY CODRE VRCE The Marquis of Pescara hauing taken Tunis from BAREAROVSSE and being brought into the Cittadel by the ChristiaÌ„â—… that were prisoners there one of theÌ„ being a Geneuois borne descouered vnto him a treasor that was put into sackes and cast into a Cisterne where they found aboue thirty thousand ducats in gold the which the Emperor CHARLES the 5. gaue vnto the Marquis P. IOVIVS Booke 34. of his Histories of our time The treasor of CHARLES Duke of Bourgondy wonne by the Suisses in the battailes which they gaue him neere to Gransoa Morest amounted to great sums of gold and siluer both coined and vncoyned the true value whereof was not iustly known for that at that time the Suisses did more esteeme the heads of their pikes halberds and their swords then the gold or siluer of forren Princes About the yeare 1520. a yong man simple in all his behauior called
LEONARD LIRNIMAN Sonne to a Tailer of Basill being entred they knew not how into a Grotte or Caue which is not far from the towne where hee had past farther then anie other he tolde wonders at his returne Hauing carried with him a great waxe-candle that was blest and light when as he entred Going farre into the Caue hee first past an iron dore then hee went on from Chamber to Chamber vntill he found greene and stately gardins In the midest of it was a hall richely furnished and in it a verie faire Maide carrying on her head a Crowne of gold with her haire hanging downe but from the Nauel downe-ward it was an horrible Serpent Shee tooke LEONARD by the hand led him to a Cofet of iron about the which did lye two great black dogges which beganne to barke horribly against him But the Maide beganne to threaten them and causing them to bee still shee takes a great bundell of keyes which hunge about her necke opens the Cofer and drawes forth all sortes of Medaills of gold siluer and copper most of the which shee presented to this young man who shewed them after-wards to manie in Basill Hee added that this Maide sayd vnto him that shee was issued from a Royall stocke and that shee had beene monstrously transformed in that sort long since by horrible Imprecations neither did shee hope for any deliuery vntill that a chast young man who had beene neuer poluted in anie sort had kist her thrice Then shee should recouer her first forme and for a recompence shee would giue vnto the young man that should free her the Treasure conteyned in that Cofer Hee did affirme that there-vpon hee came verie neere vnto her and had kist her twise but at either of them shee made such greeuious and horrible faces as hee thought shee would deuower him or teare him in a thousand peeces Being carried by some disordred people into a Tauerne hee could neuer afterwards finde the entry nor the descent into the Caue for the which the poore wretch did often lament and weepe bitterly Euery one may see that this Maide was a Satanicall illusion And on the other side the ancient Romaine Medayles which hee brought out of this Caue and sold to diuers Bourgeses of Basill shewe that there might bee some hidden Treasure in that Caue kept by some couetous Companion of Satan as in the mines of gold the worke-men doe some-times incounter with euill spirits which torment them strangely After this young man an other borne at Basill prest with extreame necessitie in a deere yeare went into the Caue hoping to finde this Treasure for the releefe of his famelie But hauing gonne but a little way and found nothing but dead mens boanes hee was so terrefied as without looking behinde him hee speedely recouered the entrie of the Caue and returned all amazed to his house being emptie handed STVMPFIVS in the History of Suisserland In the yeare 1530. the Diuill did shewe vnto a Preest through a Cristall glasse certaine Treasures neere vnto the Citty of Nuremberg But as the Preest sought for them in a hollow place without the Citty hauing taken a friend with him to be a spectator and beginning to see a Cofer in the bottome of the Caue by the which there laie a black dogge hee entred into it where presently hee was smothred with the earth that fell on him and filled vp all the Caue I. WIER Booke 2. of Impostures Chap. 5. About eight Leagues and a halfe from the Citty of Leon in newe Spaine there is a mountaine in the toppe whereof there is a wonderfull great breach or mouth from the which it doth some-times cast such great flames of fire as in the night it may be plainly seene 25. leagues off Many haue imagined that it was some vaine of gold that was molten and entertained this fire For this cause a IACOBIN would make tryall of it causing a Chaine of Yron to bee forged with an Yron Bucket at the end of it and went to the place with foure other Spaniards Beeing there they let downe the Chaine with the Bucket the which was molten with some part of the Chaine The Iacobin returned very angrie to Leon complaines to the Smith that hee had made the Chaine much slenderer then hee had commanded The Smith makes an other much greater then the first The same being done with a Bucket proportionable vnto it the Iacobin goes the second time to the Mountaine with his companions and le ts downe the Chaine and Bucket as at the first But it succeeded as before and almost worse for sodenly there came out of this hollow place a Ball of fire so great as the Iacobin and his companions thought to haue dyed there at the least they were so amazed as they had no more list to meddle with that fire but returned much terrified vnto the Towne without euer speaking more of the Mountaine or of the Treasure I haue knowne a Priest in the same Towne who hauing acquaintance with a Spanish Treasurer had oportunitie by his meanes to send a Letter to the King of Spaine in the which hee beseeched his Maiestie to furnish him with 200. slaues to worke in this Mountaine promising to drawe forth wonderfull great Treasures The King sent him word that he should worke at his owne charge if he would as for him hee had no slaues to send him So the Mountaine remained still in that place with-out stirring or any more visiting of the Priest or of any other after him IEROSME BENZO a Milanois lib. 2. of the Historie of the New found world Chap. 16. ENCISO a Spaniard hauing with his company defeated certaine Indians which kept him from forraging of their country he entred into their chiefe Village there found store of bread fruits rootes other things to eat where-with he refresht him-selfe and his men Then they went to search along the bankes of the riuer which was neere where they found great store of stuffe Couerlets and vessell of earth and wood which they had hidden in the Reeds with about 120000. crowns in gold wrought the which COMACCO Lord of the Village had hiddē there thinking to saue it from the Spaniards hands And if certaine Indians had not discouered this treasure vnto them they had neuer found it yet they were faine to torture them to make them confesse where it was BENZO lib. 2. Chap. 2. But this treasure and all others discouered here or there in our time are but a handfull of siluer in respect of those of the Kings of Peru as well in their stately Garden where all was of gold as in their Cabinet where euery thing created or artificiall was to be seene of pure gold The ransome of ATABALIPPA amounting to aboue sixty two Millions of gold and would haue beene aboue a hundred Millions If PIZARRE had had the patience in the end the Treasures of the Temple of the Sunne the which were greater and were spoyled by
of Langey who fought neere him and would haue succoured him hee sayde vnto him My Sonne heere it is that I must dye with my Armes in my hand trouble your selfe no more for mee but goe speedily and succour the King our Lord and if you escape remember mee and that I am dead in the bed of honour P. IOVIVS lib. 6. of the life of the Marquis of PESCARA In the Battaile of Varne where as Ladi slaus King of Hungarie was slaine and his Armie defeated a French Gentleman exceeding valiant past through all the Turkish squadrons and charged into AMVRATHS gardes against whom hee coucht his Launce and struck at him with his Cimyter But not able by reason of many thousands of enemies which stopt the passage to returne backe after that hee had slaine a great number of Turkes hee was beaten downe vpon the heapes of them where hee dyed gloriously CVSPINIAN in his Emperours GALEAS BARDASSIN a Sicilian Knight beeing one day at the seege of Plombin some-what farre from the Campe to vewe the Towne there went forth three horsmen to take him Hee marcht towardes them in steede oâ—…â—…lying and gaue so great a blowe with the pomell of his sword vnto the first that was armed as hee ouerthrewe him from his Horse hee takes the second by both the armes lifted him out of the sadle and threw him downe running after the other euen vnto the Towne gates FVLGOSIVS Booke 3. Chap. 2. The Emperour MAXIMILIAN the first hauing assayled the Grisons about the ende of the yeare 1499. in the first incounter which was neere vnto Vuerdenberg a Suisse of Glaris called IOHN du VAL in a straight made head against twenty men at armes and kept them from passing with his pike in his hand whereof he ouerthrewe three The enemies amazed at the valour of this braue Suisse promised him faire warres and led him safe vnto their Campe from whence they sent him without ransome with an ample testimony of his valour STVMPHIVS in his History of Suisserland In the yeare 1552. SOLIMAN caused MAHVMET BASSA to beseege a strong place in Transiluania called Themesuar defended by the Earle of Losana for FERDINAND King of Hungary after-wards Emperor This Earle seeing a mighty army round about him debarred of succors and betrayed by two Spaniards which had abandoned him to yeeld vnto the Turkes hee beganne to parle and obtained a composition to depart with all his soldiars with their liues and goods The Bassa against his promised faith caused all the soldiars to be slaine cutts off the Earles head A Spanish Knight called ALPHONSO PEREZ de SAIAVEDRE making way with his sword and ouerthrowing them that would haue stayed him hee sought to saue him-selfe through the swiftnesse of his horse in the neerest place of retreate being pursued by fiue hundred Turkish horse-men which could not ouertake him Being almost out of danger hee fell into a Quagmire where both hee and his horse perished The Turkes seeing him downe pursue and cut off the head of this valiant man the which beeing carried to Mahumet and hearing that it was a Spaniard I beleeue it sayd hee for hee was valiant ASC CENTORIVS lib. 4. Of the warre of TRANSILVANIA When as the Turkes besieged Belgrade in Hungary one of their soldiers desirous to plant his ensigne in an eminent place went vp into an high Tower Hee was presently followed by a Hungarian or a Bohemian who seeing that he could hardly dislodge him from thence layes fast hold of him and then casts himselfe with him from the top of the Tower where both were slaine with the fall BONFIN lib. 8. Decad. 3. DVBRAVIVS lib. 29. saith that the Christian cryed out alowde to the Popes Legate looking downe from the Towre If I cast my selfe head-long with this Dog Turke whether shall my soule goe And that the Legate hauing assured him that it should bee carried presently into Paradise he cast himselfe downe with the Turke and was the cause that the place did yet hold good An other Hungarian did the like at the siege of Iayza BONFIN lib. 10. Decad. 3. They say that when as the Spaniards surprized Constance a frontier Towne of the Suisses in the yeare 1548. one of the Inhabitants seeing one of the Commanders aduance and incourage the other Spaniards to pursue their point and that the Towne was like to bee lost he sodenly went towards him imbraced him and cast him-selfe with him of the bridge into the Riuer where both were drowned Memorials of our time FVLGOSIVS reports that at the first seege of Rhodes the great Maister named PETER D'AVBVSSON a French man tooke vpon him to defend the most dangerous breache being seconded by two of his Nephewes and foure other souldiers who fought so valiantly with him as although they had slaine at diuers charges the Soldiers that came to releeue one another and that hee had beene wounded in fiue places and his armor broken yet the Turkes could get no ground of him but were forced to rayse the seege In the same Booke Chap. 2. In the yeare 1501. the King of Fez being in field with mighty troupes to assayle Tingi a strong Towne vpon the coast of Barbarie held by the Portugalls the Gouernor made a sallie vpon the Moores but finding them too strong hee retired with great difficultie into the towne ditches The fight had continued two houres before hee could get thether in the which the Gouernors sonne was slaine and eight valiant Horse-men the Gouernor himselfe beeing sore hurt in the face with a Iauelyn The Moores followe their point presse the Portugalls and doe all they can to enter pel-mel with them into the Towne The which the Gouernor seeing hee careth the Moores so furiously with a troupe of Horse as in the meane-time the rest retire easily into the Towne The last was called LOVP MARTIN a valiant man who beeing entred did shutte the gate but halfe and when as many cried vnto him that hee should shutte and make fast the gate I will neuer doe that dishonor sayd hee vnto the Portugalls in making the world to thinke that they are afraied Adding that hee was readie to fight vnto the last gaspe to keepe anie from entring by that halfe gate His wordes and deedes were all one for the Moores running to enter hee maintayned the first shocke valiantly vntill that many came to succor him so as the Moores were forced to retire vnto their Campe. OSORIVS Booke 2. Chap. 12. of the History of Portugal The extraordinary valour of a Suisse in the time of our Ancestors shal be heere-vnto added with the leaue of the courteous reader as most worthie to bee often remembred The Suisses to the number of a 1800. or there-bouts hauing broken the great and mightie forces brought by the Daulphin of France neere vnto Basil were all slaine vpon the place fighting with a wonderfull great force and valiant resolution for the helth of their owne Country It happened after the Battaile that a
Monke a Suisse called BVRCARD who had made a voyage into France with the Emperours consent to bring in this armie going forth on Horse-backe as it were to triumph for this defeate of his Countriemen and marching with his Caske on but his beuer was vp and his face was vncouered that hee might with more ease behold the dead bodies among the which he marched he began to cry out O pleasant spectacle what a goodly thing it is to marche in this medow bedeckt with Roses at those words a Suisse lying vpon the place and breathing more for the libertie of his country then for his owne life being so neere his death hee awakes and rising as well as hee could vpon his knees with an extraordinary vigour and taking vp a stone hee threwe it with such dexterity and force at BVRCARD as hee hit him in the midest of the fore-head and ouerthrewe him from his horse where hee died receiuing the reward of his cruell ingratitude and treason STVMPHIVS in the History of Suisserland In the yeare 1514. the Suisses going to succor MAXIMILIAN SFORZA Duke of Milan had the gard of Nouare the which they defended with such resolution as notwithstanding that the French made a furious battery against the walles yet the Suisses shewed to haue so little feare of them as they would neuer suffer the Towne gate which lookt into the campe to be shut A breach being made they endured an assault courragiously and repulst the Assaylants And which is more the night following beeing led by Captaine MOTIN they went without attending the succors that came vnto them to charge the French armie marching directly to the Artillery the which they wonne valiantly beeing two and twentie peeces and carryed them the next daie in tryumph to Nouare hauing slaine a great part of the French armie and put the rest in rout the which we will describe more amply in the following discourse where wee will write of great battailes giuen in diuers partes of the worlde since a hundred and fiftie yeares FR. GVICHARDIN Booke 2. Chap. 14. of his Historie of the warres of Italie The valour of the same Suisses appeered in the yeare 1515. at Saint Dona in the Duchie of Milan of whome GVICHARDIN yeeldes this testymonie Although the Suisses did fight still with great courrage and resolution yet seeing them-selues charged in front and in flanke and that the Venetian armie approched to assault them behinde they despayred of victory which they held for certaine the daie before so as it growing late they did sound a retreate and taking their Artillery vpon their shoulders they turned their squadrons and holding still their accustomed discipline they marched softly towards Milan with such amazement to the French as not any one of foote or horse-backe durst followe them There were onelie two Companies of theirs which being fled into a farme house were burnt by the Venetian light horse men The rest of the armie returned to Milan without disorder shewing the same countenance and resolution and some say they buried in the ground fiueteene peeces of great ordinance which they had gotten at the first Incounter for that they had no meanes to carrie them away All men say that for a long time there had not beene seene a more furious and fearefull battaile in Italie TRIVVLCE an ancient Captaine which had seene much sayd that this battaile had beene performed by Giants not by men and that eighteene battailes in which hee had beene were but combats of little children in respect of that and some hold that without the Canon the Suisses had gotten the victory who being entred at the first charge into the fortifications of the French and hauing taken from them the most of their peeces had alwaies wonne ground GVICHARDIN Booke 12. Chap. 13. About the yeare 1514. the French being beseeged in a fort called the lanterne of Genoa beseeched King LEVVIS the twelfth to succor them with vittells A Sclauonian Captaine entertained by the King carried him-selfe so well as in despight of all the Galleis which stopt the passage hee entred with his galleis laden with victuells and releeued the place in sight of all the Geneuois Therevpon EMANVEL CAVAL a Captaine at seâ—… very expert among those of his time hauing commande of a galley with 300 yong men vnder ANDREVV DORIA and going from the place where hee was set in gard hee beganne to go into the open sea to haue the more winde that he might vse both his owers and sayles and then he sayles directly against the Sclauonians galley not fearing the Cannon which did shoote at him continually from the Lanterne he graples with the sayd galley and leapes first into it him-selfe then hauing cut the cables wherewith the galley was tied vnto the fort commanding the Citty of Genoa in an instant hee drawes this galley after him turning the prowe of his owne and conducting it with such dexterity betwixt the shelfes and the conquered galley as mauger all letts hee arriued safe and was receiued with applause of all the people and honored with fiue hundred Crownes for a testymonie of his valour the spoyle of the conquered galley was diuided amongst the soldiars As for the Selauonian Captaine he cast himselfe into the sea meaning to swimme vnto the shelfes neere vnto the fort where hee pretended to saue himselfe But a young gentleman called IVSTINIAN casting himselfe into the sea followed him so swiftly as he ouertooke him and laying hold of his haire drewe him to the shore The Geneuois beeing Masters of the Lanterne which kept them in great awe and subiection did ruine it P. IOVIVS Booke 12. of his History Vanity I Did see a man some yeares since whose name I haue in singular recommendation in the midest of our greatest miseries when as neither Lawe Iustice nor Magistrate did Office no more then at this instant went and published certaine idle reformations vpon Apparell Diet and Lawe practise These are baits to deceiue an ill gouerned people with to saie that they are not wholie forgotten They are of the same sort which busie themselues to for-bidde with all vehemency talke dancing and plaâ—…es to a people abandoned to all kindes of execrable vices MONTAIGNE Booke 3. Chap 9. of his Essaies Vanity of the World represented in state PHILIP called the good Duke of Bourgondy in the memory of our ancestors being at Bruxâ—…lls with his Court and walking one night after supper throgh the streets accompanied with some of his fauorits he found lying vpon the stones a certaine Artisan that was very dronke and that slept soundly It pleased the Prince in this Artisan to make triall of the vanity of our life wherof he had before discoursed with his familiar friends Hee therfore caused this sleeper to be taken vp and carried into his Pallace hee commands him to bee layed in one of the richest beds a riche Night-cap to bee giuen him his foule shirt to bee taken off and to haue an other put
on him of fine Holland when as this Dronkard had disgested his Wine and began to awake behold there comes about his bed Pages and Groomes of the Dukes Chamber who drawe the Curteines make many courtesies and being bare-headed aske him if it please him to rise and what apparell it would please him to put on that day They bring him rich apparrell This new Monsieur amazed at such curtesie and doubting whether hee dreampt or waked suffered himselfe to be drest and led out of the Chamber There came Noble-men which saluted him with all honour and conduct him to the Masse where with great ceremonie they giue him the Booke of the Gospell and the Pixe to kisse as they did vsually vnto the Duke from the Masse they bring him backe vnto the Pallace hee washes his hands and sittes downe at the Table well furnished After dinner the great Chamberlaine commandes Cardes to be brought with a great summe of money This Duke in Imagination playes with the chiefe of the Court. Then they carrie him to walke in the Gardein and to hunt the Hare and to Hawke They bring him back vnto the Pallace where hee sups in state Candles beeing light the Musitions begin to play and the Tables taken away the Gentlemen and Gentle-women fell to dancing then they played a pleasant Comedie after which followed a Banket whereas they had presently store of Ipocras and pretious Wine with all sorts of confitures to this Prince of the new Impression so as he was drunke fell soundlie a sleepe Here-vpon the Duke commanded that hee should bee disrobed of all his riche attire Hee was put into his olde ragges and carried into the same place where he had beene found the night before where hee spent that night Being awake in the morning hee beganne to remember what had happened before hee knewe not whether it were true in deede or a dreame that had troubled his braine But in the end after many discourses hee concluds that all was but a dreame that had happened vnto him and so entertained his wife his Children and his neighbors without any other apprehension This Historie put mee in minde of that which SENECA sayth in the ende of his 59. letter to LVCILIVS No man saies he can reioyce and content himselfe if he be not nobly minded iust and temperate What then Are the wicked depriued of all ioye they are glad as the Lions that haue found their prey Being full of wine and Luxury hauing spent the night in gourmandise when as pleasures poored into this vessell of the bodie beeing to little to conteine so much beganne to foame out these miserable wretches crie with him of whome VIRGILL speakes Thou knowest how in the midest of pastimes false vaine We cast and past our latest night of paine The dissolute spend the night yea the last night in false ioyes O man this stately vsage of the aboue named ARTISAN is like vnto a dreame that passeth And his goodly day and the years of a wicked life differ nothing but in more and lesse He slept foure and twenty houres other wicked men some-times foure and twenty thousands of houres It is a little or a great dreame and nothing more A furious Vanity BERNARD SCARDEON in the 3. booke of his Historie of Padoua reportes that two Brethren of an honorable familie being one daie in Sommer at a certaine Countrie house of theirs after supper they went downe to the dore of their lodging and deuising of many things they beganne to contemplate the shyning starres being then very many as in a cleere season Then one of them beganne to say merrely I would I had as many Oxen as I see starres The other answered after the same manner and I would haue a Medowe as bigge as all the compasse of Heauen then turning to his Brother he added where would you then feede your Oxen In your Medowe replied the Brother yea if I would answered the other I in despight of you sayd he of the Oxen. In spight of mee sayd the other I replied his Brother So contesting togither their I est fell to earnest and from bitter wordes they fel to blowes and drawing their swords they thrust one an other through and fell downe in the place The seruants who had heard them lowde in wordes came running at the noyse of their swordes and carried them into the house whereas they died presently TH. ZVINGER Booke 2. of the first volume of his great Theater of mans life Wee haue an other Historie of our time related by P. IVSTINIAN in the foure and twenty Booke of his Historie of Venise no lesse tragicall then the former COSMO Duke of Florence amongest other Children had one a Cardynall called IOHN a Prince of great hope Going one daie a hunting with two other of his Bretheren FERDINAND and GARTIA beeing followed by some gentlemen their dogges start a Hare the which they hunt in a Champian field and take Herevpon the Brothers fell to some debate euery one maintayning that his Dogges had first found the Hare and then taken it From wordes they fell to iniurious tearmes The Cardynall not able to endure anie worde of disgrace gaue GARCIA a blowe of the eare who transported with choller drewe his sworde and wounded the Cardynall so sore as hee died soone after One of the Cardinalls Seruants fell vpon GARCIA and hurt him so greeuiously as hee followed his Brother within verie fewe daies after So for a matter of little or nothing Duke COSMO lost two of his Sonnes in fewe houres CAMERARIVS in his Historicall meditations Chap. 92. Some turbulent Spirits vnworthy to be named bread a quarrell betwixt GEORG and ALBERT Marquises of Brandeberg the which they did entertaine so cunningly as these two Princes Cousin-germains became open enemies one vnto an other and diuided their estates which before they had held in common making authenticall contracts GEORGE the more ancient hauing of long time obserued that ALBERT suffred himselfe to be gouerned by men that in the end would thrust him into great troubles tooke a resolution such as choller did sugiest for hearing that ALBERT was come to Neubourg without imparting it to anie one hee writ vnto him with his owne hand that seeing ALBERT did both say and doe him manie indignities hee would not therefore make warre against him nor suffer that their poore innocent subiects who were not acquainted with such quarrells should smart for it That they must ende this quarrell betwixt themselues And therefore although hee were much elder he presented the Combate to Marquis Albert wishing him if hee loued his honor to come alone on horse-backe armed like a Prince and Knight in a certaine place out of the way the which hee appointed neere vnto a forest whether he would come in the like equipage There they two without any witnesses would ende all their controuersies That with his white beard hee would incounter the red haire of ALBERT He seales vp his letters
calles a Page of his a Polonian borne commands him expresly to carrie them to Marquis ALBERT and not to deliuer them to any other then to him-selfe The Page desirous to execute his Princes commande prouides for his departure But as hee would haue gone to horse-backe an other page playing with him and handling his Pistoll shot it of vnaduisedly and slue the Polonian Page He was sercht and the letters which hee had about him carried backe by the which the Princes intention was descouered to his Councellers they let him vnderstand what had happened and the stay which it seemed GOD had sent Wherevpon he changed his opynion and followed other expedients pardoning the ill aduised Page who had killed the other vnawares This happened in the yeare 1541. CAMERARIVS Chap. 92. of his Historicall meditations Wormes in mans body THE sonne of a Butcher called LAVVRENCE seuen yeares olde being sicke of Wormes which tormented him continued three dayes as one dead receiuing no sustenance but drinke made with Grasse Water with Vinegar and Sugar The fourth day they made him to take a potion of Aloes Mirrhe and Saffron which made him to voide by the siege an hundred fortye and eight Wormes which done hee recouered his health BENIVENIVS Chap. 85. Of hidden causes I haue knowne a woman aboue forty yeares old who who was oft troubled with great paine in her stomacke with-all shee had no appetite but had a great desire to cast hauing vsed the confection called Hierapigra shee voided about forty great Wormes DODONEVS in his Obseruations vpon the 85. Chap. I had a sick olde man in cure being about 82. yeares old and not knowing at the first sight his infirmitie comming neere vnto him I found his breath to bee very vnsauorie like vnto young Children that are troubled with Wormes I resolued therefore to Phisicke him as one that was full of such filthe Then hee seemed as one dead and the Duke of Ferrarares Steward had commanded that they should prepare all that was necessary for the funerals of that man I caused him to take a drinke fitte for that disease in the which there was Scordium and Sea Mosse by meanes whereof hee discharged him-selfe of aboue fiue hundred Wormes and was cured This was a casuall cure for I should neuer haue thought that a decrepit olde man should haue beene toucht with that disease BRASAVOLE in his Coment vpon the 26. Aphorisme of the 3. Booke of HIPPOCRATES A young Maide a Candiot continued eight dayes without speaking and her eyes open who hauing voided two and forty wormes with out any excrements was cured ALEXANDER BENEDICTVS In the yeare 1545. I did see a certaine Gentlewoman who in few dayes put forth a thousand wormes and in the space of foure houres foure hundred some dead some aliue after the which she was well P. PAVL PEREDA in the 1. Booke of the cure of diseases Chap. 5. I haue seene a sicke body which at one time did voyde by the siege a hundred seuentie and seuen Wormes GABVCIN Chap. 13. in his Commentarie of the Lungs Doctor MANVEL BETVLEIVS had a little boye foure yeares old called SIXTVS the which was troubled with a great and extraordinary â—…euer with a paine in his head a cough a great alteration a shaking in his sleepe and a crying out which made me say that he was full of Wormes So as hauing made him drinke a Decoction of Tanecete three mornings together hee cast aboue a hundred Wormes a foote long a peece and was sodenly cured of his feuer and all other accidents WECKER in his Obseruations A young Maiden hauing cast a great round Worme her Father ript it and found it full of other Wormes The Maide being full of this Vermine dyed within few dayes AMATVS a Portugall in the 5. Centurie Cure 46. A young Boye foure yeares olde much tormented with wormes after many remedies voyded by the seege a round bladder like a Ball. The Mother opening it in the presence of others found inclosed in it many thousands of little wormes The Childe being carefully lookt vnto was soone after recouered In the 2. Centurie Cure 40. I haue seene a Ball full of Wormes tyed one vnto another so as at the first sight you would haue thought they had beene but one The same It is wonderfull what ERASMVS reports in a certaine Oration of his made in the praise of Phisicke Hee saith that hee had seene an Italian who had neuer beene in Germanie nor seene any Booke or man of that Nation or any one that vnderstood it and yet hee spake the Germaine tongue well so as they thought hee had a spirit Hauing beene Phisicked by a learned Phisition and by the meanes of a drinke discharged of a great number of Wormes hee was cured of his infirmitie but hee neyther spake nor vnderstood any more the Germaine tongue CARDAN liber 8. Chap. 43. Of the Diuersitie of Things I haue seene Children so tormented with Wormes as they suffered strange convulsions and so violent as they held them almost from the heele to the head TRINCAVEL lib. 9. Chap. 11. Of the reason of curing the affected parts of mans body IHON BAPTISTA CAVALAIRE a learned Physition hath protested vnto me that hee had seene Wormes come out of the Nauell of a Childe of three yeare olde OMNIBONVS liber 4. Chap. 13. In the Treatise of the cure of children Maister PETER BARQVE a Surgion of the French bands and CLAVDE le GRANDE a Surgion remaining at Verdun haue assured me that they had a woman in cure called GRAS BONNET dwelling in the same place who had an Impostume in her belly out of the which there came with the matter a great number of Wormes as biggeas a mans finger with sharpe heads the which had eate her intrailes so as for many dayes shee voyded fâ—…cale matter by the vlcer and in the end was cured Maister AMB. PARH lib. 19. Cap. 3. A Woman of Delft forty yeares olde being gone seuen moneths with childe fell into a Feuer with other troublesome accidents so as in the end she had an ouerture in her belly out of the which there came namely by her Nauill a yealow and stinking matter like to the ordinarie excrementes In the ende the 19 of September 1579. a Worme being a foote and a halfe long came forth at her Nauill Two dayes after shee cast forth another that was greater Her Feuer encreased the first of October so as I feared shee would bee deliuered before her time The third of the same moneth came forth a third Worme by the Nauill the which was lesse then the former The 15. of October shee was brought in bedde of a Sonne and seuen dayes after shee voyded a fourth Worme at her Nauill and the 24 of October a fiâ—…t as great as the first And for that shee was not carefully lookâ—… vnto by reason of her pouerty and base condition shee languished some moneths before she could recouer her health PETER FOREST liber 7.
Obseruation Chap. 35. Doctor HOVLIER lib. 1. Chap. 54. of inward Diseases writes That others haue had Wormes come forth of their bodies at their Nauils and at their Groynes THOMAS VEGA in his Commentarie vppon the 5. Chapter of the 1. Booke of GALEN of affected places saith that he had seene two men tormented with wormes which felt them in an instant come out by the groine hauing pierced the bowels and the filme which couers them The wound was closed vp for the one but the other had it open all his life by the which he voyded his excrements TRINCAVEL lib. 19. Chap. 11. sayth That he had seene a child fiue yeares old whose belly the wormes had pierst and came out at his Nauill I haue seene come out of a mans body a worme fifteene foote long and of the breadth of a Gourd seed ALEX. BENEDICTVS in the preface of the 21. Booke of his practise In the territorie of Sienna a certaine woman hauing drunke the water of the Bathes that are there and continued it seauen dayes voyded Wormes of that length They were so tyed one to an other as they were foure Cubits long and seeing them a farre off you would haue sayd it had beene but one Worme BENIVENIVS Chap. 87. I did cure an honest man who did drawe out by the siege a Worme almost three yeards long and after-wards although he seemed to be some-what better yet hee was full of Wormes which some-times procured him a wonderfull appetite to eate and other-whiles againe it gaue mee a wonderfull distaste DODONEVS in his Annotations vpon the 87. Chapt. I haue seene such large Wormes and almost of an incredible length at Mirandola to the amazement of all those that were with mee MAINARD in the Epistle of the third Booke An other Physition famous among the Germaines called IAMES CORNARIVS saith that hee had driuen out of a certaine mans body dwelling at Northuse a worme that was very broad like vnto those which the Greekes call Taeniae for that they are long and large like vnto bandes the which was ten Cubites long and hee thinkes that it was but halfe a worme the other halfe hauing beene pulled from him before A young child two yeares and foure moneths old at Recine in Italy in the yeare 1538. voyded one of these broad Wormes whole of a prodigious length to the sight where-of almost all the Towne came running for this Worme being many ells long was preserued aliue almost a day in a Basin full of water where it did mooue like a Worme creeping vpon the earth GABVCIN Chap. 13. of his Commentarie of the Lungs I haue seene a Sclauonian Woman which in coughing did cast vp one of these wormes fashioned like a Serpent the which was foure Cubits long AMATVS a Portugal Century 16. Cure 74. We might produce a dozen Histories of such other Wormes which were at the least an ell long but for that a great number of other remaine to be obserued I will busie my selfe about the principall A Suisses wife of the Canton of zurich young and fertill was sick three yeares together by reason of one of these large and long wormes that was growne within her Bowels shee sent me a peece to zurich that I might see it deliuer my opinion and ease her This peece was aboue fiue ells long without tayle or head couered with scales like a Serpent broad as ones little finger and of the coulour of Ashes In the yeare 1571. when she dyed shee cast vp an other of an incredible length for it was aboue twenty ells the which her seruants had dryed in the smoake to preserue it During her infirmity this Woman was conceiued and deliuered twise of Childe Being fasting these Wormes did gnawe her cruelly and when shee had eaten and drunke shee had some ease This disease was accompanyed and followed by other greâ—…uous infirmities as a Constipation a Chollick and the Dropsy wherof shee dyed THEOD DYNVS Chap. 15. Of his mixtures of Phisicke I remember that I haue caused diuers persons to voide Wormes being thirteene Cubites long C. Gâ—…SNER lib. 3. of his Epistles pag. 90. A Suisses wife brought me a Worme which shee had voyded rowled vp of it selfe as it had beene a bottome of thred as bigge as an Egge the which shee had voyded at her mouth It stirred yet and beeing stretcht out in my presence it was found to bee three ells long with scales of an Ashie coulour like a Serpent A Kins-woman of mine two and twentie yeares old tormented with such Wormes fell to haue an insatiable hunger and a stopping of her monthly courses In the end Nature helping her shee drew forth with her hands by the lower parts peece after peece a Worme many ells long and then shee was soone cured I. SCHENKIVS in his Physicall Obseruations lib. 3. Sect. 208. In the yeare 1561. the sixteenth of February a Vinetrimmer of Arles did voide such a large and long worme by peeces whereof the one was twentye hand bredths long and another eight It was like vnto thinne skins wrinckled of the coulour of Ashes and soft After that the Patient had beene discharged of such filthe he sounded and remained with-out strength or pulce but in the end hee was recouered VALERIOLA lib. 1. Obseru 9. The long and large or fatte Wormes lye some-times along the Bowels and are of a slimie substance with the which one named LVCAS FAREL the Arche-Duke MATHIAS Cooke was tormented euery three moneths very sore and did voyde such rotten filthe by peeces of sixe twelue and fiueteene foote long Thus sayth CAROLOVS CLVSIVS in his Annotations vpon the 3. Booke of Monardus simples I haue seene one which came forth of a woman and was like vnto a serpent aboue a fadome long Where as wee must not wonder seeing that the Ancients write that they had seene some as long as the gutts the which are seauen times as long as our body for that the Bowels of euery man are of that length the which I haue seene and shewed in the Physick schooles at Paris making the dissection of an Anotomy Moreouer IOHN WIER a learned Physition to the Duke of Cleues writes in his worke of the Imposture of Diuills that a Country-man did cast vp a worme eight foote and a halfe long the which had the throat almost like vnto a Duckes-bill M. AMB. PARE Booke 19. Chap. 4. There is a dangerous kinde of wormes breeding of a melancholike humor which receiue their norrishment of the remedies they vse to kill wormes There hath beene one seene in our time at ZVRICH the which was about nineteene foote long BARTLEMâ—…VVE CARRITCHTER in his Obseruations Hauing giuen a purgation to a certaine Germaine woman that was much troubled with the wormes she cast one that was brought vnto me of a prodigious length for it was fiue and forty foote long Afterwards she voided two others which were nothing so long as the first IAMES OETHAEAV in his Obseruations I haue seene a yong
girle of foure yeares of age voide wormes aliue that were twenty ells long G. HAMBERGER professor in Physicke at Tubinge in certaine questions that were disputed of in the yeare 1574. A young Countrie-Maide foureteene yeares olde being in good helth voided a worme 14. foote long WECKERVS in his Oberseruations An other Country-woman of the age of 35. yeares being greatly troubled with wormes voided one eighteene foote long The same Author A certaine poore Coūtry-maide voided a worme at twice long and large the which was neere fiue ells long GASPAR WOLF in his Obseruations I haue some-times seene sicke persons voide of these large wormes that were forty foote long with such violence as one would haue thought they would cast vp their gutts These wormes haue no hollownes but are compounded of a kinde of white skinne thicke and slymie markt with blacke spotts and without motion They are like vnto points or bands and are ingendred in the Bowells of a rotten Iuice FELIX PLATER in his Obseruations A Padouan Barber remayning at Mantoua about Automne in the yeare 1556 after some fitts of an Ague did cast off these wormes a finger broad and seuen cubits long such as Doctor PLATER hath described MAR. DONATVS Booke 4. of his Admirable Histories Chap. 26. Doctor SCHENCK and QVENTS in their obseruations note two Histories of the like wormes of six seauen and eight Cubits long FERNELIVS Booke 6. Chap 10. of his Pathologia speakes of an other kinde of wormes called ASCARIDES which he sa◅es come out of the fundement then fasten themselues to the buttocks and thighes And Docter IOHN de IESSEN in his obseruations affirmes the same reporting that a little child of one of the chiese Councellors to the Emperor RODOIPHVS the 2. being troubled with the falling sicknesse many Phisitions being assembled togither to consult of the causes of this violent ordinary Infirmity they were much troubled to resolue IRSSEN caused it to be vnswadled visited the fundemēt where he found Ascarides Then with one common consent they applied a Corsey the cause of the disease being taken away by little and little the Child grewe to perfect helth But we must yet propound other Histories of monstrous wormes quite different from the common forme that the reader may see more and more vnto what miseries wee are all subiect through sinne and by these relations learne to humble our selues before our GOD and soueraigne Iudge A Chanoin tormented with the chollicke tooke of the confection called HIERA PIGRA and cast forth a worme like vnto a Lizard but greater hairy hauing foure feete the which was kept aliue in a violl of glasse MONTVVS Booke 4. Chap 19. In the memory of our Fathers a woman with-child at Craco◅ia in Poland was deliuered of one still borne the which had vpon the backe of it a great worme of the forme of a serpent the which did g◅awe this little creature LICOSTHENES in his Histories of Prodigies A young maiden of Louvain in Brabant 15. years old after that shee had endured much shee did voide both from aboue and beneath strange things amongst others by the seege with the excrements a worme a foote and a halfe long greater then a mans Thombe very like vnto an eele the difference was that the taile was verie hairy C. GEMMA Booke 2. Chap. 2. A. BENIVENIVS 2 Physition of Florence writes that a Carpenter called IOHN 40. yeares of age was continually troubled with a paine at his heart without any ease BENIVENIVS hauing giuen him some potion with a great quantity of matter which hee voided he cast vp a good long worme hauing a redde head round and of the bignesse of a great pease hauing the bodie all couered with soft haire a forked taile like a halfe Moone and foure feete as a Lizard AMB. PARE Booke 19. Chap. 3. A Spanish Gentlewoman returning from Peru did assure that she had beene sick many years there and could finde no helpe In the end an Indian held for a great herbalist came to see her made her drink the iuice of Veruein well purified by means wherof soone after she cast vp a worme which shee called a snake all hairy a foote long besides the taile which done shee recouered her helth MONARDVS Booke 3. of the simples of the newe found world in the Chap. of Verueine ANTHONY CAPTAINE a Phisition of Mantoua hath often told mee that a gentleman of that place called LAVRENCE ZAFFARD hauing bin trobled with a melancholike ague a loathing of meate with a paine at his heart which made him to shrike out he did vomit vp a worme the which liued seauen houres it was a foote-long hauing hornes on the head and a 100. feete on either side with the which he crept strangly it was of a reddish collour and flat MACEL DONATVS Booke 4. Chap. 26. of his Histories BONIFACE COCK of Padoua had a little Sonne which remained in a trance as one dead for the space of sixe houres FALLOPIVS a learned Physition prescribed som-thing vnto him with the helpe whereof hee recouered his spirrits and one houre after voided aboute fortie wormes amongst the which there was one blacke hairy with two heads a Cubit long which liued three daies SCHENCH Booke 3. Obseruation 21. A young girle about some nine yeares olde hauing taken the powlder of wormes did cast vp little Caterpillers a liue DODONEVS in his annotation vpon the 58. Chapter of BENIVENIVS Hauing an old woman that was sick of a Pluresie in cure shee cast forth a black Snaile hauing blacke feete long and soft hornes markt being full of filthie matter and two fingers long GESNER lib. 3. of his Epistles pag. 94. I haue seene a Worme which was no longer then the bredth of foure fingers but hauing the backe couered with a reddish haire This Worme had tormented a certaine young man so as there was no hope of life in him but in the end by meanes of a fit drinke hee did vomit vp the Worme and so escaped GABVCIN in his Comentarie of the Lungs Chap. 13. A Tayler in Languedoc not farre from Montpellier being cured of a strange Feuer in the end hee did cast vp a Worme three quarters long the which was round thick and aliue and with it much melancholike and black matter GASP. WOLFIN in his obseruations A Suisse of the Canton of zug a strong man feeling commonly some thing that did pricke him at the orifice of the stomacke being eased by some potions he did cast vp a great number of Wormes of two and three foote long The same A Maide of Briele in Holland did vomit vp a great number of Wormes and which is more a yeare after she voyded Snailes which her Mother did shew mee assuring me that shee had kept one which had liued two dayes P. FOREST lib. 18. Obseruat 19. In the yeare 1578. THIENETE CARTIER dwelling at Saint Maur a widow-woman fortie yeares olde did cast in the beginning of her fitt great abundance of
cholerick humor with the which shee voyded three Wormes the which were wolley and like in forme colour length and greatnesse to Catter-pillers but that they were blacke the which afterwards laye eight dayes and more with-out any norrishment They were brought by the Barber of Saint Maur to Mounsier MILOT Doctor and reader in the Physick schooles who then had the sayd CHARTIER in cure and shewed them to me to many others AMB. PARE Booke 24. Chap. 16. Let vs adde some Histories of wormes comming forth in diuers partes of mans bodie to shewevs more plainly our miserable vanity Hauing a soldiar in cure in Piedmont who had beene foote-man to Mounsier de Goulaines deceased and had beene hurt with a sword vpon the parietall boane after some weekes dressing him I did see a number of wormes come from vnder this rotten boane by certaine hoales in the rottenes which made me vse the more speede to drawe out and raise the sayd boane the which did shake long before and vpon the Duramater I found where nature had ingendred 3. hollowe places in the flesh to put in ones Thombe full of moouing and crawling wormes euery one of the which was about the bignesse of a points tagge hauing blacke heads â—…MB PARE Booke 9. Chap. 22. Manie learned Physitions of our time and amongest the rest I. HOVLIER in the first booke of inward diseases Chap. 1. L. IOVBERT Cap. 9 in his treatise of wounds in the head MONTVVS and VEGA hold that many times wormes are seene in the braine of diuers men as also in other partes of the bodie BALTHAZAR CONRADIN Chap. 10. Of his booke of the Pestylent feuer in Hungary writes that hee had seene wormes comming out of diuers partes of bodies toucht with the sayd feuer and some of a good length which tooke their issue by the eares the which of necessity bred in the Ventricles of the braine And therefore the Hungarians in diuers places did tearme this feuer the worme of the braine COR. GEMMA in the Apendix of his Cosmocritia makes mention of a woman in the Lowe Countries who being dead of a pestilent Ague they opened her head where there was found a great quantity of stinking matter about the substance of the braine with an incredible number of little wormes and punaises I. HOVLIER writes in his practise that hee had giuen Physicke to an Italian that was tormented with an extreame paine in his head whereof hee died And hauing caused him to be opened there was found in the substance of the braine a beast like vnto a Scorpion the which as HOVLIER thinkes was ingendred for that this Italian had continually carried and smelt of the herbe called Baselisk A young girle about eight yeares of age beeing fallen into a very great trance remained seauen daies without speaking feeling or with any moouing breathing stronglie and taking no norrishment but some broth or decoction of pourpie The Mother seeing her Daughter so violently toucht in the head gaue her a suppositarie which drewe from her by the seege two and fortie wormes wrethed togither like to a bowle whereby the Childe was cured ALEX BENEDICT Booke 1. Chap. 26. of the cure of diseases A little Sonne of mine three yeares olde called IOHN CONRARD beeing fallen into a verie troublesome trance and presently helpt with Treacle and Vinager applyed to his mouth and nostrills being a sleepe and afterwards awake wee found in the sheete wherein hee was wrapt a worme which had a sharpe mussell markt with redde hairie and crawling in the clothes I. SCHENCK in his Obseruation Booke 1. section 242. It happened to a young Childe of three yeares olde which was very well this wonderfull and memorable alteration which followes As she was playing by certaine women there beganne sodenly to appeere in the great corner of the eye within it the head of a worme whose bodie almost couered the eye The woman being amazed drewe neere and one of them did gently drawe out this worme which was aliue and long as an ordynarie point and some-what bigge without any hurt to the string or that the comming of it forth had any way offended the eye AMATVS a Portugall Centur. 5. Cure 63. I haue seene come forth at a young mans eares that was tormented with a violent feuer three wormes like to the kirnells of Pyne-aples and some-what bigger VELASQVE Booke 4. Chap. 30. FERNELIVS Booke 5. Chap. 7. of his Pathologia writes of a soldiar who was so flat nozed as hee could not blowe it so as of the excrement which was retained and putrefied there ingendred two wormes which were wolley and had hornes of the bignesse of halfe a finger the which were the cause of his death after that hee had beene madde for the space of twentie daies AMB. PARE Booke 19. Chap. 3. In the yeare 1561. the fifth of Maie a young woman giuing suck to her boye but sixe monthes olde stooping to tie her shoe shee voided belowe a little beast as bigge as a Caterpiller and hideous to behold It liued three daies beeing fedde with milke Beeing dead it was found full of cholericke matter greene and venimous especially about the head The young woman felt no discommodity after this voyding The Sonne of one named IOHN MICHELLACH dwelling at Metz did voide at his fundement very haire I did see one of thirtie and three yeares of age Sonne to N. ROCKELFINGER who in pissing voyded little wormes which did crawle like vnto those that breede in rotten cheese but they had blacke heads I haue seene others that had wormes comming out at their eares A certaine Gentleman named CAPELLE hauing beene so wretched and wicked as to beate his Father fell sicke and had wormes come out at his eyes A woman of Dusseldorp hauing beene very sicke for a long time in the ende a certaine Impostume growing vpon her bellie aboue her flanke it brake by wormes which were ingendred therein out of the which there came a great number black and reddish R. SOLENANDER in the 5. section of his Physicall Councells in the 15. Councell art 2. 3. 4. 24. In burning feuers especially in those that be contagious and pestilent we see that diseases cast forth wormes by the taile and other beasts of horrible and strange shapes Of late a poore woman a widowe of Reinspourg hauing beene long tormented with a cough a shortnesse of breath and a paine at her heart and head in the ende after diuers remedies shee tooke the quintessence of Turbithe which I gaue her by meanes whereof after that she had beene discharged of certaine vicious excrements she voided by the seege a liue Lizard and then shee was cured I doe not speake of a number of frogges which PAVL FISCHER studying in the Colledge of the Abbaye of Saint Esmeran did voide hauing beene long tormented with strange paine at his stomake But after this discharge hee was very well MARTIN RVLAND a Physition in his opinion touching the golden tooth of the Childin
Silesia Sometimes there happens sharpe and dangerous paines in the head which cause a dimnesse of the sight a decay of vnderstanding a suppression of the voyce a vomiting and a want of naturall heate through-out all the body A friend of mine named PHILIP was troubled with all these infirmities so as all men expected his death the seuenth day no Phisicke helping him in the ende by the helpe of Nature which was strong in him hee cast forth a Worme at his right nostrill the length of foure or fiue fingers breadth where-by hee was cured BENIVENIVS Chap. 100. I did see one of the Seigneurs of Venice tormented with a feuer but much more in the night then in the day in the end he cast out at his nostrils a Grayish Worme about foure fingers long the which had feete proportioable to the body and being put into a Glasse full of water it did mooue swiftly It came out at the nose wrapt in the snot with thick and black bloud TRINCAVEL lib. 9. Chap. 11. A young Maiden being sick at the signe of the Lanterne at Saint Iames Port in Paris thrust forth at one of her nostrils a Worme that was bigge and large that was foure fingers long without any Coughe or Vomiting going before This was the 9. of Aprill 1553. Annotations vpon the first Booke of Maister HOVLIER of inward diseases Chap. 54. I haue knowne a certaine man hauing an Vlcer in his nostrils from whence did distill poysoned corruption By my aduice hee dropt in the Iuyce of Tobacco leaues At the second time there came forth of his nostrils a great number of Wormes and afterwards lesse in the end after some dayes the Vlcer was cured MONARDVS in his collection of Simples beyond the Sea MONTVVS in his worke of growing diseases Chap. 4. reports after VELASQVES that there are Wormes which breed vnder the tongue I. SCHENCK in his Obseruations liber 1. Sect. 387. Many other learned Phisitions agree and maintaine with AVICENNE and other Ancients that Wormes breed in the teeth the which they drawe forth with diuers perfumes ALEX. BENEDICTVS lib. 6. Chap. 13. Of the cure of diseases BENIVVENIVS Chap. 100. DO DONEVS in his Scholiast RONDELET in his Historie of Fishes in his Chapter of Creuises TH. de VEGA in his Comentar vpon the â—… Booke Chap. 5. Of affected places of GALLEN HOVLIER in his Annotations vpon the fift Booke of GALLEN Of compounded Medicines I haue made mention else-where of a young Prince after his death being opened there was found a white Worme fastened vnto the heart which had the beake pointed and hard like vnto that of a Chicken Others in their Annotations vppon Mounsieur HOVLIENS worke of inward diseases obserue vpon the 29. Chapter of the 1. Booke that some times it happens that wormes tickling not onely the orifice of the stomack but also the heart it selfe death doth presently ensue I haue also spoken of a Florentine who beeing dead of an Apoplexie was opened where there was a Worme found in the filme of the heart RONDELET speaking of the Riuer Creuisse in his History of Fishes saieth That hee had seene a Worme breeding in one of the brests of an Honorable Gentlewoman BALDVVIN ROVSETVS a Phisition of Holland in the 10. Chapter of his Miscellania reportes the like of another Woman H. MONTVVS a learned Physition doth maintaine that there are wormes breed in the Veines of mans body PLINIE doth also write it lib 26. Chap. 13. I. SCHENCK lib. 3. of his Obseruations Sect. 52. One demanded councell of a Spaniard by Letters and helpe for one that was troubled with grauell who hauing voyded some stones and much sand did also put forth at his yarde two little Wormes hauing pointed beakes two hornes vpon the head as a Snaile the backe and belly was as it were couered with scales black like a Tottoise but vnder the belly which was redde Annotations vpon the 50. Chapter of the 1. Booke of Maister HOVLIER Of inward diseases I haue wondred to see in mine owne Vrine a great great number of Wormes short and little like to small Lice CARDAN in his Coment vpon the 76. Aphorisme of the fourth Booke of HIPPOCRATES GILBERT GRIFEON an excellent Physition and some-times my Schoole-maister hath some-times shewed mee Wormes in Vrines as small as haires the which wee could not see but in looking very neere RONDELET in his History of Fishes in the Chapter of the Riuer Creuish I haue seene in an Vrine Wormes as large as Gourd seedes flatte and aline MONTVVS liber 4. Chap. 19. ARGENTERIVS a most learned Physition doth affirme that hee had seene the forme of a winged Dragon comming forth with the Vrine RONDELET in his Treatise of the Knowledge of Diseases Mounsieur DVRET a Physition hath assured mee that hee did voyde at his yarde after a long and greeuous sicknesse a little Beast aliue very strange and wonderfull to behold which was of a reddish coulour CHARLES Earle of Mansfield beeing very sore sicke of a continuall Feuer cast forth at his yarde a Worme of the very forme of a blacke Pye AMBROSE PARE lib. 19. Chap. 3. I haue seene in the Vrines of diuers that haue beene sicke of the great Poxe Wormes like vnto Antes LEMNIVS lib. 2. Chap. 40. Of the secret miracles of Nature One being troubled with difficultie of making water voyded by his yarde a little liue Scorpion I. SCHENCK lib. 3. of his Obseruations Sect. 312. In the Bladder of some persons Wormes doe breede and little Beasts like to Cockles of the Sea ALEX. BENEDICT lib. 2. Chap. 22. of his Anotomie I attribute much credit in Phisicke and Surgerie to experience applyed to reason An honorable Woman did voyde by the neck of the Matrix a great number of Wormes called Ascarides soone after recouered her health GARSIAS LOPES in his diuers Lessons of Phisick Chap. 13. Visiting one FREDERIC seruant to FRANCIS BOVRSAT a Lawyer beeing full of paine with an Impostume that was growne at the ende of his middle finger the which beeing ripe I caused to bee lansht out of the which there came presently a white Worme wolly hauing a black head as bigge as those Maggots that are found in Cheeses after the which FREDERIC was cured MARCELLVS DONATVS lib. 4. of his Historie Chap. 26. A certaine Man hauing a swelling or Wenne on his necke as bigge as an Egge by chance being in a quarrell hee was wounded very sore in the same place the which was found to bee full of quicke Lice and the patient was cured of his hurt of his Wenne and of his Vermie PETER FOREST in his Obseruations Maister CORNELIVS HEYDIVS a Physition at Delft hath told me that practising in the Franche Countie hee had a Maide in cure which had a crooke back who feeling a great itching on that part hee thought it was some Impostume applying things fit to make it ripe Being opened there came out of it matter as cleere as water with a
great aboundance of Lice The same I haue seene an Impostume in a Maidens flanke the which beeing opened by the Surgion it was found full of Wormes FALLOPIVS in the 4. Chap. of swellings that be not Naturall Visiting the body of a Souldiar of Modena that was dead in the Hospitall of the Carmelites I found it full of Impostumes both within and without all which were full of Wormes like vnto Lice The same A Germaine Gentlewoman troubled with diuerse diseases among others did vomit vp at diuerse times aboue twelue hundred little wormes not aboue six yeares since some as long as a Mans finger others longer whereof we will speake more amply in another place I. SCHENCK recites this History in the last Section of the seuenth Booke of his Obseruations It remaines to speake a worde of such Vermine as comes forth from betwixt the skinne and the flâ—…sh a disease called Ptiriasis Many both great and small ancient and moderne haue beene strucken with it and carried out of the world In some they haue onely obserued some naturall indisposition whereof the Phisitions yeeld pertinent reasons in others some speciall visitation of GOD. I haue before made mention of some whervnto I will adde this that followeth AMATVS a Portugall in the 3. Century cure 58. saith that he had cured one that had Ptiriasis ot the Lousie disease with an Ointment letting him bloud and purging him well before Hee writes also that a Portugall of Lisbone called TABORA was so tormented with such Vermine as two slaues of his being Moores did nothing but carry away Baskets full of this Vermine breeding in his bodie and emptied them in the Sea which was neere vnto the sicke mans lodging A young Painter being troubled with an itching was aduised to stand naked neere vnto the fire which caused Blisters to rise on his back out of the which there came aboundance of Lyce P. FOREST lib. 8. Obseru 15. As for those wretches whome the hand of GOD hath toucht in all ages and which haue beene deuoured aliue with Lice I will leaue the search and consideration there-of vnto the Reader I could name some aduanced to great dignities according to the worlde and riche who within these fiue and twenty yeares namelye in our France for that they were not punished by men according to their merites haue not yet escaped the iust vengeance of the Almightie Some haue dyed with-out sence others haue felt some Worme in their conscience but destitute of the true knowledge of GOD and of them-selues haue dyed most miserably There is no Prouince in the realme but may furnish store of examples Such punishments doe put both great and small in minde of these two verses To learne to doe well carefull be and seeme And not in scorne of GOD to disesteeme Old Men. CAptaine LAVDONNIERE chiefe of three Ships well appointed sayled in the yeare 1564. towards Florida where being arriued the Seignior of Ottigny his Lieutenant was lead by a Paraousty or Lord of the Country to his Fathers lodging one of the oldest men that was then liuing vpon the earth The French-men respecting the age of this Floridien began to gratifie him by the common terme of friend whereat the olde man did seeme to reioyce much Then they asked him of the course of his age where-vnto hee made answer shewing that from him were come fiue generations More-ouer hee shewed them an other olde man set right against him the which did exceed him much in age It was his Father who did more resemble a carcase of boanes then a liuing man for he had the sinewes the veines the artiers the boanes and other parts appearing so plainly aboue the skinne as you might number and distinguish one from an other And hee was so old as the poore man had lost his sight and could speake little and with very great paine The Seignior of Ottigny hauing seene so strange a thing went to the young olde man intreated him to answer vnto that which hee had demanded touching his age Then the old Man called a troupe of Indiens and striking twise vppon his thigh and laying his hand vpon two of them hee gaue him to vnderstand by signes and tokens that these two were his Children then striking vppon his thighes hee shewed him others that were not so olde which issued from the two first the which he continued in that manner vnto the fifte generation Although this olde man had a Father and that both had white and exceeding long haire yet it seemed by their naturall constitution they might liue thirtie or fortie yeares longer and yet the youngest of them was not lesse then two hundred and fiftie yeares olde Historie of Florida by Mounsier BASANNIER a French Gentleman Age growne young againe VELASQVES of Tarentum makes mentiion in his Filone of an Abbesse that was in the Monastery of Monuiedre the which in his time was almost a hundred yeares old and as she seemed very old nature which declined in her recouered so great force and vertue as her monthly courses which she had lost for manie yeares beganne to come againe as if shee had beene yong moreouer all her teeth came againe her haire began to shew black and to expell the white so as recouering her best estate the wrinkles of her face ware away her brests grewe fat plompe in the end she grewe as faire and fresh as when she was but thirty years old so as many went to see her as the most admirable thing which they had euer seene She hid her selfe and would not bee seene beeing ashamed of this strange alteration which she found in her selfe And although that VELASQVES did forget to note the number of yeares which shee liued afterwardes yet it is to bee presumed that they were reasonably long seeing that nature in the declyning had shewed so goodly and extraordinary a worke A. TORQVEMADO in the first iorney of his discourse Beeing at Rome about the yeare 1531. it was bruted throughout all Italie that at Tarentum there liued an old man who at the age of a hundred yeares was growne young againe like vnto the Abbesse Hee had changed his skinne like vnto the snake and had recouered a newe beeing growne so young and fresh as those which had seene him and knowne him beefore could then scarse beleeue their owne eyes Hauing continued aboue fiftie yeares in this estate hee grewe to bee so olde as hee seemed to bee made of barkes of trees The same The Admirall Don FADRIGVE passing in his youth by a place called Rioya hee see a man that was fiftie yeares olde in his opynion who tould him that hee had beene foote-man to his grand-father And when as the Admirall would not beleeue it for that it was long since his grand-father was dead this man sayd vnto him that hee had no reason to doubt thereof for that hee was a hundred yeares olde and that being old hee was growne young againe so as nature was changed in
him and had renewed all that which was the cause of age the which made him to seeme younger then hee was The Admirall was desirous to knowe the truth and found that the was as it old man had sayd The same Author That aboue written is not impossible addes TORQVEMADO seeing that in our time wee knowe a verie admirable thing of a man mentioned by FERNAND LOPES of Castagneda Historiographer to the King of Portugall in the eight booke of his Chronicle where he sayth that NONNIO de CVGNE being Viceroye at the Indies in the yeare 1536. there was a man brought vnto him as a thing worthie of admiration for that it was auerred by great proofes and sufficient testimony that hee was three hundred and fortie yeares old Hee remembred that hee had seene that Cittie wherein he dwelt vnpeopled being then when he spake one of the chiefe of all the East-Indies Hee had growne young againe fouretimes leauing his white haire and hauing newe teeth When the Viceroy did see him hee had his haire and his beard black although hee had not much And as by chance there was a Physition present the Viceroy would haue him feele this olde mans pulce the which he found as good and as strong as a young mans in the prime of his age This man was borne in the Realme of Bengala and did affirme that hee had at times neere seauen hundred wiâ—…es whereof some were dead and some hee had put away The King of Portugall aduertised of this wonder did often inquier and had yeerely newes by the fleete which came Hee liued aboue three hundred and seauentie yeares The same Castagnede addes that in the time of the same Viceroy there was also found in the Cittie of Bengala an other man a Moore or MAHVMETAN called XEQVEPIR borne in a Prouince named XEQVE who was three hundred yeares olde as hee sayd all those which did knowe him did also certefie it for that they had great presumptions and testimonies This Moore was reputed amongst them for a holie man by reason of his austernes and abstinence The Portugals did conuerse famyliarly with him and besides that the Histories of Portugall are faithfully collected and certefied by verie autenticall witnesses there were in my time both in Portugall and in Castille many witnesses which had seene these old men The same ALEX. BENEDICTVS reports in his practise that hee had seene a woman called VICTORIA who had lost all her teeth and beeing growne bald other teeth came againe at the age of eighteene yeares AMB. PARE Booke 24. Chap. 17. I haue heard Mistris DESBECK saie that shee had knowne a woman seauentie yeares olde the which in certaine monethes for some yeares had her monethly courses verie orderly In the ende comming downe into great abondance shee died Shee reported vnto mee an other memorable Historie that shee had seene and knowne an honorable woman being then a hundred and three yeares olde and soone after died who beeing a hundred and one had her monthly courses very orderly where-with shee felt her selfe wonderfully eased and as it were restored the which continued from the hundred and one yeare vntill her death which was at the age of a hundred and three The Marshalls wife of Pleatenbourck a gentlewoman of the noble famelie of Ketlercks in Wesphalia hauing past seauentie yeares returned to haue her monthly purgations very orderly and was as lustie as shee had beene long before These orderly courses continued foure yeares but in the ende they came in greater abundance then before and yet shee was helthfull vntill the age of eightie foure Shee liued yet sixe yeares and died in the ninetie yeare of her age R. SOLENANDER Booke 5. of his Physicall Obseruations Cons. 15. sect 41. 42. 43. Strange Fearefull and horrible Visions IN the liues of DION and BRVTVS in PLVTARKE wee read of horrible apparitions which appeared vnto them a little before their deaths and wee read in the Histories of Scotland in the life of King ALEXANDER the third a strange cause of a fantosme which appeared vnto him the day of his third marriage presaging his death the same yeare But omitting ancient Histories besides those that wee haue represented in the first Booke wee will adde some in this There is a Noble and ancient familie at Parma called TORTELLES hauing a Castell in the which there is a great Hall vnder the Chimney wher-of there doth sometimes appeare an ancient Woman seeming to be a 100. yeares old This signifieth that some one of the familie shall dye soone after I haue heard PAVLA BARBIANO a worthy Lady of that family report supping one night together at Belioyeuse that a young Maide of that house being sick the old Woman appeared which made all to thinke that the Maide should soone dye but the contrarie happened for the sicke Maide escaped but an other of the same family which before was in very good health dyed sodenly They say this old woman whose shadow appeares was some-times a riche Lady who for her money was slaine by her Nephews which cutte her body in peeces and cast it into the Priuies CARDAN liber 16. Chap. 93. of the diuersitie of things ANTHONY 〈◊〉 of whose despaier I haue spoken else-where the lastnight of his life being layed he imagined to see a very tall man whose head was shauen his beard hanging downe to the earth his eyes sparkling and two torches in his hands whome ANTHONY demanded what art thou who alone like a furie doest walke thus out of season when euery one doth rest Tell mee what seekest thou What doest thou pretend In saying so ANTHONY cast himselfe out of his bedde to hide him-selfe from this vision and died miserably the next day BARTLEMEVV of Bolonia in his life IAMES DONAT a rich gentleman of Venice beeing in bedde with his Wife hauing a waxe candle light in the Chamber two nurses sleeping by in a pallet with a little Childe hee did see one open the Chamber doore verie softly and an vnknowne man putting his head in at the dore DONAT riseth takes his sword causeth two great Lamps to be light goes with his Nurses into the hall where hee findes all shut where-vpon hee retiers backe to his Chamber much amazed The next daie this little Childe not full a yeare olde and who then was well died CARDAN in the same Booke and Chapter Two Italian Marchants being vpon the way to passe out of Piedmont into France did incounter a man of a far heigher stature then any other who calling them vnto him vsed this speech returne to my Brother LODOVVIK and giue him these letters which I send him They being much amazed aske what are you I am sayd he GALEAS SFORZA and so vanished sodenly They turned head towards Milan and from thence to Vigeneue where LODOVVIK was at that time They desire to speake with the Duke saying that they had letters to deliuer him from his Brother The Courtiers laugh at them and for that they
To conclude all worldly pompe where-in this riche-man had taken delight in his life time GOD did suffer Sathan to represent such illusions to the eyes of many that hee might roote out impietie from the hearts of Epicures IOâ—… FINCEL lib. 2. Of the wonders of our Time In the yeare 1532. a Germaine Gentleman cruell to his subiects commanded a certaine peasant to fetch him a great Oake out of the next forrest and to bring it to his house or else hee should bee cruelly intreated the Country-man holding it impossible goes away sighing and weeping Being entred into the Forrest hee meetes a man which was the Diuell who inquires of him the cause of his heauinesse whome the Country-man hauing satisfied the other hauing commanded him to returne promiseth to giue order the Gentle man should haue an Oake quickly The peasant was scarce returned to the Village but his man in the Forrest had cast athwart the Gentlemans doore one of the greatest Oakes that hee could choose with-all his bowes and branches And which is more this Tree became hard as Yron so as it was impossible to cut it in peeces and the Gentle-man was constrained to his shame trouble and charge to peece his house on the other side and to make new doores and windowes IOB FINCELI lib. 2. There is a Village in the Dutchie of Brunswick called Gehern two Leagues from Blommenaw In the yeare 1555. a Country-man going out from that place in the morning with his Carte and Horses to fetch Woode in the Forrest he discouered at the entrie there-of certaine troupes of Reisters wearing black armes Being amazed at this incounter hee returned to carry newes vnto the Village The most ancient of the place accompanied with their Curate or Pastor went presently into field being followed by a hundred persons as well men as women and they number foure-teene bands or distinct troopes the which in an instant put them-selues into two great Battaylons one right against an other as it were ready to fight Then afterwards they did see comming out of eyther squadron a great man of a fierce aspect and verry terrible to behold These two of eyther side light from their Horses seeming to make a carefull and diligent reuiew of their troupes which done they goe to Horse againe Presently the troopes began to aduance themselues and to runne ouer a great champian field without any charge or shocke the which held and continued vntill it was darke night in the view of all the Country-men At that present time there was no speech in all the Dutchie of Brunswike nor there aboutes of any enterprise of warre nor of any leuie of Reitres which made them to thinke that this vision was a prediction of the miseries which did afterwardes happen by the iust Iudgementes of GOD. IOB FINCEL Booke 1. In the yeare 1567. STEPHEN HVBENET remayning at Trautenaw a Towne in Bohemia did so prosper in gathering of riches in stately buildings as euery one did admire and respect him as one of the greatest mignons of worldly felicity In the ende he fell sick died and was carried to his graue with great pompe Soone after hee appeered to be lyuing againe and making much of many hee imbruced some so strongly as some died others were greeuiously sicke all affirming that rich HVBENET had so handled them and that he was in the same sort as he was in his life time The Magistrates of the place descouering that it was a diuilish illusion decreed that HVBENETS bodie should be taken vp againe Although hee had beene layed fiue monethes before in the ground yet was hee not any thing toucht with rotttennesse but as fresh as before his sicknesse and as bodies that are lustie and in their perfect helth The hangman dâ—…aged it to the galloes where they doe execute malefactors hee cut off his head and the bloud gusht out as if HVBENET had beene aliue and from out of his brest hee drewe a bloudy heart The head beeingset betwixt his feete was burnt with the whole dead bodie in the presence of a great multitude and number of people after which time the power of Sathan ceased The Historie of Bohemia ANTHONY COSTILLE a Spanish Gentleman remayning at Fontaines of Ropell went one daie from his house well mounted for the dispatch of some affaires some Leagues of the which done and night approching hee resolued to returne vnto his house Going forth of the village where hee had beene hee found a little Hermitage and Chapell with certaine lattise windowes of woode and a Lampe burning within it Beeing alighted from his Horse hee did his deuotion then casting his eye into the Hermitage hee did see to his thinking comming from vnder the ground three persones which came towardes him with their heads couered and then to stand still Hauing be held them a little seeing their haire shine and sparkle although hee were held to bee verie valiant yet hee was affraied and going to Horse-backe hee beganne to flie But lifting vp his eyes hee descouers these persons which went a little before him and seemed to accompanie him Recommending him-selfe continually vnto almightie GOD hee turned first one waie then an other waie but this troupe was alwaies aboute him In the ende hee coucht a short Lance which hee carried and spurd for-warde to strike them but these visions went as fast as the Horse so as ANTHONIE was forced to take them in his company vnto the gate of his lodging where there was a great Court Beeing alighted hee enters and findes these fantosmes hee goes vp to a Chamber dore where his Wife was who opened it at his voice and as hee entered the visions vanished awaie But hee seemed to bee so amazed and troubled as his Wife thought that hee had beene verie ill vsed by his enemies in that voyage Beeing demanded and not able to drawe anie thing from him shee sent for a verie friend of his a Learned man who came presently and finding him as pale as a dead man intreated him verie earnestly to discouer his aduenture COSTILLE hauing made the who discours vnto him this friend labored to resolue him then made him suppe conducted him to his Chamber left him vpon his bead with a candle light on the table and departed to leaue him to his rest He was scarce out of the Chamber but COSTILLE beganne to crie out helpe helpe succor me Then all his seruants entred into the Chamber to whome hee sayd that the three visions were come to him beeing alone and that hauing scracht vp the earth with their handes they had cast it vpon his eyes so as hee did not see anâ—…e thing His seruants therefore did neuer abandon him but hee was still well accompanied but their assistance and care could not keepe him but that hee died the seauenth daie after without anie other infirmitie TORQVEMADO in the 3. iorney of his Hexmeron IOHN VELASQVES de AYOLLA two other yong Spaniards going out of their Country to studie
is newe or strange vnto them I knowe one whom I doe not name for great considerations who besides the admirable knowledge hee hath of diuers Languages and sciences remembers the meanest things that hee hath seene in diuers Countries euen the names of Men Citties Townes Villages and Hamlets marking the circumstances of infinit things so as if anie one did put him into discourse of any Towne where hee had not beene these fiue and twentie or thirtie yeares hee will speake of all the particularities thereof more exactlie then hee that had continued there for the space of fiftie yeares togither and neuer come forth I will not speake of many great and excellent memories in France Italie and else where contenting my selfe with this for the present whereof some other time will shew other admirable obseruations Memorie lost and recouered againe A Siennois named ANTHONY being recouered of a great sicknesse found his memorie to faile him in such sort as he could not remēber any thing Being at Florence hee thought himselfe to be at Sienna neither could he discerne his friendes from his enemies Beeing abandoned of the Physitions as a madde-man after three weekes he had a great fl◅x whereby hee purged himselfe of strange humors the infectious vapors whereof had toucht the faculties of the spirit By meanes of which euacuation he recouered his vnderstanding and memorie so as hee remembred not what had chanced vnto him nor what hee had done during those three weekes A. BENIVENIVS Chapter 47. I haue seene a Friar who cured of a violent ague which had tormented him lost his memorie so as hee who before was a great Diuine did not now knowe A nor B. Hauing continued foure monthes in this estate he went to the Childrens Schole learning to knowe his letters This began to applie diuers remedies vnto him by the helpe whereof hee sodenly recouered his memorie so as hee shewed himselfe as learned as before his sicknesse CHRISTOPHER de VEGA Booke 3. of the arte of Physick Chap. 10. FRANCISQVO BARBARO a learned Venetian did in his old age forget the Greeke tongue in the which hee was very learned yet notwithstanding his Iudgement was good and his spirit perfect to write or dictate BASSIAN LANDVS lib. 1. of the History of man The same man beeing to make an oration before the Duke of Milan was at a non-plus hauing for-gotten what he intended to say RAPHAEL VOLATERRANVS Book 21. of his Anthropologia GEORGE TRAPEZONCE a very learned Greeke beeing growne olde hee forgot all that hee had knowne before The same Author Monsieur RONDELET a learned Physition in our time did report that a young man studying at Montpellier going throught the streetes in the night met with disordred fellowes which liued by spoile who thrust with a rapier at his bodie and hurt him very sore in the eye By the care of the Physitions and Surgions he was cured but hee fell into so great a forgetfullnesse of artes and sciences and especially of the facultie of Physicke in the which hee was well aduanced as hee remembred not any thing whatsoeuer so as they were faine to vse him like a Child of seauen yeares old setting him againe to his A B C. THOMAS IOVRDAN Chap. 2. of the 2. treatise of Signes of the plague I haue knowne an ancient man in France which spake good French and Latin plaied excellently well of the Lute and that was verie actiue at all exercises of the bodie and handled his weapon well through a sicknesse he was so depriued of all these things as hee did not remember the names of them neither yet had any habilitie in him no more then a yong Child and so were they faine to vse him and to set him to Schole againe as one that knewe nothing T. DAMIAN Chap. 13. of his Theorie of Physick GONSALVE GILLES of Bourgos a learned Diuine a Spaniard had in his time one of the happiest memories in the world the which notwithstanding hee lost wholie by a greeuious sicknesse into the which hee fell at his returne from Paris into Spaine ALVAR GOMECIO Booke 4. of the Historie of Cardinall XIMINES A certaine man beeing sore hurt in the head and with some difficultie cured at the ende of three monethes lost the remembrance of all that had happened vnto him FERNELIVS Booke 2. of his Panthologia Chap. 5. Father fertill in his ofspring IN the memory of our Fathers there was seene a village in Spaine of about a hundred houses whereof all the Inhabitants were issued from one certaine olde man which then did liue when as that village was so peopled so as the name of consanguinitie ascending and descending as well in the direct as the collaterall line fayled to shewe and distinguish howe the little Children should call him L. VIVES in his comentarie vpon the 8. Chap. of the 15. Booke of the Citty of GOD. Mothers fertill in Lignage issued from them IN Saint Innocents Church-yard in the Cittie of Paris is to bee seene the Epitaph of YOLAND BALLY widdowe to M. DENIS CAPEL a Proctor at the Chastelet which doth shewe that shee had liued foure score and eight yeares and might haue seene 288. of her Children and Childrens Children shee dyed the 17. of Aprill 1514. Imagine howe much she had beene troubled to call them by a proper denomynation that were distant from her in the fourth and fift degree E. PASQVIER Booke 6. of his Recerches of France Chap. 46. In our time there was a Lady of the noble family of the DALBOVRGS who saw of her race euen to the 6. degree The Germains haue made a Latin Distichon of it thus 1. Mater ait 2. Natae Dic. 3. Nata filia 4. Natam Vt moneat 5. Natae plangere 6. ◅iliolam That is to say The Mother said to her Daughter Daughter bid thy Daughter tell her Daughter that her Daughters Daughter cryes This is recited and written by Maister THEODORE ZVINGGER a Physition at Basil in the 3. volume of his Theater of Mans life lib. 11. Vigorous Mothers A Woman hauing had a continuall vomiting of bloud for the space of seauen whole moneths conceiued not-with-standing and was deliuered of a goodly Boye and a lustie A certaine other woman beeing with Childe had her Termes orderly and in greater aboundance then before her conception they continued vntill her lying in and yet they were no hinderance to her happye deliuerie More-ouer I haue seene one neere vnto GREVENBROVCH who beeing neere to her deliuerie had her Termes extraordinarilye voyding congealed bloud in great cloddes yet shee escaped well with her fruite R. SOLENANDER lib. 5. of his Councells Chap. 15. art 36. 38. 39. Mother and Children preserued from death IN the yeare 1564. about tenne or twelue daies after Easter diuers persons of the Towne of Ast did crosse the Riuer which passeth along the Towne in a boate the Water beeing very deepe and broade the boate being in the middest of the Riuer it beganne to leane on the