amongest a nuÌ„ber of others our time hath stirred vp a moÌ„strous example that waye in Auignon at such a time as mine authour studied the lawe vnder Emilius Farretus in whose time there was a Prelate straunger whose name I will concele aswell for the honour of his profession as to much superstition in him selfe who one daye inuited to a banquet the nobilitie of Auignon aswell men as women where for a firste beginning of his pompe at the very entrie into the hall where the banquet was appointed laye spread vpon a curious borde a greate beefe with his heade pulled of and purged in his intrailes hauing in his bellie a whole Harte or deare of the like dressing stufte full of little birdes as Quailes Partriches larkes Feasants and other lyke the same being so conningly inclosed in the bellie of the seconde beaste and they so artificially conioined y e one within the other that it séemed some excelleÌ„t Mathematitian had bene the workeman thereof But that whiche made the matter both straunge and wonderfull was that all the birdes so assembled did roste and turne all alone vpon a broche by certaine compasse and conduites withoute the ayde of any man For the firste course and order of the table his gestes were presented with store of curious pastrie wherein were wroughte and inclosed manye little birdes quicke who assone as the cruste was taken of began to flie aboute the hall there were besides sundrie sortes of siluer plate full of Iellie so subtillie conueighed that a man might haue seen in the bottome a number of little fishes quicke swimming and leaping in swéete water and muske to the greate delite and pleasure of the assistaunts neither is it lesse straunge in that all the foules which were serued vpon the table were larded wyth Lampraye albeit it was in a season when they coste halfe a croune a piece but that whiche seales vp the superstitious pompe of this proude Prelate was that there was reserued as many quicke birdes as he was serued with deade foules at his table the same contayning suche indifferente number that if there were a Fesant sente dreassed to the borde there were Gentlemen appointed for the purpose which presented an other aliue and al to shewe the magnificence of the prieste to whome what remaines for the consummation of his prodigall delites but that the Gentlemen which serued him had their faces couered with a vaile leaste their breath should offende either him or his meate all whiche I haue preferred in this place as moste prodigious and monstrous not for immitation sake but rather that all good Christians shoulde deteste him and his example séeing it mighte be that whilest his Shippe went with full saile and he in the middeste of his Epicures delites the poore Lazarus perished at his dore for wante of foode and fyre But alas what coulde the faithfull Sainct Iohn and Peter thinke of this who had not one Deniere to giue in almes to the poore lame man that did demaunde it at the Temple gate or what woulde the other Apostles constrained with extremitie of hunger to eate the eares and awnes of Corne if they had séen their successour in so hote a kitchen so diuersly garnished with delicate meates This had bene a time and place and fitte occasion for the wicked Iudas if he had bene there to haue cried againste them Vt quid perditio haec potuisseâ— hoc multum vendi darâ— pauperibus Who liste to be priuie to the pompe of other Prelates let him reade Platinus in his treatise De honesta voluptate There was besides a Cardinall no lesse famous this waye than our Italian Prelate who in the time of Sixtus the Pope consumed into twoo yeares in banquets ionquets and suche other bellye vanities 3000. crownes wherewith manye poore members of Christe and sundrie néedie scholers and students might haue bene relieued and kepte long time at their bookes Let vs leaue to reporte of these disorders in our time and returne to our auncestours who the more manifest their vices were the greater was their slaunder and the tragedie of their life lesse honorable Wherefore all that is spoken of before is but as a shadowe or figure of magnificence in respecte of those monstrous and diabolicall feastes of that greate glutton and deuourer of meates Heliogabalus Emperour of the Romains who was so disordred in his delites that sâ—arce the life of an excellent Historiographer woulde suffice to dilate therof at large That wicked and vnhappy minister of Sathan drowned as it were in the â—â—nke of vnsatiable eating neuer made dinner after he was created Emperour wherin he spenâ— lesse than .60 markes of golde whiche according to our computation amounteth to the summe of 2500 Ducats besides he was so fantastical and vnrulie in his appetites that he vsed no common meates at his meales but was â—edde with the combes of cockes the toungs of peahens also being made to vnderstande that there was but one thing rare in the worlde whiche they declared to be the Phenix he sente for hir to eate promising I knâ—w not how many thousand markes of golde to him who coulde furnishe him thereof and sayde in a common prouerbe that there was no sauce but dearth Wherin not suffising him self to féedâ— of these rare exquisite meats he feasted like wise with as great abundance his gentlemen and champions causing also his Dogs and Lions to be nourished with the fleshe of Phesants Pehens and birdes not ceassing to vse only this prodigalitie in daintinesse of his mouth but which more is he was as lasciuious and extreme in all other furnitures of his seruice for he caused to serue him at his table foure maides naked who wer oftentimes caried in that sorte through the citie of Rome he neither dranke nor eate at any time aboue once in one vessell or dishe although the same and all the rest of the implements of his house were of pure gold or siluer the stoole wherin he did his excrements not excepted And in the place of wax candels to giue him light he caused to be put into his lampes an excellent balme which he caused to brought from Iuda and Arabia That vnhappie Emperoure was so frantike and madde in all his actions that he inuented things which diuels themselues coulde neuer deuise before for he made to be counterfaited artificially meates of marble wood and other things causing not onely the people to be kepte hungrie but also to sitte at the table beholding these meates in pitifull sorte He made many bankets to the which he inuited .viij. balde men .viij. crooked men .viij. lame men viij deafe men .viij. dumbe men .viij. black men .viij. white men .viij leane men and viij fatte men to the ende that those which did assist the baÌ„ket might haue cause to laugh sometymes he made his guests dronke and then shutting the dores and gates of the place where they were a sleepe put in vnto them Beares and Lyons
by order those which onely haue appeared sithens the natiuitie of Iesus Christe together searching the causes of their beginning birthes the life of a man woulde not perfourme the same albeit the most notable worthie to be celebrated of al others is the starre which cōducted the .iij. sage Kings of Perse to the place where Christe was borne the which feared not only the common people but the sighte thereof rauished and brought into admiration the most learned of the worlde for that it againste the Nature of all other starres which drawe them selues from the Orient to the Occident addressed hir course into Palestine which is situated towards y e North causing S. Iohn Chrisostome to thinke that that starre was none of them which we sée in heauen but rather a vertue inuisible figured vnder the forme of a starre Notwithstāding let vs leaue of to discourse of this starre and come to other strange things whiche haue appeared frō heauen whereof Gaguin in his sixte booke of y e gestes of the Kings of Fraunce maketh mention of a very maruellous blasing starre which appeared in the Septentrion in the time of Charles the .vj. In the yeare .597 which was in the yere of the natiuitie of the false impostour Mahomet at Constantinople was séene a hearie Comet so hideous and fearefull that they thought the ende of the worlde approched An other like president was séene a little space before the death of the Emperour Constantin whereof Orseus in his .vij. booke and .ix. Chapter and Eutropeus in his second booke maketh mention that in the yeare that Mitrydates was borne and in the yeare wherein he receiued the Scepter Royall there appeared a Comet from heauen as Iustin and Vincentius write which for the space of xxiiij dayes occupied so well the fourth part of heauen casting such a cleare lighte that the brighnesse of the Sunne was thereby darkened And also in the yeare that Tamburlan the Tirant killed so many men and women in one ouerthrowe of the Turkes that of their heades onely he made a greate wall as Matheolus writeth there appeared a maruellous blasing starre in the Occident whereof Pontanus and Ioachinus Camerarius in his booke de ostentis learnedly writeth Herodian a Greeke authour in the life of the Emperours maketh mention that in the raigne of Commodeus the Emperour they sawe by the space of a whole daye a number of starres shyning as though it had bene night likewise in the yeare that Lewes the stutting Frenche King died they behelde frō heauen shining a great number of starres at nyne of the clocke in the morning wherein as Hieronimus Cardanus in his .xiiij. booke De veritate rerum assureth to haue seen in the yere 1532. the .xj. day of Aprill being at Venise thre sunnes together cleare bright shining Euen so in the yeare that Francis Sforce died after whose deceasse grew greate warres in Italie there was in like maner seen at Rome thrée sunnes which dydde so frighte the people that they fell immediately to prayer thinking the malice and ire of God were kyndled against them for their sinnes Also the Pope Pius second of that name who was called before he receiued that dignitie Aeneas Siluius who died in the yere 460. writeth in his description of Europe the .liiij. chap. that in the sixt yere after the Iubile there was séene amongest them of Sienne and Florence twentie cloudes in the ayre who being stirred of the wyndes fought one against another euery one in his ranke reculing and approching according to the order and maner of battaill and during the conflicte of these cloudes the winde was not vnoccupied in dispoiling battering brusing and breaking trées houses and rockes besides lifting of men and beastes into the ayre The antiquitie of time cannot reporte or make mention of a more wonder in the aire than of a horrible Comet of the colour of bloude which appeared in the West the eleuenth day of October in the yeare 1527. being so wonderfull and fearefull that it engendred so greate terrour to the common sorte that diuers not onely died with the sighte but others fell into strange and miserable maladies This strange Comet was séene of manie thousand continuing the space of an houre and a quarter and in the ende began to bring hir selfe to the side of the sunne after drawing towards the Midy the Occident and the Septentrion appearing to be of an excessiue length and of the colour of bloud there was séene in y e height of the Comet the Character and figure of the stumpe of an arme holding a greate sworde in his hande as he woulde haue striken about the pointe of the said sword were thrée starres but that which was right vpon the pointe was more cleare and brighte than the others on the other twoo sides of the beames of this Comet they sawe a greate number of hatchettes kniues swordes of the colour of bloud about the whiche were a great number of humaine faces very hideous with their beardes and haire stirring as may bee seene before figured Shortely after y e viewe of this hideous wonderful Planet all the parties of Europe were welnigh bathed in humaine bloude ▪ so muche preuailed the inuasion of the Turckes besides other hurtes which Italie receiued by the Lord of Bourbon when he committed Rome to sacke dying at the same instant like as Petrus Creuserus Iohn Litchber excellent Astrologians interpret by writing the signification of this wonderfull Planet Euen so for that we haue promised in the induction of our worke to shewe the causes beginnings of these wonders it is therfore now requisite to serch more narrowly the matter and to decide the question so often debated amongest the Auncients and learned Philosophers These fantasticall figures as dragons flames Comets other like of diuers formes which are séene so often in the Element according to the opiniōs of many wise men do giue to vnderstande foretel or shew many things that shal and do happen as Albumazar Dorotheus Paulus Alexādrinus Ephestion Maternus ▪ Aomar Thebith Alkindus Paulus Manlius Alberanger and generally the most part of the anciēt Greekes Hebrues Caldees Arabec and Egiptians who haue written and attributed so muche to the starres and their influence that they haue assured the moste parte of the humaine actions to depende of the celestiall constellations Whereof Cicero in his first booke De fato◠seemes to fauour them muche when he affirmeth darckely ▪ that those whiche are borne vnder the Planet De Canis shall not be drowned In like maner Faber Stapulensis in his Paraphrase of Metheores maketh mention that the Commettes whiche appeared from heauen signified scarsitie of goodes aboundance of greate windes warres effusion of bloud and the death of Princes Hieronimus Cardanus a late Philosopher writeth in his fourth booke De subtilitate and .xiiij. booke De veritate rerum that the hearie and bearded Comets and other like monstrous figures whiche appeare from
¶ Certaine Secrete wonders of Nature containing a descriptioÌ„ of sundry strange things seming monstrous in our eyes and iudgement bicause we are not priuie to the reasons of them Gathered out of diuers learned authors as well Greeke as Latine sacred as prophane By E. Fenton Apres fortune espoir ¶ Seene and allowed according to the order appointed ¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman dwelling in Knightrider streat at the signe of the Mermaid ANNO. 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO AD IMPRIMENDVM SOLVM ¶ To the right Honorable and his singular good Lord the Lord Lumley Edward Fenton wisheth a happy life with much encrease of honor and continuaunce of the same THe most ancient and famous Philosophers right honourable albeit they neuer had any certain knowledge of God yet nature by hir instinct of reason delt so beneficially with them that beholding the wonderful power of God in all his creatures they douted not to coÌ„fesse that there was one who hadde made these things and with all had a speciall care ouer them Besides this after the dissolution of this life they aimed very neare at the immortalitie of the soule who in the ende being ouercome with the depth of so diuine a Mysterie as a matter not to be measured by mannes reason were constrained to leaue of to be curious in the enquirie after suche questions and fell to the studie of such things as they thought would serue best to stay their appetite from the attempting of any vncomelinesse and stirre their minds to the attaining of most commendable vertues Wherin as they haue left behinde them so great store of necessary precepts as we can not so long as we direct our doings by their good discipline but of necessitie we must tread the path that leades to perfecte happinesse So besides this as men reputing it a shame to be ignorant in any thing that by trauaile they might attaine vnto they haue founde out to their great praise and our singular profite and pleasure the secrete and hidden reason of many things which nature hath kept vnknowne from vs as it should seeme of set purpose to the end we might the rather finde our selues occupied in the search and knowledge of the same And like as some of them by reason they are ordinary and coÌ„mon the cause thereof being also naturall together with the familiaritie and acquaintaunce we haue with them and that they happen as it were of custome doe moue vs the lesse or nothing at all to haue them in admiration when they chaunce or happen Euen so on the contrary part there are other effectes of nature which when we beholde they do the more amaze vs bicause we be not able to comprehend the causes and reasons thereof but imagine straight way that nature is abused or at least hath lost hir rule who in dede is alway one and vniforme and cannot be but one cause working diuersly according to the diuersitie of hir subiects Touching things supernaturall or aboue nature we are to think they are not so cald in respect of nature as though she had made ought by chaunce wherof she was not able to yeld a reason but rather hauing regard to vs whose weake vnderstaÌ„ding cannot conceiue hir secrete meanes in working And therefore we must thinke they haue their proceeding from God or some diuine inspiration either directly or indirectly immediatly or by a meane seing that God oftentimes both to warne vs of his iustice and to punish our offences layeth his hand and rod vpon vs in diuers sortes as when we feele the raging whirlewindes and tempests by sea the terrible earthquakes by land â–ª the fearfull flames of lightning and crackes of thunder in the aire and all these things without vs. But to come nigher vnto our selues when we feele any distemperature in our bodies wherupon doe grow some greuous diseases All which albeit they haue their being and motion by naturall meanes yet seeme they the rather prodigious bicause they be rare and happen but seldome But those things which are called supernaturall bicause the reason is hidden from vs they come by the permission or speciall appointment of God as when we be troubled with wicked spirites offring to abuse our simplicitie with false miâ—acles fained visions and other such diuelish illusions Wherof as I shall not nede to speake either particularly or in general so seeing that besides the reasons and aucthorities which are gathered together in this slender volume the writers of Histories in bothe kindes haue giuen out sufficient matter touching an absolute resolution that way which as I hope may suffâ—â—â— to discharge me of a sâ—cond trauail with a particular dâ—scription of such things as the booke it self doth amplie and more at large containe So leauing to deale in the offences of some suche persones as vse and abuse their bodies through an inordinate lust against the prescripte of nature wherupon hapneth oftentimes both a superabundaÌ„ce and default in the creatures brought into the world As I hope also it is nedelesse for me to mention in this place the generation of precious stones with their sundrye properties the force and vertues which by experience we find to be in plants and herbes proceding out of the sappe and substaÌ„ce of the earth with sundry other qualities seruing against the incoÌ„ueniences that come by the aire by fire by scalding leadâ— or other mâ—ttals molten burning bicause the volume following discribes them sufficieÌ„tly in their seueral places The iudgement wherof with their seuerall reasons I humbly submit to the censure of your wisdome the which if it shall in any part be to your liking I haue the chiefest part of my desire and shall the lesse neede to regard the variable fantasies and opinions of the multitude For as much as my trauaile bestowed herein hath bene onely in respecte of your Lordship to whom as well for my selfe as diuers of my frendes I am very much bound Notwithstanding I would be glad that my priuate trauaile might vniuersally either profit or pleasure all For the boke it selfe I am of opinion that neyther the discription of many things therin 〈…〉 is so commonly knowne that the strangenesse therof is not able to delite a great many neither yet the matter 〈…〉 that â—t shall not yelde much fruit that may be applied to sundry purposes We see in daily experience with howe great earnestnesse and delight the vnlearned sorte runne ouer the fruitlesse Historie of king Arthur and his round table Knights and what pleasure they take in the trifeling tales of Gawin and Gargantua the which bisides that they passe all likelihode of truth are vtterly without either graue precept or good example Whereby I am in better hope that this booke containing suche varietie of matter bothe plesant to read and necessary to know being sprinkled throughout with great wisdome and moralitie shall be the rather embraced and allowed of all And in the meane time trusting that as I haue taken vpon me the
is not offered afore by iiij of those Priests to the mouth of the Idoll wherewyth not satisfied with this ambicious abuse and vsurpation of reuerence in the Oratorie of the King is content in more derogation of the honor of God to suffer them to buylde him a stately Temple in the middest of an Ilande formed after the auncient maner with .ij. rowes of Pillers like to S. Iohns Church in Rome wherein is placed with greate ceremonie a huge Altare of stone vpon the which by an ordinarie custome is offered the .xx. of December beyng Christmasse day yearely by al the Gentlemen and priests within .xxv. dayes iorney about sacrifice and incense with great assistance of al degrées of common people who comming thyther to get pardon and remission of their sinnes are first annoynted in the heade with a certaine oyle and then by commaundement of the Priests they fal downe afore the sayd Image set in great pompe vpon the Aulter whome hauing worshipped in this extreme deuotion euery man returnes to hys place of aboade besides duryng the time of these ceremonies which lasteth .iij. dayes there is frée libertie proclaimed thorowe all the lande that all murderers and haynous offenders whatsoeuer shal come with assurance to this general remission the same making the assembly so gret that according to the witnesse of such as write of it there are founde yearely during that time aboue an hundreth thousand persons whom this enimie to mankinde hath so enchaunted with illusions that they beleue their sacrifice is done to God merites pardon at his hande where in déede they honor the chiefe enimie to their own saluation which ought to serue for exaÌ„ple to such as participate with the light of God his Gospel to the ende they labour to make appeare their talent and make a speciall treasure of the grace wherwith he hath endued them seing that the seruant which knoweth the wil of his Lord and doth it not standeth in more daunger of blame before God than he that is ignorant of it And now to preuent al doubtes and suspition in such as may thinke these wonderful discourses to be made in the aire or matters of vain deuise aboue the sunne I commende them to the authoritie of Paulus Venetus Ludouicus Patricius Romanus and of Vartomanus in their Chronicles of y e Indyans by whom is set out a more large description of those wonders not as vnderstanded by others or red in any author but as thinges séene and assisted by themselues and in their presence assuring for mine owne part all such as shall peruse my translation not to commend thorowout this whole boke any thing which is not confirmed with sufficient credit by some notable author eyther Gréeke or Latine Sacred or Prophane Some late writers affirme that this people of Calycut haue bene reduced of late yeares to our true Religion by the great and charitable trauaile of certaine Embassadours which the Kings of Portingall did sende to discouer those countreyes ¶ Wonders and aduertisements of God sent vpon the Citie of Ierusalem to prouoke them to repentaunce CHAP. ij LEt vs a litle consider Christians how much this Oracle and wonder diuine is differing from that going before the one habitable the other decayed the one loste dyspoyled and sacked the other kept repayred and dwelt in And although we haue proued howe great and wonderful is the bountie and clemencie of our God whom albeit we haue offended by an infinite multitude of abhominable sinnes yet notwithstanding he holdes vs his hand calles vs warneth and wils vs to retourne to hym shewing by sicknesse and particular afflictions sometimes by signes and wonders which for the moste parte be messangers trumpets and forerunners of his iustice as it is euidentely shewed vpon this miserable Citie of Ierusalem which remayned stil so drowned in hir sinne that for any straunge aduertisement sent to hir by God she would not at any time be withdrawen from those vices The signes and wonders by which the Lorde foretolde of the destruction of their City be those which followe written by Ioseph in the .vij. booke of the Warres of the Iewes and by Eusebe in his historie Ecclesiasticall The first message which was sente them from heauen was a Comet or blasing Starre in the fashion of a sword which continued the space of a yeare casting houering his beames ouer their Citie The seconde chaunced the .xviij. day of April euen when the people were assembled to solemnize the feaste of the Azimes at what time was séene so great a light about the Altare of the Temple at the ninth houre of the night that it séemed to them as if it had bene plaine day and continued so cleare the space of halfe an houre The same day of the sayde feast an Oxe which they had sent to be sacrificed calued in the middst of the Temple and besides that a dore of the temple of brasse which was so heuy that there must be .xx. men to make it fast at nighte being tied wyth barres and locks of yron opened the same time of it selfe about the sixt houre of the night Besides the sayd Ioseph affirmeth further which peraduenture might seme a fable or dreame if those that sawe them were not at this day liuing and that these calamities were not come vpon them as worthy of so vnhappie messages It came to passe that a certaine time before the Sunne sette they perceyued in the aire Chariots ruÌ„ning through all the regions of Heauen the armies which trauersed the cloudes enuironed certaine cities And the day of the feaste which they call Penticost the Priestes hauyng done the seruice diuine heard a certain brute and incontinent heard a voice which sayd Let vs go from hence But the last wonder is most fearefull of all that is A simple man of the countrey of base condition the sonne of a peasant called Nanus the citie being in peace and ful of al wealth being â—ome to this feast began at one instant to crie A voice from the coast of the Orient a voice from the coast of the Occident and a voice from the foure quarters of the wyndes a voice against Ierusalem and the Temple a voice against the newe maried men and newe maried women a voice against all that people and howling and crying in this sorte wente through al the streates of the Citie whereof certaine of the chiefe not brooking this sommons of their Citie made him to be beaten but he would not aunswere any worde to those that whipt him but continued the same cry with extreme obstinacie wherof the Magistrates astonished knowing well ynough that the same proceded of some diuine inspiration made him to be caried to him which had the gouernment of the Romaines the which made him to be so tormented that his fleshe was pluckte from the bones which notwithstanding he continued so firme and constaÌ„t that he would not let fall a simple teare nor require them to stay their punishment
his vniuersall Cosmographie to be the place where he was borne This néedes not séeme straunge to those which haue red histories for Lice which be much lesse than Ratts coulde not be preuented by no kynde of physike or medicins from deuouring and consuming the Emperor Arnoull leauing him nothing but synewes and bones In like sort the greate Monarche Antiochus willing to blot out of memorie the name of God forth of the â—inagoge and bring in the worshyppyng of Idols sawe issue out of himself a great number of worms and therby not only plunged in great dolour but also his whole armie infected with the stinke of that corruption which issued from him You may also reade in the second booke of the Machabees and the .xix. chapter of a King who being full of pride and ambition tooke vpon him not only to staye the waues of the Sea and peyse in balance great mountaines but also thoughte hym selfe able to touch the Starres of Heauen is nowe by the iuste iudgement of God so muche imbased that there is no man able to endure the stinke and corruption of his bodie ¶ A wonder of a monstrous King wherein is shewed in what perill they be which commaunde and others that haue the gouernement of the publike weale CHAP. iiij ARistotle Xenophon Plato and generally all those which haue treated or written of the policie of man affirme by their writinges that there is nothing more harde and difficulte than to gouerne well or commaund a publike weale for say they the aboundance of goodes and honours into the which most Princes be customably conuerted libertie to do euil without controlment together with the corrupt counsel of those which assist theÌ„ be the true matches to light them to al vices so that if we would but diligently search in order the discourses and histories of both kindes we shall finde the number of euyll Kings Emperours and Monarques giuen to sedition and wickednesse excéede farre the proportion of suche as haue gouerned and liued wel for being once inuested with the roabes of authoritie and supping the pleasant iuice distilling from the grape of Regal state they seldome or neuer bridle their affections but suffer themselues so to be ouerwhelmed and fall hedlong into the Laberynth of sundry vices For an experience wherof we may be bolde to prefer the example of S. Paule whose life and vertue remaines of great fame by the sacred recordes vntil the Lord made a tryal of him by calling him to the gouernment of his elected people of Israel when he fell froÌ„ the path of his ancient vertue and became an enimie to his maker and a contemner of his lawes Salomon in the beginning of his raigne how wonderful was he whose renoume remembraunce and wisedome is spred through al the partes of the world and being once stalled in the theatre of glorie gaue hymself ouer to the delites of women by which meanes he became depriued and voyd of the happy blessing and grace of God Calygula Mitredates and Neron gaue not they sufficient shewes at their first entry or beginning of muche noblenesse and bountie but the sequele and issue was such that al the earth was infected with their detestable tyrannies and abhominable cruelties and of .xxij. Kings of Iuda there were scarcely to be found aboue fiue or six which followed the true path of godly liuing and vertue wherein who so list carefully to read the liues of the Kings of Israel from Ieroboam the sonne of Naboth vntill the very laste which were in number but .xix. shall finde that they were euil ministers and husbandes of the publike weale In like sorte the Romaines whose common wealth hath bene accompted to flourish most of all the worlde with good gouernours haue found amongst them Augustus Vespasian Titus Antonius Pius Antonius Verus and Alexander Seuerus but as their liues make iust declaration of their noble and vertuous liuing and politike gouernment euen so the rest as farre surmounteth them for wicked and abhominable kindes of liuing And if you will beholde with due regarde and iudgemente the liues and renoumes of the Greekes Assirians Persians Medes and Egiptians you shal finde more euil spoken for their wickednesse than honour for their vertuous liuing All which matters be sufficiently proued and auouched by the gret king Antiochus who the first time he was presented with the Regal scepter and before he was therwith crowned as Valerius writeth he beheld it with good iudgement crying with a loud voice sayd O Diademe more noble than fortunate if the most part of the Princes of the earth which by sword and fire séeke to obtain thée were as willing to serch with good aduise due regard to shun y e miseries calamities which as coÌ„panions be annexed vnto thée they would theÌ„ scarce vouchsafe to lift thée from the erth not without cause for if any ambicious man wil measure according to right and waigh in iust ballance the delightes and honours with the daungers and perils which folow the crowne he wil finde for one pound of Honie ten poundes of Wormewood not compting the peril incident to the poore people wherewith he is charged for if it chance the Prince be dysordred and of wanton life the people most commonly frame themselues to imitate his doings who as Herodianus writeth be but the badges of Princes and do nothing but what they sée their Princes do before Wherfore seing that Princes Kings and Monarques be the coÌ„mon fountaines whervnto al men should resorte and drinke and they be theatres wherupon al the world ought to loke for purenesse of life and further serue as torches to giue light to all men walking in the darke caue of wicked doings if these sinne as Plato sayth the example is no lesse hurtfull to all their subiectes than to be abhorred in themselues Let them therefore vse such regard and moderation in their doings with such respect to an integritie of lyfe that they be founde perfect in the accoÌ„pt which they haue to yelde to the Lord least he set abroche the vessell of his anger and raine the shoure of reuenge as he did vpon the miserable King Nabuchodonosor the .iiij. King of the Babilonians who as Daniel witnesseth in his first chapter felte so sharply the heauie hande and iustice of God that he was exiled and banished from his kingdome the space of .vij. yeares wandring and liuing in the deserts with brute beastes and being naked remayned in that estate beaten not only with heate and cold but also with hayle and dewe vntil he was couered with haire like vnto the Eagle his nailes like to birdes Here all men may sée as in a glasse an example spectacle and wonder worthie to be noted that he hauing at commaundement a whole kingdome and serued as a King with al delicat viandes was taken into the deserts and there fedde and banqueted with wilde beastes Yea he which had ben inuested with purple and decked with precious Iewels was
by the hande of God so much imbased that he was couered with no other garment than with haire a clothing naturall to all brute beastes ¶ Of the bringing forth of Monsters and the cause of their generations CHAP. v. HAuyng shewed in order in these Chapiters before how Kings Emperors Bishops and Monarches be no more exempted from the wonderful iudgemeÌ„t of God than the common or vulgar sort It resteth now according to our purpose to search and sift those matters more neare a truthe to the ende we may bring to lyghte the horrible monsters and fearfull wonders found amoÌ„gst the common people And that the philosophie and contemplation of those things might be made more manifest and painted in their true coloures it is needefull before we passe any further to declare the causes wherevpon they procéede and are borne It is moste certaine that these monstrous creatures for the most part do procéede of the iudgement iustice chastisement and curse of God which suffreth that the fathers and mothers bring forth these abhominations as a horrour of their sinne sufferyng themselues to run headlong as do brute beastes without guide to the puddle or sinke of their filthie appetites hauing no respecte or regarde to the age place tyme or other lawes ordeined of Nature wherein S. Gregorie amongest diuers other examples taughte vs in his Dialogues sheweth the incontinencie and abhominable desire of a Nourse who made hir selfe with childe by an Infant of the age onely of .ix. yeres And for a proofe herein S. Hierom affirmeth by othe that there was an other infant of the age of tenne yeares the which was so inflamed by the waÌ„ton regards and amorous countenances of his Nourse that she made hym to lie with hir being of the age as afore and gotte hir with childe These be the matters that Osee crieth out of in his .ix. chapter saying These abhominable doyngs according to their loues euen when they haue nourssed theyr children I will destroy in suche sort that they shall neuer become men yea I will plague the wombe where they tooke their beginning the brests that gaue theÌ„ sucke and drie vp the very root that it bring forth no more fruit and if they câ—aunce to engender I wil also coÌ„mit to death the fruite of their bellie Al which is confirmed by the prophete Esdras in his .v. Chapter where amongst other cruel cursings wherwith the Angell threatned Babylon it is expresly sayde That women perfourming the desire of the fleshe being in their Sanguine menstruali bring forth these monsters And although this monstrous fruite be very often a witnesse of the incontinencie sinne of the parents yet it is not alwayes true nor hapneth in one place for there be many fathers and mothers chaste and continent whiche bring forth their children defectiue as S. Iohn sheweth in his .ix. chapter of a poore man whiche was blinde from his natiuitie who hauing receyued his sighte by the mercifull goodnesse and grace of Iesus Christe was asked of his disciples whether his owne synne or his parents were the cause that he was borne blinde But Christ willyng to declare to them that they oughte not to accuse the parentes for the defaultes of their children aunswered that it was neither the sinne of hym his father or mother but to the ende to shewe in him the wonderfull and maruellous workes of God The auncient Philosophers amongst others which haue serched the secrets of Nature haue declared other greate causes of this wonderfull and monstrous childbearing which Aristotle Hypocrates Empedocles Galene and Plinie haue referred to an ardent and obstinate imagination which the Woman hath whylest she conceiues the childe whiche hath such power ouer the fruite that the beames and Charrecters continue vpon the rocke of the infante wherevpon they finde an infinite number of examples to proue the same woorthy of memorie the which albeit may séeme but iestes or fables if the authoritie and truth of those which write them were not their sufficient warrant And for a further certaintie therof Damascenus a graue â–ª author doth assure this to be true that being present with Charles the .iiij. Emperoure and king of Boeme there was broughte to him a maide rough and couered with haire like a beare the which the mother had brought forth in so hideous and deformed a shape by hauing too much regarde to the picture of S. Iohn cloathed with a beasts skinne the which was tyed or made fast coÌ„tinually during hir conception at hir beddes féete By the like meanes Hippocrates saued a princesse accused of adulterie for that she was deliuered of a childe blacke lyke an Ethiopian hir husbande being of a faire and white complexion which by the persuasion of Hippocrates was absolued and pardoned for that the childe was like vnto a Moore accustomably tied at hir bed Reade of this in Genesis vpon S. Hieroms questions without musing or being curious to bring in the testimonies of Philosophers other doctors verifying the same by the authoritie of Moyses the greate prophete and secretarie of GOD in the thirtith Chapter of Genesis where he plainely sheweth howe Iacob deceiued Laban his father in lawe and therby enriched himselfe with his cattayle hauing pilled a rodde and put the beastes to drinke to the ende the Goates and Shéepe beholding the diuersitie of the colours of this rodde might bring forth their litle ones marked with sundry seuerall markes Besides these causes spoken of before of the generation of Monsters the beste learned in the secretes of Nature haue yet assigned vs others for Empedocleus and Dephilus do attribute the same to come of the superabundance or defaulte and corruption of the seede and wombe wherof they preferre diuers similies by the disposition of sundry mettals and other things which melts and yeldes with the heate of fyre or sunne for if the matter or substance which a man goes about to melt be not wel boiled purified and confected or the moulde be not well cast the image or effect of such worke will appeare imperfect hideous and deformed The Astrologians as Alcabitius haue referred these monsters to the influeÌ„ce of the starres iudging that if the Moone be in certaine degrées and coniunctions when the woman conceyueth hir frute shalbe monstrous Euen so Iulius Maternus writeth after him very learnedly the lawyer Alciates vpon the title and signification of these wordes and matters that sometimes these monsters be engendred of the corruption and filthie vnsauorie meates as burning coales mannes flesh and other like things that women desire after they haue conceyued the which is very contagious and hurtfull to their fruite whereof we haue a notable example in Leuinius Lemnius in his first boke of the hidden Secrets of Nature in a certaine Matrone of Belges great with childe of two infants who lusting to eate the flesh of a faire boy whome she beheld at vnwares and fearing he wold refuse hir demauÌ„d being pressed without measure of that vnruly appetite fel
vpon him tearing the fleshe of his hand with hir téeth and deuoured the same sodainly Al which the infant abode in respect to satisfie hir longing And as she returned to play the like parte againe the childe grieuing at hir crueltie withstode hir Wherof being ashamed and full of despite after she had liued certain days in coÌ„tinual melancolie she broughte forth two twinnes the one aliue and the other dead Wherupon the physitions called together to argue vpon the cause of this childe bearing founde that the deniall of the seconde morsel of the boyes flesh was the occasion therof Behold in effect the causes moste frequented touching y e bringing forth of monsters gathered according to the opinion of the best lerned authors both Greekes and Latins Resting yet ouer aboue al those kind of artificial monsters who be most familiar to these vacabunds vncerten people traueling through al prouinces with diuers abuses and deceiptful legerdemains wherwith they abuse the simplicity of the people in getting their money These masked pilgrims or rather absolute hypocrites studying nothing but the philosophie of Sathan as soone as their children be borne whilest their sinewes bones be tender flexible with smal force wil not stick to breke their arms crush their legs puffe vp their belly with some artificial pouder defacing their noses with other parts of the face somtime pecking out their eyes al to make them appere monstrous wherof besides the familiar examples of oure miserable time there was great experience in Asia in the time of Hippocrates as apereth in his booke de aere locis ¶ The generall causes of the generation of MoÌ„sters with many notable Histories touching the same CHAP. vj. THe Auncients of olde time had these monstrous creatures in so greate horrour that if they fortuned to méete any of them by chauÌ„ce in their way they iudged it to be a foreknowledge of their misfortune and to belâ—eue it y e more the Emperor Adryan chancing to sée a Moore at vnwares assured himself to die immediatly The souldiers of Brutus being readie to ioyne battaile with the armie of Octauus Caesar hauing encouÌ„tred an Ethiopian in their way prognosticated that they shold lose the battaile which hapned according to their imagination In like maner the auncient Romains had these deformed creatures in suche disdaine that they straightly charged that the mis-shapen or hauing any other vice vpon their body shoulde not be receyued amongst the virgins Vestales as Fenestellus teacheth in his boke of the Magistrates and worthie men of Rome But that which is most to be maruelled at is that God forbad Moyses not to receiue them to do sacrifice amongest his people as you may reade more at large in the first chapter of Malachy the .xxj. of Leuit. Wherin S. Hierom hauing fully considered these abuses in an Epistle written to a virgin called Demetriade complaines of those Christians whiche offer vnto God those children or put them into religious houses being crooked lame deformed hauing yet a matter more straunge which Iulius Obsequius and other authors haue written of among the Romaine wonders wherin they credibly reporte that the auncient Romaines had these litle monstrous creatures in such abhomination that as soone as they were borne they were immediatly committed to the ryuer of Tyber there to be norished But we being better broughte vp and fostred in a schole of more humanitie knowyng them to be the creatures of GOD suffer them to be brought to the church there to receiue the holy sacrament of Baptisme as may be séene in the figure of these two Maides embracing eche other ioyned together by a straunge infirmitie of nature who wer séene to liue in our age of many thousande persons in forme or shape such as you see them portraicted And to the end the historie of their natiuitie might be the better vnderstanded I will declare that which Sebastian Munster writeth who saw them and behelde their vnnaturall order at large in the yeare as he sayde a thousand foure hundred fourescore .xv. and in the moneth of September A womaÌ„ brought forth a monster nigh to the citie of Worms vpon the right syde of the riuer of Rhine in a village called Bristante which was two maides hauyng their bodies entier and knitte together by the forheade so that there was not any artificial or humaine policie to deuide them asunder as myne author saw them at Magence in the yeare .1501 and being six yeres of age were constrained to go togither whiche was pitifull to beholde for as the one marched forwards the other of force reculed backwards they rose togither and slept togither their noses touching so nigh that they coulde not turne their eyes but one way their forheades ioyning togethers hanged ouer their eyes letting therby the iust course of their sight and liuing till they were ten yeares of age the one of them died who being separated and taken from the other the hurt she receyued in the separation from hir dead sister was the onely cause she died immediately Beholde here sayth he the cause of this monstrous birth two women talking togither the one of them being great with childe there came a thirde woman not knowyng that eyther of them were with childe and sodainly thrust their heads togithers as they talked wherewith she with childe was astonished whereupon grew this monstrous child bearing And to confirme the same to be of more trouth Cardan affirmeth in his bookes de Subtilitate saying That the astoonishment was some help to tie these .ij. infants togithers albeit he alleaged further cause of this vnnatural birth ¶ A wonderful and horrible monster of our tyme vpon the discourse of whom the question is asked whether Diuels can engender and vse the workes of Nature CHAP. vij THis hideous moÌ„ster whose portraict is here set out was born in base Pologne in the noble city of Cracouie in y e month of Februarie and yeare of grace .1543 or as some write 1547. and vpon the euen of the conuersion of S. Paule who although he were begotten of honorable parents yet was he most horrible deformed and fearefull hauing his eyes of the colour of fire his mouthe and nose like to the snoute of an Oxe wyth an horne annexed thereunto like the trumpe of an Elephant all hys backe shagge hairde like a dogge and in place where other men be accustomed to haue brests he had two heads of an Ape hauing aboue his nauell marked the eies of a cat and ioyned to his knee and armes foure heades of a dog with a grenning and fierce countenance the palmes of his féete and handes were like to those of an ape and amongst the rest he had a taile turning vp so hie that the height therof was half an elle who after he had liued foure houres died saying only Watch the Lorde commeth And although this creature were monstrous yet haue not sundry lerned authors failed to
seuere punishement as well to al the Iewes as Lepres thorough out all the prouince of Europe being founde culpable therof that their posterities smell therof til this day for they hauing proued so many kindes of torments and martirdoms that vpon theyr imprisonments they had greater desire to kil and broile one an other than become subiecte to the mercie of the Christians And as Conradus of Memdember of equall fame in the studie of Philosophie and artes Mathematicall writeth that ther died in Almayn for this cause aboue xij thousand Iewes Wherfore as it was strange to behold their afflictions Euen so it was as extreme to sée the poore Christians haue in horrour abhomination the water of theyr welles and fountains that they rather choosed to die of the drought than to receiue any drop therof into their bodies but hauing recourse to rain water or to riuers whereof they had greater want than any store or plentie at all finding not at al times to serue theyr turnes they preuented sundry times the perill of the poison And as these false deceiuers were of all nations much detested so they often times proued diuers kindes of calamities as the Historians testifie the same CoÌ„radus Licostenes amongst others reciteth a strange deuice hapening in the yere .434 about which time he fouÌ„d by fortune in the Isle of Creâ—e a seducer and false prophet or rather a wicked spirite â–ª as they might coÌ„iecture by the issue of his enterprises This prophet preched opeÌ„ly through al the Isle that he was the same Moyses which brought the Israelites from the seruitude of Pharao and that he was sent againe from God to deliuer the Iewes froÌ„ the bondage seruitude of the Christians wherin hauyng thus planted the rootes of his pestilent doctrine he therby woon the people by false miracles and other diabolicall illusions that they began to forsake their houses lands possessions and al the goodes they had to folow him in such sort that they founde no other matter in that couÌ„trey but a great troupe of Iewes accompanied with their wiues and children which folowed this holy man as their chief And after he had wel led theÌ„ in this miserable error he made them mount in the end to the height of a rock ioyning to the sea and there tolde them that he would make theÌ„ passe through the sea on foote as he had tofore brought the people of God thorough the floude of Iordain whiche he coloured so finely by his deceyuable arte that he persuaded them very easily and in such sort that the pore people gathered together on a heape dyd caste them selues headlongs into the sea Whereby the greatest parte of them were drowned and the reste saued by certain christen Fishermen whiche were then in the sea Whereof the Iewes perceiuing the greate deceite whereby he hadde abused them coulde not by any humaine Arte heare any newes nor discouer where was becom their prophet which gaue occasion to many of them not onely to thinke but also write that he was a Diuell vnder the shape and figure of a man which had so deceiued them Sebastian MuÌ„ster writeth in his boke of vniuersall Cosmographie an other historie of them set out in a more gay and braue fashion saying That in the yeare of health .1270 when the Countie of Steruembergh was bishop of Mandeburgh one of the chief Priests of the Synagoges of the Iewes fell by chaunce vpon their Saboth day into a déepe Iakes oute of which he coulde not get and therby constrained to call for the aide of his companions who being arriued sayd vnto him with grieuous complaints that it was theyr Saboth day and that it was not lawfull for them as that daye to yelde hym the benefite of their handes but willyng hym to vse pacience til the next day following which was sunday The bishop of Mandeburgh aduertised of this being a very wyse man gaue commaundement to the Iewes by the sounde of a Trumpet that vpon paine of death they shold froÌ„ henceforth kéepe holy and solemnise as their Saboth daye the Sunday By meanes whereof thys poore martir remained parfumed tyll the Monday ¶ Floudes and wonderfull Inundations of Waters CHAP. xj THe antiquities of forain times haue sufficiently proued the horrible rage of waters that if I shoulde goe about to declare them in order I shoulde rather want Eloquence to describe them than matter wherupon to entreate The first and most worthie of memorie is sufficiently shewed by Moyses in the .vij. chapiter of the boke of Genesis at what time God opened the veines of heauen and sent downe such abundance of water vpon all the earth for the purifying and clensyng of the synnes of men that the same ouerflowed the highest mountaines aboue .xv. cubites And in the reigne of kyng Henry the fourth the waters raged with suche impetuositie within the prouinces of Italie that there was not onely thereby drowned many thousand men but that whiche was more strange as the Historians make meÌ„tion the tame houshold beasts as hennes géese Pehens such like were by the terror therof so frighted that they became sauage waÌ„dring in the deserts and forrests and neuer after to be reclaimed Wherof S. Augustine in the third boke called the Citie of God maketh mention that in the yeare of health 1446. and on the .xvij. day of April in the tyme of Federike the .iij. Emperor at what tyme printing was first founde out there was in Hollande so great an inundation of water and the sea ouerflowed the bankes with suche furie that it brake the causeys running behinde Dordrech couering al the land as wel cities as villages in such sort that ther were drouned not only xvj parishes but also .100000 men with their wiues children and beasts And in y e yeare 1530. in Hollande Flaunders and Brabant the sea so swelled that it brake not only bulwarks and rampiers but also violently caried away both cities and villages togither with the creatures in them bisides made all the hauen townes no lesse nauigable than the open and main sea which not only chaunced in Flaunders but also the same yeare the riuer of Tyber so flowed in Rome that it mouÌ„ted aboue the highest towres and estages of the citie and withal not only breaking down the bridges but endamaging theyr goodes as gold siluer corne wine cloth of silke flowre oyles woull and other riches to the value of thrée millions of golde bisides the losse of thrée thousande persons as well men as women and litle childreÌ„ which were therby smoothered and drouned Wherein as all these matters were maruellous so the auncientes and writers at this day haue not made proofe of one more strange sithens the vniuersall floud of Noe than this which chaunced in Phrygia in the yeare of grace .1230 For euen as when they thought them selues most happie and were banketting drinkyng and giuing them selues ouer to all kindes of pleasure beholde all the lande nigh to the sea of
to participate with the enchauntement of the Torpedo of whose properties although the authours had made no mention yet the common experience of euery fisher maketh good no lesse of hym It is defended to sell him in the open market at Venise bycause of his poyson Moste parte of oure Phisitions nowe a dayes write that his fleshe is moiste softe and of an vnpleasant taste Yet Galen in his thirde booke de Alimentorum facultatibus and in his booke de Attenuante Victu and in the eyghte of his Methodes doth allowe it onely there hath bene great cōtrouersie amongest the Auncients to know in what parte of his bodie consistes the venom of his charme that casteth both fishe and the parts of men into a sleepe some giue out that it lyeth in one parte some saye in an other but moste agrée that it is deuided throughout euen vnto the gall whiche they confirme by the witnesse of Plinie which saith that the gall of a Torpedo on lyue being applied to the genitors or priuye partes represseth the desire of the fleshe wherein we will ende the discourse of that fishe and his propertie and visite other maruels founde in other fishes Althoughe the water is the proper Element mansion house and place of abode for fishes where they féede liue disporte encrease and exercise all their other functions yet is there of them whiche leaue the Sea floudes and riuers and leape vppon the lande eate and féede vppon hearbes vse recreation in the féeldes and sléepe there now and then Theophrastes affirmeth that neare vnto Babylon when the riuers retire within their bākes there be certain fishes lefte within caues and hollowe places which issue out to feede marching vpō their wings or with their often mouing of their taile whē any offreth to offend or assault them they flie forthwith into their caues as their refuge The auncient Philosophers affirme that there haue bene founde fiishes vnder the earth who for that cause they called Focilles whereof Aristotle makes mention and Theophraste speaking of Paphlilagonia where men drawe fishe and they be very good to eate out of déepe diches and other places wherein no water doth remaine Polybe writes in lyke sorte that neare to Narbone hath bene founde fishes vnder the earth We maye also bring in amongest other wonders of the Sea a kind of fishe called Stella or Sea starre bycause it hath the figure of a painted starre this fishe is of a Nature so hote that he endureth assoone as he hath deuoured which Aristotle approueth in his .v. booke De Historia anima where he gyueth such hotnesse to this fish that she boyleth what she taketh Plinie and Plutarch do likewise affirme that the starre by hir onely touche doth melte boyle and burne whatsoeuer she toucheth and knowing hir vertue she suffreth hir selfe to be touched with other fishe to the ende she maye burne them Monsieur Rondelet a man liuing at this daye and aswel worthie of credit as the best that write in his histostorie de piscibus affirmeth that he hath séene many starres of the Sea but one amongest the reste containing almost a foote in length which he opened in maner of Anotomie and founde in his bellye three Coquylles whole and twoo Remollies halfe digested such is the greate furious heate of this litle creature all which may seeme wonderfull examples of the wonders of the Sea yet are they nothing in respect of those whiche we meane to treate hereafter the same mouing both feare and amaze to suche as haue most nearely sifted the secretes of the Sea For this litle beast which so amazeth y e world is called in Greeke Ethneis and of the Latins Remora to whome is gyuen that name bycause she doth stay Ships as hereafter you shall heare more at large Opyanus and Aelian write that he delites moste in the high sea he is of the length of a cubite of a browne colour like vnto an Eele Plinie maketh hym like to a greate Limace whiche he proueth by the witnesse of suche as sawe one of them that stayed the Galey of the prince Caius Caesar. In his .ix. booke he brings in diuers opinions of sundry authors touchyng this fishe who although they differ in his description yet they agree all that suche one there is and is of power to stay shippes Whereof also many Philosophers of late dayes whiche haue trauailed by many ports and hauens in Asia and Affrica beare witnesse in that they haue séene hym made an Anatomie and proued his vertues with wonderfull effectes It is sure a maruellous and monstrous thing in Nature to finde a fish or creature in the water of y e gretnesse of a Limace which is of force by a secrete propretie of nature to stay immediatly what she toucheth be it the moste huge and tal ship or galey that vseth to scumme the sea whiche made Plinie crie out in this sorte Oh straunge and wonderful thyng sayth he that all the windes blowyng from all partes of the worlde and the moste furious tempestes raging vpon and ouer the waues and contendyng wyth extreme violence against the vessels that sayle thervpon stand in awe of a little fishe of the greatnesse of a Limace whose power preuaileth ouer their furie can restraine and bridle theyr rage and is of more force to stay the strongest shippe that is than all their ankers cables tackles or any other engine employed or vsed about the same This fishe encountred Anthonie in hys warres and restrained hys shippe Adamus Louicerus Lib. de Aquatilibus cōfirming Plinies opinion rauished as it were with suche straunge conditions in a fishe hath trauailed with great paines to searche out the cause in nature wherof being not able to giue any reason by any learnyng or diligence he vsed gaue it ouer with this exclamation Who is he of so dumbe and grosse iudgement whiche wyll not enter into admiration if he beholde at leysure the propreties and power of this little fishe I knowe sayth he that the Adamant hathe power to smell and drawe yron the Diamont sweateth and distilleth poyson the Turkeys doth moue when there is any peril prepared to him that weareth it the Torpille infecteth and maketh slepe the hande and arme of the Fisher and I know that the Basilicke is so venomous that with his onely viewe and regard he poisoneth man of all which notwithstandyng their straungenesse a man maye yelde some reason but of the vertue of this fish we may not argue bicause it is supernaturall for he lyueth in the water taketh his nouriture in the water as other fishes doe and doth no exercise but in the water his little stature approueth that he can do no great violence and yet is there no power equal with his nor force able to resist him there is neither storme nor engin by hande of power to moue a ship after he hath once plyed him selfe to it wer it that the whole windes and violence of the Element
the whiche meanes we iudge to sée diuers sunnes We maye also sée the lyke in a table wel painted and polished which when we behold there appeareth to vs the shape of two or .iij. being but one in dede and as much we may say of y e Moone Thus haue we declared the very true causes wherfore appere so often .ij. or .iij Sunnes Moones let vs therfore now from henceforth search in nature the cause and beings of these things and stay no more at these fripperies deceiptes and dreames of the Astrologians iudicials who therby haue so oftentimes deceiued begiled vs that they oughte and deserue to be banished exiled from all cōmon wealths well gouerned for what trouble perplexitie and terrour haue they engendred in the consciences of a numbre of poore people As for example in the yere 1514. when they feared not with obstination to publishe openly in all places that there shoulde be in the moneth of February well nigh an vniuersall floud for that the coniunction of all the planets were in the signe of Pisces and notwithstandyng the day which should haue brought forth these waters was one of the moste faire and temperate days of the yere albeit many great personages fearefull of their prophecies made prouision of bisket flower ships and other like things propre to sayle withall fearyng to be surprised and drowned wyth the greate abundance of water whiche they before had tolde of Lette vs further from henceforth learne with Henry the .vij. king of Englande who reigned in oure tyme makyng no accompt of theyr deceytes but chastised their dreame who vpon the sodaine beyng made to vnderstande that one of the moste famous Astrologians of Englande had published in all places that he had found amongst the most hidden secretes of Astrologie that the King shoulde die before the next feast of Christmas commaunded that he should be brought before hym who after he had asked hym whether this talke were true and that the prognosticator had answered him that it was certaine and that he had founde this infallible in his constellation and natiuitie I pray thée then sayde the King tell me where the starres tell thée thou shalte kéepe thy Christmas this yeare To whom he answered he shoulde be in hys owne house with hys familie but I knowe very wel sayd the King that thy starres be lyers for thou shalt neither sée Moone Sunne Starres heauen nor thy familie this Christmasse putting hym presentely in the moste straight darke prison in the great tower of London where he continued till the feast was past Here you may sée how this true Astrologian was vsed remayning prisoner in extreme misery vntil after the feast kept of the natiuitie of Iesus Christe ¶ A wonderfull Historie of Flames of fyre which haue sprong out of the heades of diuers men CHAP. xxj IF there were but one onely Authour which had made mention of the Historie followyng although the truthe therof be sufficiently proued for whiche cause I haue the rather at this time placed it in these my wōders as a chiefe argument or coniecture in nature whereupon may be founded the cause notwithstanding seing so many learned men haue busied themselues to write therof together with so greate a number of faithfull authors witnessing the same in their works we ought the rather vpon their credite to beleue that whiche they haue sayd therin Titus Liuius in his thirde booke and thirde Decade Cicero in his seconde boke De diuinatione Valerius the great in his first boke and .vj. chapiter Frontinus in his secōd boke and .x. chapiter write that after the Scipions were surprised by their enimies and ouerthrowē and killed by the Spanyards and that Lucius Martius a Romaine knight making an oration to his souldiers exhorting to reuēgement they became astonished to see a great flame of fire issuing from his heade without doing to him any hurt which caused the armed men being moued with the sight of thys wonderfull flame to take heart and run so furiously vpon their enimies that they not onely killed xxvij thousande but also had a praie of a great number of captiues besides an inestimable riches they toke from the Carthaginiens Neither haue such fantasticall fyres sprong from the bodies of certaine men or appeared in one only but in many Wherof the same author Titus Liuius writeth in his first boke of things worthy of memory sithens the foundation of Rome the like to happen to Seruius Tullius who succéeded in the imperial seate Tarquinius Priscus from whose heade being yet but yong and as he slepte they sawe issue a flame of fyre whervpon the Quéene Tanaquil wife to the foresayd Priscus affirmed to hir husbād that this flame promised to hym greate good honour and prosperitie whiche afterwards chaunced for he maried not onely hir daughter but after the death of hir husband hée was Kyng of the Romaines And Plutarche and others haue written the lyke of Alexander when he foughte against the Barbariens being in the moste heate of the skirmish they sawe him all on fyre whiche caused a maruellous feare and terrour to his ennimies Euen so I knowe a certaine Physition at this day who writeth of the lyke in diuers of his histories chauncing in our time to a nere friende of his in Italy not onely at one time but at many Whereof as Plinius not onely in an other place maketh mention of the ryuer Trasimenus whyche was seene all on fyre but also maketh a certain discourse of these wonderfull flames whyche be seene aboute the bodies of men Also Aristotle in hys fyrst boke of Metheores treateth in lyke maner But to tell you myne opinion therein I can not any wayes gather the cause or foundation eyther of the one or other althoughe I haue promised to shewe the causes and reasons whervpon these wonders procede and take their beginnyng For if we wyll saye they be made by Arte As we haue séene very often in oure tyme certaine Ruffians vomite and caste forth of theyr mouthes certayne flames of burnyng Fyre whiche Atheneus in the fyrst boke of the Dipnosophistes and fouretenth Chapiter doth witnesse whiche coulde not happen as I thinke to the Histories before mentioned for that it hath chanced to greate lordes vpon whome these wonders haue bene moste proued by which meanes they being attended vpon wyth a greate numbre and multitude of persones the fraude thereof was easlyer discouered Wherefore it is moste expediente then to beléeue that they be wonders and deceytes of Sathan who was so familiar in the worlde passed that he inuented dayly newe wonders as is wytnessed in Exodus of the Magitiens of Pharao whiche conuerted Maydes into Serpentes and floudes of water into bloud whyche be matters as difficulte as to make flames of fyre issue or come from the bodies of men ¶ A Historie very notable of Prodigeous Loues CHAP. xxij I Am ashamed and almoste confused in my self that I must declare the wonderfull loue
of thrée of the most renoumed Philosophers that euer were at any tyme in the world Wherof the one of them so wel studied in the perfectnesse of the soule and of the nature diuine with a wonderfull diligence in giuing wholsome lawes for a common welth that S. Augustin dare write affirme of him sauing in some respectes to be a perfect Christian. The second so well seene in the Element treating also very learnedly of the secretes of Nature and other sensible things that he shone amongest the reste of the Philosophers as the sunne amongest the starres The thirde as he was nothing inferiour in learning to the other twoo so had he besides such a kinde of holinesse and other ornaments of Ciuilitie that he was nuÌ„bred amongst the seuen fages of Grece which notwithstanding although they had curiously searched the secrets of the heauens of Nature the being and resorte of all things coÌ„tained within the compasse of the earth yet were they not so finely studied nor so well armed in the secretes of their sciences as eyther they vnderstand the Nature of so faire and delicate a creature as a woman is or other wayes be able to defende them selues from their cruell assaultes All the greate Masse of Philosophie wherin Aristotle was so déeply plunged and greatly studied from his birth to his sepulture was not of sufficient force to subdue in him the motions of the fleshe for he became in loue with a coÌ„mon woman named Hermie the loue of whome had so muche enflamed hym that he not onely consumed in the sight of all men but that which more was he became not only a straÌ„ger for hir sake to Philosophie which deserues to be noted amongest these wonders but also worshipped hir made to hir sacrifices as Origene writeth whereof being accusâ—d by Demophilus he was coÌ„strained to abandon Athens where he had remained and written xxx yeares and saued him selfe by flighte Plato who onely amongest the Philosophers merited the name of diuine was not so supersticious but he would aswel knowe what was humanitie as he had bene diligent to searche the secretes of the heauens that he would often times behold and remaine with humaine bodies as is wel notified of him by kéeping coÌ„panie with Aâ—chenasse who although she had gyuen hir selfe ouer to a number in hir youth notwithstanding when she was abaÌ„doned of others Plato receyued hir being so much assotted in hir that he not only loued hir but made certain verses in hir praise lamenting that he should so muche in the sight of al men embrace the loue of so many olde wrinkels as Atheneus y e Greeke authour writeth in his .xiij. booke de ses Dipnosophistes Socrates whose maiestie and grauitie was so much renoumed celebrated by y e AuncieÌ„ts y t they write this wonder of him that he was alwayes one man in sorte that for any Eclips of fortune prosperitie or aduersitie they neuer at any time founde mutation in hym notwithstanding he was not so sterne or seuere in his actions but the loue of his Aspasie did at all times mollifie the same as Clearchus maketh report vnto vs by writing in the firste booke of his Amours And like as I haue broughte these thrée to lighte so could I rehearse a greate number of others as Demosthenes Isocrates Pericles many others whose amorous and lasciuious loues the Greeke Historians haue sufficiently discouered that in reading of them I haue muche maruell that the greatnesse of their studie science wisedome could not moderate suche motions flames but that the smoke of their wantoÌ„ dealings remaineth to their posteritie Wherefore Lays so muche renowmed amongest the loste women was one daye in a greate coller against diuers which praised very earnestly the life maners of all the learned wise Philosophers of Athenes saide vnto some of them I knowe not saith she what is their knowledge neither what is their science neither what bookes your Philosophers studie whome you so much coÌ„mende but I knowe this very well y t I being but a womaÌ„ besides y t I neuer red in y e schooles at Athenes yet haue I séene very often the wise men come here to my schoole where of graue Philosophers they became folishe louers Let vs therefore leaue these Philosophers at reste and search out others for whosoeuer would make a Callender of al those who haue made them selues subiecte to loue should rather make a whole booke thereof than a chapter Menetor as Atheneus reciteth maketh mention of an amorous historie worthie to be noted in our wonders for that there is nothing more rare in Nature than to sée hir which loueth well willing to make partition to an other of that which was so deare vnto hir the whiche some times chaunced in a notable historie that we haue to write of Atheneus maketh mention of a coÌ„mon woman greatly renoumed for hir beautie whose name was Plangon Milesienne as she was beautiful so was she desired of many great Lordes But amongest others she had a yong man called Colophomen a man exquisite in beautie whome she coÌ„monly plaid withall who aboue all others enioyed the best part in hir NotwithstaÌ„ding as these lasciuious loues be for the most part grounded on tickle vncertaine foundatioÌ„s y t all the building coÌ„meth in y e ende to vtter decaye ruine euen so there hapned such a Ielousie betwixte PlaÌ„gon hir friend for y t she vnderstoode he loued an other called Bachide Samienne one nothing inferiour to hir for beautie other douries of Nature Wherin being assailed w t this new Ielousie she determined to make truce w t hir loue to giue y e farewel to this yoÌ„g geÌ„tlemaÌ„ WhervpoÌ„ this yong maÌ„ who wished rather to die thaÌ„ to become a straÌ„ger to hir in whom coÌ„sisted y e coÌ„fort solace of his life began to embrace cherish hir as he was wonte to do but she as cold as y e yse of y e mountaigne made no accoÌ„pte of al his plaints sighes lameÌ„tatioÌ„s requesting y t he wold shun al places of hir repaire without making him further to vnderstaÌ„de the cause of hir displeasure y e yong man touched more neare y e quicke with hir new refusal prostrated him selfe at hir féete all bedewed with teares exclaming that if she deferred to giue him remedie or otherwise relieue him by the influence of some gracious beame of pitie he should presentely perishe Plangon moued with rage pitie and loue sayde vnto hym lette me not fynde thee duryng thy life in my presence vnlesse thou present me with the chain of golde so muche celebrated of Bacchide Samienne wherfore the yong man without other replie went to Bacchide to whome hauyng made vnderstande from point to poynt the furie of the flames and ardent amitie which he bare to Plangon vaÌ„quished of pitie loue gaue vnto him hir chain with charge that he should forthwith present it
kepte in the mouth represseth hunger and thirst for ten or .xij. dayes Aelyan a Greeke Historian maketh mention of an hearbe whiche discouereth treasures that be hydden And Plinie of an other whiche openeth the conduictes that be closed And nowe as we haue largely dilated vpon the vertues and propreties of many wonderfull herbes and plantes so it is not necessary to omitte the noble and wonderfull dignitie of the roote of Baara so muche celebrated by Iosephus the Hebrue who bycause hée is of more faith than the moste of the rest and of lesse suspition than they all being a recorder of the Ecclesiasticall histories I thynkâ— hym as worthie of this place as any other In tymes past sayth Iosephus there grewe a Roote in Iuda called Baara hauyng a colour and bryghtenesse of a flame â–ª of fyre and gaue lyght in the nyght lyke a Lampe and that in suche a wonderfull and straunge order that who so went about to touche or gather it before that it were sprinkled with either the bloud or vrine of a woman dyed presently and yet was not that a sufficient defence or suretie Wherevpon after suche experience of the poyson of this Hearbe they were constrayned for their owne safetie to tye a Dogge to some parte of the Plante who offeryng to followe hys Mayster plucked it vp by the rootes Suche agayne was the wonderfull propretie of thys Plante that beyng once plucked vp a man myghte handle it wythout peryll And beyng hanged at the necke of suche as were infected wyth the Fallyng syckenesse or possessed wyth an euyll spirite it dyd delyuer them presentely Hieronymus Cardanus a Physition of Millane fyndeth it not straunge that it kylled such as dydde gather it enforcyng hys opinion by reasons of Philosophie but in thys sorte Baaran whereof thys roote of Baara hath taken hys name is a Ualey in Iudea a countrey very hote and haboundyng wyth Pytche of whyche the portion or liquour being very subtile and too muche boyled dyd distill from the Mountaine whereof as it is moste lyke thys Roote was engendred and bycause that it did growe in continuall shadowe and darkenesse the poyson was the more violent beyng of a substaunce exceedyng the fyre in heate the whyche beyng styrred in the pluckyng vp and fumyng vp wyth an ardente and corrupte vapour to the brayne of hym that gathered it smoothered hym presentely But touchyng hys reasons for the vryne and Mylke of a Woman the whyche séemed to haue some power ouer the furie of thys Plante althoughe they bée strong and carrie wyth them a greate lykelyhode of credite and truthe yet I thynke that it is neyther in hym nor in all the Philosophers of the Worlde yf all theyr learnyngs were sette in iudgement of the matter to gyue other reason than wyth the Prophete saying The Lorde is maruellous in all hys woorkes who hathe knowne hys secretes or who hathe bene hys Counseller The portraict of this Plante is in the begynnyng of thys Chapiter where the Dogge is tyed to the Herbe ¶ Wonderfull Banketteâ— CHAP. xxv IF I haue not sufficiently treated in my first booke of the Theatre of the worlde of the infirmities and maledictioÌ„s thundred vpon vs wretches by that wicked and infortunate vice of glutonie I haue nowe a larger fielde to walke in and a matter more ample to dilate vpon to the fulnesse of my pen but without singing so often one soÌ„g it shal suffise me for the present to describe in this place not onely the prodigalities but also the wondrous monstrous féeding of the throte wherof the Auncients and gluttons of late time haue vsed in their feasts and bankets The Persians and Greekes as Herodotus witnesseth haue ben so dissolute in their feasts that they caused them to be proclaimed in publike by the crie of an Harolde and reserued a speciall price to such as could inuent newe delites or drinke or eate with moste excesse bisides they forbad one an other by the way of mockerie and brauerie that they should not depart at any tyme from theyr feastes hungrie And their reason was for that that they should so well stuffe their bodies of all kindes of meates and drinkes that they were constrained to render accoÌ„pt to nature and make an inuentorie of that which they had receiued afore they parted from the table and so hauyng discharged their stomacks became hungrie againe Atheneus makyng mention of the excessiue prodigalitie of Xerxes kyng of the Persians assureth that after he had remained one day in a Citie and that he had dined and supped the common poore people smelte therof a yeare or two after As if that they had had a certain famine or barennesse of goodes in their prouinces And after continuing his purpose he made mention of the superfluitie and sumptuous expences of Darius king of the Persians who sayth he had many times to accompanie him at supper fiftene thousand men of whome if you will make diuision you shall fynde euery one of those guests spent at his supper .xvj. crounes Wherin that great cormorant Alexander was nothing at all inferiour to Darius or Xerxes in banketting or excessiue â—hargeâ— for after he had pierced the Indes â–ª he beganne to giue himselfe in praie to delites and proclaimed open battaile to good drinke with rewarde to hym that got the price or victorie of that combat the same amounting many times to the value of thirtie Mines being three hundreth crownes or of one talent the which is six hundreth crounes And although the danger of that bataile consisted moste in the blowes of cuppes or glasses â–ª yet he founde it in the ende so tragicall and bloudie that for that tyme there died to the number of thirtie sixe who ended their liues moste miserably by the excessiue drinking and gurling in of wine as Charles Mitileneus writeth in the gestes of Alexander Althoughe Esope was not equall to thesâ— before rehearsed neither in goodes nor in dignitie yet Plinie reciteth in the tenth of his bookes that amongeste the moste renoumed delicacies and prodigalitie the dishe of Esope hath bene in greatest admiration That dishe was of a straunge and wonderfull inuention for he searched with greate curiositie for the furnishing of one banquet whiche he made in Rome all the little birdes enclosed in cages whiche were to be founde in all the Citie as Linettes Larkes Estourneaux Merles Calendres and other like who were solde more dearer than golde bycause of their pleasaunt and armonious singing together with the pleasure whiche men receiued in the hearing of them who knowe very well how to imitate the voice of man whiche byrdes if we will beleue Plinie did coste sixe thousande Sesterces the piece which were prised acccording to Budee at fyftene thousandâ— crounes Whiche maye séeme straunge or not true to them whiche haue readde those authours that not onely that tragicall Esope was so riche but also after so greatâ— expences and charges he lefte his sonne so welthiâ— â–ª that he
notwithstanding his memorie perfecte and sounde and yet sometime with the mortall assaultes of his passions he became immouable as a tronke or blocke hauing his eyes open with perfect knowledge of all the assistaunts his féeling albeit so far withdrawen that he would not stirre or moue what pricking or pinching so euer was offred him but the pange being retired and his bodie retourned to his former state of health quiet he would tell of many wonders in that qualme but most of al of .ij. men appearing afore him as in aâ—â—ision whereof the one bare the figure of a childe the other séemed to haue a more perfect age who also in the beginning of Lent appeared eftesoones vnto him with these wordes in order of speciall charge that if he woulde cause to be cut the prepuce he shoulde not féele any paine for .xl. dayes which he did and accordingly was deliuered of griefe for that time in the iust ende whereof his sorows began to returne in sorte as they did before and likewise the same .ij. men presented themselues afore him inuisible sauing to himselfe counsailyng him to caste hymselfe into the Sea vnto the nauell where tarying a certaine time his griefe shoulde ceasse and onely shoulde remaine a certaine slymie humour whiche woulde passe awaye whiche he did and founde an effecte of their aduise what wonderfull Philosophie is this of Sainct Augustine and what straunge apparaunce in visions But what more cause of wounder can be than to sée them priuie to the secretes of Phisicke all whiche sure as they bréede indifferent doubte and feare in suche as reade or heare of them and yet for my parte I haue not hearde nor redde eyther in prophane or sacred reporte anye thing more maruellous that waye than the vision of Cataldo Bishop of Tarento the same appearing in our time not without infecting many mens consciences with greate scrupule and doubte séeing that that vision hath lefte sufficient matter to trouble the most Theologians and Philosophers of the worlde This Cataldo a man holy in life being buried a thousande yeares past within the Bishoprike of Taronto appeared notwithstanding after â–ª the ende of such time in a nighte to a yong infante giuen altogether to God with expresse charge to vncouer a certaine vaulte in a place in the earth whiche he assigned hym wherein he had hidden whilest he was in the worlde a booke written with his owne hande whiche assoone as he had taken oute of the grounde he shoulde offer it immediatly to Ferdinando firste Kyng of Aragon and Naples raigning at that tyme. This childe for the small faith he gaue to the vision perfourmed not the charge giue him Whereunto albeit he was eftesones sollicited at sundry times yet he neuer vsed regarde to the persuasâ—â—n vntill one morning afore daye as he was in his prayers in the Churche he behelde Cataldo in his Byshoppes wéede and countenaunce of threatning seueritie who appeared sayd vnto him as thou haste gyuen slender credit to my wordes with lesse regarde to searche the booke and deliuer it to Ferdinando so assure thy selfe this time for all if thou refuse to perfourme the charge or once staie to attende an other sommonce thy punishement wil be to greate for thée to endure whiche laste threate stirred suche feare in the childe that the nexte morning he imparted the vision to the multitude who according to the strayte and too straunge tearmes of the same assembled very curiously to accompanie the childe to the place of charge where being arriued and vncouering the earth they founde a little coffer of leade so close and curiouslye wrought that the ayre or sounde had no place to enter in the bottome whereof they tooke vp a booke wherein were writen in forme of a prophecie the miseries plages and curses whiche should happen to the kingdome of Naples to the King Ferdinando and his children the same hauing so directly happened and succeded since as it may séeme the byshop did not erre or write false in one syllable For such was y e infortune of this miserable King Ferdinando to fall so déepe and desperatly into the ire of God that he was killed in the firste conflicte the like happening not long after to his eldest sonne Alfonsus who afore he coulde settle himselfe within the state Royall was put to flight by his enimies and dyed in miserable exile Suche was also the chaunce of Ferdinando his yonger sonne to whome as the kingdome was due by inheritaunce so death preuented his vse and possession of it and that in the floure of his age being so enuironed with warres that he had skarce leasure to take breath What otâ—â—r good was reserued to Federike sonnes sonne to the said Ferdinando than that he sawe sacked and burned afore his eyes his countrey his people bathing in the suddes of their owne bloud and his owne lyfe in the ende committed to the mercy of his mortall enimies And lastly if we well consider what fortune hath gouerned this kingdome of Naples withall giue faith to the authoritie of suche as haue written truly of it we shall finde that of al the kingdoms of the earth only this state of Naples hath excéeded in reuolution mutation persecution and losse of bloud the same making it séeme in déed and as it is and may be most properly termed the very but and marke whereat fortune hath delited to vnloase hir cursed and sharpe arrowe a very gulphe and sinke out of the whiche were drawne all the miseries whiche infected the whole bodie of Italy this was in effect the Prophecie and vision of the Prelate Cataldo according to the witnesse of Alexander ab Alexandro in his booke of the generall dayes which with the other afore recited as me thinke may suffise for the examples of our visions appearing to men both by day and nighte sléeping and waking aswell in sicknesse as health So there restes nowe according to our general intent touching all other matters in this booke to searche oute the cause of theâ—â— fantasticall illusions and of what substaunce they are founded or do procéede whiche bycause it doth not include an indifferent or equall respect to all men I thinke it most sure and best to follow and marche vnder the enseigne of S. Augustine who aboue any other hath vsed a more learned diligence to discouer this matter and yet is it necessary afore we passe further herein for y e better exposition of the circumstaunce to make an vniuersall partition in the deduction wherof we wil followe that which he hath written against Adamantum where he procéedeth in this sorte There be saith he diuerse kindes of visions auouched by the holye Histories whereof some do make themselues appeare afore the eyes of the bodye as the thrée men whiche appeared to AbrahaÌ„ that whiche Moyses sawe burning in the bushe and lastly that of Moyses and Elyas to the Apostles at suche time as Christe was transfigured vpon the mountaine The
pricke with the point of my knife and lapt vp his wound with a band or shread of my sheart And hauing performed this worke of charitie vpon the poore beast he lay with an extreme pacience by me all that day next nght til the morning folowing when I vnfolded eftsoones the sore and pressed out the corpuption with no lesse suffraÌ„ce in him thaÌ„ before who after .ij. or .iij. houres in the morning seeming to be pinched with hunger he left me and the caue went to the desert When I seing the honest departure of my guest preueÌ„ted y e like peril saued my self by flight wherin sir I coulde not be so precise as to escape the haÌ„ds of such as pursued me by whom I was presented to my maister froÌ„ him amoÌ„gst others no lesse infortunate than my self I was passed prisoner to Rome where if my good fortune haue brought me into the danger of this Lyon and he to returne the benefit of my good turn with a compassion safetie of my life I humbly beséech thy maiestie royal to coÌ„sent to the same and suffer not thy decrées giuen out by thine own mouth to be violated with any respect of crueltie Which moued such indifferent pitie coÌ„mpassion to y e assistants y t there was not 〈◊〉 amongst them al which with great intercession were not suters to y e Emperor for his libertie safetie of the Lyon Wherunto he did not onely agrée but also enioyned from that houre that Andronique and the Lion should vse their libertie to passe at all tymes thorow the stréetes of Rome whom the people beheld not without a singular pleasure the rather to see the Lion contented to carie great wallets full of bread and other reliefe giuen them in almes And somtime to get money to his keepers he would suffer children to leape vpon his back The same mouing such cause of maruel to the strangers y t came to Rome that there was question touching the meaning Wherupon to satisfie theÌ„ and al men was written a little bille and fastened to the brest of the Lion with this inscription Hic Leo est hospes huius hominis And vpon the brest of the man were written these words Hic est medicus huius leonis wherof the one signifieth This Lion is the guest of the man and the other This man is the physition of the Lion This is sure a woÌ„derful exaÌ„ple of charitie in a beast without vnderstanding wherin is also approued the opinion of an Indian Philosopher named Dephilus who was wont to say That y e great workman dame nature had graued certaine lawes in beastes which might be applied to men as exaÌ„ples to direct y e estate of their life for if we consider and view with discretion the order of doing of diuerse beasts we shal find them to excéede men in many things and haue as it were a natural vertue in euery affection of corage wisedome force cowardise clemencie discipline erudition They knowe one an other are able to decerne amoÌ„gst theÌ„selues desire things that be profitable and eschue such as be hurtful forsee what will fall and make prouision of such things as be necessarie for their relief Al which being considered by the auncient Philosophers they haue not ben ashamed to dispute and make a doubte whether brute beasts did participate with reason or not which made Salomon sende some of them to the schooles of the Philosophers Lyke as also Esay reprochyng the vnthankefulnesse of the Israelites towardes GOD layeth afore them an example of the Oxe and Asse which acknowledge their maister but Israel hath mystaken and not knowen hir Lorde ¶ A wonderfull historie of certaine women which haue brought forth a great number of children And an other whiche â—are hir fâ—â—te fiue yeares deade within hir belly CHAP. xxx LIke as that greate Philosopher Aristotle doth moste firmely assure in hys writings that a woman can not bring forth at one tyme aboue fiue chyldren and that very rare Euen so sayth he that happened on a time to a seruante of Augustus Cesar who at one burden brought forth fiue children who besides the mother liued but a short time after In remembrance wherof the Emperor Augustus caused to be made and erected a monumeÌ„t writing on the out side therof the numbre of the children which she had born Wherfore though Aristotle did beleue that a woman could not bring forth at one time aboue the numbre of fiue children notwithstaÌ„ding the contrary hath bene proued in many as is witnessed by many graue authors Amongst whom that notable learned Prince Picus Mirandulanus in his coÌ„mentaries vpon the second hymne assureth y t one Allemande called Dorothee brought forth in Italy at two seuerall times twentie children that is to say at one time .xij. at an other .viij. who during the time y t she was with childe hir belly was so great that she was constrained to payse y e weight thereof with a towel bound about the same for the succoryng of hir charge There is none of those which haue read the chronicles and histories of Lombardie which knoweth not that in the time of the raign of Algemont first kyng of the Lombards there was a certain common Woman brought forth .vij. boyes at one tyme who for the horrour of hir sinne cast them into the water But God by his almightie power and wonderfull prouidence not willyng to blot out of memorie this wicked and detestable act brought the same to light who permitting the king Algemont to walke by fortune nigh the water where she had cast them espied one of the children in the water on liue who with the crooke of a staffe which he helde in his hande he plucked out causing the chylde to be nourished and brought vp in learning and vertue who as he grew in yeares so he in like maner perseuered in al perfectious and good gifts and as the historiaÌ„s make mention succéeded Algemond and was named Lanytius second kyng of the Lombards And if thou wouldest reade the Historie of Martinus Cromerus in his sixt boke of the worthy actes of Poloigne thou shalt fynde an historie of a woman of the countie of Virboslaus which surpasseth all the precedents before recited for the multitude of children wherin like as all these histories be wonderfull for the great nuÌ„bres of children borne at one instant euen so I haue not red amongst al the Historians which haue written therof that for the great nuÌ„bres of children which they haue had they haue had cause to open bruse and anatomize or put an iron into their bellies to plucke forth their frute as it was strange and maruellous to behold that a woman for one onely childe hath ben opened for that she by the space of .v. yeres caried hir frute in hir body dead as thou mayst vnderstand by the discourse of this historie folowing worthy of remembrance the which Mathias Cornax a learned and excellent
wyth hir hissing as Plinie sayth all the other Serpents she makes trées die with hir breath scorcheth herbes breakes stones and so infecteth the aire where she remaineth that no birde can vse wing there without perrill she killeth men wyth hir onely regarde like as an vncleane woman infecteth and spotteth a glasse And although she containe not aboue one foote in length yet is hir poyson so strong venimous as she killeth other Serpents wyth the very breathe that commeth from hir fore ende she is so mortally venomous that she infecteth and ouerwhelmeth great Cityes with the aire or breath of hir mouth the same approued not only by the historians prophane as Dioscorides Plinie Aelian Lucian Isidorus with many mo but also confirmed in some sort by the Ecclesiasticals Hieronimus Cardanus in his bookes of diuers Historyes treating of the wonders of this beast brings in a straunge thing hapning in our time which he describes in this sorte At such time saith he as I made my bookes of diuers Historyes the .xxiij. of Iuly happened a thing no lesse worthy of admiration than memory which I did assist wyth myne eies and presence Iacques Phillippes Cerunse caused to be made vnder the earth a valt or caue which bicause it shuld consolidate the better he made stoppe very close and within .xviij. or .xx. dayes after made the same to be opened to draw forthe certaine arches of woâ—de which sustained it whereunto as one of his workemen disposed himself to discend by a ladder and being in the middest of the same he fel downe dead the maister séeing no returne of his maÌ„ would proue the experience in himselfe who likewise being come so lowe as the other fell also dead after whom the assistaÌ„ts not doubting any mortal peril seÌ„t a third a fourth w t many other which al passed one way this albeit it gaue great indifferent cause of suspition and feare yet was it no suche terror to the people without the hoale as to make them desist to send any more but chose out amongst theÌ„ al a strong huge man of no other regard with them all than as a foole who discending as low and to the place of the others fell not but with a crooke of iron drewe one of them that were dead which gaue him such courage y t he would once againe goe downe and being within the mouth of the vault he began to sinke and fall albeit he was preuented by the diligence of the assistants who by speciall remedies recouered him of his traunce but not of the vse of his speache till the next day when I perceiuing sayth Cardan that he began to speake I asked him many things but he séemed not to remember to haue sayde or done any thing saue only his going downe there was let fal in a corde a dogge whom they also plucked vp againe halfe dead wherby euery man that was not able to comprehende the cause of these wonders iudged that there was within the caue a Basilicke which otherwise is called Serpens Regalis Wherin as we haue now as I thinke treated sufficiently of certaine straunge and monstrous Serpents found in sundry prouinces partes of the world it is no lesse necessary in mine opinion to search out certain singular things which are fouÌ„d in some particular kindes of them those which haue treated of the nature of Serpents haue obserued chiefly that their excrements smell sweete which by natural reason may procéede of their drinesse for Serpents of their owne nature be dry the same arguing that their excrementes be well boiled by reason of the straitnesse of their intrails Some affirme that Serpents haue so odiferous a breath that it séemes as swéete as Muske There be Serpentes which kepe their venome after their death as the Uipers for otherwise their flesh could little profite to the composition of Triacle if they were altogither without poyson Besides wherupon could come the excoriation in the Leper that hath eaten them if they did not reserue some poyson It hath chaunced in our time that such as haue taken of the hide from a beast that hath perished of the biting of a Uiper die also of the like disease Dioscorides in his sixth booke wher he treateth of poisons and venomes saith that immediatly after a man is bitten with a Uiper the biting swelleth and becometh dry and of a whitish coloure there appeareth in the beginning of the biting a fiery anguishe all died with bloud which doth force out of the flesh round about it certaine blisters as if they had bene burnt wyth fire then foloweth an viceration then they bléede swell touching those partes that be about the liuer whereupon are procured vomites of choler heauie sléepe shaking thorow the whole body Passions of the vrine and cold sweat Certaine late Phisitians are of opinion that the Uiper is no other thing than the Serpent which we call in Fraunce the Aspic Some do affirme that the Uiper doth abhorre a naked man and feareth him more than if he were clad with garments The Phisitians are of opinion that if a mannes eyes be rubbed euery morning with the skin or flough of a Uiper his sight shall neuer be dimme nor hurt with suffusion affirming besides that if an olde floughe be burned when the Moone is full and in the first part of the signe of Aries and that the cenders be sprinkled vpon a mannes head it stirres vp terrible dreames Plinie and Dioscorides auouche that the earth neuer receiues within hir entrails the Serpent that hath once bit a man seming as it were in respecte and reuerence of a certaine royall benignitie to haue in horror him that hathe offended the King chiefe and Prince of all beastes Plinie wryteth that the spittle of a man specially of him that is fasting is venomous to a Serpent in so much that if he but taste of it neuer so little he dieth and that which more is if a man but poure it vpon him it offendes him no lesse than if he had skalding water cast vpon him All the Phisitians and wryters obserue that the venomous Serpents hide them selues or abide within the thrée leaued grasse biâ—ause that herbe is mortiferous to them Those that wil handle serpents without daunger let them wash their handes first with the iuise and sappe of Turneps the same being so great an enimie to their poyson that they had rather die than once cease vpon the place that hath bene rubbed with Turneps whose only smell doth take away both his lyfe and force Cardanus in his .xviij. booke de subtilitate and in the Chapiter which â—reateth of maruellous inuentions sayth that the wilde Cowcumber blacke néesing pouder called Eleborum and the great Serpentine called DrachontiuÌ„ mains be of so great force against serpents that such as be annointed or rubbed with their iuise be seldome or neuer offended or hurt with Serpents for better confirmation wherof I may boldly bring in a History which I haue neither red
whipped through the streates In like manner the Romains gaue libertie to the husbande of his owne proper aucthoritie to kil the whoremoÌ„ger and his wife if he toke them coÌ„mitting of that abhominable vice Macrin the .xix. Emperour caused al such as were apprehended in adulterie to be broiled quicke who being informed that diuers souldioures had violated their hostesse chamber maide he caused the bellies of two great Beefes to be opened aliue and made the souldioures to be sowed and inclosed therin sauing their heads which appeared out to the end that all men might see them the one talke with the other And Aurelius the .xxix. Emperour being made to vnderstand y t a souldiour of his armie had defloured the wife of his host inuented for him to make him die by a new kind of cruell punishment for he caused two great trees by force to be bowed and plied whereunto the souldioure was tied to y e end that the trées returning to their place might tear and plucke him in pieces Confer these punishmeÌ„ts with those written of before and you shal find no adulterer receiue y e reward of a better hire for in y e sacred historyes â–ª by y e law of Moises they were smoothered murdered and stoned to death S. Paule in his .xiij. to the Hebrues crieth that God wil condemn fornicators and adulterers After in his first boke to the Corinthians and .vj. Chapiter he writeth thus Do not disceiue your selues for neither fornicator Idolatour or adulterour shal not possesse at all the kingdom of God Wherfore amongst the most principall causes that moued God to drowne the world was chiefly this wicked vice of whoredom fiue famous Cities as it is written in the booke of Moyses became ruinous and ouerthrowne for their disordred and wicked liues In the booke of numbers xij kings were hanged and .24000 men killed for comitting of whoredom It is wrytten in Leuiticus xxviij chapiter how the Chananeans were afflicted punished for their whordome wel nigh all the line of Beniamin as you may read in the .xxxix. of the Iudges was afflicted for committing fornication wyth the Leuites wife Diuers greuous punishments were sent vnto Dauid for his whoredom as you may read in the booke of the Kings Salomon for the same cause and committing Idolatrie became reprobate wherefore S. Ieremie the Prophet recompteth very often y e whoremongers and fornicators were the chiefest causers of the destruction of the Citie of Ierusalem Diuers many Realmes by thys detestable vice haue receiued chaunge and alteration become subiect to others Troy the proud became ruinous for the rauishment of Helen In like manner Thebes the populous was afflicted and scourged for y e abusing of Chrisippe and the incest committed by Eclipus The Kings of Rome were extirped banished for the rauishment of Lucrecia Aristotle in the .v â–ª of his politiques sayth that adulterers and fornicatours be the principall and chiefest causers of the ruin and mutation of realmes The King Pausanias so much renoumed in Licaonien who first defiled a maide at Constantinople and after killed hir was aduertised by an Image of his end and destruction A thing very straunge that whoremoÌ„gers should be warned of the paines prepared for them by wicked spirits to their owne confusion which Pausanias proued true for that the Ephores constrained him to die by famine Wherfore if the Histories both sacred and prophane be so fully replenished of grieuous paines cruel punishmeÌ„ts irefull cursings sent by God commonly vpon whoremongers what may then the Sodomites and others loke or hope for who ioyne them selues in the ignominie of God and nature with brute beasts as is most plainly shewed vnto vs by this shameful Historie whose portraict thou mayst beholde in the beginning of this Chapiter of a childe who was conceiued and engendred betwene a woman and a dogge hauing from the nauell vpwards the forme and shape of the mother so well accomplished that nature had not forgotteÌ„ any thing vnperformed and from the nauell downwards it had the forme and figure of the beast who was the father who as Volateranus wryteth was sent to the Pope which raigned at that time there to the end it might be purified and purged Conradus Licostenes writeth a like Historie in hys wonders of a woman which brought forthe in the time of the Emperor Lothairus a childe and a dogge ioyned knit together by the nether partes that is to say from y e rains or tippe of the backe to the haÌ„ches And Celius Rhodiginus in his .xxv. boke and .xxxij. chapiter of his auncient lessons wryteth that there was a Priest called Crathin in Cibaâ—e hauing had the companie of a Goate with whom he vsed this brutal desire and afterwards within a certaine time brought forth a Goat who had the head and shape of a maÌ„ resembling the Priest which was the father but the rest of the body was like the Goat Whereupon S. Paule sayth in the fourth Chapiter to the Ephesians that the plague ordained for whoremongers is that they become blinde and madde after that they be once forsaken of God and will not be reconciled by good and wholesome councel but perseuer still in their wickednesse prouoking therby Gods wrath and indignatioÌ„ against them ¶ A notable complaynt made by a Monstrous man to the Senate of Rome against the tyrannies of a Censour whiche oppressed the poore people of the ryuer of Danube by rigorous exactions CHAP. xxxviij THat great Monarch Marcus Aurelius who was as well a philosopher as an Emperor retiring himselfe into the fields with a great nuÌ„ber of wise men as wel to deceiue certain enuious times of the yeare as to moderate the heate burning of a feuer whiche had vext and troubled hym many dayes with intente not to be idle they began to talke of diuers matters amongest themselues as of the corruption of princes the alteration of common weales and generally of the vniuersall disorder whiche was founde amongest all the states of the worlde wherein after euery man had touched particularly that which seemed good vnto hym it pleased the Emperour to become therein a partie and continuyng the talâ—e he sayd vnto them My frâ—end although eche of you haue very learnedly spoken of the question propouned touchyng the corruption of Princes and publike weales so it is notwithstanding as me seemeth that the originall of that contagious euil procedeth of others as of flatterers which serue rather to feede the affections of Princes and contente their delites than to make them bolde to vtter vnto them the truthe They fill their heads with good words they are ready to claw afore they do itche they lull them a slepe with the harmonie of their false praises and fade them fatte with their owne faults in such sort that I know them at this day whose legs and feete can carie no more neither the force of their bodies hable to sustayne them vprighte neyther their handes sufficiente to write
e time y t all Italy was enflamed molested with warrs not without bringing great terror to the people in such sort y t al the prouinces of Italy Greece came to sée behold this miserable creature euen so they entred into diuerse iudgements therof wherupon amongst the rest ther was found sundry learned and holy men which began not only to decipher the misery of this infant but also y e monstrous shape therof in this sort saying y t by the horne was signified pride ambition by the wings lightnesse inconstancie by default of the armes want of good workes by the ramping foot rauishment vsury and couetousnesse by the eye in y e knée too much loue or affection to worldly things by bothe the kindes the sinnes of the Sodomites All whiche vices and sinnes raigned at that time in Italy which was the cause they wer so afflicted with warres but by this figure Y the crosse they were two signes of saluation for Ypsilon signifieth vertue the Crosse sheweth that al those which wil returne to Iesus Christ and take vp his crosse shal not only finde a true remedy against sinne but a perfect way to helth and saluation and a special meane to mitigate therby the ire of the Lorde who is enflamed and redie to scourge and punish them for their wickednesse and abhominable sinnes THere is founde by sufficient authoritie in writing that in the yere .1496 was taken vp out of the riuer of Tyber a monster hauing the tronke of the body of a maÌ„ the head of an Asse one hand and arme like to a man and the other of the fashion of an Elephantes foote he had also according to the portraict you sée one of his féete like the foote of an Eagle and the other like the hoofe of an Oxe his belly like a woman with two duggs and the rest of his body with skales he had also growing out behynde him a head olde and hairie out of the which came an other head of the forme of a Dragon WE reade also that in the yeare .1548 was borne a childe in Almayne which had his head deuided from his body he had one legge onely with a creuise or chink where his mouth should be and had no armes at all The same happening as we may easily presume by a want or default in the séede as well in the qualitie as in the quantitie of the same IN the yeare .1552 was borne in England a childe whiche had two bodies two heades and foure hands and yet had but one belly and one nauell On one syde of the bodye came two perfect leggs and on the other but one the same hauing one foote made like two tyed the one gainst the other with ten toes THere was borne in the yeare 1554. a monster of this proportion hauing a greate masse or lump of flesh in place of a head and where one of his eares should be came out an arme and a hand he had vpon his face writhen haires like to the Moostachoes of a cat the other arme appeared oute of one side he had no forme of body nor breast sauing a line al along the ridge of his backe there coulde not be discerned any figure or likenesse of either sex nor ioints in his arms or leggs the endes of his handes and féete were soft and somewhat hanging as appereth by his portraict AMongst the rest we must not forget two monsters which came forth in the yere .1555 the one in Germany and the other in Sauoy the first was a horse who according to hys portraict had all his skinne checquered and deuided into great panes after the order of the Dutchemens hose his necke and bodye couered wyth a collar of the same Thys is affirmed by Iohn Foucet in hys booke which he hath made of the maruels of our time THe other Monster of the sayde yeare .1555 had two faces in sorte as the Poetes fayned the God â—anus hadde He hadde lyke two greate pocketts hangyng vpon hys backe wherein were hys bowelles Hee was Vtriusque generis and that of the one side a male and the other a female Also he was so huge aboue order that it was impossible to drawe him whole from the bellie of his mother It is moste likely that this imperfection happened by too great a quantitie of matter sufficieÌ„t to forme two children which might also haue happened of a right shape if by some inconuenience the substance had not ben mingled so that that which shoulde haue serued for two made but one creature THe monster that was brought forth in Germanie .1556 〈◊〉 so wonderful as this touching the shape of his bodie which maketh it not easie to iudge whether there were default of nature in his generation It was as you may sée by the portraicte a Calfe of perfect forme in euery respect sauing that he had no legges before and yet suche was his wonderful lightnesse that hauing but two legges behinde he excéeded all other beastes of that kind in swiftnesse The same arguing that nature had considered and supplied his other wantes wyth a maruellous agilitie of his two legges I remember I haue sene heretofore a moÌ„ster of the same shape albeit formed by some artificiall sleight it was a yonge Goate whose forelegges being broken was brought by custome and necessitie to marche vpon his hinder legges wherby the simple sort was more than halfe persuaded that it was a Satyre THere was borne in the same yeare .1556 at Basle a childe sufficiently formed of his bodye sauing the head which was so monstrous that it séemed rather the head of a dogge or a Catte than a creature humaine Besides the which that yeare was so fertile of prodigious accidentes that according to the witnette of suche as recorded them there happened aboue fiftie monsters as fires in the aire horrible tempests burning of townes by fire from Heauen armed men appearing in the aire fearefull Cometes inundations of waters threatening voices from heauen skirmishes in the ayre as wel with men as beastes with a monstrous shew of many Sunnes at one time THis as you sée resembling most a Calfe hath the head of a man bearing a beard with a brest like to a man and two dugges well formed THe yeare wherin mine author writ this booke séemed no lesse plentifull of monsters corporal than wonders spirituall for it is affirmed that the .xxvj. of Ianuarie there appeared about .ix. of the clocke thrée Sunnes vpon the towne of Caffa a Citie situated betwéene the Pont Euxin and the Sea Zabachâ— otherwise called Pailus Mertis in the place which the auncients cal Taurica Chersonessus these iij. sunnes remained by the space of .iij. houres had aboue them a white bow an other vnderneath the coloured red gréene yelow and Azure and about noone the two vttermost of either side vanished and went out of sight the one towards the East the other towards the West IN the same yeare .1567 and
heauen be as foretellers and messengers of famine pestilence warres mutations of Realmes and other such like hurtes which happen to the generation of man And he further beleues that the greater and hideous these figures appeare they purporte and shew the greater euils Whereof Proculus one of the moste excellent Astrologians which Grece at any time norished followeth the interpretations of suche predictions by all the signes of heauen recompting by order the maruellous powers which these starres haue vppon the actions humaine And there be others as Ptolome whiche haue written that if any infant in his natiuitie be borne vnder certaine constellations he shall haue power ouer diuels there be also others of opiniō but they be most shamelesse full of blasphemies who haue so much referred themselues to the dispositiō of starres that they haue not feared to write that if any from their natiuitie were borne vnder the aspect of certaine starres that they shoulde haue the gyfte of prophecie and should foretel things to come And that Iesus Christ the sauiour of al the world was borne vnder certaine fortunate cōstellations being y e cause y t he was so perfect wrought so many miracles Here you may see the cruel horrible blasphemies which these detestable infamous Astrologians iudiciall bring forth which is y e cause y t S. Augustin hath banisht thē frō the Citie of God Basil and S. Ciprian deteste thē Chrisostome Eusebius Lactantius and S. Ambrose abhorre them The councell of Tollete reiecte them the ciuill lawes punishe them by death And the Ethniques also as Varro Cornelius Celsus and many other defame them But farre more diuersly amongst Princes than any other hath Picus Mirandula shewed him selfe who hath so very well brought to light and discouered the Labyrinth of their dreames in a Latin worke which he made against them that they scarcely dare once lift vp their hornes Wherefore lette vs now returne to our purpose and shewe so neare as we can whether these straunge figures and Comets whiche we sée from heauen be foretellers of things whiche shall happen or that they be naturall wherein as Aristotle in his first boke of Metheores treating very learnedly of the nature of Cometes and of these other impressions Characters and figures which be made from heuen sayth that they be made onely by nature without makyng mention that they either foretell or appoynt any thing which shall happen euen so it is to be presupposed that if Aristotle who is the first and most excellent of all those which haue written at any time in this Arte had founde neuer so little coniecture or reason in nature that they were appointers of any thing whiche should come to passe he woulde haue kepte them no more secrete or hidden than he hath done the other secretes of philosophie which he hath lefte to vs by his writings Wherfore it is then certaine that these fantasticall flames and other figures whiche we sée from heauen be naturall and grow vpon this occasion folowing There be thrée regions in heauen one whiche is most high who receiueth into hir a maruellous heate for that she is nexte neighbour to the Element of fyre the other which is lower receyueth the beames of the Sunne beaten backe of the earth whereof I haue made mention in my description of the cause of thunders The third is in the mydst of these two to the which do come the force of the heate which commeth from the vppermost part lyke to the heate of the beames of the Sunne beaten backe when it commeth from the lowest or inferior region For as Plinie witnesseth the starres be continually nourished of the humor procedyng of the groūd which be the chiefest causes of these celestiall flames for the earthe as Aristotle sheweth in his fyrst booke of Metheores being chafed of the Sunne rendreth double ayrely substaunce the one vapour which we may proprely name exhalation hote and drye the other is hote and moyste and bicause the firste vapour is most light she is suffered to come to the highest region of the ayre where she is set on fyre wherof procedeth these fyres and flames from heauen which in the formes of dyuers straunge shinyngs appeare in the Cloudes in sundry figures as in the shape of burnyng torches of shippes heades launces bucklers swordes bearded and hairie Comets with other like things whereof we haue made mention here before the whiche engenders greate terror and astonishement to those who be ignorant of the causes wherin as it hapened oftentymes amongst the Romains in the warres of the Macedons who being brought into such fear and terror by the sodain appering of the Eclipse of the Moone that their hearts began to faile them Euen so Cneius Sulpitius seing thē continuing in this feare by a wonderful eloquēce shewed vnto them by probable reasons that such mutation in the aire was naturall and that the Eclipse proceded of no other thing than of an interposition of the Moone betwixt the Sunne and vs and of the earth betwixt vs and the Moone by whiche meanes they were delyuered of their errour not knowing til that houre the cause of the sayd Eclipse The like may be sayd of the raining of blood the which hath so much frighted the people in the yeres passed for bicause they were ignorant wherevpon it proceded as that which fell from heauen in the yere of health 570. in the tyme that the Lumbards wer vnder the conduct of Albuyn traueling through Italy And also ther fel the like yet fresh in memory neare Fribourgh in the yeare .1555 the whyche stained and made the garments and trées whiche it touched of the coloure of redde and notwithstanding although that this séemeth wonderfull yet oftentymes it is naturall For like as the earth gyueth diuers colours to many bodies euen so she coloureth the water of the rayne for if the earth be redde shee rendreth those vapours and exhalations redde the whiche being conuerted into raine the heauen in like maner sendeth them to vs redde and coloured as they were attired and lifted in height and falling so vpon certaine habites she maketh them of the colour and die of redde Wherfore many Historians as well Greekes as Latines amongest their great maruels and rare wonders from heauen haue made mention of these bloudy shoures It resteth now to putte to the laste seale this chapiter and to appoynte the causes of the number of Sunnes and Moones whych appeare oftentimes from heauen as the thrée Sunnes the whiche Cardanus reporteth to haue seene in oure tyme being at Venice And like as we haue sayd that these figures whiche appeare from heauen be natural euen so we must speake of the multitude of Moones and Sunnes the which appeare for that oftentymes and specially when a certaine thicke cloude is readie to raine being founde on the syde of the Sunne the same by a lyke reflection on hir beames imprinteth hir image in the same cloude by