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
¶ 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
was muche desired of manye honeste Matrones so was it asmuche lamented of many wanton louers The third Dame of the world was named Flora which was an Italian farre surmounting the twoo others in generositie noble disceÌ„t for she was issued of a certaine Romain Knight greatly renoumed in the feates of warre who deceassed with his wife leauing this yong mayde of the age of xv yeares no lesse charged with riches than endewed with greate beautie the only doughter of hir parents In such sorte that as the yong Damsel was yong riche beautifull enioying a libertie without controlement which be the greatest baudes of the worlde and chiefe meanes to make a woman glide in suche slippery pathes â— séeing all these meanes she did determine to goe vnto the warres of Affrique where she made sale both of hir person and honour and so florished in the time of the firste warres of Punique when the Consull Manileus was sente to Carthage who spente more monie in making loue to Flora than in the conqueste of his enimies And like as this Damsell was issued of a more gentle and noble race than the other twoo before recited euen so she shewed hir greatnesse in the choise of hir louers for I neuer red that she gaue hir selfe ouer to meane and pettie Companions as Lays or Lamie did but caused to be set vp aâ—scrol ouer hir gate which said King Prince Dictatour Consul Censour Bishop and Questour may knock and enter not speaking of Emperour or Cesar for these twoo famous names were not of long time after created by the Romaines in suche sorte that she neuer committed hir selfe but to men of high degrée dignitie and greate richesse saying alwayes that a woman of greate beautie shoulde be asmuch estemed as she values and accomptes of hir selfe Albeit Lays and Flora were contrary in doings for Lays woulde be payde hir hire before she had perfourmed hir worke But Flora without making accompte either of golde or siluer would be gouerned of hir louer And being one daye asked the cause of that she aunswered I committe my person to Princes and noble men to the ende they maye deale with me as noble men oughte to do for I sweare by all oure Gods that there was neuer man gaue me so litle but that I had more than I looked for double to that I demauÌ„ded saying that a sage woman ought not to make price of hir loue for the amorous pleasure she doth to any man but rather for the loue she beareth to him for that al things in the world be priced at a certaine rate except Loue which can not be payed but wyth loue Wherfore all the Embassadours of the worlde whiche came into Italy caried back as greate and seueral reports of the beautie and noblenesse of Flora as of the Publike weale of Rome for that it séemed as moÌ„strous a thing to sée the riches of hir house hir beautie the princes noble men who dayly required hir as also to behold the great presents they made vnto hir for looke what day she passed on horsebacke in Rome the viewe of hir hir attire gaue sufficient occasion to all the Citizens to talke thereof one moneth after She dyed at the age of .lx. yeres leauing hir wealth and riches to the people of Rome as hir onely heires whiche was esteemed not onely sufficient to haue edified the walles of Rome if they had bene vtterly in ruine and decaye but also to haue redeemed the common wealth Wherwith giuing ende to the discourses of these Women there resteth to searche oute some other cause more straunge and rare in oure wonderfull loues Cornelius and Suetonius write that the abhominable tyrant Nero did not only offend grieuously in the abuse of a number of honest and chaste virgins but also causing to be gelded a faire yong boy whome he named Sporus with intent to transforme hym into the vse of a woman he maried hym with open solemnitie vsing him in the place of his wyfe touching the exercise of mariage and assigned dowrie and portion accordyng to the order And whether may we terme it an act of wonderfull loue or effect of doating foly Herodotus reporteth of the daughter of Cheopes Kyng of Egypte who hauyng consumed his treasure and reuenue in the supplie of a hundred thousande workmen labouring vpon a moste sumptuous Pile whiche he made and being as destitute of money as voyde of meanes to get it commaunded his daughter to commit hir selfe to sensuall prostitution and that with charge that she should not only racke hir honoure to a high price but also refuse none whose companie broughte commoditie which she performed accordingly demaunding of euery one that delt with hir a stone by whose gaine was raised so much as builded the Pyramides or hyll whiche carieth in the front a hundreth and fiftie foote Ludouicus Vartomanus writeth that there is an other maner of makyng of loue at this day in vse in a certaine prouince of Indie named Tarnasseri which is no lesse wonderful thaÌ„ the precedent before recited if y e experience wer to be seene he declareth that when a yong maÌ„ is enamored of any dame desiring to make hir vnderstand the flames of his loue he taketh a piece of woullen cloth dipped in oyle and putting therto fire coucheth the same vpon his naked arme enduring that flame vntill the cloth be cleane consumed without shewyng any kinde of dolour testifying by this that he is so strongly embraced with the loue of his lady that there is no kind of torment or martirdome vnder the heauens whiche he woulde not taste or be partaker of for hir sake But to the ende we should not tast too much of these filthy and stinking loues I wil shewe you that there is to be founde as great wonders in chaste and vertuous loue whiche is sufficientely proued by sundry examples of late written by my brother G. Fenton in his boke of Tragical Discourses For what is more strange in Nature than to sée a man sacrifice him selfe to accompanie to death the person whom he loueth And notwithstaÌ„ding they haue found a numbre of exaÌ„ples of womeÌ„ which be more tender feareful thaÌ„ men The chast Porcia daughter of Cato loued so entierly hir husbaÌ„d Brutus y t after she vnderstode he was slain in Thessaly in y e fields Phillipiques for y t she could not presently get a knife to kil hir self she deuoured burning coales Cleopatra late quéene of Egipt nothing inferior in frendship to y e partie aforesayd hauing heard of y e death of hir husband Anthonie although she was warely garded by Octauius Cesar who would not she should kil hir self yet notwithstaÌ„ding their great care to preuent such a mischief as Apianus AlexaÌ„drinus writeth she was destroyed by a cruel kinde of tormeÌ„t for she made hir self to be deuoured of serpentes Neither let vs forget Arthemise quéene of Carie in Greece who after she knew y e king Mausolê° hir
suche prouysion for this byrde in the ayre It séemeth not that she shoulde be nouryshed of pure Aire onely bicause it is too subtile and it is not likely that she shoulde be nourished of small Beastes and Flies bycause the substaunce wherevppon these Creatures bée fourmed is not engendred in the aire neither hath there ben founde any such digestion in the bellie of thys Birde as they haue written of hir that haue séene hir deade she hath not hir relief of the vapour which ascendeth from the earth bicause she was neuer sene to discend so lowe besides there is often perill in vapours and this birde is not consumed but by olde age all which proue that she is only fedde and preserued vpon the dewe that falleth in the night Wherwith ende the opinions of Galene and other late writers touching the properties of this bird Neither can it much disagrée from our purpose of straunge birdes to auouche in this place the authoritie of Hector Boetius and Saxo who write that they founde certaine Trées in Scotlande whose frute being lapped within the leaues and the same fallyng into the water in some conuenient time take life and turne into a liuing birde whiche they call a Trée bird This trée groweth in the yle of Pomonne which is not farre from Scotlande towards the north the which is verified in some sort by Aeneas Siluius affirmyng that he hath heard that in Scotlande is a trée growing for the most part vpon the banke of a ryuer which brought forth frute of forme likenesse to a de Caunes réede which being ripe fall off themselues some into the water and some vpon the lande and those whiche take the water are séene to haue life and swymme vpon the waues and after certain time to take wings and flie into the aire which notwithstanding by diligent inquisition hath not ben founde in Scotlande but rather in the Iles of Orchades ¶ A Monstrous Serpent bought by the Venetians in Affrica and sent afterward into Fraunce embalmed as our late writers affirme CHAP. xxxiiij ACcordyng to the testimonie of Conradus Licostenes of whome I haue borowed the portraict of this horrible Serpent with vij hâ—â—â—es this monster was sente out of Turkey to the VenetiaÌ„s embalmed who not long after made a presente of it to Francis de Valoys the Frenche King by whome for the rarenesse of it it was valued at six thousande ducates Wherein like as for a more certaintie and truth of the matter I haue ben curious to searche whether there hath ben any such monstrous thing within the courte or not so if it be true as it is to be presumed in respect of the authoritie of him that wryt it I think nature hath neuer brought out or formed any thing more maruellous amongest all the monsters that euer were for besydes the monstrous and fearefull figure of thys Serpent there is yet a further consideration and regarde touchyng the faces which bothe in view and iudgement séeme more humaine than brutal but touchyng the multitude of hir heades me thinketh it oughte to argue no great strangenesse to fynde serpents with two or .iij. heades seing we haue and meane to make mention of bothe men and women that haue hadde no lesse the same being also witnessed by certaine of our late writers who trauailyng into India haue séene the same Ludouicus Vertomanus in his boke of the peregrinations of the Indians sayth that he hath séen in Calycut fourfooted serpents bréeding within certain marshes which contain for the height of their body the bygnesse of a Hog but of an vgly foule and deformed head he maketh also mention of an other kinde of serpents which be so venomous that as soone as they touche or pierce the blood of a man he falleth forthwith dead to the ground He sayth that if the King of that countrey coulde discouer the place of habitation of these serpents he woulde buylde them little caues or cabinets to defende them from the violence and inundation of waters when there hapned any such besides he helde them so deare that if any of them were oppressed or killed by any of his people such as coÌ„mitted the fact were sure to passe the same way the same mouing of a fonde superstitious opinion of the king inhabitants there that these serpeÌ„ts were certain spirites of God which if they were not such in dede they persuaded that their biting or poisoning could not worke such spedy death and destruction to man which maketh that those venomous beastes walke and passe thorowe their townes without perill or hurte and albeit in some one night there hath perished about nine persons of their venomous biting yet can they lose no credit or estimation wyth the Kyng or hys people who besides all these vanities if they meete any of these vgly creatures in the beginnyng of any voyage or enterpryse they doe accompte it a speciall good speede in theyr busynesse such is theyr blyndnesse and such is their mserable superstitioÌ„ Iambol a notable Merchant of Greece affirmeth y t in his trafike to the Indians he founde certain flying Serpentes of the lengthe of two cubites wyth wyngs in theyr foreparte the whiche flie by nyghte and be of so mortall a poyson that yf they lette fall or distill but one droppe of theyr vrine it kylleth forthwyth the creature wherupon it falleth Certaine late Embassadours of Portingale haue broughte from thence to theyr Prince one of these Serpentes embalmed the same carying suche a terrour with it that albeit he were not to be feared and without cause of feare yet very fewe durst approche hym The Auncient Histories enlarge very farre touching the wonders of the monstrous Serpent which appered in Affrica to Attylius Regulus whose feare and force of venom was such that notwithstanding any strength torment of warre engine or other policie whiche he or his people coulde deuise he coulde not be vanquished tyll he had torne in pieces and murdered the moste parte of his armie They agrée all that the skinne of that Serpent contained .xxvj. foote in length whose iawes were hong vp and remayned there for a miracle vntill the warre of Muancya Diodorus Siculus in his .iij. boke treateth of a serpent y t was caried on liue into Alexandria to y e king Ptolomeus Philadelphus no lesse woÌ„derful thaÌ„ true which I wil describe particularly according to the text the rather bicause it coÌ„firmeth in many respects the circumstaÌ„ce effect of our purpose Seing sayth he the noble and bountiful coÌ„sideration of the King to suche as broughte to hym any straunge or monstrous Beastes certaine Hunters determined to present hym in his owne countrey with a quicke serpent wherin although the enterprise imported almoste an impossibilitie yet fortune so fauored their inteÌ„t that within certain dayes after by diligence they brought their purpose to effect for they came to the knowledge of a greate Serpent neare the water of the length of .vij. toises and an halfe who being
translation of this smal boke only vpon consideration bothe to acknowledge the duetie I owe youre Lordshippe and signifie the good meaning I beare towardes you so you will vouchesafe to vndertake the patronage thereof and when your waightier affaires shall giue you leaue to haue recourse thereunto and reade it for your recreation I leaue your good Lordship vntil such time as my better knowledge shall embolden me to present you with a greater matter and more worthy your reding wishing vnto you and the whole race of your noble house encrease and continuance of honor with the attainment of perfect felicitie Your Lordships most bounden Edward Fenton The Authors Preface MY Lord amongst all the thinges whiche maye be viewed vnder the coape of heauen there is nothyng to be séene which more stirreth the spirite of man whiche rauisheth more his senses whiche doth more amaze hym or ingendreth a greater terror or admiration in al creatures than the moÌ„sters wonders and abhominations wherein we see the workes of Nature not only turned arsiuersie misseshapen and deformed but which is more they do for the most part discouer vnto vs the secret iudgemeÌ„t and scourge of the ire of God by the things that they present which maketh vs to féele his maruellous iustice so sharpe that we be constrained to enter into oure selues to knocke with the hammer of our conscience to examin our offeÌ„ces and haue in horrour our misdéedes specially when we reade in Histories sacred and prophane that oftentimes the elementes haue bene harolds trumpetters ministers and executioners of the Iustice of God As when we see the waters ouerflowe their chanells and that the vaines of heauen open by suche outrage that they surpasse .xv. cubites the highest mountaines of the earth And the fire in like manner obeying the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of his Creator consumed fiue famous Cities committing them presently into cinders The ayre also hath bene founde so corrupt venomous and infectiue in diuers prouinces that piercing from one to an other it hath in effect smoothered and choked the most part of humain kind leauing the earth inhabitable The earth likewise opening hir throte hath swalowed vp an infinite nuÌ„ber of proude Cities with their citizens And albeit these woÌ„ders he but smal yet if we coÌ„sider y â— wheÌ„ the furor of God is enflamed against our sinnes he doth not so much respect vs as to chastise vs by his elemeÌ„ts But the better to bridle and correcte vs he maketh the most weake and aâ—iect creatures of the earth the executioners and punishers of our offences As that great Monarque Pharao proued at such time as the Frogges Flies and Grashoppers did assaile him euen in his bed Wherefore like as we haue shewed you before these fearfull and straunge chastisements euen so we could bring to memorie others no lesse maruellous thaÌ„ worthy to be noted of those specially which haue felt some apprehension of the iudgements of God as when we sâ—e liuing creatures borne amongst vs who haue had two heades knit and fastned togither in one only bodie like two bowes in the trunke of a trée Others so well conioyned and glued the one to the other that by no Art of maÌ„ they were to be seperated Others be so abhominable and deformed that they séeme to be brought into the world as wel in contempt of nature as to the perpetuall infamie and grief of their parents These things being very liuely apprehended by the Prophet Oseas in his .ix. Chapiter where he writes these be the déedes of their abhominable loues and when they haue norished their children I wil destroy them in such sort that they neuer shal become men I will giue them an ouer timely birth and their pappes shall be drie and their roote withered so that they shall be barren but if they fortune to engender I will then destroy the fruit of their body The like is confirmed by the Prophet Esdras the .v. Chapiter where amongst other cruell cursings wherewith Babylon was threatned by the Angell it is expresly said that women defiled with bloud shal bring forth monsters But for y t the misterie of these secretes is somewhat to hard and therefore requireth a further leisure I wil leaue the rest to the discourse that I haue made in my Histories which be enterlarded wyth no other things than these straunge accidents and woÌ„derfull chaunces wherwith all the prouinces of the world haue ben astonied sithens the natiuitie of Iesus Christ vnto this our time But now my Lord hauing fought wyth Labour and in myne opinion become therof victorious there resteth in me none other thing for the finall accomplishement of the same than to tender consecrate and giue the fruite sprong of my Muses and iuste tribute of my paines being drawne thervnto not onely by sundry particular bondes which I wyll kéepe secrete for this present but also for the merite of an infinite number of Heroicall vertues whyche maketh you so maruellous that you deserue to be celebrated of all those whiche haue written For besides the Noble bloud of the auncient house de Rieux where you toke your first beginning you are endued with such excelleÌ„t giftes of the mynde and of Nature a singular knowledge in diuers artes and disciplines bearyng an earnest frendshyp to such as maketh those their profession yet haue you besides these so noble a desire to martiall affaires such affection and deuotion to the seruice of your Prince as there hath bene no assemblie made or addressed in your tyme to any assaulte of towne or Citie skirmish or other Saile into Italy or else where where you haue not bene found the first in ranck wyth such assurance and little regarde of your life that those which knewe you expected no lesse in you than of that greate Marshall de Rieux your graundfather to whose fame the Chroniclers and writers haue sowned so many prayses Neither ought I in this place to passe ouer with silence the worthy exploites and valiant actes of Monsieur de Gue de Lisle your brother who hath accompanied you in all your perils and trauailes of Fortune and euen in this his yong age hath gyuen such sufficient witnesse of the same by so often sheadyng of hys bloud in the seruice of his prince that for his magnanimitie and vertue he meriteth neuer to be buried in the graue of obliuion Albeit hauyng reserued to make a more ample description therof in an other work which I haue prepared so this my Lorde may suffise for the present beséeching you not only to take this worke in good parte which I offer vnto you but also serue to the same as a defence and safe conduct To the ende that it being fortified by the shadowe and brightnesse of your noblenesse and vertue it may the rather passe assured thorough the perillous straightes of oure Countreye of Fraunce ¶ A Table of the principall matters contained in this Booke IN the first history are coÌ„tained sundry abuses and wonders of Sathan Fol.
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
for three dayes after the tempest when he demaunded with greate feare whether the worlde stode still or not To conclude there was neither temple chapel nor other place of sanctuarie frée froÌ„ the furie of this tempest nor any corner of the towne dispensed withall for his malice the same raging indifferently vpon the whole citie leauing it so tottered and defaced that if there were paine in enduring the afflictions there is no lesse cause of pitie nowe to remember so greate a desolation Neither is it inough for the contentment of the reader nor sufficient to the discharge of my intent to preferre as it were paterns and familiar experience of these monstrous quarels skirmishes of the aire and Element aboue if in some sorâ—e I make you not priuie to the causes and motions of the same â–ª Whereof for a first authoritie Aristotle in his Metheors and bokes of the worlde giueth this reason There be .ij. sortes of vapors sayth he which ascend coÌ„tinually from the earth into the ayre wherof the one is hot moist and withal very massy and heuy which makes a stay of theÌ„ in the middle region of the ayre wher they are conuerted into a heauy thicknesse or grosse corruption and in the ende dissolued into watrie humoures as raine haile snowe and other like the other exhalations deriued of the humoures of the earth and drawne vp by the violence of the aire be of a more drie and hotte disposition which makes theÌ„ lighter in weight y â— same procuring them to a higher MouÌ„t euen to y e vttermost regioÌ„ where the extremitie of the heate forceth them to a fierie flame wherof procéede those blasing Cometes dragons and other like wonders in the Element whiche stirre vp an amaze in the people being ignorant of the cause And if it happen that those drie vapoures get place within any cloude they do so pierce and penetrate the most subtil part of it that there is forced a present vent which is the lightning and tremblyng of the heauen from the vehemencie of which conflict within the cloudes doe procéede the thunders and ratling of the skies in such sorte that it séemeth most often that the noyse is in the ayre and the trembling in the earth And yet be not all tempestes and stormes of wether referred altogether to causes naturall albeit it be the opinion of Aristotle and by him very diligently serched for that at certaine times diuels and euill spirites whose dominion and power as S. Paule writeth is chiefly in the ayre â–ª doe stirre vp and breede such monstrous motions when God is contented to giue them that libertie which is very well approued by diuers examples â–ª as well of prophane as sacred recorde And first of all in Iob wher Sathan hauing obteined as it were a licence or saufe conduict of the Lorde consumed by tempeste and fire the seruantes and cattail of the Prophete the like being also in experience amongst the Ethnikes for that according to diuerse of their recordes of credite at such time as the temple of Hamon of so great estimation among the Lybians flourished Sathan abused the people by many false miracles and sleightes of slender substance making them worship him vnder the form and figure of a Belier or by which meanes hauing heaped together an infinite treasure and Cambyses king of Persia sendyng hys armie to spoyle it and sacke the temple the Diuell stirred vp suche stormes and angrie motions in the Element of thunder and lightenings that the furie and flame thereof consumed and smoothered aboue Fiftie Thousande persons Plinie also with diuers others of the auncients affirme that the Hetrurians did so curiously obserue and marke the signes and motions in the Thunders that they did not only calculate of the successe but also gaue iudgement of the effect of diuers things and séemed able as it were by a predestination and forewarnyng appearing in these misticall influences of the Heauens to determine and appointe the very day of the death and lyfe of sundry greate estates for example wherof not long afore the fatall day of the Emperor Augustus Cesar the thunder had defaced the fyrst letter of his name as it stode engraued vpon a piller within the wall whiche the Augurers construed to a spéedie destruction of the emperour and that hée had but a hundred dayes to liue the rather bicause C being taken away ther rested but Esar which signifieth in the Hetrurian tong God and the Romains by the letter C accompte an hundred so that they both agréed that by the stroke of that thunder taking away C was figured the death of Cesar that within the hundreth day he shoulde be with the Gods Whiche chaunced accordingly for that the day of his death agréed with the sentence of their prediction A thing sure of great wonder the rather for that therein appeareth a maruellous power and subtiltie of the Diuell who by his Arte séemeth to discouer and prognosticate the deathe of so greate an Emperoure Aristotle wyth dyuers others of exquisite skill in the studie and reuelation of suche mysteries haue diuided the effectes and operations of those Lightenings and Thunders into thrée degrées the one burneth and consumeth all that commeth wythin hys power the other scorcheth and maketh blacke euery thing it toucheth the thyrde excéedeth them all in naâ—ure and qualitie and is almoste vtterly vnknowen to all the Philosophers for that it drayneth and dryeth vp the Wyne or other lycour wythout hurtyng the vessell or gyuyng it any vent howe close so euer it be it is of suche subtile force that it pierceth thorough euery thyng it melteth Golde and Syluer in the bagge without hurtyng the pursse it burneth and consumeth the apparell withoute touche of harme to any parte of the body that weareth them it smoothereth also the childe vnborne wythin the wombe wythout doyng harme to the mother whereof the chiefest reason wée haue of Recorde is broughte in by Cardanus in hys fyrste Booke de Subtilitate and his fourth boke de Varietate rerum wherein are described at large certayne causes and occasions of those thyngs And touchyng the examples I haue alleaged albeit they séeme straunge and wonderfull for the effect of Thunder yet are they of vndoubted truthe Besides wée haue read and also séene in oure tyme many valyaunt men put in feare wyth Thunder and dyuers greate personages broken in pieces murdered and slaine by such kinde of death The Pope Alexander celebratyng hys Masse on Easter day at Syenna and the diuell belyke pronouncing the passion or rather communicatyng with hys Papisticall ceremonies as he was vpon thys worde or clause of Consumatum est beholde suche a sodaine noise in the cloudes and opening of the Element beganne to houer and pierce into the Temple with such terrour that the Pope beyng dryuen to take day in perfourmyng the residue of hys prayers habandoned the Churche lefte his booke vnshutte for haste and forsooke his Cope and surplesse to make
very heighte to beholde and consider the maruellous effects therof wherof Sueton affirmeth that Caius Cesar Caligula Emperor of the Romains hauing beheld this great store of fire that the mount vomited forth was therewith so feared that he fled by night to Messane and not withoute cause for after the windes had gotten within the euents of this mountain it darted forth mightie stones and great flakes of burning fire whiche consumed all things it encountred Thucidide maketh mention of three notable embracementes of this mount Aetna which was after the Greekes had gotten to Sicile And Orose reciteth that in the time that Marcus Aemilius and Lucius Oresteus were Consules the same mount sodainely threwe out such a quantitie of flames of sulphure that al the countrey theraboutes was destroyed by meanes wherof the Romains remitted the ordinarie tribute whiche they receiued of those of Casine for the space of ten yeares And the men at those dayes thought that the matter wherwith the fyre was nourished was quite consumed for that y e same ceassed for a time but in the yeare .1570 they very well proued the contrary for as they were astoonished at the great masse of fyre with the light darkened Euen so that light of the sulphure fell from the height of the sayde mountain to the lowest part therof the which by a certaine coldenesse coulde not be so wel gouerned but that running here and there it burned not only fields stones forrestes but also two villages and all that it encountred and the fyre being at this time extinguished the grounde by that meanes brings forth muche good fruite and withal is become fertile ¶ Wonders of certaine horrible earthquakes chancing in diuers prouinces with a deceit of Sathan who by his crafte and subtiltie made a Romaine Knighte to throw him selfe headlong into a gulfe CHAP. xiij THe Histories yeares of Romains Greekes Parthains Medians Persians and others like haue so often made mention of the ruinous chaunce of manie Cities and Prouinces by the trembling of the earth that I could bring to memorie very neare the number of fyue hundreth greatly renowmed which perished and were destroyed by this kind of torment as Epheseus Magnesus Sardos Cesaree Philadelphius Mirimneus Apolonius Nicomedius Antiocheus and many others in suche sorte that in one night in the tyme of Tibereus the Emperour vnder whome y e sauiour of the worlde was crucified twelue of the most proud Cities of Asia were made ruinous in one night by the sodaine trembling of the earth as Plinius and Cornelius write In like sorte at what time Flaminius warred against Hanibal and as their hostes were ready to ioine battaile y e one against the other the earth begaÌ„ so vehemently to euente shake that many of the strongest partes of the Cities and diuers of the highest mountaines were battred and made flatte with the earth and yet as sayeth Titus Liuius these twoo armies were so enraged the one against the other that they forbare not to continue their furie making no accompte of these wonders whereof who listeth to reade Dion Niceus and Xiphilinus in the life of Anthonie the Emperour shall finde so strange earthquakes happening in Hellespont and Bithinie that it canot seeme otherwayes but y t those prouinces should be deuoured swallowed vp The Isle of the Rhodes so much renoumed by writings hath bene very often decayed by earthquakes in so much that the great Idol and Image of the Sun which shone so greatly in Rhodes made by Chares Lindius scholer of Lisippus when he was twelue yeares of age the which was in heyghte thrée score and six cubits was defaced and broken by trembling of the earth the .lv. yeare after the setting vp thereof which was once againe layde on the earth in the time of Plinie to the great maruel of those which went to sée it in such sorte that the very thombe of that Image surpasseth in bignesse y e greatest Image which they could finde and the riches of that Image was so maruellous that when the Soudan of Egipte inuaded Rhodes he loaded with the fragmentes reliques of Brasse of that Image which he founde battred nine hundreth Camels which he sente by lande into Alexandria And moreouer Iosephus in his first booke of the warres of the Iewes maketh meÌ„tion of an earthquake which chaunced in Iudee by the violence whereof there was killed a thousand men wherein as the Auncients vnder the gouerment of Eudoxius willing to celebrate a second Councel at Nice to vndoe the articles agréed vpon by y e general councel were sodainly stonished euen when their Byshops Prelats were assembled with the sodain mouing shaking of the Citie of Nice wherein many building sounke and many thousands of men were deuoured and choked who perceiuing that god was not coÌ„tente with their enterprise were forced to desiste from their purpose and returne to their Prouinces as Fuctius writeth Also in the yeare .1345 the daye of the conuersion of S. Paul was so horrible an earthquake in Venise as Sabellique writeth that by y e space of fyue dayes together they sawe no other thing but houses building decay and besides that all the women being with childe during that time were deliuered before their times their frute lost But to the ende we should not consume much time in coÌ„mitting to memorie the hurtes receiued in y e olde time by those shakings of y e earth we haue in our age proued y e like in y e yere of our Sauiour .1538 the .xxvj. day of Ianuarie where the Realme of Portugal was so shaked by the thrusting together of y e earth y t there fel at Lisbone as the writers at this daye reporte very neare a thousand or .xij. hundreth buildings besides more than .ij. hundreth others which where halfe decaied that torment coÌ„tinuing .viij. dayes y e assaultes thereof renewed .v or .vj. times a day by meanes whereof al y e poore inhabitaÌ„ts were so frighted y t they abaÌ„doned their houses lodged in y e fields Titê° Liuius in his vij booke .j. decade Oroseus in his .ij. booke .v. chap. Iulius Obsequens Polidorus Virgilius many others haue made mention of a strange earthquake in Rome which me seames worthie of memorie in this place for the noueltie of an acte so strangelie happening They write that in the time of Seruilius Hala and Lutius Genutius being Consulles the Citie of Rome was besieged with a sodaine shaking of the earth which being ceassed lefte a certaine caue or depth in the midst of a place of the Citie which by no meanes coulde be closed or shutte vp with all the earth or other matter they coulde caste into it besides there issued out thereof such a stinke of diuers pestilent and infectiue vapours that the most part of the Citizens of the Citie were therewith infected and after they had searched all the meanes they coulde to remedie their euill they determined as their laste
refuge to demaunde councell therin of their diuines and soothsaiers who after they had done to them their accustomed ceremonies they answered that it was not possible by any artificiall meanes to close it vp vnlesse the moste precious Iewell in all the Citie were caste into it wherefore after that the Ladies and other Romain Citizens had liberallie caste into it the moste precious Iewels that they had in their closets without profiting or appeasing the furie of that gulphe Marcus Curtius an excellent and valiante Romain Knight armed at all pointes and mounted vpon the best horse in his stable cast himselfe headlong into that depth the which immediatly closed vp and so ceassed to rage So much is the deceit of the diuel in this world that men thinking to do sacrifice to their Gods to deliuer their countrie from captiuitie make their soules a willing sacrifice to the diuel Wherwith ending these earthquakes it resteth now to shew y ◠causes of their beginning Aristotle Plinie and generally all those who haue treated of the motion of the earth attribute the causes of that euil fortune to the vapours and exhalations which be inclosed in y e intrailles of y e earth by whose force searching to euente and to come forth the earth is moued and stirred which is of power in some places to dissunder strong walles and buyldyngs and make them fall into the earth and in some place it leaueth a hollowe hole or caue like to that in Rome whereof we made mention sometimes these fires issue before any assault or warning giuen where diuers tymes at the very same instant may bée hearde an horrible sounde and murmure like to the mutterings or clamors of men accordyng to the quantitie of the matter which is shaken or the forume of the caue by the which the vapour passeth leauyng sometimes a caue which sheweth the thyng swallowed and sometimes the earth is made so firme sodainly that they can finde no token therof and at other times deuoureth whole villages swallowyng somtimes the most part of a countrey And that which is to be noted these earthquakes happen for the most part rather in the Spring time and in Autumne than in any other season of the yeare ¶ Wonders of two bodies knitte togethers like two graftes in the tronke of a tree whereof S. Augustine in a boke of the Citie of God maketh mention CHAP. xiiij SUche nede not to be astonnied at all of the figure of this monster whiche haue read the eight Chapiter of S. Augustine in his .xvj. boke written of the Citie of God where a litle before his time was borne an infant in the east parties which was double aboue and single belowe hauing two heades two brestes foure handes and the rest of the bodie in the shape of one that is to say two thighes two féete one belly and the rest from the nauell downewarde had not but the figure of one mā as he witnesseth in a place before and lyuyng so many wente to sée it for the renoume and fame thereof And that wherof also I thought somwhat to speake for that thys whose portraict is presented is like vnto that whiche S. Augustine writeth of sauing that that had the figure of a man and thys the fourme of a woman who was engendred vpon the confines of Normandie and Englande at what time Henry the thirde there reigned Wherof if you wyll well consider you shall fynde the same to bée a straunge spectacle in Nature for beholde these two bodies were knit togither from the toppe of their heads to their nauell like .ij. graftes in the trunke of a trée hauing two heades two mouthes two noses with their faces faire well formed and made in euery point requisite in nature euen to the nauel and from the nauel downwardes it had but the figure and shape of one only that is to say two legs two thighes one nature and one onely conduict whereby the excrements were discharged And that whiche was more pitifull is that they differed in all the actions of nature for somtimes when the one wept the other laughed if the one talked the other helde hir peace as the one eate the other dranke Liuyng thus a long season till one of them died the other being constrained to traile the deade body after hir for certaine yeares after where by the stinke and corruption of hir who was deade in the ende she was infected and died also The Authours of this be Cuylerinus Mattheus Palmerius Vincentius in hys .xxvj. booke and xxxviij Chapiter Hieronymus Cardan an excellente Millanois Physition searching greately the secretes of Nature which at this day is liuing affirmeth in his .xiiij. boke of his bokes of diuerse histories that in the yeare .1544 in the moneth of Ianuary the like monster was engēdred in Italie which he describes in pointes like vnto this and the mother brought it forth in the ende of the .ix. moneth very well formed in all respects and withall corpulente notwithstanding it died immediatly after the mother was brought to bedde by meanes that the sage women had vsed to much force and violēce in taking the same from the body of the mother And further he describes afterwards a thing worthie to be noted whiche is that there was a surgion named Gabriel Cuneus a man very expert in hys arte who heretofore had ben his disciple made an Anatomie of this monstrous maide committing hir into pieces and after he had opened the interiour partes he found a double wombe all the intestines double sauing that which they cal rectū bisides he found two liuers and so almost all the other partes reseruing the heart which was single the which moueth vs to thinke sayth Cardan that Nature wold haue created two sauing that by some defecte she imperfected the whole ¶ A Historie of a Monster wherof S. Hierome maketh mention who appeared to S. Anthonie in the deserte CHAP. xv SAint Hierom Licostenes and Isidorus make mention of a monster who vpon a sodaine appeared to S. Anthonie whilest he did penance in the desert hauing as it is written the forme of a man his nose hideous hauked two hornes on his head and his feete like to a goate according to his figure appearing in this portraict wherof that holy man being afrayd to behold so wonderful a creature in the desert he coniured him in the name of God to tell him what he was who answered him I am a mortall man as thou art appointed to dwell in this wildernesse which the cōmon people deceiued are persuaded to be one of these hurtfull Satyres wandring by the desertes or else some enchaunting deuill wherof also the holy man S. Augustine in his first boke and thirde question of Genesis maketh mention in that he reportes so diuersly of certain diuels hurtful specially to women that it is neither easy nor seeming to pronounce a resolution albeit in the .xxv. chapiter and .xv. boke of the citie of God he speaketh
the néedle beholde alwayes the north and the other the south He that firste founde oute the vse of this stone was named Flauius but the first that wrote of his vertue was Albertus Magnus Aristotle knewe well that it was of a nature attractiue and coulde drawe yron vnto it but yet he was ignoraunt to vse it in the Arte of Nauigation for if he had vnderstoode so farre of it he had preuented a numbre of miserable shipwracks and daungers of sea which ouerwhelmed his countreymeÌ„ for want of direction by vertue of this stone Neither was it without cause that Plinie giuing singular estimation to this stone did forme his cruell complaints against nature in that she was not onely contente to gyue a voyce vnto rocks to send or returne certain cries and calles in maner of an Eccho but also to giue feelyng motion and hands to stones as to the Adamant wherwith he smelleth and holdeth yron and séemeth to be iealous when any offereth to take it from him he not only allureth yron and holdeth it when he hath it but also is contented to imparte and transferre hys vertue to any thyng that toucheth it which hath not bene onely an experience among the prophane but Saint Augustine hym selfe confesseth to haue seene the Adamant drawe vnto it a ryng of yron whiche being rubbed or touched with the Adamant drew another ring and so the thirde drew the fourth and so consequently in suche number as he made a large coller of rings in the forme of a chaine by the only ayde and touche of thys stone such is his propretie and such his wonderful vertue whiche also hath bene verified by many familiar experiences and chiefly by a late triall whiche I sawe in Fraunce in this sorte There was a knife layd vpon a square thick table and vnderneath the bourde was helde in a mans hande a piece of an excellent good Adamant whose vertue piercing thorough the table that was betwene it and the mettall made the knife moue turne alone to the great wonder of the assistantes These propreties of the Adamant be common therefore we will syft out of it a more secrete wonder whyche wyth the profite may also bring pleasure to the Reader There is nowe a dayes a kinde of Adamant which draweth vnto it fleshe and the same so strongly that it hath power to knit and tie together two mouthes of contrary persons and drawe the hearte of a man out of hys body withoute offendyng any parte of hym wyth thys further propretie that yf the poynte of a néedle be touched or tempered wyth it it pierceth thorowe all the partes of the bodye wythoute doyng any harme whyche woulde not séeme credible were it not that Experience dyd warraunt it wyth greate wonder Hieronymus Cardanus writeth that a Physition of Tours called Laurentius Crascus had of this stone promised by the meane of the same to penetrate any fleshe wythoute griefe or sorrowe whiche Cardanus did eyther doubte or lightly beléeue tyll the experience assured the effect for he rubbed a néedle with this Adamant then put it thorough his arme where he let it remaine without any sorow many days after but that which maketh this experience and vertue of the Adamant more famous is that he respected neither veins nor sinews but thrust in his néedles or yroÌ„s indifferently without sparyng any place This Adamant which he had excéeded not the bignesse of a beane and was of colour like yron distinct of veynes and peysing aboute the weight of .xij. graines of corne By this Admant many people were deceyued like as also it was the occasion to entertain an errour amongst many persons which myne author confesseth to haue séene by experience about .xv or xvj yeres past being in the vniuersitie of Poyctiers whether came in great pomp a stranger naming him self to be a Greeke borne who in the presence of the people gaue him self many and great blowes with a dagger both vpon his thighes armes almost euery part of his body which being rubbed with a certain oyle which he called the oyle of Balsamyn it did so refresh consolidate his hurts as if the yron had neuer touched theÌ„ Ther is also at this day in Italy one Alexander of Verona who practised the like artificial experience with his seruaÌ„ts who pinched them in the presence of the people with pinsers tongs daggers and other tormenting instruments and that with such horrour that it greued the eyes of the assistants and then rubbing theyr woundes with a certaine oyle he made them hole agayne presently which so abused the simplicitie of the assistants that they bought of his oyle which he assured to be as profitable to all kinde of diseases what soeuer whiche was suche a gaine to him that there scaped no daye wherein he gat not tenne or twelue crownes aboue his hire for the cure of those that were sicke The mysterie whereof dyd driue Cardanus into such a wonder that he was very curious to searche the cause and falling for that matter into an intricate Labyrinth of Philosophie he coulde not fynde nor giue any other reason of it than that the people were enchaunted touching the oyle whiche he solde and wherwith he fained to heale his seruant being hurt he confessed it was a fiction and a thing nothing worth for that those that bought it of him coulde do no cure on themselues or any other And now to drawe to ende and resolution of al these things it is moste like that this Greeke and Alexander of Verona and all the rest that haue bene seene to cutte and teare their flesh in peces in sundry parts of the world dyd not heale them by eyther theyr oyles or balmes as they fayne but it is more likely they rubbe their daggers pinsers and instrumentes wherewith they hurte them wyth this seconde kynde of Adamant the same hauyng a certayne secrete and hydden vertue to consolidate that part that is hurt and to resist all sorow and griefe in the wounde wherein for a more credite I commende you to the authoritie of Plaudanus in his seconde Booke De Secretis orbâ—â— rerum miraculis ¶ Wonders of certaine Princesses being committed to the flames vniustly accused who were deliuered by vertue of their innocencie CHAP. xvij IT is no newe thyng neither chauÌ„ceth it often that the innocent creatures coulde not be endomaged by the flames of fire as it is verified in many noble persons found and spoken of in the holy Scriptures But it is a straunge thing at these days wherin sinne so aboundeth and we seldome sée suche miracles that such lyke shoulde happen amongst vs. For as Polydorus Vergilius witnesseth in the eyght boke of his histories of England and as others write before his time makyng mention of one Goodwyn prince of Englande who accused vniustly of many vices Emnia mother to Edward the seconde King of England and wrought therin so much by his false suggestions accusations that the Kyng hir
Embassadours to the Emperour to certifie hym that they hadde séene many tymes a Tryton or man of the Sea hyde and wythdrawe hym selfe into a caue neare vnto the Sea There was also aduertisement sente to the Emperor Octauian Augustus that vpon the coast of France were founde certayne Mermaydes deade vpon the banke of the ryuer In like sorte Georgius Trapezuntius a man very famous in learning affirmeth to haue seene vpon the border of the Ryuer appearyng out of the water in the fourme of a Woman vntill the nauill whereof seemyng to maruell and beholdyng hir somewhat nearely shée retired into the water Alexander ab Alexandro a great ciuilian Philosopher in the .viij. Chapter of hys thyrd booke assureth for certaintie that in Epyre now named Romain is a certayne fountaine neare the Sea from whence yong Maydes for the necessitie of theyr houses dydde drawe water and that harde by issued a Triton or Sea man and caughte a little damsell whome he caried oftentymes into the sea and after sette hir on lande agayne wherof the inhabitauntes beyng aduertised vsed suche watche and guarde that they tooke hym and broughte hym afore the Iustice of the place afore whome beyng searched and examined founde in hym all partes and membres of a man for whyche they committed hym to certaine garde and kéepyng offeryng hym meate the whyche he refused wyth sorrowfull lamentations after hys kynde not tastyng any thyng that was offered hym and lastly dyed of hunger séeing hym selfe restrayned from the Elemente wherein he was wonte to dwell Many writers nowe a days do witnesse a thyng more strange than any of these if it be true whyche is that the Archduke of Austriche third sonne of the Emperor Ferdinando made to be caried with him to Gennes in the yere .1548 a Mermayd dead the same so astonishing the people that the moste learned men in Italie came to visite and sée him I coulde yet make of more Watermonsters séene in oure tyme as that whych was figured lyke a Monke an other like a Bishop wyth other of lyke resemblaunce whyche importe the more faith bicause they are preferred by thrée of the most notable Fishers in Europe being also figured so amply in the vniuersall Historie of Fyshes that I néede not to enlarge their descriptions for they haue so lernedly discoursed of the propreties of the same that they haue cutte of all hope to suche as shall come after them to aduaunce it with further addition ¶ Wonders of Dogges whiche dyd eate Christians CHAP. xix IF the bones ashes of all those which haue bene persecuted for the name of Iesus Christe were at this day in being and to be séene with our corporall eyes we myghte then confesse that they were able to buylde a great and proude Citie and withal if all the bloud which hath bene shed for his name were gathered together into one certaine place it were sufficient to make a great floud For who soeuer will reade in Eusebius and S. Augustine the â—â—rsecutions burnings butcheries and slaughters which were made of the poore flocke of Iesus Christ in the time of the Emperour Domitian Traian Antonius Seuerus Maximinian Decius Valerian Aurelian Diocletian Maximian with many others he shal not finde so many thousandes slaine in the cruell warres of the TirauÌ„ts as he shal reade to haue shed their blood for y e name of Iesus Christ neither is the sacrifices of so many Martirs and companies of the good so amplie spoken of by Sainct Augustin in his .xviij. booke .lij. chap. of the Citie of God or by Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall historie or that Orseus writeth so muche to be wondered at or strange as this whereof Cornelius Tacitus maketh mention is wonderfull and worthie to be put in memorie amongest the moste celebrate pourtraicts monsters of this worlde For it did not onely suffise the infamous Tiraunt Nero to make to be burned the bodies of the poore Christians making them serue as torches and blazing linkes to giue light to the Citizens of Rome but also made theÌ„ to be wrapped quicke in the skinnes of certaine sauage beastes to the ende that the dogges thinking they had bene beastes in déede might teare and commit their bodies to pieces Which you may nowe sée by the furious assaultes that Sathan and his accomplices haue builded againste the members of Iesus Christe for there is no Religion which he hath not so furiously persecuted sithens the beginning of the worlde as this of ours wherein although he hath set abroche all his subtilties fraudes malices and inuentions to vndermine it yet notwithstanding it remaineth whole and sounde by the vertue and ayde of the Sonne of God who hath can bridle represse the enuious rage of his enimies And although he hath procured the death of many members of the Churche as Abell Esaie Ieremie Zacharie Policarpius Ignatius and many thousand Martirs and Apostles yet notwithstaÌ„ding he could neuer deface any iote therof for it is writen in like maner that the gates of hel coulde not by any meanes preuaile againste hir albeit that for a certaine time she was put in some perill and was shaken and tossed like a litle barke by the rage teÌ„pestes of the Sea yet surely Iesus Christe did not forsake at any time his espouse but alwayes assisted hir as the head of his bodie watched hir garded hir and maintained hir as is witnessed in the promisses made vnto hir when he saide I will not leaue you my Orpheus I will be with you to the verye laste consummation of the worlde And further he sayeth in Esaie I will put my worde into your mouth and defende you with the shadowe of my hande and those wordes which I put into your mouth shall not be taken from your séede now nor neuer Wherein séeing then that our only religion is true and purified and that it is signed by the bloud of so many Prophetes Apostles and Martirs and confirmed besides with the bloud of Iesus Christ whereof he hath lefte to vs the true Charecter and witnesse of his death that all others be vnlawfull bastards and inuented by the Diuels and men their ministers to the vtter confusion of ours wherefore if it be so pure and holy let vs then indeuour our selues to conserue and kepâ— the same to the ende we maye saye in the last daye to God as the good king Dauid saide Lord I hate them that hate thée I am angrie with them that rise against thée and I hate them with a perfect hate and holde them for mine enimies ¶ A wonderfull historie of diuers figures Comets Dragons and flames which appeared in heauen to the terrour of the people and whereunto the causes and reasons of them be assigned CHAP. xx THe face of Heauen hath bene at diuers times so much disfigured by blasing starres torches fireforkes pillours Lances bucklers Dragons twoo Moones twoo Sunnes at one instant with other like things that whosoeuer woulde recompte
husbaÌ„d was dead she dreyned wel nigh al y e watrishe powers of hir body by teares after she had sufficieÌ„tly lameÌ„ted she caused to be made so excelleÌ„t a sepulchre y t it was put amoÌ„gst the maruels of the world not coÌ„tent with this esteming y e body of him that had ben y e organ of hir life not sufficiently honored with so suÌ„ptuous a toÌ„be vnlesse she serued him as a sepulchre hir self caused al y e bones of hir husband to be subtilly beateÌ„ to pouder which she ordinarily vsed in hir meat drinke till they wer coÌ„sumed We should not maruel of these woÌ„derful flames of loue which enchauÌ„t charm so wel y e humain sense y t they do not only walk incurable by al y e most sensible parts of our friends but y e more is they make vs very ofteÌ„ to become mad fraÌ„tike without reason as appered by a yong gentleman issued of y e best house of Athens who of extreme sorow died for that they wold not suffer him to cherish loue an image of Venus of which he was greatly enamored And bisides it is most strange y t the coÌ„tagious tickling of this amorous venim doth not only touch y e humain creatures reasonable but also y e infection therof corrupt's brute beasts Which Plutarch witnesseth in an experieÌ„ce of an elephaÌ„t who with Aristophanes of AlexaÌ„drie â—oued a maide to whome y e beast did as liberally and frankly impart his amorous desire and zeale by secrete and simple signes as Aristophanes by all the eloqueÌ„ce he could deuise neither is it so straunge altogether that brute beastes do loue creatures resonable seing they ar oftentiâ—â—â— so pressed and pricked forwarde with their amorous 〈◊〉 that they are seene in diuers sorts kindes to vse force against women Wherof Edouart in his histories of beasts giueth an example of a certain kinde of rough or shaghaired apes in some countreys of India against whome the people vse a special defence to kepe them from their townes and houses for that when they feele any motion of nature or rather prouoked with desire of filthy lust they neither spare mayde widow nor wife nor regarde estate condition or degree of women Wherof haue ben founde diuers proues in sundry vnhappie women that stand not vpon their garâ— against the furie of such beasts Saxonius in his tenth boke of the historie of the Danes writeth as of most credit and truthe that a Beare in Swetya serching his pray vpon the Mountaines met by chaunce a Shephierds wife whome he caried to his denne where in place to deuoure hir hée conuerted his hunger into pleasure and vse of hir body And it is more maruellous that the furie and violence of Loue is so great that the wilde brutall and cruel beastes do not onely féele the same but which more is the Trées and liuely Plantes of the earth the whiche we sée shewe a certaine likenesse and affinitie of loue in such sort that as Theophrastus and Plinie haue written there be diuers Trées and Plants which if you take away the males and place them farre from the females they presently wither and continue in perpetuall barennesse As we may sée of the Uine who imbraceth the Elme ioying and reioycing much at his presence In like sorte the Iuie whiche is so great a louer of certain Trées that it accompanieth them after their death Which gaue occasion to the Auncients that when they tooke vpon them to depaint perfect friendship they expressed the same by the trunke of a deade trée enuironed about with Iuie Wherfore to put end to these moste wonderfull thyngs the secretaries of nature do acknowledge that ther is also a secret amitie amongst mettals stones for proofe of y e AdamaÌ„t louing yron draweth it to him hauing caught it holdeth it insuche sort that it séemeth to be grieued and touched with a certain ielousy when they offer to take it from him There is also shewed maruellous puissance of frendship in mettals whiche discouered shew wonderfull effects of amitie the whiche is sufficiently experimented in golde whiche we sée so manifestly affected to quicksiluer that being plunged therein séemeth incontinent rauished captiue thervnto by force of some furious flame of Loue. A wonderfull Historie of a Monster out of whose bellie issued an other man all whole reseruyng the head CHAP. xxiij OCellus Lucianus a Greeke Philosopher in a certain little worke whiche he made treating as well of the nature of all things as of generation shewyng vnto vs that we ought not to goe to the holy state of matrimonie for voluptuousnesse plesure which oftentimes is not absent but y t our principal intent ought only to be for procreation which is not ordeined of y e Almightie for plesure only but for y e perpetual conseruatioÌ„ permaneÌ„cy of humain society wherfore being impossible y t a mortal maÌ„ shold liue always God supplied that default by continual and perpetuall generation to the ende y t the earth mighte be multiplied the coÌ„mon weales peopled the humain societies coÌ„serued In coÌ„sideration wherof we must cut of al these generatioÌ„s which be made against y e ordinaÌ„ce of nature for by y e meanes it often hapneth that y e frute springing therby is vnclean miserable monstrous vicious odious detestable aswel to spirites deuils as to men families And of these vnlauful copulatioÌ„s licentious dealing oftentimes were borne moÌ„strous infantes As we may sée in beholding this before figured out of whose bely issued an other man wel formed in al proportions membres reseruing the head Like as this man was of the age of .xl. yeres when he was séene in Fraunce in the yere 1530. EueÌ„ so he bare y e body betwixt his armes with great maruel to al y e worlde which assembled in great troupes to sée him Wherupon they sayd he was begotteÌ„ of some coÌ„mon woman who had giuen hir self indifferently to al coÌ„mers Minâ— author séemeth to haue séene him at ValeÌ„ce in y e very same form you sée him here pictured at such time as moÌ„sier de Coras red y e Ciuil lawes there afterwards they saw him nigh Paris in a town called Montlehery as many haue witnessed besides y t the good maÌ„ Iohn Longis printer in that vniuersitie assured me y t hauing with others takeÌ„ the sayd person at y e sayd Montlehery deuoyde of the sayd monster â—nquired of him what was become of y e deformed creature which they had sene in times past spring out of his body ¶ Notable histories of many Plants with their propreties and vertues together with a wonderful roote of Baara written of by Iosephus the Hebrue author CHAP. xxiiij IF there be any thing worthy to be considered of in all the principall parts of physike certainly it is that which brings vs to the knowledge and searchyng forth of the nature and propretie of Plants for bisides the coÌ„mon vtilitie
from corruption any flesh that is either rubbed or perfumed with it There is an other herb which hath ben heretofore very rare albeit now somwhat familiar called Lyons foote which groweth in mountaines and hath leaues like vnto the leafe of a Mallowe sauing that they be more hard ful of sinews and crispie it springs in May and floures in Iune it is moste soueraine to consolidate all kind of hurts and much employed that way by the surgeoÌ„s of Almayn The physitioÌ„s of late put it among the rare and wonderful plants bicause of his wonderfull power to consolidate all hurtes they write that if eyther maides or wiues that be corrupted or haue forfaited their virginitie do vse of it it maketh them séeme maides as at the first specially if it continue any time in his decoction as if ther be pieces of canuas or linnen cloth dipped or bathed within the water of it and applied or layed vpoÌ„ their dugs it maketh them shrinke and retire and becom round and hard it begins now to be coÌ„monly knowne in Italy and of special delite with certain womeÌ„ that stand in nede of it The Corall whiche is called Lythodendron that is to say a Tréestone is no lesse meritorious for estimation thaÌ„ the rest seing it is a plant that groweth in y e sea which as Dioscorides writeth being drawen out of the botom of the sea becomes hard with the aire so is made a stone This little trée or plant of Coraile is gréene softe being in the sea and beareth a frute like vnto horâ—es aswel in bignesse as in figure this plant when it is drawen out of the water is all ful of mosse and is not red but coÌ„ming after into the hands of workmen they polishe it artificially either vpon the tornell by force of the file and so smoothe him with the pouder of trypoly to giue him his glée and beautie Al kinds of Coral be very coÌ„mon in Italy bicause that y e people there do fishe for them in the sea Tyrenum The Corralls haue an hiddeÌ„ vertue against the Epilepsia or foule euil being an infection in the head they defend houses from harme by lightning they restraine the flux menstruall they are good for gnawing in the gummes for blaines and biles in y e mouth and for the flux of seede Auicen holdeth them moste soueraine to glad and comforte the heart Dioscorides maketh mention but of two kindes of Corall that is red black and yet we read that in diuerse seas in Europe are founde of them that be very white and they be sponging light Dioscorides Schylyen in his .xvii. boke telleth a wonderfull historie of a plant y t was shewed to Alexander in a vision wherwith he healed his people y t wer hurt with venomous weapons which me think not much impertinent to put in this place by reson of his woÌ„derful effect After Alexander sayth he had victorie against y e Brachmans wherof y e most part were either killed or taken prisoners he fouÌ„d sundry of his Macedonians sore huâ—te and in daunger of deathe by reason that the ende of the Darts and Arrows of their enimies were poysoned the same mouing corage in them to attempt the battail against him The venom was made of certaine serpents which they killed and layed them to drie against the Sunne the heate wherof made issue out a sweate with the which sweate also distilled the poyson of the serpente the whiche was of suche violence that who was hurte with any weapon dipped in it lost incontinent his fâ—elyng and by and by turned into wonderfull tormeÌ„t by the retraction of sinews and tremblyng of all his bodie his fleshe became blacke lyke leade and by continual vomite caste vp a maruellous deale of choler bisides the which came out of the hurte a blacke scumme wherof engendred a putrifaction which as it was fermed and iellied gained forthwith the noble partes and made the paciente die in great martyrdom The King was not so sorowfull for all the rest of his people as it grieued him in the payne of Ptolomeus at that time one of the kings minious and after his death supplied his place with no lesse loue awe of his people than he And as there was thoroughout the whole armie generall sorow for the martirdom of Ptolomeus there chaunced a straunge case and the same of more meruaile bicause as Diodorus sayeth many referre it to an expresse prouidence of the Gods The King sleping in his tent not without great care for the griefe of his Ptolomey a great dragon séemed to houer afore him as in a vision holding an herbe in his thrâ—ts wherof he taught him both the vertue and the place where it grewe Alexander awaking vpon this vision wente immediatly to séeke the herbe and hauing founde it he ordered it in sort of a plaister and applying it to the body of Ptolomeus gaue him also to drinke of the iuyce wherupon he with others were restored and made hole in fewe dayes Diodorus although he recite the Historie yet he feareth to tel the name of the herbe but Plinie treating of a like accident declareth the name of a certaine herbe which was good to cure the hurtes of souldiers speaking in this maner Sometime sayth he the vse and experience of herbes are founde by chauÌ„ce or rather to speake the truthe by a certaine Oracle of the gods as hath ben written of the plant called Cynorthombi which is a kinde of a wilde Rose very good to heale the biting of madde Dogges his vertue and operation was founde by chaunce For a woman haâ—ing hir sonne in the warres of Spayne and so bitten with a madde Dogge that he was in greate perill of life the whiche they iudged bicause he beganne to feare water or any thyng that was moyste Thys woman dreaming by nighte on the disease of hir sonne dyd imagine in hir sléepe that she sente hym thys hearbe Cynorthondon whyche she hadde séene the day before vnder a woodde side to drynke in Mylke conceyuing some hope in the effecte of hir dreame wrote vnto hir sonne the nexte day what hadde happened hir in hir vysion Hir sonne obeying the contentes of hir Letter was healed by the meane of thys Hearbe whereupon after it grewe to be a common remedie against the like disease A thyng truely of more wonder in that we came to the knowledge of it by suche meanes approuing also the vnspeakable goodnesse who in sleeping dothe reuele vnto vs remedies to preserue oure health Theophrastes maketh mention of a certaine hearbe of India whiche so stirreth and moueth in the bodie of a man that it drayneth all the seede of nature Wherevpon some haue taken occasion to write that Heracles defloured in one nyghte a great number of virgins by the only helpe of thys herbe The Scythians in lyke sorte haue an hearbe very common in their countrey which they do call by none other name than by the hearbe of Scythia whiche beyng
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
be amongst them song when he heard them crow beat him self with his armes as they do with their wings As also some other that persuaded them to be transfigured into a vessel of earth who kéeping cōtinually vpon the plaines champaines dare not come neare houses or trees for feare to bruse or breake them in pieces There was a certaine Damsel ▪ whereof Alexander Trallianus writeth this history that by a corruption of the imagination she persuaded hir selfe to haue deuoured a Serpente sleeping neither coulde she be deliuered from the disease of suche thought vntill being prouoked to an extreme vomite there was secretly conueyed into the basin a quicke Serpent immediatly after the which she was deliuered of hir disease persuading that she had vomited the Serpent that stirred in the basyn There be yet visions whiche procéede by eating certaine poisons as Plinie and Edwardus witnesse of him of those whiche did eate the braines of a Beare whiche being deuoured they imagined that they were turned into a Beare The like happening in oure time to a Spanishe Gentleman who hauing eaten of a Beare wente wandring by the desertes and mountaines thinking to be trāsformed into a Beare Yet ther be other sortes of visions which according to y e opiniōs of certaine Phisitions proceede vpon certaine Naturall causes as when any man is killed and buried not very deepe in the earth there come as they saye from the dead bodye certaine exhalations and vapours whiche ascende into the ayre do séeme to represente the figure or fourme of hym that was put in the earth Wee haue also many other things whiche vnder the coloure of illusions abuse oure vnderstanding as when the ayre is troubled with contrary winds by whose agitations is engendred a bruite or murmure resembling properly the lowing or noise of beastes or not much vnlike to the complaintes of women and little children sometimes also the ayre pierceth within the creuisses and vaultes of rocks and olde walls and being sent backe againe by his owne violence giueth out so distincte a sounde that it séemes a precise or set voice as we proue oftentimes in that whiche we call Eccho the same pronouncing for the most parte v. or .vj. wordes with so greate maruell that it easely persuades suche as knowe not the cause but specially in the nighte that they be some spirites or Diuels the like hapning in our time to a counseller secretary of a certaine Prince the which by reason of his ignoraunce in the cause of his Eccho was in daunger to be drowned according to Cardanus in his booke of maruellous inuentions who writeth of one Augustinus Lauisarius Counseller to a certain Prince who being in the countrey and out of his waye and lastly ouertaken with night founde himselfe greatly passioned and riding all along a Riuer side began to lamente his distresse and after the Italian maner cried Oh the Eccho which came from a certaine rocke thereby replyed vnto him incontinent with Oh Lauisarius somewhat comforted with the voice thinking it was some man whiche spake demaūded in his language vnde debo passa the Eccho aunswered Passa then the poore secretary being in greater paine than before demaunded Chi which asmuch to say as heare the Eccho replied chi but being yet not well assured he asked him again debo passa chi passa chi saith the Eccho whiche wordes fedde him with suche comfort of his waye that he tooke the riuer being astonied notwithstanding that his horse at his firste entry lost the bottome and begā to swimme and had it not bene the goodnesse of his horse and mercye of the waues that séemed to take compassion vpon his distresse he had taken a moyste lodging in the bottome of the riuer from the whiche albeit he escaped so hardely yet being broughte with muche ado to the other side he passed the reste of the night in colde and prayers withoute comforte sauinge for the pleasure he tooke in the remembrance of his peril past wherof certaine dayes after being come to Millan he made discourse to his deare frende Cardanus in sorte as if it had bene the malice of an euill sprite that wente aboute to drowne him telling the place euery circunstance in order Cardanus smelled forthwith the ignorance and simplicity of the secretary knowing that in that place was a wonderfull Eccho whiche yelded suche a plaine and perfect voice that it séemed to be formed oute of the mouth of some creature for a more assuraunce and proofe whereof he led him eftesones to the same place where they founde that his Passa that guided hym was none other thing than a reuerberation of the Eccho wherein séeing we are nowe so déeply fallen I will not forget to inferre the authoritie of mine authour in an example whilest he write this booke at Paris I haue saith he heard a sound in the borough of Chalenton neare Paris whiche yeldes and returnes the wordes that are spoken whole entier distinctly and plainly and that .vij. times one after an other like to the Eccho septuplex of the Auncients and specially commended of Plinie I haue also oftē marueled y t those which haue written the Antiquities and things worthie of memorie in Paris haue lefte suche a straunge thing without remembraunce in their writings seeing I haue neither heard nor séene so rare a thing in all the voyages I haue made ouer the highe Alpes of Italye and Germanie But now there resteth to put a laste seale to our difference and diffinition of visions to make some discourse of artificiall illusions the which being wroughte by sundry secret and Sophisticall sleightes of men moue no small terror to suche as beholde them as that whereof Hector Boetius in his Histories of Scotlande maketh mention wherein as there was a helpe and furtheraunce by art so the effecte was no lesse maruellous and straunge and at laste the onely cause of conseruation of a whole Kingdome in sorte as foloweth The Pictes according to the Histories haue alwayes borne a mortall hate to the Scots killing after sundry battails and skirmishes the first King of that countrey with the ouerthrowe of most of the nobilitie of that countrey Cenethus second King of the Scots and sonne to him whome the Pictes had murdered desirous to reuenge the death of his father vsed many persuasions to incense the nobilitie to fall into armes againste them who in respecte of their late infortune in the warre and their lacke of power to maintaine the quarell would not agrée to the persuasions of the King in whome as there remained a more grudge againste the death of his father than in the reste so finding him insufficient to worke it by wordes or incitation he reposed a laste helpe and refuge in arte and to giue a beginning to his deuise he fained a cause of conscience and consultation for the which the nobilitie were sente for to assiste the counsell where being lodged
1541. she was of the age of .xxvj. yeres That learned Philosopher Licostenes writeth one maruellous thing of that monster for reseruing the duplication of the head nature otherwyse had left nothing in hir vnperfect These two heades as he writeth had desire in like to drinke to eate to slepe and to talke together as also dyd all hir other affections Wherefore thys mayde wente from dore to dore searchyng hir liuyng to whome they gaue more willingly for the noueltie of so strange a creature so newe a spectacle Albeit she was chased thorough the Duchie of Bauiere to the ende she myght marre the frute of women with childe for the apprehension whiche remayneth in the imagination of the figure of this monstrous Woman ¶ A Monster on liue whose intrailes and interiour parts were to be seene naked and vncouered CHAP. xxviij IN the tyme that Seruius Galba and Marcus Scaurus were Consules a noble and famous woman in Nursiue brought forthe a son on liue which had the vppermost part of his bely so open that men might sée hys intrails naked and vncouered and it was so harde and entier in the nethermost part that I beleue if you haue red al the Authors Grekes and Latins which haue written of the wonders of nature you shal scarcely fynde his like And although the Romains were alway superstitious in those things yet was this monster a certain Augure and soothsayer of the victorie whiche they obtained against Iugurth as Iules Obsequent writeth in the hundreth Chapter of his book of the wonders of the Romains Wherfore if the Grekes and Arabes whiche were so fine in serching out the secretes within the shop of mans body that they demaunded of the king the bodies of the condemned to open them aliue had had that litle monster at their cōmaundement they néede not haue exercised such butchery tirānie and crueltie on the behalfe on liuing creatures as they did for casting their eyes only vpon that little monster without makyng further openyng or incision they myght haue séene and discerned the substance the greatnesse number figure situation commoditie and action of all the principall partes of mans bodie the liuely spirites being within the which is not of small consideration in nature seing that by the ignorance of those things if that a sinew or muscle be cut for the most parte the féelyng is lost sometimes the mouing and sometimes bothe the one and the other and very oftentimes death therby foloweth Wherfore the ancient kings and princes as Marcus Anthonius Flauius and Boetius as Galene witnesseth tooke so great pleasure in Anotomies and cuttyng of bodies that they themselues vsed that arte who as they obserued not the same carefully so they made erre the most renoumed Philosophers in the time past as Aristotle in his first and thirde boke of Histories treatyng of Creatures the .vij. chapter where he writeth that the seames of the head by the which the moyst matters of the braine doe euapour be not like but differ in men and women notwithstandyng we sée by common experience the contrary whereby the same author is also deceiued in that he writeth that the heades of Dogs haue no sinews although in anotomysing of them wée fynde they haue seames so well as in the heade of man In lyke maner Cornelius Celsus one of the most excellent which hath written of physike in Latin is beguyled in the same matter of seames in hys eyghte boke and fyrst chapter where he writeth that those heads which haue no seames be the moste sounde and least subiect to sicknesse though the same be vtterly false as wytnesseth Hipocrates in his first boke of men where he writeth that the heads which haue the gretest number of seames be the most healthfull wherin as I haue shewed the mistakyng of the two matters of the cutting of the body Euen so coulde I discouer vnto you a numbre of other errours whiche be founde in Mundinus Carpus and others who in their writyngs haue ben often beguiled in the opening of the shoppe of mans bodie But for that we are to entreate of wonders we will therfore make an ende of that matter without settyng before you the falts gathered in the Haruest of Physike ¶ An historie of a prodigious Dogge which engendred of a Beare and a Mastife bitche in England sene by the Author at London with the discourses of the nature of this Beaste CHAP. xxix LIke as mine Author in the beginning of thys Chapter séemeth to preferre in sort of a Frenche flourishe or commendation to hym selfe hys being in Englande wyth sundry honours that were done to hym by the Quéenes Maiestie and certaine nobilitie at what tyme he was brought to the viewe of thys Dogge so for certayne respects I accompt it as necessarie to leaue it oute as to fyll or cloye the Reader with suche vaine follie In Englande then accordyng to mine Authour was bredde thys monstrous Dogge whose figure séemeth to resemble indifferently a Dog and a Beare whiche argueth him to participate bothe of the one and the others nature the same not séemyng very straunge to suche as haue obserued theyr conditions at London where the Dogges and the Beares doe lie in little Cabinets or vaultes of wood one fast by an other and being in theyr heates those that do gouerne them wyll not stycke oftentymes to putte a Beare and a Dogge in one house together when beyng prycked wyth theyr naturall impressyons they conuerte theyr crueltie into loue of whyche coniunctions are engendred oftentymes creatures lyke vnto thys although very seldome amongst which myne Author hath obserued two Whiche as they were gyuen to the Marquesse of Trans so he made a present of the one of them to the Countie of Alphestan the Emperors Embassador and the other he made to be caried wyth hym into Fraunce where myne Author caused thys portraict to be drawen omitting nothing that was necessary to be séene In whom albeit maye appeare some cause of wonder by the strange effecte of Nature yet the attestation of sundry famous authors maketh it neyther rare nor newe Lyke as Aristotle who is of opinyon that diuerse beastes may haue Coitum and ioyne togyther so that theyr natures do not muche differ as doe the Dogge the Woulfe and the Foxe He wryteth in an other place that the Indian dogs be ingendred of a Dogge and a Tyger whiche is also approued by Polux and Plinie Patritius and Senes in theyr thirde boke of theyr common Wealthe haue affirmed that the Indians haue not onely made couer their bitches wyth beastes of an other kynde but also the auncient Frenchemen vsed to haue them engender with Woulues to the ende that the fruite of suche fierce commixture and séede myghte bée of the more strengthe and furie the same being also confirmed by Augustus Nyphus in a Historie assisted with his owne eyes and not gathered by any reporte On a time sayth he that the Lorde Federike of Montforce and I returned
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
an honeste feare to fall into a miserable dispaire In such sort that as we reade that the Egyptians were sometime scourged and afflicted wyth ten plagues at Gods hande so we may say by good right that the myserable suters and solicitoures of the lawe doe partycipate dayely wyth tenne thousandes whereof there is no difference as touchyng theyr tormentes sauyng y t the Egiptians plague was moued through their owne occasion by the prouidence of GOD and this of the Pleaders is incensed by the malice of men besides if the Egiptians were afflicted by the biting of beastes riuers running of bloud their landes swarming with Grassehoppers flies and gnatts and their people annoyde with Leprosie Botches and other lothsome diseases our poore pleaders are persecuted in attendyng the Presidentes paying the Notaryes brybing the Solicitoures and annointing their clarkes in the hand with double fée to vse duetie and reuerence to the iudge to clap and knele to the dore kepers and lastly pawne his land and credite to borow money to discharge it All which beside the toile and trauaile of their bodies are incident to the poore pleader without y t he makes any reckening vpoÌ„ what points he must forme his accusation what delayes are awarded to his cause how he must tender his demaund of the one side and challeÌ„ge his exceptions on the other make inquisition examin witnesses indure reproches and make perfect his processe and after that he must take a copie of it recorde it abreuiate it and lastly bring it to the opinion of the iudge from whose sentence for diuers respects he may appeale and remoue his processe bryng it to a higher Court with such infinite toile disquiet of minde that who coÌ„siders of them according to their value and merite in déede ought rather to be contented to lose one parte of his goodes than to get or buy any other at so deare a price which is the cause in déede why this learned bishop of Mâ—nodemo Anthonie de Guauara writ in a certain boke of his that the pleaders were the only true Saincts and Martirs of the world séeing that of the .vij. mortall sinnes they are not to be accused but of .iij. only bicause touching y e other iiij although they wold commit them yet had they neither the meane â—or leasure For how is it possible y t they should be proud seeing that they go continually with their hattes in their handes and sometimes with great humilitie solicite the iudge reserue a solemne reuerence to a pelting procurer lastly performe a fatte paiment to a scribling Notarie And how can they be touched wyth the sinne of couetousnesse séeing their pursses be neuer shut nor theyr hands come emptie out of them but making Idols bothe of maister aduocate and his wife doe neuer cease offring vnto theÌ„ till they haue left their pursse without a liuing And touching the sinne of slouth idlenesse they are voide of infection that way séeing that most commonly in place to passe the night in sléepe and naturall rest they are tormented with sorowes sighes and other passions of griefe and the day slippes away in drudging toile trotting from one place and other to procure expedition to their cause And lastly and least of all are they infected with gluttony seeing they must obserue neither times nor houres to fede their stomacke or procure them an appetite most commonly for expedition sake they eat standing wyth great grose morsels ill swallowed and worse disgested and all to be readie at the pallaice gate to salute hys councellour pul his aduocate by the sléeue make a signe to his clarke to remember his cause wherwith he concludes lastly that a processe is so dauÌ„gerous and venomous a Serpent that who would wishe any euill or heauie fortune to his enimie let him not desire to sée hym poore or miserable hated of others banished his Countrey afflicted with diseases nor threatned with present death But let him pray to God to giue him some crooked or intricate processe for in al the world can not be fouÌ„d a more cruell reuenge for a mannes enimie than to sée him plunged in a troublesom cause in the law ¶ A wonderfull Historie of a monstrous childe which was borne the same day that the Geneuois and Veniciens were reconciled CHAP. xxxix ALthough that nature as Galen witnesseth in his .xiiij. booke de vtilitate partiuÌ„ had an earnest desire that hir work should haue bene immortal if it might haue bene performed but for y t it was not lawful both by the corruptible matter of the elements sprite of the aire she made therefore a forge or helpe supuly for y e immortalitie for she fouÌ„d out a woÌ„derful mean y t in place of y e creature y t shuld die ther shuld be a supply of an other and therfore nature hath giuen to all creatures conuenieÌ„t instruments aswell to conceiue as engender But it is so that these instruments so ordained by nature although y t she had a care to make them perfecte yet there is found in them bothe vice and default as is afterwardes shewed by the forme of this creature wherin Hippocrates witnesseth in his booke De genitura wher he sheweth by the similitude of trees how these children issue from the bellie of theyr mother moÌ„strous and deformed saying thus that of force those bodies which cannot moue by reason of the straightnesse of the place must become the rather mishapen deformed like as trées before they issue out of the earth if they haue not libertie and scope to spring but be with holden by some let or hinderance grow crooked great in one parte and smal in an other Euen so it is of the childe if in the bellie of the mother the parties where he is nourished be more straight one than the other and that vice sayth he commeth of the narownesse of the place to straight in the wombe Wherupon arguing a litle before of the same matter he sheweth other reasons by the which childreÌ„ be made monstrous and deformed as by the natural diseases of the parents for if the foure kindes of humors whereof the séede is made be not wholly contributorie to y e secrete partes there shall be then some partie wanting Besides this he addeth further other reasons touching monstrous birthes as when the mother receiueth some blow or hurt or that the childe fortunes to be sicke in the bellie of hys mother either that the nourishment wherewith he ought to be relieued happen to slippe out of the wombe al which things be sufficient causes to make them hideous waÌ„ting or deformed And if we would consider with iudgement these reasons of Hippocrates treating vpon the generation of monsters we should without all dout finde that this whereof thou séest the portraict is engendred so mishapen by one of these causes which he shewed that is to say by the narownesse of the place wherein nature willing to create two found the
wombe to straight which is y e cause that she is found to wante in suche sorte that the wombe is congealed and gathered in one whereupon groweth this forme and superfluitie of members in this little male moÌ„ster whom thou seest héere figured hauing four armes four legges and but one head with all the rest of his body well proportioned who was engendred in Italie the same day that the Venetians and Geneuois after the sheading of much bloud both of the one side the other coÌ„firmed their peace and wer reconciled togither and which was baptised and liued a certaine time after as writeth Iacobus Fincelius in his booke de miraculis post renatum Euangelium And in the same yeare that Leopolde Duke of Austrich vanquished of the Swizers died And Galea was created Uicount of Millain after the death of Barnabone ¶ A wonderfull Historie of Couetousnesse with many examples touching that matter worthy of memory CHAP. L. DIogines Laerce writeth that there was a Rhodian iesting one day with the philosoper Eschines saying to him I sweare by the immortal gods Eschines that I haue great pitie and compassioÌ„ of thy pouertie To whom he replied sodainly and by the same gods do I make y e like othe that I more bewaile thée to sée thée so rich seing that riches once gotten bréede not onely paine torment care with heauinesse to kéepe them but also a more great displeasure to spend them perill to preserue them occasion of great inconueniences and dangers to defend them And that which yet séemes to me more grieuous and horrible is that where for the most parte thou hidest thy riches in the same place thou leauest thy heart buried And lyke as Herodotus writeth that the inhabitants of the Isles Baleares watch and defend wyth great care that no maÌ„ entring into their Countrey bring or leaue behinde them either golde siluer silke or precious stones which hapned so wel vnto them y t during the space of .400 yeres wherein there was most cruel warres not only amongst the Romains and Carthaginois but also the French Spaniards neuer any of the said nations were once moued to inuade their landes for that they could not finde either golde siluer or other thing of price or value to robbe pilfer or take away euen so there is yet one other thing more straunge that is that Phalaris Agringetin Dionyseus Siracusan Catilmus Romanê° Iugurth Numidien being .iiij. famous tiraÌ„ts neuer maintained their estates realms by any vertue whych they vsed but only by their great gifts presents which they bestowed on their adhereÌ„ts wherfore I wold wish y t al such as be fauored of Princes should note wel this saying y t it is impossible for one being in great fauor to continue long therin being ouerwhelmed accompanyed w t the wicked vice of couetousnesse Neither am I out of my matter hauing touched y e same in the Historyes before for y t in these our dayes y e world is so coâ—rupted therwith as there is no other talke in our coÌ„mon weales of any thing but only of the burning rage of couetousnesse whych raigneth in all y e estates of y e world namely amoÌ„gst y e Ecclesiastical persoÌ„s as our high father w t his Cardinals a thyng much to be lameÌ„ted coÌ„sidering that they ought to be rather distributers of the goods of the Lord thaÌ„ affectionated burning as we sée w t this gréedie desire of riches y t it seemes y t they would drain al the welth of y e world into theyr gulphs in y e end burie the same w t their bodies in the graue wherof I haue written more largely in my other works making mention of the cardinal Angelot But now I wil returne to my matter for sithens that y e pestileÌ„t venom of couetousnesse hath sprinkled hir poison through y e world y t the most part of the prouinces remain be so much infected therwith y t they by that meanes stick not to make marchaÌ„dise of meÌ„s bodies to obtaine mony wherof Celius Rhodiginus in his iij. boke of auÌ„cient lessons .lvj. chapter is a sufficient witnesse who declareth y t in his time diuers wicked persons sold the flesh of men so well seasoned y t is séemed to be the flesh of Porke in which wickednesse as they continued til God by his almighty power discouered the same by suffering them to finde the finger of a man mingled amongest their meats which was the cause that they were taken cruelly punished euen so this néedes not séeme straunge or a fable to those which haue red Galenes .xiij. boke of Elements who sheweth y e mannes flesh is so like vnto porke hauing the very tast and sauor of it that those which haue eaten therof iudged it to be the flesh of a Porke Wherefore in the Historie of Caelius Rhodiginus it is not strauÌ„ge but most apparant that couetousnesse hath so blinded maÌ„ and rageth euen to the very tippe of iniquitie that they cannot adde any thing more thereunto Albeit Conradus Licostenes recompteth yet one other wonderfull Historie of couetousnesse which is nothing inferior to this before who wryteth that in the Dukedome of Wittemberge there was a wicked hoste who presented at supper all his gests lodged in his house with the fleshe of a Porke bitten of a madde dogge which was so greatly infected with the venim of that beast that all those which eate therof became not only madde but also pressed in such sort with the furie and rage of their euill that they eat and tare in pieces one an other ¶ A Monster brought forth at Rauenna in the tyme of Pope Iule the secâ—nde and king Lewes the .xij. CHAP. xlj REader this monster which thou seest here depainted is so brutall and farre differing from humaine kinde that I feare I shal not be beleued in that I shal write ther of hereafter notwithstanding if thou wilt but conferre this with those hauing faces like Doggs and Apes wherof I haue written in the Histories before thou shalt then fynde the other farre more monstrous Iaques Ruell in his bokes of the conception and generation of meÌ„ from wheÌ„ce I haue this figure Conradus Licostenes in his treatie of wonders IohaÌ„nes Multiuallis Gasparus Hedio affirme write y t in the yere 1512. at what time pope Iule y e second stirde vp caused so many bloody tragedies in Italy that he had made warre with king Lewis euen at the iorney of Rauenna this monster was engendred borne at Rauenna aforesayd a citie most auncient in Italy hauyng one horne in his head two wings and one foote like to the foote of a ramping bird with an eye in the knee it was double in kind participating both of the man womaÌ„ hauing in y e stomack y t figure of a Greke Y y e form of a crosse no armes And like as this moÌ„ster was brought into y e world in y