is not offered afore by iiij of those Priests to the mouth of the Idoll wherewyth not satisfied with this ambicious abuse and vsurpation of reuerence in the Oratorie of the King is content in more derogation of the honor of God to suffer them to buylde him a stately Temple in the middest of an Ilande formed after the auncient maner with .ij. rowes of Pillers like to S. Iohns Church in Rome wherein is placed with greate ceremonie a huge Altare of stone vpon the which by an ordinarie custome is offered the .xx. of December beyng Christmasse day yearely by al the Gentlemen and priests within .xxv. dayes iorney about sacrifice and incense with great assistance of al degrées of common people who comming thyther to get pardon and remission of their sinnes are first annoynted in the heade with a certaine oyle and then by commaundement of the Priests they fal downe afore the sayd Image set in great pompe vpon the Aulter whome hauing worshipped in this extreme deuotion euery man returnes to hys place of aboade besides duryng the time of these ceremonies which lasteth .iij. dayes there is frée libertie proclaimed thorowe all the lande that all murderers and haynous offenders whatsoeuer shal come with assurance to this general remission the same making the assembly so gret that according to the witnesse of such as write of it there are founde yearely during that time aboue an hundreth thousand persons whom this enimie to mankinde hath so enchaunted with illusions that they beleue their sacrifice is done to God merites pardon at his hande where in déede they honor the chiefe enimie to their own saluation which ought to serue for exaÌ„ple to such as participate with the light of God his Gospel to the ende they labour to make appeare their talent and make a speciall treasure of the grace wherwith he hath endued them seing that the seruant which knoweth the wil of his Lord and doth it not standeth in more daunger of blame before God than he that is ignorant of it And now to preuent al doubtes and suspition in such as may thinke these wonderful discourses to be made in the aire or matters of vain deuise aboue the sunne I commende them to the authoritie of Paulus Venetus Ludouicus Patricius Romanus and of Vartomanus in their Chronicles of y e Indyans by whom is set out a more large description of those wonders not as vnderstanded by others or red in any author but as thinges séene and assisted by themselues and in their presence assuring for mine owne part all such as shall peruse my translation not to commend thorowout this whole boke any thing which is not confirmed with sufficient credit by some notable author eyther Gréeke or Latine Sacred or Prophane Some late writers affirme that this people of Calycut haue bene reduced of late yeares to our true Religion by the great and charitable trauaile of certaine Embassadours which the Kings of Portingall did sende to discouer those countreyes ¶ Wonders and aduertisements of God sent vpon the Citie of Ierusalem to prouoke them to repentaunce CHAP. ij LEt vs a litle consider Christians how much this Oracle and wonder diuine is differing from that going before the one habitable the other decayed the one loste dyspoyled and sacked the other kept repayred and dwelt in And although we haue proued howe great and wonderful is the bountie and clemencie of our God whom albeit we haue offended by an infinite multitude of abhominable sinnes yet notwithstanding he holdes vs his hand calles vs warneth and wils vs to retourne to hym shewing by sicknesse and particular afflictions sometimes by signes and wonders which for the moste parte be messangers trumpets and forerunners of his iustice as it is euidentely shewed vpon this miserable Citie of Ierusalem which remayned stil so drowned in hir sinne that for any straunge aduertisement sent to hir by God she would not at any time be withdrawen from those vices The signes and wonders by which the Lorde foretolde of the destruction of their City be those which followe written by Ioseph in the .vij. booke of the Warres of the Iewes and by Eusebe in his historie Ecclesiasticall The first message which was sente them from heauen was a Comet or blasing Starre in the fashion of a sword which continued the space of a yeare casting houering his beames ouer their Citie The seconde chaunced the .xviij. day of April euen when the people were assembled to solemnize the feaste of the Azimes at what time was séene so great a light about the Altare of the Temple at the ninth houre of the night that it séemed to them as if it had bene plaine day and continued so cleare the space of halfe an houre The same day of the sayde feast an Oxe which they had sent to be sacrificed calued in the middst of the Temple and besides that a dore of the temple of brasse which was so heuy that there must be .xx. men to make it fast at nighte being tied wyth barres and locks of yron opened the same time of it selfe about the sixt houre of the night Besides the sayd Ioseph affirmeth further which peraduenture might seme a fable or dreame if those that sawe them were not at this day liuing and that these calamities were not come vpon them as worthy of so vnhappie messages It came to passe that a certaine time before the Sunne sette they perceyued in the aire Chariots ruÌ„ning through all the regions of Heauen the armies which trauersed the cloudes enuironed certaine cities And the day of the feaste which they call Penticost the Priestes hauyng done the seruice diuine heard a certain brute and incontinent heard a voice which sayd Let vs go from hence But the last wonder is most fearefull of all that is A simple man of the countrey of base condition the sonne of a peasant called Nanus the citie being in peace and ful of al wealth being â—ome to this feast began at one instant to crie A voice from the coast of the Orient a voice from the coast of the Occident and a voice from the foure quarters of the wyndes a voice against Ierusalem and the Temple a voice against the newe maried men and newe maried women a voice against all that people and howling and crying in this sorte wente through al the streates of the Citie whereof certaine of the chiefe not brooking this sommons of their Citie made him to be beaten but he would not aunswere any worde to those that whipt him but continued the same cry with extreme obstinacie wherof the Magistrates astonished knowing well ynough that the same proceded of some diuine inspiration made him to be caried to him which had the gouernment of the Romaines the which made him to be so tormented that his fleshe was pluckte from the bones which notwithstanding he continued so firme and constaÌ„t that he would not let fall a simple teare nor require them to stay their punishment
son despoiled hir not only of all hir goodes but in processe of time as one synne draweth another he so continuyng his wicked enterprise would not be satisfied with hir goodes but sought to deuest hir of hir honor accusing hir a freshe that she had cōmitted adulterie with the bishop of Winchester whereof king Edward storming out of measure to heare hir accused of such execrable vices who had giuen him suck within hir intrailes resolued to put hir to death and in the meane tyme whilest all the court was molested with the inquisition of this offence he cōmitted hir and the bishop into seuerall prisons where she being grieued demaunded one day amongst others to talke with the kyng hir sonne in whose presence she cast hir selfe headlong into the burnyng flames crying with a loude voyce y t those hote burning flames myght consume hir body ▪ if she were culpable of the faults wherof she was wrongfully accused and hauyng ended this talke she issued oute of the fyre in good safetie without diminishing any part of hir body Wherat y e king was much astonished Crantius in his chronicles of Almayn and many others whiche haue written of their Histories report the like of lame Henry the .xv. Emperor of the Romains a mā very religious who maried with the daughter of Sigeroy Palatin of Rheyn called Gunegonde a woman chast and of good life if euer there were any with whō the emperour lyued in maruellous continencie and chastitie louing hir onely Albeit a certain Gentlewoman of hys house persuaded by some wicked spirite repinyng to see their cōtinēcies determyned to sow some ielousy betwixt them who findyng the Emperoure at conuenient leysure tolde hym that she dyd beholde the Empresse vsing the company of a knyght in vnhonest manner Whereof the Quéene being aduertised commaunded there shoulde be made ready secretely six greate Culters of yron and to bring them into the presence of the Emperour who ignorant of the occasion was sodainely amazed to sée hys wyfe marche so hardly barefooted and without any feare at all and stande vpon those burning yrons Whome she beholdyng attentiuely sayde vnto hym Behold Emperour as I am not hurt with this fire euen so am I clere from all immundicitie Whereof the Emperor was astonished and began to thinke of the vaine superstition the whiche he had beléeued prostrating hym selfe sodainly vpon the earth and required pardon at Gods handes for his rashe iudgement in the same Wherin as these innocent doings proued by those flames séeme straunge so doe the liues of these two persons wherof the Historians wryte seeme to me no lesse wonderfull for that they liued togethers like maydes withoute knowyng one the other duryng al theyr lyues in such sort that the Emperor feeling death to approch caused hir parents to be sent for sayd to them Like as y e first day ye gaue me your daughter in mariage she was a maid euē so I render hir vnto you again a maide with cōmaundement to vse hir in faithfull trusty maner The Emperor with his maidēlike wife were buried in the cathedral church of Bambergh which heretofore was subiect to the archbishop of Maiencey Preferring further as of good right into y e nūber of .ij. vertuous princesses y e history recited by Eusebius Cesariēsis in his ecclesiasticall history of Policarpus which during the great butchery and persecution of the christians which they made vnder y e emperor Verus wer brought to y e fire to be burned quick and after they had lifted their eyes to heauen and made their prayers to god they wer cast hedlong into a great hot burning fire albeit in the place where y e flame ought to haue cōsumed thē brought thē to cinders it began with great maruel to reuolt flying far off frō the bodies of y e martirs in maner like the sayle of a shippe whiche is tossed and caried by the windes in the middest of the sea which appeared as euidently as the golde or siluer which they melte in the fornace And when these wicked monsters sawe that their bodies consumed not they commaunded the tormentor or hangman to thrust them thorough wyth a sworde when beholde sayth he there issued out of their bodies suche quantitie of bloode in suche greate abundance that the fire was cleane extincte giuing to the lookers on suche a grieuous remorse of conscience that they fledde altogethers wherof you may reade more at large in the fourth booke of the Historie Ecclesiasticall of Eusebius and the .xlj. chapter ¶ A wonderfull historie of sundry straunge Fishes monsters Mermaydes and other huge creatures founde and bredde in the sea CHAP. xviij AMongest most of those things which merit Philosophicall contemplation touching the vniuersall subiect of creatures without reason I thinke such are moste wonderful whose nature is furthest from our vnderstanding and iudgemēt as especially huge fishes and other monsters of the water who being shrined in the bottome and bellye of the Sea and buried in the depth of diuerse lakes do excéede moste commonly the opinion and iudgemeat of suche as be most curious to searche and fifte their maners and conditions the same being so rare and strange and specially in the exercise of their naturall actions that I thinke they be of force to moue equall delite desire to many men to participate for a time with their societie in the Elament where they dwell to the ende they mighte come to a more frée and perfect knowledge of their vertues whiche was plentifully approued by the Emperour Antonine who hauing receiued a certaine worke of Opian treating of the order of fishing and disposition of fyshe gaue hym as manie Crownes as there were verses in his bookes Conradus Celtis and after hym Gesnerus shewing the desire and affection that the Aunciente Emperours had to bée priuie to the propertie age maners and condicion of fishes write that in the yeare .1497 was taken in a poole neare to Haelyprum the Imperiall Citie of Sweura a Brochet whiche had a hoope or ring of leather tyed to his eares wherein was written in Carracters of Greeke this whiche foloweth I am the firste fyshe that was put into this Riuer by the handes of Federike seconde Emperour of the Worlde the fifte of October a thousande twoo hundred and thirty which proued by the witnesse of those letters that the saide Brochet had lyued in that water 297. yeares Wherein also it séemes that this good Emperour Federik obserued in fishes that which Alexander vsed in Hartes or déere who according to Plinie woulde cause very often chaines of golde with inscriptions to be tied about theyr neckes then gaue them the libertie of the wilde forestes the same being founde a hundred or twoo hundred yeares after kéeping the same coller letters about their neckes The Romains for the estimation they had of fishes pleasure to behold them would sometime caste cōdemned men all quicke into their riuers Lakes to the
by order those which onely haue appeared sithens the natiuitie of Iesus Christe together searching the causes of their beginning birthes the life of a man woulde not perfourme the same albeit the most notable worthie to be celebrated of al others is the starre which cōducted the .iij. sage Kings of Perse to the place where Christe was borne the which feared not only the common people but the sighte thereof rauished and brought into admiration the most learned of the worlde for that it againste the Nature of all other starres which drawe them selues from the Orient to the Occident addressed hir course into Palestine which is situated towards y e North causing S. Iohn Chrisostome to thinke that that starre was none of them which we sée in heauen but rather a vertue inuisible figured vnder the forme of a starre Notwithstāding let vs leaue of to discourse of this starre and come to other strange things whiche haue appeared frō heauen whereof Gaguin in his sixte booke of y e gestes of the Kings of Fraunce maketh mention of a very maruellous blasing starre which appeared in the Septentrion in the time of Charles the .vj. In the yeare .597 which was in the yere of the natiuitie of the false impostour Mahomet at Constantinople was séene a hearie Comet so hideous and fearefull that they thought the ende of the worlde approched An other like president was séene a little space before the death of the Emperour Constantin whereof Orseus in his .vij. booke and .ix. Chapter and Eutropeus in his second booke maketh mention that in the yeare that Mitrydates was borne and in the yeare wherein he receiued the Scepter Royall there appeared a Comet from heauen as Iustin and Vincentius write which for the space of xxiiij dayes occupied so well the fourth part of heauen casting such a cleare lighte that the brighnesse of the Sunne was thereby darkened And also in the yeare that Tamburlan the Tirant killed so many men and women in one ouerthrowe of the Turkes that of their heades onely he made a greate wall as Matheolus writeth there appeared a maruellous blasing starre in the Occident whereof Pontanus and Ioachinus Camerarius in his booke de ostentis learnedly writeth Herodian a Greeke authour in the life of the Emperours maketh mention that in the raigne of Commodeus the Emperour they sawe by the space of a whole daye a number of starres shyning as though it had bene night likewise in the yeare that Lewes the stutting Frenche King died they behelde frō heauen shining a great number of starres at nyne of the clocke in the morning wherein as Hieronimus Cardanus in his .xiiij. booke De veritate rerum assureth to haue seen in the yere 1532. the .xj. day of Aprill being at Venise thre sunnes together cleare bright shining Euen so in the yeare that Francis Sforce died after whose deceasse grew greate warres in Italie there was in like maner seen at Rome thrée sunnes which dydde so frighte the people that they fell immediately to prayer thinking the malice and ire of God were kyndled against them for their sinnes Also the Pope Pius second of that name who was called before he receiued that dignitie Aeneas Siluius who died in the yere 460. writeth in his description of Europe the .liiij. chap. that in the sixt yere after the Iubile there was séene amongest them of Sienne and Florence twentie cloudes in the ayre who being stirred of the wyndes fought one against another euery one in his ranke reculing and approching according to the order and maner of battaill and during the conflicte of these cloudes the winde was not vnoccupied in dispoiling battering brusing and breaking trées houses and rockes besides lifting of men and beastes into the ayre The antiquitie of time cannot reporte or make mention of a more wonder in the aire than of a horrible Comet of the colour of bloude which appeared in the West the eleuenth day of October in the yeare 1527. being so wonderfull and fearefull that it engendred so greate terrour to the common sorte that diuers not onely died with the sighte but others fell into strange and miserable maladies This strange Comet was séene of manie thousand continuing the space of an houre and a quarter and in the ende began to bring hir selfe to the side of the sunne after drawing towards the Midy the Occident and the Septentrion appearing to be of an excessiue length and of the colour of bloud there was séene in y e height of the Comet the Character and figure of the stumpe of an arme holding a greate sworde in his hande as he woulde haue striken about the pointe of the said sword were thrée starres but that which was right vpon the pointe was more cleare and brighte than the others on the other twoo sides of the beames of this Comet they sawe a greate number of hatchettes kniues swordes of the colour of bloud about the whiche were a great number of humaine faces very hideous with their beardes and haire stirring as may bee seene before figured Shortely after y e viewe of this hideous wonderful Planet all the parties of Europe were welnigh bathed in humaine bloude ▪ so muche preuailed the inuasion of the Turckes besides other hurtes which Italie receiued by the Lord of Bourbon when he committed Rome to sacke dying at the same instant like as Petrus Creuserus Iohn Litchber excellent Astrologians interpret by writing the signification of this wonderfull Planet Euen so for that we haue promised in the induction of our worke to shewe the causes beginnings of these wonders it is therfore now requisite to serch more narrowly the matter and to decide the question so often debated amongest the Auncients and learned Philosophers These fantasticall figures as dragons flames Comets other like of diuers formes which are séene so often in the Element according to the opiniōs of many wise men do giue to vnderstande foretel or shew many things that shal and do happen as Albumazar Dorotheus Paulus Alexādrinus Ephestion Maternus ▪ Aomar Thebith Alkindus Paulus Manlius Alberanger and generally the most part of the anciēt Greekes Hebrues Caldees Arabec and Egiptians who haue written and attributed so muche to the starres and their influence that they haue assured the moste parte of the humaine actions to depende of the celestiall constellations Whereof Cicero in his first booke De fato◠seemes to fauour them muche when he affirmeth darckely ▪ that those whiche are borne vnder the Planet De Canis shall not be drowned In like maner Faber Stapulensis in his Paraphrase of Metheores maketh mention that the Commettes whiche appeared from heauen signified scarsitie of goodes aboundance of greate windes warres effusion of bloud and the death of Princes Hieronimus Cardanus a late Philosopher writeth in his fourth booke De subtilitate and .xiiij. booke De veritate rerum that the hearie and bearded Comets and other like monstrous figures whiche appeare from
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
e time y t all Italy was enflamed molested with warrs not without bringing great terror to the people in such sort y t al the prouinces of Italy Greece came to sée behold this miserable creature euen so they entred into diuerse iudgements therof wherupon amongst the rest ther was found sundry learned and holy men which began not only to decipher the misery of this infant but also y e monstrous shape therof in this sort saying y t by the horne was signified pride ambition by the wings lightnesse inconstancie by default of the armes want of good workes by the ramping foot rauishment vsury and couetousnesse by the eye in y e knée too much loue or affection to worldly things by bothe the kindes the sinnes of the Sodomites All whiche vices and sinnes raigned at that time in Italy which was the cause they wer so afflicted with warres but by this figure Y the crosse they were two signes of saluation for Ypsilon signifieth vertue the Crosse sheweth that al those which wil returne to Iesus Christ and take vp his crosse shal not only finde a true remedy against sinne but a perfect way to helth and saluation and a special meane to mitigate therby the ire of the Lorde who is enflamed and redie to scourge and punish them for their wickednesse and abhominable sinnes THere is founde by sufficient authoritie in writing that in the yere .1496 was taken vp out of the riuer of Tyber a monster hauing the tronke of the body of a maÌ„ the head of an Asse one hand and arme like to a man and the other of the fashion of an Elephantes foote he had also according to the portraict you sée one of his féete like the foote of an Eagle and the other like the hoofe of an Oxe his belly like a woman with two duggs and the rest of his body with skales he had also growing out behynde him a head olde and hairie out of the which came an other head of the forme of a Dragon WE reade also that in the yeare .1548 was borne a childe in Almayne which had his head deuided from his body he had one legge onely with a creuise or chink where his mouth should be and had no armes at all The same happening as we may easily presume by a want or default in the séede as well in the qualitie as in the quantitie of the same IN the yeare .1552 was borne in England a childe whiche had two bodies two heades and foure hands and yet had but one belly and one nauell On one syde of the bodye came two perfect leggs and on the other but one the same hauing one foote made like two tyed the one gainst the other with ten toes THere was borne in the yeare 1554. a monster of this proportion hauing a greate masse or lump of flesh in place of a head and where one of his eares should be came out an arme and a hand he had vpon his face writhen haires like to the Moostachoes of a cat the other arme appeared oute of one side he had no forme of body nor breast sauing a line al along the ridge of his backe there coulde not be discerned any figure or likenesse of either sex nor ioints in his arms or leggs the endes of his handes and féete were soft and somewhat hanging as appereth by his portraict AMongst the rest we must not forget two monsters which came forth in the yere .1555 the one in Germany and the other in Sauoy the first was a horse who according to hys portraict had all his skinne checquered and deuided into great panes after the order of the Dutchemens hose his necke and bodye couered wyth a collar of the same Thys is affirmed by Iohn Foucet in hys booke which he hath made of the maruels of our time THe other Monster of the sayde yeare .1555 had two faces in sorte as the Poetes fayned the God â—anus hadde He hadde lyke two greate pocketts hangyng vpon hys backe wherein were hys bowelles Hee was Vtriusque generis and that of the one side a male and the other a female Also he was so huge aboue order that it was impossible to drawe him whole from the bellie of his mother It is moste likely that this imperfection happened by too great a quantitie of matter sufficieÌ„t to forme two children which might also haue happened of a right shape if by some inconuenience the substance had not ben mingled so that that which shoulde haue serued for two made but one creature THe monster that was brought forth in Germanie .1556 〈◊〉 so wonderful as this touching the shape of his bodie which maketh it not easie to iudge whether there were default of nature in his generation It was as you may sée by the portraicte a Calfe of perfect forme in euery respect sauing that he had no legges before and yet suche was his wonderful lightnesse that hauing but two legges behinde he excéeded all other beastes of that kind in swiftnesse The same arguing that nature had considered and supplied his other wantes wyth a maruellous agilitie of his two legges I remember I haue sene heretofore a moÌ„ster of the same shape albeit formed by some artificiall sleight it was a yonge Goate whose forelegges being broken was brought by custome and necessitie to marche vpon his hinder legges wherby the simple sort was more than halfe persuaded that it was a Satyre THere was borne in the same yeare .1556 at Basle a childe sufficiently formed of his bodye sauing the head which was so monstrous that it séemed rather the head of a dogge or a Catte than a creature humaine Besides the which that yeare was so fertile of prodigious accidentes that according to the witnette of suche as recorded them there happened aboue fiftie monsters as fires in the aire horrible tempests burning of townes by fire from Heauen armed men appearing in the aire fearefull Cometes inundations of waters threatening voices from heauen skirmishes in the ayre as wel with men as beastes with a monstrous shew of many Sunnes at one time THis as you sée resembling most a Calfe hath the head of a man bearing a beard with a brest like to a man and two dugges well formed THe yeare wherin mine author writ this booke séemed no lesse plentifull of monsters corporal than wonders spirituall for it is affirmed that the .xxvj. of Ianuarie there appeared about .ix. of the clocke thrée Sunnes vpon the towne of Caffa a Citie situated betwéene the Pont Euxin and the Sea Zabachâ— otherwise called Pailus Mertis in the place which the auncients cal Taurica Chersonessus these iij. sunnes remained by the space of .iij. houres had aboue them a white bow an other vnderneath the coloured red gréene yelow and Azure and about noone the two vttermost of either side vanished and went out of sight the one towards the East the other towards the West IN the same yeare .1567 and
hym selfe lyghter to flée away the same being also done by hys Cardinalles and euery other assistant Zoroastes kyng of the Bractiens was kylled by the furie of a Tempest Capanus by lyke meanes dyed at the warre of Thebes the emperor Anastasius after he had reigned .27 yeares did ende his days by semblable stroke like as also Carius and diuers other Emperours were subiect and consumed by the lyke force Marcus Claudius Pretor was burned within his ship by the thunder that fell vpon it Iulius Obsequens reciteth a wonderful example as here vnder appeareth in the stocke of Pompeius Liuius a Romain knight who returning with his daughter from certaine playes which had ben performed at Rome sawe his doughter being on horsbacke sodainly smothered striken to death with thunder lightning making hir be tourned naked to the viewe of all men sawe hir tong come forth at hir secret partes as if the fire had entred in at hir mouth and forced a vent for it self belowe which shall suffice for this time both for examples and causes of these terrible motions of the Elamēt and let vs now make the ignoraunt sorte priuie to some principall meanes to deliuer and defende them selues from such furies The Auncients amongst their secret experiences haue made prouf of diuerse things resisting both thunder and lightnings as amongest the foule and flying Creatures certaine fethers of an Eagle but chiefly such as she beares in hir panche are readie defenses against the blast or bolte of thunder Plinie and other writers more familiar describing the dispositiō of diuerse great fishes affirme diuerse to haue bene saued from the violence of lightning and thunder by wearing a girdle made of the skin of a Seacalf The Laurell or bay leafe amongst trées hath his priuiledge of speciall defence against suche assaultes for which respect the auncients haue vsed to plante it as an assured porter of sauetie at the entrie or dore of their houses Augustus Caesar was alwayes crowned with it vsinge also to carry certain braunches in his hande for continuall feare he had of that furie Albeit certaine Latins write that since his time one wearing Laurell was striken with thunder at Rome whiche they put amongest their wonders or matters of admiration Tarcon Etruscus witnesseth that by a certaine secret propertie the white vyne defendes from the thunder affirming that for the same cause in diuerse countries subiect to such terrible effects men vse to enuirō their houses with the braunches and bowes of the same yet are not all these in déede of such vertue against suche furie of the heauens as the true Hiacinthe which according to the opinion of Serapio other olde phisitions is of force not onely to defende men from perill that waye but also giues assurance by diuerse proues that the Wax stamped or graued with the same withstandes the thunder which they agrée to haue bene proued in the countries where many perished by suche accident seing that no man hath euer bene touched which hath caried the true stone called Hiacynthe And nowe to put to the laste seale to our beadroll of these iniuries and angrie influences of the heauens I haue to preferre certaine monstrouse stones falling from the Element of the colour of yron singed and burned not much vnlike that which the Auncientes affirme to fall in Thracia being by estimation of the thicknesse of a chariot whereof the great Philosopher Anaxagoras prognosticated many yeares before Besides within our age and memorie and also in a countrey sufficiently knowen to sundrie trauailers I meane in Sugolye confynyng vppon the borders of Hungarie the seauenth day of September in the yeare a Thousand fiue hundred and fourtene in a horrible clappe of Thunder and lightenyng there fell downe from Heauen a huge Stone of the weyght of two hundreth and fiftie poundes the whych the Citizens haue made faste wyth a greate chayne of yron wythin their Temple vsing to shewe it as a thing of greate wonder to straungers visityng theyr prouince in sorte of perigrination And to make an end Cardanus in his fourth booke De varietate rerum saith that he hath séene in a fielde in Italie a number of harde stones of the colour of yron castyng a smell of Sulphure fallen oute of the Ayre whereof some of them weighed a Hundred and twentye pounde the péece others thrée score the which being shewed to the Frenche Kyng as a thyng of greate wonder in hys Royall voyage to Naples putte hym into a great maruell how the Heauens coulde sustaine so greate a waighte the space of twoo houres séeing that the noise ceassed not nor the flames to flashe oute of the Skye from thrée of the clocke vntyll fyue when the fall of the stones appeased the brute and horrible Rumbling whiche was in the Ayre ¶ A wonderfull Historie of a man in our time which washed his face and handes in skalding Leade CHAP. ix HIeronymus Cardanus writeth a wōderful Historie in his sixt booke De subtilitate as I might saie repugnant to nature sauing that the same was done in the presence and sight of the whole companie of a Citie whiche makes it of more faith and credit When saith he I wrote my workes of subtil inuentions I sawe a certaine man at Millan which washte his face handes with skalding leade hauing washte them before with som other water wherfore Cardanus as he was accustomed w t great diligēce enforcing himselfe to searche trie out that secret in nature was of opiniō y ◠of necessitie it must be y t y e water wherewith he first washed was extreme colde withall had a certaine obscure hidden vertue the which did with stande the heate of the leade not suffering y e same to cleaue or sticke to his bodie some saith he affirme that the water wherein he washed was made of the sappe of Pourpie and Mercuriall for bicause of the sliminesse and lightnesse thereof which to me séemes not to be true for that he vsed the same water very often to wash his whole bodie putting but a litle on the place where he poured the hoate leade taking a crowne for the sighte thereof of all such as came to sée his doing therin And surely if y e water had bene made of these twoo herbes which be of small estimation in respect of such goodnesse and vertue he woulde haue cast a farre more quantitie on his bodie than he did But to cōclude it is thought that the water which he vsed was metical as that of Stybium Cōferring y e particularities therof with y e saying of Cardā other authours which I haue read I finde that in times passed these doings were not had in so great admiratiō as they be at this day seeing we see by common experience that there be diuers things which of nature haue not only power to resiste the force of fier but also will not be consumed thereof as the poulse of Pirrhus which when his bodie
seuere punishement as well to al the Iewes as Lepres thorough out all the prouince of Europe being founde culpable therof that their posterities smell therof til this day for they hauing proued so many kindes of torments and martirdoms that vpon theyr imprisonments they had greater desire to kil and broile one an other than become subiecte to the mercie of the Christians And as Conradus of Memdember of equall fame in the studie of Philosophie and artes Mathematicall writeth that ther died in Almayn for this cause aboue xij thousand Iewes Wherfore as it was strange to behold their afflictions Euen so it was as extreme to sée the poore Christians haue in horrour abhomination the water of theyr welles and fountains that they rather choosed to die of the drought than to receiue any drop therof into their bodies but hauing recourse to rain water or to riuers whereof they had greater want than any store or plentie at all finding not at al times to serue theyr turnes they preuented sundry times the perill of the poison And as these false deceiuers were of all nations much detested so they often times proued diuers kindes of calamities as the Historians testifie the same CoÌ„radus Licostenes amongst others reciteth a strange deuice hapening in the yere .434 about which time he fouÌ„d by fortune in the Isle of Creâ—e a seducer and false prophet or rather a wicked spirite â–ª as they might coÌ„iecture by the issue of his enterprises This prophet preched opeÌ„ly through al the Isle that he was the same Moyses which brought the Israelites from the seruitude of Pharao and that he was sent againe from God to deliuer the Iewes froÌ„ the bondage seruitude of the Christians wherin hauyng thus planted the rootes of his pestilent doctrine he therby woon the people by false miracles and other diabolicall illusions that they began to forsake their houses lands possessions and al the goodes they had to folow him in such sort that they founde no other matter in that couÌ„trey but a great troupe of Iewes accompanied with their wiues and children which folowed this holy man as their chief And after he had wel led theÌ„ in this miserable error he made them mount in the end to the height of a rock ioyning to the sea and there tolde them that he would make theÌ„ passe through the sea on foote as he had tofore brought the people of God thorough the floude of Iordain whiche he coloured so finely by his deceyuable arte that he persuaded them very easily and in such sort that the pore people gathered together on a heape dyd caste them selues headlongs into the sea Whereby the greatest parte of them were drowned and the reste saued by certain christen Fishermen whiche were then in the sea Whereof the Iewes perceiuing the greate deceite whereby he hadde abused them coulde not by any humaine Arte heare any newes nor discouer where was becom their prophet which gaue occasion to many of them not onely to thinke but also write that he was a Diuell vnder the shape and figure of a man which had so deceiued them Sebastian MuÌ„ster writeth in his boke of vniuersall Cosmographie an other historie of them set out in a more gay and braue fashion saying That in the yeare of health .1270 when the Countie of Steruembergh was bishop of Mandeburgh one of the chief Priests of the Synagoges of the Iewes fell by chaunce vpon their Saboth day into a déepe Iakes oute of which he coulde not get and therby constrained to call for the aide of his companions who being arriued sayd vnto him with grieuous complaints that it was theyr Saboth day and that it was not lawfull for them as that daye to yelde hym the benefite of their handes but willyng hym to vse pacience til the next day following which was sunday The bishop of Mandeburgh aduertised of this being a very wyse man gaue commaundement to the Iewes by the sounde of a Trumpet that vpon paine of death they shold froÌ„ henceforth kéepe holy and solemnise as their Saboth daye the Sunday By meanes whereof thys poore martir remained parfumed tyll the Monday ¶ Floudes and wonderfull Inundations of Waters CHAP. xj THe antiquities of forain times haue sufficiently proued the horrible rage of waters that if I shoulde goe about to declare them in order I shoulde rather want Eloquence to describe them than matter wherupon to entreate The first and most worthie of memorie is sufficiently shewed by Moyses in the .vij. chapiter of the boke of Genesis at what time God opened the veines of heauen and sent downe such abundance of water vpon all the earth for the purifying and clensyng of the synnes of men that the same ouerflowed the highest mountaines aboue .xv. cubites And in the reigne of kyng Henry the fourth the waters raged with suche impetuositie within the prouinces of Italie that there was not onely thereby drowned many thousand men but that whiche was more strange as the Historians make meÌ„tion the tame houshold beasts as hennes géese Pehens such like were by the terror therof so frighted that they became sauage waÌ„dring in the deserts and forrests and neuer after to be reclaimed Wherof S. Augustine in the third boke called the Citie of God maketh mention that in the yeare of health 1446. and on the .xvij. day of April in the tyme of Federike the .iij. Emperor at what tyme printing was first founde out there was in Hollande so great an inundation of water and the sea ouerflowed the bankes with suche furie that it brake the causeys running behinde Dordrech couering al the land as wel cities as villages in such sort that ther were drouned not only xvj parishes but also .100000 men with their wiues children and beasts And in y e yeare 1530. in Hollande Flaunders and Brabant the sea so swelled that it brake not only bulwarks and rampiers but also violently caried away both cities and villages togither with the creatures in them bisides made all the hauen townes no lesse nauigable than the open and main sea which not only chaunced in Flaunders but also the same yeare the riuer of Tyber so flowed in Rome that it mouÌ„ted aboue the highest towres and estages of the citie and withal not only breaking down the bridges but endamaging theyr goodes as gold siluer corne wine cloth of silke flowre oyles woull and other riches to the value of thrée millions of golde bisides the losse of thrée thousande persons as well men as women and litle childreÌ„ which were therby smoothered and drouned Wherein as all these matters were maruellous so the auncientes and writers at this day haue not made proofe of one more strange sithens the vniuersall floud of Noe than this which chaunced in Phrygia in the yeare of grace .1230 For euen as when they thought them selues most happie and were banketting drinkyng and giuing them selues ouer to all kindes of pleasure beholde all the lande nigh to the sea of
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 whiche meanes we iudge to sée diuers sunnes We maye also sée the lyke in a table wel painted and polished which when we behold there appeareth to vs the shape of two or .iij. being but one in dede and as much we may say of y e Moone Thus haue we declared the very true causes wherfore appere so often .ij. or .iij Sunnes Moones let vs therfore now from henceforth search in nature the cause and beings of these things and stay no more at these fripperies deceiptes and dreames of the Astrologians iudicials who therby haue so oftentimes deceiued begiled vs that they oughte and deserue to be banished exiled from all cōmon wealths well gouerned for what trouble perplexitie and terrour haue they engendred in the consciences of a numbre of poore people As for example in the yere 1514. when they feared not with obstination to publishe openly in all places that there shoulde be in the moneth of February well nigh an vniuersall floud for that the coniunction of all the planets were in the signe of Pisces and notwithstandyng the day which should haue brought forth these waters was one of the moste faire and temperate days of the yere albeit many great personages fearefull of their prophecies made prouision of bisket flower ships and other like things propre to sayle withall fearyng to be surprised and drowned wyth the greate abundance of water whiche they before had tolde of Lette vs further from henceforth learne with Henry the .vij. king of Englande who reigned in oure tyme makyng no accompt of theyr deceytes but chastised their dreame who vpon the sodaine beyng made to vnderstande that one of the moste famous Astrologians of Englande had published in all places that he had found amongst the most hidden secretes of Astrologie that the King shoulde die before the next feast of Christmas commaunded that he should be brought before hym who after he had asked hym whether this talke were true and that the prognosticator had answered him that it was certaine and that he had founde this infallible in his constellation and natiuitie I pray thée then sayde the King tell me where the starres tell thée thou shalte kéepe thy Christmas this yeare To whom he answered he shoulde be in hys owne house with hys familie but I knowe very wel sayd the King that thy starres be lyers for thou shalt neither sée Moone Sunne Starres heauen nor thy familie this Christmasse putting hym presentely in the moste straight darke prison in the great tower of London where he continued till the feast was past Here you may sée how this true Astrologian was vsed remayning prisoner in extreme misery vntil after the feast kept of the natiuitie of Iesus Christe ¶ A wonderfull Historie of Flames of fyre which haue sprong out of the heades of diuers men CHAP. xxj IF there were but one onely Authour which had made mention of the Historie followyng although the truthe therof be sufficiently proued for whiche cause I haue the rather at this time placed it in these my wōders as a chiefe argument or coniecture in nature whereupon may be founded the cause notwithstanding seing so many learned men haue busied themselues to write therof together with so greate a number of faithfull authors witnessing the same in their works we ought the rather vpon their credite to beleue that whiche they haue sayd therin Titus Liuius in his thirde booke and thirde Decade Cicero in his seconde boke De diuinatione Valerius the great in his first boke and .vj. chapiter Frontinus in his secōd boke and .x. chapiter write that after the Scipions were surprised by their enimies and ouerthrowē and killed by the Spanyards and that Lucius Martius a Romaine knight making an oration to his souldiers exhorting to reuēgement they became astonished to see a great flame of fire issuing from his heade without doing to him any hurt which caused the armed men being moued with the sight of thys wonderfull flame to take heart and run so furiously vpon their enimies that they not onely killed xxvij thousande but also had a praie of a great number of captiues besides an inestimable riches they toke from the Carthaginiens Neither haue such fantasticall fyres sprong from the bodies of certaine men or appeared in one only but in many Wherof the same author Titus Liuius writeth in his first boke of things worthy of memory sithens the foundation of Rome the like to happen to Seruius Tullius who succéeded in the imperial seate Tarquinius Priscus from whose heade being yet but yong and as he slepte they sawe issue a flame of fyre whervpon the Quéene Tanaquil wife to the foresayd Priscus affirmed to hir husbād that this flame promised to hym greate good honour and prosperitie whiche afterwards chaunced for he maried not onely hir daughter but after the death of hir husband hée was Kyng of the Romaines And Plutarche and others haue written the lyke of Alexander when he foughte against the Barbariens being in the moste heate of the skirmish they sawe him all on fyre whiche caused a maruellous feare and terrour to his ennimies Euen so I knowe a certaine Physition at this day who writeth of the lyke in diuers of his histories chauncing in our time to a nere friende of his in Italy not onely at one time but at many Whereof as Plinius not onely in an other place maketh mention of the ryuer Trasimenus whyche was seene all on fyre but also maketh a certain discourse of these wonderfull flames whyche be seene aboute the bodies of men Also Aristotle in hys fyrst boke of Metheores treateth in lyke maner But to tell you myne opinion therein I can not any wayes gather the cause or foundation eyther of the one or other althoughe I haue promised to shewe the causes and reasons whervpon these wonders procede and take their beginnyng For if we wyll saye they be made by Arte As we haue séene very often in oure tyme certaine Ruffians vomite and caste forth of theyr mouthes certayne flames of burnyng Fyre whiche Atheneus in the fyrst boke of the Dipnosophistes and fouretenth Chapiter doth witnesse whiche coulde not happen as I thinke to the Histories before mentioned for that it hath chanced to greate lordes vpon whome these wonders haue bene moste proued by which meanes they being attended vpon wyth a greate numbre and multitude of persones the fraude thereof was easlyer discouered Wherefore it is moste expediente then to beléeue that they be wonders and deceytes of Sathan who was so familiar in the worlde passed that he inuented dayly newe wonders as is wytnessed in Exodus of the Magitiens of Pharao whiche conuerted Maydes into Serpentes and floudes of water into bloud whyche be matters as difficulte as to make flames of fyre issue or come from the bodies of men ¶ A Historie very notable of Prodigeous Loues CHAP. xxij I Am ashamed and almoste confused in my self that I must declare the wonderfull loue
the shape or figure of a deade man all to be bathed in the bloudy flouds of horrible murder preferring this lamentable request seing thou hast vsed so smal care to succour my lyfe at the least discharge the office of a friende in reuengyng of my death for this body whiche thou seest so murdered and dismembred afore thée is at the gate of the Citie in a charyot couered wyth dong by the crueltie of myne hoste Thys seconde summonce or rather importunitie was of suche force in the troubled mynde of the other Arcadian that he arose in greate sorrowe and wyth no lesse compassion requested dyuerse friends to accompanie him to the gate of the Citie where as they founde the deade body of his friend hydden in the dong in suche sorte as he appeared to him in his dreame Wherevpon the Hoast being taken and examined auouched the murder and receyued hys hyre by the losse of his head The like is affirmed by Alexander ab Alexandro in the ninth chapter of his second boke De ses iours geniaux which he vnderstode of a familiar and deare friend of his a man whose learnyng and vertue acquite hym from iust imputation of vntruthe in any sorte whatsoeuer Thys man being at Rome was required by one of hys verye friendes to accompanie hym to the bathes of Cumes the intente of whyche iourney as it was to séeke remedy for a disease whyche hadde troubled hym many yeares afore So the other agréed to hys request in sort to his owne expectation Neyther hadde they trauailed many yeares together but thys disease grewe to suche extreme debilitie thorough all hys body that what wyth the anguishe of it and weakenesse in hym to endure the paine he died and gaue vp the goast in an Inne To whome after the other had performed such funeralls as agréed with the time and place seing no cause of nede to passe further to the bathes retourned to Rome and being ouertaken with extreme wearinesse of the firste dayes trauaile tooke vp hys lodging in an Inne by the waye where he was no sooner in bedde and afore he hadde desire to sleepe than the image of his friende whome he hadde put into the earth the day afore presented hym selfe afore hys eyes beholdyng him wyth moste earneste and pitifull regarde and that in the same leane and defourmed estate he was in duryng the extremitie of hys sicknesse The same strikyng such mortall dreade into the other that he was readie to dye for feare and yet was not voide of courage and remembrance to aske hym what he was who without making him any aunswere put off hys ghoastly apparaile and roabes of a ghoast and wente to bedde to hym offeryng to embrace hym with greate familiaritie which forced the poore man halfe deade wyth feare to leape sodainely oute of the bed and saue hym selfe by flyght without that the vision appeared to hym afterwarde Whyche notwithstandyng coulde not so well assure hym but the remembraunce of that feare made hym fall into a mortall disease whiche albeit brought hym to the extreme hazarde of death yet the worst being preuented by special remedies and he returned 〈◊〉 health amoÌ„gst the wonderful reports of this vision he â—â—yd he neuer felt yce more colde than the feete of that dead body touching him in his bed The same author in the .xj. chapter of his first boke confirmeth this discourse with a like example which he hath neither red nor learned by report but séene the experience hym self in one of hys trusty seruantes a man bothe vertuous and of vpright lyuing who layed in his bed fast a slepe began vpoÌ„ a sodain to sigh lament complain in such sort that he awaked all those in the house His master in the morning asked him y e cause of his trouble to whom he answered that these complaintes were not vaine seing that he séemed to sée afore his eyes to be buried the dead body of his mother Whervpon as his maister obserued y e very daye and houre to the ende he myght know whether it didde prognosticate any harme to his man so within certaine dayes after there came a seruant of his mother the messanger of hir death who discoursing hir disease with the order of hir dying conferryng the times together it appered that the houre of hir death agréed wyth the very instaunt of the vysion whych sayth Alexander néede not séeme eyther vaine or doubtfull to suche as knowe certaine houses in Rome at this day of great hate and horrour by reason they are hauÌ„ted wyth spirites Whereof Plurarch maketh mention of Damon in the beginning of the life of Cymon The same also being confirmed with like example written of Pausanias Cleonices and Bizantia the maide bisides the authority of Plinie in his .vij. boke of his Epistles touchyng a vision appearing in a house in Athens and that which Suetonius writeth when Caligula was killed whose house was troubled with prodigeous monsters and visions many yeares after vntil it was burned And lastly suche like is approued by Marcus Paulus Venitian who writeth that at thys day the Tartarians be very strong by enchantments of spirits being able to chaunge the day into darkenesse bring either light or darkenesse when and into what â—â—ace they list wherwith whosoeuer hath ben at any time circumueÌ„ted escapeth hardly without mortal danger Wherof Hayronus is a sufficient witnesse in his historie of the Sarmares wherein he sheweth how the Tartarians being almoste ouerthrowne were restored and became victorious by the enchauntment of the Ensigne bearer who made suche a darknesse ouerwhelm the army of the aduerse part that it dimmed their sights and mortified their corages But here me thinketh we stande too long vpon prophane examples séeing we haue sufficient confirmation by Ecclesiasticall authoritie as Sainct Augustine in hys twelfth Boke and seuententh Chapiter vppon Genesis in the Historie of a frantike man prophecying vpon the death of a Woman who as he was banquetting in his owne house amongâ—â—â— certaine his familiar friends falling into question of a woman knowen to them all willed them to ende their talke of that woman bycause she was alreadie dead which as it moued them the rather bicause some of them sawe hir not long afore so being asked how he coulde assure it sayd he sawe hir passe before him caried by such as put hir in the grounde which happened accordingly within .ij. dayes after for that the dead corps of the same woman passed afore his gate to be buried without that she felte any motioÌ„ of sicknesse at the houre of the prediction In like sorte the said S. Augustin in the same place treateth so strangely of prodigeous visions that were not the holinesse and authoritie of him y t wrote them they deserued smal credit There was saith he in our Citie a yong man so vexed with a paine in his coddes that by the furie of his griefe he séemed to endure a maruelous torment hauing
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
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
was broiled it could not be consumed by the fire mennes teeth and the diamont cannot be executed by fire And there springs a certain gumme of the Pine male the which as Theophrastus writeth being rubbed vpon the tables of woodde defendes them from the force of the fire whereof there was sufficient proofe made by Silla with his armie brought against Archelaus who hauing enuironed on all sides a tower of woodde of the sayd Archelaus with the burning flames of fire was not thereby hable to endomage the same which Silla much maruelled at Isidorus and manie others writeth that there was brought into the presence of Pope Alexander a white linnen shirte the which for pleasure admiration he caused to be caste into the fire at such time as the strange Embassadours came to sée hym sometimes leauing the sayd shirte in the fire the space of a daye without any hurte to it but that the same taken from the fire was become thereby more fairer whereof some affirme that the cloth of this shirte was made of the worme which men name Salemander who as Aristotle teacheth liueth in the fire but whether it be true or no I leaue that to the iudgement of those which haue waded further in searching the hidde misteries secretes of nature than I. Albeit I knowe that S. Augustin hath made mentiō in his .xxj. booke named the Citie of God in the .v. chapter of a Lampe which was in the Temple of Venus the which although it were exposed and brought into the winde raine or other weather comming from heauen yet it burned with so muche the more efficacie without consuming hauing neither ayde of oyle or matche But after the saide S. Augustin had by diligent searche sought the maruellous cause of that fire which did not consume he resolued in the ende in this sorte either it must be sayeth he that there is in the saide Lampe some peice of the stone called Abseste growing in Arcadie the which being lighted cannot be quenched or it muste be sayth he that the same Lampe was forged by magicall arte or els that this wonder was deuised by some diuel vnder the name of Venus to the ende not onely thereby to make him selfe worshipped but still to keepe and entertaine the people in the same error wherof as Ludouicus Viues vpon the expositiō of the same chapter which hath heretofore added learned commentes to S. Augustins bookes De ciuitate Dei affirmeth in the same to haue séene in the time of his studie at Paris matches which the fire could not cōsume And for a more proufe thereof it hath bene told recounted in the time of our fathers y t there was opened a sepulcher enclosed in the earth wherin was found a burning Lāpe which had remained lighte without going out y ◠space of foure or v. hundreth yeares as it appeared by inscription or authoritie of time ingraued vpon the stone the same dissoluing into pouder assone as it was toutched which I could confirme by diuers like examples and authorities of proufe aswell auncient as familiar who haue lefte sundrie experiences of diuers things of vertue and force able to resiste the fire like as who dippes or rubbes his hands in the iuyce of Mauue or Mercurial shal neuer be endomaged with the furie of any flame or fire ¶ Wonderfull Histories of the Iewes CHAP. x. THis wicked secte of the Iewes hath from time to time so much disquieted and molested our Christian publike weale that the Historians of our time haue attainted thē in their writing of sondrie misdemeanours and abuses in lyuing that whosoeuer shall reade their cruell blasphemies abhominable execrations which they continually publishe and set forth againste Iesus Christ the Sauiour of all the worlde in a certaine booke common in their Sinagoges which they cal Talmud will iudge the same a cause sufficient to exile abandon them out of all the Prouinces and places where Christe is to be honored For like as these poore people blinded and led in the myst of errour haue not only gone about to defame the name of our Sauiour by their writings but also that whiche is worse they haue moste shamefully trauailed to extirpe and blot out the remembrance of him for euer Euen so in the yeare a thousand a hundred and foure score and in the raigne of king Philip these wicked people in the despite of the passion of Iesus Christe vpon good Friday when they iudged that the Christians were most occupied in celebrating that day they inclosed them selues yearely in a caue where hauing stolne a yong chylde they whipte him crounyng him with thornes makyng him to drinke gall and in the end crucified him vpon a crosse continuing in this sort of cruel doings till the Lorde grudging greatly with the death of so many poore innocents suffred them as thieues to be taken with the déede and after he had caused them to be examined and tormented for the same they confessed that they had vsed this many yeres before murdring a great number of infantes in this sort wherof king Philip being ascertained caused them not only to be chased from his realme but also broiled of them to the number of .lxxx. in a hot burning caudron After that king Philip seing him selfe oppressed with warres and wantyng money to maintaine the same for a better supplie of hys necessitie he for a summe of money payd to him in hande by the said Iewes for their outragious liuing licenced them to return trauail into France But euen as vices be chained togither drawing one another so these wicked people yet smellyng of this first iniurie which they had receyued determined and fully resolued amongst them selues to extirp at one instant the name of Christians destroying thē all by poyson And for a further helpe in these their wicked practises they allied them selues in consorte wyth diuers Lepres by whose succoures and meanes they made an oyntment with a confection of the blood of mans vrine composed with certaine venemous herbes wrapped within a little lynnen cloth tying a stone to the same to make it sinke to the bottome they nightly cast in the sayd infection into all the fountaines and welles of the Christians Whervpon this corruption engendred such cōtagious diseases in all Europe that there died wel nigh the thirde person throughout the same for this plague passing sodainly from citie to citie by the contagiousnesse therof destroyed and smoothered al things bearing life encountring it But after the Lorde had suffred to raigne for a time the tyrannie of these wicked and euil disposed persons he stopped so their cruel enterprises that they passed no further therin And like as in tyme diuers of those welles and fountains became drie by which meanes the impoisoned bags were founde in the bottom of the water Euen so by coniecture and suspition diuers of these malefactors were apprehended and being grieuously tormented confessed the facte whervpon grew such sharp
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
ende that those litle creatures might be the executioners of their offices others for delite sake would make theÌ„ so tame that at the sounde of a whistle they would leaue the water and come and take meate at their handes vpon the bankes of theyr riuers hauing them in suche delite that Lucius Crassius Censor lamented no lesse the death of one of his litle fishes dying out of his pondes than if it had bene for one of his daughters It is not vnknowen also that the Romain Emperours helde fyshes in suche honour and affection that in their moste Royall and pompous banquets they made more daintie deare accompte of fishe than of any kinde of foule or other fleshe reseruing suche reuerend obseruation to some of them and specially the Sturgeon that as some saye he that broughte it to the borde vsed to do it bareheaded sauing a Cornet or garland of flowers and for a more honour of the thing the Trumpettes and drâ—Ì„mes ceassed not to sounde blow so long as that dishe stoode on the table At this day in Grece Turkie y e people for y e most part be more desirous of fish than of flesh which was also the custome of y e Auncientes wherupon both the Greeke Latin Phisitions do most coÌ„moÌ„ly in all their treatises preferre the nouritures soueraine goodnesse of fishe afore flesh haue giuen also the inferiour place of estimation to flesh Like as at this time also the Egiptians do abstaine all their lyfe from eating of fish obseruing the order of our MoÌ„kes in their abstineÌ„ce from eating of flesh which shall suffice for this tyme for the dignitie commendacion of fishes folowing in order to describe how y e Seas bring forth their woÌ„ders with more maruel thaÌ„ y e lande wherof I will lay afore you in this place only the principal such as haue moued cause of astonishmeÌ„t in y e most precise Philosophers of y e world AmoÌ„gest the most woÌ„ders of y e Sea it may séeme miraculous almost incredible that fishes do flye and that those duÌ„me creatures do lifte themselues froÌ„ out of their moyste Element to pierce and breake the ayre as birdes do with their winges whereof although there be diuerse kindes according to the experience of the Sea yet I haue not figured the pourtrait of any in this chapter saue onely the Arundel or swallowe of the Sea that as Gesnerus and Rondelet in their histories of fishes haue drawne it Who desireth to haue a more large description of this fishe let him read Rondelet in his first chapter of his vj. booke wher he affirmeth this fish to be so called by reasoÌ„ of his colour greatnesse in proporcioÌ„ pinions like to a balde Mouse yet saith he who coÌ„sidereth thorowly of this fishe and maner of his flying he may seeme rather to resemble a swallow than a balde Mouse Opianus saith he flieth out of the water for feare he be deuoured of the great fishes Plinius writeth that there is a fishe flying called Arundelle whiche is very like the birde which we comonly cal a swallowe which as he is rare and sheweth himselfe by greate wonder with his greate wings so being taken they vse commonly to drie him and hang him vp in their houses which I thinke was more rare in the time of Plinie than now because there be diuerse founde in sundrie houses in Spaine Italie Fraunce and elswhere Claudius Campensius Phisition to the Lord Marquis of Trans sayd y t not many yeares past the Lord Admiral of EnglaÌ„d made him a banquet where he presented him with a flying fishe And in our time those that haue sayled by the pillers of Hercules affirme that there is such store of flying fishes thereabout that they séeme rather birdes with wings than fishes of the Sea Besides it is not inconuenient to set forth in this place the pourtrait of a fishe flying or rather a water monster which is the chiefe cause that I haue vndertaken this treatise of fishes This fishe or rather monster of the Sea I haue considered with long viewe iudgement and haue caused him to be drawne as neare as I can according to his naturall proportion wherein I maye boldly preferre as witnesses aboue twoo hundreth personnes who sawe him in Paris aswell as I. Amongest the things of woÌ„der to be séene in this beaste it hath chiefly a hydeous heade resembling rather in figure a horrible Serpent than a fishe with wings resemblyng rather the pynions of a balde mouse sauing they be farre more thicke and massiue he containes neare a foote and a halfe in length neyther is he so well dried but he yeldes some sauour or smel of a fishe the reste is to bée discerned in his figure Many learned men of the vniuersitie who considered largely of hym and his forme assured me that it was a kinde of flying Fishe the same notwithstanding agréeing in nothing with the description of the Auncientes touching the Arunâ—elle of the Sea nor of the Mugilatus nor of other flying fishe which makes me thinke that it is a sorte of monstrous fishe vnknowen to the elders Neither am I ignorant that there bee that can counterfaict by arte dyuerse formes of fishes Dragons Serpentes and other like things wherewith many are abused lyke as maister Gesnerus hath acknowledged by his writings to haue bene circumuented with the like Yet of all those which behelde this fish argued vpon his condition there was not one that could discerne other artificiall sleyght than as Nature brought hym forth formed him The Sea hath also other monsters which be more wonderfull than these as the fishe which they call in Latine Torpedo most coÌ„mon in Hauen townes and is accompted to resemble most of all those fishes that be harde skinned and she hath a hidden propertie which is very straÌ„ge for being hidden within the sand or moudde she slepeth by a secret vertue and making also al the fishe that be neare hir immouable and without sense she féedes vppon them and deuoureth them neither doth hir charme of sleepe extende onely againste fishes but also against men for if a man touch hir with his Anglerod she enchaunteth forthwith his arme And if she féele hir selfe taken with the lyne and hooke she hath this pollicy to embrace the lyne with hir wings and so making hir poyson mounte all along the lyne and the rode so tormenteth the arme of the fisher that often times he is constrained to abandon his prize The authours hereof be Aristotle in his ninth booke and xxxvij chapter De historia animalium Plinie in the .xxxij. booke and second chapter Theophrastus in libro De his quae hyeme latent Galen Opianus Plutarch in libro vtrum anima c. Plato also makes lyke mention in Memâ—o where Socrates is compared to the Torpedo in that by the violence and subtiltie of his argumentes he so grauelled those against whome he maintained disputation that they séemed
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
which they bring to mankind yet shall we discouer therin an antiquitie so greate as we can not lerne or attain vnto without extreme admiratioÌ„ for lyke as euery arte was inueÌ„ted almost as soon as God had created man afterward augmented by the industrie of man Euen so the herbs plants immediatly after the creation of the elements at such tyme as ther liued no maÌ„ vpon the earth sprong folowing the coÌ„maundement of the Lorde from the caues and entrailes of the earth garnished with their propre and diuine vertues Which besides that Moses the great Lawyer of God sufficiently proueth in Exodus we may also alleage the opinion and witnesse of the auncient Greeke poetes as Orpheus Museus and Hesiodus who haue treated of the praise of Penyroyal as also hath done Homerus of Alisier and others as in like maner Pithagoras hath coÌ„mended the Eschallottus Crisippus Chou and Zeno the Caprier besides it is a thyng most straunge that Salomon king of the Iewes Euax king of the Arabians Iuba king of the Mauritans were so curious not only to know the names and propreties of plantes but also the moste part of them haue diligently written therof Others haue entertained great philosophers and Aâ—borists in diuers deserts of Asia Europe and Affrike for to discouer the secrets of herbes and plants Further it is a thing moste maruellous that a great number of plantes muche renoumed haue taken their names of many kings as Gentiane toke the name of Gentius king of the Illyrians Lymachie of Lyzimachus king of the Macedonians TeucriuÌ„ was inuented by Teucer Achilea of Achilles Arthemisia of Arthemise quéene of Carie. But nowe it resteth for vs as me séemeth hauing searched very narrowely the Antiquitie and prayses of Plantes to be as diligent following oure custome in séeking forth if we can fynd amongst hearbes any thyng monstrous wonderful or straunge as we haue â—one in the moste parte of other thyngs contayned vnder the concauitie of Heauen The Auncients haue reknowleged I know not by what meanes y e maruelous efficaciâ— of a plant which they called Agnus castus whose leaues are like vnto the Oliues for all those who haue written of the Nature and propertie of this plante saye that it resisteth the sinne of the fleshe and that those which either carie the same about them or drinke the iuice thereof be neuer tempted at any time to incontinencie for whiche occasion the maides in olde time bare the braunches and bowes of that hearbe in their hande and made garlandes therof to weare vpoÌ„ their heads thinking therby to make die estinguish the heates of the flesh Wherefore Discorides in the .xv. chapter of his first booke treating of y e Nature of plants sayeth that the Greeks named this tree Agnos that is to saie chaste for by that the Ladies sometime in the Citie of Athens garded their chastitie by making their beads thereof and doing sacrifice therewith to Ceres Euen as we haue described the singularitie of Agnus Castus which defends the chastetie of such persons as vse the same so are we nowe to make mentioÌ„ of an other hearbe altogether contrarie to the Nature of Agnus Castus and as who would saye his mortall enimie for it makes suche as vse the same lasciuious prompte and readie to the Uenerian actes The Auncients haue named this hearbe Satirium for that the Satires and sauage Gods were the inuentours of this plante for the better satisfying of theyr lusts and concupiscence when they wente to playe by the forrests caues with the Nimphes Albeit the Greeks cal it Orchis or Cmoâ—orchis for that that this roote is like the twoo genitories of a dogge in such sorte that it séemes that Nature woulde haue lefte some marke and token in this roote for to shewe the maruellous effects or works natural Wherefore those then sayeth Discorides in his third booke and .xxij. chapter which he writeth of plantes which desire to haue the companie of women ought to vse this roote for that it makes men prompte readie to the exercise and worke of Venus and as they saye this roote being holden in the hande prouoketh a man to desire the pleasure of a woman Bisides there is one thing worthiâ— to be considered of in this roote as who would saye wonderful that is that as one of these twoo rootes which reseÌ„bleth as we haue said before the genitories of a dogge excites stirres a man vnmeasurablie to the wanton actes of Venus so the other roote which is a little lesser extinguisheth hindreth the desire of the flesh in such sorte that as one of these rootes prouoketh the euill so the other giueth remedie Plinius Dioscorides and Galen be authours of this and Dioscorides writeth that the women in Thessalie gaue to men to drinke of that moste fleshly roote the rather to prouoke and stirre them to the lusts abhominable desires of the flesh Wherefore reader I will not forget to declare that thou shalt not néede to doubte of me in all this treatise of the wonders of plants the descriptions faculties temperaments and diuisions of them for that this worke woulde be excessiue excede the limits of my meaning Wherein Dioscorides Theophrastus Galen Plinie Matheolus Fuscheus Ruel and many others haue so well spoken in that that there is nothing to be desired more than they haue written thereof whiche I woulde gladly haue tolde before vnto those which thinke that I had here confounded the diuerse kinds of Satirium like this that the Greekes haue called Orchis Serapias wherof Paulus Aegineta and Aetius haue made mention which others saye to haue receyued that name of Serapius God of the Alexandrians by reason of the greate impudent lasciuitie for which cause they worshipped him in a place called Canope there where he had his Temple of greate reuerence ReligioÌ„ as Strabo reciteth in his .xvij. booke of his Geographies Wherefore it suffiseth me in this chapter to write simplie that there is more cause of maruell and wonder in some particular plant than in euery plant The Auncients as Chrisippus haue founde cause of wonder I can not tell by what meanes in the plante whiche we commonly call Basill who were of opinion that it makes a man senslesse and madde the goats refuse to eate thereof which giues iuste occasion to man to flye the rather from it They adde further that brusing it and putting the same vnder a stone it engendreth a Scorpion or if they chawe it and set it in the Sunne it brings forth wormes Furthermore some saye that if a man be stoung of Scorpion the daye that he eateth of Basill he shall neuer be hoale lykewise some assure that brusing a handefull of Basill with Cancres marins or of the Riuer that all the Scorpions farre or neare will come vnto him Wherfore I am not ignorant that those whiche came after Crysippus did so abhorre Basill that they neuer vsed the same The herbe called of
amongest a nuÌ„ber of others our time hath stirred vp a moÌ„strous example that waye in Auignon at such a time as mine authour studied the lawe vnder Emilius Farretus in whose time there was a Prelate straunger whose name I will concele aswell for the honour of his profession as to much superstition in him selfe who one daye inuited to a banquet the nobilitie of Auignon aswell men as women where for a firste beginning of his pompe at the very entrie into the hall where the banquet was appointed laye spread vpon a curious borde a greate beefe with his heade pulled of and purged in his intrailes hauing in his bellie a whole Harte or deare of the like dressing stufte full of little birdes as Quailes Partriches larkes Feasants and other lyke the same being so conningly inclosed in the bellie of the seconde beaste and they so artificially conioined y e one within the other that it séemed some excelleÌ„t Mathematitian had bene the workeman thereof But that whiche made the matter both straunge and wonderfull was that all the birdes so assembled did roste and turne all alone vpon a broche by certaine compasse and conduites withoute the ayde of any man For the firste course and order of the table his gestes were presented with store of curious pastrie wherein were wroughte and inclosed manye little birdes quicke who assone as the cruste was taken of began to flie aboute the hall there were besides sundrie sortes of siluer plate full of Iellie so subtillie conueighed that a man might haue seen in the bottome a number of little fishes quicke swimming and leaping in swéete water and muske to the greate delite and pleasure of the assistaunts neither is it lesse straunge in that all the foules which were serued vpon the table were larded wyth Lampraye albeit it was in a season when they coste halfe a croune a piece but that whiche seales vp the superstitious pompe of this proude Prelate was that there was reserued as many quicke birdes as he was serued with deade foules at his table the same contayning suche indifferente number that if there were a Fesant sente dreassed to the borde there were Gentlemen appointed for the purpose which presented an other aliue and al to shewe the magnificence of the prieste to whome what remaines for the consummation of his prodigall delites but that the Gentlemen which serued him had their faces couered with a vaile leaste their breath should offende either him or his meate all whiche I haue preferred in this place as moste prodigious and monstrous not for immitation sake but rather that all good Christians shoulde deteste him and his example séeing it mighte be that whilest his Shippe went with full saile and he in the middeste of his Epicures delites the poore Lazarus perished at his dore for wante of foode and fyre But alas what coulde the faithfull Sainct Iohn and Peter thinke of this who had not one Deniere to giue in almes to the poore lame man that did demaunde it at the Temple gate or what woulde the other Apostles constrained with extremitie of hunger to eate the eares and awnes of Corne if they had séen their successour in so hote a kitchen so diuersly garnished with delicate meates This had bene a time and place and fitte occasion for the wicked Iudas if he had bene there to haue cried againste them Vt quid perditio haec potuisseâ— hoc multum vendi darâ— pauperibus Who liste to be priuie to the pompe of other Prelates let him reade Platinus in his treatise De honesta voluptate There was besides a Cardinall no lesse famous this waye than our Italian Prelate who in the time of Sixtus the Pope consumed into twoo yeares in banquets ionquets and suche other bellye vanities 3000. crownes wherewith manye poore members of Christe and sundrie néedie scholers and students might haue bene relieued and kepte long time at their bookes Let vs leaue to reporte of these disorders in our time and returne to our auncestours who the more manifest their vices were the greater was their slaunder and the tragedie of their life lesse honorable Wherefore all that is spoken of before is but as a shadowe or figure of magnificence in respecte of those monstrous and diabolicall feastes of that greate glutton and deuourer of meates Heliogabalus Emperour of the Romains who was so disordred in his delites that sâ—arce the life of an excellent Historiographer woulde suffice to dilate therof at large That wicked and vnhappy minister of Sathan drowned as it were in the â—â—nke of vnsatiable eating neuer made dinner after he was created Emperour wherin he spenâ— lesse than .60 markes of golde whiche according to our computation amounteth to the summe of 2500 Ducats besides he was so fantastical and vnrulie in his appetites that he vsed no common meates at his meales but was â—edde with the combes of cockes the toungs of peahens also being made to vnderstande that there was but one thing rare in the worlde whiche they declared to be the Phenix he sente for hir to eate promising I knâ—w not how many thousand markes of golde to him who coulde furnishe him thereof and sayde in a common prouerbe that there was no sauce but dearth Wherin not suffising him self to féedâ— of these rare exquisite meats he feasted like wise with as great abundance his gentlemen and champions causing also his Dogs and Lions to be nourished with the fleshe of Phesants Pehens and birdes not ceassing to vse only this prodigalitie in daintinesse of his mouth but which more is he was as lasciuious and extreme in all other furnitures of his seruice for he caused to serue him at his table foure maides naked who wer oftentimes caried in that sorte through the citie of Rome he neither dranke nor eate at any time aboue once in one vessell or dishe although the same and all the rest of the implements of his house were of pure gold or siluer the stoole wherin he did his excrements not excepted And in the place of wax candels to giue him light he caused to be put into his lampes an excellent balme which he caused to brought from Iuda and Arabia That vnhappie Emperoure was so frantike and madde in all his actions that he inuented things which diuels themselues coulde neuer deuise before for he made to be counterfaited artificially meates of marble wood and other things causing not onely the people to be kepte hungrie but also to sitte at the table beholding these meates in pitifull sorte He made many bankets to the which he inuited .viij. balde men .viij. crooked men .viij. lame men viij deafe men .viij. dumbe men .viij. black men .viij. white men .viij leane men and viij fatte men to the ende that those which did assist the baÌ„ket might haue cause to laugh sometymes he made his guests dronke and then shutting the dores and gates of the place where they were a sleepe put in vnto them Beares and Lyons
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
all together within a castell and himselfe also he gat to fauor and further his coÌ„spiracy some .iiij. or .v. men whom according to the truste he put in them he made to be hidden in certaine secret corners of the chambers appointed for the noble men hauing firste attired them in horrible order with skinnes of seawolues whereof is greate stoare in that countrey by reason of the Sea with euery one a staffe in his ryghte hand of a kinde of olde and dry wood which shyneth in the night and in their left hand a great horne of an Ore pierced hollow these according to their commaundemente kept very close secrete vntill the Princes were in theyr first and fast sléepe when they began to appeare and discouer w t their staues glimering like the glaunces or flames of torches braying out of their hollowe hornes a hydeous voyce conteining that they were sent of God to sommon them to the warre of the Pictes against whom the sentence of victory was already pronounced and agréed by the heauens And so these artificiall sprites assisted with the benefite of the night which is the mother nurse to all illusions vsed so fine a conuey in the dispatch of their businesse that they escaped without being disclosed leauing the poore Princes so passioned with feare that they passed the rest of the night in prayers vntill the morning when euerye of them with great solemnitie imparted his vision to y e king who also for his parte to aggrauate the matter with further credite notwithstanding he was the first founder and forger of the mistery approued their sayings with the like appearing to himself albeit he was curious to reueale the secretes of God vntill he had more sure aduertisement thereof wherewith some other persuasions on his parte to enforce their forwardnes they became as eger and earnest to begin the warre as if Christ himself had bene their captaine and so assailed their enimies that they did not only ouerthrow them in battell but also made suche mortall extermination that the memory of the day euer since hath bene vtterly extinct There be some now a dayes that put lighted candels within the heades of dead men to feare the people and others that haue tied little waxe candels lighted vpon cockles tortures snailes which they put in that order within the church yards by night to the end that the simple people séeing these beastes moue a far of with their flames might beleue that it were some dead sprite returned for some speciall cause into the world by which villanous meanes as they haue gotten money of the common and ignoraÌ„t sort so let them be assured to render accompt of their doings to the soueraign iudge for abuâ—â—ng the pore flocke of his deare sonne vnder y e coloure of visions There hath bene yet of late time in Italy an other practise of Diabolical visions performed by certaine candels made of the grease or tallow of a man which so loÌ„g as they were light and did burne in the night the pore people seemed so ouerwhelmed with enchauntments and charmes that a man might haue taken any thing out of their house w tout that they were able to stirre out of their beds to reskue it but our God who according to his iustice doeth leaue nothyng vnpunished hath suffred that the authors and executors of such vanities haue bene taken as the thefe wyth the manner and being condemned haue yelded tribute to suche offences with the price of their life And lastly there is an other sort of artificial visions which are made with an oyle or licoure which cometh of certaine wormes we sée shine in the night which bicause they be things not worthie to be handled in argument amoÌ„gst no christians â–ª I will make silence of them for this time maruelling notwithstanding that sundry learned men heretofore haue vsed so large a libertye in discouering suche vanities the rather for that our natures for the most part are more credulous of such shadowed things than apt to beleue a truthe ¶ A wonderfull history of a monster seene by Celius Rhodiginus CHAP. xxvij TO the ende we shoulde taste of these wonderfell visions which may be thought very strange to the Reader me séemes good to shew here the pourtrait of twoo maruellous monsters the one a man the other a woman séen in diuers prouinces by twoo as excelleÌ„t Philosophers as haue raigned in our age The first being the man was séen by Ludouicus Celius Rhodiginus as he writeth in the iij. chapter of his .xxiiij. booke of auncient lessons folowing in this maner There was sayth he broughte forth a monster at Zarzara in Italy in the yeare of grace 1540. and the .xix. day of Marche worthie to be considered off for many causes One for that it was brought into the worlde at such time as Italy was afflicted wyth the plague and scourge of ciuile warres And that thys monstrous childe was a certaine forerunner or messanger which shewed vnto them the miseries of those domesticall quarels the other causes for the which it deserued to be diligently noted were for the straunge and maruellous effectes that nature exhibited in this little subiect for in the first place the mother of this infant broughte it forth within .iij. moneths wel formed which is a thing monstrous in nature Secondarily he had two faire heades well proportioned and two faces ioyned one to an other and tyed vpon the top of the neck with a proportion maruellous in euery of those partes he had his haire a little long and blacke and betwene these two heades he had a thirde heade whiche excéeded not the length of an eare And for the rest of his body it was so wel made and proporcioned in all thyngs requisite that it séemed that Nature delited to frame and make him so faire Who after he had soiorned a certaine tyme in this miserable worlde died wherein as he was made a present to one of the kyng of Spaynes lieutenants gouerning in that countrey so he thoughte it good to haue him ripped and his bellie opened and intrailes séen which being done he represented vnto the sightes of the lookers on things no lesse maruellous than the presidents written of before that is to say he had two liuers two milts and but one heart Wherwith endeth the description that Celius hath made of that monster The second monster is a woman hauing two heads whose figure is before to be séene with the other and more to be wondered at than the fyrst in one thing for that she liued many yeres whiche is contrary to the nature of monsters who ordinarily lyue not long for the abundance of melancolike humor which abundeth in them to see them selues so opprobrious to the worlde are therby so dried and consumed that their liues be shorte Whiche happened not to this maide which thou seest here portraicted for at suche tyme as Conradus Licostenes came into the Duchie of Bauiere whiche was in the yere
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
wyth hir hissing as Plinie sayth all the other Serpents she makes trées die with hir breath scorcheth herbes breakes stones and so infecteth the aire where she remaineth that no birde can vse wing there without perrill she killeth men wyth hir onely regarde like as an vncleane woman infecteth and spotteth a glasse And although she containe not aboue one foote in length yet is hir poyson so strong venimous as she killeth other Serpents wyth the very breathe that commeth from hir fore ende she is so mortally venomous that she infecteth and ouerwhelmeth great Cityes with the aire or breath of hir mouth the same approued not only by the historians prophane as Dioscorides Plinie Aelian Lucian Isidorus with many mo but also confirmed in some sort by the Ecclesiasticals Hieronimus Cardanus in his bookes of diuers Historyes treating of the wonders of this beast brings in a straunge thing hapning in our time which he describes in this sorte At such time saith he as I made my bookes of diuers Historyes the .xxiij. of Iuly happened a thing no lesse worthy of admiration than memory which I did assist wyth myne eies and presence Iacques Phillippes Cerunse caused to be made vnder the earth a valt or caue which bicause it shuld consolidate the better he made stoppe very close and within .xviij. or .xx. dayes after made the same to be opened to draw forthe certaine arches of woâ—de which sustained it whereunto as one of his workemen disposed himself to discend by a ladder and being in the middest of the same he fel downe dead the maister séeing no returne of his maÌ„ would proue the experience in himselfe who likewise being come so lowe as the other fell also dead after whom the assistaÌ„ts not doubting any mortal peril seÌ„t a third a fourth w t many other which al passed one way this albeit it gaue great indifferent cause of suspition and feare yet was it no suche terror to the people without the hoale as to make them desist to send any more but chose out amongst theÌ„ al a strong huge man of no other regard with them all than as a foole who discending as low and to the place of the others fell not but with a crooke of iron drewe one of them that were dead which gaue him such courage y t he would once againe goe downe and being within the mouth of the vault he began to sinke and fall albeit he was preuented by the diligence of the assistants who by speciall remedies recouered him of his traunce but not of the vse of his speache till the next day when I perceiuing sayth Cardan that he began to speake I asked him many things but he séemed not to remember to haue sayde or done any thing saue only his going downe there was let fal in a corde a dogge whom they also plucked vp againe halfe dead wherby euery man that was not able to comprehende the cause of these wonders iudged that there was within the caue a Basilicke which otherwise is called Serpens Regalis Wherin as we haue now as I thinke treated sufficiently of certaine straunge and monstrous Serpents found in sundry prouinces partes of the world it is no lesse necessary in mine opinion to search out certain singular things which are fouÌ„d in some particular kindes of them those which haue treated of the nature of Serpents haue obserued chiefly that their excrements smell sweete which by natural reason may procéede of their drinesse for Serpents of their owne nature be dry the same arguing that their excrementes be well boiled by reason of the straitnesse of their intrails Some affirme that Serpents haue so odiferous a breath that it séemes as swéete as Muske There be Serpentes which kepe their venome after their death as the Uipers for otherwise their flesh could little profite to the composition of Triacle if they were altogither without poyson Besides wherupon could come the excoriation in the Leper that hath eaten them if they did not reserue some poyson It hath chaunced in our time that such as haue taken of the hide from a beast that hath perished of the biting of a Uiper die also of the like disease Dioscorides in his sixth booke wher he treateth of poisons and venomes saith that immediatly after a man is bitten with a Uiper the biting swelleth and becometh dry and of a whitish coloure there appeareth in the beginning of the biting a fiery anguishe all died with bloud which doth force out of the flesh round about it certaine blisters as if they had bene burnt wyth fire then foloweth an viceration then they bléede swell touching those partes that be about the liuer whereupon are procured vomites of choler heauie sléepe shaking thorow the whole body Passions of the vrine and cold sweat Certaine late Phisitians are of opinion that the Uiper is no other thing than the Serpent which we call in Fraunce the Aspic Some do affirme that the Uiper doth abhorre a naked man and feareth him more than if he were clad with garments The Phisitians are of opinion that if a mannes eyes be rubbed euery morning with the skin or flough of a Uiper his sight shall neuer be dimme nor hurt with suffusion affirming besides that if an olde floughe be burned when the Moone is full and in the first part of the signe of Aries and that the cenders be sprinkled vpon a mannes head it stirres vp terrible dreames Plinie and Dioscorides auouche that the earth neuer receiues within hir entrails the Serpent that hath once bit a man seming as it were in respecte and reuerence of a certaine royall benignitie to haue in horror him that hathe offended the King chiefe and Prince of all beastes Plinie wryteth that the spittle of a man specially of him that is fasting is venomous to a Serpent in so much that if he but taste of it neuer so little he dieth and that which more is if a man but poure it vpon him it offendes him no lesse than if he had skalding water cast vpon him All the Phisitians and wryters obserue that the venomous Serpents hide them selues or abide within the thrée leaued grasse biâ—ause that herbe is mortiferous to them Those that wil handle serpents without daunger let them wash their handes first with the iuise and sappe of Turneps the same being so great an enimie to their poyson that they had rather die than once cease vpon the place that hath bene rubbed with Turneps whose only smell doth take away both his lyfe and force Cardanus in his .xviij. booke de subtilitate and in the Chapiter which â—reateth of maruellous inuentions sayth that the wilde Cowcumber blacke néesing pouder called Eleborum and the great Serpentine called DrachontiuÌ„ mains be of so great force against serpents that such as be annointed or rubbed with their iuise be seldome or neuer offended or hurt with Serpents for better confirmation wherof I may boldly bring in a History which I haue neither red
their sighte to reade their teethe to pronounce their iawes to eate their eares to heare nor their memorie vnoccupied who wante no toungs at any time to require for them selues or theirs at the princes handes either one good benefite or other In suche sorte that these miserable creatures are so muche drowned in couetousnesse that they neither knowe nor perceiue at all that euen as their greedy desire to heape riches groweth dayly in augmentation so in like manner their life shortneth and slippeth away Whiche is in deede in effect my friends the iust cause of the abusing of princes and weales publike And the better to make you vnderstand the difference of the auncient libertie of speking to kings and of the couetous seruitude and weakenesse which raigneth at this day amōgst those which assist them I will recompt vnto you one historie whiche I learned of no man neither read in the bokes of the auncients but I saw the effect in my presence In the first yeare wherein they did me honour in creating me Consule there came to Rome a poore villaine of the riuer of Danube demaunding iustice in the Senate against a Censor who tormented the people with tirannous subsidies exactions who was so hardy and barbarous to frame his complaint that neyther most assured captain nor eloquent Oratour in the worlde knew better how to speake This villain had a little face great lips hollow eyes a dusky colour his haire staring his head vncouered his shoes of the skin of a porpentine his cote of goates haire his girdle of bulrushes his bearde long and thick his eyebries couering or drawne ouer hys eyes his stomacke and neck ouergrowne with haire and a staffe in his hand who being in this attire when we saw him enter into the Senate we iudged him to be some beast hauing the shape of a man but after we vnderstode y e maiestie of his talke and the grauenesse of his sentences we thought him to participate with god For as his shape was monstrous so his talke was wonderful That villain hauing paused a little and turning here and there his gastly lookes sayd vnto vs Most noble fathers and people most happy I a rusticall and vnfortunate wretch dwellyng in the cities which be nigh Danube and you other Senators of Rome which be here assembled God saue you and I pray to the Gods immortall not only to gyue you grace to gouerne well the cōmon weal to the which you are now appointed but also that they wil so guide my tong at this present as I may say that which is necessary for my country my sorowful desteny permitting the same and our angrie gods not forsaking me Oure countrey of Germanie was subdued by you Romains wherin as your glorie is now the greater therby euen so shal your infamie be a◠extreme in the worlde to come for the cruelties and tirannies wherwith you haue plagued vs. And if you see not what you know neither would know it before this houre that whē we vnhappy wretches were brought before the chariots of your triumph and cried Viue Rome bisides an other part of poore and miserable captiues sheading drops of bloud in their hearts crying to the Gods Iustice Iustice Romains Romains your couetousnesse is so great to rauine and take awaye the goodes of your neighboures and your pride so vnmeasurable in commaundyng the landes of strangers that neither the seas with their deapths nor the land with hir largenesse be able to containe the same but be ye assured that like as you without reason cast out others from their houses landes and possessions and some do sel them Euen with the same reason in the ende shal you be chased from Rome Italy for it is a law infallible y t a man which taketh by force y e goodes of an other shal lose by right that which is his owne and bisides all that the wicked haue heaped togyther by theyr tyrannie in many dayes the iust goddes shall take it away in one day and contrarywise all that the good lose in dyuerse yeres the goddes will restore to them in one houre Wherfore if you thinke to enriche your children by euill gotten goodes and leaue the same to theyr vse you are muche deceyued For the Auncient prouerbe hath bene alwayes true that by the vniuste dealyng and gayne of fathers dothe come afterward iust to losse theyr children Heape then what ye can heape and lette euery man obey youre commaundementes and knowe for a certaine that where you thinke to make them lordes of straunge prouinces you in the ende shall finde them but slaues of youre owne proper riches and theues of the sweate and labor of other mens trauail Notwithstanding I would demaund Romains what action hath moued you being borne nigh the Riuer of Tiber to haue desire to plante and enlarge your borders to the riuer of Donnue Haue we shewed any fauour to your enimies Haue we conquered your landes Or haue you found any auncient law which affirmeth that the Noble coūtrey of Germanie ought of necessitie to be subiect to the proud Citie of Rome Are we not your neighbors And if there hath bene any thing amōgst your selues which hath stird vp this quarrel truely you are not therof indifferent iudges Nor thinke not Romains though you be made Lords of Germanie that it is by any industrie of warre for you are no better souldiers neither more couragious hardy or valiant than we but as we haue offended our gods so haue they ordained in their secrete iudgements you to be scourges vnto vs for our disordred liuings And seeing then we be ouercomed not in respect we be cowards fearful or weake persons but only for our wickednesse that we trusted not in our Gods what hope may you haue you Romains being as we are vicious and hauing as you haue the Gods angrie with you And if I be not beguiled we haue endured sufficient misery for the apeasing of y e gods but your cruelties be so great and terrible that the liues of you and your children can not suffice to make recompence for your offences Suffiseth it not Romains to take from vs our auncient libertie to load vs with insupportable impositions subsedies heaping vpon vs from time to time all kinde of miseries but you must also send vnto vs iudges that be so bestiall and ignorant that I sweare vnto you by the Gods immortal that they neither know nor can declare your lawes vnto vs and much lesse they vnderstand oures And that which worse is they take all presented vnto them in publike and refuse nothing giuen in secrete and vnder colour they be Romains they fear not to robbe all the land What meaneth this Romains shall your pride in commaunding haue neuer end nor your couetousnesse he withdrawne from your neighbour If we be disobedient and our seruices not content you cōmaund to take away our liues for to be plain with you crueltie to cut our throtes can
¶ 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
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.