and there giuing out suche arguments of pity according to his dumme kind as if he had demaunded iustice of the murder at the kings handes The same mouing in him and the rest of the assistants such suspition of the facte in them whome the dogge assailed that what with torment and other examination they confessed the matter were punished accordingly A thing very woÌ„derful wherin our God sheweth himself most iust in hys iudgements hauing in such horrour such as doe spoyle and spil mans bloud that he stirreth vp sometime little beasts to be his ministers of reuenge of their iniquities Plutarch Aelyan and also Tretzes in the thirde Chiliade and a hundred thirtye and one Chapter wryte that after Darius the laste king of the Persians was vanquished by Alexander and hurte in many places by Bessus and Nabarzenes he was forsaken of all the world and void of humaine sucâ—ors except a dogge which he had norished and brought vp who neuer forsoke the body of his maister but became no lesse faithful to him being dead thaÌ„ he was whilst he liued The Romane histories giue also great commendation to the fidelitie of the dogge of Titus Fabius who being condeÌ„ned by the iustice of the Senate and his body laid dead vpon the ground the dogge did not only accompany the dead carkasse but made such a pitifull howling and crying that he stirred the assistaÌ„ts to compassion who to appease him if they offred him bread he tooke it and in the presence of them all by such meanes as he could he opened the mortified mouth of his master and put in the bread thinking that as he sawe his distresse so he would relieue it by meanes as he best might but that which is more wonderfull touching the faith of this dogge was in that the bodye of hys master being cast into Tyber according to their custome at that time to bury dead men the dogge leaped also into the riuer not ceasing to conteÌ„d with the waues till he had got holde of his maister whom by maine strength he did not only support and kepe froÌ„ sinking but also drewe him out to the shore thinking he had theÌ„ deliuered him from peril By this and such other may we discerne in some respects a more great faith and amitie in these brute beastes than in reasonable creatures who for the most parte now a dayes obserue the order of the swallow shunning as they doe the roofe in the winter their frends touched with any aduersitie or sinister fortune for whych cause also Masinissa the great king of Numidia would neuer commit the garde of his body by night to the faith of men but vsed for hys sauetie that way the company of .viij. or .x â–ª great dogges whom he brought vp for the nonce and made them be shut in hys chaÌ„ber by night to the ende that by their barking he might be warned of any peril which remaineth in practise at this â—ay in S. Maloes in Britaine a town of defense enuironed with the Sea wherein only a great number of dogges of England do kepe watch and that so truely that the whole gard and protection of that city consists no lesse in the fidelity of those dogges than in their strong bands of their old souldiours of Piemont neither moueth any charge by them for either armour or weapon seeing they coÌ„tent theÌ„selues only with their liues which are reserued by coÌ„mon order they nourished continually in certaine dark caues where they are barde to see any light to the end to giue encrease to their fiercenesse the same in déede giuing them suche a woodnesse that they neither know nor vse regarde to any but such as are appointed to nourish and féede them in such sort y t at night when they are drawne out of their dennes they are driuen to souÌ„d drummes and trumpets as a warning to euery body to retire which hath bred suche a custome in those dogges that after the last retrait be souÌ„ded there is none so hardy to be found afore them which escapeth not their iawes without great hazard and daunger of his life There is also mention made in the Ecclesâ—asticall histories how the Emperor Aurelian forcing Benignus the Martyr to worship Idols made to be kepte fasting for .iiij. or v. dayes certaine great mastiues whom he reserued only to fede vpon christian mennes flesh afore whom he caused the body of the sayd Martir to be brought forth bound but the dogges refusing to become the mynisters of the sinne of such a tyrant in place to deuoure or teare hym in péeces they licked his hands and smelled to his body without either offer or effect of other harme Which makes me remember an History commeÌ„ded by Appius the Gréeke Aulus Gelius y e Latine Iouianus Pontanus lib. 1 amoruÌ„ and lastly Anthonio de Gueuuare bishop of Monodemo Al which albeit they treate of an other beast than a dogge yet bicause the discourse is no lesse prodigious than confirmable to our former arguments I thinke it no time euil imployed to describe it in sorte as they haue left it behinde them Titus the Emperor sonne to Vespasian vpon his retâ—rn from the warres of Germanye determined according to an auncient custome of the Nobilitie there to solemnise at Rome with great pompe the day of his natiuity For a first entry or beginning wherof he caused royall triumphes to be made to the Senate with a bountifull distribution of treasure amoÌ„gst the Romaines He enioyned withal by speciall charge to make prouision of Lions Beares Hartes Bulles wilde Bores Wolues Camels ElephaÌ„ts wyth a number of other sauage and fierce beasts found most commonly in the deserts of Egipt and valley of the mount Caucase In like sort it was decréed sometime afore by the maiestie imperiall that to all théeues felons murderers periurers traitors and rebels theyr liues should be reserued to be punished and torn in péeces y â— day by those beastes by whoÌ„ should not onely be thundred vpon them due reuenge of their wicked life past but also in the combate should appeare equall pleasures and delite to the lokers on wherein this was the order that was obserued One of those miserable men was let out after an other and committed all alone to a place which is at this day being at Rome called the Collisea after the which in the viewe of all the assistantes was let loose in the same place one of these cruell beastes who if by chaunce he tare the man in péeces the same was the sentence and punishment of his offence but if the man subdued the crueltye of the beast and killed him it serued as an absolution or dispence from further punishment And as they kept hungrye of purpose long time before these cruell beastes to the ende to adde a more fiercenesse to their woodde nature so amongst the â—est that were brought to the combate the Emperoure séemed chiefly to sée fight a Lion brought out of the deserts of Egipt
prouinces and places of the erth with sundry subtilties and sophisticall sleights to draw vnto him an honour of the people vnder a forme of diuers beastes other creatures yet it is affirmed both by sacred prophane authority that the soueraigne and omnipotent God hath giuen him more scoape and libertie of rage against his people in two places than in all the worlde besides wherof the first was in the Oracle of Apollo a place very famous by report of hystories where he kept his schole open shop of villanous crueltie for the space of 1000. or 1200. yeares drawing the people not only to fall downe worship him but also according to his bloudy disposition he toke vpon him to giue answer to their demaūds with constraint for y e most part that afore he performed resolution of their questions they should honour perfume his house with incense and quick sacrifice of men maydes sometimes the fathers became murderers of their simple and innocent children such was the blindnesse of the people and such the sleight of this subtile serpent to enchaunt and charme their vnderstanding wherwith notwithstanding not satisfied he kept a cōmon storehouse of filthy gaine rauenous couetousnesse that vnder the pretence of religion in such sorte that the most parte of Kings Monarches of the earth came to worship him in that place enriching his temple with infinite treasures and giftes of precious value besides a number of stately Images formed of massiue Golde the same so enlarging his territorie that of a little caue or hollow vault wherin he kept residence at the beginning within a small time he raised it vp to a huge proud Citie wherein he so traffiqued and practised his abhominable trade with Pilgrimes and straungers that came from farre setting such price of the pelfe wherwith he abused the simplicitie of the people that as Diodorus writeth there was found at that time of his treasure aboue ten thousand talentes amounting according to the order of our accompt to six Millions of golde And now touching the description of the scite or situation of the place where this monstrous enimie to the life of man performed his oracles it was a desert and traggie mountaine planted in Grecia vpon the breache or tip of a high and hard Rocke out of the which issued a sulphur or strong breath wherupon was hong on high a colde spirite or figure wauering as the winde and the mouth of this infernal cell did bestride certaine graund paunches or big belied priests cowring one close by an other as though they would hatch yong frie like them selues who receyuing the aire or breath of the wind and participating with the spirite and power of the diuell became as men enraged and without sense braying out answere to the people vpon their demaundes Thys also gaue further cause of wonder touching the place that he was so carefully garded by diuels that no mortal man durst assaile eyther him or his treasure amassed from so many partes of the world the same mouing cause of feare to Princes of the greatest power and also to the mightie conquerour Xerxes who notwithstanding being vpon his conquest of Greece following his couetous inclination to enrich himselfe with the spoile of Sathan attempted to pill his Temple which as he was striuing to bring to passe that parte of the Rocke where Sathan sate in his throne vpon a sodaine ouerwhelmed and fell downe vpon his souldiers the Elamente began to open and cast forth flames of fire with such terrible threates of thunder and lightning that those which were vpon the mountayne fel downe some schortched to death by the vehemencie of the fire and some torne in pieces by other violence that as Trogus affirmeth that assault was the bane of .iiij. thousand of his souldiers which hapned not only to him for that the Frenchmen vndertaking the like enterprise vnder the conducte of Brenus who vowing to skale the mountaine and sacke the temple of Delphos ▪ was resisted with a horrible quaking of the earth which so shaked and disordered the hil that the greatest parte fel vpon his armie and smotheryng who so euer was founde either vpon or vnder it whervpon folowed such terrible motiōs in the Elament with storms tempests wind haile mixed with sulphure and fume of fatal fire that the most part of the armie was consumed Brenus himself so sore woūded that what with the anguish of his hurt impacience of his repulse he sacrifised himselfe vpon the point of his sword The other special place where Sathan kepes hys maiestie vsurping vpon the people with a reuerence as to a God is yet in being in Calycut one of the most riche and famous cities of the Indyans but after a more strange and hydeous fashion than in the Oracle of Apollo for that there he was rather masqued than séene openly where now ielous belike of the honor of his creator he is séene and worshipped vnder the most terrible and mōstrous forme that euer we sée him drawne and painted in any place And here he hath so surely seeled the eies of this miserable people of Calycut that although they acknowledge God yet do they worship and reuerence the Diuel with Sacrifice incense perfume and erection of Images as if he were one of the Deitie in déede And albeit all that Prouince which is of great circuite together with their Kings Rulers of the same are resolued of the vnitie of one God maker of heauen erth with other Elamentes and the whole World besides yet Sathan the father and first founder of all vntruthes hath so preuayled amongst them with such suttle and sinister persuasions that they beleue that God being weary to debate the causes and controuersies happening among men hath committed vnto him the charge of iudgement vpon earth the same inducing this pore and ignoraunt people to think that God hath sent downe that spirit of torment with power to do iustice and reason to euery cause and question amongst them they cal him by the name of Deumo whose portraite the King kepes with gret deuotion in his Chappel as a sanctuarie or holy relike placed in a stately chaire with a Crowne vpon his head after the forme of a Méetre with a garnish of foure hornes foure huge téeth growing out of a monstrous mouth a nose and eyes of the like proportion his handes like to the pawes of an Ape and feete fashioned like a Cock whose forme as you sée is both fearfull and monstrous so it agréeth with the furniture of the chapel wherin it is inclosed being garnished with no other tables or pictures than figures of litle diuels of the like regarde And yet is not this all for their priests which they call Bramynes haue expresse charge to wash this Idol with swéete water and odoriferous balmes and then vpon the sounde of a bell to fall prostrate and doe sacrifice neither doth the King eate any meate which
by the hande of God so much imbased that he was couered with no other garment than with haire a clothing naturall to all brute beastes ¶ Of the bringing forth of Monsters and the cause of their generations CHAP. v. HAuyng shewed in order in these Chapiters before how Kings Emperors Bishops and Monarches be no more exempted from the wonderful iudgemeÌ„t of God than the common or vulgar sort It resteth now according to our purpose to search and sift those matters more neare a truthe to the ende we may bring to lyghte the horrible monsters and fearfull wonders found amoÌ„gst the common people And that the philosophie and contemplation of those things might be made more manifest and painted in their true coloures it is needefull before we passe any further to declare the causes wherevpon they procéede and are borne It is moste certaine that these monstrous creatures for the most part do procéede of the iudgement iustice chastisement and curse of God which suffreth that the fathers and mothers bring forth these abhominations as a horrour of their sinne sufferyng themselues to run headlong as do brute beastes without guide to the puddle or sinke of their filthie appetites hauing no respecte or regarde to the age place tyme or other lawes ordeined of Nature wherein S. Gregorie amongest diuers other examples taughte vs in his Dialogues sheweth the incontinencie and abhominable desire of a Nourse who made hir selfe with childe by an Infant of the age onely of .ix. yeres And for a proofe herein S. Hierom affirmeth by othe that there was an other infant of the age of tenne yeares the which was so inflamed by the waÌ„ton regards and amorous countenances of his Nourse that she made hym to lie with hir being of the age as afore and gotte hir with childe These be the matters that Osee crieth out of in his .ix. chapter saying These abhominable doyngs according to their loues euen when they haue nourssed theyr children I will destroy in suche sort that they shall neuer become men yea I will plague the wombe where they tooke their beginning the brests that gaue theÌ„ sucke and drie vp the very root that it bring forth no more fruit and if they câ—aunce to engender I wil also coÌ„mit to death the fruite of their bellie Al which is confirmed by the prophete Esdras in his .v. Chapter where amongst other cruel cursings wherwith the Angell threatned Babylon it is expresly sayde That women perfourming the desire of the fleshe being in their Sanguine menstruali bring forth these monsters And although this monstrous fruite be very often a witnesse of the incontinencie sinne of the parents yet it is not alwayes true nor hapneth in one place for there be many fathers and mothers chaste and continent whiche bring forth their children defectiue as S. Iohn sheweth in his .ix. chapter of a poore man whiche was blinde from his natiuitie who hauing receyued his sighte by the mercifull goodnesse and grace of Iesus Christe was asked of his disciples whether his owne synne or his parents were the cause that he was borne blinde But Christ willyng to declare to them that they oughte not to accuse the parentes for the defaultes of their children aunswered that it was neither the sinne of hym his father or mother but to the ende to shewe in him the wonderfull and maruellous workes of God The auncient Philosophers amongst others which haue serched the secrets of Nature haue declared other greate causes of this wonderfull and monstrous childbearing which Aristotle Hypocrates Empedocles Galene and Plinie haue referred to an ardent and obstinate imagination which the Woman hath whylest she conceiues the childe whiche hath such power ouer the fruite that the beames and Charrecters continue vpon the rocke of the infante wherevpon they finde an infinite number of examples to proue the same woorthy of memorie the which albeit may séeme but iestes or fables if the authoritie and truth of those which write them were not their sufficient warrant And for a further certaintie therof Damascenus a graue â–ª author doth assure this to be true that being present with Charles the .iiij. Emperoure and king of Boeme there was broughte to him a maide rough and couered with haire like a beare the which the mother had brought forth in so hideous and deformed a shape by hauing too much regarde to the picture of S. Iohn cloathed with a beasts skinne the which was tyed or made fast coÌ„tinually during hir conception at hir beddes féete By the like meanes Hippocrates saued a princesse accused of adulterie for that she was deliuered of a childe blacke lyke an Ethiopian hir husbande being of a faire and white complexion which by the persuasion of Hippocrates was absolued and pardoned for that the childe was like vnto a Moore accustomably tied at hir bed Reade of this in Genesis vpon S. Hieroms questions without musing or being curious to bring in the testimonies of Philosophers other doctors verifying the same by the authoritie of Moyses the greate prophete and secretarie of GOD in the thirtith Chapter of Genesis where he plainely sheweth howe Iacob deceiued Laban his father in lawe and therby enriched himselfe with his cattayle hauing pilled a rodde and put the beastes to drinke to the ende the Goates and Shéepe beholding the diuersitie of the colours of this rodde might bring forth their litle ones marked with sundry seuerall markes Besides these causes spoken of before of the generation of Monsters the beste learned in the secretes of Nature haue yet assigned vs others for Empedocleus and Dephilus do attribute the same to come of the superabundance or defaulte and corruption of the seede and wombe wherof they preferre diuers similies by the disposition of sundry mettals and other things which melts and yeldes with the heate of fyre or sunne for if the matter or substance which a man goes about to melt be not wel boiled purified and confected or the moulde be not well cast the image or effect of such worke will appeare imperfect hideous and deformed The Astrologians as Alcabitius haue referred these monsters to the influeÌ„ce of the starres iudging that if the Moone be in certaine degrées and coniunctions when the woman conceyueth hir frute shalbe monstrous Euen so Iulius Maternus writeth after him very learnedly the lawyer Alciates vpon the title and signification of these wordes and matters that sometimes these monsters be engendred of the corruption and filthie vnsauorie meates as burning coales mannes flesh and other like things that women desire after they haue conceyued the which is very contagious and hurtfull to their fruite whereof we haue a notable example in Leuinius Lemnius in his first boke of the hidden Secrets of Nature in a certaine Matrone of Belges great with childe of two infants who lusting to eate the flesh of a faire boy whome she beheld at vnwares and fearing he wold refuse hir demauÌ„d being pressed without measure of that vnruly appetite fel
vpon him tearing the fleshe of his hand with hir téeth and deuoured the same sodainly Al which the infant abode in respect to satisfie hir longing And as she returned to play the like parte againe the childe grieuing at hir crueltie withstode hir Wherof being ashamed and full of despite after she had liued certain days in coÌ„tinual melancolie she broughte forth two twinnes the one aliue and the other dead Wherupon the physitions called together to argue vpon the cause of this childe bearing founde that the deniall of the seconde morsel of the boyes flesh was the occasion therof Behold in effect the causes moste frequented touching y e bringing forth of monsters gathered according to the opinion of the best lerned authors both Greekes and Latins Resting yet ouer aboue al those kind of artificial monsters who be most familiar to these vacabunds vncerten people traueling through al prouinces with diuers abuses and deceiptful legerdemains wherwith they abuse the simplicity of the people in getting their money These masked pilgrims or rather absolute hypocrites studying nothing but the philosophie of Sathan as soone as their children be borne whilest their sinewes bones be tender flexible with smal force wil not stick to breke their arms crush their legs puffe vp their belly with some artificial pouder defacing their noses with other parts of the face somtime pecking out their eyes al to make them appere monstrous wherof besides the familiar examples of oure miserable time there was great experience in Asia in the time of Hippocrates as apereth in his booke de aere locis ¶ The generall causes of the generation of MoÌ„sters with many notable Histories touching the same CHAP. vj. THe Auncients of olde time had these monstrous creatures in so greate horrour that if they fortuned to méete any of them by chauÌ„ce in their way they iudged it to be a foreknowledge of their misfortune and to belâ—eue it y e more the Emperor Adryan chancing to sée a Moore at vnwares assured himself to die immediatly The souldiers of Brutus being readie to ioyne battaile with the armie of Octauus Caesar hauing encouÌ„tred an Ethiopian in their way prognosticated that they shold lose the battaile which hapned according to their imagination In like maner the auncient Romains had these deformed creatures in suche disdaine that they straightly charged that the mis-shapen or hauing any other vice vpon their body shoulde not be receyued amongst the virgins Vestales as Fenestellus teacheth in his boke of the Magistrates and worthie men of Rome But that which is most to be maruelled at is that God forbad Moyses not to receiue them to do sacrifice amongest his people as you may reade more at large in the first chapter of Malachy the .xxj. of Leuit. Wherin S. Hierom hauing fully considered these abuses in an Epistle written to a virgin called Demetriade complaines of those Christians whiche offer vnto God those children or put them into religious houses being crooked lame deformed hauing yet a matter more straunge which Iulius Obsequius and other authors haue written of among the Romaine wonders wherin they credibly reporte that the auncient Romaines had these litle monstrous creatures in such abhomination that as soone as they were borne they were immediatly committed to the ryuer of Tyber there to be norished But we being better broughte vp and fostred in a schole of more humanitie knowyng them to be the creatures of GOD suffer them to be brought to the church there to receiue the holy sacrament of Baptisme as may be séene in the figure of these two Maides embracing eche other ioyned together by a straunge infirmitie of nature who wer séene to liue in our age of many thousande persons in forme or shape such as you see them portraicted And to the end the historie of their natiuitie might be the better vnderstanded I will declare that which Sebastian Munster writeth who saw them and behelde their vnnaturall order at large in the yeare as he sayde a thousand foure hundred fourescore .xv. and in the moneth of September A womaÌ„ brought forth a monster nigh to the citie of Worms vpon the right syde of the riuer of Rhine in a village called Bristante which was two maides hauyng their bodies entier and knitte together by the forheade so that there was not any artificial or humaine policie to deuide them asunder as myne author saw them at Magence in the yeare .1501 and being six yeres of age were constrained to go togither whiche was pitifull to beholde for as the one marched forwards the other of force reculed backwards they rose togither and slept togither their noses touching so nigh that they coulde not turne their eyes but one way their forheades ioyning togethers hanged ouer their eyes letting therby the iust course of their sight and liuing till they were ten yeares of age the one of them died who being separated and taken from the other the hurt she receyued in the separation from hir dead sister was the onely cause she died immediately Beholde here sayth he the cause of this monstrous birth two women talking togither the one of them being great with childe there came a thirde woman not knowyng that eyther of them were with childe and sodainly thrust their heads togithers as they talked wherewith she with childe was astonished whereupon grew this monstrous child bearing And to confirme the same to be of more trouth Cardan affirmeth in his bookes de Subtilitate saying That the astoonishment was some help to tie these .ij. infants togithers albeit he alleaged further cause of this vnnatural birth ¶ A wonderful and horrible monster of our tyme vpon the discourse of whom the question is asked whether Diuels can engender and vse the workes of Nature CHAP. vij THis hideous moÌ„ster whose portraict is here set out was born in base Pologne in the noble city of Cracouie in y e month of Februarie and yeare of grace .1543 or as some write 1547. and vpon the euen of the conuersion of S. Paule who although he were begotten of honorable parents yet was he most horrible deformed and fearefull hauing his eyes of the colour of fire his mouthe and nose like to the snoute of an Oxe wyth an horne annexed thereunto like the trumpe of an Elephant all hys backe shagge hairde like a dogge and in place where other men be accustomed to haue brests he had two heads of an Ape hauing aboue his nauell marked the eies of a cat and ioyned to his knee and armes foure heades of a dog with a grenning and fierce countenance the palmes of his féete and handes were like to those of an ape and amongst the rest he had a taile turning vp so hie that the height therof was half an elle who after he had liued foure houres died saying only Watch the Lorde commeth And although this creature were monstrous yet haue not sundry lerned authors failed to
nature hir wombe opened and yelded into the handes of the Midwife certaine yron nailes thicke tronchions or endes of knotted staues glasse bone lockes of haire hardes of flaxe hemp stones with other trumperie of lothsom hideous regard wherof the diuel by his coniuration and other hellish arte had made an assembly in that place to abuse the simplicitie of suche as are apte to repose certaintie in suche vaine and deceitfull charmes all which is aduouched by Licostenes Amberlachius Iacob Ruffus a notable phisition of Zurick in his booke de hominis generatione Neither nede it seme either straunge or incredible to such as haue noted the epistles and records of S. Paule where he did onely change his shape into the likenesse of an Angell of light to deceiue the people but also in diuerse places addressed himselfe to our sauior Christ with intente to seduce him But bicause wée haue better occasion to discourse at large of such villanies in an other part of this worke where we meane to moue question whether they haue bodies or no we will ende for this time with this resolution that albeit such wicked sprites may cōmunicat with the lusts and prouocations of the flesh yet are they both voyde of séede and without meane of generation for that as there is no difference nor diuision of kynd betwene them so they can not bée neither man nor woman ¶ Sundry sortes of lightnings with wonderfull thunders and tempestes happening in our time with the peril and harmes proceding of the same and certaine defensible meanes against their furie CHAP. viij WHo goeth about to make particular description of the desolation and destruction of diuers ancient and rich Cities Theatres Castles towres piles pillers churches of sumptuous and of stately regarde ouerthrowne and defaced by the violence of lightenyng thunder and other raging furie and tempests of the aire had néede of the assistance of long time and a large volume to pack vp such great and strange matters which maketh me leaue all antiquities records of ancient date to a long leisure and touch only in this treatise such things as hapnyng amongst our selues are also confirmed by our owne viewe and memorie the same being of familiar experiēce may also stirre vp in vs spéedie remorse of cōscience with a more dutiful regard feare of the maruellous effects of the infallible iustice of god At such time then as the french garison was within Milan which according to the chronicles was anno 1521. the said towne was so assailed with sūdry strange storms of lightning that y e citizens dispairing of longer life yelded to y e mercie of God with expectation to be presently consumed with the flame of that torment which amongst other places of the towne semed to thūder his most force vpon y e castle wherin was kept both y e treasure of the town munitiō other furniture of war with great store of Canon pouder cōmonly called Gunpouder which being of it self rather apt to yeld to y e least spark of fire that is thā able to cōtend with any thing that is hoat was immediatly al in a flame by force of suche flashes as came from the opening of the element so raged vpon the towre wherin it was layd that in one instāt it was razed and made flat with y e earth burning blowing vp sundry lodgings bulwarkes of the Castle in such sort that what with the strength of the pouder and furie of the fire there were forced vp into the aire stones of an vnresonable bignesse wherof certain of them fell redounded vpon the .ij. chief Prouosts whom they brused and burned to ashes other brake in pieces the armes legs and other parts of al such as vnhappily were within their power the same performing such effects of mortalitie vpon the garrison there that of two hundred souldiours were scarcely 〈◊〉 on liue a dosen being also of no lesse maruell to beholde the number of huge corner stones caste out into seuerall places of the citie and fields therabout the space of .v. or .vj. C. passes of such weight and greatnesse that the strength of .xx. Oxen were scarce able to remoue them from the earth and yet is there not such cause of wonder in these terrible messangers and tokens of Gods wrath as we reade fel vpon the late miserable and desolate citie of Malynes ▪ parcell of the dominion of the Spanish King within his Duchie of Brabant the .vij. of August .1521 about .xj. of the clock in the night which was afflicted with such horrible calamitie that way for the tyme that the like hath not ben remembred by any report nor seene in any age afore For the thūder made tremble and shake in such sort this miserable citie that the townsmen looked when the earth should open and swalow them into hir intrailes After which fearful brute and horrible noise in the cloudes began to appere in the bottome of the Element a flame resembling a burning torche casting a stinke or lothesome smell like vnto sulphur and brimstone driuing the people into such indifferent feare amaze that they were neither able to take counsel of the case and much lesse iudge the cause of so tragicall a view vntil at last the crie was thorow the whole town that the fyre of heauen was fallen vpon the strong towre and gate of brasse wherin dyd lie .viij. or .ix. barrels of gunpouder which immediatly grewe to such a mortall confusion of all degrées of people within the walles that the very remembraunce of so monstrous a slaughter may moue terror to any heart with what mettall of hardnesse soeuer it be stamped for y e noise was no sooner begoon but the towre was cōuerted into ashes the gate diuided into 10000. peces with like fury vpon y e walls next adioining who were so thorowly defaced turned vp y t the very fūdation was disclosed their greatest stones conueyed furthest frō the Citie their diches and pondes full of water drained and made dry by the extreme heate of the fire the day after wer foūd according to the authoritie of y e chronicle about the sayd towre gate aboue .400 dead bodies besides .140 mortally wounded and almost torne in peces amongst whiche was founde a bigge bellied woman stricken dead whose wombe being ripped did yelde a childe on liue and after baptised whose picture or figure appeareth in the portraicte Some had their heades taken from their bodies as cuningly as it had ben carued with a sworde or sharpe axe for the nonce other some as they were playing at cardes in a Tauerne or tippling house were all destroyed with the lightning and conuerted into cynders except the hostesse or hir maid that was gone into the cellar for wine Amongst suche as were reserued on liue in this horrible slaughter was one man who hiding himselfe in a stonie vault during the extremitie of the storme durst not come out for any persuasion
for three dayes after the tempest when he demaunded with greate feare whether the worlde stode still or not To conclude there was neither temple chapel nor other place of sanctuarie frée froÌ„ the furie of this tempest nor any corner of the towne dispensed withall for his malice the same raging indifferently vpon the whole citie leauing it so tottered and defaced that if there were paine in enduring the afflictions there is no lesse cause of pitie nowe to remember so greate a desolation Neither is it inough for the contentment of the reader nor sufficient to the discharge of my intent to preferre as it were paterns and familiar experience of these monstrous quarels skirmishes of the aire and Element aboue if in some sorâ—e I make you not priuie to the causes and motions of the same â–ª Whereof for a first authoritie Aristotle in his Metheors and bokes of the worlde giueth this reason There be .ij. sortes of vapors sayth he which ascend coÌ„tinually from the earth into the ayre wherof the one is hot moist and withal very massy and heuy which makes a stay of theÌ„ in the middle region of the ayre wher they are conuerted into a heauy thicknesse or grosse corruption and in the ende dissolued into watrie humoures as raine haile snowe and other like the other exhalations deriued of the humoures of the earth and drawne vp by the violence of the aire be of a more drie and hotte disposition which makes theÌ„ lighter in weight y â— same procuring them to a higher MouÌ„t euen to y e vttermost regioÌ„ where the extremitie of the heate forceth them to a fierie flame wherof procéede those blasing Cometes dragons and other like wonders in the Element whiche stirre vp an amaze in the people being ignorant of the cause And if it happen that those drie vapoures get place within any cloude they do so pierce and penetrate the most subtil part of it that there is forced a present vent which is the lightning and tremblyng of the heauen from the vehemencie of which conflict within the cloudes doe procéede the thunders and ratling of the skies in such sorte that it séemeth most often that the noyse is in the ayre and the trembling in the earth And yet be not all tempestes and stormes of wether referred altogether to causes naturall albeit it be the opinion of Aristotle and by him very diligently serched for that at certaine times diuels and euill spirites whose dominion and power as S. Paule writeth is chiefly in the ayre â–ª doe stirre vp and breede such monstrous motions when God is contented to giue them that libertie which is very well approued by diuers examples â–ª as well of prophane as sacred recorde And first of all in Iob wher Sathan hauing obteined as it were a licence or saufe conduict of the Lorde consumed by tempeste and fire the seruantes and cattail of the Prophete the like being also in experience amongst the Ethnikes for that according to diuerse of their recordes of credite at such time as the temple of Hamon of so great estimation among the Lybians flourished Sathan abused the people by many false miracles and sleightes of slender substance making them worship him vnder the form and figure of a Belier or by which meanes hauing heaped together an infinite treasure and Cambyses king of Persia sendyng hys armie to spoyle it and sacke the temple the Diuell stirred vp suche stormes and angrie motions in the Element of thunder and lightenings that the furie and flame thereof consumed and smoothered aboue Fiftie Thousande persons Plinie also with diuers others of the auncients affirme that the Hetrurians did so curiously obserue and marke the signes and motions in the Thunders that they did not only calculate of the successe but also gaue iudgement of the effect of diuers things and séemed able as it were by a predestination and forewarnyng appearing in these misticall influences of the Heauens to determine and appointe the very day of the death and lyfe of sundry greate estates for example wherof not long afore the fatall day of the Emperor Augustus Cesar the thunder had defaced the fyrst letter of his name as it stode engraued vpon a piller within the wall whiche the Augurers construed to a spéedie destruction of the emperour and that hée had but a hundred dayes to liue the rather bicause C being taken away ther rested but Esar which signifieth in the Hetrurian tong God and the Romains by the letter C accompte an hundred so that they both agréed that by the stroke of that thunder taking away C was figured the death of Cesar that within the hundreth day he shoulde be with the Gods Whiche chaunced accordingly for that the day of his death agréed with the sentence of their prediction A thing sure of great wonder the rather for that therein appeareth a maruellous power and subtiltie of the Diuell who by his Arte séemeth to discouer and prognosticate the deathe of so greate an Emperoure Aristotle wyth dyuers others of exquisite skill in the studie and reuelation of suche mysteries haue diuided the effectes and operations of those Lightenings and Thunders into thrée degrées the one burneth and consumeth all that commeth wythin hys power the other scorcheth and maketh blacke euery thing it toucheth the thyrde excéedeth them all in naâ—ure and qualitie and is almoste vtterly vnknowen to all the Philosophers for that it drayneth and dryeth vp the Wyne or other lycour wythout hurtyng the vessell or gyuyng it any vent howe close so euer it be it is of suche subtile force that it pierceth thorough euery thyng it melteth Golde and Syluer in the bagge without hurtyng the pursse it burneth and consumeth the apparell withoute touche of harme to any parte of the body that weareth them it smoothereth also the childe vnborne wythin the wombe wythout doyng harme to the mother whereof the chiefest reason wée haue of Recorde is broughte in by Cardanus in hys fyrste Booke de Subtilitate and his fourth boke de Varietate rerum wherein are described at large certayne causes and occasions of those thyngs And touchyng the examples I haue alleaged albeit they séeme straunge and wonderfull for the effect of Thunder yet are they of vndoubted truthe Besides wée haue read and also séene in oure tyme many valyaunt men put in feare wyth Thunder and dyuers greate personages broken in pieces murdered and slaine by such kinde of death The Pope Alexander celebratyng hys Masse on Easter day at Syenna and the diuell belyke pronouncing the passion or rather communicatyng with hys Papisticall ceremonies as he was vpon thys worde or clause of Consumatum est beholde suche a sodaine noise in the cloudes and opening of the Element beganne to houer and pierce into the Temple with such terrour that the Pope beyng dryuen to take day in perfourmyng the residue of hys prayers habandoned the Churche lefte his booke vnshutte for haste and forsooke his Cope and surplesse to make
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
of man the Diamont deserues moste estimation who besides his violent clearenesse which of it selfe hath power to dimme our eyes as if it were the sodaine flashe of a thunder is of a hardnesse so infringible that it resistes not only the hammer or stroke of other mettall but it is also inuincible againste fire or flame Plinie in his last booke of his naturall histories writes that in his time the DiamoÌ„t was not founde but in the Courtes of Princes and that very rarely but nowe nature which since his age is become more bountifull doth yelde vs such plentie of it that there is not so meane a marchaunt mans wife at this day whose fingers are not decked with that Iewell Ezechiel and Zacharie twoo of the moste famous Prophetes in the Churche of GOD haue gyuen greate honour to this stone and not without cause for besides his common properties to withstande venom poyson charmes dreames enchauntementes and visions of the night yet hath he a moste wonderfull vertue to resiste fire according to the opinion of some Philosophers whose experience warrantes it to be of force to endure amyds the moste hotte burning coles that be for nine dayes continuallye without diminushing any parte of it such is the excellencie of this stone that waye albeit in this place it cannot séeme impertinent to my intent of true descriptions of stones to impart to the readers wherein both the AuncieÌ„t and late writers haue erred touching the reseruation of the properties of this stone Plinie with moste that were afore hym and Francisce Ruell professour of Phisike with Morbodeus a latter Poete writers not long since haue greatly abused the simplicitie of a number of people in persuading that the Adamant hath no power ouer the yron neither to smell nor drawe it if the Diamont be in place séeing the contrarie is proued by common and daily experience euen so they haue erred no lesse in that they assure the Diamont not to be vanished either by fire yron or other meane excepte onely by the bloud of aâ— hée goate for it is moste certaine that the hammer is of force to bruse and bring hym in pieces being striken with a strong hande I will not denie but that it excéedes all other stones in hardnesse and that it deuides and confoundes all other precious stones by his soliditie neither is he with ease to be polished or framed with other thing thaÌ„ with his owne lime pouder or duste with this further argumeÌ„t of his subtiltie hardnesse which y e Auncients did practise with greate maruel that y e point of a dart dagger or other instrument cutting being dipped in the pouder or forge of Diamont doth penetrat or pierce any armour for y e yron steele being chafed or stirred with the blow w t the vehement hardnesse of the forge makes it of power to pierce easely whatsoeuer resistes it Nature hath yet gyuen to the DiamoÌ„t another secret singular propertie no lesse maruelous than the other which is that being chaâ—ed it drawes a rushe or light strawe as the Ieat doth but not with such vehemencie Many other strange condicioÌ„s in a diamont could I preferre and the same approued both by forein and familiar writers but because they bring with them a suspicion of lightnesse or discredit I will reserue them for an other vse time and note vnto you in this last discourse of the diamont how nature in counterpaise of the sundry graces and good gyftes bestowed vpon it hath infected it with one speciall and mortall vice for that it is most venemouse and of suche fatall operation that it stoppes breath assone as it is dronke in pouder which some affirme to procéede of his extreme coldnesse and other holde it to moue by a violent gnawing in the bowels The greatest diamoÌ„t that euer was seene excéedes not in greatnesse an Almonde which as I haue hearde remaines amongest the Iewels of Solyman late Emperour of the Turkes Most writers haue gyuen the second place of honour for stones to y e Emeraud bycause that by his liuelye verdure he doth not onely solace the eye more than any other stone but also for delite and flourishing viewe it so surmountes both forrests trées and hearbes that nature séemes to contende with the earth to whome the price of gréennesse is due either to the Emeraud or y e plantes Touching the exellencie of this stone they write that it abhorres all vncleane and filthie liuers and is a special friend to chastitie the which they make good by an example experience in the Kyng of Hungarie who lying with his wife and hauing an Emeraud on his finger maruelled to sée it breake and conuert to many péeces which might also happen aswell by chaunce as come of any vertue in the stone séeing that of all other stones it is moste fraile tender The most true and credible properties attributed to this stone by most learned men be these First Aristotle giues councel to hang it at the heade of him that hath the falling sicknesse Rabie persuades that if a man drinke ix graines of it it drieth vp euil humors Sana Verola affirmeth that if it be layed to the thighe of a womaÌ„ feeling the paine of childe bearing it procures deliuerie Rasis Dioscorides will such as be infected with leprosye to drinke the pouder of an Emeraud wherunto as are diuerse other singularities so because they be not grounded vpon good substance let them persuade credit according to the wisedome of such as can iudge of them for my parte in suche causes of difference and doubt I had rather be carefull than curious but for a familiar example of the estimatioÌ„ and valewe of the Emeraud I maye boldely commende and bring in the honour of King Edward who hauing receiued a booke from Erasmus presented him with an Emeraud valued after his death at three thousande crownes whereof that famous clerke made so deare accompte that he had it on his finger euen at the instant of his death Suetonius writes that Nero was wont to discerne the eyes and lookes of ruffians and dashebucklers within an Emeraud Good Emeraudes do proue them selues by the touch stone called Lidia which if they be naturall and true they leaue a marke like the touche of brasse Saint Iohn in his Apocalipse hath giuen great honour to this stone That which the Auncients called a Carbuncle is no other thing than that which we commonly call a Rubie which takes his name by the similitude he hath in lighte with the burning coale the same being committed to the flames doth not onely resiste their force but excéedes them in clearenesse touching his giftes and properties the Philosophers moste commonly commende it of a vertue to chase awaye melancholye defende dreames and illusions of the night and to serue for a counterpoison againste all corrupte aire Ther be of them diuerse kindes as the Grenat and such other whereof I wil speake particularlye hereafter The
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
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
heauen be as foretellers and messengers of famine pestilence warres mutations of Realmes and other such like hurtes which happen to the generation of man And he further beleues that the greater and hideous these figures appeare they purporte and shew the greater euils Whereof Proculus one of the moste excellent Astrologians which Grece at any time norished followeth the interpretations of suche predictions by all the signes of heauen recompting by order the maruellous powers which these starres haue vppon the actions humaine And there be others as Ptolome whiche haue written that if any infant in his natiuitie be borne vnder certaine constellations he shall haue power ouer diuels there be also others of opiniō but they be most shamelesse full of blasphemies who haue so much referred themselues to the dispositiō of starres that they haue not feared to write that if any from their natiuitie were borne vnder the aspect of certaine starres that they shoulde haue the gyfte of prophecie and should foretel things to come And that Iesus Christ the sauiour of al the world was borne vnder certaine fortunate cōstellations being y e cause y t he was so perfect wrought so many miracles Here you may see the cruel horrible blasphemies which these detestable infamous Astrologians iudiciall bring forth which is y e cause y t S. Augustin hath banisht thē frō the Citie of God Basil and S. Ciprian deteste thē Chrisostome Eusebius Lactantius and S. Ambrose abhorre them The councell of Tollete reiecte them the ciuill lawes punishe them by death And the Ethniques also as Varro Cornelius Celsus and many other defame them But farre more diuersly amongst Princes than any other hath Picus Mirandula shewed him selfe who hath so very well brought to light and discouered the Labyrinth of their dreames in a Latin worke which he made against them that they scarcely dare once lift vp their hornes Wherefore lette vs now returne to our purpose and shewe so neare as we can whether these straunge figures and Comets whiche we sée from heauen be foretellers of things whiche shall happen or that they be naturall wherein as Aristotle in his first boke of Metheores treating very learnedly of the nature of Cometes and of these other impressions Characters and figures which be made from heuen sayth that they be made onely by nature without makyng mention that they either foretell or appoynt any thing which shall happen euen so it is to be presupposed that if Aristotle who is the first and most excellent of all those which haue written at any time in this Arte had founde neuer so little coniecture or reason in nature that they were appointers of any thing whiche should come to passe he woulde haue kepte them no more secrete or hidden than he hath done the other secretes of philosophie which he hath lefte to vs by his writings Wherfore it is then certaine that these fantasticall flames and other figures whiche we sée from heauen be naturall and grow vpon this occasion folowing There be thrée regions in heauen one whiche is most high who receiueth into hir a maruellous heate for that she is nexte neighbour to the Element of fyre the other which is lower receyueth the beames of the Sunne beaten backe of the earth whereof I haue made mention in my description of the cause of thunders The third is in the mydst of these two to the which do come the force of the heate which commeth from the vppermost part lyke to the heate of the beames of the Sunne beaten backe when it commeth from the lowest or inferior region For as Plinie witnesseth the starres be continually nourished of the humor procedyng of the groūd which be the chiefest causes of these celestiall flames for the earthe as Aristotle sheweth in his fyrst booke of Metheores being chafed of the Sunne rendreth double ayrely substaunce the one vapour which we may proprely name exhalation hote and drye the other is hote and moyste and bicause the firste vapour is most light she is suffered to come to the highest region of the ayre where she is set on fyre wherof procedeth these fyres and flames from heauen which in the formes of dyuers straunge shinyngs appeare in the Cloudes in sundry figures as in the shape of burnyng torches of shippes heades launces bucklers swordes bearded and hairie Comets with other like things whereof we haue made mention here before the whiche engenders greate terror and astonishement to those who be ignorant of the causes wherin as it hapened oftentymes amongst the Romains in the warres of the Macedons who being brought into such fear and terror by the sodain appering of the Eclipse of the Moone that their hearts began to faile them Euen so Cneius Sulpitius seing thē continuing in this feare by a wonderful eloquēce shewed vnto them by probable reasons that such mutation in the aire was naturall and that the Eclipse proceded of no other thing than of an interposition of the Moone betwixt the Sunne and vs and of the earth betwixt vs and the Moone by whiche meanes they were delyuered of their errour not knowing til that houre the cause of the sayd Eclipse The like may be sayd of the raining of blood the which hath so much frighted the people in the yeres passed for bicause they were ignorant wherevpon it proceded as that which fell from heauen in the yere of health 570. in the tyme that the Lumbards wer vnder the conduct of Albuyn traueling through Italy And also ther fel the like yet fresh in memory neare Fribourgh in the yeare .1555 the whyche stained and made the garments and trées whiche it touched of the coloure of redde and notwithstanding although that this séemeth wonderfull yet oftentymes it is naturall For like as the earth gyueth diuers colours to many bodies euen so she coloureth the water of the rayne for if the earth be redde shee rendreth those vapours and exhalations redde the whiche being conuerted into raine the heauen in like maner sendeth them to vs redde and coloured as they were attired and lifted in height and falling so vpon certaine habites she maketh them of the colour and die of redde Wherfore many Historians as well Greekes as Latines amongest their great maruels and rare wonders from heauen haue made mention of these bloudy shoures It resteth now to putte to the laste seale this chapiter and to appoynte the causes of the number of Sunnes and Moones whych appeare oftentimes from heauen as the thrée Sunnes the whiche Cardanus reporteth to haue seene in oure tyme being at Venice And like as we haue sayd that these figures whiche appeare from heauen be natural euen so we must speake of the multitude of Moones and Sunnes the which appeare for that oftentymes and specially when a certaine thicke cloude is readie to raine being founde on the syde of the Sunne the same by a lyke reflection on hir beames imprinteth hir image in the same cloude by
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
from huÌ„ting we lost one of our dogges which we coulde not recouer by any sound of horne or hallow of the hunters and yet after we had long sought hym we found him ioyned â–ª with a shee Wolfe in a corner of the wood his fiercenesse beeing vanquished with the delite he had in hir companie Hierom Cardan assureth to haue séene a Foxe gotten of a Bitche and a Fox But to returne now to the description of our beast whose figure as it resembleth a cutted Beare so had he the gestures and other dispositâ—ons more participating wyth a a Beare than a Dogge and exceeded as mine Author affirmeth all other beastes in furie For there is neyther Lyon Beare Bull nor other beast howe cruell so euer which he dare not assault vsing withall such a fiercenesse in his fight that after he hath fastened his téeth vpon him he wil be rather dismembred and torne in pieces by piece-meale than suffer himselfe to be taken off Wherof myne Author preferreth an experience at London in a battaile betweene him and a Beare the same also makyng me remember that which the Auncients haue written of a Dog that was giuen to Alexander in the Indies which as some say was engendred of a Tyger and a Bitch but bicause there is diuersitie of opinion touching this Historie amongest many Authors as Aelyan Diodorus Siculus Strabo Plutarke Patritius wyth others I will bring in onely that whiche moste resembleth a truth In the iourney that Alexander hadde in the Indies hée was presented by one of the noble men of the Countrey wyth a greate Dogge engendred of a Tyger who as he didde séeme of a huge and fierce regarde lykewise Alexander desiring to proue hys doughtinesse and disposition of heart presented him a Bear tied at a stake where at the dogge being couched on the grounde neither moued nor angry vouchsaued not once to rise from the earth the king commaunded eftsones to offer him the Bul and then the wilde Bore which seemed to moue the dogge no more than the rest what prouocation so euer was made the assistantes Alexander enuyin â–ª as it were that nature had planted so fearefull a heart in suche a huge and massy peece of flesh commaunded to kill him Whereupon the Lorde that first ought him and gaue him to the king bieng more priuy than they to his valiant disposition desired Alexander that afore the dogge were killed he should be offred the Lyon or Elephant which being done forthwith the dogge began with a wonderfull fury to assaile the Lyon and so claw him in his cruel kinde that where he once imprinted his téeth the caracters remayned and could not be defaced being also so fierce vpon the Lyon that he could not be taken off by any meanes whereat the king séeming to maruell and the Indian Lord desirous to encrease the pleasure he toke in his pastime commaunded to cut of his taile and his foure legges one after an other tearing in effecte one legge from an other notwithstanding which horrible torments he endured he gaue not ouer the battaile but continued as constant as in the beginning wherwith to preueÌ„t a displeasure in Alexander who seemed to gréeue to sée so valiant a dogge so lothsomely dismembred the Lord tolde him he had two other of the same litter wherof he made at the same time offer to y e King with charge that according to their natures he must proue them against either Lions or Elephants seeing customably they contemne all other beasts yelding no glory to y e victory which is got of others of baser condition The Auncients haue gyuen speciall coÌ„mendation to these creatures touching their faith and fidelitye to their maister whom they doe not onely knowe by view but vnderstande their whistle they â—latter them fawne vpon them are ielous of them follow them thorowe out all the world and be suche sure kéepers of theyr goods that they wil die rather than suffer them to be taken away Which is verye well verified in a dialogue wherin Plutarch séemes to dispute whether beastes haue reason or not confirming it by an example of the faith of a straunge dogge the same being of harde beléefe were it not the authoritie of him that writ it The Athenians saith he had a Temple called the Temple of Aesculapius garnished with great treasure and riches for the gard whereof they kéepe only an excellent dogge called Caparus notwythstanding whose barking and other meanes of defence vsed by him certaine théeues brake in one night and toke away y e most precious iewels that were in the temple the dogge séeing the Sexteus with other Wardens of the church were not moued with his barking at the théeues runneth out of the Temple as enraged or madde and pursueth the théefe that fled afore him not leauing to follow hym notwithstaÌ„ding his threats and stones which he cast at him The day being come the dogge stayed alwayes where the theefe rested without comming neare him for feare of harme which being well considered of the fellone who to preuent y t which would not be auoided offred bread to the dogge which he did not onely refuse to touche but also did not forbeare to barke without ceassing which being heard of certaine passengers that way the reporte came to Athens by which meanes hue and cry was sent forth and the thefe taken at Cromion but the sporte was to sée the dogge skip and leape afore the fellon reioysing as thoughe the théefe were hys praie and taken by hys meanes for which cause the Atheniens ordained him to be nourished at the charges of the Citye and gaue him in custody to the Priests of their Temple There is also spoken of in diuers Historyes a like discourse of the fidelitie of a dogge found by the king Pirrhus as he passed with his army garding the dead bodye of his maister slaine by the high way side being not so muche astonished at the view of the mortified ghost of him that lay deade as double amased when he vnderstoode by certaine paisantes of the Countrey that the dogge had not stirred out of that place for thrée dayes without desiring either to drinke or eat The king for compassion of the dead carkas commaunded it to be buryed and the dogge for his faith to his master to be nourished in some conuenient place And as no inquisition or pollicie could trie out the murder what diligence so euer was vsed so it chaunced that certaine dayes after the King taking a view or muster of his people assisting it in his owne person the dogge attended the King and lay very stil and quiet at his foote til it came to their turnes that had killed his maister to passe along by the king when the dogge vpon a sodaine venting as it were the murderers assailed them with such furie as if strength had agréed with his good will he wold haue torne them in péeces but being not able to performe the effect of his meaning he loked here
who was of a huge body horrible in regarde fearfull in his cries and yelling and most desperate and cruell in fight hauing already committed to morsels .v. or .vj. meÌ„ wythout deuouring them least withall he should lose his appetite and delite to fight albeit the Emperoure not lyking to kepe him any longer without meate commaunded to let loose vnto him one of the Captiues whom if the Lyon ouercame he should also deuoure him whereupon was committed into the place a poore slaue so leane and mortified with imprisonment that he séemed to delight in no other felicitie than sodaine deathe This fierce Lyon setting vp his brussels making two or thre turnes about the Collâ—sea seemed to whet his teeth and stomacke to praie vpon y e miserable man but y t which is no lesse straunge to heare than wonderfull to see this cruell beast approching neare his prisoner séemed at a sodaine to gase in beholding his face with greate iudgement which hauing performed and viewed with such leisure as he thought good he did not only refuse to doe him any harme but also with great humilitie he smelled to his handes and licked hys fingers and falling prostrate afore him he séemed not onely to know him but acknowledge most thankefully in his kinde an auÌ„cient debt and good turne done vnto him This brought suche indifferent comforte and courage to the pore man that he conuerted his former feare into present assuraunce of safetie The same mouing him in token to be thankefull of his parte to stroke and cherish the Lyon as if there had bene an auncient familiaritie betwene them which bredde such cause of amaze in the Emperoure and the assistantes as neuer hauing séene nor heard of the lyke that they imagined him to be some Nycromancien or by some Arte to haue enchaunted the disposition of the Lyon And forthwith called the slaue vnto hym and asked what he was of what Countrey and hys name what was his offence and for what cause he was there deliuered to such distresse of the wilde beastes what saith he hast y u nourished this Lion or hast thou heretofore staÌ„d his life in stead or deliuered him from any mortal danger Or if then be some enchaunter I enioyne thée vpon paine to be here disinembred quicke to yeld vs a truthe séeing it is now happened to thée which neuer hath bene séene to chaunce in Rome since the first foundation Wherwith the wretched prisoner hauing yet the Lion couched at his fete aunswered the Emperour with an assured and stayed couÌ„tenance in this sort Albeit sir I beare here a miserable body of the malice of my time and fortune the same wyth other mortall distresses in prison making me rather resemble the ghoast to a dead man than séeme of state as I haue bene yet sir the extremitie of my case doth not take away the estimation of the house y t bred me being not long since a knight of the countrey of Eselauonia and of the line of the Androniques of no lesse honor in that couÌ„trey than the famous Quintus Fabius and Marcus Marcellus throughe your prouince and part of Rome the city whereof I am is called Mantuca who as she reuolted against the obedience of the Romaines so all such as remained of that miserable calamitie became seruile to your city wherof my fortune as you sée made me a miserable partaker but touching your demaund to be priuy to the discourse of my tragical life It is now .xxvj. yeres since I was first prisoner in my countrey and as loÌ„g since I was brought in that order to this city sold in y e field of Mars to a sawyer of wood who finding me vnapt to supply y t trade sold me to the Consullâ— Dacus liuing at this day whose coÌ„mendation as it coÌ„sisted chiefly in wisdome profound experience so had he for a counterpoise of his vertues a vice most familiar to him y â— same eclipsing al the rest as the clouds doe the clearenesse of the Sunne for his couetousnesse was so great that I was at a point to sterue with hunger in his seruice my toyle trauel both day night so painfull extreme that during the space of a xj yeres which was the time scope of my miserable life I neuer ioyed in other thyng than in the desire of death which being withstanded by my destenie I thought to abridge my desolation by meanes as I best might wherevpon I tendred a request to my maister eyther to sell me to an other or by some other way to giue ende to my myserie Wherin if I preuailed it was in increase of further rigour on his part seeming rather to aggrauate his villanie than diminish any part of his crueltie and for my self féelyng the threats of age and fall of my former strength I resolued desperately to burie my selfe and sorrowes in the solitarie desertes of Egypt wherein fortune fauoured me with a most conuenient occasion for that the Consule my maister leauyng Rome to visite a countrey called Tamutha situated betwene the confines of Egipt and Affrica from whence as he rested one night and was in the depth of his sléepe I departed without other leaue than that I came with as slender noyse as I coulde and so taking only with me some reasons dry and a bottle of water I coÌ„mitted me in that state to the mercy of the nighte and guide of fortune But at the dawning of the day fearing some search to pursue me and being pressed withall with a wonderfull desyre of sléepe I layde me downe in a caue which I founde by chaunce in that desert place wherein I had not rested many houres but I saw enter into my lodging a huge and cruell Lyon hauing his throate and féete embrued wyth bloud the same addyng further dreade to my former the rather bicause I saw me as voyde of meanes to flée his furie as vnprouided of force to resist his furie which made me pronounce secrete sentence of myne owne death with contentment that the bowells of y e Lion to become the sepulchre of my brused bones Wherin as I was in the depth of these mortall cogitations beholde the Lyon which had a little paused at the entrie of the caue began to draw neare the place where I was drawing one of his leggs after hym with great griefe as it séemed and houering ouer the place where I laye vpon the earth for feare he layde his hurt legge vpon my handes in sorte as the wisest man would that sought to discouer his grief iâ— an other which made me take heart the rather for that y e feare which I had of this proude beast was turned into a desire in him self to demauÌ„d succors at my hand His grief was in his foot by reason of a great thorn which lay within the flesh the same making it swell that it was at point to yeld matter to the which I gaue a vent by breaking thâ— impostume and tooke out the
swiftnesse and light condition that no shippe how so euer she be assisted with windes or weather is able to make saile equall with the wing of that Birde whose wings in déede are long and thin but of a meruellous reflection and light whose fethers or more properly shagge or long haire be almost of the hardnesse of a horne thys Birde hath no féete she flieth continually without resting in any place sauing that she stayeth against a trée or bough vpon the which she hangeth and stayeth by a lock of hir loÌ„g hair she is of great price by reason of hir strauÌ„genâ—sse and rarietie the great men of Leuant for a brauery do deck the crests of their armors with the plumes of this Birde they saw it at Noremberg by Iohn Cromerus The Almaines call this bird in their laÌ„guage Luffruogel which signifieth a bird of y e air either by reason y t she liueth in the air or that they make accoÌ„pt she is releued therby the most be of opinion y t the female hath one receptacle or retreat vnder hir wings where she layeth and hatcheth hir egges Wherefore the kings of Marmin in the Iles of Moluques not long sithens were persuaded did beleue y t their soules were immortal by the consideration of this Birde being moued by no other argument if not that they obserued one litle bird of extreme beautie which at no time touched the earth but sometimes fell dead from the height of heauen And as the Mahometists trauailed with them they shewed them this birde persuading them that she came from Paradise which was a delicious place where the dead soules toke their repose wherby that people grosse and barbarous beleuing that which the Turkes declared to them begaÌ„ very curiously to examine of their law and in the ende became Mahometists and folow at this day the Mahomet law for which cause they name that birde Manucodiata that is to say the birde of God which birde they haue in such reuerence and honour that the Kings hauing hir aboute them accompte themselues sufficiently guarded from all perill and daunger of warre wherupon the Kings of the Isles aforesayd did send to Charles the fift Emperor fiue of these litle birdes dead for as we sayd before they were neuer taken by any man aliue Maximilianus Transsiluanus Gesnerus pursuing the Historie of this birde addeth yet that whiche foloweth I haue saith he attained to write these things by the letters of Melchior Guillandin Beruce a man great in science and doctrine whiche were brought vnto me to Padoue by the which he writeth hir the birde of Paradyse as here foloweth Albeit those which haue left in writing the nauigation of the Spaniards to straunge countreys assure and affirme that there is a little bird bred and borne in the Isles of Moluques very pleasaunt and of singular beautie wherof the body is but litle notwithstandyng by reason of the hugenesse of hir feathers she séemeth more great which be brode and houering disposed in a rounde in such sort that they represente the circuite of a circle That little birde representeth in greatnesse and forme a Quaile being adorned and decked with feathers of diuers colours most faire and bautifull contenting very muche the eyes of those which behelde hir hir head proportioned to the body somewhat more great than a swallow hir fethers which decke the height of hir from the vppermoste part of the bones of the skurfe of hir neck to the mydst of hir beake be short great hard thick and of a yealowe colour and shineth like the purest golde or the beames of the Sunne the others which couer hir chin be moste delicate tender and resemble a piercyng coloure like to the gréene and not much vnlike to those whiche we see vpon the heades of Canardes being directly against the sunne That birde hath no féete and is very like a Hearon touching the feathers of hir wings sauing that they be more tender and long holden of a broune colour participating with redde and blacke The male of that birde hath a hole vpon the skurfe of his back where the female putteth and hatcheth hir egges and not relieued by other meate than the dewe of heauen whiche serueth them for meate and drinke And who lyst to visite the inwarde parts of thys byrde shall fynde hir full of fat or grease whereof I may boldly talk bicause I haue séene two without legs which is contrary to the writing of Aristotle who affirmeth that no birde wanteth féete he dwelleth alwayes in the ayre I am sure this would amaze you to write wholy the form of this bird by his particulars as Gesnerus writeth according to the witnesse of the foresayd authors Albeit who is desirous to sée a more ample description thereof reade that which the sayd Gesnerus hath written in the chapter where he treateth of the birde of Paradise or in the boke of Auium natura Hieromeus Cardanus in his bokes de subtilitate or place where he writeth of perfect beasts reporteth the like to that which foloweth In the sayd Isles of Moluques they haue found vpon the laÌ„d or in the sea one dead bird called Manucondiata which is as much to saye in the Indians toung as the birde of God or Birde of Paradise whiche they haue not séene on liue for that it hathe no féete Which for my part I haue séene thrée or .iiij. tymes and alwayes wanting those membres she dwelleth continually in the aire and that very high and farre of Shée beareth a body and a beake muche like the sea swallowe both in bignesse and other forme the quilles of hir wings and tayle be full as bigge as those of an Eagle when she aduaunceth or stretcheth them abroade Hir feathers bee very small and moste lyke reseruing their litlenesse to the plumes of a Pehenne or a she Peacocke and differing in that poynt from the Peacocke hym selfe bycause these feathers haue not suche starres or eyes as we sée in the tayle of a Peacocke The backe of the male of this birde is holowe where by moste reason the female dothe laye hir egges seing hir belly is also hollow the same arguyng that by the hollownesse of the one and other she layeth and hatcheth hir eggs there is in the taile of the male a thréede of the length of thrée shaftments blacke in colour neither rounde nor square of an ordinarie bignesse not much vnlyke to a Shoemakers thréede by the whyche it may be presumed that the female is tied and ioyned to his backe whilest she layeth and hatcheth hir egges It is moste certaine that as she remayneth continually in the ayre so lykewise when hir wyngs and tayle be drawne into a roundnesse she supporteth hir selfe that way and being wearie she becommeth as she was afore She doth lyue by none other foode than by the dewe of Heauen whiche serueth hir bothe to eate and also to dryncke the same arguing a wonderfull diligence and maruell of Nature to make
suche prouysion for this byrde in the ayre It séemeth not that she shoulde be nouryshed of pure Aire onely bicause it is too subtile and it is not likely that she shoulde be nourished of small Beastes and Flies bycause the substaunce wherevppon these Creatures bée fourmed is not engendred in the aire neither hath there ben founde any such digestion in the bellie of thys Birde as they haue written of hir that haue séene hir deade she hath not hir relief of the vapour which ascendeth from the earth bicause she was neuer sene to discend so lowe besides there is often perill in vapours and this birde is not consumed but by olde age all which proue that she is only fedde and preserued vpon the dewe that falleth in the night Wherwith ende the opinions of Galene and other late writers touching the properties of this bird Neither can it much disagrée from our purpose of straunge birdes to auouche in this place the authoritie of Hector Boetius and Saxo who write that they founde certaine Trées in Scotlande whose frute being lapped within the leaues and the same fallyng into the water in some conuenient time take life and turne into a liuing birde whiche they call a Trée bird This trée groweth in the yle of Pomonne which is not farre from Scotlande towards the north the which is verified in some sort by Aeneas Siluius affirmyng that he hath heard that in Scotlande is a trée growing for the most part vpon the banke of a ryuer which brought forth frute of forme likenesse to a de Caunes réede which being ripe fall off themselues some into the water and some vpon the lande and those whiche take the water are séene to haue life and swymme vpon the waues and after certain time to take wings and flie into the aire which notwithstanding by diligent inquisition hath not ben founde in Scotlande but rather in the Iles of Orchades ¶ A Monstrous Serpent bought by the Venetians in Affrica and sent afterward into Fraunce embalmed as our late writers affirme CHAP. xxxiiij ACcordyng to the testimonie of Conradus Licostenes of whome I haue borowed the portraict of this horrible Serpent with vij hâ—â—â—es this monster was sente out of Turkey to the VenetiaÌ„s embalmed who not long after made a presente of it to Francis de Valoys the Frenche King by whome for the rarenesse of it it was valued at six thousande ducates Wherein like as for a more certaintie and truth of the matter I haue ben curious to searche whether there hath ben any such monstrous thing within the courte or not so if it be true as it is to be presumed in respect of the authoritie of him that wryt it I think nature hath neuer brought out or formed any thing more maruellous amongest all the monsters that euer were for besydes the monstrous and fearefull figure of thys Serpent there is yet a further consideration and regarde touchyng the faces which bothe in view and iudgement séeme more humaine than brutal but touchyng the multitude of hir heades me thinketh it oughte to argue no great strangenesse to fynde serpents with two or .iij. heades seing we haue and meane to make mention of bothe men and women that haue hadde no lesse the same being also witnessed by certaine of our late writers who trauailyng into India haue séene the same Ludouicus Vertomanus in his boke of the peregrinations of the Indians sayth that he hath séen in Calycut fourfooted serpents bréeding within certain marshes which contain for the height of their body the bygnesse of a Hog but of an vgly foule and deformed head he maketh also mention of an other kinde of serpents which be so venomous that as soone as they touche or pierce the blood of a man he falleth forthwith dead to the ground He sayth that if the King of that countrey coulde discouer the place of habitation of these serpents he woulde buylde them little caues or cabinets to defende them from the violence and inundation of waters when there hapned any such besides he helde them so deare that if any of them were oppressed or killed by any of his people such as coÌ„mitted the fact were sure to passe the same way the same mouing of a fonde superstitious opinion of the king inhabitants there that these serpeÌ„ts were certain spirites of God which if they were not such in dede they persuaded that their biting or poisoning could not worke such spedy death and destruction to man which maketh that those venomous beastes walke and passe thorowe their townes without perill or hurte and albeit in some one night there hath perished about nine persons of their venomous biting yet can they lose no credit or estimation wyth the Kyng or hys people who besides all these vanities if they meete any of these vgly creatures in the beginnyng of any voyage or enterpryse they doe accompte it a speciall good speede in theyr busynesse such is theyr blyndnesse and such is their mserable superstitioÌ„ Iambol a notable Merchant of Greece affirmeth y t in his trafike to the Indians he founde certain flying Serpentes of the lengthe of two cubites wyth wyngs in theyr foreparte the whiche flie by nyghte and be of so mortall a poyson that yf they lette fall or distill but one droppe of theyr vrine it kylleth forthwyth the creature wherupon it falleth Certaine late Embassadours of Portingale haue broughte from thence to theyr Prince one of these Serpentes embalmed the same carying suche a terrour with it that albeit he were not to be feared and without cause of feare yet very fewe durst approche hym The Auncient Histories enlarge very farre touching the wonders of the monstrous Serpent which appered in Affrica to Attylius Regulus whose feare and force of venom was such that notwithstanding any strength torment of warre engine or other policie whiche he or his people coulde deuise he coulde not be vanquished tyll he had torne in pieces and murdered the moste parte of his armie They agrée all that the skinne of that Serpent contained .xxvj. foote in length whose iawes were hong vp and remayned there for a miracle vntill the warre of Muancya Diodorus Siculus in his .iij. boke treateth of a serpent y t was caried on liue into Alexandria to y e king Ptolomeus Philadelphus no lesse woÌ„derful thaÌ„ true which I wil describe particularly according to the text the rather bicause it coÌ„firmeth in many respects the circumstaÌ„ce effect of our purpose Seing sayth he the noble and bountiful coÌ„sideration of the King to suche as broughte to hym any straunge or monstrous Beastes certaine Hunters determined to present hym in his owne countrey with a quicke serpent wherin although the enterprise imported almoste an impossibilitie yet fortune so fauored their inteÌ„t that within certain dayes after by diligence they brought their purpose to effect for they came to the knowledge of a greate Serpent neare the water of the length of .vij. toises and an halfe who being
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
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
not so much offende vs as your tyrannies do continually grieue vs. If you do it in respect of our children tie them on your backs vse them as youre slaues and when you haue so done they can carie no more than they can cary but of commandements and tributes you haue gyuen vs more than we be able to sustain or suffer Wherefore knowe ye Romains to what extremitie your tirannie and crueltie hath broughte vs that all those of our miserable realme haue sworne togethers neuer to inhabite with their wiues and to kil their children before they suffer them to fall into the handes of so cruel and vngodly tyrantes as you be for we rather desire that they may enioy libertie thaÌ„ that they should liue in thraldom bondage besides as desperate we haue determined to endure as yet y e furious motions assaults of the flesh by sequestryng our selues fro our wiues to y e end they may become barren thinking it muche better for vs to continue so .xx. or .xxx. yeares than to leaue our children perpetuall slaues for if they shoulde suffer that whiche theyr poore fathers haue endured it were farre more better and profitabler they were not borne than liuing to proue so many wickednesse and torments Wherefore wyll you vnderstande Romains how your officers gouerne here If the poore come to demaund of them â—ustice hauing no money â—o giue nor wine to present neyther oyle to promise nor Silke to offer neyther fauour to ayde them nor reuenue to relieue them yet they finde the meanes to make them consume that little they haue nourishyng them by 〈◊〉 vaine hope or other to obtaine their matters and thus being once brought in they cause them to consume the best parte of theyr life by dilatorie delayâ— and afterwardeâ— altogether become ruinous and ouerthrowne the mostâ— parte of them assuring his cause to be right and at laste pronounce against him a contrarie sentence in such sorte that the poore miserable man who commeth to complaine of one returneth againe into his countrey crying out of many not onely cursing his peruerse and vnhappie Fortune but also exclamyng against the pitifull add iust goddes I haue not yet made an ende Romaines but before I procéede further I wyll recompt vnto you my lyfe and make you to vnderstande and knowe what be the delites of those in my countrey I gather in the Sommer Acornes and sometimes fishe as well for necessitie as to passe the tyme in so much that I spende the miserable course of my lyfe alone in the fieldes or mountaines and if you desire to vnderstande the cause hearken and I wil tel you I haue séen such tiraÌ„nies amongst your Censours such willing robberies spoiles made of the poore miserable people so great discentions in our realme so many hurts and miseries in our coÌ„mon weale that I am determined vnfortunate as I am to abandon mine owne house and wife to the ende I may not sée with mine eyes such lamentable things louing farre better to wander alone in the fields than euery houre to vnderstande and heare the sorowfull complaints sighs and bloody teares of my vnhappy neighbours for being thus bestowed in the fieldes the cruell beastes will not offende me if I offer to them no wrong but the wicked men in my publike weale thoughe I serue them will annoye and torment me Cruel Romains Romaines do you not vnderstande the things I haue spoken of before seyng that onely in bringing them to memory mine eyes be blynde my tongue foltereth my membres quiuereth my hearte panteth my intrailes breake my fleshe consumeth yet is it a more griefe vnto me to sée them in my countrey with mine eyes to heare them with myne eares to touche them with my fyngers and to vnderstande them by proufe Behold Romains the iniquitie of oure Iudges together with the miserie and desolation of our poore Realme and countrey the one of these two things oughte to be done eyther to chastise me if I lye or to put youre officers from their offices if I haue spoken the truth and if my tong haue offended hauyng spit oute the poyson of my hearte I am ready in this place to loase my head desiring rather to winne honour by offering my selfe to die than you should gaine the same otherways in taking away my life Wherewith the rusticall person ended his matter and incontinent the emperor Marcus Aurelius cried out and sayd Howe séemeth it vnto you my friends What kernel in the nut what gold in the mine what seede in the strawe what rose in the thornes what marie in the bones what reasons so high what wordes so wel framed what sentences so aptly applied what allegations more like a truthe and what couert so well discouered I sweare vnto you sayth Marcus Aurelius that hys discourse brought such amase to vs all that there was neuer a man so hardy to answere one onely worde whiche made vs to determine the next day to prouide new iudges for the prouince of Danube and to do punishment on those which had so corrupted their coÌ„mon wealth coÌ„maunding for end that he giue vs his oration in writing to the ende it might be recorded in the booke of good sayings of strangers whyche were in the Senate and the Rustick was enfraunchised and made riche of the Common treasure Beholde Christians what holynesse what oracles vnder the barke of the wordes of an Ethnike But haue we at thys day of suche rustikes for to refourme oure Christian publike weale and to discouer the deceits subtilties fraudes and iniquities of the mercenarie iudges which be found in these prouinces For who would describe plainly y e tromperie sdeceites enimities and daungerous ende of processes there shoulde be no one man hable to wryte the same with blacke inke but rather with liuely and pure bloud bicause that if euery man which followeth the lawe suffred as much for the christian faith as he endureth in the pursute of his processe there shoulde be as many martires in courtes Chaunceries palaices and Iustices of princesses as there hath ben at Rome in the time of the persecutions of the auncient emperors in such sort that to search or begin processes at this day is no other thing than to giue sorow to his heart to his eyes occasion to weepe to his feete and leggs to run his tong to complain his hands to be always in his purse to request desire his friendes his men to run and to al the rest of his body paine and trauaile besides he that knoweth not what is y e pursute of a processe let him learne and vnderstand that the effecte and conditions of it include no other thyng than of a rich man to become poore from ioy to fall to melancoly sorow of a free man to become seruile and bonde in place of courage to be infected with cowardise in stede of liberall bountie to vse ambitious couetousnesse of one beloued indifferently to be hated generally and from