1. ¶ In the second the woÌ„ders and aduertisements of God sent vpon the Citie of Ierusalem to prouoke them to repentaunce 4. ¶ In the thirde mention is made of the deathe of sundry Kings Bishoppes Emperours and Monarques with the wonderfull death of a king of Poloigne and an Archebishop of Maience 5. ¶ In the fourth is described the history of Nabuchodonozer wherin is sheed in what perill they be which coÌ„maunde and haue the gouernement of publike weales 10 ¶ In the fifthe is declared the causes of the bringing forth of monsters and other histories to that purpose 12. ¶ In the sixth is recouÌ„ted a notable history of two maidens engendred in our time the which were knit togither by the forheads 14 ¶ In the seuenth a wonderful and horrible monster of our time vpon the discourse of whom the question is asked whether Diuels can engender and vse the workes of nature 16. ¶ In the eight sundry sortes of Lightnings with wonderful thunders and teÌ„pests happening in our time with the peril harmes proceding of the same and certaine defensible meanes against their furie 19. ¶ In the ninth a wonderful history of a man in our time which washed his hands face in scalding lead 24. ¶ In the tenth wonderfull and straunge histories of the Iewes 26. ¶ In theleuenth Flouds and wonderful inundations of waters which 〈◊〉 happened in our time 29. ¶ In the twelfth the wonderfull deathe of Plinie with a briefe description of the causes of fire which come of certaine openings of the earth 30 ¶ In the thirtenth wonders of certaine horrible Earthquakes chauncing in diuers prouinces with a deceit of Sathan who by his crafte and subteltie made a Romaine knight to throwe himself headlong into a gulffe 33 ¶ In the fourtenth wonders of two bodies knit togethers like two graffes in the trunke of a tree 35 ¶ In the fiftenth a history of a monster who appeared to S. Anthonye in the desert 37 ¶ In the sixtenth a wonderful discourse of precious stones their nature and propertie which reasoneth of their procreation and other strange things breding in the bowels of the erth 38 ¶ In the seuententh a wonderful history of two Princesses being committed to the flames vniustly accused who were deliuered by the vertue of their innocencie 45 ¶ In the eightenth a wonderful history of sundry straunge fishes Monsterâ— Mermaids and other huge creatures found and bred in the Sea 47 ¶ In the ninetenth wonders of Dogges which did eate Christians 54 ¶ In the twentith a wonderfull history of diuers figures Comets Dragones and flames which appeared in heauen to the terrour of the people and whereunto the causes and reasons of them be assigned 56. ¶ In the .21 Flames of fire which haue spronge out of the heades of diuers 〈◊〉 61. 〈…〉 22. A history very notable of 〈…〉 loues with a description of the dissolute life of three renoumed Curtisanes 62 ¶ In the .23 A wonderfull history of a monster out of whose belly issued an other man all whole reseruing the head 69. ¶ In the .24 Notable histories of many plants with their properties and vertues together with a wonderful rote of Baata written of by Iosephus the Hebrew author 70. ¶ In the .25 Wonderfull and excessiue Bankets 76. ¶ In the .26 Certaine wonderfull discourses worthy of memory touching Visions Figures and Illusions appearing as wel in the day as in the night and sleeping as waking 82. ¶ In the .27 A wonderfull history of a monster seene by Celius Rhodigenus 98 ¶ In the .28 A monster on liue whose intrailes and interiour parts were to be sene naked and vncouered 100 ¶ In the .29 Of a prodigeous Dogge which engendred of a Beare and a mastiffe bitche in England seene by the Author at London with the discourses of the nature of this beaste 101. ¶ In the .29 A wonderfull historye of certain women which haue brought forthe a greate number of children and an other which bare hir fruite v. yeares dead within hir belly 108 ¶ In the .31 A wonderfull history of a moÌ„ster hauing the shape of the face of a man who was taken in the Forest of Haueberg in the yeare .1531 whose purtraicte Georgius Fabritius sent to Gesnerus naturally drawne 110 ¶ In the .32 Of wonderfull and strange famines 112 ¶ In the .33 Of a Bird which hath no fete and liues continually in the air being neuer founde vpon the earthe or in the sea but dead 114 ¶ In the .34 Of a certaine monstrous Serpent hauing .vij. heads bought by the Venetians and sent into Fraunce embalmed 117. ¶ In the .35 A straunge and wonderfull historie of two maids knit and conioyned backe to backe sene in diuers places the one at Rome the other at Verona 123 ¶ In the .36 Of wonderfull crueltie in the which is a discourse of Asâ—iages who caused Arpalus to eate the flesh of his owne sonne 125 ¶ In the .37 Of a moÌ„ster brought forth into the worlde aliue hauyng the shape of a man from the nauell vpward and the rest like a dogge 128 ¶ In the .38 A notable complaint made by a monstrous man to the Senate of Rome against the tyrannies of a CeÌ„sour which oppressed the pore people of the riuer of Danubie with rigorous exactions 130 ¶ In the .39 Of a monstrous childe hauing .iiij. fete and .iiij. armes brought into the world the same day that the Geneuois and Venetians were recoÌ„ciled 136 ¶ In the .40 A wonderful discourse of couetousnesse with many examples touching that matter worthy of memory 137 ¶ In the .41 A monster hauing the. wings fete of a bird brought forth at Rauenna in the time of Pope Iuly the seconde and king Lewes the twelfth 139 ¶ Of a straunge monster takeÌ„ vp in the riuer of Tybre in the yeare .1496 Fol. 140 ¶ Of a straunge child borne in Almain in the yeare .1548 hauing but one legge and no armes with a creuise or chinke where his mouth should be 140 ¶ Of a childe borne in Englande in the yere 155â— which had two bodies two heads four hands and thre legs and but one belly 141. ¶ Of a wonderfull and strange monster borne in the yere .1554 eod ¶ Of two woÌ„derfull monsters brought forthe into the worlde in the yeare 1555. the one in Germanie the other in Sauoye 142 ¶ Of a monstrous Calfe brought forthe in Germanie in the yeare .1556 143 ¶ A monstrous child borne in Germanie in the yere .1556 144 ¶ Of a moÌ„strous calfe hauing the head beard and brest of a man eod ¶ Of thre Sunnes sene at one time 145 ¶ Of a shining Crosse with a starre at the toppe and a Mone at the lower ende seene in the yere .1567 eod ¶ Of two monsters 146 ¶ A wonderfull Daunce 147 ¶ The ende of the Table SVNDRY ABVSES and wonders of Sathan CHAPITER j. ALbeit Sathan since the creation of the world hath performed his tirannous raigne in most
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
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
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
hym selfe lyghter to flée away the same being also done by hys Cardinalles and euery other assistant Zoroastes kyng of the Bractiens was kylled by the furie of a Tempest Capanus by lyke meanes dyed at the warre of Thebes the emperor Anastasius after he had reigned .27 yeares did ende his days by semblable stroke like as also Carius and diuers other Emperours were subiect and consumed by the lyke force Marcus Claudius Pretor was burned within his ship by the thunder that fell vpon it Iulius Obsequens reciteth a wonderful example as here vnder appeareth in the stocke of Pompeius Liuius a Romain knight who returning with his daughter from certaine playes which had ben performed at Rome sawe his doughter being on horsbacke sodainly smothered striken to death with thunder lightning making hir be tourned naked to the viewe of all men sawe hir tong come forth at hir secret partes as if the fire had entred in at hir mouth and forced a vent for it self belowe which shall suffice for this time both for examples and causes of these terrible motions of the Elamēt and let vs now make the ignoraunt sorte priuie to some principall meanes to deliuer and defende them selues from such furies The Auncients amongst their secret experiences haue made prouf of diuerse things resisting both thunder and lightnings as amongest the foule and flying Creatures certaine fethers of an Eagle but chiefly such as she beares in hir panche are readie defenses against the blast or bolte of thunder Plinie and other writers more familiar describing the dispositiō of diuerse great fishes affirme diuerse to haue bene saued from the violence of lightning and thunder by wearing a girdle made of the skin of a Seacalf The Laurell or bay leafe amongst trées hath his priuiledge of speciall defence against suche assaultes for which respect the auncients haue vsed to plante it as an assured porter of sauetie at the entrie or dore of their houses Augustus Caesar was alwayes crowned with it vsinge also to carry certain braunches in his hande for continuall feare he had of that furie Albeit certaine Latins write that since his time one wearing Laurell was striken with thunder at Rome whiche they put amongest their wonders or matters of admiration Tarcon Etruscus witnesseth that by a certaine secret propertie the white vyne defendes from the thunder affirming that for the same cause in diuerse countries subiect to such terrible effects men vse to enuirō their houses with the braunches and bowes of the same yet are not all these in déede of such vertue against suche furie of the heauens as the true Hiacinthe which according to the opinion of Serapio other olde phisitions is of force not onely to defende men from perill that waye but also giues assurance by diuerse proues that the Wax stamped or graued with the same withstandes the thunder which they agrée to haue bene proued in the countries where many perished by suche accident seing that no man hath euer bene touched which hath caried the true stone called Hiacynthe And nowe to put to the laste seale to our beadroll of these iniuries and angrie influences of the heauens I haue to preferre certaine monstrouse stones falling from the Element of the colour of yron singed and burned not much vnlike that which the Auncientes affirme to fall in Thracia being by estimation of the thicknesse of a chariot whereof the great Philosopher Anaxagoras prognosticated many yeares before Besides within our age and memorie and also in a countrey sufficiently knowen to sundrie trauailers I meane in Sugolye confynyng vppon the borders of Hungarie the seauenth day of September in the yeare a Thousand fiue hundred and fourtene in a horrible clappe of Thunder and lightenyng there fell downe from Heauen a huge Stone of the weyght of two hundreth and fiftie poundes the whych the Citizens haue made faste wyth a greate chayne of yron wythin their Temple vsing to shewe it as a thing of greate wonder to straungers visityng theyr prouince in sorte of perigrination And to make an end Cardanus in his fourth booke De varietate rerum saith that he hath séene in a fielde in Italie a number of harde stones of the colour of yron castyng a smell of Sulphure fallen oute of the Ayre whereof some of them weighed a Hundred and twentye pounde the péece others thrée score the which being shewed to the Frenche Kyng as a thyng of greate wonder in hys Royall voyage to Naples putte hym into a great maruell how the Heauens coulde sustaine so greate a waighte the space of twoo houres séeing that the noise ceassed not nor the flames to flashe oute of the Skye from thrée of the clocke vntyll fyue when the fall of the stones appeased the brute and horrible Rumbling whiche was in the Ayre ¶ A wonderfull Historie of a man in our time which washed his face and handes in skalding Leade CHAP. ix HIeronymus Cardanus writeth a wōderful Historie in his sixt booke De subtilitate as I might saie repugnant to nature sauing that the same was done in the presence and sight of the whole companie of a Citie whiche makes it of more faith and credit When saith he I wrote my workes of subtil inuentions I sawe a certaine man at Millan which washte his face handes with skalding leade hauing washte them before with som other water wherfore Cardanus as he was accustomed w t great diligēce enforcing himselfe to searche trie out that secret in nature was of opiniō y ◠of necessitie it must be y t y e water wherewith he first washed was extreme colde withall had a certaine obscure hidden vertue the which did with stande the heate of the leade not suffering y e same to cleaue or sticke to his bodie some saith he affirme that the water wherein he washed was made of the sappe of Pourpie and Mercuriall for bicause of the sliminesse and lightnesse thereof which to me séemes not to be true for that he vsed the same water very often to wash his whole bodie putting but a litle on the place where he poured the hoate leade taking a crowne for the sighte thereof of all such as came to sée his doing therin And surely if y e water had bene made of these twoo herbes which be of small estimation in respect of such goodnesse and vertue he woulde haue cast a farre more quantitie on his bodie than he did But to cōclude it is thought that the water which he vsed was metical as that of Stybium Cōferring y e particularities therof with y e saying of Cardā other authours which I haue read I finde that in times passed these doings were not had in so great admiratiō as they be at this day seeing we see by common experience that there be diuers things which of nature haue not only power to resiste the force of fier but also will not be consumed thereof as the poulse of Pirrhus which when his bodie
the néedle beholde alwayes the north and the other the south He that firste founde oute the vse of this stone was named Flauius but the first that wrote of his vertue was Albertus Magnus Aristotle knewe well that it was of a nature attractiue and coulde drawe yron vnto it but yet he was ignoraunt to vse it in the Arte of Nauigation for if he had vnderstoode so farre of it he had preuented a numbre of miserable shipwracks and daungers of sea which ouerwhelmed his countreymeÌ„ for want of direction by vertue of this stone Neither was it without cause that Plinie giuing singular estimation to this stone did forme his cruell complaints against nature in that she was not onely contente to gyue a voyce vnto rocks to send or returne certain cries and calles in maner of an Eccho but also to giue feelyng motion and hands to stones as to the Adamant wherwith he smelleth and holdeth yron and séemeth to be iealous when any offereth to take it from him he not only allureth yron and holdeth it when he hath it but also is contented to imparte and transferre hys vertue to any thyng that toucheth it which hath not bene onely an experience among the prophane but Saint Augustine hym selfe confesseth to haue seene the Adamant drawe vnto it a ryng of yron whiche being rubbed or touched with the Adamant drew another ring and so the thirde drew the fourth and so consequently in suche number as he made a large coller of rings in the forme of a chaine by the only ayde and touche of thys stone such is his propretie and such his wonderful vertue whiche also hath bene verified by many familiar experiences and chiefly by a late triall whiche I sawe in Fraunce in this sorte There was a knife layd vpon a square thick table and vnderneath the bourde was helde in a mans hande a piece of an excellent good Adamant whose vertue piercing thorough the table that was betwene it and the mettall made the knife moue turne alone to the great wonder of the assistantes These propreties of the Adamant be common therefore we will syft out of it a more secrete wonder whyche wyth the profite may also bring pleasure to the Reader There is nowe a dayes a kinde of Adamant which draweth vnto it fleshe and the same so strongly that it hath power to knit and tie together two mouthes of contrary persons and drawe the hearte of a man out of hys body withoute offendyng any parte of hym wyth thys further propretie that yf the poynte of a néedle be touched or tempered wyth it it pierceth thorowe all the partes of the bodye wythoute doyng any harme whyche woulde not séeme credible were it not that Experience dyd warraunt it wyth greate wonder Hieronymus Cardanus writeth that a Physition of Tours called Laurentius Crascus had of this stone promised by the meane of the same to penetrate any fleshe wythoute griefe or sorrowe whiche Cardanus did eyther doubte or lightly beléeue tyll the experience assured the effect for he rubbed a néedle with this Adamant then put it thorough his arme where he let it remaine without any sorow many days after but that which maketh this experience and vertue of the Adamant more famous is that he respected neither veins nor sinews but thrust in his néedles or yroÌ„s indifferently without sparyng any place This Adamant which he had excéeded not the bignesse of a beane and was of colour like yron distinct of veynes and peysing aboute the weight of .xij. graines of corne By this Admant many people were deceyued like as also it was the occasion to entertain an errour amongst many persons which myne author confesseth to haue séene by experience about .xv or xvj yeres past being in the vniuersitie of Poyctiers whether came in great pomp a stranger naming him self to be a Greeke borne who in the presence of the people gaue him self many and great blowes with a dagger both vpon his thighes armes almost euery part of his body which being rubbed with a certain oyle which he called the oyle of Balsamyn it did so refresh consolidate his hurts as if the yron had neuer touched theÌ„ Ther is also at this day in Italy one Alexander of Verona who practised the like artificial experience with his seruaÌ„ts who pinched them in the presence of the people with pinsers tongs daggers and other tormenting instruments and that with such horrour that it greued the eyes of the assistants and then rubbing theyr woundes with a certaine oyle he made them hole agayne presently which so abused the simplicitie of the assistants that they bought of his oyle which he assured to be as profitable to all kinde of diseases what soeuer whiche was suche a gaine to him that there scaped no daye wherein he gat not tenne or twelue crownes aboue his hire for the cure of those that were sicke The mysterie whereof dyd driue Cardanus into such a wonder that he was very curious to searche the cause and falling for that matter into an intricate Labyrinth of Philosophie he coulde not fynde nor giue any other reason of it than that the people were enchaunted touching the oyle whiche he solde and wherwith he fained to heale his seruant being hurt he confessed it was a fiction and a thing nothing worth for that those that bought it of him coulde do no cure on themselues or any other And now to drawe to ende and resolution of al these things it is moste like that this Greeke and Alexander of Verona and all the rest that haue bene seene to cutte and teare their flesh in peces in sundry parts of the world dyd not heale them by eyther theyr oyles or balmes as they fayne but it is more likely they rubbe their daggers pinsers and instrumentes wherewith they hurte them wyth this seconde kynde of Adamant the same hauyng a certayne secrete and hydden vertue to consolidate that part that is hurt and to resist all sorow and griefe in the wounde wherein for a more credite I commende you to the authoritie of Plaudanus in his seconde Booke De Secretis orbâ—â— rerum miraculis ¶ Wonders of certaine Princesses being committed to the flames vniustly accused who were deliuered by vertue of their innocencie CHAP. xvij IT is no newe thyng neither chauÌ„ceth it often that the innocent creatures coulde not be endomaged by the flames of fire as it is verified in many noble persons found and spoken of in the holy Scriptures But it is a straunge thing at these days wherin sinne so aboundeth and we seldome sée suche miracles that such lyke shoulde happen amongst vs. For as Polydorus Vergilius witnesseth in the eyght boke of his histories of England and as others write before his time makyng mention of one Goodwyn prince of Englande who accused vniustly of many vices Emnia mother to Edward the seconde King of England and wrought therin so much by his false suggestions accusations that the Kyng hir
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
the whiche meanes we iudge to sée diuers sunnes We maye also sée the lyke in a table wel painted and polished which when we behold there appeareth to vs the shape of two or .iij. being but one in dede and as much we may say of y e Moone Thus haue we declared the very true causes wherfore appere so often .ij. or .iij Sunnes Moones let vs therfore now from henceforth search in nature the cause and beings of these things and stay no more at these fripperies deceiptes and dreames of the Astrologians iudicials who therby haue so oftentimes deceiued begiled vs that they oughte and deserue to be banished exiled from all cōmon wealths well gouerned for what trouble perplexitie and terrour haue they engendred in the consciences of a numbre of poore people As for example in the yere 1514. when they feared not with obstination to publishe openly in all places that there shoulde be in the moneth of February well nigh an vniuersall floud for that the coniunction of all the planets were in the signe of Pisces and notwithstandyng the day which should haue brought forth these waters was one of the moste faire and temperate days of the yere albeit many great personages fearefull of their prophecies made prouision of bisket flower ships and other like things propre to sayle withall fearyng to be surprised and drowned wyth the greate abundance of water whiche they before had tolde of Lette vs further from henceforth learne with Henry the .vij. king of Englande who reigned in oure tyme makyng no accompt of theyr deceytes but chastised their dreame who vpon the sodaine beyng made to vnderstande that one of the moste famous Astrologians of Englande had published in all places that he had found amongst the most hidden secretes of Astrologie that the King shoulde die before the next feast of Christmas commaunded that he should be brought before hym who after he had asked hym whether this talke were true and that the prognosticator had answered him that it was certaine and that he had founde this infallible in his constellation and natiuitie I pray thée then sayde the King tell me where the starres tell thée thou shalte kéepe thy Christmas this yeare To whom he answered he shoulde be in hys owne house with hys familie but I knowe very wel sayd the King that thy starres be lyers for thou shalt neither sée Moone Sunne Starres heauen nor thy familie this Christmasse putting hym presentely in the moste straight darke prison in the great tower of London where he continued till the feast was past Here you may sée how this true Astrologian was vsed remayning prisoner in extreme misery vntil after the feast kept of the natiuitie of Iesus Christe ¶ A wonderfull Historie of Flames of fyre which haue sprong out of the heades of diuers men CHAP. xxj IF there were but one onely Authour which had made mention of the Historie followyng although the truthe therof be sufficiently proued for whiche cause I haue the rather at this time placed it in these my wōders as a chiefe argument or coniecture in nature whereupon may be founded the cause notwithstanding seing so many learned men haue busied themselues to write therof together with so greate a number of faithfull authors witnessing the same in their works we ought the rather vpon their credite to beleue that whiche they haue sayd therin Titus Liuius in his thirde booke and thirde Decade Cicero in his seconde boke De diuinatione Valerius the great in his first boke and .vj. chapiter Frontinus in his secōd boke and .x. chapiter write that after the Scipions were surprised by their enimies and ouerthrowē and killed by the Spanyards and that Lucius Martius a Romaine knight making an oration to his souldiers exhorting to reuēgement they became astonished to see a great flame of fire issuing from his heade without doing to him any hurt which caused the armed men being moued with the sight of thys wonderfull flame to take heart and run so furiously vpon their enimies that they not onely killed xxvij thousande but also had a praie of a great number of captiues besides an inestimable riches they toke from the Carthaginiens Neither haue such fantasticall fyres sprong from the bodies of certaine men or appeared in one only but in many Wherof the same author Titus Liuius writeth in his first boke of things worthy of memory sithens the foundation of Rome the like to happen to Seruius Tullius who succéeded in the imperial seate Tarquinius Priscus from whose heade being yet but yong and as he slepte they sawe issue a flame of fyre whervpon the Quéene Tanaquil wife to the foresayd Priscus affirmed to hir husbād that this flame promised to hym greate good honour and prosperitie whiche afterwards chaunced for he maried not onely hir daughter but after the death of hir husband hée was Kyng of the Romaines And Plutarche and others haue written the lyke of Alexander when he foughte against the Barbariens being in the moste heate of the skirmish they sawe him all on fyre whiche caused a maruellous feare and terrour to his ennimies Euen so I knowe a certaine Physition at this day who writeth of the lyke in diuers of his histories chauncing in our time to a nere friende of his in Italy not onely at one time but at many Whereof as Plinius not onely in an other place maketh mention of the ryuer Trasimenus whyche was seene all on fyre but also maketh a certain discourse of these wonderfull flames whyche be seene aboute the bodies of men Also Aristotle in hys fyrst boke of Metheores treateth in lyke maner But to tell you myne opinion therein I can not any wayes gather the cause or foundation eyther of the one or other althoughe I haue promised to shewe the causes and reasons whervpon these wonders procede and take their beginnyng For if we wyll saye they be made by Arte As we haue séene very often in oure tyme certaine Ruffians vomite and caste forth of theyr mouthes certayne flames of burnyng Fyre whiche Atheneus in the fyrst boke of the Dipnosophistes and fouretenth Chapiter doth witnesse whiche coulde not happen as I thinke to the Histories before mentioned for that it hath chanced to greate lordes vpon whome these wonders haue bene moste proued by which meanes they being attended vpon wyth a greate numbre and multitude of persones the fraude thereof was easlyer discouered Wherefore it is moste expediente then to beléeue that they be wonders and deceytes of Sathan who was so familiar in the worlde passed that he inuented dayly newe wonders as is wytnessed in Exodus of the Magitiens of Pharao whiche conuerted Maydes into Serpentes and floudes of water into bloud whyche be matters as difficulte as to make flames of fyre issue or come from the bodies of men ¶ A Historie very notable of Prodigeous Loues CHAP. xxij I Am ashamed and almoste confused in my self that I must declare the wonderfull loue
which they bring to mankind yet shall we discouer therin an antiquitie so greate as we can not lerne or attain vnto without extreme admiratioÌ„ for lyke as euery arte was inueÌ„ted almost as soon as God had created man afterward augmented by the industrie of man Euen so the herbs plants immediatly after the creation of the elements at such tyme as ther liued no maÌ„ vpon the earth sprong folowing the coÌ„maundement of the Lorde from the caues and entrailes of the earth garnished with their propre and diuine vertues Which besides that Moses the great Lawyer of God sufficiently proueth in Exodus we may also alleage the opinion and witnesse of the auncient Greeke poetes as Orpheus Museus and Hesiodus who haue treated of the praise of Penyroyal as also hath done Homerus of Alisier and others as in like maner Pithagoras hath coÌ„mended the Eschallottus Crisippus Chou and Zeno the Caprier besides it is a thyng most straunge that Salomon king of the Iewes Euax king of the Arabians Iuba king of the Mauritans were so curious not only to know the names and propreties of plantes but also the moste part of them haue diligently written therof Others haue entertained great philosophers and Aâ—borists in diuers deserts of Asia Europe and Affrike for to discouer the secrets of herbes and plants Further it is a thing moste maruellous that a great number of plantes muche renoumed haue taken their names of many kings as Gentiane toke the name of Gentius king of the Illyrians Lymachie of Lyzimachus king of the Macedonians TeucriuÌ„ was inuented by Teucer Achilea of Achilles Arthemisia of Arthemise quéene of Carie. But nowe it resteth for vs as me séemeth hauing searched very narrowely the Antiquitie and prayses of Plantes to be as diligent following oure custome in séeking forth if we can fynd amongst hearbes any thyng monstrous wonderful or straunge as we haue â—one in the moste parte of other thyngs contayned vnder the concauitie of Heauen The Auncients haue reknowleged I know not by what meanes y e maruelous efficaciâ— of a plant which they called Agnus castus whose leaues are like vnto the Oliues for all those who haue written of the Nature and propertie of this plante saye that it resisteth the sinne of the fleshe and that those which either carie the same about them or drinke the iuice thereof be neuer tempted at any time to incontinencie for whiche occasion the maides in olde time bare the braunches and bowes of that hearbe in their hande and made garlandes therof to weare vpoÌ„ their heads thinking therby to make die estinguish the heates of the flesh Wherefore Discorides in the .xv. chapter of his first booke treating of y e Nature of plants sayeth that the Greeks named this tree Agnos that is to saie chaste for by that the Ladies sometime in the Citie of Athens garded their chastitie by making their beads thereof and doing sacrifice therewith to Ceres Euen as we haue described the singularitie of Agnus Castus which defends the chastetie of such persons as vse the same so are we nowe to make mentioÌ„ of an other hearbe altogether contrarie to the Nature of Agnus Castus and as who would saye his mortall enimie for it makes suche as vse the same lasciuious prompte and readie to the Uenerian actes The Auncients haue named this hearbe Satirium for that the Satires and sauage Gods were the inuentours of this plante for the better satisfying of theyr lusts and concupiscence when they wente to playe by the forrests caues with the Nimphes Albeit the Greeks cal it Orchis or Cmoâ—orchis for that that this roote is like the twoo genitories of a dogge in such sorte that it séemes that Nature woulde haue lefte some marke and token in this roote for to shewe the maruellous effects or works natural Wherefore those then sayeth Discorides in his third booke and .xxij. chapter which he writeth of plantes which desire to haue the companie of women ought to vse this roote for that it makes men prompte readie to the exercise and worke of Venus and as they saye this roote being holden in the hande prouoketh a man to desire the pleasure of a woman Bisides there is one thing worthiâ— to be considered of in this roote as who would saye wonderful that is that as one of these twoo rootes which reseÌ„bleth as we haue said before the genitories of a dogge excites stirres a man vnmeasurablie to the wanton actes of Venus so the other roote which is a little lesser extinguisheth hindreth the desire of the flesh in such sorte that as one of these rootes prouoketh the euill so the other giueth remedie Plinius Dioscorides and Galen be authours of this and Dioscorides writeth that the women in Thessalie gaue to men to drinke of that moste fleshly roote the rather to prouoke and stirre them to the lusts abhominable desires of the flesh Wherefore reader I will not forget to declare that thou shalt not néede to doubte of me in all this treatise of the wonders of plants the descriptions faculties temperaments and diuisions of them for that this worke woulde be excessiue excede the limits of my meaning Wherein Dioscorides Theophrastus Galen Plinie Matheolus Fuscheus Ruel and many others haue so well spoken in that that there is nothing to be desired more than they haue written thereof whiche I woulde gladly haue tolde before vnto those which thinke that I had here confounded the diuerse kinds of Satirium like this that the Greekes haue called Orchis Serapias wherof Paulus Aegineta and Aetius haue made mention which others saye to haue receyued that name of Serapius God of the Alexandrians by reason of the greate impudent lasciuitie for which cause they worshipped him in a place called Canope there where he had his Temple of greate reuerence ReligioÌ„ as Strabo reciteth in his .xvij. booke of his Geographies Wherefore it suffiseth me in this chapter to write simplie that there is more cause of maruell and wonder in some particular plant than in euery plant The Auncients as Chrisippus haue founde cause of wonder I can not tell by what meanes in the plante whiche we commonly call Basill who were of opinion that it makes a man senslesse and madde the goats refuse to eate thereof which giues iuste occasion to man to flye the rather from it They adde further that brusing it and putting the same vnder a stone it engendreth a Scorpion or if they chawe it and set it in the Sunne it brings forth wormes Furthermore some saye that if a man be stoung of Scorpion the daye that he eateth of Basill he shall neuer be hoale lykewise some assure that brusing a handefull of Basill with Cancres marins or of the Riuer that all the Scorpions farre or neare will come vnto him Wherfore I am not ignorant that those whiche came after Crysippus did so abhorre Basill that they neuer vsed the same The herbe called of
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
wyth hir hissing as Plinie sayth all the other Serpents she makes trées die with hir breath scorcheth herbes breakes stones and so infecteth the aire where she remaineth that no birde can vse wing there without perrill she killeth men wyth hir onely regarde like as an vncleane woman infecteth and spotteth a glasse And although she containe not aboue one foote in length yet is hir poyson so strong venimous as she killeth other Serpents wyth the very breathe that commeth from hir fore ende she is so mortally venomous that she infecteth and ouerwhelmeth great Cityes with the aire or breath of hir mouth the same approued not only by the historians prophane as Dioscorides Plinie Aelian Lucian Isidorus with many mo but also confirmed in some sort by the Ecclesiasticals Hieronimus Cardanus in his bookes of diuers Historyes treating of the wonders of this beast brings in a straunge thing hapning in our time which he describes in this sorte At such time saith he as I made my bookes of diuers Historyes the .xxiij. of Iuly happened a thing no lesse worthy of admiration than memory which I did assist wyth myne eies and presence Iacques Phillippes Cerunse caused to be made vnder the earth a valt or caue which bicause it shuld consolidate the better he made stoppe very close and within .xviij. or .xx. dayes after made the same to be opened to draw forthe certaine arches of woâ—de which sustained it whereunto as one of his workemen disposed himself to discend by a ladder and being in the middest of the same he fel downe dead the maister séeing no returne of his maÌ„ would proue the experience in himselfe who likewise being come so lowe as the other fell also dead after whom the assistaÌ„ts not doubting any mortal peril seÌ„t a third a fourth w t many other which al passed one way this albeit it gaue great indifferent cause of suspition and feare yet was it no suche terror to the people without the hoale as to make them desist to send any more but chose out amongst theÌ„ al a strong huge man of no other regard with them all than as a foole who discending as low and to the place of the others fell not but with a crooke of iron drewe one of them that were dead which gaue him such courage y t he would once againe goe downe and being within the mouth of the vault he began to sinke and fall albeit he was preuented by the diligence of the assistants who by speciall remedies recouered him of his traunce but not of the vse of his speache till the next day when I perceiuing sayth Cardan that he began to speake I asked him many things but he séemed not to remember to haue sayde or done any thing saue only his going downe there was let fal in a corde a dogge whom they also plucked vp againe halfe dead wherby euery man that was not able to comprehende the cause of these wonders iudged that there was within the caue a Basilicke which otherwise is called Serpens Regalis Wherin as we haue now as I thinke treated sufficiently of certaine straunge and monstrous Serpents found in sundry prouinces partes of the world it is no lesse necessary in mine opinion to search out certain singular things which are fouÌ„d in some particular kindes of them those which haue treated of the nature of Serpents haue obserued chiefly that their excrements smell sweete which by natural reason may procéede of their drinesse for Serpents of their owne nature be dry the same arguing that their excrementes be well boiled by reason of the straitnesse of their intrails Some affirme that Serpents haue so odiferous a breath that it séemes as swéete as Muske There be Serpentes which kepe their venome after their death as the Uipers for otherwise their flesh could little profite to the composition of Triacle if they were altogither without poyson Besides wherupon could come the excoriation in the Leper that hath eaten them if they did not reserue some poyson It hath chaunced in our time that such as haue taken of the hide from a beast that hath perished of the biting of a Uiper die also of the like disease Dioscorides in his sixth booke wher he treateth of poisons and venomes saith that immediatly after a man is bitten with a Uiper the biting swelleth and becometh dry and of a whitish coloure there appeareth in the beginning of the biting a fiery anguishe all died with bloud which doth force out of the flesh round about it certaine blisters as if they had bene burnt wyth fire then foloweth an viceration then they bléede swell touching those partes that be about the liuer whereupon are procured vomites of choler heauie sléepe shaking thorow the whole body Passions of the vrine and cold sweat Certaine late Phisitians are of opinion that the Uiper is no other thing than the Serpent which we call in Fraunce the Aspic Some do affirme that the Uiper doth abhorre a naked man and feareth him more than if he were clad with garments The Phisitians are of opinion that if a mannes eyes be rubbed euery morning with the skin or flough of a Uiper his sight shall neuer be dimme nor hurt with suffusion affirming besides that if an olde floughe be burned when the Moone is full and in the first part of the signe of Aries and that the cenders be sprinkled vpon a mannes head it stirres vp terrible dreames Plinie and Dioscorides auouche that the earth neuer receiues within hir entrails the Serpent that hath once bit a man seming as it were in respecte and reuerence of a certaine royall benignitie to haue in horror him that hathe offended the King chiefe and Prince of all beastes Plinie wryteth that the spittle of a man specially of him that is fasting is venomous to a Serpent in so much that if he but taste of it neuer so little he dieth and that which more is if a man but poure it vpon him it offendes him no lesse than if he had skalding water cast vpon him All the Phisitians and wryters obserue that the venomous Serpents hide them selues or abide within the thrée leaued grasse biâ—ause that herbe is mortiferous to them Those that wil handle serpents without daunger let them wash their handes first with the iuise and sappe of Turneps the same being so great an enimie to their poyson that they had rather die than once cease vpon the place that hath bene rubbed with Turneps whose only smell doth take away both his lyfe and force Cardanus in his .xviij. booke de subtilitate and in the Chapiter which â—reateth of maruellous inuentions sayth that the wilde Cowcumber blacke néesing pouder called Eleborum and the great Serpentine called DrachontiuÌ„ mains be of so great force against serpents that such as be annointed or rubbed with their iuise be seldome or neuer offended or hurt with Serpents for better confirmation wherof I may boldly bring in a History which I haue neither red
whipped through the streates In like manner the Romains gaue libertie to the husbande of his owne proper aucthoritie to kil the whoremoÌ„ger and his wife if he toke them coÌ„mitting of that abhominable vice Macrin the .xix. Emperour caused al such as were apprehended in adulterie to be broiled quicke who being informed that diuers souldioures had violated their hostesse chamber maide he caused the bellies of two great Beefes to be opened aliue and made the souldioures to be sowed and inclosed therin sauing their heads which appeared out to the end that all men might see them the one talke with the other And Aurelius the .xxix. Emperour being made to vnderstand y t a souldiour of his armie had defloured the wife of his host inuented for him to make him die by a new kind of cruell punishment for he caused two great trees by force to be bowed and plied whereunto the souldioure was tied to y e end that the trées returning to their place might tear and plucke him in pieces Confer these punishmeÌ„ts with those written of before and you shal find no adulterer receiue y e reward of a better hire for in y e sacred historyes â–ª by y e law of Moises they were smoothered murdered and stoned to death S. Paule in his .xiij. to the Hebrues crieth that God wil condemn fornicators and adulterers After in his first boke to the Corinthians and .vj. Chapiter he writeth thus Do not disceiue your selues for neither fornicator Idolatour or adulterour shal not possesse at all the kingdom of God Wherfore amongst the most principall causes that moued God to drowne the world was chiefly this wicked vice of whoredom fiue famous Cities as it is written in the booke of Moyses became ruinous and ouerthrowne for their disordred and wicked liues In the booke of numbers xij kings were hanged and .24000 men killed for comitting of whoredom It is wrytten in Leuiticus xxviij chapiter how the Chananeans were afflicted punished for their whordome wel nigh all the line of Beniamin as you may read in the .xxxix. of the Iudges was afflicted for committing fornication wyth the Leuites wife Diuers greuous punishments were sent vnto Dauid for his whoredom as you may read in the booke of the Kings Salomon for the same cause and committing Idolatrie became reprobate wherefore S. Ieremie the Prophet recompteth very often y e whoremongers and fornicators were the chiefest causers of the destruction of the Citie of Ierusalem Diuers many Realmes by thys detestable vice haue receiued chaunge and alteration become subiect to others Troy the proud became ruinous for the rauishment of Helen In like manner Thebes the populous was afflicted and scourged for y e abusing of Chrisippe and the incest committed by Eclipus The Kings of Rome were extirped banished for the rauishment of Lucrecia Aristotle in the .v â–ª of his politiques sayth that adulterers and fornicatours be the principall and chiefest causers of the ruin and mutation of realmes The King Pausanias so much renoumed in Licaonien who first defiled a maide at Constantinople and after killed hir was aduertised by an Image of his end and destruction A thing very straunge that whoremoÌ„gers should be warned of the paines prepared for them by wicked spirits to their owne confusion which Pausanias proued true for that the Ephores constrained him to die by famine Wherfore if the Histories both sacred and prophane be so fully replenished of grieuous paines cruel punishmeÌ„ts irefull cursings sent by God commonly vpon whoremongers what may then the Sodomites and others loke or hope for who ioyne them selues in the ignominie of God and nature with brute beasts as is most plainly shewed vnto vs by this shameful Historie whose portraict thou mayst beholde in the beginning of this Chapiter of a childe who was conceiued and engendred betwene a woman and a dogge hauing from the nauell vpwards the forme and shape of the mother so well accomplished that nature had not forgotteÌ„ any thing vnperformed and from the nauell downwards it had the forme and figure of the beast who was the father who as Volateranus wryteth was sent to the Pope which raigned at that time there to the end it might be purified and purged Conradus Licostenes writeth a like Historie in hys wonders of a woman which brought forthe in the time of the Emperor Lothairus a childe and a dogge ioyned knit together by the nether partes that is to say from y e rains or tippe of the backe to the haÌ„ches And Celius Rhodiginus in his .xxv. boke and .xxxij. chapiter of his auncient lessons wryteth that there was a Priest called Crathin in Cibaâ—e hauing had the companie of a Goate with whom he vsed this brutal desire and afterwards within a certaine time brought forth a Goat who had the head and shape of a maÌ„ resembling the Priest which was the father but the rest of the body was like the Goat Whereupon S. Paule sayth in the fourth Chapiter to the Ephesians that the plague ordained for whoremongers is that they become blinde and madde after that they be once forsaken of God and will not be reconciled by good and wholesome councel but perseuer still in their wickednesse prouoking therby Gods wrath and indignatioÌ„ against them ¶ A notable complaynt made by a Monstrous man to the Senate of Rome against the tyrannies of a Censour whiche oppressed the poore people of the ryuer of Danube by rigorous exactions CHAP. xxxviij THat great Monarch Marcus Aurelius who was as well a philosopher as an Emperor retiring himselfe into the fields with a great nuÌ„ber of wise men as wel to deceiue certain enuious times of the yeare as to moderate the heate burning of a feuer whiche had vext and troubled hym many dayes with intente not to be idle they began to talke of diuers matters amongest themselues as of the corruption of princes the alteration of common weales and generally of the vniuersall disorder whiche was founde amongest all the states of the worlde wherein after euery man had touched particularly that which seemed good vnto hym it pleased the Emperour to become therein a partie and continuyng the talâ—e he sayd vnto them My frâ—end although eche of you haue very learnedly spoken of the question propouned touchyng the corruption of Princes and publike weales so it is notwithstanding as me seemeth that the originall of that contagious euil procedeth of others as of flatterers which serue rather to feede the affections of Princes and contente their delites than to make them bolde to vtter vnto them the truthe They fill their heads with good words they are ready to claw afore they do itche they lull them a slepe with the harmonie of their false praises and fade them fatte with their owne faults in such sort that I know them at this day whose legs and feete can carie no more neither the force of their bodies hable to sustayne them vprighte neyther their handes sufficiente to write
an honeste feare to fall into a miserable dispaire In such sort that as we reade that the Egyptians were sometime scourged and afflicted wyth ten plagues at Gods hande so we may say by good right that the myserable suters and solicitoures of the lawe doe partycipate dayely wyth tenne thousandes whereof there is no difference as touchyng theyr tormentes sauyng y t the Egiptians plague was moued through their owne occasion by the prouidence of GOD and this of the Pleaders is incensed by the malice of men besides if the Egiptians were afflicted by the biting of beastes riuers running of bloud their landes swarming with Grassehoppers flies and gnatts and their people annoyde with Leprosie Botches and other lothsome diseases our poore pleaders are persecuted in attendyng the Presidentes paying the Notaryes brybing the Solicitoures and annointing their clarkes in the hand with double fée to vse duetie and reuerence to the iudge to clap and knele to the dore kepers and lastly pawne his land and credite to borow money to discharge it All which beside the toile and trauaile of their bodies are incident to the poore pleader without y t he makes any reckening vpoÌ„ what points he must forme his accusation what delayes are awarded to his cause how he must tender his demaund of the one side and challeÌ„ge his exceptions on the other make inquisition examin witnesses indure reproches and make perfect his processe and after that he must take a copie of it recorde it abreuiate it and lastly bring it to the opinion of the iudge from whose sentence for diuers respects he may appeale and remoue his processe bryng it to a higher Court with such infinite toile disquiet of minde that who coÌ„siders of them according to their value and merite in déede ought rather to be contented to lose one parte of his goodes than to get or buy any other at so deare a price which is the cause in déede why this learned bishop of Mâ—nodemo Anthonie de Guauara writ in a certain boke of his that the pleaders were the only true Saincts and Martirs of the world séeing that of the .vij. mortall sinnes they are not to be accused but of .iij. only bicause touching y e other iiij although they wold commit them yet had they neither the meane â—or leasure For how is it possible y t they should be proud seeing that they go continually with their hattes in their handes and sometimes with great humilitie solicite the iudge reserue a solemne reuerence to a pelting procurer lastly performe a fatte paiment to a scribling Notarie And how can they be touched wyth the sinne of couetousnesse séeing their pursses be neuer shut nor theyr hands come emptie out of them but making Idols bothe of maister aduocate and his wife doe neuer cease offring vnto theÌ„ till they haue left their pursse without a liuing And touching the sinne of slouth idlenesse they are voide of infection that way séeing that most commonly in place to passe the night in sléepe and naturall rest they are tormented with sorowes sighes and other passions of griefe and the day slippes away in drudging toile trotting from one place and other to procure expedition to their cause And lastly and least of all are they infected with gluttony seeing they must obserue neither times nor houres to fede their stomacke or procure them an appetite most commonly for expedition sake they eat standing wyth great grose morsels ill swallowed and worse disgested and all to be readie at the pallaice gate to salute hys councellour pul his aduocate by the sléeue make a signe to his clarke to remember his cause wherwith he concludes lastly that a processe is so dauÌ„gerous and venomous a Serpent that who would wishe any euill or heauie fortune to his enimie let him not desire to sée hym poore or miserable hated of others banished his Countrey afflicted with diseases nor threatned with present death But let him pray to God to giue him some crooked or intricate processe for in al the world can not be fouÌ„d a more cruell reuenge for a mannes enimie than to sée him plunged in a troublesom cause in the law ¶ A wonderfull Historie of a monstrous childe which was borne the same day that the Geneuois and Veniciens were reconciled CHAP. xxxix ALthough that nature as Galen witnesseth in his .xiiij. booke de vtilitate partiuÌ„ had an earnest desire that hir work should haue bene immortal if it might haue bene performed but for y t it was not lawful both by the corruptible matter of the elements sprite of the aire she made therefore a forge or helpe supuly for y e immortalitie for she fouÌ„d out a woÌ„derful mean y t in place of y e creature y t shuld die ther shuld be a supply of an other and therfore nature hath giuen to all creatures conuenieÌ„t instruments aswell to conceiue as engender But it is so that these instruments so ordained by nature although y t she had a care to make them perfecte yet there is found in them bothe vice and default as is afterwardes shewed by the forme of this creature wherin Hippocrates witnesseth in his booke De genitura wher he sheweth by the similitude of trees how these children issue from the bellie of theyr mother moÌ„strous and deformed saying thus that of force those bodies which cannot moue by reason of the straightnesse of the place must become the rather mishapen deformed like as trées before they issue out of the earth if they haue not libertie and scope to spring but be with holden by some let or hinderance grow crooked great in one parte and smal in an other Euen so it is of the childe if in the bellie of the mother the parties where he is nourished be more straight one than the other and that vice sayth he commeth of the narownesse of the place to straight in the wombe Wherupon arguing a litle before of the same matter he sheweth other reasons by the which childreÌ„ be made monstrous and deformed as by the natural diseases of the parents for if the foure kindes of humors whereof the séede is made be not wholly contributorie to y e secrete partes there shall be then some partie wanting Besides this he addeth further other reasons touching monstrous birthes as when the mother receiueth some blow or hurt or that the childe fortunes to be sicke in the bellie of hys mother either that the nourishment wherewith he ought to be relieued happen to slippe out of the wombe al which things be sufficient causes to make them hideous waÌ„ting or deformed And if we would consider with iudgement these reasons of Hippocrates treating vpon the generation of monsters we should without all dout finde that this whereof thou séest the portraict is engendred so mishapen by one of these causes which he shewed that is to say by the narownesse of the place wherein nature willing to create two found the