the Iudges did not punish him He was often put in prison but the Iudges durst not exceed the lawe the which did forbid them to condemne any one accused before he had confessed the fact And this MORTAC was so constant in denying the trueth as it was impossible to draw any thing from his owne mouth whether it were that he felt no torments or that hee did contemne them for he apprehended no more to be strained with a corde then to dance If they gaue him a sharpe strapadoe hee seemed to endure much and would crye out Let mee downe and I will tell the trueth Being let downe and vntied he would say vnto the Gouernors what will you haue mee say There-vpon they asked him who hath done this or that and he mocking them would repeate this question saying Doest thou know who hath done this or that and then he would adde in scoffing manner giue me once more the Strappadoe for the loue of the Ladies so as they were forced to let him alone He committed infinite thefts after the manner before mentioned but hee dyed not so shamefully as he deserued yet most cruelly for the plague hauing so seized vpon his throate as he could not speake his Mother who tended him fearing he would scape and be hanged afterwards buried him aliue And so liued and dyed MORTAC Extracted out of the Annales of Geneua Liberalitie THE Emperor MAXIMILIAN the first committed the managing of a great summe of mony to a Gentleman that was exceeding prodigall and a very bad husband whereof being aduertised he called for him and demanded an account of a remainder amounting to 2000. crownes and vpward The other required some respite to make perfect his account which was granted him Hauing considered throughly of the matter the next day hee went and presented himselfe vnto the Emperour who wondring at his sodaine returne referred him to the time prefixed the day before Sacred Maiestie then said the Gentleman I will briefly shew you the trueth of the case to the end you may not be troubled long about it You are good to all men I confesse I haue imployed the most part of your money in the entertainment of whores buying of Horses gaming and bankets and without farther excusing of my selfe I haue done ill I haue deserued to bee punished by the lawe But I besecch you to beare with my youth and for my friends sake to pardon me if it may please your Maiestie to vse me I will be wiser here after The Emperor hearing this free and open confession began to smile presently commanded his Barber to be sent for to whom he said cut me this Gentlemans hayre and with thy Rasor make him a faire large crowne on the top of his head for I will presently make an Abbot of him At the same instant the Emperor was aduertised of the vacancie of an Abbey by the death of the Abbot they were deuising in MAXIMILIANS presence vpon whom it should be conferred marry vpon him yonder quoth the Emperor pointing to the Gentleman that was in the Barbars hands Then calling him vnto him he sayd I giue thee such an Abbey If thou continuest as thou hast begun thou wilt consume both Monkes and Couent The Gentleman vnto whom good fortune came sleeping like vnto a Câ—…anoine of LEVVIS the 11. hauing accepted this Collation with great reuerence and thankes hee tooke possession of the Abbey became a good husband and gouerned his Monkes to their content I. le GAST of Frissac Tom. 2. of his Table-talke GEORGE of Amboise Cardinall a chiefe Councellor to the good King LEVVIS the twelfth did enioye Gaillion depending of his Arche-bishopricke of Rouan the which hee did in-large and beautifie all hee could as a house of pleasure to delight him after his serious occupations There was a gentleman a neighbor of his some-what distressed who to free himselfe spake to one of the Cardinalls followers to be a meanes vnto his Maister to buy his land the which laie very conueniently for Gaillion As the disposition of all Courtiars is readie for such negotiations he presently aduertised his Maister perswading him that he might buie this Land good cheape To whom the Cardinall answered with a smyling and cheere-full countenance that he desired nothing more then to conferre with the gentleman about that purchase commanding him to inuite him to dinner This commandement was presently put in practise by the Courtiar Some fewe daies after the gentleman hauing dyned with the Cardinall the table being taken vp and euery one retired to giue them place for their priuate talke The Cardinal began to fall into discourse vpon this Land aduising him as a neighbour a friend not to sell that place which was his ancient inheritance the other insisted to the Contrary alledging for his reasons that hee did hope to reape three commodities by this sale the one was in getting his fauor by this meanes the other was that with a part of the money hee should marry a Daughter of his and the last that he should imploy the rest of his money in rentes which should profit him as much as the reuenewes of his whole Lands And therefore my Lord sayd he for that it lies more conueniently for you then any other I haue addrest my selfe vnto you to make you what price you please But neighbour answered the Cardinall if you might borrowe money to marrie your Daughter well would you not be much better pleased to keepe your Lande whervnto the gentleman replyed that it would bee an other difficultie to pay the money at the prefixed day But if you might haue such a time giuen you sayd the Lord as without strayning of your selfe you might free your debt what would you say O my Lord replyed the other you say well but where are such lenders And so being fallen into a still discourse of selling and lending in the ende this good Legat sayd truelie I wil be the Man and no other that will performe what I haue said The which hee did for hee lent him money for so long a Terme as this gentleman married his Daughter to his owne minde and yet saued his Lande As all Courtiers are carefull of their Maisters profit though it be to an others hurt comming from their secret conference this Mediator comes who demandes in priuate of his Maister if hee had agreed vpon the price I sayd hee and I thinke I haue gayned more then you will beleeue For insteede of the Lordshippe whereof you did speake I haue purchased a friend desiring rather to haue a good neighbour then all the Lands in the world The poore Courtier being confounded did no more dreame of any such bargaines I would to GOD that all Noblemen would consider well of this Historie And yet this Cardinall dying did Lament with teares the time which hee had spent rather in following of a Kings Court then in teaching of his flock M. E. PASQVIER liber 5. de ses recerches Chapter 5.
ADMIRABLE AND MEMORABLE HISTORIES CONTAIning the wonders of our time Collected into FRENCH out of the best Authors By I. GOVLART And out of French into English By ED. GRIMESTON The Contents of this booke followe the Authors aduertisement to the reader Imprinted at London by GEORGE ELD 1607. To the Honorable Knight Sir Walter Cope Sir IT may bee held indiscretion that hauing lately escaped Shipwrack I should so sodenly thrust out againe from a safe Port into a tempestuous Sea of mens humors and subiect my selfe to a new Censure I must confesse that silence had beene more secure yet I may freely say that neither conceipt of mine owne abilitie nor any vaine affectation of applause did make me runne into this danger but onely a desire to spend such idle houres as I could steale from my daylye attendance in Court in such sort as others might reape some content thereby At the request of my friend I vndertooke the translation of this worke the title wherof shewes the subiect to be extraordinarie and if many of these Histories shall seeme very strange miraculous and it may be fabulous for that they exceede our common sence apprehension I must with Mounsier GOVIART referre them to the Authors out of whose writings they are collected who being learned and iudicious it is to bee presumed would not incurre so foule an imputation as to bee reputed Liars There is nothing mine but a bare tanslation the which I haue faithfully performed Such as it is beeing this last Lents exercise I haue presumed to offer vnto you as a pledge of thankefullnesse for many kinde fauors If it be not answerable to your worth Impute it to my defects and not vnto my will whose desire is to giue you better satisfaction that the old saying may not be verified in mee Tritum est perire quod facis ingrato If it shall like you I knowe it will please many and my selfe shall reape a desired content with which hope I will rest Yours euer to be commanded EDW. GRIMESTON The Authors aduertisment to the courteous Reader I Haue noted for some yeares many thousands of Histories collected out of sundrie Authors to whose consciences I referre you ingaging my selfe for nothing of their writings but a faithful collection which I haue made yet thinking that they would offer nothing that were false or foolish to bee published without good consideration I call them Admirable for that the reasons of many of them are farre beyond my apprehension and that to my iudgement they are miraculous They are also Memorable for the contentment instruction and consolation which good and quiet soules may gather thereby I haue very seldome exceeded the age that went last before vs and will forbeare it more in those bookes that shall followe If GOD will giue mee leaue The History of our times is an abridgement of all the wonders of fore-passed ages Do not blame me if I were desirous to offer vnto you some patternes to reuiue your thoughts When you shall haue seene the continuance if you shall remember any thing worthy to bee left to our posteritie you may surmount our example It shal be easie for you I do inuite and coniure you GOD cannot bee better knowne and reuerenced of vs in his iudgements and mercies Those which can performe it in a heigher stile will not disdaine my weake affection As for others which cannot or will not do any thing but censure and inueighe I wish them true vnderstanding and a good conscience In my opinion GOD in this newe age doth raise vp men who in diuers places are carefull to note in Iournals and Annales all that we see worthie to bee reserued for instruction of our successors I would not set out in collours these plaine Histories which I represent vnto you As good stomaks haue no neede of saulces so strong spirits are content with a simple reading the which they studie to conuert into quickning substance The ende of this collection and of the following shal be Feare GOD and keepe his Commandements this is the dutie of man For GOD will call euery worke into iudgement bee it good or euill GOVLART The Printer to the Reader IF any thinke these Histories strange he may see the very title sayes as much And it is good for an author to bee as good as his title And this being a translation it must be strange If any thinke that by the name of Histories all should be true he may knowe Historiographers confesse they may write as they list And Lucian entitles his most fabulous narrations a true Historie And if these be but tales yet either hee is Maister or he cites you his tales-maister more then most men will do And very tales are heard or read by most of vs with good delight These from good authors to good purpose are in good sort set downe Then sit thee downe and make thy good of them for haue thou a good memory and they will prooue memorable that nor thou repent reading nor he writing nor we translating and Imprinting This is all and of this make thy best A Table of the Chapters of this Booke A Strange accident of a yong Maide fol. 1. Accusation false seuerely punnished fol. 7. Aduertisements merueilous fol. 20. Adulteries punnished fol 22. Agillity and force fol. 36. Ambition ridiculous and vaine fol. 44. Apparitions merueilous fol. 45. Apparitions Satanicall fol. 49. Apparitions in the Aire fol. 51 Appetite of eating and drinking lost fol. 71. Appetites strange fol. 72. Age growne yong againe fol. 616. B BArbarous people made milde and gentle through wisdome fol. 87. Bodily strenght fol. 277. Bloud letting wonderfull fol. 539 C COmmets fol 129 Compassion violent fol. 133 Conceptions deliueries before they were of age fol. 134 Continency notable fol. 135 Consciences guilty fol. 138 Cruelty punnished fol. 143 Children many memorable Accidents before and after their birthes fol. 214. And many borne at one birth ibid. Deliuered at diuers times of one bignesse by superfetation fol. 224. Dead in their Mothers wombes and put forth by strange meanes fol. 228. Miraculously preserued fol. 240. Ingratefull and peruerse fol. 246. Broght vp amongst Wolues fol. 292. Supposed or practised fol. 255. Of stone fol. 256. Caesarian section or cutting out of the Mothers belly fol. 256 Commotions caused by exactions fol. 268 Cure extraordinary fol. 289 Cursinges detestable fol. 368 D Deliuerances notable and by extraordinary means fol. 148 Demoniackes with examples of diuers illusions of Sathan fol. 161. Desperate persons fol. 185 Death worthy of obseruation fol. 447 E Earth-quakes fol. 565 F FIers great and extraordinary fol. 209 Fantastiques fol. 274 Fury horrible fol. 248 Fasting wonderfull fol. 352 Father fertile in his ofspring fol. 411 Flouds and ouerflowings wonderfull fol. 525 G GYants fol. 244 Gout and one lame of it preserued fol. 290 Gould and siluer contemned fol. 530 Graue desired fol. 541 H HEart of man diuers histories thereof fol. 123 Hayle and raine
depriued of vnderstanding as hee laies the dagger vpon the table The husband beeing freed regards not this forced promise but seazeth sodenly vpon his dagger and then with a new fury with the helpe of his wife laies hold vpon his enemy binds him fast and presently gelds him and so sends him home bleeding to his lodging where hauing continued long sicke in the end hee was cured but he left running after women A Germains wife of Voitland was so vnchast and impudent as of many that did entertaine her to call three to a banket which shee had prepared for them But the husband who had not beene sommoned came to make it a bloudie feast for hauing a Pertuisan in his hand hee entred into the Stoue kills him that was set neerest vnto his wife runnes after the two other who being seized on with feare leape out at the windoes and so kill themselues He returnes to his wife and perceth her through A Germaine Gentleman hauing dishonestly allured the Wife of a certaine Cittizen the husband desirous to bee reuenged of this insupportable affront hid himselfe in a secret corner of his house and sees his enemy come who continues his insolencies Night beeing come these two wretches retier themselues into a chamber where they sup and lie The husband comes out of his hole goes into the kitchin and being desirous to drinke he made a noise in setting the water pot in his place The wife would haue called vp her seruants but hearing no more noise she returned to her Adulterer In the meane time the husband was entred into the Stoue to take a Caske and his Curirasse The wife awakes at this noise she riseth comes into the Stoue and demands who is there The husband saieth nothing but followes her so neere as he enters sodenly into the Chamber and at the first kills the Gentleman notwithstanding any resistance he could make with a Pertuisan which stood neere vnto his bed His wife had cast her selfe on the other side of the bed to whom the husband discerning her through the light of a candle cryed come out you strumpet else I will thrust thee through Shee hauing often cryed him mercy comes forth and not able to pacifie him she beseecheth him to suffer her to bee confest and to communicate before she died Why then saith he dost thou repent thee withal thy heart for thy offence Alas I answered she At that word he thrust her through with his sword then laying the one by the other hee shuts the chamber The next day all was published and the husband charged for this execution by the aduise of his friends absented himselfe least hee should fall into the hands of the Gentlemans friends A Gentleman of Hungary hauing taken one in his chamber that came to commit Adultery with his wife cast him into a prison resoluing there to famish him And to torment him the more hee caused a rosted Hen to be somtimes presented vnto him that the smell therof might sharpen his appetit make his hunger the more violent to the end this punishment might hasten his miserable death Hauing continued sixe dayes in this torment the seuenth he was visited where they found that he had eaten the brawnes of both his armes We read the like historie of a Germaine Nobleman in Thuringe who vsed a Gentleman that had cōmitted adultery in the like sort who liued 11. daies with the smel of delicate meats that were presented vnto him his foule offence being punished by this cruell torment The like is reported by three famous writers of a man who vnder colour of deuotion did corrupt many women who were before reputed honest as in old times TYRANNVS SATVRNS Priest did in Alexandria Beeing discouered and conuicted he was put to death An other learned man and of great reputation being taken in Adultery was stab'd and left dead in the Chāber Among other guifts which he did wickedly abuse he spake French Italian Spanish Germaine Polonian and Latine perfectly was much fauoured by the Emperor and the Princes it was about 80. yeares since About the same time an other famous man seeking to rauish the honour of a Woman in steed of a Bedde he fell into a Caue where hee brake his neck A Surgion disdayning his honest wife had abandoned himselfe to a strumpet Going on a time to horse-backe and asked by his wife whether he went hee answered skornefully To the Stewes Going presently to his Adulteresse after a while hee returnes to Horse and offring to manage his round the Horse leapes and bounds and casts this wretched Man out off the saddle in such sort as one of his feete hung in the Bridle The Horse being hot beganne to runne so furiously vpon the stones as hee beat out his braines and neuer stayed vntill he came before the Stewes where this miserable man remained dead vpon the place In the yeare 1533. a certaine man in the towne of Clauenne in the Grisons Country hauing lookt vpon a faire yong Maide with an vnchast eye he tryed often to corrupt her Hauing no meanes to obtaine his desire vnder the colour of apparitions and reuelations abusing the sacred name of GOD and of the blessed Virgin after an execrable manner the which I will forbeare to report for that I will not offend the eye nor eare of any honest and deuout Reader he seduced this poore maide who hauing too late descouered the Imposture the wretch was committed to prison notwithstanding the allegation of his order immunities and freedome and beheaded publikely and his body burnt to Ashes Stumpfius in his 10. Booke of historie of Suisse Agilitie and force IT is put in the number of the wonders of Nature the flying and ballancing of those which runne and guide themselues vpon a rope Some few yeares since there was one well knowne throughout all Italy called the little Venetian as well for that he was borne at Venice as for his small stature but so nimble and expert to runne vpon a rope without any difficulty as some-times hee tyed himselfe vp in a Sack hauing nothing but his hands free to manage his counterpeize Some times he put a round Basin vnder eyther foote or Balls vnder his heeles and so did runne with an incredible swiftnesse vpon a long rope tyde to the top of a house Moreouer he was so strong as with his knee he would b◅eake the thigh bone of an Oxe how bigge soeuer With his hands hee would wrest in sunder three great Nayles as big as a mans little finger as if they had beene soft and plyable Hee would take vpon his shoulders a beame of aboue twenty foote long and a foote thick supporting it long without any helpe of hands and then would hee remoue it from one shoulder to an other THEODORE a Doctor of the Lawe who had seene these feates of agilitie and force with many other witnesses haue reported it vnto mee A Physition of our time makes mention of the same or
tall stature and big the other was lesse and carried a Crowne vpon his head The greater ouer-threwe and slue the lesse then hauing taken away the Crowne he threwe it as it were against the earth so as it was dispersed in diuers peeces Three years after LADISLAVS King of Hungary was slaine in battell by the Turkes The same yeare in the month of May there were three Suns intermixt with diuers circles seene at Zurich in Suisserland Two yeares after a little before the defeate of the King of Hungary three other Sunnes were seene in Hungary which some did interpret that FERDINAND after wards King of the Romaines the Vaiuode IOHN and the Turke should be at war for the Kingdome In the yeare 1525. there was seene in Saxony about the death of the Elector FREDERâ—…C surnamed the Wise the Sunne enuironed with a great perfect round Circle like in coulour to a Rain-bow In August the same yeare the Sunne shewed it selfe for certaine dayes like vnto a great Bowle of fire and of many strange coulours Soone after followed the sedition of the peasants in Germanie In the yeare 1526. neere vnto Kauffburen a famous Towne in Swaube there were three Sunnes seene enuironed with many Circles And for that there hath beene often mention made and shall be againe of the apparition of three Sunnes which they call Paralies I will tell you what it is with their generation and signification About the true Sâ—…nne created by GOD and making his limitted course in the midest of Heauen there appeare in the clouds certaine lights the which in brightnesse and forme resemble the Sunne in such sort as one would say they were very Sunnes so as you can hardly discerne the true from these imaginarie ones called Paralies Para Helios as one would say neere or right against the Sunne For such shining Images and fashioned like the Sunne seeme to be right against it although they bee many thousand miles vnder it for the Sunne is in the middest of the Heauens and the Paralies are in the ayre Some-times by this name they vnderstand the likenesse of the Moone And when they appeare PLINIE sayes they are called night-Sunnes It is most certaine that they are made in the clouds and not in the firmament which can receiue no such impressions by reason of their thinnesse and continuall transparent brightnesse which hath no bounds There is no figure but must bee receiued in a body that is limited by some meanes whatsoeuer Those things which are made in the Heauens last and continue but contrariwise the Parelies vanish soone Neither are they in the very ayre which is transparent and not limitted yet they seeme to be in the ayre the which is the receptacle of exhalations and clouds so as the Pareleis are fashioned in the clouds Besides the cloud where they are made must be some-what thick equall and moist to make a body wherein the forme of the Sunne or Moone must be grauen and of a meane thicknesse for if it did abound it could not receiue this impression It must also be vnited like vnto a Looking-glasse else there can be no representation And moyst that the brightnesse and resemblance may pierce into it to make a reflexion Such Images cannot bee receiued but in transparent bodies Moreouer this clowd must bee opposite to the Sunne to receiue and represent the whole face of it the which should appeare but by halues if it were on the one side or not at all if the Sunne should shine directly aboue the clowd The reflexion also of the beames is necessary for if they did pierce through the clowde there would no Image appeare The ayre must also bee calme and without agitation For if the windes did blowe the clowde would bee shaken and so nothing disposed to receiue any such impression As you cannot see your face in the waues of a floud but easily in a cleere and calme Water the which is limitted in a Basin or other vessell If the Sunne shines in such sort as there is any reflection of the beams you shall see the resemblance of the Sunne in this water euen as in a Looking-glasse The like is seene in a cloud compounded of water as hath beene sayd naturally these like or seeming Moones are signes of Raine for that they are not congeâ—…led but in cloudes that are of a reasonable thicknesse Such clouds are matter for raine Supernaturally they are forerunners of the iudgments of GOD punishing the World with Plague Warre and Famine As we haue seene in our Times In the same yeare 1527. There was a great noise heard in the ayre as of Armed men that gaue Battaile Soone after the Sunne shining in a cleare skie it was sodainely enuironed with a great cloudie Circle In the yeare 1528. about mid-May ouer the towne of Zurich there were 4. seeming-Moones seene enuironed with 2. whole Circles and the Sunne compassed in with fower small Circles The same yeare the Towne of Vtrecht being straightly beseeged and in the ende taken by the Bourgâ—…ignons there appeared in the ayre a fore-telling of their misery wherewith the Inhabitants were wonderfully amazed which was a great S. Andrewes Crosse of a pale colour and hideous to behold The ninth of Ianuary 1529. about ten of the clocke at night there was seene in Germanie an opening of the Heauen described by IOVIANVS PONTANVS in his Meteors Two yeares after ouer Lisbone in Portugall were seene fiery and bloudy apparitions in the Heauens and soone after there fell many droppes of bloud out off the Clouds vpon the Earth The eleuenth of Aprill 1542. about seuen of the clocke in the morning there were seene three Sunnes distinctly shining at Venice with two rain-bowes opposite to the Sunne The first did not continuel ong The second being lesse remained vntill nine of the clocke the one was very round like vnto a Crowne the true Sunne was in the midst and the two seeming at the ends the other Raine-bowe aboue this Crowne was very large the two endes beeing equally distant from the Earth Those seeming were so resplendent as Mans eye could not endure to looke on them no more then of the brightnesse of the true Sunne but that of the left hand towards the South did shine more then the other looking towards the North the which continued longer and was more resplendent in the declyning They were of a reddish colour extending their beames verye farre in the Ayre euen vnto the Earth About the ende of the same month of Aprill in the same yeare there was seene in Suisserland a great white circle shining like cristall In many Prouinces of Europe there were Dragons seene flying in the Ayre in great troupes sometimes to the number of foure hundred hauing all royall Crownes vpon their heads and their heads were like vnto those of Swine especially the groine Those of Munster in West phalia did see in the day time the skie being cleare and bright an armed Knight running in the ayre The great commander
appeared very bright at the rising and enuironed with a great circle as white as milke the which were crost with foure Rain-bowes the goodliest that euer was seene Ten dayes before betwixt seauen and eight of the clock in the morning were seene ouer the same Towne three Sunnes the right had his ordinary brightnesse the other two had a bloudy colour Hauing continued almost the whole day at night there appeared 3. Moones whereat all the Inhabitants of the place were much amazed they were of diuers colours and after they had continued some houres the two apparant Moones or Paralies became red as bloud then dispersing themselues into long streames in the end they vanished the right Moone which was in the middest retained her accustomed brightnes The same yere died Duke GEORGE Prince of Anhalt an excellent Diuine The day of his death there appeared in the night ouer the Towne of Wittenberg a blew Crosse. A few dayes before the battaile giuen betwixt MAVRICE Duke of Saxonie and ALBERT Marquis of Brandebourg there appeared the image of a great man in a place of Saxonie from the body of this man which appeared naked first there began bloud to fall from him drop after drop then they did see sparkes of fire come from him and in the end he vanished by little and little In Ianuary 1554. there appeared three Sunnes twise in Saxony The 1. of February following about Chalons in Champagne was seene a great flame of fire which went from the East to West like to a burning Torche bending as a Cressent the fire did crack and â—…ast out sparkes of all sides like vnto a barre of Yron comming out of the Furnaise which the Smiths did worke with their Hammers Some adde that this Torche appeared about the Moone and shewed the point of a Lance at one end The 19. of February were seene at Nebre two Crosses of a blew coulour And the same day at Greisen in Turinge they did see in the Sunne which shined brightly a blew Crosse so great as it couered all the face of the Sunne on either side it had a great Cheuron of fire with diuers Circles The 9. day of Aprill aboue Sultzfield halfe a dayes iourney neere vnto Schuinfort an Imperiall Towne there appeared two Moones in the night In Marche before were seene Sunnes of diuers greatnesse with some Circles in Bauaria and the Countrie about First the 6. of Marche betwixt eyght and nine of the clock in the morning were seene two Sunnes with a Rainebowe The 23. of the same moneth about an houre after-noone those of Nuremberg did see as much and moreouer a Raine-bowe towards the West and the Sunnes enuironed with white Circles continued three houres together with a long burning Cheuron The eight day following there were three Sunnes seene at Reinsbourg Their beginning was about an houre after noone betwixt two and three they did shine brightly and ended at foure of the clocke They did cast out beames of the one side like vnto a Commet that in the middest towards the North and the other two towards the East and West In Marche the same yeare were seene ouer diuers Townes in Germanie betwixt foure and fiue of the clock at night diuers Bourguignon Crosses but most white and in a manner touching one another The 23. day of the same moneth a little before Sunne sett were seene two Parelies enuironed with the Sunne by a great Circle ouer the Village of Blech Not farre from Noremberg the eleuenth of Iune there appeared a Rodde of a bloudie colour through the Sunne with Starres or Boules of Azure Presently after there were seene two Squadrons of armed men the which had blew Cornets who for the space of two houres incountred together furiously to the great amazement of many which did see the beginning the continuance and end of this apparition The 13. of Iune about fiue of the clocke in the after-noone ouer the Towne of Iene the Sunne was seene of a bloudie colour to whom there approched presently from the South and West great and many boules of fire the which did darken the light of it And then appeared two Cheurons of a very red colour crossing through the Sunne The 24. day of Iuly about ten of the clock at night there appeared in the ayre in that quarter of the Country which is called the high Palatinat of Rhine Towards the forrest of Bohemia two men armed with all peeces the one being of a farre taller stature then the other hauing on his brest a bright shining starre and a flaming sword in his hand as also the lesser had They began a furious combate buâ—…in in the end the lesser was beaten downe and could not stirre whervpon a chaire was brought vnto the Victor in the which being set and remained some time still menacing with his sword in his hand him that lay at his feete as if he would strike him In the end they both vanished away The 5. of August following at 9. of the clock at night neere vnto Stolpen in the South part of Heauen there appeared troupes of warlike men who with great cryes and noise of armes charged one another furiously when the first charge was ended there came aboundance of fire out of the clouds which hindred the sight of these troupes This fire vanishing they returned to the second charge then the fire kindling againe you would haue said it had beene a kind of retreat to rally themselues againe together on either part which ended they returne againe to a third charge the which being done they all vanished The same yere at Fribourg in Misnia was seene in the open day the representation of our Lord IESVS CHRIST as many Painters are accustomed to represent him sitting in a Rain-bow the colours whereof were exceeding liuely And about another towne called Zopodee the Sun rising appeared as red as bloud hauing about it a stately Pallace the which was all on fire On either side of the Sunne was seene a high columne very artificiall fashioned and of the coulour that the Raine-bowe It seemed that their foundations did touch the ground and were very large The next day the Sunne did rise with a pale coulour and this Pallace was aboue it shining very brightly The columnes or pillers also appeared but not so faire and long as the day before The 10. of February 1555. there were three Sunnes seene at Vinaire in Saxonie And the 13. of March there appeared in the ayre about Turinge a flâ—…ming sword The eleuenth of Ianuary 1556. towards the Mountaines which compasse in the Citty of Ausbourg of the one side the element did open and seemed to riue whereat all were wonderfully amazed especially by reason of the pittifull accidents which followed for the same day the messenger of Ausbourg slue a Captaine at the Citty gates with a Pistoll The next day the wife of one that made sword blades thinking to get a great booty slue a Marchant in her house and presently after her seruant
killed her selfe with a Knife A day after a Butcher was slaine in a quarrell and two villages were quite burnt The 15. day of the same moneth the Keeper of S. Katherins forrest was found dead being shotte through with an Harguebuse The 17. a Gold-smiths man falling into dispaire drowned himselfe The night following many were wounded to the death in the streete I had forgot to note that the same eleuenth day of Ianuary when the Heauens did open about Ausbourg there happened such a change in the aire about Mickhuse in Bauicre and so great a light appeared in the night as it did obscure the light of Candles in their shops and houses so as for three houres space those which would worke had no need of any other light then that of Heauen Some moneths after the Heauens began to open in another part of Swau◅e out of the which there proceeded such aboundance of fire as many were striken dombe with feare there were some villages and small Townes burnt and quite ruined They did also see in the ayre certaine resemblances of Camels the which deuoured armed men In diuers dayes and moneths of the same yeare 1556. were obserued other apparitions as in February in the County of Bats there were seene in the ayre armies of foote and horse the which did incounter together furiously In September ouer a little Towne in the Marquisate of Branaebourg called Custerin about nine of the clocke at night they did see infinite flames of fire comming out of the ayre and in the middest two great burning Cheurons In the ende there was a voice heard crying Miserie Miserie vnto the Church Wee haue sayd before that in the yeare 1536. there had beene seene in the ayre in Spaine a Combate of two young men VVLFGANG STRANCH of Nuremberg writes that in the yeare 1556. ouer a Towne in Hungarie the which he calles Babatcha there was seene the 6. of October a little before Sunne rising the resemblance of two naked boyes fighting in the ayre with Cymiters in their hands and Targets vpon their armes Hee which carryed a spred Eagle vpon his shield did charge the other which carryed a Cressant so furiously as it seemed the body being wounded in many places did fall from the Heauen to the Earth At the same time and in the same place was seene a Raine-bow with his accustomed colours and at the end thereof two Sunnes Not farre from Ausbourg there was seene in the ayre a Combate betwixt a Beare and a Lion in December the same yeare And at Wittenberg in Saxony the 6. of the same moneth three Sunnes and a crooked clowd marked with blew and red stretcht forth like vnto a bowe the Sunne shewing pale and sad betwixt the Paralies or seeming Sunnes foure moneths before three Sunnes had beene seene betwixt Euschoin and Basill Touching the significations of all these apparitions I will not meddle with them Since that yeare many are obserued in diuerse climates of the world especially in Europe other wonders in the ayre euen vnto this present age whereof wee may make mention in other Bookes At this time we doe onely represent that which CONRADVS LICOSTHENE hath collected IOB FINCET MARC FRYTSCH and many others in his great volume De Prodigijs et Ostentis As for Comets showers of bloud prodigious hayle and other wonders of Heauen we will speake of them in their proper places Of some that haue lost all appetite of drinking and eating WE haue seene in some diseases the patients haue lost all appetite of eating and drinking in such sort as they tooke in a manner no sustenance Of this number was a Nunne in the couent of Saint Barbe at Delft who being falne sick of the Iaundise in the yeare 1562 continued in her bed six weekes together without eating or drinking All this time shee receiued no nourishment but some Kernells of Lymons the which she held in her mouth and did some-times suck The Father of this Couent led me thether not to minister Phisicke vnto her but to see her as a miracle by reason of her long abstinence but the next day after I had visited her she dyed That which I will adde is more worthy of admiration In the same Towne of Delft being accompanied by a Surgian I did visit a certaine sicke maide of seauen twenty yeares old a halfe it was in May 1556. after the age of sixteene yeares she had neuer come out of her bed hauing eaten euery day since that time but a little morcell of dried Cheese as her keeper had protested neither was it possible to make her swallow any liquor and yet she pist sufficiently she went not to the stoole but once in eight dayes More-ouer she was borne blind she fell to be full of the dropsie at the age of twenty yeares but this water vanished away and then shee had a sound in her belly like the noise of liue Frogges in great abondance accompanied with a strange rising and falling of her bellie so as do I what I could laying my hand vpon her belly it was heaued vp This motion did increase at the full Moone with great paines as also at the flowing of the Sea but at the wane of the Moone and the ebbing of the Sea shee found some ease This motion continued with her seauen yeares and euery tenth weeke shee had her Termes as her keeper did confesse vnto me Strange Appetites THere is no man almost liuing which knoweth not some particular Histories of the extraordinary appetites of certaine women with child for the which the learned Phisitions giue a reason We will report some Examples to incite the reader entring into the cōsideration of them and others that he shall call to minde to honor GOD in so many wonders without naming in particular the diuers sorts of these Appetites which are as variable as the countenances conditions of women that be with child I haue seene one who longing to bite a yong man by the nape of the necke and for that she had forborne a little to satisfie her furious desire she begā to feele gripings and exteame paine in her belly She therfore like a desperate woman leapes vpon this yong man gets hold of the nape of his necke and bites him so sore as he thought to haue died of it L. Viues in his Comment vpon the 7. Chap. de Cituit dei Chap. 25. My Mother bearing mee in her wombe an Appetit tooke her to eate Creueses She sent sodenly to seeke some and being impatient to haue them washt and made cleane she began to eate them rawe and aliue vntil that she had satisfied her desire Trincauelle lib. 7. Chap. 5. Of the meanes to cure diseases in mans body A Woman of Nisues beeing with Child and seeing a young man a Fuller of cloth bare legged shee came so neere him as with her teeth she laies hold of one of his Legges and carries away a peece of it He was content shee should vse
the Mother had also giuen him the like councell to escape but GOD by his power did so staie him as hee had no power to flie Beeing carried to prison and examined at the first hee couered his parricyde accusing his Father that hee had slaine himselfe But his excuses beeing found friuolous hee was condemned to haue his right hand cut off then to bee pinched with hot pincers and in the ende hanged by the feete vpon a gibet and strangled with a stone of sixe score pound which should bee hanged at his necke A wicked counterfet beeing prisoner with him aduised him to appeale vnto Paris But hauing freely confessed the Parricide hee reuoked his appeale and was executed The History of our times Of the Heart of man Diuers Histories thereof in our time HAuing perced an Impostume grown of a long time vpon the seauenth turning ioynt where through the venom of his corruption it had made a great ouerture and gnawne the innermost membrane of the heart those which were present beheld one part of the heart which I did shewe them A. BENIVENIVS in his booke de abditis causis Chap. 42. Two Bretheren gentlemen falling out at tables the one of them gaue the other a wound with his knife iust on the seege of the heart the hurt gentleman bleeding exceedingly was carried and layed on a bed whereas all signes of death appeered Beeing sent for I applied that to the heart which I thought â—…it to strengthen it The patient hauing beene as it were at deathes doore vntil midnight beganne to come to himselfe and hauing vsed all the meanes possible I could deuise for his preseruation at length I sawe him cured whereby I knewe the heart had not beene perished as at the first I doubted but the filme or Capsula thereof called PERICALDION by the Greekes was lightly tainted The same Author Chap. 65. We haue seene ANTHONY ALâ—…IAT hurt and hauing his Pericordian vntoucht True it is that hee did sigh very much and lowd The internall parts beeing hurt bring death foure waies either through necessity of their function and office as the Lunges or by reason of the excellency of their nature as the Hart or through much losse of bloud as the Liuer the great arteries and veines or through the malignity of Symptomes and accidents as the neruie parts the ventricle and bladder Although some parts be incurable yet are they not mortall of absolute necessity otherwise death would ensue vpon the incurable hurts of boanes gristles and lygaments The Pericordion then is not mortall of it selfe but because it is impossible to attaine it without offending many other noble parts CARDAN in his Commentarie on the Aphorismes of Hipocrates booke 6. apb 18. Anatomizing a Scholler of mine dead in the Vniuersitie of Rome I found that this yong man had no Pericardion by meanes whereof in his life-time hee swounded very often and seemed as one dead through which defect at length hee died COLVMBVS booke 15. of his Anatomy A certaine Theefe being taken downe from the gallowes where he had bene hanged and not quite strangled was carefully looked vnto and recouered But like an vngratious wretch as he was returning to his old trade againe hee was apprehended and throughly hanged Wherevpon we would needes Anatomize him and wee found that his heart was all heary Which is likewise reported among the Grecians of Aristomenes of Hermogenes the Rhetorician of Leonydas of Lysander and others namely of a dog that ALEXANDER the great had This haire denotes not onely promptitude of Courage and peruerse obstinacy but many times valour contemning all danger BENIVENIVS in Chap. 83. de Abditis causis Vpon a certaine time making the Anatomy of a man at Ferrara wee found his heart cleane couered ouer with haire and indeede he had beene all his life time a desperate ruffian and a notable theefe AMATVS the Portingale in Centur. 6 Cur. 65. Being at Venice and present at the execution of a very notorious theefe the hangman that quartered his bodie found his heart meruailous hairye M. A. Muret booke 12. of his dyuers readings Chap. 10. I haue seeâ—…e the sepâ—…um that distinguisheth the ventrycles of the heart to be a gristle in some mens Bodies in others the left ventricle wanting or so little as it could hardly bee discerned Columb booke 15. of his Anatomy I found in two mens bodies that I opened a boane in the rootes of the great artery and of the arteryall vaine CORN GEMMA in the 2. booke of his Cyclognomia pag 75. In another I found a little boane betweene the gristly circles of the heart the chiefe artery and arteriall veine like to the boane which is commonly found in the heart of a stagge CORN GEMMA in the 1. booke Chap. 6. of his Cosmocritif Doctor MELANCHTHON in his first booke of the Soule testifies of CASIMIR Marquise of Brandebourg a Prince greatly afflicted in his life time with sundry griefes and consumed with long watchings that beeing opened after his decease the humor enclosed in the fylme of the heart was â—…ound quite dried vp and the heart so scorched that it was like a peare burnt in the fire TH. IORDAN in the 1. booke of signes of the plague Chap. 16. Not long since a Romaine gentleman died after hee had languished along time Being opened no heart appeared neither was there any part of it but the fylme left the vnmeasurable heate of his long sicknesse hauing wholy consumed it BERN. IELASIVS in the 28. Chap. of the 5. booke of the nature of things A young Prince being sickly and very much troubled with a payne at the heart assembled a great many Physitions togither for to consult of his dissease Among others there was a young practitioner who declared how he had read in certaine notes that the vse of garlick euerie morning expells a kinde of worme that feedes vpon the heart But both the remedy and the young man that propounded it were despised Not long after this Prince died and his body was opened by the commandement of his Father for to see the cause of his sicknesse death The dissection made they found a white worme hauing a sharpe bill of horne like a pâ—…llets gnawing the heart The Physitions tooke it aliue and layd it on a table in a circle made of the iuyce of garlick The worme began to writh and wriggle euery way still eschuing the iuyce that compassed it about Finally surmounted by the strength and sauor of the garlick it died within the circle to the astonishment of those that had despised so easie a remedie I. HEBANSTEIF in his treatise of the plague It is not long agoe that in the great Duke of Tuscans Court a certaine Florentine beeing assistant at the merry conceites of a pleasant iester was suddainly seized with vnexpected death whereat the company and his friends being much abashed for their better satisfaction after he was knowne to bee starke dead they had him opened and there was
Prisoners were constrained to feede on them which done all that remayned with LVCATIVS were put to most horrible and Languishing deathes An example of greater crueltie can hardly be-founde since the world was a world And no meruaile if GOD hath punished the King and the Realme of Hungary for such strange and extraordinarie Cruelties suffring the cruelest people of the North namely the Turkes to make that spoile which they haue and continually yet doe there Cruell chastisments are prepared for them that bee cruell and inhumaine The following Bookes shall represent a great number of other Histories of strange accidents and cruelties IOACH CVREVS in his Annales of Silesia pag. 233. During the Peasants warre in Germanie in the yeare 1525. both before and since a Gentleman their enemy not content to haue massacred a great number euen of those which had humbly craued pardon of him confessing that they had beene ill aduised hee gloryed in all companies of his braue exploites adding therevnto a commendation of his thefts hauing cut many good purses and slaine great store of Cattell Some moneths after this furie he fell sicke and languished many dayes of an extreame paine in the Reines of his backe the which thrust him into such despaire as hee did not cease to curse and denie his Creator who is patient iust and fearefull in reuenge vntill that both speech and life failed him The seueritie of GODS Iustice doth yet pursue his house for soone after his eldest Sonne seeking to exalt the prowesse and valour of his Father who in the Peasants warre had done wonders aboue mentioned and excelled all his companions and vanting much of these valiant exploites in an open assembly at a Banquet a Country-man mooued at this brauerie drawes out his Dagger and strikes him dead vpon the place Some fewe dayes after the plague falles into this cruell mans house and kills all that remained In the yeare 1577. in the beginning of September the fire of the second troubles being kindled in France the President of Birague afterwards Chancellor and Cardinall being at that time Gouernor of Lion there were then in Lion two Bretheren called BOVRGATS Gold-smiths by their professions but very much disordered As the liberty of those times did giue meanes to many to glutte their passions vpon them whome they did mallice the BOVRGATS laide hands vpon a companion of theirs a Dyer vpon pretext that hee was of a contrarye religion but it was to reuenge them-selues for a quarrell which they had formerly against him and not ended to their liking They take him and lead him to their dwelling house towardes the Abbey of Esnay beeing out of the way farre from resort of people They binde him fast hand and foote and then tye him by the neck vnto the Chimney so as hee did hang vpright not being able to sitte nor leane any way They leaue him in this sort a whole day threatning him with present death At night they bring in men of their owne sorte and liuing to Supper to bee spectators of this Tragedie they are merry and make good cheere and after Supper they spend the time some in playing at Cardes others in pinching pricking and burning the nose of this poore prisoner being bond hand and foote and tyed in the corner of the Chimney This continued vntill eleuen of the clocke at night when their companions went away and retyred As for the BOVRGATS with-out proceeding any further they cast themselues clothed with their Swordes by their sides vpon a Bedde where they both fell presently a sleepe Their Laquay who was in the corner of the Chimney doth as the Maisters The prisoner perceiuing them all a sleepe and remembring how they had threatned him begins to thinke how hee might escape and hauing recommended himselfe to GOD from whome onely hee attended helpe hee did stâ—…iue in such sort as hee vntyed one hand and then the other afterwardes his necke and lastly his feete Being thus loose hee was mightily perplexed what hee should doe For if these people did awake hee was but a dead man hauing no meanes to defend himselfe they being armed and hee disaâ—…med and hee alone against three for the Laqueye was growne great If he had had a Table cloath a Sheete or a Couering hee might haue slipt downe by the windowe but in opening it the noyse might awake them so as they might followe him and ouer take him the wayes beeing strongly and very straightly garded In this greeuous perplexitie hee discouers that the Laquay who slept in the other corner of the Chimney had a Dagger at his Girdle Hee therefore resolues to kill those two brothers his enemies with this Dagger But there was some difficultie and hazard in the taking of it for that the Laquaye awaking would giue the Alarum yet by the light of the fire hee comes softely vnto him and drawes out his Dagger so quickly and in such sorte as the Laquay stirred not Hauing it hee sodenly went vp into the Chamber and leaped vpon the BOVRGATS and stabbes eyther of them in the brest with this Dagger As hee would haue doubled his stroake one of them leapes vp and layes hold of an Halbard which stood hard by he runs after the Dyer who flyes downe the staires apace to saue himselfe at the foote whereof this BOVRGAT fell and presently dyed The Dyer mounts againe and findes the other dead in the Chamber Hee begins to threaten the Laquaye to kill him presently if he made any noise hee tooke a Candle lead the Laquey into the Seller and forceth him to eate and to drinke a Glasse of Wine then hee bindes him surely dooing him no other harme barres the Sellar doore comes vp and takes that which was easiest to bee transported out of his enemies Chamber And at the breake of daye the Gardes beeing raysed hee leaues the house lockt and so gettes out at Saint SEBASTIANS gate without any hinderance or staye the which was to bee admired seeing they suffered none to goe out but with a Pasporte The friends and companions of BOVRGATS seeing them neyther in the morning nor after Dinner grewe into some doubt and after notice giuen to the Captaine of the Quarter vnder whome these BOVRGATS had charge and command with his consent they brake open the doore and then drewe forth the Laquay who cryed for helpe in the Sellar and found the rest as wee haue sayde The Dyer liued some time after and reported this Historie to many and dyed else-where Memoires of Lion Notable deliuerances and by extraordinarie meanes SYMON GRINEVS a learned personage among many of our time being gone from Heidelberg to Spire in the yeare 1529. where there was an Imperiall Dyet held was desirous to heare a certaine Preacher much esteemen for his eloquence But hearing many propositions come from him against the Maiestie and trueth of the Sonne of GOD. At the end of the Sermon he followed the Preacher saluted him courteously and intreated him to heare him with patience
hee had counted his monie hee sayed merilie that hee had beene with a verie good Hostes seeing that in seauen daies hee had not spent anie thing Memoires de Lion There be many that escaping out of dangers are compelled by the consideration of strange euents to confesse that GOD hath deliuered them without the aide of any second cause Of many examples I will choose and recite one which is worthy of note The Dukes of Saxony FREDERICK the Elector and IOHN his brother went one day by bote along the riuer of Elba from Torque to Wittenberg The water was all couered ◅uer with great pieces of Ice newly broken Those pieces so ran against the boate and bruised it in such sort that assoone as the Princes were landed it split in two and sanke The Princes with great astonishment considering such a spectacle from the shoare and in what danger they had bin by reason of the greatnesse depth and fury of the riuer acknowledged that GOD had preserued the bote vntill such time as they were landed And hauing bin a long time in this consideration without speaking a word the Elector say to his Brother Let vs confesse that GOD hath preserued vs and therfore let vs giue him thanks for his assistance in this many other dangers But whereas you sawe the boate fall in peeces assoone as we were out of it verily I am affraied that our house of Saxony will go to ruine after the death of vs two PEVCER in his Commentary of the principall sortes of Diuinations book 1. Chap. 13. The yeare 1558. a meruailous thing happened at Mech◅rode in Almaigne confirmed by the testemony of diuers credible persons About 9. of the clocke at night a personage attyred in white and followed by a white dogge came and knocked at an honest poore womans dore and called her by her name She thinking it had bin her husband who had beene a long time in a farre Country ran presently to the dore This personage taking her by the hand asked her in whom she put all the hope of her saluation In Iesus CHRIST answered she Then he commanded her to followe him which she refusing to do he exhorted her to be of good courage to feare nothing that done he led her all night through a forrest The next day about noone hee set her vpon an exceeding high mountaine and shewed her things which she was neuer able to expresse Hee enioyned her to returne home and to exhort euery one to turne from their wicked waies adding that an horrible destruction was at hand and hee commanded her also to rest her selfe eight daies in her house at the end whereof he would come to her againe The day following in the morning the womā was found at the townes end and carried home to her house where she continued eight whole daies without eating or drinking When her neighbors and friends perswaded her to take some sustenance her answere was that being extreame weary nothing was so agreable to her as rest how within eight daies the man that had carried her forth would come againe and then she would eate As indeede it came to passe but afterward this woman stirred but little out of her bed sighing from the bottome of her heart and crying out very often O how great are the ioyes of that life and how miserable is this life Beeing demmanded whether shee thought the personage attired in white which appeared so vnto her to bee a good Angell or rather some euill spirit that had transformed himselfe into an Angell of light She answered It is not an euill spirit it is an holy Angell who hath commanded mee to pray incessantlie to GOD and to exhort both great and small vnto amendment of life If any one questioned with her concerning her beliefe I confesse sayd shee that I am a poore sinner but I beleeue that Iesus CHRIST hath obtayned me remission for all my sinnes through the benefit of his death and passion The Minister of the place testified the singular piety and humble deuotion of this woman adding that she was wel instructed and could yeeld very good reason for her religion IOB FINCEL in his 8. booke of Myracles c. In the yeare 1546. a great personage of Germanie hauing beene stayed three daies at Hale in Swabe by the furie and roughnesse of the Waters finally vrged by necessitie to passe ouer hee embarked himselfe in a small bote for to crosse the Riuer accompanyed with three of his Sonnes and a learned Diuyne his friend And seeing his bote readie to bee ouerwhelmed and himselfe and the rest drowned without any apparance of rescue full of faith and hope in GOD he sayd to his friend What triumph would Satan make thinke you and how glad would he be if we two and my three sonnes should bee drowned in this floud But hauing escaped the danger they came safe to land and that personage hauing taken order for certaine great affaires dyed within a while after very peaceably in the inuocation of the name of GOD. Maister ANDDEVV HONSDORFF in his Theater of Examples pag. 296. The yeare 1535. in a village of Silesia named Olst hapened the strangest and most furious tempest in the ayre that euer was seene for it made euen the strongest houses that were built of hewed stone to shake and ouerthrewe diuers One of the inhabitants of the Village named LAVVRENCE THOPHAROSKE hauing his house ioyning to the market place and being verily perswaded that the end of the world was come by reason the Element was all of a flame and that great flakes of of fire flew about shutte himselfe vp in his house and falling on his knees with his wife and children began to pray very earnestly vnto GOD and to sing Hymnes and Psalmes of repentance During these holy exercises a great clap of Tempest with a wonderfull violence tore away the vpper part of the house that was all of hewed Stone together with the roofe and flung it all to the ground without hurting either the Father the Mother or the Children But in another place this tempest did great harme for hauing ouer-throwne a Pinnacle of the Towne-house made all of great foure squared stone cimented and fastned together with Clampornes and barres of Yron fiue persons were slaine with the fall of the houses wherevpon this ruine lighted Whereas contrariwise three others and a Child lying in a little bed were preserued in another house vnder the same ruine and it being demanded of the Child that began to prattle who had holpen him in that danger hee lifted vp his little hand and pointed to Heauen M. AMBROSA MOI◅AN in his exposition of the 19. Psalm No-lesse horrible and dreadfull was another tempest that ranne ouer all the Country of Misnia vpon the 13. day of August 1559. Which thundring very strangely in the aire and ouerthrowing all that it encountred a certaine woman got her selfe with all speede into her Stoue with foure Sonnes shee had and
side in the bottome of her belly with apparēt signes of an Impostume so as an opening was made by Corosiue on the one side from whence the Surgion did drawe with his hand a quantitie of congealed bloud rotten and stinking the other side abating nothing neyther could the Surgion bring away any of the skinne that lapt the Child being forced to make a new opening on the other side frō whence he did draw the skin that lapt the child not without extreame paine in this danger and despaire for shee remained as one halfe dead and kept her bedde three yeares two yeares after shee went with Cruches then with a Staffe and in the ende shee recouered her helth in such sort as shee had many Children and among others one named SEBASTIEN who liued long In the same treatie M. N. de VILLENEVFVE an ancient Physition in Prouence writs to the same FR. ROVSSET these words I confesse in this long time that I haue liued he was then sixtie yeares olde and liued aboue fiue and twentie yeares after in great vigour of bodie and minde I did neuer see this practise whereof you write vnto mee of a woman deliuered of her Childe by the side and yet to liue I do well remember that MADAME de PILES NONIES hauing the lower part of her belly much swelled I caused Maister MAVRACE a Surgion of this Towne of Vaureas to make an opening in the bellie by an actuall Corosiue peercing into the hollowes of the matrix from whence there issued as well by the neither partes as by the place so opened aboue seauen pounds of filthie matter the one like vnto the other and to bee the better assured of the place wee did open the nether part with an instrument where wee did see the greatnesse of the matricall vlcer the which wee cured in sixe monethes since which time shee had a Daughter this was in the yeare 1552. VILLENEVFVE seemes to desseine a conception and the fruite wholie putrefied and reduced into this merueilous quantity of corruption although that M. ROVSSET thinkes it was onely an Impostume in the matrixe The same VILLENEVFVE reports in an other letter to the sayd ROVSSET that he had caused the like cauterisation to be made vpon that which is vpon the belly of a woman married to BRISSET an Apothicary at Mont-limar in the yeare 1558. peercing it euen into the inward part of the matrix so as the corruption sprong out to the beddes feete and at the same instant a great quantitie of the like filth came forth by the lower partes Shee was cured in 3. monethes and soone after conceiued and since shee hath had three Sonnes and one Daughter In the same treatie M. MATHIAS CORNAX Phylosopher and Physition to the Emperour at Vienna in Austria reports in a Treatie written in Latin and often printed some admirable and memorable Histories like vnto the former I will ommit many circumstances of places yeares and daies personages and witnesses produced to auoyde tediousnesse the summe is this MARGV◅RITE wife to the host of the red Creuise at Vienna about 25. yeare old who before had had some Children shee was conceiued for the third or forth time in the yeare 1545. hauing felt as of custome the Childe to stirre and the time of her deliuerie come shee could bring forth nothing so as for the space of foure whole yeares shee carried her Childe dead the same beeing past as it appeered from the hollownes of the Matrix being rotten through the bodie vlcered there-with towardes the bowells and there causing a great swelling an opening was made by the aduise of CORNAX in the middest of that which is vpon the bellie to voide the corruption The Physitions and Surgions could not thinke there was anie Childe considering the lapse of time during the which the poore woman had beene afflicted with verie strange paines Yet a Childe was drawne from her which was not so rotten the which was admirable but it might well bee discerned for a male There happened an other wonderfull strange thing that this honest young woman which had liued with death for so manie yeares was in a manner miraculously drawne out of the graue and recouered her perfect helth Let vs adde a third meruaile at a yeares ende shee conceiued and bare an other Sonne his full time The time of her deliuerie beeing come beeing in some great difficultie and almost without any possible meanes to bee deliuered like vnto other women CORNAX was called the second time who aduised the Mother and other women there present that they should suffer her to bee opened as at the former time giuing verie manie reasons for his Counsell wherevnto the young woman yeelded But the Mother and the other women that were there opposed mightely against it saying that they must referre all to the almightie GOD and let nature worke in easing her by some other meanes lesse dangerous CORNAX beeing thus gaine sayed retired with the Surgion who had made the former section But presently after the young woman dyed and could not bee deliuered Soone after they cald them back and being dead there was drawne from her by section a goodly boy likely to haue liued if hee had beene helpt with his Mother as this learned Physition did pretend In the same worke there is a letter written to the same CORNAX by M. ACHILLES GASSAR a learned Physition of Ausbourg conteyning the like history in the same circūstances of a woman to whom a yeare being past that she could not bee deliuered of a Child at the due time the Child like vnto that of the woman of Vienna was gone frō the hollownes of the Matrix being vlcered towards the kidneis as it did appeere plainly for that it had made a shewe of an Impostume in the bellie and principally on the left side the Surgion drewe from her boane after boane who beeing cured had a Childe since Hee reportes in the same booke the Historie sent vnto him by Maister GILLES HERTOGE a famous Physition at Bruxelles of a woman who not able to bee deliuered of her Childe the flesh and softe partes of the Child being voided belowe in rotten corruption they did feele the bones to grate together and did marke them with the hand vnder that which couers the bellie and yet this accident which was so strangely troublesome and insupportable to a fine and delicate woman did not much hinder the actions of this courragious woman who carried this Crosse thirteene whole yeares This could not bee without peercing of the Matrix the which notwithstanding was cured as needes it must for that no filth nor corruption distilled downe by the lower parts ' as else it would haue done More-ouer she had her termes orderly and desired nothing so much as to finde Physitions and Chirurgions that would vnder-take to make a conuenient section to draw forth those cracking bones Maister FRANCIS ROVSSET representing in his Treatie of the Caesariens deliuery the third History aboue mentioned
riuer Sala going from the towne to the Castle went as of necessity he was to do ouer the bridge followed by a pritty little boy his sonne who gazing on the swiftnes of the streame going to take away some durt that stuck on his shooes slid in such maner in an open slippery place of the bridge that he fell into the bottom of the riuer A fisher-man being in a garden not far of hearing the noyse of his fall ran thither and with great danger of his life leaped in after the poore childe whom the waues had carried all along the Castle walls He tooke hold on a piece of his coate which tearing the body fell againe into the water he caught him the secōd time by one of his feet carried him to his mother that almost dead with feare staid for him on the banke within two houres after he came to himlsefe two daies after that was as well as euer hee was to the no little ioy of all his friends that praised GOD for his miraculous assistance The same On Easter eue the same yeare about euening a furious inundation of waters rushing on the towne of Islebe in Saxonie did especially and as it were with an agreement made betweene the waters beate vpon the house of an honest Citizen named BARTHOLMEVV VOGT Incontinently the fore-part of the house and a piece of the Stoue fell downe within the Stoue was a little childe in a Cradle The Father and Mother astonished with so suddaine a visitation and hearing the noyse of the cradle tost with the waues got out the childe and carryed it to one MICHAEL FEARES a neighbor of theirs There remained foure other children lying in an high chamber of the house The Father more carefull for their liues then his owne entred againe into present death and hauing past many dangers got into the Chamber tooke vp two of those children in his armes Therevpon the floore sanke vnderneath his feete so that he fell into the water which carryed him to a great stacke of wood whereon hee caught hold and with much paine stayed himselfe by it some halfe an houre loden with his two sonnes and crying out for helpe But no body could get to him by reason of the wonderfull furye of the raging waters Seeing himselfe destitute of all humane assistance and as it were dispairing of his owne life his childrens he humbly commended both himselfe and them to the mercy of GOD calling the Prophet IONAS to mind that was preserued amidst the seas and in the belly of a Fish As he was praying vnto the Lord a great beame driuen along by the waues carried away one of his sonnes another greater then that comming vpon him with great violence made him let go the stake by the which he had held so long whether he would or no caried him with his other sonne into a garden behind his house Being there with their heads scarce aboue water and remembring his other sonne he began to call him the child answered him from a beame wheron the father espied him sitting astride Thether he swam and setting them both on his shoulders he got to a great pile of wood clammering vp on it there rested himself with his two sonnes some fiue houres The next morning betimes the waters being falne he carried them to Feures Stoue where they began to come to themselues As for the other two children lying a bed in the high chamber the goodnesse of GOD preserued them after a meruailous manner The Father because he could not go to them by the accustomed staires got his neighbour to breake open a way through the wall that parted their houses and entring into the chamber found them in their bed fast a sleepe the diuine prouidence hauing with his hand held vp that part of the chamber as it were in the ayre all the rest of the house being ouer whelmed and carried away by the waters assoone as euer he was returned againe through the wall with his children the chamber and the bed fell presently downe Thus were these fiue children miraculously preserued contrary to all hope or expectation The same Children in gratefull and peruerse A Certaine man become rich seeing his father beg was some-what ashamed at it and tooke him into his house One day hauing an exquisite dishe of meate brought to his table hearing his father comming into the roome he made it to be locked vp but when his father was gone hauing willed it to be brought in againe the seruant found the dish full of Snakes where-with hauing acquainted his Maister hee would needs go and see what it was And approching neere vnto them one of the greatest of those Snakes leaped in his face ioyning his mouth in such sorte to the mans that he could neuer eate any meate after but the Snake had his part of it and hee continued in that estate all the rest of his life MANLIVS in his Collections PH. LONICER in his Theater of examples pag. 283. A certaine father being old and poore went and desired his sonne to relieue him The sonne thinking it a great dishonor for him to acknowledge such a Father made as though he knew him not and hauing rayled at him bad him get him away The poore father with teares in his eyes departed but his backe was scarce turned when the ingratefull sonne fell madde and dyed in that miserable estate MANLIVS in his Collections PH. LONICER in his Theater pag. 283. The yeare 1550. in the capitall Cittie of the Duchie of Prussia called Conisprug a Lock-smith being a very lewd fellow killed his father and mother with an Yron Pestle in hope to haue their money Presently wherevpon he went to a Shoomakers shop and bought him a new paire of shooes leauing his old behind him which the Shoomakers sonne threw vnder a bench Two or three houres after the fathers shop hauing bene opened by the commandement of the Magistrate who had vnderstood that the neighbors had heard some great stirre in it they found the two old folkes murthered wherwith the Sonne seemed to bee so exceeding grieued that no man euer mistrusted him to bee the author of so execrable a deede Nowe it fortuned that the shoomaker looking for som what els vnder his bench found the old shoes which the young smith had left behinde him all be sprinkled with bloud And it was also noted by others that the wretch had his purse better lined then it was wont to bee which beeing reported to the Magistrate hee was straight-way aapprehended Wherevpon without any torture hee confessed the fact and was executed as hee deserued They say that the pestle which was set vp ouer the iudgement place doth continuallie shake yet PH. LONICER in his Theater page 284. Vpon the report of one of the greatest Diuynes of our time The yeare 1560 a wicked wretch in the Towne of Basill poysened his owne Father beeing a wealthy man and of an honest conuersation Which being
increased when as they did see him rising from his Chaire for then he toucht the plancher of the Chamber with his head the which was very high after the manner of the French floores They sayd hee was a Polonian or a Transiluanian This Gyant had a Wife of a wonderfull large body and verye fatte with-all but verye lowe in comparison of him of whom they had a young Sonne borne who was in shew to proue one daie almost as tall as his Father At the West-Indies descouered some hundred yeares since manie Giants haue beene seene as they witnesse that haue written their Histories Neere vnto the Antartike Pole there are some found of ten or twelue foote of height as also in the Iland of Sumatra or Taprobane which is toward the East-Indies The same Author MELCHIOR NVNEZ in his letters where hee discourseth of the affaires of CHINA reports that in the chiefe Cittie called Paguin the Porters are fiueteene foote heigh In other letters written in the yeare 1555. hee doth auerre that the King of CHINA entertaines and feedes fiue hundred such men for Archers of his gard SIMON MAIOLVS in his Canicular daies Col. 2. LODOVICVS VIVES a learned Spaniard in his Annotations vpon the 15. booke of S. AVGVSTIN de Ciuitate DEI. Chap. 9. Saith that he had seene in the great Temple at Valencia a mans eye-tooth bigger then his fist IOSEPH ACOSTA in his Historie of the Indies sayth that hee had seene one bigger and the rest answerable vnto it But for that it is to be presumed that such teeth were of Men that had beene dead many ages before we will not insist any more vpon them In our time we haue seene among the Archers of the deceased King of Nauarre a Biarnois of so tall a stature as hee did equall his Maister being mounted vpon a great horse so as he did exceede the tallest men in all the Country by the head the shoulders Hee was a goodly man actiue and pleasant And contrarie-wise there was seene at Paris one called the great Smithe a man of an ill fashion but exceeding tal in comparison of many of meane stature ANTONIE PIGAFET a great traueller in his time affirmes that he had seene towards the Antarticke pole so tall a gyant as other tall men did not reach with their heads aboue his nauill and others beyond the straight of Magellan which had their necks a cubit long and the rest of their bodies answerable An extraordinarie Cure A Certaine Italian hauing had a quarrell with another fell so grieuously sicke as they did not hope for life of him His enemie hearing thereof came to his lodging and inquires of his seruant where his master was The seruant answered him hee is at the point of death and will not escape this day The other grumbling to himselfe replied he shall die by my hands whereupon he enters into the sicke mans chamber giues him certaine stabbes with his dagger and then flies They binde vp this poore sicke mans wounds who by the meanes of so great a losse of blood recouered his health So hee recouered his health and life by his meanes who sought his death R. SOLENANDER lib. 5. of his Counsels 15. Cons. 9. sect Hee makes mention in the same place of a woman which did commonly purge her selfe of her termes by the nose for thirteene moneths together during the which beeing let blood in the Saphena vaine and purged shee was cured And of a man who in the space of twentie and foure howres voyded at the mouth twentie and sixe pounds of blood congealed and very blacke and was cured by diet rest and glisters without any inward medicines A peasant falling into a burning feauer was carryed to the hospitall and being carefully tended fell into extremitie The Physition being a learned man sayd vnto him what wilt thou haue my friend how diddest thou gouerne thy selfe here to-fore I was not accustâ—…med answered the sicke man to eate and drinke as I doe now heere I knew not what sirrops drugges nor Phisicke meant I cannot sleepe vpon feathers It is almost twentie yeares since I did lye in a bed my feeding is Onions hard Cheese and such like delicates my bed was vpon Strawe at the signe of the Starre and couered with my clothes that is to say lying in them The Physition suffred him to lye one night vpon the Strawe and gaue him Onions Salt and colde water holding it good to please him in this extremitie But the next day he found his sicke man halfe cured warming himselfe against the fire We haue obserued saith the same SOLINANDER some sick men who hauing ease in their torments haue chewed and swallowed the receits written by their Physitions and haue beene cared by that meanes A certaine man hauing the Dropsie and little looked vnto by the benefit of nature had an ouerture in his body vnder the pappe betwixt the Peritoyne and the Muscles of the belly by the which we drue aboue 200. bladders like vnto Hens Egges the which were soft and full of stinking water In the 15. Councell of the 5. booke A man lame of the Gout preserued IN the yeare 1589. WILLIAM de MICHES an ancient man being crooked and lame of the Goute had a desire to go and visit an Abbay of Monkes aboue Lions called L' Isle Barbe where there was company that day In the morning he takes a boate with his Daughter his sonne in lawe and some neighbours Hauing visited the Abbay done his deuotion and made good cheere hee and his companie imbarke againe The woman that guided the Boate hauing drunke more wine then water when they should passe vnder the bridge of Sarne insteed of gouerning her boate vnder the Arche the which was great and large she ranne against a pyle so as the Boate was ouer-whelmed and all within it drowned except the poore man that was lame of the Gowt who not able to stirre was carryed by the streame vnto the shore where he was taken vp and carryed to his house and after liued some yeares Memoires of Lion A Man before Age. I Haue knowne a man in Spaine who after some yeares became a Friar of the order of Saint FRANCIS and remained in the Couent of our Lady of Val then in that of Soto and afterwards in the Citty zamore he is so little of stature as without wronging him one may call him Dwarffe though otherwise hee bee of a good fashion and hath a well proportioned body Euery man knowes it and many Monkes of his order haue assured mee for certaine that hee was borne in a Village called Saint Tiso and that comming into the worlde hee had all his Teeth which hee had at the age of fiue and twentie yeares and hath had euer since without changing them or any falling out and hee suckt a very little while Comming out of his Mothers wombe hee had his priuie partes as hairie as a man that is come to his perfect age at seauen yeares olde his
chinne was couered with a beard and at ten yeares he begot a sonne hauing at that age all the naturall and vitall faculties as perfect as a man at thirtie yeares TORQVEMADO in the first iourney of his Hexameron I haue seene in a towne in Italie called Prato about two leagues and a halfe from Florence a child new borne which had the face couered with thicke haire halfe a foote long very white soft and fine as flaxe beeing two moneths olde this beard fell off as if the face had pield by some disease The same A certaine man went throughout all Spaine shewing a sonne of his for money The childe being ten or eleuen years old had so much haire of his face which was long thicke and curled as they could not see any thing but his eies and mouth The same A young boy beeing but nine yeares olde got a nurce with child So saith IOHN FOXIVS L. DANEVS lib. 2. of his morrall Philosophy Chap. 14. A horrible Iealousie ABout the yeare 1517. a yong Cittizen of Modena very rich and not married called FRANCIS TOTTE abandoning himselfe to the pleasures of the world began to frequent the house of a Gentlewoman that was married who was named CALORE she kept open house through her husbands suffrance for dancing playing at cardes dise other entertaynments for all commers from whome she still drew some commoditie being of her selfe alluring and stately in apparrell stuffe feasts and all that belongs thereto This young Modenois who had good meanes began to frequent this entrie to hell and within a while was so drunke with the intising baites of this Curtizan as he did not cease to pursue her in that sort as from that time they concluded a mutuall and cordiall loue betwixt them They liued in this estate about three yeares that the Modenois did enioy and was enioyed of this CALORE to whom hee gaue his person and his goods more freely then hee would haue done to a lawfull wife Shee did handle him cunningly but one day as shee plaied at Chesse with a certaine gentleman it chanced that smiling shee tooke this gamester by the hand and griped it like vnto a woman of her trade FRANCISCO growes iealous at this countenance and from that time seemed discontented CALORE a licentious woman and not accustomed to be restrained began to contest and to braue him In the end disdaine growes thorough words so as shee hauing told him that shee cared not for his humors nor choller this wretched man did shut himselfe into a chamber where hauing made some notes containing a disposition of his goods and that hee would not haue any one accused for his death but himselfe hee did put them in his shooes in such sort as they must presently see them then with his girdle and his garters he made a kind of halter and leaping from a great coffer he strangled himselfe presently It was in the very house of CALORE who afterwards liued more retired At that time FRANCIS GVICHARDINE an excellent Historian of our age was Gouernor of Modena for the Pope The Historie of Italie About the yeare 1528. there chanced at Rimini a towne in Romagnia a notable Historie A certaine yong gentle-woman married to an old gentle-man forgetting her honour did prostitute her selfe villanously to a yong gentle-man of the place caled PANDOLPHO continuing their infamous course by the means of a chamber-maid that was their bawde for the space of two yeares There was in the chamber of this wretched woman a great coffer where shee did put some part of her iewels and money in the which her adulterer did hide himselfe if at any time hee were in danger to bee surprised and could not escape This coffer had a vent for aire in a secret place so as PANDOLFO continued sometimes long there It happened at the ende of this time that GODS diuine iustice began to call this Adulteresse to an account by a grieuous and incurable sickenes who finding her selfe abandoned of the Physitions was yet more in regard of her soule Her husband comming about midnight vnlooked for PANDOLFO casts himselfe into the coffer shutting it easily of himselfe Then this woman transported with some horrible spirit began after some speech to make an humble request vnto her husband making him to promise with an oath that he should not refuse her Which was that he should put into her tomb in the caue neere vnto her coffin that coffer which shee shewed him without looking himselfe or suffering any one to looke into it hauing certaine stuffe in it which shee would not haue any one to vse after her The which request the husband did graunt her Miserable PANDOLFO vnderstood these terrible words which made him to curse his owne wickednesse a thousand times and his adulteresse withall who within two houres after died without repentance or confession of her wicked sinnes beeing desirous to drawe him with her vnto death that had beene the companion of her wicked life After her death as they gaue order for her Interment some seruants and kinsfolkes would haue him leaue this coffer in the house or at the least that they should open and visit it But the husband holding the solemne promise made by him hindered the opening thereof and caused it to bee carried out shut the which after the Obsequies were made was let downe with the coffin into the Caue and a great Tombe-stone laied vpon it without morter for that it was now night and that they meant to finish all the next day Miserable PANDOLFO hearing them sing in Saint Cataldes Church made his account then to die in the coffer and in tumbling vp and downe he felt certaine bagges full of iewels but hauing no minde of golde nor siluer hee disposed himselfe to other thoughts when as GOD would giue him newe respight to haue a better care of his conscience and life than hee had formerly had A young man of the house who knewe that the deceassed had good stuffe in the Coffer and beeing couetous of such a booty found meanes to enter about ten or eleuen a clocke at night into Saint Cataldes Temple whereas the Caue and Sepulcher of the deceassed was With the help of two of his companions he lifts vp the stone and beginnes to get open the Coffer pretending to carry away a good prey PANDOLFO taking a sodaine resolution in so strange an accident doth rise and gets out of the coffer with such a noise as the rest thinking it had beene some Diuell fled away speedily PANDOLFO being come to himselfe lights a Torche and visiting the Cofer lodes himselfe with Iewels and money which hee found there and going out of the Church past by the Couent gardens vnto his owne house I leaue it to the Reader to iudge if hee had not reason to thinke of GODS helpe and to amend his life Hist of Italie Impiety punnished IN the yeare 1505. a certaine Curat of one of the Parishes of Misnia in
whom they did falsly accuse to haue caused the Duke of Arscot to escape beeing prisoner at Bois de Vincennes as hee suborned many witnesses against her vsing in this practise a Comissary called Bouvot but eyther of them escaped good cheape being condemned of false-hood committed in the instruction of the processe against the Countesse they did open penance thē standing on the pillory at the Haules they were banished In the history of France vnder HENRY the 2. GVY of Seruilles terming himselfe Lieutenant to the Prouost of Marshalls in the Seneshalcie of Xaintonge hauing apprehended two young men he caused them to bee hanged vpon a Sonday without finishing of their processe by the which they were found in a manner innocent He is made a partie as they are accustomed to do against Iudges which proceed Ex officio without any partie playntiue that doth accuse for in that case they hold the place of an accuser After viewe of the processe he is committed to prison by a decree of the Court and carried to the Concergery or prison at Bourdeaux there he was examined and by his answeres mayntaines that the sayd yong-men had deserued death for many causes which hee obiects where-vpon the Court at Bourdeaux were in some doubt whether they should admit him to make his proofes Some great Lawiers holding that a Iudge after execution may at neede iustifie his Iudgement by proofes and productions especially against vagabondes and picking rouges of whome the Prouost Marshalls doe iudge definitiuely Besides a Iudge may interpret declare and maintayne his sentence The Negatiue is more common for all that is aboue spoken hath place where imminent daunger is and in time of Warre else no man ought without reason to striue so much from Lawe and Iustice and a Iudge is not to bee admitted to the iustification of his Iudgement by other meanes then these which are in the processe and which are written before him for he that is condemned might haue defended and iustified himselfe or els haue reproched the witnesses so as al might haue prooued his innocency But the means of al this was taken from him with his life which ought not to be Yet notwithstanding by a decree made at Bourdeaux Seruille was allowed to make his proofes by acts or witnesses of these crimes wherewith he charged the deceased And for that afterwards he did nothing and the two yong men were found innocent by an other sentence giuen the 14. of August 1528. he was condemned and executed I. PAPON ltb 4. of his collection of sentences giuen in Soueraigne arrest 5. One terming him falsely Prouost of Marshalls in the Seneshalsie of Landes hauing caused seauen women to be executed being falsely accused and without proofe of witchcraft was beheadded by a sentence giuen at Bourdeaux the 3. of Ianuary 1525. He had cōmitted three offences The one of Iurisdiction the fact being not to betried before the Prouost The second that they were not found guilty the third that falsely hee termed himselfe a Prouost and vnder collour of a publike charge had cōmitted so many murthers The same PAPON in the same booke arrest 7. The Consull of a Towne in Suisserland I will spare his name for the present a rich man caused a stately house to bee built in the yeare 1559. Among other excellent workemen which he sought for he caused a rare cutter and Architect called IOHN to come from Trente who for some iust reasons refused to come In the end hauing receiued a promise of all safety and good vsage he came and wrought long for the other About the end of the worke the Architect comming to demand his wages they fell to some words Whereof the ende was that by the Consulls cōmandement IOHN was put in prison and by the same Consull against his faith and promise accused to haue spoken against some Ceremonies The Consull beeing Iudge and party pursued his purpose so furiously as IOHN was condemned to loose his head As they led him to execution he marched with a cheerefull countenance and died very constantly Ad ding therevnto after a long speech testyfiyng his constancy and sincere affection that the Consull who was the Author of his death should die also within 3. daies and appeere before the Iudicial seate of GOD to giue an Account of his sentence It happened as this man had fore-told for the Consull although he were in the flower of his age and very helthfull began the same day to bee tormented sometimes with a violent heat sometimes with a vehement cold to conclude he was stroken with a new disease so as the third day hee went to answere to the Innocent against whom hee had beene a most vniust partie and accuser and a Iudge beeing cast out of the Land of the liuing by a t◅rriblle Iudgement of GOD. M. IOSIAS SIMLERVS of zurich in the life of HENRY BVLLING◅R Wonderfull Fasting HENRY of Hasfeld being gone out of the Lowe Countries to Berg in Norwaie where he did traffick liued there vnmarried without blame he was very charitable vnto the poore whome hee did clothe liberally imploying some of his clothes to that vse One day hauing heard a certaine Preacher speaking indiscreetly of myraculous fastes as if it were no more in the power of GOD to maintayne any one lyuing without the helpe of meate and drinke and displeased that this preacher was a dissolute man which poluted holie things hee tryed to fast and to abstaine altogither from eating and drinking Hauing absteyned three daies he began to be very hungry He therefore tooke a bitte of bread meaning to swallowe it with a glasse of beere But all that stucke so in his throate as hee remayned forty daies and forty nights without eating or drinking At the end of this time he cast out at his mouth the bread and drinke which had remayned in his throate This long abstinence made him so weake as they were faine to restore him with milke The Gouernor of the Country hearing of this wonder calles for HENRY and enquiers the truth of him who giuing no credit to HENRYES confession would see a newe tryall thereof He therefore caused him to be shut vp and carefully watcht and kept in a Chamber for the space of fortie daies and forty nights without any thing to norrish him The which he did endure without any noyse and with lesse difficulty then the first attributing nothing vnto himselfe but all to the power and honor of GOD. By reason of so rare and supernaturall an Abstinence and for that his life was without reproche hee was surnamed of many the Saint of Norway A while after being come about his businesse to Bruxelles in Brabant a debtor of his hauing neither good money to pay him nor any good conscience accused him of heresie so as he was imprisoned where he remained manie dayes without eating or drinking in the end hee was condemned to be burned aliue without making the people acquainted with his processe who did see
Magnanimity CAptaine BAYARD in the time of King FRANCIS the first feeling himselfe verie sore wounded to the death with a shot beeing aduised to retier himselfe out of the fight hee answered that hee would not beginue in his latter daies to turne his backe to the enemie and hauing fought as long as his his force would giue him leaue finding himselfe to faint and readie to fall from his horse he commanded his Steward to lay him at the foote of a tree but in such sort as hee might die with his face to the enemy as he did MONTAIGNE in his Essaies Chapter 3. Many other examples shal be seene in the following volumes Secret and vne qual marriages vnfortunate A Nobleman of Spaine falling in Loue with a maide exceeding faire whose Father had beene a Gold-smith in the Cittie of Valencia hauing sought by many meanes the vse of her was still reiected Beeing vanquished by his affections hee demanded her for his Wife hee marries her in a Chamber in the presence of her Mother and Brethren Hauing entertayned her about a yeare and a halfe vnder this pretext in the ende transported with a newe desire hee marries a Ladie of a great house publickely The maide whome hee had so wretchedly seduced findes meanes by Letters and messages to drawe him againe vnto her and shee perswades him that shee is content hee shall vse her as his Concubine comming twise a weeke vnto her house Shee flatters him in such sort as hee promiseth to come to her the next day where hee is receiued with kinde imbracings and spends the daie in sundrie discourses Night beeing come he lies with her who findes so many excuses as this Nobleman is put of till after his first sleepe Beeing soundly a sleepe this maide transported with greefe and furie and assisted by a bond-woman of hers who had made prouision of two great sharpe kniues and of a strong corde tied to one of the bedde-postes shee straines this corde ouer his bodie beeing a sleepe then sodenly shee takes one of these kniues and strikes him in the throate with all her force He startes but with little life But on the other side the slaue drewe the corde with all her strength where-with his armes and body were so intangled that before hee could free himselfe shee had giuen him many stabbes in the body taking frō him at one instant both his speech and life The candle being light this maide transported with her greeuious fury proceeding from a iust disdaine pulles out the dead mans eyes cutts out his tongue and then his heart the which she teares in peeces mangles him in diuers parts of his body the which with the helpe of her slaue she casts out at a windowe into a streete that was much frequented Day being come euery man runs to beholde this bloudie spectacle They speake diuersly of the fact for that they could not knowe the bodie being so much disfigured hauing nothing on but a bloudie shirt torne with blowes As euery man gaue his Censure the maide comes downe in the streete and deliuers the whole fact with a constant and an assured countenance the which is verefied besides her confession by the deposition of this Noblemans seruant of the Preest that had married them and of the Mother and Brethren that had assisted Assoone as the body was cast into the streete the Maide giues vnto her slaue a good summe of mony aduising her to saue her selfe the which she did in the morning As for the Maide being satisfied with so extraordinary a reuenge she doth freely and often aduow before the Iudges all that shee had done and being condemned to loose her head she went constantlie and cheerfully to execution suffring death willingly to the great amazement of all the Inhabitants of Valencia Historie of Spaine A while after the Battaile of Rauenna giuen in the yeare 1512. a Neopolitaine Gentleman called ANTHONIE BOLOGNE hauing beene Steward to FREDERIC of Arragon King of Naples who being despoyled of his estate retired into France was called by the Duchesse of Malfy a great Lady issued from the house of Arragon sister to a Cardinall one of the greatest in his time widow to a great Noble-man and Mother to one onely Sonne to be her Steward The which he hauing accepted a while after this widowe being young and fayre hauing regarded him with a lasciuious eye she desired him but to couer her fault shee sought the colour of marriage and after many vaine discourses in her thoughts insteed of flying to the councell and good aduise of her Bretheren and honorable Kinsfolkes whereof she had many and to accept a partie fitte for her qualitie the which might easily haue beene found neere or farre off transported with her desire she discouers her thoughts vnto this Gentleman who drunke with his owne conceite and forgetting the respect which hee ought vnto his Ladye and to her house neither yet remembring his owne meane estate would not excuse him-selfe nor giue her such Councell as he ought in this occurrent but being presumptuous and lust-full he yeelded to ioyne vnder the vaile of a secret marriage with her who had long before cast vnchast lookes at him and with whome he had rashly and against all dutie fallen in loue These two vnaduised creatures then lying together in the presence of a Chamber-maide onely vnder the collour of marriage so behaued themselues as after some monthes the Duchesse was with Childe and brought in bedde of a Sonne the which was conuaied secretly into the Country This first delyuerie remayned secret but beeing againe with Child and deliuered of a Daughter the newes were presently spred ouer all and came to the eares of the Cardynall and of an other Brother at Rome Being about to inquier who it might bee that had beene so famyliar with their sister BOLOGNE seeing that it was generally noted tooke his leaue of her she beeing with Child meaning to retier to Naples and then to Ancona there to attend some other euent of their affaires Hauing carried his two Children with him and hyred a conuenient house the Duchesse sent her richest stuffe thether and soone after vnder collour of a Pilgrimage to Lauretto at her returne shee goes to Ancona with all her trame where the next day after her arriuall hauing called all her gentlemen and hous-hold seruants shee gaue them to vnderstand that BOLOGNE was her hus-band and that she was resolued to continue with him suffring them that would go and serue the yong Duke her Sonne to depart and promising good recompences to them that should remaine with her shewing them their two Children Her seruants amazed at this discours left the Duchesse and BOLOGNE and beeing parted from her presence they sent one among them to Rome to aduertise the Cardinall and the Prince of all their Sisters fact The first attempt of these two Brethren against BOLOGNE and his pretended Wife was to haue them chased out of Ancona by the credit which they
search out some 30. persons all which dyed by the Hangmans Sword onely one was cast aliue into boyling water for that they had receiued presents and money Most of them were great Noble-men and very familiar with the Duke The rest were Marchants of Nowgart with their Wiues Children and Families beeing accused of treason in fauour of the King of Poland Within fewe dayes after a horrible plague entred the Cittie of Moscow and the Countrie about it with such vyolence as in lesse then foure moneths there dyed aboue two hundred and fiftie thousand persons And it was particularly obserued that in eyght dayes from the tenth to the eighteenth of August there dyed 2703. Priests and this Plague continued so strangely as in the ende euery man did wonder if hee mette with any one of his acquaintance as then aliue This extreame misery was followed the yeare after with a strange ruine the 15. of May. The occasion was that the Emperour of the Tartares beeing malcontent that the Muscouite payd him no more a certaine annuall Tribute and hearing on the other-side that the great Duke by his tyrannies and murthers had so wasted his Countries as they could make no great resistance on that side hee did sommon him to paye his Tribute But the great Duke answered him with reprochefull speeches and scornes Where-vpon the Tartar left his Countrie about the end of February hauing an Armie of a hundred thousand Horse who in two moneths and a halfe marched almost fiue hundred Germaine Leagues Being within two dayes iourney of the Dukes frontiers hee resolued to meete them giuing them Battaile but he lost it with a horrible route and slaughter of his men The Duke knowing that the Tartar would seeke after him fledde with great speed as farre off as hee could Hee was but nine Leagues from Moscow when as the Tartares came to inuest the Towne thinking him to bee there They fiered all the Villages about and seeing that the Warre would prooue too long for them they resolued to burne this great Cittie or at the least the Suburbes thereof Hauing to that end disposed of their troupes round about they set fire of all parts so as it seemed a circle on fire Then did there rise so vyolent a winde as in an instant the Towne was fired This fire was so sodaine as no man had any leisure to saue himselfe but where hee was at that very instant The number of them that were burnt in this fire came to aboue two hundred thousand the which happened for that their Houses were all of Wood and the pauementin the Streetes was of great Sappin Trees the which being Oylie made the fire the more violent so as in foure houres space the Towne and Suburbes were quite consumed I and a young-man of Rochell my Interpretor were in the middest of the fire in a ware-house all vaulted of Stone wonderfully strong the Walles beeing three foote and a halfe thicke and had vent but of two sides one by the which they went in and out the which was a good long entrie and had three Yron doores distant some sixe foote one from an other On the other side there was a window hauing three Yron dores one halfe a foote from an other which vents wee did stoppe on the in-side as well as wee could yet there came in so great a smoake as it had beene sufficient to haue smothered vs if wee had not had a little Beere where-with wee did some-times refresh our selues Manie Noble-men and Gentle-men were smothered in Caues whether they retyred them-selues for their houses beeing made of great Trees comming to sincke sodenly smothered them all Others beeing consumed to Ashes stopt all vent so as for want of ayre those that were shutte in perished The poore Country-men twentye miles about who had saued them-selues there with their Cattell seeing the fire retyred them-selues into a great voyde place in the Cittie which was not paued with Wood as the rest were yet they were all so roasted there as one of the tallest men seemed but a Childe the heate of the fire had so shrunke them vp and that by reason of great houses that were about it They were the most hideous and fearefull things to see that could bee imagined In many parts of that place men lay vpon heapes aboue halfe a Pike thick the which did wonderfully amaze mee not beeing able to comprehend how they should bee heapt so one vppon an other This horrible fire made most part of the battlements of the walles to fall and splitted all the ordinance that lay vpon the walles which were made of Bricke after the Anticke fashion with-out any Rampars or Ditche about it Many hauing saued themselues about the walles were notwithstanding roasted among others there were manie Italiens and Wallons of my acquaintance Whilest the fire continued it seemed to vs that a Million of Cannons thundred togither and we drempt of nothing but of death thinking that the fire would continue some daies by reason of the great circuit of the Cittie Casâ—…ell and Suburbes But all this was consumed in lesse then foure houres at the ende whereof the noise ceasing wee had a desire to see if the Tartares were entred of whome wee had no lesse feare then of the fire They bee people made for the Warre and yet they eate nothing but rootes or some such substance and drinke nothing but water and the greatest Lords among them liue vpon no thing but vpon flesh that is sodden betwixt the horse-backe and the saddle wherein hee rides yet they are stronge men apt to endure paine and so are their horses which runne wonderfull swiftly and goe more ground in one daie feeding but vpon grasse then ours will doe in three though they haue store of oates And therefore the Tartares come easily from farre to assayle the Muscouits but they come onelie in Sommer for the commoditie of their horses Their Countrie is temperate from whence they depart in the ende of February to bee in Moscouie in the beginning of Iune and they returne in the ende of it into their Countrie least they should bee surprized with Winter in Russia the which happening they should all die of hunger by reason of the desartes conteyning aboue 300. Germaine Leagues not inhabited and therefore without all releefe of victuells and their horses also hauing no grasse so as they are forced to make this voiage Which is aboue 1200. Germaine Leagues in foure or fiue monethes withall their armie the which doth commonly consist of a 150. or 200. thousand horse but their horse-men are ill armed carrying no other armes but a shirt of maile with a Iauelin and a bowe and aâ—…rowes they knowe not what artillery nor Harguebuzes meanes hauing but two Citties whereas their Emperor keepes his Court without any other Townes villages or houses but they content them-selues to liue in Tentes which they remooue from place to place To returne to our miserie hauing listened a little we might heare
make her complaintes to almightie GOD the world she would force him to the execution of his promise seeing that hee would not willingly performe it The Knight grewe more amazed then before and made her answere that hee vnderstood nothing of her Language and that she mistooke herself for that hee had neuer had any secret conference with her had promised her nothing neither could shee demande any thing at his hands The Gentlewoman mad with this answere in replying sayd Do you not remember that you did this and this with mee repeating euery thing that had happened vnto her with the Imposter in the Knights shape adding withall you cannot auoide it to bee my husband and I your wife The Knight beeing much amazed beganne to protest that shee was much deceiued to thinke it to be true and contending thereon the Gentlewoman did note vnto him the day of the promise which was vpon a sollemne feast daie Then the Knight sware vnto her that vpon that daie nor three weekes before nor three weekes after he had not beene in the Towne neither in his house nor in hers the which I will prooue vnto you so plainely as you shall rest satisfied and if any one hath deceiued you in my name I am not to bee blamed But to the ende you should not doubt of the truth of my saying I will presently verefie it Then not departing from her hee caused seauen or eight of his house-hold seruants and others to come who vnacquainted with the cause did sweare that the Knight had spoken the truth and that all that time hee had beene aboue fiftie Leagues from thence The Gentlewoman much troubled with this deposition beganne to remember some particularities and to apprehend that no mortall man could haue done them but that they were Imposturs of Satan so as soone after the retreate of the true Knight shee beganne to finde the cause of this abuse and detesting her foolish concupiscence humbling her-selfe shee resolued not to thinke anie more of marriage but ended the remainder of her daies in a Monasterie In the same Booke A bloudie sweat THE Plague beeing in the Towne of Misnia in Saxony there died a great nuÌ„ber of people in the yeare 1542. in the moneth of Iuly It happened that an honest woman 〈◊〉 AGATHE ATERMAN fell sicke and for the space of foure daies swete great droppes of bloud at her for-head so as as soone as euer they had wipt her others came presently shee died aboute the twenteth of September GEORGE le FEVRE in the Annales of Misnia Booke 3. A Miserable Rashnesse CLAVDE Bastard Daughter to SINEBALD FIESQVE Earle of Lauagne being married to a Gentleman of Chiauari neere vnto Genoa called RAVASCHIER was much courted to her dishonour by a Gentleman of the same place named IHON de la TOVR who abusing the loue RAVASCHIER did beare him did seeke to robbe him of his Wife But this vertuous Gentle-woman hauing often-times reiected him hee was so blinde as to imagine that her denials were but allurements and setling this vnworthy conceit in his braine finding his friend to be one day absent hee went and lay vnder the Gentle-womans bed hoping that night being come and she lying alone he might easily inioy her Being retyred and layd to her rest before her Chamber-maide went away into a neere Closet shee commanded her to looke about if there were not any thing that might disquiet her rest in the night The 〈◊〉 auing searcht euery where in the end she cast downe her eyes and spyed vnder her Mistresse bed a black thing She cryed out and both fled out of that Chamber into another ouer it where-as the Gentle-womans Father in lawe was LA TOVR seeing him-selfe discouered opens the Chamber windowes speedily and casts himselfe into the streete where hee was pittifully broken and bruized and by the helpe of a friend of his that came by chance hee was carryed home to his owne house Some houres after this Tragedie is knowne for that Chiauary is but a small place The Father in lawe sends letters to RAVASCHIER and to LEVVIS of Fiesque Brother to the Gentlewoman who sent CORNELIVS their Brother with RAVASCHIER and some Soldiars who come secretly in boates being strong and well garded by the Geneuois they presently force IOHN de la TOVRS house and finding him very lame in his bedde of his fall they cut his throate hewe him in peeces and then flie Such was the ende of his rashnesse History of Italie Treasors found spoiled lost sought for againe vainely and dangerously ABout the yeare 1550. neere vnto Deue a Towne in Transiluania the raine and ruines of water hauing beene very great and the weâ—…her growne faire some peasants going forth to worke descouer by the reuerberation of the Sun a great Treasor which did shine vnder a rotten tree which lookt red through age There was first of a la serpent all of gold the which after the death of a Monke called GEORGE who had seized thereon and was slaine came to the hands of the Emperor FERDINAND There was also found a great number of Medailles of gold of the waight of three Crownes a peece hauing the figure of LYSIMACHVS King of Thrace of the one side and on the other side a victory The peasants had the value of twenty thousand Crownes for their shares The rest was sent to FERDINAND then King of Bohemia by IOHN BAPTISTA CASTALDE his Lieutenant with two Medailles of gold of NINVS and SEMIRAMIS giuen to the Emperor CHARLES the 5. This treasor was valued at aboue a hundred thousand Crownes ACS. CENTORIVS Booke 4. of the war of Transiluania A poore fisherman remayning at Bresse called BARTLEMEVVE Grandfather to ANTHONY CODRE VRCE a learned Gramarien in our time digging in the ground found a great vessell full of siluer with the which he purchased lande sufficient to entertaine his family which was great honestly and moreouer he did set vp a goodly shoppe of spices and became one of the richest men in the Country BARTHE LMEVVE of Bologne in the life of ANTHONY CODRE VRCE The Marquis of Pescara hauing taken Tunis from BAREAROVSSE and being brought into the Cittadel by the ChristiaÌ„â—… that were prisoners there one of theÌ„ being a Geneuois borne descouered vnto him a treasor that was put into sackes and cast into a Cisterne where they found aboue thirty thousand ducats in gold the which the Emperor CHARLES the 5. gaue vnto the Marquis P. IOVIVS Booke 34. of his Histories of our time The treasor of CHARLES Duke of Bourgondy wonne by the Suisses in the battailes which they gaue him neere to Gransoa Morest amounted to great sums of gold and siluer both coined and vncoyned the true value whereof was not iustly known for that at that time the Suisses did more esteeme the heads of their pikes halberds and their swords then the gold or siluer of forren Princes About the yeare 1520. a yong man simple in all his behauior called
the Mountaine called Barbaro and the Sea by the Lake Auerna seemed to rise vp and suddenly to take the forme of a Mountaine The next morning about two of the clocke this Mountaine of earth cleauing in sunder began to vomit forth flames of fire with a wonderfull noyse Amidest those flames it cast out Pumyce stones and Flints with such a company of stinking Ashes that they couered all the ruines of Pouzol and the fields adioyning the Trees were borne downe and the Vines a quarter of a mile about were reduced to powder The Foules and Beasts of the fields had their share of it As for the inhabitants of Pouzel they saued them-selues in Naples These stinking Ashes blewe aboue eyght miles abroad beeing very drye close to the ouer-ture but sulpharous and moyste a farre off More-ouer a great and mightie Mountaine of those Pumyce-stones and Flint-stones and Ashes grewe vp by the ouer-ture in one night a thousand paces high and more hauing many euents whereof two continued a long time after The flames endured diuers moneths The twentith day of Ianuary 1538. Basil was shaken againe with an Earth-quake and two yeares after in the moneth of December all Germanie had experience of it with the ruines and spoiles of many buildings The yeare 1541. a valley in Suisserland was shaken and neere to the Apenine a torrent of meruailous stinking sulphure was seene running along the fields The yeare 1551. vpon the 28. day of Ianuary Lisbon in Portugall was shaken with a newe earth-quake which ouerthrewe two hundreth houses killed aboue a thousand persons In September the yeare following there was another earthquake at Basil as also in diuers townes of Misnia sundry places thereabout whereof ensued many ruines plagues violent death The next yeare after about the moneth of August the Country all along the riuer of Elba in Saxony had a part of the like visitation GARCA◅VS addeth another strange earth-quake in a quarter of Germanie where certaine townes and villages were swallowed vp with a great number of folkes and he sayth that this earth-quake lasted 15. daies Asmuch happened two moueths before to Cattaro a towne of Sclauonia belonging to the Venetians wherein perished a great multitude of people swallowed vp by an ouerture of the earth The yeare 1570. the Citty of Ferrara was shaken by an earthquake for the space of many daies togither with the ruine of diuers faire places other goodly buildings The wars plagues famines inundations of seas and riuers happening after such signes from heauē are noted in the histories of our time as wee also purpose to present the histories of them in their fit place On Sūday the first day of March 1584. in the Countries of Lyonnois Masconnois Dauphine Sauoy Piemont Valais Suisserland Bourgondy betweene a 11. 12. a clock at noone the skie cleare bright and the Sun shyning happened a suddaine earthquake which lasted not aboue ten or eleuen minutes at that time It was chiefly perceiued by the crackling of windowes clapping of dores shaking of houses beames and trees togither with a great noise and roaring in the aire Many chimneis fell downe diuers walles crackt in sunder and the foundations of certaine houses shooke namely about the lake of Lausanne especially in the Countries of Vaut Fossigny Chablais places adioyning Three or foure chimneis and the wall of an old house fel down at Geneua without any other harme The next day this earth-quake redoubled about the vpper end of the Lake of Lausanne and on Tuesday both in the morning and at night it waxed greater with winde and sleete but on Wedensday betweene 9. and 10. of the clock in the morning this which followeth happened in a certaine place of the Coūtry being some two houres iourney frō this vpper end of the Lake and foure Harguebuze shot or there about from the towne of Aille appertayning to the Canton of Berne A great quantity of earth tumbling from the top of the mountaines like an impetuous floud of waters rushing downe the rocks lanched it selfe forth as some haue affirmed the length of a mile not so much by it owne naturall motion which tended downe-ward as pushed forward by winds and exhalations mingled among This earth ran so violently along that in an instant it couered the places which were next belowe it vpon the which it disgorged it selfe and carried all the ground that it met withall before it which rouled along as furiously as the first it was like to a rough sea where one waue driues on another The plaines were not only carried away but the hills that ouerlooked the bottoms were likewise remooued Now it is to be noted that the place of this first motion of the earth was at the mouth of a straite caused by diuers hillocks which are cōmonly soūd in the nookes of mountaines At the mouth and issue of this straite was Corberi a small village or hamlet of some 8. houses and 10. or 11. granges with certaine mills that were driuen by the water of a little brooke The earth rushed so furiously on this village that suddainly it was al couered ouer except one house where it chanced that the good-man astonished with the noise hee heard told his wife that he was perswaded the end of the world was come therefore willed her ioyne with him in praier vnto GOD that it might please him to haue mercy on them Whervpon falling on their knees in their house they reaped such fruite of their praiers that the earth which rouled along past like a raging waue ouer their house without any hurt saue the good-man himself that was a little hurt in the head As for the other houses granges they were all cast downe and almost quite couered ouer Another notable thing happened in this very place namely a Child of 12. or 13. weekes old was found safe sound in his Cradle hauing his poore mother dead by him who laying her armes ouer the Cradle for to saue her Child had her braines beaten out with the fal of the house The like befell a little girle of a yeare old found safe and well vnder the ruines of another house As for the milles they were broken all to peeces A meruailous matter happened in one of thē For standing in a lowe place the beame of the wheele and the wheele it selfe were found whole and entier on the top of a little hill 500. paces higher then the scituation of the Mill. Moreouer the further this deluge of earth ran downe-ward the more the desolation augmented For shooting it selfe against the village of Yuorne which lay vnderneath Corberi it buried an hundreth persons aliue some say more two hundreth 40. milch-kine and a number of Horse and Oxen. It couered three score nine houses an hundeth six granges and 4. vaults with a great quantity of corne wine moueables pasture For in truth this village was meruaylous well fitted with all things and accounted one of
him and had renewed all that which was the cause of age the which made him to seeme younger then hee was The Admirall was desirous to knowe the truth and found that the was as it old man had sayd The same Author That aboue written is not impossible addes TORQVEMADO seeing that in our time wee knowe a verie admirable thing of a man mentioned by FERNAND LOPES of Castagneda Historiographer to the King of Portugall in the eight booke of his Chronicle where he sayth that NONNIO de CVGNE being Viceroye at the Indies in the yeare 1536. there was a man brought vnto him as a thing worthie of admiration for that it was auerred by great proofes and sufficient testimony that hee was three hundred and fortie yeares old Hee remembred that hee had seene that Cittie wherein he dwelt vnpeopled being then when he spake one of the chiefe of all the East-Indies Hee had growne young againe fouretimes leauing his white haire and hauing newe teeth When the Viceroy did see him hee had his haire and his beard black although hee had not much And as by chance there was a Physition present the Viceroy would haue him feele this olde mans pulce the which he found as good and as strong as a young mans in the prime of his age This man was borne in the Realme of Bengala and did affirme that hee had at times neere seauen hundred wiâ—…es whereof some were dead and some hee had put away The King of Portugall aduertised of this wonder did often inquier and had yeerely newes by the fleete which came Hee liued aboue three hundred and seauentie yeares The same Castagnede addes that in the time of the same Viceroy there was also found in the Cittie of Bengala an other man a Moore or MAHVMETAN called XEQVEPIR borne in a Prouince named XEQVE who was three hundred yeares olde as hee sayd all those which did knowe him did also certefie it for that they had great presumptions and testimonies This Moore was reputed amongst them for a holie man by reason of his austernes and abstinence The Portugals did conuerse famyliarly with him and besides that the Histories of Portugall are faithfully collected and certefied by verie autenticall witnesses there were in my time both in Portugall and in Castille many witnesses which had seene these old men The same ALEX. BENEDICTVS reports in his practise that hee had seene a woman called VICTORIA who had lost all her teeth and beeing growne bald other teeth came againe at the age of eighteene yeares AMB. PARE Booke 24. Chap. 17. I haue heard Mistris DESBECK saie that shee had knowne a woman seauentie yeares olde the which in certaine monethes for some yeares had her monethly courses verie orderly In the ende comming downe into great abondance shee died Shee reported vnto mee an other memorable Historie that shee had seene and knowne an honorable woman being then a hundred and three yeares olde and soone after died who beeing a hundred and one had her monthly courses very orderly where-with shee felt her selfe wonderfully eased and as it were restored the which continued from the hundred and one yeare vntill her death which was at the age of a hundred and three The Marshalls wife of Pleatenbourck a gentlewoman of the noble famelie of Ketlercks in Wesphalia hauing past seauentie yeares returned to haue her monthly purgations very orderly and was as lustie as shee had beene long before These orderly courses continued foure yeares but in the ende they came in greater abundance then before and yet shee was helthfull vntill the age of eightie foure Shee liued yet sixe yeares and died in the ninetie yeare of her age R. SOLENANDER Booke 5. of his Physicall Obseruations Cons. 15. sect 41. 42. 43. Strange Fearefull and horrible Visions IN the liues of DION and BRVTVS in PLVTARKE wee read of horrible apparitions which appeared vnto them a little before their deaths and wee read in the Histories of Scotland in the life of King ALEXANDER the third a strange cause of a fantosme which appeared vnto him the day of his third marriage presaging his death the same yeare But omitting ancient Histories besides those that wee haue represented in the first Booke wee will adde some in this There is a Noble and ancient familie at Parma called TORTELLES hauing a Castell in the which there is a great Hall vnder the Chimney wher-of there doth sometimes appeare an ancient Woman seeming to be a 100. yeares old This signifieth that some one of the familie shall dye soone after I haue heard PAVLA BARBIANO a worthy Lady of that family report supping one night together at Belioyeuse that a young Maide of that house being sick the old Woman appeared which made all to thinke that the Maide should soone dye but the contrarie happened for the sicke Maide escaped but an other of the same family which before was in very good health dyed sodenly They say this old woman whose shadow appeares was some-times a riche Lady who for her money was slaine by her Nephews which cutte her body in peeces and cast it into the Priuies CARDAN liber 16. Chap. 93. of the diuersitie of things ANTHONY 〈◊〉 of whose despaier I haue spoken else-where the lastnight of his life being layed he imagined to see a very tall man whose head was shauen his beard hanging downe to the earth his eyes sparkling and two torches in his hands whome ANTHONY demanded what art thou who alone like a furie doest walke thus out of season when euery one doth rest Tell mee what seekest thou What doest thou pretend In saying so ANTHONY cast himselfe out of his bedde to hide him-selfe from this vision and died miserably the next day BARTLEMEVV of Bolonia in his life IAMES DONAT a rich gentleman of Venice beeing in bedde with his Wife hauing a waxe candle light in the Chamber two nurses sleeping by in a pallet with a little Childe hee did see one open the Chamber doore verie softly and an vnknowne man putting his head in at the dore DONAT riseth takes his sword causeth two great Lamps to be light goes with his Nurses into the hall where hee findes all shut where-vpon hee retiers backe to his Chamber much amazed The next daie this little Childe not full a yeare olde and who then was well died CARDAN in the same Booke and Chapter Two Italian Marchants being vpon the way to passe out of Piedmont into France did incounter a man of a far heigher stature then any other who calling them vnto him vsed this speech returne to my Brother LODOVVIK and giue him these letters which I send him They being much amazed aske what are you I am sayd he GALEAS SFORZA and so vanished sodenly They turned head towards Milan and from thence to Vigeneue where LODOVVIK was at that time They desire to speake with the Duke saying that they had letters to deliuer him from his Brother The Courtiers laugh at them and for that they
not printed the which happened in Paris in Saint Honores streete at the signe of the redde Horse A Weauer of Lace had taken his Niece home to him beeing an Orphelin One a time the maide praying vpon her Fathers graue where hee was buried at Saint Geruais Sathan presented him-selfe vnto her in the shape of a tall blacke man taking her by the hand and saying my friend feare nothing thy Father and thy Mother are well But thou must saie certaine Masses and goe in pilgrymage to our Ladie of Vertus and they shall goestraight into Paradice The maide demandes of this spirit who was so carefull of mans helth what hee was Hee answered that hee was Sathan and that shee should not bee amazed The mayde did what was commanded her Which done hee sayd she must goe in pilgrymage to Saint Iames. Shee answered I cannot goe so farre After that Sathan did not cease to importune her talking famyiiarly to her beeing alone and doing her worke saying these wordes vnto her Thou art cruell thou wilt not put thy sizers in thy bosome for my sake the which shee did to content him and to bee ridde of him But this done hee demaunded some guifte of her yea some of her haire whereof shee gaue him a locke Some daies after hee perswaded her to cast her-selfe into the water and sometimes to hang her-selfe putting the rope of a well about her necke but shee cryed out in such sort as hee did no more vrge her And yet her Vncle seeking one daie to bee reuenged of him was so well beaten as hee continued aboue fiueteene daies sicke in his bedde An other time Sathan would haue forced her and knowne her carnally and for the resistance which shee made shee was beaten vntill shee bled Amongst many that did see this maide there was one called CHOININ Secretarie to the Bishoppe of Valence who tould her that there was no better meanes to driue awaie this euill spirit then in answering nothing to that which hee should say although hee should commande to praie vnto GOD the which he neuer did but in balspheming and ioyning him alwaies with his Creatures in derision Sathan seeing that the maide answered him nothing nor did anie thing for him tooke her and cast her against the grounde after which time shee see him no more Mounsier ANNOT Bishop of Auxerra nor the Curate where the Maiden dwelt could not helpe her I. BODIN lib. 3. Chap. 6. of his Demonomania ANTHONIE dela CVEVA a Spanish Knight for some reasons vnknowne to vs and by the permission of GOD was in his life time much troubled and tempted with visions so as through custome hee had in the end lost all feare and yet hee had euer light in his Chamber where he did lye One night being in his bed and reading in a Booke he heard a noyse vnder his bed as if it had beene a Man and not knowing what it might be hee see come forth of one side of the bed a naked arme as if it had beene of a Moore the which laying hold of the Candel threw it downe with the Candle-stick and put it out Then the Knight felt this Moore come vp and goe to bed to him hauing imbraced one another they began to wrestle with all their force making such a noyse as those of the house did awake and comming to see what it was they found none but the Knight who was in a great heat and was wet as if he had come out of a Bathe Hee told them his aduenture and that this Moore hearing them come had freed himselfe from him and hee knew not what was become of him The same Author Wonderfull Visions in the ayre IN the yeare 1532. neere vnto Inspruke these Images were seene in the ayre An Eagle vpon the side of an hill very wilde against the which came three other Images as it were to teare it in peeces The first was a Camell stretching forth his necke and enuironed about with fire The second was a Wolse casting fire out at his throate and aboute him a circle of fire The third was a Lion whose haire a man armed at all partes and standing vp right at the entrie of the mountaines did gently handle and it seemed that this Lion reioyced at the man holding forth his pawe to him in signe of salutation GASPAR PEVCER Booke 15. Chap. 5. of his Diuinations Alittle before the death of IOHN Elector Duke of Saxony there was seene in the aire ouer Isenac these visions following first an old drie Tree ouerthrowne Secondly a man on hors-back which carried the tree but all the boughs puld of thirdly there was seene a hound Forthly a great blacke Crosse in a thicke Cloude Fiftly the lightning was seene comming out of this Cloud with so horrible and violent a cracke of thunder and so full of sparkes of fire as they thought it would haue consumed a Village ouer which it was likely to fall and there was a maide so terrefied as with a violent crie to her Mother for helpe shee intreated that shee might bee couered Although I will not enter into the exposition of this vision yet I gather by that which hath since followed that such Images haue represented the changes which haue happened in the house of Saxony togither with the calamities and ruines of Churches The same Author At the same time when as the League in Germanie was made called of SCHMALCAIDE therewere seene shyning in the aire Images which did seeme to fore-tell the issue of all that assosiation First were seene certaine horse-men followed by peasantes that were armed with battes and leuers then there appeered a heigh Tower neere vnto a riuer and not farre from that Tower a man which digged for water after whome came a great dragon The two first figures vanished presently but the two others continued a good long time The same Author In the yeare 1534. the third of Iuly after Noone the skie beeing cleere and bright the Inhabitantes of a little Towne called Scheswitz did see in the aire Lyons running from diuers parts to fight and by them a man on horse-backe armed shaking of a Iauelin Not farre from this man laie a mans head without a bodie wearing an Imperiall diademe Neere vnto it there was a wilde boares head with his tuskes and two Dragons vomyting forth fire Then there appeered an Image of a good bigge Towne alone neere vnto a Lake beseeged by Water and Lande and ouer it a Crosse of the collour of bloud the which by little and little grewe blacke An other horse-man all flaming and carrying on his head an Emperors Crowne presented him-selfe presently beeing followed by a horse without a guide then in the midest of a spacious plaine there appeered two Castles on fire neere vnto a heigh Mountaine vpon the which was a great Eagle hyding halfe his bodie beehinde the Mountaine and there appeered also certaine little Eagles hauing white fethers and verie bright and with all a Lyons