of those which lay in wayt to destroy Christ Iesus Wée reade in the tenth chapter of the Acts of the apostles that saint Peter fell into a traunce saw the heauens open and saw a vessel as it were a greate shéete descende downe vnto him from heauen knit togither at the foure corners wherin were all maner of foure footed beasts of the earth and wylde beasts and créeping things and foules of the heauen And there came a voyce vnto him Rise Peter kill and eate And in the .xvj. chapter as S. Paule was yet in Asia coÌ„ming downe towardes Troada this vision appeared vnto him There stode a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come into Macedonia and help vs Hereby Paul gathered it was the will of God that he should passe the sea and should preache the Gospell in Macedonia But I purpose not to write of Spirites and visions appearing vnto men in their sléepe least my Booke growe vnto an huge volume but only of those which we sensibly sée when we are awake CHAP. XVII That there happen straunge vvonders and prognostications and that sodeyn noises and cracks and such like are hearde before the death of men before battaile and before some notable alterations and chaunges IT happeneth many times that when men lye sicke of some deadly disease there is some thing heard going in the chamber like as the sicke men were wonte when they were in good health yea the sicke parties them selues do many times hear the same and by and by gesse what wil come to passe Oftentimes a litle before they yeld vp the ghost and some time a little after their death or a good while after either their owne shapes or some other shaddowes of men are apparantly séene And diuers times it commeth to passe that wheÌ„ some of our acquaintaunce or friends lye a dying albeit they are many miles off yet there are some great stirrings or noises heard Sometimes we thinke the house will fall on our heads or that some massie and waightie thing falleth downe throughout all the house rendring and making a disordered noise and shortlie within fewe monthes after we vnderstande that those things happened the very same houre that our friends departed in There be some men of whose stocke none doth dye but that they obserue and marke some signes and tokens going before as that they heare the dores and windowes open and shut that some thing runneth vp the staires or walketh vp and downe the house or doth some one or other such like thing But here I cannot passe this in silence that there are many superstitious men which vainly persuade theÌ„selues that this cousin and this or that friend of theirs wil shortly dye For in the end the falling out of the matter it selfe sheweth it was a vayne and folishe persuasion that they vnderstod suche things by any signes Cardanus in his booke De veriâ—ate rerum writeth that there was a certeine noble familie at Parma in Jtaly out of the which so often as any one died there was séene an olde woman in the chimney corner On a certaine tyme shée appeared when a mayden of the same familie laye very sicke and therefore they cleane dispayred of hir life but soone after she recouered againe and in the meane while an other which was theÌ„ in good helth sodainly dyed There was a certaine parishe priest a very honest and godly man whom I knewe well who in the plague time could tell before hand when any of his parishe should dye For in the night time he heard a noise ouer his bed like as if one had throwne downe a sacke full of corne from his shoulders which when he heard he would say Nowe an other biddeth me farewell After it was day he vsed to inquire who died that night or who was taken with the plague to the end he might comfort and strengthen them according to the duty of a good pastour It hath bin often obserued in Guilde halles where Aldermen sit that when one of those Aldermen was at the point of death there was hearde some ratling about hys seate or some other certeine signe of death The same thing happeneth beside pewes and stalles in Churches or in other places where men are often conuersaunt or accustomed to exercise their handy labour In Abbeys the Monks seruaunts or any other falling sicke many haue heard in the night preparation of chests for them in such sorte as the coffinmakers did afterwards prepare in déede In some country villages when one is at deaths dore many times there are some heard in the Euening or in the night digging a graue in the Churcheyarde and the same the next day is so found digged as these meÌ„ did heare before There haue bin séene some in the night wheÌ„ the moone shined going solemnlie with the corps according to the custome of the people or staÌ„ding before the dores as if some bodie were to be caried to the Church to burying Many suppose they sée their owne image or as they saye theyr owne soule and of them diuers are verily persuaded that except they dye shortlie after they haue séene them selues they shall liue a very great time after But these things are superstitious Let euery man so prepare him selfe as if he shoulde dye to morrowe left by being too secure he purchase himselfe harme There happen other straunge things also For when some lye in the prison in chaynes readie to suffer punishmeÌ„t for their offeÌ„ces many times in the night season there is heard a great noise and rumbling as if some body were breaking into the gayle to deliuer the prisoners When meÌ„ come to vnderstand the matter they can neither heare nor sée any body and the prisoners likewise say they heard no manner thing Some executioners or haÌ„gmen do report that for the most part they knowe before hand whether any maÌ„ shall shortly be deliuered into their hands to suffer for their swords will moue of their owne accord And there are other that saie they can tell before after what sorte the prisoners shall suffer Many wonderfull and straunge things happen about those which wilfully cast away theÌ„selues Somtime their corpses must be caryed a great way off before they béeing thrust in a sacke can be throwne into the sea and béeing layd in a waggon or cart the horse could scant draw them downe the hill but vp the hill they néed not labour at all for the carte woulde runne very fast of his owne accorde Some men béeing slayne by théeues when the théeues come to the dead body by and by there gusheth out freshe blood or else there is declaration by other tokens that the théefe is there present Plato writeth in the firste booke of his lawes that the soules of suche as haue ben slayne doo oftentymes cruelly molest and trouble the soules of those whiche slewe them For whiche cause Marsilius Fiscinus doth thinke it chaunceth that the wounde of a man being slayn
Of ghostes and spirites walking by nyght and of strange noyses crackes and sundry forewarnynges whiche commonly happen before the death of menne great slaughters alterations of kyngdomes One Booke Written by Lewes Lauaterus of Tigurine And translated into Englyshe by R. H. Printed at London by Henry Benneyman for Richard VVatkyns 1572. To the Reader BEyng desirous gentle Reader to exercise my selfâ— with some translation at vacant tymes and seeyng that since the Gospel hath benne preached this one question touchyng the appearyng of spirites and soules departed hath not ben much handled amongst vs and therefore many otherwise wel affected in religion vtterly ignoraunt herein I thought it not amisse to take in hande some good and learned treatise concerning this matter VVherin as many haue both learnedly paynfully religiously traueyled so amongst others none in my iudgement hath more handsomely and eloquently with more iudgement and better methode discoursed the same then Lewes Lauaterus minister of Tigurine Others haue handled it in dede wel but yet nihil ad nostrum hunc beyng eyther to short or to long or to darke or to doubtful or otherwyse so confused that they leaue the reader more in suspeÌ„ce in the end then they founde hym in the begynnyng As for maister Lauaterus his discretion herein I wyll no otherwise commend it then to desire the reader to view iudge hym selfe For thus much at the first syght he shal see A cleare methode with a familier and easie style the matter throughly handled pro and con on both sides so that nothyng seemeth to be wantyng nor any thyng redoundyng And if it be true that Horace saith omne â—ulit punctum qui miscuit vtile dulci that is He wynneth the price that ioyneth pleasure with profite I thinke this author may also in this respect be pronounced victor adiudged to the best game For he so intreateth this serious and terrible matter of spitites that he now and then insertyng some strange story of Monkes Priestes Fryers such like counterfeyts doth both very lyuely display their falsehood and also not a litle recreate his reader and yet in the ende he so aptly concludeth to the purpose that his hystories seeme not idle tales or impertinent vagaries but very truethes naturally falling vnder the compasse of his matter And howe profitable this his work is those may best iudge which are most ignorant in this question some thinking euery small motion and noyse to be spirites and some so fondely perswaded that there are no spirites who being better enfourmed herein by this author I suppose wyl confesse his worke to haue done them some profite if knowledge be profitable and ignorance discommodious And agayne those which beyng hytherto borne in hande that mens soules returne agayne on earth crauyng helpe of the lyuyng and haue spent much of their substance on idle Monkes Fryers to relieue them wyll confesse the lyke For when they shall see they haue ben falsly taught that they were not the soules of men whiche appeared but eyther falsehood of Monkes or illusions of deuyls franticke imaginations or some other friuolous vaine perswasions they wil thinke it profitable to haue knowen the trueth aswel to auoyde error hereafter as to saue their money from such greedy caterpillers Some also whiche be otherwise well trayned vp in religion and yet not knowyng what to thynke of these matters wil not iudge their labour euyl imployed nor the worke vnprofitable wherby thei may be brought out of doubt and knowe certainly what to beleue There be many also euen nowe a dayes which are haunted and troubled with spirites and knowe not howe to vse them selues who when they shall learne howe a Christian man ought to gouerne hym selfe beyng vexed with euyl spirites wyl thynke it a very profitable poynt of doctrine that shal teache them to direct them selues Profitable therefore it is and shal be no doubt vnto many and disprofitable vnto none except perchaunce vnto popishe Monkes and Priestes who are like hereby to lose a great part of their gaynes which somtimes they gathered together in great abundance by their deceiptfull doctrine of the appearyng of dead mens soules But this their wicked and deuyllishe doctrine together with all the patches and appendices therto belongyng he so notably teareth and cutteth in peeces that I am well assured they shal neuer be hable to cobble and cloute them vp agayne And this doth he with suche a moderation of breuitie and tediousnes that I may rightly say He hath sayde well and not to much and written truely and not to litle Nowe as touchyng my translation although I haue not made hym speake with like grace in Englishe as he doth in Latine yet haue I nor changed his meanyng nor altered his matter endeuouring my selfe rather to make thee vnderstande what thou readest then to smoothe and pollishe it with fine and picked wordes which I graunt others myght haue done more exquisitely and perchaunce I my selfe also somewhat better yf I would haue made therof a study and labour and not a recreatioÌ„ exercise But howsoeuer I haue done herein verily good reader I trust thou wylt take it in good part which is al that I esteeme yf any man shal mislike therof let hym amende it I trust it be sufficient to testifie my good wil to do thee good and to let thee vnderstande the authors meanyng Fare well An aduertisement to the Reader GEntle Reader before thou enter any further I haue thought good to aduertise thee of certayne faultes escaped in the Printing whyche are sette forthe in the Page afore going desiring thee to beare with them and to pardon the Printer For thou knowest Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus Although some of our Printers be not Homers neyther seene in Greeke nor Latine nor sometime exactly in Englishe yet can they nod and take a nap as well as any Homer Howebeit in deede they are herein pardonable bycause the Copie was somewhat obscurely written as being the first originall Fare well Faultes escaped in the Print Note that the first number signifieth the Page â—he seconde the Line Pag. 2. Lin. 24. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 .6.23 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 .15.14 for austerne austere .32.25 for he sayde they sayde .37.33 for Atirebatensâ—â— Atrebatensis .49.6 for bitter read bittour .60.27 for wandring read wauering .61 â— for Campana Campania eadem .23 for common reade Romaine .67.15 for talke reade taske .68.6 for Alexandria Alexandro mergine Alexander ab Alexandro .70.35 for not that reade not .84.32 for â—aught by the wall Basill reade fast by the wals of Basil. eadem for general the reade the general .88 â–ª 23. for Auguries Angaries â–ª eadem vlt. for straunge reade slaunch .93.8 for companions companies .95.9 for Tiberius by Tiberius 99.7 for mortal read immortall eadem .29 for horse reade hearse eadem .33 for horse hearse .101.3 for
last reade least .102.27 for other in reade other name in .103.7 for made full reade made not ful â–ª 128.30 for certifie reade terrifie .130.31 for beate reade chyde .132.1 for ended reade in déede .136.16 for this is that is reade that is this is .143.33 for Delphis reade â—i Delphis .147.24 for was in vayne reade was not in vayne 1â—2.15 for haue lent reade lent .153.7 for late reade later .185 â–ª 14. for prouerb sayth reade prouerb sayth burnt childe dreads fire ¶ To the right excellent and moste wise and vertuous lorde Iohn Steigerus CoÌ„sul of the noble coÌ„mon welth of Berna his good lorde and patron Lewâ—s Lauaterus of Tigurin wisheth health MAny and diuers thinges are resoned vpon both of the learned and vnlearned as well of other matters as also of Spirites which are séene and heard and make men afrayde in the night season and in the daye tyme by sea and by lande in the fieldes woods and houses And lykewise concerning suche straunge things whiche for the most parte happen before the death of certayne men especially greate Princes and before notable innouations of kingdomes and empires Many which neuer sawe or hearde any of these thinges suppose all that is reported of them to be méere trifles and olde wyues tales for so muche as simple men and suche as are fearefull and superstitioâ—s persuade themselues they haue séene this or that when in déede the matter is far otherwise Againe there are some which as soone as they heare of any thing especially if it happen in the nighte they by and by thinke some spirite doth walke and are maruellously troubled in mynde bycause they can not discerne naturall things from spirites And some chéefly those which hunt after gaynes by the soules of dead men affirme that the moste parte of suche things which are hard or séene are the soules of dead men whych craue helpe of them that are liuing to be deliuered out of the tormentes of most cruell payne in Purgatorie Many not only of the common sorte but also menne of excellent knowledge do maruayle whether there bée any spirits or no and what maner of things they are Yea some of my familiar friends haue many times requested me to shewe them my opinion concerning these matters Wherefore me séemeth it shall be worth my laboure if I declare briefly and playnly out of the word of God what we ought to iudge concerning these things For the ministers of Gods Churche can take nothing more profitable in hande than to instructe the people of God purely and plainly in suche necessary matters as come in question out of the word of God whiche is a lanterne as the psalmist saith vnto our féete and a light vnto our pathes and to deliuer them from all erroure and superstition and bring them out of all wauering and dout And verily their study and diligence is to be highly commended who for these fewe yeares ago haue set foorth certayne bookes drawen out of the scriptures writteÌ„ in the Germayne tong against sundry errours theirs likewise who in these our dayes by writing of bookes do teache instructe and confirme the rude and vnlearned people For amongst many other excellent benefits which God our heauenly Father hath bestowed vppon mankinde this also is a great and most liberall gifte that in this latter and as it were olde age of the world he hath brought to light by the arte of imprinting as well many other good authors as also the holy scriptures of the olâ—e and newe testament written in diuers languages wherby he dothe not only teache vs amply and fully what to beléeue and what to doe but also mightyly subuerteth and quite ouerthroweth diuers and sundry errours which by little and little haue crept into the Church Truly all suche are very vngrateful towards God which doe not willingly acknowleage this so notabel a benefite As touching this my treatise concerning Spirits and straunge wonders I haue deuided it into three partes for the more clere vnderstanding therof In the first parte I shewe that there are visions and spirits and that they appeare vnto men sometimes and that many and maruellous things happen besides the ordinarie course of nature In the second I discusse what manner of things they are that is not the souls of dead meÌ„ as some meÌ„ haue thought but either good or euill Angels or else some secrete and hid operations of god In the third I declare why God doth sometime suffer Spirits to appeare and diuers forewarnings to happen and also howe men ought to behaue them selues when they happen to méete with such things In these points or partes the chiefest thing whereon men vse to reason touching this matter are conteined Nowe I meane to handle this matter being very obscure and intricate with many questions I trust so plainly clerely out of the holy scriptures wheron we may surely stay our selues out of the auncieÌ„t fathers allowed historiographers and other good writers that those which are studious and louers of gods truth may well vnderstand what may be denied and thought of those apparitions and other straunge and maruellous matters And I also trust that euen our aduersaries also in case they will lay their affections aside but a litle while will say that I haue truly alleaged all their arguments and confuted them without any rayling or bitternesse For my purposed ende is according to the doctrine of saincte Paule to edifie and not to destroy As touching diuinatioÌ„s blessings iugglings coÌ„iurings and diuers kinds of sorcerie and generally of all other diuelishe practises certayne learned men of our time haue written bookes as Gasper Peâ—cerus Ioannes Viera Ludouicus Mellichius and perchaunce some others also whose works I haue not yet séene It is not long ago since Ioannes Riuius a man learned and eloquent published a booke in the latine tong entreating of spirites and superstition In the which booke albeit very briefly yet doth he as he is wont in all things very finely and eloquently intreat of this matter and of other foolishe superstitions And albeit that I doo write more largely of this yet was it not my minde to gather togither all those things whiche I coulde haue spoken and alleaged touching the same matter but only suche as séeme the chiefest and most especial points partly because I wold not be tedious to the reader partly also least my bookes should growe vnto an ouer greate quantitie I haue great hope that Ioachimus Camerarius that excellent man who readeth the auncient writers both gréeks and latins with exquisite iudgemeÌ„t and hath great experience in all things will shortly write learnedly and at large of this matter and also of others like vnto it For so much he séemeth to promise in his preface to Plutarches booke De defectu oraculorum figura consâ—crata Delphis wherin he handleth the nature and operations of diuels and also in other of his writings I for my parte had once
holly water and satisfaction For that wée let passe many things it is clerer then the day light euen by this history that many things haue bin beaten into the peoples heads touching these foresayde matters which were only deuised and inuented by these idle bellies CHAP. VIII Of a counterfaite and deceiuing spirit at Orleaunce in Fraunce ANd that no man thinke the Friers preachers alone to haue bin so bolde and wicked and so ready in deuising so many monsters let vs harken a while to a notable history of the Franciscan Friers reported by Sleidane in the ninth booke of his commentaries coÌ„cerning the state of religion and the common welth in the tyme of Charles the fifth In the yeare sayth he of our Lord 1534. the Franciscan Monks played a bloudy and deadly pageant at Orleaunce in Fraunce The Maiors wife of the same citie when she died commaunded in hir will that she shoulde be buried without any pompe or noise solemnly vsed at that time So also VVilliam Bude a rare and singular ornament of Fraunce lying on his death bed at Paris in the yeare of our Lord 1540. in the month of August lefte commaundement with his frends to bury him without any great solemnitie and pompe The womans husbande who reuerenced the memoriall of his wyfe did euen as she had willed him and because she was buried in the Churche of the Franciscans besides hir father and grandfather gaue them in rewarde only sixe crownes whereas they hoped for a farre greater pray Shortly after it chaunced that as he felled certeine wooddes and sold them they desired him to giue vnto them some parte of it fréely without money whiche he flatly denied This they tooke very gréeuously and whereas before they misliked him they deuised thys meanes to be reuenged forsooth to reporte that his wife was damned for euer The chiefe workemen and framers of this tragedy were Colimannus and Stephanus Atrebatensij both doctors of diuinitie and Colimannus a great coÌ„iurer hauing all his implements in a redinesse which he woonted to vse in such businesse and thus they handled the matter They place ouer the arche of the church a yong nouice he about midnight when they came to mumble their prayers as they were wont to do maketh a great ruÌ„bling noise out of hand the Monks began to coniure charme but he answereth nothing then béeing required to giue a signe whether he were a dumbe Spirit or no he begins to rumble stirre again which thing they toke as a certaine signe Hauing layde this fouÌ„dacion they go vnto certain citizens chief men such as fauored them declaring that a heauy chance had hapned at home in their monasterie â–ª not shewing what the matter was but desiring them to come to their mattens at midnight WheÌ„ those citizens were come that prayers wer now begun the counterfet Spirite beginneth to make a maruellous noise in the top of the church and being asked what he ment and who he was he giueth theÌ„ signes that it is not lawful for him to speak Therfore they commaunde him to make answer by tokens and signes to certeine thinges they woulde demaunde of him Nowe was there a hole made in the vaute through the which he might heare and vnderstande the voice of the coÌ„iurer and then had he in his hande a little boorde which at euery question he strake in suche sorte as he might easyly â—e heard beneath First therefore they aske him whether he were one of them that had bin buried in the same place afterwards they reckning vp many by name which hadde bin buried there at the laste also name the maiors wife there by and by the Spirite gaue the signe that he was hir soule He was further asked whether he were damned or no and if he were for what deserte or faute Whether for couetousenesse or wanton lust for pride or want of charitie or whether it were for heresie and for the secte of Luther newly sprong vp Also what he meante by that noise and sturre he kept there Whether it were to haue the body nowe buried in holy grounde to be digged vp agayn to be layd in some other place To al the which points he answered by signes as he was coÌ„maunded by the which he affirmed or denyed any thing according as he strake the boorde twise or thrise together And when he had thus geuen theÌ„ to vnderstande that the very cause of his damnation was Luthers heresie and that the body must néeds be digged vp againe the monks request the citizens whose presence they had vsed that they would beare witnesse of those things which they had séene with their eyes and that they would subscribe to suche things as were done a fewe dayes before The citizens taking good aduise on the matter least they should offende the maior or bring theÌ„selues in trouble refuse so to do but the Monks notwithstanding take froÌ„ thence the swéete bread which they call the host body of our Lord together with all the reliques of saints cary theÌ„ to an other place there say their Masse The bishops substitute iudge whom they call Officiall vnderstaÌ„ding thys matter coÌ„meth thither accompanied with certain honest meÌ„ to the inteÌ„t he might know the whole circuÌ„stances more exactly therfore he coÌ„mandeth theÌ„ to make coÌ„iuratioÌ„ in his presence also he requireth certain to be chosen to go vp to the top of the vault there to sée whether any gost apered or not That Stephanus AtrebateÌ„sis stiffly denied maruellously persuading the coÌ„trary affirmed that the spirit in no wise ought to be troubled And albeit the Officiall vrged theÌ„ very much that there might be some coniuring of the spirit yet could he nothing preuaile In the meane while that these things were a doing the maior when he had shewed the other iustices of the citie what he would haue theÌ„ do toke his iorney to the king opened the whole matter vnto him And bycause the monks refused iudgemeÌ„t vpon plea of their owne lawes and liberties the king chosing out certein of the Aldermen of Paris giueth them absolute and full authoritie to make inquirie on the matter The like doth the chancelor master Anthonius Pratensis Cardinall and legate for the Pope throughout Fraunce Therefore when they hadde no exception to alleage they were conueyed vnto Paris and there constreyned to make their aunswere but yet coulde nothing be wroong out of them by confession Whervpon they were put a parte into diuers prisons the Nouice béeing kepte in the house of master Fumaeus one of the Aldermen who being oftentimes examined earnestly requested to vtter the truthe woulde notwithstanding confesse nothing because he feared that the Monks would afterwards put him to death for stayning their order and putting it to open shame but wheÌ„ the iudges had made him sure promise that he should escape punishment and that hée should neuer come into their handling he ripped vp vnto them the whole
horse with a Hauke on his fist as he was wonte when he liued and willed the secretarie albeit wonderfully afraid to bid his Sonne the nexte daye to repaire vnto the same place for he had matter of greate importance to declare vnto him Which when Ludouicus heard partly bycause he could not beléeue it partly for that he douted som body laye in waight for him he sent an other to answere in his roome With whome the same soule méeting as it did before lamented very much that his Sonne was not come thither for if he had so doone he saide he would haue opened many other things vnto him But as then he willed the messanger to tell him that twentie two yeares one month and one day being passed he should loose the rule gouernment whiche he nowe possessed As soone as the time forshewed by the ghost was expired albeit he were very circumspect and careful yet the same night the souldiours of Phillip Duke of Millen with whom he was in league therfore stood in no féare of him came ouer the ditches hard frosen with ice vnto the walles and raysing vp ladders toke both Citie and Prince togither Phillip Malancthon writeth in his booke de anima that he himselfe hathe seene some spirites and that he hath knowne many men of good credite whiche haue auoutched not only to haue séene ghostes them selues but also that they haue talked a great while with them In his booke which he intituleth Examen Theologicum he reherseth this historie Which was that he had an aunt who as she sat very heauily by the fire after hir husband was deade two men came into hir house whereof the one being verie like saide he was hir husband deceased the other being very tall had the shape of a Franciscan Frier This that séemed to be the husband came néere the chimney saluting his heauie wife bidding hir not to be afrayde for as he saide he came to commaunde hir certaine things then he bid the long Monke to goe aside a while into the stoue hard by And there beginning his talke after many wordes at the last he earnestly beséecheth and most hartily desireth hir to hire a Priest to say Masse for hys soule and so being readie to departe he biddeth hir giue him hir right hande which thing she being sore afraide abhorring to do after he hadde faythfully promysed she shoulde haue no harme she giueth hir hande which albeit in déede it had no hurte yet did it seeme to be so scortched that euer after it remained blacke This being doone hée calleth foorth the Franciscane and hastily going foorth togither they vanysh away Ioannes Manlius in his collectanies of common places wryteth concerning other spirits which he and other men also did sée the first tome in the chapter De malis spiritibus et ipsorum operibus and also in the chapter De satisfactione Ludouicus Viues saythe in his firste booke De veritate fidei that in the newe world lately found out ther is nothing more common than not that only in the night time but also at noone in the midday to sée spirits aparaÌ„tly in the cities fields which speake coÌ„maund forbyd assault men feare them strike theÌ„ The very same do other report which describe those nauigations of the gret Ocean Hieronimus Cardanus of Millen excellently séene in philosophie phisicke remembreth a great many of these apparitions in his bookes De subtilitate et varietate rerum which who so lysteth to reade I refer hym to his bookes for I am desirous to be bréefe Olaus Magnus Archbishoppe of Vpsalia in Sueuelande declareth in his historie De Gentibus Septentrionalibus the 2. booke and 3. chap that spirits apeare in Iseland in the shape likenesse of such as men are acquainted withall whom the inhabitants take by the hande in stead of their acquaintance before they haue heard any worde of those their acquaintance death whose similitude and likenesse they take on theÌ„ neither do they vnderstand that they are deceiued before they shrink vanish away These things haue I brought togither both out of the olde also newe wryters that it myght plainly apeare that spirits do often times walke and shewe themselues vnto men CHAP. XVI Daily experience techeth vs that spirits do appear to meÌ„ TO al the premisses before handled this also is to be added which no man caÌ„ deny but the many honest credible persons of both kinds aswel men as women of whom som ar liuing some alredy departed which haue do affirm that they haue somtimes in the day somtimes in the night séen hard spirits Some maÌ„ walketh alone in his house behold a spirit apéereth in his sight yea somtimes the dogs also perceue theÌ„ fal down at their masters fete wil by no means depart fro theÌ„ for they ar sore afraid theÌ„selues too Some man goeth to bed and laieth him down to rest and by and by there is some thing pinching him or pulling off the clothes sometimes it sitteth on him or lyeth downe in the bed with him and many times it walketh vp and downe in the Chamber There haue bene many times men séen walking on foote or riding on horseback being of a fierie shape knowen vnto diuers men suche as died not long before And it hath come to passe lykewise that some eyther slayn in the warres or otherwise deade naturally haue called vnto their acquaintance béeing aliue and haue bene knowen by their voice Many times in the nyght season there haue béene certaine spirits hearde softely going or spitting or groning who being asked what they were haue made aunswere that they were the soules of this or that man that they nowe endure extreame tormentes Yf by chaunce any man did aske of them by what meanes they might be deliuered out of those tortures they haue aunswered that in case a certaine numbre of Masses werâ— soong for them or Pilgrimages vowed to some Saintes or some other such like déedes doone for their sake that then surely they shoulde be deliuered Afterwardes appearing in greate lyght and glorie they haue said that they were deliuered and haue therefore rendred greate thankes to their good benefactours and haue in like manner promised that they will make intercession to God and our Ladye for them And hereby it may be well proued that they were not alwayes Priestes or other bolde and wicked men whiche haue fayned themselues to be soules of men deceased as I haue before saide in so muche that euen in those mennes chambers when they haue bene shut there haue appeared such things when they haue with a candle diligently searched before whither any thing haue lurked in som corner or no. Many vse at this day to serch and sifte euery corner of the house before they go to bed that they may sléep more soundly yet neuerthelesse they heare some sâ—rying out and making a lameÌ„table noise c.
from sinne and damnation of the true déedes of christian charitie was dayly more and more impugned and oppressed So that when men by little and little forsooke holy Scripture and cast it asyde mens traditions and preceptes began streight way to be had in great price and estimation yea they were more regarded thaÌ„ gods owne worde A great offence was it taken to be if any would presume once to breake mens traditions On those apparitions of spirits as on a sure foundation their Purgatorie is chiefly builded For by talke hadde with them Popishe writers taught that men atteined vnto saluation by their owne and by other mens merits which opinion so blinded them that they became retchlesse secure and sluggishe For if any dyd so persuade him selfe that he coulde hyre one for mony which could worke one feate or other to deliuer the dead from torments then woulde he either delay the amendment of his life or vtterly neglect it Wherfore vnto suche fellowes that happened whiche chaunced vnto the fiue foolish virgins of whom mention is made in the â—5 of Matthew By these apparitions of spirits masses images satisfactioÌ„ pilgrimages for religion sake relikes of saints monasticall vowes holidaies auricular confession and other kinds of worshippings and rites and to be shorte al things whiche haue no grounde in holy scripture by little and little grewe into authoritie and estimation So that the matter came at the last to that extremitie and excesse that many deuoute and simple soules pinched and nipped their owne bellies that they might the better haue by these meanes wherwithall to finde and mainteine idle monks and priests and to offer vnto images They founded chappels alters monasteries perpetuall lights anniuersaries frieries and suche like to release their friends out of the torments of Purgatorie And this did the walking spirits will theÌ„ to do And sometyme also by their councell mens last willes and testaments were altered Hereby priests monks increased daily their parishes colleges monasteries with yerely reuenewes got into their hands the best farmes vineyards lands medowes pondes parkes bond meÌ„ iurisdictions great lordships and the authoritie of the sword For after that this opinioÌ„ once toke firme roote in meÌ„s harts the mens soules did walke after their death appeare on the earth the greatest part did whatsoeuer they commaunded theÌ„ And that it may more plainly be perceiued how much meÌ„ estemed those visioÌ„s such like pelfe how in memorial of theÌ„ they deuised framed to theÌ„selues new kinds of worshippings I will recite vnto you one or two histories Martinus Polonus Archebishop of Consentine and the Popes PeniteÌ„tiarie writeth in his Chronicles tha Pope Clement the fourth did canonize for a saint at Viterbe one Eduergia duchesse of Polonia a widdow of great holinesse who among many notable things that are written of hir when hir canonization had bin many yeares delayed at length appeared hir selfe in a vision to hir Proctour in the courte of Rome being heauie and pensiue about this matter and certified him both of the spedy dispatching of this businesse also of the day wherin it should be dispatched Canonization amongst the Ethniks from whence it toke his originall is named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is deification or making of a God. Ioannes Triâ—enhemius Abbot of Spanheim a man of great authoritie in his booke of Chronicles teacheth that the memorie of all faithfull soules termed All soules day had his originall obseruation by this meanes that when a certeine Monke returned from Ierusalem and lodged in a certeine Hermits house in Sicill about the mount Aetna which flasheth forth fyre he learned of the saide Hermit that many soules of the dead were tormeÌ„ted there by fyre out of which again through the praiers of the faithful they were released as it was taught him by the testimonie euen of the spirites themselues Hereof also writeth Polydorâ— Virgill in his vj. booke and ix chapter De inuentione rerum that the feast of All hallowes had the very same originall whiche they shall finde in Petrus de natalibus his tenth booke and first chapter Wherby thou maist gather that Feastes were first ordeyned by the tales of spirites appearing vnto men The lyke fable is found in Damascene who writeth of Macharius thus When according to his maner he prayed for the dead and was desirous to vnderstande whether his prayers did profite them oughte and whether they receyued any comfort therby God willing to reueale so muche to his seruaunt inspired a drye scull with the worde of truth so that the deade scull brake foorth into these words When thou prayest for the dead we receyue comfort by thy prayers Of the like roote sproong the order of the Carthusian Monks which of the commoÌ„ sorte is iudged to be the most holiest and streightest order of the which the Monks them selues of this broode haue put foorth a booke For as Polydore Virgil recordeth they began vpon this occasion in the vniuersitie of Paris in the yeare of our Lord .1080 A certeine doctoure which for his learning and integritie of life was very famous chaunced to dye when he shoulde haue bin buried in a certaine Churche he cried out with an horrible voice I am by the iust iudgement of God accused Whervppon they lefte the coffin in the Churche by the space of thrée daies during which time the people flocked togither out of sundry places to behold this straunge sight The second day he cried againe By the iuste iudgement of God I am iudged The thirde day likewise he cried I am by the iust iudgement of god condemned And as Vincentius Bellonacensis saith some adde herevnto that he rose vp thrice vppon the béere which perchaunce they faine of their owne heads Now bycause no man suspected that so notable and famous a man was vtterly condemned for euer euery man was sore astonished thereat Wherfore Bruno a doctor of diuinitie borne in Coleine foorthwith forsooke all that he had and taking to him sixe other godly companions gat him into a desert called Carthusia in the diocesse of Gratianopolis where he erected the first monasterie of that order which drawing his name of the place was called the Carthusian order For this cause also or for the like many other monasteries at the firste beginning were bothe founded and indowed with greate liuelyhode CHAP. IIII. Testimonies out of the vvorde of God that neither the soules of the faithfull nor of infidels do vvalke vppon the earth after they are once parâ—ed from their bodies NOw that the soules neither of the faithful nor of infidels do waÌ„der any loÌ„ger on the earth wheÌ„ they be once seuered from the bodies I wil make it plain euident vnto you by these reasons folowing First certain it is that such as depart heÌ„ce either die in faith or in vnbeléef Touching those that go heÌ„ce in a right beléef their soules ar by by in
money as wel as he that hath the strong hande Saincte Paule exhorteth the Thessalonians in his firste Epistle and fourthe Chapter that they mourne not for the dead as the Gentiles doo If there had bene a fyer of Purgatorie as they haue falsely imagined hée coulde not haue bene angrie with them although they had taken their frendes departure somewhat impaciently c. Other argumentes whiche are broughte for the confirmation of Purgatorie are of late so confuted by many godly and learned men that it is maruel our aduersaries will so often repete them But before I leaue this matter I will here insert this historie folowing A certaine Germain béeing accused by the Inquisitours of heresie as they terme it that amongest his companions he denyed Purgatorie contrarie to the common consent of the Catholike Churche made his answeare thus If our parishe Priest quod he whome I credite very muche preache vnto vs true doctrine in the Pulpet eyther there is no Purgatorie at all or else it is cleane emptie For he oftentymes sayeth that Turkes Iewes heretikes and wicked men goe not into Purgatorie but straight into Hell fyer from whence they shall neuer bée delyuered Then that by Pardons whyche are euery where solde for money many soules are restored to their first perfection And moreouer that the Masse is of suche force that there is not one soong in al the world by whiche one soule at the least is not deliuered out of the flames of Purgatorie If these things quod he be true for I wil not go about to refell that whiche master Parson hath sayde I will stande in this my opinion For you do all complayne that the number of the Catholykes is very small the greater parte of men béeing deuided into sundry seâ—tes and the multitude of Epicures dayly increasing Then are all mennes pursses many times drawne drie by pardoners which for money sell their indulgences that by them the soules of men may be deliuered out of the torments of purgatorie Furthermore there is no village but there are a great many Masses soong in it before any one husbandeman dyeth What followeth then but that there is eyther no Purgatorie or one vtterly voyde and emptie When the Inquisitours who knewe very well that their men commonly taught such doctrine herd these things they were amazed and taking aduise togither they all berated him for occupying his heade aboute questions nothing appertaining vnto him which they commaunded him to leaue vnto diuines and to folow his owne busines There was in our countrey an honest and sober man who before the light of the Gospel began to appeare vsed this dilemma The bishop of Rome either hath authoritie to bring soules out of the paynes of Purgatorie or else he hath no authoritie If he haue that power and will not vse it excepte hee receyue money hée can not escape the faulte of crueltie and couetousenesse But if hée haue no suche authoritie surely it is great villanie to robbe so manye widdowes and fatherlesse chyldren and so arrogantly to boast hymselfe of aucthoritie whyche hée hathe not And if there be no Purgatorie as by the holy Scriptures it is playnly gathered there is not surely then mennes soules can neyther returne from thence nor offer themselues to be séene of men Nowe as touching the fourthe place namely Limbus puerorum in the which innocent chyldren as they call them are sayde to bée Papistes themselues scante dare affirme that they return again and appeare vnto men and craue their helpe for they teache that if they depart without baptisme they shall neuer enioy the sight of God and for that cause they may not be buried in the same churchyard with other christians Merciful God! how many godly matrones hath this false deuise miserably vexed I call it a false deuise for that they bring nothing out of the holy Scriptures wherby to proue this poynt of doctrine The Scriptures do not attribute so muche vnto externall baptisme whiche is by water Was the condition of infants better in the olde testament than in the new You do not reade that the olde fathers supposed that infantes whych dyed before the eyght day and therefore were not circumcised should be separated from the sight of God for euer Dauid the king and prophet said he shold folow his sonne whome God had called out of this lyfe before he was circumcised But it was not Dauids meaning that he should go into a place where he should be depriued of the sight of God for euer But it appertaineth not much vnto our purpose to dispute any further hereof Thus haue I nowe answered the chéefest argumentes of our aduersaries whereby they woulde proue the soules of good and euill men to offer them selues to be séene sometimes of them that liue after their departure by death from their bodies CHAP. XIIII VVhat those things are vvhiche men see and heare and fyrst that good Angels do somtimes appeare BUt thou wilte saye I doe not yet clearely and plainly vnderstand what maner of things those are wherof as it is sayd before Historiographers holy fathers and others make mention as that holy Apostles bishopps martires confessors virgins and many other which died long ago appered vnto certeine men lying at the point of death gaue them warning aunsweared vnto certeine questions commaunded them to do this or that thing and that some thing is seene and heard at certeine times whiche not only affirmeth it selfe to be this or that soule but also sheweth howe it may be succored and afterwardes retourning agayne giueth great thanks vnto them of whome it hath receyued such a benefite that the husband being dead came in the nighte vnto his wife nowe a widdowe and that seldome times any notable thing hathe happened whiche was not foreshewed vnto some man by certain signes and tokens You will say I heare and vnderstaÌ„d very wel that these things are not mens soules which continually remayne in theyr appoynted places I pray you then what are they To conclude in fewe words If it be not a vayne persuasion procéeding through weakenesse of the senses through feare or some suche like cause or if it be not deceyte of men or some naturall thing wherof we haue spoken much in the firste parte it is either a good or euill Angell or some other forewarning sent by God concerning the which we will speake more orderly and fully hereafter Our sauioure witnesseth in the gospell that children haue their good angells and we reade in the 18. of Matthew that the Lorde sayde Take héede ye contemne not one of these litle ones for I saye vnto you that their Angels in Heauen do alwayes behold the face of my father whiche is in Heauen Which words are not so to be taken as though they were neuer sent downe into the earth but the Lorde here speaketh after the manner of men For as seruaunts stande before their maisters to fulfill their commaundement euen so are the Angels
prest and ready to serue god Esay the 63. The Angell of his face that is whiche standeth ready in his sight preserued them And further they which often stand in presence of their lorde are acceptable vnto them and priuy to their secrets Out of this place of Math. Saincte Herome in his CoÌ„mentaries and other fathers do conclude that God doth assigne vnto euery soule assoone as he createth him his peculiar Angell which taketh care of him But whether that euery one of the elect haue hys proper Angell or many Angels be appoynted vnto him it is not expresly sette foorth yet this is most sure and certayne that God hath giuen his Angels in charge to haue regard and care ouer vs Daniel witnesseth in his tenth chapter that Angels haue also charge of Kingdomes by whom God kéepeth and protecteth them and hindreth the wicked counsels of the deuill It may be proued by many places of the Scripture that all Christian men haue not only one Angell but also many whome God imployeth to their seruice In the .34 Psalm it is sayde the Angell of the Lorde pitcheth his tentes rounde about them whiche feare the Lorde and helpeth them which ought not to be doubted but that it is also at this daye albeit we sée them not We reade that they appearing in sundrye shapes haue admonished menne haue comforted them defended them deliuered them from daunger and also punished the wicked Touching this matter there are plentifull examples whiche are not néedefull to be repeated in this place Somtimes they haue eyther appeared in sléep or in manner of visions and sometimes they haue perfourmed their office by some internall operations as when a mans mynde foresheweth him that a thing shall so happen and after it happeneth so in dâ—ede which thyng I suppose is doone by God through the ministerie of Angels Angels for the most part take vpon them the shapes of men wherein they appeare And so it may be that saint Felix and Sainte Agnes and other whiche haue appeared vnto honest and godly men were the Angels of god Angels haue appeared not only one at a time but also whole Armies Hostes of them as vnto Iacob the Patriarch and Heliseus the Prophete It is read in the Ecclesiasticall historie written by Socrates and Sozomenus that Archadius the Emperor receyued Gaina with all his Armie of Souldiours into the Citie of Constantinople to defende it but this traitour went about to get the rule of the Citie into his owne handes and therefore he sente a bande of men to fire the Emperours Pallace whiche sodenly espied a great Host of Angels of large stature armed like vnto Souldiours wherevppon they gaue ouer their enterpryse offiering Then sent he others who reported the verie same At the last he went himself saw it to be so and so left his purpose and thus God by a miraculous meanes preserued the Citie and Churche of Constantinople from the craftie suttletie of the tyrant Whereas Saynte Augustine in hys booke De cura pro mortuis agenda Chapter .10 writeth that deade men haue appeared vnto the lyuing in dreames or any other meanes whatsoeuer shewing them where their bodies lay vnburied and requiring them to burie them There hée supposeth that these are the woorkes of Angels by the dispensation of Goddes prouidence vsing vnto good purpose bothe good and euill Angels according to the vnsearchable depthe of his iudgementes He saythe not that soules appeare in sléepe but the similitude of soules Hée addeth further if the soules of the deade had any thing to do with matters of the lyuing that we myght talke with them as often as wée lyst in our sléepe hys mother no nyght woulde leaue him who to lyue with him followed him both by Sea and by land suche loue bare she towards hir Sonne CHAP. XV. That sometimes yea and for the most part euill Angels do appeare COntrarywise euil Angels are hurtful and enimies vnto men they follow them euerie where to the ende they may withdraw them from true worshipping of God and from faythe in hys onely Sonne Iesu Chryst vnto sundrie other thyngs These appeare in diuers shapes for if the Deuill as Paule doth witnesse transfourmeth hymselfe into an Angel of light no lesse may he take the shape of a Prophete an Apostle Euangeliste Byshoppe and Martyr and appeare in their lykenesse or so bewitche vs that wée verily suppose we heare or sée them in verie déede Hée taketh on hym to tell of things to come whether hée hit them ryghte or wrong Hée affirmeth that he is this or that soule that he maye be delyuered by this or that meanes that by these means he may purchase credite and authoritie vnto those things whiche haue no grounde of Scripture By meanes of false myracles he decréeth newe Hollydayes Pilgrimages Chappels and Aulters by coniurations blessings and enchauntmentes he attempteth to cure the Sicke to make his dooings haue authoritie You shal reade maruellous straunge things in Arnobius Lactantius and other holie Fathers who wrote agaynst the Gentiles and their supersticion after what sorte Deuils haue deluded the myserable Gentiles and haue entrapped them in many errors He ioyned and hid himselfe in their Idols he spake thorough them from one place to an other he made them to moue and dyd such straunge miracles that verie lame menne leauing their stilts wheron they leaned in the Temples of their Idols returned home to their houses without any helpe or stay of them but especially in the Temple of Aesculapius who was counted the Patron of Phisicke many of these kynd of myracles are reported to haue happened Wherfore there is no cause why the Papistes at thys daye shoulde so insolently glorie of the lyke myracles by the which they go about to proue their intercessioÌ„ of Saints and such like trumperie CHAP. XVI Of vvondrous Monsters and suche like NOw as concerning other straunge things wée must hereafter searche what nature they are of as when one dieth that ther is somewhat séene or some great noyse is sodenly hearde but especially the many signes and wonders happen before the deathe of greate Princes It is wel knowen by histories what signes went before the deathe of Iulius Caesar amongest the whiche a greate noyse was hearde in the night time in very many places farre and néere As concerning other Emperors and Kings and other great mennes deathes we reade that some certaine forewarnings were hearde or séene wée must also consider what those straunge things are which for the most parte happen before the innouations of kingdomes before battailes seditions and subuersions of Cities I say flatly euen as I sayde before concerning spirits if they be not vayne persuasions or naturall thyngs then are they forewarnings of God whiche are sent eyther by good Angels or by some other meanes vnknowen vnto vs that we might vnderstande that all these things happen not by aduenture without the wil pleasure of God but
to deliuer vs from euill to strengthen our fayth and to giue vs pacience and other necessarie things Neither should we be touched with compassion of other mennes miserie which are vexed with spirits but we woulde rather say that they can not tell what they speake and that they imagine many vayne feares Moreouer if other vnderstande that godly men are for their exercise vexed by spirits they become more pacient when soeuer they are sicke or otherwise troubled acknowledging theyr owne harmes to be but small in comparison of other mens For nothing is more greuouse than when a manne is tormented by the Diuel Nowe as touching infidells they are constrayned will they or nill they to confesse that there are diuels for there are many which would neuer be persuaded there are good or euill Angels or spirits except sometimes they had experience therof in déede God suffreth these things to chasten them For so muche as they will giue no place vnto truth but are wilfully deceyued it is good reason they be taught by diuelishe illusions what they must do or leaue vndone and that they be illuded by euill spirits after some other meanes Thus we reade in the .13 chapter of Deuteronomie if there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreames and giue thée a signe and wonder and that signe or wonder that he hath saide come to passe and then say let vs go after straunge Gods which thou hast not knowne and lette vs serue them hearkeÌ„ not thou vnto the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreames For the Lorde thy God proueth you to wit whether ye loue the Lord your God with all your soule Ye shall walke after the Lorde your God and feare him kepe his commandements and hearken vnto his voice serue him and cleaue vnto him And he addeth further that the same Prophete or dreamer shall dye the death By these words we do not only sée that God doth suffer suche leude fellowes to worke maruellous things but also to what ende and purpose he permitteth it that is to trye his faithfull how constant they be and how faithfully they would beleue in him if at any time spirits do come and foretell things to happen hereafter Our sauioure Christ saith in the thirde chapter of Saincte Iohn This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darknesse more than light bicause their déedes were euill for euery one that doth euill hateth the light neyther commeth he to the light least his déedes shoulde be reproued c. By the which woordes our Sauiour sheweth the cause why the worlde is condemned whiche is bycause they receyue not the lyght of the woorde of God or Christe himselfe who is the light of the worlde sette foorth vnto vs in his woorde but rather shut their eyes agaynst the cleare light preferring darkenesse that is errours superstition and wickednesse before the woord of god If God then condemne and reiecte the vnthankfull worlde what maruell is it if he vexe them with spirites and vayne apparitions Chryst sayth in the fyfth of Iohn I come in my Fathers name and you receyue me not yf an other come in his owne name you receyue him Christe laboured for their health and saluation this they woulde not acknowledge but refused him therfore was it the iust iudgement of God that they shold receyue others that hunted after their owne coÌ„moditie and profite suche as were Theudas Iudas of Galilee and many other false doctours and seditious seducers Wherefore if any refuse to giue eare to Christe and his ministers it is by the iust iudgemente of God that they hearken vnto Spirites and suche like things Saincte Paule in the seconde to the Thessalonians and seconde chapter writeth of Antichrist that he shoulde exercise greate tyrannie in the Churche of God and sheweth agaynst whome and for what cause God will suffer him so to do saying Among them that perishe bicause they recyued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued And therefore God shall sende them strong delusions that they shoulde beléeue lyes that all they myght be damned whiche beléeue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse And in the fourth chapter of his seconde Epistle to Timothe he earnestly beséecheth his scholer to be diligent in preaching dayly He giueth this reason for the tyme will come when they shall not suffer holsome doctrine but after their owne lustes shall they whose eares itche get them an heape of teachers and shall withdraw their eares from the truth and shal be turned vnto fables Now we sée the cause why god dothe suffer seducers false teachers and wicked spirites to deceyue men in the place of true doctours which is for that eyther they vtterly despise his woorde or little esteme it and can not abide godly and constant preachers Touching which matter wée will alleage a fewe examples Pharao contemned God and his seruants Moyses and Aaron wherfore God blynded his eyes that he gaue himself to be ruled by his Magi or wyse men and at the last perished miserably in the red Sea. Saule woulde not giue eare vnto Samuell who bare a ryght hart and good affection towardes his king he loued him not as by reason he shoulde haue done but haâ—ed him and all other that loued him right wel for he contemned the woord of god Wherfore it came to passe that being in extreme daunger he sought help of a witch to reare Samuel froÌ„ the dead that he might now vse his aduise whoÌ„ he despised béeing aliue disdayned to heare him This woman reareth one who is no otherwise called Samuel than when false gods are called gods when in very déede they are not gods but wood and stones or rather as Paul sayth .1 Corin. 10. very diuels This counterfait Samuel giueth him neither comforte nor counsell but driueth him to vtter desperation The same hapned vnto Saul whiche chaunceth vnto those stubborne children whiche despise their pareÌ„ts contemne their counsel wold gladly wishe their death at the last grow vnto y point that they wold willingly take in haÌ„d a great iourney on coÌ„dition it might be graunted them to heare them giue their last counsell An other example herof Achab king of Israel Iezabel his wife had many godly prophets amoÌ„gst whoÌ„ Elias was a man indued with the gifâ—e of shewing working miracles But they did not only conteÌ„ne those prophets but also cruelly murdered so many of them as they could catche Yet amongst the rest they especially laboured to intrap Elias who was exceading zelouse The Baalamites were in greate fauoure with the king but especially with the Quéene as hir chief dearlings And when the time approched that Achab shoulde suffer due and worthye punishement for his Idolatrie and wickednesse wherein he had long time liued he entred councell with his kinsman Iosaphat that they ioyning their powers togither might recouer agayne the