of the like whom he saith he had seene at Ausbourg And of an other in Silesia who with his teeth would take vp a great Pipe like vnto the Tunnes in Germanie full of Beere without any helpe and cast it ouer his head FERDINAND D' AVALOS Marquis of Pescara Lieutenant to the Emperour CHARLES the 5. in the Duchie of Milan had a Spaniard in his troupes called LVPON who was so strong and so light of foote as hee would with a sheepe vpon his shoulders out-runne any man he was valiant and hardie to attempt and execute any thing for the confidence he had in his nimble force The Marquis desiring to be truly informed of the estate of the French Armie lying then neere vnto him giues charge vnto LVPON to runne vnto their Campe to discouer some thing LVPON bethinking himselfe takes an Harguebuzier on foote with him in whome he trusted and being approched neere vnto the Campe a little before day hee viewed the scituation thereof and then comming neere vnto a French Souldior that stood Sentinell who was not well awake hee sodenly leapes vpon him and although the Souldier were strong and of a bigge stature yet LVPON takes him vp vpon his shoulders notwithstanding any resistance hee could make or his crying out for helpe and carryes him vpon his neeke like a Calue and so returnes with speed being supported by his Harguebuzer who short at them that would approche neare them Being come vnto the Spanish Campe hee layde his burthen at the Marquis his feete who hauing laught his fill at this Stratage◅e and learned from the Prisoners owne mouth so pleasantly carryed vpon a Gennet with two legges the estate of their Campe hee presently charged the French giuing them so whotte an Alarum ◅s hee preuented the execution of that which they had pretended against him and his PAVLVS IOVIVS in the life of the Marquis of Pescara A Spaniard called PETER came to Naples in the yeare 1555. where hee made tryall of his force as followeth A man that was strong and heauie satte striding on his right shoulder and another on his left on his right arme he carryed a man and on his left another Hee had two men vpon his feete and walked vp and downe with all this burthen as if hee had not carried any thing Then b◅nding downe his hands hee caused a man to stand vpon eyther of them which done hee stood vp and raised his hands as high as his head After this they bound his hands with a strong corde the which ten men layde hold off and standing as firmely as they could they sought to shake him but he on the other-side drawing his hands vnto him layde them crosse vpon his brest with such violence as many of the ten fell downe With his fore-head as if it had beene with a hammer of Yron hee did beate a Naile halfe in into a wall true it is that he did hurt himselfe a little with that blowe Stretching forth his arme hee did shutte his hand so fast as those ten men together could not force him to open it nor to bend his arme Two theeues finding him alone would haue stayed him but hee tooke them both by the necks and beats their heads so violently together as their braines flew out and they were found dead in that sort vpon the place Hee had a pleasing aspect a quicke eye and a gratious seuere countenance not too tall but well proportioned and his flesh was so firme and synewie that when hee did stretch forth his arme and shutte his hand it was impossible to pinche him His voyce was strong and cleere and hee did sing very well Hee was no great feeder ANTHONIE of Nebrisse affirmeth that he had seene a man at Siuille borne in one of the Ilands of the Canaries who without retiring his left foote out of a Circle where he did set it did offer himselfe as a marke to any one that would cast a stone at him eight paces of and was neuer hitte for that he did shift and turne himselfe in such sundry sorts and fashions as it was impossible to touch him for a farthing he would shew any mā this sport Nebris in the 2. Decad of the Hist. of Spaine lib. 2. c. 1. We haue seene a man in Italy marching and dancing on a rope which was strained in the ayre holding two long swords hauing his thighes armed so as hee was forced to open his legges He did go firmly and boldly thereon Then would hee tye Basins to his feete and with them would run vpon the rope shewing such nimble tricks as they seemed impossible to them that had not seene them SIMON MAYOLVS an Italian Bishop in his Canicular dayes Colloq 4. In the yeare 1582. at the sollemnity of the circumcision of Mahomet the 3. sonne to AMVRATH Emperour of the Turkes among many other sports there appeared 50. men on hors-back wel armed with Cymiters by their sides their Targets about their necks bowes in their left hands and in the right staues like halfe pikes after the Arabian manner In the Parke appointed for Iusts at Constantinople they had raised vp eight hils of sand of equall heigth and distance 4. of the one side 4. of the other In the midst there was a narow passage but wel couered with fine sand that if any one should chance to fall in running it might be lesse dangerous vpon these hils of sand there were posts set the foure of the one side hauing round blankes at the end and the other foure had Ouals all made of Lether and Paper very artificially These were the markes where at these fifty horsemen did aime who began to march easily by this way first in troupe and then in rankes as it were in Battell Sodenly they dis-band and begin to runne with a full carrier one after another so neere and so iustly as one was at anothers heeles In running they tooke their Arrowes out of their quiuers and shot with such dexteritie as they did hit the markes so swiftly as the beholders eyes could not discerne the shotte nor the blowes At the second course whereas they had shotte but at the round blankes they now deliuered their Arrowes against both with a wonderfull dexteritie some-times vsing the left hand sometimes the right-hand with one motion for the third charge in shooting off their Arrowes they some-times discouered the right shoulder som-times the left with their Targets that with an incredible swiftnes Moreouer in running a full carrier they drew out their Cymiters and cut these round markes and carried away the walls the which was done in one course Then turning head sodenly they shott against the markes with their Cymiters which they drew out againe they beate them downe and sodenly they bend their bowes againe and shoote into the ayre They did wonders with their halfe pikes in diuers kinds of Combates and in the end they made euen these hills with their Cymiters pulling away those stakes
of diuers collours flying in the Aire In the yeare 1547. there was seene aboue Halberstad in Saxony a blacke boule comming out of the midest of the Moone and running violently towards the North. The 15. day of December the same yeare the Mariners of Hambourg did see in the element at mid-night a burning globe and shyning as the Sunne rowling towards the South whose beames were so hot as the passengers could not abide vpon the hatches but were forced to hide themselues thinking the shippes would bee set on fier They did also see in Suisserland two armies in the Aire fighting togither And two ramping Lions fighting whereof the one pulled of the others head with his teeth Aboue them appeered a white Crosse stretched out in length hauing the lower end fashioned like a whippe The same yeare the twelfeth of Aprill and the two following presently after noone the Sunne was seene in his Spheare like vnto a globe of fire and at Noone-day the Starres appeered Ten daies after which was the 24. in Saxony Turin Suisserland France and England the Sunne appeared with a cloudie and bloudie Countenance for the space of foure houres to the great amazement of many It continued in this sort some other daies following The first daies of October following about seauen of the clocke in the morning there was seene in Saxony the forme of a dead mans Beere couered with a blacke cloth and a Crosse vpon it of a reddish collour accompanied both before and behinde with many figures of men in mourning weeds either of them carrying a Trumpet wherewith they began to sound so loude as the Inhabitants of the Country did easily vnderstand the noise In the meane time there appeared a man all armed and of a terrible aspect who drawing out his sword cut off part of the cloath and then with his hands he tare in peeces the rest which done both hee and all the rest vanished In December the same yeare about Rome there appeared in the aire three daies togither about three of clocke in the afternoone a beesome as it were dipt in bloud and a red Crosse ouer the which did houer an Eagle In the moneth of May precedent about Saxony and the Marquisate of Brandebourg were seene two Globes of fire leaping about the Sunne the greatest of them did so couer the Sunne as at Noone-day it seemed as it were rustie They did also see the same yeare a furious Combate of two armies in the aire ouer the Towne of Quendelbourg The yeare 1548. the 23. day of Iulie the Moone being at the full it appeared of the collour of bloud oueâ—… Rosensel a Towne of the Duchie of Wirtemberg and in this Moone was seene an arme of a blackish collour with a hand stretched out soone after the Moone hauing recouered her vsuall light it was againe seene with three Cheurons or large barres of the same collour that the arme was which did crosse it distinctly These barres being vanished there appeered a Bourguignon crosse black vnderneth the Moone at the two sides there appeered two other smal rondells The yeare following which was 1549. in the morning the Sunne being very bright in the moneth of May vpon a quarter of Germany there was seene in the aire the figure of a man attired like a Germaine Prince aboue the which there appeered on the other side a Lion and a Sheepe which seemed to imbrace one an other willingly before this Prince was a great garland of flowers the which he would haue taken in his hand but not being able he tooke vp a sword the which was vnder his feete from the beginning wherewith he florished twise or thrise about his head and then all vanished into the cloudes In the yeare 1550. were seene in the night ouer the Towne of Lipsick in Misnia three Globes of fire And in August the same yeare about Nuremberg the skie being very cleere the Sunne was seene of diuers collours and ouer it a vessell the which leaning on the one side there came forth bloud where-with the Sunne was made redde On the other side there appeered an Eagle with his wings spred abroad of diuers collours but without any feete A little beneath the Sunne and the Eagle was a Raine-bowe and directly vnderneth it was a Man holding a horse by the bridle with his left hand and with his right 〈◊〉 white hound The 19. of Iuly before neere vnto Wittenberg in Saxony there was seene in the element the forme of a goodly Hart and vnder it armies which did fight with great noise and feare-full cries During this conflict there fell a shower of bloud vpon the Earth the Sonne appeared verie hiddeous and as it were out of his course diuided in two and in shewe approching neere the Earth Some weekes before there was seene almost in the same place a bloudy sword in the Aire and a peece of Ordinance mounted vpon wheeles The 24. of Iune betwixt sixe and nine in the morning the time being very cleere there was seene in the Element a blacke Crosse with a Iauelin hauing a fish-hooke at one of the ends and at the other three small barres like vnto rests Ouer Lisbone in Portugall there appeered the 28. of Ianuary 1551. a great handfull of bloudie roddes with fearefull fiers it rayned bloud and there followed Earth-quakes so as two hundred houses were shaken and ouerthrowne whereby aboue a thousand persons were slaine The 21. day of March about 7. of the clocke in the morning there were seene at Magdebourg seauen Rain-bowes and three Sunnes and at night three Moones whereof that in the midest which was the right kept her ordinary collour the other two were of the collour of bloud These three Sunnes were also seene at Witenberg in Saxony with ten or twelue Circles that did inuiron them some round others but halfe and very spatious others lesse and some very smal almost all of the collour of the Rainbowe The last daie of February which was three weekes before those of Antwerp in Brabant had also seene three Sunnes inclosed in diuers Circles and Rainbowes In the yeare 1552. the 19. of February about three of the clock in the afternoone those of Maclin in Brabant did see the Sunne first of a blew coulour then red enuironed with a great circle and a Rain-bowe About eleuen moneths after the 23. of Ianuary 1553 about eight of the clock at night there was seene at Basil the Moone enuironed with a great cleere circle of the coulour of the Rainbow the which continued three whole houres In Iune following there were seene in the ayre being cleere and bright ouer the Towne of Cobourg betwixt fiue and sixe at night diuers sorts of men then armies which gaue battaile an Eagle houering with her wings abroad In Iuly were seene two Serpents ioyned together one eating of an other and betwixt them a fierie crosse The same yeare the Citty of Magdebourg was straightly besieged among other maruailes the day after Easter the Sunne
that way they let downe a great bucket willing him to put his right foote in it and with his hands to hold fast by the chaine of the Well By which meanes he was drawne vp hauing beene as it were frozen in the Well they carried him to bedde where he lost his speech and opened his eyes very seldome and that with paine Being sent for to visit him I spent all that daie in fighting with the apoplexy At length hee began to stirre a little and to mutter forth some words but vomyting exceedingly The next daie I found him come to himselfe againe and talking hee tould mee howe that night that hee was so in the well hee dreamt that hee was walking and with stumbling had like to haue fallen and that him thought hee had beene ouer head and eares in water Finally after afewe daies hee was thoroughly recouered againe The same A Spanish gentleman surnamed TAPIA rose oftentimes in his sleepe and did many things about the house going from one place to another without awaking but to the end no mischance should come vnto him he had alwaies a basen of water set by his bedde side Nowe one night in the Sommer-time he arose in his shirt put a cloake about him got him forth a dores beeing all this while fast asleepe and met as him thought with another man who demanded of him whither hee went so late It is so hot answered TAPIA that I meane to go wash my selfe And so will I quoth the other come le ts go along togither Withal my heart sayth TAPIA Thervpon they got them to the riuer where TAPIA putting of his cloake and shirte was going into the water but the other ieasting beeganne to say you cannot swimme I am sure marrie but I can replyed the gentleman and it may bee better then you Well quoth the other then followe mee And saying so hee gotte him vp on a bridge that was thereby and leaping downe into one of the deepest places of the Riuer swamme vppe and downe and called to the Gentleman since you bragge so much doe as I haue donne TAPIA followes him and leapes into the Riuer as all this was donne in his sleepe so assoone as his feete touched the water hee awaked and laboring all that possiblie hee could hee beganne to call that other who was not to bee seene Wherevpon fearing it was some euill Spirit that had drawne him into that danger after hee had recommended himselfe vnto GOD hee swamme ouer the Riuer tooke vp his cloake and shirte and returned home recounting that which had happened vnto him and afterwardes vsed meanes not to fall into the like perrill againe A de TORQVEMADOE in the ende of the third date of his Hexameron There haue bin many found who rysing thus sleeping and going vp into windowes that haue beene open haue falne downe to the ground breaking their Armes and legges others haue beene found starke dead and some so grieuously wounded as they haue soone after giuen vp the ghost But it sufficeth vs to propound such as haue escaped the which are set downe in Bookes that wee haue seene vntill that time may discouer the rest by some man more diligent then my selfe who may note all if it please him I haue heard of a young Maiden at Paris which did vsually euery night goe to bathe her selfe in the Riuer being a sleepe The which shee continued long vntill that her Father being aduertised thereof watched her in the Streete and whipt her well to make her leaue this custome whereat the Maide awaked and was much ashamed to see her selfe naked in the streete Maister L. IOVBERT lib. 3. chap. 10. It is also reported that a Scholler hauing had a quarrell the night before with one of his companions rise vp in his sleepe and went and slue his enemie lying in his bed in another Chamber and then hee returned to his owne bed without waking as it was supposed for the next day the Iustice being called by the Host found him a sleepe and his Dagger bloudie confessing that hee had dreampt that he had slâ—…ine him who they sayd was murthered In the same Author There are said he vpon this report many such examples by the which we may conclude that besides the naturall and vitall faculties of the soule the which he affirmes to be very powerfull in sleepers these also that are dedicated and subiect to our willes do labour caused by the meanes of the Muscles as to go to imbrace to speake Strange efficacie and power of Satan MAster THEODORE Sonne to CORNELIVS some-times Consull of Goude in Holland reported this History vnto mee that followeth auouching it to bee verie true In a village called Ostbrouch neere vnto Vtrech there dwelt a widowe who had a seruant whome shee imployed about necessary affaires of the house He hauing obserued as seruants are often curious that this widowe went late in the night when all were at rest into one certaine place in the stable stretching forth her hands vpon the racke whereas they vsually put haie for their Cattell Hee wondring what it ment resolued to do as much without the priuity of his Mistresse and to trie the effect of this ceremonie Soone after following his Mistresse who was gone into the stable hee goes and takes hold of the racke Sodenly hee feeles himselfe to be lifted vp into the aire and to be carried into a Caue vnder grownd in a little Towne called Vuich whereas hee found a Synagoge of Sorcerers deuising togither of their witch-crafts His Mistresse amazed at this vnexpected presence asked him howe hee came into that companie to whome hee reported what had happened She beganne to bee in a great rage against him fearing least those mighty assemblies should be descouered by that meanes yet shee consulted with her companions what was to be done in that difficultie In the ende they concluded to entertaine this new guest friendly forcing a promise from him to keepe silence and to sweare not to descouer the secrets which then had beene made knowne vnto him beyond his hope or merit This poore man promiseth wonders and flatters euery one and least hee should bee more toughly handled he makes a shew to bee admitted of that Sinagogue if it pleased them In these Consultations the time was spent and the houre of departure approched Then they make an other consultation at the instance of the Mistresse whether for the preseruation of many it were not expedient to cut the seruants throte or to carrie him backe By a common consent they inclyned to the milder course to carry him backe againe seeing hee had taken his oath not to reueale any thing The Mistresse vndertakes this charge who after protestations made takes him vpon her backe promising to carrie him backe vnto her house But hauing made part of the way they discouered a Lake full of reedes The Mistresse meeting with this occasion and fearing still that this young man repenting himselfe that hee had beene admitted
Mother hauing shut all the dores for to go to him and left their Daughter in the house alone by her selfe a Man in the habit of a Minister entred into the Stoue went to the beds side tooke the Maide by the left arme lifted her vp and staying her made her walke a turne or two and then asked her if she could pray KATHERINE somewhat amazed with this demand could not answer him being speachlesse Hee began then to rehearse the ten commandements in the vulgar tongue the Articles of our faith the Lords Prayer the institution of Baptisme and of the holy Supper exhorting her besides to patience comforting and assuring her that her speach should shortly be restored to her againe Wherevpon he suddenly departed from her and immediatly her speach came to her againe so that her Mother being returned home the Maide talked plainly and intelligibly with her and afterwards with her Father whereat they were both merueilously abashed After that time her speach and sences neuer failed her The report of the Physitions yet farther conteineth this ensuing which I adde for the content of the Reader Touching that which concerneth her brest or stomach she hath a very sweete breath her pulce is temperate and as it should be but before behind her arme-pits both aboue and below she is some-what faint Her brests are longer softer and hanging downe more then commonly Maidens doe She many times feeles a paine in both her sides which brings her into such a case that she can hardly fetch her breath but it is quickly gone by the application of a little water One cannot touch the pit of her stomach but it greeues her As for her belly it hangs some what lanke like an empty body but on the out-side it is in pritty good plight and is reasonable fat and fleshy she is neuer troubled with any wind or collick nor feeles any hickock stitch or other paine in her stomach And although she hath often-times of her owne accord without constraint or necessitie endeuoured to take and swallow downe meate yet could she neuer doe it albeit she can abide the sent of meates and endure that one should eate and drinke by her but more at some-times then at other-some For she hath been and still is as if her throat-boll were quite closed vp altogether stopped she goes not to the stoole nor hath vrine or monethly purgations which she hath had for a certaine time together perfectly and duely before her infirmity but now they are cleane gone In like manner she is neuer a thirst yet some-times she takes a little faire water Aqua vitae mingled together for to wash her mouth and spets it out againe presently The which she was wont to doe with Aqua vitae alone but now she cannot endure it being too sharpe strong in her mouth which is very tender this she does only for the recreation and comfort of her head heart Touching her armes and legs her armes are sound and fleshy especially her left arme is nimble in good case without any defect But as for her right arme it is lame from the elbow to the fingers ends whereby her hand is growne crooked so that shee cannot stirre it Not-with-standing shee can moue the said right arme a little vp toward the shoulder but cannot lift it to her head nor put it from one side to the other with-out helpe Her legges and thighes are some-what full and fleshy but are so shrunke that she cannot stretch them forth at length yet she can moue her toes and her feet a little Her sayd arme became lame so her legs crooked by lying in her bed three yeares together without eating any thing Throughout all her body is a temperate and kindly heat The nailes of her feete and hands are well formed long and in good disposition like one in perfect health The Physitions hauing made this report euery thing well examined and considered the Commissaries were of opinion for diuers reasons that 4. women of good discretion and fit for such a businesse should be chosen and sent to Schimdweiler to keepe this Maide by turnes two by day and two by night for the space of a fortnight to the end no meate nor drinke what-so-euer might be ministred to her by any person that the bed whereon she lay should be changed and another put in the place of it and that diligent search should bee made ouer all the Stoue The Maide her-selfe had declared that diuers men and women had resorted to her out of the Bishoprick of Treues and questioned her about reuelations and predictions More-ouer there were letters found written to her as it had beene to an holy Virgin the intent of the writers being to make an Idoll of her and to erect a pilgrimage vnto her Wherefore the Commissaries made report of all before mentioned to the Gouernor of Neustad and the Princes Councell who shortly after gaue Commission to the Gouernor of Caiserlauter to take order for this affaire where-vnto hee obeyed with all diligence and thereof made his report which I copied ouer being translated out of Dutch in the termes ensuing Following your Commission of the 24. of December 1584. directed vnto vs touching the affaires of the Maiden of the village of Schmidweiler we haue made diligent inquisition for foure honest women it was a long time ere wee could finde any that would employ them-selues in such an affaire vntill at length we haue therevnto induced and perswaded ANNE BRENNING the widow of ANDREVV ZILS late of this towne other-wise called the old ioyner ANASTASIA widdow to IOHN EBERARD in his life time Minister of Walhalben AGNES the Ministers wife of Steinwerden and MARGARET the widdow of IOHN GAVFFEN whilst hee liued Burgesse of this Towne And after they were thoroughly instructed and informed of their charge according to the tenor of the aduise which at the beginning was sent to his Highnesse and that they had all foure taken their oath wee sent them on the 16. daye of Ianuary last past to the sayd place of Schimdweiler with Maister LOLEMAN the superintendant where they remained with the sayde Maide vntill the 8. day of the same moneth being returned back againe the next day they discoursed at large vnto vs all that they had learned discouered and experimented touching this affaire as followeth The said Superintendant being arriued about euening the first day with the foure women afore mentioned at Kolberberg there they rested that night and the next day went by Waggon to Schimdwailer where going to the Father and Mother they gaue them to vnderstand how by the commandement of the Gouernours they were come thither with charge to keepe their Daughter for a fortnight together And that to no other end but to stop the mouthes of such as on euery side spake ill of their Daughter and of the Prince likewise because hee gaue credit to their said Daughters speeches to wit that in so
in the houses In this horrible confusion ALFONSO d' AVALOS Marquis of Pescara Colonell of the Imperiall footemen running vp and downe the streetes to preuent the wrong which they went about to offer to the honour of Women A Gentleman of Genoa taking him for some Captaine begā to intreate him to suppresse the insolency of two Spanish soldiars that would rauish his Wife a vertuous honorable Gentlewomā which cried for helpe Sodenly the Marquis lights from his horse goes vp to the Chamber and thrusts through one of these wretches who held the poore Gentle-woman by the haire and striued to ouerthrowe her One being slaine he followes the other who fled downe the staires and gaue him such a blowe as he cleft his head in two Then hauing caused their dead bodies to bee cast out at the Chamber windowe into the streete hee made a proclamation vpon paine of death that no man should presume to wrong either in worde or deede any honest maide or Wife This execution restrayned the loosenesse of the Soldiars and the Maquis for this worthie act was honored of all good men P. IOVIVS Booke 3. of his Historie of our time Recompenses of nature THE prouidence and care which the Creator of all things hath giuen to nature is admirable for by a dailie custome shee doth furnish creatures with such force and dexterity which haue the members crooked defectiue or weake or that haue none at all or hauing do more then is prescribed them as we may wel say that the perfection of a Creature consists not in the distinction of members but in the continuall vse thereof I haue often considered thereon When we were at Cobourg in the Lodging of ERASMVS NEVSTETER a wise vertuous Gentleman of Germanie hauing giuen vs the best entertainement hee could deuise hee sent to a certaine place not farre of for a yong man about thirtie yeares old the which was borne without armes who could do as much with his feete as a very able man could do with his hands so as he him-selfe did afferme that nature had recompenced one guift with an other Being set vpon a seate equalling the heigth of the table whereon they set the meate hee tooke a knife with his feete and began to cut both bread and meate carrying it vnto his mouth and a goblet also as easilie with his feete as an other doth with his handes After dinner hee beganne to write both Italien hand and Dutch so right and so well as euerie one of vs desired to haue of it to keepe for a singularity At my request hee tooke a pen-knife and made good pennes to write and presented them to mee and to others Beeing thus busied I did carefully consider the fashion of his feete and did finde this toes were sum-thing long fit to laie hold of anything and a farre off they resembled the fingers of a mans hand as for his legges hee kept them couered with his cloake PH. CAMERARIVS a Germaine Lawier in his learned Historicall Meditations Chap. 37. I haue seene at my house a little man borne at Nantes without armes who hath so well fashioned his feete to the seruice which his handes doe owe him as in truth they haue halfe forgotten their owne naturall dutie Finally hee calls them his handes hee cuttes hee chargeth a pistoll and dischargeth it hee threads a needle hee sowes hee writes hee pulles of his hat hee combes his head hee plaies at Cardes and Dice and shakes them with as great dexteritie as any other the money which I gaue him hee carried away in his foote as wee doe in our hand I did see an other when I was a Childe who handled a two-hand sword and a halberd helping him selfe with the bending of his necke for want of hands he would cast them vp in the aire and catch them againe throwe a dagger and make a whippe lash as well as any Carter in France MONTAIGNE liber 1. of his Essaies Chap. 22. Of this last in my opinion or of an other no lesse admirable Maister AMB. PARE makes mention in these tearmes Not long since there was a man seene at Paris without armes beeing fortie yeares olde stronge and lustie who did in a manner all the actions that an other might doe with his hands with the stumpe of his shoulder and his head hee would strike a hatchet as strongely as an other man could do with his armes More-ouer hee would lash a Carters whippe and did manie other actions with his feete hee did eate drinke plaied at cardes and dice in the ende hee was a theefe and a murtherer and was put to death in Gelderland Booke 24. treating of monsters Chap. 8. Of late daies wee haue seene at Paris a woman without armes which did cut sowe and doe manie other actions The same Author I haue often-times spoken with the Brother of one called N. MADAME who hauing both handes eaten of with hogges lying in the Cradle beeing but a yeare and halfe olde or there aboutes did helpe her selfe as well with the stumpes beeing growne great as wee do with our fingers Shee did worke excellently well in tapistrie did threed her needle very arteficially and did sowe well in lynnen Memorials of our time Wee haue at Nuremberg a young man and a young maide borne of one Father and Mother of a honest house which are dombe and deafe by nature yet both of them Reade verie well Write Cifer and cast an account The yong man conceiues at the first by the signes that are made him what they demand of him and if hee wants a penne by his countenance hee deliuers his thoughtes beeing the cunningest player at all games of cardes and d◅ce that is to bee found among the Germaines His Sister exceedes all other maides in working with the needle in all workes of Linnen Tapistry imbroydrie c. But amongest the wonderfull recompences of Nature this is remarkable that commonlie seeing anie to mooue their lippes they seeme to vnderstand what is sayd They doe verie often assist at Sermons and you would saie that they vnderstand with their eyes what the Preacher saies as others are accustomed to doe by hearing for as often as they will and without anie teaching or examples they write the Lordes prayer and other Holie praiers they can repeate the Texts of the Gospells that are Preacht on Hollie daies and write them readelie When as the Preacher in his Sermon makes mention of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST the young man before anie other puts his hand to his hat and bends his knee with great reuerence Inthetime of our Fathers there was seene in Flanders IOHN FERDINAND who was borne starke blinde and poore surmounting these two difficulties which are great enemies to learned men in such sort as hee became a learned Poet and Phylosopher as besides hee was so good a musitien as hee plaied verie excelentlie well of diuers sortes of Instrumentes to the great content of them that heard him and besides did
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
that were set vpon the hills of Sand they cast them into the ayre and in running they receiued them againe and held them in their hands Then standing vpon their feete in the Saddle they began to runne and to handle their Cymiters bowes and staues as before without any further repetition of these particularities I will noate one notable Act the which perchance wil be held a fiction but I did see it Of these fifty there were two goodly yong men which withdrewe themselues from the rest The one stood vpright in his saddle and bare his companion standing vpon his armes Beeing in this posture they runne the horse a full carrier and yet stood fast yea the vppermost shot certaine arrowes at a peele of wood which he that carried him held in his right hand Moreouer these two hauing tied two horses togither by the bridle one of them set one foote vpon one saddle and an other vpon the other standing as firmely vpon both as if they had beene glued togither and carrying his Companion vpright vpon his armes and holding in his hand that peele of woode against the which the other standing aloft shot without missing whilest that the two horses did r◅nne most swiftly There were others which hauing sixe naked Cymiters tied the points vpward vnto their saddles set their heads into the saddle and their heeles vpward and in this sort did runne their horses so swiftly as you would say they had flowē Besides their were two that did sit in one saddle and as the horse did runne in his full speed they would leape downe and vp againe presently Others did turne in their saddles their horses running swiftly sometimes behinde sometimes before doing admirable trickes This done the◅ did all runne in troupe and standing vpright in their saddles they shot many arrowes To end the sport standing thus vpright they did run one at an other with their halfe pikes doing many exercises which Lanciers are accustomed to do in their Courses on hors-backe To conclude whatsoeuer is done in skirmishes Courses Combats Duells Battailes Retreats and other militarie Acts was there practised by these fiftie Caualiers GEORG LEBELSKI a Polonian in the discription of things done at Constantinople at the Circumcision of AMVRATHS Sonne in the yeare 1582. At this feast of the Turkish Circumcision many dancers vpon the roape made goodly proofes of their dexterity but there was one which wonne the spurres from all the rest I knowe no man but was rauished seeing him runne so swiftly with so good a grace and without stay An ancient Poet said in one of his Commedies that the vulgar sort were amazed to see one that went vpon a Roape But if this Poet had seene one like vnto this hee would haue beene amazed for he mounted vpon Roapes tied vnto Piramides to the heighest that might be seene with such celerity as any one would haue thought they had beene steppes or degrees then hee came downe back-wards or vpon his belly hauing no other support but a small staffe which serued him as a Counterpeze Sometimes hee leaped vpon the Roape with both feete sometimes with one then imbracing the Roape with both his feete he hung downe-ward and turning about raised himselfe againe Hee did slide with a strange resolution from the toppe vnto the bottome and that which I esteeme most in this agilety at night he would tie sixe naked Cymiters to either foote and continued his sport by torch-light with such admiration and applause of all the world as if happely any of the Spectators had desire to sleepe this man by his admirable agility did presently awake him So as by the generall consent of great and small in this sollemne Assembly he was called the chiefe maister of his art The same LEBELSKI in the same description I haue often seene with amazement in the Court of the Prince of Bamberg a Germaine peasant norrished bred vp as he himselfe did aduowe among the beasts in the neere Mountaines who was so actiue and nimble of his body as all that did see him in his motions and tumbling were amazed thought that he vsed some inchātment the which hee neuer drempt of That which was most to be admired in him he shewed his nimblenes not standing vpon his feete but going vpō feete hands like a Dog or a Cat. In the same Court there was a Duarfe which ◅id vpon the peasant as if hee had bin a horse making him to turne and bound in diuers manners as a rider would do a Genet of Spaine but when the Peasant list he would ouerthrowe the Dwarfe do what he could Sometimes he would fight with mastiues great English dogs which his Prince had and by a certaine counterfet barking and a furious doggish snarling he would make them runne away This done he would bound vpon his hands and his feete with a wonderfull agility clyming vp at the Corners and on the wainscot of the hall more nimbly then an Ape although otherwise hee was rude big and of a heauy moulde I did twise see being at the Princes table after that he had cast downe the Dwarfe and chased away the dogges he leaped vpon one of the guests shoulders and from thence to the Table without ouerthrowing of dish or goblet and then hee leaped so sodenly downe as you would haue iudged him to haue beene a squirrell or a wild-cat Hee would vsually runne as fast vpon the toppes of houses built pointed and sloape as our house Catts would do Hee did so many other Apish trickes as in diuers places they talked of him as of an extraordinary thing and not heard of I would not haue set any thing downe in this booke if I had not seene his trickes with mine eyes and that there were not many credible persones yet lyuing that had seene them When I collected my Historical discourses he was then lyuing and married PH. CAMERARIVS a learned germaine LAVVIER in his Historicall meditations Chap. 75. When as a certaine Turke danced vpon a roape in the Citty of Paris his feete being in a basin many seeing him in danger to breake his necke trembled for feare and durst not well looke on him AMBR. PARE in his 13. booke Chap. 11. The Lord of Montaigne saieth that hee had seene his Father being aboue three score yeares olde laugh at their actiuities hee would leape into the saddle with a furred night-gowne aboute him he would turne about the table vpon his thombe and did seldome go to his chamber but he would leape three or foure steppes at once Montaigne in his Essaies lib. 2. Chap. 2. Ridiculous and vaine Ambition THis tale displeased me the which a great person tould of a kins-man of mine a man well knowne both in peace and warre That dying very olde in his Court tormented with extreame paine of the stoane he spent all his latter houres in great care to dispose of the honor and ceremonie of his Interment and did coniure all Noblemen that did visit
her maide And then turning her selfe vnto them shee sayd wee haue often heard tell of the last day but wee neuer regarded it till now we see it come which sayd they all fell downe on their knees calling vnto GOD for mercie Therevpon a furious gust of winde tore away the roofe of the house and tearing downe the walles brake the posts seelings and bords of the Stoue all to fitters But in the middest of this feareful tempest the Mother Children Maide remained safe and vnhurt although the timber stones flew as thick as hayle about their eares Satan seeming to bee in the middest of this storme and confounded by the feruent praier of the little flock darted a great beame of twelue foote long as though it had beene an arrowe flying in the aire with the ayde of a violent whirle-winde iust through the windowe of the Stoue at this poore company kneeling against a bench But the holie Angells turned it another way so that it lighted with terrible fury in a corner right against the fornace of the Stoue The same tempest ouerthrewe a Country-mans house vpon his wife and some of their neigbors which were in it at that time and yet they were neuer hurt with the ruine FINCEL in his 3. booke of the meruayles of our time IOHN SPAVGEMBERG Minister of Northuse going to an hot house according to the manner of the Germains and remayning there a good while with his Children bathing themselues assoone as euer they were gone out of it the place sanke and fell downe without hurting any body I MANLIVS in the first booke of his Collections Vpon Easter eue 1565. after horrible whirle-winds thunder lightning hayle and signes of fire in the aire a violent inundation of waters disgorged it selfe vpon a great village named Groesse in the dioces of Friberg in Misnia the torrents and streames wherof swelled with such fury in an instant that they ouer whelmed forty houses in that village without the losse of any creature saue one Childe There were many preserued as it were by miracle two Children with their mother were sound vntouched of the water vnder the ruines of a house in a heape of strawe also two others in a Cellar a nurse with her Childe leaning against a Ladder a blinde man in his entry and diuers others both great and small in high places which with-stood the fury of the water PH LONICER in his Theater of examples in the example of the 3. Commandement pag. 198. I knewe an honorable woman of singular pietie and modestie that some twenty yeares since through an extraordinary and long suppression of her tearmes was a great while and at times very sorely troubled in minde so that she was often determined to haue killed her husband sleeping and her selfe after One day her keeper being gone forth about some businesse shee rose out of her bed and in her smock ranne into a garden behinde her house where by a rope of the well which was seauen or eight fathom she let herselfe downe to the bottom and then by the same rope got vp againe and returned all wet to her Chamber hauing beene vp to the Chin in water Not long after seeming to be some-what better she walked abroad and carryed along with her a Son of hers that is now of very great hope but was then some 4. or 5. yeares old with full entent to drowne him and her selfe in a riuer that was thereby vnto the bridge whereof she made many iournies being still entertained with the Childes comfortable prattle Returning home againe within a while after shee was easily recouered namely by letting of bloud in the Saphena and taking of a gentle purgation After which she had 4. or 5. sweete Children She hath many times told me that in those accidents a man attired in white and of a very pleasing coūtenance appeared vnto her who tooke her by the hand and kindly exhorted her to trust in GOD. Being in the Wel som-what that was very heauy lying on her head and laboring to make her let go the rope for to plunge her ouer head and eares in the water so drowne her this same personage came vnto her tooke her by the arme holpe her to get vp againe which she could neuer haue done of her selfe He also comforted her in the garden and led her very gently to her Chamber where hee vanished away In like manner hee met her as shee was going towardes the bridge and followed her a loofe of vntill such time as she returned home Beeing thorough well shee desired nothing so much as leaue this world and her praiers da◅ely tended to that effect At length GOD heard her and about a moneth before her sicknesse whereof shee dyed going into the kitchen for to wash her handes and her face one of her eye teeth on the right side fell out of her head without any precedent or ensuing paine Wherevpon she went vnto her husband being in bed shewing him the tooth sayd vnto him husband the Lord calls me and it is the accomplishment of my desires O what an happy creature am I Her husband some what mooued there with endeuored notwithstanding to comfort her and falling of purpose into other talke arose went and prayed After that this honorable dame shewed her selfe alwaies merier to her husband and friends then before being graue and seuere to her children and was fairer and lustier then euer she had bin in seauentene yeares that she had liued a wife Towards the end of the moneth there being no apparance of any such matter as she was going to rise betimes in the morning according to her custome for to looke to a young child she had and to tend the affaires of her house shee was constrained to keepe her bed Wherevpon her husband comming in she put him in minde of her tooth and the speeches shee had vsed to him about it and therefore exhorted him to submit himselfe vnto the will of GOD. He being gon vp for to commend his deare moitie vnto him that neuer reiecteth the praiers of his seruants she tooke al her iewells and putting them vp in her purse sent them by her eldest Daughter to him and desired him to keepe them for her sake Hee came downe and gently rebuked her for this apprehension Oh husband sayd shee I haue no neede of any thing in this world for I am going to my GOD. O how blessed am I during her sicknesse which lasted twenty daies I was for the most part present with her beeing tied there vnto for diuers reasons Shee put mee in remembrance againe of that I haue declared before and from so many excellent deliuerances drewe an assured argument of her saluation The day of her decease approching she began to smile and being demanded the cause thereof by mee shee answered softly in mine eare I see my man O how beautifull he is then crying out shee said Stay for mee stay for me All the while
how black thou art but it is with thy sinnes That is true answered the Clarke but I hope in the bounty and mercies of GOD then expounding his saying at large PONSENAS began to cry out like a desperate man detesting his seruant as one of the wickedest and most miserable men in the world At this crie some of his friends came running whom hee commanded that STEPHEN should be had to prison and his processe made Herevpon despaire did so increase in him as with sigthes and howling he gaue vp the ghost after a fearefull manner His Creditors did scarce giue them leasure to draw the body out of the bed for euery man sent to seize vpon the moueables which PONSENAS had left and of all his goods the which was farre short of their due The which all men did finde very strange for that before he entred into that office he was held to be as riche as any one of his profession Yet there was neuer so great misery seene for there was nothing but the strawe left for his Wife and Children who were taken away in pittie to bee broughtvp else they must haue beene glad to haue begd their bread or dyed for hunger so bare this house was made The Historie of France vnder FRANCIS the second Merueylous Sleepers I Knew a young man who dreaming in the night that he was to ride forth about some businesse rose vp being fast a sleep out of his bed made himselfe ready put on his Bootes and Spurres and getting vpon a Pole that serued to hang clothes at a Garret window hee set a-stride on it and began to Spurre with his heeles as if he had beene on horseback But awaking presently he was so terrified with this accident as he came vnto me for remedy P. SALIVS DIVERSVS Physition Chap. 18. in his Treatie of the affected parts I did helpe another who being of a chollerick and quarrelling disposition vsed commonly to dreame that he was fighting with one or other and therevpon rising out of his bed ran to his weapons drew out his sword and fencing it after a strange manner struck and foyned at the Chamber walles insomuch that they were faine to take away euery thing out of this Chamber that might either hurt himselfe or others In the same Besides these two I knew an Artificer that in his sleepe rose out of his bed and going out of the Chamber went vp and downe the staires and all about the house without any harme Vpon a time he went starke naked in his sleepe to his shop and with his Keyes vnlocked the dores of it where-vpon beeing awaked by some of his friends that mette with him hee became so ashamed that hee neuer fell into the like againe In the same Lying in an high chamber in the Colledge of Francfort vpon Odera with maister MARTIN GVTTENBERGER student in Phisick a young man of a liuely spirit small stature and slender body but of a moyst braine and chancing to awake I sawe him walke starke naked vp and downe the Chamber being fast a sleepe and then get vp into a great windowe that was wide open and there stand Suddainly I ranne to him and caught him in mine armes fearing lest hee would haue tipled out of the windowe and hauing carryed him to bedde I asked him what hee did Nothing sayd hee and when hee awaked hee neuer remembred any thing hee had done I. HORST Phisition in his learned treatise of the nature of night-walkers Before I went to study Phisick at Francfort desiryng to see other vniuersities I was sent for to bee Tutor to three young gentlemen of Misnia whose Father named GEORGE de SCHLINITZ Councellor to diuers Princes and a graue and vnreproueable personage told mee that he and two of his Bretheren had walked many times in their sleepe whilst they were students at Lipsic yea and gotten vp into garrets and climbed vp on the toppes of houses so that one of his brothers chanced to fall and breake his thigh At length their Tutor looking narrowly vnto them whipped them wel-fauoredly assoone as they got out of their bed which hauing continued twise or thrise vntill such time as they awaked by that meanes they were helped The same Three young gentlemen bretheren lying to gither in one Chamber one of them rose vp naked and sound a sleepe carrying his shirt in his hand went to the windowe where he caught hold of a corde hanging at a certaine pulley and winding vp himselfe to the toppe of the ouse met with a Pies neast got out the young ones wrapped them vp in his shirt let himselfe downe againe re-entred into the Chamber window layd himself down in his bed and slept as before Awaking in the morning he began to say to his brothers Wot you what I dreamt to night mee thought I rose out of my bed went to the windowe got vp to the house top where I foūd a Pies neast and brought away the young ones His brothers laughed at it and after other talke going to rise hee sought vp and downe for his shirte which at last hee found with the young Pies wrapped vp in it They ranne presently and looked vp to the toppe of the house and sawe where the Pies neast had beene pulled out The same A young Scholler at Blackenbourg did many things sleeping Assoone as hee had suppt he would haue fallen into so dead a sleepe that for any noise could bee made he neuer waked After that with pinching pulling of him they had made him looke vp if they carried him to bed he slept as before but the next morning hee neuer remembred any thing had bin done ouer night Moreouer whatsoeuer he held being so a sleepe were it the end of a table a naile in the wall a napkin or any garment they were faine to haue two or three men to open his fingers and make him let goe his hold insomuch that many times holding his clothes in his hand they were forced to carrie him to bedde and let him lie so with them till hee awaked of himselfe the next morning The same It is not long since that the Duke of Holst Cooke rysing in his sleepe went downe out of his Chamber and hauing past through a great wide-court entred into the kitchen and got into the Well stradling with his feete and with his fingers clinging so hard to the sides of it that in this sort he descended with nothing but his shirte on till he came to the water which wetting the skirte of his shirte it struck so cold on his heeles that hee awaked and began to cry out in his language O mein bein helffe mir that is to say O my legs helpe me The folkes of the house wakened with the cry somewhat vnderstanding the voice sought for him finding him hanging by the hands feete against the sides of the Well they reached him downe a ladder with a candle and a lanthorne But not able to get him vp
afterwards discouered and proued against him hee was first of all laied starke naked on a bare planke so drawne through the chiefest streetes of the towne then hee had his flesh plucked away in foure principall places of his body with hot burning pincers lastly hee had his bones broken and was left so a liue on a cart wheele where hauing languished in grieuous torments the space of nine houres with great acknowledgement and detestation of his damnable fact he gaue vp the ghost GASPAR HEDIO in the 4. part of his Chronicles On Sattarday the last sauing one of September 1565. it happened that IOHN GVY the Sonne of EME GVY an Haberdasher of hattes and cappes in the Towne of Chastillon vpon Loire being a very lewd vnruly youth stayed forth according to his custome and came not home till it was very late in the night Whereat his Father being much offended told him that if he continued in those fashions he should be constrained to turne him out of dores Wherevnto the Sonne answered very sawcily that it should not neede for hee would goe of himselfe and that forth-with if hee might haue his clothes Therevpon the Father went to his Chamber and being a bedde was faine to threaten his Sonne for to make him hold his peace he was so lusty with his tongue At length seeing hee but lost his labour and not able any longer to endure his proud and sawcy answeres hee rose in an anger out of his bedde for to go and Chastice the arrogancie and disobedience of this vnruly youth who seeing his Father comming to beate him caught a sworde which hunge in his Chamber and rebelling against his Father ranne him quite through the bodie Wherewithall he fell presently downe crying out he was slaine The neighbors flighted with his crie came running in and found the poore Father lying all along on the floore ready to giue vp the Ghost as within a little while after he did and his Sonne standing by him with the sword all bloudie in his hands who notwithstanding that his Father mooued with compassion and forgetting his vnnaturall cruelty towards him had willed him to saue himselfe and that his Mother had also perswaded him therevnto yet had not the power to stirre a foote So that apprehended and examined at first he excused himselfe saying that his Father ranne vpon the sword himselfe But his excuses found friuolous hee was condemned to haue his right hand cut of then to haue his flesh plucked away in foure places of his body with burning pincers and finally to bee hanged by the feete on a gibbet and there strangled with a stone of a hundreth and twentie pounds weight which should be tyed about his neck All which hauing confessed his fault hee patiently endured calling vpon GOD for mercy euen to the verie last gasp In the Historie of our time A friend of mine a man of a great spirit and worthie of credit beeing one night at Naples with a kins-man of his heard the voice of a man crying out for helpe in the streete Whereat he arose lighted a candle and ranne out to see what it was and comming into the streete hee sawe an horrible fantosme of a dreadfull and furious aspect which would haue carried away a young youth that cried out and struggled with him aswell as he could but seeing him comming hee ranne suddainely vnto him and caught him fast about the middle and after his feare was some-what past hee beganne to call vpon GOD whereat the fantosme vanished presently away My friend carried this young man to his lodging and after hee had comforted him hee would haue sent him home but hee could not get him to go by any meanes for the youth was so frighted that hee shaked euery ioynt of him through the apprehension of so hideous an encounter At last being some-what come to himselfe hee confessed that till then hee had lead a very wicked life that hee had beene a contemner of GOD and disobedient to his Father and Mother whom he had so intollerably misused that they had cursed him Wherevpon hee went forth of dores and was presently encountred by that fiend ALEXANDER of Alexandria in the 4. booke of his geniall daies Chap. 19. A young man borne at Gabies not farre from Rome being of a wilde and vnruely nature and verie lewdly giuen hauing abused his Father diuers and sundry waies got him in a rage out of dores and went towardes Rome entending to plot some newe villany there against his sayd Father Vpon the way hee met the Diuell in the likenesse of a desperate ruffian with long haire and ragged apparel who comming to him demanded the cause of his discontent The young man answered that hee had beene at some wordes with his Father and determined to be meete with him some way or other Whervnto the Diuell replyed that such an inconuenient had befallen him and therefore desired him they might keepe company togither for to deuise some meanes to bee reuenged of the wrongs they had sustained Night approching they went into an Inne and lay togither in one bedde But the wicked fiend when the young man was a sleepe caught him by the throate and had strangled him if hee had not awaked and called to GOD for helpe Wherevpon the Diuell vanished away and in his departure so shaked the Chamber that both the roofe and walles crackt in sunder Whereat this young man was greeuiously terrified with such a soddaine spectacle and almost dead with feare repented him of his wicked life and guided from thence forward by a better spirit became an enemy to vice past the rest of his life farre from the rumors of people and serued for a good example to his neighbors In the same booke and Chapter Children brought vp among Wolues GOD repented that he had made man saith MOYSES Gen. 6. And Philosophers Bookes are full of complaints touching the malice of mans heart PLATO in the 7. Booke of his lawes saith That a child is the wildest beast the vnruliest and hardest to bee tamed of all other and that it cannot be too neerely looked vnto ARISTOTLE also in the first Bookes of his Politickes confirmes the same Lyons Beares and other sauage beasts are vntractable but yet not so much as children left to themselues and destitute of good direction It is reported that a childe of a village in the Landgrauiat of Hesse was lost through the rechlesnesse of his Father and Mother who sought him a long time after but could not finde him This Village was full of Trees and Gardens hard by a Forrests side wherein were a great number of Wolues Certaine yeares after there was perceiued among the Wolues which came into the Gardens to seeke their prey a creature not altogether like a Wolfe nor nothing so nimble as they which seene many and sundry times with great meruaile by the Country-folkes and thinking it was a beast of some other kinde they went and reported it to the
horsshooes with their hands Fronsperg neuer found man so strong but he would remooue him out of his place with the little finger of his right hand he would stay a Horse how strong so euer in his swiftest course with one hand And would remooue with his shoulder a Cannon whether hee list Schuartzbourg would wreath Horse-shooes as if hee had beene some plyable substance POTOCOVA Captaine of the Casiques of Poland beheaded by the commandement of the late King STERVEN would breake Horse-shooes as easily as a man would teare a peece of Paper GEORGE le FEVRE a learned Germaine writes that in his time in the yeare 1529. liued at Misnia in Thuringe one called NICHOLAS KLVNHER Prouost of the great Church that was so strong as without Cable or Pully or any other helpe hee fetcht vp out of a Cellar a Pipe of Wine caried it out of doores and laid it vpon a Cart. A Chanoin of the same Church called ERNEST of the house of the Earles of Mansfelt a strong and tall man would needs one day wrestle with him NICOLAS tooke him vp and lifted him into the ayre and afterwards cast him against a doore with such force that he broke it not-with-standing that it was fast lockt King CHARLES the ninth taking pleasure in exercises of the body being at Blois caused a Breton a man of little stature but well set to be sent for to the Court to wrestle body to body against all comers many both great and small tryed their strength with him but hee foyld them all casting one ouer his head another into the ayre with his heeles vpwards some a if they had bin Fethers others like little stones he cast into the ayre and so against the ground it being vnpossible for any to cast him to the ground Some-times he would lye flatt vpon the ground but who so-euer came neere him was forced to make one leape or other to the great contentment of the beholders To conclude another braue wrestler would needes buckle with him but in the end the Breton hauing his aduersary vpon his knee first lift him vp into the ayre and afterwards lockt him so fast in his armes as hee crusht him sore and to end his conquest he cast him with such violence against the earth as he was lifted vp and caried halfe dead to his lodging whereof he dyed shortly after In the Histories of our Times Thunder and Lightning IN the yeare 1562 beeing in Champatgne and passing by a little Village called Villeneufe not farre off from Sens the Arch-bishopricke certaine Gentlemen and honourable personages tolde mee a strange chance that happened to two young Priests by Thunder who in Haruest time comming from singing of masse for a ritch man dead after dinner retiring themselues were incountred with a torment of the aire accompanied with thunder and strange lightning These two young men recouering a little wood sat them downe togither vnder the Trees But they were kild by thunder where the next day after dilligent search for them their kins-folkes found them They thought at first they had but slept but it proued a perpetuall sleepe stripping and searching them they could finde neither hurt nor marke on their bodies but either of their hatts a little singed and in the middest their was a spot of the bignesse of a Carolus which is about the breadth of a groate Their poore bodies stunck so wonderfully that none could indure about them M. D. BEAVLIEV in his treatise of thunder and lightning About the yeare 1536. vpon a Sunday in summer was kept an excessiue and dissolute marriage in a village halfe a daies iorney from Poitiers the which hath but one streight and long streete In this day and place about noone happened a strange and fearefull thunder a Globe of fire of the greatnesse of a bowle fell in one of the corners of the Towne and ranne along the streete without hurting any bodie to Saint Georges Church where it beeing entred it made a strange spoile taking away the Tombes of the dead ranne to the grear Altar and spoiled a faire Image of our Ladie holding her little Childe in her armes besides it tore away the pauement in diuers places of this Church and brake a chaine of iron that held vp the Crucifix cast it downe brake one arme of it and afterwards grazing along the walles on the left hand without hurting them that were tolling the bells more then for feare to runne away it mounted vp into the Steeple a very faire building the which it burnt in sutch sorte that all the Belles both great and smal were melted the mettall falling vpon the pauement of the Church The same Traualing through Italie not farre from Eugubio I sawe thunder light vpon two peasants riding vpon Asses killing both men and beastes vpon the place they had a third man in their companie who had the bones of one of his armes so broken as one could not see whether their were any bone at all this blowe caused such pittifull greefes in this poore man and did so torment him as he desired not to liue I haue seene two men the Father and the Sonne haue their bodies so amazed and deaded with thunder that I thought verily they had beene falne into an Apoplexy They remained seauen daies togither without eating drinking speaking or moouing In the ende I caused them to bee let bloud giuing them sharpe glisters rubbing and norishing their bodies so as in short time they recouered their former healths Certaine months before the death of HIPOLITO of Este Cardinall of Ferrara thunder fell vpon his Pallace and entred into my Chamber light vpon one of my seruants swordes hanging at the bedde-side melted the point of it making a little bullet of it and neither broke nor hurt the sheath MVRETVS in his Annotations vpon the 31. Chap. of the 2. booke of Senecas naturall questions About the yeare 1560. Neere to Beneuida a Towne of Spaine as two men walked togither in the open fildes a strange tempest arose to the great astonishment of them both they seeking by flight to get some couert and perceiuing the tempest to encrease cast themselues flat to the ground where they felt the tempest readie to lift them from the ground In the ende one of them perceiuyng the noise to cease lifted himselfe vp the whirl-winde hauing much amazed him those which perceiued him comming the other lying still went towards him but him they found dead hauing his bones so broken as one might haue writhed his armes legs like a gloue all his Bodie seeming nothing but flesh likewise his tongue was taken away and could not bee found notwithstanding that they made dilligent search for it Their were diuers Iudgements vpon this accident one sayd hee was an ordinary swearer and blasphemer of the holie name of GOD and therefore was perticularlie chasticed in that parte that had most dishonored his creator By such a fore named whirl-winde a Towne of Spaine called
dead men This was the meanes to purge him of his Melancholie LEVINVS LEMNINVS cap. 6. lib. 2. of the complexions of mans body The like Historye is read in IOVIANVS PONTANVS lib. 4. cap. 2. Of Wisdome Another supposing that he had a nose not onely a foot but many feete yea many fadome long and that hee carried an Elephants trounke the which was very heauy and hindered him much as hee saide beleeuing constantly that his nose toucht the Sauce and Dishes that came to the Table a Wise-man beeing called to assist him and fitting himselfe vnto his humour hee cunningly held a gut of bloud to the Patients nose and laying hold of his nose with-all hee cut this guâ—…te with a rasor then sodainely giuing a sleeping drinke vnto the sicke man when he awaked he made him beleeue that this great increase of his nose had bin cut off and hauing prescribed him a good rule for his dyet hee cured him of his melancholie LEVIN LEM in the same booke and chapter An other troubled with an Hypocondriacke Melancholy perswaded thimselfe that Toades and Frogges did eate his belly and there was no meanes to take from him this opinion In the ende his Physition saide vnto him that hee did verily beleeue that there was some such vermine in his body There-vpon hee giues him a purgation and causeth some Frogges and to ades to bee cunningly conueyed into his close stoole The Physicke hauing wrought they presently shew the Patient his excrements and these little beasts swimming aboue it the which purged the Melancholie that did possesse him LEVINVS LEMNIVS in the aboue named Treatise An other supposing that his buttocks were of Glasse could not bee perswaded to sitte downe for any businesse whatsoeuer fearing that if hee did sitte downe vppon any Chayre or stoole his buttockes would breake and that the peeces would flye here and there In the same Treatise I haue seene a Melancholike Man which did imagine that all the superficies of the world was very fine glasse that the part vnder it was all full of Serpents and that his bed was as it were in an Iland from whence if hee did stirre hee should breake the glasse and fall among the serpents and therefore it was not possible to drawe him from thence IOHN BAPTISTA MONTANVS in his Councells of Phisicke A Bourguignon beeing sicke of a burning feauer at Paris did affirme that he was dead and then his fantasie comming to change he intreated the Physitions not to hinder his soule which was in Purgatory from flying into paradise Sometimes he did counterfet one that was dying and giuing vp the ghost then he would say looke howe I die then afterwards he was surprized with dispaire and with a wonderfull strange feare They caused him to haue the Emoroydes and with other fit remedies they recouered him his health Comment vpon the 17. chap. of the 2. booke of M. I. HOVLIER of inward diseases It is an ordinary thing in melancholike men and such as are troubled in the braine not to sleepe and to continue in that estate many dayes and nights as it happened to one who was 14. whole months without sleepe FERNELIVS lib. 5. of his Panthologia cap. 2. Two Italian Gentlemen tormented with a melancholike humour and sometimes with a falling sicknesse so as they could not rest the one for some dayes the other for sixe months together alwayes crying and without any feauer were soone cured by mee in eight dayes by sleeping lotions distilled vpon the head and drinke made of Crisolite beaten to powder and infused in wine that afterwards they were neuer troubled with these infirmities CARDAN in his booke of admirable Cures Cure the 3. A melancholike man running in the night through the streets was by chance hurt in the thigh and hauing lost much of his bloud was eased and cured by that meanes HOVLIER in his Commentary vpon the 6. booke of HIPOCRATES Aphorismes Apho. 21. A Gold-smiths widow at Lions opprest with extreame melancholie by reason of sundry griefes after her husbands death did trouble them much to keepe her in her sicknesse And yet they could not watch her so narrowly but one day in the turning of a hand she cast her selfe out of a high Chamber windowe vpon the pauement in the street Rasin where shee was sore hurt in the head so as shee lost great aboundance of bloud and by this meanes recouered her right wits and within fewe dayes was cured of this fall The which happened within these fiue and twenty or thirty yeares Extracted out of my memorialls A Germaine remayning at Paris in the streete of Noyers seized with a melancholike humour and transported with madnesse in the night hee cut his owne throat with a knife and stab'd himselfe in manye places of the brest and belly whereof some entred and the other were but superficiall The next day some of his companions going to see him in the house of a Banker called PEROT where he was in pension they found him thus drest with a great aboundance of bloud lying about him Seeing this spectacle they thought his seruant had thus hurt him for that he laye in his Chamber Hee is taken and carried prisoner to the Chastelet charging him to haue thus murthered his Maister I was sent for to visit to dresse him and seing the winde-pipe and the mouth of the stomacke cut with many other wounds I had no hope of his life And therfore I aduised them to send for STEPHEN RIVIERE the Kings ordinary Surgion and GERMAIN CHEVAL a sworne Surgion at Paris where we concluded amongest vs to sowe vp the wound of his throat the which being done and bound vp the Germaine began presently to speake confessing that he himselfe had committed that excesse and discharging his poore seruant of the fact in our presence and of many others especially of twoe Notaries and a Comissarie of the Chastelet by this meanes the seruant was set at liberty and freely discharged by his maisters confession who liued foure daies but could neuer swalloe any sustenance being some-what norrished by nutritiue glisters and oderiferous things that did norrish as the cromes of a whot loafe steept in wine and others like M. AMâ—… PARE lib. 9. Cap. 31. A maker of Serges called STEPHEN a quiet man and a good workeman in his trade hauing suffered a melancholike humor to ceaze vpon him breeding feare and distrust in him in the daie time he gaue himselfe certen thursts in the belly with a knife going to that end to a garden of his Being thus hurt he returned to his chamber causinge him-selfe to be layde in his bed and thinking of his conscience he humbles him-selfe before God craues pardon for all his sinnes but especially for that preseuers in his repentance and confession in the presence of many which did visit him for some daies that he did Languishe I was one of them and did see him wonder-fully mooued with the words that were vsed vnto him as
one side and sunke so as both ferie-men and passengers were all drowned There was among them a poore woman who had put her selfe into the boate to go to gather wood and so to releeue both her selfe and her two little Children the one shee held with her left hand to the brest and the other with the right hand beeing three yeares olde Shee was carried safe vpon the Water with her two Children to the banke Without anie helpe of her armes beeing otherwise occupied and all the rest in the boate perished but onelie these three Shee hauing more care of her little-ones then of her selfe was thus miraculouslie preserued with them SYMON MAYOLVS an Italian Bishoppe in the 13. Deuise of his Canicular daies Contempt of Paine APproching neere vnto Buda the BASSA sent to meete vs by some of his hous-hold with many Heralds and Officers but among the rest a goodly troupe of young men on horse-backe remarkable by reason of the Noueltie of their equipage They had their heads bare and shauen vpon the which they had made a long incision that was bloudie and in the wound they had stuck diuers fethers so as the bloud ranne forth but insteede of any shewe of smarting they marched with a cheerefull countenance and their heads a loft Before mee went certaine footemen whereof one had his armes and his sides bare either of which armes vnder the elboe was peerced through with a knife which stucke there And other was naked from the head vnto the nauell hauing the skinne of his backe cut in two places right downe through which they had put a battle axe the which hee carried as wee doe a sworde in a scarfe I did see an other which had a horse-showe fastened to the crowne of his head with many nailes the which had continued so long as the nailes had taken such hold in the flesh as they mooued not Wee entred into Buda with this pompe and were conducted to the BASSAS lodging with whome I treated of my affaires All these young men being little carefull of their hurts remayned in the Base Court of the lodging and I was actentiue to behold them the BASSA asked mee what I thought of it All well sayd I but that I thinke these men haue lesse care of their skinnes then I would haue of my gowne for I would labour to keepe it whole The BASSA laught and so dismist vs. GISLENIVS BVS◅EQVIVS in the discours of his Ambassage into Turquie Epist. 4. Murthers discouered by strange meanes and punnished MAister EMERY BIGOT the Kings Attorney in the Parliament of Roan recounted the history following vnto me with the names and sur-nmes of the persons which I haue altogither forgotten only the substance of the matter remaines in my head There was a Lucquois merchant who hauing lien in England a long time and desiring to end his daies amongst his friends requested them by letters to prouide him a house for that hee meant to see them within six moneths at the farthest About the same time he parts from England followed by a seruant of his a French-man with al his papers obligations and comes to the Citty of Roan where after he had made a little stay he takes his way for Paris but being on the mountaine neere to Argentueil his man fauored by the raine foule weather that was at that time murthered him and threwe his body into the vignes As this was a doing a blind man came by led by his dogge and hearing one grone asked who it was whervnto the murtherer answered that it was a sick man going to ease himself The blinde man went his way and the seruant with his Maisters money and papers gets him to Paris where he takes vp a good round sum vpon his Maisters billes obligations this merchant is expected at Luca a whole yeare togither and seeing that hee came not a fellow was dispatched away expresly to seeke him out comming to London he vnderstood the time of his departure that he was boūd for Roan there also in one of the Innes hee was told that about 6. moneths before a Lucquois merchant had lien there was gone to Paris After that what enquiry soeuer hee made hee was neuer the neerer nor by any meanes could heare any tidings of that he sought Wherepon he cōplained to the Court of Parliament at Roan which began to embrace this affaire commanding the Lieutenant cryminall to make diligent search within the Citty Monsieur BIGOT without The first thing the Iustice did was to will one of his officers to enquire vp and downe the towne whither there were any man that within 7. or 8. monthes before had set vp a new shop The fellow failes not in his charg but returning saies he met with one of whō hauing learned the name the iustice supposeth an obligatiō wherby this new merchāt binds himself body goods to pay the sum of 200. crownes within a certaine time by vertue thereof being wild to pay the money hee answered that the bond was forged for he owed no such debt The Sergeant taking this answere for a refusall arrested him and as they went along togither the merchant happened to tel him that hee would answere this well enough but is there no other matter sayd hee The Sergeant goes and reportes how all had past to the Iustice who taking hold of those words whither there were no other matter cōmanded the prisoner to be brought before him beeing come he made the roome to be voided and with gentle speech told him that hee had sent away the rest because he meant to deale kindly with him that in truth he had caused him to bee arrested vpon a supposed obligation but that there was another matter in the winde For hee knew for certaine that the murther of the Luequois was committed by him and thereof good proofe was to bee made how-be-it hee desired not to take any rigorous course that the dead man was a stranger altogether without friends and therefore it was an easie matter to bury all things in obliuion so that the prisoner would be wise and do that which was fitting for him-selfe All this was spoken in such a fashion as if the Iustice had gone about to draw mony from him Herewith the prisoner solicited partly by the remorse of his conscience partly by the hope he had to cleere himselfe by a bride answered the Iudge that herein appeared the very hand of GOD seeing there was no other witnesse but himselfe and yet the matter was come to light and that vpon the promise which had been made him he would freely confesse the truth Thervpō the Iudge thinking he had got his desire sent one for the Register In the meane time the prisoner perceiuing he had plaid the foole when the Iudge would haue had him confesse the murther he began to change his coppy and maintaine that all this proceeding was ful of slander and falshood The Iustice being som-what frustrated
killed the young woman by S. Oportunes Church This confession of his being committed to record they were executed as they deserued E. PASQVIER in the same booke and Chapter Eleven or twelue Danysh gentlemen being in talke togither one euening in a stoue fel to some hot words among themselues which at length grew to such termes that the candles sudenly were put out one of thē was stabbed with a poygnard killed Amongst those gentlemen was a Pursiuant of the Kings Now the murtherer was vnknowne by reason of the nomber although the gentlemen accused the pursiuant for it but the King would not beleeue them saying they had conspyred against his seruant In this perplexitie the King caused them to come altogether into the stoue and standing round about the dead corps he commanded that they shold one after another lay there right hand on the slaine gentlemans naked brest swearing they had not killed him The Gentlemen did soe and no signe apeared to witnes against them The Pursiuant onely remayned who condemned before in his owne conscience went first of all and kissed the dead Mans feete but assone as he layd his hand on his brest the blood gushed forth in great abundance both out of his wound and nosthrills so that vrged by this euident accusation he confessed the murther and by the Kings owne sentence was incontinently beheadded HENRY RANSOVIVS Liuetenant for the King of Denmarke in the duchy of Holsace makes this relation in a letter of his that is now in print farther addeth that the King his maister reported this history to him and to VLRIC his sonne in lawe Duke of MECKELEOVRG with these words Some of the gentlemen accused of this murther are still liuing this first day of Iuly 1591. And how that euer since the execution of the Pursiuant King CHRISTIERNVS 2. Permitted that ouer al his Kingdome vnknowne murthers shold be sought out after that manner I will ad another example saith he in the same letter written to DAVID CHYTREVS which happened at ITZEHOVV in Demnarke in my Fathers time A Traueller was murthered by the high way side and be-cause the Murtherer could not bee found out the magistrates of Itzehow made the body to be taken vp and an hand to be cut of which was caryed into the prison of the towne and hung vp by a string in one of the chambers About ten yeares after the murtherer comming vpon some occasion into the prison the hand which had bene a long time dry began to droppe blood on the table that stood vnderneath it The laylor beholding so extradinary a thing stayed the fellowe and aduerty sed the magistrates of it who examining him in the presence of my Father the murtherer giuing glory to God confessed the murther which hee had commited so many yeares before and submitted himselfe to the rigor of the lawe which was inflicted on him as he well deserued HIEROME MAGIVS a learned Philosopher disputing of such accidents in 3. of his Complaints Chap. 6. after hee hath quoted the ancyent and moderne authors which haue handled this subiect and propounded all that hee thought was requisite for this disputation finally concludes that such discoueryes of murthers are miraculous The Authors he alledgeth are HOMER in the 17. booke of his ILIAD◅S speaking of the dead body of EVPHORBAS in the presence of MENELARS which had killed him The Poet LVCRECIVS in the booke 4. in these verses Nanque homines ploerunque cadunt in vulnus c. THADDVS the Florentine in his explications on IOANNITIVS ISAGOGE HENRY de GAND in his Quodlibets Giles of Rome in the qaest 25 of 5. quodlibet IOHN MVIIOR vpon the. 4. booke of Sentences dist 25. quaest 14. The author of the booke intitu◅ed Peregrinarum quaestionum in the quae 6 of the. 3. decade MARSILIVS FICIN in the. 16. booke of the immortalatie of soules Chap. 5. GALE OF MARTIVS in the. 22. chap. of his booke De doctrina promiscua IOHN LANGIVS Phisition in his 40. Epistle and LEVIN LEMNIVS in the 2. booke of the miracles of Nature chap. 7. GAVDENCE ME◅VLA in the 4. books of Memorable things chap. 18. PARIS DE PVTEO in the treatise of Iudges vpon the word Tortura HIPPOLITO MARSILLO in his practise in the paragraffe Diligenter num 81. MARK ANTHONIE BLANC in the Commentarie on the Law FYNAL num 408. F. de questionibus LVDOVIC CARERA in the beginning of his practise num 140. FRANCIS IASON in the treatise of Iudgements and tortures In the town o◅ Tubingue a certain traueller cōming into an Inne talking at table of the iourney hee had to go asked the Host of the house if he knewe of any that went his way because hee was affrayd hee should not hit it where-vpon another ghest that sate at table with him said how he was going to the place he spake of knew all the wayes of the forrest through which they were to passe Trauailing together in the wood the latter thinking to make some great purchase fell vpon the other killed him But finding little about him hee returned heauy and sighing to the same Inne from whence they parted Presently after the bruit went of a man that was found murthered in the Forrest And because the Murtherer discouered himselfe sufficiently by his sighes hee was apprehended and beeing examined confessed the fact for the which he was put to death PH. LONICER in his ◅heater of Examples A Murtherer that had killed diuers men and certaine women with child going on Easter-Eue to the Towne of Winshein in Almaigne bought three calues heads of a Butcher in the shambles which hee put into a net made like a bagge and laying them on his shoulder went his way home-ward Where-vpon it seemed to all that met him in the streete that they were mens heads which hee carried in the net so that diuers ranne and aduertised the Magistrates of it who straight way sent some of their Sergeants and commanded them to apprehend him and bring him before them Be◅ing come and examined where he had those mens heads hee answered that hee had bought them of a Butcher in the open Shambles The Butcher was sent for who affirmed that those which he sold him were Calues heads no other The Magistrates amazed with this prodegie sent the buyer to prison where going to bee tortured hee confessed his murthers which was no sooner done but presently the three heads taken out of the net returned to their former shape and the murtherer was executed according to his demerits The same A learned Diuine of our time recytes such another History as that of IBICVS For he saith that an Almaign trauelling a iourney fell among Theeues who going to cut his throat the poore man espied a flight of Crowes and said O Crowes I take you for witnesses and reuengers of my death Hee had no sooner said so but he was murthered by the theeues who drinking two or three daies after in an Inne a
beasts A graue alone was held a great happinesse amongest them Some made their owne graues beeing in good helth others lay downe in them being yet a liue And a worke man of mine with his hands and his feete drewe the earth vpon him in dying Was not this an enterprise some-what like vnto the Romaine soldiars whome they found after the battaile of Cannas with their heads thrust into the holes which they had made and filled vp with their handes in smothering of themselues MONTAIGNE Booke 3. of his Essaies Chap. 12. Sorceries Impostures and strange illusions of Satan descouered THere are some Iudges who to descouer Witches and to make them confesse vpon the racke the horrible crimes which they haue committed are accustomed to shaue the haire in euery part of their bodies to change their apparell with this perswasion that the will sooner confesse BODIN in his Demonomania seemeth to allowe of this aboue all other expedients And so doth SPRANGER About a hundred yeares since an Inquisitor called CVMAN held this course with one and forty Witches whome he caused to bee burnt The like hath beene obserued by Maister IOSSE DAMHOVDERE a learned Lawier in Flanders Whoin his cryminall practise Chap. 36. number 21. Reportes a memorable Historie to this purpose It is not vndiscreetly done sayth hee to shaue all the haire of the bodies of certaine persons and then to torture them for by that meanes you shall hinder the force of such remedies as they vse to make themselues impassible and without feeling in their torments the which they are accustomed to practise by Magick Artes Sorceries Inchantments and execrable charmes as I my selfe haue seene during the time that I was a Councellor in the Citty of Bruges especially in an olde woman who in her carriage apparell kinde of life manners which in shewe were irreprehensible did so carry her selfe as all did reuerence respect and esteeme her no lesse then one of the Apostells of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST for that shee did as it were miraculously cure the Children of many honorable families making crooke-backes straight setting legges and thighes that were broken sodenly not by art nor by any medycines but by words inioyning some particular deuotion as a fast of three daies with bread and water to say the Lordes praier thrice to goe in pilgrimage to our Ladie of Ardembourg or to Saint ARNOVL of Audenbourg or to Saint IOSSE or to Saint HVBERT in the Forest of Ardennes or to cause a Masse or two to be song euerie daie and to assist at them deuoute'y or to cause some praiers or smal suffrages to be sayd at their charge These deuotions dulie performed with in fewe daies after the diseased were cured through the hope which they and their friends had in this woman Her carriage miracles being published through the Country the Councellors and Iudges whose Iudgements were perfect and did see more cleerely then the popular caused this woman to be apprehended in the night carried to prison but not very straightly kept where the next day she was examined how by what means by vertue of what alliance with what cōfidency she did those cuers She alwaies answered confidently that she had done all with a good intent and deuotion for holie respects and therefore they ought not to imprison her so ignominiously Yet the Councel mooued by certaine apparent presumptions appointed that she shold be tortured being brought vnto the rack and mildly exhorted to confesse the truth she persisted still in the negatiue with an assured countenance mayntayning that shee had done nothing but by Lawefull meanes and without conference with any euil spirit There was present at her examination the Bourgomaster of Bruges a man much afflicted with the goute by reason whereof during her examination he did some-times groone and crie out like a man that had beene rackt The olde woman turning to him sayd Maister Bourgomaster will you be quite freed from this torment of the goute If you please I will cure you and that soone Is it possible sayd the Bourgomaster I would willingly giue two thousand Crownes to haue ease I will giue it thee if thou canst performe what thou saiest Then the Councellors and Officers that were present sayd vnto him Sir beware what you say and promise Beleeue vs and sending this Witch into her Chamber and heare quietly what we will say vnto you The woman beeing carried away they added See into what daunger you are brought through a vaine perswasion that this woman like vnto the Apostles can by Lawfull meanes cure your goute In outward shewe all that she doth seemeth holie and diuine but if you looke narrolie into her actions there is a great difference Let her be called againe and demanded howe she pretends to cure you if she promiseth to helpe you miraculously as the Apostles did diseases in their time and that shee followeth the course which they did we will not contradict her knowing that GODS arme is not shortned If she vseth vnlawfull meanes and relies vpon them both shee and all her inuentions ought rightly to be suspected Being therefore called backe againe one of these Councellors askt her If thou presumest to cure the Bourgomaster of his gout what meanes and remedies will thou applie no other sayth shee but that the Bourgomaster beleeue for certaine that I haue power to cure him hee shall then be whole and sound of his feete Hauing spoken these words shee was sent back vnto her Chamber Then the Councellors with one voyce and consent said vnto the Bourgomaister and to the Assistance You may vnderstand by the answer of this Woman that she doth nothing but by the power of Sathan that she doth vnder-take to cure the Bourgomaster by vnlawfull meanes for in her healing she doth not imitate the holy Apostles who did cure diseases by faith and the power of GOD. saying vnto the Lame In the name of our Lord IESVS CHRIST rise vp and walke And to the blinde In the name of our Lord IESVS CHRIST receiue thy sight the one recouered his legges and the other his sight not by any humaine helpe but by the Diuine power in the name and faith of IESVS CHRIST But this Witch doth brag to cure him so as the patient trust in her and beleeue that she can do it This faith or misbeleefe is directly contrary to the Apostles faith This answer duly waighed and considered of the Bourgomaister being sorry for that which he had said would not commit himselfe to the olde Woman but was ashamed of his lightnesse To returne vnto the Witch for that she did persist in the negatiue of the offences where-with she was charged with apparent presumptions of truth it was decreed againe that she should be put to the Racke where being roughly handled shee made confession of some light faults As for Sorcerie and Witch-craft shee denied it confidently Shee was therefore let loose and shutte into her Chamber A while after
head Crowned and a Cocke pecking at this head so long vntill it was parted from the bodie and so vanished away There were other Lions and neere vnto the wild Boars head an Vnicorne the which by little little did change into the forme of a Dragon with a great number other beasts of vnaccustomed formes and greatnesse Moreouer vpon an heigh rocke there appeered a fortresse enuitoned with two Campes and all the Heauens seemed to be ful of Townes Villages and Castells but all was presently consumed by fire and all the ruines of this great circuit seemed to be lightning and to fall into a great poole nothing remaining but Towers whereas the great Cittie had appeered vpon the banke of the Lake was seene a mighty Camell seeming to staie therefore to drinke The same In the yeare 1538. before the first expedition of the Landgraues warre the Consull of the Towne of Schmalcalde a man of good worth did see in night as it were before him these following shapes There was an olde man at a table sleeping with his head hanging downe vpon a forme by did lie a Lion In the same Chamber were manie men in long robbes which seemed to consult about this Lion the which in the ende did leape from the forme as it were to flie vppon them with his great pawes They ioyning close togither oppose them-selues against the Lion and giue him manie stabbes with a dagger finally hauing compassed him in by the meanes of a Chaier which they cast vppon him they cut of his tayle but soone after beeing gotten from vnder the Chaire hee returnes to his place and leapes vppon the forme As these men had beegonne againe to goe in and out as it were to conspier the Lions death hee enters into a rage and flies violentlie vpon them who beganne to crie out and to hold open their armes to the olde man that slept who awaking verie sodenlie and lifting vp his head shaking his right hande hee threatned the Lion who perceyuing it retyred him-selfe and looking some-times vppon the olde man hee lept vppon the forme where hee was transformed to IESVS CHRIST standing vp-right and preaching before whom these men falling prostrate as it were to demand pardon and hauing obtained it all these Images vanished The same In the yeare 1545. the day after Whitsunday there were seene in Silesia these shapes A Beare came frō the East leading an Armie in good order against whome marched a Lion from the West with other troupes Betwixt the two Armies did shine a very bright starre Presently they began a fierce charge so as it seemed the bloud did gushe from those bodies that were wounded and that many fell downe dead vpon the place During this Combate an Eagle parting from a certaine high Rocke did houer ouer the Lions troupes After a long fight and when as it seemed to bee ended the Lion appeared againe shining in the middest of his bands but they could not discerne the Beare the body of his Armie beeing broken and disperst about the which there were many olde men with white beards and reuerent countenauces The fight being ended the Lion led back his Armie towards the West and beeing aduanced a good way one mounted vpon a braue White Horse lest the Armie and came to the place of Battaile mounting vpon this Horse a young man that was all armed who was standing vpright and hauing accompanied him towards the East all these figures vanished The same In the yeare 1549. some of the best Citizens of Brunswike traueling by night about some necessarie businesse they did see the Moone enuironed with a very bright Circle and neere vnto it two other Moones This Circle went foure times about it and neere the two other Moones there appeared a Lion all on fire an Eagle which pierst her brest then the figure of the most famous Prince IHON FREDERICK Duke of Saxony and another figure of the Creation of EVE drawne out of ADAMS side them GOD sitting and at his knees ADAM and EVE whom hee intreated louingly as the Father doth often-times his Children After that there appeared a horrible sight of Townes all on fire about the which there was a Camell the figure of IESVS CHRIST hanging vpon the Crosse and about it his Apostles The last figure was most fearefull of them all There was a man standing vpright of a cruell aspect holding in his hand a naked sword with the which hee made shew to strike a young Maiden that was kneeling before him and who with teares in her eyes intreated him to spare her Other shapes were seene in some other places The same Here-vnto Doctor PEVCER addes that which followeth Although it hath beene euer demanded by what vertue such figures were fashioned in the ayre seeing that the regions of the ayre are neuer with-out exhalations whether these exhalations by incounter or being scattered after some distance come to ioyne together and to cause those figures so as the light of heauen giuing them a coulour some are white others redde and fiery according to the qualitie of vapours or else whether the naturall intelligences which fore-see things to come doe cause these figures eyther by the helpe of vapours and exhalations or of some apparent brightnesse For my part I thinke that most of these figures and sights are made and framed by the LORD GOD himselfe or by his holy Angels who for the loue of man-kinde whom they see beloued of GOD set before our eyes by the meanes of these formes a plaine representation and continuance of euents not that wee should foresee that which wee cannot auoyde but beeing admonished by such aduertisements we should thinke of our sinnes sound the depth of dangers and remember in our hearts the admonitions and consolations which are propounded vnto vs in the holy Scriptures so as in the middest of the darts which are cast against vs when as there is no hope but of vtter confusion without rising we may prostrate our selues humbly at his feete and neuer cease with cleane hands and pure conscienses to pray and intreate him that not respecting the merites of the worlds iniquities hee will receiue vs into his protection maintaine and defend vs from the violence of the enemies of our saluation and turne away all the miseries that hang ouer our heads It is also likely that some-times the Diuels are busied about such workes But to conclude the wandring and inconstant incounter of exhalations cannot make such goodly signes and formes so well ordered and of things subiect to the prouidence of GOD if we will not foolishly and wickedly maintaine with Epicures that the world consists and is managed and gouerned by hazard and fortune The end of the first Volume Virg. Aen. l. 6. Deiphebus