1. of the admirable Histories in Physick In the yeare 1574. in the moneth of May the Wife of BLAISâ—… de VOLD named MAGDELEINE felt one day a paine in her necke and then in her right arme The next daie shee kept her bed for that her arme besides the paine did beginne to shake This paine ceased the third daie but shee fell to haue a shaking ouer all the partes of her bodie then she had a desire to vomit without any effect she sweate and seemed as if she had beene smothered When they presented vnto her any Wine Water or any Coullis then shee had Convulsions and fayntings shee would eate egges and bread well Her alteration was great her principall faculties were whole and verie perfect and so were her exterior sences her spirit was calme and her speech milde You would haue sayd she had had no feauer at all The Surgion of the place made many diuulsions yet she dyed the fift day The same Author In February 1575. DOMINIQVE PANCAVLD a young maiden of 16. yeares of age hauing seene some with their swords drawne ready to fight was terrified so as in the night shee fell into a vyolent feauer presently shee had blisters about her lippes Twelue houres after her fiâ—… she grew amazed and twelue houres after that it seemed vnto her that her feauer was gone She did rise being lame of her left arme when any one did touche her shee felt a paine in her side as if one had stabd her to the heart with a Poynard so as she would faint away There was nothing omitted to ease her The fourth day a shaking doth force her to goe to bed her paine encreaseth she hath a desire to cast shee turnes on euery side without staye shee fomes at the mouth shee can endure no light shee weepes cryes out is amazed and driues away all them of the house They offer her drinke she puls her head back she abhorres drinke falls into soundings and yet some-times shee talkes sensibly then afterwards shee begins to make a noyse with her teeth failes of her speech and giues vp the ghost the 5. day The same Author In the yeare 1576. in Iune DOMINIKE BERET a Country-man married and a lustie able man 37 yeares old felt for eight dayes together a paine in his arme not knowing how this griefe came yet he did not forbeate to worke hauing no feauer A day after being the ninth being desirous to haue a messe of Pottage to his supper a shaking seized on him so as hee went to bed without any supper about mid-night a feare seized on him so as hee could not conteine himselfe but amazed and starting vp he cried out and beganne to intreate them that were about him to hold him and he for his part thought himselfe glued vnto them Earely in the morning they go for Councell to a Physition that was neereby who prescribed him to take a decoction of wilde Chichoree the which he vomited vp soone after that hee had taken it with some cloddes of bloud as they sayd comming to see him after dinner I drewe them of the house apart the Curate of the place and others that were there assembled I sayd vnto them you shall presently see strange things which is that this patient will not drinke although you presse him and if hee tries to do it hee shall fall into a swone and die presently They brought him a glasse and offred him drinke the which he refused with horror and offring to force him his heart fainted wherat all were wonderfully amazed and much more when as they did see him foure houres after giuing vp the Ghost after that hee had beene disquieted with an vnequall and inconstant trembling hauing cried without ceasing beene much distempered and sweate all ouer great droppes but on the extremities which were colde moreouer in a strange rauing accompanied with diuilish apparitions as he sayd The same Author The eight of Aprill 1579. IAMES PIVE Laborer a young man married sound and stronge comming out of the field to his house without any apparent cause going before beganne to sweate at night and felt his heart as it were pincht and full of paine In the night hee did shake and tremble by fiâ—…ts casting himselfe out of his bed crying out continually and sweating The Surgion of the place gaue him earely in the morning a counterpoyson Beeing called at night to see him I knewe that it was a sharpe disease and againe I did aduertise them which did assist him that hee would abhorâ—…e all kinde of drinke and that vndoubtedly hee would soone die The which was soone verified for hauing drinke offred him hee beganne to torment him-selfe and to faint away the drinke being carried away hee presently came againe to him-selfe He couldnot endure any one to touch him and if any one approched neere him hee would crie out They durst not howe softly soeuer wipe his face that sweate Night being come hee would make his will but the sweates and Convulsions which encreased hindred him Some houres after hee died in good sence The same Author There is an other kinde of rage proceeding of an externall cause that is to say of the byting of madde Beastes whereof wee must speake some thing and produce Histories according to our intention to descouer our miseries more and more and to induce vs to flie deuoutly to the mercifull protection of almightie GOD. Beholde what learned FERNELIVS saies namely in respect of madde-dogges which bite men a maddedogge in byting doth cast forth some spittle or venimous humor the which peercing by the part that is toucht doth sodenly corrupt the spirits the bloud and the humors then doth it slide by little and little into the principall partes but so slowely as the disease is not descouered till three weekes after some-times after a yeare and that but doubtfully During this respite of time the patient feeles no feuer nor any paine hee feares not death at all the which hee carries in his bowells But when the vennom by succession of time is come vnto the heart all the other Noble partes are as is were tickled the sicke man growes way-ward he can neither stand nor sit hee behaues himselfe like a madde-man scratcheth his face and bytes euery man the foame comes out at his mouth hee lookes wildly is tormented with a great feuer hee is extreamely altered and dry yet hee doth so abhorre Water and all other Liquor as hee had rather die then drinke or bee plonged in anie Riuer These miseries in the ende oppresse him and depâ—…iue him of life Booke the 2 of the hidden causes of things This vennom is extreamely hot in the forth degree as experience doth witnesse for hauing one daie caused the bodie of a certaine man to bee opened beeing dead of such an accident they founde three remarkeble things First there was no moysture at all in the mouth of the stomack to refresh the heart with all but it had beene all consumed
the Mother had also giuen him the like councell to escape but GOD by his power did so staie him as hee had no power to flie Beeing carried to prison and examined at the first hee couered his parricyde accusing his Father that hee had slaine himselfe But his excuses beeing found friuolous hee was condemned to haue his right hand cut off then to bee pinched with hot pincers and in the ende hanged by the feete vpon a gibet and strangled with a stone of sixe score pound which should bee hanged at his necke A wicked counterfet beeing prisoner with him aduised him to appeale vnto Paris But hauing freely confessed the Parricide hee reuoked his appeale and was executed The History of our times Of the Heart of man Diuers Histories thereof in our time HAuing perced an Impostume grown of a long time vpon the seauenth turning ioynt where through the venom of his corruption it had made a great ouerture and gnawne the innermost membrane of the heart those which were present beheld one part of the heart which I did shewe them A. BENIVENIVS in his booke de abditis causis Chap. 42. Two Bretheren gentlemen falling out at tables the one of them gaue the other a wound with his knife iust on the seege of the heart the hurt gentleman bleeding exceedingly was carried and layed on a bed whereas all signes of death appeered Beeing sent for I applied that to the heart which I thought â—…it to strengthen it The patient hauing beene as it were at deathes doore vntil midnight beganne to come to himselfe and hauing vsed all the meanes possible I could deuise for his preseruation at length I sawe him cured whereby I knewe the heart had not beene perished as at the first I doubted but the filme or Capsula thereof called PERICALDION by the Greekes was lightly tainted The same Author Chap. 65. We haue seene ANTHONY ALâ—…IAT hurt and hauing his Pericordian vntoucht True it is that hee did sigh very much and lowd The internall parts beeing hurt bring death foure waies either through necessity of their function and office as the Lunges or by reason of the excellency of their nature as the Hart or through much losse of bloud as the Liuer the great arteries and veines or through the malignity of Symptomes and accidents as the neruie parts the ventricle and bladder Although some parts be incurable yet are they not mortall of absolute necessity otherwise death would ensue vpon the incurable hurts of boanes gristles and lygaments The Pericordion then is not mortall of it selfe but because it is impossible to attaine it without offending many other noble parts CARDAN in his Commentarie on the Aphorismes of Hipocrates booke 6. apb 18. Anatomizing a Scholler of mine dead in the Vniuersitie of Rome I found that this yong man had no Pericardion by meanes whereof in his life-time hee swounded very often and seemed as one dead through which defect at length hee died COLVMBVS booke 15. of his Anatomy A certaine Theefe being taken downe from the gallowes where he had bene hanged and not quite strangled was carefully looked vnto and recouered But like an vngratious wretch as he was returning to his old trade againe hee was apprehended and throughly hanged Wherevpon we would needes Anatomize him and wee found that his heart was all heary Which is likewise reported among the Grecians of Aristomenes of Hermogenes the Rhetorician of Leonydas of Lysander and others namely of a dog that ALEXANDER the great had This haire denotes not onely promptitude of Courage and peruerse obstinacy but many times valour contemning all danger BENIVENIVS in Chap. 83. de Abditis causis Vpon a certaine time making the Anatomy of a man at Ferrara wee found his heart cleane couered ouer with haire and indeede he had beene all his life time a desperate ruffian and a notable theefe AMATVS the Portingale in Centur. 6 Cur. 65. Being at Venice and present at the execution of a very notorious theefe the hangman that quartered his bodie found his heart meruailous hairye M. A. Muret booke 12. of his dyuers readings Chap. 10. I haue seeâ—…e the sepâ—…um that distinguisheth the ventrycles of the heart to be a gristle in some mens Bodies in others the left ventricle wanting or so little as it could hardly bee discerned Columb booke 15. of his Anatomy I found in two mens bodies that I opened a boane in the rootes of the great artery and of the arteryall vaine CORN GEMMA in the 2. booke of his Cyclognomia pag 75. In another I found a little boane betweene the gristly circles of the heart the chiefe artery and arteriall veine like to the boane which is commonly found in the heart of a stagge CORN GEMMA in the 1. booke Chap. 6. of his Cosmocritif Doctor MELANCHTHON in his first booke of the Soule testifies of CASIMIR Marquise of Brandebourg a Prince greatly afflicted in his life time with sundry griefes and consumed with long watchings that beeing opened after his decease the humor enclosed in the fylme of the heart was â—…ound quite dried vp and the heart so scorched that it was like a peare burnt in the fire TH. IORDAN in the 1. booke of signes of the plague Chap. 16. Not long since a Romaine gentleman died after hee had languished along time Being opened no heart appeared neither was there any part of it but the fylme left the vnmeasurable heate of his long sicknesse hauing wholy consumed it BERN. IELASIVS in the 28. Chap. of the 5. booke of the nature of things A young Prince being sickly and very much troubled with a payne at the heart assembled a great many Physitions togither for to consult of his dissease Among others there was a young practitioner who declared how he had read in certaine notes that the vse of garlick euerie morning expells a kinde of worme that feedes vpon the heart But both the remedy and the young man that propounded it were despised Not long after this Prince died and his body was opened by the commandement of his Father for to see the cause of his sicknesse death The dissection made they found a white worme hauing a sharpe bill of horne like a pâ—…llets gnawing the heart The Physitions tooke it aliue and layd it on a table in a circle made of the iuyce of garlick The worme began to writh and wriggle euery way still eschuing the iuyce that compassed it about Finally surmounted by the strength and sauor of the garlick it died within the circle to the astonishment of those that had despised so easie a remedie I. HEBANSTEIF in his treatise of the plague It is not long agoe that in the great Duke of Tuscans Court a certaine Florentine beeing assistant at the merry conceites of a pleasant iester was suddainly seized with vnexpected death whereat the company and his friends being much abashed for their better satisfaction after he was knowne to bee starke dead they had him opened and there was
no cause discerned of such a death but only a liue worme which the A◅atomists found in the capsula or filme of the heart P. SPHARER Physition in his Obseruations A certaine woman hauing voyded for the space of many da◅es together a thick and purulent vrine at length died and beeing opened was found interressed in the heart with certaine impostumes and two stones I. HOVLIER Comment 1. on the 6. booke sect 2. aphoris 4. of HIPPOCRAT and the Comment on the 75. aph of the 4. booke The Emperour MAXIMILIAN the second had three little stones found in his heart of the bignes of a pease but not of equall quantity and weight In his life time hee was very much afflicted with a panting of the heart I. WIER in the 4. booke Chap. 16. of the impostures of euill spirits In the heart of IEROME SCHEIBER that died at Paris in the yeare 1547. was opened in the presence of SYLVIVS HOVLIER FERNEL professors in Physick there was foūd an hard blackish roūd stone as big as a nutmeg and weyghing Certaine drammes to the great wonder of all men AER MVRGEL Physition In diuers mens hearts there are found Cornes or hard things like vnto stoanes of the bignes of a nut in others fat in the ventricles or verie thicke Carnosities sometimes of two pounde weight or other substance like the marrowe of sodden beefe Also tumors impostumes of the bignes of an hens egge which in some haue caused co◅ruption of the membrane of the heart in others wasting of the heart it selfe in others mattory and long congealed vlcers The History of them are described by the Doctors of Physick BENIVENIVS IACOT VESALIVS ERASTVS COLVMBVS FERNELIVS HOVLIER IOVBERT and others in their obseruations Commentaries and disputations Which it shall suffise to haue touched in a worde Touching the hurts of the heart FERNELIVS in the fi◅t booke of his Panthologia Chap. 12. holds that if they bee not deepe and penetrated farre into the ventricles of the heart the person hurt dies not presently To which effect IOHN SCHENCK of Grafenberg Doctor of Phisick at Fribourg recounts in the 2. booke of his Physickall Obseruations Obserue 209. that hee had heard a learned Physition tell how a certaine scholler studying at Ingolstad beaing stabbed with a poygnard into the heart the two ventricles wherof were found pearced through and through ranne a good way bleeding and liued a full houre after speaking and cōmending himselfe to GOD. I protest I haue seene a gentleman at Thurin which fought with another that gaue him a thrust vnder the left pappe penetrating euen into the substance of the heart and yet for all that he struck diuers blowes at his enemy that ranne away from him pursuing him the length of two hundred pace and then fell downe dead to the ground After which I opened him and found a wound in the very substance of the heart so bigge that one might haue laid his finger in it and a great quantity of bloud falne vpon the Diaphragma AMER PARE in the 9. Booke Chap. 32. Of Comets IN this Section I will briefly represent the Comets seene in Europe for these hundred yeares or thereabouts adding that which GARCEVS in his Meteorologie LICHOSTENES and others haue obserued vpon this point In the yeare 1500. in the moneth of Aprill a Comet appeared in the North vnder the signe of Capricorne The same yeare Prince CHARLES was borne afterwards Emperor the 5. of that name and SOLYMAN Sultan of the Turkes Soone after folowed the spoile which the Tartares made in Polonia the famine in Swabe a plague throughout all Germanie the taking of Naples by the French A rising of the peasants in the Bishop rike of Spire against the Bishop and the Canons the taking of Modon and some other places in Morea by the Turkes ISMAEL Sophie expelled out of the kingdome of Persia by the Turkes whereof they ceazed The second yeare after the plague made a horrible spoile almost throughout all the whole world the which had for fore-runners figures of crosses falling out of the ayre vpon mens clothes A warre followed in Bauaria two yeares after this plague after the which many great men both spirituall temporal died The Emperor MAXIMILIAN the 1. vanquished the Guelders and then the Hongariens whom he reduced vnder his obedience In the yeare 1506. a Comet appeared in August towards the North couering the signes of Leo and Virgo hauing neere vnto the Chariot a thick and shining taile stretched out betwixt the wheeles of this Chariot for which cause some Astronomers called it the Peacocks taile In September after died PHILIP the 1. king of Spaine father to CHARLES and FERDINAND Emperors The same yeare the Turkes were defeated in battaile by the Persians and on the other side they tooke Modon in Morea from the Christians and defeated their fleete Then followed a ciuill warre betwixt BAIAZET and his sonne SELIM and FRANCIS SPORCE Duke of Milan was taken in Italy by the French As for that which happened in the following yeares the History of our time doth shew it as well in respect of warres Inundations death of famous men and merueilous alterations in Europe the causes whereof we will attribute to the iust iudgements of GOD punishing the sinnes of the world we say only that Comets seeme oftentimes to be fore-runners and Trumpets of the wonderfull iudgements of the Lord as a French Poet speaking of a Comet seene in the yeare 1577. said in the 2. day of his weeke O frantick France why doost not thou make vse Of the strange signes whereby the Heauens induce Thee to repentance canst thou teare-lesse gaze Euen night by night on that prodigious blaze That hairy Comet that long streaming Starre Which threatens Earth with Famine Plague and Warre The Almighties Trident and three forked fire Wherewith he strikes vs in his greatest ire But let vs consider the other Comets according to the order of the yeares In Nouember 1523. there was seene a Comet and soone after the heauens seemed all on fire casting forth infinite flames of lightning vpon the earth the which did tremble afterwards there hapned strange Inundations of water in the realme of Naples Soone after followed the taking captiuity of Francis 1. King of France Germanie was troubled with horrible seditions LEVVIS King of Hungary was slaine in battaile against the Turkes There were wonderfull stirres throughout all Europe and Rome was taken and spoiled by the imperiall Armie In the same yeare of the taking and sack of Rome which was 1527. there was seene another more fearefull Comet then the precedent there followed after it the great spoiles which the Turkes made in Hungary a famine in Swabe Lombardie and at Venice warre in Zuitzerland the siege of Vienna in Austria the Sweat in England the ouer-flowing of the Sea in Holland and Zeland where it drowned a great Country and an Earthquake in Portugall which continued eight dayes In the yeare 1531. from
him to assist at his funeralls yea hee made an instant sute vnto this Prince who went to see him when â—…ee was drawing on that his seruants might bee commanded to accompany him alledging many examples and reasons to proue that it was a thing which belonged to a man of his sort hee seemed to depart content hauing obteined this promisse disposing according to his owne minde of the order of his shew I haue not often seene a vanitie more permanent It is an other contrary curiositie whereof I want no familiar examples which seeme cousin-germaine vnto this to goe studying with passion of this last act to dispose of his funeralls after a priuate and vnaccustomed kinde of thrift with one seruant and a Lanthorne Montaigne in his Essaies Chap. 3. A meruaylous Apparition A Personage worthy of credit that had trauailed in diuers parts of Asia and Egipt affirmed to many that hee had seene more then once in a certaine place neere vnto Caire whether a number of people resort on a certaine day in the moneth of March for to be spectators of the resurrection of the flesh as they say of bodyes deceased shewing and thrusting themselues as it were by little and little out of the ground not that they see them altogether but now the hand then the feete sometimes halfe the body which done they in like manner hide themselues by little and little againe in the ground The rest not giuing credit to such a meruaile and I for my part desiring to vnderstand the truth of it enquired of a Kins-man and singular friend of mine a Gentleman as thoroughly accomplished in all vertues as may be one that hath beene brought vp in great honours and that is almost ignorant of nothing Hee hauing trauailed in the aforesaid countries with another Gentleman a great and familiar friend also of mine named the Lord ALEXANDER of Schullembourg tolde mee hee had heard of many that this apparition was most certaine and that in Cairo and other places of Egipt there was no question made of it And the more to assure mee hee shewed mee an Italian booke Imprinted at Venice contayning diuers descriptions of voyages made by the Embassadors of Venice into many parts of Asia and Affrica among the which one is entituled Viaggio de Messer Aluigi di Giouanni di Alessandria nelle Indie Towards the ende whereof I haue extracted certaine lines Translated out of Italian into Latin and now into English as hereafter followeth On the 25. of March in the yeare 1540. diuers Christians accompanyed with certaine Ianissaries went from Cairo to a little barren mountaine some halfe a mile off designed in times past for buriall of the dead in the which place euery yeare there vsually assembles an incredible multitude of people for to see the dead bodyes there interred as it were issuing out of their Graues and Sepulchers This begins on Thursday and continues till Satterday when they vanish all away Then may you see bodyes wound in their sheetes after the ancient manner but they are not seene standing vpright nor going but onely the armes or thighes or some other part of the body which you may touch If you go a little way off and come by and by againe you shall finde that those armes or other members appeare farther out of the ground And the more you change place the more do those motions appeare diuers and greater At that time there are a number of pauilions pitched about the mountaine for both sick and whole which repaire thither in great troupes firmely beleeue that whosoeuer washeth himselfe on the Thursday night with a certaine water that runnes in a marish hard by it is a sure remedy to recouer and maintaine health But I haue not seene that miracle It is the report of the Venetian Besides the which we haue a Iacobin of Vlmes named FELIX who hath trauailed in those parts of the Leuant and hath published a Booke in Dutch touching all that hee hath seene in Palestina and Egipt He makes the very same recitall As I haue not vndertaken to maintaine this apparition to be miraculous for to confound these superstitious idolaters of Egipt and to shew them that there is a resurrection and life to come neither will I refute it nor maintaine it to be a Satanicall illusion as many thinke but will also leaue it to the iudgement of the Reader for to determine thereof as he shall thinke good PH. CAMERARIVS Councellor of the Common-wealth of Nuremberg in the 73. Chap. of his Historicall Meditations I will adde somewhat herevnto for the content of the Reader STEVEN DVPLAIS a cunning Goldsmith and a man of an honest and pleasing conuersation being now some 45. yeares old or thereabout hauing trauailed diuers Countries of Turkey and Aegipt made me an ample discourse of the apparition before mentioned some fifteene yeares since affyrming hee had beene spectator of it with CLAVDE ROCARD an Apothecary of Chably in Champagne and twelue other Christians hauing for their truchman and guvde a gold-smith of Ottranto in Apulia called ALEXANDER MANIOTTI He told mee moreouer that he as the rest had touched diuers members of those ressâ—…stitants And as hee was taking hold on the heare of a Childes head a man of Cairo cryed out Kali Kali antè matarasdè that is to say let it alone let it alone thou knowest not what thou doest Now for-asmuch as I could not well perswade my selfe that there was any such matter as he told me of though in diuers other reports conferred with that which is to be read in our moderne Authors I had alwaies found him simple and true wee continued a long time in this opposition of my eares to his eyes vntill the yeare 1591. that hauing shewed him the aboue-sayd obseruations of Doctor CAMERARIVS Now you may see sayd he that I haue told you no fables And many times since we haue talked of it with wonder and reuerence of the diuyne wisdome Furthermore he told mee therevpon that a Christian dwelling in Aegipt had diuers times recouted vnto him vpon talke of this apparitioÌ„ or resurrection that he had learned of his grand-father Father which their ancestors had reported hauing receiued it from hand to hand time out of minde that certayne hundreth yeares agoe diuers Christians Men women and Children being assembled in that mountayne for to do some exercise of their Religion were enuironned and compassed about by a great number of their enemies the little Mountaines being but of a small circuite who cut them all in peeces and hauing couered their bodies with earth returned to Cairo Euer since the which this resurrection hath appeared the space of certaine dayes before and after that of the massacre Behold a summary of STEVEN DVPLAIS discoursâ—… by him confirmed and renewed in the end of Aprill 1600. when I wrote this History where-vnto that can be nothing preiudiciall which is recited by MARTIN BAVMGARTEN in his voyage to Egipt made the yeare 1507. published
so did the Mother and were buried togither in one graue L. VIVES ERASMVS and others which report this Historie say that it was for-asmuch as the sayd Ladie had mockt a verie poore woman as shee was a begginge some releefe of her for that shee carried two Twinnes Shee did blame her verie much saying it was impossible that a woman should haue two Children beegotten at one time of one Father Here-vpon the poore woman made her earnest praier vnto almightie GOD that for proofe of her innocencie beeing wrong-fully accused that the Countesse might carrie as manie Children at one birth as there were number of seuerall daies in the whole yeare To returne to our Histories of fewer Children at a burthen wee haue seene a woman at Aubenas in Viuares who at her first burthen had two Children at her second three and at the third foure At Orillac in Auvergne the Wife of one called SABATIER had three Sons at a birth The first the last liued 24 houres the middle who therefore was called IOHN of three came to mans estate was marryed at Paris and liued long The Wife of a Capper in Rouan crooked and little had fiue Sonnes at one birthe in the yeare 1550. All this is extracted out of Maister L. IOVBERT lib. 3. chap. 1. of his popular errors Let vs adde herevnto some other Histories In the yeare 1554. at Perme in Suitzerland the wife of IHON GELINGER a Doctor was deliuered of fiue Children at one birthe three males and two females PLINIE talkes of a Greeke who at foure burthens had twenty Children whereof the most part liued DALECHAMPS in his French Chirurgerie writes that a Gentle-man of Sienna called BONAVENTVRE SAVELLI had assured him that a slaue and Concubine of his had seuen Children at one birthe whereof foure were baptized And in our time betwixt Sarte and Maine in the parish of Seaux neere vnto Chambellay there is a Gentlemans house called Maldemette whose wife had the first yeare shee was married two Children the second yeare three the third foure the fourth fiue and the fift yeare sixe children whereof she dyed one of these sixe children is yet liuing Seigneor of that place of Maldemette Maister AMB. PARE lib. 24. chap. 5. They haue seene often in Spaine a woman deliuered of three Children and not long since a woman had foure at a burthen It was generally reported a good while since that a great Lady was brought in bedde at Medina del Campo of seauen Children And they say that a Stationers Wife at Salamanca had nine Seeing wee treate of those Admirable Histories of many Children deliuered at one birthe I will report what AVICENNE doth witnesse in the ninth booke of Creatures of a woman who at one birth brought forth 70. Children well proportioned And ALBERT the Great writes that he hath heard for certaine of a Physition which beeing called in a certaine Towne in Germanie to visit a sicke Lady found that she had beene deliuered at one birth of 150. Children all wrapt togither in a little filme as bigge as a mans little finger all which came forth aliue with their iust proportion A. TORQVEMADO in the first daies worke of his hexameron It is admirable that a woman should haue so many Children so small and yet proportioned and aliue as wee haue seene of the Countesse of Holland and other women aboue mentioned by AVICENNE and ALBERT For the explayning of the whole I will adde that which CONSTANTIVS VAROLIVS a learned Physition at Bolonia the fatte doth write in the 4. booke of his anatomie I haue seene saith hee an abortiue frute of three weekes confusedly proportioned of the bignesse of a barley curnell where I did note the head and the brest but no armes nor thighes Moreouer I haue seene an other of sixe weekes old hauing a distinct forme of the bignes of a Bee where did appeere the eyes the nose the mouth the heart the lights the ribbes the backe the liuer the Midriffe the stomacke the reines the bowells the yard other parts the which I shewed vnto many The armes and thighes beganne to bud forth beeing very small in proportion to the rest of this little Bodie for the thighes were no bigger then a graine of mill and the armes twise as bigge I haue seene many other such aboriue fruits of the bignesse of a beane a snaile or a frog Whereas I haue alwaies found all the parts and did euer obserue that the extremities were lesse in proportion then the rest in such sort notwithstanding as the spirit quickning this masse doth fasshon and shape all the partes thereof togither but hee doth bring in successiuely the fall and perfect fynishing of the forme This our Bodie is a rich and admirable web a peece of tapistrie of high price the which should mooue vs thinke often of the contentes of the 139. Psalme CONRAD LICOSTHENES in his collection of prodigies reporting the historie of a Germaine who at two deliueries had twenty Children addes that in the territorie of MODENA an Italian called ANTONIA about forty yeares old who had beene alwaies accustomed to haue foure Children at a time or three at the least had then forty as the Bishop of Como doth testefie who writ the Historie Leauing these ancient Histories whereof wee could produce a great number wee will report some of our time A Country woman in Suisserland in the yeare 1535. had foure Sonnes at one birth the which liued some houres An other woman about Zurich had also foure Sonnes at one time the which were Christened STVMPSVIS and LICOSTHENES A Sicilian named PAMIQVE married to BERNARD BELLOVARD of Agrigentum was so fertill as at thirty birthes shee had seauentie three Children A woman of Misnia beeing foure and twentie yeares olde had nine Children at one birth whereof beeing deliuered both shee and all her Children died TH. FAZEL lib. 6. of the 1. decade of the Historie of Sicilia In the yeare 1579. there liued a woman called SALVSTâ—… fat and low the which at two lyings in had eighteene Children I. MICHEL PASCAL in his Annotations vpon the 1. booke of P. PAVL PEREDA of the cure of diseases Chapter 59. At Bolognia the fat IVLIVS SCATINARE a man that had many Children was the seauenth Childe of birth His mother was sister to the Seigneour FLORIAN de DVâ—…PHE my kinsman and I haue seene a woman in the Towne of Carpi haue fiue Sonnes at one birth CARPVS in the Anotomie Wee reade in the Annales of GENOA written by AVGVSTIN IVSTINIAN in his 5. booke that in the memorie of our Fathers BARTHOLOME the wife of IOHN BOCCANE had at one Child-birth nineteene Children euery one as big as a date hauing but a confused forme A Councellors wife at Bolognia had at her first deliuery two twinnes at the second three Children whereof one had life and foure at the third which died incontinentlie TRINCAVELLE liber 11. Chap 17. of cure of diseases In the time of the Emperor MAXIMLIAN a
into Bourdeaux and beeing possest of all without blowe stroken tooke from the Citizens by vertue of his commission all there tittles recordes and documents of their rightes and priuiledges depriued them of all their honours burnt all their priueleges caused the Court Parliament to cease disarmed all the Inhabitantes tooke downe their Belles depriued them of all their Immunities and Freedomes constrayning the principalls of the Towne to the number of a hundred and fortie to goe seeke the Bodie of the Lord of Monneins at the Carmelites and to remooue it with mourning to Saint Andrewes where it is Interred hauing first with a wax Candle lighted in their handes asked mercie of almightie GOD the King and Iustice before the lodging of the Constable L'ESTONNAC the two Brothers of SAVLX and others had their heads cut off The Marshalles Prouost with a stronge troupe ranne through the Country of Burdelois BAZADOIS and AGENOIS executing them that had caused the larum Bell to bee rung In the ende the two Colonells of the commons called TAILEMAIGNE and GALAFFRE were taken who were broken vpon the wheele beeing first crowned with a Crowne of burning Iron as a punnishment of the souerainty they had vsurpt Certaine monethes after Burdeaux was established in her former estate and after the leauying some summes of money the exactiōs that were cause of these troubles were abolished History and Annales of France vnder HENRY the second Diuers remarkable commotions happened with in this hundred yeares in diuers parts of the world you shall read GOD willing in the following volumes for this time wee present you with the precedent History as an essay of the rest Prodigious spirits IT is not long since there died one CONSTANTIA who counterfeited most sorts of voices some-times hee would singe like an Nightingale who cold not chant diuision better then hee some-time brey like an Asse some-times grumble and barke like three or foure Dogges fighting togither counterfecting him that beeing bitten by the other went crying away with a Combe in his mouth hee would counterfeit the winding of a Cornet all these things hee did so excellent well as neither the Asse nor the Dogges nor the Man that winded the Cornet had any aduantage of him I haue seene and spoken with such a one oftentimes at my owne house but aboue all that which is most admirable is that hee would speake somtimes with a voice as it were inclosed in his stomacke without opening his lippes or very little at all in such manner as if hee were neere you and called you would haue thought the voice had come from a farre and so as diuers of my friends haue beene often deceiued by him Maister PASQVIER in the fift booke of his Recherches of France There is also there recited two other examples of prodigeous Spirits which I will adde to the other The first is of one MOVLINET an ancient French Poet who reports that hee hath seene a man that sunge both the note and ditty of a songe very readily at one time The other is of a young man that came to Paris in the yeare 1445. Not aboue twentie yeares olde who knewe these are the wordes of a Notary of that time all the seauen liberall Artes by the Testimonie of all the learned Clerkes of the Vniuersitie of Paris and could play on all kinde of Instrumentes singe and sett better then any other exceeding all in Paris and there abouts in painting and limming a very expert Souldiar playing with a two hand sworde so wonderfully as none might compare with him for when hee perceiued his enemie comming hee would leape twentie or foure and twentie footes vpon him Hee was also a Maister in Artes a Doctor in Phisick a Doctor of the Ciuill and Cannon Lawe a Doctor in Diuinity And for certaine hee hath disputed with vs of the Colledge of Nauar beeing fiftie in number of the best Schollers in Paris and with more then three thousand other Schollers to all which questions asked him hee hath answered so boldly as it is a wonder for them that haue not seene him to beleeue it Hee spake Latin Greeke Hebrewe Caldey Arabique and many other tongues Hee was a Knight at armes and verily if it were possible for a man to liue an hundreth yeares without eating drinking or sleeping and continually studying yet should he not attaine to that knowledge that he had done certainlie it was a great astonishment to vs for hee knew more then in humaine reason might be comprehended Hee vnderstood the foure Doctors of the Church and to conclude not to bee parareld in the world for wisedome Behold then this prodigious spirit with some others that we haue seene in our Time amongst whom was IOHN PICVS and IOHN FRANCIS PICVS his Nephew Princes of Mirandola IVLIVS CAESAR SCALIGER and others for the most part dead some other yet liuing whom I will forbeare to name Sparkles of Fire IT hath happened in my time to a Carmelite Friar that alwayes and as oft as hee put back his hood one might see certaine sparkles of fire come from the haire of his head which continued in him for the space of thirteene yeares together Madam of Caumont if she combed her haire in the darke seemed to cast forth certaine sparkles of fire from her head SCALIGER in his excersitations against CARDAN It happened vpon a time to a certaine Preacher in Spaine that from the crowne of his head downe to his shoulders one might see a flame of fire issue which was held for a great miracle HERMOLAVS BAREARVS in the fourth Booke of his Phisickes Chap. 5. Fantastiques THere are some Nations that when they are eating they couer themselues I know a Lady yea one of the greatest who is of opinion that to chew is an vnseemly thing which much impaireth their grace and beautie and therefore by her will she neuer comes abroad with an appetite And a man that cannot endure one should see him eate and shunneth all company more when he filleth then when he emptieth In the Turkish Empire there are many who to excell the rest will not be seene when they are a feeding and who make but one meale in a weeke who mangle their faces and cutt their limmes and who neuer speake to any body who thinke to honour their nature by disnaturing themselues O fanaticall people that prize them selues by their contempt mend by their empayring what monstrous beast is this that makes himselfe a horror to himselfe whom his delights displease who tyes himselfe vnto misfortune MONTAIGNE in his third booke of Essayes Chap. 5. I cannot keepe any Register of my actions Fortune hath set them so lowe I keepe them in my fantasie I haue seene a Gentleman that did not communicate his life but by the operation of his belly One might see by him at his rising a roe of close stooles to serue for seuen or eight dayes The same MONTAIGNE Women that haue become Men. IN a place called Esquirie nine leagues
chinne was couered with a beard and at ten yeares he begot a sonne hauing at that age all the naturall and vitall faculties as perfect as a man at thirtie yeares TORQVEMADO in the first iourney of his Hexameron I haue seene in a towne in Italie called Prato about two leagues and a halfe from Florence a child new borne which had the face couered with thicke haire halfe a foote long very white soft and fine as flaxe beeing two moneths olde this beard fell off as if the face had pield by some disease The same A certaine man went throughout all Spaine shewing a sonne of his for money The childe being ten or eleuen years old had so much haire of his face which was long thicke and curled as they could not see any thing but his eies and mouth The same A young boy beeing but nine yeares olde got a nurce with child So saith IOHN FOXIVS L. DANEVS lib. 2. of his morrall Philosophy Chap. 14. A horrible Iealousie ABout the yeare 1517. a yong Cittizen of Modena very rich and not married called FRANCIS TOTTE abandoning himselfe to the pleasures of the world began to frequent the house of a Gentlewoman that was married who was named CALORE she kept open house through her husbands suffrance for dancing playing at cardes dise other entertaynments for all commers from whome she still drew some commoditie being of her selfe alluring and stately in apparrell stuffe feasts and all that belongs thereto This young Modenois who had good meanes began to frequent this entrie to hell and within a while was so drunke with the intising baites of this Curtizan as he did not cease to pursue her in that sort as from that time they concluded a mutuall and cordiall loue betwixt them They liued in this estate about three yeares that the Modenois did enioy and was enioyed of this CALORE to whom hee gaue his person and his goods more freely then hee would haue done to a lawfull wife Shee did handle him cunningly but one day as shee plaied at Chesse with a certaine gentleman it chanced that smiling shee tooke this gamester by the hand and griped it like vnto a woman of her trade FRANCISCO growes iealous at this countenance and from that time seemed discontented CALORE a licentious woman and not accustomed to be restrained began to contest and to braue him In the end disdaine growes thorough words so as shee hauing told him that shee cared not for his humors nor choller this wretched man did shut himselfe into a chamber where hauing made some notes containing a disposition of his goods and that hee would not haue any one accused for his death but himselfe hee did put them in his shooes in such sort as they must presently see them then with his girdle and his garters he made a kind of halter and leaping from a great coffer he strangled himselfe presently It was in the very house of CALORE who afterwards liued more retired At that time FRANCIS GVICHARDINE an excellent Historian of our age was Gouernor of Modena for the Pope The Historie of Italie About the yeare 1528. there chanced at Rimini a towne in Romagnia a notable Historie A certaine yong gentle-woman married to an old gentle-man forgetting her honour did prostitute her selfe villanously to a yong gentle-man of the place caled PANDOLPHO continuing their infamous course by the means of a chamber-maid that was their bawde for the space of two yeares There was in the chamber of this wretched woman a great coffer where shee did put some part of her iewels and money in the which her adulterer did hide himselfe if at any time hee were in danger to bee surprised and could not escape This coffer had a vent for aire in a secret place so as PANDOLFO continued sometimes long there It happened at the ende of this time that GODS diuine iustice began to call this Adulteresse to an account by a grieuous and incurable sickenes who finding her selfe abandoned of the Physitions was yet more in regard of her soule Her husband comming about midnight vnlooked for PANDOLFO casts himselfe into the coffer shutting it easily of himselfe Then this woman transported with some horrible spirit began after some speech to make an humble request vnto her husband making him to promise with an oath that he should not refuse her Which was that he should put into her tomb in the caue neere vnto her coffin that coffer which shee shewed him without looking himselfe or suffering any one to looke into it hauing certaine stuffe in it which shee would not haue any one to vse after her The which request the husband did graunt her Miserable PANDOLFO vnderstood these terrible words which made him to curse his owne wickednesse a thousand times and his adulteresse withall who within two houres after died without repentance or confession of her wicked sinnes beeing desirous to drawe him with her vnto death that had beene the companion of her wicked life After her death as they gaue order for her Interment some seruants and kinsfolkes would haue him leaue this coffer in the house or at the least that they should open and visit it But the husband holding the solemne promise made by him hindered the opening thereof and caused it to bee carried out shut the which after the Obsequies were made was let downe with the coffin into the Caue and a great Tombe-stone laied vpon it without morter for that it was now night and that they meant to finish all the next day Miserable PANDOLFO hearing them sing in Saint Cataldes Church made his account then to die in the coffer and in tumbling vp and downe he felt certaine bagges full of iewels but hauing no minde of golde nor siluer hee disposed himselfe to other thoughts when as GOD would giue him newe respight to haue a better care of his conscience and life than hee had formerly had A young man of the house who knewe that the deceassed had good stuffe in the Coffer and beeing couetous of such a booty found meanes to enter about ten or eleuen a clocke at night into Saint Cataldes Temple whereas the Caue and Sepulcher of the deceassed was With the help of two of his companions he lifts vp the stone and beginnes to get open the Coffer pretending to carry away a good prey PANDOLFO taking a sodaine resolution in so strange an accident doth rise and gets out of the coffer with such a noise as the rest thinking it had beene some Diuell fled away speedily PANDOLFO being come to himselfe lights a Torche and visiting the Cofer lodes himselfe with Iewels and money which hee found there and going out of the Church past by the Couent gardens vnto his owne house I leaue it to the Reader to iudge if hee had not reason to thinke of GODS helpe and to amend his life Hist of Italie Impiety punnished IN the yeare 1505. a certaine Curat of one of the Parishes of Misnia in
a keye which hee held in his hand but this folly turned sodenly into fury for hee would haue beaten vs all running vp and downe and tearing all that came in his hands being so strong in this fit as sixe able and lusty men could hardly hold him hauing applied some remedies I retyred my selfe and came the next daye to visite him beeing the last of Aprill 1538. I found him reasonable quyet but after dinner hee had so great a desire to sleepe that such as did assist him could by no meanes keepe him from it First the whot matter caused the frenzie and then the cold had his turne Beeing freed from this sound sleepe hee hegan by fits to beate his sides and continued foure houres in an extasie running like one that were possest with an euill spirit During this time he counterfetted the voyces of birds and of foure-footed beasts hee spake betwixt his teeth and had extraordinary motions so as it rather seemed a miracle then any thing proceeding of a naturall cause Hee was thus tormented twise a daye and the entry of this motion came from the flanks his greefe â—…aking him at the fayling of the body which past you would haue sayde that the young man had suffered no paine Hee would not vse any more Physicke his seruants saying that hee had beene bewitched and causing him to vse preseruatiues against witch craft the which did him no good Then they changed their opinions giuing it out that he had the Diuell in his body causing him to bee exercised but in vayne for it was a disease which is expelled by good remedies or through continuance of time As it happened that after eyght months hee recouered his health and so hath continued since BRASAVOLE in his coment vpon the 65. Aphorisme of the 5. booke of HIPPOCRATES I did lately see a man who might serue for a patterne to any one that would paint Melancholie it selfe Hauing marryed about the beginning of Iuly a lusty young Woman hee abandoned himselfe with such vehemency to the acte of Venerie as after some dayes hee fell mad I caused him to bee chayned vsing many lotions for his head to refresh his braine and to prouoke him to sleepe and with the helpe of a good dyet I restored him but not in such sort as I would haue trusted him much for his heauy eyes presaged nothing but furye IACCHIN in his Coment vppon the ninth Booke of Rasis cap. 15. There are three kindes of sharpe rauings the one is when as in the extremity of a Feauer the sicke person doth raue and speake strange things The other called frenzie is alwayes accompanied with folly for although the sicke body hath respites lesse troublesome at one time then at any other yet hee hath alwayes his vnderstanding carried away by fantasies The third is more dangerous when as the folly hath no respittes but doth all things furiously and with violence A young Gentle-woman beeing fallen into this third kinde of rauing I was called about mid-night to visite her and found her in that same fury so as shee leaped violently sometimes of one side sometimes of another and all that shee could lay holde of shee pulled in peeces or tare it with her teeth were it the hayre the armes or hands of her selfe or of any other or what-soeuer she laid hold on shee carried awaye the peece so as they were faine to chayne her that she might doe no more harme to her selfe nor to any other After some houres this tempest being some-what appeased shee fell into a sound sleepe In the ende through diuerse remedies the which shee did take with great difficultie she recouered her former health But after the manner of women especially of Gentlewomen not caring to follow those directions that were prescribed her for the preseruation of her health but liuing at pleasure a moneth after shee fell into the same disease and within 24. houres after dyed not-with-standing any meanes that could be vsed BENIVENIVS chap. 99. of his booke Intituled The hidden causes of things A man being some-what aboue thirty yeares old in the day time was very well hauing his vnderstanding good and his Iudgement perfect but night being come if hee went to bed and slept presently hee entred into a frenzie some-times he cryed out with all the force he could he flourished with his armes and his legges sometimes hee did rise leape and runne vp and downe the house if he were not stayed Being awake and day come he returned to his perfect sence managed his affaires discreetly of a setled spirit hating solitarinesse and louing to discourse with his friends and familiers DODONEVS in his obseruations DANIEL FREDERICK a maker of Kettles dwelling at Fribourg in Brisgaw of the age of 27. yeares was dangerously possest being carried ouer tops of houses where hee did clime vp and runne without any apprehension of the hazard of his life They were forced to tye him with chaines After some moneths GOD did ease him mercifully by the helpe of the great veynes which did appeare in his thighes the which being wonderfully swelled and in the end opened he was eased And since euery yeare vnto the 50. of his age which was in the yeare 1581. vsing a fit incision in the said veines he hath peuented a relapse without the which remedy he could not haue conâ—…inued in health SCHENâ—…IVS in the 240. obseruation of the first booke of his learned and diligent Annotations To the former Histories we will ioyne some touching the Licanthropes and mad-men the which wee will consider of two sorts For there be Licanthropes in whom the melancholike humor doth so rule as they imagine themselues to be transformed into Wolues This disease as AETIVS doth witnesse lib. 6. Chap. 11. and PAVLVS lib. 3. Chap. 16 with other late writers is a kinde of melancholic but very black and vehement for such as are toucht there-with goe out of their houses in Februarie counterfet Wolues in a manner in all things and all night doe nothing but runne into Church-yardes and about graues so as you shall presently discouer in them a wonderfull alteration of the braine especially in the imagination and thought which is miserably corrupted in such sort as the memorie hath some force as I haue obserued in one of these melancholike Licanthropes whom we call Wolues for he that knew mee well being one day troubled with his disease and meeting me I râ—…tired my selfe a part fearing that he should hurt me Hauing eyed me a little hee passed on being followed by a troupe of people Hee carried then vpon his shoulders the whole thigh and the legge of a dead man Beeing carefully looked vnto hee was cured of this disease Meeting mee another time hee asked mee if I had not beene afeard when as hee incountred mee in such a place which makes mee to thinke that his memorie was not hurt nor impayred in the vehemencie of his disease although his imagination were much DONAT de HAVTEMER
aboue all those that I haue seene by experience and I vsed it in the curâ—… of the aboue named Maide ANDREVV BACCIVS in his Preface to the Booke of Poisons and Counter-poysons describes the Epitaphe of a Romaine which dyed madde for that shee was not presently and speedily helpt beeing bitten in the finger by a Catte which shee puld by the tayle FRANCIS VALLERIOLA in his Commentarie vpon the Booke of HYPPOCRATES of the substance of the Arte of Physicke Chapter 20. makes mention of a Moyle of his that was madde And MATHIOLVS vpon the 36. Chapter of the sixt Booke of Discordes saith That hee had seene a madde Horse the which hauing broken all that held him hee did runne violently a certaine way where finding an old woman he tooke her vp with his teeth by her head-geare and carryed her aboue tenne paces hanging in the ayre without making of any wound In the same Chapter hee recites the Historie of BALDVS the Lawyer aboue mentioned A Portugall Marchant and foure of his houshold were hurt in one day with the Teeth and clawes of a Catte that was madde Whereof there followed terrible and pittifull accidents and in the end death AMATVS a Portugal Centur. 7. â—…ur 65. These yeares past an Italian Gardiner was at vnawares sette vpon by an olde Cocke of his hauing a sharpe Bill and his Fethers reddish the which did strike him so hard vpon the left hand as there came forth certaine droppes of bloud The same day I was called to see him and comming to him I found him writhing of his mouth there was not any helpe by Scarrifications Incisions Corseys or Applications within or without that could serue All the neighbours about him were amazed to see this poore man in his bedde hauing his face redde and his eyes sparkling and inflamed like vnto a Cocke that is hotte in fight so as the third day of his hurte the patient dyed This made mee to thinke that the Basiliscke so famous among the Ancient is our Cocke the which gaue mee occasion and manie others to make diuerse Epigrammes the sence whereof is comprehended in these two verses Another Basiliske is not this angry Cocke That biting kild his Maister with that stroke ANDREVV BACIVS in the Preface of the Booke of Poisons and Counter-poisons A young man an Italian happened to be bitten with a mad Dogge whereof hee made no account but after foure moneths hee began to growe amazed and to bee wonderfully afraide of all meate and drinke though otherwise hee had his wittes perfect so as after some dayes he dyed of hunger and thirst VIDIVS in the 2. part of his Phisicke Sect. 2. Chap. 6. There are many witnesses worthy of credit which do test fie that they haue seene in the Vrine of men that haue beene bitten with madde Dogges representations of Dogges and as it were gobbets of Dogges-flesh THOMAS 〈◊〉 VIEGA in his Commentarie vpon the 84. Chap. of the Arte of Phisicke MATHIOLVS vpon the sixt booke of DIOSCORIDES Chap. 36. writes these words AVICENNE saith that it happens some-times that those which are bitten by mad Dogs voyde with their Vrine gobbits of flesh not without great paine the which are like vnto little Dogges the which I haue also heard of some of late yea of them that said they pist of these little Dogges the which is not likely c. yet hee that will vnderstand the reasons and the witnesses that do affirme it let him read GENTILIS coment vpon AVICENNE and PETER d' APONE in the 179. Difference There shall he vnderstand how that some-times such things doe happen against the course of nature The same Author saith that hee had seene a neighbor of his a Cloth-worker who hauing bin preserued from the biting of a mad Dog for that he had beaten his woll with rods of a Tree called a Ceruice tree he grew madde and died This Tree hath some sympathiâ—… in his wood with madnesse by the report of many Physitions There remaines yet many Histories of men afflicted with this strange scourge and of the wonderfull accidents of their infirmities the which wee will reserue for another volume this pittifull Chapter of the miseries of man beeing but too long and by consequence troublesome to the reader Excellencie of Memorie MAister THEODORE ZVINGER theâ—… â—… booke of the â—… volume of his great Theater of mans life-hath gathered together the names of many both of ancient times and of ours which haue had excellent memories Among others wee must not forget a yong Scholler borne in the Isle of Corsica who repeated readily thirtie sixe thousand words of diuers sorts of diuers languages of diuers affaires strangely intermixt and confounded presently or a while after hee had heard them pronounced and did say them as easily backward or by the middest as by the beginning without stopping or studdying with a cheerefull countenance and as little moued as if hee had read in a Booke Hee sayd that hee had learned it of a Frenchman his Schoole-maister and in fewe dayes hee made FRANCIS de MOVLIN a Venetian Gentleman to learne his skill who before had the weakest memorie that might bee found The Author of the life of CHRISTOPHER LONGVEIL an eloquent man in our time reports that he had so firme and ample a memory that no time could deface that which hee had read or heard When hee was demanded by many of diuerse things whereof he had not read any thing many yeares before yet hee answered directly to euery thing as if at that instant hee had read the words and sentences in a Booke If at any time they spake vnto him of the same thing but handled by diuers Authors he spake plainely but in such sort as hee did propound distinctly and worde by worde all that the Greeke and Latin Authors Philosophers Orators Poets and Historians doe say with-out equiuocating coating the Bookes passages Chapters and Sections of euery one to the great amazement of all them that heard him SABELLICVS lib. 10. of his Examples Chap. 9. makes mention of one ANTHONIE of Rauenna who approched neere vnto the aboue named Corscican CVSPINIAN saith that the Emperour MAXIMILIAN the first had â—…o excellent a memory as if a man had once talkt vnto him seeing him againe after many yeares hee would know him and remember what hee had sayd vnto him IHON FRANCISCO reportes of his Vncle IHON PICVS Prince of Mirandola that if he heard a great number of Verses pronounced with-out any more repetition hee would say them forward and backward as they pleased There are at this day many learned men Diuines Physitions Lawyers Philosophers Mathematicians Professors in Eloquence and in the Liberall and Humaine Sciences whom I could name in great numbers which are not wanting or ignorant of any thing that is in light who discourse so redelie of ancient Authors as you would say they haue an infinite number of bookes lying open before them to whome wee cannot say nor cite any thing that
dayly happens wee see that many sick folkes haue no appetite by reason their ventricle is stuft with euill humors and they receiue lesse meate in a weeke then they did in a day when they were well But when a man of a sound bodie can but passe one or two daies without meate and not bee an hungred that exceedes the rules of nature and is a Diuine miracle Howe much more admirable is it that such a man should fast fortie daies togither in such manner that hee feeles no hunger hath no neede to resist the desire of eating nor hath any more appetite to meate or drinke then an Angell Wee beleeue that IESVS CHRIST had a bodie exceeding temperate and pure though hee were subiect to our infirmities according to the condition of his humaine natu◅e sinne excepted Wee acknowledge like-wise that MOYSES and ELIAS when they abstayned fortie da◅e togither from meate and drinke were in perfect health at that time and by a certaine prerogatiue exempted from the common life of men Wherevpon it ensueth that they are iustly esteemed for excellent miracles whereby the authority of those Prophets and of IESVS CHRIST were established Nowe it is no nouelty that the like effects should happen by the order of things which our most good and mighty GOD hath prescribed to nature and by an euident miracle against the lawes of the same nature For feauers and diuers other disseases which the Saints haue healed the Physitions doe also cure But the meanes which they vse make great difference in the case For the Saints by their worde or touch alone through the grace of GOD tooke away the causes of such effects with the necessity imposed vpon nature The Physitions do nothing but oppose vnto naturall things other like wise naturall whereby if the vertue of the remedies giuen by the Creator bee of greatest strength and that it be his will it should not bee in vaine at that time the cause which doth offend is defaced IESVS CHRIST throughly healed the inueterate course of menstruall bloud with the onely touch of the hem◅e of his garment and sayd hee felt that vertue was gone out of him for that effect but the womā touched that in faith which presented it selfe to her hand embracing the power of our Sauiour in her thought Wee by the art of Physick whereof he himselfe a mercyfull Father hauing pittie on mans condition is the true author institutor helpe our s◅lues in the like disseasses with certaine medicines So no question may an abundant phlegmatique humor naturally induce fasting as appeared in those before named which felt themselues well through the good pleasure of GOD. But besides these there are infi◅ite miracles that exceede our vnderstanding which neither humane Art nor Nature it selfe can any waie immitate Such is the curing of naturall blindnesse expelling of vncleane spirits out of humaine bodies raysing of the dead halfe rotten and such like which confirme the authority of the Almightie GOD. By this I thinke it appeares that things which are sayd to happen by a certaine Lawe of nature although but seldome reproue not true miracles nor dimynish their credit and that hee no way contradicteth the Chistian fai◅h which diligently examineth the causes of such euentes But rather is not the verity of vnfained miracles thereby confirmed the better in taking away the occasion of impostures therewithall to the ende they should not easily abuse the vnexperienced people For if any of those which liue without eating by reason of their cold intemperature and abundance of flegme should counterfeit the Prophet inspired of the euer lyuing GOD howe many thousands might hee drawe head-long into error and distruction Verily hee is impio◅s and ignorant of true nay dyuine Phylosophy which thinking of these things and considering them shall affirme it to bee wicked and irreligious to go aboute to distinguish with vnpainted reasons betweene the workes and as wee vse to say the miracles of nature and the miracles of GOD Which all good and Godly persons will freely confesse do belong to an honest religious charitable man These are Doctor IOVBERTS owne wordes whose booke was Printed at Paris the yeare 1579. It hath beene told me of a certaintie that there was a Chanon at Salamanca which went to Toledo and backe againe hauing remained there fifteene or twenty dayes without drinking any drop of Wine or Water from the time of his setting forth till his returne But that which puts me into a greater meruaile is that written by PONTANVS in his Booke of Meteors Of a man that in all his life neuer drunke a drop of any thing which LADISLAVS King of Naples vnderstanding made him drinke a little Water that greatly pained him at his stomack I haue also heard of diuers credible persons that in the Towne of Mansill not farre from the Cittie of Leon was a man liuing that vsed to be two or three moneths without drinking and neuer felt any harme or displeasure by it A. de TORQVEMADO in the first day of his Hexameron Imprinted the yeare 1582. Singular Modestie yeelding to a seuere Censure THere are few men to be found especially among them that are called learned which doe not highly esteeme their owne workes and endure reprehensions impatiently If there be any such found they deserue to be admired and imitated MARCILLIVS FICINVS a most learned Philosopher and renowmed Desciple of PLATO in our time hauing vndertaken PLATOES workes to Translate them out of Greeke into Latin cartyed his Translation vnto a very learned Man called MARCVS MVSVRVS CANDIOT to haue hi◅ aduise MVSVRVS seeing that this translation was done hastely and that it would not satesfie the expectation of many which did greatly affect it Beeing loth to haue his friend derided and to discharge himselfe of his promise hee takes a sponge and puts it into an Inck pot and so blots out all the first page of FICINVS translatiō then turning towards him hee sayd thou seest howe I haue corrected the first page if thou wilt I will do as much to the rest FICINVS without any choller answered him It is no reason that PLATO should be disgraced through my fault then he retired himselfe and hauing his second conceptions better refined he made a newe translation worthie both of the maister and the disciple ZVINGER in the 1. tome of his Theater A Mocker mockt A Certaine man remayning at Onzain neere to Amboisse being perswaded by an hostesse who committed the infamous crime of Adulterie with him to make shewe for the freeing of her husband of all future Iealousie that hee would be gelt by one called M. PETER des SERPENS Surgion at Villantrois in Berry he sent for his kins-folks and after that hee had tould them that hee neuer durst discouer his griefe vnto them hee was in the ende brought to that extremity as he was forced to take that course wherevpon he made his will And to make the better shewe of it after that he had
any into her mouthe she fell into most strange fits howling and making horrible cryes falling to the ground and beating her selfe most pittifully The which fittes continued halfe an houre and then she came to her selfe BRASAVOL in his Comment 34. vpon the 2. Booke of Hippocrates how to liue in sharpe diseases Wee haue knowne many that could not by any meanes eate any flesh Others that had rather haue tasted of poyson then to haue put any Cheese in their mouth I remember a Spaniard that had neuer eaten in all his life before any Fish what-so-euer Being one daye inuited to Supper by a friend of his they presented a Dishe of Egges in the which there was a little Fishe cunningly minced But hee felt it presentlye and had such a paine at his heart as hee presentlie fell to cast and to haue a Fluxe so vehementlie as all thought hee would haue dyed AMATVS a Portugall in his first Centurie Cure 36. I haue seene a Man in my time that could not abide neyther to eate see nor smell Ecles and if hee by chance came into any place where as any were hidden aliue hee could not possibly abide to bee there but was presently in exceeding great paine and greefe Maister WEINRICH in his Commentarie of Monsters Chapter 8. Maister AMBROSE PARE makes mention of a Noble-man in France which dâ—…d sound as hee was sitting at the Table seeing an Ecle brought in A Learned man a very friend of mine did assare mee that hee had seene in the Cittie of Andwerp a certaine man which did fall into extreame fittes if at any place where hee was inuited eyther to Dinner or Supper they had brought in a Pigge stufte if hee discouered it a farre off hee presently changed countenance and his heart beganne to faint IAMES HOSTVIS in his annotations vpon LEVINVS LEMNIVS A great Ladie beeing at dinner with an Earle hauing eaten a peece of a Cowes-vdder a meate which is verie delicate to many her lippes beganne presently to swell and to growe wonderfully great Shee confessed that she loued that meate but presently after shee had tasted it her lippes did swell in that manner whereof shee knewe no reason The same Author I haue obserued the Earle of Arnstad who did so much abhorre sallet oyle as they were forced to carry all meate out of the Chamber that was in any sort drest with it else he fell sodenly into very dangerous fits The same Author Many of our time haue not eaten any bread beeing loth-some vnto them I knowe a famâ—…lie wherof the Sonnes can eate no cheese and the Daughters will eate it with a good appetite Their Father did not eate any but hated it and their Mother did eate it P. FOREST in the annotations vpon 5. obseruation of the 4. bookes where hee treates of feauers A Peasant of a certaine village neere vnto Alâ—…mar in Holland neuer receiued any meate not drinke what-soeuer but onelie Cowes milke and yet was as lustie and helthfull as any man in those parts The same Author CONRAD HVOER a Country man in Suisserland of the village of Tornac in Turgou a good plaier of the fife as most in his time from his infancy vnto the age of three-score yeares that he died neuer tooke any other norrishment but porrige made with flower milke and Water And if to trie him they did mingle the least crumme of bread with it vnknowne to him or any other thing whatsoeuer hee did presently vomit vp all againe neither could hee swallowe any rawe milke As for other meates hee could not endure the smell of them yet hee could not possibly tast of them And for wine hee did some-times tast of it yet seldome and very little ZVINGER in the 6. booke of the 2. volume of his Theater There haue beene many that could not endure the smell of Roses Beeing at Rome I did see the Cardinall CARAFFA a famous man in his time who euery yeare in the time of Roses was forced to retier himselfe and to liue priuatly in a Pallace of his out of the way whereas he caused the gates to be shut and gards to keepe them to giue warning that his friends seruants and others that came to visit him and to receiue his commandements should not vnaduisedly carrie any Roses in their hands Among the Romaine Gentlemen there was one called PETER MELIN both learned and wise who was much impayred of his helth by the smell of Roses PIERIVS VALERIANVS liber 8. of Hierogliphiques treating of the Snayle I haue knowne a lacobine monke of a Noble house in the Citty of Venise who smelling a Rose or seeing one a farre of felt presently a fainting at his heart and would fall downe in a sowne where he remained as one dead And therefore the Physitions aduised him not to go out of his house in time of Roses for the preseruation of his helth AMATVS a Portugall Centurie 2. cure 36. Don HENRY de CARDONA Cardinall fell into a feuer when as any one presented Roses vnto him PHILIP INGRASSE a Pysition vpon the question of the diâ—…t And in our time there was a Princesse which could not by any meanes endure the smell of a Rose but did sound alwaie if any were brought into her Chamber MARTIN CROMER liber 8. of the History of Poland doth witnesse that a Bishop of Bresâ—…awe named LAVRENCE was smothered with the smell of Roses Doctor IOHN ECHT a Physition at the least smell of any sweete parfume felt a great alteration at the heart and as soone as euer he did smell a read Rose he did neeze wonderfully CRONENBOVRG lib. 10. of the method of Physick A certaine man hauing felt an alteration at his heart seeing the iuice drawne out of a sticke of Cassia beeing sicke he intreated his Phisition not to mingle the iuice in any Physick for him The Physition hauing forgotten this aduertisement prescribed him a potion in the which there was some of this Cassia The sicke man hauing taken it began to cry out I am a dead man the Cassia hath killed me ALEXANDER BENEDICT in the preface of his booke of pestilent feuers There is a whole famelie in the Towne where I dwel of the which neither Man nor Woman great nor small can endure any Diaphinicon in their Physick but all doe cast it vp againe as I haue seene by experience oftentimes MARCELLIVS DONATVS in his booke of Mechoacan BERNARD BONY of the Noble famelie of Ragouses a young gentleman of twenty yeares of age and of a collericke constitution comming vnto me to haue mee see his vrine and to be helpt by my a duice if I found any Indisposition in his bodie I found him to haue a paine in the reines of his backe a beginning of the french-poxe I therefore beganne to write and to prescribe him some Sirops to send for to the Apothecarie But hee willed me that I should make no hast for that hee did abhorre all sweete things as I did finde afterwardes as
vnto Forly where as hee past all that day in terrible discourses and agitations of the minde as euery one may coniecture Returning late and finding the doores shut he lay vpon a dunghill vntill daie-light In the morning hee enters goes and hides him-selfe in a Carpenters house where he continued sixe whole monethes Without any bookes or conference with any man He liued a good while after quite changed from what he was carelesse of the true or false religion and died miserably BARTHELM◅VVE of Bolognia in his life In the yeare 1552. ALDANA a Spaniard Lieutenant to King FERDINAND in the warre of Hongarie going to the seege of Segedin he committed FIGVEROA a Spanish Captaine to the gards of boates at the passage of a Riuer named Tisse who hauing newes of ALDANAS shamefull flight vpon a vaine feare did as his Commander and hauing left the passage he studied howe to make his retreat Soone afterwardes beeing in rage against himselfe for his error hee resolued to kill him-selfe the which his rider did hinder all hee could but FIGVEROA beeing determined to doe the deede hee intreated his ryder to staie for him vnder a tree whilest that hee went to vntrusse a pointe His man who had taken his armes from him obeyed him in the rest But beeing at his ease vnder the tree hee fell a sleepe attending his Maister FIGVEROA approching softly vnto him stoole awaie a pistoll where-with hee slue him-selfe vpon the place ASCANIVS CENTVRIVS Booke 4. of his Hi◅torie of the warre of Transiluania The Venetians hauing beene defeated at Guiaraddade by King LEVVIS the twelfth the foureteene daie of May 1509 and then spoyled of most of that which they held vpon the maine land being amazed at their Losses and fearing least the King should proceede with his victories their affaires in their owne opinions beeing reduced to the extremity the feare which they had conceiued was so violent as without any good consideration of them-selues or aduice their companies being retired to a place called Mestre lyuing at discretion without anie military discipline they resolued to quit the Seigneurie of the firme Lande that they might haue no more the Emperor King nor Pope for their enemies as before they had as also to take all occasion from the King of approching to Venise They feared some tumult also in the Cittie by the people or by the great multitude of Strangers that did inhabit there these for the desire of spoile and those because they would not endure seeing they were borne in the same C◅ttie and many of the same bloud and famely to see themselues depriued of honors and publicke charges and to be in a manner subiect to the Gentlemen in all things To increase their despaier and want of courrage this reason was yet alledged in the Senat that if they did willingly abandon and quit the Seigneury to flie the present dangers good fortune returning they should recouer it the more easily for that the people which had bin voluntarily seperated from them would make no so great resistance not to returne vnder the obedience of their ancient Lords as if they had beene deuided by a manifest rebellion By these reasons the Venetian generositie was layed vnder foote with the greatnesse of that glorious Common-weale beeing content to retaine onelie the salt Waters they sent Commissions to their Magistrates and officers that were in Padoua Verona and other Townes appointed by the atticles of the League to the Emperour MAXIMILIAN commanding them to depart presently and to leaue them in the peoples power Moreouer to the ende they might obtaine a peace of MAXIMILIAN at what price and with what conditions soeuer they sent vnto him with great speede ANTHONY IVSTINIAN for Ambassador who hauing a publicke audience hee made a pittifull oration and with great submission but it was in vaine for the Emperor refused to make any accord without the King with whome the Venetians would not by anie meanes treate This Oration you may reade at large in GVICIHARDIN the which doth shewe as appeeres by the Annotations in the margent the basenesse of man-kinde which aduersitie doth laie open and shewe what it is that is to say wretched in euery sort and that when as mans eloquence is amazed his discouses are Childish and full of importunate and insupportable fllaterie To conclude in all the Venetians submissions who yeelded themselues as it were with halters about their neckes to one that could not greatly releeue them wee see daiely the fruites of feare which subiects all polliticke States as well as priuate persons to base actions and the soueraig◅e Iudge abating the power of their seates and confounding the greatest and wisest wittes of this worlde FR. GVICHIARDIN Booke 8. Sect. 7. 8. 9. In that famous Battaile of Pauia in the yeare 1524. IOHN DIESPACH Colonell of the Suisses seeing his Battay lion charged and put to route by the Marquis of Guast generall of the Imperiall foote hauing made no fight and that neither with words nor with his sword he could make their enseignes turne againe hee was so opprest with greefe as hee resolued to haue no share in this infamous retreate Where-vpon hee runnes desperatlie among the enemies and their fighting valiantly dyed like a worthie Commaunder in the Warre P. IOVIVS in the life of the Marquis of Pescara liber 16. POMPERANT a French Gentleman seeing Auerse taken by the troupes of the Emperor CHARLES the 5. being amazed at this inconuenience lifting vp his eyes to Heauen and oppressed with extreame sorrowe he fell downe to the Earth and so died with his eyes open notwithstanding any remedies that could bee applied vnto him P. IOVIVS lib 26. of his Histories ZEANGER Sonne to SVLTAN SOLYMAN seeing vpon the ground the body of his Brother MVSTAPHA who had beene strangled with a bowe-string by the Fathers commandement in the presence of this Parricide ◅ee pulled out his poynard and after some reproches slue himselfe ASCANIVS CENTORIVS Booke 6. of the warres of Transiluania ALPHONSO ALBVGVERGVE Lieutenant for the King of Portugal at the East-Indies hauing about the yeare 1514. setled Gouernors in Malaca to administer Iustice to merchants being two noblemen of the Country the one called NINACHETVEN the other VTERIMVTA◅AIA a while after he changed his opinion and intreated NINACHETVEN to resigne his dignity to giue it to an other Noble-man that was King of Campar which is a little kingdom in those Coūtries towards the South NINACHETVEN vnderstanding that they were gone tofetch this petty King to install him in his place resolued with himselfe not to endure to bee so degraded Hee therefore caused a high Scaffold to be built supported by certaine Pillers hung with Tapistry and beautified with Flowers and store of Persumes This done hee put on a roabe of cloth of gold all couered with precious Stones being thus appointed he came into the streete and went vp the staires vnto the Scaffold There was belowe a pile of sweete Wood orderly laide and kindled
on him of fine Holland when as this Dronkard had disgested his Wine and began to awake behold there comes about his bed Pages and Groomes of the Dukes Chamber who drawe the Curteines make many courtesies and being bare-headed aske him if it please him to rise and what apparell it would please him to put on that day They bring him rich apparrell This new Monsieur amazed at such curtesie and doubting whether hee dreampt or waked suffered himselfe to be drest and led out of the Chamber There came Noble-men which saluted him with all honour and conduct him to the Masse where with great ceremonie they giue him the Booke of the Gospell and the Pixe to kisse as they did vsually vnto the Duke from the Masse they bring him backe vnto the Pallace hee washes his hands and sittes downe at the Table well furnished After dinner the great Chamberlaine commandes Cardes to be brought with a great summe of money This Duke in Imagination playes with the chiefe of the Court. Then they carrie him to walke in the Gardein and to hunt the Hare and to Hawke They bring him back vnto the Pallace where hee sups in state Candles beeing light the Musitions begin to play and the Tables taken away the Gentlemen and Gentle-women fell to dancing then they played a pleasant Comedie after which followed a Banket whereas they had presently store of Ipocras and pretious Wine with all sorts of confitures to this Prince of the new Impression so as he was drunke fell soundlie a sleepe Here-vpon the Duke commanded that hee should bee disrobed of all his riche attire Hee was put into his olde ragges and carried into the same place where he had beene found the night before where hee spent that night Being awake in the morning hee beganne to remember what had happened before hee knewe not whether it were true in deede or a dreame that had troubled his braine But in the end after many discourses hee concluds that all was but a dreame that had happened vnto him and so entertained his wife his Children and his neighbors without any other apprehension This Historie put mee in minde of that which SENECA sayth in the ende of his 59. letter to LVCILIVS No man saies he can reioyce and content himselfe if he be not nobly minded iust and temperate What then Are the wicked depriued of all ioye they are glad as the Lions that haue found their prey Being full of wine and Luxury hauing spent the night in gourmandise when as pleasures poored into this vessell of the bodie beeing to little to conteine so much beganne to foame out these miserable wretches crie with him of whome VIRGILL speakes Thou knowest how in the midest of pastimes false vaine We cast and past our latest night of paine The dissolute spend the night yea the last night in false ioyes O man this stately vsage of the aboue named ARTISAN is like vnto a dreame that passeth And his goodly day and the years of a wicked life differ nothing but in more and lesse He slept foure and twenty houres other wicked men some-times foure and twenty thousands of houres It is a little or a great dreame and nothing more A furious Vanity BERNARD SCARDEON in the 3. booke of his Historie of Padoua reportes that two Brethren of an honorable familie being one daie in Sommer at a certaine Countrie house of theirs after supper they went downe to the dore of their lodging and deuising of many things they beganne to contemplate the shyning starres being then very many as in a cleere season Then one of them beganne to say merrely I would I had as many Oxen as I see starres The other answered after the same manner and I would haue a Medowe as bigge as all the compasse of Heauen then turning to his Brother he added where would you then feede your Oxen In your Medowe replied the Brother yea if I would answered the other I in despight of you sayd he of the Oxen. In spight of mee sayd the other I replied his Brother So contesting togither their I est fell to earnest and from bitter wordes they fel to blowes and drawing their swords they thrust one an other through and fell downe in the place The seruants who had heard them lowde in wordes came running at the noyse of their swordes and carried them into the house whereas they died presently TH. ZVINGER Booke 2. of the first volume of his great Theater of mans life Wee haue an other Historie of our time related by P. IVSTINIAN in the foure and twenty Booke of his Historie of Venise no lesse tragicall then the former COSMO Duke of Florence amongest other Children had one a Cardynall called IOHN a Prince of great hope Going one daie a hunting with two other of his Bretheren FERDINAND and GARTIA beeing followed by some gentlemen their dogges start a Hare the which they hunt in a Champian field and take Herevpon the Brothers fell to some debate euery one maintayning that his Dogges had first found the Hare and then taken it From wordes they fell to iniurious tearmes The Cardynall not able to endure anie worde of disgrace gaue GARCIA a blowe of the eare who transported with choller drewe his sworde and wounded the Cardynall so sore as hee died soone after One of the Cardinalls Seruants fell vpon GARCIA and hurt him so greeuiously as hee followed his Brother within verie fewe daies after So for a matter of little or nothing Duke COSMO lost two of his Sonnes in fewe houres CAMERARIVS in his Historicall meditations Chap. 92. Some turbulent Spirits vnworthy to be named bread a quarrell betwixt GEORG and ALBERT Marquises of Brandeberg the which they did entertaine so cunningly as these two Princes Cousin-germains became open enemies one vnto an other and diuided their estates which before they had held in common making authenticall contracts GEORGE the more ancient hauing of long time obserued that ALBERT suffred himselfe to be gouerned by men that in the end would thrust him into great troubles tooke a resolution such as choller did sugiest for hearing that ALBERT was come to Neubourg without imparting it to anie one hee writ vnto him with his owne hand that seeing ALBERT did both say and doe him manie indignities hee would not therefore make warre against him nor suffer that their poore innocent subiects who were not acquainted with such quarrells should smart for it That they must ende this quarrell betwixt themselues And therefore although hee were much elder he presented the Combate to Marquis Albert wishing him if hee loued his honor to come alone on horse-backe armed like a Prince and Knight in a certaine place out of the way the which hee appointed neere vnto a forest whether he would come in the like equipage There they two without any witnesses would ende all their controuersies That with his white beard hee would incounter the red haire of ALBERT He seales vp his letters
him and had renewed all that which was the cause of age the which made him to seeme younger then hee was The Admirall was desirous to knowe the truth and found that the was as it old man had sayd The same Author That aboue written is not impossible addes TORQVEMADO seeing that in our time wee knowe a verie admirable thing of a man mentioned by FERNAND LOPES of Castagneda Historiographer to the King of Portugall in the eight booke of his Chronicle where he sayth that NONNIO de CVGNE being Viceroye at the Indies in the yeare 1536. there was a man brought vnto him as a thing worthie of admiration for that it was auerred by great proofes and sufficient testimony that hee was three hundred and fortie yeares old Hee remembred that hee had seene that Cittie wherein he dwelt vnpeopled being then when he spake one of the chiefe of all the East-Indies Hee had growne young againe fouretimes leauing his white haire and hauing newe teeth When the Viceroy did see him hee had his haire and his beard black although hee had not much And as by chance there was a Physition present the Viceroy would haue him feele this olde mans pulce the which he found as good and as strong as a young mans in the prime of his age This man was borne in the Realme of Bengala and did affirme that hee had at times neere seauen hundred wiâ—…es whereof some were dead and some hee had put away The King of Portugall aduertised of this wonder did often inquier and had yeerely newes by the fleete which came Hee liued aboue three hundred and seauentie yeares The same Castagnede addes that in the time of the same Viceroy there was also found in the Cittie of Bengala an other man a Moore or MAHVMETAN called XEQVEPIR borne in a Prouince named XEQVE who was three hundred yeares olde as hee sayd all those which did knowe him did also certefie it for that they had great presumptions and testimonies This Moore was reputed amongst them for a holie man by reason of his austernes and abstinence The Portugals did conuerse famyliarly with him and besides that the Histories of Portugall are faithfully collected and certefied by verie autenticall witnesses there were in my time both in Portugall and in Castille many witnesses which had seene these old men The same ALEX. BENEDICTVS reports in his practise that hee had seene a woman called VICTORIA who had lost all her teeth and beeing growne bald other teeth came againe at the age of eighteene yeares AMB. PARE Booke 24. Chap. 17. I haue heard Mistris DESBECK saie that shee had knowne a woman seauentie yeares olde the which in certaine monethes for some yeares had her monethly courses verie orderly In the ende comming downe into great abondance shee died Shee reported vnto mee an other memorable Historie that shee had seene and knowne an honorable woman being then a hundred and three yeares olde and soone after died who beeing a hundred and one had her monthly courses very orderly where-with shee felt her selfe wonderfully eased and as it were restored the which continued from the hundred and one yeare vntill her death which was at the age of a hundred and three The Marshalls wife of Pleatenbourck a gentlewoman of the noble famelie of Ketlercks in Wesphalia hauing past seauentie yeares returned to haue her monthly purgations very orderly and was as lustie as shee had beene long before These orderly courses continued foure yeares but in the ende they came in greater abundance then before and yet shee was helthfull vntill the age of eightie foure Shee liued yet sixe yeares and died in the ninetie yeare of her age R. SOLENANDER Booke 5. of his Physicall Obseruations Cons. 15. sect 41. 42. 43. Strange Fearefull and horrible Visions IN the liues of DION and BRVTVS in PLVTARKE wee read of horrible apparitions which appeared vnto them a little before their deaths and wee read in the Histories of Scotland in the life of King ALEXANDER the third a strange cause of a fantosme which appeared vnto him the day of his third marriage presaging his death the same yeare But omitting ancient Histories besides those that wee haue represented in the first Booke wee will adde some in this There is a Noble and ancient familie at Parma called TORTELLES hauing a Castell in the which there is a great Hall vnder the Chimney wher-of there doth sometimes appeare an ancient Woman seeming to be a 100. yeares old This signifieth that some one of the familie shall dye soone after I haue heard PAVLA BARBIANO a worthy Lady of that family report supping one night together at Belioyeuse that a young Maide of that house being sick the old Woman appeared which made all to thinke that the Maide should soone dye but the contrarie happened for the sicke Maide escaped but an other of the same family which before was in very good health dyed sodenly They say this old woman whose shadow appeares was some-times a riche Lady who for her money was slaine by her Nephews which cutte her body in peeces and cast it into the Priuies CARDAN liber 16. Chap. 93. of the diuersitie of things ANTHONY 〈◊〉 of whose despaier I haue spoken else-where the lastnight of his life being layed he imagined to see a very tall man whose head was shauen his beard hanging downe to the earth his eyes sparkling and two torches in his hands whome ANTHONY demanded what art thou who alone like a furie doest walke thus out of season when euery one doth rest Tell mee what seekest thou What doest thou pretend In saying so ANTHONY cast himselfe out of his bedde to hide him-selfe from this vision and died miserably the next day BARTLEMEVV of Bolonia in his life IAMES DONAT a rich gentleman of Venice beeing in bedde with his Wife hauing a waxe candle light in the Chamber two nurses sleeping by in a pallet with a little Childe hee did see one open the Chamber doore verie softly and an vnknowne man putting his head in at the dore DONAT riseth takes his sword causeth two great Lamps to be light goes with his Nurses into the hall where hee findes all shut where-vpon hee retiers backe to his Chamber much amazed The next daie this little Childe not full a yeare olde and who then was well died CARDAN in the same Booke and Chapter Two Italian Marchants being vpon the way to passe out of Piedmont into France did incounter a man of a far heigher stature then any other who calling them vnto him vsed this speech returne to my Brother LODOVVIK and giue him these letters which I send him They being much amazed aske what are you I am sayd he GALEAS SFORZA and so vanished sodenly They turned head towards Milan and from thence to Vigeneue where LODOVVIK was at that time They desire to speake with the Duke saying that they had letters to deliuer him from his Brother The Courtiers laugh at them and for that they