vsuall answere was that GOD did chastice him and that his mercy knew what issue his afflictions should haue which nothing hindered the assurance that he had of his eternal saluation through IESVS CHRIST At 7. yeares end he died peaceably full of the spirit of repentance faith and hope in the grace of his Sauiour on the eleuenth day of September in the yeare a thousand fiue hundreth fifty and two Not long ago sayth M. ANDREVVE HONDSDORFE we sawe an Almaigne very poore and sickly and as wretched and miserable as might be by reason of the imprecations which his Father had made against him a little before his death wyshing that all kinde of misfortune might accompany him as long as he liued A Mother hauing a very disobedient Sonne fell downe on her knees and prayed GOD that her wicked Childe might bee burnt with a secret fire This imprecation fell not to the ground for the Sonne beeing suddainly seized with that fire ouer all his body beganne to cry Mother Mother your praiers are heard and languished three dayes in vnspeakeable torments hee was consumed therewith A disobedient Sonne in the Cittie of Milan mocked his mother and made mouthes at her The Mother iustly ince◅sed with so vyllanous a pranke sayd would thou mightst make such mouthes at the gallowes It fell out not long after that this rogue beeing apprehended for theeuing was condemned to bee hanged and being on the ladder at the place of execution ready to be turned of by the hangman euery one sawe him make such mouthes as hee had made before to his Mother These Histories and infinite others such like warne Parents to shun such speeches and to reclaime their Children with good admonitions or conuenient corrections They likewise exhort Children to shew themselues humble tractable and obedient to the end they bee not confounded by the iust iudgement of GOD maintayning the rights of those which are his liuely images vpō earth In Silesia happened two memorable Histories which shew the dangerous fruite of imprecations the fauour of GOD assisting vs by the ministery of his Holy Angells against the fury of euil spirits A gentleman hauing inuyted certa◅ne of his friends prepared a sumptuous feast seeing his expectation frustrated by their excuses entred into some cholor sayd since none of them will vouchsafe to come would al the Diuills in hell were here Thervpon hee got him forth of dores and went to Church where the minister was preaching vnto whō he gaue very dilligent eare and continuing so behold certaine men came riding into his yard of tall stature and all in black which willed the gentlemans man to go and tell his maister that his guests were come They fellow exceedingly affraied ran to Church aduertised his Mr of it who very much dismayd asked Coūsell of the minister what he shold do He hauing finished his sermon willed that euery body shold voide the house It was no sooner cōmanded then performed but with hast that they made to get out they left a little Child behinde them sleeping in the Cradle Those guesse that is to say the Diuils beganne to fling the tables other things about the house to roare to looke out at the windowes in the likenes of Beares Wolues Cats terrible men holding glasses of wine dishes of meate in their pawes As the gentleman to gither with the minister and neighbors were in great feare beholding such a sight the poore Father began to cry alas where is my Child Scarce was the word out of his mouth when one of those black guests brought the Child to the windowe in his armes and shewed it to all that were in the streete The gentleman almost beside himselfe sayd to one of his men whom he made most account of alack what shal I do Sir answered his seruant I wil cōmend my life vnto GOD in whose name I wil enter the house through his fauor assistance bring you your Child Wilt thou sayd his Mr GOD be with thee strengthen thee The fellow hauing receiued the Ministers blessing went into the house cōming to the Stoue where those dreadfull guests were he fell downe on his knees commended himselfe to GOD then opened the dore sawe the Diuills in horrible formes some sitting some standing others walking some ramping against the walles but al of thē assoone as they beheld him ran vnto him crying Hoh Hoh what makest thou here The seruant sweating with feare and yet strengthned by GOD went to the fiend that held the Child and sayd vnto him Come giue me this Child No marry wil I not answered the other he is mine Go bid thy Maister come and fetch him The fellow insisting sayd I will execute the charge which GOD hath cōmitted vnto me for I know that all that I doe according there-vnto is acceptable vnto him Therfore in regard of mine office and in the name assistance vertue of IESVS CHRIST I will take this Child from thee and carry it to the father Saying so he caught hold on the Child and held it fast in his armes The black guests returned no answere but roared and cryed out Hoh sirra let alone the Child or we will teare thee all to peeces But he not respecting their menaces went safely away and presently restored the Child to the gentleman his Maister Certaine daies after all those guests vanished away and the gentleman become wiser and a better Christian returned to his house IOHN GEORGE GODELMAN Doctor of Lawe at Rostoch in his treatise of Witches and Witchcraft booke 1. Chap. 1. Another gentleman vsing to giue himselfe vnto the Diuell trauelling by night but with one man was set vpon by a companie of fiendes which would haue carryed him away The seruant beeing desirous to saue his Maister held him fast about the middle The Diuills beganne to crie Sirra let goe your hold but the fellowe persisting in his determination his Maister escaped The same In Saxony a young maid that was very riche promised mariage to a proper young man but poore He foreseeing that wealth and inconstancie of sexe might easily alter this maidens resolution freely opened his minde vnto her about it Wherevpon she made a thou◅and imprecations to the contrary and amongst others this which ensueth If euer I marry any other let the Diuill take me and carry me away on the wedding day What followed there-vpon A certaine time after the fickle wenche was betrothed to another hauing vtterly forgot the former who gently admonished her more then once of her promise and horrible imprecation She nothing regarding him made her ready to be marryed to the second but the wedding day come when euery body else was merry the bride being wakened by her conscience seemed sadder then shee vsed to bee Where-vpon two men on Horse back came and lighted at the house where the feast was kept who were presently caried vp and after dinner when they fell to dancing one of them as
Chap. 9. of his Treatise of the cure of Diseases WILLIAM of BRABANT writes in his Historie that a man of a setled iudgement was some-times so tormented with an euill spirit that at a certaine season of the yeare hee imagined himselfe to bee a rauening Wolfe running vp and downe the Woods Caues and Deserts especially after young Children More-ouer hee saith that this man was often found running in the Desarts like a man out of his wittes and that in the end by the grace of GOD hee came to himselfe againe and was cured There was also as IOB FINCEL reports in his 2. Booke of Miracles a Countri-man neere vnto Pauia in the yeare 1541. who thought himselfe to bee a Wolfe setting vpon diuers men in the fields and slew some In the end being with great difficultie taken hee did constantlye affirme that hee was a Wolfe and that there was no other difference but that Wolues were commonlie hayrie without and hee was betwixt the skinne and the flesh Some too barbarous and cruell Wolues in effect desiring to trie the truth thereof gaue him manie wounds vpon the armes and legges but knowing their owne error and the innocencie of the poore melancholie man they committed him to the Surgions to cure in whose hands hee dyed within fewe dayes after Such as are afflicted with that disease are pale their eyes are hollow and they see ill their tongue is drye they are much altered and are without much spittle in the mouth PLINIE and others write that the braine of a Beare prouokes brutish imaginations And he saith that in our time some made a Spanish Gentleman eate thereof whose phantasie was so troubled as he imagined that he was transformed it to a Beare flying into the Mountaines and desarts I. WIER lib. 4. Chap. 13. Of Diuelish deuises As for those Licanthropes which haue the imagination so impayred and hurt that besides by some particular power of Sathan they seeme Wolues and not Men to them that see them runne doing great spoile BODIN disputes very amply in his Demonomania lib. 2. Chap. 3. where he maintaines that the Diuell may change the figure of one body into another considering the great power which GOD hath giuen him in this elementarie world Hee maintaines that there be Licanthropes transformed really from Men into Wolues alledging diuers examples and Histories to that purpose In the end after many arguments hee maintaines the one and the other sort of Licanthropia And as for this represented in the end of this Chapter the conclusion of his discourse was that men are some-times changed into Beasts the humaine reason remaining whether it bee done by the power of GOD immediatly or that this power is giuen to Sathan the executioner of his will or rather of his fearefull iudgements And if we confesse saith he the truth of the holy writte in DANIEL touching the transformation of NABVCHODONOSER and of the Historie of LOTS wife changed into an immouable Piller it is certaine that the change of a Man into an Oxe or into a Stone is possible and by consequence possible into all other creatures But for that BODIN cites PEVCER touching the transformation of the Pilappiens and doth not relate plainly that which he doth obserue worthy of consideration vpon that subiect I will transcribe it as it is conteined in his learned worke intituled A Commentarie of the principall sorts of diuinations lib. 4. Cap. 9. according to the French edition In the ranke and number of Ecstatiques are put those which they call Licaons and Licanthropes which imagine themselues to bee changed into Wolues and in their forme runne vp and downe the fields falling vpon troopes of great and small Cattell teare in peeces what they incounter and goe roring vp and downe Church-yardes and Sepulchers In the forth booke of HERODOTVS there is a passage touching the Neuriens a people of Scythia who transformed them-selues into Wolues the which hee saith hee could not beleeue not with-standing any report that was made vnto him For my part I haue held it fabulous and rediculous that which hath beene often reported of this transformation of men into Wolues But I haue learned by certaine and tryed signes and by witnesses worthy of credit that they be not things altogether inuented and incredible which are spoken of such transformations which happen euery yeare twelue dayes after Christmas in Liuonia and the Countries thereabout as they haue learned by their confessions which haue beene imprisoned and tormented for such crimes Behold how they report it to be done Presently after that Christmas day is past a lame Boye goes through the Countrie and calles the Diuels slaues together being in great numbers and inioynes them to follow him If they staye any thing then presently comes a great man holding a whippe made of little chaines of Yron where-with he makes them to aduance and some-times he handles these wretches so roughly as the markes of his whippe sticke long by them and puts them that haue beene beaten to great paine Being vpon the way behold they are all as it seemes to them changed and transformed into Wolues They are thousands of them together hauing for their conductor and guide this Whippe-carrier after whom they marche imagining that they are become Wolues Beeing in the open champian Countryes they fall vppon such troupes of Cattell as they finde teare them in peeces and carrye away what they can committing many other spoiles but they are not suffered to touche nor to hurt any reasonable creature When they approche neere vnto any Riuer their guide say they deuides the water with his whippe so as they seeme to open and to leaue a drye path betwixt both to passe through At the end of twelue dayes all the troupe is dispersed and euery one returnes vnto his house hauing layde away his Wolues forme and taken that of Man againe This transformation say they is done after this manner Those which are transformed fall sodenly to the ground like vnto them that haue the Falling-sicknesse and remaine like dead men voyde of all feeling They stirre not from thence neither goe into any other place neither are they transformed into Wolues but are like vnto dead carcasses for although you shake them and rowle them vp and downe yet they make no shewe of life From thence is sprung an opinion that the soules taken out the bodyes enter into these fantosmes or visions running with the shapes of Wolues then when the worke enterprized by the Diuell is finished they returne into their bodyes which then recouer life The Licanthropes them-selues confirme this opinion confessing that the bodyes doe not leaue their humaine forme neyther yet receiue that of a Wolfe but onelie that the soules are thrust out of their prisons and flye into Wolues bodyes by whom they are carryed for a time Others haue maintained that lying in Yrons in a Dungeon they haue taken the forme of a Wolfe and haue gone to finde out their companions many dayes iourney
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
LEONARD LIRNIMAN Sonne to a Tailer of Basill being entred they knew not how into a Grotte or Caue which is not far from the towne where hee had past farther then anie other he tolde wonders at his returne Hauing carried with him a great waxe-candle that was blest and light when as he entred Going farre into the Caue hee first past an iron dore then hee went on from Chamber to Chamber vntill he found greene and stately gardins In the midest of it was a hall richely furnished and in it a verie faire Maide carrying on her head a Crowne of gold with her haire hanging downe but from the Nauel downe-ward it was an horrible Serpent Shee tooke LEONARD by the hand led him to a Cofet of iron about the which did lye two great black dogges which beganne to barke horribly against him But the Maide beganne to threaten them and causing them to bee still shee takes a great bundell of keyes which hunge about her necke opens the Cofer and drawes forth all sortes of Medaills of gold siluer and copper most of the which shee presented to this young man who shewed them after-wards to manie in Basill Hee added that this Maide sayd vnto him that shee was issued from a Royall stocke and that shee had beene monstrously transformed in that sort long since by horrible Imprecations neither did shee hope for any deliuery vntill that a chast young man who had beene neuer poluted in anie sort had kist her thrice Then shee should recouer her first forme and for a recompence shee would giue vnto the young man that should free her the Treasure conteyned in that Cofer Hee did affirme that there-vpon hee came verie neere vnto her and had kist her twise but at either of them shee made such greeuious and horrible faces as hee thought shee would deuower him or teare him in a thousand peeces Being carried by some disordred people into a Tauerne hee could neuer afterwards finde the entry nor the descent into the Caue for the which the poore wretch did often lament and weepe bitterly Euery one may see that this Maide was a Satanicall illusion And on the other side the ancient Romaine Medayles which hee brought out of this Caue and sold to diuers Bourgeses of Basill shewe that there might bee some hidden Treasure in that Caue kept by some couetous Companion of Satan as in the mines of gold the worke-men doe some-times incounter with euill spirits which torment them strangely After this young man an other borne at Basill prest with extreame necessitie in a deere yeare went into the Caue hoping to finde this Treasure for the releefe of his famelie But hauing gonne but a little way and found nothing but dead mens boanes hee was so terrefied as without looking behinde him hee speedely recouered the entrie of the Caue and returned all amazed to his house being emptie handed STVMPFIVS in the History of Suisserland In the yeare 1530. the Diuill did shewe vnto a Preest through a Cristall glasse certaine Treasures neere vnto the Citty of Nuremberg But as the Preest sought for them in a hollow place without the Citty hauing taken a friend with him to be a spectator and beginning to see a Cofer in the bottome of the Caue by the which there laie a black dogge hee entred into it where presently hee was smothred with the earth that fell on him and filled vp all the Caue I. WIER Booke 2. of Impostures Chap. 5. About eight Leagues and a halfe from the Citty of Leon in newe Spaine there is a mountaine in the toppe whereof there is a wonderfull great breach or mouth from the which it doth some-times cast such great flames of fire as in the night it may be plainly seene 25. leagues off Many haue imagined that it was some vaine of gold that was molten and entertained this fire For this cause a IACOBIN would make tryall of it causing a Chaine of Yron to bee forged with an Yron Bucket at the end of it and went to the place with foure other Spaniards Beeing there they let downe the Chaine with the Bucket the which was molten with some part of the Chaine The Iacobin returned very angrie to Leon complaines to the Smith that hee had made the Chaine much slenderer then hee had commanded The Smith makes an other much greater then the first The same being done with a Bucket proportionable vnto it the Iacobin goes the second time to the Mountaine with his companions and le ts downe the Chaine and Bucket as at the first But it succeeded as before and almost worse for sodenly there came out of this hollow place a Ball of fire so great as the Iacobin and his companions thought to haue dyed there at the least they were so amazed as they had no more list to meddle with that fire but returned much terrified vnto the Towne without euer speaking more of the Mountaine or of the Treasure I haue knowne a Priest in the same Towne who hauing acquaintance with a Spanish Treasurer had oportunitie by his meanes to send a Letter to the King of Spaine in the which hee beseeched his Maiestie to furnish him with 200. slaues to worke in this Mountaine promising to drawe forth wonderfull great Treasures The King sent him word that he should worke at his owne charge if he would as for him hee had no slaues to send him So the Mountaine remained still in that place with-out stirring or any more visiting of the Priest or of any other after him IEROSME BENZO a Milanois lib. 2. of the Historie of the New found world Chap. 16. ENCISO a Spaniard hauing with his company defeated certaine Indians which kept him from forraging of their country he entred into their chiefe Village there found store of bread fruits rootes other things to eat where-with he refresht him-selfe and his men Then they went to search along the bankes of the riuer which was neere where they found great store of stuffe Couerlets and vessell of earth and wood which they had hidden in the Reeds with about 120000. crowns in gold wrought the which COMACCO Lord of the Village had hiddē there thinking to saue it from the Spaniards hands And if certaine Indians had not discouered this treasure vnto them they had neuer found it yet they were faine to torture them to make them confesse where it was BENZO lib. 2. Chap. 2. But this treasure and all others discouered here or there in our time are but a handfull of siluer in respect of those of the Kings of Peru as well in their stately Garden where all was of gold as in their Cabinet where euery thing created or artificiall was to be seene of pure gold The ransome of ATABALIPPA amounting to aboue sixty two Millions of gold and would haue beene aboue a hundred Millions If PIZARRE had had the patience in the end the Treasures of the Temple of the Sunne the which were greater and were spoyled by
girle of foure yeares of age voide wormes aliue that were twenty ells long G. HAMBERGER professor in Physicke at Tubinge in certaine questions that were disputed of in the yeare 1574. A young Countrie-Maide foureteene yeares olde being in good helth voided a worme 14. foote long WECKERVS in his Oberseruations An other Country-woman of the age of 35. yeares being greatly troubled with wormes voided one eighteene foote long The same Author A certaine poore Coūtry-maide voided a worme at twice long and large the which was neere fiue ells long GASPAR WOLF in his Obseruations I haue some-times seene sicke persons voide of these large wormes that were forty foote long with such violence as one would haue thought they would cast vp their gutts These wormes haue no hollownes but are compounded of a kinde of white skinne thicke and slymie markt with blacke spotts and without motion They are like vnto points or bands and are ingendred in the Bowells of a rotten Iuice FELIX PLATER in his Obseruations A Padouan Barber remayning at Mantoua about Automne in the yeare 1556 after some fitts of an Ague did cast off these wormes a finger broad and seuen cubits long such as Doctor PLATER hath described MAR. DONATVS Booke 4. of his Admirable Histories Chap. 26. Doctor SCHENCK and QVENTS in their obseruations note two Histories of the like wormes of six seauen and eight Cubits long FERNELIVS Booke 6. Chap 10. of his Pathologia speakes of an other kinde of wormes called ASCARIDES which he sa◅es come out of the fundement then fasten themselues to the buttocks and thighes And Docter IOHN de IESSEN in his obseruations affirmes the same reporting that a little child of one of the chiese Councellors to the Emperor RODOIPHVS the 2. being troubled with the falling sicknesse many Phisitions being assembled togither to consult of the causes of this violent ordinary Infirmity they were much troubled to resolue IRSSEN caused it to be vnswadled visited the fundemēt where he found Ascarides Then with one common consent they applied a Corsey the cause of the disease being taken away by little and little the Child grewe to perfect helth But we must yet propound other Histories of monstrous wormes quite different from the common forme that the reader may see more and more vnto what miseries wee are all subiect through sinne and by these relations learne to humble our selues before our GOD and soueraigne Iudge A Chanoin tormented with the chollicke tooke of the confection called HIERA PIGRA and cast forth a worme like vnto a Lizard but greater hairy hauing foure feete the which was kept aliue in a violl of glasse MONTVVS Booke 4. Chap 19. In the memory of our Fathers a woman with-child at Craco◅ia in Poland was deliuered of one still borne the which had vpon the backe of it a great worme of the forme of a serpent the which did g◅awe this little creature LICOSTHENES in his Histories of Prodigies A young maiden of Louvain in Brabant 15. years old after that shee had endured much shee did voide both from aboue and beneath strange things amongst others by the seege with the excrements a worme a foote and a halfe long greater then a mans Thombe very like vnto an eele the difference was that the taile was verie hairy C. GEMMA Booke 2. Chap. 2. A. BENIVENIVS 2 Physition of Florence writes that a Carpenter called IOHN 40. yeares of age was continually troubled with a paine at his heart without any ease BENIVENIVS hauing giuen him some potion with a great quantity of matter which hee voided he cast vp a good long worme hauing a redde head round and of the bignesse of a great pease hauing the bodie all couered with soft haire a forked taile like a halfe Moone and foure feete as a Lizard AMB. PARE Booke 19. Chap. 3. A Spanish Gentlewoman returning from Peru did assure that she had beene sick many years there and could finde no helpe In the end an Indian held for a great herbalist came to see her made her drink the iuice of Veruein well purified by means wherof soone after she cast vp a worme which shee called a snake all hairy a foote long besides the taile which done shee recouered her helth MONARDVS Booke 3. of the simples of the newe found world in the Chap. of Verueine ANTHONY CAPTAINE a Phisition of Mantoua hath often told mee that a gentleman of that place called LAVRENCE ZAFFARD hauing bin trobled with a melancholike ague a loathing of meate with a paine at his heart which made him to shrike out he did vomit vp a worme the which liued seauen houres it was a foote-long hauing hornes on the head and a 100. feete on either side with the which he crept strangly it was of a reddish collour and flat MACEL DONATVS Booke 4. Chap. 26. of his Histories BONIFACE COCK of Padoua had a little Sonne which remained in a trance as one dead for the space of sixe houres FALLOPIVS a learned Physition prescribed som-thing vnto him with the helpe whereof hee recouered his spirrits and one houre after voided aboute fortie wormes amongst the which there was one blacke hairy with two heads a Cubit long which liued three daies SCHENCH Booke 3. Obseruation 21. A young girle about some nine yeares olde hauing taken the powlder of wormes did cast vp little Caterpillers a liue DODONEVS in his annotation vpon the 58. Chapter of BENIVENIVS Hauing an old woman that was sick of a Pluresie in cure shee cast forth a black Snaile hauing blacke feete long and soft hornes markt being full of filthie matter and two fingers long GESNER lib. 3. of his Epistles pag. 94. I haue seene a Worme which was no longer then the bredth of foure fingers but hauing the backe couered with a reddish haire This Worme had tormented a certaine young man so as there was no hope of life in him but in the end by meanes of a fit drinke hee did vomit vp the Worme and so escaped GABVCIN in his Comentarie of the Lungs Chap. 13. A Tayler in Languedoc not farre from Montpellier being cured of a strange Feuer in the end hee did cast vp a Worme three quarters long the which was round thick and aliue and with it much melancholike and black matter GASP. WOLFIN in his obseruations A Suisse of the Canton of zug a strong man feeling commonly some thing that did pricke him at the orifice of the stomacke being eased by some potions he did cast vp a great number of Wormes of two and three foote long The same A Maide of Briele in Holland did vomit vp a great number of Wormes and which is more a yeare after she voyded Snailes which her Mother did shew mee assuring me that shee had kept one which had liued two dayes P. FOREST lib. 18. Obseruat 19. In the yeare 1578. THIENETE CARTIER dwelling at Saint Maur a widow-woman fortie yeares olde did cast in the beginning of her fitt great abundance of
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