out of that Desart they fixed their eyes vpon three strange humane shapes of a fearefull and vnmeasurable stature in long loose gownes and habited after the manner of Mourners with blacke and grisly haire hanging ouer their shoulders but of countenance most terrible to behold Who calling and beckoning to them both with voice and gesture and they not daring to approch them they vsed such vndecent skipping and leaping with such brutish and immodest gestures that halfe dead with feare they were inforced to take them to their heeles and runne till at length they light vpon a poore countrey-mans cottage in which they were relieued and comforted Sabellicus deliuereth this discourse The father of Ludovicus Adolisius Lord of Immola not long after his decease appeared to a Secretarie of his in his journey whom he had sent vpon earnest businesse to Ferrara The Spectar or Sylvan Spirit being on horse-backe attyred like an huntsman with an Hawke vpon his fist who saluted him by his name and desired him to entreat his sonne Lodowicke to meet him in that very place the next day at the same houre to whom hee would discouer certaine things of no meane consequence which much concerned him and his estate The Secretarie returning and reuealing this to his Lord at first he would scarse giue credit to his report and jealous withall that it might be some traine laid to intrap his life he sent another in his stead to whom the same Spirit appeared in the shape aforesaid and seemed much to lament his sonnes diffidence to whom if hee had appeared in person hee would haue related strange things which threatned his estate and the means how to preuent them Yet desired him to commend him to his sonne and tel him That after two and twenty yeares one moneth and one day prefixed he should lose the gouernment of that City which he then possessed And so he vanished It happened iust at the same time which the Spectar had predicted notwithstanding his great care and prouidence That Philip Duke of Mediolanum the same night besieged the City and by the helpe of Ice it being then a great frost past the Moat and with ladders scaled the wall surprised the city and tooke Lodowicke prisoner Fincelius remembreth vnto vs That in the yeare 1532 a Nobleman of his country had commanded a countreyman a Tenant of his with whom he was much offended either to bring home to his Mannor house a mighty huge Oke which was newly felld betwixt that and Sun-set or he should forfeit his time and the next day be turned out of his cottage The poore husbandman bringeth his cart to the place but looking vpon the massie timber and finding it a thing vnpossible to be done he sits down wrings his hands and falls into great lamentation When presently appeared before him one of these Spirits in the shape of a laboring man and demanding him the cause of his sorrow he was no sooner resolued but If that be all saith the Diuell follow me and I will saue thee the forfeiture of thy Leafe Which he no sooner said but he tooke the huge Oke boughes branches and all and threw it vpon his shoulder as lightly as if it had beene a burthen of Firres or Broome and bearing it to the house cast it crosse the gate which was the common entrance into the house and there left it The Gentleman returning towards night with his friends from hawking spying the doore barricadoed commanded his seruants to remoue the tree But forcing themselues first to stir it then to hew it with axes and lastly to set it on fire and finding all to be in vaine the master of the Mannor was inforced to haue another doore cut out in the side of his house to let his Ghests in for at the backe gate hee had vowed not to enter hauing before made a rash Oath to the contrarie By the aid of these Spirits as Caspinianus giueth testimonie the Bulgarians gaue the Romans a great ouerthrow in the time of the Emperour Anastasius The like the Huns did to the French King Sigebert defeating him notwithstanding the oddes of his great and puissant Armie Of this kinde those were said to be who when the Poet Simonides was set at a great feast came like two yong men and desired to speake with him at the gate Who rising in haste from the table to know their businesse was no sooner out of the roome but the roofe of the hall fell suddenly and crushed all the rest to pieces he onely by this meanes escaping the ruin Those Spirits which the Greekes cal Paredrij are such as haunt yong men maids and pretend to be greatly in loue with them yet many times to their hurts and dammage Mengius speaketh of a Youth about sixteene yeares of age who was admitted into the Order of Saint Francis whom one of these Spirits did so assiduately haunt that hee scarce could forbeare his company one instant but visibly he appeared to him sometimes like one of the Friers belonging to the house sometimes one of the seruants and sometimes againe he would personate the Gouernour Neither was he onely seene of the Youth himselfe whom he pretended so much to loue but of diuers of the Domesticks also One time the Youth sent this Spirit with a Present of two Fishes vnto a certaine Monke who deliuered them to his own hands and brought him backe a commendatorie answer The same Mengius in the selfe same booke speaketh likewise of a faire yong Virgin that dwelt in a Noblemans house of Bonnonia and this saith he happened in the yere 1579. haunted with the like Spirit who whithersoeuer she went or came stirred not from her but attended on her as her Page or Lackey And if at any time vpon any occasion her Lord or Lady had either chid or strooke her he would reuenge that iniury done to her vpon them with some knauish tricke or other Vpon a time hee pretending to be extremely angry with her catched her by the gowne and tore it from head to heele which shee seeming to take ill at his hands hee in an instant sowed it vp so workeman-like that it was not possible to discerne in what place hee had torne it Againe she being sent downe into the cellar to draw wine he snatcht the candle out of her hand and cast it a great distance from her by which occasion much of the wine was spilt this he confest he did only to be reuenged on them who the same day before threatened her Neither could he by any exorcismes be forced to leaue her company till at length shee was persuaded to eat so often as she was forced to do the necessities of nature and thereby she was deliuered from him Another of these Paredrij haunted a Virgin of the same City who was about the age of fifteene yeares who would doe many trickes in the house sometimes merrily and as often vnhappily
Platonists call gods All those sublunary they Daemons styl'd As Apuleius in his booke compyl'd De deo Socratis makes ample mention According to his humane apprehension We know their Places and their Offices But of their Natures and their Substances Onely so far no farther we dare skan Than that they are more excellent than man Thus by the Psalmist warranted who sayes When our Nobilitie he semees to praise And what Man was before he did transgresse Thou mad'st him than the Angels little lesse Some would allow them Bodies and of them Tertullian one another Origen From Genesis The Sonnes of God 't is there Seeing Mens Daughters and how faire they were Tooke them to be their Wiues Now both agree That these no other could than Angels be Who if they married must haue Bodies those Compos'd of Forme and Matter to dispose Else how should they haue Issue And againe How are bad Sprites sensible of paine In Hells eternall torments if there faile That Substance on the which Fire may preuaile So diuers of the Fathers were of minde For in Saint Austines Comment you may finde The subtile essence of the Angels pure At first that they more fully might endure The sence of Fire was grossed in their Fall Of courser temper than th' Originall Moreouer Damascenus is thus heard Each thing created if with God compar'd Who onely incorruptible is shall finde Them Grosse and all materiall in their kinde For He alone 't is we may truly call Vnbodied and Immateriall Ambrose Lactantius and Basilius Rupertus Atlas Athanasius With Firmianus did beleeue no lesse As more at large their publique Workes expresse To these oppos'd in censure others are Who in their best of judgements not once dare Allow them Bodies but meere Spirits to bee Void of all matter and in this agree Nazianzen Gregorie Thomas Aquine Saint Chrisostome and Thomas Argentine Alexander Alexandri and Marselius Bonaventura Augustinus Niphus Hugo de S. Victore Scotus men Gen'erally approv'd and with these Damascen Who saith That in respect of God on hye His Pewer and most inserutable Qualitie They may be said to haue Bodies yet he wou'd Not haue it be so simply vnderstood But that they are not all so exquisite As mutable confin'd to place finite When as his Nature more Diuine by farre Is subiect to no Change as Angels ar ' An Infinite a Majestie so Immence No place can circumscribe his Eminence To leaue Authorities yet make this plaine Let 's see what grounds from Reason we can gaine If they haue bodies they must needs be linkt Of members as Mans is Organs distinct And like composure else they must be fram'd Confus'd and without those which we haue nam'd If Limbs and Organs consequently then They must haue Sence if Sence Passions as men And therefore capable of Perturbation So of Corruption and of Alteration As bee'ng compos'd of Contraries If we say Th' are from Corruption free t' infer that they Their bodies neuer can put off and so Into a grosse absurditie they grow To make them in worse state than Man for he Puts off all Cares with his Mortalitie But on their perpetuitie doth depend Trouble and Toiles sence which can neuer end Againe if Bodies they must either be Hard to be felt and of soliditie Or else Liquid and soft If stand vpon The last th' are signes of imperfection Subiect to be diuided and to take Strange shapes vpon them and the first forsake As to be chang'd to Water or to Aire Which doth not stand with sence for if we dare Allow them hard and sollid we' are deluded Since such from other Bodies are excluded As in dimention limited and space Because two Bodies cannot haue one place Nor can they with that quicke celeritie Moue in one Sphere then in another be 'T must likewise follow That such as are sent Downe to the Earth cannot incontinent But with much difficultie or'ecome the way First in one Heav'n then in another stay Haue time to penetrate as needs it is Now that Coelestiall Body and then this When as if Alphraganius we may trust Or Thebit Arabs both of force it must Be a great distance For these Authors write If that an Angell in his swiftest flight Should from the eighth Heauen to the Earth descend A thousand miles in threescore minutes to spend So far remote they are if truly told Six yeares six moneths his journey would him hold But now what difficult to some may'appeare To reconcile and all those doubts to cleare Ev'n as Mans wisdome being lustly way'd With Gods to be meere Foolishnesse is said Not that it is in its owne nature so And that than Brutes he doth no further know But in respect of God's so pure and holy It in that sence may be reputed Folly So th'vncorporeall Spirits Bodies claime Which if we with th' Almighties Essence name In that regard 't is palpable and grosse No better to be styl'd than Dung and Drosse Now by the Sonnes of God who beheld then The Daughters which were said to be of Men Is meant the Sonnes of Seth to make it plaine Seeing those Daughters which were come of Cain Of them tooke wiues each where he liked best Heare in a Lateran Councell what 's exprest Touching Spirituall and Corporeall Creatures Distinguisht thus The great God of all Features The sole Creator Visible and Vnseene Spirituall and those which Bodied beene Who from Times first beginning hath both fram'd Spirituall and those Corporeall nam'd By which we vnderstand Angelicall And Mundane here below He after all Did then create Man in his blest estate Both Soule and Body to participate The Phrase of Scripture doth confirme as much As oft as it doth on the Spirit touch A Substance without Body it approoues The Spirit is God saith Iohn and it behooues All such as will in worship fall before him Meerely in Spirit and in Truth t'addore him Besides Saint Luke doth witnesse One mans brest At once of a whole Legion was possest Of vncleane Spirits Which had they Bodies How Could it sufficient place to them allow To'inhabit when each Legion doth by List Of six thousand six hundred sixty six consist If there be any of Saint Gregories mind To thinke that Angels are to Place design'd All such must vnderstand it is not meant According to the limited extent Of their Angel-like Substances but rather Which from their great employments we may gather Of their owne vertues the determination In the determin'd place of operation Nor is 't of force That Angels by their Fall Should gaine a Substance more materiall On which th' infernall Fire it selfe might feed Of such a spissed Substance there 's no need Since of their lasting torments without pause The Fire is not the sole and principall cause But as an Instrument a power it hath From Gods owne hand and iust incensed wrath To the three Ternions I returne againe Linkt fast
together in a nine-fold Chaine 'Mongst whom there 's difference in Intelligence As there is in degrees of Excellence For the more Noble to the Lesser still Infuseth Knowledge by th' Almighties will The Second to the Third is like industrous And as degreed 't is more and more illustrous This Knowledge more perspicuous is and cleare In the first Chorus than it doth appeare i th' Second Third or Fourth so to the Last Of those that are o're things Terrestriall plac't This in the Prophet Zacharie's made plaine When God his People would redeeme againe From their Captiuitie in Babylon He in his Vision saw the Holy-One Reueale it vnto one of the Superiors Which he communicates to his Inferiors They to the Prophet Vnto this coheres What in Saint Austines Booke as plaine appeares As we perceiue the Moone the Stars t'out-shine And the Sunnes light more splendrous and Diuine Than the Moone 's shewes so'tis in the degrees Of those forenam'd Coelestiall Hierarchees Foure Angels as foure Vice-royes are exprest To sway the foure Windes plac'd aboue the rest All Princes and with mighty power endu'd Remarkable for that their Celsitude The East whence Eurus blowes swayes Michael The West whence Zephyre breathes guides Raphael The North whence Boreas blusters Gabriel The South whence Auster comes rules Vriel Which from th' Evangelist some Doctors ground Because 't is in th' Apocalips thus found On the foure Angles of the Earth I saw Standing foure Angels those that kept in awe The foure great Windes restraining them from blowing On Earth on Sea or any Tree then growing Some write That ouer euery Heauen or Sphere A seuerall Angell's plac'd and gouernes there The Sophists those Intelligences call The Hebrewes Cherubims whose lots thus fall Metraon doth the Primam Mobile guide Ophaniel in the Starry Heav'n reside The Sunnes Sphere Varcan the Moones lower rayes Arcan disposeth Mars his Lamach swayes Mercuries Madan Ioves Guth Venus Star Iurabatres and Saturne's seene from far Maion And all these in the height they'enioy Haue power Inferior Spirits to employ Seuen Angels as the Scriptures witnesse stand Before th' Almighty prest at his command And these by his Diuine infusion know How to dispose of all things here below As those Coelestiall who doth institute Those Seuen his Diuine Will to execute Yeares Dayes and Houres amongst them they diuide The Planets and the Stars they likewise guide The President of Sol is Raphael The Guardian of the Moone call'd Gabriel Chamuel the third Mars his bright Star protects Michael the Sphere of Mercury directs Adahiel o're Iove hath domination And Haniel of Venus gubernation Zaphiel is Saturnes Prince And of Spirits seuen Saint Iohn makes mention with their place in Heauen I saw seuen Angels stand before the Throne Of the Almighty and to euery one A seuerall Trumpet giuen c. The Rabbins they And Cabalists further proceed and say How warranted I know not That there be Twelue Potents of this Diuine Facultie Three Orientall and three Occidentall Three Septentrionall and three Meridionall Chaoz the first great Easterne Power they call Whose Prince Malthidielis and he swayes all That doth belong to Aries the next place Corona hath and Varchiel hath the grace Of that to be chiefe Regent Leo hee Hath subiect in his second Empyree Hermaus the third Adnachiel doth carry That potencie and rules the Sagittary The first Power Austral they Panthaeon stile Asmodes Prince in that doth reconcile The Signe call'd Taurus and the second Tim Hamabiel is the Prince that gouernes him In the Signe Virgo Haim is the third borne Hannuel the Prince and gouerns Capricorne The first Septentrionall Bethzan Manuel Prince And he the Signe of Cancer doth conuince The next Zonocharel by name they know Barchiel the chiefe and rules o're Scorpio Ouer the third Elisan Varchiel reignes He Pisces in his Principate containes The first of th' Occidentall Gelphor and Ambriel the Prince the Gemini they stand Beneath his sway Bleor the next his Lord Zaniel who guides the Scepter and the Sword Caphet the last Cabriel the President And o're Aquarius hath the gouernment Others there be that do not doubt to say That the foure Elements are forc'd t' obey Foure seuerall Angels Seraph reignes o're Fire Cherub the Aire and Tharsis doth aspire Ouer the Water and the Earths great Lord Ariel The Hebrew Rabbins thus accord But since of these the Scriptures make no mention Far be it that the least of mine intention Should be ro create Angels Hence it came That at a Roman Councell in the name Of Zachary then Pope one Aldebert Another Clement seeking to subuert The Church by Schismes were to the Consistorie Summon'd and there conuict of Heresie For thus they pray'd O Angell Vriel Angell Adimus Angell Raguel Angell Sabaothe Angell Michael Angell Tubuas Angell Semibel c. This in the Synod was no sooner read But they thus instantly were censured The very words of that Decree these are Of all those names most of them new and rare Of whom they invocate Michael alone An Angell we acknowledge the rest none By that and elsewhere it is manifest That other names than are to vs exprest In sacred Scriptures none ought to deuise Since from such Curiosities arise Schismes Heresies Opinions execrable Erring from Truth diuellish and damnable Nor are these darke words by these Rabbins vs'd Other than Phancies not to be excus'd Wherein some things signifi'cant are exprest Borrow'd from Naturall causes at the best For instance Seraph if we but retyre To the words force importeth nought saue Fire Cherub Aire Tharsus Water Ariel Earth And these at first had from those Doctors birth Ev'n by their owne confession If you please Thinke of the rest as hath been said of these Creaturae quaedam aeterna sunt à posteriore à priore solus Deus est aeternus Explicit Metrum Tractatus quarti Theologicall Philosphicall Poeticall Historicall Apothegmaticall Hierogriphicall and Emblematicall Obseruationsâ— touching the further illustration of the former Tractat. AS Fire cannot be long smothered but it will finde vent nor the Sunne be so eclipsed and cloudedâ— but it will soone worke it selfe into it's owne natiue glory and splendor so the Omnipotencie of the great Creator cannot be so darkened either by the stupidity of the Ignorant or the malicious obstinacie of the seeming-Wise but euen out of their voluntarie Blindnesse it will extract it 's owne Brightnesse Prophane Lucian who so generally taxed all the gods as that he was held scarcely to beleeue that there were any and therefore purchased to himselfe the Character of Blasphemus Maledicus c. yet he in one of his Coelestial Dialogues so stiled because they meerely consist of conference held amongst the vpper Deities in a discourse betwixt Maâ—s and Mercury introduceth Mars speaking of Iupiter to this purpose I will saith he If my inherent Power I'assume to me Ev'n when
be assembled he told them the whole circumstance before related Who vpon no other euidence summoned the party to make his appearance who after strict examination confessed the fact and made restitution of the Vessell For which discouery the Temple was euer after called Templum Herculis Indicis Alexander the Philosopher a man knowne to be free from all superstition reporteth of himselfe That sleeping one night hee saw his mothers funeralls solemnised being then a dayes journey distant thence and waking in great sorrow and many teares hee told this apparition to diuers of his Familiars and Friends The time being punctually obserued certaine word was brought him the next day after That at the same houre of his Dreame his mother expired Iovius reporteth That Sfortia Anno 1525 in a mornings slumber dreamed That falling into a Riuer he was in great danger of drowning and calling for succour to a man of extraordinary stature and presence such as Saint Christopher is pourtrayed who was on the farther shore he was by him sleighted and neglected This Dreame he told to his wife and seruants but no farther regarded it The same day spying a child fall into the water neere vnto the Castle Pescara thinking to saue the childe leaped into the Riuer but ouer-burthened with the weight of his Armor he was choked in the mud and so perished The like Fulgentius lib. 1. cap. 5. reporteth of Marcus Antonius Torellus Earle of Cynastall who admonished of the like danger in his sleep but contemning it the next day swimming in which exercise he much delighted though many were neere him yet he sunke in the midst of them and was drowned not any one being at that time able to helpe him Alcibiades Probus Iustine and Plutarch relate of him That a little before his death which happened by the immanitie of Tismenius and Bagâ—as sent from Critia dreamed That he was cloathed in his mistresses Petticoat or Kirtle Whose body after his murther being throwne out of the city naked and denied both buriall and couerture his Mistresse in the silence of the night stole out of the gates and couered him with her garment as well as she was able to shadow his dead Corps from the derision and scorne of his barbarous enemie No lesse strange was the Dreame of Croesus remembred by Herodotus and Valerius Max. Lib. 1. Cap. 7. Who of Atis the eldest and most excellent of his two sonnes dreamed That he saw him wounded and trans-pierced with steele And therefore with a fatherly indulgence sought to preuent all things that might haue the least reflection vpon so bad a disaster And thereupon where the youthfull Prince was before employed in the wars hee is now altogether detained at home in peace He had of his owne a rich and faire Arcenall or Armorie furnished with all manner of weapons in which hee much delighted which is shut vp and hee quite debarred both the pleasure and vse thereof His Seruants and Attendants are admitted into his presence but they are first vnarmed Yet could not all this care preuent Destiny for when a Bore of extraordinarie stature and fiercenesse had made great spoile and slaughter in the adiacent Region insomuch that the king was petitioned to take some order how he might be destroied the noble Prince by much importunitie and intercession obtained leaue of his father to haue the honour of this aduenture but with a strict imposition that he should expose his person vnto no seeming danger But whilst all the Gallantry that day assembled were intentiue on the pursuit of the Beast one Adrastus aiming his Bore-speare at him by an vnfortunate glance it turned vpon the Prince and slew him Valerius Maximus telleth vs of one Aterius Ruffus a Knight of Rome who when a great Sword-play was to be performed by the Gladiators of Syracusa dreamed the night before That one of those kinde of Fencers called Rhetiarij which vsed to bring Nets into the Theatre and by cunning cast them so to intangle their aduersaries to disable them either for offence or defence gaue him a mortal wound Which dream he told to such of his friends as fate next him It happened presently after That one of those Rhetiarij was brought by a certaine Gladiator being then Challenger into a Gallery next vnto the place where Aterius and his friends were seated as spectator Whose face hee no sooner beheld but hee started and told his Friends that hee was the man from whose hands he dream'd he had receiued his deadly wound When suddenly rising with his Friends to depart thence as not willing to tempt that Omen in thrusting hastily to get out of the throng there grew a sudden quarrell in which tumult Aterius was transpierced by the same mans sword and was taken vp dead in the place being by no euasion able to preuent his fate Cambyses King of Persia saw in a Vision his brother Smerdis sitting vpon an Imperiall Throne and his head touching the clouds And taking this as a forewarning that his brother had an aspiring purpose to supplant him and vsurpe the Crowne he wrought so far with Praxaspes a Nobleman and then the most potent in the Kingdome that by his practise he was murthered Yet did not all this avert the fate before threatned for another Smerdis a Magition and base fellow pretending to be the former Smerdis and the sonne of Cyrus after enioyed the Kingdome and Cambyses mounting his Steed was wounded with a knife in his hip or thigh of which hurt he miserably died Many Histories to the like purpose I could cite from Aristotle Plato Hippocrates Galen Pliny Socrates Diogines Laertius Themistocles Alexander Aphrodiensis Livy AElianus and others As of Ptolomeus besieging Alexandria Of Galen himselfe Lib. de venae Sectione Of two Arcadians trauelling to Megara Of Aspatia the daughter of Hermilinus Phocensis who after was the Wife of two mighty Kings Cyrus of Persia and Artaxes whose history Elianus de Varia Historia lib. 12. writeth at large As also that of Titus Atimius remembred by Cicero Lib. de Divinat 1. By Valer. Maxim Lib. 1. Cap. 7. By Livy lib. 2. By Macrâ—b Saturn 1. with infinite others To the further confirmation that there are Spirits I hold it not amisse to introduce some few Histories concerning Predictions The Emperor Nero asking counsel of the Diuell How long his empire and dominion should last Answer was returned him from that crafty and equivocating Pannurgist To beware of 64. Nero being then in youth and strength was wondrous ioyful in his heart to heare so desired a solution of his doubt and demand presuming that his principalitie should vndoubtedly continue to that prefixed yeare if not longer But soone after â—alba who was threescore and foure yeares of age being chosen to the Imperiall Purple deposed and depriued him both of his Crowne and life The like we reade of Philip King of Macedon and Father to
Che Giganti nouo fan conte sue â—raccia Vedi Hoggimai quant ' esser Dee quel tutto Ch' a Cosi fatta parte si consaccia Se fu si bellâ— come e Hora brutto E contra al suo fattore alzo le Ciglia Ben de â—a lui procedor ogni lutto G quanto parve a me gran meraviglia Quando vide tre faccie a lâ—suatesta L' una danaâ—zia quella era vermiglia De l'altre due ches ' agginuge ano a questa Sour esso almeza Di Ciascuna spalla Es ' agginuge ano al somno de la Cresta La destra mi parea trabianca gialla La sinistra al vedere era tal quali Vegnon di la onde ' l nilo s' aunalla Sotto Ciascuna vsciuan Due grand Ali Quanto si Convenina a tanto ocello Vele di Mar non vidi Mai Cotuli Non Havean penna Ma di vespertello Era lor modo quelle ni su Alzana Si che tre venti si movean de ello Quindi Cocito tutto s' Aggellava Con sei sei occhi piangena con tre menti Gocciava il pianto sanguinosa Baua In which Description he first notes the place Where this great Prince of Darkenesse shut from Grace Is now tormented namely 'a congeal'd Lake His mighty stature next which he doth make Two thousand cubits By his Crest is meant His Enuy Arrogance and proud ofâ—ent Three Faces with three sev'rall colours stain'd Import in him three Vices still maintain'd One fiery red Wrath and Exorbitation Denotes to vs with the Spleenes inflammation The pale and meagre Auarice implies From the third blacke and swarthy doth arise Vnprofitable Sloath. From the two eyes Which to each face belongs we may deuise All Appetites immod'rat In the growth Of these three Ills Ire Avarice and Sloath Two Wings two great accitements to those Sinnes Propose to vs The first of them beginnes In Turbulence and Fury from hence grow The windes of Crueltie that hourely blow Rapacitie and Gripplenesse are they That to the Misers Avarice obey The horrid blasts that hence proceed include The most vnnat'urall sin Ingratitude Sorrow with Negligence on Sloath attend Th' immoderat gusts of Hatred hence ascend Those windes of Wrath Ingratitude and Hate With fearefull stormes trouble and agitate Cocitus streames withall suppressing quite Those good and godly motions which accite Either to Faith or vnto Hope and Charity Lest any should in them claime singularity The greatnesse of his Wings improue th' elation Of his swel'd heart and proud imagination That ev'ry face hath a wide mouth and throat So much the Morall doth to vs denote That all whom such blacke sinnes contaminate His jawes and rav'nous throat ingurgitate His Teares which he did neuer yet imploy But as the Crocodile vseth to destroy Imports to vs that wretched Sinners state Whose slacke Repentance euer comes too late And so far Dante 's I must now enquire To what sphere these Refractories retyre Or in what place more seruile they remaine Who as they Knowledge more or lesse retaine Accordingly their faculties are squar'd One euill Angell takes into his gard A Kingdome he a Prouince and no more One lesser gifted hath predom'nance o're A City and some other but a Tower Some ouer one particular man hath power Some of one only Vice and limited there Nor striue they in lesse eminence t o'appeare Either subuerting Man Forts to demolish Cities subuert good Statutes to abolish T' encourage forreine or domesticke strife Than are the Angels the blest Sonnes of Life Each of them in their seuerall Place and Calling Either industrious to keepe men from Falling Preseruing Cit'adels instituting Lawes Wholsome and good or bee'ng th'immediat cause To secure Cities Countries and encrease Home and abroad happy and prosp'rous Peace Nor do the lower of bad Spirits obey Those of superior office because they Or loue them or esteeme them The cause why They yeeld themselues to such priority Is for that th' other haue more pow'r and can With greater subtiltie insidiate Man For in their Fall th' are stain'd with all impuritie From whose temptations there is no securitie Crafty they are and prone to all iniquity No place debar'd bee'ng pow'rfull in vbiquity With man they are at deadly opposition And into all his wayes make inquisition First tempt and then accuse hourely prepare By day them to intrap by night ensnare His sences they peruert his thoughts estrange From better vnto worse a fearefull change They bring Diseases Tempests Troubles Feares Not one of them but at his will appeares By transformation a blest Spirit of Light They challenge also as their proper right A Diuine pow'r And though these Daemons bee Amongst themselues at hostile enmitee Yet by conspiracie striue all they can How with vnanimous force to destroy Man Yet this worth obseruation we may reade In holy Scripture That such as mis-leade Our humane frailty haue not might a like With the good Spirits nor such force to strike As the blest Angels who the pow'r retaines To take and binde old Sathan fast in chaines One story I haue chosen out of many To shew the Diuell doth th' Almighty zany For in those great works which all wonder aske He is still present with his Anti-maske A man of Greece was with three children blest To him so deare all it could scarce be ghest Which he was most indulgent o're The first A sweet and hopefull Boy and therefore nurst Not with a common care for his estate Was great his birth did him nobilitate Two Daughters he had more the elder faire And well accomplisht but the yongest rare Not to be paralel'd for she was one Whom none was euer knowne to looke vpon But with such admiration that he said Nature surpast her selfe when she was made For all ingredients of her choice perfection Appear'd both in her feature and complexion So faire she was Three Lustres being spent And not a day but adding ornament Both to her growth and beauty now fifteene An age we cannot properly call greene Nor fully ripe not mellow scarce mature Not yet resolv'd a Virgin to endure Nor fancy Man but staggering betwixt Both agitations and her minde not fixt But sensible as being much commended How far she others of her Sex transcended Though quite sequestred from the common road Yet much delighted to be seene abroad And 'cause emergent Venus from the Seas Was said to rise her humor best to please It was her dayly custome to rise early To greet the goddesse whom she lov'd so dearly And hearing what of her the Poets sung To view the â—ome from which 't is said the sprung Stirring betimes one morning with the Cocke Pyrats had hid their ship behinde a rocke And as she tooke her pleasure on the shore Snacht her away and then with faile and oare Made speed from thence and proud of such a Peece Hurry'd her
Of Thunder Tempest Meteors Lightning Snow Chasemates Trajections of Haile Raine And so With piercing eyes he hath a deepe inspection Into the Sunne Moone Stars the true direction Of all Stars fixt or wandring Zodiacke Lines Articke and the Antarticke Poles and Signes The courses of the Heav'ns the qualities Their influence their effects and properties And as they haue a vertuall pow'r to know All our inferior bodies here below So of the Sp'rits of Glory or Perdition The Orders Offices and the Condition Briefely There is no Creature God hath made From the first Chaos but it may be said Whether it be abortiue or full growne That to the Angels nature it is knowne Since then so great and so profound 's their skill Infus'd into them by the Makers Will No wonder 't is that they such strange things can Beyond the weake capacitie of Man We onely by things sensible attaine To a small knowledge and with mighty paine And into error we may quickly fall For in it is no certaintie at all Sp'rits cannot erre and be deceiv'd as we Seeing and knowing all things perfectly In their true reall Essence which is meant Onely of Naturall things and hath extent No further For as Angels Creatures bee Th' are limited in their capacitie In all such things as on Gods Pow'r depend Or Mans Free-will their skill is at an end And vnderstand no further than reueal'd By the Creator else 't is shut and seal'd Hence comes it that the euill Angels are So oft deceiv'd when as they proudly dare To pry into Gods Counsels and make show By strange predictions future things to know This makes their words so full of craft and guile Either in doubts they cannot reconcile Or else for cettainties false things obtruding So in their Oracles the World deluding Whose answers either were so doubtfull and So intricate that none could vnderstand Or meerely toyes and lies for their words were By interpointing so dispos'd to beare A double sence and seeming truth to tell Whether or this or that way the chance fell But the good Angels they can no way erre The reason is That they themselues referre Wholly to Gods good pleasure from which Square And perfect Rule they neuer wandring are They iudge not rashly hid things they desire not And after future chances they enquire not Nor further of ought else to vnderstand Than they are limited by his command How many thousand traines hath Sathan layd By which he dayly doth fraile man inuade By entring Contract as a seeming friend Thereby to draw him to more fearefull end Of which the Fathers witnesse for one saith The Diuell with Magitions compact hath Another That all Magicke cov'nants bee Meere superstition and Idolatrie Which growes from a societie combin'd Betwixt the euill Daemons and Mankind If these were not Why should the Ciuill Law Firm'd by th' Imperiall sanction keepe in awe Such damn'd Impostors For the words thus run Many we know abstruse Arts haue begun To put in practise to disturbe the Aire Vpon the innocent Soules these likewise dare Vomit their malice and from the graues call Spirits from rest by Diabolicall And cursed Spells All such as shall rely On things preposterous and contrary To Natures course Gods people to annoy The Churches Curse them and their Arts destroy The like against these selfe-opinion'd fooles Is Articled in the Parisian Schooles Of such like Miscreants 't is in Esay said We haue strooke hands to league with Death and made Cov'nant with Hell How can Man be exempt From this Seducer he that dar'd to tempt The Sonne of God All these will I giue thee If thou wilt prostrat fall and worship mee Of these Compacts and Couenants we finde Two sorts and both blasphemous in their kinde The first When willingly we seeke inspection Into that Art and labour our direction From Magicke bookes or vse their Circles Lines Their superstitious Characters and Signes The second when without maleuolence We search into that art with no pretence Of Curiositie onely we vse it Knowledge to gaine and got not to abuse it And that is dangerous too all Such compact League with the Diuell as in word or act Breathe words vnknowne obscure inserted vainly Or such things as are holy vse prophanely As by obseruing certaine Characters Signes Figures Angles Squares Diameters c. Certaine Dayes Houres Stars Planets Constellations Graines Numbers Instruments of antique fashions And these beyond their naturall operations When Sacraments or any thing that 's holy Shall be abus'd by their ridiculous folly When Images of Wax or such like matter Are cast into a pot and boyl'd in water When certaine Numbers vnknowne Markes or Notes Writ in strange coloured paper he deuotes To superstitious vse When as to Coine Of gold or siluer or of brasse they ioyne Stamps of new Characters and this to bee When such a Planet is in such degree Such Pieces did Pasetis vse to weare What e're he bought he neuer payd too deare Who parting from the Merchant did but name The sum he payd and backe to him it came When holy Ceremonies through the Malicious Are made idolatrous and superstitious When Linnen neuer washt is vs'd and hee Must hold a Wand that 's cut from such a Tree With which he strikes the East and then the West The North or South as to his purpose best That all his Haire shaues off by night or day Thinking thereby to driue the Div'll away That takes dust from a Sepulchre to vse Or from the Graue the Deads bones to abuse Or ought besides that shall seeme retrograde To Reasons course or what 's by Nature made Further Vnto this Cov'nant doth belongâ— All such as stand in their opinions strong To meditate those fond Bookes bearing name From Ada Abelus Enoch Abraham Cyprian Albertus Magnus or Honorius Paulus with those in Magicke still held glorious Who boast ambitiously with great ostent This Art had both it's birth and ornament Either from Adams Custos Razael Or else from Tobits Keeper Raphael Another strange Booke they produce and say 'T was Salomons call'd his Clavicula These Magi by old Sathan thus misguided Another Volume in sev'n parts diuided Stuft with Spels Charmes Oblations all Confusions Of Non-sence and the Diuels meere obtrusions As a Worke learn'd and sacred still prefer To ev'ry curious yong Practitioner All these are but his subtill traines to draw Men from Gods Feare and honour of his Law For in this Art whoeuer striues t' excell He strikes a lasting Couenant with Hell And as in these so likewise in past Ages He wanted not his Astrologomages For most of this prognosticating Tribe Mettals vnto each Planet can ascribe Siluer vnto the Moone to the Sunne was Gold sacred vnto Iove Copper and Brasse To Venus white Lead vnto Saturne Blacke Iron and Steele to Mars nor doth there lacke Amber to Mercury To each of them They
shooes could water tred And neuer hasard drowning The like fame Another that Othimius had to name Behinde him left Hadingus King of Danes Mounted vpon a good Steed by the raines Th' Inchanter tooke and crosse the main sea brought him Safe whilest in vaine the hot pursuer sought him Oddo the Danish Pyrat by the aid Of the like Sp'rits whole Nauies durst inuade And with his Magicke Charmes could when he please Raise mighty stormes and drowne thâ—m in the seas At length by one of greater practise found Aiming at others Wracke himselfe was drown'd Some Authors vnto this accursed Tribe Of watry Daemons Deluges ascribe And flux of waters Such we reade were knowne Whilest Damasus was Pope when ouerthrowne Were many cities in Sicilia And By Historiographers we vnderstand The like chanc'd in Pope Alexanders dayes In Italy afflicting diuers wayes Both losse of beasts and great depopulation In Charles the fifts time by an Inundation Happend in Holland Zeeland Friseland these Had their maritime shores drown'd by the seas In Poland neere Cracovia chanc'd the same And in one yeare if we may credit Fame In Europ besides Townes and Cities then Perisht aboue fiue hundred thousand men To these belong what we call Hydromantia Gastromantia Lacomantia Pagomantia Touching the Spirits of the Earth there bee Of diuers sorts each knowne in his degree As Genij the Domesticke gods and those They Lares call Spectars Alastores Larvae Noone-Diuels Syluanes Satyrs Fawnes And they frequâ—nt the Forrests Groues and Lawnes Others th' Italians F'oletti call Paredrij there are too yet these not all Now what these Genij are Philostratus Eunapius Athenaeus Maximus With all the other Platonicks profest Them to be Sp'rits of men before deceast Who had they liv'd a good life and vnstain'd By licence of th' Infernall Pow'rs obtain'd In their owne houses to inhabit still And their posteritie to guard from ill Such they call'd Lares But all those that lead Liues wicked and debosht they being dead Wandred about the earth as Ghosts exil'd Doing all mischiefe such they Larvae stil'd And of this kinde that Spirit we may guesse Remembred in the booke of Socrates Who in the shape oâ— Moses did appeare The space togetheâ— of one compleat yeare I' th Isle of Creet persuading with the Iewes There liuing That he such a meanes would vse That if they met at a fixt day with ease He would traject them dry-foot through the seas To which they trusting by appointment meet All who that time were resident in Creet And follow their false Captaine lesse and more Ev'n to the very margent of the shore Then turning tow'rds them in a short oration Bespeakes them thus O you the chosen nation Behold as great a wonder from my hand As your fore-fathers did from Moses Wand Then with his finger points vnto a place 'Twixt them and which a Creeke ran no great space And seeming shallow All of you now fling Your selues saith he and follow me your King Into this sea swim but to yonder strand And you shall then arriue vpon a land From whence I will conduct you ev'ry man Dry-foot into a second Canaan He plungeth first they follow with one minde In hope a second Palestine to finde But hauing past their depths the rough windes blew When this Seducer straight himselfe withdrew Leaues them to ruin most of them bee'ng drown'd Some few by fish-boats sav'd he no wherâ— found With these the Spectars in some points assent Bee'ng tow'rds Mankinde alike maleuolent Whose in-nate malice nothing can asswage Authors of death depopulation strage By Origen they are Alastares nam'd By Zoroaster bloudy and vntam'd Concerning which the learned mens opinion Is That Abaddon hath of them dominion What time Iustinian did the Empire sway Many of these did shew themselues by day To sundry men both of good braine and sence After which follow'd a great Pestilence For to all such those Spectars did appeare It was a certaine signe their death drew neare King Alexander of that name the third That reign'd in Scotland if Boethius word May be beleev'd by match himselfe ally'de With England tooke Ioanna to his Bride Sister to the third Henry She bee'ng dead And issuelesse he after married Marg'ret his daughter Did on her beget Prince Alexander David Margaret These dying in their nonage and she too With sorrow as most thinke the King doth woo Iolanta the faire daughter as some say Vnto the great Earle of Campania Being as 't seemes most ardently inclin'd After his death to leaue some heire behind In the mid Reuels the first ominous night Of their espousals when the roome shone bright With lighted tapers the King and the Queene leading The curious Measures Lords and Ladies treading The selfe same straines the King looks backe by chance And spies a strange intruder fill the dance Namely a meere Anatomy quite bare His naked limbes both without flesh and haire As we decipher Death who stalks about Keeping true measure till the dance was out The King with all the rest afrighted stand The Spectar vanisht and then strict command Was giv'n to breake vp reuels each 'gan feare This Omen and presage disaster neere If any aske What did of this succeed The King soone â—fter falling from his Steed Vnhappily dy'de After whose death ensuing Was to the land sedition wracke and ruin The Syluanes Fawnes and Satyrs are the same The Greekes Paredrij call the Latines name Familiar Spirits who though in outward shew They threat no harme but seeme all good to owe Poore ambusht mankinde though their crafty Mines And snares do not appeare by ev'dent signes Yet with malicious hate they are infected And all their deeds and counsels are directed To make a faire and flatt'ring preparation Vnto the bodies death and soules damnation And of these Spirits as Macrobius saith The mount Pernassus in aboundance hath Neere to mount Hecta And Olaus writes The like appeare most frequently by nights And verbally deliuer kinde commends To men from their deceast and shipwrackt friends Vsing their helpe one Iohn Teutonicus By Acromaticke Magicke sported thus This Iohn was knowne a bastard and yet had Great fame for learning who in Halberstad Had for his worth admittance to a place Where none but the Nobilitie had grace To be in Commons yet it seemes so great Was his repute with them he sate and eat But yet with small content the yong men proud Of their high noble births much disallow'd His company and tooke it in great scorne To sit with one though learn'd yet basely borne And whether they were serv'd with flesh or fish His bastardy was sauce still in his dish But skil'd in hidden Arts I will thought he Some sudden means deuice henceforth to free My selfe from all their scoffes and taunts Hee then Inuites vnto his chamber those yong men Who most seem'd to oppose him feasts
prodigalitie was such His exhibition he exceeded much And when his money was exhausted cleane His credit flaw'd and there remain'd no meane Either to score or pawne he walks alone And fetching many a deepe suspire and grone His melanch'ly grew almost to despaire Now as we finde the Diuels ready are And prest at such occasions ev'n so than One of these Sp'rits in semblance of a man Appeares and of his sadnesse doth demand The cause Which when he seem'd to vnderstand He makes free protestation That with ease He can supply him with what Coine he please Then from his bosome drawes a Booke and it Presents the Youth and saith If all that 's writ Within these leaues thou giv'st beleefe to I Will furnish all thy wants and instantly Vpon condition thou shalt neuer looke On any page or once vnclaspe the booke The yong man 's pleas'd the contract he allowes And punctually to keepe it sweates and vowes Now saith the Spectar note and vnderstand What thou seest done Then holds in his left hand The fast-shut booke his right he casts about Then with his thumbe and finger stretched out Meaning the middle of that hand holds fast The charmed Volume speaking thus at last Natat as saliat Aurum and instantly Six hundred Crownes into his pocket fly This shew'd and done he stands himselfe aloofe Giues him the Booke and bids the Youth make proofe As he before did The same order kept The selfe same summe into his bosome leapt They part the youthfull Schollar is surpris'd With ioyes incredible and well advis'd Within himselfe thinks he How should I curse To lose this more than Fortunatus Purse Which to preuent the surest way I 'le chuse Transcribiug it lest I perchance might loose Th'originalll copy Then downe close he sits Shuts fast his dore and summons all his wits From hand to hand the Booke he moues and heaues Weighing and poising the inchanted leaues Then layes it ope But in the stead of Histories Or Poëms he spies nought saue Magicke mysteries First page by page he turnes it ouer all Saue Characters most diabolicall He nothing sees then pausing a good space His eye by chance insists vpon a place At which he wonders namely'a circle that Is fill'd with confus'd lines he knowes not what Their meaning is and from the Center riseth A Crucifix which the Crosse much disguiseth Clov'n through th' midst and quite throughout dissect Aboue an head of horrible aspect Resembling the great Diuels ougly foule Which seemes on his rash enterprise to scoule On the right side two Crosses more appeare That after a strange guise conioyned were And these are interchangeably commixt And vpon each a Caca-Damon fixt Vpon the left that part exposed wide Which modest women most desire to hide Oppos'd as ev'n as iust proportion can Was plac'd th' erected virile part of man At these much wondring and asham'd withall He feeles a sudden feare vpon him fall Which Feuer shakes him his eye 's dull and dead And a strange megrim toxicates his head Imagining behinde him one to reach Ready t' arrest him for his promise-breach He calls aloud his Tutor is by chance At hand beats ope the dore and halfe in â—â—ance He findes his Pupill and before him spies This booke of most abhorrid blasphemies And questions how it came there He tells truth Then he in stead of chiding cheares the Youth And hauing caus'd a great fire to be made Now sacrifice this cursed Booke he said The Pupill yeelds the flame about it flashes Yet scarce in a full houre 't is burnt to ashes Though it were writ in paper Thus we see Though these Familiar Spirits seeming bee Mans profest friends their loue 's but an induction Both to the Bodies and the Soules destruction Explicit Metrum Tractatus octavi Theologicall Philosphicall Poeticall Historicall Apothegmaticall Hierogliphicall and Emblematicall Obseruations touching the further illustration of the former Tractat. PRide was the first sinne and therefore the greatest It was the Fall of Angels and is that folly in Man to bring him to perdition It striueth to haue a hand in euery noble Vertue as it hath an interest in euerie detestable Vice The Valiant it swells with vain-glory the Learned with selfe-conceit Nay further it hath beene knowne That men of most submissiue spirits haue gloried That they could so far humble themselues as being proud that they haue not been more proud It hath made zealous men presume of their merit wretched men to boast of their misery Come to the Deadly sins It is Pride in the Enuious man to maligne the prosperitie of his neighbor in the Wrathfull man to triumph in the slaughter of his enemy in the Luxurious man to trick himselfe vp and glory in the spoile of his Mistresse in the Sloathfull to scorne labour and delight in his ease in the Auaritious to despise the Poore and trust in his aboundance According to that of Ovid in the fift booke of his Metamorph. Sum foelix quis enim neg at hoc foelixque manebo Hoc quoque quis dubitat tutum me copia fecit Happy I am for who can that deny And happy will remaine perpetually For who shall doubt it Plenty makes me such Bee'ng made so great that Fortune dares not touch Pride saith Isiodor est amor propriae excellentiae It is a loue of our proper excellencie Saint Augustine telleth vs That all other vices are to be feared in euill deeds but Pride is not to be trusted euen in good actions lest those things which be laudibly done and praise-worthy bee smothered and lost in too much desire of Praise Humilitie maketh men like Angels but Pride hath made Angels Diuels It is the beginning the end and cause of all other euills for it is not onely a sinne in it selfe but so great an one that no other sinne can subsist without it All other iniquities are exercised in bad deeds that they may be done but Pride in good deeds that they may be left vndone Pride saith Hieron was borne in heauen still striuing to possesse and infect the sublimest mindes and as if it coueted still to soare vp to the place from whence it fell it striues to make irruption and breake into the glory and power of men which first broke out from the glory and power of Angels that whom it found Copartners in nature it might leaue Companions in ruin From heauen it fell saith Hugo but by the suddennesse of the fall hauing forgot the way by which it fell though thither it aime it can neuer attaine All other Vices seek only to hinder those Vertues by which they are restrained and brideled as Wantonnesse Chastitie Wrath Patience and Avarice Bounty c. Pride onely aduanceth it selfe against all the Vertues of the minde and as a generall and pestiferous disease laboureth vniuersally to corrupt them Now the signes by which Pride is discouered and knowne are Loquacâ—ty and clamor in speech bitternes in silence
to this purpose and by me thus paraphrased Now of the Forrest trees all which are thine Thou Lord hast chosen to thy selfe one Vine And out of all the spacious kingdomes knowne One Piece of earth which thou dost call thine owne Of all the Sommer floures th' earth doth yeeld Pickt out one Lilly ' midst of all thy Field From all the Seas that compasse in the vast And far-spread earth one Riuer tooke thou hast Of all built Cities in thy choise affection Thou of one Sion hast made free election Of all created Fowles swift or slow flighted Thou in one onely Doue hast been delighted Of all the Cattell that the pastures keepe Thou hast appointed to thy selfe one Sheepe Out of all Nations vnder this vast Frame Cull'd one alone to call vpon thy Name And to that People thou a Law hast giv'n Which from grosse earth transcendeth them to heav'n Notwithstanding these and the many glorious Miracles visible to the eyes of their fore-fathers which were not onely deliuered vnto their posteritie by tradition but by the mouth and pen of the Holy-Ghost in the person of Moses and many other Prophets yet of their refractorie condition stiffe-necked rebellion their idolatries and vtter falling off from their powerfull and mighty Preseruer numerous nay almost infinite are the testimonies in Holy-Writ Opposit vnto Pride is that most commendable Vertue of Humilitie which Pontanus calleth the Sister of true Nobility Blessed are the Poore in Spirit saith our Sauior for theirs is the kingdom of God And Prov. 16. It is better to be humble with the Meek than to diuide the spoile with the Proud Againe saith our blessed Sauiour Suffer these little Ones to haue accesse vnto me and forbid them not for to such belong the Kingdome of Heauen For whosoeuer shall humble himself as one of these little ones he shall be great in the kingdom of heauen Againe Iudg. The prayers of the Humble and Gentle haue beene euer pleasing vnto thee And Psal. 112. Who is like the Lord our God who dwelleth in the most high place and from thence regardeth the Humble both in heaven and earth lifting the Weake from the earth and raising the Poore from the Dung-hill that he may place him with Princes And 1. Pet. 5. Be ye humbled vnder the mighty hand of God that yee may be exalted in the time of Visitation Saint Augustine de Verb. Dom. saith Discite à me non Mundum fabricare c. Learne of me not how to build the world nor create things visible or inuisible not to work miracles and raise the Dead vnto life but seeke to imitate me in my humility and lowlinesse of heart If thou thinkst in thine heart to erect a building in great sublimitie consider first the foundation which is layd in humilitie And of the same Vertue he thus proceedeth O medicine vnto vs most profitable all tumors repressing all defects supplying all superfluities rejecting all depraued things correcting What Pride can be cured but by the Humility of the Son of God What Couetousnesse healed but by the Pouerty of the Sonne of God What Wrath be appeased but by the Wisdome of the Sonne of God Againe High is the countrey but low is the way and therefore let not him that desireth to trauell thither refuse the path which leadeth vnto it In Sermon de Superbia hee vseth these words O holy and venerable Humilitie Thou causedst the Sonne of God to descend into the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary thou didst wrap him in vile and contemptible garments that he might adorne vs with the Ornaments of Vertue Thou didst circumcise him in the flesh that hee might circumcise vs in the Spirit Thou madest him to be corporeally scourged that he might deliuer vs from those scourges due vnto vs for our sinnes Thou didst crowne him with Thornes that he might crowne vs with his eternall Roses Thou madest him to be feeble and weake who was the Physition of vs all c. Greg. in Explic. 3. Psal. Poeniten saith That he which gathereth Vertues without Humilitie is like one that carrieth dust in the winde And Saint Bernard Lib. de Consider Stable and permanent is the foundation of Vertue if layd vpon Humilitie otherwise the whole building is nothing but ruin Leo in Serm. de Nativ Christ. saith In vaine are we called Christians if wee be not Imitators of Christ who therefore named himselfe the Way That the conuersation of the Master might be a president vnto the Disciple that the Seruant might chuse that humility which the Master followed who is Christ. Hugo de Claus. Animae telleth vs That in the spirituall Building the foundation below is placed in Humilitie the bredth thereof is disposed in Charitie the height thereof is erected in Good-workes it is tiled and couered by Diuine protection and perfected in the length of Patience Bernard in Vita Laurent Iustiniani compareth Humilitie to a Torrent which as in the Summer it is temperat and shallow but in the Spring and Winter inundant and raging so Humilitie in prosperitie is milde and gentle but in aduersitie bold and magnanimious Chronatus Episcop de octo Beatitud saith That as it is not possible in any ascent to attaine vnto the second step or staire before thou hast passed the first so no man can attain vnto Humilitie and gentlenesse till he be first poore in spirit Thriverus in Apothegm 200. vseth these words As the deeper a Vessell is the more it receiueth so euery man is capable of so much grace as he is before possessed of Humilitie The Hierogliphycke of this Cardinall Vertue according to Pierius Valerius Lib. 35. is a Bended Knee borrowed it seemeth from that of Horrace Ius imperiaque Phraates Caesaris accepit genibus minor A Fable to this purpose I haue read and not altogether improper to be here inserted Amongst a many tall straight faire and well growne trees there was one low crooked and not a little deformed which was hourely derided by the rest insomuch that it grew wearie both of it's place and life But not long after the Lord of the soile hauing occasion to build he caused all those goodly Timbers to be felld and laid prostrat on the earth which being soone after remoued this despised and dejected shrub as a thing held meerely vnseruiceable was left standing alone neither obscured from the comfortable beams of the Sunne nor couered from the chearefull and tempestiue showres of the Heauens At which she began to acknowledge the happinesse of her humility since that which she apprehended to be her griefe and miserie returned in the end to be the sole meanes of her preseruation and safetie Not much forrein vnto this is that counsell which Ovid gaue his Friend Trist. lib. 3. Eleg. 4. Vsibus edocto si quicquid credis Amico Vive tibi longe nomina magna vita Vive tibi quantumque potes perlustria vita Saevum praelustri fulmen ab
all at one birth c. Hector Boethius writeth That in Scotland in the County of Marr a Maid of a noble Family of great beautie but altogether auerse from mariage was found with child At which the Parents much grieued were importunat to know by whom she was vitiated To whom she ingeniously confessed That a beautifull young man had nightly conuersation and company with her but from whence he was she was altogether ignorant They though they held this answer to be but an excuse and therefore gaue smal credit vnto it yet because she told them the third night after he had appointed to lodge with her kept the houre and with swords candles and torches brake open the dores of her chamber where they might espy an hideous Monster and beyond humane capacitie terrible in the close embraces of their daughter They stand stupified feare makes them almost without motion The clamor flies abroad the neighbours come in to be spectators of the wonderment and amongst them the Parson of the parish who was a Scholler and a man of vnblemisht life and conuersation who seeing this prodigious spectacle broke out into those words of Saint Iohn the Euangelist Et Verbum Caro factum est And the Word was made Flesh which was no sooner spoke but the Diuel arose and suddenly vanished in a terrible storme carrying with him the roofe of the chamber and setting fire on the bed wherein he had lien which was in a moment burned to ashes Shee was within three dayes after deliuered of a Monster such as the Father appeared vnto them of so odible an aspect that the Midwiues caus'd it instantly to be burnt lest the infamy of the daughter might too much reflect vpon the innocencie of the Noble Parents The same Author recordeth the like wonderment in a Ship of passengers who tooke in their lading at Fortha to land in the Low-Countries which being in the middest of Sommer there grew so sudden a storme that the main-mast was split the sailes rent the Tacles torne in pieces and nothing but imminent shipwracke was expected The Pilot cries out in regard the storme was intempestiue it being then the Summer Solstice when the Seas are for the most part temperat and calme that it must needs be the worke of the Diuell When suddenly was heard a lamentable complaint of a woman passenger below the Decke confessing that all this disaster was for her sake for hauing often carnal company with the diuel he at that time was tempting her to that abhominable act which a Priest a passenger then among them hearing persuaded her to repentance and not to despaire but to call vpon God for mercy which she did with many sighes and teares when presently they might espy a cloud or darke shadow in the shape of a man to ascend from the Hold of the ship with a great sound fire smoke and stench to vanish after which the tempest ceased and they in a calme sea arriued safe at their expected Harbor From the Incubi I come to the Succubae I haue read of a French man of a Noble Family who being giuen ouer to all voluptuousnesse and walking one night somwhat late in the streets of Paris at the corner of a Lane he espied a very handsome Creature whom presently he began to court and finding her tractable they agreed that she should passe that night with him in his Lodging To which he brought her priuatly for it was a chamber which he had tooke of purpose for such retyrements To bed they go and he when he had sated himselfe sufficiently grew wearie and fell fast asleepe But in the morning when hee put his arme ouer his louing bed-fellow he found her bodie to be as cold as lead and without motion When he perceiued her to be senselesse and quite dead for with no jogging nor pinching shee did either moue or stirre he instantly rose and calling his Host and Hostesse told them what a great disaster had hapned him to his vtter disgrace and ruine They were as much perplexed as not knowing how to dispose of the dead body all of them fearing to incurre the strict censure of the Law In this their general distraction the Hostesse looking aduisedly vpon the face of the dead Coarse she first began to thinke that she had seene her before and that her countenance had beene familiar vnto her then recollecting her selfe shee seemed perfectly to know her affirming her to be a Witch who had two dayes before suffered on the Gallowes This seemed first incredible yet the present necessity inforced them to make triall whether it were so or no and therefore making enquirie where the body of the Witch was buried and not being found there it was afterwards by all circumstance proued to be the same which a Succubus had entred By the which probabilitie the Gentleman and Host escaped the imputation of murther though not the disgrace of incontinencie and Brothelrie Bonfinius and Iordanus Gothus testate that the Nation of the Hunnes came from the Incubi For say they Filmerus King of the Goths banished all the Whores and Prostitutes out of his Army into solitarie and desart places lest they should effoeminate and weaken the bodies and mindes of his souldiers To these came Diuels and had carnall societie with them from whom came the cruell and barbarous nation of the Hunnes whose manners and conditions are not onely alienate from all humanity but euen their language degenerat from all other Tougues spoken by men Neither of the Heauens nor of the Starres haue the Diuels any power because for their Pride and impious imaginations they are confined to eternall torments neither can they work any thing vpon coelestiall Bodies which are meerely simple and thereforsubiect to no alteration Of this opinion was Saint Augustine in his book against the Manichees as also in that De Agone Christi writing thus These things I haue spoken that no man may thinke the euill Spirits can haue ought to do where God hath appointed the Sunne Moone and Starres to haue their aboad To the which he addeth Neither let vs thinke that the Diuell can haue any power there from whence hee and his cursed Angels were precipitate and fallen Therefore they haue no further dominion than within the compasse of the foure Elements but beyond them to the superior heauens they cannot extend their malice Yet the antient Writers hold That they namely the fiery Spirits haue a kind of operation in thunder lightning Of which Pliny giueth an example Before the death of Augustus a flash of lightning in Rome where his statue was set vp from CAESAR tooke away the first letter C and left the rest standing The Aruspices and Sooth-sayers consulted vpon this and concluded that within an hundred dayes Augustus should change this life for AEsar in the Hetrurian tongue signifieth Deus i. God and the letter C. among the Romans stands for an hundred
therefore the hundredth day following Caesar should die and be made a god which could not happen to any man whilest he was yet liuing Cardanus speaking of fiery Spectars amongst many others relateth this story A friend of mine saith hee of approued faith and honesty trauelling one night late from Mediola to Gallerata when the Sky was full of clouds and the weather inclining to raine being within some foure miles of his journies end he saw a light and heard rhe voice as he thought of certain Cow-herds vpon his left hand and presently a hedge onely being interposed he saw a fiery Chariot couered with flames and out of it he might heare a voice crying aloud Cave cave Beware beware Being much terrified with this strange prodegie he put spurres to his horse and whether he galloped or rid softly the Chariot was stil before him He then betooke him to his orisons and supplications vnto God at length after the space of a full houre hee came to a Temple dedicate to the memorie of Saint Lawrence standing iust without the gate and there the Chariot of fire herdsmen and all sunke into the earth and was seene no more Cardanus hauing disputed something of the nature of this fire addeth That the Gallaterans suffered the same yeare not only a great plague but diuers other afflictions and disasters To these Spirits of the fire is ascribed that diuination by Pyromancie which some call Puroscopan In which superstition old pitch was cast into the fire with the invocation of certain of these Spirits Sometimes a Tead or Torch dawbed ouer with pitch was lighted and marked with certaine characters If the flame of the Tead gathered it selfe into one it was prosperous if diuided disastrous if it arose tripartite it presaged some glorious euent if it were diuersly dispersed it diuined to a sicke man death to a sound man sicknesse if it made a sparkling noise it was infortunat if it was suddenly extinct it threatned great misfortune So likewise in their sacrificing fires if the flame went streight vpward like a Pyramis it was a signe of a good omen if it diuided and dispersed of a bad There were diuers coniectures also from the colour the brightnesse the dulnesse the ascent the sparkling c. and this kinde of Magicke was frequent amongst the Liâ—uanians c. From the fiery I proceed to the Spirits of the Aire We reade in the sacred Scriptures That Sathan caused fire to fall from heauen to deuour and consume Iobs seruants and his cattell As likewise hee raised a vehement Whirle-winde and tempest which oppressed his sonnes and daughters with the house where they were then feasting with a sudden ruin Remigius telleth a story which is likewise affirmed by Delrius That a countrey-man of the prouince of Triuere setting some Plants in his garden with a yong maid his daughter the father commended her for going so neatly and quickly about her businesse The Girle telleth him that she can do stranger things than these and more stupendious The father demands What Withdraw your selfe but a little saith she and name but in what place of the garden a showre of raine shall fall and water the earth and in what not The countrey-man curious of noueltie withdrew himselfe and bad her vse her skill Shee presently made an hole in the ground into which she poured her owne water and stirring it about with a sticke murmuring certaine magicke words to her selfe presently a showre fel watering only that part of the gronnd which he had named vnto her and in the other fell not one drop of raine Gasper Spitellus writeth That some Indians haue much familiaritie with these Spirits For when they want rain one of their Magicke Priests with a shrill voice makes an acclamation That all the people shall assemble to such a mountain hauing first obserued a Fast which is to abstaine from the eating of salt pepper or any thing that is boiled That done he lowdly calls vpon the Stars and with deuout Orisons entreats of them that they would afford them seasonable showres Then they turne their eyes towards the lower grounds vpon their fields and houses taking in their hands a bowle full of charmed liquour which they receiue from the hands of a young man of their most noble families which they haue no sooner drunke but they lie intranced without sence or motion After being come to themselues they commix honey water and Maiz together and with them sprinkle the aire The next day they chuse out one of the most eminent men of their Nation both for nobilitie and age and lay him in a bed with a soft fire vnder it and when he beginnes to sweat they wipe off the moisture and put in a bason which they mingle with the bloud of a Goose and sprinkling it again into the aire as if they meant it should touch the clouds they then solicit the Starres againe That by the vertue of the old mans sweat the bloud of the goose and the water before mixed they may haue seasonable and temperat showres Which if they haue according to their desires they giue great thanks to the Starres and Planets and the Priest from the people is rewarded with rich gifts and presents Hieronimus Mengius writeth That a certaine Magition in a field adjacent to the tower or citadell of Bonnonia shewed two famous Generals Iohannes Bentivolus and Robertus Sanseverinus a spectacle in the aire in which was heard such a noise of drummes clangor of trumpets clamor of men neighing of horses and clashing of arms that the Spectators were afraid lest the heauen and the earth would haue met at the instant but in all the inuironing grounds saue onely in that place the aire was vntroubled Diodorus Siculus reporteth also That in the Syrtes of Lybia the Spirits of the aire are oftentimes visible in the shape of diuers birds and beasts some mouing some without motion some running some flying others in other strange postures But which is most miraculous sometimes they will come behinde men as they are trauelling leape vp and sit vpon their shoulders who may feele them to be much colder than eitheâ— snow or ice Olaus Magnus in his Historie remembreth That these airy Spirits haue such a predominance in the Circium sea they continually do so exasperat shake and trouble it that scarfe any ship can saile that way without wracke and foundring In the Isle called Island vnder the dominion of the King of Denmarke there is a port called Vestrabor not far from which men are vsually taken and wrapt vp in whirl-winds by the power of these Spirits are hurried many furlongs off Likewise in the Westerne parts of Norway these spirits with their noxious and blasting touch cause that neither grasse nor trees burgeon or beare fruit Likewise vpon the Bothnian continent the roofes are vsually blowne off from
their houses and carried a great distance off And in the fields of Bonaventum and Narbon as Procopius writes men armed wagons laden or whatsoeuer comes in the way are snatched vp into the aire and whirled about like a feather and after let fal vpon the earth not onely bruised but broken to pieces So that they doe not onely vncouer houses demolish buildings ruin turrets and towers blow vp trees by the roots snatch vp men in whirl-winds and prostrat whatsoeuer standeth before them but as Vincentius witnesseth they teare vp cities from their foundations somtimes and strew the fields adjacent with their ruins In the Councell of Basill certaine learned men taking their journey through a forrest one of these Spirits in the shape of a Nightingall vttered such melodious tones and accents that they were all amased and stayed their steps to sit downe and heare it At length one of them apprehending that it was not possible that such rarietie of musicke could be in a bird the like of which hee had neuer heard demanded of it in the name of God what or who it was The Bird presently answered I am the Soule of one that is damned and am enioyned to sing thus till the last day of the great Iudgement Which said with a terrible shrieke which amased them all she flew away and soone vanished The euent was That all that heard those Syrenicall notes presently fel into grieuous sicknesses and soone after died Of this sort of Spirits was that no doubt of which Aventinus witnesseth Bruno the Bishop of Herbipolitanum sailing in the riuer of Danubius with Henry the third then Emperour being not far from a place which the Germanes call â—en Strudel or the deuouring Gulfe which is neere vnto Grinon a castle in Austria a Spirit was heard clamouring aloud Ho ho Bishop Bruno whether art thou trauelling but dispose of thy selfe how thou pleasest thou shalt be my prey and spoile At the hearing of these words they were all stupified and the Bishop with the rest crost and blest themselues The issue was That within a short time after the Bishop feasting with the Emperor in a Castle belonging to the Countesse of Esburch a rafreâ— fell from the roofe of the chamber wherein they sate and strooke him dead at the table Of the Watry Spirits next and of them some briefe stories The manner how the Duke of Venice yearely marrieth the Ocean with a Ring and the originall thereof though it haue nothing in it belonging vnto magicke yet will it not much mis-become this place therefore I begin first with that The Duke in the Feast of Christs Ascention commeth to a place named Bucentaur without the two Apostle gates â—eituate at the entrance of the Gulfe and casteth a rich Ring into the sea which is no argument of superstition or inchantment but onely a symbole or emblem of Domination and Rule which by this earnest the Senat of Venice makes a contract with the Ocean The ground and first beginning of this ceremonie came from Pope Alex. the third whom Otho the soone of Fredericke AEnâ—barbus so persecuted that he was forced to fly and to shelter himselfe in Venice in the Monasterie of Saint Charitie where he liued for a time secretly and vnknowne But after notice being giuen to the Venetians what and who he was they brâ—ught him thence with great honour and obseruance He also found both their land and sea Forces ready for the seruice of him and the Churchâ— insomuch that in a great Naâ—all conâ—â—ict Otho was by the Venetians taken prisoner and presented as a Vassall to the Pope For which the Pope tooke a Ring from his finger and gaue it to Sâ—hastianus Zianus General for the Fleet speaking thus By vertue of my authority whilst thou keepest this Ring thou shalt be Lord and Husband of the Ocean and annually thou and thy posterity on this day in which thou hast obtained so glorious a victorie for the Church shalt espouse the Sea that all men may know that the dominion of the Sea is granted vnto thee because thou hast so prosperously vndertooke the study care and defence of the Sea Apostolique And be this a presage of thy benediction and thy happy successe in the future for euer Thus Villamontinus sets it downe Lib. 1. Peregrinat cap. 34. And Sabel Dec. 1. lib. 7. out of whom the former Author extracted it This following Historie you may reede in Olaus Magnus Hotherus King of Suetia and Dacia being hunting and by reason of a thicke dampish fog wandred or strayed from his company hee hapned vpon a Syluan den or caue which entring he espied three faire and beautifull Virgins who wiâ—hout blaming his intrusion called him by his name and â—ad him welcome doing him that obeysance and obseruance which his state required At which he wondring courteously demanded of them what they were To whom one replied That they were Virgins into whose power all the Auspices and euents of war were giuen and they had abilitie to dispose of them at their pleasure and that they were present in all conflicts and battels though vnseene to conferre vpon their friends honour and victorie and to punish their enemies with disgrace and ouerthrow Exhorting him withall that as he tendered their fauours hee should by no meanes trouble Balderus with war who by his genealogie might claim allyance with the gods Which words were no sooner deliuered but the den and they disappeared together and he was left aloâ—â— in the open aire without any couering Blame him not to be much amased at this so vnexpected and sudden a prodigie notwithstanding after some recollection he winding his â—orne his seruants came about him by whom he was conducted to the Court not reuealing this Vision to any Some few yeares after being vexed and prosecuted with sharpe and vnsuccessefull war he was forced to wander thorow forrests groues and thickets and seeke out by wayes and make vntrodden paths the better to secure himselfe At length he light vpon another remote and desolaâ— Vault where sate three Virgins who notwithstanding vpon better aduisement he presumed to be the same who at their last departure scattered a garment which he tooke vp and found by experience that all the time he wore it his body was invulnerable They demand of him the cause of his comming thither He presently complains vnto them of his infortunat euents in warre adding withall That all things had hapned vnto him aduerse to their promise To whom they answered That he accused them vniustly for though hee seldome returned an absolute Victor yet in all his enterprises he did as much dammage and made as great slaughter on his Enemies as he had receiued strage or execution from them and bad him not to dispaire for if hee could by any exploit or stratagem preuent the Enemie of any one dish of meat which was prouided for his dyet and table hee should without question in
ibid. The Golden World 275. The concordance betwixt the Dominations and Iupiter ibid. Of the Vertues with Mars 276. The maleuolent aspect of Mars 277. Of the Potestates with the Sunne 278. Of Starres that receiue names from the Sun ibid. The Trinitie in Vnitie figured in the Sunne 279. Concord betwixt the Principats and Venus ibid. The Arch Angels and Mercury 280 Betwixt the Angels and the Moone 281. The Premisses illustrated 282. Three Religions most profest 283. What the Iewes say for themselues 284. Wherein the Mahumetan opposeth the Christian ibid. Mahomets imposterous Miracles Saints and Reliques 285. The Creation of things according to Mahomet and of his Paradise 286. The first Sow according to Mahomet and why Sowes flesh is not eaten in Paradise 287. The first Mouse the first Caâ— and the joyes of Heauen according to Mahomeâ— 288. His palpable and absurd ignorance with his opinion of Angels 289. Aridiculous tale in Mahomets Alcaron 290. Of the Priscillians and Manichees exploded Heretiques 291. Wherein blessednesse consisteth according to the Manichees 292. Of Truth 293. The Philosophers and Fathers of Truth 294. The Poets of Truth 295. An exceâ—lent discourse of Cardinall Pascalis of Truth 296. Truth constant and subiect to no change 297. Religion grounded vpon Truth 298. Religion defined against those that make it a cloake for hipocrisie 299. Three opinions concerning Christ 300. Iosephus Pontius Pilat c witnesses of Christ 301. An Epistle of Pliny to Trajan the Emperor concerning Christians 302. Diuers Ethnieke Princes who fauored the Christians 303. Caesar Maximinus his oration concerning Christians And of Cublay Emperour of Tartaria 304. What a Miracle is 306. Wonders in Nature 307. Of Christs Miracles 308. Origen Greg. Chrisost. c. of the Virgin Mary 309. Christ miraculous in his birth life doctrine and death 310 c. Twelue grieuous sufferings of Christ 315. Of the great Eclipse at his death 316. The life and death of Mahomet 319 c. Beza his Epigram of Religion 322. Pope Greg. of Christs death 323. An Emblem 324. A Meditation 327. THE CONTENTS OF THE SIXTH TRACTAT A Discourse of the Heart of man 331. The inconstancie of Mans Heart 332. How many wayes the Heart of man is insidiated ibid. How it may be reconciled to the Creator 333. Sundry opinions concerning the creation of Angels 334. Angels created with the Light 335. Lucifers glory in his Creation 336. He is figured in Tyrus 337. The creation of Man the Soule the Body and what Man is 338. The Incarnation of Christ reuealed to the Angels 339. Lucifers Rebellion the cause thereof The Battell betwixt Michael and the Diuell 340. The Fall of Angels and the weapons vsed in the Battell 341. How long Lucifer remained in Glory 342. The power he hath since his Fall ibid. The Fall of Adam his offence and punishment 343. Of Hell according to the Poets Tibullus 344. Virgil Seneca Valer. Flacchus Lucretius c. 345. Of Hell according to the Scriptures and Fathers 346. The torments of Hell 347. The seuerall denominations of Hell ibid. Lucians Dialogue called Nycio Manteia i. an Answer from the Dead 348. The cause of Menippus trauell to Hell 350. The Ciuill Lawes compared with the doctrines of the Poets ibid. The vanitie of Philosophers and their wranglings discouered 351. Lucians meeting with the Magition Mithrobarzanes 352. His superstâ—tionsâ— and Incantations discouered and derided 353. A description of his passage to Hell 355. Of Minos the Iudge with his proceeding against the Prisoners 355. Diuers great men arraigned and sentenced 357. A description of the torments 358. Of the Heroes and demy-gods 359. The equalitie that is in Hell 360. A comparison of the life of man ibid. Great men on earth how vilified in Hell 361. The estate of Socrates Diogenes and the like in hell 362. A Decree made in Hell against rich men ibid. Tyresius his counsell What life is safest to leade on earth 363. Menippus his passage from hell 364. Further discourse of the Heart of man 365. Manlius of the ambition of Mans heart 366. The instabilitie and corruption thereof 367. Further of the Creation of the Angels when and where 368. The Angelicall nature how vnderstood 369. Diuers questions and difficulties concerning Angels reconciled 370. The order that God vsed in the Creation 371. Angels immutable and that no Soule but hath an Angell to attend it 372. What best pleaseth the Angels They gouerne Nations Angell a name of office not of nature 373. Nazianzen of the Angels 374. Of the forming and fashioning of Man ibid. The three dignities of the Soule and the end why Man was created 375. Three great gifts bestowed on Man in the Creation ibid. Three opposit euils 376 A iust measure of mans body ibid. Three sorts of liuing Spirits created by God 377 Of the Soule of man 378. The Philosophers concerning the Soule 379. Iohannes de Canis a Florentine Physition 380. The Poets of the Soule 381. Of Man in generall 382. Against such as deny the Resurrection 383. Difference betwixt the liues of Beasts Men and Angels ibid. Of the birth of Man 384 The Ethnicks of Man ibid. Homer with other Poets of Man 385. Adages and Emblems of Man 386. Hierogliphycks of Man 387. Ethnicks of Hell 388. The Rabbins of the locall place of Hell 389. The figure of Moloch 390 Lucians Dialogue intituled Nyciomanteia with Sir Thom. Mores Argument thereupon 390 c. The acts of Alexander Hannibal and Scipio 392 c A discourse of hell fire 397. Reasons prouing the perpetuity of the torments 398. An Emblem 399. A Meditation 401. THE CONTENTS OF THE VII TRACTAT VVIsedome contemplateth the wonderfull works of God 407. The Sun 408. The Moone Stars Rainbow Snow Lightning Haile Mountains Winds Thunder Raine Frost Ice c 409 c. The quality and condition of malignant Spirits 410. Diuels retaine their first naturall faculties 411. The degrees among Diuels of which Lucifer is prime 412. Lucifers figure and description 413. Prioritie obserued among the Diuels with necessarie obseruations 415. The Diuels striue to imitate God 410. An excellent historie expressing the instabilitie of Fortune ibid. The originall of Idolatry illustrated from the former historie 435. Nine Classes of Diuels with their seueral Orders 436. The sundry names of Diuels and what they signifie 437. Of the number of Angels that fell more Angels than men more men than Angels 438. Of the motion of Angels ibid. The distance betwixt the eighth heauen and the earth 439. All intelligent Substances are incorporeall 440 Sathan and the euill Daemons bounded in their malice ibid. The admirable knowledge f Spirits 441. How and wherein their knowledge is limited 442. Their equinocating answers in the Oracles ibid. Good Angels cannot erre 443. Of Contracts made betwixt man and Sathan ibid. The manner of the diuels temptations set down the better to aâ—oid them 444. Pasetis a great Magition ibid. Seueral Magicke books fathered vpon good and godly men ibid. Seuerall mettals ascribed
Rome Ornament addeth to beauty A description of the King His first courting her Her rare Modesty Her Answere * Hauing relation to the price hee had payd for her ransome True Vertue hardly to be corrupted A modest Insinuation Shee is made Queene The Fathers successe in his trauels The Instability of Fortune The Father shipwrackt Taken for a Pyrat Imprisoned The successe of the elder Sister in her trauels The King absent Her Intertainment at Court Pregnant reasons why the one Sister did not know the other A strange apprehension in the Queene The Queene courteth her Sister A cunning Apologie Many Women alledge these things wantonly which shee doth only wittily The Delphian strangely intangled Casteth all doubts The Queenes courting habit An Apologie for the Queen The Delphians answer The Queenes counterfet passion This was in that great Gigomantia or the battell betwixt the Titanoys and the gods All generally are affraid to lay violent hands on persons enterd into holy orders A short digression The Queene euery way vertuous The Brother prepareth for trauell The Father appeares at Court The Queenes speech to her Father The Fathers answer to the Queene Venus Pallas Iuno syrnamed Prombu He discloseth himselfe The elder Sister saueth her Father with purpose to kill the Queene her Sister The Delphian Priest by accident discouered Sudden ioyes not suddenly exprest The brother arriued at Court Seuerall distractions * Which was by reason of her doubtfull shape The returne of the King The originall of Idolatry The Diuels first course of Idolatry Nine Classes of Diuels 1 Order D. Stroz. Venetiâ— lib. de sperit Incant 2 Order 3 Order 4 Order 5 Order 6 Order 7 Order 8 Order 9 Order Diabolus Belial Daemonium Beelzebub Sathan Bohemoth Leviathan Abaddon The names of Diuels according to Dante 's Concerning the number of Angels that fell Apoc. 12.14 By starres are meant intelligences or spirits More Angels than Men more men than Animals D. Stroz. lib. de natural magis Daniel 7.10 Apocalip Albert. magn de Angel num Concerning the motion of the Angels The distance betweene the 8. Heauen and the Earth With some moneths daies and houres added The Intelligent Substances are incorporâ—all Iob. cap. 1. The admirable knowledge of Spirits Where the knowledge of Spyrits is limited The Good Angels cannot erre Sundry Seducements of Sathan discouered Cipr. de dupl Martyr August lib. 2. de doct Christ. cap. 23. Cap. de Malef. Mathem Artic. 3. Scol Parisien Esay cap. 28. Percussimus foedus cum morte cum Inferno fecimus pactum Mathew 4. Of these compacts writes Sprangerus Spinaeus Nabarra Grillaend Remgius Sibilla Mengius c. The manner of the Diuels temptations set downe the better to avoid them Pasetis a great Magitian Diuerse magick bookes were impiously fathered vpon good and godlâ— men Salom. Clauic Astrologomages Seuerall mettals ascribed to euery sundry Planet Electrum is either amber or a mixture of gold siluer Seuerall gems consecrated to the Planets Achates quod merorem curat Abigal The signet of the Sunne Moone Iupiter Mars Venusâ— Mercury Saturne The absurditie of the former explained Bonavent in Centileg All Magick condemned by the schoole of Paris The words of the Cannon Of wilfull ignorance Henv Bibellius lib. facetiar 1. Hugo Stâ—ltus quod perdat habet sed in id quod oportet impendat non habet The excellencie of Knowledge Cap. 9. Iob. 11. Cap. 6. Prov. 17. Of the Knowledge of our selues Socrates Demonax Heraclitus Theocritus Bias. Placilla the Empresse Terence Perfectio est in tribus rebus deuotio in religione patientia in adversis prudentia in vita * Nosce Teipsum Sapientissimus hominum est qui fiâ—es respicit Qui non discernit bonum malo adiunge â—um cum bestijs Ne crede tesapâ—entem esse do nec eo animi robare fueâ—is vt possis regere cupiditates A way to get Wisedome Of Wisdome The difference betweene Knowledge and Wisdome The Etimologie of Wisdom Cap. 1. ver 3. The excellencie of Wisdom The Wisdome of the Iust. Non est sapiens donec cupiditates suas omnes vincat The Poets concerning Wisdome Qui seipsum habet pro sapiente eum habent deus homines pro ignare Philip of Macedon Alexander Antigonus Iulius Caesar August Caesar. The riuer Tyber first called Albula Phocion Pompey the Great Cicero Demosthenes Sigismund Imperat Freder Emper. Rodulph Caesar. Wisd. 7. ver 28. Of things prodigius Plin. lib. 9.6 cap. 14. Plin. 9. cap. 10. Plin. lib. 14. ca 7. Cicero de Devin cap. 9. Aul. Gel. lib. 16. cap. 15. Philosophica Sententiae Ang. contra pelag cap 9. Wisd. 1. v. 13.14 Wisd. 2. ver 24. Gen. 3.1 Lib. 3. cap. 2. Math. 10. v. 16. Chris. sup Gen. Homil. 15. Numb 22.28 Hist. scholast cap. 2. Bead in Alleg. sup bib The Serpent cursed The Womans Sentence The Sentence pronounced against Man S. Aug. insâ—litoq cap. 16. As Mammon Of spirits that challenge to themselues diuine worship Diuerse Oracles The Sarronides of antient Gaule Their Idols Caesar in Coment Strab. lib. 3. Diod. lib. 4. Pomp. Mel. Lib. 3. cap. 7. Plin. l 34 c. 7. Zenodorus Iul. Caes. in Coment lib 6. Humane Sacrifices performed at Rome Dionys. Hallic lib. de Antiq. Rom. 3. Diod. lib. 20. Lib. 4. cap. 7. The antiquity of Magicke Clement lib. 4. Recognit Art Magicke before the Floud Suidas Apul. Plut. in lib. de Isid. Osyrid The Diuision of Magicke Theurgia Goetia siue Necromantia Cornel. Agrip. Artic. 9.19.23 The Deriuation of Goetia or NecromaÌ„tia Of the Witch Hercyra Artes. magus Al Magick is a compact with the Diuell Eutichian Patriarch A strange History of one Theophilus The maner of Homage done to the Diuell Pythagoras vsed characters c. Coel. li. 9. ca. 7. Plut. in Vita Numae Lapland Finland Bothnienses Iamnes Magus In Diocesi Argento ratensi Meng in Comp. Exercis Niderus in Fermicarth In Dioesi Lansonensi Oeniponte Maga Grillandus Magistellus Martinettus Martinellus Glycasâ— Simon Magus These are called Paredrij Aves Hariolatrices An advocat of Burgdegal Mart. Anton. Delrius Philostratus Iarcha Magus A strange stiriâ— related by Mengius Gyges Ring Clemens Stromataeuâ— Of Women that haue changed their Sex Fulgotius lib. 1. Exâ—up cap. 6. Amatus Lusit Cent. 2. Curs 39. Ant. Torquin Dial. 1. The History of Mâ—chates and Philemium Hillus Magus Eunapius Donica A strange Story of Cornelius Agrippa A strange Story His name Cid Rui Diaz Of Astrology Philosophers concerning Astrology Apothegmes Hierogliphick Emblem Mathesis Hierogliphick If thou chuse Beauty it fadeth If Riches they often consume If Friends they grow false If Wisdome She continueth After the choice of Momentary pleasure ensueth endles calamity Electio non est de preterito sed de futuro Plut. Virg. lib. 6. AEnead The Temptations of the flesh Tempt of the World The 5 Sences Tempt of the Diuell Temptations of Ignorance Temptation in Learning In Rhetorick In Lodgick In Arithmetik In Diuinity In
Philosophy In Magick Lucius Apul. de Deo sacrat ex Beat Thom. part 1. G. 41. Art 1. Homer Arnob. in Ps. 36 Hermes Thermegistus Cipr. de Idoler vanitat Div. Thom. 3. Met. lib. 12. Tex 10. Dr. Strozâ— l. de Spir. lucant Iob. cap. 1. Meaning his Wife whom some Rabbies thinkâ— to be Dinab the Daughter of Iacob rauished by Sychem c Acts. Apost Eustr â— 1. moral 1. Cor. c. 2. v. 7 8 Ambr. sup Cor. cap. 2. Meaning the Daemons or Potestats of the Aire Simplicis ergo viae Dux est Deus Ille per vnum Ire jubet mortale genus quam dirigit Ipse c. Lib. 2. Cont Symach Spirits called Incubi Succubae Scotus These were Henricus Iustitor Iacobus Sprangerus Rottemb a Towne in vpper Germanyâ— A History of an Incubus Vincent lib. 3. Hist. An History of a Succubus Of that kind of Spirits you shall read in the Sequell Seuerall kinds of Spirits according to Marc. sup Psel Spirits of Fire Three Moones seene at once with a bearded Comet This appeared Annâ— 1514. A strange History of fiery Spirits Anno 1536. Mar. 21. This hapned after the mouÌ„taine had lest burning Ignes Fatui or Ambulones Helena Castor and Pollux Okumantâ—ia Onichomanteia Libonomantia Capnomantia Pyromantia Thurifumia Of the Spirits of the Aire Wooll tained This hapned Anno 931. Fish Graine fel froÌ„ the aire Two straunge Tombes Of Sepater the Magitian Iob cap. 1. Of the Finnes and Laplands Ericus King of the Goathes Of the Archimage Zoâ—oaster AEromantia Terotoscopeia OrnithomaÌ„tea Of the Spirits of the Water Fatae Feé Sybils white Nymphs Night-Ladies The Feasts of Numa Pompil The Nymphe AEgaerea The Feasts of Scotus Parmensis The Feast of the Brackmana and of Pet Albanus Pasaetis two famous Magitians A strange hist. of two Scotch Noblemen Mackbeth and Banco Stuart These were Names of Honor which Mackbeth had afore receiued Banco Stuart slain by Makb Ollarus the Magitian Othim Magus Oddo Magus Spirits the cause of Deluges Alex. the 7 This hapned anno 1515. Of the Spirits of the Earth The Spirits called Genij Lares Familiars Larvae or Lemures The Hist. of an euill Genius Spirits called Spectars Origen apud Celsum The History of a Spectar Card. ex Boeth Spiritus familiores Macr. de satur Olaus Magu A pleasant History of Iohn Teutonicus A place in high Germany Iobus Reply This was done Anno 1612. A strange History of one of these familiar Spirits Barn Arlun sec. 1. Hist. Med. The Letter Gilbert Cogn lib. 8. Narrat Of Pride Isiod l. Etimolâ— Epist. ad Diosâ— Aug in Reg. Hug. lib. â— de Anim. Cass. supr Ps. 18. Philosophicall Sentences Artabanus to Xerxes Apothegmes Pambo The Pride of Domitian Caesar Of Sabor K. of Persia. Lib. 2. cap. 1. de devin Institut advers gentes Prov. 17. Psal. 102. Valer. lib. 5. de Iâ—gratis Of Humility Cap. 5. Math. 18.19 Aug. ad Diosc. Lib 3. Similitudines Of Gratitude Lib. 7. cap. 3. Apothegmes Lib. 12. cap. 24. De vâ—ria Hist. lib. 4. Sabell Exemp lib. 7. cap. 1. Hierogliphick Emblem D. Strozza In vitis Patr. A Woman of Constance Miraculous Stories A strange and miraculous Birth Alcippe Hist. Scotia l. 8. A strange History of a Scotch Lady Anno 1586. A straunge thing of a woman at Sea Of the Spirits call'd Succubi A strange thiÌ„g of a French Gentleman Bonfinâ—us Iordan Gothus Of the Spirits of Fire Aug. Cont. Manichees de Agon Christ. Deuination from Thunder Lightning Cardanus A strange tale of Spectars The maner of Deuination by Pyromancy Diuination by the sacrificing Fire Of the Spirits of the Aire Iob. 1. Remigius Delrius Of a countrey Maid Gasp. Spitellus The Indian Magi. Hier. Mengius A prodigious noise in the Aire Diod. Sicul. Olaus Magnus Their power in the CirciuÌ„ sea Vestrabor Norway Boâ—hnia Bonauentum and Narbon Vincentius Vincentius Auentinus Bruno Bishop of Herbipol Of the Spirits of the Water Villamont l. 1. Peregrin c. 34. Sabel Dec. â— l. 7. A strange History of Hotheruâ— K. of Suetia and Dacia The Emperor Pertinax Sâ—heâ— lib. â— Zonarus Isaaccius Comnenes A strange Water in Finland A Lake neere Cracouia Alex. ab Alex. Sabell lib. 7. Of the Spirits of the earth Man consisting of 3 parts The Genius of Constantine Emperor A strange History of a Melancholy man A strange Disease as straÌ„gely cured Noon-Diuâ—ls S. Bartholmew Simon Iude. Alastores Pet. Diac. lib. 9. rerum Romanarum Egob in Chronic. An Alaster like an old Woman Apparitions before Henry the 7. emperor Cassius Parm. The Lamiae or Laruae Dion of Syracusa Drusus Consul of Rome Iacobus Donatus Venetus Stephanus Hubnerus Nider lib. vltim Formic The desperat aduenture of two Knights of Bohemia Nature hath giuen to man no better thing than Death Pliny Degeneres Animos timor arguit Virg. AEnead lib. 4. Quantumquisque timet tantum fâ—git Petr. Arbit Satyr Tunc plurima versat Pessimus in dubijs Augur Timor Stat. lib. 3. Theban Miserimâ—m est timere cum Speres nihil Seneca in Troad * The Houres 1. Esdr. c. 3. v. 10. The Power Strength of Wine The Power and Strength of the King The Power and Strength of Women The Power Strength of Truth aboue all things Esay 13.21 Cap. 34.11 This is a Marginall note in the Geneua translation Zijm Iijm Okim c. Subterren Spirits Olaus Magnus lib. â— cap. 10. Cobali The diuel called Anneberg The Diuel Snebergius Spirits the cause of earthquakes Strange earthquakes In Constant. In DyrrachiuÌ„ In Rome Anno 361. In the Eastern parts In Antioch In Illiria Pannonia Dalmatia Morauia Bauaria Dacia Auentinus reports this of Bauaria superior Conrad Medenb Philos. Mathem Of Treasure hid in the Earth kept by Spirits As Psellius As Laureat Ananias This is the opinion of D. Vlatius Treuirensis A strange attempt of a Botcher This place is called Angusta Raura Cora. Peke-hils in Darby-shire Ouky hole in Summerset shire So reported by Luciginus and Philostratus And. Theuerus A strange History of Cabades King of Persia. D. Faustus and Cornel. Agrip. Of spirits called Lucifugi Iohn Milesius Pugs Hobgoblins Robin good-fellow Fairies Reported by Sueton. Tranq Plin. in Epist. A strange story reported by Fincelius Georg. Tauronensis of Datius Bishop of Mediolanum A strange History of one recouered to Life Enapius remembred by Plutarch A strange History of the Spirit of the Buttry Certain marks by which good Spirits are distinguished from the bad What shapes diuels may assume what they cannot Their actions A special mark to know euill Spirits by Athanasius Lactantius Of Musicke A Coelo Symphonia The velocitie of the heauens and planets The ambition of Man to search into hidden Arts. Plenâ—i vâ—cuâ—â— Iob cap. 38. Cor. cap. 3.16 Iob 5.13 Eccles. 8. The Academicks The Pyrhonicks Contra negantem principia non est disputandum c. Diag Milesius Theod. Cyrenus Epicurus Protagoras Opinions concerning the Soule Crâ—â—es Theban Hypocrates Lysippus Hippâ—as Anâ—xag Diâ—g Hâ—siodus Epic. Boethius Ant. Cleantâ—es Zeâ—â— Diarch Galenus Chrisip Archel Heraclitus Thales Xenocrates Of the Seat of the Soule Hippocrates Hierophilus Erasiâ—tratus Diogen Chrisip Cum Stoicis Emped Arist. Plato Concerning the Immortality of the Soule Pythagoras Plato The Stoicks Aristotle He that would find the truth let him search the Scriptures Aug. de Trinitat lib. 1. cap. 3. Aurel. Imperat. Against Couetousnes The Poets of Couetousnes Prov. cap. 11. Cap. 15. Cap. 28. Eccles cap. 5. Ibid. 14. The Fathers of Avarice Historicall Examples Brusonius lib. 1. c. 1. ex Plut. Stob. serm 10. Max. serm 12. Caligula Comnodus Hierogliphick Emblem 85. Apologus The Witches of Warboys in Huntington shire Macrob. lib. 1 satur cap. 18. A straÌ„ge story of a NoblemaÌ„ of Silesia A strange Vision of Syluane Spirits Sabell lib. 1. c. 4. A stranhe History of a Syluane Spectar Another recorded by Fincelius Gaspin Meng in CompeÌ„dio Mantuae A yong man beloued of a Spirit A yong Maid beloued of a Spirit Of another Maid of Bonnonia Onomonteia Arithmanteia Stoicheiomanteia This History I receiued from D. Strozza lib. de Incant These questioÌ„s haue been diuersly argued The names of the 7 sleepers Paulus Diac. Necessary obseruations D. Strozza Remedâ—es against the teÌ„ptations of the Diuell Anton. Lauer. Tobit c. 8. v. 3. The miserable ends of notorious Magitians Simon Magus Nicenus of Simon Magus Zito the Bohemian a cuÌ„ning Iugler A triall of skill betwixt two Magitians This story is reported by an ItaliaÌ„ Doctor Of Zedech a Iew a great Magitian Polidor Virgill The miserable end of Empedociss Mich. Sidesita a Sorcerer Of Eumus an English Magitian and his wretched end Scafius the Magition A Magition of Nuburch The miserable end of Cornel. Agrippa Levit. 20. v. 6. SERAPH Vriel CHERVE Iophiel THRONES Zaphkiâ—l DOMINAT Zadkiel VERTVES Haniel POWERS Raphael PRINCIP Chamael ARCHANGELL Michael ANGELL Gabriel
his next expedition gaine an assured and most remarkable victorie Satisfied with this their liberall promise hee tooke his leaue recollected his dispersed Troupes and tooke the field The night before the battell being vigilant to suruey his Enemies Tents and see what watch they kept he espied three Damosels carying vp three dishes of meaâ— into one of the Tents whom following apace for he might easily trace them by their steps in the dew and hauing a Citharon about him on which he played most curiously he receiued meat for his musick and returning the same way he came the next day he gaue them a strong battell in which the enemies were slaine almost to one manâ— Pertinax as Sabellicus witnesseth a little before his death saw one of these Spectars in a fish-poole threatning him with a naked sword Of the like nature was that Bore which Zonarus speaketh of who meeting with Isaaccius Comnenes who was hunting neere vnto Naples and being pursued from a promontorie cast himselfe headlong into the sea leauing the Emperor almost exanimate and without life In Finland which is vnder the dominion of the King of Sweden there is a castle which is called the New Rock moted about with a riuer of an vnsounded depth the water blacke and the fish therein very distastefull to the palat In this are Spectars often seene which fore-shew either the death of the Gouernor or some prime Officer belonging to the place and most commonly it appeareth in the shape of an Harper sweetly singing and dallying and playing vnder the water There is a Lake neere Cracovia in Poland which in the yeare 1378 was much troubled with these Spirits but at length by the prayers of some deuout Priests the place was freed from their impostures The Fishermen casting their nets there drew vp a Fish with a Goats head and hornes and the eyes flaming and sparkling like fire with whose aspect and filthy stench that it brought with it being terrified they fled and the Monster making a fearefull noise like the houling of a wolfe troubling the water vanished Alexander ab Alexandro maketh mention of one Thomas a Monke who in an euening seeking an horse and comming neere vnto the brinke of a Riueâ— he espied a countrey fellow who of his voluntarie free-will offered to traject him ouer on his shoulders The Monke is glad of the motion and mounts vpon his backe but when they were in the midst of the floud Thomas casting his eye downe hee perceiued his legs not to be humane but goatish and his feet clouen Therefore suspecting him to be one of these watry Diuels hee commended himselfe to God in his prayers The Spirit then forsakes him and leaues him well washed in the middle of the Riuer to get vnto the shore with no small difficultie Sabellicus hath left recorded That when Iulius Caesar with his army was to passe the riuer Rubicon to come into Italy and to meet with Pompey one of these Spirits in the shape of a man but greater than ordiâ—arie sate piping vpon the banke of the Riuer Which one of Caesars soldiers seeing snatched away his pipe and broke it when the Spirit presently swimming the Riuer beeing on the other side sounded a shrill and terrible blast from a trumpet which Caesar interpreted to be a good and happy omen of his succeeding victorie Of the Spirits of the earth there are diuers sorts and they haue diuers names as Genij Lares Dij domestici Spectra Alastores Daemonia meridiana as likewise Fauni Sylvani Satyri folletti Fatuelli Paredrij Spiritus Familiares c. Of some of these I haue spoken in the preceding Tractat. Servius Honoratus and Sabinus are of opinion That Man consisteth of three parts but most ignorantly and aduerse to truth of a Soule a Body and a Shadow and at his dissolution the Soule ascends to heanen the Bodie inclines to the earth and the Shadow descends ad Inferos to hell They hold the Shadow is not a true body but a corporeall Species which cannot be touched or taken hold of no more than the winde and that this aswell as the Soule doth oft times appeare vnto men liuing and the soule after it hath left the body is called Genius and the Shadow Larva or the Shadow infernall These Genij are malicious Spirits of the earth who when they most promise health and safety vnto mankinde do then most endeauour their vtter ruine and destruction Constantine the Emperor marching from Antiochia said That he often saw his own Genius and had conference with it and when he at any time saw it pale and troubled which he held to be the preseruer and protectour of health and liuelyhood hee himselfe would much grieue and sorrow By the Spirits called Lares or Houshold gods many men haue been driuen into strange melancholies Amongst others I will cite you one least common A young man had a strong imagination that he was dead and did not onely abstaine from meat and drinke but importuned his parents that he might be caried vnto his graue and buried before his flesh was quite putrified By the counsell of Physitions he was wrapped in a winding sheet laid vpon a Beere and so carried toward the Church vpon mens shoulders But by the way two or three pleasant fellowes suborned to that purpose meeting the Herse demanded aloud of them that followed it Whose body it was there coffined and carried to buriall They said it was such a yong mans and told them his name Surely replied one of them the world is very well rid of him for he was a man of a very bad and vitious life and his friends may reioyce he hath rather ended his dayes thus than at the gallowes Which the yong man hearing and vexed to be so injured rowsed himselfe vp vpon the Beere and told them That they were wicked men to do him that wrong which he had neuer deserued and told them That if hee were aliue as hee was not hee would teach them to speake better of the Dead But they proceeding to depraue him and giue him much more disgraceful and contemptible language he not able to endure it leapt from the Herse and fell about their eares with such rage and fury that hee ceased not buffetting with them till quite wearied and by his violent agitation the humors of his body altered hee awakened as out of a sleepe or trance and being brought home and comforted with wholesome dyet he within few dayes recouered both his pristine health strength and vnderstanding But to returne to our seuerall kindes of Terrestriall Spirits There are those that are called Spectra meridiana or Noon-diuels In the Easterne parts of Russia about haruest time a Spirit was seen to walke at mid-day like a sad mourning Widow and whosoeuer she met if they did not instantly fall on their knees to adore her they could not part from her without a leg or
an arme broken or some other as great a mischiefe Wherein may be obserued That these Spirits of what condition soeuer aboue all things aime at Diuine worship which is onely due vnto the Creator Not that they are ignorant that it belongs solely to him but that in their inexpressible malice knowing themselues to be Rebels and quite excluded from Grace they would likewise draw Man to accompany them in eternall perdition Therefore all the Saints of God since Christ established his Church here amongst the Gentiles haue endeauoured to draw the Nations from Idolatry It is read of Saint Iames That when many Diuels were sent vnto him by one Hermogenes to assault him hee returned them bound and disarmed That Saint Bartholmew destroied the Idol of Asteroth who was worshipped in India and shewed moreouer that their great Alexikakon was a meere figment and imposture So the Apostles Simon and Iude strooke dumbe those Spirits that spake in the Oracle to Varada chiefe Generall ouer Xerxes his Armie and after restoring to them their liberty of speech they caused that their deceit and vanitie did easily appeare For Vâ—rada demanding of them What the euent of the war would proue they answered him That it would be long and dangerous and not onely vnprofitable but full of dammage and great losse to both parties On the contrary the Apostles deriding the vanitie of the Idoll informed him That the Indian Embassadors were vpon the way humbly to desire peace of him vpon any conditions whatsoeuer Which finding â—o be true Varada commanded those lying and deceitfull Images to be immediatly cast into the fire and burned and had then slaine an hundred and twenty of those idolatrous Priests had not the Apostles earnestly interceded for them I could here cite many examples to the like purpose but let these suffice for the present The Alastores are called by Origen Contra Celsum Azazel by Zoroaster Carnifices or Butchers and Alastares No mischiefe is hid or concealed from them and these are neuer seene but they portend some strange disaster As in the time of the Emperour Iustinian such Spirits were seene openly in humane shape to intrude into the society of men after which a most fearefull pestilence followed and whosoeuer was touched by any of them most assuredly died By which contagious Pest the great city Constantinople was almost vnpeopled and as Paulus Diacon witnesseth the people saw an Angell in the dead of the night go along with them compassing the city and walking from street to street and from dore to dore and so many knocks as the Spectar by the Angels command gaue at the doore of any house so many persons of that family were vndoubtedly found dead in the next morning Cardanus reporteth That there is an antient family in Parma named Torrelli to whom an old Seat or Castle belongs which for the space of an hâ—ndred yeres together was haunred with one of these Alastores who so oft as any of the houshold were to depart the world would shew it selfe in a chimny of the great hall A noble and illustrious Lady of the same Family reported That a yong virgin lying dangerously sicke in the same house the Spectar according to custome appeared and when euery one expected hourely the death of the Virgin shee presently beyond all hope recouered and a seruant who was at that time sound and in health fell sicke vpon the sudden and died Some few dayes before the death of Henry the seuenth Emperor he being feasted in a castle at Mediolanum belonging to one Viscont Mathaeus at mid-day there appeared before them a man armed of a mighty gyantly size to the great amasement of them all and three days after in the same place and at the same houre two armed champions on horse-backe who performed a braue combat for the space of an entire houre and then suddenly disappeared to the wonder and terror of all the Spectators To Cassius Parmensis lying in his bed appeared a man of an vnusuall stature with staring haire and a rough and disordered beard terrible in aspect at the presence of which being strangely troubled he started out of his bed and asked him who he was Who answered I am thy Malus Genius and so vanished Cassius knockes calls to his seruants that attended without asks them if they saw any to go in or come out of his chamber They protest Not any He museth to himselfe and lyeth downe againe The Daemon appeares the second time but with a countenance much more horrible Againe hee knockes and commands his seruants to bring lights They enter nothing appeares The rest of the night hee spends in doubtfull and sollicitous cogitations The dawning of the day scarse appeared when Lictors were sent from Caesar to apprehend him and take away his life Of the Lamiae or Larvae I ghesse that to be one which appeared to Dion of Syracuâ—a who looking out at his chamber window in the night by reason of a noise he heard spied an old hag habited and lookt as the Poets describe the Eumenides or Furies with a great broom sweeping the Court. At which being wonder-strook he called vp some of his houshold and told them of the Vision desiring them to accompanie him in his chamber the remainder of the night which they did and neither saw nor heard any thing afterward But ere the morning one of Dions sonnes cast himself out of a window into the same court who was so sore bruised that he died of the fall and hee himselfe within few dayes after was slaine by Callippus Drusus being Consull and making war in Germany a seeming woman of extraordinary aspect met him one day vpon his march and saluted him with these words O insatiate Drusus whither art thou now going and when dost thou thinke thou shalt returne since thou art now at the period both of thy life and glory Which fell out accordingly for within few dayes after Brutus expired of an incurable disease Iacobus Donatus a Patrician of Venice as Cardanus reporteth from whose mouth he receiued this discourse sleeping one night with his wife in an vpper bed where two Nurses lay with a yong childe his sole heire in the lower which was not a full yeare old he perceiued the chamber doore by degrees first to be vnlocked then vnbolted and after vnhatcht one thrust in his head and was plainly seene of them all himselfe his wife and the Nurses but not knowne to any of them Donatus with the rest being terrified at this sight arose from his bed and snatching vp a sword and a round buckler caused the Nurses to light either of them a taper and searcht narrowly all the roomes and lodgings neere which he found to be barred and shut and he could not discouer where any such intruder should haue entrance At which not a little wonder-strooke they all retyred to their rests letting the lights still burne in the chamber The