.28 of the same month there appeared in the Element ouer the same place at .x. of the clock in the night a shining Crosse wyth a starre in the toppe and a Moone at the lower ende retiring immediatly after it began to be day without being séene any more at y e time but touching these sights and visions in the aire with their causes which moue in dede by natural meanes as we beholde the figure of our selues in a glasse or the Rainbow in the Element I shal not néede to vse large description of them héere bicause they are auouched by the Astronomers Philosophers and others of like profession beside for mine owne selfe I forbeare to wade farre therin vntil a time cause more conuenient for such purpose THe monsters which are this yeare come to knowledge be two the one was in Prouence at Arles and wandred besides thorow Fraunce It was a childe rough or hairy on all the body hauing the nauell in the place where the nose should stand and the eyes where naturally should staÌ„d the mouthe betwéene the which was a certaine opening hys eares stode on either side the chinne and his mouthe at the ende of the same THe other monster of this yeare .1567 was séene in FlauÌ„ders betweene Anwarpe and Macline in a village called Vbalen It was a childe which had .ij. heades and .iiij. armes séeming .ij. maides ioyned together yet had but .ij. legges Of a wonderfull Daunce LIke as I am greatly in dout whether so infer in the number of wonderful Histories that which we now write not for the matter but that it is shorte and yet worthie of no lesse memorie than admiration Euen so for that the Historie may seeme of lesse credite and truthe the same being written in that time wherin men would scarsly suffer it to be imprinted or taken as a witnesse of antiquitie albeit it were ayded and assisted by a truthe or other probable arguments to the like effect hauing withall sufficiente colour to make men beleue that they speake to be suche as they recite notwithstanding for that we be able to iustifie the truth of this present Historie by one who as be assureth to haue seene it so hath he taken paine to write therof hym selfe which is Othopertus of Saxonie and after him Vincentius wytnesseth the same in hys xxvj boke and .x. chap. and besides Antoni in his fourth chap. his .xvj. titles and seconde tome of hys workes where as I neede not feare to recite it as it is or to aggrauate the opinion or beliefe of any further than a truth So neuerthelesse I haue to preferre and make mention of one Historie very straunge and not heard of yet albeit true Wherof Othopertus writeth that the yeare .1012 which was in the tenth yeare of the emperour Henry the second in a certain borough or towne of Saxonie where he himselfe accompanied with .xvij. other of his friends whiche by computation wer .xviij. he accompted dyd sée .xv. men and iij. women dauncing of a rounde in a Churchyarde and singing of Wanton songs not meete for the solace of honest Christians And albeit there passed by at that instant a Priest who cursed them in such sorte that they daunced and song there the space of a whole yeare Yet that which was most maruellous is that as it rained not sayd he vpon them neyther were they hotte or desirous of meate or drinke nor lefte from doing that exercise or labour so their garmentes and shoes in all their dauncing were not worne or consumed albeit in the ende they sonke into the earth first to the knées and lastely to their middles The yeare expired and their daunce ended and they withall come to a perfecte vnderstandyng in what sporte they had spente the yeare paste one of the women and two others of that companie dyeâ— sodainely and all the reste slepte continually three dayes and thrâ—â— nyghtes Wherevpon some of them immediatly vpon their wakyng dyed the others deferred to the ende to tast more their follie remayned in a continuall tremblyng thorough all the partes of theyr bodies during the terme and space of theyr myserable and vnfortunate lyues FINIS Gellius lib. j. cap. 12. Silemander a worme liuing in the fire A Lampe burning without the aide of oile or match A great infection throâ—ghout all Europe by reason the water in their welles was ympoysoned The Adamant smelleth and â—â—eleth The nature of the Emeraud The Emeraud enimie to vncleanesse Volateranus writeth a lyke example in his geography A wonderfull prouidence of God The natures of sundry stoues Damascen writeth that in the time of Maximinian there wer killed and martyred in .xxx. dayes .xvij. thousande christians Cornelius Tacitus lib. 15. A wall of dead mens head The cause of the flames of fyre from heauen The Romains fearfull of the Eclipse of the Moone The cause of the Eclypse of the Moone iij sunnes sene by Cardanus The causes of the shewes of so many suÌ„nes and moones Plato Aristotlâ— Socrates Vâ—serius Max. lib. 4. A drooken combat Two huÌ„dreth and .l. crownes and some value them at .ij. C.xxx and iiij M.iij C.lx. and v. Ducaâ—s A pearle waying halfe an vnce A wonderfull prodigalitie in an Italian Prelate Some writers haue referred this to the Emperour Tyberius Xerxes killed by his prouost And Darius poisoned after by Alexander Mar. Anto. killed him selfe Cleopatra was stong to death Helioga slayn and cast into Tyber A dead man speaketh to his companion in a dreame An other visioÌ„ appearing to a man that was not a slepe Certaine houses at Rome haunted wyth spirites S. Augustin approueth enchaunting by example The effects of the bishops prophecie Act. 11. Cap. 11. Luke 11. In his booke of the Diuination of Diuels Cap. 22. Gen. lib. 1â— cap. 14. 3. Reg. 22. Visions of the imagination Lib. 1. cap. 20. Visions by naturall cause In his boke of maruelous inuentions Of .vij. voyces or soundes Artificiall visions Paris Garden
by the hande of God so much imbased that he was couered with no other garment than with haire a clothing naturall to all brute beastes ¶ Of the bringing forth of Monsters and the cause of their generations CHAP. v. HAuyng shewed in order in these Chapiters before how Kings Emperors Bishops and Monarches be no more exempted from the wonderful iudgemeÌ„t of God than the common or vulgar sort It resteth now according to our purpose to search and sift those matters more neare a truthe to the ende we may bring to lyghte the horrible monsters and fearfull wonders found amoÌ„gst the common people And that the philosophie and contemplation of those things might be made more manifest and painted in their true coloures it is needefull before we passe any further to declare the causes wherevpon they procéede and are borne It is moste certaine that these monstrous creatures for the most part do procéede of the iudgement iustice chastisement and curse of God which suffreth that the fathers and mothers bring forth these abhominations as a horrour of their sinne sufferyng themselues to run headlong as do brute beastes without guide to the puddle or sinke of their filthie appetites hauing no respecte or regarde to the age place tyme or other lawes ordeined of Nature wherein S. Gregorie amongest diuers other examples taughte vs in his Dialogues sheweth the incontinencie and abhominable desire of a Nourse who made hir selfe with childe by an Infant of the age onely of .ix. yeres And for a proofe herein S. Hierom affirmeth by othe that there was an other infant of the age of tenne yeares the which was so inflamed by the waÌ„ton regards and amorous countenances of his Nourse that she made hym to lie with hir being of the age as afore and gotte hir with childe These be the matters that Osee crieth out of in his .ix. chapter saying These abhominable doyngs according to their loues euen when they haue nourssed theyr children I will destroy in suche sort that they shall neuer become men yea I will plague the wombe where they tooke their beginning the brests that gaue theÌ„ sucke and drie vp the very root that it bring forth no more fruit and if they câ—aunce to engender I wil also coÌ„mit to death the fruite of their bellie Al which is confirmed by the prophete Esdras in his .v. Chapter where amongst other cruel cursings wherwith the Angell threatned Babylon it is expresly sayde That women perfourming the desire of the fleshe being in their Sanguine menstruali bring forth these monsters And although this monstrous fruite be very often a witnesse of the incontinencie sinne of the parents yet it is not alwayes true nor hapneth in one place for there be many fathers and mothers chaste and continent whiche bring forth their children defectiue as S. Iohn sheweth in his .ix. chapter of a poore man whiche was blinde from his natiuitie who hauing receyued his sighte by the mercifull goodnesse and grace of Iesus Christe was asked of his disciples whether his owne synne or his parents were the cause that he was borne blinde But Christ willyng to declare to them that they oughte not to accuse the parentes for the defaultes of their children aunswered that it was neither the sinne of hym his father or mother but to the ende to shewe in him the wonderfull and maruellous workes of God The auncient Philosophers amongst others which haue serched the secrets of Nature haue declared other greate causes of this wonderfull and monstrous childbearing which Aristotle Hypocrates Empedocles Galene and Plinie haue referred to an ardent and obstinate imagination which the Woman hath whylest she conceiues the childe whiche hath such power ouer the fruite that the beames and Charrecters continue vpon the rocke of the infante wherevpon they finde an infinite number of examples to proue the same woorthy of memorie the which albeit may séeme but iestes or fables if the authoritie and truth of those which write them were not their sufficient warrant And for a further certaintie therof Damascenus a graue â–ª author doth assure this to be true that being present with Charles the .iiij. Emperoure and king of Boeme there was broughte to him a maide rough and couered with haire like a beare the which the mother had brought forth in so hideous and deformed a shape by hauing too much regarde to the picture of S. Iohn cloathed with a beasts skinne the which was tyed or made fast coÌ„tinually during hir conception at hir beddes féete By the like meanes Hippocrates saued a princesse accused of adulterie for that she was deliuered of a childe blacke lyke an Ethiopian hir husbande being of a faire and white complexion which by the persuasion of Hippocrates was absolued and pardoned for that the childe was like vnto a Moore accustomably tied at hir bed Reade of this in Genesis vpon S. Hieroms questions without musing or being curious to bring in the testimonies of Philosophers other doctors verifying the same by the authoritie of Moyses the greate prophete and secretarie of GOD in the thirtith Chapter of Genesis where he plainely sheweth howe Iacob deceiued Laban his father in lawe and therby enriched himselfe with his cattayle hauing pilled a rodde and put the beastes to drinke to the ende the Goates and Shéepe beholding the diuersitie of the colours of this rodde might bring forth their litle ones marked with sundry seuerall markes Besides these causes spoken of before of the generation of Monsters the beste learned in the secretes of Nature haue yet assigned vs others for Empedocleus and Dephilus do attribute the same to come of the superabundance or defaulte and corruption of the seede and wombe wherof they preferre diuers similies by the disposition of sundry mettals and other things which melts and yeldes with the heate of fyre or sunne for if the matter or substance which a man goes about to melt be not wel boiled purified and confected or the moulde be not well cast the image or effect of such worke will appeare imperfect hideous and deformed The Astrologians as Alcabitius haue referred these monsters to the influeÌ„ce of the starres iudging that if the Moone be in certaine degrées and coniunctions when the woman conceyueth hir frute shalbe monstrous Euen so Iulius Maternus writeth after him very learnedly the lawyer Alciates vpon the title and signification of these wordes and matters that sometimes these monsters be engendred of the corruption and filthie vnsauorie meates as burning coales mannes flesh and other like things that women desire after they haue conceyued the which is very contagious and hurtfull to their fruite whereof we haue a notable example in Leuinius Lemnius in his first boke of the hidden Secrets of Nature in a certaine Matrone of Belges great with childe of two infants who lusting to eate the flesh of a faire boy whome she beheld at vnwares and fearing he wold refuse hir demauÌ„d being pressed without measure of that vnruly appetite fel
for three dayes after the tempest when he demaunded with greate feare whether the worlde stode still or not To conclude there was neither temple chapel nor other place of sanctuarie frée froÌ„ the furie of this tempest nor any corner of the towne dispensed withall for his malice the same raging indifferently vpon the whole citie leauing it so tottered and defaced that if there were paine in enduring the afflictions there is no lesse cause of pitie nowe to remember so greate a desolation Neither is it inough for the contentment of the reader nor sufficient to the discharge of my intent to preferre as it were paterns and familiar experience of these monstrous quarels skirmishes of the aire and Element aboue if in some sorâ—e I make you not priuie to the causes and motions of the same â–ª Whereof for a first authoritie Aristotle in his Metheors and bokes of the worlde giueth this reason There be .ij. sortes of vapors sayth he which ascend coÌ„tinually from the earth into the ayre wherof the one is hot moist and withal very massy and heuy which makes a stay of theÌ„ in the middle region of the ayre wher they are conuerted into a heauy thicknesse or grosse corruption and in the ende dissolued into watrie humoures as raine haile snowe and other like the other exhalations deriued of the humoures of the earth and drawne vp by the violence of the aire be of a more drie and hotte disposition which makes theÌ„ lighter in weight y â— same procuring them to a higher MouÌ„t euen to y e vttermost regioÌ„ where the extremitie of the heate forceth them to a fierie flame wherof procéede those blasing Cometes dragons and other like wonders in the Element whiche stirre vp an amaze in the people being ignorant of the cause And if it happen that those drie vapoures get place within any cloude they do so pierce and penetrate the most subtil part of it that there is forced a present vent which is the lightning and tremblyng of the heauen from the vehemencie of which conflict within the cloudes doe procéede the thunders and ratling of the skies in such sorte that it séemeth most often that the noyse is in the ayre and the trembling in the earth And yet be not all tempestes and stormes of wether referred altogether to causes naturall albeit it be the opinion of Aristotle and by him very diligently serched for that at certaine times diuels and euill spirites whose dominion and power as S. Paule writeth is chiefly in the ayre â–ª doe stirre vp and breede such monstrous motions when God is contented to giue them that libertie which is very well approued by diuers examples â–ª as well of prophane as sacred recorde And first of all in Iob wher Sathan hauing obteined as it were a licence or saufe conduict of the Lorde consumed by tempeste and fire the seruantes and cattail of the Prophete the like being also in experience amongst the Ethnikes for that according to diuerse of their recordes of credite at such time as the temple of Hamon of so great estimation among the Lybians flourished Sathan abused the people by many false miracles and sleightes of slender substance making them worship him vnder the form and figure of a Belier or by which meanes hauing heaped together an infinite treasure and Cambyses king of Persia sendyng hys armie to spoyle it and sacke the temple the Diuell stirred vp suche stormes and angrie motions in the Element of thunder and lightenings that the furie and flame thereof consumed and smoothered aboue Fiftie Thousande persons Plinie also with diuers others of the auncients affirme that the Hetrurians did so curiously obserue and marke the signes and motions in the Thunders that they did not only calculate of the successe but also gaue iudgement of the effect of diuers things and séemed able as it were by a predestination and forewarnyng appearing in these misticall influences of the Heauens to determine and appointe the very day of the death and lyfe of sundry greate estates for example wherof not long afore the fatall day of the Emperor Augustus Cesar the thunder had defaced the fyrst letter of his name as it stode engraued vpon a piller within the wall whiche the Augurers construed to a spéedie destruction of the emperour and that hée had but a hundred dayes to liue the rather bicause C being taken away ther rested but Esar which signifieth in the Hetrurian tong God and the Romains by the letter C accompte an hundred so that they both agréed that by the stroke of that thunder taking away C was figured the death of Cesar that within the hundreth day he shoulde be with the Gods Whiche chaunced accordingly for that the day of his death agréed with the sentence of their prediction A thing sure of great wonder the rather for that therein appeareth a maruellous power and subtiltie of the Diuell who by his Arte séemeth to discouer and prognosticate the deathe of so greate an Emperoure Aristotle wyth dyuers others of exquisite skill in the studie and reuelation of suche mysteries haue diuided the effectes and operations of those Lightenings and Thunders into thrée degrées the one burneth and consumeth all that commeth wythin hys power the other scorcheth and maketh blacke euery thing it toucheth the thyrde excéedeth them all in naâ—ure and qualitie and is almoste vtterly vnknowen to all the Philosophers for that it drayneth and dryeth vp the Wyne or other lycour wythout hurtyng the vessell or gyuyng it any vent howe close so euer it be it is of suche subtile force that it pierceth thorough euery thyng it melteth Golde and Syluer in the bagge without hurtyng the pursse it burneth and consumeth the apparell withoute touche of harme to any parte of the body that weareth them it smoothereth also the childe vnborne wythin the wombe wythout doyng harme to the mother whereof the chiefest reason wée haue of Recorde is broughte in by Cardanus in hys fyrste Booke de Subtilitate and his fourth boke de Varietate rerum wherein are described at large certayne causes and occasions of those thyngs And touchyng the examples I haue alleaged albeit they séeme straunge and wonderfull for the effect of Thunder yet are they of vndoubted truthe Besides wée haue read and also séene in oure tyme many valyaunt men put in feare wyth Thunder and dyuers greate personages broken in pieces murdered and slaine by such kinde of death The Pope Alexander celebratyng hys Masse on Easter day at Syenna and the diuell belyke pronouncing the passion or rather communicatyng with hys Papisticall ceremonies as he was vpon thys worde or clause of Consumatum est beholde suche a sodaine noise in the cloudes and opening of the Element beganne to houer and pierce into the Temple with such terrour that the Pope beyng dryuen to take day in perfourmyng the residue of hys prayers habandoned the Churche lefte his booke vnshutte for haste and forsooke his Cope and surplesse to make
were assembled in one and blew with maine force against the saile and yet after he hath left off to holde the shyp she moueth and saileth as before biside in this little fishe is discerned a fatall prognostication wherein she séemeth to giue vs some forewarnyng of the euils that are like to befall vs. For did she not stay the Embassadors ship of Periander and also the barke of Caius Caesar who soone after was killed at Rome séemyng thereby in hir kinde to take pitie of the missehappe wherevnto she sawe hym predestinate the whiche is all in effecte that Adamus Louicerus wryteth of this fyshe I knowe againe that Aristotle Plinie and others doe gyue vnto hir sundry other propreties as to serue in speciall vse in matters of loue to drawe children from the wombes of their mothers wyth other lyke qualities whiche accordyng vnto their small credite I doe passe ouer for thys tyme. Plutarch in Symposiacis .2 problem .7 searcheth the reason why that thys fyshe doth stay shyppes whiche shall also gyue ende vnto the description of hys Wonders And bicause the Reader maye be fully satisfied touchyng the maruelles of the Waters wée wyll nowe enter into the treatie of a chiefe membre thereof the same since the creation of the Worlde vntill this age hauyng muche troubled the Philosophers and other learned men by the curious searche to knowe whether there haue bene in the sea Seamen Tritons Nereides and other lyke Monsters carying the figure of man whyche in tymes paste the Auncientes doe witnesse to haue séene in Flouds Ryuers Fountaines Rockes and Lakes Those whyche haue persuaded them selues that there is none suche iustifie their opinyon by the authoritie of the Scripture whych makyng no mention of such thyngs affirmeth absolutely that the earth is the onely house and tabernacle of man wherein he is to remayne and kéepe hys residence vntill that it please the Lorde to call hym home as the Prince or Capitayne dothe by the Souldiour that he putteth in hys Garryson Those whyche defende the contrary doe preferre the Experience and wytnesse of so many learned persones whose grauitie and wysdome woulde not leaue to a generall posteritie their bookes full of suche vanities and dreames to entertayne the children parentes friendes and vniuersally all suche as shoulde come after them in errour Besides say they it is no lesse impertinent to beléeue that there bée Men monsters in the sea than to giue faith to those that write that there be wooddy Nimphes Satyres and other sauage Monsters approued for trouthe by some of oure Ecclesiasticall writers lyke as also the other is gyuen oute for a matter of faith by sundry menne of credite who haue séene them wyth their eyes Pausanias amongest other of the auncientes dothe affirme that hee hathe séene at Rome a Triton And those which haue recorded the chronicles of Constantinople wherof one parte concerneth the state of Europe write that in the .29 yeare of the Emperour Mauritius the prouost of Delta in Egipt walking amongst other people against the rising of the Sunne was astonished when he sawe vpon the banke of the floud of Nile two creatures bearyng the figure of humanam figuram wherof the one that did most resemble a man séemed of fierce and stoute regarde with a curled haire standing ryght an ende and oftentymes in their presence woulde shewe hym selfe aboue the water to the secrete partes and then sodainly sinke agayne into the water vnto the nauell giuing as it were to knowe vnto the people that for a dutie and reuerence to nature he sought to couer the rest Whiche mouing suche indifferent maruel and feare to the Prouost and rest of his companie that they adiured hym in the name of God that if he were any wicked spirite he shoulde retire to the place ordeined for hym by his creator but of the contrary if he were one of those whiche were created for the glorye of his name that he woulde make some aboade there for the contentment of that poore people so desirous of suche a straunge sight This creature bounde as it were by the vertue of this coniuration remained long amongst them Immediatly after which tyme chaunced a sighte no lesse straunge than this it was an other creature representing the forme and shape of a Woman who began to cutte the waues and approche the banke of the Ryuer hauyng a great bush of haires dispersed a white face and of plesant regard hir fingers and armes wel proporcioned hir dugs somewhat rounde and bigge shewing hir selfe in this order namely vntill the nauell the reste with a lyke reuerence to nature as the other she concealed within the waues And after these two creatures hadde long delited the eyes of the people with their sight they gaue place to the darknesse of the night and vanished away without euer being séene afterwarde Wherof after the Prouost hadde taken witnesse of the assistants he dispatched immediatly a messanger to the Emperour Mauritius with the newes Baptiste Fulgose writeth a like historie of a Sea monster which was séene of a numbre of men in a certaine port or hauen of the sea in the time of Eugenius the fourth This monster sayth he was a man of the sea who hauing left the water made a roade vpon the land and caught a childe as he disported hym selfe vpon the banke which being desirous to cary with hym into the sea hée was so speedily pursued with men and hurte with stones that he was not only forced to leaue his pray but also had muche to doe to recouer the water his figure resembled the fourme of a man sauyng that hys skynne was like the sloughe of an Eele and had two little hornes on his head he hadde on eyther hande but two fyngers and his féete dyd ende like two little tayles and on his armes he had two little winges as a balde Mouse hath Conradus Gesnerus writeth that there was séene at Rome in the great riuer a sea man or monster of the sea Theodorus Gaza a man learned and as well studied as any of our time writeth that on a tyme when he was in Greece vpon a certaine coast of the sea after the rage of a wonderfull tempeste hauyng taken vpon the shoare a good quantitie of fishe he sawe amongest certaine other wonderfull thinges a Mermayde or fyshe hauyng the face of a woman fully perfect in euery thing requisite in Nature vnto the wast from which part dounward she caried the forme of a fishe finishing in the tayle like an Eele euen as we sée them ordinarily drawne by the painter This Mermayd as it is written was vpō the grauell or sande and shewed by hir iestes and countenances to suffer suche passions as the sayde Theodore Gaze moued to pitie considering that she had a desire to returne to the sea tooke hir and conueyed hir into the water Plinie lykewise writeth that in the time of the Emperor Tyberius the inhabitants of Lysbona a towne in Portingal sent
the whiche meanes we iudge to sée diuers sunnes We maye also sée the lyke in a table wel painted and polished which when we behold there appeareth to vs the shape of two or .iij. being but one in dede and as much we may say of y e Moone Thus haue we declared the very true causes wherfore appere so often .ij. or .iij Sunnes Moones let vs therfore now from henceforth search in nature the cause and beings of these things and stay no more at these fripperies deceiptes and dreames of the Astrologians iudicials who therby haue so oftentimes deceiued begiled vs that they oughte and deserue to be banished exiled from all cōmon wealths well gouerned for what trouble perplexitie and terrour haue they engendred in the consciences of a numbre of poore people As for example in the yere 1514. when they feared not with obstination to publishe openly in all places that there shoulde be in the moneth of February well nigh an vniuersall floud for that the coniunction of all the planets were in the signe of Pisces and notwithstandyng the day which should haue brought forth these waters was one of the moste faire and temperate days of the yere albeit many great personages fearefull of their prophecies made prouision of bisket flower ships and other like things propre to sayle withall fearyng to be surprised and drowned wyth the greate abundance of water whiche they before had tolde of Lette vs further from henceforth learne with Henry the .vij. king of Englande who reigned in oure tyme makyng no accompt of theyr deceytes but chastised their dreame who vpon the sodaine beyng made to vnderstande that one of the moste famous Astrologians of Englande had published in all places that he had found amongst the most hidden secretes of Astrologie that the King shoulde die before the next feast of Christmas commaunded that he should be brought before hym who after he had asked hym whether this talke were true and that the prognosticator had answered him that it was certaine and that he had founde this infallible in his constellation and natiuitie I pray thée then sayde the King tell me where the starres tell thée thou shalte kéepe thy Christmas this yeare To whom he answered he shoulde be in hys owne house with hys familie but I knowe very wel sayd the King that thy starres be lyers for thou shalt neither sée Moone Sunne Starres heauen nor thy familie this Christmasse putting hym presentely in the moste straight darke prison in the great tower of London where he continued till the feast was past Here you may sée how this true Astrologian was vsed remayning prisoner in extreme misery vntil after the feast kept of the natiuitie of Iesus Christe ¶ A wonderfull Historie of Flames of fyre which haue sprong out of the heades of diuers men CHAP. xxj IF there were but one onely Authour which had made mention of the Historie followyng although the truthe therof be sufficiently proued for whiche cause I haue the rather at this time placed it in these my wōders as a chiefe argument or coniecture in nature whereupon may be founded the cause notwithstanding seing so many learned men haue busied themselues to write therof together with so greate a number of faithfull authors witnessing the same in their works we ought the rather vpon their credite to beleue that whiche they haue sayd therin Titus Liuius in his thirde booke and thirde Decade Cicero in his seconde boke De diuinatione Valerius the great in his first boke and .vj. chapiter Frontinus in his secōd boke and .x. chapiter write that after the Scipions were surprised by their enimies and ouerthrowē and killed by the Spanyards and that Lucius Martius a Romaine knight making an oration to his souldiers exhorting to reuēgement they became astonished to see a great flame of fire issuing from his heade without doing to him any hurt which caused the armed men being moued with the sight of thys wonderfull flame to take heart and run so furiously vpon their enimies that they not onely killed xxvij thousande but also had a praie of a great number of captiues besides an inestimable riches they toke from the Carthaginiens Neither haue such fantasticall fyres sprong from the bodies of certaine men or appeared in one only but in many Wherof the same author Titus Liuius writeth in his first boke of things worthy of memory sithens the foundation of Rome the like to happen to Seruius Tullius who succéeded in the imperial seate Tarquinius Priscus from whose heade being yet but yong and as he slepte they sawe issue a flame of fyre whervpon the Quéene Tanaquil wife to the foresayd Priscus affirmed to hir husbād that this flame promised to hym greate good honour and prosperitie whiche afterwards chaunced for he maried not onely hir daughter but after the death of hir husband hée was Kyng of the Romaines And Plutarche and others haue written the lyke of Alexander when he foughte against the Barbariens being in the moste heate of the skirmish they sawe him all on fyre whiche caused a maruellous feare and terrour to his ennimies Euen so I knowe a certaine Physition at this day who writeth of the lyke in diuers of his histories chauncing in our time to a nere friende of his in Italy not onely at one time but at many Whereof as Plinius not onely in an other place maketh mention of the ryuer Trasimenus whyche was seene all on fyre but also maketh a certain discourse of these wonderfull flames whyche be seene aboute the bodies of men Also Aristotle in hys fyrst boke of Metheores treateth in lyke maner But to tell you myne opinion therein I can not any wayes gather the cause or foundation eyther of the one or other althoughe I haue promised to shewe the causes and reasons whervpon these wonders procede and take their beginnyng For if we wyll saye they be made by Arte As we haue séene very often in oure tyme certaine Ruffians vomite and caste forth of theyr mouthes certayne flames of burnyng Fyre whiche Atheneus in the fyrst boke of the Dipnosophistes and fouretenth Chapiter doth witnesse whiche coulde not happen as I thinke to the Histories before mentioned for that it hath chanced to greate lordes vpon whome these wonders haue bene moste proued by which meanes they being attended vpon wyth a greate numbre and multitude of persones the fraude thereof was easlyer discouered Wherefore it is moste expediente then to beléeue that they be wonders and deceytes of Sathan who was so familiar in the worlde passed that he inuented dayly newe wonders as is wytnessed in Exodus of the Magitiens of Pharao whiche conuerted Maydes into Serpentes and floudes of water into bloud whyche be matters as difficulte as to make flames of fyre issue or come from the bodies of men ¶ A Historie very notable of Prodigeous Loues CHAP. xxij I Am ashamed and almoste confused in my self that I must declare the wonderfull loue