the best of al the Country of the Cantons The scituation of it was on the side of a hill lying East and West in so fertile a place that they had continually 3. crops in a yeare of one peece of groūd There was not any poore or beggar amongst them but euery one euen to the meanest liued honestly by that that he had and his owne labor beeing simple people industrious and estranged from the euill practises of vsury strifes in Law according to the testimony of al their neighbors It is reported the ruine was so suddaine that no Canon can sooner discharge a shot thē al this was executed Diuers haue testified that a farre off they sawe some 20. persons the most parte women and Children that running downe the hill for to saue themselues were in a moment ouertaken beaten downe and couered ouer with earth There were some among them but the greater part women and children because the men were most of them at worke in the field Amidst this visitation GOD vsed such mercy that there was not any house wherin remained not some one man or child aliue Besides the terrible noise which the earth made rouling along with a mixture of haile stones flying in the aire a great sort of sparks of fire were seene a grosse thick Cloude whence issued an exceeding filthy smell of sulphure At last this inundation of earth stayed it selfe against 2. houses that ioyned togither which were couered vp halfe way the walles without any further harme besides the which there remaines 7. or 8. other houses with as many Granges and a few barnes Extractedout of the Annotations and Obseruations vpon I. du CHESNES great Mirror of the world On the fift day of September beeing Saterday 1590. according to the ancient computation and an houre before Sunne set the earth began to shake in Austria Morauia Bohemia Misnia Silesia and Lusatia But a little after to witte betweene twelue and one of the clock at midnight this Earth-quake began againe thorow all the Prouinces aforesaid with a meruailous shaking and most of all in Vienna the capitall Cittie of the Arch-dutchy of Austria where the toppe of the great steeple of Saint Stephens Church was so shaken that a number of mighty huge stones fell downe from it vpon the roofe of the Church and the whole frame of the said steeple was moued with such vehemencie that they were faine to new repaire it Another steeple by it wherein hangs one of the greatest Bels in Europe was like-wise shaken Not farre from the Scottish gate the Steeple of a Church was ouer-throwne and the Church it selfe was so cleft in sunder that they were forced to take it downe It happened at the same time that a certaine Butcher which vsed to lye a nights in his stall fast by that Scottish gate vpon a suddaine felt his stall beaten downe with the stones that tumbled on it in very great aboundance without receiuing any hurt or so much as once touched with those stones in any part of his body Contrarilye the Sunne an Inne in the Citty was dashed all to peeces with the fall of a steeple that stood by it And diuers persons were brained namely the Mistresse of the house her Daughter and Mother two rich Merchants that had fiue thousand Crownes in gold found about them the Poste of Lintz and three other men whose bodies at length were drawne forth from vnder the ruines Besides this Saint Michels steeple a Church of the Iesuits and the pinacles of Saint Laurence and Saint Iohns Churches fell downe There was neither building bulwarke Church nor house within the walles of Vienna which was not shaken crakt broken or in some sort damnified by this earth-quake All the inhabitants got them out of the Citty with all speede and went into gardens and other voyde open places In a village not farre from Vienna called Hernalsi the Church and diuers houses fell downe Asmuch happened in the towne of Oula another village named Siegeitzkirchen had the Church the parsonage house and the walles of the Church-yard ouerthowen Pixendorf another village was quite and cleane cast downe In like manner Pfasfensted the Castle of Iudenow newe builded from the ground but three yeares before and another called Sitzberg were so shaken that no body durst dwell in them a long time after In other places diuers persons were hurt and killed with the ruines of houses Two miles from Vienna a Mill that stood on the water was hoisted vp and throwne a good way of vpon the dry Land and a great sorte of fish were cast vp on the banks of the same riuer A little beneath Vienna the ground opened whence issued such a stinking pestilent vapor that the inhabitants about it were not able to endure it The ouerture was foure foote broade very long and so deepe that it could not bee sounded In Morauia Bohemia and other Countries adioyning this earth-quake continued many daies but not altogither so violent I. HEDERY in his oration of the earth-quake in Austria It is obserued that this terrible earth-quake which killed well neere all the garrison in the Castle of Canisium in Hungary fell vpon the verie same day that Pope VREAN the seauenth was elected who held the Romaine Sea but ten dayes D. CHYTREVS in his Chronicle of Saxony pag. 872. Of Valour THE number of valiant men in our time and of their braue explots is verie greate The following volumes shall ◅urnish diuers examples here we will note some with an intent not to forget the rest for the present we offer a medley of histories A Portugall Ladie being imbarked in the yeare 1520. with two of her Brethren called IOHN and ARIAS COCILLO and a fisherman named ANTHONY GRIMALDI conducted in a Caruel by certaine marriners being at sea they were set vpon by a fregat of Pirats eight whereof hauing grappeled with the Caruell leaped into them But IOHN ARIAS and ANTHONY runne and defend themselues in such sort as they kill foure of the Assaylants and force the rest to retire with more speede then they had entred In the meane time the Marriners goe on their course and leaue the fregate farre behinde them The Pirats vnderstanding by them that were escaped that there were but three Combatants in the Caruell and that the rest were but women and Marryners they beganne to rowe vp withall their force and graple againe with the Caruell then sixeteene of them well armed leape in by the prowe the two Brethren make head against them with great resolution ANTHONY ioynes with them hauing no other armes but a hatchet in his right hand and a Marriners wasecoate about his left arme The incounter was very sharpe and had beene greater if their number had beene equall In the end the Pirats hauing lost most of their men retire with the remainder into their frigate Whilest they were thus in fight some of the Pirats leaped in by the Poupe but they were repulsed by the Marriners
search out some 30. persons all which dyed by the Hangmans Sword onely one was cast aliue into boyling water for that they had receiued presents and money Most of them were great Noble-men and very familiar with the Duke The rest were Marchants of Nowgart with their Wiues Children and Families beeing accused of treason in fauour of the King of Poland Within fewe dayes after a horrible plague entred the Cittie of Moscow and the Countrie about it with such vyolence as in lesse then foure moneths there dyed aboue two hundred and fiftie thousand persons And it was particularly obserued that in eyght dayes from the tenth to the eighteenth of August there dyed 2703. Priests and this Plague continued so strangely as in the ende euery man did wonder if hee mette with any one of his acquaintance as then aliue This extreame misery was followed the yeare after with a strange ruine the 15. of May. The occasion was that the Emperour of the Tartares beeing malcontent that the Muscouite payd him no more a certaine annuall Tribute and hearing on the other-side that the great Duke by his tyrannies and murthers had so wasted his Countries as they could make no great resistance on that side hee did sommon him to paye his Tribute But the great Duke answered him with reprochefull speeches and scornes Where-vpon the Tartar left his Countrie about the end of February hauing an Armie of a hundred thousand Horse who in two moneths and a halfe marched almost fiue hundred Germaine Leagues Being within two dayes iourney of the Dukes frontiers hee resolued to meete them giuing them Battaile but he lost it with a horrible route and slaughter of his men The Duke knowing that the Tartar would seeke after him fledde with great speed as farre off as hee could Hee was but nine Leagues from Moscow when as the Tartares came to inuest the Towne thinking him to bee there They fiered all the Villages about and seeing that the Warre would prooue too long for them they resolued to burne this great Cittie or at the least the Suburbes thereof Hauing to that end disposed of their troupes round about they set fire of all parts so as it seemed a circle on fire Then did there rise so vyolent a winde as in an instant the Towne was fired This fire was so sodaine as no man had any leisure to saue himselfe but where hee was at that very instant The number of them that were burnt in this fire came to aboue two hundred thousand the which happened for that their Houses were all of Wood and the pauementin the Streetes was of great Sappin Trees the which being Oylie made the fire the more violent so as in foure houres space the Towne and Suburbes were quite consumed I and a young-man of Rochell my Interpretor were in the middest of the fire in a ware-house all vaulted of Stone wonderfully strong the Walles beeing three foote and a halfe thicke and had vent but of two sides one by the which they went in and out the which was a good long entrie and had three Yron doores distant some sixe foote one from an other On the other side there was a window hauing three Yron dores one halfe a foote from an other which vents wee did stoppe on the in-side as well as wee could yet there came in so great a smoake as it had beene sufficient to haue smothered vs if wee had not had a little Beere where-with wee did some-times refresh our selues Manie Noble-men and Gentle-men were smothered in Caues whether they retyred them-selues for their houses beeing made of great Trees comming to sincke sodenly smothered them all Others beeing consumed to Ashes stopt all vent so as for want of ayre those that were shutte in perished The poore Country-men twentye miles about who had saued them-selues there with their Cattell seeing the fire retyred them-selues into a great voyde place in the Cittie which was not paued with Wood as the rest were yet they were all so roasted there as one of the tallest men seemed but a Childe the heate of the fire had so shrunke them vp and that by reason of great houses that were about it They were the most hideous and fearefull things to see that could bee imagined In many parts of that place men lay vpon heapes aboue halfe a Pike thick the which did wonderfully amaze mee not beeing able to comprehend how they should bee heapt so one vppon an other This horrible fire made most part of the battlements of the walles to fall and splitted all the ordinance that lay vpon the walles which were made of Bricke after the Anticke fashion with-out any Rampars or Ditche about it Many hauing saued themselues about the walles were notwithstanding roasted among others there were manie Italiens and Wallons of my acquaintance Whilest the fire continued it seemed to vs that a Million of Cannons thundred togither and we drempt of nothing but of death thinking that the fire would continue some daies by reason of the great circuit of the Cittie Casâ—…ell and Suburbes But all this was consumed in lesse then foure houres at the ende whereof the noise ceasing wee had a desire to see if the Tartares were entred of whome wee had no lesse feare then of the fire They bee people made for the Warre and yet they eate nothing but rootes or some such substance and drinke nothing but water and the greatest Lords among them liue vpon no thing but vpon flesh that is sodden betwixt the horse-backe and the saddle wherein hee rides yet they are stronge men apt to endure paine and so are their horses which runne wonderfull swiftly and goe more ground in one daie feeding but vpon grasse then ours will doe in three though they haue store of oates And therefore the Tartares come easily from farre to assayle the Muscouits but they come onelie in Sommer for the commoditie of their horses Their Countrie is temperate from whence they depart in the ende of February to bee in Moscouie in the beginning of Iune and they returne in the ende of it into their Countrie least they should bee surprized with Winter in Russia the which happening they should all die of hunger by reason of the desartes conteyning aboue 300. Germaine Leagues not inhabited and therefore without all releefe of victuells and their horses also hauing no grasse so as they are forced to make this voiage Which is aboue 1200. Germaine Leagues in foure or fiue monethes withall their armie the which doth commonly consist of a 150. or 200. thousand horse but their horse-men are ill armed carrying no other armes but a shirt of maile with a Iauelin and a bowe and aâ—…rowes they knowe not what artillery nor Harguebuzes meanes hauing but two Citties whereas their Emperor keepes his Court without any other Townes villages or houses but they content them-selues to liue in Tentes which they remooue from place to place To returne to our miserie hauing listened a little we might heare
prodigious fol. 504 I IElousie horrible fol. 292 Impiety punnished fol. 296 Imagination fol. 296 Impostures notable fol. 304 Imprecations prophane and blasphemous speeches fol. 319 Iudgement rashly deliuered fol. 333 Iudgement famous and remarkable fol. 339 Iudges no Iudges but most vniust and detestable fol. 345 Iustice. fol. 355 L LIght hurts prooued mortall fol. 89 Liberality fol. 358 M MAns body hardned and become a stone fol. 127 Man before Age. fol. 292 Magnanimity fol. 361 Mariages secret and vnequall vnfortunate fol. 362 Mariage lamentable and doulfull fol. 460 Melancolick madde frantike furious and enraged persons fol. 370 Memory and the excellency thereof fol. 406. Lost and recouered fol. 408 Mothers fertile in lignage issued from them fol. 411 Mothers vigorous and stronge fol. 412 Mother and Children preserued from death fol. 413 Murtherers discouered by strang means and punished fol. 415 Modesty singular in yeelding to a seuere censure fol. 444 Mocker mockt fol. 445 N NAture changed fol. 450 Nature wonderfull fol. 451 Nature recompensed diuers waies fol. 520 O Old Men. fol. 615 P PAine and the contempt thereof fol. 414 Persons that liued a long time without eating or drinking fol. 429. Passions of sorrow ioy iealousie feare and heauines fo 465 Periury punished fol. 503 Predictions fol. 509 Prisoners freed fol. 511 Processe ended by extraordinary means fol. 513 Progrostications dangerous ibid. R RAsh attempts punished fol. 77 Ransome wonderfull fol. 514 Rape miserable fol. 515 Rauishers punished by a valiant hand fol. 519 Resolutions generous and memorable fol. 526 Resemblance or likenesse of persons fol. 527 Ruines strang pittifull and wonderfull fol. 531. 532 Rashnesse miserable fol. 556 S SWallowers wherein is contained meruailous Histories of some that haue swallowed diuers strange things into the stomack and what hath insued fol. 78 Swallowers that haue beene in danger by things sticking in their throates and what pittifull accidents haue followed fo 82 Strang horrible and very pittifull Accidents fol. 113 Sleepers merueilous and wonderfull fol. 199 Sathan and his strange efficacy and power fol. 205 Spirits prodigious fol. 271 Sparkles of fire fol. 273 Sorceries Impostures strang illusions of sathan discouered fol. 542 Sweate bloudy fol. 555 T THeeues and murtherers fol. 101 Tooth of gold in the mouth of a Child of Silesia fol. 183 Thunder and lightning fol. 280 Theeues cunning and notable fol. 356 Turkish pillgrime strang and wonderfull fol. 501 Treasors found spoyled lost sought for againe vainely dangerously fol. 557 Traitors punished fol. 564 V VAlour fol. 574 Vanity fol. 587 Vanity of the world represented in state ibid. Vanity furions fol. 590 Visions strang fearefull and horrible fol. 620 Visions in the aire strang and wonderfull fol. 640 W WOman in child bed that abounded with milke fol. 19 Wounds cured fol. 90 Women that haue become Men. fol. 275 Wormes in mans body fol. 593 FINIS ADMIRABLE AND MEMORABLE Histories of our Time A strange accident of a yong Maide CORNELIVS GEMMA a Physick reader at Louvain in the ende of the fourth Chapter of his second booke of a worke intitled de diuinis Naâ—…urae Caracterismis settes downe an admirable History at large the which I will relate as briefly as I may A yong Maiden remaining saith he neere vnto mee whose Father was a Cooper beeing fifteene yeares old of a good constitution of Body fayre and of a good spirit of a melancholy complexion mixt with sanguin her Name was KATHERINE GAVLTHIER fell sicke and weake through diuers accidents About the month of Ianuary in the yeare 1571. her monethly termes aduanced twise or thrise but being staid presently through the vyolence of her infirmity they caused a great wearinesse ouer all her body It was suspected she had beene poysoned by a certaine Woman of an ill fame who had giuen her a peece of a Cake Eating it shee felt it painfull to swallow After the which she began to feele strange paines at her stomacke shee grew leane vomited sometimes her stomacke fayled her and she felt a dysinesse in her Head with other accidents which torment Women with Child especially in the 4. and 7. month For about mid Iune she was subiect to Feauers some kind of Convulsions Her paines did in like sort increase so as like a mad Woman shee tormented her selfe growing bigge pale short-winded and in the end she was so opprest with paine as she grewe blacke in the Face like one that had beene strangled She was so tormented as foure men could scarse hold her for casting her selfe from her bed to the ground there was no kind of Convulsion but did afflict her These panges hauing continued by fits vnto the 9. month her Parents began to flie vnto the Phisitians I was first called because I dwelt neerest But being from home they repayred to Maister BEAVSARD who considering of this disease thought she had beene troubled with VVormes It happened after many grieuous pangues that Nature working by her force made her to voyde a quicke Eele at her seege the which was presently brought vnto mee It was a very Eele great as a mans thombe and a foote and a halfe long with a good proportion and all parts perfect Three dayes before it came forth both the Mayde and those that were about her heard a great noyse and as it were a hissing in her belly And beeing come forth the Maide sayd That she had felt the Eele put forth her head before and drawe it backe againe and then to thrust forth sodainly and with violence This Eele remayning among the excrements seemed for a great space dead but beeing put into a pot of water it did stirre very strongly After the voyding thereof the extreme pangues which had so much tormented her began to ceasse But the Eele which they had ript and clensed being hanged vp whereas neither Cat not any other beast could reach it vanished in an instant Soone after the Maide began to cast vp great abundance of water the which I came to see beeing like vnto vrine and of a strange taste as the Patient sayde This vomiting continued 15. dayes in euery one of the which she voyded about 24. pounds waight of water at the mouth I report not these things by heare-say but for that I did see and toucht them with my hands I was no lesse amazed to see that besides this great abundance of water which she voyded at her mouth she made water in great abundance twise or thrise a daie without any swelling of her bellie or any other part of her bodie neither did shee drinke aboue one cup of VVine Beere or other liquor in a daie I asked her if she felt no payne in one of the Miseraicall veines She answered me that her left side had alwayes troubled her much since the voyding of the Eele and that before she had felt some heauinesse in that place but since she was troubled with great gnawing and pricking which made her to crie out when I did but
touch it with my finger After shee had vomited so much water she began to cast forth lumps of haire at her mouth some as long as a mans finger some more some lesse such as wee see fall from olde Dogges in great quantitie for certaine daies enough to haue stust whole dozens of Tennice Balles She cast them vp with great heauing at the heart and much paine falling one night into wonderful transies Hauing found her in a manner like vnto one that was readie to giue vp the Ghost and carefully obseruing all things beeing layd vpon her belly I did see her cast her selfe so so dainlayd from one side vnto the other as if she had not beene presently stai'd she had beat her head against the wall oragainst the bed post She held her hands so strongly together as it was impossible to open them Sometimes she beat her breast so violently as she was like to kill her selfe This fit continued from seuen of the clock at night vntill nine and then shee knew not any one Oftentimes as in the suffocation of the Matrix she grewe wonderfully red and seemed very weary and toyled with some beginning of a Feauer Once or twise she fomed about the mouth And an other time beeing in the extremity of her fit shee fell sodainly into a great laughter and then presently wept bitterly Being come vnto her selfe and falling presently into a long extasie she began in an instant to speake as if she had addressed her selfe vnto GOD holding her hands vp to Heaueh shee spake these words in effect O great GOD seeing thy beauty is so great and incredible how long shal we remaine here when wilt thou take mee out of this World that I may inioye thee hauing said thus as it were awaking and looking on them that were about her she said Which of you hath done mee this wrong to call mee backe into this valley of misery and into the prison of darkenesse when as I did rest so sweetly and did sport my selfe in the goodliest Gardens that could be immagined I do not thinke that a simple and ignorant Maide as this was could vtter such words but in extasie In the meane time she cast vp great lumpes of hayre mixt with much white matter and very thicke and somtimes like vnto the dung of Pigions or Geese In this abundance of filth appeared little peeces of wood and shreds of Parchment A little after she had an other vomiting of a matter as black as coles you would haue said properly it had beene Inke or rather coles beaten to pouder and mixt with water the which continued a good while two or three pounds euery day sometimes with such store of white haire long hard as it would haue made a good Ball. After two dayes she did vomit about two pounds of pure bloud as if a veyne had bene opened This monstrous casting continued a whole weeke comming still at a certaine houre and then the fits of the Epilepsie wherewith she was dayly tormented ceased the which notwithstanding continued sometime once in three dayes and in the end euery seuenth day In the meane time she did still cast haire but not so aboundantlie as before but blacker and shorter as if they had beene cut small and with it a slimie humour like vnto thick matter About the middest of September she did vomit great peeces of parchment halfe a spanne long like vnto the thicke and fleshie skinne of a mans body Afterwards she cast vp others that were thinner but all black In the end shee did vomit some that were very thinne but strong amongst the which there were three a foote long made in fashion of lozenges with strange markes and figures After these skinnes followed an infinite number of stones which shee did cast vp at a certaine houre euery night with great noise and sounding such as is heard in walles that are pulled downe some were thick others pointed vnequall in forme and of a darke coullour they were all small and yet such as they did still feare the maide would haue beene strangled some were couered with Chalke and cymented together in such sort as they might be sayd to haue beene pulled out of a wall Once in my presence she did vomit a pointed stone as big as two Chest-nuts This stone remained aboue a quarrer of an houre in her throate during the which she had no pulce nor respiration so as laying a light feather vpon her mouth it did not moue her hands and feete grew colde and her body stiffe as if it had beene an Image Thinking that she had finished her course and that paine had ended all her miseries I went out of the chamber saying that she was dead when as the Mother called me sodenly back againe saying that her daughter did stirre and opened her eyes As soone as I was returned she did cast vp this stone with great violence I did see it come forth and heard the noise thereof falling into a bason the which did amaze both my selfe and all that were in the Chamber At the same instant she did spit out a peece of wood as bigge as ones thombe but with lesse difficultie then the stone and withall some black haires but few There followed after an other accident almost incredible where-with the maide had almost beene choakt for shee did vomit vp a bone of a Triangle forme sollide without and hollow and spungious within The next day shee cast vp little boanes of diuers formes and proportions Amongst all these were seene stones and haire and then peeces of Glasse and Copper CORNELIVS GEMMA sets downe the remedies which he did apply and maintaines that part of her infirmitie grew by naturall causes and part by the Impostures and illusions of the Diuill who was a chiefe Agent in these accidents which wee haue reported This Historie is written by MARCELLVS DONATVS in his second Booke of his Admirable Histories of Phisicke the first Chapter A false accusation seuerely punished MAister IVLIAN TABOVE the Kings Atturney generall in the Parliament of Chambery being incensed for some admonitions that were made vnto him by the Court goes into the Countrie and ingageth his honor by an accusation which he framed against Maister RAYMOND PELISON President IOHN BOISONNE Priest LEWIS GAVSLERANT called ROZET GRAFFINS and other councellors of the said Court charging them with many corruptions and false-hoods vnder his hand both before the great Councell and the Parliament of Grenoble vpon thirteene Acts proceeding from the foresaid President PELISSON and the aboue named Councellors The first was a sentence giuen in the sayd Parliament of Chambery for the Count de la Chambre the 11. of May 1539. The second a decree for Maister ANDREVV PILLET the 13. of Iune the same yeare Other two decrees for the Bishop of Morienne the 19. of March and 20. of December in the yeare 1540. The 5. the admonitions dated the 11. 13. and 18. of Ianuary 1541. made and deliuered to the said TABOVE
killed her selfe with a Knife A day after a Butcher was slaine in a quarrell and two villages were quite burnt The 15. day of the same moneth the Keeper of S. Katherins forrest was found dead being shotte through with an Harguebuse The 17. a Gold-smiths man falling into dispaire drowned himselfe The night following many were wounded to the death in the streete I had forgot to note that the same eleuenth day of Ianuary when the Heauens did open about Ausbourg there happened such a change in the aire about Mickhuse in Bauicre and so great a light appeared in the night as it did obscure the light of Candles in their shops and houses so as for three houres space those which would worke had no need of any other light then that of Heauen Some moneths after the Heauens began to open in another part of Swau◅e out of the which there proceeded such aboundance of fire as many were striken dombe with feare there were some villages and small Townes burnt and quite ruined They did also see in the ayre certaine resemblances of Camels the which deuoured armed men In diuers dayes and moneths of the same yeare 1556. were obserued other apparitions as in February in the County of Bats there were seene in the ayre armies of foote and horse the which did incounter together furiously In September ouer a little Towne in the Marquisate of Branaebourg called Custerin about nine of the clocke at night they did see infinite flames of fire comming out of the ayre and in the middest two great burning Cheurons In the ende there was a voice heard crying Miserie Miserie vnto the Church Wee haue sayd before that in the yeare 1536. there had beene seene in the ayre in Spaine a Combate of two young men VVLFGANG STRANCH of Nuremberg writes that in the yeare 1556. ouer a Towne in Hungarie the which he calles Babatcha there was seene the 6. of October a little before Sunne rising the resemblance of two naked boyes fighting in the ayre with Cymiters in their hands and Targets vpon their armes Hee which carryed a spred Eagle vpon his shield did charge the other which carryed a Cressant so furiously as it seemed the body being wounded in many places did fall from the Heauen to the Earth At the same time and in the same place was seene a Raine-bow with his accustomed colours and at the end thereof two Sunnes Not farre from Ausbourg there was seene in the ayre a Combate betwixt a Beare and a Lion in December the same yeare And at Wittenberg in Saxony the 6. of the same moneth three Sunnes and a crooked clowd marked with blew and red stretcht forth like vnto a bowe the Sunne shewing pale and sad betwixt the Paralies or seeming Sunnes foure moneths before three Sunnes had beene seene betwixt Euschoin and Basill Touching the significations of all these apparitions I will not meddle with them Since that yeare many are obserued in diuerse climates of the world especially in Europe other wonders in the ayre euen vnto this present age whereof wee may make mention in other Bookes At this time we doe onely represent that which CONRADVS LICOSTHENE hath collected IOB FINCET MARC FRYTSCH and many others in his great volume De Prodigijs et Ostentis As for Comets showers of bloud prodigious hayle and other wonders of Heauen we will speake of them in their proper places Of some that haue lost all appetite of drinking and eating WE haue seene in some diseases the patients haue lost all appetite of eating and drinking in such sort as they tooke in a manner no sustenance Of this number was a Nunne in the couent of Saint Barbe at Delft who being falne sick of the Iaundise in the yeare 1562 continued in her bed six weekes together without eating or drinking All this time shee receiued no nourishment but some Kernells of Lymons the which she held in her mouth and did some-times suck The Father of this Couent led me thether not to minister Phisicke vnto her but to see her as a miracle by reason of her long abstinence but the next day after I had visited her she dyed That which I will adde is more worthy of admiration In the same Towne of Delft being accompanied by a Surgian I did visit a certaine sicke maide of seauen twenty yeares old a halfe it was in May 1556. after the age of sixteene yeares she had neuer come out of her bed hauing eaten euery day since that time but a little morcell of dried Cheese as her keeper had protested neither was it possible to make her swallow any liquor and yet she pist sufficiently she went not to the stoole but once in eight dayes More-ouer she was borne blind she fell to be full of the dropsie at the age of twenty yeares but this water vanished away and then shee had a sound in her belly like the noise of liue Frogges in great abondance accompanied with a strange rising and falling of her bellie so as do I what I could laying my hand vpon her belly it was heaued vp This motion did increase at the full Moone with great paines as also at the flowing of the Sea but at the wane of the Moone and the ebbing of the Sea shee found some ease This motion continued with her seauen yeares and euery tenth weeke shee had her Termes as her keeper did confesse vnto me Strange Appetites THere is no man almost liuing which knoweth not some particular Histories of the extraordinary appetites of certaine women with child for the which the learned Phisitions giue a reason We will report some Examples to incite the reader entring into the cōsideration of them and others that he shall call to minde to honor GOD in so many wonders without naming in particular the diuers sorts of these Appetites which are as variable as the countenances conditions of women that be with child I haue seene one who longing to bite a yong man by the nape of the necke and for that she had forborne a little to satisfie her furious desire she begā to feele gripings and exteame paine in her belly She therfore like a desperate woman leapes vpon this yong man gets hold of the nape of his necke and bites him so sore as he thought to haue died of it L. Viues in his Comment vpon the 7. Chap. de Cituit dei Chap. 25. My Mother bearing mee in her wombe an Appetit tooke her to eate Creueses She sent sodenly to seeke some and being impatient to haue them washt and made cleane she began to eate them rawe and aliue vntil that she had satisfied her desire Trincauelle lib. 7. Chap. 5. Of the meanes to cure diseases in mans body A Woman of Nisues beeing with Child and seeing a young man a Fuller of cloth bare legged shee came so neere him as with her teeth she laies hold of one of his Legges and carries away a peece of it He was content shee should vse
They enter mildly into discourse GRINEVS shewes him his errors grauely and plainely and puts him in minde what POLICARPVS a Disciple to the Apostles was accustomed to doe if he chanced to heare any vntrueth or blasphemy in the Church exhorting him in the name of GOD to thinke of his conscience and to leaue his erronious opinions The Preacher cuts him off short seeming to haue a desire to conferre more priuatly as hauing hast to goe home to his house He demands GRINEVS name and surname and his lodging in◅iting him to see him the next day to discourse more amply together and makes great shew to affect GRINEVS friendship adding that the publicke should receiue great profit by this their conference Moreouer he shewes GRINEVS his house who resolued to visit him at the houre appointed and so retires to his Inne But the Preacher distempered with his censure deuised in his thoughts a prison a Scaffold and death for GRINEVS who dining with many worthy men reported vnto them what speeches hee had had with this Preacher Therevpon one calls for Doctor PHILIP beeing set at the Table neere vnto GRINEVS who goes out of the Stoue and findes a graue olde man of a louely countenance well apparelled and vnknowne who with a graue and pleasing speech began to say That within one houre there would Officers come into the Inne sent from the King of the Romaines to carrie GRINEVS to prison The old man addes there-with-all a commandement to GRYNEVS to dislodge speedily out of Spire exhorting PHILIP not to deferre it And then the olde man vanished away Doctor PHILIP who hath reported this History In his Comentarie vpon the Prophet Daniel Chap. 10. addes these wordes I came vnto the companie and deliuered what the olde man had sayd vnto me willing them to rise from the Table Presently we crost the Market place hauing GRINEVS in the middest of vs and went directly to the Rhine which GRINEVS past speedily with his seruant in a Boate. Seeing him in safety we returned to the Inne where it was told vs that presently after our departure the Sergeants were come to seeke for GRINEVS GOD be praised who hath giuen vs his Angels for Gardiens that with more peacefull thoughts wee may doe our duties in the vocation where-vnto he hath called vs. In the yeare 1539. in the beginning of Iune an honest widow-woman charged with two Sonnes in Saxony hauing not where-with-all to liue in a time of great famine attyred her selfe and her Sonnes in their best clothes going towards a certaine Fountaine to pray vnto GOD to haue pittie of them and to releeue them Comming forth shee meetes with a graue man who salutes her courteously and after some speech hee demands of her if shee thought to finde any thing to eate at that Fountaine The woman answered Nothing is impossible to GOD. If it were not difficult for him to feed the Children of Israell forty yeares in the desert should it bee troublesome to nourish mee and mine with water Speaking these words with a great courage this man whome I holde to haue beene an Angell sayd vnto her Seeing thy faith is so constant returne to thy house and thou shalt finde three laden with meale shee rerurned and did see the effect of this promise Doctor ANDREVV HONDORF in his Theater of Examples In the yeare 1553. the 18. of Nouember it hapned at Sehilde a little Towne in the Diocesse of Torge that VRBAIN ERMTRAVT an inhabitant of that place hauing a deepe Well but halfe drie by reason of certaine stones that were falne out of the wall did bargaine with a Mason called VRBAIN HEMBERG to put those stones into their places Hauing fitted himselfe with peeces of wood and a scaffold in the Well he goes downe lower with a Ladder to take vp a Hammer which hee had left among the stones Hee was scarce gone downe but the earth and stones shake and fill vp the Well and couer the Mason who was at the foote of the Ladder All runne thether and hold the man to bee smothered adding that they must fill vp the Well and that should be his graue The Iustice resolued that they should pull out all this rubbish and ordaines that the Masons body should be buried among other Christians in the common Church-yard According to this decree they begin to worke the 11. of the same moneth About two of the clocke after noone the worke-men labour to drawe out a great stone and finding that it was hollow vnderneth they put downe a long pole to sound the depth They pricke the poore Mason on the nose with the end of this pole who beganne to crie and to intreate them to drawe him out The workemen hearing this confused sound labour with more courrage then before and about ten of the clocke at night they espie him standing right vp behinde the Ladder beeing vp to the knees in the myer Beeing all glad they prepare to drawe him forth But behold an other fall of Earth which couers him aboue the head Then euery man thinking that hee was dead was readie to leaue the worke but by the aduice and commandement of the Bourguemaster called IAMES le FEVRE they returne to their worke and hauing taken awaie the Earth about mid-night they finde him aliue and without anie hurt and drawe him out of the well Where hee had beene almost foure daies and foure nights without meate or drinke IOB FINCEL lib. 2. of the collection of wonders of our time In the yeare 1552. FRANCIS PELVSIEN a maker of Wels of the age of 60. years digging the 5. of February a Well at Liōs in a farme of LEVVIS d'HEXE on the side of St Sebastians mount towards the red Crosse this wel being made fortie foote deepe the earth falls and fills it vp The poore man beeing in the botome shrowds himselfe vnder aplanke by meanes whereof he was preserued from this heauy waight of earth which else would haue smothered him hauing some meanes to breath thrusting his fist into the Earth some-times to haue the more aire He continued thus couered in the botome seauen daies without eating satisfying his stomake with his vrine and hoping onely in GOD for his deliuery He cryed out sometimes for helpe but they heard him not yet hee heard them that walked and the noyse they made aboue yea the speaking of Men the striking of the clocke and the sound of Bels. The seuenth day when they thought to finde him dead and that they prepared his graue they that wrought heard his voice in the botome of the well which made them to hasten their worke hearing him to crie for helpe In the ende they descouer him and hauing made him to take a glasse of wine they drewe him out with a rope the which hee held lustely without bynding or the helpe of any person Beeing out and sound of Bodie and minde after that hee had giuen thankes vnto GOD hee opened his purse in the presence of manie and after
hee had counted his monie hee sayed merilie that hee had beene with a verie good Hostes seeing that in seauen daies hee had not spent anie thing Memoires de Lion There be many that escaping out of dangers are compelled by the consideration of strange euents to confesse that GOD hath deliuered them without the aide of any second cause Of many examples I will choose and recite one which is worthy of note The Dukes of Saxony FREDERICK the Elector and IOHN his brother went one day by bote along the riuer of Elba from Torque to Wittenberg The water was all couered ◅uer with great pieces of Ice newly broken Those pieces so ran against the boate and bruised it in such sort that assoone as the Princes were landed it split in two and sanke The Princes with great astonishment considering such a spectacle from the shoare and in what danger they had bin by reason of the greatnesse depth and fury of the riuer acknowledged that GOD had preserued the bote vntill such time as they were landed And hauing bin a long time in this consideration without speaking a word the Elector say to his Brother Let vs confesse that GOD hath preserued vs and therfore let vs giue him thanks for his assistance in this many other dangers But whereas you sawe the boate fall in peeces assoone as we were out of it verily I am affraied that our house of Saxony will go to ruine after the death of vs two PEVCER in his Commentary of the principall sortes of Diuinations book 1. Chap. 13. The yeare 1558. a meruailous thing happened at Mech◅rode in Almaigne confirmed by the testemony of diuers credible persons About 9. of the clocke at night a personage attyred in white and followed by a white dogge came and knocked at an honest poore womans dore and called her by her name She thinking it had bin her husband who had beene a long time in a farre Country ran presently to the dore This personage taking her by the hand asked her in whom she put all the hope of her saluation In Iesus CHRIST answered she Then he commanded her to followe him which she refusing to do he exhorted her to be of good courage to feare nothing that done he led her all night through a forrest The next day about noone hee set her vpon an exceeding high mountaine and shewed her things which she was neuer able to expresse Hee enioyned her to returne home and to exhort euery one to turne from their wicked waies adding that an horrible destruction was at hand and hee commanded her also to rest her selfe eight daies in her house at the end whereof he would come to her againe The day following in the morning the womā was found at the townes end and carried home to her house where she continued eight whole daies without eating or drinking When her neighbors and friends perswaded her to take some sustenance her answere was that being extreame weary nothing was so agreable to her as rest how within eight daies the man that had carried her forth would come againe and then she would eate As indeede it came to passe but afterward this woman stirred but little out of her bed sighing from the bottome of her heart and crying out very often O how great are the ioyes of that life and how miserable is this life Beeing demmanded whether shee thought the personage attired in white which appeared so vnto her to bee a good Angell or rather some euill spirit that had transformed himselfe into an Angell of light She answered It is not an euill spirit it is an holy Angell who hath commanded mee to pray incessantlie to GOD and to exhort both great and small vnto amendment of life If any one questioned with her concerning her beliefe I confesse sayd shee that I am a poore sinner but I beleeue that Iesus CHRIST hath obtayned me remission for all my sinnes through the benefit of his death and passion The Minister of the place testified the singular piety and humble deuotion of this woman adding that she was wel instructed and could yeeld very good reason for her religion IOB FINCEL in his 8. booke of Myracles c. In the yeare 1546. a great personage of Germanie hauing beene stayed three daies at Hale in Swabe by the furie and roughnesse of the Waters finally vrged by necessitie to passe ouer hee embarked himselfe in a small bote for to crosse the Riuer accompanyed with three of his Sonnes and a learned Diuyne his friend And seeing his bote readie to bee ouerwhelmed and himselfe and the rest drowned without any apparance of rescue full of faith and hope in GOD he sayd to his friend What triumph would Satan make thinke you and how glad would he be if we two and my three sonnes should bee drowned in this floud But hauing escaped the danger they came safe to land and that personage hauing taken order for certaine great affaires dyed within a while after very peaceably in the inuocation of the name of GOD. Maister ANDDEVV HONSDORFF in his Theater of Examples pag. 296. The yeare 1535. in a village of Silesia named Olst hapened the strangest and most furious tempest in the ayre that euer was seene for it made euen the strongest houses that were built of hewed stone to shake and ouerthrewe diuers One of the inhabitants of the Village named LAVVRENCE THOPHAROSKE hauing his house ioyning to the market place and being verily perswaded that the end of the world was come by reason the Element was all of a flame and that great flakes of of fire flew about shutte himselfe vp in his house and falling on his knees with his wife and children began to pray very earnestly vnto GOD and to sing Hymnes and Psalmes of repentance During these holy exercises a great clap of Tempest with a wonderfull violence tore away the vpper part of the house that was all of hewed Stone together with the roofe and flung it all to the ground without hurting either the Father the Mother or the Children But in another place this tempest did great harme for hauing ouer-throwne a Pinnacle of the Towne-house made all of great foure squared stone cimented and fastned together with Clampornes and barres of Yron fiue persons were slaine with the fall of the houses wherevpon this ruine lighted Whereas contrariwise three others and a Child lying in a little bed were preserued in another house vnder the same ruine and it being demanded of the Child that began to prattle who had holpen him in that danger hee lifted vp his little hand and pointed to Heauen M. AMBROSA MOI◅AN in his exposition of the 19. Psalm No-lesse horrible and dreadfull was another tempest that ranne ouer all the Country of Misnia vpon the 13. day of August 1559. Which thundring very strangely in the aire and ouerthrowing all that it encountred a certaine woman got her selfe with all speede into her Stoue with foure Sonnes shee had and
her maide And then turning her selfe vnto them shee sayd wee haue often heard tell of the last day but wee neuer regarded it till now we see it come which sayd they all fell downe on their knees calling vnto GOD for mercie Therevpon a furious gust of winde tore away the roofe of the house and tearing downe the walles brake the posts seelings and bords of the Stoue all to fitters But in the middest of this feareful tempest the Mother Children Maide remained safe and vnhurt although the timber stones flew as thick as hayle about their eares Satan seeming to bee in the middest of this storme and confounded by the feruent praier of the little flock darted a great beame of twelue foote long as though it had beene an arrowe flying in the aire with the ayde of a violent whirle-winde iust through the windowe of the Stoue at this poore company kneeling against a bench But the holie Angells turned it another way so that it lighted with terrible fury in a corner right against the fornace of the Stoue The same tempest ouerthrewe a Country-mans house vpon his wife and some of their neigbors which were in it at that time and yet they were neuer hurt with the ruine FINCEL in his 3. booke of the meruayles of our time IOHN SPAVGEMBERG Minister of Northuse going to an hot house according to the manner of the Germains and remayning there a good while with his Children bathing themselues assoone as euer they were gone out of it the place sanke and fell downe without hurting any body I MANLIVS in the first booke of his Collections Vpon Easter eue 1565. after horrible whirle-winds thunder lightning hayle and signes of fire in the aire a violent inundation of waters disgorged it selfe vpon a great village named Groesse in the dioces of Friberg in Misnia the torrents and streames wherof swelled with such fury in an instant that they ouer whelmed forty houses in that village without the losse of any creature saue one Childe There were many preserued as it were by miracle two Children with their mother were sound vntouched of the water vnder the ruines of a house in a heape of strawe also two others in a Cellar a nurse with her Childe leaning against a Ladder a blinde man in his entry and diuers others both great and small in high places which with-stood the fury of the water PH LONICER in his Theater of examples in the example of the 3. Commandement pag. 198. I knewe an honorable woman of singular pietie and modestie that some twenty yeares since through an extraordinary and long suppression of her tearmes was a great while and at times very sorely troubled in minde so that she was often determined to haue killed her husband sleeping and her selfe after One day her keeper being gone forth about some businesse shee rose out of her bed and in her smock ranne into a garden behinde her house where by a rope of the well which was seauen or eight fathom she let herselfe downe to the bottom and then by the same rope got vp againe and returned all wet to her Chamber hauing beene vp to the Chin in water Not long after seeming to be some-what better she walked abroad and carryed along with her a Son of hers that is now of very great hope but was then some 4. or 5. yeares old with full entent to drowne him and her selfe in a riuer that was thereby vnto the bridge whereof she made many iournies being still entertained with the Childes comfortable prattle Returning home againe within a while after shee was easily recouered namely by letting of bloud in the Saphena and taking of a gentle purgation After which she had 4. or 5. sweete Children She hath many times told me that in those accidents a man attired in white and of a very pleasing coūtenance appeared vnto her who tooke her by the hand and kindly exhorted her to trust in GOD. Being in the Wel som-what that was very heauy lying on her head and laboring to make her let go the rope for to plunge her ouer head and eares in the water so drowne her this same personage came vnto her tooke her by the arme holpe her to get vp againe which she could neuer haue done of her selfe He also comforted her in the garden and led her very gently to her Chamber where hee vanished away In like manner hee met her as shee was going towardes the bridge and followed her a loofe of vntill such time as she returned home Beeing thorough well shee desired nothing so much as leaue this world and her praiers da◅ely tended to that effect At length GOD heard her and about a moneth before her sicknesse whereof shee dyed going into the kitchen for to wash her handes and her face one of her eye teeth on the right side fell out of her head without any precedent or ensuing paine Wherevpon she went vnto her husband being in bed shewing him the tooth sayd vnto him husband the Lord calls me and it is the accomplishment of my desires O what an happy creature am I Her husband some what mooued there with endeuored notwithstanding to comfort her and falling of purpose into other talke arose went and prayed After that this honorable dame shewed her selfe alwaies merier to her husband and friends then before being graue and seuere to her children and was fairer and lustier then euer she had bin in seauentene yeares that she had liued a wife Towards the end of the moneth there being no apparance of any such matter as she was going to rise betimes in the morning according to her custome for to looke to a young child she had and to tend the affaires of her house shee was constrained to keepe her bed Wherevpon her husband comming in she put him in minde of her tooth and the speeches shee had vsed to him about it and therefore exhorted him to submit himselfe vnto the will of GOD. He being gon vp for to commend his deare moitie vnto him that neuer reiecteth the praiers of his seruants she tooke al her iewells and putting them vp in her purse sent them by her eldest Daughter to him and desired him to keepe them for her sake Hee came downe and gently rebuked her for this apprehension Oh husband sayd shee I haue no neede of any thing in this world for I am going to my GOD. O how blessed am I during her sicknesse which lasted twenty daies I was for the most part present with her beeing tied there vnto for diuers reasons Shee put mee in remembrance againe of that I haue declared before and from so many excellent deliuerances drewe an assured argument of her saluation The day of her decease approching she began to smile and being demanded the cause thereof by mee shee answered softly in mine eare I see my man O how beautifull he is then crying out shee said Stay for mee stay for me All the while
good and heauenly inspiration seeing hee spake so holylye and deuoutly of the excellencie of Christian religion Although the sicke man knew well that these admonitions proceeded from a sincere and true heart yet for that hee had diuerse times reiected them hee began to frowne saying vnto the Bishop You beleeue as I thinke that I doe willingly nourish this obstinacie in my minde and that I take delight in this vehement passion of despaire If you bee of that opinion you are deceiued I will tell you to the ende you may knowe my resolution that if I could bee perswaded that the iudgement of GOD might by any meanes bee changed or mitigated for mee it should not greeue me to bee tormented ten thousand yeares with the sharpest paines of Hell so as I might haue any hope of rest after this long sufferance But euen in that whereby you doe exhorte me to gather some hope I see all meanes of health and pardon taken from mee For if the testimonies of holye Scripture haue any authoritie as they haue doe you thinke that IESVS CHRIST hath sayd in vaine That he which hath renounced him before men hee will renounce him before his heauenly Father doe you not see that it concernes mee and that it is as it were particularly verified in my person what shall become of him whom the Sonne hath disauowed before his Father when as you say that wee must hope for no saluation but in IESVS CHRIST Therevpon hee did expound certaine passages of the Epistle to the Hebrews and of the second Catholike Epistle of Saint Peter out of the which hee drewe terrible conclusions against himselfe Wee cannot beleeue with what grauitie and vehemencie his wordes were deliuered neyther was there euer man heard pleading better for himselfe then SPIERA did then against himselfe Hee did alledge notable things of GODS Iustice detesting his fore-passed life admonishing all that were about him very earnestlie not to thinke that a Christians life was a light thing and easily discharged That it doth not consist onely in hauing the head Baptized in reading certaine verses and Texts of the Gospell and to bee termed an honest man but it was needfull he should liue as the doctrine of trueth doth command him Therevpon hee repeated a Text out of Saint Peter exhorting vs to shewe through holynesse of life certaine signes of the loue of GOD towards vs and of the confidence wee should haue in him Hee sayde moreouer that hee had knowne many who after they had tasted the sweetnesse of true felicitie they suffered them-selues to bee so carryed away as they had no longer care to performe that which belonged to a Childe of GOD. Hee protested that hee had some-times imagined that his sinnes had beene hidden and that hee could not bee punished for that CHRIST had made satisfaction for them but then hee knew too late that those things belonged onely to the elect and chosen of GOD betwixt whose sinnes and the heauenly and celestiall Throne IESVS CHRIST setts his precious bloud and the dignitie of his obedience as a vale and shadowe to couer them and doth plant them against the diuine vengeance as a high and strong Rampar that sinners repenting them might not bee opprest nor drowned with the deluge and ouer-flowings of their offences and sinnes As for himselfe seeing that hee had renounced our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST hee had as one should say ouerthrowne this strong Rampar with his owne hands so as after this ruine and ouer-flowing the deluge of waters of this vengeance had couered and swallowed vp his soule One of his most familiars said vnto him that he did hold the cause of this his great torment to proceed from aboundance of melancholie humours which did so trouble his braine SPIERA remembring that hee had many times refuted that opinion and seeing they were to begin againe sayd vnto the other you may thinke what you please but GOD in trueth hath troubled my spirit and depriued mee of iudgement seeing it is impossible for mee to haue any hope of my saluation Hauing continued in such and the like speeches during his aboad at Padoua they carryed him backe to his house at Ciuitelle where hee dyed in this despaire This which is worthy of consideration among the Histories of our time is drawne out of a discourse published by Maister HENRIE SCRINGER a learned Lawyer who was then at Padoua did see and many times talke with this poore SPIERA About twenty yeares before a very famous Doctor throughout all Germanie called KRAVS remaining at Halle in Swabe hauing often-times turned his conscience sometimes towards GOD sometimes towards the worlde hauing inclined in the end to the worser part sayd and confest publikely that hee was vndone and fell so deepe into despaire as hee could neyther receiue nor take any comfort nor consolation so as in this miserable and wretched estate of his soule hee slew him-selfe most miserably In the Historie of Germanie Cardinall CRESCENCE being at Verona to passe on farther about some matters of importance was much troubled the 25. of March with writing and hauing laboured very late at night rising a little out of his chaire to take breath he imagined that he did see a black Dog of an exceeding greatnesse hauing fiery eyes and his eares hanging to the ground which came directly towards him and then hid himselfe vnder the Table Hee was presently like one in a sowne but beeing come againe to himselfe hee cryed out alowd calling his seruants that were in the former Chamber and commanded them to seeke this Dogge with a light But not finding him there nor in the anti-chamber a Feauer seized on him and encreased in such sort as hee dyed Towards the ende of his life hee cryed often to his seruants Driue away this Dogge which comes vp to my bed It was not possible to resolue nor to comfort him But hee died in great despaire at Verona Historie of our time SLEIDAN lib. 23. of his Comentaries Vnder the raigne of King FRANCIS the second the Kings Aduocate in the Parliament of Daulphiné called PONSENAS after that he had sold his patrimonie his wiues and borrowed much money of his friends to buie this office hee consumed what remained in keeping of open house hoping to be soone recompenced to the double But beeing falne sicke of a disease vnknowne to the Physitions hee fell into despaire of GODS helpe and mercy and representing daylye vnto himselfe the death of some innocent persons executed at Romans and at Valence whome hee had pursued Hee denyed GOD called vpon the Diuill and made all the horrible curses and Imprecations that might bee imagined His Clarke seeing him in this despaire spake to him of the mercies of GOD alledging certaine passages of the Scripture to that purpose But insteed of turning vnto GOD and asking pardon for his offences he sayd vnto him O STEPHEN how black thou art the young man who was redish hayrd excused himselfe the Aduocate replyed againe
Then hauing eased herselfe by Lotions Fomentations Bathes and other fit helpes shee recouered her perfect health R. SOLENANDRE in the 5. booke of his Councells Chap. 15. art 40. Children miraculously preserued THe yeare 1546. in the Towne of Misnia in Saxony a seruant of THOMAS le FEVREs hauing a little Childe in her armes and looking out at a windowe three stories high by mischance let it fal into the streete whence it was taken vp not beeing hurt nor bruzed in any part of the bodie GEORGE la FEVRE in his Annales of Misnia lib. 3. pag. 200. In the moneth of Iune 1552. a girle of PETER PELICES a Cooke in the same Towne and the same streete fell out of the garret windowe of a house and had no harme The same Author pag. 207. The Sonne of SIMON CRAMES a Councellor of the same Towne and dwelling in the same streete fel from an high window downe on the pauement which was of hard stone and yet not hurt in any part of his body it happened in the yeare 1559. In the same Booke pag. 214. Of these three deliuerances GEORGE le FEVRE makes mention in these verses Hoc vidit vâ—…bs quae nobili Prouincia nomen dedit Vna in platea tres tribus Vicibus cadentes Angelo Custode vitam ducere In the moneth of September the yeare 1566. a Maide of SIMON RICHTERS a Citizen of Misna dwelling by Wolfgang Ber let a little Boy which shee held in her armes fall from a very high window Hee lighted first on the end of a Waggon and then on the pauement but was not any way hurt In the same Booke pag 227. 228. The yeare 1568. in the moneth of Iune ERASMVS the sonne of WOLFGANG BEME being but foure yeares old fell out of a window of his fathers house into the street had no harme In the same pa. 229 In a Village hard by Cygne a certaine Countri-woman willed a little boy shee had to go and fetch home their Oxen that were feeding by a woods side Whilst the child was away there fell so much Snowe that vpon a suddaine all the wayes were couered the night came on so fast that the boy was enclosed in the mountaines and could not get out The father mother taking more care for their child then Oxen rose betimes in the morning to go seeke him but the snow was so great that they knew not where to looke him The next day they traced the forrest to finde the body which they were verily perswaded was voide of life but at last they found him sitting on a banke which the Snowe had neither couered nor touched They asked him why he came not home all that while The child answered hauing felt no colde nor harme at all that he staied till it was euening Then they asked him whether hee had eaten any thing or no. A man that I knew not said he came hether gaue me Bread Cheese wherat exceeding ioyfull they carried him home I. MANLIVS in the first booke of his Collections The yeare 1565. about the end of September a maide in the towne of Misna that was an Ideot lead a little girle of three yeares old out of the Towne vnperceiued of any and hauing carryed her to a riuer called Trebisa which was risen some-what high with raine that was falne stripped the girle tooke her vpon her shoulder and waded ouer the riuer then returned and made the child ready againe but being weary of her carriage she left the poore infant in the winde the raine which was then very sharpe and bleake The girle remained all the whole night and halfe the next day on the bare ground where she was found as GOD would by a Countrie wench who tooke her vp in her armes carried her to a farme there by From whence she was conueyed to her Father and Mother that were in great perplexitie for the losse of their child GEORGE FEVRE in the 3. booke of his Annales of Misna The yeare 1558. there fell such an horrible raine and tempest in Thuringe that in an instant it ouer-threw diuers houses and the torrent was so furious that it carried away a great number of persons of all ages Amongst the rest a vyolent inundation of waters ouerwhelmed a poore labourers house of Burcktonne where his wife lay newly deliuered of a Sonne and swallowing vp the wretched Mother carryed away the young infant that a little before had beene laide in a Trough made like a kneeding-tub which was stayed by the bough of an Apple-tree where the childe remained and was found safe and sound after the rage of the waters was alayed euery one acknowledging the truth of this notable sentence that GODS assistance doth appeare when mans doth faile PH. LONICER in the Theater of Examples pag. 196. H. HVSANVS a Lawyer describes in excellent Latin verse such a like miracle which happened about that time in a certaine place of the same Countrie on the behalfe of a little Childe lying in a Cradle which was carryed away very farre by the furie of the waters and then layde gently in a safe shore where it was found aliue ANDREVV MERCKTER recites in a certaine funerall Oration by him written touching afflictions that being a little boy he had beene miraculously preserued from waters from manifest danger of drowning three seuerall times first at Sechouse next at Wittenberg and lastly at Perleberg where this which ensueth hapned vnto him As hee was standing on the bridge of that place which was very high certaine Roysters thronging along in great number and hast pushed him ouer the bridge into the middest of the streame It was in Winter and the Ice couered him so that carried from the top of the water vnder the Ice hee was driuen to a Mill that stood in the riuer where the water not being frosen by reason of the continuall motion which the wheeles of the Mill made he was taken vp and saued PH. LONICER in the same Theater in the examples of the third commandent pag. 198. In a Village called Zum Heniâ—…hen hard by Friberg in Misna a little Boy sonne to a certaine Weauer playing about the house fide fell into a great channell of water that serued to driue a Mill and was suddainly carried by the streame which ran very stiffe vnder his fathers house standing ouer the channell and then vnder a bridge so farre that it was enough to haue drowned him a dosen times without the protection of Heauen which would haue the childe carried to the Mill where he tooke hold with his little hands on the barre which serued to shutte the water-gate and cryed out as lowd as he could An old woman heard him who ran thither and called the Miller so that the Boy was taken vp safe out of the furious waters The same In the yeare 1565. the 10. day of March about seuen of the clock in the morning the Treasurer of Rofenbourg a towne situate on the
riuer Sala going from the towne to the Castle went as of necessity he was to do ouer the bridge followed by a pritty little boy his sonne who gazing on the swiftnes of the streame going to take away some durt that stuck on his shooes slid in such maner in an open slippery place of the bridge that he fell into the bottom of the riuer A fisher-man being in a garden not far of hearing the noyse of his fall ran thither and with great danger of his life leaped in after the poore childe whom the waues had carried all along the Castle walls He tooke hold on a piece of his coate which tearing the body fell againe into the water he caught him the secōd time by one of his feet carried him to his mother that almost dead with feare staid for him on the banke within two houres after he came to himlsefe two daies after that was as well as euer hee was to the no little ioy of all his friends that praised GOD for his miraculous assistance The same On Easter eue the same yeare about euening a furious inundation of waters rushing on the towne of Islebe in Saxonie did especially and as it were with an agreement made betweene the waters beate vpon the house of an honest Citizen named BARTHOLMEVV VOGT Incontinently the fore-part of the house and a piece of the Stoue fell downe within the Stoue was a little childe in a Cradle The Father and Mother astonished with so suddaine a visitation and hearing the noyse of the cradle tost with the waues got out the childe and carryed it to one MICHAEL FEARES a neighbor of theirs There remained foure other children lying in an high chamber of the house The Father more carefull for their liues then his owne entred againe into present death and hauing past many dangers got into the Chamber tooke vp two of those children in his armes Therevpon the floore sanke vnderneath his feete so that he fell into the water which carryed him to a great stacke of wood whereon hee caught hold and with much paine stayed himselfe by it some halfe an houre loden with his two sonnes and crying out for helpe But no body could get to him by reason of the wonderfull furye of the raging waters Seeing himselfe destitute of all humane assistance and as it were dispairing of his owne life his childrens he humbly commended both himselfe and them to the mercy of GOD calling the Prophet IONAS to mind that was preserued amidst the seas and in the belly of a Fish As he was praying vnto the Lord a great beame driuen along by the waues carried away one of his sonnes another greater then that comming vpon him with great violence made him let go the stake by the which he had held so long whether he would or no caried him with his other sonne into a garden behind his house Being there with their heads scarce aboue water and remembring his other sonne he began to call him the child answered him from a beame wheron the father espied him sitting astride Thether he swam and setting them both on his shoulders he got to a great pile of wood clammering vp on it there rested himself with his two sonnes some fiue houres The next morning betimes the waters being falne he carried them to Feures Stoue where they began to come to themselues As for the other two children lying a bed in the high chamber the goodnesse of GOD preserued them after a meruailous manner The Father because he could not go to them by the accustomed staires got his neighbour to breake open a way through the wall that parted their houses and entring into the chamber found them in their bed fast a sleepe the diuine prouidence hauing with his hand held vp that part of the chamber as it were in the ayre all the rest of the house being ouer whelmed and carried away by the waters assoone as euer he was returned againe through the wall with his children the chamber and the bed fell presently downe Thus were these fiue children miraculously preserued contrary to all hope or expectation The same Children in gratefull and peruerse A Certaine man become rich seeing his father beg was some-what ashamed at it and tooke him into his house One day hauing an exquisite dishe of meate brought to his table hearing his father comming into the roome he made it to be locked vp but when his father was gone hauing willed it to be brought in againe the seruant found the dish full of Snakes where-with hauing acquainted his Maister hee would needs go and see what it was And approching neere vnto them one of the greatest of those Snakes leaped in his face ioyning his mouth in such sorte to the mans that he could neuer eate any meate after but the Snake had his part of it and hee continued in that estate all the rest of his life MANLIVS in his Collections PH. LONICER in his Theater of examples pag. 283. A certaine father being old and poore went and desired his sonne to relieue him The sonne thinking it a great dishonor for him to acknowledge such a Father made as though he knew him not and hauing rayled at him bad him get him away The poore father with teares in his eyes departed but his backe was scarce turned when the ingratefull sonne fell madde and dyed in that miserable estate MANLIVS in his Collections PH. LONICER in his Theater pag. 283. The yeare 1550. in the capitall Cittie of the Duchie of Prussia called Conisprug a Lock-smith being a very lewd fellow killed his father and mother with an Yron Pestle in hope to haue their money Presently wherevpon he went to a Shoomakers shop and bought him a new paire of shooes leauing his old behind him which the Shoomakers sonne threw vnder a bench Two or three houres after the fathers shop hauing bene opened by the commandement of the Magistrate who had vnderstood that the neighbors had heard some great stirre in it they found the two old folkes murthered wherwith the Sonne seemed to bee so exceeding grieued that no man euer mistrusted him to bee the author of so execrable a deede Nowe it fortuned that the shoomaker looking for som what els vnder his bench found the old shoes which the young smith had left behinde him all be sprinkled with bloud And it was also noted by others that the wretch had his purse better lined then it was wont to bee which beeing reported to the Magistrate hee was straight-way aapprehended Wherevpon without any torture hee confessed the fact and was executed as hee deserued They say that the pestle which was set vp ouer the iudgement place doth continuallie shake yet PH. LONICER in his Theater page 284. Vpon the report of one of the greatest Diuynes of our time The yeare 1560 a wicked wretch in the Towne of Basill poysened his owne Father beeing a wealthy man and of an honest conuersation Which being
increased when as they did see him rising from his Chaire for then he toucht the plancher of the Chamber with his head the which was very high after the manner of the French floores They sayd hee was a Polonian or a Transiluanian This Gyant had a Wife of a wonderfull large body and verye fatte with-all but verye lowe in comparison of him of whom they had a young Sonne borne who was in shew to proue one daie almost as tall as his Father At the West-Indies descouered some hundred yeares since manie Giants haue beene seene as they witnesse that haue written their Histories Neere vnto the Antartike Pole there are some found of ten or twelue foote of height as also in the Iland of Sumatra or Taprobane which is toward the East-Indies The same Author MELCHIOR NVNEZ in his letters where hee discourseth of the affaires of CHINA reports that in the chiefe Cittie called Paguin the Porters are fiueteene foote heigh In other letters written in the yeare 1555. hee doth auerre that the King of CHINA entertaines and feedes fiue hundred such men for Archers of his gard SIMON MAIOLVS in his Canicular daies Col. 2. LODOVICVS VIVES a learned Spaniard in his Annotations vpon the 15. booke of S. AVGVSTIN de Ciuitate DEI. Chap. 9. Saith that he had seene in the great Temple at Valencia a mans eye-tooth bigger then his fist IOSEPH ACOSTA in his Historie of the Indies sayth that hee had seene one bigger and the rest answerable vnto it But for that it is to be presumed that such teeth were of Men that had beene dead many ages before we will not insist any more vpon them In our time we haue seene among the Archers of the deceased King of Nauarre a Biarnois of so tall a stature as hee did equall his Maister being mounted vpon a great horse so as he did exceede the tallest men in all the Country by the head the shoulders Hee was a goodly man actiue and pleasant And contrarie-wise there was seene at Paris one called the great Smithe a man of an ill fashion but exceeding tal in comparison of many of meane stature ANTONIE PIGAFET a great traueller in his time affirmes that he had seene towards the Antarticke pole so tall a gyant as other tall men did not reach with their heads aboue his nauill and others beyond the straight of Magellan which had their necks a cubit long and the rest of their bodies answerable An extraordinarie Cure A Certaine Italian hauing had a quarrell with another fell so grieuously sicke as they did not hope for life of him His enemie hearing thereof came to his lodging and inquires of his seruant where his master was The seruant answered him hee is at the point of death and will not escape this day The other grumbling to himselfe replied he shall die by my hands whereupon he enters into the sicke mans chamber giues him certaine stabbes with his dagger and then flies They binde vp this poore sicke mans wounds who by the meanes of so great a losse of blood recouered his health So hee recouered his health and life by his meanes who sought his death R. SOLENANDER lib. 5. of his Counsels 15. Cons. 9. sect Hee makes mention in the same place of a woman which did commonly purge her selfe of her termes by the nose for thirteene moneths together during the which beeing let blood in the Saphena vaine and purged shee was cured And of a man who in the space of twentie and foure howres voyded at the mouth twentie and sixe pounds of blood congealed and very blacke and was cured by diet rest and glisters without any inward medicines A peasant falling into a burning feauer was carryed to the hospitall and being carefully tended fell into extremitie The Physition being a learned man sayd vnto him what wilt thou haue my friend how diddest thou gouerne thy selfe here to-fore I was not accustâ—…med answered the sicke man to eate and drinke as I doe now heere I knew not what sirrops drugges nor Phisicke meant I cannot sleepe vpon feathers It is almost twentie yeares since I did lye in a bed my feeding is Onions hard Cheese and such like delicates my bed was vpon Strawe at the signe of the Starre and couered with my clothes that is to say lying in them The Physition suffred him to lye one night vpon the Strawe and gaue him Onions Salt and colde water holding it good to please him in this extremitie But the next day he found his sicke man halfe cured warming himselfe against the fire We haue obserued saith the same SOLINANDER some sick men who hauing ease in their torments haue chewed and swallowed the receits written by their Physitions and haue beene cared by that meanes A certaine man hauing the Dropsie and little looked vnto by the benefit of nature had an ouerture in his body vnder the pappe betwixt the Peritoyne and the Muscles of the belly by the which we drue aboue 200. bladders like vnto Hens Egges the which were soft and full of stinking water In the 15. Councell of the 5. booke A man lame of the Gout preserued IN the yeare 1589. WILLIAM de MICHES an ancient man being crooked and lame of the Goute had a desire to go and visit an Abbay of Monkes aboue Lions called L' Isle Barbe where there was company that day In the morning he takes a boate with his Daughter his sonne in lawe and some neighbours Hauing visited the Abbay done his deuotion and made good cheere hee and his companie imbarke againe The woman that guided the Boate hauing drunke more wine then water when they should passe vnder the bridge of Sarne insteed of gouerning her boate vnder the Arche the which was great and large she ranne against a pyle so as the Boate was ouer-whelmed and all within it drowned except the poore man that was lame of the Gowt who not able to stirre was carryed by the streame vnto the shore where he was taken vp and carryed to his house and after liued some yeares Memoires of Lion A Man before Age. I Haue knowne a man in Spaine who after some yeares became a Friar of the order of Saint FRANCIS and remained in the Couent of our Lady of Val then in that of Soto and afterwards in the Citty zamore he is so little of stature as without wronging him one may call him Dwarffe though otherwise hee bee of a good fashion and hath a well proportioned body Euery man knowes it and many Monkes of his order haue assured mee for certaine that hee was borne in a Village called Saint Tiso and that comming into the worlde hee had all his Teeth which hee had at the age of fiue and twentie yeares and hath had euer since without changing them or any falling out and hee suckt a very little while Comming out of his Mothers wombe hee had his priuie partes as hairie as a man that is come to his perfect age at seauen yeares olde his
1. of the admirable Histories in Physick In the yeare 1574. in the moneth of May the Wife of BLAISâ—… de VOLD named MAGDELEINE felt one day a paine in her necke and then in her right arme The next daie shee kept her bed for that her arme besides the paine did beginne to shake This paine ceased the third daie but shee fell to haue a shaking ouer all the partes of her bodie then she had a desire to vomit without any effect she sweate and seemed as if she had beene smothered When they presented vnto her any Wine Water or any Coullis then shee had Convulsions and fayntings shee would eate egges and bread well Her alteration was great her principall faculties were whole and verie perfect and so were her exterior sences her spirit was calme and her speech milde You would haue sayd she had had no feauer at all The Surgion of the place made many diuulsions yet she dyed the fift day The same Author In February 1575. DOMINIQVE PANCAVLD a young maiden of 16. yeares of age hauing seene some with their swords drawne ready to fight was terrified so as in the night shee fell into a vyolent feauer presently shee had blisters about her lippes Twelue houres after her fiâ—… she grew amazed and twelue houres after that it seemed vnto her that her feauer was gone She did rise being lame of her left arme when any one did touche her shee felt a paine in her side as if one had stabd her to the heart with a Poynard so as she would faint away There was nothing omitted to ease her The fourth day a shaking doth force her to goe to bed her paine encreaseth she hath a desire to cast shee turnes on euery side without staye shee fomes at the mouth shee can endure no light shee weepes cryes out is amazed and driues away all them of the house They offer her drinke she puls her head back she abhorres drinke falls into soundings and yet some-times shee talkes sensibly then afterwards shee begins to make a noyse with her teeth failes of her speech and giues vp the ghost the 5. day The same Author In the yeare 1576. in Iune DOMINIKE BERET a Country-man married and a lustie able man 37 yeares old felt for eight dayes together a paine in his arme not knowing how this griefe came yet he did not forbeate to worke hauing no feauer A day after being the ninth being desirous to haue a messe of Pottage to his supper a shaking seized on him so as hee went to bed without any supper about mid-night a feare seized on him so as hee could not conteine himselfe but amazed and starting vp he cried out and beganne to intreate them that were about him to hold him and he for his part thought himselfe glued vnto them Earely in the morning they go for Councell to a Physition that was neereby who prescribed him to take a decoction of wilde Chichoree the which he vomited vp soone after that hee had taken it with some cloddes of bloud as they sayd comming to see him after dinner I drewe them of the house apart the Curate of the place and others that were there assembled I sayd vnto them you shall presently see strange things which is that this patient will not drinke although you presse him and if hee tries to do it hee shall fall into a swone and die presently They brought him a glasse and offred him drinke the which he refused with horror and offring to force him his heart fainted wherat all were wonderfully amazed and much more when as they did see him foure houres after giuing vp the Ghost after that hee had beene disquieted with an vnequall and inconstant trembling hauing cried without ceasing beene much distempered and sweate all ouer great droppes but on the extremities which were colde moreouer in a strange rauing accompanied with diuilish apparitions as he sayd The same Author The eight of Aprill 1579. IAMES PIVE Laborer a young man married sound and stronge comming out of the field to his house without any apparent cause going before beganne to sweate at night and felt his heart as it were pincht and full of paine In the night hee did shake and tremble by fiâ—…ts casting himselfe out of his bed crying out continually and sweating The Surgion of the place gaue him earely in the morning a counterpoyson Beeing called at night to see him I knewe that it was a sharpe disease and againe I did aduertise them which did assist him that hee would abhorâ—…e all kinde of drinke and that vndoubtedly hee would soone die The which was soone verified for hauing drinke offred him hee beganne to torment him-selfe and to faint away the drinke being carried away hee presently came againe to him-selfe He couldnot endure any one to touch him and if any one approched neere him hee would crie out They durst not howe softly soeuer wipe his face that sweate Night being come hee would make his will but the sweates and Convulsions which encreased hindred him Some houres after hee died in good sence The same Author There is an other kinde of rage proceeding of an externall cause that is to say of the byting of madde Beastes whereof wee must speake some thing and produce Histories according to our intention to descouer our miseries more and more and to induce vs to flie deuoutly to the mercifull protection of almightie GOD. Beholde what learned FERNELIVS saies namely in respect of madde-dogges which bite men a maddedogge in byting doth cast forth some spittle or venimous humor the which peercing by the part that is toucht doth sodenly corrupt the spirits the bloud and the humors then doth it slide by little and little into the principall partes but so slowely as the disease is not descouered till three weekes after some-times after a yeare and that but doubtfully During this respite of time the patient feeles no feuer nor any paine hee feares not death at all the which hee carries in his bowells But when the vennom by succession of time is come vnto the heart all the other Noble partes are as is were tickled the sicke man growes way-ward he can neither stand nor sit hee behaues himselfe like a madde-man scratcheth his face and bytes euery man the foame comes out at his mouth hee lookes wildly is tormented with a great feuer hee is extreamely altered and dry yet hee doth so abhorre Water and all other Liquor as hee had rather die then drinke or bee plonged in anie Riuer These miseries in the ende oppresse him and depâ—…iue him of life Booke the 2 of the hidden causes of things This vennom is extreamely hot in the forth degree as experience doth witnesse for hauing one daie caused the bodie of a certaine man to bee opened beeing dead of such an accident they founde three remarkeble things First there was no moysture at all in the mouth of the stomack to refresh the heart with all but it had beene all consumed
FERDINAND then King of Romains desired to see her to preuent all fraude made her to be carefully kept and looked vnto by the sayd de BVCOLD who hath made this relation confirmed by diuers other wittnesses A Nunne of Saint BARBARAS couent at Delft falling sick of the yellow Iaundise the yeare 1562. kept her bed sixe weekes togither without eating or drinking Al that time she neuer touched any sustenance what-soeuer vnlesse it were a fewe kernells of a limond which shee held in her mouth now then sucked them a little The confessor of the Covent carried me thether not to giue her any Physick but to see her as a miracle by reasō of so long an abstinence The day after I had seene her she departed this world Now this which I will ad is worthy of greater meruaile In the same Towne of Delft about Maie 1566. being accompanied with a Chirurgion I visited a certaine sick maide of 27. yeares of age or thereabout She had kept her bed euer since she was sixteene yeares old eating nothing all that time as her keeper affirmed but once a day a little morcell of drie Cheese Neither was it possible to make her take any kinde of drinke and yet she made Water reasonable well although she went to the stoole but once in eight daies Moreouer she was borne blinde and at 20. years of age had the dropsie but that Water vanishing away insteed thereof shee had a noise in her belly like the croaking of a number of liue Frogs accompanied with a wonderfull heauing and setting of her belly insomuch that doe what I could my hand layd vpon it was lifted vp a good height This motion encreased with grieuous paines at the full of the moone and flowing of the sea but at the wane of the moone ebbing of the sea she felt some ease so it cōtinued with her 7. years hauing her sicknesse euery tenth weeke as her keeper confessed P. FORREST Physition in the 18. booke of his Obseruations Obser. 8. A gentleman that hath worthely acquited himselfe in sundry charges said in a place where I was that he had gone frō Madril to Lisbon in the hottest of sūmer without drinking He beares himselfe passing well for one of his age hath nothing extraordinary in the vsage of his life but this to be 2. or 3. moneths nay a yeare as he hath told mee without drinke Hee feeleth thirst but lets it passe and hee thinkes it is an appetite that easily goes away of it selfe drinks more for company then necessity or pleasure MICHAEL de MONTAGNE in the 3. booke of his Essaies the last Chap. Asmuch is reported of a great Lord in France who hath gone Embassador to Rome and is stil liuing in other honorable emploiments There haue beene many persons both before and in our time which haue fasted very long but hauing no example more remarkeable amongst many others then that which by by I purpose to propound we wil leaue the Reader to the remembrance of such as hee hath either seene or heard it of himselfe In the meane time wee will present this which ensueth On Tuesday the 24 day of Nouember 1584. by the cōmandement of the most illustrious Prince IOHN CASIMIR County Palatine of Rine the gouernor and superintendant of Caiserlanter accompanied with HENRY SMETIVS and IOHN IAMES Theodore Doctors of Physick made enquiry in the village of Schinidweiler in the iurisdiction of Colberberg touching the Maide whose history we relate KVN TONNELIER borne at Spisheim an honest husbandman being examined by those cōmissaries among other articles affirmed that KATHERINE at that instant some 27. years of age Daughter to him and to his Wife likewise named KATHERIN hauing alwaies had her health til such time as she began to haue her monethly purgatiōs at her returne from a certaine wedding caught an ague which tooke away all appetite from her to hot meats for the space of fiue years togither during which time shee felt her selfe well and lusty did her worke was very obedient to her parents deuout in praier vnto GOD well affected to the hearing of his word and throughlie instructed therein Now to bring her to hot meates againe her father and mother besides other ordinary medicines put her into the hands of an Empyrike who in steed of helping her with a certaine drinke quite tooke away her stomach from al meates both hot and cold insomuch that till then namely for the full terme of seauen yeares no meate nor drinke whatsoeuer went downe the throate of this maide who for six moneths after the disgust onely sucked the Iuice of a fewe peares and apples But not able to vse this remedy any longer shee washed her mouth with aqua-uitae but could not swollow a drop of it This lauing some-what refreshed her but being to sharpe she allaied it with a little faire Water Her father added that all this time he could neuer perceiue any euacuation of vrine or other excrement in the said maide or swete or vermine in any parte of her bodie but alwaies found her bedde cleane and her body without spot or speck of filth vnlesse it were that some-times shee seemed to bee troubled with a distillation of the braine which nowe and then made her to spit a little And many times a certaine vapor rose in her side which fumed vp to the heart and caused a paine in her head that made her very faint for the time but it lasted not long and that onely against foule weather The sight or sauor of meates neuer offended her though shee had no appetite nor desire at all to them If at any time shee chanced to faint shee rubbed her temples and stomach with a little sweete Water which very much comforted her The deposition of the mother and neighbors agreed in all pointes heere-with The same KATHERINE visited by the Princes foure Commissaries was found faire of face well colloured full of life and good disposition her eyes cleare and quick sighted like one in perfect health saue that they were some-what sunke into her head and that vnderneath them some times rose a tumor which continued not long Neither had shee any defect in her sences of smelling hearing and tasting Her speach was sweete significant and intelligible Only her mouth was growne so straight by reason of her cheekes which very much pained her as she said her selfe that she could not put so much as her little finger into it but yet without apparance of swelling Her haire was all falne off of her head and began to come againe In this sicknesse or infirmity she had scarce had any speach or sence for three yeares together But the Thursday before Easter 1583. she recouered her speech and sences much better then euer she had had them at any time in her health before and that after an admirable manner as followeth Her Father being gone about that time to a Forrest hard by the village for to fell Timber and her
dayly happens wee see that many sick folkes haue no appetite by reason their ventricle is stuft with euill humors and they receiue lesse meate in a weeke then they did in a day when they were well But when a man of a sound bodie can but passe one or two daies without meate and not bee an hungred that exceedes the rules of nature and is a Diuine miracle Howe much more admirable is it that such a man should fast fortie daies togither in such manner that hee feeles no hunger hath no neede to resist the desire of eating nor hath any more appetite to meate or drinke then an Angell Wee beleeue that IESVS CHRIST had a bodie exceeding temperate and pure though hee were subiect to our infirmities according to the condition of his humaine natu◅e sinne excepted Wee acknowledge like-wise that MOYSES and ELIAS when they abstayned fortie da◅e togither from meate and drinke were in perfect health at that time and by a certaine prerogatiue exempted from the common life of men Wherevpon it ensueth that they are iustly esteemed for excellent miracles whereby the authority of those Prophets and of IESVS CHRIST were established Nowe it is no nouelty that the like effects should happen by the order of things which our most good and mighty GOD hath prescribed to nature and by an euident miracle against the lawes of the same nature For feauers and diuers other disseases which the Saints haue healed the Physitions doe also cure But the meanes which they vse make great difference in the case For the Saints by their worde or touch alone through the grace of GOD tooke away the causes of such effects with the necessity imposed vpon nature The Physitions do nothing but oppose vnto naturall things other like wise naturall whereby if the vertue of the remedies giuen by the Creator bee of greatest strength and that it be his will it should not bee in vaine at that time the cause which doth offend is defaced IESVS CHRIST throughly healed the inueterate course of menstruall bloud with the onely touch of the hem◅e of his garment and sayd hee felt that vertue was gone out of him for that effect but the womā touched that in faith which presented it selfe to her hand embracing the power of our Sauiour in her thought Wee by the art of Physick whereof he himselfe a mercyfull Father hauing pittie on mans condition is the true author institutor helpe our s◅lues in the like disseasses with certaine medicines So no question may an abundant phlegmatique humor naturally induce fasting as appeared in those before named which felt themselues well through the good pleasure of GOD. But besides these there are infi◅ite miracles that exceede our vnderstanding which neither humane Art nor Nature it selfe can any waie immitate Such is the curing of naturall blindnesse expelling of vncleane spirits out of humaine bodies raysing of the dead halfe rotten and such like which confirme the authority of the Almightie GOD. By this I thinke it appeares that things which are sayd to happen by a certaine Lawe of nature although but seldome reproue not true miracles nor dimynish their credit and that hee no way contradicteth the Chistian fai◅h which diligently examineth the causes of such euentes But rather is not the verity of vnfained miracles thereby confirmed the better in taking away the occasion of impostures therewithall to the ende they should not easily abuse the vnexperienced people For if any of those which liue without eating by reason of their cold intemperature and abundance of flegme should counterfeit the Prophet inspired of the euer lyuing GOD howe many thousands might hee drawe head-long into error and distruction Verily hee is impio◅s and ignorant of true nay dyuine Phylosophy which thinking of these things and considering them shall affirme it to bee wicked and irreligious to go aboute to distinguish with vnpainted reasons betweene the workes and as wee vse to say the miracles of nature and the miracles of GOD Which all good and Godly persons will freely confesse do belong to an honest religious charitable man These are Doctor IOVBERTS owne wordes whose booke was Printed at Paris the yeare 1579. It hath beene told me of a certaintie that there was a Chanon at Salamanca which went to Toledo and backe againe hauing remained there fifteene or twenty dayes without drinking any drop of Wine or Water from the time of his setting forth till his returne But that which puts me into a greater meruaile is that written by PONTANVS in his Booke of Meteors Of a man that in all his life neuer drunke a drop of any thing which LADISLAVS King of Naples vnderstanding made him drinke a little Water that greatly pained him at his stomack I haue also heard of diuers credible persons that in the Towne of Mansill not farre from the Cittie of Leon was a man liuing that vsed to be two or three moneths without drinking and neuer felt any harme or displeasure by it A. de TORQVEMADO in the first day of his Hexameron Imprinted the yeare 1582. Singular Modestie yeelding to a seuere Censure THere are few men to be found especially among them that are called learned which doe not highly esteeme their owne workes and endure reprehensions impatiently If there be any such found they deserue to be admired and imitated MARCILLIVS FICINVS a most learned Philosopher and renowmed Desciple of PLATO in our time hauing vndertaken PLATOES workes to Translate them out of Greeke into Latin cartyed his Translation vnto a very learned Man called MARCVS MVSVRVS CANDIOT to haue hi◅ aduise MVSVRVS seeing that this translation was done hastely and that it would not satesfie the expectation of many which did greatly affect it Beeing loth to haue his friend derided and to discharge himselfe of his promise hee takes a sponge and puts it into an Inck pot and so blots out all the first page of FICINVS translatiō then turning towards him hee sayd thou seest howe I haue corrected the first page if thou wilt I will do as much to the rest FICINVS without any choller answered him It is no reason that PLATO should be disgraced through my fault then he retired himselfe and hauing his second conceptions better refined he made a newe translation worthie both of the maister and the disciple ZVINGER in the 1. tome of his Theater A Mocker mockt A Certaine man remayning at Onzain neere to Amboisse being perswaded by an hostesse who committed the infamous crime of Adulterie with him to make shewe for the freeing of her husband of all future Iealousie that hee would be gelt by one called M. PETER des SERPENS Surgion at Villantrois in Berry he sent for his kins-folks and after that hee had tould them that hee neuer durst discouer his griefe vnto them hee was in the ende brought to that extremity as he was forced to take that course wherevpon he made his will And to make the better shewe of it after that he had
sayd vnto M. PETER to whome he had giuen a watch-word that hee should but seeme to do it and to that ende had giuen him foure Crownes that he pardoned him his death if hee should chance to die hee put himselfe into his handes and suffred him selfe to be bounde and trimmed like vnto one that should bee cut indeede But you must knowe that as the Adulterer had giuen Mr. PETER a watch-word to make but a shewe of doing it so the husband after that he had notice of this â—…est had hired him to do it indeede promising to giue him the doble of that which hee had receiued of the Adulterer So as beeing perswaded by the husband and hauing the Adulterer in his power beeing well and surely bound hee did execute his Office really then hee paied him with this reason that hee was not accustomed to dallie with his trade Behold howe the Adulterer was drest through the Inuention of his vnchast Adulteresse and whereas with this pollecie hee sought to circumuent the husband more then before hee him-selfe was ouer reacht with a deceit much more preiudiciall to his owne person Conformitie of ancient wonders with the moderne A Wollen-draper in one of the chiefe frontier townes of France hauing forgotten GOD his honour and the respect of his honest and vertuous Wife seeking to corrupt a seruant of hers beeing fiâ—…nced and neece to his sayd Wife deuising of some meanes to couer his shame hee inuenâ—…ed one that was verie dishonest and infamous Hee had a young man to his seruant that was twentie yeares olde verie bashe-full who as yet knewe no follie The Maister hauing promised him recompence for his 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 perswaded him to goe and take his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his bedde when his wife should bee a sleepe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shee should beginne to slumber hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bidde her softly good-night laying his hand vpon her brest and then turning his backe to her hee should approch no more Hee in the meane time goes vnto his maide a little before her marriage The yong man much amazed at his Commission which was giuen him obeyd notwithstanding the dishonest wiâ—…l of his Maister and obserued dilligently what hee had commanded But the wife thinking it had beene her husband imbraced him and mooued him in such sort as that night hee knewe her often and yet shee knewe not him Earlie in the morning the Maister and the seruant retier themselues The VVife casting out some iest vnto her husband of his last nights sport thinking that hee and none other had come there hee descouered but too late his owne misfortune Where-with incensed against the young man hee inforced him through his ill vsage to flie and to descouer what had happened yea hee procured that sarre and neere his shame was knowne and hee disgraced The woman hearing the wicked part her husband had plaied her in the ende dies for greefe The miserable husband was a skorne to all the world yea to the basest hauing lost all reputation and respect with good men Memorialls of our time A death worthy obseruation WILLIAM NESENVS a man excellent in the knowledg feare of GOD going into a fisher-boate in the Summer-time for to Crosse the riuer of Elba which passeth from Witteberg to Saxony as it was many times his manner to rowe ouer himselfe for his pleasure ranne against the body of a tree lying vnder Water which ouer whelmed the boate and NESENVS in it who could not swimme and three was drowned This happened in the euening The same day a little after dinner being a sleepe him thought hee entred into a fisher-boate and fell ouer boorde into the Water Therevpon came PHILIP MELANCHTHON his very familiar friend vnto whome laughing he declared his dreame accounting it but as a toy A great personage seeing him lie dead on the shoare cryed out with teares in his eyes ONESENVS if I had the gift of miracles how willingly would I raise thee Hee was infinitely bewayled both of great and small MELANCHTHON and CAMERARIVs talking togither of this dreame and heauy accident called to minde that which had befallen them and NESENVS not many daies before They three ryding togither into Hesse and hauing lien all night at a little towne called Trese in the morning they past through a brooke for to Water their houses Beeing in the Water NESENVS espied three Crowes sit beating their wings and croaking on a little hill hard-by Wherevpon hee asked of MELANCHTHON what hee thought of it MELANCHTHON presently answered that it signified one of them three should die ere long CAMERARIVS confesseth that this answere touched him to the quick and verie much troubled him NESENVS did nothing but nodâ—…e his head and went merily on his way CAMERARIVS addeth that hee was about to aske MELANCHTHON the reason of his Coniecture and that within a while after MELANCHTHON told him that feeling himselfe weake and sickly hee was perswaded he should not liue very long I do not rehearse these things saith he as if I attributed any vertue to the flight and motion of Birds nor do I make any science of coniectures which would be grounded there-vpon no more did MELANCTHON I am sure But I haue declared them to shew that diuers times we see merueilous things happen which after the euents driue many thoughts into their heads that either behold them or heare them spoken of IOHN CAMERARIVS in the life of PHILIP MELANCTHON And ABRAHAM BVCOLCERVS in his Chronicall Index of the yeare 1524. This History shall make me step one step back for to propound another no lesse meruailous of the age before this in hope that this digression will bee no offence to the Readers AMBROSE GRIMANI a Genowaie lying in garrison in the I le and Cittie of Chio the yeare 1431. where he carried himselfe very faithfully and valiantly and being sound a sleepe one night had this vision following Hee thought that an exceeding huge and mightie Serpent with fiery eyes and open throate to deuoure him Being terrified with this spectacle he awaked sodenly and with great trouble of minde he examined his dreame whereof the next day he makes report to some who aduised him not to goe any more to any skirmishes and to giue ouer the warres thinking that that was the Monster which threatned him with a vyolent end Where-vpon hee resolued to bee ruled by them Not long after the Souldiers and Inhabitants of the place prouoked by the enemy made a sallie GRIMANI remembring his vision followed them faire and softly aloofe off onely to behold the fight and because hee would not be in any danger he hid himselfe behinde a thick wall But hearing the cryes of the combatants hee could not choose but lift vp his head and looke through a creuise of the wall At which very instant a Cannon shotte lighted iust on that place and tooke GRIMANIES head cleane from his shoulders the body sincking downe where hee stood P. BIZERRE in the History and Annales of
had expressâ—…e put into the fire so as it was red whotte hee put it into his mouth and turned it vp and downe the Spittle hissing as water doth when as a Smith quencheth a fierâ—…e hotte Yron in it This Yron was reasonablie long and great and square at the end the which entred so whotte into his mouth as it was like vnto a burning coale This done hee puts the Yron againe into the fire then hauing made an obeysance vnto mee and receiued a reward hee departed My seruants beeing amazed at this sight one of them thinking him-selfe more sufficient then his companions began to saye vnto them Poore fooles why doe you wonder doe you thinke that this counterfet hath put the fire in his mouth indeed They bee Impostures and iugling trickes And in saying so hee layde holde of the Yron by the verye ende which was out of the fire to shew that it might be handled without any hurt or burning But hee had no sooner gript it in his hand but hee shakt it off as speedily but not with such ease for the space of many dayes hee had the palme of his hand and fingers so pittifully burnt with the fire as hee had much paine to heale it His companions could not conteine them-selues from laughing asking him if hee did not beleeue that a flaming fire was whotte adding That hee might if hee pleased make a second tryall to confound them whome hee had so mocked But hee would no more meddle with it At dinner this Turke who sayde he was a Monke reported vnto mee that his Abbot a holy and famous man for his miracles was accustomed to cast his cloake vpon a Lake neere vnto the Couent and then did sit vpon it and did sport himselfe as easily vpon the water in this sort as if hee had beene rowing in a faire and calme day in a Boate. That when as they did flea a Sheepe the manner was to sowe vp this Abbot in the skinne so as the fore-feete were fitted to his armes and the hinder to his thighes and in this equipage they did cast him into a burning Ouen where hee remained vntill the Sheepe was roasted then they drew him out of the Furnaise whole and sound to eate his part of the Mutton merely with his Monkes If you will say vnto mee that such miracles of Sathan are Impostures where-vnto you giue no credit no more doe I. I tell you but what the Monke reported but as for the burning Yron I did see it with mine owne eyes the which is not so admirable as you would thinke at the first for I doubt not but this counterfet worker of miracles going to seeke a stone in the Court-yard to beate his brest withall might annoint his mouth with some-thing that was fitte to resist the violence of the fire as you know there is I remember to haue seene in Saint Markes at Venice a Montebancke which did willingly handle molten Lead and washt his hands there-with with-out any burning The Seignior of Busbeque Ambassador to FERDINAND and MAXIMILIAN Emperors in his discourse of his voyage into Turkie Epist. 4. Periurie punished IN the Towne of Rutlinquen a certaine passenger came into an Inne and gaue a Budget to keepe vnto his Hoste in the which there was a great summe of money Asking it againe at his departure the hoste denies it giues him iniurious words and mockes him The passenger calles him in question before the Iudge and for that all was done with-out witnesses hee was ready to offer his Hoste an othe who desired nothing more giuing himselfe vnto the Diuell if hee had receiued or concealed the Bouget of money that was in question The Plaintiue demanded respight to consider if he should offer him this oth going out of of the pleading place hee meetes with two men who inquire the cause of his comming thether He reportes the whole fact vnto them Well say they wilt thou that we shall helpe thee in this cause Hee yeelded not knowing what they were Therevpon they returne all three before the Iudge where the two last come beginne to iustefie vnto the host who was not yet gone that the bouget had beene deliuered him that hee had receiued it and hidden it in such a place This periured wretch knewe not what to answer And as the Iudge resolued to send him to prison the two witnesses beganne to say you shall not neede Wee are sent to punnish his wickednesse Saying so they tooke and lift him vp in the aier where he vanished with them and was neuer after found I. le GAST de BRISAC in the 2. volume of his table talke GILLYBERT COVSIâ—… in his narrations Prodigious raine and haile IN the yeare 1502. the 22. of Iune all the Countrie about Berne Soleurre and Biennie of a great compasse was beaten with a thicke hayle the stones beeing as bigge as Hens eggs Seauen daies after an other greater storme of hayle spoiled all the Countrie of zurich slue manie peasants and others that went into the fields with much Cattell foule and wilde Beastes Eight yeares after in the yeare 1510. in Lombardie there fell from Heauen aboue twelue hundred stones among the which as CARDAN reports in his Booke Dererum Varietate was found one of sixe-score pounds waight and an other of three-score many were brought to diuers French Noblemen commanding then in those places for the King These stones were of a rustie collour very hard and smelt of sulphur Two houres before this shower the Heauens seemed all on fire what the miserable estate of Milan and the Neighbour Countries were afterwards GVICHARDIN doth shewe in his Historie of the warres of Italie The 19. of Iuly 1528. the Countrie lying about Ausbourg was wonderfully spoiled with hayle stones greater then a bigge mans fiste falling from Heauen for the space of some houres Three yeares after there fell such a violent hayle about Basil as all the vignes were spoyled At Lisbonne in Portugall it rayned bloud in great aboundance In the yeare 1542. it rayned bloud in the Diocesse of Munster aboute Sassenbourg not farre from Warendorfe In the yeare 1544. there fell great store of haile about Silesia the stones whereof were as bigge as Estriges egges and in them there appeered plainely the figures of long partie colloured breeches after the Lansquenet fashion And in manie of them beeing broken there were found stones made like vnto Turkish Turbans In the vpper Alsacia about Colmar an Imperiall Towne there fel from heauen a great shower of Froggs and Toades in the yeare 1549. The peasants were troubled for some daies to kill this Vermine with staues and then least the aire should bee infected the Magistrate caused them to bee gathered togither vpon heapes and then filled great ditches with them In the yeare 1550. some dates before Easter in the moneth of March two houres together there fâ—…ll from Heauen about Clagenfurt and Villaâ—… Townes of Carinthia good wheate in great aboundance which the Inhabitantes of
those places did gather togither made good bread a long time of it A yeare after which was 1551. it rayned bloud ouer Lisbonne in Portugall the same yeare a little before Whitsontide the cloudes opening there fell such streames of Water about Kittengen in Franconia as the flouds vpon the Land drowned manie men and much Cattell almost in an instant A great farme consisting of manie houses was ouerthrowne and almost all that dwelt in it drowned The Bridge at Kittengen was beaten downe and carried awaie and if they had not sodenly giuen passage to the Waters percing the Towne walles all had beene lost There were fiue houses quite ouerthrowne fiue others in a village called Rotolsee and fiue in an other place fiueteene men were drowned at Speckfurt and manie houses beaten quite downe to the grownd as also at Pabemberg whereas the vignes and corne-ground was spoyled after a very strange manner At the same-time betwixt Gethe and Iseâ—…ac in Turinge the continuall raine did make the Riuers to rise and swell in such sort as in the village of Theutlebe fiue houses were carried away with a Farmer and his fiue Children In an other village the Waters did drowne the Cattell that were in the field and the young boyes that kept them Towardes SchlakenVuals where the mines are these deluges did inestymable harme The Riuer of Elbe beeing rissen with the raine Water did much harme in the Countrie and so did other Riuers at the same-time The foureteene of August 1552. a great tempest rysing in the aire ouer Holland there fell aboundance of hayle euerie stone waying aboue one pound beeing all of diuers formes Some were verie like the Sonne others were like vnto a Crowne of thorne some resembled Wheeles and other things The Sonne hauing caused them to melt there came forth a stinking smoke the which infected the aire whereof followed a great mortality of Cattell Some monethes before the Riuers of Sal and Mein famous in Germanie did ouerflowe and ruined manie buildings and drowne manie Men and much Cattell It rayned bloud in France And neere vnto Marpurg there was a poole seene manie times bloudie Budissine a Towne seated at the foote of the mountaines which PTOLOMEâ—… calles Suderes at the entrie of the vpper Lusatia a League from the spring of the Riuer Sueuue did feele the thirteeneth of August in the same yeare 1552. the misery which followeth At night a thicke cloud breaking and falling violently in the vallees where there are manie pooles the same beeing full and the causies broken the Water finding a passage it beganne to runne towardes this Riuer which was neere and made it swell heigher then euer had beene seene hauing of it selfe a swift and sodaine course falling from the mountaines Beeing then accompanied with these violent Waters it did breake ouerthrow and pull vp all the foundations of bridges gardines and buildings that were a mile about so as there were no signes of them to be seene This violent floud did drowne two and thirtie persons which could not recouer the Towne in time Many without saued them-selues in the neere Mountaines It was thought that in this deluge there were aboue a hundred persons drowned In the yeare 1553. the extraordinary raine made the riuer of Rhine to swell and ouer-flowe the which was the spoile of a great Countrie neere vnto the bankes The Towne of Ruffach among others was in danger to be drowned by this floud the which was runne out in a short time leauing in recompence of the spoile it had made great abundance of Fishe vpon the land in the Medowes and Marishes yea euen in the Towne vautes At Erford it rained bloud the fift of Iune the same yeare and at Lipsic the 8. of Iuly In the same moneth some dayes before the Batraile betweene MAVRICE Elector of Saxonie and ALBERT Marquis of Brandebourg towards Heldâ—…sheim there were many Trees and Herbes seene couered with bloud which had fallen from Heauen In the yeare 1554. the 26. of May it rained bloud neere to Dunke a Towne in Germanie The yeare following it did also raine bloud at Fribourg in Misnia And on the sixt of Iune there was seene in the Castell Diâ—…che of Vinaire in Saxonie a Fountaine of bloud There was an other betwixt Erford and Vinaire and a third at Erford which before was cleere and faire water In the yeare 1556. about the twelfe and thirteenth of Maye there fell a dewe from Heauen about Bresle and neere to Don in the Canton of Bearne the which had a taste sweeter then Honie Two dayes after it raigned bloud neere to Schafouze The second of September the raine fell in such aboundance at Locarne as the towne was almost spoiled and in daunger to be ruined These Histories are gathered out of the Collection of Prodigies made by L. LYCOSTHENES In Iune in the yeare 1586. there did rise ouer the Cittie of Constantinople a darke cloude the which being dispersed there followed a shower of Grasse-hoppers which did nippe the fruits and the Leaues of Trees The yeare following in December there happened a thing no lesse strange on the frontiers of Croatia neere to Vithitz a Castell belonging vnto CHARLES Arch-duke of Austria They did see â—… cloud of Ducks and Geese by thousands which falling into a lake neere by the night following they made so furious a fight as all the neighbour Countries heard it In the morning the Soldiars and Country-men ranâ—…e thether where they found a great number of Ducks and Geese that had killed one an other whereof they gathered great numbers some a hundred some two hundred they drest them after their manner and liued thereof a long time Those which remayned of this great armie of Combatants being seene in a medowe they tooke their flight and went else where I. LEONCLAVIVS in the supplement of the Annales of Turkiâ—… Prediction THE tenth of September in the yeare 1513. IAMES the 4. King of Scotland hauing imbraced the partie of France tooke armes against England and grewe so vehement in the quarell as there was a battaile giuen whereas King IAMES and all the flower of the Sâ—…cotish Nobilitie were slaine in the field At that time there was a Scottish Gentleman verie straightly imprisoned at London who sayd openly in the hearing of manie some houres before the Battaile If the two armies English and Scotâ—…ish fight this daie I knowe for certaine that the King my Maister wil be to weake for I doe obserue in this conflict of windes in the ayre that the windes are verie opposite vnto Scotland This speech was neither without reason nor without euent for it is most certaine that the Angells bee the preseruers of publike States and of the holy order appointed by the almightie GOD fight constantly against wicked and euill spirits which take pleasure in murthers and the ouerthrowe of all good order which the Lorde allowes as wee reade in the Historie of Persia whereas the Angell tells the Prophit DANIEL that
make her complaintes to almightie GOD the world she would force him to the execution of his promise seeing that hee would not willingly performe it The Knight grewe more amazed then before and made her answere that hee vnderstood nothing of her Language and that she mistooke herself for that hee had neuer had any secret conference with her had promised her nothing neither could shee demande any thing at his hands The Gentlewoman mad with this answere in replying sayd Do you not remember that you did this and this with mee repeating euery thing that had happened vnto her with the Imposter in the Knights shape adding withall you cannot auoide it to bee my husband and I your wife The Knight beeing much amazed beganne to protest that shee was much deceiued to thinke it to be true and contending thereon the Gentlewoman did note vnto him the day of the promise which was vpon a sollemne feast daie Then the Knight sware vnto her that vpon that daie nor three weekes before nor three weekes after he had not beene in the Towne neither in his house nor in hers the which I will prooue vnto you so plainely as you shall rest satisfied and if any one hath deceiued you in my name I am not to bee blamed But to the ende you should not doubt of the truth of my saying I will presently verefie it Then not departing from her hee caused seauen or eight of his house-hold seruants and others to come who vnacquainted with the cause did sweare that the Knight had spoken the truth and that all that time hee had beene aboue fiftie Leagues from thence The Gentlewoman much troubled with this deposition beganne to remember some particularities and to apprehend that no mortall man could haue done them but that they were Imposturs of Satan so as soone after the retreate of the true Knight shee beganne to finde the cause of this abuse and detesting her foolish concupiscence humbling her-selfe shee resolued not to thinke anie more of marriage but ended the remainder of her daies in a Monasterie In the same Booke A bloudie sweat THE Plague beeing in the Towne of Misnia in Saxony there died a great nuÌ„ber of people in the yeare 1542. in the moneth of Iuly It happened that an honest woman 〈◊〉 AGATHE ATERMAN fell sicke and for the space of foure daies swete great droppes of bloud at her for-head so as as soone as euer they had wipt her others came presently shee died aboute the twenteth of September GEORGE le FEVRE in the Annales of Misnia Booke 3. A Miserable Rashnesse CLAVDE Bastard Daughter to SINEBALD FIESQVE Earle of Lauagne being married to a Gentleman of Chiauari neere vnto Genoa called RAVASCHIER was much courted to her dishonour by a Gentleman of the same place named IHON de la TOVR who abusing the loue RAVASCHIER did beare him did seeke to robbe him of his Wife But this vertuous Gentle-woman hauing often-times reiected him hee was so blinde as to imagine that her denials were but allurements and setling this vnworthy conceit in his braine finding his friend to be one day absent hee went and lay vnder the Gentle-womans bed hoping that night being come and she lying alone he might easily inioy her Being retyred and layd to her rest before her Chamber-maide went away into a neere Closet shee commanded her to looke about if there were not any thing that might disquiet her rest in the night The 〈◊〉 auing searcht euery where in the end she cast downe her eyes and spyed vnder her Mistresse bed a black thing She cryed out and both fled out of that Chamber into another ouer it where-as the Gentle-womans Father in lawe was LA TOVR seeing him-selfe discouered opens the Chamber windowes speedily and casts himselfe into the streete where hee was pittifully broken and bruized and by the helpe of a friend of his that came by chance hee was carryed home to his owne house Some houres after this Tragedie is knowne for that Chiauary is but a small place The Father in lawe sends letters to RAVASCHIER and to LEVVIS of Fiesque Brother to the Gentlewoman who sent CORNELIVS their Brother with RAVASCHIER and some Soldiars who come secretly in boates being strong and well garded by the Geneuois they presently force IOHN de la TOVRS house and finding him very lame in his bedde of his fall they cut his throate hewe him in peeces and then flie Such was the ende of his rashnesse History of Italie Treasors found spoiled lost sought for againe vainely and dangerously ABout the yeare 1550. neere vnto Deue a Towne in Transiluania the raine and ruines of water hauing beene very great and the weâ—…her growne faire some peasants going forth to worke descouer by the reuerberation of the Sun a great Treasor which did shine vnder a rotten tree which lookt red through age There was first of a la serpent all of gold the which after the death of a Monke called GEORGE who had seized thereon and was slaine came to the hands of the Emperor FERDINAND There was also found a great number of Medailles of gold of the waight of three Crownes a peece hauing the figure of LYSIMACHVS King of Thrace of the one side and on the other side a victory The peasants had the value of twenty thousand Crownes for their shares The rest was sent to FERDINAND then King of Bohemia by IOHN BAPTISTA CASTALDE his Lieutenant with two Medailles of gold of NINVS and SEMIRAMIS giuen to the Emperor CHARLES the 5. This treasor was valued at aboue a hundred thousand Crownes ACS. CENTORIVS Booke 4. of the war of Transiluania A poore fisherman remayning at Bresse called BARTLEMEVVE Grandfather to ANTHONY CODRE VRCE a learned Gramarien in our time digging in the ground found a great vessell full of siluer with the which he purchased lande sufficient to entertaine his family which was great honestly and moreouer he did set vp a goodly shoppe of spices and became one of the richest men in the Country BARTHE LMEVVE of Bologne in the life of ANTHONY CODRE VRCE The Marquis of Pescara hauing taken Tunis from BAREAROVSSE and being brought into the Cittadel by the ChristiaÌ„â—… that were prisoners there one of theÌ„ being a Geneuois borne descouered vnto him a treasor that was put into sackes and cast into a Cisterne where they found aboue thirty thousand ducats in gold the which the Emperor CHARLES the 5. gaue vnto the Marquis P. IOVIVS Booke 34. of his Histories of our time The treasor of CHARLES Duke of Bourgondy wonne by the Suisses in the battailes which they gaue him neere to Gransoa Morest amounted to great sums of gold and siluer both coined and vncoyned the true value whereof was not iustly known for that at that time the Suisses did more esteeme the heads of their pikes halberds and their swords then the gold or siluer of forren Princes About the yeare 1520. a yong man simple in all his behauior called
the Spaniards who afterwards slue one another spoiled the Land to enrich the Sea as their owne Histories do confesse When as the Emperor made warre against the Princes of Germaine a rich Gentleman turned the chanell of a Riuer which past by his Castle and in a deepe ditch in the sayd chanell hid all that he had of any value and then brought the Riuer to his accustomed course yet the Spaniards discouered this Treasure of them-selues they turned the water and found out all then digging farther they found other goods but almost all was consumed in processe of time PHILIP CAMERARIVS Chap. 63. of his Meditations King PHILIP the last deceased being after a peace made with HENRY the 2. King of France imbarked in the lowe Countries with a great number of ships to be the sooner in Spaine and with him all the riche Iewels that the Emperor CHARLES the 5. his Father had gathered together in Italy and Germany during his prosperous victories with the rich hangings and other stately things made with great charge in Flanders euen as hee arriued in the Port of Saint Iames in Galicia there did â—…ise so great a storme that of all that stately furniture gathered together with so great toyle and time nothing came to a safe port but the Sea was heire to all this riche Treasure in sight of the Spaniards who were in great heauinesse And as for King Philip this torment spared him as little for he had scarse put his foote into an other barke when as the ship in which he went sunke into the Sea so great was the furie of the windes Historie of FRANCIS the 2. The Treasures brought from the Indies in golde siluer Pearles Precious stones and riche Marchandise with-in these hundred yeares are almost innumerable What the fruites haue beene I referre my selfe vnto the Reader It is a subiect for a whole Booke where-of the conclusion shall be All is made vanitie and pernicious in many kindes Traitors punished AMong other strong places which the Turkes haue taken in Hungary from the Christians we may name Alba Iulia the which was yeelded vp by that Traitor LADISLAVS LEREZIN who commanded there in the name of MAXIMILIAN the Emperour in the beginning of Iune in the yeare 1566. although he had beene aduertised that within two dayes he should bee releeued The place beeing yeelded by composition first the Turkes cut all the Soldiers throates except some few which saued them-selues pollitikely As for LADISLAVS he was carryed bound hand and foote to SELIM and accused that hee had cruelly slaine some Turkish prisoners for the which hee was condemned by SELIM and deliuered to his accusers to vse as they pleased They therefore put him into a great Pipe stickt full of long Nailes and then rowled him downe from a high Mountaine so as the Nailes ranne through him and hee dyed in horrible Torments His Sonne partaker of his Treason dyed miserably without meanes and abandoned of all men hauing sold all his lands and his goods and wickedly consumed what he had I. LEONCLAIVS in the supply of the Annales of Turky SOLYMAN father to SELIM did cruelly put to death the soldiers of the garrison of Buda who had forced their Captaine to yeeld that impregnable Fort vnto the Turkes As for the Captaine he was preserued honored A traytor in the Towne of Rhodes did many seruices vnto SOLIMAN vpon a promise to haue one of SOLIMANS daughters in mariage The Iland Towne being wone he presented him selfe to SOLIMAN who caused him to be fleid aliue saying that he was a Christian and that he pretended to marry a Turkish wife they must therefore take off his old skinne Being thus flayed they laide him vpon a bed all couered with Salt where he dyed in vnspeakable torments CAMERARIVS in his Historicall Meditations Chap. 7. Earthquakes THE yeare one thousand fiue hundreth and eight at two of the clock on a wednesday morning the earth began to quake in such manner at Constantinople that diuers Steeples fell downe the Chimneys tumbled to the ground the walles crackt in sunder and many stately buildings were ouer-throwne with the ruines whereof a great number of persons were slaine No Man knew where to saue him-selfe The people running out of their houses gotte into large voide places and Gardens so to escape all danger For the Earth-quake lasted all that morning without intermission and continued forty dayes after in such sort that one might easily feele and discerne it euery houre Annales of Turkie published by I. LEONCLAIVS Doctor GARCEVS in his Meteorologie briefly describes 163. Earth-quakes mentioned in Histories before after the comming of our Sauiour vnto the yeare 1564. We will present that which he speaketh of those of our time following the scope of this our collection of Histories Vpon the 14. day of September 1509. an horrible Earth-quake so shooke the Cittie of Constantinople for the space of eighteene dayes that all the walles towards the Sea and all the houses adioyning were quite ouerthrowne Ditches filled vp with the ruines The Castle was throwne downe where the Turke layes his treasure together with his fiue Towers and the Palace where-as the Lyons are kept In like manner all the conduits that conuey water from Danubius to Constantinople were shaken and spoiled The straight of the Sea betweene the Cittie and the Towne of Pera moued in such manner that the water flashed ouer the walles on eyther side The Custome-house was cleane ouer-turned into the Water Thirteene thousand persons were slaine with ruines in Earthquake The yeare following almost all Italy was shaken with diuerse reiterated Earth-quakes The yeare 1517. an Earth-quake in Germanie ouer-threwe two thousand houses and Granges at Nordlingen and there-about All Portugall was shaken the yeare 1531. Fifteene hundreth fayre great Houses were ouer-throwne in the Cittie of Lisbon and almost all the Churches fell downe This Earth-quake endured eight dayes and seauen or eyght times a day shooke the Cittie exceedingly Also the ground opened in many places whence issued a contagious ayre that engendred a Plague which carryed awaye an exceeding multitude of people Two yeares after there was an Earth-quake at Tergow in Zwitzerland which turned a pritty bigge Riuer from his course where-into it entred not againe till it had vnder-mined and ouer throwne a little Hill that hemmed it in Presently there-vpon the Towne of Basill was shaken very sore with three seuerall Earth quakes in lesse then a moneth In the yeare 1537. the Country of Pouzol was so forely shaken with Earth-quakes for the space of twenty moneths and aboue that not an edifice remained whole and entire But toward the end of September in the yeare following this Earth-quake began againe with such vehemencie and with-out discontinuing eyther night or day that the Sea reculed two hundreth paces backe where-vpon ensued the taking of a huge quantity of Fish The 30. day of the same moneth a great continent of land betweene the foote of
not printed the which happened in Paris in Saint Honores streete at the signe of the redde Horse A Weauer of Lace had taken his Niece home to him beeing an Orphelin One a time the maide praying vpon her Fathers graue where hee was buried at Saint Geruais Sathan presented him-selfe vnto her in the shape of a tall blacke man taking her by the hand and saying my friend feare nothing thy Father and thy Mother are well But thou must saie certaine Masses and goe in pilgrymage to our Ladie of Vertus and they shall goestraight into Paradice The maide demandes of this spirit who was so carefull of mans helth what hee was Hee answered that hee was Sathan and that shee should not bee amazed The mayde did what was commanded her Which done hee sayd she must goe in pilgrymage to Saint Iames. Shee answered I cannot goe so farre After that Sathan did not cease to importune her talking famyiiarly to her beeing alone and doing her worke saying these wordes vnto her Thou art cruell thou wilt not put thy sizers in thy bosome for my sake the which shee did to content him and to bee ridde of him But this done hee demaunded some guifte of her yea some of her haire whereof shee gaue him a locke Some daies after hee perswaded her to cast her-selfe into the water and sometimes to hang her-selfe putting the rope of a well about her necke but shee cryed out in such sort as hee did no more vrge her And yet her Vncle seeking one daie to bee reuenged of him was so well beaten as hee continued aboue fiueteene daies sicke in his bedde An other time Sathan would haue forced her and knowne her carnally and for the resistance which shee made shee was beaten vntill shee bled Amongst many that did see this maide there was one called CHOININ Secretarie to the Bishoppe of Valence who tould her that there was no better meanes to driue awaie this euill spirit then in answering nothing to that which hee should say although hee should commande to praie vnto GOD the which he neuer did but in balspheming and ioyning him alwaies with his Creatures in derision Sathan seeing that the maide answered him nothing nor did anie thing for him tooke her and cast her against the grounde after which time shee see him no more Mounsier ANNOT Bishop of Auxerra nor the Curate where the Maiden dwelt could not helpe her I. BODIN lib. 3. Chap. 6. of his Demonomania ANTHONIE dela CVEVA a Spanish Knight for some reasons vnknowne to vs and by the permission of GOD was in his life time much troubled and tempted with visions so as through custome hee had in the end lost all feare and yet hee had euer light in his Chamber where he did lye One night being in his bed and reading in a Booke he heard a noyse vnder his bed as if it had beene a Man and not knowing what it might be hee see come forth of one side of the bed a naked arme as if it had beene of a Moore the which laying hold of the Candel threw it downe with the Candle-stick and put it out Then the Knight felt this Moore come vp and goe to bed to him hauing imbraced one another they began to wrestle with all their force making such a noyse as those of the house did awake and comming to see what it was they found none but the Knight who was in a great heat and was wet as if he had come out of a Bathe Hee told them his aduenture and that this Moore hearing them come had freed himselfe from him and hee knew not what was become of him The same Author Wonderfull Visions in the ayre IN the yeare 1532. neere vnto Inspruke these Images were seene in the ayre An Eagle vpon the side of an hill very wilde against the which came three other Images as it were to teare it in peeces The first was a Camell stretching forth his necke and enuironed about with fire The second was a Wolse casting fire out at his throate and aboute him a circle of fire The third was a Lion whose haire a man armed at all partes and standing vp right at the entrie of the mountaines did gently handle and it seemed that this Lion reioyced at the man holding forth his pawe to him in signe of salutation GASPAR PEVCER Booke 15. Chap. 5. of his Diuinations Alittle before the death of IOHN Elector Duke of Saxony there was seene in the aire ouer Isenac these visions following first an old drie Tree ouerthrowne Secondly a man on hors-back which carried the tree but all the boughs puld of thirdly there was seene a hound Forthly a great blacke Crosse in a thicke Cloude Fiftly the lightning was seene comming out of this Cloud with so horrible and violent a cracke of thunder and so full of sparkes of fire as they thought it would haue consumed a Village ouer which it was likely to fall and there was a maide so terrefied as with a violent crie to her Mother for helpe shee intreated that shee might bee couered Although I will not enter into the exposition of this vision yet I gather by that which hath since followed that such Images haue represented the changes which haue happened in the house of Saxony togither with the calamities and ruines of Churches The same Author At the same time when as the League in Germanie was made called of SCHMALCAIDE therewere seene shyning in the aire Images which did seeme to fore-tell the issue of all that assosiation First were seene certaine horse-men followed by peasantes that were armed with battes and leuers then there appeered a heigh Tower neere vnto a riuer and not farre from that Tower a man which digged for water after whome came a great dragon The two first figures vanished presently but the two others continued a good long time The same Author In the yeare 1534. the third of Iuly after Noone the skie beeing cleere and bright the Inhabitantes of a little Towne called Scheswitz did see in the aire Lyons running from diuers parts to fight and by them a man on horse-backe armed shaking of a Iauelin Not farre from this man laie a mans head without a bodie wearing an Imperiall diademe Neere vnto it there was a wilde boares head with his tuskes and two Dragons vomyting forth fire Then there appeered an Image of a good bigge Towne alone neere vnto a Lake beseeged by Water and Lande and ouer it a Crosse of the collour of bloud the which by little and little grewe blacke An other horse-man all flaming and carrying on his head an Emperors Crowne presented him-selfe presently beeing followed by a horse without a guide then in the midest of a spacious plaine there appeered two Castles on fire neere vnto a heigh Mountaine vpon the which was a great Eagle hyding halfe his bodie beehinde the Mountaine and there appeered also certaine little Eagles hauing white fethers and verie bright and with all a Lyons
yeare 1561. was so terrified at the first charge as for feare he was chased euen vnto Paris where remembring himselfe of his error hee dyed for greefe Historie of France vnder CHARLES the uinth IOHN DESGORRIS a learned Physition of our time as his Booke of Physicall definitions doth testifie hauing beene called by the Bishop of Melun to cure him of a certaine disease to the end that hee might returne safely to Paris where he dwelt and that they of the Cittie being then in Armes for it was during the first troubles should doe him no harme by reason of his religion the Bishop put him into his Coache and caused him to bee carryed close Certaine Marchants to whom the Bishop was much indebted yet would not paye them any thing hauing some intelligence of the comming of this Coache caused it to bee arrested by Sargeants with an intent to seize vpon all the goods that might bee in it This seazure did so trouble DESGORRIS and put him into such a fitte thinking that hee had beene fallen into the hands of cut-throates as for a time his braines were troubled and had much adoe to recouer him-selfe THOMAS ZVINGER lib. 1. of his first volume by the reporte of HVBERT LANGVET CHARLES du MOVLIN a learned Lawyer borne at Paris being in the Vniuersitie of Tubingue to read a lawe Lecture at the Duke of Wirtembergs charge hee was lodged as it were by force in the house of a certaine Germaine borne there who taking no pleasure to haue such a guest whom he called a stranger to molest him he sought out many Rattes and Mice and let them goe in euery corner of his house The which Du MOVLIN seeing who hated such Beasts wonderfully beeing much amazed he dislodged instantly and went to seeke an other aboade THOMAS ZVINGER in the same Booke A Spaniard surnamed VILLADARE beeing in the presence of Cardinall XIMINES among others that aspired to bee graduates in Diuinitie and seeing that they had named fiue or sixe before him hee fell into such a rage and trouble of minde seeing himselfe set behinde others as he was surprized with a conuulsion so as his members did tremble and beeing the eight man that was called rising from the place where hee was to goe and sitt among the Graduates this place was seene all wette with his Vrine which had gone from him in this extremitie ALVARES GOMES lib. 4. of the Historie of Cardinall XIMINES In the yeare 1536. NICHOLAS GROVPE being in the Towne of Anneberg where hee had long expected the first good Prebend that should bee voyde which the Bishop of Misne had promised him hauing receiued Letters from him by the which hee made him his Suffragan and Vicar generall hee was so transported and ouer-come with ioye that before hee could finish the reading of the Letter hee gaue vp the ghost G. le Fâ—…VRE liber 3. of his Annales of Misne In our time the Iudges Wife of Viâ—…-fezensac in the Countie of Armaignac about three-score yeares olde beeing tolde to drawe her out of companie that her Daughter was dying beeing arriued and so finding her merry and well shee dyed sodenly IOVBERT lib. 1. of Laughter Chap. 11. After the Battaile of Montconter an honest Gentlewoman thinking her selfe to haue lost her husband a braue Gentleman to whome it was reported that hee had beene slaine seeing him returne vnlooked for after some moneths shee was seazed with such ioye as shee dyed sodenly in his armes In the Historie of our time During the League an other Gentle-woman hauing after much care sute charge and trouble retyred her husband a learned Man who had beene prisoner many moneths among cruell people where hee had beene as it were wonderfully and miraculouslye preserued like vnto DANIELL in the Lions denne seeing him returne safe and well shee was rauished and ouer-come with such content as presently after his arriuall shee yeelded her soule to GOD. The Historie of our time An Honorable Woman thinking that her husband had beene slaine at Paris the foure and twentith of August 1572. for that hee came not home at his prefixed time which was in the beginning of September staying three weekes longer and comming home safe to his owne house seeing him shee lost her speech and could not speake one worde to him but onely did beholde him like one that had lost her right sences Hauing powred forth many bitter teares shee recouered her former speech a little as comming to her selfe out of a trance for fifteene nights after shee could not possiblie sleepe aboue three quarters of an houre in a night some-times touching her husband when he slept and in the day time looking on him with admiration as if shee did not beleeue her sences In the ende shee recouered her selfe confessing vnto mee aboue tenne yeares after that this passion had wonderfully troubled her Yea I haue heard her say for certaine that beeing with Childe aboue eleuen yeares after this accident shee had felt a new charge in her fantasie of that which had happened vnto her beleeuing confidently that her fruite should feele of it hereafter where-in shee was not deceiued But the respect I beare to that familie makes mee forbeare to tell the rest The former belonging to my purpose to shewe the vehemencie of passions Drawne out of my memorials I haue heard some credible speake of a young man whome two Maydens in tickling had moued to laughe so much as hee neuer laught more nor spake more words They thought hee had beene in a sowne but they were mukh amazed and sore afrayde when they see him dead IOVBERT liber 1. of Laughter Chap. 27. Mounsier BOISSONNADE Phisition of Agen a verye learned expert carefull and honest man hath witnessed vnto mee that the Mistresse of the Tennis Court in Agen an ancient Woman dyed with extreame laughing hearing a strange and ridiculous tale lib. 3. Chap. 16. In the same third Booke Chap. 14. Doctor IOVBERT reportes three pleasant Histories of certaine sick folkes that were abandoned of the Phisitions and cured strangely by extreame laughing seeing some pleasant trickes of certaine Apes playing in their Chambers these meanes stirring vp and reuiuing nature which was opprest and as it were choakt with their infirmities Of a wonderfull Turkish Pilgrim I Will report wonders of a Turkish Pilgrim Hee went attyred in a long Cassacke and a white Cloake downe to his heeles with a long Beard as our Painters do represent vnto vs most of the Apostles vnder a graue shewe he hid a craftie spirit The Turkes did admire him and honour him as a Saint and a doer of myracles perswading my Interpreters to lead mee vnto him that I might see him Hee dined at my Table soberly and modestly Then going downe into the Court he returned soone againe hauing taken vp a great Stone hee strooke him selfe such blowes vpon the naked brest as they had beene able to haue killed an Oxe This done he laid hold vpon a peece of Yron which they
Silesia Sometimes there happens sharpe and dangerous paines in the head which cause a dimnesse of the sight a decay of vnderstanding a suppression of the voyce a vomiting and a want of naturall heate through-out all the body A friend of mine named PHILIP was troubled with all these infirmities so as all men expected his death the seuenth day no Phisicke helping him in the ende by the helpe of Nature which was strong in him hee cast forth a Worme at his right nostrill the length of foure or fiue fingers breadth where-by hee was cured BENIVENIVS Chap. 100. I did see one of the Seigneurs of Venice tormented with a feuer but much more in the night then in the day in the end he cast out at his nostrils a Grayish Worme about foure fingers long the which had feete proportioable to the body and being put into a Glasse full of water it did mooue swiftly It came out at the nose wrapt in the snot with thick and black bloud TRINCAVEL lib. 9. Chap. 11. A young Maiden being sick at the signe of the Lanterne at Saint Iames Port in Paris thrust forth at one of her nostrils a Worme that was bigge and large that was foure fingers long without any Coughe or Vomiting going before This was the 9. of Aprill 1553. Annotations vpon the first Booke of Maister HOVLIER of inward diseases Chap. 54. I haue knowne a certaine man hauing an Vlcer in his nostrils from whence did distill poysoned corruption By my aduice hee dropt in the Iuyce of Tobacco leaues At the second time there came forth of his nostrils a great number of Wormes and afterwards lesse in the end after some dayes the Vlcer was cured MONARDVS in his collection of Simples beyond the Sea MONTVVS in his worke of growing diseases Chap. 4. reports after VELASQVES that there are Wormes which breed vnder the tongue I. SCHENCK in his Obseruations liber 1. Sect. 387. Many other learned Phisitions agree and maintaine with AVICENNE and other Ancients that Wormes breed in the teeth the which they drawe forth with diuers perfumes ALEX. BENEDICTVS lib. 6. Chap. 13. Of the cure of diseases BENIVVENIVS Chap. 100. DO DONEVS in his Scholiast RONDELET in his Historie of Fishes in his Chapter of Creuises TH. de VEGA in his Comentar vpon the â—… Booke Chap. 5. Of affected places of GALLEN HOVLIER in his Annotations vpon the fift Booke of GALLEN Of compounded Medicines I haue made mention else-where of a young Prince after his death being opened there was found a white Worme fastened vnto the heart which had the beake pointed and hard like vnto that of a Chicken Others in their Annotations vppon Mounsieur HOVLIENS worke of inward diseases obserue vpon the 29. Chapter of the 1. Booke that some times it happens that wormes tickling not onely the orifice of the stomack but also the heart it selfe death doth presently ensue I haue also spoken of a Florentine who beeing dead of an Apoplexie was opened where there was a Worme found in the filme of the heart RONDELET speaking of the Riuer Creuisse in his History of Fishes saieth That hee had seene a Worme breeding in one of the brests of an Honorable Gentlewoman BALDVVIN ROVSETVS a Phisition of Holland in the 10. Chapter of his Miscellania reportes the like of another Woman H. MONTVVS a learned Physition doth maintaine that there are wormes breed in the Veines of mans body PLINIE doth also write it lib 26. Chap. 13. I. SCHENCK lib. 3. of his Obseruations Sect. 52. One demanded councell of a Spaniard by Letters and helpe for one that was troubled with grauell who hauing voyded some stones and much sand did also put forth at his yarde two little Wormes hauing pointed beakes two hornes vpon the head as a Snaile the backe and belly was as it were couered with scales black like a Tottoise but vnder the belly which was redde Annotations vpon the 50. Chapter of the 1. Booke of Maister HOVLIER Of inward diseases I haue wondred to see in mine owne Vrine a great great number of Wormes short and little like to small Lice CARDAN in his Coment vpon the 76. Aphorisme of the fourth Booke of HIPPOCRATES GILBERT GRIFEON an excellent Physition and some-times my Schoole-maister hath some-times shewed mee Wormes in Vrines as small as haires the which wee could not see but in looking very neere RONDELET in his History of Fishes in the Chapter of the Riuer Creuish I haue seene in an Vrine Wormes as large as Gourd seedes flatte and aline MONTVVS liber 4. Chap. 19. ARGENTERIVS a most learned Physition doth affirme that hee had seene the forme of a winged Dragon comming forth with the Vrine RONDELET in his Treatise of the Knowledge of Diseases Mounsieur DVRET a Physition hath assured mee that hee did voyde at his yarde after a long and greeuous sicknesse a little Beast aliue very strange and wonderfull to behold which was of a reddish coulour CHARLES Earle of Mansfield beeing very sore sicke of a continuall Feuer cast forth at his yarde a Worme of the very forme of a blacke Pye AMBROSE PARE lib. 19. Chap. 3. I haue seene in the Vrines of diuers that haue beene sicke of the great Poxe Wormes like vnto Antes LEMNIVS lib. 2. Chap. 40. Of the secret miracles of Nature One being troubled with difficultie of making water voyded by his yarde a little liue Scorpion I. SCHENCK lib. 3. of his Obseruations Sect. 312. In the Bladder of some persons Wormes doe breede and little Beasts like to Cockles of the Sea ALEX. BENEDICT lib. 2. Chap. 22. of his Anotomie I attribute much credit in Phisicke and Surgerie to experience applyed to reason An honorable Woman did voyde by the neck of the Matrix a great number of Wormes called Ascarides soone after recouered her health GARSIAS LOPES in his diuers Lessons of Phisick Chap. 13. Visiting one FREDERIC seruant to FRANCIS BOVRSAT a Lawyer beeing full of paine with an Impostume that was growne at the ende of his middle finger the which beeing ripe I caused to bee lansht out of the which there came presently a white Worme wolly hauing a black head as bigge as those Maggots that are found in Cheeses after the which FREDERIC was cured MARCELLVS DONATVS lib. 4. of his Historie Chap. 26. A certaine Man hauing a swelling or Wenne on his necke as bigge as an Egge by chance being in a quarrell hee was wounded very sore in the same place the which was found to bee full of quicke Lice and the patient was cured of his hurt of his Wenne and of his Vermie PETER FOREST in his Obseruations Maister CORNELIVS HEYDIVS a Physition at Delft hath told me that practising in the Franche Countie hee had a Maide in cure which had a crooke back who feeling a great itching on that part hee thought it was some Impostume applying things fit to make it ripe Being opened there came out of it matter as cleere as water with a
great aboundance of Lice The same I haue seene an Impostume in a Maidens flanke the which beeing opened by the Surgion it was found full of Wormes FALLOPIVS in the 4. Chap. of swellings that be not Naturall Visiting the body of a Souldiar of Modena that was dead in the Hospitall of the Carmelites I found it full of Impostumes both within and without all which were full of Wormes like vnto Lice The same A Germaine Gentlewoman troubled with diuerse diseases among others did vomit vp at diuerse times aboue twelue hundred little wormes not aboue six yeares since some as long as a Mans finger others longer whereof we will speake more amply in another place I. SCHENCK recites this History in the last Section of the seuenth Booke of his Obseruations It remaines to speake a worde of such Vermine as comes forth from betwixt the skinne and the flâ—…sh a disease called Ptiriasis Many both great and small ancient and moderne haue beene strucken with it and carried out of the world In some they haue onely obserued some naturall indisposition whereof the Phisitions yeeld pertinent reasons in others some speciall visitation of GOD. I haue before made mention of some whervnto I will adde this that followeth AMATVS a Portugall in the 3. Century cure 58. saith that he had cured one that had Ptiriasis ot the Lousie disease with an Ointment letting him bloud and purging him well before Hee writes also that a Portugall of Lisbone called TABORA was so tormented with such Vermine as two slaues of his being Moores did nothing but carry away Baskets full of this Vermine breeding in his bodie and emptied them in the Sea which was neere vnto the sicke mans lodging A young Painter being troubled with an itching was aduised to stand naked neere vnto the fire which caused Blisters to rise on his back out of the which there came aboundance of Lyce P. FOREST lib. 8. Obseru 15. As for those wretches whome the hand of GOD hath toucht in all ages and which haue beene deuoured aliue with Lice I will leaue the search and consideration there-of vnto the Reader I could name some aduanced to great dignities according to the worlde and riche who within these fiue and twenty yeares namelye in our France for that they were not punished by men according to their merites haue not yet escaped the iust vengeance of the Almightie Some haue dyed with-out sence others haue felt some Worme in their conscience but destitute of the true knowledge of GOD and of them-selues haue dyed most miserably There is no Prouince in the realme but may furnish store of examples Such punishments doe put both great and small in minde of these two verses To learne to doe well carefull be and seeme And not in scorne of GOD to disesteeme Old Men. CAptaine LAVDONNIERE chiefe of three Ships well appointed sayled in the yeare 1564. towards Florida where being arriued the Seignior of Ottigny his Lieutenant was lead by a Paraousty or Lord of the Country to his Fathers lodging one of the oldest men that was then liuing vpon the earth The French-men respecting the age of this Floridien began to gratifie him by the common terme of friend whereat the olde man did seeme to reioyce much Then they asked him of the course of his age where-vnto hee made answer shewing that from him were come fiue generations More-ouer hee shewed them an other olde man set right against him the which did exceed him much in age It was his Father who did more resemble a carcase of boanes then a liuing man for he had the sinewes the veines the artiers the boanes and other parts appearing so plainly aboue the skinne as you might number and distinguish one from an other And hee was so old as the poore man had lost his sight and could speake little and with very great paine The Seignior of Ottigny hauing seene so strange a thing went to the young olde man intreated him to answer vnto that which hee had demanded touching his age Then the old Man called a troupe of Indiens and striking twise vppon his thigh and laying his hand vpon two of them hee gaue him to vnderstand by signes and tokens that these two were his Children then striking vppon his thighes hee shewed him others that were not so olde which issued from the two first the which he continued in that manner vnto the fifte generation Although this olde man had a Father and that both had white and exceeding long haire yet it seemed by their naturall constitution they might liue thirtie or fortie yeares longer and yet the youngest of them was not lesse then two hundred and fiftie yeares olde Historie of Florida by Mounsier BASANNIER a French Gentleman Age growne young againe VELASQVES of Tarentum makes mentiion in his Filone of an Abbesse that was in the Monastery of Monuiedre the which in his time was almost a hundred yeares old and as she seemed very old nature which declined in her recouered so great force and vertue as her monthly courses which she had lost for manie yeares beganne to come againe as if shee had beene yong moreouer all her teeth came againe her haire began to shew black and to expell the white so as recouering her best estate the wrinkles of her face ware away her brests grewe fat plompe in the end she grewe as faire and fresh as when she was but thirty years old so as many went to see her as the most admirable thing which they had euer seene She hid her selfe and would not bee seene beeing ashamed of this strange alteration which she found in her selfe And although that VELASQVES did forget to note the number of yeares which shee liued afterwardes yet it is to bee presumed that they were reasonably long seeing that nature in the declyning had shewed so goodly and extraordinary a worke A. TORQVEMADO in the first iorney of his discourse Beeing at Rome about the yeare 1531. it was bruted throughout all Italie that at Tarentum there liued an old man who at the age of a hundred yeares was growne young againe like vnto the Abbesse Hee had changed his skinne like vnto the snake and had recouered a newe beeing growne so young and fresh as those which had seene him and knowne him beefore could then scarse beleeue their owne eyes Hauing continued aboue fiftie yeares in this estate hee grewe to bee so olde as hee seemed to bee made of barkes of trees The same The Admirall Don FADRIGVE passing in his youth by a place called Rioya hee see a man that was fiftie yeares olde in his opynion who tould him that hee had beene foote-man to his grand-father And when as the Admirall would not beleeue it for that it was long since his grand-father was dead this man sayd vnto him that hee had no reason to doubt thereof for that hee was a hundred yeares olde and that being old hee was growne young againe so as nature was changed in