Tartaria with so little mouthes that they cannot eate but maintaine their liues with sucking in onely the substance and iuice of flesh and fruites There is another kind of men with dogs faces and Oxe feete which containe all their speech vnder two wordes onely with the which the one vnderstandeth the other There are others whom they call Phanaces whose eares are so great that they couer therewith their vvhole bodies they are so strong that vvith one pull they teare whole trees vp by the roots vsing them in their fight with exceeding agillity There are others with one eye only and that in their forehead their eares like dogs and their haire standing stiffe vp an end Others they describe with diuers and monstrous formes which if I should rehearse all I should neuer make an end yet by the way I will tell you what I haue reade in one of Ptolomes tables of Tartaria maior There is in it sayth he a Country now called Georgia fast by the kingdome of Ergonil in the which there are fiue sorts of people some blacke as Ethiopians some white like vs some hauing tailes like Peacocks some of very little and low stature with two heads and others whose face and teeth are in maner of horse iawes And if this be true it is a wonderfull thing that there should be in one Land such diuersities of men BER Doe these Authors set all these monsters together in one part of the earth or in diuers parts AN. In this point they differ farre the one from the other Pliny and Strabo agree with the story written by the Philosopher Onosecritus which was in India with Alexander the great and writeth all these monsters to be there Solinus sayeth that the Arimaspes being a people with one eie are in Scithia fast by the Riphaean mountaines Others hold that the most part of these monsters are in the solitary deserts of Affrica and the rest are in the mountaines of Atlas others sayde that the Cyclops Gyants of exceeding hugenes with one onely eye and that in the midst of their forehead were to be seene in Sicillia LU. Yet it may be that they are as well in one place as in another yet Strabo entreating of them in conclusion accounteth them but fables and fained matters and Sinforianus Campegius a man singulerly learned in a Chapter which hee writeth of monsters proueth by naturall reasons that there can be none such and if there be any that they are no men but brute beasts like vnto men Pomponius Mela is of the same opinion saying that the Satyres haue nothing else of man then the likenesse AN. I will neyther beleeue all nor condemne all which is written but as touching the Satyres me thinkes Pomponius Mela hath small reason for wee must rather beleeue Saint Hierome who in the life of Saint Paule the first Hermite which worke is allowed by our Church witnesseth that they are men and creatures reasonable Their shape is according to the description of diuers Authors like vnto men differing onely in some points as in hauing hornes on their heads their noses and forepart of their mouthes like to dogges snowts and their feete like to those of Goates Many affirme that they haue seene them in the deserts of Aegipt The Gentiles in diuers places adored them for Gods and Pan the God of Sheepheards was alwayes painted in the likenes of a Satyre Many haue written of these Satyres and it is held for a matter certaine and vndoubted AN. Sabellicus in his Aeneads sayeth that there are of them in the mountaine Atlas which runne on foure feet and some on two feet like men either sort passing swiftly Pliny affirmeth that there are of them in India in certaine mountaines called Subsolani whom not accounting men hee termeth to be most dangerous and harmfull beasts Ouid in his Metamorphosis sayeth that the Satyre is a beast like vnto a man onely that hee hath hornes on his head and feete like a Goate But if it be so that they are men capable of reason I wonder that we haue no greater knowledge of them AN. Heerein is no great cause of wonder because the deformity of their figure maketh them so vvild that it taketh from them the greatest part of the vse of reason so that they flie the conuersation of men euen as other bruite beastes doe but amongst them selues they conuerse and vnderstand one another well enough for all those which vvrite of the mountaine Atlas say that there are in the tops therof many nights heard great noyses and soundes as it were of Tabers and Flutes and other winde instruments vvhich they hold for a certaine to be doone by the Satyres in their meetings for as soone as the day comes you heare no more yet some will say that the Satyres are not the cause thereof but another secrete of Nature of the vvhich we will hereafter in his more conuenient and proper place discourse LU. Before we passe any farther let vs first vnderstand what difference there is between Satyres Faunes Egipanes for Virgill in the beginning of his Georgiques inuoketh as well the one as the other and sundry other Authors vsing these seuerall names doe seeme to put a difference betweene them AN. I will ansvvere you herein with Calepin which saith that Faunes were held amongst the Greeks for the selfe same which Satyrs among the Latines that they both are one thing Probus and Seruius saith that they are called Fauni à fando because they prophesied as Pan did amongst the Sheepheards And Seruius vvriteth that Egipans Satyrs and Faunes are all one Nicolaus Leonicus in his second booke de vana historia vvriteth of another sort of Satyrs much differing in shape from these before rehearsed he alledgeth an Author called Pausanias vvhose authority he followeth in his whole worke who sayeth that he heard Eufemius a man of great estimation and credite affirme that sayling towardes Spaine the ship in which they went through a great tempest and storme beeing driuen with a violent vvesterne wind to runne along the Ocean Seas brought them at last vpon the coast of certain Ilands which seemed to be vninhabited wher they had no sooner landed to take in fresh vvater but there appeared certaine vvild men of a fierce cruel resemblance all couered vvith haire somwhat reddish resembling in each other part men but onely that they had long tailes full of brisled haires like vnto horses These monsters discouering the Marriners ioyned them selues in a great troupe squadron together making an ilfauoured noyse like the barking or rather howling of doggs and at last of a sodaine set vpon them with such a fury and vehemence that they draue them backe to their ship forcing them to leaue behind them one of their vvomen which was also landed vpon whom they savv from their ship those brutish men or rather barbarous monsters vse all sort of fleshly abhomination and filthy lust
she willingly condiscending he led her into his Caue whether all the other Apes resorted prouiding her such victuals as they vsed where-with with the water of a Spring neere therevnto she maintained her life a certaine time during the which not being able to make resistance vnlesse she would haue presently been slaine she suffered the Ape to haue the vse of her body in such sort that she grew great and at two seuerall times was deliuered of two Sonnes the which as she her selfe saide and as it was by those that saw them afterwards affirmed spake and had the vse of reason These little boyes being the one of two the other of three yeeres aged it happened that a ship returning out of India passing thereby and being vnfurnished of fresh water the Marriners hauing notice of the Fountaine which was in that Iland and determining thereof to make their prouision set them selues a shore in a Cockbote which the apes perceauing fled into the thickest of the mountaine hiding themselues wherewith the woman emboldened and determining to forsake that abhominable life in the which she had so long time against her will continued ranne forth crying as loud as shee could vnto the Marriners who perceauing her to be a woman attended her and carried her with them to their ship which the Apes discouering gathered presently to the shore in so great a multitude that they seemed to be a whole Army the greater of which through the brutish loue and affection which he beare waded so farre into the Sea after her that hee was almost drowned manifesting by his shrikes and howling how greeuously he took this iniury done him but seeing that it booted not because the Marriners beganne to hoise their sailes and to depart he returned fetching the lesser of the two Boyes in his armes the which entring againe into the water as farre as he could he held a great while aloft aboue water and at last threw into the Sea where it was presently drowned which done he returned backe fetching the other and bringing it to the same place the which in like sort he held a great while aloft as it were threatning to drowne that as hee had done the other The Mariners moued with the Mothers compassion and taking pitty of the seely Boy which in cleare and perfect words cryed after her returned back to take him but the Ape daring not attend them letting the Boy fall into the water returned and fled towards the mountaines with the rest The Boy was drowned before the Marriners could succour him though they vsed their greatest diligence At their returne to the ship the vvoman made relation vnto them of all that happened to her in manner aboue rehearsed which hearing with great amazement they departed thence and at their arriuall in Portugall made report of all that they had seene or vnderstoode in this matter The woman was taken and examined who in each poynt confessing this fore-saide history to be true was condemned to be burnt aliue aswell for breaking the commaundement of her banishment as also for the committing of a sinne so enorme lothsome and detestable But Hieronimo capo de ferro who was afterwards made Cardinall beeing at that instant the Popes Nuncio in Portugall considering that the one of her faults was to saue her life and the other to deliuer her selfe out of the captiuity of these brute beastes and from a sinne so repugnant to her nature conscience humbly beseeched the King to pardon her which was graunted him on condition that shee should spende the rest of her life in a Cloyster seruing God and repenting her former offences AN. I haue hearde this history often and truelie in my iudgement it is no lesse strange then any of those before rehearsed or any other that euer hapned BER That which Iohn de Banos Chronicler of the King of Portugall writeth is no lesse meruailous but of as great or greater admiration then any of these if there were thereof so sufficient witnesses to proue it true Writing certaine memorable thinges of the Kingdomes of Pegu and Sian which are on the other side of the Riuer Ganges hee sayth that the people of those Kingdoms hold and affirme for a matter assured and indubitable that of long time that Country was vninhabited and so wild and desert and possessed of so many fierce and cruell beasts that if a whole Armie of men had come they could not haue preuailed against theyr multitude It hapned on a time that a ship comming from the Kingdome of Chinay was through a violent tempest driuen on that Coast among the Rocks so that all those that were therein perrished sauing onely one woman and a mighty great mastiue the which defended her from the furie of wilde beastes vsing daily with her fleshlie copulation in such sort that she became great and in proces of time was deliuered of a sonne she being at that present verie young the boy in space of time had also acquaintance with her and begat vpon her other children of whose multiplications those two kingdoms became to be inhabited and as yet at this day they haue dogs in great veneration as deriuing from them theyr originall beginning LV. If that of the Triton with the woman and that of the Beare with the mayden and that of the Ape be true there is no impossibilitie of this but let vs leaue heerein euery man to thinke as it pleaseth him without constraining him to beleeue or not to beleeue any thing but that whereto his iudgement shal most encline and though wee haue vsed a large digression yet let vs not so giue ouer the matter which we handled concerning Tritons or Seamen for I haue heard that there is a kinde of fish also called Mermaids resembling in theyr faces fayre and beautifull women the truth whereof I would be glad to vnderstand AN. It is true there is indeede much talke of the Mermaydes whom they say from the middle vpward to haue the shape of women and of a fish from thence downeward They are painted with a combe in one hand and a Looking-glasse in the other some say that they sing in so sweet melodious and delectable a tune that charming there-with the Shipmen asleepe they enter into their ship and bereaue them of their liues but to say the truth I haue neuer seen any Author worthy of credit that maketh mention hereof Onelie Pedro Mexias sayth that in a certaine strange and terrible tempest there was one of them amongst a number of other Fishes driuen a shoare on the Sea-coast hauing the visage of a vvoman most beautifull expressing in lamentable sort such sorrowe and griefe that shee mooued the beholders to compassion vvho gently turned her backe againe into the water vvhereinto shee willingly entred and swamme away vvithout being seene any more And though it may be that there is in the Sea such a kind of fish yet I account the sweetnes of their singing with
Beleeue me the vertues of the water are no lesse then theyrs for as the herbes sucke and draw theyr propertie and vertue out of the earth which nourisheth and produceth them yeelding moisture and sustenaunce to their rootes so likewise the water draweth to it selfe the propertie of the earth minerals through which it passeth participating with thē of their vertues which beeing so deepe in earth are frō vs hidden vnknown But I know not whether the vertue of a Spring which Aristotle writeth to be in Sycilia in the Country of the Palisciens proceede of thys cause for the misterie which it contayneth is farre greater and so sayth Nicholaus Leonicus that it is a thing verie hardly credible for he affirmeth the propertie thereof to be such that who so taketh a solemne oath and the same oath be written in Tables and cast with certaine solemnities into the Fountaine If the oath contained therein be true the Tables remaine floating aloft vpon the water but if it be false they sink incontinently downe to the bottome And he which tooke the same is burned presently in the place and conuerted into ashes not without damage many times of those that were present They called this the holy Fountaine and appointed the charge and custody thereof to Priests which suffered no man to sweare vnlesse that hee first put in sureties that hee would content him selfe to passe by this triall LV. I rather thinke that Aristotle and those that wrote heereof were deceaued then otherwise because we heare not at this present that there is any such Fountaine knowne in Sicilia if there had beene in times past any of such force and vertue the memory thereof would be farre more rife and famous then it is BER Let vs neuer trouble our selues with the triall heereof for in this sort we may say the like of all those others which we haue not seen AN. The selfe same Nicolaus Leonicus writeth of another Fountaine in the Country of the Elyans nere to the Riuer Citheros into the which all the water that ranne there out degorged There stood by this Fountaine a sacred house the which they constantly affirmed to haue beene the habitation of foure Nimphs Caliphera Sinalasis Pegaea and Iasis All manner of diseased persons that bathed them selues in this Fountaine came there out whole and sound The like is written of two other Riuers the one in Italy called Alteno and the other called Alfeno in Arcadia But of no lesse wonder then all the before rehearsed is that which is vvritten of the Lake in Scithia in the Country of the Dyarbes neere to the Citty Teos the which besides the meruailous plenty of fish in which it aboundeth hath a property most admirable for in calme and warme weather there apeareth aboue the vvater great aboundance of a kind of liquor like vnto oyle which the inhabitants in Baotes made for the same purpose skimme off from the vvater and apply the same to their vses finding it to be as good and profitable as though it were very oyle in deede There is likewise in the Prouince of Lycia nere a Citty called Pataras a Fountaine the vvater that floweth from which looketh as though it were mingled with blood The cause whereof as the Country men say is through one Telephus who washing therein his wounds it hath euer since retained the colour of blood But the likeliest is that it passeth through some veine of red clay or coloured earth vvith the which mixing it selfe it commeth forth stained with that colour the Author hereof is Nicolaus Leonicus And Athenaeus Naucratites sayeth that in an Iland of the Cyclades called Tenaeus there is a Fountaine whose water will agree by no means to be mingled with vvine alwayes howsoeuer it be mingled or poured with vvine into any vessell it remaineth by it selfe a part so that it is to be taken vp as pure vnmedled as when it was poured forth yea though all possible diligence were vsed to ioyne and mingle them LV. There be a great many that would be glad that all water were of this condition by no means brooking the mixture therof with wine as a thing that keepes them somtimes sober against their wils AN. You say truth but leauing them with their fault which is none of the least but one of the greatest foulest that may be in any man pretending to beare honour or reputation I say there is in the Iland of Cuba according to the relation of many which haue seene the same a Fountaine which poureth forth a thick liquor like vnto Tarre which is of such force that they cauke and pitch their ships withall in such sort that they remaine as firme dight against the entry of water as though they were trimmed with the best sort of Pitch that we doe heere vse in these parts BER I haue heard say that there is in the same Iland a great Valley the stones that are found in which are all so round as if they had by Art euery one beene fashioned in the same forme LV. Perchaunce Nature hath so framed them for some effect of the which wee are ignorant seeing that few or none of her workes are without some secrete mistery and as well may these stones serue to some vse as the liquor of that Fountaine but let vs heerewith not trouble Signior Anthonio from prosecuting his discourse AN. Solinus discoursing of the Iland of Cerdonia saieth that it containeth many wholsome vvaters Springs amongst the rest one whose water healeth all infirmity of the eyes withall serueth for a discouery of theeues for whosoeuer by oath denieth the theft which he hath cōmitted in washing him selfe with that water loseth incontinent his fight if so be that his oath be true his eye siight is therby quickned made more sharp liuely but whosoeuer obstinately persisteth in denying his fault remaineth blind for euer But of this Fountaine there is now no notice at all for I haue beene long resident in that Iland during which time I neuer heard any such matter Many the like vnto these are written of by diuers Authors the which for their vncertainty I wil not weary my self in rehearsing only I wil tell you of a Lake which is in the Spanish Iland called S. Domingo in a mountaine very high vninhabited The Spaniards hauing conquered that Country found round about this mountaine no habitation of people through the cause of a hideous noise which was therein continually heard amazing making deafe the hearers therof the hiden cause secret mistery wherof no man being able to comprehend three Spaniards resolutly deliberated to goe vp into the height thereof to discouer if it were possible the occasion whence this continuall roaring proceeded so that prouiding them selues of all things necessary for the difficulty ragged sharpnes of the way being ful of craggy rocks shruby trees bushes
ingender in them a certaine vvorme which by little and little becommeth great and feathered and at last lifteth vp the wings and flieth into the ayre Cassaneus in his Catalogue of the glory of the world in the twelfth part repeateth thys otherwise In times past sayth he there grew in England vpon a Riuers side a strange and wonderfull tree that brought forth a fruite like vnto Ducks the which being ripe and falling of those which fell on the Land side rotted and perished but those vvhich fell into the vvater receaued presently lyfe recouering feathers and wings and in short space became able to flie Others write that there were many of these Trees and so by consequence many such foules in great number But whether there be any such nowe or no I know not Besides these Authors I remember that I read in an Epitaphe which is written in the Map of the world printed by a Venetian called Andreas Valuasor that one Andrew Rosse cittizen of the same towne had at that present two of these foules about the bignes of two little Ducks the which were brought him out of Spayne but I think there was an error in the writing and that he should haue written England or Scotland for a thing so miraculous as this is cold not in Spayne be obscure vnknown BER Truly as you say this may wel be termed miraculous but mee thinks this disagreement of opinions maketh the matter seeme doubtfull LU. There is no mortall sin neither in beleeuing nor vnbeleeuing it but Nicolaê° Leonicê° affirmeth another thing as strange as this that in the Citty of Ambrosia situated at the foote of the hill Parnassus there should be a tree called Ys and by another name Cocus whose leaues are like those of the Dock and the fruite about the bignes of a Pease the which if it be not gathered in season engendreth a little flie like vnto a maget at the beginning which afterward coÌ„meth to haue wings flyeth away leauing the fruite hanging on the tree withered vp which some let perrish of purpose because the blood of those flyes is singulerly excellent to die silke withall AN. Of no lesse admiration are those trees of which Pigafeta in his relation to the Pope maketh mention whose leaues falling downe presently moue go as it were vpon 2. poynts which they haue on the one side like feete seeming to haue life he affirmeth to haue seen this himselfe Therefore whatsoeuer is said and affirmed by graue Authors we ought to beleeue that it may be for though some haue a fault in ouerreaching yet others will not register any thing but that which is true Turning therefore to our purpose of waters let vs not in silence passe ouer the greatnes of such Riuers as haue beene in our times discouered for till now Nylus Ganges Danubius and Boristhenes haue bin accounted great but at this present the greatest that is in all Asia Affricke or Europe is but a little streame in comparison of those vvhich by Nauigation are newly found out in the West Indies scarcely to be beleeued vvere they not sufficiently authorized by the infinite number of so manie vvitnesses As for example the riuer of Orellana so called by the name of him that first discouered it is so great that it beareth fifty leagues of breadth at the mouth where it entereth into the Sea and through the extreame furie vvith vvhich it forciblie passeth it pierceth in such sort through the vvaues of the salt vvater that the Saylers call that Coast the Sweete vvater Sea The Riuer Dela plata nowe inhabited by our Spanyards there as the Sea receaueth it containeth xxv leagues in breadth and the Riuers of Maranion fyfteene There are also many others of infinite largenesse whereby we may coniecture that there is a greater quantity of Lande theÌ„ that which is already discouered for it is not possible that such mighty Riuers shoulde rise out of any Spring but that many other Riuers shoulde fall into them and that out of diuers Regions but let vs leaue this till we meete another time when we shal haue more leysure BER First I pray you tell vs what is your opinion concerning the source and rising of Riuers both these and the rest and whence theyr spring issue and proceed for I haue heard herein diuers contrary opinions which cause me to be doubtfull I would be glad to be resolued AN. The opinion of Aristotle and others that imitate him is that the Riuers are engendred in the hollowe and hidden parts of the earth where the ayre through the great moysture coldnes conuerteth it selfe into water the which running along the veynes of the earth coÌ„meth at last to the height thereof where not being fully perfected it taketh thicknesse and issueth out discouering it selfe as well in great Riuers as in little streames and Fordes such as wee see Anaximander and many other Phylosophers with him affirmed that the earth hath within it selfe and in the midst thereof a belly full of water out of which breake forth all these Fountaines Riuers and Springs but the surer opinion and the truth indeed is that all Riuers streames and Fountaines and Lakes that come of flowing waters issue proceed out of the Sea as sayth Ecclesiastes in the first Chapter by these wordes All Riuers enter into the Sea and the Sea for al that encreaseth not and the Riuers returne to the same place out of which they issued and begin to runne anew BER You haue giuen vs very good satisfaction in this matter of vvhich we doubted onely one thing remaineth in which I beseech you to resolue vs concerning the foure Riuers that issue out of earthly Paradise for in all that I haue seene or read I haue onely founde the names of Tygris and Euphrates as for Gion and Fison I heare them not named in the world Besides I should take it that these Riuers must needs be of great vertue seeing their source Spring originall commeth out of Paradice AN. I would not willingly that you should engulfe either your selfe or mee in a matter so profound and deepe entring once into the which I know not how wee should gette out for of such difficulty is this poynt which you haue touched that he had neede of great vnderstanding and learning that should therein well resolue you which both are in mee wanting neyther being so great a Diuine or so well seene in the holy Scriptures that I can satisfie you without bringing you into many doubts whereas you haue nowe onely one For to discourse of these Riuers of force we must first declare that which may be said of Paradice of which when I set my selfe to consider my vnderstanding is in it selfe confounded for the disagreeing contrariety of Authors which haue written heereof is such that I know I should weary you with hearing them LU. I knowe not how wee may spend the time better then in searching
greatest part of this Prouince obeyeth the King of Swethen vvho hath in the frontyers thereof one of the best and strongest Castels in the worlde called Newcastle which is situated vppon a high Rocke accessible onely of one side and that with great difficulty At the foote of this Rocke runneth a great and deepe Riuer in such sort that in some places it is hard to sound any bottome the waters of which and all the fishes therein are so blacke that it is therefore called the blacke Riuer it discendeth from the Aquilonar mountaynes commeth along through such desert and craggie Landes that no manne knoweth where the head thereof riseth onely it is thought that it commeth out of Lacus Albus waxing black by reason of the soile through which it commeth There is in this Riuer great aboundance of Salmons and of other fishes of such excellent relish and pleasing tast that there can in no part of the world be found any better They serue not onely for prouision to the Country it selfe but are carried thence into many farre places Amongst the rest there is found a fish called Treuius which in the Winter is blacke and in the Sommer white whose meruailous property is such that binding him fast with a corde and letting him downe into the bottome of a Riuer if there be any gold in the sands thereof the same cleaueth fast to his skin which how great soeuer the peeces be fall not off from him till they be taken off so that some vse no other occupation to winne theyr lyuing with then this It is sayde for an assured certainty that sometimes there is openly seene a man goe in the middle of the streame playing most sweetely vppon an Instrument like a trebble Viall which at such time as men beholde him with greatest delight of a sodaine sinketh downe into the water There are also often heard vppon the shore Trumpets Drummes and other loud Instruments without seeing those that sound them vvhich when it happeneth they holde the same for a signe or presage of some harme or disastre that is to ensue to some principall person of the gard of this Fortresse which they haue often found true by experience But leauing to speake of the great plenty of fish which is in these Countries Now I will come to say somewhat of the Birdes and Fovvles which are in these parts of which there are many kinds farre differing from those which we haue heere among the rest some as great or rather greater then Patridges whose feathers are diuersified with beautifull colours chiefely white blacke and yellow called Raynbirds because towardes rayne they cry otherwise holding continually their peace It is held for a certainty that they liue by the ayre for being very fatte they are neuer seene eate at any time neyther when they kill them doe they finde any sustenance at all in theyr belly or mawe Theyr flesh is of a very sauourie taste and much esteemed There are other Birdes found on the high and rough mountaynes such as are for the most part continually couered with Snowe somewhat bigger then Thrushes which are in the Sommer white and all the Winter long blacke Their feete neuer change culour which is a most perfect yellovv They sleepe and shroude themselues for the most part alwayes in trees But when they see any Hawke or Fowle that lyueth by pray they choppe dovvne into the Snovve fluttering the same ouer them with theyr vvinges in such sort that they leaue no part of them vndiscouered preseruing thereby theyr lyfe Of all other Fovvles they are hardlyest taken they hide themselues so artificially in the Snow and therefore they call them Snow-birds Of Falcons there is passing great store ouer all these Northerne Countries and of many sorts At such time as the day lasteth the whole Sommer long in those Regions neere the Pole fewe or none remaine in the bordering Lands but flie all thither returning thence againe when the night commeth about Amongst these there are certaine white which pray both on fowles and fishes which Riuers for their pleasure doe reclaime taking with them both fish and fowle Their two feete are of sundry and seuerall fashions the one with long sharpe talents with which they seaze their pray the other like vnto a Goose the talents whereof are nothing so long The Rauens in these Lands are so great and harmfull that they kill not onely Hares and Fawnes but also Lambs and Pigs of which they make so great spoile and destruction that there are Lawes made by the which there is a reward appointed to such as shall kill them so much for the head of euery one About the Sea shore and Lakes there are many which they call Sea-Crowes and of diuers kindes some are great and haue sawes in their beakes in manner of teeth with which they sheare the fishes asunder Their principal foode is Eeles which if they be not very great they swallow in whole and many times slice them out againe behind afore they be fully dead There is an other sort of them somvvhat lesse otherwise of small difference which in seauen dayes make their nests and lay their egges and in other seauen dayes hatch their young-ones There are other Birdes called Plateae which are alwaies houering also ouer Lakes Ponds they haue mortall warres with the Crowes and with all other fowles that liue by fish of which if they see any haue in his beake or talent any pray they make him let it goe or otherwise they kill him for they haue of them a great aduantage through the sharpnes of their beake and talents Of Ducks wilde tame there is such infinite abundance in these prouinces that they couer the Lakes and waters no other foule being any thing neere in so great quantity especially where there are any veynes of warme water which keepe the Lakes longer without freezing where when they doe freeze yet the Ise is so thin that it may easily be broken They are of diuers colours and sizes otherwise all of one making Certaine Authors which write of these Countries affirme that one kinde of these Duckes is of those which are bred of the leaues of certaine trees in Scotland which falling into the water take life as in manner aboue saide becomming first a worme then getting winges and feathers at last flying vp into the ayre Olaus saith that he hath seene Scottish authors which affirme that these trees are principally in the Ilandes called Orcades They affirme also that there are Geese bredde and engendred in the same manner betweene whom and the other there is great difference both in colour many other particularities And seeing this wonder is by the testimonie of so many Authors confirmed I see no reason but that vvee may well beleeue it without offending and that also vvhich they write of a towne in the vtmost parts Northward of that Kingdome
may be gathered that put the case that Paradise stood towards any part of the East yet could not the same be far off frō the Citties of Ierusalem Tyre because he nameth iointly together Charam Heden being a thing most manifest that Charam is a Prouince in Chaldae or Mesopotamia which appeareth by the words of Genesis saying God took thē out of Vra Prouince of the Chaldaeans that they might go to Canaan they cam euen to Charam these are euident reasons to proue that Paradise stood in that Coūtry that if as yet it be it standeth there it maketh the better with this opinion because the two Riuers Tygris Euphrates bath and water that Prouince Besides we may suppose that the Arke of Noe during the 40. dayes of the flood while it floted vpō the water being so great huge built so monstrous as appeareth by the holy scripture to no other end then that it should not sink made no very long voyage which staying setling it selfe on the mountaines of Armenia is a token that Noes biding was not farre from thence of the other side it is certaine that his habitation was not far off from that part where Paradice was which by consequence could not be farre off from Armenia vpon which these prouinces before rehearsed doe border and that the Country where Paradice stood was enhabited appeareth by these words of S. Chrisostome Before the flood saith he men knew the place where Paradice stood the way to goe vnto the same But after the deluge they found thēselues out of the knowledge thereof neyther could Noe or any of his Successors remēber or find out the place where it had beene And seeing that Chrisostom saith that it was neuer afterwards knowne neither can we know if it still remained or if it were dissolued for standing in part where notice might haue been had thereof LV. Indeed if Paradice should be in a place so neere vnto vs how were it possible that no man should haue knowledge thereof or at the least of the place where it might stand AN. To this answereth Eugubinus that granting his former opiniō to be true or that Paradice was planted in a flat ground or at least not so high as other Doctors affirme then certainly it was destroyed by the waters of the flood God through our offences not permitting a thing so notable of so great perfection to remaine amongst vs in the world LV. It seemeth not vnto me that Eugubinus hath reason to gainsay the opinion of so many Doctors agreeing all in one Strabo being both a Historiographer and a Diuine writeth that the sword with which God placed the Seraphin at the gate of Paradice was called Versatilis which is as much to say as turning because it could turn back as it did when it gaue place of entry to Elias Enoch though the same be otherwise vnderstood of Nicolaus de Lyra who saith that Torrida Zona is the firy sword which the Seraphin held whose exceeding furious heate defended that passage frō all men liuing But this is out of date seeing the industry of this our age hath found the same to be passable BE. I dare not determinatly affirme whether Elias cam out of terestrial Paradice or any other place when he was speaking with Christ at his transfiguration for it is generally held as a thing most certain indubitable that Elias where so euer he be is in body and soule AN. Truly there are for the maintenance of each of these opinions so many reasons that it is best not to trouble our wits withall but to leaue the censure of thē to wiser men greater Doctors then we are only one thing remaineth the which truly if it were in my power I would not permit that so many fables shold be set forth divulged as there are as that which is written in the life of S. Amasus that hee stoode so many yeeres at the gates thereof and also in a treatise of S. Patricks Purgatory where it is written that a Gentleman entring in passed through the same into earthly Paradice for in such matters no man ought to be so hardy as to affirme any thing but that which is knowne to be true and approoued LV. In good sooth you haue great reason but now seeing you haue sayde as much as may be about the situation of Paradice goe forward with that of the Riuers which come from thence a matter vnlesse I be deceaued of no lesse difficulty then the before rehearsed AN. I assure you it is such that I should haue been glad if you had ouerslipped it doubting least I shall be vnable to satisfie your expectation for as Eugubinus sayeth there is so great and so intricate a difficulty heerein that he is hardly able to vnwinde him selfe there out whom of force in this matter I must follow for as for the other Authors which write heereof it seemeth that they stay at the halfe carere without reaching to the end of the course To begin therefore it is sayd in Genesis that there issued a Riuer out of Paradice deuiding it selfe into foure parts the which were Gion Fison Tygris and Euphrates But seeing the difficulty of the seate and place of paradice cannot clearely be determined much lesse can this be of the foure Riuers which issue thence especially knowing at this present that their Springs and risings are in diuers different parts of the world yet for all this sifting and bolting out the truth we will approach as neere it as we may This Riuer which deuided it selfe into foure first issued out of the place of delights which was according to Eugubinus the Prouince of Heden and from thence entered to inundate Paradice whence comming forth it made this deuision It is manifest that the first part therof called Gion is the same which we now call Ganges for this is it which watreth the land of Heuylath The second Riuer Fyson is without all doubt that which wee now call Nilus seeing there is no other which watereth and compasseth about the Land of Aethiopia as the text it selfe sayeth As for Tygris Euphrates they retaine yet their selfe same first names and runne along the Country of the Assirians and of these two last it may be sayde that they rise or at the least that the first Land which they water is the same which according to that before alleaged may be called the prouince of Heden BER These two Riuers are by all Cosmographers described to haue their risings in the Mountaine Taurus in Armenia and it is true that they vvater the prouince of the Assirians but theyr rysing and beginning is farre from thence as saith Strabo by these words Euphrates and Tygris rise in the Mountaine Taurus and compassing about Mesapotamia ioyne themselues together by Babylon and from thence goe to enter into the Persian Sea the spring of Euphrates is on the North side of
Generall flood it should be destroyed and ouerthrowne the selfe same consideration may serue for this of the Riuers not without proofes very euident and agreeable to reason for if it were destroyed with the Flood euen as it pleased God to permit the vndooing thereof so would hee also ordayne that all signes and markes of the same shoulde cease to the end that the peoples dwelling in the prouinces and borders thereabout shoulde haue no knowledge at all thereof that it should be no longer necessary for the Cherubin to remaine in garde thereof with a fierie Sworde as till that time hee had done But before wee come to handle the principall causes you shall vnderstande that there are some who holde opinion that all these foure Riuers rise neere the Land of Heden and come to ioyne in the same Leauing therefore a part Tygris and Euphrates because that of them seemeth in a manner verified as for Ganges the course therof is not so contrarie but that it may well meete where the other riuers doe and that any inconuenience eyther of lownes or highnes of the earth might bee sufficient to diuert or to cause the same to runne where it now doth But this is an argument that neyther concludeth nor carrieth any reason withall As for the Riuer Nilus they goe another way to worke saying that it is not the same which in the holy Scripture is called Fison for there are two Ethiopias say they the one in Affrica which is watred with Nilus the other in the West Indies in Asia beginning from the coast of Arabia folowing along the coast of the Ocean sea towards the East the which may be vnderstood by the holy Scriptures who call those of the Lande of Madian neere to Palestina Ethiopians Sephora also that was wife to Moises beeing natiue of that region was called Ethiopesse And with this agreeth a Glosse written in the margen of Caetano his discourse vppon thys matter by Anthonio de Fonseca a Frier of Portugall and a man very learned so that Fison may well be some Riuer of these which watereth this Country first discending by the Lande of Heden comming from the same to enter into the Ocean as Tygris and Euphrates and many other deepe riuers doe in the same maner may it be coniectured that Gion should bee some one of these riuers the one and the other through antiquity hauing lost theyr names and that it is not knowne because it cannot perfectly be prooued whether of these two Ethiopias is meant by the holy Scripture Aueneza saith it is a thing notorious that the Riuer Gion was not far from the Land of Israell according to that which is written in the third booke of Kings Thou shalt carry it into Gion although there be other Authors that vnderstande not Gion to be a Riuer but to be the Lake Siloe or else a Spring so called If that Gion were Ganges it is manifest that it runneth not so neere vnto Israel as it is heere said S. Isidore entreating of this matter sayeth that the Riuer called Araxes commeth out of Paradise which opinion is also maintained by Albertus Magnus Procopius writeth of another Riuer called Narsinus whose streame issueth from thence neere to the Riuer Euphrates some thinke that these are Gion and Fison though at this time their waters runne not through the same Lands These are the opinions of Ecclesiasticall Doctors labouring to discusse and sift out the truth of this secret But leauing them all I will tell you my opinion partly agreeing with Eugubinus and his followers that when it pleased God to drowne the whole worlde in time of the Patriarch Noe with a vniuersall flood mounting according to the sacred Text fifteene cubits in height aboue all the mountaines of the earth the same must of necessity make and vnmake change alter and ouerturne many things raysing valleyes abating mountaines altering the Deserts discouering many parts of the earth vnseene before and couering drowning many Citties and Regions which from thence forth remained vnder the water ouerwhelmed in the Sea or couered with Ponds and Lakes as we know that which without the flood happened to Sodome and Gomorrha with the rest which after they were burnt did sinke with them And we see oftentimes in the swelling and ouerflowing of great Riuers whole Countries drowned and made like vnto a Sea yea and sometimes mighty Riuers to lose their wonted passage and turne and change their course another way farre different from the first If I say the violent impetuosity of one onely riuer suffice to worke these effects What shall we then thinke was able to doe the incomparable fury and terrible swinging rage of the generall and vniuersall flood In the which as the same Text sayth all the Fountaines and Springs of the earth were broken vp by their bottomes and all the Conduits of heauen were opened that there might want no water eyther aboue or beneath If then the Springs so brake vp it could not be but that some of them were changed and passed into other places different from those in which they were before theyr streames scouring along through contrary wayes and veines of the earth In like manner might it happen to those which entered into terestriall Paradise issued forth to water those Lands named in the holy Text which eyther through the falling downe of huge mountaines and rocky hills or filling vp of lowe valleyes might be constrained to turne their streames farre differently to their former course or else by the permission and will of GOD which would haue vs to be ignorant of this secrete they changed their Springs and issues by hiding and shutting them selues in the bowels of the earth and running through the same many thousand miles and at last came to rush forth in other parts farre distant from those where they were before neyther passed they onely vnder a great quantity of Lands enhabited and vninhabited but the very Sea also whom they hold for mother Spring whence they proceede hideth them vnder her to the ende that they might returne to issue foorth where they were not knowne or if through some cause they were it should be vnto our greater admiration and meruaile as now it is Neyther wonder you at all if the generall flood wrought so great a mutation in the world for there haue not wanted graue men who affirme that the whole world before the time of the flood was plaine and leuell without any hill or valley at all and that by the waters thereof were made the diuersities of high and lowe places and the seperation of Ilands from firme Land And if these reasons suffice not let euery man thinke heerein what shall best agree with his owne fancy for in a mistery so doubtfull and secrete we may as well misse as hit and so S. Augustine thinking this to be a secret which God would not haue knowne but reserues it to himselfe saith that no
feele anguish and payne And if you be desirous to see many particularities and the seuerall opinions of diuers learned Authors read Caelius Rodiginus in his second Booke De Antiquis Lectionibus where hee discourseth copiously thereof But now for not digressing frō the principall let vs come to that which they call Phantasma the vvhich hath his beginning in the fantasie which is a vertue in Man called by an other name Imaginatiue and because thys vertue beeing mooued worketh in such sort that it causeth in it selfe the thinges feigned and imagined to seem present though in truth they are not Wee say also that the thinges which vanish away so soone as we haue seene them are fantasies seeming to vs that wee deceaue our selues and that we sawe them not but that they were onely represented in our fansie But thys is in such sort that sometimes we trulie see them indeed and other times our imagination fansie so present them to our view that they deceaue vs and wee vnderstand not whether they were things seene or imagined and therefore as I thinke comes it that wee call the thinges which we really see Visions and others which are fantasticated and represented in the fantasie Fancies vvhether of which this was that hapned in Fuentes de Ropell I know not but sure I am that it was as true as strange neither is the place so farre distant beeing onely two miles hence but that you may by infinite witnesses be thorowly resolued of the veritie thereof There lyued about 30. yeeres since a Gentleman of good account called Anthonio Costilla who of the vvhich I my selfe can giue good witnesse was one of the valiantest hardiest men of all the Country for I haue beene present at some broyles byckerings of his in which I haue seen him acquite himselfe with incredible courage and valour Insomuch that beeing somewhat haughtie and suffering no man to ouercrowe him he had many enemies thereabouts which caused him wheresoeuer he went to goe alwayes well prouided so that one day riding from his owne house to a place called Uilla Nueua hauing vnder him a good Ginet and a strong Launce in his hand when he had doone his businesse the night cōming on and the same very darke he lept a horse back and put himselfe on his way homeward comming to the end of the Village where stoode a Chappell in the forepart or portall of which there was a lettice window within the same a Lampe burning thinking that it shoulde not be wel done to passe any further without saying his prayers hee drewe neere vnto the same saying his deuotions a horseback where whiles hee so remained looking into the Chappell hee savve three visions like Ghostes issue out of the middest thereof seeming to come out from vnder the ground to touch the height of the roufe with their heads As he had beheld them awhile the haire of his head began to stand an end so that being somewhat affrighted he turned his horse bridle and rode away but he had no sooner lyfted vp his eyes when hee sawe the three visions going together a little space before him seeming as it were to beare him company so that commending himselfe to God blessing him selfe many times he turned his horse spurring him from one side to another but wheresoeuer hee turned they were alwaies before his eyes vvhereupon seeing that he coulde not be rid of them putting spurres to his horse he ranne at them as hard as he could with his Launce but it seemed that the visions went and mooued themselues according to the same compasse wherein hee guided his horse for if he went they went if he ranne they ranne if he stood still they stood still alwaies keeping one euen distance from him so that hee was perforce constrained to haue them in his company till hee came to his owne house before which there was a great court or yard opening the gate of which after hee was lighted of his horse as he entred he found the same visions before him and in this manner came hee to the doore of a lodging where his wife was at which knocking and beeing let in the visions vanished away but hee remained so dismayed and changed in his colour that his wife thinking hee had receaued some wounde or mishap by his enemies often asked him the cause of this his deadly countenaunce alteration and seeing that he would not reueale the same vnto her she sent for a friende of his that dwelt thereby a man of good qualitie and of singuler learning and integritie of life who presently comming and finding him in that perplexity importuned him vvith such instance that at last he recounted vnto him the particularity of each thing that had hapned He being a very discrete man making no exterior shewe of vvonder or amazement bad him be of good courage and shake off that dismaiment with many other comfortable perswasions causing him to goe to supper and from thence brought him to his bedde in which leauing him layd with light burning by him he vvent forth because he would haue him take his rest and sleep but hee was scarcely gone out of his chamber when Anthonio Costilla began with a loud skrietch to cry out for help wherevpon he with the rest entring into the chamber and demaunding the cause of this outcry he told them that hee was no sooner left alone but that the three visions came to him againe and made him blind with throwing dust vpon his eyes which they had scraped out of the ground which in trueth thed found it to be so from that time forward therefore they neuer left him vnaccompanied but all profited nothing for the seauenth day without hauing had Ague or any other accident he departed out of this world LV. If there were present heere any Phisition hee would not leaue to affirme and maintaine that this proceeded of some melancholly humor ruling in him with such force that he seemed really to behold that which was represented in his fantasie BER The same also may wel be for many times it seemeth that we see things which in deed we doe not being deceaued through the force of our imagination and perchance this of those visions may be the like who being once represented in the imagination of fancie had force to work those effects and the humor which caused the same encreasing through amazement and feare might at last procure death yet for all this I will not leaue to beleeue but that these visions were some Spirits who taking those bodies of ayre earth water or fire or mingling for that effect any of those Elements together came to put so great amazement in this man that the same was cause of his death AN. In all things which by certaine knowledge cannot be throughly approoued there neuer want diuers and contrary opinions so that in this diuersity of iudgements I would rather impute it to the worke of Spirits then to any
doe her vttermost diligence to constraine him perforce to that whereto by his most solemne protestation hee was bound The Gentleman strooken heerewith into greater admiration then before aunswered her that he thought her not to be in her right sences for neuer in his life had he promised marriage nor once spoken to her in secret neyther was of meaning to satis-fie anie such demaund of hers The poore vvench welnigh out of her wits after infinite exclamations calling heauen and earth to witnes began perticulerly to recite vnto him all such thinges as had passed betweene her and the deuill asking him how he could be so impudent to deny the same she mingled with threatning teares wishing him to haue the feare of Gods vengeance before his eyes The Gentleman with great confusion began to blesse himself protesting vnto her by the most solemne sort of oaths he could that she was deceaued and that of this matter hee knew nothing at all Oh God quoth shee and howe is this possible doe you not remember that on such a very day to mee most vnfortunate naming a great feastiuall day you sware and vowed to accomplish with mee the holy estate of marriage in the open face of the Church which you said you were constrained to deferre as yet for some respects But he hauing heere no longer patience to the end quoth he that you shal fully and plainly perceaue your owne error I will by sufficient information and vnrefusable witnesses proue vnto you that I was not in this Towne the day you say neither 20. dayes before nor 20. dayes after if any man therefore in my name haue deceaued you I am not to be blamed and to the end shee might be the better resolued he sent incontinently for seauen or eight persons of credite as well of his house as others which without knowing the cause wherfore solemnly swore and declared that this Gentleman had beene the very day and all the time mentioned absent in another Towne aboue fifty leagues from thence The young Mayden remained confused and ashamed as well for this as for other particuler things passed betweene her the deuill which seemed to her impossible to haue beene done by any humaine man so that her iudgement waxing clearer she nowe began to suspect this her detestable Louer to be him who indeed he was and there-vpon entring into a wonderfull deepe repentance and vtterly giuing ouer the world shee placed her selfe in a Monastery where shee continued most deuoutly the rest of her life in Gods seruice BER She tooke in my iudgment the best and surest course both for her owne saluation and to reuenge her selfe of the iniury receaued by her enemy But seeing you haue set vs in this matter I pray you tell vs what power and authority they haue ouer the deuill that vse and exercise the Art of Negromancie for it is manifest that Negromancers and Witches constraine the deuils make them perforce obey and accomplish their commaundements and many also carry them bound and enclosed in rings boxes little viols and many other things applying their helps to such vses as they themselues will and such deuils they commonly call Familiars AN. It cannot be denied but that there is such an Art called Negromancie vsed in old times by faithfull and vnfaithfull and now in these our dayes also by diuers But this Art may be exercised in two sorts the first is naturall which may be wrought through things whose vertue property is naturall to doe them as hearbs plants and stones and other things as the planets constellations and heauenly influences and this Art is lawfull and may without scruple or offence be vsed and practised of those that can attaine vnto the knowledge of their hidden properties and such is that of which S. Thomas writeth in his Treatise De ente et essentia though some doubt whether the same be his or no where he alleageth that Abel the Sonne of Adam made a booke of all the vertues properties of the planets which foreknowing that the world should perish through the generall flood he enclosed so cunningly in a stone that the waters could not come to corrupt the same whereby it might be preserued and knowne to all people This stone was found by Hermes Trismegistus who breaking it and finding the booke therein enclosed profited wonderfully by applying the contents thereof to his vse which booke comming afterwards to the hand of S Thomas it is said that he did there-with many great experiences amongst the which one was that being sicke and troubled with the noise of Beastes and carriages that passed through the streete remedied that trouble by making an Image such as the booke prescribed him which being buried in the streete none of all the Beasts had power to passe thereby but cōming thither staid or went backward not being by any man to be constrained to do the contrary He also telleth of a certaine friend of his who by the selfe same booke made an Image putting the which into a Fountaine it caused all such vessels as touched the water thereof presently to breake which came by obseruations of certaine houres and points in working of those Images of which they tooke great reckoning and heede to the end that the planets might the better vse their influences in working those thinges which seemed supernaturall The vse of all this is so lawfull that there is nothing to be sayde to the contrary The other kinde of Negromancie or Art Magique is that which is vsed and practised through the helpe and fauour of the deuill which hath beene of long time as we know exercised in the world And of this the holy Scriptures giue vs sufficient testimony as well in the old Testament speaking of the Magitians of Pharaoh who contended with Moyses and Aaron as in the new Testament in the Acts of the Apostles making mention of Simon Magus rebuked by S. Peter and besides to satisfie your demaund you must vnderstand that the deuils may also be forced and constrained by the good Angels and this is because of the grace which the one lost and the other as yet retaine But leauing a-part the examples vvhich wee finde in the newe Testament of that which our Sauiour Christ as very GOD and manne wrought with them Let vs come to the Apostles and Saints who by the vertue of wordes and in the onely name of Iesus made them obey and accomplish all that which they commaunded them But the Magitians neyther by themselues neyther by their wordes Characters or signes haue power or force to constrayne the deuills to any thing howe so euer they persvvade them selues to the contrarie vvhich because you shall fully vnderstand to be so you must knowe that none canne vse or exercise this Arte of Negromancie vnlesse hee first make a secrete agreement or expresse couenaunt vvith the deuill and such deuilles vvith vvhom they deale in these couenauntes are not of the
continually hearde so great hideous a noyse that no man dareth to approch neer it by three or foure leagues The shyppes keepe alwayes a loofe of fearing and flying that Coast as death it selfe There is seene amongst those trees such an abundance of great black fowles that they seeme in a manner to couer them who rysing vp into the ayre doe make so great a clowde that they obscure in a manner the cleerenesse of the Sunne theyr crying or rather roring is so horrible and fearefull that such as heare them though verie farre of are constrayned to stoppe theyr eares They neuer flie out of the precincts of thys Iland the same beeing alwayes shadowed with a kinde of obscuritie in manner like a Clowde diuersifying it froÌ„ the Land neere vnto it Some saith he doe affirme this Mountaine to be a part of Hell where the condemned soules are tormented vvhich opinion though it bee ridiculous yet the propertie of this Mountaine is strange and in the cause thereof some hidden mysterie which we comprehend not BER These are matters the secrecie of whose causes are not to be sifted out like vnto that of the Mountaines of Angernamia one of the farthest of those Northerne Prouinces which are so high that they are seene a farre of by those that sayle on the Bothnycke Sea and by them with great care and diligence auoyded through a wonderfull secret in them contayned which causeth a noyse so hideous violent feareful and full of astonishment that it is heard many leagues of and if that by force of tempest driuen or otherwise through ignoraunce vnwitting any ship passeth neere thereunto the horror thereof is so great that many die presently through the penetrating sharpnes and vntollerable violence of the same many remaine euer after deafe or diseased and out of theyr wits Neyther are they that trauaile by Land lesse carefull in auoyding these Mountaines Once certaine young men of great courage beeing curious to discouer the cause heereof stopping theyr eares as artificially as they coulde deuise attempted in little Boates to rowe neere these mountaines and to view the particularities of them but they all perrished in that attempt by theyr desastre leauing an example and warning to others not to hazard themselues in like danger That which we may hereafter imagine is that there are some clefts or Caues within the Rocks of these Mountaines and that the flowing and ebbing of the water striuing with the wind and hauing no aspyration out causeth that fearefull rumbling and hideous noyse and this is vnderstood because the greater the tempest is at Sea the greater is the noyse in those Mountains the same being in calme and milde weather nothing so loude and violent Of these mountains Vincentiê° maketh mention in his glasse of Histories though he write not so particulerlie of them as some moderne Authors doe which affirme that they haue seene them LV. Me thinks this place is as perrillous as that of Charibdis and rather more considering the sharpnes and terror of the noyse which penetrateth so farre and in my iudgement the flowing and ebbing of the water should draw vnto it the shippes and make them perrish though you made therof no mention AN. It seemeth vnto me that you also haue read these Authors which treat of the Septentrional Countries seeing it commeth now to purpose I will tell you one no lesse admirable then the rest which is that in a citty called Viurgo neere the prouince of Muscouia there is a Caue called Esmelen of so secret a vertue that no man hath hetherto been able to comprehend the mistery and cause thereof which is that casting any quicke beast into the same there issueth out presently a sound so terrible as though 3000. great Canons were discharged and shot off together the effect of which is such that the hearers thereof if they haue not their eares very well stopt closed do fall presently down depriued of all feeling sence like dead men out of which mortall traunce som neuer reuiue some do but froÌ„ that time forward so long as they liue they detaine som defect or other The greater the beast is that is throwne thereinto the greater is the noyse and roaring that resoundeth out This Caue is compast about with a verie strong wall and the mouth thereof shut vp with a mightie strong doore hauing many Lockes of vvhich the Gouernour hath one Key in his keeping and the rest of the Magistrates each of them a seuerall least otherwise some desastre might fall out by which the Citty might come to be dispeopled which though it be very strong both of walles and Ramparts yet the greatest strength thereof consisteth in the Caue neyther is there any enemy so mightie or puissant that dareth to besiege it hauing before his eyes the ruine of great Armies that haue attempted the same before by which after the Citty was brought into some extreamitie the Cittizens bethinking themselues of the propertie of the Caue coÌ„maunded by publique proclamation all those of the towne to stop theyr eares and one night vnawares to the enemie they cast into the Caue a great number of liuing beasts vpon vvhich there presently issued forth such a hideous infernall noyse and the violence thereof strooke such amazement into the enemies that some fell downe in a traunce and others throwing away theyr Armes fledde out of theyr Cabbines trenches the most confusedly that might bee and withall to encrease theyr misery the Cittizens issuing out massacred the greater part of them by that meanes deliuering theyr Cittie from seruitude And though they could not but receaue som inconuenience through the horrour of that hellish noyse though theyr eares were neuer so well closed yet through the ioy of theyr victory and recouered libertie they made small account of the same since which time all the borderers there abouts fearing the effect of theyr Caue doe liue in league amitie with them BER In truth this is a matter of great admiration and such that though diuers very great secretes both of heauen and earth are comprehended yet the curiositie of no wit how perfect soeuer can reach to giue heereof anie reason LVD Let vs leaue these secrets to him that made them whose will perchance is to conceale theyr causes froÌ„ vs. AN. You say well and in truth the more wee should beat our wits about them the lesse we should be able to vnderstand them it suffiseth therefore for vs to knowe that these are the secrete and wonderfull workes of God shewen by Nature the vnderstanding whereof is aboue our reach and capacitie But to follow on our discourse of the wonders of this Countrey you shal vnderstand that in those standing waters frozen Lakes of which wee spake before the ayre remaineth oftentimes shut in and inclosed the which moouing it selfe and running vp down vnder the Ise seeking vent causeth such roring and noyse that it were able to amaze
lighteth amongst shallows sands where being not able to swim for want of water he is slaine of the fishers of whom great numbers comming in small boats strike him with hookes giuing him alwayes the lyne at will till they perceaue that hee is dead and then they pull him a Land and make great commodity of the oyle other things which they take out of his body Many doe affirme a thing which in my opinion seemeth hard to beleeue which is that the great Whales when the weather is any thing tempestucus plunge themselues with such violence from out the bottom of the Sea that their back appeareth aboue water like an Iland of sand or grauell insomuch that some sayling by Sea imagining the same many times to be an Iland in deede haue gone out of their ships made fire vpon it through the heat of which the Whale plunging himselfe into the water leaueth the men deceaued and in extreame great perril of death vnlesse they could saue thēselues by swimming to their ships This is written by many Authors of great estimation though to mee it seemeth a thing incredible and against all reason LV. It may be that such a wonder as this hath beene seene at some one time and as the manner of men especially trauailers is to ouer-reach they say it happeneth vsually and often BER For my part I will wonder at nothing neyther leaue to beleeue any thing that is possible which is written of these great fishes Sea-monsters seeing it is most approouedly knowne and verified and nowe lately also written and published by sundry mē of credit that in the yere 1537. there was taken in a Riuer of Germanie a Fish of a huge monstrous greatnes the fashion of whose head was like vnto that of a wilde Boare with two great tuscles shooting aboue foure spans out of his mouth he had foure great feete like to those with which you see Dragons vsually painted and besides the two eyes in his head hee had two others in his sides and one neere his nauill and on the ridge of his necke certaine long brisles as strong and hard as though they had beene of yron or steele This Sea-monster was carried for a wonder to Anwerp and there liue as yet many which will witnesse to haue seen the same But in such like things as these no man giueth vs more ample notice of things that are strange rare and merueilous then Olaus Magnus AN. There are also in these Seas many other strange and hurtfull fishes of which there is one called Monoceros of extreame greatnesse hauing in his forehead a mightie stiffe and sharpe horne with which hee giueth the shippes so forcible and violent a stroake that hee breaketh them and driueth them vnder water as though it were with a Canon shot but this is when the ships are becalmed which sildome happeneth vpon those Seas for it there blow but the least gale of winde that may be he is so lumpish and slow that they auoyde him easilie There is another fish called Serra because of a ranke of pricks which hee hath on his head so sharpe and hard as the poynts of Dyamants with which lurking vnder the shyppes hee saweth in sunder theyr keele which if it be not foreseene and remedied in time they perrish presently There is another fish called Xifia which is in a manner like vnto the Whale whose mouth beeing open is so wide and deepe that it astonisheth the beholders his eyes likewise of a most terrible aspect his backe sharpe as a sword with which lying vnderneath the shippes hee practiseth to cut or to ouerturne them to the end he may eate and deuoure the men that are within them There are also in this Sea fishes called Rayas of exceeding greatnes whose loue towards men is passing strange and admirable for if any man chance to fall into the sea neere where any of them is hee vnderproppeth him presently bearing him aboue the water and if any other fishes com to anoy or hurt him he defendeth him as much as he may euen to the death There is also another called Rosmarus whose propertie is very rare and strange he is about the bignes of an Elephant he is headed in maner like an Oxe his skin is of darke obscure colour full of stubbie haires as great as wheaten strawes he commeth often a shore where chauncing to see a man any thing neere he runneth at him with open mouth and if he catch him hee dismembreth him presently Hee is meruailous swift delighteth much to eate grasse and sedge that groweth in freshe water for which cause hee haunteth often to little riuers plashes that are on maine land wherewith when he is well satisfied and filled he climeth vp the Rocks by the help of his teeth which are passing sharp strong where he layeth him downe to sleepe so deeply profoundly that it is not possible with any rumour how great soeuer it be to awake him at which time the marriners peasants thereabouts boldly without feare binde great ropes to each part of his body the other ends of which they fasten vnto trees if there be any neere if not as well as they can to some place of the Rock and when as they thinke they haue entangled him sure enough they shoote at him a far of with bowes Crosbowes Harguebuzes chiefely at his head His strength is so great that awaking somtimes perceauing himselfe to be wounded he starteth vp with such violence that he breaketh all the cordes with which he is fastened but commonly he hath first his deaths wound so that after a little strugling hee turneth of the Cliffe downe into the Sea and dieth incontinent out of which they draw him with hookes and yrons dispoyling him cheefely of his bones and teeth which the Muscouites Tartarians Russians esteeme to be so good and true Iuorie as the Indians doe that of theyr Elephants Of all this Paulus Iouius maketh relation in an Epistle which he wrote to Pope Clement the seauenth being amply thereof enformed by one Demetrius a noble man and Lieuetenant generall vnder the Emperour or Duke of Russia But to our first purpose there are also founde in this Seas sundry kindes of fishes or rather beastes which liue both by water and land comming often a shoare to feede in the pastures thereby bearing the likenesse of Horses Oxen Hares Wolues Rats and of sundry other sorts which after they haue well fedde on the Land turne backe vnto the Sea againe the one being in a maner as naturall vnto them as the other But leauing to speake any farther thereof wee now will come to the Dolphins whose loue to musicke and children is a thing manifest notorious to all men and seeing it serueth to the purpose I will tell you a strange and true tale of one of them that beeing taken by fishermen when hee was very young
by Nature the which is that from theyr birth they are so parted and deuided that they seeme to be double so that they vse them diuersly and in one instant pronounce different reasons and which is more they counterfet also the voyce of the birdes and fowles of the ayre but which is of other most admirable they speake with two men at once to one with the one part and to the other vvith the other part of the tongue and demanding of the one they aunswere to the other as though the two tongues were in two seuerall mouthes of two sundry men The ayre is al the yeare long so temperate in this Iland that as the Poet writeth the Peare remaineth on the Peare-tree the Aple on the Aple-tree and the Grapes vppon the Vine without withering or drying The day and night are alwaies equall the Sunne at noone dayes maketh no shadow of any thing They liue according to their kindreds to the number of 500. in company together They haue no houses not certaine habitations but fieldes and Medowes The earth without tillage yeeldeth thē aboundant store of fruites for the vertue of the Iland and the temprature of theyr climate maketh the earth being of it selfe fertile passing fruitfull yea more then enough There grow many Canes yeelding great store of white seedes as bigge as Pidgions eggs which gathering and making wette with hote water they then let dry which being done they grinde it and make thereof bread wonderfully sweet and delectable They haue sundry great Fountaines of the which some are of hote water most wholesome to bathe in and to cure infirmities others to drinke most sweete and comfortable They are all much addicted to Sciences and principally they are curious in Astrologie they vse 28. letters and besides them other 7. Characters euery one of the which they interprete 4. wayes for the signification of theyr meaning All of them for the most part liue very long cōmonly till the age of a 150. yeres and for the most part without any sicknesse And if there be any one that is diseased with a long infirmitie he is by the law constrained to die In like sort when they come to a certaine age which they account complete they willingly kill themselues They write not like vnto vs for theyr line commeth from aboue downeward There is in that Ilande a kinde of hearbe vpon which all those that lay themselues downe dye sleeping as it were in a sweet slumber The women mary not but are common to all men they all bring vp the children with equall affection oftentimes they take the children from their mothers and send them into other parts because they should not know thē the which they do to that end that there should be no particuler but equall loue affection amongst them they haue no ambition of honour or valour more one then another so that they liue in perpetuall agreement and conformity There are bred certaine great beasts of a meruailous nature and vertue in their bodies they are rounde like a Tortoys in the midst diuided with 2. lines athwart in the end of each of those halfes they haue 2. eyes and 2. hearings but one belly onely into the which the sustenance commeth as well from the one part as the other they haue many leggs and feet with the which they goe as well one way as another the blood of thys beast is of singuler vertue for diuers things what part soeuer of a mans body being cut and touched with this blood healeth presently There are in this Iland manie Foules and some of such greatnes that by them they make experience of theyr children setting them vp on theyr backs and making them flie vp into the ayre with them and if the laddes sitte fast vvithout any feare they account them hardy but if they tremble or seeme to be fearefull they bring them vp with an ill vvill reputing them simple of dull courage and of short life Amongst those kindreds which keepe alwayes companie together the eldest is King and gouernour to whom all the rest obey who when he commeth to the age of a hundred and fiftie yeares depriueth himselfe of life in whose place succeedeth without delay the eldest of that Trybe The Sea is rounde about thys Ilande very tempestuous The North-starre and many other starres which we see here cannot there bee discerned There are seauen other Ilands rounde about this in a manner as great with the selfe same people and conditions Though theyr ground be most fruitfull in all aboundance yet they liue most temperately and eate theyr victuals simple without anie composition separating from them those that vse anie arts in dressing their meats other then seething or vvasting each thing by it selfe They adore one onelie God the Creatour of all thinges vsing besides a peculiar kinde of reuerence to the Sunne and all the other celestiall thinges They are great Hunters and fishers There is great store of Wine and Oyle The trees grow of themselues without being planted The I le bringeth foorth great Serpents but hurtlesse whose flesh in eating is most sauorie and sweet Theyr garments are made of a certaine fine woll like Bombast which they take out of Canes which being dyed with a kinde of Sea Ore they haue becommeth of a most daintie colour like Purple They are neuer idle but stil employ themselues in good exercises spending many houres of the day singing hymnes vnto God and the other celestiall things whom they particulerly hold as mediators for theyr Iland They burie themselues on the Seashoare where the water may bayne their Sepulchres The Canes out of the which they gather theyr fruites grow and decrease with the mouing of the Moone Iambolo and his companion remained 7. yeares in this Iland they were driuen out vnwillingly and perforce as men that liued not according to theyr innocent customes and vertuous simplicitie so that putting them a great quantity of victuals in theyr boate made them goe aboard and cast off who hoysing vp theyr sailes after great tempests and dangers many times reputing themselues as dead lost men at last came to land in a part of India where they were by a certaine King gently entertained from whom afterward they were sent with a safe conduct into Persia and thence to Greece This is the selfe same which Iohn Bohemus writeth without adding or diminishing one word BER The thinges of this Iland are so strange that I can hardly beleeue them for mee thinkes they are like those fables which Lucian writeth in his booke De vera narratione yet Alexander of Alexandria confirmeth that of the Foules flying vp into the ayre with the children whose wordes are these There are certaine Ethiopians which set their children as they waxe great vpon certaine Foules which to that purpose they nourish of diuers sortes and making them mount vp with them into the ayre whereby they knowe what
These were indued both with strength and courage and through the vse thereof the one and the other accomplished great and worthy enterprises leauing behind them a fame glorious and euerlasting but there haue beene and as yet are sundry of rare and excellent strength which they haue employed and doe employ so ill that there is no memory nor reckoning made of them There was one not long since in Galicia called the Marshall Pero Pardo de Riba de Neyra who bearing great grudge to a certaine Bishop and finding no meanes to accomplish his reuengefull despite was contented to yeeld to the request of certaine that went betweene to make them friends at such time as they should meete together for the consummation of their attonement the Marshall went to embrace him but his embracing was in such sort that he wrung his guts out and crusht all his ribs to peeces leauing him dead betweene his armes LU. Hercules did no more when hee fought with Antheus whom he vanquished in the same manner though this act be so villainous especially hauing giuen security that it deserueth not to be spoken of There are besides at this day many trewants peasants and labourers of such accomplisht strength that if they employed it in worthy works they would winne thereby great estimation BER It is not sufficient to haue courage with this strength but they must be also fortunate for else they are soone dispatcht with a blow of a Canon yea and though it be but of a Harquebuz it is enough to abate the strongest man liuing and therefore they had rather liue in assurance dishonourable and obscure then with such ieopardy to seeke glory and fame But let vs returne to those that haue no thirst least we forget it It is a common thing that there are diuers men which bide fiue or sixe dayes without drinking especially if the victuals they eate be colde and moyst I knew a woman that made but a pastime to abstaine from drink eight or tenne dayes and I heard say that there should be a man in Medina del Campo I remember not well from whence he was that stayed vsually thirty or fourty dayes without drinking a drop and longer if it were in the fruite season for with eating thereof hee moystned so his stomacke that hee made no reckoning of drinke It vvas tolde mee for a truth that there was in Salamancha a Chanon of the same Church vvhich vvent to Toledo and returned being out xx dayes in all which time till he returned to his owne house hee neuer dranke any droppe of water or wine or any other liquor But that which Pontanus writeth in his booke of Celaestiall thinges causeth mee to wonder a great deale more of a man that in all his life time neuer drank at all which Ladislaus King of Naples hearing made hym perforce drinke a little vvater vvhich caused him to feele extreame payne and torment in his stomack I haue been told also by many persons worthy of credite that there is in Marsile neere to the Citty of Lyons at this present a man lyuing which is wont to continue three or foure monthes vvithout drinking without receauing thereby any discommoditie in his health or otherwise AN. There are many strange things reported about thys matter the cause wherof we will leaue to Phisitions who giue sufficient reasons whereby we may vnderstand how possible thys is which seemeth so farre to exceede the ordinary course of Nature BER If wee leaue thys purpose let vs returne to our former of strength for I was deceaued in thinking that the greater part thereof consisted in bignes of body members AN. If we should follow this rule we should oftentimes deceaue our selues for we finde many great men of little and slender force and manie little men of great and mightie puissance the cause whereof is that Nature scattereth and separateth more her vertue in great bodies then in lesser in which beeing more vnited and compacted it maketh them strong and vigorous and so saith Virgil. In a little body oftentimes the greatest vertue raignes LVD But we must not alwaies alowe this rule for true for we haue read and heard of many Giants whose wonderfull forces were equall with the largenes of theyr bodies BER For my part I thinke that thys matter of Gyants be for the most part feigned and though there haue beene great men yet were they neuer so huge as they are described for euerie one addeth that as he thinketh good Solinus writeth that it is by many Authors agreed that no man can passe the length of seuen foote of which measure it is saide that Hercules was Yet in the time of Aug. Caesar saith he there liued tvvo men Pusion and Secundila of which either of them had x. feete or more in length and theyr bones are in the Ossary of the Salustians and afterwards in the time of the Emperor Claudius they brought out of Arabia a man called Gauara nine foote and nine inches long but in a thousande yeeres before Augustus had not beene seene the like shape of men neither since the time of Claudius for in this our time who is it that is not borne lesse then his Father AN. If you mark it wel in the same chapter in which Solinus handleth this matter he sayth that the bones of Orestes were found in Tegoea which being measured were 7. cubits long which are more then 4. yardes according to the common opinion and yet this is no great disformity in respect of that which followeth Besides saith he it is written by the Antiquitie and confirmed by true witnesses that in the warres of Crete vpon an irruption of waters breaking vp the earth with the violent impesuositie thereof at the retreate thereof amongst many openings of the earth they found in one monument a mans body 33. cubites long Among the rest that went to see this spectacle so strange was Lucius Flacus the Legate and Metellus who beholding that with theyr eyes which otherwise they vvoulde not haue beleeued remained as men amazed Pliny also saith that a hill of Crete breaking there was founde the body of a man 45. cubits long the which some said was of Orion and others of Ocius And though the greatnes of these 2. bodyes be such that it seeme incredible yet farre greater is that of Antheus the which Anthoniê° Sabellicê° in his Aeneads saith was found in the citty of Tegaena at such time as Sartorius remained there Captain generall of the Romaine Army whose Sepulchre being opened and his bones measured the length of his carkas was found to be 70 cubits to confirme the possibility of this he addeth presently that a certaine host of his a man of good credit told him that being in Crete meaning to cut downe a certaine tree to make therewith the mast of a ship that selfe tree by chance was turned vp by the roote vnder the which was found a mans
they ouerturne some and that they gette vp also into great ships but as it seemeth not with meaning to doe hurte but onely through nouelty and curiositie to view them and that commonly they keepe together in flocks and companies in maner of an Armie and it hath happened that som of them entring into shyps haue been so amazed that they haue been taken by the Mariners but in finding themselues layde hold on they giue loude and pittifull shrikes making a most hydeous and ilfauoured noyse at which very instant there are heard infinite other the like cryes and howlings in such sort that they make deafe the eares of them that heare them and there appeare so many of theyr heads aboue water as though they were a mightie Armie of many people with the vvhich and with their terrible noyse they make the waues rise so vehemently that is resembleth a furious tempest The which is a token that they goe alwaies together vnlesse it be that some one stray by chance when they perceiue that any of theyr company is taken they make this crying tumult to assault the ship vnlesse the Mariners do presently turne him lose cast him into the Sea againe which beeing done they cease theyr clamour and goe their waies quietly vnder the vvater without doing any farder hurt And therfore that which signior Ludouico saide is not without reason for truely though they be not creatures reasonable yet seeme they to haue farre greater vse thereof then other Fishes haue for as farre as wee can conceaue and iudge that entry of theirs so boldly into the ships is not with any intention to do harme but only to view what is in them and to behold the men whose likenesse they beare And if perchance they ouerturne any little vessel such as are Cockboats or Skiffes it is through their heauy weight and not through any will to doe mischiefe But let vs refer this to th' Almightie who onely knoweth the truth of that which we gesse at by coniecture BER I would that you knewe afore we passe any farder a common opinion which is helde in the kingdome of Galicia of a certaine race of men whom they call Marini the which as it is affirmed for matter most assured and they themselues deny not but make their boast thereof are discended from one of these Tritons or Seamen vvhich though beeing a thing very ancient is tolde in diuers sorts yet they come all to conclude that a certaine vvoman going along the Sea-shore vvas surprised and taken by one of these Tritons that lay embusht in a tuffet of Trees and by force constrayned to yeelde vnto his lustlie desire after the accomplishment of which he withdrew himselfe into the water returning often to the same place to seeke this woman but at last perceauing that his vsuall repayre thither was descried and that there was waite layd to take him he appeared no more It pleased God to permitte this woman from the time of that acquaintance with the Triton to conceaue child which though at the time of her deliuery proued to be in each poynt like vnto other children yet by his strange appetites desires and infinite other signes and tokens it was most euident and manifest that it was begotten by the same Triton or Seaman This matter is so ancient that I meruaile not though it be told after diuers sorts seeing there is no Author that writeth it neyther any other testimonie thereof then onelie the common and publique fame which hath spred and published it LU. One poynt herein me thinks by the way is rather to be helde for a fable then to bee credited for though it were that Nature through any such copulation should suffer some thing to be engendered yet should the same be a monster not a man capable of reason as you say this was for hence would arise two no small inconueniences the one that there should be men in the worlde whose beginning shoulde not discend from our first Parents Adam and Eue for this Triton neyther is neyther can bee accounted a reasonable man and of the posteritie of Adam in like sort neither his sonne nor those that shall discend of him the other is to gaine-saie the generall rule of all Philosophers and Phisitions which resolutely affirme it to be vnpossible that there shoulde be engendered of the seede of a man reasonable and of a creature vnreasonable any creature like to eyther of them perfectlie bearing eyther of both theyr shapes Though put the case that the contrary sometimes happen between a Mare and an Asse a dogge and a Shee-woolfe or a Foxe and a bitch yet the contradiction is not so great these beastes differing so little one from another as the great and vnspeakeable difference vvhich in so manie poynts is betweene men and bruite beastes And though in likenesse and similitude a Seaman resemble a man of reason yet it suffiseth that hee differ onely in reason then the which there can in the world be no greater difference And therefore Galen the Phisition in his third Booke De vsu partium in scoffing manner iesteth at a certaine Poet called Pindarus because hee affirmed the fable of Centaures to be true BER All that you haue sayde standeth with great reason but I haue alwayes heard that the seede onely of the man is able to engender without any necessity that the vvomans should concurre also of this opinion is Aristotle LVD In thys sort the contradiction is greater for if the seed of the vvoman concurre not in generation of necessity it must ensue that the thing engendered be like the Father and not the mother the contrary whereof is knowen to be true and that both the seede of the male and female concurre in generation which if it were otherwise the generation could not com to effect and thys maintaineth Hipocrates in his booke De Genitura and in that De sterilibus and Galen in his 14. booke De vsu partium AN. Very vvell hath this matter been debated on both sides yet I will not leaue vnaunswered the two inconueniences alleaged by Signior Ludouico as for the first it followeth not that if a woman conceaue a chyld reasonable by a creature vnreasonable that therfore the same child shold not be accounted the ofspring of Adam for it suffiseth that he is on the mothers side without any necessitie that he must be also of the fathers As for the second I confesse that guyding our selues by the ordinary course of Nature the Phylosophers and Phisitions in maintayning the impossibilitie of perfect generation betweene different creatures haue great reason vnlesse that it be in these before mentioned whose fimilitude is such that they seeme to be all of one kinde But we must not so restraine Nature as they doe without hauing regard to the superior cause which is God by whose will it is directed and gouerned and to whom wholy it obeyeth For seeing it is a
stopping their eares fast close with pelets of wax taking some few victuals with thē put themselues onward in their enterprize not without exceeding wearines trauel insomuch that the one fainting by the way was forced to bide behind The other two with chereful labor vertuous alacrity ouercōming all difficulties cam at last with much ado vnto the top of the mountain wher they found a great Plain without any trees in the midst a lake the water of which was obscure black as inke boiling bubling vp as though all the fire in the world had been flaming vnder it making a noise so terible thundring that though they had stopped their eares with all possible care diligence yet the intollerable roring noise thereof wrought such a humming and giddines in their heads that they were constrained with all possible hast to returne without bringing any certaine relation then this which you haue heard BE. Such a matter as this cannot be without great mistery for put case that there were vnderneath some mine of Sulphur or brimstone sufficient through the heat of the fiery matter therein to make the water seeth vp and boile yet could not the same cause a noyse so tempestuous horrible as you said the same is and besides me thinks this continuall boiling should in time consume the water and so the Lake by consequence become dry LU. Perchaunce there may be some Spring or Fountaine there neere which feedeth the Lake with as much warer as the fire consumeth by which meanes it can neuer be voyde or empty AN. Let vs leaue these secrets of Nature to him onely which hath made them for though we through some causes represented in our vnderstanding would seeke to yeeld reasons thereof yet when we thinke to hit the white we shall finde our selues far wide returning therefore to our former matter of Springs Waters me thinks it were not reason that speaking of things so farre off we should ouer-slip these which we haue heere at home in our owne Country hauing in this our Spaine two Fountaines whose effects are not a little to be admired at the one of which is in a Caue called de la Iudia by the Bridge of Talayuelas neere the Castle of Garcimunios which though I my selfe haue not seene yet I haue been thereof so certified that I assuredly know it to be true It yeeldeth a vvater which in falling congealeth and becommeth hard in manner of a stone which hardnes it alwayes after retaineth without dissoluing in such sort that they apply it to theyr buildinges BER It were neede of great Philosophy to know the mistery of this that vvater should in such sort harden that it should neuer afterwards dissolue the contrary reason whereof we see in great heapes of Ice which how hard so cuer they be yet change of weather maketh them to dissolue and melt LV. This is because the heat vndoeth that which is done by the cold as in snow haile ice which seeing it worketh not the like effect in these stones we may thereby gather that not the cold but som other secret to vs hidden vnknown is the cause of this obduration hardnes I haue heard with great credite affirmed that there is also neere the towne called Uilla Nueua del obyspo a Fountaine in which during sixe moneths of the yeare from such time as the sunne entreth into the signe of Lybra which beginneth about the midst of September called the Equinoctiall of the Autumne till the middest of March there is no one drop of water and all the other halfe yeare there runneth a most cleere abundant streame and thys is euery yere ordinary Of thys Fountaine maketh mention also Lucius Marineus Siculus Sinforianus Campegius wryteth of another in Sauoy which breedeth by miraculous operation stones of exceeding vertue BER If this be true then am I deceaued for I neuer thought that stones could be bred but that they were as the bones of the earth alwayes of one bignes neyther decreasing nor increasing for otherwise if stones should grow in time they would come to be of such quantitie and greatnes that they would be in diuer parts very combersome AN. And doubt you of this Assure your selfe that stones waxe and diminish according to the qualitie of which they are the place where they are and the property nature and condition of the earth where they are founde Though those which wee here call peble stones remaine alwayes in one greatnes or els grow so little and so slowly that it can in many yeeres hardly be perceaued yet all those stones which are any thing sandie contracting drawing the earth about them conuert the same into theyr owne nature hardning it in such sort that in short space a little stone becōmeth to be exceeding great yea and in such sort that sometimes we see things of different nature and kinde enclosed shut vp within them still retaining their owne substance and essence which if you desire better to vnderstand behold but the stone in the Earle Don Alonsos garden which hee hath caused to be placed there as a thing meruailous to be viewed of al men which though it be hard and sound hath in the midst therof a great bone seeming to be the shinbone of some beast which the same stone embraced by all likelihood lying neere it on the ground and continually growing came at last to compasse it rounde about which beeing afterwards carued by a Mason was found lying in the very bosome midst therof and that thys should be a very perfect bone there is no doubt to be made thereof for I my selfe haue made most sufficient proofe and try all of the same BER I haue also viewed it very narrowly and am of your opinion AN. Turning to our discourse of Fountaines I am perswaded that there are many of rare and great vertues vtterly to vs vnknowne and sometimes it hapneth that the vertue of the water worketh through the ayde of some other thing ioyntly together matters verie admirable as that which Alexander writeth in his booke De diebus genialibus that in those partes of England vvhich bende toward the West when any shyps are broken and the ribbes or planches of them remaine a while in the water that with the continuall moystnes they engender bring forth certaine Puscles like Mushromps which within fevve dayes seeme to be aliue and to haue motion and by little and little grow gather feathers That part wherewith they are fast to the rotten tymber is like vnto a water-foules bill which comming lose of it selfe thys miraculous foule beginneth to heaue it selfe vp and by little and little in short space of time to flie and mount into the ayre Pope Pius whose name was Aeneas Siluius rehearseth this in another sort saying that in Scotland vpon the bankes of a Riuer there growe certaine Trees whose leaues falling into the water and putrifying
world this remained free for the waters were not able to ouercome the height thereof There is neyther languishing disease painefull old age nor consuming death No feare no greefe no coueting of riches no battailing no raging desire of death or vengeance bereaueth their repose Sorrowfull teares cruell necessities and carefull thoughts haue there no harbour No frozen dewe toucheth their earth no misty cloude couereth their fieldes neyther doe the heauens poure into them anie troubled waters onely in the midst thereof they haue a Fountaine which they call Uiba cleare pure aboundant of sweet vvaters which once a moneth moystneth the whole vvood The trees therein are of a meruailous height hang alwaies full of fruit in this delicious Paradice liueth the Phaenix the onely one bird of that kinde in the world c. BER Lactantius praiseth this Country very largely neither agreeth his opinion ill with Platos But he speaketh heere like a Philosopher and not like a Christian though perchaunce if hee had beene asked his opinion like a Christian in what part of the world he thought terestriall Paradice to be hee would haue described it in like sort But leauing these Philosophers Paradices seeming rather to be fictions then worthy of credite tell vs I pray you what the Doctors and Diuines say heerevnto whose diligence study and care hath beene greater in procuring to vnderstand write the veritie thereof AN. I will in few words tell you what some of them and those of the greatest authority haue written on thys matter S. Iohn Damascene in his second booke chap. 2. saith these words God being to make Man to his owne image likenes and to appoint him as King and ruler of the whole earth and all therin contained ordained him a sumptuous royall being place in the which he might leade a blessed happy glorious life and this is that diuine Paradise planted by his owne omnipotent hands in Heden a place of all pleasure and delight for Heden signifieth a delightfull place and hee placed him in the Oryent in the highest and most magnificent place of all the earth where there is a perfect temprature a pure and a delicate ayre and the plants continually greene fragrant it is alwayes replenished with sweet and odoriferous sauours a light most cleere and a beauty aboue mans vnderstanding a place truly onely fitte to be inhabited of him that was created to the image likenes of God himselfe LVD S. Iohn differeth not much in the situation and qualities hereof from the opinion of the others before alleadged but passe on I pray you with your discourse AN. Well be then attentife a while Venerable Bede handling this matter sayth Earthly Paradise is a place most delightfull beautified with a great abundance of fruitfull trees refreshed with a goodly fountaine The situation thereof is in the oryentall parts the ground of which is so high that the water of the flood could not ouer-reach the same and thys opinion holdeth Strabo the Theologian affirming that the height of the earth where Paradise is reacheth to the circle of the Moone through which cause it was not damnified by the flood the waters of which could not rise to the height thereof Those which follow this opinion might better conforme themselues with Origen who iudgeth that all this which is written of Paradise must bee taken allegorically and that it is not situate on the earth but in the third heauen whether S. Paule was lyfted in Spirit but leauing him because hee is alone in his opinion without hauing any that followeth him let vs returne to our alleaged Authors against whō S. Thomas and Scotus argue saying that Paradise can by no meanes reach vnto the circle of the Moone because the Region of the fire beeing in the midst the earth can by no meanes passe thorough the same without being burnt destroyed Besides this there are many other reasons sufficient to refute this opinion for so shold those Riuers which come from Paradise passe through the region of the fire which the contrariety of the two Elements being considered is absurd and besides if this ground vvere so high it could not chuse but be seene a farre of from manie parts of the world aswell by sea as by land and by this means also there should be a place in the worlde by the vvhich it seemes a man might goe vp into heauen so that this opinion is grounded vpon small reason and easie to be confuted Many other Authors there are which affirme Paradise to be in so high a part of the earth that the water of the Deluge could not reach vnto the top thereof to anoy it and to the obiection which may be made against them out of Moises which sayth that the waters thereof couered and ouerflowed the height of xv cubits all Mountaines vnder the vniuersall heauen they aunswer that these Mountaines are to be vnderstood such as are vnder the region of the Ayre where the clowdes are thickned and ingendered for Heauen is meant many times in the holy Scripture by this region as the royall Psalmist saith The foules of heauen the fishes of the Sea Where by this word heauen is vnderstoode the region of the ayre thorough which the birds flie so that according to their opinion the mount or place where Paradise is exceedeth is aboue this region of the ayre where there is neither blustering of winds nor gathering of cloudes so that it could not be endomaged by the waters of the flood This is the selfe same of which we discoursed yesterday as touching the mountains Olympus Athos Atlas that of Luna which in height according to the opinion of many exceedeth all the rest on the earth and many other like mountaines in the world ouer whose tops there is neither raine wind nor clowdes the ashes lying from one yere to another vnmooued because that the height of their tops exceedeth the midle region of the ayre pierceth thither where it is still pure without any mouing But S. Thomas also argueth this not to be tru saying that it is no conuenient place for Paradise to stand in the midst of the region of the ayre neither could it beeing there haue such qualities conditions as are necessary because the winds and waters would distemper it LU. This shold be so if it were in the midst of the region but you your selfe say that it passeth farder where the winds waters haue no force to worke any distemprature AN. If not the winds waters thē the fire wold work it for the farder it shooteth beyond the region of the ayre the neerer it approcheth the region of the fire BE. You speak against you self for yesterday you said that the city Acroton builded on the top of the mountain Athos being in the superior region of the ayre enioyed a singuler temperature AN. You say tru but things are not to be
taken in such extremety as you take them for though it be said the superior part yet therby is not meant the vtmost thereof neither is that which we call the superior part with out a difference and distance between the beginning the end the which thogh it be in the midle temperat yet the end being neer to the fire participating with the heat of the Sun wanteth that temprature that which S. Thomas saith is to be vnderstood that if Paradise be in the region where the clowds be engendred it cannot be in a place temperate neither if it reach vnto the vppermost of the superior part of the pure aire by reason of the great heat drines of the fiery element But these are matters spoken at randon without euer beeing seen or verified and therfore euery one thinketh iudgeth that which in his own fancie he imagineth to agree with reason For no man is able to doe that which Lucian in his Dialogues writ of Icarus the which with artificiall wings flewe vp into the ayre Leauing therfore fables I say that the common opinion of all men is that Paradise is seated in the oryent in a country or region abounding in delights so writeth Suidas a greeke Author whose words are these Paradise saith he is in the East the seat therof is higher then all the other earth it enioyeth a temprature pure in al perfection an ayre most delicate cleere the trees therof flourish in perpetuall greenenesse laden vvith flowers and fruites a place full of all solace and sweetnes and of such beauty and goodlines that it passeth all humaine imagination Conciliador and Scotus are of the same opinion and these are the words of S. Thomas him selfe Wheresoeuer wee beleeue Paradice to be it must be so that it be in a place very temperate be it vnder the Aequinoctial or in what other part so euer To this purpose Caelius Rodiginus applieth that of Arryanus a Greeke Historiographer to whom they attribute so much credit that they call him the very searcher of verities who sayeth that Hanno a famous and renouned Cartagenian Captaine parting with an Army from the pillers of Hercules where the Citty of Calyz is forward into the Ocean leauing Lybia Affrica on the left hand sayling towards the West and afterwards turning his course towards the South suffered by the way many and great impediments discommodities for besides the great feruentnes of the hot starres as if it had beene in the part of a burnt vvorld they began to want water or if they found any it was such as they could not drinke they heard terrible thunders without ceasing their eyes were blinded with continuall flashes of lightning and it seemed that there fell from heauen great flakes of flaming fire so that they were forced to returne Some think that this Nauie went very neere the Aequinoctial but Caelius aleadgeth it speaking of Paradice saying that all these were tokens of Paradice beeing neere there abouts according to that of Genesis where he sayeth that God placed before the gate thereof a Cherubin with a sword of fire which turned about on all sides to the end that he should suffer no man to enter into that place But I rather beleeue that Hanno with this Nauy came to be vnder the Torrida Zona at such time as the heate thereof caused these effects making him returne so astonished whereas if he had stayed perchaunce hee should haue found both time and place to passe forward as it happened at the first to Colona who going to discouer the Indies found him selfe vnder the same Zone where the vveather waxing calme his ships were detained two or three daies without any hope euer to come foorth or to saue their liues but afterwards a gentle gale arising they passed forth without any danger and now since diuers passe thereby daily in their Nauigations but all these are imaginations of contemplatiue men seeking to sift out the truth There are some also that affirme Paradise to be in that part where God when he framed the world began the first moouing of the heauens which they call the right hande of the worlde and the best part thereof This is alleaged by Nicholaus de Lyra bringing for his Author Iohan. de Pechan in a treatise which he wrote of the Sphaere though the more generall opinion be that the motion of the heauens tooke not theyr beginning in any one particuler place but that they began to moue ioyntly as they nowe doe There want not also that affirme the whole worlde in which wee dwell to be Terrestriall Paradise who grounde them selues in saying that the foure Riuers which the holy Scripture saith come out of Paradise issue out of diuers and distant partes of the earth which cannot otherwise be verified vnlesse we will grant the whole earth to be Paradise but I woulde aske of these men when the Angell by the commaundement of God draue Adam and Eue out of Paradise whether they went for according to this opinion they should haue gone into some other part out of the world As for their obiection of the foure Riuers you shall heereafter vnderstand it when we fall into discourse of them BER If it please you you may well declare it now seeing you haue satisfied vs with such opinions as are held touching the seate of Paradice AN. One onely remaineth contrary to all the rest maintained by Caetanus and after him by Augustinus Stechius Eugubinus a late Doctor that wrote learnedly highly vpon the Genesis who declaring the wordes of Moises which sayeth God had planted Paradice in Heden prooueth that though this word Heden being interpreted signifieth delights yet in that passage it is not to be vnderstoode for other then the proper name of the Prouince or Country so called where Paradice was planted the which he proueth by strong and sufficient arguments and reasons the first hee gathereth out of the fourth Chapter of Genesis where it is written Cain flying forth went and enhabited the orientall stripe of Heden And out of the 27. of Ezechiel where he reckoneth vp many people diuers Nations that handled trafficked with the citty of Tyre saying that there came also thither people out of the Countries of Charam Chene Heden yet Caeton thinketh that Heden in this authority is not the place where terestrial Paradise was but the name only of a particuler Citty But following the opinion of Eugubinus we may gather that the Country where earthly Paradise was planted was inhabited that neere vnto it were peoples Nations therfore God placed the Cherubin there with the turning fiery sword to the end he should not let enter there-into any person liuing for if Paradise had been thē vnknown as now it is to al men what need had there beene of an Angell to gard it when no man knew where it stoode nor which way to come vnto it Besides it
of but the most part tooke it to be the iust iudgement of God vvhom it pleased to make this man an example to the vvorld in suffering him to end his dayes so miserably and to haue his tong torne out of his head and carried away for he vvas noted to be a great outragious swearer and blasphemer of Gods holy name vvhile hee liued LU. And may it not be that the vvhirle-vvind catching this man in the midst thereof might haue povver to vvorke these effects as vvell as vvhole Rocks to be vvhirled vp and trees to be turned vp by the rootes by the furious buffing together of vvindes when they meete AN. I confesse vnto you that the force of whirle-windes are very great and that they worke often very dangerous and damageabe effects as that which destroyed Algadefres ouerthrowing the houses and buildings and making them all flat with the earth in like sort it is passing dangerous at Sea when two contrary winds take a ship betweene them for sildome or neuer any shippe so taken escapeth but as for this which happened in Benauides I cannot iudge it to be other then the worke of the deuill through the permission of God as by two reasons it appeareth the first that they being two men together the one was saued the other that the dead mans tongue was wanting could not be found LU. You haue satisfied vs as concerning the power which the deuil hath and the limitation thereof therfore passe on I pray you with your former discourse AN. The fourth kind of Spirits are those which are in the waters as well the Sea as Floods Riuers and Lakes these neuer cease to raise damps and stormes persecuting those which saile putting them in great and fearefull dangers through violent and raging tempests procuring to destroy and drowne the ships also through the ayde of monsters rocks and shallowes which are in the Sea the like doe those of the Riuers guiding in such sort the Boates that they make them to ouerturne and causing those that swimme to entangle them selues in sedge or weeds or bringing them into some pits or holes where they cannot get out and finally by all meanes possible they persecute and molest them so far as the limitation of their power extendeth The fifth kind of Spirits are those which are in the Caues vautes of the earth where they lie in waite to entrap those that digge in Mines and Wells and other workes vnder the ground whose death and destruction they couet and procure as much as they may These cause the motions and tremblings of the earth through the ayde of the windes which are therein enclosed whereby whole Citties are often in danger to be swallowed vp especially those which are built neere the Sea whole mountaines are heereby throwne downe infinite peoples destroyed yea and sometimes the Sea heereby breaketh into the Land wasting deuouring whatsoeuer it findeth before it The sixth and last kinde of Spirits are those who are in the Abysmes place whose name is Hell whose principall and proper office is besides the paines which they endure to torment the damned soules This is the place where is no order at all as sayth Iob but continuall feare horror and amazement BE. Seeing you haue declared vnto vs how many sorts of Spirits there are tell vs also I pray you whether they haue bodies or no because I haue often beaten my braines about this secrete without finding any man that could herein resolue me AN. You may well call it a secret considering the diuers opinions that are thereof for many say that they are pure Spirits as Apuleius who made himselfe so well acquainted with them writeth that there is a kinde of Spirits who are alwayes free from the strings and bonds of the body of vvhich number is Sleepe and Loue whom he termeth spirits vvhereby he seemeth to confesse that there are others which haue bodyes so thinketh S. Basile who attributeth bodies not only to these Spirits but also to the Angels The like is vnderstood by the words of Pselius They who followe this opinion alleage for the maintenance thereof the wordes of the Prophet Dauid where he saith He which maketh his Angels spirits and his ministers of fire c. They alleage also S. Augustine to haue beene of the same opinion saying that the Angels before theyr fall had all their bodies formed of the superior purest part of the Ayre and such those haue as yet which remained guiltlesse of Lucifers offence the bodies of whose followers were turned into a thicker and grosser ayre to the end they might be therein more tormented But the Maister of Sentences sayth in his second booke that this is not Saint Augustines opinion but falsely attributed vnto him and so the common opinion of all the holy Doctors is that both the Angels and deuils are pure Spirits as S. Thomas and Saint Iohn Damascene and S. Gregory who aunswere most sufficientlie to such doubts as may herevpon be mooued as how they may feele suffer and receaue punishment though Gaudencius Merula defend the contrary saying that thinges incorporat cannot onely suffer or receaue feeling of any bodily paine but that also to feele them in vnderstanding is vnpossible But as for this opinion holde it for a manifest error for truly Gaudencius in some of his opinions goeth farre vvide of the marke If I should heere rehearse each of the seuerall Doctors opinions I should beginne an endlesse worke leauing them therefore I will come to the poynt indeed that which the rest confesse to be the generall opinion as I sayde before of all or the most part of the holy Doctors of the Church which is that the Angels when it is necessarie doe fashion make vnto thēselues visible bodies for the effects which they pretend as we finde in many places of the holie Scripture whether it be of ayre thickned of fire or of earth it maketh no matter but that so it is see what is written of the three Angels that came to the house of Abraham in the likenesse of three beautifull young men and the Angell Gabriell appeared to the glorious virgine in a most goodlie forme and figure when he brought her the salutation The selfe same is permitted to deuils in their operations whose bodies though we call fantasticall because they vanish presentlie away yet they verily are visible bodies formed of some such substance as I said before but the same is so fine and delicate that it straight dissolueth vanisheth And because this is to the purpose of that which you asked mee and which we now discourse of I haue so lightlie passed ouer all the rest for there haue not wanted Doctors vvhich affirme the deuils to be in such manner bodily that they haue neede of foode vvherewith to sustaine themselues and that they feare stoute men and flie from theyr sharpe vveapons and that beeing striken they
common sort but of a higher and superiour condition For amongst them selues sayeth Father Franciscus de victoria in a Repetition vvhich hee made of Magique they doe obserue theyr orders and degrees of superioritie and this is for the better vse of theyr wickednesse and so sayeth Saint Thomas some deuils sayeth hee are preferred as principals to commaund the rest and the inferiour deuils are subiect vnto those which are of mightier force to execute theyr wickednesse and therefore the Iewes sayde vnto Christ that hee wrought his miracles in the name of Belzebub Prince of deuils so that the Negromancers and Magitians that are confederated with the Princes and Captaines of the Infernall Armie haue alwaies the lesser inferiour deuils in a readines at commaundement to doe their will and pleasure being therevnto constrained by those of the higher dignitie and condition And whereas you say that the deuils are kept by some bound and enclosed in Ringes Boxes or Viols it is a common error and deceite which the deuils make them beleeue with whom they deale for they are where in what place and when they list themselues and how farre soeuer they be of yet at such time as they are called or theyr presence required they come in the very same instant to make aunswere to those which holding them for Familiars and thinking surelie that they carry them alwaies present with them demaund or aske any thing of them who are greatly abused deceaued in presuming that they are able to hold them forcibly at theyr commaundement because it proceedeth not through the words of the Negromancer but through the might and authority of the higher Spirits and deuils which as Captaines gouerne and commaund them Yea and some-times constrayning them to remaine bound indeed when they haue any notable exployt in hande but els for the most-part they leaue them alwayes at libertie This is not onely the opinion of S. Thomas but also of S. Augustine and almost all the rest of the Doctors that handle this matter who write therof many particularities leauing which let vs passe now to other matters no lesse worthy to be vnderstood BER Let then the first I pray you be one which of long time so often as I thinke thereof hath and doth exceedingly trouble my vnderstanding and the same is if the soules of the deceased returne at any time to visite or to speake with those that liue in the world as I haue often heard say that they doe LUD There want not sufficient reasons to confirme that which you say but leauing the determination thereof to better Diuines then we are let vs handle our former discourse of fancies and visions of which vndoubtedly many that are reported to be true are faigned and somtimes take their beginning of occasions that happen whereby they are thought to be true when in deede they are not BER This is an ordinary matter happeneth daily for confirmation of which I vvill tell you of one that chaunced not long since in this Towne wherein we now are and the party yet liuing which was a woman who rising one night very early before day to doe certaine busines shee had hauing ouer night willed her May de to leaue the fire well couered to the ende shee might light her candle in the morning and finding the same quite out when shee rose fell into a great chafe the may de seeing her Mistris so angry stept out of dores with a candell in her hand and going from house to house without finding fire perceauing at last a Lamp burning within the Church went and knocked at the dore thereof desiring the Sexton to light her candell Her Mistres being out of patience and not enduring to stay so long tooke another candle going to the house of one of her acquaintance lighted the same returning at that very instant by one side of the Church as her may de dyd by the other and being in the Sommer time both vnclothed sauing onely that they had a thin white peticoate ouer theyr smockes they chaunced to be seene by a neyghbour thereby who was risen a little before whose eyes belike not being well opened he tooke them to be Sprights and published the next day that he had seene certain women go about the Church in Procession with candles in their hands Some that heard him added that they were eyght others tvvelue others twentie thirtie and amongst the rest they affirmed that some yet liuing were seene who hearing thereof fell into the greatest feare of the worlde that they shoulde not liue long but I procured to search out the truth thereof found it to be in such sort as you haue hearde AN. Let but once such a matter as this come amongst the common people and it will growe so from one mouth to another that at last of a flie they will make an Elephant neuer willing to acknovvledge themselues to be deceaued as it hapned in a very pleasant tale which I will tell you the truth whereof came after to be discouered There dyed in a towne of this Countrey a Gentleman very rich and of great reputation who had ordained his body to be buried in a Cloyster of Fryers vvhich was performed and his funerals doone sumptuously vvith great pompe and magnificence The night comming a certaine mad woman that ranne vp and downe the towne halfe naked was by chaunce left in the Church of the Monasterie when the Sexton lockt the doore who hauing seene the dead mans Herse which stood in the midst of the Church couered ouer of each side with a black cloth trayling on the groūd with great compasse and widenes as the manneris and beginning to be pinched with cold for it was in the middest of the Winter went to shroud herselfe vnder the same in which sort the fell a sleepe till at last the Fryers came into the Quire to say theyr matins with the noyse of whose voyces awaking she thought good to sport with them a little to make them afrayde beginning to giue great bounces and rumblings against the Coffin and withall to skritche and howle in the lothsomest manner she could The Pryor and his Brethren somewhat troubled at the suddainenesse thereof came downe into the body of the Church bringing with them holy-Holy-vvater and holding in theyr handes halowed Candles burning and vsing such prayers and deuotions as for such a case they thought conuenient Notwithstanding the foolish woman resolute to goe forward with that which shee had begunne the neerer she heard them approach the greater bounsing shee made and withall rearing vp the coffin in height with her head let both herselfe and the same fall as hard as she could which though she did manie times yet the largenes of the mourning cloth kept her from beeing discouered The Pryor seeing that this coniurations exorcismes profited nothing at all thought it should be a great rashnesse to lift vp the cloath and to discouer
novve speake vvith povver and vertue to heale a griefe so pestilent and raging as that of the byting of a madde Dogge of which kind of cure to the end you may better vnderstand the manner I will tell you what happened to my Father when he was a young man As he trauailed one day by the way he was set vpon by a fierce Mastiue by whom make what defence he could he was bitten through the boot into the legge of which making small account because it went not deepe into the flesh he caried the hurt about him three or foure daies without complaining of the same the fourth day passing by a Chappell and hearing the bell ring to Seruice hee lighted off his horse and stayed to heare the same which being done as he was comming forth of the Chappell he was encountred by a Husbandman who saluting him demaunded if hee had not beene lately bitten by a mad dogge My Father told him he had beene indeede bitten of a dogge demaunding of him the cause why he was so inquisitiue thereof in good faith sir quoth the Husbandman laughing you may thanke God that it hath pleased him to guide and conduct you into this place for this dogge by whom you are bitten was mad and if you should remaine nine dayes without helpe there were no other way with you but death and for the more assurance that I tell you the truth the dogge had such and such markes all which my Father acknowledging to be most true entring into some amazement the other bad him be of good comfort telling him that hee had the gift of healing that disease and if it pleased him to stay a day or two in the Village hee would helpe him My Father accepting courteously his offer went home with him to his house where hee presently blessed him and all that euer he did eate with certaine words and signes and so likewise once againe after meate towards the euening he tolde him that if he would be cured he must patiently endure three pricks in the nose to which my Father being in extreame feare willingly consented bidding him vse his pleasure where-vpon in presence of many the principallest men of the Village he tooke a sharpe pointed knife and prickt him three times on the nose wringing gently out of each pricke a drop of blood which he receaued in a little sawcer each drop by it selfe and then washt his nose with a little white vvine which was also charmed after which entertayning themselues in talke about halfe an howre they lookt on the bloode which was in the sawcer still remaining in theyr sight without beeing remoued and they found in euery drop a liue worme bubling therein which the Charmer shewing vnto my Father sayd be of good cheere sir for here is all the hurt that the dogge hath done you but assure your selfe you should haue runne mad and dyed if your good hap or rather God had not guided you this way giue God therfore thanks and depart when you please My Father requiting him in the thankfullest manner he coulde tooke the next morning his leaue and went on his way As for this man that helped him though it might be that God had giuen him some perticuler gift vertue yet for my part I rather mistrust that he went not the right way because hee could so readily tell the colour and tokens of the dogge LVD Whatsoeuer he was your Father had good hap in meeting with him But now seeing it waxeth late and wee haue so long discoursed of the manners and waies whereby the deuill seeketh to deceaue vs and to leade vs to perdition I pray you resolue mee in one doubt which remaineth the which is in what sort they tempt men in theyr sleepe AN. If you will reade Anthonio de Florencia you shall there finde so many diuers meanes and wayes by the which he compasseth vs about with temptations that to recite them all we had need of farre longer time then at this present vve haue but amongst the rest this one is most vehement and of great force which he suggesteth to vs in our sleepe representing in our fantasie those thinges in which we take delight such as are pleasing to our humors and appetites especiallie making vs dreame lasciuious Dreames and tempting vs so farre with filthy and carnall lust that he prouoketh vs oftentimes to pollutions To others he representeth in their sleepe great treasures and riches to the end that waking they might be stirred with desire of them and haue their thoughts and imaginations busied about thē leauing matter of better meditation But his malice is not alwaies herewith contented for sometimes it tendeth farder prouoking vs in our sleep to cōmit follies wherby we may lose both body and soule at once which to the end that you may the better vnderstand I will tell you what chaunced to a very principall gentleman of this countrey whose surname was Tapia whom beeing a boy I knew passing well This gentleman had so strange a condition in his sleep that he arose diuers nights sleeping out of his bed and went vp and downe the house from place to place without waking for which cause least hee might thereby come to receaue some mischiefe his seruaunts accustomed to set euery night a great shallowe tub of water by his beds side for it is a thing approoued that whosoeuer is troubled vvith this passion awaketh presently in touching the colde vvater It hapned one night among the rest that his seruants hauing forgotten to sette this vessell as they vsually accustomed that beeing in the hotest season of the Sommer thys Gentleman arose sleeping out of his bedde with the greatest agonie that might be to goe swimme in the Riuer whereupon casting about him a cloake ouer his shirt he went out of his chamber and vnbolted the doore of the house making as fast towards the Riuers side as he could comming to the townes end he met with another companion to whom demaunding of him whether he went at that time of night he made answer that he felt such an extreame heate in his body that he was determined to goe refresh coole himselfe in the Riuer I could neuer haue mette with a fitter companion sayde the other for I am also going thither for the same occasion of vvhose company Tapia beeing glad they went on together till they came to the Riuers side where as Tapia hauing put of his cloake and his shirt and was ready to enter into the vvater the other fell a scoffing and iesting at him as at one that knew not hovve to swimme vvhich he taking in ill part because he was therein very expert and cunning aunswered in choller that he would fwymme with him for as much for what wager soeuer he dared aduenture against him to the contrarie that shall be soone seene quoth the other whither your cunning be such that you dare boldly performe as much as you say and
contagion of these inferior bodyes and therfore the Philosophers party is not so freely generally to be maintained without exception of some particularities for if we will looke downe vnto the herbes we shal find that the Hemlock a kinde of weede yeelded to our elders a iuyce with the which they executed their sentence of death constraining those whom they condemned to die to drinke thereof as Plato writeth in his Phaedon The iuyce also of the Mandragora is knowne to be mortiferous and deadlie to those that drinke thereof AN. Passe on no farther in this matter for I confesse it to be as you say yet Hemlocke was not created by God neither doth the influence of the constellations worke in it any effect but for our profit commoditie for if you read Dioscorides you shal there find that there is nothing of greater efficacie to heale Saint Anthonies fire it asswageth the raging of the Milke in women newly deliuered and Plinie sayth that it preserueth the teates from swelling Cornelius Celsus affirmeth that it healeth watry eyes and stauncheth the bleeding at the nose and Galene sayth that the grayne thereof is the naturall foode of many Byrdes namelie Stares Neither is the Mandragora lesse profitable and wholsome for the roote thereof moystned and tempered with Vineger healeth the woundes made by Serpents dissolueth the Kings euill and cureth the disease called the Wolfe asswageth the paine of the Goute causeth the flowers of women to come downe and taketh spots out of the face All this saith Auicenne thereof in his seconde Booke Tryacle Escamonia Turbit Agarico and other Medicines made of herbes wee notoriously know to contayne poyson in them and yet wee see by daily experience how wholsome their operations are to those that are sicke and the like is in all other herbes vvhich are venomous of which there is not any one to be found that wanteth peculiar vertue or that is not one way or other helping and profitable Neither is there lesse vertue to be found in lyuing things which are commonly held to be venomous as for example though the Snake be not without poyson yet her skinne which she casteth as sayth Dyoscorides being sod in Wine and some drops thereof let fall into the eare diseased helpeth the paine thereof and the same Wine beeing taken and held in ones mouth cureth the tooth-ache and the flesh thereof being made into a certaine preparatife eaten healeth the Leprosie The Viper is most venemous and full of poyson yet are they no small vertues and commodities which she yeeldeth for as Pliny sayth in his 29. booke the ashes of her skinne beeing burned is the best remedy that may be to cause hayres falne of through infirmitie or disease to grow againe and that shee herselfe beeing burned and beaten into powder tempred with the iuyce of Fenell and certaine other things cleereth the eye-sight and driueth away Rhumes and Catarres Dyoscorides also sayth and Plinie affirmeth the same that the payne of gowtie feete is taken away by annointing them with her greace and Galen in his sixth booke De virtute medicamentorum affirmeth that if a Viper be choked with a corde or string made of coloured Flaxe and hanged about the neck of him which suffereth any passion stuffing or choaking in the throat it shall be an admirable remedie the selfe same affirmeth Auicenne in his 3. booke though there be many that regard not whether the string be of Flaxe or of wooll of what colour so euer and for the most part they vse therein white Besides Aristotle sayth in his third booke De Animalibus that as the Vipers and Scorpions are knowne to be noysome and full of poyson so haue they also many profitable and helping vertues if wee could attaine to the knowledge and experience of them all And lastly that the Viper sod in vvine healeth those that are infected with Leaprosie which Gallen confirmeth by an example alleadged in his eleuenth booke of simple Medicines where he sayth that certaine Mowers brought with them into the field where they laboured a little vessell of vvine leauing the same vnder a hedge by forgetfulnes vncouered within a while returning to drinke thereof as they poured out the vvine there fell out of the vessell a dead Viper into their drinking boule which hauing crept into the same was therein drowned so that they dared not to tast thereof There was thereby by chaunce at that present in a little Hute or Cabbine a man infected with a disease which they call Leaprosie who through the loathsome contagiousnes of his disease was expelled the Towne and forced to remaine in the fields to the end that the infection of his disease should scatter it selfe no farther The Mowers mooued with compassion accounting the calamitous life of this poore man to be more miserable then death gaue vnto him this impoysoned vvine to drinke as a work of charity thereby to deliuer him out of that languishing life so full of horror loathsomnes and calamity which hauing done the successe that followed was meruailous for so soone as the sick Leaper had greedily swallowed in the wine his disease and filthines began by little and little to fall from him and in short spacee he becam whole sound so that I say that all hearbs beasts and stones contayning in them any poyson or thing noysome containe also in them many good and profitable vertues neyther are we to attribute vnto the starres the blame of the domages which they doe but vnto our selues vvhich know not how to vse them as we ought and should doc for our health and commodity For the Sunne which with his comfortable heate conserueth and cheereth our life would perchaunce be occasion of death to him that in midst of a raging hot day would lay himselfe naked vpon some high place to be scorched parched with the beames thereof And as a sword or dagger which is made for the defence of man and to offend his enemy may be the causer of his owne death if he wil desperatly thrust it into his owne body in like sort those men who vse not the before rehearsed things and such like as they should doe in receauing thereby the profit they may in auoyding the harme that through the vse of them ill employed may ensue can not iusty lay blame on any but themselues Concluding therfore I say that pestilentiall contagious diseases are caused by matters of the earth it selfe infecting the ayre as dead carrions corrupted carkasses sinks standing stopt waters that come to putrifie and stink with many such other filthy infectious things As for great inundations droughts and famines with the rest of such like accidents that offend anoy vs they come and proceed for our chastisement from the wil of God causing permitting thē without the which neither can the starres haue any force or vertue at all neither can they be the causers of any
when he riseth to take his course through the heauen ouer vs and so at last to set himselfe in the contrary place so with those which are vnder the Poles in his rising afterwards his setting in a far different sort For the first day that he riseth there appeareth but a point of him which can scarcely be discouered and goeth so round about their Orizon in which going about hee sheweth himselfe alwaies in one sort without encreasing vnlesse it be a very little casting all alike brightnes forth At the second turne he goeth discouering himselfe a little more and so at the third and fourth and all the rest encreasing from degree in degree and giuing turnes round about the heauen vpwards in which he continueth three moneths and the shadow of all that vppon which his beames doe strike goeth round about and is when he beginneth to rise very great and the higher he mounteth the shorter it waxeth and afterward when he turneth to come downward in which he dureth other three moneths it is contrary euen till hee come to hide himselfe vnder the earth at which time as hee goeth hiding himselfe to those of the one pole so goeth hee shewing and discouering himselfe to those of the other LV. The vnderstanding of this mistery is not without some difficulty especially to vs which till this time haue not had thereof any notice yet I now begin by little and little to comprehend the same onely one doubt remaineth which somwhat troubleth mee which is if the whole Land from that place where the dayes are of 24. houres length which according as I vnderstand is from the I le of Thule and the other Prouinces that are on firme Land till you come to that which you say is vnder the Pole be enhabited of men or Desert without habitation AN. I make no doubt but that all this Land is enhabited in parts though not so populously in all places as this of ours in this the Authors doe not so plainly declare themselues that we may thereby receaue cleare and particuler vnderstanding thereof though some of them goe on setting vs in the right way to knowe the same For Encisus following the discouery of the Coast which goeth towards the Sunne-setting giuing a turne to the North he goeth discouering by the same many Prouinces amongst which I remember hee speaketh of two the one called Pyla Pylanter and the other which is somwhat farther Euge Velanter in which he saith the dayes encrease to two moneths and a halfe and the night as much which though it be a Land enhabited yet through the extreame and terrible cold thereof the Riuers and Waters are in such sort frozen that the enhabitants haue much adoe to get any vvater for their Ices are so thicke strong and hard that they cannot be broken without infinite paine trauaile They waite many times til the Ice be opened by certaine wild Beasts which they haue amongst them white of colour and proportioned much like vnto Beares whose nature is as well to liue by water as by land whose feete are armed with such terrible sharpe great and strong nailes that they breake therewith the Ice how thicke so euer it be vnder the which plunging themselues they swim along the water and pray vpon such fishes as they finde leauing the holes whereat they entred open at which the enhabitants come incontinently to draw water endeuouring with all dilligence to keepe them open least otherwise they freeze and close together againe as fast as they were before They hang in at them their baits and Angling hookes with the which also they take fish for their sustenance As for me I assuredly thinke that these Prouinces are those which Gemma Frigius calleth Pilapia and Vilapia though he say that the dayes in them encrease no farther then to a moneth the nights as much But let vs not wonder if in such things as these so farre distant seperated from vs we finde no witnesses of such conformity but that they differ in somwhat Olaus Magnus giueth vs though in briefe words some neerer notice of this matter for before he come to discourse more particulerly of the Prouinces vnder the same Pole he vseth these words Those of Laponia saith he of Bothnya Byarmya and the Ifladians haue their dayes and nights halfe a yeere long a peece Those of Elsingia Angermania and part of Swethland haue them fiue moneths long and those of Gothland Muscouia Russia and Liuonia haue them three moneths long Which Author being naturall of Gothland and Bishop of Vpsala it is to be thought that hee knew the truth thereof But these Countries being so neere vnto ours I meruaile that there is no greater notice of them and that there are not many more Authors that doe write of them Truth it is as I vnderstand that this encreasing of daies and nights should not bee generall throughout the vvhole Country but onely in part thereof which may be gathered out of that which he sayth of the Kingdome of Norway that in the entry and first parts of the same the dayes are as they are heere with vs But going on forth to the blacke Castell and from thence forwarde there is so great a change as you haue heard before the like may also be in other Countries By these before rehearsed authorities we may vnderstand the resolution of the doubt by you proposed that all the Lande betweene vs and the North is enhabited at least in parts therof heere and there so that it may be trauailed through ouer all BER My head is greatly troubled about this encreasing decreasing of the dayes and nights so much because the farther we goe from the Aequinoctial the longer we find them yet the common opinion of all Cosmographers is that in one degree are reckoned sixteene leagues and a halfe or somwhat more which being so it seemeth meruailous that in two degrees which are but 23. leagues or very little more the day and successiuely the night should encrease so much time as is a moneth according to your former computation and that when it were day in the one part it should be night in the other they being so neere together AN. You haue some reason to doubt but as these Lands goe alwaies downehill or slopewise in respect of the course of the Sun so in little space the same both hideth discouereth it selfe vnto them in great quantity this you may partly vnderstand by that which happeneth to trauailers who hauing the Sunne in their eye a little before the setting thereof in passing ouer a Plaine and champaine place lose presently the sight thereof in comming to the foote of a hill as though he were sodainly set yet if they make hast when they get vp to the top of the hill they finde him not fully downe recouering againe day though but a little yet somwhat longer But for all this I blame you not in wondring at a thing
it freeze and become more hard and cleare vsing the same in certaine warlike pastimes they haue in steede of a Castell of lyme or stone one troupe entereth there-into to defende the same and another bideth without to besiege assault or surprize it and this in most solemne sort with all engines stratagems and manners of vvarfare great prices being ordained for those that shall obtayne the conquest besides the tryumph wherein the conquerours doe glory ouer the vanquished Who so amongst them is found to be fearefull or not forward in executing that which he is commaunded is by his companions stuft full of Snow vnder his garments and somtimes tumbled starke naked in great heapes of the same enuring them therby better to abide hardnes another time These Septentrionall Lands haue many Lakes and standing waters of great largenes som of the which are a hundred miles long These are at somtimes so frozen that they trauaile ouer them both a foote and horsebacke In the Countries of East and Westgothland there are Lakes vpon which great troupes of horsmen meete and runne for wagers their horses are in such sort shod that they sildome slide or fall in time of warre they skirmish often vpon these frozen Lakes yea and sometimes fight maine battailes vpon them At sundry seasons they hold vpoÌ„ them also certaine Faires to which there resorteth a great concourse of strange Nations the beginning of which custome was ordained as saith Iohn Archbishoppe of Vpsala Predicessour to Olaus by a Queene of Swethland called Disa who being a woman of great wisedome commaunded her Subiects on a certaine yeere in which her dominions were afflicted with extreame dearth scarsity of graines to goe vnto the bordering Regions carrying with them such merchandize as their Country yeelded and to bring with them in exchange thereof Corne and graine withall to publish franchize to all such as should bring thither any victual to be sold where-vpon many strangers repairing thither at such time and season as the Lake was frozen she appointed them that place for holding of their Faire from which time till this day that custome hath continued Northward of these Regions there are many great and meruailous Lakes such as scarcely the like are to be found in any other part of the world that is peopled of which leauing apart one that is neere the Pole is called the white Lake which is in maner an other Caspian Sea yeelding great commodities of fowle and fish to the adioyning Prouinces part of the same reaching out euen to the Muscouites There are in the Regions of Bothnia Lakes of 300. 400. miles long where there is such quantity of fish taken that if they could conueniently be carried about they would serue for prouision to halfe the world Thereby also are many other notable Lakes of which the three most famous are as the Authors write Vener Meler and Veher Vener containeth in length 130. miles which are about 44. leagues as much in breadth within it it hath sundry Ilands well peopled with Citties Townes and Fortresses Churches and Monasteries for all those three Lakes are in Country of Christians though we haue heere little notice of them Into this Lake enter 24. deepe Riuers all which haue but one only issue which maketh so terrible a noyse amongst certayne Rocks falling from one to another that it is heard by night six or seauen leagues of making deafe those that dwell neere there abouts so that it is sayd there are certaine little Villages and Cottages thereby the enhabitants of which are all deafe They call the issue of these Riuers in their Country language Frolletta which is as much to say as the deuils head The second Lake called Meler is betweene Gothland and Swethland hath in the shore thereof many mynerals of mettals both of siluer and others the treasures gathered out of which enricheth greatly the Kinges of those Countries The third also called Veher aboundeth in mines on the North side thereof The waters thereof are so pure cleare that casting there-into an egge or a white stone you may see it lye in the bottome though it be very deep as well as though there were no water betweene Within this Lake are many peopled Ilands in one of which wherin are two great Parish Churches Olaus writeth that there happened a thing very meruailous and strange There liued in this Iland saith hee a man called Catyllus so famous in the Art of Negromancie that in the whole worlde his like was scarcely to be found Hee had a Scholler called Gilbertus whom hee had in that wicked Science so deepely instructed that hee dared so farre presume as to contend with him being his Maister yea and in som things seeme to surpasse him at which shamelesse ingratitude of his Catyllus taking great indignation as alwayes Maisters vse to reserue vnto themselues certaine secrete points with onely wordes and charmes without other band fetter or prison he bound him in an instant both body hands and feete in such sort that he could not wag himselfe in which plight he conuayed him into a deepe Caue vnder one of the Churches of the same Iland where he remaineth till this day according to the common opinion is alwayes liuing Thither vsed darly to resort many not only of that Country people but strangers also to see him and to demaund questions of him They entred with many Torches and Lanternes and with a clew of threed of which they fasten one end to the dore whereat they enter vnwiding the same still as they goe for the better assurance of finding their way out the Caue being full of many deepe pits crooked turnings and corners But at length because the moisture dampish cold thereof with a lothsome stench besides anoyed so much those that entred that some of them came out halfe dead they made a law that on greeuous paine none of the Countrimen should froÌ„ that time forward resort nor enter into that Caue neither giue counsaile aide or assistance to strangers which for curiosities sake shold atempt the same LV. This is without doubt the worke of the deuil who the same Gilbertê° dying perchance presently entered into his putrified stinking carkasse abusing the people aunswered to their demands For though the force of enchauntments be great yet can they not preserue life any longer then the time fixed appointed by God AN. You haue reason and in truth it seemeth that the deuill is there more lose and at greater liberty then in other parts so that som wil say the principall habitation of deuils to be in the North according to the authority of holy Scripture All euill shal come discouer it selfe from the Aquilon Zachary Chap. 2. crieth ho ho flie from the land of the Aquilon howbeit that these authorties are vnderstoode coÌ„monly in that Antichrist shal come from those parts whose like was neuer in persecuting the people of
same to haue happened in a Towne on the vtmost boundes of Germanie vvhich we may also terme to be a land Septentrionall Thys Towne sayde he was so neere a great wilde Mountaine ouer-growen vvith Trees and bushes that of one side the Trees shadowed the Houses Thys Mountaine vvas so pestred with VVolues that raging through hunger they vsed to come in mightie troupes euen to the very Towne it selfe though it vvere great and well peopled Theyr crueltie and fiercenesse was such that no man dared stirre out of the Towne alone no nor three or foure together if they vvent not verie well prouided both of courage and weapons vnlesse they woulde bee torne in peeces and deuoured of the VVolues Neyther did the Women and Maydens dare goe vnto the Riuer that ran thereby for vvater without a strong Conuoy of Armed men Finallie the domage they dailie receaued was so great that for theyr last and onelie remedie they determined to abandon the Towne and to seeke some other habitation vvhich theyr deliberation beeing knowne three young-men amongst the rest of great force and courage determined to put theyr liues in ieopardie rather then to leaue the place of theyr natiuitie defert to become the habitation of vvilde Beastes VVhereuppon making each of them a light Armour complete at all peeces full of short sharpe gaddes or Bodkins they Armed themselues therewithall pulling ouer the same a blacke garment least otherwise the Wolues might discouer theyr Armour and so sette forwarde to the Forrest hauing in each hande a strong sharp poynted ponyard and least they shoulde breake or leese them foure others in a readines vnder theyr gyrdles They vvent not farre a sunder that they might succour one another when neede required They had not so soone endred into the VVood but they were presently espyed by the VVolues who very raueningly with open mouth assayling them they made no semblance of defence but suffred them freelie to come on Who vvith open mouth thinking presently to deuoure them what vvith the sharpe Bodkins on the Armour vpon which they smote theyr iawes and the stabbes bestowed vppon them with the ponyards had quicklic theyr bellies full In this order they they dispatched very many that day helping still one another when they were in danger And continuing the same many dayes together penetrating daily farder into the mountaine they made such a slaughter and hauocke of VVolues that in short space they cleered the vvhole Coast of them and deliuered theyr towne from desolation AN. Truelie these youngmen were woorthy of great commendation for theyr courage and discretion in clensing theyr Countrey of so great an inconuenience and mischeefe but by the way I will tell you a strange thing that hapned of late in Galicia There was a man taken that accustomed to hide himselfe in the Mountaines and Caues clothed in a VVolues skinne lurking alwayes in some secrete place neer vnto the High-way where if he sawe any childe come alone hee ranne out vppon him and strangling him satisfied therwith his hunger The hurt he did was so great that those of the Countrey with a generall consent laying dailie wayte to catch him surprized him one day so by chaunce at vnawares that they tooke him aliue and finding him to be a man they imprisoned him and afterwards layd him on the torture but they could wring no matter at all out of him for all that hee spake was fantastically like vnto a madde man Hee vvould eate nothing but rawe flesh and in the end dyed before hys time of execution But leauing this of theyr Wolues they haue besides manie other beastes both wilde and tame amongst the which theyr Hares haue a propertie farre different from these of ours for as the Winter commeth on and the snowe beginneth to fall they shead all theyr old haire in place of which cōmeth newe as white as anie Lilly which as the Sommer approcheth they change againe returning to theyr old colour being the same which ours haue here wherby it may be inferred that in those Countries which are farder North and where the snow is in a maner continuall the Hares should be alwaies white though it is doubtfull whether the Snow or the naturall propertie of the Land causeth this alteration in the colour of theyr hayre Whensoeuer they are taken in the Winter theyr skinnes are excellent and accounted to be one of the best Furres that may be There is another mistery also very strange written by the Historiographers concerning these Hares which is that what woman soeuer eateth theyr flesh during the time of her going great the vpper lippe of the childe of which she cōmeth to be deliuered is in the midst clouen in two with a slitte euen vp to the verie nostrels for which they vse this remedie The Midwife or Phisition taketh the brawne of the breast of a Chicken newlie kilde and layeth it vpon the slitte and ouer that the warme bloode of the same Chicken with which it closeth ioyneth together though neuer so well but that the marke and token thereof remaineth There are also in those Countries certaine other Beastes called Gulones about the greatnes of a Mastiue Curre proportioned like a Cat with long and sharpe clawes hauing a bushie tayle like a Foxe vvhose nature is hauing kilde any Beast to eate so much as his belly can holde which beeing swolne so great as though it would euen presentlie burst hee goeth to the Woode and seeking out two Trees that growe verie neere together hee strayneth himselfe betweene them in such sort that he commeth to vomite and cast vp all that which hee had eaten before thence hee returneth to eate anewe and thence to vomite againe and so still till hee haue deuoured the vvhole Beast The skinne of this Beast is accounted very precious In taking him the Hunters vse this pollicy They lay neere the place where he vseth the carkasse of some dead Beast hiding thēselues in the meane time til his belly be as full as a tun within the thickest of some bush and then they shoote at him with their Crosbowe otherwise their fiercenes and cruelty withall their swiftnes is such that they would put the Hunters to great ieopardy if they should chaunce to descry them while their bellies are empty They haue also great aboundance of Tygers whose skins they apply to many vses chiefely in respect of their exceeding warmth to garments and couerlets of beds Their most esteemed furre is that of Martres which we heere call Zibellinas to which also there is an other Beast very like and little differing the flesh wherof they eate not because it is very dry and vnpleasant their skinnes onely is that which they seeke and hold in estimation There are also Lynces whose sight is so sharpe and piercing that it penetrateth through a wall seeing that which is on the other side In Gothland commonly the Rams haue 4. hornes and some 8 and withall they
are of such courage in defending themselues against the Wolfes that they are sildome by them assailed for their hornes are so sharpe and strong and withall doe grow in such order as though Nature had of purpose planted them there for their defence LU. I haue seene often some with 4. hornes but neuer any with 8. BER Nay more then this they say there are also Weathers of 5. quarters for the taile waieth more then any of the other 4. therfore may wel be taken for one Of these I my selfe sawe certaine in Rome which whether they were brought thence or no I know not but surely they seemed vnto me wonderfully strange AN. But let vs now come to say somwhat of the fishes that are fouud in those parts seeing of their Beastes we haue sufficiently discoursed Notwithstanding that we all knowe that the Sea is the Mother of Monsters and that therein are contained so many kinds and sorts of fishes as there are Beasts on the earth or Fowles in the ayre Yet seeing there are some very strange and of which the Authors Historiographers make particuler relation I cannot but say somewhat of them Amongst the rest there is one to whom for the horrible and hideous forme thereof they giue no other name then Monster His length is commonly fifty cubites which is but little in comparison of the greatnes and deformity of his proportion and members his head is as great as halfe his body and round about full of hornes as great and long or rather more then those of an Oxe The greatnes and manner of his eyes is meruailous for the onely apple is a cubite in length and as much in breadth which by night glistereth in such sort that a farre off it resembleth a flame of fire His teeth are great sharpe his tayle forked containing from one point to the other fifteene cubites his body full of haires resembling the wing-feathers of a Goose beeing stript and his colour is as blacke as any Iet in the world may be The violence force of this Monster is such that with great facility in a trice hee will ouer-turne the greatest shippe that vsually crosseth those Seas neither can the resistance of the Marriners though they be many in number auaile The Archbishop of Nydrosia and Primate of the Kingdome of Norway called Henry Falchendor writing a Letter to Pope Leo the tenth sent him withall the head of one of these Monsters which was a long time kept for a wonder in Rome There are other Sea-Monsters called Fisiters no lesse dangerous to those that saile then the other their length is commonly 200. cubits the head and mouth proportionable to the same The tayle is also forked in the midst and containeth from one point to another a hundreth feete their belly is exceeding great and wide nosthrils they haue none but in steede thereof two deepe open holes aboue the forehead out of which they spout out such a quantity of water that shipps haue beene many times through the violent fall thereof in danger of drowning vvhich if that suffice not they throw halfe their body vpon the sides of the shippe ouerwhelming it with the waight thereof neyther is their tayle lesse dangerous with which they giue so mighty a blow that it is able to smite any ship in peeces The domage were infinite that these deformed Monsters would doe but that it hath pleased God that a remedy should be found out to preuent their mischiefe for they flie the sound of Trumpets and the thundering of Artillerie as death it selfe and this is the onely meane which the Marriners doe vse in driuing them away There was one of these Fisiters found on the way towards India with which happened a notable chaunce in this sort A Galley in which Ruynas Pereyra went for Captaine sayling neere the Cape of Bona Speransa with a reasonable good winde and all her sayles out stoode of a sodaine still so that the Marriners thought she had stroken a ground and were in great feare of their liues But dooing their diligence to redresse the danger in which they were they perceaued the Galley to haue water enough onely that she was deteyned by one of these Fisiters which had clasped himselfe about her keele thrusting vp of a sodaine certaine finnes that reached aboue water euen to the mizzen sayle vpon which many of them layd their hands and some would haue striken him with their Iauelins others would haue shot at him with Muskets or discharged a peece of Artillery to neyther of which counsailes the Captaine would by any meanes consent least through the strugling and tossing of the Monster being wounded the Galley should be in hazard of drowning The onely remedy therfore that he had refuge vnto was to desire the Chaplain of the company to reuest himselfe in his Priestly habite and with humble Prayers to beseech the Maiestie Diuine to deliuer them from that imminent danger In the midst of whose deuotions it pleased God that the fish by little and little vnwound himselfe and diued downeward into the water the last that was seene of him was his head being of an incredible greatnes out of the holes of which he launced out so much water and so high that the same in falling resembled a mighty cloude dissolued into rayne and there-with he went his wayes those of the ship infinitely praysing God for this their miraculous deliuery There is also in the West part of this Northerne Sea a great number of VVhales which though they be hurtful of great terror yet are they nothing so much feared as the others before named There are of thē two kinds of which the skin of the one is couered with great thick haires these are far greater then the other in so much that there haue been of them taken 900. or 1000. foote long the other whose skinnes are smooth and plaine are nothing so great But seeing there are many of them in this Sea of ours and their shape and proportion is so well knowne vnto vs it were time lost to describe particulerly the manner of them Onely I will tell you what Olaus Magnus writeth of one taken in those Countries which seemeth a thing if not incredible yet passing admirable the which is that his eyes were so great that twenty men sitting within the circle of one of them did scarcely fill it vp according to which the other parts of his body carried full prorortion and conformity The greatest enemy they haue and of greatest courage in daring to assaile them and by whom they are many times conquered and slaine is a fish called Orca though not great and huge yet passing fierce and cruel and extreamely swift and nimble his teeth are long and sharpe as Sizers with which comming vnder the Whale being heauy and sluggish he rippeth vp his belly Of all others this fish the Whale dareth not abide and oftentimes in flying him
little was by them brought and put into a pond or standing water in the Iland of S. Domingo a little after the conquest thereof by the Spaniards Being in which fresh water in short space hee encreased to such greatnes that hee became bigger then any horse and withall so familiar that calling him by a name which they had giuen him he would come ashore and receaue at theyr handes such thinges as they brought him to eate as though he had beene some tame domesticall beast The boyes among other sportes and pastimes they vsed with him woulde sometimes gette vp vppon his bace and hee swimme all ouer the Lake with them without euer dooing harme or once dyuing vnder the water with any one of thē One day certaine Spanyards comming to see him one of them smote him with a pyke staffe which he had in his hand from which time forward hee knewe the Spanyards so vvell by theyr garments that if any one had beene therby when the other people called him hee woulde not come ashore otherwise still continuing with those of the Country his vvonted familiaritie Hauing thus remained in this Lake a long space the water vpon a tyme through an extreamitie of raine rose so high that the one side of the Lake ouerflowed and brake into the Sea from which time forward he was seen no more Thys is written by the Gouernour of the fortresse of that Iland in a Chronicle which he made Leauing them therefore now I will briefely speake of certaine notable Fish coasts from the West of Ireland forwards winding about towardes the North For it is a thing notorious that many Kingdoms Regions Prouinces haue their prouisions of Fish frō thence of which our Spaine can giue good testimonie the great commodity considered that it receaueth yeerely thereby To beginne therefore the farther forth this way that you goe the greater plenty you shall finde of fishe many of those Prouinces vsing no other trade forraine Merchants bringing into them other necessary thinges in exchange thereof The chiefest store whereof is founde on the Coast of Bothnia which deuideth it selfe into three Prouinces East West and North-Bothnia The last whereof is different farre from the other two for it is a plaine Champaine Land seated as it were in a Valley betweene great and high Mountaines The ayre thereof is so wholesome the Climat so fauourable that it may be well termed one of the most pleasant and delightfull places of the world for it is neither hote nor cold but of so iust a temperature that it seemeth a thing incredible the Countries lying about it beeing so rigorously cold couered with Snow congealed with a continuall Ise. The fields of themselues produce all pleasant varietie of hearbes and fruites The woods and trees are replenished with Birdes whose sweet charmes melodious tunes breedeth incredible delectation to the hearers but wherein the greatest excellencie and blessing of this Land consisteth is that amongst so great a quantitie of Beasts and Fowles of which the Hilles Woods Fieldes and Valleyes are full it breedeth not nourisheth or maintaineth not any one that is harmefull or venemous neyther doe such kindes of Fishes as are in the Sea hurtfull approach theyr shoares which otherwise abound with Fishes of all sorts so that it is in the fishers handes to take as many and as few as they list The cause of which plentie is as they say that diuers forts of Fishes flying the colde come flocking in multitudes into these temperate waters Neyther bapneth this onely on theyr Sea-shoare but in theyr Lakes Riuers within the Land also which swarme as thicke with fishes great and little of diuers kindes as they can hold The enhabitants liue very long neuer or sildome feeling any infirmity which surely may serue for an argument seeing it is so approouedly knowne to be true to confirme that which is written concerning the vpper Byarmya which though it be seated in the midst of vntemperate cold countries couered and frozen with continuall Snow and Ice yet is it selfe so temperate and vnder so fauourable a Climate and constellation that truly the Authors may well call it as they doe a happy and blessed soile whose people hauing within thēselues all things necessary for the sustentation of humaine life are so hidden sequestred from other parts of the world hauing of themselues euery thing so aboundantly that they haue no need to traffique or conuerse with forraine Regions And this I take to be the cause that we haue no better knowledge of some people that liue vppon the Hyperbores who though they liue not with such pollicy as we doe it is because the plenty of all thinges giueth them no occasion to sharpe their wits or to be carefull for any thing so that they leade a simple and rustique life without curiosity deuoyd of all kind of trouble care or trauaile whereas those who liue in Countries where for their substentation maintenance it behooueth them to seeke needefull prouisions in forraine Landes what with care of auoiding dangers well dispatching their affaires and daily practising with diuers dispositions of men they cannot but becom industrious pollitique and cautelous And hence came it that in the Kingdome of China there was a Law and statute prohibiting and defending those that went to seeke other Countries euermore to returne into the same accounting them vnworthy to liue in so pleasant and fertile a soile that willingly forsooke the same in searching an other But returning to our purpose in this North Bothnya which is beyond Norway is taken incredible store of fish which they carry some fresh some salted to a Citty called Torna situated in manner of an Iland betweene two great Riuers that discende out of the Septentrionall mountaines where they hold their Fayre and Staple many and diuers Nations resorting thither who in exchange of theyr fish accommodate them with such other prouisions as their Country wanteth so that they care not to labour or till their grounds which if at any time they doe the fertillity thereof is such that there is no Country in the worlde able to exceede the same The people is so iust that they know not howe to offende or offer iniurie to any man they obserue with such integrity the Christian fayth that they haue him in horrour and destentation that committeth a mortall sinne They are enemies of vice and louers and embracers of vertue and truth They correct and chasten with all seuerity and rigour those that are offendours insomuch that though a thing bee lost in the streete or field no man dareth take it vp till the owner come himselfe There are also other Prouinces maintayned in a manner wholely by fishing as that of Laponia in the vvhich are manie Lakes both great and little infinitelie replenished with all sorts of excellent fishes and that of Fylandia which is very neere or to say better vnder the Pole The