hym selfe lyghter to flée away the same being also done by hys Cardinalles and euery other assistant Zoroastes kyng of the Bractiens was kylled by the furie of a Tempest Capanus by lyke meanes dyed at the warre of Thebes the emperor Anastasius after he had reigned .27 yeares did ende his days by semblable stroke like as also Carius and diuers other Emperours were subiect and consumed by the lyke force Marcus Claudius Pretor was burned within his ship by the thunder that fell vpon it Iulius Obsequens reciteth a wonderful example as here vnder appeareth in the stocke of Pompeius Liuius a Romain knight who returning with his daughter from certaine playes which had ben performed at Rome sawe his doughter being on horsbacke sodainly smothered striken to death with thunder lightning making hir be tourned naked to the viewe of all men sawe hir tong come forth at hir secret partes as if the fire had entred in at hir mouth and forced a vent for it self belowe which shall suffice for this time both for examples and causes of these terrible motions of the Elamēt and let vs now make the ignoraunt sorte priuie to some principall meanes to deliuer and defende them selues from such furies The Auncients amongst their secret experiences haue made prouf of diuerse things resisting both thunder and lightnings as amongest the foule and flying Creatures certaine fethers of an Eagle but chiefly such as she beares in hir panche are readie defenses against the blast or bolte of thunder Plinie and other writers more familiar describing the dispositiō of diuerse great fishes affirme diuerse to haue bene saued from the violence of lightning and thunder by wearing a girdle made of the skin of a Seacalf The Laurell or bay leafe amongst trées hath his priuiledge of speciall defence against suche assaultes for which respect the auncients haue vsed to plante it as an assured porter of sauetie at the entrie or dore of their houses Augustus Caesar was alwayes crowned with it vsinge also to carry certain braunches in his hande for continuall feare he had of that furie Albeit certaine Latins write that since his time one wearing Laurell was striken with thunder at Rome whiche they put amongest their wonders or matters of admiration Tarcon Etruscus witnesseth that by a certaine secret propertie the white vyne defendes from the thunder affirming that for the same cause in diuerse countries subiect to such terrible effects men vse to enuirō their houses with the braunches and bowes of the same yet are not all these in déede of such vertue against suche furie of the heauens as the true Hiacinthe which according to the opinion of Serapio other olde phisitions is of force not onely to defende men from perill that waye but also giues assurance by diuerse proues that the Wax stamped or graued with the same withstandes the thunder which they agrée to haue bene proued in the countries where many perished by suche accident seing that no man hath euer bene touched which hath caried the true stone called Hiacynthe And nowe to put to the laste seale to our beadroll of these iniuries and angrie influences of the heauens I haue to preferre certaine monstrouse stones falling from the Element of the colour of yron singed and burned not much vnlike that which the Auncientes affirme to fall in Thracia being by estimation of the thicknesse of a chariot whereof the great Philosopher Anaxagoras prognosticated many yeares before Besides within our age and memorie and also in a countrey sufficiently knowen to sundrie trauailers I meane in Sugolye confynyng vppon the borders of Hungarie the seauenth day of September in the yeare a Thousand fiue hundred and fourtene in a horrible clappe of Thunder and lightenyng there fell downe from Heauen a huge Stone of the weyght of two hundreth and fiftie poundes the whych the Citizens haue made faste wyth a greate chayne of yron wythin their Temple vsing to shewe it as a thing of greate wonder to straungers visityng theyr prouince in sorte of perigrination And to make an end Cardanus in his fourth booke De varietate rerum saith that he hath séene in a fielde in Italie a number of harde stones of the colour of yron castyng a smell of Sulphure fallen oute of the Ayre whereof some of them weighed a Hundred and twentye pounde the péece others thrée score the which being shewed to the Frenche Kyng as a thyng of greate wonder in hys Royall voyage to Naples putte hym into a great maruell how the Heauens coulde sustaine so greate a waighte the space of twoo houres séeing that the noise ceassed not nor the flames to flashe oute of the Skye from thrée of the clocke vntyll fyue when the fall of the stones appeased the brute and horrible Rumbling whiche was in the Ayre ¶ A wonderfull Historie of a man in our time which washed his face and handes in skalding Leade CHAP. ix HIeronymus Cardanus writeth a wōderful Historie in his sixt booke De subtilitate as I might saie repugnant to nature sauing that the same was done in the presence and sight of the whole companie of a Citie whiche makes it of more faith and credit When saith he I wrote my workes of subtil inuentions I sawe a certaine man at Millan which washte his face handes with skalding leade hauing washte them before with som other water wherfore Cardanus as he was accustomed w t great diligēce enforcing himselfe to searche trie out that secret in nature was of opiniō y ◠of necessitie it must be y t y e water wherewith he first washed was extreme colde withall had a certaine obscure hidden vertue the which did with stande the heate of the leade not suffering y e same to cleaue or sticke to his bodie some saith he affirme that the water wherein he washed was made of the sappe of Pourpie and Mercuriall for bicause of the sliminesse and lightnesse thereof which to me séemes not to be true for that he vsed the same water very often to wash his whole bodie putting but a litle on the place where he poured the hoate leade taking a crowne for the sighte thereof of all such as came to sée his doing therin And surely if y e water had bene made of these twoo herbes which be of small estimation in respect of such goodnesse and vertue he woulde haue cast a farre more quantitie on his bodie than he did But to cōclude it is thought that the water which he vsed was metical as that of Stybium Cōferring y e particularities therof with y e saying of Cardā other authours which I haue read I finde that in times passed these doings were not had in so great admiratiō as they be at this day seeing we see by common experience that there be diuers things which of nature haue not only power to resiste the force of fier but also will not be consumed thereof as the poulse of Pirrhus which when his bodie
Embassadours to the Emperour to certifie hym that they hadde séene many tymes a Tryton or man of the Sea hyde and wythdrawe hym selfe into a caue neare vnto the Sea There was also aduertisement sente to the Emperor Octauian Augustus that vpon the coast of France were founde certayne Mermaydes deade vpon the banke of the ryuer In like sorte Georgius Trapezuntius a man very famous in learning affirmeth to haue seene vpon the border of the Ryuer appearyng out of the water in the fourme of a Woman vntill the nauill whereof seemyng to maruell and beholdyng hir somewhat nearely shée retired into the water Alexander ab Alexandro a great ciuilian Philosopher in the .viij. Chapter of hys thyrd booke assureth for certaintie that in Epyre now named Romain is a certayne fountaine neare the Sea from whence yong Maydes for the necessitie of theyr houses dydde drawe water and that harde by issued a Triton or Sea man and caughte a little damsell whome he caried oftentymes into the sea and after sette hir on lande agayne wherof the inhabitauntes beyng aduertised vsed suche watche and guarde that they tooke hym and broughte hym afore the Iustice of the place afore whome beyng searched and examined founde in hym all partes and membres of a man for whyche they committed hym to certaine garde and kéepyng offeryng hym meate the whyche he refused wyth sorrowfull lamentations after hys kynde not tastyng any thyng that was offered hym and lastly dyed of hunger séeing hym selfe restrayned from the Elemente wherein he was wonte to dwell Many writers nowe a days do witnesse a thyng more strange than any of these if it be true whyche is that the Archduke of Austriche third sonne of the Emperor Ferdinando made to be caried with him to Gennes in the yere .1548 a Mermayd dead the same so astonishing the people that the moste learned men in Italie came to visite and sée him I coulde yet make of more Watermonsters séene in oure tyme as that whych was figured lyke a Monke an other like a Bishop wyth other of lyke resemblaunce whyche importe the more faith bicause they are preferred by thrée of the most notable Fishers in Europe being also figured so amply in the vniuersall Historie of Fyshes that I néede not to enlarge their descriptions for they haue so lernedly discoursed of the propreties of the same that they haue cutte of all hope to suche as shall come after them to aduaunce it with further addition ¶ Wonders of Dogges whiche dyd eate Christians CHAP. xix IF the bones ashes of all those which haue bene persecuted for the name of Iesus Christe were at this day in being and to be séene with our corporall eyes we myghte then confesse that they were able to buylde a great and proude Citie and withal if all the bloud which hath bene shed for his name were gathered together into one certaine place it were sufficient to make a great floud For who soeuer will reade in Eusebius and S. Augustine the â—â—rsecutions burnings butcheries and slaughters which were made of the poore flocke of Iesus Christ in the time of the Emperour Domitian Traian Antonius Seuerus Maximinian Decius Valerian Aurelian Diocletian Maximian with many others he shal not finde so many thousandes slaine in the cruell warres of the TirauÌ„ts as he shal reade to haue shed their blood for y e name of Iesus Christ neither is the sacrifices of so many Martirs and companies of the good so amplie spoken of by Sainct Augustin in his .xviij. booke .lij. chap. of the Citie of God or by Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall historie or that Orseus writeth so muche to be wondered at or strange as this whereof Cornelius Tacitus maketh mention is wonderfull and worthie to be put in memorie amongest the moste celebrate pourtraicts monsters of this worlde For it did not onely suffise the infamous Tiraunt Nero to make to be burned the bodies of the poore Christians making them serue as torches and blazing linkes to giue light to the Citizens of Rome but also made theÌ„ to be wrapped quicke in the skinnes of certaine sauage beastes to the ende that the dogges thinking they had bene beastes in déede might teare and commit their bodies to pieces Which you may nowe sée by the furious assaultes that Sathan and his accomplices haue builded againste the members of Iesus Christe for there is no Religion which he hath not so furiously persecuted sithens the beginning of the worlde as this of ours wherein although he hath set abroche all his subtilties fraudes malices and inuentions to vndermine it yet notwithstanding it remaineth whole and sounde by the vertue and ayde of the Sonne of God who hath can bridle represse the enuious rage of his enimies And although he hath procured the death of many members of the Churche as Abell Esaie Ieremie Zacharie Policarpius Ignatius and many thousand Martirs and Apostles yet notwithstaÌ„ding he could neuer deface any iote therof for it is writen in like maner that the gates of hel coulde not by any meanes preuaile againste hir albeit that for a certaine time she was put in some perill and was shaken and tossed like a litle barke by the rage teÌ„pestes of the Sea yet surely Iesus Christe did not forsake at any time his espouse but alwayes assisted hir as the head of his bodie watched hir garded hir and maintained hir as is witnessed in the promisses made vnto hir when he saide I will not leaue you my Orpheus I will be with you to the verye laste consummation of the worlde And further he sayeth in Esaie I will put my worde into your mouth and defende you with the shadowe of my hande and those wordes which I put into your mouth shall not be taken from your séede now nor neuer Wherein séeing then that our only religion is true and purified and that it is signed by the bloud of so many Prophetes Apostles and Martirs and confirmed besides with the bloud of Iesus Christ whereof he hath lefte to vs the true Charecter and witnesse of his death that all others be vnlawfull bastards and inuented by the Diuels and men their ministers to the vtter confusion of ours wherefore if it be so pure and holy let vs then indeuour our selues to conserue and kepâ— the same to the ende we maye saye in the last daye to God as the good king Dauid saide Lord I hate them that hate thée I am angrie with them that rise against thée and I hate them with a perfect hate and holde them for mine enimies ¶ A wonderfull historie of diuers figures Comets Dragons and flames which appeared in heauen to the terrour of the people and whereunto the causes and reasons of them be assigned CHAP. xx THe face of Heauen hath bene at diuers times so much disfigured by blasing starres torches fireforkes pillours Lances bucklers Dragons twoo Moones twoo Sunnes at one instant with other like things that whosoeuer woulde recompte
ende that those litle creatures might be the executioners of their offices others for delite sake would make theÌ„ so tame that at the sounde of a whistle they would leaue the water and come and take meate at their handes vpon the bankes of theyr riuers hauing them in suche delite that Lucius Crassius Censor lamented no lesse the death of one of his litle fishes dying out of his pondes than if it had bene for one of his daughters It is not vnknowen also that the Romain Emperours helde fyshes in suche honour and affection that in their moste Royall and pompous banquets they made more daintie deare accompte of fishe than of any kinde of foule or other fleshe reseruing suche reuerend obseruation to some of them and specially the Sturgeon that as some saye he that broughte it to the borde vsed to do it bareheaded sauing a Cornet or garland of flowers and for a more honour of the thing the Trumpettes and drâ—Ì„mes ceassed not to sounde blow so long as that dishe stoode on the table At this day in Grece Turkie y e people for y e most part be more desirous of fish than of flesh which was also the custome of y e Auncientes wherupon both the Greeke Latin Phisitions do most coÌ„moÌ„ly in all their treatises preferre the nouritures soueraine goodnesse of fishe afore flesh haue giuen also the inferiour place of estimation to flesh Like as at this time also the Egiptians do abstaine all their lyfe from eating of fish obseruing the order of our MoÌ„kes in their abstineÌ„ce from eating of flesh which shall suffice for this tyme for the dignitie commendacion of fishes folowing in order to describe how y e Seas bring forth their woÌ„ders with more maruel thaÌ„ y e lande wherof I will lay afore you in this place only the principal such as haue moued cause of astonishmeÌ„t in y e most precise Philosophers of y e world AmoÌ„gest the most woÌ„ders of y e Sea it may séeme miraculous almost incredible that fishes do flye and that those duÌ„me creatures do lifte themselues froÌ„ out of their moyste Element to pierce and breake the ayre as birdes do with their winges whereof although there be diuerse kindes according to the experience of the Sea yet I haue not figured the pourtrait of any in this chapter saue onely the Arundel or swallowe of the Sea that as Gesnerus and Rondelet in their histories of fishes haue drawne it Who desireth to haue a more large description of this fishe let him read Rondelet in his first chapter of his vj. booke wher he affirmeth this fish to be so called by reasoÌ„ of his colour greatnesse in proporcioÌ„ pinions like to a balde Mouse yet saith he who coÌ„sidereth thorowly of this fishe and maner of his flying he may seeme rather to resemble a swallow than a balde Mouse Opianus saith he flieth out of the water for feare he be deuoured of the great fishes Plinius writeth that there is a fishe flying called Arundelle whiche is very like the birde which we comonly cal a swallowe which as he is rare and sheweth himselfe by greate wonder with his greate wings so being taken they vse commonly to drie him and hang him vp in their houses which I thinke was more rare in the time of Plinie than now because there be diuerse founde in sundrie houses in Spaine Italie Fraunce and elswhere Claudius Campensius Phisition to the Lord Marquis of Trans sayd y t not many yeares past the Lord Admiral of EnglaÌ„d made him a banquet where he presented him with a flying fishe And in our time those that haue sayled by the pillers of Hercules affirme that there is such store of flying fishes thereabout that they séeme rather birdes with wings than fishes of the Sea Besides it is not inconuenient to set forth in this place the pourtrait of a fishe flying or rather a water monster which is the chiefe cause that I haue vndertaken this treatise of fishes This fishe or rather monster of the Sea I haue considered with long viewe iudgement and haue caused him to be drawne as neare as I can according to his naturall proportion wherein I maye boldly preferre as witnesses aboue twoo hundreth personnes who sawe him in Paris aswell as I. Amongest the things of woÌ„der to be séene in this beaste it hath chiefly a hydeous heade resembling rather in figure a horrible Serpent than a fishe with wings resemblyng rather the pynions of a balde mouse sauing they be farre more thicke and massiue he containes neare a foote and a halfe in length neyther is he so well dried but he yeldes some sauour or smel of a fishe the reste is to bée discerned in his figure Many learned men of the vniuersitie who considered largely of hym and his forme assured me that it was a kinde of flying Fishe the same notwithstanding agréeing in nothing with the description of the Auncientes touching the Arunâ—elle of the Sea nor of the Mugilatus nor of other flying fishe which makes me thinke that it is a sorte of monstrous fishe vnknowen to the elders Neither am I ignorant that there bee that can counterfaict by arte dyuerse formes of fishes Dragons Serpentes and other like things wherewith many are abused lyke as maister Gesnerus hath acknowledged by his writings to haue bene circumuented with the like Yet of all those which behelde this fish argued vpon his condition there was not one that could discerne other artificiall sleyght than as Nature brought hym forth formed him The Sea hath also other monsters which be more wonderfull than these as the fishe which they call in Latine Torpedo most coÌ„mon in Hauen townes and is accompted to resemble most of all those fishes that be harde skinned and she hath a hidden propertie which is very straÌ„ge for being hidden within the sand or moudde she slepeth by a secret vertue and making also al the fishe that be neare hir immouable and without sense she féedes vppon them and deuoureth them neither doth hir charme of sleepe extende onely againste fishes but also against men for if a man touch hir with his Anglerod she enchaunteth forthwith his arme And if she féele hir selfe taken with the lyne and hooke she hath this pollicy to embrace the lyne with hir wings and so making hir poyson mounte all along the lyne and the rode so tormenteth the arme of the fisher that often times he is constrained to abandon his prize The authours hereof be Aristotle in his ninth booke and xxxvij chapter De historia animalium Plinie in the .xxxij. booke and second chapter Theophrastus in libro De his quae hyeme latent Galen Opianus Plutarch in libro vtrum anima c. Plato also makes lyke mention in Memâ—o where Socrates is compared to the Torpedo in that by the violence and subtiltie of his argumentes he so grauelled those against whome he maintained disputation that they séemed
to participate with the enchauntement of the Torpedo of whose properties although the authours had made no mention yet the common experience of euery fisher maketh good no lesse of hym It is defended to sell him in the open market at Venise bycause of his poyson Moste parte of oure Phisitions nowe a dayes write that his fleshe is moiste softe and of an vnpleasant taste Yet Galen in his thirde booke de Alimentorum facultatibus and in his booke de Attenuante Victu and in the eyghte of his Methodes doth allowe it onely there hath bene great cōtrouersie amongest the Auncients to know in what parte of his bodie consistes the venom of his charme that casteth both fishe and the parts of men into a sleepe some giue out that it lyeth in one parte some saye in an other but moste agrée that it is deuided throughout euen vnto the gall whiche they confirme by the witnesse of Plinie which saith that the gall of a Torpedo on lyue being applied to the genitors or priuye partes represseth the desire of the fleshe wherein we will ende the discourse of that fishe and his propertie and visite other maruels founde in other fishes Althoughe the water is the proper Element mansion house and place of abode for fishes where they féede liue disporte encrease and exercise all their other functions yet is there of them whiche leaue the Sea floudes and riuers and leape vppon the lande eate and féede vppon hearbes vse recreation in the féeldes and sléepe there now and then Theophrastes affirmeth that neare vnto Babylon when the riuers retire within their bākes there be certain fishes lefte within caues and hollowe places which issue out to feede marching vpō their wings or with their often mouing of their taile whē any offreth to offend or assault them they flie forthwith into their caues as their refuge The auncient Philosophers affirme that there haue bene founde fiishes vnder the earth who for that cause they called Focilles whereof Aristotle makes mention and Theophraste speaking of Paphlilagonia where men drawe fishe and they be very good to eate out of déepe diches and other places wherein no water doth remaine Polybe writes in lyke sorte that neare to Narbone hath bene founde fishes vnder the earth We maye also bring in amongest other wonders of the Sea a kind of fishe called Stella or Sea starre bycause it hath the figure of a painted starre this fishe is of a Nature so hote that he endureth assoone as he hath deuoured which Aristotle approueth in his .v. booke De Historia anima where he gyueth such hotnesse to this fish that she boyleth what she taketh Plinie and Plutarch do likewise affirme that the starre by hir onely touche doth melte boyle and burne whatsoeuer she toucheth and knowing hir vertue she suffreth hir selfe to be touched with other fishe to the ende she maye burne them Monsieur Rondelet a man liuing at this daye and aswel worthie of credit as the best that write in his histostorie de piscibus affirmeth that he hath séene many starres of the Sea but one amongest the reste containing almost a foote in length which he opened in maner of Anotomie and founde in his bellye three Coquylles whole and twoo Remollies halfe digested such is the greate furious heate of this litle creature all which may seeme wonderfull examples of the wonders of the Sea yet are they nothing in respect of those whiche we meane to treate hereafter the same mouing both feare and amaze to suche as haue most nearely sifted the secretes of the Sea For this litle beast which so amazeth y e world is called in Greeke Ethneis and of the Latins Remora to whome is gyuen that name bycause she doth stay Ships as hereafter you shall heare more at large Opyanus and Aelian write that he delites moste in the high sea he is of the length of a cubite of a browne colour like vnto an Eele Plinie maketh hym like to a greate Limace whiche he proueth by the witnesse of suche as sawe one of them that stayed the Galey of the prince Caius Caesar. In his .ix. booke he brings in diuers opinions of sundry authors touchyng this fishe who although they differ in his description yet they agree all that suche one there is and is of power to stay shippes Whereof also many Philosophers of late dayes whiche haue trauailed by many ports and hauens in Asia and Affrica beare witnesse in that they haue séene hym made an Anatomie and proued his vertues with wonderfull effectes It is sure a maruellous and monstrous thing in Nature to finde a fish or creature in the water of y e gretnesse of a Limace which is of force by a secrete propretie of nature to stay immediatly what she toucheth be it the moste huge and tal ship or galey that vseth to scumme the sea whiche made Plinie crie out in this sorte Oh straunge and wonderful thyng sayth he that all the windes blowyng from all partes of the worlde and the moste furious tempestes raging vpon and ouer the waues and contendyng wyth extreme violence against the vessels that sayle thervpon stand in awe of a little fishe of the greatnesse of a Limace whose power preuaileth ouer their furie can restraine and bridle theyr rage and is of more force to stay the strongest shippe that is than all their ankers cables tackles or any other engine employed or vsed about the same This fishe encountred Anthonie in hys warres and restrained hys shippe Adamus Louicerus Lib. de Aquatilibus cōfirming Plinies opinion rauished as it were with suche straunge conditions in a fishe hath trauailed with great paines to searche out the cause in nature wherof being not able to giue any reason by any learnyng or diligence he vsed gaue it ouer with this exclamation Who is he of so dumbe and grosse iudgement whiche wyll not enter into admiration if he beholde at leysure the propreties and power of this little fishe I knowe sayth he that the Adamant hathe power to smell and drawe yron the Diamont sweateth and distilleth poyson the Turkeys doth moue when there is any peril prepared to him that weareth it the Torpille infecteth and maketh slepe the hande and arme of the Fisher and I know that the Basilicke is so venomous that with his onely viewe and regard he poisoneth man of all which notwithstandyng their straungenesse a man maye yelde some reason but of the vertue of this fish we may not argue bicause it is supernaturall for he lyueth in the water taketh his nouriture in the water as other fishes doe and doth no exercise but in the water his little stature approueth that he can do no great violence and yet is there no power equal with his nor force able to resist him there is neither storme nor engin by hande of power to moue a ship after he hath once plyed him selfe to it wer it that the whole windes and violence of the Element
seuere punishement as well to al the Iewes as Lepres thorough out all the prouince of Europe being founde culpable therof that their posterities smell therof til this day for they hauing proued so many kindes of torments and martirdoms that vpon theyr imprisonments they had greater desire to kil and broile one an other than become subiecte to the mercie of the Christians And as Conradus of Memdember of equall fame in the studie of Philosophie and artes Mathematicall writeth that ther died in Almayn for this cause aboue xij thousand Iewes Wherfore as it was strange to behold their afflictions Euen so it was as extreme to sée the poore Christians haue in horrour abhomination the water of theyr welles and fountains that they rather choosed to die of the drought than to receiue any drop therof into their bodies but hauing recourse to rain water or to riuers whereof they had greater want than any store or plentie at all finding not at al times to serue theyr turnes they preuented sundry times the perill of the poison And as these false deceiuers were of all nations much detested so they often times proued diuers kindes of calamities as the Historians testifie the same CoÌ„radus Licostenes amongst others reciteth a strange deuice hapening in the yere .434 about which time he fouÌ„d by fortune in the Isle of Creâ—e a seducer and false prophet or rather a wicked spirite â–ª as they might coÌ„iecture by the issue of his enterprises This prophet preched opeÌ„ly through al the Isle that he was the same Moyses which brought the Israelites from the seruitude of Pharao and that he was sent againe from God to deliuer the Iewes froÌ„ the bondage seruitude of the Christians wherin hauyng thus planted the rootes of his pestilent doctrine he therby woon the people by false miracles and other diabolicall illusions that they began to forsake their houses lands possessions and al the goodes they had to folow him in such sort that they founde no other matter in that couÌ„trey but a great troupe of Iewes accompanied with their wiues and children which folowed this holy man as their chief And after he had wel led theÌ„ in this miserable error he made them mount in the end to the height of a rock ioyning to the sea and there tolde them that he would make theÌ„ passe through the sea on foote as he had tofore brought the people of God thorough the floude of Iordain whiche he coloured so finely by his deceyuable arte that he persuaded them very easily and in such sort that the pore people gathered together on a heape dyd caste them selues headlongs into the sea Whereby the greatest parte of them were drowned and the reste saued by certain christen Fishermen whiche were then in the sea Whereof the Iewes perceiuing the greate deceite whereby he hadde abused them coulde not by any humaine Arte heare any newes nor discouer where was becom their prophet which gaue occasion to many of them not onely to thinke but also write that he was a Diuell vnder the shape and figure of a man which had so deceiued them Sebastian MuÌ„ster writeth in his boke of vniuersall Cosmographie an other historie of them set out in a more gay and braue fashion saying That in the yeare of health .1270 when the Countie of Steruembergh was bishop of Mandeburgh one of the chief Priests of the Synagoges of the Iewes fell by chaunce vpon their Saboth day into a déepe Iakes oute of which he coulde not get and therby constrained to call for the aide of his companions who being arriued sayd vnto him with grieuous complaints that it was theyr Saboth day and that it was not lawfull for them as that daye to yelde hym the benefite of their handes but willyng hym to vse pacience til the next day following which was sunday The bishop of Mandeburgh aduertised of this being a very wyse man gaue commaundement to the Iewes by the sounde of a Trumpet that vpon paine of death they shold froÌ„ henceforth kéepe holy and solemnise as their Saboth daye the Sunday By meanes whereof thys poore martir remained parfumed tyll the Monday ¶ Floudes and wonderfull Inundations of Waters CHAP. xj THe antiquities of forain times haue sufficiently proued the horrible rage of waters that if I shoulde goe about to declare them in order I shoulde rather want Eloquence to describe them than matter wherupon to entreate The first and most worthie of memorie is sufficiently shewed by Moyses in the .vij. chapiter of the boke of Genesis at what time God opened the veines of heauen and sent downe such abundance of water vpon all the earth for the purifying and clensyng of the synnes of men that the same ouerflowed the highest mountaines aboue .xv. cubites And in the reigne of kyng Henry the fourth the waters raged with suche impetuositie within the prouinces of Italie that there was not onely thereby drowned many thousand men but that whiche was more strange as the Historians make meÌ„tion the tame houshold beasts as hennes géese Pehens such like were by the terror therof so frighted that they became sauage waÌ„dring in the deserts and forrests and neuer after to be reclaimed Wherof S. Augustine in the third boke called the Citie of God maketh mention that in the yeare of health 1446. and on the .xvij. day of April in the tyme of Federike the .iij. Emperor at what tyme printing was first founde out there was in Hollande so great an inundation of water and the sea ouerflowed the bankes with suche furie that it brake the causeys running behinde Dordrech couering al the land as wel cities as villages in such sort that ther were drouned not only xvj parishes but also .100000 men with their wiues children and beasts And in y e yeare 1530. in Hollande Flaunders and Brabant the sea so swelled that it brake not only bulwarks and rampiers but also violently caried away both cities and villages togither with the creatures in them bisides made all the hauen townes no lesse nauigable than the open and main sea which not only chaunced in Flaunders but also the same yeare the riuer of Tyber so flowed in Rome that it mouÌ„ted aboue the highest towres and estages of the citie and withal not only breaking down the bridges but endamaging theyr goodes as gold siluer corne wine cloth of silke flowre oyles woull and other riches to the value of thrée millions of golde bisides the losse of thrée thousande persons as well men as women and litle childreÌ„ which were therby smoothered and drouned Wherein as all these matters were maruellous so the auncientes and writers at this day haue not made proofe of one more strange sithens the vniuersall floud of Noe than this which chaunced in Phrygia in the yeare of grace .1230 For euen as when they thought them selues most happie and were banketting drinkyng and giuing them selues ouer to all kindes of pleasure beholde all the lande nigh to the sea of
the whiche meanes we iudge to sée diuers sunnes We maye also sée the lyke in a table wel painted and polished which when we behold there appeareth to vs the shape of two or .iij. being but one in dede and as much we may say of y e Moone Thus haue we declared the very true causes wherfore appere so often .ij. or .iij Sunnes Moones let vs therfore now from henceforth search in nature the cause and beings of these things and stay no more at these fripperies deceiptes and dreames of the Astrologians iudicials who therby haue so oftentimes deceiued begiled vs that they oughte and deserue to be banished exiled from all cōmon wealths well gouerned for what trouble perplexitie and terrour haue they engendred in the consciences of a numbre of poore people As for example in the yere 1514. when they feared not with obstination to publishe openly in all places that there shoulde be in the moneth of February well nigh an vniuersall floud for that the coniunction of all the planets were in the signe of Pisces and notwithstandyng the day which should haue brought forth these waters was one of the moste faire and temperate days of the yere albeit many great personages fearefull of their prophecies made prouision of bisket flower ships and other like things propre to sayle withall fearyng to be surprised and drowned wyth the greate abundance of water whiche they before had tolde of Lette vs further from henceforth learne with Henry the .vij. king of Englande who reigned in oure tyme makyng no accompt of theyr deceytes but chastised their dreame who vpon the sodaine beyng made to vnderstande that one of the moste famous Astrologians of Englande had published in all places that he had found amongst the most hidden secretes of Astrologie that the King shoulde die before the next feast of Christmas commaunded that he should be brought before hym who after he had asked hym whether this talke were true and that the prognosticator had answered him that it was certaine and that he had founde this infallible in his constellation and natiuitie I pray thée then sayde the King tell me where the starres tell thée thou shalte kéepe thy Christmas this yeare To whom he answered he shoulde be in hys owne house with hys familie but I knowe very wel sayd the King that thy starres be lyers for thou shalt neither sée Moone Sunne Starres heauen nor thy familie this Christmasse putting hym presentely in the moste straight darke prison in the great tower of London where he continued till the feast was past Here you may sée how this true Astrologian was vsed remayning prisoner in extreme misery vntil after the feast kept of the natiuitie of Iesus Christe ¶ A wonderfull Historie of Flames of fyre which haue sprong out of the heades of diuers men CHAP. xxj IF there were but one onely Authour which had made mention of the Historie followyng although the truthe therof be sufficiently proued for whiche cause I haue the rather at this time placed it in these my wōders as a chiefe argument or coniecture in nature whereupon may be founded the cause notwithstanding seing so many learned men haue busied themselues to write therof together with so greate a number of faithfull authors witnessing the same in their works we ought the rather vpon their credite to beleue that whiche they haue sayd therin Titus Liuius in his thirde booke and thirde Decade Cicero in his seconde boke De diuinatione Valerius the great in his first boke and .vj. chapiter Frontinus in his secōd boke and .x. chapiter write that after the Scipions were surprised by their enimies and ouerthrowē and killed by the Spanyards and that Lucius Martius a Romaine knight making an oration to his souldiers exhorting to reuēgement they became astonished to see a great flame of fire issuing from his heade without doing to him any hurt which caused the armed men being moued with the sight of thys wonderfull flame to take heart and run so furiously vpon their enimies that they not onely killed xxvij thousande but also had a praie of a great number of captiues besides an inestimable riches they toke from the Carthaginiens Neither haue such fantasticall fyres sprong from the bodies of certaine men or appeared in one only but in many Wherof the same author Titus Liuius writeth in his first boke of things worthy of memory sithens the foundation of Rome the like to happen to Seruius Tullius who succéeded in the imperial seate Tarquinius Priscus from whose heade being yet but yong and as he slepte they sawe issue a flame of fyre whervpon the Quéene Tanaquil wife to the foresayd Priscus affirmed to hir husbād that this flame promised to hym greate good honour and prosperitie whiche afterwards chaunced for he maried not onely hir daughter but after the death of hir husband hée was Kyng of the Romaines And Plutarche and others haue written the lyke of Alexander when he foughte against the Barbariens being in the moste heate of the skirmish they sawe him all on fyre whiche caused a maruellous feare and terrour to his ennimies Euen so I knowe a certaine Physition at this day who writeth of the lyke in diuers of his histories chauncing in our time to a nere friende of his in Italy not onely at one time but at many Whereof as Plinius not onely in an other place maketh mention of the ryuer Trasimenus whyche was seene all on fyre but also maketh a certain discourse of these wonderfull flames whyche be seene aboute the bodies of men Also Aristotle in hys fyrst boke of Metheores treateth in lyke maner But to tell you myne opinion therein I can not any wayes gather the cause or foundation eyther of the one or other althoughe I haue promised to shewe the causes and reasons whervpon these wonders procede and take their beginnyng For if we wyll saye they be made by Arte As we haue séene very often in oure tyme certaine Ruffians vomite and caste forth of theyr mouthes certayne flames of burnyng Fyre whiche Atheneus in the fyrst boke of the Dipnosophistes and fouretenth Chapiter doth witnesse whiche coulde not happen as I thinke to the Histories before mentioned for that it hath chanced to greate lordes vpon whome these wonders haue bene moste proued by which meanes they being attended vpon wyth a greate numbre and multitude of persones the fraude thereof was easlyer discouered Wherefore it is moste expediente then to beléeue that they be wonders and deceytes of Sathan who was so familiar in the worlde passed that he inuented dayly newe wonders as is wytnessed in Exodus of the Magitiens of Pharao whiche conuerted Maydes into Serpentes and floudes of water into bloud whyche be matters as difficulte as to make flames of fyre issue or come from the bodies of men ¶ A Historie very notable of Prodigeous Loues CHAP. xxij I Am ashamed and almoste confused in my self that I must declare the wonderfull loue
the Latins Herbae pulicaris hathe such a colde vertue that being cast into hot boiling water it will kill the heate therof In like maner as Chameleon albus serueth vnto men in stede of Treacle against poyson and all venims Euen so notwithstandyng it killeth and destroyeth Ratts and dogs eating therof It is in lyke maner a little Thistle growing by the grounde without any stalke putting vp pricks like an Hedgehogge hauing in the middle a knap ful of pricks in which do appere purple floures that growe into plumes fléeing away with the winde like as of other thistels hauing a white roote swéete groweth on olde landes and bare hilles Also Dioscorides Plinie and Pithagoras write that the herbe called Scylla and of the Apothecaries Squillae being hanged in a house deliuereth men from charmes sorceries and enchauntments the roote wherof is like a onyon Wherfore the good searchers out of the secrets of plants haue founde by experience that our Persley whiche the Latins call Apium â—ortense and the Greekes Selinon by a certaine seâ—ret propretie engendreth in vs the falling sicknesse in suche sorte that Simeon Sethy writeth that it is necessarie for suche as be subiecte to that euill to take héede they vse not y e same for it often hapneth that those whiche he deliuered from that disease by vsing of Persley fall a fresh into the same againe In like maner Plinie writeth that nurses oughte not to eate therof for y e infant sayeth he by sucking the milke of hir breast which eateth therof very often is persecuted with that disease Furthermore the Consyre whiche the Apoticaries commending with so many barbarous wordes do call Consolida maior hath so greate a vertue to knit and make to growe and ioine together freshe hurts for as Plinie and Discorides witnesse being put in a pot with sundrie pieces of flesh it will knit and ioyne them together for which cause the Greeks called it Symphiton for the gret vertue it hath in knitting ioyning togethers Euen so the Greeks and Romains celebrated alwayes amongest their excellent plantes that which is called in Greeke Peristereon in Latin Verbenaca and in Frenche Veruaine it hath bene named aunciently Hierabotane and Sacra herba that is to saye a holye hearbe for that at Rome in times paste it serued them not only to purifie their houses but also their familye was dressed with it and for a more supersticious estimation of this hearbe they hong the altar of Iupiter with it afore they perfourmed their sacrifice Their embassadours that wente vpon holy messages were crowned with it bycause as Discorides writeth it was very proper to withstande wicked spirits and purge the houses hong or garnished with it Dioscorides and Plinie be of opinion that the house sprinkled with the water of Veruaine makes the people ioyfull and those which assiste the baÌ„quet where is eyther dâ—awe or mentioÌ„ of this water shalbe replenished with mirth and glaâ—nesse The plante which the Apoticaries call Neâ—uphar and the Greeks and Latins Nymphea growing moste commonly in Pooles and riuers bearing a greate gréene leafe hath so greate vertue againste the hote and wanton motions of youth that being taken in broth once a day by the space of xl dayes it mortifieth altogether the appetite of sensualitie and eating it fasting among other meate it defendâ—s you from vnchaste thoughtes and dreames of Uenery prouided alwayes that this must be wrought of the firste kinde of Neniuâ—r whiche hath a yelowe flower like to a Flowerdelice wherof besides the authoritie of Plinie and Dioscorides first authours hereof experience makes it of faith and credit For in the olde time it was applied to Monkes and Nunnes and other people of deuotion in Religious houses to pull downe and mortifie their flesh The Ancients named it Nimphea bicause the virgin Nympha being ielouse of Hercules became leane pale and so full of mortall passions that death gaue ende to hir sorowes and afterwarde as they beleued she was chaunged into this marrishe and waterie hearbe to delaye hir heates It is common in euery place and of .ij. sortes the one hath a whyte flower and the other carieth a yealowe floure Iuye called in Latine Hedera and in Greeke Cysses is a common herbe yet it containes in it many things worthy of commendation firste it troubleth the minde if a man take too muche of it it brings forth an humour or gumme whiche as Galen saith burnes secretly as a hoate plaster without being perceyued besides it serueth for a depilatour to make fall the haire in euery place about man and woman the little graines or séedes of Iuye taken in broth make men become barreine Plinie addes besydes to the vertue of this hearbe that men that be melancholike and subiect to diseases of the Splene are easely healed if they do but drinke in cups or goblets made of the wood of this Iuye The Mandrake hath moued greate cause of wonder to suche as haue written of his properties and power Pithagoras calleth it Antropomorphen by reason it hath a roote whiche resembles the forme of a man others haue named it Ciroea â–ª as of Circes persuading that the roote was good to make men loue and that there was in it a certaine amorous charme I sawe in a faire at Saincte Germains in Paris a roote of a Mandrake so well counterfaited by arte with rootes and braunches one linked within another that it resembled properly the fourme and shape of a man whiche broughte suche value and estimation to his practise of deceite that he solde of them for twenty crounes a piece by which vnreasonable gaine his abuse was discouered and he constrained in the ende to carie his roote into Italy from whence he sayde it firste came whiche maye suffise for the deceits in this roote and nowe let vs returne to his singularities and vertues Dioscorides writes that it is of force to mollifie the Iuorye and make it apte to plye and turne and fashion in any worke or forme that a man wil boiling it with the Iuorye the space of sixe houres It is moste certaine that it is of a maruellous vertue to caste men on sléepe and so to entraunce suche as are to be opened or cut in any member that they shall not féele the paine if firste they taste of the iuice of this Mandrake some do vse it in parfume for the same purpose There be .ij. kindes of Mandrake whiche growe in manye places on the mountaines in Italie but speciallye in Powylla Whereof diuerse grafters and setters of plantes haue broughte awaye both Apples and rootes It is as strange which the Philosophers attribute vnto the plant whiche the Latins call Nerion the Greekes Rhododendros the Frenchemen Bosage and we Roselaurel it hath the floures of a Rose and leaues of a Laurell but that whiche is most wonderful those leaues kill Dogges Asses Moyles and many other foure footed beastes and to men or women if it be taken in brâ—ath with wine it
amongest a nuÌ„ber of others our time hath stirred vp a moÌ„strous example that waye in Auignon at such a time as mine authour studied the lawe vnder Emilius Farretus in whose time there was a Prelate straunger whose name I will concele aswell for the honour of his profession as to much superstition in him selfe who one daye inuited to a banquet the nobilitie of Auignon aswell men as women where for a firste beginning of his pompe at the very entrie into the hall where the banquet was appointed laye spread vpon a curious borde a greate beefe with his heade pulled of and purged in his intrailes hauing in his bellie a whole Harte or deare of the like dressing stufte full of little birdes as Quailes Partriches larkes Feasants and other lyke the same being so conningly inclosed in the bellie of the seconde beaste and they so artificially conioined y e one within the other that it séemed some excelleÌ„t Mathematitian had bene the workeman thereof But that whiche made the matter both straunge and wonderfull was that all the birdes so assembled did roste and turne all alone vpon a broche by certaine compasse and conduites withoute the ayde of any man For the firste course and order of the table his gestes were presented with store of curious pastrie wherein were wroughte and inclosed manye little birdes quicke who assone as the cruste was taken of began to flie aboute the hall there were besides sundrie sortes of siluer plate full of Iellie so subtillie conueighed that a man might haue seen in the bottome a number of little fishes quicke swimming and leaping in swéete water and muske to the greate delite and pleasure of the assistaunts neither is it lesse straunge in that all the foules which were serued vpon the table were larded wyth Lampraye albeit it was in a season when they coste halfe a croune a piece but that whiche seales vp the superstitious pompe of this proude Prelate was that there was reserued as many quicke birdes as he was serued with deade foules at his table the same contayning suche indifferente number that if there were a Fesant sente dreassed to the borde there were Gentlemen appointed for the purpose which presented an other aliue and al to shewe the magnificence of the prieste to whome what remaines for the consummation of his prodigall delites but that the Gentlemen which serued him had their faces couered with a vaile leaste their breath should offende either him or his meate all whiche I haue preferred in this place as moste prodigious and monstrous not for immitation sake but rather that all good Christians shoulde deteste him and his example séeing it mighte be that whilest his Shippe went with full saile and he in the middeste of his Epicures delites the poore Lazarus perished at his dore for wante of foode and fyre But alas what coulde the faithfull Sainct Iohn and Peter thinke of this who had not one Deniere to giue in almes to the poore lame man that did demaunde it at the Temple gate or what woulde the other Apostles constrained with extremitie of hunger to eate the eares and awnes of Corne if they had séen their successour in so hote a kitchen so diuersly garnished with delicate meates This had bene a time and place and fitte occasion for the wicked Iudas if he had bene there to haue cried againste them Vt quid perditio haec potuisseâ— hoc multum vendi darâ— pauperibus Who liste to be priuie to the pompe of other Prelates let him reade Platinus in his treatise De honesta voluptate There was besides a Cardinall no lesse famous this waye than our Italian Prelate who in the time of Sixtus the Pope consumed into twoo yeares in banquets ionquets and suche other bellye vanities 3000. crownes wherewith manye poore members of Christe and sundrie néedie scholers and students might haue bene relieued and kepte long time at their bookes Let vs leaue to reporte of these disorders in our time and returne to our auncestours who the more manifest their vices were the greater was their slaunder and the tragedie of their life lesse honorable Wherefore all that is spoken of before is but as a shadowe or figure of magnificence in respecte of those monstrous and diabolicall feastes of that greate glutton and deuourer of meates Heliogabalus Emperour of the Romains who was so disordred in his delites that sâ—arce the life of an excellent Historiographer woulde suffice to dilate therof at large That wicked and vnhappy minister of Sathan drowned as it were in the â—â—nke of vnsatiable eating neuer made dinner after he was created Emperour wherin he spenâ— lesse than .60 markes of golde whiche according to our computation amounteth to the summe of 2500 Ducats besides he was so fantastical and vnrulie in his appetites that he vsed no common meates at his meales but was â—edde with the combes of cockes the toungs of peahens also being made to vnderstande that there was but one thing rare in the worlde whiche they declared to be the Phenix he sente for hir to eate promising I knâ—w not how many thousand markes of golde to him who coulde furnishe him thereof and sayde in a common prouerbe that there was no sauce but dearth Wherin not suffising him self to féedâ— of these rare exquisite meats he feasted like wise with as great abundance his gentlemen and champions causing also his Dogs and Lions to be nourished with the fleshe of Phesants Pehens and birdes not ceassing to vse only this prodigalitie in daintinesse of his mouth but which more is he was as lasciuious and extreme in all other furnitures of his seruice for he caused to serue him at his table foure maides naked who wer oftentimes caried in that sorte through the citie of Rome he neither dranke nor eate at any time aboue once in one vessell or dishe although the same and all the rest of the implements of his house were of pure gold or siluer the stoole wherin he did his excrements not excepted And in the place of wax candels to giue him light he caused to be put into his lampes an excellent balme which he caused to brought from Iuda and Arabia That vnhappie Emperoure was so frantike and madde in all his actions that he inuented things which diuels themselues coulde neuer deuise before for he made to be counterfaited artificially meates of marble wood and other things causing not onely the people to be kepte hungrie but also to sitte at the table beholding these meates in pitifull sorte He made many bankets to the which he inuited .viij. balde men .viij. crooked men .viij. lame men viij deafe men .viij. dumbe men .viij. black men .viij. white men .viij leane men and viij fatte men to the ende that those which did assist the baÌ„ket might haue cause to laugh sometymes he made his guests dronke and then shutting the dores and gates of the place where they were a sleepe put in vnto them Beares and Lyons
they differ in disposition for some of them will appeare and do no harme to the workmen but some haue so offended their worke and tormented themselues that they haue abandoned the place and so lose the reuenue of their Mynes The lyke auouched by Georgius Agricola a notable Philosopher and by whome passed the conuey of the Emperours Mynes in Almayne who amongst other places writeth that in the Myne at Anneberg was a mettall spirite which killed .xij. workmen the same causing the rest to forsake the myne albeit it was very riche There were also such like wicked Spirites at such tyme as our Sauiour Christe was on earth who kéeping moste commonly in the graues of dead men became so terrible â–ª that fewe durst passe that way This is most certain that Porphyrius Psellus Plotinus Proclus Iamblicus and certain other of late dayes assure that the vppermoste region of the ayre swarmeth as full of spirites whiche we call in Greke Daemones as oure ayre is full of birdes foundyng their opinion I thinke in that the ayre and skies whereby the Quindecines be as great and the regions so delitefull and full of pleasure as we sée the earth replenished with liuely substance mettals stones plants The water hath hir fishes and the weake ayre here below bringeth forth creatures that breath and liue Whereupon may be persuaded that the greate masse of the superiour ayre is full of those spirites whose excellencie farre excedeth the inferiour creatures bicause their region is more cleare and pure which bicause they seeme things vnworthie of our christian Philosophie we will ceasse to argue so farre as the matter requireth And bicause none maye iustly thinke that we giue suche scoape to diuels as they haue power to abuse the creatures of God bought so derely by the precious bloud of his sonne it is needefull so to tempre and direct the reason of those things that we giue them not such authoritie ouer vs as the Cat hath ouer the Mouse or the foole is fearefull of the whip for if it were y t their power were not gouerned by y e mighty hand of God hating so mortally the kinde of man in whoÌ„ is graueÌ„ the very image of God their tiraÌ„nies cruelties had long ere this extirped both stocke roote of suche generation for if they could not of theÌ„selues enter within y e bellies of hogs without asking leaue according to y e scripture how much more ought we to be assured y t without the permission of God they caÌ„not offend vs who are y e paunes of his redeÌ„ption his house wherin he hath taken harbor and carie his marke figure and affinitie besides what greater witnesse can we haue of the debilitie small power of the Dyuell than that whiche he dothe acknowleage in Iob where demaunding leaue to persecute that Prophet he sayde not Suffer me to hurt him but crauing of god to stretch forth his hand touch his flesh sayd Mitte manuÌ„ et tange carnem eius as though he were not but the organe to execute the wil of God calling his permission his hande whereof also we haue a like testimonie in S. Luke where our Sauiour comforting Symon tolde him that Sathan had asked leaue to torment hym and to syfte him as they fanne corne but he prayed for him to the ende his faith shoulde not fayle Whiche may sufficiently persuade that the Dyuell can not offende vs without leaue seing he durste not addresse hym to the Apostle without he obtained hys saufconduict of God wherein that greate Oracle of God S. Augustine who oftentymes had endured many and furious assaultes of Sathan giueth vs one speciall consolation saying Let the Diuell forge and stirre vp bothe day and night so many illusions as he will and presente thée with visions of bodies which be none in déede what doth all that hurt thy soule seyng thou dost not consent to the vision liue then assured for thou art not within his danger without leaue and yet the permission which is gyuen hym is not to condemne thée but rather to rebuke thy synnes and make a proufe of thy faith S. Paule also in his second Epistle to the Corinthians and .xij. chapter affirmeth that God suffred Sathan to buffet him for feare he shoulde be lifted vp aboue measure doing yet more as himself witnesseth in his first Epistle to Timothe where he giueth Timothe to vnderstande that he hath gyuen Hymeneus and Alexander to Sathan to the ende they learne to blaspheme no more Whereby we may sée howe the Lorde doth vse sometymes wycked spirites as good for oure health whyche are oftentymes transfigured in dyuerse fourmes and fygures of daye and nyghte to resiste vs and drawe vs to the Combate But none shall weare the Crowne that dothe not manfully fyght Lette vs then learne from hensforth of y e apostle to put on the armour of God seyng wée haue not to make warre onely as it is written in the Ephesians against fleshe and bloude but agaynst principalities and powers and such as gouerne the world and the darknesse of the same Let vs then stande vpon our gard least we be circumuented and abused by that false enchaunter who is nowe more shamelesse and of greater rage and furie than euer he was â–ª Whereof what greater witnesse can we haue than that whiche is written in the Prophete Micheas where he séeth him afore â–ª God crying and houlyng I shall go forth and become a lyer afore the face of all the prophets of Achab And in Zacharie who is alwayes vpon the right hand of the Priest to let that there discend no benediction vpon IerusaleÌ„ which being very liuely apprehended by that great bishop of Hipponenses S. Augustine crying after the Lorde saying Deliuer vs O Lord of our common enimie who whether it be in riches or in pouertie ioy or sadnesse speaking or in silence sleeping or waking drinking or eating or in any other our humain actions dothe watch vs folow vs prompe and prick vs lay his netts to entrap vs discharge his arrowes to hurt vs and dresse his engins and snares to entangle our poore soules And then with the Psalme he concludeth and crieth againe Deliuer vs good Lorde from the snares of the hunters But nowe seing contrary to our hope and expectation we be so depely anckred in the profound depth or Labyrinth of visions it is also conuenient afore we hoyse saile to bring in the last member that they depende vpon There is yet an other sort of visions which do not procéede of any diabolicall illusion nor by any other secret mysterie of the Angels but they engender of the corruption of humors or by some indisposition of the imagination or some other infirmitie of nature as when we séeme to sée those things which be not in déede and such kindes of imaginatioÌ„s do torment most commonly the melancolike men as Galene wriâ—eth of him that thought him transformed into a Cocke séeming to
suche prouysion for this byrde in the ayre It séemeth not that she shoulde be nouryshed of pure Aire onely bicause it is too subtile and it is not likely that she shoulde be nourished of small Beastes and Flies bycause the substaunce wherevppon these Creatures bée fourmed is not engendred in the aire neither hath there ben founde any such digestion in the bellie of thys Birde as they haue written of hir that haue séene hir deade she hath not hir relief of the vapour which ascendeth from the earth bicause she was neuer sene to discend so lowe besides there is often perill in vapours and this birde is not consumed but by olde age all which proue that she is only fedde and preserued vpon the dewe that falleth in the night Wherwith ende the opinions of Galene and other late writers touching the properties of this bird Neither can it much disagrée from our purpose of straunge birdes to auouche in this place the authoritie of Hector Boetius and Saxo who write that they founde certaine Trées in Scotlande whose frute being lapped within the leaues and the same fallyng into the water in some conuenient time take life and turne into a liuing birde whiche they call a Trée bird This trée groweth in the yle of Pomonne which is not farre from Scotlande towards the north the which is verified in some sort by Aeneas Siluius affirmyng that he hath heard that in Scotlande is a trée growing for the most part vpon the banke of a ryuer which brought forth frute of forme likenesse to a de Caunes réede which being ripe fall off themselues some into the water and some vpon the lande and those whiche take the water are séene to haue life and swymme vpon the waues and after certain time to take wings and flie into the aire which notwithstanding by diligent inquisition hath not ben founde in Scotlande but rather in the Iles of Orchades ¶ A Monstrous Serpent bought by the Venetians in Affrica and sent afterward into Fraunce embalmed as our late writers affirme CHAP. xxxiiij ACcordyng to the testimonie of Conradus Licostenes of whome I haue borowed the portraict of this horrible Serpent with vij hâ—â—â—es this monster was sente out of Turkey to the VenetiaÌ„s embalmed who not long after made a presente of it to Francis de Valoys the Frenche King by whome for the rarenesse of it it was valued at six thousande ducates Wherein like as for a more certaintie and truth of the matter I haue ben curious to searche whether there hath ben any such monstrous thing within the courte or not so if it be true as it is to be presumed in respect of the authoritie of him that wryt it I think nature hath neuer brought out or formed any thing more maruellous amongest all the monsters that euer were for besydes the monstrous and fearefull figure of thys Serpent there is yet a further consideration and regarde touchyng the faces which bothe in view and iudgement séeme more humaine than brutal but touchyng the multitude of hir heades me thinketh it oughte to argue no great strangenesse to fynde serpents with two or .iij. heades seing we haue and meane to make mention of bothe men and women that haue hadde no lesse the same being also witnessed by certaine of our late writers who trauailyng into India haue séene the same Ludouicus Vertomanus in his boke of the peregrinations of the Indians sayth that he hath séen in Calycut fourfooted serpents bréeding within certain marshes which contain for the height of their body the bygnesse of a Hog but of an vgly foule and deformed head he maketh also mention of an other kinde of serpents which be so venomous that as soone as they touche or pierce the blood of a man he falleth forthwith dead to the ground He sayth that if the King of that countrey coulde discouer the place of habitation of these serpents he woulde buylde them little caues or cabinets to defende them from the violence and inundation of waters when there hapned any such besides he helde them so deare that if any of them were oppressed or killed by any of his people such as coÌ„mitted the fact were sure to passe the same way the same mouing of a fonde superstitious opinion of the king inhabitants there that these serpeÌ„ts were certain spirites of God which if they were not such in dede they persuaded that their biting or poisoning could not worke such spedy death and destruction to man which maketh that those venomous beastes walke and passe thorowe their townes without perill or hurte and albeit in some one night there hath perished about nine persons of their venomous biting yet can they lose no credit or estimation wyth the Kyng or hys people who besides all these vanities if they meete any of these vgly creatures in the beginnyng of any voyage or enterpryse they doe accompte it a speciall good speede in theyr busynesse such is theyr blyndnesse and such is their mserable superstitioÌ„ Iambol a notable Merchant of Greece affirmeth y t in his trafike to the Indians he founde certain flying Serpentes of the lengthe of two cubites wyth wyngs in theyr foreparte the whiche flie by nyghte and be of so mortall a poyson that yf they lette fall or distill but one droppe of theyr vrine it kylleth forthwyth the creature wherupon it falleth Certaine late Embassadours of Portingale haue broughte from thence to theyr Prince one of these Serpentes embalmed the same carying suche a terrour with it that albeit he were not to be feared and without cause of feare yet very fewe durst approche hym The Auncient Histories enlarge very farre touching the wonders of the monstrous Serpent which appered in Affrica to Attylius Regulus whose feare and force of venom was such that notwithstanding any strength torment of warre engine or other policie whiche he or his people coulde deuise he coulde not be vanquished tyll he had torne in pieces and murdered the moste parte of his armie They agrée all that the skinne of that Serpent contained .xxvj. foote in length whose iawes were hong vp and remayned there for a miracle vntill the warre of Muancya Diodorus Siculus in his .iij. boke treateth of a serpent y t was caried on liue into Alexandria to y e king Ptolomeus Philadelphus no lesse woÌ„derful thaÌ„ true which I wil describe particularly according to the text the rather bicause it coÌ„firmeth in many respects the circumstaÌ„ce effect of our purpose Seing sayth he the noble and bountiful coÌ„sideration of the King to suche as broughte to hym any straunge or monstrous Beastes certaine Hunters determined to present hym in his owne countrey with a quicke serpent wherin although the enterprise imported almoste an impossibilitie yet fortune so fauored their inteÌ„t that within certain dayes after by diligence they brought their purpose to effect for they came to the knowledge of a greate Serpent neare the water of the length of .vij. toises and an halfe who being