by CORNAX confirmes them by another very admirable of ALBVCASIS a Physition and Chirurgion the which I will discribe here although it bee ancient hoping that this digression shall not be vnpleasing I haue seene sayd hee in the second booke of his Surgerie a woman in whose wombe a Childe being dead conceiued of another the which also dyed there long after there did rise a swelling at her Nauell the which was opened and yeelded corrupt matter I was called and did looke to her long yet could I not strengthen it although I did apply strong attractiues and manie bones came forth one after another the which did amaze me knowing that there are no bones in the bellie Making therefore a search of all I found they were the little bones of a dead Child so as after I had drawne forth many I cured her yet the Vlcer did alwayes sweat forth some-thing ALEXANDER BENOIST a Physition of our time in his practise in the Treatie of the difficultie of Child-bearing reportes the like History to that of ALEVCASIS In the Suburbes of Sully vpon Loire MARGVERITE PREVOST wife to PETER DORET a Milner being apparantly with Childe and come to her time not able to be deliuered not-with-standing any helpe of her women she grew by little and little so extreamely sicke and so great by reason of the Childe and other things that were putrefied that besides the generall swelling of all the bellie about the eight or ninth moneth shee had a particular swelling about her Nauell seeming to be a soft Impostume red and readie to breake the which Maister ITIER GALLEMENT a Surgion did open with an actuall Corosiue on New-yeares daie in the yeare 1550. The next day at her second dressing beeing desirous to knowe the reason of certaine haires which shewed them selues at the Orifice I found that it was the head of a Childe rotting which hee drew out at the opening with the rest of the bodie which was knowne to bee a female Shee was soone cured and after the death of the sayd DORET shee married againe and liued helth-fully 27. yeares after and then died of a flux in the yeare 1577. Shee had no Children neither before nor after FR ROVSSET in his Treatie of the Caesarien section M. I. HOVLIER in the ende of the first Tome of his Booke intitled Of inward diseases sayeth that a woman at Paris had a Child who for fifteene daies before that it was borne had an arme sticking out at her Nauell and yet she remained aliue and so did the Child she did not set downe howe shee was deliuered nor by what part neither whether shee had any Childe afterwards the which would haue deserued a relation as well for the theorike as the practise Without doubt it could not be without some great vlcer in the matrix although the Childe were not afterwards drawne forth belowe On the otherside it is a verie strange thing that a Childe could be so liuely in that estate hauing made such worke in the matrix and in that which wrapt him in the which hee had past through aboue with his arme for otherwise it could not be In the same treatie I haue learned of Mounsieur BVNOT a learned Physition to the most famous Princes ANTOINETTE of Bourbon Douager of Guise that shee had often told him that some time before her marriage beeing twentie yeares of age and yet bred vp vnder her Mother she did see beeing in a Church at la Fere in Picardie that they presented vnto her Mother a young sick creature pale weake swelled and so strangely tormented with paine as they knew not what to say to it nor what to hope of it The Princesse hauing caused her to bee visited by certaine Midwiues descouered what it was that this greeuious sicke creature whome they held to bee a very pure Virgin had a Childe conceiued in her and shee beeing great it had beene long dead and rotten in her bodie whereof not withstanding shee was soone cured and liued very long after in good and perfect helth In the same Treatie BARBARA FHIRER remayning at Zupfring in the Bayle-wike of Bremgarten in Suisserland beeing conceiued of her third Childe and readie to bee deliuered was in labour eight daies together with great greefe and paine and not deliuered In the ende not able to endure anie more shee remayned altogither in her bedde then there appeered vnto her vpon her bellie aboue the Nauell a bladder of the bignesse of a hazell nut the which had put her to exceeding great paine for three daies together and in the ende at her instant request it was peerced and opened by a certaine neighbour of hers vsing an aule to that ende The bladder being opened and growne large by reason of the swelling of the bellie presently that which inclosed the Childe appeered They called IOHN BOVRGOIS a Surgion who hauing consulted with the Midwiues with their common consents made such an incision with his rasor as one of the Childes elboes came forth and shewed it selfe the Surgion takes hold of it with pincers for the nonce and drawes the Childe out whole by this breach but dead and halfe rotten The Mother hauing suffred no greater harme then some light fayntings during the operation The wound beeing cured according to the precepts of Surgerie so that within three-weekes shee was set on foote not without great discommodity for that shee was forced to vse a great rowle continually and not able to stand vp but with meruelious great paine so as after two yeares shee died GASPAR BAVHIN in the addition to the History of the Caesarien deliuery A Country woman being with Childe and come to the 8. moneth beeing vpon the waie to goe to the market at Sancerre was cast by her horse and fell against a stone of this fall she continued 24. houres without speaking or moouing The next day she had a sharpe feuer accōpanied with very violent accidents as ordynary faynting vomyting and idlenesse of the braine They did purge her let her bloud and applyed what they could to temper the heate of this great feauer After a moneth shee had a swelling neeere vnto the Nauell as bigge as ones fist That beeing opened there came forth a great quantitie of corruption and then prittie bigge peeces of rotten flesh and in the ende the bones of the Infant which shee bare Hauing had this wound ten monethes in the end shee was cured but yet shee continued barren Some thinke that if shee had beene helpt by a dissection in the bellie the Child might haue beene saued N. NAVRICE in the comment vpon the 1. booke of Hippocrates of womens diseases Text. 3. A fleming hauing her Childe dead in her bodie could not be deliuered so as it did rotte within her notwithstanding any remedies that were applied to make her voide the peeces In the ende she her selfe borrowed a Surgions instrument called a Cranes Bill with the which shee her selfe pulled out the bones of this Child being rotten
drawne out of her wombe and kept for a great merueyle as many haue seene it well fashioned as if some excellent worke-man had cutte it in this Caue hauing the members whole and proportionable like vnto a childe of nine moneths old being opened they found the heart the liuer the braine and other parts very hard but not like vnto the exterior parts It is a female the body is not subiect to rottennesse nor to rust no more then one of the hardest stones which the best Statuaries can worke in Maister IHON d' ALIBOVX and SIMON of Prouuancheres learned Physitions of our time which haue seene this Childe of Stone and haue had this wonder in their hands haue written the History at large and published an ample discourse thereon I will adde here vnto an other memorable Historie written by Maister IHON SCHENCK of Grasenberg a Physition at Fribourg in Brisgart from whom I haue drawne a great part of the reports of the wonderfull accidents of mans body mentioned in his Collection of the Histories of our times CLAVDE of Saint MAVRICE a famous Physition and professor at Dole did write vnto Monsieur QVENZ Senator and the chiefe Physition at Fribourg that the 25. day of Ianuary 1595. causing a woman that was dead to bee opened of the age of 37. yeares they found her wombe to be of stone waying seuen pounds the Liuer with one onely griesly lumpe the substance of which was round the bladder of stone the skinne that couers the bowels so hard as the Surgions Razor could hardly enter it These things said he did amaze vs much how the spirits were carryed throughout all the body and how it was possible for this woman to liue so long without some apparent disease I caused this wombe of Stone to bee opened hoping to finde some fruite of the same sort like to that of the women of Sens in Bourgongne but I found that it was onely stone within as without Of the Caesarien deliuery or Section THE Caesarien deliuery is an extraction artificially made of the childe by the mothers side who could not otherwise bee deliuered but by a sufficient incision as well of that which is on the belly or exterior part of the belly as of the matricall body without preiudicing not-with standing the life of the one or the other so as there happens no other accident or hindering the Mother from bearing of more Children The which is to bee vnderstood of the Childe that is aliue yet in the Mothers wombe Vnder this also is comprehended an other like extraction of a Childe dead in the Mothers wombe when as by some other helpe of the Mid-wife Physition or Chiruâ—…gion that is more easie more safe and more common there is no meanes to haue it and that else they finde the Mother must dye with it as it doth daylye happen in women of all sorts after that they haue beene miserably broken It is not long that I sufficiently discouered by the report of certaine ancient graue men of Milly in Gastenois that it is true whereof they make no doubt in that place that the wife of one named GODART remaining then at Mesnill a Parish of Milly had some certaine yeares before had sixe Children after this manner that is to saye The Childe hauing beene drawne by an incision made in the Mothers side and neuer other-wise the Children still liuing The workeman was NICHOLAS GVILLET a Barber at Milly after whose death for want of her accustomed helpe this woman dyed not being by any meanes able to bee deliuered as shee was in times past A probable Argument that it was a deepe Physome or a naturall straightnesse capable to receiue the Instruments of generation or procreation but not to deliuer forth the Childe FRANCIS ROVSSET in his Treatie of the Caesarian deliuery I haue vnderstood for certaine by Maister AMEROS le NOIR a very expert Surgion of Pithuiers and by GILLES le BRVN that they together had at diuers times drawne by the side three liuing Children from a poore woman neere to Merenuille in Beausse and meaning to lead me to her to see the place of the Incision I vnderstood that shee was dead a little before of the plague which was then very violent in that Countrie I haue a learned Epistle of Mounsier ALIBOVS Physition of Sens setting downe orderly and at large how that IHON de MARAIS a Chirurgion at La Chastre in Berry sonne to LEVVIS de MARAIS ordinary Chirurgion to the Arch bishop of Sens drew from his owne wiues side a Sonne called SIMON de MARAIS afterwards Chirurgion and Grome of the Chamber to the Queene Mother After the which shee was brought in bedde againe well and orderly of a Daughter called RENEE Of that SIMON whome they surnamed without a Mother and of ROSE GALLARDEL came CLAVDE married to Maister FRANCIS ARTVS of Yssondun FRANCIS married to OLIVER GARINER both sufficient witnesses of their fathers birthe as well by the common report as by their fathers often telling The same Author Monsieur PELION a famous Phisition at Anger 's hauing heretofore reported to Maister LAVRENCE COLLOT a Chirurgion of Paris a like worke in Aniou hath since confirmed it by a Letter which he gaue me testifying that it was done by MATHVRIN DEBONAIRE Chirurgion Maister DENIS ARMENANT a Physition at Gien and my selfe haue seene a little before the troubles in the Hospitall of Chastillon vpon Loire a woman beeing sicke of a continuall feuer hauing a great swelling on the left side of her belly and therein a long Cicatrise with apparant signes of needlesse points remaining of the opening of the said parts that were sowed vp by the which both her selfe and her husband did witnesse that a while before there had beene a Sonne drawne the which was some seuen yeares before we speake vnto them and could not be borne otherwise This was done in Bourgundy by an old Barber of the same Village verie expert as they said in such operations The woman did not conceiue nor beare any child after that time although they were both yong The same Author BERNARDE ARNOVT the Wife of STEPHEN MASICAVLE of Nangeuille betwixt Estampes Puiseaux and Pithuires after an extreame and fruitlesse labour of foure dayes sending her husband vnto mee despayring in a manner of all helpe she had the heart against the will of her said husband to haue her bodye by my aduice opened yea shee did so hasten it after that shee had heard my resolution as she would not staie for Maister AMBROS LE NOIR aboue mentioned whome I promised to send her as a Man experienced in such operations for that I could not be there present beeing then very sicke but she imployed the first she could find which was IOHN LVCAS a yong Barber remaining then at Bunou a little Village thereby who performed this worke which was new to him very artificially in the presence of many some of them with himselfe are yet liuing to witnesse
him twise in this sort but seeking to returne the third time hee refused her and went his way This poore woman a while after was brought in bedde of three children whereof two were aliue and lusty and the third dead An other woman with Child longing for a Bakers shoulder which carried her bread vnto the Ouen she reiected all other meate and drempt onely of that Her husband desiring to content her wrought so with the Baker as for a certaine some of money he was content his wife should tast of that shoulder shee had so much desired Hee had endured her teeth twise but she had bitten him of sore as he would not endure a third charge The woman Longing still sell in Labour of three Sonnes two aliue and the third dead In a village not farre from Andernac a Towne seated vpon the Rhine belonging to the Bishop of Colleyn a Country woman being with Child and distasted did long to eate of her husbands flesh Her desire was so furious as she killed him eate halfe his body and pouldred vp the rest soone after the rage of her appetite being gon she confessed the fact willingly vnto her husbands friends that sought for him At Lymbourg in Silesia the Towne where I was borne a man coming out of a Bathe bare Legged with his pantofles hee was followed by a woman with Child who desirous to tast of such meate gets hold of one of his thighes and with her teeth pulled of a peece of his heele the man crying out murther yet would she not leaue her hold vntill she had done I cannot passe ouer with silence what happened to a Noblemans Concubine who diuers mornings did eate whole handfulls of flâ—…xe or towe being redie to spinne Beeing falne sicke through this disordred appetite an olde woman brought me her water hauing vnderstood that she was distasted and being demanded of the olde woman what I thought of the Vrine I answered her that the gentlewoman did winde more flaxe with her mouth then with her spindle The olde woman thinking that the inspection of the Vrine made me to diuine this gaue it out that I was an excellent diuiner the which purchased mee such credit as afterwards euery man regarded me with admiration EVE SIBYLLE my wife had a sister called GENEVIEFVE sometimes married to PETER le FEVRE of Heidelberg who being with Child in the yeare 1562. and very bigge went to the Bouchery to buy some peece of flesh Hauing attended long and not able to stay any longer she snatcht vp a peece of flesh intreating the Butcher to wey it This rude vnciuill fellow pulls it out of her hand weyes it and giues it to an other woman that was by where-with she was so mooned as her nose began presently to bleed The which she wiping aboue the vpper lip the Child where-with she went receiued such an impression as after some weekes her time being expired she was deliuered of a Son who had only the nether lip and so liued thus deformed a whole yeare then died of the plague N. IAMES FVTER in his Obseruations of Physick I haue knowne women with Child which haue deuoured quicke Eeles not leauing any part In Delft there was one which did eate a whole sheepes skin with the woole An other in the Towne of Alcmar did swallowe downe whole ladles full of Tarre where with marriners vse to calke their ships as if it had bin sauory pottage Such furious longings do not only torment women with child but euen men children MARY daughter to PETER SASBOT being with Child did eate great aboundance of chalke We may produce diuers examples of women who during their being with Child insteede of bread good meate haue eate nothing but earth ashes and coales of the harth plaster pulled out of the walles salt-peter in sellers Snailes Frogges Peares Apples and Plummes not halfe ripe and when their desire hath not beene fully satisfied their Children haue suffred for it And as for signes and markes scarse shall you finde ten among a hundred that haue not some token of this violent passion of their Mothers Some-times if in these appetits in women with Child do not sodenly get what they long for they feele of it long time after they are deliuered In a village called Schuueden in the Bishoprike of Fulde there was a woman with Childe who passing by the way met with a fisher-man whom she intreated to sell her all the fish he had taken but this rude fisher-man refused her not caring for her earnest request Being returned very sad to her house she began to weepe bitterly for that shee had beene so frustrated of her desire There-vpon shee fell sodenly to haue an extreame desire to drinke water but the more she dronke the more her desire encreased so as in one day she did drinke aboue thirty pound waight of water the which she voided presently by Vrine She continued sixe monethes after her deliuery to drinke daylie without interruption foureteene pounds of water In the end she came to aske aduice of me and to seeke some remedy for this passion being accompanied by other women her kins-folkes and friends who with othes did confirme this extraordynarie drinking to be true and that during her lying in she did drinke euery daie twenty pounds waight of water The wife of FRANCISCO BARBARIN a magnifico of Venice during the time of her being with Child did eate at diuers times about 20. pounds waight of Pepper and not miscarried After her deliuery she had a menstruos fluxe the which was cholerike and thinne the which caused an vlcer in the Matrix whereof she died M. N. of Florence Cha. 30. of the 4. treaty sermon 5. I haue seene a woman which hath continued with this extraordinary and disordred appetite a yeare after her deliuery the which made her pale flegmatike and very leane Her Child did not liue long GESNER in the History of birds speaking of the Pie. Rash Attempts punnished MArc Sâ—…hutigius a Cittizen of Misnia hauing a quarrell with an other of the same Towne and meeting him vnarmed he began to prouoke him with iniuâ—…ious speeches the other approching neere him pulls his sword from him there-with giues him eight wounds whereof he died presently the 25. day of August 1564. In many Combats allowed in our time especially in France it hath often happened that the Challengers haue bin slaine vpon the place by the defendants There is not any one but may remember diuers examples of this kinde GOD doth Iudge and is to be feared Not long since a French gentleman much giuen to quarrell presuming vpon the skill he had of his weapon he caused a dagger to be made and these words to bee grauen vpon it I respect not any man He did vsually carry this dagger and playing one day it fell out of the sheath and he vpon it where-with he was so wounded in the thigh as hee had almost died I knowe not whether this made him
prodigious fol. 504 I IElousie horrible fol. 292 Impiety punnished fol. 296 Imagination fol. 296 Impostures notable fol. 304 Imprecations prophane and blasphemous speeches fol. 319 Iudgement rashly deliuered fol. 333 Iudgement famous and remarkable fol. 339 Iudges no Iudges but most vniust and detestable fol. 345 Iustice. fol. 355 L LIght hurts prooued mortall fol. 89 Liberality fol. 358 M MAns body hardned and become a stone fol. 127 Man before Age. fol. 292 Magnanimity fol. 361 Mariages secret and vnequall vnfortunate fol. 362 Mariage lamentable and doulfull fol. 460 Melancolick madde frantike furious and enraged persons fol. 370 Memory and the excellency thereof fol. 406. Lost and recouered fol. 408 Mothers fertile in lignage issued from them fol. 411 Mothers vigorous and stronge fol. 412 Mother and Children preserued from death fol. 413 Murtherers discouered by strang means and punished fol. 415 Modesty singular in yeelding to a seuere censure fol. 444 Mocker mockt fol. 445 N NAture changed fol. 450 Nature wonderfull fol. 451 Nature recompensed diuers waies fol. 520 O Old Men. fol. 615 P PAine and the contempt thereof fol. 414 Persons that liued a long time without eating or drinking fol. 429. Passions of sorrow ioy iealousie feare and heauines fo 465 Periury punished fol. 503 Predictions fol. 509 Prisoners freed fol. 511 Processe ended by extraordinary means fol. 513 Progrostications dangerous ibid. R RAsh attempts punished fol. 77 Ransome wonderfull fol. 514 Rape miserable fol. 515 Rauishers punished by a valiant hand fol. 519 Resolutions generous and memorable fol. 526 Resemblance or likenesse of persons fol. 527 Ruines strang pittifull and wonderfull fol. 531. 532 Rashnesse miserable fol. 556 S SWallowers wherein is contained meruailous Histories of some that haue swallowed diuers strange things into the stomack and what hath insued fol. 78 Swallowers that haue beene in danger by things sticking in their throates and what pittifull accidents haue followed fo 82 Strang horrible and very pittifull Accidents fol. 113 Sleepers merueilous and wonderfull fol. 199 Sathan and his strange efficacy and power fol. 205 Spirits prodigious fol. 271 Sparkles of fire fol. 273 Sorceries Impostures strang illusions of sathan discouered fol. 542 Sweate bloudy fol. 555 T THeeues and murtherers fol. 101 Tooth of gold in the mouth of a Child of Silesia fol. 183 Thunder and lightning fol. 280 Theeues cunning and notable fol. 356 Turkish pillgrime strang and wonderfull fol. 501 Treasors found spoyled lost sought for againe vainely dangerously fol. 557 Traitors punished fol. 564 V VAlour fol. 574 Vanity fol. 587 Vanity of the world represented in state ibid. Vanity furions fol. 590 Visions strang fearefull and horrible fol. 620 Visions in the aire strang and wonderfull fol. 640 W WOman in child bed that abounded with milke fol. 19 Wounds cured fol. 90 Women that haue become Men. fol. 275 Wormes in mans body fol. 593 FINIS ADMIRABLE AND MEMORABLE Histories of our Time A strange accident of a yong Maide CORNELIVS GEMMA a Physick reader at Louvain in the ende of the fourth Chapter of his second booke of a worke intitled de diuinis Naâ—…urae Caracterismis settes downe an admirable History at large the which I will relate as briefly as I may A yong Maiden remaining saith he neere vnto mee whose Father was a Cooper beeing fifteene yeares old of a good constitution of Body fayre and of a good spirit of a melancholy complexion mixt with sanguin her Name was KATHERINE GAVLTHIER fell sicke and weake through diuers accidents About the month of Ianuary in the yeare 1571. her monethly termes aduanced twise or thrise but being staid presently through the vyolence of her infirmity they caused a great wearinesse ouer all her body It was suspected she had beene poysoned by a certaine Woman of an ill fame who had giuen her a peece of a Cake Eating it shee felt it painfull to swallow After the which she began to feele strange paines at her stomacke shee grew leane vomited sometimes her stomacke fayled her and she felt a dysinesse in her Head with other accidents which torment Women with Child especially in the 4. and 7. month For about mid Iune she was subiect to Feauers some kind of Convulsions Her paines did in like sort increase so as like a mad Woman shee tormented her selfe growing bigge pale short-winded and in the end she was so opprest with paine as she grewe blacke in the Face like one that had beene strangled She was so tormented as foure men could scarse hold her for casting her selfe from her bed to the ground there was no kind of Convulsion but did afflict her These panges hauing continued by fits vnto the 9. month her Parents began to flie vnto the Phisitians I was first called because I dwelt neerest But being from home they repayred to Maister BEAVSARD who considering of this disease thought she had beene troubled with VVormes It happened after many grieuous pangues that Nature working by her force made her to voyde a quicke Eele at her seege the which was presently brought vnto mee It was a very Eele great as a mans thombe and a foote and a halfe long with a good proportion and all parts perfect Three dayes before it came forth both the Mayde and those that were about her heard a great noyse and as it were a hissing in her belly And beeing come forth the Maide sayd That she had felt the Eele put forth her head before and drawe it backe againe and then to thrust forth sodainly and with violence This Eele remayning among the excrements seemed for a great space dead but beeing put into a pot of water it did stirre very strongly After the voyding thereof the extreme pangues which had so much tormented her began to ceasse But the Eele which they had ript and clensed being hanged vp whereas neither Cat not any other beast could reach it vanished in an instant Soone after the Maide began to cast vp great abundance of water the which I came to see beeing like vnto vrine and of a strange taste as the Patient sayde This vomiting continued 15. dayes in euery one of the which she voyded about 24. pounds waight of water at the mouth I report not these things by heare-say but for that I did see and toucht them with my hands I was no lesse amazed to see that besides this great abundance of water which she voyded at her mouth she made water in great abundance twise or thrise a daie without any swelling of her bellie or any other part of her bodie neither did shee drinke aboue one cup of VVine Beere or other liquor in a daie I asked her if she felt no payne in one of the Miseraicall veines She answered me that her left side had alwayes troubled her much since the voyding of the Eele and that before she had felt some heauinesse in that place but since she was troubled with great gnawing and pricking which made her to crie out when I did but
Historie of Italie A French Gentleman whome I will not name nor the place where it happened for some good respects beeing married fell in loue with one of his Tennants daughters coming thether oftener then he was accustomed and shewing more familiarity then he ought This maide had a Brother who was a Priest but a man of a good spirit He presently discouered whereto this Gentleman tended yet for a time hee dissembled it In the ende seeing that this Gentleman did not ceasse to court his Sister whom he had corrupted and meeting him one day as hee came forth hee sayde vnto him Sir pardon mee excepting the respect and duty which I owe you I see that your intent of comming hether is neither good nor honest and therefore I intreat you to forbeare to come else I sweare vnto you if I find you there any more I will make you repent it At these words the Gentleman did onely shake his head and laught at the Priest Some fou◅e dayes after he returned according to his custome and hauing satisfied his villanous lust hee went forth The Priest who had almost surprised him in the fact moued with a iust disdaine met him vpon a Bridge in the midd'st of his seruants and stab'd him with a Dagger in despight of them all The Priest was presently slaine by the seruants of this miserable Adulterer who carrying the Dagger in his breast went and dyed in his wiues armes An heroycall and worthy act not of a Priest but of a BRVTVS or of any one more generous and valiant VRB. CHAVETON in his discourses the 19. Chapter of the first Booke of the History of the newe VVorld Whereas BENZO the Author thereof reports that the Spaniards going to seeke Gold neere vnto the gulfe of Vraba their Captaine carried away the daughter of the Ca◅ique or Lord of the place prisoner who soone after came vnto this Captaine accompanied with some of his friends making shew that he came to redeeme her and to giue what ransome he would demand But when he was come into his presence he not only spake proudly vnto him reproching him with iniurious words but also offered him violence shooting a poisoned arrow at him with an intent to kill him but he wounded him only in the thigh whereof he was in some sort cured by the application of a burning iron the which was the reward of his wickednes The Spaniards hearing the noise came in sodenly with their swords drawne and slue the Cacyque his wife and all his company As for this villanous Captaine called HOIEDA BENZO saieth that hauing endured all extremities in his retreate out of the Country in the end he came to Hispaniola where finding himselfe ill of his wound hee died within fewe daies after with extreame paines Hee lost almost all his men vpon the Sea in the voiage And Gomara in the 2. Booke of the generall history of the Indies Ch. 57. saieth that growing desperate for that hee could not continue his Conquests begonne he left all and became a Friat with his thighe ill cured and died in this newe profefesson The rest remayning in Vraba to the number of seuentie only vnder the command of FRANCIS PIZARRE expelled by famine frō the land they did imbarke in two Briāgtines but the windes waues made strange war against thē Being gathered together at Sea by one called ANCISO they returned againe by land where after infinite toiles some were slaine by the Indians the rest died miserably of diuers diseases as BENZO GOMARA confesse In our time a Bourgesse of Vlmes an Imperiall Citty finding that his wife began to grow disordered hee did aduertise her seriously to carrye her selfe in a more ciuill and honest sort but seeing that shee made no accompt of his admonitions on a time he made a shewe to go into the Country and sodainely slipt backe into his house without discouery hiding himselfe in a fit place whereas he perceiued that the seruants were busied in preparing a Feast hee did see the Adulterer enter and his wicked wife imbrace him yet he retayned himselfe vntill that Supper was ended then seeing them to enter the Chamber to go to bed vsing filthy speeches the witnesses of their wickednesse partly executed and that they ment to continue it Hee comes out off his Ambush and first kills the Adulterer and then his wife and hauing iustified his proceeding before the Iustice he obtained pardon for this punishment which proceeded from a iust indignation Whilest that our Kings of France held the Duchie of Milan it happened that a Frenchman came to Milan and being lodged in the house of a Gentleman of respect and reputation he began to looke laciuiously on his Hosts wife to make much of her and to solicit her to adultery The wife discouers this vnworthy attempt vnto her husband and they resolued to punish this vilanous seducer She prepares him a banket seeming to yeeld to his intreties insteed of dain◅y wine she giues him a drinke which casts him presently into a deadly sleepe and the Milanois comes and cuts the throat of this vngratefull guest In the yeare 1506 about Christmas an Aduocate in the Citty of Constance corrupted an Attorneyes Wife Who hauing some notice of their detestable crime feigned that he had some speciall businesse which drew him into the Country for certaine dayes hee parts and returnes at night hearing that they were together in a Whot-house at an old womans that dwelt by him hee goes thither with three of his friends whome hee left in the streete to hinder any that should come to helpe them then hee enters into the house with a strong Curry-combe of iron made for the purpose Hee falls vpon the Aduocate being naked and curries him so rudely as he puls the eies out off his head teares off his stones and almost all the skin of his body hee did the like vnto his Wife although shee was with childe The Aduocate dyed within three dayes in great torment the Attorney transported himselfe to an other place and his Wife spent the remainder of her dayes there confounded with shame and infamy Some yeares before a certaine man making profession to teach chastety to others did wonderfully importune an honest woman to depriue her of her honour made her to wauer the husband discontented at this wrong threatens the other to punish him if hee found him in his house yet he continues his olde course so as one daie passing before the doore the wife hauing giuen a watch word vnto her husband began to looke familiarly on him the which mooued him to followe her euen into her chamber where the husband enters who with a naked dagger in his hand sayd that nowe his time was come for to be gelt the other changing his feare into fury fell vpon the husband takes the dagger from him and forceth him to promise that he shall suffer him depart freely Hauing extorted this promise he leaues his hold and is so
killed her selfe with a Knife A day after a Butcher was slaine in a quarrell and two villages were quite burnt The 15. day of the same moneth the Keeper of S. Katherins forrest was found dead being shotte through with an Harguebuse The 17. a Gold-smiths man falling into dispaire drowned himselfe The night following many were wounded to the death in the streete I had forgot to note that the same eleuenth day of Ianuary when the Heauens did open about Ausbourg there happened such a change in the aire about Mickhuse in Bauicre and so great a light appeared in the night as it did obscure the light of Candles in their shops and houses so as for three houres space those which would worke had no need of any other light then that of Heauen Some moneths after the Heauens began to open in another part of Swau◅e out of the which there proceeded such aboundance of fire as many were striken dombe with feare there were some villages and small Townes burnt and quite ruined They did also see in the ayre certaine resemblances of Camels the which deuoured armed men In diuers dayes and moneths of the same yeare 1556. were obserued other apparitions as in February in the County of Bats there were seene in the ayre armies of foote and horse the which did incounter together furiously In September ouer a little Towne in the Marquisate of Branaebourg called Custerin about nine of the clocke at night they did see infinite flames of fire comming out of the ayre and in the middest two great burning Cheurons In the ende there was a voice heard crying Miserie Miserie vnto the Church Wee haue sayd before that in the yeare 1536. there had beene seene in the ayre in Spaine a Combate of two young men VVLFGANG STRANCH of Nuremberg writes that in the yeare 1556. ouer a Towne in Hungarie the which he calles Babatcha there was seene the 6. of October a little before Sunne rising the resemblance of two naked boyes fighting in the ayre with Cymiters in their hands and Targets vpon their armes Hee which carryed a spred Eagle vpon his shield did charge the other which carryed a Cressant so furiously as it seemed the body being wounded in many places did fall from the Heauen to the Earth At the same time and in the same place was seene a Raine-bow with his accustomed colours and at the end thereof two Sunnes Not farre from Ausbourg there was seene in the ayre a Combate betwixt a Beare and a Lion in December the same yeare And at Wittenberg in Saxony the 6. of the same moneth three Sunnes and a crooked clowd marked with blew and red stretcht forth like vnto a bowe the Sunne shewing pale and sad betwixt the Paralies or seeming Sunnes foure moneths before three Sunnes had beene seene betwixt Euschoin and Basill Touching the significations of all these apparitions I will not meddle with them Since that yeare many are obserued in diuerse climates of the world especially in Europe other wonders in the ayre euen vnto this present age whereof wee may make mention in other Bookes At this time we doe onely represent that which CONRADVS LICOSTHENE hath collected IOB FINCET MARC FRYTSCH and many others in his great volume De Prodigijs et Ostentis As for Comets showers of bloud prodigious hayle and other wonders of Heauen we will speake of them in their proper places Of some that haue lost all appetite of drinking and eating WE haue seene in some diseases the patients haue lost all appetite of eating and drinking in such sort as they tooke in a manner no sustenance Of this number was a Nunne in the couent of Saint Barbe at Delft who being falne sick of the Iaundise in the yeare 1562 continued in her bed six weekes together without eating or drinking All this time shee receiued no nourishment but some Kernells of Lymons the which she held in her mouth and did some-times suck The Father of this Couent led me thether not to minister Phisicke vnto her but to see her as a miracle by reason of her long abstinence but the next day after I had visited her she dyed That which I will adde is more worthy of admiration In the same Towne of Delft being accompanied by a Surgian I did visit a certaine sicke maide of seauen twenty yeares old a halfe it was in May 1556. after the age of sixteene yeares she had neuer come out of her bed hauing eaten euery day since that time but a little morcell of dried Cheese as her keeper had protested neither was it possible to make her swallow any liquor and yet she pist sufficiently she went not to the stoole but once in eight dayes More-ouer she was borne blind she fell to be full of the dropsie at the age of twenty yeares but this water vanished away and then shee had a sound in her belly like the noise of liue Frogges in great abondance accompanied with a strange rising and falling of her bellie so as do I what I could laying my hand vpon her belly it was heaued vp This motion did increase at the full Moone with great paines as also at the flowing of the Sea but at the wane of the Moone and the ebbing of the Sea shee found some ease This motion continued with her seauen yeares and euery tenth weeke shee had her Termes as her keeper did confesse vnto me Strange Appetites THere is no man almost liuing which knoweth not some particular Histories of the extraordinary appetites of certaine women with child for the which the learned Phisitions giue a reason We will report some Examples to incite the reader entring into the cōsideration of them and others that he shall call to minde to honor GOD in so many wonders without naming in particular the diuers sorts of these Appetites which are as variable as the countenances conditions of women that be with child I haue seene one who longing to bite a yong man by the nape of the necke and for that she had forborne a little to satisfie her furious desire she begā to feele gripings and exteame paine in her belly She therfore like a desperate woman leapes vpon this yong man gets hold of the nape of his necke and bites him so sore as he thought to haue died of it L. Viues in his Comment vpon the 7. Chap. de Cituit dei Chap. 25. My Mother bearing mee in her wombe an Appetit tooke her to eate Creueses She sent sodenly to seeke some and being impatient to haue them washt and made cleane she began to eate them rawe and aliue vntil that she had satisfied her desire Trincauelle lib. 7. Chap. 5. Of the meanes to cure diseases in mans body A Woman of Nisues beeing with Child and seeing a young man a Fuller of cloth bare legged shee came so neere him as with her teeth she laies hold of one of his Legges and carries away a peece of it He was content shee should vse
he had the Artere in the wind pipe and the mouth of the stomake which is the passage for meate drinke quite cut I did sodenly stitch vp the wound taking the Artere and drawing the two extremites as nere as I could possibly one vnto an other but not of the mouth of the stomacke for that it was retired towardes the stomacke then I applyed remedies vnto his wounde with astringents and fit Ligatures As soone as euer he was thus drest he began to speake and to name him that had committed this excesse The murtherer was taken soone after in the Suburbes of Saint Marceau and was found seized of the patients goods wherevpon hee was put in prison the fact verified after the patients death the which was the fourth day after his wounding The murtherer was broken soone after and laied vpon a wheele neere vnto Saint Catherine du Valdes Escholiers M. AMB. PARE lib. 9. Chap. 31. In the first troubles a gentleman hauing ioyned with the troupes that did beseege Moulins in Bourbonois was so surprized with sicknesse as hee could hardly followe the Companie which dislodged and being lodged at a Bakers called IOHN MON who seemed to be his friend and seruant hee had such a confidence in him as hee had rather staie behinde then goe anie farther hauing made his host acquainted with his monie who promised to keepe it safe for him contrarie to the common course of such men with an other younger Brother of his of thirteene or foureteene yeares of age But they wretch kept no promise with them but contrariwise as soone as night was come hee led them out of the house vnto the ditch where hee did but halfe kill them so as they remayned there Languishing a wholedaie and could neither liue nor die Yet no man had compassion of them But GOD tooke reuenge a while after for it happened that this murtherer beeing in gard a Companion of his shot him by chance through the arme whereof hee languished for three monethes and then died madde Historie of France vnder CHARLES the ninth The Citty of Bourges hauing beene yeelded by the Seignieur of Iuoy during the first troubles those which had held it before were forbidden to talke within the Cittie nor without norto meete aboue two togither Among those which made a pastime vnder collour of this decree to murther such as they mette talking together there was one called GARGET Captaine of the Quarter of Bourbonne who made a practise of it Who falling soone after into a burning feuer did runne vp and downe the streete blaspheming the name of GOD calling vpon the Diuill and saying vnto all that if any one would go with him into hell hee would pay his charges and so he died madde whereat his Companions did but laugh In the same History PETER MARTIN a rider in the Kings stable holding the post in a place called Liege towards Poitou a man without reproch vpon a simple accusation without any other forme of processe was condemned by a great Nobleman during the furie of the first troubles to be drowned This Nobleman commanded a faulconer of his presently to execute the sentence vpon paine to bee drowned himselfe if he did it not The which was done But GOD stayed not long to take reuenge for three dayes after this Faulconer and a Laquay being fallen out for the spoiles of this man they slew one another The which being reported vnto the Lord a most vniust Iudge it forced him to haue some remorse and to say openly that he would it had cost him fiue hundred Crownes so as this poore Rider had not beene drowned But it was a small esteeme he made of an innocent mans life In the same Historie lib. 7. Some troupes of Peasants of Couleurs Cerisiers and other places in Champagne hauing committed many murthers and spoiles in diuers places were defeated here and there and did in a manner all perish of violent deaths during the first troubles I will note here two notable particularities concerning two of those troupes The one seeking to set fire to a house fell downe starke dead being casually shotte with a Harguebuse by one of his companions The other dragging a poore man and his wife to a post to haue them shotte receiued a shotte with a Harguebuze which depriued him of his life and his prisoners escaped by that meanes In the same Booke It hath beene obserued in the last peace that of a thousand murtherers which haue remained vnpunished in regarde of man there are not ten which haue not felt the reuenging hand of GOD and haue not made most wretched ends Strange horrible and very pittifull Accidents IN our time a Countryman of Beause who was reasonably well to liue binding vp sheaues in the field sent his Sonne home to fetch him some-what with whom being returned hee was so angry because hee had stayed longer then he would haue had him that he flung a great clod of earth at his head wherewith the boy fell downe dead to the ground The Father seeing it couered him with sheaues and in great dispaire gotte him home to his house where his wife was bathing her selfe and giuing suck to a little childe whereof she was newly deliuered and went into his barne and hangd himselfe Which being reported to the poore woman by one that by chance had beene in the Barne and seene him with the feare she was in and hast that she made to runne thither she let her childe fall into the bath where it was drowned Presently therevpon the poore woman almost beside her selfe with the wofull spectacle which she had seene finding at her returne the infant drowned entred likewise into such dispaire that she went back to the Barne and there shutting the doore to her hung her selfe by her husband What strange and horrible effects of the choller of an ill aduised Father and how great cause haue Fathers Mothers and Children to recommend themselues humbly and incessantly to GOD. Conformitie of ancient meruailes with moderne In the yeare 1578. a woman in the towne of Bochne bathing her little child heard a pretty bigge boy of hers crye very pittifully without doores Wherevpon she ranne out in all hast and found him wounded to the death with a knife that he had in his hand whereon by mischance he was fallen The Mother exceeding heauâ—…e returned to the little one in the Bathe and found it drowned Therewith the husband came in and being in a mighty rage at such a spectacle fell on his wife and killed her with beating Seeing those three so strangely dead vrged by his conscience and with compassion of such a sight hee sought about for a corde wherewith hee strangled himselfe ANDREVV DVDITIVS in the Treatise of Comets In the Marquisate of Brandebourg a certaine Mother transported with a wonderfull fury killed her husband and two of her Children and then hauing tyed great stones about their neckes tooke them and cast them all three into the bottome
of the Riuer Odera Maister ANDREVV HONDORFF in his Theater of Examples The yeare 1536. in a village of Silesia named Kukendorff another woman killed three of her Children in the absence of her husband and then killed her selfe In the same Theater The yeare 1540. in a Village by Anneberg a certaine Countrey-man killed and flayed a Calfe in the presence of some little Children hee had And being gone abroad not long after about businesse and his wife forth of doores the children which were left at home with a little one lying in the Cradle went committed an horrible Acte They tooke a Knife and cut the little ones throate singing Wee will kill the Calfe But seeing the bloud and the little one dead they began to be affrayde and went and hidde them in the Furnace of the Stoue The Mother suspecting nothing came home and before she went into the Stoue kindled a great armefull of Hempe shailes and threw them into the Furnaces then shee went into the Stoue and seeing her little one killed and lye bathing in his bloud shee ranne out into the streete crying for helpe The neighbours came to her and asked her what she ayled she carried them into the Stoue and shewed them the murther As they were b◅sie looking on the childe the mother asked for the rest They were called and sought for vp and downe at length with the noyse which the last made giuing vp the Ghost they were found smothered in the Furnace One of the neighbours had heard them sing Wee will kill the Calfe IOB FINCEL in the 2. Booke of the Meruailes of his time The twentith day of Nouember 1551. in a Village of Hesse named Weidenhausen a woman strangely desperate hauing shut all the doores of her house tooke a sharpe Axe and ran after her eldest Sonne being some eight yeares of age Hee perceiuing his Mothers bad minde ranne away into the Cellar and hid himselfe behinde a barrell She lighted a Candle and sought him vp and downe in euery corner of the Cellar The Boye seeing her come held vp both his hands and with teares be◅ought her to pardon him But shee neither regarding his teares nor prayers cloue his head in two and then cutte his armes in peeces That done shee went out of the Cellar and ranne after a Daughter shee had of fiue yeares olde whome shee cloue downe to the middle Behinde the doore stood a pritty ladde of three yeares olde whome this furie caught by the hayre of the head and dragged him into a little yarde where she cut his throate There lay an Infant of sixe moneths crying in the Cradle him shee drew from his rest and hurled him into the yarde and at the last chopped off his head Which done and no body left shee stabbed her-selfe with a Knife into the throate where-with not-with-standing she died not presently The neighbors that too late had heard the Children crye after they had knocked a good while at the doore in the end brake it open and finding that pitious spectacle ranne to the mother who come to her selfe and remaining a pritty while after aliue declared all that had past and with great acknowledgment of her sinnes and hope of GODS mercy yeelded vp the Ghost IOB FINCEL in the 2. booke Maister ANDREVV HONDORF in his Theater The yeare 1550. in a certaine village of the countrie of Alsace one ADAM STECKMAN a labouring man that gotte his liuing by dressing of Vines hauing receiued wages of a maister of his that had set him on worke went to the Tauerne and lost his money at Cardes Being exceedingly griued and therevpon taken with a paine in his head hee fell into desperation Easter come his wife constrained by necessity tooke her eldest sonne with her went to worke in the Vines desiring her husband to looke to the house children til she came againe Being alone he fell into such thoughts that ouercome with despaire by reason of his pouerty he determined to make himselfe away Wherevpon he tooke an Hammer and sought vp and downe for a place where he might knock in a nayle to fasten a corde on and hang himselfe But finding none to his minde a girle he had of seuen yeares old came vnto him asked him what he sought without answering her he went into the Stoue where a little boy som-what yonger followed him and asked him for bread bring me a knife said he and I will giue thee some The girle ran and fet him one wherwith he cut both their throates and another little ones in the cradle The mother at her returne seeing that pitious spectacle swouned and died with griefe The murtherer was apprehended executed as he deserued The same In the yeare 1555. a countryman hard by Aldendor◅ in Hesse asking his wife for his dinner she otherwaies busied not making such hast as he would haue had her the wretch went cut off one of the thighes of a little child he had lying in the Cradle and carried it to the Mother saying Hold thee take this giggot and go rost it GASPAR GOLET VVRM in the Treatise of Meruailes The same yeare a woman great with child in the Diocesse of the County of Isenberg gently intreated her husband to inuite certaine women to dinner whō she ment to haue at her labour Hee surprised with strange fury spurned and kicked her with his feet then stabbed her in diuers places with his dagger killed her togither with her fruite The same It is 40 yeares agoe or thereabout that a certaine Italian named BARTHOLMEVV being ouerthrowne in a certaine sute he had at Venice which concerned his whole estate so much forgot the power and mercy of GOD that hee concluded with himselfe that his three daughters when they came to age insteed of being honorably maried were of necessitie to be prostituted To preuent the which he found no other meane in his shop of whom he then tooke counsell that had put such a conclusiō in his head then to cut their throats while they were yong which he executed one night hauing to that end borrowed a Barbers Rasor the euening before The next day euery one ranne to see that pitious spectacle and found that one of his daughters had her hand almost halfe cut off wherewith it is to be presumed she had thought to haue resisted the fathers rage The report went afterward that this wretch had throwne himselfe downe headlong from the top of a certaine mountaine towards the County of Tirol whither he was fled In the treatise of the◅ conformity of ancient meruailes with moderne A Switzer hauing taken his wife in adultery pardoned her for the time a little while after bethought himselfe and reuoking that pardon killed her alledging he could not endure a woman that had plaied him such a pranke Afterward he dispatched his children likewise saying he would not haue children that should be called the children of a whore And it is said that when he
the 6. of August vnto the 3. of September there appeared a Comet marching slowly by the signes of Cancer Leo Virgo Libra the which was followed by many troubles great changes in Germany in Denmarke and else-where and another Comet was seene the yeare following greater then it Soone after in the yeare 1533. appeared an other Comet in the end of Iuly Historians write the wonderfull changes which followed it Those of the yeare 1538. 1556. 1558. and in the following yeares vnto this age â—…aue bin wonderfull hauing Ecclipses of the Sunne most commonly going before them And as for that which hath happened since in Europe no man is ignorant thereof if hee bee not exceeding ignorant The most fearfull of all the Comets in our time was that in the yeare 1527 for the sight of it strooke such a terror into many as some died others fell sick It was seene of many thousands of people seeming very long and of a bloudy colour On the top therof was seene the representation of a crooked arme holding a great sword in his hand as if he would strike At the point of this sword were three starres but that which toucht the point directly was more cleere and shining then the rest On either side of the beames of this Comet were seene many battle-axes daggers bloudy swords among the which they did marke a great number of mens heads cut off hauing their beards haire horribly curled And haue we not seene for the space of 3â—… yeares throughout all Europe the terrible effects vpon the earth of this presage in Heauen But we may not forget the new starre as great as the day starre the which appeared among the fixed Starres neere vnto Cassiopeia the 9. of Nouember 1572. hauing the forme of a Lozenge CORNELIVS GEMMA and other learned Astronomers which haue written Bookes thereof say that it continued still in one place for the space of three weekes and they hold that it resembled the starre the which appeared to the Wisemen comming to adore IESVS CHRIST in Bethlehem presently after his birth It continued in the firmament 9. moneths or there abouts Others say that it lasted vntill the beginning of March 1574. fading by little and little GEMMA speakes wonders in the 2. Booke of the Cosmocritique Chap. 3. But for that he doth discourse dispute thereof at large it shall suffice vs to note this wonder the which he esteemes merueilous as in deed it was among all the extraordinary wonders of Heauen since the natiuitie of our Sauiour A violent Compassion HVSSAN AGA one of SVLTAN SOLIMANS Chamberlins sent by his Maister to treat a Peace with the Persian according to the commision that was giuen him hee seazed vpon BAIAZET sonne to SOLIMAN beeing prisoner in Persia and by the fathers commandment strangled him with a bow-string His foure sonnes past the same way Flying out of Amasia hee had left one newely borne the which SOLIMAN had caused to bee carried to Prusse in Bithinia where it was brought vp But newes being come that BAIAZET was dispatcht SOLIMAN sent a grome of his Chamber in whom he trusted much to Prusse to put this little Infant to death This Eunuch or Grome of his Chamber being a man of a milde disposition had carryed with him one of the Vshers of the Chamber a man fit to execute all desperate and bloudy Commissions to vse him for the strangling of BAIAZETS little sonne He enters into the Chamber and putting the cord about the childes neck to strangle him the Infant began to smile on him and rising vp stretcheth forth his little armes to imbrace him striuing to kisse him This countenance did so moue the heart of this Barbarian as not able to passe any further hee fell downe dead in a swone The Eunuch amazed at his long stay goes vp and offring to enter he found the Vsher lying all along at the Chamber dore but not daring to fayle in his Commission hee strangled this poore Infant with his owne hands Which shews that the Grand-father SOLIMAN had not spared his little grand-child a while for any pity that he had but delayed it according to the opinion of the Turkes who say that GOD is the author of all things that are done so as the euent bee to their liking And therefore so long as BAIAZETS affaires were in any doubt or suspence SOLIMAN would not haue the little Infant toucht least that if hee did prosper they would say that SOLIMAN had resisted the will of GOD. But after the death of BAIAZET held as it were condemned by a diuine decree seeing had beene disapointed of his disseignes and then rooted out SOLIMAN resolued that the child was no longer to bee kept The Seignior of Busbeque in the discourse of his voyages into Turkey Epist. 4. Conceptions and Deliueries before they were of age FERRAND of S. Seuerin the worthy Prince of Salerne last deceassed hath told me in the Towne of Alais where he was marryed that for certaine in his Country of Salerne a yong Maide had borne a child beeing but 9. yeares old the which liued I haue heard speake of an other at Paris who was deliuered of a child at ten yeares of age It is very credibly reported that at Lectore a Town in Gascony one had a child at 9. yeares of age Shee is yet liuing called IOAN DE PEIRIE who was married to VIDAV BEGHE beeing in his life time Receiuer of the Fines for the King of Nauarre in that place she miscarried of a Sonne at the age of 9. yeares then at 11. she had a Daughter which liued and hath had children at 14. she had a sonne called LAVRENCE yet liuing at 16. an other also liuing called PETER Fiue yeares after which was the 21. yeare of her age she had a daughter at this day Widow to an Apoticary And then she left being with child although her husband liued shee was a little Woman nor very corpulent who in Aprill 1577. was 44. yeares old I haue seene her and talked with her fully of these matters She told mee among other things that after her first child whereof shee miscarried being but 9. years old she had alwaies her courses very orderly Hauing left bearing of children at the age of 21. yeares she continued still with her husband the space of 19. yeares Maist. LAVRENCE IOVBERT lib 2. of popular errors ca. 2. Monsieur CHAPPELAIN Physition to King FRANCIS the 1. protested vnto me that he had seene a maid that at nine yeares of age was with child went out her time and was deliuered SILVIVS in his Comentary of Womens termes I. FOXIVS hath written the like of a maid of 9 yeares old Notable Continency LVCHIN VIVALDE a rich Gentleman of Genoa yong goodly and of a good fashion fell extreamely in in loue with a poore yong Maid that was exceeding fayre called IANIQVETTE and tryed all meanes possible to winne her for his Concubine But it was in vaine this Virgins
chastetye was inuincible who in the ende was married to a Bankerour with whom although shee liued by the labour of her hands with paine yet shee carried her selfe virtuously and had many children in this loyall marriage LVCHIN who had married a fayre and rich Gentlewoman by the aduice of his kins-folkes did not leaue to loue IANIQVETTE still and vnder pretext of fauour and good will to the Bankerout hee laboured to corrupt his Wife who was constant and immoueable to the great amazement of LVCHIN who admired this singular virtue and in the end seemed to su◅ceasse yet not all-togeather renouncing his pursute and vitious hopes It happened during this time that the Bankerout was taken prisoner by Pyrats and carryed away so as his wife at one instant seemed to bee opprest with extreame want and dispayre The dearth was great at Genoa shee was charged with fowre or fiue small children crying for bread which shee wanted and all humane meanes to helpe them Motherly charity driues her to a resolution of dispayre Shee goes directly to LVCHINS house whom shee mette all alone hee being rauished to see her was more amazed at her countenance then at the words she vsed Beeing prostrate at his feete shee said shee was come to yeeld her selfe vnto him that she was ready to submit her selfe wholly vnto his will without any resistance as shee had formerly done beseeching him to releeue her poore children opprest with hunger LVCHIN surprised by contrary motions was in the end vanquished by reason and poslest with a good spirit hee sayd vnto the poore woman kneeling at his feete I will nowe vanquish my selfe I will preserue your honour which I haue contrary to my dutye so much sought to spoyle and will assist you with a sincere affection as mine owne Sister In saying so he led her to his Wife reporting all that was and recommending poore IANIQVETTE vnto her who was releeued with all her family and LVCHINS continency was presently published to the great amazement of all men History of Italy Of a Mans body hardened or become a stone IN the yeare 1596. Monsieur BILLIOCTI an honourable person of the Towne of Aix in Prouence being at Lions he reported to the Lord Lady of Botheon many others beeing present and then set it down vnder his owne hand that which followeth In the yeare 1583. a Cittizen of Aix in Prouence hauing a place planted with Oliues a Harguebuse shot from the Gates of the Towne he resolued one day to cause a certaine little rocke to be broken which was in this Orchard Hauing well aduanced the work there was found in the middest of the Rocke the body of a Man whole of a small stature incorporated within the Rocke in such sort as the stone of the rocke did fill vp the voide places that were betwixt one member and another And that which was yet more admirable although the bones were very much hardened yet in scraping them with your nayle they went to powder But the marrow of them was so hard as no stone was more neither was it possible to pull any awaye His Brayne was so hardened and stony as with an iron such as the strike fire with the sparkles would flye as out of a flint All these things of the braine marrow remayned in the custody of Maister BALTHAZER de la Barle dwelling at Aix and first Audiencer in the Chancery of Prouence All this aboue written I haue seene with mine eyes said BILLIOCTI being a good witnesse hauing held in my hands the Braine of this body couered with a skull of one side The which I attest to bee true In witnesse whereof I haue signed this present the 22. of Nouember 1596. BILLIOCTI Memoires of Lions Guilty Consciences THere is no ramper to a good conscience nor a crueller torment thē an euill Examples of the one and the other are infinite As for the terrors of conscience caused by the remembrance of misdeedes especially in regard of innocent bloud behold some histories A certaine Host being a man of good reckoning in a town of Germany had one only daughter well qualified and of good meanes The seruant of the house an honest a proper man sued to haue her in mariage but was denyed by reason he was a stranger and a poore seruant Neuerthelesse because he had alwayes shewed himselfe faithfull the goodman going to the Bath with his wife and daughter left him the charge of his house During their absence a Merchant came to this Inne where the night following he had his throate cut by this seruant who buried him in the stable and the next day sold his horse apparell This murtherer remained vnknowne The Host returned frō the bath thinking his seruant had gouerned his house as he ought began to loue esteeme him more then euer he had done before Not long after the Murtherer bethought him of a wile Hee counterfetted letters in certain of his kins folkes names which aduertised him of his fathers death and therfore councelled him to come downe into the Country Returning frō market he shewed these letters 80 peeces of Gold to his Maister adding that though his friends had willed him to buy a horse he would not be at such charge but was minded to go a foote and that he vndertooke this iourney very vnwillingly as desiring nothing more then to continue still with his said maister To whō hauing giuen the most part of his gold to keep with promise to returne again he went his way Though it were some-what discommodious at that time for the Good-man to let him goe yet thinking those letters to be true he gaue him leaue Within a while after hee came againe and committed a greater summe vnto his Maister giuing him to vnderstand that his father had left him very much and played his part so well that the Host gaue him his daughter to wife and finally hee became heyre to his father in-lawe and in time because he carried himselfe exceeding honestly he was elected into the number of the Magistrates of the towne wherin hee so well discharged his duty that there was noe fault to bee found in him But his Conscience so tormented him that condemned by it hee chose rather to accuse himselfe and di◅ then to languish any longer Beeing one day called by his fellowe Magistrates to sit vppon a certaine Murtherer hee rose betimes in the morning and going to heare Masse desired his Wife with whom he had alwayes liued very quietly louingly to make him ready some good bit or other alleadging hee was not very well and was to bee that daye at an Araignment Beeing returned home from Masse hee was told that there was a Calues head prouided for his Break-fast a meate which hee loued maruaylous well Desirous to see it hee opened the Cupbord where it was but seized with horrour and feare hee asked who had locked vp a mans head into the Cupbord his Wife shewed him that hee was
her maide And then turning her selfe vnto them shee sayd wee haue often heard tell of the last day but wee neuer regarded it till now we see it come which sayd they all fell downe on their knees calling vnto GOD for mercie Therevpon a furious gust of winde tore away the roofe of the house and tearing downe the walles brake the posts seelings and bords of the Stoue all to fitters But in the middest of this feareful tempest the Mother Children Maide remained safe and vnhurt although the timber stones flew as thick as hayle about their eares Satan seeming to bee in the middest of this storme and confounded by the feruent praier of the little flock darted a great beame of twelue foote long as though it had beene an arrowe flying in the aire with the ayde of a violent whirle-winde iust through the windowe of the Stoue at this poore company kneeling against a bench But the holie Angells turned it another way so that it lighted with terrible fury in a corner right against the fornace of the Stoue The same tempest ouerthrewe a Country-mans house vpon his wife and some of their neigbors which were in it at that time and yet they were neuer hurt with the ruine FINCEL in his 3. booke of the meruayles of our time IOHN SPAVGEMBERG Minister of Northuse going to an hot house according to the manner of the Germains and remayning there a good while with his Children bathing themselues assoone as euer they were gone out of it the place sanke and fell downe without hurting any body I MANLIVS in the first booke of his Collections Vpon Easter eue 1565. after horrible whirle-winds thunder lightning hayle and signes of fire in the aire a violent inundation of waters disgorged it selfe vpon a great village named Groesse in the dioces of Friberg in Misnia the torrents and streames wherof swelled with such fury in an instant that they ouer whelmed forty houses in that village without the losse of any creature saue one Childe There were many preserued as it were by miracle two Children with their mother were sound vntouched of the water vnder the ruines of a house in a heape of strawe also two others in a Cellar a nurse with her Childe leaning against a Ladder a blinde man in his entry and diuers others both great and small in high places which with-stood the fury of the water PH LONICER in his Theater of examples in the example of the 3. Commandement pag. 198. I knewe an honorable woman of singular pietie and modestie that some twenty yeares since through an extraordinary and long suppression of her tearmes was a great while and at times very sorely troubled in minde so that she was often determined to haue killed her husband sleeping and her selfe after One day her keeper being gone forth about some businesse shee rose out of her bed and in her smock ranne into a garden behinde her house where by a rope of the well which was seauen or eight fathom she let herselfe downe to the bottom and then by the same rope got vp againe and returned all wet to her Chamber hauing beene vp to the Chin in water Not long after seeming to be some-what better she walked abroad and carryed along with her a Son of hers that is now of very great hope but was then some 4. or 5. yeares old with full entent to drowne him and her selfe in a riuer that was thereby vnto the bridge whereof she made many iournies being still entertained with the Childes comfortable prattle Returning home againe within a while after shee was easily recouered namely by letting of bloud in the Saphena and taking of a gentle purgation After which she had 4. or 5. sweete Children She hath many times told me that in those accidents a man attired in white and of a very pleasing coūtenance appeared vnto her who tooke her by the hand and kindly exhorted her to trust in GOD. Being in the Wel som-what that was very heauy lying on her head and laboring to make her let go the rope for to plunge her ouer head and eares in the water so drowne her this same personage came vnto her tooke her by the arme holpe her to get vp againe which she could neuer haue done of her selfe He also comforted her in the garden and led her very gently to her Chamber where hee vanished away In like manner hee met her as shee was going towardes the bridge and followed her a loofe of vntill such time as she returned home Beeing thorough well shee desired nothing so much as leaue this world and her praiers da◅ely tended to that effect At length GOD heard her and about a moneth before her sicknesse whereof shee dyed going into the kitchen for to wash her handes and her face one of her eye teeth on the right side fell out of her head without any precedent or ensuing paine Wherevpon she went vnto her husband being in bed shewing him the tooth sayd vnto him husband the Lord calls me and it is the accomplishment of my desires O what an happy creature am I Her husband some what mooued there with endeuored notwithstanding to comfort her and falling of purpose into other talke arose went and prayed After that this honorable dame shewed her selfe alwaies merier to her husband and friends then before being graue and seuere to her children and was fairer and lustier then euer she had bin in seauentene yeares that she had liued a wife Towards the end of the moneth there being no apparance of any such matter as she was going to rise betimes in the morning according to her custome for to looke to a young child she had and to tend the affaires of her house shee was constrained to keepe her bed Wherevpon her husband comming in she put him in minde of her tooth and the speeches shee had vsed to him about it and therefore exhorted him to submit himselfe vnto the will of GOD. He being gon vp for to commend his deare moitie vnto him that neuer reiecteth the praiers of his seruants she tooke al her iewells and putting them vp in her purse sent them by her eldest Daughter to him and desired him to keepe them for her sake Hee came downe and gently rebuked her for this apprehension Oh husband sayd shee I haue no neede of any thing in this world for I am going to my GOD. O how blessed am I during her sicknesse which lasted twenty daies I was for the most part present with her beeing tied there vnto for diuers reasons Shee put mee in remembrance againe of that I haue declared before and from so many excellent deliuerances drewe an assured argument of her saluation The day of her decease approching she began to smile and being demanded the cause thereof by mee shee answered softly in mine eare I see my man O how beautifull he is then crying out shee said Stay for mee stay for me All the while
greatest flames and counselled her to become a Nunne as incontinently shee did Beeing shut vp in the Couent shee grewe as it were furious and shewed euery one strange and horrible sights This inconuenient like a plague infected diuers other Nunnes The first beeing sequestred abandoned herselfe to him that kept her and had two Children by him Thus Satan within and without the Couent wrought his detestable effects In the same booke and Chapter I haue heard that the Diuell for certaine yeares togither tormented the Nunnes of Hessymont at Nieumeghen One day he entred with a whirle winde into their Dortor where he began to play so melodiously on the Lute and Harpe that the Nunnes feete tickled to dance Then he tooke the forme of a dog and leaped into one of their bedds it was suspected of incontinency Other strange things happened there as also in another Couent hard by Colen about the yeare 1560. Where the Diuill walked in the likenesse of a dog and hyding himselfe vnder the Nunnes Cloathes played most filthy and shamefull trickes The like he did at Hensberg in the Duchy of Cleues vnder the figure of Catts In the same booke and Chap. ANTHONY SVCQVET Kinght of the order of the golden fleece a personage of great reputation ouer all Flanders and Counsellor in the priuy Counsell of Brabant beside three legitimate Children had a bastard that tooke a wife at Bruges Who a little after her marriage began to be pittifully tormented of the euill spirit insomuch that where-souer shee was euen in the middest of Ladies and gentlewomen she was suddainly carried away drawne vp and downe the roome many times cast now into one corner now into another albeit those that were with her labored to hold her and keepe her from it But in these agitations she tooke but little harme in her body Euery one thought that this inconuenient was procured vnto her by a wench whom her husband that was a proper gallant yong man had somtimes kept Amidst these accidents she became with Child but ceased not for all that to bee tormented of the spirit The time of her deliuery come there chanced to be but one woman in her company who was presently sent to the mid-wife and other women for to come to her labor In the meane time it seemed vnto her that the wench of whom I spake came into the Chamber and serued her in stead of a mid-wife where with the poore gentle woman was so exceedingly frighted that she fell into a swound Being come to herselfe againe she felt that she was discharged of her b◅rthen yet no Child appeared wherat euery body was greatly amazed The next day when she awaked shee found a Child made vp and layd by her in the bed to the which shee gaue suck at two seuerall times Falling a sleepe againe within a little while after the Child was taken from her side neuer seene more The report went that certaine scrolles and magical Characters were found about the lock of the Chamber dore This history was recounted vnto mee by my brother in Lawe a learned and vertuous gentleman who had receiued it from the gentlewomans husband and brother from diuers others that had visited her in her Child bed I. WIER in his 3. booke Chap. 34. Here we might report the monstrous and innumerable convulsions which happened to the Nunnes of Kentorp in the Country of March not farre from Hammone A little before their fit and during the same they cast forth a stynking breath out of their mouthes which at times continued certaine houres In the middest of their paine some of thē were of good memory both heard and knew those that were about them although by reasō of the convulsion of their toungs partes seruing to respiration they could not speake in their sit Now some were tormented more then others and some lesse But this was common to them all that assoone as one was tormented at the onely noise of that one the rest seperated in diuers Chambers were also tormented One of the ancientest of the Couēt of the first that was afflicted named ANNE LENGON discoursed the whole history vnto me When first of all she felt a paine in her left side that it was thought she was taken with the falling sicknesse she was sent to the Monastery of Monherric wherevnto she consented through a certaine deuotion and after she had drunke there in Saint Cornelius head the report went that she was much better then she had beene which was found cleane otherwise For both she the rest being in worse estate then before sent to a cunning-man who certified them that they were all poysoned by their Cooke named ELSE CAMENSE The Diuill taking hold on this occasion began to torment them more then before and which was worse induced them to bite and beate one another and to throw one another to the ground which they did without any harme and as easilie as if they had beene feathers insomuch that they very well perceiued their will was not in their owne power When they were kept from fighting and doing any other violence then they tormented themselues in most grieuous maner and assoone as they were let alone they fell to biting of one another and yet neuer felt any hurt If ANNE spake in her fit it seemed to be done by meanes of some other that drew her breath in and out Shee vnderstood her selfe speake but the speech ended she remembred not a word of that shee had spoken vnlesse it were repeated vnto her againe for then she remembred that she had pronounced it At any time when she set her selfe to pray incontinently shee was molested by the euill spirit fo that she could not as willingly she would either attentiuely prosecute her purpose or moue her tongue But if shee chanced without thinking on it to mutter a Pater noster or an Aue Maria on her Beads shee was so farre from being hindered that then she felt ease Otherwaies shee was altogether dull and destitute of sence discretion and iudgement so that she could neuer thinke a suisedly on any thing what-so euer If any good deuo◅te man that feared GOD fortuned to conferre with her then it seemed the Diuill would punish her for it But contrary wise if other women talked with her about trifling and ordinary matters therein shee tooke pleasure and was eased by it Nowe all these Nunnes thus tormented felt a paine that got vp ward by little and little from the soles of their feete which seemed to them to bee skalded with hot seething water And though they were all thus strangely afflicted yet lost they not their appetite but still receiued sustenance The Diuell spake very often and much by the mouthes of the yongest which had their spirits troubled vnto whom he presented himselfe in the forme of a black Catte and in the likenesse of Else Kamense or of her Mother or Brother so as euery one thought but
life of the Emperours In the yeare 1536. the 2. of May a gust of winde hauing scattered sparkles here and there fire tooke in many houses at Delft a great fayre and famous Towne in Holland so as in fewe houres the greatest part thereof was ruined and had like to haue beene all consumed by this fire But it hath beene so repayred since as at this day it is one of the pleasingest and most delightfull Townes that can be seene In this fire there happened a memorable accident Men of credit did see that time a Stroke whereof there are great numbers in Holland which comming from her prey discouered that the fire had taken the nest where her young ones were She began to fall vpon it to see if shee could preserue them from the fire but for that they were yet vnfethered and that there was no meanes to drawe them forth shee fell vpon them with her wings spred abroad and couering her young ones was so consumed to Ashes with them What a reproch is this charitable Bird vnto some fathers and Mothers which haue no feeling of nature nor of humanitie but onely the face ANDR. IVNIVS in his description of Holland In the yeare 1539. betwixt Iune and Iuly vpon a Thursday at night fire tooke at Constantinople neere vnto the prison appointed for criminall persons in the shops of such as sold Tallow Rosin Oyle and such like stuffe so as it tooke hold of the prison which was barred very close and there smothered seauen hundred men From thence it dispersed it selfe on euery side through the Citty comming to another prison they were constrained to let them forth else they had all perished for in a moment this prison was consumed to Ashes Then the fire aduanced towards the wodden gate where as the Smithes forges be such as deale in Yron works from thence it tooke hold of the Captaine of the Ianisaries house consumes all it meetes in that quarter Then it gets into the Tauerners street that being consumed it doth seize vpon a great place called Tachral Cala then it turned towards the Copper-smiths and the Glasse-houses enuironing all that quarter that is about the painted Stoues Then going on it came to the place where the Iewes dwelt where it made a wonderfull spoile for that the houses stand very close The slames flew to the gate of the Fish-market and consumed all that it incountred betwixt that and the Iewes Streete whose houses were burnt to Ashes Neither was it possible by any meanes to quench this fire so as it continued all night and the next day euen vnto the euening haueing wasted and consumed the best part of the Cittie and Suburbes thereof vnto the Sea-shoare The Annales of Turkie In the yeare 1546. on Saterday the seuenth of August fire fell from Heauen vpon Macklin in Brabant and fiered a Tower where was a hundred Barrels of poulder This Towre was quite ouer-throwne with a peece of the Towne wall of two hundred paces neere vnto the sayd Towre Then the fire of this poulder tooke hold of the neere places and did so fire all the Towne as if a great shower of raine had not falne this great Cittie had beene consumed to Ashes The next day they found so many dead carcases and so stinking as they were forced with all speed to make great holes and to burie them by dozens at a time All the Sunday was spent in such burials The number of the hurt exceeded a hundred and fiftie They found a Woman with Childe smoothered vnder certaine ruines who beeing speedilye opened her Childe was found breathing and was Baptised A Gentle-woman leaping out of her bedde to open a windowe in her Chamber her head was cutt off with a Thunder-boult so as it hung with-out life by a peece of the skinne In a corner of a streete neere vnto BERNARDS Pallace a Tauerner called CROES being gone into the Seller to drawe Beere for his guests whereof some played at Cardes the house in a moment was ouer-throwne the players among others were crusht in peeces hauing the Cardes yet in their hands when they drew them from vnder the ruines No one in the house escaped but onely the hoast preserued by meanes of the valted Caue into the which hee was gone Three dayes after this pittifull Accident there were many found in Caues dead for hunger others smothered or fainted away with the terror and insupportable stinke of the lightning They found a man and a woman that were carryed away and as it were tyed fast betwixt the branches of a Tree The suburbes of Neckecspsis were in a maner all ruined This Cittie so pleasant and fayre before was all disfigured and as it were torne in peeces her stately buildings spoiled and ouerthrowne among others the Emperors Pallace the Lady MARGVERITS and that of Berque were strooke with lightning and ouer-throwne The house of the Italian Bankers was quite ruined the Poste lodging spoyled and the Stable carryed away with the Horses A part of the Augustines Couent and of other Temples in the Cittie were broken The Count of Hocstrats house endured and brake the shocke of this storme the which ceased when it had ouer-throwne it With out it nothing had beene left standing neyther within the Towne nor about it There were found huge quarters of free Stone cast by the Tempest aboue sixe hundred paces from the Wall to the great hurt of those places where they fell It was a fearefull Tempest a presage of the warre of Germanie whether the Emperour CHARLES the fift then marched CHILDREN Memorable Accidents both before and soone after the birth of some THE yeare 1551. in the moneth of August a certaine Germaine woman of Misnia was brought in bed of a Daughter which dyed within six moneths after of the small Poxe fiue dayes before she came into the world shee was heard very intelligibly to cry in the Mothers belly I did present it to bee Baptised with the Wife of Maister IOHN KENTMAN a Doctor of Physicke G. le FEVRE Lib. 3. of the Annales of Misnia In the beginning of Ianuary 1558. an other woman of the same Towne beeing at a Sermon the Childe which shee carryed in her belly did cry thrice so lowde that such as were about the Mother did vnderstand it plainely A moneth after shee was happily deliuered The same Author Many Children borne at one Birth I Will represent heere some Histories of former ages by reason of the rarenesse hoping the discourse will be pleasing protesting in the meane time to conteine my selfe in other things with-in my intention which is not to exceed the wonders of late dayes whereof I will produce some examples In the Country of Agenois is the famous house of BEAV VILLE some-times very riche and of great possessions from the which the Marshall of Monlucs wife was descended It is held for a true History that the Grand-mother of the sayd Lady had nine Daughters at one birthe that were all
married and had Children The Mother and the sayd Daughters successiuely were interred at Saint Crepasi the Collegiall Church of Agen built and founded by the sayd house of BEAV-VILLE the Mother hauing made her Tombe in the Church vpon a portall betwixt nine others which she had also caused to bee made for her Daughters in memory thereof I haue seene some of them being at Agen in the yeare 1577. in the said Church The others haue beene ruined during the ciuill warres And this was the History The Lady of BEAV-VILLE had a Chamber-maid that was faire and louely with whom her husband seemed to be in loue so as she to be honestly rid of her married her This Maide at her first lying in had three children which made the Gentlewoman suspect that her husband had a share in them imagining it not possible that one woman could conceiue by one man such a number of children The which increased her iealousie and not-with-standing any perswasions shee began to defame and hate this poore Maide more and more It happened a while after that the Gentlewoman was with child so big as she was deliuered of nine daughters The which they did interpret to bee a punishment sent frō GOD that she might be ashamed of her slander seeing they might obiect vnto her a greater fault as if she had beene familiar with many for shee did alwaies obstinately maintayne that a woman could not conceiue aboue two Children by one man Beeing much ashamed fearing to be diffamed and condemned by her owne sentence she was so tempted by the euill spirit as shee resolued to cause eight of her Daughters to bee drowned and to keepe one keeping the matter secreat betwixt the Mid-wife and her Chamber-maide to whome this cursed Commission was giuen But it was GODS will that the husband comming from hunting met with the Chamber-maide descouering the practise preserued his innocent Daughters from death caused them to bee nursed vnknowne to the Mother and at their Christening called them all BORGVE by one name and so hee did the ninth which the Mother had reserued When they were some-what growne he caused them all to be brought into his house appareled in one liuery hauing also attired that with in the house of the same sort Being altogither in one Chamber hee caused his wife to come in accompained with their Parents and familyar friends and bidde her to call BOVRGVE At this call euery one of the nine answered where at the Mother was much amazed and the more for that they were all of the like stature face countenance and voice and in the like apparell which made her heart to giue that they were her nine Daughters and that GOD had preserued the eight which shee had exposed and held to bee dead whereof her husband did satisfie her reproching vnto her her inhumanity before all the companie and shewing her that this might chance to confound her in the bad opinion which she had alwaies held of him concerning her Chamber-maide M. L. IOVBERT lib. 3. Chap. 2. of his popular errors I haue heard that in the house of ESTOVRNEAV in Perigort there chanced the like Accident about 300. years ago The Lady had 9. Sons at on birth and would haue exposed eight of them the which were happely preserued through the grace of GOD by the Fathers meeting them All nine liued and were aduanced to great places foure were of the Church and fiue of the world Of the Clergie men one was Bishoppe of Perigueux and Abbot of Branlaume The second was Bishoppe of Paniez The third Abbot of Grand-Selue and the fourth of the house of GOD. Of the secular men one was the Kings Lieutenant at Reole against the English The second had a gouernment in Bourgongne and the other three were in great credit about the King All this is to bee seene at this daie painted in a great Hall in the Castell of Estourneue as the Seigneour of Estourneau hath tould mee beeing issued from that famous and verie ancient house and nowe Steward of the King of Nauarres house which is now King of France The same Author liber 4. Chapter 2. That of the Pourcelets of Arles in Prouence is almost like vnto this out of the which is issued the Noble house of the Conuertis who were so called for that the Chamber-maide which carried the eight to drowne beeing met by the husband sayd that they were Pigges which shee went to drowne for that the Sowe could not keepe them Some say it came by the curse of a poore woman who begged an almes of the gentlewoman of the house the sayd poore woman hauing many little Children about her The which the gentlewoman reproched vnto her as proceeding of wantonesse and that shee was too much giuen to men The poore woman who was honest did then praie that the gentlewoman might conceiue with as many Children as a Sowe hath Pigges It so fell out by the will of GOD to let the Ladie vnderstand that wee must not impute that to vice which is a great blessing They report as much of the Noble famelie of Scroua at Padoua which carries a Sowe in their Armes in Italien called SCROFA and in corrupt Langage Scroua which is the surname of that famelie In the Annales of Lombardie it is written that in the time of ALGIMONT the first King of the Lombards there was a strumpet brought in bedde of seauen Sonnes and that the one of them succeeded the sayd ALGIMONT IOHN PICVS Prince of Mirandola writes in his Commentaries vpon the second Psalme that in Italie a Germaine woman was brought in bedde at twise of twentie Children at the first birth shee had twelue and that the burthen was so heauie as shee was faine to keepe it vp with a towell ALBVCACIS a great Physition and an Arrabian Surgion is a witnesse of a woman that had seauen Children and of an other that miscarried of fiueteene well proportioned PLINIE makes mention of one that miscarried of twelue MARTIN CROMER in his Historie of Poland writes that the wife of the Earle VIRBOSLAS in Cracouia was deliuered of sixe and thirtie Children aliue in the yeare 1269. But that which exceedes all other examples and which is extraordynarie supernaturall and miraculous is that which is written of a Countesse of Holland the which LEVVIS GVICHARDIN doth set downe in his description of the Lowe Countries as it is testified in an Abbey neere to the Hage MARGVERITE Daughter to the Noble Lord Plorent Earle of Holland and of Mathilde Daughter to HENRY Duke of Brabant Sister to WILLIAM King of Germany being about two and fortie yeares old was brought in bed on friday before Easter in the yeare 1313. as Histories do write of 365. Children males and females the which in the presence of many Noblemen and Gentlemen beeing layed orderly in a great basin were Baptized by a Bishoppe the males were all called by one name IOHN the females ELIZABETH All died soone after and
so did the Mother and were buried togither in one graue L. VIVES ERASMVS and others which report this Historie say that it was for-asmuch as the sayd Ladie had mockt a verie poore woman as shee was a begginge some releefe of her for that shee carried two Twinnes Shee did blame her verie much saying it was impossible that a woman should haue two Children beegotten at one time of one Father Here-vpon the poore woman made her earnest praier vnto almightie GOD that for proofe of her innocencie beeing wrong-fully accused that the Countesse might carrie as manie Children at one birth as there were number of seuerall daies in the whole yeare To returne to our Histories of fewer Children at a burthen wee haue seene a woman at Aubenas in Viuares who at her first burthen had two Children at her second three and at the third foure At Orillac in Auvergne the Wife of one called SABATIER had three Sons at a birth The first the last liued 24 houres the middle who therefore was called IOHN of three came to mans estate was marryed at Paris and liued long The Wife of a Capper in Rouan crooked and little had fiue Sonnes at one birthe in the yeare 1550. All this is extracted out of Maister L. IOVBERT lib. 3. chap. 1. of his popular errors Let vs adde herevnto some other Histories In the yeare 1554. at Perme in Suitzerland the wife of IHON GELINGER a Doctor was deliuered of fiue Children at one birthe three males and two females PLINIE talkes of a Greeke who at foure burthens had twenty Children whereof the most part liued DALECHAMPS in his French Chirurgerie writes that a Gentle-man of Sienna called BONAVENTVRE SAVELLI had assured him that a slaue and Concubine of his had seuen Children at one birthe whereof foure were baptized And in our time betwixt Sarte and Maine in the parish of Seaux neere vnto Chambellay there is a Gentlemans house called Maldemette whose wife had the first yeare shee was married two Children the second yeare three the third foure the fourth fiue and the fift yeare sixe children whereof she dyed one of these sixe children is yet liuing Seigneor of that place of Maldemette Maister AMB. PARE lib. 24. chap. 5. They haue seene often in Spaine a woman deliuered of three Children and not long since a woman had foure at a burthen It was generally reported a good while since that a great Lady was brought in bedde at Medina del Campo of seauen Children And they say that a Stationers Wife at Salamanca had nine Seeing wee treate of those Admirable Histories of many Children deliuered at one birthe I will report what AVICENNE doth witnesse in the ninth booke of Creatures of a woman who at one birth brought forth 70. Children well proportioned And ALBERT the Great writes that he hath heard for certaine of a Physition which beeing called in a certaine Towne in Germanie to visit a sicke Lady found that she had beene deliuered at one birth of 150. Children all wrapt togither in a little filme as bigge as a mans little finger all which came forth aliue with their iust proportion A. TORQVEMADO in the first daies worke of his hexameron It is admirable that a woman should haue so many Children so small and yet proportioned and aliue as wee haue seene of the Countesse of Holland and other women aboue mentioned by AVICENNE and ALBERT For the explayning of the whole I will adde that which CONSTANTIVS VAROLIVS a learned Physition at Bolonia the fatte doth write in the 4. booke of his anatomie I haue seene saith hee an abortiue frute of three weekes confusedly proportioned of the bignesse of a barley curnell where I did note the head and the brest but no armes nor thighes Moreouer I haue seene an other of sixe weekes old hauing a distinct forme of the bignes of a Bee where did appeere the eyes the nose the mouth the heart the lights the ribbes the backe the liuer the Midriffe the stomacke the reines the bowells the yard other parts the which I shewed vnto many The armes and thighes beganne to bud forth beeing very small in proportion to the rest of this little Bodie for the thighes were no bigger then a graine of mill and the armes twise as bigge I haue seene many other such aboriue fruits of the bignesse of a beane a snaile or a frog Whereas I haue alwaies found all the parts and did euer obserue that the extremities were lesse in proportion then the rest in such sort notwithstanding as the spirit quickning this masse doth fasshon and shape all the partes thereof togither but hee doth bring in successiuely the fall and perfect fynishing of the forme This our Bodie is a rich and admirable web a peece of tapistrie of high price the which should mooue vs thinke often of the contentes of the 139. Psalme CONRAD LICOSTHENES in his collection of prodigies reporting the historie of a Germaine who at two deliueries had twenty Children addes that in the territorie of MODENA an Italian called ANTONIA about forty yeares old who had beene alwaies accustomed to haue foure Children at a time or three at the least had then forty as the Bishop of Como doth testefie who writ the Historie Leauing these ancient Histories whereof wee could produce a great number wee will report some of our time A Country woman in Suisserland in the yeare 1535. had foure Sonnes at one birth the which liued some houres An other woman about Zurich had also foure Sonnes at one time the which were Christened STVMPSVIS and LICOSTHENES A Sicilian named PAMIQVE married to BERNARD BELLOVARD of Agrigentum was so fertill as at thirty birthes shee had seauentie three Children A woman of Misnia beeing foure and twentie yeares olde had nine Children at one birth whereof beeing deliuered both shee and all her Children died TH. FAZEL lib. 6. of the 1. decade of the Historie of Sicilia In the yeare 1579. there liued a woman called SALVSTâ—… fat and low the which at two lyings in had eighteene Children I. MICHEL PASCAL in his Annotations vpon the 1. booke of P. PAVL PEREDA of the cure of diseases Chapter 59. At Bolognia the fat IVLIVS SCATINARE a man that had many Children was the seauenth Childe of birth His mother was sister to the Seigneour FLORIAN de DVâ—…PHE my kinsman and I haue seene a woman in the Towne of Carpi haue fiue Sonnes at one birth CARPVS in the Anotomie Wee reade in the Annales of GENOA written by AVGVSTIN IVSTINIAN in his 5. booke that in the memorie of our Fathers BARTHOLOME the wife of IOHN BOCCANE had at one Child-birth nineteene Children euery one as big as a date hauing but a confused forme A Councellors wife at Bolognia had at her first deliuery two twinnes at the second three Children whereof one had life and foure at the third which died incontinentlie TRINCAVELLE liber 11. Chap 17. of cure of diseases In the time of the Emperor MAXIMLIAN a
Suisse had three Sons at one birth they alliued to the age of marriage I. RVEF lib. 5. of the conception generation of man ch 4. Some fewe yeares past the wife of an Artificer called BRANDIMART 26. yeares olde beeing eight monethes gone with Childe not able to beare her burthen anie longer was deliuered of foure Children well proportioned two Sonnes and two Daughters the which soone after they were Baptized died and the Mother lyuing All the people of Mantoua did ru◅ne to see this woman and her foure Children The Dutchesse her selfe did honour this poore woman with her presence and gaue her great ◅eleefe MARCEL DONAT lib. 4 of his Physicall Histories Chapter 24. A woman in the Towne of Leyden in Holland lyuing yet in the yeare 1597. and then about 38. yeares old had had eighteene Children at foure birthes wherof foure then liued Memories of our Time Children deliuered at diuers times of one bignesse by superfetation NOt long since in the Coūtry of Agenois there were three Childrē at one birth and one deliuered eight daies after an other They write of a woman of ALEXANDRIA which was seene at Rome in ADRIANS time with fiue Sonnes whereof the fift was borne forty daies after the other foure borne at one time M. L. IOVBERT lib. 3. of popular errors Chap. 1. At Beaufort in Vallee a Countrie in Aniou a young Wife Daughter to MACE CHAVMERE was brought in bedde of a Child and eight or ten daies after shee fell in labour of an other which they were forced to pull out of her Bodie whereof shee died M. AMB. PARE lib. 24. Chapter 5. A great Ladie of Spaine beeing in trauell of Childe deliuered one the newes whereof beeing carried to her Lord and husband his answere was to them which made the report returne all is not done she will haue more He spake the truth for some houres after by fitts shee was deliuered of fiue Children more A. TORGVEMADO in the first Iourne of his Hexameron The Wise of ZACHARIE of Scarparia being brought in bedde of a Sonne three monethes after was deliuered of another and both liued the one being a G◅ocer at Florence in Saint Lawrence streete NICHOLAS in the 6. discourse tr 1. chap. 22. A certaine woman was first deliuered of a goodly Sonne and the next day of a very ◅oule one It was thought she had trespassed against her honour GORDOINVS in his booke intituled Lilium sect 7. cap. 2. Although the birthe of Monsters bee rare yet supertation is more yea so rare as some hold it impossible yet not-with standing wee haue had one example in an honest mans wife shee was brought in bed of a Sonne at her full time the 7. of December 1570. at ten of the clocke at night with the deliuery of all that which is accustomed to come after a happy birthe the next day at the same houre contrary to any apprehension of her selfe or of the Mid-wife shee was deliuered of an other Sonne the which had not gone halfe the time for that the eyes nostrils and mouth had no vents or opening DODONEVS in his Obseruations vpon the 3. chap of Anth. Beniucnius The wife of Monsier GAILLART President in the Chancerie of Valence foure moneths after the death of her husband was brought in bed of one Sonne and fiue moneths after of another PE. PAVL PEREDE I haue seene a Gentlewoman with childe with two Twinnes whereof the first came forth dead the first day of the ninth moneth the seuenth daye following shee was brought in bed of the other which was liuing A. LAVRENT lib. 2. of his Anotomie quest 32. The Lady MARIE of Neufchastell hauing had nine Children by the Baron of Cremaille in her second marriage with the Seigneour of Malortie shee was with Childe of three Sonnes with which number being but small of stature shee was so ouercharged as about the 5. moneth shee was deliuered of one onely And shee thinking as M. THIBAVT a famous Physition at Chasteautierry did also that they were but burthens he prescribed her a strong purgation to make her voide those things the which brought down the other two children so whole and liuely as the Physition him selfe repenting him said that without doubt they would haue gone out their full time notwithstanding the miscarrying of the other if the purgation had not done them wrong Afterwards shee was oft with childe and almost alwaies with Twins some-times with sonnes some-times with daughters in the one of them shee was so hurt with a dogge as finding her selfe presently ill shee feared that her fruit was dead so as fifteene daies after shee was brought in bed of two children whereof the one was dead beeing very apparent that it had beene long before suffocated the other was aliue but so weake by the communication of his brothers harme that for 3. daies he could not sucke yet he was so carefully tended as he recouered was since a Page of the Kings Stable M. FRANCIS ROVSSET in his Commentarie of Children that are cut out of the mothers wombe cap. 7. sect 6. As for naturall superfetations it is certaine that two children conceiued at seuerall times one after another proue it sufficiently the which I did once obserue at Pithuiers in a woman that was deliuered of a second child three weekes after the first The same Author The wife of IOHN PLIE◅E of a village called Rixheim two houres iourney from Basil hauing carried two Twins her full terme the first liued a yeare the second came into the world sixe weekes after his brother hee liued long was married and had eight children Master GASPAR BAVHIN in his Obseruations CHRISTIAN SCHLECHTIN hauing had tenne children by her first husband shee married againe with MICHAEL VOGEL Prouost of Bollickhein a village three houres iourney from Basil and beeing with childe about the fiftieth yeare of her age and the thirtieth of her marriage in the yeare of our Lord 1575. one Sonday in Aprill shee fell in labour and was deliuered of a daughter named MARIE which died within fifteene daies Beeing vp and labouring about the house fiue weekes and fiue daies after this first deliuerie shee had had newe throaes so as shee was deliuered of a sonne called PHILIP by his fathers name who liues yet after that she had not any more children The same Author In the yeare 1584. there died at Hirshorn a little town of the Pallatinate neere to Heildelberge a gentleman Lord of that place called PHILIP LODOVIC of Hirshorn leauing no heires of his body but a widowe with childe those which pretended to be his heires if the widow miscarried or that the fruit of her wombe did not liue began presently to molest and trouble her pulling the keyes of chambers coffers cabinets caues and greniers from her by force the which did so much afflict her as laying her hands vpon her heade shee began to crie out amaine and within fewe daies after shee was deliuered of a sonne but dead
hauing no head The heires runne presently and seize vpon his succession that was dead but they did not long enioy it The widow being risen out of child-bed felt her selfe very heauy thinking it had beene the swelling of some humors gathered together in her body by reason of her heauinesse Some Physitians whose aduise shee did aske were of the same opinion not once dreaming of that which followed soone after And therefore they aduised her to goe to certaine bathes and minerall waters along the Rhine whether shee went accompanied with one maide where she arriued in Iuly At that time the Elector of Saxonie was there with his Wife and many other Princes and Princesses so as the poore widowe being destitute of a lodging was forced to repaire to the Prouost or Mayor of the place acquainting him with her condition In the end shee obtained with great intreatie to lodge in the Prouosts house for that night This night being ten weekes after her first birthe shee was brought in bedde of a goodly Sonne whereof the Princes being aduertised the next day and of the whole History did honour her for the Elector of Menzt made her a stately feast according to the custome of Germany Hee of Saxonie gaue her a thousand Dollers and they forced them that had seized vpon the inheritance to leaue it to the lawfull heire new borne who was left in the garde and keeping of his Mother The same Children dead in their Mothers wombes and put forth by strange meanes LOVYSE POVPARD wife to Maister NICHOLAS SEVIN called Champgaste of Orleans thinking that her termes were not stopt but by reason of a quarten ague for then they doe commonly cease was conceiued with Child but not beleeuing it shee vsed such Phisicke letting of bloud and other applications as they do vsually as well for the quarten ague as for the hardnesse of the splene the which they tooke then for the childe that was in her belly not conceiuing what it was but rather some masse gathered together by the pretended retention of the menstruall bloud In the end the child being dead and the parts growne more soft being rotten without any shew of deliuery in time the bones disioyned within her and did pierce the Matrix behinde towards the great gutte so as she then began to voide them by little and little by the seege and among others a whole bone of the legge Hauing languished thus a long time shee dyed and was opened the sixt day of February 1565. by FLORENT PHILIP and MICHEL PICHARD who found nothing within her but rotten bones and especially those of the head with admiration how shee could so long sub-sist This woman seemed to haue beene curable by the Gastrotomia or section of hir belly if her greefe had beene knowne in time and the remedy that is vsed in Caesarien birthes practised discreetly FR. ROVSSET in his Histerotomotie CATHERINE des FIEFS Lady of Oucy neere vnto Milly in her second marriage fell sicke and with Childe at one instant not imagining that shee was conceiued and was Phisicked at Paris being sicke as the other had beene at Orleans with many helpes yea entring into a sweating diet notwith-standing that one of the Queenes Mid-wiues did iudge her to be with Childe by all the accidents of a woman in that case orderly obserued by her from the staying of her termes vnto milke in her brests and so to the ninth moneth at which time all did cease with the free motion of the childe hauing then paines of child-bearing without effect and presently after there followed all the signes of a dead childe whereof they yet tooke no heed So returning from Paris to her house she euer after carried this child suffocated euen vnto her dying day which was fifteene moneths after the ninth precedent that it was aliue The soft parts rotting and falling away beneath were held with good reason by N. PONET a learned Phisition of Melun for filthe comming out of the Matricall vlcer and the bones remaining for a tumor of the spleene In the end being dead and opened the 3. of October 1570. by LVC CHAMPENAIS and IAMES DAZIER Barbers at Milly in the presence of the Seigneiors of Verran and la Gainiere with many others there was yet found in her much corruption no matrix and all the bones of a child some rotten others whole and among others one of the two that ioyne vnto the shoulder vpon the brest hauing already pierced the skin that couereth the bowels and the Muscles of the belly nothing remaining but the skin which did appeare without on the left side all blacke the which had long before beene taken for a tumor of the spleene If her griefe had beene well looked into by the concurrence and continuance of signes in her greatnesse the child being dead and other co-incidences wel obserued by order and knowne what it was there had beene hope when as she could not be deliuered to haue saued both her and her fruite by the Gastrotomia or Caesarien section or else the child being dead to haue preserued the Mother by the meanes of this section beeing then the onely and most necessarie remedie In the same Treatie The like mournfull effect followeth the like cause in the Wife of a Chirurgion at Montpellier called AVSME assisted as it is to be presaged by the most famous Phisitions of that reuerend Colledge who as Maister RONDELET reports in the 65 Chap. of his Method of Curing hauing a childe rotten in the Matrix cast out a part by morcels the great bone remaining behinde so as within a while after she dyed In the same Treatie Maister I. ALIBOVX a learned Physition at Sens in Bourgongne writes in a Letter of his to FR. ROVSSET these wordes Here neere vnto my lodging hath fallen out an accident as strangely as your Caesarien section A woman with childe being aged or otherwise could not be deliuered but by morcels shee had eyther side of the bottome of her belley very much swelled by reason of the violence of their Instruments with all signes of an Impostume the which did also communicate with the passages of Nature from that part of the belly beeing layde open by corosey came a great aboundance of filthe and as much more of the like substance and coulour by the neather parts shee would not suffer mee to sound it with the Instrument to descerne precisely and aduisedly the bottome of the Synuositie but without it it appeared plainely that the Impostume and the ouer-ture thereof did pierce into the Matrix by the common accidents obserued and kept according to the order of times and by the like excrements the one and the other beeing cured by the same meanes and at the same time In the same Treatie A dead Childe hauing beene violently drawne with 〈◊〉 from a bakers wife called COLETTE SIMON without hurting the skin that lapt the Child in the belly shee happened in 5. daies to haue a great swelling of either
side in the bottome of her belly with apparēt signes of an Impostume so as an opening was made by Corosiue on the one side from whence the Surgion did drawe with his hand a quantitie of congealed bloud rotten and stinking the other side abating nothing neyther could the Surgion bring away any of the skinne that lapt the Child being forced to make a new opening on the other side frō whence he did draw the skin that lapt the child not without extreame paine in this danger and despaire for shee remained as one halfe dead and kept her bedde three yeares two yeares after shee went with Cruches then with a Staffe and in the ende shee recouered her helth in such sort as shee had many Children and among others one named SEBASTIEN who liued long In the same treatie M. N. de VILLENEVFVE an ancient Physition in Prouence writs to the same FR. ROVSSET these words I confesse in this long time that I haue liued he was then sixtie yeares olde and liued aboue fiue and twentie yeares after in great vigour of bodie and minde I did neuer see this practise whereof you write vnto mee of a woman deliuered of her Childe by the side and yet to liue I do well remember that MADAME de PILES NONIES hauing the lower part of her belly much swelled I caused Maister MAVRACE a Surgion of this Towne of Vaureas to make an opening in the bellie by an actuall Corosiue peercing into the hollowes of the matrix from whence there issued as well by the neither partes as by the place so opened aboue seauen pounds of filthie matter the one like vnto the other and to bee the better assured of the place wee did open the nether part with an instrument where wee did see the greatnesse of the matricall vlcer the which wee cured in sixe monethes since which time shee had a Daughter this was in the yeare 1552. VILLENEVFVE seemes to desseine a conception and the fruite wholie putrefied and reduced into this merueilous quantity of corruption although that M. ROVSSET thinkes it was onely an Impostume in the matrixe The same VILLENEVFVE reports in an other letter to the sayd ROVSSET that he had caused the like cauterisation to be made vpon that which is vpon the belly of a woman married to BRISSET an Apothicary at Mont-limar in the yeare 1558. peercing it euen into the inward part of the matrix so as the corruption sprong out to the beddes feete and at the same instant a great quantitie of the like filth came forth by the lower partes Shee was cured in 3. monethes and soone after conceiued and since shee hath had three Sonnes and one Daughter In the same treatie M. MATHIAS CORNAX Phylosopher and Physition to the Emperour at Vienna in Austria reports in a Treatie written in Latin and often printed some admirable and memorable Histories like vnto the former I will ommit many circumstances of places yeares and daies personages and witnesses produced to auoyde tediousnesse the summe is this MARGV◅RITE wife to the host of the red Creuise at Vienna about 25. yeare old who before had had some Children shee was conceiued for the third or forth time in the yeare 1545. hauing felt as of custome the Childe to stirre and the time of her deliuerie come shee could bring forth nothing so as for the space of foure whole yeares shee carried her Childe dead the same beeing past as it appeered from the hollownes of the Matrix being rotten through the bodie vlcered there-with towardes the bowells and there causing a great swelling an opening was made by the aduise of CORNAX in the middest of that which is vpon the bellie to voide the corruption The Physitions and Surgions could not thinke there was anie Childe considering the lapse of time during the which the poore woman had beene afflicted with verie strange paines Yet a Childe was drawne from her which was not so rotten the which was admirable but it might well bee discerned for a male There happened an other wonderfull strange thing that this honest young woman which had liued with death for so manie yeares was in a manner miraculously drawne out of the graue and recouered her perfect helth Let vs adde a third meruaile at a yeares ende shee conceiued and bare an other Sonne his full time The time of her deliuerie beeing come beeing in some great difficultie and almost without any possible meanes to bee deliuered like vnto other women CORNAX was called the second time who aduised the Mother and other women there present that they should suffer her to bee opened as at the former time giuing verie manie reasons for his Counsell wherevnto the young woman yeelded But the Mother and the other women that were there opposed mightely against it saying that they must referre all to the almightie GOD and let nature worke in easing her by some other meanes lesse dangerous CORNAX beeing thus gaine sayed retired with the Surgion who had made the former section But presently after the young woman dyed and could not bee deliuered Soone after they cald them back and being dead there was drawne from her by section a goodly boy likely to haue liued if hee had beene helpt with his Mother as this learned Physition did pretend In the same worke there is a letter written to the same CORNAX by M. ACHILLES GASSAR a learned Physition of Ausbourg conteyning the like history in the same circūstances of a woman to whom a yeare being past that she could not bee deliuered of a Child at the due time the Child like vnto that of the woman of Vienna was gone frō the hollownes of the Matrix being vlcered towards the kidneis as it did appeere plainly for that it had made a shewe of an Impostume in the bellie and principally on the left side the Surgion drewe from her boane after boane who beeing cured had a Childe since Hee reportes in the same booke the Historie sent vnto him by Maister GILLES HERTOGE a famous Physition at Bruxelles of a woman who not able to bee deliuered of her Childe the flesh and softe partes of the Child being voided belowe in rotten corruption they did feele the bones to grate together and did marke them with the hand vnder that which couers the bellie and yet this accident which was so strangely troublesome and insupportable to a fine and delicate woman did not much hinder the actions of this courragious woman who carried this Crosse thirteene whole yeares This could not bee without peercing of the Matrix the which notwithstanding was cured as needes it must for that no filth nor corruption distilled downe by the lower parts ' as else it would haue done More-ouer she had her termes orderly and desired nothing so much as to finde Physitions and Chirurgions that would vnder-take to make a conuenient section to draw forth those cracking bones Maister FRANCIS ROVSSET representing in his Treatie of the Caesariens deliuery the third History aboue mentioned
Then hauing eased herselfe by Lotions Fomentations Bathes and other fit helpes shee recouered her perfect health R. SOLENANDRE in the 5. booke of his Councells Chap. 15. art 40. Children miraculously preserued THe yeare 1546. in the Towne of Misnia in Saxony a seruant of THOMAS le FEVREs hauing a little Childe in her armes and looking out at a windowe three stories high by mischance let it fal into the streete whence it was taken vp not beeing hurt nor bruzed in any part of the bodie GEORGE la FEVRE in his Annales of Misnia lib. 3. pag. 200. In the moneth of Iune 1552. a girle of PETER PELICES a Cooke in the same Towne and the same streete fell out of the garret windowe of a house and had no harme The same Author pag. 207. The Sonne of SIMON CRAMES a Councellor of the same Towne and dwelling in the same streete fel from an high window downe on the pauement which was of hard stone and yet not hurt in any part of his body it happened in the yeare 1559. In the same Booke pag. 214. Of these three deliuerances GEORGE le FEVRE makes mention in these verses Hoc vidit vâ—…bs quae nobili Prouincia nomen dedit Vna in platea tres tribus Vicibus cadentes Angelo Custode vitam ducere In the moneth of September the yeare 1566. a Maide of SIMON RICHTERS a Citizen of Misna dwelling by Wolfgang Ber let a little Boy which shee held in her armes fall from a very high window Hee lighted first on the end of a Waggon and then on the pauement but was not any way hurt In the same Booke pag 227. 228. The yeare 1568. in the moneth of Iune ERASMVS the sonne of WOLFGANG BEME being but foure yeares old fell out of a window of his fathers house into the street had no harme In the same pa. 229 In a Village hard by Cygne a certaine Countri-woman willed a little boy shee had to go and fetch home their Oxen that were feeding by a woods side Whilst the child was away there fell so much Snowe that vpon a suddaine all the wayes were couered the night came on so fast that the boy was enclosed in the mountaines and could not get out The father mother taking more care for their child then Oxen rose betimes in the morning to go seeke him but the snow was so great that they knew not where to looke him The next day they traced the forrest to finde the body which they were verily perswaded was voide of life but at last they found him sitting on a banke which the Snowe had neither couered nor touched They asked him why he came not home all that while The child answered hauing felt no colde nor harme at all that he staied till it was euening Then they asked him whether hee had eaten any thing or no. A man that I knew not said he came hether gaue me Bread Cheese wherat exceeding ioyfull they carried him home I. MANLIVS in the first booke of his Collections The yeare 1565. about the end of September a maide in the towne of Misna that was an Ideot lead a little girle of three yeares old out of the Towne vnperceiued of any and hauing carryed her to a riuer called Trebisa which was risen some-what high with raine that was falne stripped the girle tooke her vpon her shoulder and waded ouer the riuer then returned and made the child ready againe but being weary of her carriage she left the poore infant in the winde the raine which was then very sharpe and bleake The girle remained all the whole night and halfe the next day on the bare ground where she was found as GOD would by a Countrie wench who tooke her vp in her armes carried her to a farme there by From whence she was conueyed to her Father and Mother that were in great perplexitie for the losse of their child GEORGE FEVRE in the 3. booke of his Annales of Misna The yeare 1558. there fell such an horrible raine and tempest in Thuringe that in an instant it ouer-threw diuers houses and the torrent was so furious that it carried away a great number of persons of all ages Amongst the rest a vyolent inundation of waters ouerwhelmed a poore labourers house of Burcktonne where his wife lay newly deliuered of a Sonne and swallowing vp the wretched Mother carryed away the young infant that a little before had beene laide in a Trough made like a kneeding-tub which was stayed by the bough of an Apple-tree where the childe remained and was found safe and sound after the rage of the waters was alayed euery one acknowledging the truth of this notable sentence that GODS assistance doth appeare when mans doth faile PH. LONICER in the Theater of Examples pag. 196. H. HVSANVS a Lawyer describes in excellent Latin verse such a like miracle which happened about that time in a certaine place of the same Countrie on the behalfe of a little Childe lying in a Cradle which was carryed away very farre by the furie of the waters and then layde gently in a safe shore where it was found aliue ANDREVV MERCKTER recites in a certaine funerall Oration by him written touching afflictions that being a little boy he had beene miraculously preserued from waters from manifest danger of drowning three seuerall times first at Sechouse next at Wittenberg and lastly at Perleberg where this which ensueth hapned vnto him As hee was standing on the bridge of that place which was very high certaine Roysters thronging along in great number and hast pushed him ouer the bridge into the middest of the streame It was in Winter and the Ice couered him so that carried from the top of the water vnder the Ice hee was driuen to a Mill that stood in the riuer where the water not being frosen by reason of the continuall motion which the wheeles of the Mill made he was taken vp and saued PH. LONICER in the same Theater in the examples of the third commandent pag. 198. In a Village called Zum Heniâ—…hen hard by Friberg in Misna a little Boy sonne to a certaine Weauer playing about the house fide fell into a great channell of water that serued to driue a Mill and was suddainly carried by the streame which ran very stiffe vnder his fathers house standing ouer the channell and then vnder a bridge so farre that it was enough to haue drowned him a dosen times without the protection of Heauen which would haue the childe carried to the Mill where he tooke hold with his little hands on the barre which serued to shutte the water-gate and cryed out as lowd as he could An old woman heard him who ran thither and called the Miller so that the Boy was taken vp safe out of the furious waters The same In the yeare 1565. the 10. day of March about seuen of the clock in the morning the Treasurer of Rofenbourg a towne situate on the
Gouernor of the place who there-with acquainted the Landgraue He hauing commanded that it should be hunted and by some way or other taken aliue the Country-men vsed such meanes that they caught it and lead it to the Landgraues Court going on foure feete like a beast and of a grim and terrible looke Beeing in the Princes hall it went and hidde it vnder a bench where it beganne to houle and crie like a Wolfe But some lyniaments though disfigured of a humane face beeing discouered in it the Prince commanded it to bee brought vp among men vntill such time as it might bee more exactly knowne what it was Those which had it in charge so diligently imployed themselues that the creature beganne to growe tame to stand vpright and to goe like other men finally to speake distinctly and then as farre forth as euer his memory would permit him hee declared that hee had liued in a Caue among Wolues which vsed him verie gently and alwaies gaue him the better parte of their prey M. DRESSERVS in his booke of newe and ancient discipline Diuers French Gentlemen can testifie that they haue seene a man which was taken in the forrest of Compiegne and brought to the late King CHARLES the 9. Who went vpon foure feete like a beast and ranne swifter then anie horse Hee could not stand vpright had a verie hard skinne was heary almost all ouer and in stead of speech vsed a feare-full crie accompanied with so hiddeous a looke and countenance that there is no beast so ill-fauored to see-to as that poore creature was which had liued amongest the rauenous Wolues and learned of them to howle Moreouer with his teeth he strangled Dogges dealt no better with men whensoeuer hee met them I could neuer knowe what become of him afterward EXTRACTED out of the Memorialls of our time Touching the first History extracted out of DRESSERVS I knowe not whither it bee the same which is presented by the D. PHILIP CAMERARIVS in his excellent Historicall meditations Chap. 75. The repeticion being but short wil not be offensiue I hope It is a meruaylous thing sayth he if true which is read in the additions to the History of LAMBERT of SCHAFNABOVRG as followeth The yeare 1544. a Child was taken in the Country of Hesse who as hee himselfe hath since declared and was so verified being but three yeares olde was carried away brought vp by Wolues When they got any prey they alwaies brought the better parte of it to the Child which fed vpon it In winter when it was cold they scraped a hole which they trimmed with grasse and leaues of trees whereon they layed the Childe and compassing him about defended him from the iniury of the time afterwards they made him goe vpon his handes and feete and runne along with them whither soeuer they went so that at length and through vse hee could leape and runne aswell as they Being taken he was taught by little and little to go onely vpon his feete He oftentimes sayd that if it had beene in his choice hee would rather haue liued among Wolues then men Hee was brought to the Court of HENRY LANDGRAVE of Hesse for to be seene In the same yeare befell the like case in the farme of Echtzel for a Childe of twelue yeares olde running amongest the Wolues in the Forrest adioyning was taken in the winter time by certaine Gentlemen that hunted the Wolues Children supposed or practised THis Inuention hath beene found out by some barren women some drawne therevnto of their owne motion to please their husbands and to bring an heire into the house vnder their charge to the preiudice of the right heire others consenting to the Impostures of their owne husbands pretending to aduance their estates by such Diuelish practises haue stuft vp their bellies with cloth little cushions but in such sort as they swelling should growe by degrees counterfetting themselues to bee distasted way-ward melancholie and heauie and at the end of 9. monethes to suppose some Child brought secretly from the house of some poore neighbour or for want of one from the hospitall Som-times bought for money or supposed by the husbād hauing had it of some Concubine This is not all for as some that haue beene barren haue vsed the meanes of such suppositions so others haue made vse of it when as they had a great desire to haue a Sonne for the greater contentment of their husbands they see that GOD had sent them a Daughter It is well knowne that about fiftie yeares since a Ladie of Daulphine seeing her selfe in disgrace with her husband for that shee had brought him none but Daughters forged such a tricke to giue him satisfaction shee corrupted a woman of base condition in the beginning of this womans conception and drewe a promise from her to giue her her Childe presently vpon her deliuerie After which practise the Ladie hauing counterfetted all the signes of a woman with Childe in the ende to plaie the last and chiefe part as soone as euer shee herd that the poore woman was in labour and that shee was deliuered of a Sonne shee goes to her bedde feyning to bee in the same paine expecting the little Boy that was promised her The which was done and brought her so secretly by certaine Midwiues as it was receiued of the husband as issued from his Wiues wombe and so generally reputed Wherein I will not ommit a notable example of the almightie GODS iust iudgement for this Ladie who could not bee induced by nature to beare any loue nor to giue any countenance in the house to this Childe although that by meanes of the sayd supposition hee had beene left heire by him who thought himselfe to bee his Father disdayning him daylie more and more in the ende shee forced him to bandie himselfe against her and to haue recourse vnto Iustice challenging his rights as Sonne and heire and offring to force her to an account Ths which did so incense the sayd Ladie as shee conspired his death at the least it was supposed that the murther committed vpon him was by her solliciting Booke first of the conference of ancient wonders with moderne A Childe of Stone A Woman of the Towne of Sens in Bourgondie called COLOMBE CHATRY married to LEVVIS CHARITE a Taylor hauing liued long with him without any children in the end shee conceiued and during the time of her being great she had all the accidents of a womā with child But the time of lying in being come all the endeuours of poore COLOMBE and the helpe of Midwiues were in vaine so as her fruit died and she laye three whole yeares languishing in her bed In the end being some-what eased shee liued in paine 25. yeares more carrying this dead fruite in her body whereof in the end she dyed hauing carryed it 28. whole yeares in her belly Her Husband caused her to be opened and the childe was found conuerted into a hard stone then
this acte This was on Easter-day 1556. The Incision began on the right side of the belly a finger lower then the Nauill and aboue foure fingers distant from it and so descending directly vnto the priuy parts without touching the Muscles on the right side from the which it was distant aboue about three fingers and beneath some-what lesse The incision beeing made with-out much bleeding the wombe appeared plainely the which hee also cut some-what largely that the wound might be sufficient to drawe forth the child beeing yet aliue with his skin that wrapt him in the wombe more easilye Then hee stitcth it vp after the vsuall manner of wounds not the Matrix but the Muscles and the skinne ouer the bowels with fiue stitches as I did well obserue going thether to visit her presently after my recouery The which I haue oftentimes noted in her since to cure a rupture which she hath had euer since eyther for that it was not well stitcth vp or for that she did rise so soone And you must note that this Barber was ignorant both of the Muscles and skinne that couereth the bowels Proceeding in this action as if hee had launced an Impostume or cut out some peece of flesh with a sharpe knife as Maist. MAVRICE CORDE doth obserue in his Commentary vpon Hipocrates treating of womens diseases lib. 1. text 11. About a yeare and a halfe after her husband beeing dead and she married againe to PETER CHANCLOV she conceiued and was deliuered of a daughter naturally liuing nowe at Nangeuille where there are yet many witnesses of this strange Spectacle The same Author At Vri in Biere neere vnto Fontainbleau two leagues from Nemours COLLETTE BERANGER wife to SIâ—…ON 〈◊〉 GARDE passing the 10. month after her conception and carrying her fruite long in her bodye dead the lower parts neuer opening to deliuer it forth in the ende she sent for VINCENT VALLEAVA Surgion of Nemours who hauing no other apparent meanes to helpe her in the end of Ianuary hee cut her in the yeare 1542. not on the right side but on the left a litle higher then the womaÌ„ of Nangeuille first cutting the Abdomen or outward part of the belly and then the Matrix from whence he drew the dead child swelled and stincking with the skinne that wrapt him already rotten Then without sowing the Matrix by chance or catelesly he gaue fiue stitches in the skinne and some small part of the Muscles as it appeared plainely long after hauing nothing but a very skin cicatrized vpon her bely Her lying in was but a month and a halfe Two yeares after the which time she had a daughter naturally and two yeares after that a son called PETER DE LA GARDE afterwards a Smith by his profession Shee became afterwards a Mid-wife at Vri seruing other women aud receiuing their children The same AGNES BOYER wife to IOHN COMPAN a Laborer at Villereau nere vnto Neufuille in Beause after shee had beene for the space of foure dayes broken with the importunity of Mid-wiues and nothing eased she was opened on the right side by PHILIP MIGNEAV a Barber of Neufuille in the yeare 1544 and then the Muscles and the skinne were grosly sticht vp as hee could Of which incision shee was soone cured but the contusions which the Mid-wiues made in the priuy parts troubled the Surgion aboue seuen months to cure them shee had also a fayre Daughter which liued healthfully aboue seuen moneths but on the eyght shee fell sicke beeing at nurse in the same Village whereof shee died A while after shee grewe great and bigge againe carrying the child hanging alwayes towards the rupture which remained as in others but without any paine But shee could not be deliuered no more then before for one of the aboue named causes as it is to be presumed And therefore she did voluntarily desire to haue an incision made as before the which shee could not obtaine by any intreaty of two yong Surgions sent thither expresly from Neuffuille wheras they kept after PHILIP who died of the plague which was the cause that both she and her fruite dyed pitifully together through theyr faintnesse if the weakenesse of the Woman or some other pittifull accident did not stay them from doing it The same In the yeare 1576 the 22 of Iuly at Ambedoye nere to S. Brisson in the territorie of Gien ANTO INETTE ANDRE Wife to LEVVIS GARNIER a Handi-crafts man was also opened by Maister ADAM AVBRY borne at Pithuiers a Surgion remaining at Aubigny who made the report vnto mee Afterwardes hauing conceiued againe shee was naturally deliuered of an other liue child The same And of latter dayes in the yeare 1578. the first of February IONE MICHEL borne at Argent Wife to GEORGE RENAVLD liuing in the sub-vrbes of Aubigny hauing beene big with child aboue ten moneths she carryed her fruite along time dead not leauing notwithstanding to follow her businesse till in the ende she was forced to betake her selfe to her bed where after shee had beene long tormented in vaine by Mid-wiues in the end she sent for the aboue named ADAM AVBRY and for WILLIAM COLLAS a learned Surgion who hauing cut of the childs arme beeing al blacke and dead which came forth long before by the Mothers nature but not able to take hold of the rest of the body they made an incision on the right side something bending and with a small Orifice to spare the mother which caused her to feele great paynes in the extraction of the child for that the Matrix could not deliuer the child for the straitnesse of the ouerture which paynes notwithstanding ceassed presently when as the child and that which followes were deliuered So after the ordinary discharges of a woman in child-bed which came as well as if she had bin naturally brought in bed within a while after shee did rise and had her termes accustomed at the ende of fiue weekes and presently after shee conceiued againe in the ende of May beeing somewhat troubled with the fresh remembrance of that was past taking care what might happen of her beeing nowe with child at which time she was deliuered naturally And although the child did at the first present but one of the legges which was a bad beginning yet the same beeing put backe by the Mid-wife all succeeded happely Since which time beeing with child againe shee had a happy deliuery and was afterwards very healthfull The same About the yeare 1582. IOHN IAOOT a Surgion dwelling in a Village neere to Auxerre called Tirouaille meeting with Maister IOHN ALIBOVX a Phisition of Sens going to practise desired him to turne a little out of his way to a nere village called Marry to ease a poore woman from whom some fewe houres before hee had drawne a child by section of the Bellye ALIBOVX amazed at the boldnes of this Surgion called the Seigneor of Vaux Bailiffe of Auxerre and his wife to visite this woman lying in Child-bed their Castle beeing
neere the Village they found the child in the cradle crying and calling for meate but the poore Mother beeing opprest with payne a Feauer and with watching neither thought of her selfe nor of her little one The Phisition layes open the woman sees the section grosly sowed vp with ten or twelue stitches and prouided so well for the mother and child as both liued long after Extract out of Maist. d' AL◅EOVX letter written the 20. of December 1585 About the yeare 1550. ELIZABETH ALESPACHIN wife to IAMES NVFER a Surgion remaining in a Village called Sigers in Suisserland beeing great of her first child at the time of her deliuery beeing prest with extreame paines she called many Mid-wiues and Surgions to helpe her but all was in vaine The husband seeing his wife in that extremity tells her his minde in her care She alloweth it he goes to the Baylife of Frauvenfele acquaints him with the estate of his family and his resolution to ease his wife and craues leaue to execute what hee had determined In the ende the Bayliffe knowing his Industry and the loue hee bare vnto his Wife grants his request Hee returnes speedily to his house speakes to the Mid-wiues exhortes the most couragious to assist him and intreats the most fearefull to depart least they should faint and trouble the company for that hee did vndertake a thing which indeede was dangerous but hee hoped for a happy issue with the fauorable assistance of Almighty GOD. These women amazed at his resolution went out all except two which remayned with the Surgions to assist the Patient Her Husband hauing first called vpon GOD with an earnest prayer and shutte the Stoue carefully hee takes his Wife and layes her vpon a Table and with a sharpe Rasor makes an Incission in her belly so happily as presently the Child was taken forth without hurt to the Mother or to the little one The Mid-wiues which did hearken at the doore hearing the Child crye did knocke to enter but they forced them to stay vntill the little one was clensed and drest and the wound stitcht vp the which was closed in few dayes without any feauer or any troublesome accident to the mother who afterwardes had two Sonnes at a burthen one of the which was called IOHN NVFVR hee liued in the yeare 1583. threescore yeares olde Prouost of Sigers-Hausem Shee was brought in bedde afterwards of foure other Children As for the Sonne which was cut out of her belly he liued vnto the yeare 1577. They do yet at this day in those Quarters see the children of this Woman vnto the third and fourth generation GASPAR BAV◅IN a learned Phisition at Basill in his histories of the Caesarian deliuery I did thinke to finde in other histories which I haue among my papers that which I promised you of a Caesarian deliuery but it is among my other remembrances at my house in France I will cause it to bee brought to Montbelliard where I nowe am to send it vnto you I remember the Name of the place and of the Surgion and the yeare and month when it happened but I haue forgotten the names both of the Father and Mother The Village is in the Duchye of Bourgundy called Marsillie neere vnto Mont S. Iohn The Surgion ANTONIE ROBIN borne at Beaune and liuing at Renele Duke a man verye expert in his profession It was in Aprill in the yeare of our Lord GOD 1582. The Woman being yong and strong had beene in sore trauell two whole dayes together and yet did couragiously endure an incision the which succeeded happily The Child liued not long The mother recouered and continued long after The same Seditious Commotions caused by Exactions IN the yeare 1548. the Commons of Guyenne Santonge and Angoulemois fell into a rebellion by reason of the extorsions of the Customers and Farmers of Salt In a fewe weekes they grew to the number of fortye thousand men armed with clubbes and staues ioyning with the Ilanders By a generall consent they ran vpon the Customers and Farmers of salt although the King of Nauarre sought to appease them executing their deseigne with extreame furye against all that they could take The Commons of Gascoigne rise in diuers places the killing of certaine Officers of the Kings that had abused their places being the cause The Maior Iurates and others that bare office in Bourdeaux and the Lord of Monneins in place of the Kings Lieutenant there insteed of remedying these tumults at the beginning temporised to much especially the L. of Monneins for that he gaue way to the insolence of one of the cheefe of these Rebells called La VERGNE who grewe so bold that shortly after hee raised all the common people by the Tocsaine or larum bell Beeing shut vp in the Castle of Ha now then he sent forth certaine Harguebuziers to make the people affraide But this deuise tooke not effect for such issuings did so heate the Cittizens that hauing found la VERGNE ESTONNAC MAQVANAN and others men according to their desire they presently to armes the Customers or Exactors beeing they they sought for vnder which collour pretending they sought for the Exactors many honorable houses were spoiled vpon this the Commons being receiued into the Towne they rung the Alarum Bell no man daring to bee seene but armed and in company of some of these rebelles for otherwise they kild all they met The Counsellers of the Court of Parliament were constrained to leaue their Gownes and betake them to their Dublet and hose and Capt after the fashion of Marriners to carry a pike and march amongest the rude multitude They constrained the Lords of Saulx brethren the one Captaine of the Towne the other of the Castle called Trompette to bee chiefe and assist at the spoile of certaine of their fellowe Cittizens friends houses massacring thē before their faces The Towne-house furnished with an innumerable quantity of armes was spoiled MONEINS Lieutenant for the King verie vnaduisedly left his forte to come and make an oration to this inraged multitude where hee was by them slaine and the Carmelites in danger to haue their house spoiled for that they had buried him in their Church shortly after these spoilers beeing charged beganne to retier and the Parliament began to take courage executing some of the principall of this commotion and amongest the rest La VERGNE who was drawne in peeces by foure horses The King aduertised of this disorder writ to the Commons assuring them with speede hee would prouide for their greeuance Commanding them to cease their armes by meanes whereof euery one retired L' ESTONNAC was happely chaced out of the Castle called Trompette During this FRANCIS of Lorraine Earle of Aumale followed by foure thousand Suisses and the force of the French horse entred into Saintonges pacifying it without resistance or punnishment ANNE of Mommoran◅ie heigh Constable of France with all the forces of both armies ioyned togither in one entred by an vnaccustommed way
the 1. booke of his Essayes Chapter 21. Not long agoe a certaine woman thinking shee had swallowed a pinne in her meate cryed and tormented herselfe as hauing an intollerable paine in her throate where she thought she felt it stick but because no swelling nor alteration appeared on the out-side a witty fellowe iudging that it was but fantasie opynion taken frō some morcell that had pricked her throate in going downe made her vomit and priuily threwe a crooked pinne into that shee vomited This woman thinking she had cast it vp felt her selfe presently ridde of her paine The same I knew a gentleman that hauing feasted a sorte of his friends bragged three or foure daies after in ieasting manner for it was nothing so that hee had made them eate a cat baked in a pie whereat a gentlewoman of the company conceiued such horror that thereby falling into a weakenesse of the stomach and a feauer it was impossible to saue her The same I do not thinke that euer I haue reade a more admyrable matter in any history then that which is written by that learned personage LEVVIS VIVES Commentary on the 25. Chap. of the 12. booke of the Cittie of GOD. The bookes of Naturalistes sayth hee are full how things seene in conceiuing haue great efficacy in the woman with Childe and in her fruite By reason whereof they command women to haue faire images and pourtraytures aboute their beddes There is a towne in Fland◅rs called BOSLEDVC where euery yeare as in other places of those Countries on the day of the dedication of the great Church of their towne they set forth diuers plaies and pageants disguysing themselues some like Angells and other some like Diuells One of them inflamed with the regard of a certaine young gentlewoman went leaping and dauncing home where meeting his wife all disfigured and masked as he was he threwe her downe on a pallet saying hee would make a little Diuell in her By this approch the woman conceiued but assone as shee was deliuered beganne to skip and daunce like one of these same painted Diuells MARGARET of AVSTRICH the Daughter of MAXIMILIAN Aunt to CHARLES after-ward Emperor the fifth of that name recounted this History to IOHN LAMVS Embassador for FERDINAND King of Romanes M. MARTIN WEINRICH Physition in his Commentary treating of Monsters Chapter 17. AMBROSE PARE an expert and famous Chirurgion reports how a certaine woman of Beausse had a liue Frog tied in the paulme of her hand where she held it till such time as it was stif◅ed and that for to helpe her of a certaine feauer The night following this woman conceiued by her husband and at length was deliuered of a Childe which had a face like the muzzell of a Frog In the same Commentary and Chap. A learned Diuine declares in a certaine Commentary of his vpon Genesis how hee had seene a woman honest faire chast that was deliuered of a Bat. Which happened through one of the neighbors that hauing caught a Bat tied a little bell about him to the end he should fray away others This woman with Childe meeting the Bat conceiued such feare that her fruite receiued the whole forme of it through a strange and exceeding vehement imagination He relates also how he had seene a man wel stroken in years at Witteberg who had a face like death because his mother beeing with Childe of him was affraid of a deaths head and through her imagination had imprinted the forme of it in her Child The same Wee haue seene a woman in the towne of Breslaw in Silesia that beholding a Child newely borne without an hole in the fūdament not long after was deliuered of the like Likewise a cuntry-Cuntry-woman with Child who returning home alone frō the Citty did eate a snake in steede of an eele which her husband when he came home was so ill-aduised to tell her of where at she conceiued such horror that suddainly shee died of it There haue bin many imprisoned for offences apprehending the losse of their liues as in one night of black or yellow which they were as in the floure of their age haue become all white like old men It is reported that a certaine man being in doubt that one layd waite for his life although this apprehensiō was false yet chancing to meete the party and the other stabbing him in ieast on the stomach with a great turnep imagined that it was a stab with a poygnard and fell downe dead in the place The like is sayd of a Ieaster who being condemned only in shew to be beeheaded for putting a great Prince his Maister in danger of his life as things were in a readinesse for his executiō insteed of striking him with the axe the hang man threw a bole of cold water on his neck but cōming to vnbinde him he found him starke dead in such sort as if his head had beene cleane cut off frō his shoulders The same Not long since one of our Princes whose naturall beauty and liuely disposition the goute had very much impaired suffered himselfe to bee so carried away by the report that went of the meruailous operations of a Priest who with certaine words healed all disseases that he vndertooke a long iourney for to finde him out by the powre of his apprehēsion so perswaded his leggs for certaine houres togither that he drewe the seruice from thē which they had forgot to do him a long time before There was so much simplicity so little art found afterward in the architect of such workes that hee was thought vnworthy of any punishment MONTAIGNE in the 3. booke of his Essayes About 25. years agoe a gentleman in Bassigni hauing bin at a great feast among other honorable company within 3. weekes after meeting some of the guesse one of them said merrily how at that feast insteed of a quarter of Kid they had bin serued with the leg of a Dog very well seasoned and drest and that she aswell as the l◅st had eaten her part of it Whether it were true or no I knowe not but immediately this Gentlewoman conceiued such horror at it that rysing from table she fell into swounings continuall vomytings sincopes and so vyolent a feauer that it was impossible to saue her Extracted out of mine owne notes Notable Impostures IN the towne of Artigules part of the dioces of Rieux and vnder the iurisdiction of the Parliament of Tholouse it happened that one MARTIN GVERRE hauing beene maried the space of ten or eleauen years to BERTRAND ROSLI afterward vpon what discontent I knowe not betweene him and his Father for-sooke his house went and serued vnder the Emperor CHARES the fifth and King PHILIP his Sonne where he continued some dosen yeares till at the taking of the towne of Saint Quintins he lost a legge Now his wife hauing heard no tydings of him in eight yeares before one named ARNOLD TYLLIER some call him ARNOLD of TILL borne in the Country
of FOIX who as many thinke was brought vp in magick tooke vpon him to play the person of MARTIN GVERRE furthered therein aswell with his long absence as also that in the lineaments of his face hee some-what resembled him Presenting himselfe vnto the woman at the first shee would not acknowledge him for her hus-band but besides the conformity of bodie hee discouered so many secretts vnto her that had past betweene them two especially in the night after their marriage yea euen to the very apparell hee had left behinde him in a Chest at the time of his departure Things which could not bee knowne but by the right husband that at length not onely she but the most part of his kins-folkes and friends acknowledged him for MARTIN GVERRE in this opinion 4. years past without any contradiction At the end whereof a soldier trauelling that way told that MARTIN GVERRE had lost a leg Not long before this woman was entred into some suspition of her supposed husband by means wherof she tooke wittnesse vnder hand before two Notaries of the soldiers report Which to say truly was but onely vpon heare-say neuertheles it was the first foundation of this wretched TILLIERS misfortune For as it is hard for a lier not to vary so the woman gathered diuers speeches froÌ„ him that made her to misdoubt him and indeed solly cited by PETER GVERRE MARTINS Vnckle she not onely abandoned him but sued him extraordinarily before the Seneschall of Rieux where hee was condemned to death by sentence from the which he appealed to the Parliament of Tholouse which was infinitely trobled about the strangnesse of the case For on the one side TILLIER discouered all the particularities from point to point that had past betweene him BERTRAND before his going away and the talke they had had the first night they lay togither As also how after they had beene married some 7. or 8. years going into the CouÌ„try to one of their kins-folkes wedding because they lacked roome that therfore his wife was to lie with another womaÌ„ it was deuised betweene them that when the rest were a sleepe he shold come lie with his wife likewise howe they had had a Child naming the Priest that baptized it the God-fathers that were 〈◊〉 to it at the Font all with such a resolution and boldnesse that the woman could not tel what to say adding the motiues of his departure the trauells he had sustained both in Spaine and France Which perticularities were fouÌ„d afterward to be true by the report of MARTIN GVERRE himselfe That which makes this History more meruaylous was that this supposed hus-band had neuer conuersed with the other The presumptions that yet made for him were a double tooth a naile growing into the flesh on the right hand certaine moles and a red spot in one eye euen as MARTIN GVERRE had further in that he some-what resembled his sisters who were so besotted that they auouched him for their brother On the other side that which made against him was that a soldier hauing called him ARNOLD by his name hee praied him in his eare not to cal him so but MARTIN GVERRE Besides the which she brought proofe of an Vnckle of his who seeing him in the way of perdition came lamenting vnto him desiring him not to cast himself vtterly away But these proofes were not sufficient to disannull the former for to all obiections that were made against him he answered confidently laying all the cause plotting of his troble on PETER GVERRE his Vnckle whoÌ„ he had threatned a little before to make him yeeld an account of the gardianship that he had sometimes had of him And for to giue some collour to his saying hee desired that his wife might bee sworne to see whither shee would acknowledge him for her right husband or no declaring that he would put his life or death vpon her oth Which so amazed her that she would not accept it These circumstances so mooued the Iudges that they coÌ„mitted the Vnckle and the Niepce to seuerall prisons to the end one should not prompt the other Thinking the woman was drawne to make this accusation by the Vnckle who was in danger of his person As the Iudges were in this suspence it fortuned that the right MARTIN GVERRE came home where at the first sight al his neighbors knew him therewithall being aduertised of the pranke the other had playd him he went directly to Tholousa where he made petitioÌ„ to be admitted as a party in the cause Then were the Iudges more amazed then before because that ARNOLD with an impudent boldnes maintained that this was a CoÌ„nicatching knaue suborned by his aduersaries In this difference the Iudges for to be assured of the truth sent for the Vnckle out of prison set MAR. GVERRE among a great many others apparelled in the same apparel as the counterfet was to see whither he would know him or no but presently he went and picked him out from the rest and with great tokens of ioy gladnesse welcomed him home The like did BERTRAN crauing pardon for the wrong she had vnwittingly done him Neuertheles her husband not taking her words in good paiment with a frouning countenaÌ„ce began to accuse her How is it possible sayd hee that thou shouldst lend consent to this abuse for in mine Vnckle sisters there may be some excuse But none in the priuity that is betweene the man his wife And in this anger hee perseuered a long time notwithstanding any perswasion could be vsed to the contrary Which drewe the Iudges to thinke that it was a very pregnant presuÌ„ption to approue him for the right husband But yet that which held theÌ„ in some doubt was that they of the court examyning MAR. GVERRE whither euer he had receiued the Sacrament of CoÌ„firmation he answered that he had in the towne of Pamieres named the time the Bishop his God-fathers and God-mothers Whervnto ARNOLD seperately made the like answere Notwithstanding the which at last by sentence in the month of September 1560. he was declared attainted conuicted of the matter wherof he was was accused and therfore condemned to do penance in his shirte with a torch in his hand first in open Court afterward before the dore of the chiefest Church in Artiguls and lastly to be hanged and then his body to bee burned til it were consumed to ashes This Iudgement was giuen at Tholouse in the middest of September and afterward executed this wretched man hauing before he died acknowledged the truth of this history which was written since and published by M. IOHN CORRAS a great lawier with certaine Commentaries for to adorne and beautifie it with points of Lawe E. PASQVIER in the 5. booke des Recherches de la France Chap. 19. The yeare 1560. M AVRIAN TVRNEâ—…VS then Greeke reader at Paris Impostor a Comedy of ARISTOPHANES intituled the Waspes where mention is made of Euricles
of his hope sends the Merchant to prison in expectation of more ample proofe But hauing had conference with other prisoners who are craft masters in such affaires he appeales from his imprisonment s◅es both the Sargiant the Iustice. I leaue you to thinke whether the cause were without apparance of reason Forgery is obiected against the obligatiō there needs no proofe for it is confessed And indeed the Iustice went directly to the Parliament where he discoursed at large how all things had beene carried The Court being well assured of the honesty of the Iustice suspended the course of this sute for a time In the meane space Monsieur BIGOT had incharge to make enquirie all the way betweene Rouan and Paris to see if he could come by any notice of the matter which hee executed with all diligence At length passing by Argentueil the Bayliffe tolde him how not long before they had found a dead carcasse in the Vines halfe eaten with Dogs and Crowes Ther-withall came the blind man a begging to the Inne where BIGOT lay and vnderstanding the perplexitie they were in told them all that hee had heard about the same time on the Mountaine BIGOT asked him whither he could know the voyce againe The other answered him that hee thought he should Whervpon he set him vp on an horse behind another rode away with him to Rouan where being alighted and hauing giuen an accompt of his cōmission the Court determined to heare what the blinde man could say and after to confront him with the prisoner Hee hauing then discoursed at full all that past in his hearing on the Mountaine the answer that was returned him being demanded whether hee could know the voyce againe he replied that he did not thinke but hee could Therwith they shewed him a far of to the prisoner asked him when the blind man was gone whither he could take any exception against him GOD knows what a case he was in then For he said that there had neuer bin such deuises practised to impeach the innocency of an honest man as there had bin against him First the Iustice by vertue of a false obligation to lay him in prison then to make him beleeue how hee had confessed that which neuer did and last of all to bring in a blind man for a witnes against him why it was pastal rules of cōmon sence Notwithstanding that the Court seeing he had nothing els to say against him caused 20. men aboue to speake one after another still as they spake the blind man was asked whither he knew their voices whervnto he replied that it was none of them At last when the prisoner had spoken the blind man said that that was he which answered him on the Mountaine The same confusion of voyces hauing been two or three times reiterated the blind man hit alwaies on the right and neuer missed Take all the accidents of this processe seuerally and you shall find many that make for the prisoner But when you haue thoroughly considered the contrary there are a number of circumstances which make against him a new Cittizē which had set vp a new shop a little after the Lucquois disapearing the honesty of the Lieutenant knowne to all men the deposition by him and the Sergeant made but especially the miraculous encounter of the blind man who was both at the murther as afterward in the Inne where BIGOT lay finally that without any fraud he had discerned the murtherers voyce from many others All these things duely weighed were cause of the wretched mans condemnation who before he was executed confessed all to the discharge of the Iudges consciences E. PASQVIER in 5. booke des Recerches of France Chap. 20. On Christmas eue 1551. a certaine fellow brained a yong woman with an Hammer hard by Saint Oportunes Church in Paris as she was going to mid-night Masse tooke away her rings The Hammer was stolne the same euening from a poore Smith there-by who therefore suspected of the murther was very cruelly handled and put to an extraordinary kinde of torture by reason of the violent presumptions that made against him In such sort that he was quite lamed depriued of the meanes to get his liuing where-by reduced into extreame pouerty hee made a miserable end The murtherer remained almost 20. yeares vnknowne and the memory of the murther seemed to be buried with the poore woman in her graue Now marke how it came out at length though it were long first IOHN FLAMENG Sergeant of the subsidies at Paris that was afterward chiefe Vsher in the Court of Aydes being one day in the Summer at Saint Leups a village by Montmorency whether he was sent to sit vpon a Cōmission chanced among other talke at supper to say before certaine of the place how hee had left his wife at home sick and no body with her but a little boye There was an old mā then present named MOVSTIER a sonne in-law of his who immediately vpon this speach went away that night with each of them a basket of Cherries and a greene Goose and came about ten of the clock the next morning to FLAMENGS house where knocking the woman looked out at the window and asked who it was They answered that her husband had sent her a greene Goose and a basket or two of Cherries wherevpon the dore being opened to them by the boye they clapped it too againe and cut his throat The poore childe strugling with them the woman heard the noyse and stept out into a gallery ioyning to her Chamber to see what it was where perceiuing a streame of bloud in the yarde one of them told her that it was the bloud of the Goose In the meane time the other ranne vp the stayres thinking to surprise her She mistrusting the truth of the matter got back againe into her Chamber bolted the doore within and cryed out of the windoe for helpe saying there were theeues in her house The two wretches seeing they had fayled of there purpose would haue got away but going to vnclocke the gate they brake the key in the locke So that hauing no meanes to scape they went to hide them selues The youngest climbed vp into the funnell of a chimney the old man cōueied himselfe into the bottom of a celler There-with the neighbors came running to the house breaking open the dore found the boy lying dead in the yard where-vpon they sought vp and downe euery corner for the murtherers he in the chimney was taken first and the other after long search was found in the well of the cellar with nothing but his nose aboue water They were straight way caried to prison and shortly after arraigned and condemned to death Being on the scaffold at the place of execution the old man desired to speake with the Smiths widdowe of whom mention was made at the beginning When she came he asked her forgiuenes and told her it was he that
long a time she had neither eaten nor drunke briefly it was to no other purpose but that once for all the world might be assured of the truth There-vnto the Father and Mother gladly submitted themselues and with kinde entertaine carried thē to their Daughters chamber where the Superintendant spake in the same manner to the Maide as they had done before to her Father Mother and shewed her at large the occasion of their comming Where-vpon the Maide began to complaine demand for what cause they would molest and trouble her so Especially she seemed to be very much grieued for that her Father and her Mother should not lye in her Chamber by her as they had accustomed to doe but incontinently after the departure of the Superintendant ANNE BRENNING dealt in such sort with the said Maide that she willingly agreed to what-soeuer they would and not onely permitted them to carry away the bed where vpon her Father and Mother lay but also suffered them to visit her owne bed nay to take it quite away and make her another in a little Stoue where was no roome for her Father and Mother to lye And when in the day time they entred into the Chamber they came not neere their Daughter nor talked with her in secret Now during this fortnight the foure womē vnderstood of them how this Maides sicknesse first began and how many yeares she had p◅st without eating or drinking which agreed in all points with that which had beene declared before to the Commissa◅ies Likewise the said women found that the said Maide is at some-times weaker and fainter then at other some and they haue alwayes watched with her two by day and two by night And for a more exact assurance of the truth one of the foure lay euery night with the said Maide in her bed so that by no meanes any fraud could happen where vnto they alwaies tooke very diligent heed and watched very carefully both day night but neuer could finde any other thing then as the saide Maide had still before very truely affirmed of her selfe Furthermore all the said foure women especially ANNE BRENNING haue confessed before vs and sollemnly affirmed and assured vpon the saluation of their soules and therein will dye that the saide Maide hath not eaten nor drunke either morcell or drop of any thing what-soeuer Neither hath vo◅ded any Vrine or other execrement nor slept a whit in all that time And that who-so-euer makes any doubt of these things doth the Maiden great wrong This report was sent to Caiserlauter the 19. of February 1585. signed by the Go ◅ernor his Secretary to the Princes Councell at Neusted And within a while after the History of it was Printed in Dutch then turned into French and published the yeare 1587. The Translator a man of quality hauing added to the end of his Booke Dedicated to the Baron of Pardaillan then Embassador for the King of Nau◅r in Germanie these words ensuing The Readers shall be aduertised that the said KATHERINE is still liuing in the same estate and disposition as this relation imports and hath continued and liued so without eating drinking and sleeping the space of nine yeares fully compleat and ended and liueth yet miraculously through a singular and incomprehensible grace of Almighty GOD. Extracted out of the whole History o◅ this matter Imprinted at Francfor◅ by IOHN WECHE◅ the yeare 1587. I vnderstand that at this present there is a man at Auignon of 60. yeares of age that eates very sildome as once in fiue six ten weeke◅ or more Here-with agrees that which ALBERT writes how there was a womā which some-times went 20. nay many times 30. daies together without eating He saith likewise that he had seene a melancholy man which liued seuen weekes without eating or drinking any thing but euery other day a little water It is reported by graue and reuerent persons that a Maid was seene in Spaine which neuer eate any thing and entertained her life onely with drinking water being two and twenty yeares old Diuers haue seene a girle in Languedo◅ which continued three yeares together without eating And we know by that which certaine good and learned personages haue written of it that there was another at Spyre in Germanie which liued as many yeares with-out any other meate or drinke then the ayre WILLIAM RONDOLETIVS affirmes the like and saith that he hath seene another which in the same manner attained to the age of ten yeares who afterwards was maried and had Children IOHN BOCCACE writes of a dutch-Dutch-woman that liued thirty yeares without meate PETER ALBANO tells of a Norman that eate nothing in eighteene yeares and of another that went sixe and thirty yeares without meate It is held for certaine that a Priest at Rome liued fortie yeares with the onely inspiration of the aire it being well obserued vnder the custody of LEO the tenth and of diuers Princes and faithfully testified by HERMALAO BARBARO ALLEXANDER BENIVENIVS reports of an Italian that he fasted forty daies togither in the Citty of Venice L. IOVBERT in the 2. paradoxe of his first Decade and in the 2. booke of his popular errors aboute the ende Where hee addeth a notable discourse which I thought good to offer vnto the Reader I well fore-see sayth he that two sorts of people may be mooued either with the only subiect of these discourses touching such as haue liued without eating or of the proofes thereof The one is ignorant of naturall Phylosophy and Physick persons to bee reuerenced for their simplicity and piety as the common people and al those that apply not their studie to examine the causes of each thing The other is diabolicall persecuting that with most impudent stander which they knowe to bee well spoken I will not stand vpon these because they attend not the explication of my speech but with their poyson infect and depraue all that is receiued by their impure thoughts As for the rest mee thinkes it is conuenient I should satisfie them with all sincerity I see then this obiection readie to be vrged against me The fasts of forty daies which IESVS CHRIST ELIAS and MOYSES haue sustayned as the holy Scriptures do testifie should no longer be held for miracles if by any naturall reason one could endure to fast many moneths and yeares tog◅ther Certainely it were true if we did not acknowledge that it was so giuen against the Lawes of nature to men in perfect health through a certaine priuiledge as wee religiously beleeue For exemption from the infirmity of the flesh was Diuinely granted to them for a time insomuch that their condition at this time was other then the condition of mankinde But those which as wee learne out of prophane Histories haue liued certaine yeares without eating if their report bee true it must needes bee that those persons were all vnhealthy and full of much cold iuce wherwith the bodie might be nourished a long time For by that which
night all the baggage of his foote-men stayed by a wood side in the Reere of his Men at Armes where the Gun-carts and seruants made all things ready thinking they should haue camped there making aboue 4000 Fyres not seeing the Prince retyre by reason of the night Some of the Duke of Anious Army set to incounter the Prince seeing this great number of fires thought certainely that it was the Princes Army and that they should haue battle the next day which made them the more carefull to fortefie their Campe Captaine GARIES offered to go and descouer what it was but they wold not hazard any thing against these braue souldiers who talked song and made great cheare about their Fires without any apprehension at all they left feare to the others who imagined that which was not History of our Time About six and twenty yeares since there was a false brute of the comming of the Turkes Armie to inuade Austria so as both Cittizens and Country men without knowing the Author tooke a strange alarum saying one vnto another that the Turke approched with so many thousand men and had no more to doe but to enter into the Country The feare was so great as all abandoning their Houses Villages and Townes began to dislodge in great troupes with their Wiues and childrē some on horse-backe others in Cartes and the most part on foote running as fast as the could to Townes and places of strength in such great hast as many children falling to the ground were there miserably slaine vnder the Horse feete and the Cart-wheeles running with all speed The Barronesse of Rosestin an honourable Lady and of singular piety hath tolde mee that her husband beeing then at Lints the Captaine of the Castle of Schallenbourg seated vpon the side of a rocke where as shee then was aduertised her that manie troupes of Men Women and Children came running thether ward Shee putting her head out at a windowe and seeing these poore people runne like scattered sheepe sent one of her seruants on horse-backe vnto them to knowe the cause of this amazement Beeing returned hee sayd that all these poore people did assure him that the Turkish squadrons were verie neere at their heeles Vpon this report the Baronesse receiued all them that fled so as the Castell the base Court and the ditches were all verie full with them This sodaine feare did runne from Vienna vnto Lints which is about some thirtie howers iorney The trumpet of Lints that stoode in a watch Tower which descouered a farre of gaue the Alarum as if the Turkes had beene hard euen at hand so as all they of the Towne ranne presently vnto their armes But beeing soone after knowne that it was a troupe of Hungarian Oxen which had raysed a great dust euery man retired and those that had fled beeing dispersed in diuers places recouering their spirits by little and little returned home to their houses M. IAMES HOST a Physition in his History of the golden tooth of a Child in Silesia In the yeare 1592. an other feare did shake all the Cittie of Labac the chee◅e Cittie of Carnia some one hauing reported that a mightie Turkish armie approched so neere as without anie worde speaking all both young and olde great and small beganne to take an alarume and to trusse vp their baggage making vp their packes and lading of Cartes with the best stuffe they had the poorer sort carried what they could vpon their shoulders and Women bare theyr yong children in theyr armes and the bigger they ledde in their handes The streetes did eccho againe with sighes lamentations and miserable cries mingled with a strange confused noyse through-out all the Cittye To conclude it was a pittifull spectacle So as the newes continuing and remayning still that the Turkes approched and drewe nere there was nothing to bee expected but a horrible flight of all in generall with such blinde disorder and tumultuous violence as in the presse of the people of Horses and Carts many Children and some Women lost their liues beeing smothered this feare continued 3. daies being impossible to assure and bring backe them that fled who in the end otherwise perswaded by diuers Aduertisements and Messages returned to their howses The same Author ALDANA a Spanish Captaine Lieutenant to King FERDINAND in Transiluania fearing least MAHOMET BASSA of BVDA should come and beseege him in Lippe was so surprised with this Feare as he resolued to ruine both the Towne and the Castle Two Men at Armes beeing sent to descouer hauing heard noe newes of the BASSA comming neere the place began to runne their Horses to g◅ue him notice that there was no cause of Feare They were followed by a great Troope of Cattle ALDANA imagining and thinking that it was the Turkish Armye before the which the two Men at Armes did flie hauing not the patience to attend and staye for theyr comming transported with great feare hee set fire to a trayne of Gun-powder which did ouerthrowe the Castle the Towers and brake the Cannon to the great griefe of his souldiars condemning his basenes which done hee fled into Transiluania The BASSA seazed presently vpon the ruines and of a Castle that was inexpugnable called Soliman abandoned by these amazed Christians whome hee followed with such speede as he ouertooke them and cut them in peeces Then hauing seised vpon Transiluania hee made it subiect to the yoake ALDANA beeing imprisoned and conuicted of base cowardise was condemned to loose his head but by the intercession of MARY Queene of Bohemia Daughter to CHARLES the 5. wife to MAXIMILIAN the 2. his life was saued ASCANIVS CENTORIVS lib. 5. 6. of his Commentary of the Warres of Transiluania SOLIMAN the Turke hauing beseeged Vienna in Austria the 26 day of September in the yeare 1529. the beseeged made a salley of 8000. Men the sixt of October with an intent to chase the Enemy out of the sub-urbes and to blowe vp their Mynes They chased awaye the Turkes that were towards the Castle-gate and cut many in peeces that were neere the Towre of Carinthia Beeing ready to proceed further aduancing couragiously one cryed with a loud voice that the should retire put them-selues in battle This crie did put the souldiers into such a sodaine feare as they beganne to leaue theyr rankes and to flye towardes the Citty in such disorder as some thrust violently by the rest fell into the Ditches and Trenches where-as many were hurt and slaine with their owne Armes Captaine WOLFGANG HAG seeking to rally his Souldiers againe together and put them in minde of the valour of the ancient Germaines was compassed in by the Turkes and abandoned by his owne men died fighting Historie of the siege of Vienna AVSVN a Gentleman of Gaseonie valiant and of great experience in Warre of whome they had made such esteeme in Piedmont as his prowesse was commended of all men being at the Battaile of Dreux in the first ciuill Warres in the
the best of al the Country of the Cantons The scituation of it was on the side of a hill lying East and West in so fertile a place that they had continually 3. crops in a yeare of one peece of groūd There was not any poore or beggar amongst them but euery one euen to the meanest liued honestly by that that he had and his owne labor beeing simple people industrious and estranged from the euill practises of vsury strifes in Law according to the testimony of al their neighbors It is reported the ruine was so suddaine that no Canon can sooner discharge a shot thē al this was executed Diuers haue testified that a farre off they sawe some 20. persons the most parte women and Children that running downe the hill for to saue themselues were in a moment ouertaken beaten downe and couered ouer with earth There were some among them but the greater part women and children because the men were most of them at worke in the field Amidst this visitation GOD vsed such mercy that there was not any house wherin remained not some one man or child aliue Besides the terrible noise which the earth made rouling along with a mixture of haile stones flying in the aire a great sort of sparks of fire were seene a grosse thick Cloude whence issued an exceeding filthy smell of sulphure At last this inundation of earth stayed it selfe against 2. houses that ioyned togither which were couered vp halfe way the walles without any further harme besides the which there remaines 7. or 8. other houses with as many Granges and a few barnes Extractedout of the Annotations and Obseruations vpon I. du CHESNES great Mirror of the world On the fift day of September beeing Saterday 1590. according to the ancient computation and an houre before Sunne set the earth began to shake in Austria Morauia Bohemia Misnia Silesia and Lusatia But a little after to witte betweene twelue and one of the clock at midnight this Earth-quake began againe thorow all the Prouinces aforesaid with a meruailous shaking and most of all in Vienna the capitall Cittie of the Arch-dutchy of Austria where the toppe of the great steeple of Saint Stephens Church was so shaken that a number of mighty huge stones fell downe from it vpon the roofe of the Church and the whole frame of the said steeple was moued with such vehemencie that they were faine to new repaire it Another steeple by it wherein hangs one of the greatest Bels in Europe was like-wise shaken Not farre from the Scottish gate the Steeple of a Church was ouer-throwne and the Church it selfe was so cleft in sunder that they were forced to take it downe It happened at the same time that a certaine Butcher which vsed to lye a nights in his stall fast by that Scottish gate vpon a suddaine felt his stall beaten downe with the stones that tumbled on it in very great aboundance without receiuing any hurt or so much as once touched with those stones in any part of his body Contrarilye the Sunne an Inne in the Citty was dashed all to peeces with the fall of a steeple that stood by it And diuers persons were brained namely the Mistresse of the house her Daughter and Mother two rich Merchants that had fiue thousand Crownes in gold found about them the Poste of Lintz and three other men whose bodies at length were drawne forth from vnder the ruines Besides this Saint Michels steeple a Church of the Iesuits and the pinacles of Saint Laurence and Saint Iohns Churches fell downe There was neither building bulwarke Church nor house within the walles of Vienna which was not shaken crakt broken or in some sort damnified by this earth-quake All the inhabitants got them out of the Citty with all speede and went into gardens and other voyde open places In a village not farre from Vienna called Hernalsi the Church and diuers houses fell downe Asmuch happened in the towne of Oula another village named Siegeitzkirchen had the Church the parsonage house and the walles of the Church-yard ouerthowen Pixendorf another village was quite and cleane cast downe In like manner Pfasfensted the Castle of Iudenow newe builded from the ground but three yeares before and another called Sitzberg were so shaken that no body durst dwell in them a long time after In other places diuers persons were hurt and killed with the ruines of houses Two miles from Vienna a Mill that stood on the water was hoisted vp and throwne a good way of vpon the dry Land and a great sorte of fish were cast vp on the banks of the same riuer A little beneath Vienna the ground opened whence issued such a stinking pestilent vapor that the inhabitants about it were not able to endure it The ouerture was foure foote broade very long and so deepe that it could not bee sounded In Morauia Bohemia and other Countries adioyning this earth-quake continued many daies but not altogither so violent I. HEDERY in his oration of the earth-quake in Austria It is obserued that this terrible earth-quake which killed well neere all the garrison in the Castle of Canisium in Hungary fell vpon the verie same day that Pope VREAN the seauenth was elected who held the Romaine Sea but ten dayes D. CHYTREVS in his Chronicle of Saxony pag. 872. Of Valour THE number of valiant men in our time and of their braue explots is verie greate The following volumes shall ◅urnish diuers examples here we will note some with an intent not to forget the rest for the present we offer a medley of histories A Portugall Ladie being imbarked in the yeare 1520. with two of her Brethren called IOHN and ARIAS COCILLO and a fisherman named ANTHONY GRIMALDI conducted in a Caruel by certaine marriners being at sea they were set vpon by a fregat of Pirats eight whereof hauing grappeled with the Caruell leaped into them But IOHN ARIAS and ANTHONY runne and defend themselues in such sort as they kill foure of the Assaylants and force the rest to retire with more speede then they had entred In the meane time the Marriners goe on their course and leaue the fregate farre behinde them The Pirats vnderstanding by them that were escaped that there were but three Combatants in the Caruell and that the rest were but women and Marryners they beganne to rowe vp withall their force and graple againe with the Caruell then sixeteene of them well armed leape in by the prowe the two Brethren make head against them with great resolution ANTHONY ioynes with them hauing no other armes but a hatchet in his right hand and a Marriners wasecoate about his left arme The incounter was very sharpe and had beene greater if their number had beene equall In the end the Pirats hauing lost most of their men retire with the remainder into their frigate Whilest they were thus in fight some of the Pirats leaped in by the Poupe but they were repulsed by the Marriners
calles a Page of his a Polonian borne commands him expresly to carrie them to Marquis ALBERT and not to deliuer them to any other then to him-selfe The Page desirous to execute his Princes commande prouides for his departure But as hee would haue gone to horse-backe an other page playing with him and handling his Pistoll shot it of vnaduisedly and slue the Polonian Page He was sercht and the letters which hee had about him carried backe by the which the Princes intention was descouered to his Councellers they let him vnderstand what had happened and the stay which it seemed GOD had sent Wherevpon he changed his opynion and followed other expedients pardoning the ill aduised Page who had killed the other vnawares This happened in the yeare 1541. CAMERARIVS Chap. 92. of his Historicall meditations Wormes in mans body THE sonne of a Butcher called LAVVRENCE seuen yeares olde being sicke of Wormes which tormented him continued three dayes as one dead receiuing no sustenance but drinke made with Grasse Water with Vinegar and Sugar The fourth day they made him to take a potion of Aloes Mirrhe and Saffron which made him to voide by the siege an hundred fortye and eight Wormes which done hee recouered his health BENIVENIVS Chap. 85. Of hidden causes I haue knowne a woman aboue forty yeares old who who was oft troubled with great paine in her stomacke with-all shee had no appetite but had a great desire to cast hauing vsed the confection called Hierapigra shee voided about forty great Wormes DODONEVS in his Obseruations vpon the 85. Chap. I had a sick olde man in cure being about 82. yeares old and not knowing at the first sight his infirmitie comming neere vnto him I found his breath to bee very vnsauorie like vnto young Children that are troubled with Wormes I resolued therefore to Phisicke him as one that was full of such filthe Then hee seemed as one dead and the Duke of Ferrarares Steward had commanded that they should prepare all that was necessary for the funerals of that man I caused him to take a drinke fitte for that disease in the which there was Scordium and Sea Mosse by meanes whereof hee discharged him-selfe of aboue fiue hundred Wormes and was cured This was a casuall cure for I should neuer haue thought that a decrepit olde man should haue beene toucht with that disease BRASAVOLE in his Coment vpon the 26. Aphorisme of the 3. Booke of HIPPOCRATES A young Maide a Candiot continued eight dayes without speaking and her eyes open who hauing voided two and forty wormes with out any excrements was cured ALEXANDER BENEDICTVS In the yeare 1545. I did see a certaine Gentlewoman who in few dayes put forth a thousand wormes and in the space of foure houres foure hundred some dead some aliue after the which she was well P. PAVL PEREDA in the 1. Booke of the cure of diseases Chap. 5. I haue seene a sicke body which at one time did voyde by the siege a hundred seuentie and seuen Wormes GABVCIN Chap. 13. in his Commentarie of the Lungs Doctor MANVEL BETVLEIVS had a little boye foure yeares old called SIXTVS the which was troubled with a great and extraordinary â—…euer with a paine in his head a cough a great alteration a shaking in his sleepe and a crying out which made me say that he was full of Wormes So as hauing made him drinke a Decoction of Tanecete three mornings together hee cast aboue a hundred Wormes a foote long a peece and was sodenly cured of his feuer and all other accidents WECKER in his Obseruations A young Maiden hauing cast a great round Worme her Father ript it and found it full of other Wormes The Maide being full of this Vermine dyed within few dayes AMATVS a Portugall in the 5. Centurie Cure 46. A young Boye foure yeares olde much tormented with wormes after many remedies voyded by the seege a round bladder like a Ball. The Mother opening it in the presence of others found inclosed in it many thousands of little wormes The Childe being carefully lookt vnto was soone after recouered In the 2. Centurie Cure 40. I haue seene a Ball full of Wormes tyed one vnto another so as at the first sight you would haue thought they had beene but one The same It is wonderfull what ERASMVS reports in a certaine Oration of his made in the praise of Phisicke Hee saith that hee had seene an Italian who had neuer beene in Germanie nor seene any Booke or man of that Nation or any one that vnderstood it and yet hee spake the Germaine tongue well so as they thought hee had a spirit Hauing beene Phisicked by a learned Phisition and by the meanes of a drinke discharged of a great number of Wormes hee was cured of his infirmitie but hee neyther spake nor vnderstood any more the Germaine tongue CARDAN liber 8. Chap. 43. Of the Diuersitie of Things I haue seene Children so tormented with Wormes as they suffered strange convulsions and so violent as they held them almost from the heele to the head TRINCAVEL lib. 9. Chap. 11. Of the reason of curing the affected parts of mans body IHON BAPTISTA CAVALAIRE a learned Physition hath protested vnto me that hee had seene Wormes come out of the Nauell of a Childe of three yeare olde OMNIBONVS liber 4. Chap. 13. In the Treatise of the cure of children Maister PETER BARQVE a Surgion of the French bands and CLAVDE le GRANDE a Surgion remaining at Verdun haue assured me that they had a woman in cure called GRAS BONNET dwelling in the same place who had an Impostume in her belly out of the which there came with the matter a great number of Wormes as biggeas a mans finger with sharpe heads the which had eate her intrailes so as for many dayes shee voyded fâ—…cale matter by the vlcer and in the end was cured Maister AMB. PARH lib. 19. Cap. 3. A Woman of Delft forty yeares olde being gone seuen moneths with childe fell into a Feuer with other troublesome accidents so as in the end she had an ouerture in her belly out of the which there came namely by her Nauill a yealow and stinking matter like to the ordinarie excrementes In the ende the 19 of September 1579. a Worme being a foote and a halfe long came forth at her Nauill Two dayes after shee cast forth another that was greater Her Feuer encreased the first of October so as I feared shee would bee deliuered before her time The third of the same moneth came forth a third Worme by the Nauill the which was lesse then the former The 15. of October shee was brought in bedde of a Sonne and seuen dayes after shee voyded a fourth Worme at her Nauill and the 24 of October a fiâ—…t as great as the first And for that shee was not carefully lookâ—… vnto by reason of her pouerty and base condition shee languished some moneths before she could recouer her health PETER FOREST liber 7.
cholerick humor with the which shee voyded three Wormes the which were wolley and like in forme colour length and greatnesse to Catter-pillers but that they were blacke the which afterwards laye eight dayes and more with-out any norrishment They were brought by the Barber of Saint Maur to Mounsier MILOT Doctor and reader in the Physick schooles who then had the sayd CHARTIER in cure and shewed them to me to many others AMB. PARE Booke 24. Chap. 16. Let vs adde some Histories of wormes comming forth in diuers partes of mans bodie to shewevs more plainly our miserable vanity Hauing a soldiar in cure in Piedmont who had beene foote-man to Mounsier de Goulaines deceased and had beene hurt with a sword vpon the parietall boane after some weekes dressing him I did see a number of wormes come from vnder this rotten boane by certaine hoales in the rottenes which made me vse the more speede to drawe out and raise the sayd boane the which did shake long before and vpon the Duramater I found where nature had ingendred 3. hollowe places in the flesh to put in ones Thombe full of moouing and crawling wormes euery one of the which was about the bignesse of a points tagge hauing blacke heads â—…MB PARE Booke 9. Chap. 22. Manie learned Physitions of our time and amongest the rest I. HOVLIER in the first booke of inward diseases Chap. 1. L. IOVBERT Cap. 9 in his treatise of wounds in the head MONTVVS and VEGA hold that many times wormes are seene in the braine of diuers men as also in other partes of the bodie BALTHAZAR CONRADIN Chap. 10. Of his booke of the Pestylent feuer in Hungary writes that hee had seene wormes comming out of diuers partes of bodies toucht with the sayd feuer and some of a good length which tooke their issue by the eares the which of necessity bred in the Ventricles of the braine And therefore the Hungarians in diuers places did tearme this feuer the worme of the braine COR. GEMMA in the Apendix of his Cosmocritia makes mention of a woman in the Lowe Countries who being dead of a pestilent Ague they opened her head where there was found a great quantity of stinking matter about the substance of the braine with an incredible number of little wormes and punaises I. HOVLIER writes in his practise that hee had giuen Physicke to an Italian that was tormented with an extreame paine in his head whereof hee died And hauing caused him to be opened there was found in the substance of the braine a beast like vnto a Scorpion the which as HOVLIER thinkes was ingendred for that this Italian had continually carried and smelt of the herbe called Baselisk A young girle about eight yeares of age beeing fallen into a very great trance remained seauen daies without speaking feeling or with any moouing breathing stronglie and taking no norrishment but some broth or decoction of pourpie The Mother seeing her Daughter so violently toucht in the head gaue her a suppositarie which drewe from her by the seege two and fortie wormes wrethed togither like to a bowle whereby the Childe was cured ALEX BENEDICT Booke 1. Chap. 26. of the cure of diseases A little Sonne of mine three yeares olde called IOHN CONRARD beeing fallen into a verie troublesome trance and presently helpt with Treacle and Vinager applyed to his mouth and nostrills being a sleepe and afterwards awake wee found in the sheete wherein hee was wrapt a worme which had a sharpe mussell markt with redde hairie and crawling in the clothes I. SCHENCK in his Obseruation Booke 1. section 242. It happened to a young Childe of three yeares olde which was very well this wonderfull and memorable alteration which followes As she was playing by certaine women there beganne sodenly to appeere in the great corner of the eye within it the head of a worme whose bodie almost couered the eye The woman being amazed drewe neere and one of them did gently drawe out this worme which was aliue and long as an ordynarie point and some-what bigge without any hurt to the string or that the comming of it forth had any way offended the eye AMATVS a Portugall Centur. 5. Cure 63. I haue seene come forth at a young mans eares that was tormented with a violent feuer three wormes like to the kirnells of Pyne-aples and some-what bigger VELASQVE Booke 4. Chap. 30. FERNELIVS Booke 5. Chap. 7. of his Pathologia writes of a soldiar who was so flat nozed as hee could not blowe it so as of the excrement which was retained and putrefied there ingendred two wormes which were wolley and had hornes of the bignesse of halfe a finger the which were the cause of his death after that hee had beene madde for the space of twentie daies AMB. PARE Booke 19. Chap. 3. In the yeare 1561. the fifth of Maie a young woman giuing suck to her boye but sixe monthes olde stooping to tie her shoe shee voided belowe a little beast as bigge as a Caterpiller and hideous to behold It liued three daies beeing fedde with milke Beeing dead it was found full of cholericke matter greene and venimous especially about the head The young woman felt no discommodity after this voyding The Sonne of one named IOHN MICHELLACH dwelling at Metz did voide at his fundement very haire I did see one of thirtie and three yeares of age Sonne to N. ROCKELFINGER who in pissing voyded little wormes which did crawle like vnto those that breede in rotten cheese but they had blacke heads I haue seene others that had wormes comming out at their eares A certaine Gentleman named CAPELLE hauing beene so wretched and wicked as to beate his Father fell sicke and had wormes come out at his eyes A woman of Dusseldorp hauing beene very sicke for a long time in the ende a certaine Impostume growing vpon her bellie aboue her flanke it brake by wormes which were ingendred therein out of the which there came a great number black and reddish R. SOLENANDER in the 5. section of his Physicall Councells in the 15. Councell art 2. 3. 4. 24. In burning feuers especially in those that be contagious and pestilent we see that diseases cast forth wormes by the taile and other beasts of horrible and strange shapes Of late a poore woman a widowe of Reinspourg hauing beene long tormented with a cough a shortnesse of breath and a paine at her heart and head in the ende after diuers remedies shee tooke the quintessence of Turbithe which I gaue her by meanes whereof after that she had beene discharged of certaine vicious excrements she voided by the seege a liue Lizard and then shee was cured I doe not speake of a number of frogges which PAVL FISCHER studying in the Colledge of the Abbaye of Saint Esmeran did voide hauing beene long tormented with strange paine at his stomake But after this discharge hee was very well MARTIN RVLAND a Physition in his opinion touching the golden tooth of the Childin