such men as used to walk and perform other strange things in their sleep 592 Chap. 17. Of the long sleeps of some and of others that have been able to subsist for Months and Years without it or were difficultly brought to it 594 Chap. 18. Of such as have fallen into Trances and Ecstasies and their manner of Behaviour therein 595 Chap. 19. Of extraordinary things in the Bodies Fortunes Death of divers persons c. 598 Chap. 20. Of matters of Importance and high Designs either promoted or made to miscarry by small matters or strange accidents 600 Chap. 21. Of such as have framed themselves to an Imitation of their Superiours or others with the force of Example in divers things 601 Chap. 22. Of the Authority of some persons amongst their Soldiers and Countreymen and Seditions appeased by them divers ways 603 Chap. 23. Of such Princes and Persons as have been fortunate in the finding of hid Treasures and others that were deluded in the like expectation 604 Chap. 24. Of the Election and Inauguration of Princes in several places and Nations 605 Chap. 25. Of the Games and Plays of sundry Nations by whom they were instituted and when 607 Chap. 26. Of such Persons as have made their Appeals to God in case of Injury and Injustice from man and what hath followed thereupon 608 Chap. 27. Of the apparition of Demons and Spectres and with what courage some have endured the sight of them 611 Chep 28. Of the Imprecations of some men upon themselves or others and how they have accordingly come upon them 614 Chap. 29. Of the Error and Mistakes of some men and what hath fallen out thereupon 615 Chap. 30. Of Retaliation and of such as have suffered by their own devices 620 Chap. 31. Of such persons as have been extremely beloved by several Creatures as Beasts Birds Fishes Serpents c. 622 Chap. 32. Of the extraordinary honours done to some great persons in their life-time or at their death 624 Chap. 33. Of the strange and different ways whereby some persons have been saved from death 626 Chap. 34. Of such persons as have taken Poyson and quantities of other dangerous things without damage thereby 629 Chap. 35. Of such as have been happily cured of divers very dangerous Diseases and Wounds c. 630 Chap. 36. Of Stratagems in War for the amusing and defeating of the Enemy and taking of Cities c. 633 Chap. 37. Of the secret ways of Dispatch and the delivery of Messages by Letters Cyphers and other ways 637 Chap. 38. Of the sad Condition and deplorable Distresses of some men by Sea and Land 638 Chap. 39. Of Conscience the Force and Aesfects of it in some men 643 Chap. 40. Of Banishment and the sorts and manner of it amongst the Ancients c. 645 Chap. 41. Of the wise Speeches Sayings and Replies of several Persons 646 Chap. 52. Of such persons as were the first Leaders in divers things 647 Chap. 43. Of the witty Speeches or Replies suddenly made by some persons 659 Chap. 44. Of Recreations some men have delighted in or addicted themselves unto at leisure hours or that they have been immoderate in the use of 651 Chap. 45. Of such People and Nations as have been scourged and afflicted by small and contemptible things or by Beasts Birds Insects and the like 652 Imprimatur June 25. 1677. Guil. Jane R. P. D. Hen. Episc. Lond. a Sacris Dom. THE WONDERS Of the little WORLD Or a General and Complete HISTORY of MAN BOOK I. CHAP. I. Of such Infants as have been heard to cry while they were in the Womb of their Mothers THat which Mr. Beaumont wrote in his Elegy upon the Lady Rutland may very well be pronounc'd upon every of the Sons and Daughters of Men. But thou had'st e're thou cam'st to use of tears Sorrow laid up against thou cam'st to years So true is that of the sacred Oracle Man is born to trouble It seems trouble is his proper Inheritance and that as soon as he enters into Life he is of Age sufficient to enter upon the troubles of it also Yet as if this were somewhat with the latest there are some who seem even to anticipate their birth-right and as if the World was not wide enough to afford them their full measure of sorrow they begin their lamentations in the Womb. Or whether it is that provident Nature would have them to practise there in the dark what they shall afterwards seldome want occasion for so long as they enjoy the light The Histories of such little Prisoners as have been heard to cry in their close Apartments take as followeth 1. A poor Woman in Holland being great with child and near unto the time of her delivery the child in her Womb for the space of fifteen days before that of her Travail was heard almost continually to cry and lament many worthy persons went daily to hear so great a novelty and have testified upon their own knowledge the unquestionable verity of it 2. When I was of late at Argentina with my Brother saith Leonardus Doldius it was credibly reported that the Wife of a Taylor in that Neighbour-hood together with divers others did hear the child cry in her Womb some days before the time of her Travail He adds to this the History of another in Rotenburgh 3. In our Town saith he Anno 1596. November 12. which was the forty second day before the Birth the Parents heard the cry of their Daughter in the Womb once and the day following twice the Mother died in Travail the Daughter is yet alive 4. Anno 1632. In the Town of Wittenberg on the Calends of March there was a Woman who had been big with child more then eleven Months This Woman together with her Husband have sometimes heard the child cry before she was deliver'd of it which she was afterwards very happily 5. I my self together with the Learned Salmasius will be witnesses of such like cryings in the Womb I liv'd 1640. in Belgia when it was commonly affirmed of a Woman near Vessalia who then had gone three years entire big with a child that that child of hers was heard so to cry by many persons worthy of credit 6. A noble Person at Leyden used to tell of her Brother's Wife that lying in Bed with her Husband near her time she heard the child cry in her Womb amaz'd with which she awakened her Husband who put his head within the cloaths and listening did also hear the same the Woman was so affrighted that few days after she fell in Travail 7. Anno 1648. Thâ—re was a Woman the Wife of a Seaman near to the Church of Holmiana who had been big for eight Months she was of a good habit of body and not old this Woman upon the Eve of Christmas-day upon the Calends of the year following and in Epiphany all those several times heard the child that was in her Womb who
Lusitanus hath set down the History of a Woman of mean fortune and sixteen years of Age who being with child and the time of her Travail come could not be delivered by reason of the narrowness of her Womb the Chirurgions advised section which they said was ordinary in such cases but she refused it the dead child therefore putrefied in her Womb after three years the smaller bones of it came from her and so by little and little for ten years together there came forth pieces of corrupted flesh and fragments of the skull at last in the twelfth year there issued out piece-meal the greater bones her belly fell and after some years she conceived again and was happily delivered of a living boy 5. Marcellus Donatus relates a History for the truth of which he cites the testimony of Hippolitus Genifortus a Chirurgion and Iosephus Araneus a Physician and it was thus Paula the Wife of Mr. Naso an Inn-keeper in the street of Pont Merlane in Mantua having carried a dead child of five Months Age much longer in her Womb by a continued collection of sanâ—ous matter in her Womb not without a Fever she at last was exceedingly wasted and consumed At which time by way of siege she voided certain little bones which gave her a great deal of pain these she gather'd cleansed and shew'd them to Gemfortus who soon discover'd them to be the bones of a young child when this was related to me I could not believe till such time as I asked the Woman her self who confirm'd the truth of it by an Oath and sâ—ew'd me divers of the bones which she kept amongst Rose leaves nor did she cease voiding them in this manner for months and years till she was this way quit of very many of them certainly a most wonderful operation of Nature this was and that she sometimes works in this manner is easily prov'd by other Histories CHAP. III. Of such Women whose Children have been petrified and turn'd to Stone in their Wombs and the like found in dead bodies or some parts of them WHen Cato had seen Caesar victorious though at that time the Invader of the Common-wealth and the great Pompey overcome and overwhelm'd who as the Guardian of his endanger'd Countrey had undertaken her protection when he saw on the one side successful villany and on the other afflicted virtue he is said to have cry'd out in a deep astonishment well there is much of obscurity in divine matters As God Almighty hath the ways of his providence in the deep so Nature his hand-maid hath many of her paths in the dark and by secret ways of operation brings to pass things so strange and uncouth to humane reason and expectation that even such as have been long of her Privy Counsel have stood at gaze at and made open confession of their ignorance by their admiration I take that for a Fable which Ovid tells befel Niobe through excess of grief for the Death of her Children Stiff grew she by these ills no gentle Air Doth longer move the soft curles of her Hair Her pale Cheâ—ks have no blood her once bright Eyes Are fix'd and set in liveless Statue wise Her Tongue within her hardned mouth upseal'd Her Veins did cease to move her Neck congeal'd Her Arms all motionless her foot can't go And all her Bowels into hard Stone grow And yet there have been some Women who in themselves have experienced but too much of the verity of this last Verse such was 1. Columba Chatry a Woman of Sens in Burgundy she was Wife to Ludovicus Chatry this Woman by the report of Monsieur Iohn Alibaux an eminent Physician and who also was present at the disseâ—tion of her went twenty eight years with a dead child in her Womb when she was dead and her belly opened there was found a Stone having all the limbs and exact proportion of a child of nine months old The slimy matter of the childs body saith one upon this occasion having an aptitude by the extraordinary heat of the matrix to be hardned might retain the same lineaments which it had before This child was thus found Anno Dom. 1582. Sennertus confesses this accident so rare that it was the only instance in its kind that he ever met with at least to his remembrance in the whole History of Physick 2. Because I foresee I am not like to meet with many more such instances as that I but now mention'd I shall therefore set down under this head a History which is very near unto it It was communicated by Claudius a Sancto Mauritio in one of his Letters and thus related by Gregorius Horstius On the 25. of Ianuary in this present year there fell out a marvellous thing to us In the dissection of a Woman of about thirty seven years of Age we found her Womb all turn'd to stone of the weight of seven pound her Liver upon the one lobe of it had a cartilaginous Coat or Tunicle about it her Spleen was globular her Bladder stony and she had a Peritonaeum so very hard that scarce could it be cut with a knife the view of all which occasioned our wonder which way the Spirits should be convey'd throughout the whole Body and by what means it came to pass that this Woman liv'd so long and that too without any manifest sign of sickness all her life time as far as could be observ'd 3. I can for certain affirm thus much saith Heurnius that I have seen at Padua the breast of a Woman which was also turn'd into stone and that was done by this means as she lay dead that breast of hers lay cover'd in the Water of a certain Spring there 4. Pompilius Placentinus gives us the History of a Venetian Woman who being done to death by a poison'd Apple when dead she grew so stiff and congealed that she seem'd to be transform'd into a Statue of Stone nor could they cut open her belly by knife or Sword 5. Not far from Tybar which is a City of the Sabines runs the River Anien on the Sands of which are found Almonds the seeds of Fennel and Anise and divers other things that are turned into Stone whereof I my self was an eye-witness when some years agone I travel'd that way A while since there was found the body of a Man that was kill'd and cast into this River Anien he lay close at the root of a Tree that grew upon the Bank-side and the Carkass having there rested a considerable time unputrefied when it was found and taken up it was turned into stone Titus Celsus a Patritian of Rome told this unto Iacobus Boissardus affirming that he himself had seen it This River arises from cold Sulphureous veins derived from Subterranean metals and by a kind of natural virtue it consolidates and agglutinates all kind of bodies such as sticks and leaves and passing over more solid bodies it by degrees wraps them
about with a stony bark CHAP. IV. Of such persons as have made their entrance into the World in a different manner from the rest of mankind MIlle modis morimur uno tantum nascimur saith Tully we die a thousand ways but we are born but one But certainly as there is a marvellous diversity of accidents through which Man arrives to his last end So also curious Nature hath in a various manner sported her self in the birth of some And howsoever she brings most of us into the World as it were in a common Road yet hath she also her by-paths and ever and anon singles out some whom she will have to be her Heteroclites and so many exceptions from the general rule 1. Zoroastres was the only Man that ever we could hear of that laughed the same day wherein he was born his brain also did so evidently pant and beat that it would bear up their hands that laid them upon his head An evident presage saith Pliny of the great Learning which he afterwards attained unto 2. M. Tullius Cicero is said to have been brought into the World by his Mother Helvia upon the third of the Nones of Ianuary without any of those pains that are usual in child-bearing 3. Such as were born into the World with their feet forward the Latines were wont to call Agrippae and Agripina saith Pliny hath left in writing that her Son Nero the late Emperour who all the time of his Reign was a very enemy to mankind was born with his feet forwards 4. Some children are born into the World with Teeth as M. Curius who thereupon was sirnamed Dentatus and Cn. Papyrius Carbo both of them great Men and right honourable Personages In Women it was look'd upon as of ill presage especially in the days of the Kings of Rome for when Valeria was born toothed the Soothsayers being consulted answered that look into what City she was carried to Nurse she should be the cause of the ruine and subversion of it Whereupon she was conveyed to Suessa Pomeria a City at that time most flourishing in Wealth and Riches and it proved most true in the end for that City was utterly destroyed 5. Some are cut out of their Mothers Womb such was Scipio Affricanus the former so also the first of those who had the sirname of Caesar thus saith Schenckius was that Manilius born who entred Carthage with an Army and so saith Heylen was that Mackduffe Earl of Fife who slew Mackbeth the usurping King of Scotlaâ—d and so Edward the Sixth of England 6. Anno 959. Buchardus Earl of Lintzgow Buchorn and Monfort a person of great bounty to the Poor chosen Abbot of Sangal and confirmed therein by Otho the Great was vulgarly call'd unborn because he was cut out of his Mothers Womb. 7. Gebhardus the Son of Otho Earl of Bregentz was cut out of his Mothers Womb and was consecrated Bishop of Conslantia Anno 1001. 8. I saw saith Horatius Augenius a poor Woman of a â—leshy and good habit of body who for nine months had an exulceration of the Ventricle and for twenty days space vomited up again all that she eat or drank as soon as she had taken it of this Disease she died and dissecting her womb we took out thence a living boy who by my direction had the name of Fortunatus given him at his Baptism and he is yet alive 9. I my self saith Cornelius Gemma have cut out of the Womb six living Children from six several persons 10. Amongst many strange examples appearing upon record in Chronicles we read of a Child in Saguntum that very year wherein it was forced and razed by Hanibal which so soon as it was come forth of the Mothers Womb presently returned into it again 11. Iohannes Dubravius hath observ'd of Lewis the Second King of Hungary and Bohemia that there were four things wherein he was over hasty That he became great in a very small time that he had a beard too soon that he had white hairs before he was past seventeen years of age and that he was over forward in his birth for he came into the World without any of that skin which is call'd Epidermis which yet he soon after got the Physiâ—ians lending their assistance to that which Nature had not time to finish he died in the 21. of his Age Anno 1526. August the 29. 12. When Spinola besieg'd the City of Bergopsoma a Woman who was near her count going out to draw water was taken off in the middle by a Cannon-bullet so that the lower part of her feâ—l into the water such as were by and beheld that misfortune ran to her and saw there a child moving it self in the bowels of the Mother they drew it forth and carried it into the Tents of Don Cordua kept it with all care being afterwards brought thence to Antwerp the Infanta Isabella caused it to be baptiz'd and gave it the name of Albertuâ— Ambrosius one of her Father's Captains 13. Anno 1647. Iacobus Egh in the City of Sarda in Bâ—lgia had a Bull which he fed tying him in a Close near his house but provok'd by the boys he brake his bonds and ran to the Cows the Herdsman endeavoured with his staff to return him to his former place the bull being incens'd with his blows ran upon him and with his horns bore him to the ground his Wife being now in the last month of her count seeing the danger of her Husband ran in to his assistance the bull with his horns hoisted her up into the Air the height of one story and tore the belly of the woman from the wound in her belly forthwith came the birth with its secundine and was thrown at some distance upon a soft place was carried home diligently look'd after by a Midwife and upon the first of September baptiz'd had his Fathers name given him and is yet alive the Man liv'd 36. hours the woman but 4. the bull was slain the day after by the command of the Magistrates 14. Gorgias a gallant Man of Epirus slipt from the Womb in the Funerals of his Mother and by his unexpected crying caused them to stand who carried the Bier affording thereby a new spectaâ—le to his Country having his birth and cradle in the Cossin of his Parent In one and the same moment a dead woman was deliver'd and the other was carried to the Grave before he was born 15. Fnâ—cho Arista the first King of Navarr being dead Garsias his Son succeeded who being one day in the Village of Larumbe was surprized â—y some Moorish Robbers assaulted and slain they wounded Vrracha his Queen in the Belly with a Lance the Thieves put to flight the Queen at the wound was deliver'd of a Son and died the child to all Mens wonder was safe and was nam'd Sancius Garsia he was well educated by a noble person prov'd a gallant Man and
many as shall seem displeased that I have so far concerned the Feminine Gender in the History of Man as to fetch many of my Examples from thence my reply is That under the notion of Man both Sexes are comprehended So that a History of Man according to my intention is no other than the History of Mankind not to say that there are divers Perfections and Vertues such as Beauty Modesty Chastity c. whereunto the weaker Sex may pretend so strong a Title that it would seem highly injurious as well as envious and over-partial to conceal those things which so eminently conduce to the honour of it I shall no longer detain my Reader after I have remembred him that the scarcity of Books and want of such Conversation as would have been very necessary for me in a business of this nature is the reason why I have not reached either my own desires or given that satisfaction to those of others which I could have wished All I can pretend to have done is somewhat to have marked out the way for some other of greater Abilities and more Leisure to restore and polish this part of Learning which is so worthy of any Man's pains and wherein when it is well performed there will be found such a considerable measure both of pleasure and profit THE CONTENTS The FIRST BOOK CHap. 1. Of such Infants as have been heard to cry while they were in the Womb of their Mothers Pag. 1 Chap. 2. Of such as have carried their dead Children in their Wombs for some Years 2 Chap. 3. Of such Women whose Children have been petrified and turned to Stone in their Wombs and the like found in dead Bodies or some parts of them 3 Chap. 4. Of such Persons as have made their Entrance into the World in a different manner from the rest of Mankind 4 Chap. 5. Of what Monsters some Women have been delivered and of Preternatural Births 5 Chap. 6. Of the Birth-day and what hath befallen some Men thereon Also of such other days as were observed fortunate or otherwise to several Persons 8 Chap. 7 Of the Signatures and Natural Marks upon the Bodies of some Men. 9 Chap. 8. Of the strange Constitution and marvellous Properties of some Humane Bodies 10 Chap. 9. Of Natural Antipathies in some Men to Flowers Fruits Flesh Physick and divers other things 11 Chap. 10. Of the marvellous Recompence of Nature in some Persons 14 Chap. 11. Of the Head and Skull and the unusual Structure of them in some Men. 16 Chap. 12. Of the Hair of the Head how worn and other Particularities about it 18 Chap. 13. Of the Beard and how worn by some Persons and Nations 19 Chap. 14. Of the Teeth with their different Number and Scituation in some 20 Chap. 15. Of the Tongue Voice and manner of Speech in several Persons 21 Chap 16. Of the Eye its shape and the strange liveliness and vigor of it in some 23 Chap. 17. Of the Face and Visage and admirable Beauty placed therein both in Men and Women 24 Chap. 18. Of the Majesty and Gravity in the Countenance and Behaviour of some Persons 26 Chap. 19. Of the signal Deformity and very mean Personage of some great Persons and others 29 Chap. 20. Of the great Resemblance and Likeness of some Men in Face Features c. to others 30 Chap. 21. Of the Heart and in what manner it hath been found in some Bodies 32 Chap. 22. Of Gyants and such as have exceeded the common proportion in Stature and Height 34 Chap. 23. Of Pigmeys and Dwarfs and Men much below the common height 36 Chap. 24. Of the mighty Force and Strength of some Persons 37 Chap. 25. Of the marvellous Fruitâ—ulness of some and what number of their Descendants they have lived to see Also of Superfaetation 40 Chap. 26. Of the strange Agility and Nimbleness of some and their wonderfâ—l Feats 42 Chap. 27. Of the extraordinary Swiftness and Footmanship of some Men. 44 Chap. 28. Of Men of Expedition in their Iourneys and quick dispatch in other Affairs 45 Chap. 29. Of the Fatness and Unwieldiness of some Men and the lightness of the Bodies of others 46 Chap. 30. Of the Longaevity and length of Life in some Persons 47 Chap. 31. Of the memorable Old Age of some and such as have not found such sensible Decays therein as others 49 Chap. 32. Of some such Persons as have renewed their Age and grown young again 51 Chap. 33. Of such Persons as have changed their Sex 52 Chap. 34. Of the strange rigor in Punishments used by several Persons and Nations 54 Chap. 35. Of the unusual Diseases wherewith some have been seized and when and where some of them began 56 Chap. 36. Of the different and unusual ways some Men have come to their Deaths 59 Chap. 37. Of the dead Bodies of some great Persons which not without difficulty found their Graves And of others not permitted to rest there 62 Chap. 38. Of entombed Bodies how found at the opening of their Monuments And of the parcel Resurrection near Gran Cairo 64 Chap. 39. Of such Persons as have returned to Life after they have been believed to be dead 86 Chap. 40. Of such who after Death have concerned themselves with the Affairs of their Friends 88 Chap. 41. Of the strange ways by which Murthers have been discovered 89 The SECOND BOOK CHap. 1. Of the Imagination or Phantasie and the force of it in some Persons when depraved by Melancholy or otherwise 94 Chap. 2. Of the Comprehensiveness and Fidelity of the Memories of some Men. 96 Chap. 3. Of the Sight and the vigor of that Sense in some and how depraved in others 99 Chap. 4. Of the Sense in hearing and the quickness and dulness of it in divers Men. 100 Chap. 5. Of the Sense of Feeling the delicacy of it in some and its Abolition in others Also what Vertue hath been found in the Touch of some Persons 101 Chap. 6. Of the Sense of Tasting how exquisite in some and utterly lost in others 103 Chap. 7. Of the Sense of Smelling the Curiosity of it in some and how hurt or lost in others 104 Chap. 8. Of the Passion of Love and the effects of it in divers Persons 105 Chap. 9. Of the extreme Hatred of some Persons towards others 107 Chap. 10. Of Fear and the strange effects of it Also of Panick Fears 108 Chap. 11. Of the Passion of Anger and the strange effects of it in some Men. 110 Chap. 12. Of such as have been seised with an extraordinary joy and what hath followed thereupon 113 Chap. 13. Of the Passion of Grief and how it hath acted upon some men 115 Chap. 14. Of Desire and what have been the wishes of some men for themselves or upon their enemies 116 Chap. 15. Of Hope how great some men have entertained and how some have been disappointed in theirs 118 Chap. 16. Of the Scoffing and Scornful disposition of some men and
cry'd with that noise that it was heard by the Neighbours They throng'd together in great numbers to hear so unusual a crying both such as knew the Woman and such as knew her not The Magistrates in the mean time caused the Woman to be carefully watch'd that afterwards the birth of that cryer might be the more certain Divers spent their judgement before hand of what shap'd Monster she should be delivered but at last the Woman was safely brought to bed of a perfect Female child who with her Mother are both alive at this day Let no Man question the truth of this History for I who am not wont to rely upon rumour can for certain affirm that I have heard this relation from the Mother her self 8. Dr. Walter Needham an eminent and learned Physician discoursing about the Air that is contain'd in the membranes of the Womb as a proof thereof relates the story of a child that was heard to cry while as yet in the belly of its Mother A long time saith he I could scarce believe that there were any such kind of cryings till I was inform'd of that which I now set down by a noble Lady in Cheshire As this Honourable person sat after Meat in the dining room with her Husband their Domestick Chaplain and divers others she was sensible of an extraordinary stirring in her belly which so lift up her clothes that it was easily discernible to those that were present she was then with child and it was the seventh Month from the time wherein she had conceived upon the sudden there was a voice heard but whence it should come they were not able to conjecture not suspecting any thing of the Embryo in her Womb. Soon after they perceiv'd the belly and garments of the Lady to have a second and notable commotion and withal heard a cry as if it had proceeded from thence While they were amaz'd at what had pass'd and were discoursing together of this prodigy All that had before happened did a third time so manifestly appear that being now become the more attentive they doubted not but that the cry came from her Womb the Girl that was so loquacious in the Womb of her Mother doth yet live and is likely enough so to continue I cannot doubt of the truth of so eminent a story receiving the confirmation of it from so credible persons nor was I willing longer to conceal the thing it self seeing it is of such moment in the controversie aforesaid 9. Anno 1233. In Rathstadt a Town in the Noric Alpes was born a child whose crying was heard fourteen days before the birth of it 10. Martinus Weinrichius writes thus even in our times saith he and in this our City of Bressa an Infant was heard to cry three days before it came into the light and he observes that the Man so born was miserable in respect of his fortune and Diseases he was seiz'd with even to the day of his death CHAP. II. Of such as have carried their dead Children in their Womb for some years SO unwilling are Parents for the most part to survive the funerals of their Children that some have thought it a very desireable thing to have their dying eyes clos'd by the hands of such as have issued from them It was the wish of Penelope that the performance of this last Office for her self and her Vlysses might be reserv'd to their dear Telemachus according to that of Ovid. Ille meos oculos comprimat ille tuos By him let my Eyes closed be And may he do the same for thee We cannot then but pity those unhappy Mothers whose Children have not only died before them but within them in whom the punishment of Mezentius may seem to have been reviv'd in such a coupling of the living with the dead and who with a fatal disappointment of their hopes are sensible their expired Infants have found their untimely Coffins in the midst of their own Bowels The transcribed Histories of some such disconsolate Creatures you have here under-written 1. Catherine the Wife of Michael de Menne a poor Countrey-man for twelve years together carried a dead Child or rather the Skeleton of one in her Womb. A monstrous and miraculous thing and which yet is manifest to the touch saith Aegidius de Horthoge I my self saith he and many other both Men and Illustrious Women are witnesses hereof it is enough to name the excellent Henricus Cornelius Mathisius who heretofore was domestick Physician to the Emperour Charles the Fifth he when he had handled the Woman beforesaid both standing and lying and by touch had easily distinguished all the bones of the dead Infant in a great amazement cry'd out nothing is impossible to God and Nature She conceiv'd of this child in March Anno 1549. who desires to see this History more at large may have it from Schenckius in the place forecited 2. In the Town of Sindelfingen there lives a Woman of thirty years or thereabouts who six or seven weeks before her expected delivery by reason of a slip upon the Ice hit her back against a wall and from that time never afterwards felt her child she went with to stir The bigness of her belly was the same only a little after her fall it did somewhat encrease and after fell again but she brought not forth her dead child nor from that time forth was she sensible of the ordinary purgation of Women She had her fall Anno 1590. After which notwithstanding she conceived twice or thrice and was as often delivered of living Children But after her delivery her usual bigness continueth so that she verily believes the dead child is yet in her Womb. 3. Anno Dom. 1545. at Vienna in Austria Margarita Carlinia the Wife of Georgius Volzerus being big with child and in Travail in her labour pains was sensible that somewhat seem'd to crack within her and from thenceforward never felt her child to stir but for the intire space of four year afterwards she was afflicted with vehement pains so that at the last she was given over by the Physicians After which Nature endeavouring an evacuation caused an Ulcer about her Navel which discharg'd it self of an abundance of matter and so closed it self again till at length Anno 1549. upon the collection of new matter there appeared the bone of the childs elbow in the very orifice of the Ulcer together with a marvellous weakness of the Woman In this desperate Disease there was recourse had to a desperate remedy which was incision her belly was opened by the advice of Mathias Cornax the Emperour's Physician and by the operation of the chief Chirurgions there a masculine child half putrid was drawn out thence piece-meal the wound was afterwards so happily cured that the Woman attained to so entire health as that it was hoped she might conceive again Alexander Benedictus saith she did and dy'd in Travail of her next child 4. Zacutus
succeeded his Father in the Kingdom Anno Domini 918. 16. The Wife of Simon Knâ—uter of Weissenburgh went with child to the ninth month and then falling into Travail her pains were such as that they occasioned her death and when the assistants doubted not but that the child was dead also in the Womb they dispos'd of the Mother as is usual in the like occasion but after some hours they heard a cry they ran and found the Mother indeed dead but deliver'd of a little Daughter that was in good health and lay at her feet Salmuth saith he hath seen three several women who being dead in Travail were yet after death delivered of the Children they went with CHAP. V. Of what Monsters some Women have been delivered and of praeternatural births IT is the constant design of provident Nature to produce that which is perfect and complete in it's kind But though Man is the noblest part of her operation and that she is busied about the framing of him with singular curiosity and industry yet are there sundry variations in her mintage and some even humane medals come out thence with different Errata's in their Impressions The best of Archers do not always bore the white the working brains of the ablest Politicians have sometimes suffered an abortion nor are we willing to bury their accidental misses in the memory of their former skilful performances If therefore Nature through a penury or supersluity of materials or other causes hath been so unfortunate as at sometimes to miscarry her dexterity and Artifice in the composition of many ought to procure her a pardon for such oversights as she hath committed in a few Besides there is oftentimes so much of ingenuity in her very disorders and they are dispos'd with such a kind of happy unhappiness that if her more perfect works beget in us much of delight the other may affect us with equal wonder 1. That is strange which is related by Buchanan It had saith he beneath the Navel one body but above it two distinct ones when hurt beneath the Navel both bodies felt the pain if above that body only felt that was hurt These two would sometimes differ in opinions and quarrel the one dying before the other the surviving pin'd away by degrees It liv'd 28. years could speak divers Languages and was by the King's command taught Musick Sandy's on Ovid Metam lib. 9. p. 173. 2. Anno 1538. There was one born who grew up to the stature of a Man he was double as to the Head and Shoulders in such manner as that one face stood oppositâ— to the other both were of a likeness and resembâ—â— each other in the beard and eyes both had the â—ame appetite and both hungred alike the voice of both was almost the same and both loved the same Wife 3. I saw saith Bartholinus Lazarus Colloredo the Genoan first at Hafnia after at Basil when he was then 28. years of Age but in both places with amazement This Lazarus had a little Brother growing out at his breast who was in that posture born with him If I mistake not the bone called Xyphoides in both of them grew together his left foot alone hung downwards he had two arms only three fingers upon each hand some appearance there was of the secret parts he moved his hands ears and lips and had a little beating in the breast This little Brother voided no excrements but by the mouth nose and ears and is nourish'd by that which the greater takes he has distinct animal and vital parts from the greater since he sleeps sweats and moves when the other wakes rests and sweats not Both receiv'd their Names at the Font the greater that of Lazarus and the other that of Iohannes Baptista The natural Bowels as the Liver Spleen c. are the same in both Iohannes Baptista hath his eyes for the most part shut his breath small so that holding a Feather at his mouth it scarce moves but holding the hand there we find a small and warm breath his mouth is usually open and always wet with spittle his head is bigger then that of Lazarus but deform'd his hair hanging down while his face is in an upward posture Both have beards Baptista's neglected but that of Lazarus very neat Lazarus is of a just stature a decent body courteous deportment and gallantly attir'd he covers the body of his Brother with his Cloak nor could you think a Monster lay within at your first discourse with him He seemed always of a constant mind unless that now and then he was solicitous as to his end for he feared the death of his Brother as presaging that when that came to pass he should also expire with the stink and putrefaction of his body and thereupon he took greater care of his Brother then of himself 4. Lemnius tells of a Monster that a certain Woman was deliver'd of to which Woman he himself was Physician and present at the sight which at the appearing of the day fill'd all the Chamber with roaring and crying running all about to find some hole to creep into but the Women at the length stiâ—led and smother'd it with pillows 5. Iohannes Naborowsky a noble Polonian and my great friend told me at Basil that he had seen in his Countrey two little Fishes without scales which were brought forth by a Woman and as soon as they came out of her Womb did swim in the Water as other Fish 6. Not many years agoe there liv'd a Woman of good quality at Elsingorn who being satisfied in her count prepared all things for child-birth hired a Mid-wife bought a Cradle c. but her big belly in the last month seemed to be much fallen which yet not to lessen the report that went of her she kept up to the former height by the advantage of cloaths which she wore upon it Her time of Travail being come and the usual pains of labour going before she was deliver'd of a creature very like unto a dormouse of the greater size which to the amazement of the Women who were present with marvellous celerity sought out and found a hole in the Chamber into which it crept and was never seen after I will not render the credit of these Women suspected seeing divers persons have made us Relations of very strange and monstrous births from their own experience 7. Anno Dom. 1639. our Norway afforded us an unheard of example of a Woman who having often before been deliver'd of humane births and again big after strong labour was delivered of two Eggs one of them was broken the other was sent to that excellent person Dr. Olaus Wormius the ornament of the University in whose study it is reserv'd to be seen of as many as please I am not ignorant that many will give no credit to this story who either have not seen the Egg or were not present when the Woman was deliver'd of it In
were true was afterwards conâ—irm'd by the event 5. Charles the Eighth King of France invaded the Kingdom of Naples Alphonso was then King of it and howsoever before he brag'd what he would do yet when the French were in Italy and came so far as Rome he took such a fright that he cryed out every night he heard the Frenchmen coming and that the very Trees and Stones cry'd France And as Guicciardine affirmeth who was not a man either easily to believe or rashly write Fables it was credibly and constantly reported that the Spirit of Ferdinand his Father appear'd to one that had been his Physician and bad him tell his Son Alphonso from him that he should not be able to resist the Frenchmen for God had ordain'd that his Progeny should after many great afflictions be depriv'd of their Kingdom for the multitude and great enormity of their sins and especially for that he had done by the perswasion of Alphonso himself in the Church of St. Leander in Chaiae near to Naples whereof he told not the particulars the success was that Alphonso terrifi'd waking and sleeping with the representations of such Noblemen as he had caused secretly to be murdred in prison resign'd his Crown to his Son Ferdinando and ran away into Sicily in such haste that importun'd by his Mother-in-Law to stay for her only three days he told her that if she would not go presently with him he would leave her and that if any sought to stay him he would cast himself headlong out of the window His Son Ferdinand having assembled all his forces durst make no resistance but fled before the French from place to place till at length almost all his Subjects forsook him and rebelled against him whereupon he fled also into Sicily and within a while dyed there So Charles conquer'd the whole Kingdom his Soldiers having not had occasion so much as to put on their armour all the Voyage 6. Musâ—nius and Chrysanthius both Bishops dy'd in the time of the Nicene Council before such time as all present had subscribed to the Articles of Faith then agreed unto The rest of the Bishops went to their Sepulchers and desiring there subscription also as if they were alive they left the Schedule of Subscription at their Tombs when aâ—ter it was found that the dead persons had in a miraculous manner subscribed their names in this manner Chrysanthius and Musonius who were consenting with the Fathers in the sacred Oecumenical Synod of Nice though translated in respect of the Body yet with our own hands we have subscribed to this Schedule 7. Spâ—ridion Bishop of Cyprus had a Daughter call'd Irene with whom a friend of his had left certain Ornaments of a great value which she being over careful of hid under the earth and shortly after dyed In some time after came he who had intrusted her and finding that she was dead demanded his goods at the hands of the Father both with entreaties and threats Spiridion that knew not what to do in the case and saw that the mans loss was become his calamity went to the Tomb of his Daughter beseeching God that he would shew something of promised Resurrection before the time nor was he deceiv'd in his hopes for his Daughter Irene appeared to him and having declared in what place she had disposed of the mans goods she vanished away CHAP. XLI Of the strange ways by which Murders have been discover'd WIlliam the Norman built a fair Monastery where he wan the Garland of England and in the Synod held Anno 1070. at Winchester King William being present as also the Legats of Pope Alexander it was by that Synod decreed amongst other things that whoever was conscious to himself that he had slain a man in that great Battle should do penance for one whole year and as many years as he had slain men and should redeem his Soul either by building a Church or by establishing a perpetual allowance to some Church already built so great a crime did they esteem the sheding of Humane Blood though as they suppose in a just War Sure I am that God Almighty as well to declare his detestation of that crimson sin of murther as to beget and retain in us a horror thereof hath most vigorously employ'd his providence by strange and miraculous ways to bring to light deeds of darkness and to drag the bloody Authors of them out of their greatest privacies and concealment unto condign punishments It were an infinite thing to trace the several footsteeps of Divine Providence in this matter It will be sufficient to produce some Examples wherein we shall find enough to make us adore at once the Wisdom and Goodness and Justice of God 1. Iulianus Malacava a Black-smith by Profession was vehemently in love with a certain Maid and not knowing any other way to obtain his desires besides that of Marriage with his beloved began to think how he might compass the death of his Wife he accomplish'd his divellish design with a Halter and strangled his Wife who was then big with child the third day after the Woman was found dead her Husband was gone into the Country and of all others was the least suspected the Child in the mean time was taken out of the Womb of the dead Mother and laid by but at the entrance of the cruel Father the dead Child bled fresh at the Nose This was upon the third of the Nones of February 1632. At the sight of this blood the Magistrare entred into some suspition of the Murderer he sent him to prison and laid him in irons when he came upon further examination he confess'd the whole as it was and was deservedly executed the twelfth of the Kalends of December 1633. this History was sent me from the publick Records of Caesena for an unquestionable truth 2. Parthenius Treasurer to Theodobert King of France had traiterously slain an especial friend of his call'd Ausanius together with his Wife Papianilla when no man accused or so much as suspected him thereof he detected himself in this strange manner As he slept in his bed he suddenly roared out crying for help or else he perished and being demanded what he ailed he half asleep answered That his friend Ausanius and his Wife whom he had murdered long before did now summon him to answer it before the Tribunal of God Upon this confession he was apprehended and after due examination stoned to death Thus though all witnesses fail yet the murderers own conscience is sufficient to betray him 3. Anno Dom. 867. Lothbroke of the Blood Royal of Denmark and Father to Humbar and Hubba entred with his Hawk into a Cock-boat alone and by tempest was driven upon the coast of Norfolk in England where being found he was detain'd and presented to Edmund at that time King of the East Angles The King entain'd him at his Court and perceiving his singular dexterity and activity in Hawking and
all the Rules of Art passed for miraculous One of the Souldiers of the Dukes Guards called Faure received a Cannon shot in his belly which passed quite through leaving an orifice bigger than a Hat-crown so that the Chirurgions could not imagine though it were possible the bowels should remain unoffended that Nature could have supplied so wide a breach which notwithstanding she did and to that perfectionâ— that the party found himself as well as before Another of the same condition called Ramee and of the same place they being both Natives of St. Iean de Angely received a Musket-shot which entring at his mouth came out of the nape of his neck who was also perfectly cured Which two extravagant wounds being reported to the King his Majesty took them both into his own particular dependence saying Those were men that could not die though they afterwards both ended their days in his service 12. I was familiarly acquainted with a man of no mean condition who about sixteen years ago being accused of high matters was brought to Berne where he was several times put and tortured upon the Rack with great rigour notwithstanding he constantly affirmed in the midst of all his pain that he was innocent so that at last he was freed and restored to his dignity This person for many years past had been miserably tormented with the Gout but from the time of his torturâ—s before-mentioned and his use of the Valesian Baths his health was so far confirmed that being alive at this day he never was sensible of the least pain of his Gout but although he is now old he is able to stand and walk in a much better manner than before he could 13. A young Woman married but without chiâ—dren had a disease about her Jaws and under her Cheâ—k like unto Kernels and the disease so corrupted her face with stench that she could scaâ—câ— without great shame speak unto any man Tâ—is Woman was admonished in â—er sleep to go to King Edward and get him to wash her face with water and she should be whole To the Court she came and the King hearing of the matter disdained not to undertake it but having a Bason of water brought unto him he dipped his hand therein and washed the Womans face and touched the diseased part oftentimes sometimes also signing it with the sign of the Cross. When he had thus washed it the hard crust or skin was softned the tumours dissolved and drawing his hand by divers of the holes out thence came divers little Worms whereof and of corrupt matter and blood they were full The King still pressed it with his hand to bring forth the corruption and endured the stench of it until by such pressing he had brought forth all the corruption This done he commanded her a sufficient allowance every day for all things necessary until she had received perfect health which was within a week after and whereas she was ever before barren within one year she had a child by her Husband This disease hath since been called the Kings Evil and is frequently cured by the touch of the Kings of England 14. Sir Iohn Cheeke was once one of the Tutors to King Edward the Sixth afterwards Secretary of State much did the Kingdom value him but more the King for being once desperately sick the King carefully inquiring of him every day at last his Physician told him there was no hope of his life being given over by him for a dead man No said the King he will not die at this time for this morning I begged his life from God in my prayers and obtained it which accordingly came to pass and he soon after contrary to all expectation wonderfully recovered This saith Dr. Fuller was attâ—sted by the old Earl of Huntington bred up in his childhood with King Edward to Sir Thomas Cheeke who was alive Anno 1654. and eighty years of age 15. Duffe the threescore and eighteenth King of Scotland laboured with a new and unheard of disease no cause apparent all remedies bootless his body languishing in a continual sweat and his strength apparently decaying insomuch as he was suspected to be bewitched which was increased by a rumour that certain Witches of Forest in Murry practised his destruction arising from a word which a Girl let fall that the King should die shortly who being examined by Donald Captain of the Castle and Tortures shewed her confessed the truth and how her mother was one of the Assembly When certain Souldiers being sent in search surprized them roasting the waxen Image of the King before a soft fire to the end that as the Wax melted by degrees so should the King dissolve by little and little and his life consume with the consumption of the other the Image broken and the Witches executed the King recovered his woâ—ted health in a moment 16. When Albertus Basa Physician to the King of Poland returned out of Italy he diverted to Paracelfus who then lived at the City of St. Vitus with him he went to visit a sick person of whom all who were there present said That he could not possibly live above an hour or two and by reason of an indisposition in his brest a defect in his pulse and failing of his spirits they pronounced of him that he would not live out a few hours Paracelsus said it would be so indeed in despite of all that skill in Physick which the Humourists have but that he might easily be restored by that true Art which God had shut up in Nature and thereupon he invited the sick man to dine with him the next day then he produced a certain distillation three drops of which he gave to the Patient in Wine which immediately â—o restored the man that he was well that night and the next day came to Paracelsus his Inn and dined with him in sound and perfect health to the admiration of all men CHAP. XXXVI Of Stratagems in War for the amusing and defeating of the Enemy and taking of Cities c. MArcellus was called the Roman Sword and Fabius their Shield or Buckler for as the one was a resolute and sharp Aâ—saulter of the Enemy so the other was as cautious and circumspect a Preserver of his Army These two Qualities whensoever they are happily met together in one man they make an able Commander but to render a General compleat there ought to be a certain fineness of wit and invention and a quickness of apprehension and discerning by the one to intrap the Enemy and by the other to avoid the snares which the Enemy hath laid for him in these no man was perhaps a greater Master than he who is next mentioned 1. When the strength and power of the Carthaginians was broken Anibal betook himself to Antiochus the great King of Asia him he stirred up against the Romans and made him victoâ—ious in a naval fight by this subtil device of his He had caused a great
witness therefore of the truth of this matter I shall cite the testimonies of Religious persons and such as are worthy of credit who by their Letters under their seals have confirmed the truth of that which we have now related I have thought fit to transcribe the Original it self which in our own Tongue is preserved by the foresaid Wormius We whose Names are here under written Ericus Westergard Rotalph Rakestad and Thor Venes coadjutors of the Pastor in the Parish of Niaess do certifie to all men That Anno 1639. upon the 20 th day of May by the command of the Lord President in Remerige the Lord Paulus Tranius Pastor in Niaess we went to receive an account of the monstrous birth in Sundby brought forth by an honest Woman Anna the Daughter of Amundus the Wife of Gudbrandas Erlandsonius who already had been the Mother of eleven Children the last of which she was delivered of upon March the 4 th 1638. This Anna in the year 1639. upon the 7 th of April began to grow ill and being in great pains in her belly she caused her Neighbours to be call'd in to her assistance the same day about the Evening in the presence of her Neighbours she brought forth an Egg in all respects like to that of an Hen which being broken by the Women then present Anna Grim Elen Rudstad Gyro Rudstad and Catharina Sundby they found that in the yolk and white it answer'd directly to a common Egg. Upon the eighteenth day of April about Noon in the presence of the same persons she was deliver'd of another Egg which in figure was nothing different from the former The Mother reported this to us the Women that assisted at her delivery confirmed the truth of it as also that the pains of this birth had been more sharp to her than all the rest of her former That this was the confession as well of the Mother as of them that were present we do attest by our Seals in the presence of the Lord President in the Parish of Niaess the day and year above said The great Wormius looks upon this as a diabolical work since by the artifice of the Devil many other things are convey'd into and formed in the bodies of Men and Women 8. Anne Tromperin the Wife of a certain Porter in our Hospital being about thirty years of Age was delivered of a Boy and two Serpents upon St. Iohn's day Anno 1576. She told me upon her faith that in the Summer before in an extreme hot day she had drunk of a Spring in the Grove call'd Brudetholk a place within a quarter of a mile from Basil where she suspected that she had drank of the sperm of Serpents she afterwards grew so big that she was fain to carry her belly in a swathing band the child was so lean as that he was scarce any thing but bones the Serpents were each of them an ell in length and thick as the Arm of an Infant both which alive as they were were buried by the Midwife in the Church-yard of St. Elizabeth This History is from the Relation of Caspar Bauhinus in his Appendix to the book of Franc. Rossetus de partu Caesareo 9. The Concubine of Pope Nicholas the third was deliver'd of a Monster which resembled a Bear Martin the fourth in the first year of his Popedom entertain'd this Lady and fearing lest she should bring forth other Bear-whelps he caused all the Bears which were painted or carv'd in the Pope's Palace whilst the Lords of the Family of the Vrsini bore sway in Rome to be blotted out and remov'd For this Pope was not ignorant how the shapes and pictures which are conceiv'd in a Womans imagination at the time of her conception do remain imprinted for the most part in the body of that which is conceived 10. Margaret Daughter to the Emperour Maximilian the first told the Ambassadour of Ferdinand King of Hungary that at Tsertoghenbosch a City in Brabant in a procession upon a solemn Festival some of the Citizens went disguised according to the custom of the place some in the habit of Angels and others in the shape of Devils as they are painted one of these Devils having play'd his gambols a great while ran home to his House in his Devils attire took his Wife threw her upon a bed saying that he would get a young Devil upon her He was not much deceiv'd for of that copulation there was born a child such as the wicked Spirit is painted which at his coming into the World began to run and skip up and down all over the Chamber 11. Anno Dom. 1578. upon the 17. day of Ianuary at eight a clock in the afternoon there was at the little Town of Quiero amongst the Subalpines an honest Matron who was then deliver'd of a child which had upon its head five horns opposite each to other and like unto those of a Ram. Also from the upper part of his forehead there hung backward a very long piece of flesh that cover'd most part of his back in form like a Woman's head-tire about his neck there was a double row of flesh like the Collar of an Horse at the ends of his finger were claws like to those Tallons we see in Birds of prey his knees were in the hinder part of the Leg. His right Leg and Foot were of a shining red colour the rest of his body all swarthy He is said to come into the World with a great cry which so frighted the Midwife and the rest of the Women then present that they ran immediately out of the house When the Prince of the Subalpines was inform'd of this Monster he commanded it should be brought to him which accordingly was done and 't is strange to think what various judgements were then pass'd upon it by the Courtiers 12. Lesina is the biggest Isle in all the Adriatick Sea the Governour of which was a Venetian who inviting me to dine with him told at his Table the story of a marvellous mishapen monster born in the Island asking if I would go thither to see it proffering me the honour of his company we went and the unnatural child being brought out to us I was amaz'd to behold the deformity of Nature for below the middle part there was but one body and above the middle there were two living souls each one separated from each other with several members their heads being both of one bigness but different in Phyâ—iognomy the belly of the one joyn'd with the posteriour part of the other and their faces looked both one way as if the one had carried the other on his back and often in our presence he that was behind would lay his hands about the neck of the foremost Their eyes were exceeding big and their hands greater then an Infant of three times their Age the excrements of both creatures issued forth at one place and their Thighs and Legs
day of his Nativity which was the 13 th of the Calends of May. 13. The Emperour Charles the Fifth was born on the day of Matthias the Apostle on which day also in the course of his Life was King Francis taken by him in battel and the Victory likewise won at Biccoque he was also Elected and Crowned Emperour on the same day and many other great Fortunes befel him still on that day 14. M. Ofilius Hilarus an Actor of Comedies after he had highly pleas'd the people upon his birth-day kept a Feast at home in his own house and when Supper was set forth upon the Table he call'd for a mess of hot broth to sup off and withal casting his eye upon the Visor he had worn that day in the play he fitted it again to his face and taking off the Garland which he wore upon his bare head he set it thereupon in this posture disguized as he sat he was stark dead and cold too before any person in the company perceived any such thing 15. Augustus Caesar had certain Anniversary sicknesses and such as did return at a stated and certain time he commonly languished about the time of his birth-day which was the ninth of the Calends of October a little before Sun-rise M. Tullius Cicero and Antonius being Consuls 16. On the contrary the birth-days of some Men have been very fortunate to them as was that of the great Captain Timoleon general of the Syracusans who obtained for them the chiefest of his Victories upon the day of his birth which thereupon was annually and Universally celebrated by the Syracusans as a day of good and happy fortune to them 17. It is said of Iulius Caesar that he had often found the Ides of Iuly to be very happy and auspicious to him at which time he was also born 18. King Philip of Macedon us'd to celebrate the day of his birth with extraordinary joy as the most favourable and fortunate to him of all other for once upon that day he had a triplicity of good tydings that he was Victor in the Chariot race in the Olympicks that Parmenio his General had gain'd a most important victory and that the Queen Olympias was delivered of his Son Alexander 19. Ophioneus was one amongst the Messenians had the gift of Prophecy and Pausanias says of him that immediately after his birth-day he was annually stricken with blindness nor is that less wonderful in the same person that after a vehement fit of the Head-ach he would begin to see and then presently fall from thence into his former blindness 20. It is a note worthy to be remembred that Thursday was observ'd to be a day fatal to King Henry the Eight and to all his Posterity for he himself died on Thursday the 28 th of Ianuary King Edward the Sixth on Thursday the sixth of Iuly Queen Mary on Thursday the seventeenth of November and Queen Elizabeth on Thursday the four and twentyeth of March 21. Franciscus Baudinus an Abbot a Citizen of Florence and well known in the Court of Rome died upon the Anniversary return of his birth-day which was upon the 19 th day of December he was buried in the Church of St. Silvester in Rome and it was the observation of him that made his Funeral Elegy that the number nine did four times happen remarkably in his affairs he was born on the 19 th day and died on the same being aged twenty nine and the year of our Lord being at that time 1579. 22. Wednesday is said to have been fortunate to Pope Sixtus the Fifth for on that day he was born on the same day made a Monk on that day created General of his Order on the same made Cardinal then chosen Pope and finally on the same inaugurated 23. Friday was observ'd to be very lucky to the great Captain Gensalvo on that day having given the French many notable overthrows Saturday was as fortunate to Henry the Seventh King of England CHAP. VII Of the Signatures and natural marks upon the bodies of some Men. IN Sicily there have been often digg'd up bones of a monstrous and prodigious bigness in all appearance resembling those of a humane body but whether they were the Skeletons of deceased Gyants whether bred and form'd in the Earth by some peculiar influx of the Stars and secret propriety of the Mould whether made by the Artifice of Man and there buried to beget wonder in after times or by the Devils to promote some of their malicious ends is yet variously disputed So concerning the causes of those impressions which some bodies bring upon them from the Womb and carry with them to their Graves there is not so great a clearness as not to leave us in some doubts For if the most of them are occasion'd through the strength of the Mothers imagination there have been others of so peculiar a Form so remote from being thought to leave such lively touches upon a Womans fancy so continued to the Descendants of the same Family and so agreeable with the after fortunes of the person so signed as may possibly encline unto farther enquiries Marinus Barletius reports of Scanderbeg Prince of Epirus that most terrible enemy of the Turks that from his Mothers Womb he brought with him into the World a notable mark of Warlike Glory for he had upon his right Arm a Sword so well set on as if it had been drawn with the pencil of the most curious and skilful Painter in the World 2. Among the people called the Dakes the Children usually have the Moles and Marks of them from whom they are descended imprinted upon them even to the fourth generation 3. Laodice the Wife of Antiochus dream'd that she received a Ring from Apollo with an Anchor engraven upon it Seleucus the Child that she then went with who afterwards was remarkable for his famous exploits was born with an Anchor impress'd upon his Thigh and so also his Sons and Grand-children carry'd the same mark upon the same place from the time of their birth 4. In the Race and Family of the Lepidi it is said there were three of them not successively one after another but out of order and after some intermission who had each of them when thâ—â— were born a little pannicle or thin skin growing over the eye 5. It is observ'd by Plutarch that the resemblance of the Natural properties or corporal marks of some Parents are continued in their Families for many Descents yea and sometimes not appearing in the second or third generation do nevertheless shew themselves in the fourth or fifth or others ensuing some Ages after whereof he brings an example of one in his time call'd Python who being descended of the Spartiatae the Founders of Thebes and being the last of that Race was born with the figure of a Lance upon his body which had been in former Ages a natural
her mighty Daughter that both her Parents were but of low stature nor were there any of her Ancestors who were remember'd to exceed the common stature of men This Maid her self to the twelfth year of her age was of a short and mean stature but being about that time seis'd with a Quartane Ague after she had wrestled with it for some months it perfectly left her and then she began to grow to that wonderful greatness all her limbs being proportionably answerable to the rest She was then when I beheld her about five and twenty years of age to which time it had never been with her as is usual to women yet was she in good health of feature not handsome her complexion somewhat swarthy of a stupid and simple wit and slow as to her whole body For The greater Virtue oftenest lies In bodies of the middle size 12. Fâ—rdinand Magellane before he came to those Straits which now bear his name came to the Country of the Patagons which are Giants some of these he enticed to come a Ship-board they were of an huge stature so that the Spaniards heads reached but to their waste Two of them he made his Prisoners by policy who thereupon roared like Bulls their feeding was answerable to their vast bulks for one of them did eat at a meal a whole basket of Biskets and drank a great bowl of water at each draught 13. As I travel'd by Dirnen under the jurisdiction of Basil Anno 1565. I was shew'd a Girl of five years of age who was playing with the Children she was of as vast a body as if she had been a woman of many years of age After I had looked more nearly upon her and measured I found that her thighs were thicker than the neck of my Horse the calf of her legs bare the proportion of the thigh of a lusty and strong man Her Father and Mother being set together might be compass'd within the girdle which she commonly wore about her middle Her Parents told me that before she was a year old she weigh'd as much as a sack of wheat that held eight modii Anno 1566. I saw her again for Count Henry of Fustenburg lodging at my house she was brought to him and there both of us admir'd at her wonderful bigness but in few years after she dy'd 14. That is a memorable Example of a Giant reported by Thuanus Anno 1575. where discoursing of an inroad made by the Tartarians upon the Polonian Territories he there speaks of a Tartar of a prodigious bigness slain by a Polander his words are thus translated Amongst whom there was one found of a prodigious bulk slain saith Leonardus Gorecius by Iames Niazabilovius his forehead was twenty four fingers breadth and the rest of his body of that magnitude that the carcase as it lay upon the ground would reach to the navel of any ordinary person that stood by it 15. There were in the time of Augustus Caesar two persons called Idusio and Secundilla each of them was ten foot high and somewhat more their bodies after their death were kept and preserved for a wonder in a Charnel house or Sepulcher within the Salustian Gardens vid. Kornman de mirac vivor 25. 16. In the 58 Olympiad by the admonition of the Oracle the body of Orestes was found at Tegaea by the Spartans and we understand that the just length of it was seven Cubits 17. The Son of Euthymenes of Salamina in the space of three years grew up to three Cubits in height but he was slow of pace dull of sense a strong voice and an overhasty adolescency soon after he was seis'd with manifold diseases and by immoderate afflictions of sickness made an over amends for the precipitate celerity of his growth 18. Anno 1584. In the Month of Iuly being at Lucerne I was there shew'd by the Senators the fragments of some bones of a prodigious greatness kept in the Senate House They were found in the Territories not far from the Monastery of Reiden in a Cave of the adjoyning Mountain under an old Oak which the wind had blown down When I had consider'd them and perceiv'd most of the lesser sort and such as are thinnest as the bones of the skull to be wanting whether neglected or consumed by age I know not I then turned over the greater sort as well such as were whole as the remainders of such as were broken Though they were wasted spungy and light yet as far as I could discern I observed that they answered to the body of a man I wrote upon each of them what they were and I the rather concluded them to be the bones of some Giant because I found amongst them the lowest bone of the thumb a cheek-tooth the heel-bone the shoulder-blades the Cannel-bone which are only found in man of that form Also the long and thick bones of the Thighs Legs Shoulders and Arms the utmost ends of which with their heads were found and they differed in nothing from the bones of a humane body Having afterwards all the bones sent me to Basil by the command of the Magistrates and looking diligently upon them and comparing them with a skeleton of mine own as well the whole as the broken I was confirm'd in my opinion and caused an entire skeleton to be drawn of such greatness as all those bones would have made if they had been whole and together it amounted to full nineteen foot in height and since no Beast is found of that stature it is the more probable they were the bones of a Giant 19. We find it left in the Monuments and Writings of the Ancients as a most received truth That in the Cretan War the Rivers and Waters rose to an unusual height and made sundry breaches in the earth when the Floods were gone in a great cleft and fall of the earth there was found the carcase of a man of the length of thirty and three cubits Lucius Flaccus the then Legate and Metellâ—s himself allured with the novelty of the repoâ—t went on purpose to the place to take view of it and there they saw with their eyes that which upon the hear-say they had refuted as a fable 20. While I was writing of this Book that is in December 1671. there came to the City of Coventry one Mr. Thomas Birtles a Cheshire Man living near unto Maxfeild he had been at London where and in his journey homewards he made publick shew of himself for his extraordinary stature his just height as himself told me was somewhat above seven foot although upon trial it appears to want something His Father he said was a man of moderate stature his Mother was near two yards high and he himself hath a Daughter who being but about sixteen years of age is yet already arrived to the height of six foot complete 21. Antonius was born in Syria in the reign of Theodosius he exceeded the measure of
the saddle and left a wound upon the back of the Horse The Mahometans observing that terrible blow provoked him no farther but departed as they came The Almain without mending his pace came up safely to the rest of the Army 26. Iohn Courcy Baron of Stoke Courcy in Somersetshire the first Englishman that subdued Vlster in Ireland and deservedly was made Earl of it he was afterwards surprised by Hugh Lacy corrivaâ— to his title sent over into England and by King Iohn imprisoned in the Tower of London A French Castle being in controversie was to have the title thereof tryed by combat the Kings of England and France beholding it Courcy being a lean lank body with staring eyes is sent for out of the Tower to undertake the Frenchman and because enfeebled with long durance a large bill of Fare was allowed him to recruit his strength The Monsieur hearing how much he had eat and drank and guessing his courage by his stomach or rather stomach by his appetite took him for a Cannibal who would devour him at the last course and so he declined the Combat Afterwards the two Kings desirous to see some proof of Courcy's strength caused a steel Helmet to be laid on a block before him Courcy looking about him with a grim countenance as if he intended to cut with his eyes as well as with his arms sundred the Helmet at one blow striking his Sword so deep into the wood that none but himself could pull it out again Being demanded the cause why he looked so sternly Had I said he fail'd of my design I would have killed the Kings and all in the place Words well spoken because well taken all persons present being then highly in good humour He died in France anno Dom. 1210. 27. Polydamus the Son of Nicias born at Scotussa in Thessalia was the tallest and greatest man of that age his strength was accordingly for he slew a Lion in the Mount Olympus though unarm'd he singled out the biggest and fiercest Bull from a whole Herd took hold of him by one of his hinder feet and notwithstanding all his struggling to get from him he held him with that strength that he left his hoof in his hand being afterwards in a Cave under a Rock the earth above began to fall and when all the rest of his company fled for fear he alone there remain'd as supposing he was able with his Arms to support all those ruines which were coming upon him but this his presumption cost him his life for he was there crush'd to death 28. Ericus the second King of Denmark was a person of huge Stature and equal strength he would throw a Stone or a Javelin as he sate down with much greater force than another that stood as he sate he would struggle with two men and catching one betwixt his knees would there hold him till he had drawn the other to him and then he would hold them both till he had bound them He also would take a rope by both the ends of it and holding it thus in his hands sitting he gave the other part of it to four strong men to pull against him but while they could not move him from his seat he would give them such girds now with the right and then with the left hand that either they were forced to relinquish their hold or else notwithstanding all they could do to the contrary he would draw them all to the feat where he sate 29. The Emperour Tiberius had the joynts of his Fingers so â—irm and strongly compacted that he could thrust his Finger through a green and unripe Apple and could give a â—illip with that force that thereby he would break the head of a lusty man CHAP. XXV Of the marvelous fruitfulness of some and what number of their descendants they have liv'd to see also of superfoetation IN the front of this Discourse it will not be amiss to revive the memory of a Roman Matron in whom there were so many wonders concentred that it would almost be no less to forget her Ausonius calls her Callicrate and thus Epitapheth for her as in her own person Viginti atque novem genitrici Callicrateae Nullius Sexus mors mihi visa fuit Sed centum quinque explevi bene messibus annos Intremulam baculo non subeunte manum Twenty nine birth 's Callicrate I told And of both Sexes saw none sent to grave I was an hundred and five Summers old Yet stay from staff my hand did never crave A rare instance which yet in the two former respects you will find surpass'd in what follows 1. There lyes a Woman bury'd in the Church at Dunstable who as her Epitaph testifies bore at three several times three Children at a Birth and five at a Birth two other times 2. Elionora Salviata the Wife of Bartholomew Frescobald a Citizen of Florence was delivered of fifty and two Children never less than three at a Birth 3. One of the Maid-servants of Augustus the Emperour was delivered of five Children at a Birth the Mother together with her Children were bury'd in the Laurentine way with an Inscription upon them by the order of Augustus relating the same 4. Also Serapia a Woman of Alexandria brought forth five Children at one Birth saith Coelius 5. Anno 1553. The Wife of Iohn Gissinger a Tigurine was delivered of Twins and before the year was out brought at once five more three Sons and two Daughters 6. Here is at Bononia one Iulius Seutinarius yet living and is also a fruitful Citizen himself he came in the World with six Births and was himself the seventh his Mother was the Sister of D. Florianus de Dulphis my Kinsman saith Carpus 7. Thomas Fazel writes that Iane Pancica who in his time was marryed to Bernard a Sicilian of the City of Agrigentum was so fruitful that in thirty Childbirths she was delivered of seventy and three Children which saith he should not seem incredible seeing Aristotle affirms that one Woman at four Births brought forth twenty Children at every one â—ive 8. There is a famous story of the beginning of the Noble Race of the Welfs which is this Irmentrudes the Wife of Isenbard Earl of Altorf had unadvisedly accus'd of Adultery a Woman that had three Children at one Birth being not able to believe that one man could at one time get so many Children adding with all that she deserv'd to be sow'd up in a Sack and thrown into the River and accusing her in that regard to the Earl her Husband It hapned that the next year the Countess felt her self with Child and the Earl being from home she was brought to Bed of twelve Male-children but all of them very little She fearing the reproach of Adultery whereof yet she was not guilty commanded that eleven of them should be taken and cast into a River not far from the House
and one only brought up It so fell out that Isenbard met the Woman that was carrying the little Infants to their death and asking her whither she went with her Pail she reply'd she was going to drown a few baggage Whelps in the River of Scherk The Earl came to her and in despite of her resistance would see what was there and discovering the Children press'd her in such wise that she told him all the matter He caus'd them to be secretly educated and so soon as they were grown great and brought home to him he set them in the Hall by him whom his Wife had brought up Being thus by their Faces all known to be Brethren there Mother mov'd in Conscience confess'd the fact and obtained pardon for her fault In remembrance whereof the honourable Race of the Welfs that is whelps got that name which ever since it hath kept 9. Iohn Francis Earl of Mirandula tells of one Dorothy a German by birth who in Italy at two several births brought forth twenty Sons nine at the one and eleven at the other while she went with this burden by reason of the mighty weight she was wont to tye a swathing band about her neck and shoulders and with that to bear up her swollen belly which fell down to her very knees Mathias Golancevius was Bishop of Vladislavia in Poland in the time of Vladislaus Loctitius the King it is said of his Mother that she was delivered of twelve Sons at once and that of all these he only liv'd the rest dying as soon as they were born saith Cromerus 11. Alexander de Campo Fregoso Bishop of Ventimilium profess'd to me saith Carpus upon the faith of a Bishop that at Lamia a woman of the Noble Family of the Buccanigers brought forth sixteen humane births of the bigness of a man's palm all which had motion and that besides these sixteen which had humane likeness she brought forth at the same time a Creature in the likeness of a Horse which had also motion All seventeen were wrap'd in one and the same secundine which is Monstrous 12. Anno 1217. Upon the 20 th of Ianuary the Lady Margaret wife to the Earl Virboslaus was in Country of Cracovia brought to bed of thirty living bodies all at once saith Cromerus 13. In the Annals of Silesia it is recorded that a woman at one birth was delivered of thirty and six Children 14. Count Flons the Fourth of that name Governor of the Netherlands had amongst others his Children one Daughter call'd Mathild some say Margaret she was marryed to Count Herman of Henneberg William King of the Romans and Earl of Holland was her Brother Otto Bishop of Vtrecht her Uncle by the Fathers side and Henry Duke of Brabant her Uncle by the Mothers side Alix Countess of Henault her Aunt Otto of Gelders and Henry Bishop of Leige her Cousins On a time this Countess of Henneberg did see a poor Widow Woman begging her bread for God's sake having in either Arm a Child which she had at one birth This poor Woman craving her Alms the Countess rejected with reproachful words saying That it was a thing against Nature in her opinion for a Woman that is honest to conceive by her Husband two Children of one birth and therefore that this her deliverance had bewrayed that she had lewdly abandoned her self to some others The poor Woman having her heart full of discontent for her bitter speeches lifted up her eyes to Heaven and said O great and mighty God I beseech thee for a testimony of mâ—ne innocency that it will please thee to send this Lady at one burden so many Children as their are days in the year A while after this Countess was big with Child by her Husband and for her lying in she went into Holland to see the Earl of Holland her Nephew lodging in the Abby of Religious Women at Losdunen where she grew so exceeding great that the like was never seen Her time being come the Fryday before Palm-Sunday in the year 1276. she was delivered of three hundred sixty and five Children half Sons and half Daughters the odd one being found to be an Hermaphrodite all complete and well fashioned of the bigness of Chickens new hatch'd saith Camerarius These were laid in two Basins and Baptiz'd by Guidon Suffragan to the Bishop of Vtrecht who named the Sons Iohn and the Daughters Elizabeth in the presence of some great Lords and notable persons as soon as they were baptiz'd they all dy'd together with their Mother The two Basins are yet to be seen in the said Church of Losdunen not far from the Hague with an Epitaph both in Latin and Dutch which at large express the whole story 15. Albertus Magnus writes that a woman of Germany made abortion of twenty two Children at one time all having their perfect shapes and another Woman seventy and that another Woman delivered into a Basin an hundred and fifty every one of the length of ones little finger 16. In the History of the Acts of Augustus Caesar we find upon Record that in his twelfth Consulship upon the eleventh day of April C. Crispinus Helarus a Gentleman of Fesulae came with solemn pomp into the Capital attended upon with his nine Children seven Sons and two Daughters with seven and twenty Grand-children that were the Sons of his Children and nine and twenty more who were his great Grand-children the Sons of his Sons Sons and besides these with twelve Females that were his Childrens Daughters and with all these he solemnly sacrificed 17. There was a Noble Lady of the Family of the Dalburges who saw of her race even to the sixth degree whereof the Germans have made this Distich Mater 1 ait Natae 2 dic Natae 3 Filia Natam 4 Vt moneat Natae 5 plangere Filiolam6. Which because I have not found already translated I shall venture at it in this Tetrastick The aged Mother to her Daughter spake Daughter said she arise Thy Daughter to thy Daughter take Whose Daughters Daughter cries 18. In the memory of our Fathers saâ—th Vives there was a Village in Spain of above a hundred Houses whereof all the inhabitants were issu'd from one certain old man who then liv'd when as that Village was so peopled the name of propinquity how the youngest should call him could not be given for our Language saith he meaning the Spanish affords not a name above the great Grand-fathers Father 19. In the place and parish where I was born viz. in the Burrough of Leicester in the Church of St. Martin I my self have seen and it is there yet to be seen by others a very remarkable Epitaph which is this Here lyeth the body of of John Heyrick of this Parish who departed this life the second of April 1589. being about the age of seventy six years he did marry Mary the Daughter of John Bond of Wardâ—nd in the
County of Warwick Esquire He liv'd with the said Mary in one house full fifty two years and in all that time never buried Man Woman nor Child though they were sometimes twenty in houshold He had Issue by the said Mary five Sons and seven Daughters The said John was Mayor of the Town 1559. And again Anno 1572. The said Mary liv'd to ninety seven years and departed the eight of December 1611. She did see before her departure of her Children and Childrens Children and their Children to the number of one hundred forty and two 20. In St. Innocents Church-yard in the City of Paris is to be seen the Epitaph of Yoland Baily Widow to Mounsieur Dennis Capel a Proctour at the Chastelet which doth shew that she had lived eighty four years and might have seen 288. Verstegan saith 295 of her Children and Childrens Children she dy'd the seventeenth of April 1514. Imagine how she had been troubled to call them by a proper denomination that were distant from her in the fourth and fifth degree 21. In Markshal Church in Essex on Mrs. Honywoods Tomb is this Inscription Here lyeth the body of Mary Waters the Daughter and coheir af Robert Waters of Lenham in Kent Esquire wife of Robert Honywood of Charing in Kent Esquire her only Husband who had at her decease lawfully descended from her 367. sixteen of her own body 114 Grand-children 228. in the third Generation and nine in the fourth She liv'd a most pious life and in a Christian manner dyed here at Markshal in the ninety third year of her age and in the forty fourth of her Widowhood May 11. 1620. 22. Dame Esther Temple Daughter to Miles Sands Esquire was born at Latmos in Buckinghamshire and was marryed to Sir Thomas Temple of Stow Baronet She had four Sons and nine Daughters which liv'd to be marry'd and so exceedingly multiplyed that this Lady saw seven hundred extraâ—ted from her body Reader I speak within compass and have left my self a reserve having bought the truth hereof by a wager I lost saith Dr. Fuller Besides there was a new Generation of marriageable Females just at her death Had the Off-spring of this Lady been contracted into one place they were enow to have peopled a City of a competent proportion though her Issue was not so long in succession as broad in extent I confess very many of her descendants dy'd before death the Lady Temple dy'd Anno 1656. 23. Iohn Henry and Thomas Palmer were the Sons of Edward Palmer Esquire in Sussex It happened that their Mother being a full Fortnight inclusively in labour was on Whitsunday deliver'd of Iohn her Eldest Son on the Sunday following of Henry her second Son and the Sunday next after of Thomas her third Son This is that which is commonly call'd superfoeâ—ation usual in other Creatures but rare in Women the cause whereof we leave to the disquisition of Physicians These three were Knighted for their Valour and success as in their Nativiâ—ies 24. Another Example of superfoetation I will set down for the stories sake in the year of our Lord 1584. dyed the Noble Lord Philip Lewis of Hirshorne at his mansion House in the Palatinate three Miles from Heydelberg he left no Heir but his Lady was with Child his Kindred forthwith enter upon the Rents and Royalties and to gain the more full and perfect knowledge of them soon after the death of her Lord they pluck from her waste the Keys of all private places and that not without violence the better to enable them for the search they intended This outrage redoubled the grief of the poor Lady so that within few days after she fell in travel and brought forth a Son but dead and wanting the Skull Now were the next Heirs of the deceased Noblemam exceeding jocund as having attained to their utmost hopes and therefore now us'd the Estate as their own But it pleased God as out of a stone to raise up a Son to that desolate and disconsolate Widow For though she was not speedily deliver'd of him after the 〈◊〉 yet she remained somewhat big after her delivery suspecting nothing but that it was some prâ—â—ternatural humour or some disease that was remaining in her body She therefore consulted the Physicians who all thought any thing rather to be the cause of her disease than that in the leaâ—â— they suspected a second Birth so long after the â—irst They therefore advis'd her to go to the Baths by the Rhine she accordingly did as a sad and comfortless Widow attended only with one Maid came thither Iuly 1584. where it so fell out she found Augustus the Elector of Saxony together with the Princess his Wiâ—e as also many other Princes and their Ladies by which means all lodgings were so foretaken up that she could not find entertainment in any Inn especially being not known of what quality she was coming thither with so private a retinue as a single Maid At last discovering to the Governour of the place who she was and her last misfortunes not without some difficulty she procured lodging in his House for that night wherein she came thither But that very night when it was the tenth week from her former delivery it pleased God to send her in her aâ—â—liction and amongst strangers a lovely Boy The fame of which came to the ears of the Illustrious Princes who were then in Town The Elector of Mentz made her a noble provision for her Lying in The Elector of Saxony also sent her by way of Present one thousand Dollers Also all the Rents and Royalties before seiz'd upon were restored to this lawful Heir of her Husbands and Child of hers who also is yet alive saith Câ—spar Bauhinâ—s Superâ—oetation is by the distant Births of divers not raâ—ely confirmed A Dutch Woman in Southwark some twenty years since having invited divers of her Neighbours to her Upsitting found her self not well on a sudden and rising from the table was forthwith brought to bed of another This falling on a time into our discourse one then present reported that the like befel a Sister of his who three months after the birth of her first Son was delivered of a second CHAP. XXVI Of the strange Agility and Nimbleness of some and their wonderful feats HOmer in the commendation of the activity of Meriones calls him the Dancer in which Art he was so famous that he was known not only amongst the Greeks but to the Trojans also his enemies probably because that in time of Battel he made shew of an extraordinary quickness and nimbleness of body which he had acquired unto himself by the practice of this Art some of these who follow though they wanted an Homer to recommend them to posterity have excell'd not only Meriones in point of agility but have attain'd the utmost of what a humane body in this kind is capable of acquiring 1. Amongst those shews which were presented to the people
his foreskin cut and inverted and this came to pass through the vehement imagination of the Mother who three weeks before she fell in travel had listened very attentively to a Guest in her House who discoursed and exactly described the manner of the Jewish Circumcision at one of which he had that morning been present I may be an eye-witness of this for I was brought by Kepler the great Mathematician to behold that Boy who was then two years of age 6. Gulielmus Fabricius relates a notable History to this purpose thus Anno 1600 an honest Matron in Rol near the Lemane Lakâ— at the beginning of the second month from her conception chanced to pass by the Image of a Crucifix and looking over curiously and intentively upon the broken and distorted Legs of the Thief that hung on the left side she was therewith so mov'd and affected that at the end of her time she was delivered of a Girl who was deform'd in her right Leg after the same manner as she had beheld in the Thief 7. There was an excellent Painter who having been for some time infested with black choler fell into this strange and false imagination he verily believ'd that all the Bones of his Body were become so flexible and soft that they might as easily be crushed together and folded one within another as a piece of Wax his mind having receiv'd this impression he kept himself in his Bed a whole Winter together fearing if he should rise that the misfortune which he feared would certainly befal him He was afterwards cured of his conceit by the artiâ—ice of his Physician as is 〈◊〉 down at large in the same Chapter 8. Rodericus Fonseca tells of one who being sick of a burning Fever pointing from his Bed with his Finger to the Floor of the Chamber he besought them that stood near him that they would suffer him to swim a while in that Lake the Physician agreed to it and he walking carefully about said that now the water was as high as his Knees straight it was come to his Loins and soon after it reached as high as his Throat this done behold the force and strength of imagination he said he was very well and so indeed it fell out 9. A certain woman being very big according to usual computation did reckon with her Neighbours that she should come about the Feast of the Epiphany or of the three Kings some therefore told her by way of allusion that she should be delivered of three Kings Pray God grant it said she At her time therefore she was delivered of three Male Children one of which was of the colour of an Aethiopian as one of those three Kings are commonly painted This story saith Gemma I thought meet to set down because it was seen at Lovaine and is confirmed by sufficient testimony 10. Another woman was delivered of a Child all hairy and rough having too intentively looked upon the picture of Iohn Baptist as he is ordinarily painted in his Garments of Camels hair 11. Anno 1638. at Leyden a woman of the meaner sort who lived near the Church of S. Peter was delivered of a Child well shaped in every respect but had the head of a Cat. Imagination was that which had given occasion for this Monster for while she was big she was frighted exceedingly with a Cat which was gotten into her Bed 12. A very ingenioâ—s Physician has divers times related to me that being called to a young Lady he found that though she much complain'd of health yet there appeared so little cause either in her body or her condition to guess that she did any more than fancy her self sick that scrupling to give her Physick he perswaded her Friends rather to divert her mind by little journeys of pleasure In one of which going to S. Winifred's Well this Lady who was a Catholick and devout in her Religion and a pretty while in the water to perform some Devotions and had had occasion to fix her eyes very attentively upon the red Pebble Stones which in a scattered order made up a good part oâ— those that appeared through the water and a while after growing big she was delivered of a Child whose white skin was copiously speckled with spots of the colour and bigness of thosâ— stones and though now this Child hath liv'd already several years yet she still retains them 13. In England there was one that would not piss lest all the blood in his body should pass that way he had therefore tied up for some days that passage he was so much in fear of whereupon there was such a tumour that had not his Brother loosed the Bonds he had certainly died Samuel Collins an English man and Doctor of Physick my intimate friend at Montpelier saw and was well acquainted with this melancholy man 14. One was perswaded that his Nose was grown to that prodigious length and greatneâ—â— that he thought he carried along with him as it were the trunck of an Elephant which was always a great hindrance to him so that ever and anon he thought it swam in his dish A Physician was sent for who understanding his Disease dextrously and without discovery holds a long stuffed thing to his Nostrils and then snatching up a Razour and taking up some part of the â—lesh he whipt off this counterfeit Nose and then with a soporiferous potion and wholsome Diet he completed his cure 15. There was one who thought his Buttocks were made of Glass so that all that he did he performed standing fearing that if he should sit down he should break his Buttocks and that the Fragments of the Glass should flie hither and thither 16. Montanus tells of one who thought all the superficies of the world was made of Glass thin and transparent and that underneath there lay a multitude of Serpents that he lay in his Bed as in an Island whence if he should presume to venture that then he should break the Glass and so falling amongst the Serpents he should speedily be devoured and therefore to prevent that mishap he was resolv'd not to stir from the Island of his Bed 17. I have seen a woman saith Trallianus who was possessed with this fancy she carryed her middle finger always bent supposing that thereon she carried the whole world she also wept fearing that if at any time she unbent her finger that then the whole worlds Fabrick would fall into Ruines 18. Thrasilaus the Son of Pythodorus who was seis'd with that kind of madness that he verily thought that all the Ships which put to shore upon the Pyraeum were his own he would therefore number them dismiss them and when they return'd receive them with that joy as if he was the Master of all their Cargo Of such as were wracked he enquired not at all but such as came safe he wonderfully rejoyced at and in this pleasure did he pass his
the excellency of his Art This was asserted-by many Noble Persons who were eye witnesses and that before Philippus Saracenus the publick Notary and so consigned over to publick Record that future ages thence might not want occasion to give credit to this Miracle 3. It is credibly reported of Count Mansfeld that although he was blind yet he could by his touch alone discern the difference betwixt the colours of white and black and say which was the one and which the other 4. We read of a Preacher in Germany who was blind from his Nativity yet it seems he carried a pair of eyes in his hands for he was able to chuse the fairest of three Sisters by his touch only having successively taken them by the hand 5. Dr. Harvy affirms the heart though the Fountain of life life to be without feeling which he proves by a Gentleman he had seen who by an impostumation had a hole in his side through which not only the Systole and Diastole of the Heart might be discerned but the Heart it self touch'd with the finger which yet the Gentleman affirmed that he felt not 6. Dionysius the Son of Clearchus the Tyrant of Heraclea through idleness and high feeding had attained to an immeasurable fatness and corpulency by reason of which he also slept so soundly that it was difficult to wake him His Physicians therefore took this course with him they had certain sharp Needles and Bodkins and these they thrust into divers parts of his Body but till the point of them had pass'd the fat he remain'd without any feeling at all but touching the flesh next under the fat he would thereupon awake 7. There was a Servant in the Colledge of Physiciany in London whom the Learned Harvey one of his Masters had told me was exceeding strong to labour and very able to carry any necessary burden and to remove things dexterously according to the occasion and yet he was so void of feeling that he used to grind his hands against the walls and against course lumber when he was emply'd to rummage any insomuch that they would run with blood through grating of the skin without his feeling of what occasioned it by which it appears that some have the motion of the Limbs intire and no ways prejudiced but have had no feeling at all quite over their whole case of skin and flesh 8. A young man had utterly lost his senses of taste and touch nor was he any time troubled with hunger yet eat to preserve his life and walk'd with Crutches because he could not tell where his feet were 9. Dr. London my ancient friend knew a Maid in England otherwise of good health that had no sense of burnings in her Neck she would suffer a Needle to be run into her Forehead or into the â—lesh of her Fingers near the Nails and yet without any kind of sense of pain 10. An Observation was imparted a while since by that excellent and experienced Lithotomist Mr. Hollier who told me that amongst the many Patients sent to be cured in a great Hospital whereof he is one of the Chirurgeons there was a Maid of about eighteen years of age who without the loss of motion had so lost the sense of feeling in the external parts of the Body that when he had for trials sake pinn'd her Handkerchief to her bare Neck she went up and down with it so pinn'd without having sense of what he had done to her He added that this Maid having remain'd a great while in the Hospital without being cur'd Dr. Harvey out of curiosity visited her sometimes and suspecting her strange distemper to be chiefly Uterine and curable only by Hymeneal exercises he advised her Parents who sent her not thither out of poverty to take her home and provide her a Husband by whom in effect she was according to his Prognostick and to many mens wonder cur'd of that strange disease 11. Anno 1563. Upon St. Andrews day in the presence of Monsieur brother to King Charles afterwards Henry the Third King of France Monsieur de Humiere made report of the following History the sum of his relation I have thus contracted In Piccardy in the Forest of Arden certain Gentlemen undertook a hunting of Wolves amongst others they slew a She-wolf that was follow'd by a young infant aged about seven years stark naked of a strange complexion with fair curl'd Hair who seeing the Wolf dead ran fiercely at them he was beset and taken the Nails of his Hands and Feet bowed inward he spake nothing but sent out an inarticulate sound They brought him thence to a Gentlemans House not far off where they put iron Manacles upon his Hands and Feet in the end by being long kept fasting they had brought him to a tameness and in seven months had taught him to speak He was afterwards by circumstance of time and six Fingers he had on one hand known to be the Child of a Woman who stealing wood was pursu'd by Officers and in her fright left her Child then about nine Months age which as is suppos'd was carryed away by the She-wolf aforesaid and by her nourish'd to the time of his taking when his Guardians had got much Money by shewing him from place to place he afterwards was a Herdsman of Sheep and other Beasts for seven years In all which time Wolves never made any attempt on the Herds and Flocks committed to his chage though he kept great store of Oxen Kine Calves Horses Mares Sheep and Poultry This was well observ'd by neighbouring Villages and that they might participate of this benefit they drave their Herds and Flocks where he kept his and desired him but to stroke his hands upon them which he would do with some of his phlegm or spittle upon them after which done let others conjecture as they please for the space of fifteen days Dogs of the greatest fierceness nor any Wolves would by any urgency touch them By this means he got great store of Money for he would have a double Trunois the value of two pence in that Country for every Beast he so laid his Hands on or stroked their Eaâ—s But as all things have a certain period so when he had attain'd to past fourteen years of age this vertue which he had left him himself observ'd that the Wolves would not come so near him as before but keep aloof off as being fearful of him It was possibly from the change of his complexion and temperature through so long alteration from his woolvish diet which was raw flesh c. his gain by this means â—aild and he went to the Wars where he prov'd brave bold and valiant at length fell to be a Thief excelling all others in craft and subtilty he was slain Anno 1572. by the followers to the Duke of Alva though he sold his life at a dear rate CHAP. VI. Of the Sense of Tasting how exquisite in some and
secrecy and undiscovered for the space of nine years together She conceived and brought forth Children in that solitary mansion At last the place of their Abode came to be known they were taken and brought to Rome where Vespasian commanded they should be slain Eponina producing and shewing her Children Behold O Caesar said she such as I have brought forth and brought up in a Monument that thou mightest have more suppliants for our lives Cruel Vespasian that could not be mov'd with such words as these Well they were both led to death and Eponina joyfully dyed with her Husband who had been before buried with him for so many years together 15. Eumenes burying the dead that had fall'n in the Battel of Gabine against Antigonus amongst others there was found the Body of Ceteas the Captain of those Troops that had come out of India This man had two Wives who accompanied him in the Wars one which he had newly married and another which he had marryed a few years before but both of them bare an entire love to him for whereas the Laws of India require that one Wife shall be burnt with her dead Husband both these proffered themselves to death and strove with that ambition as if it was some glorious prize they sought after Before such Captains as were appointed their Judges the younger pleaded that the other was with child and that therefore she could not have the benefit of that Law The elder pleaded that whereas she was before the other in years it was also fit that she should be before her in honour since it was customary in other things that the elder should have place The Judges when they understood by Midwives that the elder was with child passed judgment that the younger should be burnt which done she that had lost the cause departed rending her Diadem and tearing her hair as if some grievous calamity had befallen her The other all joy at her victory went to the Funeral Fire magnificently dressed up by her Friends led along by her Kinred as if to her Nuptials they all the way singing Hymns in her praises when she drew near the fire taking off her Ornaments she delivered them to her Friends and Servants as tokens of remembrance they were a multitude Rings with variety of precious Stones Chains and Stars of Gold c. this done she was by her Brother placed upon the combustible matter by the side of her Husband and after the Army had thrice compassed the Funeral Pile fire was put to it and she without a word of complaint finished her life in the flames 16. Clara Cervenda was one of the most beautiful and fairest Virgins in all Bruges she was married to Bernard Valdaura at that time above forty four years of age The first night after her marriage she found that her Husbands Thighs were rolled and wrapped with Clouts and that he was a man very sore and sickly for all which she lov'd him not a whit the less Not long after Valdaura fell so sick that all the Physicians despaired of his life then did she so attend upon him that in six weeks space she put not off her cloaths only for shift nor rested above an hour or two at the most in a night and that in her cloaths This Disease was a venemous Relique of the Pox and the Physicians counselled Clara not to touch the sick man or come near him and so also did her Kinred and Neighbours All which moved her not but having taken order for that which concerned the benefit of his Soul she provided him all things that might tend to the health of his body she made him Broths and Juleps she changed his Sheets and Clouts although by reason of a continual loosness and many sores about him his body never left running with matter and filth so that he never had any clean part about him All the day she rested not the strength of her love supporting the delicacy of her body by this good means Valdaura escaped that danger After this by reason of a sharp and hot Rheum falling from his Brain the Gristle within his Nose began to be eaten away wherefore the Physicians appointed a certain powder to be blown up softly into his Nose at certain times with a Quill no body could be found to take such a loathsome service in hand because of the stench that came from him but Clara did it chearfully and when his Cheeks and Chin were all covered over with Scabs Wheals and Scales so as no Barber could or would shave him she with her little Scissars played the Barber and made him a deft Beard From this Sickness he fell into another which lasted seven years during which time with incredible diligence she made ready his meat put in his Tents laid on his Plaisters dressed and bound up his Thighs all rotten with Scabs and Ulcers his Breath was such that none durst come near by ten paces and abide by it which yet she protested was sweet to her This long sickness and the nourishing and medicining of a body oppressed by so many Diseases was a great matter in a House that had no Rents or Profits coming in and where Trade had ceased of a long time and consequently the gain she therefore to furnish expences sold her Pretious Jewels her Gold Chains her rich Carcanets her Garments of great value a Cupboard of Plate not caring for any thing so her Husband was relieved and contenting her self with little so he wanted nothing Thus Valdaura lingred on a life by the help of his Wife within a rotten body or rather within a Grave for twenty years together in which time she had eight children by him yet neither she nor they had so much as a Scab Wheal or Pimple in any part of their bodies Valdaura died an old man for whose death his Wife Clara made such mourning as they who knew her well say never woman did for any Husband When some instead of comforting her told her God had done much in taking him away and that they therefore came to congratulate with her she detested their speeches wishing for her Husband again in exchange of five children and though she was yet both young and lusty and sought to by many she resolved not to marry saying she should never meet with any whom she could like so well as her dear Bernard Valdaura CHAP. IX Of the Indulgence and great Love of some Parents to their Children THat natural affection which we bear towards them that proceed from us we have in common with other creatures The Poet hath expressed it in the most cruel of all other Beasts The Tiger which most thirsts for blood Seeing her self robbed of her tender Brood Lies down lamenting in her Scythian Den And licks the prints where her lost whelps had lain Only this affection reigns with greater power in the Souls of some than others and the effects of it have been such as cannot but detain us
the Second â—irst Emperour of the Turks was no sooner possessed of his Father's Throne but as a young Tyrant forgetting the Laws of Nature was presently in person himself about to have murdered with his own hands his youngest Brother then but eighteen months old begotten on the fair Daughter of Sponderbeius which unnatural part Moses one of his Bassas and a man greatly in his savour perceiving requested him not to embrue his own hands in the blood of his Brother but rather to commit the execution thereof to some other which thing Mahomet commanded him the author of that counsel forthwith to do so Moses taking the Child from the Nurse strangled it with pouring water down the throat thereof The young Lady understanding of the death of her child as a woman whom fury had made past fear came and in her rage reviled the Tyrant to his House shamefully upbraiding him for his inhumane cruelty when Mahomet to appease her fury requested her to be content for that it stood with the policy of his State and willed her for her better contentment to ask whatsoever she pleased and she should forthwith have it But she desiring nothing more but in some sort to be revenged desired to have Moses the Executioner of her Son delivered unto her bound which when she had obtained she presently struck him into the Brest with a knife crying in vain upon his unthankful Master for help and proceeding in her cruel execution cut an hole in his right side and by piece-meal cut out his Liver and cast it to the Dogs to eat to that extremity did she resent the death of her beloved Son 12. Scilunus had eighty Sons and when he lay upon his Death-bed he called them all before him and presented them with a Bundle or Sheaf of Arrows and bade each of them try whether with all his strength he was able to break that Sheaf they all of them having attempted it in vain he then drew out a single arrow and bade one of them break that which he easily did intimating to them thereby that unity and compacted strength is the bond which preserves Families and Kingdoms which bond if it be once broken all runs quickly into ruines 13. Monica the Mother of S. Austin while her Son was a Manichee and addicted over-much to a life of sensuality and voluptuousness out of her dear and tender affection to him ceased not to make continual prayers with abundance of tears in his behalf which occasioned S. Ambrose one time to comfort her with these words Impossibile est ut filius tantarum Lachrymarum periret It's impossible that a Son of so many prayers and tears should miscarry 14. Octavius Balbus was proscribed by the Triumvirate whereupon he fled away and was now got out of danger when hearing that his Son was slain by them he returned of his own accord and offered his Throat to the Executioners 15. Cesetius was importun'd by Caesar to renounce and expel from his House one of his Sons who in the time of his Tribuneship had given him matter of offence the old man was so great a lover of his children that he boldly told him that he should sooner deprive him of all his children at once by violence than he should perswade him to send one of them away with any mark of his displeasure 16. Pericles though he had buried his Sister and divers others of his near Relations yet bare all this with great constancy and an unbroken mind But when his Son Paraclus died though he endeavoured with all his might to digest so great a grief and to suppress any appearance thereof yet he was not able to do it but burst out into tears and lamentations crying out The Gods preserve to me the poor and little Camillus the only Son I have now left unto me 17. Aegeus stood upon a high Rock whence he might see a great way upon the Sea in expectation of the return of his Son Theseus from Creet having made him promise at his departure that if all things went well with him at his return his Ship should be set forth with Sails and Streamers of white colour to express the joyfulness of his return The old man after his long watching at last did discern the Ship making homewards but it seems they had forgot to advance the White Colours as they had promised when therefore Aegeus saw nothing but black concluding that his Son had miscarried in his journey and was dead not able to endure the grief he had conceived hereof he threw himself headlong into the Sea from the top of the Rock whereon he stood and so died 18. Gordianus the Elder the Proconsul of Africa was made choice of by them of Africa and the Soldiers in his Army to be their Emperour against the cruelty of the Maximini but as soon as he understood that his Son was slain by the Maximines he was not able to support himself under the great weight of his grief but hanged himself in his own Bed-chamber 19. Socrates one day was surprised by Alcibiades childishly sporting with his Son Lamproclus and when he was sufficiently derided by Alcibiades upon that account You have not said he such reason as you imagine to laugh so profusely at a Father playing with his child seeing you know nothing of that affection which Parents have to their children contain your self then till you come to be a Father your self when perhaps you will be found as ridiculous as I now seem to you to be CHAP. X. Of the Reverence and Piety of some Children to their Parents UPon a Marble Chair in Scone where the Kings of Scotland were used to be Crowned and which King Edward the First caused to be carried to Westminster was written this Distich Ni fallat fatum Scoti quocunque locatum Inveniant lapidem regnare tenentur ibidem Vnless unalterable fate do feign Where e're they find this Stone the Scots shall reign We may say it and perhaps with more assurance that where ever we find that Piety and Reverence that is due to Parents there is a kind of earnest given of a worthy and prosperous person for having this way entituled himself to the promise of God whatsoever become of the Fates it shall be surely perform'd to him as may be seen in divers of the following examples 1 Boleslaus the fourth King of Poland had the picture of his Father which he carried hanging about his Neck in a Plate of Gold and when he was to speak or do any thing of importance he took this picture and kissing it used to say Dear Father I wish I may not do any thing remisly or unworthy of thy name 2. Pomponius Atticus making the Funeral Oration at the death of his Mother protested that having lived with her sixty and seven years he was never reconciled to her because added he in all that time there never happened the least jar
to leave the Kingdom to the other But for all this the great Officers of the Court did most stoutly oppose him saying that since he had commerce with that servant she was ennobled by a superior Law and that her Son being the eldest ought not to lose the Rights and Privileges of his Birth The King notwithstanding persisted in his intentions and the rest to oppose them whereupon many were by the King's orders thrust out of their places othâ—rs left them of their own accords and having let down the Ensigns of their Dignity hung theâ— at the Gate of the Palace and departed to their own Homes despising at once the Honour Profit Dignity and Revenue of their place only for the defence of Reason and the Laws and Customs of the Realm and the preservation of a just right of a youth that wanted protection The King at length though a more potent than himself had seldom sate on the Throne was yet enforced besides his custom to hold a Royal Audience and taking his eldest Son now as Prince he placed him next behind him and shewing him to the Mandarines he recommends unto them the care of the publick peace and quiet without doors assuring them that all was quiet in the Palace and that Thai Cham that was the name of the Prince should succeed him in the Kingdom as in effect it fell out 11. The Daughters of the Emperours of China have their Palaces in the City of Pekin one of the domestick Servants of one of those Princesses had committed sundry insolencies and amongst those one such crime as deserved death The Mandarines much desired to apprehend him but in the Palace they could not and he never went abroad but when he waited on his Princess At length a Mandarine resolved to take him by any means he could and therefore when the Princess went next abroad he with his men set himself before the Coaches made them stop and then presently laid hands on that man and carried him away The Princess resenting the affront that was done her returned presently to the Palace full of indignation and was so transported with choler that not staying the Kings return from the Audience where he then was she went thither in person to complain The Mandarine was presently sent for who had put himself in readiness supposing he should be called He presented himself before the King who sharply reproved him He answered Sir I have done nothing but that which your Majesty commandeth and your Law ordaineth But you ought replied the King to haue sought some other time and opportunity I have sought it long enough answered the Mandarine but I should never have found it At least said the King ask my Daughter pardon and bow your head Where there is no fault said the other there is no need of pardon neither will I ask pardon for having discharged my office Then the King commanded two Mandarines that by force they should bow down his head to the ground but he by strength kept up himself so stiff that it was not possible for them to do it so that the King sent him away and a few days after gave order he should have a better office bestowed upon him being well pleased with his integrity and generous zeal to Justice 12. The Turks had taken the City of Buda in Hungary the Inhabitants being fled out of it for fear But the Castle was guarded by German Soldiers under the command of Thomas Nadast the Governour these Germans also affrighted began to confer with the enemy about the surrender of the Castle which Nadast not enduring being full of courage and constancy he brake off their conference and commanded the Guns to be planted against the enemy these cowards converting their minds to villany laid hands upon their Captain bound him while he threatned in vain and having conditioned for the safety of their lives and goods yield up the Castle when the Turks were entred and found Nadast in Bonds they related all to their Emperour as they had heard it from him who was so incensed with their persidious cowardise that he immediately sent out his Janizaries after them to cut them all in pieces as for Nadast he freed him of his bonds caused him to be brought into his presence highly commended him invited him with a liberal stipend to serve on his side and when he refused honourably dismissed him 13. Papinianus was the honour of Lawyers and to this great man it was to whom the Emperour Severus dying recommended his two Sons with the government of the Empire but the impious Caracalla having embrew'd his hands in the blood of his Brother Geâ—a was desirous that this excellent person should set some colour by his eloquence before the Senate and people upon an action so barbarous to which proposal of 〈◊〉 freely made answer it was more easie to commit a patricide than to justifie it uttering this truth to the prejudice of his head which this wretched Prince caused to be cut off 14. The Father of Lycurgus being slain in a popular tumult the Kingdom of Sparta descended to Polydecta the elder Brother but he soon after dying it came in all mens opinion to Lycurgus and he reigned till such time as it was known that the wife of his Brother was with child This once clearly discovered he declared that the Kingdom did appertain to the Son of Polydecta in case his Wife should be delivered of a Male Child in the mean time he administred the Kingdom in the quality of Protector But the Lady privately sent to Lycurgus offering him to cause an abortion in case that he thereby receiving the Kingdom would also receive her as his Wife He though detesting the impiety of the woman yet rejected not her offer but as one that approved and accepted the condition represented to her that by no means she should endanger the state of her body by any such harsh medicaments as that case would require but that as soon as she was safely delivered it should be his care to see that the Child should be made away By this means he fairly drew on the woman even to the time of her Travel which as soon as he was informed of he ordered persons to be present together with a Guard attending there with this precept that in case she should be delivered of a Girl they should leave it with the women but if otherwise they should by all means forthwith convey it to himself It so fell out that as he sate at Supper with the Nobles she was delivered of a Male Child and the Boy was brought to him where he then was As soon as he received him he said to them that were present O ye Spartans there is a King born to us and so placed him in the Throne of the Kingdom he gave him the name of Câ—arilaus because all persons received him with greatest expressions of joy and highest admiration of the justice and greatness of his
colour do you know too added he the complaints she makes of you they are sad ones and such as I would not thâ—y should be true he shakes faulters in his speech says and unsays being urged home he confesses all frees the woman from any fault and casting himself at the Dukes feet said he placed all his refuge and comfort in the good grace and mercy of his Prince and that he might the better obtain it he offered to make amends for his unlawful lust by a lawful Marriage of the person whom he had injured The Duke as one that inclined to what he said and now somewhat milder you woman said he since it is gone thus far are you willing to have this man for your Husband she refuses but fearing the Duke's displeasure and prompted by the Courtiers that he was Noble Rich and in favour with his Prince overcome at last she yields The Duke causes both to joyn hands and the Marriage to be lawfully made which done You Mr. Bridegroom said he you must now grant me this that if you die first without Children of your body that then this Wife of yours shall be the Heir of all that you have he willingly granted it it is writ down by a Notary and Witness is to it Thus done the Duke turning to the woman Tell me said he is there enouâ—h done for your satisfaction There is said she But there is noâ— to mine said he And sending the woman away he commands the Governor to be led away to that very Prison in which the Husband was slain and dead to be laid in a Coffin headless as he was This done he then sent the woman thither ignorant of what had passed who frighted with that second unthought of misfortune of two Husbands almost at one and the same time lost by one and the same punishment fell speedily sick and in a short time died having gained this only by her last Marriage that she left her Children by her former Husband very rich by the accesâ—ion of this new and great Inheritance 19. Sir Iohn Markham was Knighted by King Edward the fourth and by him made Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench at which time one Sir Thomus Cooke late Lord Major of London and Knight of the Bath a man of a great Estate was agreed upon to be accused of high Treason and a Commission granted forth to try him in Guild-Hall The King by private instructions to the Judge appeared so far that Cooke though he was not must be found guilty and if the Law were too short the Judge must stretch it to the purpose The fault laid to his charge was for lending Moneys to Queen Murgaret the proof was the Confession of one Hawkins who was wracked in the Tower Sir Thomas Cooke pleaded that Hawkins came indeed to request him to lend a thousand Marks upon good Security but that understanding who it was for he had sent him away with a refusal the Judge shewed the proof reached not the charge of high Treason that Misprision of Treason was the highest it could amount to and intimated to the Jury to be tender in matter of life and discharge good Consciences they found it accordingly For which the Judge was outed of his place and lived privately the rest of his days and gloried in this that though the King could make him no Judge he could not make him no upright Judge CHAP. XXX Of such persons as were illustrious for their singular Chastity both Men and Women THere is no Vice whatsoever that is very easie to overcome but that of the Lusts of the Flesh seems to have a peculiar difficulty in the Conquest of it for whereas Covetousness hath its seat in the mind alone this seises upon the mind and body also whereas other Vices use to grow upon us only through our loosing the Reins unto desire this is ingenerate born with us and accompanies us all along from our Cradles to the Tomb for the most part having fixed its roots so deep within us through long indulgence that not one of many is able to prevail against it By how much the more strong therefore the enemy is and the more intimate and familiar he is with us the more noble is the Victory and the Conquest more glorious 1. St. Ierome Relates a Story of one Nicetas a young man of invincible Courage who when by all sorâ—s of threatnings he was not to be frighted into idolatry his enemies resolved upon another course They brought him into a Garden â—lowing with all manner of sensual pleasures and delights there they laid him in a bed of Down safely enwrapped in a Net of Silk amongst the Lilies and Roses with the delicious murmur of the Rivulets and the sweet whistling of the winds amongst the Leaves and then all departed There was then immediately sent unto him a young and most beautiful Strumpet who used all the abominable tricks of her impure art and whorish villanies to draw him to her desire The youth now fearing that he should be conquered with folly who had â—riumphed over fury resolutely bit off a piece of his own tongue with his teeth spitting it in the face of the whore and so by the smart of his wound extinguished the rebellion of his flesh 2. While King Demetrius was at Athens there was a young boy of so lovely a Countenance that he was commonly called Democles the fair him did Demetrius send for and court with fair speeches large promises and great gifts at other times he sought to terrifie him by threats and all thaâ— he might gain the use of his body But the chast Lad was proof against all these and to avoid the importunity of the King he resorted not to the publick places of exercise or to the Baths with his companions as before but used to wash himself in private and alone Demetrius was inform'd of it and finding his time rushed in upon him being alone the boy perceiving he could not now avoid the lust of this Royal Ravisher though he had infinite horrors at the apprehension of it he snatched off the cover of the Cauldron where the water was boyling and leaping into it soon choaked himself chusing rather to dye than to outlive the violation of his Chastity 3. Thomas Arch-Bishop of York in the Reign of Henry the first falling sick his Physicians told him that nothing would do him good but to company with a woman to whom he replied that the reamedy was worse than the disease and so dyed a Virgin 4. Anno â—421 Pelagius was in Spain and after the terrible slaughter received in the Battel of Iuncaria under King Ordonius he was given as hostage to the Moors for his Uncle Hermogius the Bishop Abderamine King of the Moors was surprised and strangely taken with the beauty of this Prisoner of his for he was a lovely youth to look upon and therefore determined to reserve this flower for himself accordingly he began
the Barbarians that they sent Ambassadors to Antonius to grant them Peace for an hundred years for they were astonished above measure to find such Authority in Military Laws as that by the Judgment of the Roman General even they were condemned to die who had gloriously though unlawfully overcome 10. Alexander the Great being in Cilicia was detained with a violent Disease so that when all other Physicians despaired of his health Philip the Acarnanian brought him a potion and told him if he hoped to live he must take that Alexander had newly received Letters from Parmenio wherein he advised him to repose no trust in Philip for he was bribed to destroy him by Darius with a mighty Summ of Gold Alexander held the Letters in the one hand took the Potion in the other and having supped it off shewed Philip the Contents of them who though incensed at the slander cast upon him yet advised Alexander to confide in his Art and indeed he recovered him 11. Charles the Fifth Emperor of Germany had his Forces and Camp at Ingolstadt and was compassed about with a huge number of Confederated Enemies yet would he not â—ight whether because some Forces he expected were not yet come or that he foresaw a safe and unbloody Victory In the mean time the Enemy that abounded with great Guns thundered amongst his Tents in such manner that six thousand great Shot was numbred in one day so that the Tents were every where boared through the Emperor 's own Tent escaped not the fury of the Guns men were killed at his back on each side of him and yet the Emperor changed not his place no nor his carriage nor his Countenance And when his Friends entreated him that he would spare himself and all them in him smiling he bad them be of good courage for no Emperor was ever killed with a great Gun These things are short in the relation but so mighty to consider of as to deserve the memory and applause of Ages to come The like constancy and gravity in all his actions and behaviour accompanied him throughout his whole life 12. In the Reign of King Henry the Third was Simon Montford Earl of Leicester a man of so audacious a Spirit that he gave King Henry the lye to his face and that in the presence of all his Lords and of whom it seems the King stood in no small fear for passing one time upon the Thames and suddenly taken with a terrible Storm of Thunder and Lightning he commanded to be set on Shore at the next Stairs which happened to be at Durham-house where Montford then lay who coming down to meet the King and perceiving him somewhat frighted with the Thunder said unto him Your Majesty need not fear the Thunder the danger is now past No Montford said the King I fear not the Thunder so much as I do thee 13. Malcolme King of Scots besieging Alnwick Castle an English Knight unarmed only having a light Spear in his hand on the end of which he bare the Keys of the Castle came riding into the Camp where being brought to the King couching his Spear as though he intended to present him with the Keys ran him into his left eye left him dead hence some say came the name Pierceye the Knight by the swiftness of his Horse escaped CHAP. XXXVIII Of the immoveable Constancy of some persons THis admirable Vertue is to the Soul as the Balast to the Ship it keeps it steady and preserves it from fluctuation and uncertainty at such times as any tempest of adversity shall assault it It holds the middle place betwixt levity and obstinacy of the Mind and being now to give some examples thereof let none be displeased that I make choice of one of the other Sex to begin with seeing a more illustrious one is not very easily to be met with 1. The Baron de Raymond having married the Daughter of an English Gentleman called William Barnsley soon after to comply with the great Duke of Moscovy he changed his Religion Now the Law of the Country is that if in a family the Husband or Wife be of theirs the rest shall be inforced to profess it so that by this Law his Wife was to follow his example Her Husband â—irst used all the mild means imaginable but finding so great a constancy on the other side was forced to recur to the Authority of the great Duke and Patriarch These offered her at first great advantages but she though but fifteen years of age and the handsomest Stranger in the Country cast her self at the Dukes feet praying him rather to take away her life than to force her to a belief she was not satisfied of in her Conscience The Father used the same submission but the Patriarch put him off with Kicks told him that she was to be treated as a Child and baptized whether she would or no. Accordingly she was dragg'd to a Brook where she was rebaptiz'd notwithstanding her protestations she made against it when they plunged her in the water she drew in along with her one of the Religious Women when they would oblige her to detest her former Religion she spit in their faces and would never abjure After her Baptism she was sent to Stuatka where her Husband was Governour where she staid the three years of his Government Those expired he returned to Mosco and there dyed she then thought she might profess the Protestant Religion but that would not be permitted her two Sons were taken from her and she with a little Daughter was sent to the Monastery of Belossora where she lived five years amongst the Nuns in all which time she was not suffered to speak with any and but once by the means of a German heard of her friends The Patriarch dying she got out of the Monastery and his Successor allowed her Liberty of Conscience at her own house and to give and receive visits I often visited this virtuous Lady in this condition and have heard that she dyed some two years since constant in her Religion to the last gasp I may add that her Father William Barnsley dyed in England not long since aged one hundred twenty six years after he had married a second Wife at one hundred The former History commenced Anno Dom. 1636. 2. Tarquinius the Son of Demaratus in the Sabine War had vowed a Temple to Iupiter Capitâ—linus Tarquinius Superbus the Son of him that had vowed it built it but dedicated it not as being expelled Rome before it was perfectly finished Poplicola one of the Consuls had a great desire to dedicate this Temple but the dedication thereof fell to M. Horatius his Colleague in the Consulship All were assembled in the Capitol for this purpose Horatius had commanded silence other Rites were performed and now as the custom is holding a Post in his hands he was beginning to speak the words of dedication when M. the brother
then present and an ear witness hath related thus much of that great Prince 14. It is reported of Magdalene Queen of France and wife to Lewis the Eleventh by birth a Scottish Woman that walking forth in an Evening with her Ladies she espied M. Alanus one of the Kings Chaplains an old hard favored man lying fast asleep in an Arbor she went to him and kissed him sweetly When the young Ladies laught at her for it she reply'd that it was not his person that she did bear that Reverence and respect unto but the Divine beauty of his soul. 15. The Great Theodosius used frequently to sit by his Children Arcadius and Honorius whilest Arsenius taught them he commanded them to give their Master the same respects as they would unto himself and surprizing them once sitting and Arsenius standing he took from them their Princely Robes and restored them not till a long time after nor without much entreaty 16. Marcus Aurelius shewed great piety and respect to his teachers and instructers he made Proculus Proconsul and took Iunius Rusticus with him in all his expeditions advised with him in all his publick and private business saluted him before Praefâ—cti praetorio designed him to be second time Consul and after his death obtained of the Senate publickly to erect his Statue 17. Claudius Tacitus the Emperor a great favourer of Learned Men commanded the works of Tacitus the Historian to be carefully preserved in every Library throughout the Empire and ten times every year to be transcribed at the publick cost notwithstanding which many of his works are lost CHAP. XLI Of the exceeding intentness of some men upon their Meditations and Studies THe Greek Writers extol to the heavens the Gallantry of one Cynaegirus an Athenian who in the famous battel at Salamine against the Persians laid hold upon one of their Ships with his right hand and that cut off with his left when that also was lost he endeavoured to retain it with his teeth No less is the constancy of these illustrious persons to be wondred at some of whom no consideration whatsoever unless the indispensable laws of necessity or death it self could be able to divorce from their dear studies 1. Thuanus tells of a Countryman of his called Franciscus Vieta a very learned man who was so bent upon his studies that sometimes for three days together he would sit close at it sine cibo somno nisi quem cubito innixus nec se loco movens capiebat Without meat or sleep more than what for mere necessity of nature he took leaning on his Elbow without moving out of his place 2. Dr. Reynoâ—ds when the Heads of the University of Oxford came to visit him in his last sickness which he had contracted merely by his exceeding pains in his studies whereby he brought his withered body to be a very Sckeleton they earnestly perswaded him that he would not perdere substantiam propter accidentia loose his life for learning he with a smile answered out of the Poet Nec propter vitam vivendi perdere causas Nor to save life lose that for which I live 3. Chaerephon the familiar Friend of Socrates was sirnamed Nycteris sor that he was grown pale with nocturnal Lucubrations and was so exceedingly emaciated and made lean thereby 4. Thomas Aquinas sitting at Dinner with Philip or as Campanus saith with Lewis King of France was on the sudden so transported in his mind that he struck the board with his hand and cryed out Adversus Manichaeos conclusum est The Manichees are confuted At which when the King admired Thomas blushing besought his pardon saying That an Argument was just then come into his mind by which he could utterly overthrow the opinion of the Manichees 5. Bernardus Abbot of Claravalla had made a dayes journey by the side of the Lake Lausanna and now at Sun setting being come to his Inne and hearing the Fryers that accompanied him discoursing amongst themselves of the Lake he asked where that Lake was When he heard he wondred professing that he had not so much as seen it being all the time of his Journey so intent upon his meditations 6. Archimedes who by his Machines and various Engines had much and long impeded the victory of M. Marcellus in the Siege of Syracuse when the City was taken was describing Mathematical figures upon the earth so intent upon them both with his eye and mind that when a Soldier who had broke into the house came to him with his drawn Sword and asked him who he was He out of an earnest desire to preserve his figure entire which he had drawn in the Dust told not his name but only desired him not to break and interrupt his Circle The Soldier conceiving himself scorn'd ran him through and so confounded the draught and lineaments of his Art with his own blood He lost his life by not minding to tell his name for Marcellus had given special order for his safety 7. I remember I have often heard it from Ioseph Scaligers own mouth that he being then at Paris when the horrible Butchery and Massacre was there sate so intent upon the study of the Hebrew tongue that he did not so much as hear the clashing of Arms the cryes of Children the lamentations of Women nor the Clamours or Groans of Men. 8. St. Augustine had retired himself into a solitary place and was there sate down with his mind wholly intent upon divine meditations concerning the mystery of the sacred Trinity when a poor woman desirous to consult him upon a weighty matter presented her self before him but he took no notice of her the woman spake to him but neither yet did he observe her upon which the woman departs angry both with the Bishop and her self supposing that it was her poverty that had occasioned him to treat her with such neglect Afterwards being at Church where he preached she was wrap'd up in Spirit and in a kind of Trance she thought she heard St. Austin discoursing concerning the Trinity and was informed by a private voice that she was not neglected as she thought by the humble Bishop but not observed by him at all who was otherwise busied upon which she went again to him and was resolved by him according to her desire 9. Thomas Aquinas was so very intent upon his meditations and in his readings that he saw not such as stood before him he heard not the voices of such as spake to him so that the Corporeal Senses seemed to have relinquished their proper Offices to attend upon the Soul or at the least were not able to perform them when the Soul was determined to be throughly employed 10. Mr. Iohn Gregory of Christs-Church by the relation of that Friend and Chamber-fellow of his who hath published a short account of his life and death did study sixteen of every twenty four hours for divers years together
on him and hang him on the next Tree At this the Fellow cried out That he was not the Miller but the Millers man Nay Sir said the Provost I will take you at your word If thou beest the Miller thou art a busie knave if thou art not thou art a false lying knave and howsoever thou can'st never do thy Master better service than to hang for him and so without more ado he was dispatched 12. Vladus Dracula so soon as he had gained the Soveraignty of Moldavia chose out a multitude of Spear-men as the Guard of his body that done inviting to him as many as were eminent in authority in that Country he singled out from them all that he thought had any inclination to a change All these together with their whole Families he empaled upon sharp Stakes sparing neither the innocent age of young Children the weak Sex of women nor the obscure condition of servants The Stakes and place where they were set took up the space of seventeen Furlongs in length and seven furlongs in breadth and the number of those that were thus murdered and in this cruel manner is said to be no less than twenty thousand 13. Nabis the Tyrant of Lacedaemon did utterly extinguish the Spartan name forcing into exile as many as were eminent for Riches or the renown of their Ancestors and dividing their wealth and Wives amongst the mercenary Souldiers he had hired Withal he sent murderers after such as he had banished not suffering any place of retreat to be safe to them He had also framed an Engine or rather an Image of his Wife which after her name he called Apega with admirable art it was fashioned to her resemblance and was arrayed in such costly garments as she used her self to wear As oft as the Tyrant cited before him any of the rich Citizens with a purpose to milk them of their money he first with a long and very civil speech used to represent to them the danger Sparta stood in of the Achaeans the number of Mercenaries he kept about him for their safety and the great charge he was at in sacred and civil affairs If they were wrought upon by this means it sufficed but if otherwise and that they were tenacious of their money he used then to say Possibly I am not able to perswade you yet it is likely that Apega may and with a shew of familiarity takes the man by the hand and leads him to this Image which rises and embraces him with both arms draws him to her breasts in which and her arms were sharp iron Nails though hidden with her cloathes herewith she grip'd the poor wretch to the pleasure of the Tyrant who laugh'd at his cruel death 14. Iohannes Basilides Emperour of Russia used for his recreation to cause noble and well deserving persons to be sew'd up in the Skins of Bears and then himself set Mastives upon them which cruelly tore them in pieces He often invited his Father-in-law Michael Temrucovins to Banguet with him and then sent him home to his Family through the Snow having first caused him to be stript stark naked sometimes he shut him up in a room in his own house till he was almost famished causing four Bears of extraordinary bigness to be tyed at the door to keep all provisions from him These Bears at other times he would let loose amongst the people especially when they were going to Church and when any were killed by them he said his sons had taken great pleasure in the sport that they were happy that perished in this manner since it was no small diversion to himself 15. Changhien Chunghus no better than a Thief at first thrived so fast that after he had vexed the Provinces of Huquang and Honan in China and part of that of Nanâ—â—ng and Kiangsi he entred the Province of Suchuen in the year 1644. and having taken the principal City called Chingtu in the heat of his fury he killed a King of the Tamingian race as also several Princes of that Family but these slaughters were but the Preludes of those execrable cruelties he afterwards practised For he had certain violent and sudden motions of cruelty and Maximes drawn from the very bowels of vengeance it self For one single mans fault he often destroy'd all the Family without respect to Infants or women with child Nay many times he cut off the whole Street where the offender liv'd involving in the slaughter the innocent with the guilty He once sent a man Post into the Country of Xensi who glad he was out of the Tyrants hands returned no more to revenge this imaginary injury he destroyed all thâ— quarter of the City where he liv'd and thought he much bridled his fierceness that he did not extinguish the whole City He had an Executioner whom he loved above all the rest for his natural inclinations to cruelty this man dying of a disease he caused his Physician to be killed and not content with this he sacrificed an hundred more of the same Profession to the Ghost of his deceased Officer If walking out he saw a Souldier ill clad or whose manner of gate and walking was not so vigorous and masculine as he desired he presently commanded him to be killed He once gave a Souldier a piece of Silk who complained to his fellow of the poorness of the piece of which he being informed by one of his Spies he presently commanded him and his whole Legion which were two thousand men to be all Massacred at once He had in his Royal City six hundred Praefects and in three years space there were scarce twenty of them left having put all the rest to several kinds of deaths for slight causes He had five hundred Eunuchs taken from the Princes of the Tamingian Family after he had put all their Lords to death one of these presuming to stile him not with the title of King but the bare name of Changhien Chungus he caused them all to be slain One of his chief Priests was apprehended for some words let fall against him and he having got together about twenty thousand of the same Profession put them all to the sword and then applauded himself as if he had done an Heroical action He levied an hundred and fourscore thousand all Natives of the Province of Suchuen Anno 1645. these he sent before him to take the City of Nanchung in the Country of Xensi they finding it difficult forty thousand of them revolted to the enemy and so the rest were forced to return without effecting the design The Tyrant enrag'd to see them retire commanded the rest of his Army that had alwaies marched with him to cut in pieces these one hundred and forty thousand of the new raised Suchuens this horrible butchery lasted four daies in which slaughter he commanded some to have their skins pull'd off and filled with straw and having sow'd on the head to be carried in the Towns
shewed the testimonies of his presence A Iew that was but lately become a Christian there denied that it was any miracle saying it was not likely that out of a dry piece of Wood there should come such a light Now albeit many of the standers by doubted of the miracle yet hearing a Jew deny it they began to murmure calling him wicked Apostate a detestable enemy to Jesus Christ and after they had sufficiently revileâ— him with words all the multitude foaming with anger fall upon him pluck off the hair of his head and beard tread upon him trail him into the Church-yard beat him to death and kindling a great fire cast the dead body into it All the residue of the people ran to this mutinous Company there a certain Fryer made a Sermon wherein he vehemently egged on his auditors to revenge the injury that our Lord had received The people mad enough of themselves were clean cast off of the hinges by this Exhortation besides this two other Fryers took and held up a Cross as high as they could cryed out Revenge Heresie Heresie down with wicked Heresie and destroy the wicked Nation Then like hungry Dogs they fall upon the miserable Jews cut the throats of a great number and drag them half dead to the fires many of which they made for the purpose They regarded not Age or Sex but murdered Men Women and Children they brake open doors rush into rooms dash out Childrens brains against the walls they went insolently into Churches to pluck out thence the little Children old Men and young Maids that had taken hold of the Altars the Crosses and Images of Saints crying misericordia mercy mercy there they either so murdered them presently or threw them out alive into the fire Many that carried the port and shew of Jews found themselves in great danger and some were killed and others wounded before they could make proof that they had no relation to them Some that bare a grudge to others as they met them did but cry Jews and they were presently beaten down without having any liberty or leasure to answer for themselves The Magistrates were not so hardy as to oppose themselves against the fury of the people so that in three dayes the Cut-throats killed above two thousand Jewish persons The King understanding the news of this horrible hurly burly was extreamly wroth and suddenly dispatched away Iaques Almeida and Iaques Lopez with full power to punish so great offences who caused a great number of the seditious to be executed The Fryers that had lift up the Cross and animated the people to murder were degraded and afterwards hanged and burnt The Magistrates that had been slack to repress this riot were some put out of Office and others fined the City also was disfranchized of many priviledges and honours 2. In the 1281 year since the birth of our Saviour when Charles of Anjoy reigned in Sicily his Souldiers all French men lying in Garisons in the Cities grew so odious to the Sicilians that they studied of nothing so much as how to be revenged and to free themselves from the yoke of the French The fittest and most resolute in this business was a Gentleman called Iohn Prochyto This Gentleman being justly provoked by the French who had forced his Wife and finding himself much favoured by the Sicilian Lords and Gentlemen begins by their counsel and support to build a strange design for the entrapping of all the French at once and abolishing for ever their memory in Sicilia All which was so secretly carried for eighteen months that ever since it hath been looked upon as a prodigious thing that a design of that nature could possibly be so long and safely concealed by so many people and so different in humour The watch-word or signal was that upon Easter-day when the Bell should begin to toll to Even-song all the Sicilians should presently run to arms and joyning together with one accord should fall upon all the French throughout Sicilia Accordingly all the Inhabitants of the Iâ—le were gathered together at the appointed hour and armed ran upon the French cut all their throats without taking so much as one prisoner or sparing the Children or Women gotten with Child by the French that they might utterly extinguish the whole race of them There were slain eight thousand at that time and there escaped but a very small number who fled into a Fort called Sperling where for want of victuals they were all starved to death This bloody Massacre is to this day called the Sicilian Even-song 3. Anno 1572. was the bloody Parisian Mattins wherein was spilt so much Christian blood that it flowed through the streets like rain water in great abundance and this butchery of Men Women and Children continued so long that the principal Rivers of the Kingdom were seen covered with murdered bodies and their streams so dyed and stained with humane blood that they who dwelt far from the place where this barbarous act was committed abhorred the waters of those Rivers and refused to use either it or to eat of the fish taken therein for a long time after This Tragedie was thus cunningly plotted A peace was made with the Protestants for assurance whereof a marriage was solemnized between Henry of Navarre chief of the Protestant party and the Lady Margaret the Kings Sister At this Wedding there assembled the Prince of Conde the Admiral Coligni and divers others of chief note but there was not so much Wine drank as blood shed at it At midnight the Watch-bell rung the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde are taken prisoners the Admiral murdered in his bed and thirty thousand at the least of the most potent men of the Religion sent by the way of the Red Sea to find the nearest passage to the Land of Canaan 4. In the year 1311. and in the time of Pope Clement the fifth all the order of the Knights Templars being condemned at the Council of Vienna and adjudged to dye Philip the Fair King of France urged by the Pope and out of a covetous desire of store of Confications gave way for men to charge them with crimes and so these Innocents were put to death The Great Master of the Order together with two other of the principal Persons one whereof was Brother to the Dolphin of Viennois were publickly burnt together 5. Mithridates King of Pomus once a friend and confederate of the Romans and took their part against Aristonicus who would not consent to the admission of the Romans unto Pergamus according to the last will of King Attalus yet afterwards conceiving an ambitious hope to obtain the Monarchy of all Asia in one night he plotted and effected the death of all the Roman Souldiers dispersed in Anatolia to the number of one hundred and fifty thousand 6. The Massacre of the Frâ—nch Protestants at Merindol and Chabriers happened in the year 1545. the instrument of it being
Miniâ—r the President of the Council at Aix For having condemned this poor people of Heresie he mustered a small army and set fire on the Villages they of Merindol seeing the flame with their Wives and Children fled into Woods but were there butchered or sent to the Galleys One Boy they took placed him against a Tree and shot him to death with Calivers Twenty five which had hid themselves in a Cave were in part stifled in part burnt In Chabriers they so inhumanely dealt with the young Wives and Maids that most of them dyed immediately after The Men and Women were put to the sword the Children were re-baptized Eight hundred men were murthered in a Cave and fourty Women put together into an old Barn and burnt yea such was the cruelty of these Souldiers to these poor Women that when some of them had clambered to the top of the Barn with an intent to leap down the Souldiers beat them back again with their Pikes 7. King Etheldred the younger Son of Edgar being oppressed and broken by the Danes was forced to buy his peace of them at the yearly tribute of ten thousand pounds which in a short time after was inhanced to fourty eight thousand pounds which moneys were raised upon the Subjects by the name of Danegelt Weary of these exactions sending forth a secret commission into every City of his Kingdom he plotted warily with his Subjects to kill all the Danes as they slept in their beds which accordingly was put into execution on St. Brices night November 13. Anno 1012. 8. That Tribe of the Tartars who are called Hippophagi from their feeding upon Horse-flesh made an expedition into Asia the greater leaving Albania behind them they fell into Media Phraortes the then King encountred them but was overthrown finding therefore he was not able to remove them by force he assayed it by policy perswading them to look Southward as unto richer Countreys hereupon full of prey and presents they marched towards Egypt but were met in Syria by Psamniticus the Egyptian King outâ—ying the Median for he was the richer King he loaded them with gifts and treasure and sent them back again into Media from whence they came where for many years they afflicted that people and the neighbouring Provinces doubling their tributes and using all kind of insolencies till in the end Cyaxares the Son and Successour of Phraortes acquainting some of his most faithful Subjects with his design caused the better part of them to be plentifully feasted made them drunk and slew them recovering thereby the possession of his whole estate CHAP. XIII Of the Excessive Prodigality of some Persons AT Padua in Italy they have a stone called the stone of Turpitude it is placed near the Senate House hither it is that all Spendthrifts and such as disclaim the payment of their debts are brought and they are enforced to sit upon this Stone with their hinder parts bare that by this note of publick infamy and disgrace others may be terrified from all such vain expenses or borrowing more than they know they are able to pay Great pity it 〈◊〉 that there is not such a Stone in all the Countreys of the World or at least some other happy invention whereby it might be provided that there should be fewer followers of such pernicious examples as were those that are hereafter related 1. Cresippus Son to Chabrias a noble Athenian was so prodigal that after he had lavishly consumed all his goods and other estate he sold also the very stones of his Fathers Tomb in the building whereof the Athenians had disbursed one thousand Drachms 2. Paschisyrus King of Crete after that he had spent all that he had and could otherwise make he at length sold his Kingdom also and lived afterwards privately in the City of Amathunta in Cyprus where he dyed miserably 3. Heliogabalus the Emperour was possâ—ssed rather with a madness than excess of prodigality he filled his Fish-ponds with Rose-water he supplied his Lamps with the precious Balsam that distills from the Trees in Arabia he wore upon his Shoos Pearls and Precious Stones engraven by the hands of the most skilfull Artists his Dining room was strewed with Saffron and his Portico's with the dust of Gold and he was never known to put on any Garment a second time whether it was of the richest Silk or woven with Gold 4. A young Prodigal the Son of a rich and wealthy Citizen and newly left the Heir of his deceased Father did determine at once to please and gratifie his five Senses and to that purpose he allowed to the delight of every several Sense an hundred pounds In the first place thereâ—ore he bespake a curious fair Room richly hanged and furnished with the most exquisite Pictures to please his Eye he had all the choycest Musick that could be heard of to please the Ear he had all the Aromatick and Odoriferous Perfumes to content his Smell all the Candyes Sweet-meats Preserves and Junkets even to the stretching of the Confectioners Art to delight his Taste lastly a fair and beautiful young Lady to lodge with him in a soft Bed and the finest Linnen that could be bought to accommodate his Touch all which he enjoyed at one time He spent thirty thousand pounds in three years and after all swore if he had three times more than ever he had he would spend it all to live one week like a God though he was sure to be damned in Hell the next day after 5. King Demetrius having raised a Tax upon the Athenians of two hundred and fifty Talents when he saw all that mass of mony laid on a heap before him he gave it amongst his Curtezans to buy them Sope. 6. C. Caligula in less than a year scattered and consumed those infinite heaps of Gold and Silver which Tiberius his Predecessor had heaped up amounting to no less than seven and twenty hundred millions of Sesterces 7. Of Vitellius Iosephus yields this Testimony that having reigned but eight months and five dayes he was slain in the midst of the City whose luxury and prodigality should he have lived longer the Empire could not have satisfied And Tacitus also saith of him that holding it fully sufficient and not caring for the future within the compass of a few months he is said to have set going nine hundred millions of Sesterces which sum Budaeus having cast it up thus pronounces of it I affirm saith he is no less than twenty five hundred thousand Crowns 8. When Nero had given so unreasonable a sum that his Mother Agrippina thought it fit to restrain his boundless prodigality She caused the whole sum to be laid upon the Table as he was to pass by that so the sight of it might work him to a sense of his folly but he as it seems suspecting it to be his Mothers device commands presently so much more to be added to it and
she presignified for his eldest Son it is uncertain whether out of some sudden transport of passion or through distraction threw himself headlong from the top of the house and so killed himself Soon after some Conspirators that lay in wait for an opportunity slew Dion himself in his own house committing his wife and daughter to prison and thus was the house swept clean indeed 6. Curtius Ruffus was at Adrumetum a City in Africa in the Family of the Questor and at that time not remarkable for any Dignity walking one time in the mid-day in the Portico he saw the apparition of a Woman of a more august presence and greater than humane form who spake to him in these words Thou art Ruffus who shalt come Proconsul into this Province By this prodigy he was advanced in his thoughts unto some hopes not long after he obtained of Tiberius the Proconsulship of Africk which fulfilled what was promised by the Vision 7. Crescentius the Popes Legate at the Council of Trent 1552. March 25. was busie writing of Letters to the Pope till it was far in the night whence rising to refresh himself he saw a black Dog of a vast bigness flaming eyes ears that hung down almost to the ground enter the room which came directly towards him and laid himself down under the table Frighted at the sight he called his Servants in the Antichamber commanded them to look for the Dog but they could find none The Cardinal fell melancholy thence sick and died at Verona on his death-bed he â—ryed out to drive away the Dog that leaped upon his bed 8. Cassius Severus of Parma none of the meanest Poets took part with Brutus and Cassius having a Command of a Tribune of the Souldiers after they were overcome he betook himself to Athens where one night when he lay solicitously perplexed in his thoughts he saw a man of a vast bigness come to him he was black his beard squalid his hair dangling and being by him asked who he was he told him a Cacodemon or evil Spirit Frighted with so horrible a sight and so dreadful a name he called up his Servants inquired if they saw any to enter or depart his Chamber in such habit as he described They answered that none came He therefore again composed himself to sleep and rest when the same Image did again represent it self to his mind and sight so that not able to sleep he called for lights and commanded his Servants to stay with him Now Quintilius Varus was sent by Augustus to kill him and betwixt this night wherein he had this Vision and the death he suffered by the orders of Caesar there was but a very little distance 9. Iulianus the Emperour that night which preceded the day wherein he was slain in Persia while he was reading in his Tent saw a Ghost that presented it self before him full of horrour so that for very fear he arose from his seat Assoon as he saw it go â—orth of his Tent he supposed that it was his Genius which now deserted him as one that was near unto his death Ammianus Marcellinus writes that Iulian saw the same Spirit the night before the day that he was declared Augustus that it was then veil'd and with a Cornucopia in its hand as the publick Genii are described that it reproved him saying I have long Iulian watched at thy door delighting in the increase of thine honour and sometimes have returned with a refusal 10. There is saith Aventinus a Town in Austria called Greinon near unto which there are huge and high Rocks through these Danubius passes foaming along and with a mighty noise Henry the Third was sailing this way and Bruno the Bishop of Wirtzburg his Kinsman accompanied him in another Ship As they passed by a high Rock there stood the form of a Negro which called Bruno saying Ho ho Bishop I am an evil Genius thou art mine and wheresoever thou shalt betake thy self thou shalt be mine I have at present nothing against thee but in short space thou shalt see me again All that heard this were astonished the Bishop signed himself with the sign of the Cross and adjuring the Spirit it vanished away Not far thence I think about ten miles the Emperour and his Nobles were entertained at Bosenburg by Richilda the Widow of Adelbert a Nobleman lately dead where the Widow besought the Emperour that Bosenburg and the Farms about it held by her late Husband gratis might be so held by Welpho her Brothers Son There were then in the presence with the Emperour Bruno Alemannus President of Ebersperg and Richilda while the Emperour was reaching out his hand as a sign of his Grant the floor of the Chamber fell down under them the Emperour fell into a bathing Vessel without hurt Bruno Alemannus and Richilda were thrown upon the sides of that Vessel in such manner that they were sore bruised and in a few days after dyed of that fall 11. Decemb. 20. 1641. the Irish Rebels did drown an hundred and eighty Protestants men women and children in the River at the Bridge of Portnedoune and Elizabeth the Wife of Captain Rice Price of Armagh deposeth and saith That she and other women whose husbands were murdered hearing of divers Apparitions and Visions which were seen near Portnedoune-Bridge since the drowning of their children and the rest of the Protestants there went unto the Bridge aforesaid about twilight in the evening Then and there upon the sudden there appeared unto them a Vision or Spirit assuming the shape of a Woman waste high upright in the water naked with elevated and closed hands her hair hanging down very white her eyes seemed to twinkle and her skin as white as snow which Spirit seemed to stand straight up in the water crying Revenge revenge whereat this Deponent and the rest being put into a strange amazement and affright walked from the place This was sworn to Ianuary 29. 1642. 12. Damon for many murders he had committed was enforced to quit Cheronaea the Citizens not long after with fair words enticed him back thither again and one day as he was in the Bath set upon him and slew him from that time there were many Spectres seen in that place and groans heard so that at last they were compelled to stop up the doors of the Bath 13. Dio Cassius writes of Drusus that being busied in Germany destroying all as far as the River Albis he endeavoured also to pass that but in vain and therefore having erected Trophies on the hither bank of it he retired upon this occasion He was met by a Woman greater than human form who said to him Drusus whither goest thou assigning no measure to thy covetous ambition thou art not allowed by the Fates to pass further and therefore depart for now the end of thy Atchievements and life draws near Upon the hearing of which Drusus bent his course backward and in his Journey