Part 2

After what sort the faithfull in the primatiue church, vsed themselues, when they met with spirits. Chap.9. Fol.204.

That sundry kindes of superstition haue crept in, wherby men haue attempted to driue away spirits. Chap.10. Fol.206.

That spirites are not to bee driuen away by cursing and banning. Chap.11. Fol.214.

After what sort we ought to behaue our selues, when we heare straunge cracks, or when other forewarnings happen. Chapter.12. Fol.216.

_FINIS._

The first parte of this Booke, concerning Spirits walking by night. Wherin is declared, that Spirits and sights _do appeare, and that sundry strange and monstrous things doo happen_.

CHAP. I.

Concerning certaine wordes whiche are often vsed in this Treatise of Spirits, and diuers other diuinations of things to come.

To the intent, that those men which occupie themselues in reading of this my Booke, and especially in perusing of other auncient writers, may the better vnderstand euery thing, I will at the first enteraunce briefly expounde those things which shall séeme to concern the proprietie of words and termes vsed in this my Treatise of Spirits.

[Sidenote: Spectrum.]

_Spectrum_, amongst the Latines doth signifie a shape or forme of some thing presenting it selfe vnto our sight.

=Scaliger= affirmeth, that _Spectrum_ is a thing which offereth it selfe to be séene, either truly, or by vaine imagination. The Diuines take it to be a substance without a bodie, which being heard or séene, maketh men afraide.

[Sidenote: Visum.]

_Visum_, signifieth an imagination or a certaine shewe, which men being in sléepe, yea and waking also, séeme in their iudgement to behold: as we read of Brutus, who saw his owne angell. =Cicero= in his first booke =Acadæm, quest.= writeth, that _Visum_, amongst the Grecians is called φαντασία, a fantasie, or vaine imagination.

[Sidenote: Visio.]

Also the Latines call those things _Visiones_, which the Grecians name φαντασίας.

[Sidenote: Terriculamenta.]

_Terriculamenta_, are vain visions or sights, which make men afraide. The Latines also call it _Terriculum_, because it bréedeth feare.

[Sidenote: Phantasma.]

[Sidenote: _Mat._24.]

[Sidenote: _Marke_ 6.]

That which S. =Matth. 24.= and =Marke 6.= call φαντασμα, Erasmus doth translate it _Spectrum_, but the old interpreter vseth the Gréeke word.

[Sidenote: Phasma.]

φασμα in like manner doth signifie an elfe, a sighte or vaine apparition. =Suidas= maketh a difference betwéene _Phantasma_ and _Phantasia_, saying, that _Phantasma_ is an imagination, an appearance or sight of a thing which is not, as are those sightes which men in their sléepe do thinke they sée: but that _Phantasia_, is the séeing of that onely which is in very déede.

[Sidenote: Pneuma.]

[Sidenote: _Luk._24.]

πνεῦμα is taken in =Luke 24.= chapter, for a spirite or vaine imagination. Howbeit most commonly some other word is ioyned vnto it, if it bee put for an euill spirite: as πνεύματα πλανά πονηρα. The Gentiles (as S. =Augustine= and other Fathers doo testifie) supposed that the soules of men became _Dæmones_, that is, good or euil angels: which if they had done well, then were they called _Lares_, that is priuate gods: but if they haue done euill, then were they named _Lemures_, or _Larue_, bugs and Elues. But if it were doubted whether they had liued well or ill, then were they called _Manes_. =Apuleius= and other old writers affirme, that _Genij_ and _Lares_ were all one.

[Sidenote: Lares.]

[Sidenote: Præstites.]

It was supposed (as =Festus= witnesseth) that _Lares_, were the soules of men, or else infernall gods. _Lares_ were called _Præstites_, because they made all things safe with their eies: that is, they saued and preserued all things.

[Sidenote: Hostilij.]

And Authors affirme, they were called _Hostilij_, for that they were supposed to driue away enemies. Neither were they thought to beare rule only in priuate houses, & in crosse méeting waies, but also to defend Cities. They were likewise worshipped priuately in houses, and openly in the high wayes. As touching those that were called _Lares_, you may read more in =Anthonius Constantius=, of =Fauentia= his Commentaries, and in =Ouid.lib.5.Fastorum=.

[Sidenote: Genius.]

_Genius_ (say the Grammarians) is the naturall god of euery place, of euery thing, or of euery man when we are borne, as it is written, we haue two _Genij_, whereof the one encourageth vs to doo well, the other to doo euill. _Genius_ (saith =Censorinus=) is a god in whose gouernance euery man doth liue, so soone as he is borne: either because hée taketh care for our begetting, or that he is engendred with vs, or else that he taketh charge and defence of vs when we are begotten. Sure it is, he is called _Genius_, _à gignendo_, that is, of begetting.

[Sidenote: Penates].

_Penates_ likewise are domesticall gods. =Macrobius= affirmeth, that they are gods by whom we onely breathe, by whom we enioy this body, and by whom we possesse the reason of our mindes. =Nonius= saith, _Lemures_ are spirites walking by night, and terrors rising of pictures of mē & beasts. Other say, that _Lemures_ are euil and hurtfull shapes which appeare in the night, yea and that they be the soules of those that make men black and blew, called after that name.

[Sidenote: Vmbræ.]

Some men call the ghosts of all dead things by yͤ name of _Lemures_. Thus saith =Apuleius=, Of those _Lemures_, he that hath care of his posteritie, and inhabiteth the house with a peaceable and quiet kinde of rule, was called _Lar familiaris_, god of the house. And be cause among the people of olde time, as they counted _Lares_ good, so they supposed _Lemures_ to be naught, therefore to driue them away, they did sacrifice vnto them.

[Sidenote: Lemures.]

Some other affirme, that _Lemures_ are soules which tarry about the bodies. =Porphyrius= calleth them the wandring soules of men departed before their time, as it were _Remures_, taking their name of =Remus=, whose soule folowed his brother =Romulus=: who to the intent he might pacifie them, instituted feastes called _Lemuria_.

[Sidenote: Laruæ.]

[Sidenote: Ceriti.]

=Seruius= writeth, that _Vmbræ_ were called L_aruæ_: and they called dead mens soules by the name of V_mbræ_. Of L_aruæ_ men are called L_aruati_, that is to say, frantike men, and such as are vexed with spirits. Who also as (=Nonius= witnesseth) are called _Ceriti_.

[Sidenote: Manes.]

=Seruius= saith, that mennes soules are called _Manes_, at suche time as departing from their bodies, they are not yet passed into other bodies. And he iudgeth that they are so called by the figure ἁντίφρασις, (whiche is when one speaketh by contraries) of the olde adiectiue _Manus_, that is good, because they were nothing lesse than good. For the auncient people supposed, that _Manes_ were infernall gods, and therefore did they number them amongst their euil gods, and pacified them with sacrifice, least they should hurt them. Some affirme that _Manes_ are indéed infernall gods, but yet good: whereof commeth _Mane_, which signifieth good, and _Dii Manes_, as if you would say, good and prosperous gods, and therof also is said _Immanes_, for, not good.

Some other suppose, that soules separated from the bodies, were called after this name: Wherby we sée the auncient monuments of tumbes haue bene dedicated to _Diis Manibus_, to the infernall gods: In the which opinion =Apuleius= was, as we said a little before.

There are some that iudge _Manes_, to be the very same, that the old people called _Genii_, and that there were two of these _Manes_ assigned vnto mens bodies, euen immediately after their begetting, which forsake them not whē they are dead, but continue in the graues after the bodies are consumed. For the which cause, those men who defaced Monuments, were thought to doo wrong vnto the gods called _Manes_. The soothsayers called as well the celestiall as the infernall gods by the name of _Manes_, and that because they beléeued (as =Festus= doth write) that all things did _manare_, that is, were deriued from them. Other thinke they were so called _à manando_, of flowing, because the places betwéen the circle of the Moone and the earth, from whence they come, are full of soules.

[Sidenote: Maniæ.]

_Maniæ_ are deformed creatures, as =Festus= saith: and also vgly shapes, wherwith nursses make children afraid.

[Sidenote: Mormo.]

μορμω is a woman with a face almost of a monstrous fashion: hereof it is taken for a heg: as also μορμοιλύκειον, doth signifie a terrible sight, a spirit, or an elfe. =Nicephorus= saith in his Ecclesiasticall history, that a woman vsing to walke by night, is called by the name of =Gilo=.

[Sidenote: Lamiæ.]

L_amiæ_ were supposed of the auncient people to be women hauing eies to put out or in at their pleasure, or rather certaine shapes of diuels, which taking on them the shewe of beautifull women, deuoured children and yoong men, allured vnto them with swéete inticements.

=Philostratus= in his booke =Appollonio=, writeth a maruellous history or fable of one =Menippus=, beloued of an hegge. The same authour writeth, that L_amiæ_ are called of some men L_aruæ_, spirits walking by night: and L_emurei_, night spirits of horrible shapes: and of many _Empusa_, ghoasts of variable fashion: and that nursses so named them to make their children afraide.

=Chrysostomus Dion= writeth, that in the inmost part of _Affrike_ are certain wild beasts, hauing the countenance of a woman, which in like manner are called L_amiæ_: and he saith that they haue their paps and al the rest of their breast so faire as any Painters wit can deuise, which being vncouered, they deceitfully allure men vnto them, and when they haue taken them, doo forthwith deuoure them.

[Sidenote: Lamiæ of Hier chap.4.]

In the fourth chapter of the Lamentations of =Hieremie=, it is saide: _Lamiæ nudauerunt mammas suas_, _&c._ =Apuleius= writeth, that _Lamiæ_ are things that make Children affraide.

[Sidenote: Striges.]

_Lamiæ_ are also called _Striges_. _Striges_ (as they say) are vnluckie birdes, which sucke out the blood of infantes lying in their cradles. And hereof some men will haue Witches take their name, who also are called _Volaticæ_, as =Festus= writeth.

[Sidenote: Gorgones.]

The name of _Gorgon_, was inuented to make children afraid: for they say these _Gorgons_ are rauening spirites, such as men faine _Lamiæ_ to be.

[Sidenote: Incubi.]

[Sidenote: Succubi.]

_Ephialtæ_, and _Hyphialtæ_, that is, _Incubi_ & _Succubi_, (which we call Maares) are night spirits or rather Diuels, which leape vpon men in their sléepe. The Phisitians do affirme, that these are nothing else but a disease.

[Sidenote: Empusa.]

_Empusa_, is an apparition of the Diuel, or a spirit which sheweth it selfe vnto such as are in misery, chaunging his shape into diuers formes, and for the most part appeareth at noone time. Read more hereof in =Suidas=.

[Sidenote: Dicelon.]

[Sidenote: Hecatæa.]

_Dicelon_, is so called because it is sent to make men afraid: those kinds of terrors the Grecians call _Hecatæa_, as =Apollonius= writeth, because =Hecate= or =Proserpina= is the cause of them, who therefore is called βριμώ άπὸ τοῦ βριμᾷν, that is of terrifying, and that by reason that terrours by night were thought to be stirred vp by her.

[Sidenote: Acco.]

[Sidenote: Alphito.]

=Plutarchus= writeth, that _Acco_ and _Alphito_, were monstrous women, by naming of whome, mothers kept their children in awe, and made them feare to do euil.

[Sidenote: Telchinnes.]

=Cardanus= calleth these Diuels which kéepe vnder the earth, and many times kill men as they are vndermining, by the name of _Tilchinnes_. Men vsing witchcraft, and such as are possessed with a Spirit, and out of their wits, are called amongst the Grecians, τελχῖνες.

[Sidenote: Pan.]

[Sidenote: Faunus.]

Of these sort are those monsters, halfe like men, and halfe like beastes, whiche men say are founde in woods, and oftentimes haue appeared vnto men. It is saide, that _Panes_ and _Fauni_, are all one, hauing their nether parts like vnto Goates féete.

[Sidenote: Satyri.]

[Sidenote: Sileni.]

And menne saye, that _Satyri_, are almost lyke vnto men: And those whiche are of full age are called _Sileni_.

[Sidenote: Onocentaurus.]

_Onocentaurus_, is a beast of a straunge fashion, which is reported to be like a man in the vpper part, and downward like an asse.

[Sidenote: Onosceli.]

_Onosceli_, as it is written in =Plutarche=, are Diuels, hauing legges like vnto asses.

[Sidenote: Hyppocentaurus.]

The olde people imagined, that _Hippocentauri_, were creatures, who before were like to men, but the hinder parts had the similitude of horses.

[Sidenote: Sphinx.]

And they do faine, that _Sphinx_ is _Animal_ ανθροπομορφον, a beast of the similitude of a man.

[Sidenote: Scilla.]

[Sidenote: Harpyæ.]

_Scilla_, and _Harpyæ_, are rauening Diuels, with faces like vnto maydens.

[Sidenote: Triton.]

[Sidenote: Nereides.]

[Sidenote: Syrenes.]

As touching men liuing in the Sea, as _Tritones_, _Nereides_ and _Syrenes_, who as the auncient people affirmed, had faces like vnto men. Reade =Gesnerus= in _Historia Aquatilium_, where he intreateth of them. For he prooueth out of many Authors, that there are founde Monsters in the Sea, hauing shapes and countenaunces somewhat like vnto men.

Some of these Monsters which are indéede, bee of the kinde of Apes, and some are onely fabulous, or false: yet notwithstanding, it may be, that the Diuell doth deceiue men vnder the formes of them.

Thus much concerning tearmes, which we must vse in this our Treatise of Spirits or Visions.

Hereunto haue I adioyned straunge happes, and foretokens, which for the most part chaunce before great matters. And therefore I knit them vnto these, because they haue great resemblance vnto them.

[Sidenote: Portentum.]

For vaine imaginations also appeare vnto our sights: armed men as it were are seene on earth, or in the aire: and other such like shapes, voyces, noyses, crackes, and such like. But as touching the very words, _Portentum_ is that which foresheweth some thing to come, as when straunge bodies appeare in the aire, or blazing starres, or thunder in faire weather, or whirlewindes do chaunce. =Festus= saith, that albeit _Portentum_ be a naturall thing, yet it happeneth sildome, and doth betoken some thing to come to passe after a certaine season.

[Sidenote: Ostentum.]

_Ostentum_, is some straunge thing, which sheweth some thing to come to effect speedily. They giue the like examples of them both.

[Sidenote: Prodigium.]

_Prodigium_, is a thing which albeit it often chaunce by course of nature, yet notwithstanding it doth alwaies betoken some euill thing, being called _Prodigium_, as it were of _porro agendum_, to be done afterward.

[Sidenote: Monstrum.]

_Monstrum_, is that which hapneth against nature, as when any thing is brought foorth hauing members belonging to an other kinde: the which is also called _Promonstrum_, as who should say, _Porro aliquid monstrans, siue monens_, that is, shewing or warning some thing to happen afterward. Notwithstanding these termes are many times confounded togither, and taken in one signification, and that because they respect one ende, that is, to tell before or giue warning of things to come. The vaine visions wheron we here intreat, appertaine nothing to naturall philosophers, neither yet these things which we haue ioyned with them. For if a sodaine cracke, or sound, or groning, or rumbling, as though the house would fall, or if any other thing chance which standeth by naturall reason, it doth not properly belong vnto this matter which we haue in hand. But letting these things passe, we will by Gods helpe and aide come nearer to the matter it selfe.

CHAP. II.

Melancholike persons, and mad men, imagine many things which in verie deed are not.

[Sidenote: Some men deny there are Spirits.]

[Sidenote: _Act.23._]

There haue bin very many in al ages, which haue vtterly denied that there bee any spirits or straunge sightes. The Philosophers of =Epicurus= sect, did iest & laugh at all those things which were reported of them, and counted them as fained and counterfeyt, by the which only children and fooles, and plaine simple men were made afraide. When =Cassius=, who was an =Epicurian=, vnderstood by =Brutus=, that he had séene a certaine vision, he (as =Plutarch= doth testifie) indeuoured to attribute the matter vnto naturall causes. We read in the 23. chapter of the Actes of the Apostles, that the Sadduces did not beléeue there should be any Resurrection of the dead, and that they denied there were any spirites or angels: Yea and at this day, many good & godly men beléeue those things to be but tales, which are talked of too and fro concerning those imagined visions: partly because in all their life, they neuer sawe any such, and partly or rather especially, because in time past men haue bin so often deceiued with apparitions, visions and false miracles done by Monkes and Priestes, that now they take things yͭ are true, to be as vtterly false. Whatsoeuer the cause is, it may be proued, by witnesse of many writers, and by daily experience also, that spirites and strange sightes do sometime appeare, and that in very déed many strange and maruellous things do happen. True it is, that many men do falsly perswade themselues that they sée or heare ghoasts: for that which they imagine they sée or heare, procéedeth either of melancholie, madnesse, weakenesse of the senses, feare, or of some other perturbation: or else when they sée or heare beasts, vapors, or some other naturall thing, then they vainly suppose, they haue séene sightes I wotte not what, as hereafter I will shewe particularly by many and notable examples.

There is no doubt, but that almost al those things which the common people iudge to be wonderfull sightes, are nothing lesse than so. But in the meane season it cannot be denied, but that straunge sightes, and many other such lyke things, are sometimes heard and also séene.

[Sidenote: Sundry imaginations of melancholike persons.]

[Sidenote: Theatrum a place to behold plaies and pastimes in.]

[Sidenote: Ioannes Sertorius.]

[Sidenote: Ste. Ludouic. Cæliu. li 17. ca.2 antiquitat.]

And first it cannot be denied, but that some men which either by dispositions of nature, or for that they haue susteined great miserie, are now become heauie and full of melancholy, imagine many times with themselues being alone, miraculous and straunge things. Sometimes they affirme in great soothe, that they verily heare and sée this or that thing, whiche notwithstanding neither they, nor yet any other man did once sée or heare. Which thing we sometimes sée by experience to be true in those men, which be troubled with great headache, or subiect to other diseases of the bodie, or cannot take rest in the night, or are distraughted of their wittes. Those which dwell with suche kinde of men, when they here them tell such absurd tales, such straunge things, and such maruellous visions, albeit they pittie their vnfortunate estate, yet can they not many times containe themselues from laughing. =Aristotle= in his booke _de rebus mirandis_, writeth of a certaine man distraught of his wittes, who going into the Theatre of _Abydos_ a Cittie of _Asia_, when no man was therein, and there sitting alone, by clapping of his hands, signified that he liked as well euery thing there, as if some Comedie or Tragedie had bin notably set foorth on a stage. The verie lyke Historie hath =Horace=, in his second booke of Epistles, of a certain man, who comming into the Theatre at _Argos_, behaued himselfe euen as the other man did: And when his kinsfolke through the helpe of good Phisitians, had restored him to his right wittes againe, he was very angry with them, saying, that he neuer liued more pleasantly than while he was beside himselfe. =Atheneus lib.= 12. writeth of one =Tresilaus=, whose braines were so distempered, that he verily supposed all the ships which arriued at Port =Piræus=, to be his owne: he would number them, he commaunded the Mariners to launch from shore, and when they returned after their voyage home againe, he as much reioyced as if he had bene owner of all wherewith they were laden. The same man affirmed, that in all the time of his madnesse he liued a verie pleasant life, vntill the Phisitian had cured him of his disease. I myselfe haue séene a man, =Iohannes Leonardus Sertorius= by name, whom very honest and graue men, which knew him well, would testifie to be a godly man, which was throughly perswaded with himselfe, that hée could prooue our Religion which we now professe, to be true and Catholike, euen by a miracle from heauen as sometime =Helias= did. He desired the Magistrates of certain Countries to call togither their Papists, and Protestants: for he was readie (he sayd) to shewe this miracle, and in case he did it not openly before them all, he refused not to sustain any kynd of punishment. The lyke reason is also of other men whiche are besides themselues: for they take on them maruellous things, either because they haue mused long time on some matter conceiued in their minds, as cunning Artificers oftentimes doo: or because they haue bin long weried with sicknesse, or else because they loue extremely. You shall finde some that imagine themself as it were armed with horns of an Oxe: other appeare to themselues to be erthen vessels, and therfore they wil shun euery thing for feare they be broken.

[Sidenote: Galen de locis affectis.]

[Sidenote: Libro de Simtomatum diff. chap.3]

Of such an one writeth =Galene=, _De locis affectis_ _lib._3._cap._6. and also _lib._4._cap._1. Other suppose themselues dead, other thinke themselues great Princes, other to be learned men, other to be Prophets & Apostles, & therfore they wil foretel things to come. The same he writeth of them yͭ are taken with frenzie * and namely, of one =Theophilus= a Phisitian, who in other things was wise, and coulde dispute wel and perfectly knowe euery man: yet notwithstanding, hee thought there were certain minstrels did haunt that corner of his house where he vsed to lye, and that they tuned their pypes and played on them euery daye: And hée verily thoughte, that he sawe them, some sitting, and some standing, and in such sorte continually pyping without intermission, that they ceased at no time, neither in the day, nor in the night. And therfore he neuer ceased to crie, and to commaunde his seruants to driue them out of his doores. When he was throughly recouered of his sicknesse, then he tolde all other things which euery one of them had sayd or done: and also he called to mind the imaginations which he conceiued of the tediousnesse of the minstrels.

[Sidenote: Paulus Aegineta.]

[Sidenote: Licanthropia.]

[Sidenote: Augustine vppon Genesis.]

[Sidenote: Hidrophobia.]

[Sidenote: Rufus.]