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

T O 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.

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.

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 fa?tas?a, a fantasie, or vaine imagination.

Also the Latines call those things Visiones, which the Grecians name fa?tas?a?.

Terriculamenta, are vain visions or sights, which make men afraide. The Latines also call it Terriculum, because it brÉedeth feare.

That which S. Matth. 24. and Marke 6. call fa?tasa Erasmus doth translate it Spectrum, but the old interpreter vseth the GrÉeke word.

fasa 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.

p?e?a 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 p?e?ata p?a?? p????a. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 me & 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.

Some men call the ghosts of all dead things by y? 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.

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.

Seruius writeth, that VmbrÆ were called LaruÆ: and they called dead mens soules by the name of VmbrÆ. Of LaruÆ men are called Laruati, that is to say, frantike men, and such as are vexed with spirits. Who also as (Nonius witnesseth) are called Ceriti.

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 ??t?f?as??, (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 whe 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.

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

???, is a woman with a face almost of a monstrous fashion: hereof it is taken for a heg: as also ???????e???, 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.

LamiÆ 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 LamiÆ are called of some men LaruÆ, spirits walking by night: and Lemurei, 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 LamiÆ: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 ??? ?p? t?? ????, that is of terrifying, and that by reason that terrours by night were thought to be stirred vp by her.

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.

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, te????e?.

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.

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

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.

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

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

And they do faine, that Sphinx is Animal a????p???f??, a beast of the similitude of a man.

Scilla, and HarpyÆ, are rauening Diuels, with faces like vnto maydens.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.