Of a certaine parish Priest at Clauenna, whiche fayned
himselfe to bee our Ladie, and of an other that counterfeited
himselfe to be a soule: as also of a certaine disguised
Iesuite Frier.

TO the ende wee may the better vnderstande this matter, I will yet rehearse an other Historie of a certaine parishe Prieste, which chaunced a yeare before the other I spake of, which is sette foorth briefely, but yet truely, by Ioannes Stumpfius, in the Germane Chronicles of the Heluetians, in the twentieth Booke and eighth Chapter, whereof also many notable men at this day beare suffucient witnesse. A certaine parish Priest of Clauenna, (whiche is a Citie neare the Laake or water Larius, in the Countrey of Rhetia), being farre in loue with an honest and faire mayden, the daughter of a citizen in the same town, oftentimes followed her, as she went vnto her fathers barne: and attempted to haue defloured her, but she euer resisted, and put him backe. In the ende when he saw he could not obtaine his purpose, he priuily stole out of the church a blew cloth, beset with sundry starres, and therwith couering himselfe, saue only that he left his armes & fÉete naked, which he also berayed with blood, he hideth himselfe without the towne, and there muffling his face with a thinne linnen cloath, mÉeteth again with the mayd, fayning himself with a counterfeit voyce, to be the blessed virgin Mary. Then in many words he declareth vnto her diuers plages, which were shortly like to fall on the Citie, for the heresies of Luther, (for at other times also hÉe had bitterly enueyed against Luther, in his open Sermons:) he also commaunded the mayd to shew many things vnto the citizens, touching holy dayes, fastings, generall processions, &c. And amongst other things he added, that there was a certain holy and religious man, whiche had heeretofore asked a thing at her hands in the very same place, which she had hitherto denied him, but now it was her pleasure, if he required y? same again, she should in any wise grant it, if she would attain euerlasting life: and y? aboue all thing, she must conceale and kÉep close this latter point vnto her self. The mayde by & by blazed it about al the citie, that our Lady had visibly appeared vnto her, & foretold her of sundry plagues likely to happen vnto the citie. The inhabitants taking good aduise on this matter, at the last for feare of these imminent dangers and plages, gaue commandement, that three daies shuld be kept holy. In the which time, the mayd, supposing she shuld do high seruice to the virgin Mary, fulfilleth the lust of that wicked knaue. This trecherie and deceit being shortly after detected by the wonderfull prouidence of God, the varlet was first beheaded, and afterward burnt in fire.

Erasmus Roterodamus, writeth in his two and twentieth booke of Epistles, vnto a certaine Bishop, excusing himself, touching certaine points, which he had moued vnto him, to the ende he should be very circumspect: and amongst other things, making mention there of spirits or wandring soules, he reporteth this Historie. There was (saith he) a certaine parish Priest, who had dwelling with him in his house, a NÉece of his, a woman well stored with money: In whose Chamber hee woulde oftentimes conuey himselfe, being disguised in a shÉete lyke vnto a Spirite: And then he cast foorth a doubtfull voyce, hoping that the woman would either procure a coniurer for her helpe, or else her selfe make him answere. But she hauing a man-like courage, priuily requesteth one of her friendes to lodge in her Chamber secretly all night. The man being armed with a clubbe insteed of other coniuring tooles, and being well tippled with drinke, to auoyd feare, hideth himselfe in the bedde. Sodainly commeth the Spirit roaring very miserably: The coniurer with his clubbe awaketh, leapeth out of his bedde scant sober, and setteth vpon him. Then the Spirit with his voyce and iesture, beginneth to make him afrayd. But the drunken coniurer soone answered him: If (quoth he) thou be the Diuel, I am thy mother: and therewith catching holde on him, all to beat him with his club, and would also haue slaine him, if he had not chaunged his voyce, and cryed; O spare me for Gods sake, I am no soule, but I am sir Iohn. Which voyce when the woman heard and knewe, she leapes out of her bedde, and parts the fraye, &c. The same Erasmus writeth in the foresayd Epistle, that this Priest vpon Easter eue, put liue crabbes priuily into the churchyard, hauing waxe candles on light cleauing to their sides: which when they crawled amongst the graues, sÉemed to bee suche a terrible sight, that no man durst approach nÉere them. Hereof rose a fearfull reporte, wherewith all men bÉeing amazed, the priest declareth to y? people in the pulpit, that they were y? soules of deade men which desired to be deliuered out of their torments by Masses & almes dÉeds. This deceite was espied by these meanes: that at the last one or two of the crabbes were found amongst the rubbish, hauing the candles done out cleauing on their backs, which y? priest had not take vp.

Georgius Buchananus, prince of all Poets in this our age, reporteth an historie in his Commodie called Franciscanus, of one Langus a priest, who falsly affirming that in a field of Scotland full of Brimstone there were soules miserablie tormented, which continually cried for helpe and succour, suborned a countrie clowne whome he would coniure, as if he had bin one of those soules. Which deceite of his, y? husbandma afterward discouered whe he was drunk. I would here repeate his verses, but that his bookes are nowe in euery mans hands. While I was writing these things, it was reported vnto me by credible persons, that in Augusta, a noble citie of Germanie, this present yeare 1569. there was a maide and certaine other men seruants in a great mans family, which little regarded the sect of the Iesuite Friers: & that one of the saide order made promise to their master, that he wold easily bring them to an other opinion: & so disguising himselfe like vnto a Diuel, was hid in a priuie corner of y? house: vnto the which place, one of the maides going, either of hir owne accorde to fetche some thing, or being sent by her master, was by y? disguised Iesuite made maruellously afraide: which thing she presently declared vnto one of the me seruants exhorting him in any wise to take hÉede of the place. Who shortly after going to the same place, & laying hold on his dagger, sodeynly stabbed in the counterfeit diuell, as he came rushing on him. This history is written in Duch verses, and put in print, and now almost in euery mans hands.