Many are so feared by other men, that they suppose they
haue heard or seene Spirits.

F Urthermore, it commeth to passe many times that not only pleasant and mery conceited men, but also spitefull and malitious men, chaunging their apparell, make others extreamely affraide. It is a common custome in many places, that at a certaine time of the yeare, one with a nette or vizarde on his face maketh Children affraide, to the ende that euer after they should laboure and bee obedient to the Parentes, afterward they tel them that those which they saw, were Bugs, Witches and Hagges, which thing they verily belÉeue, and are commonly, miserably affraide. Howbeit, it is not expedient alwayes so to terrefie Children. For sometimes through great feare they fall into dangerous diseases, and Salomons pro. in the night crie out, when they are fast a slÉepe. Salomon teacheth vs to chasten children with the rod, and so to make them stand in awe: he doth not say, we must beare them in hand they shall be deuoured of Bugges, Hags of the night, and such like monsters.

Many times, pleasant & mery yong men, disguise themselues like vnto Diuels, or ofe shroud themselues in white shÉetes to make other men affraide: with whome if simple men chaunce to mÉete, they make no doubt of the matter, but verily thinke they haue sÉene spirites, and straunge sightes. And yet it is not alwayes the safest way, so to deceiue men with iests and toyes; for many examples might be brought to shewe how euill some men haue sped hereby. It is an vsuall and common thing that yoong men merily disposed, when they trauell by the way, comming to their Inne at night, tie ropes to the bed side, or to the couerlet or garments, or else hide themselues vnder the bedde, and so counterfeiting themselues to be Spirites, deceiue and mocke their fellowes. It chaunced once at Tigurin where Daunsing Spirits. we dwel, that certaine pleasant yong men disguising themselues, daunced about the Churchyard, one of them playing on a bÉere with two bones, as it were on a drumme. Which thing when certaine men had espied, they noysed it about the citie, how they had sÉene dead men daunce, and that there was great danger, least there should shortly ensue some plague or pestilence.

Moreouer, it is well knowne to all men, that harlots, and whooremongers, haue practised their wickednesse a long season vnder this cloake and pretence, perswading their family, that walking Spirites haunt the house, least they should bee taken with the dÉede dooing, and that they might enioy their desired loue. Many times such bugges haue bin caught by the magistrates, and put to open shame. ThÉeues likewise vnder this colour haue many times robbed their neighboures in the night time, who supposing they heard the noyse of walking Spirits, neuer went about to driue the thÉeues away. Touching this point, that an euil Spirit, by means of naturall things which haue strange vertues, can do maruellous things, by deceiuing mens senses, I will at this present speake nothing.