That it is no maruell if vaine sightes haue bene in old time,
neither yet that it is to be maruelled at, if there be any at
this day.

MAny other like examples might be brought, but these may suffise to proue euidently, to what point ambition, couetousnesse, enuy, hatred, stubburnesse, idlenesse and loue, do most commonly driue men.

We sÉe by common experience, that proude ambitious men dare aduenture any thing. If they may hurt or hinder other men by accusations, slanders, or any other wayes or meanes, whome they suppose may preiudice or let their exalting to honour, they sticke not at all to doo it. What maruell is it then that Monkes and Priests, which desire to be aloft, indeuour now a daies to purchase vnto themselues authoritie by false miracles, vaine apparitions, and such other like trumpery.

All men know what a pernitious thing couetousnesse is. For they which are not contented to liue with a litle, but will nÉeds be rich, neither care for any man, nor yet spare any man. Hungry guttes sÉeke sundrie wayes to fill themselues: fewe willingly endure hunger. Wherefore it is not be maruelled at, if amongst Monks and Priests at these our dayes, who haue bene euer reported to be couetous, there be some founde, which by false apparitions of soules, sÉeke their gaines, inuenting holy pilgrimages, and other baytes to get mony. For what wil not idle and slothfull lubbers attempt to purchase riches? Doth not Saint Paule say, that those which will waxe rich by idlenesse, fall into the snares of the Diuell?

Emulation, wilfulnesse, enuie, hatred, contention, desire to ouercome, what they may doo, what they may bring to passe, daily experience teacheth vs. The Preachers of Berna, when they perceiued they could not ouercome their aduersaries by any other means, yÉelded themselues (which is horrible to be spoken) vnto the diuel, making him one of their counsell. And who can deny but y? priests now adayes are also for the most part, stubborne, and full of contention.

Idlenesse is the nurse and mother of all mischiefe: what goodnesse then may ye looke for of them, which not only exercise themselues in no labours prescribed by God, neither yet apply themselues to good learning, but day and night play the gluttons? Tell me I pray thÉe, whether the laboring husbandman, or the idle man, who alwayes spent his time in inuenting pernitious mischiefes, first founde out those cruel instruments of warre which they call gunnes?

It might be declared in many words what loue is able to do. Now because Monks and Priests liue idlely, abounding in all wantonnesse, and yet are restrained from holy marriage, what maruell is it if at this time also they faine and counterfeit many visions, that they might thereby the easier enioy their loue? And here I wil not say it is to be feared, that there are many amongst them so wicked and villanous, as to exercise & practise magicall Artes, and such like, which are vtterly forbidden. Who can then maruell hereafter, if it be sayd, they counterfeyt spirites, affirming they haue let men see this or that soule? For in what men soeuer these vices be, which we haue rehearsed, surely those dare boldly aduenture any thing.

No kinde of men are more obnoxious to these kinde of things, than those which leade their life in Monasteries, and Colledges: and therefore no man ought to maruell or thinke it a straunge thing, if we say that in times past many false visions haue bene practised, and may also at this day likewise happen. For y? world, as all men iustly complaine, waxeth worse and worse. Men are now more impudent, more bold, more couetous, and more wicked, than euer they were in times past.

Moreouer, the Cleargie of Rome haue in many places this prerogatiue aboue others, that most men (especially such as are led by superstition) make much of them, worshipping them with great reuerence, no man so much as suspecteth them to apply their mindes to euill matters, to subtiltie, craft, and deceit: all men looke for other things at their hands. If therefore they addict themselues to euill deuises, they may easily deceiue men, except God miraculously reueale their wickednesse, and bring it to light, as we declared in a fewe examples rehearsed before.

And perchance for this cause also, Priests and Monkes could not bee so well blamed, for their so often deceiuing plaine meaning folkes with craft and subtiltie, in so much as some of their moste holy Fathers, I meane Popes of Rome, haue bin very cunning in magicall sciences, as their owne Historiographers affirme, and by meanes of those artes, haue aspired to the high top of Popedome. Beno (or rather Bruno, for so I iudge his name is) who was also a Cardinall, set foorth the life of Pope Gregorie the seuenth, in writing, in the which hÉe sheweth the sayd Bishop to haue bene a proude, arrogant, malicious and couetous Monke, and that hÉe was throughly sÉene in the blacke art of Negromancie. Bartholomeus Platina (who being a sworne seruant with the Pope, excusing their faults as much as he can) writeth of Siluester the second, y? he gaue himselfe to the diuel, and that by his meanes, his counsell & magical deuises, he atteined y? great office of papacie. Doo ye think, that it is a hard thing for him y? is confederat with the enemy of mankind, to faine spirits & soules, or to coiure a diuel, to make men belÉeue he were a soule, do you thinke such men abhorre to doo such mischiefe? The Historiographers report that Bonifacius the 8. deceiued his predecessor Celestinus, by a voyce sent through a cane rÉed, as though it had come from heauen, perswading him to giue ouer his office of Popeship, and to institute therein, one Bonifacius a worthier man than he, except he would be thrust out of the kingdome of heauen. The poore simple Pope obeying this voyce, ordeined Bonifacius Pope in his steade, in the yeare of our Lord 1294. who first brought in the yeare of Iubile. Of this Boniface, the common people would say, He came in like a Fox, he raigned like a wolfe, and died like a Dog. If the very vicar of Christ, who hath all knowledge as it were fast lockt in the Coffer of his brest, could be deceiued, lette no man maruel any more if simple credulous husbandmen and citezens haue ben deceiued, and that it hath bin said to them: God spake this: This soule did aske helpe: and such like things, which are most false and vaine. Yf this man coulde counterfeit the voyce of God, coulde he not also faine the voice of dead men?

Before I procÉede any further, this is also to be obserued, that plesaunt conceited fellowes, may oftentimes deceiue the priests, themselues. For when the priests did brag, that they coulde coniure Spirits and deliuer mens soules, it may be that other being wrapped in shÉets, hauing vnderneth them liue coales in an earthen pot, appeared vnto priests, who by and by were persuaded they sawe saules which required their helpe to be deliuered. Erasmus in his Colloquio or talke which he intituled Exorcismus, vel spectrum, or a coniuration or vision, writeth howe one Polus maruellously deceiued a priest called Faustus. But there is no doubt but that priests being many times deceiued in iest by the lay men for pastimes sake, haue on the other side more often times beguiled them in earnest.

I haue spoken hitherto of men being awake, and now I will adde a fewe words of such as slÉepe. There be many which haue such a kinde of disease, that they walke in their slÉepe: which thing we reade to haue bin true in one Theon a Stoicke, and in Pericles seruant, who in their slÉepe climed vp to the top of the house. I haue hearde of some which in their slÉepe haue done that which bÉeing awake, they could not do by any meanes. If a man sÉe such a one walking in the night, either apparrelled or naked, and after here him say he was at the same time in his bed, he will straight thinke, it was his soule that he sawe, the like will he do if he heare such a one at his owne house.

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