A proofe out of the Gentiles histories, that Spirites and
Ghoasts do oftentimes appeare.

ALbeit many melancholicke, madde, fearefull, and weake sensed men, doo oftentimes imagine many things which in very dÉed are not, and are likewise deceiued, sometime by men, or by brute beasts: and moreouer mistake things which procÉede of naturall causes, to be bugges and spirites, as I haue hitherto declared by many examples, yet it is most certaine and sure, that all those things which appeare vnto men are not alwayes naturall things, nor alwayes vaine terrors to affray men: but that spirites doo often appeare, and many straunge and maruellous things doo sundry times chance. For many such things of this sort, are to be red in diuers graue and auncient Historiographers: and many men of no small credite, haue affirmed, that they haue sÉene spirites both in the day and in the night also. And here I will orderly declare a fewe histories out of diuers allowed authors, touching spirites which haue appeared and shewed themselues.

Suetonius Tranquillus writeth, that when Iulius CÆsar marching out of Fraunce into Italie with his army, and comming to the riuer Rubico, which diuideth Italie from the hether Fraunce, staying there a while, and reuoluing with himselfe howe great an enterprise hee had taken in hand, as he was wauering in mind whether he shuld passe the water or not, suddeinly there appeared a man of excelling stature and shape sitting hard by, pyping on a rÉede. (Melancthon in his Phisickes calleth him Triton) vnto whom when not only shepheards, but also very many souldiers from the campe, and amongst them diuers trumpetters had flocked to heare him, he sodeinly snatched a trumpet from one of them, and leaped to the riuer, and with a lustie breath blowing vp the alarum, went to the farther side. Then sayd CÆsar, good lucke mates, let vs goe whither the gods warnings leade vs, and whither our enemies iniquitie calleth vs: The dice are throwne. And so he transported ouer.

Plutarke writeth in Theseus life, that many which were in the battaile of Marathonia, against the Medians, did affirme, that they sawe the soule of Theseus armed, (who long time before died of a fall) before the vauntgard of the Grecians, running and setting on the barbarous Medians. For which cause the Athenians afterward were moued to honor him as a demigod.

Pausanias writeth in Atticis, That in the field of Maratho. 400. yeares after the battaile there foughten, there was heard the neying of Horses, and the encountring of souldiers, as it were fighting euery night: And that they which of purpose came to heare these things, could heare nothing, but those that by chaunce came that way, heard it very sensibly.

The same Plutarke writeth in the life of Cimon, that when the citizens of Cherouesus, had by faire words called home their captaine Damon, (who before for diuers murthers departed the citie) afterwards they cruelly slew him in a Hotehouse, as he was bathing himselfe, and from that time foorth, there were many strange sightes sÉene in the same place, & many times also most grÉeuous gronings were there heard, insomuch that they were euer after constreined to stop vp the hotehouse doores.

Also in y? life of Dion, he reporteth that the saide Dion being a stoute & a couragious man without any feare, sawe notwithstanding a great and maruellous horrible sight. For when he chaunced to sit alone in the entry of his house in the euening (those are Plutarks owne words, as Xiliander interpreteth them) musing & discoursing many things with himselfe, being sodeinly moued with a great noyse, he arose and looked backe to the other side of the gallerie, and there he espied a monstrous great woman, who in apparell and countenaunce nothing differing from a Tragi, call furie, swept the house with a broome. With the which sight being amazed & terribly afraide, he called his friends and acquaintance vnto him, and declaring vnto them what he had sÉene, desired the to remaine with him al that night: for bÉeing as it were stricken dead with feare, he doubted least it would appeare vnto him againe, if he were alone, which indÉede neuer hapned after. But a fewe daies after, his sonne threwe himselfe headlong from the top of the house, and died, and he himselfe being stabbed through the bodie, ended his miserable life.

The same author writeth in the life of Decius Brutus, how when Brutus was determined to transporte his army out of Asia into Europe, being in his tent about midnight, the candle burning dimly, and all the host quiet and silent, as he was musing and reuoluing with himselfe, he sÉemed that he hearde one entring the Tente into him, and looking backe vnto the doore, he sawe a terrible and monstrous shape of a bodie, which farre excÉeded the common stature of men, standing faste by him without any words, wherewith he was sore afraid: and yet he ventured to aske it this question. What art thou (saieth hÉe) either a God, or a man? and why commest thou vnto me? Whereto the image answered: I am (quoth he) O Brutus, thy euill ghoast, at Philippos thou shalt sÉe mÉe. Then saith Brutus, being nothing amazed: I will sÉe thÉe. When the sight was vanished, he called his seruants, who tolde him, that they neither sawe any such thing, neither heard any voyce at all. All that night Brutus could not slÉep one winke. In the morning very early, he goeth vnto Cassius and sheweth him his straunge vision. Cassius who despised all such things (for he was an Epicure) ascribed the whole matter to naturall causes. For his disputation hereof, is yet extant in Plutarke. Afterwards Brutus (being vanquished by Augustus, and Anthony, in the field of Philippi) slew himselfe because he would not bee deliuered into the hands of his enemies.

Valerius Maximus, in his first booke and sixt chap. writeth that Caius Cassius sawe Iulius CÆsar in the battaile of Philippi, (in a shape of greater maiesty, than any man hath) setting spurres to his horse, and running on him with a terrible threatning countenance: which when Cassius sawe, he turned his backe to the enemy, and fled, and shortly after murthered himselfe.

Dio Cassius NicÆsus, in his Roman historie from the beginning of his 55.booke writeth of Drusus, who by spoyling Germany far and nÉere on euery side, came euen to the riuer Albis, where when he could not get ouer, erecting monuments of victorie, departed back againe: For he there saw a woman, excÉeding the state of mortall creatures, which met him, and sayd vnto him: Drusus, which canst finde no end of thy grÉedie desire, whither goest thou? It is not lawfull for thÉe to sÉe al these things: but rather get thÉe hence, for the ende both of thy life and worthie dÉedes is nowe at hand. When Drusus heard these things, he sodeinly chaunged his course, and being on his iourney, before he came to the riuer of Rein, he sickned and dyed. Other like foretokens the same author reporteth to haue hapned before his death, all the which notwithstanding, he nothing regarded. For two yong men appeared on horsebacke vpon the rampiers, and the shriking of women was also hearde, with many other such like. &c.

Plinius secundus citizen of Nouocomensis, hath an Epistle of Spirits appearings, written vnto his friend Sura in the vii. booke of his Epistles, which we haue thought good to set downe whole in this place: Leisure (saith he) graunteth me libertie to learne, and giueth thÉe leaue to teache. Therfore I am very desirous to knowe whether thou thinke fantasies are any thing, and whether they haue any proper figure of their owne, and be some kinde of diuine power, or else whether they take vppon them some vaine & variable shape, according to the feare which we haue of them? That I should so belÉeue, I am especially moued thereto by that which I heare saie happened to Curtius Rufus, who was as then, companion to the Proconsul of Affrica, bothe poore, and also of small reputation. And as he walked one day in a Gallerie towardes the euening their mÉeteth with him the shape of a woman, more great & beautifull, than any liuing creature. Wherat he bÉeing amazed, she telleth him that she is Affrica, and is come vnto him to foretell him of good happe to followe: First that he should go to Rome, and there take on him the state of great honoure, and afterwarde, that he should returne into the same prouince with full and high authoritie, and there end his daies. Which things came all to passe. And moreouer, the same figure (as it is saide) mette with him againe on the shore side, as he entred out of the ship, and came towardes Carthage to take his charge and regiment in hande. Afterwards falling sick, when no man dispayred of his healthe, coniecturing things to come by those that had passed, and comparing aduersitie with his former prosperitie, he vtterly cast away all hope of recouerie. Is not this also more terrible, and no lesse maruellous, whiche I will now repeate as I haue heard it tolde?

There was in Athens a goodly and a very large house, but euill reported, and counted as an infortunate and vnluckie house. For about midnight, there was heard the noyse of iron, and if one marked it well, the ratling of chaines, as it were a farre off at the first, and so, nÉerer and nÉerer: shortly there appeared an image or shape, as it were an olde man, leane and loathsome to beholde, with a long beard and staring haire: on his legges he had fetters, and in his hands carried chaines which he alwaies ratled togither. By meanes whereof, those that inhabited the house, by reason of their feare, watched many heauie and pittifull nights: after their watching folowed sicknesse, and soone after, as feare increased, ensued death. For in the day time also, albeit the image were departed, yet the remembrance thereof, was euer present before their eyes: so that their feare was longer than they had cause to feare. Vpon this the house stood desert and solitarie, wholly lefte vnto the monster whiche haunted it: yet was it proclaimed to be solde, if happily any man whiche was ignorant of this great mischiefe, would either buy it or hire it. Athenodorus chanced to come to Athens, and there readeth the writing on the doore: And when he had learned the price, because he suspected the good cheapenesse thereof, enquiring further, vnderstoode the whole matter, and notwithstanding any thing that he heard, he hired the house, so much the rather. When it waxed night, he commaundeth his seruauntes to make his bedde in the vtter part of the house: he taketh his writing tables, his writing wier and a candle, and sendeth all his seruaunts into the inner part of the house. He himselfe setleth his minde, his eyes and hand to write, least his mind being vnoccupied, should imagine it heard straunge figures, and should brÉed vaine feare. In the beginning of the night, there was silence as is in all other places, but not long after the iron began to ring, and the chaines to moue: but yet he would not looke vp, nor let cease his writing, but hardned his hart, and stopped his eares. Then the noyse increaseth & draweth neare, and sÉemeth sometimes to be without the porch, sometimes within. The he looketh back, and seeth and acknowledgeth the shape whereof he had heard before: the image stood still and beckned with his finger as though he had called him, the philosopher on the other side signifieth with his hand, that he should stay a while, and falleth againe to his writing. The image shaketh his chaines ouer his head, as he sate writing. He looketh about againe, and seeth him beckning, as he did before. And so rising vp without delay, taketh the candle in his hand and foloweth: the image goeth before with a softly pace, as though he were heauily laden with chaines: After he had turned aside into the court of the house, sodeinly vanishing away, leaueth his walking mate alone. He being forsaken, laieth hearbes and leaues gathered togither vpon the place. The next day he goeth to the rulers of the citie, and willeth them to commaund the place to bÉe digged vp, whiche done, they finde bones wrapped and tyed in chaynes: which the bodie bÉeing putrified and consumed with long lying in the earth, had left lying in bondes: those bones being gathered togither, were buried solemnely: The house, after they were orderly laide in the ground, was euer after cleare of all such ghostes.

In these things I must belÉeue other mens reports, but that which followeth, I can boldly affirme on mine owne knowledge.

I haue one with mÉe, sometime my bondseruaunt, but nowe enfraunchized and set at libertie, a man not vtterly vnlearned: with him my yonger brother lay togither in one bed. He in his owne imagination seemed that he saw a certain personage sitting vpon the bedde where he laie, putting kniues vnto his head, and therewith polling off his haires. When it was day light, the haires were found on the ground, he being in very dÉed notted about the crowne of his head. Shortly after the like happened vnto him, which made all men belÉeue the first was true. The boy amongst a great many of his fellowes chaunced to slÉepe in the schoole, and being in slÉepe, there came certaine in at the windowes (as he sayd) cloathed in white garments, and shore of his haire as he laie, and so departed againe as they came. This polling, and also his haires scattered abroad, were founde when it was day. No notable matter ensued hereof, except it were, perchaunce, that I was not accused of treason, as I should haue bene, if Domitianus, who died about this time, had liued longer. For there was a libell found in his coffers, giuen vnto him against me, written by maister Carus. By which it may well be coniectured, that in so much as those which are accused, doo vse to let their haire growe very long, the cutting of my friends haire, was a sure signe of escaping the great daunger, which then hung ouer my head. Wherefore I hartily require you to straine your learning. The matter is worthie, wherein ye may vse long and dÉepe consideration: and I surely am vnworthie to whom ye shuld open your knowledge. You may therfore (if it please you) dispute the matter on both sides, as ye are accustomed, but yet I pray you handle it more throughly on the one side, least ye sende me away wauering and hanging in doubt, whereas the cause of my sÉeking counsel, is to the ende I might be quite out of doubt. Fare ye well.

What answere master Sura, (who as it appeareth, was well learned) made vnto maister Pliny I do not finde. But to say the truth, what sound answere could he, being a Gentile make herein? The like history is to be red in the collections of Iohn Manlius common places, who (as Philip Melancthon reporteth) dooth write, that Theodorus Gaza had a lordship or manour place in Campania, giuen him by Nicholas Pope of Rome. In the manour, when by chaunce, one of his farmers had digged vp a coffin with dead mens bones in it, there sodeinly appeared a spirit vnto him, commaunding him to bury the coffin againe, or else his sonne should shortly after die. Which when the farmer refused to doo, shortly after his sonne was found slaine in the night. A fewe dayes after, the Spirit appeared againe vnto the husbandman, menacing and threatning him, that in case he did not bury the aforesaid bones, he would kill his other sonne also. The man taking warning by his losse, and sÉeing his other sonne fallen sicke, goeth vnto maister Theodorus and sheweth him all the matter. He vnderstanding it, goeth with him to the manour, and there in the same place where the farmer had before digged vp the coffin, casting a new graue, they bury the coffin with the bones. As soone as the bones were laide in the graue, the husbandmans sonne immediatly recouered his health.

Dion writeth, that the Emperour Traianus was ledde out of the house, where he had taken vp his Inne, in the time of an earthquake, into a more safer place.

Iulius Capitolinus, which setteth out a fewe lines of the Romane Emperours, reporteth, that Pertinax for the space of thrÉe days before he was slaine by a thrust, sawe a certaine shadow in one of his fishponds, which with a sworde readie drawne threatened to slaie him, and thereby much disquieted him.

Flauius Vopiscus writeth, that whereas Tacitus fathers graue opened it selfe, the sides therof falling downe of their owne accord, and that his mothers soule appeared both to him and Florianus day and night, as if she had bene liuing, it was a most sure and infallible signe, that he should die shortly after.

Ammianus Marcellinus, writing of the signes or prognostications of Constantius death, saith that he was troubled and terrified in the night season with shapes and figures.

The same Author affirmeth in his 25. booke, that a little before Iulianus died, as he sate writing in the tents, following the example of Iulius CÆsar, he sawe the image of the publicke Genius, or god of the place (which was wont to be painted with Amaltheas horne in his hand) departing from him, more deformed and ill fauoured, than when it began to mount vp to the narrow top of the tent.

Lucanus as well an excellent Historiographer, as also a most learned Poet, reckneth vp many forewarnings, in his first booke of the battaile of Pharsalia, which chaunced before the great conflict betwÉen Iulius CÆsar, and great Pompeius: and amongst other things, he writeth thus.

The trumpets blew, and looke euen as the battaile ioynd apace,
So did the night with silent shades increase her darkish face.
And then the ghosts of Sylla fierce, were plainly seene in field,
Thereby declaring euil signes, of blood that should be spild.
And by the floud of Anien, the husband did spie
Great Marius, out of broken graue his head aduauncing hie.

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