A proofe by other sufficient writers, that Spirites doo sometime appeare.

A

S touching other notable writers, they also make mention of spirites which do oftentimes appear. Alexander ab Alexandro, an excellent Lawier, born at Naples, in his secod booke Gemalium dierum, and ninth chapter, writeth that a certain familiar friend of his, of good credite, did celebrate y? funeral of one of his acquaintance, and as he returned towards Rome, he entred into an Inne fast by the way, because it was night, and there laide himselfe downe to rest. As he laie there alone broad awake, sodeinly the image of his friend lately deceased, came before him maruellous pale and leane, euen as he was when he sawe him last on his death bedde, whome when he beheld, being almost besides himselfe with feare, he demaunded of him who he was? But the ghost making no answer, but slipping off his cloathes laide him downe in the same bedde, and drew neare, as if he would haue embraced him. The other gaue him place, and kÉeping him off from him, by chance touched his foote, which sÉemed so extrÉemly cold, as no Ice in the world might be compared vnto it. Whereat the other looking very lowringly vpon him, tooke vp his clothes againe, and rose out of the bed, and was neuer afterwards sÉene. He reporteth other histories in the same place, which hapned in his time. He liued aboue foure score yeares ago, or neare that time.

Baptista Fulgosus, Duke of Genua, in his booke of worthy sayings and doings of Emperors, Princes, Dukes, &c. (which he wrote being in exile to auoyd idlenesse: Touching straunge and monstrous things) writeth that in the Court of Mattheus, surnamed the great Shiriffe of the Citie, in the euening after Sunne sette, there was seene a man farre excÉeding common stature, sitting on a horse in complete armour: who when he had bin there sÉene of many, by the space of an houre, in the end vanished away, to the greate terrour of those that beheld him. About thrÉe daies after in like maner, two men on horsebacke of the same stature, were sÉene in the same place, about thrÉe houres within night, fighting togither a long season, and in the ende vanished away as the other didde before. Not long after, Henry the seuenth Emperor, departed this life, to the vtter vndoing of all the Shiriffes.

Immediately after this Historie, he putteth an other more worthie memorie than the foremost. Lodouicus father to Alodisius, ruler of Immola, not long after he died, appeared vnto a Secretarie, whom Ludouicus had sente to Ferraria, as he was on his iourney, riding on a horse with a Hauke on his fist, as he was wonte when he liued, and willed the Secretarie (albeit wonderfully afraid) to bid his Sonne the nexte day to repaire vnto the same place, for he had matter of greate importance to declare vnto him. Which when Lodouicus heard, partly because he could not belÉeue it, partly for that he doubted some body laye in waight for him, he sent an other to answere in his roome. With whome the same soule mÉeting as it did before, lamented very much that his Sonne was not come thither, for if he had so doone, he saide, he would haue opened many other things vnto him. But as then he willed the messenger to tell him, that twentie two yeares, one month and one day being passed, he should loose the rule and gouernment whiche he nowe possessed. As soone as the time foreshewed by the ghost was expired, albeit he were very circumspect and careful, yet the same night, the souldiours of Philip Duke of Millen, with whom he was in league & therfore stood came ouer the ditches hard frozen with Ice vnto the walles, and raising vp ladders, tooke both Citie and Prince togither.

Phillip Melancthon, writeth in his booke De anima, that he himselfe hath sÉene some Spirits, and y? he hath knowne many men of good credit, which haue auouched not only to haue sÉene ghostes themselues, but also that they haue talked a great while with them. In his booke which he intituleth Examen Theologicum, he rehearseth this historie. Which was, that he had an aunt, who as she sat very heauily by the fire, after her husband was dead, two men came into her house, whereof the one being very like, said he was her husband deceased, the other being verie tall, had the shape of a Franciscan Friar. This that sÉemed to be the husband, came neare the chimney saluting his heauy wife, bidding her not to be afraide, for (as he said) he came to commaund her certaine things: then he bid the long Monke to go aside a while into the stoue hard by. And there beginning his talke, after many words, at the last be earnestly besÉecheth, and most hartily desireth her, to hire a Priest to say Masse for his soule, and so being readie to depart, he biddeth her giue him her right hand: which thing (she being sore afraide) abhorring to doo, after he had faithfully promised she should haue no harme, she giueth her hand, which albeit indeed it had no hurt, yet did it sÉeme to be so scorched, that euer after it remained blacke. This being done, he calleth foorth the Franciscan, and hastily going forth togither, they vanish away. Ioannes Manlius, in his collectanies of Common places, writeth concerning other spirites which he and other men also did sÉe, the first tome in the Chapter De malis spiritibus & ipsorum operibus, and also in the Chapter De satisfactione.

Ludouicus Viues, saith in his first booke De veritate fides, that in the new world lately found out, there is nothing more common, than not only in the night time, but also at noone in the midday, to sÉe spirits apparantly, in the Cities and fieldes, which speake, commaund, forbid, assault men, feare and strike them. The very same do other report which describe those nauigations of the great Ocean.

Hieronimus Cardanus of Millen, excellently sÉene in Philosophie & Phisicke, remembreth a great many of these apparitions, in his booke De subtilitate, & varietate rerum: which who so listeth to reade, I referre him to his bookes, for I am desirous to be brÉefe.

Olaus Magnus, Archbishop of Vpsalia in Sueueland, declareth in his history De Gentibus Septentrionalibus, the second booke and third chap. that spirits appeare in Iseland, in the shape & likenesse of such, as men are acquainted withal: whom the inhabitants take by the hand in stead of their acquaintance, before they haue heard any word of those their acquaintace death, whose similitude and likenesse they take on them, neither do they vnderstand that they are deceiued, before they shrinke and vanish away. These things haue I brought togither both out of the olde and also new writers, that it might plainly appeare, that spirites do oftentimes walke and shewe themselues vnto men.

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