Daily experience teach vs, that spirits do appeare to men.

TO all the premisses before handled, this also is to be added, which no man can deny, but that many honest and credible persons of both kindes, as well men as women, of whome some are liuing, and some already departed, which haue and do affirme, that they haue sometimes in the day, and sometimes in the night sÉene and heard spirits. Some man walketh alone in his house, and behold a spirit appeareth in his sight, yea and sometimes the dogs also perceiue them, and fal down at their masters fÉet, and wil by no means depart fro them, for they are sore afraid themselues too. Some man goeth to bed, and laieth him downe to rest, and by and by there is some thing pinching him, or pulling off the clothes: sometimes it sitteth on him, or lieth downe in the bed with him: and many times it walketh vp and downe in the Chamber. There haue bene many times men sÉene, walking on foote, or riding on horseback, being of a fierie shape, knowne vnto diuers men, & such as died not long before. And it hath come to passe likewise, that some eyther slaine in the warres, or otherwise deade naturally, haue called vnto their acquaintance bÉeing aliue, and haue bene knowne by their voice.

Many times in the night season, there haue bÉene certaine spirits heard softly going, or spitting, or groning, who being asked what they were, haue made aunswere that they were the soules of this or that man, and that they nowe endure extreame tormentes. If by chaunce any man did aske of them, by what meanes they might be deliuered out of those tortures, they haue aunswered, that in case a certaine number of Masses were soong for them, or Pilgrimages vowed to some Saintes, or some other such like dÉedes doone for their sake, that then surely they shoulde be deliuered. Afterwardes appearing in greate light and glorie, they haue said that they were deliuered, and haue therefore rendred greate thankes to their good benefactours, and haue in like manner promised, that they will make intercession to God and our Ladye for them. And hereby it may be well proued, that they were not alwayes Priestes, or other bolde and wicked men, which haue fayned themselues to be soules of men deceased, as I haue before saide: in so much that euen in those mennes chambers when they haue bene shut, there haue appeared such things, when they haue with a candle diligently searched before, whither any thing haue lurked in some corner or no. Many vse at this day to search and sifte euery corner of the house before they go to bed, that they may slÉepe more soundly: & yet neuerthelesse, they heare some scriking out, and making a lametable noise, &c.

It hath many times chanced, that those of the house haue verily thought, that some body hath ouerthrowne the pots, platters, tables and trenchers, and tumbled them downe the staires: but after it waxed day, they haue founde all things orderly set in their places againe.

It is reported, that some spirits haue throwne the doore off from the hookes, and haue troubled and set all things in the house out of order, neuer setting them in their due place againe, and that they haue maruellously disquieted men with rumbling and making a great noyse.

Sometimes there is heard a great noyse in Abbeis, and in other solitarie places, as if it were Coopers hooping and stopping vp wine vessels, or some other handicraftes men occupied about their labour, when it is most certaine, that all in the house are gone to bedde, and haue betaken themselues to rest.

When houses are in building, the neighbours many times heare the Carpenters, Masons, and other Artificers handling all things in such sort, as if they were busily labouring in the day time. And this straunge wonder is ioyfully receiued as a sure token of good lucke.

There be some which iudge it commeth to passe naturally, that we suppose we heare these things in the night, which we heard before in the day time. Which question I leaue to be discussed of better learned than my selfe.

Pioners or diggers for mettal, do affirme, that in many mines, there appeare straunge shapes and spirites, who are apparrelled like vnto other labourers in the pit. These wander vp and down in caues and vnderminings, and sÉem to besturre themselues in all kinde of labour, as to dig after the veine, to carry togither oare, to put it into baskets, and to turne the winding whÉele to drawe it vp, when in very dÉed they do nothing lesse. They very sildome hurt the labourers (as they say) except they prouoke them by laughing and rayling at them: for then they threw grauel stones at them, or hurt them by some other means. These are especially haunting in pittes, where mettall moste aboundeth.

A certain godly and learned man wrote once vnto me, of a siluer mine at Douosium in the Alpes, vpon the which Peter Buol a noble man, the Schultish of the same place, (whom they call Landammanus,) had bestowed great cost a fewe yeres before, and had gathered therby good store of riches. In the same myne was a spirite or Diuell of the mountaine, who when the laborers filled the stuffe they had digged into their vessels, he seemed, for the most parte, euery Fridaye, to be very busie, pouring the mettals of his owne accord out of one basket into an other. Wherewith the Schultish was not offended: and when he would eyther descende into the pit, or come vp againe, blessing himselfe with the signe of the Crosse, he neuer receiued hurt. It chaunced on a time that while the saide spirit was too busie intermedling himselfe with euery thing, one of the miners being offended therewith, began to raile at him very bitterly, and with terrible cursing words, bid him get him thence in the diuels name. But the spirit caught him by the pate, and so writhed his necke about, that his face stoode behinde his backe, yet notwithstanding he was not slaine, but liued a long time after, well knowne vnto diuers of his familiar friends, which yet liue at this day, howbeit he died within a fewe yeares after.

Georgius Agricola, whose learned workes which he wrote of mettalles, be yet extant in the end of his booke of creatures liuing vnder the earth, he maketh two kindes of Diuels haunting in certayne Mynes abroade. For hÉe saith, there are some cruell and terrible to behold: which for the moste parte, doo very much annoy and hurt the labourers digging for mettall.

Suche a one was hÉe which was called Annebergius, who only with his breath, destroyed aboue 12. labourers at once, in the Caue called Corona Rosacea. The wind wherwith he slewe them, he let flÉe out of his mouth: for he appeared in the similitude and likenesse of an horse.

Such an other was Snebergius, who wearing a blacke roll about his necke, tooke vp a labourer aloft from the ground, and set him in the brinke of a certaine exceeding dÉepe place, where had sometime bene great store of siluer, not without grÉeuous brusing of his bodie.

And againe he saith, there be some very milde and gentle, whom some of the Germanes call Cobali, as the Grecians do, because they be as it were apes and counterfeiters of men: for they leaping and skipping for ioy do laugh, and sÉeme as though they did many things, when in very dÉed they do nothing. And som other call them elues, or dwarfes of the Mountaines, thereby noting their small stature, wherein they commonly appeare. They sÉeme to be hoare, wearing apparell like the mettall Finers, that is, in a peticoate laced, and an aperne of leather about their loynes. These hurt not the labourers, except they misuse them, but do imitate them in all their doings. And he saith, they are not much vnlike vnto those whom the Germanes call Guteli, because they sÉeme to beare good affection towards men, for they kÉep horses, and do other necessary businesse. They are also like vnto them whom they call Trulli, who taking on them the feined shapes of men and women, do serue as it is sayd, like seruants, both amongst other nations, and specially amongst the Suetians.

Touching these spirits haunting Mines of mettal, there is somewhat to be read in Olaus Magnus de Gentibus Septentrionalibus, the sixt booke and tenth Chapter.

They which saile on the great Ocean sea, make report, that in certaine places, where the Anthropophagi do inhabit, are many spirits, which doo the people there very much harme.

Here many straunge things might be brought concerning visions appearing vnto men in their slÉepe: and also of them, which being in a traunce, haue lyen a whole day and more without mouing, lyke vnto dead men: and after being restored to themselues againe, haue told many miraculous things which they haue sÉene.

Cicero writeth of maruellous things in his booke of diuination, or soothsaying. And so do many other men also. Augustine himselfe reciteth in many places of his bookes, that some after they were dead, haue warned many their friends of diuers matters, and haue disclosed vnto them secrete things, which were to come, and haue shewed sicke folkes good remedies for their diseases, and haue done many such like things.

Auenzoar Albumato, a Phisitian of Arabia, writeth, that he receiued an excellent medicine for his sore eyes, of a Phisitian lately deceased, appearing vnto him in his slÉep: as Marcilius Ficinus doth testifie, writing of the immortalitie of the soule. Lib. 16. cap. 5.

The holy Scriptures also teach vs, that God hath reuealed many things vnto men by dreames. S. Mathew in his first and second chapter writeth, that the Angell of God appeared many times vnto Ioseph, our Sauiour Christes foster father in a dreame, and commaunded him to beware of those which laie in wayt to destroy Christ Iesus.

We reade in the tenth Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, that S. Peter fell into a traunce, sawe the heauens open, and sawe a vessell, as it were a great shÉete, descend downe vnto him from heauen, knit togither at the foure corners, wherein were all maner of foure footed beastes of the earth, and wilde beasts, and crÉeping things, and foules of the heauen. And there came a voyce vnto him: Rise Peter, kill and eate.

And in the 16. Chapter, as S. Paul was yet in Asia, comming downe towardes Troada, this vision appeared vnto him: There stoode a man of Macedonia and prayed him, saying: Come into Macedonia and helpe vs. Hereby Paule gathered, it was the will of God, that he should passe the sea, and should preach the Gospell in Macedonia.

But I purpose not to write of spirites and visions appearing vnto men in their slÉepe, least my Booke grow vnto an huge volume: but only of those which we sensibly sÉe when we are awake.

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