That there happen straunge wonders and prognostications,
and that sodein noyses and cracks and such like, are heard
before the death of men, before battaile, and before some
notable alterations and chaunges.

I T hapneth many times, that whe men lie sicke of some deadly disease, there is some thing heard going in the chamber, like as the sicke men were wont, when they were in good health: yea & the sicke parties themselues, do many times hear the same, and by and by gesse what will come to passe. Oftentimes a litle before they yÉeld vp y? ghost, and sometime a litle after their death, or a good while after, either their own shapes, or som other shadowes of men, are apparantly sÉen. And diuers times it commeth to passe, that when some of our acquaintaunce or friends lie a dying, albeit they are many miles off, yet there are some great stirrings or noises heard. Sometimes we think y? house wil fal on our heads, or y? some massy & waightie thing falleth down throughout all y? house, rendring and making a disordered noise: and shortly within fewe moneths after, we vnderstand that those things happened, the very same house y? our friends departed in. There be some men, of whose stock none doth die, but that they obserue and marke some signes and tokens going before: as that they heare the doores and windowes open and shut, that some things runneth vp the staires, or walketh vp and downe the house, or doth some one or other such like thing.

But here I cannot passe this in silence: that there are many superstitious me, which vainly persuade themselues that this cousin, and this or that friend of theirs will shortly die. For in the end, the falling out of the matter it selfe, sheweth it was a vaine and foolish persuasion, that they vnderstood such things by any signes.

Cardanus in his booke De veritate rerum, writeth, that there was a certaine noble Familie at Parma in Italy, out of the which so often as any one died, there was sÉene an olde woman in the chimney corner. On a certaine time shÉe appeared, when a mayden of the same family laie very sick, and therfore they cleane dispaired of her life: but soone after she recouered again, and in the meane while, an other, which was then in good health, sodainly died.

There was a certaine parish priest, a very honest and godly man, whome I knew well, who in the plague time, could tell before hand, when any of his parish should die. For in the night time he heard a noyse ouer his bed, lyke as if one had throwne downe a sacke full of corne from his shoulders: which when he heard, he would say: Now an other biddeth me farewell. After it was day, he vsed to inquire who died that night, or who was take with y? plague, to the ende he might comfort and strengthen them, according to the dutie of a good pastor.

It hath bin often obserued in Guilde Halles where Aldermen sit, that when one of those Aldermen was at the point of death, there was heard some ratling about his seate, or some other certaine signe of death. The same thing happeneth beside pewes and stalles in Churches, or in other places where men are often conuersaunt, or accustomed to exercise their handie labour.

In Abbies, the Monkes seruants or any other falling sicke, many haue heard in the night, preparation of chestes for them, in such sort as the Coffin-makers did afterwards prepare in dÉed.

In some country villages, when one is at deaths doore, many times there are some heard in the Euening, or in the night, digging a graue in the Churchyard, and the same the next day is so founde digged, as these men did heare before.

There haue bin sÉene some in the night when the Moone shined, going solemnely with the corpes, according to the custome of the people, or standing before the doores, as if some bodie were to bee carried to the Church to burying. Many suppose, they sÉe their owne image, or as they say, their owne soule, and of them diuers are verily perswaded, that except they die shortly after they haue sÉen themselues, they shall liue a very great time after. But these things are superstitious. Let euery man so prepare himselfe, as it he should die to morrow, least by being too secure, he purchase himselfe harme.

There happen other straunge things also. For when some lye in the prison in chaines, readie to suffer punishment for their offences, many times in the night season, there is heard a great noyse and rumbling, as if some bodie were breaking into y? gaile to deliuer the prisoners. When men come to vnderstand the matter, they can neither hear, nor sÉe any bodie, and the prisoners likewise say they heard no maner thing.

Some executioners or hangmen do report, that for the most part, they know before hand whether any man shall shortly bee deliuered into their handes to suffer: for their swordes will moue of their owne accord. And there are other that say, they can tell before, after what sort the prisoners shall suffer.

Many wonderfull and straunge things happen about those which wilfully cast away themselues. Somtime their corpses must be carried a great way off, before they being thrust in a sack can be throwne into the sea: and being laid in a waggon or cart, the horse could scant draw them downe the hill, but vp the hill they nÉed not labour at all, for the cart would runne very fast of his owne accord.

Some men being slaine by thÉeues, when the thÉeues come to the dead bodie, by and by there gusheth out freshe blood, or else there is declaration by other tokens, that the thÉefe is there present. Plato writeth in the first booke of his lawes, that the soules of such as haue bene slaine, do oftentimes cruelly molest & trouble the soules of those which slew them. For which cause Marsilius Fiscinus doth thinke it chaunceth, that the wound of a man being slaine, while the carkasse lieth on the ground, doth send out blood against him, which wounded him, if he stand neare looking on his wound. Which thing both Lucretius affirmeth to come to passe, and also Iustices haue diligently obserued. Dido in Virgil thus threatneth Aeneas.

And when the cold of death is come, and body voyd remaines,
Each where my haunting spirit shall pursue thee to thy paines.

The like place is in Horace & in other Poets. As a thÉefe sitteth at the Table, a cuppe being ouerthrowne, the wine pearceth through the whole and sound wood of the Table, to all mens admiration.

Touching these and other such maruellous things, there might be many histories and testimonies alleaged. But whosoeuer readeth this booke, may call to their remembrance, that they haue sÉen these and such like things themselues, or that they haue heard them of their friendes and acquaintance, and of such as deserue sufficient credit.

Before the alterations and chaunges of kingdomes and in the time of warres, seditions, and other dangerous seasons, ther most commoly happen very strange things in the aire, in y? earth, and amongst liuing creatures clean cotrary to the vsuall course of nature. Which things men cal, wonders, signes, monsters, and forewarnings of matters to come. There are sÉene in the aire, swords, speares, & suche like, innumerable: there are heard and sÉene in the aire, or vppon the earth, whole armies of men encountring togither, and when one part is forced to flye, there is heard horrible cries, and great clattering of armour. Gunnes, launces and holberdes, with other kindes of weapons and artillerie, do often times moue of their owne accord as they lye in the armories. When as souldiers marche towards their enimies, and their ensignes will not displaie abroade but fold about the stander-bearers heads: if the souldiours be therewith amazed, they surely perswade themselues there is some great slaughter towardes. It is saide also, that horses will be very sad and heauie, and will not lette their masters sit on their backes, before they go to the battaile wherin they shall haue the ouerthrow: but when they are coragious and lustilie neighing, it is a sure token of victorie. Suetonius writeth, that the company of horses which Iulius CÆsar let run at libertie, neuer to be put to labour againe, did wÉepe aboundantly when CÆsar was slaine.

When Miltiades addressed his people against the Persians, there were heard tirrible noyses before the battaile, and certaine spirits were sÉene, which the Athenians afterwards affirmed to be the shaddowe of Pan, who cast suche a feare on the Persians, that they turned their backs and fled. Thereof Terrores Panici tooke their name, being spoken of sodayn feares vnlooked for, and terrours, suche as Lymphatici metus are, which driue men out of their wits being taken therewith.

Before the Lacedemonians were ouerthrowne in y? battaile at Leuctris, the armour moued, & made a great noise in the temple of Hestor. At the same time the doores of Hercules temple at Thebes being fast shut with barres, opened sodainly of their owne accord: and the weapons and armour which hoong fastned on the wall, were found lying vppon the grounde. These things are to be read in Cicero his first booke De diuinatione.

In the second warres of Carthage, the standerd-bearer of the first battaile of pikemen, could not remoue his ensigne out of his place, neither yet whe many came to helpe, they could any thing preuayle. These and suche other signes of euill lucke, Caius Flaminius the Consull, nothing regarded, but soone after his army was discomfited, and he himselfe slaine. Concerning which matter, Titus Liuius writeth at large. In the beginning of the warres waged with the people called Marsi, there was heard out of secrete places, certaine voyces, and noyse of harnesse, which foreshewed the daunger of the warres to come.

Plinie writeth in his.2.booke and 59.chapter, that in the warres with the Danes, and many times before, there was heard the clashing of armour, and the sound of trumpets out of Heauen.

Appianus declareth what signes and wonders went before the ciuill warres at Rome: what miserable cries of men clashing of armour, and running of horses were heard, no man sÉeing any thing.

Valerius Maximus in his firste booke and 6.chapter of straunge wonders, writeth how Cneius Pompeius had warning before, not to fight the fielde with Iulius Cesar for as he launced off, at Dirrachium, his souldiours were taken with a sodayne feare: and in the night likewise before the battaile, their hearts and courages sodainly failed them. And after, the same author addeth that which Cesar himselfe rehearseth in his 3.booke De bello ciuili: how that the very same day wherin Cesar fought his fortunate battaile, the crying of the armie, and the sound of trumpets was heard at Antioche in Syria, so sensibly, that the whole citie ranne in armour to defend their walles. The very same thing he saith, happened at Ptolemais, and that at Pergamus in the most priuie and secret parts of the temple where none may enter, saue only priests, which place the Grecians call ?d?ta there were heard the sound of drummes and timbrels.

The historiographers reporte, that Castor and Pollux haue bÉen often sÉene in battailes sitting on white horses, & valiantly fighting against y? enemies campe. Plutarch writeth in Coriolanus life, that they were sÉene in the battaile against Tarquinius, and that immediatly after, they bare tidings to Rome of the victory. The selfe same writeth Titus Liuius also in his 8.booke of his first decade. We may reade in the history of the siege of the noble citie of Magdeburge in Saxonie, that the enimie which laide siege to the towne, so often as the citizens issued out to skirmish with them, supposed that one vpo a white horse came riding before the citizens battaile, when as the citizens themselues Iosephus. sawe no such man. Iosephus in his bookes of the warres in Iurie, recordeth what straunge signes hapned before the destructio of Ierusalem: which were, that a brasen gate being fast rampierd with barres, opened in the night time of his owne accord. And that before the Sunne set, there were sÉene chariots in the aire, and armies of men well furnished, enuironing the citie rounde about. And that at Whitsontide, as the priests entred the temple to celebrate diuine seruice, they heard a great noise, and by & by a voice crying Migremus hinc. Let vs depart hence. He reckeneth vp other like things, which we nÉede not repeate in this place. The same night that Leo of Constantinople was slayne in the temple, the trauellers by sea heard a voice in the aire which said: that Leo had roared out euen to the same place.

Felix Malleolus doctor of both y? lawes, master of Solodor, & canon at Tiguru, a ma of great reading, as it may easily apeare by his lerned writings which ar yet extat. (For he liued about y? time whe y? Coucell of Basil was holde) writeth in his booke de nobilitate, c.30. y? it is to be sÉen in y? historie of Rodulphus king of the Romanes, that when the said Rodulphus had vanquished Othotarus, King of Boemia, continuing on the place all night, where the battell was fought, about midnight, certain Spirits or Deuils, with horrible noise and tumulte, troubled and disordered his whole armie. And that those were spirits walking by night, it appeared hereby, that they sodeynly vanished away like smoake.

The same Author writeth in his xxvi. chapter, That in the yeare of our Lord .1280. as one of the Plebans (as they call them) belonging to the churche of Tigurine preached to the people, the graue stone of the tumbe or sepulchre of the two martires Felix and Regula, patrones of the same place, violently brake asunder, no man mouing or touching it, giuing a horrible sound like vnto thunder, so that the people were no lesse astonished and afraide, than if the vaute of the Churche had fallen downe. And he saith, that the same yeare, the third day of October, the greater part of the citie of Tigurum was brent with fire, and moreouer, that sedition was moued amongst the Citizens, for certaine Ecclesiastical disciplines, and for the Imperiall Banne (as they terme it.) In the yeare of our Lord .1440. the twelfe day of December, at y? dedication of the foresaid churche, about midnight, there was the like noise hearde, and immediatly after followed ciuill warres, which the Tigurins held with vncertaine successe against the other Heluetians, for the space of seuen yeares and more.

The same writer in the .33. Chap. hath, that at the same time in the yeare of our Lorde .1444. before that valiaunt battaile, which a feawe Heluetians fought against the innumerable companie of Lewes Dolphin of Fraunce, fast by the wals of Basill, in the time of the generall Councell, there was hearde certaine nightes about those places, the alarme of Souldiours, the clattering of harneys, and the noyse of men encountring togither. &c.

Here I purposely omit many such like examples, for there are many bookes, both of auncient and also of newe writers, touching straunge signes and wonders, wherein these may be redde.

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