8. To these we shall conclusively add one story of sufficient credit from our own English Annals, which is this: “In the year 1187. being the 33th year of the Reign of Henry the second, near unto Oreford in Suffolk, certain Fishers of the Sea took in their nets a fish having the shape of a man in all points, which fish was kept by Bartholomew de Glanvile, Custos of the Castle of Oreford, in the same Castle, by the space of six months and more for a wonder; he spake not a word. All manner of meats he did gladly eat, but most greedily raw fish after he had crushed out all the moisture. Oftentimes he was brought to the Church where he shewed no tokens of adoration. At length when he was not well looked to, he stole away to the Sea, and never after appeared.” The learned Antiquary Mr. Camden tells this same story from Radulphus Coggeshall, an ancient writer, and that “Capillos habebat, barbam prolixam & pineatam, circa pectus nimium pilosus erat, & hispidus: and concludeth: Quicquid nascatur in parte naturæ ulla, & in mari esse, & non omnino commentitium est.”
Lib. de Spectr. prim. part. c. 11. p. 61.
By all which examples we may be rationally satisfied, that though these creatures have a real existence in nature, yet because of their strange natures, shapes and properties, or by reason of their being rarely seen, they have been and often are not only by the common people but even by the learned taken to be Devils, Spirits or the effects of Inchantment and Witchcraft. And therefore men that would judge aright must take heed that they be not deceived and imposed upon by relations of this nature, and also of all such things as may be acted by Imposture and confederacy, and those other Physical things that are brought to pass by natural causes, divers sorts of which are recited by Ludovicus Lavaterus very largely, to which I recommend those that desire further satisfaction in those particulars.
CHAP. XVI.
Of Apparitions in general, and of some unquestionable stories that seem to prove some such things. Of those apparitions pretended to be made in Beryls and Crystals, and of the Astral or Sydereal Spirit.
In this Treatise we have before sufficiently proved that the denying of the existence of such a Witch as doth make a visible contract with the Devil, or upon whose body he sucketh, or that hath carnal copulation with a Demon, and that is transubstantiated into a Cat or a Dog, or that flyeth in the air; doth not inferr the denial of Spirits either good or bad, nor utterly overthrow the truth of apparitions, or of such things as seem to manifest some supernatural operations. And therefore here we shall fully handle the question of Apparitions, and things that seem to be of that nature, and that in this order.
1. We shall not meddle with Apparitions in the large extent of the word, for so it may comprehend the appearing of new Stars, Comets, Meteors and other Portents, and Prodigies, which (though unusual and wonderous) have yet their production from natural causes. But only here we shall treat of such apparitions as are taken to be performed by supernatural creatures, or in such a way and by such creatures as we commonly account to be different from (if not above) the power of ordinary and visible nature, as of Angels good or bad, the Souls of men departed, or their Astral Spirits, or of some other creatures that are, or may be of a middle nature.
Judg. 13.
Luke 2. 26. to 39.
Math. 1. 20.