Before I procéede any further, this is also to be obserued, that plesaunt conceited fellowes, may oftentimes deceiue the priests, themselues. For when the priests did brag, that they coulde coniure Spirits and deliuer mens soules, it may be that other being wrapped in shéets, hauing vnderneth them liue coales in an earthen pot, appeared vnto priests, who by and by were persuaded they sawe saules which required their helpe to be deliuered. Erasmus in his Colloquio or talke which he intituled Exorcismus, vel spectrum, or a coniuration or vision, writeth howe one Polus maruellously deceiued a priest called Faustus. But there is no doubt but that priests being many times deceiued in iest by the lay men for pastimes sake, haue on the other side more often times beguiled them in earnest.
Men walking by night.
I haue spoken hitherto of men being awake, and now I will adde a fewe words of such as sléepe. There be many which haue such a kinde of disease, that they walke in their sléepe: which thing we reade to haue bin true in one Theon a Stoicke, and in Pericles seruant, who in their sléepe climed vp to the top of the house. I haue hearde of some which in their sléepe haue done that which béeing awake, they could not do by any meanes. If a man sée such a one walking in the night, either apparrelled or naked, and after here him say he was at the same time in his bed, he will straight thinke, it was his soule that he sawe, the like will he do if he heare such a one at his owne house.
CHAP. XI.
That many naturall things are taken to be ghoasts.
Fayries of the earth.
Here happen daily many things by the ordinary course of nature, which diuers men, especially they that are timorous and fearefull, suppose to be visions or spirits. As for example, when they heare the crying of ratts, catts, weasels, martins, or any other beaste, or when they heare a horse beate his féete on the plankes in the stable at midnight, by and by they sweat for feare, supposing some bugges to walke in the dead of the night. Somtimes a bittour, or hearne (which birds are sildome séene with vs in Germany) or some other straunge birds, make a noise in the aire: many fooles straightwayes dreame, they haue heard I wotte not what. If a worme which fretteth wood, or that bréedeth in trées, chaunce to gnawe a wall of waynescot, or other timber, many will iudge they heare one softly knocking vppon an anduill with a sledge: and sometimes they imagine they heare many hammers at one time. Simple foolish men hearing these things, imagine, I know not how, that there be certaine elues or fairies of the earth, and tell many straunge and maruellous tales of them, which they haue heard of their grandmothers and mothers, how they haue appeared vnto those of the house, haue done seruice, haue rocked the cradle, and (which is a signe of good lucke) do continually tarry in the house. If such dwarfes or elues haue bene séene at any time, surely they were euill spirits. For we reade that the Gentiles in time past, had their familiar or houshold gods, whome they worshipped with great deuotion, because (as they thought) they tooke care of their house, and defended their family: and vnto these men, euil spirits did sometimes appeare, thereby to confirme them the more in their blinde superstition.