Valerius Maximus, in his first booke and sixt chap. writeth that Caius Cassius sawe Iulius Cæsar in the battaile of Philippi, (in a shape of greater maiesty, than any man hath) setting spurres to his horse, and running on him with a terrible threatning countenance: which when Cassius sawe, he turned his backe to the enemy, and fled, and shortly after murthered himselfe.
Drusus sawe a woman excelling all mortall creatures in maiestie.
Dio Cassius Nicæsus, in his Roman historie from the beginning of his 55.booke writeth of Drusus, who by spoyling Germany far and néere on euery side, came euen to the riuer Albis, where when he could not get ouer, erecting monuments of victorie, departed back againe: For he there saw a woman, excéeding the state of mortall creatures, which met him, and sayd vnto him: Drusus, which canst finde no end of thy gréedie desire, whither goest thou? It is not lawfull for thée to sée al these things: but rather get thée hence, for the ende both of thy life and worthie déedes is nowe at hand. When Drusus heard these things, he sodeinly chaunged his course, and being on his iourney, before he came to the riuer of Rein, he sickned and dyed. Other like foretokens the same author reporteth to haue hapned before his death, all the which notwithstanding, he nothing regarded. For two yong men appeared on horsebacke vpon the rampiers, and the shriking of women was also hearde, with many other such like. &c.
Plinius secundus writing of spirits.
Plinius secundus citizen of Nouocomensis, hath an Epistle of Spirits appearings, written vnto his friend Sura in the vii. booke of his Epistles, which we haue thought good to set downe whole in this place: Leisure (saith he) graunteth me libertie to learne, and giueth thée leaue to teache. Therfore I am very desirous to knowe whether thou thinke fantasies are any thing, and whether they haue any proper figure of their owne, and be some kinde of diuine power, or else whether they take vppon them some vaine & variable shape, according to the feare which we haue of them? That I should so beléeue, I am especially moued thereto by that which I heare saie happened to Curtius Rufus, who was as then, companion to the Proconsul of Affrica, bothe poore, and also of small reputation. And as he walked one day in a Gallerie towardes the euening their méeteth with him the shape of a woman, more great & beautifull, than any liuing creature. Wherat he béeing amazed, she telleth him that she is Affrica, and is come vnto him to foretell him of good happe to followe: First that he should go to Rome, and there take on him the state of great honoure, and afterwarde, that he should returne into the same prouince with full and high authoritie, and there end his daies. Which things came all to passe. And moreouer, the same figure (as it is saide) mette with him againe on the shore side, as he entred out of the ship, and came towardes Carthage to take his charge and regiment in hande. Afterwards falling sick, when no man dispayred of his healthe, coniecturing things to come by those that had passed, and comparing aduersitie with his former prosperitie, he vtterly cast away all hope of recouerie. Is not this also more terrible, and no lesse maruellous, whiche I will now repeate as I haue heard it tolde?
The spirit of Athens.
There was in Athens a goodly and a very large house, but euill reported, and counted as an infortunate and vnluckie house. For about midnight, there was heard the noyse of iron, and if one marked it well, the ratling of chaines, as it were a farre off at the first, and so, néerer and néerer: shortly there appeared an image or shape, as it were an olde man, leane and loathsome to beholde, with a long beard and staring haire: on his legges he had fetters, and in his hands carried chaines which he alwaies ratled togither. By meanes whereof, those that inhabited the house, by reason of their feare, watched many heauie and pittifull nights: after their watching folowed sicknesse, and soone after, as feare increased, ensued death. For in the day time also, albeit the image were departed, yet the remembrance thereof, was euer present before their eyes: so that their feare was longer than they had cause to feare. Vpon this the house stood desert and solitarie, wholly lefte vnto the monster whiche haunted it: yet was it proclaimed to be solde, if happily any man whiche was ignorant of this great mischiefe, would either buy it or hire it. Athenodorus chanced to come to Athens, and there readeth the writing on the doore: And when he had learned the price, because he suspected the good cheapenesse thereof, enquiring further, vnderstoode the whole matter, and notwithstanding any thing that he heard, he hired the house, so much the rather. When it waxed night, he commaundeth his seruauntes to make his bedde in the vtter part of the house: he taketh his writing tables, his writing wier and a candle, and sendeth all his seruaunts into the inner part of the house. He himselfe setleth his minde, his eyes and hand to write, least his mind being vnoccupied, should imagine it heard straunge figures, and should bréed vaine feare. In the beginning of the night, there was silence as is in all other places, but not long after the iron began to ring, and the chaines to moue: but yet he would not looke vp, nor let cease his writing, but hardned his hart, and stopped his eares. Then the noyse increaseth & draweth neare, and séemeth sometimes to be without the porch, sometimes within. Thē he looketh back, and seeth and acknowledgeth the shape whereof he had heard before: the image stood still and beckned with his finger as though he had called him, the philosopher on the other side signifieth with his hand, that he should stay a while, and falleth againe to his writing. The image shaketh his chaines ouer his head, as he sate writing. He looketh about againe, and seeth him beckning, as he did before. And so rising vp without delay, taketh the candle in his hand and foloweth: the image goeth before with a softly pace, as though he were heauily laden with chaines: After he had turned aside into the court of the house, sodeinly vanishing away, leaueth his walking mate alone. He being forsaken, laieth hearbes and leaues gathered togither vpon the place. The next day he goeth to the rulers of the citie, and willeth them to commaund the place to bée digged vp, whiche done, they finde bones wrapped and tyed in chaynes: which the bodie béeing putrified and consumed with long lying in the earth, had left lying in bondes: those bones being gathered togither, were buried solemnely: The house, after they were orderly laide in the ground, was euer after cleare of all such ghostes.
In these things I must beléeue other mens reports, but that which followeth, I can boldly affirme on mine owne knowledge.
I haue one with mée, sometime my bondseruaunt, but nowe enfraunchized and set at libertie, a man not vtterly vnlearned: with him my yonger brother lay togither in one bed. He in his owne imagination seemed that he saw a certain personage sitting vpon the bedde where he laie, putting kniues vnto his head, and therewith polling off his haires. When it was day light, the haires were found on the ground, he being in very déed notted about the crowne of his head. Shortly after the like happened vnto him, which made all men beléeue the first was true. The boy amongst a great many of his fellowes chaunced to sléepe in the schoole, and being in sléepe, there came certaine in at the windowes (as he sayd) cloathed in white garments, and shore of his haire as he laie, and so departed againe as they came. This polling, and also his haires scattered abroad, were founde when it was day. No notable matter ensued hereof, except it were, perchaunce, that I was not accused of treason, as I should haue bene, if Domitianus, who died about this time, had liued longer. For there was a libell found in his coffers, giuen vnto him against me, written by maister Carus. By which it may well be coniectured, that in so much as those which are accused, doo vse to let their haire growe very long, the cutting of my friends haire, was a sure signe of escaping the great daunger, which then hung ouer my head. Wherefore I hartily require you to straine your learning. The matter is worthie, wherein ye may vse long and déepe consideration: and I surely am vnworthie to whom ye shuld open your knowledge. You may therfore (if it please you) dispute the matter on both sides, as ye are accustomed, but yet I pray you handle it more throughly on the one side, least ye sende me away wauering and hanging in doubt, whereas the cause of my séeking counsel, is to the ende I might be quite out of doubt. Fare ye well.
Manlius.