What answere master Sura, (who as it appeareth, was well learned) made vnto maister Pliny I do not finde. But to say the truth, what sound answere could he, being a Gentile make herein? The like history is to be red in the collections of Iohn Manlius common places, who (as Philip Melancthon reporteth) dooth write, that Theodorus Gaza had a lordship or manour place in Campania, giuen him by Nicholas Pope of Rome. In the manour, when by chaunce, one of his farmers had digged vp a coffin with dead mens bones in it, there sodeinly appeared a spirit vnto him, commaunding him to bury the coffin againe, or else his sonne should shortly after die. Which when the farmer refused to doo, shortly after his sonne was found slaine in the night. A fewe dayes after, the Spirit appeared againe vnto the husbandman, menacing and threatning him, that in case he did not bury the aforesaid bones, he would kill his other sonne also. The man taking warning by his losse, and séeing his other sonne fallen sicke, goeth vnto maister Theodorus and sheweth him all the matter. He vnderstanding it, goeth with him to the manour, and there in the same place where the farmer had before digged vp the coffin, casting a new graue, they bury the coffin with the bones. As soone as the bones were laide in the graue, the husbandmans sonne immediatly recouered his health.
Dion writeth, that the Emperour Traianus was ledde out of the house, where he had taken vp his Inne, in the time of an earthquake, into a more safer place.
Iulius Capitolinus, which setteth out a fewe lines of the Romane Emperours, reporteth, that Pertinax for the space of thrée days before he was slaine by a thrust, sawe a certaine shadow in one of his fishponds, which with a sworde readie drawne threatened to slaie him, and thereby much disquieted him.
Flauius Vopiscus writeth, that whereas Tacitus fathers graue opened it selfe, the sides therof falling downe of their owne accord, and that his mothers soule appeared both to him and Florianus day and night, as if she had bene liuing, it was a most sure and infallible signe, that he should die shortly after.
Ammianus Marcellinus, writing of the signes or prognostications of Constantius death, saith that he was troubled and terrified in the night season with shapes and figures.
The same Author affirmeth in his 25. booke, that a little before Iulianus died, as he sate writing in the tents, following the example of Iulius Cæsar, he sawe the image of the publicke Genius, or god of the place (which was wont to be painted with Amaltheas horne in his hand) departing from him, more deformed and ill fauoured, than when it began to mount vp to the narrow top of the tent.
Lucan.
Lucanus as well an excellent Historiographer, as also a most learned Poet, reckneth vp many forewarnings, in his first booke of the battaile of Pharsalia, which chaunced before the great conflict betwéen Iulius Cæsar, and great Pompeius: and amongst other things, he writeth thus.
The trumpets blew, and looke euen as the battaile ioynd apace,
So did the night with silent shades increase her darkish face.
And then the ghosts of Sylla fierce, were plainly seene in field,
Thereby declaring euil signes, of blood that should be spild.
And by the floud of Anien, the husband did spie
Great Marius, out of broken graue his head aduauncing hie.