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.
Virgil.
De animorum immortalitate li.16.cap.5.
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.
Suetonius.
Before the alterations and chaunges of kingdomes and in the time of warres, seditions, and other dangerous seasons, ther most commōly happen very strange things in the aire, in yͤ earth, and amongst liuing creatures clean cōtrary 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.