I heard of a graue and wise man, which was a Magistrate in the Territorie of Tigurie, who affirmed, that as he and his seruant went through the pastures, in the sommer very early, he espied one whome he knew very well, wickedly defiling himselfe with a Mare, wherewith being amazed, he returned back againe, and knocked at his house, whome he supposed he had séen, and ther vnderstood for a certaintie, that he went not on foote out of his chamber yͭ morning. And in case he had not diligently searched out yͤ matter, the good & honest man had surely bin cast in prison, and put on the rack. I reherse this history for this end, that Iudges should be very circumspect in these cases, for yͤ diuell by these means doth oftentimes circumuent yͤ innocent. Chunegunda wife vnto Henry the 2. Emperour of yͭ name, was greatly suspected of adultery, and thereuppon many false rumors scattered, that she was too familiar with a certaine yoong man in the Court, for the Diuell in the likenesse of the same yoong man, was oftentimes séene come out of the Empresse Chamber. But she afterwards declared her innocencie by treading vppon hotte glowing ploughshares, (as the custome was then) without any hurting her féete, as witnesseth Albertus Cranzius, in his fourth booke, and first Chapter of his Metropolis.
We reade that many spirites haue appeared vnto certaine Hermites and Monkes in the shape of a woman, alluring and intising them to filthie lust. They appeare also in the fourme of brute beastes, sometime foure footed, as of a Dogge, a Swine, a Horsse, a Goate, a Catte, or a Hare: and sometimes of foules, and créeping wormes, as of a Crow, a night Owle, a schritch Owle, a Snake, or Dragon, whereof the Gentiles had great plentie in their Temples and houses, and nourished them, as we may reade euery where in the Poets. Spirits haue sometimes appeared in a pleasaunt fourme, and sometimes in a horrible shape. At one time some hath bene séene ryding on horsebacke, or going on foote, or crawling vppon all foure. At an other time hath appeared a man all burning in fire, or beraide with blood: and somewhile, his bowelles haue séemed to traile out, his belly being as it were ripped vp. Sometimes a shadow hath onely appeared: sometimes a hand, sometimes an instrument, as a staffe, a sworde, or some such lyke thing which the spirite helde in his hande. Sometimes he appeared in maner of a bundle of hey, burning on fire: another while onely a hoarse kinde of voyce was heard. Sometimes a spirit hath bene heard walking in the inner parte of the house, turning the leaues of a Booke, or telling money, or playing at dice, or bounsing against the wall. And sometimes there is heard a terrible noyse or clappe, as if a peale of Gunnes were discharged hard at hand. And spirits sometimes, taking a man by the arme or by the haire of the head, haue walked with them.
Olaus.
Olaus Magnus in his third booke and eleuenth Chapter De Gentibus Septentrionalibus, writeth, that euen in these our dayes, in many places in the North partes, there are certaine monsters or spirites, which taking on them some Daunces of Spirits. shape or figure, vse (chiefly in the night season) to daunce, after the sounde of all maner of instruments of musicke: whom the inhabitants call companies, or dances of Elues, or Fairies. Somewhat also is to bee reade touching this Saxo. matter in Saxo Grammaticus, in his historie of Denmarke. Pomponius Mela. Such like things are those which Pomponius Mela reporteth in his third booke of the description of Aethiopia, that in Mauritania beyonde the Mount Atlas, many times in the night season are séene great lightes, and that tinkling of Cymballs, and noyses of Pipes are also heard, and when it Solinus. is daylight no man appeareth. Solinus writeth in his thirtie eight and fortie foure chapters, that in this same Mountaine, Ægiptians vse euery where to leade their daunces: of whom also Plinie maketh mention in his first booke and first Chapter. Men holde opinion, that they are Panes, Faunes, and Satyres, of whom the olde writers haue mentioned many things.
Hierome. A Fable out Hierome, of a Centaure, A Monster hauing the forepart like a man, the hinder like a horse.
Saint Hierome writeth in the life of Paule the Hermit, that an Hippocentaure, appeared vnto S. Anthonie, in the same shape which is described of the Poets. In a stonie valley (saith he) he espied a Dwarffe of a small stature, hauing a crooked nose, and his forehead rough with hornes: the hinder part of his bodie, and his féete like vnto a Goate. Anthony nothing amazed with this sighte, taketh vnto him the shield of faith, and the brestplate of hope, lyke a good warriour. Notwithstanding the foresayde creature presented him with Dates, to refresh him in his iourney, as witnesses of peace and friendship. Which when Anthonius vnderstood, he staide, and enquiring of him what he was, receiued this answere. I am (quoth he) a mortall creature, and one of the inhabitants of this desart, whome the Gentiles, being deceiued with many errors, dooth worship, calling vs Faunes, Satyrs, and night Mares.
And I am sent as Embassador from our company, who earnestly beséech thée, that thou wilt pray vnto the God of all creatures for vs, whom we acknowledge to be come into the world, to saue the same, &c.
Plutarch.
And here we may in no wise ouerpasse in silence, that notable historie which Plutarch in his booke De fectu oraculorum, (translated by that learned man Adrianus Turnebus) reciteth in these words. Touching the death of diuels, I haue heard a certaine historie of one who was neither foolish, nor accustomed to lye. For it was Epitherces, my countreyman, a professour of Grammer, father vnto Æmilianus the Rhethoritian, of whome some of you also haue heard the same: He told me, that when he once tooke ship, meaning to go into Italie, because he carried with him not only great store of marchandise, but also very many passengers, in the euening when they were about the Islands Echinadæ, the wind quite ceased, and that the shippe driuing in the Sea, being brought at the last vnto Paxe, many then waking, and many also quaffing after they had supped, sodeinly there was heard a voyce of one which called Thamus, in such sort that euery man maruelled. This Thamus was a Pilotte borne in Egipt, vnknowne vnto many which were in the ship. Wherefore being twice called, he held his peace, and the third time answered: then the other with a louder voyce commaunded him, that when he came vnto Palodes, hée should tell them that the great God Pan was departed. When this was heard, euery man was amazed with feare, as Epitherces affirmed vnto vs: And being in consultation whether they should do as was commaunded or not, Thamus thus iudged of the matter: that if the winde did blowe, they must passe by with silence, but if it were calme without winde, he must vtter that which we had heard. When therefore they were come to Palodes, and no wind stirred, nor waue moued, Thamus looking out of the sterne towards the lande, cryed out as he had heard, that the great God Pan was deceased: Hée had scant ended those words, when immediatly there followed a great groning, not of one man, but of many, being admixt as it were with great admiration. And because many were present in the ship, (they said) the same hereof was spéedely spred abroad at Rome, and Thamus sent by Tiberius yͤ Emperour, who gaue so much credit vnto the matter, that he diligently enquired, and asked who that Pan was. The learned men whome he had in great number about him, supposed that Pan was he, who was the sonne of Mercurie and Penelope, &c.
De preparatione Euang. li.5.chap.9.