A strange example.12. I have read another wonderful relation in a book de Annulis Antiquorum, Concerning a young man from whom the power of Venus was taken away so that he could not Company with his new marryed Wife. The Story is briefly thus; “Being busy at play or exercise with some of his Companions on his marriage day, he put his wedding Ring on the finger of the Statue of Venus that stood besides the place least it should be lost; when he had done, returning to take his Ring, the finger was bended inward, so that he could by no means pluck off/52. the Ring to his great amazement, at which instant he forsooke the place, and in the night the Image of Venus appeared unto him, saying, Thou hast espoused me, and shalt not meddle with any other: in the morning returning, the Ring was gone, and the finger made straight again, which troubled him mightily, so that he consulted with a Magician, who wrote a Letter to some Principal Spirit in that Dominion to which Venus belong’d, bidding the party stand watching at such a place at such an houre till he saw many troops of Spirits pass by him, and describing one in a Chariot, of stern and terrible Countenance, to whom he bad him deliver the Letter; All which he performed, and after the person in the Chariot had read the contents thereof, he broke out into this expression, great God, how long shall we be subject to the insolencies of this accursed Rascal, naming the Magitian: But withal calling to a most beauteous Woman from amongst the Company, he charged her to deliver back the Ring which at length she did with much aversness, and after that he injoyd his Marriage rites without impediment.”
Spirits of Woods, and Mountains. 13. Besides the innumerable Troops of Terrestrial Spirits called Faeryes there are also Nymphs of the Woods, Mountains, Groves, and Fountains, as Eagle,*[* read, Aegle] Arethusa, Io, Menippa, Irene, &c. who are sayd to be altogether of the fæminine kinde, sporting and dancing, and feasting amongst the trees in Woods, and bathing in clean and limpid Fountains; such have been seen by many, and are often alluded to, by the Roman and Greek Poets. There is also a relation of a German Prince, “who being exceeding thirsty and weary with hunting and hawking, lost his Company in the Woods, on a suddain beheld an opening at a little hillock amongst the trees, and a most beautiful Maiden offering a Golden Horn full of Liquor, which he received and drunk, and after rid quite away with the sayd Horn, not regarding the Virgins tears, who lamented after him; tis sayd that having spilt some of the sayd Liquor, it fetcht the hair from off his Horses skin, and the horn is yet to be seen in Germany, which I have been told by one that hath seen and handled it, affirming, That the Gold for purity cannot be parallel’d.”
Incubi, and Succubi.14. Another sort are the Incubi, and Succubi, of whom it is reported, that the Hunns have the original, being begotten betwixt these Incubi, and certain Magical women whom Philimer the King of the Goths banished into the deserts, whence arose that savage and untamed Nation, whose speech seemed rather the mute attempts of brute Beasts, than any articulate sound and well distinguished words. To these Incubi are attributed the diseases of the blood called the Nighthag, which certainly have a natural cause, although at the instant of time when the party is oppressed, it is probable that certain malevolent Spirits may mix themselvs therein and terrifie the soul and minde of the afflicted party.
A froward kinde of Spirit.15. And amongst such Spirits as are resident amongst mortals, there is a very froward kinde, who take delight to pull down what man hath builded, who have been seen at the building of strong and mighty Castles to come in the night and tumble all to the ground that the workmen had reared the day before; of this sort were Horon, Stilkon, Glaura, and Kibbolla, four pestiferous, and turbulent Animals that for many years infested the first founders of the Emperours Seraglio: Till one of the holy Musselmans did by certain Charms, and Exorcisms constrain and bind them, to tell their names, and the cause of their disturbing, which they declared, and were by him confined to destroy the mines of Copper in Hungaria.
Example.16. There is also a Relation extant in the life of Paul the Hermit of a Satyr appearing to him in the Woods, and discoursing with him that it was a mortal Creature as he, and served the same God, dehorting the people to worship them for demi-Gods, as they had been accustomed to; Like unto this is the Story of the Death of the great God Pan; That a Mariner sailing by the Island of Cicilia, was called by his name from the shore,Example. and by a certain voice was bid to tell the Inhabitants of the next Island, that the great God Pan was dead, which he o/beyed,53. and though in the next Island there were no Inhabitants, yet when he approached he proclaimed, towards the shoar that Pan was deceased, immediately after which Proclamation he could sensibly hear most doleful and lachrymable Cryes, and noyses, as of those that lamented his departure.
Janthe a Spirit of the water.17. Ianthe, is sayd by Magitians, to be a water Spirit, who is ever present when any are drownd in the water, being delighted much in the destruction of mankinde, that it may enjoy the Company of their Astral Spirits after their decease; for according to the four Complexions or Constitutions of the body of Man, The Astral Spirit associates it self with separated substances; The Phlegmatick, to the watry Spirits: The Sanguine, to those of the Aire; The Cholerick, to the Fire; and the Melancholy, to the Terrestrial Spirits. But this is only to be supposed of such persons as dyed in discontent, and restlesness.
Watry Spirits that procreate.18. Of another sort are such Aquatick Animals as in former times have conversed, and procreated with mankinde bearing divers Children; And at length snatching all away into the watry Element again, whereof there are variety of Examples in Cardanus and Bodin. Of this sort was the Familiar of Paulus a Mendicant Frier, called by him Florimella, and entertaind as his Bed-fellow for forty years, though unknown and unseen to any but himself, till upon some unhandsome carriage of the Fryer, his Companion accompanying him over the Danube, leapt into the River and was never after seen.
Apparitions on the water.19. Innumerable are the reports and accidents incident unto such as frequent the seas, as fisher-men and sailers who discourse of noises, flashes, shadows, ecchoes, and other visible appearances nightly seen, and heard, upon the surface of the water. And as the disposition of the Heavens is according to the constellations, and climates, so are these spectres appropriate to particular parts, and coasts, from the North to the Southern Pole. But more especially, abounding in the North, about Norweigh Isleland, Green Land, and Nova Zembla.
Prophetical rivers, and vocal fountains.20. Neither are the Storyes of the Greek, and Latine Poets all together to be sleighted in this particular; for many verities are interwoven with their fictions, they speak of vocal Forrests, as Dodona, of Talkative Rivers, as Scamander, of sensitive Fountains as Arethusa, Menippa, and Æagle; Which more credible Historians have partly confirmed in the Relation of Dodona, asserting that the trees do seem to speak by reason of the various Apparitions, and Phantasms, that attend the Forrest. And also in the Story of the River Scamander, which is sayd at this day to afford plenty of spectres, and prophetical Spirits, that have nightly conversation with the Turkish Sailers coming by that way with Gallyes into the Mediterranean.
21. The like is reported of a Castle in Norweigh standing over a Lake wherein a Satyr appeareth sounding a Trumpet before the death of any Souldier, or Governour belonging to the same, tis sayd to be the Example.Ghost of some murdered Captain that hath become so Fatal, and Ominous to his Successors. But with more probability may be called a Spectre proper to the place according to the Constellation.