Of ghostes and spirites walking by nyght and of strange noyses, crackes, and sundry forewarnynges, whiche commonly happen before the death of menne, great slaughters, [and] alterations of kyngdomes. One booke, written by Lewes Lauaterus of Tigurine. And translated into Englyshe by R.H.

Title

Of ghostes and spirites walking by nyght and of strange noyses, crackes, and sundry forewarnynges, whiche commonly happen before the death of menne, great slaughters, [and] alterations of kyngdomes. One booke, written by Lewes Lauaterus of Tigurine. And translated into Englyshe by R.H.

Author

Lavater, Ludwig, 1527-1586.

Publication

Printed at London :: By Henry Benneyman for Richard VVatkyns,

1572.

Rights/Permissions

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Subject terms

Apparitions -- Early works to 1800.

Link to this Item

https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A05186.0001.001 content_copy

Cite this Item

"Of ghostes and spirites walking by nyght and of strange noyses, crackes, and sundry forewarnynges, whiche commonly happen before the death of menne, great slaughters, [and] alterations of kyngdomes. One booke, written by Lewes Lauaterus of Tigurine. And translated into Englyshe by R.H." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A05186.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 14, 2025. content_copy

Contents

• title page
• To the Reader.
• An aduertisement to the Reader.
• Faultes escaped in the Print. Note that the first number signifieth the Page, he seconde the Line.
• ¶To the right excellent and moste wise and vertuous lorde Iohn Steigerus Cōsul of the noble cōmon welth of Berna, his good lorde and patron, Lews La∣uaterus of Tigurin wisheth health.
• A TABLE OF the Chapters of the three prin∣cipall partes, touchyng Spirites walking by nyght.
• ¶ The firste parte of this Booke, concerning Spirites walking by night.
  • CHAP. I. Concerning certaine vvordes vvhiche are often vsed in this Treatise of Spirits, and diuers other diuinations of things to come.
  • CHAP. II. Melancholike persons, and madde men, imagin many things vvhich in verie deede are not.
  • CHAP. III. Fearefull men, imagine that they see and heare straunge things.
  • CHAP. IIII. Men vvhich are dull of seing and hearing imagine ma∣ny things vvhich in very deed are not so.
  • CHAP. V. Many are so feared by other men, that they suppose they haue heard or seene Spirites.
  • CHAP. VI. Preestes and Monckes fained themselues to be Spirites: also hovve Mundus vnder this colour defiled Paulina, and Tyrannus abused many noble and honest ma∣trones.
  • CHAP. VII. Timotheus Aelurus counterfeating him selfe to be an Angell, obteined a bissopricke: foure Monkes of the order of Preachers, made many vayne apparitions at Berna.
  • CHAP. VIII. Of a counterfaite and deceiuing spirit at Orleaunce in Fraunce.
  • CHAP. IX. Of a certaine parishe Priest at Clauenna, vvhiche fayned him selfe to be our Lady, and of an other that coun∣terfeited him selfe to be a soule: as also of a certeine disguised Iesuite Frier.
  • CHAP. X. That it is no maruell if vayne sightes haue bene in olde time, neither yet that it is to be maruelled at, if there be any at this day.
  • CHAP. XI. That many naturall things are taken to be ghosts.
  • CHAP. XII. A proofe out of the Gentiles histories, that Spirits and ghosts do often times appeare.
  • CHAP. XIII. A proofe out of the histories of the auncient Churche, and of the vvritings of holie Fathers, that there are vvalking Spirits.
  • CHAP. XIIII. That in the Bookes set foorthe by Monkes, are many ridiculous and vaine apparitions.
  • CHAP. XV. A proofe by other sufficient vvriters, that Spirits doe sometime appeare.
  • CHAP. XVI. Daily experience techeth vs that spirits do appear to mē.
  • CHAP. XVII. That there happen straunge vvonders and prognostica∣tions, and that sodeyn noises and cracks and such like, are hearde before the death of men, before battaile, and before some notable alterations and chaunges.
  • CHAP. XVIII. It is proued by testimonies of holy scripture, that spirits are sometime seene and heard, and that other straunge matters do often chaunce.
  • CHAP. XIX. To vvhome, vvhen, vvhere and after vvhat sort, spirits do appeare, and vvhat they do vvorke.
• ¶The second part of this Booke doth shewe, that those Spirits and other strange sights, be not the Soules of Men, but be either good or euill Angels, or else some secret and hyd operations.
  • CHAP. I. The opinion or beleefe of the Gentiles, Ievves, and Turkes, concerning the estate of Soules seperated from their bodies.
  • CHAP. II. The Papistes doctrine touching the soules of dead men, and the appearing of them.
  • CHAP. III. VVhat hath follovved this doctrine of the Papists, con∣cerning the appearing of mens soules.
  • CHAP. IIII. Testimonies out of the vvorde of God, that neither the soules of the faithfull, nor of infidels, do vvalke vppon the earth after they are once pared from their bodies.
  • CHAP. V. Testimonies of the auncient fathers, that deade mens soules parted from theyr bodyes, dooe not vvander here vpon earth.
  • CHAP. VI. A confutation of those mennes argumentes or reasons, vvhiche affirme, that dead mens soules do appeare: And firste that is aunsvvered vvhiche certaine doe al∣leage, to vvitte, that God is omnipotent, and therfore that he can vvoorke contrary to the ordinary course of nature.
  • CHAP. VII. That the true Samuell did not appeare to the vvytche in Endor.
  • CHAP. VIII. A Confutation of their argumentes, vvhich vvould haue Samuell himselfe to appeare.
  • CHAP. IX. VVhether the Diuell haue povver to appeare vnder the shape of a faithfull man?
  • CHAP. X. Moyses and Elias appeared in the Mounte vnto Chryst our Lorde: many haue ben raised from the dead both in body and soule, and therefore Soules after they are departed, may returne on earth againe.
  • CHAP. XI. VVhether the holy Apostles thought they savve a mans Soule, vvhen Chryst sodenly appeared vnto them af∣ter his Resurrection.
  • CHAP XII. Concerning the holie Fathers, Councels, Bishops and cō∣mon people, vvhich say that soules do visibly appere.
  • CHAP. XIII. VVhether soules do returne agayne out of Purgatorie and the place vvhich they call Limbus puerorum.
  • CHAP. XIIII. VVhat those things are vvhiche men see and heare: and fyrst that good Angels do somtimes appeare.
  • CHAP. XV. That sometimes, yea and for the most part, euill Angels do appeare.
  • CHAP. XVI. Of vvondrous Monsters, and suche like.
  • CHAP. XVII. That it is no hard thing for the Deuill to appeare in di∣uers shapes, and to bring to passe straunge things.
  • CHAP. XVIII. Diuels doe sometimes bid men doe those things vvhich are good, and auoide things that are euill: sometimes they tell truth, and for vvhat cause.
• ¶The thirde part of this Booke, in which is shewed why, or to vvhat end God suffereth Spirits to ap∣peare, and other strange things to hap∣pen: as also howe men ought to behaue them selues when they méete with any suche things.
  • CHAP. 1. God by the appearing of Spirits doth exercise the faith∣full, and punishe the vnbeleeuers.
  • CHAP. II. VVhat the cause is that in these our dayes so fevve spirits are seen or heard.
  • CHAP. III. VVhy God doth suffer straunge noyses, or extraordinarie rumblings to be heard before some notable alterati∣ons or othervvise.
  • CHAP. IIII. After vvhat sort they should behaue themselues, vvhiche se good or euil spirits, or mete vvith other strange ad∣uentures: and first hovve Ievves and Gentiles behaued themselues in the like cases.
  • CHAP. V. Hovv Christian men ought to behaue themselues vvhen they see spirites, and first that they ought to haue a good courage, and to be stedfast in fayth.
  • CHAP. VI. It behoueth them vvhich are vexed vvith spirits, to pray especially, and to giue themselues to fasting, sobrietie, vvatching, and vpright and godly liuing.
  • CHAP. VII. That spirits vvhich vse to appeare, ought to be iustly sus∣pected: and that vve maye not talke vvith them, nor enquire any thing of them.
  • CHAP. VIII. Testimonies out of holie Scripture, and one example vvhereby it is proued, that such kynde of apparitions are not to be credited, and that vve ought to be verie circumspect in them.
  • CHAP. IX. After vvhat sorte the faithfull in the primitiue Churche, vsed themselues vvhen they mette vvith spirites.
  • CHAP. X. That sundrie kyndes of superstition haue crept in, vvhere by men haue attempted to driue avvay spirites.
  • CHAP. XI. That spirits are not to be driuen avvay by cursing and banning.
  • CHAP. XII. After vvhat sort vve ought to behaue oure selues, vvhen vve heare straunge crackes, or vvhen other forevvar∣nings happen.
• colophon