Emblems of rarities: or Choyce observations out of worthy histories of many remarkable passages, and renowned actions of divers princes and severall nations With exquisite variety, and speciall collections of the natures of most sorts of creatures: delightfull and profitable to the minde. Collected by D.L.

Of spirits appearing in Mines.

IT is not unknowne to such as have beene occupied in deep diggings of Mines, that a kinde of sprites doth frequent and haunt in many Mines, whereof some do no harme nor damage to the labourers in Mines, but wander in the dungeons, and wherereas they doe nothing in∣deede, yet they seeme to ex∣ercise themselves in working, somtimes in razing and digging the Mine, sometimes in gather∣ing together that which is digged up, and many times they seeme to turne the instru∣ments

which draw up the met∣tall from the Mine, and divers times a man would thinke they did urge and excite the labou∣rers, and drive them to worke. And this doe they especially in such Quarries and Mines wher∣in much Silver is found, or else where some good hope is of fin∣ding it. There be some of these spirits very hurtfull, as that which in the Mine at Anneberg, was so noysome, that it de∣stroyed a dozen Labourers▪ wherefore the said Mine was utterly forsaken and left, not∣withstanding the wealth of it.