The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. XXIII. Of coelestiall Monsters.

PEradventure it hath not bin strange that monsters have beene genera∣ted upon the earth and in the Sea: but for monsters to appeare in heaven, and in the upper region of the aire, exceeds all admiration. Yet have wee often read it written by the antients, that the face of heaven hath beene deformed, by bearded, tailed, and haired Co∣mets; by meteors representing burning Torches, and lamps, pillars, darts, shields, troups of clouds, hostilely assailing each other; Dragons, two Moones, Sunnes, and the like monsters and prodigies.

Antiquity hath not seene any thing more prodigious than that Commet which appeared with bloody haire in Uvestine, upon the ninth day of October, 1528. for it * 1.1 was so horrible and fearefull a spectacle, that divers died with feare, and many fell into grievous diseases; going from the East to the South, it endured no longer than one hower and a quarter: in the toppe thereof was seene a bending arme holding a great sword in a threatning hand; at the end thereof appeared three starres, but that over which the point of the sword directly hanged was more bright and cleare than the rest: on each side of this Comet were seene many speares, swords, and other kinds of weapons died with blood, which were intermixt with mens heads, having long and terrible haire and beards, as you may see in the following figure.

[illustration]

The figure of a fearefull Comet.

Also there have beene seene great and thicke barres of Iron to have fallen from heaven, which have presently beene turned into swords and rapiers. At Sugolia in the borders of Hungaria, a stone fell from heaven with a great noise, the seventh day of September, anno Dom. 1514. it weighed two hundred and fifty pound: the Citi∣zens hanged it up with a great iron chaine put through it, in the midst of the Church

of their City, and used to shew it, as a miracle, to travellers of better note that past that way. Pliny reports that the clashing of armour, and the sound of a trumpet were * 1.2 heard from heaven often, before and after the Cimbrian warre. The same author also writes that in the third Consul-ship of Marius, the Amarines and Tudortines saw the heavenly armies comming from East and West; and so joyning, those being vanquished which came from the East. Which samething was seene in Lusalia, at a towne called Jubea, two houres after mid-night, anno Dom. 1535. But in anno Dom. 1550. upon the nineteenth day of July, in Saxony, not farre from Wittenberg, there appeared in the aire a great stagge, incompassed with two armed hosts, making a great noise in their conflict, and at the same instant it rained blood in great abundance, the sun seemed to be cloven into two pieces, and the one of them to fall upon the earth. A little before the taking of Constantinople from the Christi∣ans, * 1.3 there appeared a great army in the aire appointed to fight, attended on with a great company of dogs and other wild beasts. Julius Obsequius reports that in anno Dom. 458. it rained flesh in Italy, in greater and lesser pieces, part of which were de∣voured * 1.4 by the birds before they fell upon the earth: that which fell upon the earth kept long unpurrefyed, and unchanged in colour and smell. Anno Dom. 989. Otho the third being Emperour, it rained corne in Italy. Anno Dom. 180. it rained milke and oyle in great abundance, and fruit-bearing trees brought forth corne. Lycosthe∣nes tells that in the time of Charles the fift, whilest Maidenberg was besieged, three sunnes first appeared about seven a clocke in the morning, and then were seene for a whole day, whereof the middlemost was the brightest, the two others were red∣dish and of a bloody colour; but in the night time there appeared three moones. The same appeared in Bavaria, anno Dom. 1554.

But if so prodigious and strange things happen in the heavens besides the com∣mon * 1.5 order of nature, shall wee thinke it incredible that the like may happen in the earth? Anno Dom. 542. the whole earth quaked, mount Aetna cast forth flames and sparkes of fire, with which many houses of the neighbouring villages were burnt. Anno Dom. 1531. in Portugall there was an earthquake for eight dayes, and it qua∣ked seven or eight times each day; so that in Lisbone alone it cast downe a thousand and fifty houses, and more than sixe hundred were spoiled. Ferrara lately was al∣most wholly demolisht by a fearefull earthquake. Above all which ever have been heard is that prodigie which happened in the time of Pliny, at the death of Nero the * 1.6 Emperour in the Marucine field, the whole Olive-field of Vectius Marcellus a Ro∣mane Knight going over the high way, and the fields which were against it com∣ming into the place thereof. Why should I mention the miracles of waters, from whose depth and streames, fires and great flames have oft broke forth? They tell out of St. Augustine, that the fire of the sacrifice, which for those seventy yeeres of the Babylonian captivity endured under the water, was extinguished, Antiochus sel∣ling the priest-hood to Jason. What miracle is this, that the fire should live in the water, above its force and naturall efficacy, and that the water should forget the ex∣tinguishing faculty! Verily Philosophers truely affirme that the elements, which are understood to bee contrary, and to fight in variety among themselves, are mutually joyned and tyed together by a marvellous confederacy.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A Comet with bloody haire.
• * 1.2

  Lib. 2. cap. 57.
• * 1.3

  Presages of the taking of Con∣stantinople.
• * 1.4

  Monstrous rains
• * 1.5

  Earthquakes.
• * 1.6

  Lib. 2. cap. 73.