The doome warning all men to the iudgemente wherein are contayned for the most parte all the straunge prodigies hapned in the worlde, with diuers secrete figures of reuelations tending to mannes stayed conuersion towardes God: in maner of a generall chronicle, gathered out of sundrie approued authors by St. Batman professor in diuinite.

Of Grineus.

WHen Melancthon with others was on a time at Spires, Faber prea∣ched, and spake many shameful thinges touching transubstātiation & the worshipping of the consecrated bread. Which whē Grineus had heard, he came to him when his Sermon was done, and said that for as much as he had hearde his Sermon concerning the Sacrament, he was desirous to speake with him priuately about that matter, whiche when Faber hearde, he aunsweared with curteous words and friendly countenaunce, that this daye was of him most desired, that he should speake wyth Grineus, especi∣ally concerning suche matter, and bid him home to his house. The next day after Grineus suspecting no thing amisse went his way, who returning to them, saide, that to morrowe he shoulde dispute with Faber: But in the meane time he practising to entrap Grineus, wente to a noble manne and opened to him the whole matter, and at length he obtayned that this noble man commaunded, that the Burgmaisters shoulde caste Grineus in prison. When they had scarsely begun dinner, there came an olde man to the place where they dined and sent for Melancthon to come and speake with hym at the dore, asking him for Grineus, whether he were within? to whome he made aunswere that he was, he saide moreouer that he was in daunger, whiche if he woulde auoide he shoulde flie forthwith, which when he tolde Grineus, & counselled him to flée, he did as he was willed. Melancthon, D. Cruciger, and he arose from the table, went out, their seruauntes followed, and Grineus went in the middle. They had not passed foure or fiue houses, but by and by the sergeauntes were where they lodged, séeking for Grine∣us and when they founde him not there, they procéeded no further, beyng either bidden to search there onely, or not knowing them, or otherwise de∣sirous to do no crueltie. He asked manye whether they knew this man: be∣ing desirous to giue him thanks for this good turne, but none could tel him of him, what he was, neyther coulde he euer sée him after, I thinke verily that this man was an Angel. Whē they had brought Grineus to the Rhe∣ne▪ he toke a boate and passed ouer in safetie, Manlius Fol. 17.

Maister Spangeberg Pastor of Northuse, going with his children to a Bathe, spent there certaine houres in washing, and when he and hys chyldren were gone out of the Bathe, the Stone by and by fel downe. The Heauenly father hath witnessed that he is careful for vs, and that in déede Angels are kéepers of our children, parentes and kinsfolke, and that hée doeth saue and kéepe al our substance by his ministers.

Theodor Gaza had a Farme in Campania, whiche belonging to a be∣nefice that Pope Nicholas gaue him, when in that Farme the husbandmā

had digged vp an earthen pot, wherin were the bones of the dead, there ap∣peared to him a Ghost, commaunding him againe to bury the potte wher∣in the bones were, adding these words, vnlesse he buried the bones againe, his sonne shoulde die: for it was an olde custome, not onely among the Gentiles, but also among the Iewes, that euery one shoulde be buryed in their dwelling: whereby it may be coniectured, that those were y^e bones of y^e body of a Farmer dwelling in y^e place many yeres before, or else of him y^e owed that Farme. When the husbandman made none accompt hereof, his sonne not long after in the night was slaine, as it is possible for the di∣uell to kill a man (namely forsaken of God:) not manye dayes after the Ghost retourned, shewing the husbandman, that he woulde slay his other sonne, vnlesse he layd vppe the bones, and buryed them honestly. The Far∣mer warned by his former losse, séeing also his other son to fall sicke, tolde the matter to Theodor Gaza who went with him to the Farme, and in y^e place where the husbandman tooke out the earthen pot, they againe made a graue & buried the pot with y^e bones: whē y^e bones were put in the former place, immediately the husbandmans sonne recouered. This storie Theo∣dor Gaza oftentimes tolde many of his friendes, and added this verse:

Sient aliquid manes, laethum non omnia finit:

That is,

Spirites are somewhat, Death endeth not all things.

Tritenhemius Abbot of Spaheim in Germany, was a greate Magitian, when by chaunce in a iorny he came to an Inne that was not well furni∣shed, as Pirchaimerus tolde Manlius, some sayde vnto hym in ieste, My Lorde Abbot, prouide vs a good dishe of fishe, he did but only knocke at the window, and immediatly there came one bringing a dish of boyled Pikes wel dressed, folio. 38.

Philip Melancthon reporteth that he heard of Christopher Grosse, and Sigismond Gellin, credible men, of a maiden of Bononia that was con∣uersant among men two yeares after hir death, but when she was bid to feastes, she was séene to take but little meate. Vppon a time as she was dauncing among other Maydes, there was present by chaunce an other Magitian, who said to the standers by, this pale maiden is dead, how, an∣swered they. is she dead séeing thou séest hir goe? beholde saide he I will shewe you, he going to hir, tooke from vnder hir right shoulder a charme paper, which taken away, she fell downe, and remained as a corpse: that charme was put there by an other Magitian: so the diuell carried aboute this body all that tyme, folio. 40.

One attyred insumptuous apparel, with a Piper and a Harper, came oftentymes to an honest mannes house at Thubera neare to Rotenburg, and there daunced & made good chéere, vnder the colour to marry the good mans daughter of the house, an honest maide. He affyrmed also, that he was a Gentleman borne, and that he had in farre countries very many Castels,

Farmes, Parishes, and other such like, and that he wanted nothing, that a man coulde desire in this worlde, but a wel manered or honest wife. The vnreasonable f••••te of the guest with his companions, disliked the good man, who denied him his daughter, which was no gentle womā, and willed him to depart: but the guest wyth his two cōpanions was so troublesome to the good man, that diuerse times about the euening, he returned to his braue∣rye, and went about to bring his purpose to passe: but at last the good man, by manye coniectures smelling the guyle and deceite, sent for the Minister of Gods worde, of that place, to come vnto him, with whom in the presēce of that strange guest, he had conference of sundry places of the holy Scrip∣ture, whiche communication the guest and his two companions taking in ill part, sayde, that there were manye other mery conceites, and pleasaunt iestes, with the which feasters might be made merry, rather than with the exposition of the Scripture, and desired them to trouble them no further with the holye Scripture: where vnto the housholder, being sufficientlye strengthned, against y^e assaultes of Sathan, aunswering, vsed these words vnto them, depart you knaues, that lie in wayte for our life, & haue nought to doe with me nor mine whiche God hath lent me, for we haue bene bap∣tized and redéemed by the precious bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christ, whi∣che will saue and defende vs, against your Diuellish assaultes and suttle∣ties: after he had sayde thys, that wicked one with his companions, leauing behinde him an intollerable stincke and the carcasses of thrée men y^t were hanged in the Stoue, vanished awaye with a greate noyse, so this good housholder was deliuered and defended, togither with his familie.

After that Troy was destroyed, the nephue of Priamus passed ouer to Hellesponte and inhabited the places about the marishes Maotides, & made them a king: And when the Gothes prouoked them manye times to fighte, who inhabited not far from them, and were not strong ynoughe to resiste, Marcomirus their king taking counsel with the rest of the rulers of hys people was minded to leaue that Countrey; to witte Scythia, and to finde out a newe seate where they might be quieter. And when they hadde done sacrifice after the manner of the Gentiles, he was warned by a cer∣taine oracle that he should go to that place with his people, where the Rhe∣ne falleth into the sea, there to attaine his desired quietnesse: And to the end he might be more assured, there came by chance a Sorceresse, called Alru∣n•• of whome he asked counsel, and she exhorted him to the same. This wo∣man so wroughte by hyr arte, that in the nighte there appeared to Kyng Marcomirus a certaine sighte or vision with thrée heades, to witte, wyth the heade of an Eagle, of a Toade, and a Lion: And the Eagle saide: Thy stocke Marcomirus shall ouercome me, and shall treade downe the Lion,

and shal kil the Toade. In which words he signifyed, that in time to come hys posteritie shoulde haue the soueraignlie ouer the Frenche, the Ro∣maines, and Germaynes: whyche came to passe as Munster recor∣deth.

At Pisa a most auntient Citie of Hetruria, is a verye goodly Churche∣yarde, enuironed wyth a wast and a close Gallerie, the Earth whereof is able to waste a mans body in foure and twentie houres, and to turne it in∣to it selfe. Earth of the like nature is saide to be in a Churchyarde at Pa∣ris.

In a certain place, a Doctor of Phisick curing diseases with good successe, was ashamed to be ignoraunt in any thing, wherfore he had recourse to the Diuel, of whom being inclosed in a glasse, he asked aduise cōcerning doubt∣ful matters, through which vngodlinesse of his he left gret substā••e to hys children, so that when their Father was dead, they possessed aboue ••6000. Florens: he woulde haue repented before his death, but he beganne to rage like Aiax, & alwayes called vpon this counseller of hys, and spake horrible blasphemie agaynst the holy ghost, in whych rage at last he departed out of this life: Manfius Folio. 4.

A certaine man escaped thrée tyraunts, Caligula, Claudius and Nero, the persecutours of many godly mē: He being asked how he escaped so ma∣ny tyrauntes, sith he had bene a Courtier. Aunswered Iniurias accipiendo, & insuper gratias agendo. By receyuing iniuries, and moreouer by giuing of thankes, This is Court doctrine, the exercise of patience for vnthanke∣fulnesse, whiche exercise God requireth of vs. Manlius in hys booke Folio. 234.

Notes

• M••nster. Folio. 76.
• Munster Fol. 196.