stupenda mirantibus ostentes miracula, nolarum sonitus,
spectacula, &c. [1197]Giraldus Cambrensis gives
instance in a monk of Wales that was so deluded. [1198]Paracelsus
reckons up many places in Germany, where they do usually
walk in little coats, some two feet long. A bigger
kind there is of them called with us hobgoblins, and
Robin Goodfellows, that would in those superstitious
times grind corn for a mess of milk, cut wood, or
do any manner of drudgery work. They would mend
old irons in those Aeolian isles of Lipari, in former
ages, and have been often seen and heard. [1199]Tholosanus
calls them trullos and Getulos, and saith,
that in his days they were common in many places of
France. Dithmarus Bleskenius, in his description
of Iceland, reports for a certainty, that almost in
every family they have yet some such familiar spirits;
and Felix Malleolus, in his book de crudel. daemon.
affirms as much, that these trolli or telchines are
very common in Norway, “and [1200] seen to do
drudgery work;” to draw water, saith Wierus,
lib. 1. cap. 22, dress meat, or any such thing.
Another sort of these there are, which frequent forlorn
[1201]houses, which the Italians call foliots, most
part innoxious, [1202]Cardan holds; “They will
make strange noises in the night, howl sometimes pitifully,
and then laugh again, cause great flame and sudden
lights, fling stones, rattle chains, shave men, open
doors and shut them, fling down platters, stools,
chests, sometimes appear in the likeness of hares,
crows, black dogs,” &c. of which read [1203]Pet
Thyraeus the Jesuit, in his Tract, de locis infestis,
part. 1. et cap. 4, who will have them to be devils
or the souls of damned men that seek revenge, or else
souls out of purgatory that seek ease; for such examples
peruse [1204] Sigismundus Scheretzius, lib. de
spectris, part 1. c. 1. which he saith he took
out of Luther most part; there be many instances. [1205]Plinius
Secundus remembers such a house at Athens, which Athenodorus
the philosopher hired, which no man durst inhabit
for fear of devils. Austin, de Civ. Dei.
lib. 22, cap. 1. relates as much of Hesperius the
Tribune’s house, at Zubeda, near their city
of Hippos, vexed with evil spirits, to his great hindrance,
Cum afflictione animalium et servorum suorum.
Many such instances are to be read in Niderius Formicar,
lib. 5. cap. xii. 3. &c. Whether I may
call these Zim and Ochim, which Isaiah, cap. xiii.
21. speaks of, I make a doubt. See more of these
in the said Scheretz. lib. 1. de spect. cap. 4.
he is full of examples. These kind of devils many
times appear to men, and affright them out of their
wits, sometimes walking at [1206]noonday, sometimes
at nights, counterfeiting dead men’s ghosts,
as that of Caligula, which (saith Suetonius) was seen
to walk in Lavinia’s garden, where his body
was buried, spirits haunted, and the house where he
died, [1207]_Nulla nox sine terrore transacta, donec