(as the Angel did Habacuck to Daniel, and as Philip the Deacon was carried away by the Spirit, when he had baptized the Eunuch; so did Pythagoras and Apollonius remove themselves and others, with many such feats) that they can represent castles in the ayre, pallaces, armies, spectrums, prodigies, and such strange objects to mortal mens eyes, cause smels, savors, &c. deceive all the senses; most Writers of this subject credibly believe;

and that they can foretell future events, and do many strange miracles. Iunos image spake to Camillus, and Fortunes statue to the Romane matrons, with many such. Zanchius, Bodine, Spondanus and others are of opinion that they cause a true Metamorphosis, as Nabuchadnezer was really translated into a beast, Lots wife into a pillar of Salt; Vlysses companions into Hogs and Dogs, by Circes charmes;

Turn themselves and others, as they do Witches into Cats, Dogs, Hares, Crowes, &c. Streozzius Cicogna hath many examples lib. 3. omnif. mag. cap. 4. & 5. which he there confutes, as Austin likewise doth de civ. Dei lib. 18.

That they can be seen when and in what shape, and to whom they will, saith Psellus, Tametsi nil tale viderim, nec optem videre, though he himself never saw them nor desired it; and use sometimes carnal copulation (as elsewhere I shall prove more at large) with women and men.

Many will not believe they can be seene, and if any man shall say, sweare, and stifly maintain, though he be discreet and wise, judicious and learned, that he hath seen them, they accompt him a timorous foole, a melancholy dizard, a weak fellow, a dreamer, a sick or a mad man, they contemn him, laugh him to scorne, and yet Marcus of his credit told Psellus that he had often seen them.

And Leo Suavius, a Frenchman, §. 8. in Commentar. l. 1. Paracelsi de vita longa, out of some Platonists will have the ayre to be as full of them as snow falling in the skies, and that they may be seen, and withall sets down the means how men may see them; Si irreverberatis oculis sole splendente versus cœlum continuaverint obtutus, &c. and saith moreover he tryed it, præmissorum feci experimentum, & it was true, that the Platonists said.

Paracelsus confesseth that he saw them divers times, and conferred with them, & so doth Alexander ab Alexandro, that he so found it by experience, when as before he doubted of it. Many deny it, saith Lavater de spectris, part. 1. c. 2. & part. 2. c. 11. because they never saw them themselves;

But as he reports at large all over his book, especially c. 19. part. 1. they are often seen and heard, & familiarly converse with men, as Lod. Vives assureth us, innumerable Records, Histories, and testimonies evince in all ages, times, places, and all travellers besides; in the West Indies and our Northerne climes, Nihil familiarius quam in agris & urbibus spiritus videre, audire qui vetent, jubeant, &c.

Hieronymus vita Pauli, Basil ser. 40. Nicephorus, Eusebius, Socrates, Sozomenus, Iacobus Boissardus in his tract de spirituum apparitionibus, Petrus Loyerus l. de spectris, Wierus l. 1. have infinite varity of such examples of apparitions of spirits, for him to read that farther doubts, to his ample satisfaction.

One alone I will briefly insert. A noble man in Germany was sent Embassador to the King of Sueden (for his name, the time, and such circumstances, I refer you to Boissardus mine Author) after he had done his businesse, he sailed to Livonia, on set purpose to see those familiar spirits, which are there said to be conversant with men, and do their drudgery works.

Amongst other matters, one of them told him where his wife was, in what roome, in what cloathes, what doing, & brought him a Ring from her, which at his return non sine omnium admiratione, he found to be true; and so believed that ever after, which before he doubted of.

Cardan l.19. de subtil. relates of his father Facius Cardan, that after the accustomed solemnities, An.1491.13. August, he conjured up 7. Devils in Greek apparel, about 40. years of age, some ruddy of complexion, and some pale, as he thought; he asked them many questions, and they made ready answer, that they were aerial Devils, that they lived and died as men did, save that they were far longer liv’d, (7. or 800. yeares)

they did as much excel men in dignity, as we do juments, and were as far excelled again of those that were above them: our governors and keepers they are moreover, which Plato in Critias delivered of old, and subordinate to one another, Ut enim homo homini, sic dæmon dæmoni dominatur, they rule themselves as well as us,

and the spirits of the meaner sort had commonly such offices, as we make horse-keepers, neat-heards, & the basest of us, overseers of our cattle; and that we can no more apprehend their natures and functions, then an horse a mans. They knew all things, but might not reveal them to men; & ruled and domineered over us, as we do over our horses; the best Kings amongst us, & the most generous spirits, were not comparable to the basest of them.

Sometimes they did instruct men, & communicate their skil, reward & cherish, and sometimes again terrifie & punish, to keep them in awe, as they thought fit. Nihil magis cupientes (saith Lipsius, Phil. Stoicorum:) quam adorationem hominum.

The same Author Cardan in his Hyperchen, out of the doctrine of Stoicks, wil have some of these Genii (for so he cals them) to be desirous of mens company, very affable, and familiar with them, as Dogs are; others again to abhor as serpents, and care not for them. The same belike Tritemius cals Ignios & sublunares, qui nunquam demergunt ad inferiora, aut vix ullum habent in terris commercium:

Generally they far excel men in worth, as a man the meanest worme; though some of them are inferior to those of their own rank in worth, as the black guard in a Princes Court, and to men again, as some degenerate, base, rational creatures, are excelled of brute beasts.

That they are mortal, besides these testimonies of Cardan, Martianus, &c. many other Divines & Philosophers hold, post prolixum tempus moriuntur omnes; The Platonists and some Rabbines, Porphyrius and Plutarch, as appeares by that relation of Thamus: The great God Pan is dead: Apollo Pythius ceased; & so the rest.

S. Hierome in the life of Paul the Ermite tels a story how one of them appeared to S. Antony in the wildernesse, and told him as much. Paracelsus of our late Writers stifly maintaines that they are mortal, live and die, as other creatures do. Zozimus l.2. farther adds, that religion and policy dies and alters with them.