The Midianites were so affrighted by Gideons souldiers, they breaking but every one a pitcher; and Hannibals army by such a panick fear was discomfited at the walls of Rome. Augusta Livia hearing a few Tragical verses recited out of Virgil, Tu Marcellus eris, &c. fell down dead in a swone.

Edinus King of Denmark, by a sudden sound which he heard, was turned into fury with all his men. Cranzius l. 5. Dan. hist. & Alexander ab Alexandro l. 3. c. 5. Amatus Lusitanus had a patient, that by reason of bad tidings became Epilepticus, cen. 2. cura 90. Cardan subtil. l. 18. saw one that lost his wits by mistaking of an Eccho.

If one sense alone can cause such violent commotions of the minde, what may we think when hearing, sight, & those other senses are all troubled at once? as by some Earthquakes, thunder, lighting, tempests, &c. At Bologne in Italy Anno 1504. there was such a fearful earthquake about eleven a clock in the night (as Beroaldus in his book de terræ motu, hath commended to posterity) that all the citie trembled, the people thought the world was at an end, actum de mortalibus, such a fearful noise, it made such a detestable smel; the inhabitants were infinitely affrighted, and some ran mad.

Audi rem atrocem, & annalibus memorandam (mine author addes) hear a strange story, & worthy to be chronicled, I had a servant at the same time called Fulco Argelanus, a bold & proper man, so grievously terrified with it, that he was first melancholy, after doted, at last mad, and made away himself.

At Fuscinum in Japona there was such an earthquake and darknesse on a sudden, that many men were offended with headach, many overwhelmed with sorrow and melancholy. At Meacum whole streets and goodly palaces were overturned at the same time, and there was such an hideous noyse withall, like thunder, and a filthy smell, that their hair stared for fear, and their hearts quaked, men and beasts were incredibly terrified. In Sacai another city, the same earthquake was so terrible unto them, that many were bereft of their senses, and others by that horrible spectacle so much amazed, that they knew not what they did.

Blasius a Christian, the reporter of the news, was so affrighted for his part, that though it were two months after, he was scarce his own man, neither could he drive the remembrance of it out of his minde. Many times, some years following they will tremble afresh at the remembrance, or conceipt of such a terrible object, even all their lives long, if mention be made of it.

Cornelius Agrippa relates out of Guilelmus Parisiensis, a story of one, that after a distastful purge which a Physician had prescribed unto him, was so much moved, that at the very sight of physick he would be distempered, though he never so much as smelled to it, the box of Physick long after would give him a purge; nay the very remembrance of it did effect it;

like travellers and Sea-men, saith Plutarch, that when they have been sanded, or dashed on a rock, for ever after fear not that mischance only, but all such dangers whatsoever.