Yet this is naturall for one beast to dote upon another of the same kinde; but what strange fury is that, when a Beast shall dote upon a man? Saxo Grammaticus lib. 10. Dan. hist. hath a story of a Bear that loved a woman, kept her in his den a long time and begot a son of her, out of whose loynes proceeded many Northern Kings: this is the originall belike of that common tale of Valentine and Orson:

Ælian, Pliny, Peter Gellius are full of such relations. A Peacock in Lucadia loved a maid, and when she died, the Peacock pined. A Dolphin loved a boy called Hernias, and when he died, the fish came on land, and so perished.

The like adds Gellius lib. 10. cap. 22. out of Apion, Ægypt. lib. 15. a Dolphin at Puteoli loved a child, would come often to him, let him get on his back, and carry him about, and when by sickness the child was taken away, the Dolphin died.

Every book is full (saith Busbequius, the Emperors Orator with the grand Senior, not long since ep. 3. legat. Turc.) and yeelds such instances, to believe which I was alwaies afraid least I should be thought to give credit to fables, untill I saw a Lynx which I had from Assyria, so affected towards one of my men, that it cannot be denied but that he was in love with him.

When my man was present, the beast would use many notable enticements, and pleasant motions, and when he was going, hold him back, and look after him when he was gone, very sad in his absence, but most jocond when he returned: and when my man went from me, the beast expressed his love with continuall sickness, and after he had pined away some few daies, died.

Such another story he hath of a Crane of Majorca, that loved a Spaniard, that would walk any way with him, and in his absence seek about for him, make a noise that he might hear her, and knock at his door, and when he took his last farewell, famished her self. Such pretty pranks can love play with Birds, Fishes, Beasts:

(Cælestis ætheris, ponti, terræ claves habet Venus, Solaque istorum omnium imperium obtinet.)

and if all be certain that is credibly reported, with the spirits of the air, and divels of hell themselves, who are as much inamored and dote (if I may use that word) as any other creatures whatsoever. For if those stories be true that are written of Incubus and Succubus, of Nymphes, lascivious Faunes, Satyrs, and those Heathen gods which were divels, those lascivious Telchines, of whom the Platonists tell so many fables; or those familiar meetings in our daies, and company of witches and divels, there is some probability for it.

I know that Biarmannus, Wierus lib. 3. cap. 19. & 24. and some others stoutly deny it, that the divel hath any carnall copulation with women, that the Divel takes no pleasure in such facts, they be meer phantasies, all such relations of Incubi, Succubi, lyes and tales:

But Austin. lib. 15. de civit. Dei doth acknowledge it; Erastus de Lamiis, Jacobus Sprenger and his colleagues &c. Zanchius cap. 16. lib. 4. de oper. Dei. Dandinus in Arist. de Animâ lib. 2. Text. 29. com. 30. Bodin lib. 2. cap. 7. and Paracelsus, a great champion of this Tenent amongst the rest, which give sundry peculiar instances, by many testimonies, proofs and confessions evince it.

Hector Boethius in his Scottish history, hath three or four such examples, which Cardan confirms out of him lib. 16. cap. 43. of such as have had familiar company many years with them, and that in the habit of men and women.

Philostratus in his fourth book de vita Apollonii, hath a memorable instance in this kinde, which I may not omit, of one Menippus Lycius a yong man 25. years of age, that going betwixt Cenchreas and Corinth, met such a phantasm in the habit of a fair gentlewoman, which taking him by the hand, carried him home to her house, in the suburbs of Corinth, and told him she was a Phœnician by birth,

and if he would tarry with her, he should hear her sing and play, and drink such wine as never any drank, and no man should molest him; but she being fair and lovely would live and die with him, that was fair and lovely to behold.

The yong man a Philosopher, otherwise staid and discreet, able to moderate his passions, though not this of love, tarried with her a while to his great content, and at last married her, to whose wedding, amongst other guests, came Apollonius, who by some probable conjectures, found her out to be a Serpent, a Lamia, and that all her furniture was like Tantalus gold described by Homer, no substance, but meer illusions.

When she saw her self descried, she wept, and desired Apollonius to be silent, but he would not be moved, and thereupon She, Plate, House, and all that was in it vanished in an instant: many thousands took notice of this fact, for it was done in the midst of Greece.

Sabine in his Comment on the 10th of Ovids Metamorphosis, at the tale of Orpheus, telleth us of a Gentleman of Bavaria, that for many months together bewailed the loss of his dear wife; at length the Divel in her habit came and comforted him, and told him, because he was so importunate for her, that she would come and live with him again, on that condition he would be new married, never swear and blaspheme as he used formerly to do; for if he did, she should be gone:

He vowed it, married, and lived with her, she brought him children, and governed his house, but was still pale and sad, and so continued, till one day falling out with him, he fell a swearing; she vanished thereupon, and was never after seen. This I have heard, saith Sabine, from persons of good credit, which told me that the Duke of Bavaria did tell it for a certainty to the Duke of Saxony.