Being desirous (gentle Reader) to exercise my selfe with some translation, at vacant times, and seeing, that since the Gospell hath been preached, this one question, touching the appearing of spirits and soules departed, hath not bin much handled amongst vs, and therfore many, otherwise well affected in religion vtterly ignorant heerein, I thought it not amisse to take in hand some good and learned Treatise concerning this matter. Wherein as many haue both learnedly, painfully, and religiously trauelled: so amongst others, none in my iudgement hath more handsomly & eloquētly, with more iudgment & better method discoursed the same, thē _Lewes Lauaterus_, Minister of Tigurine. Others haue hādled it indeed wel, but yet _Nihil ad nostrā hunc_, being either too short, or too long, or too darke, or too doubtful, or otherwise so cōfused, that they leaue the Reader more in suspence in the end, then they found him in the beginning. As for Maister _Lauaterus_ his discretion heerein, I will no otherwise commend it, then to desire the Reader to view, and iudge himself. For thus much at the first sight he shall see: A cleare methode, with a familiar and easie stile, the matter throughly handled _Pro_ and _Con_, on both sides, so that nothing seemeth to be wanting, nor any thing redounding. And if it be true that Horace saith, _Omne tulit punctum, qui miscuit vtile dulci_, that is, He winneth the prize, that ioyneth pleasure with profit: I thinke this Authour may also in this respect be pronounced _Victor_, and adiudged to the best game. For he so intreateth this serious and terrible matter of Spirits, that he now and thē inserting some strange story of Monks, Priestes, Friers, and such like counterfeits, doth both very liuely display their falshood, and also not a litle recreate his Reader: and yet in the end he so aptly concludeth to the purpose, that his histories seeme not idle tales, or impertinent vagaries, but very truthes, naturally falling vnder the compasse of this matter. And how profitable this his woorke is, those may best iudge, which are most ignorant in this question, some thinking euery small motion & noyse to be Spirites, and some so fondly perswaded that there are no Spirits, who being better enformed herein by this Authour, I suppose will confesse his work to haue done them some profit: if knowledge be profitable, and ignorance discommodious. And againe, those which being hitherto borne in hande that mens soules returne againe on earth, crauing helpe of the liuing, and haue spent much of their substaunce on idle Monkes and Friers, to relieue them, will confesse the like. For when they shall see they haue bene falsely taught, and that they were not the soules of men which appeared, but either falshood of Monks, or illusions of diuels, franticke imaginations, or some other friuolous & vaine perswasions, they will thinke it profitable to haue knowne the truth, as well to auoid error