That whiche we haue hitherto spoken concerning melancholicke men, and men out of their wits, may also be vnderstood of timorous and fearefull men. For if any man be timorous by nature, or subiect to feare through great daungers, or by some other wayes, he also imagineth straunge things which indéed are not so, especially if he haue in him any store of melancholy. Women, which for the most part are naturally giuen to feare more than men, (for which cause S. =Peter= in his first Epistle speaking of the dutie of married folks, calleth them the weaker vessell,) do more often suppose they sée or heare this or that thing, than men doo. And so do yoong women, because commonly they are afraide. If when men sit at the table, mention be made of spirites and elues, many times women and children are so afraide that they dare scarce go out of doores alone, least they should meete with some euill thing: and if they chaunce to heare any kinde of noise, by and by they thinke there are some spirites behinde them, such vaine perswasions they haue. A cowardly souldiour iudgeth his enemies to be more in number than they are: the noyse of a leafe being mooued so affrighteth him (which thing God in his lawe threatneth his people of _Israel_, except they do their duties) that he betaketh himself to his héeles: if he but heare a woodspeck with his bill beating on a trée, he straight thinketh the enemy readie to leape on his shoulders: yea if he heare but a mouse moue, by and by his heart is in his hose. These and such like things neuer trouble a stout and couragious souldier. And yet sometimes in the chase, lustie souldiers flying away from their companie, are so troubled in minde, that they thinke their friends enemies, and cannot tell in the world where they are, and whither they go: all the which commeth by feare. [Sidenote: Plutarche.]