the while they were in prison, they wanted nothing: for there was bestowed vpon them, especially by women, very largely, for to serue for their liuing, and to purchase to them help and fauour. Except these persecutions and troubles, which we spake of before, had hindred the matter, the king (as many reported) was fully determined, to haue ouerthrowne their house, and made it euen with the ground. This Historie also doth demonstrate and shewe, that Spirits are not alwayes heard, when some men affirme they are. CHAP. IX. Of a certaine parish Priest at _Clauenna_, whiche fayned himselfe to bee our Ladie, and of an other that counterfeited himselfe to be a soule: as also of a certaine disguised Iesuite Frier. [Sidenote: Ioannes Stumpfius.] To the ende wee may the better vnderstande this matter, I will yet rehearse an other Historie of a certaine parishe Prieste, which chaunced a yeare before the other I spake of, which is sette foorth briefely, but yet truely, by =Ioannes Stumpfius=, in the Germane Chronicles of the =Heluetians=, in the twentieth Booke and eighth Chapter, whereof also many notable men at this day beare suffucient witnesse. A certaine parish Priest of _Clauenna_, (whiche is a Citie neare the Laake or water =Larius=, in the Countrey of _Rhetia_), being farre in loue with an honest and faire mayden, the daughter of a citizen in the same town, oftentimes followed her, as she went vnto her fathers barne: and attempted to haue defloured her, but she euer resisted, and put him backe. In the ende when he saw he could not obtaine his purpose, he priuily stole out of the church a blew cloth, beset with sundry starres, and therwith couering himselfe, saue only that he left his armes & féete naked, which he also berayed with blood, he hideth himselfe without the towne, and there muffling his face with a thinne linnen cloath, méeteth again with the mayd, fayning himself with a counterfeit voyce, to be the blessed virgin =Mary=. Then in many words he declareth vnto her diuers plages, which were shortly like to fall on the Citie, for the heresies of =Luther=, (for at other times also hée had bitterly enueyed against =Luther=, in his open Sermons:) he also commaunded the mayd to shew many things vnto the citizens, touching holy dayes, fastings, generall processions, &c. And amongst other things he added, that there was a certain holy and religious man, whiche had heeretofore asked a thing at her hands in the very same place, which she had hitherto denied him, but now it was her pleasure, if he required yͤ same again, she should in any wise grant it, if she would attain euerlasting life: and yͭ aboue all thing, she must conceale and kéep close this latter point vnto her self. The maydē by & by blazed it about al the citie, that our Lady had visibly appeared vnto her, & foretold her of sundry plagues likely to happen vnto the citie. The inhabitants taking good aduise on this matter, at the last for feare of these