imminent dangers and plages, gaue commandement, that three daies shuld be kept holy. In the which time, the mayd, supposing she shuld do high seruice to the virgin =Mary=, fulfilleth the lust of that wicked knaue. This trecherie and deceit being shortly after detected by the wonderfull prouidence of God, the varlet was first beheaded, and afterward burnt in fire. [Sidenote: Erasmus.] [Sidenote: Spectrum.] =Erasmus Roterodamus=, writeth in his two and twentieth booke of Epistles, vnto a certaine Bishop, excusing himself, touching certaine points, which he had moued vnto him, to the ende he should be very circumspect: and amongst other things, making mention there of spirits or wandring soules, he reporteth this Historie. There was (saith he) a certaine parish Priest, who had dwelling with him in his house, a Néece of his, a woman well stored with money: In whose Chamber hee woulde oftentimes conuey himselfe, being disguised in a shéete lyke vnto a Spirite: And then he cast foorth a doubtfull voyce, hoping that the woman would either procure a coniurer for her helpe, or else her selfe make him answere. But she hauing a man-like courage, priuily requesteth one of her friendes to lodge in her Chamber secretly all night. The man being armed with a clubbe insteed of other coniuring tooles, and being well tippled with drinke, to auoyd feare, hideth himselfe in the bedde. Sodainly commeth the Spirit roaring very miserably: The coniurer with his clubbe awaketh, leapeth out of his bedde scant sober, and setteth vpon him. Then the Spirit with his voyce and iesture, beginneth to make him afrayd. But the drunken coniurer soone answered him: If (quoth he) thou be the Diuel, I am thy mother: and therewith catching holde on him, all to beat him with his club, and would also haue slaine him, if he had not chaunged his voyce, and cryed; O spare me for Gods sake, I am no soule, but I am sir Iohn. Which voyce when the woman heard and knewe, she leapes out of her bedde, and parts the fraye, &c. The same =Erasmus= writeth in the foresayd Epistle, that this Priest vpon Easter eue, put liue crabbes priuily into the churchyard, hauing waxe candles on light cleauing to their sides: which when they crawled amongst the graues, séemed to bee suche a terrible sight, that no man durst approach néere them. Hereof rose a fearfull reporte, wherewith all men béeing amazed, the priest declareth to yͤ people in the pulpit, that they were yͤ soules of deade men which desired to be deliuered out of their torments by Masses & almes déeds. This deceite was espied by these meanes: that at the last one or two of the crabbes were found amongst the rubbish, hauing the candles done out cleauing on their backs, which yͤ priest had not takē vp. [Sidenote: Georgius Buchananus.]