Natural Philosophers write, that thicke exhilations aryse out of the earth, and are kindled. Mynes full of sulphur and brimstone, if the aire enter vnto it, as it lyeth in the holes and veines of the earth, will kindle on fier, and striue to get out. Sometimes fire bursteth out of the earth, as high as a tall trée, and is suddeinly put out againe. Which thing is to be thought to procéede of fierie matter, séeking a vent to gush out. Wee reade of the mount _Aetna_ in _Cicilie_, that in times past it burnt continually, day and night, casting forth flames of fire, fiery stones and ashes in great aboundance. The lyke is read also at _Vesuuius_ a hill in _Campaine_, about a Germaine mile from _Naples_: The same hill in the time of =Titus= the Emperour, as S. =Hierom= reporteth, cast foorth of it so much fire, that it burnt the country, and cities, and people rounde about it, and filled the fieldes adioyning full of cinders and ashes. These two hilles, euen in our dayes boyling with great heate, haue very much indamaged the people inhabiting thereabout. In _Iseland_, as =Olaus Magnus= witnesseth, are found fiers which breake out of the earth. And as whole hilles and mountaines may burne, euen so may a litle fire be kindled in the earth, and yet wander very large. They which trauelling by the way, or by some other meanes chaunce to sée these things, and know not the naturall causes of them, imagin by reason of feare, that they haue séene men burning like fire, or some other straunge thing, which they haue heard other men talke of. And by means of their great feare, oftentimes they fall into great daungerous diseases. [Sidenote: Glasses.] The arte perspectiue doth also worke this wonderfull feate, that diuers and sundrie shapes will appeare in glasses, made and sette togither aftter a certeine artificial sorte: sometimes they will séeme to goe out of the doores, and resemble men of our familiar acquaintance. Many things in very déed are naturall, although we cannot finde any naturall reason for them. And yet by the way, they shewe themselues too foolishe, which labour to bring all things to natural causes. Here I will say nothing of these men, which can beare plaine and rude people in hande, that they, or some other of their acquaintance, haue séene strange things, which they earnestly auouch to be true, when as indéede there was no suche thing. How often I pray you, do we heare things affirmed as true, which afterward proue most false: as that one was caried away bodie and soule, that an other was put to death, and an infinit nomber of such like reports. CHAP. XII. A proofe out of the Gentiles histories, that Spirites and Ghoasts do oftentimes appeare.