hills; Nonnunquam (saith Tritemius) in sua latibula montium
simpliciores homines ducant, stupenda mirantibus ostentes miracula,
nolarum sonitus, spectacula, &c. [1197]Giraldus Cambrensis gives
instance in a monk of Wales that was so deluded. [1198]Paracelsus
reckons up many places in Germany, where they do usually walk in little
coats, some two feet long. A bigger kind there is of them called with
us hobgoblins, and Robin Goodfellows, that would in those superstitious
times grind corn for a mess of milk, cut wood, or do any manner of
drudgery work. They would mend old irons in those Aeolian isles of
Lipari, in former ages, and have been often seen and heard.
[1199]Tholosanus calls them trullos and Getulos, and saith, that in his
days they were common in many places of France. Dithmarus Bleskenius,
in his description of Iceland, reports for a certainty, that almost in
every family they have yet some such familiar spirits; and Felix
Malleolus, in his book de crudel. daemon. affirms as much, that these
trolli or telchines are very common in Norway, and [1200] seen to do
drudgery work; to draw water, saith Wierus, lib. 1. cap. 22, dress
meat, or any such thing. Another sort of these there are, which
frequent forlorn [1201]houses, which the Italians call foliots, most
part innoxious, [1202]Cardan holds; They will make strange noises in
the night, howl sometimes pitifully, and then laugh again, cause great
flame and sudden lights, fling stones, rattle chains, shave men, open
doors and shut them, fling down platters, stools, chests, sometimes
appear in the likeness of hares, crows, black dogs, &c. of which read
[1203]Pet Thyraeus the Jesuit, in his Tract, de locis infestis, part.
1. et cap. 4, who will have them to be devils or the souls of damned
men that seek revenge, or else souls out of purgatory that seek ease;
for such examples peruse [1204] Sigismundus Scheretzius, lib. de
spectris, part 1. c. 1. which he saith he took out of Luther most part;
there be many instances. [1205]Plinius Secundus remembers such a house
at Athens, which Athenodorus the philosopher hired, which no man durst
inhabit for fear of devils. Austin, de Civ. Dei. lib. 22, cap. 1.
relates as much of Hesperius the Tribune's house, at Zubeda, near their
city of Hippos, vexed with evil spirits, to his great hindrance, Cum
afflictione animalium et servorum suorum. Many such instances are to be
read in Niderius Formicar, lib. 5. cap. xii. 3. &c. Whether I may call
these Zim and Ochim, which Isaiah, cap. xiii. 21. speaks of, I make a
doubt. See more of these in the said Scheretz. lib. 1. de spect. cap.
4. he is full of examples. These kind of devils many times appear to
men, and affright them out of their wits, sometimes walking at
[1206]noonday, sometimes at nights, counterfeiting dead men's ghosts,
as that of Caligula, which (saith Suetonius) was seen to walk in
Lavinia's garden, where his body was buried, spirits haunted, and the
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