Demonology -- Early works to 1800; Magic -- Early works to 1800; Witchcraft -- Early works to 1800
_Paulus Marsus_, in his notes upon _Ovids Fasti_, saith, that this
voice was heard out of _Paxe_, that verie night that Christ suffered,
in the yeare of _Tiberius_ the nineteenth. Surelie, this was a merrie
jest devised by _Thamus_, who with some confederate thought to make
sport with the passengers, who were some asleepe, and some droonke, and
some other at plaie, &c: whiles the first voice was used. And at the
second voice, to wit, when he should deliver his message, he being an
old pilot, knew where some noise was usuall, by meanes of some eccho in
the sea, and thought he would (to the astonishment of them) accomplish
his devise, if the wether prooved calme. Whereby may appeare, that he
would in other cases of tempests, &c: rather attend to more serious
busines, than to that ridiculous matter. For whie else should he not
doo his errand in rough wether, as well as in calme? Or what need he
tell the divell thereof, when the divell told it him before, and with
much more expedition could have done the errand himselfe?
♦A detection of Thamus his knaverie.♦
[*]But you shall read in the Legend a fable, an oracle I would saie,
more authentike. For many will say that this was a prophane storie, and
not so canonicall as those which are verefied by the popes authoritie:
and thus it is written. A woman in hir travell sent hir sister to
_Diana_, which was the divell in an idoll (as all those oracles are
said to be) and willed hir to make hir praiers, or rather a request,
to knowe of hir safe deliverie: which thing she did. But the divell
answered; Why praiest thou to me? I cannot helpe thee, but go praie to
_Andrew_ the apostle, and he may helpe thy sister, &c. Lo, this was
not onelie a gentle, but a godlie divell, pittieng the womans case,
who revealing his owne disabilitie, enabled S. _Andrew_ more. I knowe
some protestants will saie, that the divell, to mainteine idolatrie,
&c: referred the maid to S. _Andrew_. But what answer will the papists
make, who thinke it great pietie to praie unto saints, and so by
consequence honest courtesie in the divell, to send hir to S. _Andrew_,
who wold not faile to serve hir turne, &c.
♦[*] _Legend. aur. in vita sancti Andreæ. fol. 39._♦
♦A gentle and a godlie divell.♦
The fift Chapter.
_The judgments of the ancient fathers touching oracles, and their
abolishment, and that they be now transferred from Delphos to Rome._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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