An edition of Of Ghostes and Spirites, Walking by Night
(1596)
Of Ghostes and Spirites, Walking by Night,
And of straunge Noyses, Crackes, and sundrie forewarnings, which commonly happen before the death of men: Great slaughters, and alterations of Kingdomes.
by Ludwig Lavater
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4to. Printed over 400 years ago (1596) in London, this book by Ludwig Lavater is considered a standard English source-book for ghost lore and demonology. It is believed that Shakespeare read this edition and used it for Hamlet. –Abstract. From the collection of Jane C. Apple.
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Table of Contents
A Table of the Chapters of the three principall parts, touchings Spirits walking by Night.
Of the first part. Folio
Concerning certaine words which are often vsed in this Treatise of Spirites, and diuers other diuinations of things to come. Chapter.1. 1
Melancholike persons and madde men, imagining things which in very deed are not. Chapter.2. 9
Fearefull men, imagine that they see and heare straunge things. Chap.3. 14
Men which are dull of seeing and hearing, imagine many things which in very deed are not so. Chap.4. 16
Many are so feared by other men, that they suppose they haue heard or seene spirits. Chap.5. 21
Priests and Monkes fained themselues to be spirits: also how Mundus vnder this colour defiled Paulina, and Tyrannus abused many noble and honest matrons. Cha.6. 23
Timotheus Aelurus, counterfeiting himselfe to be an Angell, obteined a Bishoppricke: foure Monkes of the order of Preachers, made many vaine apparitions at Berna. Chapter.7. 28
Of a counterfaite deceiuing spirite at Orleaunce in France. Chap.8. 37
Of a certaine parish priest at Clauenna, which fained himselfe to be our Lady, and of another that counterfeited himselfe to be a Soule, as also of a certaine disguised Iesuit Frier. Chapter.9. 41
That it is no maruell if vaine sightes haue bene in olde time, neither yet that it is to be maruelled at, if there be any at this day. Chap.10. 45
That many naturall things are taken to be ghostes. Chapter.11. 49
A proofe out of the Gentiles histories, that ghostes do oftentimes appeare. Chap.12. 53
A proofe out of the histories of the auncient Church, and of the writings of holy Fathers, that there are walking spirits. Chap.13. 62
That in the bookes, set foorth by Monkes, are many ridiculous and vaine apparitions. Chap.14. 65
A proofe by other sufficient writers, that spirits do sometime appeare. Chap.15. 68
Daily experience teacheth vs, that spirites do appeare to men. Chap.16. 71
That there happen straunge wonders and prognostications, and that sodain noyses and cracks and such like, are heard before the death of men, before battail, and before some notable alterations and chaunges. Chap.17. 77
It is proued by testimonies of holy scripture, that spirites are sometime seen and heard, and that other strange matters do often chaunce. Chap.18. 85
To whom, when, where, and after what sort, spirits do appeare, and what they do worke. Chap.19. 88
The Chapters of the second part. Fol.
The opinion or beleef of the Gentils, Iewes, and Turks, concerning the estate of soules seperated from their bodies. Chapter.1. 92
The Papists doctrine touching the soules of dead men, and the appearing of them. chap.2. 102
What hath followed this doctrine of the Papists, concerning the appearing of mens soules. Chap.3. 110
Testimonies out of the word of God, that neither the soules of the faithful, nor of infidels, do walke vpon the earth after they are once parted from their bodies. Chapter.4. 114
Testimonies of the auncient Fathers, that deade mens soules parted from their bodies, doo not wander here vppon earth. Chap.5. 116
A confutation of those mens arguments or reasons, which affirme, that dead mens soules do appeare. And first, that is answered which certaine do alleage, to wit, that God is omnipotent, and therefore that hee can worke contrary to the ordinary course of nature. Chap.6. 123
That the true Samuel did not appeare to the Witch in Endor. Chap.7. 127
A confutation of their arguments, which woulde haue Samuell himselfe to appeare. Chap.8. 133
Whether the Diuell haue the power to appeare vnder the shape of a faithfull man? Chap.9. 140
Moses and Elias appeared in the Mount vnto Christ our Lorde: many haue beene raised from the dead both in bodie and soule, and therefore soules after they are departed, may returne on earth againe. Chap.10. 145
Whether the holy Apostles thought they sawe a mans soule, when Christ sodeinly appeared vnto them after his Resurrection. Chap.11. 148
Concerning the holy Fathers, Councels, Bishoppes, and common people,which say that soules doo visibly appeare. Chap.12. 151
Whether soules doo returne againe out of Purgatorie, and the place which they call Limbus puerorum. Chapter.13. 155
What those things are which men see and heare: and first that good Angels do sometimes appeare. Chap.14. 159
That sometimes, yea and for the most part, euill angels doo appeare. Chap.15. 163
Of wondrous monsters, and such like. Chap.16. 164
That it is no hard thing for the diuell to appeare in diuers shapes, and to bring to passe straungethings. Chap.17. 167
Diuels do sometimes bid men do those things which are good, and auoyde things that are euill: sometimes they tell truth, and for what cause. Chap.18. 171
The Chapters of the third part. Fol.
God by the appearing of Spirits doth exercise the faithfull, and punish the vnbeleeuers. Chap.1. 175
What the cause is that in these our dayes, so fewe spirites are seene or heard. Chap.2. 183
Why God doth suffer straunge noyses, or extraordinary rumblings to be heard before some notable alterations, or otherwise. Chap.3. 186
After what sort they should behaue themselues, which see good or euill spirits, or meete with other straunge aduentures: and first how both Iewes and Gentiles behaued themselues in the like cases. Chap.4. 187
How Christian men ought to behaue themselues when they see spirits, and first, that they ought to haue a good courage, and to be stedfast in faith. Chap.5. 190
It behoueth them which are vexed with spirites to pray especially, and to giue themselues to fasting, sobrietie, watching, and vpright and godly liuing. Chap.6. 193
That spirits which vse to appeare, ought to be iustly suspected: and that we may not talke with them, nor enquire any thing of them. Chap.7. 199
Testimonies out of the holy Scripture, and one example whereby it is prooued, that such kinde of apparitions are not to be credited, and that we ought to be verie circumspect in them. Chap.8. 201
After what sort the faithfull in the primatiue church, vsed themselues, when they met with spirits.chap.9. 204
That sundry kindes of superstition haue crept in, wherby men haue attempted to driue away spirits. chap.10. 206
That spirites are not to bee driuen away by cursing and banning. chap.11. 214
After what sort we ought to behaue ourselues, when we heare straunge cracks, or when other forewarnings happen. Chapter.12. 216
FINIS.
Edition Notes
A translation of: De spectris, lemuribus et magnis atque insolitis fragoribus.
R.H. = Robert Harrison.
Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.
Cited in: STC (2nd ed.) 15321.
Available electronically as part of Early English books online.
Microfilm. Ann Arbor, Mich. : UMI, 1945. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm. (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 261:04).
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