will believe the relation of that holy man
Ketellus in [1215]Nubrigensis), that had an especial grace to see devils,
_Gratiam divinitus collatam_, and talk with them, _Et impavidus cum
spiritibus sermonem miscere_, without offence, and if a man curse or spur
his horse for stumbling, they do heartily rejoice at it; with many such
pretty feats.
Subterranean devils are as common as the rest, and do as much harm. Olaus
Magnus, _lib. 6, cap. 19_, make six kinds of them; some bigger, some less.
These (saith [1216]Munster) are commonly seen about mines of metals, and
are some of them noxious; some again do no harm. The metal-men in many
places account it good luck, a sign of treasure and rich ore when they see
them. Georgius Agricola, in his book _de subterraneis animantibus, cap.
37_, reckons two more notable kinds of them, which he calls [1217]_getuli_
and _cobali_, both "are clothed after the manner of metal-men, and will
many times imitate their works." Their office, as Pictorius and Paracelsus
think, is to keep treasure in the earth, that it be not all at once
revealed; and besides, [1218]Cicogna avers that they are the frequent
causes of those horrible earthquakes "which often swallow up, not only
houses, but whole islands and cities;" in his third book, _cap. 11_, he
gives many instances.
The last are conversant about the centre of the earth to torture the souls
of damned men to the day of judgment; their egress and regress some suppose
to be about Etna, Lipari, Mons Hecla in Iceland, Vesuvius, Terra del Fuego,
&c., because many shrieks and fearful cries are continually heard
thereabouts, and familiar apparitions of dead men, ghosts and goblins.
_Their Offices, Operations, Study_.] Thus the devil reigns, and in a
thousand several shapes, "as a roaring lion still seeks whom he may
devour," 1 Pet. v., by sea, land, air, as yet unconfined, though [1219]
some will have his proper place the air; all that space between us and the
moon for them that transgressed least, and hell for the wickedest of them,
_Hic velut in carcere ad finem mundi, tunc in locum funestiorum trudendi_,
as Austin holds _de Civit. Dei, c. 22, lib. 14, cap. 3 et 23_; but be where
he will, he rageth while he may to comfort himself, as [1220] Lactantius
thinks, with other men's falls, he labours all he can to bring them into
the same pit of perdition with him. For [1221]"men's miseries, calamities,
and ruins are the devil's banqueting dishes." By many
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