Compare 1577 edition: 1 Herevpon men that were giuen to gesse things that should happen by marking of strange tokens,Prodigious tokens or acci|dents haue their issue in truth. déemed that the emperour Maximilian, which gaue the eagle, should suffer some great misfortune: as he did shortlie after by the losse of his sonne, the said king Philip. ¶And suerlie these prodigious accidents are not to be omitted as matter of course; for they haue their weight, and shew their truth in the issue. Examples in this booke be diuerse, among which one is verie memorable, mentioned in the thirtie & ninth yeare of Henrie the sixt. At what time the duke of Yorke making an oration to the lords of the parle|ment, for the iustifieng of his title to the crowne,Sée pag. 657. it chanced that a crowne which hoong in the middle of the nether house (to garnish a branch to set lights vp|on) without touch of man or blast of wind suddenlie fell downe. About which season also fell downe the crowne which stood on the top of Douer castell. Which things were construed to be signes that the crowne of the realme should some waie haue a fall; and so it came to passe.

And bicause the euents of these foreshewes had their truth, as manie more of the like nature; it shall not be amisse here to ad (by waie of digression) what hath béene obserued in former ages by forren writers in and about such foretokens. Abr Fler [...]. e [...]. Guic. pag. 4 [...]. The consent of the hea|uens and of men, pronounced to Italie their calami|ties to come: for that such as made profession to haue iudgement either by science or diuine inspiration in the things to come, assured with one voice that there were in preparing, both more great mutations and more strange and horrible accidents, than for manie worlds before had béene discerned in anie part or circuit of the earth. There were seene in the night in Pouille thrée suns in the middest of the firmament,Thr [...] s [...]nne [...] séene at once in the night. but manie clouds about them, with right fearefull thunders and lightnings. In the territorie of Aretze, were visiblie seene passing in the aire, infinit num|bers of armed men vpon mightie horsses, with a ter|rible noise of drums and trumpets. The images & fi|gures of saints did sweat in manie parts of Italie.

In euerie place of the countrie were brought foorth manie monsters of men and other creatures, with manie other things against the order of nature con|curring all at one time, but in diuerse places: by means wherof the people were caried into incredible feares, being alreadie amazed with the brute of the French powers & furie of that nation, with which ac|cording to the testimonie of histories they had afore|time run ouer all Italie, sacked and made desolate with fire and sword the citie of Rome, and subdued in Asia manie prouinces; and generallie no part of the world which had not felt the vertue of their armes. But albeit these iudgements are oftentimes fallible, and rather coniectures vncerteine, than ef|fects happening: yet the accidents that drew on, brought to them, in the spirits of fraile men, an abso|lute faith, credit, & religion. So that there is in fore|she was matter of moment worthie to be obserued, howsoeuer the world [...] asléep in the lap of securi|t [...]e [...]s touched with no feare of change. But alas the Heathen could see the contrarie, and therefore said: