_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?
[*]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._♦
_The judgments of the ancient fathers touching oracles, and their abolishment, and that they be now transferred from Delphos to Rome._
