Diaconus, and Methodius the Martyr write, seven men lay sleeping a long time without

corruption, and the people that went in to disturb them were contracted, or drawn
together, so that after a while, being forewarned by that punishment, they durst not hurt
them. Now Xenocrates, a man of no mean repute amongst Philosophers was of opinion,
that this long sleeping was appointed by God as a punishment for some certain sins. But
Marcus Damascenus proves it by many reasons to be possible, and naturall, neither doth
he think it irrationall, that some should without meat, and drink, and avoyding
excrements, without consuming, or corruption, sleep many moneths. And this may befall
a man by reason of some poisonous potion, or sleepy disease, or such like causes, for
certain dayes, moneths, or years, according to the intention, or remission of the power of
the medicine, or of the passions of their mind. And Physitians [physicians] say that there
are some Antidotes, of which they that take too great a potion, shall be able to endure
hunger a long time, as Elias in former time being fed with a certain food by an Angell,
walked, and fasted in the strength of that meat, fourty [forty] dayes. And John Bocatius
makes mention of a man in his time, in Venice, who would every yeer fast four dayes
without any meat. But that was a greater wonder, that there was a woman in lower
Germany at the same time, who took no food till the thirteenth yeer of her age, which to
us may seem incredible, but that he lately confirmed it; as also he tels of a Miracle of our
Age, that his brother Nicolaus Stone, an Helvetian by Nation, who lived twenty yeers in
the wilderness without meat, till he dyed [died]. That also is wonderfull which
Theophrastus mentions concerning a certain man, called Philinus, who used no meat, or
drink, besides Milk. And there are grave Authors who describe a certain hearb [herb] of
Sparta, with which they say the Scythians can endure twelve dayes hunger, without meat