344 ARANEID^ — TRUE SPIDERS. 



stated that "Spiders do shun all such wals as run to mine, 

 or are like to be ouerthrowne." ^ 



A Spider hanging from a tree is said to have made both 

 Turenne and Gnstavus Adolphus shudder! ^ 



M. Zimmerman relates the following instance of antipathy 

 to Spiders: "Being one day in an English company," says 

 he, "consisting of persons of distinction, the conversation 

 happened to fall on antipathies. The greater part of the 

 company denied the reality of them, and treated them as 

 old women's tales ; but I told them that antipathy was a 

 real disease. Mr. William Matthew, son of the Governor 

 of Barbados, was of ray opinion, and, as he added that he 

 himself had an extreme antipathy to Spiders, he was laughed 

 at by the whole company. I showed them, however, that 

 this was a real impression of his mind, resulting from a 

 mechanical effect. Mr. John Murray, afterward Duke of 

 Athol, took it into his head to make, in Mr. Matthew's pres- 

 ence, a Spider of black wax, to try whether this antipathy 

 would appear merely on the sight of the insect. He went 

 out of the room, therefore, and returned with a bit of black 

 wax in his hand, which he kept shut. Mr. Matthew, who 

 in other respects was a sedate and amiable man, imagining 

 that his friend really held a Spider, immediately drew his 

 sword in a great fury, retired with precipitation to the wall, 

 leaned against it, as if to run him through, and sent forth 

 horrible cries. All the muscles of his face were swelled, his 

 eye-balls rolled in their sockets, and his whole body was as 

 stiff as a post. We immediately ran to him in great alarm, 

 and took his sword from him, assuring him at the same time 

 that Mr. Murray had nothing in his hand but a bit of wax, 

 and that he himself might see it on the table where it was 

 placed. He remained some time in this spasmodic state, 

 and I was really afraid of the consequences. He, however, 

 gradually recovered, and deplored the dreadful passion into 

 which he had been thrown, and from which he still suffered. 

 His pulse was exceedingly quick and full, and his whole body 

 was covered with a cold sweat. After taking a sedative, he 

 was restored to his former tranquillity, and his agitation 

 was attended with no other bad consequences."^ 



1 B. 7, c. XV. p. 065. Printed 1G13. 



2 Eliz. Cook's Journ.y vii. 378. 



3 ^Vanley's Wo7iders, i. 20. 



