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in rebuilding London after the great fire of 1666. It certainly 

 does not seem to have been common in the time of Queen 

 Elizabeth, as no mention is made of it in Shakespeare or any of 

 the old dramatists so far as I am aware. 



Kirby and Spence quoting Moufet or Muffet, as his name is 

 sometimes spelt, who wrote his Insectorum Theatrum towards 

 the close of the 16th century, though it was not published until 

 1634, said that in 1503 two noble ladies were sadly frightened 

 by finding spots on their bodies which they thought to be the 

 plague, and were not tranquillized until their doctor, who 

 happened to be a naturalist as well, assured them that they were 

 only the bites of lectularia ; and that this refutes the opinion 

 that lectularia was not known in England before 1670. 



The original name, the same authors say, was Chinche, or 

 Wall-louse, and the term Bug, which is a Celtic word, signifying 

 a ghost or goblin, was applied to them after Ray's time (d. 1705), 

 probably because they were considered as " terrors by night." 



In Matthews' Bible (1537), Ps. xci., verse 5, is rendered, "thou 

 shalt not need to be afraid of any bugs by night." In. this sense 

 also Shakespeare uses it — 



"Winter's Tale— Act iii., Scene 2. Hermione — " Sir, spare your 

 threats, the bug which you would fright me with I seek." 

 King Henry VI. — Act v., Scene 2. King Edward— 



" So lie thou there, die thou, and die our fear, 

 For Warwick was a b^cff that feared us all.." 

 And Hamlet Act v., Scene 2— 



" With ho ! such bugs and goblins of my life." 



Puck in " Midsummer Night's Dream " would seem to be only 

 another form of " bug," and Spencer — 



" A ghastly bug doth greatly them afear." 



According to Professor Westwood, the insect was well-known 

 to Pliny, Dioscorides, Aristophanes and Aristotle. 



