INTRODUCTION 



never have suggested in " Pilgrim's Progress " that " a 

 pearl may in a Toad's head dwell," even if the supposed 

 jewel that it carries, or wears, there is its bright and beauti- 

 ful eye. Shakespeare falls into grave disfavour when he 

 refers to the Toad as being " ugly and venomous," and 

 he perpetrates another blunder when he accuses it of 

 ** wearing a precious jewel in his head, " unless he had the 

 animal's eye in mind when writing thus in " As You 

 Like It." The Bard of Avon, not content with jewels, 

 ugliness, and venom, talks of this harmless creature's 

 " poison " in " Richard III," and emphasises the 

 venom reference again in " King Henry VI." Pope 

 goes one better for he describes a Toad as " spitting 

 venom," and Chatterton prefers to say : " Ye Toads, 

 your venom in my footpath spread." 



GifFord hangs, draws, and quarters our warty old 

 friend without mercy, for in referring to one Weston, 

 he accuses him (the said Weston) of sweUing " like a 

 filthy Toad with secret spite," and " envying the fame 

 he cannot hope, spits his black venom at the dust of 

 Pope. Reptile accursed." It is all very interesting, and 

 savours in these more enlightened days of a fund of 

 humour. Browning certainly ought to have known 

 better for he has an unmerited reference to four crea- 

 tures, of which only one is harmful, in his " Pied Piper," 

 thus :— 



" Creatures that do people harm — 



The Mole, and Toad, and Newt, and Viper." 



35 



