COCKLE.] NATURAL HISTORY. 67 



IF any man wishes that a Cock should not crow, let him 

 anoint its head and brow with oil. 



Albertus Magnus, " Of the Wonders of the World." 



IN the beginning of the night God causeth all the gates 

 of heaven to be shut, and the Angels stay at them in 

 silence, and sendeth evil spirits into the world, which hurt 

 all they meet ; but after midnight they are commanded to 

 open the same. This command and call is heard of the 

 Cocks, and therefore they clap their wings and crow to 

 awaken men ; and then the evil spirits lose their power of 

 hurting. 



Purchas, "Pilgrims," p. 194 (ed. 1616) ; cf. HAMLET, i. I, 147-155.. 



Cockatrice. V. Basilisk. 



Cockle. 



HAMLET, iv. 5, 25. 



THE flesh of river Cockles, whether raw or cooked, resist 

 the Stings of scorpions. Hortus Sanitatis, bk. iii. ch. xxiii. 



COLCHESTER oysters and your Selsey Cockles. 



Ben J onsen, "The Fox," ii. i. 



HAVE our Cockles boiled in silver shells. 



Ben Jonson, "The Alchemist," iv. i. 



You may eat the cramm'd Cockle. 



Middleton, "A Game at Chess," v. 3, 70. 



Cockle (plant). 



LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, iv. 3, 383. 



RAY is a certain herb ; poets call this herb ungracious 

 Cockle or weed ; and it groweth among wheat in corrupt 

 time and dry. And ray hath a sharp strength and work- 

 ing, and somedeal venomous, and maketh men drunk, and 



