256 SHAKESPEARE'S [RAT. 



if the left be bound, he gendereth males, and he gendereth 

 males in the Northern wind, and females in the Southern 

 wind. And such Rams as have black veins under their 

 tongues, such lambs they gender in colour, and if they be 

 white, the lambs are white, and if they be speckled, the 

 lambs be so. The Ram hath a full hard forehead, nigh as 

 horn, and feeble temples, and somewhat gristly. And when 

 it rains, they flee not the rain until they be dead. And 

 they dread kindly the thunder, as sheep do. And they 

 sleep with the sheep tofore midnight, and after part, and 

 change, and turn from side to side in sleeping ; for from 

 springing-time to harvest, they sleep on the one side, and 

 then unto springing-time they sleep on the other side ; and 

 hold up their heads while they sleep, except they be sick; 

 and they chew their cud sleeping, as they do waking. 

 And if it happen that they stray and go away, they come 

 not again, but if the herd bringeth them again. And their 

 flesh is better than flesh of lambs and of ewes. 



Bartholomew (Eertkelet\ bk. xviii. 3. 



A COMB made of the right horn of a Ram doth take 

 away the head-ache being on the right side of the head, 

 if the pained head be combed therewith. If the pain be on 

 the left side of the head, then a comb made of the left 

 horn of a Ram doth take it away. This I had out of an 

 old book. Luptort, " Notable Things," bk. iv. 4. 



THEY were wont to hang a shrimp at the horn of the 

 Ram, and then the wolf will never set upon their flocks. 

 If the horns of a Ram be buried in the earth, they will 

 turn into the herb spirage [? misprint for spinach, or for 

 spurge] ; for rottenness and putrefaction is the mother of 

 many creatures and herbs. 



Topse/J, "Four-footed Beasts," p. 493. 



V. Lamb, Sheep. 

 Rat. 



The very rats 

 Instinctively have quit it. 



TEMPEST, ii. I, 147. 



THEIR tail is counted venomous. The younger Rats 

 bring food unto the elder, because they are grown to a 

 great and unwieldy stature of body. With the dung of 



