296 SHAKESPEARE'S [SPINNER. 



WHEN houses are ready to drop down, Spiders with their 

 cobwebs first of all fall, and get them away packing, alter 

 their climate to some other surer place and dwelling to rest 

 in. The Spider beareth a deadly feud and mortal hatred to 

 serpents ; for if so be the serpent at any time lie in the 

 shadow under any tree to cool himself, where Spiders do 

 resort, some one of them levelleth directly at him, and 

 with such a violence striketh and dasheth at his head with 

 her beak or snout, that her enemy withal making a 

 whizzing noise, and being driven into a giddiness, turning 

 round, hisseth, being neither able to break asunder the 

 thread that cometh from above, nor yet hath force enough 

 to escape it [and so the snake is killed]. 



Topsell, "History of Serpents," pp. 782-83. 



THE Spider feedeth of the corruption that she findeth in 

 the flowers and fruits that are in the gardens, whereas the 

 bee gathereth her honey out of the best and fairest flower 

 she can find. 



"History of Hamblet, Prince of Denmark." 



THE poets' Arachne doth never weave her entangling web 

 near the cypress-tree. 



Walkington, "Optic Glass of Humours," p. 96. 



Spinner. 



ROMEO AND JULIET, i. 4, 59. 



V. Spider. 



Sponge. 



HAMLET iv. 2, 22. 



WHEN a Sponge is thrown into wine mixed with water, 

 then taken out and squeezed, the water comes out of it, 

 and the wine remains, and if it be not mixed, nothing 

 comes out. 



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





