l 



TOAD.] NATURAL HISTORY. 307 



alway venom, and fighteth against the common spinner 

 [spider], and overcometh their venom and biting, by benefit 

 of plantain ; and' his venom is accounted most cold, and 

 [ajstonieth, therefore each member that he toucheth, it 

 maketh less feeling, as it were frore [frozen] ; and is a 

 venomous beast, and comforteth therefore himself at each 

 touching. And the more he is touched, the more he 

 swelleth ; and as many specks as he hath under the womb, 

 so many manner wise his venom is accounted grievous. 

 And he hath eyes, as though they were fire, shining, and 

 the worse he is, the more burning is his sight, and though 

 he hath clear eyes, yet he hateth the light of the sun, and 

 seeketh dark places, and flee'th to dens, when the sun riseth. 

 This frog loveth sweet herbs, and eateth the roots of them; 

 but in eating, he infecteth and corrupteth both roots and 

 herbs; therefore oft in gardens is rue set, that is venom and 

 enemy to Toads, and to other venomous worms, for by virtue 

 of rue, they be chased away, and may not come to other 

 herbs and roots that grow therein. The Toad loveth 

 stinking places and dirty, and hateth places with good 

 smell and odour, and so he flee'th out of the vineyard, 

 when the vines begin to bloom, for he may not suffer 

 nor sustain their good odour and smell. And these worms 

 have double liver, that one is most venomous, and that 

 other is remedy, and is given instead of treacle against 

 poison and venom ; and for to assay and know which of 

 these is good and which is evil, the liver is thrown into 

 an ant-hill, then the ants flee and [a]void the venomous 

 part, and desire and choose that other part, and shall "be 

 taken and kept to the use of medicine. And in the right 

 side of such a frog is a privy bone, that cooleth somedeal 

 seething water, if it be thrown therein, and the vessel may 

 not heat afterward, but if the bone be first taken out ; and 

 witches use that bone to love and hate. And be that worm 

 never so venomous, yet by burning he loseth the malice of 

 venom, and taketh most virtue of medicine, and ashes 

 thereof help wonderfully to recover flesh and skin that is 

 haply lost, and to make sadness and sinews, and to healing 

 and salvation of wounds, if the ashes be used in due 

 manner. Bartholomew (Bert he let), bk. xviii. 17. 



V. Frog. 



