308 SHAKESPEARE'S [TOAD. 



A CERTAIN man, being in a garden with his Love, did 

 take (as he was walking) a few leaves of sage, who rubbing 

 his teeth and gums therewith, immediately fell down and 

 died. Whereupon his said Love was examined how he died. 

 She said, she knew nothing that he ailed, but that he 

 rubbed his teeth with sage ; and she went with the Judge 

 and others into the garden and place where the same thing 

 happened ; and then she took of the same sage to shew 

 them how he did, and likewise rubbed her teeth and gums 

 therewith, and presently she died also, to the great marvel 

 of all them that stood by. Whereupon the Judge, suspect- 

 ing the cause of their deaths to be in the sage, caused the 

 said bed of sage to be plucked and digged up, and to be 

 burned, lest others might have the like harm thereby. 

 And at the roots, or under the said sage, there was a 

 great Toad found, which infected the same sage with his 

 venomous breath. This may be a warning to such as use 

 to eat raw and unwashed sage ; therefore, it is good to 

 plant rue round about sage, for Toads by no means will 

 come nigh unto rue. Luptgn> Notable Things," bk i. i. 



IF you put a Toad in a new earthen pot, and the same 

 be covered in the ground in the midst of a corn-field, 

 there will be no hurtful tempests or storms there. 



Ibid., bk. v. 59. 



THE wise and learned men in old time did think, that 

 a Toad put into a new earthen pot, and set it within the 

 ground, and so covered with earth in the midst of a field, 

 will drive away crows or birds from corn that is sowed 

 there. But about harvest time they will that it be digged 

 up, and so cast forth of the limits of the fields, lest the 

 corn be bitter thereby. ^ bk< yi ^ 



THERE is a kind, like to the Toad of the water, but 

 instead of bones it hath only gristles, and is bigger than 

 the Toad of the fen, living in hot places. There is a 

 little bone growing in their sides, that hath a virtue to 

 drive away dogs from him that beareth it about him. All 

 the winter-time they live under the earth, feeding upon 

 earth, herbs and worms, and they eat earth by measure, 



