326 SHAKESPEARE'S [VENOM. 



droppeth Venom, and corrupteth and infecteth the water in 

 which it falleth in, and who that drinketh of that water 

 shall become wode. And the tongues of adders be black, 

 blue or reddish, speckled, sharp, and in moving most swift, 

 and that happeneth through the wode and venomous 

 humour, the which so swiftly -moveth the tongue that one 

 tongue seemeth forked and twisted. And though the tongue 

 of an adder [asp] is full of deadly Venom, while it liveth 

 in the body of the adder, yet, when it is taken from the 

 body of the adder, and dried, it loseth the Venom, and by 

 it is known when Venom is present, therefore in the 

 presence of Venom, such a tongue useth to sweat, there- 

 fore such a tongue is accounted precious among treasures of 

 kings. Bartholomew (Berthelet], bk. v. 21. 



OVER and above the foresaid evils and passions, most 

 perilous death and evils hap and come to mankind by 

 wicked Venom. And for all kind of Venom is contrary to 

 the complexion of mankind, it slayeth suddenly, but 

 [unless] men have the sooner help and remedy. Some 

 Venom cometh of corruption of meat and drink ; and some 

 of biting of creeping worms and of adders, and of serpents, 

 and of other beasts, of whom their humours and teeth be 

 venomous to man's body. Also some Venom is hot and 

 dry, as the Venom of an adder that hight viper, and other 

 such ; and some Venom is cold and dry, as the Venom of 

 scorpions; and some Venom is cold and moist, as the Venom 

 of attercops [spiders]. And the Venom of males is more 

 sharp and strong than the Venom of females, and yet the 

 female serpents have more teeth than males, and therefore 

 they be taken for the worse. Also the Venom of the old 

 serpents is worse than the Venom of the young ; and of 

 great and long worse than of the short of the same kind. 

 Also the Venom of them that abide in hills and woods is 

 worse than of them which be nigh cliffs and banks of 

 waters. Venom of a cockatrice is so violent that it burneth 

 all thing, which it nigheth ; and so about his den and his 

 hole nothing waxeth green. One touched such a worm 

 with his spear in India, and forthwith fell down dead, and 

 his horse also. Also the Venom of a dragon is full 

 malicious, and his Venom is most in the tail, and in the 



Bartholomew (Berthelet}, bk. vJi. 66. 



