318 THE TOAD. 



its eye. Before that accident, it had all the appearance of 

 perfect health." 



To this account of the Toad's inoffensive qualities, I 

 will add another from Valisnieri, to show that, even taken 

 internally, the Toad is no way dangerous. " In the year 

 1692, some German soldiers, who had taken possession of 

 the Castle of Arced, finding that the peasants of the coun- 

 try often amused themselves in catching frogs, and dress- 

 ing them for the table ; resolved to provide themselves with 

 a like entertainment, and made preparations for frog fish- 

 ing, in the same manner. It may easily be supposed that 

 the Italians and their German guests were not very fond 

 of each other ; and indeed it is natural to think that the 

 soldiers gave the poor people of the country many good 

 reasons for discontent. They were not a little pleased 

 therefore, when they saw them go to a ditch where Toads 

 instead of frogs were found in abundance. The Germans, 

 no way distinguishing in their sport, caught them in great 

 numbers ; while the peasants kept looking on, silently flat- 

 tering themselves with the hopes of speedy revenge. After 

 being brought home, the toads were dressed up after the 

 Italian fashion : the peasants were quite happy at seeing 

 their tyrants devour them with so good an appetite, and 

 expected every moment to see them drop down dead. 

 But what was their surprise to find, that the Germans con- 

 tinued as well as ever, and only complained of a slight ex- 

 coriation of the lips, which probably arose from some other 

 cause than that of their repast." 



I will add another story, from Solenander ; who tells us 

 that a tradesman of Rome and his wife had long lived 

 together with mutual discontent ; the man was dropsical, 

 and the woman amorous: this ill-matched society promised 

 soon, by the very infirm state of the man, to have an end; 

 but the woman was unwilling to wait the progress of the 

 disorder ; and therefore concluded that, to get rid of her 

 husband, nothing was left her but poison. For this pur- 



