CHAP. V.] THE FOT7ETH DAY. 141 



next month, 1 show you feeding on a willow- tree, and you 

 shall find him punctually to answer this description : his 

 lips and mouth somewhat yellow ; his eyes black as jet ; his 

 forehead purple ; his feet and hinder parts green ; his tail 

 two-forked and black ; the whole body stained with a kind of 

 red spots, which run along the neck and shoulder-blade, not 

 unlike the form, of St. Andrew's cross, or the letter X, made 

 thus cross-wise, and a white line drawn down his back to 

 his tail ; all which add much beauty to his whole body. And 

 it is to me observable, that at a fixed age, this caterpillar 

 gives over to eat ; and, towards winter, comes to be covered 

 over with a strange shell or crust, called an aurelia ; and so 

 lives a kind of dead life, without eating, all the winter : 

 and as others of several kinds turn to be several kinds of 

 flies and vermin, the spring following ; so this caterpillar, 

 then, turns to be a painted butterfly. 2 



Come, come, my scholar, you see the river stops our 

 morning walk: and I will also here stop my discourse, only 

 as we sit down under this honeysuckle hedge, whilst I look 

 a line to fit the rod that our brother Peter hath lent you, I 

 shall, for a little confirmation of what I have said, repeat 

 the observation of Du Bartas : 



God not contented to each kind to give, 

 And to infuse, the virtue generative 

 By his wise power made many creatures breed 

 Of lifeless bodies, without Venus' deed. 



So the Cold Humour breeds the Salamander; 

 Who, in effect, like to her birth's commander, 

 With child with hundred winters, with her touch 

 Quencheth the fire though glowing ne'er so much. 



So in the fire, in burning furnace, springs 

 The fly Perausta with the flaming wings : 

 Without the fire it dies : in it, it joys, 

 Living in that which all things else destroys. 



So slow Bootes underneath him sees, 3 

 In th' icy islands, goslings hatch'd of trees, 

 Whose fruitful leaves falling into the water, 

 Are turn'd, 'tis known, to living fowls soon after. 



1 That is June. ED. 



2 -\r 



View SirFra. Bacon's exper. 728 and 90, in his "Nat. Hist. ( Walton.) 

 3 View Gerrard's "Herbal "and Camden. (Walton.) This notion 



