CURIOUS CREATURES. 155 



experience that cats and Serpents love one another, for 

 there was (sayth he) in a certain Monastery, a Cat 

 norished by the Monkes, and suddenly the most part 

 of the Monkes which used to play with the Cat, fell 

 sicke ; whereof the Physitians could find no cause, but 

 some secret poyson, and al of them were assured that 

 they never tasted any : at the last a poore laboring man 

 came unto them, affirming that he saw the Abbey-Cat 

 playing with a Serpent, which the Physitians understand- 



ing, presently conceived that the Serpent had emptied 

 some of her poyson upon the Cat, which brought the 

 same to the Monkes, and they by stroking and handeling 

 the Cat, were infected therewith ; and whereas there re- 

 mained one difficulty, namely, how it came to passe the 

 Cat herself was not poisoned thereby, it was resolved, 

 that, forasmuch as the Serpentes poison came from him 

 but in playe and sporte, and not in malice and wrath, 

 that therefore the venom thereof being lost in play, 



