CURIOUS CREATURES. 283 



done in England, in the house of a worshipfull Gentleman, 

 upon a servant of his, whom I could name if it were 

 needfull. He had a servant that grew very lame and 

 feeble in his legges, and thinking that he could never 

 be warme in his bed, did multiply his clothes, and 

 covered himselfe more and more, but all in vaine, till 

 at length he was not able to goe about, neither could 

 any skill of Phisitian or Surgeon find out the cause. 



"It hapned on a day as his Maister leaned at his 

 Parlour window, he saw a great Snake to slide along 

 the house side, and to creepe into the chamber of this 

 lame man, then lying in his bedde, (as I remember,) for 

 hee lay in a lowe chamber, directly against the Parlour 

 window aforesaid. The Gentleman desirous to see the 

 issue, and what the Snake would doe in the chamber, 

 followed, and looked into the chamber by the window ; 

 where hee espied the snake to slide uppe into the bed- 

 straw, by some way open in the bottome of the bedde, 

 which was of old bordes. Straightway, his hart rising 

 thereat, he called two or three of his servaunts, and told 

 them what he had scene, bidding them goe take their 

 Rapiers, and kill the said snake. The serving-men came 

 first, and removed the lame man (as I remember) and 

 then the one of them turned up the bed, and the other 

 two the straw, their Maister standing without, at the 

 hole, whereinto the said snake had entered into the 

 chamber. The bedde was no sooner turned up, and 

 the Rapier thrust into the straw, but there issued forth 

 five or six great snakes that were lodged therein : Then 

 the serving-men bestirring themselves, soone dispatched 

 them, and cast them out of doores dead. Afterward, 

 the lame man's legges recovered, and became as strong 

 as ever they were ; whereby did evidentlie appeare, the 



