rv SHAKESPEARE'’S [BRock. 
Brocks that gather meat with the female against -winter, and 
layeth it up in his den, and when cold winter cometh, the 
male dreadeth lest store of meat should fail, and refraineth 
the female, and withdraweth her meat and suffereth her not 
to eat her fill, and she feigneth peace, as it were following 
the male’s will, and cometh in on that other side of the 
den, and openeth her jaws, and eateth and devoureth and 
wasteth the meat that is gathered, unwitting the male. 
These beasts hate the fox, and fight. oft-times with him, 
but when the fox seeth that he may not for roughness 
and for hardness of the skin grieve him, he feigneth him 
as though he were sick and overcome, and fleeth away, and 
while the Brock goeth out to get his prey, the fox cometh 
into his den, and defileth his chamber with urine and other 
uncleanness. And the Brock is squeamish of such foul 
things, and forsaketh his house that is so defiled, and 
getteth needfully another dwelling-place. 
Bartholimew (Berthelet), bk. xviii. § 103. 
Tue Brock has short legs, and not equal on the two 
sides, but shorter on the left side, so that planting the 
feet of the right side in the ruts made by wheels, it runs 
valiantly, and escapes its pursuers. The fat of the Badger 
grows when the moon waxes, and decreases as it wanes, 
so that if it be killed on the last day of the old moon 
none is found. This is strange, that though this part of 
the beast is medicinal, yet its bite is often very serious 
and fatal; and the reason of this is that it lives on wasps, 
and animals which creep on the ground, and are venomous, 
and therefore they infect its teeth. Its brain boiled with oil 
cures all pains. Hortus Sanitatis, part ii. ch. cxlii. 
[Sir Toby probably calls Malvolio “ Brock” in allusion to the 
habit described by Bartholomew of this animal in_ strutting 
(puffing) out its skin, so the word conveys a vivid and ludicrous 
idea of Malvolio’s gait.] 
We have Badgers in our sandy and light grounds, where 
woods, furzes, broom and plenty of shrubs are to shrowd 
them in, when they be from their burrows. Foxes and 
Badgers are rather preserved by gentlemen to hunt and 
