BASILISK. | NATURAL HISTORY. 25 
smell and with his teeth; and slayeth also all thing that 
hath life, with breath and with sight. In his sight no fowl 
nor bird passeth harmless, and though he be far from the 
fowl, yet it is burnt and devoured by his mouth. But he 
is overcome of the weasel ; and men bring the weasel to 
the Cockatrice’ den where he lurketh and is hid. For the 
Father and Maker of all thing left no thing without 
remedy. And so the Cockatrice fleeth when he seeth the 
weasel, and the weasel pursueth and slayeth him. For the 
biting of the weasel is death to the Cockatrice ; and never- 
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theless the biting of the Cockatrice is death to the weasel. 
And that is sooth, but if [unless] the weasel eat rue before. 
_ And against such venom, first the weasel eateth the herb of 
rue, though it be bitter, and by virtue of the juice of that 
herb, he goeth boldly and overcometh his enemy. And the 
Cockatrice is half a foot long, and hath white specks: And 
the Cockatrice slayeth that that he cometh nigh. As the 
scorpion he pursueth thirsty animals, and when they come 
to the water, he maketh them dropsical, and hydrophobic. 
For that water that he toucheth maketh the dropsy, and it 
