20 SHAKESPEARE’S [ass. 
bills in the wounds or in the sores, for the Ass should pass 
from their nests. And though such a sparrow be full little, 
“yet unneath may the Ass defend himself against his rese, 
pricking and biting. The raven hateth full much the Ass, 
therefore the raven flyeth above the Ass, and laboureth with 
his bill to peck out his eyes; but the deepness of eyes 
helpeth the Ass, and thickness and hardness of the skin, for 
therewith the Ass closeth her eyes and heleth her sight, and 
defendeth against the resing and pricking of fowls. Also 
his long ears and moving thereof helpeth, for therewith he 
feareth small birds, that rese to peck out his eyes. The 
smoke of the Ass’s hoof helpeth the birth of a child, in 
so much that it bringeth out a dead: child, and shall not 
otherwise be laid to, for it slayeth a quick child if it be 
oft laid to, and lieth too long time. And new dirt of the 
same beast stauncheth blood wonderly. The Ass’s milk, and 
Ass’s blood helpeth against the biting of a scorpion. And 
men say, that if a man looketh in an Ass’s ear when he is 
smit with a scorpion, anon the malice passeth. Also all 
venomous things fleeth smoke of the Ass’s liver. Also the 
Ass’s milk helpeth against venomous plaster, and against the 
malice of ceruse or of quicksilver. Also Ass’s bones bruised 
and stamped and sod helpeth against venom, if the broth 
thereof be drunken. And urine of the male Ass with 
Nardus keepeth and saveth and maketh much hair. And 
the Ass dreadeth full sore to pass over water, and 
scrapeth therein ; and the Ass passeth not gladly, where he 
may see the water through the planks, for he hath a feeble 
brain, and is soon grudged, and dreadeth therefore, and 
falleth through the chines of the bridge into the water, that 
he seeth running thereunder. And the Ass drinketh not 
gladly but of small wells that he is used to, and those that 
he may come dry-footed to. And wonder it is to tell, that 
though an Ass be sore athirst, if his water be changed, un- 
neath he drinketh thereof, but if it be like the water that 
he is wont to drink of. 
And the Ass hath another wretched condition known 
nigh to all men. For he is put to travail over night 
[might — Bartholomew], and is beaten with staves, and 
sticked and pricked with pricks, and his mouth is wrung 
with a barnacle [bit], and is led hither and thither, and 
withdrawn from leys and pasture that is in his way oft by 
