66 SHAKESPEARE'S [cock. 
his grease, or with his juice, he shall be sure from panthers 
and lions. And if the bones of a Cock or of an hen be 
meddled with gold when it is molten, they destroy and 
waste the gold. And so hen’s bones be venomous to gold, 
and that is wonder. When he hath the mastery [over his 
adversaries | he singeth anon ; and ere he singeth, he beateth 
himself with his wings to make him the more able to 
sing. And he useth far in the night to sing most clearly, 
and to sing strongly. And about the morrow-tide he 
shapeth light voice and song. The Cock beareth a red 
comb on his head instead of a crown; which being lost he 
loseth his hardiness, and is more slow and coward to assail 
his adversary. And he setteth next to him on the roost 
the hen that is most fat and tender, and loveth her best ; 
in the morrow-tide, when he flieth to get his meat, first he 
layeth his side to her side ; and he fighteth for her specially 
as though he were jealous. And he breedeth a precious stone 
called allectricium, [or allectoria, v. Capon] like to the stone 
that hight chalcedony ; and the Cock beareth that stone, and 
by cause of that stone (as some men trow) the lion dreadeth 
and abhorreth [him], and specially if the Cock be white. : 
For the lion dreadeth the white Cock. Also the Cock 
dreadeth the eagle and the goshawk, which take their prey 
on the ground. And the Cock is right sharp of sight, 
and therefore he looketh downward with the one eye to 
seek his meat, and upward into the air with the other eye 
to beware of coming of the eagle and of the goshawk. 
Also a right aged Cock layeth eggs in his last end, and 
the eggs are small and full round, and as they were wan 
or yellow. And if any venomous worm sitteth on brood 
on them in the canicular days, of them be bred and grow 
cockatrices. Bartholomew (Berthelet), bk. xii. § 16. 
Ir is to be marvelled at, that a Cock or Cockerel which 
doth not fear a serpent or a dragon is so afraid of the 
shadow of a glead, when he is flying, that suddenly he | 
seeks a place of refuge, and hides himself. 
Lupton, “A Thousand Notable Things,” bk. i. § 24, 
Ir the blood of a Cock be dried, and made in powder, 
and mixed in wine, wherein there is water, it makes the 
water swim above. This was the relation of a learned 
monk. Ibid. bk. vi. § 6, 
ee ae FS a 
