128 SHAKESPEARE’S [GNaT. 
with quicksilver, and so put it into a vial and hang the 
same in a dark place, and it will give light. This I had 
out of an old book, which is not much unlike the descrip- 
tion of Mizaldus. 
Lupton, “A Thousand Notable Things,” bk. viii, § 84. 
Wuere the Glow-worm creepeth in the night, no adder 
will go in the day. Lilly, “‘ Campaspe,” Epilogue. 
[Albertus Magnus (‘Of the Wonders of the World’’) states 
that you may make a carbuncle of Glow-worms, treated accord- 
ing to the directions given in the first quotation from Lupton’s 
‘Notable Things.’’] 
Gnat. 
Comepy or Errors, ii. 2, 30. 
A Gyar isa little fly, and is accounted among volatiles, 
as the bee is, though he have tht body of a worm with 
many feet. And is gendered of rotted or corrupt vapours 
of carrions and corrupt place of marais [7.e., marshes]. By 
continual flapping of wings he maketh noise in the air, as 
though he [w]hurred; and sitteth gladly upon carrions, 
botches, scabs and sores; and is full noyful to scabbed 
horses and sore-backed, and grieveth sleeping men with 
noise and with biting, and waketh them of their rest, and 
fleéth about most by night, and pierceth and biteth mem- 
bers upon the which he sitteth, and draweth toward light, 
and so unwarily he falleth into a candle or into the fire. 
And for covetous[ness] for to see light, he burneth himself 
oft, and is best to feeding of swallows. 
Bartholomew (Berthelet), bk. xii. § 12. 
Ir any list to sleep, and lay by him the branches of moist 
hemp, Gnats will not trouble him nor come nigh him. 
Lupton, “A Thousand Notable Things,” bk. iv. § 47. 
Tue network coverlid spread on beds, we at this day 
name a canopy, a thing to catch all manner of Gnats. The 
Gnat seems to be a kind of fly, yet as flies love sweet 
things, Gnats love things sour and tart ; the flies do couple, 
the Gnats do not. By their goodwill, they will wound 
