274 SHAKESPEARE’S [SCORPION. 
venom. Some have [two] stings, and among these Scorpions 
the males be most grievous, and namely in time of love. 
And they have certain knots or rivels [wrinkles] in the 
tail, and the more such they have, the venom is the 
worse, and they have sometime such knots six or seven. 
In Africa some Scorpions have feathers [wings], and those 
be full grievous. And because of winning [2.2., of gain] 
enchanters gather venom of divers lands, and labour for to 
bear these winged Scorpions into Italy, but they may not 
live under heaven within the country of Italy. To a man 
smitten of the Scorpion, ashes of Scorpions burnt, drunk in 
wine, is remedy. Also Scorpions drowned in oil helpeth 
and succoureth beasts that be stung with Scorpions. The 
Scorpion hurteth no beast that hath no blood. And some 
Scorpions breed and bring forth eleven young Scorpions, 
and the mother eateth them sometime, but one of them 
that is most sly leapeth on the thigh of the mother, and 
sitteth there safe and secure from the stinging of the tail; 
and from the biting of the mouth, and this slayeth his 
father, and wreaketh the death of his brethren; and kind 
ordaineth this provision, for such a pestilential kind should 
