TOAD. | NATURAL HISTORY. 307 
alway venom, and fighteth against the common spinner 
[spider], and overcometh their venom and biting, by benefit 
of plantain; aad his venom is accounted most cold, and 
[a|stonieth, therefore each member that he toucheth, it 
maketh less feeling, as‘ it were frore [frozen]; and is a 
venomous beast, and comforteth therefore himself at each 
touching. And the more he is touched, the more he 
swelleth ; and as many specks as he hath under the womb, 
so many manner wise his venom is accounted grievous. 
And he hath eyes, as though they were fire, shining, and 
the worse he is, the more burning is his sight, and though 
he hath clear eyes, yet he hateth the light of the sun, and 
seeketh dark places, and fleéth to dens, when the sun riseth. 
This frog loveth sweet herbs, and eateth the roots of them; 
but in eating, he infecteth and corrupteth both roots and 
herbs; therefore oft in gardens is rue set, that is venom and 
enemy to Toads, and to other venomous worms, for by virtue 
of rue, they be chased away, and may not come to other 
herbs and roots that grow therein. The Toad loveth 
stinking places and dirty, and hateth places with good 
smell and odour, and so he fleéth out of the vineyard, 
when the vines begin to bloom, for he may not suffer 
nor sustain their good odour and smell. And these worms 
have double liver,—that one is most venomous, and that 
other is remedy, and is given instead of treacle against 
poison and venom; and for to assay and know which of 
these is good and which is evil, the liver is thrown into 
an ant-hill,—then the ants flee and [a]void the venomous 
part, and desire and choose that other part, and shall be 
taken and kept to the use of medicine. And in the right 
side of such a frog is a privy bone, that cooleth somedeal 
seething water, if it be thrown therein,—and the vessel may 
not heat afterward, but if the bone be first taken out ; and 
witches use that bone to love and hate. And be that worm 
never so venomous, yet by burning he loseth the malice of 
venom, and taketh most virtue of medicine, and ashes 
thereof help wonderfully to recover flesh and skin that is 
haply lost, and to make sadness and sinews, and to healing 
and salvation of wounds, if the ashes be used in due 
manner. Bartholomew (Berthelet), bk. xviii. § 17. 
Vv. Frog. 
