308 _ SHAKESPEARE'S [ToaD. 
A CERTAIN man, being in a garden with his Love, did 
take (as he was walking) a few leaves of sage, who rubbing 
his teeth and gums therewith, immediately fell down and 
died. Whereupon his said Love was examined how he died. 
She said, she knew nothing that he ailed, | but that he 
rubbed his teeth with sage; and she went with the Judge 
and others into the garden and place where the same thing 
happened ; and then she took of the same sage to shew 
them how he did, and likewise rubbed her teeth and gums 
therewith, and presently she died also, to the great marvel 
of all them that stood by. Whereupon the Judge, suspect- 
ing the cause of their deaths to be in the sage, caused the 
said bed of sage to be plucked and digged up, and to be 
burned, lest others might have the like harm thereby. 
And at the roots, or under the said sage, there was a 
great Toad found, which infected the same sage with his 
venomous breath. This may be a warning to such as use 
to eat raw and unwashed sage; therefore, it is good to 
plant rue round about sage, for Toads by no means will 
come nigh unto rue, Lupton, “Notable Things,” bk i. § 1. 
Ir you put a Toad in a new earthen pot, and the same 
be covered in the ground in the midst of a corn - field, 
there will be no hurtful tempests or storms there. 
Ibid., bk. v. § 59. 
THE wise and learned men in old time did think, that 
a Toad put into a new earthen pot, and set it within the 
ground, and so covered with earth in the midst of a field, 
will drive away crows or birds from corn that is sowed 
there. But about harvest time they will that it be digged 
up, and so cast forth of the limits of the fields, lest the 
corn be bitter thereby. Ibid, bk. vi. § 97. 
THERE is a kind, like to the Toad of the water, but 
instead of bones it hath only gristles, and is bigger than 
‘the Toad of the fen, living in hot places. There is a 
little bone growing in their sides, that hath a virtue to 
drive away dogs from him that beareth it about him. All 
the winter-time they live under: the earth, feeding upon 
earth, herbs and worms, and they eat earth by measure, 
