326 SHAKESPEARE'S [VENOM. 
droppeth Venom, and corrupteth and infecteth the water in 
which it falleth in, and who that drinketh of that water 
shall become wode. And the tongues of adders be black, 
blue or reddish, speckled, sharp, and in moving most swift, 
and that happeneth through the wode and venomous 
humour, the which so swiftly moveth the tongue that one 
tongue seemeth forked and twisted. And though the tongue 
of an adder [asp] is full of deadly Venom, while it liveth 
in the body of the adder, yet, when it is taken from the 
body of the adder, and dried, it loseth the Venom, and by 
it is known when Venom “is present,—therefore in the 
presence of Venom, such a tongue useth to sweat,—there- 
fore such a tongue is accounted precious among treasures of 
kings. Bartholomew (Berthelet), bk. v. § 21. 
Over and above the foresaid evils and passions, most 
perilous death and evils hap and come to mankind by 
wicked Venom. And for all kind of Venom is contrary to 
the complexion of mankind, it slayeth suddenly, but 
[unless] men have the sooner help and remedy. Some 
Venom cometh of corruption of meat and drink ; and some 
of biting of creeping worms and of adders, and of serpents, 
and of other beasts, of whom their humours and teeth be 
venomous to man’s body. Also some Venom is hot and 
dry, as the Venom of an adder that hight viper, and other 
such ; and some Venom is cold and dry, as the Venom of 
scorpions; and some Venom is cold and moist, as the Venom 
of attercops [spiders]. And the Venom of males is more 
sharp and strong than the Venom of females, and yet the 
female serpents have more teeth than males, and therefore 
they be taken for the worse. Also the Venom of the old 
serpents is worse than the Venom of the young; and of 
great and long worse than of the short of the same kind. 
Also the Venom of them that abide in hills and woods is 
worse than of them which be nigh cliffs and banks of 
waters. Venom of a cockatrice is so violent that it burneth 
all thing, which it nigheth ; and so about his den and his 
hole nothing waxeth green. One touched such a worm 
with his spear in India, and forthwith fell down dead, and 
his horse also. Also the Venom of a dragon is full 
malicious, and his Venom! is most in the tail, and in the 
gall. Bartholomew (Berthelet), bk. vii. § 66. 
