THE COMMON SHREW loi 



a kind of Field-Mouse of the bigness of a Rat and colour of a 

 Weasel, very mischievous to Cattel, which going over a Beast's 

 Back, will make it Lame in the Chine ; and the Bite of it causes 

 the Beast to swell to the Heart and die." But the poor creature's 

 fair name was never, I suppose, more foully besmirched than by 

 Edward Topsel, who spared no details in his description of its 

 crimes. 



" The Shrew," he wrote, " is a ravening Beast, feigning it self 

 gentle and tame, but, being touched, it biteth deep, and 

 poysoneth deadly. It beareth a cruel minde, desiring to hurt 

 any thing, neither is there any creature that it loveth, or it 

 loveth him, because it is feared of all. The Cats, as we have 

 said, do hunt it and kill it, but they eat not them, for if they 

 do, they consume away in time. They annoy Vines, and are 

 seldom taken, except in cold ; .... If they fall into a Cart-road, 

 they die and cannot get forth again, as Marcellus, Nicander, 

 and Pliny affirm. And the reason is given by Philes, for being 

 in the same, it is so amazed, and trembleth, as if it were in bands. 

 And for this cause some of the Ancients have prescribed the 

 earth of a Cart-road, to be laid to the biting of this Mouse as a 

 remedy thereof They go very slowly, they are fraudulent, and 

 take their prey by deceit. Many times they gnaw the Oxes 

 hoofs in the stable. They love the rotten flesh of Ravens ; 

 and therefore in France, when they have killed a Raven, they 

 keep it till it stinketh, and then cast it in the places where the 

 Shrew-mice haunt, whereunto they gather in so great number, 

 that you may kill them with shovels. The Egyptians upon the 

 former opinion of holiness, do bury them when they do die. And 

 thus much for the description of this Beast. The succeeding 

 discourse toucheth the medecines arising out of this Beast ; 

 also the cure of her venomous bi tings." 



Only one or two examples may be quoted from this truly 

 devilish pharmacy. Thus : — 



" The Shrew, which falling by chance into a Cart-rode or 

 track, doth die upon the same, being burned, and afterwards 

 beaten or dissolved into dust, and mingled with Goose grease, 

 being rubbed or anointed upon those which are troubled with 

 the swelling . . . doth bring unto them a wonderful and most 

 admirable cure and remedy. The Shrew being slain or 



