300 The eight and twentieth Booke 
many there are who make great {cruple to fhave orclip the haire growing in any molle orwert G 7 
- upon theface,As touching the fafting {pittle e{pecially of man or woman, Ihave fhewedalrea- 
die howit is a foveraigne prefervative againft the poyfon of ferpents. Butthatisnorall : for in 
many other cafés itis found by daily experience to be of great operation, and to worke effectu- 
ally. For firft and formoft,if wefee any furprifed with the falling ficknefle we {pit upon them, and 
by tharmeanes we are perfuaded that we our felves avoid the contagion of the faid difeafe./eem, 
An ordinarie thing it 1s with usto put by the daunger of witchcraft, by {pitting inthe eyes of a 
witch :fo doe we alfo,when we meet with one that limpeth and islame of theright leg, Likewife - 
when we crave pardon of the gods for fome audacious and prefumptuous praiers that we make, 
we ufeto {pit even into our bofomes. Semblably,for to fortifie the operation of any medicines, 
the manner is to pronounce withall a charm or exorcifme three times over,and to {pit upon the 
ground as often; and fo we doubt not but it will doe the cure and not faile.Alfo when we perceive 
afellon orfuch like uncom fore a breeding, the firft thing that wee doe,is to marke it three times 
with our fatting {pitcle.I will tell you of a ftrange effect, and whereof it isno hard matter ywis to 
make the trial]. If one man hath hurt another, either by reaching hima blow neareat hand, or 
by letting flic fomewhat at him farther off,and repent him when hee hath fo done ; let bim pre- 
fently {pit juft in the middeft of the palme ofthat hand which gave the ftroke,the partie immedi- 
atly chat was {mitten,fhall be eafed from paine, and takeno harme thereby, And verely wee find 
this tobeefo,by experiments oftentimes made uponthe bodies of fourefooted beafts ; for let 
them be fwaied in the backe,or hipped by fome ftripe given them with ftone or cudgill, doe no 
more then but {pit into that hand which did the deed, & ftreightwaies they will go upright again 
upon all foure. Contrariwifc,fome there be, who before they either {trike or difcharge any thing 
from them againft another, after the fame manner firft {pit into the ball of rheir hands, & fo they 
make accountto doe a greater difpleafure,and to hurt more daungeroufly.Bur this wee may af- 
{ure our felves,that there is not a better thing in the world for to kill cetears,ringwormes,and the 
fouleleprie, than to rub and wet them continually with our owne fafting {pittle :likewile to an- 
noint therewith every morning our eies,keepeth them from being bleared. Alfo cankerous fores 
are cured with the root of Sowbread,which we call the earth apple, if the fame be wrought into 
a falve with our fafting fpittle. Moreover,if a man have acticke and ach in the nape of his necke, 
- . —) . . . 5 . . . . 
let him take the fpittle of a man thatis fafting fome in his right hand,and therewith annoint the 
| am of hisrightleg ; andthe reft with his leftand doe the like to the leftleg:and thereupon he 4. 
| ee * fhall find eafe, If an carewig orfuch like vermine be gotten intothe eare, make no more ado bue 
§ J iurnNCoLUus . 
“founditinan {pitintochefame,and it will come forth anone.Among countercharmes & prefervativesagainft 
Bd pric: And forcerie,thele be reckoned; namely,that a man fpit upon his owne urine as fooneas he hath deli- 
. hefocleres Wered it out of his bodie :likewife to {pitinto the {hoe that ferveth his right foor,beforche putit 
‘both before & ON ina Morning :alfo whenfoever hee goeth over or pafle by aplace where fometime hee was in 
alter meotlo- dainger,to remember that he {pit upon it. Marcion of Smyrna,who wrotea Treatife of the ver- 
ned, this will ; ; 
fore well. tuesaod effeéts of Simples,reporeeth,that the Scolopendres of the fea will burft in fonder if one 
fuch ftuffe: and 
| 8 
Ree in the fhe faith,that if one perceive any member or part of the bodie be afleepe and benummed, there 
iis ie is not a better thing to recover the fence therof, than to fpit into the bofome, orto touch the up- 
wrpicula vex, pet eyelids with faiting {pittle. Now, if we beleeve thefe things tobe trie, we may as well give cre. 
J giale membrum dit to all that which followeth, Wee fee it is an ordinarie thing, that sf a{tranger come in place 
peer nanging where a babe lieth in the cradle,or looke upon the faid infant whiles itis afleepe, the nurce nfeth 
rens necks to tofpit thrice : although Lam not ignorant thac there is a religious opinion of this fillable * Mu, 
vit land the that itis able to defend fuch young {ucklings; asalfo of the foolifh puppet Fa/ciaus 5 both which 
Mightcome 0G of power to put backe any witchcraft from them, and returne the mifcheefe upon the eyebi- 
ry the eye, cal. ting witch. And{fince lam light upon this name, muft let you underftand that this Fa/cinus is 
: _holden tobe a god forfooth, the gardian & keeper not of infants onely,but of greatcaptains and 
’ brave generals ofthe field; who hath divine fervice done unto him at Rome among other gods, 
and that by the veftall Nuns’ for the manner was to hang this ridiculous puppetunderthe chari- 
the venome of envious and fpightfull tongues, but alfo to return all envie upon them, and bidas 
a, itwere to-take itamong them, The like vertue there is in the tongue, befeeching fortune to bee 
: j : : pto- 
eaftly and 
his ebje 
fynough with {pitupon them :andfo will hedge toads and other venomous Frogs,Ophzlizs writeth,that {pittle - 
will doe the like by ferpents, if one {pit into their mouths as they gape. As forthe learned Salpe, — 
ots of noble vitorers riding in triumph,not only to defend chem bya medicinable power againft 
