Plinies Haturali Hiftorie* 



A Now as touching BirdlimCj k is made of the berries of Mifleko^ gathered in harvefttinie be^ 

 fore they are ripe, for if they fliould tarie ftill to take fliowres of raine, well might they thrive and 

 encreafe in bigncilcjbut their ftrcngth and vertue would be gonccleanej for ever making any 

 fuch glew or birdlinlc aforefaid* Beeing fo gathered, as is betorefaid^ they muft be laid abroad a 

 drying, and when they be once dricgthcy are braied or (lamped, and fo put in water to ftcep^and 

 lettopiurifieforthefpaceof twelvedaies orthcreabout. This one thingyct in rhc wholeworld 

 is the betterfor putrefadion, and ferveth to good purpole . When this is done, die faid berries 

 thus putrififid and corrupt, are beaten or punned once againe with mallets, in running water by 



' which meanes when they are husked and turned out of their skins, thcfielliie fublbncc within, 

 becommeth glutinous and will ftickctoo, in manner of glew.This is the way to make birdlime 



B for to catch poors birds by their wings, entangled therewith i which fowlers ufe to temper and 

 incorporate with the oile of Walnuts, when they lift to fet limetwigs to take foule. 



Andforafmuchaswcearc entredintoadifcourfeas couching Miflelto, 1 cannot overpaiTe 

 one ftrange thing thereof uled in Fraunee : The Druid2e(for fo they call their Di vinours^Wiie 

 men,& the ftate of their Clergie) cfteeme nothing morcfacred in the world,th3n MifTeltOjand 

 the tree whereupon it breedeth,fo it be on Okc. Now this you muft take by the waVgThefe Priefts 

 or Clergie meiichofc of purpole fuch groves for their divinelervicc, as ftood only upon Okes ; 

 nay they folemnize nofacrifice, nor perform any facrcd ceremonies without branches & leaves 

 thereof, fo as they may feeme well enough to be named thereupon Dxyldx in Greeke,which fig- 

 nifieth as much as the Oke-priefts. Cer tcsjto lay a truth,whatfocver they find growing upon that 



Q tree over and befides the owne fruit, be it Miflelto or any thing elfe, they cfteeme it as a gift fent 

 from heaven, and a fure figneby which that very god whomc they lerve giveth them to under-^ 

 ftandjthathe hath chofen that peculiar tree. And no marveile,for in very deed.Milfelto ispalTing 

 geafon and hard to be found upon the Oke ; but when they meet with it, they gather it very de- 

 voutly and with many ceremonies : for firft & foremoft, they obferve principally, that the moon 

 bcjuftfixdaiesold (for upon that day they begin their moneths and newyeares, yea and their 

 feverall ages, which have their revolutions every thirtie yeares) becaufe fhee is thought then to . 

 be of great power and force fufHcient, and is not yet come to her halfe light and the end of her 

 firft quarter. They call it in their language All- Healc, (for they have an opinion of itjthat it cureth 

 all maladies whatfocver) and when they are about to gather it, after they have well apd duly pre- 



D pared their facrifices and feftivallcheare under the faid tree, they bring thither two young bul- 

 locks milke white, fuch as never yet drew in yoke at plough or waine, & whole heads were then 

 and not before bound,by the home : which done,the prieft arraied in a furpleffe or white vefture^ x 

 climbeth up in to the treCjand with a golden hook or bill cutteth it off, and they beneath receive 

 it in a white fouldiours caflbckc or coat of armes : then fall they to kill the beafts aforefaid foi: 

 facrifice, mumbling many oraifons & praying devoutly. That it would pleafe God tobleffethis 

 gift of his to the good and benefit of all thole to whome he had vouchlafed to give it. Now this 

 pcrfuafion they have of Miffclto thus gathered,That what living creature foever (otherwife bar- 

 raine)doe drinke of it, will prefcntly become fruitf ull therupon : alfo, that it is a foveraign coun- 

 trepoifon or fingular remedie againft all vermine. So vaine and fuperftitious arc many nations 



]E in the world, and oftentimes in fuch frivolous and foolifh things as thefe. 



F 



Vuiii THE 



