388 
The Animal-Lore of Shaksjpeare’s Time. 
a religious work, lie calls the attention of his readers to 
the small use he has made of them :— 
u Poesie hath been so long times seasoned and seized of these fabu¬ 
lous termes that it is impossible to dispossesse her but by little and little 
thereof. I have attempted amongst the first to reform her, some other 
will come after me that will wholly purge her, and will interdict (as 
the civilians speake) these monstrous jests from fire and water.” 
This passage is not in Sylvester’s translation, but in the 
translation of the Learned Summary on his Works, by 
T. L. D., M.P., 1637. 
The following conjectural emendation on a passage 
in Pericles has been suggested by Mr. Bell, which has 
at least the merit of ingenuity :]— 
“ The air -retaining lamps, the belching whale, 
And humming water must o’erwhelm thy corpse, 
Lying with simple shells.” (iii. 1, 63.) 
“ The word lamps,” writes Mr. Bell, “ is here put for one of the 
lowest, and one of the most loathed species of fish, the lamprey. This 
animal, as is well known, has seven spiracula or air-holes on its side. 
These, with the Germans, according to a wide-spread and popular 
belief, are taken for seven eyes; which, with the two real ones the 
animal has, make up the Teutonic tale of nine, to give it the only name 
by wdiich it is known of ‘ neunagen,’ or nine eyes. But consequently, 
from this view, no orifices remain for respiration; and it follows that,, 
not being able to emit the air, it must retain it: so that by the change 
of a single letter in the line, we have a perfectly consistent epithet, and 
a perfect solution. The contrast, too, is forcible, betwixt the lamprey 
emitting no air, and the whale spouting it so furiously, and in such 
columns.” (Notes and Queries, 3rd series, vol. vii. p. 237.) 
Dame Juliana Berners, after recommending the min¬ 
now and the worm as proper baits for the trout in the 
month of March, adds, “ in Aprill take the same baytes: 
and also junaba other wyse named vii eyes ” ( Treatise: on 
Fyshynge). 
