The Tarantula. 
42P 
“ There are also spiders of marveilous bignesse, and I have seene 
some with bodies and legges bigger than a mans hand extended every 
way, and I once saw one of such bignesse, that onely her body was as 
bigge as a sparrow, and full of that laune whereof they make their 
webbes: this was of a darke russet colour, with eyes greater then the 
eyes of a sparrow, they are venemous, and of terrible shape to behold.”" 
(Purchas , vol. ii. p. 970.) 
Shakspeare speaks of the spider as poisonous:— 
“ But let thy spiders, that suck up thy venom, 
And heavy-gaited toads lie in their way.” 
(.Richard II, iii. 2,14.) 
In Edward III. (iii. 1), a play either written by Shak- 
speare or by some most successful imitator, we find the 
same idea:— 
“ Dare he already crop the flower-de-luce ? 
I hope, the honey being gather’d thence, 
He, with the spider, afterward approach’d, 
Shall suck forth deadly venom from the leaves.” 
In the following passage it would seem that the 
injury inflicted by the spider was more imaginary than 
real:— 
“ There may be in the cup 
A spider steep’d, and one may drink, depart, 
And yet partake no venom, for his knowledge 
Is not infected: but if one present 
The abhorr’d ingredient to his eye, make known 
How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides, 
With violent hefts. I have drunk, and seen the spider.” 
( Winter’s Tale, ii. 1, 39.) 
The belief in the spider’s venomous properties was at 
this time universal. At the trial of the Countess of 
Essex for the murder of Sir Thomas Over bury it came 
out, in course of the examination, that the lady had 
procured from one of the witnesses seven large spiders* 
as the strongest poison that could be obtained. 
We find in early writings many references to a 
strange disease called tarantismus. People infected with 
