Natural history in Shakespeare's time : being extracts illustrative of the subject as he knew it / Made by H. W. Seager, M. B., &c. Also pictures thereunto belonging.

  • Seager, H. W. (Herbert West), 1848-
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Natural history in Shakespeare's time : being extracts illustrative of the subject as he knew it / Made by H. W. Seager, M. B., &c. Also pictures thereunto belonging. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    too little to cast venom. Also some Serpents have many heads; for some be doubled, and some trebled, and some quadrupled. And Hydra is a Serpent with many heads,. and it is said that if one head be smitten off, three grow again—but this is a fable. The Serpent Scytalis shineth with diversity of speckles, that all that looketh thereon for wonder of the speckles hath liking to look thereon, and, for he is most slow in creeping, by a wonder of his diversity of speckles, he catcheth them that he may not follow in^ going and in creeping. And the Serpent Enhydris is a water-adder, and whoso is smitten of that adder, he swelleth into dropsy, and the dirt of an ox is remedy therefor. Also Matrix is an adder, and infecteth with venom each well that he cometh nigh. And some Serpents and adders lie in await for them that sleep, and if they find the mouth open of them or of other beasts, then they creep in, but against such adders a little beast fighteth as it were a little eft (and some men mean that it is a lizard), for he leapeth upon his face that sleepeth, and scratcheth with his feet to wake him and to warn him of the Serpent. And this little eft, when he waxeth old, his eyes waxeth blind, and then he goeth into an hole of a wall against the East, and openeth his eyes afterward when the sun is risen, and then his eyes healeth and taketh sight. And some manner Serpent dwell in the fire as it fareth of the salamander [^.i'.]. Also some Serpents go forth and hold up the body from the breast upward, as the water-adder doth that hight Chelydros^ and he infecteth the place that he glideth in, and maketh the sight smoky ; and this Serpent beareth up the head, for if he bendeth while he runneth, he breaketh anon. And some be so swift and light of moving, that it seemeth that they fly, as the Serpent that hight Jaculus flieth as a dart, and leapeth into trees, and if he meeteth with any beast, he throweth himself thereupon, and slayeth it. Also in Arabia be Serpents called Sirens among many men ; and they run swifter than horses, and therefore it is said that they fly, and their venom is so strong that death cometh tofore [before] biting, and tofore ache also. And the horned Serpent Cerastes hideth himself in gravel and sand, and sheweth his horns above to comfort beasts and fowls to come as it were to meat by shewing of horns ; and hath horns like ram's horns, and beasts and fowls come