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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    Ticket: I bruised my side e'en now against a form's edge. Rufflit: Parmaceti, Sir, is very good, or the fresh skin of a flayed cat. ^^^^,,^,^ u^hc City Wit, Act. v. Mv dear mummia, my balsamum, my Spermaceti ! Be/i Jorison, Poetaster, ii. i. Spice. Much Spice is a thief, so is candle and lire, Sweet sauce is as crafty, as ever was friar. Tusser, Five Hundred Points. Afternoon Works, § 14. [Spice is a thief, because it was bought, and not home-grown, and also because it increases appetite.] V. Cloves, Nutmeg, etc. Spider. Winter's Tale, ii. i, 39. The venomous Spinner is a little creeping beast with many feet, and hath vi. feet or viii., and hath alway feet even and not odd ; and that is very needful, that his going and passing be alway even, as the charge is and burthens. In the end of springing - time, and in the beginning of summer, and sometime in harvest, and in the beginning of winter, Spinners be most grievous, and their biting most venomous. And a manner kind of Spinners hunteth a little eft, and when they find him, they begin to weave upon him, and all about, for to bind strongly his mouth, and leap then upon him, and sting him till he dieth. Wonder it is, how the matter of threads that come of the womb of the Spinner may endure so great a work, and weaving of so great a web. Also in Spinners be tokens of divina- tion, and of knowing what weather shah fall,—for oft by weathers that shall fall, some spin and weave higher or lower. Also multitude of Spinners is token of much rain. Also sometime Spinners weave and make webs about burgeoning and buds of vines, and also about flowers and blossoms of trees, and by such beclipping [embracing] of such cobwebs, both trees and vines be lost where they