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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    bills in the wounds or in the sores, for the Ass should pass from their nests. And though such a sparrow be full little, vet unneath may the Ass defend himself against his rese, pricking and biting. The raven hateth full much the Ass, therefore the raven flyeth above the Ass, and laboureth with his bill to peck out his eyes ; but the deepness of eyes helpeth the Ass, and thickness and hardness of the skin, for therewith the Ass closeth her eyes and heleth her sight, and defendeth against the resing and pricking of fowls. Also his long ears and moving thereof helpeth, for therewith he feareth small birds, that rese to peck out his eyes. The smoke of the Ass's hoof helpeth the birth of a child, in so much that it bringeth out a dead child, and shall not otherwise be laid to, for it slayeth a quick child if it be oft laid to, and lieth too long time. And new dirt of the same beast stauncheth blood wonderly. The Ass's milk, and Ass's blood helpeth against the biting of a scorpion. And men say, that if a man looketh in an Ass's ear when he is smit with a scorpion, anon the malice passeth. Also all venomous things fieeth smoke of the Ass's liver. Also the Ass's milk helpeth against venomous plaster, and against the malice of ceruse or of quicksilver. Also Ass's bones bruised and stamped and sod helpeth against venom, if the broth thereof be drunken. And urine of the male Ass with Nardus keepeth and saveth and maketh much hair. And the Ass dreadeth full sore to pass over water, and scrapeth therein ; and the Ass passeth not gladly, where he may see the water through the planks, for he hath a feeble brain, and is soon grudged, and dreadeth therefore, and falleth through the chines of the bridge into the water, that he seeth running thereunder. And the Ass drinketh not gladly but of small wells that he is used to, and those, that he may come dry-footed to. And wonder it is to tell, that though an Ass be sore athirst, if his water be changed, un- neath he drinketh thereof, but if it be like the water that he is wont to drink of And the Ass hath another wretched condition known nigh to all men. For he is put to travail over night [might — Bartholomew^ and is beaten with staves, and sticked and pricked with pricks, and his mouth is wrung with a barnacle [bit], and is led hither and thither, and withdrawn from leys and pasture that is in his way oft by