If I should go about to make anie long discourse of venemous beasts or
wormes bred in England, I should attempt more than occasion it selfe
would readilie offer, sith we haue verie few worms, but no beasts at
all, that are thought by their naturall qualities to be either
venemous or hurtfull. First of all therefore we haue the adder (in our
old Saxon toong called an atter) which some men doo not rashlie take
to be the viper. Certes if it be so, then is it not the viper author
[Sidenote: * _Galenus de Theriaca ad Pisonem._
* _Plin. lib. 10. cap. 62._]
of the death of hir [*] parents, as some histories affirme; and
thereto Encelius a late writer in his "De re metallica," lib. 3. cap.
38. where he maketh mention of a she adder which he saw in Sala, whose
wombe (as he saith) was eaten out after a like fashion, hir yoong ones
lieng by hir in the sunne shine, as if they had béene earth worms.
Neuerthelesse as he nameth them "Viperas," so he calleth the male
Echis, and the female Echidna, concluding in the end that Echis is the
same serpent which his countrimen to this daie call Ein atter, as I
haue also noted before out of a Saxon dictionarie. For my part I am
persuaded that the slaughter of their parents is either not true at
all, or not alwaies (although I doubt not but that nature hath right
well prouided to inhibit their superfluous increase by some meanes or
other) and so much the rather am I led herevnto, for that I gather by
Nicander, that of all venemous worms the viper onelie bringeth out hir
yoong aliue, and therefore is called in Latine "Vipera quasi
viuipara:" but of hir owne death he dooth not (to my remembrance) saie
any thing. It is testified also by other in other words, & to the like
sense, that "Echis id est vipera sola ex serpentibus non oua sed
animalia parit." And it may well be, for I remember that I haue read
in Philostratus "De vita Appollonij,"
[Sidenote: Adder or viper.]
how he saw a viper licking hir yoong. I did see an adder once my selfe
that laie (as I thought) sléeping on a moulehill, out of whose mouth
came eleuen yoong adders of twelue or thirtéene inches in length a
péece, which plaied to and fro in the grasse one with another, till
some of them espied me. So soone therefore as they saw my face, they
[Sidenote: See _Aristotle Animalium lib._ 5. _cap. vltimo_, &
_Theophrast. lib._ 7. _cap._ 13.]
ran againe into the mouth of their dam, whome I killed, and then found
each of them shrowded in a distinct cell or pannicle in hir bellie,
much like vnto a soft white iellie, which maketh me to be of the
opinion that our adder is the viper indéed. The colour of their skin
is for the most part like rustie iron or iron graie: but such as be
verie old resemble a ruddie blew, & as once in the yeare, to wit, in
Aprill or about the beginning of Maie they cast their old skins
(whereby as it is thought their age reneweth) so their stinging
bringeth death without present remedie be at hand, the wounded neuer
ceasing to swell, neither the venem to worke till the skin of the one
breake, and the other ascend vpward to the hart, where it finisheth
the naturall effect, except the iuice of dragons (in Latine called
"Dracunculus minor") be spéedilie ministred and dronke in strong ale,
or else some other medicine taken of like force, that may counteruaile
and ouercome the venem of the same. The length of them is most
commonlie two foot and somwhat more, but seldome dooth it extend vnto
two foot six inches, except it be in some rare and monsterous one:
[Sidenote: Snakes.]
whereas our snakes are much longer, and séene sometimes to surmount a
yard, or thrée foot, although their poison be nothing so grieuous and
deadlie as the others. Our adders lie in winter vnder stones, as
Aristotle also saith of the viper Lib. 8. cap. 15. and in holes of the
earth, rotten stubs of trees, and amongst the dead leaues: but in the
heat of the summer they come abroad, and lie either round on heapes,
or at length vpon some hillocke, or elsewhere in the grasse. They are
found onelie in our woodland countries and highest grounds, where
sometimes (though seldome) a speckled stone called Echites, in Dutch
"Ein atter stein," is gotten out of their dried carcases, which diuers
[Sidenote: _Sol. cap._ 40. _Plin. lib._ 37. _cap._ 11.]
report to be good against their poison. As for our snakes, which in
Latine are properlie named "Angues," they commonlie are seene in
moores, fens, lomie wals, and low bottoms.
[Sidenote: Todes.]
[Sidenote: Frogs.]
[Sidenote: Sloworme.]
And as we haue great store of todes where adders commonlie are found,
so doo frogs abound where snakes doo kéepe their residence. We haue
also the sloworme, which is blacke and graiesh of colour, and somewhat
shorter than an adder. I was at the killing once of one of them, and
thereby perceiued that she was not so called of anie want of nimble
motion, but rather of the contrarie. Neuerthelesse we haue a blind
worme to be found vnder logs in woods, and timber that hath lien long
in a place, which some also doo call (and vpon better ground) by the
name of slow worms, and they are knowen easilie by their more or lesse
varietie of striped colours, drawen long waies from their heads, their
whole bodies little excéeding a foot in length, & yet is there venem
deadlie. This also is not to be omitted, that now and then in our
fennie countries, other kinds of serpents are found of greater
quantitie than either our adder or our snake: but as these are not
ordinarie and oft to be séene, so I meane not to intreat of them among
our common annoiances. Neither haue we the scorpion, a plague of God
sent not long since into Italie, and whose poison (as Apollodorus
saith) is white, neither the tarantula or Neopolitane spider, whose
poison bringeth death, except musike be at hand. Wherfore I suppose
our countrie to be the more happie (I meane in part) for that it is
void of these two grieuous annoiances, wherewith other nations are
plagued.
[Sidenote: Efts.]
[Sidenote: Swifts.]
We haue also efts, both of the land and water, and likewise the
noisome swifts, whereof to saie anie more it should be but losse of
time, sith they are well knowne; and no region to my knowledge found
[Sidenote: Flies.]
to be void of manie of them. As for flies (sith it shall not be amisse
a little to touch them also) we haue none that can doo hurt or
[Sidenote: Cutwasted.]
[Sidenote: Whole bodied.]
[Sidenote: Hornets.]
[Sidenote: Waspes.]
hinderance naturallie vnto anie: for whether they be cut wasted, or
whole bodied, they are void of poison and all venemous inclination.
The cut or girt wasted (for so I English the word Insecta) are the
hornets, waspes, bées, and such like, whereof we haue great store, and
of which an opinion is conceived, that the first doo bréed of the
corruption of dead horsses, the second of peares and apples corrupted,
and the last of kine and oxen: which may be true, especiallie the
first and latter in some parts of the beast, and not their whole
substances, as also in the second, sith we haue neuer waspes, but when
our fruit beginneth to wax ripe. In déed Virgil and others speake of a
generation of bées, by killing or smoothering of a brused bullocke or
calfe, and laieng his bowels or his flesh wrapped vp in his hide in a
close house for a certeine season; but how true it is hitherto I haue
not tried. Yet sure I am of this, that no one liuing creature
corrupteth without the production of another; as we may see by our
selues, whose flesh dooth alter into lice; and also in shéepe for
excessiue numbers of flesh flies, if they be suffered to lie vnburied
or vneaten by the dogs and swine, who often and happilie preuent such
néedlesse generations.
As concerning bées, I thinke it good to remember, that wheras some
ancient writers affirme it to be a commoditie wanting in our Iland, it
is now found to be nothing so. In old time peraduenture we had none in
déed, but in my daies there is such plentie of them in maner euerie
where, that in some vplandish townes, there are one hundred, or two
hundred hiues of them, although the said hiues are not so huge as
those of the east countrie, but far lesse, as not able to conteine
aboue one bushell of corne, or fiue pecks at the most. Plinie (a man
that of set purpose deliteth to write of woonders) speaking of honie
noteth that in the north regions the hiues in his time were of such
quantitie, that some one combe conteined eight foot in length, & yet
(as it should séeme) he speketh not of the greatest. For in Podolia,
which is now subiect to the king of Poland, their hiues are so great,
and combes so abundant, that huge bores ouerturning and falling into
them, are drowned in the honie, before they can recouer & find the
meanes to come out.
[Sidenote: Honie.]
Our honie also is taken and reputed to be the best, bicause it is
harder, better wrought, and clenlier vesselled vp, than that which
commeth from beyond the sea, where they stampe and streine their
combs, bées, and yoong blowings altogither into the stuffe, as I haue
béene informed. In vse also of medicine our physicians and
apothecaries eschew the forren, especiallie that of Spaine and
Ponthus, by reason of a venemous qualitie naturallie planted in the
same, as some write, and choose the home made: not onelie by reason of
our soile, which hath no lesse plentie of wild thime growing therein
than in Sicilia, & about Athens, and makth the best stuffe; as also
for that it bréedeth (being gotten in haruest time) lesse choler, and
which is oftentimes (as I haue séene by experience) so white as sugar,
and corned as if it were salt. Our hiues are made commonlie of rie
straw, and wadled about with bramble quarters: but some make the same
of wicker, and cast them ouer with claie. Wée cherish none in trées,
but set our hiues somewhere on the warmest side of the house,
prouiding that they may stand drie and without danger both of the
mouse and moth. This furthermore is to be noted, that wheras in
vessels of oile, that which is néerest the top is counted the finest,
and of wine that in the middest; so of honie the best which is
heauiest and moistest is alwaies next the bottome, and euermore
casteth and driueth his dregs vpward toward the verie top, contrarie
to the nature of other liquid substances, whose groonds and léeze doo
generallie settle downewards. And thus much as by the waie of our bées
and English honie.
As for the whole bodied, as the cantharides, and such venemous
creatures of the same kind, to be abundantlie found in other
countries, we heare not of them: yet haue we béetles, horseflies,
turdbugs or borres (called in Latine _Scarabei_) the locust or the
grashopper (which to me doo séeme to be one thing, as I will anon
declare) and such like, whereof let other intreat that make an
exercise in catching of flies, but a far greater sport in offering
them to spiders. As did Domitian sometime, and an other prince yet
liuing, who delited so much to sée the iollie combats betwixt a stout
flie and an old spider, that diuerse men haue had great rewards giuen
them for their painfull prouision of flies made onelie for this
purpose. Some parasites also in the time of the aforesaid emperour,
(when they were disposed to laugh at his follie, and yet would seeme
in appearance to gratifie his fantasticall head with some shew of
dutifull demenour) could deuise to set their lord on worke, by letting
a flesh flie priuilie into his chamber, which he foorthwith would
egerlie haue hunted (all other businesse set apart) and neuer ceased
till he had caught hir into his fingers: wherevpon arose the prouerbe,
"Ne musca quidem," vttered first by Vibius Priscus, who being asked
whether anie bodie was with Domitian, answered, "Ne musca quidem,"
wherby he noted his follie. There are some cockescombs here and there
in England, learning it abroad as men transregionate, which make
account also of this pastime, as of a notable matter, telling what a
fight is séene betwene them, if either of them be lustie and
couragious in his kind. One also hath made a booke of the spider and
the flie, wherein he dealeth so profoundlie, and beyond all measure of
skill, that neither he himselfe that made it, neither anie one that
readeth it, can reach vnto the meaning therof. But if those iollie
fellows in stéed of the straw that they thrust into the flies tale (a
great iniurie no doubt to such a noble champion) would bestow the cost
to set a fooles cap vpon their owne heads: then might they with more
securitie and lesse reprehension behold these notable battels.
Now as concerning the locust, I am led by diuerse of my countrie, who
(as they say) were either in Germanie, Italie, or Pannonia, 1542, when
those nations were greatly annoied with that kind of flie, and affirme
verie constantlie, that they saw none other creature than the
grashopper, during the time of that annoiance, which was said to come
to them from the Meotides. In most of our translations also of the
bible, the word _Locusta_ is Englished a grashopper, and therevnto
Leuit. 11. it is reputed among the cleane food, otherwise Iohn the
Baptist would neuer haue liued with them in the wildernesse. In
[Sidenote: Sée _Diodorus Sicutus_.]
Barbarie, Numidia, and sundrie other places of Affrica, as they haue
beene, so are they eaten to this daie powdred in barels, and therefore
the people of those parts are called _Acedophagi:_ neuertheles they
shorten the life of the eaters by the production at the last of an
irkesome and filthie disease. In India they are thrée foot long, in
Ethiopia much shorter, but in England seldome aboue an inch. As for
the cricket called in Latin _Cicada_, he hath some likelihood, but not
verie great, with the grashopper, and therefore he is not to be
brought in as an vmpier in this case. Finallie Matthiolus, and so
manie as describe the locust, doo set downe none other forme than that
of our grashopper, which maketh me so much the more to rest vpon my
former imagination, which is, that the locust and grashopper are one.