Page:British Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fresh-water Fishes.djvu/51

INTRODUCTION never have suggested in "Pilgrim's Progress" that "a pearl may in a Toad's head dwell," even if the supposed jewel that it carries, or wears, there is its bright and beautiful eye. Shakespeare falls into grave disfavour when he refers to the Toad as being " ugly and venomous," and he perpetrates another blunder when he accuses it of "wearing a precious jewel in his head, " unless he had the animal's eye in mind when writing thus in "As You Like It." The Bard of Avon, not content with jewels, ugliness, and venom, talks of this harmless creature's "poison" in "Richard III," and emphasises the venom reference again in " King Henry VI." Pope goes one better for he describes a Toad as "spitting venom," and Chatterton prefers to say : "Ye Toads, your venom in my footpath spread." Gifford hangs, draws, and quarters our warty old friend without mercy, for in referring to one Weston, he accuses him (the said Weston) of swelling " like a filthy Toad with secret spite," and " envying the fame he cannot hope, spits his black venom at the dust of Pope. Reptile accursed." It is all very interesting, and savours in these more enlightened days of a fund of humour. Browning certainly ought to have known better for he has an unmerited reference to four creatures, of which only one is harmful, in his " Pied Piper," thus:—

{{block center|Creatures that do people harm— The Mole, and Toad, and Newt, and Viper" {{nop}} {{right|35}}