Page:In defense of Harriet Shelley, and other essays.djvu/355

 A MAJESTIC LITERARY FOSSIL

But he finds no fault with the following facts:

Remarkable is the Enmity recorded between this Creature and the Serpent, as also the Toad: Of the former it is reported, That, lying (as he thinks securely) under the Shadow of some Tree, the Spider lets herself down by her Thread, and, striking her Proboscis or Sting into the Head, with that Force and Efficacy, injecting likewise her venomous Juice, that, wringing himself about, he immediately grows giddy, and quickly after dies.

When the Toad is bit or stung in Fight with this Creature, the Lizard, Adder, or other that is poisonous, she finds relief from Plantain, to which she resorts. In her Combat with the Toad, the Spider useth the same Stratagem as with the Serpent, hang ing by her own Thread from the Bough of some Tree, and striking her Sting into her enemy s Head, upon which the other, enraged, swells up, and sometimes bursts.

To this Effect is the Relation of Erasmus, which he saith he had from one of the Spectators, of a Person lying along upon the Floor of his Chamber, in the Summer-time, to sleep in a supine Posture, when a Toad, creeping out of some green Rushes, brought just before in, to adorn the Chimney, gets upon his Face, and with his Feet sits across his Lips. To force off the Toad, says the Historian, would have been accounted sudden Death to the Sleeper; and to leave her there, very cruel and dangerous; so that upon Consultation it was concluded to find out a Spider, which, together with her Web, and the Window she was fasten d to, was brought carefully, and so contrived as to be held perpendicularly to the Man s Face; which was no sooner done, but the Spider, discovering his Enemy, let himself down, and struck in his Dart, afterwards betaking himself up again to his Web; the Toad swell d, but as yet kept his station: The second Wound is given quickly after by the Spider, upon which he swells yet more, but remain d alive still. The Spider, coming down again by his Thread, gives the third Blow; and the Toad, taking off his Feet from over the Man s Mouth, fell off dead.

To which the sage appends this grave remark, &quot;And so much for the historical Part.&quot; Then he

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