Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

¶Of Botrace. cap. 17.

BOtrax is called Rubeta also, and is a manner venemous frogge, & dwel∣leth both in water and in lande, as Pli∣nius saith lib. 18. cap. 32. And it is sayde, that he chaungeth his skinne in age, & eateth alway certaine hearbes, and kée∣peth and holdeth alway venime, & sight∣eth against the common spinner, and a∣gainst the spinner that is called Spalan∣gio, and ouercommeth their venime and biting by benefise of Plantaine, and his venime is accounted most cold, and sto∣nieth, therefore each member that he toucheth; it maketh lesse feeling, as it were froze, and is a venemous beast, & comforteth therefore himselfe, at each touching: and the more he is touched, the more he swelleth, and as manye speekes as he hath vnder the wombe, so many manner wise, his venimme is accompted grieuous.

And he hath eyen, as though they were site shining, and the worse he is, the more burning is his sight, & though he hath cléere eyen, yet he haleth y^e light of the Sunne, and séeketh darke places, and flyeth to dennes, when the Sunne riseth, and his beames shineth vpon the earth.

This Froggs loueth swéete hearbs, and eateth the rootes of them, but in ea∣ting, he infecteth and corrupteth both rootes and hearbes•• Therefore ofte in gardene in: Rew set, that is venime and enemye to Eoades, and to other vene∣mous wormes: for by vertue of Rew, then be chased away, and may not come to other hearbes and rootes that growe therein. The Toade loueth stinking places and dir••ie•• and hateth places with good smell and odour: and so it is sayd, that he flyeth out of the vineyard, when the vines begin to bloome, for he maye not suffer nor sustaine theyr good odour and smell. And libro. tricesimo capitu∣lo. 4. Plinius speaketh of the Toad, and sayth in this manner.

There be right venemous Frogges, that are called Rubetae, and liue among b••iers and bushes, and the more great they be, the worse they be. And some be browne, and some are reddish, and some pale, and soone yeelow, or citrine. And they meane that these wormes Rube∣tae haue double lyuer, that one is most venemous, & that other is remedie, & is giuen in stéed of Triacle against poyson and venime: and for to assay & knowe which is good and which is euill, the li∣uer is throwen into an Ant hill, then the Antes flye and voyd the venemous parte, and desire and choose that other parte, and shall be taken and kept to the vse of medicine.

And Authours tell wonders of these manner of Frogges as Plinius sayeth, and tell, that in the right side of such a Frogge, is a preuie boane, that cooleth same deale séething water, if it be thro∣wen therein: & the vessell may not heate afterwarde, but if the bone be first ta∣ken out: and Witches vse that boane to loue and hate: and they meane al∣so, that the feauer quarlane is healed thereby. And be that worme noiser so venemous, yet by burning he léeseth the mallyce of venymme, and taketh most

vertue of medicine: and ashes thereof helpe wonderfullye to recouer flesh and skinne that is happelye soft, and to make sadnesse and sinnewes, and to healyng and preseruation of wounds, if the ashes be vsed in ouer dra••ner. Looke within De Rana, in litera. R.

(Bofo the Toade; whereof are di∣ners kindes: some Toads that bréed in Italy and about Naples; haue in theyr hea••s, a stone called a Cr••po, of hignes like a big peach, but flat; of colour gray, with a browne spot in the midst, said to be of vertue. In times past; they were much Morlie, and vsed in ringes, as the forewarning against venime.)

Notes

• Additiō.