A Scorpion, as Isidore sayth, libro.••. 〈…〉 lande Wo•••, with a crooked things in the tayle, and hath that name Scorpio in Gréeke, for it stingeth with ••• tayle, and sheddeth venimme in the 〈…〉 wound. And it is his propertie, that he 〈…〉 euer nor her •o•h neuer the palme of the hand, as he sayth: And this maner scorpion commeth of Sco•te the 〈…〉 is sweet, and of 〈…〉, that is to feine, for before he feineth pleasance. By likenesse of the worme Scorpion a bush of thornes, & of briers, & knotted braun∣ches of roddes be called stinging. Also a signe in heauen is called Scorpio. For when the Sunne is in that signe, wée féele first stinging of colde. Therefore Horace sayth.
Maturina parum tunc cautos frigora ledunt.
The morow cold grieueth but litle. Also an arow that is venimed is called Scor∣pio, for when it commeth out of the bow vnto a man, & hitteth him, if sheddeth venim, & for that cause it hath that name Scorpio. And of al these it is said in this vearse following.
Scorpius est signum, vemūsque, sa∣gitta, flagellum.
The effect of this vearse is saith before. And Plin. li. 11. ca. 26. speketh of Scorpi∣ons, & saith, that they bring forth small wormes, shapen as egges, & bréedeth fer∣uent & right pestelentiall venim, as ser∣pents do. And the venim of Scorpions noieth & gréeueth thrée dayes full sore, & afterward flaseth with soft death, but it be holpen & succoured the sooner. And ye Scorpion smiteth maidens with deaths stroke, when he smiteth & stingeth them, & women also: But he smiteth not men so soone, & grieueth most & noieth in the morow tide, those yt they finde in theyr wayes, when they cōeout of their dens, or if it happeneth yt they shed venim by any smiting. The Scorpions taile is al∣way redy to smite & sting, & ceaseth in no momēt of gréeuing or noieng, if he haue any occassion or cause: & hée stingeth and smiteth a slon•, & sheddeth in the smiting white venim. Apoderus is author, & de∣scribeth many maner of gréeuous scor∣piōs by double colour, some haue stings, & among these scorpions the males bée most grieuous, & namely in time of loue, and these scorpions be smaller and lon∣ger then other. And of them all the ve∣nim is most gréeuous a little after the midst of the daye, in the great and fer∣uent heate of the Sun, and also when they thirst, and haue certeine knots or riuells in the taile, and the mo such they haue, the venim is the worse, and they Page 381 haue sometime such knots sixe or seuen. Apolodius meaneth, yt in Affrica some Scorpions haue feathers, and those bée full gréeuous: and because of winning, Inchanters gathereth venime of diuers lands, and labour for to beare these win∣ged Scorpions into Italy, but they may not liue vnder heuen within the country of Italy. But such Scorpions bée some∣time séene in Italy, but they be not grée∣uous. And in Scithia they smite blacke Swine, so that they die soone, but they bath thē in water afterward. To a man smitten of ye scorpion, ashes of scorpions burnt, dronke in wine, is remedy. Also scorpions drowned in oile, helpeth & suc∣coureth beasts that bée strong with scor∣pions. The Scorpion hurteth no Beast that hath any bloud, & some Scorpions bréed & bring forth a leauen young scor∣pions. And it is sayd, that the Scorpions eateth them sometime, but one of them that is most flie leapeth on the thigh of the Scorpionesse, and sitteth there safe & sure from the stinging of the taile, and from the biting of the mouth, and this slaieth the hée, and worketh the death of his young, and kinde ordeineth this prouision, for such a pestilentiall kinde should not multiply too much. Huc vs∣que Plinius. libro. 11. And Aristotle lib. 7. sayth, that some Scorpions doe eate some venimous thinges, and haue the worse venime, and so Dragons doe eate Scorpions, and those bée worst. A∣gainst stinging of Scorpions bée manye remedyes, as it is sayde before in libro de Venenis, where it is perfectly trea∣ted.