Mediaeval Lore from Bartholomew AnglicusBartholomaeus, Anglicus, active 13th century
History
Mediaeval Lore from Bartholomew Anglicus
Bartholomaeus, Anglicus, active 13th century
Civilization, Medieval; Science, Medieval
And such [adders] lie in await for them that sleep: and if they find
the mouth open of them or of other beasts, then they creep in: for
they love heat and humour that they find here. But against such adders
a little beast fighteth that hight Saura, as it were a little ewt, and
some men mean that it is a lizard; for when this beast is aware that
this serpent is present, then he leapeth upon his face that sleepeth,
and scratcheth with his feet to wake him, and to warn him of the
serpent. And when this little beast waxeth old, his eyen wax blind,
and then he goeth into an hole of a wall against the east, and openeth
his eyen afterward when the sun is risen, and then his eyen heat and
take light.
This slaying adder and venomous hath wit to love and affection, and
loveth his mate as it were by love of wedlock, and liveth not well
without company. Therefore if the one is slain, the other pursueth him
that slew that other with so busy wreak and vengeance, that passeth
weening. And knoweth the slayer, and reseth on him, be he in never so
great company of men and of people, and busieth to slay him, and
passeth all difficulties and spaces of ways, and with wreak of the
said death of his mate. And is not let, ne put off, but it be by swift
flight, or by waters or rivers. Marcianus saith that the asp grieveth
not men of Africa or Moors; for they take their children that they
have suspect, and put them to these adders: and if the children be of
their kind, this adder grieveth them not, and if they be of other
kind, anon they die by venom of the adder.
An oxherd hight Bubulcus, and is ordained by office to keep oxen: He
feedeth and nourisheth oxen, and bringeth them to leas and home again:
and bindeth their feet with a langhaldes and spanells and nigheth and
cloggeth them while they be in pasture and leas, and yoketh and maketh
them draw at the plough: and pricketh the slow with a goad, and maketh
them draw even. And pleaseth them with whistling and with song, to
make them bear the yoke with the better will for liking of melody of
the voice. And this herd driveth and ruleth them to draw even, and
teacheth them to make even furrows: and compelleth them not only to
ear, but also to tread and to thresh. And they lead them about upon
corn to break the straw in threshing and treading the flour. And when
the travail is done, then they unyoke them and bring them to the
stall: and tie them to the stall, and feed them thereat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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