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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	aaron_n	bring_v	frog_n	32	3	12.8273	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13821	The historie of serpents. Or, The second booke of liuing creatures wherein is contained their diuine, naturall, and morall descriptions, with their liuely figures, names, conditions, kindes and natures of all venemous beasts: with their seuerall poysons and antidotes; their deepe hatred to mankind, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, and destruction. Necessary and profitable to all sorts of men: collected out of diuine scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: amplified with sundry accidentall histories, hierogliphicks, epigrams, emblems, and ænigmaticall obseruations. By Edvvard Topsell.	Topsell, Edward, 1572-1625?	1608 (1608)	STC 24124; ESTC S122051	444,728	331

into two parts which taile becommeth their hinder Legs wherefore the Aegyptians when they would describe a man that cannot moue himselfe and afterwardes recouereth his motion they decypher him by a frog hauing his hinder legges The heads of these young Gyrini which we call in English Horse-nailes because they resemble a Horse-naile in their similitude whose head is great and the other part small for with his taile he swimmeth After May they grow to haue feete and if before that time they bee taken out of the water they dye then they beginne to haue foure feete And first of all they are of a blacke colour and round and heereof came the Prouetbe Rana Gyrina sapientior wiser then a Horse-naile because through the roudndnesse and rolubility of his body it turneth it selfe with wonderfull celerity which way soeuer it pleaseth These young ones are also called by the Graecians Moluridae Brutichoi and Batrachida but the Latines haue no name for it except Ranunculus or Rana Nascens And it is to be remembred that one frogge layeth an innumerable company of Egges which cleaue together in the water in the middle whereof she her selfe lodgeth And thus much may suffice for the ordinary procreation of frogges by generation out of Egges In the next place I must also shew how they are likewise ingendered out of the dust of the earth by warme aestiue and Summer shevvers whose life is short and there is no vse of them Aelianus saith that as he trauailed out of Italy into Naples he saw diuers frogges by the way neere Putoli whose forepart and head did mooue and creepe but their hinder part was vnformed and like to the slyme of the earth which caused Ouid to write thus Semina limus habet virides generantia Ranas Et generat truncas pedibus eodem corpore saepe Altera pars viuit rudis est pars altera tellus That is to say Durt hath his seede ingendring Frogs full greene Yet so as feetlesse without Legs on earth they lye So as a wonder vnto Passengers is seene One part hath life the other earth full dead is nye And of these Frogs it is that Pliny was to be vnderstood when he saith that Frogs in the Winter time are resolued into slyme and in the Summer they recouer their life and substaunce againe It is certaine also that sometime it raineth frogs as may appeare by Philarchus and Lembus for Lembus writeth thus Once about Dardania and Paeonia it rained frogs in such plentifull measure or rather prodigious manner that all the houses and high-waies were filled with them and the inhabitants did first of all kill them but afterwards perceiuing no benifit thereby they shut their doores against them and stopped vp all their lights to exclude thē out of their houses leauing no passage open so much as a frog might creepe into and yet notwithstanding all this diligence their meat seething on the fire or set on the table could not be free from thē but continually they found frogs in it so as at last they were inforced to forsake that Countrey It was likewise reported that certaine Indians people of Arabia were inforced to forsake their countries through the multitude of frogs Cardan seemeth to find a reason in nature for this raining of frogges the which for the better satisfaction of the Reader I will here expresse as followeth Fiunt haec omnia ventorum ira and so forward in his 16. booke De subtilitate that is to say these prodigious raines of frogs and Mice little Fishes and stones and such like thinges is not to be wondered at for it commeth to passe by the rage of the winds in the tops of the Mountaines or the vppermost part of the Seas which many times taketh vp the dust of the earth congealeth them into stones in the ayre which afterwards fall downe in raine so also doth it take vp frogs and fishes who beeing aboue in theayre must needes fall downe againe Sometimes also it taketh vp the egges of frogs and fishes which beeing kept aloft in the ayre among the Whirle-windes and stormes of shewers doe there engender and bring forth young ones which afterwards fall downe vpon the earth there being no poole for them in the ayre These and such like reasons are approued among the learned for naturall causes of the prodigious raining of frogs But we read in holy Scripture among the plagues of Aegypt that frogges were sent by GOD to annoy them and therefore whatsoeuer is the materiall cause it is most certaine that the wrath of GOD and his almighty hand is the making or efficient cause and for the worthinesse of that deuine story how God maketh and taketh away frogs I will expresse it as it is left by the Holy-ghost in Cap. 8. Exod. verse 5. Also the Lord saide vnto Moses say thou vnto Aaron stretch out thy hand with thy rodde vpon the streames vpon the Riuers and vpon the ponds and cause frogs to come vpon the land of Egypt ver 6. Then Aaron stretched out his hand vpon the waters of Egypt and the frogs came vp couered the land of Egypt verse 7. And the Sorcerers did likewise with their Sorceries and brought frogs vp vpon the land of Aegypt Verse 8. Then Pharao called for Moses Aaron and said pray ye vnto the Lord that he may take away the frogs from mee and from my people and I will let the people goe that they may doe sacrifice to the Lord verse 9. And Moses saide vnto Pharao concerning me commaund when I shall pray for thee and thy seruants and for thy people to destroy the frogges from thee and from thy houses that they may remaine in the Riuer onely verse 10. Then he said tomorrow he answered be it as thou hast said that thou mayst know that there is none like the Lord our GOD. verse 11. So the frogges shall depart from thee and from thy houses from thy people and from thy Seruants onely they shall remaine in the Riuer verse 12. Then Moses Aaron went out from Pharao Moses cryed vnto the Lord concerning the frogs which he had sent vnto Pharao ver 13. And the Lord did according to the saying of Moses so the frogs dyed in the houses and in the Townes and in the fieldes ver 14. And they gathered them together by heapes and the land stanke of them c. And this was the second plague of Aegypt wherein the Lord turned all the fishes into Frogges as the booke of wisedome saith and the Frogs abounded in the Kinges chamber and notwithstanding this great iudgement of God for the present Pharao would not let the people goe and afterwardes that blind superstitious Nation became worshippers of Frogges as Philastrias writeth thinking by this deuotion or rather wickodnesse in this obseruant manner to pacifie the wrath of God choosing their owne wayes before the word of Almighty God But vain is that worship which is inuented without

betwixt Frogs and Mise called Batrachomiomachia hath deuised many proper names for Frogs such as these are Lyninocharis Gracediet Peleus Dust-liuer Hidromedousa Water-haunter Phusignathos Nature-cryer Hypsiboas Loud-cryer Leuthaios Lowe-liuer Poluphonos great Labourer Krambophagos Brasile-eater Lymnesios Poole-keeper Kalaminthios Mint-eater Hidrocharis Water-child Borborokoïtes noise-maker Prassaphogos Grasse-eater Pelauseas dust-creeper Pelobates dust-leaper Krawgasides drought-hater Prassaios Grasse-greene and such other like according to the witty inuention of the Author all which I thought good to name in this place as belonging to this History In the next place wee are to consider the diuersity and kindes of Frogges as they are distinguished by the place of their abode for the greatest difference is drawn from thence some of them therefore are Water-Frogges and some are Frogges of the Land the Water-Frogges liue both in the water and on the Land in Marshes standing-pooles running streames and bankes of Ryuers but neuer in the Sea and therefore Rana Marina is to be vnderstood of a Fish and not a Frog as Massarius hath learnedly prooued against Marcellus The frogs of the land are distinguished by their liuing in gardens in Meddows in hollow Rockes and among fruites all which seuerall differences shall be afterward expressed with their pictures in their due places here onely I purpose to talke of the vulgar and common frogge whose picture with her young one is formerly expressed Besides these differ in generation for some of them are engendered by carnall copulation some of the slime and rottennesse of the earth Some are of a greene colour and those are eaten in Germany and in Flanders some againe are yellow and some of an Ashe-colour some spotted and some blacke and in outward forme and fashion they resemble a Toad but yet they are without venome and the female is alwaies greater then the male when the Aegyptians will signifie an impudent man and yet one that hath a good quicke sight they picture a frogge because he liueth continually in the Mire and hath no bloud in his body but about his eyes The tongue is proper to this kinde for the fore-part thereof cleaueth to the mouth as in a fish and the hinder part to the throat by which he sendeth forth his voyce and this is to bee vnderstood that all frogges are mute and drunke except the greene frogs and the frogs of the Water for these haue voyces And many times the voyces of frogs proceedeth from the nature of the Countreyes wherein they liue for once all the frogges in Macedonia and Cyrenia were drunke vntill there were some brought thither out of some other Countries as at this day the frogges of Seriphus are all drunke whereuppon came the Prouerb Batrachos ec Seriphou A frogge of Seriphus because the frogs of that Countrey doe neuer croake although you carry them into any other Country This Seriphus is one of the Islands of the Sporades in Greece wherein is the Lake called Pierius which doth not runne in the Summer but onely in the winter and all the frogs which are cast into that lake are perpetually silent and neuer vtter their voyce whereof there are assigned two causes one Fabulous and the other true and naturall The first the Seriphians say that when Perseus returned with the head of Medusa hauing gone very far till he was weary layd him downe beside that lake to sleep but the croaking frogs made such a noyse as he could take no rest Whereat Perseus was much offended and therefore prayed Iupiter to forbid the frogs from crying who instantly heard his prayer inioyned perpetuall silence to the frogs in that water and this is the Fabulous reason being a meere fiction of the Poets The second and more true reason is that of Theophrastus who saith that for the coldnesse of the water the frogs are not able to cry in that place The voyce of frogges is said by the Latinists to bee Corare and by the Graecians Ololugon peculiar words to set forth this crying now because their tongue cleaueth to the pallet of their mouth and theyr voyce proceedeth but from their throat to their mouth and the spirit is hindered by the tongue so as it cannot proceed directly therefore it hath two bladders vppon either side of the mouth one which it filleth with wind and from thence proceedeth the voyce Now when it croaketh it putteth his head out of the water holding the neather lip euen with the water and the vpper lip aboue the water and this is the voyce of the male prouoking the female to carnall copulation They haue but very small lungs those without bloud ful of froth like to al other creatures of the water which do lay egges and for this cause they do neuer thirst wherefore also Sea-calues and Frogges are able to liue long vnder the Water They haue a double Liuer and a very small Melt their Legges behind are long which maketh them apt to leape before they are shorter hauing deuided clawes which are ioyned together with a thinne broad skinne that maketh them more apt to swimme The most place of their abode is in fennes or in warme Waters or in fish-pooles but yellow and Ashe-coloured frogs abide in Riuers Lakes and standing pooles but in the Winter time they all hyde themselues in the earth And therefore it is not true that Pliny saith that in the VVinter time they are resolued into slyme and in Summer they resume againe their first bodyes for they are to be seene many times in the winter especially in those waters that are neuer frozen as Agrecolaana Mathiolus hath soundly obserued and they haue beene seene in certaine running streames holding small fishes in their mouths as it were sucking meat out of them Sometimes they enter into their holes in Autumne before winter and in the spring time come out againe When with their croaking voyces the Male prouoketh the femall to carnall copulatiō which he performeth not by the mouth as some haue thought but by couering her backe the instrument of geneneration meeting in the hinder parts and this they performe in the night season nature teaching them the modesty or shamefastnesse of this action And besides in that time they haue more security to giue themselues to mutuall imbraces because of a generall quietnesse for men and all other their aduersaries are then at sleepe and rest After their copulation in the waters there appeareth a thicke Ielly out of which the young one is found But the Land-frogges are ingendered out of Egges of whom wee discourse at this present and therefore they both suffer copulation lay their egges and bring forth young ones on the land When the Egge breaketh or is hatched there commeth forth a little black thing like a peece of flesh which the Latines call Gyrini from the Greeke word Gyrrinos hauing no visible part of a liuing creature vpon them besides their eyes and their tailes and within short space after their feet are formed and their taile deuided

Their panch which is the greatest part of all their trunke is gray And so they vp and downe the pond made newly Frogs do play Whatsoeuer the wisedome of Frogs is according to the vnderstanding of the Poets this is certain that they signifie impudent contentious persons for this cause there is a pretty fiction in hel betwixt the two Poets Erupides Aesculus for the ending of which cotrouersie Bacchus was sent downe to take the worthyest of them out of Hell into Heauen and as he went ouer Charones Ferry he heard nothing but the croaking of Frogges for such contentious spirits doe best befitte Hell And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of the wisedome of Frogs Their common enimies are the Weasels Poule-cats and Ferrets for these do gather them together and lay of them great heapes within their dens whereupon they feede in Winter The Hearne also and Bittor is a common destroyer of Frogges and so likewise are some kind of Kites The Night-Birds Gimus and Gimeta the Water-Snake at whose presence in token of extreame terrour the Frogge setteth vppe her voyce in lamentable manner The Moles are also enemies to Frogs it is further said that if a burning Candle be set by the water side during the croaking of Frogs it will make them hold their peace Men do also take Frogs for they were wont to baite a hooke with a little red wooll or a peece of red cloth also the gall of a Goat put into a vessell and set in the earth will quickly draw vnto it all the Frogs that be neare it as if it were vnto them a very gratefull thing And thus much shal suffice to haue spoken of the enemies of frogs Now in the next place we are to consider the seuerall Vses both naturall Medicinall and Magicall which men do make of Frogs And first of all the Greene Frogs and some of the yellow which liue in flouds Riuers Lakes and Fish-pooles are eaten by men although in ancient time they were not eaten but onely for Physicke for the broth wherein they were sod the flesh also was thought to haue vertue in it to cure thē which were strucken by any venomous-creeping-beast especially mixed with Salt and Oyle but since that time Aetius discommendeth the eating of Frogs prouing that some of them are venomous and that by eating thereof extream vomits hath followed and they can neuer be good except when they are newly taken their skins diligently flayed off and those also out of pure running waters and not out of muddy stinking puddles and therefore aduiseth to forbeare in plenty of other meate this wanton eating of Frogs as thinges perilous to life and health and those Frogs also which are most white when the skin is taken off are most dangerous fullest of venom according to the cousell of Fiera saying vltima sed nostros non accessura lebetes Noluimus succi est pluuij limosa maligni Ni saliat putris ranae parabatiter Irata est ad huc rauca coaxat aquis In English thus We will not dresse a Frog vnlesse the last of all to eate Because the iuyce thereof is muddy and of raine vncleane Except it go on earth prepared way to leape For angry it euer is and hath hoarse voyce amid the streame They which vse to eate frogs fall to haue a colour like Lead and the hotter the countries are the more venomous are the Frogs in colder Countries as in Germany they are not so harmefull especially after the spring of the yeare and their time of copulation passed Besides with the flesh of frogs they were wont in ancient time to baite their hookes wherewithall they did take Purple Fishes and they did burne the young Frogs putting the powder thereof into a Cat whose bowels was taken out then rosting the Cat after she was rosted they annointed her all ouer with Hony then laide her by a wood side by the odour and sauour whereof all the Wolues and Foxes lodging in the said Wood were allured to come vnto it and then the hunters lying ready in wait did take destroy kill them When Frogs do croak about their vsuall custome either more often or more shrill then they were wont to do they do foreshew raine and tempestuous weather Wherefore Tully saith in his first book of Diuination who is it that can suspect or once thinke that the little Frogge should know thus much but there is in them an admirable vnderstanding nature constant and open to it selfe but more secrets obscure to the knowledge of men and therefore speaking to the Frogs he citeth these verses Vos quoque signa videtis aquai dulcis alumnae Cum clamore paratis inanes fundere voces Absurdoque sono fontes stagna cietis In English thus And you O water-birds which dwell in streames so sweet Do see the signes whereby the weather is foretold Your crying voyces wherewith the waters are repleate Vaine sounds absurdly mouing pooles and fountaines cold And thus much for the naturall vse of Frogs Now followeth Magicall It is said that if a man take the tongue of a Water-Frog and laie it vpon the head of one that is asleep he shall speake in his sleep reueile the secrets of his hart but if he will know the secrets of a woman then must hee cut it out of the Frog aliue and turne the Frog away againe making certaine Charactars vpon the Frogs tongue and so lay the same vppon the panting of a womans hart and let him aske her what questions he will she shall answer vnto him all the truth reueale all the secret faults that euer she hath committed Now if this magicall foolery were true we had more need of Frogs then of Iustices of Peace or Magistrates in the common-wealth But to proceede a little further and to detect the vanity of these men they also say that the staffe wherewith all a Frog is strucke our of a Snakes mouth laide vpon a woman in trauaile shall cause an easie deliuerance and if a man cut off a foot of a frog as he swims in the water and binde the same to one that hath the gout it will cure him And this is as true as a shoulder of Mutton worne in ones Hat healeth the tooth-ach Some againe doe write that if a Woman take a Frogge and spit three times in her mouth she shall not conceiue with Childe that yeare Also if Dogges eate the Pottage wherein a Frogge hath beene sodde it maketh him dumbe and cannot barke And if a man cast a sodde Frogge at a Dogge vvhich is ready to assault him it will make him runne away I thinke as fast an olde hungry Horse from a bottle of Hay These and such like vanities haue the Auncient Heathens ignorant of GOD firmely beleeued till eyther experience disapprooued theyr inuentions or the sincere knovvledge of Religion in lightening theyr darkenesse made them to forsake theyr former vaine errours vvhich

I vvould to GOD hadde come sooner vnto them that so they might neuer haue sinned or else beeing now come vnto vs theyr Children I pray GOD that it may neuer bee remoued least by trusting in lying vanityes wee forsake our owne mercy And so an end of the Magycall Vses Novv vve proceede to the Medicinall in the byting of euery venomous creature Frogges sod or roasted are profitable especially the broth if it be giuen to the sicke person without his knowledge mixed with Oyle and Salt as wee haue said already The flesh of Water-frogs is good against the byting of the Sea-hare the Scorpion and all kind of Serpents against Leprosie and scabs and rubbed vpon the body it doth cure the same The broath taken into the body with rootes of Sea-halme expelleth the Salamander so also the Egges of the frogge and the egges of the Tortoyce hath the same operation being sod with Calamynth The little Frogs are an antidote against the Toades and great Frogges Albertus also among other remedies prescribeth a Frogge to bee giuen to sicke Faulkcons or Hawkes It is also good for crickes in the necke or the Cramp The same sod with Oyle caseth the paines and hardnesse of the ioynts and sinnewes they are likewise giuen against an old Cough and with old Wine and sod Corne drunke out of the Vessell wherein they are sod they are profitable against the Drosie but with the sharpest Vineger Oyle and spume of Niter sod together by rubbing and annoynting cureth all scabs in Horses and pestelent tumours There is an Oyle likewise made out of Frogs which is made in this manner they take a pound of Frogges and put them into a vessell or glasse and vppon them they poure a pinte of Oyle so stopping the mouth of the glasse they seeth it as they do the Oyle of serpents with this they cure the shrinking of the sinnewes and the hot gout they prouoke sleep and heale the inflammations in Feauers by annointing the Temples The effect of this Oyle is thus described by Serenus Sape ita per vadit vis frigoris ac tenet artus Vt vix quaesito medicamine pulsa recedat Si ranam ex oleo decoxeris abijce carnem Membra foue That is to say Often are the sinnewes held by force inuading cold Which scarce can be repelled backe by medicines tried might Then seeth a Frogge in purest oyle as ancients vs haue told So bath the members sicke therein Frogs flesh cast out of sight And againe in another place he speaking of the cure of a Feuer writeth thus Sed prius est oleo partus feruescere Ranae In triuijs illoque artus perducere succo In English thus But first let Oyle make hot young Frogs new found In waies therewith bring sinnewes weake to weale full sound To conclude it were infinite needlesse to expresse all that the Physitions haue obserued about the Medicines rysing out of the bloud fat flesh eyes hart Liuer gall Intrals Legs and sperme of Frogs besides powders and distillations therefore I will not weary the Reader nor giue occasion to ignorant men to bee more bold vppon my writing of Physicke then is reason least that be said against mee which prouerbially saide of vnnecessary thinges Ranis vinum ministras you giue Wine to Frogges which haue neither neede nor nature to drinke it for they delight more in water And so I conclude the History of this vulgar Frogge OF THE GREENE FROG THis frog is called Calamites and Dryophytes and Mantis and Rana virens In Arabia Blefaricon and Cucunoines and Cucumones Irici Ranulae Brexantes of Brex-ein to raine thereof commeth the fained word of Aristophanes Brekekekex Koax but I thinke that as our English word Frogge is deriued from the German word Frosch so the Germaines Frosch from this Greeke word Brex It is called also Zamia that is Damnum losse hurt or damage because they liue in trees and many times hatme men and Cattle vnderneath the trees and therefore called Zamiae of the Greeke word Zemia The Italians call it Racula Ranocchia Lo Ranouoto Ranonchia de rubetto The French Croissetz and sometimes Graisset Verdier in Sauoy Renogle In Germany Loubfrosch In Poland Zaba Trawna Some of the Latines for difference sake call it Rana Rubeta because it liueth in trees and bushes and for the same cause it also called Calamites because it liueth among reeds and Dryopetes because it falleth sometime out of trees It is the least of all other Frogs liueth in trees or among fruites and trees especially in the woods of Hasels or Vines for with his shorte Legges it climbeth the highest trees insomuch that some haue thought it hadd winges It is greene all ouer the body except the feete and the fingers which are of dusty or reddish colour and the toppes of his nailes or clawes are blunt and round In the dissection therof there was bloud found in euery part of the body and yet but little The Heart of it is white the Liuer blacke mixed with the Gall. It hath also a Melt and in the end of Iuly it layeth Egges It is a venemous beast for sometimes Cattle as they brouse vppon trees do swallovv down one of these vpon the leaues not discerning it because it is of the same colour but presently after they haue eaten it their bellyes begin to swell which must needes proceed from the poysoned Frogge A second reason prooueth it to bee venomous is for that many Authors doe affirme that hereof is made the Psilothrum for the drawing out of teeth by the roots and for this cause is concluded to bee venomous because this cannot bee performed without stronge poyson But for the cure of the poyson of this Frogge wee shall expresse it afterward in the History of the Toade and therefore the Reader must not expect it in this place Alwaies before raine they climbe vppe vpon the trees and there cry after a hoarse manner very much which caused the Poet Serenus to call it Rauco garrula questu at other times it is mute and hath no voyce vvherefore it is more truely called Mantis that is a Prophet or a Deuiner then any other kinde of Frogge because other Frogges which are not altogether mute doe cry both for feare and also for desire of carnall copulation but this neuer cryeth but before raine Some haue beene of opinion that this is a dumbe Frogge and therefore Vincentius Belluacensis saith that it is called a mute Frog from the effect for there is an opinion that this put into the mouth of a Dog maketh him dumbe which if it bee true it is an Argument of the extreame poyson therein contained ouercomming the nature of the Dogge whose cheefest sences are his tast and his smelling And thus much shall suffice for the description of this Frog The medicinall vertues obserued herein are these that follow First if a man which hath a cough do spet into the mouth of this Frogge it is thought that it