Touching venimous Wormes, Cornwall can plead no such Charter of natures exemption, as Ireland. The countrey people retaine a conceite, that the Snakes, by their breathing about a hazell wand, doe make a stone ring of blew colour, in which there appeareth the yellow figure of a Snake, & that beasts which are stung, being giuen to drink of the water wherein this stone hath bene socked, will therethrough recouer. There was such a one bestowed on me, and the giuer auowed to haue seene a part of the stick sticking in it: but Penes authorem sit sides.
This mention of Snakes, called to my remembrance, how not long since, a merry Cornish Gentleman tryed that old fable to be no fable, which sheweth the dangerous entertayning of such a ghest. For he hauing gotten one of that kind, and broken out his teeth (wherein consisteth his venome) used to carrie him about in his bosome, to set him to his mouth, to make him licke his spittle, & when he came among Gentlewomen, would cast him out suddenly, to put them in feare: but in the end, their vaine dread proued safer then his foole-hardinesse: for as he once walked alone, and was kissing this gentle playfellow, the Snake in good earnest, with a stumpe, either newly growne vp, or not fully pulled out, bit him fast by the tongue, which therewith began so to rankle and swell, that by the time hee had knocked this foule player on the head, & was come to his place of abode, his mouth was scarce able to contayne it. Fayne was he therefore to shew his mishap, and by gestures to craue ayd in earnest of the Gentlewomen, whom hee had aforetime often scared in sport.
Of all maner vermine, Cornish houses are most pestred with Rats, a brood very hurtfull for deuouring of meat, clothes, and writings by day; and alike cumbersome through their crying and ratling, while they daunce their gallop gallyards in the roofe at night.
Strangers, at their first comming into the West parts, doe complayne that they are visited with the slowe sixe-legged walkers, and yet the cleanely home-borne finde no such annoyance. It may proceed from some lurking naturall effect of the Climate; as wee read, that the trauailers who passe the Equinoctiall, doe there lose this manlike hunting vermine, and vpon their returne recouer them againe.
The other beastes which Cornwall breedeth, serue either for Venerie, or meate, or necessary vses. Beastes of Venery persecuted for their case, or dammage feasance, are Marternes, Squirrels, Foxes, Badgers, and Otters. Profitable for skinne and flesh, Hares, Conies and Deere. The Foxe planteth his dwelling in the steep cliffes by the sea side; where he possesseth holds, so many in number, so daungerous for accesse, and so full of windings, as in a maner it falleth out a matter impossible to disseyze him of this his ancient inheritance. True it is, that sometime when he marcheth abroad on forraying, to reuittaile his Male pardus, the Captaine hunters, discouering his sallies by their Espyal, doe lay their souldier-like Hounds, his borne enemies, in ambush betweene him and home, and so with Har and Tue pursue him to the death. Then master Reignard ransacketh euery corner of his wily [23] skonce, and besturreth the vtmost of his nimble stumps to quite his coate from their iawes. He crosseth brookes, to make them lose the sent, he slippeth into couerts, to steale out of sight, he casteth and coasteth the countrie, to get the start of the way; and if hee be so met, as he find himselfe ouermatched, he abideth, and biddeth them battell, first sending the myre of his tayle against their eyes, in lieu of shot, and then manfully closing at hand-blowes, with the sword of his teeth, not forgetting yet, the whiles, to make an honourable retraict, with his face still turned towardes the enemie: by which meanes, hauing once recouered his fortresse, he then gives the Fico, to all that his aduersaries can by siedge, force, myne, sword, assault, or famine, attempt against him.
The Otters, though one in kind, haue yet two seuerall places of haunt: some keepe the Cliffes, and there breede, and feede on Sea-fish, others liue in the fresh ryuers, and trade not so farre downe, who being lesse stored with prouision, make bold now and then to visite the land, and to breake their fast upon the good-mans Lambs, or the good-wiues pultrie.