Here begins the account of fish.

Major initial 'P', type 3, marks the start of fish. 'V' in margin is colour indicator for dark pink. A page is missing after f.72v which should contain the end of fish and the start of whale. The Ashmole Bestiary has a fine picture of a whale in this location (f. 86v).

Major initial ‘P’, type 3, marks the start of fish. ‘V’ in margin is colour indicator for dark pink. A page is missing after f.72v which should contain the end of fish and the start of whale. The Ashmole Bestiary has a fine picture of a whale in this location (f. 86v).

Whale, Ashmole Bestiary.

Whale, Ashmole Bestiary.

This is an incredibly long entry, with a great deal of misinformation.

Text Translation:

Here begins the account of fish. Fish, pisces, get their name, like cattle, pecus, from the word for grazing, namely, pascere. They are called reptiles because, when they swim, they have the appearance and manner of crawling. Although they can dive deep, nevertheless they crawl as they swim. On this subject David says: ‘So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable’ (Psalms, 104: 25)

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Here begins the account of worms.

The next section of creatures, basically insects, otherwise called worms, is heralded by the major initial letter, type 3.

The next section of creatures, basically insects, otherwise called worms, is heralded by the major initial letter, type 3.

Text Translation:

Here begins the account of worms. The worm is a creature which generally springs from flesh, or wood or some other earthly material, but not as the result of intercourse, although occasionally they are hatched from eggs, like the scorpion.

There are worms that live in earth or in water, in air, in flesh, in leaves or in wood, or in clothes. The spider, aranea, is a worm of the air, and gets its name from the fact that it lives on air; it draws out long threads from its small body, and devotes itself continually to spinning its web, never ceasing to toil, constantly suffering loss in its art.

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Of The Nature Of Snakes.

The snake squeezes through a slot in a narrow tower. The straightforward snake is nonethless shown with wings. Although the text says the snake goes through a rima (crack) in a rock, most of the second family of Bestiaries show the snake going through a masonry tower. This image appeared due to a misreading of the word rima for ruina (ruin).

The snake squeezes through a slot in a narrow tower. The straightforward snake is nonethless shown with wings. Although the text says the snake goes through a rima (crack) in a rock, most of the second family of Bestiaries show the snake going through a masonry tower. This image appeared due to a misreading of the word rima for ruina (ruin).

Text Translation:

Of the nature of snakes. The snake has three characteristics. The first of these is that when it grows old, its eyes grow dim; if it wants to regain its youth, it fasts for many days until its skin grows loose; then it seeks out a narrow crack in a rock, enters it, and scrapes through, sloughing off its old skin. Let us, too, through much affliction and abstinence in Christ’s name, slough off our former self and garb, and seek Christ, the spiritual rock, and the narrow crack, that is ‘the strait gate’ (Matthew, 7:13).

The snake’s second characteristic is this: when it comes to a river to drink water, it does not bring its venom with it, but discharges it into a pit. When we come together in church, drinking in the living, eternal water, to hear God’s heavenly word, we too should get rid of our venom, that is, earthly and evil desires.

The snake’s third characteristic is this: if it sees a naked man, it fears him; if it sees him clothed, it attacks him. In the same way, we are to understand in spiritual terms, that for as long as Adam, the first man, was naked in Paradise, the serpent was unable to attack him; but after he was clothed, that is, in mortal flesh, then the serpent assaulted him. If you are clad in mortal clothes, that is, in your former self, and if you have grown old in evil days, the serpent attacks you. If, however, you divest yourself of the robes of princes and of the power of the darkness of this world, then the serpent, that is, the Devil, cannot attack you.

The snake, at the onset of blindness, wards it off by eating fennel. Thus, when it feels its eyes growing dim, it has recourse to remedies it knows, knowing that it can rely on their effect. The tortoise, when it feeds on the snake’s entrails and becomes aware of the venom spreading through its own body, cures itself with oregano. If a snake tastes the spittle of a fasting man, it dies.

Pliny says:It is believed that if the head of a snake escapes, even if only two fingers’ length of the body is attached, it continues to live. For this reason it places its whole body in the way to protect its head against its assailants. All snakes suffer from poor sight; they can rarely see what is in front of them. This is not without reason, since their eyes are not at the front but in the temples of the head, so that they hear better than they see. No creature moves its tongue as swiftly as the snake, to such an extent that it seems to have a triple tongue, when in fact there is only one.

The bodies of snakes are moist, so that wherever they go, they mark their path with moisture. The tracks of snakes are such that, since they seem to lack feet, they crawl using their flanks and the pressure of their scales, which are laid out in the same pattern from the throat to the lowest part of the belly. For they support themselves on their scales as if on claws, and on their flanks as if on legs. As a result, if a snake is struck on any part of the body, from the belly to the head, it is disabled and cannot get away quickly, because where the blow falls, it dislocates the spine, through which the foot-like movement of the flanks and the motion of the body are activated.

Snakes are said to live for a long time, to such an extent that it also claimed that when they shed their old skins, they shed their old age and regain their youth. The snake’s skin is called exuvie, because they shed it, exuere, when they grow old. We refer to clothing as both exuvie and induvie because it is both taken off, exuere, and put on, induere.

Pythagoras says that the snake is created from the marrow of dead men, which is to be found in the spine. Ovid has the same point in mind in the Metamorphoses, when he says: ‘There are those who believe that when the spine has rotted in the grave, the human marrow changes into a snake’. This, if it can be believed, has a certain justice, for as the snake brings about the death of man, so it is created by the death of man.

Folio 71r – the newt, continued. De natura serpentium; Of the nature of snakes.

Salamander, Saura, Newt.

The tree writhes with salamanders; a salamander poisons a well; salamanders leap from flames; a man lies poisoned at the foot of the tree. The image of a man lying dead at the foot of a tree relates to the Tree of Jesse iconography. Above him a salamander plunges into a tub, an episode illustrated in Bern 318 f. 14v. The other salamanders are poisoning fruit in a tree and surviving in a fire. In certain conditions a bonfire can appear to be releasing live, red, wriggling snakes when the wood is damp and the flying sparks carry long red tails. The saura goes blind, enters a crack in the wall, faces the sun and regains its sight. The stellio or newt has spots over his body.

The tree writhes with salamanders; a salamander poisons a well; salamanders leap from flames; a man lies poisoned at the foot of the tree. The image of a man lying dead at the foot of a tree relates to the Tree of Jesse iconography. Above him a salamander plunges into a tub, an episode illustrated in Bern 318 f. 14v. The other salamanders are poisoning fruit in a tree and surviving in a fire. In certain conditions a bonfire can appear to be releasing live, red, wriggling snakes when the wood is damp and the flying sparks carry long red tails.
The saura goes blind, enters a crack in the wall, faces the sun and regains its sight. The stellio or newt has spots over his body.

The tree writhes with salamanders; a salamander poisons a well; salamanders leap from flames; a man lies poisoned at the foot of the tree. The image of a man lying dead at the foot of a tree relates to the Tree of Jesse iconography. Above him a salamander plunges into a tub, an episode illustrated in Bern 318 f. 14v. The other salamanders are poisoning fruit in a tree and surviving in a fire. In certain conditions a bonfire can appear to be releasing live, red, wriggling snakes when the wood is damp and the flying sparks carry long red tails. The saura goes blind, enters a crack in the wall, faces the sun and regains its sight. The stellio or newt has spots over his body.

The tree writhes with salamanders; a salamander poisons a well; salamanders leap from flames; a man lies poisoned at the foot of the tree. The image of a man lying dead at the foot of a tree relates to the Tree of Jesse iconography. Above him a salamander plunges into a tub, an episode illustrated in Bern 318 f. 14v. The other salamanders are poisoning fruit in a tree and surviving in a fire. In certain conditions a bonfire can appear to be releasing live, red, wriggling snakes when the wood is damp and the flying sparks carry long red tails.
The saura goes blind, enters a crack in the wall, faces the sun and regains its sight. The stellio or newt has spots over his body.

Text Translation:

Of the salamander The salamander is so called because it is proof against fire. Of all poisonous creatures, it has the strongest poison. Other poisonous creatures kill one at a time; it can kill several things at the same time. For if it has crawled into a tree, it poisons all the apples and kills those who eat them. In addition, if it falls into a well, the strength of its poison kills those who drink the water. It resists fire and alone among creatures can put fires out. For it can exist in the midst of flames without pain and without being consumed by them, not only because it does not burn but because it puts the fire out.

Of the snake called the saura The saura is a lizard which goes blind when it grows old; it enters a crack in a wall and, looking toward the east, it bends its gaze on the rising sun and regains its sight. Of the newt The newt, stellio, gets its name from its colouring. For it is adorned on its back with shining spots like stars, stella. Ovid says of it: ‘Its name fits its colour; it is starred on the body with spots of various colours’ (see Ovid, Metamorphoses, 5, 461). It is said to be so hostile to scorpions, that the sight of it paralyses them with fear. There are other species of snakes, like the admodite, elephantia, camedracontes. Finally, it can be said that snakes inflict as many kinds of death as they have names.

All snakes are cold by nature; they will only strike you when their body warms up. For as long as it is cold, they will touch no-one. As a result, their poison is more harmful by day than by night. For they become sluggish in the cold of the night; and rightly so, because they grow cold in the night-time dew. For the deathly cold and freezing weather draw off the warmth of the body. Thus in winter they lie inactive in their nests; in summer, they grow lively again. So, if you are struck by a snake’s poison, you are numbed at first; then, when the venom warms up and begins to burn, it kills you at once. Their poison is called ‘venom’, venenum, because it spreads through your veins. For when its deathly effect is introduced, it courses in every direction through the veins, increased by the quickening of the body, and drives out life. As a result, poison cannot hurt unless it infects your blood. Lucan says: ‘The poison of snakes is only deadly when mixed with the blood’ (Pharsalia, 9, 614). All poison is cold; as a result, the soul, which is by nature hot, flees from the poison’s icy touch. In terms of the natural qualities which we observe that we, reasoning beings, share with animals, who have no capacity for reason, the serpent stands out by virtue of its lively intelligence. On this subject, it says in Genesis: ‘Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field’ (3:1).

Folio 70r – the salamander, continued. De saura serpente; Of the serpent called the saura.

Cancer Chronicles 7: Shock & Silences.

The first day of chemo outfit: shirt with skulls, bag to match. The rest: black jeans, knee high Doc Martens lace ups.

The first day of chemo outfit: shirt with skulls, bag to match. The rest: black jeans, knee high Doc Martens lace ups, bright red hooded coat.

What your port looks like in use.

What your port looks like in use.

That is the giant pump which has to be attached to my port for two days. It’s 6″ in length and 7″ in diameter. They need to hire some people from Intel, it would miniaturized in no time. Has to be above the waist at all times. The other stuff is what I need to flush the port after disengaging the pump.

Cancer. The shock of it all didn’t set in until this past Monday (22nd). That’s when I felt like I was going to fall apart, and it was hard to keep tears at bay. My oncologist asked me if I wanted to start chemo this week or next; I replied “now is best, because I’m at the point of running away and not coming back.” Doc thought I was joking, but I wasn’t. I really wanted to run. So, yesterday was my first chemo day. My schedule will at least be less hectic for a while, and I’m grateful for that one.

Before I talk about the chemo, I want to briefly address reactions to CANCER. There will be a fair amount of people who you thought would have at least given you a “oh, that sucks”, but instead, don’t acknowledge the CANCER or you, in any way at all. If you’re newly diagnosed, don’t be surprised by that. A lot of people simply will not acknowledge or address the issue. There are other unexpected reactions too. Yesterday, stopped by my pharmacy to pick up Dexamethasone, and one of my pharmacists started crying when she found out I had cancer. That made me crumple up inside, and I felt awful for making her feel awful. For the most part, supportive friends and family are right there for you, and you can get to know your fellow travelers in treatment, too.

Okay, chemo. In my hospital, the chemo suite is called The Infusion Center. Long room, more like a very large, central hall, lined with individual stations. Each station has a comfortable recliner, a chair side table, IV stand to one side, and an overhead, swivel mount television with earphones. There’s a stack of extra chairs for whoever you bring with you. You go in, sit down, sign a bunch of forms, and repeat your surname and birth date for the zillionth fucking time. I’m seriously contemplating giving my birthdate as Fall 1529. I don’t think medical would be amused. Every single person you talk to, “okay, give me your name and birth date”. I know they don’t want to make mistakes, but fuck me, I’m beyond tired of it. Being a smart-ass helps, which is why I went with a skull theme. It was mostly appreciated by med staff. ETA: my infusion center comes with a nurse who never shuts up. (I was seated across from the nurses station.) Headphones and your choice of at least 4 hours of music: a very good thing.

I got all the lectures about Oxaliplatin, in particular, the cold sensitivity and possibility of peripheral neuropathy.  So far, I seem to have escaped those effects, but it’s early days yet. I have not come close to drinking as much fluid as I have been instructed to do, and I’m still pissing like an overhydrated horse. Which reminds me, forgot to get Kool-Aid. There’s only so much apple juice a person can take.

After chemo, I was feeling starved, so we ate, then we had to do a bit of shopping. I was feeling okay enough to do that, but having that giant capsule swinging about was a right pain in the arse. I was a bit antsy because I had not remembered to take my immodium with me, and while I didn’t really have that “ohgodsfuck diarrhea” sensation, I did have a weird one, which could be best described as the tumour playing at being Jack Nicholson axing his way through the door in The Shining. Just a vague sort of terror that the tumour might do something utterly mortifying while in public. So, remember to pack all the little stuff if you’re going to be out and about after chemo.

Going home, I could not keep my eyes open. I stumbled into the house, managed to shed clothes, and fall on the bed, got the giant capsule tucked under the pillow, and was out like a light for several hours. Woke up, ate too many fudge brownies, went back to bed, read Book of the Night by Oliver Pötzsch, a wonderfully fun book, went back to sleep. Biggest effects so far: crampy, tired, acid reflux and really sore leg muscles for some reason. That set in rather early in the infusion center. Other than that, okay. I’ll be right happy to get rid of this damn capsule on Friday, seriously bad design flourishes in the medical industry. Initially, they wanted me back on Friday to have the pump removed, but when we told them that was not convenient, I got instructions to do it all myself.

Still have the nasty butt pain, and can’t go unmedicated for very long, which is on the annoying side, but I’ll live. Hahaha. I feel another nap coming on…

ETA: Food. Stock up on frozen foods, and easy to prepare stuff, like cottage cheese with fruit or veg. Have things like chicken salad prepared, and bread in the house. If someone loves you to pieces and can cook, have them do up some casseroles for you. The easier it is to eat, the more likely it is you’ll actually do that. You’re much more likely to decide eating is not so important if you wander into the kitchen, and decide you really don’t want to be cooking. Also, stock up on all the ‘bad for ya’ stuff: ice cream, brownies, muffins, cup cakes, banana bread, what have you. If you have colon cancer, by the time you get to radiation, they’ll tell you to do a low fiber diet, which is basically all the stuff which is typically considered bad: white breads, pancakes, pasta, butter, cream, cheese, and so on. Having plenty of goodies around is a way to easily pig out when you’re feeling like it.

Siren, Seps, Lizard.

The speedy siren is at the top of the page. The small seps is seen in profile. The lizard has legs as well as arms.

The speedy siren is at the top of the page. The small seps is seen in profile. The lizard has legs as well as arms.

The speedy siren is at the top of the page. The small seps is seen in profile. The lizard has legs as well as arms.

The speedy siren is at the top of the page. The small seps is seen in profile. The lizard has legs as well as arms.

Text Translation:

Of sirens. In Arabia there are white snakes, with wings, called sirens, which cover the ground faster than horses, but are also said to fly. Their is poison is so strong that if you are bitten by it you die before you feel the pain.

[Of the seps] The seps is a small snake which consumes with its poison not just the body but the bones. The poet refers to it as: ‘The deadly seps, that destroys the bones with the body’ (Lucan, Pharsalia, 9, 723).

[Of the dipsa] The dipsa is a snake which is said to be so small that you tread on it without seeing it. Its poison kills you before you feel it, with the result that the face of anyone dying in this way shows no sadness from the anticipation of death. The poet says of it: ‘So Aulus, a standard-bearer of Etruscan blood, trod on a dipsa, and it drew back its head and bit him. He had hardly any pain or feeling of the bite’ (Lucan, Pharsalia, 9, 737).

Of the lizard. The lizard is called a kind of reptile, because it has arms. There are many kinds of lizards, such as the botrax, the salamander, the saura and the newt. The botruca is so called because it has the face of a frog and the Greek word for ‘frog’ is botruca.

Folio 69v – the iaculus, continued. De sirenis; Of sirens. [De sepe]; Of the seps. [De dipsade]; Of the dipsa. De lacerto; Of the lizard. De salamandra; Of the salamander.

Boa, Jaculus.

The boa is designed as a spiral coiled lizard, with wings and feet. The jaculus, which is a snake that flies from trees, is shown as a lifeless stick.

The boa is designed as a spiral coiled lizard, with wings and feet. The jaculus, which is a snake that flies from trees, is shown as a lifeless stick.

Text Translation:

Of the snake called boas. The boas is a snake found in Italy; it is of a vast weight; it follows flocks of cattle and of gazelles, fastens on their udders when they are full of milk and sucking on these, kills the animals; from its ravaging of oxen, bos, it has got its name boas. Of the iaculus fly’ (Pharsalia, 9, 720). For they spring into trees and when anything comes their way, throw themselves on it and kill it. As a result, they are called iaculi, ‘javelin-snakes’.

Folio 69r – the ydrus, continued. De boa angue; Of the snake called boas.

Scitalis, Amphisbaena, Ydrus.

Three pictures. The scitalis has a dog's head, wings and two feet. The anphivena is shown with two heads, wings and claws. The ydrus is killing a crocodile by crawling into its mouth and tearing it apart.

Three pictures. The scitalis has a dog’s head, wings and two feet. The anphivena is shown with two heads, wings and claws. The ydrus is killing a crocodile by crawling into its mouth and tearing it apart.

Three pictures. The scitalis has a dog's head, wings and two feet. The anphivena is shown with two heads, wings and claws. The ydrus is killing a crocodile by crawling into its mouth and tearing it apart.

Three pictures. The scitalis has a dog’s head, wings and two feet. The anphivena is shown with two heads, wings and claws. The ydrus is killing a crocodile by crawling into its mouth and tearing it apart.

Three pictures. The scitalis has a dog's head, wings and two feet. The anphivena is shown with two heads, wings and claws. The ydrus is killing a crocodile by crawling into its mouth and tearing it apart.

Three pictures. The scitalis has a dog’s head, wings and two feet. The anphivena is shown with two heads, wings and claws. The ydrus is killing a crocodile by crawling into its mouth and tearing it apart.

Text Translation:

Of the snake called scitalis The snake called scitalis gets its name because it glitters with such a variety of colour on its back that it slows down those who look at it on account of its markings. And because it is not a keen crawler and cannot overtake the prey it pursues, it catches those who are stunned by the marvel of its appearance. It gets so hot that even in winter it casts off its burning skin, something to Lucan refers: The scitalis alone can shed its skin while the rime is still scattered over the ground’ (Pharsalia, 9, 717).

Of the anphivena The anphivena is so called because it has two heads, one where its head should be, the other on its tail; it moves quickly in the direction of either of its head, with its body forming a circle. Alone among snakes it faces the cold and is the first to come out of hibernation. Lucan, again, says of it: ‘The fell amphisbaena, that moves towards each of its two heads’ (Pharsalia, 9, 719). Its eyes glow like lamps.

Of the ydrus A creature lives in the River Nile which is called idrus, because it lives in water. For the Greek word for water is idros Thus it is called aquatilis serpens, ‘water-snake’. Those who are bitten by it swell up, a sickness called by some boa, because it can be cured by the dung of an ox, bos. The idra is a dragon with many heads of the kind that lived on the island, or marsh, of Lerna in the province of Arcadia. It is called in Latin excedra because when one of its heads is cut off, three grow in its place. This is a myth, however, for it is accepted that the hydra was a place where water gushed out, destroying the town nearby; where, as one outlet was closed up, many others burst open. Seeing this, Hercules drained the marsh and so closed the water-spouts. For the word idra is so called from the Greek word for water.

The idrus is a worthy enemy of the crocodile and has this characteristic and habit: when it sees a crocodile sleeping on the shore, it enters the crocodile through its open mouth, rolling itself in mud in order to slide more easily down its throat. The crocodile therefore, instantly swallows the idrus alive. But the idrus, tearing open the crocodile’s intestines, comes out whole and unharmed.

For this reason death and hell are symbolised by the crocodile; their enemy is our Lord Jesus Christ. For taking human flesh, he descended into hell and, tearing open its inner parts, he led forth those who were unjustly held there. He destroyed death itself by rising from the dead, and through the prophet mocks death, saying:’O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction’ (Hosea, 13:14).

Folio 68v – De scitali serpente; Of the snake called scitalis. De anphivena; Of the anphivena. De ydro; Of the ydrus.

Asp.

The asp is avoiding the sound of a snake charmer by putting one ear to the ground and putting his tail in the other ear. The snake charmer is protecting himself with a shield and stick.

The asp is avoiding the sound of a snake charmer by putting one ear to the ground and putting his tail in the other ear. The snake charmer is protecting himself with a shield and stick.

Text Translation:

Of the asp. The asp, aspis, is so called because it injects poisons with its bite, spreading them throughout the body. For the Greek word for poison is ios, and from this comes the word aspis, because it kills with a poisonous bite. It moves quickly with its mouth always open and emitting vapour. There are various kinds and species of asps which inflict harm with different effects. It is said that when the asp begins to endure a snake-charmer summoning it with music designed for that purpose, to bring it out of its cave, and it does not want to come out, it presses one ear to the ground, and blocks and covers the other with its tail, and deaf to those magic sounds, does not go out to the man who is charming him.

Of a similar nature are the men of this world, who close one ear with earthly desires. The other they block with their deeds, lest they hear the voice of the Lord saying: ‘Whosoever he be of you that foresaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple or servant’ (see Luke, 14:33). Asps do no more than merely close their ears. Men of this world blind their eyes lest they see heaven and are reminded of the works of the Lord.

The dissa is a kind of asp, called situla in Latin, because those it bites die of thirst, sitis. There is a kind of asp called ypnalis, because it kills you by sending you to sleep. It was this snake that Cleopatra applied to herself, and was released by death as if by sleep. The emorrosis is an asp, so called because it kills by making you sweat blood. If you are bitten by it, you grow weak, so that your veins open and your life is drawn forth in your blood. For the Greek word for ‘blood’ is emath. The prester is an asp that moves quickly with its mouth always open and emitting vapour, as the poet recalled like this: ‘The greedy prester that opens wide its foaming mouth’ (Lucan, Pharsalia, 9, 722). If it strikes you, you swell up and die of gross distention, for the swollen body putrefies immediately after.

The spectaficus is an asp which, when it bites a man, destroys him, so that he turns entirely into fluid in the snake’s mouth. The cerastis, is so called because it has horns on its head like a ram’s. For the Greek word for ‘horns’ is ceraste. It has a set of four small horns and, displaying them, it persuades animals that they are good to eat, then kills its prey; for it covers its entire body with sand, so that no trace of it shows, except the part with which it catches the birds or animals it has attracted. It bends more than other snakes, so that it seems to have no spine.

Folio 67v – the viper, continued. De aspide; Of the asp.

Viper.

As indicated by the text, the male viper spits its seed into the female's mouth. The young gnaw their way out of their mother's side.

As indicated by the text, the male viper spits its seed into the female’s mouth. The young gnaw their way out of their mother’s side.

This entry turned into quite the misogynistic diatribe, with a mild smack on the hand to men.

Text Translation:

Of the viper. The viper is so called because the female gives birth with force, vi pariat. For when her belly aches with labour pains, her young do not wait to be released at the right time according to nature, but gnawing through her sides burst forth, leaving their mother dead. They say that the male spits his seed into the female, with his head inserted in her mouth. Mad with lust she bites it off. Thus it comes about that both parents die; the male during intercourse; the female at birth. Saint Ambrose says of the viper that it the vilest kind of creature and more cunning than the whole serpent species. When it feels the desire for intercourse, it goes in search of a lamprey already known to it or prepares to copulate with a new partner. It goes to the shore and makes its presence known with a hiss, inviting her to its conjugal embrace. The lamprey, once invited, does not demur and shares with the poisonous snake the union it seeks.

What should these words signify to us if not that we should put up with the behaviour of our partner, and even if his whereabouts cannot be discovered, we are to behave as if he were present? Let him be harsh, deceitful, uncouth, unreliable, drunken: are any of these things worse than the poison from which the lamprey, in intercourse, does not shrink? When she is invited, she is not found wanting and embraces the slimy snake with sincere affection.

The man puts up with your mischief and your feminine tendency towards triviality. Can you, o woman, not stand by your man? Adam was deceived by Eve, not Eve by Adam. It is right that the woman should accept as her governor the man whom she urged to do wrong, lest she fall again through her feminine disposition. But he is rough and uncouth! He pleased you once. Are you saying that a husband should be chosen on a frequent basis?

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