Chapter XVIII, Section 1a

CHAPTER XVIII. Of the Inclinations of Enmities . On the contrary, there are Inclinations of Enmities, and they are, as it were, the odium, and anger, indignation, and a certain kind of obstinate contrariety of nature, so that any thing shuns its contrary and drives it away out of its presence. Such kinds of inclinations hath rhubarb against choler, treacle against poison, the sapphire stone against hot boils and feverish heats and diseases of the eyes; the amethyst against drunkenness, the jasper against flux of blood and offensive imaginations, the emerald and angus castus against lust, achates against poison, piony against the falling sickness, coral against the ebullition of black choler and pains in the stomach. The topaz against spiritual heats, such as are covetousness, lust, and all manner of excesses of love. The like inclinations is there also of ants against the herb origanum; and the wing of a bat and the heart of a lapwing, from the presence of which they fly. Also origanum is contrary to a certain poisonous fly, which cannot endure the Sun, and resists salamanders, and loathes cabbage with such a deadly hatred that they destroy one the other. So cucumbers hate oil, and will run themselves into a ring lest they should touch it. And it is said that the gall of a crow makes men afraid and drives them away from where it is, as also certain other things. So a diamond doth disagree with the loadstone, that being set by it, it will not suffer iron to be drawn to it; and sheep fly from frog-parsley as from some deadly thing, and that, which is more wonderful, Nature hath pictured the sign of this death in the livers of sheep, in which the very figure of frog-parsley, being described, doth naturally appear. So goats do so hate garden basil as if there were nothing more pernicious. And again, amongst animals, mice and weasels do disagree; whence it is said that mice will not touch cheese if the brains of a weasel be put in the rennet, and besides that the cheese will not be corrupt with age. So a lizard is so contrary to scorpions that it makes them afraid with its very sight, as also it puts them into a cold sweat; therefore they are killed with the oil of lizards, which oil also cures the wounds made by scorpions. There is also an enmity betwixt scorpions and mice; wherefore if a mouse be applied to a prick or wound made by a scorpion, it cures it, as it is reported. There is also an enmity betwixt scorpions and stalabors, asps and wasps. It is reported, also that no thing is so much an enemy to snakes as crabs, and that if swine be hurt therewith they eat them and are cured. The sun, also being in Cancer, serpents are tormented. Also scorpion and crocodile kill one the other; and if the bird ibis doth but touch a crocodile with one of his feathers, he makes him immovable. The bird called bustard flies away at the sight of a horse, and a hart runs away at the sight of a ram, as also a viper. An elephant trembles at the hearing of the grunting of a hog, so doth a lion at the sight of a cock; and panthers will not touch them that are anointed all over with the broth of a hen, especially if garlic hath been boiled in it. There is also enmity betwixt foxes and swans, bulls and jackdaws.