The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1904-04-06
APRIL 8, 1904.
DESPISED TOAD.
POPULAR HATRED OF THE ANIMAL IS
OF GREAT ANTIQUITY.

OF GREAT ANTIQUITY
In Legendary az Well as In supersd-
tious Lore the Uncouth and Mis-
shapen Creature Plays No Small
Pnrt-The Belief In Toad stones.
The unfortunate toad has from time
immemorial been an object of distrust
and aversion, especially among the
common people. a pleasing tale runs
that gentleman, walking along a
country lane came suddenly upon Il
village boy belaborlng the crushed
body of toad with Il henyy stick and
enchanting at each blow, IN larn e
to be toad" whereat the indignant
newcomer. Selling the miscreant by
his collar, vigorously applied cane
TO his legs, remarking. IN larn You
to lie II boy" The popular hatred Of
the toad, indeed. is Of such antiquity
and is still 50 general rs IL seem in
eradicuble That the creature is not
dangerously poisonous II i hopeless
10 attempt 10 convince the ordinary
rustic Doubtless this belief has is
origin in the aer!d secretion ~ hivh the
toad las tie power = emitting When
disturbed or annoyed uaduly and
which Nil cause des t4at has "a
cautiously picked ~ toad 30 tes.a
AZ the mouth Again lie Uuc1 -tl az
tearauee - tie creature is lad .laea
10 do viii Tie feeling - rcpuisiga
with which If las aiNays le-ea Tesa7a.
el squat Ike teads : Tie phrase
by which Milton describes TIE e'4! oae
essaylng 10 reach the ear - I've.
Superstition. ia truth. has laid firm
hold on the toad's misshapen figure
The belief, not only in the existence q
toad stones" but In their efficacy a
sovereign remedy Tor certain Ills.
which Is still common In parts Of the
country, Is OF very ancient date.
There is 10 be found In the heads OF
old and great toads." says Fenton.
writing In 1863, "a stone they call
boraX, or stelon, which. being used ms
rings. gives forewarnlng of venom.
In the Londesborough collection Is
silver ring of the fifteenth century In
which one Of these toad stones Is set.
They were supposed always to bear
on their surface figure resembling n
toad, being somewhat similar trinkets,
one may Imagine, to tile searabHns
ornament of the Egyptians. Another
early writer remarks, a toad stone
called 'crepandia,' touching any part
envenomed by the bite of rat, wasp,
spider or other vcnomous beast, ceases
the pain and swelling thereof 1t
was believed that when brought near
to poison the stone sweated and chang
ed color. thus conveying 10 its wear.
ers timely warning of danger.
1t Is to these peculiar amulets that
Shakespeare is supposed TO refer In
AS You Like It.
Sweet are the uses of adversely.
Which. like the toad. ugly aud venomous.
Wears yet IA precious jewel In his head
Is IT not probable, however, that the
poet, being poet is here alludmg 10
the eye of the toad. I'M object, rs all
who are really familiar with the mp
pcnrancc of this humble batrachian
will agree. than which there are Few
more beautiful in naturef
Perhaps the most familiar supersti-
ton in regard to toads is that. still rife,
which supposes them capable of exist
Ing for All indefinite period In the Int
rlOr of rocks, stones or hermetiCally
sealed cavities Numberless anthem
tie instances" of this remarkable pow
or have been brought forward from
time to time The following exam
Pile from mn old book Is typical; In
l793 Mr.. George Wilson, mason, met
with toad. which he wantonly inn
INJURED in stone wall that he was
then building In the middle of the
wall he made II close cell of lime and
stone. Just fit for the magnitude of its
body and seemingly So plastcrcd as To
prevent the admission of air In 1909,
sixteen years afterward. II was found
necessary To open gap In this wall
for II passage of carts when the poor
creature WAS found alive In its strong
hold. 1t seemed ut first In II very tor
pid state, but II soon recovered animal
ton and activity and. rs if sensible of
the blessings of freedom, made its way
tc II collection of stones and disappear
ed" 1t is known that toads can exist
for Il long time without food, and IL is
generally believed that they live to a
great age, and doubtless these two pc
Culinrities have had much To do with
the superstition in regard To their sup
posed pcnchant for II hcrmit's life. The
fallaCy, however, was completely eX-
posed by Dean auckland father OF
Frank auckland the great naturalist.
who went 10 the trouble of testing the
truth of the theory 10y an exhaustive
series of experiments. 1t need only he
remarked that none of his victims sur
vlNcd the incarceration.
In legendary ms In superstitious lore
the toad plays no small part 1t may
not he generally known that the heur-
deliS of France was originally in shape
toad. Thus ut least runs the tale
Clovis, king of France, bore ON his ban
ncr the device of three toads or "botes."
as they We're called in old French. His
baptism gave great umhragc Ia the Art
ans who rebcllcd and assembled Il
large host against him under King
meet the heretics WAS granted vision.
wherein lie saw in the heavens his de-
vice of three toads miraculously chang
ed into three lilies "or" ON a banner
"azur. Such banner he caused in
stantly To he made, calling it his "lif-
lambe."- London Globe.
The Only One.
Charles" said Miss rassay coyly,
l. fn,r NJ a.s.