Folio 69r - the ydrus, continued. De boa angue; Of the snake called boas.
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 unharned.
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).
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
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Commentary
The ydris kills crocodiles. Boas kill by sucking the life out of cows through their udders. The jaculus.Illustration
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 black and green whip snake climbs, jumps and swims. It is called a flying serpent although it merely leaps.Marginal correction, top right, percussi [supplies omission 'struck']. Initial type 2.
Folio Attributes
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Transcription
vocant. Inde dicitur aquatilis serpens a quo isti obturgescunt cuius\ morbum quidam boam dicunt, eo quod fimo bovis remedietur.\ Idra draco multorum capitum qualis fuit in Lerna insula vel\ pallude provincie Archadie. Hec Latine excedra dicitur quod uno\ ceso tria capita excrescebant, sed hoc fabulosum est, nam constat\ idram locum fuisse evomentem aquas, vastantem vicinam\ civitatem, in quo uno meatu clauso multi erumpebant. Quod\ Hercules videns loca exhausit, et sic aque clausit meatus. Nam\ idra ab aqua dicta est. Hic idrus satis est inimicus cocodrillo,\ et hanc habet naturam et consuetudinem, ut cum viderit coco\drillum dormientem in littore, vadit aperto ore et involuit\ se in luto quo facilius possit in faucibus eius illabi. Cocodrillus\ igitur subito vivum eum transglutit. Ille vero dilanians omnia\ viscera eius non solum unus, sed etiam exit illesus. Sic ergo mors\ et infernus figuram habent cocodrilli, quorum inimicus est\ dominus Jesus Christus. Nam assumens humanam carnem des[cen]\dit ad infernum, et dirumpens omnia viscera eius eduxit\ eos qui iniuste tenebantur ab eo. Mortificavit enim ipsam\ mortem resurgens ex mortuis, et illi insultat propheta dicens:\ O mors ero mors tua, morsus tuus ero inferne. \ De boa angue \ Boas anguis\ Italie immensa mo\les prosequitur greges armen\torum et bubalos et pluri\mo lacte irriguis se uberibus\ innectit, et sugens interimit,\ atque inde a bovum depopu\latione boas nomen accepit. \ De iaculo \Translation
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 unharned. 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). 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
