THE SCENE: After making certain “lozenges” that were composed of cat tongue, fox tongue, bird tongue, mustard seed, garlic, pepper, and cat dung, Master Streamer thinks it would be funny to let the servants have a little taste.
THE TEXT: I tied a kerchief about my head and with my lozenges in a box, I went out among the servants, among whom was a shrewd boy, a very crackrope, that needs would know what was in my box, and I called them Prophesy Pills, affirming that who so might eat one of them should not only understand wonders, but also prophecy after them. Whereupon the boy was exceeding earnest in intreating me to give him one, and when at last I very reluctantly (as it seemed) granted his request: he took a lozenge, put it in his mouth, and chewed it apace, by means whereof when the fume ascended he began to spattle and spit, saying by Gods bones it is a Cat’s turd. At this the company laughed apace, and so did I to, verifying it to be as he said, and that he was a Prophet. But that he might not spew too much by Imagination, I took a lozenge in my mouth, and kept in under my tongue, showing thereby that it was not evil.
– Beware the Cat, William Baldwin, 16th Century AD
