The Giving Of Gifts

Aut si piscem petierit, nunquid serpentem porriget ei? Pisces sunt fides invisibilium, vel propter aquam baptismi, vel quia de invisibilibus capitur, seu quod hujus mundi fluctibus non frangitur: cui contrarium posuit serpentem propter venena fallaciae, quae primo homini praeseminavit. Quod autem in Evangelio secundum Lucam haec duo subsequitur ovi et scorpionis comparatio, in ovo indicatur spes, in quo nondum perfectus fetus est, sed fovendo speratur; vel quod spei contrarium est retro respicere, quae se in ea quae ante sunt extendit. Et ideo huic contrarium posuit scorpionem, cujus aculeus venenatus retro timendus est, quia mortifera desperatio in fine est formidanda. Sanctus Beda, In Matthaei Evangelium Expositio, Lib I, Cap VII

'Or if he sought a fish, who would give a serpent?' 1 Fish are the faith of things unseen, whether on account of the water of baptism, or because it is taken from things unseen, or because it is not wearied by the waves of this world.  For its contrary is given the serpent on account of it's venom of deceit which it sowed in the first man. In the Gospel of Luke these two are followed by the comparison of the egg and the scorpion, hope being indicated by the egg in which the offspring is not yet perfected but with hope it is kept warm; that which is contrary to hope is that which from behind extends into things which are before it, and so the contrary is given as the scorpion, of which the venomous sting it bears behind it is to be feared, because death bearing despair in the end is indeed to be dreaded. Saint Bede, from the Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint Matthew, Book 1, Chapter 7 1 Mt 7.10