46 A NATURAL HISTORY 



In the Canary-JJlands^ thefe venemous Animals are more 

 dreaded than the Ptflilence. 'Tis faid they are hunted and taken 

 by the Turks^ who prepare the Oil oi Scorpions from them *. In 

 India J about the Arrahban-hake^ the Country has been intirely 

 dirpeopled by thefe mifchievous Creatures, Ibid. 



\ N Times of War, Serpents have been preft into the Service. 

 Thus Ileliogabalus (Emperor of Romt\ fo called becaufe he was 

 Priefi of the Sun before his Election) having, by his Sacerdotal 

 Incantators, or facred Conjurers, gathered together feveral Ser- 

 pents, contrived a Method to turn them loofe, before day, among 

 his. Enemies, which foon put them into a terrible Hurry, and a 

 Motion, that was a Trial for their Lives i the Sight of the crooked 

 Serpent being far more dreadful, than the Whizzing of a ftraight 

 Arrow -f*. The fame Author informs us of Snakes thrown by a 

 Sling-Staff into the Camp of the Barbarians, which did great Exe- 

 cution. 



King Frujias being overcome by King Eumenes^ by Land, and 

 intending to try his Fate by Sea, Hannibal^ by a new Invention, 

 made him vid:orious. The Stratagem was this : Hannibal having 

 procured a great Number of Serpents, put them into earthen 

 Veffels J and by another Device, and in midft of the Engage- 

 ment, convey'd them into A?itiochus\ Fleet, which proved more 

 dreadful than Fire-balls, and feather'd Weapons^ that flew amongfl 

 them. At firfl, it feemed ridiculous to the Romans ^ that they 

 Ihould arm themfelves, and fight with earthen Pots-, but when 

 they were broken, an Army of Snakes rulh'd out, which fo ter- 

 rified the Marines, that they immediately yielded the Vidory to 

 Pru/iaSy the Carthaginian Hero's Friend. 



W E read in Hiftory, how Juno^ out of her hatred to Hercu^ 

 /(?^, fent two dreadful Serpents to devour him in the Cradle, 

 which he foon crufh'd with his Infant- Hands. 



1 T was common among the Antient Swedes, to fend out cer- 

 tain Flies (which they pretended to be their Familiars) to plague 

 their Enemies. They alfo made Magical Balls for the fame pur- 

 pofe, boafting how they thereby conveyed Serpents into their Ene- 

 mies Bodies. 



The 



* Cofirad.Gefner^ p. 29. f Gefner. de Scorp. \\JuJiini Hiji. lib. xxxii.ad finem. 



