OF SERPENTS. 



lity, which feems to be between Scorpions and Copper ; for not far 

 from the City is the Copper-Mine, where, as before, if one of 

 thefe Animals be brought, it dies immediately. ^ Whether this 

 be not Herbert's Parthian ? 



Yea, to render a future State terrible to Mortals, the Heathens, 

 fpeaking of departed Souls, feigned, that at their defcent from 

 Charon s Boat (who was the Ferryman of Hell) they met Cerbe- 

 rus, a monftrous Dog, with three Heads, who was covered all 

 over with Serpents, inftead of Hair. There was the Moniler 

 Chimcera that vomited Fire, her Head like a Lion, Middle like a 

 Goat, and her Tail like a furious T>ragon -, fo fings the Poet : 



•^^ Cerberus, who foon began to rear 



His crejled Snakes — he gapes with three enormous Mouths. 



Dryden's Virgil. 

 So another : 



For as the Pope that keeps the Gate 



Of Heaven, wears three Crowns of State-, 



So he, that keeps the Gates of^ Hell, 



Proud Cerberus, wears three Heads as well. 



And, if the World have any Troth ^ 



Some have been canonizdin both. 



Hudibras. 



But further, we may obferve, that belides this frightful Ap- 

 pearance of Serpent^o falute their Entrance into Hell, there was 

 Variety of Punifliments for them when there. Thus the Danaides 

 were condemned to Tartarus by the Poets, to be continually em- 

 ployed in filling a Cask perforated at the bottom ; Phlegas, con- 

 demned by Apollo to Hell, where he lat upon a rolling Stone, in 

 conftant danger of falling into a Pit of greater Miiery 5 Tityus, 

 adjudged to Hell, where a Vultur feeds on his Liver, and the 

 Liver always grows with the Moon: Nay, fuch were the horrible 

 Preparations in Hell, that Virgil^, afcer a Survey of it, declaies, 

 that had he a hundred Mouths and Tongues, they would not luf- 

 fice to recount all the Plagues of the Tortured : fo that it is no 

 wonder to fee them reprefent the infernal Prifon in Figures the 

 moil frightful. 



H And 



* jEneld. lib. vi. ver. 638. 



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