OF SERPENTS. 59 



rdides among Stones; and when it rambles out, and hears any 

 Noife, makes towards it like a mighty Hero. Thus the Gallic 

 Monarch, upon Debates among Princes, marches out as fovereign 

 Umpire of Europe^ and never returns home but by way of Lor- 

 rain^ Ccrfica, Palatine^ or Spanijh Flanders. 



VII. The Jfp, fo called from the Afperity of its Skin, as Ar^ 

 noldus, or from afpicicjido^ becaufe of the Acutenefs of its Eyes. 

 A Serpent well known, but not accurately defcrib'd, fays the 

 Learned Mr. Ray: Some make it a fmall Serpent, others iay 'tis 

 feveral Feet long; and both may judge right, for according to 

 ALliaUy there are various Species ot Afps; fome a Foot and half 

 long, and others fix. 



Among thefe different Proportions, the leaft of them is faid 

 to be moil hurtful, and kills the fooneft. Its Poifon is fo dan- 

 gerous and quick in its Operation, that it kills almofl in the very 

 Inftant that it bites, without a Poffibility of applying any Re- 

 medy: They die within three Hours, fays my learned Author^; 

 and the manner of their dying by Sleep and Lethargy, without 

 Pain, made Cleopatra chufe it as the eafieft way of difpatching 

 herfelf. (More of this further on.) 



These Afpick Serpents, are the Growth of feveral Climates : 

 Olaus obfcrved fome of them in the northern Parts, of rugged 

 and rough Skins, aili Colour, fparkling Eyes, three or four Cu" 

 bits long -f-; tho' Lovers of warm Situations, yet delight in 

 fliady Retirements J. Many of them are found in the Spa?iijk 

 lilands -[-; but Egypt, Libya^ and other Places in Africa claim 

 tlie greateft Right to them, for there they are mofl; numerous and 

 venemous. 



When provok'd, the Neck of this greature fwells, and the 

 Wound then given, is mofl dangerous. Its Teeth are of confi- 

 derable length, grovv'ing out of the Mouth like the Tufks of a 

 Boar. The Hiftorian fays, that two of thelongefi: Teeth have 

 little Cavities in them, covered with a thin Skin, that Hides up 

 when it bites, by which means the poifonoas Liquid runs out, 

 and drops into the Pundture; after which, it recovers its Station. 



I 2 In 



■* Cahnet in Fcrlmm, p. 213. f Jon/isms Hljl. de Serp. p. 15, 



X Ideo Seneca, ad umbram exfurgere dixit. 



