O F S E R P E N T S. 63 



there came a Serpent of great Bulk, fuppofed to be the Devil, that 

 leapt upon the Charmer, and immediately flew him *. 



Answer me, fays ParacelfuSy (the celebrated AS'Ziy//j Phyfician, 

 who did wonderful Cures by Liquids extrad:ed from Vegetables,) 

 from whence is it, that a Serpent of iiZd'/i;^//^, Algovia^ or Suevi a ^ 

 does underftand the G7'eek Idiom, OJj\ Ofya^ OJjy that they 

 fhould, at the firft Sound of thefe Words, ft op their Ears^ remain 

 immoveable, and do us no hurt with their Poifon ? From whence 

 he infers, there was a Power in Words to operate upon the Ear, 

 without Superllition. The Antients feem to have entertain'd 

 fome favourable Thoughts of the Power of Spells upon Serpents :. 

 Their Poets fpeak often of thefe Charms and Incantations. 

 Frigidus in prat is cantando rumpitur anguis. Virgil. 

 Vipereasrumpo verbis, ^ carmine fauces, Ovid. 

 Ingue priiinofo coluber diftenditiir arvo^ 

 Viperes coeunt abrupto corpore nodi, 

 Hiimanoque c adit fer pens aflata veneno. Lucan. 

 PHILOSTRATUS defcribes particularly how the Indians ' 

 charm Serpents — they take a Scarlet-Coat embroider'd with golden 

 Letters, and fpread it before the Serpent's Hole, and thefe golden 

 Letters have a fafcinatin^ Power over it, and therewith its Eyes 

 are overcome and laid aileep -j-. 



If we conlider the ftrange Things done by Force of Words, Co 

 much extoll'd in Antiquity, it will be no wonder to fee Letters, 

 out of which Words arefor?nd, made the Rudiment andfirji Study 

 of human Life : But as to the Mode of Operation by Words, the 

 Learned are not agreed. 



Some fay, there is a natural Virtue and Efiicacy in Words, 

 and appeal to the notable Feats done by Force of Floquence. This 

 was the favourite Study and View of Orators; in this they 

 triumph'd, and never wanted Acclamations and loud Applaufes. 



I N Plutarch, we have, among others, one remarkable Inflance, 

 vix. Ccefar, upon the Accufations brought in by Tubero again (I 

 ^iintus Ligarius {Pompefs Friend) he was refolved to ficrificc 

 ebat Rebel, till he was charm'd by the Words of the Orator that 

 pleaded in his favour No fooner did Cicero begin his Oration in 



^ Doaor Mor/s Antidote. 



t His Life of Apollonius Tyanaus, writ at the Defire of the Emprefs falia, lib, 3. 



£>. 2. 



his 



