OF SERPENTS. 65 



nein, who was looked upon by the ChriAians as a notorious Ma- 

 gician, being afk'd by the Governor of Rome under Nero, what 

 was his Profellion? he anfwer'd, S-e-'a^ao;, an Enduifiaft, q. d. Fa- 

 natic, Conjurer. 



'Tis true, that wonderful Things have been done by Words, 

 but how njcrbal Charms operated upon Serpents^ wants Explica- 

 tion: Offome Inchanters 'tis faid, that by vocal and inflrumental 

 Sounds, they have charm'd Rats, Mice and Serpents, fome into 

 a ftupid State, and others into a flexible fubmiffive State. 



A remarkable Inftance in Rats we have in the publick Records 

 of Hamelcn, (an antient City on the River Wejer in Gen?2any, 

 about 28 Miles S. E. of Ha?2over) where the following ftrange 

 Account is regifter'd, njiz. 



That iii June 26. 1284, a certain Stranger undertook to 

 deftroy an Army of Rats with which the Town had been long 

 pefter'd, on promife of fuch a Rewardj and immediately playing 

 on his Pipe and Tabret, the Rats march'd out, and follow'd the 

 Mufick to the River, where they were all drovvn'd: But being 

 denied the Reward, he threaten'd Revenge; and next day he 

 went about with the fame Mulick, and moft Children in the 

 Town follow'd the Piper to the Mouth of a great Cave on a 

 neighbouring Hill call'd Koppelberg^ where he and and they entered, 

 and were never heard of after. 



I N remembrance of this fad Cataftrophe, the Citizens for many 

 Years after, dated all their publick Writings yro/;; the Day they 

 loft their Children, as appears by their old Deeds and Records: 

 They ftill call the Street thro' which the Children went out, 

 I'abret-Street ', and at the Mouth of the Cave there is a Monument 

 of Stone, with a Latin Infcription, giving the Particulars of rliis 

 tragical Story. 



As to the other Inftance, ^uiz. Serpents charm'd into a du6lile 

 manageable State, 'tis thus accounted forj viz. Serpents, they 

 fay, are ftrangely influenced by the Smell of thofe Emanations, 

 proceeding from the Cornus, or Dog-tree (why not the Cornelian- 

 Cherry, antiently dedicated to ApolM) and that by a Wand or 

 Rod taken from it, they are thrown into an obfequious Temper — ■ 

 " When touch'd by a Rod from that Tree, they are immediately 

 " intoxicated, but fo as to be able to follow the Motion of the 

 *' Rod; but whether by reafon offome great Difproportion or 



K *' Incom- 



