192 A NATURAL HISTORY 



Image, (hould be pre fen tly healed. Aftonifhing Clemency ! The 

 Event was anfwerable to this Promife. 



This Method of Cure was new and ftrange ; but he who at 

 firft called the World out of nothing, can with equal Facility 

 command Health out of a Piece of Brafs. Another Obfervable 

 here, is that when the Almighty refufed to bear the Cries of the 

 Wounded in their Diftrefs, he readily hearkened to Mofes's In- 

 terceffion in their favour. Thus God accepted the Prayers of 

 yob for his three Friends, when he would not regard the Suppli- 

 cations they put up for themfelves. Job Ixii. 7, 8. 



SECTION II. 



The brazen Serpent was a Figure of the flying Serpent, Saraphy 

 which Mofes fixed upon an erected Pole: That there were fuch,'is 

 moft evident. Herodotus who had feen of thofe Serpents, fays 

 they very much refembled thofe which the Greeks and Latins 

 called Hydra: He went on purpofe to the City of Brutus to fee 

 thofe flying Animals, that had been devour'd by the Ibidian 

 Birds. 



In Ajtatic-Georgia, between the Cafpian and Euxl/ie Sea, are 

 found winged Dragons, with anferine Feet and venemous Claws 5 

 and fome of them are fortified with more terrible Pedeftals than 

 others : their Wings are generally compofed of flrong nervous 

 Membranes, which when they walk, are fcarcely vifible, becaufe 

 of their clofe Adherence to their lateral Parts *. 



In the ^//^«/zV Caves, and Mountains of Africa, is an infi- 

 nite Number of thefe winged Dragons, whofe Poifon is fo flrong, 

 that the Flefli of fuch as are wounded by them, immediately 

 grows foft, languid, and incurable f. We read of flying Serpents 

 tranfported from fome Parts of Arabia into Egypt %. 



These alfo have been feen in Florida in America, where their 

 Wings are more flaccid, and fo weak, that they cannot foar on 

 high. Scaliger dt(cv\hts a certain flying Serpent that was four 

 Foot long, and as thick as a Man's Arm, whofe Wings were car- 

 tilaginous, or griftly, //^/^. Hiftory accounts for one of thefe fly- 

 ing Dragons that was killed in old Aquitania in France, a Pre- 



fent 



* Paulas JoviusdePifcibus, cap 25. p. 140. + P- Belon in Johnftonus. 



X Tefte Broda^o. * J. Leo's Hift. of Africa, lib. 6, & <;. 



