io6 A NATURAL HISTORY 



an extraordinary Virtue to cure Dldempers, ^c. Some impnte 

 their Effeds to the old Serpent, others to the Nature of the Me- 

 tal, and to tlie Influence of the Conftellation. This Author 

 therefore would make us believe, that the brazen Serpent cured 

 ju(l as the "T/2'///;;/^;;i' cure certain Dillcmpers, by the Sympathy 

 there is between the Metals of which they arc made, or the In- 

 fluence of the Stars under which they are formed, and the Y)\{~ 

 eafe they are to cure. Every one may believe as he pieafes *. 



The Serpent that is alv/ays reprefented with EJculapius's I- 

 niage, and wi'h Scihis, the Goddefs of Health, and often with 

 tlie ET^yptlan Deities, is a Symbol of Health, or of Healing, very 

 probably derives thofe Enfigns of Honour from the brazen Ser- 

 pent of MoJ'es. 



S E C T. V. 



WHAT' became of the brazen Serpent at la ft ? 



I Answer, it was brought into the Land of Canaan as a fa- 

 cred Relick, and religioufly preferved among the Ifraelltes down 

 to the Time of Hezekiah the King, as a Ifanding Memorial of 

 divine Goodnefs to their Forefathers in the Wildernefsi but being 

 abufed by them to Superilition and Idolatry, as appears by their 

 burning Incenfe thereto, it was broke in pieces by the fpecial 

 Command of King Hezekiah^ who, in Derifion and Contempt, 

 called it Mehiifitan, a Piece of Bra£% a Trifle, a Bauble, Shadow 

 of a Snake. 2 Kings xviii. 4. 



May all the Eccleflaflical Mehufhtans of Babylon^ foifled into 

 Divine Worfhip, from theRifing of the Sun, to the Going-down 

 of the fame, meet with the fame honefl: and righteous Fate. In 

 the Church of St, Ambrofe at Milan, they pretend to keep a 

 brazen Serpent, which they fliew for that of Mofes, tho' there be 

 no fuch thing now in being. 



I N the Church of St. Ambrofe there is a Dragon of Brafs on a 

 Column of Marble : Some think it to be that of Efculapius, 

 others an Emblem of that in the Wildernefi, upon which account 

 many of the Pilgrims and common People worfliip it. The In- 

 habitants are very fuperftitious, and fond of iioly Fmgments, and 

 pretend to have at the Church of St. Alexander, no lefs tlvan 

 J44,ooo Martyrs from the Catacombs of St. Sebaflian. 



Tn E 



* Ma'-JJjam Canon. Chronic, quoted by Cahnef. 



