220 



A NATURAL HISTORY 



In EpiruSj fouth of Macedonia^ is a certain place facred to 

 Apollo^ and wall'd about, within which are kept facred Dragons y 

 fed likewife by a Virgin Prieftefs, uncloathed, which they believe 

 to be moft acceptable to their idol Gods * j called by Juvenal^, 

 one of their own Poets, wenching Gods. 



The Epiroticks, who highly venerated Apollo, honoured his 

 Temple with a confecrated Dragon, which they worfhipp'd in fo- 

 iemn remembrance of his killing the Pythonic Serpe?jt. It were 

 well if the fame Spirit of Gratitude reign'd amongft Britons, to- 

 wards the Heroes that delivered their Country from the great Ec- 

 cleiiaftical Dragon, by the glorious Revolution. 



Near Lnvinium was a Grove of ferpentine Gods, dedicated 

 to yiino of Argos, which was a City in Feloponnejus (famous for 

 the Shrine oi lEjciilapiiis) now the Morea, one of whofe Rivers is 

 called Styx ; or rather a Well, whofe Water is fo cold and vene- 

 mous, that it often kills fuch that drink thereof; and therefore 

 defign'd by the Poets, to be a River of Hell : 'Tis faid by fome^ 

 that Alexander was poifon'd with it. 



It's well known what Worfhip was paid to the Serpent at 

 Epidaurus, a Pelepennejian City, and the Manner how 'twas pre- 

 tended that Serpent was brought to Rome, which is as follows,, 



'DtZ. 



The Rofnans being forely diflreft by a Plague, they fent a 

 Galley with AmbafTadors to Epidauriis, to bring the Serpent con- 

 fecrated to Mfculapius to Rome, which of its own accord went 

 aboard the Galley, and which was landed in the Ifle of Tyber, 

 where divine Honours were paid to it; upon which the Plague 

 ceafed. Take it as reprefented by the Hiflorian, who fays, 



....That the Plague raging terribly at Rome, and in the 

 Vicinity, above three Years, did not abate, by any divine or hu- 

 man Rem.edy, tho' Men had tried both , therefore by the Coun- 

 sel of the Delphic Oracle, ten AmbafTadors were fent to fetch 

 the Statue oi JEJciilapius, that was ador'd in the Body of the great 

 'Serpent ; hereupon, a very ftrange thing enfued, and manifeftly 

 true, both from many faithful Hiilorians, and building the T^em- 

 pie (dedicated to it) in the JJle ofTyber. 



When the Roman Ambaffadors had delivered their Commands 

 to the Epidaurians, who brought them into the Temple of yE/- 



ciilapiia 

 * J¥..\^^\^, lib. ii. cap. 2. ;*f<(« yi^f*''^ TapOf«o?» 



