PULICID^ — FLEAS. 311 



fixed him as a mark where he left off, and continued to use 

 him so through the volume.^ 



Fleas infesting beds were attributed to the envy of the 

 Devil.2 



Giles Fletcher says that Iwan Yasilowich sent to the City 

 of Moscow to provide for him a measure full of Fleas for a 

 medicine. They answered that it was impossible, and if they 

 could get them, yet they could not measure them because of 

 their leaping out. Upon which he set a mulct upon the city 

 of seven thousand rubles.^ 



We read in Purchas's Pilgrims that the Jews were not 

 permitted to burn Fleas in the flame of their lamps on Sab- 

 bath evenings.* 



The muscular power of the Flea is so great that it can 

 leap to the distance of two hundred times its own length, 

 which will appear the more surprising when we consider 

 that a man, were he endowed with equal strength and agil- 

 ity, would be able to leap between three and four hundred 

 yards. Aristophanes, in his usual licentious way, ridicules 

 the great Socrates for his pretended experiments on this 

 great muscular power : 



Disciple. That were not lawful to reveal to strangers. 



Strejjsiades. Speak boldly then as to a fellow-student; 

 For therefore am I come. 



Disc. Then I will speak ; 



But set it down among our mysteries. 

 It is a question put to Chsrophon 

 By our great master Socrates to answer, 

 How many of his own lengths at a spring 

 A Flea can hop; for one by chance had skipp'd 

 Straight from the brow of Chgerophon to th' head 

 , Of Socrates. 



Streps. And how did then the sage 



Contrive to measure this? 



Disc. Most dext'rously. 



He dipp'd the insect's feet in melted wax, 

 Which hard'ning into slippers as it cool'd, 

 By these computed he the question'd space. 



Streps. O Jupiter, what subtilty of thought ! ^ 



1 Southey's Com. Place Bk., 2d S. p. 406. 



2 Fosbr. Encycl. of Antig., ii. 539. 



3 Southey's Com. Place Bk., 4th S. p. 470. 



4 Pilffr., V. 192. 



5 Aristoph. Clouds, A. i. Sc. 2. 



