126 A MOUSE AND VIPER. 



female that is with young. One of the vipers in the 

 chest happened to be in this situation. None of the 

 others paid any attention to the mouse; but she raised 

 up her head a Httle, and looked furiously at it. The 

 terrified mouse stood still for a considerable time; 

 though the viper continued rolled up in a spiral form, 

 only raising up her head and looking at it, vibrating 

 her tongue at the same time. The mouse at length 

 took courage to move, but without running away, only 

 w^alking, as if terrified, round and round the viper, 

 squeaking frequently as it went ; till at length it came 

 before the head of its enemy, which was still in an erect 

 posture, with the mouth open. The unfortunate 

 mouse, after some time, drew nearer, and at last crept 

 into the viper's mouth, where it was gradually swal- 

 lowed, without obliging her to alter her position." 



Tasso has given a beautiful description of one of 

 this wily race, in his Jerusalem Delivered, which to 

 you, who have a poetical taste, cannot fail of being an 

 acceptable sequel to the subject. 



" When lo ! a serpent rushing from his cell, 

 Opposed their passage, horrible and fell ! 

 Aloft his head and squalid breast he held ; 

 Bestreak'd with gold, his neck with anger swell'd ; 

 Fire fill'd his eyes ; he hid the path beneath ; 

 And smoke and poison issued with his breath. 

 Now in thick curls, his scaly length he wound ; 

 Now trail'd his opening curls along the ground." 



