ic8 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



expofed to too great heats ; for there a 

 contrary prejudice runs fo high, that they 

 deny the venomous power of all animaU, 

 iince the time of St Paul's iliaking the 

 ferpent from his hand into the fire, when 

 he was caft away on that ifland. As to 

 what has been believed, that the bite of 

 ths tarantula caufes a lethargic droufinefs, 

 from which the perfon affedled cannot 

 be roufed but by fuch mulic as ilrikes 

 his fancy and pleafes : This is not f o j 

 for the {ick perfon is always entreated 

 and folicited to ufe this exercife ; and, as 

 a further incitement, they ftrike up fuch 

 airs as the patient likes, or which, on tri- 

 al, they find flrike his fancy. 1 he be- 

 lief of fuch fymptoms aiiles from the 

 practices of tricking vagabond'^, caljed 

 tarcaituUJii^ who go about the kingdom 

 of Naples pretending to be bit by the 

 tarantula. They always affect thefe 

 fymptoms, and pretend to be roufed by 

 certain airs, to which they dance in a 

 flrange extravagant manner. It is pro- 

 bable that you faw fome of them at Na- 

 ples. Perhaps this method of cure might 



fucceed 



