The Tarantula. 551 



Inflammation, difficulty of breathing, and sickness, are 

 said to be the inevitable consequences of the bite of this 

 animal. Dr. Mead, and other medical men, have coun- 

 tenanced the popular story of these effects being coun- 

 teracted by the power of music. It is, however, now well 

 known, that this singular mode of cure was nothing 

 more than a trick frequently practised on credulous 

 travellers, who were desirous of witnessing it. Mr. 

 Swinburne, when he was in Italy, minutely investigated, 

 every particular relative to the Tarantula. The season 

 was not far enough advanced, and it was pretended that 

 no persons had as yet been bitten that year : he, how- 

 ever, prevailed upon a woman, who had formerly been 

 bitten, to dance the part before him. Several musicians 

 were summoned, and she performed the dance, as every- 

 one present assured him, to perfection. At first she 

 lolled stupidly on a chair, while the instruments played 

 a dull strain. They touched at length the chord sup- 

 posed to vibrate to her heart ; and up she sprung with a 

 hideous yell, staggered about the room like a drunken 

 person, holding a handkerchief in both hands, raising 

 them alternately, and moving in very true time. As 

 the music grew brisker, her motions quickened, and 

 she skipped about with great vigour, and in a variety 

 of steps, every now and then shrieking very loud. The 

 scene was unpleasant, and, at his request, an end was 

 put to it before the woman was tired. 



He informs us, that, whenever they are to dance, a 

 place is prepared for them, hung round with bunches of 

 grapes and ribbons. The patients are dressed in white, 

 with red, green, or yellow ribbons ; on their shoulders 

 they have a white scarf; they let their hair fall loose 

 about their ears, and throw the head quite back. He 

 says that they are exact copies of the ancient priestesses 

 of Bacchus. The introduction of Christianity abolished 

 all public exhibitions of heathenish rites ; but the women, 

 unwilling to give up their darling amusement, in per- 

 forming the frantic character of Bacchantes, devised 

 other pretences ; and he supposes that accident led them 

 to the discovery of the Tarantula, of which they took 

 advantage for that purpose. 



