THE SERPENT. 



415 



to the flames. Philostratus describes par- 

 ticularly how the Indians charm serpents 

 " They take a scarlet robe, embroidered with 

 golden letters, and spread it before a serpent's 

 hole. The golden letters have a fascinating 

 power ; and, by looking steadfastly, the ser- 

 pent's eyes are overcome and laid asleep.' 

 These, and many other feats have been often 

 practised upon these animals by artful men, 

 who had first prepared the serpents for their 

 exercise, and then exhibited them as ad- 

 ventitiously assembled at their call. In In- 

 dia there is nothing so common as dancin 

 serpents, which are carried about in a broad 

 flat vessel, somewhat resembling a sieve. 

 These erect and put themselves in motion at 

 the word of command. When their keeper 

 sings a slow tune, they seem by their heads 

 to keep time; when he sings a quicker 

 measure, they appear to move more brisk and 

 lively. All animals have a certain degree of 

 docility ; and we find that serpents them- 

 selves can be brought to move and approach 

 at the voice of their master. From this trick, 

 successfully practised before the ignorant,, it 

 is most probable has arisen all the boasted 

 pretensions which some have made to charm- 

 ing of serpents ; an art to which the native 

 Americans pretend at this very day. One of 

 Linnaeus's pupils, we are told, purchased the 

 secret from an Indian, and then discovered it 

 to his master ; but, like all secrets of the kind, 

 it is probable this ended in a few unmeaning 

 words of no efficacy. 1 



1 The incantation of serpents is one, of the most curi- 

 ous and interesting facts in natural history. This won- 

 derful art, which disarms the fury, and soothes the wrath 

 of the deadliest snake, and renders it obedient to 

 the charmer's voice, is not an invention of modern 

 times; for we discover manifest traces of it in the re- 

 motest antiquity. It is asserted, that Orpheus, who pro- 

 bably flourished soon after letters were introduced into 

 Greece, knew how to still the hissing of the approaching 

 snake, and to extinguish the poison of the creeping ser- 

 pent. The Argonauts are said to have subdued by the 

 power of song, the terrible dragon that guarded the golden 

 fleece ; and Ovid ascribes the same efi'ect to the soporific 

 influence of certain herbs, and magic sentences. It was 

 the custom of others to fascinate the serpent, by touching 

 it with the hand. Of this method Virgil takes notice, 

 in the seventh book of the ^Enead. But it seems to 

 have been the general persuasion of the ancients, that 

 the principal power of the charmer lay in the sweetness 

 of the music. Pliny says, accordingly, that serpents 

 were drawn from their lurking-places by the power of 

 music. Seneca held the same opinion. 



The wonderful effect which music produces on the 

 serpent tribes is confirmed by the testimony of several 

 respectable moderns. Adders swell at the sound of a 

 flute, raising themselves up on the one half of their body, 

 turning themselves round, beating proper time and fol- 

 lowing the instrument. Their head, naturally round and 

 long like an eel, becomes broad and flat like a fan. The 

 tame serpents, many of which the Orientals keep in 

 their houses, are known to leave their holes in hot wea- 

 ther, at the sound of a musical Instrument, and to run 

 upon the performer. Dr Shaw had an opportunity of 



Though the generality of mankind regard 

 this formidable race with horror, yet there 

 have been some nations, and there are some 

 at this day, that consider them with venera- 

 tion and regard. The adoration paid by the 

 ancient Egyptians to a serpent is well known: 

 many of the nations at present along the west- 

 ern coast of Africa retain the same unaccount- 

 able veneration. Upon the Gold and Slave 

 coasts, a stranger, upon entering the cottages 

 of the natives, is often surprised to see the 

 roof swarming with serpents, that cling there 

 without molesting, and unmolested by the 

 natives. But his surprise will increase upon 

 going farther southward to the kingdom of 

 Widah, when he finds that a serpent is the 

 god of the country. This animal, which 

 travellers describe as a huge overgrown crea- 

 ture, has its habitation, its temple, and its 

 priests. These impress the vulgar with an 

 opinion of its virtues ; and numbers are daily 

 seen to offer not only their goods, their pro 

 visions, and their prayers, at the shrine of 



seeing a number of serpents keep exact time with the 

 dervishes in their circulating dances, running over their 

 heads and arms, turning when they turned, and stopping 

 when they stopped. 



The rattle snake acknowledges the power of music as 

 much as any of his family ; of which the following in- 

 stance is a decisive proof. When Chateaubriand was 

 in Canada, a snake of this species entered their encamp- 

 ment ; a young Canadian, one of the party who could 

 play on the flute, to divert his associates, advanced 

 against the serpent with his new species of weapon. 

 On the approach of his enemy, the haughty reptile 

 curled himself into a spiral line, flattened his head, 

 inflated his cheeks, contracted his lips, displayed his 

 envenomed fangs, and his bloody throat ; his double 

 tongue glowed like two flames of fire ; his eyes were 

 burning coals ; his body, swoln with rage, rose and fell 

 like the bellows of a forge ; his dilated skin assumed a 

 dull and scaly appearance, and his tail, which sounded 

 the denunciation of death, vibrated with so great rapidity, 

 as to resemble a light vapour. The Canadian now began 

 to play upon his flute ; the serpent started with surprise, 

 and drew back his head. In proportion as he was struck 

 with the magic efiect, his eyes lost their fierceness, the 

 oscillations of his tail became slower, and the sound 



hich it emitted became Aveaker, arid gradually died 

 away. Less perpendicular upon their spiral line, the 

 ings of the fascinated serpent were by degrees expanded, 

 and sunk one after another upon the ground in concen- 

 :ric circles. The shades of azure green, white, and 



old, recovered their brilliancy on his quivering skin, 

 and slightly turning his head, he remained motionless in 

 the attitude of attention and pleasure. At this moment 



he Canadian advanced a few steps, producing with his 

 lute sweet and simple notes. The reptile inclining his 

 variegated neck, opened a passage with his head through 

 the high grass, and began to creep after the musician, 

 stopping Avhen he stopped, and beginning to follow him 

 again as soon as he moved froward." In this manner 

 le was led out of the camp, attended by a great number 

 if spectators, both savages and Europeans, who could 



carcely believe their eyes, when they beheld this won- 

 derful, effect of harmony. The assembly unanimously 

 decreed, that the serpent which had so highly entertained 

 hem, should be permitted to escape. Natural History 

 >f the Bible, 



