5^- Of the Deaf Adder; mid the Ibis. 



)ca.TvL <pu<7iv x/ixpewVons, aMa ^uVcras tk- St* 59 abhif^i tw evra^Vv. In the fame 



Manner, aPerfon of no Humanity or Compaflion, is faid to flop 

 his Ears at the Cry of the Toor. Prov. xi. Tg. and to flop his 

 Ears from the hearing of Blood. If 33. i j-. 

 The Ex- i^he Pfalmift therefore, who was fpeaking of the Mahce and 



poiition of • 1 -I 1 • -r. 



pfai. 58. 4. fianderous Lips of the Wicked, compares this Promptitude of 

 theirs to do Mifchief, to the fubtle Venom of Serpents ; even 

 of the Deaf bidder , which was looked upon to be the molt 

 deadly and virulent. And he carries the Comparifon further, 

 by intimating, that the Wicked were not only as hurtful and 

 pernicious as the Deaf bidder, but that they Hopped their Ears 

 likewife, againft the moft perfualive Reproofs, in the fame 

 Manner the ^dder m^dQ iX.{t\£ deaf to the Voice of Charmer s^ 

 charming never fo avifely. For the Comparifon betwixt a 

 malevolent Tongue and the Bite of a Serpent, the great Viru- 

 lence likewife, in the Poifon of fuch Serpents as could not 

 be made harmlefs by Incantation, are illuftrated from other 

 Texts of Scripture. Thus, EccleJ. 10. 11. Surely the Serpent 

 will hite without Inchantment ; and a Bahler is no better. 

 yer.2. 17. 1 will fend Serpents, Cockatrices among youy which 

 will not he charmed ; and theyJJjall hite you. The Expreffion 

 of St. Taul\, Tx iSe'An t5 OTvupS ffCstw^, Eph. 6. 16. isfuppofed like- 

 wife to be in AlluHon to the '^fim »iv vCiov^ of Orphetfs, in the 

 Preface -oSi a/V- 



The charm- ]s[ow, in all thefc Tcxts of Scripture, the Charming of Ser- 



ing of Ser- ' -^ ' ^_ 



pents 6cc. a pgj^^s fccms to be alludcd to, either as a Matter of Fa6t, or as 



common and r i • j j-m r 



received opi- ^j^ Opiuion at Icaft that was commonly received. The lame 



nion among ^ r a ^ • 



theH^g/V^-]s[otion of preventinstheVenom of Serpents and other noxious 



^/;/,aud other x u x. 



Writers. Aniiiials, by charming them with certain Sounds ; by mutter- 

 ing fome particular Words ; by writing, upon Scrolls of Paper, 

 certain Sentences or Combinations of Numbers ; has formerly 

 prevailed all over Greece ' and Rome, as it does, to this Day, 

 all overthofe Parts oi Barhary, where I have travelled'. 



ihh^ ^^'^ ^ ^° "^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^' which was obferved, (Trav. p. 4.18. ) 

 to be exceedingly rare, if to be found at all, in Egypt, is hitherto 



tMLoiJbi,tf vet Ktt'myoxri'jawrn, «7« y^fnai ot^a^'Sis? ^asa. jElian. Hift. Animal. 1. 6. c. 33. Bochart. 

 in Hieroz. Par. Poft. 1. 3. c. 6. has colledcd a great many Authorities, both from Greek 

 and Latin Authors, to this Purpofe. 



2 Vid. Pref. to the Book oi Travels, p. y. and Trav. p. 2<S8. and Ludolf. Hift. j^thiop. 

 1, I. c. 16. & Comment, p. 216. 



to 



