CHAP. XIV. THE ASP. ^24fl 



became frantic, and liaving confessed his crime 

 ex})ired. 



According to Juvenal *, the priests of Isis, in 

 his time, contrived that the silver idols of snakes, 

 kept in her temple, should move their heads to a 

 supplicating votary ; and extravagant notions con- 

 nected with serpents are not wanting in the paint- 

 ings of the tombs of the kings at Thebes, and 

 are traced in the religions of all nations of an- 

 tiquity. 



The Egyptian asp is a species of Cobra de ca- 

 pellot, and is still very common in Egypt, where it 

 is called Nashir, a word signifying *' spreading," 

 from its dilating its breast when angry. It is the same 

 which the Hdivee, or snake-players, the Psylli X of 

 modern days§, use in their juggling tricks : having 

 previously taken care to extract its fangs, or, which 

 is a still better precaution, to burn out the poison 

 bag with a hot iron. They are generally about 

 three or four feet long, but some are considerably 

 larger, one in my possession measuring exactly six 

 feet in length ; and ^lian || scruples not to give 

 them five cubits. They are easily tamed. Their 

 food is mice, frogs, and various reptiles ; and they 



* " Et movisse caput visa est argentea serpens." Juv. Sat. vi. 537. 



f Coluber, or Naja Haje. Vide supra, p. 124. 



j Vide MViai), i. 57, 



§ ^lian, speaking of the power of the Egyptians over snakes and 

 birds, says, " They are saitl to be enabled by a certain magical art to 

 bring down birds from heaven, and to charm serpents, so as to make 

 them come forth from their lurking places at their command." (lib. vi. 

 c. 33.) He thiniwS that no one ever recovered from the bite of an asp 

 (v!. 38.) ; though he modifies this opinion in another place (ii. 5.), 



II iElian, Nat. An. vi. 38. He mentions dragons of thirteen and four- 

 teen cubits (20 feet), brought from Ethiopia to Alexandria. This was 

 for iEsculapius. " Deus intersit." (xvi. 39.) 



VOL. II. — Second Series. R 



