CURIOUS CREATURES. 279 



terrour. Then the Prince's Nephew (who was called 

 Bisboror) replyed, saying, they were Serpents which 

 had beset the house, and would have destroyed all their 

 Cattell and Heards, except hee had gone foorth to drive 

 them away by a Charme, which was very common and 

 ordinary in those parts, wherin were abundance of very 

 hurtfull Serpents. 



" The Lygurian young man, hearing him say so, 

 marvailed above measure, and said, that this thing was 

 so rare and miraculous, that scarcely Christians could 

 beleeve it. The Negro thought it as strange that the 

 young man should bee ignorant heereof, and therefore told 

 him, that their Prince could worke more strange things 

 by a Charme which he had, and that this, and such 

 like, were small, vulgar, and not be counted miraculous. 

 For, when he is to use any strong poyson upon present 

 necessitie, to put any man to death, he putteth some 

 venom uppon a sword, or other peece of Armour, and 

 then making a large round Circle, by his Charme com- 

 pelleth many Serpents to come within that circle, hee 

 himselfe standing amongst them, and observing the 

 most venomous of them all so assembled, which he 

 thinketh to contain the strongest poyson, killeth him, 

 and causeth the residue to depart away presentlie ; then, 

 out of the dead Serpent hee taketh the poyson, and 

 mixeth it with the seede of a certaine vulgar Tree, and 

 therewithall annoynteth his dart, arrow, or sword's 

 point, whereby is caused present death, if it give the 

 bodie of a man but a very small wound, even to the 

 breaking of the skinne, or drawing of the blood. And 

 the saide Negro did earnestly perswade the young man 

 to see an experiment hereof, promising him to shew all 

 as he had related, but the Lygurian beeing more willing 



