CURIOUS CREATURES. 281 



nesse and quantitie, and the same would come unto 

 him, and softly licke his face and golden haire, without 

 dooing him any manner of hurt at all." 



He tells a few more " Snake stories," and quotes 

 from "a little Latine booke printed at Vienna, in the 

 yeare of the Lorde 1551," the following: "There was 

 (sayth mine Author) found in a mowe or rycke of come, 

 almost as many Snakes, Adders, and other Serpentes, 

 as there were sheafes, so as no one sheafe could be 

 removed, but there presently appeared a heape of ougly 

 and fierce Serpents. The countrey men determined to 

 set fire upon the Barne, and so attempted to doe, but in 

 vaine, for the straw would take no fire, although they 

 laboured with all their wit and pollicye, to burne them 

 up ; At last, there appeared unto them at the top of the 

 heap a huge great Serpent, which, lifting up his head, 

 spake with man's voyce to the countrey men, saying : 

 Cease to prosecute your devise, for you shall not be able to 

 accomplish our burning, for wee were not bredde by Nature, 

 neither came we hither of our own accord, but were sent by 

 God to take vengeance on the sinnes of men." 



And some serpents were " very fine and large," for he 

 says : " Gellius writeth, that when the Romanes were in 

 the Carthaginian Warre, and Attilius Regulus the Consull 

 had pitched his Tents neere unto the river Bragrada, 

 there was a Serpent of monstrous quantitie, which had 

 beene lodged within the compasse of the Tents, and 

 therefore did cause to the whole Armie exceeding great 

 calamitie, untill by casting of stones with slings, and 

 many other devises, they oppressed and slew that Ser- 

 pent, and afterward fleyed off the skinne and sent it 

 to Rome ; which was in length one hundred and twentie 

 feete. 



