BOOK VII.] History of Nature. 181 



Syrtes, could do the like. These Men had naturally in 

 their Bodies a Poison fatal to Serpents, so that by the 

 Smell of it they were able to stupify them. And by 

 this means they used to try the Chastity of their Wives. 

 For as soon as their Children were born, they exposed 

 them to the most furious Serpents ; for these would not fly 

 from them if they were begotten in Adultery. This Nation, 

 in general, hath been almost entirely extirpated by the 

 Nasamones, who now inhabit those parts ; but a kind of 

 these Men remaineth still, descended from those who fled, 

 or else who were not present when the Battle was fought; but 

 they exist in small Companies. In like manner, the Nation 

 of the Marsi continue in Italy, who preserve the Reputa- 

 tion of being descended from a Son of Circe, and therefore 

 possess the same natural faculty. Yet so it is that all Men 

 possess within them that which is Poison to Serpents: for 

 it is reported they flee from Man's Spittle, as they do from 

 the touch of Scalding Water; but if it penetrate into their 

 Mouth, especially if it come from a Man that is fasting, it is 

 present Death. Beyond the Nasamonse, and their Neigh- 

 bours the Machlyae, there are Androgyni, of a double Nature, 

 inter se vicibus coeuntes, as Calliphanes reporteth. Aristotle 

 adds, that their Right Breast is like that of a Man, and the 

 Left that of a Woman. In the same Africa Isigonus and Nym- 

 phodorus avouch that there are certain Families of Charmers: 

 who, if they praise, destroy the Sheep, cause .the Trees to 

 wither, and Infants to pine away to death. Isigonus addeth 

 further, that there are People of the same kind among the Tri- 

 balli and Illyrii, who charrn with their Eyesight, and kill those 

 whom they look upon for a long time, especially if their Eyes 

 look angry : which Evil of theirs is more quickly felt by those 

 who are above the age of Puberty. It is worthy of remark, 

 that they have two Pupils in each Eye. Of this kind Apol- 

 lonides saith, there are also Women in Scythia named Bithyae. 

 Philarchus witnesseth, that in Pontus also the Race of 

 the Thibii, and many others, have the same Quality : of 

 whom he giveth these marks, that in one of their Eyes they 

 have two Pupils, and in the other the Resemblance of a 



