THE BRUISED SERPENT 183 
they may at any time become rabid and _ inflict 
that unspeakable dreadful suffering and destruction 
on us. This leads to the following question: Is 
it not at least probable that our excessive fear of 
the serpent, so unworthy of us as rational beings 
and the cause of so much unnecessary cruelty, is, 
partly at all events, a result of our superstitious 
fear of sudden death? For there exists, we know, 
an exceedingly widespread delusion that the bite 
of a venomous serpent must kill, and kil quickly. 
Compared with such ophidian monarchs as_ the 
bush-master, fer-de-lance, hamadryad, and tic- 
polonga, the viper of Europe—the poor viper of 
many experiments and much, not too readable, 
literature—may be regarded as almost harmless, 
at all events not much more harmful than the 
hornet. Nevertheless, in this cold northern world, 
even as in other worlds where nature elaborates 
more potent juices, the delusion prevails, and may 
be taken in account here, although its origin cannot 
now be discussed. 
Against sudden death we are taught to pray 
from infancy, and those who believe that their 
chances of a happy immortality are enormously 
increased when death comes slowly, approaching 
them, as it were, visibly, so that the soul has 
ample time to make its peace with an incensed 
Deity, have not far to look for the cause of the 
feeling. It is true that death from hydrophobia 
is very horrible, and, comparatively, of frequent 
occurrence, but it does not find its victim wholly 
