OF SERPENTS. 45 



doivn—^And when they faw no harm cotne to him, they changed 

 their Mind, andfaid he was a God. How came they to alter their 

 Opinion ? Becaufe, according to their Divinity, none elfe could 

 thus command, and controul a venenious Serpent, which was one 

 of the Mejfengers of the Gods. 



" No venemous Beafts, according to the fabulous Tradition, will 

 " live in the Ifland, which they afcribe to St. P^///'s Bleffing, when 

 " he was fliipwreck'd there." They (hew the Cave where they 

 pretend he relided, and reckon the Earth of it, an Antidote a- 

 gainft Poifon. 



From this hiftorical Paffage, 'tis evident, that thefe Barbarians 

 did believe a Provide?tce, and the Dodlrine of Divine yujiice, 

 which Juftice they openly adored, under the Name of VindiSla, or 

 Nemefis, which was the Goddefs of Revenge, whofe Province was to 

 infpedt the moral Condu6t of all Men, and diftribute Rewards and 

 Punifliments as the Cafe required. It was painted in the fame 

 manner as jfujlice, with a Pair of Scales in one hand, and a Sword 

 in the other. 



I N Ethiopia, we read of a large Country, this fide the Cyna- 

 molgi, that was laid wafte, and entirely depopulated by Scorpions, 

 before whom, the Inhabitants not being able to fland, fled for 

 their Lives. The fame Defolation was made by the Scorpions at 

 Salamin, an ifland not far from Athens, called the IJland of Dra- 

 gojis, for which Lycophron is quoted *. 



The Inhabitants of Amycla, a Town in Italy, were defl:royed 

 by Serpents, being, as 'tis iaid, of the Pythagorean Race, whole 

 Laws lorbid to kill Animals, and by fuffering thefe venemous 

 Creatures to multiply without Controul, they became infuffe- 

 rable -f. 



The Inhabitants of Pefcara, an antient City in Africa, were 

 confl:rained to forfake their Habitations in Summer, by realbn of 

 Scorpions that were very numerous, and in that Seafon, their Sting 

 moft dangerous : In Winter, when their Wounds were lefi dan- 

 gerous, the Refugees turned to their Houfes |. 



DIODORUS SICULUS obferves how many Regions 

 have been defer ted, for this reafon ; both People and Cattle being 

 driven awav by an Army of Scorpions, and their Allies. 



In 



* Conrad, Gefner.de Scorp. f Ibid. X ^tl.Geogr. p. 319. * 



