46 A NATURAL HISTORY 



I N the Canary- JJIands, thefe venemous Animals are more dreaded 

 tlian the Peftilence. 'Tis laid they are hunted and. taken by the 

 Turks, who prepare the Oil of Scorpions from tliem *. In India, 

 about the Arrahban-hake, the Country has been intirely diipeopled 

 by thefe mifchievous Creatures, Ibid. 



I N Times of War, Serpents have been preil: into the Service. 

 Thus Hcliogabahis (Emperor of Rome, fo called becaufe he was 

 Frieji of the Sun before his Eledlion) having, by his Sacerdotal 

 Incantators, or facred Conjurers, gathered together feveral Ser- 

 pents, contrived a Method to turn them loofe, before day, among 

 his Enemies, which foon put them into a terrible Hurry, and a 

 Motion, that was a Trial for their Lives ; the Sight of the crooked 

 Serpent being far more dreadful, than the Whizzing of a ftraight 

 Arrow -f*. The fame Author informs us of Snakes thrown by a 

 Sling-Staff into the Camp of the Barbarians, which did great Exe- 

 cution. 



King Prujias being overcome by King Eumenes, by Land, and 

 intending to try his Fate by Sea, Hannibal, by a new Invention, 

 made him vitlorious. The Stratagem was this : Hatinibal having 

 procured a great Number of Se^ents, put them into earthen 

 Veffels ; and by another Device, and in midfl of the Engage- 

 ment, convey 'd tliem into Antiochui% Fleet, which proved more 

 dreadful than Fire-balls, and feather'd Weapons, that flew amongft 

 them. At firft, it feemed ridiculous to the Romans, that they 

 fhould arm themfelves, and fight with earthen Pots ; but when 

 they were broken, an Army of Snakes rulh'd out, which fo ter- 

 rified the Marines, that they immediately yielded the Vidloiy to 

 Priijias, the Carthaginian Hero's Friend, 



W E read in Hiftory, how Juno, out of her hatred to Hercu- 

 les, fent two dreadful Serpents to devour him in the Cradle, which 

 he foon crufh'd with his Infant-Hands. 



I T was common among the Antient Swedes, to fend out cer- 

 tain Flies (which they pretended to be their Familiars) to plague 

 their Enemies. They alfo made Magical Balls for the fame pur- 

 pofe, boifting how they thereby conveyed Serpents into their Ene- 

 mies Bodies. 



The 



* Conrad. Gcfner. p. 29. f Gefner, de Scorp. || Juftini Hiji, lib, 



xxxii. ad fincm. 



