OF SERPENTS. 



iity, which feems to be between Scorpions and Copper ; for not far 

 from the City is the Copper-Mine, where, as before, if one of 

 thefe Animals be brought, it dies immediately. ^ Whether this 

 be not Herbert'^ Parthian ? 



Ye A, to render a future State terrible to Mortals, the Heathens, 

 fpeaking of departed Souls, feigned, that at their Defcent from 

 Charon % Boat (who was the Ferryman of Hell) they met Cerbe- 

 rus^ a. monftrous Dog, with three Heads, who was covered ali 

 over with Serpents, inftead of Hair. There was the Monfter 

 Chim^era that vomited Fire, her Head like a Lion^ Middle like a 

 Goaty and her Tail like a furious Dragon ; fo lings the Poet : 



49 



Cerberus, whofooti began to rear 



His crejied Snakes — he gapes with three enormous Mouths. 



Dryden's Virgil. 

 So another : 



For as the Pope that keeps the Gate 



Of Heaven, wears three Crowns of State ; 



So he, that keeps the Gates of Helly 



Proud Cerberus, wears three Heads as well. 



And, if the World have any 'Troth, 



Some have been canonizd in both. 



Hudibras. 



But further, we may obferve, that befides this frightful Ap° 

 pearance of Serpents to falute their Entrance into Hell, there was 

 Variety of Punifhments for them when there. Thus the Danaides 

 were condemned to Tartarus by the Poets, to be continually em- 

 ployed in filling a Cask perforated at the bottom ; PhlegaSj con- 

 demned by y^/!0& to Hell, where he fat upon a rolling Stone, in 

 conftant danger of falling into a Pit of greater Mifery ; Tityus, 

 adjudged to Hell, where a Vultur feeds on his Liver, and the 

 Liver always grows with the Moon : Nay, fuch were the horrible 

 Preparations in Hell, that Virgil *, after a Survey of it, declares, 

 that had he a hundred Mouths and Tongues, they would not fuf- 

 fice to recount all the Plagues of the Tortured : fo that it is no 

 wonder to fee them reprefent the infernal Prifon in Figures the 

 mofl frightful. 



H And 



* JEneid. lib. vi. ver. 658. 



