56 ANATURALHISTORY 



Privilege againfl the Strength of Poifon, and fuftain no Harm by 

 the biting of Serpents. 



The Serpents, fays Pliny, are afraid of them, and when others 

 are bitten by them, thefe Pjylliam by fucking the Wounds, cure 

 them. 



The Marfiam in Italy , 'tis faid, are ftill in pofleffion of this 

 natural Power againft Serpents, and are fuppofed to defcend from 

 the Son of Circe, the famous Enchantrefs. 



The Trial of Childrens Legitimacy by Serpents, puts me in 

 mind of Hereditary Right ; whofe Title was try'd by the Fatal- 

 Stone, on which the Irijh Monarchs ufed to be inaugurated on the 

 Hill of Tarah ; and which being inclofed in a Wooden-Chair, was 

 made to emit a Sound under the rightful Candidate, when he fat 

 in it} but was quite filent under one who had no Title, or not a 

 good one ; that is, one who was not for the Druidick Priefl's 

 Turn . 



" This Stone was fent to confirm the IriJh Colony in Scotland, 

 " where it continued to be the Coronation-Chair till in the Year 

 " 1300, Edward I. of Englandbrou^ht it from Scoon, and placed 

 " it under the Coronation-Chair at JFeJlminJier* ; and there it 

 " ftill remains, is ufed in the Coronation, the antienteft refpected 

 " Monument in the World -f. The Vulgar call it Jacobs Stone, 

 "■ as if this had been his Pillow at Bethel" Note, Antique Ap- 

 pearances often give birth to popular Superftltions. 



Such natural Power againft Difeajes did in our Days appear 

 in the celebrated Mr. Greatrix, before ichofe Hand they fed. In 

 the Philofophical Tranilidions we have the following Account 

 of it, received from Eye-Witneffes, — e. g. 



" . . . . My own Brother, John D n, vj^s feized with a vio- 



" lent Pain in his Head and Back : Mr. Greatrix (coming by ac- 

 " cident to our Houfe) gave prefent Eafe to his Head, by only 

 " ftroaking it with his Hands. He then rubb'd his Back, which 

 " he moft complain'd of, and the Pain immediately fled from 

 " his Hand to his right Thigh j then he purfued it with his 

 ^' Hand to his Knee, from thence to his Leg, Ancle and Foot ; 

 " and at laft to his great Tee. As it fell lower, it grew more 



violent ; 



* Ni fa!!at fatum Scoti q'jocuaque locatum 

 I ivcnient lapidem, regnare lenencur ibidem. 

 i ipaxli Coh'fr. A. D. -1-26. 



