OFSERPENTS. 



in Arabia., which (according to the Tradition) if a Man Jlept 

 upon., he died in his Sleep without any Pain. 



A Certain learned Pen, makes this Remark upon Cleo- 

 patra?. Cafe, viz. that (he was not bit by an Afp, as fome have 

 aflerted, but did that which was more fecret and fure; that is, 

 after fhe had bit her own Arm, infufed Poifon into the Wound, 

 exprefTed before-hand from an Aj'p by Irritation, and preferved in 

 a Phial for that purpofe : Or, as Dio fays, flie wounded her Arm 

 with a Needle, or Dreffing-pin, and then poured the Poifon into 

 the bleeding Wound. This feems probable, becaufe no Serpent 

 was found in her Chamber or near it. 



The ^eejiy in order to find the mofl eafy Paflage out of this 

 Life, made an Experiment upon Criminals by various kinds of 

 Poifon, and Application of diverfe forts of Serpents, and found 

 nothing came up to A/pick Poifon, which throws Perfons into a 

 pleafant Sleep, in which they die *. 



Obj. If it be faid, that in the Triumphs oi Augujlus, Queen 

 Cleopatra is drawn laith an Afp in her Hand : 



I Answer, That I apprehend that Device might only be Piffo- 

 rial-Licence, or a Flourifli of the Painter to afFedl the People, by 

 difplayiug the Heroifm of a Woman, who to prevent the Difgrace 

 of Captivity, embraced Death at the hands of a Serpent, a ter- 

 rible Creature, to which none has fo great an Averfion as the fe- 

 male Sex. Excufe a poetick Digreffion. 



On the ASP and its POISON. 



Welcome thou kind "Deceiver., 



Thou be ft of Thieves ! who with an eafy Key 

 Doji open Life, and unperceiv'd by us^ 

 Evenjleal us from our felves ; difcharging fOy 

 Death's dreadful Office, better than himfelf 

 Touching our Limbs fo gently into Slumber, 

 That Death (lands by, deceivd by its own Image,, 

 And thinks himfelf afeep-\-. — 



Some; 



* Plutarch's Lives of Marc Anton, and Ckaptttra, and Fr. R?</; Nobilh- Aretins 

 Experiment, p. lyo; — I, — 2, — 3. 

 ■f Dry den., All for Love. 



