OF SERPENTS. 65 



neui, who was looked upon by the Chriftians as a notorious Ma- 

 gician, being afk'd by the Governor oi Rome under Nero, what 

 was his Profeffion ? he anfwer'd, ^Ejaio-iaof, an Enthufiaft, q. d. Fa- 

 natic, Conjurer. 



'T I s true, that wonderful Things have been done by Words, 

 but how verbal Charms operated upon Serpents, wants Explica- 

 tion : Of fome Inchanters 'tis faid, that by vocal and inftrumental 

 Sounds, they have charm'd Rats, Mice and Serpents, fome into 

 a ftupid State, and others into a flexible fubmiffive State, 



A remarkable Inflance in Rats we have in the publick Records 

 of Hamelen, (an antient City on the River Wefer in Germany^ 

 about 28 Miles S. E. of Hanover') where the following flrange 

 Account is regifter'd, viz. 



That in. June 26. 1284, a certain Stranger undertook to 

 deftroy an Army of Rats with which the Town had been long 

 pefter'd, on promife of fuch a Reward ; and immediately playing 

 on his Pipe and Tabret, the Rats march'd out, and follow'd the 

 Mufick to the River, where they were all drown 'd: But being 

 ►denied the Reward, he threaten'd Revenge ; and next day he 

 went about with the fame Mufick, and mofl Children in the 

 Town follow'd the Piper to the Mouth of a great Cave on a 

 neighbouring Hill call'd Koppelberg, where he and they entered, 

 and were never heard of after. 



In remembrance oi \h\^ fad Catafirophe^ the Citizens for many 

 Years after, dated all their publick Writingsyro/« the Day they 

 Joji their Children^ as appears by their old Deeds and Records : 

 They ftill call the Street thro' which the Children went out, 

 Tahret-Jlreet; and at the Mouth of the Cave there is a Monument 

 •of Stone, with a Latin Infcription, giving the Particulars of this 

 tragical Story. 



A s to the other Inftance, viz. Serpents charm'd into a dudtile 

 manageable State, 'tis thus accounted for ; viz. Serpents, they 

 iay, are flrangely influenced by the Smell of thofe Emanations, 

 proceeding from the Cornus, or Dog-rree (why not the Cornelian- 

 Cherry, antiently dedicated io ylpollo?) and that by a Wand or 

 Rod taken from it, thev are thrown into an obfequious Temper — 

 *' When touch'd by a Rod from that Tree, they are immediately 

 " intoxicated, but fo as to be able to follow the Motion of the 

 "" Rod ; but whether by reafon of fome great Difproportion or 

 6 K " Incom- 



