O F S E R P E N T S. 105 



" In all he told me, having ever pad for a very honell and pious 

 " Man. I leave it to Naturalifts to reafon, and to other Men to 

 " believe as they pleafe upon it; however, it is not perhaps amifs 

 " to relieve or enliven a bufy Scene fometimes w^ith fuch Digref- 

 " iions, whether to the purpofe or no." So far Sir William 'Temple. 

 Wonder not then, if you meet in this Hiftory with fome 

 romantick Sentiments entertained by learned Men concerning Ser- 

 pents, when two fuch illuftrious Pillars of the Commonwealth 

 of Letters, give way to a Relation that has fo much of the Marvel- 

 lous in it. 



XLI. These Hiftorians inform us of many more Serpents, 

 and fome of great bulk, that infeft thofe American Regions; 

 whofe Looks are ruddy, of blood-red Colour, that fhine in the 

 Night, like fo many glittering Stars. 



A MODERN Author writes, that in America are fome Snakes 

 that were eight Foot long, and as red as Blood, which in the 

 Night look'd like Fire*. 



The former black, and thefe fhining Serpents, remind me 

 of the Objidian Stones, that are very black and tranfparent; they 

 have their Names from one Obfidius, who firft found them in 

 /Ethiopia. 



There is a fort of natural Obfidian Glafs, which is rather to be 

 ranked among Stones than Metals ; 'tis as paffive as the former, 

 enduring the Graving-Tool, is diaphanous and pellucid, receiving 

 Images, and, like artificial Glafs, tranfmitting all Forms and 

 Shapes. 



This is found in Mthiopia, where the Sepulchres of the No- 

 bles are ufually made of it, and after this manner ; viz. They 

 take a large Stone, and make it hollow, and in the Cavity include 

 the Corps, where it is not only preferved, but, as if entomb'd in 

 Glafs, is apparently vifible to Spedlators, and fends forth no un- 

 grateful Scent. 



Out of thefe Obfidian Stones, Looking-GlafTes are wont to 

 be made, and are alfo found on the Coafts of Arabia. Thefe 

 fhining Stones were inferted into Rings, and in one of them was 

 cut the entire Image of Augujius, who being much taken with 



P thefe 



* Anton. Herrerai Hiftory oi America, Vol. II. in his Accounc of Darien, p. 72. 



