Class III. VIPER. 3^, 



from it in an obftinate lepra: it is at prelent ufed 

 as a reftorative, tho' we think the modern phy- 

 iicians have no great dependence on its virtues. 

 The antients prefcribed it boiled, and to be eaten 

 as fifh; for when frefli, the medicine was much 

 more likely to take effcd than when dried, and 

 oiven in form of a powder or troche. Mr. Keyjler 

 relates that Sir Kenelm Bighy ufed to feed his wife, 

 v/ho was a moll beautiful woman, with capons fat- 

 tened with the ficfh of vipers. 



The antient Britons had a ftrange fuperftidon in 

 refpedl to thefe animals, and of which there flill 

 remains in Wales a ftrong tradition. The account 

 Pliny gives of it is as follows : we fhall not at- 

 tempt a tranflation, it being already done to our 

 hands in a fpirited manner by the ingenious Mr. 

 Mafon^ which we fhall take the liberty of bor- 



rowing-. 



Pr^terea eft ovonim genus in magna Galliaruni 

 fa7na^ omijfum Grsecis. Angues innumeri ^ftate con- 

 volutin falivis faucium corporumque fpumis artifid 

 complexu glomerantur \ anguinum appellatm\ D.ru- 

 idse fihilis id di cunt in fublime jaclari^ fagoqiie opor- 

 tere inter cipi^ ne tellurem attingat : profugere rapto- 

 rem equo : ferpentes enim injequi^ donee arceantur am- 

 nis alicujus interventu^. 



* lib, XXIX. c, 3. 



But 



