264 



ON SNAKES. 



dictionaries are ransacked by writers, for words 

 of sufficient potency, to place these pretty reptiles 

 in an evil point of view. 



When I was in the forests of Guiana, I could 

 never coax an Indian to approach a snake with 

 composure, although I shewed him, that no danger 

 was to be apprehended, if he only went the right 

 way to work. 



History teems with the evil doings of snakes. 



Poor Orpheus lost his beautiful Eurydice on 

 their wedding day, by the bite of a snake which 

 stung her in the heel, as she was dancing on the 

 lawn with her bridesmaids. Laocoon and his sons 

 were squeezed to a mummy, by two enormous sea- 

 serpents. Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, having lost 

 her sweetheart and her diadem ; procured a snake 

 to end her insupportable misfortunes. All Den- 

 mark, as we read in Shakspeare, was persuaded 

 that her king had died from the venomous sting of 

 a sn^ke. 



A Koman legion fought and slew a tremendous 

 serpent in the wilds of Africa. We are told, that, 

 formerly, there lived a family by the name of 

 Gorgon, several young ladies of which, had snakes 

 on their heads in lieu of hair ; and that these 

 damsels were looked upon with very great horror, 

 wherever they went. 



