TO ALEXANDRIA. 6 $ 
ponies, and amongft others, fpits on them feveral 
ttmes with certain geftures. This matter of getting 
a blefting from the Prieft is pure fuperftition, and 
certainly cannot in the leaft help to fafcinate Ser- 
pents ; but they believe, or will at lead perfuade 
others, that the power of fafcinating Serpents de- 
pends upon this circumftance. We fee by this, that 
?' le y know how to make ufe of the fame means ufed 
T other nations ; namely, to hide under the fuper- 
ltlous cloak of religion, what may be ealily and 
naturally explained, efpecially when they cannot or 
till not explain the natural reafon. I am inclined 
o think that all which was formerly, and is yet 
rec toned witchcraft, might come under the fame ar- 
v lc e ™ r be fafcination of Serpents. The difco- 
t Cr / r°- a m ntter may in time teach every body 
0 rafcinate Serpents ; and then this power may be 
x ercifed by thofe who have not got it from the 
t anc * s °f a holy Scheik, juft as the heat would na- 
£ a 'ly hatch chicken in an Egyptian oven; whether 
ocheik did or did not lay hiinfelf naked on it, when 
th C juft put in ; yet to t^is ceremony do 
c uperftitious Egyptians afcribe the happy event 
t]) , Crie c ^ ]C ^ en being hatched, when they are alked 
th er ^on. I have been told of a plant with which 
g e y anoint or rub themfelves before they touch the 
def P r entS; buC . 1 have not hitherto received the leaft 
tption of it, therefore I regard it as fabulous*. 
in a letter to Sir Chades Linnaeus, fays, that 
loch[ a A 3 ” 5 • n f ^ le Well-Indies chatm Serpents with the Ariilo- 
Eaft ]j|, n ®1r Ce ^ a ’ an< f die l at “ Mr. Forikolil on his travels to the 
species nf a ? r ' Einnasus, diat t!le Egyptians ufe a 
fpeci es ; c ■ Ariit °lochia (Birthwort) but does not determine which 
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