The Tarantula. 551 
Inflammation, difficulty of breathing, and sickness, are 
said to be the inevitable consequences of the bite of this 
animal. Dr. Mead, and other medical men, have coun- 
tenanced the popular story of these effects being coun- 
teracted by the power of music. It is, however, now well 
known, that this singular mode of cure was nothing 
more than a trick frequently practised on credulous 
travellers, who were desirous of witnessing it. Mr. 
Swinburne, when he was in Italy, minutely investigated 
every particular relative to the Tarantula. The season 
was not far enough advanced, and it was pretended that 
no persons had as yet been bitten that year : he, how- 
ever, prevailed upon a woman, who had formerly been 
bitten, to dance the part before him. Several musicians 
were summoned, and she performed the dance, as every- 
one present assured him, to perfection. At first she 
lolled stupidly on a chair, while the instruments played 
a dull strain. They touched at length the chord sup- 
posed to vibrate to her heart ; and up she sprung with a 
hideous yell, staggered about the room like a drunken 
person, holding a handkerchief in both hands, raising 
them alternately, and moving in very true time. As 
the music grew brisker, her motions quickened, and 
she skipped about with great vigour, and in a variety 
of steps, every now and then shrieking very loud. The 
scene was unpleasant, and, at his request, an end was 
put to it before the woman was tired. 
He informs us, that, whenever they are to dance, a 
place is prepared for them, hung round with bunches of 
grapes and ribbons. The patients are dressed in white, 
with red, green, or yellow ribbons ; on their shoulders 
they have a white scarf; they let their hair fall loose 
about their ears, and throw the head quite back. He 
says that they are exact copies of the ancient priestesses 
of Bacchus. The introduction of Christianity abolished 
all public exhibitions of heathenish rites ; but the women, 
unwilling to give up their darling amusement, in per- 
forming the frantic character of Bacchantes, devised 
other pretences ; and he supposes that accident led them 
to the discovery of the Tarantula, of which they took 
advantage for that purpose. 
