this furprizing event in terms of confiderable luxuri¬ 
ance. Valerius Maximus thus mentions it from Livy, 
in one of the loft books of vvhofe hiftory it was related 
more at large. 
“ And ftnee we are on the fubject of uncommon phas- 
nomena, we may here mention the ferpent, fo elo¬ 
quently and accurately recorded by Livy ; who fays 
that near the river Bagrada in Africa a fnake was feen 
of fo enormous a magnitude as to prevent the army of 
Attilius Regulus from the ufe of the river; and after 
(hatching up feveral foldiers with its enormous mouth, 
and devouring them,and killing feveral more by ftriking 
and fqueezing them with the fpires of its tail, was at 
length deftroyed by aifailing it with all the force of 
military engines and (bowers of ftones ; after it had 
withftood the attack of their fpears and darts : that 
it was regarded by the whole army as a more formi¬ 
dable enemy than even Carthage itfelf ; and that the 
whole adjacent region being tainted with the pcftilen- 
tial effluvia proceeding from its remains, and the 
waters with its blood, thq Roman army was obliged to 
remove its ftation: he alfo adds that the (kin of the 
monfter, meafuring 120 feet in length, was .fent to 
Rome as a trophy.” Vajl. Max. 
The learned Frienfhemius, in his Supplcmenta Livi- 
ana, has attempted a more ample and circumftantial 
narrative of the fame event, and it cannot be unfatis- 
faeftory to the reader to receive a quotation from an. 
author, who has fo happily imitated the manner of the 
great hiftorian. 
“ Jn the mean time Regulus, every where victorious, 
led. 
