CXXX. The _Serpent de Boa_ is another of the monstrous kind; called

_Boa_ from _Bos_, the _Latin_ word for an Ox, which it devours at once:

The young ones, which grow to a great Bulk, are nourished by sucking the

Cow.

In the Emperor _Claudius_’s time, in one of them that was killed, they

found a Child that was whole. In _Calabria_ are some monstrous Animals,

not unlike these, says the Historian; who adds, that not many Years ago

a certain Bishop speaks of a large mischievous Serpent, that was shot

near _St. Archangel_, whose Jaws were almost two Palms long, the

Portraiture of which is yet seen in a certain Temple there[303].

Footnote 303:

M. Antonius Cuccinus Episcopus Anglonensis ad Thomasium—in Agro S.

Archangeli. _In Jonstonus; in Verb._

CXXXI. I Am informed by some Persons, who had it by Tradition from

ancient People, that formerly there was in this Country a monstrous

Serpent of four or five Yards long, and thicker than a common Axle-tree

of a Cart, and very mischievous, preying upon Lambs, _&c._ Its chief

Residence was in a Wood, near _Pickopbank_, a few Miles from

_Blackburn_, in _Lancashire_, called _Ouse-Castle_, wherein there is yet

a little Spot of Ground, called _Griom’s-Ark_, which is a deep Cavern,

situated among Rocks, in a Wood, from whence it was seen to come out,

and bask itself on a sunny Bank.

The Picture of this Serpent is drawn with Wings, two Legs, and Talons

like an Eagle, which is seen in some ancient Houses, (and particularly

at _Clayton-hall_, near _Dunkin-hall_) by which it appears to be very

large and furious.

It’s said, one —— _Grimshaw_ Esq; Proprietor of that Hall, shot the

Monster with Arrows, and had an Estate offer’d him for that good Service

done to his Country, which he generously refused, and only desired he

might have a Passage thro’ that Wood to a Township he had on t’other

side of it, which was granted, the Title of which is to be found in old

Writings. By another hand I am informed, that it was supposed to be a

_Griffin_, which is a Bird of Prey, and of the Eagle kind, which, I take

to be the _Ossifrage_ of _Moses_, and mentioned _Levit._ xi.

There is also a fabulous _Griffin_, represented with four Legs, Wings,

and a Beak; the upper part like an Eagle, and the lower a Lion. They

conjecture it to watch over golden Mines and hidden Treasures. This Bird

was consecrated to the Sun, therefore the Chariot of the Sun was

represented as drawn by a Set of _Griffins_.

This _poetick Griffin_ is frequently seen in antient Medals, and is

still bore in Coat-Armor. The antient and honourable Family of the

_Guillims_ blazons it rampant, alledging any very fierce Animal may be

so blazon’d as well as a Lion. It is observable, says my Author, that in

the Front of _Clayton-hall_ are two Figures drawn in Plaister in the

form of a Coat of Arms; on the right side of the Escutcheon is a Figure

with Wings, four Feet, and a Tail twisted in the Form of a Serpent. The

like Figure is drawn in Plaister in several antient Houses in that

Neighbourhood, which go under the Name of the _Griffin’s Picture_, and

the Sign is used at Publick-houses: There is a Place in that Wood called

the _Griffin’s-Ark_.

_N. B._ This seems to carry some Probability with it, since Eagles are

voracious Creatures, and very destructive to Fawns and Lambs, especially

the black Eagle, which is of a lesser Size than the other.

In some of the _Scots Islands_, the Natives observe, that this Eagle

fixes its Talons between the Deer’s Horns, and beats its Wings

constantly about its Eyes; several other Eagles flying at the same time

on both sides, which puts the Deer upon a continual Run, till it fall

into a Pit, or down a Precipice, where it dies, and so becomes a Prey to

the Enemy[304].

Footnote 304:

_Martin’s Description of the Western Islands of Scotland_, Edit. ii.

p. 7.

CXXXII. In some of the Western Islands of _Scotland_ are several

Serpents: There is one that is _yellow_ with brown Spots, and another

with _brown_ Spots; but that which is the most poisonous, is the _black

and white spotted_, three or four Foot long.

The Remedies are such as these: The Natives cut off the Head of the

Serpent that gives the Wound, and apply it to the Place as the best

Remedy: Others, by the Application of new Cheese, extract the Poison;

and some make use of the Rump of a Cock stript of its Feathers, which

they apply to the Wound with Success, according to the Historian[305].

Footnote 305:

_Martin_’s _Description of the Isle of Skie_, _&c._ p. 236.

In the Library at _Manchester_, is the Skin of a Serpent which was five

Yards long, as thick as the Calf of a Man’s Leg; has a forked Tongue,

scaly Skin, yellow Colour.

CXXXIII. _MARTINIUS_ in his _Atlas_ relates, that in the Province of

_Quangsi_ in _China_, there are Serpents thirty Foot long. The _Flora

Sinensis_ reports of the Serpent call’d _Geuto_, that it devours whole

Stags, but is not very venemous. ’Tis of an ash Colour, from eighteen to

twenty-four Foot long; will often seize on a Man, by leaping from a

Tree, and kill him, by its violent windings about him.—The _Chinese_

preserve his _Gall_ to cure the Diseases of the Eyes.—_Marcus Paulus

Venetus_ testifies the same of the Serpents of _Carrajam_.—Some are in

length ten Paces, in thickness ten Palms, and able to swallow a Man. Are

taken thus: The Serpent in the Day lies in Caves of Mountains; in the

Night hunts for Prey, and then returns to its Cave, with the weight of

its Body, plowing deep the Earth, being sandy in the Track it goes

along: Here the Huntsmen fix strong Stakes pointed with Iron, covered

with Sand; and as the Serpent travels along, the Spikes gore its

Entrails, and are fasten’d therein, by which ’tis kill’d; and the

Huntsmen sell the _Gall_ at a great Price for Medicine, and the _Flesh_

for Meat. These, continues he, may be reckon’d among _Dragons_, but are

without Poison: Instead of Feet, they have Claws like those of a _Lion_

or _Falcon_.—There are other Serpents in _China_ full of rank Poison,

especially the _hairy-headed Serpent_. So far _Martin_.

_N. B._ This Province of _Quamsi_ or _Quangsi_ is able to raise a

Million of fighting Men. It is not so much frequented as the Province of

_Quantung_ or _Canton_, where they have two Harvests a year. One says,

there is a Mountain here with a Pool in it, which makes a Noise like

Thunder, if a Stone be cast into it, and causes Showers from the

Sky[306]. Their Winter is warm, and their Fields always verdant,

producing great Quantities of Gold, Pearl, Silk, Copper, Steel, Iron,

Salt,—and odoriferous Woods.—They hatch their Ducks Eggs and those of

other Fowls in Ovens, or Dunghills.

Footnote 306:

_Pancirollus._

CXXXIV. There is a kind of _Reptiles and Insects_ (I don’t mean the

common Tortoise) which is a certain sort of Snake, small in Body and of

white Colour, found in _Lydia_, _Arabia_,—cased over with a white

colour’d Shell, which shines like a sparkling Margarite[307].

Footnote 307:

_Pancirollus._

I shall close this Part with an Experiment made by the noble _Roman_

before-mentioned, who (being sollicitous to take a compleat View of a

Serpent) after he had dissected one, preserved the Flesh and Bones, and

having, _secundum artem_, reduced them to Ashes,—extracted _Aqua

Fontana_,—whose Virtues were equal to those drawn from the Ashes of

other Animals, and of Plants.

To this venemous Tribe, I shall annex a few Reptiles, in whose Veins I

find something of the Serpent’s Blood; and close the variegated List

with a large Account of the _Tarantula_, its Wound, and Cure by Musick;

then inquire into the Reasons of that strange Operation; the Nature and

Force of Sounds, not only on the Animal Passions, but Inanimate Matter.

I shall begin with,

I. The _Bee_, called the Honey-Fly, a little Animal that has four Feet,

which it carries close to the Belly, and not easily separated: It has

four Wings, small Teeth, and a long Tongue, which usually it carries out

of the Mouth. Its Sting cleaves to the Belly, which, when it strikes, it

parts with, and becomes uncapable of wounding a second time; which, I

think can’t be said of any other Member of the stinging Race, unless it

be the Wasp and Hornet.

The Sting, in the Design of it, seems to be only a Weapon of Defence; it

looks like a Tube or Pipe, hollow, with a little Bag of sharp

penetrating Liquid (which is its Poison) joined to the Extremity of it

within the Body, which, in stinging, is injected into the Wound thro’

the Tube; and tho’ venemous and painful, is not strong enough to corrupt

the Mass of Blood.

One may, with the naked Eye, sometimes see this little Insect discharge

its Venom, in which, says the ingenious Dr. _Mead_, by the help of a

Glass, I can easily discover _a great Number of minute Salts floating_.

In _Brazil_, _Bees_ are distinguish’d into twelve kinds, among which are

some that sting in a most furious and fatal manner, called _Mateecas_ by

the _Indians_.

In _Ceylon_ in the _East-Indies_, are several Bees, the largest are of a

brighter Colour than ours; they make their Combs on the Boughs of Trees:

At proper Seasons, the Inhabitants hold Torches under them, till they

drop down, which they carefully gather, boil and eat, and are accounted

excellent Food. In _Quatemala_ are Bees and Honey of a white Colour, and

some without a Sting, says the Historian[308].

Footnote 308:

_Nierembergius_, p. 286.

II. To the _Bee_, I add the _Wasp_, which, as it is something larger,

makes a deeper Wound; it differs also from it in its Food, which is

Flesh and Carrion, when it can be got; whereas the Bee regales itself

with delicious Entertainments, and enriches its Family with all the

Glories of the vegetable Kingdom. From whence is the Honey? I answer,

That in Flowers is found a viscid sweet Juice, and accordingly we see

Children gather Cowslips, Honeysuckles, and suck the Honey from them.

The Bees visit all Flowers within their Reach, and putting it in their

Trunks, suck out the Honey, with which they load their Stomachs, to be

discharg’d, and laid up in their Combs. Among the Antients, Honey was

taken for a Dew that fell on Flowers; but this is a mistake, because the

Bees only gather it after the Sun is up, when there is no Dew left, or

very little.

III. The _Hornet_ is yet more dangerous, and has been known to pursue a

Sparrow, and kill it, and then suck its Blood. The Hornet and Wasp have

strong Jaws tooth’d, by which they can dig into Fruits, for Sustenance;

yea, and into harder Substances, for Quarters.

If you take a Bee, a Wasp, or Hornet, and gently squeeze the Tail, so

that you can see the Sting, you may perceive a Drop of transparent

Liquor at the very end of it; which if wiped off, you shall soon see it

renew’d, that Liquid passing down the Cavity into the end thereof: ’Tis

said the Decoction of Hornets dropt on the Skin, makes it swell.

IV. I proceed to the _Spider_, another little venemous Insect, whose

forked Tongue or Sting, is very fine and sharp; by this he pierces

Flies—and at the same time, instils a poisonous Juice into the Wound, by

which the Prey being kill’d, it sucks out the Moisture, and leaves

nothing but a husky dry Carcass: Tradition says, it poisons by spitting,

or breathing, because it dare not approach so near to a large Fly as to

a little one; but keeps at some distance, and uses a kind of shoving

Motion, upon which the Fly has done struggling.

There are various sorts of these little strange Creatures, whose Stings

are hurtful, as the _Astorius_, (so called from its resemblance to a

Star) whose Wound produces Heaviness, and Relaxation of the Nerves. The

_Cæruleus_, or blue Spider, whose Sting is attended with Vomiting and

Pain at the Heart. The _Lycos_, the least of the kind, that causes an

_Asthma_, and Swelling about the wounded Part. In the _Philosophical

Transactions_, we have a Table of thirty-three kinds of Spiders found in

_England_, by Dr. _Lister_[309].

Footnote 309:

_Lowthorp_, vol. ii. p. 793.

There is something very curious and admirable in those long Threads they

make in the Air, during some part of Summer, especially towards

_September_, so much wonder’d at, in such Quantities every where. The

Method of Operation, I take to be as follows, _viz._

All Spiders that spin in a Thread, are the Makers of those Threads, most

visible in the Autumn. In all the ways of weaving, they still let down

the Thread they make use of, and draw it after them. Attending on one

that wrought a Net, I saw it, says a very nice Observer, suddenly in the

Mid-work desist, and turning his Tail into the Wind, to dart out a

Thread, with the Violence we see Water spout out of a Spring: This

Thread taken up by the Wind, was in a Moment emitted some Fathoms long,

still issuing out of his Belly; by and by the Spider leapt into the Air,

and the Thread mounted her up swiftly.—And I found the Air fill’d with

young and old, sailing on their Threads, and undoubtedly, says the

Relator, seizing Gnats and other Insects in their Passage; there being

often manifest Signs of Slaughter, as Legs, and Wings of Flies ... on

these Lines, as in their Webs below[310].

Footnote 310:

_Lowthorp_, vol. ii. p. 794.

Spiders have been observed to get to the Top of a Branch or such like

thing, where they exercise this darting of Threads into the Air. After

the first Flight, all the time of their sailing on those Threads, they

make Locks, still darting forth fresh Supplies of Thread to sport and

sail by. _N. B._ Those called Shepherds, or long-legg’d Spiders, are no

Spinners.

I have seen Spiders, says the Learned Dr. _Hulse_[311], shoot their Webs

three Yards long before they begin to sail upon them. So the Learned

_Derham_ observes, that with pleasure he had often seen Spiders dart out

their Webs, and sail away by the Help thereof.

Footnote 311:

Ibid. vol. i. p. 363.

_AMERICA_ turns out diverse kinds of these araneous Insects: In _Peru_

are Spiders as large as a Man’s Hand, and have Eyes as big as those of

Sparrows. In _Brasil_ there is one kind of Spider, whose Skin is rough

and black, and whose Sting proves incurable, without immediate Relief.

On the other hand, we read of monstrous Spiders in the _Antilles_, whose

Eyes are so small and deep in the Head, that they are scarcely visible:

They feed on flying Insects, and their Webs are strong enough to catch

small Birds[312].

Footnote 312:

_Atl. Geog. Amer._ p. 179, 265, 519.

_CEYLON_ in the _East-Indies_ produces a long, glittering, and hairy

Spider, called _Democulo_, whose Wound is not mortal, but sometimes

deprives People of their Senses. There is an Experiment made by Mr.

_Leeuwenhoek_, who put a Frog and Spider together into a Glass, and

having made the Spider sting the Frog diverse times, the Frog died in

about an hour’s time[313].

Footnote 313:

_Scaliger Exercit._ in _Boyle_’s _Subtil. Efflu. Philos.

Transactions_. Where there is a curious Account how Spiders lay and

guard their Eggs. _Derham._

There is another Instance of the Poison of some of them (for all are not

poisonous) given by the Learned _Scaliger_, who relates, that in

_Gascony_ in _France_, there are Spiders of that Virulency, that if a

Man treads upon them to crush them, their Poison will pass thro’ the

very Soles of his Shoe[314].

Footnote 314:

_Scaliger Exercit._ in _Boyle_’s _Subtil. Efflu. Philos.

Transactions_. Where there is a curious Account how Spiders lay and

guard their Eggs. _Derham._

V. The _Scolopendra_ is a little venemous Worm, and amphibious. When it

wounds any, there follows a Blueness about the affected Part, and an

Itch over all the Body, like that caused by Nettles. Its Weapons of

Mischief are much the same with those of the Spider, only larger; its

Bite is very tormenting, and produces not only pruriginous Pain in the

Flesh, but very often Distraction of Mind. These little Creatures make

but a mean Figure in the Rank of Animals, yet have been terrible in

their Exploits, particularly in driving People out of their Country:

Thus the Inhabitants of _Rhytium_, a City of _Crete_, were constrained

to leave their Quarters for them[315]. There is a minute _Scolopendra_,

accounted for by Dr. _Molyneux_.

Footnote 315:

_Ælian_, lib. xv. cap. 26.

VI. The _Shrew-Serpent_ in _Norway_, is a Creature of admirable Beauty;

small in Body, and slow in Motion, but of fiery Venom, and its Wounds

most dangerous.

VII. The _Lacertus Facetanus_, or _Tarantula_, whose Bite gives Name to

a new Disease. Those who are wounded by it are denominated _Tarantati_:

It is a kind of an overgrown Spider, about the Size of a common Acorn.

It borrows its Name from _Tarentum_ in _Apulia_, a City in the Kingdom

of _Naples_, built by a Band of _Lacedemonian Bastards_, who having no

Inheritance at home, were sent thither to seek their Fortunes, where

they built that Town, and made it the Capital of _Magna Græcia_.

This little Animal is furnish’d with eight Eyes, and eight Legs: Its

Skin is tender and soft, of various Colours, and always hairy: ’Tis of

the oviparous kind, and propagates its Species by Eggs, and sometimes a

hundred Eggs have been found in one Female.

In the Opinion of some, ’tis not only an Inhabitant of _Apulia_, but

peculiar to that Province, a Situation that may be called, _A Garden of

Rarities_; Plenty of generous Wine, delicate Honey and Oil, an early

Spring, a soft Winter—render it a most delightful Habitation, especially

to old Persons, according to the Poet[316]; and yet in that most

agreeable Region, this little Tyrant reigns and spreads Terror.

Footnote 316:

—Ille terrarum mihi præter omnes—(_Horat._ lib. ii. ode 6.) Angulus.—

It’s found in other Parts of _Italy_, and even in the Isle of _Corsica_;

but those of _Apulia_, ’tis said, are only dangerous; though I think to

have read something like it in _Persia_, where there is an Insect like a

Spider, about two Inches round, which the _Holstein_ Ambassadors suppose

to be the _Latin Stellio_, and the _Italian Tarantula_: It lets its

Poison fall like a Drop of Water, which causes an insupportable Pain in

that Part ... immediately causes a profound Sleep, from which the

Patient is not to be recovered, but by crushing one of the same

Creatures upon the Wound; or, if this can’t be had, by pouring as much

Milk down his Throat as they can, and then put him on an Engine, which

they turn round with great Violence, till by that violent Agitation, his

Stomach discharges the Milk, which appears greenish, because of the

Poison. Those who are cured thus, have some Remnant of the Pain once a

Year, about the same Season[317].

Footnote 317:

_Voyages and Travels_ of the Ambass. of _Freder._ Duke of _Holstein_.

But to return to _Italy_; ’tis observable, that it hurts no where but in

_Apulia_, and that only in Summer, especially in the _Canicular-Days_,

so called from _Canicula_, that signifies a Dog; hence _Dog-Star_, which

rises cosmically with the Sun the 19th of _July_, and is supposed to be

the brightest, as well as the largest Star in the Firmament.

[Illustration:

_Plate 7^{th}_

]

The _Dog-Days_ denote certain Days before and after the Rising of this

Star, to whose Appearance the Antients ascrib’d terrible Effects: the

very first Day it appears, they say (but without Reason) the Sea becomes

boisterous and boils like a Cauldron, produces Variety of Distempers,

sours Wine, and Dogs grow mad.... The _Romans_, dreading the Indignation

of this Star, sacrificed a Dog every Year to it, (_viz._ at its first

Appearance in our Hemisphere) to appease its Rage against Mortals.

In Winter, this _Italian_ Spider lurks in Caverns, and solitary Places;

and if it happens to bite, hurts not: There it lives in a drowsy

Posture, and keeps _Lent_ till Summer; when the whole Tribe creeps out,

and disperse themselves over that pleasant Land; and Wo to the Body

asleep, and bare Legs, in Corn-Fields.

Those on the Plains are much to be feared, the Air being hotter there

than on the Mountains, where their Bite is not dangerous, the Solar Rays

not being so strong in those Heights: and what is yet more surprizing,

is, that if they wound any out of _Apulia_, though in places not remote

from it, the Wounded receive no deadly Hurt[318].

Footnote 318:

_Baglivii de Anatome, Morsu & Effect. Tarantulæ Dissertatio_ i. p. 27.

& cap. v. p. 20.

When it bites, the Pain resembles that given by the Sting of a _Bee_,

and is attended with various Symptoms, according to their different

Natures: The _Northern Tarantula_ is the most terrible; those that are

inclin’d to the _white Colour_ are not so dangerous; the spotted differs

from both.

The Wound given by any of them is dangerous, and has different

Indications. In some that are bitten, an universal Stupor follows;

others weep: Some tremble and vomit; others laugh, fancying themselves

to be Kings. This perhaps made Dr. _Cornelio_ represent this as an

imaginary Disease; that those who imagine themselves hurt, are most of

our young wanton Girls, who, falling from some particular Indisposition

into Melancholy and Madness, persuade themselves that they have been

stung by a _Tarantula_[319].

Footnote 319:

_Philos. Transact._

Some grow pale, sick and faint, and die in a short time, unless relieved

by Musick, which alone, without the Help of Medicine, performs the Cure.

The Wounded are as Men half dead, but at the first Sound of a musical

Instrument, though they are very weak, and seemingly unable to stir,

they begin by degrees to move their Hands and Feet, till at last they

get up, and then fall to dancing with wonderful Vigour, for two or three

Hours, their Strength and Activity still encreasing. Some will continue

the Dance, without Intermission for six Hours; and when tired they are

put to Bed, and after they are sufficiently recruited by Rest, they are

called up again by the same Tune, and renew the Dance with great

Violence, the Musick still playing; and when the Patients grow weary,

they are put into Bed again, and kept warm to encourage Perspiration.

These Exercises being continued six or seven Days, the Patient finds

himself fatigued and unable to dance any longer, which is the

Characteristic of a Cure.

They usually spend ten or twelve Hours a-day in this violent Exercise,

and continue it for three or four, or six Days; by which time they are

generally freed from all their Symptoms, tho’ not always, says the

learned _Baglivi_, who observes, that about the same time next Year, the

Distemper returns, and will prove fatal, if not prevented by the same

musical Application.

In _Apulia_ is a _Scorpion_, whose Wounds are accompanied with the same

Effects as those produced by the _Tarantula_, and are only curable by

_Musick_ and _Motion_. These _Apulian Scorpions_, are less violent than

those of _Africa_, but more virulent than those in other Parts of

_Italy_. I shall only offer two Remarks here.

1. _THAT different Patients must be entertain’d with different Tunes,

according to the different Symptoms of the Disease_; in which the great

Art of curing them seems to consist. _e. g._ Some are roused by a Pipe,

others by a Timbrel: Some are roused by a Violin, others by the Harp;

and all must be entertain’d with different Airs. The Musicians therefore

make Trial before they can accommodate the _Sound to the Venom_; which

requires the most brisk and lively Tunes, to produce a powerful

Vibration in the Body; and till this be done, the miserable Patients

stand still, sighing and sobbing. The Vibrations must be quick and

frequent.

2. _DURING the Time of Cure, the wounded People throw themselves into a

Variety of strange Forms_, and behave like Drunkards and Madmen ...

talking foolishly ... diverting themselves with naked Swords, red Cloth,

_&c._ but the Sight of any Object that appears black is terrible to

them. _Ibid._

To this Account of the _Tarantula_, I have (by way of Illustration)

added the Remarks of another learned Foreigner, who says.... The

venemous Bite of the _Tarantula_ is quickly follow’d with a very acute

Pain, and soon after, with Numbness, profound Sadness, difficult

Respiration: The Pulse grows weak, the Sight disturbed; Persons lose

their Knowledge, Sense, and Motion; and if destitute of Help, they

die.... The most effectual and certain _Remedy_ is _Musick_: When the

Person becomes destitute of Knowledge and Motion, a _Musician_ tries a

Variety of Airs: Shou’d he hit on that whose Harmony is suited to the

Patient, he begins to move by successive Degrees, and keeps Time with

his Fingers, Arms, Legs, _&c._ he raises himself, and dances about six

Hours without Intermission....

When the Musick ceases, the sick Person gives over dancing, and is put

to Bed: The same Air brings him out of Bed for a new Dance, an Exercise

that lasts six or seven Days.——_N. B._ Every sick Person must have his

particular and specific Tune, and always one that is very sprightly and

moving.

The Poison of the _Tarantula_, adds he, thickens the Blood, and stops

several of its Passages; thence the Numbness: The Blood being thick,

furnishes but a small Quantity of animal Spirits, their Canals are

shrunk up in the Brain: The Nerves being destitute of Spirits, relax;

thence proceed the Inactivity, and Defect of Knowledge and Motion: But

the Vibrations of the quick Airs which are play’d, agitate the Blood and

the rest of the animal Spirits, which are soon increased by the

Agitation of the Blood: Being agitated and multiply’d, they run into the

Fibres and Nerves, which being put into _Unison_ with the sonorous

Strings, receive their Vibrations, and are shorten’d or extended

successively; whence proceeds the successive Motion of the Fingers,

Arms, Legs, _&c._[320]

Footnote 320:

_Father Regnault. Phil. Conv. or New System of Physic_, vol. ii.

_Conversation_ xiv. p. 268, -9.

The action of Dancing augments the Agitation of the Blood, and makes the

Patient sweat. The Poison being agitated and attenuated, is exhaled by

Transpiration; in proportion as the Poison is exhaled, the sick Person

perceives himself eased; this Ease continually inclines him to dance:

When all the Poison is dissipated by Agitation and Sweat, the Blood

recovers its Fluidity and usual Course.

I Shall conclude this historical Account, with a Passage taken out of a

_formed History of the Tarantula_[321], writ by a learned Author, who

having described the Disease, proceeds to the manner of Cure, _viz._ The

salivous Poison of that Spider seizes principally on the Nerves and

Muscles––the manner of Cure thus––

Footnote 321:

Printed at _Leyden_, in 12_mo._ _A. D._ 1668.

The Air moved by the musical Motion of Instruments, moves the next, and

so onwards (as we see in the circular increasing Motion of the Water,

when a Stone is cast into it) till the like be produced in the Spirits

of the Body, to which the Air is impelled.––Now, adds he, the Commotion

of the Passions depends upon the Spirits, and the viscous Humour of the

_Tarantula_ is a very capable Subject of Sound: Hence the next Air being

moved by a musical Tone suitable to the Patient, the lurking Poison, and

Spirits of a Man are put into a Commotion; by which Agitation, the

Nerves being vellicated, the Spirits vehemently stirred, and Muscles

moved, the Dancing, or something like it, must of necessity ensue, by

which the Cure is performed: For, by vehement Motion the Blood is

heated, the Pores are opened, and the Poison rarified; which can’t be

done by common Sudorificks, because the Medicines can’t reach, or at

least can’t stir those little Particles where the Poison lies, as Motion

by Dancing does.

I shall add here some _Reflections on the Power of Musick, and give

Instances of it in the human Mind, in animal, and inanimate Bodies_.

_MUSICK_ appears to be one of the most antient of Arts, and of all

other, vocal Musick must have been the first kind, and borrowed from the

various natural Strains of Birds[322]; as stringed Instruments were from

Winds whistling in hollow Reeds, and pulsatile Instruments (as Drums and

Cymbals) from the hollow Noise of concave Bodies. This is the

Conjecture.

Footnote 322:

At liquidas avium voces imitarier ore,

Ante fuit multo quam carmina cantu

Concelebrare homines possent aureisque juvare.

_Lucretius._

Musick has ever been in the highest Esteem in all Ages, and among all

People. Nor could Authors express their Opinions of it strongly enough,

but by inculcating, that it was in Heaven, and was one of the principal

Entertainments of the Blessed. The Effects ascribed to Musick by the

Antients, almost amount to Miracles; by means thereof Diseases are said

to have been cured, Unchastity corrected, Seditions quelled, Passions

raised and calmed, and even Madness occasioned.——

Musick has been used as a Sermon of Morality.... _Athenæus_ tells us,

that the Lives and Actions of illustrious Men were written in Verse, and

publickly sung by a _Chorus_, to the Sound of Instruments, which was

found to be the most effectual means to impress Morality, and a right

Sense of Duty on the human Mind[323].

Footnote 323:

_Chambers_’s _Cyclopædia_, vol. ii.

Thus the _Pythagoreans_ made use of Musick to cultivate the Mind, and

settle in it a passionate Love of Virtue. _Pythagoras_ instituted a most

profitable Correction of Manners by Musick, which, he says, conduces

very much to Health; and he made use of it, not only against Diseases of

the Mind, but those of the Body. It was the common Custom of the

_Pythagoreans_ to soften their Minds with Musick before they went to

sleep; and also in the Morning, to excite themselves to the Business of

the Day[324].

Footnote 324:

_Plutarch de Osir. & Is._

This Cure of Distempers by Musick sounds odd, but was a celebrated

Medicine among the Antients. We have already considered, how those

wounded by the _Tarantula_ were healed by Musick; the Evidence of which

is too strong to be overturned: That which now lies before me, is, to

prove this to be the Practice of Antiquity, which will appear by the

following Instances.

I shall begin with _Democritus_ (a Philosopher of the first Rank, and a

most diligent Inquirer into the Mysteries of Nature) who taught in his

Works, that _Musick of Pipes_ was a Medicine for most Distempers....

_Thales_ of _Crete_, being sent for by the _Lacedemonians_ to remove the

Plague, came, and by the Help of Musick he did so; and he is said to do

it by the Command of _Apollo_, as appears from the Great _Chæronean

Moralist_[325]. If any Credit be given to _Terpander_, it appears he

supprest an Insurrection in their Town by the Use of Musick. _Ibid._

Footnote 325:

_Plutarch_’s _Morals on Musick_.

We read of a young Man among others of _Tautomenium_, whose Passions

being inflamed by Musick in the _Phrygian Mood_, was going to force open

a Matron’s House, but his Rage was soon calmed, when the Piper (by

_Pythagoras_’s Advice) changed his Air into the _Spondaic Mood_; and he

went home quietly, which the Philosopher could not make him do by

Persuasives. This historical Passage is confirmed by _Ammonius_, and

_Cicero_, and is thus related, _viz._

When as some young Men, being drunk, and irritated by the _Musick of

Flutes_, would have broke into an honest Woman’s House, but upon hearing

one playing a _Spondaic Air_, their outragious Heat was allay’d by the

Slowness of the Mood, and Solemness of the Tune....

St. _Basil_ gives another Instance to the same purpose, _viz._ That

_Pythagoras_ meeting with some that came with Musick from a Feast,

drunk, requested the Musician to change his Tune; which he did, and

playing a _Doric Air_, they were so brought to themselves, that they

threw away their Garlands, and walked home, ashamed of their Folly.

_THEOPHRASTUS_ is said to cure Persons that had been wounded by

Serpents, with various kinds of Musick—_Probatum est_[326]. Another

Observation of his was, that Diseases were made and mitigated by Musick.

_Plato_ forbids Musick and Wine to young Persons, lest one Fire should

kindle another[327].

Footnote 326:

Quibusdam viperarum morsibus cantus tibiarum aut fidicinum atque alia

organa artis musicæ modulare adhibita aptissimè mederi. _Alexander ab

Alexand. ... Genialium_, lib. ii. cap. xvii. p. 81. The Title is,

_Quod Theophrastus sensit quibusdam Viperarum morsibus tibicines

mederi, probatum experimentum_. _Baglivi_ Dissert. i. _de Tarent._

cap. xiii.

Footnote 327:

_De Legibus._

The _Pythagoreans_, to appease the Troubles of the Mind, lulled

themselves asleep by Tunes upon the Harp: Thus _Homer_ brings in

_Achilles_ relieving his Melancholy by playing on his _Lute_, and

mitigating his Anger against _Agamemnon_ by Musick, which he had learned

of _Chiron_. _Asclepiades_, a _Roman_ Physician of great Reputation, is

said to heal frantic Melancholy, and mad People, by vocal and

instrumental Musick[328]. The learned _Neapolitan_ adds, _Tanta hominis

naturæ cum harmonia consensio est_.

Footnote 328:

Qui Phreneticos mente imminuta, & valetudine animi affectos, nulla re

magis quam symphonia, & vocum concentu, & modulis resipiscere, &

sanitati restitui censuit. _Alex. ab Alex._ lib. ii. cap. xvii. p. 81.

Whatever be the Cause of it, there is nothing more powerful than Musick

for moving the human Passions, making some pensive and melancholy,

others brisk and lively. The truth is, says the Learned _Wallis_, we can

match most of the antient Stories of this kind in the modern Histories.

_e. g._

If _Timotheus_ could excite _Alexander_’s Fury with the _Phrygian Mood_,

and sooth him into Indolence with the _Lydian_, a more modern Musician

is said to have driven _Eric_ King of _Denmark_, into such a Rage, as to

kill his best Servants. The Occasion was thus—The King willing to make

Trial in his own Person, _whether a Musician spoke true, who boasted,

that by virtue of his Musick, he could make People mad_: The Artist

play’d, and the King became outragious, and experienced the Truth of it

so thoroughly, that in the Excess of his Rage, he kill’d some of his

best Friends[329].

Footnote 329:

_Father Regnault_’s _Convers._ from _Repub. des Let._ p. 264.

This may be owing to the Impression made by the Vibrations of the Air,

being carried as far as the Origin of the Nerves, passes into the Soul,

and puts the animal Spirits into a rapid Motion, determines them to run

into different Nerves, diffused thro’ different Parts of the Body, and

is communicated to those Nerves, according as it finds them more or less

in _Unison_.... Hence the Passions and Madness itself. _Ibid._

In Musick are different Tastes, which seems to proceed from the

different Constitutions of the Fibres or the animal Spirits: The Fibres

of the auditory Nerves are differently disposed in different Persons,

and in the same Person at diverse Times; but generally speaking, Musick

inspires more pleasing Sentiments, _e. g._

A certain famous _French Physician_ being ill, fell into a violent

_Delirium_, after some Days Illness of a continued Fever: the third Day

of his _Delirium_, I know not by what Instinct, (says the Learned Father

_Regnault_) made him desire a _Concert of Musick_; upon which, they

play’d, and sung to him the Songs of _M. Bernier_[330]: Scarcely had he

heard the first Notes, but his Eyes were calm; a Serenity was spread all

over his Countenance, the Convulsions ceased, and he wept thro’ Excess

of Pleasure; he was free from his Fever all the time of the Concert, but

whenever they ceased singing, he relapsed into his former Condition:

They fail’d not to continue so marvellous a Remedy, which always

suspended his Indisposition. In short, after ten Days musical

Entertainment, he was restored to his former Health. _Ibid._

Footnote 330:

_Father Regn._ from _Hist. of the Royal Academy in France_.

Another Instance, is a Dancing-Master of _Alais_ in _France_, who had

the same Fate in the Year 1708; after a Fever of about four Days, and a

long Lethargy, he fell into a _Delirium_, both mad and dumb. One of his

Friends took his Violin, and plaid to him those Airs he was most

accustom’d to: People thought at first, _that the Player was as mad as

the Patient_; but, in a short time, the sick Man raised himself upright

in his Bed, with the Air of a Man agreeably surpriz’d.... All his

Motions discover’d the Pleasure he felt: Soon after he fell into a deep

Sleep, and the Crisis he had during his Sleep, perfected his Cure.

_Ibid._

One Reason of this strange Operation might be this, _viz._ The Sound of

the Instrument agitates the Fibres, especially those that are in Unison,

by that means brings to his Remembrance agreeable Perceptions ... sets

the animal Spirits going, and restores them to their natural Course:

These Spirits being moved, run into the Nerves and Muscles, where they

have been used to run, in order to form the Motion of certain Airs; the

Passages of the Blood thereby become more free: Hence that serene Air

diffused all of a sudden over the Face of the sick Musician, who was

cured by the Charms of his own Art.

These two Instances are quoted by the Learned Dr. _Nieuwentyt_, who

says, both of them (the Musician and Dancing-Master) were perfectly

restored to their Senses by Musick. He also observes, that the Wound

given by the _Tarantula_ can only be cured by the Sound of Musick, of

which different Airs and Tunes must be play’d, according to the

different Nature and Colour of those _Tarantula’s_ that have given the

Wound[331]. Then adds;

Footnote 331:

_Religious Philosopher_, vol. I. Contempl. xiii. Sect. 270.

That the famous _Italian_ Musician, _Angelo Vitali_ had related to him

the following Story, and assured him of the Truth of it, _viz._

That a certain Player on the Flute at _Venice_ had boasted, that by his

playing, he could deprive the Hearers of the Use of their Understanding:

Whereupon he was sent for by the _Doge_, who was a Lover of Musick, and

commanded to put his Art in practice before him; where, after having

play’d some time very finely, (and to the Amazement of the Hearers) he

at last begun a mournful Tune, with a Design, as far as he was able, to

put the _Doge_ into a melancholy Humour; and presently, he struck up a

jovial one, to dispose him to Mirth and Dancing; and after having

repeated these two kind of Tunes several times by turns, the _Doge_

being no longer able to endure those different Emotions, which he felt

in his Soul, he was ordered to forbear playing any longer. _Ibid._ p.

271.

_FROM the Account given of Concords and Discords in Musick, a Reason may

be form’d why two Strings of a Viol, that are Unisons or Octaves one to

another, if one be struck the other will tremble, so as to be visibly

perceived._

_What is this Unison?_ In Musick, _Unison_ is a Consonance of two

Sounds, produced by two Strings, or other Bodies of the same Matter,

Length, Thickness, and Tension, equally struck, and at the same Time, so

that they yield the same Tone or Note. Others define it, _the Union of

two Sounds_, so like each other, that the Ear perceiving no Difference,

receives them as one and the same Sound.

What constitutes Unisonance, is the Equality of the Number of

Vibrations: Unison is the first and greatest of Concords. Others say, it

is only that in Sounds which Unity is in Numbers.

Being once in a Room where there was a _Bass-Viol_, and striking one of

the Strings, a loose Quarry of Glass in the Window, jarr’d every time

that String was struck, which it wou’d not do upon striking any of the

other discordant Strings. The Reason may be, _viz._ That the times of

the Vibration of the loose Quarry, were equal or near Concordance to

those of the String. A Gentleman of my Acquaintance, when he sounded a

particular Tone on the Bass-Viol, very plainly heard the Noise of the

Glass of the Clock in his Chamber, which Glass never moved, upon his

sounding any other Tone.... It is a general Remark, that an

_Unison-String_ will receive the Motion, and so tremble, when another

Unison is made to sound; and yet all other Strings of the same

Instrument, that are not Unisons, shall remain silent and unmoved.

Musick does not only exert its Force on the Passions and Affections, and

musical Instruments, but on the Parts of the human Body also. Witness

the _Gascoigne-Knight_, (mention’d by Mr. _Boyle_) who could not contain

his Water, at the playing of a Bag-pipe: The Woman, mention’d by the

same Author, who would burst out in Tears, at the hearing of a certain

Tune, with which other People were but little affected: And in this

County, near _Rochdale_, there is a certain Man, who can’t forbear

dancing, if in a House, or Market, upon hearing a certain Tune sung.

Wonder not at the strange Effects of musical Sounds, when other Sounds

strangely affect the Mind. How are the Passions excited by the Sound of

a Drum and the Discharge of Canons.... Not only human Minds and Bodies

are affected by the Impression of Sounds, but even Things without Life.

_KIRCHER_ tells us of a large Stone that would tremble at the Sound of

one particular Organ-Pipe. _Mersenne_ also tells us, of a particular

part of a Pavement that would shake and tremble, as if the Earth would

open, when the Organs play’d. Mr. _Boyle_ adds, that Seats will tremble

at the Sound of Organs, that he has felt his Hat do so under his Hand,

at certain Notes, both of Organs and Discourse; and that he was well

inform’d, every well-built Vault, would answer some determinate Note.

We may observe the like mechanic Perception in several empty

Drinking-Glasses, of fine white Metal. Thus if we cause the Strings of a

musical Instrument to be stretched to a certain Tone or Note, it would

make one of the Glasses ring, and not the other; nor would the Sound of

the same String, tuned to another, sensibly affect the same Glass.

_Morhoff_ mentions one _Petter_, a _Dutchman_, who could break

Rummer-Glasses with the Tone of his Voice. The same, I think, is said of

_Purcel_.

When two Viols are tuned in Unison, one of them being touch’d, the other

will answer, tho’ at some distance. This is a noble Proof of an

harmonious Creation: This Unison looks like a more pure sort of

sympathising that is found in all the Creatures, when those of the same

Species flock together.

Here give me leave to observe, that all Nature is as it were a System of

divine Musick, and delightful Harmony; or, in the sacred Language, a

_Poem_ which is a Work of Skill, curious and polite, lofty and sublime;

in which Numbers and Measures are exactly observed. Under this Idea of a

_Poem_ the old and new Creation are represented.

_THE invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly

seen, being understood by the things that are made_, τοις ποιημασι[332],

Poems that are made. The Creation is, as it were, a _Poem_ in the

Sublime: Every Species of created Beings is a _Stanza_, and every

individual Creature, a Verse in it, as a certain learned Divine

expresses it. Creation here is not stiled εργον, which is a Work of

manual Labor, but ποιημα[333], a Work of Skill; not so much the

Operation of the Hand, as of the Head and Heart: No Creature so small

and mean, but glitters with a Beam of divine Skill.

Footnote 332:

τοις ποιημασι. Rom. i. 20.

Footnote 333:

Αυτου γαρ εσμεν ποιημαι. Eph. ii. 10.

So the new Creation is stil’d a _Poem_.... _We are his Workmanship in

Christ Jesus_, Eph. ii. 10. In the _Greek_, _we are his Poem in Christ

Jesus_.

As for the several Moods, which, in musical Composition, were observed

by the Antients, for moving particular Passions, there is a remarkable

Fragment of _Damon_ the Musician, mentioned by _Aristides_ in

_Plutarch_. This is supposed to be that kind of Musick used by _David_

and _Elisha_, as a Prescription to remove mental Disorders; and may

suppose to point at the Original of the Pagans curing Diseases of the

Body and Mind by instrumental Musick.

It’s said, when an _evil Spirit_ from God was upon _Saul_, _David took a

Harp and play’d with his Hand, so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and

the evil Spirit departed from him_. 1 Sam. xvi. 23.

... _AND Elisha said to Jehoram, King of Israel.... Were it not that I

regard the Presence of the King of Judah, I would not look towards thee,

but now bring me a Minstrel. And it came to pass when the Minstrel

play’d, that the Hand of the Lord came upon him._ 2 Kings iii. 13,-15.

It is observable here, that the Mind of _Elisha_ the Prophet was very

much ruffled; now, under this Discomposure, he calls for a Minstrel, not

out of Levity, but for a religious End; and that was, to compose his

Mind, and to bring it into a serene and sedate Frame, and thereby to

prepare himself for divine Exercises; or perhaps, a _devout Levite_,

well skill’d in musical Performances, might play before him, and

intermix with it, Psalms and spiritual Songs, according to the

Constitutions of those Times.

As the Prophets might indispose themselves for the Spirit of Prophecy,

so they were to use Means to dispose themselves for the Impulses of the

Holy Spirit; and for this End the School of the Prophets was appointed,

in which the Students were trained up _in the Science of Musick_, _in

strict Virtue_, _Self-denial_, _Contempt of worldly Grandeur_,

_Knowledge of the Law_, _&c._ These Schools were Seminaries of Religion,

in which the intended Guardians of the Spirituality were instructed, and

prepared to receive the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit.

We read how the Indians performed their Worship by dancing to Songs, the

Priests of _Cybele_ with _Cymbals_, the _Curetes_ with Drums and

Trumpets, the _Romans_ sung _Spondaic Verses_, while they offer’d their

Sacrifices; the musical Sound that calm’d the Passions (consisting of

_Spondees_ principally) _Aristotle_ calls moral; (to distinguish it from

the _Diatonic_ and _Phrygian_) from whence the Custom might be derived.

When the _Spartans_ went to War, they march’d to the Sound of _Flutes_,

to animate the Soldiers; as is now done by Drum and Trumpet, to lessen

the Terror of Death.

_THE Antients having related wonderful Things done by Musick in their

days, by which Diseases were suspended, the Sick restored ... I shall

make a short Inquiry into the Reasons of it. Tho’ the Report be strange,

and in some degree hyperbolical, yet some Account may be given of the

surprizing Effects of Musick_, and is attempted by the learned Dr.

_Willis_, (among others;) a Hint of which I shall add here, to what was

observed before upon the Subject.

_REASONS_ (or rather CONJECTURES) _for Medicinal Cures

by MUSICK_.

I. That Musick, if not new, was in those Days a rare thing, which the

Vulgar, on whom ’tis reported to have mighty Effects, had scarce heard

any before, and on whom a little Musick will do great Feats, as we now

find a _Bag-pipe_ at a _Morris-Dance_.

II. Antient Musick was much more simple and plain than ours now, having

only one single Voice or Instrument apart, which to a rude Ear is much

more taking, than compound Musick; the former not exceeding their

Capacity, whereas a Concert of Musick confounds them quite, and ’tis by

no means distinguishable by them, so as to affect them with the Harmony

of its Parts.

III. Musick, with the Antients, was of a much larger Extent than what we

now call by that Name; for Poetry, and Dancing or graceful Motion, were

then counted part of Musick, when it had arrived to some degree of

Perfection: And we see that _Verse_ alone, if in good Measure and

_moving Words_, sung by an agreeable Voice, with soft instrumental

Musick, will work strangely on the Ear, and move all Affections suitable

to the Tune and Ditty ... especially if attended with _proper Gestures

and Actions_.... Thus suitable Acting on the Stage, gives great Life to

the Words[334].

Footnote 334:

_Lowthorp’s Abridg._ vol. i. p. 618.

If a deliberate pathetick Reading of a well-penn’d Romance, will strike

the Passions, and produce Mirth, Tears, Joy, Grief, Pity, Wrath,

Indignation, suitable to the respective Intents of it; much more would

it so do, if accompanied with all those Attendants.——

If it be ask’d, _Why may not all this be done now?_ I answer, No doubt

but it may, if the Address be made in proper Words, emphatically spoken,

with agreeable Voice, attended with a decent Gesture; and all these

adjusted to the Passion and Temper of the Mind, particularly design’d to

be produced, (be it Joy, Grief, Pity, Courage, Indignation) will

certainly now, as well as then, produce great Effects upon the Mind,

especially upon a Surprize, and where Persons are not otherwise

pre-engaged. _Ibid._

The Antients had the Art of exciting this or that particular Passion of

the Mind, the Tunes being suitably adapted to such Designs; whereas

those now are almost quite neglected in our modern Musick.

The _Chromatick Genus_[335], with its greater and lesser _Semi-Tones_,

either ascending or descending, is very proper for the Pathetick in

Musick; as is also an artful Management of Discords, with a Variety of

Motions; now brisk, now languishing; now swift, now slow. The _Venetian_

Musician before-mentioned, excell’d in the _Pathetick_ to that degree,

that he was able to play any of his Auditors into _Distraction_.... The

great Means he made use of, was the _Variety of Motions_.——

Footnote 335:

_Chroma_ in Musick, is the graceful way of Singing.

Even little Children, when crying, are charm’d and quieted by a jingling

Sound, a Shadow of Musick. In short, Musick attends the Man to his

Grave, where Elegies were formerly sung in Honour of the Deceased: Thus

the _Phenicians_ added _Flutes_ to their _Mournings_, and the _Romans_

had their _Siticines_, that is, those who sung to a Pipe, or blow’d the

Trumpet at their Funerals, a Custom not yet entirely abolish’d among the

antient _Britons_ and some Parts of _England_, who, when they take up

the Corps, sing Psalms before it all the way to Church; a common

Practice about seventy Years ago: So far I can charge my Memory.

We are not without modern Instances of Persons extraordinarily affected

by the Powers of Musick, as appears from our Opera’s, and the very

particular Devotion paid to the _Farinello’s_ of the Age, and to

_Italian_ Musick, display’d in Temples as well as on the Stage, the

first Erection of which was intended for the Honour and Defence of

Virtue.

The _Laconians_ were wont at the Death of their King to tinkle a

Caldron, instead of a Bell: Yea, the _Jews_ had their Minstrels at

Funerals; for, at the raising to Life the Daughter of _Jairus_, ’tis

said, the _Musicians_ were commanded to troop off, _Matth._ ix. Before

the _Roman_ Funerals, a Trumpeter went, follow’d by the _Præficæ_, _i.

e._ old Women, singing Songs in Praise of the Deceased.

Thus we have had a general View of Serpents, their Poison and Cure; and

a particular Account of Persons wounded by the _Tarantula_, and cured by

Musick; the Effects of which musical Operation, have past for Miracles;

for, by means of it, dangerous Distempers have been cured, Insurrections

quelled, Passions calm’d and raised, even to Distraction and Madness.

Antiently all Laws, Exhortations to Knowledge and Virtue, and Lives of

illustrious Men, were written in Verse, and publickly sung by a _Chorus_

to the Sound of musical Instruments, which was found a most effectual

way to impress Morality. So much for Serpents in particular.

_N. B._ In the Description of some Serpents by different Authors, ’tis

difficult to know whether they mean the same, or another; some having

the same Description with different Names, and some different

Description with the same Name. Another Mistake may arise from some

Difference in the same Serpent, in different Climates, as in Situation

(_N._ or _S._) and Size.

[Illustration]

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Illustration]

A

NATURAL HISTORY

OF

_SERPENTS_

----------------------------------------------------------------

PART III.

Containing Six DISSERTATIONS.

I. _Upon the Primæval Serpent._

II. _Fiery Serpent._

III. _The Brazen Serpent._

IV. _Adoration of Serpents._

V. _Reasons of that monstrous

Worship_;

VI. _And for the Adoration of

different Animals._

----------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER I.

CONTENTS. _Various Sentiments about the Primæval Serpent: Some say,

’twas a real Serpent; others say, the Passage is allegorical. Some

make the Serpent to be Pleasure; others the Devil in the Natural

Serpent. Reasons why_ Adam _was not made beyond a Capacity of

Sinning. Our first Parents arm’d with sufficient Power to stand:

They knew no Enemy. Satan a compleat Orator. The Fatal Surrender.

Satan’s triumphant Return from_ Eden. _Serpent’s Head and Subtility.

Intercourse between the Angelick and Human World. A Plea for our

first Mother. Why_ Moses _introduces a speaking Serpent. Method of

Divine Government. Satan’s View. Reasons why_ Adam _was created in a

State of Trial. A strong Negative, sufficient to put the Tempter to

flight. The_ Paradisaical _Law guarded by the most powerful

Sanction. The Opinion of_ Pagans _and_ Mahometans _about the Fall

of_ Adam, _&c. Why Satan punish’d under a visible Figure_, viz.

_Serpent_. Christ’s _Death publish’d, before Sentence of Death past

upon_ Adam. _The Earth, a secondary_ Paradise. _Moral Reflection._

The Manner of Sin’s first Entrance into our World, is inscrutable: The

Subject is an Article of Lamentation, an Article that conducts us to

Paradise indeed, but ’tis to _Paradise lost_; whence date the _fatal

Æra_ of all human Calamities. There, there in a blissful Field; Sin, the

Plague of Hell, made its first Appearance on Earth: but as to the Mode

of its Introduction, there is a Spread of impenetrable Darkness over the

Face of that great Deep; after the most critical Disquisitions about it,

the Difficulty remains unsolvable.

Men of Letters may give their Conjectures, but it seems to be one of

those secret Things which belongs to him who is unsearchable, and _whose

ways are past finding out_; therefore we should rather think, _how to

get Sin out of the World, than how it came in at first_: The one would

only prove what our Understandings could do, but the other would declare

our Hearts, what they ought to be.

What this Serpent was, that triumph’d in Paradise, has been a Subject of

long Debate, and the Learned are not yet agreed in their Verdict about

it. I shall first lay down their various Opinions, and then give my own

Conjectures.

Among the _Jews_, some took it for a real, natural Serpent, and did

believe, it was endued with the Gift of Speaking; but because it

deceived the Woman, was condemn’d to lose its vocal Tongue, _to go upon

its Belly_, and _feed upon Dust_[336].

Footnote 336:

_Joseph. Antiq._ cap. i.

Others, who, not allowing the Privilege of Speech to a Brute, have

turn’d the _Mosaic History_ of Paradise into an _Allegory_, an

Assemblage of Metaphors, or figurative Documents. Thus a certain learned

_Jew_ says, the _Serpent_, that seduced the Woman, _was Pleasure_; and

forbidden Pleasure, when tasted, brought forth Death[337].

Footnote 337:

_Philo Jud. de Mundi Opif._

But if this was the Case, could she be so properly said to be tempted by

another, as to tempt herself? He adds, the Curse of the Serpent is not

only to go upon its Breast, but, _and thou shalt go upon thy Belly_. _q.

d._ “Since Pleasure was thy Desire, let the Pleasure of the Earth enter

into it. The _Belly_, says the _Allegorizer_, is the Receptacle of most

Pleasures of the Animal Kind.” Creatures that go upon four Feet, or

more, are deem’d impure; and such is he, who is a Lover of terrene

Pleasures; such a Person may be said, always to go upon his Belly,

because he studies nothing more than its Gratification. Pleasure indeed,

is attended with a Train of Allurements and Charms. _Tarquin_’s violent

Pursuit of forbidden Pleasure, terminated, not only in the Ruin of his

House, but Extirpation of Monarchy: _Crœsus_ King of _Lydia_ being

conquer’d by _Cyrus_ King of _Persia_, gave the Conqueror this Advice,

If you would have the _Lydians_ be your obedient Slaves, make them

_Slaves to Pleasure_.

Nor is _Philo_ alone in making the Serpent a Symbol of Pleasure, for

_Maimonides_ and others expound those historical Passages in the same

manner; asking, Why should that Serpent be call’d a subtle Beast, if it

were not in a figurative Sense? In favour of this Exposition, he quotes

several Passages out of the Prophets, that are allow’d to be intirely

allegorical[338]; and then adds, that in _Moses’s Journal of the

Creation_, all things therein are not to be understood literally[339].

One of the most learned Fathers seems inclined to this _Philonick

Interpretation of Moses_[340]. It is observable, that in reality, ’twas

not the _Pleasure of Eating_ which tempted the Woman, but an anxious

_Desire of greater Wisdom_; which shews a more refined Taste in _Eve_,

and overthrows the Hypothesis of _Philo_ and _Clemens_.

Footnote 338:

_More Nevochim_, cap. xxix.

Footnote 339:

Ibid. p. 265, & 273.

Footnote 340:

_Clem. Alexandrinus_, who flourish’d in the second Age. Οφις

αλληγορειται—ηδονη. Edit. col. p. 69. A. B. _A. D._ 1688.

Some Rabbinical Writers say, the Devil that deluded the Woman, came

mounted upon a Serpent, in Bulk equal to a Camel, and known by the Name

_Sammael_, an Evil Angel; called also by them, the _Angel of the Dead_,

Prince of the aerial Region, and Chief of the Demons. Other Rabbies look

upon him as the Prince of Angels; and believe, he is to preside at the

last Judgment; for which Reason, they make him Offerings on the Day of

solemn Expiation, to appease his Indignation[341]. ’Tis said, this

Serpent eat the forbidden Fruit and did not die for it; the Woman

inferred she might also eat, and not die.

Footnote 341:

_Calmet in Verbum._ _Rab. Benach in Genes._ iii.

Others there are, who will not allow the seducing Serpent to be an

_Animal_, but the _Devil_ himself in that Shape, who therefore in the

sacred Writings is called the _great Dragon, old Serpent, and Murderer

from the Beginning_. And some are of Opinion, he borrowed the Body of a

real Serpent, which he made use of, as a Vehicle, thro’ which he

instilled Poison into the Woman’s Mind: And if so, what occasion to say

the Serpent was more subtle than any Beast?——Since the grand Enemy in

tempting _Eve_, did not use the Craft of the Serpent, but his own

Cunning, in the Management of that cruel Stratagem.

Those who are not pleased with such Ratiocinations, satisfy themselves

with this, _viz._ That our first Parents, in whose Loins we were,

transgrest, and made a Forfeiture of Paradise for themselves and

Descendants; but the manner how they fell is not obvious, nor to be

accounted for, in a State of Imperfection.

If it be ask’d, Why did not the divine Goodness put our first Parents

beyond a Capacity of sinning? ’tis answer’d,

That _Mutability is essential to all Creatures_, as such, in all their

Kinds: In this mutable State our first Parents were created, holy and

happy: Life and Death were set before them; they had freedom of Choice,

a free-will to use the Powers of Nature as they pleased; that is, they

were made in a State of Liberty, with a Power to determine for

themselves, whether to abide or not in that glorious Situation. So that

if there be a Difficulty in accounting for the Fall, there is as great a

one in supposing a reasonable moral Creature uncapable of Choice: for

where there is no Choice, there can be no Virtue; and where there is no

Virtue, there can be no Happiness.

Again, _Adam_ and _Eve were arm’d with a sufficient Power to stand_,

being created after the divine Image pure and upright, without Error in

their intellectual Powers; therefore if they mistook the Object, or were

imposed upon, ’twas not for want of Light in the Mind, but want of

Application of that Light, which was in their power.... Which Light told

them, the Tree of Life planted in Paradise, was to perpetuate their

Lives; and that the Tree that had the Marks of Death upon it, would do

them no harm, but by doing their own Will, or the Will of any other in

opposition to his sovereign Will who had said, _Eat not_.

They were created pure, and capable of Perseverance; and when they fell,

God did not withdraw any Gift he had conferred upon them: He did all

that was necessary on his Part for their Preservation, and they had

remain’d safe, if their Liberty had but conducted itself aright: Their

Liberty was not tied to any particular Object, as their other Faculties

were, but respected every thing that could be done, or left undone, and

it might have imploy’d them after another manner.

It’s said, _Out of the Ground made the Lord God to grow every Tree that

is pleasant to the Sight, and good for Food; and the Tree of Knowledge

of Good and Evil, of which thou shalt not eat_. Gen. ii. 9, 17. Now,

where lay the Difficulty of _not eating_, when they were in no want of

Food? And if in want, were not all the Fruits of Paradise prepared for

them? Why would none serve but what was prohibited? And nothing

prohibited but what was deadly Poison, and what _Adam_ knew to be so, by

immediate Revelation from Heaven.

Thus furnish’d with divine Armour, and all the agreeable Entertainments

of Life, ’tis most surprizing how they should indulge an irregular Turn

in the animal Passions, and give way to such Inadvertency. One thing

that might lead them to this Oversight, probably was, that they knew of

_no Enemy_, therefore dreaded _no Danger_. But this Plea is of no force;

for their Business was strictly to regard the Voice of their Creator

(who said, _Eat not_) and not to give heed to any contrary Insinuations,

tho’ proposed by a known Friend, much less by a Stranger, one of another

Kingdom, and of another Species, without sufficient Attestation.

Here _Lucifer_ play’d the Orator: He gave his Argument all the Rhetorick

it would bear, by removing their _fear of Death_, and gratifying in them

a certain Hope of _being Gods_. The Woman had the Threatning of Death in

her Thoughts, and therefore durst not eat till she was made to believe,

_she should not die_; (by which it appears, she had dreadful Ideas of

dying.) And thus she was tempted to _Unbelief_. Then Satan proposes the

glorious Advantages of _Eating_, viz. _Ye shall be as Gods_ ... be

independent Beings, not subject to the Controul of a superior Power; and

thus they were tempted to _Pride_. _Unbelief_ and _Pride_ were the two

fatal Rocks, on which their Innocence was wreck’d. Thus our first

Parents fell, not for want of _Light_, but for extinguishing it; not for

want of _Power_, but for not using it in the Hour of Danger.

The Enemy having made his Conquest, might probably continue for some

time in _Eden_, to assist the Woman in seducing her Husband, and then

confirm them in their Apostacy, directing them, upon the Approach of an

Enemy, to hide themselves among the Trees of the Garden, where he left

them; upon which he return’d to his Kingdom in the Air, to publish his

successful Atchievements in Paradise, and was no more heard of, till he

was summon’d to the Bar.

The Devil’s principal Residence is in the Air, where he keeps his Court,

from whence he sends out his Angels to secure and enlarge his Conquests.

Perhaps, he may think it not consistent with the Dignity of so great a

Prince to traverse the Earth in Person, unless it be upon some

extraordinary Occasions, as that of tempting the first and second

_Adam_, _&c._

The next Thing that offers itself, is an Attempt to illustrate the Case

between the Woman and Serpent: It seems most apparent to me, that under

the Name of the Serpent, we are to understand the Devil, who made use of

a real Serpent in his Descent upon Paradise, where he decoy’d the first

Woman into the fatal Snare.

In the Curse upon the Serpent, ’tis said, the _Seed of the Woman should

break the Serpent’s Head_; intimating, the Serpent having its _Heart_

under the _Throat_, and very near the _Head_, the readiest way to kill

it, is to squeeze the Head. Some of the Fathers bring four Proofs of the

Serpent’s Wisdom; trite and common.

1. When ’tis old, it has the Secret of growing young again, by stripping

off its old Skin, which is succeeded by a new Coat; but if it parts with

its outward Garments, it retains its Poison. Herein it is resembled by

those, who leave the outward Acts of Sin, but not their secret Regards

for it.

2. The Serpent assaults a Man if he sees him naked, but flies if it

finds him cloathed. But there is a Fault in this Passage of

_Epiphanius_, who intends to say the contrary; for ’tis generally

affirm’d, that the Serpent is afraid of a naked Man, but attacks him if

he has Clothes on.

3. When the Serpent is assaulted, its chief Care is to secure its Head:

’Tis attested by many Writers, that to save the Head, it will expose the

whole Body to Danger[342].

Footnote 342:

Ὁ οφις φυλαττει κεφαλην. Isiodor. Pelusiot. lib. i. p. 126.

4. When it goes to drink, it vomits up all its Poison, for fear of

poisoning itself. Some have defended this, but without any Colour of

Reason[343].

Footnote 343:

_Calmet’s Diction. of the H. Bible_, vol. iii. out of _Epiphanius_.

They relate other Instances of the Serpent’s Wisdom, as stopping its

Ears, that it may not hear the Voice of the Charmer or Inchanter; of

which the _Psalmist_ takes notice. ’Tis said, it applies one of its Ears

hard to the Ground, and stops up the other with the end of its Tail,

_Psal._ lviii. 4. Others say, its Wisdom consists in Acuteness of Sight;

therefore among the _Greeks_, a Serpent’s Eye was a proverbial Speech

for one of a quick Understanding[344]. These are some of the common

Reasons assigned for the Wisdom of the Serpent.

Footnote 344:

Οφεως ομμα.

I Now proceed to an Illustration of the Debate between the Woman and

Serpent in Paradise, under three Heads.

I. _WHY may not we suppose, that in the Infancy of Mankind there was an

open Intercourse between the angelick and human World, and that Angels

might appear to our first Parents in some visible Form, as afterwards

they did to the Patriarchs?_ If this be not granted, I would ask how a

fallen Angel came to know there was a Paradise, and a certain Tree whose

Fruit was forbidden, and where that Tree was situated in the Garden?

When a certain Province of Angels rebelled, they were doom’d to the wide

Space contiguous to our Globe, and by their daily Rovings from Place to

Place, they might indeed discover that little Spot of Earth, called

_Paradise_; but how came they to be acquainted with the Laws of that

Country, and that there was a forbidden Tree, and where it grew? How, I

say, could they know all this without Revelation, or previous

Conversation with the Inhabitants of the Place?

II. _IF there had been no former Acquaintance between Angels and our

first Parents, how came the Woman to converse so freely with a Stranger

she had never seen before, one of another Country, and of a different

Species?_ ’Tis therefore probable, that when the Devil addrest the

Woman, and that in her own Language, he might assume the Form of a good

Angel, that Form in which Angels had discoursed with our first Parents

before the Fall.

And perhaps when Angels, the Messengers of Heaven, conversed with _Adam_

and _Eve_, it might be in the Shape of flying speaking Serpents. Without

allowing this mutual Intercourse, and former Familiarity, we can’t well

suppose that our first Parents, tho’ not furnish’d with so much

Knowledge as is usually ascribed to them, would be conquer’d by a

_Demon_ in the Shape of a _Serpent_, which naturally is a Beast of the

Field, and known to be so by _Adam_, who, but a little before, had

enrolled it among his Subjects, and given it a significant Name.

Can we imagine our first Parents so stupid, as to hold a Conversation

with a Beast, without Surprize, Jealousy, and Suspicion? _Adam_, who

knew the Properties of inferior Animals, (to whom he had given proper

Names a little before) could not but know, that the _Serpent_ was a

_Beast_, and had no Organs fitted for the Formation of articulate

Sounds, much less a Power to fix proper Ideas to them, and support an

Argument by arguing the Case in a rational manner. Could _Adam_, who was

the Image of God upon Earth, hear a Brute speak and dispute in the

Language of Paradise, without a Suspicion of Imposture or something

ominous?

During the Woman’s Parley with the Serpent, _Adam_ is supposed to be

absent, perhaps thro’ Satan’s Management, and upon her representing to

him at their next meeting, the Conversation she had with the Serpent, he

must conclude that Serpent to be a _grand Cheat_, or a _good Angel_,

that spoke to his Wife: and that he took it in the latter Sense, is

plain from the Event; that is, his taking the forbidden Fruit, and

eating thereof upon the Serpent’s Recommendation of it to his Wife, who

found no ill Effect from her Compliance. Now, the Tempter having assur’d

the Woman that her eating that Fruit would not bring Death, and _Adam_

finding it to be true in Fact, that is, that she did eat and live after

it, concluded he might eat with equal Safety.

Upon this Supposition, we may charitably infer, that since our first

Mother might converse with Angels in that serpentine, or some other

bright Form, she now converses with the Serpent without Scruple or Dread

of Imposture. And as she apprehended the Serpent to be a good and kind

Spirit, so _Adam_ did, upon her Representation of the Matter, and took

the forbidden Fruit, and eat it: And perhaps the Serpent was present,

giving Attestation to the Report made by the Woman to her Husband.

This being granted, ’tis conceivable how the Woman might freely converse

with a Creature that assum’d an Image so glorious, especially if we

consider she was in her infantile State, and without any experimental

Knowledge, or any Apprehension of Danger, from an Enemy, of which she

had no Idea; being no Sinner, she was without Fear.

In the Sentence past upon _Adam_, there is one Clause that seems to

corroborate this Hypothesis; for, upon the Expulsion of our first

Parents ... the Gates of _Eden_ were guarded by a _Cherub_ (to prevent

their re-entrance) which, by the _Jews_, was esteem’d a _second Angel_,

and may be aptly imagin’d to be a _Seraph_, or an Angel in the Form of a

flying Serpent, whose Body vibrated in the Air, with a peculiar

Resplendency, and may be fitly describ’d by the Image of such a Sword.

’Tis said, _God drove out the Man, and placed at the East-end of the

Garden of Eden, Cherubims and a flaming Sword, which turned every way,

to keep the Way of the Tree of Life_, Gen. iii. _ult._ God made Angels

Guardians of Paradise, and a sparkling Fire, like a flaming Sword; says

the _Arabick_ Version.

But why may not this Text bear an Interpretation pregnant with good

Tidings, as an Explication of the Promise made to the Woman, that is, an

Instruction to our first Parents how to worship God after the Fall,

namely by Sacrifice, which was to be offer’d by them before the

_Cherubims_ (erected over the Gates of Paradise) as Sacrifices

afterwards were before the _Cherubims_ in the _Tabernacle_ and _Temple_,

or, as the _Hebrew_, before the _Faces of Jehovah_?

The _flaming Sword and the Cherubims_, might be Emblems or Figures of

some things to be observed in the Form of Worship design’d for that new

Dispensation. The _fiery Sword_ being a killing Weapon, might represent

irritated Justice; and _Cherubims_ being the Inhabitation of the Deity

in the Tabernacle and Temple, might be an Emblem of Mercy, to which the

Sacrifices were offer’d: and may not Cherubims be so construed here? _N.

B._ May we not date the first Institution of Sacrifice here, which soon

appear’d in the History of _Cain_ and _Abel_?

God might address our first Parents after this manner; View these

wonderful Sights over the Gate, behold in them the Scheme of Salvation!

The Text thus interpreted, gives the Tempter a fresh Mortification, to

see his bloody Design defeated, and our first Parents restored to Favour

at the Gate of _Eden_, in which he had triumph’d over them; and that

which encreased his Vexation was, to see this done by _Christ_, the

promised Seed, one of the human Race.

In the Tabernacle and Temple there were no Representations of God, but

only emblematical Figures erected over the Mercy-Seat, called the

Cherubims; in, or between them, the _Deity_ is said _to dwell_; and the

Law obliged the _Jews_ to bring the Blood of the Sacrifice _before the

Face of God_ in the Cherubims, that is, within the Vail, on the Day of

Expiation: and here God might direct our first Parents to bring their

Sacrifices to him, who was in a special manner present in the Cherubims

over the Gate.

But supposing _Adam_ and _Eve_ had, after their Expulsion, enter’d

Paradise; I don’t see what valuable End it would have answered, for the

special Promises made to the first Inhabitants of Paradise were now null

and void. All the Blessings peculiar to that glorious Situation, were

irrecoverably lost. It was not in the power of that once sacred Seat to

reinstate them in their pristine Happiness.

_Obj._ Could not the Tree of Life restore their forfeited Comforts? I

presume not; because the Tree of Life, in the Design of it, was to

perpetuate the happy Life of innocent Man, and not to restore the Life

and Comforts of Criminals under a Sentence of Death; a Sentence

irrepealable, which even the Death of our Blessed Redeemer does not

exempt us from.

Upon the whole, I can scarcely think that these strange and awful Sights

or Figures, over the East Gate of _Eden_, were only to frighten our

first Parents, whose distressed State stood in need of Divine Supports.

To be cast out of Paradise was a Mortification that needed not a

super-added Terror; therefore to make those Figures Spectacles of

Horror, seems not so well suited to Persons under Circumstances so

inexpressibly dolorous, tho’ restored to Favour; but might rather be

design’d to conduct them to God by _Christ_, the _Tree of Life_.

III. _IT’s very probable a Conversation had past between the Woman and

Serpent before the Narrative publish’d by Moses._ She might upon the

first Approach of the Serpent ask, How a Beast acquired the Gift of

Speaking, which is the Prerogative of Rationals? The Serpent might

answer, That it was by Eating the Fruit of that Tree. _Eve_ might urge,

That God had forbid her to eat that Fruit upon pain of Death. The

Serpent might make this Return, _viz._ What you say is true; ’tis

allow’d to be the Law under the first Form of Government, but I am now

come from the supreme Court, to give you Assurance of God’s kind

Intentions to advance you to a higher and more noble Station: The

Prohibition of this Fruit was only a probationary Restraint, and

temporary.

Now the End of the first Institution being answered, ’tis the Will of

our Great Sovereign to take off those Restraints, and make you a free

People. Upon the Formation of your Being, he brighten’d your Mind with

Rays of great Wisdom; but now the happy Moment is come, in which he

purposes to inspire you with higher Degrees of Wisdom.... By eating this

Fruit, your intellectual Powers will be infinitely enlarged; for, _ye

shall be as Gods_, and then all the Endowments and Accomplishments of

Nature will arrive at their full Perfection, which as yet are only in

their Embryo. This being only a Supposition, I dismiss it.

The Serpent having ascrib’d its Reason, and Speech to the eating of that

Fruit, the Woman might infer, If this Fruit did turn a Serpent into a

rational Creature, why may it not transform a rational Creature into a

God, and a _Woman_ into a _Goddess_? The Serpent had no occasion to say

more; fir’d with the Prospect of such Preferment, she _took the Fruit

and did eat_. Gen. iii. 6. _And when the Woman saw that the Tree was

good for Food, pleasant to the Eye, and a Tree to be desired to make one

wise, she did eat._

_N. B._ How divine and delightful a Thing is Knowledge, of which

Innocency itself is ambitious! _Eve_ thirsted after the highest Degrees

of Knowledge, and made no doubt of obtaining it by the Serpent’s

Instructions; not knowing of any Impostor, she believed what the Tempter

said. Satan, by the Serpent, as a Bait proposed Improvement in

Knowledge.

Thus the first Woman, Head of the human Race, fell a Sacrifice to her

own Ambition, fell a Virgin, and in her Infant-State. _Icarus_, by

flying too near the Sun, his waxen Wings melted, and he fell into the

Sea, and was drowned. Justly was he punish’d, for not observing his

Father’s Will. May I add, in favour of our Mother, that the Law

forbidding that Fruit, was not immediately publish’d to _Eve_, but

receiv’d at second-hand from _Adam_; and that it can’t be well supposed,

that she knew the various Capacities and Qualities of Brutes, as her

Husband did.

But, why does _Moses_ introduce a Serpent speaking, when naturally it

was a speechless Creature?

In answer to this, may we not observe, that the Almighty, who has no

_material Tongue_, yet is often introduced, speaking with _human Voice_

in the Scripture. The _Egyptians_ made the _Crocodile_ a Symbol of the

Deity, giving this as a Reason why they worshipped God symbolically in

that Creature, because it resembled God, in that it was the only Animal

without a Tongue; for the Divine λογος stands in no need of Speech; he

governs human Affairs without Words, and without Noise.

Again, this Dialogue with the Serpent, a known Beast, is very agreeable

to a Custom among the Oriental Writers, who enchase their Histories with

Ornaments taken from familiar Discourses between Beasts; by which they

convey moral Instructions to their Readers: Thus, on a Subject of Craft,

they made the Fox to speak.

With what View did the Devil tempt our first Parents to sin? I answer,

’twas out of despite to God; _i. e._ with a design to rob the Creator of

the Glory he proposed to himself from the Erection of this new World: He

could not attack the Almighty on his Throne, therefore he strikes at the

Footstool. Since he could not reach the Person of the Almighty, he

wreaks his Malice upon his _Image_, Man; Man, whose Happiness, and that

of his Descendants, he envy’d; and whom, in particular he hated, as his

intended Successors to the vacant Seats in the blissful Regions above.

In his Plot against _Adam_, the Deceiver was deceived; for he made no

doubt but the Sentence of Death would be immediately executed upon

_Adam_ and _Eve_, and upon the Extinction of the human Species, God

would lose all his Honour upon Earth. Why did not he appear to our first

Parents in a human Form? probably because he might apprehend, that there

was no other Man or Woman, but themselves.

Having considered _Adam_ in his probationary Capacity, I shall in the

next place observe these three Things, by way of Illustration.

I. _It was most congruous that Man’s first State should be a State of

Trial._ II. _That his Trial should be by the Laws of his Creator._

III. _That those Laws should be inforced by a proper Sanction._

I. _IT was congruous and fit, our first Parents should begin their Life

in a way of Trial, as they were moral Agents_: In which Situation I

apprehend all the Angels to be at first, to see how they would behave

towards the Great Author of their Being and Blessedness, before they

were establish’d. No Creature, as such, is capable of Immutability, any

more than of Omnipotence. To be naturally, and necessarily immutable, is

the sole Prerogative of the Almighty: The perpetual Duration of created

Beings, is not from their Nature, but from the Divine Will.

Our first Parents were under a strong Guard, and not to be disarm’d

without their own Consent; tho’ the Devil, as he was a Spirit, excelled

in Power, yet he could not by Force subdue the weaker Vessel, therefore

conducted the bloody Design by Stratagems. When the Woman was sollicited

by the Tempter, one strong _Negative_ would have put him to _flight_. A

resolute Denial, without any other Means, would have made her

victorious, tho’ assaulted by all the Legions of Hell; therefore, no

room to complain of Deficiency in Divine Goodness.

’Tis beyond all doubt, that the Revelation given to _Adam_ (as that to

Christian Churches in After-ages) made it a fundamental part of his

Duty, not to attend to any Insinuations contrary to those delivered to

him by his Creator, tho’ recommended even by an Angel from Heaven:

Temptations to forbidden Fruit, however pleasant, should not be parley’d

with, but peremptorily rejected.

II. _IT was equally proper, that a Creature should be govern’d by the

Laws of his Creator_; as it implies a Contradiction for a Creature to be

independent, which it must suppose itself to be, when govern’d by its

own Laws. The Will of the Creator was surely the fittest, for the

Obedience of Creatures; one part of which was, that they must not have

an Indulgence of all the Trees in _Eden_.

It follows hence, that _Self-denial was a Duty in Paradise_. _Adam_ was

not an absolute Sovereign to do what he pleased, but what his Almighty

Creator and Patron prescribed; tho’ endowed with Reason, yet was he to

govern himself by the Will of another, that is, of him who was the

Donor. His Reason was a bright, but borrowed Light, borrowed from the

uncreated Sun, therefore ought to move by its Direction.

Thus we see that Restraints on the human Nature, were necessary even in

Man’s Paradisaical State: To deny Self, was one of the Precepts of

Religion in the Garden of Innocence; nor is this strange, if we

consider, that for any rational Creature to live according to his own

Will, is to make a _God_ of his _Will_.

Why did God forbid the Fruit of one Tree? This might be to signify

_Adam_’s Dependance upon his Maker, and that he had no Claim to any

thing without his Leave: The sovereign Lord of the Creation made over to

_Adam_ large Dominions, and the Mannour of Paradise for the Seat of his

Empire, reserving nothing to himself but a small Rent of Acknowledgment,

which was only the Fruit of one Tree. The Exemption of this Tree from

human Use, notify’d Man’s Subjection, and God’s supreme Dominion. By

this Reservation he tried their Obedience, whether they would be content

with all the Earth, and Appurtenances thereunto belonging, one Tree only

excepted. _N. B._ This forbidden Tree might have something of a natural

Tendency to corrupt the animal Juices, and introduce Diseases and Death

into the human Nature. If the Tree of Life could immortalize our

Existence in Happiness, is it not equally rational to suppose the Tree

of Knowledge ... would destroy it?

III. _THE Laws of Paradise were inforced by a very awful Sanction_, viz.

_Life and Death_: The one expressing something most terrible, the other

implying somewhat vastly delightful. Threatnings were necessary Cautions

in Paradise: How surprizing this! The first day of Man’s Life, Man was

put in mind of Death, of which the Tree of Life was a Memento. If you

eat the Fruit of it, you forfeit your Life, _die you must_ without

Remedy. This Menace of Death, in the Design of it, was to guard against

Sin, as that which only could be the Cause of Death.

_IN the day thou eatest thereof_, dying thou shalt die; or, die the

Death. Behold here! as in a Cloud, the first Alarm of Mortality, the

first Institution of Funerals, and the melancholy Office of

Grave-diggers. Bells from the Pinnacle of the Temple, proclaim it aloud

to Man, _Dust thou art, and unto Dust thou shalt return_. In this

paradisaical Scheme of Government, we find Death to be a near Neighbour

to Life: Both the Trees grew near to one another.

Some have made this _Tree of Life_ a Representation of _Christ_, and if

so, here, as in a Glass, darkly Man saw his Saviour before he stood in

need of him: The Tree of Life planted in the midst of Paradise, was to

preserve _Adam_’s Life, and without doubt had done so, if he had not

rebelled. According to a Learned _Jew_, the Tree of Life represents

Piety; and that of Knowledge, Prudence[345]. Some of his Countrymen tell

us ridiculous Stories about the Tree of Life, _viz._ That it was of

prodigious Size, and all the Water of the Earth gush’d out at its Foot,

_&c._

Footnote 345:

_Philo Judæus._

It is from the History of Paradise that pagan Poets took their _Nectar_

and _Ambrosia_, which were said to be the Meat and Drink of the Gods;

upon which some put this Construction, _viz._ _Nectar_ signifies

_young_; _Ambrosia_, _Immortality_; intimating, that in a State of

Innocency, the Vigor of Youth would have been immortal.

The Heathen were not without some Idea of the Mosaic Creation, and Fall

of Man, and of a Woman that brought Sorrow into the World; envying, that

a Fire, which is the Light of Knowledge, was hid from them ... and also

of Old-Age, brought in by the Counsel of a Serpent.——

Paradise, in _Plato_’s _Symposium_, is _Jupiter_’s _Garden_, and also is

the Pattern of _Alcinous_’s _Orchards_, and the _Hesperides_: The

Golden-Apples kept by a _Dragon_, were the forbidden Fruit in Paradise:

The Fable of _Hercules_’s killing the Serpent of the _Hesperides_, is

borrowed from the Seed of the Woman, breaking the Serpent’s Head.

What is _Ovid_’s _In nova fert animus_? but an imperfect Transcript of

_Moses_’s Journal of the Creation, _&c._ ’Tis said by _Moses_, _The

Spirit of God moved on the Face of the Waters_; hence _Thales_, makes

Water to be the first Principle of all natural Bodies: His Reasons are

deliver’d by _Plutarch_. _Homer_ says, All things are made of the Ocean.

The _Chaos_, whereof all things were made, according to _Hesiod_, was

Water. _Orpheus_ says, all things were generated of the Ocean[346].

_Plato_’s _Atlanticus_, what is it but a Fable? built upon _Moses_’s

History of _Noah_, and the Flood, and the Causes that brought it upon

the World.

Footnote 346:

ωκεανος—γενεσις παντευς τετυκται.

What is the _Bacchus_ of the Heathen, but the _Noah_ of _Moses_?

formerly called _Boachus_, for _Noachus_, as might easily be, mistaking

the _Hebrew_ Letters B and N, which are not very much unlike. By _Janus_

and _Saturn_, _Noah_ is meant; and some take _Jupiter_ to be _Japhet_,

for tho’ _Jovis_, and the other oblique Cases are derived from

_Jehovah_, yet _Jupiter_ is another. The Fable of Heaven being stormed

by the _Giants_, arose from what the Builders of the _Tower of Babel_

said, _viz._ _Let us build a City and a Tower, whose Top may reach unto

Heaven_.... But no Man imitates the Scriptures more than _Homer_, who

was an inquisitive Traveller into all Countries. But to proceed to the

Pagan Account of Paradise, and the Fall of Man:

A certain Author relates a Discourse between _Midas_ the _Phrygian_, and

_Silenus_ who was the Son of a _Nymph_, inferior by Nature to the Gods,

superior to Men and Death, thus:

_SILENUS_ told _Midas_, that _Europe_, _Asia_, and _Africa_ were

Islands, surrounded by Water: that there was but one Continent only,

which was beyond this World, in which, among other Rarities, were two

great _Rivers_, whose Banks were cover’d with _Trees_, one of them was

called the _River of Pleasure_, and the other the _River of Grief_....

He who eat the Fruit of the Trees along the River of Pleasure, was eased

from all his former Desires, and in a short time became younger, and

lived over again his former Years, cast off Old-Age, and became first a

Young Man, then a Child, and lastly an Infant, and so died.

On the other hand, he who eat the Fruit from the Trees by the River of

Grief, spent all his Days in Tears and Troubles, and after many Years of

Vexation, dies.

How romantick soever this Relation may be, it seems to allude to the

_Trees_ and _Rivers_ of Paradise, and to give some Hints about the

Introduction of Death.

The _Indians_ account for the Fall of Man after this manner:—_Brama_,

one of their subaltern Deities, form’d Man out of the Slime of the Earth

that was then just created, and placed him in a certain Situation, which

they call _Chorcham_, which was a Garden of Delights, abounding with all

manner of pleasant Fruit, in which was a certain Tree, whose Fruit would

confer Immortality upon any Persons that were allow’d to eat it.

The _Gods_, say the _Indians_, tried all sorts of Means to obtain the

Privilege of this Immortality; and after great Difficulties, did at last

succeed according to their Wish, and found out the Way to the Tree of

Life, which was in the _Chorcham_, and by feeding on its Fruit for some

time, they commenced immortal.

A famous Serpent called _Cheieu_, (probably Guardian of that Tree)

perceiving the Secret was discover’d by the Gods of the second Rank, was

so enraged, that it scatter’d a Flood of Poison over the Plain. All the

Earth felt the fatal Effects, and no Man escaped the Infection: But the

God _Chiven_, took pity on the human Nature, appear’d in the Shape of

Man, and swallow’d all the mortal Poison, wherewith the malicious

Serpent had infected the Universe.... This Fable, as ridiculous as it

is, must have some regard to the terrestrial Paradise, and can have no

other Original but the Doctrine of _Moses_[347].

Footnote 347:

_Æliani Sophistæ varia Historia, cum Notis, Curante Gronovio._ A. D.

1731. _Theopompus_ is quoted for it, whom my Author calls μυθολογος.

_Et hæc si cui fide dignus videtur, ea narrans Chius, ille credatur,

mihi vero egregius esse fabulator._ vol. I. cap. xviii. p. 252.

Nor were the more western Pagans more happy in their Conjectures about

the first Entrance of moral Evil. _Prometheus_, say they, having form’d

Men out of the Earth and Water, animated them with Fire, which he stole

from Heaven. _Jupiter_, the Chief of the Pagan Gods, enraged at this,

commands _Vulcan_ to make a Woman out of Clay, upon whom all the Gods,

out of their high Regard[348] to the Fair Sex, bestow’d some of their

Perfections. _Venus_ gave her Beauty; _Pallas_, Wisdom; _Mercury_,

Eloquence; _Apollo_, Musick; and _Juno_ gave her Riches; therefore

called _Pandora_, who was sent by the Gods in revenge to _Prometheus_,

with a Box full of Evils as a Present from them, but he was too cautious

to receive it; upon which she was to present it to his Brother

_Epimetheus_, (supposed by some to be her Husband) which he had no

sooner open’d, but immediately there flew out _all kinds of Evil_, that

soon scatter’d themselves over all the Earth; and at the bottom of the

Box, nothing was left but poor _Hope_.

Footnote 348:

_Travels of several Missionaries into_ India, p. 7.

_Hope, of all Ills that Men endure,

The only cheap and universal Cure.

Hope,

Thou pleasant, honest Flatterer; for none

Flatter unhappy Men, but thou alone._... Cowl.

The _Mahometan Account of Man’s Fall_, is equally absurd, as appears

from _Mahomet Rabadan, &c._ thus:—God made the Creation ... the earthly

Mass became an animate Body ... and was called _Adam_; God placed him in

heavenly Paradise, and lest he should believe that he had no Superior,

God gave him only one Command, the Observation of which was very easy.

He forbid him, upon pain of Death, to eat of the Fruit of a certain

Tree. _Adam_ wanted a Mate; therefore God made him fall into a profound

Sleep, and took out of his left Side a Rib, of which he formed a very

beautiful Woman, whom he called _Eve_, ... and order’d _Gabriel_ to go

into Paradise, and to celebrate the Wedding of _Adam_ and _Eve_, being

attended with a great many other Angels.

_LUCIFER_ envying the Happiness of Man, used his utmost Endeavours to

deprive him of it. Going one day by the door of Paradise, he said to the

Angel who kept it, _Give me leave to go in, for I have a Matter of

Moment to impart to the Servants of thy Lord_. The Angel having denied

his Request, he desired him to call the Serpent, who was then a very

fine Creature. The Serpent came, and _Lucifer_ earnestly desired Leave

to get into his Body; the Serpent did so, and placed _Lucifer_ in the

Roof of its Mouth, and carried him into Paradise. When he came near the

Forbidden Tree, it endeavoured in vain to make _Lucifer_ come out.

_Lucifer_ stuck fast, and forced the Serpent to get upon that Tree,

under which _Adam_ and _Eve_ used to sit down. _Eve_ was then alone,

near the Tree: She saw the Serpent, who spoke to the Woman in these

Words, _viz._

Charming Creature, if you would taste this Fruit, you would be _like God

himself_ in Wisdom and Knowledge: All the Secrets and all the Mysteries

you are now ignorant of, will be manifested to you. _Adam_ came during

the Discourse, and having told him what the Serpent had said, proposed

to him to eat of the forbidden Fruit, which after a Short Pause he

comply’d with. The Tree was a large Vine; _Eve_ took twelve Grains of a

Bunch of Grapes, gave eight to her Husband, and kept four to herself.

At that very moment, _Adam heard a very terrible Voice, Wo to thee! hast

thou so soon forgot the only Commandment thou hadst promised to observe?

how comes it that thou hast (by thy Greediness) polluted the Purity of

my Habitation?_ _Adam_ being confounded, excused himself by laying the

Fault upon _Eve_, who endeavour’d to justify herself by accusing the

Serpent. Upon which God ordered the Angels immediately to drive _Adam_

and _Eve_ from Paradise, to Strip them of their Clothes, and take away

the Crowns they had on their Heads[349].——But it is high time to return.

Footnote 349:

_Mahometism fully explained, by_ Mahomet Rabadan, _a_ Moor _of_

Arragon _in_ Spain, _for the Instruction of the_ Moors _in that

Kingdom, who were then violently persecuted there_. Translated out of

_Spanish_ by Mr. _Morgan_, with a design to give us a better Notion of

the _Mahometans_, and to place it in the rich Library of the late Earl

of _Oxford_. Printed _A. D._ 1724.

Satan, who imploy’d the Serpent in his Service, is supposed to be

punish’d here under the Figure of a Serpent: But why in the Presence of

our first Parents? Perhaps for such Reasons as these, _viz._ 1. To

reproach their Inadvertency for suffering themselves to be imposed upon

by a lying Spirit, who, if but resisted by a meer Negation, would have

fled. 2. To let them see that no Creature, tho’ never so great, can

rebel with Impunity; from whence they might conclude, what to expect

from new Provocations. 3. They had no other way to see a Spirit

punish’d, but under some visible Form. It could not but give them some

secret Satisfaction to see their cruel Enemy tremble at the Bar.

It is observable here, that the _Promise of the Messiah_ was made to

_Adam_, before the Almighty past upon him the Sentence of Death. How

surprizing this! to find the Death of Christ _published_, before the

Death of _Adam_ was _pronounced_. The Death of _Christ_, the _Innocent_;

before the Death of _Adam_, the _Criminal_.

The last Remark I shall make here is, that the Earth, tho’ cursed for

Man’s Sin, still puts on the Face of a Paradise, abounding with an

innumerable Variety of good Things; yea, and those so delicious and

pleasant to Mankind, that many wish to live in it for ever. Thus they

confine their Hopes and Fears to the present State, and are so far from

believing a Life to come, that they can hardly persuade themselves to

believe, that they shall leave this present Life.

As the Bounties of Providence gives us no room to murmur at our present

Province or Portion, so on the other hand, the Toils and Troubles of

this State should cause us to aspire after the heavenly Paradise, where

no Curse ever found Access, where none of the Thorns of Affliction, or

the Briers of Sorrow grow.

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CHAPTER II.

CONTENTS. _Of the_ fiery Serpents _that annoy’d the Camp of_ Israel:

_The Reason of that judicial Stroke_, i.e. _Murmuring under a

Dispensation of Miracles. Why punish’d by Serpents? Why called_

Fiery? _The last Plague in the Desart. Flying Serpents._

SECTION. I.

It might be said with great Propriety of the _People of Israel_, that

they were _a Generation of Vipers_. Ingratitude, Unbelief, Discontent

and Murmuring, were the dominant Passions in the Wilderness; they were

always quarrelling with _God_ and _Moses_: never easy, no not under a

Theocracy, a divine Government. No wonder that Rage and Faction haunt

the Dwellings of good Princes, when we find perverse Spirits have

murmur’d at a divine Administration.

A Magnificent Table was Spread for them in the Wilderness, their daily

Entertainments were miraculous; they were fed by _Manna_, a delicious

Food distilled from Heaven, admirably suited to every one’s Palate. _He

commanded the Clouds from above, and opened the Doors of Heaven, and

rained down Manna upon them to eat, and gave them the Corn of

Heaven[350]. Wherefore have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the

Wilderness, for there is no Bread, neither is there any Water, and our

Soul loatheth this light Bread[351]: This vain and empty Bread, say the_

LXX.

Footnote 350:

_Psal._ lxxviii. 23-25.

Footnote 351:

_Numb._ xxi. 5, 6.—τω αρτω τω διακενω—

They were also furnish’d with _miraculous Drink_, i. e. _Water out of a

Rock_; Water that swell’d into a River, and follow’d ’em in all their

Motions, till they arrived in the Land _flowing with Milk and Honey_;

Terms, that include a Scene of Plenty and Pleasantness.

In all their Traverses through the Wilderness, they were always under

the Guidance and Protection of the _Shekina_; by which Word the _Jews_

understood the _Presence of the Holy Spirit_; of _Christ_, say the

Christians. The _Shekina_ was the most sensible Mark of the Presence of

God among them, which rested over the Propitiatory, or the golden

Cherubims, which adher’d to the Propitiatory or Covering of the Ark;

there the _Shekina_ abode in the Shape of a Cloud. The _Rabbins_ tell

us, that it first resided in the Tabernacle, and descended into it in

the Figure of a Cloud, on the Day of Consecration. It past from thence

into the Sanctuary of _Solomon’s Temple_, on the Day of its Dedication

by that Prince[352]; where it continued to the Destruction of

_Jerusalem_ by the _Chaldeans_, and was not afterwards to be seen there.

Footnote 352:

_Calmet from Basnage_, _History of the Jews_.

Thus were they conducted and entertain’d by an unintermitted Train of

Miracles. Now to fret and repine in such a Situation, was a Crime of a

high and heinous Nature, no less than impeaching infinite Wisdom, and

taxing it with erroneous Conduct: If Difficulties occurred in the way,

their Duty was _Resignation_, a Temper obvious in _Pagans_, whose

Religion forbid all indecorous Sallies of the Passions.

_SOCRATES_, a Philosopher of _Athens_, was a Philosopher in _Prison_, as

well as in the _Museum_: When bound in Fetters, and he had nothing but

Death before his Face, he then conversed with his Friends with perfect

Equanimity, and without the least _Reflexion_ upon _Fate_, upon _God_,

and his _Judges_, notwithstanding his base Treatment, and the notorious

Injustice of his Sentence. The Scripture represents _Job_ as a

_Champion_ in Affliction, who by his passive Fortitude under it, became

the proper Hero of an Heroic-Poem.

SECT. II.

_WHY were they punish’d by Serpents?_

Perhaps it might be to put them in remembrance of the first Sin, that

was introduced into Paradise by the old Serpent: This kind of Punishment

could not but bring to their Mind that gloomy Moment in which the human

Nature was morally and mortally wounded by that evil Spirit, in the Form

of a Serpent. This being allow’d, we may infer, that Man’s Memory stands

in need of a Remembrancer, even of Paradise lost. And oh! who can think

of that inexpressible Loss, without dropping a silent and solemn Tear?

Some Learned _Jews_ themselves, speaking upon this Subject, say, the

Reason why they were chastised by Serpents, was _because they had done

the Actions of the old Serpent, in using an ill Tongue against God,

against_ Moses, _and Manna, the Bread of Heaven_.

SECT. III.

_WHY called Fiery Serpents?_

A natural and a moral Reason may be assigned for it.

1. The sacred Volume seems to account for the _natural Reason_, when it

says, _God sent fiery Serpents_. The _Hebrew_ word is _Seraphim_, that

is _Burners_, because they appeared in the form of a _Flame_. The LXX

calls them _Serpents of Death_[353], because their _Wounds_ proved

_mortal_.

Footnote 353:

Οφεις θαναουνται.

As soon as the People were wounded, their Blood was inflamed, and

according to some _Jewish_ Authors, they were _scorch’d with insatiable

Thirst_. Of the _Hebrew_ word _Saraph_, the _Greeks_, by changing the

Position and Order of Letters, have borrowed the Name _Prester_, which

is a kind of fiery venemous Serpent, called also _Dipsas_ and _Causon_,

whose Wound is accompanied with a most vehement Heat and Thirst, and

generally incurable, as some have formerly said. They may be properly

called _Fiery_, as their Colour was glowing, a proper Representative of

Fire. In the _West-Indies_ are _Adders, red as Blood_, about seven or

eight Foot long, and appear by Night as a _burning Coal_[354].

Footnote 354:

_Atl. America_, 179.

2. They might be called _Fiery_ also, from a _moral Consideration_; for,

that raging Heat in the Body might represent the outragious Disorders of

the Mind, flowing from conscious Guilt, neither of which were the

Attendants of an original State. Hence, perhaps, it is that Satan’s

_Temptations_ are styled _fiery Darts_, because when complied with, they

kindle a Fire in the Conscience, a Prognostick, and Taste of the

Unquenchable[355].

Footnote 355:

_Eph._ vi 16. βελη—πεπυρωμηνα.

And indeed, what are all uneasy Sensations, but the Venom of the old

Serpent? thence, that long Train of Complaints and Groans. _Remember

from whence thou art fallen_, is the Language of every Calamity, but no

calamitous Impression so terrible, as that which alarms the Mind about

the awful Futurity. Of Sin it is said, that at last, _it will bite like

a Serpent, and sting like an Adder_[356].

Footnote 356:

_Prov._ xxiii. 32.

What fill’d _Adam_’s Mind with Horror and Consternation? What made him

run with wild Confusion among the Trees to hide himself? What was he

afraid of? He, who was Lord of the Earth, and Image of the Almighty? Was

not he in Paradise, the Garden of God; whence then this sudden and

mighty Panick? What produced this great and astonishing Change in one

who had a friendly Intercourse with God a little before? Oh! ’twas

Guilt, Guilt, Guilt. A Consciousness of his iniquitous Compliance with

the Serpent. What were those anxious disquieting Thoughts that kindled

the Fire in his Breast, but the venemous, fiery Darts of Satan?

_JUDAS_ is another Example; a Person highly honour’d by Christ, who made

him his Ambassador Extraordinary to the House of _Israel_, and Treasurer

of his House and Privy Counsellor, on a sudden falls into Extremity of

Anguish; and why? Guilt, Guilt ... struck with Horror of Mind for the

Effusion of innocent Blood; was arraign’d, and sentenced by his own

Conscience, and became his own Executioner: His Guilt was the Wound that

bled within, and what Words can describe the Agony that made that

wretched Man throw himself into Hell for Ease.

SECT. IV.

This gloomy Occurrence fell out in the last Year of their Pilgrimage.

The Wilderness thro’ which they had travelled abounded with these

venemous Creatures, but were under the Restraint of a kind Providence,

and not suffer’d to distress the Camp of _Israel_ till now. _Deut._

viii. 15. _Who led thee through the great Wilderness, wherein were fiery

Serpents and Scorpions._

Thus, for their repeated Provocations, they were pursued by divine

Vengeance to the very Borders of _Canaan_.

Just as they were congratulating one another upon the glorious Prospect

before them, an Army of venemous Serpents invade their Camp, and made a

terrible Slaughter among them. Little did our first Parents suspect a

Serpent in Paradise, nor _Israel_ such a Visit from fiery Serpents upon

the Confines of the holy Land, the western Border of Paradise.

This Plague in the Camp, was the last Punishment inflicted upon the

_House of Israel_ in the Wilderness. When they came out of _Egypt_, it

appeared they were about _six hundred thousand Men, besides Women and

Children, and a mixt Multitude_: Of that mighty Number, none but two,

_viz._ _Josua_ and _Caleb_ enter’d into the promised Land; the rest, for

their Unbelief and reiterated Offences, perish’d by the way[357].

Footnote 357:

_Exod._ xii. 37, 38.

CHAPTER III.

CONTENTS.

_The flying and fiery Serpents. Ungrateful Israel wounded by them, and

healed by the Figure of a Serpent. God hears the Intercession of_

Moses, _when deaf to the Cries of that rebellious People.

Conjectures why healed by a Machine in the Form of a Serpent. Sin in

all its Appearances, the Venom of the old Serpent. The brazen

Serpent a Representation of the_ Messiah. _The Cures wrought by both

were by very unlikely Means. The Wonders of Salvation. Why_ Israel

_was healed by a Serpent made of Brass; Opinions about it. The

brazen Serpent was no Talisman, or a magical Image. The fatal

Catastrophe of the brazen Serpent. Destroyed, when abused to

Idolatry. The Serpent shewed in St._ Ambrose’_s Church at_ Milan,

_for that of_ Moses, _a Cheat. Martyrs from the Catacombs of St._

Sebastian. _Divine Institution necessary to acceptable Worship. May

the Destruction of the brazen Serpent, when abused to Idolatry,

warrant us to guess at the Fate of a Cross abused to Idolatry!_

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SECTION I.

Among Serpents, we find some that are furnished with Wings. _Herodotus_

who saw those Serpents, says they had great Resemblance to those which

the _Greeks_ and _Latins_ call’d _Hydræ_; their Wings are not compos’d

of Feathers like the Wings of Birds, but rather like to those of

_Batts_; they love sweet smells, and frequent such Trees as bear Spices.

These were the fiery Serpents that made so great a Destruction in the

Camp of _Israel_.

In their Extremity, the People addrest their Mediator, Prophet, and

General, _Moses_, saying, _O pray to the Lord that he take away the

Serpents from us!_ The meek Prophet did so; the mediatorial Voice

reach’d Heaven, and mov’d the Almighty who directs _Moses_ to make a

Serpent of Brass, (which was a Figure of the Serpents that plagued the

People) and fix it upon the Top of a Pole, conspicuous to all the

Assembly, promising that all those who were bit by Serpents, and should

look upon this brazen Image, should be presently healed. Astonishing

Clemency! The Event was answerable to this Promise.

This Method of Cure was new and strange; but he who at first called the

World out of nothing, can with equal Facility command Health out of a

Piece of Brass. Another Observable here, is that when the Almighty

refused to hear the Cries of the Wounded in their Distress, he readily

hearkened to _Moses_’s Intercession in their favour. Thus God accepted

the Prayers of _Job_ for his three Friends, when he would not regard the

Supplications they put up for themselves. _Job_ lxii. 7, 8.

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SECTION II.

The brazen Serpent was a Figure of the flying Serpent, _Saraph_, which

_Moses_ fixed upon an erected Pole: That there were such, is most

evident. _Herodotus_ who had seen of those Serpents, says they very much

resembled those which the _Greeks_ and _Latins_ called _Hydræ_: He went

on purpose to the City of _Brutus_ to see those flying Animals, that had

been devour’d by the _Ibidian_ Birds.

In _Asiatic-Georgia_, between the _Caspian_ and _Euxine_ Sea, are found

winged Dragons, with anserine Feet and venemous Claws; and some of them

are fortified with more terrible Pedestals than others: their Wings are

generally composed of strong nervous Membranes, which when they walk,

are scarcely visible, because of their close Adherence to their lateral

Parts[358].

Footnote 358:

Paulus Jovius de Piscibus, cap 23. p. 140.

In the _Atlantic_ Caves, and Mountains of _Africa_, is an infinite

Number of these winged Dragons, whose Poison is so strong, that the

Flesh of such as are wounded by them, immediately grows soft, languid,

and incurable[359]. We read of flying Serpents transported from some

Parts of _Arabia_ into _Egypt_[360][361].

Footnote 359:

P. Belon in Johnstonus.

Footnote 360:

Teste Brodæo.

Footnote 361:

J. Leo’s Hist. of Africa, lib. 6, & 9.

These also have been seen in _Florida_ in _America_, where their Wings

are more flaccid, and so weak, that they cannot soar on high. _Scaliger_

describes a certain flying Serpent that was four Foot long, and as thick

as a Man’s Arm, whose Wings were cartilaginous, or gristly, _ibid._

History accounts for one of these flying Dragons that was killed in old

_Aquitania_ in _France_, a Present of which was made to King _Francis_,

as a great Rarity of the Kind.

_JEROM CARDAN_ informs us of some winged Dragons he had seen at _Paris_,

so nicely preserved, that they very much resembled the Living; they were

described with two Feet, weak Wings, a serpentine Head, and of the

Bigness of a Rabbit.

Why was the Deliverance of _Israel_ by a Machine made in the Form of a

_Serpent_? Perhaps, these serpentine Strokes might be intended as

Emblems, or Memento’s of the fatal Wound in Paradise, where Man’s Nature

was first poisoned by the Devil, who made use of a real Serpent to

seduce our first Parents.

What is moral Evil but the Venom of the old Serpent? A Venom as pleasant

to the Taste, as the forbidden Fruit to the Eye, but the End is

Bitterness. And what are Incentives to Sin, but delusive Insinuations of

the subtle Serpent? And what is Enjoyment, but a pleasing Illusion,

which is no sooner grasp’d, but glides away as a Shadow, leaving behind

it a wounded Conscience, direful Apprehensions and Prospects.

And what are all sensual Entertainments but so many hot Gleams that

portend the Approach of warring Winds and Storms? The Powers of Darkness

that excel in Science, know how to regale the human Mind with pleasant

Scenes, and how to divert the Senses with delightful Charms; Charms that

have no Existence but in a deluded Imagination.

The Cure by a brazen Serpent, might also be to shew, that the Almighty

in relieving distressed Supplicants, is not tied to any particular

Medium. When the _Israelites_ were poison’d by real Serpents, he heals

them by the Image of a Serpent. When he would destroy _Goliath_ the

Tyrant, he does it by a Sling in the Hands of _David_ a Youth, a very

unlikely Person to encounter a Champion.

Thus God by the Figure of a Serpent mortifies the Pride of _Lucifer_,

the old Serpent, by which he acquir’d greater Honour, than if he had

sacrificed to the Fire all the Serpents in the Wilderness.

This may further intimate, that Providence may employ the same Kind of

Instruments, either for the Display of Mercy or Justice upon Mankind. He

who heals and wounds by the Mediation of Serpents, can turn Blessings

into a Curse, or enable us to extract Sweetness out of the bitter Cup.

SECT. III.

This artificial Serpent might (as some have thought) prefigure the

_Messiah_, the Healer of spiritual Maladies. Many take it for a

Representation of his Passion and Crucifixion: The Analogy may be thus

illustrated, _viz._ The Cures wrought by the Serpent and the Saviour,

deriv’d their Efficacy from Divine Appointment.

If the _brazen_ Serpent had been the mere Contrivance of _Moses_, it

would not have answer’d the Intention: so all human Institutions adopted

into Divine Worship will be as little available to true Happiness, (_Who

has required this at your Hand?_) of that Sovereign, who accepts no

Worship but what has the Sanction of his Wisdom and Will.

Both Cures were performed by the most unlikely Means. The Serpent that

healed their Wounds, was made of Brass; a Prescription in which there

was no Probability of producing that happy Effect: And where was the

promising Aspect arising from the Manner of our Saviour’s Appearance on

Earth? What great Things could be expected from a Root of a dry Ground?

How improbable was it that a Person so mean in external Form should

overthrow the Kingdom of Darkness, a Kingdom that had been strengthening

its Barriers for about four thousand Years? Who could think that he had

such powerful Interest in Heaven, who was of no Reputation on the Earth?

Behold here a Scene of Paradoxes! Patients recovered by the Death of the

Physician. Upon Mount _Golgotha_ we see Paradise, lost by the first

_Adam_, regained by the Death of the second _Adam_; Principalities and

Powers led captives by a dying Man; there we see Life restored by Death,

a Crown of Glory purchased by an ignominious Cross. Were the

_Israelites_ healed by a Creature made in the Likeness of the Serpent

that hurt? So Men are restor’d by one made like themselves.

How was this miraculous Cure in the Wilderness obtained? It was by an

ocular View, that is, by looking at the artificial Serpent. None else

were entitled to a Relief. Thus Salvation comes by Faith, which in the

prophetick Dialect is represented by _looking_. _Es._ xlv. 22. _Look

unto me and be ye saved all the Ends of the Earth._ The first Sin

enter’d at the Eye; _the Woman saw the Fruit was good_. Thus our

Restoration to the Divine Favour is by an Eye to Christ, the _Tree of

Life_, but I must not strain the Metaphor too far.

SECT. IV.

_Why was the Cure by a Serpent of Brass?_ I answer, not for any healing

Virtue inherent in that Mineral, more than others, but to demonstrate

his Almighty Power, who can save by improbable Means, or without the

Application of any Means. Thus the blind Man was cured by a Piece of

Clay temper’d with Spittle; _John_ ix. 6.

Perhaps, this also may refer to our Lord, as he is compar’d to _Brass_,

which, when polish’d, is of a most beautiful Colour, exceeding that of

Gold. _Revel._ i. 15. _His Feet like unto fine Brass._ An Emblem of the

high Qualities that glitter in him, whose Nature is divinely fair and

glorious.

Those fiery Serpents, as they flew in the Air, might in Colour resemble

that of _burnish’d Brass_, because the Serpent of _Moses_ was form’d of

_Brass_, a Metal that in itself is no Friend to Health; and some have

said, that the Sight of the brazen Serpent ought naturally to increase

the Distemper of the Wounded, instead of healing it; and that the

Almighty, shew’d a double Efficacy of his Power, by healing with those

Means, which ought to have a quite contrary Effect[362].

Footnote 362:

_Buxtorf_, Hist. de Serpente æneo.

Tho’ Brass in its natural State, may not be propitious to Health, yet

when duly prepar’d it is beneficial: The Preparation of _Copper_ has

been accounted an universal Remedy, and an excellent _Emetick_, having

this singular Virtue, _that it exerts its Force, as soon as ever it is

taken_: Whereas other Emeticks lie a long time dormant in the Stomach,

creating nauseous Anxieties, _&c._ but a single Grain of _Verdegrease_

immediately vomits[363].

Footnote 363:

_Boerhaave_’s Method.

A Certain learned Gentleman of this Island, imagines that the _brazen

Serpent_ was a kind of _Talisman_; that is to say, one of those Pieces

of Metal, which are cast and engraven under certain Constellations, from

whence they derive an extraordinary Virtue to cure Distempers, _&c._

Some impute their Effects to the old Serpent, others to the Nature of

the Metal, and to the Influence of the Constellation. This Author

therefore would make us believe, that the brazen Serpent cured just as

the _Talismans_ cure certain Distempers, by the Sympathy there is

between the Metals of which they are made, or the Influence of the Stars

under which they are formed, and the Disease they are to cure. Every one

may believe as he pleases[364].

Footnote 364:

_Marsham Canon. Chronic._ quoted by _Calmet_.

The Serpent that is always represented with _Esculapius_’s _Image_, and

with _Salus_, the Goddess of Health, and often with the _Egyptian_

Deities, is a Symbol of Health, or of Healing, very probably derives

those Ensigns of Honour from the brazen Serpent of _Moses_.

SECT. V.

_WHAT became of the brazen Serpent at last?_

I answer, it was brought into the _Land of Canaan_ as a sacred Relick,

and religiously preserved among the _Israelites_ down to the Time of

_Hezekiah_ the King, as a standing Memorial of divine Goodness to their

Forefathers in the Wilderness; but being abused by them to Superstition

and Idolatry, as appears by their burning Incense thereto, it was broke

in pieces by the special Command of King _Hezekiah_, who, in Derision

and Contempt, called it _Mehushtan_, a Piece of Brass, a Trifle, a

Bauble, Shadow of a Snake. 2 _Kings_ xviii. 4. May all the

Ecclesiastical _Nehushtans_ of _Babylon_, foisted into Divine Worship,

from the Rising of the Sun, to the Going-down of the same, meet with the

same honest and righteous Fate. In the Church of St. _Ambrose_ at

_Milan_, they pretend to keep a _brazen Serpent_, which they shew for

that of _Moses_, tho’ there be no such thing now in being. In the Church

of St. _Ambrose_ there is a Dragon of Brass on a Column of Marble: Some

think it to be that of _Esculapius_, others an Emblem of that in the

Wilderness, upon which account many of the Pilgrims and common People

worship it. The Inhabitants are very superstitious, and fond of holy

Fragments, and pretend to have at the Church of St. _Alexander_, no less

than 144,000 _Martyrs_ from the _Catacombs_ of St. _Sebastian_. The

Cures effected by the artificial Serpent, derived that Efficacy from the

divine Institution of that Medium: Had their Prescription been the meer

Device of Rabbi _Moses_, that great and valuable End would not have been

answered; therefore, since the Reason of that Institution ceased, ’twas

highly criminal in them, to make any religious Use of it. It is the

divine Impress upon Institutions that ushers in the Blessings intended

by them; therefore to hope for Acceptance with God on account of meer

human Ordinances, (as bowing to Images, to the Altar, to the East, and

to make use of Crucifixes, Crosses, holy Water) is to _hope for what God

has never promised to give_. No wonder to see the brazen Serpent ground

to Powder, and the Dust scatter’d in the Air, that so no Fragments of it

might remain, when Altars of divine Establishment, and sacred to

Devotion, were intirely destroy’d, when they made Idols of them: And how

a holy and jealous God may resent the _Adoration of the Cross in the

Popish Church_, I pretend not to predict, much less to determine. This

Destruction of the brazen Serpent, is reckon’d among the good Deeds of

King _Hezekiah_, because it was made a Medium, and Part of Worship not

prescrib’d by divine Authority.

CHAPTER IV.

_This Chapter begins with the Original of Idolatry, as a Preliminary to

the Adoration of_ SERPENTS, _under three Sections_.

SECT. I.

As introductory to the Divinity of Serpents, I shall make a brief

Inquiry into the Original of sacred Images, and Idol-Worship; the first

Period of which is hard to trace. Some make _Cain_ the first Founder of

it, because of his early Apostacy from the true Religion; which is not

very improbable, since ’tis said, _He went out from the Presence of the

Lord...._ He grew more wicked, and gave himself up to all sorts of

Violence[365].

Footnote 365:

See _Cluverius_, and Dr. _Cumberland_.

That the old World was guilty of Idolatry, some gather from _Gen._ iv.

26. which they say will bear this Reading——_Then Men prophaned, calling

on the Name of the Lord, that is, by setting up Idols_: Upon which some

of the Rabbins paraphrase thus, viz. _Then they began to call Idols by

the Name of the Lord_: With which agrees the _Jerusalem Targum_, that

says, _That was the Age, in the days of which they began to err, and

made themselves Idols, and called their Idols by the Name of the Word of

the Lord_[366].

Footnote 366:

_Schindl._

So they understand _Gen._ vi. 11. _The Earth was corrupt_, that is

_idolatrous_. In defence of this Gloss, they quote the _Idolatry_ of the

_golden Calf_, which is expressed by this very Form of Speech, viz. _The

People had corrupted themselves_. We read _Gen._ iv. 26. _Then Men began

to call upon the Name of the Lord_. There is no room to doubt, but they

called upon God before; the Particle _then_ seems to refer to _Enos_,

which is the next Antecedent: therefore ’tis said, They now applied

themselves to the Knowledge of the Stars, which they apprehended were

erected for the Government of the World, and consequently might be their

Duty to adore them as God’s Representatives.

But the general Opinion is, that Idolatry did not begin till after the

Deluge, and that perhaps the Deluge might be one Occasion of it; for the

old World, as some suppose, was drown’d for _Atheism_——which coming to

the Knowledge of _Noah_’s mediate Successors, they run into the other

Extreme, _chusing rather to have many Gods than no God_.

_IDOLATRY_ is of a more antient Date than _Image-Worship_: To see Men

kneeling before a piece of Wood or Stone, has something so low and mean

in it, that Men were not immediately brought to that abject and

scandalous piece of Worship. The Sun, Moon, and Stars, were their

_natural Gods_, and ador’d before deify’d Men, who were their _animated

Gods_.

This Deification of Creatures, seems to begin about the time of the

_Confusion at Babel_, or the Dispersion immediately consequent

thereupon, particularly in the Family of _Nimrod_, the Son of _Cush_,

Grandson of _Noah_. May not we date the _Original of Paganism_ from that

remarkable Person? ’Tis the Conjecture of some, that _Nimrod_ was the

first Man that was deify’d, and probably for the important Service he

did to his Country, as a _mighty Hunter_, in destroying wild Beasts that

otherwise would soon have devour’d the Inhabitants, which were not very

numerous in those days. ’Tis certain, that such Benefactors to Mankind

were rank’d among the Gods. If so, who will pretend to say, _our modern

Fox-Hunters don’t carry one Characteristic of Divinity about them_?

Some think that the true Religion was universal for about four hundred

Years after the Deluge, because it does not appear from _Abram_’s

Traverse thro’ _Mesopotamia_, _Canaan_, _Philistia_, _Egypt_, _&c._ that

those Countries were Idolaters. Others apprehend _Abram_ himself was

originally an Idolater, at least that Idolatry had overspread the

Nations in his time, for which they quote _Joshua_ xxiv. 2. _Your

Fathers ... even Terah the Father of Abraham ... served other Gods_.

It’s evident from hence, that _Terah_ had fallen into Idolatry, and some

are of Opinion, that _Abram_ himself was an Idolater, till God made him

sensible of the Vanity of Idol-worship, and that it was thro’ him that

his Father _Terah_ was brought under the same Conviction, by this

Device, _viz._