to “Curious Zoology,” is not impossible, and can hardly be branded as a
falsehood.
SERPENTS.
Of Serpents Topsell has written a “Historie,” which, if not altogether
veracious, is very amusing; and I shall quote largely from it, as it
shows us “the latest thing out” in Serpents as believed in, and taught,
in the time of James I. He begins, of course, with their creation, and
the Biblical mention of them, and then passes to the power of man over
them in charming and taming them. Of the former he tells the following
tale:--
“_Aloisius Cadamustus_, in his description of the New World, telleth an
excellent hystorie of a _Lygurian_ young Man, beeing among the _Negroes_
travailing in _Affrick_, whereby he endeavoureth to proove, how ordinary
and familiar it is to them, to take and charme Serpents.
“The young man beeing in _Affricke_ among the _Negroes_, and lodged in
the house of a Nephew to the Prince of _Budoniell_, when he was taking
himselfe to his rest, suddenly awakened by hearing the unwonted noise of
the hissing of innumerable sorts of Serpents; wherat he wondred, and
beeing in some terror, he heard his Host (the Prince’s Nephew) to make
himselfe readie to go out of the doores, (for he had called up his
servants to sadle up his Cammels:) the young man demaunded of him the
cause, why he would go out of doores now so late in the darke night? to
whom he answered, I am to goe a little way, but I will returne againe
verie speedily; and so he went, and with a charme quieted the Serpents,
and drove them all away, returning againe with greater speed than the
_Lygurian_ young man, his ghest, expected. And when he had returned, he
asked his ghest if hee did not heare the inmoderate hyssing of the
Serpents? and he answered, that he had heard them to his great terrour.
Then the Prince’s Nephew (who was called Bisboror) replyed, saying, they
were Serpents which had beset the house, and would have destroyed all
their Cattell and Heards, except hee had gone foorth to drive them away
by a Charme, which was very common and ordinary in those parts, wherin
were abundance of very hurtfull Serpents.
“The Lygurian young man, hearing him say so, marvailed above measure,
and said, that this thing was so rare and miraculous, that scarcely
Christians could beleeve it. The _Negro_ thought it as strange that the
young man should bee ignorant heereof, and therefore told him, that
their Prince could worke more strange things by a Charme which he had,
and that this, and such like, were small, vulgar, and not be counted
miraculous. For, when he is to use any strong poyson upon present
necessitie, to put any man to death, he putteth some venom uppon a
sword, or other peece of Armour, and then making a large round Circle,
by his Charme compelleth many Serpents to come within that circle, hee
himselfe standing amongst them, and observing the most venomous of them
all so assembled, which he thinketh to contain the strongest poyson,
killeth him, and causeth the residue to depart away presentlie; then,
out of the dead Serpent hee taketh the poyson, and mixeth it with the
seede of a certaine vulgar Tree, and therewithall annoynteth his dart,
arrow, or sword’s point, whereby is caused present death, if it give the
bodie of a man but a very small wound, even to the breaking of the
skinne, or drawing of the blood. And the saide _Negro_ did earnestly
perswade the young man to see an experiment hereof, promising him to
shew all as he had related, but the _Lygurian_ beeing more willing to
heare such things told, than bolde to attempt the triall, told him that
he was not willing to see any such experiment.
“And by this it appeareth, that all the _Negroes_ are addicted to
Incantations, which never have anie approbation from God, except against
Serpents, which I cannot very easilie be brought to beleeve.”
Of the affection of some serpents for the human-kind he gives some
examples:--“We reade also in Plutarch of certain Serpents, lovers of
young virgins, and by name there was one that was in love with one
_Ætolia_, a Virgin, who did accustome to come unto her in the night
time, slyding gentlie all over her bodie, never harming her, but as one
glad of such acquaintance, tarried with her in that dalliance till the
morning, and them would depart away of his owne accorde: the which thing
beeing made manifest unto the Guardians and Tutours of the Virgin, they
removed her unto another Towne. The Serpent missing his Love, sought her
uppe and downe three or four dayes, and at last mette her by chance, and
then hee saluted her not as he was wont, with fawning, and gentle
slyding, but fiercely assaulted her with grimme and austere countenance,
flying to her hands, and binding them with the spire of his bodie, fast
to her sides, did softly with his tayle beat her upon her backer parts.
Whereby was collected, some token of his chastisement unto her, who had
wronged such a Lover, with her wilfull absence and disappointment.
“It is also reported by _Ælianus_ that _Egemon_ in his verses, writeth
of one _Alena_, a _Thessalian_ who, feeding his Oxen in _Thessaly_,
neere the Fountaine _Hæmonius_, there fell in love with him a Serpent of
exceeding bignesse and quantitie, and the same would come unto him, and
softly licke his face and golden haire, without dooing him any manner of
hurt at all.”
He tells a few more “Snake stories,” and quotes from “a little Latine
booke printed at _Vienna_, in the yeare of the Lorde 1551,” the
following:--“There was (sayth mine Author) found in a mowe or rycke of
corne, almost as many Snakes, Adders, and other Serpentes, as there were
sheafes, so as no one sheafe could be removed, but there presently
appeared a heape of ougly and fierce Serpents. The countrey men
determined to set fire upon the Barne, and so attempted to doe, but in
vaine, for the straw would take no fire, although they laboured with all
their wit and pollicye, to burne them up; At last, there appeared unto
them at the top of the heap a huge great Serpent, which, lifting up his
head, spake with man’s voyce to the countrey men, saying: _Cease to
prosecute your devise, for you shall not be able to accomplish our
burning, for wee were not bredde by Nature, neither came we hither of
our own accord, but were sent by God to take vengeance on the sinnes of
men._”
And some serpents were “very fine and large,” for he says:--“_Gellius_
writeth, that when the Romanes were in the Carthaginian Warre, and
_Attilius Regulus_ the Consull had pitched his Tents neere unto the
river _Bragrada_, there was a Serpent of monstrous quantitie, which had
beene lodged within the compasse of the Tents, and therefore did cause
to the whole Armie exceeding great calamitie, untill by casting of
stones with slings, and many other devises, they oppressed and slew that
Serpent, and afterward fleyed off the skinne and sent it to _Rome_;
which was in length one hundred and twentie feete.
“And, although this seemeth to be a beast of unmatchable stature, yet
_Postdenius_ a Christian writer, relateth a storie of another which was
much greater, for hee writeth that he saw a Serpent dead, of the length
of an acre of Land, and all the residue both of head and bodie, were
answerable in proportion, for the bulke of his bodie was so great, and
lay so high, that two Horsemen could not see one the other, beeing at
his two sides, and the widenes of his mouth was so great, that he could
receive at one time, within the compasse thereof, a horse and a man on
his backe both together: The scales of his coate or skinne, being every
one like a large buckler or target. So that now, there is no such cause
to wonder at the Serpent which is said to be killed by _St. George_,
which was, as is reported, so great, that eight Oxen were but strength
enough to drawe him out of the Cittie _Silena_....
“Among the _Scyritæ_, the Serpents come by great swarmes uppon their
flocks of sheepe and cattell, and some they eate up all, others they
kill, and sucke out the blood, and some part they carry away. But if
ever there were anything beyond credite, it is the relation of
_Volateran_ in his twelfth booke of the _New-found Lands_, wherein he
writeth, that there are Serpents of a mile long, which at one certaine
time of the yeere come abroad out of the holes and dennes of habitation,
and destroy both the Heards and Heard-men if they find them. Much more
favourable are the Serpents of a _Spanish_ Island, who doe no harme to
any living thing, although they have huge bodies, and great strength to
accomplish their desires.”
After this it will be refreshing to have one of Topsell’s own particular
_true stories_: and this is “Of a true history done in _England_, in
the house of a worshipfull Gentleman, upon a servant of his, whom I
could name if it were needfull. He had a servant that grew very lame and
feeble in his legges, and thinking that he could never be warme in his
bed, did multiply his clothes, and covered himselfe more and more, but
all in vaine, till at length he was not able to goe about, neither could
any skill of Phisitian or Surgeon find out the cause.
“It hapned on a day as his Maister leaned at his Parlour window, he saw
a great Snake to slide along the house side, and to creepe into the
chamber of this lame man, then lying in his bedde, (as I remember,) for
hee lay in a lowe chamber, directly against the Parlour window
aforesaid. The Gentleman desirous to see the issue, and what the Snake
would doe in the chamber, followed, and looked into the chamber by the
window; where hee espied the snake to slide uppe into the bed-straw, by
some way open in the bottome of the bedde, which was of old bordes.
Straightway, his hart rising thereat, he called two or three of his
servaunts, and told them what he had seene, bidding them goe take their
Rapiers, and kill the said snake. The serving-men came first, and
removed the lame man (as I remember) and then the one of them turned up
the bed, and the other two the straw, their Maister standing without, at
the hole, whereinto the said snake had entered into the chamber. The
bedde was no sooner turned up, and the Rapier thrust into the straw, but
there issued forth five or six great snakes that were lodged therein:
Then the serving-men bestirring themselves, soone dispatched them, and
cast them out of doores dead. Afterward, the lame man’s legges
recovered, and became as strong as ever they were; whereby did
evidentlie appeare, the coldnes of these snakes or Serpents, which came
close to his legges everie night, did so benumme them, as he could not
goe.”
Yet one more:--
“I cannot conceale a most memorable historie as ever was any in the
world, of a fight betwixt the Serpents of the Land and the Water. This
history is taken out of a Booke of _Schilt-bergerus_, a _Bavarian_, who
knew the same, (as he writeth) while hee was a captive in _Turky_; his
words are these. In the kingdome called _Genyke_, there is a Citty
called _Sampson_, about which, while I was prisoner with _Baiazeta_ King
of _Turkes_, there pitched or arrived, an innumerable company of Land
and Water Serpents, compassing the said Cittie, a mile about. The Land
Serpents came out of the woods of _Trienick_, which are great and many,
and the Water Serpents came out of the bordering Sea. These were nine
dayes together assembling in that place, and for feare of them there was
not any man that durst goe out of the Citty, although it was not
observed that they hurt any man, or living creature there-abouts.
“Wherefore the Prince also commanded, that no man should trouble them,
or doe them any harme, wisely judging, that such an accident came not
but by Divine Miracle, and that also to signifie some notable event.
Uppon the tenth day, these two valiant troupes joyned battell, early in
the morning, before the sunne-rising, so continuing in fight untill the
sunne-set, at which time the Prince, with some horsemen, went out of the
Cittie to see the battell, and it appeared to him and his associates,
that the Water Serpents gave place to the Land Serpents. So the Prince,
and his company, returned into the Citty againe, and the next day went
forth againe, but found not a Serpent alive, for there were slaine above
eyght thousand: all which, he caused presently to be covered with earth
in ditches, and afterwards declared the whole matter to _Baiazeta_ by
letters, after he had gotten that Cittie, whereat the great Turke
rejoyced, for hee thereby interpreted happinesse to himselfe.”
Luckily, man has found out things inimical to Serpents, and they, and
their use, seem to be very simple:--
“There is such vertue in the Ashe tree, that no Serpent will endure to
come neere either the morning or evening shadow of it; yea, though very
farre distant from them, they do so deadlie hate it. We set downe
nothing but that wee have found true by experience: If a great fire be
made, and the same fire encircled round with Ashen-boughes, and a
serpent put betwixt the fire and the Ashen-boughes, the Serpent will
sooner runne into the fire, than come neere the Ashen-boughes: thus
saith _Pliny_. _Olaus Magnus_ saith, that those Northern Countries which
have great store of Ash-trees, doe want venemous beasts, of which
opinion is also _Pliny_. _Callimachus_ saith, there is a Tree growing in
the Land of _Trachinia_, called _Smilo_, to which, if any Serpents doe
either come neere, or touch, they foorthwith die. _Democritus_ is of
opinion, that any Serpent will die if you cast Oken-leaves upon him.
_Pliny_ is of opinion that _Alcibiadum_, which is a kind of wild
Buglosse, is of the same use and qualitie; and further, being chewed, if
it be spet upon any serpent, that it cannot possibly live. In time of
those solemne Feastes which the _Athenians_ dedicated to the Goddesse
_Ceres_, their women did use to lay and strew their beddes, with the
leaves of the Plant called _Agnos_, because serpents could not endure
it, and because they imagined it kept them chast, Where-upon they
thought the name was given it. The herbe called Rosemarie, is terrible
to serpents.
“The _Egyptians_ doe give it out, that _Polydamna_ the wife of _Thorris_
their King, taking pittie upon _Helen_, caused her to be set on shore in
the Island of _Pharus_, and bestowed upon her an herbe (whereof there
was plenty) that was a great enemy to serpents: whereof the serpents
having a feeling sence (as they say) and so readily knowne of them, they
straightwaies got them to their lurking holes in the earth; and _Helen_
planted this herbe, who, coming to the knowledge thereof, she perceived
that in his due time it bore a seede that was a great enemy to serpents,
and thereupon was called _Helenium_, as they that are skilfull in Plants
affirme; and it groweth plentifully in _Pharus_, which is a little Ile
against the mouth of _Nylus_, joyned to _Alexandria_ by a bridge.
“Rue, (called of some, Herbe of Grace) especially that which groweth in
_Lybia_, is but a backe friend to Serpents, for it is most dry, and
therefore causing Serpents soon to faint, and loose their courage,
because (as _Simocatus_ affirmeth) it induceth a kind of heavinesse or
drunkennesse in their head, with a vertiginie, or giddines through the
excesse of his drinesse, or immoderate sticcitie. Serpents cannot endure
the savour of Rue, and, therefore, a Wesill, when she is to fight with
any serpent, eateth Rue, as a defensative against her enemie, as
_Aristotle_, and _Pliny_ his Interpreter, are of opinion.
“The Country people leaving their vessels of Milke abroade in the open
fieldes, doe besmeare them round about with garlick, lest some venomous
serpents should creepe into them, but the smell of garlick, as
_Erasmus_ saith, driveth them away. No serpents were ever yet seene to
touch the herbe _Trifolie_, or Three-leaved-grasse, as _Ædonnus_ wold
make us believe. And _Cardan_ the Phisitian hath observed as much, that
serpents, nor anything that is venemous will neither lodge, dwell, or
lurk privily neere unto _Trifolie_, because that is their bane, as they
are to other living creatures: and therefore it is sowne to very good
purpose, and planted in very hot countries, where there is most store of
such venomous creatures.
“_Arnoldus Villanonanus_ saith that the herb called _Dracontea_ killeth
serpents. And _Florentinus_ affirmeth that, if you plant Woormwood,
Mugwort, or Sothernwood about your dwelling, that no venomous serpents
will ever come neer, or dare enterprise to invade the same. No serpent
is found in Vines, when they flourish, bearing flowers or blossoms, for
they abhor the smell, as _Aristotle_ saith. _Avicen_, an _Arabian_
Phisitian, saith, that Capers doe kill worms in the guts, and likewise
serpents. If you make a round circle with herbe Betonie, and therein
include any serpents, they will kill themselves in the place, rather
than strive to get away. Galbanum killeth serpents only by touching, if
oyle and the herbe called Fenell-giant be mixt withall. There is a
shrubbe called Therionarca, having a flower like a Rose, which maketh
serpents heavy, dull and drousie, and so killeth them, as _Pliny_
affirmeth.”
There are more plants inimical to serpents, but enough have been given
to enable the reader, if he have faith in them, to defend himself; and
it is comforting to think, that although the serpent is especially
noxious, when alive, he is marvellously useful, medicinally, when dead.
Even now, in some country places, viper broth is used as a medicine;
and, in the first half of the eighteenth century, its flesh, prepared in
various ways, was thoroughly recognised in the Pharmacopœia. But
Topsell, who gathered together all the wisdom of the ancients, gives so
very many remedies (for all kinds of illnesses) that may be derived from
different parts, and treatment, of serpents, that I can only pick out a
few:--
“_Pliny_ saith, that if you take out the right eye of a serpent, and so
bind it about any part of you, that it is of great force against the
watering or dropping of the eyes, by meanes of a rhume issuing out
thereat, if the serpent be againe let goe alive. And so hee saith, that
a serpent’s or snake’s hart, if either it be bitten or tyed to any part
of you, that it is a present remedie for the toothach: and hee addeth
further, that if any man doe tast of the snake’s hart, that he shall
never after be hurt of any serpent.... The blood of a serpent is more
precious than _Balsamum_, and if you annoynt your lips with a little of
it, they will looke passing redde: and, if the face be annoynted
therewith, it will receive no spot or fleck, but causeth it to have an
orient and beautiful hue. It represseth all scabbiness of the body,
stinking in the teeth, and gummes, if they be therewith annointed. The
fat of a serpent speedily helpeth all rednes, spots, and other
infirmities of the eyes, and beeing annoynted upon the eyeliddes, it
cleereth the eyes exceedingly.
“Item, put them (_serpents_) into a glassed pot, and fill the same with
Butter in the Month of May, then lute it well with paste (that is, Meal
well kneaded) so that nothing may evaporate, then sette the potte on the
fire, and let it boyle wel-nigh halfe a day: after this is done,
straine the Butter through a cloth, and the remainder beate in a morter,
and straine it againe, and mixe them together, then put them into water
to coole, and so reserve it in silver or golden boxes, that which is not
evaporated, for the older, the better it is, and so much the better it
will be, if you can keepe it fortie years. Let the sicke patient, who is
troubled eyther with the Goute, or the Palsie, but annoynt himselfe
often against the fire with this unguent, and, without doubt, he shall
be freed, especially if it be the Goute.”
Of serpents in general, I shall have little to say, except those few of
which the descriptions are the most _outré_. And first let us have out
the “Boas,” which cannot mean that enormous serpent the Boa-Constrictor,
which enfolds oxen, deer, &c., crushing their bones in its all-powerful
fold, and which sometimes reaches the length of thirty or
five-and-thirty feet--long enough, in all conscience, for a respectable
serpent. But Topsell begins his account of “The Boas” far more
magnificently:--
“It was well knowne among all the Romans, that when _Regulus_ was
Governour, or Generall, in the _Punick_ warres, there was a Serpent
(neere the river _Bagrade_) killed with slings and stones, even as a
Towne or little Cittie is over-come, which Serpent was an hundred and
twenty foote in length; whose skinne and cheeke bones, were reserved in
a Temple at _Rome_, untill the _Numantine_ warre.
“And this History is more easie to be beleeved, because of the Boas
Serpent bred in Italy at this day: for we read in _Solinus_, that when
_Claudius_ was Emperour, there was one of them slaine in the _Vatican_
at Rome, in whose belly was found an Infant swallowed whole, and not a
bone thereof broken....
[Illustration: The Boas]
“The Latines call it _Boa_, and _Bova_, because by sucking Cowe’s milke
it so encreaseth, that in the end it destroyeth all manner of herdes,
Cattell, and Regions.... The Italians doe usually call them, _Serpeda de
Aqua_, a Serpent of the water, and, therefore, all the Learned expound
the Greeke word _Hydra_, for a Boas. _Cardan_ saith, that there are of
this kind in the Kingdom of _Senega_, both without feet and wings, but
most properly, as they are now found in Italy, according to these
verses:
_Boa quidem serpens quem tellus Itala nutrit
Hunc bubulum plures lac enutrire docent._
Which may be englished thus:
_The Boas Serpent which Italy doth breede,
Men say, uppon the milke of Cowes doth feede._
“Their fashion is in seeking for their prey among the heardes, to
destroy nothing that giveth suck, so long as it will live, but they
reserve it alive untill the milk be dryed up, then afterwards they kill
and eate it, and so they deale with whole flocks and heards.”
[Illustration]
Whilst on the subject of Hydra, I give Topsell’s idea of the Lernean
Hydra, whose story is so familiar to us. (See p. 292.) But, after
presenting us with such a frightful ideal, he says:--“And some ignorant
men of late daies at _Venice_, did picture this Hydra with wonderfull
Art, and set it forth to the people to be seene, as though it had beene
a true carkase, with this inscription: In the yeare of Christe’s
incarnation, 550, about the Month of January, ‘this monstrous Serpent
was brought out of _Turky_ to _Venice_, and afterwards given to the
French King: It was esteemed to be worth 600 duckats. These monsters
signifie the mutation or change of worldly affaires,’ &c.” And, after
giving a long-winded inscription, _àpropos_ of nothing, he says:--“I
have also heard that in _Venice_ in the Duke’s treasury, among the rare
Monuments of that Citty, there is preserved a Serpent with seaven heads,
which, if it be true, it is the more probable that there is a Hydra, and
that the Poets were not altogether deceived, that say _Hercules_ killed
such an one.”
[Illustration]
Mr. Henry Lee, in his little book, “Sea Fables Explained,” says that the
Lernean Hydra was neither more nor less than a huge Octopus, and gives
an illustration of a marble tablet in the Vatican (also given in
“Smith’s Classical Dictionary”), which does not seem unlike one.
The Wingless Dragons belong to the serpent tribe, with the exception
that they are generally furnished with legs. These are “Wormes,” of
several of which we, in England, were the happy possessors. Of course,
in the northern parts of Europe, they survived (in story at all events)
much later than with us, and Olaus Magnus gives accounts of several
fights with them, notably that of Frotho and Fridlevus, two Champions,
against a serpent.
[Illustration]