[14]. L. Le Comte’s Memoirs, p. 504.
[15]. Johnstonus, p. 16.
Whether the Serpent hates Man more than other Creatures, is with me a question; be that as it will, it is wonderful to think, that notwithstanding Man’s and other Creatures invincible Hatred of Serpents, yet hitherto they have been able to support themselves in a State of War against all the World.
Even among Vegetables are found Enemies to Serpents; as the Dittany of Virginia, or the wild Penny-royal; the Leaves of which, says my Author, being bruised, we tied in the Cleft of a long Stick, and held them to the Nose of the Rattle-Snake, who by turning and wriggling, laboured hard to avoid it, and in half an hour’s time was kill’d by it: This was done July 1657, at which Season those Creatures are computed to be in the greatest Vigour of their Poison; it is also remarkable, that in those Places where the wild Penny-royal grows, no Rattle-Snakes are observed to come[[16]].
[16]. Philos. Transact. abridg’d by Lowthorp, p. 811.
SECTION IV.
That Dust was not the original Food of the Serpent, seems evident from the Sentence passed upon the Paradisaic Serpent, but the necessary Consequence of the Change made in the manner of its Motion, i. e. the prone Posture of its Body, by which it’s doomed to live upon Food intermix’d with Earth, dried to a Powder; Dust shalt thou eat, is one part of the Curse. It’s true, Serpents eat Flesh, Birds, Frogs, Fish, Fruits, Grass, but as they continually creep on the Earth, ’tis impossible but their Food must be often defiled with Dirt; some of them may eat Earth out of Necessity, or at least Earth-Worms, which they cannot swallow without some Dirt with them. No Animal but has its proper Food; even the most minute Insects; those that seemingly feed upon Dust, in reality feed only upon some nutritive Particles therein. Insects have been seen through a Microscope to eat some Particles of Dust, and reject many others, having accurate Organs of Sight, Smelling, and Feeling, as well accommodated to Dust, as the Organs of Ducks and Hogs are to find their Food in Dirt.
And here it may be observed, that what the Serpent does through a Necessity from the Divine Sentence, the earthly Man does from his own Will; the Serpent only by the Will of another, Man eats it from his own Inclination to it; the Serpent would have better Food if it could, Man might have better and will not: This shews that Man has a mind to be Companion with the Serpent, and to carry on the Acquaintance, that was begun in Paradise; the Serpent licks the Dust materially, the earthly Person licks it morally; the one has its Tongue upon it, the other has his Heart. The earthly Man is only a Man in shape, but a Serpent in Practice: What is the Punishment of the Serpent, is made the Happiness of the earthly Mind.
Some Serpents are carnivorous, and feed on Flesh; others are verminivorous, and feed on Reptiles: Their Sustenance is various, suited to their several Constitutions, and Nature of the Climates, where they inhabit. Vipers and Adders feed on Herbs, Weeds, Dews, as well as upon Lizards, Mice, Frogs.—When they take Food into their Mouths, they raise up their Bodies a little, that they may swallow their Prey with less difficulty. They swallow those little Animals whole without chewing. In a Viper dissected by a certain Gentleman, he found three large Mice, intire, without any Change of their Form by hard Compressure. Scorpions live chiefly upon Locusts, and other winged Insects. In Arabia, ’tis said, they feed upon Balsam-Juices, and seem to delight much in the Shadow of that Tree[[17]].