It was by these they tried the Chastity of their Wives, thus, viz. When a Child was born, and its Legitimacy questionable, they laid it in a great Vessel full of these cerastick Serpents, that immediately breathed Destruction; but when they came near the Child, their Rage soften’d, and they immediately fled from it; which proved the Legitimacy of the Child, that he was a true Psyllian, born in lawful Wedlock, because Serpents could not poison it, nor endure its Presence[[108]].
[108]. In dolium cerastarum plenum infantem conjicere, Ælian. lib. i. cap. 57. Gyllii Accessio, cap. 37. N. B. If the Child was begotten by a Stranger, ’twas killed by Poison; if lawfully begotten, the Privilege of his Father’s Blood protected him against the Venom.
However this romantic Account may appear, it may doubtless be philosophically accounted for by Effluviums emitted from their Bodies, that proved fatal to Serpents.
The English Annotator upon Lucan, who was Nephew to Seneca, observes much to the same purpose, when he says, These Psylli (a People inhabiting those parts of Africa called Marmarica, bordering on the Nile) are fortify’d by Nature with an incredible Privilege against the Strength of Poison, and sustain no Harm by the biting of Serpents.
The Serpents, says Pliny, are afraid of them, and when others are bitten by them, these Psyllians by sucking the Wounds, cure them.
The Marsians in Italy, ’tis said, are still in possession of this natural Power against Serpents, and are supposed to descend from the Son of Circe, the famous Enchantress.
The Trial of Childrens Legitimacy by Serpents, puts me in mind of Hereditary Right; whose Title was try’d by the Fatal-Stone, on which the Irish Monarchs used to be inaugurated on the Hill of Tarah; and which being inclosed in a Wooden-Chair, was made to emit a Sound under the rightful Candidate, when he sat in it; but was quite silent under one who had no Title, or not a good one; that is, one who was not for the Druidick Priest’s Turn.
“This Stone was sent to confirm the Irish Colony in Scotland, where it continued to be the Coronation-Chair till in the Year 1300, Edward I. of England brought it from Scoon, and placed it under the Coronation-Chair at Westminster[[109]]; and there it still remains, is used in the Coronation, the antientest respected Monument in the World[[110]]. The Vulgar call it Jacob’s Stone, as if this had been his Pillow at Bethel.”
Note, Antique Appearances often give birth to popular Superstitions.