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.