Heliodorus III. speaks of the wavy motion of the gods, not by opening their feet, but with a certain aerial force; it was call’d incessus. Non ambulamus, sed incedimus, says Seneca.
Ast ego, quæ divûm incedo regina, Jovisque
Et soror & conjunx—— Virg. Æn. 1.
Et vera incessu patuit dea.
So the prophet Ezekiel describes the motion of the alate globes under the cherubims’ feet; as it ought to be understood, Ezek. i. 12. Sanchoniathon the Phœnician in Euseb. p. e. I. 7. writes, that the nature of serpents is divine. “’Tis the most spiritual animal of all and fiery; that it performs all its various motions by its spirit, without other organs;” and much more of this kind, to our purpose. Jerem. xlvi. 22. The shout and the march of an army is compar’d to the motion of a serpent.
Thirdly, from the form, pass we to the mind of the serpent, if we may be allowed so to talk. The wisdom of this creature is celebrated from the time of creation itself. Moses writes, it was more subtle than any other creature, Genes. iii. 1. Our Saviour recommends to the ministry, to imitate the prudence of serpents, as well as the innocence of doves: he makes it the symbol of Christian prudence. The psalmist compares the slyness of the wicked to the serpent, which refuses to be charmed. Aristotle writes, that this animal is very crafty; but if we inquire into authors, concerning this wisdom of the creature, nothing occurs satisfactory: in truth ’tis figurative and symbolical; meaning the charm of rhetorick and oratory, taken from the divided tongue of this creature, and more especially regarding the preachers of evangelical truths: διγλωσσία among the antients was prudence. Our Saviour in the forecited place of the apocalypse, is represented with a two-edged sword in his mouth, meaning the efficacy of preaching. The people affirmed, “never man spake like this man;” and he sent the divine spirit of eloquence and languages upon his apostles, in the likeness of cloven tongues of fire.
Servius on the second Æneid, speaking of the tongue of Laocoon’s serpent,
Sibila lambebant linguis vibrantibus ora,
tells us, no creature moves its tongue with so much swiftness; so that it seems triple.