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[Vipers and the Brisan Tra

"THE balsam tree is nearly of the same size as a sprig of myrde ze te vra w like those of the herb re-arran Vipers take up their residente om twee plants, and are in some places me une rous than in others; for the jee of the balsam tree is their sweetest vi at an are delighted with the shade prout y its leaves. When the time todore arm for gathering the juice of the tree the bre bians come into the sacro gue and them holding two twigs. By say they put to flight the vipere; for they are unwilling to kill them, because they ensider them as the sacred inhabitants of balsam; and if it happens that y wounded by a viper, the wond roemadina that which is made by iron, bas aut e tended with any dangerous T.WW2 for these animals being fed wina de of the balsam tree, wika a tie are v riferous of all trees their pin changed from a caly quality nu se which prodassa aun da'w

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[Human Faggots.]

"IN Guadaloupe.-Entering into their inner lodgings, they found faggottes of the bones of mens armes and legges, which they reserve to make heades for their arrowes, because they lack iron."-P. MARTYR.

[Death of Timanthes.]

"THE statue of the Cleonæan Timanthes, who contended with men in the Pancratium, and was victorious, was made by the Athenian Myron. They report that Timanthes died in the following manner: after he had

withdrawn himself from athletic exercises,
on account of his age, he used every day to
of making
bend a large bow, for the purpose
trial of his strength. Happening, however,
to take a journey, he omitted this exercise
during his absence from home, and on his
return attempted to bend his bow as usual,
but finding that his strength failed him, he
raised a funeral pile and threw himself into
the fire."-PAUSANIAS.

[Story of Euthymus.]

"THE Country of Euthymus was Locris in Italy, near the promontory Zephyrium, and his father was called Astycles; though the natives of this place affirm that he was born of the river Cecinas, which bounding Locris and Rhegium, affords a wonderful circumstance with respect to grasshoppers, for the grasshoppers within Locris, as far as to the river Cæcinas, sing like other grasshoppers, but in the parts beyond this river they do not sing at all.

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Euthymus was crowned in boxing. His statue was the work of Pythagoras, and is worthy of inspection in the most eminent degree. Euthymus, after this, passing over into Italy, fought with a hero, of whom the following particulars are related. They say that Ulysses, during his wanderings after the destruction of Troy, among other cities of Italy and Sicily, which he was driven to

by the winds, came at length to Temessa
with his ships. Here one of his associates
having ravished a virgin, in consequence of
being heated with wine, he was stoned to
death by the inhabitants for the action.
But Ulysses, who considered his death as
of no consequence, immediately set sail and
left the place. The dæmon, however, of
the murdered man did not at any time
cease from cutting off the inhabitants of
Temessa of every age, till the Pythian deity
ordered them to propitiate the slain hero,
to consecrate a temple to him, and devote
to him every year the most beautiful virgin
in Temessa. When all this was performed
agreeable to the mandate of the god, they
were no longer afflicted through the wrath
of the dæmon. But Euthymus, who hap-
pened to arrive at Temessa at the time in
which they sacrificed after the usual manner
to the dæmon, having learned the particu-
lars of this affair, requested that he might
be admitted within the temple and behold
the virgin. His request being granted, as
soon as he saw her he was at first moved
with pity for her condition, but afterwards
fell in love with her. In consequence of
this, the virgin swore that she would cohabit
with him if he could rescue her from the
impending death: and Euthymus, arming
himself, fought with the dæmon, conquered
him, and drove him out of the country; and
afterwards the hero vanished and merged
They farther report,
himself in the sea.
that in consequence of the city being freed
through Euthymus from this grievous cala-
mity, his nuptials were celebrated in a very
I have likewise heard
splendid manner.
still farther concerning this Euthymus, that
he lived to extreme old age, and that having
avoided death, he departed after some other
manner from an association with mankind.
Indeed, I have even heard it asserted, by a
seafaring merchant, that Euthymus is alive
at present at Temessa, and such are the
reports which I have heard: but I also re-
member to have seen a picture, which was
painted very accurately after an ancient
original. In this picture there were the

youth Sybaris, the river Calabrus, the fountain Calyca, and the cities Hera and Temessa. The dæmon too was represented in this picture, who was vanquished by Euthymus. His colour was vehemently black, and his whole form was terrible in the extreme. He was clothed with the skin of a wolf, and the name Lybas was given to him in the inscription on the picture."-Ibid.

[Descent of Amphiaraus.]

"As you go from Potniæ to Thebes, you will see on the right hand of the road an inclosure, not very large, and in it certain pillars. They are of opinion that the earth opened in this place to Amphiaraus; and they say that birds will not sit on these pillars, nor grass grow, nor any tame or savage animal feed in this place."—Ibid.

[Vipers and the Balsam Tree.] "THE balsam tree is nearly of the same size as a sprig of myrtle, and its leaves are like those of the herb sweet - marjoram. Vipers take up their residence about these plants, and are in some places more numerous than in others; for the juice of the balsam tree is their sweetest food, and they are delighted with the shade produced by its leaves. When the time therefore arrives

for gathering the juice of this tree, the Arabians come into the sacred grove, each of them holding two twigs. By shaking these they put to flight the vipers; for they are unwilling to kill them, because they consider them as the sacred inhabitants of the balsam; and if it happens that any one is wounded by a viper, the wound resembles that which is made by iron, but is not attended with any dangerous consequences; for these animals being fed with the juice of the balsam tree, which is the most odoriferous of all trees, their poison becomes changed from a deadly quality into one which produces a milder effect."-Ibid.

So also "the inhabitants of Helicon say that none of the herbs or roots which are produced in this mountain are destructive to mankind. They add, that the pastures here even debilitate the venom of serpents; so that those who are frequently bit by serpents in this part escape the danger with greater ease than if they were of the nation of the Psylli,1 or had discovered an antidote against poison."-Ibid.

"THE nature of the pastures contributes in no small degree to the strength of the venom in serpents. For I once heard a Phoenician say that in the mountainous parts of Phoenicia the roots that grow there render the vipers more fierce. The same person, too, farther added, that he saw a viper pursue a man, who fled to a tree for shelter, and that the viper blew its venom against the tree to which the man had escaped, and by this means caused his death." -Ibid.

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[Nightingales of Orpheus' Tomb.] "THE Thracians say that the nightingales which build their nests about the sepulchre of Orpheus sing sweeter and louder than other nightingales.”—Ibid.

[Eurynomus.]

“EURYNOMUS, according to the Delphic interpreters of sacred concerns, is one of the dæmons belonging to Hades, and who eats the flesh of dead bodies, so as to leave the bones quite bare. His colour, as he appears in the picture at Delphos, is between azure and black, and like that of

'An African people, serpent charmers, like their descendants. HEROD. iv. 173. PLINY speaks to the fact, lib. vii. c. 2, xxviii. c. 3, and LUCAN's lines are well known :

"Gens unica terras Incolit à sævo serpintum innoxia morsu Marmarida Psylli."-Phurs. ix. 891.

J. W. W.

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[The Sycamore of Egypt.]

"THE sycamore which in Arabic is called Giomez, is of the height of a beech, and bears its fruit in a manner quite different from other trees. It has them on the trunk itself, which shoots out little sprigs in form of grape stalks, at the end of which grow the fruits close to one another, almost like bunches of grapes. The tree is always green, and bears fruit several times in the year, without observing any certain seasons; for I have seen some sycamores that have given fruit two months after others. The fruit has the figure and smell of real figs, but is inferiour to them in the taste, having a disgustful sweetness. Its colour is a yellow, inclining to an oker, shadowed by a flesh colour. In the inside it resembles the common figs, excepting that it has a blackish colouring, with yellow spots. This sort of tree is pretty common in Egypt. The people, for the greater part, live upon its fruit, and think themselves well regaled when they have a piece of bread, a couple of sycamore figs, and a pitcher filled with water from the Nile."Norden.

[Locusts.]

"THE locusts are remarkable for the hieroglyphic that they bear upon the forehead. Their colour is green throughout the whole body, excepting a little yellow rim that surrounds their head, and which is lost at the eyes. This insect has two upper wings, pretty solid. They are green, like the rest of the body, except that there is in each a little white spot. The locust

The reader should refer to the magnificent passage in Thalaba

"For these mysterious lines were legible— When the sun shall be darkened at noon, Son of Hodeirah depart."

Third Book, 34. Poems, p. 242.-J. W. W.

keeps them extended like great sails of a ship going before the wind. It has besides two other wings underneath the former, and which resemble a light transparent stuff, pretty much like a cobweb, and which it makes use of in the manner of smack sails, that are along a vessel. But when the locust reposes herself, she does like a vessel that lies at anchor; for she keeps the second sails furled under the others." -Ibid.

[The Dareïra.]

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"THE Indian magi, who are to invoke Yo He Wah, and mediate with the supreme holy fire that he may give seasonable rains, have a transparent stone of supposed great power in assisting to bring down the rain, when it is put in a basin of water; by a reputed divine virtue, impressed on one of the like sort, in time of old, which communicates it circularly. This stone would suffer a great decay, they assert, were it even seen by their own laity; but if by

foreigners, it would be utterly despoiled of its divine communicative power."—Ibid.

[The Charake Prophet's Carbuncle.] "A CHARAKE prophet who lived in Tymahse had a carbuncle near as big as an egg, which they said he found where a great rattlesnake lay dead; and that it sparkled with such surprizing lustre, as to illuminate his dark winter house, like strong flashes of continued lightning, to the great terror of the weak, who durst not upon any account approach the dreadful fire-darting place,

for fear of sudden death. When he died it was buried with him according to custom."-Ibid.

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[War Pole of the North American Indians.]

"THEIR law compels the widow, through the long term of her weeds, to refrain all public company and diversions, at the penalty of an adultress, and likewise to go with flowing hair, without the privilege of oil to anoint it. The nearest kinsmen of the deceased husband keep a very watchful eye over her conduct in this respect. The place

of interment is also calculated to wake the widow's grief, for he is intombed in the house under her bed; and if he was a war leader, she is obliged for the first moon to sit in the day time under his mourning warpole, which is decked with all his martial

trophies, and must be heard to cry with bewailing notes.1 But none of them are fond of that month's supposed religious duty; it chills, or sweats, and wastes them so exceedingly; for they are allowed no shade or shelter.

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"The war-pole is a small peeled tree painted red, the top and boughs cut off short. It is fixt in the ground opposite to his door, and all his implements of war are hung on the short boughs of it till they rot." | —Ibid.

[The Spirits of their Dead.]

"THOUGH they imagine the report of guns will send off the ghosts of their kindred that died at home to their quiet place, yet they firmly believe that the spirits of those who are killed by the enemy, without equal revenge of blood, find no rest; and at night haunt the houses of the tribe to which they belonged; but when that kindred duty of retaliation is justly executed, they immediately get case, and power to fly away."-Ibid.

[The White Circle.]

"THE Indians use the same ceremonies to the bones of their dead as if they were covered with their former skin, flesh, and ligaments. It is but a few days since I saw some return with the bones of nine of

their people, who had been two months before killed by the enemy. They were tied in white deer-skins2 separately; and, when carried by the door of one of the houses of their family, they were laid down opposite to it till the female relations convened with

flowing hair, and wept over them about

half an hour. Then they carried them home to their friendly magazines of mortality, wept over them again, and then buried

them with the usual solemnities. The chieftain carried twelve short sticks tied together, in the form of a quadrangle, so that each square consisted of three. The sticks were only peeled, without any painting; but there were swan feathers tied to each corner. They called that frame the

2 "Soon the mountaineers
Saw the white deer-skin shroud," &c.
Madec in Wales.-The Peace Poems, p. 333.
J. W. W.

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