Chapter VI: Section V

As Serpents differ in Kind, so in Size; the Length to which some of them grow is most surprizing. A certain Number is sent out with little Bodies; others are of monstrous Bulk, and capable of making the strongest Efforts against all the Attempts made to destroy them; yea, are strong enough to contend with _Elephants_, the greatest of Animals, and conquer them. _e. gr._

_ATTILIUS REGULUS_, the _Roman_ General in _Africa_, is said to encounter a Serpent in that Country, of vast Strength and Stature, near the River _Bagrada_, 120 Feet long, which he and his Army could not subdue, without discharging all their Engines of War against it; and, when conquered and flea’d, its Skin was conveyed to _Rome_ in Triumph[19]. This is the more credible, says _Pliny_, because, in _Italy_, we see other Serpents, called _Boæ_, so large that in the Reign of _Claudius_, there was one of them killed in the _Vatican_, within whose Belly was found an Infant whole[20].

Footnote 19:

_Prœlium grands & acre eumque magna totius exercitus conflictatione,
balistis atque catapultis diu oppugnatum—Ejusque interfecti longum
corium pedes 120. Aul. Gellii Noct. Att._ _Liber_ VI. _Cap._ iii.

Footnote 20:

_Nat. Hist._ B. VIII. _Cap._ xiv.

Among the _Andes_ in _America_, are Serpents of prodigious Magnitude, from 25 to 30 Foot long[21]. In the Province of _Caria_, are Serpents ten Yards long, and Ten Hands broad, and their Eyes as large as two small Loaves. In _Brasil_, are found Serpents 30 Foot long. In _Gresham-College, London_, is a Snake preserved in Spirits, that is near two Yards long.

Footnote 21:

_De Le Vega._

In _Norway_, we read of two Serpents of very large Proportion: One of two hundred Foot long, and lives in Rocks and desolate Mountains, near the Sea, about _Bergen_; which in Summer-Nights ranges about in quest of Plunder, devouring Lambs, Calves, Swine, and other Animals, that fall in its way. In a calm Sea, it ransacks the Superficies of the Water, and devours the _Polypus_ (_i. e._ a little Fish of many Feet) and all sorts of Sea-Crabs.——Upon the Approach of a Ship, this Serpent lifts up its Head above Water, and snatches at the Mariners. My Author adds, that it rolls itself round about the Ship, the more effectually to secure its Prey[22]. The Representation of this you have in _C. Gesner._

Footnote 22:

_Olaus Magn._ B. xxi. c. 27. p. 23. _Gesner ex Scalig._

The other Serpent is in the Diocess of _Hammer_, about fifty Cubits long, by Conjecture. In _Bothnia_, on the _Livonian_ Sea, we read of monstrous Serpents, with which the Shepherds of that Country were in constant War. Wonderful Things are reported of the large Serpents that infest the _Helvetian Mountains_. From the Instances above, ’tis evident that the Northern Climates breed Serpents as well as the South; but with this Difference, that they are not so venomous as those in _Africa_, tho’ _Olaus Magnus_, Archbishop of _Upsal_, seems to except the Shrew-Serpent. _Ibid._

There are _Marine_, as well as _Land-Dragons_, of uncommon Bigness: Some in _Ethiopia_ of 30 Paces long, and in _Phrygia_ ten Paces long.——_N. B._ A geometrical Pace is five Foot; but if it be the lesser Pace only, _viz._ the Measure of two Foot and a half, it must be a monstrous Animal[23].——In the Reign of _Philadelphus_, two _Live-Dragons_ were brought from _Ethiopia_ to _Alexandria_, one 13, the other 14 Cubits long. In the Reign of King _Euergetes_, they took three Dragons, one seven Cubits, the other nine Cubits long. The third was carefully nursed in the Temple of _Esculapius_, and no Creature so highly reverenced[24].

Footnote 23:

_Gesner_, p. 44.

Footnote 24:

_Ælian_, l. 16. c. 39. p. 957.

On the _Pellonæon Hill_ in _Chius_, was a _Dragon_ whose hideous Noise filled the Vicinity with Horror and Dread; so terrible, that none durst approach so near as to take its Dimensions. It happened, the Wilderness wherein it lived, took fire in a Storm; and being involved in the Smoke and fire, it perished, and, upon viewing its Bones, ’twas concluded to be of a monstrous Bulk. _Ibid._

The _Ethiopian Dragons_ just mentioned, have no proper Name, and are only known by a Periphrasis, _viz._ _Killers of Elephants_. The Method is, by winding themselves about the _Elephants_ Legs, and then thrusting their Heads up their Nostrils, sting them, and suck their Blood till they are dead.

_ALEXANDER_, in his Tour thro’ the _Red-Sea_, says, he saw Serpents of incredible Magnitude, some about 30 Cubits long[25].

Footnote 25:

_Ælian_, lib. 17. cap. 1.

We read of monstrous Dragons, particularly two Draconic Monsters mentioned by _Alexander_’s Ambassadors, seen by them in their Return from the Kingdom of _Abisaris_, one of 80 Cubits long, the other 140[26].

Footnote 26:

_Strabo_, de situ orbis, lib. 15. βιασαρου χωρα _Bisari_, alias
_Abisari Regio_.

In places adjacent to _Batavia_, a _Dutch_ Settlement in the _East-Indies_, we read of Serpents 50 Feet long; and the Skin of one, which was 20 Feet long, that swallowed an _Infant_, is shewn in _Batavia_, the _Metropolis_ of the _Dutch_ Empire in the _East-Indies_. In _America_ also are Serpents of prodigious Bulk, from 25, to 30 Feet long[27]; but this Subject will be further considered in the _Second Part_ of this Book.

Footnote 27:

Atlas American.

On the other hand, there are Serpents, as remarkably little as the _Amphisbæna_, _Gallic_ Viper, and some of the Lizards, that are not above four or six Inches long. Most of these Minutillos vary in outward Form.

And here, I can’t but observe that as the Magnitude of some other Animals is very wonderful, so, on the contrary, the Minuteness of some is equally astonishing, if not more so: There are some very _little Insects_ that are conspicuous to the Eye, but more that are _invisible_ without the Help of a _Microscope_, which is an optical Instrument, that magnifies Objects, and makes them bigger than really they are; it helps to discover minute Particles, of which Bodies are composed, and the curious Contexture of them.

To those who are not used to a rigid mathematic Proof, this may be illustrated by the Smallness of many organized Bodies. There is a Plant called _Harts-Tongue_, ten thousand Seeds of which hardly make the Bulk of a Pepper-Corn. Now the Cover of the true Body of each Seed, the parenchymous and ligneous Parts of both; the Fibres of those Parts, the Principles of those Fibres, and the homogeneous Particles or Atoms of each Principle, being moderately multiplied one by another, afford a hundred thousand Millions of formed Atoms in the space of a Pepper-Corn, says the learned Dr. _Grew_[28].

Footnote 28:

_Cosmologia Sacra_, B. i. chap. 3.

The same is yet more evident from the Stupendous Smallness of some Animals, especially in the Sperm of smaller Insects; which have been observed by Mr. _Leeuwenhoek_, to be some Millions of times smaller than a grain Sand. This learned Gentleman has observed more of them in the Spawn of a Cod-fish, than there are People living on the Face of all the Earth at once[29].

Footnote 29:

_Numerum animalculorum ex unius asselli majoris lactibus
provenientium, plus decies superare homines in universo terrarum orbe
viventes._—_Epistola ad Dom. N. Grew_, p. 1.

_N. B._ It is the infinite Number of these little invisible
Animals that makes stagnating Waters or Pools appear of so many
different Colours, as green, reddish, brown,—according to the
several Natures of these little Animals that live therein.

Thus, among Men, we find big and little; _Giants_ and _Pygmies_: Whether that Disproportion be from meer natural Causes, or by Designation of Providence, I determine not. It is very questionable whether there be a particular Nation of _Pygmies_; but no doubt is made about the Existence of _Dwarfs_ in many Places as well as Giants. _Julia_, the Niece of _Augustus_, had a Dwarf called _Canopas_, that was about two feet in height. _Philippa French_, born at _Milcomb_ in _Staffordshire_, aged about 36, being then married, wanted something of three Feet in height[30].

Footnote 30:

Dr. _Plot_’s Natural History.—_Oxford_ 16.

On the other hand, we are not without Instances of Men, that were of a _gigantick Stature_, after, as well as before the Deluge, as _Goliah_ and the Sons of _Anak_.

In the Days of _Claudius_ the Emperor, _Pliny_ tells us, that one called _Gabara_, brought out of _Arabia_, was nine Feet and nine Inches high: He tells us also, of two others in the days of _Augustus Cæsar_, _Iducio_ and _Secundilla_, that were half a Foot taller than _Gabara_[31]. _Maximinus_ the Emperor, was eight Foot and a half in height. But to come near home:

Footnote 31:

_Nat. Hist._ B. vii. cap. 16.

_WILLIAM EVANS_ born in _Monmouthshire_, and Porter to King _Charles_ I. was two Yards and a half high. _Walter Parsons_, Porter to King _James_ I. was about the same height. “Some say, _William Evans_ exceeded _Walter Parsons_ two Inches in height, but was far beneath him in proportion of Body. Tho’ he halted a little, and going out squalling with his Feet, yet made a shift to dance in an _Antimasque_ at Court, where he drew _Little Jeffrey_, the _Dwarf_, out of his _Pocket_, first to the Wonder, then to the Laughter of the Spectators[32].”

Footnote 32:

Fuller’_s Worthies of_ Engl. Monmouthshire, _p._ 54.

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