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bow, or that tips the wings of beauteous fowls, and flowers of earth, so ranged and mingled, that it seemed a creature fit to be gazed upon even by angels. Into this serpent, in a moment Satan transfused himself, being a spirit, and took his seat in the brain; by which he soon gave tone to the organs of the creature, so that speech rolled as fluently from his fiery tongue, as from the lips of Eve herself. But according to this author, the incomparable Milton, the serpent was not then as now, prone on the ground, winding its way over the earth like a contemptible worm, dragging its snakey folds far behind; but was formed in a coil, a tower of rising folds, like a cable to some stately ship, which the sailor bends in a ring, on the ample deck of a man of war, while its head, with eyes of carbuncle or diamond, towered aloft, viewing all things far and wide, privileged in this respect also, as in the gift of cunning, above all the other beasts. Its motion, in this form, was rapid as the whirlwind, moving round and round, on its own base, with a quivering velocity, and seemed a rushing flame, while its head on high, kept its course, with eyes so bright and sparkling, that stars seemed to leap forth on the air, as the creature in its swiftness, rushed over the plains.

Such was the animal, and such the original manner of its motions, till God, by the curse, "on thy belly shalt thou go," (creep) straightened it on the ground, according to Milton. By which we certainly think the creature was the gainer, as its present mode of moving is far better adapted to pass over rough ground, water or marshy places and mountainous districts, than in its upright or pyramidal form. (See the plate.)

We have said a few pages since, that the tradition of all na tions, favors the belief that the animal was a snake, which Satan made use of to deceive the first woman, and this we now proceed to show. But whether it should be allowed to prove any thing, as to its real identity, must be left to the reader after all. On this curious subject, under the head serpent, see Watson's Theological Dictionary, 1832, as follows:-"In Egypt and other oriental countries a serpent was the common symbol of a powerful monarch; it was embroidered on the robes of princes, and blazoned on their diadems, to signify their power and invincible might, and that as the wound inflicted by the basilisk is incurable, so the fatal effects of the displeasure of kings were neither to be avoided nor endured. The basilisk is of a redish color, and its head is adorned with a crown in the form of a cone of a bright yellow; it is not entirely prostrate, like other serpents, but runs with its head and half its body erect, the hinder part sweeping the ground as it moves. On these accounts, its crown and half erect position, the symbol of this serpent was preferred to all creatures, as a token of regal power. This fact is attested by the Arabian name of this serpent, which is melecha, from the Hebrew verb malach, to reign; and was therefore considered the king

of serpents. In agreement with which, it is said that all other serpents acknowledge the superiority of the basilisk, by flying its presence, and hiding from its sight. This serpent is supposed to live longer than any other. The ancient heathen have therefore pronounced it immortal, and placed it among the number of their gods. This species of serpent, it appears, is still found in the mountains of India, growing to a great size, covered with scales, resplendant with burnished gold, having a kind of beard hanging from their lower jaw, which renders their aspect exceedingly frightful, while they have a cry, shrill and fearful," a circumstance attending no other serpent in being, as the voice of the serpent species, except this, is but a hiss. "The trait which distinguishes this dreadful serpent as belonging to the basilisk family, is its crown of bright yellow," growing on its head in the manner of the dung hill cock, "with a protuberance projecting out beside it as red as a burning coal." (See the plate.)

There are other serpents of India which are very dreadful, among which are the great li-boa and anaconda, the real dragons of the ancients. "To these serpents rites were devised, temples built to their honor, and priests appointed to conduct the ceremonies of their worship. These miserable idolators, appeared before the altars of their serpent deities in gorgeous vestments, their heads arrayed with real serpents, or with the figures of serpents, embroidered on their tiaras, while with frantic exclainations they cried out, Eva! Eva! which exclamation is thought by some to have been in evident allusion, to the triumph, the old serpent, the devil, obtained over our first mother Eve. In consequence of this, some do not doubt, but the snake was indeed, the very instrument of Satan; and in pursuance of this idea they suppose the evil spirit was permitted to insult our fallen race, by exalting the serpent, his chosen instrument in accomplishing our ruin, to the first place among the deities of the heathen world, and to be reverenced by the most sober and solemn acts of worship. The figures of serpents adorned the portals of the proudest temples of the east: the serpent was a very common symbol of the sun, and is represented biting its own tail with its body formed in a circle, in order to indicate the ordinary course of this luminary, and under this form, it was an emblem of both time and eternity. A serpent was the symbol of medicine, and of the gods which presided over it, as of Apollo and Esculapius. In most of the ancient rites is found some allusion to the serpent under the titles of Ob, Ops, Python, &c. In the orgies of Bacchus, says Bryant, the persons who partook of the ceremonies, used to carry serpents in their hands, and with horrid screams call out Eva, Eva; being according to the author just named, the same as Epha, or Opha, which the Greeks rendered Ophis, denoting a serpent; but having no allusion to Eve as supposed by some.

These ceremonies, and this serpent worship, began among the

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