1certain Herbs, which the Soldiers eating for
want of Bread, grew beſotted, and employed
themſelves in nothing but digging Stones out
of the Ground, till their Choler being ſtirred
they fell down dead; nor was any Remedy
found againſt this Plague, as we are informed
by Plutarch, but drinking of Wine; theſe
Things are commonly known. But good
Heavens! what ſhall we ſay to what has hap
pened in our own Days in Apulia in Italy;
what incredible Effects of Poiſon have we ſeen
there! the Bite of a ſmall Earth Spider, com
monly called a Tarantula, throwing Men into
various Kinds of Madneſs, and even Fury; a
Thing ſtrange to be told. No Swelling, no
livid Spot appearing in any Part of the Body
from the ſharp Bite or Sting of the venomous
Beaſt; but ſuddenly loſing their Senſes, they
fall piteouſly to bewail themſelves, and if no
Aſſiſtance is given them they die. They cure
this Diſtemper with Theophraſtus's Remedy,
who ſays, that Perſons bit by Vipers uſed to
be cured by the Sound of Pipes. The Muſi
cians therefore with different Kinds of Har
mony try to aſſwage the Pain, and when they
hit upon the Kind proper to the Patient, im
mediately, as if he were ſuddenly awakened,
he ſtarts up, and tranſported with Joy, falls to
beſtirring himſelf to the Muſick with all his
Strength, in whatever his Fancy prompts him
to. Some that are thus bit, you ſhall ſee ex
erciſe themſelves in Dancing, others in Singing,
and others ſtirring in other Motions, juſt as
their Inclination or Madneſs guides them, till
through mere Wearineſs they are forced to
give over. And thus without giving them
ſelves the leaſt Reſt, they will ſweat themſelves
for ſome Days, and ſo recover their Health
merely by their Madneſs having quite ſpent it
ſelf. We read too of ſomething like this that
happened among the Albanians, who ſought
againſt Pompey with ſuch a Power of Horſe;
that there was a Sort of Cobweb among them,
which whoever touched ſurely died, ſome
Laughing, and others on the contrary Weeping.
want of Bread, grew beſotted, and employed
themſelves in nothing but digging Stones out
of the Ground, till their Choler being ſtirred
they fell down dead; nor was any Remedy
found againſt this Plague, as we are informed
by Plutarch, but drinking of Wine; theſe
Things are commonly known. But good
Heavens! what ſhall we ſay to what has hap
pened in our own Days in Apulia in Italy;
what incredible Effects of Poiſon have we ſeen
there! the Bite of a ſmall Earth Spider, com
monly called a Tarantula, throwing Men into
various Kinds of Madneſs, and even Fury; a
Thing ſtrange to be told. No Swelling, no
livid Spot appearing in any Part of the Body
from the ſharp Bite or Sting of the venomous
Beaſt; but ſuddenly loſing their Senſes, they
fall piteouſly to bewail themſelves, and if no
Aſſiſtance is given them they die. They cure
this Diſtemper with Theophraſtus's Remedy,
who ſays, that Perſons bit by Vipers uſed to
be cured by the Sound of Pipes. The Muſi
cians therefore with different Kinds of Har
mony try to aſſwage the Pain, and when they
hit upon the Kind proper to the Patient, im
mediately, as if he were ſuddenly awakened,
he ſtarts up, and tranſported with Joy, falls to
beſtirring himſelf to the Muſick with all his
Strength, in whatever his Fancy prompts him
to. Some that are thus bit, you ſhall ſee ex
erciſe themſelves in Dancing, others in Singing,
and others ſtirring in other Motions, juſt as
their Inclination or Madneſs guides them, till
through mere Wearineſs they are forced to
give over. And thus without giving them
ſelves the leaſt Reſt, they will ſweat themſelves
for ſome Days, and ſo recover their Health
merely by their Madneſs having quite ſpent it
ſelf. We read too of ſomething like this that
happened among the Albanians, who ſought
againſt Pompey with ſuch a Power of Horſe;
that there was a Sort of Cobweb among them,
which whoever touched ſurely died, ſome
Laughing, and others on the contrary Weeping.
CHAP. V.
By what Marks and Characters we are to know the Goodneſs of the Region.
Nor are thoſe Things alone ſufficient for
the chuſing of the Region, which are
obvious and manifeſt of themſelves; but we
muſt weigh every Circumſtance, and conſider
the moſt occult Tokens. Thus it will be a
good Sign of an excelient Air and of good Wa
ter, if the Country produces Plenty of good
Fruits, if it foſters a good Number of Men of
a good old Age, if it abounds with luſty hand
ſome Youth, if the People are fruitful, and if
the Births are natural and never monſtrous. I
have myſelf ſeen ſome Cities, which out of Re
ſpect to the Times I forbear to name, where
there is ſcarce a Woman, but what ſees herſelf
at the ſame Inſtant, the Mother both of a Man
and of a Monſter. Another City I know in
Italy, where there are ſo many People Hump
backed, Squint-eyed, Crooked and Lame, that
there is ſcarce a Family, but what has Some
body in it defective or diſtorted. And cer
tainly, where we ſee ſuch frequent and great
Inequalities of Pody to Body, and Member to
Member; we may well conclude, that it pro
ceeds from ſome Defect in the Climate or Air,
or from ſome more hidden Cauſe of the Cor
ruption of Nature. Nor is it foreign to our
Purpoſe what has been obſerved, that in a groſs
Air we are more inclined to Hunger, and in a
thin One to Thirſt: and we may not impro
bably draw ſome Conjectures from the Shape
and Looks of other Animals, what Conſtituti
ons the Men will have in the ſame Place; for
if the Cattle look lively, fat and large, you
may not unreaſonably hope to have Children
that will be ſo too. Neither will it be amiſs to
gather Notice of the Air and Winds, even
from other Bodies not endued with animal
Life; thus if the Walls of the neighbouring
Buildings are grown ruſty and rugged, it ſhews
that ſome malignant Influence has Power
there. The Trees too bending all one Way,
as if by general Conſent, ſhew that they have
ſuffered the Force of high rough Winds; and
the very Stones, whether growing in their na
tive Seats, or placed in Buildings, if their Tops
are any thing conſiderably rotted, ſhew the
Intemperature of the Air, ſometimes too hot
and ſometimes over cold. A Region ſo ex
poſed to the furious Aſſaults of Tempeſts is to
be avoided, as the very worſt of all; for if the
Bodies of Men are ſeized with too exceſſive
Cold or Heat, the whole Frame and Contex
the chuſing of the Region, which are
obvious and manifeſt of themſelves; but we
muſt weigh every Circumſtance, and conſider
the moſt occult Tokens. Thus it will be a
good Sign of an excelient Air and of good Wa
ter, if the Country produces Plenty of good
Fruits, if it foſters a good Number of Men of
a good old Age, if it abounds with luſty hand
ſome Youth, if the People are fruitful, and if
the Births are natural and never monſtrous. I
have myſelf ſeen ſome Cities, which out of Re
ſpect to the Times I forbear to name, where
there is ſcarce a Woman, but what ſees herſelf
at the ſame Inſtant, the Mother both of a Man
and of a Monſter. Another City I know in
Italy, where there are ſo many People Hump
backed, Squint-eyed, Crooked and Lame, that
there is ſcarce a Family, but what has Some
body in it defective or diſtorted. And cer
tainly, where we ſee ſuch frequent and great
Inequalities of Pody to Body, and Member to
Member; we may well conclude, that it pro
ceeds from ſome Defect in the Climate or Air,
or from ſome more hidden Cauſe of the Cor
ruption of Nature. Nor is it foreign to our
Purpoſe what has been obſerved, that in a groſs
Air we are more inclined to Hunger, and in a
thin One to Thirſt: and we may not impro
bably draw ſome Conjectures from the Shape
and Looks of other Animals, what Conſtituti
ons the Men will have in the ſame Place; for
if the Cattle look lively, fat and large, you
may not unreaſonably hope to have Children
that will be ſo too. Neither will it be amiſs to
gather Notice of the Air and Winds, even
from other Bodies not endued with animal
Life; thus if the Walls of the neighbouring
Buildings are grown ruſty and rugged, it ſhews
that ſome malignant Influence has Power
there. The Trees too bending all one Way,
as if by general Conſent, ſhew that they have
ſuffered the Force of high rough Winds; and
the very Stones, whether growing in their na
tive Seats, or placed in Buildings, if their Tops
are any thing conſiderably rotted, ſhew the
Intemperature of the Air, ſometimes too hot
and ſometimes over cold. A Region ſo ex
poſed to the furious Aſſaults of Tempeſts is to
be avoided, as the very worſt of all; for if the
Bodies of Men are ſeized with too exceſſive
Cold or Heat, the whole Frame and Contex
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