THE SCORPION.

THERE seems to be no doubt that the Hebrew word okrab, means a scorpion. The figure of this insect is submitted to in spection above ;* but the history of it should be known, in order to understand justly the force of passages where it is mentioned. The reader will observe particularly its articulated tail, at the end of which is its sting; and its pincers, or claws, in front, like those of a lobster. "In the tropical climates it is a foot in length. No animal in the creation seems endued with such an irrascible nature. When taken, they exert their utmost rage against the glass which contains them: will attempt to sting a stick, when put near them; will sting animals confined with them, without provocation; are the cruelest enemies to each other. Maupertius put 100 together in the same glass; instantly they vented their rage in mutual destruction, universal carnage! in a few days only 14 remained, which had killed and devoured all the others. It is even asserted, that when in extremity or dispair, the scorpion will destroy itself. It is said to be a common experiment in Gibraltar, [and Goldsmith says he had been assured of such a fact, by many eye witnesses,] to take a scorpion newly caught, and surrounding him with burning charcoal, when he perceives the impossibility of escaping, he stings himself on the back of the head, and instantly expires." Surely Moses very properly mentions scorpions among the dangers of the wilderness? Deut. viii. 15. And what shall we think of the hazardous situation of Ezekiel, who is said to dwell among scorpions? chap. ii. 6. people as irrascible as this venomous insect. Could a fitter contrast be selected by our Lord, “will a father give a scorpion to his child instead of an egg?" Luke xi. 12.

But the passage most descriptive of the scorpion is Rev. ix. 3. 4. 5. 10. which mentions, locusts, having power as scorpions ; not to kill men, but to torment them, during five months, with the torment of a scorpion, when he strikes a man: they had tails like scorpions, and stings in their tails. Contrary to the nature of locusts, they were not to destroy vegetation, but to infest men.

These particulars deserve our notice: 1st, These scorpions have the power of flying. The ancients certainly ranged an insect of some kind, as a flying scorpion. Lucian says, in the Dipsades, "There are two kinds of scorpions, one residing on the ground, large, having claws, and many articulations at the tail: the other flies in the air, and has inferior wings, like locusts,

* There was in the original, from which this was extracted, a plate of the scorpion, to which this remark alludes.

beetles, and bats." Strabo, lib. xvi. reports "that in Mauritania, are found many flying scorpions; others without wings." Scheuzer mentions other testimonies. It is probable, therefore, that the ancients called that a "flying scorpion," which the moderns know under another name. 2dly, They did not kill men, but only torment them. It is not every scorpion whose sting is fatal. In Europe they are seldom deadly, though always dangerous. "In some of the towns in Italy, and in the south of France, it is one of the greatest pests that torments mankind, yet its malignancy in Europe is trifling, compared to its powers in Africa and the East." Maupertius caused a dog to be stung; it died: another dog did not die, though more severely stung, in appearance; and it seems to be generally true, that the stings of the old ones are the most dangerous, and during the heat of summer which agrees with, 3dly, The five months of the apocalypse that this was known to the ancients we have the evidence of Tertullian, who says, "The ordinary time of danger is during the heats; the winds of south and southwest, excite its fury:" and Macrobius says, sat. lib. i. cap. 21. "The scorpion slumbers during winter; but when winter is over, its sting resumes its vigour, of which winter had not deprived it. 4thly, As to the torment of a scorpion when he strikes a man, Diocorides thus describes it, lib. vii. cap. 7. "When the scorpion has stung, the place becomes inflamed, and hardened; it reddens by tention, and is painful by intervals, being now chilly, now burning. The pain soon rises high, and rages, sometimes more, sometimes less. A sweating succeeds, attended by a shivering, and trembling; the extremities of the body become cold, the groin swells; the bowels expel their wind, the hair stands on end; the members become pale, and the skin feels throughout it the sensation of a perpetual picking as if by needles:" such are the torments of a scorpion when he strikes a man! 5thly, As to the formation of the tail, and the sting at its point, the reader is referred to the figure. It remains only to be observed, that the ancients had remarked this particularity. So Julian, Epig. on the heavenly signs,

Libra subit, caudaque animal quod dirigit ictum

So speaks Hilasius :

Libraque lance pari, et violentus acumine caudae.

And to these we may add Eusthenius,

Momemtumque sequens, caudaque timendas adunca.

Upon the whole, we observe, that however metaphorical is the description of this depredator, by the apocalyptic writer, yet

that the foundation of his description may readily be discovered in nature.

A MONSTROUS TOAD.

An account of a monstrous Toad found in the woods of Italy. By CHRISTIAN MENTZELIUS, a Physician of the Electorate of Bradenburgh.

[From the Ephemerides of the Curious.]

THE description which M. Charles Offredus has given of a serpent of an enormous bigness, observed lately on the coast of Italy, made me (says the author of this article) remember a toad of a prodigious size, which I had also seen, when I was making the tour of that country.

After having seen Rome, Naples, and the other principal cities of Italy, I returned through Venice, and had left Aquapendente, a town situate upon an eminence, where I remembered I had eaten heartily, and with pleasure, of those cheeses made of goat's milk which have the taste and smell of rosemary. I passed down the mountain afoot to go to an inn that lies out of the town. M. Buschius, the companion of my journey, was a good way before me; for I stopt short, amongst some shrubs and thickets that lay to the left of the high road, to examine the plants of that part of the country. I had not penetrated far when I heard something rustling in the thicket on which I had my eyes fixed. I looked down and saw at my feet an enormous toad, and so prodigious, that without exaggeration it was a foot and a half broad. This toad was so near me that it touched my left foot. Seized with horror, I quickly drew back my foot, and had only strength to runaway as fast as I could. Being now at a pretty good distance, and a little recovered from my fright, I stopped a while, and was curious to return to the place where I had just seen this horrible beast. Having perceived it still in the same spot. anger succeeded fear : I laid down my cloak, and ran towards it sword in hand. Uncertain, however, what weapon I should use to attack it, and judging a distant would be more prudent than a close engagement, I laid hold of a large stone, which I could scarce lift in both hands, and with my naked sword under my arm, I presented myself before the animal, whose eyes were sparkling and mouth gaping; and it shewed no fear at the sight of danger, but on the contrary, it reared itself up on its large chest. Having raised the stone as high as my strength would permit, I measured so well its fall that, on throwing it down, it covered the toad entirely, and

seemed to have crushed it to death. Horrible beast! said I, thou shalt never more affright any one; and hear shall be thy grave, said I again, heaping upon it a number of other smaller stones. I had a great desire to inspect more nearly the animal and dissect it, but had not courage to touch even the stones under which I had buried it; and was looking at them attentively when I perceived the smallest begin to move; soon after they all came tumbling out of the form they were in, and the beast, rising overthrew the whole heap. Then plainly seeing the monstrous toad without the least wound, I will contend no more said I, with the devil; and snatching up my cloak, I passed out of the thicket and went on my way till I came to the inn, where I immediately called for a glass of wine; but no sooner had drank it than I felt some feverish symptoms, which turned into a tertian ague, and continued upon me for eight days.

Persons of the first rank and very worthy of credit, have assured me that in a neighbouring country, whose name I shall not mention, but which lies to the east of Germany, there was formerly a prison (and which still, perhaps, subsists to this day) wherein toads were kept that infected the air of the place to the degree of soon destroying those who were shut up in it, and whose bodies were afterwards entirely devoured by these animals. The fate of those wretches must be very terrible, as suffering, even in this life, the torments of hell!

OF APPARITIONS.

Of apparitions in dreams, and how they are or are not real apparitions, with several curious relations.

THERE may be dreams without apparitions, as there may be apparitions without dreams; but apparition in dream may be as really an apparition as if the person who saw it was awake: The difference may be here, that the apparition in a dream is visible to the soul only, for the soul never sleeps; and an apparition to the eye-sight is visible in common perspective.

How is it then that we see in our dreams the very faces and dress of the person we dream of; nay, hear their voices, and receive due impressions from what they say, and oftentimes speak to them with our own voices articulately and audibly, although we are fast asleep. What secret power of the imagination is able to represent the image of any person to itself, if there was not some appearance, something placed in the soul's view, by a secret but invisible hand, and in an imperceptible manner? which something is, in all respects, and to all purposes, as completely an apparition, as if it was placed in open sight when the