"Cloaths they generally wear, are of the most "ufual colours, as flesh coloured, red, blue, and "the like: but whenever they see any black,

they fall in fuch a paffion, that they run with "Swords after thofe that wear that colour; one "Perfon only, I have known among many, "who was not displeased at the fight of black "Cloaths, but then he did not fkip about with "fo much vigour as the others. And now that "I have given you a general defcription of the "Tarantula, and the effects of its biting; give

me leave, Dear Friend, to enlarge a little, and "to relate two particular Cafes, that I, with fe"veral others, have actually feen in my own

Country, and its Neighbourhood. One John James Teforo, (whom I have seen dance about "fix times) happened one day to be in a Wood "where he had bufinefs, and I believe that he

was fenfible that the time of his fuffering for "the bite of a Tarantula drew near: For he "made towards his Habitation; but he dropped "down by the way, and was found stretched "out upon the bare ground, which being known "in the Country about us, many ran thither, " and I among the reft; and we found the poor "Countryman cppreffed with a difficulty of

breathing; and we farther obferved that his "face and hands began to turn black. But as we "all knew his Diftemper, a Gittar was brought,

"and

"and as foon as he heard it played on, he first began to move his Feet, then his Legs, and "afterwards he rofe on his Knees: From thence

a little after, he got up on his Legs and walk"ed: And lastly, in about the space of a quarter " of an hour after, he jumped fo that he raised "himself a matter of three spans high from "the ground: He fighed, but with fo much. "violence that it frightned those that stood by;

and in lefs than an hour the blackness went "off from his Hands, and his Face recovered "its native colour. In the Caftle of La Motta "of Montecorvino, I had an opportunity to fee "five Perfons, that had been bit by a Tarantula "dance at the fame time, and in the fame place: "Four of them were Ploughmen, and the other

a very pretty Country Girl: In this company "I observed fomething new, which was that each "of them had taken a strange Name, and the

proper Name of fome ancient King; and aSc mong them they thought they were related, "and fo treated each other with reciprocal Af"fection, and fuch Complements as caused ad"miration in the beholders. They performed

happily their usual course of dancing in three "days; on the last Evening of which, before "they parted, they heartily defired a band of "Soldiers; upon which they had ten Mufquet"teers granted them, which being divided into

"two Bands flood ready to give a Volley. Then

they asked afterwards for a Glafs of Water " and a little powdered Salt, which were both "foon brought to them. Their Chief, I mean "the imaginary King of Kings (whofe Name

was Peter Boccomazza) made a fign in the Cup "where the Salt and Water were, like that of

the Cross, and each of them took a little of the "faid water, and made figns to the Soldiers to "fire. Then making a most profound Bow to "the Company, they faid, We shall meet here again next year : year: These poor Creatures after "fo great a fatigue remembered nothing of what "had paffed, but only begged of fome of the "croud which surrounded them, for pity's fake "to lead them home.

"SIR,

"I am well pleased with the fatisfaction of having obeyed your orders, in giving you this "fhort account of Particulars as well as I could,

though perhaps not altogether as you desired; "If you will honour me with your Commands "in any thing else, you shall always find me ready to serve you, and to approve myself, Yours, &c.

The learned Maximilian Misson, advises those that are curious to be fully informed of this affair, to

confult

confult chiefly Mr. George Baglivi, Doctor of Phyfick, and Anatomy Profeffor, in the great College at Naples, who ingenuously owns, like a truly able Man, that he is not capable to penetrate into these Mysteries of Nature: Humi jacet, faith he. But to make us amends, he gives a very agreeable relation of all the wonderful particulars of this Phenomenon (which he has often observed, even in Apuglia, with a perfect exactnefs) in his Differtatio de Nomine, Natura, Morfu,& Effectibus Tarantulæ : He there confirms every thing that is related by Dr. Sangenito, in his Letter to Mr. Bulifon, and adds fome other Particulars to it; one of the most fingular whereof is, that these Infects kill and eat one another when they meet. When you come to Bedford, I can help you to a fight of Baglivi's Treatife, if you defire it. He infists farther, viz. page 361, That not only their Bites, but even the Liquors in which they are stifled, are capable to produce pernicious effects, as is manifeft from the experience of the Inhabitants of Apuglia. Nay, in chapter the first, that treats of this Infect, he avers, How thofe who are once bit by it, are never quite cured of the Venom; for it revives every year, and occafions a long feries of Evils, which would be very annoying to the Patients, if they did not take due care of their health by Dancing and Balls. They are a hairy Animal, with two little Horns

and are fo hoftile

hoftile one to another, that if you put ten of them in one Veffel, (adds he) they will kill one another, till only one furvives the reft; nay, if you shut but two up in any one Veffel, the one kills and eats the other foon, though they can live above a month without Food.

11. But let us diversify the subject. You know that fome of the Ancient Heathen Roman Princes were wont to burn their deceased Friends, and to preserve the facred Ashes in small Urns, which were carefully placed in Vaults under ground. Now in order to this, they were obliged to weave large Sheets out of the Stone called Amianthos, that is undoubtedly the Afbestos fo famous among Naturalifts. They put the Body into one of these Sheets, which will stand the Fire with very little hurt or diminution; and when it was thoroughly reduced to afhes, they then let the Sheet cool, and fo put the Ashes into Urns: (this ufage is obferved at this day by fome Families of Tartar Princes.) M. Miffon faw in Count Mofcardo's Cabinet at Verona in Italy, many Peices of Workmanship that had been framed out of this Stone, which though hard and weighty, is notwithstanding easily divided into Fibres or Threads, which are so strong and flexible, that they may be fpun like Cotton or Silk. Vide Vol. 1. pag. 196.

12. Several Gentlemen of known probity and credit, after having taken the tour of Holland, Germany