I think ’tis pretty obvious, that those extraordinary Impressions made by _Pagan Sophists_ upon the Minds of their Audience by the Charms of Rhetorick, past for a _divine Afflatus_ or _Inspiration_; and therefore in such Cases, we shall find this _Formula_ (_Aliquis nescio quis Deus_) frequently used by Enthusiastical _Orators_, as well as their _Poets_: Thus _Cicero_, speaks of himself, that he was mov’d by a certain _Impetus_ or Ardour[130]: _Apollonius Tyanæus_, who was looked upon by the Christians as a notorious Magician, being ask’d by the Governor of _Rome_ under _Nero_, what was his Profession? he answer’d, θειασμος, an Enthusiast, _q. d._ Fanatic, Conjurer. Footnote 130: _Nulla ingenti, sed magna vis animi inflamantis ut me ipse non teneam._ ’Tis true, that wonderful Things have been done by Words, but how _verbal Charms_ operated upon _Serpents_, wants Explication: Of some Inchanters ’tis said, that by vocal and instrumental Sounds, they have charm’d Rats, Mice and Serpents, some into a stupid State, and others into a flexible submissive State. A remarkable Instance in _Rats_ we have in the publick Records of _Hamelen_, (an antient City on the River _Weser_ in _Germany_, about 28 Miles S. E. of _Hanover_) where the following strange Account is register’d, _viz._ That in _June 26. 1284_, a certain Stranger undertook to destroy an Army of Rats with which the Town had been long pester’d, on promise of such a Reward; and immediately playing on his _Pipe_ and _Tabret_, the _Rats_ march’d out, and follow’d the Musick to the River, where they were all drown’d: But being denied the Reward, he threaten’d Revenge; and next day he went about with the same Musick, and most Children in the Town follow’d the Piper to the Mouth of a great Cave on a neighbouring Hill call’d _Koppelberg_, where he and they entered, and were never heard of after. In remembrance of this _sad Catastrophe_, the Citizens for many Years after, dated all their publick Writings _from the Day they lost their Children_, as appears by their old Deeds and Records: They still call the _Street_ thro’ which the Children went out, _Tabret-street_; and at the Mouth of the Cave there is a Monument of Stone, with a _Latin_ Inscription, giving the Particulars of this tragical Story. As to the other Instance, _viz._ Serpents charm’d into a ductile manageable State, ’tis thus accounted for; _viz._ Serpents, they say, are strangely influenced by the Smell of those Emanations, proceeding from the _Cornus_, or Dog-tree (why not the _Cornelian-Cherry_, antiently dedicated to _Apollo_?) and that by a Wand or Rod taken from it, they are thrown into an obsequious Temper—