death, either by means of their sting, or, in the case of the
larger kinds of serpent, by twisting round it, and suffocating it
in their folds.]

[Footnote 7: _Some breathed upon._--Ver. 49. It was a prevalent
notion among the ancients, that some serpents had the power of
killing their prey by their poisonous breath. Though some modern
commentators on this passage may be found to affirm the same thing,
it is extremely doubtful if such is the fact. The notion was,
perhaps, founded on the power which certain serpents have of
fascinating their prey by the agency of the eye, and thus
depriving it of the means of escape.]

[Footnote 8: _A huge stone._--Ver. 59. 'Molaris' here means a
stone as large as a mill-stone, and not a mill-stone itself, for
we must remember that this was an uninhabited country, and
consequently a stranger to the industry of man.]

[Footnote 9: _His infernal mouth._--Ver. 76. 'Stygio' means
'pestilential as the exhalations of the marshes of Styx.']

[Footnote 10: _Form of a dragon._--Ver. 98. This came to pass
when, having been expelled from his dominions by Zethus and
Amphion, he retired to Illyria, and was there transformed into a
serpent, a fate which was shared by his wife Hermione.]

[Footnote 11: _With painted cones._--Ver. 108. The 'conus' was the
conical part of the helmet into which the crest of variegated
feathers was inserted.]

[Footnote 12: _When the curtains._--Ver. 111. The 'Siparium' was a
piece of tapestry stretched on a frame, and, rising before the
stage, answered the same purpose as the curtain or drop-scene with
us, in concealing the stage till the actors appeared. Instead of
drawing up this curtain to discover the stage and actors,
according to our present practice, it was depressed when the play
began, and fell beneath the level of the stage; whence 'aulaea
premuntur,' 'the curtain is dropped,' meant that the play had
commenced. When the performance was finished, this was raised
again gradually from the foot of the stage; therefore 'aulaea
tolluntur,' 'the curtain is raised,' would mean that the play had
finished. From the present passage we learn, that in drawing it up
from the stage, the curtain was gradually displayed, the unfolding
taking place, perhaps, below the boards, so that the heads of the
figures rose first