We find Galen agreeing with this main point, and speaking thus word for word: And an ancient story also revealed to me that a certain ruler of uncomely form, wishing to beget a beautiful 108 child, had another comely child painted on a wide wooden board, and told his wife, while embracing her, to look at that figure in the painting. And she, gazing intently, and, so to speak, applying her whole mind to it, brought forth the child resembling in appearance not the father, but the one who was painted.” But if you also wish to learn about the nature of certain snakes, Nicander will teach you before others. For immediately in his epics he also relates these things about vipers. The female viper, receiving the head of the male through her mouth and thus coupling, kills him. In revenge for the father, therefore, as it seems, the offspring kill their mother; for at the time of birth, they burst through their mother’s womb and thus come out. For this reason also the forerunner of the Lord called the Jews a brood of vipers, since they had killed their prophets and fathers. But if this is the case concerning snakes, how should we understand the Gospel saying that says, “be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves”?” The snake, therefore, is indeed wicked and most evil, but it also possesses certain qualities which we are commanded to look at and to imitate, since the bee, too, alighting on a deadly plant, selects from it what is useful, but leaves there what is worst. Pay attention, then. The snake, when being struck, exposes its entire 109 body, but hides its head, since it knows its life is contained in it. So also should we do in time of persecution, giving up all things, but guarding the head, which is Christ and our faith. A snake, having grown old for the most part and suffering from dimness of sight, first practices self-control and remains fasting, then enters through some narrow passage and, wondrously shedding all its skin, becomes young again. So too should we who have grown old in sin walk through the narrow and afflicted way, and thus being renewed, return again to our original state. A snake, once thirsty and about to touch water in a well, first vomits out its venom, and then approaches the spring. So too we, when about to approach the divine cup, in order to heal the sin that inflames us, ought first to cast off all wickedness, and so approach the mysteries. Well, therefore, in these matters did the Lord say, “be wise as serpents.” And so much for these things. But know, beloved, that there are different and various kinds of snakes. For some of them kill more quickly, others more slowly, and some bring destruction by their bite, but others in another way. For instance, the snake called the basilisk, 110 of which the wise Galen also makes mention in his discourse to Piso on antidotes, kills those who have seen it by sight alone. Hence, scripture says that the evil eye surpasses that of such a snake; for just as from this beast a certain deadly stream is brought forth, able to destroy instantly, so also from the very eyes of the evil one. And the wondrous thing is that sometimes they bring destruction even to their own family and acquaintances. And there is nothing new in this; for they do what they are by nature, not what they wish. And do not marvel on account of this; for if, as Plutarch says, Eutelidas bewitched himself, seeing his own reflection in water and being struck by its beauty, much more will the evil eye bring destruction upon others, sending forth, as it were, a poisoned dart to those seen by it. And these things experience and time have shown from of old; for the eyes both act and are acted upon, sometimes sending, sometimes receiving, as can be seen in the case of lovers. But the great Basil, in his explanation of the inscription of the thirty-third psalm,

Γαληνὸν εὑρίσκομεν τῷ κεφαλαίῳ τῷδε συνομολογοῦντα, καὶ οὕτω κατὰ ῥῆμα λέγοντα ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ λόγος τις ἀρχαῖος ἐμήνυσεν ὅτι τῶν ἀμόρφων τις δυναστῶν εὔμορφον γεννῆσαι θέλων 108 παιδίον ἐποίησε γράψαι ἐν πλατεῖ ξύλῳ εὐειδὲς ἄλλο παιδίον, καὶ ἔλεγε τῇ γυναικὶ αὑτοῦ συμπλεκόμενος πρὸς ἐκεῖνον τὸν τύπον τῆς γραφῆς ὁρᾶν. ἡ δὲ ἀτενὲς βλέπουσα, καὶ ὡς ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὅλον τὸν νοῦν ἐκεῖσε προσεπιφέρουσα, οὐχὶ τῷ γεννήσαντι ἀλλὰ τῷ γεγραμμένῳ ὅμοιον ἀπέτεκε τὸ παιδίον κατὰ τὴν ὄψιν.» Εἰ δὲ καὶ περὶ φύσεως ὄφεων βούλει μαθεῖν τινων, ὁ Νίκανδρος πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων διδάξει σε. αὐτίκα γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ τάδε περὶ τῶν ἐχιδνῶν ἱστορεῖ. ἡ θήλεια ἔχις διὰ τοῦ στόματος αὑτῆς δεχομένη τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ ἄρρενος καὶ οὕτω συνευναζομένη ἀναιρεῖ αὐτόν. εἰς ἐκδίκησιν οὖν, ὡς ἔοικε, τοῦ πατρὸς ἀναιροῦσι τὴν μητέρα τὰ ἔγγονα· ἐν γὰρ τῷ τοῦ τοκετοῦ καιρῷ τὴν μητρῴαν διαρρήσσουσι νηδὺν καὶ οὕτως ἐξέρχονται. κατὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ τοῦ κυρίου πρόδρομος γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐκάλει, ἅτε δὴ τοὺς προφήτας καὶ πατέρας· αὐτῶν ἀποκτείναντας. εἰ δὲ περὶ τοὺς ὄφεις οὕτως ἔχει, πῶς νοητέον τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν ῥητὸν τὸ λέγον γίνεσθε φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις, καὶ ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί;» πονηρὸς μὲν οὖν ὁ ὄφις καὶ κάκιστος ἀληθῶς, ἀλλὰ καί τινα κέκτηται εἰς ἃ βλέπειν ἐγκελευόμεθα καὶ ταῦτα μιμεῖσθαι, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ μέλιττα θανατηφόρῳ ἐφιζάνουσα, ὃ μὲν χρήσιμον ἐκεῖθεν ἐκλέγεται, ὃ δὲ χείριστον ἐκεῖσε ἀφίησι. πρόσεχε οὖν. ὁ ὄφις τυπτόμενος τὸ μὲν ἅπαν 109 αὑτοῦ σῶμα προδίδωσι, τὴν δὲ κεφαλὴν αὑτοῦ κρύπτει, ἐπειδὴ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ζωὴν εἰδὼς ἑαυτῷ περιέχεσθαι. οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν καιρῷ διωγμοῦ ὀφείλομεν ποιεῖν, πάντα μὲν προϊέναι, τὴν κεφαλὴν δὲ φυλάσσειν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν. ὄφις γηράσας ὡς τὰ πολλὰ καὶ ἀμβλυωπίαν νοσήσας πρῶτον μὲν ἐγκρατεύεται καὶ νῆστις διαμένει, εἶθ' οὕτως διὰ στενωποῦ τινὸς καταδυόμενος καὶ δέρμα παραδόξως ἅπαν ἀπεκδυόμενος νέος αὖθις γίνεται. οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ καταγηράσαντες διὰ τῆς στενῆς καὶ τεθλιμμένης ὁδοῦ βαδίζειν, καὶ οὕτως ἀνανεούμενοι εἰς τὴν ἀρχαίαν πάλιν ἀποκατάστασιν ἔρχεσθαι. ὄφις διψήσας ποτὲ καὶ ἐν φρέατι μέλλων ὕδατος ἅψασθαι πρῶτα μὲν ἐξεμεῖ τὸν ἰόν, εἶθ' οὕτως τῇ πηγῇ προσέρχεται. οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς τῷ θείῳ μέλλοντες προσελθεῖν ποτηρίῳ, ἅτε δὴ τὴν ἐκκαίουσαν ἡμᾶς ἁμαρτίαν ἰάσασθαι, πᾶσαν κακίαν πρότερον ἀπορρίπτειν ὀφείλομεν, καὶ οὕτω τοῖς μυστηρίοις προσέρχεσθαι. καλῶς οὖν ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ κύριος ἔλεγε γίνεσθε φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις.» καὶ περὶ μὲν τούτων οὕτως. Γίνωσκε δέ, ἀγαπητέ, ὅτι διάφορά εἰσι καὶ ποικίλα γένη τῶν ὄφεων. οἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν θᾶττον ἀναιροῦσιν οἱ δὲ βραδύ, καὶ ἄλλοι μὲν δήγμασι τὸν ὄλεθρον φέρουσιν ἕτεροι δὲ καθ' ἕτερον τρόπον. αὐτίκα ὁ ὄφις καλούμενος βασιλί110 σκος, οὗ καὶ ὁ σοφὸς μέμνηται Γαληνὸς περὶ θηριακῆς πρὸς Πίσωνα τὸν λόγον ποιούμενος, καὶ ἀπὸ μόνης ὄψεως ἀναιρεῖ τοὺς ἑωρακότας αὐτόν. ἔνθεν τοι τὸν βάσκανον ὀφθαλμὸν τοῦ τοιούτου ὄφεως διενηνοχέναι φησὶν ἡ γραφή· καθάπερ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦδε τοῦ θηρὸς ὀλέθριόν τι ῥεῦμα ἐκφέρεται παραχρῆμα διαφθείρειν δυνάμενον, οὕτω καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν τοῦ βασκάνου ὀφθαλμῶν. καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστόν, ὅτι καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐνίοτε τοῖς οἰκείοις καὶ συνήθεσι τὸν ὄλεθρον φέρουσι. καὶ καινὸν ἐπὶ τούτοις οὐδέν· ὃ γὰρ πεφύκασιν, οὐχ ὃ βούλονται ποιοῦσι. καὶ μὴ θαύμαζε τούτου ἕνεκεν· εἰ γὰρ ἑαυτῷ, καθά φησι Πλούταρχος, ὁ Εὐτελίδας ἐβάσκηνε τὴν ὄψιν αὑτοῦ κατιδὼν ἐν ὕδατι καὶ τῆς ὥρας ἐκπλαγείς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἑτέροις ἐπάξει τὸν ὄλεθρον ὁ βάσκανος ὀφθαλμός, βέλος ὥσπερ ἰῶδες τοῖς ὁρωμένοις τούτῳ ἐνιείς. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἡ πεῖρα καὶ ὁ χρόνος ἀνέκαθεν ἔδειξεν· οἱ γὰρ ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ δρῶσι καὶ πάσχουσι, ποτὲ μὲν πέμποντες ποτὲ δὲ δεχόμενοι, ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν ἐρωμένων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. ὁ δὲ μέγας Βασίλειος ἐν οἷς ἐπεξηγεῖται τὴν τοῦ τριακοστοῦ τρίτου ψαλμοῦ ἐπιγραφήν,