THE EIGTH BOOKE OF
THE HISTORIE OF NATVRE,
WRITTEN BY C. PLINIVS
SECVNDVS.
Of Wolves.
IT is commonly thought likewise in Italie, that the eye-sight of wolves is hurtfull; in so much, as if they see a man before he espie them, they cause him to loose his voice for the time. They that be bred in Affricke and Ægypt, are but little, and withall nothing lively but without spirit. In the colder clime, they be more eger and cruel. That men may be transformed into wolves, and restored againe to their former shapes, we must confidently beleeve to be a lowd lie, or else give credit to all those tales which wee have for so many ages found to be meere fabulous untruths. But how this opinion grew first, and is come to be so firmely setled, that when wee would give men the most opprobrious words of defiance that we can, wee tearme them †††Versipelles, I thinke it not much amisse in a word to shew. Euanthes (a writer among the Greekes, of good account and authoritie) reporteth, that hee found among the records of the Arcadians, That in Arcadia there was a certain house and race of the Antæi, out of which one evermore must of necessitie be transformed into a wolfe: and when they of that familie have cast lots who it shall be, they use to accompanie the partie upon whome the lot is falne, to a certaine meere or poole in that countrey: when he is thither come, they turne him naked out of all his clothes, which they hang upon an oke thereby; then he swimmeth over the said lake to the other side, and being entred into the wildrenesse, is presently transfigured and turned into a wolfe, and so keepeth companie with his like of that kind for nine yeeres space: during which time, (if he forbeare all the while to eat mans flesh) he returneth againe to the same poole or pond, and being swomme over it, receiveth his former shape againe of a man, save onely that hee shall looke nine yeeres elder than before. Fabius addeth one thing more and saith, That he findeth againe the same apparell that was hung up in the oke aforesaid. A wonder it is to see, to what passe these Greekes are come in their credulitie: there is not so shamelesse a lye, but it findeth one or other of them to uphold and maintaine it. And therefore Agriopas, who wrote the Olympionicæ, telleth a tale of one Dæmœnetus Parrhasius, That he upon a time at a certain solemne sacrifice (which the Arcadians celebrated in the honour of Iupiter Lycæus) tasted of the inwards of a child that was killed for a sacrifice, according to the manner of the Arcadians (which even then was to shed mans blood in their divine service) and so was turned into a wolfe: and the same man ten yeeres after, became a man againe, was present at the exercise of publicke games, wrestled, did his devoir, and went away with victorie home againe from Olympia. Over and besides, it is commonly thought and verily beleeved, that in the taile of this beast, there is a little string or haire that is effectuall to procure love, and that when he is taken at any time, hee casteth it away from him, for that it is of no force and vertue unlesse it be taken from him whiles he is alive. He goeth to rut in the whole yeere not above twelve daies. When he is very hungrie and can get no other prey, he feedeth upon the earth. In the case of presages and fore-tokens of things to come, this is observed, That if men see a wolfe abroad, cut his way and turne to their right hand, it is good; but if his mouth be full when he doth so, there is not a better signe nor more luckie in the world again. There be of this kind that are called Hart-wolves, such as wee said that Pompey shewed in the grand Cirque, brought out of Fraunce. This beast (they say) be he never so hungry when hee is eating, if he chaunce to looke backe, forgetteth his meat, slinketh away, and seeketh for some other prey.