56 



liuudred wolves heads, in order to effect their destruction. If that be 

 true it is only reasonable to suppose that considerable numbers would 

 be destroyed by the adoption of that expedient ; but it is strange that 

 some authors, copying from one another, and without giving them- 

 selves the trouble of searching into authorities, have stated, that the 

 extermination of wolves in England and Wales was caused by it. 

 Nothing can be further from the truth, as will be presently shewn. 

 Hume, in his "History of England," indeed, even goes far beyond 

 other writers, in his unqualified assertions on that subject, without any 

 proof; and shews, as is too often the case in his work, his ignorance of 

 the authorities relative to it ; and he has not adduced, for the satisfac- 

 tion of his readers, and, in fact, he seems to have been unable to adduce 

 any authority for making the following assertion, viz., " Another 

 remarkable incident in this [Edgar's] reign was the extirpation of 

 wolves from England. This advantage was attained by the indus- 

 trious policy of Edgar. He took great pains in hunting and pursuing 

 those ravenous animals, and when he found that all that escaped him 

 had taken shelter in the mountains and forests of Wales, he changed 

 the tribute of money imposed on the Welsh princes by Athelstan, his 

 predecessor, into an annual tribute of three hundred heads of wolves ; 

 which produced such diligence in hunting them, that the animal has 

 been no more seen in this island."- It is surprising that Mr. Hume 

 should have ventured to make an assertion so easily refuted ; and it is 

 remarkable that his " History of England" should find a place in so 

 many libraries, when it is now admitted, that its author is frequently in- 

 correct as a historian, and that the statements in it, wlien he omits, as he 

 frequently does, to quote authorities, cannot be relied on. That work 

 has never been regularly reviewed, which ought even yet to be done. 

 Lord Brougham in his " Lives of Men of Letters and Science, who 

 flourished in the time of George III." very properly exposes the faults 

 and incorrectness of Mr. Hume's " History of England," tlius : " There 

 is continual proof, that he took what he found set down in former works, 

 without weighing the relative value of conflicting authorities, and gene- 

 rally resorted to the most accessible sources of information. There 

 have been instances without number adduced of his inaccuracy, in citing 

 even the authorities to which he confined his researches." =■= ■■'■ ■■'■ 

 " Nor can we acquit him on another charge, not rarely brought 

 against him, and partaking of the two former — neglect or carelessness 

 about the trutli, and infidelity in relating it."" 



The Abbey of Fors, in Wensleydale, in Yorkshire, was founded in 



^ Hume's " History of England," vol. 1, p. 136, fiuarto eoition. 



- Biougliani's "Lives of Men of Letters and Science of the time of George IIL," p. 216. 



