70 The Poets Beasts. 



universally, a synonym for twilight ferocity, so that the poets 

 are to some extent justified in their attitude of detestation. 

 In the cloud myth, the rough dark wolf is of course the 

 night, and the white morning sheep-clouds escape from 

 its clutches. But more especially it is the twilight, " the 

 grey one " — in Holy Writ it is always " the evening wolf," 

 or the "wolf of the evenings," — that wolf-gloom wherein 

 malign influences are abroad, entre chien et loup. 



Sir Isegrim in Reynard the Fox is the type of the rapacious 

 baron. The king, more distant from the people, may pass 

 for a lion, but the baron in his castle on the rock yonder, 

 domineering over the servile plain, is the wolf, a present 

 power for evil. So folk-lore and fables represent under this 

 symbol the sentiments of European serfs or " villeins " to- 

 wards their feudal oppressors. The hectoring style of 

 argument with lambs ; the use of forced labour from 

 asses ; evasion of contracts with cranes ; double-dealing 

 affabilities to old she-goats with kids ; insidious counselling 

 of dogs for disastrous combinations against their shep- 

 herds ; treachery towards neighbouring wolves — in these and 

 a score of other features the resemblance between wolf 

 and baron is traced in popular literature. 



Worked in with these symbolical sketches are touches 

 straight from the real wolf-life. Its surpassing cunning, its 

 more than ferine intelligence, " effrayant de sagacity et de 

 calcul," distinguish it as the Bandit of the Beasts, and like 

 all other communities of outlaws and criminals, the wolves 

 are singularly superstitious. Elsewhere I note how easily 

 they may be frightened, but I cannot help thinking that 

 there is in this trait a striking analogy to the suspicious, 

 superstitious timidity which characterises every gang of 

 human wolves ; and which, sooner or later, brings them to 

 the gallows or their deserts. But it is very interesting to 

 remark the poetical method of bringing the wolf within the 

 sweep of poetical opprobrium. 



