146 Gleanings from the 



Homer celebrates Scamandrius as an early 

 hunter, " for Artemis herfelf taught him to hurl 

 his darts at all the wild monfters which the wood on 

 the mountains nourifhes." So Virgil's Laufus was 

 "equum domitor debellatorque ferarum." 1 Many 

 beautiful hunting-pictures may be found in Homer, 

 and from no fubject fo frequently as the chafe, 

 are the fimiles in the " Iliad " drawn. Lion and 

 wild-boar hunting are fpecially dear to Homer. 

 Here is a fpecimen : "As when among dogs and 

 hunters a wild boar or lion turns hither and 

 thither, rejoicing in his ftrength, and they, having 

 drawn themfelves up tower-wife, ftand oppofite it 

 and hurl from their hands many javelins, but its 

 ftout heart never quails or dreads, and its own 

 nobility proves its death." 2 The dogs were taught 

 to feize thefe animals from behind, and " trufted 

 in their fwift feet." The hunters cheered on their 

 hounds. Here is another picture which reminds 

 us of Snyders's hunting-pieces: "As when hounds 

 and impetuous youths purfue a wild boar, and he 

 breaks covert from the thick brufhwood, fharpen- 

 ing his gleaming tufk with crooked jaws ; around 

 him they prefs, but low down comes the gnaming 

 of his tufks, and they await his charge, dreadful 

 though he be, fo," etc. Again: "But they, as 

 when dogs and ruftics have chafed a flag with 

 large antlers, or a boar, and it fteep rock and 

 thick coverts have fheltered, nor is it fated for 

 them to light upon it, but at their fhouting a lion 



1 - Iliad," v. 51. 



2 Ibid., xii. 41 ; viii. 338 ; xi. 293 ; xi. 414 ; xv. 271. 



