208 Gleanings from the 



tongues. Trials of alleged were-wolves (loup- 

 garous) were as numerous in France, during the 

 fixteenth century, as were trials for witchcraft in 

 Scotland. There are many traces of the belief in 

 Ruffian folk-lore, and the wolf in the ftory of 

 " Little Red Riding Hood " was probably a were- 

 wolf. 1 



Before the age of Jupiter, wild beafts and ferpents 

 were innocuous, faid the Latin poet : 



" Ille malum virus ferpentibus addidit atris, 

 Praedarique lupos juflit." 



And in his picture of peftilence devaftating a 

 country, with much {kill he introduces the wolf: 



" Non lupus infidias explorat ovilia circum, 

 Nee gregibus nofturnus inambulat ; acrior ilium 

 Cura domat." 



A ftill more beautiful comparifon reprefents the 

 wolf as endowed with confcience, and, mindful of 

 his offences againft man, {linking off into the 

 wilds. 2 



" Velut ille, prius quam tela inimica fequantur, 

 Continuo in montes fefe avius abdidit altos, 

 Occifo paftore, lupus, magnove juvenco, 

 Confcius audacis fadli, caudamque remulcens 

 Subjecit pavitantem utero, filvafque petivit." 



And the horror of the portents attending Caefar's 

 death is intenfified by the howling of wolves : 



Et alts 

 Per noctem refonare lupis ululantibus urbes." 3 



1 See a good chapter on this curious fuperftition in Kelly's 

 " Curiofities of Indo-European Tradition and Folk-lore ;" 

 cap. ix. (1863). 



2 "Georg.," iii. 537 ; i. 130 ; " ^En.," xi. 809. 

 5 " Georg.," i. 486. 



