M4 CURIOUS CREATURES. 



came forth in the form of a Wolf. The dogs ran after 

 him through the fields to the wood, and they bit out one 

 of his eyes, though he defended himself stoutly enough. 

 The next day he came with one eye to his Lady. Lastly, 

 as is yet fresh in memory, how the Duke of Prussia, 

 giving small credit to such a Witchcraft, compelled one 

 who was cunning in this Sorcery, whom he held in 

 chains, to change himself into a Wolf; and he did so. 

 Yet that he might not go unpunished for this Idolatry, 

 he afterwards caused him to be burnt. For such hein- 

 ous offences are severely punished both by Divine and 

 Humane Laws." 



Zahn, on the authority of Trithemius, who wrote in 

 1335, says that men having the spine elongated after the 

 manner of a tail were Were-wolves. Topsell takes a 

 more sensible view of the matter : " There is a certaine 

 territorie in Ireland (whereof M. Cambdcn writeth) that 

 the inhabitants which live till they be past fifty yeare 

 old, are foolishly reported to be turned into wolves, the 

 true cause whereof he conjectureth to be, because for 

 the most part they are vexed with the disease called 

 Lycanthropia, which is a kind of melancholy, causing the 

 persons so affected, about the moneth of February, to 

 forsake their owne dwelling or houses, and to run out 

 into the woodes, or neare the graves and sepulchers of 

 men, howling and barking like Dogs and Wolves. The 

 true signes of this disease are thus described by Marcellus : 

 those, saith he, which are thus affected, have their faces 

 pale, their eies dry and hollow, looking drousily and 

 cannot weep. Their tongue as if it were al scab'd, 

 being very rough, neither can they spit, and they are 

 very thirsty, having many ulcers breaking out of their 

 bodies, especially on their legges ; this disease some cal 



