Natural Hiftory of the- Ancients. 207 



him. Others take the plough-mare from the 

 plough wherewith the firft furrow was made that 

 yeare in the field, and put it upon the fire burn- 

 ing vpon the common hearth of the houfe, and 

 there let it lie untill it be quite confumed ; and 

 look how long this is in doing, fo long mal the 

 wolfe do no harm to any liuing creature within 

 that territorie or lordmip." 1 



Shakefpeare, who has remembered to add "the 

 tooth of wolf" to the hell-broth of his witches' 

 caldron, had good reafon for the feleclion, as this 

 animal enjoyed an unenviable reputation in witch- 

 craft. By the wondrous herbs of Pontus, the lover 

 in Virgil was enabled to fee Mceris turn into a 

 wolf, and hide in the woods and call forth ghofts 

 from their fepulchres, 2 that is, become a were- 

 wolf. This is the firft mention in Latin literature 

 of the verfipellis or turnfkin, but it ran through 

 the magical authors. In Greece the fuperftition 

 was well known ; certain Scythians near the Black 

 Sea pafled for wizards, becaufe once a year they 

 became wolves for a few days, and then returned 

 to their true form. The old Northmen fancied 

 that by wearing coats of wolf-lkin, men could 

 become wolves at pleafure. Indeed, the fuperfti- 

 tion has fpread widely, and is at prefent largely 

 believed among the Northern nations. In Germany 

 the change is now effected by unclafping or cutting 

 a girdle made of the {kin of a man who has been 

 hanged, and fattened by a buckle having feven 



1 Pliny, "Nat. Hift." (Holland), xxviii. 9, 10 ; xiv. 20. 



2 " Eel.," viii. 97. 



