THE WOLF. 229 



This Dog, whom fate thus granted to behold 

 His lord, when twenty tedious years had roU'd, 

 Takes a last look, and, having seen him, dies— • 

 So clos'd, forever, faithful Argus' eyes. 

 Then pity touch'd the mighty master's soul, 

 And down his chee\ a tear unbidden stole. 



THE WOLF ^. 



The Wolf is larger,and more strong and muscular, 

 than the Dog; and his colour is generally pale grey. 

 These animals are natives of almost all the temperate 

 and cold regions of the globe : and were formerly so 

 numerous in this island, that King Edgar commuted 

 the punishments for certain offences into a requisi- 

 tion of a number of Wolves' tongues from each 

 criminal ; and he converted a very heavy tax on one 

 of the Welsh princes, into an annual tribute of three 

 hundred Wolves' heads, 



Cambria's proud kings (though with reluctance) paid 

 Their tributar}^ Wolvts ; head after head, 

 In full account, till the woods yield no more, 

 And all the ravenous race extinct is lost. 



It appears from Hollinshed, that the Wolves were 

 very rtoxious to the flocks in Scotland, in 15/7 : 

 nor were they entirely destroyed till about a century 

 afterwards ; when the last Wolf fell in Lochaber, by 

 the hand of SirEwen Cameron, of Lo-hcil. 



* Synonyms. — Canls Lupus. Liiuu — -Loup. I]<'''vi/. Sha-iSs 



Cau Zool. pi. 75. — jBcw. 2uqcl. '28y. 



Q 3 



