438 THE LEMMING RAT. 



they have passed, appears as if it had been burned. 

 Their numbers have at times induced the common 

 people of Norway to beheve that they had descended 

 from the clouds * ; and the multitudes that arc 

 sometimes found dead on the banks of rivers, or 

 other places, corrupt by their 3-tench the n hole at- 

 mosphere around, and thus produce many diseases. 

 They are even thought to infect the plants which 

 they gnaw ; for cattle turned into pastures where 

 they have been, arc said frequently to die in conse- 

 quence t. 



They never enter dwellings, of any description, 

 to do mischief; but always keep in the open air. 

 AVhen enraged, they laise themselves on their hind- 

 feet, rjH? bark like little dogs. Sometimes they di- 

 vide into two^ parlies, attack each other, and fight 

 like hostile armies. From these battles, the supersti- 

 tions of the inhabitants of Sweden and Lapland 

 pretend to foretell not only wars, but also their suc- 



* Pontopyjidan, ii. 32. 'I'lic following is the form of tlie exorcism, 

 adopted by the Romish Clergy, to banish these and other plagues from 

 countries infested by them — " ExoiicisMC?. Exorci/o vos pestiferos^ 

 vermes, mures, a\ es sew Socustas, ant animaha alia ; per Deum Patrem 

 -}- Omnipotentrm, et Jesiim 4- Chris^tviin filium ejus, et Spiritum -f 

 i^anctuin abutroquc procedentem : utconffstim recedatis ab liis cam- 

 pie, seu viueis, velaqui«, nee ampliu? in eis habitetis ; ?ed ad ea loca 

 transeatis, inquibus ncnini nocere jjoysitis. Et ex parte Oninipotentis 

 Dei, et totius curiae ca lestis, et Ecclesia^ sanct:c Dei, vos inaledieens 

 quocunque ieritis: sitis maledicti, deficientcs de die in diem in vo$ 

 ip'-os, et decrescentes 5 quatenus reliquia- de vobis nullo in loco inve- 

 niantur, nisi neocssaria* ad salutcm et U5um humauum. Quod prit— 

 stare dignctur Ille, qui venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos et secu? 

 lum per ignera. Amen." 



t littfT. Quad. vij. S2a 



