THE WOLF. 1ST 



some such little cirques to the Druids, I have men- 

 tioned it here for the further examination of anti- 

 quaries, who are desired to take notice that if ever 

 there was a wall here of any strength, the best stones 

 must have been carried away ; for what are left are 

 extremely rude, and totally unfit of themselves to 

 compose any sort of building ; also that these few 

 insignificant pebbles, as they now appear, must be of 

 considerable antiquity, as well as once have been of 

 considerable account, because they give the name of 

 Ringstone Edge to a large tract of land around them." 



The late Wm. Hamper, F.S.A., in some learned 

 observations on certain ancient pillars of memorial 

 called Hoar Stones ("Archaeologia," xxv.), gives a list 

 of such as were known to him, and, in particular, 

 mentions (p. 53) the wolf -stone, a single merestone, 

 one immense natural block on Dr. Whitaker's estate, 

 which, in all probability, was erected to commemorate 

 some notable slaughter of Wolves in days gone by. 



The fur of the Wolf was formerly used for trimming 

 robes, and was employed for this purpose at least as 

 late as the time of Elizabeth. In a will dated 1573 

 preserved in the Registry of the Prerogative Court 

 of Canterbury the following clause occurs : — 



" Also I give unto my son Tyble my sherte gown 

 faced with Wolf and laid with Billement's lace ; also I 

 give unto my brother Cowper my other sherte gown 

 faced with foxe ; also I give unto Thomas Walker 

 my night gown faced with coney, with one lace also, 

 and my ready [ruddy] colored hose." 



Where the testator procured the Wolfskin it is of 



