THE WOLF. 205 



generations (1646), common people have proceeded 

 into opinions, and some wise men into affirmations, 

 that they will not live therein, although brought 

 from other countries." ' 



He also notices the popular behef that " a Wolf 

 first seeing a man begets a dumbness in him," a 

 notion as old as the time of Phny, who wrote : " In 

 Italia, ut creditur, luporum visus est noxius, vocemque 

 homini, quern prius contemplatur adimere." In France, 

 when anyone becomes hoarse, the say " II a vu le 

 hup."* 



" The ground or occasional original thereof," says 

 Sir Thomas Browne,t " was probably the amazement 

 and sudden silence the unexpected appearance of 

 Wolves doth often put upon travellers, not by a sup- 

 posed vapour or venomous emanation, but a vehement 

 fear, which naturally produceth obmutescence, and 

 sometimes irrecoverable silence." 



A critic, adverting to this passage, has somewhat 

 wittily remarked : " Dr. Browne did unadvisedly 

 reckon this among his vulgar errors, for I beHeve he 

 would find this no error if he were suddenly sur- 

 prised by a wolf, having no means to escape or save 

 himself!" 



* Howell's " Familiar Letters,'' vol. ii. p. 52. 

 t Op. cit., vol. ii. p. 422. 



