B 



Plinies NatUrall Fliftone. 



time was killed with a launcc by an horfeman from his horfebacke, but the poifon was Co (irong 

 that went from his bodic along the ftaffejas it killed both horfe and man : and yet a fillie wea^Ie 

 hath a deadly power to kill this monftrous fecpent, as pernicious as it is [for many kings have 

 been defirous to fee the experience thereofj and the manner how he is killed.] See how Nature 

 hath delighted to match every thing in the world with a concurrent. The manner isjto cafl ihcfe 

 wcazles into their holes and cranies where they lye^ (and eaiie they be to know, by th<e ftinking 

 fentof the place all about them:) they are notfofoone within 5 but they overcome thenrtwith 

 their ftrongfmcUjbut they die thcmfelves withall .j and fo Nature for her plcafure h^th the com- 

 bat diipatched. 



Chap. xxn. 

 ^ of WcheSi 



ITis commonly thought likewifc in Italic, that the eye-fight of wolvesis hurtfulU in (b muchj 

 as if they fee a man before he clpic him, they caufe him to loofe his voice for the time. They 

 that be bre'd in Affdcke and i£gyptjare but little, and withall nothing lively but without fpi- 

 rifjn the colder clime^thcy be more eger arid cruel.Thatmen may be transformed into wolves, 

 and reltored againe to their former fhapesj we mutt confidently beleeve to be a lowd lie, or elfe 

 give credit to all thofe tales which wee have for fo many ages found to be ^jieere fabulous un- 

 C truths.But how this opinion grew firft, and is come to be fo firmely fetlcd, that when wee would 

 give men the moft opprobrious words of defiance that we can, wee learrae them I 

 thinke it not much amifle in a word to fhew. Euanthes (a writer among the Greekes,of good ac- 

 count and authoritie) reporteth, that hec found among the records of the Arcadians, That in 

 Arcadia ther6 was a certain houfe and race of the Anuipm of which one evermore muft of ne- 

 ceflitie be transformed into a wolfe: and when they of that familic have caftlots whoit fhallbcj 

 they ufeto accompanie the partie upon whome the lotisfalne, to a certainemeere or poole in 

 that countrey : when he is thither come,they turne him naked out of all his elorhes , which they 

 hang upon an oke thereby : then he fwimncieth over the faid lake to the other fide, and being en- 

 tred into the wildernelfe,is prefently transfigured and turned into a wolfe, and fo keepcth corn- 

 IE) panie with his like of that kind for nine yeeres fpace : during which time, (if be forbeare all the 

 while toeatmans flelTi)hereturneth againe to the fame poole or pond, and bcingfvvomme o- 

 veric,receivethhis former fhape againe of a man,faveonely that heefhalllookc nine yeeres 

 elder than before. Fabim addeth one thing more and faith. That he findeth againe the fame ap^ 

 parcU that was hungup in the oke atorefaid. A wonder it is to fee, t6 whatpaiie thefe Greekes 

 src come in their crcdulitie t there is not fo fbamelelTe a lycjbiit it findeth one or other of them ' 

 to uphold andmaintaineic. And therefore '^gnopns^\^\io wrote the Olympionica?, telleth a 

 tale of one D^wta^mtas Parri;afms j:hzt he upon a time at a certain folemne facrifice (which the 

 Arcadians celebrated in the honour of fupner Lyca/^) tafted of the inwards of a child that was 

 killed for a facrifice, accordingto the manner of che Arcadians (which even was to flied mans 

 E blood in their divine fervicc) and fo was turned into a wolfe ; and the fame man ten yeeres after, 

 became a man againe, was. prefent at thecxercifeof publicke games, wreftled, did his devoir' 

 and wcntaway with vi6torie homeagaine from Olympia . Over and befides,ic iscommonly 

 thought and verily beleeved, that in the taile of this beafi,there is a lu tie firing or haire chat is cf- 

 fedaall to procure love, and that when he is taken at any time,heecaftethit away from him,foi: 

 that it is of no force and vertue unlefie it be taken from him whiles he is alive. He goerh to rut in 

 the wholeyeere not above twelve daies. When heis very hungrie and can get no otherprey,he 

 feedeth upon the earth. In the cafe of prefages and fore-tokens of things to come.this is obfer- 

 ved^Thatifmenfeeawolfe abroad, cut his way and turne to their righthand, it is good;butif 

 his mouth be full when he doth fo,there is not a better figne nor more luckie in the world aeain. 

 F There be of this kind that are called Hart-wolves,fuch as wee faid that Powpey fhewed in the 

 grand Cirque, brought out of Fraunce. This bcaft (they fay) be he never fo hungry when hec 

 iseating,it hechaunceto lookcbacke/orgetteth his meat^flinketh away, and feekethforfomc 

 other prey. 



tij 



Chap. 



