286 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 



The appetite of the Wolf, for every kind of animal 

 food, is exceffively voracious ; and, although Nature has 

 furniflied it with every requifiite for purfuing and con- 

 quering its prey, it is frequently reduced to the laft ex- 

 tremity, and fometimes perifhes, for want of food. So 

 great is the general deteftation of this deftru&ive crea- 

 ture, that all the wild animals endeavour to avoid it, and 

 moft commonly efcape by their fuperior fwiftnefs. 



When preffed with hunger from repeated difappoint- 

 ments, the Wolf becomes courageous from neceffity. It 

 then braves every danger, and even attacks thofe animals 

 that are under the protection of man. Sometimes whole 

 droves of them join in the cruel work of general devafta- 

 tion, roam through the villages, and attack the fheep- 

 folds : They dig the earth under the doors, enter with 

 dreadful ferocity, and put every living creature to death 

 before they depart. The Horfe is the only tame animal 

 that can defend itfelf againft them : All the weaker ani- 

 mals become their prey : Even man himfelf, upon thefe 

 occafions, frequently falls a victim to their rapacity ; and 

 h is faid, that when once they have tafted human blood, 

 they always give it the preference. — From hence, many 

 fuperftitious ftories have been told of the Wolf. The 

 old Saxons believed, that it was poflefTed by fome evil 

 fpirit, and called it the Were-Wulf ; and the French pea- 

 fants, from the fame reafon, call it the Loup-garou. 



The language of the poet is beautifully defcriptive of 

 this creature's infatiable fury :— 



** By wintry famine rous'd, from all the tra<5t 



" Of horrid mountains, which the mining Alps, 



*' And wavy Appenine, and Pyrenees, 



" Branch out, ftupendous, into diftant lands, 



" Cruel as death! and hungry as the grave! 



" Burning for blood! bony, and ghaunt, and grim I 



