God repented that he had made man, said Moses, (Gen. 6.) And Philosophers books are full of complaints touching the malice of mans heart.
Plato in the 7th Book of his laws, says, that a child is the wildest beast, the unruliest and hardest to be tamed of all other and that it cannot be too closely looked after.
Aristotle also in the first book of his Politics confirms the same. Lions, bears, and other savage beasts are untractable but not so much as children left to themselves, and destitute of good direction.
It is reported, that a child of a village in the Landgraviate of Hesse, was lost through the recklessness of his father and mother, who sought him a long time after, but could not find him.
This village was full of trees and gardens, near by a forest wherein were a great number of wolves. Several years after, there was perceived among the wolves which came into the gardens to seek their prey, a creature not altogether like a wolf, nor nothing so nimble as they: which seen many and sundry times with great marvelling, by the country-folks, and thinking it was a beast of some other kind, they went and reported it to the governor of the place, who therewith acquainted the Landgrave. He having commanded that it should be hunted, and by some way or other taken alive the country-men used such means that they caught it, and lead it to the Landgraves court, going on four feet like a beast, and of a grim and terrible look. Being in the Prince's hall, it went and hid under a bench, where it began to howl and cry like a wolf. But some lineaments (though disfigured) of a humane face being discovered in it, the Prince commanded it to be brought up among men: until such time as it might be more exactly known what it was. Those which had it in charge so diligently employed themselves that the creature began to grow tame, to stand upright, and to go like other men, finally to speak distinctly and then (as far forth as ever his memory would permit him) he declared that he had lived in a cave among wolves, which used him very gently, and always gave him the better part of their prey.
M. DRESSERVS, in his booke of newe and ancient discipline.
Diverse French gentlemen can testify that they have seen a man, which was taken in the forrest of Compiegne, and brought to the late King, CHARLES the IX. Who went upon four feet like a beast, and ran swifter then any horse. He could not stand upright, had a very hard skin, was hairy almost all over, and in stead of speech used a fearful cry accompanied with so hideous a look and countenance, that there is no beast so ill-favoured to see to as that poor creature was, which had lived amongst the ravenous wolves, and learned of them to howl. Moreover with his teeth he strangled dogs, and dealt no better with men whensoever he met them. I could never know what become of him afterward.
EXTRACTED out of the Memorialls of our time.
Regarding the first history mentioned in Dresservs, it may be the same one presented by D. Philip Camerarius in his excellent Historical Meditations, Chapter 75.
The repetition being but short will not be offensive, I hope. It is a remarkable thing (as stated by Camerarius) if true, which is read in the additions to the History of Lambert of Schafnabourg as follows. The year 1544. a child was taken in the country of Hesse, who (as he himself hath since declared and was so verified) being but three years old was carried away and brought up by wolves. When they got any prey, they always brought the better part of it to the child which fed upon it. In winter when it was cold, they scraped a hole, which they trimmed with grass and leaves of trees, whereon they laid the child, and compassing him about, defended him from the injury of the time afterwards they made him go upon his hands and feet, and run along with them wherever they went, so that at length and through use he could leap and run as well as they. Being taken, he was taught by little and little to go only upon his feet. He oftentimes said, that if it had been in his choice, he would rather have lived among wolves, than men. He was brought to the Court of Henry Landgrave of Hesse for to be seen. In the same year befell the like case in the farm of Echtzel for a childe of twelve years olde, running amongst the wolves in the forest adjoining, was taken in the winter time by certain Gentlemen that hunted the wolves.
Plato in the 7th Book of his laws, says, that a child is the wildest beast, the unruliest and hardest to be tamed of all other and that it cannot be too closely looked after.
Aristotle also in the first book of his Politics confirms the same. Lions, bears, and other savage beasts are untractable but not so much as children left to themselves, and destitute of good direction.
It is reported, that a child of a village in the Landgraviate of Hesse, was lost through the recklessness of his father and mother, who sought him a long time after, but could not find him.
This village was full of trees and gardens, near by a forest wherein were a great number of wolves. Several years after, there was perceived among the wolves which came into the gardens to seek their prey, a creature not altogether like a wolf, nor nothing so nimble as they: which seen many and sundry times with great marvelling, by the country-folks, and thinking it was a beast of some other kind, they went and reported it to the governor of the place, who therewith acquainted the Landgrave. He having commanded that it should be hunted, and by some way or other taken alive the country-men used such means that they caught it, and lead it to the Landgraves court, going on four feet like a beast, and of a grim and terrible look. Being in the Prince's hall, it went and hid under a bench, where it began to howl and cry like a wolf. But some lineaments (though disfigured) of a humane face being discovered in it, the Prince commanded it to be brought up among men: until such time as it might be more exactly known what it was. Those which had it in charge so diligently employed themselves that the creature began to grow tame, to stand upright, and to go like other men, finally to speak distinctly and then (as far forth as ever his memory would permit him) he declared that he had lived in a cave among wolves, which used him very gently, and always gave him the better part of their prey.
M. DRESSERVS, in his booke of newe and ancient discipline.
Diverse French gentlemen can testify that they have seen a man, which was taken in the forrest of Compiegne, and brought to the late King, CHARLES the IX. Who went upon four feet like a beast, and ran swifter then any horse. He could not stand upright, had a very hard skin, was hairy almost all over, and in stead of speech used a fearful cry accompanied with so hideous a look and countenance, that there is no beast so ill-favoured to see to as that poor creature was, which had lived amongst the ravenous wolves, and learned of them to howl. Moreover with his teeth he strangled dogs, and dealt no better with men whensoever he met them. I could never know what become of him afterward.
EXTRACTED out of the Memorialls of our time.
Regarding the first history mentioned in Dresservs, it may be the same one presented by D. Philip Camerarius in his excellent Historical Meditations, Chapter 75.
The repetition being but short will not be offensive, I hope. It is a remarkable thing (as stated by Camerarius) if true, which is read in the additions to the History of Lambert of Schafnabourg as follows. The year 1544. a child was taken in the country of Hesse, who (as he himself hath since declared and was so verified) being but three years old was carried away and brought up by wolves. When they got any prey, they always brought the better part of it to the child which fed upon it. In winter when it was cold, they scraped a hole, which they trimmed with grass and leaves of trees, whereon they laid the child, and compassing him about, defended him from the injury of the time afterwards they made him go upon his hands and feet, and run along with them wherever they went, so that at length and through use he could leap and run as well as they. Being taken, he was taught by little and little to go only upon his feet. He oftentimes said, that if it had been in his choice, he would rather have lived among wolves, than men. He was brought to the Court of Henry Landgrave of Hesse for to be seen. In the same year befell the like case in the farm of Echtzel for a childe of twelve years olde, running amongst the wolves in the forest adjoining, was taken in the winter time by certain Gentlemen that hunted the wolves.
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