Chapter Wishing-Cap to Wolf of W by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Wives of Literary Men.

Agnes [Frei], wife of Albert Durer, was a veritable Xantippe.
Both the wives of Schlegel were so uncongenial, that he could not live with either.
The wife of Sadi, the great Persian poet, was a detestable shrew.
The wife of Salmasius or Saumaise was also a terrible shrew.
Terentia, the wife of Cicero, was divorced for her overbearing temper.
The wife of Jean Jacques Rousseau was a Xantippe, who domineered with a rod of iron.
Jan van Haysum, the great flower-painter of Amsterdam (1682–1749), was equally unhappy with his wife.
John Wesley’s wife ran away from him.
Wilkes, editor of the North Briton, was separated from his wife.
The wives of both the Pretenders were most uncongenial.

(See Married Men of Genius, p. 679.)

Wizard of the North, sir Walter Scott (1771–1832).

Wobbler (Mr.), of the Circumlocution Office. When Mr. Clennam, by the direction of Mr. Barnacle, in another department of the office, called on this gentleman, he was telling a brother clerk about a rat- hunt, and kept Clennam waiting a considerable time. When at length Mr. Wobbler chose to attend, he politely said. “Hallo, there! What’s the matter?” Mr. Clennam briefly stated his question; and Mr Wobbler replied, “Can’t inform you. Never heard of it. Nothing at all to do with it. Try Mr. Clive.” When Clennam left, Mr. Wobbler called out, “Mister! Hallo, there! Shut the door after you. There’s a devil of a draught!”—Dickens: Little Dorrit, x. (1857).

Woeful Countenance (Knight of the). Don Quixote was so called by Sancho Panza; but after his adventure with the lions he called himself “The Knight of the Lions.”—Cervantes: Don Quixote, I. iii. 5; II. i. 17 (1605–15).

WOLF. (1) The Neuri, according to Herodotos, had the power of assuming the shape of wolves once a year.—iv. 105.
(2) One of the family of Antæus,
according to Pliny, was chosen annually, by lot, to be transformed into a wolf, in which shape he continued for nine years.
(3) Lycaon, king of Arcadia, was turned into a wolf because he attempted to test the divinity of Jupiter by serving up to him a “hash of human flesh.”— Ovid.
(4) Vereticus, king of Wales, was converted by St. Patrick into a wolf.
Giraldus Cambrensis tells us that Irishmen “can be changed into wolves.”—Opera, vol. v. p. 119.
Nennius says “the descendants of the wolf are in Ossory. They transform themselves into wolves, and go forth in the form of wolves.”—The Wonders of Erin, xiv.
He furthermore says that these persons are “of the race of Fœlaidh, in Ossory.” (See also Were-Wolf, p. 1202.)

Wolf (A), emblem of the tribe of Benjemin.
Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.—Gen. xlix. 27.

Wolf. The last wolf in Scotland was killed in 1680, by Cameron of Lochiel [Lok.keel].
The last wolf in Ireland was killed in Cork, 1710.

Wolf. The she-wolf is made by Dantê to symbolize avarice. When the poet began the ascent of fame, he was first met by a panther (pleasure), then by a lion (ambition), then by a she-wolf, which tried to stop his further progress.

A she-wolf, … who in her leanness seemed
Full of all wants, … with such fear
O’erwhelmed me … that of the height all hope I lost.
   —Dante. Inferno, i. (1300).

To cry Wolf, to give a false alarm. The reference is the fable of the shepherd lad crying “Wolf!” but the following is said to be historical:—

Yöw-Wâng, emperor of China, was greatly enamoured of a courtezan named Pao-tse, whom he tried by sundry expedients to make laugh. At length he hit upon the following plan: He caused the tocsins to be rung, the drums to be beaten, and the signal-fires to be lighted, as if some invader was at the gates. Pao-tse was delighted, and laughed immoderately to see the vassals and feudatory princes pouring