The Bête of the Gévaudan.

“The wild beast that makes such a noise all over Europe, and after whom there are at least thirty thousand regular forces and seventy-thousand militia and armed peasants, proves to be a descendant on the mother’s side, from the famous Dragon of Wantley, and on the father’s side from a Scotch Highland Laird. He eats a house as an alderman eats a custard; with the wag of his tail he throws down a church; as he passed the convent of St. Anna Maria, and was smelling a grape-vine on the wall, he unfortunately became flatulent, by which means the whole fabric was laid in ruins and one hundred and fourteen souls perished. He was attacked on the night of the 8th instant, in his den, by a detachment of fourteen thousand men under the command of Due de Valliant; but the platoon firing, and even the artillery, had only the effect of making him sneeze; at last he gave a slash with his tail by which we lost seven thousand men; then making a jump over the left wing, made his escape. He unfortunately made water as he passed, by which means five hundred grenadiers were drowned in the puddle; but ten thousand horse and twenty-two thousand foot are in full march to reinforce the army.” — The London Chronicle, 1765.