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PETER THE WILD BOY (fl. 1725–1785)

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Originally appearing in Volume V21, Page 295 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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PETER THE See also:WILD BOY (fl. 1725–1785)  , a Hanoverian See also:imbecile of unknown parentage, who, having been found living See also:wild in the See also:woods near See also:Hanover in 1725, was brought to See also:England by See also:order of See also:George I., whose See also:interest had been aroused in the unfortunate youth . An extraordinary amount of curiosity and See also:speculation concerning See also:Peter was excited in See also:London, and the craze was the subject of a biting See also:satire by See also:Swift, and of another entitled The Most Wonderful Wonder that ever appeared to the Wonder of the See also:British Nation, which has been attributed to Swift and See also:Arbuthnot; See also:Defoe also wrote on the subject, and See also:Lord See also:Monboddo in his Origin and Progress of See also:Language presents the idiot Peter as an See also:illustration of his theory of the See also:evolution of the human See also:species . He lived to an advanced See also:age, was seen by Lord Monboddo in 1782, and died in 1785 . See See also:Henry See also:Wilson, The See also:Book of Wonderful Characters (London, 1869) .

End of Article: PETER THE WILD BOY (fl. 1725–1785)
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