fore paws upon the bed, look earnestly in the child's face, and then walk back to his mat. Notwithstanding all this love, Blanco was preferred, and a deadly enmity ensued. He was constantly quarrelling with the white favourite, but could not resist accompanying us when the children with Blanco took their walks. One day, we had strolled to Stamford Park, and came to a high paling; the boys and I managed to get over, as we wished to see the house where Mrs. Sherwood was born. To our great surprise Argus was over before us, and poor Blanco, after vainly struggling to accomplish the feat, and falling back as often as he attempted it, at length sat howling in despair. Argus looked at his enemy pitifully, and then began, with a peculiar bark, to run far away; Blanco looked after, distrusting the sound; Argus returned disappointed, made the same sound again, rushed off in the same direction, and again returned. The third time Blanco trusted him, and ran parallel with the fence; we followed: the sagacious creature had found a place which had been broken down, and the great dog got over easily, to the evident joy of his hitherto enemy; whose generous aid he seemed fully to recognise, and for the remainder of the walk they appeared the most affectionate friends." identity of those he knows, When separated for a time The dog satisfies himself of the far more by scent than by sight. even from his master, on his finding him again he is not always assured of his identity by sight alone, but makes certain beyond a doubt of the fact, by the test of scent, before giving vent to his joy. In this manner also, he may be guided in his estimation of the characters and designs of men, although he is in addition, a keen physiognomist. Every human being has evidently an odour peculiar to himself, and which the dog never is mistaken in. The extraordinary, indeed in some cases apparently supernatural power, possessed by the creature, may be due to his exquisite olfactory nerves. The emotions of the mind affect the countenance and the circulation; and in the same way the body of a man whose mind is bent on crime may be acted on so as to produce a change which is susceptible by the subtle senses of the dog. Sir Henry Lee's mastiff detected, it may be, the would be assassin of his master in this way. The sheepdog likewise, who knows every sheep in a flock, judges of them no doubt at least as much by scent as by sight; and it is probably in this manner that dogs are so soon made aware of the nature of those persons whom they may regard as friends, also of men having hostile feelings or dishonest intentions towards their owners. At Arras, in Artois, there were, and perhaps are still, large bleaching grounds, the linen on which was guarded by dogs of a fierce mastiff kind. A young man, the son of the proprietor, went out to bathe, taking with him one of these animals, and gave him his clothes to keep while he was in the water. But on returning to the bank, the dog refused to give up his charge, having, it was supposed, been unable to recognise him from the loss of scent arising from the contraction of the tissues of the skin in bathing; and when the young man persisted in regaining his dress, the dog flew on him with such violence as to cause his death. It may be urged that the unfortunate man being undressed was the cause of the dog not knowing him; but allowing some weight to the objection, it must yet be borne in mind, that a dog, if in doubt, invariably applies the scrutiny of scent, which however, in this exceptional case, failed him. CHAPTER XII. EVERAL of the following miscellaneous anecdotes and quotations are from Southey's collection. THE LATE DUKE OF NORFOLK AND HIS SPANIELS. "Our Marlborough and King James's spaniels are unrivalled in beauty. The latter breed, that are black and tan, with hair almost approaching to silk in fineness (such as Vandyke loved to introduce into his portraits), were solely in the possession of the late Duke of Norfolk. He never travelled without two of his favourites in the carriage. When at Worksop he used to feed his eagles with the pups; and a stranger to his exclusive pride in the race, seeing him one day employed in thus destroying a whole litter, told his Grace how much he should be delighted to possess one of them. The Duke's reply was a characteristic one: Pray, sir, which of my estates should you like to have?"" LE SIEUR BLAVET. "Il avoit montré à jouer de la flûte à un grand Prince, mais très mediocre en cet art, au point que toutes les fois qu'il jouoit, un chien qu'il aimoit, aboyoit et faisoit des hurlemens effroyables. A peine Blavet embouchoit-il son instrument, l'animal se calmoit, entroit insensiblement dans une agitation voluptueuse, et venoit lécher les pieds du nouvel Orphée. This they call "le plus grand éloge qu'on puisse faire de son talent." Bachaumont, Mem. Sec., vol. iv. p. 165. "Vous qui aimez et qui chantez les chiens, vous ai-je dit qu'il y en avoit un ici, dont le Maître est mort, et qui depuis ce moment passe sa vie sur la fosse du defunt, et quand on force la pauvre Bête a rentrer dans la maison elle va chercher quelque vieille harde de son Maître pour se coucher dessus. Vous me battrez si je vous dis, que l'attachement des chiens ne me touche pas du tout. "Ils ont l'air condamné à nous aimer-ce sont des machines à fidélité, et vous savez mon horreur pour les machines. Elles m'inspirent une inimitié personnelle.-Vive les Chats! Tout paradoxe à part je les préfère aux chiens. Ils sont plus libres, plus indépendans, plus naturels. "La civilisation humaine n'est pas devenue pour eux une seconde nature. Ils sont plus primitifs que les chiens-plus gracieux. Ils ne prennent de la société que ce qui leur convient, et ils ont toujours une gouttière tout près du salon, pour y redevenir ce que Dieu les a fait, et se moquer de leurs tyrans. Quand par hasard ils aiment ce tyran, ce n'est pas en esclave dégradé, comme vos villains chiens qui lèchent la main qui les bat, et ne sont fidèles que parcequ'ils n'ont pas l'esprit d'être inconstans. Il y a du choix, du parti pris, dans l'attachement des chats-je ne vois que de la stupidité dans celui des chiens. Si de tout tems on a donné la préférence à ceux-ci, leur réputation est l'oeuvre de l'orgueil humain. Le VOL. I. N chien est la créature de l'homme. Ce sot animal n'est plus ce que Dieu l'a fait; il est le produit de la société. C'est une de ces plantes à fleurs doubles, qui n'existent qu'à force de culture, et que les amateurs apprécient d'autant plus qu'elle est leur ouvrage.Mais adieu! car sur ce chapitre je parlerois jusqu'à demain-d'autant que je pense que mes réflections vous taquinnent-détestez moi-mais dites-le moi souvent." Madame de Custine. Sully once found Henry, then King of Navarre, in his cabinet. 66 L'espée au costé, une cappe1 sur les espaules, son petit toquet2 en teste, et un pannier pendu en escharpe au col, comme ces vendeurs de fromages, dans lequel il y avoit deux ou trois petites chiens pas plus gros que poing." Sully, vol. i., p. 79. ROUSSEAU. Speaking of Rousseau, Hume said, "She (Thérèse) governs him as absolutely as a nurse does a child. In her absence, his dog has acquired that ascendant. His affection for that creature is beyond all expression or conception." Private Correspondence, p. 143. "He shall be hanged in flitches, the dogs shall eat him in Lent." Beaumont and Fletcher. Maid in the Mill.-Act III. sc. 2. |