"See! that bold hound has seized him, down they sink, His rash assault. See! there escaped he flies, Again the crowd attack. That spear has pierced THE BEAGLE was formerly a great favourite with country gentlemen, but it is now little used. It' is of small stature, but stout and compact in make, with long ears; its scent is exquisite, and when heard at full cry, its tones are said to be musical. It has not, however, the strength or fleetness of the Harrier, and still less so of the Foxhound, which was recently described. The Beagle is regarded by some as the Brachet of the middle ages, and we think it the only species of the long-eared dogs known in the west during the Roman empire. On the continent there is a coarse-haired, buff-coloured hound of a mixed breed, figured by Buffon, the naturalist, apparently formed from the French Braque and the crisp wire-haired dog. It is now uncommon, probably neglected, because of its want of beauty, though formerly much esteemed in otterhunting, and in the chase when the country was swampy and intersected by rivers. In Queen Elizabeth's reign, the fanciers bred a race so small that a complete cry of them could be carried out to the field in a pair of panniers. That princess had little singing Beagles, which could be placed in a man's glove. Hunting the hare was formerly one of the regular amusements of the good citizens of London; and for this purpose the Harrier and the Beagle were greatly employed. On certain days the Lord Mayor and Eldermen, with their friends and retainers, went out to "chase and hunt in Middlesex and Surrey." But towards Elizabeth's reign the citizens' hunting must have been held in great contempt, for in D'Urfey's collections of old London customs we find it thus ridiculed: "Next once a year into Essex a-hunting they go; To see 'em pass along, O 'tis a most pretty show; pump, [him jump. Each man with spurs in's horse's sides, and sword to make "My Lord he takes a staff in hand to beat the bushes o'er; I must confess it was a work he ne'er had done before. A creature bounceth from a bush, which made them all to laugh; My Lord, he cried, a hare, a hare, but it prov'd an Essex calf. "And when they had done their sport, they came to London where they dwell, Their faces all so torn and scratch'd, their wives scarce knew them well; For 'twas a very great mercy, so many 'scap'd alive, For of twenty saddles carried out, they brought again but five." Prince Albert possesses a fine pack of Beagles, with which he often hunts hares and rabbits in Windsor Forest. Savage and fierce the Mastiff howls, Stubborn and bold the Bulldog growls; With sudden snaps and barks the Terrier starts, W of the three is the Bulldog. The MASTIFF is a large, grave, sullen-looking dog, with a wide chest, noble head, long switch tail, bright eyes, and a loud, deep voice. Of all dogs this is the most vigilant watcher over the property of his master; so vigilant is he, indeed, that nothing can tempt him to betray the confi dence reposed in him. Of this noble part of his character frequent proofs have been given. I recollect a short story of one of these dogs that will show you how brave and faithful he is. Mr. Turner, a gentleman residing in London, having occasion to leave his house for several days, let loose his large Mastiff dog, first showing him where a sufficient quantity of food had been placed for his support during his absence. The gentleman was away for several days, and when he came back, he opened the door and called the dog. No bark answered him; he went on to the kitchen, where he discovered the poor animal lying dead, with a great wound in his throat. On going farther, he saw that some thieves had attempted to rob the house in his absence, and that in defending it the dog had met his death. Everything was in confusion, and much blood being spattered about showed that the struggle with the robbers must have been a very severe one. A few days afterwards, a man was found by the police in one of the hospitals with several severe wounds on his throat and body as if from the bite of a dog. This man, on being examined by a magistrate, confessed that he and three others had attempted to rob the house, but had been prevented by the attack of the dog, on which they cruelly cut his throat with a sharp knife and fled. Notwithstanding his sufferings, the man and his companions |