1827.] On Dogs. 175 



But Mr. V. reckons the expense of keeping them at twenty shillings each 

 annually ! Two millions of money thrown away annually, and the na- 

 tional debt what it is ! Why, what will keep a dog will keep a pig ; and 

 it is easy to see which would be the most serviceable in a poor man's fa- 

 mily. Therefore, let the dog-tax be levied without exception excepting 

 only on those dogs who lead blind men. Let due rewards be given to 

 those who inform against such as evade the tax ; of whom there are 

 not a few : and he who by fraud avoids a tax which by the laws of his 

 country he is commanded to pay, commits a greater Crime, and deserves 

 a greater punishment, than he who by force breaks into the Treasury, and 

 takes so much money out! 



It is notorious that the majority of these mischievous animals are 

 maintained by persons who have hardly the means of maintaining them- 

 selves ! These hungry, half-starved Curs, are the very Dogs, which, from 

 spare and bad food, are most mischievous, and most apt to run Mad : 

 besides going yelping about, and disturbing the public. " So many beg- 

 gars, so many dogs," is one of our true old sayings ; and it is written, 

 that f< those who lie down with dogs shall rise with fleas P Besides, every 

 one knows that when men go mad, they always hate most those that they 

 loved best ; and it is a frightful truth, that 



" A mad dog always bites his master first J" 



that is the very first token of his being mad. 



About ten years ago, there dwelt in the neighbourhood of Uxbridge a 

 lady of fortune, who devoted most of her time to the pleasing and providing 

 for half-a-dozen lap-dogs, entertaining their palates with fowls, legs and 

 shoulders of lamb, &c. &c. : considering that to be the best food for them 

 which she liked best for herself, and which was generally the most expen- 

 sive. There was another old gentlewoman in the neighbourhood, nearly 

 as far gone as herself in this species of canine madness ; and they amused 

 themselves by permitting their favourites to receive and pay visits, and to 

 have regular dinner parties ; on which grand occasions they (the bipeds) 

 acted as mistresses of the ceremonies, and grand carvers, &c. They had a 

 cloth laid for the dinner of their darlings ; who ate off plates, and were in 

 all things waited upon as their owners were ! And they acted this farce 

 for some years ; until one of the favourite performers, at a dinner-party, 

 was suddenly seized with hydrophobia, and flew from his dinner (a leg of 

 lamb) to the leg of his mistress and bit it very severely. 



There have been many arguments about the dreadful disease the bite of 

 these creatures produces. But is it not enough to know that multitudes of 

 men, women, and children have died in consequence of being bitten ? 

 What does it matter whether they were the victims of bodily disease or 

 mental irritation ? The life of the most humble human being is of more 

 value than all the dogs in the world. 



Semi-drowning in the sea, and all the pretended specifics, are mere de- 

 lusions, and there is no real remedy but cutting the part out immediately. 

 If the bite he near a large blood-vessel, that cannot always be done; nor, 

 when itcan be done, however well done, will it always prevent the miser- 

 able victim from dying the most dreadful of deaths. 



Well might St. Paul tell us to beware of dogs!" (1st Epistle to 

 Phillipians, chap, iii., verse 2.) K. 



