STUDY VII. 29 



After all, what is their ferocity to us ? Even fup- 

 pofing we were not provided with arms, which 

 they are incapable of reiifting, and with a fagacity 

 far fuperior to all their cunning, Nature has given 

 us dogs able to combat, nay, to fubdue them ; 

 and fhe has mod admirably adapted their fpecies 

 to thofe of animals the mod formidable. In the 

 countries where lions are natives, there is likewife 

 produced a breed of dogs capable of engaging 

 them in fingle combat. 1 fliall quote, after the 

 ancient, but learned tranflation of Dupinel, what 

 Pliny relates of a dog of this fpecies, which was 

 prefented to Alexander, by a King of Albania *. 

 " King Alexander firft oppofed to him a lion, 

 " which the dog prefently tore in pieces. After 

 " that, he ordered to let loofe an elephant, which 

 *' afforded him the hig-hefl: diverfion that he ever 

 " had enjoyed. For the dog, briftling himfelf up 

 " from the firft, began to wheel about, and fnarl, 

 '* at the elephant ; then advanced to the attack, 

 " fpringing on this fide and on that fide, with all 

 " imaginable circumfpeftion : now leaping up to 

 " aflauk, now couching to the right, to the left, 

 *' which caufcd the elephant to turn and wind 

 " about fo frequently, that he was, at laft, com- 

 " pletely tired our, and fell down with a fliock 

 " which made the ground tremble, on which the 



* Pliny's Natural Hiftory, book viii. chap. xl. 



*' dog 



