96 FIDELITY OF A SPANIEL. 



The faithful attachment of dogs to their masters 

 has been too often recorded to require confirmation 

 from any new example ; yet I cannot deny myself 

 the pleasure of relating an affecting instance of canine 

 friendship, that happened in France during the an- 

 archy of the reign of terror. 



A few days before the overthrow of Robespierre, a 



revolutionary tribunal had condemned Mons. R , 



an ancient magistrate and a most estimable man, on 

 the pretence that he had been guilty of conspiracy. 



Mons. R had a spaniel, at that time about twelve 



years old, which had been brought up by him, and 

 had scarcely ever quitted his side. He was thrown 

 into prison. His faithful dog was with him when he 

 was seized, but was not suffered to accompany him 

 into confinement. The dog took refuge with a neigh- 

 bour of his master's, and every day, at the same hour, 

 returned to the door of the prison. Such unwearied 

 fidelity at length excited the compassion even of the 

 porter, and the dog was allowed to enter. The joy of 

 the master and his dog was mutual. It was found 

 difficult again to separate them ; and the gaoler, fear- 

 ful (if the dog should be discovered there) that his 

 governors might consider him as favouring a prisoner, 

 was compelled to carry him out. The animal return- 

 ed regularly every evening, and was as regularly ad- 

 mitted. On the day appointed for receiving sentence. 



