82 THE COMMON DOG. 



the room, and return with any particular servant 

 that his master wanted*. 



And, with this sagacity, so great is also hhjidelity, 

 that he may be trained to go to market with money,, 

 to repair to a known shop, and even to carry home 

 provisions with safety. A Dog belonging to a man, 

 named Person, of Bow, had been long in the habit 

 of carrying half-a-guinea, every week, from thence 

 to Bethnal-Green. The circumstance was care- 

 lessly mentioned at a public-house; and a person 

 present determined to rob the Dog. The attempt 

 was made, but the fellow had occasion to repent 

 of his rashness; for he was so dreadfully bitten in 

 the hand, that it was thought he would lose some 

 of his fingers. A neighbour interfered, took off 

 the Dog, and enabled him to deliver his charge in 

 safety. 



But of all the educational attainments by which 

 the Dog has been distinguished, that of learning to 

 speak seems the most extraordinary. The French 

 academicians mention a Dog in Germany, which 

 was able to speak several words, and could call, in 

 an intelligible manner, for tea, coffee, chocolate, 

 and other things. The account of this Dog was 

 written by no less a person than the celebrated 

 Leibnitz, who communicated it, to the Royal Aca- 

 demy of Francef. And if accounts from Sweden 



* Ruysch, ii. p. 124. f Shaw's Gen. Zool. i. p. 289. 



may 



