124 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



danger with the utmost self-possession. A cold region, 

 such as the highest ranges of Central Asia, is best 

 adapted to their perfect development ; and yet their 

 only wild type is met with in Africa. They are old 

 denizens of Great Britain, and are said to have been 

 brought here before the Romans conquered the country. 

 They are not supposed to have originally come from 

 Africa, but from Thibet, through the north of Europe. 



They have been known to conquer lions ; and yet, 

 while they possess the most indomitable strength and 

 courage, they are the gentlest of animals, suffering 

 children to sit upon them, pull them roughly, and small 

 dogs to snap and snarl at them. Confinement alone 

 disturbs their temper. They are excellent guardians ; 

 and such is their deliberate coolness, that they have 

 been known to walk quietly by the side of a thief with- 

 out doing him an injury, merely preventing his escape. 

 They will, however, suffer the rogue to go away, if he 

 has not already purloined anything. 



It is well known that dogs love to be in a crowd of 

 people ; and this is frequently the temptation for them 

 to enter churches. A number of dogs in a village 

 of Bohemia had followed this practice, including an 

 English mastiff belonging to a nobleman who lived 

 there. A magistrate who presided at a court ob- 

 served upon it, and said, in an authoritative voice, 

 4 No dogs shall be allowed to go to church ; let me not 

 see one there in future/ The mastiff was present, and 

 seemed to listen with attention, not without effect, for 

 on the ensuing Sunday, he, rising early, ran barking at 

 the village dogs, took his station near the door of the 

 church, killed the only dog that ventured in, notwith- 

 standing the prohibition ; and always posted himself as 



