BLOOD-KED SETTER. 55 



seasons. I never knew a Ijetter dog ; he would face any 

 cover, had a good nose, and always beat close to nie. 

 He was also particularly tender-mouthed, had great 

 bodily strength, fine large dark e3'es, and ears rather 

 long, and well feathered about the legs. He came from 

 Scotland, but I never heard that he was of any parti- 

 cular breed. In Ireland the setter is called the English 

 spaniel, having been originally brought from England. 

 I had one of these dogs, which I purchased at Waterford ; 

 it was cailed a blood red setter, and certainly was beauti- 

 ful in appearance, but being then on the point of 

 embarking for England I had not time to witness his 

 performance in the field, which I afterwards found was 

 very mediocre ; but I shall hereafter mention his extra- 

 ordinary instinct in finding his way over the Welsh 

 mountains back to Milford Haven, where I landed. 



The spaniel is a dog of great antiquity, the breed of 

 which was always carefully attended to. It can boast 

 of one excellent quality, that of being extremely faithful 

 to its master, and in temper playful and good tempered. 

 Crowned heads have condescended to patronise these 

 dogs, particularly Charles the Second, who rarely 

 walked out without two or three beautiful animals 

 attending him* ; and Blaine states that the chief order of 

 Denmark, now denominated that of the elephant, was 

 instituted in memory of a spaniel named Wildbeat, 

 who had shown attachment to the monarch when 

 deserted by his subjects. The motto to this order was, 

 and still remains, " Wildbeat was faithful." A circum- 



* The breed of spaniels belonging to tlie late Duke of Norfolk was 

 highly prized by him, and there was much difficulty in obtaining one 

 from the duke. He gave one to the Duchess of York, on condition that 

 her royal highness would make a solemn promise not to breed from the 

 dog in a direct line. 



