58 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN. 



upon the bed by bis side. It was with difficulty he was 

 tempted to eat any food ; and although after the burial 

 he was taken to the hall, and caressed with all the 

 tenderness which so fond an attachment naturally called 

 forth, he took every opportunity to steal back to the 

 room in the cottage where his old master breathed his 

 last. Here he would remain for hours ; from thence he 

 daily visited his grave, and at the end of fourteen days, 

 notwithstanding every kindness and attention shown 

 him, he died, literally broken-hearted." 



The old Marquis of Granby had a celebrated breed of 

 water spaniels. The water-spaniel is a powerful dog, 

 with rather coarse hair ; he should be of a good height, 

 more especially if he is to be made use of in rivers, lakes, 

 or morasses, which may have near their banks a strong 

 cover of reeds and rushes, where he would be required 

 to swim, or beat in order to spring the wild fowl, more 

 particularly widgeon and teal, which sometimes lie very 

 close in these sedgy covers. The water spaniels should 

 be therefore stout, courageous, and semi-aquatic. 

 Markham, speaking of this dog, points out most accur- 

 ately the mode of training them to wild-fowl shooting. 

 " The water dogge is a creature of such general use, and 

 so frequently seen in England, that it is needlesse to 

 make any large description of him ; the rather, since not 

 any amongst us is so simple that he cannot say when he 

 seeth him, this is a water-dogge, or dogge bred for the 

 water. Yet, because in this, as in other creatures, there are 

 other characters and formes which pretend more excel- 

 lencie, and figure a greater height than others doe, I 

 will here describe as neare as I can the best proportion of 

 a perfect water-dogge. First, for the colour of the best 

 water-dogge, all be it some will ascribe more excellence 



