THE BULL-DOG. 71 7 



exposed, he lias tlie constant appearance of grinning, while he 

 is perfectly placid. He is the most ferocious and unrelenting 

 of the canine tribe, and is, doubtless, courageous beyond 

 every other animal in the world ; for no animal, however 

 great in magnitude, will be exempt from his attack. He is 

 hardly capable of any education, and seems fitted only for 

 combat and ferocity. He gives no warning by barking when 

 he attacks, and holds with such determined pertinacity the 

 part that he seizes upon, that it is with the utmost difficulty 

 he can be disengaged. He generally lays hold of the lip, 

 tongue, or side of the cheek or eye, which he maintains in 

 spite of the most desperate efforts of the animal to free him- 

 self from his antagonist ; and no command of his master 

 will induce him to desist, which can only be effected by 

 squeezing the windpipe till he is nearly choked ; and in- 

 stances have occurred where he has been mutilated and still 

 maintained his gripe. The thorough-bred bull-dog always 

 attacks animals in front, seizing either on the head or 

 throat, and when they lay hold of any of the extremi- 

 ties, it is reckoned a degeneracy from the original purity of 

 blood. 



This animal derived its name from his having been em- 

 ployed in former times in assaulting the bull ; and he is used 

 for the same brutal purpose at the present day, where such 

 amusements are still practised; but these are, like cock- 

 fighting, happily on the decline. 



The first bull-baiting, of which we have a well-authen- 

 ticated account, took place in the reign of King John, in 

 1209, at Stamford, in Lincolnshire, and had its origin in the 

 following circumstance : — William, Earl Warren, Lord Stam- 

 ford, standing upon the walls of his castle, saw two bulls 

 fighting for a cow in the castle-meadow, till all the butchers' 

 dogs pursued one of the bulls (which was maddened by the 



