SPORTING AND GUARD DOGS 



have been crossed with it to improve the breed. English 

 greyhounds were famous in Europe, and an article of export 

 in the fifteenth century. In 1471 the following " instruc- 

 tions and orders " were given to Francisco Salvatico, 

 Councillor of the Duke of Milan, about to go to England : 



' We desire you to obtain some fine English hackneys 

 of those called ' hobby ' for the use of ourself and the 

 duchess our consort, as well as 

 some greyhounds for our hunting, 

 a laudable exercise in which we 

 take great delight, and so we have 

 decided to send you to England 

 where we understand that each of 

 these things is very plentiful and of 

 rare excellence. We are giving you 

 a thousand gold ducats for the 

 purpose to buy the best and finest 

 horses you can find and dogs also. 

 In order that you may find and 

 buy them more easily we are 

 sending with you el Rossetto, our 

 master of horse, and two of our 

 dog-keepers, who know our tastes and the quality of horses 

 and dogs that we require." 



Salvatico was unfortunate enough to fall into the hands of 

 the Duke of Burgundy at Sluys, where he was consigned to the 

 castle and " stripped of all his letters and things," but after 

 diplomatic representations was released. Two months later 

 he wrote from France that he was " much perplexed as to 

 what to do, with English affairs in their existing state," and 

 that he was " all ready to go and also to proceed to Ireland, 

 whence all the hackney (obico) horses come." 



Five years later there was transmitted to King Edward a 



73 



GREYHOUND REPRESENTED ON HAN BAS- 

 RELIEF OF WO LIANG IN SHANTUNG 



Chavannes ; La Sculpture en Pierre en Chine. 



