442 THE IMPROVEn ART OF FARRIERY. 



guilty of joining in a conspiracy for the overthrow 

 of their power. This gentleman had a water spaniel 

 which he had reared and kept for upwards of twelve 

 years, during which period it had seldom quitted his 

 person. On being cast into prison, his family were 

 driven into exile, his servants dismissed, his house de- 

 stroyed, and even many of his friends were obliged to 

 seek safety by flight. In the silence of a living tomb 

 he was left to pine in thought, under the iron scourge 

 of a tyrant, whose respite from blood was but to gain, 

 by delay, some additional horror ; and who, if he ex- 

 tended life to those whom his wantonness had pre- 

 scribed even until death became a prayer, it was only 

 to tantalise them with the blessing of murder, when he 

 imagined he could more effectually torture them with 

 the curse of existence. 



This faithful dog was with him when he was first 

 seized, but was refused admission into the prison. He 

 was seen to return often to the door, but found it shut ; 

 he took refuge with a neighbour of his late master, who 

 received him. But (that posterity may judge clearly 

 of the times in which men existed in those turbulent 

 and unsettled times,) it must be added, that this man 

 received the poor dog tremblingly and in secret, lest 

 his humanity for hi^ friend's dog should bring him to 

 the scaffold. Every day, at the same hour, the dog 

 returned to the prison-door, but was still refused ad- 

 mittance ; he however constantly spent some time 

 there. Such unremitting fidelity at last won the af- 

 fections of the porter of the prison, and the dog was 

 dt length allowed to enter. His joy at seeing his mas- 

 ter was unbounded ; his master's was not less ; it was 

 difficult to separate them ; but the honest gaoler, fear- 

 ing for himself, carried the dog out of the prison, and 

 he returned to his place of retreat. 



