THE DOG IN HISTORY, ART, AND LITERATURE. 17 



by a stag bearing a crucifix between its 

 antlers, threatening him with eternal per- 

 dition unless he reformed. Upon this he 

 entered the cloister and became in time 

 Bishop of Liege and the apostle of Ardennes 

 and Brabant. He died at an advanced 

 age, a.d. 727. 



thread from his miraculous stole is more 

 efficacious in cases of hydrophobia than 

 all the prophylactics of Pasteur. The St. 

 Hubert hounds were mighty of body, with 

 legs somewhat low and short — Bloodhounds 

 rather than Greyhounds. It is to be doubted 

 whether one of this famous race of 



THE VISION OF ST. HUBERT. 



The festival of St. Hubert is still held on 

 November 2nd, and on that day crowds of 

 pilgrims assemble at his shrine to invoke a 

 blessing on themselves and on their dogs. 

 At the church of Lime, where some relics of 

 the saint are preserved, the following rhyme 

 — half charm, half prayer — is recited : 



" Saint Hubert glorieux, 

 Dieu me soil amoureux 

 Trois chases me defend ; 

 De la nuit du serpent. 

 Mauvais loup, mauvais chien, 

 Mauvais betes enragces 

 Ne puissent m'approcher, 

 Me voir, ne me toucher, 

 Non plus qu'ctoile an del," 



and it is believed that his blessing or a 



" St. Hubert's breed, 

 Unmatched for courage, breath, and 

 speed," 



could now be anywhere discovered. 



Much might be written of the famous dogs 

 of history — of the Mastiffs of the Knights 

 of Rhodes, who could distinguish a Turk 

 from a Christian by the smell of him ; of 

 the Spanish Bloodhounds, who helped in 

 the conquest of Mexico and Peru ; of Mathe, 

 the favourite of Richard II., who, as 

 Froissart asserts, deserted his master to 

 fawn upon and remain in the service of 

 the usurper ; and of the Spaniel which 

 saved the Dutch Republic by waking 

 William the Silent during the night 

 attack on the camp before Mons. But 



