ON COURSING. 87 



is a simple, uniform colour to be suspected as ferine. The Chap. VI. 

 colours, such as they are, should be bright and pure ; and the 

 hair, whether the dog be of the rough or smooth sort, should 



rlv S' & yevfirjTiis Svo ixtv Kvvas t^jUktu ir7]yovs, H. in Dian. 



- sv / , , / •' s. '/> VS. UO, 



rpeis oe irop ovaTiovs, tva o aio\ov. 



Pollux would mis; a little variety of colour, e/cacrTy ■jrapa^ue^iX^w ti kc^ kripas Onomast. L. v. 



/ C. XI. 



Xprfas. 



The modern Cynegetica are as fickle and capricious as to colour as their ancient 

 models : 



color est deterrimus albo, Nat. Conies de 



Nee placeat niveis maculis signatus et atris ; 

 Aut longis niraium villls, fuscove colore — 



Venat. 



according to the canine canons of Natalia Comes : — whereas Savary gives the prefe- 

 rence to a white hound, " nunc est in pretio et reliquos supereminet albus ;" and is Album Dianre, 

 supported by Fouilloux and his copyist Turbervile, who praise those of one homo- ^' 



geneous colour — white, fallow, dun, and black ; the latter being the valued breed of 

 St. Hubert, (les chiens courans,) " qui estoit veneur avec S. Eustache, dont est a l^ Venerie de 

 conjecturer, que les bons veneurs les ensuyvront en Paradis avec la grace de Dieu," Fouilloux. p. 4. 



" Of alle manere of greihoundes there byn," says De Langley, " both good and jIHapStcr of 

 evel. Natheless the best hewe is rede falow with a blak moselle." ffisnic. c. xv. 



After citing so many, and such conflicting opinions, I leave the reader to draw his 

 own conclusion on this most unimportant point ; bidding hira remember that Mark- 

 ham supports our author, that " colours have (as touching any particular goodnesse) Xhe Countrev 

 no preheminence one above the other, but are all equal — many good and famous Farme. c. xxn. 

 dogs having been of all the several colours ; onely the white is esteemed the most 

 beautifuU and best for the eie, the black and fallow hardest to endure labour, and the 

 dunne and branded best for the poachers and nightmen, who delight to have all their 

 pleasures performed in darknesse." Backed by the compiler of " The Countrey 

 Farme," let him give to Arrian the weight he is entitled to, as a practical courser. 

 My own conviction accords with that of Tardif, " ex colore nihil certi fere pronun- 

 ciatur : sajpius enim turpi colore canes, pulchrioribus praestant :" and with the poet 

 of Caen, 



nuUus virtutibus obstat, Album Dians, 



Aut prodest color : hunc habeas quicunque placebit ; &c. 



1 object to no dog merely on account of his colour, though he may rival in variety of gjj Tristrem 

 tint the renowned Triamour's marvellous Peticrewe. Fytte in. 10. 



