300 



APPENDIX. 



Symmachi 



Epist. L. II. 



Ep. 77. 



From the view, then, here taken of the identity of these veloces 

 catuli of Nemesian with the Verlragi of Arrian, we may conclude 

 that greyhounds had been exported from the British Isles to some 

 more southern state, Rome or Carthage, when the native poet of the 

 latter place sung their praises in his Cynegeticon. And from the 

 same source, a supply of these rare and valuable dogs was kept up 

 at Rome, in the reign of Theodosius, by the instrumentality of Fla- 

 vian. Inmates, therefore, of Celto-Britannic kennels, they must 

 have been, on the twofold evidence of Nemesian and Syramachus, 

 at this early period of our dark and semi-fabulous annals. Whether 

 the dogs transported from these isles, as rarities, by Flavian, " so- 

 lennium rerum largus, et novarum repertor," to grace with their 

 " incredible force and boldnesse," the Quaestorate of his brother Sym- 

 machus at Rome, " quos prtelusionis die ita Roma mirata est ut 

 ferreis caveis putaret advectos," are to be considered Irish or Scotch, 

 according to modern distinctions, is quite unimportant ; for probably 

 at the period of the " oblatio " both were included under the same 

 name. Indeed, it is well known, the inhabitant of Ireland bore the 

 name of Scotus in the age of Claudian, who wrote, as well as Sym- 

 machus, in the reigns of Theodosius and Honorius, 



Claudian. de 



Laud. Stilic. 



L. II. 



Claudian. de 



IV. Cons. 

 Honor, vs. 32. 



and again, 



Me quoque vicinis pereuntem gentibus, inquit, 

 Me juvit Stilico, totam cum Scotus lernen 

 Movit, et infesto spumavit reinige Tethys. 



maduerunt sanguine fuso 

 Orcades : incaluit Pictorura sanguine Thule : 

 Scotorum cumulos flevit glacialis lerne. 



Arrian. de 

 Venat. c. vi. 



That these Canes Scotici were our Canes bellicosi seems highly im- 

 probable ; for the latter had been known in Rome for several centu- 

 ries, and could not have been deemed rarities in the days of Syrama- 

 chus. I am inclined, then, to view them as high-bred Celtic hounds, 

 e'lTE Tov baereos yei'ovs, eire rov \pi\ov, naturalized in these isles, and 

 thence again exported to Rome by Flavian. From the earliest date 

 of their existence, there have ever been two varieties of fleet Gallic 

 hounds. As at this time we have greyhounds with rough, and others 

 with smooth hair, so in the days of Arrian were they distinguished 

 in the same way. In the sixth chapter of his Cynegeticus, on the 



