THE ENGLISH MASTIFF. 79 



The term mastiff until after the age of Elizabeth was used 

 for both mastiff and bulldog, being applied merely to denote 

 a house or watch-dog, and it was not until the time of Ben 

 Johnson that the word bandog tell into disuse, except to 

 define a mongrel watch-dog. The bulldog became defined 

 by the sport it was used for, and the word mastiff applied only 

 to the breed we now understand by that name. 



The close alliance that has always existed, and the constant 

 fusion of the two kindred breeds of the greater and lesser sort 

 of bandog or mastiff formerly, caused the same terms to be 

 applied indiscriminately. 



The earliest mention of the word mastivus that I have heard 

 of, is in the Forest Laws of Henry 2nd. Thetyranical forest 

 law system, introduced by William ist, continued during the 

 Norman dynasty, but when the Saxon line was restored in 

 the person of Henry 2nd, the forest laws were ameliorated, 

 and this particular law appears to have been framed from the 

 23 seclion of the Constitution or Laws of the Forest, made 

 by Canute. 



The following extract is from the charter of the forest of 

 Henry 3rd, " of keeping dogs within the forest and expedi- 

 " tating the same, and the forfeiture for keeping them 

 " unexpeditated therein." 



" And therefore farmers and substantial freeholders dwelling 

 " within the forest, may keep mastiffs for the defence of their 

 " houses within the same, providing such mastiffs be expedi- 

 taled according to the laws of the forest. The way of 

 " expeditating mastiffs is done after this manner, viz. three 

 " claws of the fore feet shall be cut off by the skin, by setting 

 " one of the fore feet upon a piece of wood eight inches thick 



