THE MASTIFF DURING ELIZABETH'S REIGN. 93 



Dutch painter, Israel Von Meckenner, between 1482 and 1492. 

 Also plate 22, a bull bitch, by Lucas Von Leyden, 1516, but 

 the ears in this specimen are larger than in the modern 

 bulldog. Caius gives a supplement explaining the meaning 

 of the various names of dogs. Under the mastiff or bandog 

 section he states that the name mastiff originated from 

 (Flamming has translated it) the fatness of the dog's body, 

 giving the word sagina (a well fed or conditioned animal) as 

 the Latin equivalent for mastiff, remarking " this kind of dog 

 which is usually tied, is mighty gross and fat fed." 



I may say the word sagina does not necessarily imply mere- 

 obesity, as Pliny, Tacitus, and Propertius make use of the 

 word in connection with the food and feeding of gladiators. 

 " Om dabit venalia fata (Vitam sitam) sagana (gladiatoria). Prop. 



For gladiators used to take large quantities of strengthening 

 food, and it may be instanced as an example in which courage, 

 vast strength, and lasting power were combined, that it has 

 been recorded of Col. Fred. Burnaby (of ride to Khiva fame, 

 and a typical Englishman) that he was Homeric in his eating 

 and could dispose of two or three pounds of meat at a sitting. 

 It has also been recorded as an instance of the strength and 

 courage of the noted gigantic Daniel Lambert, who was a 

 great flesh eater, being able to dispose of a leg of mutton at 

 a meal; that on one occasion seeing a mastiff getting consid- 

 erably the worse of an encounter with a bear, he unarmed, 

 strode up to the combatants, and seizing the bear with his 

 hands, shook it until he forced it to quit its hug of the mastiff, 

 which he then dragged away by the neck. 



This recalls Shakespeare's words " just, just, ; and the men 

 do sympathise with the mastiff in robustuous and rough 



