THE MASTIFF FOR BAITING PURPOSES. Ill 



And the following : " I have seen Sackerson loose twenty 

 times, and have taken him by the chain." According to 

 Malone Sackerson or Sacarson was the name of a noted bear 

 in Shakepeare's time, baited at Paris Gardens. Vide Sir 

 John Davis, Old Book of Epigrams. 



" Publius, a student of the laws 



" To Paris garden doth himself withdraw, 



' ' Leaving Old Ployden , Dyer, and Broke alone, 



" To see Old Harry Hunkes and Sacarson." 



Another noted bear was Young Blackface, some verses 

 forming a song on whose death, are preserved in a collection 

 of old ballads (most of them imperfect) in the British Museum. 

 Young Blackface was the property of one O. Sullivan, and 

 fought twenty-two double and single combats against the 

 best dogs in the country, but this amounts to nothing when 

 we learn that the most vulnerable part of his throat was 

 protected. This noted champion was at last killed by being 

 fought against three mastiffs at once without his protection, 

 as the iron collar he wore was so called, and which naturally 

 formed a very effectual protection ; he was always fought 

 muzzled. An account of this may be found in Blaines Rural 

 Sports. 430. \Ye see from this that a trained champion bear 

 was no match for three mastiffs. 



Paris Garden was a great resort for bear baiting; among 

 other writers Bishop Hall, the Satirist, wrote "much better 

 than a Paris Garden bear." From Butler's Hudibras may 

 be gathered a fairly accurate account of the manner of bear 

 baiting, by one who had probably witnessed the sport 

 frequently. He says : 



