Il6 THE MASTIFF FOR BAITING PURPOSES. 



According to W. Andrews, the following lines were made 

 and printed towards the end of Henry viiith's reign, and 

 show that the canting puritanical spirit was then not lacking. 



" What folly is this to keep with danger, 



A great mastiff dog, and foul ugly bear ; 



And this anent to see these two fight 



And me thinks these men are most fools of all 



Whose store of money is but very small, 



And yet every Sunday they will surely spend 



A penny or two, the bear- wards living to mend 



At Paris Garden. Each Sunday a man shall not fail 



To find two or three hundred for the bear-wards vale, 



One half-penny apiece they use for to give 



When some have not more in their purses I believe 



Well, at the last day their conscience will declare, 



That the poor ought to have all that they may spare, 



If you therefore, go to witness a bear fight 



Be sure God his curse will upon you alight. 



Mr. Andrews states that about a century ago, at Liverpool, 

 it was the custom on the annual election of the Mayor to bait 

 bears ; that the bear was assailed separately by large mastiffs, 

 and if any dog compelled him to yell, or was able to sustain 

 the contest with superior address, he was rewarded with a 

 brass collar. 



It would be very interesting if any of these collars could 

 be brought to light. Lancashire and Cheshire have long been 

 famous for their mastiffs. 



In Stephano Delia Bella's etchings, made at Paris about 

 1642, is shown a mastiff on the top of a bear, having got that 

 animal on its back, the mastiff is nearly as large as the bear, 

 and has a vast head, short blunt muzzle, short stout limbs, 

 and massive body, with small ears, and short stern. 



Strutt gives the following particulars in Queen Anne's reign. 

 It is taken from an advertisement in a collection of bills, etc., 



