I2O THE MASTIFF FOR BAITING PURPOSES. 



in the yard, when a man travelling with a large and savage 

 bear came to the house, and seeing the dog, was anxious to 

 attack it, the owner sneeringly offered to let the dog have a 

 go at the bear for a shilling ; this was agreed to by Mr. 

 Thompson, and the bear was unmuzzled. No sooner was 

 the dog loosed than she went straight at it, avoiding its attack, 

 knocked it over, and nearly worried it straight off before she 

 could be choked off; the bear's owner crying out all the time 

 that he should be ruined by the brute of a dog. This bitch 

 was the ancestress of Mr. Waddington's dog, and also of my 

 Dreadnought, the latter berhaps the highest couraged, 

 hardest, and gamest mastiff I have ever met with, he was 

 very muscular and active, and in spite of his decided want 

 of size for the present day (being only about 27 inches at 

 shoulder) he secured several prizes over larger and noted 

 prize takers. 



From the historical and poetical mention of bear baitings 

 with the mastiff, may be gathered some idea of the number 

 of them that were kept, their courage, strength, and activity. 

 But as well as for baiting purposes, they were constantly 

 pitted against each other, especially in Lancashire, about 

 Burnley, and Padiham ; they were also much used as watch- 

 dogs for mansions, also to guard wood yards, bleaching 

 grounds, and rabbit warrens, up to the present century. 



Macaulay justly remarks in his History of England : " The 

 Puritans hated bear baiting, not because it gave pain to the 

 bear, but because it gave pleasure to the spectators." And 

 the humanity of Dr. Watts is shown by the lines 



" Let dogs delight to bark and bite 

 " For 'tis their nature to." 



