Historical 19 



years, none of these noisome and pestilent beasts were left 

 on the coasts of England and Wales. This Edgar wore 

 ft he crown and bare the sceptre imperial of his kingdom 

 -. i)out the year of Our Lord 959. Since which time we read 

 that no wolf has been seen in England, bred within the 

 ^sounds and borders of this country, although there have 

 been divers brought over from beyond the seas for greedi- 

 ness and gain, and to make money for gazing, gaping, staring 

 and standing to see them, being a strange beast, rare and 

 seldom seen in England. 



" But to return to our shepherd's dog. This dog, either 

 at the hearing of his master's voice, or at the wagging of 

 his fist, or at his shrill and hoarse whistling and hissing, 

 bringeth the wandering wether and straying sheep into the 

 self-same place, where his masters will and work to have 

 them, whereby the shepherd reapeth the benefit, namely, 

 that with little labour and no toil of moving his feet, he 

 may rule and guide his flock according to his own desire, 

 either to have them go forward, or to stand still, or to draw 

 back, or to turn this way, or to take that way." 



The late Mr. Rawdon Lee, in describing the work of the 

 shepherd's dog, says : 



" The shepherd has but to wave his hand in a certain direc- 

 tion and away gallops his faithful friend to seek whrt is 

 to be found, and the little flock is quickly gathered and 

 brought right up to their master. One sheep may be missing. 

 The dog goes back to seek it. The last one may be hurt 

 and lame. The dog, by its manner, lets the shepherd 

 know such is the case. ' Bring in the cows,' said a farmer 

 friend of mine to his dog, which lay down at his feet by the 

 kitchen fire. Up jumps the fine old chap, and darting 

 through the door and the farmyard, is out across two or 

 three fields, and barking behind the kye, soon brings them 



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