146 Modern Dogs. 



the one proved grossly superstitious and the other 

 exhibited a degree of faithlessness that one does not 

 expect to find in a hound. The king had a favourite 

 greyhound called Mithe, his constant attendant, and 

 so attached to his master that it would follow no one 

 else. One day Henry, Duke of Lancaster and the 

 king were talking together, when suddenly Mithe left 

 his royal master and commenced to fawn upon the 

 duke, whining and showing such pleasure as he had 

 never before done to a stranger or even to a guest. 

 Lancaster expressed his astonishment at the 

 behaviour of the greyhound, but the king said, 

 <l Cousin, this bodeth great good for you, as it is 

 an evil sign for me. That greyhound acknow- 

 ledgeth you here this day as King of England, 

 as ye shall be, and I shall be deposed. Mithe 

 knows this naturally, so take him ; he will follow 

 you and forsake me." And the story concludes that 

 ever after the dog forsook the weak and vacillating 

 Richard II., became the companion of his " cousin," 

 and, in the end, affairs turned out as the king had 

 prognosticated. At least, so our English history 

 informs us. 



There appears to be some fatality attending these 

 royal attachments to the greyhound ; for we have 

 Charles I. with one as a companion. " Methinks," 

 said he to Sir Philip Warwick, " I hear my 



