The Great Dane. 187 



has been deemed of sufficient interest to be cabled round the 

 world as an event, not merely of European, but of cosmopolitan 

 interest. Indeed, the record of Tyras hardly ended with his life, 

 for the cable has since told the world that the first visitor to Prince 

 Bismarck on his recent birthday was the youthful emperor, who 

 brought as a present another dog, of the type of the lamented 

 Tyras. For nearly sixty years Prince Bismarck has owned speci- 

 mens of the Great Dane, and generally has had one or more of 

 unusual size. His first hound, acquired while living with his 

 parents at Kniephof, was one of the largest ever seen, and was an 

 object of awe to the peasantry of the district. This dog afterward 

 accompanied his young master to the college at Gottingen, where 

 he speedily made his mark. Once when Bismarck was summoned 

 to appear before the rector for throwing an empty bottle out of 

 his window, he took with him his enormous hound, to the great 

 dismay of the reverend dignitary, who promptly took refuge 

 behind a high-backed chair, where he remained until the hound 

 had been sent out of the room. Bismarck was fined five thalers for 

 bringing this " terrific beast " into the rector's sanctum, in addition 

 to the punishment meted out to the original offence. As a law 

 student and official at Berlin, during his travels in many 

 lands, throughout his diplomatic career at Frankfort, St. Peters- 

 burgh, Paris, and elsewhere, as well as at Varzin andatFriedrichsruh, 

 Bismarck has always had the companionship of one or more 

 of his favourite dogs. Probably the one to which he was most 

 attached was Sultan, which died at Varzin in 1877. Tyras, who 

 was of unusual size, and of the slate colour, which is most popular 

 in Germany, was then quite a young dog, and he was the constant 

 companion of his illustrious owner till the time of his death, 

 sharing his walks, his rides, his business, and his meals, and 

 keeping guard in his bedroom at night. Owing to his uncertain 

 temper, he was not often seen in the streets or gardens of Berlin. 

 He was, indeed, regarded more as belonging to the " Pomeranian 

 Squire " side of the Prince's life than to his official establishment. 

 At Varzin or Friedrichsruh, however, the two were inseparable. 



