The Setter. 277 



of years been held in high estimation as a useful 

 addition to the sporting equipage. From time 

 immemorial almost has he been utilised for the pur- 

 pose of hunting wild animals, both by scent and 

 sight, but when a variety of his kind was first trained 

 to " set," " couch," or stand the smell of game, do 

 so without going sufficiently near to alarm and 

 disturb it, and so afford the sportsman accompanied 

 by such a dog an opportunity of killing such game 

 with an arrow from his bow or taking it in his net, 

 history is not very explicit. H. D. Richardson, 

 who, about forty years ago, wrote several little hand- 

 books on country matters, including one about dogs, 

 says that the spaniel was first broken to sat 

 partridges and other feathered game as an assistant 

 to the net by Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, in the 

 year 1335. Whether this date be correct or not I 

 cannot say, for the author does not say where he 

 obtained his information. However, other writers, 

 and perhaps more reliable ones, including Delabere 

 Elaine (1840), say that "Robert Dudley, Duke of 

 Northumberland, as early as 1555, is said to have 

 trained a setter to the net ; and that other authorities 

 of antecedent dates notice the sitter, or setter, as a 

 dog used for sporting purposes. It must not, there- 

 fore, be concluded that the application of him by 

 Dudley was his advent, although he might not until 



