The Greyhound. 229 



In the British Museum there is a fine old sculpture 

 of two greyhounds fondling each other, and this was 

 taken from the ruins of Antoninus, near Rome. In 

 Dansey's translation of Arrian there is an excellent 

 engraving of this beautiful work, and other sculptures 

 of even an earlier period are to be found, in which 

 the greyhound type of dog is predominant. Confined 

 however, to the "gentleman," coursing could not 

 become very popular, especially when even he ''was 

 not allowed to take his greyhound within two miles 

 of a royal forest unless two of its toes were cut off." 

 Even so late as 1853 ^^ch greyhound had a tax to 

 pay of 22^. each, whilst other dogs, maybe of equal 

 value, could be kept at a charge by the State of 

 from 15^. 4^. to Ss. 2d. each. 



However, still keeping to old times, we find our 

 old sporting sovereign King John, receiving, in 

 1203, "two leashes of greyhounds," amongst other 

 valuables, in return for the renewal of a grant to a 

 certain right, and the same monarch repeatedly took 

 greyhounds in lieu of money where fines or penalties 

 had been incurred and forfeitures to the Crown 

 became due. Two of these are on record, one being 

 *' five hundred marks, ten horses, and ten leashes of 

 greyhounds;" the other ''one swift running horse 

 and six greyhounds." Thus early, we read of a brace 

 (two) and a leash (three) of greyhounds, when 



