170 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Remarkable abstinence of a dog. 



linen, and turning to a faithful English dog, who 

 always accompanied him, said, in a kind of ab- 

 sence of mind " There, my poor old friend, 

 you see how these scoundrels enjoy themselves, 

 and yet see how we are treated !" The poor ani- 

 mal looked up in his master's face and wagged 

 his tail, as if he understood him. The master 

 walked on, but the mastiff, slackening his pace, 

 and laying hold of the damask cloth with his 

 teeth, at one hearty pull brought the whole side- 

 board to the ground, and deprived the insolent 

 noble of his favourite exhibition of splendor ! 



That dogs are capable of sustaining long and 

 severe abstinence will appear from the following 

 well authenticated anecdote : 



In the year 1789, when preparations were 

 making at St. Paul's for the reception of his ma- 

 jesty, a favourite bitch followed its master up the 

 dark stairs of the dome : but here it was suddenly 

 missing, and calling and whistling were to no 

 purpose. Nine weeks after this, all but two days, 

 some glaziers were at work in the cathedral, and 

 heard amongst the timbers which support the 

 dome a faint noise: thinking it might be some 

 unfortunate being, they tied a rope round a boy, 

 and let him down near to the place whence the 

 sound came. At the bottom he found a dog- 

 lying on its side, the skeleton of another dog, 

 and an old shoe half eaten. The humanity of 

 the boy led him to rescue the animal from its 

 miserable situation, and it was accordingly drawn 



