INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. Ill 



the last mentioned were larger and more prized, it 

 seems that the breed never became numerous, and 

 both continued to be denominated dogs of St, Hu- 

 bert to the time of the late revolution. Of the 

 Talbots of England we know not the origin ; but, it 

 is likely, that some individual pilgrim of the illus- 

 trious family bearing that name brought the breed 

 from Palestine. 



About the middle of the thirteenth century. Saint 

 Louis brought back from the same region a third 

 breed of hounds, whose prevailing colour was a 

 rufous-grey f(/ris de lievre) ; they were high on 

 the legs, with handsome feet and large ears ; they 

 v/ere bold, and even vehement ; superior in speed 

 to the Saint Hubert races, but with inferior sensi- 

 bility of nose. 



A fourth race was formed by Louis XII. ; it was 

 denominated Clerk's-hounds (chiens greffiers), be- 

 cause they were derived from a cross between the 

 white Saint Hubert's with a Bracco bitch brought 

 from Italy, the property of one of the clerks of the 

 King's househould.* The house and lodges in the 

 park of Saint Germains were built to foster this 

 breed, which united all the good qualities of the 

 other running dogs, without their defects. They 

 were usually white, with a tan spot on the body, 

 and appear to be the progenitors of our present 

 hounds. 



On refening to the splendidly illuminated MS. 

 hunting codes of Philip the Good, Duke of Bur- 

 * Soniuni's edition of Buffon, in his Addenda. 



