84 GREYHOUND AND HAWK. 



bent, the statue of an armed Knight, with the figures of two Greyhound bitches at 

 his feet. A strange tradition was then current in the neighbourhood, no doubt 

 from very high antiquity, of a battle which this same Knight, assisted by his two 

 spayed bitches, had waged with the Devil, concerning the place where a certain 

 house should be built, his Holiness disputing that point with the proprietor, and 

 pulling all down by night which had been built in the preceding day. The 

 Greyhound and Hawk continued during many centuries the chief favourites with 

 those of noble and of gentle blood, of both sexes ; and such seldom travelled with- 

 out being attended by the former, or without a hawk on fist. The great partiality 

 however, for this hound, has long since been divided with others, in our Country, 

 the Fox-hound and Pointer, coming in for a large share : as for the Hawk and the 

 old princely sport of Falconry, they would have been nearly forgotten in the 

 present times, but for the laudable compiling industry of the manufacturers of 

 Sportsmen's Dictionaries, and the practical exertions of a few individuals, among 

 whom, Colonel Thornton, the most enthusiastic, persevering and universal of Sports- 

 men, stands in a most conspicuous place. Lord Gage has of late revived this ancient 

 diversion, on his Estate at Flrle, in Sussex; and his Lordship's Falconer is said to 

 equal in skill, the most celebrated of former times, having a command over the 

 hawks when in pursuit of game, which has astonished all who have witnessed it. 



Upon the Continent, in Germany, France, and Italy, the Greyhound has always 

 been held in high estimation, and filled his proper place in their great hunting Ex- 

 peditions, so very different in motive and management to the hunting of this 

 Country. The opposite Continent originally obtained this species of the Dog, from 

 the Countries bordering on Turkey, particularly from Dalmatia, in the mountains 

 of which are bred greyhounds of a rough species, having great bone, ears somewhat 

 long, hard feet and a bristly tail. It is a remarkable zoological fact, perhaps not 

 hitherto noticed, that every species of the sporting dog is originally divided 

 into the rough and smooth Variety, and that not in consequence of the influence 

 of climate, since the former is found to be indigenous to the warmest. The old 

 Irish Greyhound we are disposed to derive from the rough species of the Eastern 

 Countries above cited. 



On a view of the present race of English Greyhounds, we cannot help supposing 

 that they differ considerably from those of former times, which hunted the Wolf 

 and Wild Boar, and thence may be judged to have been a variety possessed of more 

 strength, roughness and fierceness than the modern. Probably, for such hunt, the 

 rough variety was selected, whilst coursing the Deer and Hare, and the honour of 

 Lady patronage were reserved for the smooth. The Italian Greyhound, we believe, 

 has at no period, in this country, been generally used as a field dog, but a breed of 

 smooth, high formed and swift Greyhounds has always been found on the Grecian 

 Islands, some individuals of which have been imported into this Country within 

 the last thirty years. The savage hunts having long since gone into desuetude, 



