164 CANINE PSALMODY ANECDOTE. 



Shepherd to a certain farmer, in whose house the daily family prayers were accom- 

 panied by psalmody, the Sheep Dog also joined loudly and fervently in the pious 

 choir ! What a hitherto unthought of qualification in the Dog-, and which could 

 only have been discovered in Scotland, the land of Saints, as Walter Scott has 

 proved. And how might old Gervaise Markhams idea of a musical pack, be 

 improved upon, and its uses and purposes be extended. Nor will the hint, we 

 should hope, be thrown away upon certain of our Societies in the South. An im- 

 port of Scotch psalm-singing Dogs might turn out a profitable speculation . Suppose 

 for instance, one of these put up to auction at Tattersalfs or Aldridge 's, what a theme 

 would it be for the Auctioneer to enlarge upon, in addition to the other qualifica- 

 tions of the dog, and what a spur to the eagerness of the surrounding bidders, that 

 he was one of the first-rate Psalm-singers of the North, and would chaunt a stave 

 with any Parish Clerk in Britain! 



The following remarkable example of canine sagacity, was said at the time to be 

 well authenticated. In the Autumn of the year before the last (1818,) a Lady 

 walking over Lansdown, near Bath, was overtaken by a large Mastiff dog, which 

 had just left two men, who were travelling the same road, with a horse and cart. 

 The dog continued to follow the Lady, at the same time endeavouring to make her 

 sensible of something, which he could not otherwise express, by looking in her face, 

 and then pointing behind with his nose. Failing to make himself understood, he 

 next placed himself so completely in front of the object of his solicitude, as to 

 prevent her proceeding, still looking stedfastly in her face. The Lady became 

 somewhat alarmed ; but judging from the manner of the dog, which did not 

 appear vicious, or to have any mischief in view, that something about her person 

 must have engaged his attention, she examined her dress, and missed her laced 

 shawl. The dog perceiving that he was at length understood, immediately turned 

 back : the Lady followed him, and was conducted by him, to the spot where her 

 shawl laid some distance back in the road. On her taking it up, and replacing 

 it on her person, this interesting quadruped immediately ran off at full speed, 

 after his master, apparently much delighted at the service he had rendered ; 

 leaving the Lady in a state of astonishment, which did not permit her at the 

 instant, to reward her benefactor with those caresses which he so highly merited. 



Most probably, this dog, in the above relation, called a Mastiff, was chiefly of 

 the Newfoundland breed,. a mastiff-substitute, the entire Mastiff not being re- 

 marked for the qualities here described. We embrace this opportunity to ac- 

 knowledge, that the Portrait which we exhibit of the Mastiff, must not be 

 considered as a specimen of the pure original race for where could our Artist 

 find one of that description ? but of the Mastiffs or large Yard Dogs of the present 

 time. This portrait, which was from the life, obviously shews a hound cross 

 a portion of the old Mastiff, joined with the Blood Hound or Southern Hound. 



As long ago nearly as we can remember, a man exhibited a carriage drawn by 



