i6a 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



TOY SPANIELS. 



THE King Charles and Blenheim Spaniels are so closely allied as regards structural development, 

 that the task of separating them, were it not for their colours, would be extremely difficult. The 

 origin of the two breeds is undoubtedly obscure, but the credit of bringing these most beautiful 

 little pets into popular notice unquestionably lies with His Majesty King Charles II., from 

 which monarch the former variety derives its name. 



It must not, however, be imagined that the existence of the breed is due to the exertions 

 of its royal patron, for direct allusion is made to it by Dr. Caius in his work alluded to before, 

 in which he clearly connects this variety with the Maltese dog, as the latter then existed ; he 

 describes them in the third section of his book as follows : 



" .... Of the delicate, neate, and pretty kind of dogges called the Spaniel gentle, or 

 the comforter, in Latine Metitaeus or Fotor." 



" These dogges are little, pretty, proper, and fine, and sought for to satisfy the delicatenesse 

 of daintie dames, and wanton women's wills. Instrumentes of folly for them to play and dally 

 withall, to tryfle away the treasure of time . . . ." " These puppies, the smaller they be, 

 the more pleasure they provoke, as more meete play-fellowes for mincing mistresses to beare 

 in their bosoms . . . ." 



From the above extracts it would appear that the Toy Spaniel did not stand high in the 

 estimation of Dr. John Caius ; though a few lines later on there is an attempt to prove that 

 this dog was of some service in the world, since he gravely announces, "We find that these little 

 dogs are good to assuage the sicknesse of the stomacke, being oftentimes thereunto applyed as 

 a plaster preservative, or borne in the bosom of the diseased and weake person, which effect 

 is performed by theyr moderate heate. Moreover, the disease and sicknesse chaungeth his 

 place, and entreth (though it be not precisely marcked) into the dogge, which experience can 

 testify, for these kinde of dogges sometimes fall sicke, and sometimes die, without any harme 

 outwardly inforced, which is an argument that the disease of the gentleman or gentle- 

 woman or ouner whatsoever, entreth into the dogge by the operation of heate intermingled 

 and infected." 



How any person in his senses could publish the above, and seriously intimate that he believes 

 in his theory, we are at a loss to imagine. It suits us, however, to reproduce it, as showing that 

 in the days of Queen Elizabeth ladies were in the habit of keeping Toy Spaniels about them ; 

 and from these no doubt the King Charles Spaniel was subsequently derived. 



In the time of King Charles II., the Toy Spaniel may be said to have reached the 

 zenith of its popularity ; it was the pampered favourite of the king, and the position it held at 

 court is alluded to in Pepys' Diary, where he states that the Spaniels had free access to all parts 

 of Whitehall, even upon State occasions. 



