VARIETIES OF THE DOG. 29 



Elfric King of Mercia. There are paintings of him that can be satisfac- 

 torily traced to the ninth century. In the time of Canute he was 

 reckoned first in degree of rank among the canine species, and no one 

 under the degree of a gentleman, liberates, or more properly perhaps a 

 freeholder, was allowed by the forest laws to keep them. Even he could 

 not keep them within two miles of a royal forest, unless two of the toes 

 were cut off, and for every mile that an uncut dog was found within this 

 distance a fine of a shilling was levied on the owner. The nobleman was 

 rarely seen abroad without his hawk upon his fist, and his greyhound at 

 his side. 



Henry II. was passionately fond of them. John spared no expense to 

 procure good horses and swift hounds, and appears frequently to have 

 received greyhounds in lieu of money on the issue or removal of grants. 

 For the renewal of a grant in the year 1203 he received five hundred 

 marks, ten horses, and ten leashes of greyhounds, and for another, in 1210, 

 one swift running horse and six greyhounds. 



The Isle of Dogs now devoted to purposes of commerce, derived its 

 name from its having been, at this period, the receptacle of the grey- 

 hounds and spaniels of this monarch. It was selected on account of its 

 contiguity to Waltham and the other royal forests where coursing was a 

 frequent amusement. For the same purpose he often took up his abode 

 at Greenwich.* 



Blount's Ancient Tenures abound with instances of the high repute in 

 which this dog has ever been held in Great Britain. The holders of land 

 in the manor of Setene in Kent were compelled, as the condition of their 

 tenure to Edward I. and II., to lend their greyhounds, when this king 

 went into Gascony, " so long as a pair of shoes of 4d. price would last." 

 Edward III. was partial to greyhounds ; for when he was engaged in war 

 with France he took with him sixty couples of them, besides other large 

 hunting dogs. 



Charles I. was as fond of the greyhound as his son Charles II. was of 

 the spaniel. Sir Philip Warwick thus writes of that unfortunate monarch : 

 " Methinks, because it shows his dislike of a common court vice, it is not 

 unworthy the- relating of him, that one evening, his dog scratching at his 

 door, he commanded me to let in Gipsy ; whereupon I took the boldness 

 to say, Sir, I perceive you love a greyhound better than you do a spaniel. 

 Yes, says he, for they equally love their masters, and yet do not flatter 

 them so much." 



a A singular story is told of Richard II., duke, who knewe not the grayhounde, 

 and one of these dogs. It is given in the demanded of the kynge what the gray- 

 language of Froissart. "A grayhounde hounde wolde do? 'Cousin/ quod the 

 called Mithe, who always wayted upon kynge, 'it is a greate goode token to you, 

 the kynge, and woulde knowe no man and an evyl signe to me.' ' How knowe 

 els. For when so ever the kynge did you that?' quod the duke. 'I knowe it 

 ryde, he that kept the grayhounde dyd well,' quod the kynge. ' The grayhounde 

 lette him lose, and he wolde streyght acknowledged you here this daye as 

 runne to the kynge and faune uppon hym, Kynge of England, as ye shal be, and I 

 and leape with his fore fete uppon the shal be deposed; the grayhounde hath 

 kynge's shoulders. And, as the kynge this knowledge naturally: therefore take 

 and the Erie of Derby talked togyder in hym to you, he wyll followe you and 

 the courte, the grayhounde, who was forsake me.' The duke understood well 

 wonte to leape uppon the kynge, left the those words, and cheryshed the gray- 

 kynge and came to the Erie of Derby, hounde, who wolde never after followe 

 Duke of Lancastre ; and made to him the kynge Richarde, but followed the Duke of 

 same friendly continuance and chere as Lancastre." 

 he was wonte to do to the kynge- The 



