40 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE DOG. 



condition of the holders keeping a certain number of wolf-dega 

 fitted for the chase. (H. Smith.) 



Sir James Ware has, in his " Antiquities of Ireland," col- 

 lected much information relative to this dog, from which I 

 give the following extract : " I must here take notice of those 

 hounds, which, from their hunting of wolves, are commonly 

 called wolf-dogs, being creatures of great strength and size, 

 and of a fine shape. I cannot but think that these are the 

 dogs which Symmachus mentions in an epistle to his brother 

 Flavianus. 'I thank you,' says he, 'for the present you 

 made me of some canes Scotici, which were shown at the Cir- 

 censian games, to the great astonishment of the people, who 

 could not judge it possible to bring them to Rome otherwise 

 than in iron cages.' I am sensible Mr. Burton, (Itinerary of 

 Anton, 220,) treading the footsteps of Justus Lipsius, (Epist. 

 ad Belg. Cent, i., p. 44,) makes no scruple to say, that the 

 dogs intended by Symmachus were British mastives. But, 

 with submission to such great names, how could the British 

 mastive get the appellation of Scoticus. in the ago Symmachus 

 lived ? For he was Consul of Rome in the latter end of the 

 fourth century ; at which time, and for some time heiore, 

 and for many centuries after, Ireland was well known by the 

 name of Scotia, as I have shown before, (Chap. I.) Besides, 

 the English mastive was no way comparable to the Irish wolf- 

 dog in size or elegant shape ; nor would it make an astonish- 

 ing figure in the spectacles exhibited in the circus. On the 

 other hand, the Irish wolf-dog has been thought a valuable 

 present to the greatest monarch, and is sought after, and is 

 sent abroad to all quarters of the world ; and this has been 

 one cause why that noble creature has grown so scarce among 

 us, as another is the neglect of the species since the extinc- 

 tion of wolves in Ireland ; and, even of what remain, the size 

 seems to have dwindled from its ancient stateliness. When 

 Sir Thomas Rowe was ambassador at the court of the Great 

 Mogul, in the year 1615, that emperor desired him to send 

 for some Irish greyhounds, as the most welcome present he 

 could make him, which being done, the Mogul showed the 

 greatest respect to Sir Thomas, nnd presented him with his 

 picture, and several things of value. We see in the public 

 records an earlier instance of the desire foreigners have- had 

 for hawks and wolf-dogs of Irish growth. In a privy seal 

 from King Henry VIII. to the Lord Deputy and Council of 

 Ireland, wherein 'his majesty takes notice, that at the instant 

 suit of the Duke of Alberkyrke of Spain, (of the Privy Coun. 



