34 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



and fearce) assist nature with arte, use and 

 custome, for they teach theyr dogges to 

 baite the Beare, to baite the Bull, and other 

 such like cruell and bloudy beastes (appoint- 

 ing an overseer of the game), without any 

 collar to defend theyr throtes, and often- 

 times they traine them up in fighting and 

 wrestling with a man having for the safe- 

 garde of his lyfe eyther a Pikestaffe, a 



THE BULLDOG (1803). 



From " The Sportsman's Cabinet." By P. Reinagle, R.A . 



clubbe, or a sworde, and by using them 

 to such exercises as these theyr dogges 

 become more sturdy and strong. The force 

 which is in them surmounteth all beleefe, 

 the faste holde which they take with their 

 teeth exceedeth all credit ; three of them 

 against a Beare, foure against a lyon, are 

 sufficient both to try masteryes with them 

 and utterly to overmatch them. Which 

 Henry the seventh of that name, King of Eng- 

 land (a prince both politique and warlike), 

 perceaving on a certaine time, commaunded 

 all such dogges (how many soever they were 

 in number) should be hanged, beyng deeply 

 displeased, and conceaving great disdaine 

 that an yll faured rascall curre should with 

 such violent villany assault the valiaunt 

 L}'on King of all beastes." 



The Bulldog was, however, well known 

 and appreciated for his unparalleled courage 

 by the ancient Romans, for, as already men- 

 tioned (p. 14), he is given the distinction of 



pulling down a bull by Claudian, the last of 

 the Latin classic poets, in the words : 



"The British hound 



That brings the bull's big forehead to the 

 ground." 



Symmachus also mentions the presence of 

 British Bulldogs at the Coliseum in Rome. 

 FitzStephen, who lived in the reign of 

 Henry II. (1154-1189), says it was 

 customary on the forenoon of every 

 holiday for young Londoners to 

 amuse themselves with bulls and 

 full-grown bears baited by dogs. 

 Spenser wrote (1553-1598) : 



" Like as a mastiff, having at a bay 

 A salvage bull, whose cruell homes 



do threat 

 Desperate daunger if he them assaye." 



Hentzner in his itinerary, printed 

 in Latin (1598), describes the per- 

 formance of a bull baiting at 

 which he was present. He says: 

 " There is a place built in the form 

 of a theatre which serves for baiting 

 of bulls and bears ; they are fastened 

 behind and then worried by great 

 English bulldogs ; but not without 

 risk to the dogs ; and it sometimes happens 

 they are killed on the spot ; fresh ones 

 are immediately supplied in the places 

 of those that are wounded or tired." 



The first mention of the word Bulldog 

 occurs in a letter, now in the Record Office, 

 written by Prestwich Eaton from St. Sebas- 

 tian to George Wellingham in St. Swithin's 

 Lane, London, in 1631 or 1632, " for a 

 good Mastive dogge, a case of bottles re- 

 plenished with the best lickour, and pray 

 proceur mee two good bulldoggs, and let 

 them be sent by ye first shipp." 



The two following advertisements, pub- 

 lished in the reign of Queen Anne, are con- 

 tained in the Harleian MSS. : 



" At the Bear Garden in Hockley in the 

 Hole, near Clerkenwell Green, this present 

 Monday, there is a great match to be fought 

 by two dogs of Hampstead, at the Reading 

 Bull, for one guinea to be spent ; five lets 

 goes out of hand ; which goes fairest and 



