40 Gleanings from the 



in Claudian (about A.D. 400). He fpeaks of the 

 moloflus " hunting with tender nofe ;" and again, 

 of the " immortal moloflus barking amid the 

 thick mifts furrounding the mountain-tops," 1 

 which are probably not maftiffs in general (or 

 from the context Britain might perhaps claim 

 them), but ftrictly the dogs of the tribe Molofli. 

 Soon afterwards, amid an enumeration of different 

 dogs, he does fpecify the Britifh maftiffs : 



" Magnaque taurorum fracturae colla Britannae." 



From thefe femi-claflical notices the antiquarian 

 ftudent of Englifh dogs will not find much to 

 detain him till he comes to the early Foreft 

 Codes. Thus Cnut's " Foreft Laws," 2 in Canon 

 31, lay down that "no man of mean eftate mail 

 have or keep the dogs called by the Englifh 

 'greyhounds.' A freeman may, provided that 

 their expeditation mall have been effected in the 

 prefence of the chief forefter." 



Again, Canon 32 (translated by Manwood), 

 allows "thofe little dogges called Velteres, and 

 fuch as are called Ram-hundt (al which dogges are 

 to fit in one's lap), may be kept in the foreft, 

 becaufe in them there is no daunger, and therefore 

 they mall not be hoxed or have their knees cut." 



As another fpecimen of the ferocity of the 

 ancient foreft laws of our early kings, the follow- 

 ing may be adduced : Canon 34, " If any mad dog 



1 "Dc Cons. Stilich.," iii. 294. 



2 "Ancient Laws of England," publifhed by the Record 

 Commiflion, 1841. 



3 Manwood's "Foreft Lawcs," 1615. 



