004 THE COMMON DOG. 



sagacity, attachment, and perseverance, as I have 

 been able to collect. 



The care of the Dog in directing the steps of the 

 blind, is highly deserving of notice. There are few- 

 persons who have not seen some of these unfortunate 

 objects thus guided along through the winding 

 streets of a town or city, to the spot where they are 

 to supplicate charity of passengers. In the evening 

 the Dt)g safely conducts his master back, and re- 

 ceives as the reward of its services that scanty pit- 

 tance which wretchedness can bestow. — Mr. Ray, 

 in his Synopsis of Quadrupeds, informs us of a blind 

 beggar who was thus led through the streets of 

 Rome by a middle-sized Dog. This Dog, besides 

 leading his master in such a manner as to protect 

 liim from all danger, learned to distinguish both the 

 streets and houses where he was accustomed to re- 

 ceive alms twice or thrice a -week. Whenever the 

 animal came to any one of these streets, with which 

 he was well acquainted, he would not leave it till a 

 call had been made at every house where his master 

 was usually successful in his petitions. When the 

 beggar began to ask alms, the Dog lay down to rest ; 

 but the man was no sooner served or refused, than 

 the Dog rose spontaneously, and without either 

 order or sign, proceeded to the other houses where 

 the beggar generally received some gratuity. " I 

 observed (says he), not without pleasure and sur- 

 prize, that when a halfpenny was thrown from a 

 window, such was the sagacity and attention of this 

 Dog, that he went about in quest of it, took it 

 Irom tlic ground with his mouth, and put it into 



