THE DOG. 1'lf 



!^lutarch relates, that, in the theatre of Marcel- 

 Iiis, a Dog was exhibited before the Emperor Ves- 

 pasian, so well instructed as to excel in every kind 

 of dance. He afterwards feia;ned illness in so natii- 

 ral a manner as to strike the spectators with astonish- 

 ment : first shewing symptoms of pain ; then falling 

 down as if dead, and suffering himself to be carried 

 about in that state ; and after-.vards, at the proper 

 time, seeming to revive as if waking from a profound 

 sleep ; and then sporting about and shewing every 

 demonstration of joy. 



But of all the educational attainments by which 

 the Dog has been distinguished, that of learning to 

 speak seems the most extraordinary. The French 

 academicians, however, make mention of a Dog in 

 Germany, which would call, in an intelligible manner^ 

 for tea, coffee, chocolate, &c. The account is from 

 no less eminent a person than the celebrated Leibnitz:, 

 who communicated it to the Royal Academy of 

 France. This Dog was of a middling size, and was 

 tlie property of a peasant in Saxony. A little boy, 

 the peasant's son, imagined that he perceived in tlie 

 Dog's voice an indistinct resemblance to certain 

 words ; and therefore took it into his head to teach 

 him to speak. For this purpose lie spared lieither 

 time nor pains with his pupil, who was about three 

 years old when this his learned education commenc- 

 ed ; and at length he made such a progress in lan- 

 guage, as to be able to articulate so many as thirty 

 words. It appears, however, that he was somewhat of 

 a truant, and did not very willingly exert his talents, 

 b>eino in a manner pressed into the service of litera- 



Q 'i 



