80 DOG. Class I. 



the Mastiff or Ban dog; a species of great size 

 and strength, and a very loud barker. Ma7i~ 

 wood say s,^ it derives its name from 7imse thefese, 

 being supposed to frighten away robbers by its 

 tremendous voice. Cains tells us that three of 

 these Avere reckoned a match for a bear ; and 

 four for a lion : but from an experiment made 

 in the Tower by James I. that noble quad- 

 ruped was found an unequal match to only 

 three ; two of the dogs were disabled in the 

 combat, but the third forced the lion to seek for 

 safety by flight.'^ The English bull dog seems 

 to belong to this species, and probably is the 

 dog: our author mentions under the title of 

 Laniarius. Great Britain was so noted for 

 its mastiffs, that the Roman Emperors appoint- 

 ed an officer in this island with the title of Pro- 

 curator Cynegii,X whose sole business was to 

 breed, and transmit from hence to the Amphi- 

 theatre, such as would prove equal to the com- 

 bats of the place, 



Magnaque tatirorum fracturi colla Britanni \\. 

 And British dogs subdue the stoutest bulls. 



Gratius speaks in high terms of the excellency 

 of the British dogs, 



* Mamvoods Forest Law. t Sloivs Armuls, 1427- 



X Camd, Brit, in Hampshire. 



11 Claudian de laude Stilichoms. Lib, iii. Lin. 301, 



