DOGS IN LONDON 255 



mettle. 'Tis an ancient and noble principle of 

 action, conceivably advantageous in certain circum- 

 stances ; but in the conditions in which we human 

 beings find ourselves placed it is not tolerated, and 

 the valour and hardihood of our Percivals may no 

 longer shine in the dark forests of this modern 

 world. 



Is it, then, so monstrous a thing, so great a 

 tyranny, that the same restraint which has this 

 long time been put upon the best and brightest 

 of our own kind should now, for the public good, 

 be imposed on our four-footed companions and 

 servants ! True, we think solely of ourselves when 

 we impose the restraint, but incidentally (and 

 entirely apart from the question of rabies) we are 

 at the same time giving the greatest protection to 

 the dogs themselves. Furthermore — and here we 

 come to the point which mainly concerns us — the 

 reflex effect of the muzzle on the dogs themselves 

 may now be seen to be purely beneficial. Confining 

 ourselves to London, the change m the animals' 

 disposition, or at all events behaviour, has been 

 very remarkable. It has forcibly reminded me of 

 the change of temper I have witnessed in a rude, 

 semi - barbarous community when some one in 

 authority has issued an order that at all festivals 

 and other public gatherings every man shall yield 

 up his weapons — knives, pistols, iron -handled 

 whips, etc. — to some person appointed to receive 

 them, or be turned back from the gates. The 

 result of such a general disarmament has been an 



