THE MASTIFF. 



mongrel, and teazed by its continual barking, at la ft took it up in his mouth 

 by the back, and with great compofure dropped it over the quay, into the 

 river, without doing any farther injury to an enemy fo much his inferior." 

 The MaftifF is generally kept confined by a chain during the day time, and 

 when night approaches, he is turned loofe, to guard and defend the premifes 

 committed to his care ; thefe he examines all over with great attention 

 and accuracy, to fee that all is fafe, and then by his loud barkings, announces 

 his prefence, and readinefs to acquit himfelf faithfully of the truft repofed in 

 him. It appears from Stow's Annals (a), that the MaftifF will attack even a 

 Lion, and an account is there given of an engagement between a Lion and 

 three MaftifFs, in the prefence of King James I. One of the Dogs being put 

 into the Lion's den, was foon difabled : another was then fet at the Lion, 

 and prefently met with the fame fate : but the third inftantly feized the Lion 

 by the lip, and held him faft for fome time, till at length, being terribly 

 wounded by the Lion's claws, he was forced to quit his hold ; when the 

 Lion, who was no doubt much fatigued by the combat, declined renewing 

 the engagement, and leaping over the Dogs, fled away into the interior part 

 his den. The two firft Dogs did not long furvive, but the third recovered 

 and became a great favourite of the king's fon. 



In the time of the Roman emperors, the Englifti MaftifFs were held in 

 high eftimation at Rome, for their ftrength and courage, and an officer was 

 appointed in Britain, on purpofe to breed and tranfport fuch as he thought 

 would prove equal to the combats of the amphitheatre. 



Mr. D'Obfonville relates a lingular inftance of the memory of a MaftifF 

 he had brought up in India, and which accompanied him from Pondicherry 

 to Benglour, a ftrong place of High Maitfour, where he loft him : 

 " Mr. Maifonpre and myfelf," fays he, " were near three weeks on our 

 journey thither, the diftance being more than a hundred leagues by the road 

 we took, during which we traverfed plains and mountains, forded rivers and 

 followed bye-paths ; befides that, we twice made a ftay. This animal, 

 however, which had lived with me ever ft nee he was two months old, and 



(a) Stow's Annals, 1427. 



