THE EXTINCT BRITISH WOLF. 
145 
family, a wolf entered the house ; and Llewellyn, who first re- 
turned, was met at the .door by his favourite dog, who came 
out, covered with blood, to greet his master. The prince, 
alarmed, ran into the house, to find his child’s cradle over- 
turned, and the ground flowing with blood. In a moment of 
terror, imagining that the dog had killed the child, he plunged 
his sword into his body, and laid him dead on the spot. But, 
on turning up the cradle, he found his boy alive and sleeping 
by the side of the dead wolf. This circumstance had such an 
effect on the mind of the prince, that he erected a tomb over 
the faithful dog’s grave on the spot where afterwards the 
parish church was built, called from this incident Bedd Gelert, or 
the grave of Gelert. From this story was derived the common 
Welsh proverb, “I repent as much as the man who slew his 
greyhound.” 
The dog referred to belonged probably to the race called by 
Pennant “ the Highland gre-hound,” of great size and strength, 
deep-chested, and covered with long rough hair. This kind 
was much esteemed in former days, and was used for hunting 
by all the great chieftains in preference to any other. Boe- 
thius styles it “ genus venaticum cum celerrimum turn au- 
dacissimum .” 
1216-1272. In the following reign of Henry III. wolves 
were still sufficiently numerous in some parts of the country to 
induce the King to make grants of land to various individuals 
upon the express condition of their taking measures to destroy 
these animals wherever they could be found. 
In 1242 it appears that Yitalis Engaine made partition with 
William de Cantelupe, Baron of Bergavenny, of the manor of 
Badmundesfield, in Suffolk, as heir to William de Curtenai, 
and the same year had a summons, amongst divers great men, 
to attend the King, well appointed with horse and arms, in his 
expedition into France. He died in 1249, seized, inter alia , of 
part of the lordships of Laxton and Pichesle, in the county of 
Northampton, held by “petit seijeanty,” viz. to hunt the wolf 
whensoever the King should command.* 
Selden, in his notes to Drayton’s “Polyolbion” (ix. 76), 
refers to the manor of Piddlesey in Leicestershire, which was 
held by one Henry of Angage per serjeantiam capiendi lupos , 
and quotes as his authority Itin. Leicester. 27 Hen. III. in 
Archiv. Turr. Lond. In the same reign, William de Limeres 
held of the King in capite , in the county of Southampton, one 
carucate of land in Comelessend by the service of hunting the 
wolf with the King’s dogs.f 
* Dugdale’s “ Baronage,” vol. i. p. 466. 
Esc. temp. H. R, fil. B,. Johannis. Harl. MS. Brit. Mus. No. 708, p. 8. 
NEW SERIES, VOL. II. NO. VI. L 
