NATURAL HISTORY. 
59 
rhc MASTIFF. 
T his very ufefulaiicl ineftiniable animal 
we have chofen, as firft worthy our par- 
ticular notice, it being the largeft, and of 
:hie moft eflential fervice to; man. 
The mafliffpofTe-fles groat fiAC and ftrength ; 
has a large head, with hanging lips, and a 
noble countenance. This creature is fo for- 
midable, that, Gains fays, the Romans reck- 
oned three of them a match for a bear, and 
four for a lion. Gi'eat Britain was fo famous 
for maflifl's, that the Roman emperors ap- 
pointed an officer to fuperintend their breed, 
and lend them at a proper age, to Rome, for 
the combats in the Amphitheatre. In Eng- 
land, they arc ufually kept to guard 3'ards, 
houfes, and other places. 
In order to try the ftrength of this crea- 
ture, James I. eaufed three of them to be 
loofed on a lion, which was vanquiflied by 
their ftrength and courage. Two of the 
dogs were, indeed, difabled in the combat, 
■but the third obliged the lion to feck hisfafe- 
ty by ftight. .From the fiz.e, ftrength, and 
•courage, of this noble creature, we may pre- 
fume, lliat nature efpecially formed him for 
the guardianfhip of mankind ; and being the 
pa’-ticnlar growth of this country, we ought 
to hold ourlelvcs greatly indebted to Prov-i- 
de'Rce, for fo partial and hn aluabJe a bounty 
which 
