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the figure of the French matin, or the great Dane. 
His eve was mild, his colour white, and his 
nature seemed heavy and phlegmatic. This I as- 
cribed to his having been bred up to a size beyond 
his nature ; for we see in man, and all other ani- 
mals, that such as are overgrown are neither so 
vigorous nor alert as those of a more moderate 
stature. The greatest pains have been taken with 
these to enlarge the breed, both by food and 
matching. This eiid was effectually obtained, 
indeed, ■ for the size was enormous ; but, as it 
seemed to me, at the expense of the animal’s fierce- 
ness, vigilance, and sagacity. However, I was 
informed otherwise ; the gentleman who bred 
them assuring me that a mastiff would be nothing 
when opposed to one of them, who generally 
seized their antagonist by the back ; he added, 
that they would worry the strongest bull-dogs, in a 
few minutes, to death. But this strength did not 
appear either in their figure or their inclinations ; 
they seemed rather more timid than the ordinary 
race of dogs; and their skin was much thinner, 
and consequently less fitted for combat. Whether, 
with these disadvantages they were capable, as 
I was told, of singly coping with bears, others 
may determine ; however, they have but few op- 
portunities, in their own country, of exerting their 
strength, as all wild carnivorous animals there are 
only of the vermin kind. M. Button seems to be 
of opinion that these' are the true Molossian dogs 
of the ancients ; he gives no reason for this opi- 
nion ; and I am apt to think it ill -grounded. Not 
to trouble the reader with a tedious critical dis- 
quisition, which I have all along avoided, it will 
be sufficient to observe, that 'Nemesiarms, in giving 
directions for the choice of a bitch, advises to have 
one of Spartan or Molossian breed ; and, among 
several other perfections, he says, that the ears 
