VII. THE ENGLISH MASTIFF. A French Officer, more remarkable for his birth and spirit, than for his riches, had served the Venetian Republic with great valour and fidelity for some years, but had not met with preferment, by any means adequate to his merits. One day he waited on the Illustrissimo, who n he had often solicited in vain, but on whose friendship he still had some reliance. The reception he met with, was cool and mortifying: the noble turned his back on the necessitous veteran, and left him to find his way to the street, through a suit of apartments magnificently furnished. He passed them, lost in thought, till casting his eyes on a sumptuous sideboard, where stood on a damask cloth, as a preparation for a splendid entertainment, an invaluable collection of Venice glass, polished and formed to the highest degree of perfection; he took hold of the corner of the linen, and turning to a faithful English Mastiff, which always accompanied him, said to the animal, in a kind of absence of mind......' There, my poor old friend, you see how these scoundrels enjoy themselves, and yet you see how we are treated!" The poor dog looked up in his master's face, and wagged his tail, as if he understood him. The master walked on, but the Mastiff, slackening his pace, and laying hold of the damask cloth with his teeth, at one hearty pull brought the whole sideboard to the ground, and deprived the insolent noble of his favourite exhibition of splendor! VIII. THE THIEF-TAKING DOG. In October 1800, a young man going into a place of public entertainment at Paris, was told that his dog would not be permitted to enter; and he was accordingly left at the door with the guard. The young man had scarcely entered the lobby, when his watch was stolen; he returned to the guard, and prayed that his dog might be admitted, as through his means he might discover the thief. The dog was suffered to accompany his master, who intimated to the animal that he had lost something: the dog set out immediately in quest of the strayed article, and fastening on the thief, whose guilt on searching him, was made apparent: the fellow had no less than six watches in his pocket, which being laid before the dog, he distinguished his master's, took it up by the string, and bore it to him in safety. IX. THE DOG AND THE PYEMAN. Mr. Smellie relates a curious anecdote of a dog, who at this time (1804) belongs to a Grocer in Edinburgh, which has, for some time amused and astonished the people in that neighbourhood. A man, who goes through the streets, ringing a bell, and selling penny pies, happened to treat this dog with a pie. The next time he heard the pyeman's bell, he ran to him with impetuousity, seized him by the coat, and would not suffer him to depart. The pyeman, who understood what the animal wanted, shewed him a penny, and pointed to his master, who stood at the street-door, and saw what was going on. The dog immediately supplicated his master by many humble gestures and looks. The master puts a penny into the dog's mouth, which he instantly delivered to the pyeman, and received his pie. This traffic between the pyeman and the grocer's dog, has been daily practised, for months past, and still continues to this day. X. THE MAGISTRATE'S DOG. A few days before the overthrow of Robespierre, a revolutionary tribunal had condemned Monsieur K- an ancient magistrate, and a most estimable man, on a pretence of finding him guilty of a conspiracy. Monsieur K- had a water spaniel, at that time about twelve years old, which had been brought up by him, and had scarce ever quitted his side. Monsieur K- was cast into prison, and in the silence of a living tomb he was left to pine in thought, under the iron scourge of the tyrant; who, if he extended life to those whom his wantonness had proscribed, until death became a prayer, only to tantalize them with the blessing of murder, when he imagined he could effectually torture them with the curse of existence. it was The faithful dog, however, was with him when he was first seized, but was not suffered to enter the prison; he took refuge with a neighbour of his late master. But that posterity may judge clearly of the times in which Frenchmen existed at that period, it must be added, that this man received the poor dog, trembling, and in secret, lest his humanity for his friend's dog should bring him to the scaffold. Every day, at the same hour, the dog returned to the door of the prison, but was still refused admittance; he, however, uniformly, passed some time there; such unremitted fidelity at last won even the porter of a prison, and the dog was, at length allowed to enter: the joy of both the master. and dog was mutual; it was difficult to separate them; but the honest jailor, fearing for himself, carried the dog out of the prison; the next morning, however, he again came back, and once on each day afterDd 2 VOL. II. wards was regularly admitted by the humane jailor. When the day of receiving sentence arrived, notwithstanding the guards which jealous power, conscious of its danger, stations around, the dog penetrated into the hall, and couched himself between the legs of the unhappy man, whom he was about to lose for ever. The fatal hour of execution arrives, the doors open, his dog receives him at the threshold! His faithful dog alone, even under the eye of the tyrant, dared to own a dying friend! He clings to his hand undaunted! Alas, that hand will never more be spread upon thy head, poor dog!'......exclaimed the condemned: the axe falls, but the tender adherent cannot leave the body; the earth receives it, and the mourner spreads himself upon the grave, where he passed the first night, the next day, and the second night. The neighbour, meantime unhappy at not seeing the dog, and guessing the asylum he had chosen, steals forth by night, and finding him, caresses, and brings him back. The good man tries every way that kindness could devise to make him eat; but in a short time the animal escaping, regained his favourite place. Every morning, for months, the mourner returned to his protector, merely to receive his food, and then went back to the ashes of his deceased master! and each day he was more sad, more meagre and more languishing. but His protector, at length endeavoured to wean him, he tied him; what manacle is there that can ultimately triumph over nature? He broke or bit through his bonds, again returned to the grave, and never quitted it more! It was in vain that all kind means were used to bring him back; even the humane jailor assisted to take him food, but he would eat no longer! for four and twenty hours, he was absolutely observed to employ (O force of genuine love) his weakened limbs in dig ging up the earth that separated him from the being he had served; affection gave him strength, but his efforts were too vehement for his powers: his whole frame became convulsed; he shrieked in his struggles; his attached and generous heart gave way, and he ceased to breathe, with his last look turned upon the grave, as if he knew he had found, and again should be permitted to associate with his master; and that Ilis faithful dog should bear him company.' Anecdote of the late Duke of Marlborough. Soon after victory had declared itself in favour of the British arms, at the battle of Blenheim, the gallant Duke, in traversing the ranks, observed a soldier leaning in a pensive manner on the but-end of his musquet... ...His Grace immediately accosted him thus, Why so pensive my friend, after so glorious a victory?'.... It may be glorious,' replied the son of Mars, but I have only earned four-pence by the glory it was my good fortune to assist in acquiring.' It is not known whether the general possessed sufficient sentiments to render this anecdote more worthy of record. THE DANGERS OF DELAY, BY JOHN GIFFORD, ESQ. CE NERES and Pomona, the fair hand-maids of Autumn had just re, ceived The well-paid recompence of cheerful toil, The trees clad in their saffron robes, proclaimed the near approach of winter; in short, it was the latter end of October, when...thanks to the partial favours of the blind goddess!...having more food than appetite, I resolved to court the vulgar smiles of peasant-loving Hunger. Seaton, the companion of my youth, disgusted with a service in which the strongest claims of merit are constantly silenced by the more powerful clamours of rank and interest; shocked, too, at seeing Ignorance at the helm, which should be swayed but by the hand of Wisdom; had retired from the quarter-deck to a snug box in the neighbourhood of Kilburn; where, with a wife he cherished, and an income which scorned dependence, he enjoyed the true Otium cum dignitate and at the sight of an old friend, would exclaim, with enthusiastic ardour...' Inveni portum.' But whether to his fair habitation, or to his fairer spouse, this exclamation was directed, let abler casuist's determine. Hither, then, to court stern Labour's offspring,' by health promoting exercise, I resolved to bend my steps. The morning was cold. I took my way across the fields. A sharp easterly wind had strewed the path with leaves; the hedges were stripped of their autumnal garb; the chilled birds, with drooping wings, sat in melancholy on the quivering spray every thing wore a wintry appearance. I was advancing rapidly, with my hat flapped over my face, to shelter me from the keen blast; and had reached the second stile, when a feeble voice, imploring charity, struck my ear. I have said the wind blew cold; alas! it blew to my heart, froze its genial current, and rendered it callous to the plaints of woe-worn misery, of expiring wretchedness. I paid no attention to the prayer; nor should have looked aside to notice the object who proffered it, but from accident. The stile was narrow; and immediately before me was an elderly : 6 couple, with an infant family, who so fully occupied it for some minutes, that I was compelled to stop. The beggar repeated his petition, but in a voice so broken by weakness as to be scarcely intelligible. I now turned my eyes towards him, and beheld every emblem of wretchedness realized in his person the furrows in his cheeks seemed as channels expressly formed by the hand of Misery for the tears of grief; penury, more than age, had immaturely thinned and silvered his locks, bared to the cutting air, from which his body was but half sheltered by a tattered rug; the damps to which he was constantly exposed had brought on an ague; and he assured me that he had neither received succour nor sustenance for three whole days. But, Heaven be praised!' said he, I have not long to suffer! My hand, by an involuntary impulse, was directed to my pocket; but as the devil would have it, my great coat was buttoned to the bottom, and my money was in my waistcoat-pocket: at this time, too, the stile was cleared...' I am sorry, friend, I have no halfpence,' said I. The beggar cast his eyes upwards, and sighed. It was the sigh of resignation, not of reproach. I blushed inwardly; but again repeated, though with added softness of voice... I shall see you, my good friend, on my return.'...' Heaven reward you, Sir!' said he, I am sorry, my good friend, I have no halfpence now.' As I got over the stile... It is a lye a pitiful lye! a vicious lye!' said Conscience. No,' says Sentiment, it is no such thing: though it be, in fact, a deviation from truth, it is not only a justifiable, but a laudable, deviation; for though it stung by disappointment, it soothed by hope; and as it is intended to realize the hope it raised, it was a delusion founded in virtue.” Though the suggestions of Sentiment pleased, they did not convince: Conscience is a powerful monitor, and will be heard, even where she is not respected. . I walked forward, but with uncertain steps; it was the pace of hesitation; one moment rapid, as if anxious to leave my feelings at a distance behind me; the next slow, as half tempted to return and repair what I felt to be worse than error. In this painful struggle between Sentiment and Conscience, I had proceeded the length of two fields, when an object presented itself which put an instant termination to the contest, by fairly driving both the combatants from the field of battle. It was a lovely young girl leaning on a gate her eyes, from which stole a silent tear, intently fixed on the ground; her jetty locks, yet undefiled by art, in native ringlets sported in the wind, which had given an added bloom to the reses of health, in vernal vigour flourishing on her fair cheek, and apparently receiving fresh beauty from the wholesome dews of sorrow which so sweatly besprinkled them. Her dress was of that kind as, with its first gloss on, would have been favoured with the significant epithet decent; but in its present state, betrayed evident symptoms of poverty in a word, it had been good, but was worse for wear.' I stopped short to view this interesting object; and a fresh conflict now arose within my bosom. I resolved to address her; whether in the tone of easy familiarity, or of respectful civility, was the question, Nature prompted the latter mode; bat Worldly Wisdom, who ever sets the dictates of Nature at defiance, and with affected arrogance assumes a despotic authority which, with supercilious disdain she exerts on all occasions, in contempt of honour, in scorn of pectitude.... Wordly |