her inquiry, it was proved
that he and one of his servants had formed the design of robbing the
house and murdering the lady, in her unprotected condition, during the
absence of her servants; but, by the watchfulness and courage of her
dog, their design was frustrated.

An anecdote is related of a mastiff, who, in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth, when Lord Buckhurst was ambassador at the Court of Charles
the Ninth, alone and unassisted, successively engaged a bear, a
leopard, and a lion, and pulled them all down.

Very extraordinary stories have been told of these and some other
kinds of dogs discovering and circumventing plans to injure the
persons of their masters, in which it is difficult to place implicit
credit. We give one of the most marvellous of these anecdotes, as it
is usually related:--

Sir H. Lee, of Ditchley, in Oxfordshire, ancestor of the late Earls of
Lichfield, had a mastiff which guarded the house and yard, but had
never met with any particular attention from his master. In short, he
was not a favourite dog, and was retained for his utility only, and
not from any partial regard.

One night, as Sir Harry was retiring to his chamber, attended by his
favourite valet, an Italian, the mastiff silently followed them
up-stairs, which he had never been known to do before, and, to his
master's astonishment, presented himself in the bed-room. Being deemed
an intruder, he was instantly ordered to be turned out; which, being
complied with, the poor animal began scratching violently at the door,
and howling loudly for admission. The servant was sent to drive him
away. Discouragement, however, could not check his intended labour of
love; he returned again, and was more importunate to be let in than
before. Sir Harry, weary of opposition, though surprised beyond
measure at the dog's apparent fondness for the society of a master who
had never shown him the least kindness, and wishing to retire to rest,
bade the servant open the door, that they might see what he wanted to
do. This done, the mastiff, with a wag of the tail, and a look of
affection at his lord, deliberately walked up, and crawling under the
bed, laid himself down, as if desirous to take up his night's lodging
there.

To save farther trouble, and not from any partiality for his company,
this indulgence was allowed. The valet withdrew, and all was still.
About the solemn hour of midnight the chamber door opened, and a
person was heard stepping across