ver failed to go every Sunday to the village church. The
other dogs in the neighbourhood used to follow him thither, so that
the church was often full of these animals. This being considered a
nuisance, orders were given by the magistrates, at one of the petty
courts held for regulating the affairs of the village, that the
inhabitants should be enjoined to keep all their dogs locked up every
Sunday during the time of divine service. The magistrate who presided
in this court said, in a loud and authoritative tone of voice, "I will
suffer no dogs in the church; let me not see one there in future." The
mastiff happened to be lying under the table in the court when these
words were spoken, to which he appeared to listen with great
attention. On the ensuing Sunday the dog rose at an early hour, ran
from house to house through the village, barking at the windows, and
at last took his station before the church-door, to see whether any of
his companions would venture to approach it, notwithstanding the
prohibition. Unfortunately one of them appeared. The mastiff
immediately fell upon him with the utmost fury, bit him to death, and
dragged him out into the street. He continued in the same manner for
several subsequent Sundays to stand sentinel, without ever entering
the church.

Captain Brown gives an interesting instance of the gentleness of a
mastiff towards a child. He says that a large and fierce mastiff,
which had broken his chain, ran along a road near Bath, to the great
terror and consternation of those whom he passed. When suddenly
running by a most interesting boy, the child struck him with a stick,
upon which the dog turned furiously on his infant assailant. The
little fellow, so far from being intimidated, ran up to him, and flung
his arms round the neck of the enraged animal, which instantly became
appeased, and in return caressed the child. It is a fact well known,
that few dogs will bite a child, or even a young puppy. Captain Brown
adds, that he possesses a mastiff, which will not allow any one of his
family to take a bone from him except his youngest child.

A chimney-sweeper had ordered his dog, a mastiff crossed with a
bull-dog, to lie down on his soot-bag, which he had placed
inadvertently almost in the middle of a narrow back-street in the town
of Southampton. A loaded coal-cart passing by, the driver desired the
dog to move out of the way. On refusing to do so, he was scolded, then
beaten, first gently, an