Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The dog / by William Youatt. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.
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![Elfric King of Mercia. There are paintings of him that can be satisfac- torily traced to the ninth century. In the time of Canute he was reckoned first in degree of rank among the canine species, and no one under the degree of a gentleman, liberalis, or more properly perhaps a freeholder, was allowed by the forest laws to keep them. Even he could not keep them within two miles of a royal forest, unless two of the toes were cut off, and for every mile that an uncut dog was found within this distance a fine of a shilling was levied on the owner. The nobleman was rarely seen abroad without his hawk upon his fist, and his greyhound at his side. Henry II. was passionately fond of them. John spared no expense to procure good horses and swift hounds, and appears frequently to have received greyhounds in lieu of money on the issue or removal of grants. For the renewal of a grant in the year 1203 he received five hundred marks, ten horses, and ten leashes of greyhounds, and for another, in 1210, one swift running horse and six greyhounds. The Isle of Dogs now devoted to purposes of commerce, derived its name from its having been, at this period, the receptacle of the grey- hounds and spaniels of this monarch. It was selected on account of its contiguity to Waltham and the other royal forests where coursing was a frequent amusement. For the same purpose he often took up his abode at Greenwich. Blount's Ancient Tenures abound with instances of the high repute in which this dog has ever been held in Great Britain. The holders of land in the manor of Setene in Kent were compelled, as the condition of their tenure to Edward I. and II., to lend their greyhounds, when this king went into Gascony, so long as a pair of shoes of 4d. price would last. Edward III. was partial to greyhounds; for when he was engaged in war with France he took with him sixty couples of them, besides other large hunting dogs. Charles L was as fond of the greyhound as his son Charles II. was of the spaniel. Sir Philip Warwick thus writes of that unfortunate monarch : Methinks, because it shows his dislike of a common court vice, it is not unworthy the relating of him, that one evening, his dog scratching at his door, he commanded me to let in Gipsy ; whereupon I took the boldness to say, Sir, I perceive you love a greyhound better than you do a spaniel. Yes, says he, for they equally love their masters, and yet do not flatter them so much. ° A singular story is told of Richard 11., and one of these dogs. It is given in the language of Froissart. A grayhounde called Mithe, who always wayted upon the kynge, and woulde knowe no man els. For when so ever the kynge did ryde, he that kept the grayhounde dyd lette him lose, and he wolde streyght runne to the kynge and faune uppon hym, and leape with his fore fete uppon the kynge's shoulders. And, as the kynge and the Erie of Derby talked togyder in the courte, the grayhounde, who was wonte to leape uppon the kynge, left the kynge and came to the Erie of Derhy, Duke of Lancastre ; and made to him the same friendly continuance and chere as he was wonte to do to the kynge. The duke, who knewe not the grayhounde, demanded of the kynge what the gray- hounde wolde do? 'Cousin,' quod the kynge, ' it is a greate goode token to you, and an evyl signe to me.' ' How knowe you that?' quod the duke. 'I knowe it well,' quod the kynge. ' The grayhounde acknowledged you here this daye as Kynge of England, as ye shal he, and I sha] he deposed; the grayhounde hath this knowledge naturally: therefore take hym to you, he wyll followe you and forsake me.' The duke understood well those words, and cheryshed the gray- hounde, who wolde never after followe kynge Richarde, but followed the Duke of Lancastre.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21459277_0045.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
