Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-05-19
A Curious Chapter on the sfDog Of the An
80 cients.O

1 q .
4, AS to the particular sort of dogs cultivated b.
the ancients one does not gather much Of dis
tinct; for their treatises on OyBegetics, DC, or
destitute of figures, which can alone give AM
certain idea of them. Tie stag honnd, the bar
rier the lnastiff, the grey hound, plairly apppea
Lin their monuments The Moll0ssian usually
supposed sort OF mastiff-and the Spartan
iperhaps q abloodhound-w famous. The ohiel
Persian dog seems to have been sort of coarse
and tall greyhound. Mixed with the finer Ital
ian, it may have given rise to the several breeds
of the species. .h
Dogs have had their influence In philosophy.
The opinions, manners, and morals OF dogs were
supposed to ba initiated by that ancient leveller,
| Diopines, who got from his shamelessness the
name of cynic, or dog. His notions OF laws,
government, the principles and the decencies Of
| life. public and private, were truly canine, and
not little abolitionist- approaching very close
tly to those of brother Greeley and the Higher
Law men. 5 .1st,. ~.
| Dogs have also risen, in certain countries to
the highest public offices. Elis1, for instance
tells US of people of Ethiopa among whom
dog was the chief magistrate. He says not how
the animal was chosen, but it was probably by
some caucus or convention, which, being man
aged by groolns and whippers-in, at last came
to lind canine ruler the most convenient to
them. A horse rose to the Consulshipin Rome,
probably by dint Of going well in the party ira
ces; and who can doubt that, of the two instan-
ces of political trust, the dog is the discreetera
Among the Mahommedans, the dog is well
known TO enjoy very peculiar regard. Chari-
ty TO them is considered scarcely less meritori-
Gus than to the human race and hence the
streets of their towns abound in troops OF dogs,
living without masters, at the public expense
Indeed, they believe that their heaven contains
two sacred quadrupeds; one, the camel that
Mahomlnet was accustomed to ride; the other
the dog that was the watch Of the sleeepers 10
their long nap in the Ephesian cave. The latter
animal is the we'll known prototype OF Kip van.
Wrinkles lean cur, in. Irving's Legend OF Sleepy
Hollow-perhaps as good an immortality as tnat
given his original in the Koran.
We might add something Of that which the
natarasts have almost neglected-the manners
and the moral emotions of dogs. And, tirst, OF
what are called their minor morals their ideas
of politeness, though somewhat peculiar, are ve-
~ cerelnonious They are skillful observers OF
the physiognomy. Their own is expressive; but
the tail is one of its chief features, and so mani
testify the main seat Of their pleasurable sensa- |
tiops that it must be cruel thing to deprive
them of it. Perhaps, however, to do so relieves
them of all that CONSERVATION or shame which
dog is invariably agitated BY, when he sticks it
between his legs. They are the only brutes
that display, like men, each an entire individ-
ualIty of character. They have very distinct
notlons of propriety. A wild turkey is said to
be able to count; but dogs cannot. Their asso-
citation with man has taught them some Of his
fauts-as that of setting on any poor dog in dis
tress that they see and helping to worry him |
The big ones are usually quiet and generous
the little, noisy and ins,'lent.
- = But we have said our say, and
will leave the rest for some dog.book OF your
own.-.St Louis Leader.