whofe Character it is written: I remember I HISTORY of the MOST AMAZING and SAGACIOUS ENGLISH DOG. Written by HIMSELF. Were I to reveal the Secret how I have been able to write at all, it would too much stagger human Belief: let it fuffice that I have really done it; and from the incredible Feats People daily fee me perform, a conjectural Argument may be fairly deduced, that it was poffible for me to have written this. The Learned very well know the Tenets of Pythagoras: He maintained the Principles of Tranfmigration that the Bodies of Men were animated by Souls paffing from Brutes, and of Brutes by Souls paffing from Men. This Doctrine has been long exploded; but may it not be true? The Earth was once thought to be immoveable; and it was pronounced an Herefy, doomed to the Faggot, to affirm the contrary. Des Cartes's Syftem of Philofophy had once as many Supporters as Sir Ifaac's has at prefent: Many Opinions have been refumed, that before had been difcarded:-Multa renafcentur, quæ jam cecidere-And why not this of Tranfmigration? VOL. III. G I my. I myself, I folemnly declare, was an Intimate and Fellow-Soldier with Euphorbus, who was afterwards Pythagoras himself: and who knows but those bluff English Maftiffs, who now amicably serve together at the fame Shambles, may inherit, not the Names only, but the very Souls of thofe rival Heroes, Pompey and Cafar, But it were prefumptuous in a fimple Dog, as I am, a mere Brute endued, as 'tis faid, only with Instinct, to enter into phyfical Difquifitions: Yet, I affure you, I have a Memory, not only of what has happened to me in my prefent Shape, but through all my Tranfactions. A few Incidents I fhall felect of my canine State of Life, to which, by a sad Fatality, I have been chiefly confined. First then, it is neceffary to inform you, that I was once the glorious Dog-Star, elevated to the blissful Regions of the Skies. I there enjoyed a tranquil Felicity, till, by my Barking, I imprudently disturbed the Sovereign Jupiter in an Amour with a certain Goddefs. For this Offence I was banished the Heavens; and, as I could not be wholly divefted of Immortality, condemned to inhabit material Beings here on Earth, and do a fhameful Penance in grofs Flesh and Blood, 'Tis not worth while to mention how long I have thus fuffered, or in what different Forms: I was one of those Dogs that encompaffed Scylla, fo renowned in poetical Story: I was one of thofe Dogs that helped to devour their Mafter Acteon; whofe Soul Diana commanded inftantly to enter the dead Body of a Stag newly killed, that he might not be able to blab of her Nakedness.-(Ovid tells the Story otherwife, but this is the Fact.)-I was Ulyffes's faithful Argos, who difcovered my Mafter after Twenty Years Abfence, when his Wife, his Son, and all his Family, could not know him. Among Among the human Mortals, whom I lived in, the chief was that fnarling Philofopher Diogenes, the firft Founder of Tub-Preachers. He was properly ftiled the Cynic, on Account of his dogged Nature; of which I was truly the conftituent Cause. From him I tranfmigrated into many other Bodies, which, at prefent, I have no Inclination to enu merate. I fhall haften to the Period at which I affumed the Form I am now in: I had the Honour to be transmitted into the Carcase of a Puppy fprung from a polite Lady's favourite Lap-Dog: My Education was the tendereft imaginable: The Lady's Son and Heir was not brought up with more Delicacy, Care, and Affection. Unluckily for me, my Parent had not been quite fo curious in her Choice of an Helpmate: I foon difcovered Marks of a Mongrel Breed, and thewed evident Promises of an unfafhionable Size and Shape. In fine, I was expelled the foft Velvet Cufhion of the Drawing Room, and fent down to the hard Mattrafs of the Servants Hall. Before I had paffed the Non-age of Puppy-hood, I found myself transported to an Alehouse Kitchen, for the Servants were worn out with my continual Yelping at my indelicate Situation: the Lady ceafed to enquire after me; and they were glad to get rid of me at any Rate. My new Mafter of the Taphouse clapped me up into a wooden Whirligig, and fet me to work at what is called Spinning of RoastMeat. My Limbs, alas! never inured to Service, and before always indulged in the Luxury of Indolence, could not fubmit to fuch toilfome Employment. Blows only difheartened me; and I learnt the mean Practice of those daftard Curs, that fkulk away in Corners, when they are wanted to get Dinner. After I had increased confiderably in Bulk, almost too big for the Service I was deftined to, a Coach G 2 man, man, who used to drink at our Houfe, was charmed with my Spots: He begged me, easily obtained me, and I was carried to the Stable, where my Spirit was fo broken, that I with Pleasure fuffered the dirty Hands of Grooms to clap me on the Back, and flinking Poftillions to fpit in my Mouth. But my Pride made me more than Amends; for wherever the Coach went, I was always carried in the Boot, and ftuck myself up erect upon the Foot-board: I then thought the Horfes, and all, were at my Command; and, like the Fly upon the Wheel, I attributed to myself the mighty Duft that was raised about me. I was a very docile Creature, and at Times had been taught to fetch and carry, to ftand upon my 'hind Legs, to yawn at Command, and to play a thoufand Tricks that fervile Dogs are obliged to fubmit to. This procured me the Good-will of the grinning Vulgar, and gained me many a caft Bone as a Reward for my Ingenuity. He At length the famous Bampfylde More Carew, (well known in the Country by the Name of Dogtealer) came to the Town where we were: fcraped Acquaintance with me among others of my Species; and enticed us along with him by a Charm no less powerful than the Cake which quieted the Triple-headed Cerberus. For myself, not having been initiated in any of the ruftic Sports, he fold me to a Mountebank at the next Village for Sixpence dry, and a Pot of Flip. With this my new Master and his Merry-Andrew, I travelled over feveral Parts of England, and contributed my Share to their Impofitions on poor, ignorant, gaping Clowns. taught me, upon taking fome innocent Compofition, immediately to counterfeit myself dead: I would throw myself into the moft convulfive Agonies, 'till, upon applying a trifling Liquor to my Noftrils, I could fpring up brifkly upon my Legs, He fhake fhake myself, wag my Tail, fkip about, and show all the evident Tokens of my speedy Recovery. Poverty, and the Apprehenfions of a Gaol, drove my Mafter at laft to feek Refuge in France. Here it was that I first had an Interview, which toon ripened into Intimacy, with the famous Chien Savant, who was then learning thofe Exercifes, which he has fince exhibited with fo much Applaufe in England. I was truck with his Ingenuity: I ftudied his Practices; and in copying after this great Original, I found myfelf able to make many Improvements on them. However, I chose to conceal my Talents, till I should get a favourable Occafion to exert them. After Monfieur Le Chien had been fome Time fettled in England, the ingenious Artist, under whose Tuition I now am, came to Boulogne on the fame Errand with my Mafter. He had feen the fagacious Performances of Le Chien: And when he faw a Specimen of mine, he was in Raptures to meet a Dog of his own Country, that might, at the fame Time I brought Profit to himself, do Honour to the Nation. In a Word, he foon ftruck up a Bargain with my Owner, who having no farther Ufe for me in his medical Capacity, parted with me without Reluctance; and I revifited once more my dear native Land, England. I have ever fince been preparing for Exhibition: My Inftructor, refolving I fhould exceed the Foreigner's Sagacity, has taught me to diftinguish the Greek Alphabet, of which I am now perfect Mafter from Alpha to Omega. I can even found fome of the Letters almoft to a Degree of Speaking; as the x &c. but particularly the ; which I can growl out (efpecially when aflerting my Poffeffion to a Bone) with fuch a guttural Emphafis, as Mr. Moffop, whom I've heard my Owner talk of, cannot equal. G 3 Το |