Part 9

Hirsutæque fremunt Cressæ, tenuesque Lacænæ, Magnaque taurorum fracturæ colla Britannæ.

The first we must acknowledge to be nare sagaces; the second pedibus celeres, the slenderest and speediest hounds, probably, known to the poet, in the absence of the Vertragus,—whom alone we consider swift of foot, and entitled to rank under the class so denominated. The Britannæ justly exemplify the dogs of combat—gravioribus aptæ morsibus.

[Sidenote: Jul. Firmici L. +v.+ c. +viii.+]

Julius Firmicus comprehends the whole genus under the triple distinction of “Molossi, Vertragi, et qui sunt ad venationes accomodati,”—meaning to include in the latter periphrasis the whole class of sagacious hounds, as he does the pugnacious under the title of Molossi.

Of Oppian’s tripartite arrangement, exemplified in the portraits which he has drawn of the individuals representative of each class, and of his farther distinction, founded on purity and commixture of blood, I shall hereafter speak; assuming at present, on the authority of the cited passages, that all the more celebrated varieties of the canine race, mentioned in the Cynegetica of Greece and Rome, of the date referred to, may be classified under the triple division of pugnaces, sagaces, and celeres.

[Sidenote: Xenophon. Memor. L. +iii.+ c. +xi.+]

[Sidenote: H. in Dianam.]

In Xenophon, and the earlier Greek writers, we do not trace more than a twofold division into pugnaces and sagaces; the varieties of the latter class differing, perhaps, amongst themselves in degrees of swiftness. Indeed, that they did so is evident from what Socrates remarks of the sagacity and speed of different individuals of the race, in the well-known interview with the beautiful, meretricious Theodota:—ὅτι δὲ μεθ’ ἡμέραν ἀποδιδράσκουσιν οἱ λαγὼς ἄλλας κτῶνται κύνας, αἵτινες, ᾗ ἂν ἐκ τῆς νομῆς εἰς τὴν εὐνὴν ἀπέλθωσι, τῇ ὀσμῇ αἰσθανόμεναι, εὑρίσκουσιν αὐτούς ὅτι δὲ ποδώκεις εἰσὶν, ὥστε καὶ ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ τρέχοντες ἀποφεύγειν, ἄλλας αὖ κύνας ταχείας παρασκευάζονται, ἵνα κατὰ πόδας ἁλίσκωνται. The swift-footed of this passage must not be interpreted as the celeres of our third class, which will be found to contain only the Vertragus of Arrian;—on whose authority it is affirmed that the greyhound was unknown in Greece in the days of the Socratic Xenophon. Probably, they were the most speedy of the Canes Laconici, to which the philosopher alludes—the θάσσονες αὐράων κυνοσουρίδες of Callimachus.

[Sidenote: Vide Jani Vlitii Venat. Novantiq.]

In accordance with the distinctions pointed out in the classical kennels is the threefold character of ancient hunting: but as coursing properly so called, (the third variety of chase peculiar to the Vertragus), was of late introduction in comparison with hunting, the two grand divisions of the sports of the field may be considered as primarily founded on the twofold distinction of canes pugnaces or bellicosi, and canes sagaces; and by Gratius, under the terms arma and artes, both are vividly depicted.

[Sidenote: Certaine Illustrations of the Cyneg. Poem of Gratius. p. 17.]

“The one,” says Christopher Wase, “is a desperate and gladiator-like entering the lists with beasts, and assaulting them by violence; which was the school of cruelty and ignorant course of ancient Nimrods: the other a crafty circumventing them by wiles, which is the child of ingenious invention, much assisting man to reestablish him in his empire over the beasts of the field, that hath been so much empayred.” Then, again, he observes, “the magnum opus is bold and hazardous hunting of great beasts, and leve opus is hard-riding and pursuit of little fugacious quarry.”

It was left to the courser of Nicomedia, the Bithynian Xenophon, to place on record in his supplementary Cynegeticus, and to illustrate from his personal experience, the third variety of chase with dogs peculiar to Celtica;—which we have designated as forming a class of themselves, under the title of pedibus celeres, of the greatest speed of foot and least sagacity of nose of the whole genus, running entirely on sight of their game. The Celtic or Gallic hound does not appear to have been introduced generally into the more southern parts of Europe, till after the dissolution of the commonwealth of Rome. He is first mentioned by Ovid; and his style of coursing the hare so exquisitely described, that it must have been derived from actual experience in the field rather than hearsay; which latter alone seems to have given him admission into the Cynegeticon of Gratius, Ovid’s contemporary.

[Sidenote: J. Vlitii Venat. Novant.]

The earliest systematic account of the two first varieties of Venatio, will be found in the Cynegeticus of the elder Xenophon; who describes in the 6th chapter the style of hunting the hare in the mountainous, woodland regions of Greece, with all its poaching-gear: and in the 9th, 10th, and 11th chapters, the chase of deer, boars, lions, pards, lynxes, panthers, and bears. The Greeks were entirely unacquainted with the third species of Venatio, named, for distinction’s sake, Venatio cursoria, as the others are V. bellica, and V. indagatoria.

[Sidenote: Plin. Paneg. Trag. dict.]

The animals obnoxious to the chase were suitable to its different varieties, and coped with by classic hunters according to the prowess of each game. Some creatures being timid and fugacious, others of great strength and ferocity, and a third class wily and artful,—the hunters were wont, in the words of Pliny’s panegyric, “certare cum fugacibus feris cursu, cum audacibus robore, cum callidis astu;”—thereby acquiring, in Diana’s school of mimic war, the necessary experimental knowledge for following the flying foe, or contending with the daring, or the subtle, in the field of real battle.

Gratius has elegantly sketched the beasts of Venery in his Halieutic fragment:

[Sidenote: Gratii Halieut. vs. 71.]

Cætera quæ densas habitant animalia sylvas, Aut vani quatiunt semper lymphata timores, Aut trahit in præceps non sana ferocia mentis. Ipsa sequi natura monet, vel cominùs ire, Impiger ipse leo venantum sternere pergit Agmina, et adversis infert sua pectora telis: Quòque venit, fidens magis, et sublatior ardet, Concussitque toros, et viribus addidit iram, Prodigus atque suo properat sibi robore lethum. Fœdus Lucanis provolvitur ursus ab antris, Quid nisi pondus iners, stolidæque ferocia mentis? Actus aper setis iram denunciat hirtis, Et ruit oppositi nitens in vulnera ferri, Pressus, et emisso moritur per viscera telo. Altera pars fidens pedibus, dat terga sequenti, Ut pavidi lepores, et fulvo tergore damæ, Et capto fugiens cervus sine fine timore.

Oppian’s distribution of them into classes is nearly similar:

[Sidenote: Oppian. Cyneg. L. +iv.+ 25.]

θηρῶν οἱ μὲν ἔασιν ἐπίφρονες, αἰολόβουλοι, ἀλλὰ δέμας βαιοί τοὶ δ’ ἔμπαλιν ἀλκήεντες, βουλὴν δ’ ἐν στήθεσσιν ἀνάλκιδες οἱ δ’ ἄρ’ ὁμαρτῆ καὶ κραδίην δειλοὶ, καὶ γυῖα πέλουσ’ ἀμενηνοὶ, ἀλλὰ πόδεσσι θοοί τοῖσιν δὲ θεὸς πόρε πάντα, βουλὴν κερδαλέην, κρατερὸν μένος, ὠκέα γοῦνα. γιγνώσκουσι δ’ ἕκαστος ἑῆς φύσιος κλυτὰ δῶρα, ἔνθ’ ὀλιγοδρανέες τε καὶ ἔνθα πέλουσι δαφοινοί. κ. τ. λ.

And in Claudian we recognise a summary classification of the same distinctive characters, adapted to the threefold varieties of the dog already noticed in his poem:

[Sidenote: Claudian. de Laud. Stilic. L. +iii.+]

capitur decus omne timorque Silvarum. Non cauta latent: non mole resistunt Fortia: non volucri fugiunt pernicia cursu.

A minute description of each particular chase would exceed the limits of a compendium, and lead me into too extensive a field.

[Sidenote: Oppian. Cyneg. L. +iv.+ 10.]

εἴδεα πολλὰ πέλει κλειτῆς πολυεργέος ἄγρης, ἄρμενα καὶ θήρεσσι καὶ ἔθνεσιν ἠδὲ χαράδραις, μυρία τίς κεν ἅπαντα μιῇ φρενὶ χωρήσειεν, εἰπέμεναι κατὰ μοῖραν;

Let a few brief sketches of the more celebrated suffice—beginning with the hare-chase of the keenest and most accomplished sportsman of the classic ages.

[Sidenote: De Venatione c. +vi.+ 13.]

[Sidenote: Sic apud Dindorfii Annot. in loco, pro κακάς.]

After the snares and nets are duly set, and a man placed to watch them, the first-fruits of the sport being vowed to Apollo and Diana Ἀγροτέρα, Xenophon slips one of his most keen-nosed dogs, σοφωτάτη ἰχνεύειν, the rest of the pack being held singly at the covert. If this finder hit on a scent, a second dog is immediately slipped, and a third, and so on till the whole pack are in full cry after the started hare. The huntsman follows with his pole, and chlamys wrapped about his hand, cheering the dogs, Ἰῶ κύνες, ἰῶ κύνες, σαφῶς γε ὦ κύνες, καλῶς γε ὦ κύνες,—taking care not to head the game—μὴ ὑπαντᾷν ἄπορον γὰρ—for nobody but a bungler and no-sportsman is guilty of this. It is then customary to shout to the watchman at the nets, Αὐτῷ παῖς, αὐτῷ παῖς, παῖ δὴ, παῖ δὴ—To her, boy! to her, boy! now, boy! now, boy!—the latter replying whether the hare be taken or not. If she be captured, the hounds are called off, and begin to draw for a second; but if not, and they again hit off the scent, the halloo should be Εὖγε, εὖγε ὦ κύνες, ἕπεσθε ὦ κύνες. If the dogs are got very forward, so that the huntsman cannot keep up, but is thrown out—neither seeing them, nor hearing their cry—he should keep running on, calling to every one he happens to come near, and inquiring for the pack—ἦ κατεῖδες ὠῆ τὰς κύνας;

[Sidenote: Sic apud C. Gesner. vox bacchantium in mountibus!]

[Sidenote: Vide Savary Alb. Dianæ Leporicidæ.]

[Sidenote: Xen. de Venat. c. +vi.+ 23.]

When he finds them, if still on scent, he should cheer, and call every dog by name as often as possible, varying the intonations of his voice. If the hare has made for the mountains, he should encourage them with Εὖα κύνες, εὖα ὦ κύνες: but if they have over-shot the scent, he should call them back—Hark back, dogs! hark back!—οὐ πάλιν, οὐ πάλιν ὦ κύνες: when brought back to the scent, he should draw around, making many casts, (κύκλους,) even up to the line of the nets, encouraging the dogs till they again pick up the scent—αἱ δὲ διαῤῥιπτοῦσαι τὰς οὐρὰς, καὶ ἑαυταῖς ἐμπίπτουσαι, καὶ πολλὰ ὑπερπηδῶσαι, καὶ ἐπανακλαγγάνουσαι, ἐπαναίρουσαι τὰς κεφαλὰς, εἰσβλέπουσαι εἰς τὸν κυνηγέτην, ἐπιγνωρίζουσαι ἀληθῆ εἶναι ἤδη ταῦτα, ὑφ’ αὑτῶν ἀναστήσουσι τὸν λαγὼ, καὶ ἐπιᾶσι κεκλαγγυῖαι—starting off again at full cry.

[Sidenote: Xenophon de Venatione. c. +vi.+]

[Sidenote: J. Sarisberiensis Policrat. L. +i.+ c. +iv.+]

The watchman at the nets gives a particular shout, significant of the hare’s capture in the ἄρκυς, or her escape by going beyond, or stopping short. If she be taken, they try for another; if not, they continue the pursuit of the same. Weary at length with their day’s work, the huntsman must himself, towards evening, assist the pack in searching out the poor tired hare at her quat, (κατακλίνεται γὰρ ἐν μικρῷ τὸ θηρίον, καὶ οὐκ ἀνίσταται ὑπὸ κόπου καὶ φόβου,) and bring them forward with encouragement; “cheering the meek dogs much, the eager ones little, the intermediate moderately,” till they kill her κατὰ πόδας, at force, or drive her into the nets: and thus at last will the huntsman become master of the hare—“infelicem bestiolam lepusculum timidum tanto fortassè prædabitur apparatu.”

Oppian’s instructions on hare-hunting, contained in a few verses at the latter end of his fourth Cynegetic, are of little interest. Hares should never be chased up hill, as their shape is particularly adapted for it, and they avail themselves of the advantage whenever they can get to a rising ground:

[Sidenote: Oppian. Cyneg. L. +iv.+ 428.]

αὐτίκα γὰρ σκύλακάς τε καὶ ἀνέρας ἀθρήσαντες πρὸς λόφον ἰθύουσιν, ἐπεὶ μάλα γινώσκουσιν ὅττι πάροιθεν ἔασιν ὀλιζότεροι πόδες αὐτοῖς. κ. τ. λ.

[Sidenote: De Naturâ Animal. L. +xiii.+ c. 14.]

Beaten roads should be avoided by huntsmen, and ploughed lands preferred for sport. Ælian has left us an animated description of the hare’s shifts and prowess in avoiding her pursuers, and the contempt with which she looks down, οἷον ἀπὸ σκοπιᾶς, on their fruitless efforts to overtake her.

[Sidenote: De Venatione c. +ix.+]

[Sidenote: Ejusdem c. +x.+]

[Sidenote: Apuleii Met. L. +viii.+ p. 512.]

The stag-hunt is treated of by Xenophon, in his ninth chapter, with snares, traps, &c. Indian dogs are here preferred, for their size, strength, speed, and courage. But as his name-sake has written on the same variety of chase with Celtic hounds and Scythian horses, I pass on to the boar-hunt, in which the former is diffuse—too diffuse for more than a bare reference. Indian and Locrian hounds are selected from the pugnacious class, and Cretan and Spartan from the sagacious, to assist the sportsman in his attack of the wild boar. The latter hound appears to be employed, on this occasion, as a lime-dog, or inductor, to find out the lair of the beast. Purse-nets, javelins, προβόλια, and ποδοστράβαι, are in request. “Jamque apud frondosum tumulum,” says Apuleius, in a vivid, but somewhat wordy sketch, “ramorumque densis tegminibus umbrosum, prospectu vestigatorum obseptis campis, canes venationis indagini generosæ, mandato, cubili residentes invaderent bestias, immittuntur: statimque solertis disciplinæ memores partitæ totos præcingunt aditus: tacitâque priùs servatâ mussitatione, signo sibi repentino reddito, latratibus fervidis dissonisque miscent omnia”—“aper immanis atque invisitatus exsurgit,” &c.

[Sidenote: Ovid. Metam. L. +viii.+]

[Sidenote: Horat. Od. L. +ii.+ +i.+ 6.]

Ovid’s Calydonian boar-hunt, with the “lecta manus juvenum” of Meleager’s confederacy, will occur to the classical reader, and farther illustrate this perilous species of chase; which, with others yet more dangerous, described by Xenophon in the 11th chapter of his Manual, and by Oppian in his fourth Cynegetic, constitute examples of the bellica Venatio, “periculosæ plenum opus aleæ,” so emblematic of actual war.

The Athenian is very brief on the subject of lion, pard, lynx, panther, and bear-hunting. These ferocious brutes are commonly etaken by stratagem; rarely, if ever, at force. Oppian is more diffuse, amplifying the lion-chase with the Libyan, Indian, and Æthiopian practices for capturing the king of beasts.

As a splendid specimen of poetical talent in this too much neglected author, (for he richly deserves the character bestowed on his works by J. C. Scaliger, C. Barthius, and other eminent scholars,) I select, from the latter part of the same book, the following extract—a description of an Armenian bear-hunt. The bear is found with the limehound of the country, the nets, snares, and μήρινθος ἐΰστροφος are set, and the din of pursuit commences:

[Sidenote: Oppian. Cyneg. L. +iv.+ 398.]

σάλπιγξ μὲν κελάδησε πελώριον ἡ δέ τε λόχμης ὀξὺ λέληκε θοροῦσα, καὶ ὀξὺ δέδορκε λακοῦσα. αἰζηοὶ δ’ ἐπόρουσαν ἀολλέες, ἐκ δ’ ἑκάτερθεν ἀντία θηρὸς ἰᾶσι φαλαγγηδὸν κλονέοντες. ἡ δ’ ὅμαδον προλιποῦσα καὶ ἀνέρας, ἰθὺς ὀρούει γυμνὸν ὅπου λεύσσει πεδίον πολύ κεῖθεν ἔπειτα ἑξείης κατὰ νῶτον ἐγειρόμενος λόχος ἀνδρῶν κλαγγηδὸν παταγεῦσιν, ἐπ’ ὀφρύα μηρίνθοιο σευόμενοι καὶ δεῖμα πολύχροον ἡ δέ τ’ ἀνιγρὴ ἀμφίβολος μάλα πάμπαν ἀτυζομένη πεφόρηται. πάντα δ’ ὁμοῦ δείδοικε, λόχον, κτύπον, αὐλὸν, ἀϋτὴν, δειμαλέην μήρινθον, ἐπεὶ κελάδοντος ἀήτεω ταινίαι τ’ ἐφύπερθε διηέριαι κραδάουσι, κινύμεναι πτέρυγές τε λιγήϊα συρίζουσιν οὕνεκα παπταίνουσα κατ’ ἄρκυας ἀντίον ἕρπει ἐν δ’ ἔπεσεν λινέοισι λόχοις. κ. τ. λ.

But farewell the detail of these savage chases!—

[Sidenote: The Chace. B. +ii.+]

The king of brutes In broken roarings breathes his last, the bear Grumbles in death; nor can his spotted skin, Though sleek it shine, with varied beauties gay, Save the proud pard from unrelenting fate!

[Sidenote: Xenophon de Venatione c. +i.+]

The most lively and striking picture of classic Venation, in genere, which I have met with in the Latin language, is contained in one of Seneca’s tragedies; which, let them be the productions of whom they may, contain much brilliant descriptive poetry. The whole arrangement of the field is admirably given in the Hippolytus. The duties of the δικτυαγωγὸς, ἰχνευτὴς, κυναγωγὸς, ἀρκυωρὸς, and λινόπτης, are successively detailed in the prologue, spoken by this rigid paragon of chastity himself, (σωφροσύνῃ καὶ ὁσιότητι μακαρισθεὶς,) in the character of Magister Venationis.

[Sidenote: Senecæ Hippolyt. Act. +i.+ sc. 1.]

“Ite umbrosas cingite sylvas, Summaque montis juga Cecropii, Celeri plantâ lustrate vagi Quæ saxosa loca Parnethi Subjecta jacent; et quæ Thriasiis Vallibus amnis rapidâ currens Verberat undâ: scandite colles Semper canos nive Riphæâ. Hàc hàc alii, quà nemus altâ Texitur alno; quà prata jacent, Quæ roriferâ mulcens aurâ Zephyrus vernas evocat herbas,” &c.

says the son of Theseus to his attendant huntsmen—describing the local scenery of different parts of Attica, most abundant in game—and allotting them their respective stations and duties, with the mute limehounds, (“canibus tacitis,”) the noisy pack, and divers implements of the sylvan chase:

dum lux dubia est; Dum signa pedum roscida tellus Impressa tenet, alius raras Cervice gravi portare plagas, Alius teretes properet laqueos. Picta rubenti linea pinnâ Vano cludat terrore feras, Tibi libretur missile lethum. Tu grave, dextrâ lævâque simul, Robur lato dirige ferro. Tu præcipites clamore feras Subsessor ages: tu jam victor Curvo solves viscera cultro.

[Sidenote: Oppian. Cyneg L. +i.+ 367.]

So much for the furniture of the chase, its inventors, and practice, by way of introduction to our triple classification of the Canes Venatici of the classic ages. We will now proceed, οἶμον ἐπὶ σκυλάκων.

CLASS I.

In the first class of the triple division—quibus est audacia præceps, or gravioribus aptæ morsibus—are included all the canes pugnaces or bellicosi—pugnacious dogs of war.

The Mede, Celt, Ser or Indian, Albanian, Iberian, Lycaonian or Arcadian, Hyrcanian, Locrian, Libyan, Egyptian, Pannonian, Magnesian, Molossian, Briton, Athamanian, Acarnanian, and a few others nearly allied.

CLASS II.

In the second class of Canes Venatici, under the title of nare sagaces, are placed all keen-nosed dogs of scent.

The Spartan, Cretan, Carian, Etolian or Calydonian, Metagon, Belgian, Gelonian, Umbrian, Tuscan, Armenian, Petronius, Agassæus or Briton, Segusian, and others of inferior note.

CLASS III.

In the third class, entitled pedibus celeres, those dogs alone are comprehended, which ran on sight of their game, as the Vertragus, and possibly the Sicamber: of the latter, however, I know nothing beyond the meagre allusion of Gratius to his speed, and the apparent distinction made between him and the Vertraha, in the Cynegeticon of this poet:

[Sidenote: Gratii Cyneg. vs. 201.]

Petronios (sic fama) canes, volucresque Sicambros, Et pictam maculâ Vertraham delige falsâ.

[Sidenote: Strabo L. +vii.+]

Janus Vlitius considers the Sicambrian to be the Gallo-Belgic hound of more modern days, and identical with the Ovidian canis Gallicus: but the latter is more probably the Vertraha of Gratius, the οὐέρτραγος of the younger Xenophon. The Sicambrian people, strictly speaking, were Germans, and not Belgians; as they dwelt on the eastern, or Germanic side of the Rhine.

[Sidenote: Cynographia Curiosa c. +ii.+ 12.]

On first comparing the different types of the Oppianic Canes Venatici with those of the Latin Cynegetica, I was misled by the authority of annotators to an admission that the type, so particularly described by the Greek poet in his first book, μηκεδανὸν κρατερὸν δέμας, κ. τ. λ. vs. 401. ad vs. 412. was of the sagacious hound, the Petronian or such-like. But this interpretation, in addition to the want of resemblance of the picture to the supposed original, implies, in a notorious copyist of his predecessors’ labours and a keen observer of natural history, the entire omission of the swiftest of the canine tribe, the canis Gallicus or Vertragus; which, if known by fame in the age of Gratius, alluded to by him in his Cynegeticon, accurately portrayed by Ovid as to his style of running, and subsequently, and more minutely, by the younger Xenophon, could not, under any balance of probabilities, have been lost to the sporting world, between the time of Arrian and that at which Nemesian flourished:—by the latter of whom the greyhound is most beautifully depicted, and the mode of initiating greyhound puppies in the hare-course detailed with the hand of a master. I am, therefore, on more mature reflection, inclined to consider the passage referred to descriptive of the greyhound type, the third class of ancient hounds, the family of pedibus celeres. That Rittershusius makes no allusion to such a resemblance, does not surprise me; for, by pointing out a supposed defect of the picture, compared with a sketch of Gratius, this learned and laborious commentator proves that he was not aware of the variety of dog intended to be delineated by his author—perhaps himself unacquainted with its type in nature. The very feature of the δολίχοσκιος οὐρὴ, condemned by this editor as burthensome to Canes cursores, with a preference of the “cauda brevis” of Gratius, (suited to the Canes bellicosi alone,) is so remarkable and useful an additament to the greyhound’s form, that, instead of burthening, it essentially assists him as a Canis cursor, (“ad conversiones in cursu reciproco regendas,”) and much strengthens the resemblance of the Oppianic picture to its Celtic prototype in Arrian.

[Sidenote: Oppian. Cyneg. L. +i.+ 413.]

[Sidenote: Ejusdem vs. 467.]

The conclusion of this sketch is followed by that of the Canis pugnax or bellicosus of the first class, hereafter cited, θοῦροι δ’ αὖθ’ ἕτεροι, κ. τ. λ.; and this again by the amusing and lively picture of the keen-scented beagle or hare-hound—σκυλάκων γένος ἄλκιμον ἰχνευτήρων, κ. τ. λ.—the representative of which is taken from Britain, and constitutes, according to my theory, Oppian’s specimen (rather a sorry one, it must be allowed) of the second class of Canes Venatici, termed nare sagaces. Are we not, then, allowed to conclude that the same tripartite distinction of Canes Venatici was acknowledged by the Cilician poet, as we have already traced in the more systematic authorities cited? The latter did not escape the notice of the learned writer of the Venatio Novantiqua, himself an experienced and ardent sportsman; but he has not corroborated the earlier classification of others with the more recent evidence of the poet of Anazarbus—indeed, he seems to view the Oppianic hound (Cyn. +i.+ 401.) as sagaci-celer, and the Vertragus as unknown both to Pollux and Oppian.