THE DOG OF MONTARGIS,

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 420, 26 December 1874, Page 6

THE DOG OF MONTARGIS,

Apropos of. the present controversy as to the reality of a recent combat between a man and dog near 'Birmingham, many of our readers' who -have stopped at Montargis, on the route from Paris to Lyons, will remember, the story of the dog of Montargis, who, fought with the murderer of hia master .and avenged his blood In the great hall of that town, before its demolition, there was a fresco painting over the fireplace representing the Btrange duel, which was fought according to tradition, in the presence of" Charles VI., in the lists of the lie. de Notre Dame ■at Paris. 1 t The story ia told, at length inMemoires. sur les Duels, a3 follows :— One day M Aubrey de Mont Didier, a gentleman of birth and influence, was journeying alone through the lonely forest of Bondy when he was attacked by robbers and killed, his body, being buried by the assassins under a tree hard by th* spot where he fell. For Borne days an English, bloodhound whom he had with, him ,kept watcb over his grave tUI compelled by liunger to quit the post. On this the do^ made his way to the house of a friend of the deceased gentleman at Paris, where the strangeness of his manners, coupled with the fact of his having Come back withouthis master, roused much, curiosity and- wonder. As soon as he-had been fed He kept running towards, the door of the house and then back to his master's friend, pulling him by the sleeve and used all sorts pf lumb eloquence as if he wanted him" to 'follow. At last the friend resolved to follow the leading' of the dog, who made his way to the forest, and went straight at the foot of the tree. where his- murdered master lay. Here the dog began to howl piteously, scratching' up the earth with his paws and showing his wish that the place should be dug out, Upon digging a fe.v feet, the friend and his companions came upon the body of M. Mont Didier covered with the wounds which had been inflicted upon it by the knife of the murderer. For some time, however, no trace of the actual assassin could be found, till one day the dog met in the streets of Paris a certain Chevalier named Macaire, whom he instantly tried to seize by the throat with great fury. Thi3 strange conduct on the part of a quiet and peaceful animal was repeated on a second occasion , j and as it was well known that Macaire had been a personal enemy of Mont -Didier, grave suspicions began to be aroused. At length the affair reached the ears of the King, who being anxious that the matter should be thoroughly sifted, sent for Macaire and also for the dog, who was gentle and playful until he scented. J&acaire in the crowd of courtiers standing wound the King , when, as usual, he showed the fiercest hostility towards him. Strupk by such an undesigned piece of circumstantial evidence, the King at once ordered that the decision should be referred to the trial, by battle, or "appeal to the judgment of God," and a combat wag ordered to be held, between the chevalier and the dog in the lie de Nofcre Dame which then ,was almost an open Bpace. The terms of the encounter were thaj; the dog was to have an empty cask to retreat into after he had made his (springs at his foe, while the man was allowed a cudgel by way of arms. Everything was prepared for the battle, when the dog no sooner found himself free and face to face with his. antagonist than he began running round and round Macaire, avoiding his blows until at last .he seized him firmly by tlie throat, and after a seypre struggle succeeded in laying 'him prostrate on the ground. The Chevalier wa? rescued from the dog's grip by the bystanders, and conscience-stricken, in the presence of +he King, ' his court, and the rest of the spectators, he acknowledged, his guilt. A-few, days afterwards he expiated his Grime upon the scaffold. The '* Dog of Montafgis" is a well known tale in France, whereits substantial truth is not doubted, and it has been, we believe, the subject of at all events qne popular drama. > ' , j

'* We all owe something to our country," paid the Briton who went abroad without having paid his income tax. It's rather remarkable that while several thousand feet are required to make one rood, a single foot, properly applied is often sufficient to make one civil. f: An attorney," says an . ingenions writer, " is the same thing to a barrister, that an apothecary ig to a physician, with thisdifference that your lawyer does not deal in Bcrnples." Little Girl : " Oh, Mr Beeswing, is the paint'you color your nose with the same as that mama colors her cheeks with?" [Mr B. and mama enjoy themselves.] c ';., Shabby Treatment. —A parish in Fife had for a minister a good. man., remarkable for his benevolent 3isposition. Meeting one of his parishioners one ' day, he said, "Jenpie, what way do I never see ye in thekirk ?" »— "Weel, sir," said Jennie, "to be plain wi' ye, Ihaenaapair o' shoon to gang wi'."— * f A pair o' shoon, Jennie ! Jennie, I'll no let you stay at hame for that ; what would a pair cost?" — "About four shillings sir." Putting Ws hand infco hia pocket, he gave Jennie the money, and went his wry. Some fcime after, meeting her again, he said, " Dear me, Jennie, I've never seen ye in the kirk yet ; what way. is t-ha«; ?'' — " Weel, sir," said Jennie, '♦ to be plain wi' ye, when the weather's giud, and I hae time, I prefer gaun to Punfarlin' to hear Mr Gillespie."— •* Oh ! indeed, Jennie, la'ss^thajj's the wayojt, is it? You Might hae gfen "me tlie first' day 0' tbt skgofi, OQ y waT > d 'ye so t&"& t"