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imposed upon them from the cradle; and worn; like a hair…shirt; 

with so much constancy; their motherly; superior tenderness to 

man's vanity and self…importance; their managing arts … the arts of 

a civilised slave among good…natured barbarians … are all painful 

ingredients and all help to falsify relations。  It is not till we 

get clear of that amusing artificial scene that genuine relations 

are founded; or ideas honestly compared。  In the garden; on the 

road or the hillside; or TETE…A…TETE and apart from interruptions; 

occasions arise when we may learn much from any single woman; and 

nowhere more often than in married life。  Marriage is one long 

conversation; chequered by disputes。  The disputes are valueless; 

they but ingrain the difference; the heroic heart of woman 

prompting her at once to nail her colours to the mast。  But in the 

intervals; almost unconsciously and with no desire to shine; the 

whole material of life is turned over and over; ideas are struck 

out and shared; the two persons more and more adapt their notions 

one to suit the other; and in process of time; without sound of 

trumpet; they conduct each other into new worlds of thought。











CHAPTER XII。 THE CHARACTER OF DOGS





THE civilisation; the manners; and the morals of dog…kind are to a 

great extent subordinated to those of his ancestral master; man。  

This animal; in many ways so superior; has accepted a position of 

inferiority; shares the domestic life; and humours the caprices of 

the tyrant。  But the potentate; like the British in India; pays 

small regard to the character of his willing client; judges him 

with listless glances; and condemns him in a byword。  Listless have 

been the looks of his admirers; who have exhausted idle terms of 

praise; and buried the poor soul below exaggerations。  And yet more 

idle and; if possible; more unintelligent has been the attitude of 

his express detractors; those who are very fond of dogs 〃but in 

their proper place〃; who say 〃poo' fellow; poo' fellow;〃 and are 

themselves far poorer; who whet the knife of the vivisectionist or 

heat his oven; who are not ashamed to admire 〃the creature's 

instinct〃; and flying far beyond folly; have dared to resuscitate 

the theory of animal machines。  The 〃dog's instinct〃 and the 

〃automaton…dog;〃 in this age of psychology and science; sound like 

strange anachronisms。  An automaton he certainly is; a machine 

working independently of his control; the heart; like the mill…

wheel; keeping all in motion; and the consciousness; like a person 

shut in the mill garret; enjoying the view out of the window and 

shaken by the thunder of the stones; an automaton in one corner of 

which a living spirit is confined: an automaton like man。  Instinct 

again he certainly possesses。  Inherited aptitudes are his; 

inherited frailties。  Some things he at once views and understands; 

as though he were awakened from a sleep; as though he came 

〃trailing clouds of glory。〃  But with him; as with man; the field 

of instinct is limited; its utterances are obscure and occasional; 

and about the far larger part of life both the dog and his master 

must conduct their steps by deduction and observation。



The leading distinction between dog and man; after and perhaps 

before the different duration of their lives; is that the one can 

speak and that the other cannot。  The absence of the power of 

speech confines the dog in the development of his intellect。  It 

hinders him from many speculations; for words are the beginning of 

meta…physic。  At the same blow it saves him from many 

superstitions; and his silence has won for him a higher name for 

virtue than his conduct justifies。  The faults of the dog are many。  

He is vainer than man; singularly greedy of notice; singularly 

intolerant of ridicule; suspicious like the deaf; jealous to the 

degree of frenzy; and radically devoid of truth。  The day of an 

intelligent small dog is passed in the manufacture and the 

laborious communication of falsehood; he lies with his tail; he 

lies with his eye; he lies with his protesting paw; and when he 

rattles his dish or scratches at the door his purpose is other than 

appears。  But he has some apology to offer for the vice。  Many of 

the signs which form his dialect have come to bear an arbitrary 

meaning; clearly understood both by his master and himself; yet 

when a new want arises he must either invent a new vehicle of 

meaning or wrest an old one to a different purpose; and this 

necessity frequently recurring must tend to lessen his idea of the 

sanctity of symbols。  Meanwhile the dog is clear in his own 

conscience; and draws; with a human nicety; the distinction between 

formal and essential truth。  Of his punning perversions; his 

legitimate dexterity with symbols; he is even vain; but when he has 

told and been detected in a lie; there is not a hair upon his body 

but confesses guilt。  To a dog of gentlemanly feeling theft and 

falsehood are disgraceful vices。  The canine; like the human; 

gentleman demands in his misdemeanours Montaigne's 〃JE NE SAIS QUOI 

DE GENEREUX。〃  He is never more than half ashamed of having barked 

or bitten; and for those faults into which he has been led by the 

desire to shine before a lady of his race; he retains; even under 

physical correction; a share of pride。  But to be caught lying; if 

he understands it; instantly uncurls his fleece。



Just as among dull observers he preserves a name for truth; the dog 

has been credited with modesty。  It is amazing how the use of 

language blunts the faculties of man … that because vain glory 

finds no vent in words; creatures supplied with eyes have been 

unable to detect a fault so gross and obvious。  If a small spoiled 

dog were suddenly to be endowed with speech; he would prate 

interminably; and still about himself; when we had friends; we 

should be forced to lock him in a garret; and what with his whining 

jealousies and his foible for falsehood; in a year's time he would 

have gone far to weary out our love。  I was about to compare him to 

Sir Willoughby Patterne; but the Patternes have a manlier sense of 

their own merits; and the parallel; besides; is ready。  Hans 

Christian Andersen; as we behold him in his startling memoirs; 

thrilling from top to toe with an excruciating vanity; and scouting 

even along the street for shadows of offence … here was the talking 

dog。



It is just this rage for consideration that has betrayed the dog 

into his satellite position as the friend of man。  The cat; an 

animal of franker appetites; preserves his independence。  But the 

dog; with one eye ever on the audience; has been wheedled into 

slavery; and praised and patted into the renunciation of his 

nature。  Once he ceased hunting and became man's plate…licker; the 

Rubicon was crossed。  Thenceforth he was a gentleman of leisure; 

and except the few whom we keep working; the whole race grew more 

and more self…conscious; mannered and affected。  The number of 

things that a small dog does naturally is strangely small。  

Enjoying better spirits and not crushed under material cares; he is 

far more theatrical than average man。  His whole life; if he be a 

dog of any pretension to gallantry; is spent in a vain show; and in 

the hot pursuit of admiration。  Take out your puppy for a walk; and 

you will find the little ball of fur clumsy; stupid; bewildered; 

but natural。  Let but a few months pass; and when you repeat the 

process you will find nature buried in convention。  He will do 

nothing plainly; but the simplest processes of our material life 

will all be bent into the forms of an elaborate and mysterious 

etiquette。  Instinct; says the fool; has awakened。  But it is not 

so。  Some dogs … some; at the very least … if they be kept separate 

from others; remain quite natural; and these; when at length they 

meet with a companion of experience; 

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