Note 93 — ARRIAN ON COURSING.
William Dansey translation
Compare Xenophon de Venat. c. iv. Arrian very rationally combats the notion of a greyhound’s excellence being at all dependent on so variable a distinction as colour. Oppian, more credulous on this point, reprobates white and black dogs, as impatient of heat and cold, and gives a preference to such as are red, russet, or fawn:
Oppian. Cyneg. i. 429.
κεῖνοι δ’ ἐν πάντεσσιν ἀριστεύουσι κύνεσσι, τοῖς ἴκελοι μορφαὶ μάλα θήρεσιν ὠμηστῇσι, μηλοφόνοισι λύκοις, ἢ τίγρεσιν ἠνεμοέσσαις, ἢ καὶ ἀλωπεκέεσσι, θοαῖσί τε πορδαλίεσσιν, ἢ ὁπόσοι δήμητρι πανείκελον εἶδος ἔχουσι σιτόχροοι· μάλα γάρ τε θοοὶ κρατεροί τε πέλονται.
Sect. iv. p. 262.
The Cynosophium recommends such as are παραπλήσιοι λέουσι, πάρδοις, λύκοις: and adds to its Materia Medica (p. 275.) amongst other ridiculous nostrums, a formula by which the colour of the hair may be changed from white to black—credat Judæus!
In accordance with the general prejudice which bestowed superior virtue on parti-coloured, (for such was Xenophon’s opinion,) Pan confers on the Goddess of the Chase pie-bald and mottled hounds:
II. in Dian. vs. 90.
τὶν δ’ ὁ γενείητης δύο μὲν κύνας ἥμισυ πηγοὺς, τρεῖς δὲ πόρ’ οὐατίους, ἕνα δ’ αἰόλον.
Onomast. L. v. c. xi.
Pollux would mix a little variety of colour, ἑκάστῳ παραμεμίχθω τι καὶ ἑτέρας χρόας.
The modern Cynegetica are as fickle and capricious as to colour as their ancient models:
Nat. Comes de Venat.
—— color est deterrimus albo, Nec placeat niveis maculis signatus et atris; Aut longis nimium villis, fuscove colore—
according to the canine canons of Natalis Comes:—whereas Savary gives the preference to a white hound, Album Dianæ, &c.“nunc est in pretio et reliquos supereminet albus;” and is supported by Fouilloux and his copyist Turbervile, who praise those of one homogeneous colour—white, fallow, dun, and black; the latter being the valued breed of St. Hubert, (les chiens courans,) La Vénerie de Fouilloux. p. 4.“qui estoit veneur avec S. Eustache, dont est à conjecturer, que les bons veneurs les ensuysront en Paradis avec la grace de Dieu.”
Mayster of Game. c. xv. fol. 66.
“Of alle manere of greihoundes there byn,” says De Langley, “both good and evel. Natheless the best hewe is rede falow with a blak moselle.”
After citing so many, and such conflicting opinions, I leave the reader to draw his own conclusion on this most unimportant point; bidding him remember that Markham supports our author, that The Countrey Farme. c. xxii.“colours have (as touching any particular goodnesse) no preheminence one above the other, but are all equal—many good and famous dogs having been of all the several colours; onely the white is esteemed the most beautifull and best for the eie, the black and fallow hardest to endure labour, and the dunne and brended best for the poachers and nightmen, who delight to have all their pleasures performed in darknesse.” Backed by the compiler of “The Countrey Farme,” let him give to Arrian the weight he is entitled to, as a practical courser. My own conviction accords with that of Tardif, “ex colore nihil certi ferè pronunciatur: sæpius enim turpi colore canes, pulchrioribus præstant:” and with the poet of Caen,
Album Dianæ, &c.
—— nullus virtutibus obstat, Aut prodest color: hunc habeas quicunque placebit;
Sir Tristrem Fytte iii. 10.
I object to no dog merely on account of his colour, though he may rival in variety of tint the renowned Triamour’s marvellous Peticrewe.