"I will give thee a dog which I got in Ireland. He is huge of limb, and for a follower
equal to an able man. Moreover, he hath a man's wit and will bark at thine
enemies but never at thy friends. And he will see by each man's face whether
he be ill or well disposed to thee. And he will lay down his life for thee." |
"The most wonderful of all that I shall mention is the great Irish wolfdog, that
may be considered as the first of the canine species . . . bred up to the houses
of the great . . . he is extremely beautiful and majestic in appearance, being
the greatest of the dog kind to be seen in the world . . . they are now almost
worn away and only very rarely to be met with." |
The Icelandic Saga of Nial circa 970-1014 |
Oliver Goldsmith 1770 |
