Curiosities of Olden TimesBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Curiosities of Olden Times
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Curiosities and wonders
If it is a keen trial for a husband to leave his wife, for a young man to
be taken from his pleasures, or a commercial man from his business, can we
wonder at old ladies feeling the wrench sharp which tears them from the
society of their dear cats--the companions of their spinsterhood or
widowhood; or at old bachelors being distressed at having to part with
their faithful dogs?--to part with them for ever, too, unless we believe
in the suggestion of Bishop Butler and Theodore Parker, that there is a
future for beasts, and enjoy the confidence of Mr. Sewell of Exeter
College, who dedicated one of his published poems “To my Pony in Heaven.”
The Count de la Mirandole, who died in 1825, left a legacy to his
favourite carp, which he had nourished for twenty years in an antique
fountain standing in his hall. In low life we find the same love for an
animal displayed by a peasant of Toulouse, in 1781, who doted on his old
chestnut horse, and left the following will:
I declare that I institute my chestnut horse sole legatee, and I wish
him to belong to my nephew N.
This testament was attacked, but, curiously enough, it received legal
confirmation.
The following clause from a will was in the English papers for March 1828:
I leave to my monkey, my dear, amusing Jackoo, the sum of 10_l._
sterling, to be enjoyed by him during his life; it is to be expended
solely in his keep. I leave to my faithful dog, Shock, and to my
beloved cat, Tib, 5_l._ sterling a-piece, as yearly pension. In the
event of the death of one of the aforesaid legatees, the sum due to
him shall pass to the two survivors, and on the death of one of these
two, to the last, be he who he may. After the decease of all parties,
the sum left them shall belong to my daughter G----, to whom I show
this preference, above all my children, because she has a large family
and finds a difficulty in filling their mouths and educating them.
But a more curious case still is that of Mr. Berkley of Knightsbridge, who
died 5th May 1805. He left a pension of £25 per annum to his four dogs.
This singular individual had spent the latter part of his life wrapped in
the society of his curs, on whom he lavished every mark of affection.
When any one ventured to remonstrate with him for expending so much money
on their maintenance, or suggested that the poor were more deserving of
sympathy than those mongrel pups, he would reply: “Men assailed my life:
dogs preserved it.” This was a fact, for Mr. B. had been attacked by
brigands in Italy, and had been rescued by his dog, whose descendants the
four pets were. When he felt his end approaching, he had his four dogs
placed on couches by the sides of his bed. He received their last
caresses, extended to them his faltering hand, and breathed his last
between their paws. According to his desire, the busts of these favoured
brutes were sculptured at the corners of his tomb.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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