Folio 18v - Dogs, continued
Also of the nature of dogs We read that dogs have such great love for their masters, as when King Garamentes was caught by his enemies and taken into captivity, two hundred dogs went in formation through enemy lines and led him back from exile, fighting off those who resisted them. When Jason [Licio] was killed, his dog rejected food and died of starvation. The dog of King Lysimachus threw itself in the flame when its master's funeral pyre was lit and was consumed by fire along with him. When Apius and Junius Pictinius were consuls, a dog that could not be driven away from its master, who had been condemned, accompanied him to prison; when, soon afterwards, he was executed, it followed him, howling. When the people of Rome, out of pity, caused it to be fed, it carried the food to its dead master's mouth. Finally, when its master's corpse was thrown into the Tiber, the dog swam to it and tried to keep it from sinking. When a dog picks up the track of a hare or a deer and comes to a place where the trail divides or to a junction splitting into several directions, it goes to the beginning of each path and silently reasons with itself, as if by syllogism, on the basis of its keen sense of smell. 'Either the animal went off in this direction,' it says,'or that, or certainly it took this turning.’
- Commentary
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Commentary
Text
Dogs of King Garamentes. Many stories are told of dogs' loyalty to their masters.
Illustration
King Garamantes is captured by his enemies and rescued by his dogs.
Comment
On this page there is pricking for 29 lines with two additional lines added at the bottom by the scribe. The upper image is damaged by the pricking for pouncing on f.18r. Initial indicator 'l' in left margin. Initial type 2. After this page a leaf is missing which probably showed the dog detecting a murderer, the story told on f.19r. In Ashmole 1511, f.26r and f.26v, there are two full page illustrations of this subject, each story divided into three panels.
- Transcription and Translation
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Transcription
Item de natura canum.\ Legitur in \tantum \suos diligere \dominos, ut \Garamantem \regemab ini\micis captum \ac in custodia \mancipatum, ducenti canes \agminefacto per medias aci\es inimicorum \ab exilio redu\xerunt prelian\tesadversus \resistentes. Ja\sone licio inter\fecto canis ipsius aspernatuscibum inedia obiit. Lisimachi\ regis canis, flamme se iniecit, accensorogo domini sui et pa\riter igni absumptus est. Apio Junio Pictinioconsulibus damp\natum dominum canis cum ambigi [PL, abigi] non possetcomitatus in carcerem,\mox percussum ululatu prosecutus est. Cumqueex miseratione populi Roma\ni potestas ei fieret cibi, ad os defunctiescam tulit. \Ultimo\ idem deiectum in Tyberum cadaver, adnatanssustentare conatus. \Cani vero ubi vestigium leporis cervive reppererit, atque ad diverti\culumsemite venerit, et quoddam viarum compitum, quod partes\ in plurimasscinditur, obiciens [obiens; PL, ambiens] singularum semitarum exordia\tacitus secum ipse pertractat, velud sillogisticam vocem, saga\citatemcolligendi odoris emittens. Aut in hanc partem, inquid\ deflexitaut in illam, aut certe in hunc se anfractum contulit.\Translation
Also of the nature of dogs We read that dogs have such great love for their masters, as when King Garamentes was caught by his enemies and taken into captivity, two hundred dogs went in formation through enemy lines and led him back from exile, fighting off those who resisted them. When Jason [Licio] was killed, his dog rejected food and died of starvation. The dog of King Lysimachus threw itself in the flame when its master's funeral pyre was lit and was consumed by fire along with him. When Apius and Junius Pictinius were consuls, a dog that could not be driven away from its master, who had been condemned, accompanied him to prison; when, soon afterwards, he was executed, it followed him, howling. When the people of Rome, out of pity, caused it to be fed, it carried the food to its dead master's mouth. Finally, when its master's corpse was thrown into the Tiber, the dog swam to it and tried to keep it from sinking. When a dog picks up the track of a hare or a deer and comes to a place where the trail divides or to a junction splitting into several directions, it goes to the beginning of each path and silently reasons with itself, as if by syllogism, on the basis of its keen sense of smell. 'Either the animal went off in this direction,' it says,'or that, or certainly it took this turning.’
