MDMD2: The Learned English Dog

[Dave Monroe]

Headslapping moment after logging off yesterday,
forgot to append this.  From Ricky Jay, "The Faithful
Monetto & The Inimitable Dick," Jay's Journal of
Anomalies (New York: Farra Straus Giroux, 2001), pp.
3-8 ...

"Among the many canine performers who preceded Munito
on the boards in England were: The Incomparable Bitch
exhibited by a Mons. Radou from Paris in 1731; Le
Chien Savant, or the Matchless French Dog, who
appeared in London in 1751; the dog exhibited by Coan
the Norfolk dwarf at the same time; the Learned Dog
from Douglas, Isle of Man, exhibited by the Indian
Gentoo for the Royal Family at Kew in 1784 ....  These
canine stars were capable of a variety of stunts,
including telling time, answering questions, and
identifying specific members of the audience...." (p.
8, n. 1)

Matchless French Dog, Learned English Dog, Norfolk,
questions (but why "Only nothing Ministerial, please,/
Or I'm apt to lose m'Job"?) AND The Incomparable Bitch
(whose acquaintance I'm sure I've made somewhere along
the line).  Well worth going through the endnotes
here, esp. on "doggie dramas."  But wait, there's more
...

--- Dave Monroe <davidmmonroe at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> "All at once, out of the Murk, a dozen mirror'd
> Lanthorns have leapt alight together, as into their
> Glare now strolls a somewhat dishevel'd Norfolk 
> Terrier, with a raffish Gleam in its eye,-- whilst
> from some where less illuminate comes a sprightly
> Overture upon Horn, Clarinet, and Cello, in 
> time to which the Dog steps back and forth in his
> bright Ambit." (M&D, Ch. 3, p. 18)

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