Notes.
TEACHING A DOG FRENCH.
"N. & Q." the other day (Vol. viii., p. 464.) contained a curious tale of a cat: will you insert as a pendent the following one of a dog? The supposition that D. Julio was some obnoxious Frenchman protected by the Government, seems necessary to account for the "teachyng a dogg frenche" in front of his door constituting such a dire offence. His name occurs, if I remember rightly, in Dr. Dee's Diary (Cam. Soc.), but I have not the book at hand to refer to. Perhaps some of your correspondents may inform me who he was. The original is in the Lansdowne MS. (114. No. 8.) in the British Museum; and the fact of its being amongst Lord Burleigh's papers shows that the occurrence took place between 1571 and 1598, the respective dates of his appointment as "l tresurer" and his death.
Arthur Paget.
"D. Julio's Abstract of the Deposicons of ye witnesses sworne touching ye speches of John Paget.
"To proue that one William (sic) Paget, on the Vth day of this present moneth, being Friday, betwixt VIII and IX of the clocke at nyght, went vp and down teachyng a dogg frenche.
"1. Mris Karter, a jentilwoman borne, sayeth, that about the same tym, she did hear the said Paget, that he wold teache his dogg to speak frenche.
"2. Mris Anne Coot, a jentilwoman, affirmeth the same.
"3. One William Poyser, yeoman, sayeth, that he harde Paget saye that he wold make his dogg speake as good frenche as any of them.
"4. James Hudson sayeth, that standing at his maisters doore he did hear Paget speake to his dogg in a straunge language, but what language he knew not.
"5. Edward, a grosser, is to be deposed that he harde Paget say, I will teache my dogg to speake frenche, and was talking with his dogg in frenche.