night the watch dogs of St. Malo, "chiens Anglais qui
s'appelent dogues." Shut up during the day, they were let out at ten at
night, and recalled in the morning to the sound of a copper trumpet, by
their keeper, styled the "chiennetier." Enactments were made for their
maintenance, called the "droit de chiennage." When let loose at night, a
warning bell was rung to apprise the inhabitants, as they tore the legs of
every one they met. Hence it used to be said "Il a ete a St. Malo, les
chiens lui ont ronge les mollets." In 1770, a naval officer trying to
force a passage was attacked by a troop of these dogs prowling between St.
Malo and St. Servan; his sword was useless as defence, and, exhausted, in
despair he threw himself into the sea, but here he was followed by the
dogs and torn to pieces. A few days after they were all destroyed by the
municipality, and the custom of keeping them has been since discontinued.
In an old map of St. Malo, or "Saint Malo de l'isle," as it was then
styled, preserved in the Imperial Library at Paris, is laid down, near the
"Sillon" a little sentry-box marked, "Corps-de-garde de nuit pour les
chiens," and again, near the "Tour de la grande Porte," is the "Pont aux
chiens." The date of the map is 1662. The arms of St. Malo till the
seventeenth century were, on a field argent, a mastiff gules.

The castle dates principally from the Queen-Duchess Anne, and one of its
massive towers, the "Qui qu'en grogne" is a memorial of her dauntless
spirit. Twice crowned Queen of France, she was the only one of her line
worthy of the ducal crown. The Bishop of St. Malo was temporal lord of the
town, and maintained he held it direct from the Pope, as a fief of the
Church, because it was built upon land where a convent formerly stood; and
consequently the Duke of Brittany had no authority over it, either
spiritual or temporal. Duke John V. began to build a castle, but the
Bishop opposed himself to its construction, and the contest lasted on
until the time of the Queen-Duchess Anne, who, in defiance of the Bishop,
and to shew that she was and always would be sovereign of St. Malo,
finished the fortress and caused the lofty inscription to be placed in
raised letters upon the great tower: "Qui qu'en grogne, ainsi sera, c'est
mon plaisir;"--so runs the legend, but unfortunately a similar story is
told of Louis II., Duke of Bourbon.

On the opposite side of the mouth of the Rance is Dinard, lately become a
favourit