{ The first findeth game on the land.
{ The other findeth game on the water.
Such as delight on the land, play their partes, eyther by swiftnesse of
foote, or by often questing, to search out and to spring the byrde for
further hope of aduauntage, or else by some secrete signe and priuy
token bewray the place where they fall.
The first kinde of such serue { The Hauke,
The seconde, { The net, or, traine,
The first kinde haue no peculier names assigned vnto them, saue onely
that they be denominated after the byrde which by naturall appointment
he is alotted to take, for the which consideration. (15)
Some be called Dogges,
{ For the Falcon }
{ The Phesant }
{ The Partridge }
and such like,
The common sort of people call them by one generall word, namely
Spaniells. As though these kinde of Dogges came originally and first of
all out of Spaine, The most part of their skynnes are white, and if they
be marcked with any spottes, they are commonly red, and somewhat great
therewithall, the heares not growing in such thicknesse but that the
mixture of them maye easely bee perceaued. Othersome of them be reddishe
and blackishe, but of that sorte there be but a very few. There is also
at this day among vs a newe kinde of dogge brought out of Fraunce (for
we Englishe men are maruailous greedy gaping gluttons after nouelties,
and couetous coruorauntes of things that be seldom, rare, straunge, and
hard to get.) And they bee speckled all ouer with white and black, which
mingled colours incline to a marble blewe, which bewtifyeth their
skinnes and affordeth a seemely show of comlynesse. These are called
French dogges as is aboue declared already.
The Dogge called the Setter, in Latine _Index_.
Another sort of Dogges be there, seruiceable for fowling, making no
noise either with foote or with tounge, whiles they followe the game.
These attend diligently vpon theyr Master and frame their conditions to
such beckes, motions, and gestures, as it shall please him to exhibite
and make, either going forward, drawing backeward, inclining to the
right hand, or yealding toward the left, (In making mencion of fowles,
my meaning is of the Partridge & the Quaile) when he hath founde the
byrde, he keepeth sure and fast silence, he stayeth his steppes and wil
proceede no further, and with a (16) close, couert, watching eye, layeth
his belly to the grounde and so creepeth forward like a worme. When he
approcheth neere to the place where the birde is, he layes him downe,
and with a marcke of his pawes betrayeth the place of the byrdes last
abode, whereby it is supposed that this kinde of dogge is called
_Index_, Setter, being in deede a name most consonant and agreable to
his quality. The place being knowne by the meanes of the dogge, the
fowler immediatly openeth and spreedeth his net, intending to take them,
which being done the dogge at the accustomed becke or vsuall signe of
his Master ryseth vp by and by, and draweth neerer to the fowle that by
his presence they might be the authors of their owne insnaring, and be
ready intangled in the prepared net, which conning and artificiall
indeuour in a dogge (being a creature domesticall or householde seruaunt
brought vp at home with offalls of the trencher & fragments of
victualls,) is not much to be maruailed at, seing that a Hare (being a
wilde and skippishe beast) was seene in England to the astonishment of
the beholders, in the yeare of our Lorde God, 1564, not onely dauncing
in measure, but playing with his former feete vppon a tabberet, and
obseruing iust number of strokes (as a practicioner in that arte)
besides that nipping & pinching a dogge with his teeth and clawes, &
cruelly thumping him with y^e force of his feete. This is no trumpery
tale, nor trifling toye (as I imagine) and therefore not vnworthy to bee
reported, for I recken it a requitall of my trauaile, not to drowne in
the seas of silence any speciall thing, wherin the prouidence and
effectuall working of nature is to be pondered.
Of the Dogge called the water Spaniell, or finder, in Latine _Aquaticus
seu Inquisitor_.
That kinde of Dogge whose seruice is required in fowling vpon the water,
partly through a naturall towardnesse, and partly by diligent teaching,
is indued with that property. (17) This sort is somewhat bigge, and of a
measurable greatnesse, hauing long, rough, and curled heare, not
obtayned by extraordinary trades, but giuen by natures appointment, yet
neuerthelesse (friend _Gesner_) I have described and set him out in this
maner, namely powlde and netted from the shoulders to the hindermost
legges, and to the end of his tayle, which I did for vse and customs
cause, that beyng as it were made somewhat bare and naked, by shearing
of such superfluitie of heare, they might atchiue the more lightnesse,
and swiftnesse, and be lesse hindered in swymming, so troublesome and
needelesse a burthen being shaken of. This kinde of dogge is properly
called, _Aquaticus_, a water spaniel because he frequenteth and hath
vsual recourse to the water where all his game & exercise lyeth, namely,
waterfowles, which are taken by the helpe & seruice of them, in their
kind. And principally duckes and drakes, wherupon he is lykewise named a
dogge for the ducke, because in that quallitie he is excellent. With
these dogges also we fetche out of the water such fowle as be stounge to
death by any venemous worme, we vse them also to bring vs our boultes &
arrowes out of the water, (missing our marcke) whereat we directed our
leuell, which otherwise we should hardly recouer, and oftentimes they
restore to vs our shaftes which we thought neuer to see, touche or
handle againe, after they were lost, for which circumstaunces they are
called _Inquisitores_, searchers, and finders. Although the ducke
otherwhiles notably deceaueth both the dogge and the master, by dyuing
vnder the water, and also by naturall subtilty, for if any man shall
approche to the place where they builde, breede, and syt, the hennes go
out of their neastes, offering themselues voluntarily to the hãds, as it
were, of such as draw nie their neasts. And a certaine weaknesse of
their winges pretended, and infirmitie of their feete dissembled, they
go so slowely and so leasurely, that to a mans thinking it were no
masteryes to take them. By which deceiptfull tricke they doe as it were
(18) entyse and allure men to follow them, till they be drawne a long
distaunce from theyr neastes, which being compassed by their prouident
conning, or conning prouidence, they cut of all inconueniences which
might growe of their returne, by using many carefull and curious
caueates, least theyr often haunting bewray y^e place where the young
ducklings be hatched. Great therfore is theyr desire, & earnest is theyr
study to take heede, not only to theyr broode but also to themselues.
For when they haue an ynckling that they are espied they hide themselues
vnder turfes or sedges, wherwith they couer and shrowde themselues so
closely and so craftely, that (notwithstanding the place where they
lurcke be found and perfectly perceaued) there they will harbour without
harme, except the water spaniell by quicke smelling discouer theyr
deceiptes.
Of the Dogge called the Fisher, in Latine _Canis Piscator_.
The Dogge called the fisher, wherof _Hector Boethus_ writeth, which
seeketh for fishe by smelling among rockes & stones, assuredly I knowe
none of that kinde in Englande, neither haue I receaued by reporte that
there is any suche, albeit I haue bene diligent & busie in demaunding
the question as well of fishermen, as also of huntesmen in that behalfe
being carefull and earnest to learne and vnderstand of them if any such
were, except you holde opinion that the beauer or Otter is a fishe (as
many haue beleeued) & according to their beliefe affirmed, and as the
birde _Pupine_, is thought to be a fishe and so accounted. But that
kinde of dogge which followeth the fishe to apprehend and take it (if
there bee any of that disposition and property) whether they do this for
the game of hunting, or for the heate of hunger, as other Dogges do
which rather then they wil be famished for want of foode, couet the
carckases of carrion and putrifyed fleshe. When I am fully resolued and
disburthened of this doubt I wil send you certificate in writing. In the
meane season I am not ignorant of that both Ælianus, and Ælius, call the
Beauer (19) #kuna potamion# a water dogge, or a dogge fishe, I know
likewise thus much more, that the Beauer doth participate this propertie
with the dogge, namely, that when fishes be scarse they leaue the water
and raunge vp and downe the lande, making an insatiable slaughter of
young lambes vntil theyr paunches be replenished, and wh[en] they haue
fed themselues full of fleshe, then returne they to the water, from
whence they came. But albeit so much be graunted that this Beauer is a
dogge, yet it is to be noted that we recken it not in the beadrowe of
Englishe dogges as we haue done the rest. The sea Calfe, in like maner,
which our country m[en] for breuitie sake call a Seele, other more
largely name a _Sea Vele_, maketh a spoyle of fishes betweene rockes and
banckes, but it is not accounted in the catalogue or n[um]ber of our
Englishe dogges, notwithstanding we call it by the name of a Sea dogge
or a sea Calfe. And thus much for our dogges of the second sort called
in Latine _Aucupatorij_, seruing to take fowle either by land or water.
¶ A Diall pertaining to the
_second Section_.
Dogges seruing the disport of fowling.
are diuided into
{ Land spaniels
{ Setters
{ Water spaniels or finders.
called in latine _Canes Aucupatorij_
The fisher is not of their number, but seuerall.
The thirde Section of this (20)
_abridgement_.
Nowe followeth in due order and conuenient place our Englishe Dogges of
the thirde gentle kinde, what they are called to what vse they serue,
and what sort of people plant their pleasure in th[em], which because
they neede no curious canuassing and nye syfting, wee meane to bee so
much the briefer.
Of the delicate, neate, and pretty kind of dogges
called the Spaniel gentle, or the comforter,
in Latine _Melitæus
or Fotor_.
There is, besides those which wee haue already deliuered, another sort
of gentle dogges in this our Englishe soyle but exempted from the order
of the residue, the Dogges of this kinde doth _Callimachus_ call
_Melitæos_, of the Iseland _Melita_, in the sea of _Sicily_, (what at
this day is named _Malta_, an Iseland in deede, famous and renoumed,
with couragious and puisaunt souldiours valliauntly fighting vnder the
banner of Christ their vnconquerable captaine) where this kind of dogges
had their principall beginning.
These dogges are litle, pretty, proper, and fyne, and sought for to
satisfie the delicatenesse of daintie dames, and wanton womens wills,
instrumentes of folly for them to play and dally withall, to tryfle away
the treasure of time, to withdraw their mindes from more commendable
exercises, and to content (21) their corrupted concupiscences with vaine
disport (A selly shift to shunne yrcksome ydlnesse.) These puppies the
smaller they be, the more pleasure they prouoke, as more meete play
fellowes for minsing mistrisses to beare in their bosoms, to keepe
company withal in their chambers, to succour with sleepe in bed, and
nourishe with meate at bourde, to lay in their lappes, and licke their
lippes as they ryde in their waggons, and good reason it should be so,
for coursnesse with fynenesse hath no fellowship, but featnesse with
neatenesse hath neighbourhood enough. That plausible prouerbe verified
vpon a Tyraunt, namely that he loued his sowe better then his sonne, may
well be applyed to these kinde of people who delight more in dogges that
are depriued of all possibility of reason, then they doe in children
that be capeable of wisedome and iudgement. But this abuse peraduenture
raigneth where there hath bene long lacke of issue, or else where
barrennes is the best blossome of bewty.
The vertue which remaineth in the Spainell gentle otherwise called the
comforter.
Notwithstanding many make much of those pretty puppies called Spaniels
gentle, yet if the question were demaunded what propertie in them they
spye, which shoulde make them so acceptable and precious in their sight,
I doubt their aunswere would be long a coyning. But seeing it was our
intent to trauaile in this treatise, so that y^e reader might reape some
benefite by his reading, we will communicate vnto you such coniectures
as are grounded upon reason. And though some suppose that such dogges
are fyt for no seruice, I dare say, by their leaues, they be in a wrong
boxe. Among all other qualities therfore of nature, which be knowne (for
some conditions are couered with continuall and thicke clouds, that the
eye of our capacities can not pearse through th[em]) we (22) find that
these litle dogs are good to asswage the sicknesse of the stomacke being
oftentimes thervnto applyed as a plaster preseruatiue, or borne in the
bosom of the diseased and weake person, which effect is performed by
theyr moderate heate. Moreouer the disease and sicknesse chaungeth his
place and entreth (though it be not precisely marcked) into the dogge,
which to be no vntruth, experience can testify, for these kinde of
dogges sometimes fall sicke, and sometime die, without any harme
outwardly inforced, which is an argument that the disease of the
gentleman, or gentle woman or owner whatsoeuer, entreth into the dogge
by the operation of heate intermingled and infected. And thus haue I
hetherto handled dogges of a gentle kinde whom I haue comprehended in a
triple diuisiõ. Now it remaineth that I annex in due order such dogges
as be of a more homely kinde.
A Diall pertaining to the
_thirde Section_.