It made one of the favourite amusements of the romantic age of queen
Elizabeth, and was introduced among the princely pleasures of Kenilworth
in 1575, where the droll author of the account introduces the bear and
dogs deciding their ancient grudge per duellum.[121]
“Well, Syr (says he), the bearz wear brought foorth intoo coourt, the
dogs set too them, too argu the points eeven face to face, they had
learnd coounsell allso a both parts: what may they be coounted parciall
that are retained but a to syde, I ween. No wery feers both tou and
toother eager in argument: if the dog in pleadyng woold pluk the bear by
the throte, the bear with trauers woould claw him again by the skaip,
confess and a list; but a voyd a coold not that waz bound too the bar:
and hiz counsell toll’d him that it coold be too him no poliecy in
pleading. Thearfore, thus with fending and proouing, with plucking and
tugging, skratting and byting, by plain tooth and nayll, a to side and
toother, such erspes of blood and leather was thear between them, az a
month’s licking, I ween, wyl not recoover, and yet remain az far oout az
euer they wear. It waz a sport very pleazaunt of theez beastys: to see
the bear with hiz pink nyez leering after hiz enmiez approch, the
nimblness and wayt of ye dog too take his auauntage, and the fors and
experiens of the bear agayn to auoyd the assauts: if he wear bitten in
one place, hoow he woold pynch in anoother too get free: that if he wear
taken onez, then what shyft with byting, with clawyng, with roring,
torsing and tumbling, he woold work to wynde hymself from them; and when
he was lose, to shake hiz earz twyse or thryse wyth the blud and the
slaver aboout hiz fiznamy, was a matter of a goodly releef.”
[Illustration: ~The Bear Garden in Southwark~, A. D. 1648.