[Sidenote: Flat fish.]
long, the legged and shelled: so the flat are diuided into the smooth,
scaled and tailed. Of the first are the plaice, the but, the turbut,
birt, floke or sea flounder, dorreie, dab, &c. Of the second the
soles, &c. Of the third, our chaits, maidens, kingsons, flath and
thornbacke, whereof the greater be for the most part either dried and
carried into other countries, or sodden, sowsed, & eaten here at home,
whilest the lesser be fried or buttered; soone after they be taken as
prouision not to be kept long for feare of putrifaction. Vnder the
[Sidenote: Round fish.]
round kinds are commonlie comprehended lumps, an vglie fish to sight,
and yet verie delicat in eating, if it be kindlie dressed: the whiting
(an old waiter or seruitor in the court) the rochet, sea breame,
pirle, hake, sea trowt, gurnard, haddocke, cod, herring, pilchard,
sprat, and such like. And these are they whereof I haue best
knowledge, and be commonlie to be had in their times vpon our coasts.
Vnder this kind also are all the great fish conteined, as the seale,
the dolphin, the porpoise, the thirlepole, whale, and whatsoeuer is
[Sidenote: Long fish.]
round of bodie be it neuer so great and huge. Of the long sort are
congers, eeles, garefish, and such other of that forme. Finallie, of
[Sidenote: Legged fish.]
the legged kind we haue not manie, neither haue I seene anie more of
this sort than the Polypus called in English the lobstar, crafish or
creuis, and the crab. As for the little crafishes they are not taken
in the sea, but plentifullie in our fresh riuers in banks, and vnder
stones, where they kéepe themselues in most secret maner, and oft by
likenesse of colour with the stones among which they lie, deceiue euen
the skilfull takers of them, except they vse great diligence. Carolus
Stephanus in his maison rustique, doubted whether these lobstars be
fish or not; and in the end concludeth them to grow of the purgation
of the water as dooth the frog, and these also not to be eaten, for
that they be strong and verie hard of digestion. But hereof let other
determine further.
I might here speake of sundrie other fishes now and then taken also
vpon our coasts: but sith my mind is onelie to touch either all such
as are vsuallie gotten, or so manie of them onelie as I can well
rehearse vpon certeine knowledge, I thinke it good at this time to
forbeare the further intreatie of them. As touching the shellie sort,
we haue plentie of oisters, whose valure in old time for their
swéetnesse was not vnknowne in Rome (although Mutianus as Plinie
noteth lib. 32, cap. 6. preferre the Cyzicene before them) and these
we haue in like maner of diuerse quantities, and no lesse varietie
also of our muskles and cockles. We haue in like sort no small store
of great whelkes, scalops and perewinkles, and each of them brought
farre into the land from the sea coast in their seuerall seasons. And
albeit our oisters are generallie forborne in the foure hot moneths of
the yeare, that is to saie, Maie, Iune, Iulie, and August, which are
void of the letter R: yet in some places they be continuallie eaten,
where they be kept in pits as I haue knowne by experience. And thus
much of our sea fish as a man in maner vtterlie vnacquainted with
their diuersitie of kinds: yet so much haue I yéelded to doo, hoping
hereafter to saie somewhat more, and more orderlie of them, if it
shall please God that I may liue and haue leasure once againe to
peruse this treatise, and so make vp a perfect péece of worke, of that
which as you now sée is verie slenderlie attempted and begun.
OF SAUAGE BEASTS AND VERMINES.
CHAP. IV.
It is none of the least blessings wherewith God hath indued this
Iland, that it is void of noisome beasts, as lions, beares, tigers,
pardes, wolfes, & such like, by means whereof our countrimen may
trauell in safetie, & our herds and flocks remaine for the most part
abroad in the field without anie herdman or kéeper.
This is cheefelie spoken of the south and southwest parts of the
Iland. For wheras we that dwell on this side of the Twed, may safelie
boast of our securitie in this behalfe: yet cannot the Scots doo the
like in euerie point within their kingdome, sith they haue greeuous
[Sidenote: Woolfes.]
woolfes and cruell foxes, beside some other of like disposition
continuallie conuersant among them, to the generall hinderance of
their husbandmen, and no small damage vnto the inhabiters of those
quarters. The happie and fortunate want of these beasts in England is
vniuersallie ascribed to the politike gouernement of king Edgar, who
to the intent the whole countrie might once be clensed and clearelie
rid of them, charged the conquered Welshmen (who were then pestered
with these rauenous creatures aboue measure) to paie him a yearelie
[Sidenote: Tribute of Woolfes skins.]
tribute of woolfes skinnes, to be gathered within the land. He
appointed them thereto a certeine number of three hundred, with free
libertie for their prince to hunt & pursue them ouer all quarters of
the realme; as our chronicles doo report. Some there be which write
how Ludwall prince of Wales paid yearelie to king Edgar this tribute
of thrée hundred woolfes, whose carcases being brought into Lhoegres,
were buried at Wolfpit in Cambridgeshire, and that by meanes thereof
within the compasse and terme of foure yeares, none of those noisome
creatures were left to be heard of within Wales and England. Since
this time also we read not that anie woolfe hath béene séene here that
hath beene bred within the bounds and limits of our countrie: howbeit
there haue béene diuerse brought ouer from beyond the seas for
gréedinesse of gaine, and to make monie onlie by the gasing and gaping
of our people vpon them, who couet oft to see them being strange
beasts in their eies, and sildome knowne (as I haue said) in England.
Lions we haue had verie manie in the north parts of Scotland, and
those with maines of no lesse force than they of Mauritania were
sometimes reported to be; but how and when they were destroied as yet
I doo not read. They had in like sort no lesse plentie of wild and
cruell buls, which the princes and their nobilitie in the frugall time
of the land did hunt, and follow for the triall of their manhood, and
by pursute either on horssebacke or foot in armor; notwithstanding
that manie times they were dangerouslie assailed by them. But both
these sauage cretures are now not heard of, or at the least wise the
later scarselie known in the south parts. Howbeit this I gather by
their being here, that our Iland was not cut from the maine by the
great deluge or flood of Noah: but long after, otherwise the
generation of those & other like creatures could not haue extended
into our Ilands. For, that anie man would of set purpose replenish the
countrie with them for his pleasure and pastime in hunting, I can in
no wise beléeue.
[Sidenote: Foxes.]
[Sidenote: Badgers.]
Of foxes we haue some but no great store, and also badgers in our
sandie & light grounds, where woods, firzes, broome, and plentie of
shrubs are to shrowd them in, when they be from their borrowes, and
thereto warrens of conies at hand to féed vpon at will. Otherwise in
claie, which we call the cledgie mould, we sildom heare of anie,
bicause the moisture and toughnesse of the soile is such, as will not
suffer them to draw and make their borrowes déepe. Certes if I may
fréelie saie what I thinke, I suppose that these two kinds (I meane
foxes and badgers) are rather preserued by gentlemen to hunt and haue
pastime withall at their owne pleasures, than otherwise suffered to
liue, as not able to be destroied bicause of their great numbers. For
such is the scantitie of them here in England, in comparison of the
plentie that is to be seene in other countries, and so earnestlie are
the inhabitants bent to root them out, that except it had béene to
beare thus with the recreations of their superiors in this behalfe, it
could not otherwise haue béene chosen, but that they should haue béene
vtterlie destroied by manie yeares agone.
I might here intreat largelie of other vermine, as the polcat, the
miniuer, the weasell, stote, fulmart, squirrill, fitchew, and such
like, which Cardan includeth vnder the word Mustela: also of the
[Sidenote: Beuers.]
otter, and likewise of the beuer, whose hinder féet and taile onlie
are supposed to be fish. Certes the taile of this beast is like vnto a
thin whetstone, as the bodie vnto a monsterous rat: the beast also it
selfe is of such force in the téeth, that it will gnaw an hole through
a thicke planke, or shere thorough a dubble billet in a night; it
loueth also the stillest riuers: & it is giuen to them by nature, to
go by flockes vnto the woods at hand, where they gather sticks
wherewith to build their nests, wherein their bodies lie drie aboue
the water, although they so prouide most commonlie, that their tailes
may hang within the same. It is also reported that their said tailes
are a delicate dish, and their stones of such medicinable force, that
(as Vertomannus saith) foure men smelling vnto them each after other
did bleed at the nose through their attractiue force, procéeding from
a vehement sauour wherewith they are indued: there is greatest plentie
of them in Persia, chéefelie about Balascham, from whence they and
their dried cods are brought into all quarters of the world, though
not without some forgerie by such as prouide them. And of all these
here remembred, as the first sorts are plentifull in euerie wood and
hedgerow: so these latter, especiallie the otter (for to saie the
truth we haue not manie beuers, but onelie in the Teifie in Wales) is
not wanting or to séeke in manie, but most streams and riuers of this
Ile: but it shall suffice in this sort to haue named them as I doo
[Sidenote: Marterns.]
finallie the marterne, a beast of the chase, although for number I
worthilie doubt whether that of our beuers or marterns may be thought
to be the lesse.
Other pernicious beasts we haue not, except you repute the great
plentie of red & fallow déere, whose colours are oft garled white and
blacke, all white or all blacke, and store of conies amongst the
hurtfull sort. Which although that of themselues they are not
offensiue at all, yet their great numbers are thought to be verie
preiudiciall, and therfore iustlie reprooued of many; as are in like
sort our huge flocks of shéepe, whereon the greatest part of our soile
is emploied almost in euerie place, and yet our mutton, wooll, and
felles neuer the better cheape. The yoong males which our fallow deere
doo bring foorth, are commonlie named according to their seuerall
ages: for the first yéere it is a fawne, the second a puckot, the
third a serell, the fourth a soare, the fift a bucke of the first
head; not bearing the name of a bucke till he be fiue yéers old: and
from hencefoorth his age is commonlie knowne by his head or horns.
Howbeit this notice of his yéers is not so certeine, but that the best
woodman may now and then be deceiued in that account: for in some
grounds a bucke of the first head will be so well headed as another in
a high rowtie soile will be in the fourth. It is also much to be
maruelled at, that whereas they doo yéerelie mew and cast their horns;
yet in fighting they neuer breake off where they doo grife or mew.
Furthermore, in examining the condition of our red déere, I find that
the yoong male is called in the first yéere a calfe, in the second a
broket, the third a spaie, the fourth a stagon or stag, the fift a
great stag, the sixt an hart, and so foorth vnto his death. And with
him in degrée of venerie are accounted the hare, bore, and woolfe. The
fallow déere as bucks and does, are nourished in parkes, and conies in
warrens and burrowes. As for hares, they run at their owne aduenture,
except some gentleman or other (for his pleasure) doo make an
[Sidenote: Stags.]
inclosure for them. Of these also the stag is accounted for the most
noble game, the fallow déere is the next, then the roe, whereof we
haue indifferent store; and last of all the hare, not the least in
estimation, because the hunting of that seelie beast is mother to all
the terms, blasts, and artificiall deuises that hunters doo vse. All
which (notwithstanding our custome) are pastimes more méet for ladies
and gentlewomen to exercise (whatsoeuer Franciscus Patritius saith to
the contrarie in his institution of a prince) than for men of courage
to follow, whose hunting should practise their armes in tasting of
their manhood, and dealing with such beasts as eftsoones will turne
againe, and offer them the hardest rather than their horsses féet,
which manie times may carrie them with dishonour from the field.
Surelie this noble kind of hunting onelie did great princes frequent
in times past, as it may yet appéere by the histories of their times,
especiallie of Alexander, who at vacant times hunted the tiger, the
pard, the bore, and the beare, but most willinglie lions, because of
the honorable estimation of that beast; insomuch that at one time he
caused an od or chosen lion (for force and beautie) to be let foorth
vnto him hand to hand, with whome he had much businesse, albeit that
in the end he ouerthrew and killed the beast. Herevnto beside that
which we read of the vsuall hunting of the princes and kings of
Scotland, of the wild bull, woolfe, &c: the example of king Henrie the
first of England, who disdaining (as he termed them) to follow or
pursue cowards, cherished of set purpose sundrie kinds of wild beasts,
as bears, libards, ounces, lions at Woodstocke, & one or two other
places in England, which he walled about with hard stone, An. 1120,
and where he would often fight with some one of them hand to hand,
when they did turne againe and make anie raise vpon him: but chéeflie
he loued to hunt the lion and the bore, which are both verie dangerous
exercises, especiallie that with the lion, except some policie be
found wherwith to trouble his eiesight in anie manner of wise. For
though the bore be fierce, and hath learned by nature to harden his
flesh and skin against the trées, to sharpen his teeth, and defile
himselfe with earth, thereby to prohibit the entrance of the weapons:
yet is the sport somewhat more easie, especiallie where two stand so
neere togither, that the one (if néed be) may helpe and be a succour
to the other. Neither would he cease for all this to follow his
pastime, either on horssebacke or on foot, as occasion serued, much
like the yoonger Cyrus. I haue read of wild bores and bulles to haue
béene about Blackleie néere Manchester, whither the said prince would
now and then resort also for his solace in that behalfe, as also to
come by those excellent falcons then bred thereabouts; but now they
are gone, especiallie the bulles, as I haue said alreadie.
King Henrie the fift in his beginning thought it a méere scofferie to
pursue anie fallow déere with hounds or greihounds, but supposed
himselfe alwaies to haue doone a sufficient act when he had tired them
by his owne trauell on foot, and so killed them with his hands in the
vpshot of that exercise and end of his recreation. Certes herein he
resembled Polymnestor Milesius, of whome it is written, how he ran so
swiftlie, that he would and did verie often ouertake hares for his
pleasure, which I can hardlie beleeue: and therefore much lesse that
one Lidas did run so lightlie and swiftlie after like game, that as he
passed ouer the sand, he left not so much as the prints of his feet
behind him. And thus did verie manie in like sort with the hart (as I
doo read) but this I thinke was verie long agone, when men were farre
higher and swifter than they are now: and yet I denie not, but rather
grant willinglie that the hunting of the red deere is a right
princelie pastime. In diuerse forren countries they cause their red
and fallow déere to draw the plough, as we doo our oxen and horsses.
[Sidenote: Hinds haue béene milked.]
In some places also they milke their hinds as we doo here our kine and
goats. And the experience of this latter is noted by Giraldus
Cambrensis to haue beene séene and vsed in Wales, where he did eat
cheese made of hinds milke, at such time as Baldwine archbishop of
Canturburie preached the croisad there, when they were both lodged in
a gentlemans house, whose wife of purpose kept a deirie of the same.
As for the plowing with vres (which I suppose to be vnlikelie) because
they are (in mine opinion) vntameable and alkes a thing commonlie vsed
in the east countries; here is no place to speake of it, since we want
these kind of beasts, neither is it my purpose to intreat at large of
other things than are to be seene in England. Wherfore I will omit to
saie anie more of wild and sauage beasts at this time, thinking my
selfe to haue spoken alreadie sufficientlie of this matter, if not too
much in the iudgement of the curious.
OF HAWKES AND RAUENOUS FOULES.
CHAP. V.
I can not make (as yet) anie iust report how manie sorts of hawkes are
bred within this realme. Howbeit which of those that are vsuallie had
among vs are disclosed with in this land, I thinke it more easie and
lesse difficult to set downe. First of all therefore that we haue the
egle, common experience dooth euidentlie confirme, and diuerse of our
rockes whereon they bréed, if speach did serue, could well declare the
same. But the most excellent aierie of all is not much from Chester,
at a castell called Dinas Bren, sometime builded by Brennus, as our
writers doo remember. Certes this castell is no great thing, but yet a
pile sometime verie strong and inaccessible for enimies, though now
all ruinous as manie other are. It standeth vpon an hard rocke, in the
side whereof an eagle bréedeth euerie yeare. This also is notable in
the ouerthrow of hir nest (a thing oft attempted) that he which goeth
thither must be sure of two large baskets, and so prouide to be let
downe thereto, that he may sit in the one and be couered with the
other: for otherwise the eagle would kill him, and teare the flesh
from his bones with hir sharpe talons though his apparell were neuer
so good. The common people call this foule an erne, but as I am
ignorant whither the word eagle and erne doo shew anie difference of
sexe, I meane betwéene the male and female, so we haue great store of
them. And néere to the places where they bréed, the commons complaine
of great harme to be doone by them in their fields: for they are able
to beare a yoong lambe or kid vnto their neasts, therwith to féed
their yoong and come againe for more. I was once of the opinion that
there was a diuersitie of kind betwéene the eagle and the erne, till I
perceiued that our nation vsed the word erne in most places for the
eagle. We haue also the lanner and the lanneret: the tersell and the
gosehawke: the musket and the sparhawke: the iacke and the hobbie: and
finallie some (though verie few) marlions. And these are all the
hawkes that I doo heare as yet to be bred within this Iland. Howbeit
as these are not wanting with vs, so are they not verie plentifull:
wherefore such as delite in hawking doo make their chiefe purueiance &
prouision for the same out of Danske, Germanie, and the Eastcountries,
from whence we haue them in great abundance, and at excessiue prices,
whereas at home and where they be bred they are sold for almost right
naught, and vsuallie brought to the markets as chickins, pullets and
pigeons are with vs, and there bought vp to be eaten (as we doo the
aforesaid foules) almost of euerie man. It is said that the sparhawke
preieth not vpon the foule in the morning that she taketh ouer euen,
but as loth to haue double benefit by one seelie foule, dooth let it
go to make some shift for it selfe. But hereof as I stand in some
doubt, so this I find among the writers worthie the noting, that the
sparhawke is enimie to yoong children, as is also the ape; but of the
pecocke she is maruellouslie afraid & so appalled, that all courage &
stomach for a time is taken from hir vpon the sight thereof. But to
proceed with the rest. Of other rauenous birds we haue also verie
great plentie, as the bussard, the kite, the ringtaile, dunkite, &
such as often annoie our countrie dames by spoiling of their yoong
bréeds of chickens, duckes and goslings, wherevnto our verie rauens
and crowes haue learned also the waie: and so much are our rauens
giuen to this kind of spoile, that some idle and curious heads of set
purpose haue manned, reclaimed, and vsed them in stéed of hawkes, when
other could not be had. Some doo imagine that the rauen should be the
vulture, and I was almost persuaded in times past to beleeue the same:
but finding of late a description of the vulture, which better agreeth
with the forme of a second kind of eagle, I fréelie surcease to be
longer of that opinion: for as it hath after a sort the shape, colour,
and quantitie of an eagle, so are the legs and feet more hairie and
rough, their sides vnder their wings better couered with thicke downe
(wherewith also their gorge or a part of their brest vnder their
throtes is armed, and not with fethers) than are the like parts of the
eagle, and vnto which portraiture there is no member of the rauen (who
is also verie blacke of colour) that can haue anie resemblance: we
haue none of them in England to my knowledge, if we haue, they go
generallie vnder the name of eagle or erne. Neither haue we the
pygargus or gripe, wherefore I haue no occasion to intreat further. I
haue séene the carren crowes so cunning also by their owne industrie
of late, that they haue vsed to soare ouer great riuers (as the Thames
for example) & suddenlie comming downe haue caught a small fish in
their féet & gone awaie withall without wetting of their wings. And
euen at this present the aforesaid riuer is not without some of them,
a thing (in my opinion) not a little to be wondered at. We haue also
ospraies which bréed with vs in parks and woods, wherby the kéepers of
the same doo reape in bréeding time no small commoditie: for so soone
almost as the yoong are hatched, they tie them to the but ends or
ground ends of sundrie trees, where the old ones finding them, doo
neuer cease to bring fish vnto them, which the keepers take & eat from
them, and commonlie is such as is well fed, or not of the worst sort.
It hath not béene my hap hitherto to see anie of these foules, &
partlie through mine owne negligence: but I heare that it hath one
foot like an hawke to catch hold withall, and another resembling a
goose wherewith to swim; but whether it be so or not so, I refer the
further search and triall thereof vnto some other. This neuertheles is
certeine that both aliue and dead, yea euen hir verie oile is a
deadlie terrour to such fish as come within the wind of it. There is
no cause wherefore I should describe the cormorant amongst hawkes, of
which some be blacke and manie pied chiefelie about the Ile of Elie,
where they are taken for the night rauen, except I should call him a
water hawke. But sith such dealing is not conuenient, let vs now sée
what may be said of our venemous wormes, and how manie kinds we haue
of them within our realme and countrie.
OF VENEMOUS BEASTS.
CHAP. VI.
If I should go about to make anie long discourse of venemous beasts or
wormes bred in England, I should attempt more than occasion it selfe
would readilie offer, sith we haue verie few worms, but no beasts at
all, that are thought by their naturall qualities to be either
venemous or hurtfull. First of all therefore we haue the adder (in our
old Saxon toong called an atter) which some men doo not rashlie take
to be the viper. Certes if it be so, then is it not the viper author
[Sidenote: * _Galenus de Theriaca ad Pisonem._
* _Plin. lib. 10. cap. 62._]
of the death of hir [*] parents, as some histories affirme; and
thereto Encelius a late writer in his "De re metallica," lib. 3. cap.
38. where he maketh mention of a she adder which he saw in Sala, whose
wombe (as he saith) was eaten out after a like fashion, hir yoong ones
lieng by hir in the sunne shine, as if they had béene earth worms.
Neuerthelesse as he nameth them "Viperas," so he calleth the male
Echis, and the female Echidna, concluding in the end that Echis is the
same serpent which his countrimen to this daie call Ein atter, as I
haue also noted before out of a Saxon dictionarie. For my part I am
persuaded that the slaughter of their parents is either not true at
all, or not alwaies (although I doubt not but that nature hath right
well prouided to inhibit their superfluous increase by some meanes or
other) and so much the rather am I led herevnto, for that I gather by
Nicander, that of all venemous worms the viper onelie bringeth out hir
yoong aliue, and therefore is called in Latine "Vipera quasi
viuipara:" but of hir owne death he dooth not (to my remembrance) saie
any thing. It is testified also by other in other words, & to the like
sense, that "Echis id est vipera sola ex serpentibus non oua sed
animalia parit." And it may well be, for I remember that I haue read
in Philostratus "De vita Appollonij,"