There is no countrie that maie (as I take it) compare with ours, in
number, excellencie, and diuersite of dogs. And therefore if
Polycrates of Samia were now aliue, he would not send to Epyro for
such merchandize: but to his further cost prouide them out of
Britaine, as an ornament to his countrie, and péece of husbandrie for
his common wealth, which he furnished of set purpose with Molossian
and Lacaonian dogs, as he did the same also with shéepe out of Attica
and Miletum, gotes from Scyro and Naxus, swine out of Sicilia, and
artificers out of other places. Howbeit the learned doctor Caius in
his Latine treatise vnto Gesner "De canibus Anglicis," bringeth them
all into thrée sorts: that is, the gentle kind seruing for game: the
homelie kind apt for sundrie vses: and the currish kind méet for many
toies. For my part I can say no more of them than he hath doone
alredie. Wherefore I will here set downe onelie a summe of that which
he hath written of their names and natures, with the addition of an
example or two now latelie had in experience, whereby the courages of
our mastiffes shall yet more largelie appeare. As for those of other
countries I haue not to deale with them: neither care I to report out
of Plinie, that dogs were sometime killed in sacrifice, and sometime
their whelps eaten as a delicate dish, Lib. 29. cap. 4. Wherefore if
anie man be disposed to read of them, let him resort to Plinie lib. 8.
cap. 40. who (among other woonders) telleth of an armie of two hundred
dogs, which fetched a king of the Garamantes out of captiuitie, mawgre
the resistance of his aduersaries: also to Cardan, lib. 10. "De
animalibus," Aristotle, &c: who write maruels of them, but none
further from credit than Cardan, who is not afraid to compare some of
them for greatnesse with oxen, and some also for smalnesse vnto the
little field mouse. Neither doo I find anie far writer of great
antiquitie, that maketh mention of our dogs, Strabo excepted, who
saith that the Galles did somtime buy vp all our mastiffes, to serue
in the forewards of their battels, wherein they resembled the
Colophonians, Castabalenses of Calicute and Phenicia, of whom Plinie
also speaketh, but they had them not from vs.
The first sort therefore he diuideth either into such as rowse the
beast, and continue the chase, or springeth the bird, and bewraieth
hir flight by pursute. And as these are commonlie called spaniels, so
the other are named hounds, whereof he maketh eight sorts, of which
the formost excelleth in perfect smelling, the second in quicke
espieng, the third in swiftnesse and quickenesse, the fourth in
smelling and nimblenesse, &c: and the last in subtiltie and
deceitfulnesse. These (saith Strabo) are most apt for game, and called
_Sagaces_ by a generall name, not onelie bicause of their skill in
hunting, but also for that they know their owne and the names of their
fellowes most exactlie. For if the hunter see anie one to follow
skilfullie, and with likelihood of good successe, he biddeth the rest
to harke and follow such a dog, and they eftsoones obeie so soone as
they heare his name. The first kind of these are also commonlie called
hariers, whose game is the fox, the hare, the woolfe (if we had anie)
hart, bucke, badger, otter, polcat, lopstart, wesell, conie, &c: the
second hight a terrer, and it hunteth the badger and graie onelie: the
third a bloudhound, whose office is to follow the fierce, and now and
then to pursue a théefe or beast by his drie foot: the fourth hight a
gasehound, who hunteth by the eie: the fift a greihound, cherished for
his strength, swiftnes, and stature, commended by Bratius in his "De
venatione," and not vnremembred by Hercules Stroza in a like treatise,
but aboue all other those of Britaine, where he saith:
---- & magna spectandi mole Britanni,
also by Nemesianus, libro Cynegeticôn, where he saith:
Diuisa Britannia mittit
Veloces nostríq; orbis venatibus aptos,
of which sort also some be smooth, of sundrie colours, and some shake
haired: the sixt a liemer, that excelleth in smelling and swift
running: the seuenth a tumbler: and the eight a théefe, whose offices
(I meane of the latter two) incline onelie to deceit, wherein they are
oft so skilfull, that few men would thinke so mischiefous a wit to
remaine in such sillie creatures. Hauing made this enumeration of
dogs, which are apt for the chase and hunting, he commeth next to such
as serue the falcons in their times, whereof he maketh also two sorts.
One that findeth his game on the land, an other that putteth vp such
foule as keepeth in the water: and of these this is commonlie most
vsuall for the net or traine, the other for the hawke, as he dooth
shew at large. Of the first he saith, that they haue no peculiar names
assigned to them seuerallie, but each of them is called after the bird
which by naturall appointment he is allotted to hunt or serue, for
which consideration some be named dogs for the feasant, some for the
falcon, and some for the partrich. Howbeit the common name for all is
spaniell (saith he) and therevpon alludeth, as if these kinds of dogs
had bin brought hither out of Spaine. In like sort we haue of water
spaniels in their kind. The third sort of dogs of the gentle kind, is
the spaniell gentle, or comforter, or (as the common terme is) the
fistinghound, and those are called _Melitei_, of the Iland Malta, from
whence they were brought hither. These are little and prettie, proper
and fine, and sought out far and néere to satisfie the nice delicacie
of daintie dames, and wanton womens willes; instruments of follie to
plaie and dallie withall, in trifling away the treasure of time, to
withdraw their minds from more commendable exercises, and to content
their corrupt concupiscences with vaine disport, a sillie poore shift
to shun their irkesome idlenes. These Sybariticall puppies, the
smaller they be (and thereto if they haue an hole in the foreparts of
their heads) the better they are accepted, the more pleasure also they
prouoke, as méet plaiefellowes for minsing mistresses to beare in
their bosoms, to keepe companie withall in their chambers, to succour
with sléepe in bed, and nourish with meat at boord, to lie in their
laps, and licke their lips as they lie (like yoong Dianaes) in their
wagons and coches. And good reason it should be so, for coursenesse
with finenesse hath no fellowship, but featnesse with neatnesse hath
neighbourhead inough. That plausible prouerbe therefore verefied
sometime vpon a tyrant, namelie that he loued his sow better than his
sonne, may well be applied to some of this kind of people, who delight
more in their dogs, that are depriued of all possibilitie of reason,
than they doo in children that are capable of wisedome & iudgement.
Yea, they oft féed them of the best, where the poore mans child at
their doores can hardlie come by the woorst. But the former abuse
peraduenture reigneth where there hath béene long want of issue, else
where barrennesse is the best blossome of beautie: or finallie, where
poore mens children for want of their owne issue are not readie to be
had. It is thought of some that it is verie wholesome for a weake
stomach to beare such a dog in the bosome, as it is for him that hath
the palsie to féele the dailie smell and sauour of a fox. But how
truelie this is affirmed let the learned iudge: onelie it shall
suffice for Doctor Caius to haue said thus much of spaniels and dogs
of the gentle kind.
[Sidenote: Homelie kind of dogs.]
Dogs of the homelie kind, are either shepheards curs, or mastiffes.
The first are so common, that it néedeth me not to speake of them.
Their vse also is so well knowne in keeping the heard togither (either
when they grase or go before the sheepheard) that it should be but in
vaine to spend anie time about them. Wherefore I will leaue this curre
[Sidenote: Tie dogs.]
vnto his owne kind, and go in hand with the mastiffe, tie dog, or
banddog, so called bicause manie of them are tied vp in chaines and
strong bonds, in the daie time, for dooing hurt abroad, which is an
huge dog, stubborne, ouglie, eager, burthenous of bodie (& therefore
but of little swiftnesse) terrible and fearfull to behold, and
oftentimes more fierce and fell than anie Archadian or Corsican cur.
Our Englishmen to the intent that these dogs may be more cruell and
fierce, assist nature with some art, vse and custome. For although
this kind of dog be capable of courage, violent, valiant, stout and
bold: yet will they increase these their stomachs by teaching them to
bait the beare, the bull, the lion, and other such like cruell and
bloudie beasts, (either brought ouer or kept vp at home, for the same
purpose) without anie collar to defend their throats, and oftentimes
thereto they traine them vp in fighting and wrestling with a man
(hauing for the safegard of his life either a pike staffe, club,
sword, priuie coate) wherby they become the more fierce and cruell
vnto strangers. The Caspians made so much account sometime of such
great dogs, that euerie able man would nourish sundrie of them in his
house of set purpose, to the end they should deuoure their carcases
after their deaths, thinking the dogs bellies to be the most
honourable sepulchers. The common people also followed the same rate,
and therfore there were tie dogs kept vp by publike ordinance, to
deuoure them after their deaths: by means whereof these beasts became
the more eger, and with great difficultie after a while restreined
from falling vpon the liuing. But whither am I digressed? In returning
[Sidenote: Some barke and bite not.]
[Sidenote: Some bite and barke not.]
therefore to our owne, I saie that of mastiffes, some barke onelie
with fierce and open mouth but will not bite, some doo both barke and
bite, but the cruellest doo either not barke at all, or bite before
they barke, and therefore are more to be feared than anie of the
other. They take also their name of the word mase and théefe (or
master théefe if you will) bicause they often stound and put such
persons to their shifts in townes and villages, and are the principall
causes of their apprehension and taking. The force which is in them
surmounteth all beleefe, and the fast hold which they take with their
téeth excéedeth all credit: for thrée of them against a beare, foure
against a lion, are sufficient to trie mastries with them. King Henrie
the seauenth, as the report goeth, commanded all such curres to be
hanged, bicause they durst presume to fight against the lion, who is
their king and souereigne. The like he did with an excellent falcon,
as some saie, bicause he feared not hand to hand to match with an
eagle, willing his falconers in his owne presence to pluck off his
head after he was taken downe, saieng that it was not méet for anie
subiect to offer such wrong vnto his lord and superiour, wherein he
had a further meaning. But if king Henrie the seauenth had liued in
our time, what would he haue doone to one English mastiffe, which
alone and without anie helpe at all pulled downe first an huge beare,
then a pard, and last of all a lion, each after other before the
French king in one daie, when the lord Buckhurst was ambassador vnto
him, and whereof if I should write the circumstances, that is, how he
tooke his aduantage being let lose vnto them, and finallie draue them
into such excéeding feare, that they were all glad to run awaie when
he was taken from them, I should take much paines, and yet reape but
small credit: wherefore it shall suffice to haue said thus much
thereof. Some of our mastiffes will rage onelie in the night, some are
to be tied vp both daie and night. Such also as are suffered to go
lose about the house and yard, are so gentle in the daie time, that
children may ride on their backs, & plaie with them, at their
pleasures. Diuerse of them likewise are of such gelousie ouer their
maister and whosoeuer of his houshold, that if a stranger doo imbrace
or touch anie of them, they will fall fiercelie vpon them, vnto their
extreame mischéefe if their furie be not preuented. Such an one was
the dog of Nichomedes king sometime of Bithinia, who séeing Consigne
the quéene to imbrace and kisse hir husband as they walked togither in
a garden, did teare hir all to peeces, mauger his resistance, and the
present aid of such as attended on them. Some of them moreouer will
suffer a stranger to come in and walke about the house or yard where
him listeth, without giuing ouer to follow him: but if he put foorth
his hand to touch anie thing, then will they flie vpon him and kill
him if they may. I had one my selfe once, which would not suffer anie
man to bring in his weapon further than my gate: neither those that
were of my house to be touched in his presence. Or if I had beaten
anie of my children, he would gentlie haue assaied to catch the rod in
his teeth and take it out of my hand, or else pluck downe their
clothes to saue them from the stripes: which in my opinion is not
vnworthie to be noted. And thus much of our mastiffes, creatures of no
lesse faith and loue towards their maisters than horsses; as may
appeare euen by the confidence that Masinissa reposed in them, in so
much that mistrusting his houshold seruants he made him a gard of
dogs, which manie a time deliuered him from their treasons and
conspiracies, euen by their barking and biting, nor of lesse force
than the Molossian race, brought from Epiro into some countries, which
the poets feigne to haue originall from the brasen dog that Vulcan
made, and gaue to Iupiter, who also deliuered the same to Europa, she
to Procris, and Procris to Cephalus, as Iulius Pollux noteth, lib. 5.
cap. 5: neither vnequall in carefulnesse to the mastiffe of Alexander
Phereus, who by his onelie courage and attendance kept his maister
long time from slaughter, till at the last he was remooued by policie,
and the tyrant killed sléeping: the storie goeth thus. Thebe the wife
of the said Phereus and hir three brethren conspired the death of hir
husband, who fearing the dog onelie, she found the means to allure him
from his chamber doore by faire means, vnto another house hard by,
whilest they should execute their purpose. Neuerthelesse, when they
came to the bed where he laie sléeping, they waxed faint harted, till
she did put them in choise, either that they should dispatch him at
once, or else that she hir selfe would wake hir husband, and giue him
warning of his enimies, or at the least wise bring in the dog vpon
them, which they feared most of all: and therefore quicklie dispatched
him.
The last sort of dogs consisteth of the currish kind méet for manie
toies: of which the whappet or prickeard curre is one. Some men call
them warners, bicause they are good for nothing else but to barke and
giue warning when anie bodie dooth stirre or lie in wait about the
house in the night season. Certes it is vnpossible to describe these
curs in anie order, bicause they haue no anie one kind proper vnto
themselues, but are a confused companie mixt of all the rest. The
second sort of them are called turne spits, whose office is not
vnknowne to anie. And as these are onelie reserued for this purpose,
so in manie places our mastiffes (beside the vse which tinkers haue of
them in carieng their heauie budgets) are made to draw water in great
whéeles out of déepe wels, going much like vnto those which are framed
for our turne spits, as is to be séene at Roiston, where this feat is
often practised. Besides these also we haue sholts or curs dailie
brought out of Iseland, and much made of among vs, bicause of their
sawcinesse and quarrelling. Moreouer they bite verie sore, and loue
candles excéedinglie, as doo the men and women of their countrie: but
I may saie no more of them, bicause they are not bred with vs. Yet
this will I make report of by the waie, for pastimes sake, that when a
great man of those parts came of late into one of our ships which went
thither for fish, to see the forme and fashion of the same, his wife
apparrelled in fine sables, abiding on the decke whilest hir husband
was vnder the hatches with the mariners, espied a pound or two of
candles hanging at the mast, and being loth to stand there idle alone,
she fell to and eat them vp euerie one, supposing hir selfe to haue
béene at a iollie banket, and shewing verie plesant gesture when hir
husband came vp againe vnto hir.
The last kind of toiesh curs are named dansers, and those being of a
mongrell sort also, are taught & exercised to danse in measure at the
musicall sound of an instrument, as at the iust stroke of a drum,
sweet accent of the citharne, and pleasant harmonie of the harpe,
shewing manie trickes by the gesture of their bodies: as to stand bolt
vpright, to lie flat vpon the ground, to turne round as a ring,
holding their tailes in their teeth, to saw and beg for meat, to take
a mans cap from his head, and sundrie such properties, which they
learne of their idle rogish masters whose instruments they are to
gather gaine, as old apes clothed in motleie, and coloured short
wasted iackets are for the like vagabunds, who séeke no better liuing,
than that which they may get by fond pastime and idlenesse. I might
here intreat of other dogs, as of those which are bred betwéene a
bitch and a woolfe, and called _Lycisca_: a thing verie often séene in
France saith Franciscus Patricius in his common wealth, as procured of
set purpose, and learned as I thinke of the Indians, who tie their
sault bitches often in woods, that they might be loined by tigers:
also betweene a bitch and a fox, or a beare and a mastiffe. But as we
vtterlie want the first sort, except they be brought vnto vs: so it
happeneth sometime, that the other two are ingendered and seene at
home amongst vs. But all the rest heretofore remembred in this
chapter, there is none more ouglie and odious in sight, cruell and
fierce in déed, nor vntractable in hand, than that which is begotten
betwéene the beare and the bandog. For whatsoeuer he catcheth hold of,
he taketh it so fast, that a man may sooner teare and rend his bodie
in sunder, than get open his mouth to separate his chaps. Certes he
regardeth neither woolfe, beare, nor lion, and therfore may well be
compared with those two dogs which were sent to Alexander out of India
(& procreated as it is thought betwéene a mastiffe and male tiger, as
be those also of Hircania) or to them that are bred in Archadia, where
copulation is oft seene betweene lions and bitches, as the like is in
France (as I said) betwéene shée woolfes and dogs, whereof let this
suffice; sith the further tractation of them dooth not concerne my
purpose, more than the confutation of Cardans talke, "De subt." lib.
10. who saith, that after manie generations, dogs doo become woolfes,
and contrariwise; which if it were true, than could not England be
without manie woolfes: but nature hath set a difference betwéene them,
not onelie in outward forme, but also in inward disposition of their
bones, wherefore it is vnpossible that his assertion can be sound.