Dogges of a course kind seruing for many necessary
vses called in Latine Canes rustici, and first of
the shepherds dogge called in Latine
Canis Pastoralis.
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Dogges of the courser sort are | The shepherds dogge The mastiue or Bandogge. |
These two are the principall. |
The first kinde, namely the shepherds hounde is very necessarye and profitable for the auoyding of harmes and inconueniences which may come to men by the meanes of beastes. The second sort serue to succour against the snares and attemptes of mischiefous men. Our shepherdes dogge is not huge, vaste, and bigge, but of an indifferent stature and growth, because it hath not to deale with the bloudthyrsty wolf, sythence there be none in England, which happy and fortunate benefite is to be ascribed to the puisaunt Prince Edgar, who to thintent yt the whole countrey myght be euacuated and quite cleered from wolfes, charged & commaunded the welshemẽ (who were pestered with these butcherly beastes aboue measure) to paye him yearely tribute which was (note the wisedome of the King) three hundred Wolfes. Some there be which write that Ludwall Prince of Wales paide yeerely to King Edgar three hundred wolfes in the name of an exaction (as we haue sayd before.) And that by the meanes hereof, within the compasse and tearme of foure yeares, none of those noysome, and pestilent Beastes were left in the coastes of England and Wales. This Edgar wore the Crowne royall, and bare the Scepter imperiall of this kingdome, about the yeere of our Lorde, nyne hundred fifty, nyne. Synce which time we reede that no Wolfe hath bene seene in England, bred within the bounds and borders of this countrey, mary there have bene diuers brought ouer from beyonde the seas, for greedynesse of gaine and to make money, for gasing and gaping, staring, and standing to see them, being a straunge beast, rare, and seldom seene in England. But to returne to our shepherds dogge. This dogge either at the hearing of his masters voyce, or at the wagging and whisteling in his fist, or at his shrill and horse hissing bringeth the wandring weathers and straying sheepe, into the selfe same place where his masters will and wishe is to haue thẽ, wherby the shepherd reapeth this benefite, namely, that with litle labour and no toyle or mouing of his feete he may rule and guide his flocke, according to his owne desire, either to haue them go forward, or to stand still, or to drawe backward, or to turne this way, or to take that way. For it is not in Englande, as it is in Fraunce, as it is in Flaunders, as it is in Syria, as it in Tartaria, where the sheepe follow the shepherd, for heere in our country the sheepherd followeth the sheepe. And somtimes the straying sheepe, when no dogge runneth before them, nor goeth about & beside them, gather themselues together in a flocke, when they heere the sheepherd whistle in his fist, for feare of the Dogge (as I imagine) remembring this (if vnreasonable creatures may be reported to haue memory) that the Dogge commonly runneth out at his masters warrant which is his whistle. This haue we oftentimes diligently marcked in taking our journey from towne to towne, when wee haue hard a sheepherd whistle we haue rayned in our horse and stoode styll a space, to see the proofe and triall of this matter. Furthermore with this dogge doth the sheepherd take sheepe for ye slaughter, and to be healed if they be sicke, no hurt or harme in the world done to the simple creature.
Of the mastiue or Bandogge called in Latine Villaticus or Cathenarius.
This kinde of Dogge called a mastyue or Bandogge is vaste, huge, stubborne, ougly, and eager, of a heuy and burthenous body, and therfore but of litle swiftnesse, terrible, and frightfull to beholde, and more fearce and fell then any Arcadian curre (notwithstãding they are sayd to hane their generation of the violent Lyon.) They are called Villatici, because they are appoynted to watche and keepe farme places and coũtry cotages sequestred from commõ recourse, and not abutting vpon other houses by reason of distaunce, when there is any feare conceaued of theefes, robbers, spoylers, and night wanderers. They are seruiceable against the Foxe and the Badger, to drive wilde and tame swyne out of Medowes, pastures, glebelandes and places planted with fruite, to bayte and take the bull by the eare, when occasion so requireth. One dogge or two at the vttermost, sufficient for that purpose be the bull neuer so monsterous, neuer so fearce, neuer so furious, neuer so stearne, neuer so vntameable. For it is a kinde of dogge capeable of courage, violent and valiaunt, striking could feare into the harts of men, but standing in feare of no man, in so much that no weapons will make him shrincke, nor abridge his boldnes. Our Englishe men (to th’ intent that theyr dogges might be the more fell and fearce) assist nature with arte, vse, and custome, for they teach theyr dogges to baite the Beare, to baite the Bull and other such like cruell and bloudy beastes (appointing an ouerseer of the game) without any collar to defend theyr throtes, and oftentimes they traine them vp in fighting and wrestling with a man hauing for the safegarde of his lyfe, eyther a Pikestaffe, a clubbe, or a sworde and by vsing them to such exercises as these, theyr dogges become more sturdy and strong. The force which is in them surmounteth all beleefe, the fast holde which they take with their teeth exceedeth all credit, three of them against a Beare, fowre against a Lyon are sufficient, both to try masteryes with them and vtterly to ouermatch them. Which thing Henry the seuenth of that name, King of England (a Prince both politique & warlike) perceauing on a certaine time (as the report runneth) commaunded all such dogges (how many soeuer they were in number) should be hanged, beyng deepely displeased, and conceauing great disdaine, that an yll fauoured rascall curre should with such violent villany, assault the valiaunt Lyon king of all beastes. An example for all subiectes worthy remembraunce, to admonishe them that it is no aduantage to them to rebell against ye regiment of their ruler, but to keepe them within the limits of Loyaltie. I reede an history aunswerable to this of the selfe same Henry, who hauing a notable and an excellent fayre Falcon, it fortuned that the kings Falconers, in the presence and hearing of his grace, highly commended his Maiesties Falcon, saying that it feared not to intermeddle with an Eagle, it was so venturous a byrde and so mighty, which when the King harde, he charged that the Falcon should be killed without delay, for the selfe same reason (as it may seeme) which was rehersed in the cõclusion of the former history concerning the same king. This dogge is called, in like maner, Cathenarius, a Cathena, of the chaine wherwith he is tyed at the gates, in ye day time, least beyng lose he should doe much mischiefe and yet might giue occasion of feare and terror by his bigge barcking. And albeit Cicero[A] in his oration had Pro. S. Ross. be of this opinion, that such Dogges as barcke in the broade day light shoulde haue their legges broken, yet our countrymen, on this side the seas for their carelessnes of lyfe setting all at cinque and sice, are of a contrary iudgement. For theefes roge vp & down in euery corner, no place is free from them, no not ye princes pallace, nor the country mans cotage. In the day time they practise pilfering, picking, open robbing, and priuy stealing, and what legerdemaine lacke they? not fearing the shamefull and horrible death of hanging. The cause of which inconuenience doth not onely issue from nipping neede & wringing want, for all yt steale, are not pinched with pouerty, but som steale to maintaine their excessiue and prodigall expences in apparell, their lewdnes of lyfe, their hautines of hart, theyr wantonnes of maners, theyr wilfull ydlenes, their ambitious brauery, and the pryde of the sawcy Salacones’ μεγαλορρούντων vaine glorious and arrogant in behauiour, whose delight dependeth wholly to mount nimbly on horsebacke, to make them leape lustely, spring and praunce, galloppe and amble, to runne a race, to wynde in compasse, and so forthe, liuing all together vpon the fatnesse of the spoyle. Othersom therbe which steale, being thereto prouoked by penury & neede, like masterlesse mẽ applying themselues to no honest trade, but raunging vp and downe impudently begging, and complayning of bodily weakenesse where is no want of abilitie. But valiaunt Valentine th’emperour, by holsome lawes prouided that suche as hauing no corporall sicknesse, solde themselues to begging, pleded pouerty wyth pretended infirmitie, & cloaked their ydle and slouthfull life with colourable shifts and cloudy cossening, should be a perpetuall slaue and drudge to him, by whom their impudent ydlenes was bewrayed, and layde against them in publique place, least the insufferable slouthfullnes of such vagabondes should be burthenous to the people, or being so hatefull and odious, should growe into an example. Alfredus likewise in the gouernment of his common wealth, procured such increase of credite to Justice and vpright dealing by his prudent actes and statutes, that if a mã trauailing by the hygh way of the countrey vnder his dominion, chaunced to lose a budget full of gold, or his capcase farsed with things of great value, late in the euening, he should finde it where he lost it, safe, sound, and vntouched the next morning, yea (which is a wonder) at any time for a whole monethes space if he sought for it, as Ingulphus Croyladensis in his History recordeth. But in this our vnhappy age, in these (I say) our deuelishe dayes nothing can scape the clawes of the spoyler, though it be kept neuer so sure within the house, albe it the doores bee lockt and boulted round about. This dogge in like maner of Græcians is called οἰκουρος.
Of the latinists Canis Custos, in Englishe the Dogge keeper.
Borrowing his name of his seruire, for he doth not onely keepe farmers houses, but also merchaunts maisons, wherin great wealth, riches, substaunce, and costly stuffe is reposed. And therfore were certaine dogges founde and maintained at the common costes and charges of the Citizens of Rome in the place called Capitolium, to giue warning of theefes comming. This kind of dogge, is also called,
In latine Canis Laniarius in Englishe the Butchers Dogge.
So called for the necessity of his vse, for his seruice affoordeth great benefite to the Butcher as well in following as in taking his cattell when neede constraineth, vrgeth, and requireth. This kinde of dogge is likewise called,