The historie of foure-footed beastes Describing the true and liuely figure of euery beast, with a discourse of their seuerall names, conditions, kindes, vertues (both naturall and medicinall) countries of their breed, their loue and hate to mankinde, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, preseruation, and destruction. Necessary for all diuines and students, because the story of euery beast is amplified with narrations out of Scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: wherein are declared diuers hyerogliphicks, emblems, epigrams, and other good histories, collected out of all the volumes of Conradus Gesner, and all other writers to this present day. By Edward Topsell.

Dogges of a course kind seruing for many necessary vses, called in Latine Canis rustici, and first of the Shepherds dog called in Latine Canis Pastoralis.

THe first kind, namely the shepherds hound is very necessary and profita∣ble [ 40] 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 mischieuous men. Our shepherds dog is not huge, vaste, and big, but of an indifferent stature and growth, because it hath not to deale with the blood thirsty wolfe, sythence there be none in England, which happy and fortunate benefit is to be ascribed to the puisaunt Prince Edgar, who to the in∣tent that the whole countrey might be euacuated and quite cleered from wolfes, charged and commaunded the Welshmen (who were pestered with these butcherly beasts aboue measure) to pay him yearely tribute which was (note the wisedome of the king) three hun∣dred Wolfes. Some there be which write that Ludwall Prince of Wales paid yeerely to [ 50] king Edgar three hundred wolfes in the name of an exaction (as we haue said before.) And that by the meanes hereof, within the compasse and tearme of foure years, 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 yeare of our Lord, nine hundred, fifty nine. Since which time we reade that no Wolfe hath

beene seene in England, bred within the bounds and borders of this country, mary there haue beene diuers brought ouer from beyond the seas, for greedines of gaine and to make money, for gasing and gaping, staring, and standing to see them, being a strange beast, rare, and seldome seene in England. But to returne to our shepherds Dog. This dog ei∣ther at the hearing of his maisters voice, or at the wagging and whisteling in his fist, or at his s••rill and horse hissing bringeth the wandering weathers and straying sheepe, into the selfe same place where his maisters will and wish is to haue them, wherby the shepherd reapeth this benefit, namely, that with little labour and no toyle or mouing of his feete he may rule and guide his flock, according to his own desire, either to haue them go for∣ward, or to stand still, or to draw backward, or to turne this way, or take that way. For it is [ 10] not in England, as it is in France, as it is in Flaunders, as it is in Syria, as it is in Tartaria, where the sheepe follow the shepherd, for heere in our Countrey the shepherd followeth the sheepe. And sometimes the straying sheepe, when no Dog runneth before them, nor goeth about and beside them, gather themselues together in a flock, when they heere the shepherd whistle in his fist, for feare of the dog (as I imagine) remembring this (if vn∣reasonable creatures may be reported to haue memory) that the Dog commonly run∣neth out at his maisters warrant which is his whistle. This haue we oftentimes diligently marked in taking our iourney from towne to towne, when we haue hard a shepherd whi∣stle we haue rayned in our horse and stood still a space, to see the proofe and tryall of this matter. Furthermore with this dog doth the Shepherd take sheepe for the slaughter, and [ 20] to be healed if they be sick, no hurt or harme in the world done to the simple creature.