Dogs of a course kinde serving many necessary uses, called in Latin Canes rustici, and first of the Shepherds Dog, called in Latin, Canis Pastoralis.
THe first kinde, namely the Shepherds hound, is very necessary and profitable for the avoiding of harmes, and inconveniences which may come to men by the means of beasts. The second sort serve for succour against the snares and attempts of mischievous men. Our Shepherds Dog is not huge, vast and big, but of an indifferent stature and growth, because it hath not to deal with the bloudthirsty Wolfe, sithence there be none in England, which happy and fortunate benefit is to be ascribed to the puissant Prince Edgar, who to the intent that the whole Countrey might be evacuated and quite cleared from Wolves, charged and commanded the Welshmen (who were pestered with these butcherly beasts above measure) to pay him yearly tribute (note the wisdom of the King) three hundred Wolves. Some there be which write that Ludwal Prince of Wales paid yearly to King Edgar three hundred Wolves in the name of an exaction (as we have said before.) And that by the means hereof, within the compass and term of four years, none of those noisom and pestilent beasts were left in the coasts of England and Wales. This Edgar wore the Crown royal, and bare the Scepter imperial of this Kingdom, about the year of our Lord Nine hundred fifty nine. Since which time we read that no Wolf hath been seen in England, bred within the bounds and borders of this Countrey, marry there have been divers brought over from beyond the Seas, for greediness of gain and to make money, for gazing and gaping, staring and standing to see them, being a strange beast, rare, and seldom seen in England. But to return to our Shepherds Dog: This Dog either at the hearing of his Masters voice, or at the wagging and whistling in his fist, or at his shrill and hoarse hissing bringeth the wandering weathers and straying Sheep into the self same place where his Masters will and wish is to have them, whereby the Shepherd reapeth this benefit, namely that with little labour and no toilor moving of his feet he may rule and guide his flock, according to his own desire, either to have them go forward, or to stand still, or to draw backward, or to turn this way, or take that way. For it is not in England, as it is in France, as it is in Flanders, as it is in Syria, as it is in Tartaria, where the Sheep follow the Shepherd, for here in our Countrey the Shepherd followeth the Sheep. And sometimes the straying Sheep when no Dog runneth before them, nor goeth about and beside them, gather themselves together in a flock, when they hear the Shepherd whistle in his fist, for fear of the Dog (as I imagine) remem∣bring this (if unreasonable creatures may be reported to have memory) that the Dog commonly runneth out at his Masters warrant, which is his whistle. This have we oftentimes diligently marked in taking our journey from Town to Town, when we have heard a Shepherd whistle we have rained in our horse and stood still a space, to see the proof and tryall of this matter. Furthermore, with this Dog doth the Shepherd take Sheep for the slaughter, and to be healed if they be sick, no hurt or harm in the world done to the simple creature.