A German diet, or, The ballance of Europe wherein the power and vveaknes ... of all the kingdoms and states of Christendom are impartially poiz'd : at a solemn convention of som German princes in sundry elaborat orations pro & con ... / by James Howell, Esq.

ANOTHER ORATION OF THE Lord WOLF ANGUS, BARON of STUBENBERG. For GREAT BRITAIN.

Most Illustrious President and Princes,

MY most dear Lord and Cosen, the Baron of Eubeswald, hath made an Elogium of the noble Ile of Great Britain, as co∣pious, and as full of Eloquence, as the Ile itself is full of all things that are requisite for humane accommodation: but most humbly under favour in this survey there are some things pretermitted, which are peculiar to Great Britain, and worthy the taking notice of; one is the gene∣rous, strong-bodied, and dauntless race of Dogs, which that▪ Ile produceth, whereof Claudian makes mention.

Magnaque taurorum fracturi colla Britanni.

Britain hath Dogs that will break the huge necks of Buls: I do not mean by these Buls those fierce and truculent White-buls which are found in the woody Caledonian hils of Scotland (who are so wild, that they will not touch any thing that men have handled, or blown upon) for they cannot only repell, but they contemn the assaults of any Dog. It was the custom of the Romans, to bring in huge Irod Cages the British Dogges to Rome, which in their Amphithea∣tres were put to tugge with huge wild beasts; therefore there was an Officer call'd Procurator Cynegi•…•… in Britannis Ventensis, The Keeper of the Dog-house among the Britains, which Cuiacius would have to be Gynaecii, not Cynegii, viz. a Work-house for Women, not a Kennell for Dogges: And Pancirollus is of the same opinion, when he saith, Gynaecia illa constituta fuisse texendi•…•… principis, militum{que} vestibus, navium velis, stragulis, linteis, & aliis ad instru∣endas mansiones necessariis, That those Gynecia, or Female Work-houses were appointed to weave Garments for the Prince and Souldiery, as also Sailes for

Ships, Beds, Tents, and other necessaries for furnishing of houses. But Wol∣fangus Lazius holds to the first opinion, Procuratorem illum canes Imperato∣ribus in illa Venta curavisse, That the said Procurator did keep and provide Dogges for the Emperour. Strabo saith further, that Britanni canes erant mi∣lites, the English Dogs were Souldiers, and the old Gaules made use of them so accordingly in their Wars.

They are also rare Animals for Hunting, and herein it is wonderfull what Balaeus hath upon record, that two hundred and seventy years before the In∣carnation, Dordanilla, King of Scotland, did commit to writing certain pre∣cepts for Hunting, and to be observed by his subjects, which are yet in force.

Great Britain hath also the most generous and sprightfull Cocks of any Country, and 'tis a great pleasure to be in one of their Pits at that sport, where one shall behold a Cock fight out his eyes, and yet retain still his na∣turall vigour to destroy the other; and if these brute Ani∣mals, Beasts and Birds be thus extraordinary couragi∣ous, we may well think the rational creatures may hold analogy with them.