Of the affection of Birds, and of Dogs towards their Masters.
* 1.1THe young Stork provides for the old, which is disabled by age; and if any one of their e∣quals come to any mischance, that he is not able to fly, they will give him their assistance, and bear him on their backs and wings. And therefore this affection and piety towards the old ones, and (as it were) brotherly love towards their equals, is commended in the Stork.
The Hen in any kind of danger gathers her Chickens under her wings, and (as it were) with that guard, defends them as well as she can. For their sake she exposeth her self to the cruelty of the fiercest Beasts; and will fly in the eyes of a Dog, a Wolf, or a Bear, that by chance offers to med∣dle with her Chickens.
* 1.2But who is there that doth not admire the fidelity and love of Dogs towards their Masters, whereby they recompence them for their keeping? A Dog will never forsake his Master, no, if he be never so hardly used. For there is no Man can find a stick hard enough to drive that Dog clean away from him which hath once taken a love to him. There is no kind of creature that doth more certainly and readily remember his Master; he will know the voyce of all the houshold, and of those which frequent the house. There cannot be a trustier keeper (as Cicero himself saith) than a Dog is; I speak not of their faculty of smelling, whereby they follow their Masters by the foot, and find them; neither do I speak of those infinite examples of the fidelity of Dogs, which were too long to rehearse.
* 1.3Pigeons, as well the Cock as the Hen, although they are all very venereous, yet they know no adultery; yea, and the Hen will bear with the frowardness of the Cock, neither will she ever leave him, but reconciling him unto her by her officious diligence, bring him to his wonted dal∣liance and kisses; neither is the love of either of them less towards their young.
* 1.4There is the like mutual bond of love between Turtles; for if one them die, the surviver never solicits Hymen more, neither will he ever chuse other seat than a dry withered bough.