John Caius

“ A man that shall marke the forme and fashion of their bodyes, may well call them mungrell Grehoundes if they were somwhat bigger. But notwithstanding they counteruaile not the Grehound in greatnes, yet will he take in one dayes space as many Connyes as shall arise to as bigge a burthen, and as heauy a loade as a horse can carry, for deceipt and guile is the instrument wherby he maketh this spoyle, which pernicious properties supply the places of more commendable qualities.
Of the Dogge called the theeuishe Dogge in Latine Canis furax. ”

“ 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. ”

“ THat kinde of dogge whom nature hath indued with the vertue of smelling, whose property it is to vse a lustines, a readines, and a courageousnes in hunting, and draweth into his nostrells the ayre or sent of the beast pursued and followed, we call by this word Sagas, the Grecians ιχνευτιν of tracing or chasing by ȳ foote, or ςἳνυλατίν of the nostrells, which be the instrumentes of smelling. ”

“ THe like to that whom we have rehearsed, is the theeuishe Dogge, which at the mandate and bydding of his master steereth and leereth abroade in the night, hunting Connyes by the ayre, which is leuened with their sauer and conueyed to the sense of smelling by the meanes of the winde blowing towardes him. ”

“ And albeit some of this sort in English be called Brache, in Scottishe Rache, the cause hereof resteth in the shee sex and not in the generall kinde, for we English men call bytches belonging to the hunting kinde of Dogges, by the tearme aboue mencioned. To bee short it is proper to the nature of houndes, some to keepe silence in hunting untill such tyme as there is game offered. Other some so soone as they smell out the place where the beast lurcketh, to bewray it immediately by their importunate barcking, notwithstanding it be farre of many furlongs cowchyng close in his cabbyn. ”

“ If it chaunce that the master bee oppressed, either by a multitude, or by the greater violence & so be beaten downe that he lye groueling on the grounde, (it is proued true by experience) that this Dogge forsaketh not his master, no not when he is starcke deade: But induring the force of famishment and the outrageous tempestes of the weather, most vigilantly watcheth and carefully keepeth the deade carkasse many dayes, endeuouring, furthermore, to kil the murtherer of his master, if he may get any advantage. ”

“ OF the first we haue none naturally bred within the borders of England. The reason is for the want of wolfes, without whom no such kinde of dog can bee ingendred. Againe it is deliuered unto thee in this discourse, how and by what meanes, by whose benefitte, and within what circuite of tyme, this country was cleerely discharged of ranenyng wolfes, and none at all left, no, not to the least number, or the beginnyng of a number, which is an Vnari. ”

“ The registration entitles the pups to be subsequently entered in the Pedigree Book at the reduced charge.
The Sale Register chronicles changes of ownership of known dogs without charge, and enters dogs for sale at a small charge.
The Name Register, for registering the names selected for pups, and by which they will afterwards be known.
Exhibitions.—The awards at all dog shows of any standing are given. Hitherto it has been almost impossible to ascertain whether a dog won at a certain past show. ”

“ The names of such Dogges as be contained in the thirde Section.
NOw leaning the seruie we of hunting and hauking dogs, it remaineth that we runne ouer the residue, whereof some be called, fine dogs, some course, other some mungrels or rascalls. The first is the Spaniell gentle called Canis Meliteus, because it is a kinde of dogge accepted among gentles, Nobles, Lordes, Ladies, &c., who make much of them vouchsafeiug to admit them so farre into their company, that they will not onely lull them in their lappes, but kysse them with their lippes, and make them theyr prettie playfellowes. ”

“ During all which space of his hunting he will not barcke, least he shoulde bee preuidiciall to his owne aduantage. And thus watcheth and snatcheth up in course as many Connyes as his Master will suffer him, and beareth them to his Masters standing. The farmers of the countrey and uplandishe dwellers, call this kinde of Dogge a nyght curre, because he hunteth in the darke, But let thus much seeme sufficient for Dogges which serue the game, and disport of hunting. ”

“ Wherefore that I myght perfourme that preciselye which I promised solempnly, accomplishe my determination, and satisfy your expectacion: which art a man desirous and capeable of all kinde of knowledge, and very earnest to be acquainted with all experimentes: I wyll expresse and declare in due order, the grand and generall kinde of English Dogges, the difference of them, the vse, the propertyes and the diuerse natures of the same, making a tripartite diuision in this sort and maner. ”

“ And if he finde anything their that is straunge and pertaining to other persons besides his master, whether it be man, woman, or beast, he driueth them out of the ground, not meddling with any thing which doth belong to the possession and vse of his master, But how much faythfulnes, so much diuersitie there is in their natures,
The first are not greatly to be feared, because they themselues are fearefull, and fearefull dogges (as the prouerbe importeth) barcke most vehemently. ”

“ In which two languages, A Liquid before a Vowell for the most part is turned into another Vowell, As, may be perceaued in the example of these two wordes, Implere & plano, for Impiere & piano, L, before, E chaunged into, I, and L, before A, turned into I, also. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The water Spaniell consequently followeth, called in Latine Aquaticus, in English a water spaniell, which name is compounde of two simple wordes, namely Water, which in Latine soudeth Aqua, wherein he swymmeth. And Spaine Hispania, the country frō whence they came, Not that England wanted such kinde of Dogges, (for they are naturally bred and ingendred in this country.) But because they beare the generall and common name of these Dogges synce the time they were first brought ouer out of Spaine. ”

“ But more or lesse, each one according to the measure and proportion of theyr desire, and as might and habilitie of theyr bodyes will permit and suffer. For it is a spare and bare kinde of Dogge, (of fleshe but not of bone) some are of a greater sorte, and some of a lesser, some are smooth skynned & some are curled, the bigger therefore are appoynted to hunt the bigger beasts, & the smaller serue to hunt the smaller accordingly. ”

“ The Grehounde called Leporarius, hath his name of this word, Gre, which word soundeth Gradus in latine, in Englishe degree. Because among all dogges these are the most principall, occupying the chiefest place, and being simply and absolutely the best of the gentle kinde of houndes. ”

“ 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 sometimes 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. ”

“ Feare these kind of Curres (if thou bee wise and circumspect about thine owne safetie) for they be stoute and stubborne dogges, and set vpon a man at a sodden vnwares. By these signes and tokens, by these notes and arguementes our men discerne the cowardly curre from the couragious dogge the bolde from the fearefull, the butcherly from the gentle and tractable, Moreouer they coniecture that a whelpe of an yll kinde is not worthe the keeping and that no dogge can serue the sundry vses of men so aptly and so conueniently as this sort of whom we haue so largely written already. ”

“ By which meanes he obtaineth the sent and sauour of the Connyes, carryed towardes him with the wind & the ayre, either going to their holes, or coming out, eyther passing this way, or running that way, and so prouideth by his circumspection, that the selly simple Conny is debarred quite from his hole (which is the hauen of their hope and the harbour of their health) and fraudulently circumuented and taken, before they can get the aduantage of their hole. Thus hauing caught his pray he carryeth it speedily to his Master, wayting his Dogges returne in some conuenient lurcking corner. ”

“ Dogges of a Course Kind seruing for many Necessary uses, called in Latine Canes Rustici, and first of the shepherds dogge, called in Latine Canis Pastoralis.
He first kinde, namely the shepherds hounde is very neeessarye and profitable for the auoyding of harmes and inconueniences which may come to men by the means of beastes. The second sort serue to succour against the snares and attemptes of mischiefous men. ”

“ THis kinde of Dogge which pursueth by the eye, preuayleth little, or neuer a whit, by any benefite of the nose that is by smelling, but excelleth in perspicuitie and sharpenesse of sight altogether, by the vertue whereof, being singuler and notable, it hunteth the Foxe and the Hare. ”

“ 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 ye the whole countrey myght be euacuated and quite clered from wolfes, charged & commaunded the welshemē (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. ”

“ These puppies the smaller they be, the more pleasure they prouoke, as more meete play fellowes for minsing mistrisses to beare in their bosoms, to keepe company withal in their chambers, to succour with sleepe in bed, and nourishe with meate at bourde, to lay in their lappes, and licke their lippes as they ryde in their waggons, and good reason it should be so, for coursenesse with fynenesse hath no fellowship, but featnesse with neatenesse hath neighbourhood enough. ”

“ And why? it is to manyfest that wee disdayne and contempne our owne workmen, be they neuer so skilfull, be they neuer so cunning, be they neuer so excellent. A beggerly beast brought out of barbarous borders, fro' the vttermost countryes Northward, &c., we stare at, we gase at, we muse, we maruaile at, like an asse of Cumanum, like Thales with the brasen shancks, like the man in the Moone. ”

“ By which deceiptfull tricke they doe as it were entyse and allure men to follow them, till they be drawne a long distaunce from theyr neastes, which being compassed by their prouident conning, or conning providence they cut of all inconueniences which might growe of their returne, by using many carefull and curious caucates, least theyr often haunting bewray ye place where the young ducklings be hatched. ”

“ VSe and custome hath intertaiued other dogges of an outlandishe kinde, but a fewe and the same beyng of a pretty bygnesse, I meane Iseland, dogges curled & rough al ouer, which by reason of the lenght of their heare make showe neither of face nor of body. And yet these curres, forsoothe, because they are so straunge are greatly set by, esteemed, taken vp, and made of many times in the roome of the Spaniell gentle or comforter. The natures of men is so moued, nay rather marryed to nouelties without all reason, wyt, iudgement or perseueraunce. ”

“ THere is comprehended, vnder the curres of the coursest kinde, a certaine dogge in kytchen seruice excellent. For whē any meate is to bee roasted they go into a wheele which they turning rounde about with the waight of their bodies, so diligently looke to their businesse, that no drudge nor skullion can doe the feate more cunningly. ”

“ When he approcheth neere to the place where the birde is, he layes him downe, and with a marcke of his pawes, betrayeth the place of the byrdes last abode, whereby it is supposed that this kinde of dogge is called Index, Setter, being in deede a name most consonant and agreable to his quality. ”

“ Cripsit non multis abhinc annis (optime Patrone) et non impolitè scripsit, vir omnibus optimarum literarum remis instructissimus, de doctorum grege non malè meritus, tuæ dignitati familiaritatis nexu coniunctissimus, clarissimum Cantabrigiensis academiæ lumen, gēma, et gloria, Johannes Caius, ad Conradum Gesnerum summum suum, hominem peritissimum, indagatorem rerum reconditarum sagacissimum, pulcherrimaq. ”

“ Fishes in floudes, Cattell on lande, Byrdes in the ayre, how hath he sifted them by their naturall differences, how closely and in how narrow a compasse hath he couched mighty and monstruous beasts, in bygnesse lyke mountaines, the bookes themselues being lesser then Molehilles. ”

“ As to stand bolte upright, to lye flat vpon the grounde, to turne rounde as a ringe holding their tailes in their teeth, to begge for theyr meate, and sundry such properties, which they leame of theyr vagabundicall masters, whose instrumentes they are to gather gaine, withall in Citie, Country, Towne, and Village. As some which carry olde apes on their shoulders in colouied iackets to moue men to laughter for a litle lucre. ”