3.7. Of ſauuage beaſtes and vermines. Cap. 7.

Of ſauuage beaſtes and vermines. Cap. 7.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 IT is none of the leaſt bleſſings wherewith God hath indued thys Iſlande, that it is void of noyſome beaſts, as Lions, Beares, Tygers, Pardes, Wolfes, and ſuch like: by meanes whereof our countrymen may tra|uaile in ſafetie, and our herdes and flockes remayne for the moſt part abroade in the fielde, without any herde man or kéeper.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 This is chiefely ſpoken of the ſouth & ſouth|weſt part of the Iſlande. For whereas we that dwell on this ſide of the Twede, maye ſafely boaſt of our ſecuritie in this behalfe. Yet can not the ſcottes doe the lyke in euery point with in their kingdome, ſith they haue grieuous Wolfes continually conuerſaunt among them to the generall hinderaunce of their huſbandmen, and no ſmal damage vn|to the inhabiters of thoſe quarters. The hap|py & fortunate want of theſe beaſts in Eng|lande is vniuerſally aſcribed to the pollitike gouernement of king Edgar, who to the in|tent the whole Countrie might once be clen|ſed and clerely ridde of them, charged the conquered Welchmen (who were then pe|ſtured with theſe rauenous creatures aboue meaſure) to paye him a yearely tribute of Wolfes ſkinnes, to be gathered within the lande. He appointed them thereto a certaine number of thrée hundred, with frée liberty for their prince to hunt and purſue them ouer al quarters of the realme as our Chronicles doe report. Some there be which write how Ludwall Prince of Wales payde yearely to king Edgar this tribute of 300. Wolfes, and that by meanes thereof within the com|paſſe and terme of foure yeres none of thoſe noyſome creatures were left within Wales and England. Since this tyme alſo we read not that anye Wolfe hath béene ſéene here that hath bene bredde within the bondes and limites of our country. Howbeit there haue béene diuers brought ouer from beyonde the ſea for gréedineſſe of gaine & to make money onely by the gaſing and gaping of the people vpon them, who couet oft to ſée them beyng ſtraunge beaſtes in their eyes and ſeldome knowne in Englande.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Of Foxes we haue ſome but no great ſtore,Foxes Badgiers. and alſo Badgiers in our ſandy & light groundes, where woodes, firzes, broome, and plentie of ſhrubbes are to ſhrowde them in, EEBO page image 118 when they be from their borrowes, and ther|to Warrens of Coneys at hand to féede vp|on at will. Otherwiſe in claie which we call y^e cledgie mould, we ſeldome here of any, be|cauſe the moiſture and toughneſſe of the ſoile is ſuch, as will not ſuffer them to drawe and make their borrowes depe. Certes if I may fréely ſay what I thinke, I ſuppoſe that theſe two kindes (I meane Foxes and Badgers) are rather preſerued by Gentlemẽ to hunt & haue paſtime with all at their owne plea|ſures, then otherwiſe ſuffered to lyue, as not able to be deſtroyed becauſe of theyr greate numbers. For ſuch is the ſcantitye of them here in England in compariſon of the plen|tie that is to be ſéene in other countryes, and ſo earneſtly are the inhabitants bent to roote thẽ out: that except it had bene to beare thus w^t the recreations of their ſuperiors, it could not otherwiſe haue ben choſen, but that they ſhould haue bene vtterly deſtroyed by many yeares agone.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 I might here intreat largely of other ver|mine, as the Polcate, the Miniuer, the Wea|ſel, Stote, Squirrill, Fitchew, and ſuch like. Alſo of the Otter and Beuer,Beuers. of which, as the firſt ſortes are plentifull in euery woode and hedgerow: ſo theſe latter, eſpecially the Ot|ter,Otters. (for to ſay the truth we haue not manye Beuers, but only in the Teiſis in Wales) is not wanting or to ſéeke in many ſtreames & riuers. But it ſhal ſuffice in this ſort to haue named them as I doe alſo the Martern,Marter|nes. al|though for number I worthily doubt whe|ther that of our Beuers or Marternes, may be thought to be the leſſe.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Other pernicious beaſtes we haue not ex|cept you repute the great plentie of red and fallow Deare, and ſtore of Conies amongſt the hurtful ſort. Which, although that of thẽ|ſelues they are not offenſiue at all, yet theyr great numbers are thought to be very preiu|dicial, and therfore iuſtly reproued of many as are in lyke ſort our huge flocks of ſhéepe, where on the greateſt parte of our ſoyle is emploied almoſt in euery place. The male of the red Deare was ſometime called among the Saxons a ſtaggon,Stagges. but now a ſtagge, or vpon ſome conſideratiõ an Harte, as the fe|male is an Hinde. And this is one parcell of the Venery wherof we intreated before, and whoſe proper dwelling is in the large and wooddy forreſts. The fallow deare as Bucks and Does, are nouryſhed in Parkes, & Con|nys in warrens and borrowes. As for Hares they runne at theyr owne aduenture, except ſome Gentleman or other for hys pleaſure doe make an incloſure for them. Of theſe alſo the ſtagge is accompted for the moſt no|ble game, the fallow Deare is the next, the [...] the Roe (whereof wée haue indifferent ſtore) and laſt of all the Hare: all which (notwyth|ſtanding our cuſtome) are paſtimes more méete for Ladies and Gentlewomen to ex|erciſe, then for men of courage to followe, whoſe hunting ſhould practiſe theyr armes in taſting of theyr manhoode and dealing w^t ſuch beaſtes as eftſoones wyll turne agayne and offer them the hardeſt, rather then theyr féete, whych many tymes may cary dyuers from the fielde. Surely this noble kinde of hunting onely did great Princes frequent [...] times paſt, as it may yet appeare by the hy|ſtories of theyr times, and there to (beſ [...] that whych we read of the vſuall hunting of the Princes and Kings of Scotland, of the wild Bull, Woolfe. &c.) the example of king Henry the ſecond of England: who diſday|ning as he termed it to followe or purſue to|wards, cheriſhed of ſet purpoſe ſundry kinde of wilde beaſtes at Woodſtocke, and one or two other places in England, whych he wal|led about wyth hard ſtone, & where he would often fight wyth them hande to hande, when they did turne againe & make any reiſe vpon him.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 King Henrye the fift in hys beginning, thought it a mere ſcoffery to purſue any fol|low Deare wyth hounds or greyhounds, but ſuppoſed hym ſelfe alwayes to haue done a ſufficient acte, when he had tired them by his owne trauaile on foote, and ſo kylled them wyth hys handes, in the vpſhot of that exer|ciſe and ende of hys recreation. And thus [...] very many in lyke ſort wyth the Harte, as I doe reade. But I thincke y^t was very long [...]|gone, when men were farre higher and ſwif|ter then they are now, and yet I deny not but any hunting of the redde Deare is a ryght Princely paſtime. In diuers forren cuntries they cauſe theyr redde and fallow Deare to draw the plowgh as we do our Oxen and hor|ſes. In ſome places alſo they milke theyr Hindes as we doe here our Kine and Got [...]s. [...] And the experience of this latter is noted by Gyraldus Cambrienſis to haue béene ſéene and vſed in Wales, where he did eate chée [...]e made of hindes milke, at ſuch time as Bald|wine Archbiſhop of Caunterburie preached the Croyſaide there, when they were both lodged in a Gentlemans houſe, whoſe wy [...]e of purpoſe kept a dairy of the ſame. As for y^e plowing wyth Vres (whych I ſuppoſe to be vnlikely) and Alkes a thyng commonly vſed in the Eaſt countries, here is no place to ſpeake of it, ſince we now want theſe kinde of beaſts. Neither is it my purpoſe to intreat of other thyngs then are to be ſéene in Eng|land, EEBO page image 109 wherfore I wil omitte to ſay any more of wilde and ſauage beaſtes at thys tyme, thinking my ſelfe to haue ſpoken already ſuf|ficiently of this matter, if not to much in the iudgement of the curious.

5.4. Of sauage beasts and vermines. Chap. 4.

Of sauage beasts and vermines. Chap. 4.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _IT is none of the least bles|sings wherewith God hath in|dued this Iland, that it is void of noisome beasts, as li|ons, beares, tigers, pardes, wolfes, & such like, by means whereof our countrimen may trauell in safetie, & our herds and flocks remaine for the most part abroad in the field without anie herdman or kéeper.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 This is cheefelie spoken of the south and southwest parts of the Iland. For wheras we that dwell on this side of the Twed, may safelie boast of our securitie in this behalfe: yet cannot the Scots doo the like in euerie point within their kingdome, sith they haue greeuous woolfes and cruell foxes, beside some other of like disposition continuallie conuersant among them, to the generall hinderance of their husband|men, and no small damage vnto the inhabiters of those quarters. The happie and fortunate want of these beasts in England is vniuersallie ascribed to the politike gouernement of king Edgar,Woolfes. who to the intent the whole countrie might once be clensed and clearelie rid of them, charged the conquered Welsh|men (who were then pestered with these rauenous creatures aboue measure) to paie him a yearelie tri|bute of woolfes skinnes,Tribute of woolfes skins. to be gathered within the land. He appointed them thereto a certeine number of three hundred, with free libertie for their prince to hunt & pursue them ouer all quarters of the realme; as our chronicles doo report. Some there be which write how Ludwall prince of Wales paid yearelie to king Edgar this tribute of thrée hundred woolfes, whose carcases being brought into Lhoegres, were buried at Wolfpit in Cambridgeshire, and that by meanes thereof within the compasse and terme of foure yeares, none of those noisome creatures were left to be heard of within Wales and England. Since this time also we read not that anie woolfe hath béene séene here that hath beene bred within the bounds and limits of our countrie: howbeit there haue béene diuerse brought ouer from beyond the seas for gréedinesse of gaine, and to make monie on|lie by the gasing and gaping of our people vpon them, who couet oft to see them being strange beasts in their eies, and sildome knowne (as I haue said) in England.

Lions we haue had verie manie in the north parts of Scotland, and those with maines of no lesse force than they of Mauritania were sometimes reported to be; but how and when they were destroied as yet I doo not read. They had in like sort no lesse plentie of wild and cruell buls, which the princes and their no|bilitie in the frugall time of the land did hunt, and follow for the triall of their manhood, and by pursute either on horssebacke or foot in armor; notwithstand|ing that manie times they were dangerouslie assai|led by them. But both these sauage cretures are now not heard of, or at the least wise the later scarselie known in the south parts. Howbeit it this I gather by their being here, that our Iland was not cut from the maine by the great deluge or flood of Noah: but long after, otherwise the generation of those & other like creatures could not haue extended into our I|lands. For, that anie man would of set purpose reple|nish the countrie with them for his pleasure and pa|stime in hunting, I can in no wise beléeue.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Of foxes we haue some but no great store,Foxes. and also badgers in our sandie & light grounds,Badgers. where woods, firzes, broome, and plentie of shrubs are to shrowd them in, when they be from their borrowes, and thereto warrens of conies at hand to féed vpon at will. Otherwise in claie, which we call the cledgie mould, we sildom heare of anie, bicause the moisture and toughnesse of the soile is such, as will not suffer them to draw and make their borrowes déepe. Cer|tes if I may fréelie saie what I thinke, I suppose that these two kinds (I meane foxes and badgers) are ra|ther preserued by gentlemen to hunt and haue pa|stime withall at their owne pleasures, than other|wise suffered to liue, as not able to be destroied bi|cause of their great numbers. For such is the scanti|tie of them here in England, in comparison of the plentie that is to be seene in other countries, and so earnestlie are the inhabitants bent to root them out, that except it had béene to beare thus with the recrea|tions of their superiors in this behalfe, it could not otherwise haue béene chosen, but that they should haue béene vtterlie destroied by manie yeares a|gone.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 I might here intreat largelie of other vermine, as the polcat,Beuers. the miniuer, the weasell, stote, fulmart, squirrill, fitchew, and such like, which Cardan inclu|deth vnder the word Mustela: also of the otter, and likewise of the beuer, whose hinder féet and taile on|lie are supposed to be fish. Certes the taile of this beast is like vnto a thin whetstone, as the bodie vnto a monsterous rat: the beast also it selfe is of such force in the téeth, that it will gnaw an hole through a thicke planke, or shere thorough a dubble billet in a night; it loueth also the stillest riuers: & it is giuen to them by nature, to go by flockes vnto the woods at hand, where they gather sticks wherewith to build their nests, wherein their bodies lie drie aboue the water, although they so prouide most commonlie, that they tailes may hang within the same. It is al|so reported that their said tailes are a delicate dish, and their stones of such medicinable force, that (as EEBO page image 224 [...] EEBO page image 225 [...] EEBO page image 226 Vertomannus saith) foure men smelling vnto them each after other did bleed at the nose through their attractiue force, procéeding from a vehement sauour wherewith they are indued: ther is greatest plentie of them in Persia, chéefelie about Balascham, from whence they and their dried cods are brought into all quarters of the world, though not without some for|gerie by such as prouide them. And of all these here remembred, as the first sorts are plentifull in euerie wood and hedgerow: so these latter, especiallie the otter (for to saie the truth we haue not manie beuers, but onelie in the Teisie in Wales) is not wanting or to séeke in manie, but most streams and riuers of this Ile: but it shall suffice in this sort to haue named them as I doo finallie the marterne,Marterns. a beast of the chase, although for number I worthilie doubt whe|ther that of our beuers or marterns may be thought to be the lesse.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Other pernicious beasts we haue not, except you repute the great plentie of red & fallow déere, whose colours are oft garled white and blacke, all white or all blacke, and store of conies amongst the hurtfull fort. Which although that of themselues they are not offensiue at all, yet their great numbers are thought to be verie preiudiciall, and therfore iustlie reprooued of many; as are in like sort our huge flocks of shéepe, whereon the greatest part of our soile is emploied al|most in euerie place, and yet our mutton, wooll, and selles neuer the better cheape. The yoong males which our fallow deere doo bring foorth, are commonlie na|med according to their seuerall ages: for the first yéere it is a sawne, the second a puckot, the third a [...]rell, the fourth a soare, the fift a bucke of the first head; not bearing the name of a bucke till he be fiue yéers old: and from hencefoorth his age is commonlie knowne by his head or horns. Howbeit this notice of his yéers is not so certeine, but that the best wood|man may now and then he deceiued in that account: for in some grounds a bucke of the first head will be so well headed as another in a high rowtie soile will be in the fourth. It is also much to be maruelled at, that whereas they doo yéerelie new and cast their horns: yet in fighting they neuer breake off where they doo grife or mew. Furthermore, in examining the condition of our red déere, I find that the yoong male is called in the first yéere a calfe, in the second a broket, the third a spaie, the fourth a stagon or stag, the fift a great stag, the sixt an hart, and so foorth vnto his death. And with him in degrée of venerie are ac|counted the hare, bore, and woolfe. The fallow déere as bucks and does, are nourished in parkes, and co|nies in warrens and burrowes. As for hares, they run at their owne aduenture, except some gentle|man or other (for his pleasure) doo make an inclo|sure for them.Stags. Of these also the stag is accounted for the most noble game, the fallow déere is the next, then the roe, whereof we haue indifferent store; and last of all the hare, not the least in estimation, because the hunting of that seelie beast is mother to all the terms, blasts, and artificiall deuises that hunters doo vse. All which (notwithstanding our custome) are pastimes more méet for ladies and gentlewomen to exercise (whatsoeuer Franciscus Patritius saith to the contrarie in his institution of a prince) than for men of courage to follow, whose hunting should practise their armes in tasting of their manhood, and dealing with such beasts as eftsoones will turne againe, and offer them the hardest rather than their horsses féet, which manie times may carrie them with dishonour from the field. Surelie this noble kind of hunting onelie did great princes frequent in times past, as it may yet appéere by the histories of their times, es|peciallie of Alexander, who at vacant times hunted the tiger, the pard, the bore, and the beare, but most willinglie lions, because of the honorable estimation of that beast; insomuch that at one time he caused an od or chosen lion (for force and beautie) to be let foorth vnto him hand to hand, with whome he had much businesse, albeit that in the end he ouerthrew and killed the beast. Herevnto beside that which we read of the vsuall hunting of the princes and kings of Scotland, of the wild bull, woolfe, &c: the example of king Henrie the first of England, who disdaining (as he termed them) to follow or pursue cowards, che|rished of set purpose sundrie kinds of wild beasts, as bears, libards, ounces, lions at Woodstocke, & one or two other places in England, which he walled about with hard stone, An. 1120, and where he would often fight with some one of them hand to hand, when they did turne againe and make anie raise vpon him: but chéeflie he loued to hunt the lion and the bore, which are both verie dangerous exercises, especiallie that with the lion, except some policie be found wherwith to trouble his eiesight in anie manner of wise. For though the bore be fierce, and hath learned by nature to harden his flesh and skin against the trées, to shar|pen his teeth, and defile himselfe with earth, thereby to prohibit the entrance of the weapons: yet is the sport somewhat more easie, especiallie where two stand so neere togither, that the one (if néed be) may helpe and be a succour to the other. Neither would he cease for all this to follow his pastime, either on horssebacke or on foot, as occasion serued, much like the yoonger Cyrus. I haue read of wild bores and bulles to haue béene about Blackleie néere Manche|ster, whither the said prince would now and then re|sort also for his solace in that behalfe, as also to come by those excellent falcons then bred thereabouts; but now they are gone, especiallie the bulles, as I haue said alreadie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 King Henrie the fift in his beginning thought it a méere scofferie to pursue anie fallow déere with hounds or greihounds, but supposed himselfe al|waies to haue doone a sufficient act when he had tired them by his owne trauell on foot, and so killed them with his hands in the vpshot of that exercise and end of his recreation. Certes herein he resembled Po|lymnestor Milesius, of whome it is written, how he ran so swiftlie, that he would and did verie often o|uertake hares for his pleasure, which I can hardlie beleeue: and therefore much lesse that one Lidas did run so lightlie and swiftlie after like game, that as he passed ouer the sand, he left not so much as the prints of his feet behind him. And thus did verie ma|nie in like sort with the hart (as I doo read) but this I thinke was verie long agone, when men were farre higher and swifter than they are now: and yet I de|nie not, but rather grant willinglie that the hunting of the red deere is a right princelie pastime. In di|uerse forren countries they cause their red and fal|low déere to draw the plough, as we doo our oxen and horsses.Hinds haue béene milked In some places also they milke their hinds as we doo here our kine and goats. And the experi|ence of this latter is noted by Giraldus Cambrensis to haue beene séene and vsed in Wales, where he did eat cheese made of hinds milke, at such time as Baldwine archbishop of Canturburie preached the croisad there, when they were both lodged in a gen|tlemans house, whose wife of purpose kept a deirie of the same. As for the plowing with vres (which I suppose to be vnlikelie) because they are (in mine o|pinion) vntameable and alkes a thing commonlie vsed in the east countries; here is no place to speake of it, since we want these kind of beasts, neither is it my purpose to intreat at large of other things than are to be seene in England. Wherefore I will o|mit to saie anie more of wild and sanage beasts at this time, thinking my selfe to haue spoken alreadie EEBO page image 227 sufficientlie of this matter, if not too much in the iudgement of the curious.