As euery manifest effect proceedeth frõ som certain cause, so the penning of this present abridgement (gentle and courteous reader) issued from a speciall occasion. For Conradus Gesnerus, a man whiles he liued, of incomparable knowledge, and manyfold experience, being neuer satisfied with the sweete sappe of vnderstanding, requested _Iohannes Caius_ a profound clarke and a rauennous deuourer of learning (to his praise be it spoke though the language be somewhat homely) to write a breuiary or short treatise of such dogges as were ingendred within the borders of England: To the contentation of whose minde and the vtter accomplishement of whose desire, _Caius_ spared no study, (for the acquaintance which was betweene them, as it was confirmed by continuaunce, and established vpon vnfainednes, so was it sealed with vertue and honesty) withdrew himself from no labour, repined at no paines, forsooke no trauaile, refused no indeuour, finally pretermitted no opportunity or circumstaunce which seemed pertinent and requisite to the performance of this litle libell. In the whole discourse wherof, the booke, to consider the substaunce, being but a pamphlet or skantling, the argument not so fyne and affected, and yet the doctrine very profitable and necessarye, he vseth such a smoothe and comely style, and tyeth his inuention to such methodicall and orderly proceedings, as the elegantnes and neatnesse of his Latine phrase, (being pure, perfect, and vn mingled) maketh the matter which of it selfe is very base and clubbishe, to appeare (shall I say tollerable) nay rather commendable and effectuall. The sundry sortes of Englishe dogges he discouereth so euidently, their natures he rippeth vp so apparantly, their manners he openeth so manifestly, their qualities he declareth so skilfully, their proportions he painteth out so perfectly, their colours he describeth so artificially, and knytteth all these in such shortnesse and breuity, that the mouth of th’aduersary must needes confesse & giue sentence that commendation ought to bee his rewarde, and praise his deserued pension. An ignoraunt man woulde neuer have beene drawne into this opinion, to thincke that there had bene in England such variety & choice of dogges, in all respectes (not onely for name but also for qualitie) so diuerse and vnlike: But what cannot learning attaine? what cannot the kay of knowledge open? what cannot the lampe of vnderstanding lighten? what secretes cannot discretion detect? finally what cannot experience comprehend? what huge heapes of histories hath _Gesnerus_ hourded vp in volumes of a large syze? 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. The lyfe of this man was not so great a restority of comfort, as his death was an vlcer or wound of sorrow: