called in latine _Canes Aucupatorij_ The fisher is not of their number, but seuerall. The thirde Section of this (20) _abridgement_. Nowe followeth in due order and conuenient place our Englishe Dogges of the thirde gentle kinde, what they are called to what vse they serue, and what sort of people plant their pleasure in thẽ, which because they neede no curious canuassing and nye syfting, wee meane to bee so much the briefer. Of the delicate, neate, and pretty kind of dogges called the Spaniel gentle, or the comforter, in Latine _Melitæus or Fotor_. There is, besides those which wee haue already deliuered, another sort of gentle dogges in this our Englishe soyle but exempted from the order of the residue, the Dogges of this kinde doth _Callimachus_ call _Melitæos_, of the Iseland _Melita_, in the sea of _Sicily_, (what at this day is named _Malta_, an Iseland in deede, famous and renoumed, with couragious and puisaunt souldiours valliauntly fighting vnder the banner of Christ their vnconquerable captaine) where this kind of dogges had their principall beginning. These dogges are litle, pretty, proper, and fyne, and sought for to satisfie the delicatenesse of daintie dames, and wanton womens wills, instrumentes of folly for them to play and dally withall, to tryfle away the treasure of time, to withdraw their mindes from more commendable exercises, and to content (21) their corrupted concupiscences with vaine disport (A selly shift to shunne yrcksome ydlnesse.) 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 coursnesse with fynenesse hath no fellowship, but featnesse with neatenesse hath neighbourhood enough. That plausible prouerbe verified vpon a Tyraunt, namely that he loued his sowe better then his sonne, may well be applyed to these kinde of people who delight more in dogges that are depriued of all possibility of reason, then they doe in children that be capeable of wisedome and iudgement. But this abuse peraduenture raigneth where there hath bene long lacke of issue, or else where barrennes is the best blossome of bewty. The vertue which remaineth in the Spainell gentle otherwise called the comforter.