De Canibus Britannicis: Of Englishe DoggesCaius, John
Science
De Canibus Britannicis: Of Englishe Dogges
Caius, John
Dogs -- Early works to 1800
And these be of the greater and the waighter sort drawing water out of
wells and deepe pittes, by a wheele which they turne rounde about by the
mouing of their burthenous bodies. This kinde of dogge is called in like
maner.
_Canis Sarcinarius_ in Latine, and may aptly be englished a Tynckers
Curre.
Because with marueilous pacience they beare bigge budgettes fraught with
Tinckers tooles, and mettall meete to mend kettels, porrige pottes,
skellets, and chafers, and other such like trumpery requisite for their
occupacion and loytering trade, easing him of a great burthen which
otherwise he himselfe should carry vpon his shoulders, which condition
hath challenged vnto them the foresaid name. Besides the qualities which
we haue already recounted, this kind of dogges hath this principall
property ingrafted in them, that they loue their masters liberally, and
hate straungers despightfully, wherevpon it followeth that they are to
their masters, in traueiling a singuler safgard, defending them
forceably from the inuasion of villons and theefes, preseruing their
lyfes from losse, and their health from hassard, theyr fleshe from
hacking and hewing with such like desperate daungers. For which
consideration they are meritoriously (30) tearmed,
In Latine _Canes defensores_ defending dogges in our mother tounge.
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 outragious tempestes of the weather, most
vigilantly watcheth and carefully keepeth the deade carkasse many dayes,
indeuouring, furthermore, to kil the murtherer of his master, if he may
get any aduantage. Or else by barcking, by howling, by furious iarring,
snarring, and such like meanes betrayeth the malefactour as desirous to
haue the death of his aforesayde Master rigorouslye reuenged. An example
hereof fortuned within the compasse of my memory. The Dogge of a
certaine wayefaring man trauailing from the Citie of London directly to
the Towne of Kingstone (most famous and renowned by reason of the
triumphant coronation of eight seuerall Kings) passing ouer a good
portion of his iourney was assaulted and set vpon by certaine
confederate theefes laying in waight for the spoyle in _Comeparcke_,
a perillous bottom, compassed about wyth woddes to well knowne for the
manyfolde murders & mischeefeous robberies theyr committed. Into whose
handes this passinger chaunced to fall, so that his ill lucke cost him
the price of his lyfe. And that Dogge whose syer was Englishe (which
_Blondus_ registreth to haue bene within the banckes of his remẽbrance)
manifestly perceauyng that his Master was murthered (this chaunced not
farre from _Paris_) by the handes of one which was a suiter to the same
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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