6 The Fox Terrier. 



cocened feare drive them out of theire hollow harbours, in 

 so much that they are compelled to prepare speedie flyte, 

 and, being desirous of the next (albeit not the safest) 

 refuge, are otherwise taken and intrapped with snayres 

 and nettes layde over holes to the same purpose. But 

 these be the least in that kynde called Sagax." Here, 

 though in quaint writing, is a description of the use a fox 

 terrier ought to be put to at the present day, although 

 setting nets before a fox earth would scarcely be called 

 legitimate sport in the nineteenth century. Still, if a net 

 is not used for foxes, its equivalent in a big sack is often 

 enough, even now, found useful when the " badger or 

 graye " be sought. 



What Gervase Markham wrote about terriers early in 

 1600 is not of much account, for, however learned that 

 great man might be, he was, after all, a mere bookmaker, 

 as the numerous works he wrote plainly testify. Not 

 satisfied with giving us elegant disquisitions on hunting, 

 archery, and other sports, he wrote and filled volume after 

 volume on military tactics, housewifery, heraldry, &c., and 

 wound up by composing poems, and posing as a dramatist. 



Nicholas Cox's well-known volume, " The Gentleman's 

 Recreation," published in 1667, provides less information 

 about the terriers of that day than one would have ex- 

 pected. He describes them as of two sorts one wdth legs 

 more or less crooked, with short coats; the other, straighter 

 on their legs, and with long jackets. Possibly the first- 

 named were the ordinary turnspits, or, may be, some bold 

 breeder of the Dandie Dinmont will lay claim to them as the 

 original progenitors of that variety of vermin terrier. Any- 

 how, whatever these crooked-legged dogs were, the long- 

 coated ones "with shaggy hair," like water spaniels, were 



