Early Spaniels and Setters 95 



is, as far as it can go, a slavish copy of Markham. Here is how he starts his 

 remarks upon the fowling-piece and it can be compared with the foregoing 

 quotation: "That is ever esteemed the best fowling piece which hath the 

 longest barrel, being five foot and a half or six foot long, with an indifferent 

 bore, under Harquebus." He of course omits reference to the out-of-date 

 weapons, but says nothing regarding the flint-lock. So also respecting dogs, 

 it is merely a copy of Markham, mostly verbatim. Presumably, there 

 may be some scarce works which might fill in the period between Markham 

 and our next authority, but we have not found any, nor seen any reference 

 thereto, so that our next quotation will be from a very complete little work 

 never mentioned in dog books, and that is the "Treatise on Field Diver- 

 sions," published anonymously by "A gentleman of Suffolk: A staunch 

 Sportsman." The author was the Rev. Mr. Simons, of Kelsoe, Saxmund- 

 ham, Suffolk. The first edition appeared in 1776, and so highly was it 

 esteemed that it was reprinted verbatim in 1824, having been for some time 

 out of print and very scarce. In the preface to this reissue it is described 

 as "decidedly the best work on the subjects on which it treats." 



Mr. Simons was a gentleman of education and undoubtedly of ex- 

 tensive experience in field sports, and his little book covers the ground from 

 1725, for he at one point speaks of dogs he had seen or known fifty years 

 prior to the publication in 1776. The whole book teems with personal 

 views and information as to the various dogs used in field sports and we 

 would we could give longer quotations than we now do, but as this is near 

 the splitting of the ways, and much he writes can be used in referring to the 

 breeds in their order, only sufficient will now be given to show that the 

 setter was still the setting dog and that the dog for shooting over on point 

 was the lately introduced pointer, which came to England about 1700, and 

 we are told was still being imported from Spain and Portugal when Mr. 

 Symonds wrote in 1776. The springer and cocker were also gun dogs, as 

 of course was the water spaniel, and in this work we first find the division 

 of breeds of the land spaniel family. The quotations will be running ones, 

 merely for the purpose of proving the foregoing statements. 



Under the caption of "Of the Setter" we find these remarks: "To him 

 we are indebted for the genteelest enjoyment of the field." This is a reference 

 to his use with the net. For after stating that hunting is the oldest sport, he 

 claims that netting followed, and quotes, "Surely in vain the net is spread in 

 sight of any bird," as evidence that netting was the next oldest sport, but at 



