404 The Dog Book 



"Two sorts of Earth dogs: The hunting of the fox and brocke, to bee 

 performed with Earth dogs, which are of two sorts: the one hath crooked 

 legs and commonly short haired: the other hath straight legs and shagd hair 

 like Water spaniels, those which have the crooked legs creep more easilie 

 into the earth than the others, and they are best for the brocks, bicause 

 they stay long there, and keepe better without coming forth. Those which 

 have straight legs serve for two uses, bicause they run as coursing dogs 

 above ground, and also take the earth more boldly than the other, but they 

 tarrie not in so long, bicause they vexe themselves in fighting with the 

 foxes and brocks, whereby they are forced to come forth to take the aire." 



Turberville's translation was from Du Fouilloux and is as follows: 



"Now to speak of the foxhounds and terriers, and how you are to enter 

 them to take the foxe, the badgerd, and such like vermin; you must under- 

 stand that there are two sorts of terriers, whereof wee hold opinion that one 

 sort came out of Flanders or the low countries, as Artoyes and thereabouts 

 and they have crooked legges and are short heared moste commonly. 

 Another sorte there is which are shagged and straight legged: those with 

 the crooked legges will take earth better than the other and are better for 

 the badgerd, bycause they will lye longer at a vermin: but the others with 

 straight legges do serve for twoo purposes, for they wyll hunte above the 

 grounde as well as other houndes, and enter the earth with more furie than 

 the others: but they will not abide so long, bycause they are too eager to 

 fight, and therefore are constreyned to come out to take the ayre: there are 

 both good and badde of both [sortes." Turberville, in place of giving it 

 "dogs for the earth, otherwise called Bassets," gives them the English 

 name only. 



Mutilated more or less, this description of French bassets did duty as 

 the description of English terriers as late as the eighteenth century. In 

 our 1721 edition of Cox's "Gentleman's Recreation" it is given thus: "Of 

 terriers there are two sorts. The one is crooked-legg'd and commonly 

 short haired : And these will take Earth well, and will lie very long at Fox 

 and Badger. The other sort is shagged and straight legged: And these 

 will not only hunt above ground as others, but also enter the Earth with 

 much more fury than the former; but cannot stay in so long by reason of 

 their great eagerness." 



Blome is the only one who broke away from the French description of 

 bassets for terriers, although he cribbed wholesale from Du Fouilloux 



