IO8 THE MASTIFF FOR BAITING PURPOSES. 



there was an attempt on the part of the populace to bait the 

 bull openly. 



It is mentioned by Caius and other writers that Henry viith 

 ordered a mastiff to be hung because it had singly coped with 

 and overcome a lion. 



The Rev. Daniel, in his Rural Sports, 1807, vol. ist, says: 

 " Bear baiting was by no means an amusement of the lower 

 " people only, in the latter end of the fifteenth and early part 

 " of the sixteenth centuries." An odd incident furnishes us 

 with a proof of this; an important controversial M.S. was 

 sent by Archbishop Cranmer across the Thames, the person 

 entrusted with it ordered his waterman to keep off from the 

 tumult occasioned by baiting a bear on the river before 

 Henry viiith; the man rowed however too near, and the bear 

 overset the boat by trying to board it, and the M.S. was lost 

 in the confusion, etc. 



Under the Tuclors bear baiting became a royal sport, and 

 assumed recognised rules for what was considered sportsman- 

 like treatment towards both bear and mastiff. Shakespeare 

 says : 



' Call hither to stake my two brave bears, 



" Are these thy bears? we'll bait thy bears to death, 



" And manacle the bearward in their chains." 



The following was as near as possible the manner of 

 procedure : A stump of wood was sunk level with the ground, 

 into which was fastened a ring, to which the unfortunate bear 

 was made secure with a long chain or rope, the latter being 

 preferable ; the bear was then unmuzzled, several men termed 

 bear-wardens were in attendance. The mastiffs or beardogs 

 {not bulldogs) were fastened around at a convenient distance 

 out of reach, then either one, or more generally two, were 



