90 The Dog Book 



be, for that shewes fiercenesse and goodnesse : His neckc would bee thicke 

 and short, his brest like the brest of a Shippe, sharpe and compasse, his 

 shoulders broad, his fore Legs streighte, his chine square, his Buttocks 

 rounde, his Ribbes compasse, his belly gaunt, his thyes brawny, his Cam- 

 brels crooked, his posterns strong and dew-clawde, and all his four feete 

 spacious, full and round and closed together to the cley like a water Ducke, 

 for they being his oares to rowe him in the water, having that shape, will 

 carry his body away the faster. And thus you have the true description of a 

 perfect Water-dogge, as you may see following." 



Clear instructions follow as to the training of the water dog from 

 which we extract this reference to the breaking of dogs by trainers: "It is 

 the nature of every free meetle Dogge, and many of those which come from 

 the best reputed teachers, that as soon as they heare the peece [gun] goe off, 

 they will presently rush forth and flye in amongst the Fowle before you have 

 leisure to open your lippes." 



The other dog treated of at length by Markham is that called the Setter 

 by Caius, but here named Setting-Dogge. In the instructions regarding 

 taking partridges four methods are indicated, only one of which interests us, 

 and is as follows: 



"The fourth and last way for the taking of partridges (and which 

 indeed excelleth all the other for the excellency of the sport, and the rareness 

 of the Art which is contained therein) is the taking of them with the setting 

 Dogge, for in it there is a two-fold pleasure and a two-fold Art to bee dis- 

 covered; as first the pleasure and Art preceeding from the Dogge and is 

 contained in this manner, of ranging, hunting and setting." . . . "It 

 is meete that first before I wade further into this discourse, I shew you, 

 what a Setting Dogge is: you shall then understand that a Setting Dogge is 

 a certaine lusty land spaniel, taught by nature to hunt the partridges, before, 

 and more than any other chase." 



Here follow complete instructions regarding the training of the dog 

 for use with the net, and we return once more in a special chapter to the 

 dog and how to choose one and train him perfectly, and this is the sort 

 of dog Markham recommends: 



"The first thing, therefore, that you must learne in this art is, to make 

 a true election of your dogge, which you apply to this purpose of Setting, 

 and in this election you shall observe, that although any dogge which is of 

 perfect and good scent and naturally addicted to the hunting of feathers, 



