The hoohe of Hunting 217 



they giue them fucke a moneth and not much more, and that is 

 bicaufe their whelpes are curll: and haue cruell pawes and fliarpe 

 nayles, and byte flirewdely: if they finde not their fill of milke 

 in the Dammes teates, or that flie remoue when they fucke, then 

 they will byte the teate, and teare their Damme with their pawes, 

 whereupon many of them kill their whelpes, and byte them fore 

 fomtimes. At leaft aflbone as the Damme perceiueth that they 

 beginne to waxe ftrong, fliee giueth them fucke no longer, but 

 goeth abrode, and prayeth or fedeth vpon any thing that flie can 

 finde, and then caftes it vp agayne before hir whelpes, by that 

 meanes fhe feedeth them vntill they can praye for themfelues. 

 When they ingender, they lye face to face. They feede vppon 

 Hearbes, Frutes, Honie, Fleflie, Milke, Mafte, Beanes, Peafe, 

 and of all manner of carion and vermine. They will clyme a 

 tree for y® frute : and fomtimes in the winter or hard weather, 

 when all thefe things faile them, they kill Kyne and other cat- 

 tell to feede on : and yet fewe of them do fo, vnleflTe it be fheepe, 

 Gotes, or fuche little beaftes. If they be in good plyghte (and 

 efpecially the greater fort) they continew in their ftrength and 

 force tenne or twelue yeares. They Hue fometimes .xx. yeares, 

 but they doe oftentymes become blinde, and then they cannot 

 pray. They go very far for their prayes, confidering the great- 

 nefle and weight of their bodies, and that is bycaufe they would 

 not be founde : but yet looke where they praye, they remaine and 

 continue harde by their praye. If they be hunted, they followe 

 a man, and yet neuer runne vpon him vnlefiTe they be hurt : but 

 if they be hurte, then they runne vppon any thing that ftandes 

 before them. They are maruelous ftrong in their pawes, wher- 

 with they coll in a Man or a Dogge, in fuche forte, that many 

 times they kill and fmoother them, or breake their bulckes with 

 the force. Their nayles haue great force, but not fuch as would 

 kill a beaft : but with their whole pawe they pull a dogge vnto 

 their mouth, and then they teare him marueloufly, for they byte 

 fore, infomuch that if they get holde of a mans heade, they will 

 byte him into y^ braines : and as for an arme or a leg, they would 



Q^i crufhe 



