36 THE BESEDING OP DOGS. 



up to those faults, that he will, out of the willing- 

 iiesse of his own nature, double his courage to 

 pursue them swiftly, seeing his ease is ever the 

 greater, by how much he keepeth ever neerer to 

 the hounds ; for the danger of bursting, melting 

 his grease, and other infirmities, the discretion 

 of the rider and skill of the keeper must pre- 

 vent/' 



My readers will perhaps pardon me for making 

 one more quotation from this ancient authority, 

 in which, I think, he has very nearly hit the bull's 

 eye. 



" If it bee for cunning hunters, you shall breed 

 your dogges from the slowest and largest of the 

 northern hounds, and the swiftest and slenderest 

 of the west country hounds, being both male and 

 female approved to be staunch, faire, and even run- 

 ning of perfect fine sent, and not given to hie off 

 {shirt ers) or look for advantages. These hounds 

 will neither be so exceeding slow, that you will 

 wait many days without some fruit of your labour, 

 nor so unnimble that you shall need men to help 

 them over every hedge, as I have many times seen 

 to my much Avonder, but, having both strength and 

 nimbleness, will hold you in continual delight and 

 exercise ; for they are neither so swift that they 

 will far outrunne the sent, and so fetch many te- 



