Page:Of-englishe-dogges.djvu/41

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Engliſhe Dogges.
23

The fourth Section of this diſcourſe

Dogges of a Course Kind seruing for many Necessary uses, called in Latine Canes Rustici, and first of the shepherds dogge, called in Latine Canis Pastoralis.

Dogges of the courser sort are The shepherds dogge
The mastive or Bandogge.
These two are principall.

THe firſt kinde, namely the ſhepherds hounde is very neeessarye and profitable for the auoyding of harmes and inconueniences which may come to men by the means of beastes. The second sort serue to succour against the snares and attemptes of mischiefous men. Our shepherdes dogge is not huge, vaste, and bigge, but of an indifferent stature and growth, because it hath not to deale with the bloudthyrsty wolf, sythence there be none in England, which happy and fortunate benefite is to be ascribed to the puisaunt Prince Edgar, who to thintent ye the whole countrey myght be euacuated and quite clered from wolfes, charged & commaunded the welshemē (who were pestered with these butcherly beastes aboue measure) to paye him yearely tribute which was (note the wisedome of the King) three hundred Wolfes. Some there be which write that Ludwall Prince of Wales paide yeerly to King Edgar three hundred wolves in the name of an exaction (as we haue sayd before.) And that by the meanes