Page:The power of the dog.djvu/77

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his "Book of Hunting." The worst of it is, we do not know how much is Turbervile, how much Du Fouillot, whom he translated, and how much still earlier writers from whom the Frenchman borrowed. What we do know is that our ancestors dug the fox and "badgerd" after the manner in which we dig them now-a-days, and that they used terriers in the sport. We have also evidence that terriers of various kinds existed, Turbervile writing "You must understand that there are sundrie sortes of terriers, whereof wee hold opinion that one sorte came out of Flaunders or the low Countries, as Artoys and thereabouts, and they have crooked legges, and are short beared moste commonly. Another sorte there is which are shagged and streight legged; those with the crooked legges will take earth better than the other, and are better for the Badgerd, bycause they will lye longer at a vermine; but the others with streyght legges do serve for twoo purposes, for they wyll Hunte above the grounde as well as other houndes, and they enter the earthe with more furie than the others: but they will not abide so long, bycause they are too eagre in right, and therefore are constrayned to come out to take the ayre: there are both good and badde of bothe sortes."


True, good sir, even unto this day there are good and bad of both sorts; and there are good and bad sportsmen also, but I doubt if our modern Nimrods are sufficiently luxury-loving to take with them air cushions when they go badger digging. Turbervile's