exercises, and to content their corrupted concupiscences with vaine disport (A selly shift to shunne yrcksome ydlnesse.) These puppies the smaller they be, the more pleasure they prouoke, as more meete play fellowes for minsing mistrisses to beare in their bosoms, to keepe company withal in their chambers, to succour with sleepe in bed, and nourishe with meate at bourde, to lay in their lappes, and licke their lippes as they ryde in their waggons, and good reason it should be so, for coursenesse with fynenesse hath no fellowship, but featnesse with neatenesse hath neighbourhood enough. That plausible prouerbe verified vpon a Tyraunt, namely that he loued his sowe better then his sonne, may well be applyed to these kinde of people, who delight more in dogges that are depriued of all possibility of reason, then they doe in children that be capeable of wisedome and iudgement. But this abuse peraduenture raigneth where there hath bene long lacke of issue, or else where barrennes is the best blossome of bewty.
The vertue which remaineth in the Spaniell gentle otherwise called the comforter.
NOtwithstanding many make much of those pretty puppies called Spaniells gentle, yet if the question were demaunded what propertie in them they spye, which shoulde make them so acceptable and precious in their sight, I doubt their aunswere would be long a coyning. But seeing it was our intent to trauaile in this treatise, so that ye reader might reape some benefite by his reading, we will communicate vnto you such coniecures as are grounded upon reason. And though some suppose that such dogges are fyt for no seruice, I dare say, by their leaues, they be in a wrong boxe. Among all other qualities therefore of nature, which be knowne (for some conditions are couered with continuall and thicke clouds, that the eye of our capacities cannot pearse through thē) we find
