Some tell of starres th’influence straunge,
Some tell of byrdes which flie in th’ayre,
Some tell of beastes on land which raunge,
Some tell of fishe in riuers fayre,
Some tell of serpentes sundry sortes,
Some tell of plantes the full effect,
Of English dogges I sound reportes,
Their names and natures I detect,
My forhed is but baulde and bare:
But yet my body’s beutifull,
For pleasaunt flowres in me there are,
And not so fyne as plentifull:
And though my garden plot so greene,
Of dogges receaue the trampling feete,
Yet is it swept and kept full cleene,
So that it yeelds a sauour sweete.
Ab. Fle.
Scripsit non multis abhinc annis (optime Patrone) et non impolitè scripsit, vir omnibus optimarum literarum remis instructissimus, de doctorum grege non malè meritus, tuæ dignitati familiaritatis nexu coniunctissimus, clarissimum Cantabrigiensis academiæ lumen, gẽma, et gloria, Johannes Caius, ad Conradum Gesnerum summum suum, hominem peritissimum, indagatorem rerum reconditarum sagacissimum, pulcherrimaq. historiarum naturalium panoplia exornatũ, epitomen de canibus Britannicis non tam breuem quàm elegantem, et vtilem, epitomen inquam variis variorum experimentorum argumentis concinnatam; in cuius titulum cũ forte incidissem, et nouitate rei nonnihil delectarer, interpretationem Anglicam aggressus sum. Postquam vero finem penso imposuissem, repentina quædam de opusculi dedicatione cogitatio oboriebatur tãdemque post multas multarum rerum iactationes, beneficiorum tuorum (Ornatissime vir) vnica recordatio, instar rutilantis stellæ, quæ radiorum splendore quaslibet caliginosas teterrimæ obliuionis nebulas dissipat, et memoriæ serenitatem, plusquã solarem, inducit, mihi illuxit; nec nõ officii ratio quæ funestissimis insensæ fortunæ fulminibus conquassata, lacerata, et convulsa, penè perierat, fractas vires multumq. debilitatas colligebat, pristinum robur recuperauit, tandemque aliquando ex Lethea illa palude neruose emergebat, atque eluctata est. Quã voraginẽ simulatque euaserat, sic effloruit, adeoque increuit, vt vnamquamque animi mei cellulã in sui ditionem atque imperii amplitudinem raperet. Nunc vero in contemplatione meritorum tuorum versari non desino, quorum magnitudinem nescio an tam tenui et leuidensi orationis filo possim circumscribere: Hoc, Ædepol, me non mediocriter mouet, non leuiter torquet, non languide pungit. Est præterea alia causa quæ mihi scrupulum injicit, et quodammodo exulcerat, ingrati nempe animi suspicio a qua, tanquam ab aliqua Lernæa Hydra, pedibus (vt aiunt) Achilleis semper fugi, et tamẽ valde pertimesco ne officij mora et procrastinatio (vt ita dicam) obscænam securitatis labem nomini meo inurat, eoque magis expauesco quod peruulgatum illud atque decantatum poetæ carmen memoriæ occurrebat.
Dedecus est semper sumere nilque dare.
Sed (Ornatissime vir) quemadmodũ metus illius mali me magnopere affligebat atque fodicabat, ita spes alterius boni, nempe humanitatis tuæ, qua cæteris multis interuallis præluxeris, erigit suffulcitque: Ea etiam spes alma et opima iubet et hortatur aliquod quale quale sit, officij specimen cum allacritate animi prodere. Hisce itaque persuasionibus victus me morigerum præbui, absolutamque de canibus Britannicis interpretationẽ Anglicam, tibi potissimum vtpote patrono singulari, et vnico Mæcenati dedicandũ proposui: non quod tam ieiuno et exili munere immensum meritorum tuorum mare metiri machiner, non quod religiosas aures sacratasque, prophanæ paginæ explicatione obtundere cupiam, nec quod nugatoriis friuolisque narrationibus te delectari arbitrer, cum in diuinioribus excercitationibus totus sis: sed potius (cedat fides dicto) quod insignis ille egregiusque liber alium artium, et præcipuè medicæ facultatis princeps (qui hoc opusculum contexuit) ita viguit dum vixerat adeoque inclaruit, vt haud scio (vt ingenué fatear quod sentio) an post funera parem sibi superstitem reliquerit. Deinde quod hunc libellum summo studio et industria elaboratum in transmarinas regiones miserat, ad hominem omni literarum genere, et præsertim occultarũ rerum cognitione, quæ intimis naturæ visceribus et medullis insederat (O ingeniũ niueo lapillo dignũ) cuius difficultates Laberyntheis anfractibus flexuosisque recessibus impeditas perscrutari et iuuestigare (deus bone, quam ingẽs labor, quam infinitum opus,) excultum, Conradum Gesnerum scriberet, qui tantam gratiam conciliauit vt non solum amicissimo osculo exciperet, sed etiam stud lose lectitaret, accuratè vteretur, inexhaustis denique viribus, tanquam perspicacissimus draco vellus aureum, et oculis plusquam aquilinis custodiret, Postremo quemadmodum hanc epitomen a viro verè docto ad virum summa nominis celebritate decoratum scriptam fuisse accepimus, ita eandem ipsam (pro titulo Britannico) Britãnico sermone, licet ineleganti, vsitata et populari, ab esuriente Rhetore donatam, tuis (eruditissime vir) manibus commendo vt tuo sub patrocino in has atque illas regionis nostræ partes intrepide proficiscatur: obtestorque vt hunc libellum, humilem et obscuram inscriptionem gerentem, argumentum nouum et antehæc non auditum complectientem, ab omni tamen Sybaritica obscœnitate remotissimum, æqui bonique consulas.
Tuæ dignitati deditissimus
Abrahamus
Flemingus.
As euery manifest effect proceedeth frõ som certain cause, so the penning of this present abridgement (gentle and courteous reader) issued from a speciall occasion. For Conradus Gesnerus, a man whiles he liued, of incomparable knowledge, and manyfold experience, being neuer satisfied with the sweete sappe of vnderstanding, requested Iohannes Caius a profound clarke and a rauennous deuourer of learning (to his praise be it spoke though the language be somewhat homely) to write a breuiary or short treatise of such dogges as were ingendred within the borders of England: To the contentation of whose minde and the vtter accomplishement of whose desire, Caius spared no study, (for the acquaintance which was betweene them, as it was confirmed by continuaunce, and established vpon vnfainednes, so was it sealed with vertue and honesty) withdrew himself from no labour, repined at no paines, forsooke no trauaile, refused no indeuour, finally pretermitted no opportunity or circumstaunce which seemed pertinent and requisite to the performance of this litle libell. In the whole discourse wherof, the booke, to consider the substaunce, being but a pamphlet or skantling, the argument not so fyne and affected, and yet the doctrine very profitable and necessarye, he vseth such a smoothe and comely style, and tyeth his inuention to such methodicall and orderly proceedings, as the elegantnes and neatnesse of his Latine phrase, (being pure, perfect, and vn mingled) maketh the matter which of it selfe is very base and clubbishe, to appeare (shall I say tollerable) nay rather commendable and effectuall. The sundry sortes of Englishe dogges he discouereth so euidently, their natures he rippeth vp so apparantly, their manners he openeth so manifestly, their qualities he declareth so skilfully, their proportions he painteth out so perfectly, their colours he describeth so artificially, and knytteth all these in such shortnesse and breuity, that the mouth of th’aduersary must needes confesse & giue sentence that commendation ought to bee his rewarde, and praise his deserued pension. An ignoraunt man woulde neuer have beene drawne into this opinion, to thincke that there had bene in England such variety & choice of dogges, in all respectes (not onely for name but also for qualitie) so diuerse and vnlike: But what cannot learning attaine? what cannot the kay of knowledge open? what cannot the lampe of vnderstanding lighten? what secretes cannot discretion detect? finally what cannot experience comprehend? what huge heapes of histories hath Gesnerus hourded vp in volumes of a large syze? Fishes in floudes, Cattell on lande, Byrdes in the ayre, how hath he sifted them by their naturall differences? how closely and in how narrow a compasse hath he couched mighty and monstruous beasts, in bygnesse lyke mountaines, the bookes themselues being lesser then Molehilles. The lyfe of this man was not so great a restority of comfort, as his death was an vlcer or wound of sorrow: the losse of whom Caius lamented, not so much as he was his faithfull friende, as for that he was a famous Philosopher, and yet the former reason (being, in very deede, vehement and forceable) did stinge him with more griefe, then he peraduenture was willing to disclose. And though death be counted terrible for the time, and consequently vnhappy, yet Caius aduoucheth the death of Gesner most blessed, luckie, and fortunate, as in his Booke intituled De libris proprijs appeareth. But of these two Eagles sufficient is spoken as I suppose, and yet litle enough in consideration of their dignitie and worthines. Neurthelesse litle or mickle, something or nothing, substaunce or shadow take all in good part, my meaning is by a fewe wordes to wynne credit to this worke, not so much for mine owne Englishe Translation as for the singuler commendation of them, challenged of dutie and desart. Wherefore gentle Reader I commit them to thy memorie, and their bookes to thy courteous censure. They were both learned men, and painefull practitioners in their professions, so much the more therfore are their workes worthy estimation, I would it were in me to aduaunce them as I wishe, the worst (and yet both, no doubt, excellent) hath deserued a monument of immortality. Well there is no more to be added but this, that as the translatiõ of this booke was attempted, finished, and published of goodwill (not onely to minister pleasure, as to affoord profit) so it is my desire and request that my labour therin employed may be acceptable, as I hope it shalbe to men of indifferent Judgement. As for such as shall snarr and snatch at the Englishe abridgement, and teare the Translatour, being absent, with the teeth of spightfull enuye, I conclude in breuity there eloquence is but currishe, if I serue in their meate with wrong sawce, ascribe it not to vnskilfulnesse in coquery, but to ignoraunce in their diet, for as the Poet sayeth
Non satis est ars sola coquo, seruire palato:
Nanque coquus dontini debet habere gulam:
It is not enough that a cooke vnderstand,
Except his Lordes stomack he holde in his hand.
To winde vp all in a watcheworde I saye no more, But doe well, and Farewell,
His and his Friendes,
Abraham
Fleming.