Our Englishmen, to the
extent that these dogs may be more cruel and fierce, assist nature
with some art, use, and custom. For although this kind of dog be
capable of courage, violent, valiant, stout, and bold: yet will they
increase these their stomachs by teaching them to bait the bear, the
bull, the lion, and other such like cruel and bloody beasts (either
brought over or kept up at home for the same purpose), without any
collar to defend their throats, and oftentimes there too they train
them up in fighting and wrestling with a man (having for the safeguard
of his life either a pikestaff, club, sword, privy coat), whereby they
become the more fierce and cruel unto strangers. The Caspians make so
much account sometimes of such great dogs that every able man would
nourish sundry of them in his house of set purpose, to the end they
should devour their carcases after their deaths thinking the dog's
bellies to be the most honourable sepulchres. The common people also
followed the same rate, and therefore there were tie dogs kept up by
public ordinance, to devour them after their deaths: by means whereof
these beasts became the more eager, and with great difficulty after a
while restrained from falling upon the living.
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